The Shot Clock Pod - San Antonio Spurs 2025-26 Season Preview!

13 Rules_ San Antonio Spurs === ​[00:00:00] Jose: All right, it's time to talk basketball. I'm Jose Salviati, Editor at thePeachBasket.net. He's Steve Purciello, a longtime educator, vice principal, high school basketball coach and athletic director. And this week we are pausing the Shot Clock Pod. The shot clock is put away. Shot clock pot, of course, is the best 24 minutes of random NBA thoughts online anywhere, and we're putting it away in order to prepare for the 2025-26 NBA season by discussing specific and interesting NBA teams. As we prepare for the new season, the first preseason game is only 19 days away. This week, we'll discuss the San Antonio Spurs. Now Steve and I are excited to welcome Reagan from the Spurs Bros podcast Reagan, along with Alec and Stewart. Make up the Spurs Bros podcast, which [00:01:00] you can find on YouTube and Instagram at the Spurs Bros podcast and X at the Spurs Bros Pod. We'll have all that link wherever you're hearing or watching this today, and encourage you to listen and subscribe for great Spurs content. And Reagan, thank you for taking the time. I know it's been a bit of a struggle. I know you were sick last week. I'm glad you're better, but we've been really excited to talk to you and glad you're here. Reagan: Yeah, I'm happy to be here guys, and thanks for being flexible. First time. I've been sick all year, so poor timing, but good to get it outta the way in the off season Jose: per Yeah. This is the time to do it. Right on. We're glad you're here. We're excited to talk Spurs basketball. Before we dive in wanted to throw out some interesting, or at least interesting to meet tidbits about the Spurs. They haven't been to the playoffs since 20 18, 20 19. They've last won it all in 20 13, 24 season. And they've not had anyone named other than. Greg Popovich as their head full-time head coach since the 19 97, 98 NBA season. [00:02:00] Despite all that, this could be a big year. They've made great moves. They've had some real success in the draft. This is a very good team. And, first thing that comes to mind is Joelle m beads, trust the process, years and years ago and I think we've seen the process for the Sixers and that team taper out that process is done. The process for the Spurs is just beginning. We're at the start of it, which is exciting as an NBA fan to see a team pick well in their drafts make good decisions, keep a team together and just, and throw it out there and see what happens. And that's what we're seeing with the Spurs And, I think it's gonna be a very interesting and a very successful season for the Spurs. So we're excited to talk about 'em. I wanna get started with a question that Steve posed, right? And this is about dear Fox. I had a couple questions about about Fox as well. Getting to watch him play on the east, pardon me, on the west coast. I'm a West coast guy, so we got West, central and east, all represented here. So pretty familiar with this game. Phenomenal individual [00:03:00] player in 2023, NBA, all star, NBA all third all NBA rather third team, clutch player of the year in 2023, steels leader in 2024. This is a good individual player, but his team, and admittedly he played in Sacramento which is not a great, hasn't been a great team, hasn't had great success as a franchise, but is this guy a leader? Is he worth. To ask Steve's question, $37 million a year, what do you think? Reagan: I absolutely do, and we're about to pay him a lot more than 37. With the max deal that we just signed him to, we locked him in for the next, basically five years, including this season. That money extension money doesn't kick in until the 26, 27 year. But I absolutely think he's a leader. He's got his head on his shoulders. He's a very reserved person. He's not, he went on record last summer saying he's not here for. Squeezing out every dollar that he can make. He's been in the league eight or nine years already and he led a flailing Sacramento organization [00:04:00] to the playoffs for the first time in, what was it, 16, 18 seasons. And how did they reward him? They fired his preferred head coach and made some interesting trades, changes from the front office, classic ownership from Sacramento. So he made his way to San Antonio. This is where he wants to be. And I think there's a lot of people that have forgotten who Deer and Fox is. He was dealing with a broken pinky all last year, got shut down after about 15 games, 17 games with San Antonio. But I think he's gonna come into this season ready to really remind people of his all NBA and all star caliber talents. I think he and Victor Wimmer are gonna have one of the most deadly pick and roll combinations in the entire NBA. If Chris Paul can be on the top 10 list of pick, pick and roll efficiency with Wimb, I think Deer and fox can be in the top three or four. Very excited to see what he's gonna do. Fastest player in the league with the ball. Can't wait for games to pick up in October. Steve: I think [00:05:00] he there's no question. He's a good offensive player and he can't play well down the stretch. He's lucky he's gonna have Stephen Castle with him because he can defend. I think one of the places that Fox is I guess negligent, not a great defender in any way. And when I watched a lot of the Sacramento games, which were fun and he was great to watch. But I think, the fact and the modern NBA teams are figuring out, you can't give max big money to players that are they have to be complete. So the reason we asked the question was, is he a complete player to make that money? And that's the crux of what we're trying to say. Reagan: I think, there's questions about his ability to defend one-on-one or defend in a team scheme. But this is a guy that's averaged about two, steals a game for most of his career and he turns that into very efficient numbers in, in fast break offense. Off of those steals. And if he gets blown by, he's got [00:06:00] by far and away the best defender on planet Earth and all of outer space, the alien, Victor and Manama protecting the rim. And we've got Luke Cornett to defend that rim. Like you said, Stefan Castle's great. Dylan Harper's gonna be able to use his size. Jeremy Sohan is one of the best one-on-one wing defenders in the league. So he's got a team of guys around him and the onus will not be on him to be the head of the defensive schemes that's gonna revolve around our center. Steve: How do you pick five guys out to keep on the court? Reagan: That's the problem for Mitch Johnson to figure out, and that's a good problem to have. This is one of the deepest rosters that the Spurs have had since our last playoff run in 2019. The way that I see it, I think Fox is gonna start alongside Stefon Castle. I think Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sohan will slide in at the three and four with Weby at the five, and that gives you a backup group with number two overall. Pick Dylan Harper. It gives you Kelvin Johnson. Devin Vasel for some [00:07:00] scoring punch gives you optionality with Luke Cornett and Kelly Olin. Our additions from the off season Julian Champ's, a sharp shooter. And Carter Bryant the 14th overall pick, he can slide in and be an absolute menace. So the rotations is gonna be the one of the most exciting things for. Alec and Stewart and I had a watch evolve. Steve: You also forgot Jordan McLaughlin, who's a pretty good ball player, Minnesota. Oh, my fault. Yes. No he's a nice player. I understand that's a difficult situation to have, so many good players, and it causes teams to have problems. I'm also curious when you go out and sign Cornett for the money they gave him. And I've watched him a lot and I think he's worth it. But he and a lytic, I'm curious. I my thought is the plan would be we be playing a lot of four to make it get those guys on the court. Reagan: Yeah, I think Cornett is gonna be the first center off the bench to back him up. And Olin can play the four or the five. He's listed as a forward slash center on the rosters. [00:08:00] He's a guy that is not probably gonna play a ton of minutes, maybe 15 minutes here and there. He only played 44 games last year for two separate teams combined. So it gives it, again, optionality is the thing that you want on an NBA team. If Victor misses 10 games, we've still got Cornet and a Lin and Sohan to, to fill in there and give us, but I think what we saw was Wim is most effective at the five. It's like Anthony Davis. He, Anthony Davis loves to play Power Forward. He claims that's where he is best. But the Lakers last won a championship when Anthony Davis was playing the five or when he at least had a second big man on the court with him. So if Victor wants to shoot threes playing out of the four with Cornett or Lennick playing the five, so be it. But I think the best option for Wendy is to shave off a couple of those three point attempts, the game assert himself in the paint a little bit more frequently and really embrace the center position. Steve: The other piece that I'm curious about, and this is going a little off script, but the other piece I'm [00:09:00] curious about the effect of their new coach Johnson as compared to pop and does he have control of the ship like Popovich had? 'cause it's gonna be a difficult time when you have 12 guys who can all play and you have to find minutes. Reagan: Yeah, Steve: that, that's a curious, just something that's of interest as well as Wendy's health, but more importantly the coaching situation. Reagan: He's, look, Mitch Johnson is never gonna be Greg Popovich. Zero coaches ever will be Greg Popovich ever again. But the thing that's nice to know from a fan perspective is that. Mitch was endorsed by just about everybody on the current Spurs roster. When they made that decision, pop gave his nod, WEBY Fox, they all gave their vote of, of approval, for Mitch Johnson. So they all believe in him to start. Who knows how that's gonna go if we hit a rush pa, rough patch. We're gonna have to see how he really handles that. We forget he's got over 70 games under [00:10:00] his helm already from last season. Pop was probably in his ear. He didn't have full control of the team, but he's gone out and made some very promising hires. I think we got his name escapes me right now, but Sweeney from the Dallas Mavericks is gonna be our new defensive specialist kind of associate head coach. He hired Rashard Lewis. For some player development, it's gonna be great for Carter Bryant. He's got some really promising and talented, well-respected guys on the bench to, to help him, but I think everybody's really embracing him as the leader of this team. He's been around this organization for over a decade, starting out in the G League down in Austin, and he is moved his way up. So we'll have to see what happens, and I think the players are gonna put a lot of trust in him early. Steve: One of the things that impresses me about the Spurs, I think Dante, Sal's good and Kelvin Johnson are good. And they're probably not even gonna start. So you're pretty deep. And those guys coming off the bench, that's as good as any team's putting out there. [00:11:00] And I look at the spurs of the team a year away, but once everything comes together, look out. Reagan: Devin Vall and Kel and Johnson are probably two of the three most polarizing players on this team. On the Spurs Bros podcast, we have been very critical. Of Devin Vasel over the past 12 months. He's a guy that's very inconsistent on the defensive end of the court. He makes incredible shots. He's a very talented, offensive player, but he really shies away from the spotlight, does not come through. In, in the key situations of games. Mrs. Rotations constantly gets back cut. And as the current now that we have Fox, the second highest paid player on the team, he is not living up to the contract that he signed two off seasons ago. Yes, it's great to have that, that scoring punch, but if you were to ask me, who's got the most to prove this upcoming season, whose seat is the hottest to remain on this roster? That name would be Deon Busell for me, Jose: I would think. A not Kelvin Johnson. Not Jeremy Soan not Harrison [00:12:00] Barnes. Reagan: Harrison Barnes, all those guys. I want Harrison Barnes to retire a spur. He embodies everything that Spurs culture is. Okay. Kelvin Johnson, he's the guy. Look if we want to package the, and Johnson together for a trade to go get some, b plus level player to really round out the squad, fine, so be it. But he's the longest tenured spur. He's a great locker room guy, great culture guy, energy leader type personality. On this team, Kelvin Johnson is. But he's got his consistency problems too. So I think he's on the block. And the most polarizing player across the General Spurs fan base is Jeremy Sohan. But I'm a big believer in that kid. I think he's got the intangibles and the ability to affect the game without the ball, which every championship or contending level team needs a guy like that. So I personally don't want Sohan Barnes to go anywhere. The other two guys. Thank you for your service. If they're not here by the trade deadline, so be it. Steve: Why is so hand [00:13:00] polarizing? Reagan: People point to his, his jump shot stands out, right? His form has been pretty wacky. His first three years in the season, he's got the one handed free throw now, which is actually increase his percentage over 15% at the line. But people wanna see more from him offensively, the casual fan doesn't, want to. Sit here and talk X's and o's and defensive schemes and efficiency in a one-on-one defensive setting and all that stuff. They wanna see ball go in basket. And that's not something Jeremy Sohan does. Very pretty he's a muck it up kind of player. Offensive rebound, put back. Make good plays, team plays, defensive plays, that sort of thing. He's not somebody that's gonna go cross you up like Jamal Crawford. He's gonna be more of the Draymond Green type. And, Draymond Green's one of the most polarizing players in the league. So if we've got a mini Draymond with less propensity for fragrance and technicals, that's where the Spurs fan base lands is. Get him outta here. He can't score. Wow. Steve: Most fans think that way. Reagan: [00:14:00] Most fans do. Yeah. And you can't blame 'em, right? If you haven't had the exposure to pro or college or, even high school level ball, you don't really know what to look for other than can he score or is he blocking two shots a game? And that's not something he's ever gonna do. But he affects the game in a lot of different other ways. Steve: Jose? Jose: Okay, so first off, I gotta, I got a call out that you just did, I don't know if you meant to do this or not, but you just did a pop of itch. He was asked one time in an interview, one of those dumb halftime interviews or after the quarter interviews. So why are the Spurs up? And he looked at the, what's the key to the game? And he looked at the, it had to been, what's the dude's name who wore those crazy outfits? Can't remember. Craig Sager. Craig Sager. He looked at Craig Sager and he goes. We put the ball in the hoop more than they did. That was his answer, which was classic pop. And you just said, does he put the ball hoop? Hey, it's subliminal, Reagan: man. It's all I've ever known is coach Pop. Subliminal. Pop. So yeah, shout out LFA. Well [00:15:00] done. Jose: Boom. And let's talk a little bit about the new Heen. Okay? Because Mitch Johnson I've got nothing to go on, and I'm not drawing this line between these two people. What am I gonna say right now? But there is a distant dis there's a distinction between. Having a, the interim tag and having the head coach tag, it's different. Okay. Definitely. And the first thought I had was Luke Walton was an assistant for the Golden State Warriors. Great Warriors team. I think that was the team that they, that won it all. And Steve Kerr was out. And so Luke Walton ran the show. I think he went 14 and l All right. Got a lot of publicity for it. Got a lot of credit for it, which I don't think he deserved, but he got, he went 14 and l and again, officially, he didn't get those wins, but everybody saw it and he took that and ultimately, got head coaching job. Out of it and did not do well. Because again, there's a distinction, there's a line of demarcation between, okay, you run the show, pop's [00:16:00] still in the back. And now, hey dude, you are the heifer. You're the guy. And so there's no way it's just subjective, but is how do you think Ms. Johnson's gonna react to that? Because you mentioned the pressure, right? The three game losing streak maybe, starting off one in four, that's a different kind of pressure, but just the pressure. Having the keys to the kingdom man, which he does now. There's no doubt he is the guy. How's he gonna react to that? 'cause that's gonna be pretty telling. What do you think? Reagan: It's kinda like I said earlier he's got the endorsement from the entire Sport Spurs organization, whether it be front office or pop himself or the players. And I think confidence goes a long way. The other difference in, in Mitch Johnson's situation compared to Luke Walton's is the talent of this roster compared to the roster of the Lakers from 2016 to 2019. That was Kobe's final years. Jose: I didn't call out, I didn't call out that it was a Lakers, by the way. Just see for Reagan: the record, Jose: I would say Lakers, Steve: evidently are you texting? Keep your [00:17:00] hands up so we can see. Invariably everything we do. If we were talking about the, it wasn't me. We talk about purple, hey, Reagan: I'm not here to give any kudos to the Lakers. They were awful during those years. They were awful. They were awful. LeBron James came in and had to change things without Luke Walton. But my main point, Steve: I thought it was the Lakers Best Years, but Reagan: those Lakers teams were not good. They were not competitive. They did not have the. Talent that's fair to legitimately compete. And they did not have anybody of the caliber of Wema or Fox or Castle for that matter. Say what you want about Castle, but he is a reigning rookie of the year. Yeah. So I think that's going to give him a lot of ability to make mistakes and lean on the players. And if you listen to any interview about, pop being asked over the years. How were you so good at coaching? What made you so good? And he said, it wasn't me, it was the players. It was Tim Duncan, right? It was gin. It was Tony Parker who allowed me to coach them and set an [00:18:00] example for everybody else, right? And those guys are all still so heavily involved in the org. They're around the building every day and the budding superstars are taking taking note and taking advice from those players that provided the blueprint to win championships. So I think the culture will persist. It'll just be a spin on what's already been established. And Ms. Johnson's gonna. Probably update the offense in a few ways and let these guys be a little bit more carefree and flowing with some of the more modern offensive schemes that, that are going on in the NBA now. Sorry. Jose: Outstanding. I am excited to see it. I hope not for the best for him, honestly. You answered this question, but I wanna c circle back because it was a bit of a head scratcher for me initially, but I think you answered it right. Stefan Castle, rookie of the year, phenomenal player. Really fun to watch play. We talked about deer fox, and then they draft Dylan Harper. You could make a case that they didn't need Dylan Harper. And they're stacked at that [00:19:00] position. But you pick the best player I'm a big fan of, and that, that's the approach I would take. You pick the best player available. Yeah, he was the best player available, but it created a bit of a log jam there. But your thinking is Castle and Fox start and Harper's gonna get, rookie minutes, 15, 20 minutes, he's gonna get some run behind those two. Is that how you see it playing out? Reagan: It is. It is. And he's Harper's already hinted at that. He said, look, you look at James Harden, he had to come off the bench and wait his turn for three or four years, now does that mean that Harper's got his site set on a trade in four years from now to go get the keys to his own team? I hope not, but what people I think don't really realize if you're not, a, an actual San Antonio Spurs fan, is that this contract that Fox has signed. Gives us the ability to lock in a, an all-star level point guard, Stefan Castle's better at the two. Anyway, so we've got a great back court right now. Let Harper develop behind these guys. If any one of, if either of those first two go down, [00:20:00] Harper can slide into either position and do great with not a lot of pressure on him. But if three years, three years passes and D Fox is 30, 31 years old. And we say, you know what? We really think that Dylan Harper and Stefon Castle is the back quarter of the future. There's two, two years left on that Fox contract. The cap will have gone up three times by then. It's gonna be a very attractive deal for a 30-year-old mult, multi-time all-star. Hopefully one time champion point guard that another team is gonna go scoop up and we can move on and usher in the future with Castle and Harper. That's the way that I see it. But nice to me. This trio of combo guard point guards, shooting guards. It again gives us the optionality to assess their talent and their progress in this system over the next three or so years and make that decision then. But we've got the assurance of a very high level of talent in our [00:21:00] back court for a long time now, and that's the best scenario you could ask for. I'd Steve: rather have Reagan: three great guards than zero. Steve: There's two things I'll, one is an observation. Your window is only open so long because as guys like Harper are in the league, they're gonna need big money. And when you get into the second apron, you're finished. So having said that. And that's still a couple years away, obviously, but Wendy's up for a big contract too, I believe. As they get there, then you've gotta start weeding out players because you can't pay that much. But more importantly, right now, where do you see the Spurs? This year wins and place in the league. Reagan: I've gone on record. We're in a hiatus right now in the Spurs Bros Pod. We're taking September off. But before, before we took this break, I went on record and said that the floor for this team, if we remain healthy, is 45 wins. That is our floor. If you give me 65 games of Weby [00:22:00] and Fox together, and there's no way in my mind that we win less than 45 of 'em. So 45 should be a floor, but you look at that and that's a eight or nine seat in the west this past season. So to me, I think if all things go well, we stay healthier than most other teams, we could be pushing for 49 to 50 wins. We're looking at a five or six seat in the west, really making noise for hopefully a second round playoff appearance this season, I think Wimpy's ready to go. He is gonna be top five MVP. Voting, which he was already, that was his peak last year. And I that's where I see I, ceiling championship. Sure. But realistically I think this is a first or second round playoff team this upcoming season. Steve: See I, I don't see him as often as useful. I don't know, but I just, I think the ceiling is higher. I think fourth place, third place. Is a possibility if they're healthy and everything comes together there's a lot of talent Reagan: there. Steve: There is, if they could many [00:23:00] places. Reagan: It's gonna be the thunder and the rockets is what everybody's saying. Have those top two spots on lock. I think where we're gonna slot in, the timber wolves are still gonna be really good. But from there that group of, nuggets and Lakers and warriors, those older teams that have some potential health and longevity questions. That's right. Can the Spurs, outlast, outrun, outgun, those types of teams to make a push for a top four seed and get some home court advantage remains to be seen, but I think that's the group that we slot in with. Steve: I think if the spur, if the over the Hill gang that you just mentioned, those three teams. They're not gonna play. Those guys are not, they're gonna play 60 games. So having said that, they're not gonna win as often as San Antonio as they are playing for the playoffs. That's why I look at San Antonio as a possible third or fourth place team. Reagan: I'd love it, Steve. I'd love it. So Steve: I would too, because, you like to see new blood moving up in, into the in the league. Reagan: Yeah. The [00:24:00] NBA's all about storylines and headlines and who's up and coming and who's gonna knock the knock. The old guys off their throne and the Spurs are one of the teams that could do that. I think, as much as I absolutely ab whore the organization down in Houston, I think that's the type of ascent that we could be looking at with the core of guys that we've assembled. Steve: You got the best player in the game. He will be if he's, he Reagan: will be two years. Two years time. He's close. Steve: He's close. He's just does everything. So Reagan: He's a gem to watch, man, if you go back and watch the game against the bucks. Last season when Giannis and Company came down to San Antonio. He went head to toe with the Greek freak man, and he re, he really established himself, had a monster block on Giannis. He went behind the back around Dame Lillard and two hand jam all over Brook Lopez. He is a, he is not nice. He comes off as a nice guy, but he is not nice in between the lines. He's gonna be really exciting [00:25:00] to watch healthy. He's put on another 10 to 15 pounds of muscle this summer. The pictures are it's gonna be special. Yeah. League's gotta watch out. Steve: Christmas the show he put on Christmas against the Nicks. Reagan: Yeah. That was really fun. My, my wife and her family are not sports people, but it was the first Christmas that I spent with them in Gainesville, Florida. And I was like, look guys we've gotta put this game on while we're opening in presents. I don't know what to tell you. And that was the same weekend that I first talked to Jose. That game. I had these group of non-sports people staring and oohing, and awing at the tv 'cause Victor was going crazy. Yeah. He almost set a Christmas scoring day record. He was a three pointer that didn't count away from tying that record of Wilt Chamberlain for most points on a Christmas debut. Yeah, he's, he is really exciting. I can't wait. Can't wait. Even for just training camp September 29th, I just wanna start seeing some videos on socials and get to preseason and get these games [00:26:00] rolling. Steve: We all do. It's tough watching a lot of baseball. Reagan: Say that again? Steve: Yeah. So we all can't wait. Jose: All right. L lots to unpack there. I was actually taking notes 'cause I wanna capture all of this. N number one. I thought it was really interesting that you said and I love the thought and I know I, I know what you meant, Reagan, but you talked about how one of the great storylines in an NBA is generally right, going after the old guys, right? Michael Jordan's bulls. Yeah. Had to get through the pistons, right? The Lakers and the Celtics. Beating each other up, trying to find, supremacy. What's interesting to me is right now the kings of the castle right, are the youngest team in the NBA. They're not old guys, right? The Oklahoma City Thunder are young. And I just think it's really it's unique. I can't remember the last time we saw a team. That wasn't necessarily, on the downside of their peak or at their peak. These guys are just starting their peak. Yeah. And they happen to win it all. That team is s scary. Good. Just an aside, the other thing you mentioned a bunch of teams in the West and I gotta stick up for the [00:27:00] team that I covered for a few other businesses in the past, and that's Los Angeles Clippers. This team loves the game so much. They skirt the salary cap. You gotta give 'em a couple of props. Because they're doing everything they can to win it all, and no love for the Clippers, first of all. Jokes aside. Jokes aside, do we really wanna get into salary Reagan: cap and the clippers? I Steve: dunno, we don't know what's gonna happen here. Okay. There's a whole bunch of things that can happen. A bomber could have big problems, they could lose a bunch of draft picks, and worst case scenario is Leonard could be declared a free agent. Yeah. And that contract voided. Yeah. That case, that's the worst Reagan: case that's happened in the past. I think it was the T Wolves that were founded of this about 25 years ago or so. Yeah, it was, and it cost them five first round wrap, first rounders and avoided contract. Yeah. But I don't see that happening for the Clippers. It won because that would open up Pandora's box. But yeah, throw the Clippers in there with the other three that I mentioned for sure. That was a team [00:28:00] that, slipped my mind, but. They're right in there with the old gang of talent. Appreciate that. That's gotta hold up against the injury bug. Steve: But that's the other thing too, that's another team that's got talent, but they're only gonna play, Kauai's gonna play 60 games if we're lucky. That's why they won't amass a great deal of wins during the season. They will get their, they're in the playoffs. Nobody wants to play 'em. But I still Reagan: believe that, K's a guy that if he's healthy at the right time and he's able to. Put together his best health in Oh yeah. At the playoff time. He's as good as anybody in the league. No doubt. As much as I despise the way that he went out, I still have respect for his game. Steve: He's great. Yep, he's great. He's just gotta be healthy. Reagan: Yep. Har him and Har and both. Jose: Yeah. Lemme I'll add this one last thing as you guys were talking again, I was just jotting down a few things and I wanna ask another question. But last off season, another thing that Steve and I did is because he, Steve actually saw growing up as a basketball fan, he got to see Wilt Chamberlain. He got, she's [00:29:00] right hair. Which just blows my mind. And he, that's incredible to me. He saw them play and I love that. And so we spent time in, in our show talking about, the greats today and who they remind you of. The George Gervin San Antonio. Great. Who's the George Gervin of this era? I don't think there is any, but anyway, that all aside. When I see Weby and he's a unicorn, right? There's nobody like him, a admittedly, but I see a lot of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in him in that, okay. Now he's a, he's an overall better player, undeniably and Kareem is one of the greatest of all time, which tells you everything you need to know about Weby. But this is a guy who's, when I see him play, when I saw Kareem play and I'm old enough to have seen Kareem play. He was graceful. He was graceful out in the court. He did things differently than every other player where you saw, the centers of that time. You just kind of muscle. Again, he was graceful. He he didn't have the finger roll of gervin, but he had obviously that that, that. Sky hook the sky hook, right? The [00:30:00] sky hook, most graceful shot in the NBA most unstoppable shot in the NBA. And he would get his rebounds, he'd block shots. He was just an overall great player. And I think if Kareem were born, the year Weby was born, he would be a Weby like player. Weby is Weby because of players like Kareem. And then he got to see Steph Curry. And so he said, I'm gonna start shooting, right? And so he took his talent and he just elevated it. But obviously that wasn't an option for Kareem. I see that link between the two and with apologies for calling up the Lakers 'cause I know I'm gonna get some grief for it. But I do see that relationship between the two of them. And I'm just a big fan of the guys. I just think, in, in this off season, I think like Kareem, he went and he spent some time meditating and. And just trying to get his mind right and just so much that this guy's doing that, that I'm a fan of. No question there. Just an observation. Steve: Jose, could I make an, I just wanna interrupt for one thing. Weby is, if you go back 10 years ago, he's everything and more than what people thought [00:31:00] Poor Zingus could be. Right? Jose: Yeah. Same type. Steve: Same type player except Pinga has been hurt and he is not nearly as talented as weby, but same thing everybody thought, in the same way, and now this person came along who can do all those things and hopefully stay out of being injured. Yeah. Reagan: And I think what, what's gonna allow him, knock on wood, barring another blood clot that there's nothing you can do about it, his prep, Wimpy's preparation is unlike any other seven foot plus player that the NBA has ever seen. He has taken such a much more methodical. Approach to preparing his body, stretching out, pre-game, pre-practice, post-game, post practice. Everything that he does is so unique and focused on, excuse me, focused on his flexibility and his fingers and his toes and his feet and his ankles and his knees and stretching out and being able [00:32:00] to bend and maneuver his body in ways that. Guys like a Greg Odin or so, anybody else that's been seven foot three or taller has never done, and that's not a slight on any of these other guys. This is due to the resources and scientific advances that have been available to Victor Wema that were not to prior greats. So I see him hopefully as continuing to maintain his body, maintain his flexibility, and put on muscle at a pace that his frame can withstand. To allow him to play more games. Remember he played a lot of games. His rookie year allowed him to win Rookie of the Year. The only reason that he missed time last year was because of a complete abnormality of a blood clot in his shoulder. It's completely out of anybody's control and had a lot to do with the flight to Paris. So he's gonna take care of himself, and I would say if he plays 72 or 73 games, that's a really good target for him year over year. Jose: Nice. [00:33:00] Alright, we're winding things down. I got two more weby questions since we're on the topic. And then one one unrelated to Weby that we'll finish up with. You earlier coined or that didn't coin? What's the word? You elevated weby, not just to the best player on the planet. But the best pla the best player in all outer space. I can't get, he's the alien. Can't any better. He's the alien. So is he a lock for defensive player of the year, assuming health? Of course. Reagan: Absolutely. Yes. In one word. Yes. He was a lock before he got hurt. He only played 46 games last year and he ended up still leading the league in total blocks on the season. He was the NBA blocks leader last year and playing about half of the season. And that's guys like Walker Kessler and Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis Mobley in Cleveland. They were all phenomenal shot blockers, Brooke Lopez, but they did not come close to the rate at which when we was blocking shots, if he plays 65 games, he is absolutely gonna win defensive player of the year if he plays [00:34:00] 65 games in any season over the next 10 seasons. I'm confident that he will, he has a chance, should win defensive player of the year, every single season for the next decade. Steve: No question. I agree. Totally. Dang. Okay. Okay. Voter fatigue is what it is, Reagan: but I think it's like you can't it's undeniable how much better he is than anyone else. Steve: Reagan ho's only kind of thinks it would be Rui. But I agree with you Speaker 4: again with the Lakers. Again, with the Lakers, often Jose: you brought No, Speaker 4: no, Jose: you're right though. Because you could make an argument that LeBron should have more MVPs. You could make an argument even that Yoic should have more MVPs. 'cause voter fatigue is a real thing and it's silly. It's silly. Let's pick the best player. Boom. But because of the subjectivity of the award it ends up being, oh, he's had two. Let's give it to somebody else. But I get your point. Let's finish. Steve: I just wanna interrupt. Show my age. Now, if you go back and look into [00:35:00] basketball, I believe the year that Wilt average 50 points a game. He did not. Win the MVP make that make sense? Make that make Speaker 4: sense. You never will. I, Steve: I agree. I agree with it because Bill Russell got it. But my point being that could, you know the point being yeah. The MVP is subject. Anybody can a hundred percent. You can make a case for anybody. Jose: A hundred percent. Let's make a case then, and this is the last Weby question for Fox and Weby. Okay? The, everybody talks about, the your top two teams, the big three, right? These are the B two, right? For the Spurs of season, are they as good as every other top two? Best top two? Where do they rank? Okay. Does that make sense? Let's keep it just in the west maybe. Where do they rank? Yeah, because at Reagan: the top two. You've got some injuries in the East that kind of knock people off. Sure. But I think that with who's healthy this year, that duo is better than any [00:36:00] duo in the East. When you look at the West Shea and Jalen Williams I have to give them their respect as the reigning champions and the MVP, all MBA. So I would say that they're better. I would say personally that Jamal Murray and Yoic are currently a better dur, a duo that could change in 30 games this season, though, in my opinion you think about other duos out there, you've got Kevin Durant in Houston, but who are you gonna really pay with him? Amen. Thompson, right? Fred Fleet? No, that's not a better duo. You look at the guys on the Clippers. I wouldn't put Harden and qua over these two guys. So I think they're top three or four in terms of healthy duos in the league this season. And that could be a top two by the time, Allstar Break gets here. Jose: All right. I gotta ask 'cause I saw Steve shaking his head. He puts Reagan puts Fox and Weby over everybody in the east. Steve: I, I, you know what and I'm gonna agree, but if we were [00:37:00] to take the past, coming into this year, I'll make an argument for Brunson in towns. Matt, Reagan: you'll not meet a bigger hater of Carl Anthony Towns on this planet than this guy right here. Steve: No you did. You're looking at him. But he can score with anybody. He can when can Reagan: score more Steve: What? Reagan: Women can score more. You know what? Steve: Yeah, but what I go back to what I just said. I'm not arguing about right now, coming into the year from last year. You can make an argument for that. I'm not, again I, the Reagan: argument will fail in my opinion. Carl Anthony Towns, I don't think he had 50 last year. Victor Wiman. Yama did. Carl Anthony Towns cannot anchor a defense. Victor wi can. Fox is just as much of a scoring threat as Mr. Brunson is, and he's a better defender. He's got more optionality on the [00:38:00] defensive end. Deer Fox is a bru. Steve: Brunson is one of the top 10 players in the league. Sure. He's unstoppable offensively. There is no stop. It was Reagan: Deer fox. Steve: Nah. I hope you're Reagan: He scored 60 with a broken finger on his shooting hand last year. Steve: Okay. Reagan: If you look, if you want to look at last season, dein Fox scored 60 points with a broken finger on his shooting hand in on the Kings. On the Kings. He had success on the Sacramento Kings. So give Brunson his flowers. Sure. But if you want to give Brunson the nod, it's not by very much. In my opinion. Fox is the top 25 guy. Brunson's the top 10 guy. But Wimpy's status compared to Carl Anthony Towns is unimaginably. There's a gap there. Steve: Again, I'm not arguing that. What I'm saying is if we were to do it about right now, we would say coming into the year [00:39:00] towns not better. But he can compare as this season goes on and we does, wait, let me finish. When Wendy does what we know he's going to do. I'll be the first one and I believe Wendy's better. I'm not arguing that. I believe if you look at the BA back of the card, towns. Is comparable. The other thing I agree with you defensively, towns can't guard anyone. He plays dropped all the time and he gets killed. Stop the game. I agree. I agree with all of that. But you know what, he brings offense that is unheard of. He, he, if they let him go he could just score at any time. They don't let him go and probably 'cause brunson's bouncing the ball a lot, but, and I love Brunson, but. That's my take. I'm not arguing with what you're saying about those two. I'm looking, coming into the year, not once the season starts. Reagan: I think if I've learned anything is that I am still the biggest hater of Carl Anthony Towns because they let him go for about eight seasons in [00:40:00] Minnesota and he could not get them to the playoffs. He can score Sure. But Wim Bama can score and affect winning. In a far greater capacity than Kat ever will be to, Steve: we're talking, we're not talking about that. We're talking about talented. Those two guys together, wimpy's a Reagan: better talent. Wendy's a better talent. Wendy's a weby. You can combine Brunson and Kat's talent together, and it might meet Wendy's talent. He's the best prospects since LeBron James. That's Steve: the word. That's the word prospect. Prospect means they haven't done it yet. You're talking about talent Reagan: and that's what prospects are built off of this talent. Yeah, Steve: but coming again, I'm gonna repeat this, coming into the year, not I'm the first one to agree with you. I just said if we were to compare, let's say last year, you would have to give them a chance and you'd have to say they could be. And by the way, you watched, Reagan: you watched the Christmas game, Wim Kat did nothing against Wimpy Jose and Brunson was okay against Trey Jones and [00:41:00] a rookie Stefan Castle. Steve: Jose, what do I think of the Knicks Reagan: when he thinks I'm your Celtics guy? So probably awful. But yeah, Steve: I do not what you, when you get into the playoffs series, you really. Narrow and look at things. What I found and a few times, and I watched a lot of the Nick playoff games last year, 'cause Boston was out quick but I found that Carl Anthony Towns offensively just is, he's tough. He just, he's tough. You can't, you don't stop him offensively. And again, I'm not making the argument about the defense. I'm not making the argument about all the other things. And I think Brunson. You can force him, right? You can force him left. You can double him. He knows most better than Fox. Reagan: Yes. Steve: Oh yeah. Reagan: Oh yeah. That's not a question, but I think the gap there is smaller than the gap from, you're probably Steve: I'm not, there's not an argument. If you want, Reagan: If you want to ask me who I'm taking in a playoff series today, going into this season, based off what we saw last year, I'm [00:42:00] taking Fox and Wimpy. Before I'm taking Brunson and Kat, and that has nothing to do with Brunson and Fox. It has everything to do with who Weby is and who Kat is not. Steve: Again, no argument. Once Weby gets going this year there's not a comparison. What I'm saying again is coming in after last year, that's all I'm arguing. I Jose: never in my life wanted a bowl of popcorn more than just over the last 10 minutes. I would just, I was just having so much fun. It's fun, fun. Get Reagan: me fired up over here is great, man. You put Ka this I love Cat with Wim. I can't help myself. Steve: I love it Again. Again, all I'm taking is his offensive abilities. I'll be the fi. And by the way, when he played with Minnesota, that was before that last year he was there. It was a travesty. It was, can you top this? Whoever had the ball just wanted to score and nobody cared what went on down the other end. So I'm the first one to indict Towns league. That's his, Reagan: partial, he's a better [00:43:00] offensive player than towns is. Steve: I'm not gonna argue. Does he have the potential? Yes. And does he show he's Reagan: currently a better offensive player? I than Carl Anthony Towns. Steve: Okay. Reagan: Call me a homer. But you, I can't. This I Steve: think of other things. I was thinking of other things, but no. I, look, I'm not comparing, let me get this straight. I'm not comparing the two. All I'm saying is, again, going back to last year, not right now. If you gave me a choice, I'll take Weby all night. So you know, anybody would in their right mind. But that's all I'm saying. And offensively, I just think towns is really good. And by the way, again, if you do this with anybody, WEBY has got moreal potential than anybody in the league. So you're going to come out on top using that logic every time. Jose: I got no horse in the race. All right. At all. But I'm just gonna state facts and nobody yell at me. Alright. These are just facts. Steve: You can do what I'll doing Jose: 20, 24, [00:44:00] 25 season. Wendy's numbers, 24.3 11, 3.7. All right. Scoring rebounds assist Kat 24.4, 12.8 3.1. So I see the argument when you just look at numbers, you'd look at two people that, oh, the, their output is the same. I could see the argument, but I also understand that the gap, the numbers don't tell the whole story Numbers never tell the whole story. But if you just look at the numbers, right? Just facts. Just the facts. Reagan: And there was six or seven games. There were about 10 or 11 games of those numbers for Wim B were affected by an undiagnosed blood clot. So if you really go back and you look at his numbers prior to the Paris games in mid-January. They were much higher and he was at the five spot on the NBA's ladder for MVP voting. Carny towns did not sniff the top 10 on the entire season. Brunson did. So again, the gap there is just bigger. And you can make the argument, people can make the argument [00:45:00] all they want, but this San Antonio Spurs diehard fan will not. We'll not hear anything. Speaker 4: And that's it. That's it. That's that. That's the mic drop moment you win. That was a great conversation. That was a great conversation. Let's leave it with you. It's fun, Steve, right? Steve: Oh, it's always good to talk about that. One last quick question. Healthy Tatum and Brown. Or Wendy and the other guy, Reagan: I, again, I gotta say Tatum and Brown, because they've won a championship and we haven't. So until we can do what they have, I, I can't make that argument. I'm a big guy about, affecting winning, and that's part of my argument against Kat. But t Tatum and Brown have proven that they can go win. With the best of them, and I think had Tatum not ruptured his Achilles this year that they would've, been repeat champions. So I still give the cake to those two up in Boston. Steve: I hate to say it, the Knicks had 'em. It was over, it was three to one when Tatum went down, it was going to be three to one. Yeah. I didn't see Boston coming back. They blew those first two games and it was [00:46:00] over. But that's over and so on. But that's an interesting, that might be the only two that I would say. I have a chance of being the better combination, Reagan: and that's who went in my brain when the question was first posed. But since Tatum is out right now, I can say that they're better than anyone in the east this year. Jose: Yeah. Reagan: Yeah. Jose: The reality is that neither one of you are allowed to comment after I say what I'm about to say, you're both wrong, Luca and LeBron are the best deal. Reagan: Oh, no, Jose: no, no response needed. Oh, Steve: it was Rui in I got confused. I dunno. Jose: Oh, we go tongue in cheek. I hope everybody understands that. CP three what an amazing career. What an amazing guy. I'm a big fan. He had, his best individual careers, I think here in la. He's back with the clippers. You called him out earlier. Reagan, you mentioned that I think top five in pick and roll with Weby are the Spurs gonna miss that leadership on the court? 'cause he's a pretty special guy and a good guy to have on your team. I, [00:47:00] they'll miss him. Reagan: I don't know if miss is the right word, because of the talent that we've acquired in the wake of his departure you look at what the thunder we're able to grasp from the one year he spent in Oklahoma City. And I, I think that's all you really need at this stage of his career. There was plenty of leadership and knowledge and wisdom that he imparted on Castle and Wimpy and probably even Fox. Once that acquisition was made. I'm very thankful for that. But there were a lot of times where his age really limited him and I wanted to see him shoot the ball more and he just wasn't aggressive enough in the spots that we would've liked to see him be aggressive. So I think it was a perfect marriage for what was expected of him. He absolutely delivered, he played 82 games. He, yeah he was a rival and a thorn in our side for years and years on different teams. He came in here with Grace and we embraced him and it was [00:48:00] fun. But to say that we're gonna miss him, I don't think I can say that because of the trio that we've got coming in this season. I think we gained everything we needed to wish him the best in his retirement tour this year. And we'll have fun, hopefully with a higher playoff seed than he will. Steve: Nicely done. I think. I think Paul's biggest asset will be, he could be an outstanding coach down the road. Reagan: Oh for sure. If he wants to do that. He's got it. He's got it on lock. He's the next Jason Kidd, Steve Nash. Steve: It'll be better than Jason Kid. Reagan: Yeah. I think it'll be better than both Steve: for Reagan: sure. Steve: We agree on that. Alright. There we go. Alright. That's a good, Jose: We gotta leave it there. We gotta leave it there. It can't get any better. That's it. Our time is up. Thank you for listening. Thanks for watching. Special thanks to Reagan. Make sure again to follow the Spurs, bro. Spur. I always have such a hard time with it. Spurs bros. And I don't know why. Pod, you can find 'em on YouTube and Instagram at the Spurs Bros podcast and X at the Spurs Bros [00:49:00] Pod, absolutely great. Spurs content. Obviously very passionate fans, but they know the game and it's that's what you want, man, at the end of the day, super excited to see the Spurs this season. Thanks, Reagan. Great conversation. We're excited to follow you and the Spurs this season. Please subscribe, follow. Follow the Spurs Bros pod and join us next week. We're not sure what we're gonna talk about. We're gonna find another interesting team to talk about though, Steve and I. But Reagan, thanks again man. Appreciate the time. Reagan: Thanks for y'all's time and thanks for the continued support from the Peach Basket. Really appreciate you guys and looking forward to an exciting season. Steve: Thank you.