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00:00 [COUGH] You are listening to Inside the Hive on the All Hornets Podcast Network, one podcast feed with multiple shows making sure we cover the Charlotte Hornets from every single angle. If you like what you hear, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave a five star review. The All Hornets Podcast Network is affiliated with the Fans First Sports Podcast Group.
00:29 On today's show, this is the first ever Hornets take perch, where myself and
00:35 Chase are going to be going through some of our fringe Hornets related takes,
00:40 which we don't 100% believe, but we kind of a little bit believe.
00:45 There's a little voice at the back of your head saying it, but you're too scared to say it loudly.
00:49 So this is going to be a safe space for 45 minutes where we're going to let that little voice, we're going to let the monkey, we're going to let him run wild.
00:56 So I think it's going to be a fun episode here.
00:59 But before we get into it, Chase, I know you're recovering from a brutal Giants loss, which we talked about just off air before we came on.
01:08 I'm glad, you know, like you say, glad you waited all that time to see that first game.
01:12 The more important question is, how is your fantasy team looking after week one?
01:17 Yeah, I mean, I don't even want to talk about the Giants and I know Panthers fans, they Panthers also lost that game.
01:24 So bad week one all around for both me and I would assume the high majority of our listeners as well.
01:30 But my fantasy teams aren't doing too bad.
01:33 I guess, unfortunately, in more ways than one, both personally and for my fantasy team, I was playing the Dallas defense.
01:41 Oh, God.
01:42 So that didn't, that's a double whammy.
01:44 Yeah, that really, that really killed me.
01:46 But other than that, I actually think I'm still like going to win.
01:49 So, I mean, that's my fantasy projection for week one.
01:53 So that was a positive, at least, even though I would much rather take the real life positives over the fantasy ones.
02:00 But, well, I have to thank your kicker for the Giants, Gano, because if it was not for him scoring minus two points, I would have lost my first matchup.
02:10 After I decided this week, I decided to bench Pat Freimer to pick up Isaiah Likely, who scored 0.9 points.
02:18 And I also dropped Jacobi Myers, who scored like 27 points.
02:21 So I managed to drop like more points than almost my entire team scored.
02:25 But Graham Gano came to my rescue as a minus two pointer.
02:28 So I was thrilled to see that Giants performance last night as a Tony Pollard owner as well.
02:33 So a good, a full winning weekend here for our two fantasy teams.
02:38 So what an exciting start.
02:40 Yeah, well, glad we could help you out.
02:44 OK, Hornets take poach time.
02:46 So for those who maybe have not seen the Purge movies, this is a bit of a rip off.
02:51 The Purge movies, for those that don't know, is a movie where for 24 hours, basically anything is legal.
02:57 So if there's the neighbor that you hated and you always wanted to do whatever to them, you can go do it for 24 hours.
03:04 And we're taking it, but then flipping it on a little bit of a basketball turn.
03:08 So we're looking at all of our fringe takes who for 45 minutes, we will have no qualifiers.
03:15 No, yeah, but if this perhaps happens, none of that.
03:19 We're just going to unleash it all.
03:22 You know, and we're going to we're just going to take the reins off for 45 minutes.
03:26 We're normally pretty calm and considered on this podcast.
03:29 I like to think, you know, we tow the middle line, not this time.
03:35 So, Chase, are you ready for the for the Purge to start?
03:39 Oh, I am fully prepared.
03:43 OK, well, it wouldn't be a Hornets take purge without the Purge alarm.
03:52 Here we go. 45 minutes where we can say whatever we want.
03:58 Chase, get us started with the Hornets take purge.
04:01 All right. I'm going to start us with something that is just overly confident, extremely unlikely, somewhat somewhat light here.
04:08 Not not my hottest or most controversial take, but definitely unlikely on the surface.
04:14 LaMelo ball, all NBA guard this season.
04:17 Mark Williams, all defense center this season.
04:20 As a result, Hornets are top six in the East.
04:23 We are going full bore on the optimism train to start this.
04:28 We will not finish there, most likely. But that's what we're starting us off with here.
04:33 Are you saying all three of those things in the same season?
04:36 Yep. And this isn't this isn't your hot take?
04:39 No. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no.
04:42 Well, I should say maybe it is a hot take, but it's definitely not my most controversial one.
04:47 That's going to cause the most contentious disagreement amongst either you or the people listening.
04:53 So LaMelo ball, all NBA guard. Let's start there. Yep.
04:57 There is now the all NBA spots. There is no positions.
05:01 OK, so it is positionless, which probably makes it better for guards, I would maybe say, because, you know, guards generally have better.
05:09 Guards and centers are probably have good stuff. Benefit the most. Yeah. Yeah.
05:14 Who are you thinking that he is? Who do you think that he will finish ahead of that?
05:19 Like the wider NBA public here, you know, would would normally assume he would be behind.
05:24 Who are the guys you thinking he might leapfrog him to make in that all NBA team?
05:30 Well, I mean, I think that. I would say anybody that plays on the team that is like Philadelphia or something like that,
05:37 or like Toronto, Miami, like if any of these teams end up rebuilding at any time soon or just not fully coming through to what the expectations are like around the NBA universe,
05:49 because most people would view those teams as like not Toronto, but at least Philly and Miami as like finals caliber or like we're trying to win right now.
05:56 I mean, say Philly trades James Harden to a team in the West, like that's one guard that would be out of there.
06:02 And then I would imagine that if he goes to one of these Western Conference teams, he's going to be playing with like Kawhi Leonard or like maybe even like the Lakers or something like that.
06:11 But I just can't see there being too many guards that are equally young as Lamello is like being on his level, maybe maybe this season, but especially in years to come.
06:22 Like I think he hit like him, maybe Trey Young, a couple other young guys that are coming up are probably like positioned to be like the best point guards in the East that are kind of locked into those like starting guard spots or at least the high reserves.
06:36 And then as a result, like in high, strong contention for all NBA spots, too.
06:42 For me, I think you're right that I do think there would have to be like a six seed.
06:46 If there is six seed, then if this team is a six seed with a win over runner of 30.5 or 31.5 with a lot of people picking the Charlotte Hornets to finish 13th in the East, then I do think he would get some consideration.
07:02 I mean, you saw Al Jefferson when he was in Charlotte, right?
07:04 He got 13 more NBA through a great second half.
07:07 He wasn't even an all star that year.
07:08 He was a non all star, all NBA player, which is so unbelievably rare.
07:13 But if the Hornets may get top six seed, he should definitely be in consideration because the team is getting that under his team.
07:22 I think for me, like Tyrese Halliburton is just the guy who I think lingers there is every one who probably isn't a Hornets fan will have Tyrese Halliburton ahead of the Mellow Ball right now.
07:33 And somewhat understandable if you were to compare some of the numbers and if you look at last year, right, which we talked about last year at time and time again, throw it away.
07:45 It doesn't mean anything, but not a lot of people are going to do that.
07:48 I can understand why that's the case because Tyrese Halliburton last year was absolutely excellent and the paces were a player of caliber team when he played.
07:56 So, yeah, Mark Williams, you had all defensive team.
08:03 Yes, which I honestly I mean, it's definitely early in his career, but I genuinely think that that's like a reasonable outcome for him at some point, just given his size and style of play.
08:14 And I mean, we saw him get much better on the defensive end and like drop coverage as a pick and roll defender, even just like generally using his size and physicality underneath the rim as the season went on last year.
08:27 So I can't imagine that that's just going to come to like some sort of screeching halt.
08:32 And I don't want to say that the bar is like lower for him necessarily, but just by virtue of being 7-1 and bigger than most of their players that he's ever going to have to defend.
08:42 Like it does make it easier for him to put up like block and steal numbers and rebounding numbers that would appeal to the national voting group that maybe doesn't necessarily watch every Hornets game.
08:55 And, you know, again, all defense is a much more, I guess, fluid rotational team than like the all NBA teams or the all star teams tend to be like those can switch up pretty dramatically from one year to another.
09:07 And a lot of their players make it, you know, once or twice in their career and then that ends up being it.
09:12 So, I mean, I could definitely see Mark being somebody that makes it once, twice, maybe, hopefully even more than that in his career.
09:19 So we're definitely going to, we're going to hedge our bets.
09:21 I'm going to say that that happens this season because the Hornets are back fully healthy, returning a quality roster from two years ago.
09:40 But you just have to think about them adding second year Mark Williams, rookie Brandon Miller, and we're cooking with gas.
09:41 I mean, this is a nine man rotation we got here, accentuated by our young point guard and center.
09:44 Okay. I'm going to go and my tape purge is going to go directly against yours in some ways.
09:51 Here we go.
09:52 Nick Richards is going to start center.
09:54 Oh, boo.
09:55 Day one, day one, Nick Richards.
09:58 Everyone's just writing in Mark Williams's name in pen.
10:03 Like, why are we doing that?
10:05 Who's coaching this team?
10:06 Steve Clifford.
10:07 Who is Steve Clifford's like favorite guy in the roster last year was Nick Richards.
10:11 Absolutely loves the guy.
10:14 And if you remember when Mark Mark Williams and Nick Richards were both healthy this season, he was asked Steve Clifford during the game.
10:21 Maybe they'll both play together, but Mark's going to be the backup Clifford said the primary backup for tonight.
10:27 So Clifford's already brought Mark off the bench behind Nick Richards before he's a more experienced player.
10:33 If you look at their like per 36 numbers, you look at all the advanced stats, by the way, they are the most eerily similar advanced stats I've ever seen.
10:40 If you look at points, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage, everything is basically the same.
10:48 And I just think everyone's handing Mark Williams this like, oh, he's going to start.
10:53 Nick Richards was really good last year, and he's got that more experienced bit.
10:56 Steve Clifford's the coach.
10:57 He's the vet.
10:59 Nick Williams is going to start center day one.
11:02 Nick Williams.
11:03 I like Nick.
11:04 Nick Richards.
11:05 That's a good way to hedge your hedge your hornets.
11:08 It's too many vanilla boring names like Richards and Williams.
11:11 Do you know what I mean?
11:13 One of them needs to be called Thor.
11:15 Like that would make the separating them easier.
11:18 Right.
11:19 We just got to sign everybody eclectic nicknames to make it a lot easier.
11:24 But yeah, I mean, I guess I can't.
11:27 The biggest reason I can't fully disagree with your take is that Steve Clifford being the coach is a strong point in your favor for starting Nick Richards.
11:37 He loves Nick Richards.
11:38 Those screen assists.
11:40 Oh, yeah, boy.
11:41 Those screen assists.
11:43 Can you imagine all that space that he's going to carve out on those seals in the low block?
11:49 I mean, Steve Clifford is probably like, like just gushing every time he sees Nick carve out the space with that massive lower half of his.
11:58 But either way, it's a sneaky thing.
12:01 So I looked up some of these.
12:02 I was looking at the advanced stats and both of them.
12:04 They're basically 16 points.
12:05 This is perfect.
12:07 Six 16 points, 12 rebounds.
12:09 I think Mark has to assist to Richard's one 2.1 blocks.
12:13 But actually, one thing underrated Mark Williams also had.
12:17 He was 2.8 screen assists per game, which is basically like the same as Nick Richards and very similar minutes.
12:23 And if you had told me that Mark Williams is as good a screen as Nick Richards and that doesn't even you know, that doesn't take into account all the offensive fouls that Nick tends to pick up every now and then.
12:33 I would have not said that.
12:34 So obviously a much smaller sample size, but that was that was quite impressive.
12:38 But yeah, it shocked me how similar those guys are.
12:41 And yeah, I'm all aboard the Nick Richards.
12:43 He's going to start from day one.
12:46 Yeah, that actually is an interesting stat.
12:48 You would think that Nick is probably I guess it gets more of them just because that's mainly like his only offensive play styles.
12:56 Just set screen.
12:57 Yeah, flip hips, roll to rim finish with.
13:00 He's thick isn't he? He's built really real proportion whereas Mark's a bit long and skinny.
13:06 Yeah, exactly.
13:07 Right. Yeah.
13:08 But I think you're probably right that the fouls is probably what brings that number down for him a little bit.
13:14 But yeah, yeah.
13:16 I mean, as much as I my take relies on Nick not starting a single game this year, probably I wouldn't I wouldn't hate it.
13:24 Nick is good.
13:25 He's like one of the more underrated backup bigs in the league now.
13:28 I think like you just ask like the general NBA fan, like, do you think Nick Richards could be your team's backup center?
13:35 I think most of them would say no, and they would probably be wrong to say that.
13:38 I mean, just like raw per game stats like he was like I think it was like eight, eight, six in a block last year.
13:44 Like that's that's quality NBA backup numbers.
13:47 And I mean, that's another second round hit for Mitch Kupchak.
13:51 It hasn't happened in a couple of years, but that's a that's another one right there.
13:56 So this didn't make my final shortlist, but one of my other purge takes was going to be that Nick Richards is a top three backup center in the NBA, which sounds strange if you say it.
14:08 But these are these are the lists of guys.
14:11 I think this is the top six like in contention with Nick Richards on Yoko Okamu, Nazareed, Mason Plumlee for Shell Hornets legend, Isaiah Hartenstein and Xavier Tillman.
14:24 I think those the only six guys who I'd say are in contention for like like top seven.
14:30 And I think you could make a I think you could easily look back on the season and go, yes, Nick Richards was better than three of those six.
14:40 Yeah, that's definitely that's definitely true.
14:43 If and if you don't count teams like like Boston or the Lakers, like if the Lakers start LeBron and A.D.
14:49 in the front court and Christian Wood comes off the bench or and then Boston starts like Porzingis and Rob Williams and Al Horford comes off the bench.
14:55 Like, obviously, that's a little bit different because those teams are insanely stacked that are kind of configuring those lineups that way on purpose.
15:02 But just like raw like guy that's going to come off the bench like no matter what team he plays for.
15:07 Nick is definitely in that upper echelon of of backup bigs now.
15:11 And I mean, that contract extension that the Hornets signed him to like steal another crazy steal.
15:18 And this is like him, Bryce McGowan's, Vernon Carey and Jalen McDaniels all got these like and JT Thor all got these like very low salary,
15:30 like three or four year deals as second rounders.
15:33 All of them worked except for Vernon Carey.
15:36 I was about to say you did just mention that in Kerry.
15:39 That's true. But that's Vernon Carey famously got the most money of any second round pick in that draft, which didn't age well.
15:48 Yeah. So but not all of them scratch the scratch, all of them.
15:51 But other than Vernon Carey, all of them worked. So, I mean, so I'm saying very good trend that we've got going here.
15:57 I think a Kong Wu, a Kong Wu, the best backup center in the league.
16:01 Then I'm saying Nas read next and I'm putting it.
16:04 Rich is there for a head of Plumlee, a head of Harnstein, a head of Tillman.
16:08 So that was that was a fringe one that didn't quite make my list.
16:11 But it was it was very much linked to what you were saying there.
16:15 Over to you. What's your next Hornets take, Purge?
16:20 I'll go with one that is actually pretty much the same kind of topic as what we were just talking about with Nick being a top five,
16:27 top three center and backup center in the league. This is specific to the team, though.
16:32 Terry Rozier is the second best player on this team.
16:36 Mm. Second, like, like right now, last season, this coming season, don't care.
16:44 Like, like, including, you know, miles coming back, Hayward, Brandon Miller or whatever.
16:50 Terry Rozier is the number two on this team. He is the and on top of that, he is the closer.
16:55 He is the game, the end of game shooter.
16:59 That has been the case already, but I think that's going to continue to be the case going forward.
17:03 Also, who do you think the common fan would have ahead of Terry?
17:07 Like, do you think miles? Yeah, I think miles would probably be there.
17:11 I think I honestly think some people would probably say maybe I maybe would probably say Mark Williams.
17:18 But I think that would be a little I'd be I have a lot of like preemptiveness like for this upcoming season baked into it.
17:24 But but we know fans like to play this, don't they? Right.
17:27 Yeah, yeah, exactly. That's the fun of having a team that's got so many young players.
17:31 But I do think that that Terry is far and away the number two on this team right now.
17:39 And I think it's going to stay that way. Yeah, I think I would have.
17:44 Well, this thing is the bridges. It's just so hard to know what you're getting back. Right.
17:48 Yeah, that's true. It's hard because we've not seen the team healthy without Rozier a lot.
17:55 But we have seen the team healthy without Heywood. And we've seen the impact Heywood has when he's missing.
18:01 You see the team's record with Gordon Heywood is like over 500.
18:05 And now it's not we've not got that same evidence with Terry Rozier.
18:08 But yeah, I understand it. I see where you're coming from. I respect it.
18:15 Hey, 21 and five. Hard to argue with. OK, my next one.
18:25 I'm going to say I'm going to give you my maybe my hottest one for the one after.
18:30 Brandon Miller is going to be a starting shooting guard by January.
18:34 This is your specifically. I like I like specifically like that specification.
18:39 OK, yeah. So you just talked about Teresa being the second player as part of the team.
18:45 It's it's possible. It's also possible that again, Steve Clifford loves size, loves positional size.
18:53 Whenever you hear him talk about his teams in the past, if he compliments a play, he talks about good size for position.
18:59 Teresa does not have good size and position. He has good length.
19:02 But by having the ball being a six foot eight playmaker, that is kind of instantly take away the offset of that,
19:09 because you've got Teresa who's like six foot one, six foot two playing shooting guard.
19:13 So what I'm saying is I think that the team will be big believers in Brandon Miller.
19:18 I think his skill set is perfectly fits next to another ball.
19:23 Marlon Garner and Mitch Kupchak have admitted when talking about Brandon Miller that he could play the two.
19:30 They've not ruled it out and they basically said that they would look at everything.
19:33 And I kind of just wonder if Teresa will be best suited to a six man role like a Jordan Clarkson off the bench,
19:40 take shots, handle the ball a bit, play some back up point guard, maybe close even at times, like you said.
19:47 But I just think that would give that starting unit like your smallest player would be Lamele Ball at six eight.
19:53 You then have Brandon Miller at six nine, maybe Hayward or Bridges both at like six eight again,
20:00 maybe PJ Washington six eight and then you have Mark Williams at seven, seven foot two.
20:05 Like you're talking about a super long just general rotation.
20:11 So I'm thinking Brandon Miller could just be the starting shooting guard by January.
20:18 Actually, like I love that take because that like the question of whether or not he is going to be a shooting guard in the NBA is like the biggest swing point for the Hornets.
20:29 And like the biggest question that I think they should be asking themselves as a franchise going forward for like their decade,
20:36 like long term franchise outlook right now, because like a it's just a seamless fit with Lamele.
20:44 Like you have dynamic playmaker with positional size, dynamic off ball shooter that can create for himself in a secondary manner with positional size.
20:53 Like that is basically exactly what you want out of a backcourt in the NBA right now.
20:57 And you can imagine him a second, those flare screens, you know, like when he comes and slips, which he did all the time at Alabama.
21:03 And imagine him doing that with like NBA shooting guards.
21:06 We've got six foot eight Lamele Ball with the ball.
21:09 Like where do you hide your smaller guards here when you're playing against either your Trey Young's, your Fred Van Vliet's?
21:15 Like where are those guys going when you've got all those guys out there with that positional size and like Brandon Miller Lamele Ball would probably be the best rebounding backcourt in the NBA.
21:25 I don't I can't tell you.
21:27 I've just thrown that off the top of my head.
21:29 But I think there would be because Brandon Miller is a plus rebounder, extra plus rebounder for his position.
21:33 And so is Lamele Ball.
21:35 Yeah, I mean, I'd probably come that duo would probably combine for like 14 rebounds a game, like at least maybe.
21:42 I'd take the over. Yeah, 14.5. I'd take the over.
21:45 If they're playing 30 minutes a night.
21:47 Yeah, you could get eight apiece out of each of them, like for sure on a good night.
21:50 And I mean, like you think about like Brandon Miller in the backcourt as like a off ball shooter partner for Lamele.
21:57 He comes up like to set one of those like flare screen, go screens like that Terry Rozier does all the time.
22:03 But you make that guy 6'9" and then you also make that guy a much better like secondary playmaker.
22:08 So he can catch that ball and shoot it.
22:10 Mark Williams can come up and set a screen and he can run like a secondary like empty side pick and roll with Lamele spacing on the opposite end.
22:18 Who has become a much better off ball player and shooter over the last couple of years.
22:22 And at this point is like a top five shooter like in general, like in the entire NBA, I think.
22:27 But I mean, what you get out of that, like, and like it's just so much just on the court anyway.
22:34 And then like for what you can do asset wise, you keep Brandon Miller, you keep Lamele, probably like Miles, PJ and Mark, we'll say is your long term starting five.
22:44 From that, you either move Terry to the bench and like you said, you get like a Jordan Clarkson caliber six man that like could very well.
22:50 People will take that as a slight. Jordan Clarkson was really good last year.
22:54 So good. Yes. So good. As a six man like that.
22:59 You're definitely right. Like people. I feel like you have one bad season and your perception can get ruined.
23:05 Like Jordan Clarkson had like, you know, a couple of inefficient years as like an overtaxed like starter that was probably a little bit too high on the depth chart with like the Lakers or something.
23:15 In terms of like a scoring off, right, then he probably should have been.
23:19 But now, like in in roles where his, you know, per minute production is like not just outsized and he's playing too many minutes for the efficiency to not stabilize.
23:28 He is extremely good. He is like easy. He's like more than capable, like combo guard can lead your second unit at times, but can also come off the ball and be like a backup.
23:40 That is exactly what Terry Rozier would be like. All of those qualities also would apply to Terry Rozier in that role as well.
23:47 Insane off ball shooter that can create for himself a little bit great secondary playmaker in that smaller role, which is a big key.
23:55 But even then, if you don't want that to happen and you want to just fully lean into the positional size, you can just trade him because now you have Brandon Miller as somebody that's capable of playing the two and you don't have to get another two in return.
24:07 Like you could get another big wing or a forward to put next to Mark or multiple backup pieces instead of just what like the options are just so much larger or so much more options when Brandon Miller gains that level of like positional versatility that he doesn't have quite yet.
24:25 But, you know, the believers, I think that is a crucial part of being in on Brandon Miller is thinking that he can basically play any position two through four.
24:35 Yeah.
24:37 OK, Chase, your next take perch.
24:41 All right.
24:43 So as the sole proprietor of Bryce McGowan's Island, I'm just going to say that the Hornets, a are probably not going to sign a veteran backup guard at this point.
24:56 But I'm also going to say that's because they don't need to, because Bryce McGowan's is right there, not a veteran backup point guard, but they're not going to sign one anyway.
25:07 Throw Terry Rozier in that backup point guard role, like Cody Martin, do some ball handling, maybe Gordon Hayward, Brandon Miller, even you just let Bryce go at it as like an off ball cutter, you know, creating his own shot within a couple dribbles, trying to get to the line, working on that spot up three that looked pretty good at times.
25:25 It definitely looks good mechanically, but he had his stretches where he was hitting them pretty efficiently last year and the volume hasn't been there yet.
25:32 But I think it's worth seeing what happens when you when you give him that volume, because, I mean, he's also a high note at the end of the year with that career high performance with him and Mark and Cleveland.
25:42 Yeah. So you're saying that you think he's going to be in rotation from night one, basically.
25:46 This is your Hornets take perch.
25:48 Yeah, maybe not like, you know, the third guard like on opening night, but I definitely think he's going to work himself into that like very quickly, because I would imagine Nick Smith is going to be in Greensboro to start.
26:00 I think so. I think Cody Martin, that's a competition, I think.
26:03 Right. Really? Yeah, I think it's Bryce McGowan's versus Cody Martin for minutes at the two slash three.
26:09 And I think that will be one where it's a training camp battle.
26:12 Right. I think both guys will have the opportunity and it will depend how they look in camp.
26:17 And what we saw from Bryce McGowan's in summer league wasn't wasn't great for being honest.
26:22 Like he didn't necessarily show that he'd really take the next step.
26:26 I thought he looked stronger, more athletic. I thought he tapped the rim well, but looked a little bit one dimensional.
26:31 But I've seen more versatility out of him. I've seen them playing more of a playmaker when he played in Greensboro.
26:37 I've seen him as an outside shooter in space when he's played the Hornets in the summer league the year before.
26:42 So I know he's got things in there. I'm kind of putting that down to just that Hornets team being a bit of a mess and not being a great environment for him.
26:51 But but yeah, I I could see it. I could see it happening. It's between one of those two.
26:57 So if you I mean, just put yourself in like the coach's seat on the night one, beginning of the season, whatever it is.
27:05 If you had had to just choose to work in Bryce McGowan's or Nick Smith, like who do you think is a more, I guess, beneficial player?
27:14 Just given where they were drafted, their contract, their potential, all of that to try and get into the rotation this year.
27:21 Nick Smith, Jr. or Bryce McGowan's? I mean, if I was a coach, I'd do the thing being like, well, it depends who else is on the call, you know?
27:29 Right. Yeah. So you don't have to like, what's the role going to be? Yeah. But I know it depends on nine different things.
27:36 Yeah, exactly. Oh, that's that's a that's a really tricky one.
27:42 I was thinking about that while I was doing this. Obviously, I like I landed on Bryce, but yes, I was curious what you thought.
27:50 I think I would land there, too. Yeah, I would land on Bryce just because of his size, his probably like defensive potential at this point.
27:59 What he showed last year. And I think he's more likely to.
28:04 I think he knows who he is as an NBA player more so than a Knicks probably still searching for that little bit.
28:11 Exactly how he helps an NBA team is as a scorer, as a point guard. So I think I would lean Bryce.
28:15 But it's an interesting when you talk about like when you take into account where you drafted them, age, contract, when you take that into account,
28:22 I think that makes it a little bit more difficult. Yeah, I think that was what I was thinking, too.
28:28 Like, you don't really want to kind of cast aside your 27th overall pick for more than I guess that one rookie season.
28:36 So you would kind of make you think like, why not just get him in now and see how things go?
28:43 And then if he needs to, we could send him to Greensboro. And if not, we can just solve this backup guard problem here.
28:49 But I think Bryce is a much more reliable bet for that as well. I think the free throw generation is a huge thing to me.
28:56 I don't think Nick is ever going to have that level of like physicality or able to withstand physicality that Bryce does.
29:02 And Bryce isn't even like really like a big guy or like he's strong, but he's not like huge or anything.
29:09 So I bet you not yet. I think he might get sneaky. I think he definitely will, because he can already get through these types of things while not like jacked or whatever.
29:18 I mean, but he's got a frame that I think he could like by year four, you can be like, oh, my God, look at pictures of Bryce as a rookie.
29:25 And you look at that offseason must watch. I just think we're beginning to see already. I think he'll grow.
29:29 You know, he needs to get the facial hair come in a little bit. He's still a little bit too clean shaven at the minute.
29:34 I think once that all comes in, I think he could be like a really strong downhill driver attacker, which could be an interesting like we've not really had those downhill aggressors that often.
29:47 Really, it would be an interesting addition. Yeah. Fun, fun skill to contrast with Lamello.
29:53 Quick stat from cleaning the glass to wrap this one up here. Bryce McGowan's was fouled on 16 and a half percent of his shot attempts this year.
30:00 96th percentile in the NBA. So the only at his position. So among guards, they're very, very, very few players that got fouled at a higher rate on their shot attempts this year than Bryce did in low.
30:16 And that's with that's with him not really having a three point shot that the team's expected.
30:21 So it's not even like they're closing out hard. And that's also with him being a major strength strength disadvantage that we just talked about.
30:27 So, yeah, that's not a passing threat. Like there's so many layers that work against him, but he figured that out already. Absolutely. Right.
30:36 OK, we're warmed up. You ready to jump in with two feet? Oh, let's jump in. Let's do it.
30:41 Charlotte has the worst broadcasting team in the league. Oh, all right.
30:46 Good luck. Eric Collins is just too much. He's he gets so overexcited for the worst team in the league.
30:54 You have to actually be good for your for your announcer to get that carried away.
30:58 This team has been a joke for so long. Del Curry's content is unoriginal and dull.
31:03 He doesn't educate you about the game. All he ever does is go matches when someone hits a shot.
31:09 That's all that Del Curry offers to the broadcast. So I'm saying Hornets worst broadcasting team in the league.
31:17 I can't wait for someone to clip that and completely remove the context that like everything in this has a layer of sarcasm over it.
31:24 And then just add the whole fan base, just be like, this guy said Eric.
31:29 And it's going to get like on SportsCenter. I'm going to be tagging Eric Collins in the video.
31:34 Yes. Someone's going to show up at his doorstep and play it on their phone.
31:39 Yeah, I mean. There's nothing to say. There's nothing you can say.
31:43 Wholehearted disagree wholeheartedly. Like if only I actually I can't say wholehearted disagree because the point the point you made about the team not being good enough to get that wound up.
31:56 There might be a little bit of merit to that. That that actually kind of makes sense from a logical perspective.
32:01 This is what I'm saying. It's a little voice at the back of your head that goes, oh, I'm enjoying this.
32:06 But also, like, should you really be doing it? Yeah, that was that was my one I thought would would be the hardest.
32:13 So. All right. So I'll follow mine up with another one that people will definitely not like.
32:19 But I actually like pretty fully believe this. Oh, God.
32:24 Not only will we go here. Are you taking this? You already heard the first word. Not only will Gordon Hayward not be traded at the deadline, but we'll assign him to a contract extension.
32:35 No chance. Oh, no. Twenty three season. An extension.
32:40 Well, off his current deal. Yeah. In the summer. In the summer.
32:44 Those are maybe not as a free agent, not necessarily a contract extension. He will be re-signed and be a member of the team next season.
32:52 And for many years to come, he will play out the twilight of his career in the Queen City and become a legendary fixture in the in the uptown Charlotte.
33:04 They'll build a statue of Gordon. I mean, Nick Batum's legendary, but for other reasons, you know, maybe.
33:11 And then and then in five years, they'll wave and stretch Gordon Hayward, just like they did Nick Batum and he'll glide off into the sunset.
33:20 So, Tom, why do you think the Hornets are going to re-sign Gordon Hayward?
33:25 So, I mean, if he's available, he is a very helpful player to this team.
33:30 Like that is flat out very simple. But like that has. Is he in two years time from now?
33:35 I think like his game is going to age in a pretty positive manner compared to like other, you know, wings that maybe rely on athleticism a little bit more.
33:46 What about his body? Is that going to age well?
33:48 I mean, if you if you put it one way, it already hasn't. So if you get.
33:52 Exactly. That's what I'm worried about.
33:54 Say you reduce the sale. Obviously, you're not re-signing him to another 30 million per year for your deal.
34:01 This would be at a much lower price tag. So I'm not saying you're going to go repeat what you did back in 2019 here.
34:08 But I still think like. And my main thing is like I have said this, he is like not necessarily an quote unquote injury prone player.
34:17 He doesn't have like a knee problem or an ankle problem for whatever reason.
34:22 He just has someone fall on him and snap a bone like every year.
34:28 But it is a weaker ankle. The ankle is an issue from Boston when he broke off the LU.
34:33 He's been sprained it multiple times and people have rolled up sometimes onto that ankle, which has obviously got built in inherent weakness.
34:40 Which means when he injures it, the recovery time is probably twice as long than, you know, a 19 year old guy who's maybe, well, Jaden McDonalds, he's never sprained an ankle.
34:53 So, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I guess that's fair, but I still it's just like breaking bones is more of like a bad luck thing.
35:02 Like no one got on Andrew Bogut for breaking his elbow or whatever it was that one time that like really weird injury when he like planted his arm into the ground.
35:10 Like nobody was like, you know, harping on him in the same way for his inability to stay healthy in the way that like Gordon Hayward gets it.
35:16 Which I understand because from Hornets fans perspective, this is the highest paid player on the team, biggest free agent acquisition like possibly ever.
35:26 You want him to be on the court for more than 44 games.
35:29 I don't understand. I don't understand why fans get angry at Gordon Hayward for getting injured.
35:35 I don't either. It makes literally no sense.
35:37 Does Gordon Hayward want to be injured?
35:38 No.
35:39 Is what he's doing, is he playing in a reckless style?
35:42 No, the opposite.
35:44 He doesn't. He barely dunks anymore.
35:46 Like the opposite. And he still somehow ends up taking a fast break layup and Fred VanVleet falls on his ankle and breaks it.
35:53 Like you can be frustrated at the situation.
35:56 You can't be frustrated at Gordon Hayward.
35:59 And if there are people actually angry at Gordon Hayward for getting injured, then I'm sorry.
36:04 Like you are. You're just being a little bit harsh.
36:08 You're letting your frustration overtake what logic makes.
36:13 Like there is nothing more that Gordon Hayward wants to actually play a full season.
36:17 He does not enjoy having to go to rehab every day when his teammates are going and practicing and playing basketball.
36:23 Ever gone to the physio? It's not fun.
36:25 No, it's not.
36:27 You've got to spend hours a day doing like remedial motions with your foot or ankle or arm or whatever it is that you'd rather be playing basketball.
36:35 He's not just trying to sit and collect a paycheck like in the same vein that a lot of people said that Nick Batum was, which he wasn't even trying to do that either.
36:43 But it's a much different scenario.
36:45 But either way, Gordon Hayward, I mean, over his Hornets career, he has averaged 17, 5 and 4 with a steal per game.
36:53 Shoots 38 percent from three on pretty solid volume.
36:56 He is a very good second level scorer and shot creator.
36:59 Somebody that doesn't need that athleticism and just uses pure strength, physicality, size to overwhelm guys.
37:07 A very good low post, mid post mismatch guy that you can get in certain late clock situations and end of game stuff.
37:16 I just think he's a very valuable piece to this team.
37:18 And like you said earlier, we have samples of when he misses games, the Hornets lose.
37:23 Last year is totally different.
37:25 But the two years before that, like he's playing with a shoulder injury last year as well.
37:29 So again, again, that's why I just say like every single thing you talk about last year is like, yeah, but if this and but it's just so hard.
37:36 Yeah, just there's you have to use too many qualifiers and like I'll be like, oh, this happened and this happened.
37:42 But it's just last year doesn't count.
37:44 But even in the two years before that, like 44 and 49 games played, pretty much all of them were early in the season.
37:51 Didn't play either of the playoff games.
37:53 The team, I mean, we know that like what was it like a 2 and 12 February that in 21, 22 that they had like Gordon Hayward not present for that.
38:04 So if you as long as you can get the help going forward and even at a reduced price, if you don't get it, it's not as big of a deal.
38:10 But if you do get it, I think that is an extremely valuable like veteran steady piece to have going forward.
38:16 Every team needs like an older bench presence like or just presence in general.
38:21 Like there are no teams out there that every single player in the rotation is 21 to 26.
38:26 And then well, and they're good.
38:28 I should say there are teams like that, but they don't win very many games.
38:32 And I think that's the goal here this upcoming season.
38:34 And Gordon Hayward is going to help that.
38:36 He has to have the like the comeback season where everyone just feels happy about everything.
38:43 He has to be thrilled.
38:44 He wants to be, you know, him and his family want to stay in Charlotte.
38:47 The team has to have a good year.
38:49 He has to have everything has to go perfect.
38:51 I think for that to happen, but there is there is a chance.
38:56 There is a chance.
38:57 But the other big thing here is you got the mobile's max extension kicking in.
39:01 And it's always that was always due to kick in when Gordon Hayward's contract was going to expire.
39:06 And I always viewed that.
39:08 And now you've got Brandon Miller.
39:09 It just seems like a natural classic.
39:11 Well, Hayward expires.
39:13 Miller becomes a starter and you don't even have to go find someone on the market to replace that.
39:17 So, OK, before we go on to the next page, I want to tell you quickly that this podcast is brought to you by all Hornets dot com from Hornets SI,
39:27 a credential Charlotte Hornets outlet powered by Sports Illustrated.
39:31 All Hornets dot com's aim is to bring you 360 degree coverage on all things Charlotte Hornets from breaking news,
39:37 rumors, game recaps, fan Q&A's, in-depth analysis.
39:41 All Hornets dot com covers it and nobody does it better.
39:46 OK, my next Hornets take perch.
39:50 Which one? I'm going to do this one here.
39:53 The 2023-24 Charlotte Hornets are the most talented Hornets roster in the modern era of the franchise.
40:05 I'm going to give you some of the competitors here.
40:08 All right. First up, 48 and 34, 2015-16.
40:12 Their top nine was Kemba Walker, Courtney Lee, Nick Batum, Michael Gilchrist, Marvin Williams,
40:20 Jerry Mullen, Cody Zeller, Al Jefferson off the bench at the time.
40:24 It was after post injury, really. And Frank Kaminski. Frank Kaminski was the ninth best player on that team.
40:32 The ninth best player on this team is probably like Cody Martin, maybe Nick Richards.
40:37 Like compared to Frank freaking Kaminski. A couple of others in the running.
40:43 You've got the 2009-10 team and 44 and 38. Raymond Felton, Boris Diaw, Raj Abel, Stephen Jackson,
40:51 Gerald Wallace, Tyson Chandler, Iris Thomas, Flip Murray, Larry Hughes.
40:55 I just think this roster with how it looks, I mean, and those teams that I've just listed there,
41:01 full of vets like Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams, Jeremy Lin, Al Jefferson, Stephen Jackson,
41:09 Gerald Wallace, Boris Diaw. Those are all like guys probably like at the peak or just past the peak of their prime.
41:16 Whereas you run through the team currently, it's LaMelo Ball, Terry Rosier, Gordon Hayward,
41:20 Miles Bridges, Mark Williams, PJ Washington. I think there is more talent on this team.
41:25 I think there is more diversification. Some of those teams like really set around certain things.
41:30 And I just think this is the most talented roster. And the great news is it's young and it's pretty much locked in.
41:37 It's not really going anywhere apart from maybe Miles Bridges next summer.
41:40 So I'm saying this is the most talented roster that me and you have ever talked about.
41:46 I think I'm with you. I think that... Is it even a take perch? Is it even a Hornets take perch?
41:53 I don't know. That one I think I actually like fully unironically agree with.
41:59 Like the '08-'09 team, I don't even think it's like particularly close, to be honest.
42:04 Not that I was a fully conscious basketball viewer and remember that season in detail.
42:09 But just given by the basketball reference page here, the team is much deeper than it was that year.
42:16 Jared Dudley is the number nine, averaging 5.4 points in 21 minutes a game.
42:21 Probably not ideal production from that number nine guy.
42:25 But I mean, right now, this year, like you said, Cody Martin, Nick Richards compared to that.
42:30 Or like, you know, you get what you get out of Jared Dudley.
42:33 Or like you said in the 2015-'16 team, Frank Kaminski.
42:37 Like I think I probably would take Nick or Cody over any of them.
42:40 The '15-'16 team might be a little deeper in like that middle role player tier with like Marvin Williams.
42:45 Even then, two of your starters are Michael Gilchrist and Marvin Williams.
42:49 Exactly. The team now is so much better at the top.
42:52 Effective, like in their role, but also like so limited.
42:56 Marvin Williams just shot threes and played defense.
42:58 Like great three and eight player.
43:00 Michael Gilchrist was anemic offensively, but was a very good defender at the time.
43:06 But this team is just like so much more skilled, so much more versatile.
43:10 They can do so many more different things.
43:13 I just think that makes their potential sky high compared to some of these teams.
43:19 So I know it's weird when you're coming off like whatever it was, a 27-win season that it was.
43:25 But I honestly think this is the most talented.
43:27 I don't even think it's the hottest tape, Virg. I actually believe this. I'm changing it.
43:31 Yeah, no, I believe that one too.
43:34 I mean, what you're going to get out of Lamello, who is, you know, it's already started that all-star trajectory.
43:41 Like Kemba wasn't Kemba quite yet in 2015.
43:44 Like he hadn't began that run of life.
43:47 Yeah, all those four of his all-star games were in a row, made the all-NBA team.
43:50 He hadn't gotten there yet.
43:52 Lamello's already made an all-star game and has been one of the best young point guards in the league for basically since he got into the league a couple of years ago.
44:00 I think where you're going to, the room to go upward here is much higher than it really has ever been.
44:06 Like for any team that post-expansion, anyway, we should say.
44:11 So this is definitely a, I think a strong, this is bordering on a reasonable take, I think.
44:17 I think so.
44:19 Okay, give us, have you got any more Hornets tape purges left?
44:22 We're probably coming towards the end here. I've got one or two knocking around.
44:26 Yeah, I've got one more.
44:28 And I actually, the Hornets have kind of maybe alluded to it a little bit already that they themselves are interested in bringing this idea forward that I'm about to present.
44:40 A Charlotte Bobcats throwback night is necessary.
44:43 We need to embrace our pass, come to terms with it, exercise, you know, the seven and 59 demons, realize how cool those uniforms are, the orange, blue, and yellow color scheme.
44:57 And just let it go.
44:59 We need to, I mean, it has quite literally not been acknowledged in really any way.
45:07 You know, I'm on board with this.
45:10 Hey, I know you are.
45:11 They had that memorial in the Spectrum Center like a couple years ago, like on, I think the upper level.
45:16 I don't even think that's there anymore.
45:18 We have to just let the world know we are the Bobcats.
45:23 Not, not were, they still are.
45:26 If you go on basketball reference, you scroll back.
45:29 For 2014, it's a Charlotte Bobcats and you cannot ignore it.
45:34 You cannot avoid it.
45:35 We got to embrace the history.
45:37 It is time.
45:38 Exactly.
45:39 You can't pick family and the Charlotte Hornets can't decide on the history.
45:42 It's part of them.
45:43 And like you say, they are doing it.
45:46 Pick your relatives.
45:47 They are having the Gerald Wallace night this season where they're going to be wearing the white home uniforms, which are like, are they wearing them?
45:55 Yes.
45:56 Okay.
45:57 All right.
45:58 I had fully misunderstood that.
46:00 I'm pretty sure I've seen this.
46:02 We've covered it at all Hornets dot com that they will be wearing.
46:06 I thought the white home uniforms for that Gerald Wallace appreciation night.
46:12 Maybe I've misread that.
46:13 Maybe I've misread it.
46:14 They were.
46:15 Okay.
46:16 See, I thought they were.
46:17 Okay.
46:18 Yeah.
46:19 Maybe we should probably figure this out.
46:20 I thought that they were putting up a vote for like a jersey tournament.
46:27 I think they're doing like the best jersey because they released that like jersey calendar or whatever it was right of like they did.
46:37 I think they're going to do both.
46:39 I didn't think you put the vote up if you don't already have it sorted.
46:43 Like, that's my that's my opinion.
46:47 So they're definitely doing the Gerald Wallace appreciation night.
46:51 Yes.
46:52 But to celebrate our 35th anniversary, we're asking you to vote for your favorite jerseys in team history.
46:59 Okay.
47:00 And they've listed that 0409 Bobcats jersey.
47:02 So maybe that maybe they're not.
47:04 Then maybe I have misunderstood this.
47:06 Okay.
47:07 Yeah.
47:08 I was going to say, I mean, if they were doing that, that would be awesome.
47:10 Yeah.
47:11 Okay.
47:12 It says for the anniversary night schedule.
47:14 Oh no, for each anniversary night, the Hornets will don their classic new edition uniforms.
47:19 Oh, oh, I mean, I kind of was wrong.
47:25 I was wrong.
47:26 Yes, I was.
47:28 I got that wrong.
47:29 I thought they were wearing that.
47:31 So I apologize for confusing for the last two minutes of the podcast here.
47:36 I was throwing you red herring there.
47:38 Okay.
47:39 All right.
47:40 Well, we're back to back to where we started.
47:41 The Hornets are not wearing.
47:43 And they should be.
47:45 They should be because those uniforms are awesome.
47:47 The white ones are good, but really I'm thinking of the orange ones, the Adam Morrison jerseys.
47:52 I don't mind the blue, bringing the NASCAR stripes down the side.
47:56 Bring it all back.
47:57 Yes.
47:58 I need a Byron Mullins throwback.
48:00 I need it.
48:01 Like I need air, please.
48:03 I love it.
48:06 I love it.
48:07 Okay.
48:08 I've got a couple of knocking around here.
48:12 There's one that I probably shouldn't say.
48:16 Let's go with my more acceptable one.
48:22 This is not really fully looked, but I think Mark Williams will finish in top 10 in blocks per year this season, which is kind of similar to what you were talking about before.
48:33 He was 16th in block rate last year in terms of just the number of blocks that he had per minute.
48:39 If you then project him to play start level minutes, he's got a pretty good chance to be up there in top 10 blocks.
48:45 I think he'll overtake like he was 16th, guys who are ahead of him last season, Bismarck Biambo, Eubanks, Ball Ball.
48:54 Like I think he's going to overtake all those guys just because of his role and everything like that.
48:58 I think he'll maybe play more minutes than Robert Williams.
49:01 You can't really stay on the floor.
49:02 Isaiah Jackson with the Indiana Pacers, who gets a lot of blocks but doesn't get a lot of minutes.
49:08 So that's five guys right there I think he'll move over.
49:11 Anthony Davis is going to play more power forward.
49:14 Brook Lopez is declining.
49:16 He has to be.
49:17 It's just surely inevitable.
49:19 So with that, like a path to being top 10 in blocks is definitely possible.
49:23 So I'm going Mark Williams will be top 10 in blocks per game in the NBA this year.
49:28 And we'll see the stat coming up on the side of the broadcast for like two months as, you know, the overrated broadcast team that the Charlotte Hornets have
49:36 talk about how he's doing well in the blocks per game category.
49:41 Only one and a half blocks per game for Christoph Sporzenges, who was 10th in blocks in the league last year.
49:48 Yeah, definitely attainable for all defense center Mark Williams in 2022 and 23.
49:54 So, I mean, we have definitely painted a very positive picture of what's going to happen this year.
49:59 This is I mean, we got Lamello and Mark getting recognized league wide a Bobcats throwback night.
50:07 We got we got everything here.
50:09 We do. My one that I kind of just skip over is like whatever's happened with Kai is a good thing.
50:18 Because I think he's going to get some help.
50:21 Right.
50:22 Spiritual awakening.
50:23 Exactly. This is my zag. Right.
50:25 If this hadn't happened, if he hadn't posted all that stuff on Instagram, maybe no one knows what's going on.
50:30 Right now, people know. I've even seen I've seen reports from family members saying that like he's going to get it.
50:37 We're working on it. We're getting help. We don't know what happened.
50:40 But from those posts, it seems to suggest that there's been a recognition there that he needs some support.
50:46 So this is my my zag. Hornets take purge.
50:48 Whatever I did on Instagram, which drew negative coverage is a good thing because it's going to get him hopefully the help that he needs.
50:57 All right. We'll roll with that. I'll definitely take that one.
50:59 That's a good good note to round out our take.
51:02 Are you out of hornets takes? Are you done?
51:05 I think I think I'm done. I think I got everything off my chest here.
51:10 No.
51:17 Well, that is the Hornets take purge over. We hope you enjoyed listening to our semi believable takes for the last 45 minutes.
51:27 And I hope this is going to become a little bit of an annual thing.
51:29 And I saw all kind of September content filler.
51:34 And I think good burn and it lets us get some things off our chest that we've been probably pondering on for the last couple of months.
51:41 So, Chase, is there anything else to add here before we get out of here?
51:45 No, I think I'm good. I mean, I've definitely been pondering a lot of these things.
51:50 I was glad to put some some voice to them and speak them out into the universe.
51:55 And hopefully my my energy will be reciprocated, especially on that Bobcats line.
51:59 I'm very, very serious about that. I want to buy Jersey and.
52:03 Yeah. All right, everybody, thank you very much for listening.
52:06 We will catch you next time. We have three weeks from media day.
52:10 And then after that, we're ramping up. So we've got a couple more podcasts and then we're going to be straight going into training camp preseason.
52:18 It is coming, folks, for the most talented Hornets roster in the modern era.
52:23 Load up, it's going to be a good season. All right. Thanks for listening, guys.