The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hoops Tonight - Top 5 NBA Offseasons: Why Lakers are now ready to dethrone Nuggets

Episode Date: July 29, 2023

Jason Timpf ranks his Top 5 NBA teams that had the best offseason including why the Lakers quietly made some amazing moves to put themselves back in the conversation of western conference favorites. Jason also reacts to the Phoenix Suns trading Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors, and then trading for Bradley Beal to create a new big 3 with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Finally, he explains the significance of the San Antonio Spurs landing the first overall pick, and getting to select Victor Wembanyama, the most coveted player since LeBron James in 2003. #volume #herdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith ruling. of two. Listen to Stuff to Bole Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Volume. All right, welcome to Hoops Tonight here at The Volume. Happy Friday, everybody. We got a quick show for you today. We're just going over the five best off-season, counting trades,

free agent signings, draft picks, the teams that I think did the best job this off-season, either making slight improvements if they're near the top of the league, trying to improve on the margins, or teams that are further down that made significant improvement. to major weaknesses in their roster. You guys know the drill before we get started. Subscribe to the volumes YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at underscore Jason LT. So you guys don't miss any show announcements.

And if for whatever reason you guys miss one of these videos and you can't get back over to YouTube to finish, don't forget you can find them wherever you get your podcasts under hoops tonight. Last but not least, you guys have heard me talk about game time, the fastest growing ticketing app in the United States. Now that we are out of basketball season and hockey season and football season, we just have baseball. And yeah, it's hard to find on TV. so you might be looking for a ticket there,

but this is concert season. A lot of our favorite bands and artists are going around the country, performing for massive crowds, comedians as well. And GameTime is an amazing place to get last-minute deals on tickets to all of those types of shows. They've given me great service in the past, are easy to use. The app is great and user-friendly.

You're going to find a great deal. You're going to know exactly what you're getting yourself into. I highly recommend it. So no matter where you live, get out and have some fun this week. Download the GameTime app. enter your email and redeem code hoops for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, enter your email and the code hoops.

That's H-O-O-P-S for $20 off. Download game time today. Last-minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. All right, let's talk some basketball. We're just going to go down from 5 to 1, starting with number 5, the Boston Celtics. For starters, re-signing Jalen Brown, so they locked up their core. Now you have two of the top 15 players in the league locked up long-term on your roster. arguably the most important position in the league there on the wing.

They did lose Marcus Smart and Grant Williams. Grant Williams kind of inevitable under the contract number he was looking for. And Marcus Smart, we're going to get to in a second. I actually think is going to end up benefiting them in the long run. But they added Christop's Porzingis, which brings the best of both Robert Williams and Al Horford to the table. One of the conundrums that the Celtics ran into is their offense flowed a lot better with Al Horford on the floor because they had five out spacing, right? And for a driving kick team that struggles sometimes with decision-making, kind of widening, those driving lanes makes things easier for them. But then when they put Robert Williams on the

floor, they were much, much better defensively at the expense of their offensively. And as you looked at their numbers consistently, that was the give and take. Play Rob, defense is better. Offense kind of falls apart. Play Al, their offense goes up a level. They don't guard as well. Well, Chris Hopps-Pers-Spris brings the best of both of those worlds to the table. He's not quite the rim protector that Robert Williams is, but he is a good rim protector or put up good numbers in pick and roll last year, even though on tape I thought he didn't have his best effort season defensively, although I think that'll go up a level in Boston. But it gives you that Robert Williams archetype defensively as a rim protector, but at the same time, he's a legitimate pick and pop

threat that spaces the floor really, really well. Again, picking and popping is a vital thing for getting downhill, because if the guy who's guarding the pick and roll has to vacate to close out on a shooter at the top of the key instead of corraling the ball handler, that's what gets opportunities for guys like Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum and Derek White to get downhill, especially if the guard has to chase over the top of the screen. So functionally in their offense, Chris Ops-Prozingis gives them a really good threat there. And he's actually, I say the best of both worlds, he's just better than Al Horford offensively. He's a much better pick and pop player. And most importantly, he's really good at beating switches in the post. He had the best season of his

career attacking in the post last year, especially against mismatches, against smaller players. He's really good at sealing them and creating a passing angle and then quick turning and finishing. He doesn't settle for tough shots in those situations. Chris Hops-Prozingis is a massive upgrade. We talked a lot about that beating switches thing right after the trade, but shortly after that, about a week or so after that, Brad Stevens ended up actually talking about that in a press conference, and he said, you know, the thing we're looking forward to the most is having Christoph's Porzingis as an option to beat switches. losing Marcus Smart obviously is somewhat sad, given the history that he has with that franchise,

but I think it's going to end up helping them a lot. First of all, he was declining defensively after winning defensive player of the year the previous year. And he was still that wild card offensively that could co-op possessions and take bad shots from time to time. And, you know, this just kind of alleviates that log jam at the guard position, puts the ball in Derek White's hands more, puts the ball in Jason Tatum and Jaylon Brown's hands more, which they're just better players. Derek White even, just a better player than Marcus Smart at this point. Plus, you ended up getting draft compensation in the deal, which gives you the opportunity to make improvements at the deadline. All right, moving on. Number four, the Los Angeles Lakers. I said going into the summer,

that patience and continuity were going to be their allies going into this coming season. And I said if they brought everybody back, they would be good in the regular season. Their issues are playoff problems. I said they had three major problems. The ability to knock down shots over the top of the defense, that backup center position, and then having a real athletic, strong guard. someone in that Bruce Brown mold in the back court. That was what ended up getting them killed in that Nugget series. But all three of those things were not able to be addressed this summer. Kyrie was going to have to resign with Dallas.

There was no really good backup center available on the market. And then Bruce Brown went for what, 22.5 million a year or something like that. It was a two years, $45 million deal. You just were out of the market for him. You weren't going to get him. And so under those circumstances, there was no really aggressive move for the Lakers to make this summer. They just needed to bring everybody back. and that's exactly what they did.

They got Austin Reeves, Hacham Murray and DeAngelo Russell, all on team-friendly deals. And then they made smart moves on the margins. They brought in Gabe Vincent. Actually, it makes a lot more sense than Dennis Schroeder, although I think they're similar level players, because Gabe is better off the ball. This is a team that's going to be running a ton through DeAngelo Russell,

Austin Reeves, LeBron James, Anthony Davis. Dennis Schroeder actually kind of as good as he is, and I'm a huge Dennis fan, and I think he went to the Raptors. You guys are going to love him. But specifically on this team, there's a little bit of logjam with ball handling decision makers. Gabe Vincent is a much better off-ball player, close-out attacker. He can run some pick-and-roll as well if you need him to, so he's a depth piece there.

I actually liked that signing. Tori and Prince is a wing who can actually shoot the ball pretty well and has a little bit off-the-driple pop. And then Jackson Hayes was a really good value signing on a minimum contract. Again, all minimum contracts have flaws. Jackson Hayes, even though he's skinny, even though he has some limitations, he struggled against switches last year. But he was actually the best pick-and-roll screen defender in the league last year to run at least 100 possessions on a points per.

possession basis. So he's got a lot of length, bothers people over the top when they try to shoot over him. I think he's a perfectly fine backup center at the minimum contract. Most importantly, those are all guys that fill positions that will help them win games when LeBron and Anthony Davis need to switch. When LeBron sits, you need forward depth. When Anthony Davis sits, you need a backup center. They address those two things. That's going to give them the ability to rest those guys. Also, they are loaded with great spot-up players. Almost everybody I just mentioned, including the core guys. They're all guys that were well over a point per possession and spot-up situations last year. This is going to be a well-spaced floor for the Lakers next year in a way it wasn't

the previous season. I expect them to be much better offensively. And this is the other part of it, too. They maintain flexibility for an aggressive deadline. Those issues they needed to fix, they can address those in February based on how things progress. If February comes and LeBron and Anthony Davis and Austin Reeves are not making enough shots over the top of the defense, you can make a trade. If the backup center position isn't good enough, you can make a trade. If you need, you know, maybe Chicago falls apart and you can make a trade for someone like Alex Crusoe to get that big strong guard that you need.

So they retained the core of their conference finalist roster, leaning in on continuity, which as you guys know, I think is super important. They improved on the wing and at backup center, and they maintained flexibility for midseason trade. I thought it was a really impressive offseason for Rob Polinka and the Lakers. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast.

Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your part.

podcast. Number three, the Cleveland Cavaliers. This was a super talented roster with one fatal flaw. They didn't have anybody who could knock down a corner three consistently, which was a problem because they had these two great pick and roll shot creators in Derry's Garland and Donovan Mitchell, and then they had these two great versatile two-way screen and roll guys in Jared Allen and Evan Mobley. And the problem was, is they run a ton of pick and roll. They run more pick-and-roll than most teams in the league. And you just didn't have to guard the guy in the corner on either corner. So they were guarding pick and rolls three on two,

sometimes four on two, and just conceding kickout shots to guys like Isaac Kokoro and Chetty Osman, and it just was not working. Well, they ended up getting two really solid wing shooters in Max Trues and Georges Nying. Max Drus last year, 1.18 points per possession and 350 spot-up possessions. That was sixth in the entire league out of 30 players to log

at least 300 possessions. So one of the best spot-up guys in the league last year, and then George's Neing was even better. 1.20 points per possession on 290 possessions. So just missed the qualification of that list I just made. The thing with Nying is he has to guard fours. He can't guard threes. But that's the beauty of having Evan Mowgli and all of his defensive versatility.

Evan Mowgli can chase threes all around the floor. And so I actually think that'll work defensively. So they added two dead-eye spot-up shooters, and they play different positions. So you can see a version of this story where they're going to consistently have the necessary shooting on the floor to run a more productive playoff offense. Now, I think they're eventually going to have to move Darius Garland for a wing.

You guys, Cavs fans know I've been saying that forever. Most of you guys disagree with me. I just don't think you can rock with two guards, and I don't think you can rock with the redundancy of just only pick and roll. You've got to have somebody that can consistently put their back to the basket and make plays or do some other form of offense, isolation, rim pressure, things that they're not getting enough of out of their pick and roll attack. But as far as this core goes, Mitchell Garland-Mobli out,

As far as this core goes, this is probably the best version of that, what they put together this summer. That's why I think it was a really successful offseason. If you're going to give it one last good shot with that core to see which guys you want to build around, this was the way to do it. Go invest in some real spot-up shooting. I think the Cavs are going to be a much bigger threat next year, even if they are not a top-tier contender. Moving on to number two, the Phoenix Suns. they turned Chris Paul and Landry Shamit into Bradley Beal.

So no matter how you feel about whether or not that gives them enough to beat Denver, no matter how you feel about their size and athleticism shortcomings, that's an improvement. If you can turn Chris Paul and Landry Shamit into Bradley Beal, you're better. It's that simple. And so just that instantly gives them a great foundation for the offseason. But like we talked about, this is a team now that was going to be able to get discounted signings over the course of the summer because teams want,

because players are going to want to play for a real contender, because guys are going to want to play for a team where they're going to get wide open spot-up looks, because they want to have a chance to win a championship. And they got a lot of really quality signings on veteran minimum contracts. I like Drew Eubanks and Chamezye Metu as really athletic forwards that will help them with the dirty work.

You don't want Navi and Eric Gordon give them real shooting that also have a little bit of defensive versatility. Kita Bates' job is also kind of an interesting scoring forward that they got that could shoot a little bit. So they got their third star and they rounded it out with quality veteran minimum role players. It remains to be seen if it's enough to beat Denver, but they certainly got a lot better. And number one, I don't think we can go anywhere else. The team that made by far the biggest improvement year over year and is set up for success into the future,

the San Antonio Spurs. They get Victor Wenbino, Yama, the best prospect since LeBron James. Again, struggled in his first summer league game. But I think you saw a lot in that second summer league game to demonstrate. what Victor's capable of, that ability to knock down the important spot of shots when he's wide open, the ability to beat switches with short jump shots in the lane, the ability to impact games at a high level defensively around the basket, that overnight gives them a functional defense and a real five-out spacing system for all of their ball handlers. And then they added a lot

of really smart pieces on the perimeter that I don't think have been covered enough this summer. Reggie Bullock is a really a really good lock and trail defender and a great spot-up shooter. That gives you a veteran presence. Chetty Osmond's a guy that just a great locker room guy who works his butt off, does a lot of little things well. Campaign as a backup guard. So they got some veterans in the room now, some grown-ups. And then I really liked the Julian Champany signing. Again, I covered him in Summer League.

He actually was successful last year, really efficient double-figure score for the Spurs and a small sample size. But they locked him up for four years at a very, very, very full. favorable number for the team. And I like it when franchises take advantage of those opportunities, because when you don't, that's when you end up in a situation like the Lakers had where a guy finishes his two-year rookie contract and then suddenly you're going to have to extend him at a massive number. If you have faith in a guy and you think he's going to be good, lock him up for as long as you can as early as you can in the process. So I like the Julian Champani signing. And then they signed Greg Popovich to a long-term extension. Again, having him in the room as just the perfect

guy to cultivate the beginning of a young center's career like Victor Wimb and Yama, a guy that can navigate the personalities in that locker room. And I would imagine that Greg himself is experiencing another level of invigoration and his passion at this phase in his career, given the opportunity he has to start a new era of Spurs basketball. In one summer, they went from a team that had almost nothing to be excited about to a team that is now one of the most interesting teams in the league. So you can't beat that as an offseason.

All right, guys, that is all I have for today. We're going to be taking the weekend off and starting Monday with, I believe, we're doing 25 through 23. We will be beginning our player rankings. So, as always, I appreciate your guys' support. And I'll see you on Monday for player rankings. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Dave. and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman recommended it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to Stuff to Boar Your Mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.