The Ringer NBA Show - Ep. 33: NBA Hipster Team Championship Belt and Five Players to Watch With Jason Concepcion

Episode Date: October 13, 2016

The Ringer's Chris Vernon and Jason Concepcion discuss why the Timberwolves are the top hipster team this season (6:00), Chandler Parsons's Instagram (11:00), the longest-tenured players on one franchise (15:00), the promising Bucks (22:00), Devin Booker's trash talk (26:00), Boogie's playoff chances (36:00), Embiid's media availability (40:00), and Dwight Howard's smile (44:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to The Ringer NBA show. I'm Chris Vernon. Today, a very special guest. You know him from Twitter as at Network. His name is Jason Concepcion. He is a staff writer for theringer.com, and he joins us today. Hey, Jason. Do this.

First, let me ask you about the Twitter handle. You are a mysterious man. It took very serious negotiations for you to agree to even come on this podcast. That's right. We're not allowed to talk about those. I want to know about the genesis of your Twitter name at network. Fox Live gamer tag. Really?

I've had for 11, 12 years now, yeah. It's just my gamer tag. And then so when I needed a Twitter handle. Why did you replace? I wasn't thinking, I wasn't yet thinking about brand synergy. You know, that hadn't yet occurred to me, but I see the importance of it now. Is the O replaced with a three because at network with a O was not available, or was that just the way your gamer tag always was? So that's what you signed up for.

Part of it was added the three, which is a common gamer thing to replace vowels with T's become sevens, eyes become ones. Do you play video games every day? Not anymore. At one point in my life, yes, every day. But now it's like I mostly keep it restrained to Fridays. Do you still have the same tag? Ted, people from, have people that know you from the Internet found you on Xbox Live and been like, hey, are you that guy from Twitter?

That happened just a few days ago when I was in a game. Someone sent me a message like, ask the maister. Like, yeah, that's me. And then I'll go on Twitter, like after a game and be like, I just played with you, dude. You were trash. That's kind of fun. The season is almost upon us, Jason.

We are just a less than two weeks away. I want to go back to an article that wrote for the Ringer a couple weeks ago, which is the hipster teams. And you went through and you chronicled all the different hipster teams throughout the years, right? Not necessarily the most popular teams are the teams that everybody likes, but what hardcore basketball fans are in the no fans, they decide is their favorite team. And I'm not going to go through all the teams that you went through over time. I'm most interested in who you think is the hipster team now. And you said it's the T-Wolves.

Was there anybody first? All right, first explain to me why the T-Wol's are the hipster team. Proven young players that are really exciting to watch. I think Chris Dunn is like he's either going to put up highlights every night or have nine turnovers a game. I mean, assuming Tibito gives them that much run. but they've just got young exciting players. Zach Levine scored 30 the other night in a loss.

Carlanding Towns, the best young big bad since Tim Duncan. They're just a really fun team, and they're all like 23-ish years old. For me, a hipster team is a team where their potential and their on-court supersedes their actual ability to win games. It's kind of like that hopeful honeymoon period where you're willing to overlook, like, guys being terrible at defense because they're just mind-boggling. Like Devin Booker, he could be the future of the two-guard position, but also he can't really guard anybody. But you don't care because he's 20.

Those are the guys I like, you know, especially in the NBA where it's like you pretty much know who's going to win the championship every year. Did you even consider anybody else besides the T-Wolf? Yeah. Who? I mean, I looked at Philly just because Embedied, you know, is coming back. But I really, you know, you do think it's T-wolds are far and away, just because, like, the ages. I thought about the Bucks, but it's really, it's me, it's the T-Wills.

Because the Bucks, it's really, it's more just Giannis. Whereas the T-Wolds, they have several guys. And it's even more intriguing with T-Bidot taking over, you know. You mentioned Embed. I saw him in person the other night, Tuesday night, for the first time. Yeah. he is going to be unbelievable. Like if he, he's not in great shape yet, right?

And he's just like, you know, he's on the NBA floor for the first time. But he is one of those that when you see him, like you get it immediately. Because I've been a little skeptical. He's missed the first couple years, whatever. But, I mean, Zibo comes in there, and it's almost like a rite of passage when you come through Memphis and Markasol leans on you and Zibo leans on you. And you catch those first couple of elbows. And a lot of guys just become like shrinking violets.

No, man. This guy was like fighting right back. I'm like, holy mackerel, this guy is going to be ridiculous. Because he's kind of goofy off the court, right? If you follow him on social media. That's what I love about him. And whatnot, but he is not to be trifled with. No. I mean, what do you have like 13 and 5 in like 12 minutes against Zibo and Markazzo? He's going to be good. He's going to be good. And the thing I've, and this is really what I love about him is like he was on Chandler Parsons' Instagram before the game talking about. I'm going to cook your ass. He did say he was going to cook his ass.

With absolutely no recognition that Chandler Parsons isn't playing. Yeah, that sounds like perfect about it. It didn't even matter. He's walking into a team that won, like, freaking, you know, no games, basically over the last three years. He's been injured. And he's taking shots of people. who aren't even going to play in the game,

it's fantastic. He's a manchild. I'm so excited for him. I really hope he stays healthy because, yeah, when you watch him, you're like, it really is like Elijah Juan with three-point range. You know what I mean?

Like, that really is what it is. It's crazy. A little side note. That Embed, that Embeddied Instagram post was outstanding. I will tell you that mining, when you see Chandler Parsons has, I think,

probably the best Instagram comments underneath this. Hey, listen to this. So he signs with the Grizzlies in the all season. Jason. Yeah. The guy is like, so of course I start following him. Every day. It's like hanging out with the boys at some awesome club. Then it's like in a different exotic beach, supermodel, the whole nine, right? Like the guy, I'm like living vicariously through him. Okay. And so finally one day, it's like the fourth or fifth day. in a row that there's another exotic beach and a supermodel like on his on his Instagram feed right and I pull it up and the first comment underneath it says bruh are you ever in a gym you're gonna average eight points again and people like

because every other NBA player it's like you know on the stair master running around or they're always like you know filming all their workouts and whatnot no it was always like a club it was like the beach it was like like girls, the whole nine. And so his Instagram feed, like, is perfect for comments. Matt Barnes left one. People can go back and look at this. For whatever reason, Chandler Parsons elicits this, Jason.

So Parsons puts up this Instagram thing where he's standing in front of the Staples Center and he's going to the Adele concert, right? But he shows up to the Adele concert a week earlier. Like it's a week before the actual concert So there's nobody there, right? And so he just kind of post He's standing in front of the Staples Center Thought thought of concert was this week

It's actually next week, whatever If you go to that post And you scroll down, you will find one from Matt Barnes That says ha ha ha ha ha ha ha you dickhead For whatever Part of it is just like It's fantastic I do you have any

You gotta have some like inside Parsons stories by now No? No, nothing. He's just been around. I mean, he is the ultimate, well, he's got, he's got white boy Wednesdays going on. So he has the, he gets the locker, or he gets the wait room on Wednesday. And, you know, they're usually playing, you know, with Tony and Zbo and all these guys. It's always like future or Gucci or whoever, right? It's bangers. Parsons, if you go to like Spotify and click browse and you click Fun Workout, like there's like a workout thing, right? Like a tab? Yeah, I'm aware of it. Okay, it's called Fun Workout. Parsons puts that on in the weight room every Wednesday.

And it's like Sia and Ariana Grande and chain smokers and whatnot. Right. Like that's been his impact so far is that he has White Boy Wednesday in the, but everybody loves him. He's like a, he's like a basketball gronk or something, right? Like he's just everybody. Yeah, well, he's like, I mean, I coined the phrase the Chandler Parsons Orgy Suite as a way of quantifying his ability to woo free agents with, you know, multi-day pitch meetings. He's just one of those dudes who's just like a good time dude

I like Mark Cuban getting him to sign in a club was the great like that's the microcosm of Chandler Parsons Like they were in a club signing a contract It's beautiful

All right so our hipster team for this year is the Minnesota Timberwolves Let me get into yesterday Paul Pierce And this headline that went around everywhere It said, I'll always be remembered as a Celtic And then he said he wants to retire a Celtic He owes it to himself and his fans.

Of course, he played the 15 seasons in Boston. And it got me thinking it is weird to see Paul Pearson in any kind of different uniform. And, you know, Duncan's gone. Kobe's gone. Guys that were with one team for so many years. And so I went and looked up. The longest tenured guys with one team now are Nick Collison, 12 years,

Eudonis Haslam, 13 years. Genobilly, 14 years. Parker, 15 years, and then Dirtniewiczki, who's got everybody by three years, 18 years in Dallas. There's only five guys in the entire NBA that have been with a team over a decade. Which of those would be most weird to see in another uniform? I think so. I guess it would be a three-way tie, really, between Manu, Dirk. Although, just because of the name recognition, Udana's, I think, it's really hard.

Udana, because of the roots he has in Miami, is like basically the mayor of the heat. So I think it would be shocking for heat fans if he went somewhere else. So if it would make that much of a ripple nationally, but I think nationally for the NBA sports fan at large, I think it would be Dirk followed by Tony and Monu. Nick Collison, I think people would be shocked to know. that Nick Collison is still playing. No shots. My guy, Nick Collison.

Here's the insane thing, Jason. Collison is 12 years. There is a drop-off from Collison, and then the next guy that's been with the team the longest is Mike Conley with the Grizzlies nine years.

So there is nobody that has been with a team 10 or 11 years. New CBA and stuff, it's just, you know, when it's time to move guys, GMs are much romantic about it. And they'll move guys. You know, it's like, think about Danny Age blowing up the big three.

Dudes will get moved. It's really surprising, really, that Dirk hasn't been moved when you think about it. Because he's a guy that if he wanted it could have gone somewhere else to chase the ring. You can still, that mid-range shot still hit threes. Eudonis and Nick, though, are interesting in that. They kind of play that role of the guy who carries the torch of a franchise's culture, those two guys. Genobley, Parker, Dirk. Those are three longest tenured.

Any chance we ever see any of them in a different uniform. Do things that is, you basically feel like Tony and Manu will retire at some point. And then would Dirk you kind of feel like when he retires will just kind of fade away and never be seen again? I can't see that ever happening. Maybe Eudonis and Nick is some kind of weird trade ballast in a deal that like has to happen, you know, to make the salaries match. But I can't see any of these guys moving, just where they are in their careers, you know?

Is there anybody else like peers that, like it obviously matters to him that he goes back and he says, I always want to be a remember to Celtic, I want to retire as a Celtic. Is there anybody else that you would want to see go back to their team to retire as a member of their team? Like, they're no longer there. Like, do we care about Wade, you know, like at some point, you know, retiring a member of the Miami Heat? Is there anybody in the NBA that you think it's just not right if they retire as a member of whatever team they're on now?

I mean, that was shocking, wasn't it? Yes. Like, I was really did not, I did not believe that he would actually go somewhere. It's still weird to see him. Every time I see him on TV in a Bulls jersey, it just, it doesn't feel right. It is so weird. And, man, it just speaks this offseason. What about him?

he's not going to waive Bosch until Bosch can't join another playoff team I mean it's like the dude is just ruthless um yeah it weighed you'd like to see him go back that makes sense

he obviously should retire I mean he will he'll retire his jersey he'll be there I can't see a situation where that doesn't happen unless you know things between him and the organization were just so acrimodious that but he's

one you think of immediately, no? I think so, too. For sure, yes. Let me list the guys that are after Kossack. So I started with that Conley list. All right, here's the other guys that have been with their team the longest. Mike Conley, nine years, eight years for Brooke Lopez, D'Andre Jordan, Mark Gassall, Russell Westbrook, seven years for DeMarrausson, Todd Gibson.

How about that one? And Steph Curry. Of those I just named, Conley, Lopez, Jordan. Markisaw, Westbrook, DeRosen, Taj, Steph Curry. Of those guys, most likely that they would play their entire career out with one franchise. Conley and really the heart speak to this much better than I could, but it just feels like Mike Conley is like the embodiment, part of the embodiment of the culture of the Grizzlies.

I remember like the uproar when he signed his first extension, it was like, Mike Conley, how much he's been so important to that development that team and him and Gassol their brothers on the court. I can't see him going anywhere. Well, they've got this weird thing where they have, like, always talked about how cool it would be to play their entire, like, they've got that. Some guys just don't feel that way, right? But they've always, like, openly talked about how cool it would be for them both to play their entire careers out with one franchise. And, like, I mean, seemingly, listen, they both, they got max contracts back-to-back years, so it's not implausible by any means.

Yeah, and Russ, you know, future Oklahoma City Hall of Fame member, Russ still stay. Just because, really? I mean, there's so much riding on his shoulders right now. And he just, you know, like, he's such an embodiment of rage on the court that I feel like he's obviously got a huge chip on his shoulder. I'd love to see him just go out and try and prove the world wrong, even though I kind of fear. You think we'll never see him how different. You think we'll never see Westbrook in a different unit? Yeah, I think, I think this is just, but I feel like he was really aggrieved by the KD thing,

and I think it would mean a lot to him to just, like, shove it in, everybody stayed there, and that will ever happen. But I think that he'll stay there for this whole career. We're not far away from the season. What, go ahead. Oh, well, this is discounting, Presti, cutting the cord, which is a thing that can happen. I guess, you know, that's the thing you can never count on. Seasons right around the corner.

Me and Jason Concepcion are going to give you five guys. We are super interested in for the upcoming season after these words. It's finally basketball season. Where are you watching the games at a crusty old sports bar crammed onto your friend's couch? You can do better with Sling TV. Watch NBA games on your terms and your turf. The Sling Orange service has hoops on ESPN and TNT, plus more or less. TV on top networks all for 20 bucks a month. No long-term contracts, no hidden fees. Start

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That's cabbage with a K, cabbage.com, backslash business. All right, Jason, we're going to give our five guys we're super interested in for this upcoming season. Let's go one at a time. You want to start or you want me to? Yeah. All right. I'll start. I'll start.

All right, go ahead. I picked all young guys pretty much. I'm going to go first with Giannis Anteticoampo at point card. just because, you know, when they moved him to point guard last year, that was one of the most fun subplots of the NBA season. Just seeing a guy that side running an offense. And, you know, like the passes he makes, he's not like a visionary passer. He makes a simple pass often. But he can just see over everybody.

And it's just beautiful, man. The Bucks are going to put out some just bizarre, huge tentacle-like lineups. And he is a guy that I am very excited to watch it. All right, I'll actually piggyback off that because one of mine was Jabari Parker. And this is the reason. Jabari Parker, he averaged like 14 and 5 last year, but it's his third year in the league. I was a huge Jabari Parker fan coming out of Duke. Like, I thought the guy was going to be amazing, like an All-Star, for sure.

And there was like that whole debate. Remember going on with him and Andrew Wiggins? And Wiggins has obviously ascended much quicker than Parker because he lost that whole first rookie year. And so I guess with Parker, I'm sitting there going, all right, is he ever going to get to become, I kind of feel like this is going to be the year. If I was right on him, and if he is going to be an awesome NBA player, I kind of feel like we'll get all the signs this year, right? Because we're now two years removed from the injury. And maybe, I don't know. I don't know what to make of it because maybe he was never going to be amazing.

Or maybe that injury or the injuries that he has had, the knee injuries, that that was. would be prevent him, like would have stagnated the growth or whatever, and he's just never going to get to become whatever his ceiling was at one point. I don't know. Where are you at on Parker? He's going to be a player. I think he'll be a sub-star, the kind of player where he's a, say, you know, your third option on your team, you can have an elite team.

He's got like, he's slashed more athleticism, I think, than I was prepared for coming back from the injury. I mean, I like him. part of it is just like that the roster they have is just weird it's a weird fit there's not a lot of space for guys to operate you know because they don't have they didn't have anybody that shoot three-pointers log down there i like him though i do like him all right well we've got i also like that he's basically a shut-in like he doesn't go out yeah he's like have you seen that there's a reddit thread that's like does javari parker have friends You check it out.

Is that the name? Check it out. It's funny. I'm writing it down on my notes. It's all right. It does Jabari Parker have friends? Yeah. I'm going to have to look this up.

I was unprepared for this research. I didn't know this. That's a thing that Javari Parker doesn't have friends? It's a thing. Who knew? All right. So we have named two bucks so far. Shout out to Milwaukee.

Who's your next guy? The guy I mentioned previously. Devin Booker. who looks like he's in a boy band. Looks like he could be about 12 years old. I think he's either 20 or about to turn 20, but he's like the future of the point guard position. Inclusive game for a guy who looks like a zygote, essentially.

And he's been just scoring like the blazes in the preseason. Very exciting young player. He plays well with Knight. Let me tell you this. This guy, Booker, he talks crazy too. because I'm he does oh god

hey up in tony allen and matt barnes's face last year i love it and i'm like i love that i'm like are you crazy i'm sorry hey i'm serious hey both of them like just talking

crazy to them like and then when they were on the sideline he'd run over to the bench talking crazy and i'm like what Devin booker like what kind of stuff like you know like you can't guard me

if you that you know just like trash talking I love it and I mean I'm like wait hold I think it took them by surprise honestly right because they're veterans yeah this like eight-year-old is talking to that I know right and he'd come over he hit another shot he come over barking at them on the bench and I'm like good grief man do you know who you're yelling at because you know like the idea that Matt Barnes wouldn't just kick your ass in the middle of the court is not like what are we talking about guy like guy like went through his own a house to beat the crap out of Derek Fisher.

Like, I don't know, man. Like, he's not the guy I'd be barking at. Whatever. I love it. I mean, this is what I love about this kid. No, he's super arrogant. He doesn't know any better. No, no, he is super arrogant.

Super arrogant. I love it. Yeah. I love it. He's like baby, baby Kobe. Next guy on my list was Gordon Hayward, and this is why. Because Gordon Hayward is really good last year, right? 20 point per game.

Yeah. Five rebounds, four assists. He's 43% from the field, 35% from three. But the reason that Gordon Hayward I'm super interested in is because I don't know if you felt this, Jason, everybody is in love with the jazz. Like there's a lot of people that have. Well, this is for several years now. Yeah, right. Okay, so they love the jazz, right?

Everybody loves the jazz. They've got the jazz picked super high this year. Think they're going to be. Okay, if that's the case, he's their best player. Would you say he's the best player? Is that generally widely considered? Okay. So is Gordon Hayward the best player on an awesome team?

That's why I'm interested. The thing about the jazz, though, it's not, they're kind of in that trailblazers mold from the early 2000s Trailblazers team where they didn't, I mean, they had Sheed, who was like freaking incredible. But like, you know, it's like guys that are all very good, but none of them rise to the level of star. and all the pieces kind of fit together where, you know, if you just kind of look at it, you project out, you think, okay, these guys are going to be, you know, at least a cohesive, very good team, obviously.

And they have every piece, you know, they have shooting. They can move the ball. Exam back. Exum is backslaved that dynamic perimeter play. It's just a question of, like, how good are they really? You know, it's like, it's a very hoxian in that way. It's like, who do you throw the ball to when the chips are. down. I mean, I like

them. I need to see it, though, because I was an early, I was one of these guys like, oh, they're going to win, they're going to make the playoffs this year, and then they didn't. And I did that two years in a row. So now I just need to see it from them. Who does get the ball with the game on the line? It's Hayward, right? It's got to be Hayward, yeah.

Or Georgia. I mean, it's Hayward. Who's your third guy? My son and Porzingis. Chris Stap's Porzingis, seven foot three, shoots threes, blocks shots, he's the god. Fluidity that really belies his

like, you know, ginormous. Looks like at times, you know, those, what do they call those, like, balloon men that they have, like, at the used car lot that, like, blows around. Like, that's what he looks like. But he moves.

Watching him in the preseason, I just wish he would come a bit more. He's like, he's a great teammate, wonderfully. I just wish when he was open. that he would just really think. But I really, like, if, if, if, every, if all of the Knicks got Zika, I guess. Oh, stop it already.

He's the only one. That's not exactly true. I mean, listen, I love, I love, you know, I love my team, but he's the future. He's the future of the team. Like, he's the only player that matters for them five years out. How does a local New York car dealer not have a blow up Chris at Porzengis? might have been my You gotta have one of those

Like I would assume you have to get it licensed Or something like that I love my guy And like even I understand that New Yorkers have a tendency To overhype things I love Chris Taps Is there three NBA players

You have ever loved more Than Chris Stavs Sporzegas Yes But at the same time Like You understand The Knicks never

They don't have rookies like this First of all We rarely have rookies You know, it's like, when do we keep our draft picks? Like, not that often. You know, it's like who's the best rookie in the last, say, 10 years before him, freaking, like, David Lee? Like, I'm very excited about this.

Next one for me is Blake Griffin. Just hear me out. It's because this could be the end. It could. It would not be crazy for this to be the last Blake Griffin Clippers year. Last year was a disaster. He beat the hell out of the trainer guy, right? Broke his hand.

Then he was unavailable for the playoffs. They still were good without him, right? You know, it's coming down to the end of the contract. There are people that actually think that, like, Oklahoma City weirdly, would have a chance at him. Because, you know, from there, right? Played college there or whatever. I don't know. That wouldn't be that outlandish.

And, God forbid, you ever get Russ and him teaming up on a team athletically, especially if they were able to keep all of that. Depot or whatever. And I don't know what he would do in free agency. And I don't know if the Clippers would just say, you know what, we've done this enough with the whole Chris Paul and DeAndre and Blake. And there's a ceiling that like we just need something different or. And it would seem like he would probably be the guy that would be on the move. So I guess I'm, the reason I'm interested in him is because does he finish the season out there? And if he does do that or if he does you know is he gone in the off season and if he does like is this kind of like

the last chance of clippers have if they're going to make a run because at this point i don't know i don't know what planning's like in the western conference now after durant went to the warriors right and so i don't i don't know if they would pivot on that whatever and last season was such a disaster so just the whole what's going to happen with blake intrigues me it is about blake i don't think that he ever goes any place that doesn't have a vibrant, like, if there's not a good comedy club in Oklahoma City, he's never going to go there. He's going to go somewhere where there's a UCB theater and that he can walk into on a, like, open mic Wednesday and, you know, get into his improv game. That's just my read on Blake Griffin.

Here would be the thing, though, Jason, he may not have a choice. That's true. Like, he doesn't get to, you don't get to choose where you get traded all the time. That's true. I mean, I think they should, if he's not going to leave, they should keep it together. You know, you're close and just hope that Golden State, like a meteor hits the arena or something. Or Zika. Yeah.

Your fourth guy. Oh, my next guy. Carl Eighty Town. You know, he's young Duncan combined with young KG. The fact that he got to get a year's worth of mentoring under KG, just the way that he can cover guys on D&E. defense like all the way out to the three point line. I'd face up, post up, shoot threes. He's freaking ridiculous.

And I'm sad that we're not talking about Anthony Davis in the same way. But, you know, it's like I feel like Charlie Towns knock on wood just seems like the sturdier for that Anthony Davis hybrid future big man. I'm excited for him and very excited for the hipster Timberwolves. I came on the first podcast I did, though, this NBA podcast with Kevin O'Connor. And one of the things that I said I felt alone on was that Anthony Davis is the best, is still the best young player in the NBA. And then, of course, I'm reading last night, he's got a grade two ankle spring.

I swear. Relentless. Relentless. You know, I really like him. All right. My fourth guy is Boogie Cousins. And here's the reason. He's ridiculously talented, right?

this is now six coaches six he has played for Paul Westfield he has played for Keith Smart he has played for Mike Malone he has played for Tyrone Corbyn he has played for George Carl and now a guy that I just covered for the last five years Dave Yeager because at what point is it may be a boogie issue their roster is ridiculous they've drafted like six centers right like they they They went, they took some guy that, you know, in the lottery. I can't even pronounce the guy's name. The Greek kid?

Yes. My theory on that is Blati owes like some Serbian Greek gangster, like, a lot of money or something. It's weird. It's totally plausible. Totally plausible. But they, you know, and then they took Skull-Obissier, like, towards the end. So it's just another center. They got, like, six centers.

They've got like, you know, the point guard thing's weird. Rudy Gay, you know, wants out, I guess already. And so like the whole thing, I get that it's all a mess, but just in terms of like boogie and how he does now under Yeager, a sixth head coach. And then at what point, like, how many coaches can he go through? Seriously? Like, and do we put any of it on the, is boogie in your mind at all responsible?

for the fact that he has had now six coaches? Yeah, I would guess. I mean, also just, you know, you're around the league. Like, you hear, like, these whispers of, like, bookie is, you know, behind the scenes. It's got to play into it at the same time. It's, like, that is, that is a franchise that, you know, has no leadership.

It's just chaotic. I mean, you read the VIVIC interviews with Sam I'm assuming, I think like it just seems like a rudderless chip over there and fit on Boogie. But yeah, he's, he's, some of it is on him. Like he just takes plays off at times. Like at what year do we get playoff Boogie Cousins? Like, I mean, it's going to be, like, 10 years into his career? This is going to be, he's going to be like the Abdur Rahim of his generation,

the guy that just never gets for the playoffs. I don't know. Like his 12th or 13th year. Well, here's one of the things. You know, when he first came out, there was a lot of people that did the Zbo stuff and said, you know, I love him now, crazy talent. I really will love him in eight or ten years. And it's wild the way that played out, right? Because Zeebo's playoffs and playoff exploits weren't until eight or ten years, right?

He's a grown-up guy. You know, he's a totally different human being than he was. when he was young. And I wonder if that's the same kind of trajectory. Like we don't actually see big playoff moments from DeMarcus cousins until he's been in the league for a decade, you know? Certainly doesn't look like to get into the playoffs. Yeah, I think that's a good corollary.

Especially you look at the team Zeebo played with before he came to the Grizzlies. I mean, it was like a chaotic situation in New York. He went to the – I – yeah, I agree with you. Like if – When he was young – Around solid people, a solid team, let's see what happens. I don't know if we ever see that.

Yeah, because it was Zibo, right? When he was young, he got to play with that Portland team that was awesome. But then it turned into the jailblazers. You know, and then he plays for Isaiah Thomas' Knicks, and he plays for Mike Dunleavy's Clippers. I mean, he was on, like, some of the worst teams ever. Like, really worst teams ever. All right, so Boogie Cous was my last one, or my fourth one.

Your fifth one. Guys, you're super interested in this upcoming season. Not sure that Tate has. Joe L. M.B. Joe L. Mede. Joe L. Embed, my guy drinks two pictures of Shirley Temple Mix a day and is Hakeem Elijah Juan in the future. I am very excited about my guy, Joelle Embed. I'm excited about his social media presence.

I'm excited about his all-around ridiculous level of excited to watch him play along with two other centers that all are wondering why each of them are all on the same team together. I'm ready for this guy. I'd tell you this, those guys, like, they, um, when he was in town, I tried to get him on the podcast. That's true. I requested, hey, because of the ringer stuff, right? Like, y'all had done all that stuff. Yeah. And B, whatever.

Sarquest, you wouldn't believe, like, his media availability, he does not talk at shoot-around. He is only talking. Hey, this is the pre-season, Jason. They've only got him talking during pre-game, and that's it. and I don't know if it's because he would just talk no matter what. Like, I don't really get it, right? He's coming back after two years. I mean, come on, they win like eight games a year.

What? Like, it's not LeBron I'm trying to talk to here. But it was kind of odd. Like, you don't see a lot of restrictions on guys' media availability. And I don't know if that's because he's kind of goofy. I don't know if it's because, you know, he's just trying to get back in the flow of things. I don't know. But, I mean, the guy is obviously, like, totally.

hilarious. I wish I could have gotten it to work out. But he does very little, like media-wise. Like, even in the preseason, the season hasn't even started yet. Because that's why I thought we had a shot at him. Yeah, I wonder how much of that is just trying to know. People are just super guy that

when he was drafted, they were talking about being a revolutionary player. And obviously... His quotes could be amazing, right? Like, he is that... His coach will be absolutely... Yes. Like, his... his social media quotes are off the chain.

This is a guy who's like, you know, kicking it to Kim Kay. This guy's crazy. I love this guy. He was injured in doing that. I love to go out and beat. My last one is a guy you wrote about Dwight Howard. And you wrote for the banana boat for the NBA preview, you wrote about Dwight Howard and his last stand. Coincidentally, I got to see him in person last week.

He is, it's very jarring, A, to see him wearing number eight. It just looks weird. I don't know why, but I guess I'm just used to not seeing him wear number eight. But he wears number eight. He looked in crazy great shape. Like, unbelievable, yes. Now, he's never a guy that you, like, show up to. He always looks like he's cut out of granite.

But I just, I thought on first glimpse, he looked great in the game that I saw him. Again, who knows, it's preseason, but he was like really trying and he just looked to be in great shape to me. You wrote about this guy is a, I don't want to say pariah, but he's certainly an enigma. One of the things you mentioned in your article was, you know, it's obviously odd to have to, you talk about basketball wise and how is he a pick and roll guy? Is he a post-up guy? And you had all those different quotes about him. But also the idea that he went on TNT. This guy is one of the great players of the generation.

And basically he's got to go on TNT to try to make people like him again or like him at all. He's like rather unlikable, I think, to most NBA fans. So I am super intrigued on if he's still awesome, I guess, is the word. I don't know. He's not like superstar level. Like people, I will tell you, do not buy tickets to go see Dwight Howard anymore. They just don't. They used to buy tickets to go see Dwight Howard.

When Orlando would come, they'd say, I've got to go see him. he's not that level guy but can he still be one of the best centers and possibly players in the league what do you think

the thing that is it's not necessarily like don't throw it to Dwight in the post like when his home debut I forgot how many he scored like 11 of 15 or something in his home opener against the Cavaliers in the precinct and I think he only had like maybe two

postups and they were all just quick get the ball one dribble, do something. It's when you, like, have a lot of them, and it's, like, standing there and looking around, and the ball doesn't either go in the hoop right away or doesn't go back out to a shooter. And it's, you know, it's like his weird preoccupation with just being that 90s-style banger that just gets overridden what is really in a very effective player. Like, you know, he's just like, he was absolutely devastating in the pick and roll as

as a young player. He still is very good in the pick and roll as the young player. His post-ups are, like, reasonably okay, reasonably efficient. Like, I think it's just, like, just under, like, a point for possession. But he's just weird how divisive he is for how great he is. I think when you look at a guy who left a team at some point, you know, this is like the boogie thing. Only there's been four teams now, and it's so you've got to say it's got to be the guy.

It's just one of the most interesting players. And he's still good. Like, he's still an effective player. They need, the hawks need rebounding. But, you know, like, is he going to give up this preoccupation with wanting to just get in in the post all the time and, you know, plays a lot of pick and roll? So it's going to be really interesting to see how that develops. He has also pulled off nearly the impossible, which is the guy that smiles all the time

but people don't like. Yeah. It is hard to be a smiler. Like generally, like, most of the time you see him, the guy's smiling. yet people usually like guys that smile but I don't know can you think of anybody else that smiles all the time that people don't like well I mean part of it there's like there's like a there's a there's just a hint of disingenuousness with it oh you don't think he's legitimately smiling you don't think he's legitimately smiling I just think like no it's like there's a there's a

tension to him as a as a player and his like public personality that I think Part of it is like how confident, overconfident at times in the way he wants to play. And then he'll follow up statements like, oh, I need to dominate blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, with like whining about not getting the ball enough. And then he smiles in situations where it seems like weird that you would smile there. And, you know, it's just like there's, I wrote this in the piece. Like he combines confidence and insecurity in a way that's just kind of off-putting. It's strange. You know, it's like weird that, and he's just very, it seems like he's very, you can influence

him very easily. I mean, like, he really became crazed about, like, getting the ball in the low post after Shaq ripped him, like, when he went to the Lakers about him being a pick-and-roll guy. So, yeah, like, there's a, there's a lack of decisiveness. and I think that's the thing that is weird about him. Like there's another thing I wrote in the piece. It's like, you know, we see guys

who just jack up shots all the time and they want their shot, may jack it up, and they're bad shots. And people will complain about that, but at the same time, you know, like you're used, to that in a way

because that's just a guy who's like super confident. Whereas Dwight's game is reaction, he seems like he's reacting to this awareness that people perceive him in a certain way. And it's the same thing with the smiling.

where it's like, oh, this is how you be a star. This is how I'll be a celebrity. And it's just weird. You know, it's like off-putting. It's just straight. I was trying to jog my memory as you were talking about the whole smiling bit. You know who came to my mind? Anne Hathaway.

People kind of turned on her, too, right? She's always smiling and people kind of turned on her, right? Because when you said... Well, I'm here for... I ride for Henthali. When you said it was, like, disingenuous, like, I think... Listen, I like Anne-Hathaway, too. I got no problem with Anne-Hathaway.

but I'm saying like you know how like it kind of turned on her everybody loved her and then they didn't love her anymore and then it was kind of like I you know kind of came off fake right that she was smiling all the time I guess I don't know so what I'm trying to say is Dwight Howard's exactly there's like there's like a there's a half the way thing is a little different because I think there's like a option that celebs can put out like where they want it too much and it's too obvious that they want it too much like you win an award and it's like yes I've been dreaming about this my whole life and I knew that this would happen and that seems that That can be off-putting. Dwight is a slightly different figure in that he just, like, he just wants to be liked, and you can feel that from him. And it just makes people, like, it makes you recoil. Like, do you remember, like, the Rockets did this video where, you know, the mascot clutch, like, in balloon form was, like, in the bowels of the arena. And as the players walked by it, it would suddenly, there's, like, a guy in it.

And it would suddenly move. like scare them. And they did this to like several players. And then Dwight is the last guy. And it's so obvious that Dwight knew that this was going to happen. And he had like scripted exactly like how he was going to react like he had his phone in his hand. And he goes like, oh, and it throws it up in the air and like bibles for it and like does this kung fu. And it's like so obvious that he knew that this was going to happen. And it's just like, come on, bro. So you resent him for his clutch skit. Yeah.

I mean, it's just plays into, like, the public perception of him as a guy who's just, like, trying, he was so thirsty for to be perceived in a certain way that's just not, you know,

it's just not going to happen. All right. The five guys that we're super interested in for the upcoming season, I said, Jabari Parker, Gordon Hayward, Blake Griffin, Boogie Cousins, and Dwight Howard.

Your five were? Giannis, Devin Booker, Chris Stapps, Porzingis, my Lord and Savior, Carl Anthony Towns, Joe L.M.B. And last two questions, because there are so many that love your work on Twitter.com. Sure.

Who is the dog? Who is the old man? The dog is my dog. That's your dog. That's Milton. That's my dog. It's my actual dog, Corgi. He's a corgi. He sheds a lot. He's very bossy.

He's right now my wife's got him in the bedroom trying to keep him from barking because he understands that I'm doing something and he would like to interrupt it. What old man? On the banner. Oh, that's the maister of the Red Keep. You know, photoshopped him into a Knicks jacket because that combines my two of my brands, the Knicks and Game of Thrones. I gave up... You don't know. Come on. No, you got it.

I know. Oh, I'm about to get killed. I'm about to get killed. No, really, I am. Oh, I am. You got to catch up. You got to at least get through season three. Come on.

No, I, listen, I made it all the way to where the thing starts coming out of the lady's vagina or whatever. And I was like, all right, enough of this. That's a true story. I swear to you. That's true. That's true. What season is that? Is that three?

Season two? No. Season two, I believe, yeah. Yeah, it's season two. I mean, I made it three. I don't know. It's either the beginning of, maybe it's in the middle of two or it's the beginning of three. I was on vacation, this thing started like flying out of the lady's vagina and I was like, all right.

I don't know. Oh, maybe. Maybe I'll pick it back up. So forgive me for not knowing. At least I'm being honest, right? That scene was like a little bridge too far for me. I don't know. I didn't know what was going on.

Like, why is there something flying out of her vagina? I don't know. Yeah, it's magic, man. Magic. There's magic in the world. I'll pick it. You know what? I need to give it another chance.

I'll just make it through that scene. And then I'll figure out what that was going on. Yeah. He is at Network with a three instead of a O. Jason Concepcion, staff writer from The Ringer. Thanks to everybody for listening to our NBA show on The Ringer. Thanks, Jason. Thank you.

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