592: “It’s How You Play the Game” // HEAT vs Spurs

592: “It’s How You Play the Game” // HEAT vs Spurs

Miami Miami Miami Miami. [Music] [Music] Kyle, let me please explain. Okay. The last time I ran Stream Beat, [ __ ] was a lot different. They got all kinds of new [ __ ] in here. G keep G keeps popping in. I think he’s like panicking cuz he sees I don’t know what the [ __ ] I’m doing. Um they have a whole thing. You could just start it with an intro now. You don’t got to do it manually. Like what is happening again? What is happening right now? The music playing again. Like is this just going to happen every 15 seconds? I hope not. I don’t even understand. We did like a whole opening already and I was not live yet. Yeah, I’ll let it ride out. [Music] Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Miami Heat postgame show. I am your host Alons City aka Al 954. Welcome to the show. Heat lose, heat lose. But Kyle, this is preseason. It’s not about whether you win or lose. It’s about how you play the game. Am I right? I think so. I agree. I think tonight there was a lot of What is happening there? What is Why is this important? Hold on. I think I got it. I think I got it. There you go. Yeah. Listen, it’s preeason for everybody, Kyle. Everybody, including me. Jesus Christ, what is going on? Anyway, uh but yeah, man, like like I said, it’s how you play the game. There was tonight out of all the preseason games, I felt like tonight had the most things to talk about. Tonight was the most exciting whe when it comes to like, okay, these are things that we can look at as indicators for the future, for the season. Whether like Spo actually does these things or not, that’s a whole another story, right? We we’ve been through this every postseason. Last year it was turnovers leading to fast break points and that’s how they were going to play the game and that [ __ ] never happened all season long, right? Um this year it’s all about pace, right? Uh they’re shooting within the first 10 seconds of the shot clock and I’m watching it, Kyle. I see it. It’s happening. Will it translate to the regular season is a whole other thing. But I don’t want to, you know, I don’t want to start off the show on like a negative thing because I’ve been w hugely negative about the season. Um, I want to kind of focus on the positive. Um, and I want that’s where I want to start. I want to start with the young with the young kids because I think that’s where I think that’s the story of this game, right? Do you agree or No, I do. I do. And I think if I had to pinpoint I guess if it’s okay with you, we can work backwards. I’ll start with Haime. Uh, his ability to to play with the ball in his hands is something that we talked about last pod. Uh, and just being able to be comfortable making decisions with the ball. Now, you and I have talked about him spinning to nowhere. Tonight, he spinned in the spots and was decisive, which I think is the next step. If you’re going to spin, spin to where you’re going to, you know, have an advantage and get points. Uh, his defense was pretty decent. I still think he could be better perimeter defense-wise. Um, but overall, really, they’re trying to get him on ball reps because I assume they intend for him to lead the second unit in in sharing ball handling duties. So, the points were good. His energy was good. I thought his intent his intentionality was good as well. I mean, there was a couple of plays where I was like, “Ah, hi.” But for the most part, he played within his game. Um, didn’t take a lot of crazy shots or things that are outside of his wheelhouse. I do want to see him take the the the three a little bit more because of course, uh, because he plays to drive, you’re you’re going to need to have a way to open up the floor for yourself. So hopefully he’s able to spread the floor uh for them over time. Yeah. And so I like that you started with Haime cuz honestly I’m wearing the the Superman shirt because I’ve been hard on Kell like Spo. Okay. But I had it rep for the Kryptonian tonight. All right. For the audio audience, I’m wearing a Superman shirt. Actually way too goddamn small. Uh everyone’s been asking if I’m lifting. No, my shirt’s too small. Um and I have been lifting but it’s accentuated by the tiny shirt that I’m wearing. um wore the shirt in fifth grade. Anyway, um but yeah, Haimeme has been to me like outside of there’s a lot of stuff going on with this team right now, but I’ve been encouraged by Haime’s play outside of like second half last game where he was throwing the ball away, but [ __ ] everybody was throwing the ball away. Like nobody had any idea what they were doing with the ball. So like for me, Haime’s minutes have just been like high energy, hugely impactful. um like he has been secure with the ball outside of that half last game. I feel um he’s made really good decisions tonight. There’s a few times he held the ball a little bit too long, right? Um where he’s kind of negating the whole pace thing they’re trying to do. Um but for the most part, I feel like he’s been very very strong. Uh he’s been like his minutes, like I said, have been hugely positive. The defense to me, Kyle, and you said the perimeter defense is a little bit lacking, and it is, but to me, it’s the energy. It’s the It’s the effort. It’s the ability to recover after a mistake. Um it reminds me of when people thought like Josh Richardson was a good defender, but he wasn’t. He just he he had the athleticism to make up for mistakes and gamles. Uh Haime doesn’t gamble as much, but he does get beat, but he’s able to he’s able to recover because of his athleticism. And we saw a lot of that tonight, right? And uh I think in this particular year, and I said it to Frankie, I think it in order for him to act to get an extension. Pat says, “Al’s been lifting and Kyle’s lighting has gotten better.” Great start to the season. We’ll see when the season actually starts. Kyle going to do himself no favors, by the way. Kyle, your black ass is in a black shirt with a black background. That lighting is putting in so much goddamn work, man. Man, I moved and everything. But the point of the matter is I I You got the Lord of the Rings light. That’s what you got. You need that light to work. God damn. But I I do think that’s the thing. I’m sorry. his connection to getting another contract is his ability to make better decisions with the ball, his effort on the defensive end. Uh he is 67. You want him to play with with that with a type of force. And so um I think it’s important I think it’s important for him to continue to kind of connect. Oh my god. I’m not saying you’re trying to be a dark alley for Halloween. I’m not even saying that next one. Um but but uh I do think that that’s the the important thing about connect this season for him is important in making a decision whether he’s going to be here in long term or if he’s going to be somewhere else. And so putting the ball in his hands is is really what they’re trying to do with the preseason and get him comfortable with that. And listen, go ahead. I’m sorry. I was going to say to I was going to work I was going to go to wear last, but I think we should put him in the middle because he had the most impact. Yeah. Listen, I’m glad you started with with Haime because I wanted to kind of because I haven’t been on any postgame shows. I did want to talk about how I’ve liked a lot of Himemes’s minutes and everything like that, but we buried the lead. Okay. Tonight was about Koware. Tonight was about Kellwware for a couple reasons, right? Because we have seen Spo uncharacteristically, in my opinion, go dead ass after man’s in press conferences, right? like he is he’s going at him and he’s challenging him publicly which to me has been really really interesting because I really I feel like I haven’t seen this since Hassan Whiteside and it took a while to get here with Assan like they were fed up by the time they were they were calling him out publicly. This is very early in this young man’s career and honestly listen deservedly so because we we all see the talent but we also kind of see is this guy a headc case? like why is there just sometimes we feel like he’s just not even giving any effort tonight? I I mean and then he’ll fill up the stat sheet, but like Spo has said and I agreed with Spo sometimes some of those stats just aren’t impactful. Tonight we just saw impact after impact whether it be defensively on on Weyama who he gets up for which is a problem Kyle which is part of the problem. He he gets up for WBY and you see what you see the type of performance he puts on. He hit the Ray Allen game 6-3 today. Backpedaling from the corner like he the skills are out are amazing. They jump off the the TV screen defensively. He and not even the blocks. He changed so many shots on the on the inside tonight. He recovered. He he did all the things you wanted to do. He got up for this game. He answered the call. But Kyle, first talk about just the performance and then also do you see an issue with the fact that he needed to get called out in the preeason to bring this kind of effort? Well, I think what Spo is doing and I at first I was a little annoyed with it because I was like, man, you you cooking this man, you know, it’s year two, you know, that’s the year that’s either make or break as far as like are they going to take a a a considerable leap or are they going to take a step back? We saw Jaime just as an instance take a step back his second season. Um this season we’re looking for him to to to recover and kind of reestablish himself. So with wear I think one of the interesting things about that is one he was his activity level was high which is I think what really what you’re what you’re pointing to is waking up for WBY shouldn’t be what gets you going. It should be I want to win this game. I want to impact winning, which is what I think also is what Spo is pointing towards. You need to impact winning more than you want to add stats. The stats are going to come if you’re impacting winning, if you’re playing the right way. So, defensive rebounding was was good for him. The the scoring in versatile ways was good for him. I still think that the offense has some wrinkles um as far as his ability to to get to the basket, his postgame, some of that other stuff. But his touch is one of the things that makes him really considerably uh talented around the rim. And then his finishing um it he adds vertical spacing for for the Heat when when he’s on the floor. Um it is a difference in and I’m not comparing them. I just think it’s a different style of play. Players are looking for wear on lobs. They don’t necessarily look for Bam on lobs. It’s it’s a difference in approach. Not sure what that is as far as our guards, but he typically see is is seeming like he’s a But you know what? I don’t know if it’s the guards or if it’s and we’ll get to BAM in a minute. I don’t know if it’s the guards. I’m tired of blaming the guards cuz everybody throwing lobs to where Kashad Johnson’s catching lobs. Haime Hake is catching lobs. Yoic is cooic is throwing lobs to people like so anyway. So, I I don’t I don’t know if this is the approach of the guards at this point. I’m starting to it’s but we’ll get to Bam in a minute. Um, and you know, as you’re talking about throwing lobs, the next guy I want to talk about a little bit and like listen, we we’ll we’ll continue to talk about talk about where because just the a answering the call to me is huge. I’d rather you not have to get called out. Like, no one’s ever had a call out bam for his effort, right? Um, now like you know the the skill things that go on and there’s there’s other things that happen, but nobody’s ever said, “Bam, he’s not even trying.” Um, so like I I I always worry about a guy when you have to when you have to publicly call him out to get that kind of effort. But but let’s like let’s let this man have his day. I’m wearing the Superman shirt. Shout out to the Kryptonian. He had an amazing game. Another guy that I’ve been extremely hard on as I was Casper the friendly European. Um he like did in to me the summer I saw nothing special. Right. Uh the turnovers were killing me, right? Second of all, he could not get by anybody all summer. He got stonewalled by dudes that they just picked up off the rucker. Like he was not getting by anybody without a screen. It was to me it was almost embarrassing as a as a you know damn near lottery pick like you should be able to show out in the summer league get by some of these guys and you know show yourself as a level above the rest. He did not do that. Tonight in that second quarter I counted three or four times where he no screen there were no screen there was no screening action for him almost the entire game and he was getting by guys driving and kicking making amazing decisions with the ball. Yeah, right. At one point it was nine nine assists, uh, one turnover, and that one turnover was over was on a broken play. He had that turnover at the end of the game, which is a little bit maddening, like it was a really bad turnover. Um, but for the most part, the guy played lights out. Like, it was just it was like a masterclass in decision-m. He made Wear look amazing. I’d love to see Casper a little bit with Bam. Um, maybe I could get Bam’s lob game going because Bam used to have a lob game. I don’t know what happened to it. The athleticism is still there, but anyway. um your opinion on Casper and listen this was his first game out of the sample size of of him on NB on an NBA court. This was kind of an outlier a little bit um because the turnovers are so low but does this translate into the regular season? Are we going to see a lot of him running that second unit? Well, I I hope that he plays with the second unit that you want him to get the reps. Uh, I think also one of the things that I noticed most is his pace. Uh, him making good decisions with the ball, bringing the ball up the floor, taking responsibility of coming to get the ball. And some of what was most impressive to me was his defensive activity. That first play in um that first play in, he he got the steal and and created for for for for Kashad. like there are there’s so many plays where I could point where it was a effort a lot of effort play and so I think one of the things that I’m I’m I’m excited about is to see if the playmaking chops works against more intense defensive activity. Uh obviously he’s going to be playing in the second unit. So I’m not expecting him to do anything starting wise yet for a while but in the minutes that he does play being able to control pace for that second unit create shots for other people. his shot dropped. Um the the the three-point was something that we talked about, we were concerned about, didn’t see a lot of it. He had that one game during the summer league where he got really hot and that worked. Uh but his if he’s able, in my opinion, to be a defensive playmaker, that’s what this team needs at his size. That’s what they need. And so to me, it’s it’s good growth. It’s a preseason, so you you you’re you’re you’re not gonna you’re not going to have insane expectations from this game, but you give the man his flowers, especially because a lot of us have been so hard on him because of the lackluster the lackluster summer league. Like, come on. Anybody who’s seen me on the timeline this summer, I I was not happy with the pick at all to I was cooking for I still like now I feel bad because I never learned how to say his name because I didn’t expect you. I thought he’s honestly and I still think he might spend a good amount of time in the G-League, but if he can continue, I mean, if he can show this kind of decision-m at the NBA level, like hopefully his G-League stints are, you know, aren’t like weeks and months and months. Um, I mean, he did this against NBA players tonight and he was just he played within himself. He didn’t try to do too much and he was just looking to set up other guys, which this team needs because now let’s transition. Well, before we get there, let’s let’s stay on the young guys in the second unit because there’s another guy that we talked about a little bit before we went live. Um, and it’s it it pains me to say it because I have been I have been screaming for size and athleticism on this team. Like, you know this Kyle, we’re in the group chats. I I I’m like, we need size. We need youth. We need athleticism. Kashad Johnson’s to to me to this point has not proven that he’s an NBA player. His decision making is putri. His passing every time he when he handles the ball if he is not rim running flying through the air I don’t trust anything he’s about to do defensively like he has a lot of effort but he gets scored on a lot. Kell Johnson was kicking. He’s like, “No, I’m KJ.” Like, he was whooping his ass tonight. And it wasn’t just Kell Johnson, like everybody. It was just like, but and it feels weird cuz he put so much effort like out there, right? And it’s like, especially defensively, I’m like, why can’t you stop anybody? And then offensively, my god, every time he passes the ball, I’m like, yo, maybe are you paired up with Andrew Wiggins in practice? Like, what is happening? And every time Yeah, I’m not honestly. And I’m not talking about [ __ ] Andrew Wiggins tonight. I will I refuse. It’s preseason. You ain’t gonna get my goddamn blood pressure up. Like, no, it’s not happening. But anyway, Kashad Johnson is in going to the school of Andrew Wiggins ball handling and passing. I am out on Kashad Johnson. Where are you on on him? And you know this, we we actually on air last season like I was like, man, give Kashad some minutes. I I’m not mad at the minutes per se. I’m mad at like what he does with the minutes sometimes. And I think really what you’re another thing you’re pointing at, he cannot dribble the ball. He cannot handle the ball. In fact, not only can he not handle the ball, the reason it’s so difficult is he’s a he’s he’s a he’s the law of extremes here. Either he’s flying down the court with the ball and it’s really not handling. he just has space to or it’s the other way around. He’s turning the ball over and so there’s no pace. He doesn’t have any wiggle to his game. He doesn’t have the ability to create space or anything like that. And so I’m like, man, for all the physicals that he has at 65, I mean, that dude could play football the way he’s built if we’re being honest here, it just doesn’t translate to anything positive totally on the floor. And so we we have the athleticism without the the the results. And that that’s that’s seemingly a problem. You know, it’s it’s this it’s the Jarnell Stokes rule. Okay. These tweener bigs who dominate the post in GLeague. They don’t translate. First of all, there’s no postplay in the NBA. Okay. Unless Joic. Unless you’re Yeah. Unless you’re Jokic. And you gonna post up Jokic? Like what are you doing? Yeah. Yeah. So there’s no post play like they these guys these 67 these 66 67 tweener power 40 guys who can’t shoot that UD baseline jumper uh who can’t stretch the floor from three like I know he tries uh he’s not a good three-point shooter. Um, I just they don’t translate. And this is just another line in the Jonte Matens and the and the Jarnell Stokes of the world that beast in the paint in GLeague and rim run and fly and do crazy dunks and do all this other stuff and then when they get to the league they can’t do anything. So, I don’t want to spend a bunch of time on Kash Johnson bashing the kid. Um, I just I don’t see an NBA player there. Um, and I think once we get to the regular season, he’s going to be completely out of the rotation. We got a lot of guys missing right now and I I like that Spo’s running him out there. Um, and honestly, I do want to see Spo take a lot of chances with young players this season, but he’s not one of them. Um, I just don’t think I just don’t think there’s a future there. And the team, you know, and I I said this Frankie the other night. I’m sorry. This this comment kills me. I know a Derrick Williams when I see my literally the perfect comp. The I the like and he’s not even as good as Dererick Williams. So, like the perfect comp like that. Oh my god, that just that set me. I I think Go ahead. I think my my my my biggest issue is first off, this team is actually if you just look at the roster, the team is um dep has depth this season. Like there there are guys you can play way ahead of the guys that are playing during the preseason. And so you’re not going to see any minutes, especially if they can’t do it in the preseason. The whole point of the present is to showcase if you can contribute anything to the regular season. Now, we both know we both know that Spo’s going to look at this completely different. Yeah. His effort. Oh, he plays with effort and and and he’s physical and he’s got the athleticism and that’s going to be the talking point. I don’t want to spend too much time on Kash either, but that’s likely what’s going to get him minutes. But I don’t think those minutes are going to come in I don’t think he’s going to average like any anywhere between 10 to 20. like I think spend a lot of time in the G-League again. I I don’t I don’t I just don’t see him getting a lot of men. So, okay, let’s get uh because I I don’t want to I don’t want to spend too much time on a preseason game. Um I the thing is I was just excited like I I mean like Kel Wear thoroughly outplayed Victor Wmanyama tonight. They g like listen between Bam and Kell and even Yoic at times tonight they gave him they gave WBY a ton of issues. Kell is like perfectly suited to to to to wear on WBY. And then honestly, WBY can’t do a lot of things with Bam’s strength because what Bam just doesn’t let him get to spots and let him do what he wants to do. I think a lot of guys just don’t know what to do with the length and the size and kind of they they retreat a little bit. It’s almost like when I watch Bam defend We Wy, he does a UD to dirt thing where he just like stays in his kitchen and there’s no It’s just a bunch of gaggly like trying to get comfortable without without any um without any effect. Um but let’s get to the starters. Um like I said, I’m not talking about Andrew Wings. I refuse. I refuse. I refuse to get upset during a preseason. There’s no ranting. I’m not going to play no rant music. Like I’m not doing it with I’m not doing this [ __ ] with Andrew Wiggins. Like listen Lakers if you want him like Dalton connect and a poo poo platter like just just something like one first round pick and whatever like throw in an equipment manager I don’t give a [ __ ] but anyway um the starters I want first because I want us to keep talking about the youth Yoic is the starters are a mess. Okay, the starting unit is a mess. So let’s let’s start with the two young guys in the starting unit. Yoic and Drew Smith. There’s like to me it’s like a paradox. I feel very good when Yoic has the ball. I feel very very bad when Drew Smith has the ball. Um I like and I I listen I like Drew too. I’ve made a lot of accusations of why he’s on the team. There’s a there’s a there’s a resemblance to Coach Bo. That’s all I’m going to say. You do the math. Which Bo was hanging out in the video room. You never know what happened. Now there’s a little dude that looks like a little mix bow coming up. Just stop right there. I need to play the reckless speculation sound from Leard show. Um but Drew Smith has done nothing to impress me. Um he’s the shooting whatever. But like and honestly I do want to end on the shooting with this team. There’s nobody to fear from three outside of Norm Powell. Um, but Drew Smith versus Nicole Yoic when they have the ball. Nicole Yoic has been some of the passes he’s made in this preseason. Like I am super excited to see Yoic uh going forward. And I think I I what I loved is his passes from the post. Um, and he’s had a couple of of the skip pass. Who was that to? Oh, uh, I can’t remember. Was it Pella? I think it might have Norm or Pella. Yeah, that was it. It might have been to Drew, actually. It was Drew for the three. Yes. Oh my god. I didn’t know how that ball got there. It was one of the best passes I’ve seen all previous. That’s what’s interesting to me. And I’m not trying to pit them against each other verbally here, but I was just thinking about like Yoic posted up, he spun once, and the next spin was to find somebody. He already I like I could tell the light bulb went off. Wherever I’m going with the ball here, someone’s open cuz I see somebody showing. And when he swung the ball, I said, man, he swung to a spot, which is different than Haimeme, who spins to spin still a little bit. And I I wish that they would have the similar mindset. And if I’m going to spin again, I’m looking to see who’s open, especially on the post up. And so Nico has been impressive with with the passes, impressive with the pace. He again, he’s talked about wanting to play faster. He it’s he’s quoted on it. And that a part of that is is getting the spots faster, finding guys faster. Some of these pocket passes he had to ban throughout the throughout the night, which we’ll get to Bam. Um, but I think that’s just one of the things in his growth. The playmaking at his size is something that I think will make versatile lineups for Spo uh in the long term. So, what what I really like is when he grabs the ball off the rim, like when he’s got the defensive rebound, I feel great about the upcoming possession. Like, I just when he pushes that pace or when I I like what I do like about the starting unit is that anybody who gets a rebound’s pushing. Um, and we’ve seen a lot of that except like that’s why I didn’t like Drew Smith in that unit. Um, because Haime was doing it. Haime was rebounding. Great. I see it. Yeah. like um but when when when uh with Drew Smith, it just didn’t make a lot of sense. Um and I I don’t know how Tyler’s going to work in that, but we’ll get we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But yeah, Yoic grabbing the ball off the rim and pushing the pace. Um just just like I Karate said the other day, there’s some points where he does too much passing. Um you’re 610 with speed and athleticism. put your shoulder into somebody on that break and just put it in and he and the next play he did it and you just saw you saw what he could be and what he could really so it like to me has just been like a re like we we’ve always known it but like it’s just been a revelation this year when he has the ball in his hand Tyler’s not there Jimmy’s not there is proven like okay he’s a guy you can trust with the ball in his hands unlike Andrew unlike Andrew Wiggins but I’m not going to talk about him Kyle I promise I’m which I we gonna let and we’re going to let Andrew chill for a night. But I think what what’s and Norm talked about it being able to do what he does at that size is impressive. it’s warranted because he’s an NBA player, but his growth and the aspect of what they’re seeing from his potential and having a larger playmaker on the floor, it allows for the coach to do a lot of things both offensively and defensively because I thought he was he was respectable defensively. Now, does he have a bad a little bit of a bad whistle? Yeah, he doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt with some of the plays, but he does use his size well and he does defend with effort, which is again that that eword is probably going to float around this whole season. Yeah. I mean, there’s going to be a lot of effort stuff and I think because I think when you’re looking at guys like Andrew Wiggins and KL Wear, like guys with the all the talent in the world and sometimes you just don’t understand how they disappear for games at a time. That’s I’m not You see, you almost did it. You almost goed me into talking about Andrew Wiggins. I’m not doing it. Not gonna get my pressure up on this lovely Wednesday. It’s a Wednesday, right? Lovely Wednesday. Not doing it. Too many good things are happening in my life right now for Andrew Wiggins to ruin it. Now, um, Bam pissed me off. No, no, but I don’t I end on Bam. Next thing I want to talk about is Norm Powell because I have a prediction for Norm Powell. Norm Powell is going to have a career year. I agree. Norm Powell is going to put up numbers. And honestly, it’s going to be a little bit of a looter in a riot. Okay? Because, and I’m not, this is no shade to Norm. Norm looks around and knows, I got to score the goddamn ball. Like, somebody’s got to shoot this thing. Somebody’s got to get to the rim. I love the rim pressure, by the way. Like, he’s attacking. Like, he’s not just settling for a lot of threes. Somebody’s got to push put pressure on the rim because we do have a super athletic small forward that just doesn’t We have a super athletic center who just I like to shoot jump shots. Um, so Norm’s Norm’s rim pressure has been phenomenal. The efficiency is not going to be there because he has to shoot a lot and and it’s like some of that Tyler Hero conundrum. U, it’s like and you want to get mad at Tyler for shooting too much, but like then who who else is going to shoot? Nobody. But like, so I think I think Norm’s going to have a career year here. Um, I just don’t think it’s gonna I don’t right now think it’s going to lead to a lot of winning. Well, I could see I can absolutely see him averaging 25. Oh, easy. Easily, easy. And somebody has to because Spo is going to coach the hell out of finding him in his spots. I mean, there were a couple of plays tonight where he scored oversized, which is just a veteran thing. He’s he’s a vet among a a pretty young team and so such a smart player right offens plays I mean even tonight which was funny he uh I know we’re not talking about Wiggins but he literally goes to Wiggins and and is like let’s get our heads in this like he points like hey like they’re going to call stuff or we going to control what we can control man that free that that universal healthc care makes him soft bro I don’t care listen I said it said I think I think what one of the biggest things you ain’t got you a you ain’t had to get your damn co-ay out the mud. Oh man, you soft you. You could just go to the emergency room. You ain’t built like us. Oh man. Well, I I I will say this. I think Norm’s biggest like impact will be co-aptaining it. It won’t be loud to everyone else, but co- captaining with Bam and kind of corraling aside from DaVon, who I think has experience. Um, but for the most part, he’s going to have an impact on the players on what he sees on the floor. He’s played in big games. He’s played with with with players who are all star. And uh, last postseason, he was impressive. He just had like games where I was like, who the hell is what does Norman Pal think he is? So with this team, his role is he’s the oldest on the team. And so you’re you’re you’re going to get kind of that h man, what year was that? Was it 16? Where it was Wade came back and it was like Hassan, Lu Al Deng, um just some of these like the team was youngish, but it wasn’t guys that we you would totally invest your total time in. Wade had impressive games throughout the the postseason. That’s kind of what we’re going to get from Norm this season. Now, do I think it’s going to end up in a ton of wins and some kind of long lengthy playoff run? No, I don’t think so. But I do think his impact is going to get him a bag. Listen, Norm Powell is going to make a lot of money this season. He I I really And honestly, deservedly so because and I don’t think he’s going to do it because he’s a selfish player, whatnot. I just think he’s gonna look around and say somebody got to do it. Uh because Andrew Wigan’s gonna be off in the corner sipping maple syrup. Um doing nothing. Sipping maple syrup. It’s crazy. Um but I I think that’s the the point is they brought him in because they they’re eating poutine. Oh my goodness. You’re you’re killing them. Um I think that’s but I think that his whole impact is is is being in him a good influence on on the young guys that are on this team and kind of giving them the game. Um he’s played he’s he’s 32 years old so there’s a lot of game a lot of miles. Um he’s played a lot of big minutes and so the whole point for him being here is to be the vet a good vet you know and and help Bam out kind of lead this I think he’s going to I think he’s going to be excellent. Um, I just don’t I don’t see so here’s and I’m what I don’t see is how and we’re gonna talk about Bam now. I don’t see how his game helps Bam. And there’s a lot of what so now what I see his game like ballooning into is like with that that transition from where he was a when on the Clippers where he had to be a big-time scorer the first half of last season. He’s coming is he’s doing it again. That’s why he was almost an all-star last year. Um, that game that he’s playing, he has he has more of a a three-point shooting touch and prowess than Jimmy did, but he still operates free throw line extended and under a lot putting pressure on that rim. And I’m not to say it it can’t be complimentary to Bam, but it’s not helpful to Bam. Do you see what the the distinction I’m making? Yes. So now he’s not going to elevate Bam’s game. I honestly outside of Casper somehow developing to the point where he’s a starting point guard for this team, I feel like he could help he could help Bam, but right now Bam has to help himself. Okay. And I am telling I know it’s just preseason, but unless Bam is is hitting some fadeaway jump shot or getting to the free throw line, nothing’s happening for dude. I don’t get it. I don’t know if his hands got smaller in the offse. Every time I watch him, he’s flailing on some James Harden [ __ ] to get a foul call or just losing the ball in the paint just like it is maddening. And I and I like as always as always I love the defense. I love the defense, right? Like tonight made WMBB’s life hell like we were talking about earlier just doing all the things Bam does defensively. But my god, on offense, like you watch all even Kashad Johnson’s getting dunks. Like you watch all these other guys find little seams in the defense and get to a spot to make an easy pass for a guy like Yoic. Bam is not doing any of that. He’s just sitting in the at the nail and sitting at all these different places where he’s just not effective. And I Kyle, I want you to count this season the amount of times that Bam hits a shot off the backboard. And I’m not talking about a bank shot from free throw like I’m talking about in the paint up and under, you know, something off the glass that like what Norm did 15 times tonight. Count how many times you see Bam do some [ __ ] like that. I don’t know what’s going on with Bro, but like he’s just he it’s there’s nothing in the paint. There’s nothing at the rim. I don’t know what’s going on right now. And I’m and my problem maybe is his offensive game is not simplified. It hasn’t like I’m not trying to make any excuses, but I think he’s not scaling his game down to the fundamentals. I’m a post up. I’m going to get a shot off here. A little bank shot. Uh I’m a post up. I know I can float the ball. I’m gonna put a floater up. I’m going to take the the shot the shot from the free throw down when I have it. I’m not gonna pump fake into it. I’m gonna shoot straight to it. If I get contact, I’m going to the line. Those are the things that you can in the first quarter, I’m going to establish that I’m going to be physical. So, I’m going to get to the basket. Uh I don’t need to dribble the air out of the ball. I’m not going to need to DHO. They need me to get a bucket. I’m I can beat this center off the dribble. Let me get to the cup. Second quarter. Okay, well that worked. Now I’m gonna post up because now I’ve established I’m gonna be physical. I just need to put something off the glass softly off the glass. If I can flake shoot a floater, I could definitely shoot a damn bank shot. It should make sense. Third quarter and fourth quarter. You if you if they if you feel like they’re playing it tough and now they’ve played zone, okay, now you have a rhythm going because you’ve been taking shots. So now you’re taking the mid-range and and from there fourth quarter now, okay, well now I’ve made a couple of mid-range shots. Now the three is available to me because they’re playing me tough from the free throw line down. That’s a simple game plan for him every night. For whatever reason, it’s not. Now granted, it’s preseason. It’s preseason, but this is not a this is a microcosm of a problem that we’ve had with his ability to get to his offensive game. Yeah, this is this is not this is not just this year. What what what we’re what we’re seeing is it’s exacerbated. I think it’s exacerbated by not having not having a Duncan Robinson, not having a Max Truce, not having these guys who are threats from the perimeter. And this is when I wanted to talk about three-point shooting. There are no there’s nobody on this team that anyone’s terrified from three. No. Right. So, we have this offense where we’re trying to shoot within the first 10 seconds. Right? Here’s the problem. If there’s nothing in that first 10 seconds, now we’re down to Norm Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Bam out of bio, ISO ball and none of it’s outside of Norm and like and but none of it’s good for the offense. Right. Right. None of these once those guys get any of those guys get the ball with 13 seconds left on the shot clock, including Haime, they ain’t passing it. So now the offense completely bogs down. everyone standing still and now Bam is trying to create for himself or Andrew Wiggins trying to create for himself. There’s no Duncan zooming around the perimeter or a Max Struce or any of these guys that are just like trying to get open and that everyone’s terrified. So now the defense is just set and locked in and they’re digging at an Andrew Wiggins. You know what happens when you dig at Andrew Wiggins trying to ISO score? He throws the ball away. He does. He just dribbles off his goddamn forehand. Which I think what for me I think the problem is a lack of decisiveness because now we’re talking about decisiveness again. You you have but it’s not but is it decisiveness or is it personnel cuz they’re trying to get to that first 10 seconds but it’s not it’s not always possible. Like it’s not always possible to get a shot up by by 14 on the shot clock. Right. We love it when it does happen, but now when it bogs down, you don’t h you don’t have a Jimmy Butler. You don’t have because remember even Jimmy would go ISO, but he was still he had his eyes up and looking to find these guys these guys aren’t gonna aren’t looking at all. So I think between now and when the season starts, one of the biggest aspects that has to be addressed is if it if you don’t find it within those amount of seconds, pop the ball needs to pop and players need to pop. But they don’t they don’t have poppers. Have to do that. They don’t have to move without the So Pella should not be leading the team in cuts. And I do like some of Norm’s cuts. Norm’s been trying. But if if Yic doesn’t have the ball in his hand, it doesn’t matter if Norm’s cutting. The rest of these guys ain’t gonna find him. They got to move without the ball. And like one of the things if I was spo and we we this is preseason game, so we won’t talk too much longer. We won’t talk you guys’ ears off too much longer. If I would simply just have them watch Steph run around. Oh, it sounds crazy. It sounds They got it. They ain’t got it. Andrew Wiggins is not doing it. You got to move it out the ball. That’s how you create advantages for your team. But but Norm has never been that guy. Drew Smith can run three laps around the court. Nobody’s going to give a [ __ ] Like nobody’s going to care that Drew Smith is running in circles, right? Like that’s the problem. Like they they and and I’m I’m one of these people that said they long no longer have the luxury of a specialist like a Duncan Robinson. Hopefully Tyler Hero does play tonight. I mean, obviously he’s not a full replacement, but what I’m saying is like some of the [ __ ] if you if you bring up Simone Fonteo on a podcast I’m hosting, that man is that man is dead to me. I don’t I don’t ever want to hear his [ __ ] name. Like people were like, “Oh, they don’t need Duncan. They got Simone Fonteo.” Like, are you kidding me? Like, stop. Stop. Stop it. Font. That’s all I’ll say. Defensively, he’s better. That’s the only thing I give you an edge on. Simone Fonte. This is how we’re going to end the damn show on you’ve you I told you I didn’t want to get upset on a preseason game. I somehow avoided Andrew Wiggins like supreme slander. Andrew Wiggins, by the way, a team low minus 17 tonight. Three for 10 with uh three for 10. He took 10 shots. Yeah, exactly. You don’t remember a single [ __ ] one of them. Okay. Uh one assist, two turnovers, just eight points. just a masterclass of being completely ineffective. I love how Spo will call out Ko Wear for non-impact minutes and and then not call out Wiggins for a non-impact career. Okay? Like, can we please like level set some of this stuff? But anyway, thank you guys for tuning in. We had a great uh great crowd tonight. Like, I mean, nice audience. Thank you guys for tuning in on a preseason game. Um, I think a lot of people were excited about Colar. Um, a lot of people were excited about Casper. Like that’s the future of this team. Like, let’s just hope, let’s just hope this season, what’s that? And Nico. And Nico. Let’s hope the season is more about those guys and a lot less about Andrew Wiggins. And hopefully Bam gets his balls back. All right guys, thank you very much for tuning in. We will see you. When’s the next game, Kyle? You got it? Uh, I do have it. It is. I had it. Oh boy. We are playing. Whoa. We don’t play for a minute. I’m going to the Hawks game. Is it the Hawks game? Sunday. Magic. I’m going to the Hawks game on Monday. So, it would be Magic. We I’ll be reporting live from uh Trey Young’s Ball Spot. Wow. Wow.

Alphonse Sidney and Kyle Scarlett discuss the HEAT’s loss to the Spurs

• The Kids are okay.
• Ware answers the call
• Kasparas shines in his debut
• Alf refuses to discuss Andrew Wiggins

and more!