Purple Pants Podcast | Draft 24

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[00:00:36] Oh and buy one of these too! Spandau-Academy.de Purple Pants Podcast What's going on and welcome to this week's Purple Pants Podcast Play by Play Episode 402 Draft 24.

[00:01:17] I serve as your humble and also gracious host, Bryce Isaiah, and I thank you so much for tuning in to this week's Play by Play.

[00:01:26] If you could be so kind to ensure you are subscribed to the Purple Pants Podcast, we are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you can find the Purple Pants Podcast 08s for you to subscribe and write a review.

[00:01:41] As always with your Play by Play coverage, you can watch this audio podcast on video. Head over to the Bryce Isaiah YouTube channel, click subscribe, give this video a thumbs up and let us know in the comments what you think about our picks.

[00:01:56] I'm so excited to be back this week with my baby boy Jack Atkins. You may remember him from the Circle Season 2 or of course Survivor News. Jack and I are back this week.

[00:02:09] The NBA Draft just happened last week and Jack and I are here to cover it for you. We are giving you each our five rookies that were drafted and telling you a little bit about them and why they are our picks.

[00:02:22] So we've got 10 rookies for you and I mean listen, there's some drama going on, okay? Some people wasn't invited to the green room, some people's girlfriend, some other players are just straight amazing. So listen, let's get into this week's Play by Play. What's going on?

[00:02:55] What is going on? We are back with another Purple Pants Play by Play covering the NBA Draft 24. I'm joined by the baby boy who wasn't drafted. He ain't make the G League and I'm not sure if he was on the Summer League,

[00:03:11] but you definitely seen him on the Circle Season 2. Jack Atkins was popping. Cut a lot of unnecessary slander. I still got my eyes on the league. I got a game tonight so maybe the Swiss Cowboys will be there but it's going to be back.

[00:03:28] We had so much fun covering the WNBA last episode. We had to get together and cover the NBA and the draft, which is one of my favorite parts of the whole season. So I'm excited Bryce. Yeah, me as well.

[00:03:42] Before even the Purple Pants Play by Play was a thing. I think you remember maybe starting like five years ago when the draft would come out, I would always like to my stories, I would give like the Bryce Isaiah picks of the rookies that you know,

[00:03:58] I, you know, lust over or you know that I'm excited to see. But the draft hasn't been as exciting to me from four years ago since you know, Mellow got drafted and I've just been rocking out with my guy Mellow on the Charlotte Hornets.

[00:04:12] Shout out to my Charlotte Hornets hats. But yeah, I'm super excited for our draft picks. We're supposed to do this before the draft, but you know life was life in so Jack and I are here this week. Will you explain this process, Jack?

[00:04:26] Yeah, well, so I guess we were thinking about doing it before the draft, but also I don't think it's a, it might work even better to do it after the draft now that you know everyone's found a home.

[00:04:37] There's different storylines that develop during the draft people get picked earlier than you might think people slip for different reasons. And now the summer league started yesterday too. So there's, we were starting to see this talent, you know, really on display.

[00:04:51] So I think it's nice. There's more stories that have started to develop. I feel like then if we had covered this two weeks ago. Absolutely. So Jack has picked five rookies. I have picked five rookies and we know we're going to present them to the posse.

[00:05:06] And of course, we're always curious to know to our listeners to the posse. And if you let us know in the YouTube comments or tweet us who are your picks and what you think about some of our picks.

[00:05:16] So we won't waste too much time. We can get into our first pick, which happens to be my pick. And it is a brawny James LeBron James's son was the 55th overall draft pick and he was drafted to the Lakers.

[00:05:33] And mind you, I feel like I, we all know who LeBron is. I feel like I follow LeBron and his family. Brony isn't my favorite son. I'm curious to know Jack.

[00:05:46] Who? Who? Who? Who is my well, I love Brony, but who is my favorite son of LeBron James's? If it's not brawny, it's got to be Bryce. I mean, you know, obviously is Bryce. And so I'm, I find Brony so interesting, right?

[00:06:03] Like he's a 55th pick. Obviously he is on the team with his dad. This is the first father son duo that NBA has ever seen.

[00:06:13] And I think it's so dope. I know a couple of years ago LeBron James had said that he was going to everyone kept asking him like, are you going to retire? Like what's going on, Bron, Bron?

[00:06:23] And he had said he wanted to wait until his son was eligible so that they could play on the same team. And, you know, fast forward four years. Here we are. And I do know that LeBron just with his contract, he just extended for two more years.

[00:06:39] And I believe in that second year, I want to say Bryce will be eligible for the draft and that would be crazy if because I think he's a senior now. Oh yeah. So I think I guess after the two years,

[00:06:52] After the two years, if he were to extend for another year, he will potentially be on the same team as his son. Now, in preparation for this podcast, I talked to, you know, my brothers, I got cousins that are definitely into the sports round.

[00:07:10] And so I was asking them like, what y'all think about Brony? And I was shocked how everyone that I elicit information from was like, he's a strong player, but he's not NBA material and low key. Like if LeBron James wasn't his dad, he probably wouldn't have got picked.

[00:07:30] And so I was kind of shocked at that a little bit. I'm like, well, geez Louise. And then I started thinking about it and I'm like, not nepotism at play here, right?

[00:07:40] I'm like, I'm a little nepotism in the NBA. And normally I'm against nepotism because I feel like it doesn't benefit us black people. But in this case, I am all for the nepotism.

[00:07:52] Okay, power to the people. Shout out to Brony and it's so funny because the summer league started yesterday or two days ago, Jack. And after receiving all this information about Brony because I'm hyped like I'm like I'm loving the photos.

[00:08:05] I'm like, you know my guy about the cook and in his game yesterday. Did you see the play where he went to go for this like dunk? And if he would have made the dunk, it would have been crazy.

[00:08:17] However, the dunk didn't happen and he got blocked and Brony kind of went down to the to the ground a little bit. But I'm still really excited for Brony. What's your take on Brony Jack? Yeah, there's a lot to unpack.

[00:08:31] I think with all the nepotism and whatnot, it's very easy to discredit Brony. But if you know, if you know ball like I do, I think there's a lot of potential there, right?

[00:08:44] It is an A right? I'm living for the story like seeing Brony play with LeBron and the NBA is just an amazing thing. Anyone who's against that is crazy to me. Also given, you know, I feel like LeBron's always been a great father to him.

[00:09:00] Given his situation as LeBron's son, it feels like from everything I've heard he's a really like good kid. Like, so that's a great thing. If I was LeBron's son, I'd probably be an ass. So that's great. But look, you know, he wasn't great at USC.

[00:09:19] The easy knock against him is the only average about like four and a half points per game, which is not a lot. But the way a lot of analysis that I've seen, especially from NBA vets is like he's a 3 and D player.

[00:09:31] Like he can knock down some shots and he'll play good defense and he'll facilitate relax. I mean, wait, wait, I mean, if that's the case, I'm a 3 and D player too.

[00:09:43] He could facilitate and people forget you know in high school, coming out of high schools, McDonald's all American. And before his season at USC, he had that heart condition that he had to get medically fixed.

[00:09:59] You know, coming back in the college off recovering from a heart condition, you're not going to be playing your best ball right away. So I think he's got a lot of potential. He's also super athletic at the combine. He did super well and I watched the game yesterday.

[00:10:15] He only had four points, but he had a lot of good looks that he facilitated for himself. What was his average prior to? Well, he called him to four and a half. Yesterday was the first game of summer league and you had four. And he's liver in.

[00:10:28] Yeah, he missed a lot of shots, but at the same time it's shots that you know, you think more like with time will go down. Like he's getting open looks. He's making looks for himself, finding some jumpers.

[00:10:40] I feel like the way he played yesterday that'll usually translate to probably a eight points, 10 points or so. Which for, you know, 50 fifth overall pick and the summer league isn't too bad.

[00:10:49] So, you know, he's not going to come on the Lakers and immediately be a guy for that. But he has that potential and he'll probably do play a lot of games in the G league, which is like the developmental league this season. It'll be fine.

[00:11:02] I don't think it's a bad pick by any means though. Right. No, I mean, I'm here for now. Help me understand the summer league is for the rookies that were drafted. They essentially play for their potential team and it's like, you know, like tournaments essentially.

[00:11:20] So it's not just for rookies. It's basically for any young talent. So you might be a third year player who hasn't got a lot of chance to shine in the NBA, but the team wants to get you some minutes to see if you're playing a while.

[00:11:33] Or you might be a second year player or whatever who was currently back last season played the full season in the G league. So the team wants it's basically giving young talent a chance to shine and see who's a standout.

[00:11:44] So what is the difference between the summer league and the G league? Because I am confused when I saw that the summer league had started yesterday. I was like, oh, that's the G league. And my brother was like, no, it's the summer league.

[00:11:57] But I was, but then the G league players play in the summer league. Yeah. So once the NBA season starts, the G league starts as well. It goes at the same time as the NBA season.

[00:12:10] Now a lot of the summer league is like you get the rookies, you get basically any young talent, which is going to be a lot of the G league talent. But the summer league is its own thing. It's just a handful of games.

[00:12:21] Whereas the G league goes during the same time as the NBA season has its own championship. It's more games play in the G league during the season. Some do and some don't.

[00:12:32] So like if you're the number one overall pick and you're a great, like Victor Wimoyama last year's first overall pick great player.

[00:12:41] He played the full season with the Spurs, but other players who didn't quite make the roster, they play in the G league so that they have a chance to develop. Right? Because it would be only about 15 players make an NBA roster. And so it would be a shit.

[00:12:54] They wanted to have like a developmental league where hey, this is a 19 year old kid who's not ready for the league yet, but he might get there. He can go play in the G league. And then some players will have two way contracts.

[00:13:05] A lot of times younger guys where they'll play games with the G league and they'll be like a starter and then they'll also come up to the NBA and be like a bench warmer. But just to get them kind of familiarize with the league. Okay.

[00:13:19] So correct me if I'm wrong. So you can you get drafted to a team. So you don't make the starting roster so you're in the G league. Are you still an NBA player?

[00:13:32] Yes, like your your teams are I wouldn't say you're in the NBA but you're, you know, like it's directly affiliated with the NBA and a lot of people during the season will get pulled up from the G league to be on the roster. So that's my next question.

[00:13:51] So you could go during the season, you can go from the G league to the NBA. Can it happen in reverse? Can you be on the NBA team and they sit you down to the G league? I think they can. It's that's less common.

[00:14:05] I feel like because once you get brought up now a lot of young players are on two way contracts, like I said, which means that you're playing with both teams.

[00:14:15] But it doesn't it doesn't really happen that someone who is like on the NBA roster gets put down at the G league because usually they're being paid a certain amount of money. So usually you'll just kind of get like released or traded to another NBA team.

[00:14:29] The only time people kind of go in between is those younger players who want to develop but if you're like a 34 year old NBA player who's struggling, they're not going to send you to the G league because then you're just kind of taking up a spot from

[00:14:42] New talent. Exactly. Now, last question for the G league. If you only complain the G league for two years right to consecutive seasons. I think you could play in the G league. You could play in the G league for longer, I believe. Okay, for the summer league.

[00:15:02] No, I don't know. I don't know if there's like a set rule on that. But yeah, but I just love I love the summer league honestly.

[00:15:09] I like tuning in the summer league sometimes more than the regular season NBA because it's those it's that young talent where this might be the next face of the league getting their first chance to shine and you're sort of seeing the rise of these these new personalities, these new players.

[00:15:24] And I just think it's better basketball because everyone's competing for like right. Essentially, yeah. Like what during the regular season in the NBA, they're not they're not going 100% but in that in the summer league it's like this.

[00:15:37] This could be the difference between you making to the league and you not making it. Working at Aldi's. Okay, come on Jack with the breakdown. All right, let's let's pull up Jack's pick here. Yeah. Rob Dillingham. He's been he's been funny because he played at Kentucky.

[00:16:00] He's a guard. It's just funny all of his highlights on like tick tock and stuff. And it's a running joke about how shifty he is. And like, because he's a great like a ball handler. Okay, come on Rob. And he's quick.

[00:16:16] And so he is he plays very shifty but it's like so shifty that people he'll be like a video of him like walking to class was like, man, he's elusive.

[00:16:26] But what I thought was really interesting was he got drafted by the Spurs at eight and they traded him to Minnesota for damn near just a bag of chips like they traded a, I believe it's a 20 30 first round pick swap, and then a 20 31 first round pick.

[00:16:50] But like the joke about that now brice is like 20 31 first round pick, those kids that are going to be drafted in 2031 are like 13 right now. So you're giving up a potentially really talented player for a current 13 year old.

[00:17:06] I think the Timberman was really got a steal with Rob Dillingham. He's a really fun player to watch and putting him alongside Anthony Edwards in the front or in the back court at the guard position is going to be, I think a really, really fun thing to watch.

[00:17:22] So, okay, that's good. That's crazy that like you can get drafted that night and be like, yes, let's go. And then literally two seconds later, like you got to take your head off. And like that's crazy. The politics in the draft is.

[00:17:43] That's just so crazy and especially like if the first team that picked you is your number one team like that's the team that she was like, let's go. Yeah. And then all of a sudden like you just get traded, which is crazy. Who else I got.

[00:17:57] Okay, now go to one of my picks. And this is one of my picks for multiple reasons. First of all, you all know I'm a franchise player at the Charlotte Hornets. We've yet to take a championship home and so we are building our young team.

[00:18:14] I feel like in the last two drafts we have put some players around my baby daddy the love of my life. Lamello ball. And I feel like we drafted now my drama butcher his name. I think it's like Tejon Sultan.

[00:18:29] I think he was the sixth overall draft pick. He's a power forward. He's from Paris. He averages about 9.7 points in his game in his game at college is about 3.9 rebounds. He's definitely a powerhouse and I really like just his energy.

[00:18:49] I think I was watching him play a little bit yesterday and my jumps doing a lot of different things, but I just like. I feel like they say some people is like magnetic energy on the court. I just like the way that he moves.

[00:19:02] I feel like he has like an air about him and you know, it's not that bad on the eyes. And so you know him with mellow is a good mix for myself.

[00:19:12] Yeah, he got kind of the same curls that Melida is honestly one of the people that I probably know the least about his game because he played overseas and I think in the French League.

[00:19:25] And just from what I've heard it's one of those classic things that he's got a lot of upside right now.

[00:19:32] He's because number six was a little bit high for him based on where people were evaluating him, but he's apparently super athletic and just has a lot of upside. So it seems like the Hornets took a risk on him personally not.

[00:19:46] I don't think a pick that I would have. But I mean what do I know. Yeah, it's a it's cool and then it's so many French players getting drafted now to it.

[00:19:55] I mean in the top 10, the first few days plus him were all French, which is pretty impressive. So I'm mad at it. La la we we who we got for Jack. So we got Zach Edie, two time college player of the year at Purdue, seven foot four center.

[00:20:21] Oh, and the thing I think is interesting about him is, you know, being such a tall center. He's got a lot of easy buckets in college by virtue of his height and that's the thing that asked where someone like of his stature.

[00:20:40] A lot of times the game doesn't translate to the NBA because then you're going up against bigger guys stronger guys that you're not going to be able to get those easy buckets so a lot of people a lot for a long time he was kind of projected as like a second round pick.

[00:20:54] So a lot of people having questions of like, does his game translate to the league. But it ends up the Grizzlies end up taking up ninth overall, which is pretty high.

[00:21:04] But now I think there has been a little bit of a flip in the narrative that he's going to be a solid defender he's going to get some you got to get a lot of boards.

[00:21:13] So I'm just interested to see if I feel like no one else in this draft that I really see this narrative shift so much.

[00:21:20] And I thought nine was a little bit high for him but I also didn't think the second round grade that people are giving him was warranted either.

[00:21:28] I'm curious to see how he does and see the kind of the classic story of like a dominant center in college where it doesn't necessarily translate.

[00:21:37] I feel like now centers are getting a little bit more they have a little bit more finesse in their game a little bit more touch. So I'm just curious to see what happens was that he The commerce platform shop if I revolutionized millions of companies worldwide

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[00:22:36] I'm for shop if I punk the e-strict try and give and close leg Made for Germany powered by shop if I What position do you play on the court jet? It's a pens honestly like I I tend to consider myself like kind of a guard

[00:22:55] But being my height, you know, I'm usually the biggest The tallest on the floor so I play more like a power forward center But when I'm really in my bag, I'm taking the ball up and making plays A triple D player or 3d 3d okay

[00:23:14] The three balls not so good right now but I'm getting to the cup facilitated I would say passing is the best part of my game I got vision so So what's that? What's your ball handle like? It's solid Okay For someone about height, I actually decent handle

[00:23:34] Just tell Jolinsky and Wendell they don't want to see me on the court I mean I've seen some video footage of Jolinsky playing Really? I have And Let's just say I'm not sure Jolinsky will make my G League team And Absolutely will your height is 6'5

[00:23:58] Like 6'6 yeah 6'6 okay and so crazy because my nephew I talked to you about him as well He is a sophomore going into his junior year, but he's going to reclass And he is 6'5 And it's crazy because they are projecting him to potentially be like 7 foot

[00:24:19] And so it's crazy because I know some sports writers He comes to a lot of our events Josh I forget his last name for you Yeah yeah Yeah and so it's so crazy because he in our area that I'm in In like the Philadelphia the Tri-State area

[00:24:34] He is very big on like high school players and stuff And so at one of our events I was talking to him about my nephew And I so my sister and her husband Her husband used to play basketball in high school and in college

[00:24:52] And so he was supposed to go pro but he did it And so like now his pet project is like literally my nephew And so like all the time it's all my nephew's doing So obviously that's my nephew so I mean he's Yeah He did it

[00:25:06] And so we always talk highly of him but it was funny talking with Josh At one of the events and I was telling him like hey like you know my nephew plays And he's like pretty good and he's tall And he was like what's your nephew's name

[00:25:17] And I was like Peyton McClendon And he was like he said his high school He was like he's ranked 14 in the state of Pennsylvania And I was like he was just listing all of these stats about my nephew And I obviously like you know take them seriously

[00:25:32] But it was just so crazy just hearing it from someone else And it was funny I like connected him with my family And he has like my nephew in some summer camps and stuff So it's just crazy because again I love these drafts

[00:25:42] But it's also kind of like crazy to me to think that like there is a potential that My nephew really could be going into the draft And y'all can best believe Uncle Bryce gonna be up in there like ahhh But okay

[00:25:58] So let me get some my pick and mind you Now this pick Kyle Flippakowski Uh Big Bang I don't really know nothing about him But the tiktoks have been telling me I need to know about him He was drafted to the U-Haul, Utah Jazz

[00:26:14] I want to say what was he the 23rd U-Haul Jazz What I said Utah You say U-Haul You're correct to hear something But it was funny he's the U-Haul Jazz So he was was he the 32nd or the 32 32 draft pick however

[00:26:32] According to a lot of Jax you know Jax been talking about The projected people People getting drafted at 9 Supposed to be lower according to his stats He was projected To be in like the top 10 Um It's a really great player however This is where I come in that

[00:26:54] It is the story surrounding him Um has gotten a lot of Headlines and not in the most positive way And essentially it has affected His draft pick so essentially Kyle When he was younger Allegedly his older cousin And I want to say she's older by like 7 to 8 years

[00:27:14] All I know is when Kyle was still in high school Said cousin Sash babysitter had graduated college At I don't think it's a Oh you gotta get to the new tiktoks Because they're pulling up photos Of her and him when they were younger

[00:27:32] And the caption that she is captioning Is with my cousins Allegedly Allegedly you know this is all allegedly We don't what not So Alisa babysitter And there is a A sparse age gap And when she Graduated undergrad went back for her

[00:27:52] Masters Kyle was like in the ninth grade Now she has Graduated from Cousin To babysitter to Girlfriend and they are Madly in love The family does not approve of it Kyle does not speak to his family And there are Here's the one thing that I don't like

[00:28:14] Because I definitely feel like it's a double standard Um I feel like If the roles were reversed If like it was an older man With a younger woman I don't think it would be so sensationalized As it is And they're also saying that essentially like

[00:28:30] The girlfriend is like not having Kyle Like she has excommunicated Kyle from his family And like she's the reason why Kyle is not talking to his family I don't like that We don't know the insides and outs about that Like uh but she definitely Was at the draft

[00:28:46] Kyle definitely was drafted but that is Why his draft number was so low because a lot of teams were a little nervous About this But despite all of that The boy got some ball handles right Like I was like watching clips of him

[00:29:00] And you know I don't maybe know All what I should be looking for with somebody's play But I also feel like highlights are misleading right Because I feel like It's important to watch somebody's Highlight clips but also it's like They highlight clips so it's like

[00:29:14] They're only showing you their very best of the best of the best But Kyle's highlight clips is nasty like Kyle can move and shake and so And it's just really interesting that His draft is really being Uh overshadowed by this relationship with the girlfriend

[00:29:29] And not only that like and it's not really speculation About the age difference And him not speaking to his family Because his mother and brother Are out speaking to the press Confirming these accusations Yeah I didn't know if there was any

[00:29:46] Actual cousin that I knew was at least his babysitter I know I think he's like 19 She's like 27 and they've been dating for A few years So it's definitely a little bit weird I heard there was some connection to like the church Like the Mormon church

[00:30:02] The Mormon church is something Ironically he gets drafted to Utah Which genuinely might Yeah The Mormon church is heavier Utah Exactly so it's like maybe the jazz Like he'll fit in here Like everyone dates their cousin But yeah He could definitely play

[00:30:23] So you know I do think people's Usually I would say the personal life And basketball don't have to mix too much But at the same time I will say like It seems like to some degree Teams probably are worried that it could be a distraction

[00:30:37] And so that's probably why he slipped a little bit But he's definitely a really talented player So what it is just an interesting drama Like I would watch a show about how that all went down You know so I am waiting for the Netflix documentary

[00:30:50] Or the lifetime or 2B of this because it's so interesting And it's just crazy because if you Don't know the story And again I was like pulling clips last night Because when I can't sleep I'm on the tiktok And it's just crazy like watching the draft

[00:31:04] When he gets drafted Of course they're saying the girlfriend is like She has him not speaking to his family And stuff but it's really interesting when he gets drafted Like the first person obviously he turns to Is he turns and kisses her

[00:31:21] But it is like a weird and interesting I don't know like sis looked like bag secured So I don't know It's interesting but you know if there's drama I'm here for it and I love it And Kyle can play So interesting to see how he will do

[00:31:38] I didn't, did you see any of his clips in the The start of the summer league yesterday I didn't see it I don't think they played yesterday Okay The jazz, the jazz had a good draft That unrelated to like everything we're talking about But they got him

[00:31:56] They got Isaiah Collier They got Cody Williams It's a good tree right there Has, when's the last time the U-Haul Jazz Has won a championship Has the franchise won a championship? I don't know I don't think so Because I know like obviously the best era they had

[00:32:16] Was Malone and Stockton And they never won a champion They're like the best duo to essentially never win a championship So I don't know if they won outside of that But the jazz have always been like I feel like pretty decent But they haven't been like dominant

[00:32:32] But I do think a lot of them are Well, I mean maybe Kyle, his cousin Guy Just the trick for him Now also So my friend Sarah I believe you met her before Jack She is one of my best friends She is a sports fanatic

[00:32:52] Like she loves sports She has the ESPN notifications on her phone Like she don't play And when Jack and I were creating lists, I was telling her about this. It was so funny because the next person that Jack has, my friend, Sarah,

[00:33:09] predicted that it would either be on Jack's list or this is someone that Jack would like. And so Jack's pick that Sarah was right. Yo, is old homeboy. Jack has a thing with picking players that kind of resemble him a little bit.

[00:33:28] And I feel like my friend, Sarah was like, I don't really know nothing about Isma Tayo or what's his name? Matis Matis. She was like, I just know he looks like Jack and I feel like Jack would like him. And so Sarah, you was right.

[00:33:45] Yeah, I I'll own it because I think it comes from a place of watching a fellow like me get some buckets in the league. I'm dead. But yeah, it's just he's not you're right. It's like that's why I love to chat home grand because it almost feels like

[00:34:05] if I was just way better than that's what I look like out on the floor. Also four to six inches taller, I guess. But yeah, he's he's a bucket getter. You really have to at least like six ten good ball handle can throw down.

[00:34:24] I think apparently it's shooting needs to get a little bit better, but that's just a scatter for what I liked about him recently, too, is he sort of has like a swag to he's also from Chicago. So he's staying with the hometown bulls.

[00:34:36] But he has kind of a swag to him. There was an interview that someone did with him asking him who we'd like want to play one V one. And he I forget who he called out when he called someone out. He's like, they can't guard me.

[00:34:49] Like they don't want to see me. So I'm a little bit skiing on him. Yeah, he's like I he's like I told them I put them one V one whenever they want and they haven't accepted it because they know they don't want to see me.

[00:34:58] And then it was like they're like he's talking in shit. So it's I like it, man. And I'm also, you know, a Chicago guy. I like the bulls. Not my favorite team, but one of one of my favorite teams.

[00:35:12] So I'm just excited to go watch him hoop in Chicago and stay in the hometown. OK, come on, Chicago. We out here, Mattis. Is Mattis or Mattis? I think it's Mattis. Yeah, Mattis. OK, Mattis. Mattis. Mattis. Mattis. OK, let me get to one of my picks.

[00:35:31] One of my picks is AJ Johnson, my guy. OK, you talk about swag. You talk about honor. You talk about stand up. I took a liking to AJ after the draft and, you know, a lot of the reports were happening. And it was very really interesting because he

[00:35:49] he played with the Australian basketball league, but he was the 23rd pick in the NBA draft. The move was a shocking one, given that Johnson had been projected to land in the late first or early second round.

[00:36:04] In addition to this, and I would love to ask you a little bit more questions about this, Jack, he was not invited to the green room during the draft. However, AJ still, I don't know, do you have to you people purchase tickets to go to the draft?

[00:36:19] Yeah, I don't even know. Like I did see this that he sat in the front row with his family and then came out in the front row. It wasn't the front row. They was up like. That's all the front row, but it was it was the front row.

[00:36:31] He was up there in the stance. Like he was in the draft. He was in the stand at the front, I think. Well, I mean, he had to come down. He had to walk down to the steps like they weren't expecting

[00:36:43] him to get drafted, or at least it wouldn't be one that was televised. It would be like a trade or something like you were saying. Yeah, for the first round, they do the first round is that's where they invite people to come.

[00:36:59] But then the second round, they don't do it like live. They just kind of. Right. So that's yeah. Yeah. And so that was the thing where they didn't expect him to be a first round pick or very late in the first round.

[00:37:09] However, this is what I like about AJ was that like he said this my this regardless of wherever I'm picked, my family flew in and also very black family because it was giving black family at a graduation.

[00:37:23] You know, they call your name Jack at this with the bullhorn and stuff. Like his family was height. And just something about this story that you weren't invited to the green room. You're not projected to go, but you still like your family is there.

[00:37:37] You like you have that honor. You have that pride from what I've seen in a lot of his write ups. You're not the best player. He has a lot of potential and I just feel like that's so hard to quantify sometimes in basketball, right?

[00:37:52] Where it's like they're literally saying like you're not great, but you're not living up or you haven't reached your highest potential yet. And so it's like they definitely see him as a long term player and someone that's like that has the A in the B's, right?

[00:38:11] Not the three D's, but you know, or maybe to see him coming from the wrong direction. He got he got some C's, not the three D's. But again, just I don't know. It's something about this story. And again, just watching him and I mean, also, yeah,

[00:38:25] ain't that bad on the eyes, AJ? We're not cousins. I'm John Stun. He's John Stun, just to be that clear. But I don't know. It's just something about that story. For me, that says a lot about a person.

[00:38:36] And so automatically that just I'm putting AJ high on my list. Yeah, no, I do. Like I didn't know a lot about him come into the dead, but I did some research. I just remember hearing about him because people, the counter argument of people being like, oh,

[00:38:54] Barani only averaged four and a half points in college. AJ Johnson averaged 2.9 and got picked 23rd. Granted, now he was in Australia. I actually think he played for the same squad that Lamello played for four a year, the Ilowara Hawks or whatever.

[00:39:11] He probably not really as many minutes because, you know, the Australian League, like there's grown men in there. He's but he's 19. He I think he's he's a guard and he's like six, five, super athletic and apparently had a really good combine

[00:39:24] and showed out against all the other prospects. So yeah, it's one of those things. Always an interesting dilemma to me during the draft is like, do you go with like those younger, like more raw prospects that could develop to be someone really, really great

[00:39:39] or also be a complete bust? Or do you go with maybe someone a little bit older but who, you know, they can get some buckets, but they might not have they might not be the most athletic. They might not be like this and that.

[00:39:52] It's always an interesting dilemma. But yeah, I like I actually wonder if I wonder if like a team like the Bucks that took him maybe called him and said, like, hey, if you're there at the end of the first round,

[00:40:01] we're going to pick you because obviously with that knowledge, you know, it's being more likely to pull up to the draft knowing that you are going to get picked. Right. But it's always interesting with the green room situation,

[00:40:12] like some people get invited and then they don't get picked. And they don't write. People don't get invited and then they get picked. And you you you're not there. And yeah, I I wouldn't want to go to the green room.

[00:40:24] Like I'm because if I didn't get picked, I'd be pissed. Lopowski was there and he didn't get picked till the second round. And then some players just do it where they host it at their house and have a party there. That might be the most fun, honestly.

[00:40:38] Yeah. Although to walk across the stage would be pretty cool when you get drafted. But also sometimes people will host it at their house and then they'll have the news crew there as well. I don't want the news crew there either because if I don't get picked,

[00:40:52] can I take your side? What's up? But I like AJ. He definitely got to follow and I definitely will be following. And I like the Milwaukee Bucks. I feel like when I was in high school, I forget what their big starting three was back in the day.

[00:41:10] I should know. But I always like the Milwaukee Bucks and I felt, you know, yeah, I'm just with it. I'm with it. All right. Who you got? Jackery. Uh oh. Yeah. Dolan Connect. See, when he was saying that Sarah called

[00:41:26] who I was going to have on my squad, I was like, is it going to be Dolan or Montez? But no, he's so, you know, living in LA. I'm not necessarily a Lakers fan, but I think I like when the Lakers are doing well

[00:41:38] just because it makes the city more fun. There's more conversation. Dolan Connect was the SEC player of the year. But he and he was projected to be really a top seven to ten pick in the draft and he fell all the way to 17 to the Lakers.

[00:41:55] And he's just a great player, three level score, super athletic. You watch some of his highlights, you're going to see him dunking on people and hit step back threes. I guess he slipped because he is 23, which in the draft people considered to be a little bit old.

[00:42:11] But I think he could he could really do some great things with the Lakers also playing with Brani is a really fun duo to watch. And then speaking of like good stories, he's got a great story. I mean, the reason he's 23.

[00:42:24] So I think he played his first year coming out of high school. He had no D one offers. So he played a couple of years at Juco Junior College. And then he transferred to like wait, is that an actual college

[00:42:37] or you just they just we just call it junior colleges like it's almost like community college. I mean, I know, but was it a specific college that's called Juco or we just say Juco? The Juco is like short for junior college.

[00:42:48] OK, so he played like a year or two at a junior college. Then he played a couple of years at like other small D one school. And I think he transferred out finally. He transferred to Tennessee last year

[00:43:02] and came out of nowhere and won SEC Player of the Year. So he went from having no offers coming out of high school to killing it in the D one in the SEC and getting drafted, which I think is a really cool story.

[00:43:16] Yeah, I love that even more because sometimes it's like you got to wait for your like your time is your time. And it's not the time that we always wanted to be. Sometimes we want to now and shout out to him for, you know,

[00:43:30] going to Juco, taking us that bet, you know, getting the three Ds to connect and now listen to that now. Now we hear. And then I think the testaments is just, you know, having belief in yourself and working hard and just like separating yourself from the rest.

[00:43:46] But also he's he's wearing number four. So connect four is pretty, pretty fun. So yeah. All right. Who I got? OK, I got my baby, Jared McCain. He's from Duke. I've actually seen Jared play. They played against Villanova and I got to see that game.

[00:44:10] And I liked Jared just from the get go. And he was drafted, I believe, was is it number six to the Philadelphia stuff? 15 or 16, 15 or 16. Here I go, hyping them up. 15 or 16. He is definitely a solid player. I think what I like more about Jared,

[00:44:28] besides really what his basketball capabilities are, is that Jared in the D League when he was playing for Duke, he caught a lot of headlines. I don't know why people love to like question people's sexuality. It's like a thing. If you don't fit the heterosexual normity

[00:44:45] that all of a sudden it's like, is he gay? And it kind of creates this world when that I felt like follow to him at Duke. Jared, Jared gets his nails painted. He loves wearing his nails painted.

[00:44:56] What's wrong with that? OK, he got a little fashion, a little style. And so he caught a lot of slack for that. People were, you know, insinuating about his sexuality. What does it matter if he could ball? And what I loved about Jared was one,

[00:45:10] he didn't give an F about what people said about his nail colors. He switched his nail color up every game. He actually, I want to say, inked a multimillion dollar deal with a nail polish company.

[00:45:21] So he has his own nail polish and he come home to the Philly. Philly, Philly, 76ers. And I mean, you know, I don't have a type. People say I have a type, but I don't. But I mean, Jared, don't look that bad on my eyes.

[00:45:34] And no matter which way he want to go, I'll be right here waiting for him. OK, whatever he need. He I can show him around the city. And it's funny because there is a sports complex that Wendell used to be a member of.

[00:45:51] And I want to say maybe like two summers ago, he would go there and like have to kind of shoot content. But obviously we go to work out and I would go faithfully with him in the summertime because it is right near our practice

[00:46:07] quarters for our Philadelphia G League squad. So I would be hyped to go to, you know, make myself useful, volunteer, volunteer my mind, body and soul as tribute just to show the players around. And so I'm excited that Jared is here again, kind of like,

[00:46:28] you know, hometown, not really hometown, but really great to have him looking at some of his highlights. I think that he's a great player. But again, I feel like highlights are a little like skewed because you're only seeing the best things of them. But I love Jared's story.

[00:46:41] And, you know, Mello, watch out. Yeah, no, Jared McCain is great. So he's also, I mean, part of the reason he called us potentially he said he's had a big TikTok following for a long for several years, even back in high school.

[00:46:55] And so it's just sort of been like one of those things where you watch this play grow up and all of a sudden now he's going to the NBA. But I think it's cool. But it's like, yeah. And it's yeah, he's very like Gen Z.

[00:47:10] I mean, just completely himself has a TikTok following, hitting some dances, painting his nails. But I feel like every time I see him, he's always having fun. He's a great player and he's just being himself. So it's like, how do you not like that? So I'm excited.

[00:47:26] And he just he just adds that personality to the league that we love. And it's just it's the same kind of with like one other like you said, where he comes in a league. He already has this like this brand and this personality

[00:47:37] and like a story in a background and it adds characters to the league, I think. And also with the 76ers, you know, they just added Paul George. They've got a pretty strong looking squad and trust the process. In the process.

[00:47:52] But but it'll definitely be a fun team to follow with all these moving pieces, including Jerry McCain. Shout out to Jerry. And for our final pick, Jack, you did right by this one. Yeah. Yeah. Taren Shan and Junior, like I said, the wolves had a great

[00:48:10] draft that got these trade for Rob Dillingham. And then they also scooped out Taren Shan and Junior. I think it was early in the second round. But I just think another another really interesting story a little bit dark, but he was proven innocent

[00:48:27] after being accused of sexual assault. It was it was proven that like the girl was trying to set him up and get a bag essentially. And so he had slipped obviously a lot of draft boards because had it been true, you know, he's not going to get drafted.

[00:48:41] It's going to ruin his career, ruin his future. But luckily they proved him innocent, innocent correctly. Obviously, hopefully, but there was some pretty damning evidence is why I say that. But, you know, he was a bucket at Illinois, one of the best offensive players in the whole nation.

[00:49:01] He's just just a great player. And I just I love that, you know, someone tried to drag him down and it all shook out. And now he's going to go play in the league. Yeah. It's crazy because watching some of his clips

[00:49:18] showboat isn't the word that I want to use. But I and a lot of his highlights and a lot of the clips that I saw, he was a very entertaining player, like big moves, dunks, like just like you talk about swag.

[00:49:34] Like he definitely has a persona on the court. And so I I'm at it that pick at all, Jackery, not at all. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, him and Rob in Minnesota is going to be a really interesting duo. I think.

[00:49:53] And that's the is that that the Timberwolves, right? Yeah. And they already got a really great squad. So it's, you know, it's if those two play like well, then they're going to be real dangerous.

[00:50:04] Yeah, I mean, we are in for a treat this NBA season coming up this fall. And I think the rookies this year are top tier. I'm super happy with it. I can't thank Jack enough for coming back on the play by play. You know, the Olympics is starting.

[00:50:21] And so the posse, you think there's anything else that Jack and I should be covering? We are keeping our ears to the street in the WNBA. So any big news on that will definitely be back. But thanks again, Jack, for coming on the Purple Pants Play by Play.

[00:50:34] And, you know, covering the three D's with me. It ain't easy. I can't do it by myself. Of course. That was a lot of fun. And yeah, it was great. In this draft, I kind of meant to say it was such an interesting draft

[00:50:46] because there was not a really like well-defined top like level of talent. And so a lot of people could have really gone, you know, anywhere in that top 10 and people kind of consider it to be one of the weaker draft classes in a while

[00:51:01] because they don't have those like immediate standouts. But I think there's a lot of different fun players out there. Also feel like it was pretty deep draft with some good second round talent. So it was just exciting to see how it all shakes out.

[00:51:12] Yeah, we'll keep our ears to the streets. And our balls in the net. This has been your Purple Pants Play by Play Draft 24.