Paul says Timberwolves are best landing spot for Giannis & is the era of superteams over? | SPEAK

Paul says Timberwolves are best landing spot for Giannis & is the era of superteams over? | SPEAK

But how many super teams has there really been in the last 25 years since 2000? Like Shaq and Kobe wasn’t a super team. Wait a minute. Shaq and Kobe weren’t a super team. No, we probably was the first super team. But if we go with three, then the Boston Celtics are not a super team. Why not? Who were the three? Tatum, White, and Brown. Just go that Tatum, White, and Brown. No. Why? Because So Rick, don’t ask me to save his show at this point. I was going to ask you about the the hair texture question. I definitely ain’t taking Rick in that matchup. No, I’ll message you. My boy, you my boy Rick. I got your back. That scares me even more. Okay, look around. He’s not there. Paul, does Giannis of the Raptors make sense? You know what it it I look at Giannis as a player that like I want to get to somewhere where I’m closer to a championship. Now, Toronto has some key pieces, but then to get Giannis, you going to have to give up some some key pieces. So, I just feel like like like Scotty Barnes is the centerpiece over there. Y’all coming off of him. You know what? As a matter of fact, we need a little more than Scotty Barnes. We need RJ Barrett, too. So, now you implement Giannis and you pair him with Brandon Ingram and you say, “Is that enough to win a championship in the East?” Probably not. So, It doesn’t makes the most sense to me. I have some other teams that he make better sense uh as far as getting Jiannis to a place where he could possibly win a championship. Like where I’m not sure if that’s out east. Uh for instance, Jiannis to Houston wouldn’t be bad. You know, you can trade uh what’s the young kid? Uh Alpurn Sangon. Sangon. Sangon. Yeah, because I like Sangon, but I feel like he’s a complimentary piece. I don’t feel like Sangon could be a best player on a chip team. So, you know, there’s better options with younger pieces. You got to remember Houston was the number two seed. They got a couple veterans over there. Uh they probably would need one more piece like a closer because I don’t look at Giannis as like a a definite closer, but he’s closer being in Houston than he would be in Toronto. I actually disagree. Uh I I can make a case and it really comes down to the story that Messiah Jiri, the GM of the Raptors is able to tell. And two of the most important elements of that story is one, you’re my Nigerian brother. I was about to say that, right? And two and two, I know how to build a championship team. I’ve done it before here in Toronto when people thought that that was impossible. And yes, I would have to give up Scotty Barnes, but I also have to make a deal that the Milwaukee Bucks are willing to accept. And in Scotty Barnes, I’m getting a potential centerpiece at 23 years old who’s already been an all-star. And if I have to give up an RJ Barrett or one of those other pieces, I still have Brandon Ingram, I still have Emanuel Quickley, and I have Janisant Takmpo as my as my three, as my as my centerpiece. And if I’m looking at the East, I’d much rather try to try to get there in the East than I would in the West. Even as as good as Houston was during the regular season, man, it’s it’s a minefield over in the Western Conference. I don’t know that trading out Alpurn Senon for Giannis really moves the needle significantly for Houston uh in in the Western Conference. Indiana. That that was the one I was thinking Indiana. But then I’m giving up. You gonna have you’re gonna have to give up a lot though for him to go to Indiana. You you Well, no matter where he goes, you’re depleting the roster to some degree. To some degree. To some degree. But like if I’m trading out Giannis for Scotty Barnes and let’s throw in RJ Barrett and Toronto owns all of their picks. So you can throw in two or three picks. Um I I’ve I’ve got a team that is competitive right from the start. And here’s the other part is is I’ve got to do something. I have to give something up where Milwaukee says one we’re willing to do this deal and two that Giannis says and this is the biggest part and this is where Messiah comes in in their relationship. Giannis has to say that’s where I want to go. Yeah, that’s going to have a huge influence on this. Only way I can see that is if he wants to live in Toronto. I see how international is. I mean anything is I don’t think it’s going to be a problemational too though here. No, live in Toronto is great. I think that’s a great place better than Milwaukee. Yeah. I mean, yeah, that’s that’s true because he’s an international star, you know, going to shot with this dude. No, no, but I’m saying that’s a great he might want to live. That’s the only way I can see him wanting to go there cuz he wants to live there. You know, because it doesn’t put him any closer to a championship. Not at all. Well, there’s one the one other element that I would throw in there is if you move Scotty Barnes, Giannis now becomes the centerpiece. Like there’s a lot of other places where and Houston’s the exception because you’re moving out Senon, but a lot of the other places where he’d be closer to a title. He doesn’t he come he’s coming in on somebody else’s turf and who knows if he wants that or does he want to be the center? It depends on what you’re talking about though. If you if you’re talking about a Indiana team then yeah he’s coming in on somebody else’s turf because it’s Hallebertton’s turf. Giannis is a bigger piece than Hallebertton. Having already won MVPs, having already won championships, I’m a more proven player, but I’m still coming in like this is your team. This is Hallebertton’s team. Not if you makes the most sense. No, Minnesota. Minnesota. Minnesota makes the most sense for him. You pair him with Ant-Man, give us some of them young pieces that they got over there. What you going to move? You gonna move Devincenzo again? You gonna move? And then uh you gonna move Julius Randle again, McDaniels again? Then you gonna be depleting. I got I got threeear window though. Yeah, but you depleting the roster. I got a three-year window with Giannis and Ant-Man, though. I’ll take that. I think Houston makes the most sense. I I I don’t like Giannis to the Raptors uh at all. I don’t think the Raptors are in the same position as they were when Kawhai went there. It’s a great pitch, but the Raptors were perennially at the top of the East when Kawaii went there, which is why the second that he got there, they won a championship because they were right there knocking on the door year after year after year. Toronto’s not there. And even if they were, they’d have to give up so many pieces that it would take a step back and then the expectation would immediately be that they need to go in and win a championship right away because why wouldn’t Yiannis be able to do that if Kawaii would? Well, that’s not the story I’m telling if I’m Messiah Jerry. No, but that’s the truth. Like that’s what happened. Like I I I think that the Raptors in that situation were prime for a star to come in and take them over the top. It it it made sense to me that Kawaii was able to do that. And you can say, you know, people got injured along the way, whatever. Like that happens every single year. But this is not the same Raptors team as that. They are not in the same situation as an organization. They were much closer then. If I’m honest and I’m leaving Milwaukee, a place that I’ve already brought a championship that is essentially my organization. I’ve got to go somewhere where I’m ready to be not necessarily win right this year, but I’ve got to be able to be competitive and whatever that exchange is going to be isn’t going to deplete the team so much. So now I’m carrying the team because why would I leave Milwaukee? That’s a situation I’m already in. Okay, but let me flip flip that around. If you are the Milwaukee Bucks, who would you rather have? Scotty Barnes or Alfred Senu because that’s part of Yeah, obviously Scotty Barnes has more upside because of his athleticism, but the production at Sang Goon is he’s a more consistent player and an allstar. Yeah. So, it’s a cost toss a coin on that on that aspect. Neither one of them are 1A superstars. Yeah. You know, I mean, not that it necessarily matters, but obviously Houston’s in the west, so if they don’t want to send Giannis somewhere in the east, Yeah. that could play a factor in it as well. As a player, I ain’t going to the west either, though. I’m going just stay in the East and find me a East Coast team cuz going to the West, it’s about seven teams. Well, you got to figure this, Keith. The Golden State is probably going to fall off. Lakers falling off. Nobody ask you anything about the Lakers. No, I’m telling you the teams that’s falling off. Yeah. Phoenix. Lakers. Lakers. Lakers. Phoenix, Golden State, they all It’s been done. Yeah. Yeah, they done. But I’m I’m just Did you mention the Lakers? The Lakers probably Lakers again. And then the Lakers again. Y’all Y’all Y’all going to have me cussing. These people going to get mad at me. Both Indiana and OKC are small market teams looking for their first championship. For years, the NBA has been dominated by stars and so-called super teams. But this year’s finals suggests that maybe there’s a shift. Pacers center Miles Turner talks about that change. Power of friendship. Power of friendship. Hey, that’s a good one though. That’s how you build the super teams in the first place with the friendship. That’s how they built the super. That’s how Hey Paul or KG Ray, come play with me. Hey, hey, hey. Uh, this Steph. Hey KD, let’s go to the Han real quick. Hang out. Different kind of friendship. Rick, do you agree that the NBA has evolved past super teams? And by definition of super teams, obviously we mean a team that is building through trades and free agency. It’s not a homegrown situation. So, do we would we look at the Dallas Mavericks as a super team when they went to the finals with Luca? Because they did make a trade, but it wasn’t it wasn’t big pieces trade. It was PJ Washington, Daniel Gaffford. To me, I don’t put that in that category. I’m thinking when you collect superstars. We’re talking about Golden State Warriors adding KD. We’re talking about the Miami Heat bringing together Chris Bosch and LeBron James. And I would say that when KD went to the Warriors was the last time that we really saw that in full because I can go back to like the Toronto Raptors. We just mentioned them, right? Uh you added Kawhi Leonard, but okay. But but that was just a good team. The teams the teams that I’m seeing in the finals as I as I go through the entire list are all teams that might have had one great player. The Denver Nuggets, one great player. Um the Miami Heat, uh Jimmy Butler, Bam Adabio, but it was really their role players that were the as big a reason why they got to the finals. Um I’m looking at uh the Golden State Warriors in 2022. Like no one looked at Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Pool as like that, right? and Klay Thompson wasn’t the same player. Draymond Green wasn’t the same player. So, I’m looking I I been looking for the last four or five years. I’ve been looking at teams that might have that superstar, but the reason that they end up in the finals is because they have depth and versatility on their roster. It’s not the big three model. I think the big three model was outdated four or five years ago. We look at the Bucks and we after the fact after they won now we’re going to make Drew Holiday and and Chris Middleton part of the big three, but it was Bobby Portoris and Pat Coneton and Jeff Teague and like all of the pieces contributing Brook Lopez like that’s what made them a championship team. So, yes, I I I do think that the NBA has evolved past super teams and I think it’s going to continue to go in that direction that the OKC’s like and the Indiana Pacers, why are they where they are? See, the last because they have depth. Last super team for me was the LeBron James Miami Heat team. No, I understand what you’re saying with the Golden State situation and KD, but they had already won. They had already won. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were a super team. They No, but they but they had already won though. But what what he’s saying is homegrown, young, fast, running up and down the court doing the things. You know what they’re You know what the motto was of that first uh Warriors championship team? That right there. No, no, no. Strength and numbers. Strength and numbers. Oh, strength and numbers. But but if you look at the Miami situation or if you look at with when Paul won, that was a super team. They assembled. Yeah. Even though Paul was there, they still went and assembled the the the two guys that they needed to get them over the top. So whenever you see the poster, you going to see those three heads right there. And that’s why it’s 200. Yeah. So it to me that’s been gone. It’s been gone long time ago cuz everybody that continues to try to do it, Joy, whether it’s Brooklyn, they failed, right? Phoenix failed. Philadelphia has failed and they keep trying to recycle it over and over and over. But the young teams are the ones Clippers failed. Failed. Clippers. Well, they always failed multiple multip if you look at it. Th those teams are the ones that are in the mix right now with the homegrown players that are young that’s getting up and down the floor. Even our whatever Paul call it Mickey Mouse championship. We didn’t have three, we had two. We have Brown and AD. Agreed. That’s who we really had and we had a bunch of other players around him that wasn’t I think we got to start redefining what the super teams is now. It’s not three, it’s two. That’s going to be the new definition because the way the collective bargaining is Yeah. is hard to get. So if if we redefine it in Boston two it might be one. Boston’s a super team right now but it’s homegrown. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I kind of agree just based on a collective bargaining agreement that’s going to be hard to get three stars, but it’s gonna happen again. It’s always happened throughout the course of history because you’re going to have a great team and then you’re going to have an aging superstar that’s like, “Look, I’mma come over there for less money that’s going to make us worse.” Now, there’s eb and flows to where you got to think about it. How many super teams has there really been in the last 25 years since 2000? Like Shaq and Kobe wasn’t a super team. What was the first super team from 2000 to 2010? Wait a minute. Shaq and Kobe weren’t a super team. No, he’s saying it was only two, not three. We probably was the first super team in 2008. Oh, in terms of three stars. Yeah. And then Miami. Okay. If that’s your strict definition, I think three I think three is the is the definition of Yeah. Like in the last 25 years with whatever definition we go with. Tony Spurs was in a super team. But if we go with three, then the Boston Celtics are not a super team. Why not? No, because it wasn’t. Yes, they are. Because we’re redefining it. Who are the three? We’re redefining super. Tatum, white, and brown. You’re not redefining it. Go. You just gave me a definition and now you’re going to change. Look, go Tatum, white, and brown. Just go that Tatum white and brown. No. Why? Because three. You’re just choosing. You’re just They so deep. I’m just grabbing the three. I know. Exactly right. You’re just grabbing a third one. You got three guys on the Olympics. Yes. On one team, then that’s a super team. There’s a difference between a great team. Yeah. And a super team. Yes. Thank you. The definition of a super team is something Why are you looking at me? You should be looking at Paul. The definition of a super team is something that is assembled. Like that’s there the stigma of the super team is that it’s somehow like cheating or like you know skipping the line like that’s why there is that that sort of animosity. It’s manufactured. True. It’s it’s not, you know, it’s I mean, he even said stacking Miles Turner like that and and there are plenty of things to look at with those quote unquote super teams that you can say are just good business. Like LeBron, Wade, and Bosch took us money to play together. They were they were able to sort that out. The Golden State Warriors do business so well that they had the money to bring in a Kevin Durant. They could keep all those players, Draymond, Clay, Steph, and have room for a Kevin Durant and still have depth. Those are just well-run organizations. Yeah. So Boston, like when you’re looking at how those teams are assembled, we’ve had some big failures in it, but you’ve also had homegrown failures. So I agree with Paul. It’ll come back around at some point. Somebody’s going to be available. Someone’s going to be disgruntled. Someone’s going to put together a quote unquote super team and it will be successful again because there’s there you you see this eb and throw throughout the league always. But this I would say there’s one element that’s different and that’s the new collective bargaining agreement the the new salary cap rules that once you hit a certain point in salaries it’s always been like that they take no no no this is different now you hit a certain point you not only get the luxury tax but they take away your ability to improve your roster around the edges you get all the exceptions go away your trades have to be exact like dollar for dollar they’ve purposely made it difficult, I think, to build super teams because they want players, they want stars to stay in their local rather than bunching together. That’s why Paul said the older the the the older superstar will find a team with two younger dudes that that you know, and take I made a couple hundred million. I’m chilling now. I want to see the guy who decides I’m going to take way less to go when I can still make. Was there a third guy? Was there a third person in Houston with James and CP3? Was there a third? Was just those two, but Dwight Howard was there for a hot minute. No, but I mean, the year they lost to Golden State, it was just them. It was just those two. Yeah. I was trying to think. I was like, do they have a third? Did they have a third guy? I mean, obviously the the the risk with those teams is as well, everybody has to be healthy and your role players, to your point, have to contribute at a super high level. you have to be able to put together an almost perfect roster because you’re so topheavy and if anybody goes down for any reason at all, you it’s it’s basically a wrap. So there’s there’s so much that has to go right when the team is built that way as opposed to what the Pacers or OKC is built like. Obviously if their stars go the top star goes down, it’s a problem. But you have more depth, you have more flexibility. But I also think that this is a reflection of how the game is played today because it’s a more athletic game. It’s a more up and down game and so your depth becomes more important. Like you can’t play three guys 40 minutes a night and you’re going to have you’re going to have injuries if you don’t give guys uh rest or you’re not able to manage their minutes. So, I believe that that that that part of what is driving this new uh structure of rosters is the way the game is being played because what what have we said about Oklahoma City from the beginning of the playoffs was like they’re one of the few teams that could afford an injury and still not miss a beat. And I think that like realizing, you know what, injuries are taking teams down left and right. Maybe we need to build our team so that we can survive an injury. Yeah. Have some depth. Subscribe here to get the latest from Speak and go watch a few segments from our other shows on FS1.

Joy Taylor, Keyshawn Johnson, Paul Pierce, and Ric Bucher discuss whether Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the Toronto Raptors makes sense and explore which teams could be the best fit for him. They also debate if the NBA has truly evolved past the era of superteams, sharing their takes on what’s next for the league.

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Paul says Timberwolves are best landing spot for Giannis & is the era of superteams over? | SPEAK
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