点击查看原文:How big can Chris Paul’s impact be?
How big can Chris Paul’s impact be?
Columnist Mike Finger and beat writers Jeff McDonald and Tom Orsborn discuss the ways Chris Paul can influence the Spurs season, and take a look at lineup questions around Victor Wembanyama that could affect Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan.
Suggested reading:
Gregg Popovich wants more accountability, fewer mistakes from Spurs
Is SA new Lob City? Not so fast, says Chris Paul
Will Gregg Popovich be grumpy again? If Spurs are lucky
San Antonio Spurs beat writers preview revamped team’s chances in 2024-25 season | ¡EN Vivo!
\
Here is the transcript of the podcast:
Mike Finger: From a highly secure network of top-secret locations across North America, this is the Spurs Insider. Another pre-season edition coming at you the week before the regular season begins. I am your host Mike Finger, joined by San Antonio Express News Spurs beat writers, Tom Orsborn and Jeff McDonald. The season is underway. Tom’s already on the road. He’s in his what I believe is a new secure location for him, one that he’s never been to before. Uh, within, uh, within view of an ocean, Tom. How are things in South Beach?
Tom Orsborn: Delightful. Um, yeah. Delightful. Um, last week, you know, with the hurricanes coming through the the forecast was for rain. But it’s, uh, it’s very nice, very nice here. Um, uh, yeah, it’s It’s a good trip as always. You guys know this area well, uh, from 13 and 14, 13 and 14 finals. Does it bring back memories when you go back to Miami even for a pre-season game, regular season? Do you think Do you find yourself thinking about the memories that we made during those two epic finals, Tom?
Tom Orsborn: It does. It really does. Um, you know, I’m I’m in an undisclosed, uh, location on South Beach. Mhm. And I always got to make a stop I’m not staying at this hotel this time, uh, it’s called the Blue Moon. Yeah. Um, but I have a really good memories of that place. Staying there in 2013 with one Tim Griffin, our late colleague. He was a great, great man. We miss you dearly. Yeah, Tim was doing the, uh, the Remember that full page he used to do during the playoffs? It was a staple. Page two, yeah. Or playoff coverage. Yeah, it was an off the beaten path full page of potpourri that Tim could gather like nobody else. Yeah. And And I was his sidekick on that trip. Uh, He took me all over the place. How many, uh, how many meals did he order and not finish on that on that trip? I knew that was coming. I knew that was coming. Yeah. Tim Gri Yeah. Yeah, he he he knew restaurants like no other. Uh-huh. He really did. And he was telling me the whole trip, There’s this Jewish deli we got to go to. It’s on the outskirts of town we can make it, uh, when we’re headed to the airport, you know, whenever we leave, we can we can stop there. Mhm. And sure enough, we stopped, and he’s telling me, I’m going to get matzo ball soup. Uh, are you, no. I’m going to get a pastrami sandwich. You can’t go wrong at this place. I’ve read about it. Great reviews. Great food. Mhm. And of course, he orders all that takes takes a spoonful of matzo ball soup, and I think that was it. And And he didn’t leave disappointed. You know, that one spoonful of matzo ball soup made his day. And of course, I’m eating everything. You know, but that was Tim. He could steer you to the best restaurants Yeah. where he would only nibble. I I think we should all in our lives be satisfied with one spoonful of really great matzo ball soup. That’s what I was going to say. That’s what we can give the listeners this week. We’re not going to give them a full hour. We’re not going to give them a full hour. Yeah. Go ahead. I’m Well, I’m sorry, Mike. He was an incredibly trim guy, and it was cuz he walked so much. He loved to walk, but he also dying like that. He just loved to take people to restaurants, and he wouldn’t partake. Well, in the spirit of Tim Griffin, we’re not going to give you a whole feast this week. Uh, those of you who joined us on the in vivo Zoom last Thursday, we really appreciate it. We had some great questions. Uh, we did a full hour on video, uh, which you can find on YouTube if you if you search a little bit. Go to the San Antonio Express News page and look at the in vivos. The the title of it is, uh, Spurs beat writers discuss the season. It It shouldn’t be too hard to find. But, we have a whole hour where we took your questions last Thursday. It wasn’t on the podcast, but sincerely we appreciate the questions. It was a great event. If you want to look it up, look it up. Uh, we’re not going to do a whole hour today. We’re going to give you a nibble. Actually, I went back and watched that. Did you, really? Yeah, yeah. My My take away is that now, uh, now I see why we turn off our cameras for this thing. That’s a good point. Uh, so, so, we have a less detailed show this week. Uh, but where Where do you want to start, Tom, at a pre-season game? I’ll start with him there. Um, because the pre-season has included as of this taping one Victor Wembanyama game, two Chris Paul games, uh, but guys just basically feeling out where uh, where the roster’s going to be, where the rotation’s going to be, no Devin Vassell games. Um, but, but, uh, progress reports so far in the pre-season, Tom? Well, you know, these these pre-season games have passed by after the first one. One down, four to go, you know. Um, But, yeah, I mean, there there’s You can’t get a whole lot from them because they’ve been so disjointed, uh, lineup wise, you know. Conventional wisdom says that one of these final two games will be a dress rehearsal for the regular season, but, as Zach Collins said when I asked him about that Saturday night, who knows with Coach, you know, who knows. Um, but, yeah. Wemby, you know, uh, fans are yearning to see more of him, but the Spurs are doing the prudent thing as they as they always do, especially with him. You know, he had a busy summer Olympics, uh, yada yada. They’re resting him. And uh, fans go nuts over it, but, it’s the smart thing to do. Pop did say on Saturday, he expected Wemby would play in the final two pre-season games. I suppose that’s subject to change. Um, but, it seemed to be that was the that was the, uh, tentative plan going forward was to play at Miami, and at Houston. So, maybe, maybe uh, the road fans can look forward to that a little bit. Jeff, we, uh, regaled the YouTube Zoom, uh, viewers last week on In Vivo with tales of the first Victor, Chris Paul game. But, we have not discussed it on the Spurs Insider podcast yet, just a the Cliff’s Notes version. Cliff’s Notes version on, uh, on on that first Chris Paul, Victor Wembanyama combo night. I mean, you know, uh, as we mentioned on the In Vivo thing, the whole world or at least all the Spurs watching world has been uh they’ve had visions of the first Chris Paul to Victor Wembanyama alley-oop lob pass like dancing in their heads since July when Chris signed here. And, we finally got it in in that game. Um, that against the Magic. It’s the It took them like, uh, 11 minutes and 42 seconds of the first quarter. Like, right there towards the end of it, but they finally got it on a little baseline pick and roll, but But, otherwise, like like everything else uh, at this time of year, um, that that connection is still work in progress. Everything’s work in progress. Um, there were some good moments. There were some out of sync moments, but, it You certainly saw, um, glimpses of why everyone’s so excited to see, um, arguably the best point guard and definitely the best pick and roll point guard of his generation team up with Victor Wembanyama this this season. What have been the reviews on just having that veteran point guard around this preseason? He played another game on Saturday, but, what do, uh, how do you feel like he’s done in terms of becoming a Spur? All All the reviews are are are good so far. And, he’s been very vocal with the game he sat out, you know, you you if you watched the bench, he was very active during timeouts, uh, talking to everybody, all the players you talked to, all the young guys you talked to said he’s just always in here, on the court, on the sideline, in the locker room. Um, hopefully that doesn’t that doesn’t wear people out over the course of 82 games, but, for right now, everybody is really um really excited to have him around. I I mean, he he he I know it’s a cliche, but, it’s like having another another coach in the in the locker room, in the huddle, um, someone that’s been through every possible situation that is possible to see in the NBA, now imparting that knowledge. Um, and, also on the floor, you know, we know he’s here to hoop. Um, and, you know, he’s not the same player he was at 29, but you can definitely see a difference between uh, the way he runs a pick and roll, the way he runs an offense, and some of the the younger guys just the the the passes are pinpoint. I think it was I think it was Zach Collins that was telling us, um, the other day, like, You run a pick and roll, and you don’t even see a space where a pass could even possibly be tried, and all of a sudden, the ball pops up in your hands. Like, that sort of thing. So, uh, he’s going to help them in in in both ways. He’s not going to be the All-Star Chris Paul, I think we all know that. He’s 39 years old. He’s not going to play in 82 games. They’ll be lucky if he plays in 60. But, But, those 60 should look a lot more organized, and um, uh, just stable than some of the the messier games we saw last year. A case uh, you know, a case can be made, he’s sitting on the bench and it’s always been the same, uh, seating arrangement each game. It’s It’s Chris Paul sitting next right next to to the right of, uh, Victor. And then Victor next to Victor is Devin. And, a case can be made maybe Victor’s getting more out of sitting next to Chris Paul than he would be playing, cuz they’re they’re As as as Jeff said, they’re talking throughout the game and it’s not, uh, you know, just from the from the eyeball eyeballs up in the media seating, you know, it’s not they’re not chopping it up, they’re not joking around. You know, he’s he’s pointing at stuff on the court. Victor’s nodding his head, and you know, maybe Victor’s getting more out of that than he would be on the court. I’m sure they’ve thought of that. Um, like, that that’s that’s part of, like, Jeff said, Chris Paul’s here in his mind, because this was the one place in the NBA that let him play. Like, this is This is the place that gave him a job. The The Spurs gave him that job because of stuff like Tom’s talking about. Like, they need that. It’s It’s not just the playing, it’s the all the stuff. Greg Popovich mentioned after Chris Paul’s first game that he What did he say, Tom, that he was mesmerized at some point just listening to him talk. Yeah. To the uh, to the guys in the huddle, on on the court, um, And saying, why didn’t I think of that? You know? Chris will say something. He says, Why didn’t I think of that? Yeah. And like like Jeff said, that might grate on people eventually, um, but, in the short term, it’s just We’ve mentioned this before, it’s it’s nice to have an another adult in the room and you know the Spurs opened their pre-season schedule against Oklahoma City, and, there are some parallels there, um, in terms of of of what Chris Paul brought to the Thunder in the one year he was in Oklahoma City. It was a similar situation. And, Oklahoma City was a a team kind of on the rise. They were very young. They had some They just needed someone to show them the way to the next level, and Chris was there for 1 day, and if you talk to like, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he will tell you that that Chris made just such a massive impact on his career just in that one year. Um, you know, the Thunder coach uh, Mark Daigneault was an assistant there when Chris was there. And, he You heard me. And he went on uh, You heard me. He went on about Chris and what he brought to the That brings back memories, right, Mike? He went on about, yeah. Thunder during that just that It was one season, but there’s so many parallels there that it’s kind of It’s kind of interesting. And, the Spurs are hopeful that Chris can do the same thing here. It’s It’s It’s just give everybody just show him how it’s done. Show them the ropes. Uh, show them how to navigate this situation, that situation, late-game situations, just all the little nuances that go into, um, winning basketball games on a consistent level. That’s That’s what the Spurs can learn from Chris Paul this year. And, he he showed it in OKC when he was there. And, I I think the Spurs have reason to be optimistic he can have the same kind of effect here, where years from now, you know, maybe Victor’s talking about how you know, Chris Paul made such a difference in in him getting to the next level. And it seems It seems, um, it seems as though he won’t get on their nerves. Um, Pop, you know, in that quote about being mesmerized, he he ended that comment by saying, you know, he does it the right way, he makes them feel good about themselves. And uh, you know, it’s one thing if you’ve got a, you know, someone who’s trying to trying to be a leader, forcing him way, forcing his way into a leadership role, and yacking all the time, then there’s another thing, another Yeah, if you got a veteran like a Hall of Famer like him who’s, you know, pointing it out because he wants you to get better. You know, there there’s a huge difference in that. I actually did have a conversation with with someone in Oklahoma City about this. Um, cuz cuz Chris did does have a reputation in some corners of the league of being a little bit of a, uh, a hard-ass. a basketball? Yeah, that maybe a better way of saying it. Um, um, uh, and, I I asked uh, the Oklahoma City guys like, what was what was he like, uh, in that year, was was did he wear on people? And, he said, He said, no, um, you know, Chris really got that reputation because they were a young team. Like, he had a little more patience with a young team. He was teaching a young team. They weren’t He has less Apparently, he has less he has Chris Paul has less patience for like, let’s say, uh, Houston. When he was in Houston, and think of some of the players, uh, that were on the roster with him in Houston, veteran players who should know better, who should know how to carry themselves, who should know how to act, who should know how to be professional. Um, that tended to bring out the, uh, uh, irascibility in Chris Paul, more than, um, you know, kids learning the game, and making mistakes. And, so, I think there’s a there’s there’s a difference there that might be worth watching, too. Uh, this Spurs team is going to be young players making mistakes, not veteran players uh, kind of being unprofessional, which is what some of his Chris’s uh, problems were with other teammates in the past, from what I’m told. Well, when you guys were talking about that, Tom, in particular, just about the idea of, um, being part of a team and uh, and having the guy kind of leading the thing, the the host on the floor if you will, wearing on you becoming annoying, like uh, like just just beating you over the head too much, like Tom Tom wouldn’t understand that at all, would you? Um, uh, so, uh, Where are you going with this? I’m I’m just saying, like, like, like, to have to have the the the point guard of of an operation, the the the host if you will, to to have that guy be unlikeable. Like you wouldn’t you wouldn’t have any idea what that would be like. Uh, uh, Well, I thought you were going to bring up, and nothing against him, but Avery Johnson, you know, kind of go. Oh, no. No, no. No, I was being much more cute than that. Well, you know, um, cuz before the show, Tom was talking about I made some innocuous comment to Tom Orsborn about, uh, about uh, how I was proud of him in some way. And, it seemed like your appreciation for that comment was way over the top. It seems like you were less sincere in, uh, in how much you value my opinion on things. Uh, uh, Well, that was That was That was, you know, 20-plus years of grating coming out. That’s what I mean. That’s what I mean. You know, that I’ve dealt with, you know, like, for these many years. Uh-huh. And, Chris Paul’s only going to be But, I know he’s not going to be around for 20 years. He’s going to be around for a few months. Yeah. I I kind of look at myself as like, Kareem, and your Magic Johnson. You’re You’re a young You’re you’re a young guy, but, you want to you you want good things for the old aging, uh, veteran. Yeah. You don’t You don’t know Mike Finger at all. Uh, sadly, I do. There’s the real authenticity. There we go. We ended, uh, the in vivo just some quick shots, uh, predictions, and uh, I wanted to do uh, a show with more of I guess, we’re going to do one more before the season starts. But, Jeff mentioned the Chris Paul, Oklahoma City year. Um, and, very different circumstances. Like, the go That There was a young team, but, a young team that was more ready than this team was. A little bit, yeah. Um, That team, the one year with Chris Paul finished 44 and 28, and 5th in the Western Conference. But, like, that’s so that Like, I think that’s the the what the area Where is the years before? Oh, the years before? uh, uh, They were better. They They were 49 and 33. Oh, really? S Yeah. That just blows everything out of the water here. Well, let’s let’s just say Let’s just Can Can we go back and erase all that stuff we just said? Well, um, Let me make sure that’s right. That’s right. I don’t think that’s right. It is right. That can’t be right. Um, it is right. But, it was another situation where they were, um, where where Chris was surrounded by younger guys. And, uh, like you said, needed to be pushed along. It It It’s um, success in the NBA, progress in the NBA is not linear, as we say all the time. Um, And, that It It It set the stage in the same way that I think the Spurs are hoping this sets the stage, but, that’s a That’s an significant difference in these two situations. Like, the the the Thunder team that Chris Paul joined was not nearly as bad, did not have as far to go as this Spurs team does. What I was getting to, though, is is uh, the the predictions that we ended the In Vivo with, which I think we were all in the 34 35 36 range. Were Are we still sticking with that? And, do we want to explore our reasoning more for that on this show this week? Jeff, what was your number last week? Think I said 36. 36. Well, let’s let’s tell the listeners at home, who can read more of your uh, content on Express News dot com, by the way. Um, And then the San Antonio Express News uh, explain your your reasoning for the 36 projection that you have. I mean, I guess it sounds low to people, but, it’s a mighty big jump from where they were last year. A And uh, and, you know, there are reasons to expect that they will make a jump, for sure. Um, but, I I actually I think predicting a team to go from 22 wins to 36 is a is a pretty bullish prediction. That’s huge. Something more than Like, I said when I I think I said 34 um, you you win 33, that’s a 50% improvement, that’s huge. And, uh uh, you know, I I just I’m not Like we all Tom was right there in the 35 36 range. I want to get your thoughts on this, too. But, um, that is That is a huge improvement, and, it probably does not get you into the play-in situation. Um, so, it’ll be interesting to see um, how Chris Paul how Harrison Barnes, how basically everybody deals with the the idea that this team could make a lot of improvement and still not be there in the in the race that they all want to be in. Um, but, I I I I think that It’s Much like the Thunder in 2020, or the year that that Chris Paul was there. It It’s a step that the organization needs to take. Uh, you can’t You can’t skip steps, as the Spurs say all the time, say all the time. And a a big part of it of of the the calculus is the Western Conference is just brutal. Yeah. Like, who who are teams going in that you can say unequivocally the Spurs at full strength, unequivocally they’re better than? There’s maybe Maybe Utah. Maybe Portland’s That’s it. Yeah, and, they get them in the first in the first 10 games, they play Utah twice, Portland once. Better win those games. Better win those games, cuz they also got out Dallas, Houston twice, out Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Clippers. Yep. And that And we also mentioned on In Vivo, um, you know, the the other part that comes into this, the the the teams that could fall below or the teams that either either just implode, like, because the veterans just get unhappy, and, and everything falls apart, or, some But there’s a big Ja Morant type injury. But, you’re looking at maybe the the Clippers and Suns as implosion candidates. Those are good rosters. Those are good teams. Um, And, then, Memphis still, uh, like, I think they’re going to be a whole lot better, but, you know, these These are These are really good teams that expect to be not just in the play-in, but, the playoffs. That could finish 11th 12th in the league, in the in the conference. So, uh, it it again, we’re kind of setting expectations here for the local cagers this season. I I I think it’s it’s absolutely correct and understandable, and, right to, uh, to to think that they’re going to be a whole lot lot better than they’ve been the last couple of years. That just might not translate into playoff play-in appearances. A 36 wins, which is what I predicted, which you know, is a as I mentioned, is a pretty huge jump in one season. Um, that would have been, uh, 10 victories shy of the play-in last year. Yep. Yep. It Hate Hate Hate to be, you know, a bummer, but, they they were a long way off from the play-in, and, uh, it’s going to take a lot to get there. Like, Houston wen Houston went 41 and 41, and, it really wasn’t close, you know. Wasn’t close to the play-in. I mean, they finished 5 games out of it. Yeah. That’s it’s it’s a brutal conference. Um, Yeah, I I I I I just had me lose my train of thought, which I was just. That was Mission accomplished. Brutal, brutal. Just Just knocked you off your game there, Mike. Oh, yeah. But, they’d have a better shot, they’d have a better shot in the East, as we all know. Like, the East is I’d actually If they were If the Spurs were an Eastern Conference team, I would I’d like them for a play-in spot, but, the as 36 wins got you got you in the play-in in the East last year. It just seems unfair. Seems unfair. It’s rigged. It’s what it is. They should get rid of the the NBA’s Electoral College. I think it should be one win, one one one one vote, one one. I’m tired of all this D-I for the Eastern Conference teams. That’s what I was That don’t That Let’s not go there. Um, Yeah. And they they play only uh, one Eastern team in the first, uh, 21 games. Well, they better win that one. Who Who do they have, the the Wizards. They They play a bad Eastern team, and, at home first. At home. Yeah. That they better win that one. One win would get them some Must win games on the schedule for your Spurs. Look at you. I mean, yeah. G Greg Popovich on the hot seat if he doesn’t win some of these games. No, I I think there was uh I I hate these By the way, don’t bet, don’t pay any attention to to all these ridiculous, uh, sports betting advertisements and sites, unless they sponsor us. Um, But, uh, the the, uh, odds for the first coach fired this season came out, and, uh, that I think Greg Popovich was last as as he should be. He’s not going to he’s not going to lose his uh, his spot. Well, what were the odds? Like, a million to one? Something like that. Then, I’m going to go put a dollar on that. Chris. Like, what What do you What do you have to lose besides a dollar? Yeah. Um, and, maybe your dignity. Where I was But, I don’t know if going Earlier was the uh, the brief discussion that we had on In Vivo. I keep hyping this cuz it was a very fun event. Um, about I got off on a Harrison Barnes tangent, and, uh, we were talking about the players that are most important to to the Spurs on-court success this season. Um, basically, the point was that he doesn’t need to have a great Harrison Barnie year, Barnes year, as much as the Spurs need big years from, let’s say, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, and, guys like that. Um, Of course. Do Do you guys still think or I I guess, I’ll I’ll throw this out to to review that discussion, and, uh uh, and, name the guys who you think have to have big years for the Spurs to to make the leap that Jeff was talking about. Well, to get to go back to that uh, tangent. Mhm. You know, uh, I think I think you took umbrage or, you know, you were you’re questioning I I wasn’t saying he has to, you know, he’s one of the most important guys. I’m just saying, if they’re going to get to the 35 36 wins, I think they need everyone playing pretty well, including Harrison Barnes. He’s not the most important guy, but, by by by far, by far. But, you know, a good season from him would help them get there, of course. I think I think you’re probably right. I think that’s But, um, In reviewing that discussion, I think we both could have been a little more I’m not I didn’t mean to to completely dismiss the importance of Harrison Barnes. Um, I think the the the point I was trying to make probably not very well was that, um, somebody generally on a roster is going to have a subpar seasoned for by their own standards. And, if of the top like seven, eight guys in the rotation, if Harrison Barnes is the guy who’s a little subpar, I think the Spurs would be fine with that. Yeah. If If that If that assumes that the other five, six at the top uh, uh, exceed their expectations. I think part of the thing driving this this discussion is Harrison Barnes has not looked very good in the pre-season. And, whether that’s just Yeah. you know, veterans tend to take a while to gear it up and he’ll be he’ll be fine once he gets in the groove of of the regular season. I I I think that’s That’s a fair point someone could make, but, I I I and, it might So it might be a a issue of recency bias, where we all we’ve seen of him in a Spurs jersey has been not not super great looking. And, we’re And we’re also thinking Vassell’s going to come back maybe within the first week of the season, he’s going to start. You You’re You’re How are you going to make that work? I mean, if if so, If Harrison isn’t playing great into the season, would would he be the one to go to the bench? I mean, I don’t know, but, I I just think you’re already trying to put that puzzle together. And, if Harrison Barnes isn’t looking like uh, you know, the Harrison Barnes of old, um, maybe he’s the guy that makes that puzzle work for you, and, moves to the bench. I don’t I don’t know if that’s true, but, when you’re asking like how important he’s going to be to the operation I’m I’m thinking he might end up on the bench, you know. I I don’t know that, but, he might. I was, uh, covering football this weekend in the DFW area, and, I did not get to uh, to closely analyze that preseason game on Saturday, but, were there more uh Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan together minutes? Or, did both of those guys play? Yes, they both played. How’s that looked so far through three games, do you think? I think it’s That was a big question. Can those two guys play alongside each other? They play sort of similar positions. I think Sochan looks pretty good because he’s just back doing the the the things that um, he can do. Just just cutting, and finding space, and, uh, um, just playing with energy, like he We We know We know he can’t play point guard, and, we know he’s not going to be a knock-down shooter, but, just those little heady plays that he does here and there, little duck in-and-outs, um, hit the boards, push the push the ball when he gets a rebound. Like, he he’s looking Not going to sit here and say he looks like a a star in the pre-season, but, he’s looked a lot more solid this pre-season than, um, you know, last year, when he was trying to figure out the point guard thing. And, uh, Mm. Barnes, just looks like a veteran, uh, you know, trying to find his way on on a new team, maybe in the early part of pre-season. Um, it’s not unheard of for, like, a 30 guys in their 30s to not have great pre-seasons in the NBA. Like, I don’t know that the I don’t know that’s how they’re built. I don’t know how they’re I don’t think that’s how they they build their seasons in terms of the rhythms of their season. Like, to go pell-mell in the pre-season. So, maybe, that’s part of it. But, um, Well, let me ask you this, um, removing the the the dynamic, and I’m sure you can, of Harrison Barnes being a veteran, respected veteran, who volunteered to come here, was very excited to be here, probably expected to start if you if you take that out. He started 82 games in a row, 2 years running, now. He started 82 games in a row 2 years running. And, you can’t just take that out cuz he don’t play basketball in a vacuum. And, there’s feelings, and, there’s dynamics, and, all that stuff, but, just the Xs and Os basketball of it. When Devin Vassell returns, do you think a better rotation, a better lineup, a better sit on on the court situation for the local cagers would be to leave Julian Champagnie in the starting lineup alongside Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan and have Harrison Barnes come off the bench? Or, would it be to send Julian Champagnie back to the bench and keep uh, Vassell alongside Sochan, and Barnes? I could argue both sides of that. I I think uh, some of them might be recency bias talking, but, Champagnie has looked really good doing what he does in this pre-season. Just catch and shoot, catch and shoot, catch and shoot. And, that’s sort of the guys you need to play around um, Victor Wemby. Victor Wembanyama, and Chris Paul, and even Devin Vassell, guys that you don’t have to feed the ball to, but, if If If If the ball finds them and they’re open for three, they can knock it down. And, he Champagnie’s looked really good doing that through three pre-season games. Now, it’s been three pre-season games, very small sample size. Can he keep that up? If he can, I think there’s an argument to be made to keep him there in the starting lineup. Um, the other side of that argument is, your bench is going to need some shooting, too, though. Yeah. So, if you have everybody that can shoot in the starting lineup, I mean, the the maybe the bigger problem is the Spurs don’t have enough of those guys on the roster as a whole who who you think can be a 40% 3-point shooter. Like, maybe Devin, maybe Champagnie. We’ve seen Mamuk knocking them down in the pre-season. Other outside of that, and, I don’t know that Victor’s going to get to 40%, you know. So, outside of that, you don’t want all your shooters on one team. 40% 40% that’s that’s an important uh, uh, Yes, what did I say? Word there. You said you were you were afraid he wasn’t going to get to 40. I was worried about him. Yeah, I was talking about percentages. Sorry. Oh, you don’t want to make it to 40. It’s It’s It’s It’s It’s Yeah. I think Come on, man. I mean, I won’t be alive to see him make it to 40, but, that’s That’s true. So, but, I good good luck to him, though. Mhm. Um, But, but, anyways, so, I could see maybe maybe keeping one of those shooters like Champagnie on the bench, so, you have more shooting off the bench, as well. Um, really the the upshot is they need more shooting. Yeah. But, I guess every almost every team in the league could say they need more shooting. They didn’t do a lot to address their shooting in the off-season. They’re really hoping, um, um, They’re really hoping that that uh uh