The Shot Clock Pod - 2025-26 Season Preview, seven impactful players

13 Rules - Oct 12 2025 === Jose: [00:00:00] All right, it's time to talk basketball. I'm Jose Salviati, Editor at thePeachBasket.net. He's Steve Purciello, a longtime educator, vice-principal, high school basketball coach and athletic director. And this is the Shot clock Pod, the best 24 minutes of NBA random thoughts online anywhere. This podcast was born outta the content of Steve's 13 Rules Random NBA Thoughts articles. Steve and I have, oh which I should say he publishes weekly. Steve and I have exactly 24 minutes to discuss what's on his mind or on the NBA today. We'll discuss his latest 13 rules, random NBA thoughts article where he shares his thoughts on the top seven, I shouldn't say top seven, but at least seven interesting players, and that's some key things about those players that could be the key to their team's success this season. A really, listen, all these articles are good. This one I thought was really interesting. Some really, some good nuggets there that I didn't even know about. Incidentally, the season tips off in exactly nine days from the time we record this show. I am remote if you are a regular listener or watcher.[00:01:00] Thank you. Number one. But that's why things might look a little different. Maybe not sound as good. Apologies for that. I'm on the road this week. But with that as an intro, Steve, are you ready? Ready. Let me start the timer. We got 24 minutes and we're off and running. All right. Let's start. You brought up seven interesting players, seven interesting topics. You start with something I hadn't heard anything about, and it's been a busy week for me. Maybe that's why. But there are some rumors apparently way too early to have rumors at this point of the season, but there is one bubbling that involves Giannis and the Knicks. How realistic is that? Steve: First of all, you wouldn't hear of it because it has nothing to do with the Lakers. So yeah. Before we begin, we'll just say this, there's rumor that in August SHAS is reporting it that the Nicks and the Bucks were talking trade for Giannis. It's interesting I guess Giannis wants to go to New [00:02:00] York and what it really comes down to is a very simple thing. And I, there's two ways they can get it done, but do the Bucks wanna make Giannis happy, but at the same time kill their team? Or do they want to put 'em out there if they're gonna trade him and get the best offer? That's something they have to figure out. The Knicks are women in what they can offer. First of all, bridges just signed. He's gotta wait six months to, to be able to be traded. So you have Carl Anthony Towns, which match his salary. But you got towns and who else do you want? I don't know, because they will not deal Brunson. They're nice players, but I wouldn't even think of it if I trading honest for them. I'd want a bunch of draft picks and try to figure the whole thing out. The Knicks don't have any, they traded them, not many. 'cause they traded them all for bridges last year, so they're limited. Now the other thing that can happen, the only way it can happen is if the Knicks can figure a way to trade one of their [00:03:00] players to somebody else. Get a bunch of whatever Milwaukee wants, draft picks and things like that. Then be able to offer that to the Bucks. They do have to match salaries. So I don't think it's gonna be talked about and watch how Milwaukee does at the beginning of the season. If Milwaukee struggles, you're going to hear about it. Now I am pretty sure that Houston and teams like that are gonna be interested in Giannis, and Houston's got draft picks, so it's gonna be interesting. The other thing to look at. If you're Milwaukee and you're getting Houston's draft picks, now common sense tells you if they're getting Giannis in the next three, four years, they're gonna have a top 10 team or a top five team, whatever. So you're not getting a great draft pick. So again, you have to be judicious about how you pick and choose what you want in that the three-way deal might be the best thing. But it does come back to, does Milwaukee wanna satisfy him for winning them a [00:04:00] title? At the expense of, I know in my lifetime, Milwaukee, he'll never win another title because, if you're gonna take, let's say, Enobi and bridges and some fodder with that's not enough. But more importantly. That ain't getting you. It might get you in the playoffs but you're not thinking about playing for any titles. So that's where it's at. And to me, it, it's interesting and it's interesting what Giannis will do and what's also one more piece. Giannis is pretty loyal person. Sure. But evidently he did make it clear to his team. To the bucks that he would go to New York. So he's not coming out and saying, I wanna be traded. But he is and that's really interesting. Jose: Yeah. Interesting. Indeed. Like I said, way too early for rumors, but that just means it's gonna be an interesting season. And for the record I did this last week, I'll do it again this week. You [00:05:00] brought up the Lakers? I did not. I'm just throwing that out there. Item number two happens to be the Lakers, coincidentally shock. And you wrote about the team. You wrote about, whatcha talking about what you wrote about? It's still a shock. It's still a shock. LeBron James, okay. Uncharted territory. This is what you wrote. What does that mean for LeBron? What'd you, what did you mean when you said is his uncharted territory this season? Steve: LeBron spent his whole career going to the teams he wanted to go to. Holding up other teams saying, I want this person traded for this guy. And then if it doesn't work out, he has nothing to do with it. He always says he's always covered himself real well. However, now he the shoe's on the other foot, he's making a lot of money. 50 million or so, he, nobody's gonna take 'em because 50 million, you gotta make up that salary and the deal. But more importantly. He's in his forties and he's out for a couple weeks now. [00:06:00] So you're gonna trade for somebody who really you know, and he might retire at the end of the year or he might be injured enough where he just so beat up that he can't play. So why would anybody trade him? He's with the Lakers. The Lakers are counting the days till his contract comes off the books and they don't sign somebody else. Now, by the way. The Lakers tying it to Giannis. The Lakers in the back of their mind were thinking Giannis would wanna come to the Lakers in a year. They do have pieces to trade now, but in a year or two when the money starts coming off the books, they'd have the money to offer him two years in free agency. So the Lakers are a little bit shunned. Because like bridesmaids, because Giannis is saying no. I wanna go to New York. And that's very interesting because let's face it, I know [00:07:00] the Wakers will won a couple titles here and there but. They've won them. Usually by getting free agents from other teams. They never do it organically. It's just who the Lakers are. And this is another chance for them thinking they can get Giannis and it's not happening. Yeah, but the bigger issue here is LeBron James, who has called the shots through ATIs career. He wants this. He gets that. That's over and that's the bigger issue. Now, I really wonder if LeBron will wanna stick around. Knowing that things aren't gonna get better, things are going to be, he's become another player, a good player, but another player that can get traded. Jose: Yeah, it's Steve: gonna be an interesting Jose: season in LA all the way around. Incidentally, just for the record before we go on to item number three at 17 World Champions, you said a few, I'm just throwing that out there. You wrote that you are high and I'm gonna move on quick because I know we're gonna go down [00:08:00] rabbit holes, otherwise you wrote that you were high on your Orlando Magic. Which I love. This is a team that just hasn't done anything really since Shaq was there. But you qualified it, you were high on the Orlando magic, but only if what, Steve: Before you do that, just keep in mind something important. How many titles did they win without having to buy a player? None in consequence. Back to the seventies wool chamber, when they had to trade for the only, probably the only ones they had was when the team was in Minnesota. The Minneapolis Lakers, that's even another thing. They take that title, they claim those titles. So let's put that aside though, because talking about the Lakers is just boring, but Right. We were, go ahead. What were you just mentioning? The Lakers. What were you mentioning with the other thing? Magic. The Orlando Magic. I get a little upset because the Laker fans think they've won, they get the best player in the free agency and then they think they're geniuses. That's the job. Get the best player. Win the game. That's the job. Yeah, I know, [00:09:00] but sometimes maybe you ought to draft them. Sometimes, maybe, even Kobe Bryant, they had a steal so it's true. It's true. Okay. And then the guy that went with him, Shaq was a free agent. Did they ever, Dr. Magic is one of the few people they ever Jerry West that they ever drafted that really could help him. But let's put that aside 'cause we know this, but the all and the magic they have. Three really good scorers. They went outta their way to trade for Desmond Bain, they gave up a lot. They have Bain and Carroll and Wagner. Those are three real good players. Scorers good players. Good defense and they have a lot of length, so defensively they're trouble. However, the whole key to them, if you watch them for 10 minutes, you'll realize if he's healthy, is Jalen Suggs. He had pretty important major knee surgery in the off season. He was hurt for much last year. If he comes back, look [00:10:00] out, they're good. They need him. He's the heart and soul. If you watch him on the court, he's the director. He tells people what, he's just running the show and he is a good player. He's a great defender. He's a clutch shooter. When? When Bank Carro and Wagner were hurt last year. They hung around and a lot of it was suggs carrying the mess early in the season. So Jalen Suggs is one of the most underrated players, and if you are a good NBA fan. You'll watch him and realize how good, if he's healthy, and I really do hope he's healthy because he can really throw a crimp into the Cavaliers and Nick's plans. Yeah. And make it a lot of fun. Jose: Excited to see that. I think the magic may very well be that surprise Cinderella team this season, the surprise Cinderella team last season. How's that for a segue? The Detroit Pistons in a lot of ways, you wrote about them really good. NBA teams have two of [00:11:00] what score and what does that mean? Two score when it comes to Steve: two scorers. Think about the teams ahead of Detroit last year. They lost to the next. They've got two scores. Yeah, Boston has two scores. They were ahead of 'em last year. Even Minnesota. Orlando, who wasn't ahead of them, had two scores. So you need two scores to really take an effect in the league. They only have Cunningham, they have Jayden, I, Ivy and and Duren. Those two have potential. Ivy was hurt much last year. Doran is a bull on the boards, a real good rebounder, and he's a good scorer. He could score inside and he could put back and do those things, but they really need, and they've got Tobias Harris and the kid Holland, who's a nice player, but he is not a scorer. They really need somebody that can go get them 20 every night. Now I'm gonna say this. Yeah. If, how, if they [00:12:00] don't find them. Which I don't think they will. Detroit will be the un surprise of the year, meaning they'll be a sixth or seventh place team and Cade Cunningham's great. They need more and they don't have, by the way, they lost Dennis Schroder Beasley right now is not with them. Tim Hardaway, those guys, they're not. Number two scorers, but they all can put the ball in the basket. So they lost a lot of offense there. So they're a team. I know everybody wants to, because it's a sexy pick because they won whatever, 10 games two years ago. It's beautiful how good to see them win, but people have to realize they need more, and I don't think they're gonna get it from Tobias Harris. So if do and and. Ivy can develop, they could be good, but I honestly don't see that Ivy was hurt much last year. He's a little, he's not [00:13:00] progressed along where he should be. So I don't see it. I I know everybody likes to talk about Detroit and how wonderful they are and all that. And by the way, when you play Detroit. It's the old bump and grind. Every basket is earned. Every play is earned. They defend well. They do a lot of things, but sometimes they just can't score. And when you lose a Beasley, they're losing that open three. That good shooter. It's wide open. Yeah. Jose: Yeah, we love a good Cinderella story. I, I think in general we had that in Detroit last season. But this season you gotta make a move. You gotta improve. And that certainly means somebody else stepping up. Let's see how that plays out. We go from the east back to the west. Deandre Aton. He's only 27 years old. This was a guy who's always been pretty solid, never spectacular, you expect a lot more from somebody drafted where he was. Is it too early to call him a bust? Is it too late for him to make a [00:14:00] dramatic jump in his career? Steve: It's not too late, but he's a bust. He was the first pick in the draft. First pick. He went to Phoenix, they went to the finals against Milwaukee. They lost he was an old school senator who could post up and score and had a little nice little floater in the middle, moving towards the middle when he got the ball in the post. He could do some nice things offensively. Now he's with the Lakers. He's got Luca. Luca loves a big who can screen and roll, and he loves to throw the ball up to him and let him throw it down. That's how lively and Rick and the other guy on, on Detroit, on gaff. Gafford made their way through him. And everybody loved Lively two years ago. He's been hurt though but the point being AAN adds something. He's also a rim protector. If he's also been bought out, he's on a small contract with the Lakers, but he walked away with a lot of money from Portland. The second team, he failed with Portland. Couldn't wait to get, they bought him [00:15:00] out. They didn't even try to trade him. So it tells you something about what they thought about him. And I, all, the word is he's not a great team person. So they, they've got those problems. The Lakers are hoping, again, we go back to what we were talking about. He's with the Lakers. Oh my god. Mountains are gonna be moved and he'll be great. And he might be, 'cause he's talented. And he's good, but I don't know if he's motivated. He might be. He's gotta be now because he's gotta realize his contract's gonna be up soon. This is, he can make a lot of money still and he's still young as you said. So that's gotta be something. And boy, if LeBron's out for any period of time, a's their biggest help naturally they have reeves but a's they need him badly around the basket defensively and offensively for what he can do. Jose: Yeah. Yeah. It's a prove it year for this guy. It's good to hear you say that he could still make a dramatic jump. I'm not as sold. I, I think he is who he is. [00:16:00] I think he's going to be, he'll have great games, he'll have really bad games. I think he is who he is. I at 27 years old for the most part you are who you are. But we'll see. One of the, it's gonna be an interesting year. Steve: One of the worst things if you're an NBA player is to be talented and really not be motivated. And that's the shame of it for him because when he came outta college, I thought, this guy would be just incredibly good. And don't forget, his game is a game that would've fit better 20 years ago as a big man. So that's another Exactly. Now you want somebody screening and really playing up high and a ball mover, two and threes like that. Yeah. And that's not him, but yeah. That's the way it's, Jose: yeah. The quintessential oddly enough you go back to their back to the basket center plays in LA and I think that's zubo, right? You could argue Joel and B, but he'll make a three every now and again. OTs doesn't shoot, threes doesn't make three. He's the [00:17:00] quintessential kind of center that I think they, they'd be happy if if, if Deandre Aton just does that just be solid every night, get the rebounds, block some shots, and score 10 to 15 points a game Steve: the way you, but don't forget different, you put a team together and you have five different players. The Clippers, Kawhi Leonard is more of a two point shooter for 15 feet. He scores a lot of his points with that. Yeah, that fits better. Then a guy who wants to sit down on the block with a Luca who likes to go to the basket and Reeves, who likes to go to the basket because now you're clogging that up. So there's a point to it. That's why when you play five out, meaning five guys on the perimeter, you are opening up the lanes to go to the basket and two things can happen. Yeah, you can go to the basket and kick it. You read who's defending you, who's dropped to defend you from where generally it's from the weak side and you kick it there. But [00:18:00] that's an important part to it. AAN will take that away from Wil it. I frustrated him. Jose: Yeah. Yep. Interesting year in la No doubt. Especially with LeBron out. Let's keep talking about big guys. What does a healthy Christoph zenga mean for the Atlanta Hawks? Chances of season. Christus Christop. Steve: Pingus is, he's your bailout in 24 seconds. He's your guy when everything else fails, he likes to post at the mid, mid, not in the deep box. The bark about 12 feet out, and he's got a little turnaround in the middle in, in the in the paint there as he catches. Nobody can block that. And it's a great bailout. He's also a guy that can shoot a three very effectively, so you've got all that. All of a sudden, Trey Young has got a running mate because not only could he pick screen for him, but he's not going to always dive to the basket. He might [00:19:00] pop back and he's got a lot of offensive ability that will help the, because previously Atlanta had Capella and all he could do is go to the basket, take the lob and throw it down. Pingus is a multi-talented player. The problem here is how many games he's going, is he going to play? He doesn't play. He's only averaged 51 games, I believe, over the last his 10 year career, and that's in an 82 game season. So you take him and you're gambling. When Boston had him the first year, they won a title. If you remember, Pingus got hurt for a lot, but he also got hurt in the first game of the playoffs. Against Miami and didn't come back till the Dallas series. So Boston got by with Horford as the big, so again, Pingus being out is the biggest factor. If he plays, don't forget Dyson Daniels, nice player, real good Defender J John Jalen Johnson, another good player. They've got some players that are pretty [00:20:00] good. All they need is the big that can do what he can do. And if they get that. They're dangerous. I don't know if they're good enough to get to the finals at an Eastern conference, but they're, no, nobody's pushover if poisoning is healthy and that's a very Jose: important piece. And a big yes, but good to hear. It's fun talking about teams. We don't normally talk about the magic now, the hawks. I certainly hope good things for both of those teams. Let's end with a team that we usually talk about. This is a team that is always in the running, always has good teams. Great leadership. That's the Miami Heat. But this season it's a little different. No one outside of Miami's expecting much from the heat. They have three really good players, and Tyler Hiro, bam, AABA, and Norman Powell. But you called out somebody else as a key to that team. Who and why? Steve: First of all, I thought you were gonna say, we're gonna talk about another team. I thought it was the Lakers, but let me just explain. With the heat, Khalil, where. [00:21:00] Yeah. Khalil Ware is only a second year player. He's a player. He's legit. How quickly is he going to develop? Because don't forget, if you have Khalil Ware, now you can move at Bam to the four and bam can guard anybody. And you've got theri protector and wear's good around the basket. So now you've changed your whole makeup and rebounding and size wise, you're gonna make it a lot better. Don't forget, Tyler Hero's not a good defender, but all of a sudden you got these two guys protecting. So that's gonna take away a little bit from the other team when they do beat. Tyler Hero Dwight Powell. Not a great defender, but a pretty good offensive player. They've got some firepower if, where it takes him a couple steps. If he does Miami, Miami could be a dangerous team. I don't think they're good enough to compete to get to the, to the finals, but I think they can be dangerous. And he is important. It's gonna happen with where unless something [00:22:00] crazy happens, he's gonna be a player. The big question here is when does he become a player? If he does, Miami suddenly goes from a playin team to a solid player or a fifth to sixth place team. And that's a big thing for the heat because this year people were figuring they're just taking a pass on the year. And so it'll be interesting to, to see where the heat go. Depends on what they have. What do you think? Jose: I, me, I'm a I'm a West Coast guy, so I, Steve: Norman Powell's there. That's why I, Norman Jose: Powell's a phenomenal player like a really good player. A solid player. Had his best season last year for the Clippers, and I expect him to, to blossom in Miami. 'cause he's gonna, here in, with the Clippers, with Kauai being out a lot he had a lot of opportunity. I think he's gonna have as mu as many shots. Or maybe more in Miami. Tyler Hiro might muddy that water up a little bit for him, but he's gonna be good. 'Cause he is always good. But yeah I, yeah, I don't know. I just, it seems, that Miami right now [00:23:00] is, I think it's kind, you said playing for them. I didn't even think they were that good. You'd never ever discount a team. Led by Led, led guys like Pat Riley and Eric Spra, just like you. Never discounted the, pop in hi in his first teams. I expect good things because they're Miami Heat. Steve: Okay. I don't forget, by the way, SPRA will be the Olympic coach. Jose: Yeah. Yeah. I just saw that. Deserved. Very good to hear. Yeah. Yeah. Agreed. We got a couple seconds left before the shot clock. I'm gonna try and sneak in one thing. We mentioned the the box. What do they oiss? We talked about LeBron. What does the NBA owe? LeBron? Okay. And let me ask you that in the form of a question because the buzz is about to go off. Hold on let, lemme have it. Can you hear it? Yeah. Very good. I wasn't sure I tried to line that up, but let's talk about it because I think it's a valid question. Otherwise, we would've beat the shot clock and that's boring. Do the box. Oh, Gianni anything? And does the NBA Oh, LeBron James anything? Steve: It's a great [00:24:00] question. The, I think I. Who goes to work in the morning and lives, his life says no. Because his company would fire him in a minute and not think twice. Yeah. We all know though, in the NBA, it's the players make the team. So it's, I think to some extent they owe him. But not to the extent to sell their franchise down the river if they can get better somewhere else. And I, and by that, let me clarify it. That means that you don't trade 'em to a place, like a, I don't know, Minnesota, although they're good, but a town, a city that might not be, you try to find like Jose: Meadow Charlotte. Steve: Yeah. Legit. Yeah. You don't do that, but you do try to find a place that. Could win for him, but also is a place he wouldn't mind going to. When Damien was traded two years ago, three years ago, whatever it was, [00:25:00] what did they do? They wanted, he wanted to go to the heat and they tried with the heat and they couldn't come to an agreement, but he didn't get traded to nobody. He got traded to another team that could win and he didn't, obviously but the point being, they were being fair with him. And not just taking, whatever they can get their hands on. And I guess that would be the best way to to try to answer it. But it's interesting. It's really interesting when you think about that because again, yeah, they bought a title, the city made money, everybody made money that year, but he's also getting paid a lot of money. You go both ways. Jose: Interesting conversation. Thought it was worth taking the taking the shot cloud violation to discuss it. But that's it. Our time is up. You heard the buzzer as always. Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching. Make sure to read Steve's entire 13 rules random NBA Thoughts article. We'll link it wherever you are hearing or watching this today. As always, please subscribe, follow it means a lot. We're grateful for all of it. And [00:26:00] join us next week for more random NBA thoughts as we count down the start of the 20 25 26 NBA season, which is nine days away. Steve. We'll talk next week. Take care. Thanks.