- 19 hours ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Big man on campus.
00:01Is it Trent Williams or do you kind of look to the Warriors where it's Nick
00:08Fridell?
00:09Yeah,
00:09no doubt.
00:10No doubt.
00:10Better beard than Trent.
00:12I mean,
00:13maybe not as full,
00:14but very nicely groomed.
00:15Get to YouTube.
00:17Say that to his face.
00:18To Trent or Nick.
00:20I mean,
00:20I mean,
00:21his face is right there.
00:22It's on YouTube right now.
00:23More salt than I remember the last time around in that song.
00:27No way.
00:29It's true.
00:30Well,
00:30you know,
00:30the warrior season is stressful.
00:32Oh,
00:32no doubt.
00:33How about Draymond salt?
00:35Anyway,
00:35out to the river islands guest line.
00:37We go on the line is Odyssey sports NBA insider,
00:40Nick Fridell insider calls are brought to you by Hyundai and the all new
00:44Hyundai Palisade hybrid.
00:48Hi,
00:48Nick.
00:49How you doing?
00:50Mr.
00:51Dibbs.
00:51My mom has been making sure to remind me to shave before I come out with you
00:55guys on Tuesdays because my neck beard makes me look a little fatter.
01:00So when these YouTube clips pop out in the beginning of the year,
01:04I had the neck beard going.
01:06Cause I was like,
01:06I don't know who's actually seeing this.
01:09And then it gets clipped 3000 times and she's killing me.
01:13And you better shave underneath because it looks even worse than it does.
01:18But now that I'm back in the city,
01:19I'm eating all this great food that wasn't open.
01:22And the last time I was here,
01:23well,
01:24I'm going to have to get on a serious program over the summer.
01:27Mom knows best.
01:28And that's a great scouting report by mama Fridell.
01:31And yeah,
01:32the neck beard is always one of those things where as a beard wearer myself,
01:35it's like,
01:35let it go one more day.
01:37And then it does make you look a little bit punchier.
01:40Shall we say?
01:42Always.
01:42Always.
01:43Yeah.
01:44Andrew Luck and Nick Fridell,
01:45both back in the Bay at the same time.
01:47So that's why I said it.
01:51I just want to bring it home for the people who just know.
01:53Got it.
01:54Okay.
01:54All right.
01:55Let's talk to Nick about the Warriors.
01:57Hey,
01:58Guy Santos came on with us yesterday for the second time in like three weeks.
02:02Is Guy Santos the nicest guy on the Warriors or is Guy Santos the nicest guy on the Warriors?
02:09He's awesome,
02:10man.
02:10And Mark,
02:11what's cool to see,
02:12not only is he playing really well and he's got a hell of a personality,
02:16but his teammates love him.
02:18That's what's so telling to me in watching what's happened in the,
02:22especially in the last couple of months here.
02:24He,
02:24he just,
02:25he's got a great outlook on everything.
02:28His teammates have rallied behind him.
02:31He's playing really well,
02:32but I,
02:32I think there are several different candidates for,
02:35for that particular role.
02:38I mean,
02:38Gary Payton,
02:39the second is that it seems like a really,
02:41really good guy.
02:42His teammates like him a whole bunch.
02:44Everybody loves Steph.
02:46I mean,
02:46this is guys,
02:47this is a team that genuinely gets along for the most part.
02:53I think the Kaminga stuff was an outlier in that everybody kind of grown tired of the storyline.
03:00They didn't dislike Jonathan at,
03:03you know,
03:03as a person,
03:04but I'd say on the whole,
03:06this is one of those teams that you look at.
03:08And I know they've had some struggles this year,
03:10but player to player,
03:13everybody's pretty well liked.
03:14And Guy is right near the top of that list because they know that he's come in and really improved
03:22his game from when he started,
03:23when he got here.
03:24And in light of that,
03:26how huge was that for those other guys,
03:29the others on this team to go out and get that win against Denver?
03:33Tibbs,
03:34that was the best win of the year.
03:36Flatly to me.
03:37When you're playing without Steph and Jimmy and Porzingis,
03:42you know,
03:42the illness pops up right before the game.
03:45And then two seconds before they're about to come out,
03:48Draymond's not playing.
03:50And they just went and played.
03:52And I absolutely,
03:53I think Denver took its foot off the gas because they went,
03:57oh,
03:57well,
03:57I mean,
03:58you're playing against a half of their team,
04:01but to the Warriors credit,
04:03they didn't give up.
04:04Al Horford probably played the best game of his season.
04:08Melton continues to play pretty solidly night to night.
04:13When he's out there,
04:14pods was one for 10.
04:16And then he went crazy in the fourth.
04:18Those are the feel good wins that happen a few times a season.
04:22Now,
04:22I don't know if they'll be able to replicate that,
04:24but these next two games are very interesting guys because they're playing
04:28against two really bad teams.
04:30And the Pelicans aren't tanking because they already gave away that pick,
04:36but they might as well be because of how poorly run they are.
04:39And then you get to Memphis who absolutely is.
04:42And,
04:42you know,
04:43these are the games you'd hope they can find a way to win,
04:45but all of that is secondary to,
04:48of course,
04:49when is Steph coming back?
04:50And that's the one thing that nobody knows for certain right now,
04:54but now one a to,
04:55uh,
04:56if Steph is coming back is what the hell is going on with poor Zingas?
05:00And maybe in the next half hour down there in new Orleans,
05:03Steve Kerr will pull a little more light onto what's happening.
05:07But guys,
05:08I can only tell you sitting in that press conference room the other day,
05:11it was like,
05:12Oh boy.
05:13You know,
05:13cause I said to Steve,
05:15I was like,
05:15what is it?
05:16You know,
05:17what,
05:17what is it of the flu?
05:18Is it a cold?
05:20You know,
05:20what,
05:20what's going on?
05:21And he was like,
05:21I,
05:22you know,
05:22we just don't know right now.
05:23So the fact that he's not there and that he's out for this one,
05:28it's kind of like,
05:29all right,
05:29well,
05:30who knows when he's going to be able to return?
05:32Um,
05:32Nick Fridell is with us and,
05:34and,
05:34and Nick,
05:34that's very much.
05:35So one of the questions we wanted to ask,
05:38and this is the way I sort of phrased it.
05:39I think you'll get it.
05:41Do you know if Porzingis is just regular sick or Porzingis sick?
05:46Like,
05:46have you,
05:46have you gotten any indication as to whether this is just regular sickness and
05:52they wanted to keep him away from the guys to not kind of get something
05:56going or,
05:57or is this related to everything he's always dealt with?
06:00Well,
06:01Mark,
06:01what I can tell you in context is that on Sunday morning,
06:05when,
06:05when Kerr made the announcement,
06:07he said that he,
06:09Kerr got a text and it was like,
06:12Chris stops is really sick.
06:14He's still in the hotel because obviously hasn't moved in anywhere yet right
06:17after the trade.
06:18And so the interpretation was,
06:21Hey,
06:21he's,
06:22he's sick.
06:23You know,
06:23he's got a bug,
06:24whatever it is.
06:25And so then we asked,
06:27all right,
06:28well,
06:28what is the illness?
06:30And,
06:31and Kerr said he didn't know.
06:32And then after the game,
06:33we said,
06:33do you have any more clarity?
06:34And he said,
06:35I haven't gotten anything yet.
06:37So the answer from where I'm sitting still right now is we don't know.
06:42And again,
06:42maybe Kerr shines a little more light here during his pregame press conference.
06:48But the second that that popped up,
06:52you went,
06:52Oh,
06:52because if Porzingis,
06:55if this is all tied to the stuff that has really kind of stalled his career,
07:01the last couple of years,
07:02guys,
07:03forget the warriors and whatever happens the next couple of months.
07:07You wonder if somebody is going to give him a contract because you need a
07:11player to be out there.
07:12You,
07:13you want somebody to at least go into a new deal saying,
07:19Hey,
07:19I'm going to try my best to be out there every night of the season.
07:23When you don't know if somebody is going to be out there or not,
07:26because of something that's this debilitating from an illness point of view.
07:31I don't know.
07:32I mean,
07:33I for as talented as Porzingis still is.
07:36And we saw it in moments during that debut against the Celtics the other
07:39night.
07:40If you don't know if he can be out there physically,
07:44that is not a situation I would want to get back into.
07:48Yeah.
07:48Especially when it's this sort of a untreatable and kind of a ticking time
07:52bomb worth of a,
07:53of a situation that makes it even more,
07:55more difficult.
07:56Draymond green.
07:58I'm expecting that he's going to be able to give it a go.
08:00Although the back could flare up and maybe he's not able to,
08:03you know,
08:04consistently be out there.
08:05What have you made of not only the last couple of months for Draymond,
08:08but the comments he made on his podcast about how,
08:11well,
08:11you know,
08:11you have one bad game and everybody jumps all over you.
08:15Dibs.
08:16Draymond is a very,
08:18very proud player.
08:20A proud guy.
08:21He is built with Steph and clay,
08:25the DNA of the organization.
08:27They've won the titles because those guys put it in place and they did it.
08:32I think it's really tough on him.
08:34I mean,
08:34let's be real.
08:35And it's the part that I think that just warriors fans,
08:38but fans all over the place.
08:40Forget a lot of the times,
08:40these guys are human beings.
08:43First,
08:44you have a guy in Draymond,
08:45who's going to end up in the hall of fame,
08:47who has played at a certain high level for years and years.
08:51And he's just not the same player anymore.
08:53That has got to be tough.
08:55On top of the fact that he's made already a media career for himself.
08:59He could retire tomorrow and go straight into whatever thing he wanted to do.
09:06He's got the podcast running.
09:07So I say that because he's well aware of what's being said.
09:10It's not just on radio shows like ours.
09:14It's on social media.
09:15It's day to day.
09:16He is well aware of the opinion that's out there.
09:21But the reality is that his play can't back up what has gone on in the past anymore.
09:28That he's just not consistently the same guy.
09:32And that happens in the league.
09:34It just is happening at a rough time where the Warriors could sure use his old ability to hit shots,
09:42you know, from the outside or play better defensively.
09:45I say all this because I think what's happening is what we're going to end up seeing.
09:50And I don't know if it'll happen by the end of this year or not, guys.
09:53But Draymond probably is best served in that super sub role.
09:59Coming off the bench, playing 18, 20 minutes a game, giving a defensive jolt when needed.
10:05Maybe he can hit a couple open shots when he's given all the space that he's been given.
10:12Forgetting, but it's just shifting.
10:14And it's shifting on the fly.
10:16And I don't blame him for being frustrated.
10:18But if you take Steve Kerr at his word, and I know he said the same thing to you guys
10:22through the last few months, guys.
10:24All Kerr has continued to say is Draymond understands where he's at, where he is in his career.
10:29They've talked about it.
10:31They're aware of kind of the change that's happening in real time.
10:36And they have to adjust.
10:37And part of that is Draymond adjusting to a different role within this team.
10:44But that is much easier said than done.
10:46And absolutely, from a human standpoint, I understand why he is frustrated.
10:51Because he's not able to go out on the floor and change the narrative in the way he used to
10:57be able to.
10:58Nick Friedle with the Athletic Insider Calls are brought to you by Hyundai and the all-new Hyundai-Palisade Hybrid.
11:05Learn how it makes everyday epic at HyundaiUSA.com.
11:11Nick, if I gave you four young players, I want you to tell me who you think the Warriors are
11:15most excited about,
11:17unless you want to take option five and say none of them.
11:21Let's go, Brandon Pajemski, Will Richard, Moses Moody, Guy Santos.
11:27Who does the organization most want to put their chip into their circle for the future?
11:34Well, Mark, I was listening earlier and the guys were talking about Moody.
11:40I mean, the reality is I would probably put Moody at the top of that list, especially because he's already
11:46signed.
11:47They put the chip in.
11:49You know, financially, they backed up how they felt because they inked him to that deal.
11:54The problem there is Moody has been much better the last couple months.
12:00He was really good the other day against Denver.
12:02But, guys, the ceiling just doesn't seem to be that much higher.
12:07It's like he's still young, he's still developing, but this probably is right around where he's going to end up
12:14being.
12:15I would say out of that list, Mark, are they the highest on pods out of that group?
12:22I think that would be a stretch, but I would say pods probably has the highest ceiling still out of
12:28that group.
12:29And what will be very fascinating is what happens in the summer when pods is available for that extension.
12:38How badly does he want to stay here compared to where he could get paid elsewhere?
12:43I'm still not sure if pods is a consistent starter in the league.
12:48I absolutely believe, though, that he can become more consistent than he has shown to this point.
12:55But, again, we're tying into the same themes that the three of us have been talking about all year.
13:00And, Mark, it's actually funny that you're framing the question this way because I remember in the beginning of the
13:05season you said,
13:06who out of the young guys, who out of this group would you say you have to have a great
13:11season from to believe that the Warriors can take another step?
13:15And I told you at that point, pods.
13:17And in this conversation it was still Kaminga.
13:19You know, what happens with him?
13:22Pods, if he can develop, is going to be able to take the Warriors to a different place than any
13:29of the three of the other guys to me.
13:32Now, does that mean that he is going to be one of the cornerstones of the team?
13:36We'll see.
13:37But that all ties back into, I think, where his talent level could go is higher than any of the
13:45others in that group.
13:46Nick Ferdel here on 95.7 The Game.
13:48It's an interesting answer, and I wonder about the offseason.
13:51And he is going to be extension eligible.
13:54Moses got a quiet extension when he was.
13:57Kaminga, we know how that went.
13:58Has the organization changed their tack, do you think, when it comes to this time?
14:03Or are they just going to have a price and then toe the line?
14:07I think they're absolutely going to toe the line.
14:09Because, Mr. Dibbs, what they're going to say, at least in Pods' case, is,
14:13Hey, Pods, here's the number.
14:15Does it work for you, or do you want to play this thing out?
14:19And that's where we're going to get some kind of answer, at least going into next season.
14:24And on top of the fact that if you're the Warriors, as much as you may want to sign, let's
14:30take Pods, for example,
14:32I don't think it's crazy for any team to say, okay, well, what do you think you can do?
14:37Show it.
14:38Prove it.
14:39But, I mean, Pods the other day, and he got rolling in that fourth quarter.
14:44We'll see if it was an outlier or if it's what's ahead in these next 25 games or so.
14:49He was awesome.
14:51I think it's even more impressive, guys, that he was one for ten, and he was still rebounding, and the
14:58assists were there.
14:58But, I mean, if you're one for ten in a game, how many times, Pods included, do you see a
15:03guy get the ball
15:04and then dump it out because he doesn't want to shoot it anymore?
15:07Pods kept shooting, and he kept making plays, and he was the difference late in that game.
15:11So, in talking to him this season, I think he really does want to be here.
15:16I know a lot got blown out of proportion with some of the things he said, especially, you know,
15:23I want Steph and Draymond to be able to go to Lacob and Dunleavy and say, hey, we want to
15:28leave it with this guy.
15:29But I think his heart was in the right place there.
15:31I think the organization means something to him.
15:34It's just going to depend on how much he wants to get paid, and that always is the bottom line
15:39in pro sports.
15:40But, Dibs, I think the key with Pods is he feels like he can help this team into some next
15:48stage.
15:49And if he really feels like that, he could leave at least a little bit of money on the table,
15:54depending on what the offer is, and they could find their way going from there.
15:58Nick Friedle is with us here on Withered and Dibs.
16:01I know this may not be the sexiest or even the most relevant question,
16:06but I think because of his last name, there is curiosity out there.
16:09Is Seth Curry playing basketball this year?
16:12What's going on there?
16:15We don't know is probably the safest answer in that, Mark.
16:22And with Seth, you just feel really bad because in those two games he did play,
16:29one of them was at Philly, he looked pretty good.
16:32And we know he can shoot it.
16:34We know the Warriors need help shooting it, especially when Steph isn't out there.
16:39But will he play for certain?
16:41I don't think anybody could answer that feeling really great about it.
16:44I mean, the fact that he has missed this much time because of that sciatica issue.
16:49And I can only tell you when I have the brief conversations locker room.
16:54How are you doing?
16:54And it's kind of like I'm getting there.
16:57I'm hanging in there.
16:57I mean, I don't think by any stretch he's given up.
17:00I think he still is hoping to be out there.
17:03But to say with certainty, yes, he'll be out there and he'll look good
17:07and everything will turn back around for him, I don't think that can be the case right now.
17:12Yeah, I think he's played fewer minutes than Antetokounmpo.
17:16Phanasis Antetokounmpo, by the way, which is that's actually saying something
17:20because he hasn't really played much either.
17:23From one Curry to the other, what are you hearing about Steph Curry and what it looks like?
17:28I know they said 10 days for a reevaluation.
17:30Are you hearing any whispers about maybe a longer time frame to get him ready for the play-in?
17:37It would surprise me, Mr. Dibbs, if he's back after those 10 days.
17:42I'd start there.
17:43I think everybody's on the same page there.
17:45The Warriors are locked into the play-in tournament.
17:48I mean, they're going to go.
17:51And if you're the Warriors, your entire organization centers on Steph Curry.
17:59The key is, and I think this is where people lose sight of,
18:03oh, we'll just shut him down, be done, this season doesn't matter, blah, blah, blah.
18:06Steph wants to play.
18:08And if Steph Curry wants to play and he's healthy and he is cleared by your training staff,
18:13then he's going to play.
18:14But being around the last couple days, I've seen Steph getting his workout in before the games.
18:22He's feeling good.
18:23He's certainly on the bench trying to help out his teammates.
18:27He looks like a guy who's going to be back out there again.
18:32Exactly.
18:32When that is, a lot like Seth, I don't think anybody knows for sure.
18:37It all depends on how he responds to treatment.
18:39But this idea that they would shut down a healthy Steph Curry, that's just not based in reality.
18:47He wants to be out there.
18:49They want him out there whenever he's ready.
18:52But, Dibs, they are going to be cautious as hell in his progression
18:55because everybody knows what Steph represents.
18:58So do I think we're going to see him again?
19:00Absolutely I do, unless something goes really wrong.
19:03Do I think we're going to see him again after these 10 days are up right away?
19:08No, I don't.
19:09I think they are going to really take their time and make sure he's feeling right.
19:14All right, Nick.
19:14I apologize for this ahead of time, but I'm going to ask it.
19:18An hour from now, the Atlanta Hawks will host the Washington Wizards.
19:23I know.
19:24Yeah, Lucas just threw his hands up.
19:26No, I was going to ask for a pick on the game.
19:28What did you think I was going to ask for, Lucas?
19:30No, look, J.K.'s about to make his debut.
19:33At least the indications are such.
19:36And we get how the world works.
19:38The Warriors would love to just be like, go be great, as Steph said, and move on.
19:43But we also know, like, people are going to hold up a scoreboard here.
19:48They are.
19:49And the Warriors could end up with egg on their face.
19:52How do you think they are viewing where this goes from here?
19:57What Kaminga does in Atlanta?
19:59I'm sure they'll be watching closely, Mark, because they invested so much time and effort in trying to develop Kaminga.
20:08And you are 100% right.
20:10No matter what the hell happens, it will always be how did Kaminga look from this point forward compared to,
20:17in this case, how does Porzingis look?
20:19And, I mean, right away, it is like, uh-oh.
20:22You know, even in the last couple days, this thing could go really south.
20:26I think what would be concerning for me, if you are one of many Warriors fans that became Kaminga fans
20:32over the last few years here,
20:34is this would be the first time we see him.
20:38Obviously, that knee has given him way more trouble than any of us thought was going to happen when the
20:44injury took place in Dallas.
20:46That's a concern right away.
20:48But this is all on Kaminga in that if he goes out and produces in Atlanta, Mark, he's going to
20:54get the last laugh, flatly.
20:56I mean, he wanted to be out of the Warriors.
20:59He wanted to be away from Kerr.
21:01He wanted to be in a different situation.
21:04He believes he can be a star.
21:05More power to him.
21:06Go prove it right now because he's got the chance to not only do something much better with his own
21:14career
21:14and get all the money and accolades that he wants, he's got a chance to put the egg on their
21:18face.
21:19So, how are the Warriors viewing it?
21:21They're never going to wish anybody ill will.
21:23I mean, if they really thought that Kaminga could be the player that Kaminga thought he could be,
21:29they would have kept him.
21:30It didn't happen.
21:32He didn't fit here.
21:33He's got a chance somewhere else now.
21:35I think a lot of people within the organization are wishing luck for him.
21:40But there is no doubt that all these games are going to be watched very closely to see not only
21:45how he performs on the floor,
21:47but how he fits in and he does in a setting with a team that didn't have as much time
21:56with him as the Warriors did
21:58and didn't invest in him like the organization did.
22:01Yep.
22:02And about, I think, four weeks, they'll get to see him again as the Warriors visit Atlanta.
22:09All right, Nick.
22:10Awesome stuff.
22:11Thank you so much, as always.
22:13Guys, I love being with you.
22:15See you next week.
22:15Okay.
22:16Very, very good.
22:16There he is.
22:17That's Nick Ferdell, Odyssey Sports NBA Insider.
22:20Insider Calls are brought to you by Hyundai and the all-new Hyundai Palisade.
Comments