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00:00Well, better recognize who's sitting down with us right now, because it's our buddy from ESPN, Mark Spears, and he
00:06is not only on the phone, he is on YouTube as well.
00:10So whether you're listening, whether you're able to watch, ladies and gentlemen on the River Islands guest line, it is
00:16Mark Spears.
00:17Hey, friend, what's going on?
00:19What's up, fellas? How y'all doing?
00:21We're doing pretty good. We're better now that you're here with us, man.
00:24Hey, on the inside, because I know that's where you are. Like, what are you what are you hearing about
00:29Steph Curry?
00:30What are you hearing about how bad it is or when he might be back and all that stuff?
00:35Well, I heard around All-Star Weekend, he had a setback. He was trying to work out, trying to get
00:40back, and it pushed him back.
00:43I'm not sure when he'll be back, but I do know that he wants to come back.
00:50As, you know, Dez mentioned, like, hey, this team's kind of in a no man's land, right?
00:56They're probably too bad for a playoff lock, top six spot, right?
01:05But they're too good to not be in the play-in.
01:08So Steph expects to play in the play-in.
01:11He wants to be in the play-in.
01:13He wants the chance to be in the playoffs.
01:15And he kind of sees it as, hey, you know, they were in the play-in last year, right?
01:23Won and ended up – my mind's eluding me.
01:27Did they make it or not in the play-in last year?
01:28Was it a play-in or –
01:29Yes, and then they beat the Rockets in the first round in seven games.
01:32Yeah, they beat the Rockets.
01:33It's all flowing together.
01:35They beat the Rockets.
01:36So I think he sees it as, hey, we made it to the playoffs last time this way.
01:43We could make it to the playoffs this time this way.
01:45And another thing that's important to him is he wants the young guys to get some experience.
01:51Obviously, there's no Jimmy Butler.
01:53So I think he's realistic from what I'm hearing about what the opportunity or lack thereof is.
02:02Not having back-to-backs in the postseason probably helps poor Zingas.
02:07But I think Steph is – you know, if you thought the Warriors were going to try to tank in
02:13order to get what I know was going to be an extraordinary NBA draft prospect, no.
02:20And Steph very much wants to try to compete to make it to at least the first round of the
02:26playoffs.
02:26And we know there's no tank, and I don't think Joe Lacob would ever even –
02:29He will be back, if you have a question.
02:31I can't tell you when, but he will be back.
02:35We know he'll be back, but isn't there a sense, Mark, of exactly what you described, where you're kind of
02:41landlocked at 7 or 8?
02:43You won't fall out of the play-in.
02:45Is there a sense where maybe they can be more patient because moving up to 6 is going to be
02:50really hard, and getting down to 11 is impossible?
02:54Yeah.
02:55I mean, and he's Steph Curry, and he's almost 40.
03:01So, you have to be patient in that regard.
03:06Obviously, you'd rather be 7 or 8, right?
03:09Because if you're 7 or 8 and you lose one, you got at least two chances, two cracks at it.
03:15That being said, I mean, they seem to be doing okay for the most part, right?
03:22Like, they're pushing through.
03:25But I do expect him to be back in the near future.
03:30I'm not going to say it's this weekend or anything like that.
03:33And I'm sure once he's back, they'll make a push that I would hope could get them at least to
03:38the 7th spot, right?
03:41Where you got a home game and you got two shots at just making it to the playoffs.
03:47I mean, let's be real.
03:49If it's San Antonio and Oklahoma City, God bless them.
03:54Yeah.
03:55Get that certificate of participation ready, and it will take the greatest heroics in Curry history probably to get over
04:03that mountain without Jimmy Butler.
04:06But he wants to at least give his young guys an opportunity to have some postseason games.
04:16So I know that that's really, really important to him regardless to what the scenario is, what the outcome is,
04:23who it is.
04:24He wants to bring, which says a lot about him, that he cares about that and wants that for their
04:31growth.
04:33Mark Spears, ESPN, with us on Weathered and Dibs.
04:36This is speculation, sure, but I want to ask it.
04:39How much longer do you think he wants to play?
04:45I know he wants to play in the 28 Olympics, or at least he's not.
04:49Let me rephrase that.
04:51He is open to playing in the 28 Olympics.
04:54He hasn't decided whether or not he wants to.
04:57But if that is something that is in consideration for him, then that means that at least through the 27
05:07-28 season, right, I would think.
05:11And he's also a guy that takes great care of his body, as you guys know.
05:18When you're a shooter, it's not like, say, a big where you're getting beat up as much.
05:25And he does get hit going to the basket.
05:27But I like his body holding up for him better than, say, I do a Kevin Durant or a Jimmy
05:36Butler.
05:38And then when you're a jumper, it's just that wet.
05:42You can play longer.
05:44The question is, and I always think for these 35-plus guys, and like I talked about DeMar DeRozan on
05:52NBA Today, who's in the top 20 in scoring now,
05:56is like, do you want to be like how, like LeBron is like not human, but what does Steph Curry
06:06want to look like at the end, right?
06:09Does he want to look like Del Curry at the end, or does he want to look like Steph Curry
06:13at the end?
06:14And that's no shade on Del.
06:16That's just, you know, how do you want to be remembered?
06:21I remember the Washington Wizards' Michael Jordan.
06:24And it's like those tapes are lost.
06:26You never see them, right?
06:27I remember Vashon Leonard, who I never saw dunk, block his shot and stand over him.
06:35I've never talked to Steph about, like, how he wants to, like, at what point does he say, okay, if
06:42I look like this, I'm not going to play anymore.
06:44I remember seeing Allen Houston try to make a comeback, and he got crossed over by Ray Allen, and he's
06:50like, you know what?
06:51Front office don't sound like a bad place.
06:55Steph doesn't look like he's close to being that kind of guy.
07:00So just the fact that he's considering playing in the Olympics tells me that he intends to play a couple
07:09more years.
07:10And that's exciting, and I wonder if he is a guy who only wants to play now for Steve Kerr
07:16and how much that goes into whether or not Steve Kerr sticks around, Steph's longevity versus, you know, playing for
07:22a new coach.
07:24Or getting $60 million.
07:26Yeah.
07:26I mean, Steve's cool at all, but if you said Mark Spears has to coach you, but you're going to
07:34make $70 million, next thing you know, I'm going to have a clipboard in my hand.
07:38Nice.
07:39So I think it certainly would be welcomed if Steve's the guy, right, going forward.
07:48I can't see Steph Curry being on the top of his game, making the money that he's making, like walking
07:55away because Steve isn't coaching.
07:56And that's what all do – Steve would tell you the same thing, I'm sure.
08:00Mark, you mentioned those young guys and the experience that they're starting to get.
08:05And I think that our fan base, the Warrior fans, are looking at this and they're trying to figure out
08:13what do the Warriors actually have on this roster in the way of young players.
08:18Do you have any insight on what the Warrior brass really feels?
08:22Like, who are they excited about going forward?
08:26Who do they want to hitch their wagon to?
08:30Steph Curry.
08:33Sure, sure.
08:35I don't –
08:35Okay.
08:36I mean, this is with respect to all the guys that got that amazing victory against a tanking Grizzlies team
08:42who definitely doesn't want to win right now.
08:45If you remember that last time I think I saw you guys, they played the Grizzlies.
08:49I was the first time I saw a team right in front of my face tank.
08:53Yep.
08:54And the Warriors had like an 11-0 run to win.
08:57And there's certain players in the game that I noticed like, why is this guy?
09:01Why is this guy?
09:02And why is this guy still on the bench?
09:03They're their best players.
09:04I can see what they're doing.
09:06The guys that you saw, again, respectfully, because when you make it to the NBA, man, I respect that greatly.
09:12Right?
09:13Like, it's a very, very hard thing to do.
09:17They're all complimentary players.
09:20I mean, I think Moody is really, really good starter.
09:23Podzemski certainly has potential to start.
09:26But there's nobody you're hitching your wagon to because I believe when you say hitch your wagon to, that means
09:33like franchise, face of the franchise kind of guy.
09:37And there's nobody I saw yesterday that I'm going to see on the marquee that, to me, you'll see on
09:44the, when they play the Miami Heat, this person, you know.
09:50No, what if I said it differently, though?
09:52What if I said it differently, Mark?
09:53Like, who, even if they're just talking about rotational pieces, like, is there anyone who kind of has raised their
10:00eyebrows right now and they think they've got a piece?
10:03Not the piece, a piece.
10:08It's funny.
10:08I just got a text from Jonathan Kaminga.
10:11I think I'm asking you how I'm doing.
10:12Oh, just asking you how you're doing?
10:15Wait, did you text him first?
10:16I should try to FaceTime him and put him on.
10:19Yeah, get him on.
10:19I've been trying to get close for him for a couple days.
10:23Nah, I ain't going to put him on.
10:25We can talk about Kaminga, too.
10:26We will.
10:30I think that when the best thing the Warriors got now, Post-F, is their brand.
10:36This is the most attractive franchise from a financial standpoint in the NBA.
10:43They're worth more than the Lakers and worth more than the Knicks.
10:46Which is an incredible feat for Lakobin Company to be able to do that, to be able to build that.
10:53And I would have never guessed that watching them 15 years ago in Oracle, right?
10:59Yeah.
11:01And so, to me, I think what happens is because you have that brand now, because you're in the Bay
11:07Area, because you're in the market,
11:10I think the Warriors will be able to attract free agents in a way that they never could post the
11:17Steph explosion.
11:19I mean, obviously, playing next to Steph is a draw for anybody in the world.
11:25You know, certainly will be different when he's there, but the Warriors are a global brand now.
11:33They're a Lakers.
11:34They're a Celtics.
11:36They're a Cowboys, Yankees kind of brand.
11:40Maybe not, but they're there.
11:42So, I don't think that these guys are the key to the future, but there'll be somebody to be named
11:51later that will be the key to the future.
11:53Did they let the key to the future go at the deadline in Jonathan Kaminga, in your opinion?
12:02I think he's probably in the same build as the other guys.
12:07He's going to be a really, really good player going forward.
12:10You know, we're spoiled in the Bay, man.
12:13We've been watching Steph, bro.
12:14Yeah.
12:15Like, we watched Klay.
12:17You watched these championships.
12:18You saw Durant.
12:20So, that's the – when I think about that next face, you've got to at least be an all-star
12:25before we've been concerned.
12:28We've got to consider that.
12:28And will Kaminga be an all-star?
12:31He certainly has that kind of talent.
12:34Will he get there?
12:34I don't know.
12:35I do think that I'm sure Warriors fans, when they saw the result of what he did in his first
12:43game with the Hawks, probably broke their heart when they saw that.
12:49You know?
12:50But the Hawks have a general manager who I think a lot of people don't realize actually worked for the
12:57Warriors for three years, Ansi Saleh.
13:00Was a behind-the-scenes guy.
13:01Probably didn't really even know who he was.
13:04Really inconspicuous.
13:05Didn't even ever wear Warriors gear, right?
13:08He always had a baseball cap on.
13:10Kind of quietly walked around.
13:12And he was around Jonathan for a couple years, saw him behind the scenes, and that was the guy that
13:17got him to Atlanta.
13:19So, a former Warriors employee was the one that got him to Atlanta.
13:24And when you look at Jalen Johnson and the way he's been able to erupt as a superstar in the
13:29league, as an all-star in the league, it was all because, you know, of their coach.
13:37I think that the coach they have is a really, really good coach for young players.
13:45He's the one that, like, lifted them up.
13:49I mean, lifted Quinn Snyder.
13:54He's the one that lifted Jalen, who had really low self-esteem, really low confidence after, like, sitting in the
14:04G League for two years and made him an all-star.
14:07I could see Quinn having that kind of impact and belief and adding confidence into Kaminga, and you saw that
14:14in the first game.
14:15So, you know, hey, maybe I might change my mind and say, hey, yeah, he could be that franchise guy.
14:25But the one thing is Atlanta's going to give him the runway to make mistakes, to run free, to play
14:32free basketball, and just, I think, accentuate the best in what he could do.
14:38We're talking with Mark Spears of ESPN.
14:40Real quick, we want to open up our knockout tournament window.
14:44So, if you are a registered user at 957thegame.com, sometime over the next 30 minutes, listen for your name.
14:50And if you hear your name, you're going to have 9 minutes and 57 seconds to call that contest line,
14:56415-523-4652.
14:59Claim your spot to play knockout with us at Chase Center on April 6th.
15:04With y'all?
15:05Yeah.
15:06Can y'all shoot?
15:07No.
15:08I mean, I came in second place last year, Mark, but our technical director has won both tournaments.
15:15Mark Grandy has won both times that we've played.
15:18So, he's got the target on his back.
15:21You want to come shoot with us on April 6th?
15:23So, basically, it's an opportunity to play at Chase Center.
15:26Yeah.
15:26You want to, what do you do on April 6th?
15:30April 6th, man.
15:31I'll be in New Orleans.
15:33Can you, can you change your flight?
15:37Oh, I got a bag coming.
15:40Nice appearance.
15:42Okay.
15:42I mean.
15:42Okay.
15:43Fair enough.
15:45And that's Mark.
15:46And I'm visiting my mama, man.
15:47Mark with a C, Spears, by the way.
15:50Yes.
15:50Just for those of you spelling at home.
15:52Yeah.
15:53Yeah.
15:54You know, you get a bag.
15:55You got, hey.
15:56Hey.
15:57Counter that bag if you want.
15:58I don't think you want to.
15:59Yeah.
16:00Probably not.
16:01Probably not.
16:01Probably not.
16:02Nice little speaking engagement.
16:03Nice little speaking engagement.
16:05Okay.
16:05Do your thing.
16:07All right.
16:07So, um, did, when Jonathan texted you, was that just out of the blue or had you reached
16:12out to him first?
16:13No, I had, I, you know, I, I had, uh, reached out to him a couple of times to try
16:18to get a
16:18quote for TV.
16:19Okay.
16:20And for you guys.
16:21And all he said was, how you doing?
16:23I guess things are good now.
16:24He said, what's up, man?
16:25How you been?
16:26Okay.
16:27So I just, well, you know, he, he looked really happy in the tunnel after the game.
16:33Right.
16:34I get it.
16:34I ain't seen him smile that much since he was wearing an Ignite, G League Ignite uniform.
16:39There you go.
16:40So, so Mark, how's this going to go for the Warriors?
16:43If indeed Jonathan does flourish, put up numbers, how, what happens to the Warriors in this story?
16:54Hmm.
16:55It'll be painful.
16:57I do think he's going to succeed.
17:00Because to me also, man, it's about fit.
17:03Right.
17:04Like, do you guys remember a player by the name of Harold Miner?
17:06Yeah.
17:07Yep.
17:07Baby Jordan.
17:08Baby J.
17:09Yep.
17:09I thought Harold Miner could have been a very, very good player in this league.
17:14And then he went to the Miami Heat.
17:16And the Heat didn't run.
17:18And the Heat were half court at that time.
17:19And he just kind of just went by the wayside.
17:23A lot of times it's fit.
17:24And I just don't think that with Kerr's style, with the Warriors style, with, you know, one player basically told
17:32me that if you can't have three non-shooters on the court at the same time.
17:37And his three non-shooters was Draymond, obviously Jimmy, and then Kaminga, right?
17:46So Kaminga ended up being the odd man out.
17:49And it just didn't fit here.
17:52And the Warriors, what they were trying to do.
17:54And I think he just needed to be in a place where maybe the stakes weren't as high and he
17:59could make mistakes and play free and run.
18:02And everything wasn't structured around the most iconic shooter of all time.
18:07And so it's oftentimes about fit.
18:11And I think he's a much better fit for Atlanta.
18:15And it's going to be painful for Warriors fans to watch him fit in very well.
18:18You're mentioning fit.
18:20And Mark and I, this Mark with a K, we're talking earlier about Draymond.
18:24And his fit with the modern NBA, is that as much of a problem with Draymond Green right now than
18:30his deteriorating body?
18:32The fact that he doesn't really fit with what the Warriors are trying to do.
18:37I don't know that I agree with that.
18:39I think his fit is better with Jimmy Butler and Steph Healthy.
18:44Right?
18:45If you watch him, his basketball IQ is ridiculous.
18:49The things that he does mentally, the way he sees games, the plays three steps ahead.
18:58To me, it's better when he's playing with elite guys.
19:02When he's playing with the Wills and the Pods and the Garys and stuff like that, I just think it
19:09doesn't flow as well.
19:12So I'm not going to say that he still can't be effective.
19:19But to me, he's best in high-level situations and not in situations where, you know, you don't have a
19:29superstar to accentuate his powers, so to speak.
19:32Yeah.
19:32We kind of threw out earlier, maybe that back injury just flares up every time that Steph is out.
19:38And maybe that's just what they should do.
19:39Well, he's beat up.
19:42Yep.
19:43He's definitely beat up.
19:44I mean, he's certainly taking one for the franchise guarding guys that are 50 pounds heavier than him on a
19:50nightly basis.
19:53I know it's taking its toll.
19:56I can tell he's really doing a good job of keeping his weight down.
20:00But, you know, you put those mileages on a tire and it's like he's like a dune buggy that's been
20:07driving through some rough terrain.
20:09It's taking its toll.
20:10And, you know, he probably needs to save himself.
20:18Having Porzingis, having Al there do that dirty work for him, I think, is necessary for the rest of his
20:24career.
20:24Or I truly believe it'll be shortened if he has to continue guarding such bigger guys as he gets older.
20:31Mark, you're the best.
20:33We look forward to talking to you again.
20:34Your Spartans hoodie is on point.
20:36We appreciate you.
20:38Go Spartans.
20:40You see, we're opening up with USC.
20:42Yeah.
20:42Nice little win against Air Force on the hardwood.
20:46Air Force, by the way, the worst team in the country.
20:48But it's a nice win.
20:50Yeah.
20:50A lot of teams have nice wins against Air Force.
20:53I think our two league wins, we have three league wins, right?
20:57Yeah, we'll take it.
20:58Yeah.
20:59It'll happen someday, man.
21:01Just like beating Memphis.
21:03You'll take it when you can get it.
21:04Yeah, absolutely.
21:05Hey, Spartan baseball's coming, man.
21:07Hey, we're good in baseball.
21:09The sun is out.
21:10The sun is out.
21:11All right, Mark.
21:12Great having you, man.
21:14All right, fellas.
21:15Always a pleasure.
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