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00:00I think Mark Spears in his prime could check Wemby and put him in check.
00:05No doubt.
00:08Yeah, I bet he could.
00:09I bet he could.
00:10In one way, if not more than one.
00:12But let's find out.
00:14River Island's guest line right now.
00:16Mark Spears, courtesy of Kendall Jackson Wines,
00:20an official wine partner of the Golden State Warriors,
00:23and also on YouTube, Mark always kind enough to jump on the tube
00:29so we can see each other as well.
00:30How are you, my friend?
00:31What's going on today?
00:33Well, first of all, man, I'm looking forward to Saturday.
00:36Kendall Jackson, we have this Draymond Greens in the house.
00:39Man, I told you somebody big's coming.
00:41Is that the announcement?
00:44I'm just letting you all know.
00:45That's the word on the street.
00:47Word on the street.
00:49Conversation with me and Draymond on Saturday, and it's sold out.
00:53It's sold out.
00:54I tried to tell people to get it, but it's sold out.
00:57But it's going to be amazing.
00:59A bunch of different wines and good people and great conversation.
01:04Draymond and I go back, man.
01:06I've been knowing him very well since the day he got drafted.
01:10And so I know some inside stories on him.
01:14I think it's going to make the conversation interesting.
01:17But a little sidebar, man, I heard Mark Willard's going to Kendall Jackson
01:24on Saturday, he's got a wine luncheon, and also he's going to Copan Winery, too.
01:34So Kendall Jackson's hooking him up.
01:35I could not help but want to check it out after you and your lovely people all came to see
01:42us
01:42at Splash recently.
01:45So you are a gentleman, and I am looking forward to it.
01:48Very, very much so.
01:49And my buddy, David Lawrence, Chef David, he's going to hook you.
01:56He's going to come throw a steak together for you at Good Nights in Healdsburg.
02:00My goodness.
02:01My goodness.
02:02Have a good day, man.
02:04Div's like, wait, wait, hold on.
02:05Where's my hookup?
02:06Yeah, I mean, we'll get there.
02:08I got you when you're ready, brother.
02:11You need a reliable babysitter, and then the wife and I will head on out there
02:14and make it happen.
02:16But I did have something else to add on a different note.
02:19Yeah.
02:19You mentioned guarding Wimby, right?
02:21Yeah.
02:21Okay.
02:23I had the opportunity to guard some really tall guys in my little piddly college
02:27basketball career, and the one story that always stands out to me,
02:31I'm going to see if I can bring the Bay Area fans back.
02:35Man, do you remember Ron Reese?
02:37Yeah, of course.
02:39Was he like 7'1", like 330 or something like that?
02:43That sounds about right.
02:43And he ended up going into, like, wrestling.
02:45And so we used to have pickup ball at West Valley College.
02:48Steve Nash used to play, Lloyd Pierce.
02:51And one pickup game, man, they had me on Ron Reese.
02:56And I'm, like, 6'6", you know, probably stretching it, but I'm, like, 6'6".
03:03This dude that time had me by, like, 100 pounds and five or six inches.
03:10And he was destroying me, man.
03:12It was, like, the only guy I couldn't move.
03:15And you tried to get around him, but he was still so tall that they throw over you.
03:20And so we lost him, man.
03:21He kicked my ass.
03:23And, like, my teammates were looking at me, like, I was sorry.
03:27Like, I was terrible.
03:28I'm, like, what am I supposed to do with that?
03:29Yeah.
03:30So, I mean, certainly different build than Wemby, but I can only imagine what it's like trying to guard Wemby.
03:38They got him listed at 7'2", 365, Ron Reese.
03:43And at that time, I was 6'6", 225.
03:46My God.
03:47How was I supposed to stop that?
03:49You weren't.
03:50You weren't.
03:50Another thing, his brother, Clay Reese, I don't know if you know that name, he was a tight end at
03:58Washington State.
04:01And when we were playing AAU basketball against each other in the San Jose area, me and him almost got
04:09in a fight during the game.
04:10Now, his brother was 6'8", 275, looked like he could move a mountain.
04:18And so, but I was, you know, we was playing at Yerba Buena High School near my hood.
04:23My boys was in the crowd.
04:25I had to act tough, man.
04:26I couldn't, like, let this dude punk me, man.
04:29So, the ref, like, grabbed me to try to, like, talk me down.
04:34I'm like, ref, just hold me.
04:36I don't want to fight this dude, but I got to make it look good.
04:38You know what I mean?
04:39Don't let me go, please.
04:42Ref, throw me out.
04:43Throw me out of the game, ref.
04:45Man, that was an incredible basketball and football family there, man.
04:48I did not want to fight that cat.
04:50Well, Mark, I mean, we're talking about this because, and I don't know why this just hit me a little
04:55bit different.
04:55It's not like this was a new thought, but I'm watching Wemby out there last night.
04:59I know the Warriors are playing a G League roster and whatnot, but I'm just thinking to myself, is it
05:04possible that we've actually undersold this?
05:07I feel like with that roster and where he's headed, he's 22 years old.
05:13Two years from now, I don't see how the hell any team is going to beat that team.
05:24I think he might be frozen.
05:25Did we lose him?
05:26Yeah, he looks frozen on my end.
05:29Yeah, but I thought he would still be able to, yeah, we've got an internet issue.
05:33Yeah, he might be working his way through it.
05:35Recalibrate with Mark Spears.
05:36He's buffering.
05:37Yeah, exactly.
05:38I just asked AI while we were having this conversation, who can guard Wenbanyama?
05:43And the first name that popped up, Draymond Green.
05:46Draymond Green.
05:47Dude, a high IQ and physicality.
05:49He has done the best.
05:50Jaron Jackson Jr. and Dylan Brooks were also mentioned by AI.
05:55Okay.
05:56Okay.
05:57I mean, he also is very physical and he's also an active defender, but.
06:01I don't know that they put Dylan Brooks on Victor Wenbanyama.
06:04I haven't watched enough of their matchups, but Jaron Jackson Jr. is an interesting one
06:08because he's not 7'5", but he's 6'11", 7'0", and he's a good defender and he's athletic.
06:14So, I don't know.
06:15It's not going to be easy and most teams don't have a guy like that.
06:19I would love to see Chris Tapps go up against him.
06:22I don't know if Porzingis would guard him, but.
06:25I don't think he moves well enough.
06:26At least it's 7'3", and 7'5".
06:28You know, that's kind of a fun matchup.
06:30For sure.
06:30And that's just the height thing, but Victor moves better.
06:34Oh, yeah.
06:34He moves way better than Porzingis does.
06:36He does.
06:37And, you know, Porzingis still doesn't really have his legs under him, I don't think, fully
06:41with the games, the on-again, off-again nature of what he's out there doing.
06:45But, you know, you've got more and more guys, I think, internationally over 7'0",
06:50that are going to be coming into the league.
06:52And, you know, more of them are like Zach Eadie, who is not that athletic.
06:57He's 7'4", but Wenbanyama is not only the tallest, but he's also super agile.
07:03My favorite drink is an old-fashioned, and we're going to do the Mark Spears conversation
07:07the old-fashioned way.
07:08We're going to just switch right over to the phones so that we can continue that conversation.
07:13So, Mark, welcome back.
07:14I don't know how much of the question you heard, but basically, the idea that are we
07:21underselling where this Wenbanyama thing is going?
07:25When I watch him play and I look at the rest of that roster, in a way, it makes me
07:29rethink
07:30what the Warriors ought to be doing going forward.
07:34Because two years from now, I don't see how anybody's going to be able to battle that Spurs team.
07:41Well, another thing is his supporting cast, as you guys saw last night, is so good.
07:46Like, Dylan Harper is coming off the bench.
07:50Right.
07:51Right.
07:52Harrison Barnes, like, they're a 10th, 11th guy right now.
07:55I mean, like, they're, like, loaded in talent.
07:58De'Aaron Fox is an all-star.
08:02Vassell, like, Keldon Johnson.
08:04Like, they're loaded.
08:05They're super loaded.
08:07And so, they got a legitimate shot this year.
08:10It's kind of funny that, you know, Spurs have not been to the final since, I mean, to the
08:16playoffs since 2019.
08:18They haven't been to the playoffs in seven years.
08:21So, they're not only finally getting there, but look at the way it's kind of shaken out.
08:28I mean, it's not out in the realm of possibility.
08:31I expect them to be in the West Finals.
08:33And they got a shot at the finals.
08:35And I know Victor really, really plays well against Chet Holmgren.
08:41I've been watching Victor closely all season, been to several games.
08:48And I think the thing that makes him even more special is his supporting cast.
08:54Like, they run.
08:56Everybody knows their role.
08:58Their coach is a very underrated, great young coach that everybody loves.
09:05And I keep hearing people say that the Spurs are a year away, but I don't know that I agree
09:10with it.
09:11They can win it right now.
09:12And next year, you're going to have the last year of Victor Wembenyama on his rookie deal.
09:17And after that, he's going to get whatever they're allowed to give him.
09:20And that's where things get interesting, though, financially.
09:23I mean, De'Aaron will be making $54 million that year.
09:27So, you may have to make some maneuvers just to try to make this all fit.
09:31But my question for you, Mark, is in the league right now, who can actually guard this guy
09:37outside of Draymond Green?
09:42Exactly.
09:43Nobody?
09:44Nobody.
09:44I think the thing is just being physical with him.
09:51That's the only choice.
09:53Like, I'd like to see, like, Jalen Dern, I think, is somebody that can kind of beat him
10:00up.
10:01Like, Victor Steele is pretty slim.
10:05So, physical with him the whole game, I wonder if that wears him down a little bit.
10:10But this ain't 80s basketball anymore.
10:12There's not a lot of Jalen Derns in the league.
10:16You could try to double him, but then you're leaving De'Aaron Fox open or Dylan Harper
10:21open or Vassell open or Stephen Castle for a lob dunk or a drive.
10:27Like, why that supporting cast is so important, because I think they're just too good to double
10:35him.
10:35So, I know they're, it's possible they can win this whole thing, man.
10:40It's truly possible.
10:43And, you know, Chet and him certainly have a history going forward, but because Chet and
10:52him have that history going back to USA Basketball in France or U18, Chet actually brings the
10:59best out of him.
11:00So, to me, from a body standpoint, Chet probably has the chance from a physical standpoint, which
11:07probably would mean the NBA Finals, perhaps, Jalen Dern, I wonder if physically he might
11:13be able to mess with him a little bit.
11:15Mark Spears, ESPN, is with us, courtesy of Kendall Jackson-Wines.
11:20We love talking to Mark every single week right here on Willard & Dibs 95.7 The Game.
11:25All right, let's get to some dubs, Mark.
11:28What are you hearing behind the scenes with regard to Steph Curry and what sounds like a
11:34potential return on Sunday?
11:37Yeah, no, I expect him to play on Sunday.
11:40And then I was, like, looking at the schedule this week.
11:44I think they have a back-to-back Thursday, Friday, like they play Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday,
11:50Friday, Sunday, if I'm not mistaken.
11:52That sounds right.
11:53Like, so, in essence, Steph has, like, typically, like, five games, but are you going to play
12:01him on the back-to-back?
12:02Right.
12:06But he's Steph Curry.
12:07He knows his body.
12:09I think that's enough time.
12:11It's tight.
12:12It's really tight.
12:14Now, like, you see how Jason Tatum, even though his injury was much more strenuous, is rounding
12:21into form.
12:22And I'm curious to see what Steph does.
12:27But he told me, you know, basically in February that he felt like they were going to be in
12:34the play-in.
12:35He wanted to try to win the play-in and get to the play-off.
12:39He wasn't expecting championship, but he wants to get his young guys some play-off minutes.
12:45But, um, so, what he said a couple months ago seems to be falling into place now.
12:51Yeah, and they're basically stuck at the 10, two and a half back of Portland.
12:55They would need kind of a miracle to even host that game.
12:57But I'm more curious about the offseason then, Mark, and the possibility for them to add.
13:03What were you hearing about how hard they pursued Kawhi Leonard at the deadline, for example?
13:08Yeah, no, I mean, like, the Warriors are kind of sneaky, man.
13:14Right?
13:15Kawhi stuff comes out.
13:17Like, nobody really, I never really heard Portland's name, the Jaron Jackson stuff.
13:22Like, I give them Levy credit, man.
13:24He does a, you know, a really, really good job of keeping things to the vest.
13:29And, you know, if the Warriors don't, postseason, to me, it's not the worst thing in the world.
13:36I was asking Steve Kerr last night, like, and in a nice way, I asked him about tanking.
13:45It had known to him that, hey, Dallas had really, and got the number one pick.
13:51Same with Atlanta in recent years.
13:52And, you know, um, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
13:57Even if the Warriors are, like, 13 in the draft lottery or 12 or whatever, after it all plays out.
14:07He knows how the ball bounces.
14:09And Steve's like, we absolutely will not tank.
14:13That's not in our DNA.
14:14But, you know, he's like, hey, man, stranger things has happened.
14:17And he mentioned that when he was playing with Orlando, um, they tied, I think he said, with the Hawks
14:24for the eighth spot and lost the tiebreaker.
14:26So they went into the lottery and, uh, got the number one pick in the lottery, uh, and they ended
14:35up getting Penny Hardaway.
14:36So, um, all that to say, I mean, you have to get lucky.
14:42This is the one.
14:43I just watched the McDonald's game the other day.
14:45I don't think next draft you're going to worry about a take-a-thon respectfully for those kids.
14:49Uh, but, you know, if the Warriors lose their game to Portland, I don't, I don't know that people are
14:56going to be like, uh, Warriors fans are going to be like, uh, crying at Splash afterwards.
15:03You know, because, uh, but they say in the lottery, you got to win the ticket to win it, right?
15:08And we've seen crazier things happen over the last three years.
15:11Yep. Yep. There's no crying at Splash anyway.
15:13The food's too good.
15:14But, uh, uh, Mark Spears with us, ESPN.
15:17Mark, what about this?
15:19Um, there's the lottery and then there's what the Warriors might pursue in the offseason.
15:24Dibs mentions Kawhi.
15:25We don't know if that contract is going to get voided, but let me, let me give you three names
15:31and you give us sort of what you think the likelihood might be or, or the Warriors involvement.
15:37If Kawhi, Giannis, LeBron James, do you see any of those as possible for the Warriors?
15:45Uh, Kawhi, if, yeah, if, if obviously the have to exonerate his contract, you know, why wouldn't he want to,
15:55you know, look at this, especially with this team?
15:57Although, you know, how, how does it fit with Draymond and Jimmy, uh, assuming a healthy Jimmy, um, kind of
16:05same with LeBron James, but you got to remember like LeBron James is very close with Draymond, who I expect
16:12to stay.
16:13Um, it seems like he has a growing friendship with Stephen Curry, the close flight to LA, um, Giannis, certainly
16:23a lot more difficult, but ultimately, uh, it seems like it's, it's going like to me, like, why shouldn't the
16:30Warriors be in all those discussions?
16:31Right. You got the brand. It's kind of same with like Isaac Wilson. Like if I'm Isaac Wilson, I know
16:37I'm switching to WNBA, any WNBA free agent that ain't agreed to nothing.
16:43Like why wouldn't you consider the Valkyries right now? Right. There's a brand. The Warriors have a brand there. Now,
16:49uh, it's, it's a global brand. It's a big city.
16:53It's an amazing bay with Steph Curry in his last years. Um, I just kind of feel like that the
17:03Warriors are interested, well, at least take the call.
17:07And to me, it has to, I think, and I, maybe I asked Draymond this on Saturday, like same energy
17:15that Draymond and Clay and Steph had to get KD.
17:20He, he, Jimmy and, uh, Steph, probably, you know, Steph, Draymond and Jimmy might need to have that kind of
17:26same energy to get somebody big this summer too.
17:30And if you handicap just the LeBron piece of it, does it feel to you inevitable that he leaves LA
17:36and where would you break down the likelihood of where he would go or just retire?
17:43Um, I think that, that answer, the question will probably be answered after the postseason.
17:48Cause it seems like if you would ask me a month ago, I said, I can't see LeBron James coming
17:53back, but over the last month winning, they've had maybe the best last month or so in the NBA, uh,
18:04LeBron James has seemed to have found his role with this team.
18:08I mean, it looked bad a month ago, that big three to now it looks great, but ultimately all the
18:15Kumbaya stuff together, either, or I want to say goodbye way in the postseason.
18:24So I'm like, if they make it to the West finals, if they make it to the finals, like to
18:28me, it might say that LeBron should stay, but here's the thing at what price would he be willing to
18:36give them a discount?
18:37Well, you know, I, I, I would expect AR to get paid, AR to be a bigger, you know, priority
18:45from maybe a financial standpoint because of his age and his relationship with Luca and the way they play together.
18:52To me, I think that's their first priority. So what would LeBron be willing to do? And it seems from
19:03like, if you read Dave McMenamin's great reporting on my colleague at ESPN, it kind of made it sound like,
19:09you know, they want LeBron back at the right price.
19:14But what if the Warriors have a better price? What if Cleveland has a better price? Like, I just think
19:19there's a lot of factors that probably retirement still sitting there as well, that he could answer better after the
19:30final whistle, I mean, final buzzer for, for the Lakers this season.
19:34Mark, before you run, why don't you give our audience a little bit of what you can, a preview of
19:42the conversation that you're going to have with Draymond Green on the court with the wine dinner at Chase Center
19:50on, on Saturday. What, what, what can fans expect you to get into?
19:55Well, for the lucky ones to have a ticket, man, um, on these, uh, dinners with Kendall Jackson with some
20:02of the amazing wines that they have globally, like Veritain, Cardamale, um, McCoya, and just Fremark Abbey and, and, and,
20:13and in the midst of it, obviously we have a good meal, but I've had a sit down with Dirk.
20:18I've had a sit down with Candace Parker, Grant Hill, um, Trey Young. We've had these amazing dinners and, and
20:25it's, uh, it's kind of like, uh, you know, that show me the money movie where he said, man, you
20:32ain't going to make me cry, man.
20:33It's that kind of conversation, man. It's going to, it's going to be deep.
20:37Yes.
20:38I've been looking forward to sitting down with Draymond, but you don't know how excited I am about this. Like,
20:43cause I have some insight on him in a one-on-one personal interview.
20:47Like, it's going to be like Roy Firestone, baby. For the OG, you know, the Roy, you know, the great
20:54Roy Firestone interviews.
20:56I think it's definitely going to be like that. Cause I got some inside stuff on Draymond that, um, you
21:03know, probably even the most ardent Money Green fan doesn't know.
21:07So, uh, I hope they film it and post it. So Warriors fans and Bay Area fans can watch it,
21:13but, um, I'm, I'm excited about it.
21:17I'm going to call William Nettles, one of my boys I grew up with. He bought a ticket and he
21:22went and sold his ticket back.
21:23And he said he, uh, wanted to watch the final four.
21:25Oh.
21:26And I said, fool, Draymond Green.
21:29And he was like, oh, that's too late.
21:32Too late.
21:32Too late.
21:33Oh, that's a tough break.
21:35Well, I, I too hope that they film it cause I cannot wait to see, uh, what he and you
21:41have to say, man.
21:42How about, how about just, we start, you're going to, you're going to be probably need a driver to get
21:46you.
21:48That's right.
21:4818 sheets to the wind.
21:50Exactly right.
21:50Nice wine in you, some steak in you.
21:53You're going to be all right.
21:54It's going to be all right, man.
21:55You get some points from the missus that day, huh?
21:57Maybe, maybe.
22:00Hey, uh, Mark, you're the best.
22:01Have a great event.
22:03And we'll talk to you next week.
22:05Peace, fellas.
22:06There he goes.
22:07Mark Spears joining us every single week, courtesy of Kendall Jackson Wines, unofficial wine partner of the Golden State Warriors.
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