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The Sports Junkies break down the latest Washington Wizards news.
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00:00We're one week out from the NBA draft.
00:03Wizards have been on the clock for a while now,
00:06holding the number one overall pick.
00:08It's getting interesting, Cakes.
00:10It is getting a little bit spicy.
00:12We have some audio we want to dive into about Darren Peterson,
00:16who's making a lot of headlines over the last 24 hours
00:19about who he will work out for and who he will not work out for.
00:23Here we go.
00:24Darren Peterson, potential top pick,
00:26visited with the Washington Wizards last week,
00:28but that's not the interesting part.
00:31The major wrinkle here about a week from the NBA draft
00:34is multiple sources tell ESPN that Darren Peterson
00:37has made the decision to only work out
00:41and visit with the Washington Wizards.
00:43He is not granting anyone else any access to him,
00:47any other workout or visit with him.
00:49He's only visiting with the number one pick team in the Wizards.
00:53I'm told Peterson has met with and worked out multiple times
00:56in Washington, D.C. and in the Los Angeles area with the Wizards.
01:00A.J. DeBonsa, the other player expected to be either the number one
01:04or number two overall pick,
01:05he went and visited with both the Wizards and the Utah Jazz.
01:09This is a case where my understanding is both Darren Peterson
01:13and A.J. DeBonsa believe they will be the number one pick
01:16in the NBA draft.
01:17Hmm.
01:18Both of them believe they're going to be the number one pick.
01:20A lot of drama and intrigue with one week left heading into the NBA draft.
01:24Yeah, there is.
01:25I think DeBonsa has assumed it all along.
01:28Yeah.
01:28What I understand, and I listened to like five different podcasts yesterday.
01:32I was all in on this as I was just doing my day,
01:36just going from podcast to podcast,
01:38guys in Utah, the national guys, our local guys,
01:42just listening to all the analysts and just everybody sort of take.
01:45Like, the one that really sticks with me is the guy, Ben Anderson,
01:49who I guess we had on the show a few weeks ago.
01:51Drab reminded me yesterday.
01:53Who's saying, I guess he has ties to the Peterson camp,
01:57and he's saying he knows for a fact, essentially,
02:01that Peterson camp believes they're going one.
02:04Like, they either went so well,
02:07and, you know, in their multiple days that they were there with the Wizards,
02:12that they just believe they did so well,
02:14that there's no scenario where they couldn't be,
02:16or that they've, in fact, gotten...
02:18Been told.
02:19Been told.
02:19Yeah.
02:19And Anderson's whole thing is,
02:21this is about when it starts to shake out,
02:24about a week before the draft.
02:27You know, this is when it starts to get serious.
02:29This is when you start chatting.
02:31This is when you start saying, okay,
02:34you start really locking in and narrowing your focus.
02:38Doesn't mean he's going one,
02:41but I really think the momentum is there,
02:44and there's a very great chance that DP's a guy.
02:48Think about it.
02:49Everyone always says,
02:51I mean, you already know this,
02:53that the Bonsa, you know,
02:55had a terrible season defensively.
02:57People don't really care about defense,
02:59but Peterson's a two-way player.
03:02Peterson shoots it better,
03:04and if you ask any of them,
03:05who's the best talent?
03:07The best talent in the draft,
03:09they all say DP.
03:10Yeah, and Will Dawkins might believe the same thing.
03:12They all say DP.
03:13Now, the questions are,
03:14people have about the health
03:16and the cramping issues.
03:19If you read the reporting,
03:20it's almost universal.
03:23Everyone says the NBA guys
03:24are not concerned about the medicals.
03:26Yeah.
03:26They're okay with the medicals.
03:28Yeah.
03:28So what is there?
03:29You're not going to pick the best player in the draft?
03:31If Will Dawkins believes he's the best player,
03:34they're going to take him.
03:35Yeah, if he feels like he's the best talent available,
03:37he'll take him over the long time.
03:38And it's not unprecedented
03:39that prospects say
03:41they're not going to work out
03:43for certain players.
03:44Ace Bailey did that last year with Utah,
03:46and Utah took him anyway.
03:47There's also scuttle that
03:49Keontae George,
03:50who's with the Jazz now,
03:51is represented by the same agent
03:53that represents Darren Peterson,
03:54and that they don't want those two
03:56taking time and minutes away from each other
03:59because George has a deal coming up
04:00if they could see their next year
04:02or the year after.
04:03They don't want them landing
04:04on the same court together.
04:05Right.
04:06So they're basically signaling to the Jazz,
04:09don't pick Peterson.
04:10But Danny Ainge has shown that he'll...
04:12He's going to pick whoever he wants.
04:13He's going to pick the best player for his team.
04:15If Peterson isn't the pick
04:16at number one by the Wizards,
04:17that doesn't mean he's not going to get picked two
04:19by the Jazz.
04:20Yeah, I would assume he's going to be
04:21the number two pick, yeah.
04:22Right.
04:22You would think.
04:23Even if he didn't work out for them,
04:25Danny Ainge isn't going to care
04:26that they're represented by the same agent.
04:28The other thing that's interesting...
04:30I won't be surprised at all
04:32if they announce it's Peterson or DeBonson.
04:35Right.
04:35I think right now it's a toss-up to me.
04:38I know that a lot of people are now
04:40kind of swerving over to the Peterson side
04:43based on everything they've heard.
04:45Well, I think what a lot of people are doing
04:46is they're still in their corner on AJ.
04:49And again, AJ's going to be a great player.
04:52I don't have really anything negative
04:54to say about him.
04:55Although some people...
04:55Not me.
04:57Some people, and I think Drav mentioned this yesterday,
04:59have been rubbed the wrong way
05:00the way he's kind of taking this media tour
05:02and kind of being everywhere.
05:05That hasn't bothered me.
05:06I haven't seen anything from him
05:08that bothers me.
05:09As long as he gives his all on the court
05:11and plays well.
05:12I'm sure he will.
05:13But some people think maybe
05:14he's just a little too full of himself.
05:16Yeah, that's possible.
05:17I will say that if AJ comes here,
05:20I fully support him.
05:22But what I see right now,
05:23to me, are some red flags of
05:25what my concern with him
05:26is that he's not a team player.
05:28The tour, they give me your number.
05:30I put butts in the seats.
05:33Meanwhile, to me,
05:34BYU was preseason,
05:35the number eight team in the country.
05:37And they barely finished 500 in conference.
05:39And they lost very early in the tournament.
05:42That is one of the concerns.
05:44Is he going to be just a very good player
05:47or a great player on a bad team?
05:49To me, it's...
05:50We all know AJ can score.
05:52To me, that doesn't mean
05:53that's winning basketball.
05:55Yeah.
05:55That's my concern with AJ.
05:56You need more than that.
05:57And DP is a two-way player.
05:59Is a better shooter.
06:01He is.
06:03Largely considered number one
06:05in a lot of circles
06:06before the kind of the disaster
06:08that happened at Kansas,
06:10the miscommunication,
06:10whatever it was.
06:11I had a bodybuilder yesterday
06:13tell me on Twitter,
06:15just not buying the creatine thing,
06:16that he's taking creatine
06:17or whatever.
06:18And that's fine.
06:20But I've also taken creatine
06:22and I've had full-body cramp-ups
06:24like on air doing the show.
06:26But this guy was saying
06:26he's not buying...
06:27He's just not buying
06:27the creatine issue.
06:29That was the cause.
06:29Well, I've experienced it.
06:30Yeah.
06:30And apparently,
06:31what Peterson did
06:33was way overtaking
06:35what he should have.
06:36Or you can imagine,
06:3718-year-old kid,
06:38you don't know,
06:38they say this is going
06:39to make you stronger.
06:39Take him more, yeah.
06:40You just take a bunch of scoops
06:41and you keep doing it.
06:42Like three shakes a day.
06:44You know what I mean?
06:44I totally believe
06:46the creatine issue.
06:47I've experienced it.
06:49If you're not careful
06:50with your hydration,
06:51it screws you all up.
06:52And look,
06:53it may not be an issue at all.
06:54It may not.
06:55You're right.
06:56And Will Dawkins
06:57might just say,
06:58all right,
06:59we're not worried about it.
07:00If Peterson's the guy,
07:01if they believe he is the guy
07:03to make their team better,
07:04and by the way,
07:05we haven't talked about
07:06Saar having foot surgery.
07:07Yeah, that's...
07:08Although he should be fine
07:09for the start of the season.
07:11But you do worry about feet
07:12with big guys.
07:13With big guys, you do.
07:14You do worry about feet
07:15with big guys.
07:15So that wasn't a great story.
07:16It wasn't.
07:16But if Will Dawkins
07:18feels like this is the best guy
07:19for the team,
07:20he's going to make us better.
07:20Of course he's going to take him.
07:21Of course he's going to take him.
07:21Of course.
07:22Yeah.
07:23And I don't have a problem with that.
07:24I just like how Peterson
07:25is handling this over AJ.
07:28Peterson is letting his actions
07:29do the talking
07:31by working out for them.
07:32I mean,
07:33he's already done
07:33like multiple,
07:34multiple team interviews.
07:36And he's done multiple workouts
07:38apparently with the Wizards.
07:39I know.
07:40Yes.
07:40Multiple with the Wizards.
07:42Team interviews with the Wizards.
07:43Yeah.
07:44So he's just...
07:47Peterson's actions
07:48are different
07:49than what AJ is saying.
07:52Like Peterson
07:52seems to be the one
07:53who is being courted
07:55by the team.
07:56Right?
07:57Okay.
07:58So you're praising Peterson
07:59for being arrogant
08:00by only working out
08:01for the Wizards,
08:02but you're slighting
08:03AJ to Bonsa.
08:04he's working out
08:05for the Wizards
08:05and the Jazz?
08:07Yeah.
08:07But is that arrogant?
08:08Hold on.
08:08Is that arrogant
08:09or just saying,
08:10hey,
08:10you guys have seen me.
08:12There's enough tape of me.
08:13You've interviewed me.
08:14You've measured me.
08:15Everyone has my medicals.
08:16I think there's at least
08:16a hint of arrogance
08:17when you go out and say,
08:19I'm only going to work out
08:20for the Wizards
08:20and I'm not going to grant
08:21workouts to any other team.
08:24I don't want to be taken
08:26by any of those other teams.
08:27What if the Wizards
08:28are giving him the signal
08:29that they really,
08:30really, really want him?
08:32So why would I waste my time?
08:34And also,
08:35maybe for whatever reason,
08:36and I don't blame any kid,
08:38I honestly blame no kid
08:40for saying,
08:40you know what,
08:41I don't really want
08:41to live in Utah
08:42or I don't really want to,
08:43even D.C.,
08:44I don't really want
08:44to live in D.C.
08:45or whatever it is.
08:46And if it's your small
08:47little way of maybe trying,
08:49I don't think it would matter.
08:50I think if Danny Ainge
08:51wants Darren Peterson,
08:52he'll draft him
08:53if he's available.
08:54But if it has helped others,
08:56they say,
08:57I don't want to,
08:59Sarr said he didn't want
08:59to go to Atlanta,
09:00they didn't take him.
09:01So sometimes it works
09:02in your favor.
09:03So maybe it's as simple
09:04as you just want to go there
09:05and he's just saying,
09:06hey, you know what,
09:06I don't want to go there.
09:07That's not arrogance.
09:08I just want to play in Utah.
09:09I think it presents
09:10potential awkwardness.
09:11If, say,
09:12he doesn't go one
09:13or even two
09:13and then he winds up
09:14three in Memphis
09:15and then he didn't work out
09:17for them,
09:18it feels like he kind of
09:20jilted the city
09:21by not coming
09:21and working out
09:22for the team.
09:23You know what they said?
09:24Ace Bailey was
09:26the exact opposite
09:28of what every perception was
09:29and he didn't work out
09:29for Utah.
09:30They loved him.
09:31He was a great kid.
09:31Yeah, I think the fans
09:32will forgive him.
09:33He ingratiated himself.
09:34If you're out there
09:34balling,
09:35they're going to forgive you.
09:35These guys are all ballers.
09:37They're all going to be
09:38very, very good players.
09:39We're picking around
09:40the edges.
09:41But I do think
09:42at the end of the day,
09:44the refrain you hear
09:45from all of them,
09:45and I've listened to
09:46practically all of them,
09:47is if you base it
09:48on talent alone,
09:49it's Darren Peterson.
09:50Yeah.
09:51So just think about that.
09:53If you base it
09:54on talent alone,
09:55and so then
09:55what's the other
09:55question mark?
09:56Okay, health,
09:57medicals, etc.
09:58All the reporting is
10:00the NBA guys don't have
10:00an issue with the medicals.
10:01They're not worried
10:02about it.
10:02They've seen it.
10:03They've seen all the
10:04whatever.
10:05They're fine.
10:05Sure.
10:06So they're going to
10:07draft the best player.
10:08They are.
10:09And a lot of people
10:11might think that
10:12there's a sizable gap.
10:14I don't think
10:14there's a sizable gap,
10:15but maybe Will Dawkins
10:16believes so.
10:17And they think
10:18Darren Peterson's the guy.
10:19If they feel like
10:20he's the best guy,
10:20they should take him.
10:22They should.
10:23I think they're going to.
10:24And I think
10:25as of yesterday,
10:26it only dropped
10:26like 50 points or whatever.
10:29I think it's still
10:29plus 450 on FanDuel
10:30as of last night.
10:31I don't know.
10:31Maybe it's changed overnight.
10:32Yeah.
10:33It was plus 500.
10:34What was AJ?
10:37No, that's AJ.
10:38Oh, AJ was plus 500.
10:40AJ's plus 320 right now
10:41to go to number one.
10:42So now it's gone
10:42from 500 to 320.
10:44So reports have said
10:45that Peterson's camp
10:46is, quote,
10:47very confident
10:48they are going number one.
10:49That's the Anderson report.
10:52Very confident.
10:53Yeah.
10:53They basically feel
10:54it's over.
10:55They've been given
10:56the signal.
10:57So based on everything
10:58you've heard,
10:58would you now be surprised
11:00if they didn't take
11:01Peterson one?
11:02Kind of, yes.
11:03Yeah.
11:04Yeah.
11:05But I told you,
11:06for the last three
11:07to four weeks,
11:07I've been kind of convinced
11:09this is the guy.
11:10I think this is the one
11:10we need to take.
11:12Especially when you look
11:13at where the weight,
11:14like I know people
11:15don't want to base it
11:15on fit,
11:16but you basically
11:19have good defenders
11:20all around in Trae Young.
11:21So that helps offset
11:23the Trae Young factor.
11:24Right.
11:25Right?
11:28And maybe they just
11:29feel like,
11:30you know,
11:31I'm just guessing here,
11:31but maybe they don't
11:32feel like the Bonts
11:33is the best fit
11:33based on what the guys
11:35they already have
11:35on the roster.
11:36I know they love
11:36Keyshawn.
11:37That's another thing
11:38that people are reminding,
11:39hey, they love Keyshawn.
11:40Yeah.
11:43Keyshawn's a better defender.
11:45So,
11:46800-636-1067
11:48is the number.
11:49I am so intrigued by it.
11:50What do you make
11:50of Darren Peters'
11:51decision to ice out
11:53all the other teams
11:54other than
11:55the Washington Wizards?
11:56He's conducted
11:57multiple workouts
11:58for them,
11:58both here
11:59and in Los Angeles.
12:01800-636-1067
12:03is the number.
12:04Some people are saying
12:05this is kind of irrelevant
12:07because this is not
12:08the Wizards saying it,
12:09at least publicly, right?
12:10It's just DP angling, right?
12:13That's fair.
12:13As far as we know,
12:15that's fair.
12:15It's gamesmanship.
12:16That's fair.
12:17Right?
12:18Definitely in a way
12:18to make it look like
12:20he's in contention.
12:22It's jockeying for position
12:22heading into the draft.
12:23Hey, listen,
12:24I'm a number one contender.
12:25I think I deserve
12:26to be number one.
12:27I'm making it known
12:28I want to go number one.
12:30So, that's fair.
12:32But,
12:33I think it's also fair
12:35that after multiple meetings
12:37with the Wizards,
12:38the family has a vibe.
12:40Yeah, you get a vibe.
12:41Like, they say
12:41everybody in his camp.
12:43Everybody in his camp
12:45has a vibe.
12:45Now,
12:46there's also a report
12:47that DeBonsa
12:48had his workout
12:49with the Wizards
12:50and according,
12:51this sounds like agent talk,
12:52it went perfect.
12:53Yeah.
12:54Which I probably believe.
12:56Well, he could have a vibe too.
12:57I probably believe it.
12:58I wouldn't doubt
12:59that A.J. DeBonsa
13:00went out there
13:01and impressed everybody.
13:02Sure.
13:02He's a freak.
13:04I believe it.
13:06But,
13:07I still go back
13:09and you can,
13:10you can criticize me for it,
13:13but I have fears
13:14just racing around my brain.
13:16Just racing around my brain
13:18when we asked Will Dawkins
13:19to describe those guys.
13:21The word association.
13:22It's the best,
13:23it's the most impressive word
13:26of the five guys
13:27that we asked him about.
13:29Then that may play out.
13:30You know,
13:31it may play out
13:31that that was his hint.
13:33Well,
13:33he definitely thinks he's fierce
13:35whether or not he thinks
13:36a scorer is a better adjective or not.
13:39He definitely thinks he's fierce
13:40so add that to the list.
13:42He could also have
13:43different word association
13:45now that they've studied
13:46these guys more
13:48and met with them
13:49multiple times too.
13:50He could,
13:51but remember,
13:52he's been watching these guys
13:53since they were like 14 years old.
13:54Yeah.
13:54This is the cream of the crop.
13:56But they haven't been talking to him.
13:57They've interviewed these guys
13:58multiple times.
13:58Yeah.
14:00I know that.
14:01You just have to nail it.
14:02Whatever guy they pick,
14:03it's got to be,
14:04like you can't draft Peterson
14:06and he's an oft-injured guy
14:08and is in and out of the lineup
14:10and underwhelms
14:11and then DeBonsa goes on
14:12to become like an all-NBA
14:14first-team guy.
14:15I think if that happens,
14:16a lot of people are going
14:17to lose their jobs.
14:18I think, yeah.
14:18Oh, for sure.
14:19I mean, that's how big
14:20and critical and pivotal
14:21this pick is.
14:21But by the same token,
14:22if they draft DeBonsa
14:23and he is, you know,
14:25good, not great,
14:26but the others are great,
14:27they're going to be in trouble
14:29there, too.
14:29That's going to reflect poorly, too.
14:30I'm telling you,
14:31I wouldn't want to make this pick.
14:32I've said it for weeks.
14:33I would not want to make this pick.
14:36Now what Will Dawkins
14:37and we're going for them
14:39is that most likely
14:40both players
14:41are going to develop
14:42into high-level
14:44NBA stars.
14:45Agreed.
14:45Both guys have pathways
14:47to become superstars.
14:49Agreed.
14:49So hopefully that happens
14:50for both of them.
14:51And the Wizards are good
14:53either way.
14:53But how often do
14:55two guys come out
14:56the same year
14:57and both are basically
14:58considered equal?
14:59Usually one is kind of
15:00considered a little bit better
15:01based on success
15:02or team success
15:03or whatever,
15:04accolade,
15:05whatever it is.
15:06I mean,
15:07there is going to be
15:08a hierarchy.
15:09People are going to rank
15:10these guys
15:10at the end of the day.
15:13It just comes down
15:15to Will
15:17and everybody else
15:18in that front office.
15:20Who's the best guy?
15:22Who's the best fit for us?
15:23Who's going to be here
15:25for 10 years
15:25to help us possibly
15:26win a championship?
15:27They believe Peterson's
15:28the guy.
15:29Go after it.
15:29What is the Brunson factor?
15:31What is the...
15:31And this is where,
15:32I'll tell you,
15:33early on when I flipped
15:34because when they pulled it,
15:36I went,
15:36okay,
15:37I think I'm on DeBansa.
15:38I think I'm on DeBansa.
15:40I think it's DeBansa.
15:40And then really,
15:41it took me about 48 hours
15:42and I just said,
15:43you know what?
15:43I think it's DP.
15:44JP really convinced me
15:46because guard play
15:48is so important
15:49come playoff time.
15:50We saw what Brunson did
15:52single-handedly
15:53leave,
15:53you know,
15:54carry the Knicks.
15:55Now,
15:55Ananobi was huge
15:57and other guys,
15:57of course.
15:59But,
16:01man,
16:01if you have
16:02a guard like that
16:05that can give you
16:0635,
16:0645
16:07in a big-time
16:07playoff game,
16:09I think Peterson
16:10is that guy.
16:11I think he can do that.
16:12I know.
16:13You're excited.
16:14Everyone's excited.
16:14He can play with the ball.
16:15He's a plus defender.
16:17He shoots it great.
16:19Actually got better
16:20as a shooter.
16:22Now,
16:22all of those things
16:23A.J. can get better at.
16:25I agree.
16:27And probably will.
16:29I think he will.
16:30He's so talented.
16:31Yeah,
16:31he's not a finished product.
16:32It's not really a knock
16:34against A.J.
16:35It's really not.
16:36It's hard to find
16:37anything negative.
16:38Yeah.
16:39A.J. plays
16:39above the rim.
16:41A.J. gets a ton of credit
16:42for what he did
16:43at BYU.
16:44He went out there
16:45and led the nation
16:47in scoring.
16:48Mm-hmm.
16:49You know,
16:49and he was out there
16:50every game.
16:51You know,
16:52even though I,
16:53I think I understand
16:54what maybe happened
16:55with DP,
16:57you know,
16:57you can't,
16:58you can't argue
16:59that it was a bit
16:59of a debacle.
17:00You can't argue it.
17:02Yeah,
17:02it was a big-time
17:03red flag.
17:04I mean,
17:05it was not great.
17:06It's 11 games.
17:0711 games.
17:07Wasn't great.
17:08And came out early.
17:09It's a third of your season.
17:10A lot of them.
17:11Yeah.
17:11Yeah.
17:12That's a lot.
17:13So,
17:13hopefully that,
17:14you know,
17:14his medicals have
17:16satisfied all the
17:17NBA front office guys.
17:19The hardcore
17:20DeBonta guys,
17:21I feel,
17:22I can feel it.
17:24They're perturbed
17:25and they're not
17:26moving off
17:27their DeBonta
17:28stance.
17:29I can just feel it
17:31the last 24 hours.
17:32Yeah,
17:32I still would take
17:33DeBonta,
17:34but I could see,
17:35I won't be surprised
17:36if they take DeBonta.
17:37I like DeBonta a lot,
17:38but I trust Will Dawkins.
17:39I know I do too.
17:40Will Dawkins
17:41has forgotten more
17:42about basketball
17:43in 10 seconds
17:43than I will ever know.
17:44Of course.
17:45So I have to trust
17:45his expertise,
17:48his and his whole staff.
17:50But this is going to be
17:51for Eric Bickle.
17:54Darren Peterson
17:55is going to become
17:57Caleb Downs
17:57if they don't take him.
17:59Yeah,
17:59that's true.
18:00He will become
18:01the NBA's version
18:02of Caleb Downs.
18:04Listen,
18:04same thing with
18:05Sonny Stiles.
18:05There's nothing
18:06not to like
18:06about Sonny Stiles.
18:07I just was a little
18:08bit scared
18:08about a guy
18:10that was just
18:10so dominant
18:11with the combine,
18:13but not necessarily
18:14as dominant
18:15on the field.
18:16You know,
18:16playing a new position.
18:17He's going to be
18:18your guy.
18:18Even if he's
18:20playing for Utah.
18:20He'll be my guy.
18:22I'm talking about
18:22Darren Peterson.
18:23Darren Peterson?
18:24Well,
18:24I'll definitely
18:24keep an eye
18:25on his development.
18:26He'll be watching
18:27some West Coast games.
18:28We'll get back
18:29at NBA Draft Talks.
18:30Coming up at
18:318 o'clock,
18:32Tyler Metcalf,
18:33founder of
18:34No Ceilings NBA.
18:35He'll join the show
18:36coming up at 8
18:36here on The Junks.
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