00:00Right now, we're fired up to jump on the Rude Guest Hotline and talk to Mr. Derek Fisher.
00:06Derek, what's up, man? Thanks for making time for us.
00:09Yeah, appreciate you guys having me, man. How's everything out there on the East Coast?
00:12Things are good. It's getting a little hectic out here.
00:15You know, we got big signings. We got a number one draft pick coming up, and we'll see.
00:22Right, right. We're going to see how everything works, right?
00:26I want to ask you this question, Derek. You play point guard in this league.
00:30Everybody always talks about the big man, this, that, and the other.
00:32How important is the point guard running the whole show?
00:36Well, I mean, as you guys know, you know, from the NFL side of it
00:41and what the commanders have been able to accomplish when you have the right quarterback,
00:47it makes all the difference in the world.
00:49And I think it's very similar in basketball where your point guard, lead guard,
00:54is he's that person that can kind of set the table, make sure everything is where it needs to be.
01:02He helps other people understand their responsibilities.
01:05He helps everybody to get organized.
01:08You know, he brings a level of expertise, composure, poise.
01:12And a lot of times, you know, just that swagger and that confidence.
01:15I mean, you know, even some of the best recent years for the Wizards were, you know,
01:20it was the John Wall era where that dynamic point guard is a guy that can just really set the
01:26tone for everybody else.
01:27So Trey Young has that ability.
01:29It seems like he is motivated and incentivized to build something there in D.C.
01:34over the next few years.
01:35And it's good to see.
01:37I mean, I'm all in on the leadership there with the Wizards.
01:40I really am.
01:41I know Brian Keefe.
01:43I know Will Dawkins.
01:43I know Michael Winger.
01:45All three guys are great human beings outside of being great basketball people.
01:49What is it that you see that Trey brings to the game?
01:52Because I know a lot of people talk about the injuries,
01:54but everybody I talk to is talking about his passing, the way he throws alley-oops,
01:59the way he rolls in a pick-and-roll.
02:01What do you see?
02:03Yeah, that's what I see.
02:04I mean, the injuries, you know, that's part of a larger conversation
02:08that we all have to continue to have around, you know, what can we do?
02:13You know, how do we help players, you know, stay healthy and be available?
02:17But when Trey Young is healthy, he is a player.
02:20Like, gravity is a very popular term in the NBA right now
02:25where Trey Young has an ability to create gravity,
02:28which means he draws people towards him because of his ability to score the ball,
02:33which also then sets up great passing opportunities when he's making other people better.
02:39And when you think about, you know, him being surrounded with guys like Anthony Davis,
02:44whoever the Wizards take with number one tonight,
02:48like you start to see where you can build a group where there's interior presence,
02:53there's Trey Young playmaking and scoring ability,
02:55and then, you know, the number one pick most likely is a guard forward type player
03:01that has some positional versatility.
03:04And then you have a good combination of guys you can start to build with.
03:07Derek, I'm curious for you.
03:09I don't know if you've seen some of the reaction to the Trey Young contract,
03:12but a lot of people are saying it's an overpay.
03:16Considering where the salary cap is and how much money these players make,
03:19do you view that as an overpay?
03:22Well, some situations require different decisions, right?
03:26And when you're in a situation and in a market where, like, really, like,
03:32signing, like, high-caliber players to free agent deals that are not your own free agents,
03:39it's going to be tough.
03:40And so when you have an opportunity to sign a deal with a player of Trey Young's caliber,
03:46he's still an all-pro player.
03:48So it's not an overpay for an all-pro player.
03:52It's really not.
03:53And, again, with 30 teams in the NBA,
03:57there's going to be different levels of players that are the franchise player for that team, right?
04:04Trey Young is different than Giannis.
04:06Trey Young is different than Steph Curry, right?
04:10But he still is one of the two guys on your team that is going to be a foundational cornerstone
04:17piece
04:18to your success in the short term.
04:22And there's a currency that you have to pay for that when a guy has an all-star history
04:26and still has potential to be an all-star player now.
04:29You look at the two young guys coming out tonight, DeBanza and also Peterson.
04:36What have you seen that you like about both of these games,
04:39and do you have a lean one way or the other?
04:41Yeah, I haven't seen Peterson as much.
04:45And so I do have to say, like, I have a little bit more of a bias towards DeBanza
04:51just because I've had more experience being around him,
04:54seeing him and interacting with him in different settings.
04:58I think, you know, he's the type of young player that is very serious about his craft,
05:04and there's a look in his eye that tells you he wants to be great
05:08and he's going to be willing to do the work that it takes to be great.
05:12I think he'd be really interesting when you think about him being, you know,
05:17kind of between Trey Young and Anthony Davis.
05:21I think DeBanza could fit really well as that versatile wing type of piece.
05:26You know, defending at an NBA level is something that, you know,
05:30it's going to take time for college players to become,
05:33but he does have the length and the athleticism to be a really good wing defender.
05:37Darren Peterson, again, I haven't seen as much.
05:40Everything I've heard about him is that he is one of the, you know,
05:44the most gifted young offensive scorers and players that, you know,
05:48we've seen in a long time.
05:49I think it's not a comp to Kyrie Irving, but it sounds very similar,
05:53like a guy that didn't play a ton of basketball in college his freshman year,
05:58but, like, clearly he became an elite NBA player in terms of his ability to manipulate the basketball
06:05and create offense for himself and for other people.
06:08So, if he has that type of potential, I see why people have been really considering him in the top
06:14two picks.
06:15Talking with Derek Fisher here on the Rude Guest Hotline,
06:17you can give Derek a follow at Derek Fisher, five-time NBA champ.
06:22How cool is that to hear?
06:24Just to be reminded of.
06:25Yeah, man.
06:26Yeah, I have to pinch myself every time.
06:28I mean, I know I was there.
06:29I know I was a part of it, but it's still, yeah, I'm still always grateful, man.
06:34It's being in the league.
06:36You know, just being in the league is a gift in itself,
06:39and having a chance to win a title is even more special.
06:42And, you know, I play with a lot of great players and, you know, teammates and coaches
06:46that made it, you know, a lot easier for me to do my job than it is for most guys.
06:52You can hear, Derek, on the new D. Fish and Decker, on the new 97.1 The Fan in L
06:58.A.
06:58I hope you're enjoying the new radio gig.
07:01I'm curious for you, being in L.A. and understanding the gravity, to borrow a word you use,
07:08the gravity that LeBron James brings to every situation he's in,
07:13what do you think happens with LeBron?
07:16Yeah, that's a great question.
07:17I mean, I don't know, you know, what, like, will happen per se.
07:23My tea leaves, from my perspective, you know, it always starts for LeBron with, one,
07:31does he still really have the passion for the process that he's always held?
07:37That for older, experienced players that have had the career he's had,
07:41that's the first box you have to check.
07:43Like, do I want to do all the things that it'll take at my age to show up every day
07:48and be the best version of myself?
07:49So once that box is checked, now it goes to, now, if I'm willing to do that,
07:55I'm only willing to do that for a team that has a chance to win the championship.
07:59So that's the second box.
08:02And, you know, can the Lakers resign and or make, you know, moves over the offseason
08:08that increases the chances of him feeling that way about them?
08:12Or is there another situation where he feels like that could be better for him?
08:16So, to me, those are the two things that it's going to come down to is, one,
08:22as he's taking some time, you know, with his family and to check in with himself.
08:25Like, do I want to grind in the offseason to make sure that at 41, 42 years old,
08:30I can still be an all-NBA type of guy?
08:33And then, two, can we win a championship?
08:35Because I'm not going to make the sacrifices to be away from my family,
08:39to do all the work it's going to take for me to stay healthy at my age
08:43for a team that's only going to win 45 games and go home before the play-in.
08:47Like, he's not going to risk all of that for that type of team.
08:51So, it's kind of a wait and see.
08:53It sounded more recently in L.A. like L.A., the Lakers will have a good chance of resigning him.
09:00But, you know, things change quickly, as you guys know.
09:02So, you know, you never know.
09:05Some draft day trades and different things, and teams look a lot different.
09:09Derek, I know you've got to run before too long, but we saw Giannis get traded to Miami.
09:13Trae Young would have been a big piece in free agency, but he's resigned now.
09:18LeBron's question is going to be massive, and there's other big questions.
09:21But there's still another big question here in D.C. with Anthony Davis.
09:25I don't know if your pass crossed much when he was in L.A.,
09:28but do you expect A.D. to be on the Wizards this fall,
09:32or do you think that's a guy that could maybe unexpectedly maybe get moved tonight?
09:37That's a good question.
09:38I think I did cross paths enough with Anthony Davis to know I always start with the dude,
09:44with the human being, with the person, because that's where the character
09:48and integrity of athletes come from.
09:51And Anthony Davis is a high-character, high-integrity person,
09:55which then allows him to really like it's why he's been a great in the league
10:00over the last decade or more.
10:02And so I think, you know, here's the thing.
10:06I think Anthony Davis will still be in Washington for now,
10:11just one, due to like what his current contract structure is.
10:16Like I'm not sure if other teams have seen enough of Anthony Davis recently enough
10:21to say we're going to swing a draft day trade and try to bring him to us right now.
10:27What I think could be really fun and I think Anthony Davis could be really excited about is
10:32there's a point in your career as a veteran where you go from like the young guy
10:38or the guy that's always like chasing something to be somewhere else,
10:43and then you get to a point as a veteran where like you actually flip to like,
10:48you flip to the ankh of the room, right?
10:50You flip to the OG in the room that like now your focus becomes,
10:56I've had a great career.
10:58I've had great experiences.
10:59I'm still great.
11:00But like what can I start to do that can make other people's experience greater?
11:05Like you saw Kobe make that shift.
11:07You know, you've seen LeBron make that shift.
11:09Like you've seen guys kind of shift to like, I'm going to continue to be great,
11:13but I'm going to start passing some stuff along to other guys.
11:16There you go.
11:16And I think AD could really be potentially excited about that in Washington.
11:21I think that's why Trey Young is excited to be in Washington.
11:25Like those guys have been all-stars.
11:27They've been to the mountaintop.
11:28They've made all the money they need to make.
11:30Sure, they should continue to get paid at the level they're capable of getting paid,
11:33but they want to start setting other guys up for success.
11:36And what better way to do that than to have whoever gets drafted number one
11:40be a guy that you can like help mold into an all-NBA player.
11:45So I think AD is there for now.
11:48He's going to need to put together a couple back-to-back seasons of being healthy
11:52and performing well.
11:53I think before other people start to want to maybe take the risk of rolling the dice
11:58and bringing him in at a high level.
11:59There you go.
12:00It's going to be interesting.
12:01Fish, I know you've got to run, man.
12:03Thank you very much for making time for us.
12:05Appreciate you guys, man.
12:06Have a good one.
12:07All right, man.
12:08Derek Fisher.
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