00:00I did want to switch it up a bit.
00:02You've been covering a lot of Wizards lately.
00:04There's obviously a lot more excitement surrounding this Wizards team
00:07than we've seen in a long time.
00:10Kind of a, I don't know that it's disappointing last night.
00:14The Hornets look like they could be a pretty good team,
00:16but really kind of a flat effort.
00:19Kind of a dud.
00:19Yeah, it was just kind of a dud.
00:21What did you make of the Wiz losing to the Hornets last night?
00:24Yeah, it was a tough one.
00:25I mean, not only, even if Charlotte was at full strength,
00:27in the worst case, they're sort of even teams,
00:31and like you said, they looked kind of out of it.
00:33They got worked on the boards despite having basically two seven-footers
00:37who were good in the starting lineup.
00:39But the Hornets were not at full strength.
00:41They were missing a handful of guys that are legit players for them,
00:44so that makes it even more frustrating.
00:46I think Justin Champenny going out in the first half of an injury,
00:51it's so funny.
00:52I wrote about him the other day because he's not one of their seven first-round picks.
00:55He's not one of their former all-stars.
00:58He's just a worker who makes winning plays,
01:01and he's just the ultimate guy who's like, when he's on the court,
01:04they just do better.
01:05And then he left the court.
01:06He was also leading the team in rebounds even at 6'6".
01:08Yeah.
01:09He goes off the court, and they just never really quite seem to find a rhythm
01:14much after that.
01:15So that's tough.
01:16But, yeah, I mean, look, the consistency of effort is always in any sport,
01:19right?
01:19That's always the deal.
01:21Sometimes the shots aren't going to go in.
01:22Sometimes the other team's just going to make more plays.
01:24But the consistency of effort, you know, I always hate saying, guys,
01:28don't give effort.
01:28I'm not saying that, and you're not saying that.
01:30But, yes, it did not look like as much energy as we saw in some of the other
01:34games this year.
01:36Champenny, his brother plays in the league too, right?
01:38I think he's on the Spurs.
01:39Yeah, he started for the Spurs last year.
01:41Yeah, yeah.
01:42But I just tell you, he grew up with a brother that was whooping his butt.
01:46Champenny's a monster, if you believe in the plus-minus stat.
01:51I thought Anthony Davis' comments, was that after Friday night's game or the
01:57home opener, when he kind of joked, like, people were like, oh, man,
02:01what did you think of that crowd?
02:02Wasn't that awesome?
02:02And he's like, it was?
02:04I don't know if you saw or heard that.
02:06But how do we think AD's loving his new team four games in?
02:12I think he's good.
02:13I wrote about this the other day.
02:16I've done a lot of talking about this.
02:17I'm sort of fascinated by the idea of what the outside perception is versus
02:22what the reality is.
02:23Because most people are still viewing the Wizards as the clown car show that
02:27they've been for most of my life.
02:30And that's reasonable.
02:31I get it.
02:31But it's a different deal now.
02:34I'm not saying that Winger and Dawkins have this team where you're going to
02:37win a title.
02:37But the decisions being made are far more sound.
02:41So I think Davis, he admitted he came in, had a lot of questions.
02:45I talked to Chris Milton the other day at media day, and I was like, dude,
02:49why are you back here?
02:50He's like, well, when I first got here, I was like, oh, no, this is going to be
02:54awful.
02:54This place is terrible from what I hear.
02:56And then he got here, I was like, oh, well, actually, it's completely normal or
02:59it's fine and things like that.
03:01So I think that Davis is fine with that.
03:03Now, he did make that comment about the crowds.
03:04I think that Davis is just candid.
03:06When at media day, he was sort of, you know, they shuffle the players around to
03:11different places to take photos and things like that.
03:13And I call him, he was standing just in the middle of waiting for something to
03:18happen.
03:18And he looked at one of his, whoever's handler was, and he's like, somebody just
03:22told me that this is way more crowded than it was last year.
03:25And the other person's like, yeah.
03:26He goes, really?
03:27This is like nothing compared to what I'm used to.
03:30Because he's with the Lakers.
03:31With the Lakers, right, right.
03:32So I think to that extent, it is a bit of a culture shock, you know, because the
03:37Wizards have been.
03:38Tell him to keep balling and maybe they'll be out here looking for him, too.
03:43Maybe, yeah.
03:44I mean, I think Andy Davis has a lot to give, a lot to prove.
03:48And I think that that's going to ultimately, you know, bode well.
03:52It has so far.
03:54But, you know, again, it's going to have to be, you know, fair or not.
03:58It's going to have to be a consistent effort coming from him night in and night out
04:02because the young guys are going to lead or are going to follow him and Trey Young.
04:06And that's why they're here.
04:09People, I think, misinterpret why they're here.
04:11They're not here because the Wizards think these are the pieces to get them to the title.
04:15They're here because these are the pieces to help the young players develop and understand
04:19what it takes to be successful in this league.
04:22And then, you know, those young guys are the ones who you hope will lead you to the
04:27promised land.
04:27My question with Davis and knowing at least Dawkins being part of Oklahoma City is they
04:35got Paul George and it was going fairly well and they sold Paul George at the top of their
04:42powers, which did kind of extend the timeline of the rebuild.
04:46I just, I wonder if you get whatever, 30, 40 games into this season and Davis is playing
04:53really well, but I don't know where you land on this.
04:57To me, if Washington is around 500 at the end of the year, 40 to 45 wins, something like
05:03that is a huge step for this organization.
05:06And even getting to 40 wins might not get them in the playoffs.
05:10Like, I do think there's a scenario where Davis plays well, but still could go to a real
05:15contender and help them more.
05:18Do you think that is still something that's possible?
05:23Absolutely.
05:23I think it's more plausible.
05:25He gets traded before the deadline than they give him a max contract or anything like that.
05:29I think like, again, this is one of these things people on the outside are like, why would
05:34you bring in Anthony Davis?
05:35It's completely not the timeline.
05:37And I'm like, dude, they got Anthony Davis for pretty cheap.
05:40They had to bring in some veterans anyway.
05:41So they just went to the top of the list and brought in a guy who's a 10-time all
05:45-star
05:46and, you know, can still play at a super high level.
05:48But they're also realistic that, again, you know, A.J.
05:52DeBonta is 19.
05:54Yes, he and David Davis are definitely not on the same timeline, which is why everything's
06:00up for grabs.
06:01If they are playing well or struggling or whatever, and some teams offers them a deal that they
06:06just think they can't pass on, Anthony Davis will be playing for somebody else.
06:09I don't buy that they are so stuck.
06:11And I think that's the thing.
06:12Like, somebody said to me, didn't like what they've done because, once again, they're just
06:18like playing for the sixth seed.
06:19And I'm like, no, no, no.
06:20In the past, you're not wrong.
06:22In the past, the goal was to get in the playoffs.
06:25Here, the sixth seed is not the goal.
06:27It's a pit stop along the way to the goal.
06:30And that's why it's a different deal.
06:32So, you know, whatever they think has to happen for that to occur is what I think they'll
06:36do.
06:36And if that means trading Anthony Davis, so be it.
06:39People don't understand that when they purchase Ant, they put themselves in a situation where
06:43if he's balling out, we can keep him or we can let him go and get something for him.
06:49Sure.
06:49So they're in kind of a, if he's balling, they're in a win-win.
06:53If he's not balling, they're in a problem.
06:56Right.
06:56To me, it's nothing but a win-win.
06:58And look, even if he gets hurt, you know, which has been his deal, of course, for most
07:03of his career, again, you still have all these young guys.
07:07You didn't really give up much of anything to get him or to get Trey Young.
07:11And, you know, it's all about, you know, Devonta and Keeshaan George and Alex Saar and all
07:16that.
07:16So, fine.
07:18I mean, you hope Davis plays, but if he doesn't, okay, well, you just move forward with the
07:22plan, you know, the bigger plan.
07:23And that is develop the young guys.
07:25When do we see Devonta?
07:30Boy, this is how my brain works.
07:31I had a dream last night that I could have gone to a Wizards home game, didn't, and then
07:36he played, and I was so pissed off at myself.
07:38So I don't know what he plays, but it clearly is on my mind, clear on my mind as well.
07:44You know, they haven't said what the deal with the injury is exactly, you know, whether it's
07:48like a high ankle or what kind of a deal it is.
07:51So it's hard to know.
07:52And, you know, they're not getting pressed for this the way, you know, JP, we press Quinn
07:58for things at times.
07:59So, you know, I don't know.
08:00Friday night would be pretty juicy back at home.
08:03Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:04I would almost think, not that you would do it like that, but yes, I would think at this
08:07point, why not wait for him to do it, to do it at home at this point?
08:13Yeah, that would be cool.
08:13But yeah, hopefully he's back sooner than later on, obviously.
08:16Last question, because I want to open the phones up for some Wizards talk.
08:19We got Wizards fever in town, 800-636-1067.
08:22What do you think this Will Riley situation is?
08:26You mean that he's just not playing a lot?
08:28Yeah.
08:28That's what I mean.
08:29Yeah.
08:30Well, I think this is a crazy example of how things are different.
08:35In years past, Will Riley would have been on all the posters because like, oh, well, we
08:41got this big point guard, 6'9", guys who like point guard, look how good he did in the
08:47last year, what he did in the summer league, all that stuff.
08:49And here, he's just one of the seven picks.
08:52And I think that sort of the bummer for him is like George and DeBonta and Koulibaly, like
09:00all those guys are like wings and he's basically kind of like that too.
09:04So there's just not a ton of room and it's only going to get worse now once DeBonta does
09:08come back.
09:09I think what Brian Keefe will do ultimately is just, you know, the guys who are playing
09:14like 9, 10, 11, if they go that deep, just kind of try to rotate those players around.
09:21Eventually, you know, there'll be injuries and eventually Riley will play.
09:23And I really do like him as well.
09:25But like I said, it's like, who are you sitting?
09:27I think the one guy like Bob Carrington just played pretty well early in the year.
09:31I thought that was going to be the one guy he could usurp in a rotation, but they need
09:35three-point shooting right now.
09:36And Bob gives him that, so it'll happen eventually.
09:40But yeah, it's more of a positive thing, I look at it, than a negative.
09:44You know, people want him on the court.
09:45Let's think about it.
09:46As good as we think he can be, he's sitting on the bench, which means they feel other
09:49people are better.
09:50They got DeB now.
09:52Yeah.
09:52So.
09:53Yeah.
09:53No, it's a wacky world.
09:55Benny, thank you for the time, bud.
09:56See you tomorrow.
09:56Take care, brother.
09:57Thanks for the run, guys.
09:58See you.
09:58All right.
09:59That is Ben Standig.
10:00Give him a follow, at Ben Standig.
10:02Check out his substack, lastmanstandig.substack.com.
