Mike Richman
Appearances
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Thanks for having me. I'm happy to be here to make my debut.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
it's so mixed his overall performance, right? Like, I think he did a pretty good job of getting out from under the Damien Lillard mess that he also created. Um, I, I think, uh, yeah, The recent trades to acquire Denny Avdia and also Toumani Kamara, who was part of a larger trade, which maybe didn't have the best headliner that you could imagine, and DeAndre Ayton.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
But, you know, I think Toumani and Denny have been good enough as wings and young wings that you're like, yeah, that's a part of something that could be a good basketball team.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
And I think for the first time this year, particularly second half of this season, his lottery picks in Shade Sharp and Donovan Klingin and Scoot Henderson have all shown enough promise that you're like, okay, I started to see the vision. And yet he still has every Simons on the roster.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Rob Williams never got traded, not when he first arrived, not after he stuck around after an injury and not before he got injured another time. DeAndre is probably untradeable. Every Simons, you know, still there. And Jeremy Grant, who he gave a massive contract to, even though both him and Jeremy knew Damian Lord was out the door, they still gave him one hundred and sixty million bucks.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
So it's like you kind of see where they're headed and why they're headed there. But I think the overall the vision from like pretty decent, competent team, which they've turned into to like actually competitive basketball team remains like a bit mystifying. Is it deserving? I don't know. No one deserves anything in this world. And we all deserve everything at the same time.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
So I'm not surprised he got I'm not surprised he got a new contract by any means.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
I do not expect Chauncey Billups to be the coach of the Blazers next year, in part because when they announced the future of the franchise and the multi-year contract for the GM who's going to lead the vision into the future, they didn't mention Chauncey Billups, and they also didn't announce a contracts extension for Chauncey Billups. He has a team option for next season.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
He's coached four years here. I think it is misleading to judge Chauncey Billups by his win-loss record, which is horrendous because the Blazers lost on purpose for a good chunk of that. Um, and undoubtedly the best stretch of, of Billups his career has been the last three months. Like he's been that he's been pretty good.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Although I do think often we say coach win good coach lose bad, um, which is maybe a little too simple, but I, if the Blazers were going to keep Billups, I've had a lot, a lot of opportunities to do so. And I believe he will probably be a coach in the NBA next season, but I would doubt it would be for the Portland trailblazers.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
It's a pretty, pretty simple one for him. He's got to make lapses. The finishing is just not quite there for him yet. His, they, you know, people used to say when he, when he couldn't shoot and couldn't make shots, like, well, at least he gets to his spots. What does that mean? He doesn't have spots. But he's shooting well enough from the outside now. And a lot of it is teams going under screens.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
They say, shoot it. And he's kind of cut out the step back out of his diet. And instead of just said, he doesn't have to step back. just wait till you, you go under and he can shoot a three because he doesn't have to go anywhere. So I think he's taken, he's taking smarter shots.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
And hopefully at some point that three point shooting translates to the respect that allows you to drive a little bit more, but he just is still a below average finisher. And if he's going to be a really good player, the scoot that is a really good player makes layups at a pretty high level.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
it's feet. A lot of it. Um, he is, he plays a little bit small when he has, when he, uh, jumps off two feet. So like if he has runway and he can spring off of one foot, he's, um, he's pretty athletic. Um, but he's not maybe the athletes, um, that he was billed as like, he's not quite, he's probably not John wall. Um, and he's not, he's certainly not Russell Westbrook, right?
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Like he's not one of, he's not that tier of athlete. He's an athletic point guard to be sure, but he's probably not in that, you know, whatever that percentile is, the 98th and above percentile. So sometimes he plays a little small when he has a jump off two feet, so he gets caught and can get in a crowd. And he was really bad with his left hand early in his career.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
He's really improved his left hand finishing. That's like a thing he can do a little bit. But I think a lot of it is getting his footwork and his balance when he gets around the rim becomes a problem for him.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
He is a real MF-er. Like, he is... Donovan Klingin is down to brawl. And I don't know that you always see that with rookie big men trying to find the way. Sometimes you see, like... You know, there are some Stephen Adamses out there, right? Like, Stephen Adams kind of came to the league and was like, I'll fight. Like, I'm down to fight. I'll fight everybody. But a lot of young big guys are like...
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
I got to figure out where maybe they commit hard fouls, but they don't like beef. And I think Klingon's competitiveness, particularly not backing down when guys go right at him and draw kind of silly fouls on him. I think that is an appealing part of his game because just that, just the willingness to like to mix it up speaks well for what they're going to need him to be.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Cause like his future is being gigantic and physical and he's already willing to do that.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
You know what I think is a myth? I think Mickey Mouse March is a myth. There are times when it is very obvious that you are racking up stats against nonsense teams. There was a game, Shane Sharp's rookie year, where he had 37 boards, 7 assists. 37 and 7. And the team kept pointing to it all the time. One of the only rookies to have 35-5 before his night. They lost by 42 to the Kings that night.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
That's Mickey Mouse, okay? That is Mickey Mouse. But sometimes you are playing, you are expanding your role and playing in competitive minutes that you otherwise would not. Certainly the, like, Washington Wizards pulling Alex Saar from the game can lead to some Mickey Mouse nonsense.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
But I do think there are just competitive games, like the Blazers have played some good teams who play their guys, and you see, okay, in an expanded role, you can do some other stuff. I think maybe the box score, if you just watch the box score, the Mickey Mouse stuff is real.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
But if you watch the games, the minutia of it, and I am blessed and cursed to watch every minute of the Trailblazers, I think you could see real things. That said, all of this Shane Sharp stuff in March is bull. It's all Disney magic. He's been good. The big difference for him, and I think this is the challenge that they will have going forward, is that
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
they've had a lot less Amphrey Simons and a lot less scoot consistently, which has meant more on ball reps for, for sharp. And he just looks better with the ball in his hands. When he's an off ball guy, he can get lost a little bit and his maybe aggression wanes a little bit, or he, or he's like, I got to shoot because I'm supposed to score. And he takes like stupid shots.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
But I think he's had the ball in his hands more. And he's just, he just has, he can build a comfort if he knows he's going to have on ball reps. Like he just looks better that way, which is something they're going to have to figure out going forward because Denny's going to have the ball and scoots going to have the ball. And, probably not every time it's, but another guard will have the ball too.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
And they'll, and they'll, they'll have to figure out sort of the balance with that.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
You know, they need shooting. So it's like, is con canipple that guy, um, Maybe I'm not super excited about con canipples overall upside as an NBA player, but I bet he'll play in the league for 10 years because he's the right size. He's got good physicality and he can shoot like that's, um, that's an NBA player.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Like, I don't know if it's a really good NBA player, but when I watch him, I'm like, yeah, that dude's gonna play in the league. Um, so he's, he's a name that's probably in that range that makes some sense. I think we're sheer Fleming is a name that kind of makes some sense if the shooting is real. Cause they could use like a stretchy, big, um, I think that's the skill set.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Maybe Liam McNeely, but I don't, I'm kind of, I've kind of soured on him a little bit, but those are the names. Cause I think they need shooting, but I don't know that they're in a spot. I don't know anyone who's going to be drafting the lotteries in a spot where they should draft for a skill sets, but just like thinking about the Blazers needs, those are their needs.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
You know, I think one of the most interesting scenarios for the Blazers is if they do jump up and it's like Vijay Edgecombe and Dylan Harper are choices where they land. It's like, What do you do? What do you do? Do you believe in your guys or do you bring in the talent? I think that would be a really fascinating scenario. And for the content purposes, I am obviously rooting for it.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Yeah, I mean, they have a bunch of dudes who can defend, but if Shaden Sharp and Scoot are their future in the backcourt, I don't know that you can have enough defenders, right? I think Scoot has improved a lot on defense, but he's 6'2". What are you going to do? There's not that many guys who are really good consistently on defense of that size, and Shaden Sharp's pretty bad on defense.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
So I think that is a question mark for him.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Oh, man. My hope is that they make the big structural changes that they have resisted making for several cycles now. I don't know that you can trade, as I mentioned earlier in the show, I don't know that you can trade DeAndre. I don't know that that's an option. I don't know that you can trade Jeremy Grant because he forgot how to make two-pointers. But at some point you could. He was tradable.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
I think every Simons is tradable to some extent. I don't know that he has this. That is not the type of player that has a lot of value in the trade market. But movable, without a doubt, movable, depending on what you're asking prices. But I think it's time to really clear the decks to let the youngsters play.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
But there is a weird world, and I think this goes to what I think they will do, is where they took a step forward this year. are they willing to take a step back? Are they willing to trade those guys and get a little bit worse in the immediate term? Or are they, or, or do they say we, we won 37 games.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
We sure as hell don't want to win 31 or 28 or something, you know, like they, they are where they're resistant to make necessary moves because they're worried about the sort of outward appearance of the rebuild heading being non, being nonlinear all of a sudden.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Yeah, I mean, I think it just would be really, really, really bizarre if year three Scoot Henderson is not your starting point guard.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
It's just good, bad, whatever. It's weird. It'd be weird. You draft him third overall, and he goes into his third season, and it's like, well, yeah, he's going to be a backup. It's like, okay, well, you drafted a backup at three. You know, like that's I think that is one of the things that they need to they need to look in the mirror and decide what what the deal is.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
I think the way that would be palatable is, I guess, if Dylan Harper was your starting point guard or whatever. But, you know, like I don't think. You know, I don't think there's if DeAndre Ayton and every Simons are back, that means that you have two recent lottery picks who have at least shown some promise in Scoot and Donovan Klingon who have been coming off the bench again.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
And that's just weird. That's weird. That's a weird way to run a basketball team.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
We'll go eight like Bonzi Wells. Was Bonzi eight? Am I right about that? Bonzi Wells.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
I'll go with Damien Lamont Ali Lillard Sr.
The Athletic NBA Daily
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Eight, nine, and ten. Okay, it's got to be someone modern who was around. Batum was a good one because he had another contract. I'm going to go – this is a bad choice. I'm going to go Cliff Robinson. Cliff Robinson.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Number eight. Oh, man.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Yeah. I'm trying to think of just longevity. Cause Clyde was my last guess. I was hoping you wouldn't go Clyde. I don't, I, I don't know. I can see it. Andrew, throw your last name out.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
He was at three stints. That's a good guess. Three stints.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
He kept coming back and he played at least in the post-Curry era. He kept coming back.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Yeah, turbo Josh Hart. There you go.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
I'll go eight for Martel Webster. That's a number I do know.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Again? Yeah, I'll go to the other end of the spectrum and guess OKC. Wow, Mike.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Okay. I think it could be one of two obscure guys, but I'm just going to guess Sterling Scoot Henderson.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Yeah, I know his on-off numbers suggest that he's good. I think that that's... It suggests that he's good. Well, it's like the Blazers vets. If you look at the on-off numbers, DeAndre sucks. Jeremy Grant, unplayable. Anfrey Simon is normal bad. But I don't want to spoil some potential ones. Maybe that'll be coming up in this trivia. But Jabari Walker and Duop Reith are kind of on-off legends.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
So it's like, I don't... man, is that meaningful? Do we, do we think that means anything? But I know that scoots on off numbers suggest that they're, they're just straight up better when he plays, which I think is a good sign, which is why they need to make him the starting point guard.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
The big six, six.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
I'm just going to throw out a number. I'm not going to shy away from this. I'm going to throw out a number. I'm going to say that Time Lord has attempted seven three-pointers in his career.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
I don't. I knew that he got axed, and now they brought him back. And I have a two-year-old, and we've been to some games this year, and she loves Dougie. They brought Dougie. They got Dougie Furr, who's the new mascot, the new Sasquatch mascot, and she loves Dougie. So we talk a lot about the new age mascot in my home.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
So I believe the plan is to have two, but it does feel like they're murdering Blaze. it feels like he is just going to end up in, you know, just, he's not going to show up to work next year. And I feel, honestly, I feel sad.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
People seem to like him. The last game we were at, I was at Sunday afternoon's game. We go to the matinees. And Blaze did a stunt off the ladder. And I'm like, Dougie's not doing that, baby. Long live Blaze. But my guess to this question is the cars. Smashing the cars.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Yeah, I thought the cars was the easiest thing to replicate. That was my guess. It was the easiest thing to replicate.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Yeah, thanks for having me, guys. The Blazers haven't played a really meaningful game in a while, but I do still do a daily podcast, so check it out if you enjoyed my oeuvre.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Yeah, listen, this is a little inside baseball, but the season's about to end on Sunday, and then there's like a month until the draft lottery, and that is the hardest time of the year for the have-nots to podcast, a daily podcast about nothing, about nothing. But I will still do a great job, so come check it out.
The Athletic NBA Daily
NBA Awards "The Slammies" + The Blazers Future | Slam N Jam
Thanks for having me, guys.