- 11 minutes ago
Keith Smith joins the show to discuss the early success of the Washington Wizards and if he believes they can make a playoff run in 2026.
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00:00I look at the job that Coach Keefe has,
00:04Keefe, and I don't envy it
00:06because how deep into the season
00:09does he want to go
00:10trying to find out his optimal lineups?
00:13How does he balance
00:14finding out what A.J. is good at?
00:16Now there's this injury
00:17he's got to kind of manage around.
00:19How does he manage and balance
00:21a player in Davis
00:23who wants to get paid a lot more money
00:25but needs to stay healthy
00:27but also may be a trade target
00:31and he may know it?
00:32There are a lot of factors here.
00:34What do you think of the job
00:35that Brian Keefe is being asked to do right now?
00:38Yeah, it's a difficult one for sure
00:40when anytime you're trying to
00:42take a roster that has been
00:44building around a group of kids together
00:47and then you, in effect,
00:48accelerate the process a little bit
00:51when you add guys like Trey Young
00:52and Anthony Davis and Chris Middleton
00:54and DeAndre Aiden,
00:56you're saying,
00:56all right, we're ready to step forward
00:58and we're ready to compete
01:00and that can be,
01:01that sounds good,
01:02but that can be difficult
01:04because you've got all these proud veterans
01:05who want to play and play a lot
01:07and are used to playing a lot
01:09and being part of it
01:10and then you get these kids
01:11who are there trying to play
01:12for their first big contract, right?
01:15They got their rookie deals
01:16but now they're looking
01:17for that first extension
01:19and the like
01:19and that can be a difficult place.
01:21We've seen that undo
01:22a lot of teams over the years
01:24as they start to build it up.
01:26That said, so far, so good.
01:28They beat the two teams
01:29that you've got to beat
01:30and I think what's encouraging
01:31for Wizards fans is
01:33when you go on the road
01:34and you beat the Bulls,
01:35a lot of people are like,
01:35all right, you beat the Bulls,
01:37but that's not a game
01:37they've won a lot
01:38over the last few years.
01:40Those are the kind of games
01:41that they've just kind of,
01:43all right, well,
01:43we're the worst team
01:44or we're about on par
01:45and we're going to come in and lose
01:46and getting a win like that
01:47is big.
01:48You've got to beat the teams
01:49you're supposed to beat
01:50and then hopefully
01:51you get a little bit of luck
01:52against the better teams
01:53and you see where it all
01:53comes out in the end.
01:54Keith, when you look at,
01:56I look at Young
01:57and also AD.
02:01AD is looking for an extension.
02:04Young has a four-year extension.
02:06Who do you think
02:07is probably more vitally important
02:09for this team moving forward?
02:11Because I think they got
02:12Sarr in the making.
02:14They got Vucevic
02:15who's hadn't played yet,
02:16but Trey Young is a guy
02:18who can get everybody the ball.
02:19Can he be more reliable
02:21for the future success
02:22than AD is?
02:25Yeah, I think so.
02:26And I think with Trey Young,
02:28you have a little bit
02:29of injury history there,
02:30but it's not super long.
02:32And it went on the last year.
02:33The injuries he went through
02:35after arriving with the Wizards
02:37was a lot more about
02:38we need to be in the lottery standings
02:40than it was Trey Young
02:41being unable to play.
02:43And I think what you said
02:45is right.
02:45He's a guy who can set the table
02:47for all these other players
02:48and make sure everybody's
02:50getting touches and all that.
02:51And the Wizards have
02:52some other guys
02:53at the forward position.
02:54that you can rely on
02:55if Anthony Davis
02:56isn't going to be a part
02:57of things moving forward.
02:58I think what you kind of do
03:00is you think these first
03:01couple months of the season
03:02until we get to about
03:03the holiday period,
03:04no trades really
03:05or anything like that
03:06happened in the NBA
03:07until we're into mid
03:08to late December anyway.
03:10So you kind of take this
03:12to evaluate.
03:12And if you're in a good place
03:14and AD is playing well
03:16and he's healthy
03:16and seems like he's happy
03:18to be in Washington,
03:20then maybe you start talking
03:21with him a little bit more
03:22about the future
03:24and what that might look like.
03:25And if we get to a place
03:26where it is,
03:27all right,
03:27he's not playing great
03:28or he's unhappy
03:29or injured again
03:31and they don't really feel
03:32like they need to build
03:32around him,
03:33maybe then you look at
03:34what the trade options are.
03:36I think they're in a pretty
03:37good place either way
03:38with that
03:38because either you're
03:40going to be winning games
03:41and doing well
03:42or you're going to return
03:43something via trade
03:44for Anthony Davis.
03:45But I think these
03:46first couple months
03:47it's all about evaluating
03:48how all this fits together.
03:50Of the young guys
03:51that have been here
03:52a minute before
03:54DeBonsa's arrival,
03:55who would be,
03:57if you were them,
03:58the most worried
03:59about being left behind
04:01as this thing shuffles out?
04:03Like if you're one
04:04of the younger guys
04:04who was here,
04:06who would you say,
04:07God, you know what,
04:07this guy might be
04:08looking at it like,
04:09ah, man,
04:10I might be the odd man out.
04:12Yeah, for me,
04:13that's Bilal Koulibaly.
04:15We're in a position
04:16he didn't get an extension,
04:18so that already gives you
04:19one sense of where
04:21his standing is
04:22with the team.
04:23And then I think
04:23the other part of it
04:24with him is
04:25there's a lot of overlap
04:27at those positions.
04:28And Keyshawn George
04:29is really, really good
04:31and he looks like
04:31a long-term building block.
04:33Trey Johnson is somebody
04:34I know the team's
04:35super excited about
04:36and every team
04:37needs a guy like that
04:38that's going to be
04:39a little bit of that
04:40kind of rational,
04:41confidence, audacious
04:42type of scorer
04:43that's going to come in
04:44and when he takes the floor
04:45it's like,
04:45I got this,
04:46I'm the best player
04:47on the floor
04:47and as long as he plays
04:48within the system,
04:49that's fine.
04:50And then a guy like
04:51Bob Carrington
04:51I think is in a spot
04:53where if nothing else
04:54he's going to be
04:55a very good high-end
04:56backup point guard
04:57behind Trey Young.
04:58He can even play
04:59with him some.
05:00And then I don't even
05:01put Alex Saar in there
05:02because I think
05:02he's shown enough
05:03that that's one of your
05:04building blocks
05:04moving forward.
05:05So for me,
05:06it's got to be
05:07Bilal Koulibaly.
05:10And as we look
05:11at this team,
05:11DeBonsa,
05:12okay,
05:12we here in town,
05:13we just know
05:14he got an ankle sprain.
05:16Have you heard
05:16anything beyond
05:17because ankle sprain
05:18one game,
05:19two games,
05:19yes,
05:20but now this game
05:20four,
05:22is it something
05:22more serious
05:23we need to be
05:23concerned about?
05:25No,
05:25I haven't heard
05:26anything that is
05:27beyond that.
05:28It sounds like
05:28it was just one
05:29of those ones
05:29that's kind of bad
05:30and not bad
05:31in a way where
05:32we're talking
05:33months or anything,
05:34but bad in a way
05:35where it is,
05:35yeah,
05:36it's going to take
05:36him a little bit
05:37to get there.
05:37And I think
05:38they're also
05:38going to be
05:39super cautious.
05:40I think they're
05:40looking at it
05:41and saying,
05:42hey,
05:42we got 79
05:43more of these
05:44things to go.
05:45We don't need
05:46to put him
05:47out there,
05:47especially when
05:48we've got
05:48all these other
05:49guys now that
05:50can kind of
05:50play and cover
05:52that position.
05:52I know it's
05:53frustrating because
05:54we all want to
05:55get there,
05:55and I know
05:55it's frustrating
05:56for him as well
05:57because he wants
05:57to get out there
05:58and make his debut
05:59and be a part
06:00of all of this,
06:00but they're going
06:01to be smart with
06:02this and make sure
06:02when he's ready
06:03to go,
06:04he's really ready
06:05to go.
06:05When Keefe is
06:07playing Saar
06:08and Davis together,
06:09what are they
06:10going for as
06:12a concept there?
06:14Because a lot
06:15of teams don't
06:15have the luxury
06:16of putting out
06:16two front-line
06:17bigs like that,
06:18but what are
06:19they going for
06:20and what are
06:21the potential
06:22liabilities with
06:23both players?
06:23Neither one is
06:24much of a true
06:25long-range shooter.
06:26Davis mid-range,
06:27yes, but not
06:28really a three-point
06:29threat.
06:30What is the goal
06:30with that and how
06:31much do you see
06:32them playing together
06:33this year?
06:34Yeah, I think
06:35part of the goal
06:36is, like you said,
06:37Alex Saar is one
06:38of your building
06:38blocks, and then
06:39Anthony Davis is the
06:40veteran who makes
06:41$50 million, so
06:43you're in a place
06:44where that's going
06:45to, you know,
06:45well, one guy's
06:46definitely going to
06:47be in the lineup
06:47and the other guy
06:48you probably need
06:49to have in there
06:50as you build
06:50around him,
06:51but I think when
06:52you make it about
06:53basketball, I think
06:55what their goal
06:55there is, let's
06:56be pretty solid
06:57defensively, at
06:58least on the
06:59interior.
07:00Their guards,
07:01especially Trae Young,
07:02those guys
07:03aren't great
07:03defenders, but if
07:04you can have the
07:05right kind of guys
07:06behind them to
07:07cover, that's in a
07:08good place, and I
07:09know what they
07:09really like is the
07:11idea of if Anthony
07:12Davis has to slide
07:13over to try to
07:14block a shot, Alex
07:15Saar can be there
07:16on the back side to
07:17clean up the
07:17rebounding, and
07:18vice versa.
07:19You're in a place
07:20where that's very
07:21different than what
07:22a lot of other
07:23teams do, where
07:24like take the Spurs,
07:26for example, if
07:26Victor Wambanyama
07:27comes to challenge
07:28a shot, well, who's
07:29going to get the
07:29rebound?
07:30And that can be a
07:31challenge, so I
07:31think they're in a
07:32pretty good place
07:33with that, and
07:34that'll only improve
07:34even further when
07:35DeBonce gets on the
07:37floor because he's
07:38going to be a pretty
07:39good rebounder, I
07:40think, as well.
07:41So I think that's
07:43what you're trying
07:43to set there, and
07:44you mentioned what
07:45the liability is.
07:46You can be a little
07:48cramped for shooting
07:50with those groups, but
07:51as long as you can
07:52maybe kind of work
07:53the two of them
07:53together.
07:54I do like that
07:54they're putting the
07:55ball in Anthony
07:56Davis' hands a lot
07:57and saying, hey, be
07:58a playmaker for us
08:00too.
08:00I think that's
08:01really important.
08:02That's a skill I
08:03think he has shown
08:03at times in the
08:04past, but it hasn't
08:06really been unlocked
08:06in his last few
08:08years of playing
08:09because it's been,
08:10we need you to
08:10score, we need you
08:11to play more like
08:12the traditional big
08:13around the basket
08:14area.
08:14So I kind of like
08:15that they're letting
08:16them do some
08:16playmaking.
08:17Talk to Keith
08:18Smith from Sport
08:19Rack and also
08:19Front Office Sports.
08:20Keith, we have
08:21watched this team go
08:22through the rebuild,
08:23or you want to
08:25call it the process
08:25like they did in
08:26Philadelphia, whatever
08:26you want to call it
08:27and fans have been
08:28waiting.
08:29Now they see kind
08:31of the light at the
08:31end of the tunnel.
08:32They see certain
08:33guys here, older
08:34guys, veteran guys,
08:35they see young guys,
08:36they want to see
08:37them compete.
08:38What do you expect
08:39from this team this
08:40year?
08:40What can they be a
08:41play-in team or just
08:42a regular playoff
08:43team?
08:45I think what you're
08:47looking for here is
08:48what you said first is
08:50just compete, be
08:51competitive, let's
08:52not get to the
08:53first of the year
08:54and calendar flips
08:55and it's a bunch of
08:5630 and 40 point
08:57blow-ups.
08:58I think they've been
08:59in too many years
09:01where that's been
09:01the case.
09:02So let's be
09:03competitive all the
09:04way through.
09:04Let's let these
09:05young guys with the
09:06vets helping lift
09:07them there, play
09:08competitive, meaningful
09:09basketball in
09:10February, March,
09:11in the beginning
09:12part of April.
09:13I think there's a
09:14world where they
09:14can challenge for a
09:15spot in the play-in.
09:16I think the playoffs
09:17is a little bit
09:18tough, but I think
09:19if you take kind of
09:20the traditional steps
09:21forward now in the
09:22new structure,
09:23in the NBA of
09:24go from being a
09:25bad team to a
09:26team that competes
09:27for a spot in the
09:28play-in, so you
09:29get that taste to
09:30kind of post-season
09:31play, then you
09:32move forward into
09:33being a playoff
09:34contender and then
09:34you go forward from
09:35there.
09:36By the time they're
09:36ready to go forward
09:37from there, you
09:38should have a good
09:38sense of, all right,
09:39are the vets here?
09:40Are the vets been
09:41moved on for other
09:42guys?
09:43Are the bonsa,
09:44Saar, those, you
09:46know, George, the
09:47kids, are these the
09:48guys that can really,
09:49they're ready now for
09:50us to be a playoff
09:51team, and I think
09:52they're now on their
09:53way, kind of on that
09:55stepping stone path, if
09:57you will, towards
09:57figuring out just how
09:58good can we be as a
09:59group.
10:00I know we're all
10:01excited, NBA's back,
10:03but I saw one social
10:04media post saying,
10:06last year's NBA
10:07finalists are both
10:080-2.
10:09Who should be more
10:10concerned, the Spurs or
10:12the Knicks?
10:12And I was just like,
10:13okay, listen, we're not
10:15doing this, all right?
10:16We are not doing
10:17this.
10:18That said, what do
10:20you think are some of
10:21the emerging storylines
10:23just briefly out of
10:25this very little peak of
10:26the season so far?
10:29Injuries, unfortunately,
10:30are, you know, huge, and
10:31we saw Jalen Williams
10:33last night, just an
10:34absolutely gruesome leg
10:36injury, and I'm going
10:36to caution, if nobody's
10:38had, if people haven't
10:39seen it, don't go try to
10:40find it.
10:41It's not going to make
10:42any part of your life
10:43better.
10:43Just, it was absolutely
10:45awful what we saw with
10:46him, and that's going to
10:48change the tenor of
10:49potentially a title
10:50contender.
10:51The Thunder, yes, they
10:52were without him a lot
10:53last year, but there's a
10:55big difference between
10:56being without a player
10:57and knowing they're
10:58coming back, and
10:59potentially just knowing,
11:00all right, they're gone.
11:01And that's going to be
11:02something that's going to
11:03be difficult for them to
11:05overcome as far as
11:06they're still going to be
11:07a very, very, very good
11:08team, but are they going
11:09to be on the level of
11:10the Spurs?
11:11Is that where they're
11:12going to be able to get
11:12back to?
11:13That's going to be the
11:14hard thing.
11:14But yeah, I am in
11:15complete agreement with
11:17you.
11:17I've grown fond of
11:18saying, you know, winning
11:20the NBA title is kind of
11:21like climbing Mount
11:22Everest.
11:22It takes a lot to get up
11:23there.
11:24It takes a lot out of you
11:25when you do it.
11:25You don't come back down
11:27and then say, you know
11:27what, let's go right back
11:28up.
11:28It takes a little while
11:29for you to go back up
11:30there.
11:30You're right about that.
11:31So who do you think are
11:33the favorites so far this
11:35year in the West and
11:37also the East?
11:39Yeah, I'll still say San
11:40Antonio for sure.
11:42The Thunder, they would
11:43have been right there.
11:44I picked the Thunder to
11:45make the finals and win the
11:46finals.
11:47But this Shalen Williams
11:48injury is going to be
11:49tough for them.
11:50We'll see if the Lakers can
11:51kind of keep playing the
11:53way they are.
11:53Same with the
11:53Timberwolves.
11:54They look really, really
11:55good too, as do the
11:56Rockets.
11:57So I think the West is
11:58pretty deep at the top.
11:59And then in the East, this
12:00is a conference that is
12:01just, that's the
12:02unfortunate part for the
12:03Wizards when they're
12:04finally getting better.
12:04The entire conference is
12:06good now.
12:07And you've got a couple
12:08teams that are struggling
12:09out of the game, like the
12:10Heat, the Knicks, but I
12:11think we feel pretty good
12:12that they'll be there in
12:13the end.
12:14So I think it's, you know,
12:15in the East, we're going
12:16to see, and I think the
12:17way the East will be
12:19decided ultimately is, you
12:20know, injuries and health
12:21will play a huge part in
12:24this, you know, by the
12:24time we're all said and
12:25done.
12:25But what is interesting to
12:27me is the Detroit
12:28Pistons, everybody kind of
12:29was like, all right, they
12:30were good last year, but
12:30all these other teams got
12:31better.
12:32Boy, they're making a
12:33statement early on.
12:35Oh, my God.
12:36I just saw the injury
12:37right now on social
12:38media.
12:38Why did you tell me to
12:39go look for this?
12:40He told you don't look
12:40for it.
12:42Oh, you said don't look
12:43for it.
12:43Oh, I guess I misheard
12:45you there.
12:45Oh, my God.
12:46That is horrible.
12:48Hey, Keith, when did
12:50traveling get removed
12:51from the rule book in the
12:52NBA?
12:52I was just curious.
12:53I missed that in the
12:54offseason.
12:55We've had several really
12:57high-profile plays where
12:59you're like, wait a
13:01minute.
13:01That happened about 15
13:02years ago.
13:0320 years ago.
13:04I needed to gather
13:06step when I played.
13:07It might have made my
13:09career a little bit
13:09better.
13:10It's a gather, gather,
13:11gather, gather,
13:11gather step now.
13:13It's a gather, gather,
13:13gather, step back step.
13:15Yeah, if I could have
13:16eight steps to step back
13:17against the defender,
13:18I might have got more
13:19shots off.
13:20Every time I see
13:21something like that, I
13:22just imagine my dad's
13:23head explodes.
13:24He's, you know, he's
13:26watching a game with
13:27him, it's travel, carry,
13:29travel, carry.
13:31He gets so angry on
13:33it.
13:33I mean, he grew up on
13:35the Bob Cousy, Bill
13:36Russell Celtics, so he
13:37is somebody who is
13:39traditional as they come
13:40with this.
13:41But yeah, the worst
13:42part of it was, too, is
13:43that referee was looking
13:44right at the play, and
13:45then the referee's own
13:46account comes out the
13:47day after and is like,
13:48this was a travel.
13:50Like, everybody's saying
13:51it wasn't as wrong, and
13:52it's like, and it was
13:53so funny because all the
13:54replies were, well, what
13:55about the guy watching
13:56the play in the picture
13:57you use, so that's
13:59something else.
14:00All right.
14:01That's the crab
14:01dribble.
14:02Yeah, that crab ran
14:04all the way down into
14:05his sand hole.
14:07Basketball in his
14:08claws.
14:09Keith Smith, thank you
14:10for your time.
14:10Appreciate you, man.
14:11You can find him on
14:11Twitter at KeithSmithNBA.
14:13You can also see his
14:14work at SpotTrack and
14:16Front Office Sports.
14:17Thank you, my friend.
14:18Appreciate you.
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