Buying or Selling Top Viral Quotes from NBA Media Day

Hope typically springs eternal on NBA media days, and that was the case for just about every team throughout the league on Monday.

Every year, we hear about players who are in the best shape of their lives, those who've gained 10 pounds of muscle (or lost 10 pounds of unwanted weight), all the skills that were added over the offseason and more.

Of course, not every team remains optimistic throughout the season. Much of it, if not all, can be squashed by the reality of the campaign (and the losses that come with it).

Other tidbits you hear on media day prove prophetic.

The point of today's piece is sussing out which of those topics we should buy, as well as which ones we should sell.

The general health (or lack thereof) of Zion Williamson figures to be a talking point for the remainder of his NBA career.

And for players with unfortunate injury histories, questions about how they're feeling always come up.

When Zion was faced with them, he said, "I feel like I'm at my best right now."

There's really no way to know for sure if all of the above is true till we see Zion in action, but he certainly appeared to be in shape at media day.

Starting training camp at this point should set him up for success over the coming weeks and months. Plus, he just turned 22 in July.

He's supposed to be getting better, and knowing that he's years pre-prime should be terrifying for his future opponents.

Hopefully, the first few years of his career will more or less look like Joel Embiid's in hindsight. After missing all of what would've been his first two campaigns in the NBA, Embiid has generally been available.

Verdict: Buy

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Patrick Beverley this offseason, analysis of his and Russell Westbrook's yearslong beef was unavoidable.

The topic coming up at media day was inevitable, and when it did, Beverley told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that Westbrook has been his "best friend" since the trade.

He also relayed a story that he felt demonstrated how "real" Westbrook is.

All of that may be true, but so were all the events that led to the tension in the first place. The temperature could be turned up on that tension if (or when) the Los Angeles Lakers start losing.

Right now, there just doesn't seem to be enough talent on the roster beyond superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the Lakers to compete with the West's top tier.

Verdict: Buy that things are fine now, but Sell that it will last.

Nikola Jokic is coming off two MVP campaigns that elevated his career box plus/minus to the second-best mark in history, behind only Michael Jordan.

Statistically, he's on track to be one of the absolute best players in league history. His box scores suggest he's already peaked higher than legends like Tim Duncan, but Jokic seems aware he needs more to validate that particular comparison.

To be the Denver Nuggets' Tim Duncan, Jokic will have to check a few boxes. First of all, he has to be a Nugget for his entire career. Second, that career needs to be pretty substantial (Duncan played 19 NBA seasons).

Most importantly, though, Jokic has to win championships. There really isn't much left for him to accomplish in the regular season, and with his prime approaching (or recently started), now could be the time when the window for a championship is open widest.

If he's at or anywhere near the level at which he's played the last three or four years, and Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. can stay healthy, the Nuggets could help Jokic start to fill in that final box as early as this season.

Verdict: Buy

Over the last two years, Anthony Davis has played 76 games and averaged 22.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 blocks, 1.2 steals and 0.5 threes while shooting 22.9 percent from deep. His box plus/minus over that stretch is 4.3, a mark that warrants "all-star consideration."

Outside the lack of availability, that all sounds pretty good, at least until you compare it to the AD that immediately preceded those two seasons.

Over the six years before the time in question, Davis had a 7.0 box plus/minus (somewhere between All-NBA and MVP caliber) and averages of 26.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 blocks, 1.4 steals and 0.6 threes with a 32.2 three-point percentage.

He's never been the picture of great health, but his average for games per year in that half decade and change was 66.2.

On media day, LeBron James set expectations for what sounds like that earlier version of AD.

If that happens, and LeBron can be generally available, the Lakers might be able to reenter the title contenders' tier.

Expecting a return to that level is pretty bold, though. AD's mid-prime, at the earliest, and his injury history is more than concerning.

He may very well be better than he was in 2020-21 and 2021-22, but a real turning back of the clock is harder to imagine.

Verdict: Sell (to the extent LeBron is expecting pre-2020-21 AD)

Following the Phoenix Suns' postseason implosion (and Deandre Ayton's benching during their last series), the big man's departure felt imminent.

But after Ayton signed a four-year, $133 million offer sheet, the Suns almost immediately matched. Weeks later, he didn't do the best sell job on his satisfaction with that decision.

With this coming on the heels of the aforementioned playoff collapse and Jae Crowder publicly angling for a trade, it's hard to buy into whatever chemistry Phoenix might have left.

If that continues to deteriorate, Ayton isn't likely to feel better about his situation. That means trade rumors could surface again. Or, like Gordon Hayward back in 2017, he might take his first opportunity to bolt after powering through the current deal.

Barring an "exorcise the demons"-type run like the 2014 San Antonio Spurs had, it's hard to buy Ayton's passionate response from media day.

Verdict: Sell

Earlier this summer, Kevin Durant requested a trade. When that didn't work, he issued an ultimatum: trade me or fire head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.

A month-and-a-half after that desperation move failed to send KD elsewhere, the topic was guaranteed to come up at media day.

When it did with Nash, he went full Dominic Toretto.

Yes, families go through adversity, but they don't typically go through a major news-breaker in an effort to get each other fired.

With all the drama that's followed Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons over the last few years, it's not hard to imagine the next source of adversity (like, say, a losing streak) leading to another attempted power play from KD.

Verdict: Sell

Kevin Durant, of course, had to face similar questions about his weird and wild summer.

When asked point blank whether he was surprised that he was still on the Nets, Durant denied as much.

The explanation makes sense, and there should be little doubt that Durant is a borderline untradable talent.

It feels like there's almost no chance he makes that request without expecting it to work, though. At least on some level, Durant had to believe he had the power to force his way out. And when that failed, there must have been some surprise.

Maybe it's worn off by now, but this test of Brooklyn governor Joe Tsai was at the very least a miscalculation.

Verdict: Sell

Kevin Durant wasn't the only member of the Nets who was surrounded by rumors all summer.

Early on, there was quite a bit of buzz about Kyrie Irving rejoining LeBron James, this time with the Los Angeles Lakers.

While Irving didn't reference them specifically on media day, he did say the options were limited. Plus, we didn't see many reports linking him to any other organization.

It started to feel like a real possibility in July, when one of the most powerful athletes in the world was reportedly pushing for a Kyrie trade.

"[LeBron James], I’m told, wants to see Irving in Lakerland more than anyone," Marc Stein wrote. "What other team, furthermore, has a LeBron-sized personality with the experience to cope with all the chaos that comes with adding Kyrie? James, remember, has often thrived in chaos."

With that element added to everything that can accompany Kyrie, it's easy to believe a move was indeed close.

Verdict: Buy

Tyler Herro averaged 20.0 points, 3.9 assists and 2.5 threes while shooting 37.4 percent from three before the All-Star break last season.

Those are solid numbers, particularly for a reserve, but lack of defense and below-average efficiency cost him in advanced numbers.

At the All-Star break, when every player in the league was sorted by the average of their ranks in 10 catch-all metrics, Herro came in at No. 141. When you consider that there are only 24 All-Stars every year (plus one or two in some years, depending on injuries), it's hard to make an argument that Herro should've gotten it.

That didn't stop him from making the assertion.

Of course, there isn't anything wrong with Herro having confidence in himself. It's probably a big part of what helped him post better numbers after the break.

But in February, there wasn't a great argument to put him in over players such as Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Zach LaVine and Darius Garland.

Verdict: Sell

In his three seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Malcolm Brogdon averaged 32.9 minutes, 18.9 points, 6.3 assists and 1.9 threes, all of which were comfortably higher than the marks he put up with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Now that he's a member of the Boston Celtics, a team that already has Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum starting at spots 1 through 3, a return to a reduced role is likely in order.

Right now, Brogdon sounds open to that.

"Whatever role" probably can't be taken literally. "Whatever role within reason" is more likely what he meant. And in that case, he's probably being honest.

Brogdon didn't experience a ton of team success with the Pacers, and he was obviously willing to fill more of a supporting role when he played with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

Absence from winning may have made his heart fonder of it, so it's easy to see why he'd be humble enough to come off the bench and play fewer minutes.

Verdict: Buy

I suppose your read on this one depends on what you think "shock the world" means, especially as it applies to the New York Knicks.

Their preseason over-under for wins is 39.5, and it sounds like RJ Barrett is pretty confident they're going to cruise past that.

The addition of Jalen Brunson—who finished just outside the top 50 in 2021-22 wins over replacement player—will help, but it'll take some pretty significant leaps from Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin to truly "shock the world."

It might even take a significant philosophical shift from coach Tom Thibodeau, who never seemed willing to adjust to the realities of the season (namely, being willing to play the young guys over the likes of Julius Randle and Evan Fournier).

The Eastern Conference feels deeper than it has in years. The Celtics, Nets and Bucks are all legitimate title contenders. Miami is always around.

The Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers all made moves that should make them better. The Brooklyn Nets have about as much upside as a wild card can have. And there are certainly arguments to have the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors over New York. Even the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic should be a little more competitive.

The Knicks finishing in the high-30s or low-40s for wins feels just about right.

Verdict: Sell

On an Old Man and the Three episode from March, Luka Doncic told JJ Redick that it's easier to score 30 in the NBA than it is in Europe.

On Milwaukee's media day, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who just participated in EuroBasket 2022 (the European basketball championship) this month, echoed that idea.

A day later and in Denver, Nikola Jokic agreed.

As this take specifically relates to scoring, it's easy to see where Luka, Giannis and Jokic are coming from.

The dimensions of the FIBA court are slightly smaller. The three-point line is closer to the hoop. And there's no defensive three seconds in the key.

"[Rudy Gobert] just chilling in the paint," Jamal Murray said.

Perhaps more than anything else, though, the toughest difference for NBA talent to handle is the physicality of the FIBA game.

Of course, there are surely elements of NBA basketball that would overwhelm overseas professionals. The league has the market cornered on talent and athleticism, and plenty of players who've made the leap later in their careers couldn't stick for long.

Jokic, Giannis and Luka aren't just spouting off hot takes, though. Those are three of the best players in the world (maybe the three best). They're all fresh off of EuroBasket. No one's more qualified to speak on the differences between the two games.

Verdict: Buy (at least as it relates to scoring)