The Hall of Fame vs. The Hall of Mediocre & The Ryan Dunn Response: Suns "Immune Nine" Breakdown and D-backs Phillies Review

In Episode 657 of The Valley Verdict, we deliver an Absolute Verdict on the NBA's 65-game rule and the devaluation of excellence. We also break down a wild 48 hours for the Phoenix Suns—from the frustration of the Lakers loss to a dominant 135-103 win over the Thunder where Ryan Dunn answered the bell.

We review the D-backs' series against the Phillies, the impact of the Gabby Moreno injury, and the new era of pitching development under Assistant GM Jeremy Bleich. Plus, we analyze Kenny Dillingham’s "intent vs. execution" comments following Saturday’s ASU scrimmage.

In this episode:

00:00 - Welcome & Opening ThoughtsConnectivity, accountability, and why the "Standard" doesn't care about your feelings.

12:56 - ABSOLUTE VERDICT: The All-NBA Standard

• The 65-Game Filter: Why 79.2% availability is the bare minimum for excellence.

• The "Hall of Mediocre": Why we shouldn't lower the bar for stars just to make the league "look" better.

• "Everything you want is on the other side of hard."

17:05 - Suns: Heart, Hustle, and Receipts

• The Jordan Goodwin Award: Reacting to Goodwin winning the Dan Majerle "Heart and Hustle" Award and his comments to Burns & Gambo.

• The Lakers Receipt: Playing the audio from K-Ray and Eddie Johnson validating my critique of Ryan Dunn’s "borrowed time" hesitation.

• The Thunder Response: 135-103. 18 players out, but 8 of the "Immune Nine" suited up.

• The Ryan Dunn Statement: From tentative to a 20/10 double-double. Analyzing his response and his post-game comments to Amanda Pflugrad.

• Sound: Jordan Ott addresses the media after the back-to-back split.

58:56 - D-backs: The Phillies Series & The Moreno Price Tag

• Game 1: A 5-4 win behind Mike Soroka, but a massive loss as Gabby Moreno exits with back tightness.

• Sound: James McCann joins Jody Jackson to discuss stepping up in Moreno’s absence.

• Game 2: A 4-3 heartbreaker. We hear from Assistant GM Jeremy Bleich on his mission to revamp and develop the D-backs' pitching staff.

• The Moreno Update: What we know about the back injury and the timeline for return.

• Game 3: Gritting out a 4-3 win to take the series.

• Sound: Torey Lovullo on the resilience of the roster and managing the rotation.

1:21:58 - My "Immune Nine" Mandate

• The Postseason Policy: My definitive list of the only nine players who should be on the floor before Tuesday.

• The Ryan Dunn Challenge: A direct "stare down" with Ryan Dunn. Why these next two games are "get right" opportunities to return to the force and physicality of last season.

• The Couch Policy: Why everyone NOT on the list needs to prioritize rest, practice, and treatment.

1:26:13 - ASU Football: The Scrimmage Review

• Defensive Focus: Reviewing the intensity of Tuesday’s practice with LB Coach AJ Cooper and Thursday’s session with DL Coach Diron Reynolds.

• The Dillingham Standard: Kenny Dillingham speaks to the media on the progress of the roster as they prepare for the Big 12 jump.

The Verdict: Can Ryan Dunn find his aggressive edge before Tuesday, and is "Team-Ability" enough to keep the D-backs atop the NL West? 👇

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