Best of 7

[00:00:00] sports reports as ordered is in your area

[00:00:06] you know said we got the NBA playoffs starting tonight

[00:00:10] you know to play in I guess the playoffs are starting

[00:00:13] because you know in the NCAA tournament they count the first four as a part of

[00:00:17] the tournament

[00:00:18] I don't but you know going off of that in the same vein

[00:00:22] the playoffs have started ladies and gentlemen Sports Reports As Ordered like

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[00:00:39] ring that bell you know Sam we got the even kill

[00:00:44] Virginia born representing New Jersey

[00:00:49] dedicated veteran father don't bring feelings to a fact fight

[00:00:54] don't do it Mr logical handing out you know Sam then you got the unorthodox

[00:01:05] statistician going right so much you thought I was southpaw

[00:01:10] you know saying who did we see some knockouts this weekend in the UFC but anyway

[00:01:15] I am two five we are Sports Reports As Ordered we gonna get this thing started right about now

[00:01:24] yes

[00:01:39] yes you are now listening to the sound Sports Reports As Ordered

[00:01:46] it's a night we're gonna talk about some awards is that season in the NBA right before the play

[00:01:55] all started giving you our picks right now then we're going to pick somebody's series we're

[00:02:00] going to talk about it might even give you a final prediction so once again he is Mr logical

[00:02:12] I am two five and I'm gonna set this thing off with get it off my chest

[00:02:21] so I try not to do the generational thing you know saying I am an elder now

[00:02:30] you know saying I want my damn respect you know Sam but at the same time I'm gonna respect you

[00:02:38] but I'm gonna tell you something because everybody talks about I'm done with the 90s

[00:02:44] everybody talks about or I'm done with the 80s everybody talks about oh this is nostalgia

[00:02:50] your favorite players used to do this Jordy used to smoke cigars you know with Danny

[00:02:55] Angel and do all this stuff with Dominique Wilkins in Barkley okay you got me there

[00:03:02] you got me there I don't know where we got this thing from

[00:03:08] where you're going to try to lose to get the more favorable matchup so all day today and a

[00:03:17] little bit of yesterday every time I turn on the TV every time I listen to a podcast I hear

[00:03:24] someone say some form of should the Lakers lose tonight to the pelicans which I don't think

[00:03:31] they could do if they tried you know to avoid Denver why where did this come from you know if

[00:03:41] you are a aspiring team trying to win the championship from the western conference

[00:03:47] you're probably going to run into Denver at some point anyway you know saying and why would I want

[00:03:53] somebody else to do my dirty work that I could do for myself if I not to make it about one person

[00:04:01] but realistically it is about one person if I thought that coming back from the warriors

[00:04:09] three to one in the finals made me the best player ever you're not talking me into avoiding

[00:04:15] Nicola Jokic you're not talking me into avoiding anybody now with that being said no one on the

[00:04:24] Lakers has talked like this so let me make that clear I'm not blaming anybody on the Lakers I'm

[00:04:28] not saying that the Lakers are thinking like this I'm just saying don't tell me somebody is the

[00:04:36] goat and then tell me that they should avoid someone don't tell me that any team period

[00:04:43] regardless of who's on their team or who they are should lose a game to get a specific matchup

[00:04:52] like and just to show Mr. Logical that I'm not just being a hater I saw what Cleveland did the

[00:05:00] other day you know Planny Monty Bateson Tristan Thompson getting outscored 18 to 2 so they could

[00:05:08] play Orlando in the first round and just for that I hope Orlando kicks their ass

[00:05:16] don't manipulate the games you already load manage you already sit out as it is

[00:05:22] give the fans what we want give it your all the playoffs are here play who's lined up in front of

[00:05:30] you and get it over with that's what I wanted to say I like it I liked half of what you said

[00:05:38] I know the half that I like was the Lakers of losing to avoid Denver I think that's a bad move

[00:05:46] mainly because the Lakers would have to play Sacramento or Golden State Golden State just had

[00:05:54] like an NBA all-time three-point shooting barrage less than a week ago against the Lakers

[00:06:02] I think it was like the first time a team has made that many threes and shot that percentage in a

[00:06:06] game in NBA history well since they've been tracking threes obviously uh and then I believe

[00:06:13] Sacramento's beaten them every time eight out of nine times or something some crazy like that so

[00:06:19] every time they play this year so they would be so by that philosophy anyone who suggested it

[00:06:26] you're suggesting that they avoid a seven game series potentially with opportunity for a guy

[00:06:38] to get a cramp and you steal a game the refs are heavy with the whistle one game you get a lot

[00:06:43] of free throws so to lose to a team that you know you can beat and then roll the dice with two teams

[00:06:51] that have beaten you recently to avoid playing you know it doesn't make any sense uh Cleveland

[00:06:59] taking four over five I like that I rather would play the younger team in a playoff matchup

[00:07:05] I think that's I think that's a why why not just rest your starters the whole game

[00:07:10] if you go and roll like that I guess you gotta you know you're charging people $200 a ticket

[00:07:16] you gotta you gotta put on the show but I I get the whole I'd rather take this four or five match

[00:07:23] up um you're locked in at home against the younger team like is it really isn't really that crazy

[00:07:30] to be like you know what I don't want to play Indiana I'd rather play Orlando is that is

[00:07:37] it really that crazy is it really that much of a matchup difference depends on how you feel you

[00:07:44] match up like you individually as a team if you're simply looking okay I think we match up

[00:07:50] just as well with Orlando and Indiana where do we have an advantage or what's what's the greatest

[00:07:58] disadvantage for the other two teams Halliburton came back from injury early but they seem to be

[00:08:04] in their groove they play fast or the fact that Orlando is younger their younger team

[00:08:12] first time in a playoff in a while I think I've read a stat today and I'll mention again we do our

[00:08:17] awards they have 45 wins like the first team were 45 wins and their youngest player is 22 years

[00:08:25] of younger you know select that that's the kind of thing I would factor in if I was cleaning

[00:08:30] like you know what I'll take the I will go with the the maturity aspect of it not to shit on Orlando

[00:08:38] but just like who's more likely to make them stick the 25 26 year old older team okay so let's

[00:08:45] let's reverse for 20 euros so let's reverse this for a second I don't so I can do what you said

[00:08:53] or I could get the three seed play Indiana play New York instead of Boston in the second round

[00:09:06] you know so I mean like you can't avoid it like it's going to happen but the thing is I want to

[00:09:14] I want to set myself up the best as possible for the first round because I can't figure out the

[00:09:21] second round because you never know Boston or New York could lose their first round match up

[00:09:28] but I know definitively if I can pick my opponent by not winning this game I'm going to take the

[00:09:36] I'm going to play the younger team in the playoffs less you're going to get less like a

[00:09:43] you're going to be allowed to be more physical you're not going to get you're not going to

[00:09:47] get 30 free throws every game in the playoffs you're not going to get every call and then if you're

[00:09:54] thinking about a younger team on the road I gotta get these guys from Orlando they're coming up to

[00:09:59] Cleveland to play their games just all of those different advantages I think it makes it wise move

[00:10:06] the Lakers thing or any team in a do or die situation in NBA I'm like

[00:10:13] you win the game in front of you like if it's winning and you're in you got to win that game you

[00:10:19] can't rule the dice with lose and then maybe win and get in that it's just not that's not a that's

[00:10:25] not a wise move I mean I can't believe I can't believe people are like I know people are talking

[00:10:30] about it but excuse me no it'd be you know the next right person it'd be one thing if one person

[00:10:37] brought it up like just as the oddball two five guy or whatever like somebody was like you know what I

[00:10:43] think but it becomes groupthink and you hear it everywhere you go and it's disgusting but I think

[00:10:51] like I said my dad texted to me probably what's today Tuesday he probably texted me Sunday

[00:10:59] because it is it is a positioning thing it's just different for the Lakers because

[00:11:06] their position has a caveat of it being do or die so that's the that's the game

[00:11:13] like for instance I like to shoot I like to go to like to go to casinos play craps

[00:11:17] so I went on Friday I believe Saturday I could you know I could do a hot bet

[00:11:25] for the hearty which is a one roll bet now so 31 payout if it hits on the next roll

[00:11:33] or I can just put that same five dollars on the hard eight and it's a continuous roll

[00:11:39] and it only comes off if somebody hits the easy so yeah both of them are gambles but one's a one

[00:11:47] roll gamble where yet the payout is huge because I'm gonna get 150 bucks off this hard eight if

[00:11:53] it hits on the next roll or I go the other way I think it's like a seven to one payout I would

[00:11:58] get 35 bucks it's just a matter of like how do you want to gamble it I did it on Saturday and it hit

[00:12:04] so I hit that 150 bucks but it wasn't like that's not a otherwise but the Lakers rolling the dice

[00:12:10] tonight with the pelicans wouldn't be a smart bet well see I could I would get it if Cleveland had

[00:12:16] say swept Orlando in the season series and then split with the Pacers but they split with

[00:12:23] both of them first of all that's what okay if you factor in everything you did the pros and cons less

[00:12:30] the biggest pro in your favor is Orlando's young their coaches young is young and maybe the youth

[00:12:40] maybe the the lack of experience will be our advantage because if it's all even and that's

[00:12:46] the only thing that separates Orlando from Indiana but I'm sure Indiana outside of

[00:12:56] it's not like Indiana is this playoff mainstay like you know what I mean like they got Siocom

[00:13:01] they got a mouse Turner you know to be like hella Burton is not a playoff every year guy a perennial

[00:13:08] playoff guy you got you got a good you got a good coach you have a good organization

[00:13:14] they've been you have players that came from other good organizations that got traded in it out of

[00:13:19] there they're consistent whereas Orlando just got here so I think you're banking on the inexperience

[00:13:31] well I hope Orlando kicked their ass you know I mean it wouldn't surprise me but like I said

[00:13:37] it doesn't it doesn't surprise me that they went with that move yeah so we got these playoff matchups

[00:13:44] you know obviously the play is going on right now so in the east the only two series that we have

[00:13:50] on the books right now is this Orlando Cleveland series that I brought up and then Milwaukee

[00:13:57] and Indiana where Indiana has taken four out of five from the Bucks this year and then

[00:14:03] and then in the west we got Phoenix and Minnesota who Phoenix has beat Minnesota all three times this

[00:14:09] year by an average of 16 points and then we got the Clippers in the Mavs so which I think is

[00:14:17] probably going to be the most even series of the first round so uh so what's your initial thoughts

[00:14:24] as you look at the playoff bracket as I look at the playoff bracket I'm looking if we stay in the east

[00:14:30] Bucks Pacers there is real there's real like reasons to pick the Pacers to beat the Bucks and

[00:14:42] six maybe even five. Yannis had this calf injury and warm-ups in a game about a month ago

[00:14:51] in the pregame he was like wincing didn't play that night

[00:14:55] if you are Milwaukee you're looking at it like hold on that's not good

[00:15:07] all right I'm not looking anymore is he standing up?

[00:15:10] You're not having any of them ever.

[00:15:12] Yeah yeah I didn't say anything I'm just making sure okay uh Bucks Pacers

[00:15:16] if you're Milwaukee and you want to sit Yannis game one and game two I think you're

[00:15:24] have to do that because you have Dane the problem is that puts Dane in the position where he was

[00:15:31] in Portland where he had to be all world first team to win they have a great I would say great

[00:15:39] they have a good unit of players they're just big kind of slow Pacers are a little younger

[00:15:47] a little faster they play a little faster. Doc Rivers in the playoffs for some reason

[00:15:54] just doesn't seem to have it and I don't think there's a lot of like continuity and cohesion

[00:16:01] on the team like we talked about Doc Rivers like how I think he's terrible at the podium

[00:16:07] he blamed like the travel crew like the equipment people for their woes on the road

[00:16:15] it's like they had a guy in here coaching he was 30 and 13 you took over a team that was 17 games

[00:16:23] above 500 43 games to the season and you're you finished two I think it feels like two or

[00:16:30] three games under 500 post all start breakwork some teams are even coasting we saw teams like

[00:16:37] Detroit and the Wizards know we have to play in and I get a lot of teams play hard but you

[00:16:41] have Yannis and Dane you're essentially the same position as the Lakers where you have two of

[00:16:47] the top 15 players in the league on your team and then you make this trade somehow you get

[00:16:54] Patrick Beverly to go along with Portis who's like Doc Bivou mini me that Brooke Lopez super humble

[00:17:02] big guy shoot the three rebound pass great teammate it's like this is the best team Doc has ever had

[00:17:10] and he's like the guy didn't pack enough towels on the road trip better than the Boston three party

[00:17:19] yeah absolutely absolutely oh like if you if you think okay the the the Boston three party what made

[00:17:27] them what made them so good was that they had you know now great players between Paul KG and Ray

[00:17:37] and their positions I gave that but their role players weren't that great that dynamic

[00:17:42] if Ray Allen is not on the court for a couple of games who steps up in his in his place well

[00:17:49] that's because you're looking at it like I keep trying to tell I don't know why you guys keep

[00:17:53] doing this to me that's because y'all are trying to reduce basketball to an offensive game

[00:17:58] like there isn't another side of the ball they had now look at no they had posey

[00:18:03] you know coming off but Paul Pierce wasn't a volume score you know really didn't even

[00:18:08] they're half the time but if you look if you look at the defense okay if you look at the

[00:18:13] offensive end from Milwaukee you got Giannis and Dame offensively and then you can even throw in

[00:18:20] Robin Lopez and what he does or is Brooke Lopez sorry what he does what he does offense rebound

[00:18:26] and BM should do three at seven feet tall and then you come down defensively he can also defend

[00:18:31] Giannis can also defend and he had patch Beverly and Portis who could also defend so

[00:18:36] it's just a point where I say Boston didn't lose a series when they were at full strength

[00:18:42] oh I'm not saying they aren't a that Boston didn't perform well I'm just saying that what

[00:18:49] doc has right now as far as what his how his team is built Milwaukee Bucks compared to most other

[00:18:56] top five or six teams they have like I said they have two weight like their best player

[00:19:02] being Giannis can be the best player on both ends of the floor every night and then you have people

[00:19:08] who specialize on each end dame specializes offensively whereas patch Beverly and Portis

[00:19:15] specialized defensively but you don't lose anything having them on an offensive end

[00:19:20] so you know what I mean it's like they're not dynamic oh just agree just agree but you

[00:19:24] don't lose anything you lose something offensively when you have Tony Allen down there because

[00:19:28] you're not gonna shoot but he is like a non threat to shoot but I think that his defense is good enough

[00:19:36] that it offsets whatever you think you're going to get off I'm not saying I'm not saying this defense

[00:19:42] wasn't top notch what I'm saying is that Milwaukee can give you if we rated if we rated their

[00:19:47] offensive and defense like one through five they can give you a 4.25 rating on an offensive

[00:19:54] end and a 4.5 on a defensive end because of the players that they have there's no there's not a lag

[00:20:01] because the offense firepower they have on each end you know like like for the Lakers the Lakers have

[00:20:07] good defensive players but if D Lo is not hot they don't have like a third offensive threat

[00:20:14] consistently soon I mean like what they have a third they have consistent guys that can make

[00:20:23] shots consistently guys who have green lights consistently I mean that's how they got the 30 and

[00:20:30] 13 it wasn't as they weren't 30 and 13 this season and another guy comes in and he did a terrible job

[00:20:37] with the same squad granting injuries happening guys are coming out of lineup but

[00:20:42] that happens to every team but I don't know how many teams were 17 games above 500 before the

[00:20:47] All-Star break and finish their season two games under but that was the after after coaching change

[00:20:54] playing bad and you know but like so when I'm looking at this series here comes the two five

[00:21:00] moment warning everybody warning warning warning this statement does not express the views of sports

[00:21:06] reports is ordered in mr. Rutgers I'm right oh my god I don't care what he says I think I think

[00:21:12] that Milwaukee has a better chance to win this series if Yanis doesn't play so if Yanis is say

[00:21:19] 80% but still affected by the calf the way that Indiana plays isn't conducive

[00:21:27] to what Yanis brings to the table because normally he would be able to chase down block you

[00:21:35] you know control the ball down the court but if he's hampered in any way

[00:21:39] Indiana is going to run them out the gym so I would almost rather if I was Milwaukee

[00:21:46] for a series just give Dame the keys and say go to work

[00:21:53] how often did that work in Portland they made a Western Conference finals

[00:21:57] and to your point he did when he did he did close out a couple series and I give you that

[00:22:03] yeah and to your point that was like seven years ago you know and to your point even though I

[00:22:08] disagree about Milwaukee being better than the 08 Boston I will say that Milwaukee's role players or

[00:22:17] with the rest of their roster is better than what Dame had in Portland

[00:22:22] even when they were at full strength with CJ they're probably still better than those Portland teams

[00:22:29] I give you that I give you that Portland for some reason just doesn't seem to be able to keep it

[00:22:35] keep it together as we saw this year like I said I just think I think the buffs because I

[00:22:44] the lack of faith I have in what Doc Rivers has done for the team not him as a coach

[00:22:52] but just this particular team I just can't see

[00:22:58] a situation where without Giannis or him being hampered or him playing or not playing

[00:23:11] I got you I was I was shocked I was shocked that you that you

[00:23:16] you I'm shocked that you like you disagree with me because like like I said I'm not trying to slight

[00:23:21] the the Celtics no I just don't think that Milwaukee is very good I just think that

[00:23:27] and the reason they're not very good the reason you don't think they're very good is because

[00:23:31] their record with this new coach no I just think that the east is bad like I think that

[00:23:37] Milwaukee has a good record because they're in the east with a boat they had a couple they

[00:23:42] had a couple of cupcakes and we we talked about that in the pre-meeting with teams 11 to yeah so

[00:23:48] like so like you got Boston in New York right Cleveland is still trying to find themselves

[00:23:54] and not a threat you know Orlando like you said they're the new kids on the block

[00:24:02] Indiana is pretty much a new kid on the block even though they do have an all star

[00:24:07] you know you got Philly who's 31 and 7 when maxi and mb play so like realistically I think Philly

[00:24:16] at full strength is better than Milwaukee you know and they added buddy healed

[00:24:21] you know um Milwaukee might be better than Miami but you never know during the playoffs

[00:24:28] you know so like yeah Milwaukee's better than Chicago and Atlanta

[00:24:33] you know to me but you play you play who the other teams GM selected inside

[00:24:39] you to play the Pelicans on the move you know but no I'm just saying though like they're good

[00:24:46] compared to like who they're against like you forget that Boston team also won 66 games

[00:24:53] I'm not saying that the Boston team wasn't good I think they were very dynamic I think they

[00:25:00] were very top heavy with the three Hall of Famers and a bunch of guys that benefited from the fact

[00:25:07] that the three Hall of Famers played like Hall of Famers all year long and miss a very little time

[00:25:14] I don't think it was an extended period where like either one of them was out like how we

[00:25:18] we'll talk about Phoenix here shortly where you got three stars but without doing the math

[00:25:25] I don't think they played 55 games together yeah maybe you know so like so I think what's back then

[00:25:32] would go up here is KG and Ray Allen and the fact that they played three different spots

[00:25:36] that it just gelled perfectly but the rest of those guys were just I'm here to do this

[00:25:43] I looked at this thing I'm doing this one but that's how I view but that's the same way

[00:25:47] that I view Milwaukee like you know you got Damianus you got Middleton who

[00:25:54] you know saying I think people are viewing through a 2019 lens or whatever or 20 whatever year that was

[00:26:01] yeah the entries have slowed him down and you know what I mean like Bobby Portis is

[00:26:07] I don't know if he's as good as most of Boston's roleplayers back then

[00:26:11] we get in convoluted here but but but but I think I think that Indiana is definitely

[00:26:16] live to win this series with that being said I gotta do the other way yeah yeah yeah I'll take

[00:26:23] Indiana just because like I said I just I think in these crunch these crunch time moments

[00:26:30] you in the huddle looking to your left and your right and looking at the guy in the middle of the

[00:26:35] huddle whether it's your team leader or your coach I don't know if Milwaukee looks at each other

[00:26:42] and says we can do this I don't see I don't I don't as a criminal justice guy I don't have the evidence

[00:26:50] to support that theory that when it gets rough and it gets tough and then and the pressure's on

[00:26:57] I don't believe that the people in that huddle believe in one another enough to come back from

[00:27:04] eight down with four or five minutes left all right so you give it Orlando a shot

[00:27:08] I'm giving Orlando a shot because even with the the argument that I made for

[00:27:15] them being young you know sometimes being naive is like what you need

[00:27:21] like remember when we joined the Air Force I didn't know what it took to make this rank and

[00:27:25] this rank in that rank I just knew what I had to do that day at work what I had to learn

[00:27:31] and that's what I focused on I didn't focus on what my sexist youth was doing if he was on

[00:27:36] a good job bad job or indifferent I won't worry about the the senior man who was running my shift

[00:27:43] that she knew what she was doing I just focused on what I had to do and I felt like I did that well

[00:27:47] and I think when you're a young team it's no pressure on you if you can come into the

[00:27:52] situation we're like listen I just need to rebound pass set hard screens that's my job

[00:27:59] I need to find Ben carol I need to find Wagner I need to find Anthony or if it's co-angling listen

[00:28:08] I need to get to the free throw line whatever it is that they need to do individually if they all

[00:28:13] can kind of focus on that and then it you know works in their favor I'll ride with that because

[00:28:18] sometimes when you're just young and naive you just go for it you know you're playing with

[00:28:23] House money yeah I just don't know if they have the offense to get it done like uh post all

[00:28:28] star break Franz Wagner 18% from three that's stop shooting yeah and then of course you got my guy

[00:28:39] you know Paulo Ben carol leading the magic in points rebounds and assists youngest player to ever do so

[00:28:46] I didn't call Pablo this time you know say that you got and then you got Jalen Suggs who

[00:28:51] I talked about a few weeks ago and proven on his three-point shot so Orlando definitely has a chance

[00:28:59] um I'm going to pick Cleveland in six just because I think that Donovan Mitchell is good

[00:29:08] for a 40 point game at some point in this series um the one thing that scares me about Cleveland

[00:29:15] is that they're caught up in this new NBA way of playing like we always talk about how these teams

[00:29:21] don't have identities and they have Evan Mobley who should be a mismatch and they just don't get

[00:29:29] them to ball should be a KD level mismatch like there's a lot of games like 80 for the 80

[00:29:35] well he reminds me of Chris Balsch a lot you know that's what that's who I think of

[00:29:39] but there's games where he might get six shots you know because you know Garland's got to shoot

[00:29:44] some shit too you know uh I think that in some ways both teams are mirrors of each other

[00:29:54] but Cleveland has Donovan Mitchell and that's the difference yeah you know that's basically what

[00:29:59] it boils down to as far as the play-in as far as the TV I am

[00:30:04] I was listening I just was looking because it was it was getting kind of intense

[00:30:12] um you know as far as the play-in goes I got Philly beating Miami tomorrow night

[00:30:20] but then I have Miami beating Chicago in the second game so just like last year Miami

[00:30:27] I got Miami losing the first play-in game went in the second which would set up

[00:30:32] Boston and Miami and it was set up Philly in New York and I don't think New York wants any of that

[00:30:40] I mean Embiid has been notorious for missing a playoff game here and there but

[00:30:48] that was I guess Brooklyn when they were up 3-1 I believe I think they were up 3-0 and then

[00:30:57] he got hurt in that game three and then he yeah and he missed I think he missed a couple of games

[00:31:03] they close it out they I think they got a gentleman sweep out of it yeah yeah and then he so he missed

[00:31:10] a couple of games there and I think he set out game one of the next round yep they already put

[00:31:15] up 45 stole the game one in Boston stole the game one and then they let Jason's hate him you know

[00:31:21] hit 77 points it was like hey maybe double let's get the ball but like in that in that situation

[00:31:29] Jason Tatum I think he does play with the pressure sir yes sir television back yeah they the

[00:31:37] the Pelicans Lakers game is legit and this is why this is why Adam Silver like I think he wanted

[00:31:43] the play and I think he needed like this this I think that the play yeah I don't know if we watch it

[00:31:52] if the bottom four is as seven through ten is calves magic holes bowls I don't know if we watch

[00:32:03] yeah maybe we do I mean I would watch but yeah I don't think most people would watch it

[00:32:09] yeah you know and that's the problem within itself is that the play in is dependent on

[00:32:15] who's in it like tonight you know we're fortunate that LeBron is in it Steph is in it so you know

[00:32:22] so you have a reason to watch because they're polarizing enough that people want to see them

[00:32:28] lose as much as people want to see them win you know that I am trying to get a couple

[00:32:32] commercials was I on trying to show y'all that he belongs he's feeling it like he legit I like

[00:32:40] and then we always knock players for not having passion of being robots but just now the Lakers

[00:32:45] caught a time out yeah you know uh he put his head in his he put his head in his jersey

[00:32:51] it's probably a lot of like built up angst because he's been a league for a while

[00:32:55] dealing with injuries you know he got yeah like that's a Thomas clip when he played in that

[00:33:01] that pro-am league and he scored like 80 something and he went in the hallway and he was mic'd up he

[00:33:05] was crying he was like they doubted me you know I would really I had one of those moments just now

[00:33:11] like I can I can I can feel it because he's feeling it and I know I said this last week

[00:33:14] but I would really love for the Lakers to lose tonight the Kings the knockout Golden State tonight

[00:33:22] and then the Kings beat the Lakers on uh Thursday just to hear all the people bitch

[00:33:28] about ratings that aren't getting paid about by the NBA that are talking about you know

[00:33:35] like ratings I don't want to watch I don't care how many people watch the game did I watch it

[00:33:42] did my fellow co-hosts watch it yes did the guys oh no are y'all ahead of me Zion got hurt

[00:33:50] oh yes yeah I just figured I saw I saw a resident taste comment but y'all are ahead of me

[00:33:59] yeah uh I figured I figured it was Ion I figured it was Ion I thought I thought he was having like

[00:34:07] I said just described as a different kind of moment which goes back but see it goes back to

[00:34:12] your question from earlier why is Zion not as popular as he should be this is why because

[00:34:19] when people are watching he's not there you know so like Ron's going fees for the next four minutes

[00:34:25] that Lakers gonna win by the NBA is a casual league so you know if they don't see him he's not

[00:34:33] there it's the whole if nobody saw the tree fall you know like did it make a sound you know I

[00:34:40] used to love that question in school yeah that's what Zion argued that was before the internet

[00:34:44] we saw you that that was the question we argued yeah chicken and a egg chicken and a egg and if a tree

[00:34:50] falls in the forest it didn't make a sound so if you're to have us bugging the seven free science

[00:34:56] so if you're Boston if you're Boston do you go uh Miami again or do you go oh crap sixers

[00:35:08] uh if you're Boston you are in the proverbial silphreys skit ballast the cat bird seat the cat bird

[00:35:18] seat the cat bird seat they won 64 games and I still haven't heard or been in the conversation

[00:35:27] or read a meme a post on any sports groups any conversation that we've been in that says oh

[00:35:34] the NBA championship goes through TD Ameritrade or TD Gardens I still I still have concerns though

[00:35:42] is though it does they have they have home court advantage and I haven't heard a single

[00:35:50] pundit friend anyone make the argument to why the championship goes through Boston

[00:35:58] I've heard a ton of Denver talk because you know why because we don't trust Boston in

[00:36:03] late game situations you know it's cool when you beat in everybody by 50 where you're having 25

[00:36:10] point wins but when you get when it's high do you have any point wins you know saying by dominating

[00:36:17] by dominating that's how you get 25 and we also know that in the playoffs you know it gets a

[00:36:24] little different the whistles are a little you you said it yourself the whistles are a little

[00:36:29] different yeah but are they tight enough to this is the only browns not a good free throw shooter

[00:36:37] this is the bridge we were 64 and 18 we're gonna get them and pull us up we're gonna get

[00:36:44] we're gonna get my hand like we haven't seen 66 67 win teams lose a series I'm not saying that

[00:36:50] that's not the case in the first round if I'm Boston and we have a history of like Boston's recent

[00:37:00] history is a resume that so many organizations would trade their recent history for definitely

[00:37:08] eastern conference finals couple of second round east of conference finals east of

[00:37:12] conference finals NBA finals east of conference finals is like a lot of teams the bronze turn the ball

[00:37:19] over sorry a lot of teams would trade their

[00:37:26] would trade their organization success or lack there are for a Boston bit they would I think

[00:37:32] I think we treat Boston like the smart kid like you're the teacher and you got 25 kids in class

[00:37:39] and you got two real smart ones but then you got a couple of knuckleheads and the smart ones are

[00:37:44] kind of associated with knuckleheads you like listen man you not like these guys well usually

[00:37:50] you are a championship team you just not winning championships and I'm looking around like yo all

[00:37:56] these other teams aren't even close and Boston's at the Boston's at the at the cusp of winning

[00:38:02] every single year this year they put it together if Denver had went 64 and 18 this year the conversation

[00:38:10] surrounding the NBA finals it would have been like listen no one else has a chance Denver has 64 wins

[00:38:20] well that goes back to Boston we talked about a team that we've seen done it versus a team that

[00:38:25] hasn't done it there's a difference yeah they won a couple more games what they went to six games

[00:38:33] and the NBA finals we went to Boston yeah so they went six Steph Curry had the game of his life

[00:38:42] against a dynastic organization they lost I get it but they're always there we keep talking about

[00:38:48] these other teams that we hope get out the playing Sacramento was the darling last year they come back

[00:38:55] next year they're into playing you mean so like to maintain this level of success that Boston has

[00:39:00] had over the last five or six seasons with their young core being the young quarter they have in

[00:39:05] place being catalysts on those teams so so that's that's the thing that's good I understand if

[00:39:13] you have like a bit of a disposition about you know historically like hey they have come up short

[00:39:21] but I don't think they've come up to short to the point where their problem the biggest problem

[00:39:26] is you'd be like disregarded as a potential champion when you've had the season that you had

[00:39:31] their biggest problem is complacency you know they they have these games where like we saw it

[00:39:38] against Atlanta last year you know they went up 3-0 series went six you know they went down

[00:39:44] 0-3 to Miami you know had to had to had the claw back and then he lost and yeah you know

[00:39:54] to be even against Philly you know like no mv hard and put 45 think about this real quick

[00:40:01] what was Boston's record in their last 10 games would you think

[00:40:06] based on the way we talk about them what do you think they're record what I would

[00:40:10] I would think 8-2 7-3 what was Milwaukee's record in their last 10 I would think

[00:40:19] 4-6 3-7 because I know they lost back to back to back to Washington Memphis in Toronto

[00:40:26] so that's what I'm saying so it's like you have a team like Milwaukee that have heard more pundits

[00:40:33] say they believe Milwaukee is going to represent the east even over the Knicks

[00:40:41] and it's like what basketball are y'all watching because you is certain things you have to have

[00:40:46] in order to get over the hump you got to have the right the coach the coach in your best

[00:40:52] player after we're gonna same page I think Brunson and Tibber on the same page there

[00:40:57] I just feel like it's weird that number one and two seed in the east are not getting the

[00:41:04] well I think with the Knicks they're going to run into an issue of Brunson and who's coming with him

[00:41:10] and for example in that last game of the season the other day you had white Dante

[00:41:18] play 55 minutes you know to be so like Tim just runs his players into the ground so

[00:41:24] there's legitimate concerns there's legitimate concerns about the mix as far as Milwaukee goes

[00:41:30] I think people wanted Milwaukee to be good and they tried to do the whole Milwaukee is

[00:41:38] what's the word I'm looking for uh they're going to turn it on or Doc Rivers has this

[00:41:44] playoff experience they're built for the playoff sir so it's like they're built for the playoffs

[00:41:53] that that kind of statement I'm looking at like this like I said I'm still one of your freezes

[00:41:58] because as soon as you said it I was like I love it because it fits my logical thinking back to the

[00:42:04] mean if we just simply look at the season as it played out the Sixers or not Sixers but the

[00:42:12] Celtics are 14 games ahead of the Knicks now we can say oh they played in a week of conference

[00:42:21] so did the Knicks so did Milwaukee so did Cleveland and they are 14 15 16 and 17 games ahead of all

[00:42:35] these teams and they played the same schedule I will have you know that sports reports is ordered

[00:42:42] favorite player has not played since around Christmas you know I will have you know that they

[00:42:49] signed OG out of Novi and he proceeded to miss 20 to 25 games along the way as well so about the Knicks

[00:42:59] yeah our favorite our favorite player hasn't played since like Christmas yeah he's back recently

[00:43:06] no I'm talking about Julius Randall

[00:43:10] he's not coming back that's what I'm saying you know what I mean so the reason why people aren't on the

[00:43:16] Knicks is because they're going to run into a game or series where Jelon Brunson is going to get

[00:43:21] held to 36% like because he's going to have to do everything but this is the playoffs now

[00:43:28] yeah but and I understand that but my thing is like but how does that elevate somebody

[00:43:34] else over them and then secondly how does that elevate anybody over Boston so so so so walking

[00:43:42] it down and then we'll get to the west real quick yeah give me your top four contenders in the east

[00:43:54] in order so Boston's number one Boston

[00:44:00] Knicks

[00:44:04] Cleveland

[00:44:07] Indiana I say Boston Philly Knicks Indiana

[00:44:16] you know because I'm not so sure that if it goes the way that I said like Philly wins tomorrow night

[00:44:26] I'm not sure to I'm not sure the Knicks can beat Philly

[00:44:30] that's okay you know what this is something that I will think about this a lot and Boston's

[00:44:35] kind of like the catalyst of this this ideology I think and we talk about this with the draft

[00:44:42] we think we'll talk about this all the time sometimes the obvious answer is too easy

[00:44:52] so we have to pick the other thing with the caveat Philly hasn't been hasn't been whole

[00:45:00] all year their best player is 300 pounds roughly and he has

[00:45:07] lower extremity injury issues but yet he continues to dive on the floor

[00:45:16] he is the catalyst to their team and the way he plays is how he gets himself injured

[00:45:26] case in point Zion Zion dropped his 40th point put his face in his jersey I thought it was

[00:45:32] like one of those like a different kind of moment in real time then he walks into the locker room

[00:45:40] because and now the team is down four if he's out there he's going back and forth with the

[00:45:45] lake of brass and he's probably scoring points Philly was 16 and 27 without him beat

[00:45:53] it's likely that he might miss a game or two in any playoff series

[00:45:58] or extended period of time or he'll play one and two and need a break in game three and as

[00:46:04] one one you hope maxi can get you one that's what you can expect from Philly the expectation that

[00:46:11] you might have to play a game without and be you don't have that with Boston

[00:46:17] there's not a single guy in the Boston lineup that's vital to their success

[00:46:23] that you can essentially pencil in because you're gonna race it pencil in to miss

[00:46:29] a game two three or I don't think the argument is Philly beating Boston like I think that the

[00:46:35] thing is is that when you look at the east just the overall landscape of the east

[00:46:40] you know Sam that's the reason why Philly is where they are is because of the injuries

[00:46:46] when they were whole they were right on Milwaukee's ass you know what I mean yeah but

[00:46:50] they were still nowhere near Boston they don't have to be I don't need you to beat Boston in November

[00:46:59] Boston has done everything you need to do it's the numbers support that Boston is

[00:47:06] the best team in the NBA you're correct and the number still everybody else is picking seven

[00:47:14] nine and three and five see nobody is either conference go to the finals nobody is saying that

[00:47:20] Philly's going to the finals how many people are picking teams like the Mavericks to potentially

[00:47:25] being a finals and one at all one or two you got I heard in real life I heard Dallas might say it

[00:47:34] I haven't heard anybody else say it I've heard I've heard different like what I what I hear is

[00:47:41] all I'm saying is I'm hearing more and I'm not a Homer for Boston I'm just a Homer for logic I don't

[00:47:48] understand the for instance okay seeds the number one seed out west correct no picking them either

[00:47:57] because they're the stringer there the thing about is Orlando it's the strangest thing it's

[00:48:01] like you have two number one seeds and if we pull that right now maybe FanDuel one of these

[00:48:08] betting sites might have a different math on it but as far as like the handfuls of shows that I watch

[00:48:14] and the conversations that I'm engaged I'm not saying I want to be hyperbolic I would just feel

[00:48:19] like I haven't heard in the conversation that I've had so in the sports context I should have

[00:48:25] heard someone pick Boston even guys who are like New England fans in football someone should

[00:48:33] be screaming from the mountain tops Boston's gonna win it all but I think you both picked

[00:48:40] Boston to the finals from day one you know what I mean before the season even started you know what

[00:48:45] I mean like so so even before you go there like okay see is just like Orlando and they both have

[00:48:53] a fatal flaw they're both super young Orlando we'll talk the west you know we get there but

[00:49:01] like I said I just in my humble opinion is a just a sports analyst novelist I'm just trying to figure

[00:49:09] out why because I don't want to call it hate because I despise just blanket throwing the word out of

[00:49:18] hate I'm just not understanding the lack of support off the networks and the websites and

[00:49:29] the people that talk most teams most young for Boston most young team for Boston well as far as

[00:49:39] Boston goes as far as Boston goes if I had to put a number on it I would say people that I've

[00:49:46] taught to slash heard on radio or TV I would say 98% of the people picked Boston

[00:49:54] to go I haven't heard you haven't heard the only other team that I have heard this season

[00:50:02] in the east people pick for the finals was Milwaukee and I haven't heard anybody say that

[00:50:07] for about a month now you know that a like I'm a walkie-pee yeah yeah I've heard nobody

[00:50:14] even a month ago why would you pick Milwaukee what was happening in Wisconsin

[00:50:23] in Massachusetts I think that I think that by them I think people were looking at it as

[00:50:30] Boston is the complete team but Milwaukee has the best two players in the series I think people

[00:50:35] were looking at it that way they had the best two man group like

[00:50:43] you know to be if then if you want to try and apple and cherry pie well you're right I agree

[00:50:49] but if you add the third player too because for Z this is just as is injury prone as in

[00:50:55] beat is you know what I mean and Middleton's injured so you figure all things created equal

[00:51:02] Dame and Giannis is probably better than Tatum and Brown you know Sam but then when you add

[00:51:09] Holliday and dirt white that's where your argument goes out the window because Boston

[00:51:14] has everything else and they have Al Orford you know and both of those guys between white and Drew

[00:51:24] also have a bit of a green light in an open shot situation offensively right white is just a very

[00:51:31] just smart player a heady player you can tell when he hit the game winner off the missed shot

[00:51:37] to force game seven like just being around the rim just just a smart I don't know I just

[00:51:43] well like never it is I mean obviously I'm I'm I'm leaning very heavily Boston yeah but the main

[00:51:51] thing for me is this logically I'm not understanding the argument for anybody else other than Boston

[00:51:59] with how even like I said we have an acknowledging history we can go back to history and find these

[00:52:05] moments though like Dallas won 67 games when Dirk is the MVP you know got swept in the first round

[00:52:13] did it was it did it get swept I believe they got swept but it wasn't it wasn't a five was it

[00:52:22] five I'll look it up real quick but but you know but you had that you know to me like so that's

[00:52:28] one example you know it so that's where like for me we've seen this before like it's not going to

[00:52:36] happen to Boston they're too good you know to me but I just definitely is like at what point

[00:52:41] went six it went six and at what point do we look at do we look at a team that had his not only

[00:52:49] they went a lot of games they won them in historic fashion and when it comes to the playoffs

[00:52:58] they are physically built for that environment because we think about like I think LeBron

[00:53:05] we go back to LeBron's Caves team I think they won like 65 games I believe the Mo Williams the

[00:53:12] the Lante West 66 James Harden I think Houston won about 65 66 games and his MVP like in that stretch

[00:53:22] when he was averaging 30 plus a year but when we looked at those teams it wasn't just look at the

[00:53:29] win totals it was the Lante West is six foot one and a half Mo Williams is six foot how can he

[00:53:37] guard any of these other bigger forwards and guards at Orlando's running out there in the east

[00:53:44] and it was the same thing with Houston it was like can you rely solely on your best player

[00:53:51] and primary ball handler shooting that many threes as well as your whole team shoot a bunch of threes

[00:53:57] with no rebounders so that was like a huge problem it led to success because they

[00:54:03] didn't have any problems yet they played Phoenix on Wednesday then they play the Clippers on Friday

[00:54:09] and they played the Lakers on Sunday so it was like okay cool we can run three games in a row but when

[00:54:14] you have to play you know you got to play the symbols for a seven game series then you might have

[00:54:21] big they'll make adjustments and if you don't hit these threes in the first game or you don't

[00:54:25] be playing against the Spurs and pop mix adjustments does it work I think what Boston does that

[00:54:31] allows them to make adjustments because the their players are physically built to play in different

[00:54:39] parts of the court defensively all offensively three down low I just feel like they have a better

[00:54:47] have a better shot than than the than the than what I've been hearing through different social

[00:54:52] media channels so am I alone am I alone and thinking Clippers and Mavs go seven

[00:54:56] no I think you're you're probably dead on

[00:55:01] and I can't call it I'm still I think the I know Steve Bomers like

[00:55:08] do I want to sweep like I want all eyes on LA I think I want to pick the Mavs

[00:55:15] but I'm not so sure like I just know what Luca did to the Clippers without this type of team

[00:55:21] around him so now that he has this type of team they should beat the Clippers like I think

[00:55:26] they're better than the Clippers like Clippers are to borrow what you said earlier they're top heavy

[00:55:33] you know but there's not a lot of potatoes after that

[00:55:38] uh the the Mavs have the continuity and shattered the Dallas Mike like I said

[00:55:46] about a month ago he jumped on it was like Dallas is gonna do this I was like come on man

[00:55:51] look at their records like 36 and 29 it was something like that now look down there 50 and 32

[00:55:59] and all right so so it went like 15 to 40 last 19 games so it's like going back to

[00:56:05] like four so going back to like four minutes ago second round we get Dallas okay see who you

[00:56:11] pick I'm probably picking doubts

[00:56:23] and I mean just for what you're doing right now that's why people are not picking the thunder to go

[00:56:29] to the finals

[00:56:37] I hate being proven wrong but I welcome it because now I have to learn from this experience

[00:56:43] and I understand that I understand that that there is some

[00:56:49] some trepidation with picking a team but they did battle their way to number one

[00:56:54] seed and their time I think the same record is Denver but you know the I don't I don't

[00:56:59] I don't like the conversation around a team that battled to the number one seed

[00:57:04] and what's quote unquote the tougher conference right for it to be dismissive after they get there

[00:57:10] all right but because of it I think in like the tie in Boston I'll get back to the west

[00:57:16] I think because people are I think the narrative around Boston is dismissive

[00:57:24] I think people are just kind of ignoring their 64 wins based off of the fact that

[00:57:29] they lost Eastern Congress finals last couple years and I think okay see is getting that same

[00:57:35] kind of treatment where it's like we don't believe that you can sustain this level of excellence

[00:57:41] and I think that helps a team especially if it's a grind like we go we don't believe you need

[00:57:50] more people 57 wins for the thunder 57 wins for the defending champion nuggies 56 wins for the

[00:57:58] temper wolves who have the juggernaut defensively they got a seven foot tall three point shooting

[00:58:05] champion they got the potential defensive player of the year they got Michael Jordan's illegitimate

[00:58:11] son out there throwing balls the backboard and dunking on people and just getting his highlight

[00:58:15] reels and he's literally operating like the moment it's not too big I get that but even with all

[00:58:22] that the thunder still managed to go from a playing team last year to number one so internally

[00:58:32] if I'm having a conversation with the news walls especially considering that the conversation

[00:58:37] outside of the walls probably outside of the state of Oklahoma I don't know people are really picking

[00:58:42] them for sure they're not they shouldn't I think I think we I think but like I said the same

[00:58:49] thing Milwaukee I believe Milwaukee looks in each other's eyes and that huddle and they think

[00:58:54] about when am I going to Cancun when is this vacation starting whereas okay see is like when

[00:59:04] are we gonna hoist a larry or Brian trophy I think they believe that because they they went through

[00:59:10] it chet being a rookie last year who couldn't play seeing it being there coming in and they

[00:59:16] they flipped I think it was 19 win improvement or something on those lines 16 by 19 there are

[00:59:22] teams that I would pick in the west to get out before okay see

[00:59:30] elaborate I would take Denver obviously you know because of the champion they have the chemistry

[00:59:41] you know just like Boston even though they don't have what if Murray doesn't get over 80%

[00:59:47] what if he's what if he's operating right now 75%

[00:59:51] it's fine never what if he never gets to like okay okay okay okay see can rebound

[00:59:58] you know to me so you know to me and then you still got you know championship players like KCP

[01:00:05] you know Michael Porter can have a game you know a game you know Denver because

[01:00:13] Yolk it provides such a dynamic element to the game and the way you control it

[01:00:20] or just collectively all the pieces I think both but if I had to pick one of those two

[01:00:27] I would lean Yolk itch but but I think both you know to me because like I said okay see is

[01:00:32] already at a rebounding disadvantage so regardless of who is that whatever percent Aaron Gordon

[01:00:40] and Yolk itch are going to kill the boards they're going to get the boards by plus 15 at least

[01:00:46] you know every game of that series so okay see is going to have to play outside of their mind

[01:00:51] keep going I'm gonna get there they're they're differential just you know then you got Minnesota

[01:00:57] who's got the Twin Towers the new Twin Towers the Anthony Edwards like you said so thinking

[01:01:03] about it like this Anthony Edwards could go match SGA for points so like you know if SGA has a 30-point

[01:01:12] game Anthony Edwards could get you 26 you know what I mean Chet can get you maybe 18 Jalen Williams

[01:01:19] is going to get you somewhere between 21 and 25 so Kat can get you you know the same 21 to 25

[01:01:28] that one of those two are going to get you so all you really need is go there to be the like to play

[01:01:34] like the defensive player to your candidate you got Nas read coming off the bench you got Mike Conley

[01:01:41] to control the tempo you know so I just think that Minnesota would just bully okay see around

[01:01:48] and make them play their style all right so I got a chart here okay it's a strange chart

[01:01:57] okay I don't know if it's indicative of the team play a success but it looks like

[01:02:06] this is like number one is the worst so the Wizards gave it the most opponent rebounds per game

[01:02:14] 48.9 Denik Grizzlies Hornets Spurs ironically Raptors Mavericks 45

[01:02:25] Houston and then ok see at 44.6 then Philly well you also you also have to remember and B did miss

[01:02:36] like 30 games the box so you got Atlanta so you got Brooklyn Atlanta you know bottom feeder teams

[01:02:43] right right right you got Lakers bucks uh but the best rebound differential was jazz and right

[01:02:53] the nuggets so the nuggets are yeah I think I just hope you prove your argument yes I think they

[01:02:59] would kill ok see that way I think Minnesota like I said I think aunt can match SGA plus remember I

[01:03:06] asked the question a couple of weeks ago is SGA going to be that hard and type that gets the

[01:03:12] calls during the regular season and doesn't get them into playoffs at the same rate okay see

[01:03:18] is young you know they were playing team last year didn't make the playoffs so

[01:03:23] their every bit as young and younger actually then Orlando is so you know so you got that battle

[01:03:31] that you gotta fight then you got uh you know Dallas I think you know because they have

[01:03:39] Kyrie and Luca and with this lineup with Gaffer Derek Jones so on so forth they were 16 and 2

[01:03:46] before they sat people at the end of the season with that lineup so so when I so when I say that

[01:03:55] it's not that I think okay it's not that I think okay see is bad it's not that I think they're

[01:04:02] overrated it's not that I think they're just a regular season team with a record you know I

[01:04:08] just think they're a year ahead of schedule like what they're doing this year is what we expect

[01:04:13] from them next year so I think they're just here a year early and they're gonna have to

[01:04:18] I believe you mentioned something like that last year when they made the play-in run

[01:04:24] but you're saying like that was a year ahead of schedule it was you know to be like you don't

[01:04:30] normally maybe it's right on schedule because they went I want to say they won 38 or 39

[01:04:35] last year maybe 40 they might have won you know and I think it was like 37 38 something like that yeah

[01:04:42] and you know what I mean so they've already jumped nearly 20 wins yeah but that's not 20 wins when you

[01:04:50] when you get a seven for two unicorn in that yeah come on like that's a that's a huge event yeah he's

[01:04:56] slim very slim between okay so so if I put them out they might have weighed 420 pounds total

[01:05:03] between the two of them if I put him if they're playing if we're playing Minnesota if okay see

[01:05:08] playing Minnesota and you know theoretically I might want to put him on go bear you know

[01:05:18] because I don't know if he can chase cat around

[01:05:23] the thing that something that's a weird thing that happened was go go bear and play us and

[01:05:27] shout out to Nick Wright because he's he's a he's always on to go bear thing he's been on

[01:05:34] for like the last few years for some reason teams he wins defensive player of the year but in the

[01:05:42] playoffs a smart coach figures out how to get him 15 feet from the hoop which is I don't know why

[01:05:53] I don't know why but it seems like every because when he because him and Donovan Mitchell those

[01:05:59] jazz years there's a lot like Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer I think around station they were

[01:06:04] back then when they were playing together okay when they went to Western Conference funders I was

[01:06:08] supposed to go to one of those games if when they played the Spurs if they would have come

[01:06:13] back to Utah like at a friend that they had company tickets and they're like yo my uh my

[01:06:20] company's gonna let me get these tickets if they make it back to Utah for like a game six or something

[01:06:25] like that it didn't happen so I didn't get to go um but some for some reason go bear gets if you

[01:06:31] can pull him from the hoop then he's inefficient that might take a game of Minnesota and we're

[01:06:42] I think this at this point at one and was that one and three which is why I'm taking

[01:06:49] Phoenix over Minnesota by the way you're taking Phoenix what about the lack of depth for Phoenix

[01:06:56] I don't care it's the playoffs it's the playoffs you play seven or eight anyway like you're not playing

[01:07:02] 12 players in the playoffs yeah but the depth for Phoenix and the lack of it

[01:07:10] they're big three they're not Phoenix had those same depth issues depth issues when they beat

[01:07:17] Minnesota three times this year by average of 16 points you know what I mean and the problem is

[01:07:24] going back to what you just said you just made the argument I'm just watching the game

[01:07:29] pulling go bear away from the basket you know like Phoenix isn't driving it into go bear

[01:07:36] they're the mid-range killers you know what I mean so they're they are pulling go bear out

[01:07:41] they are pulling cat out you know what I mean to where they can get easy baskets

[01:07:47] you know off of cuts off of backdoor screens what is great Alan shooting from three like 45%

[01:07:53] or something that's I know it was that at one point I just saw he got paid today too

[01:08:00] you know he got paid he got paid for his services and don't forget they got Erick Gordon too

[01:08:06] let me go to basketballreference.com so

[01:08:13] trying to pull up his contract real quick because he did get I saw he's given

[01:08:18] I think it was four years 70 million or something like that something like that

[01:08:22] so yeah he's shooting this season percentage from three

[01:08:30] my man shot 46% from three

[01:08:40] I mean one thing I do like about this this NBA

[01:08:47] this playoff run is injuries have moved certain teams from where we thought they were three

[01:08:58] to six some teams from two to five and it's moving around and shut up the Adam Silver

[01:09:05] I think you're gonna get the playoff ring you really want it because I really honestly do

[01:09:09] not know like I'm gonna ride Boston because I think that's an easy pick for a logical

[01:09:16] thinking person because what they do well is what is how the game looks you know you have a

[01:09:25] team like we talked about Orlando they play great defense not a lot of good three-point shooters

[01:09:31] Boston plays great defense and they can shoot themselves back in the games

[01:09:36] the guys they're bringing off the bench shoot the ball Pritchard Hauser

[01:09:40] Przingis when he's out there with the second unit like these guys just still shoot the ball

[01:09:46] Derek White when he's out there whore for if he pick him if you pick him pop

[01:09:51] he's gonna shoot the three so I think everybody does what Boston wants them to do as far as players

[01:09:59] and they do what the NBA like the makeup of the NBA is where it's like the Lakers don't

[01:10:05] operate that way I'm not sure Dallas operates that way because Luca has the ball in his hands so much

[01:10:11] so that's tough Denver they go through Yolkich Yolkich looks for KCP he looks for

[01:10:19] Mike Porter's only he looks for Aaron Gordon so that I think that's that's tough as far as

[01:10:25] Oklahoma City and was like so I got too well so I got two thoughts one we're getting what we

[01:10:31] want it right change in a guard this is a chance for new superstars to assert themselves and announce

[01:10:37] you got six you got so many different combinations that could be your NBA finals right and I don't

[01:10:43] think anybody would be upset by it and I think that the reason that it's so hard for me to see

[01:10:49] somebody beat Denver in the West is because the teams that I think could beat Denver

[01:10:56] Denver I just don't think we'll get to him so like for example I think Minnesota could beat Denver

[01:11:04] you know saying because they're one of the teams that can nullify that rebound advantage

[01:11:08] you know but I just don't think Minnesota is going to be there like you know I mean we

[01:11:14] could get that in the second round but I just don't think Minnesota is going to get past

[01:11:18] Phoenix you know Dallas wouldn't get Denver into the Western Conference finals okay see did beat

[01:11:25] Denver three out of four this year but you know like we've seen the Bulls beat the heat a couple

[01:11:32] of times during the regular season and then we saw what happened in the playoffs and talking about

[01:11:37] the heatals you know and then we saw what happened in the playoffs so two different seasons

[01:11:43] sometimes um and that's it like like I think New Orleans could be a threat to Denver but they're

[01:11:52] not consistent enough and now Zion's hurt you know so like so for me it's Minnesota or Dallas as

[01:11:59] the two teams that match up the best in the West I think that Denver would just kill Dallas on the

[01:12:06] boards okay so we're talking Denver yeah and I think Minnesota would match up well with them

[01:12:14] okay so I pulled up Denver's record versus each team this season

[01:12:22] 57 to 25 second in the West so we're not worried about the Hawks but it's 2-0 against the Hawks

[01:12:30] they're 2-0 against the Celtics they beat them in January to beat them in March yeah Brooklyn

[01:12:38] Charlotte Chicago Cleveland 1-1 Dallas they're 2-1 yeah and that one was the buzzer beater

[01:12:47] 4-0 against uh Golden State you got three six three and 16

[01:12:58] one and three versus Houston strange 2-0 2-2 against the Clippers

[01:13:04] a lot of those games were super early in the season against Houston yeah Houston wasn't a

[01:13:10] vermin of Vrindu Vrindu server yeah because I remember they played them like three times

[01:13:14] in like a two or three week span yes yeah 12 yeah they played them on the 12th to 24th and 29th and on

[01:13:21] December 8th November yeah so that they split with the the Clippers they dominated the Lakers they

[01:13:28] dominated the Grizzlies they split with the Timberwolves 2-1 2-1 they were 1-3 against

[01:13:40] okay see okay see yeah and those losses were well all three of those well one of those games

[01:13:50] Denver sat a bunch of people Denver sat a bunch of people one of those games SGA went for 40

[01:13:57] yeah 0-2 against Orlando all of that factors in 1-2 against Phoenix 1 with the overtime

[01:14:05] the two losses one with overtime those both were in March they lost two games in March to Phoenix

[01:14:14] they lost their 1-3 against Sacramento so it's it's it's a weird season because the teams that

[01:14:23] could potentially face them in the playoffs between you know Phoenix or Sacramento these

[01:14:30] teams are kind of fighting for their lives okay see being another team beat them like head to head

[01:14:37] right you know and it didn't you know so they beat them head as was like

[01:14:42] do I give you a chance based off history like your recent history or was it just

[01:14:48] you know was it no because I think the second night of a back-to-back was it was at home was

[01:14:52] on a roll was it you know that you'll could sit that well the problem is that I think Denver

[01:14:58] came out like most champions do and that first month or month and a half of the season

[01:15:05] they just go through the motions and then they usually hit a point because I think if we look at

[01:15:11] Denver from I'ma just say arbitrarily I'm just going to say March 1st if we look at Denver from

[01:15:18] there I think they were probably a different team you know to be and that's and that's the thing

[01:15:23] like they I don't I don't want to do the cliche thing and say that they got a good time or whatever but

[01:15:31] but that's pretty much what I'm thinking is that they started off the season slow including those

[01:15:36] losses to Houston and do you think that because they want to champion last year or is it something

[01:15:40] that you're basing off of as far as like I think a change in the lineup of change no because

[01:15:46] no because I mean even last year if you go back and look at it last year

[01:15:51] like they headed into the playoffs they were out here losing to bad teams they had lost like five

[01:15:59] in a row like two or three weeks before the playoffs started so I think like Yokoz just has that

[01:16:06] personality of I don't care like you know this game doesn't matter or you know so so I don't want

[01:16:14] it like I said I don't want to do the flip the they flip the switch but I just think it's

[01:16:19] like it I know it sounds like it sounds like it does and that's and that's and that's the piece that

[01:16:25] and that's the piece that I always talk about when these moments because the way I think I do believe

[01:16:34] that Denver is a very good team I don't believe that there's evidence to support

[01:16:41] everyone picking them over I don't believe there's enough evidence for it to be Dallas or the field

[01:16:51] as your bet and that's Denver or the field as your bet floating and slip I would never do that

[01:16:57] anyway no matter but that's but that's but that's I believe I believe that's part of the

[01:17:01] the type of conversations happen is like I'm not sure I feel as if people want to believe

[01:17:10] in Denver and we'll talk about this with MVP thing because their recent history of success by being

[01:17:17] the champion being crowned 10 months ago and because they didn't lose many pieces I believe

[01:17:25] Brown went to Indiana they lost Jeff Green Jeff Green you know but he was our age already you

[01:17:33] know so it's like they kept most of their pieces intact and I think it's an easy pick to say oh Denver

[01:17:41] but Denver didn't have a substantial lead on the other two teams in the west that are around

[01:17:51] them between the first the first seed of the third seed at no point throughout the year was like

[01:17:56] Denver is doing so much more than these other two teams the only thing that they have what

[01:18:02] is those two teams is that they recently won a championship and his other two teams are young

[01:18:07] but that also matters like experience matters it's the same reason it's the same reason that earlier

[01:18:13] you were talking about I understand why Cleveland did what they did because

[01:18:17] Orlando's the team with no experience yeah but but with that

[01:18:21] the pack conversation but if I'm up here with you if we if I'm up here to top with you you can't

[01:18:32] act as if oh you're just a young buck I'm like yo well I think that champion this is old man I'm

[01:18:39] up here with you you got this championship pedigree you have a guy who was a two-time MVP

[01:18:46] and then you won a championship run so you have essentially they're going on like

[01:18:51] did you feel that way did you feel that way when the heat gave the one seed to the Pacers

[01:18:59] like back with the heat the Miami Hedals yeah did you feel that way then

[01:19:04] no I didn't feel that way then because I think the heat had a different guy who wore six

[01:19:10] that can just neutralize I think what he was doing in the east in that eight-year window

[01:19:19] it's like exceeds what anybody else is currently doing but I think the conversations about these

[01:19:26] guys in the west they're acting as if he they're doing what he was doing in in that half

[01:19:34] like when the play-all started from the time he went to Miami to the time he finished up in Cleveland

[01:19:42] if you said I'm taking my LeBron or the field it didn't sound well I think that but I think that

[01:19:50] when we were in conversation that was like I feel like it feel I feel as if it's not as

[01:19:56] but there's a reason though like there's reasons like like you know we talked about okay see the

[01:20:01] the lack of experience the lack of rebounding Minnesota call Anthony Towns you know when the

[01:20:08] playoffs come around I call them kitty cat you know what I mean and then you even brought up

[01:20:13] big Philly and beads points and B drop 10 points let's go I'm gonna get to that I'm gonna get to

[01:20:19] that keep that thought but but you know but we also talked about go bear and his playoff troubles

[01:20:25] as well you know to me like we when we're looking at the clippers the clippers are the clippers

[01:20:31] you know what I mean there's nothing else left to say nature move the clippers had they had any

[01:20:36] crisis in what we had in April they had crisis and um like March yeah nature moved the Marcy

[01:20:45] you know saying you got hold on I gotta grab a charge I'll be right back I'm so listening

[01:20:49] though you got uh the Lakers who Denver pretty much owns at this stage you got you know these

[01:20:56] play-in teams like we're not factoring in any of them you know we saw Cleveland I'm sorry Phoenix

[01:21:03] against Denver last year you know they added Bradley Beal but even you are like look at their depth

[01:21:10] which is one of Denver's weaknesses but Phoenix has that same weakness so that's where for me

[01:21:17] it comes down to Dallas because they have the one-two punch of Kyrie and Luca you know

[01:21:23] but at the same time all it takes is Kyrie to have a bad game and a lot of that is nullified because

[01:21:30] of Denver's rebounding advantage over Dallas so I think that when you're looking at it

[01:21:37] there's not a team that has I don't want to say identity but they don't have what

[01:21:44] is required to beat Denver so like like going back to the east for a second the Embiid thing

[01:21:51] the only reason that I have been beaten the Philadelphia drum is because this is Embiid without

[01:21:59] expectations like this is the first time that Embiid is making the playoffs to some degree plan with

[01:22:07] house money and no expectation where like we've always expected or wanted you know what Joel

[01:22:13] you want to be the best player in the league you want to announce yourself here's the moment

[01:22:19] he's failed did he ever really have expectations though yes I mean last year he had last year he

[01:22:25] had expectations I don't believe so I don't think anyone ever looked at that team if yeah he was MVP

[01:22:31] but I don't think people looked at that team like this is a championship team you know I think last

[01:22:37] year people looked at Philadelphia it said when you get James Harden your team I think people

[01:22:42] just kind of give you a pass five six years but James Harden as your first or second best player

[01:22:50] I don't think anyone I don't think there's people out there betting money on your organization when

[01:22:56] you have James Harden bro there was a point there was a point where Harden and B were playing

[01:23:01] so well they were getting Kobe in shot comparisons and then you looked at the numbers and James

[01:23:08] Harden was giving you like 18 points and like nine assists he just wasn't the point being is that

[01:23:15] but that's what I'm saying but the point being though is that I I believe that last year going

[01:23:20] into the playoffs Philly and Boston were viewed as equal they were viewed as either team could

[01:23:27] win this series and then you know you're back while you're banging on James Harden and B

[01:23:34] didn't play game one and he put up 45 you know to be and he had another I believe 40 point game

[01:23:40] later in that series they were up 3 2 on Boston and then then they did the thing you know what

[01:23:46] happened is with teams that have James Harden on it you know his part now the way people

[01:23:51] view Boston and people saying Boston kind of fell off is what James Harden led teams actually

[01:23:58] do they actually come up short correct and they come up short in the same fashion where they are up

[01:24:04] but just like Boston was making Western or Eastern Conference finals it's just

[01:24:12] they got to the same point you just didn't like the way that it ended worse for Houston

[01:24:16] then you don't like it ended for Boston that's the only difference

[01:24:20] like like the Rockets were Boston to some degree you know to be like they even had a 3

[01:24:26] 2 lead on KD and Stefan them I would say results wise yes I've felt I feel differently because the

[01:24:38] Boston the young guys got to this point and it was a guy that came in with the big money deal

[01:24:46] he was an MVP then Tony had the whole and I got to be Steve Snash and they and so they had

[01:24:54] expectations because the players that they brought in Brad Stevens was Butler's coach that went back to

[01:25:00] back in CAA finals and then they had Jason Tatum then they had Kyrie for a little bit then they drafted

[01:25:07] Jaylen Brown and then you know so it wasn't as if they they and Tony you're looking up with James

[01:25:14] Harden James Harden average on like 33 points on average for like three or four years straight

[01:25:19] is a different expectation than what you get from these young guys who kept getting to these

[01:25:24] point yet they but I got news for you I got news for you Jason Tatum isn't any of those things that

[01:25:29] you mentioned about Harden as far as MVP and all that and he got the same playoff failures when it

[01:25:35] goes bad as Harden does we just look at it differently because he's younger he plays different

[01:25:43] he looks like we talk about how he's the prototypical basketball player for this era you know

[01:25:48] build wise skill wise so we're so to some degree we're giving Jason Tatum the past that Harden doesn't get

[01:25:59] yes and I didn't say yes but I I respect that because that's an argument that you and that's

[01:26:06] I think that's one of the first conversation we had was like who was getting the pass

[01:26:10] and up listen I'm not banging on Harden pause no you're telling the truth about Harden

[01:26:16] I just feel that him there's no there's no evidence to support that having James Harden on your team

[01:26:27] short of the OKC year where they made NBA finals where it was realistic

[01:26:35] that you're going to make the finals the closest we got was Chris Paul got injured

[01:26:42] and James Harden didn't make the NBA finals he made another finals in Houston before that

[01:26:49] before that yes absolutely they made it Western Conference Finals Lucas made it Western Conference

[01:26:55] Finals a lot of guys make conference finals but there's never there was never an expectation

[01:27:02] that a James Harden led team was going to get to the NBA finals there was never that pressure

[01:27:09] you wouldn't pick it preseason well we're going to have to begin a play

[01:27:13] we've been picking a couple of different things here because I was talking about in

[01:27:16] Bede and somehow we ended up on hard so like so so when you said in Bede is not dealing with any

[01:27:21] pressure I'm like I don't think he's ever was under pressure because I don't think I think

[01:27:26] he had a built an excuse not excuse but I think he had a built in reason to why a team he was

[01:27:33] on wasn't going to make it he was injured for the first couple of years it was Philly trusted process

[01:27:39] they were a losing organization for so many years they drafted him I think he missed the first

[01:27:44] couple of years he finally came out then you got Ben Simmons he couldn't shoot wasn't working

[01:27:50] out you had Jimmy Butler that fell out so that was probably their best opportunity to year

[01:27:56] Kawai hit the three I mean it's a jumper he traveled so that was probably like their best

[01:28:03] opportunity but I don't think there was an expectation on that core group to be in the NBA finals

[01:28:11] I think that's what he won the MVP last year there was a lot of conversation of we gave you

[01:28:16] the MVP that you won for now go make the finals but I think that conversation might

[01:28:22] lean more towards people not wanting because we're talking about this one our voting part yeah this

[01:28:28] this might when I log in so we had the bottom digging I'm loving it like a lot but that might

[01:28:33] have been more we don't want to give it to Yolkich again we don't want to give it to Yannis again

[01:28:40] and B had a great game against Yolkich and Philly but didn't play the game in Denver last

[01:28:48] year and it just so happened to work out to where I think they were getting voted for T

[01:28:55] and then we're gonna give it to Yolkich again and B's numbers are close well I don't know if it

[01:29:00] was fatigue people just straight up said Michael Jordan Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Byrd are the

[01:29:05] only three people to win three of you can have this guy right we never made the finals or

[01:29:12] like that was the thing and you know and then of course we ended up where we ended up but

[01:29:17] anyway since you brought it up let's just get there you know so like we got the award season upon us

[01:29:24] so we're going to take it from the top Mr. Logical who is here who is your most valuable player

[01:29:36] I'ma go Luca

[01:29:37] I like what he does for the team I believe that him being on the Mavericks is why they're in the position

[01:29:50] that they're in because of him granted they're 1532 but if you look at the records 57 57 56 51 50 so

[01:30:00] they're the five seed but it's not that many wins separating you know five from one yes 17 was

[01:30:12] since nobody eight but it's 82 game season uh I think the way they played late when a lot of teams

[01:30:21] trying to get their footing trying to find their way I think playing 15 and and two and and the

[01:30:30] final this this last month or so I think that's huge I think that's great impact on the voters

[01:30:36] because the vote happens now they because they were in the play in for a long chunk like I said

[01:30:43] Dallas Mike put me on the game shut up Dallas Mike uh as far as I go Dallas is a team to be

[01:30:49] in the West like I don't know but that whole proverbial getting hot at the right time

[01:30:55] they just were ultra consistent his numbers are ultra consistent and

[01:31:02] you you don't the way Yolk is plays I think Luca is a more fluid version of Yolk itch

[01:31:14] hmm so with that being said if I had a vote I vote Luca 34 9 and 10 50 50 and 32 what a team

[01:31:24] has been in flux a lot of trees a lot of movement uh the owner who's probably one of the most popular

[01:31:32] owners of sports selling a portion of the team the pressure being on the pressure like you're

[01:31:38] talking about indeed having championship pressure Luca has championship pressure and he's never had

[01:31:44] the team that was really really really really capable of being a championship contender but

[01:31:54] I think he's had more pressure on him as far as expectations from pundits and fans that are like

[01:32:00] then indeed has and I think he's risen said I occasion more often so

[01:32:05] sad number 77 down in Dallas that's my lead MVP we can't agree there's no way we agree there's no

[01:32:15] way we agree who do you think my who do you think my MVP is knowing me how you know me

[01:32:21] who do you think my MVP is if I had to guess I would say SGA but no no no no no no no no

[01:32:28] those two shorts knowing you two five I am two five on orthodox it's not it's not taking home

[01:32:39] nah I can't be

[01:32:43] I think you just figured it out I think you just figured it out it can't be it gave you the name

[01:32:48] I'm thinking give it to me it can't be Jalen Bronson it shortly is

[01:33:06] check me out check me out check me out okay okay so yokich I can't differentiate each

[01:33:12] season for yokich looks alike you know whether it's like even if it's not Denver's record his

[01:33:18] numbers look alike he's always on the same plane he never elevates to where it's like for example

[01:33:24] look at Yanis these are the best numbers of Yanis his career it's just that the rest of the team

[01:33:30] hasn't followed suit they've had coaching turmoil so you can't vote for Yanis because

[01:33:36] even though he has the great numbers the team just isn't there you know when I look at Luca

[01:33:43] you said a couple of things in your uh dare I say soliloquy that's right that's a good word

[01:33:51] that's a good word that I was going to say but differently for Jalen no for Luca or for Luca

[01:33:59] okay or against Luca I should say because you were talking about how the team was in

[01:34:05] turmoil the team did this Luca's got expectations but the problem with Dallas is

[01:34:12] they didn't turn it on until the trades happened so you notice if I'm gonna give him credit

[01:34:18] for the whole season and averaging what he's averaging then Dallas would have been flourishing

[01:34:24] earlier than they did you know saying so like if I wanted to break it down to the last

[01:34:31] month of the season then yeah Luca's the MVP but if I'm looking at the season in totality

[01:34:37] you know like I said our guy Julius Randall you know hasn't played since early January

[01:34:44] you know they signed they made the trade for adenobi you know they came in they went eight and

[01:34:49] two with adenobi and then he turned around and missed 25 to 30 games you know and then Jalen

[01:34:55] Brunson was the one who stood there now this is my problem not with you but just in general

[01:35:02] you know saying Jalen Brunson is not the level of player that Luca is is not the level of player

[01:35:08] that Yokochi is is not the level of player Giannis Tatum is so therefore the media I'm

[01:35:14] going to focus on for a second okay they're guilty of group think what you mean by level

[01:35:20] like he's not so if you think of like like star caliber yeah star caliber yeah yeah yeah

[01:35:26] so if you think of like Luca as a top 10 or top five player Jalen Brunson is probably closer to 20

[01:35:34] you know what I mean but the but the problem is in the in the non if you don't do any any research

[01:35:40] if you right voted populated contest right and it so from that standpoint you know it just

[01:35:47] confuses me because he he is I don't I don't subscribe to you have to be this C to be the MVP

[01:36:01] like you have to be a top 30 C to be a MVP or you have to have the best record in the league to

[01:36:06] be MVP but there's no reason that that next team you know and don't forget they missed

[01:36:11] Mitchell Robinson for a long period of the season two there's no reason that that next

[01:36:16] team should be the two seed right now you know when I look at Jason Tatum he has two other 20

[01:36:21] point scores when we looked it up a few weeks ago Boston was the only team with 320 point scores

[01:36:27] it's like you know the top 15 defensive win shares stuff like that like stuff like that you know so

[01:36:33] I can't it's the KD stuff I wanted to be Tatum you know last year I was I was on Tatum last year

[01:36:43] you know to me early but I just can't get there this year because of that Yannis out of here SGA

[01:36:51] was my other person that I was thinking about and you know 35 and 6 led the league in steals

[01:36:59] I believe it was something like 50 30 point games you know you know on the youngest team

[01:37:07] in the NBA you know but second best record in the league so from that standpoint SGA I think has

[01:37:14] an argument as well um I think Luca's gonna end up I think Luca may end up winning it I think he

[01:37:23] may end up second I think the betting odds are yoke it's just like minus five thousand yeah

[01:37:28] which is basically you got to bet five thousand dollars to win a hundred on fan dual like I think

[01:37:35] I don't know if it's that much but it's pretty substantial yeah I think I think that Bronson

[01:37:40] is overlooked because he's not a superstar you know he's not on that god tier of player

[01:37:48] so I think that the media going back to the media the people that actually vote on MVP

[01:37:53] I feel that they have a set list of guys that they're going to vote or you know DeVita votes

[01:38:00] up amongst and as you know what happened like I said it's it's the beginning it's the beginning of the

[01:38:05] season right yeah that's what I was saying what what what four to six guys would they highlight and

[01:38:10] if that four to six what three do they pump their right their information is to get so yeah

[01:38:17] somebody has to it has to be somebody out of that bunch you know it's really broken

[01:38:22] makes a great case because what I did I wrote down my MVP and I wrote down some honorable

[01:38:27] mentions so I have I got Luca and Yolkich I think Yolkich because the same way you talked about Denver

[01:38:34] like I said in our conversation about them winning the west I think people feel I think that's the

[01:38:40] vantage point they view the war through I think Denver is going to win the west he is the best

[01:38:46] player on Denver hence he's MVP Jalen makes a great case for it maybe he makes the case for most improved

[01:38:58] player but a lot of guys who are in the MVP conversation generally don't also get most

[01:39:04] improved most improved guys are guys who get like that you get to the middle tier like I think I

[01:39:12] remember yeah John Merant was in most improved and it was like how's the guy go second overall get

[01:39:19] most improved like yeah I think he should have been already I think he got an MVP vote maybe

[01:39:26] when he was in the conversation at least and he wanted over the ball from um Charlotte um

[01:39:34] Davante Vonte Graham Davante Graham and it was like this guy is a role player who ever

[01:39:41] winner who hit the game winner so okc fans sitting Davante Graham some flowers for giving you that

[01:39:48] one seed yeah so um but I wrote sga Jalen Brunson I wrote down Tatum and Brown stats mainly just

[01:39:59] but for as far as argument is like both of them were so good that they just cancel each other out

[01:40:05] they were like a double negative very similar to like I said with Katie stuff and Clay Thompson

[01:40:11] and Dreymon in that three-year run from 1719 it worked right now yeah I'm watching it it's a grind

[01:40:22] a stream up in here um yeah so so that's my MVP uh who you got for coaching the year

[01:40:29] coaching the year mostly Orlando 45 wins I know I was banging on them for their youth but

[01:40:35] having a team that young winning 45 games he probably won't win it there's always gonna be

[01:40:40] someone else uh I was thinking about what's the ball name Adrian the the early Bucks coach

[01:40:47] that went 30th every year Griffin I was thinking about throwing him a vote because we saw what happened

[01:40:52] when his team got turned over to another guy it completely flopped so granted I know that's not

[01:40:57] realistic but as far as like the conversation is like well he was doing pretty damn good for a working

[01:41:04] coach with a team that was so tumultuous and then you get this hall of fame coach and then

[01:41:08] they fall apart uh yeah I like mostly out of Orlando 45 wins okay fifth seed you know okay

[01:41:17] they'll probably fall completely apart next year and go 37 and 45 but as of right now

[01:41:23] I'll give them a shout okay you may or may not you may or may not believe this but give me Jamal Mosley

[01:41:31] look at that this I've got to show together you know we didn't talk about this beforehand ladies

[01:41:36] and gentlemen this is like legit off the cuff conversation yeah 13 win improvement you know they

[01:41:42] finished six games below the play in last year I think the award is actually going to go to

[01:41:48] Dagono from okay see um taking them to you know first in the west you know um from the play

[01:41:56] in that's obviously significant it shouldn't be like ignored but I just look at most I look

[01:42:03] at Orlando I look at okay see and I'm more shocked by Orlando than I am okay see uh yeah I think

[01:42:12] Eskia looks young but he's been in the league for a minute he's played him yeah he was all

[01:42:17] one of Kelly Pahri's choking teams yeah so like I think he's just he's just he's a talented

[01:42:23] young player Chet is very dynamic even though he's stringy and like bit of a string bean

[01:42:29] he has that toughness and that tenacity and I think they just play well I think they're

[01:42:32] complimentary world play well I like Josh G like that I'll strut your toughness yeah Missoula's

[01:42:38] going to get votes just because of Boston's record you know like honestly I don't know if you really

[01:42:43] give him like I don't think he's gonna win it but I think he'll get some votes um I think Chris

[01:42:49] Finch from Minnesota should get some votes you know uh because nobody saw this coming from the

[01:42:55] Timberwolves like I think this is what people not people but this is what the Timberwolves

[01:43:00] thought could happen you know once they got Rudy and Kat together you know but I think a lot of

[01:43:06] they made that trade and everyone laughed at it and it's like yeah hey listen GMs uh if you're

[01:43:14] if you're Eastern GM and your team's 11 through 15 you guys only had a 107 win so you might want

[01:43:20] to see how Minnesota pulled off that move and you know what the poetic justice in this is

[01:43:25] so I picked Phoenix to beat Minnesota right correct but let's say Minnesota wins this series

[01:43:31] against Phoenix and they played Denver in the second round Minnesota's GM is the guy that put

[01:43:37] Denver together so how about that for poetry you know smart guy what he's doing reverse

[01:43:45] and work with smart people yeah he knows what he's doing uh I haven't done that.

[01:43:51] Kamiga's out here ballin' though yeah he is I like Kamiga uh so who you got for Six Man of the Year

[01:43:59] Six Man Nas read 14, 14, 5 and 2 41% from 3 play a lot of big minutes when Kat was out

[01:44:10] I think he was I think he led the league and three point makes as a center

[01:44:17] so I think coming off the bench and then you know like stepping up when when Kat was also

[01:44:22] but I got Nas read 14, 5 and 2 41% from 3 Minnesota like I wish the NBA and fans and people would just

[01:44:34] let go of some of these other guys like the Warriors dynasty is it potentially be empire

[01:44:42] and empire is it can fall the Lakers are playing Denver in the first round it can be another sweep

[01:44:52] and I know we got the whole Brani Lebron playing together uh if the Lakers are smart man I'm

[01:44:59] moving a D if that happens just like at some point everyone has to recognize like it is over

[01:45:06] I recognize them when I clicked the button and I was gonna retire they're like listen the

[01:45:10] word back we're gonna get you out of here real quick and in that bet give me my paperwork sometimes

[01:45:16] it's time to go and I think it's time to start highlighting these GMs that are putting great

[01:45:21] teams together Minnesota needs to be on TV a lot next year okay see these be on TV a lot

[01:45:27] Denver continue to keep them on TV Dallas obviously get Orlando on TV a lot

[01:45:33] put start putting these guys on cereal boxes billboards commercials state farm

[01:45:41] make of America whatever you gotta do you need to realize that the transition is happening

[01:45:48] and it's a beautiful thing yeah I got Nas read as well uh defensive player of the year

[01:45:55] I got Winby even though the team was terrible I watched him stop a 301 fast break by himself

[01:46:03] but just being at the free throw line on the fast break everyone stopped two guys ran to the three

[01:46:10] point line and the guy dribbling the ball stopped and kicked it out because they didn't want their

[01:46:16] shot contested by Winby and I think he still got out to the three-point line contest it was a missed

[01:46:21] shot San Antonio got the rebound came back up the court that's what defensive player of the year does

[01:46:27] like you're not gonna lock guys down all game long but it's like that's what a defensive player of

[01:46:32] the year does I know the record doesn't fit it that's pop's fault because I don't think pop

[01:46:37] coached all year long I think he just put his spurs golf shirt on and just sat on a bench and

[01:46:43] looked around with his crazy white hair like Doc from back to the future because there's no way

[01:46:48] that team should have been at the end in 62 22 and 22 and 60 22 and 60 um I got Winby

[01:46:59] just when I think about you know the block numbers and see I think I got swayed by all

[01:47:05] that stuff like he's got this many blocks more than like there's many people that have played

[01:47:11] in the league and 90% of the people who've ever played in the league have less blocks than

[01:47:16] Victor yeah stuff like that I think like I think I got caught up in it you know like

[01:47:23] so he's averaging 3.6 blocks a game so that means realistic he's probably contesting

[01:47:30] seven and ten shots that have just missed like I know that Rudy go beer is the odds on favorite

[01:47:37] and I think he's gonna end up winning it but I'm like yo what is it gonna take so so first of all

[01:47:43] let me add um I think Anthony Davis should get some consideration but I just want to know

[01:47:51] when these voters going to stop playing with bam like bam should have had a defensive player

[01:47:57] the year by now well they can't give it to go bear because go bear has the stat that we're now

[01:48:04] using for Winby to serve Colbert well I feel like the market smart one you know at the very

[01:48:13] least but I thought bam could have been it last year you know so it's just I don't know it's just

[01:48:20] one of those things most improved okay well as far as offensive play the year like I said I think

[01:48:27] if you're not because it's hard to be a lockdown defender because the way they call files

[01:48:34] and the dynamic because Marcus smart even though he won it most of these guys on the perimeter

[01:48:41] aren't the same size so if you are kawaii like kawaii can probably defend any guy between six five and six

[01:48:49] eight on the perimeter but if you're not that kind of defender then everybody funneling

[01:49:00] the ball handler to the shot blocker that's how we're gonna get bear keeps getting it

[01:49:05] because you can't put the same guy on on paul george

[01:49:13] and tatum in and out every single night because they're gonna get too many files and I could

[01:49:18] be with saying the game where's go bear in ad and bam and all those other guys that kind of defend

[01:49:24] the rim defend the pick and roll they can blitz the pick and roll they can show and get back to

[01:49:30] their man that's just a little different that's why I think a lot of those guys get credit for

[01:49:34] but when these when these numbers are just so astronomical it's like yeah yeah

[01:49:42] I got uh I got maxi out of philly I know the record wasn't great without and B

[01:49:49] but he averaged like 27

[01:49:54] six and four without and B and he kept them afloat even though it's a play in but when your

[01:50:02] MVP caliber player goes out and you're a young guy and you're just putting in work and everyone

[01:50:09] knows you are the catalyst for the offense when it beat is out and yet you keep just grinding

[01:50:16] grinding I'm gonna go with that and then I know like one of the odds on favorites like Kobe white

[01:50:20] but it's like your team was so bad like how much did you really improve with your team

[01:50:25] not really being that much better see Kobe white was my choice uh excuse me you know

[01:50:31] increasing his points per game by nine points you know just becoming a better all-around player

[01:50:38] but I think for me when I look at most improved I don't even look at teams you know um this is

[01:50:46] probably the one award that I look at from an individual purely individual standpoint like

[01:50:54] you know how did your numbers improve from last year to this year did your game improve

[01:50:59] from last year like somebody like Jill and Suggs for example who um his three-point percentage

[01:51:05] went up like five points you know stuff like that is what I look for and it may not always be

[01:51:13] you know team success like obviously like I would still like for your team to make the playoff or

[01:51:19] whatever but I don't have like a cutoff of like this is where you should be or it's

[01:51:25] who should win this many games and then I don't know if you did a I don't know if you did

[01:51:30] a clutch player of the year or not I didn't know was reading that

[01:51:38] ironically it had Steph as one of nominees I'm like yeah well no Steph hit uh two or three

[01:51:46] game winners this year you know remember we won no I think he hit like two or three

[01:51:52] nah he had won you know like it might not have been at the buzzer it might not have been at the

[01:51:56] buzzer but I think he hit two or three but I went with DeMar DeRose but you know but but like I but

[01:52:04] like I think that each person defines clutch each person defines a different way so I don't even

[01:52:13] really know why this award exists outside of like they were trying to name the awards after

[01:52:20] people and you know all that kind of stuff so they probably just had somebody that they felt was left out

[01:52:28] so they had to come up with another award to make sure that they were yeah one when I saw it I was like

[01:52:34] is this the award that's been around no I think it all started when they changed the names or

[01:52:42] when they added the names to the award so who is it is this the Kobe award uh let's see

[01:52:49] but yeah I just they just made it up you know I know it's not Jason Tatum

[01:52:58] I want to was last year last year last year it was uh the brag is the bra gets the award

[01:53:04] named after him when he retires right he has to I would think I was named after mr. clutch

[01:53:10] that's right a person named mr. clutch Jerry West

[01:53:19] one and nine and finals area was yep cool that was his nickname mr. clutch

[01:53:24] well cool I'm glad they use no real reference oh dream again oh he got it you know but yeah

[01:53:31] that's what they decided to name it after you know that was his nickname so I mean it is what it

[01:53:35] is I mean hey he's a three-time Hall of Famer by the way executive and executive player and player on the

[01:53:46] 1962 Olympic team and I'm still tripping off of Kawai being on the Olympic team because load management

[01:53:54] during the Olympics is nasty work is he on his current one the 2024 one yeah he's the last player

[01:54:00] that got added yeah let's go ahead and replace him with uh Jalen Brunson you know I mean luckily for me

[01:54:08] I don't watch the Olympics so you know I won't have to worry about that but like to track me

[01:54:14] rookie to your is obvious you got wimby yeah that's why I didn't even bring it up this wimby

[01:54:20] you know the only other person in the conversation I guess could be chat but not really

[01:54:26] not really because because wimby's just that damn good as triple H would say

[01:54:32] yeah you know that's where someone posted wimby versus the bronze rookie year stats I don't know

[01:54:39] what the context was it just posted I don't know if it was a highlight how good wimby's been yes well

[01:54:47] well people have been saying that wimby has had the greatest rookie season in history

[01:54:52] so I think it was probably just to show let's look at him next to no way no way

[01:55:00] who would almost went in are you watching yeah yeah like uh hey that's what he do man

[01:55:08] that's what this dude does man new stuff yeah stuff's not man hey remember he put up a 50 in

[01:55:15] game seven in this very building last year it's done it's done yeah I still can't get over his face when

[01:55:22] drae mom got throughout that game oh you mean his tears yeah like he was it wasn't his face it was his

[01:55:30] anyone know what it was what was it I don't have inside information but as a father of four kids

[01:55:38] and as a man who's lived by emotional intelligence I think he knew in that moment

[01:55:46] we're done it was it in that moment he was like this is it this is the culmination

[01:55:54] like I keep it real like y'all my audience my family everyone I out process whenever tired two years ago

[01:56:00] I think I uh I had to my final out I just had some paperwork to do I believe it was either

[01:56:06] December or February I can remember which one but like my final day in the Air Force was

[01:56:10] February 14th 2024 and I remember I did all this paperwork and I got it all and it was all

[01:56:18] signed and like the checklist at MPF the military personnel flight everything was done and I was

[01:56:24] done with the Air Force I had my checklist signed all the boxes were ticked and I remember I got

[01:56:30] my car and I remember just sitting there by myself and I'm like I started this journey at 18 years old

[01:56:38] and here it is I'm a few months away from 41 and it's done like it's done like I put

[01:56:47] I traveled the world I created I created little humans to care people I've been here I've been

[01:56:53] there did this for my career that all these things and like this company like then I had the tears

[01:57:00] oh okay so I had the tears and I was sitting in my car thinking like

[01:57:05] I really did all of this good, bad or indifferent between relationships with my supervision and

[01:57:13] co-workers and troops and friends and family and everything else that kind of like encompassed my

[01:57:19] the totality of my career and I think in that moment when he saw like this new guy kicked out

[01:57:26] of another game we're fighting for our playoff lies to be in a position that we're potentially going

[01:57:33] to get our brains beat in by the number one seed or the two seed however that it was going to play

[01:57:39] out I think it just was like you know how much money your team can spend you know you know all

[01:57:46] the nuance and the minutiae of how your team is built and I think it just was like he knew

[01:57:51] like man this is really it I got three weeks left of me potentially in this jersey or me and this

[01:58:01] jersey with these two guys and the coach because I can see Steve Kerr say you know what's

[01:58:09] I can see Steve Kerr say hey it's been a hell of a run hey he got that two year 35 million

[01:58:15] yeah how old is his youngest kid I don't know but how old is the oldest

[01:58:20] that's a like right now my youngest son's a freshman here so like me being here to see him through

[01:58:29] high school is a big deal Steve sits down and says you know what do I really want to miss

[01:58:35] another year to say he has a I don't know we'll just say apathetically he has a 16 year old son

[01:58:40] right now who's about to go into a senior in high school plays basketball Steve doesn't get

[01:58:44] to see as many of his games as he wants they get tossed tonight and he says you know what

[01:58:52] I know it sounds like Nick so this is true I'm just glad that you were man enough to shed tears

[01:59:00] because when I retired it looked like Michael Jordan against the calves you know they're jumping

[01:59:06] to air with the fist pump like that was when I retired there was no tears at all it was just

[01:59:12] jubilation man I was born but I'm a crier relation I'm a cry I was talking about the day like I was

[01:59:20] not crying I try to be able to cry yeah I haven't cried since 2015 man I probably cried some time

[01:59:29] this year for sure I'd be trying it just don't work yeah you know what I say water works yeah

[01:59:37] water works monopoly board water works the day you go people you know Mr. logicals the crier

[01:59:43] you know saying I'm the non-emotional one I guess which we'll be back on Thursday hope you

[01:59:50] enjoyed the show thanks for the support like subscribe reviews share good night for viewers

[01:59:57] you know saying appreciate the viewers appreciate the comments we just appreciate y'all we love y'all

[02:00:03] we'll see you in a few days

[02:00:11] peace