Speaker 1: Welcome to What's Burning. I'm here with Paul Pierce, Matt Barnes. Matt,
Speaker 1: you are fresh off a plane from Atlanta doing a
Speaker 1: little a T S action. He's got Charles Barkley after
Speaker 1: I think chasing him for years. Right, Yeah, I mean,
Speaker 1: big show, big trip to Atlanta. Shout out to everyone
Speaker 1: who made that possible. Um. Yeah, we were able to
Speaker 1: lock down Chuck Rachel Lynn. It was just great first
Speaker 1: and foremost. He said he lost about fifty penalty, said
Speaker 1: he finally has two good hips. He had hip surgery,
Speaker 1: he slimmed down, he looks good. Um. But you know Charles,
Speaker 1: I mean he's, you know, one of the voices of basketball.
Speaker 1: And to be able to just sit down and talk
Speaker 1: to him about you know, current media, what he has
Speaker 1: going on, his future plans in media, and just kind
Speaker 1: of going back over his career. Man, we had a
Speaker 1: great time. Didn't take that big check for the golf,
Speaker 1: No he didn't, but he got a big check from check.
Speaker 1: He's going to be okay, is what you're telling me.
Speaker 1: He's gonna even have to worry about him, all right.
Speaker 1: I do want to talk about the Grizzlies, because guys
Speaker 1: there on a ten game winning streak, tie with the
Speaker 1: Nuggets for number one in the West, number one defense
Speaker 1: in the NBA Jaren Jackson junior frontrunner for Defensive Player
Speaker 1: of the Year. Really, their only big weakness if you
Speaker 1: take a look, is free throw percentage. They are dead
Speaker 1: last in the entire league they're shooting se Paul, how
Speaker 1: concerned are you about that right now? And how concerned
Speaker 1: about that will you be if it's still that way
Speaker 1: to come playoff time. I mean, I've been a part
Speaker 1: of so many games that came down the free throw,
Speaker 1: So I mean it's a huge concerned. You know, when
Speaker 1: you get down to a lot of close games come
Speaker 1: playoff times, we know those free throws is gonna add
Speaker 1: up when we look up. If you're only shooting marginal
Speaker 1: uh percentage at the line, you're gonna kick yourself on
Speaker 1: the butt come playoff time, because that's important, I mean,
Speaker 1: regardless unless you you're blowing everybody out and you're gonna
Speaker 1: need the free throws in the clubs possessions and so
Speaker 1: that's that's a little bit of concern. But I like,
Speaker 1: I like what they've been doing. I like where they
Speaker 1: at this year. Yeah, I mean I agree, I mean,
Speaker 1: we're at the halfway point of this season and they're
Speaker 1: clearly one of the best teams in the league. UM
Speaker 1: free throws are always concerning. We lost a U championship
Speaker 1: yesterday because we missed read those, but they are a
Speaker 1: little bit about that. But on a higher level um that,
Speaker 1: But also Rachel concerns me is I'm always and Paul
Speaker 1: can contest this. I like that. You know, these young
Speaker 1: teams during the regular season are always exciting and jaw dropping,
Speaker 1: but when the big lights come on in the playoffs
Speaker 1: and it's every game, there's adjustments that have to be made.
Speaker 1: Can those same guys outside of jaw be stars in
Speaker 1: their roles stealing My concern with this team is who
Speaker 1: is their consistent number two. I mean, Desmond Banks had
Speaker 1: a career year, I think about twenty one points a game,
Speaker 1: Jaren Jackson's and the high teams, But are those guys
Speaker 1: consistently gonna be there in the playoffs? You know, most
Speaker 1: teams that have one are gonna win at least have
Speaker 1: those two guys. Sometimes have three or four guys are
Speaker 1: able to get you thirty on any given nights. So
Speaker 1: that's my one concern outside of you know, obviously. The
Speaker 1: free throw woes is do they have that consistent number
Speaker 1: two night and night out, then go out and get
Speaker 1: twenty to twenty five when Jaws at thirty. I just
Speaker 1: feel like the West is so wide open that maybe
Speaker 1: you don't have to be as good this year coming
Speaker 1: in as you had some other years, but you can
Speaker 1: be a little more inexperienced. Jaren Jackson Jr. By the way,
Speaker 1: well Rocky when he came back from injury. But he's
Speaker 1: playing so well and it's like legit defensive player of
Speaker 1: the Year right now. And I want to pick on
Speaker 1: them with the free thrill percentage. But it's funny. There's
Speaker 1: a stat website called eighty two Games and they recently
Speaker 1: looked at every game memphisis played this year. They calculated
Speaker 1: if the Grizzlies went up from seventy one percent, which
Speaker 1: is what they're shooting now, to just seventy eight percent
Speaker 1: at the line, not like crazy, best ever number is
Speaker 1: just seventy eight percent at the line, that they would
Speaker 1: have gotten five more wins so far this season than
Speaker 1: they had, which again, they're tied with the Nuggets for first.
Speaker 1: It's not like that. I mean, they're you know, they're
Speaker 1: not struggling, but they could have been well clear of ever.
Speaker 1: But that's a big jump though. Seventy eight is a
Speaker 1: lot lot more, you know what I mean. And we
Speaker 1: know we've all been on teams where free throw shooting
Speaker 1: is important and normally you are what you are with
Speaker 1: your free throw shooting. That's not necessarily going to change.
Speaker 1: Like they're half of this season, you know, so I
Speaker 1: don't see them miraculous. Let's turn around and get to seven,
Speaker 1: eight or eighties. So they're gonna have to find a
Speaker 1: way to win while being inefficient at the free throw line. Well, Matt,
Speaker 1: you're here, so you know we have to talk about
Speaker 1: the Kings. That is required four in the West coming
Speaker 1: into Wednesday. They're on a four game winning streak. Demontes
Speaker 1: Sabonis Western Conference Player of the Week. He's averaging nineteen
Speaker 1: thirteen and seven. So we got the All Star Game
Speaker 1: coming up in a few weeks and we're looking at
Speaker 1: the starters in the West, and look, Yokich obviously a
Speaker 1: lock for the front court. Lebron I think is a
Speaker 1: lock for the front court. So you've got one more
Speaker 1: front court All Star starter. Are you making the case
Speaker 1: you think Savonis should be that guy. Um, whether it be.
Speaker 1: I mean, his play has spoke for itself. Um. But
Speaker 1: you know it's a popularity thing, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1: And through the first round of return ballot through the fans,
Speaker 1: Sabonis nor Fox or was even mentioned. You know which
Speaker 1: is You're right, You're right, But like I said, they're
Speaker 1: the one spot open. Obviously we know if a d
Speaker 1: was healthy, would most likely be a d Um and
Speaker 1: then if Zion was healthy, it would probably be Zion.
Speaker 1: And the fact that neither of those guy are really
Speaker 1: healthy and and and their status is up in there
Speaker 1: even if they do come back, I think that's where Sabonis,
Speaker 1: you know, fits right in. I mean, I think the
Speaker 1: numbers speak for itself. Let me get on some numbers
Speaker 1: real quick, because I had my guy Nate pull some
Speaker 1: numbers for me, so I don't wanna sheet you where
Speaker 1: we go. So he's first in the league and rebound first,
Speaker 1: and rebounds per game first, and double doubles. I think
Speaker 1: he has twenty one or twenty two consecutive double doubles,
Speaker 1: number number number two, on offensive writing number three and
Speaker 1: win shares number three and triple doubles number seven and
Speaker 1: assists and number nine in field goal percentage. So not
Speaker 1: only do I think he should fill that void of
Speaker 1: that third front court guy, but I also think he
Speaker 1: should be in the top ten conversation of MVP considering
Speaker 1: this team has gone on a sixteen year drought with
Speaker 1: no playoffs. What he's been able to do night and
Speaker 1: night out for that team, have them sitting has them
Speaker 1: city right there in the fourth position. So you know,
Speaker 1: I'm happy for them as players and really happy for
Speaker 1: the city that you know, they've been putting out a
Speaker 1: good product, and really shout out Mike Brown. Mike Brown
Speaker 1: is completely turned around and thinking has created a you know,
Speaker 1: a foundation for this organization, which is fun to watch. Sacramento. Actually,
Speaker 1: everyone across the country. Man show the Kings in love.
Speaker 1: It's been a long time. They've been bad for a
Speaker 1: long time, but Mike Brown has put a great product
Speaker 1: out there, led by Sabonis and Fox. Both these guys
Speaker 1: are having great seasons. Uh, they've been bad for a while,
Speaker 1: but you go check their numbers out sitting forth in
Speaker 1: the West all by themselves. They need some love. Man,
Speaker 1: Get these boards to the All Star Game, whether it's
Speaker 1: starting or coming off the bench. They need to be
Speaker 1: there now we don't. Zion is supposed to be back
Speaker 1: and they're gonna re evaluate him in like a week
Speaker 1: and a half. Basically a d a little bit more
Speaker 1: open ended if those guys are back playing, Paul, would
Speaker 1: you risk playing in the All Star Game after coming
Speaker 1: off a reason injury or would you say, thanks my god,
Speaker 1: but I'm old school. If I'm playing in the game,
Speaker 1: I'm playing in the All Star Game. You know, so
Speaker 1: everybody know how to All Star Game going, you know,
Speaker 1: guys taking a little half, say until the end of
Speaker 1: the game and so. But you know that's that's a
Speaker 1: popularity contest. You want to be amongst your peers. You
Speaker 1: want to be amongst that group. You want to be
Speaker 1: in that locker room. I mean there is fun times
Speaker 1: when you get that a week break and you're in
Speaker 1: the locker room chopping it up and you see Zion
Speaker 1: sitting here, a dro Luca and they all in one room.
Speaker 1: You know you want to be there. You want to
Speaker 1: play and participate because on some level you want to
Speaker 1: show them like, look, I'm supposed to be here here. Well,
Speaker 1: the same question with Katie in the East right if
Speaker 1: he comes back right before the All Star Game. Does
Speaker 1: he play in it? Just gonna have to see it.
Speaker 1: Why just think it's different, Like Paul said, it was
Speaker 1: a different time when you know he was All Star.
Speaker 1: Now everything is obviously you know, precautionary with which we
Speaker 1: understand because for some reason, guys are getting hurt so
Speaker 1: much more now these days. So I mean that's a
Speaker 1: great question, right, you know, particularly with a d and
Speaker 1: and really all three guys we mentioned. You know, A
Speaker 1: d Is just has bad luck with injuries, random injuries.
Speaker 1: You know, Katie, we know the importance of him to
Speaker 1: Brooklyn success. And then Zion, you know, he's someone who
Speaker 1: you know, his career has been great when he's on
Speaker 1: the court, but he hasn't been on the court for
Speaker 1: a lot of times. So it's just it'll be an
Speaker 1: interesting when if it comes down to it, you know,
Speaker 1: if those guys play or not. Yeah, I mean, I'm
Speaker 1: with you. But then again, everyone used to be in
Speaker 1: the dunk contest and everyone now x out of that.
Speaker 1: So we'll see. Although they got some high flyers and
Speaker 1: this year has done contest that young boys that could
Speaker 1: really jump to right, Matt, is it mac mc mccollan
Speaker 1: or whatever His name is, but I like the Shade
Speaker 1: and Shark from Portland's Oh my god, dude, he is
Speaker 1: out of hands. You guys, we got to talk about
Speaker 1: the Mavericks because Luca has been on one obviously, but
Speaker 1: the team has lost four of their last five. We know,
Speaker 1: speaking of All Star Jalen Brunson is out east there
Speaker 1: and they've got to watch him likely become an All Star.
Speaker 1: Mass came into the season hoping for another deep run.
Speaker 1: What is your temperature check fall for them? I'm not
Speaker 1: so sure. In the Masks, they've been probably the most
Speaker 1: inconsistent team you know, I've seen in the Western car Forence,
Speaker 1: because one they look like world beaters, the next week
Speaker 1: they look like they can lose to anybody in the playoffs.
Speaker 1: Something we know Luca is gonna be Luca. You know,
Speaker 1: they got Christian Woods, who was their second best player
Speaker 1: in my opinion, but it's just no consistency with the
Speaker 1: other guys around them. You know, they've they've there with
Speaker 1: some injuries, of course, but they asking Luca to carry
Speaker 1: so much of a low that if he has any
Speaker 1: type of of average game, they have no chance are winning.
Speaker 1: It's just too dependent on him and so I'm not
Speaker 1: skyrocket high confidence on the Mavericks Uh doing any damage
Speaker 1: in the playoffs. I mean, I agree with Paul. I
Speaker 1: mean I think Luke has to be superhuman every night.
Speaker 1: But also I mean, obviously he's still young, but he
Speaker 1: had a long run to the Western Finals last year,
Speaker 1: a long summer, you know, a long summer where he
Speaker 1: won the championship this summer, And then to me, I
Speaker 1: don't really think I mean, I like Christian with a lot,
Speaker 1: but I don't think this team got better in the
Speaker 1: off season. So again to ask of Luke Uh night
Speaker 1: and night out to be superman, which he can do,
Speaker 1: but like Paul said, if he doesn't have that performance
Speaker 1: that this team doesn't have a chance. So I mean
Speaker 1: there's guys like you know, Tim Hardaway Jr. And again
Speaker 1: Christian Wood and you know, some other pieces that can add.
Speaker 1: But at the same my question with Memphis like who
Speaker 1: is that for sure if Luca has an off night
Speaker 1: or if Luca still has his forty, who can give
Speaker 1: us twenty to twenty five consistently every night? And I
Speaker 1: don't I don't really think we can say like he's
Speaker 1: the one. So unless they do something at the trade deadline,
Speaker 1: which I don't know if they're even actively looking to do. Uh,
Speaker 1: you never want to count Luca out, but I'm not
Speaker 1: bet in the house on Luca. Yeah, I mean a
Speaker 1: lot of their problems are injury related right now. They
Speaker 1: got a ton of guys injured. But that's the n
Speaker 1: b A. You gotta prep for that. Their depth has
Speaker 1: been exposed, especially defensively. It's like a red carpet to
Speaker 1: the rim right now with those guys. Um. I did
Speaker 1: talk to Mark Cuban and g M Nico Harrison recently
Speaker 1: at a game about what they're gonna do at the deadline,
Speaker 1: and the question is, right, do you try to make
Speaker 1: some little tweaks now with what's available to like help
Speaker 1: through the rest of this run. Do you wait until
Speaker 1: the summer when more guys may be available to like
Speaker 1: really try to go all in and get Luca number two?
Speaker 1: You know that kind of thing. And they said it
Speaker 1: kind of depends on who shakes out is available in
Speaker 1: each time. And right now, I mean, we're still enough
Speaker 1: far out that, you know, not a lot of teams
Speaker 1: are playing their cards yet, but right now, it doesn't
Speaker 1: look like there's someone who's going to really be able
Speaker 1: to help them. Now we've got we'll have to see
Speaker 1: how available he is. Right now. The Bulls are saying
Speaker 1: he's not available, but we got three weeks, so there
Speaker 1: could be a lot available. Good thing about this, obviously,
Speaker 1: like a situation like getting Lebron help there on the clock.
Speaker 1: Lebron's on the back side of his career. Luke has
Speaker 1: a baby, with all due respect twenty three, you know
Speaker 1: what I mean. So I know they're smart enough over
Speaker 1: there not to you know, put the house in for
Speaker 1: a situation this year. So I think they'll whatever move
Speaker 1: they make, I know it will be best for their team.
Speaker 1: And if if the summers where they need to reload
Speaker 1: at the summers where they're reload at. Yeah, I mean,
Speaker 1: he's the first year of a five year deal, but
Speaker 1: we all know that doesn't mean that he's going to
Speaker 1: be to that team for five years. I don't know
Speaker 1: if they don't really make a major move this summer,
Speaker 1: if he's going to get antsy or not. I do
Speaker 1: know the fan base is really aunty. Luca is one
Speaker 1: of those unique superstars. It's very ball dominant. So we
Speaker 1: could say names of who we think would fit in
Speaker 1: well there, but who do we feel like could really
Speaker 1: fit in with someone who is so ball dominant. If
Speaker 1: you need a second star, I mean it's like you
Speaker 1: you need a guy who could say, if Luca don't
Speaker 1: have that game, a guy who can get you because
Speaker 1: you think that's enough. I think I think I do
Speaker 1: think he's enough, because I think he is a guy
Speaker 1: if you if you put him in the right system,
Speaker 1: he can. He showed that he could be a score
Speaker 1: in this league and a nice with Luka. Don't got it.
Speaker 1: If he got a guy like him who can get
Speaker 1: you twenty five a night. He still got a guy
Speaker 1: like Christian Wood who gonna be consistent. Finny Finny, Dennis Smith,
Speaker 1: Hardaway Joyer. If you get some more talent, need talent,
Speaker 1: and they'll figure it out, you know, always when it
Speaker 1: don't matter when you say this is not a good fit.
Speaker 1: We all said was bosh Aid and Lebron a good fit?
Speaker 1: But Taylan is gonna figure each other out. Greatness will
Speaker 1: figure it out once you get it all together. So
Speaker 1: and lucas case, you gotta put some more great players
Speaker 1: around here and now figure it out. Yeah, well we
Speaker 1: will see. The West is interesting. The East has its
Speaker 1: own interesting stories Hawks middle of the three game winning streak.
Speaker 1: They actually just broke the Heats winning streak for three
Speaker 1: games on MLK Day. Look the back court we saw
Speaker 1: I was cooking right, fifty two points combined for Dijon
Speaker 1: Day and Trey. But Matt, you talked to Jon Murray
Speaker 1: when you were down in Atlanta, and that team has
Speaker 1: been in a little bit of a state this season,
Speaker 1: both on the court and off the court. What did
Speaker 1: he say about like the status of the team right now?
Speaker 1: You know, for him being such a young player, I
Speaker 1: don't think I've talked to someone who's young as him
Speaker 1: that has his head on the shoulders the way he does.
Speaker 1: He was very impressive. And the main thing I got
Speaker 1: out of what he says is, you know he's in
Speaker 1: stressing to the team. It takes time to figure it out.
Speaker 1: It's gonna take time to figure this out. So this
Speaker 1: is really the first you know, they played half a
Speaker 1: season together, and you know there was a lot of
Speaker 1: hype on them coming in this season that they could
Speaker 1: be the best backcourt in the game, and you know
Speaker 1: they're still trying to figure each other out. Two ball
Speaker 1: dominant guys again that you know, have to figure out
Speaker 1: whose turn is it? And then you know John Collins
Speaker 1: and and and and there are other pieces Capella. Um,
Speaker 1: they're young guys, Bogdanovich, you know, coming back off an injury.
Speaker 1: They have some pieces, but I feel like they're missing
Speaker 1: something and I don't know what they're missing. So, uh,
Speaker 1: they're a very interesting team and ability, they're a little
Speaker 1: bit you'd say, you know, you've heard rumbles about you know, uh,
Speaker 1: Trey and and and Nate McMillan, So you know there's
Speaker 1: a lot of rumblings over there. It'll be interesting to see,
Speaker 1: you know, when the dust settles, if they make any moves,
Speaker 1: if Nate McMillan will finish this season, um, and what
Speaker 1: this team really is because again I think now teams
Speaker 1: used to be used to have time to get their
Speaker 1: chemistry and develop, but we live with such in a seven, three, six,
Speaker 1: five new cycle that stuff has to happen like this,
Speaker 1: and when it doesn't happen like this, people get an seen,
Speaker 1: moves get made. So it'll be interesting to see what
Speaker 1: happens with this team. Again, a lot of talent, but
Speaker 1: really I don't feel like they have very much direction.
Speaker 1: I mean, I think when I look at Atlanta. I
Speaker 1: think from a couple of years ago they went to
Speaker 1: the conference finals, didn't They went to the Conference finals,
Speaker 1: and I think, like I thought they would build on
Speaker 1: that from that time. Even though the record wasn't good
Speaker 1: during the regular season, they when you make a deep playoff, Yeah,
Speaker 1: they just came out of nowhere. So I thought with
Speaker 1: the talent that they have today that they would be
Speaker 1: further along, you know. I thought when you look at Atlanta,
Speaker 1: they should be building on their success they had a
Speaker 1: couple of years ago and added more talent and guys
Speaker 1: getting and they got and John Collins has gotten better,
Speaker 1: that they would be further along like I would like.
Speaker 1: Before the season started, I was like, this could be
Speaker 1: a top four team in the Eastern Conference. And so
Speaker 1: I just feel like they're underachieving as a unit. Because
Speaker 1: that's how much confidence I got in guys like Trey
Speaker 1: into gen Mary and John Collins and Capella. I felt
Speaker 1: like they will be a top four See, I just
Speaker 1: feel like this team needs something, Like you said, if Joe,
Speaker 1: I don't know if it's coaching, I don't know if
Speaker 1: it's another player, new general manager, new waterboy or whatever.
Speaker 1: Well that's my question, right of how much of the
Speaker 1: front office stuff creeps out on the court for you
Speaker 1: guys as players, because the front office has been a
Speaker 1: merry go round. Um. The Atlanta Journal Constitution just did
Speaker 1: a big story where they talked to like a bunch
Speaker 1: of sources like in the team, around the team, around
Speaker 1: the franchise, and their quote, their lead quote was, this
Speaker 1: is a team in turmoil. Um. Just yesterday they elevated
Speaker 1: all around good guy Kyle Korver up to assistant general manager.
Speaker 1: And he only joined the team six months ago as
Speaker 1: the director of player development. So you're going from being
Speaker 1: a player yourself into coaching now six months later into
Speaker 1: the front office spot. It's just they've had a lot
Speaker 1: going on. Does that matter as players? Well? And I
Speaker 1: didn't get an I didn't get because we didn't get
Speaker 1: into that with with the John. But I really feel
Speaker 1: like there's a riff between Trey and Nate and you know,
Speaker 1: stars and coaches button Head. You see it over Phoenix
Speaker 1: with Aidan and and and Monty Williams, you know what.
Speaker 1: So so you know, you really don't play for your
Speaker 1: management or owners or anything like that. You know the
Speaker 1: players control it. But you can tell when there's just
Speaker 1: there's funk and you know in the locker room, and
Speaker 1: there's definitely funk over there. So that's something they're gonna
Speaker 1: have to figure out. Yeah, one thing when you look
Speaker 1: at teams for organizations who do well, you the one
Speaker 1: thing you always look at you you search from the
Speaker 1: top to the bottom and make yourself how's the culture
Speaker 1: over there? You know? How you know if their culture
Speaker 1: hasn't right, how is it gonna spill onto the court?
Speaker 1: And it starts at the top. And so if they're
Speaker 1: like like you said, when you're moving guys from player
Speaker 1: development and now management because maybe the culture is in
Speaker 1: the office and they may not be good. Then if
Speaker 1: your culture and the coaching staff is not good with
Speaker 1: the players, how can you even win? And so they
Speaker 1: need to turn their culture around somehow because the talent
Speaker 1: is there, but they need a culture shock in the
Speaker 1: your change. I'll believe right well that a g C
Speaker 1: article said, the current vibe is that you know McMillan
Speaker 1: will stay through the rest of the season, but he's
Speaker 1: strongly considering retirement now. Who knows. Only Nate McMillan knows,
Speaker 1: And he said he doesn't want to talk about it
Speaker 1: right now. But it's an indication that yeah, exactly. So
Speaker 1: we'll see, all right, we got the legendary moments presented
Speaker 1: by top Shot. Next, Matt, As you know top shot moments,
Speaker 1: they focus on a lot of current guys and teams,
Speaker 1: and you have played with a lot of superstars who
Speaker 1: would be top shot moments? Right? I want to know
Speaker 1: what former teammate of yours you think had the most
Speaker 1: top shot worthy moments in his career. And I want
Speaker 1: to remind you who you are choosing between. You are
Speaker 1: choosing between Kobe, Katie, Steph CP three, Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford,
Speaker 1: and Vince Carter. I mean it's not I mean, you know,
Speaker 1: the obvious names stand out, um, you know with Kobe
Speaker 1: and Steph and Katie, But one person I would say
Speaker 1: they kind of has not fallen off, but just you know,
Speaker 1: transition a little slower was Blake. Blake had a lot
Speaker 1: of top shot the show jaw dropping, Holy ship, what
Speaker 1: the fund did? I just see moments uh dunking on people.
Speaker 1: So obviously you know Cod, Steph, Katie, you can't go
Speaker 1: wrong with you those guys. But I'm gonna say Blake Griffin.
Speaker 1: Oh I like that. I like it. Paul, what about you,
Speaker 1: because you played with KG Ray Allen and Coors John
Speaker 1: wall Or is the most top shot worthy person on
Speaker 1: any of your teams? Just you? Um No, I'm gonna
Speaker 1: say Ray Allen, you know, I mean Ray, you know,
Speaker 1: to play with a guy who was so clutch and
Speaker 1: just to be able to have somebody who could take
Speaker 1: that pressure off you, he said, He said, so many
Speaker 1: big shots and I was just saying what I was
Speaker 1: able to be there and watch it. It was a
Speaker 1: joy to be a part of that and watch some
Speaker 1: of a lot of those moments. Well, you guys out there,
Speaker 1: you can start your NBA Top Shot collection today at
Speaker 1: NBA top shot dot com. You get closer than ever
Speaker 1: to the game and players you love. Sign up today.
Speaker 1: We gotta get to on the radar presented by Draft
Speaker 1: Kings guys, and we have a very open Western conference
Speaker 1: we're talking before. So if you take a look, here's
Speaker 1: the DraftKings odds for who is coming out of the West.
Speaker 1: And we're a little past the halfway mark. As Matt said, So, Paul,
Speaker 1: who jumps out at you? If you had to name
Speaker 1: a favorite right now? Who jumps out of the West
Speaker 1: A healthy Golden State. Yeah, still, yeah, I mean, I'm
Speaker 1: never betting against Steph Curry, but I just they will
Speaker 1: have a harder road. Yeah, but if you got a
Speaker 1: healthy play and staff. When we look from top to
Speaker 1: bottom and you look at the number two guys, the
Speaker 1: number three guy, Never, who's the number two guy? Memphis,
Speaker 1: who's the number two guy? We're looking at all this,
Speaker 1: but we know Warriors got a number one, number number three,
Speaker 1: number four. I don't see them teams at the top.
Speaker 1: That's gonna be scary for them, teams at the top.
Speaker 1: So you're still there even though they're in that traffic
Speaker 1: jam in terms of the play in, right, I mean,
Speaker 1: they could just have a pretty tough road even if
Speaker 1: they're a great team, which they are, even if they
Speaker 1: get out of playing range by the time the playoffs starts,
Speaker 1: Like if they're in the play in now, they've got
Speaker 1: to face the top seeds all the way through. My
Speaker 1: question is not about the team, but about the road
Speaker 1: that they would have. But would you think Golden State
Speaker 1: or do you think goes to status still and and
Speaker 1: and I don't I don't like to disrespect obviously, you know,
Speaker 1: the Nuggets have been a very solid regular season team
Speaker 1: the past few years. With what you just been able
Speaker 1: to do. They got their guys back. But I just
Speaker 1: have to see it in the playoffs. To see Memphis,
Speaker 1: I have to see it in the playoffs. New Orleans
Speaker 1: hasn't been in the playoffs, and I don't know how
Speaker 1: long I gotta see it in the playoffs. So you know,
Speaker 1: as Paul said, with God from Steph to Clay to
Speaker 1: Jordan Pool, Uh, what Draymond brings to that team, They're
Speaker 1: going to get their young players, you know, in the
Speaker 1: mix and what they need to do. So obviously it
Speaker 1: looks like a long shot right now, but you can contest,
Speaker 1: you can't. Nothing is better in the playoff than experience,
Speaker 1: and there's not a team in the league that has
Speaker 1: more experience in them. So if they can get in
Speaker 1: the playoffs, uh, they're going to be a problem. Yeah.
Speaker 1: And still, guys, I mean, all those stars we live
Speaker 1: around so long, so we kind of feel like, oh,
Speaker 1: they're old, they're in their privacy, they got I think
Speaker 1: that this is their last push. I think their windows
Speaker 1: next this year, next year, and then you know, Draymond
Speaker 1: said he might not be on the team right like
Speaker 1: the times Now, Yeah, I just don't ever sleep on
Speaker 1: seating because you know who you face early and have
Speaker 1: you know you might not make it. We'll see, we'll
Speaker 1: see where they are. Got to talk about Lebron before
Speaker 1: we go, because he just moved past the thirty eight
Speaker 1: thousand point career scoring mark. He's of course, only the
Speaker 1: second player in NBA history to do that, right behind
Speaker 1: Kareem That record is close in sight. And Paul, it's
Speaker 1: not like he's backing into this like we see sometimes
Speaker 1: guys in the league like hitting milestones on their way out,
Speaker 1: like as part of the retirement to oh yeah, he
Speaker 1: got it, now you can retire. He's not doing that.
Speaker 1: He's like one of the best players in the league
Speaker 1: right now. I mean yeah, I mean he's he's been
Speaker 1: the best. He's been one of the greatest for the
Speaker 1: longest ever. We've never seen nothing like this. I mean
Speaker 1: I can remember wake up at thirty eight, like thinking
Speaker 1: do I even want to go to practice when he's
Speaker 1: let alone he's all here dropping forty eight um. But
Speaker 1: like players who are young, players who admired, who look
Speaker 1: at him, you need to watch what he does, his preparation,
Speaker 1: what he's done to get to this point. Only he's great.
Speaker 1: He's done it for so long, but he takes care
Speaker 1: of themselves. He's been disciplined. Uh, it's just nothing. I mean,
Speaker 1: there's no more adjectives you can just put on Lebron
Speaker 1: and what he's able to do over his career. And
Speaker 1: we're gonna be arguing to go debate for a lot
Speaker 1: of years once he passed his Kareem it's gonna be like,
Speaker 1: it's gonna be a tough It's gonna be tough, you know.
Speaker 1: And people have been saying how I've been critical of
Speaker 1: Lebron and saying these things, saying that and some of
Speaker 1: the things rightfully. So some of the things is because
Speaker 1: of our battle. I have the utmost respect for Lebron
Speaker 1: and what he's able to do for this league, what
Speaker 1: he's able to the bar he's been able to set. Uh,
Speaker 1: for the players coming up, who's chasing ghold status. It's
Speaker 1: just unbelievable what he's about. Well, I wanted to ask
Speaker 1: you this. Kareem has held that scoring record for four decades. Basically, right, Lebron,
Speaker 1: we don't know how much time once he gets it
Speaker 1: he'll have at the top. And he actually said recently
Speaker 1: he thinks Kadi could push him out of that in
Speaker 1: a few years. I did some very basic math um,
Speaker 1: which is at this point all I'm capable of um,
Speaker 1: and Katie would basically have to play until he was
Speaker 1: like thirty nine Ford or he forty. He'd have to
Speaker 1: keep that scoring average up, He'd have to stay healthy.
Speaker 1: Like do you buy it? Um? I mean, Katie's game
Speaker 1: will obviously translate for a long time. I mean, brongevity
Speaker 1: is is his his the bronzevity. They've been witnessing this
Speaker 1: crazy Um, Katie could possibly do it, Luca could possibly
Speaker 1: do it. Lucas, you know what I mean. Luca is
Speaker 1: definitely you know, they compared those guys numbers through their
Speaker 1: first games, and Lucas got an edge on him, I
Speaker 1: think in every statistical category. Um, So that would be interesting.
Speaker 1: But I mean, Rachel, Paul, we're talking about a a's
Speaker 1: first guy. We're talking about someone that's gonna finish top
Speaker 1: five and assists all time in the number one leading
Speaker 1: score all the time. Like Paul said, once he passes Kareem,
Speaker 1: it's gonna be hard not to put him at one,
Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So we'll have to see
Speaker 1: how that plays out. But as far as other guys
Speaker 1: having a chance, I mean maybe there might be you know,
Speaker 1: one or two guys, but you know, to be able
Speaker 1: to sustain what they're doing consistently and be on the
Speaker 1: court and be able to play, that's a whole another
Speaker 1: story I think right now with Michael Jordan's still being
Speaker 1: so recent for a lot of people, and you know
Speaker 1: when came back again with the Last Dance, but just
Speaker 1: you know, anyone who like us, who got to be
Speaker 1: on the court and see him like in his prime,
Speaker 1: I think you're always going to have that battle, right
Speaker 1: who's number one? Who's number one? What's gonna happen in
Speaker 1: twenty years ago when most of the people around the
Speaker 1: game didn't see mj play live and did see Lebron, Like,
Speaker 1: that's what's going to be interesting to me because you know,
Speaker 1: Kareem Let's gets left out of that conversation all the time,
Speaker 1: but that's because it's been so long since people saw
Speaker 1: him on the court and the will that time will
Speaker 1: come for Michael two, so we will see James Dolan
Speaker 1: sent a letter to a bunch of attorneys at ninety
Speaker 1: different firms because they are the different lawyers who are
Speaker 1: representing clients who are suing them, And what did this
Speaker 1: letter say. This letter said you can no longer come
Speaker 1: to any MSG property or event and that we will
Speaker 1: use facial recognition technology to keep you out. And they
Speaker 1: had a mom who was like leading a girl Scout
Speaker 1: troope to see the Rock Cats, who happens to be
Speaker 1: a lawyer. They kicked her out of the Rock Cats
Speaker 1: with the girl Scouts. So justin the last week they
Speaker 1: get the lawyers got an injunction and now it's going
Speaker 1: to get tied up in the courts. But you know,
Speaker 1: we had the Charles Oakley thing a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1: How is this possible that James Dolan keeps doing this stuff.
Speaker 1: He's a clown. He's a clown. And I mean I
Speaker 1: think the spike his clown face. The team has has
Speaker 1: has been able to play well, but I mean he's
Speaker 1: been an issue for a long time, probably one of
Speaker 1: the worst owners, uh in sports. And and and he's petty,
Speaker 1: you know what, I meaning for him to take it,
Speaker 1: for him to take it this route, I mean, it
Speaker 1: doesn't surprise me. To me, it makes me laugh more
Speaker 1: than anything. I feel bad for the little girl scout true,
Speaker 1: but I mean it doesn't surprise me. This is what
Speaker 1: you know, Petty Rich, but what people do nothing surprises me.
Speaker 1: I've been talking about him and the next No matter
Speaker 1: how good they are right now, I don't think they'll
Speaker 1: ever reach the next level until he gets the next
Speaker 1: change ownership. I mean, look, I know a lot of
Speaker 1: people don't have sympathy for lawyers, but to basically say
Speaker 1: you have find the lawyers who have clients who are
Speaker 1: suing some part of MG and it's not even them,
Speaker 1: it's their clients. And the claim was that like, oh,
Speaker 1: they could like find out, you know, inside information that
Speaker 1: could help in the case if they go to a
Speaker 1: Knicks game or a Rangers game, or to see of Roquettes. Right,
Speaker 1: what are you hiding? Right? Yeah, I'm sorry, this is
Speaker 1: just it's too far. It's just too far. Charlotte Man, say,
Speaker 1: donkey other day. I don't know where we can go
Speaker 1: after that, So I gotta say what's burning? Available every
Speaker 1: week on Showtime Basketball on YouTube and Twitter, Instagram, and
Speaker 1: TikTok at Show Basketball. Find us