1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: The volume The Colin Cowherd Podcast brought to you by 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Fan Duel. It's never been easier to play fantasy on 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: Fan Duel. Whether you love basketball, golf, soccer, or any 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: fantasy sport. There is a contest for every fan Fan 5 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: Duel more ways to win. Hi, everybody welcome. In a 6 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: couple of minutes, Nick Wright joins us talk some NBA playoffs. 7 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: First of all, I spent the weekend in Chicago. You know, 8 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: I never understand when these people complain about big cities. 9 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: There's an old saying, it's one of my favorite. Nobody 10 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: knows the country like somebody that's lived in their same 11 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: town their entire life. Folks, you need to get out. 12 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: Yes Chicago's expensive, Yes LA is expensive. Yes New York's expensive. 13 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 1: You know why. You know why those taxes are so 14 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: much because they have ten million people on their roads, bridges. 15 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: They are great cities. They're never boring. I had so 16 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: much fun in Chicago this weekend, so I'm thinking about 17 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: this before Nick Wright gets here. One of the things 18 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: that the NBA is probably conflicted with. They would love 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: to get the Brooklyn Nets and the Lakers in the finals. 20 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: You'd get Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, 21 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: Lebron James five of the ten biggest stars, five of 22 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: the seven eight biggest stars. But what would the message 23 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: be to the NBA fans and other star players if 24 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: two teams that rarely played together all year got to 25 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: the finals. There's really no way to solve this issue 26 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: unless you have real initiatives to stay with the same teams, 27 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: which right now in the NBA, when you get drafted 28 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: by a team after four years, your first contract extension 29 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: so favors the team that drafted you financially that you 30 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: almost have to stay. Players just don't leave. But boy, 31 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: by seven years, players want to join forces, and you 32 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: can't blame them. I mean, think about James Harden, Kyrie Irving, 33 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant. What they play together this year? Five games, Lebron, 34 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis barely played in the last two months. But 35 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: if you're star players and realize I can join forces, 36 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: I can play fifty games instead of seventy five or 37 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: eighty and get to the finals. You understand why players move, 38 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: but it's not a great look for the league when 39 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: stars can join forces build almost no chemistry skipped large 40 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: chunks of the regular season and what do you know, 41 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 1: we made the finals. So it's a little bit of 42 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: a conflict for the league because you know, they want 43 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: stars to go further in the playoffs. That's ratings, and 44 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: the NBA has struggled with ratings the last two years. 45 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: My gut feeling is Brooklyn doesn't make the finals. Lakers, 46 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,119 Speaker 1: I feel about seventy thirty they do. With that, Let's 47 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: bring in Nick, right, my buddy. First things first at 48 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: FS one. Well, Nick, it's always great when sports fans 49 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: need a flow chart to figure out sports. The play 50 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: in game, so is it do you buy it? Or 51 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: do you look at what the Clippers did, which is 52 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,959 Speaker 1: they appeared to be very disincentivized to win. Is did 53 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: the whole I mean, I understand the value of what 54 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: Adam Silver's trying to create, but it's almost like our 55 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: tax system. Rich people still get around it. Right, So 56 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: here's what I think. I think that in David Griffin, 57 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: the guy that runs the Pelicans used to run the Grabs, 58 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: said this on the broadcast tonight and the Pelicans Lakers 59 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: game that he thinks a play in for the eight 60 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: seed seems a little more fair than the play in 61 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: for the seven that if you have a year where 62 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: a team goes forty five and thirty seven and all 63 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: of it and is the seven seed, and all of 64 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: a sudden they could lose two in a row and 65 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: not make the playoffs, that doesn't seem totally fair. But 66 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: I actually think typically it's I like the play in, 67 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: and you're not everyone's worried about. I'm sure we're gonna 68 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: get into it, the Lakers potentially getting bounced, but the 69 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: situation they're going to find themselves as this is if 70 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: the Lakers were in a seven game series up three 71 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: to two with Game six against Golden State in a 72 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: Game seven against Memphis, would anyone think they're gonna lose 73 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: that series? No, And that's what the play in is. 74 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: But to solve what you're talking about, like the Clippers 75 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: cowardly tanking away from the Lakers side of the bracket, 76 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: I've always been a fan of draft a playoff opponent 77 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: that the Jazz are the one seed. Their reward is 78 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 1: look at who makes the playoffs five, six, seven, eight, 79 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: and pick them, and then the two seed is going 80 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 1: to be Phoenix. Their reward is of who's left, you know, 81 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: whether it's five, six, and eight, pick them and then 82 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: you wouldn't you would have people really fight proceeding and 83 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: fighting for the best possible record because you're not locking 84 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: yourself into matchups. Yeah, I mean I always I always 85 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: thought what makes the NFL playoffs great is that Patrick 86 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: Mahomes bangs up his toe and Cleveland has a chance 87 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: with Mahomes out to win the game. Whereas if you're 88 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: gonna have a seven game first round series, you're not 89 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: gonna have upsets. So what's the point. So to me, 90 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 1: the answer in this has always been the owners. People 91 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: want to bang on the players. It's the owners willing 92 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: to say three games first round series, five games next 93 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: two rounds, seven on the finals, because then you know 94 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: you have a you could have bad games, you can go. 95 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: You know Lebron's had two or three games in a 96 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: series with it, would he lose his confidence in his jumper. 97 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: But if you're gonna have a seven game first second 98 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: round series, you're not gonna have upsets? Well games, Yeah, 99 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: I mean, this was today was the anniversary I don't 100 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: know if you remember it of the Alan Houston shot 101 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: against the Miami Heat. It was the runner that bounced 102 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: front of the ram, back of the rim and inn 103 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,039 Speaker 1: and that was an eight seed beating a one, and 104 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: an eight seed that went on to the NBA Finals 105 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: that was a best of five. The famous to Kim 106 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: A Mutumbo Nuggets team that beat the awesome Sonics team. 107 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: That was a best of five. Now we've had a 108 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: few eight seeds beat one seeds since then, but usually 109 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: something really weird is involved, like Derrick Rose goes down 110 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: in the series and now all of a sudden, they're 111 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: not a one seed anymore, or those we believe Warriors 112 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: just are actually a terrible matchup for the maps. You're 113 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: not going to have massive upsets the longer you draw 114 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 1: out a series, which I would argue the NBA doesn't 115 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 1: really want massive upsets like the NBA. I know, you know, 116 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: Lebron said fire the play in guy, and then there 117 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: was articles written basically saying the playing guys gonna get 118 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: a raise. They're gonna get Lakers Warriors in the play 119 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: in Yeah, he'll get This is a mass of success 120 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 1: for the league as long as the Lakers and the 121 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: Warriors both actually make the tournament. If all of a 122 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: sudden instead of Jazz Warriors in Round one you end 123 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: up with Jazz Spurs or Jazz Grizzlies. That's a loss 124 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: for the league. No matter what big of a number 125 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: Lakers Warriors gets on a one off, that's a huge 126 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: loss for the league. I said this in my opening rant. 127 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: The NBA's got a little bit of a tug of 128 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: war on their hands. They would love to have Brooklyn 129 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: and the Lakers in the finals. You've had five of 130 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: the biggest eight players in the league. But what is 131 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: the message to the fans? If k D, Harden and 132 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: Kyrie barely play together. Lebron A D missed the last 133 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: month and a half mostly and they still make the finals. 134 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: It's certainly incentivizes free agents because go join star teams. 135 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: You can miss thirty games. There's no reason to play 136 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: full slate, right and so Lebron and a D and 137 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: people are gonna say, I'll make this because you're Lebron guy. 138 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: Lebron and they D's situation I think is a little 139 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: a little different in this regard is that both those 140 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: guys suffered significant injuries around the same time. I think 141 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: if the much like I felt last year about the Clippers, 142 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: that if the Clippers won the title last year, it 143 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: was going to have a bad butterfly effect on the 144 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: league moving forward because the Kawai's load management was going 145 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: to just become, Oh, that's how you win a title, 146 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: and the NBA doesn't want that that if the Nets 147 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: win when it's you know, Kyrie took two sabbaticals during 148 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: the season. They were uber cautious with Durant and then 149 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: uber cautious with hard and it's like, no, we don't 150 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: really need to play together. That to me does put 151 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: up not tarnish on their title if they win it, 152 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: but on the importance of the regular season. Conversely, if 153 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 1: Philly beats them or Milwaukee beats them, but I'll say Philly. 154 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,319 Speaker 1: Philly made it very clear they cared about the one seed. 155 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: They cared about the regular season. They cared about the 156 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: one seed, yep. And if they end up beating them 157 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: in a series where the game sevens in their building, 158 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: I think that is important. I think it's like tells 159 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: other teams guys at the end of the year that 160 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: your road to the finals is going to matter and 161 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 1: you should really care about the one seed rather than 162 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: to say, yeah, who cares, We're just more talented, We're 163 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 1: gonna win so I think both of us agree that 164 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 1: there are fundamental problems with the way Brooklyn is set up. 165 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: Number one is they don't have size. They can't defend Jannis, 166 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: they can't defend and beat I don't think they're a 167 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: finals team. And I also think, secondarily, much like the 168 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: Clippers last year, they're easy to buy into because on 169 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: their best nights, they're really a handful. But you gotta 170 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,239 Speaker 1: win four games in a series, whereas I think Milwaukee 171 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: could punish them six straight games Yannis six straight games. 172 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 1: So I think I like Milwaukee out of the East 173 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: or Philadelphia. I'm gonna go with Milwaukee this year. Drew 174 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: Holliday and PJ. Tucker are really big ads. So there's 175 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: the thing. So that right there is that a great 176 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:16,079 Speaker 1: example of folks assigning the same weaknesses that Milwaukee had 177 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: last year in the year before to a team that 178 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: is fundamentally different because they added If PJ. Tucker is 179 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: a nice addition and a good playoff player, Drew Holliday 180 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: is a massive upgrade over what they've had in the playoffs. 181 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: At point guard, Malcolm Brogden was a good player, but 182 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: he's not that level, and Bledsoe was a guy who 183 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: historically has just gotten worse and worse than the playoffs. 184 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,440 Speaker 1: Drew Holliday, on the other hand, he is one of 185 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: the most unheralded players in the league because so much 186 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: of his value comes on defense. He's tough, He's gonna 187 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: be there. And so I totally agree with you that 188 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,079 Speaker 1: Milwaukee is even though the regular season record isn't as 189 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: good as it was last year, their defense isn't as good. 190 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: Yannie isn't gonna win MVP like he did last year. 191 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: Milwaukee is a fundamentally different team. And and we've talked 192 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: about this before, much like Okac took a chunk of 193 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 1: flesh out of the Warriors in twenty sixteen, and then 194 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: the Cabs finished them off just by virtue of having 195 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: to play Milwaukee in round two because you were las 196 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,560 Speaker 1: fair in the regular season. Even if you beat them, 197 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: then you have Philly waiting for you in round three. 198 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: That's a hell of a series, man, That's a tough 199 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: pass series for them to deal with. Hey golf fans, 200 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: this weekend, fan Duel is hooking new users up with 201 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: an instant bonus up to five hundred bucks when you 202 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: make your first fantasy deposits. So just sign up to 203 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: unlock your deposit bons, then use that bonus to play 204 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: in this weekend's five hundred thousand dollars PGA Eagle Contest, 205 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: where the first place winner takes some hundred thousand bucks 206 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: in cash. 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Once you're dismissed, that goes away. Nobody's talking Milwaukee. 234 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: It's Brooklyn or the Sixers or Miami because they got 235 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: to the final in the bubble. So Milwaukee feels like 236 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: a four seed and they feel like a lot of 237 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: the public feels they're a four seed with no chance. 238 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: So I like Milwaukee in the East. Now let's go 239 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: to the West. Can I just interrupt you? Can I 240 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: interrupt you real quick? The Clippers did it. They successfully 241 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: completed the most embarrassing and intentional tank we've ever seen. 242 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: They just lost, so the Clippers in their final two 243 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: games of the regular season. I just want America to 244 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: understand what has happened here. Yeah, the final two games 245 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 1: of the season, they were playing the Rockets, who had 246 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: won nine of their previous fifty five games. They were 247 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: nine and I think forty six in their last fifty five. 248 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: They lost the Rockets. They just now lost to Oklahoma City, 249 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: which Oklahoma City not only hadn't won this month and 250 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: had only won Oh my god, Oklahoma City, for the record, 251 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: prior to tonight, had won once since March thirtieth. Think 252 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: about that. We're in the middle of May. They had 253 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: one win in the entire month of April and zero 254 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: wins this month. That team just beat the Clippers. So 255 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: the Clippers, by doing that, just guaranteed they're the four 256 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: seed and they will. The earliest they could possibly play 257 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: the Lakers is the conference finals. And I listen, I 258 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: have not been as hard on the Clippers this year 259 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 1: as I was in years past. I think this is 260 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: a bad look for them in this regard. I think 261 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: it's strategically bad first of all, because I would argue, 262 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: if you're going to have to beat the Lakers to 263 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: make the finals anyway, I would want them this year 264 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: earlier than later. Lebron coming off an injury, a d 265 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: coming off an injury, Shrewder coming off the COVID protocol, 266 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: the Lakers having coming off all the play in stuff 267 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: where they won't be rested. If you're gonna get them, 268 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to get them early. And if you're 269 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: the Clippers, aren't you supposed to think we can beat anybody? 270 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: And you're all of a sudden just punting, just punting 271 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: on your scene because you're afraid of the Lakers, who 272 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: you have to beat. That to me, that's a move 273 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: you make if you are a team oh cross conferences, 274 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: if you're the Knicks, and it's like winning one playoff 275 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: series this year is a huge accomplisher. We want the 276 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: best matchup possible for the Clippers, who it's champion, it's 277 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: finals or bust, to throw their last two games and 278 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: have the To me, that's just a wild circumstance, just insane. Well, 279 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: you know, it's what's interesting about the Clippers. I got 280 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 1: into this last week. They are the only good team 281 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: in the league that is atrocious with under five and 282 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: it's the play. The other four are like Houston Oklahoma City. 283 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: They're the only bad team. And I said, what does 284 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: it take at the end of games to be great? 285 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: Lebron's great, Chris Paul is great, Steph Curry's great, Layton games. 286 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: Why because they communicate their verbal very verbal players. Sometimes 287 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: Chris Paul is so verbal he's offensive to players, went 288 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: why is your go to? And in the NBA, historically, 289 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: players lean on stars late. It's their game late. When Kauai, 290 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,399 Speaker 1: who joined San Antonio in Toronto's culture, is asked to 291 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: form the Clippers culture. This is two years now. The 292 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: Clippers have been awful, latent games. That is what happens 293 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 1: when Kauai is your north star. In my opinion, well, 294 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: I think I think it's a I think it's a 295 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: very legit. I think that's the almost metaphysical, the non 296 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,919 Speaker 1: basketball but still basketball point. And the basketball point is 297 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: when your best player is not either a dominating big 298 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,959 Speaker 1: or a guy who can score and playmake for others, 299 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: you're a little limited. And Kauai, as great as he is, 300 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:56,680 Speaker 1: he is not a playmaker. So San Antonio, first of all, 301 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: he was never the best player when they were winning titles. 302 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: He was a complimenter player Toronto while he was clearly 303 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: their best player. Kyle Lowry had the ball in his 304 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 1: hands and was setting things up, and then Kawai was 305 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 1: taking advantage of it, like there's a I know you. 306 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: You are not a big triple double guy, and triple 307 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:18,639 Speaker 1: doubles at some point have become slightly overrated. But for 308 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: a guy of Kawai Snatcher to I believe have one 309 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: career triple double because he only has I think two 310 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: career games with ten plus assists, it just shows a 311 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: limitation on that part of his game. And if your 312 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: second best player is the exact same guy in Paul George, 313 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 1: with the exact same limitations, then you, I think you're 314 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: going to struggle late in games in the biggest spots. 315 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: You know. It's I think we feel you and I 316 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:49,640 Speaker 1: feel kind of the same about the East, is that 317 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: Philly or Milwaukee will advance. Yeah, and Brooklyn's flawed. I 318 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: think in the West we also feel the same that 319 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 1: if Lebron is healthy, the Lakers will win. But and 320 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 1: I do think the league's a baby step league. It's 321 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: asking way too much for the Suns to be bad 322 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 1: and then win the West. They need they I can 323 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: see them winning one two series, not winning the West. 324 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: Utah's fascinating because I think they're the classic regular season team, 325 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:27,880 Speaker 1: which tell me exact thing. Okay, same thing. So they've 326 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: all played together under Quinn Snyder's system. They play hard 327 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: every night if you go to their games. I go 328 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: to about one or two games a year there because 329 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: I have a place in Utah. It's almost collegiate. It 330 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: feels like Green Bay and Lambeau. They play hard. Every 331 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: home games an event. It's the only thing to do 332 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 1: in Salt Lake City, and so they really bring it. 333 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: So when you're talented and play hard, you win fifty 334 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: five games a year. I mean, Mike, Mike Dunleavy told 335 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 1: me this years ago. If you're not talented and play hard, 336 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: you can win forty. Just I mean, you know this year. 337 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: You know, if you start looking at teams that you know, 338 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:06,359 Speaker 1: and I think the Sons of the greatest example is 339 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 1: they're committed to defense, they play really hard, and they're 340 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: kind of talented with a Hall of Fame point guard. 341 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: But when I look at Utah, they're not athletic on 342 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: the wing. I'm not sure. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert 343 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:21,239 Speaker 1: will ever coexist at a high level. That's got an 344 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: embide simmons Field to it. And I feel like I 345 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: wouldn't be shocked if Utah won their opening series and 346 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: then lost in round two. Well, I'll tell you this much, 347 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be shocked if they're facing a seventh game 348 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: against Golden State. NBA playoffs are hard if you don't 349 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: have the best player on the court, and like in 350 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 1: typically who wins series the team with the best player 351 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 1: or a team that has like players two three four, 352 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:54,119 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? And so though and players 353 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:56,880 Speaker 1: two three four, a couple of them are like MVP 354 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 1: ish candidates, and so is the problem with Utah is 355 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:08,880 Speaker 1: they have a bunch of guys that are somewhere between 356 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 1: the They might have more players on their team that 357 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: are top fifty, but not top fifteen, you know what 358 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: I mean. Like so, I like Mike Conley, I like Ingles, 359 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:24,200 Speaker 1: I like Bob Danovitch, go Bearts a defensive Player of 360 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: the Year, and Donovan Mitchell's a really good player. Are 361 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: any one of those guys like one of the fifteen 362 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: best players in basketball? Of course not? I know the 363 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,680 Speaker 1: Utah fans will say, oh, gobarts defense whatever like That's 364 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: which is why so Denver until this year, that was 365 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,200 Speaker 1: their limitation was they have a but you know, Jamal 366 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: Murray's good, Michael Porter can be good. You have these 367 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: good role players, but it wasn't until Yokis took this 368 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: leap that you could take them seriously. And this is 369 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 1: why I think the West this year really, even though 370 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 1: the Lakers, you know, I've had a very odd season, 371 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: it sets up so well for him. You just tick 372 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 1: down the list, so you have Utah is not gonna 373 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: have the best player in any series they play. You 374 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: then have Phoenix Phoenix. To your point, the only guy 375 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 1: on their roster that has won a playoff series basically 376 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: is Chris Paul. They got a couple other guys that 377 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: have had some playoff moments, but it's really just Chris Paul. 378 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: Then three Seeds or the Nuggets, Jamal Murray went down. 379 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: They've been good since then, but Jamal Murray went down, 380 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: and Yokich has traditionally had real trouble slowing down. Anthony Davis, 381 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 1: we just talked about the Clippers, and then you've got 382 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 1: Portland and Dallas, which are just two teams that are 383 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: very limited defensively to Portland's a downright terrible defense. So 384 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 1: it's like who's left. It's like, Oh, there's the Lakers, 385 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: which is why I think right now there's going to 386 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: be a little bit of buzz for Golden State, not 387 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: necessarily to win the title, but or to win the conference. 388 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: But it's like, man, every series they play in the West, 389 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 1: except for against the Lakers, which they're not going to 390 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:03,879 Speaker 1: play them unless it's conversminals, they're gonna have the best player, 391 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: and they're gonna have experience, and they're not going to 392 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: be shook by the moment. All those things play in 393 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:14,040 Speaker 1: their favor. Yeah, they're really small. I think they're actually 394 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 1: I think they don't match up with the Lakers at all. 395 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 1: Golden State, Yeah, not at all, not at all. But 396 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: they can make the playoffs. They'll ever beating the Lakers 397 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: because they can lose on the seven eight and then 398 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: just beat Memphis or San Antonio when they're in. How 399 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 1: surprised are you now, I've I have championed Steph Curry. 400 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: I've said before there are great players Michael Jordan Lebron 401 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,679 Speaker 1: and then there are players that mean more for the league, 402 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: and I think Steph falls into a very unique category. 403 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:47,400 Speaker 1: I mean, if you look at the if you look 404 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:51,439 Speaker 1: at the impact of what Michael Vick meant for African 405 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: American quarterbacks, his impact of the sport is so much 406 00:23:55,520 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 1: greater than his career Surete. Steph Curry, though his career great, 407 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: and his impact on the three ball is enormous. And 408 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,880 Speaker 1: I think, you know, there was always this sense that 409 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: it's almost like people had amnesia that they won before 410 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: Kevin Durant got there, and then it was well, he 411 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 1: doesn't play defense, Draymond occurs a great coach, There's Claike Thompson. 412 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: This year they've got nothing. Draymond's way past his prime, 413 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:24,120 Speaker 1: Clays hurt, Kevin Durant's gone, Kelly Hubray please Wiseman gets hurt. 414 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: And you start looking at Steff and you're like, oh 415 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 1: my god, he really like to me, he didn't separate 416 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 1: from Lebron, but he separates from Kawai, he separates from Yannis, 417 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 1: he separates from Simmons. Like I thought it was. It 418 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: was a time we almost have to acknowledge. Now, yeah, Okay, 419 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: he's top ten all time. I think I think we're 420 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:52,120 Speaker 1: in that category. Now well, so he so he going 421 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: into this year, and people thought I was attacking him 422 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:56,439 Speaker 1: by saying this. I wasn't. I said this is an 423 00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: important year for Steff because everyone watched the Warriors in 424 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 1: fifteen and sixteen, for example, and said, oh, okay, Steph 425 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: is the perfect guy for that team. Like you couldn't 426 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 1: put Ross on that team and have and have them 427 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: have anywhere close to success. Couldn't have put Harden on 428 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: those teams in fifteen and sixteen and had him had 429 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: anywhere near that success. The reason I'm not including seventeen 430 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: eighteen is with Durant and Clay, maybe you could have 431 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 1: put a lot of guys as another person. They're successful. 432 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: But what we didn't know does that mean Steph could 433 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 1: have done for the seventeen thunder what Russ did the 434 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: year KaDee leaves. It's like, hey, I will lead the 435 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: league in points. I will take this, you know, kind 436 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,480 Speaker 1: of motley crew of guys. We're going to get to 437 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: the sixth seed and then we're gonna get beat in 438 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: the first round, but I will carry you to the playoffs. 439 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: Steph proved that this year. Step because if especially if 440 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: you look at their record without him because I think 441 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: they're one in seven or one in eight in games 442 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 1: he doesn't play. They have a really good record. When 443 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: he plays. They are everyone's scheme, their entire offen Ron 444 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: stopping him and they can't, so that does elevate him. 445 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 1: This was an important season. It's weird to say you 446 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:12,640 Speaker 1: almost learned more about staff this year than you did 447 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: in their final championship with Durant, because it was different 448 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: things were asked of him. He's older. He's going to 449 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: win the scoring title at thirty two years old, thirty 450 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 1: two points per game. It's pretty damn impressive. Or thirty 451 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: three years old, pardon me, thirty two points per game, 452 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: oldest guy to win a scoring title since Jordan, and 453 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,640 Speaker 1: he's going to finish top five MVP and his second 454 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: best players Draymond Green, who camp shoot the basketball like 455 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,920 Speaker 1: that's impressive. It's really impressive what he did this year. 456 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,400 Speaker 1: So let's go to the Lakers, where I do feel 457 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: if Lebron's ready to play, I think the size alone 458 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 1: Drummond may not work against Brooklyn in the finals, but 459 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: I don't think they get there. I think Drummond can 460 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:58,159 Speaker 1: be an additive player against the Bucks or Philadelphia I 461 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 1: look at Lebron, do you think deep down? So it's 462 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: if you really go back to the beginning of the season, 463 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: it's amazing how bad Anthony Davis was. And this was 464 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: the year Lebron was going to peel back minutes and 465 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 1: it was eighties team that he was not in shape. 466 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,400 Speaker 1: So I have no and I have a pretty good 467 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,199 Speaker 1: source inside the Lakers. So he is a little bit 468 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 1: like Rashid Wallace. He doesn't work out, He's got a 469 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: dad body, he keeps his T shirt on all the time. 470 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: Lebron makes fun of him. He's not in great shape. 471 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 1: He is so naturally gifted that he can just show 472 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 1: up and I covered Rashid Wallace and give you thirty 473 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,479 Speaker 1: six points on some nights and defend Duncan and Garnett 474 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,679 Speaker 1: as well as anybody ever did in the apex of 475 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: their career. So what's happening to Anthony Davis is he's 476 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 1: never really committed to his body, and therefore his body 477 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: is not rewarding him. And as he gets older there 478 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 1: are more groin issues, more growing issues, more ankle issues. 479 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: This league in retrospect was a disaster for him. He 480 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: wasn't ready to play. He got hurt multiple times this season, 481 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 1: and it's one thing Lebron understands if you're not him. 482 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: But what Lebron respected about d Wade was he played 483 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: at the end of his career with Miami. He couldn't 484 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: play back to backs well, but Lebron knew how hard 485 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: he played. I do wonder if Lebron looks at Ad 486 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,880 Speaker 1: and thinks, Bro, you don't even commit to the weight room. 487 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: So so here's the only here's the only pushback I'll 488 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: give you on that. I also wonder what for the Lakers, 489 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:47,880 Speaker 1: because if you remember, Lebron was pissed about how early 490 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 1: this season was starting, like he was one of the 491 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,200 Speaker 1: vocal ones and he usually does not step out from 492 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: the league like he was pissed that they had such 493 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: short amount of time off, and the Lakers got off 494 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,239 Speaker 1: to that insane start. They were I think twenty one 495 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: and six, whatever it was, it was, it was whenever 496 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: one was like, oh, they're clearly the best team in 497 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 1: the league. And then a d had like the achilles 498 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: soreness and missed a couple of games, came back and 499 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: then missed a ton of time, and while he was out, 500 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: Lebron missed a ton of time because he gets the 501 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 1: ankle injury. I do wonder if Lebron and Ad talked 502 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: and said, we're gonna be fine no matter what we're 503 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: gonna make. We've already we've given ourselves such a big 504 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: cushion by our start that there's no chance we fall 505 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: out of the playoffs. Now. I don't think they thought 506 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: they were going to fall to the play in They 507 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,479 Speaker 1: end up the final standings are going to be a 508 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 1: three way tie for fifth place, and the Lakers end 509 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 1: up in seventh because of the tiebreakers. So even with 510 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: how bad it was, they're a half game away from 511 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,840 Speaker 1: being the five seat here and saying, listen, what I 512 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: need is for you to be full go when totally 513 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: ready when the playoffs start, and then we're actually gonna have, 514 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: for the first time in forever, a real off season. 515 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:10,720 Speaker 1: And so I think that's why those stretch of games, 516 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: remember Lebron came back and then went away again, and 517 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: in that stretch of time, Ad had some of his 518 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 1: best games of the season. He had the forty two 519 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: point game, he had the game against the Knicks where 520 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 1: he didn't choose like eight of twenty three, but the 521 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: Knicks beat everybody up like nobody shoots well against them. 522 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: He was great defensively. He had an awesome game against 523 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 1: Portland that they ended up losing because Kuzma is like 524 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: one of eleven in the game. So I feel like 525 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 1: a d like showed enough to say I'll be ready, 526 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 1: I'll be good. And to his credit, he has been 527 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: a guy even back in New Orleans, he's been a 528 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: monster in the playoffs, never missed a playoff game, played 529 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: big minutes every playoff game he's ever had. So I, 530 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: while I don't why, you very well, maybe right than 531 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis is like non basketball workout routine is closer 532 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: to Kevin Durants than to Lebron James's, which is I 533 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 1: work on my game, not so much in the weight room, 534 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: But I just I feel like there maybe is a 535 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: level of trust between those two that come the playoffs, 536 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: you're going to be the best version of yourself. And 537 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: Lebron looks like a different person than in the two 538 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: games when he came back from the ankle injury. Initially, 539 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 1: when he came back, initially I was like, oh boy, 540 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: he does not look right. And now these last two games, 541 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: he looks, you know, ninety some percent he looks very, 542 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: very close to one hundred percent well. And you remember 543 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: last year when he got that sabbatical, it was probably 544 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: the best he had looked from an energy standpoint in 545 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 1: seven years. It was good. So, yeah, he has not 546 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: played a ton of basketball in the last three hundred 547 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: and sixty five days. He just hasn't, so his body 548 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: to some degree, he's rested. You know. I do want 549 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: to talk about the Knicks because I think it's better 550 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: for the NBA when they're good. And I watch them 551 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 1: three separate times down the stretch, and they're a really 552 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: easy team to forecast. They don't have enough juice offensively 553 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:11,680 Speaker 1: to win a second playoff series. Tom Thibodeau's teams, this 554 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: is sort of classic. They practice harder, they play harder, 555 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: they play more minutes. They're really good in the regular season. 556 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 1: They're the classic. I was searching for a team earlier, 557 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 1: I said the Sons. What I meant was the Knicks 558 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: is they just outplay people. You can win a lot 559 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: of games in this league without a star player if 560 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: you play hard and you're well coached. I do think, 561 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 1: though Thibodeau's history tells you that once you get to 562 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:40,200 Speaker 1: the playoffs, and everybody plays hard. There's limitations on what 563 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: the Knicks can do. But Julius Randold's a fascinating player 564 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: because while he was with the Lakers, he was highly efficient. 565 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 1: He was about an eighteen pointing game guy fifty five 566 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: percent from the field, played hard, developing player. He was ascending, 567 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: and they bailed on him. And my theory was they 568 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: bailed on him because in the West there was a 569 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: shooting gallery. The Rockets took one hundred threes, the Warriors 570 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,760 Speaker 1: took one hundred and threes, and it's like, Okay, we're 571 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 1: losing the math contest here, and so they bailed on 572 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:11,160 Speaker 1: Julius Randall, and the Knicks are like desperate and take him, 573 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: and they'll probably overpay for him because they're the Knicks. 574 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: The question becomes, what is the value of Zion until 575 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 1: he can hit a three or Julius Randall? Mathematically? Can 576 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: you win a title if they're you're one? Or do 577 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 1: they have to be your two? I think Julius has 578 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: to be your two at best. I think Zion the 579 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: math works on two pointers if you're shooting sixty two 580 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: percent on it. Like the whole argument for a three 581 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: verses of two is you can be a fifty percent 582 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:44,800 Speaker 1: shooter from two, and that means you only have to 583 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 1: be a thirty three percent shooter from three, right, But 584 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 1: if you're a sixty two percent shooter from two like 585 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 1: Zion is, well that's a forty one percent shooter from three. 586 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 1: That's all that leads the league. That's awesome, so Zion. 587 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:02,240 Speaker 1: I think Zion's different type of cat. Like I just 588 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 1: did my All NBA. You know, I don't have an 589 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:07,959 Speaker 1: official vote because for some reason, the league won't give 590 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: me an official vote. I can't imagine who watches more 591 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: basketball than me why I shouldn't have a vote. And 592 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,880 Speaker 1: I'm doing my All NBA forwards And like Zion's second 593 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:20,839 Speaker 1: team All NBA. The only forwards who I thought were 594 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:22,880 Speaker 1: better than him this year at Yannis Kawai and Lebron 595 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: that's it. Like Jimmy Butler, Julius Randall or third team forwards. 596 00:34:26,680 --> 00:34:28,760 Speaker 1: I think Zion was better than them. I think Zion 597 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: got screwed a bit this year because I don't think 598 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: stan Van Gundia unlocked him right, and the Pelicans didn't 599 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:37,360 Speaker 1: have enough shooting. He was just totally unstoppable, just a 600 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: totally thoroughly unstoppable force. So I think do I think 601 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 1: he has to expand his game a little bit. Yes, 602 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 1: he's not currently yet ready to be the best guy. 603 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:50,279 Speaker 1: But I wouldn't put a ceiling on him the way 604 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:53,319 Speaker 1: I might put a ceiling on I think Randalls had 605 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,279 Speaker 1: a great season, is a nice story, but he can't 606 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:57,919 Speaker 1: be I don't think he can ever be the best 607 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:00,400 Speaker 1: player on a title team. I think Zion could be. 608 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: I do. By the way, I don't know. It's your podcast, 609 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,400 Speaker 1: so I don't know what you have scheduled for us do. 610 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:09,359 Speaker 1: But we now have all the games are done, so 611 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 1: we have the official bracket. If you want to, I 612 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 1: can go through it if we want to, like give 613 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: preliminary thoughts on it. I can't give my official picks 614 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 1: because I have to really like drill down on it. 615 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 1: But we do now know what the bracket is going 616 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 1: to be, all right, I'm throw throw the games at me. 617 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:32,400 Speaker 1: So the play in in the in the will do 618 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:38,279 Speaker 1: the play ins in the East. It's Boston Washington, So 619 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 1: the Celtics would then go on to play Brooklyn and 620 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:45,759 Speaker 1: then Washington would play the winner of Indie Charlotte UM 621 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:49,200 Speaker 1: And so that's that. I think Boston and Washington will 622 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: be the two that move on there, right, you know 623 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:53,359 Speaker 1: what I mean? No matter and both of us would 624 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: have Philly or Brooklyn in a series being either one 625 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,440 Speaker 1: of them, So the play in parts easy. Then you 626 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:03,400 Speaker 1: have Knicks Hawks. She's going to beat. Trey Young is 627 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:08,799 Speaker 1: going to get He'll score a lot of points. But 628 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 1: I would set the over under technicals for Trey Young 629 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:15,239 Speaker 1: in that series at three and a half. He is 630 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,880 Speaker 1: gonna They are going to go after him in a 631 00:36:17,920 --> 00:36:22,400 Speaker 1: way that is going to I think demoralizing because Trade 632 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 1: does a lot of funny stuff like trying to draw 633 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 1: these cheap fouls, and the Knicks will just like clotheslineing. 634 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:30,760 Speaker 1: And so I think the Knicks should be the slight 635 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:34,719 Speaker 1: favorites in that series. And then one of the most 636 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:40,360 Speaker 1: interesting Round one series Milwaukee Miami. Milwaukee could have tanked 637 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 1: out of that Milwaukee. He played Miami two days ago 638 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:49,239 Speaker 1: and Milwaukee was essentially locked into where they needed to be. 639 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 1: They could have let Miami win, So Miami moved up 640 00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 1: to the five. They beat him like they wanted to 641 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: play him. That's a I like Milwaukee. I think they'll win. 642 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 1: That is a tough damn series. Man, Well, well, bam, 643 00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 1: they've got size, and bam, they've got shooting in Robinson, 644 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 1: a hero, they've got a star in Jimmy Butler. So 645 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 1: it's unfortunate the Bucks and he'd actually play yeah, because 646 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 1: they really you're going to have one of the three 647 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:19,320 Speaker 1: best teams arguably get eliminated. Listen, I think Miami would 648 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:24,280 Speaker 1: be a tough series for Brooklyn, lost first round series 649 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:27,200 Speaker 1: for Brooklyn. If Brooklyn had lost today to the Caves, 650 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:31,120 Speaker 1: which obviously was not likely to happen, that's we would 651 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: have gotten it. If Brooklyn would have lost to the Caves, 652 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,720 Speaker 1: they would have fallen to the three and then Miami Brooklyn. 653 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: To me, that's a son of a bitch for Brooklyn. 654 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: And the other thing Miami has against Brooklyn, maybe against 655 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 1: anybody in the East, certainly against Brooklyn or Milwaukee, is 656 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 1: the better coach. Spolster is a far better postseason coach. 657 00:37:53,920 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 1: Nash we've never seen, so you just no experience, and 658 00:37:57,239 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 1: I don't you know, I don't yet know that I 659 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 1: can ever try Budenholzer. So there's the So there's the East, 660 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:07,479 Speaker 1: the West. The playing obviously is Lakers Warriors. We both 661 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: think the Lakers Laker Warriors, and then they would play 662 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:15,319 Speaker 1: the Warriors would play the winner of Grizzlies Spurs. Let's 663 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:18,719 Speaker 1: just advance the Grizzlies, right, So then this is what 664 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:23,360 Speaker 1: you have. The two seven is Phoenix against the Lakers. 665 00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: Pho experience. Yeah, Phoenix's reward for this unbelievable season is 666 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 1: they get the Lakers in round one. That's on. That 667 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:36,959 Speaker 1: sucks for them, man, and it sucks for me because 668 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 1: I said, Chris Paul's the MVP. I know you like 669 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:41,759 Speaker 1: that take, You're with it, and now he's going to 670 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:46,600 Speaker 1: go home in round one. All right, Jazz Warriors, I 671 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 1: gotta I gotta look at it. The Jazz, I know, 672 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:51,760 Speaker 1: kick the hell out of them in the regular season, 673 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:56,000 Speaker 1: but also Donovan's coming back from an injury. That's a 674 00:38:56,040 --> 00:39:01,200 Speaker 1: tough series, it is. But my problem with Golden State 675 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:05,840 Speaker 1: is they're so small and it's it's it's kind of 676 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 1: a flaky team. Kelly Ubray Andrew Wiggins. Like Wiggins the 677 00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:11,200 Speaker 1: other night had just like this thirty eight point game. 678 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:14,600 Speaker 1: You don't have any idea what you're getting from him. 679 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:16,799 Speaker 1: I will say the Warriors have put him in a 680 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:20,360 Speaker 1: role that works. Just give us twenty two you know. 681 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 1: I mean, like they've really said, listen, just be the two, 682 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:25,200 Speaker 1: the three. There's no pressure on him, and that's what 683 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:27,400 Speaker 1: he is kind of. He's never been to go to guy. 684 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: But boy, they're tiny. I just don't I just don't 685 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,920 Speaker 1: see them matching up with Gobert. I don't think they 686 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:36,919 Speaker 1: match up with the Lakers. I don't think they match 687 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:40,160 Speaker 1: up with the I don't think there's a reason why 688 00:39:40,239 --> 00:39:43,279 Speaker 1: they're the eighth seed is they don't match up really 689 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:45,200 Speaker 1: well with a lot of really great teams. They need 690 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:48,520 Speaker 1: in order to beat really good teams, they need Steph 691 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 1: to go score do what he did today. Let's go 692 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,480 Speaker 1: score forty five. But then the next two Western Conference 693 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:59,080 Speaker 1: first round series are fascinating. The Clippers chose this, it's 694 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:02,919 Speaker 1: Clippers maps. Then the MAVs took him six last year 695 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:05,880 Speaker 1: with Luca on a bad ankle and Chris STAPs not 696 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:09,120 Speaker 1: really playing in the series. Now Chris Stapps is not play. 697 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 1: You know, he hasn't been a huge factor for them 698 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:15,800 Speaker 1: this year. But that's a fascinating series. Clippers MAVs well 699 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:18,799 Speaker 1: because Luca's a great finisher and the Clippers are the 700 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:24,080 Speaker 1: worst finishing good team in the league. So that's probably 701 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:29,400 Speaker 1: that's probably the Milwaukee Miami series of the West where 702 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:33,919 Speaker 1: the matchup, I mean Miami matches up with Milwaukee very 703 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: really well, really well with a better coach. So here 704 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:45,439 Speaker 1: Dallas has Carlyle's got a championship, so does Tylum Boy 705 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,400 Speaker 1: the Kite. I do not trust the Clippers in a 706 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 1: close series. And Luca may be as good a finisher 707 00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 1: right now as the West has and the right and Luca. 708 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:58,200 Speaker 1: You feel like Luca's worth at least one game by himself, 709 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:02,160 Speaker 1: maybe two. And then so then all of a sudden, 710 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 1: like it starts getting the other thing with it, and 711 00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 1: then we'll get to the other series. The other thing 712 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:11,120 Speaker 1: with the Clippers that is so interesting is Kawai can 713 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:14,879 Speaker 1: walk after this year. Nobody's talking about it, but he's 714 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 1: not in our contract, like he signed a two year deal. 715 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:21,840 Speaker 1: And so Paul George, they resigned this offseason. They'll resign 716 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:24,359 Speaker 1: quiet now. Qui just bought a massive house in La 717 00:41:24,719 --> 00:41:27,359 Speaker 1: I think he plans on snag. But if they get 718 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: bounced in round one and Miami is sitting there with 719 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:36,040 Speaker 1: the cap space for him, I do think that becomes 720 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:41,360 Speaker 1: like an interesting conversation. And so I think that one's interesting, 721 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:45,080 Speaker 1: and then Denver against the Blazers is the three six. 722 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:49,719 Speaker 1: I think Denver's will win, But like those I mean, 723 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:52,880 Speaker 1: those games will be one thirty, one, twenty five every time, 724 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 1: and it'll be that Denver's backcourt cannot match up with 725 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:02,719 Speaker 1: Portland's backcourt, and Portland's front court cannot deal at all 726 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:07,080 Speaker 1: with Yokich and Michael Porter Junior and Aaron Gordon. So 727 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:10,480 Speaker 1: a Denver should win that series. But those are two greats. 728 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:14,920 Speaker 1: I think we have three potentially extraordinary first round series 729 00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 1: MAVs of MAVs, Clippers, Nuggets, Blazers, and Bucks Heat with 730 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:26,880 Speaker 1: a potential if Step goes crazy, for Jazz Warriors to 731 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:29,839 Speaker 1: at least be interesting. Yeah, I think I think you're 732 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,600 Speaker 1: getting to a point in Portland. If Portland can't get 733 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:36,360 Speaker 1: past Denver, you got to break up the CJ McCullough 734 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:39,600 Speaker 1: Dame Lillard. I mean, they're just a duplication. One's an 735 00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:42,480 Speaker 1: A plus guy, one's a B plus guy. They've always 736 00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 1: struggled with getting a good athletic wing. They traded for 737 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 1: Norman Powell this year, and that's he's good, But that's 738 00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:50,640 Speaker 1: not getting you over that. That's not getting you there. 739 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:54,720 Speaker 1: They traded for Robert Covington, like they these half measures 740 00:42:54,719 --> 00:42:59,000 Speaker 1: they can't get they Dame is good enough with the 741 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:01,160 Speaker 1: right cast to be the best player on the team 742 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:03,760 Speaker 1: that makes the finals. But he needs the right cast 743 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:06,640 Speaker 1: and he needs a bet you know who he needs 744 00:43:06,680 --> 00:43:10,080 Speaker 1: next to him in the backcourt, Drew Holliday. He needs somebody, 745 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,960 Speaker 1: somebody who can defend and help you out in that. 746 00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:19,320 Speaker 1: It's just you have two small, thin, offensive minded guards 747 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:23,200 Speaker 1: who are awesome, but I mean they are. Portland this 748 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:26,440 Speaker 1: year is worse on defense than Brooklyn. Portland's twenty seventh, 749 00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 1: Brooklyn's twenty fifth. I mean they are horrible defensively, and 750 00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:32,839 Speaker 1: so that's tough to win a playoff series that way. Yeah, 751 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:36,799 Speaker 1: and it's hard because Dame so controls the series. It's 752 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:38,920 Speaker 1: hard for Terry Stott to come down on him for 753 00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:42,480 Speaker 1: his defense because he is the lone star with Bradley 754 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:44,920 Speaker 1: Beale who appears to want to finish his career with 755 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:49,080 Speaker 1: one team. And Portland's never been a free agent market. 756 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:50,759 Speaker 1: I mean the hell, they've never hosted an All Star 757 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:53,399 Speaker 1: Game because they don't have big enough hotel space. So 758 00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:55,520 Speaker 1: it's like Dame's going to just do what Dame wants 759 00:43:55,520 --> 00:43:57,880 Speaker 1: to do, and he doesn't give much of an effort 760 00:43:57,880 --> 00:43:59,880 Speaker 1: on the defensive end, so you have to go big 761 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 1: and go get a wing. By the way, we didn't 762 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 1: talk about it, and you said in the Boston Washington 763 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:11,240 Speaker 1: matchup in the play, and you like Boston for our shows, 764 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:15,160 Speaker 1: you should root for Washington because if Washington wins, we 765 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:19,080 Speaker 1: then get Ross against Katie and Harden, we get the 766 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:22,080 Speaker 1: it'd be Wizards nets and that I mean, obviously the 767 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:24,880 Speaker 1: Wizards can't win that series, but Russ can just be 768 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 1: a maniac for a week and a half and Beel's 769 00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:30,000 Speaker 1: back healthy, like they could win a game or two, 770 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:33,960 Speaker 1: and it really you get to a point in Boston. 771 00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:38,520 Speaker 1: Now it's been this sort of it's been this draft experiment. 772 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:43,320 Speaker 1: We're going to accumulate a million picks and with Brad 773 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:46,440 Speaker 1: Stevens they get one star and it doesn't work. And 774 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:48,520 Speaker 1: you watch him this year. This is a bad Celtic team. 775 00:44:48,560 --> 00:44:51,160 Speaker 1: They're not good Laton games, they're not as good defensively. 776 00:44:51,880 --> 00:44:55,480 Speaker 1: Jason Tatum, he feels a good player, but there's no 777 00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:58,680 Speaker 1: plus to the A. He's an A, but he's not 778 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:01,520 Speaker 1: a plus. And you start looking at Boston now and 779 00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:06,280 Speaker 1: you're like, Okay, Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown. Well, their problem 780 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:09,560 Speaker 1: is that those are good. So there's Boston's problems two fold. 781 00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,840 Speaker 1: One is Angel had the heist of the century against 782 00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:17,359 Speaker 1: Brooklyn and got two really great players out of it, 783 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:19,920 Speaker 1: one really good player and one potentially great player in 784 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,560 Speaker 1: Brown and Tatum, and then was terrible at every other 785 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:27,760 Speaker 1: part of his job. Made one huge trade ever for Kyrie. 786 00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:31,160 Speaker 1: Kyrie hated it there after two years and vaulted. Made 787 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 1: two massive free agent signings Horford and Hayward. Horford was good, 788 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:40,719 Speaker 1: but not great, and Hayward got snake bit, he got hurt, 789 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:43,560 Speaker 1: and it just never was the guy and never would 790 00:45:43,600 --> 00:45:45,680 Speaker 1: pull the trigger on any of these trades. And the 791 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:48,440 Speaker 1: draft picks he did make weren't good. So like he 792 00:45:48,600 --> 00:45:52,680 Speaker 1: really screwed up the next parts of the You know, 793 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:57,560 Speaker 1: if you're if for college graduation, you're parents by your house, 794 00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:00,200 Speaker 1: and then you don't get it insured and you don't 795 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:02,319 Speaker 1: put furniture in it, you don't get it. You just 796 00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:06,440 Speaker 1: end up squandering the biggest, the biggest gift to anybody's 797 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:09,160 Speaker 1: ever gotten. The other thing that sucks for Boston is 798 00:46:09,280 --> 00:46:13,799 Speaker 1: is Tatum and Brown. So let's just say Tatum, he's 799 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:16,800 Speaker 1: their best player. You look at the East and it's like, okay, 800 00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:20,960 Speaker 1: Jannis is young. If they ever played Milwaukee in a series, 801 00:46:21,360 --> 00:46:23,920 Speaker 1: they will never have the best player. It's like, okay, 802 00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:28,920 Speaker 1: that's not good. And then you look at Okay, Brooklyn, Well, 803 00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:33,279 Speaker 1: Katie's not that young, Hardens a little younger, Kyrie is 804 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:36,759 Speaker 1: even younger. If they play Brooklyn in the series, how 805 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:40,800 Speaker 1: long until they have the best player? Four years from now? Okay, Philly, 806 00:46:41,239 --> 00:46:43,520 Speaker 1: they play Philly in the series, how long until they 807 00:46:43,560 --> 00:46:46,080 Speaker 1: have the best Boston is the best player? Never inbid, 808 00:46:46,239 --> 00:46:49,359 Speaker 1: you know, and inbid's young. So it's like your your 809 00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:52,960 Speaker 1: best guy. There is a player of similar age on 810 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:56,719 Speaker 1: three teams in the East, better than your best guy 811 00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:00,439 Speaker 1: and all locked up like you just and it's hard 812 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:02,879 Speaker 1: to win one round of the playoffs, so you don't 813 00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:05,560 Speaker 1: have the best guy, much less potentially two or three 814 00:47:05,640 --> 00:47:07,640 Speaker 1: rounds like you would have to. They're just I think 815 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,880 Speaker 1: Boston's in a really bad spot. Yeah, I think Boston's 816 00:47:10,920 --> 00:47:14,960 Speaker 1: to a point. Now, it's a crowded sports market. I 817 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:16,799 Speaker 1: think they have to go for it. I think they 818 00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:18,520 Speaker 1: have to spend a lot of money and go for it, 819 00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:22,520 Speaker 1: and that's the reality. I think I'll take Milwaukee in 820 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:25,120 Speaker 1: the East. I'll take the Lakers in the West, and 821 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:26,799 Speaker 1: then I think you have a really good finals. If 822 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:28,799 Speaker 1: Lebron's healthy, I would take the Lakers. By the way, 823 00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:35,560 Speaker 1: I will say this is that Greg Popovich. This is 824 00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:40,359 Speaker 1: the Belichick thing, is that if Mac Jones can't play, 825 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:46,400 Speaker 1: Belichick becomes Popovich pretty irrelevant now that Duncan's gone and 826 00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:50,279 Speaker 1: Parker's gone. If Mac Jones can't play, nothing against nothing 827 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:52,560 Speaker 1: against Cam. But you're not winning that division with Josh Allen. 828 00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:54,919 Speaker 1: You're at best of wild card team. That's all you're 829 00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:57,640 Speaker 1: going to be with Josh Allen. Sean McDermott. Now they've 830 00:47:57,680 --> 00:48:00,560 Speaker 1: got They've got so many good defensive lineman up last 831 00:48:00,600 --> 00:48:02,759 Speaker 1: two years in the draft. And I sit there and 832 00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:06,080 Speaker 1: I look at Popovits today and first of all, he 833 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:09,040 Speaker 1: was arrogant and stubborn on threes. He didn't want to 834 00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:12,360 Speaker 1: play the math game. I mean, the dramar Drosen trade 835 00:48:12,520 --> 00:48:15,440 Speaker 1: is a bad trade. I mean the end, it's a 836 00:48:15,520 --> 00:48:19,520 Speaker 1: terrible move. I mean, Derozen what other people got for 837 00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:24,440 Speaker 1: their stars to get to Martin, to trade Kawai and 838 00:48:24,719 --> 00:48:27,880 Speaker 1: Danny Green, and you get to rosen yaka Peartle and 839 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:31,840 Speaker 1: a bad pick. That's a terrible trade. Terrible trade, and 840 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:34,759 Speaker 1: it was arrogant, it was And this is what Belichick did. 841 00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,359 Speaker 1: Belichick now acknowledges because I've been on him for two 842 00:48:38,440 --> 00:48:41,080 Speaker 1: years about this. I was told by two people inside 843 00:48:41,080 --> 00:48:44,640 Speaker 1: the Patriot organization. In mid January, Belichick would tell the scouts, 844 00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:48,840 Speaker 1: I've got it from here. We started losing scouts he was, 845 00:48:48,920 --> 00:48:50,640 Speaker 1: you know, they were all like, well, what's the point. 846 00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:54,200 Speaker 1: None of my work counts. And Belichick acknowledged, I'm gonna 847 00:48:54,200 --> 00:48:58,320 Speaker 1: go more with scouts because nikkil Harry, all the Patriot 848 00:48:58,320 --> 00:49:01,720 Speaker 1: scouts said he can't separate, do not rely on her edwords, 849 00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:03,920 Speaker 1: and he went against him. And he can't play. He's 850 00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:06,040 Speaker 1: a four. He's not even a three. He's a four 851 00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:13,840 Speaker 1: and and so I think Belichick and Popovich similarly. You 852 00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:17,080 Speaker 1: start believing in the system over the player. You kind 853 00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:19,960 Speaker 1: of buy into what everybody's told you. You're a genius. 854 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:25,440 Speaker 1: If Mac Jones can't play, Belichick's sorry, they're going to 855 00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:28,719 Speaker 1: be drafting fifteenth for the next four years. And I 856 00:49:28,719 --> 00:49:32,320 Speaker 1: think Popovich is in that same spot. They're not relevant, 857 00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:35,280 Speaker 1: they're not relevant, which is why I don't. I think 858 00:49:35,560 --> 00:49:38,160 Speaker 1: the difference between the two is I think Popovich is 859 00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:41,240 Speaker 1: going to retire soon and I don't think Bill will. 860 00:49:41,640 --> 00:49:44,319 Speaker 1: So like Bill, what would be tough for Bill is 861 00:49:44,719 --> 00:49:47,920 Speaker 1: if he wants to do this another five years and 862 00:49:48,040 --> 00:49:53,040 Speaker 1: it's seven and nine, I guess these days eight and nine, 863 00:49:53,200 --> 00:49:57,279 Speaker 1: you know, nine and eight, ten and seven not contending. 864 00:49:57,680 --> 00:50:00,800 Speaker 1: And by the way, even if he's right, mac Jones, 865 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:04,799 Speaker 1: I don't think mac Jones is like superstar upside. I 866 00:50:04,840 --> 00:50:08,839 Speaker 1: think mac Jones has like good quarterback Like I think 867 00:50:08,920 --> 00:50:15,400 Speaker 1: it's upside is a poor man's Matt Ryan, Yeah, or 868 00:50:15,600 --> 00:50:20,160 Speaker 1: or Kirk Cousins with more courage, Yeah, which is around 869 00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:23,279 Speaker 1: the right Matt Ryan, I would say, like yeah, on 870 00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:26,080 Speaker 1: the Matt Ryan scale, Kirk Cousins is like an eighty five. 871 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:28,480 Speaker 1: So that's so that's what what I'm saying. Like you 872 00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:32,560 Speaker 1: know what I mean about player that's not getting it 873 00:50:32,600 --> 00:50:37,480 Speaker 1: done in today's NFL. It's not getting it done today's NFL. Okay, 874 00:50:37,560 --> 00:50:40,800 Speaker 1: go to bed, have a great show. We'll talk Wednesday, buddy, Absolutely, 875 00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:46,800 Speaker 1: talk to you later. Call all right, NBA playoffs that 876 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:51,959 Speaker 1: Bucksheat series. I'm telling you Miami matches up really well 877 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,160 Speaker 1: with Milwaukee. But I think it's Milwaukee's year. All right, 878 00:50:55,160 --> 00:50:58,919 Speaker 1: Go to The The Volume Sports at Twitter, at Instagram. 879 00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:04,400 Speaker 1: Sign up our podcast, rate review, subscribe. We also have 880 00:51:04,440 --> 00:51:06,879 Speaker 1: a YouTube channel. All Right, we're done for Monday. We'll 881 00:51:06,920 --> 00:51:39,360 Speaker 1: talk soon. The Volume