WEBVTT - Which Stars Will Miss Time Down The Stretch?

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<v Speaker 1>So Greg Moore from the Phoenix Arizona Republic says the

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<v Speaker 1>Suns are now worried that Kevin Durant's injury is a

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<v Speaker 1>Grade two ankle sprain. Grade two ankle sprains are six

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<v Speaker 1>weeks for full recovery. Reports suggests that the Sons will

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<v Speaker 1>reassess him in three weeks, which would only give him

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<v Speaker 1>about three games to get the rust off if he plays.

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<v Speaker 1>But I think at this point Kd's done for the season.

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<v Speaker 1>He'll be back for the playoffs. Maybe he'll sit out

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<v Speaker 1>the first part of the playoffs like Luka Doncis did

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<v Speaker 1>in the series against the Utah Jazz. Or they thought

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<v Speaker 1>maybe Steph Curry would last year in the first round

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<v Speaker 1>with his ankle injury. Bad stuff, though, I want to

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<v Speaker 1>give you fair warning that you might not see KD

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<v Speaker 1>for the rest of the season in Dallas. It's also

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<v Speaker 1>bad MAVs are worried about lucas Thai. Looks like Luca

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<v Speaker 1>and Kyrie are both dealing with nagging issues. We should

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<v Speaker 1>worried mostly about Luca because he said that the thigh

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<v Speaker 1>injury that has been bugging him for a week or

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<v Speaker 1>so is not good. There's an MRI happening. We should

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<v Speaker 1>know more moving forward. Bad news though for a MAVs

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<v Speaker 1>team that has fallen to eighth and is only one

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<v Speaker 1>game in front of four teams right now to be

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<v Speaker 1>in the play in tournament or maybe out of the

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<v Speaker 1>play in They are three and seven in their last ten.

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<v Speaker 1>They are in desperate need of Luka Doncic back over

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<v Speaker 1>in the Bay. We move over there to our dubs.

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<v Speaker 1>Steve Kerr now gives an update on Andrew Wiggins. Kerr

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<v Speaker 1>told the local reporter, I think there's hope that Wiggins

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<v Speaker 1>might return this season, but it is not a foregone conclusion.

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<v Speaker 1>Wiggins has now missed eleven straight games with a quote

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<v Speaker 1>family matter that is not good. Missing eleven games for

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<v Speaker 1>personal reasons not good. Apparently this is way bigger than basketball.

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<v Speaker 1>According to Kerr, not going to get into the rumors

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<v Speaker 1>that I've heard about what those family matters might be,

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<v Speaker 1>but one thing is dead certain. I do not know

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<v Speaker 1>how this team wins without him on the court in

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<v Speaker 1>the playoffs. Before his injury on December tewod he was

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<v Speaker 1>averaging nineteen five and two with a steal in half

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<v Speaker 1>of a block per game. Defensively, he was plus ten

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<v Speaker 1>point three in his last ten games. That's why they

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<v Speaker 1>need him right. That's why our Dubs need to figure

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<v Speaker 1>out a way for Andrew Wiggins to get back onto

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<v Speaker 1>the court. Quick update in New Orleans on Zion Williamson.

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<v Speaker 1>Pelicans are holding out hope that he can still play

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<v Speaker 1>this year. Of course, very dependent on whether the Pelicans

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<v Speaker 1>have a play in spot or not. That is now

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<v Speaker 1>very much in doubt. New Orleans is currently in the

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<v Speaker 1>ninth spot with five other teams logjam city. Zion is

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<v Speaker 1>reevaluated in two weeks. Hopefully he can be healthy because

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<v Speaker 1>this Pelicans team is trash without him. Yeah, things are

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<v Speaker 1>so messy in New Orleans. They needed forty points from

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<v Speaker 1>Trey Murphy last night to beat a Portland Trailblazers team

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<v Speaker 1>that was without Dame. He's played two twenty nine games

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<v Speaker 1>this year, as Zion has only one hundred and fourteen

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<v Speaker 1>in four years. Sad stuff. Probably weren't going to see

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<v Speaker 1>him the rest of the way. Probably not going to

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<v Speaker 1>see him in the playoffs. It's probably shutdown city time out.

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<v Speaker 1>In Philly, Joel Embiid, one of the greatest quotes in

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<v Speaker 1>the league, put the entire NBA on blast by saying

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<v Speaker 1>he thinks he's unguardable. It's all about using that and

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<v Speaker 1>trying to make my teammates better with that comes to

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of doubles and triple teams every single game.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's about how to may make my teammates better

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<v Speaker 1>every game, which is one of the most savagely confident

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<v Speaker 1>comments I've heard an NBA player say in a long time.

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<v Speaker 1>But I don't think he's wrong. I think Embiid is

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<v Speaker 1>truly unguardable in the post, especially on the perimeter when

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<v Speaker 1>he's cooking as well, which begs the question to me.

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<v Speaker 1>I was thinking about it. Who are the most unguardable

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<v Speaker 1>players in the NBA? Went on one. I think number

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<v Speaker 1>one it's probably Yannest just because he's so big, so strong.

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<v Speaker 1>He can put the ball in his hands, pick it up,

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<v Speaker 1>pick up his dribble, and be at the rim in

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<v Speaker 1>two dribbles, no matter if he's at half court. So

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<v Speaker 1>impossible to stop someone that strong, that fast. Devin Booker

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<v Speaker 1>is is up there. I don't know if he's two,

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<v Speaker 1>but he's up there. He's on my list. He has

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<v Speaker 1>incredible footwork, great handles, he can shoot from everywhere. He's

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<v Speaker 1>a three level scorer English around the rim. His package

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<v Speaker 1>is ridiculous. Pause Dame Dame shoots from forty. Dame's got

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<v Speaker 1>right to left, step hop, left to right, step hop.

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<v Speaker 1>He can shoot from half court. You're in basically have

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<v Speaker 1>to drape all over him in order for him not

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<v Speaker 1>to shoot from forty. So you give him any bit

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<v Speaker 1>of separation, he's gonna shoot you. Don't give him any separation,

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<v Speaker 1>he's gonna blow by you. Pretty much. The same goes

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<v Speaker 1>for Steph Curry all the exact reasons. Just can shoot faster,

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<v Speaker 1>quicker release. Probably Jason Tatum as well. His footwork is insane.

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<v Speaker 1>He can raise up and elevate above you, just like

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<v Speaker 1>KD can, which is why Kd's on the list as well.

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<v Speaker 1>And then because he's so big, so strong and can

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<v Speaker 1>shoot Luca. Those are my seven outside of embat But

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<v Speaker 1>speaking of Embid, Zach los Low posted this on ESPN

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<v Speaker 1>and I thought it was worth mentioning as well. No

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<v Speaker 1>one has had more pressure on him to win this

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<v Speaker 1>year than Jokic, right everybody's talking about it. Well, if

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<v Speaker 1>Yokis doesn't win, doesn't go to the Western Conference finals,

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't go to the finals, doesn't win a title this year.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a failure. Three straight MVPs and no postseason success, whack.

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<v Speaker 1>His legacy is gonna be in jeopardy. But as Low

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<v Speaker 1>points out, which is totally true and totally fair, Jokis

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<v Speaker 1>has actually have more playoff success than Joel Embiid. Actually,

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<v Speaker 1>nobody is saying Joel Embiid needs to do anything more

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<v Speaker 1>in the postseason for his legacy. Nobody is saying Joel

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<v Speaker 1>Embiid has pressure on him this year. I get that

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<v Speaker 1>Jokich has two MVPs is about to get a third one.

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<v Speaker 1>But Jokich has reached one conference finals and Joel Embiid

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<v Speaker 1>has never been that far. So what are we talking about?

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<v Speaker 1>And then if you look at individual postseason numbers, they

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<v Speaker 1>are better as well. So I look that up and

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<v Speaker 1>Jokich averages twenty six point four eleven point five rebounds

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<v Speaker 1>and six point four assists in forty eight games and

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<v Speaker 1>Bid twenty four points eleven rebounds and two point eight

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<v Speaker 1>assists in four less games. So yeah, I al would

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<v Speaker 1>say Zach Lowe is onto something here. If you're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>hate on Yolkic in terms of his playoff success, you

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<v Speaker 1>need to hold Embiid to that same standard. You need

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<v Speaker 1>to let him know, hey, you are not winning enough.

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<v Speaker 1>And finally, did you see this, Our Sacramento Kings are

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<v Speaker 1>now tied for seconds in the West. I remember it

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<v Speaker 1>clear as day. I was sitting right here in this chair,

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<v Speaker 1>and I said, am I crazy to think that this

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<v Speaker 1>team could be an easy playin team to be in

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<v Speaker 1>the eight seed? Coming out? People were saying I was crazy.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a team that won twenty something games. They

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<v Speaker 1>might win fifty games this year. We've been on em

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<v Speaker 1>all year, as you know. But just let you know.

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<v Speaker 1>They are not only holding off their arrivals in the

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<v Speaker 1>toughest division in basketball. They are eight and two in

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<v Speaker 1>their last ten. They are nine and two in this

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<v Speaker 1>last month against really good teams. Here is the reason

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<v Speaker 1>why their top eight players by minutes have played in

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<v Speaker 1>at least fifty nine of their sixty six games so

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<v Speaker 1>far this year. So no load management, no significant injuries.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, their top eight players have only lost a

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<v Speaker 1>total of twenty four games this year combined. Lebron just

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<v Speaker 1>for comparison, has missed twenty one games by himself this year.

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<v Speaker 1>Anthony Davis has also lost over twenty games this year.

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<v Speaker 1>This team is healthy and that is gonna be so

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<v Speaker 1>huge for them this time in the playoffs. Healthy teams

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<v Speaker 1>win championships. Folks, just saying, that's all the time that

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<v Speaker 1>we have for the episode of the Heat Check. Check

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<v Speaker 1>back Friday for an all new episode. Do you not

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<v Speaker 1>forget to watch the feed? Maybe more interviews will be

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<v Speaker 1>coming depending on what pops so far this week. Please

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<v Speaker 1>follow us on social media at this heat check on

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<v Speaker 1>TikTok at trist to crik on TikTok at tris to

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<v Speaker 1>underscore Crik on Instagram, at trist to crik on Twitter.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that's what it is. Just search my name

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<v Speaker 1>and follow us because the heat Check never sleeps, not

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<v Speaker 1>even when I've lost my voice. We'll see you next time.