WEBVTT - Stephen A. Smith's comments on Jaylen Brown put ESPN's issues covering the NBA on display

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<v Speaker 1>On this episode of the Eat Check, did we just

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<v Speaker 1>come to realize that we are witnessing the most skilled

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<v Speaker 1>offensive backcourt in NBA history. We get into that, the

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<v Speaker 1>controversy surrounding, well, I don't even know if it's controversy.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a scuttle butt. It's a scuttle butt about Jalen Brown.

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<v Speaker 2>And Steven A. Smith. Oh, stephen A, You in trouble,

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<v Speaker 2>You in trouble.

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<v Speaker 1>We also talk a little bit about nas Reed, one

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<v Speaker 1>player in this playoffs who has broken out the most,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think this man has going is going to

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<v Speaker 1>make absolute cheddar Anthony, let's jump into it.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's drop that motherfucker beat.

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<v Speaker 1>The shitty un.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, it's nine nights, these.

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<v Speaker 1>Masks for these mines, it's moves. Unfortunately, hate to say it.

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<v Speaker 2>The Timberwolves really should be up two to one.

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<v Speaker 1>The MAVs absolutely deserve to win Game three, and yet

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<v Speaker 1>the MAVs are up three zero in the Western Conference Finals,

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<v Speaker 1>which has been as good of a series as we've

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<v Speaker 1>seen this entire playoff run. Let's talk about something though,

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<v Speaker 1>that Stan Van Gundy said towards the end of their

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<v Speaker 1>win the game where Luca had thirty three seven and five,

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<v Speaker 1>where Kyrie Irving had thirty three, three and four, and

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<v Speaker 1>they just bawled out once again in fourth quarter performances

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<v Speaker 1>that you've never just seen. The clutch shot making, off

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<v Speaker 1>balance jumpers, the step back threes, just the like try

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<v Speaker 1>to make me go to rehab, and I said, no, oh, no, no.

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<v Speaker 1>It was like you cannot guard me. No, no, no,

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<v Speaker 1>this is we are bad men right now.

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<v Speaker 2>And it is winning time.

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<v Speaker 1>Van Gundy, by the way, he had a heartbreaking and

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<v Speaker 1>touching and inspirational and moving an interview with Dan LeBatard

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<v Speaker 1>the other day. I think yesterday about his wife and

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<v Speaker 1>his wife's passing almost he said as an afterthought at

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<v Speaker 1>the end end of the game, though, he said, this

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<v Speaker 1>is the best offensive backcourt in the history of the NBA,

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<v Speaker 1>And I think he's right. Here's why Luca and Kyrie

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<v Speaker 1>are the first backcourt to score thirty plus three times

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<v Speaker 1>in a playoff run in the last fifty years, in

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<v Speaker 1>the last half century, folks, that is how great Luca

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<v Speaker 1>and Kyrie have been. It is kind of like I

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<v Speaker 1>know that Kyrie, we didn't know what was gonna go

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<v Speaker 1>on with them, and like he was unhappy in Brooklyn,

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<v Speaker 1>and like some people thought maybe he wouldn't even be

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<v Speaker 1>playing basketball in the next three years because who knows,

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<v Speaker 1>like he likes to burn stage. But like when we

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<v Speaker 1>watched this version of Kyrie Irving and the version that

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<v Speaker 1>we've seen when he played with Lebron James and the

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<v Speaker 1>Caps that version, or even before he sprayed his ankle

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<v Speaker 1>with the Brooklyn Nets when they were dismantling the Milwaukee Bucks, Like,

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<v Speaker 1>there's no reason that the NBA.

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<v Speaker 2>Should have allowed Luke and Kyrie to be on the

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<v Speaker 2>same team.

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<v Speaker 1>Like, these two dudes are top five in the NBA

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<v Speaker 1>and they play with one another. I know that we've

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<v Speaker 1>seen this before with Harden and Kad and Kyrie, it

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<v Speaker 1>just feels different to me, Doug, this is a are

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<v Speaker 1>a problem. I told a friend recently that the problem

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<v Speaker 1>for the Wolves was that they are facing two of

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<v Speaker 1>the five best players in the NBA right now, and

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<v Speaker 1>both of those guys happened to be two of the

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<v Speaker 1>most also clutch players in the.

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<v Speaker 2>NBA, the closer closers.

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<v Speaker 1>They can hit some of the most difficult shots that

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<v Speaker 1>you've ever seen while they're being double teamed, while they're

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<v Speaker 1>being blitzed, and somehow they find a way to split

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<v Speaker 1>that double team, to find a way to kick to

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<v Speaker 1>the open role player in the corner, who just happens

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<v Speaker 1>to turn into Prime Ray Allen before our very eyes.

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<v Speaker 1>How the fuck did PJ.

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<v Speaker 2>Washington turn into Ray Allen? How did Josh Green become

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<v Speaker 2>this good?

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<v Speaker 1>How did Derek Lively turn into Tyson Chandler his rookie

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<v Speaker 1>year in the league. Anyway, back to the backcourt offensive duos,

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<v Speaker 1>Stephen Clay top the list, right, They're probably one of

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<v Speaker 1>the best that we've ever seen. The MAVs, by the way,

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<v Speaker 1>really quick before I go back to this, the MAVs

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<v Speaker 1>have outscored the Wolves twenty four to eleven, despite all

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<v Speaker 1>three games being within one possession in the last like.

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<v Speaker 2>Two minutes of the game.

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<v Speaker 1>Anyway, back to the other backcourt offensive duos that are

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<v Speaker 1>really good. Stephen Clay, They're like on top of the mountain.

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<v Speaker 1>Chris Paul, Devin Book are really good. Chris Paul and

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<v Speaker 1>James Harden really good, Magic and Byron Scott really good,

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<v Speaker 1>Tony Parker, Monogenobli really good, Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumar is

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<v Speaker 1>really good, Harden and Kyrie really good. But I don't

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<v Speaker 1>think any of those folks are as good as Luca

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<v Speaker 1>and Kyrie. Now we look at a Celtics MAVs finals

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<v Speaker 1>because both teams are up three zero, one hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>fifty four to zero in the history of the NBA,

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<v Speaker 1>so it feels like it's kind of a rap. But

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<v Speaker 1>holy shit, two series that could have gone seven, which

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<v Speaker 1>would have been awesome, all look like they're gonna be

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<v Speaker 1>a sweep. And the major reason is somehow, somehow we

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<v Speaker 1>blocked Chris Paul to the Lakers and we did not

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<v Speaker 1>block Kyrie to the MAVs. With Luka Doncic made, that's

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<v Speaker 1>your reason is the best backcourt that we have seen

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<v Speaker 1>in the history of the NBA. And oh my god,

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<v Speaker 1>remember all those people who said that they could not

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<v Speaker 1>play together. How dumb do those people look right fucking

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<v Speaker 1>now with all the egg on their face. Cannot wait

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<v Speaker 1>to talk to those people. Go call a.

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<v Speaker 2>Friend, Go call a friend.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, let's move on. Yeah, we got little Jalen

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<v Speaker 1>Brown's scuttle, but woooo multiple Jalen Brown rhetorics going on.

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<v Speaker 1>You hear that, and I assume your first question is

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<v Speaker 1>what did Jalen Brown do? What kind of things did

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<v Speaker 1>Jalen Brown do that would cause this level of controversial conversation.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know nothing. He did nothing. All he did

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<v Speaker 2>was his.

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<v Speaker 1>Job, and he did it at an extremely a high level.

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<v Speaker 1>Bawled out averaging twenty five six and three with one

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<v Speaker 1>and a half stocks per game and an incredible plus

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<v Speaker 1>seventeen point two net rating per game in the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 1>So it is certainly not his game that's causing controversy.

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<v Speaker 1>What it is is other people, and by other people,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean ESPN and what they've been saying about him.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's start with Kendrick Perkins. Kendrick Perkins went on ESPN

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<v Speaker 1>and he had the goal to say that it was

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<v Speaker 1>not Jason Tatum, it was Jalen Brown, who is the

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<v Speaker 1>best player on the Boston Celtics. Let's listen.

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<v Speaker 3>What statement did Jalen Brown make? What statement he's been

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<v Speaker 3>trying to make all postseason long that he's the best

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<v Speaker 3>player on the Boston Celtics. He's the best player on

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<v Speaker 3>the Boston Celtics, and he's willing to stand on business.

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<v Speaker 3>Last night was a prime example of a guy taking

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<v Speaker 3>it personal and responding in great fashion. He may try

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<v Speaker 3>to downplay it, but we could see it in his

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<v Speaker 3>face that he was pissed off he didn't make an

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<v Speaker 3>All NBA team and how he handled it. All Right,

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<v Speaker 3>y'all take this forty piece you look at when before

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<v Speaker 3>the Calves series, before that that series started, Jaylen Brown

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<v Speaker 3>was on record talking about how much the last time

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<v Speaker 3>they played the Calves, how much it haunted them because

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<v Speaker 3>the Calves and Lebron James sent them home. Had nothing

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<v Speaker 3>to do with Donovan Mitchell. What are you doing?

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<v Speaker 1>YadA YadA, YadA. You know what. Anyway, Perk basically said

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<v Speaker 1>Jalen Brown standing on business.

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<v Speaker 2>And it's true, he's been great.

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<v Speaker 1>He shot fifty five percent from the field, although he

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<v Speaker 1>is struggling a little bit from the line.

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<v Speaker 2>But is our man Jalen Brown actually better than Tatum?

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<v Speaker 2>I do not think so.

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<v Speaker 1>In the twenty two twenty twenty three season, we had

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<v Speaker 1>to go to the lab here, folks, Tatum faced the

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<v Speaker 1>third most double teams in the entire NBA, behind only

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<v Speaker 1>Luka Doncic and Trey Young.

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<v Speaker 2>Jalen Brown was not even in the top fifteen. And

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<v Speaker 2>to me, that's that's the significant.

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<v Speaker 1>Factor, because who's gonna go off when your star player

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<v Speaker 1>gets doubled? It very much to me, feels like when

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<v Speaker 1>Juju Smith Schuster went crazy because Antonio Brown. I know

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<v Speaker 1>it's a football analogy, because Antonio Brown was always being

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<v Speaker 1>double covered. Brown benefits from playing with someone who attracts

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<v Speaker 1>so much attention from opposing defenses and he does his job.

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<v Speaker 2>Does that mean that he's not as valuable?

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<v Speaker 1>No? Should we look at Brown differently? No? Should we

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<v Speaker 1>say that he's not very good? No, But what he

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<v Speaker 1>is not is better than Jason Tatum. Otherwise he would

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<v Speaker 1>get more double teams than Jason Tatum. And when teams

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<v Speaker 1>are scheming and thinking and using all of our attention

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<v Speaker 1>on one player AKAA Jason Tatum, that other player, that

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<v Speaker 1>secondary player who's very good, goes crazy and they may

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<v Speaker 1>look better than the one A because one.

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<v Speaker 2>A is being game planned for. Get it.

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<v Speaker 1>You may look at his stats and by contrast JT's

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<v Speaker 1>truble in the clutch and say that he's playing better.

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<v Speaker 1>But the truth is other teams do not perceive Jalen

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<v Speaker 1>Brown to be better AKA. Otherwise, if so facto, he

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<v Speaker 1>would get more double teams. Get it anyway, that's not

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<v Speaker 1>the end of the controversy at all at all.

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<v Speaker 2>So Stephen A.

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<v Speaker 1>Smith has been it's been an electric twenty twenty four

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<v Speaker 1>for Steven A.

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<v Speaker 2>Smith, he's been on a tear.

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<v Speaker 1>He's been saying crazy shit, and so the crazy shit

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<v Speaker 1>does not stop with Jalen Brown. Let's go there, because

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<v Speaker 1>it's out of hocket.

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<v Speaker 4>It's not so much that he's underrated, it's that he's

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<v Speaker 4>just not liked because of his quote I am better

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<v Speaker 4>than you attitude. He knows it. It's the same reason

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<v Speaker 4>he is not as marketable as he should be. That's

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<v Speaker 4>what an NBA source just sent me. I don't know

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<v Speaker 4>that to be there.

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<v Speaker 2>Oohe oh boy.

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<v Speaker 1>So Steven a Recap says that an NBA source he

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<v Speaker 1>was reading it from his phone like you got a

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<v Speaker 1>text message, which I'm not saying that he didn't, is

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<v Speaker 1>telling him that Jalen Brown has an off putting attitude.

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<v Speaker 1>And then he is quote not liked because he has

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<v Speaker 1>a I am better than you attitude, and he knows it.

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<v Speaker 1>It's the same reason that he's not as marketable as

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<v Speaker 1>he should be. To this, Jalen Brown decided to get

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<v Speaker 1>into the mansions and quote tweeted that video and said,

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<v Speaker 1>state your source. First off of all, if I'm Jalen Brown,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd be thinking the same thing. Who the fuck is

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<v Speaker 1>talking about me like that? Who is saying I'm all

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<v Speaker 1>high cindity because I went to cow and I'm like active.

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<v Speaker 2>In the community. Who's that? Who's doing that? To stephen

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<v Speaker 2>A's point, I don't state sources. That's not how journalism works.

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<v Speaker 1>Otherwise I'm not gonna be able to get that information

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<v Speaker 1>if I have to call out names every time I

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<v Speaker 1>do so. Hence the reason that his sources are allowed.

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<v Speaker 2>To be anonymous.

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<v Speaker 1>It is kind of bullshit, though, to bring up something

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<v Speaker 1>about a guy who has done literally nothing but ball out.

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<v Speaker 1>Why is something good the jump off to something bad?

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<v Speaker 1>That's really the fucked up thing. Let's only let's bring

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<v Speaker 1>up bad things when bad things happen, not bring up

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<v Speaker 1>bad things when good things happen.

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<v Speaker 2>I as someone who has had that done to them.

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<v Speaker 1>That feels like shit. All I'm doing is outperforming expectations,

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<v Speaker 1>and what do I get for that?

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<v Speaker 2>Nothing but a load of garbage shit.

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<v Speaker 1>Anyway, my question about this isn't just about timing. It's

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<v Speaker 1>about why are you doing this? Why? What's the purpose

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<v Speaker 1>of bringing this up? It kind of seems mean spirited,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's not like you can make a defense against

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<v Speaker 1>this kind of innuendo. It's very damaging to someone's brand

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<v Speaker 1>on a national platform coming from a quote anonymous source

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<v Speaker 1>in the NBA, I think, I think NBA's the NBA's

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<v Speaker 1>coverage on ESPN is what is quote off putting.

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<v Speaker 2>I think, uh, the NBA.

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<v Speaker 1>Coverage on ESPN seems like they have a better than

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<v Speaker 1>you attitude. I think they know it, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>it's also the same reason that ESPN is not as

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<v Speaker 1>markable as they should be. How about that? And I

0:13:11.160 --> 0:13:14.400
<v Speaker 1>have a lot of sources telling me that it's on

0:13:14.559 --> 0:13:18.120
<v Speaker 1>these internet streets and people are putting their good names

0:13:18.360 --> 0:13:24.040
<v Speaker 1>with blue badges attached to that. ESPN's NBA coverage for

0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:26.880
<v Speaker 1>a very long time has been a.

0:13:26.920 --> 0:13:29.320
<v Speaker 2>Miss for me, an absolute miss.

0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:33.160
<v Speaker 1>And this is now another example of why there is

0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:36.720
<v Speaker 1>an absolute reason the NBA's coverage on ESPN has been

0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:41.240
<v Speaker 1>getting ravaged and savaged. ESPN told Tim Legler, who told

0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:45.200
<v Speaker 1>Ryan Riscilla the following I wish I had video of

0:13:45.320 --> 0:13:47.600
<v Speaker 1>all of the meetings I've been in this year at

0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.360
<v Speaker 1>ESPN when I wanted to talk more about the Indiana Pacers,

0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:55.080
<v Speaker 1>particularly after they got Pascal Siaka, and they said the

0:13:55.240 --> 0:14:00.200
<v Speaker 1>Pacers are not sexy enough. Fuck that.

0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:04.520
<v Speaker 2>By the way, the Pacers are a very sexy team.

0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:06.520
<v Speaker 1>And they happen to be in the mecca of basketball, Indiana,

0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:09.680
<v Speaker 1>and if ESPN and they're like East Coast bias can't

0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:13.000
<v Speaker 1>figure that out. I don't know what to say. It

0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:18.840
<v Speaker 1>does feel a little like bad and sad and unfair

0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:22.480
<v Speaker 1>that we're gonna lose TNT and we're not gonna lose ESPN.

0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:26.280
<v Speaker 1>That is what it is. There is a reason there

0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:28.480
<v Speaker 1>was so much backlash to a huge segment in an

0:14:28.680 --> 0:14:31.320
<v Speaker 1>ESPN pregame to a pivotal playoff game between the Wolves

0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:34.920
<v Speaker 1>and the Nuggets about whether Stephen A could score a

0:14:34.960 --> 0:14:39.160
<v Speaker 1>bucket against Lebron James. Does it feel like NBA on

0:14:39.520 --> 0:14:42.720
<v Speaker 1>ESPN or does it feel like stephen A on ESPN?

0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:43.440
<v Speaker 2>You know what I'm saying.

0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:46.960
<v Speaker 1>I get it. It's a hot take merchant society world.

0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:50.040
<v Speaker 1>I get that. I understand that it drives clicks, drives eyeballs.

0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:52.200
<v Speaker 1>People get all up in arms. But I don't give

0:14:52.200 --> 0:14:52.880
<v Speaker 1>a fuck.

0:14:52.760 --> 0:14:55.000
<v Speaker 2>A flying fuck if Stephen A can.

0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:58.560
<v Speaker 1>Score one bucket on Lebron James. When it's I don't know, June,

0:14:58.880 --> 0:15:03.280
<v Speaker 1>it's fucking June. Talk about June hoops. Not talk about

0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:07.840
<v Speaker 1>a guy who cannot hoop. As for Jalen Brown, I'm sorry, Bro,

0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:11.000
<v Speaker 1>I am I don't care if you're the best Celtic

0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:14.160
<v Speaker 1>or the worst Celtic. I don't care if anybody finds

0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:18.680
<v Speaker 1>you off putting or unmarketable. I think besides the fact

0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:22.440
<v Speaker 1>that you cannot go left, you are an absolute electric

0:15:22.480 --> 0:15:26.360
<v Speaker 1>basketball player and you are balling. I hope you keep

0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:30.680
<v Speaker 1>absolutely doing good things, standing on business and becoming a

0:15:30.760 --> 0:15:33.800
<v Speaker 1>major reason that Boston is about to reach the NBA

0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:37.520
<v Speaker 1>Finals and hopefully lose to the Dallas Mavericks because I

0:15:37.520 --> 0:15:39.920
<v Speaker 1>hate the Celtics. But keep doing you, JB, keep doing

0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:42.520
<v Speaker 1>you all right, Moving on, I think it is time.

0:15:43.840 --> 0:15:47.320
<v Speaker 1>I think it is time that we talk about nos Reed.

0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.720
<v Speaker 1>We all know that nas Reed has been a cult

0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:54.720
<v Speaker 1>favorite in Minnesota. We know that he has a little

0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:57.280
<v Speaker 1>following on Reddit. We know that he's the guy who

0:15:57.360 --> 0:15:59.920
<v Speaker 1>Wolves fans now greet each other by saying his name

0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:04.280
<v Speaker 1>with a slight heead nod, nas Reid, nas Reed. This

0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:06.240
<v Speaker 1>is what happens when you're an undrafted kid out of

0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:10.120
<v Speaker 1>LSU who worked his ass off to make a roster

0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:13.840
<v Speaker 1>and then blossomed into a genuine star and maybe to

0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:17.280
<v Speaker 1>me the second best player on the Minnesota Timberwolves right now.

0:16:17.320 --> 0:16:20.480
<v Speaker 1>But outside of Minnesota, there's nobody really that knew that.

0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:21.280
<v Speaker 2>Much about him.

0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:22.880
<v Speaker 1>Even after he won six Man of the Year, A

0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:25.040
<v Speaker 1>lot of people were very mad than nas Reid won

0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:28.880
<v Speaker 1>six Man of the Year. So this is why no

0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.920
<v Speaker 1>one has opened more eyes in the playoffs than nas Reed.

0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:35.760
<v Speaker 1>He is averaging. The numbers don't even look that good,

0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:37.920
<v Speaker 1>but there, I promise you they're really good. Twelve four

0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:40.680
<v Speaker 1>and one one and a half stocks in twenty two

0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:44.400
<v Speaker 1>minutes in this playoff run as a whole. Solid numbers,

0:16:44.560 --> 0:16:49.080
<v Speaker 1>especially since he's a seven footer who's shooting forty one

0:16:49.120 --> 0:16:53.800
<v Speaker 1>percent behind the arc. But here's what's opening up everyone

0:16:53.800 --> 0:16:56.880
<v Speaker 1>else's eyes. He's been pretty much the only Timberwolf to

0:16:56.920 --> 0:16:59.840
<v Speaker 1>show up at all in the series against the Mavericks's

0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:03.000
<v Speaker 1>averaging nineteen four and one with two and a half stocks,

0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:07.119
<v Speaker 1>shooting sixty seven percent from three against a Dallas defense

0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:09.280
<v Speaker 1>that's one of the best in the league. They've thrown

0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:11.399
<v Speaker 1>Lively at him, They've thrown gafferd at him, they throw

0:17:11.520 --> 0:17:14.840
<v Speaker 1>Luke at him, PJ Derek Jones Junior at him, They've

0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:17.480
<v Speaker 1>tried to double him, and guess what, none of it

0:17:17.560 --> 0:17:20.199
<v Speaker 1>has worked. He is cooking all these guys on the

0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:24.359
<v Speaker 1>green egg. Hibachi style could be the matchup. He was

0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:27.720
<v Speaker 1>a plus net fifty against Dallas in all four regular

0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:31.479
<v Speaker 1>season games. Some people might think that this is just

0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:33.359
<v Speaker 1>like something you can see coming, but I don't think so.

0:17:33.480 --> 0:17:36.720
<v Speaker 1>I think he's just that good right now. I would

0:17:36.720 --> 0:17:41.480
<v Speaker 1>be lying if I didn't say NBA execs everywhere we're

0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:44.280
<v Speaker 1>not paying attention because they are now. I think every

0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:46.359
<v Speaker 1>other team in the league is like, we need that guy.

0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:50.520
<v Speaker 1>And the bad news for Minnesota is this contract at

0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:53.440
<v Speaker 1>Nasried signed in twenty twenty three. He signed a three year,

0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:57.200
<v Speaker 1>forty two million dollar deal, and everybody's like, wow, there's

0:17:57.200 --> 0:18:00.679
<v Speaker 1>a lot of money for Nosried considering Minnesota had just

0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:02.600
<v Speaker 1>mortgage to the farm for Rudy Gobert and they had

0:18:02.640 --> 0:18:05.800
<v Speaker 1>three bigs under contract, meaning next season twenty four to

0:18:05.800 --> 0:18:08.080
<v Speaker 1>twenty five, Cat, Gobert and Reed are gonna be making

0:18:08.119 --> 0:18:10.720
<v Speaker 1>like one hundred million by themselves, considering the cap is

0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:12.520
<v Speaker 1>one hundred and forty one million dollars. We were a

0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:15.119
<v Speaker 1>first year of truly punishing cap aprons. Feels like a

0:18:15.200 --> 0:18:19.040
<v Speaker 1>concerning thing. But you know what's more concerning is the

0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:23.080
<v Speaker 1>contract structure, which is that my man nas Reed has

0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:25.960
<v Speaker 1>a player option on the third year of that deal,

0:18:26.280 --> 0:18:30.560
<v Speaker 1>meaning he's done after next year. Meaning he could be

0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:33.160
<v Speaker 1>a free agent at a time where he's the peak

0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:36.119
<v Speaker 1>of his powers when my man Karl Anthony Towns is

0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:39.680
<v Speaker 1>making sixty million a year and I don't think nas

0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:42.800
<v Speaker 1>Reed is gonna opt in to fourteen million dollars a

0:18:42.920 --> 0:18:46.240
<v Speaker 1>year when he could be getting twenty five twenty eight

0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:48.840
<v Speaker 1>million a year. I could see him getting up to

0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:52.720
<v Speaker 1>thirty million a year on the right team. Can you imagine.

0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:57.240
<v Speaker 2>Nas Reed for the Orlando Magic oo oi?

0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:00.880
<v Speaker 1>They're about twenty five teams would love to have him.

0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:04.080
<v Speaker 1>My Portland Trailblazers would love to have him. But I

0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:07.320
<v Speaker 1>think he's a starter. This is not a low Williams situation.

0:19:07.840 --> 0:19:09.879
<v Speaker 1>He's not a bench player. I think he might be

0:19:09.880 --> 0:19:12.359
<v Speaker 1>better right now than Karl Anthony Towns. And Karl Anthony

0:19:12.400 --> 0:19:15.000
<v Speaker 1>Towns is making like six times when Osried is making.

0:19:15.640 --> 0:19:18.200
<v Speaker 1>I for one, would love him in Portland next to eight.

0:19:18.280 --> 0:19:22.600
<v Speaker 1>And in fact, I'd much rather give them Jeremy Grant money,

0:19:22.640 --> 0:19:26.760
<v Speaker 1>who I also like, maybe Jeremy Grant for Osried wouldn't

0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:29.719
<v Speaker 1>that Jeremy Grant without the Wolves. I think his defense

0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:32.239
<v Speaker 1>makes the team more flexible. Roster flexibility is the new

0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:35.280
<v Speaker 1>currency of the NBA. And if you're the Wolves, just

0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:36.760
<v Speaker 1>trade Karl Anthony Towns.

0:19:36.760 --> 0:19:37.040
<v Speaker 2>Now.

0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:40.880
<v Speaker 1>I know his value is not high, but like Nasred

0:19:40.960 --> 0:19:43.639
<v Speaker 1>is only twenty four years old, and he's improved every year,

0:19:43.680 --> 0:19:46.280
<v Speaker 1>and he's cheap and now he's proven that he can

0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.640
<v Speaker 1>do this in the playoffs in the Western Conference finals.

0:19:48.720 --> 0:19:51.639
<v Speaker 1>And guess who hasn't done that, Karl Anthony Towns. And

0:19:51.720 --> 0:19:53.520
<v Speaker 1>if you can't get him to agree to an extension,

0:19:53.920 --> 0:19:55.880
<v Speaker 1>you gotta trade him. You can't let him walk for free.

0:19:55.920 --> 0:20:00.720
<v Speaker 1>And that means that Minnesota is literally tick tick tick

0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:05.359
<v Speaker 1>freezing cold. Takes. Got nothing, by the way, on Nate Duncan,

0:20:05.359 --> 0:20:07.800
<v Speaker 1>because to think this this year, Nate Duncan said the

0:20:07.840 --> 0:20:10.320
<v Speaker 1>Wolves should swap him for Tias Jones.

0:20:11.040 --> 0:20:14.560
<v Speaker 2>Oh my god, he said that, But.

0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:16.960
<v Speaker 1>The Wizards wouldn't take the deal because I think there's

0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:19.359
<v Speaker 1>a risk he's not gonna play that well in the playoffs.

0:20:19.520 --> 0:20:21.520
<v Speaker 1>I don't think he's a good enough player on both

0:20:21.600 --> 0:20:22.320
<v Speaker 1>ends of the floor.

0:20:22.640 --> 0:20:24.119
<v Speaker 2>Oh my god, Nate Duncan.

0:20:24.160 --> 0:20:28.679
<v Speaker 1>You did not say that. The truth is Nate Duncan

0:20:29.880 --> 0:20:32.240
<v Speaker 1>might be out of a job if it mattered whether

0:20:32.280 --> 0:20:34.480
<v Speaker 1>he was right or wrong, because like nas Reed, is

0:20:34.480 --> 0:20:36.040
<v Speaker 1>one of the best players in the NBA right now,

0:20:36.080 --> 0:20:39.879
<v Speaker 1>playing playing basketball right the second, he's grossly underpaid, and

0:20:39.920 --> 0:20:42.480
<v Speaker 1>that's going to fix itself sooner than later, maybe just

0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:45.639
<v Speaker 1>not in Minnesota. I am sorry. That is all the

0:20:45.680 --> 0:20:47.360
<v Speaker 1>time that we have for this episode of The Heat Check.

0:20:47.440 --> 0:20:49.960
<v Speaker 1>Come back Wednesday for an all new episode breaking down

0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:52.400
<v Speaker 1>the conference finals, and check out the fee for past episodes,

0:20:52.400 --> 0:20:55.680
<v Speaker 1>and many episodes would drop unexpectedly like a hard foul

0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:59.520
<v Speaker 1>on Angel Reese. Do not forget the follow the e

0:20:59.680 --> 0:21:02.520
<v Speaker 1>check out the playoffs. That means download, subscribe, and tell

0:21:02.560 --> 0:21:04.840
<v Speaker 1>your friends, even the woman in front of you on

0:21:04.880 --> 0:21:08.320
<v Speaker 1>the plane who had the role all to herself sleeping

0:21:09.080 --> 0:21:14.320
<v Speaker 1>laying horizontally while you get scrunched between five family members

0:21:14.359 --> 0:21:19.840
<v Speaker 1>and kids swapping iPhones and plugs and food and drinks

0:21:19.920 --> 0:21:23.159
<v Speaker 1>and you're just there in a family reunion with a

0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:27.120
<v Speaker 1>dog terrible. Tell her, Hey, you lucky bitch, you get

0:21:27.119 --> 0:21:28.959
<v Speaker 1>to lie down a cross country flight. I bet you're

0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:31.600
<v Speaker 1>listening to the Heat Check while you slumber at twenty

0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:33.560
<v Speaker 1>five thousand feet and do not forget to follow us

0:21:33.560 --> 0:21:34.080
<v Speaker 1>at this heat.

0:21:34.119 --> 0:21:36.560
<v Speaker 2>Check it at just to check on TikTok, Twitter, and

0:21:36.680 --> 0:21:39.119
<v Speaker 2>Instagram at some point. YouTube