Speaker 1: Welcome back to another episode of unplug brought to you
Speaker 1: by Draft Kings. The crown is yours, but I just
Speaker 1: want to give a huge shout out to my brother
Speaker 1: Deshaun Foster and UCLA Football. We got a chance to
Speaker 1: team up with them this past Friday to do Friday
Speaker 1: Night Lights. It was success, and the biggest success story
Speaker 1: to come out of that is they landed their man,
Speaker 1: nico Ia Maliava. Close enough, Nico he landed in Westwood
Speaker 1: Man leading up to this. That's why every time I
Speaker 1: saw him posted, I'd put UCLA Football underneath it. But again, man,
Speaker 1: shout out to Deshaun and his team for landing the
Speaker 1: number one quarterback recruit in the portal. Things are changing
Speaker 1: over there and I'm really excited for him and I
Speaker 1: were happy that All the Smoke was able to be
Speaker 1: a part of that and definitely looking forward to working
Speaker 1: with them more in the future. Shout out to my
Speaker 1: girl Carrie Champion who came through and co hosted with
Speaker 1: me and everyone. We talked to the Carnell Lake and
Speaker 1: his son and my brother Mercedes Lewis got a chance
Speaker 1: to talk to DK. A lot of people were out there,
Speaker 1: a lot of former Bruin football players. So great event. Again,
Speaker 1: shout out to my brother Dashaun and this guy Thomas
Speaker 1: and everyone who made that event possible. Man, Huge success
Speaker 1: and best luck this year to UCLA football. Playoffs are
Speaker 1: finally here. And to dig into that a little bit,
Speaker 1: I want to bring in my good friend Rachel Nichols. Rachel,
Speaker 1: how are you. I've been seeing you everywhere You've been
Speaker 1: in practice around You've shaken a bacon.
Speaker 2: Huh yeah, you know, to keep it moving. Is that
Speaker 2: time of the year, man, the best time of the year.
Speaker 1: First up, timber Wolves came into LA and beat the
Speaker 1: Lakers by twenty two.
Speaker 2: Were you surprised?
Speaker 1: I was very surprised. I wasn't surprised that they want
Speaker 1: a surprise in the fashion which they won. And obviously
Speaker 1: they're not going to shoot fifty percent from the three
Speaker 1: point line the rest of the series. But fast break
Speaker 1: points twenty five to six. That kind of concerned me
Speaker 1: from a standpoint of Lakers just an older team and
Speaker 1: if they can't slow down, normally the playoffs are slower.
Speaker 1: But if you're able to get twenty six twenty five
Speaker 1: fast break points in the place game, you're really doing something.
Speaker 2: So it was twenty six years old.
Speaker 1: Well, Luca has never really been one for the lateral
Speaker 1: speed or defensive I agree.
Speaker 2: I'm just saying they're not an old team anymore, but.
Speaker 1: He still kind of moves like he's older on the defensive,
Speaker 1: not on the offensive end. But what I mean, what
Speaker 1: was your take from that? Obviously bron didn't shoot the ball. Well, yeah,
Speaker 1: and again I think people like Gina who's in here,
Speaker 1: who thinks, oh, it's over, Minnesota's gonna win. I don't
Speaker 1: definitely don't want to go that far, but it was
Speaker 1: definitely it opened my eyes a little bit.
Speaker 2: I thought the Lakers would end up winning this series
Speaker 2: because I just thought that they would outgun Minnesota in
Speaker 2: the end. That's how the Lakers are going to win
Speaker 2: any playoff series this year. They're just going to pour
Speaker 2: in so many points with such a you know, potent
Speaker 2: offense that they can make up for their defensive deficiencies.
Speaker 2: But where it falls apart is if you can have
Speaker 2: someone who can really drive the lane and make you
Speaker 2: pay at the basket, because they just don't have that
Speaker 2: interior defense anymore. And Anthony Edwards, I was really impressed.
Speaker 2: He was so disciplined because We saw him in the
Speaker 2: Western Conference Finals last year, after having such a good
Speaker 2: run through the first two rounds, kind of under the
Speaker 2: pressure of playing on that stage, you know, a good
Speaker 2: few games, but then kind of started to feel a
Speaker 2: little wild, you know, that sort of thing, got tired,
Speaker 2: but also just a little bit making that great decisions,
Speaker 2: and he made excellent decisions in game one. He deserves
Speaker 2: a lot of credit for that, and really just sort
Speaker 2: of pinpoint attacked where the Lakers were weak. And you
Speaker 2: say about the threes. Obviously they got to hit the threes,
Speaker 2: but the Lakers defensive plan ever since the trade has
Speaker 2: basically been leave three point shooters generally alone, the pack
Speaker 2: the paint because they just don't have an ad type
Speaker 2: presence anymore, and you can't hit them all. And the
Speaker 2: Wolves hit them.
Speaker 1: Yeah, they hit him, and obviously Lakers, I want to say,
Speaker 1: Lakers hit fifteen threes. McDaniels, you know, had a very
Speaker 1: solid game, twenty five points. I think Randall came back
Speaker 1: to LA with a little bit of chip on his shoulder.
Speaker 1: I think that missed the matchup between him and Braun.
Speaker 1: Obviously that's a match up the Lakers have to win.
Speaker 1: And what were your thoughts with just Braun not being
Speaker 1: very aggressive early on.
Speaker 2: I can't tell if he's a little bit hurt because
Speaker 2: he tweaked you know, he sat out with that hip
Speaker 2: pome thing and then it looked like he tweaked it.
Speaker 2: Now that was you know, a good ten days ago
Speaker 2: at this point, but still, you know, I can't tell
Speaker 2: if his mobility is affected at all or just mentally
Speaker 2: by making sure that he doesn't tweak it again or
Speaker 2: anything like that. Yeah, And also you know, he is
Speaker 2: a different role on this team now, and I think
Speaker 2: he's very grateful for that. Yeah, but it is different
Speaker 2: than we're used to seeing him. We're used to seeing him.
Speaker 2: This is the first time he has ever in my memory,
Speaker 2: played with a guy who he doesn't have to be
Speaker 2: the guy in the fourth quarter. Do you remember? I mean,
Speaker 2: I don't remember a team he's played on where it
Speaker 2: wasn't down to him in the forest.
Speaker 1: And just so many times, Richard, it's the random stuff
Speaker 1: with maybe the ball will be inbounded tobron, he'll just
Speaker 1: toss it to lucer like right away, you know what
Speaker 1: I mean. So it's just like I think this is
Speaker 1: what he wanted, but obviously kind of figuring out how
Speaker 1: to play within that will be interesting and if any
Speaker 1: one can figured it out, it will be him, and
Speaker 1: I know, knowing JJ, these guys will definitely be ready
Speaker 1: for a Game two. But Minnesota came and did what
Speaker 1: they had to do. Even if they you know, they
Speaker 1: one one on the opponent's court, which is all they
Speaker 1: have to do, they can lose next game and still
Speaker 1: have home court heading back home, So it'll be interesting
Speaker 1: to see how they come out the Lakers come out
Speaker 1: next game. Thoughts on the series at this point I.
Speaker 2: Thought going in and I still think it's the most
Speaker 2: likely that the Lakers will overwhelm the Wolves with how
Speaker 2: many points they can pour in Lebron will have a
Speaker 2: great night. At one point in this series. Luca, of course,
Speaker 2: already scored thirty plus he will do that again and
Speaker 2: again we know he can drop fifty when he wants to. Indeed,
Speaker 2: so we'll just have to see how much Ant can
Speaker 2: take advantage of going to the basket. They're going to
Speaker 2: still need more from Rudy Gobert. I don't know if
Speaker 2: you think that's possible, and I just don't know if
Speaker 2: the point totals are going to measure up because I
Speaker 2: just don't see anyone who can guard Luca on that team,
Speaker 2: and we saw it, by the way, yeah last season.
Speaker 1: One thing too, before we switched series. One thing I
Speaker 1: think the Lakers did was they let go Bear off
Speaker 1: the hook too much. He was out guard on the perimeter.
Speaker 1: They didn't attack them. Yeah, and they have allowed him
Speaker 1: to stay in the game and then he'll get a
Speaker 1: lob every once in a while and kind of keep
Speaker 1: that rim threat on the offensive end. So it'll be interesting. Obviously,
Speaker 1: Jackson Hayzes only played eight minutes, so Jade didn't feel
Speaker 1: he was very effective, so it'll be interesting to see
Speaker 1: what the strategy is coming into game too. But I
Speaker 1: still feel like the Lakers will get it. It won't
Speaker 1: be in five, It'll probably be in six or seven,
Speaker 1: which I don't think they want to do because obviously
Speaker 1: they need as much time for Bron to rest and
Speaker 1: heal if he's a little tweaked as possible. So it
Speaker 1: would definitely be an interesting series going forward. Denver and
Speaker 1: the Clippers. To me, this was my favorite series coming
Speaker 1: into the playoffs, and Russell Westbrook somehow became the storyline
Speaker 1: of this game, which I love because I thought he
Speaker 1: got a bullshit rap for him somehow being the reason
Speaker 1: why Malone was fired, and you know the booth situation.
Speaker 1: But he was crucial down the stretch, caused a big turnover.
Speaker 1: But what did you take from the Denver game and
Speaker 1: the Clippers having twenty turnovers and having a double digit
Speaker 1: lead in the second half and not being able to close.
Speaker 2: First of all, you and I both really like Russ personally.
Speaker 2: He is a box chocolates though you do not know
Speaker 2: what you're going to get, right. I mean, for every
Speaker 2: game where he comes through, there is a game where
Speaker 2: he takes a shot in the last seconds where you're.
Speaker 1: Just like, please, what is going on right the ball?
Speaker 2: It's great that it worked out. We will see games
Speaker 2: in the series where Russ does not work out, but
Speaker 2: that's okay. They know what they have in him. Nicole
Speaker 2: likes him, and I think that really important matters. I
Speaker 2: thought this was a seven game pickum series. I had
Speaker 2: no idea, did not pretend going into the series. I
Speaker 2: knew who was going to win, and the fact that
Speaker 2: the first game sort of went like this as you said,
Speaker 2: and then went into OT I thought James Harden was fantastic.
Speaker 2: We actually for all the smoke. Talked to him a
Speaker 2: couple of days ago going into the series, and I
Speaker 2: think it is underrated what he has done this season
Speaker 2: because it's not a please, it's not a one to one. Okay,
Speaker 2: it's not exactly the same scenario, but I look at
Speaker 2: what happened in Philadelphia right where you had sort of
Speaker 2: the guy who's considered the main guy, embid had this
Speaker 2: unreliability health issues right, and nobody including Paul George unfortunately
Speaker 2: could get And I think it can't really expect this
Speaker 2: because he was coming into the team, but he couldn't
Speaker 2: really get the guys himself, like all on the same page,
Speaker 2: him and Tyrese to be able to be like great,
Speaker 2: we're going to be fine without him, as long as
Speaker 2: it is that kind of thing. You had pretty much
Speaker 2: the same situation here in LA with first of all,
Speaker 2: PG left, so you have all that scoring gone and
Speaker 2: Kawhi was ah. I mean, we thought he might not
Speaker 2: come back this season. We didn't know if he was
Speaker 2: going to come back at all, right within it was
Speaker 2: just a totally mystery. So you know the fact that
Speaker 2: James from the very beginning before the preseason even like
Speaker 2: got the guys together in Arizona, which is cliche, but
Speaker 2: it does matter, I think, right, and like just kind
Speaker 2: of through the entire thing, him and Tylu were like,
Speaker 2: we're a team, We're going to be able to do this.
Speaker 2: And obviously Zubac the way he developed, So I thought
Speaker 2: James continued that through this game one. I thought Kawhi
Speaker 2: looked not quite as we know playoff Kawhi can look
Speaker 2: and the way frankly has looked in the last month,
Speaker 2: so you know, so I thought that was something that
Speaker 2: I wonder if they clean up and able to get
Speaker 2: him in a better position, if they'll be able to
Speaker 2: move forward.
Speaker 1: Differently, twenty nine points off of twenty turnovers, it's never
Speaker 1: going to be good. But to your point, I think
Speaker 1: just the way James has been able to handle the
Speaker 1: criticism and all the outside noise and kind of stay
Speaker 1: focused on what is needed, whether he needs to be
Speaker 1: the leading scorer, whether he needs to be the main facilitator.
Speaker 1: He's reliable. How many games did he play this year?
Speaker 1: Can we find out? I know he played a lot. Yeah,
Speaker 1: he was the one constant, and then obviously Kawhi playing
Speaker 1: well leading into the playoffs. I think he was twenty
Speaker 1: two and six last game. Harden played seventy nine games
Speaker 1: this year. Incredible, What is he thirty three thirty five?
Speaker 2: I believe he's thirty five.
Speaker 1: So I mean would he have thirty two eleven and six?
Speaker 1: I mean he came out and did his thing. One
Speaker 1: person I don't think talks about enough. We'll talk about
Speaker 1: a little bit later. As Zubats though, I think he's
Speaker 1: definitely in the running for most or he is a
Speaker 1: finalist or Most Improved. But the way he's been able
Speaker 1: to be a traditional big that in a game that
Speaker 1: doesn't have traditional bigs. That's why I kind of gave
Speaker 1: them the nod over this, because not that he was
Speaker 1: going to slow down Yokic, but he's going to have
Speaker 1: a lot of production from that position as well. So again,
Speaker 1: similar to the Lakers series, it's a little different, but
Speaker 1: I still feel like the Clippers are the better team.
Speaker 1: I think they're just going to have to show it.
Speaker 2: I think they also have a huge coaching advantage. Yeah right,
Speaker 2: Adaman may turn into one of the best coaches in
Speaker 2: the league one day.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, his dad was really good.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but you know how many games in he's coached
Speaker 2: four NBA games compared to Tyleru, who to me is
Speaker 2: one of the best coaches in the league by far.
Speaker 1: So what adjustments do you see the Clippers making outside
Speaker 1: of taking care of the ball that are going to
Speaker 1: help them in Game two?
Speaker 2: I mean, I think they need to feature Zobots actually
Speaker 2: a little bit more and kind of get him more
Speaker 2: of the looks that we get a hicculla work. Yeah,
Speaker 2: and I think that I think that Kawhi, you know,
Speaker 2: Kawi knows how to take care of shit. I mean,
Speaker 2: I think he's going to look at that tape and
Speaker 2: know what he needs to do differently, and Ty's going
Speaker 2: to continue to game plan. I mean he is. Jokic
Speaker 2: is the best player in the world, and there will
Speaker 2: be at least a game and possibly more where he
Speaker 2: goes for fifty or sixty. And you know, Clippers are
Speaker 2: one of the stingiest defenses in the NBA. But there
Speaker 2: is gonna be one game I predict where it just
Speaker 2: kind of all gets blown open. But then the Clippers
Speaker 2: are vets Man, They'll come right back.
Speaker 1: I mean, with that being said about Yo Kicic, when
Speaker 1: you spoke to James leading into Game one, there's a
Speaker 1: consensus feeling around the league that the players I don't
Speaker 1: want to get what did he say about how guys
Speaker 1: feel about the MVP.
Speaker 2: I just asked him sort of, you know, what their
Speaker 2: strategy was, and he talked about the defense, and I said, okay, well,
Speaker 2: lets you'll catch the best player in the world. And
Speaker 2: this is what he said, is he'll catch the best
Speaker 2: player in the world.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, because he's he am passed the game
Speaker 3: in multiple ways. You know, obviously scoring in basketball, but
Speaker 3: his playmaking ability is rebounding. He's a hardcover, you know
Speaker 3: what I mean. Obviously you put traditional fives on him
Speaker 3: and he just you know, he shoots the three and
Speaker 3: he does what he wants. So there's gonna be a
Speaker 3: tough match up for us. Obviously we know what we're
Speaker 3: in for, but I think we're prepared.
Speaker 2: I like that no hesitation. I feel like players will
Speaker 2: across the league kind of recognize he's the best going
Speaker 2: right now.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, obviously you know Shae who you don't
Speaker 3: think you all you know things he deserves MVP just
Speaker 3: because of their record and what he's been able to
Speaker 3: do scorre and wise, but you tell my overall player
Speaker 3: and how impactful he is in the game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, of course, So.
Speaker 2: I thought that was an interesting distinction between Hey, most
Speaker 2: of us players think this guy should be the MVP, which,
Speaker 2: first of all, you know, I mean, y'all talk, right,
Speaker 2: so I assume that that's a cop conversation, but also
Speaker 2: that Joki is the best player in the world, which
Speaker 2: is something that you guys know drives me fucking crazy
Speaker 2: because we have you know, I filled out my awards ballot.
Speaker 2: I had to decide who the seventh and eighth and
Speaker 2: ninth best rookies were this season. That is going to
Speaker 2: go down in history. Who was the ninth best rookie
Speaker 2: for the twenty twenty five season? You know what's not
Speaker 2: going to go down who the best player was? How
Speaker 2: do we not keep track of that? And you can
Speaker 2: sit there and say, look, we all know MJ was
Speaker 2: the best player even when he didn't win MVP. We
Speaker 2: knew bron was the best player when he didn't win
Speaker 2: an MVP. But the truth is memory fades. There's a
Speaker 2: lot of kids who never watched MJ play at this point,
Speaker 2: and certainly back behind that and what we have were
Speaker 2: the record books, Kobe is not going to be reflected
Speaker 2: in the record books the way he should have. Absolutely,
Speaker 2: and that's a guy who was definitely the best player
Speaker 2: in the world at one point. We need to have
Speaker 2: an award for this best player. And it is not
Speaker 2: because I just can't decide between two guys who's going
Speaker 2: to win MVP. It's because it's two different things. And
Speaker 2: the fact that we don't mark that when I have
Speaker 2: to vote for the ninth best Rookie for the year
Speaker 2: twenty twenty five is ridiculous.
Speaker 1: As someone who's been in the weeds and has had
Speaker 1: the privilege of voting for a lot of the times,
Speaker 1: do you feel like from year to year that the
Speaker 1: goalposts move around a little bit?
Speaker 2: Totally? I mean Most Improved Player is a great example.
Speaker 2: First of all, the history of that at ward is phenomenal.
Speaker 2: Do you know what it is.
Speaker 1: I don't know the history of the war, but I
Speaker 1: just know if you're like a lottery pick or number
Speaker 1: one pick, how do you ever get voted and most
Speaker 1: improved like you're supposed to be the ship?
Speaker 2: Well, let me take you back. So this used to
Speaker 2: be the comeback Player of the year.
Speaker 1: Remember that that.
Speaker 2: You know why they had to stop naming it that
Speaker 2: and giving it out. It kept going to guys who
Speaker 2: had like cocaine problems in the eighties, and then they
Speaker 2: would sort of clean up and come back, and the
Speaker 2: league had to talk about it. Everyone had to talk
Speaker 2: about why they were the comeback Player of.
Speaker 1: The Year the Powder Award.
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, So that's where it used to be. Then
Speaker 2: they made it most improved, which is confusing, very confused,
Speaker 2: because guys take a leap. You know, you have coaches
Speaker 2: who will tell me, I will never vote for a
Speaker 2: guy in his third year because that is what is
Speaker 2: supposed to happen. In fact, if you don't make the
Speaker 2: leap in your third year, you're going to get left behind.
Speaker 2: In the NBA, there are people who refuse to vote
Speaker 2: for anyone who is a top ten draft pick, saying
Speaker 2: you were supposed to be good, right, But is that
Speaker 2: necessarily have anything to do with improvements, right, Like, you
Speaker 2: can be supposed to be good and you can still
Speaker 2: make a significant improvement. Those are two separate things. Then
Speaker 2: you have people who vote based on, oh my god,
Speaker 2: this guy was like coming out of nowhere from last
Speaker 2: year and now he's making an impact, which is how
Speaker 2: I tend to vote. But it's it's a total crapshoot
Speaker 2: because we can't vote for the cocaine anymore.
Speaker 1: We're going to get into most Improved a little bit later,
Speaker 1: but before we do, let's talk Warriors Rockets, And before
Speaker 1: we talk about the game, do you have any insider
Speaker 1: have you heard anything about Kaminga and why he hasn't
Speaker 1: touched the floor in weeks?
Speaker 2: I mean I was going to say it's been the
Speaker 2: way it's been going, yeah, and that was.
Speaker 1: A sixteen and five and how small that team is, Yeah.
Speaker 2: You would think, yeah, right, So I don't know if
Speaker 2: ste feels like, hey, it's been going really well since
Speaker 2: the trade deadline. I mean all their numbers, not just
Speaker 2: their records have been so phenomenal. Why am I messing
Speaker 2: with that? And I respect that, But you are getting
Speaker 2: a guy who has had confidence issues now and then
Speaker 2: I don't know how you then activate him if you
Speaker 2: need him later hard at.
Speaker 1: This point, you know, too hard at this point, because
Speaker 1: you know he's young and he's mental. Yeah, everything is
Speaker 1: going to be mental. But anyway to the series, Warriors
Speaker 1: went in there and I don't think it was a
Speaker 1: surprise to anybody. I think Houston was the one and
Speaker 1: forty every year I feel like when young teams take
Speaker 1: off early, there's older teams and be like, Okay, if
Speaker 1: we play them in the first round, we'll be straight.
Speaker 1: And unfortunately Houston was one of those teams. Although I
Speaker 1: love e May and love this young team and what
Speaker 1: their mentality and the way they play, Houston was the
Speaker 1: one team that people are like, Okay, we can get them.
Speaker 1: And Golden State went in there and showed that. Shout
Speaker 1: out to Steve Kerr who got his hundredth career playoff win. Time.
Speaker 1: They with Larry Brown steph thirty one six and three
Speaker 1: hits some incredible shots. Great game for Golden State.
Speaker 2: Did you hear that Kevin Harlan call? Uh yeah, one
Speaker 2: of the stuff shots where he's like on the side,
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, and he was like that should not be
Speaker 2: geometrically possible.
Speaker 1: Crazy. It's just crazy what he is still able to
Speaker 1: do for the game and just the excitement. I mean,
Speaker 1: he had the twins like we couldn't really hear the
Speaker 1: game because we got some music play and everything, but
Speaker 1: he just hit some shots that had like our whole
Speaker 1: house like, oh shit, yeah, like.
Speaker 2: Still are your boys that were like we know him,
Speaker 2: we hang out.
Speaker 1: With oh yeah, yeah, Yeah, they don't talk about it,
Speaker 1: but yeah, they definitely hold that as an honor. Thoughts
Speaker 1: on this series.
Speaker 2: I think the Rockets are a less talented and I
Speaker 2: say less talented because they don't have Lukudancic, but a
Speaker 2: less talented version in some ways of the Lakers now
Speaker 2: hear me out. Obviously not in playing style or where
Speaker 2: their strengths are, but they have one obvious hole that
Speaker 2: they need to fix this summer. And their obvious hole
Speaker 2: is obviously the opposite of the Lakers obvious hole. Right,
Speaker 2: Houston needs more offense. They just need more offense, and
Speaker 2: they've been hoping that it could be homegrown. I think
Speaker 2: some of it has been. I think they were smart
Speaker 2: not to shake up the team at the trade deadline
Speaker 2: or try to rush it, like you want these young
Speaker 2: guys to get the experience they're getting right now. But
Speaker 2: they do need this summer to make a big trade
Speaker 2: and go get someone who can just score the basketball.
Speaker 2: Who's out there, Well, we know Kevin Brants out there
Speaker 2: and his name has been connected with Houston a lot.
Speaker 1: Now.
Speaker 2: He's not a completely different age timeline than those guys,
Speaker 2: but I have argued forever Kevin can play almost as
Speaker 2: long as he wants. Like his game does not age.
Speaker 2: And if you look at his numbers this year, I
Speaker 2: think if he had hit sixty five games, which we
Speaker 2: can also get into when we talk awards, because I
Speaker 2: think it's yeah, it's ridiculous, drives me crazy, he would
Speaker 2: have been in contention for you know, some of those
Speaker 2: all NBA spots or whatever on the third team. Like,
Speaker 2: I just think that he is a guy, even though
Speaker 2: he is a very different age than his teammates, would
Speaker 2: be who could give them what they needed.
Speaker 1: What is thirty six Kevin? Yeah? And still what twenty seven?
Speaker 1: And very efficient from the field.
Speaker 2: You know, the guy that would be perfect on the
Speaker 2: Rockets Devin Booker, Mmm, whoa I mean? And by the way,
Speaker 2: and they have a bunch of pieces right And by
Speaker 2: the way, it's a good call. If Phoenix wants to
Speaker 2: be better, they cannot do what Matt Ishbia has been
Speaker 2: out in the press saying they want to do. It
Speaker 2: is great that the owner sits there and says we're
Speaker 2: going to keep winning. We're never going to tank, We're
Speaker 2: always going to try to win. You have my word,
Speaker 2: you know, to fans that this team will be trying
Speaker 2: to win. That sounds good, It does not create a
Speaker 2: winning basketball team in the time of this collective bargaining
Speaker 2: right with the second Apron and the eighth Apron and
Speaker 2: all the aprons and whatever. You cannot have a team
Speaker 2: that has played the way Phoenix has and has the
Speaker 2: salary restrictions they have and just continue to try to
Speaker 2: make it work with other guys because guys can the contracts,
Speaker 2: can't get traded, Guys have different you know, things going on.
Speaker 2: You have to have balance, salary in, salary out all
Speaker 2: the stuff. You cannot do that anymore. So the thing
Speaker 2: you have to do is strip down the team, get
Speaker 2: your picks back because they have no first round picks
Speaker 2: to what twenty thirty one? Is that right, Phoenix, Phoenix, Yeah,
Speaker 2: twenty thirty trade, I mean that's insane. And get some
Speaker 2: of those picks back from the Rockets, by the way,
Speaker 2: who have them. So you control your own fate there.
Speaker 2: And look, I know that trading Devin Booker would be
Speaker 2: a huge hit for them in terms of the fan
Speaker 2: base and just sort of the loyalty factor. And you know,
Speaker 2: Devin iiholizes Kobe. He wants to be the guy who
Speaker 2: plays for one franchise the whole time, and he is
Speaker 2: so wicked talented that you know, if he was surrounded
Speaker 2: by the right pieces. Of course, he's young enough and
Speaker 2: to still win a title and be the best player
Speaker 2: on a championship team. I believe that, But I just
Speaker 2: don't think there will ever be enough pieces around him
Speaker 2: to do that in Phoenix. And he keeps saying, I'm loyal.
Speaker 2: You know, I always want to be in Phoenix. I
Speaker 2: always want to be there. If I were him, I
Speaker 2: would say, trade me.
Speaker 1: Put your GM hat on real quick. What would you
Speaker 1: do with that team? Obviously KD is someone who was
Speaker 1: most like he going to be out. You're saying trading
Speaker 1: Booker is Beal the one person that kind of has
Speaker 1: to stay because of his deal.
Speaker 2: Look, it's going to be very interesting to see what
Speaker 2: happens with Biale this summer, because what they are hoping
Speaker 2: happens is they don't trade Devin Booker because they don't
Speaker 2: want to and book doesn't want to, So I don't
Speaker 2: expect that to happen. I just look at what book
Speaker 2: could get if he went on the Rocket If like,
Speaker 2: the Rockets are the perfect fit for him. He is
Speaker 2: more on that timeline. He's older than those kids, but
Speaker 2: he's still like more in the in.
Speaker 1: The age twenty eight Corgett points per game, career playoff average.
Speaker 1: It could be at number one option on the best team, on.
Speaker 2: One of the best defensive teams in the league. Could
Speaker 2: be I mean that start title contending at that point anyway.
Speaker 2: But he's not going to ask out. The Sons don't
Speaker 2: want to trade him. The question is Bale, right, So
Speaker 2: they get rid of Kevin. That opens up some salary
Speaker 2: and by the way, Kevin also, I think it sounds
Speaker 2: like at this point wants to go elsewhere and Beal
Speaker 2: still on your books. Is what's ham stringing so much
Speaker 2: because you have no traffics right, So he has the
Speaker 2: no trade clause. We know about that. They could do
Speaker 2: the wave and stretch thing, but that is still on
Speaker 2: the salary cap in places that are going to hurt them.
Speaker 2: They need to see if they can get a trade
Speaker 2: partner who just wants him. That is the first problem.
Speaker 2: It's not the no trade clause. That's part of it.
Speaker 1: Who wants Bradley?
Speaker 2: Who would like Bradley Beal on their team at that salary?
Speaker 2: So you have to find a team that's willing to
Speaker 2: eat some salary because they're rebuilding.
Speaker 1: How does Bradley beal thirty one? So he's still young too,
Speaker 1: he'll be thirty two in June.
Speaker 2: Well, this is what I will say about brad and
Speaker 2: I know him really well from him time in Washington, DC,
Speaker 2: is he is not anywhere near as bad a player
Speaker 2: as he has been made out to be. He is
Speaker 2: just not up to that contract between the money and
Speaker 2: the no trade clause, and nothing has been fitting in Phoenix.
Speaker 2: So he has been the scapegoat because he has sort
Speaker 2: of been in this position and he isn't worth that
Speaker 2: much money a year, but he is still an exceptional
Speaker 2: guy to have.
Speaker 1: Twenty plus point gay game guy. And that's why I
Speaker 1: think sometimes it can be misleading because he was very
Speaker 1: instrumental in Washington, but they were empty numbers because the
Speaker 1: team was terrible, you know, once John Wall left, so
Speaker 1: he was still putting up those solid numbers. Again, I
Speaker 1: don't think and I think Brad Bill's a great play.
Speaker 1: I don't think he's a number one option on anybody's team,
Speaker 1: and he's getting paid number one option money. But to
Speaker 1: your point, the number decreases, I don't think it's because
Speaker 1: of his talent, it's because of just the pieces haven't
Speaker 1: fit right.
Speaker 2: And he's not, as you said, he's getting paid number
Speaker 2: one money, and people are just so focused on well,
Speaker 2: he's not worth it that they forget that he is
Speaker 2: worth something, and he's worth quite a bit. Yeah, it's
Speaker 2: just not quite that. So they have to figure out
Speaker 2: if they can get someone to take him. Then they
Speaker 2: have to go to Brad of course and say, okay,
Speaker 2: will you wave you trade caluse to go here. I
Speaker 2: think Brad and I have not had this conversation with him.
Speaker 2: I just haven't seen him in a couple of months.
Speaker 2: But my impression from what he said publicly is that
Speaker 2: he would be more ready to take a look at
Speaker 2: stuff this summer than he was a trade deadline. You know,
Speaker 2: he's got kids, doesn't want to pull in our school
Speaker 2: in the middle of the year, all that stuff. And
Speaker 2: then they started not playing him right, and the numbers
Speaker 2: with him on and off the court were so specific
Speaker 2: and remarkable that I think and they started benching him.
Speaker 2: And I just think that he has gotten the message,
Speaker 2: and it depends on who wants him. If someone wants him,
Speaker 2: and if it's a decent place for him to go
Speaker 2: live with his cham start.
Speaker 1: Phoenix now and they have such a great fan base
Speaker 1: and then a great city to play in, and it's
Speaker 1: just these new owners have come in and done numbers
Speaker 1: on some of these franchises moving along real quick. Boston, Orlando,
Speaker 1: everyone you know pretty much has Boston when thirty people
Speaker 1: have Boston coming out of the East. You know, Tatum
Speaker 1: went down with the wrist injury. Hopefully he'll be okay.
Speaker 1: He had a nice double double. White played really well.
Speaker 1: One thing I wanted to touch on was Pallo and
Speaker 1: how we're continuing to have the conversation about the face
Speaker 1: of the league and who is going to be the
Speaker 1: American player and we have our greats and Steph and
Speaker 1: Katie and Brawn on the back side of their career,
Speaker 1: and there's names. His name is not being thrown out, Rachel,
Speaker 1: but he has been nothing but absolutely incredible. What does
Speaker 1: he average twenty nine in the playoff? But I mean
Speaker 1: big six', nine six,' ten, the versatility he's. A dog
Speaker 1: Him and wagner have a nice connection, over there so
Speaker 1: really more, than anything and obviously they'll probably they're going
Speaker 1: to get Beat by boston the. First Round but i'm
Speaker 1: a Big, fan apollo and he should definitely be in
Speaker 1: the conversation of faces up the league in the next
Speaker 1: three to.
Speaker 2: FIVE years i disagree with you by, The way rookie
Speaker 2: Of the year launches you into that conversation from. The
Speaker 2: START so i think that if he hadn't gotten hurt,
Speaker 2: THIS year i think he would be in more of
Speaker 2: these awards talks and therefore like just kind of in
Speaker 2: that conversation more he Plays. In, orlando yeah like it
Speaker 2: took a long TIME for nba fans to get Up
Speaker 2: on shay yep because he played in the. Smaller market
Speaker 2: orlando is not your typical eight seed, or sorry seven
Speaker 2: seed is what they ended up after, the plan right? Seven, seens,
Speaker 2: yeah yeah they're not your typical seven seed because if
Speaker 2: they hadn't had the injuries that they had, this year
Speaker 2: they would have been higher up in. The STANDINGS so
Speaker 2: i feel like he can make a little bit of
Speaker 2: noise in. THESE games i still Think the celtics are gonna,
Speaker 2: win HANDILY but i do think that people will see
Speaker 2: him in these playoff situations more and.
Speaker 1: More understand his talent and understand what. They, got agreed
Speaker 1: best of luck finalist FOR The nba awards anounced first, Up,
Speaker 1: right yeah Finalist For clutch player Of. The, Year Yes,
Speaker 1: Jalen Brunston, anthony Edwards And. Nicola, yoki yep what do?
Speaker 2: You got So My clutch player Of the year Voting was, jalen,
Speaker 2: First uh, nicola SECOND and i Actually Put trey. Young.
Speaker 1: Third, wow okay.
Speaker 2: Because of a. Few things first, of all his clutch numbers.
Speaker 2: Are good his assists numbers in the clutch moments are
Speaker 2: obviously leading. The league leads the league in, Assists ANYWAY
Speaker 2: but i mean in those, moments PARTICULARLY and i do
Speaker 2: believe that that has. SOME worth i would never have
Speaker 2: put him one, or two but to just sort of
Speaker 2: signify on my ballot that being clutch in the last
Speaker 2: five minutes of a close game has to do with
Speaker 2: more THAN just i scored. The basketball he doesn't get.
Speaker 1: Their respect he deserves the mind Does. Not atlanta he
Speaker 1: needs to get Out. Of ATLANTA but, I agree I
Speaker 1: think trey is a killer across. The Board So, JALEN
Speaker 1: brunson I Had, anthony edwards, he.
Speaker 2: Did and by, the way he was the other name
Speaker 2: kind of in. The mix why do you?
Speaker 1: Have anything first and, clutch points, yeah first and clutch,
Speaker 1: threes first and.
Speaker 2: Defensive rebounds so that's THE reason i didn't end up
Speaker 2: putting him on the ballot was first, of all when
Speaker 2: you talk about, volume numbers that just means the team
Speaker 2: is in those. Close games more it's really about clutch percentages,
Speaker 2: to me right than the numbers of he is first
Speaker 2: in this. Many points and then, in general one Of
Speaker 2: the wolf's biggest weaknesses going into these playoffs was they
Speaker 2: are terrible in. The clutch they've got to be last
Speaker 2: of any playoff team in. The CLUTCH maybe i don't
Speaker 2: know if some of these seven or, eight seeds but
Speaker 2: like they that is Why the lakers will likely win.
Speaker 2: This series on top of everything else we.
Speaker 1: Talked about they're not but, he is and he May
Speaker 1: get he may will his team to a. Couple wins
Speaker 1: the team may not, be Shit but aunt has Has
Speaker 1: really obviously he is.
Speaker 2: A superstar and being good in the clutch will obviously
Speaker 2: be part of. His story but, this year with the
Speaker 2: way his team, HAS been i couldn't end up putting
Speaker 2: him On The About.
Speaker 1: Defensive player Of, the year, you got the Nominees Are, DYSON,
Speaker 1: Daniels Yep draymond Green And. Evan mobley this is.
Speaker 2: Very hard for Me because Victor webin yama should be
Speaker 2: The defensive player of, the.
Speaker 1: Year should be back.
Speaker 2: To back and this is one of those SITUATIONS where
Speaker 2: i will ask you if you WERE a gm IN,
Speaker 2: the nba would you Rather Have victor webinyama for forty?
Speaker 2: Eight games would you rather have one of these other
Speaker 2: guys you just named for sixty?
Speaker 1: EIGHT games i would have to go.
Speaker 2: Just, Availability okay so you think that's the biggest.
Speaker 1: DECIDING thing i think that's the biggest thing is because
Speaker 1: we need. That, Consistently okay and, you, know unfortunately, you
Speaker 1: know glad to hear that he's doing well and he'll.
Speaker 1: Be BACK but i thought he could have won it.
Speaker 1: LAST year i thought could have won it. Last year
Speaker 1: obviously him not qualifying. This year my Pick. IS draymond
Speaker 1: i think this is his LAST and i think he
Speaker 1: spoke to. US too i think this is his. Last window,
Speaker 1: you know he's. GETTING older i think he's, thirty five
Speaker 1: and there's a lot of young guns coming up that
Speaker 1: aren't even obviously in the. Final three, you Know, lou
Speaker 1: dort one of the Twins, from houston, you know and
Speaker 1: Then Obviously. DYSON daniels i think he's going to grab
Speaker 1: a handful of these awards before he's out of. This
Speaker 1: LEAGUE but i really. Like Him His dyson daniels just
Speaker 1: kind of coming out, of nowhere jumping on. THE scene, i,
Speaker 1: mean he, you know moderate numbers, last year but made
Speaker 1: a huge jump points per game and then three steals.
Speaker 1: A game i mean that's serious on the. Defensive end
Speaker 1: so it'll. Be interesting who.
Speaker 2: Do You, dyson daniels by, the way is my pick For. Most,
Speaker 2: improved okay he was at the top of my ballot. For,
Speaker 2: that okay not only because he has the best nickname
Speaker 2: going IN the nba. Right now you know what, it is.
Speaker 1: Uh huh So.
Speaker 2: He's australian you just mentioned the steals and all the.
Speaker 2: Other Stuff The Great, barrier Thief The Great.
Speaker 1: Barrier thief, come on that's. SO good i don't even
Speaker 1: know He, was australian to be honest. With, you funny.
Speaker 2: So good obviously he was buried On That new, Orleans,
Speaker 2: team yes barely saw. The court to be able to
Speaker 2: go and play the way he has, THIS season i
Speaker 2: thought that to me was what signified, most improved to
Speaker 2: be able to go from that to that and, not
Speaker 2: be as, you said a top three guy or something.
Speaker 2: Like that we can get into that in, a minute
Speaker 2: but THAT'S where I Put. DYSON daniels i did not
Speaker 2: put him On My defense player Of the ear BALLOT
Speaker 2: because i think for all the stuff, HE did i
Speaker 2: think other guys. Did MORE so i would have given
Speaker 2: Consideration To victor wibinyama if they gave it. To me
Speaker 2: if they gave me. That chance i'm NOT saying i
Speaker 2: would have voted. For him but this is one of
Speaker 2: those things about the sixty five game RULE that i
Speaker 2: can't stand because what if he played fifty five games
Speaker 2: and it, was like.
Speaker 1: Would you rather have? Six before he just.
Speaker 2: Didn't, Qualitz no i'm not talking, about That but i'm just, saying,
Speaker 2: that like what if it was because, We did by,
Speaker 2: the way have guys. Like that what is? The NUMBER
Speaker 2: the nba has said it as. Sixty Five if i'm a,
Speaker 2: general manager there are certain transcendent guys in the league
Speaker 2: you would, take LESS but i would take a less
Speaker 2: of but to have them on my team for a
Speaker 2: certain amount.
Speaker 1: Of, Time yeah and so, you're saying what is?
Speaker 2: THAT number i don't know what that number.
Speaker 1: Isn't enough out of. Eighty TWO but i get what.
Speaker 1: You're saying is it somewhere in, the fifties? Right, that
Speaker 1: okay this is not for.
Speaker 2: Those, guys YEAH but I mean Victor, WEB special i
Speaker 2: think is going to be a top ten player of.
Speaker 1: All time i'm not mad. At that so who is
Speaker 1: who is your pick? For Defense?
Speaker 2: Evan Mobley Evan, mobley, OKAY yeah, i know.
Speaker 1: Super, TALENTED yeah i mean can.
Speaker 2: Guard one through five in the end In A Victor
Speaker 2: webin yama vacuum that, to me, and look, best team,
Speaker 2: you know wire to wire In The eastern conference for,
Speaker 2: a while best team in. The league he anchors, that
Speaker 2: defense the way he has grown as a player in,
Speaker 2: THAT respect i, just think, you know, to me when
Speaker 2: you look, at choices none of which to me have. Complete,
Speaker 2: Cases frankly, oh yeah, You know draymond was on, My
Speaker 2: ballot but, you know if you look at the first
Speaker 2: chunk of the season and mom was not playing at.
Speaker 2: This level and we do have a little bit of
Speaker 2: recency bias when it comes to, these awards but, in
Speaker 2: theory every third of the season matters the same.
Speaker 1: Agreed most improved and this is going to be. A
Speaker 1: Conversation Obviously cad dyson And Then, ivan zubat who would you.
Speaker 1: Pick up i'm stuck BECAUSE obviously i Love what kate
Speaker 1: has been able to do for not only himself but,
Speaker 1: this franchise you know them and obviously bigger staff been
Speaker 1: able to kind of bring, this this this team out
Speaker 1: of the gutter and, make them, you know a formulable.
Speaker 1: Playoff team but at the, same time you're the number. One,
Speaker 1: pick yeah you KNOW what, I mean SO obviously i
Speaker 1: kind of look at that a. Little different no knock,
Speaker 1: on him but you're supposed to be, the man and
Speaker 1: he's been, the man like the no knock on it, this,
Speaker 1: like oh this is crazy HE'S been i think last
Speaker 1: year was what twenty four game and this year's. TWENTY
Speaker 1: seven i was, gonna, say yeah so he's he's been really.
Speaker 1: GOOD consistently i like everything you Said About, dyson daniels,
Speaker 1: you know kind of being buried and then finding his Way.
Speaker 1: With ATLANTA but i think someone that no one talks
Speaker 1: ABOUT in. La too there's always, you know such big,
Speaker 1: names stars but zubots what he's quietly been able, to
Speaker 1: do not just just, a year but the last few
Speaker 1: years is being a consistent double. DOUBLE guy i think
Speaker 1: he's at nearly seventeen and thirteen a game and in
Speaker 1: an old school with the new, school twist but like
Speaker 1: postplay is kind, of gone and he's someone that can
Speaker 1: be and he's not a, Liability EITHER like, i said
Speaker 1: he plays complete games for. This TEAM so I think
Speaker 1: i would Go with zubots to be honest, with you
Speaker 1: Despite what kid has been able, to do and what
Speaker 1: Despite what dyson has been able, to DO because i
Speaker 1: think he's he's someone On that clipper team that has
Speaker 1: been consistent and. Definitely.
Speaker 2: Overlooked, WELL look i had all three of the finalists on,
Speaker 2: MY ballot i just had them in a slightly. Different
Speaker 2: ORDER so I Had dyson daniels. NUMBER one I had zubos.
Speaker 2: Number two what are, We Saying, Zubach Zubots.
Speaker 1: Zuba, zubots yes oh It's, Not ivan i'm making up
Speaker 1: names over here Or Via, Big Zoo, big zoo and Then, YOU.
Speaker 2: Yeah I had kate THIRD because i DO think i
Speaker 2: agree with you, that again that third place on my
Speaker 2: ballot is OFTEN where i FEEL like i want to
Speaker 2: give someone recognition without giving them enough points to win.
Speaker 2: The award and that's the way the awards. Are tabulated
Speaker 2: you get like five points for first, place votes three
Speaker 2: points for second, place votes one point for third. Place
Speaker 2: votes so by giving someone my third, Place vote i'm
Speaker 2: never really tipping the scales for them out of one.
Speaker 2: Hundred voters i'm just saying from my sense, OF who
Speaker 2: i thought this was the best. THE season i thought
Speaker 2: he deserved the third spot on.
Speaker 1: That ballot coach Of The Year, chinny atkinson who smartly
Speaker 1: Declined the charlotte job and Stayed With golden state one
Speaker 1: a year and Got. TO. Cleveland, jb yeah someone who's
Speaker 1: some people say was unjustly fired and then landed on
Speaker 1: his Feet in detroit and helped bring them out. The
Speaker 1: slums and Then, e may one of the best coaches in,
Speaker 1: the game got, a young hungry team that has kind
Speaker 1: of taken on his mentality as, a COACH which.
Speaker 2: I love what do, You, GOT well I have KENNY
Speaker 2: and jb one. AND two i did give the third
Speaker 2: Spot to tyleru and it was HARD because i thought
Speaker 2: there were a couple worthy. Worthy Candidates he may would
Speaker 2: definitely have been fourth on. My list, You, know look.
Speaker 2: It's hard, everyone's, like Well Where's. Mark dagno and, you
Speaker 2: know he did win the award when he took a
Speaker 2: very young team and they made that big leap that
Speaker 2: we're talking About with detroit And. EVEN cleveland i think
Speaker 2: when you have the level of guys on your team
Speaker 2: that he has at, This point i'm not sure coaching
Speaker 2: is the. Main factor it is, a factor it is
Speaker 2: not the. Main factor so that's why he was on.
Speaker 2: My ballot, HE may, i think will win, this award possibly.
Speaker 2: Next YEAR but i, THINK again I think tyleru is.
Speaker 2: CRAZY underrated i think what happened To the clippers this
Speaker 2: year is a Testament To, James yes zubats to a
Speaker 2: lesser Degree and tyler, no question and to hold that
Speaker 2: team together and get them to fifty wins was a
Speaker 2: little bit of magic that deserved to me the. Third
Speaker 2: place something.
Speaker 1: About it i'm not mad At that i'm Stuck between
Speaker 1: kenny AND. And jb obviously the win increase for, both
Speaker 1: SIDES but i just LOOK at jb and kind of
Speaker 1: pumping life back into a. Lifeless team, You know detroit's
Speaker 1: been at the bottom for, a while but They've could
Speaker 1: they've slowly but surely been, putting young quality, pieces together
Speaker 1: and they've seem like they have a coach at the
Speaker 1: players believing and they're going to ride for and they're.
Speaker 2: Moving now so and they added some good vets this.
Speaker 2: YEAR too i thought that was really key because you
Speaker 2: know that. That, knowledge yeah it's underrated in.
Speaker 1: The.
Speaker 2: League man we just.
Speaker 1: Talked about we talked about That With reggie miller about
Speaker 1: just how important. VETERANS are, i mean that's what we
Speaker 1: can go on for ten minutes. About that, but, YEAH
Speaker 1: no i agree that they've strategically made some nice moves
Speaker 1: and put themselves in a position to obviously be in.
Speaker 1: The playoffs so.
Speaker 2: Let me ask you a question as, a player how
Speaker 2: much different is it to get from twenty wins to
Speaker 2: forty wins versus getting that last forty to?
Speaker 1: Fifty, wins YEAH it's i think that last forty to
Speaker 1: fifty is a, Harder, jump like you got to be
Speaker 1: a really good team to get. Fifty, wins yes to
Speaker 1: be fifty wins in. This league, BUT also i mean
Speaker 1: it's not easy to pull a shitty team into, the
Speaker 1: playoffs you KNOW what. I mean so it's, just LIKE
Speaker 1: and i don't mean shitty in a disrespectful they just
Speaker 1: haven't been good in a. Long time BUT like, i
Speaker 1: said you you can see in the past few Years
Speaker 1: what detroit has been, building towards and it's finally we're
Speaker 1: starting to see. That product, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2: And some people will give it The COACH theater jb
Speaker 2: because they feel like he gets a slice Of that
Speaker 2: cleveland success, To right, we'll see there's no.
Speaker 1: Wrong answer, fairly last but, not LEAST. The, Mvp obviously
Speaker 1: giannis can be in The con there's guys that could
Speaker 1: be in the conversation. Every, year yeah, You, know STEPH,
Speaker 1: could Kd could Lebron could lebron's on that backside, of
Speaker 1: that but, you know obviously numbers and playing the right amount.
Speaker 1: Of games And then giannis is another guy that every
Speaker 1: single year will be in. That CONVERSATION but i think
Speaker 1: it's really a two man race In between Shay.
Speaker 2: And ic there's no bad answer, here EITHER and i
Speaker 2: think it's. Really interesting this was one of the hart
Speaker 2: Artist's decisions i've ever had to make as, a Voter
Speaker 2: and i've been voting for more than. A decade there
Speaker 2: is such hair splitting that you have to do to
Speaker 2: decide which category is more important to you because their
Speaker 2: numbers across the board are just rockstar and every. EVERY way,
Speaker 2: I mean yoka literally doing things we've never, Seen, before shay,
Speaker 2: you know having a more complete argument in some cases
Speaker 2: with both sides of. The, ball nicola, you know being
Speaker 2: so exhausted by carrying that entire team that apparently was
Speaker 2: such a mess they fired both the coach AND.
Speaker 1: THE gm, I mean nicola has better numbers this year
Speaker 1: THAN his mvp years in.
Speaker 2: The past by, the way So, does janis who's the
Speaker 2: third guy on. That list jannis can sit there and
Speaker 2: say this is THE best i have, ever PLAYED and
Speaker 2: i have MVPs in. My closet what?
Speaker 1: The? Fuck?
Speaker 2: Man, Yeah right what do.
Speaker 1: You think it is? With this do you think it
Speaker 1: sometimes you've voted for over. A decade do you think
Speaker 1: people get? Voter FATIGUE or i.
Speaker 2: ACTUALLY don't I think i think that is something fans
Speaker 2: have kind of made up for why you didn't vote for.
Speaker 2: THEIR guy i don't know anyone on that. VOTING panel
Speaker 2: i don't know any of my who are not Dazzled By,
Speaker 2: nikolai jokich who will not tell you they think he
Speaker 2: is the best Player. ON earth i think that just
Speaker 2: The way, james said that's kind of consensus, among players
Speaker 2: but that's different from who SHOULD. Win mvp, HARDEN said
Speaker 2: i think that across, the board this voting panel will
Speaker 2: tell You That nikola jokic is the best Player. On
Speaker 2: earth it's just how much of that did he deliver
Speaker 2: this season compared To what shaye delivered. This SEASON and
Speaker 2: i think what my prediction is that the voting totals
Speaker 2: won't be as close as the. Vote was AND what
Speaker 2: i mean by, THAT is i think that Every voter
Speaker 2: i've talked to took it down to the wire of,
Speaker 2: the wire some cases to the last hour the voting,
Speaker 2: was opened because it was just so hard to make
Speaker 2: that decision and it was such a. Tiny difference but
Speaker 2: those tiny differences from THE voters i talked to and
Speaker 2: some of the polls that are out there seem to
Speaker 2: have Leaned. Towards SHAY so i think you Will see
Speaker 2: shaye winning by more than fifty. ONE percent i think
Speaker 2: it could even be as high as sixty sixty. Five
Speaker 2: percent but that doesn't reflect close the fact that for
Speaker 2: a lot, of voters for, most voters it was really a,
Speaker 2: you know forty nine point eight and fifty point. Two,
Speaker 2: split no.
Speaker 1: THAT'S incredible, i Mean and shay has been like, you
Speaker 1: said there's no wrong answer what he's been able to
Speaker 1: do and continue to develop. His game and my favorite
Speaker 1: Thing about okay see is that team is. A, unit
Speaker 1: yeah and you can tell they're. A unit they, celebrate
Speaker 1: together they go up and. DOWN together, I mean i really.
Speaker 1: Like that and can this be the year that you
Speaker 1: know they're they're paying their dues finally. Pays, off well
Speaker 1: who would you have? VOTED for I think i, Would
Speaker 1: AGREE like, i said it's hard to Look past jokic
Speaker 1: because he is. So incredible as numbers are better across,
Speaker 1: the board he HAS to i feel like he has
Speaker 1: to carry it obviously a heavier Load. Than shaye but
Speaker 1: at the, same time you Can't fault shade for a
Speaker 1: young and up and coming team that he's the leader
Speaker 1: of that night in. Night OUT so i Would pick.
Speaker 1: Shay two, BUT again i think to, your Point into,
Speaker 1: james's point there's a difference between the best player in
Speaker 1: the world AND, the mvp and maybe the legal start
Speaker 1: listening and make.
Speaker 2: It just, say yeah that was one of.
Speaker 1: THE lt, i mean but both again both And again jannis.
Speaker 1: Incredible season we haven't Talked about giannis. As much milwaukee's
Speaker 1: kind of floating under the raidar On The, eastern Conference
Speaker 1: and dame's heard and they might, get Bumped but jannice
Speaker 1: every single year can be on, that, List.
Speaker 2: Absolutely and that's a case where they really need to
Speaker 2: take stock this summer of that team because there's a
Speaker 2: lot of pieces on that team that are frankly aged
Speaker 2: out of being championship Level and giannis deserves a championship.
Speaker 1: Level team we've heard rumbles though that for a bigger Market.
Speaker 1: For yiannis AND obviously i know, he's loyal, you know
Speaker 1: similar to way the booker, is loyal but, you know
Speaker 1: to to he's done everything you can do for that FRANCHISE.
Speaker 1: One MVPs he's brought them. A championship just being able
Speaker 1: to attract Players to milwaukee is not the attrack players
Speaker 1: that any small markets. Not, easy yeah, you, know okay
Speaker 1: he was able, to homegrown build and get trades to get.
Speaker 1: Their players so it's just like to get a free
Speaker 1: agent to come play with him is, not, likely Yeah,
Speaker 1: In milwaukee so it'd be interesting.
Speaker 2: To SEE but i think that eventually we May see, yannis,
Speaker 2: DECIDE hey i want to go. Somewhere else, You Know
Speaker 2: new york is always in, that, conversation right and he
Speaker 2: probably every once in, a while, you know. He's playful
Speaker 2: every once in a while he'll, be, like oh what
Speaker 2: did he say earlier? THIS year i think all the
Speaker 2: foreign players should play in. BIG markets i think someone
Speaker 2: asked HIM about i might be getting, this wrong but,
Speaker 2: about Like is yokich not getting as much recognition because
Speaker 2: he's a non dvor. OR something i, don't know but
Speaker 2: he's said oshe he was, JUST like i think all
Speaker 2: the foreign players should play in. Big markets and he
Speaker 2: throws stuff like that out there once in. A WHILE
Speaker 2: but i will, say this he wanted ding and they
Speaker 2: went out and. Got ding he wanted to make. That
Speaker 2: switch so the Fact that drew isn't there anymore and
Speaker 2: you can, see it And that dame, got hurt, you
Speaker 2: know obviously That's not yannis's Fault or dame's fault that
Speaker 2: he has the deep. Vein THROMBOSIS but i Don't think
Speaker 2: yannis is the type of guy to then turn around
Speaker 2: this summer and, be, Like yeah. I'm bouncing you did
Speaker 2: EXACTLY what. I, Wanted no and, you know by, the
Speaker 2: way the last time his contract was up previous to
Speaker 2: this one where they went And got dame was when
Speaker 2: they went And. Got drew so they have been responsive.
Speaker 2: To him But he ganis was injured, Last postseason dame
Speaker 2: the last. Two postseasons, so again he's not the kind
Speaker 2: of guy to me to right now, Say oh i'm out. Of,
Speaker 2: here YEAH but i. DON'T think i. DON'T think i
Speaker 2: think he may end up BEING. LIKE kg i think
Speaker 2: that he might be there for a really long time
Speaker 2: and then maybe realize at some point that this is.
Speaker 2: What's best and, you know at some point fans do agree.
Speaker 2: WITH you i think when you give everything to a
Speaker 2: franchise and, Fancy, that okay it's not going to, happen
Speaker 2: here they want you to go win. That, title, now
Speaker 2: obviously to, varying degrees, You Know boston raybork was probably
Speaker 2: the one the most where fans were, just, like yeah you,
Speaker 2: go ahead go go. Do that but to varying degrees
Speaker 2: people will. Do UNDERSTAND so i. DON'T know i will
Speaker 2: say one thing and this will get me a lot
Speaker 2: of flak on, the internet but is what. IT is
Speaker 2: I think yan has had an. EXCEPTIONAL season i think
Speaker 2: that that team did not coalesce around Him and dame
Speaker 2: THE way i would have. Expected TO and I Think
Speaker 2: jason tatum is UNDERRATED and i do not think that
Speaker 2: that team. He was, you, know look there has been
Speaker 2: questions both of those two guys, Whole career Brown. And tatum,
Speaker 2: Who's better, Who's this? WHO'S that i, YOU know i
Speaker 2: think it was right To give BROWN the mvp For
Speaker 2: the finals, last YEAR but I think tatum has clearly
Speaker 2: been more of the contributor to this team, this year
Speaker 2: on a team that we are all picking to win the.
Speaker 2: Finals again AND while I think janis had an, EXCEPTIONAL
Speaker 2: season I think mvp is about a little bit more
Speaker 2: than just what numbers did you? Put Up and tatum's
Speaker 2: leadership on that team and the way he has been
Speaker 2: the fulcrum of that team and steady and by the way.
Speaker 2: He plays what has been his availability this season a.
Speaker 2: Lot thing so, to me he was third on.
Speaker 1: My ballot i'm not mad. At that and if you
Speaker 1: look at we talked about this a couple of, shows
Speaker 1: ago if you look at Credentials from Shay, and tatum
Speaker 1: they're the. SAME. Age yea by, The Way, jason tatum
Speaker 1: shit is off, the, charts yes and we no one
Speaker 1: can figure out when, you know, You know, paul said
Speaker 1: because He's, in boston everyone hates. To sell, to me
Speaker 1: it has to, be more because there's no way a
Speaker 1: guy that is that talented and does everything right doesn't
Speaker 1: get the respect. HE deserves i think it.
Speaker 2: IS more i. ACTUALLY think, I mean boston's a, big
Speaker 2: market and we've had popular players from, big Markets including. Boston,
Speaker 2: Before Right larry bird got a lot of national.
Speaker 1: He said because Everyone.
Speaker 2: Hates, boston well THAT'S what, i mean even though they've Been. In,
Speaker 2: boston huh we, get through, get, Through right and you
Speaker 2: don't even have to go as far Back As, larry,
Speaker 2: Bird RIGHT so, i think, You know paul, certainly himself,
Speaker 2: you know engendered a lot. OF netlove kg is a
Speaker 2: lot of people's favorite player and they all played in One.
Speaker 1: In boston and he's a pretty skin light boy with
Speaker 1: the rock star girlfriend and he has they have they
Speaker 1: have a, kid together and, you know it's JUST that i,
Speaker 1: DON'T know i don't know what. It is he's too
Speaker 1: good not to get the at LEAST the i know
Speaker 1: is peers. Respect HIM but i feel like the media
Speaker 1: doesn't respect him. As much as.
Speaker 2: THEY should i think people don't know. HIM enough i
Speaker 2: think his. Personality reality he's a. Great guy SO when
Speaker 2: i say, his personality there's something.
Speaker 1: Wrong with This personal he just hasn't shown.
Speaker 2: THE world i just don't think he's an extrovert in
Speaker 2: the Way That andy edwards is or some of these other.
Speaker 2: GUYS are i Mean, even shay who has like a.
Speaker 2: QUIETER demeanor i mean the.
Speaker 1: Way he dresses you still more sides.
Speaker 2: Of him he's, got. Swag right tatum is a, you
Speaker 2: know he goes, to work does his job. Incredibly nice
Speaker 2: he is a. Good guy he's a. Great father he's
Speaker 2: been a great example. Of FATHERHOOD and i just don't
Speaker 2: think people know him. Well ENOUGH and i think if
Speaker 2: he ever decides to let people get into his personality a,
Speaker 2: LITTLE more i think that that affection.
Speaker 1: Will come we'll figure. It out He's Still First TEAM. All,
Speaker 1: nba yeah. Oh yeah these awards will be announced, this
Speaker 1: week Starting with expand Of the Year. On, tuesday rachel
Speaker 1: thank you for. Your time it's always, a pleasure and
Speaker 1: we will catch up again before this.
Speaker 2: Is, over, all Right Come back player Of. The year
Speaker 2: just remember we might need.
Speaker 1: It Back Come back claier Of the year before we
Speaker 1: get out. Of HERE the, la community in the basketball community,
Speaker 1: in particular loss to a landmark this. Past week rest
Speaker 1: in peace to Our Brother. Mike law great, basketball mind
Speaker 1: been around the game, for years but an even. Better
Speaker 1: person in a DAY where au is slimy and trashy
Speaker 1: and vindictive and just not a, Good Space mike law
Speaker 1: was a breath of fresh air and he will dearly.
Speaker 1: Be missed rest, In. Peace mike that's a wrap. Front
Speaker 1: plug you can catch us on All The smoke productions
Speaker 1: YouTube And The. DraftKings network we'll see you guys. Next
Speaker 1: week