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Speaker 1: This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up, everybody,

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Speaker 1: It's me Jason McIntyre. You can detect the glee in

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Speaker 1: my voice. Straight Fire for Wednesday. May Oh do we

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Speaker 1: have a podcast for you today? Oh oh, this is

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Speaker 1: This is a glorious morning, especially in Los Angeles. Listen.

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Speaker 1: I can't contain my excitement. First of all, I gotta

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Speaker 1: say we have a great guest coming up, Chris Mannox

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Speaker 1: Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports. He's worked a ton of places,

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Speaker 1: plugged in on the NBA. We talk about a little

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Speaker 1: bit of the playoffs, a little bit of the off season,

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Speaker 1: this mid season tour him an idea. I think you're

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Speaker 1: gonna like it. Obviously, this podcast is going to be

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Speaker 1: heavy on what happened to the Los Angeles teams in

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Speaker 1: the playoffs on Tuesday night. I will just say, what

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Speaker 1: a night of basketball. And you know, Rob g and

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Speaker 1: I decided we were not going to discuss our takes

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Speaker 1: um before. I was just gonna come in clean, we

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Speaker 1: were just gonna come in hot. I'm gonna fire on

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Speaker 1: all cylinders. Nothing structured, And how can you be structured

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Speaker 1: after what we witnessed Tuesday night? I mean, Rob I mean,

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Speaker 1: you know, part of me's like, oh, Lakers, what a grave,

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Speaker 1: what a win, what a fourth quarter? I mean, that

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Speaker 1: was an awesome game, and I really really want to

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Speaker 1: open with the Lakers. But the Clippers being down oh

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Speaker 1: two to the Mavericks is shocking. I can't recall an

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Speaker 1: oh to deficit like this in the NBA playoffs in

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Speaker 1: recent memory. I mean, to meet this is absolutely stunning. Remember, folks,

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Speaker 1: just a couple of weeks ago, the paper Clips and

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Speaker 1: hell yeah, I'm calling them the paper Clips. Clipper Daryl,

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Speaker 1: Clipper Darryl, of course, the guest on Bunday's podcast. He

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Speaker 1: said he was gonna retire his stick if the Clippers

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Speaker 1: loads a series. I had a friend text me that

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Speaker 1: he was watching the game with a buddy and his

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Speaker 1: friend was shouting Clipper Darryl at the screen and they

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Speaker 1: were having fun. Um I I just I'm stunned by

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Speaker 1: the Clippers. And just consider this. All right, we will

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Speaker 1: start with the Lakers, but just consider this. On the Clippers,

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Speaker 1: they shot fIF from the field from three from the line.

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Speaker 1: Kauai had forty one, Paul George had twenty eight and twelve,

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Speaker 1: and they lost. If I just told you this that

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Speaker 1: line and what the Clipper shop from the field, You'd

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Speaker 1: be like, oh, they obviously won the game and they lost.

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Speaker 1: But I think we gotta start with the Lakers, right Rob,

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Speaker 1: Rob g the creator of hashtag future Laker. I don't

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Speaker 1: know it's Kawai. Let heard get a hashtag future Laker tap.

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Speaker 1: I mean, I can't imagine it, but the Lakers, they

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Speaker 1: got through it. Game two Lakers defeat the Suns thanks

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Speaker 1: to a monster fourth quarter from Lebron Lebron and Anthony Davis.

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna say my big takeaway is Chris Paul. And

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Speaker 1: it's a little bit sad, and Rob and I both

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Speaker 1: worked with a guy who, uh, you guys know pretty well,

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Speaker 1: Karen Butler, and you know he knows Chris Paul well,

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Speaker 1: he's seen him before. And every year it's the same thing.

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Speaker 1: Chris Paul tries so hard in the regular season and dominates.

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Speaker 1: He was number I think he was number one or

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Speaker 1: number two against the Spreading okay see, and he was

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Speaker 1: definitely number two this year in Phoenix. He's a great

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Speaker 1: regular season player and then the playoffs come and he

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Speaker 1: gets so tight and so wonderful. I gotta do this.

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Speaker 1: You guys know this. You play sports. Um, I said,

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Speaker 1: I played volleyball Sunday, and you know, the balls come

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Speaker 1: in my way and I'm like, all right, I've got

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Speaker 1: like five things to remember. And you try so hard

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Speaker 1: that you screw up. And Chris Paul tries so hard

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Speaker 1: he gets hurt all the time. He just gets injured. Now,

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Speaker 1: it was unclear how bad the injury was, but Chris

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Speaker 1: Paul sits out a lot of the third. The Lakers

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Speaker 1: open up a lead. But here's the word part rob

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Speaker 1: They made a rally with Devin Booker on the bench

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Speaker 1: in the fourth and Cam campaign leading the way major

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Speaker 1: pain like Cameron Payne. The Murray State UH legend campaign

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Speaker 1: was great. He had nineteen, but Devin Booker did not

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Speaker 1: make a basket in the fourth quarter, did not make

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Speaker 1: a three pointer in the game. He did hit seventeen

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Speaker 1: of seventeen free throws, but it was essentially the Lakers

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Speaker 1: defense lockdown. Um DeAndre did not have a basket in

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Speaker 1: the final five minutes, and Aton was a monster for

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Speaker 1: a large stretches of the game. He outplayed Anthony Davis

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Speaker 1: and then of course, you know, one point game come

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Speaker 1: out of a time out Lebron patented twenty ft fade

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Speaker 1: away over Cameron Johnson swish. He's just like, how does

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Speaker 1: he do that? And then his son's empty trip, then

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Speaker 1: a d hits the three in. It's like, okay, that's

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Speaker 1: a rap um. Impressive intestinal fortitude from the Lakers, Rob,

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Speaker 1: I know everybody's gonna say, oh, Anthony Davis was phenomenal.

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Speaker 1: Thirty four and ten and seven, and he made eighteen

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Speaker 1: free throws. Honestly, I thought Dennis Shrewder was the hero

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Speaker 1: for the Lakers. He was absolutely phenomenal and electric offensively.

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Speaker 1: And remember there's a Lakers team that scored was it

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Speaker 1: ninety points in the last game. They had eighty seven

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Speaker 1: before a Fluke three pointer at the end, and Dennis

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Speaker 1: Shrewder had twenty four points. Looks like he's fully bounced

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Speaker 1: back from covid Um. He was outstanding offensively and they

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Speaker 1: needed that because it's pretty clear, guys, the days of

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Speaker 1: Lebron taking shots are probably over. I mean, he took

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Speaker 1: sixteen shots against the Sons. That's it. Did have twenty

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Speaker 1: three and nine assists. Great game from Lebron grade fourth quarter. Rob.

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Speaker 1: I don't want to say this series is over, but

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Speaker 1: the Chris Paul injury combined with the Lakers slowing down

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Speaker 1: Devin Booker, and it feels like the Lakers took control

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Speaker 1: and the Sons are like, damn, I don't know if

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Speaker 1: we can beat this team. Yeah. I mean, if you're

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Speaker 1: the Phoenix Suns and you have a bang of Chris Paul,

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Speaker 1: you cannot waste the quote unquote campaign. Game like that

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Speaker 1: is the game. You're not gonna get that very often.

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Speaker 1: So when you have a performance like that from an

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Speaker 1: und suspecting guy, those are games you have to win.

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Speaker 1: And you know, the Lakers shooters still can't hit the

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Speaker 1: throw a p in the ocean, but kudos to them

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Speaker 1: because in any series outside of maybe Brooklyn, the Lakers

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Speaker 1: are gonna go into with the two best players every time,

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Speaker 1: and so long as those two best players are locked

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Speaker 1: in mentally, which Lebron and a D were last night,

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Speaker 1: I like the Lakers every time. So assuming when they

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Speaker 1: get back to l A for Game three, you hope

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Speaker 1: k CP gets out of his funk. You hope, uh,

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Speaker 1: maybe West Matthews can make a jump shot here or there,

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Speaker 1: and then suddenly that fifteen point lead they had in

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Speaker 1: the third quarter is a twenty three point lead, So

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Speaker 1: I'm very confident I will agree and listen, we're not

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Speaker 1: gonna talk about the Nets. They shredded the Celtics again. Um,

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Speaker 1: the Nets look incredible again. Boston has dinged up. You know,

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Speaker 1: people are gonna kill Boston. That's fine. But Jaylen Brown

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Speaker 1: is not there. This is not the same team. Um.

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Speaker 1: You know, the Lakers defensively will have trouble. You know,

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Speaker 1: you you watch the Nets and you're like, oh jeez,

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Speaker 1: you know you guys stop Kyrie, Harden and Durant when

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Speaker 1: they're on the floor together, Rob, It's I mean, it's

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Speaker 1: pretty electric. I will say, I'm not a big Kyrie guy.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure you guys are listening to the pod notice,

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Speaker 1: but holy hell, they look amazing. Um, when they had

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Speaker 1: the ball and it's popping out of their hands, it's

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Speaker 1: not even that sticky with Kyrie. And by the way,

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Speaker 1: Kyrie irving like he's just incredible. Like he's a better

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Speaker 1: offensive player than anybody the Lakers have. And I would

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Speaker 1: consider him the third best offensive player on the nets. Uh.

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Speaker 1: And that's not a knock on Anthony Davis or thirty

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Speaker 1: six year old Lebron but uh, you know, the Lakers.

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Speaker 1: Are they getting fifteen and twelve rob from Andre Drummond

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Speaker 1: every game? Andre Drummond made me look like an ass clown.

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Speaker 1: I gave out five bets for Fox Sports four and

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Speaker 1: one great night. But I thought Andre Drummond would probably

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Speaker 1: ride the pine a lot and they'd go Anton Davis

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Speaker 1: its center. Hello, Frank Vogel knows a little bit more

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Speaker 1: about basketball than I do, and Andre Drummond worked at center.

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Speaker 1: But Rob k c p oh for four one of

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Speaker 1: the craziest stat lines you'll see. K CP o for

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Speaker 1: four and thirty one minutes. If you noticed in the

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Speaker 1: fourth quarter he didn't want to shoot the ball. He

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Speaker 1: kept making that extra pass, the hockey pass. He didn't

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Speaker 1: score in the game, but he had a team high

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Speaker 1: plus nineteen. In the fourth they went to they went

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Speaker 1: to a time out and Lebron was chewing out k

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Speaker 1: cp you've got to shoot the ball, and k c

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Speaker 1: p didn't. He looked like he didn't want it. I

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Speaker 1: don't know, Robot. I was a little surprised at k

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Speaker 1: cps reluctance in this one. Yeah, especially considering that he

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Speaker 1: actually had a good season and prior to this series

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Speaker 1: he's was shooting the ball pretty well as it closed

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Speaker 1: the season. Um, he's definitely gonna have to step it

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Speaker 1: up because the Lakers have bigger goals than to just

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Speaker 1: beat Phoenix in round one. And I think that, you know,

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Speaker 1: I think the Lakers are gonna win. I think that's

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Speaker 1: got him in six anyways, for him before this year

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Speaker 1: he started. We'll see how that Chris Paul injury affects that.

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Speaker 1: But for them to get to where they want to go,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna need Cantavious called Awell Pope to be able

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Speaker 1: to hit an open jump shot and not be scared

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Speaker 1: to take it. Um interesting, perhaps only to be Montrez

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Speaker 1: Harold did not even play. I mean, he can't play

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Speaker 1: in this against them. You can't. If you're gonna you

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Speaker 1: have to choose one or the other between Drummond and

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Speaker 1: Tre's and they've decided weeks ago that Drummond was their

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Speaker 1: center of the future and their starting center. So I

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Speaker 1: don't think you can play both of them because it's

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Speaker 1: just it's too clunky. I mean, the Lakers aren't good

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Speaker 1: shooing team anyways. Anthony Davis safe for you know, maybe

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Speaker 1: that late three there at the end, with two minutes left,

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Speaker 1: he couldn't buy an outside jumper most of the game,

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Speaker 1: So couple, you can't. You can't clog the lane that

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Speaker 1: often if you're the Lakers. This is again, Yeah, you

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Speaker 1: don't want to dive too deep in a box score.

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Speaker 1: Lebron only four rebounds, one for one on free throws.

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Speaker 1: This is a different Lebron. Guys, you know he's not

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Speaker 1: the behemoth driving getting to the line and all. He's

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Speaker 1: just a different guy. Uh he's three point shot four

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Speaker 1: of nine, but he hit the ones that counted, uh

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Speaker 1: efficient nine of sixteen. Listen, Lebron, is he's you. This

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Speaker 1: is why you can't bet against the Lakers. In the

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Speaker 1: fourth quarter, Lakers up by one, who's getting the ball.

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Speaker 1: It's gotta be Lebron. I'm a little surprised the Sons

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Speaker 1: have kept Cam Johnson on him, but such as life,

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Speaker 1: Jake Crowder couldn't buy a bucket for a while. Bridges

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Speaker 1: total non factor. Um yeah, I still think Lakers in six.

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Speaker 1: All right, I need to talk about the Clippers here

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Speaker 1: before we get to Chris Mannix our guest, and I've

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Speaker 1: got to say, like, mentally, I don't know how the

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Speaker 1: Clippers bounce back from this, because I remember in l

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Speaker 1: a limited number of fans. You go to Texas. I

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Speaker 1: think the baseball stadium is full. I don't know how

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Speaker 1: full the basketball arena will be, but it is gonna

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Speaker 1: be rocking. And I'm telling you right now, you look

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Speaker 1: at that Dallas team and all I see is confidence.

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Speaker 1: Jalen Brunson, Josh Richardson. Uh, Tim Hardaway twenty eight points,

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Speaker 1: six of eight from three. You guys told me, including

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Speaker 1: to Clipper Daryl Well Dorrian Fittie Smith. Can he can't

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Speaker 1: do that two games in a row. You're right, he couldn't.

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Speaker 1: He was one of six for three points. But Hardaway

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Speaker 1: it is. And you know what, if it ain't Hardaway,

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be Maxi Cleber. And if it ain't him,

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be Porzingis. And if it ain't Porzingis, it's

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Speaker 1: gonna be Jalen Brunson off the bench, Georg Josh Richardson.

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Speaker 1: This Dallas team is just better than the Clippers. That's

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Speaker 1: the bottom line. This is a terrible Clippers defensive team.

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Speaker 1: Rob you watch that fourth quarter, because I mean I'm

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Speaker 1: texting like ten different Laker fans like how is this happening?

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Speaker 1: All Dallas did. This was not hard. They spread the floor,

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Speaker 1: they ran that little handoff play and then it eventually

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Speaker 1: was Luca Dontech making magic happen because nobody can freaking

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Speaker 1: guard him. Paul George has no chance against Luca. None

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Speaker 1: his days of being a defensive stopper over Kawhi Leonard

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Speaker 1: did not want to smoke. He would off the screen.

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Speaker 1: He would just hand him off like I thought you

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Speaker 1: were a superstar. Kauai. I'm glad you pointed there, because

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Speaker 1: that is embarrassing if you're Patrick Beverley, Patrick Beverley, who

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Speaker 1: Cris Boussard has told me for years. There. Oh they're dogs,

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Speaker 1: and I know Beverly Brustar's not here to defend himself.

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Speaker 1: We can we can have them one later. We're friends.

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Speaker 1: Um Beverly is a dog. Oh man, you need those dogs.

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Speaker 1: Patrick Beverly continues to get deep panted by Luca Donche,

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Speaker 1: twenty two year old European kid just punking the ship

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Speaker 1: out of Patrick Beverley. I mean rob he took He

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Speaker 1: used him like toilet paper twice and then let him

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Speaker 1: hear about her on the way up the court. I'm

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Speaker 1: telling you, man, this guy, Luca, you watch him rob

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Speaker 1: sixteen or twenty nine thirty nine point seven rebounds, seven assists. Now,

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Speaker 1: he did miss a ton of free throws, which is scary,

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Speaker 1: and he had seven turnovers. But I'm just telling you,

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Speaker 1: this guy is fearless and right now he's unguardable, and

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Speaker 1: I'm so rattled by the Clippers Rob. I would so

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Speaker 1: the Mavericks will play the Jazz or Grizzlies in the

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Speaker 1: next round. I mean, I'm just trying to spend this forward.

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Speaker 1: Are the Mavericks going to the conference finals? Is this

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Speaker 1: a thing? Well, they're gonna have to defend at some point,

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Speaker 1: I mean, luckily for them. You know, the Clippers aren't

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Speaker 1: interested in defending either. But I would assume that Memphis

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Speaker 1: and Utah would put up a little bit more of

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Speaker 1: a fight. I'm glad that you brought up the Kauai

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Speaker 1: and Paul George situation, just because I understand, in the

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Speaker 1: course of a forty eight minut game, especially a playoff game,

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Speaker 1: it's unreasonable these days to expect the best player to

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Speaker 1: defend the other best player, or however they there's too

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Speaker 1: much strain on your body that are also the offensive creators.

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Speaker 1: I understand that, but when you're in the fourth quarter

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Speaker 1: and you're down by was it five or six points

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Speaker 1: they got it down to in the last four minutes,

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Speaker 1: and you don't have the testicular fortitude to not switch

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Speaker 1: these screens to say, you know what, Kawhi Leonard, you

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Speaker 1: started off on on Luca, don't switch it with Pat Beev.

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Speaker 1: Just fight over it. And if you and if you

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Speaker 1: have to get pinned down and you can't do it,

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Speaker 1: switch right back. I don't care if you have to

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Speaker 1: let him get two or three steps ahead of you,

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Speaker 1: but you switch right back how easily. Kauai and Paul

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Speaker 1: George continued to just say, all right, cool, now we

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Speaker 1: got it. Here's a here's a screen. All Pat Beev,

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Speaker 1: you got it. Reggie Jackson, you got it. Like if

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Speaker 1: you are who they claim to be, you have to

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Speaker 1: at some point nut up and say I'm not gonna

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Speaker 1: let this guy beat me. I'm not going to let

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Speaker 1: it happen. You start with the Lakers, Lebron James and

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Speaker 1: Anthony Davis. They went small the last four this when

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Speaker 1: it got when it got really really close, and those

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Speaker 1: were the two guys not just scoring offensively, they were

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Speaker 1: making the defensive place Lebron was guarding at DeAndre Ayton

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Speaker 1: for an entire possession because I think David's got switched

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Speaker 1: under to Devin Booker. Why can't Kauai and Paul George

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Speaker 1: even for a possession decide I'm not going to let

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Speaker 1: this guy beat me. If Tim Martwoy Jr. Makes a

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Speaker 1: three over Reggie Jackson, fine, but they aren't even trying.

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Speaker 1: They're just giving up on the screen over and over

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Speaker 1: and over. They have no heart. It's embarrassing. Yeah, this

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Speaker 1: is a Clippers team. I went on FS one and

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Speaker 1: called them frauds, and people came after me left and right.

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Speaker 1: I said, the clutch stats. I don't like what I've

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Speaker 1: seen from the Clippers. No rim protection and if you

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Speaker 1: look at it, it's a layup line. Dallas is either

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Speaker 1: taking layups or threes. They shot fifty eight percent from

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Speaker 1: the field, rob fifty two percent from three. Now, I

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Speaker 1: know what you're gonna say, that can't continue. Fine, maybe

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Speaker 1: it doesn't. Okay, maybe it doesn't, and the Clippers come

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Speaker 1: back and win. But the Clippers, I believe you guys

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Speaker 1: can check me on this. I think they were a

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Speaker 1: top ten team defensive efficiency. Maybe they snuck in late,

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Speaker 1: but for the Mavericks to run essentially a layup line

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Speaker 1: and banging three is left and right. I don't know

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Speaker 1: that there's been a bigger game in Kauai or Paul

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Speaker 1: George's career for them in Game three, because if you

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Speaker 1: lose that, you're not coming back from down O three.

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Speaker 1: I did see a stat last night that teams that

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Speaker 1: go up too oh winning the first two on the

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Speaker 1: road have won twenty seven of thirty one series. That

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Speaker 1: ain't goodlier That's okay, so rob. The funny thing is

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Speaker 1: way way back. I don't know if it was when

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Speaker 1: they lost to Denver or in the off season, but

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Speaker 1: I had speculated Kauai to Phoenix. I had heard that

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Speaker 1: from someone who kind of knows some stuff. Just floated

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Speaker 1: it and I was like, oh interesting, and I put

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Speaker 1: on the pod and you know, obviously people went after

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Speaker 1: me blah blah blah, come on, get reoqual wise and

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Speaker 1: I'll leave. You had the Paul George for Damian Lillard.

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Speaker 1: That might be a tough sell if Portland gets by

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Speaker 1: Denver Um. I don't know what the solution is, and

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Speaker 1: unloading Paul George is going to be extremely difficult, but

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Speaker 1: there is zero chance you can bring back this team.

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Speaker 1: Steve Bomber, Um, you know the kind of guy who

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Speaker 1: they show sitting in the front row and all, he's

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Speaker 1: all excited. You know, I haven't seen any footage of

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Speaker 1: him in this series yet, have you? Has he been

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Speaker 1: at the games? I mean, listen, it's got to be

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Speaker 1: a tough blow when you're a billionaire and you own

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Speaker 1: a team and you put together probably the greatest team

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Speaker 1: in franchise history. Have they had a better team? I

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Speaker 1: don't think so. And then you just get the snot

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Speaker 1: kicked out of you, just just humiliated by Luca dont

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Speaker 1: and Rob. Before we get to Chris Mannox, I just

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Speaker 1: want to say, is Luca Donte the best player in

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Speaker 1: the NBA right now? Okay? Yr Kich is gonna win

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Speaker 1: the heavy people. We get that, Lebron is thirty six,

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Speaker 1: Anthony Davis is a really really good player. Kay is

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Speaker 1: very good. Um, Steph Curry, you know, is incredible. When

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Speaker 1: you look at lucas supporting cast, you look at how

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Speaker 1: he impacts the game, I think there's a case he

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Speaker 1: could be the best player in the NBA right now.

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Speaker 1: And I heard you snicker a little bit. He you

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Speaker 1: look at his supporting cast. Bro. They start Dorian Finney Smith.

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Speaker 1: You would not have known him if he delivered a

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Speaker 1: pizza to your house. They start this guy Cleber, Maxi Cleber,

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Speaker 1: who is from Germany. Okay, they don't have a great

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Speaker 1: starting lineup. Like Porzingis is good, he's always hurt, he's

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Speaker 1: staying healthy in the series. Um, Rob, he's Luca done.

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Speaker 1: The best player in the NBA right now. He's very good.

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Speaker 1: That was pretty quick. He's very good. He's fantastic. And

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Speaker 1: it's not a slight at Luca. Donchees. But I just

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Speaker 1: mentioned it that the Clippers are doing a horrible job

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Speaker 1: trying to defend him. But they have two great defensive players.

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Speaker 1: What we've been told, when's the last time that that

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Speaker 1: you saw Kauai become a defensive stopper? What not since

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Speaker 1: San Antonio? Boy, this Kauai legend of oh he he

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Speaker 1: ended Lebron's heatles, he ended the Warriors. He didn't and ship,

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Speaker 1: let's be real, Okay, that heat were spent, that team was,

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Speaker 1: that team was toast and the Warriors all got hurt.

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Speaker 1: And now we're seeing Kauai ain't a true number one.

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Speaker 1: That's a that's a fact. In San Antonio, he was

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Speaker 1: he might have been the best player, but he was

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Speaker 1: not the leader. He was not the go to guy.

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Speaker 1: It was still Duncan in Parker's team, even man who

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Speaker 1: the big three. And in Toronto Kyle Lowry was a

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Speaker 1: heart and soul of that team. Yeah, Kauai was their

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Speaker 1: best player, but he wasn't the number one on that team.

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Speaker 1: Kyle Lowry was the number one. You would agree with me, right,

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Speaker 1: just so I don't sound like an ask clown. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: of course, there there's a difference between being the best player,

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Speaker 1: I mean, the number one or the leader of a team. Yes,

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Speaker 1: and Kauai is now in the position of leadership and

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Speaker 1: he ain't that dude. We can agree on that, right,

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Speaker 1: I just I don't want to sound like I'm totally

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Speaker 1: shipping on the Clippers, and Clipper Darryl is gonna be like, oh,

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Speaker 1: call it the papper clips and frauds. I mean, he

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Speaker 1: doesn't have a leg to stand on now, but he

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Speaker 1: Kauai ain't that dude. We could we could, we could

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Speaker 1: just admit that. It's not a knock. He's still a

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Speaker 1: top ten player in the league, but he is not

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Speaker 1: ever ever ever to be discussed in the same sentence

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Speaker 1: as Lebron James. Okay, let's just get that straight, folks,

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Speaker 1: all right, come on, like and and now, my Dame

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Speaker 1: Lillard for Paul George trade makes even more sense just

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Speaker 1: because you know you can tell he's not a leader.

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Speaker 1: He needs somebody to be the alpha. Yeah, I I

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Speaker 1: he's Anthony Davis. Like, Anthony Davis is a fantastic talent,

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Speaker 1: but he's just not mentally cut out to be the

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Speaker 1: leader of a team. I'm sure he's fine being the

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Speaker 1: second bananaic to Lebron. I I do think the Clippers

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Speaker 1: are gonna have to eating that deal for Damian Lillard

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Speaker 1: Paul George twenty two shots, team high negative eighteen. You

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Speaker 1: don't want now. He did hit the over twenty six

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Speaker 1: and a half point, so I'm happy. He had twelve

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Speaker 1: and six assists. He wasn't awful, but one of seven

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Speaker 1: from three I don't think he hit the side of

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Speaker 1: a backboard. But again, you just watch him play defense.

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Speaker 1: There's a highlight where Luca takes him down low, Luca

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Speaker 1: pump fakes, Paul George doesn't bite, and then Luca fades

393
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Speaker 1: away and just swishes like a four foot or over him,

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Speaker 1: And like, how did Paul George, who's like six ft nine,

395
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Speaker 1: how did he not block that? I don't know, guys,

396
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Speaker 1: I'm stunted. This Clippers UM series has to me absolutely shaken.

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Speaker 1: I've got to quickly look at the schedule for when

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Speaker 1: they play next. Do you have it, Rob, I pull

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Speaker 1: it up right now. I would assume it's Thursday. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, obviously tonight we have we have some decent games.

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Speaker 1: Wizard Sixers and but Hawks, Nick should be good, and

402
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Speaker 1: Jazz Grizzlies, the return of Donovan Mitchell. Uh. We talked

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Speaker 1: a little bit about that with Chris Mannix coming up

404
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Speaker 1: in a minute. They don't play until Friday, so they

405
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,160
Speaker 1: gave the paper Clips an extra day. Finally the league

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00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,200
Speaker 1: wisened up right, Um, having the Lakers and Clippers on

407
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Speaker 1: at the same time, as good as that was for

408
00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:13,280
Speaker 1: um watching games, like, you need to spread those two out, man.

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Speaker 1: Uh So, yeah, they don't play again until Friday, UM

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Speaker 1: programming note, I will be at Lakers suns. I will

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Speaker 1: probably be wearing my Magic Johnson jersey, maybe just a

412
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Speaker 1: Lakers T shirt. I don't know. Um, you could be

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Speaker 1: a fan. It's Okay, alright, without further ado and actually

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Speaker 1: rob any final thoughts on the Lakers. Do you think

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Speaker 1: there's still a lot to get to the finals assuming

416
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Speaker 1: health is fine for Lebron and a D. Yes, yes,

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Speaker 1: because I think they're only going to get better the

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Speaker 1: more cohesion that they get, and it's impossible for their

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Speaker 1: role players to play this bad for this for an

420
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,080
Speaker 1: extended period of time, and as long as Lebron and

421
00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:51,320
Speaker 1: a D are reasonably healthy, I think there's no one

422
00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:53,639
Speaker 1: in the West that can beat him. Yeah, And I

423
00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:55,600
Speaker 1: just wanna before we get to Chris Mannix, I want

424
00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,080
Speaker 1: to remind everybody that the Clippers tanked the final two

425
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,240
Speaker 1: games of the season against the two worst teams in

426
00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:04,960
Speaker 1: the league because they were afraid of facing Lebron and

427
00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,440
Speaker 1: the Lakers in this second round. Be careful what you

428
00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,840
Speaker 1: wish for. The grass ain't always greener. The Clippers got

429
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:17,639
Speaker 1: the Mavericks and they're down O two. Oh my gosh,

430
00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:22,800
Speaker 1: Tyler boy, it's gonna be a tough offseason if they

431
00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:24,880
Speaker 1: do not pull this out. All right, without further ado,

432
00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:29,120
Speaker 1: let's get to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannos. Fox Sports Radio

433
00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,040
Speaker 1: has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch

434
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,960
Speaker 1: all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com

435
00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:38,159
Speaker 1: and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f s

436
00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:44,400
Speaker 1: R to listen live. Jason likes to think he knows

437
00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,800
Speaker 1: everything when it comes to sports. I know what sports

438
00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,840
Speaker 1: dance want, but for everything he doesn't. He knows a

439
00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:53,880
Speaker 1: guy who does. Let's just say, I know a guy

440
00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:58,480
Speaker 1: who knows a guy knows another guy. All right, let's

441
00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,040
Speaker 1: welcome into the podcast a guy who probably has more

442
00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:04,760
Speaker 1: jobs than anybody that I know in sports media. And

443
00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,640
Speaker 1: you know, when you get into the field, you want

444
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:09,600
Speaker 1: to be like, oh, I'll cover one thing and then

445
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,040
Speaker 1: all these other offers come at you. This guy, Chris

446
00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:16,560
Speaker 1: Mannox covers basketball, boxing, Olympic. I mean, he does it all.

447
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:21,000
Speaker 1: Chris Mannox, how are you man? I'm just trying to

448
00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:22,600
Speaker 1: hang with you, and uh, you know, I see your

449
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:26,440
Speaker 1: byline on practically every sport. But I know you're a

450
00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:28,920
Speaker 1: big basketball guy. Have have covered the sport forever, So

451
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:30,880
Speaker 1: I thought we'd bring you on for the NBA playoffs.

452
00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:34,280
Speaker 1: I'm curious your thoughts on the opening weekend that the

453
00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,560
Speaker 1: ratings were pretty good, though they did go up against

454
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,240
Speaker 1: Phil Mickelson and golf, and we did see a couple

455
00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,600
Speaker 1: of upsets with the Nicks going down, the Lakers going down,

456
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,760
Speaker 1: the Clippers going down. But overall, first impressions on the playoffs,

457
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,720
Speaker 1: I thought it was a great opening weekend on the

458
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:54,480
Speaker 1: heels of a really good playing tournament. The debut of

459
00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,320
Speaker 1: this version of the playing tournament for the NBA, which

460
00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:00,879
Speaker 1: I thought for a lot of reasons, was why least successful,

461
00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:05,000
Speaker 1: um all at all selling? I think they've have been

462
00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,399
Speaker 1: really good early on, which, regardless of rating, is all

463
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:10,560
Speaker 1: the NBA gud asked for. Yeah. I know that there

464
00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,560
Speaker 1: was a brush fire on social media about this whole

465
00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,520
Speaker 1: mid season tournament. I think it might have been Jamal

466
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,560
Speaker 1: Murray or some other player who was like, why why

467
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,680
Speaker 1: do we need this stuff? But they're experimenting with it

468
00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,200
Speaker 1: in the w n B A I believe, and the

469
00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:27,280
Speaker 1: play and Tournament has been a success. Chris, it feels

470
00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:29,960
Speaker 1: like it's automatically happening in a couple of years. It

471
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:34,920
Speaker 1: is mid season tournament. Well maybe it's It's definitely Adam

472
00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,680
Speaker 1: Silver's pet project, and he has been trying to sell

473
00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,879
Speaker 1: NBA owners on this for some time. The problem is

474
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:48,080
Speaker 1: that the play and Tournament came with consequences right, Like

475
00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:53,400
Speaker 1: the play and Tournament motivated teams to play hard over

476
00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,359
Speaker 1: the last month of the season that might not have

477
00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,399
Speaker 1: been playing hard different years that might have said, you

478
00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,720
Speaker 1: know what, you're Washington. I've had this conversation with Scott

479
00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:05,800
Speaker 1: Brooks and he effectively confirmed it, like, if you know Washington,

480
00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,920
Speaker 1: you know, early March, when they're struggling, they might just

481
00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,800
Speaker 1: melt it in and said Bradley be a look, we're

482
00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,080
Speaker 1: gonna get a high draft pick. I'm gonna pair some

483
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,560
Speaker 1: with you next year. Don't worry about it. Ross, you've

484
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:17,960
Speaker 1: had a quad injury, don't worry about it. Instead, they

485
00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:21,240
Speaker 1: plowed through and now they're in the first round of

486
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,200
Speaker 1: the playoffs. So the play and Tournament I think was

487
00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:26,840
Speaker 1: impactful for that reason. I don't know how you make

488
00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,760
Speaker 1: the mid season tournament impactful, Like there's not gonna be

489
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:33,480
Speaker 1: a team out there that is going extra hard. So

490
00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:40,000
Speaker 1: when the whatever trophy it is at the Michael Jordan's Cup, like,

491
00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,560
Speaker 1: you know, more more likely it's like Lebron and Kevin

492
00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,000
Speaker 1: Durant and some of the older guys in the league

493
00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,320
Speaker 1: will punt on it and like, all right, let's let's

494
00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:51,840
Speaker 1: lose early and get out of this and maybe give

495
00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,280
Speaker 1: ourselves a little bit more time off if that's the

496
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,879
Speaker 1: way it ultimately gets gets format. Now there's been some

497
00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,320
Speaker 1: conversation about incentivizing it. I'll believe that when I see it,

498
00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:07,119
Speaker 1: Like they can't get the money together slam Dunk contest,

499
00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,879
Speaker 1: like that should be their first priority, Like instead of

500
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,560
Speaker 1: having you know, guys that played for the DNA Pacers

501
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:14,680
Speaker 1: for like seven and a half seconds competing in the

502
00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,600
Speaker 1: dunk contest, Like, maybe you can put some money on

503
00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,080
Speaker 1: the pot to get Lebron in the dunk contest. So

504
00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:22,480
Speaker 1: until they do that, I'm not gonna buy the NBA

505
00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:24,879
Speaker 1: owners gonna put like fifteen million dollars on the table

506
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,440
Speaker 1: for the winning team of the mid season tournament. I

507
00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:30,760
Speaker 1: just I don't see it. I mean it could, it could.

508
00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:32,600
Speaker 1: They could make a ton of money in the TV

509
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:34,600
Speaker 1: rights to it. But yeah, I think you're right, Like,

510
00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:37,320
Speaker 1: what does Lebron care for an extra three million dollars?

511
00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:40,000
Speaker 1: Like he doesn't need that. I do wonder if there's

512
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:46,000
Speaker 1: a way to incentivize um the playoffs or the draft lottery.

513
00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:48,440
Speaker 1: I don't I haven't fully thought that through, but there's

514
00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:50,080
Speaker 1: got to be something they could come up with right,

515
00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:53,479
Speaker 1: because soccer has it overseas, but it's a little more

516
00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:56,960
Speaker 1: exotics as opposed to this closed NBA. The NFL would

517
00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,760
Speaker 1: never experiment with anything like that. I don't know that

518
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,400
Speaker 1: he's bulls tried. But they did pass inter league play,

519
00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,320
Speaker 1: which has kind of been a hit, right, huge hit. Um.

520
00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:11,080
Speaker 1: You know, there's been some talk internally about the winner

521
00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,960
Speaker 1: of the play in tournament having some kind of incentive

522
00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:15,640
Speaker 1: in the playoff to be maybe it is a first

523
00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,800
Speaker 1: round by something like that. Um, I don't see that

524
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,399
Speaker 1: happening either. I mean that he's a little bit too

525
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,840
Speaker 1: gimmicky I think for the NBA. And one of the

526
00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:29,720
Speaker 1: chief complaints about the playing tournament is that it waters

527
00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:32,480
Speaker 1: down the result of the regular season. I disagree with that,

528
00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,240
Speaker 1: but that's been a complaint of some players and some

529
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,480
Speaker 1: coaches and some teams. Uh, this would be even worse,

530
00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:45,000
Speaker 1: right if you have like a playoff acted by a

531
00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:48,960
Speaker 1: play in tournament. I just that wouldn't make any sense whatsoever.

532
00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:50,760
Speaker 1: And look that one of the problems too is like

533
00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:52,280
Speaker 1: you know, you say it will be a boost for

534
00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:54,760
Speaker 1: TV ratings. I don't know if it would be like

535
00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,400
Speaker 1: I look at the NBA has hell bent on trying

536
00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,560
Speaker 1: to make people care more about January and February basketball.

537
00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:03,640
Speaker 1: I don't know what it happens. I just don't know

538
00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:08,240
Speaker 1: what you can do make people care more about the

539
00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,480
Speaker 1: very early stages of the eight two game season. The

540
00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:13,120
Speaker 1: one thing they could do is shrink the amount of

541
00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:15,640
Speaker 1: games that they play that would be of interest I

542
00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,160
Speaker 1: think the NBA fans, and make each game more valuable.

543
00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,120
Speaker 1: But you're not gonna do that. There's gate revenue, there's

544
00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:24,160
Speaker 1: TV revenue. Like they're they're trying to thread a very

545
00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,520
Speaker 1: specific needle here, and I just don't think it's gonna work.

546
00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:28,680
Speaker 1: I'll come back to the playoffs and a set, Chris.

547
00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:30,880
Speaker 1: But you know, just because you mentioned the Wizards and

548
00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:32,800
Speaker 1: you know they made that run, they got to the playoffs,

549
00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:35,320
Speaker 1: it doesn't look like Bradley Beale is gonna pound the

550
00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:37,080
Speaker 1: table and say get me the hell out of Washington.

551
00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,560
Speaker 1: I don't want to be here. We've seen other stars

552
00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:42,600
Speaker 1: do that, you know, Paul George, Anthony Davis on down

553
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,640
Speaker 1: the list, and that's really driven the off season, Chris,

554
00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,440
Speaker 1: for about a decade since Lebron really uh you know,

555
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,200
Speaker 1: in Danny Ainge built like uh, you know, the Celtics

556
00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:54,800
Speaker 1: Big Three, then Lebron with the heat. Chris. I don't

557
00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:57,959
Speaker 1: see any big player movement this offseason. I mean, who

558
00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,560
Speaker 1: am I missing, Carl Anthony Towns. Maybe there was this

559
00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:04,040
Speaker 1: random Jimmy Butler report that his agent really tried to

560
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,360
Speaker 1: knock down. Who am I missing? Chris? They could hit

561
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,760
Speaker 1: the market. Give me a good name, well, the name

562
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:15,600
Speaker 1: that's of consequences Kawhi Leonard. Because Kauai can opt out

563
00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,320
Speaker 1: of his contract at the end of this season, and

564
00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:24,160
Speaker 1: while it's been widely viewed as faded company that Kauai

565
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,480
Speaker 1: signs a new deal, I mean there's a financial incentive

566
00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:29,360
Speaker 1: for him to wait until the off season to sign

567
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,600
Speaker 1: a new deal with the Clippers. If they wound up

568
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:36,640
Speaker 1: wound up bowing out early in this series, I wouldn't

569
00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:40,120
Speaker 1: put all my eggs in that basket. I mean, I've

570
00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:44,480
Speaker 1: written People magazine stories on Kawhi letter I know nothing about.

571
00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:48,520
Speaker 1: He is one of the more difficult guys to get

572
00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:50,720
Speaker 1: a read on. I covered him in San Antonio, I

573
00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,480
Speaker 1: covered him in Toronto. He's a tough guy to get

574
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:55,080
Speaker 1: a read on. So anyone that says they know what

575
00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,400
Speaker 1: Kauai is thinking, unless they're one of like three people

576
00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:01,040
Speaker 1: they don't really know. So the Clippers wind up losing

577
00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:03,880
Speaker 1: the series the Mavericks, and Kauai is looking around going

578
00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:06,880
Speaker 1: what am I doing here? Like this team does not

579
00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:09,920
Speaker 1: have the assets to get better? Uh The Paul George

580
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,120
Speaker 1: thing works in the regular season, but clearly not in

581
00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:15,480
Speaker 1: the playoffs. Why do I make a change and lurking

582
00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:19,800
Speaker 1: out there? Because Miami is the kind of team that

583
00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,400
Speaker 1: you know, pat Riley Eric's bolster get involved. Regardless of

584
00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:24,000
Speaker 1: what happens in the series, they are going to be

585
00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,680
Speaker 1: an appealing free agent destination with the ability to get

586
00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,000
Speaker 1: far enough under the cap to UH sign a player

587
00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,800
Speaker 1: like Kawhi Letterd. So he's probably the most interesting player

588
00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,479
Speaker 1: name on the market. I do think this offseason, though,

589
00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:41,320
Speaker 1: is gonna be dominated by potential moves by front office types,

590
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:45,760
Speaker 1: specifically Massiah Jerry in Toronto, who is you know, arguing

591
00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:48,440
Speaker 1: the best GM in the NBA. You know, built the

592
00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,840
Speaker 1: Raptors into what they were a couple of years ago,

593
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,160
Speaker 1: made that Bolt trade for Kauai. He does not have

594
00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,440
Speaker 1: a contract with the Raptors for next season. He's talked

595
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:58,840
Speaker 1: about you know, he likes it in Toronto, but he

596
00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,280
Speaker 1: hasn't signed a new deal yet, and he's gonna be

597
00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:03,040
Speaker 1: a guy with a lot of options out there. So

598
00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,560
Speaker 1: Massi's future I think could be the most impactful offseason

599
00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,480
Speaker 1: move of any of it's out there. I'll get back

600
00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,720
Speaker 1: to Quie. But because you said, uh, Massi no contract.

601
00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:16,120
Speaker 1: The way that John Moran and the Grizzlies have got

602
00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:19,760
Speaker 1: it together quickly, they're in the playoffs already, Zion in

603
00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,920
Speaker 1: New Orleans has to be like, yo, we're not even

604
00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:26,360
Speaker 1: the playoffs. We weren't even close. Is there any way

605
00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:30,040
Speaker 1: on earth New Orleans could lure Massai to New Orleans

606
00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:31,880
Speaker 1: and quickly try to build something up Or is that

607
00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:33,920
Speaker 1: too much of a pipe dream? Now? They've got a

608
00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,719
Speaker 1: great GM down there anyway, in David Griffin. I mean

609
00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:38,640
Speaker 1: he just got the job a couple of years ago.

610
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:42,160
Speaker 1: I mean he like he built the champion in Cleveland. Um,

611
00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:45,240
Speaker 1: and they're on the upswing in New Orleans. You know,

612
00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:47,320
Speaker 1: whether it's next year or the year after there. I

613
00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:49,360
Speaker 1: mean they were in contention for a playoff spot this year.

614
00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,680
Speaker 1: I think there's a pretty reasonable chance they're in the

615
00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,720
Speaker 1: playoffs or at least that playoff field next year. And

616
00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:56,440
Speaker 1: then they're not. I know, it's all this like, you

617
00:32:56,520 --> 00:33:00,720
Speaker 1: gotta keep Zion happy. He's in what year two of

618
00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:06,120
Speaker 1: a rookie contract, and no player history of rookie contracts

619
00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,920
Speaker 1: has turned down a max extension when it's offered at

620
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,400
Speaker 1: the time. So Zion is going to sign a MAX

621
00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,560
Speaker 1: extension with New Orleans when that time comes. So he's

622
00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:18,160
Speaker 1: tied to them for five more years, probably at least,

623
00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,240
Speaker 1: if not longer. So it's not while they do want

624
00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,800
Speaker 1: to build around him quickly, I don't think there are

625
00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:24,640
Speaker 1: in any danger of alienating him to the point where

626
00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:29,400
Speaker 1: it becomes problematic. My excitement over potentially Zion rejecting the

627
00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:33,920
Speaker 1: rookie max extension I think comes something from that. There's

628
00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:35,920
Speaker 1: really nobody on the market who's looking to get out,

629
00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,160
Speaker 1: and you're looking to find someone who might. Um. I

630
00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,680
Speaker 1: think that Zion things fascinating. I don't know. I mean, Chris,

631
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,000
Speaker 1: are you confident that, like they're going to figure out

632
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,160
Speaker 1: this a Lonzo ball Josh Hart thing, because no, I

633
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:50,680
Speaker 1: mean Alonzo. Alonzo may not be back. I mean, you're

634
00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:53,479
Speaker 1: going to move him before the trade deadline, and if

635
00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,360
Speaker 1: somebody comes at Alonzo with a decent contract, I don't

636
00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:59,880
Speaker 1: think the the Pelicans are are going to resign him,

637
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,360
Speaker 1: so they'll be on the lookout for for another point

638
00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:06,040
Speaker 1: guard probably. But but the issue with the rookie contract

639
00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,959
Speaker 1: is you can't you can't get away from the team

640
00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,480
Speaker 1: like they They can offer you a qualifying offer, right,

641
00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,040
Speaker 1: So that qualifying offer, let's say for Zion, is for

642
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,960
Speaker 1: ten million dollars. In order for Zion to gain his

643
00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,879
Speaker 1: unrestricted freedom the year after, he would have to sign

644
00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:25,799
Speaker 1: the qualifying offer for ten million dollars, but he would

645
00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,440
Speaker 1: lose the money in between for the max contract. A

646
00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:31,080
Speaker 1: max contract says twenty five million dollars. That's money you

647
00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:33,160
Speaker 1: can never get back. Like, that's not like you can

648
00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:36,160
Speaker 1: sign for max money for one year. He would make

649
00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:39,600
Speaker 1: so much money more money signing an extension in that

650
00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:43,319
Speaker 1: one year that to do that, to turn it down,

651
00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:45,839
Speaker 1: would be leaving a fortune on the table. That's why

652
00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,480
Speaker 1: guys just don't walk away from those contracts. You don't

653
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:52,000
Speaker 1: have to really hate your team and really be willing

654
00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,960
Speaker 1: to bite the bullet to walk away from a MAX extension. Yeah,

655
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,680
Speaker 1: it's interesting Lebron signed it, KD. So everybody's everybody everybody

656
00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:01,680
Speaker 1: said nobody literally ever, and I guess the point. The

657
00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,640
Speaker 1: only question is Chris, how much outside pressure is there? Now?

658
00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:10,560
Speaker 1: Would social media amplify these TV shows? Everybody's saying, hey,

659
00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,960
Speaker 1: you know your legacy, Zion. Two years in you can't

660
00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,360
Speaker 1: even make the playoffs. John Morand's past you. You know,

661
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:18,840
Speaker 1: when are you going to be good? I just wonder

662
00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,120
Speaker 1: if the outside chirping you said, nobody really knows Kawhi Leonard,

663
00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:24,440
Speaker 1: do we know what type of guy Zion is? How

664
00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:26,520
Speaker 1: badly does he want to win? Because let's remember you

665
00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:28,640
Speaker 1: need to get to a final four. Duke hasn't been

666
00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:30,879
Speaker 1: in the playoffs. Like, I love Zion, I think he's great,

667
00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:34,839
Speaker 1: but at some point he's gotta win some games, right Yeah? Absolutely?

668
00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:38,759
Speaker 1: Um And I think there's an urgency there. He was

669
00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:41,160
Speaker 1: an All Star this year, a candidate for All NBA

670
00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,399
Speaker 1: on most people's balance this year. I just don't think

671
00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:48,760
Speaker 1: we're there yet where it becomes a point of concern,

672
00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,839
Speaker 1: either for the Pelicans or for Zion Williamson. If they

673
00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:55,239
Speaker 1: got to go into years three and four and they're

674
00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:57,640
Speaker 1: still kind of spinning their wheels and stand band guns.

675
00:35:57,640 --> 00:35:59,800
Speaker 1: Looks like he's working, and then maybe you can have

676
00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:02,680
Speaker 1: a discussion about is this problematic. But everything I've heard

677
00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:05,800
Speaker 1: about Zion is that he's happy with the situation in

678
00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:08,440
Speaker 1: New Orleans and they're building the right way. They're they're

679
00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,279
Speaker 1: a young team. Uh. They do also happen to have

680
00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,879
Speaker 1: like a billion draft picks over the next few years

681
00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:15,399
Speaker 1: as a result of some of the deals that made

682
00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,240
Speaker 1: Drew Holiday being most notable. So they're a pretty good position.

683
00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:20,759
Speaker 1: I mean, as long as they draft well in the

684
00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:24,839
Speaker 1: coming years. Science only, Um, you know, he's he's got

685
00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:26,520
Speaker 1: a long way to go. If they add you know,

686
00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,399
Speaker 1: talent around him that fits his age bracket, this team

687
00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:31,520
Speaker 1: can grow together pretty quickly. All right, Let's go back

688
00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,239
Speaker 1: to Kauai. So this is kind of uh, I don't

689
00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:36,560
Speaker 1: know if it's hot or warm or lukewarm. Take but

690
00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,239
Speaker 1: what if, yeah, let's say the lose to the Maths

691
00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:41,640
Speaker 1: or in the second round to Memphis or Utah whatever

692
00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:45,719
Speaker 1: they can't lose, Kauai keep Paul George and have no

693
00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:49,439
Speaker 1: draft picks. What if Kauai said, y'all need to trade

694
00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,919
Speaker 1: Paul George. You want to keep me, trade Paul George,

695
00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:55,160
Speaker 1: get him out of here. Find something. Oh, they would

696
00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:58,439
Speaker 1: probably explore it, but like, you're not gonna get dollar

697
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:01,200
Speaker 1: for dollar value back exactly to sign who signed a

698
00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:04,759
Speaker 1: hundred nine million contract extension last year. I mean the

699
00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,320
Speaker 1: Clippers basically had no choice but to extend Paul George

700
00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:10,080
Speaker 1: because they gave away the store to get him, say

701
00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:12,560
Speaker 1: guilds Alexander every draft that they have through like two

702
00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:16,719
Speaker 1: thousand thirty. I mean to hyperbolic, but basically, um so

703
00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:21,480
Speaker 1: they they they are wed to this mix. Um and

704
00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:23,960
Speaker 1: Kauai is gonna have to decide if he believes in

705
00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,920
Speaker 1: this group, if he believes in Tyler, if he believes

706
00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:29,360
Speaker 1: in Lawrence Frank, if he thinks they can build a

707
00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:32,040
Speaker 1: championship contender. I mean, like I wrote this couple of

708
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:33,600
Speaker 1: weeks back, I mean, if this team does bow in

709
00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:36,480
Speaker 1: the first round, I could see Massia Jerry working his

710
00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:38,319
Speaker 1: way into the mix in l A. I mean you think,

711
00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:41,360
Speaker 1: do you think Steve Bomber, the deep pocket owner of

712
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:44,640
Speaker 1: the Clippers, wouldn't pay Missio Jerry, you know, fifteen million

713
00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:47,680
Speaker 1: dollars or whatever would cost to to get him to

714
00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:49,880
Speaker 1: come and run the Clippers. I mean, I think this

715
00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:52,440
Speaker 1: is and I wrote this on on Tuesday, like this

716
00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:57,600
Speaker 1: is like the most important playoff series in recent Clippers history.

717
00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:00,080
Speaker 1: I mean, this is everything. I mean, Steve Bomber is

718
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,799
Speaker 1: paying a hundred and thirty seven million in salaries this season.

719
00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:04,560
Speaker 1: They're in the luxury tax that area a big check

720
00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:06,480
Speaker 1: at the end of the year next year if they

721
00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:09,479
Speaker 1: keep Kauai that's south that's already they're already a hundred

722
00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,239
Speaker 1: forty five million dollars. So I mean it's it's a

723
00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:15,319
Speaker 1: massive payroll, and he's not spending that money to get

724
00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,279
Speaker 1: beat in the first round. So the Clippers are facing

725
00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:20,960
Speaker 1: a lot of adversity if they don't, you know, at

726
00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:23,759
Speaker 1: least get to the conference finals this year. So I

727
00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,000
Speaker 1: am curious when you look at the Eastern Conference and

728
00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:30,200
Speaker 1: the situation with like the Wizards and Beal, Like, I

729
00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:33,520
Speaker 1: don't think anybody thinks they're beating the seventy sixers, right,

730
00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:35,399
Speaker 1: I mean, seventy sixers have turned it around with Doc

731
00:38:35,960 --> 00:38:37,880
Speaker 1: uh and and beat in Ben Simmons even though he

732
00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,400
Speaker 1: missed all his free throws in Game one. Um, is

733
00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,240
Speaker 1: there a scenario where the Wizards try to build around

734
00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:46,160
Speaker 1: Beal in Westbrook? Are no chance there? No? I think

735
00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:50,760
Speaker 1: there's a scenario. It just depends on Bradley Beale's attitude

736
00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:54,160
Speaker 1: towards signing an extension this summer. Now, Bradley bal has

737
00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,920
Speaker 1: done exactly what you want a superstar to do. He

738
00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:02,160
Speaker 1: has been publicly and privately loyal to the Wizards. He

739
00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:06,000
Speaker 1: has not screwed up the chemistry of that team the

740
00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:09,160
Speaker 1: way we've seen other stars screw up the chemistry their teams.

741
00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:11,880
Speaker 1: Like you know, Anthony Davis is a great player, but

742
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:15,880
Speaker 1: he effectively sabotaged the Pelican season when he requested a

743
00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,319
Speaker 1: trade in the middle of He didn't. It didn't work out.

744
00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:21,840
Speaker 1: It doesn't It doesn't matter like it didn't work out immediately,

745
00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:23,759
Speaker 1: it didn't work out before the trade deadline. It didn't

746
00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:27,279
Speaker 1: work out. Like Bradley Beale doesn't have to publicly make

747
00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:29,320
Speaker 1: a trade de band. All Bradley Beal has to do

748
00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:31,040
Speaker 1: is say, look, I'm not going to sign that extension

749
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:34,200
Speaker 1: the summer. That carries the same weight as a trade demand,

750
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:37,680
Speaker 1: because if you're the Wizards, you simply can't risk losing

751
00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:40,880
Speaker 1: Bradley Beale in the summer of two for nothing, like

752
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:44,239
Speaker 1: you can't risk it. So unless you're a certain he's

753
00:39:44,280 --> 00:39:46,320
Speaker 1: going to come back, you have to turn around and

754
00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,600
Speaker 1: trade him. And by doing it, that way, you're not

755
00:39:48,719 --> 00:39:50,440
Speaker 1: the bad guy if you're Bradley Beal. I mean, I

756
00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,440
Speaker 1: think Anthony Davis could have been could have edited in

757
00:39:53,480 --> 00:39:55,960
Speaker 1: New Orleans the same way, but not been the bad

758
00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,040
Speaker 1: guy and not been, you know, the guy that kind

759
00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:00,360
Speaker 1: of screw up the end of that season. That that

760
00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,320
Speaker 1: was my biggest issue with what a d did in

761
00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:05,520
Speaker 1: the world. He eventually got exactly what he wanted, but

762
00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:07,480
Speaker 1: there's no reason to believe he wouldn't have gotten what

763
00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:10,600
Speaker 1: he wanted if he had just said nothing, gotten to

764
00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:13,719
Speaker 1: the end of the season and got the trade with

765
00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:16,360
Speaker 1: the Lakers. Anyway, It's weird, how like during the regular

766
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:18,480
Speaker 1: season people can be awesome, things are great, and then

767
00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:20,799
Speaker 1: the playoffs come flame out and it's like, all right,

768
00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,560
Speaker 1: is this guy one out? And I don't know, Chris,

769
00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,160
Speaker 1: I don't know what to make of this Donovan Mitchell situation. Um,

770
00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:29,839
Speaker 1: you know, I guess when COVID hit him and Rudy

771
00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:31,880
Speaker 1: Gobert had their falling out and they didn't talk for

772
00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:33,920
Speaker 1: a while, and then everything was peach and they had

773
00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:36,400
Speaker 1: the best record in the league and then the Jazz

774
00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,360
Speaker 1: hold Mitchell out of Game one, ultra conservative move. Heep

775
00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:43,399
Speaker 1: chirps and now he's back, he's playing a game two.

776
00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:46,120
Speaker 1: I mean, what's going on there? Any idea if you know,

777
00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:47,719
Speaker 1: I know that Dwyane Wade is supposed to be like

778
00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:50,920
Speaker 1: a peacemaker. He's now an owner in Utah. What's going

779
00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:54,640
Speaker 1: on with Mitchell? Yeah, I don't think it's anything significant.

780
00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,080
Speaker 1: I wrote kind of in the magazine this month about

781
00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,319
Speaker 1: kind of the last year of the Jazz and how

782
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:02,120
Speaker 1: they feeled them selves, you know, from what looked to

783
00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:05,600
Speaker 1: be a catastrophe a ending back in March to where

784
00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:07,440
Speaker 1: they are now the best record excuse me, the end

785
00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:10,640
Speaker 1: of the regular season in the entire NBA. I think

786
00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:13,000
Speaker 1: the Jazz tried to steal one. I think they thought

787
00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:16,680
Speaker 1: they could catch Memphis and they're at home. The Grizzlies

788
00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:19,440
Speaker 1: are not a great team. I think they thought what

789
00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:21,880
Speaker 1: they had was enough and they could just get a

790
00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:26,320
Speaker 1: win and buy Donovan Mitchell two or three more days

791
00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:29,320
Speaker 1: of rest. I mean, you know, they're very aware of

792
00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:31,839
Speaker 1: how Lebron came back, and he came back early from

793
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:34,160
Speaker 1: an ankle injury, and he had had to sit out

794
00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:37,120
Speaker 1: another week or so because he retweaked it. After that,

795
00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,919
Speaker 1: I think they were trying to buy Mitchell a little

796
00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:42,799
Speaker 1: more time. Obviously didn't love what they saw from him

797
00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:44,960
Speaker 1: in practice that he didn't feel he was a hundred

798
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,000
Speaker 1: percent or close to it to hold him out. I

799
00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,960
Speaker 1: just think because it was the one eight matchup, because

800
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,320
Speaker 1: they were at home, because they played pretty well without

801
00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,080
Speaker 1: Mitchell in the lineup. Ocdonovitch had been great, Joe Ingles

802
00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:57,600
Speaker 1: have been great, Jordan Clarkson six Men of the Year.

803
00:41:57,840 --> 00:41:59,600
Speaker 1: I just think they got a little little cocky and

804
00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:01,799
Speaker 1: thought get steal one. They didn't, and now they're gonna

805
00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:04,200
Speaker 1: have to make up some ground when Mitchell comes back. Yeah,

806
00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:05,960
Speaker 1: I don't. It feels like there's all of a sudden

807
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,920
Speaker 1: pressure on Mitchell to be and that's like impossible that

808
00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:11,640
Speaker 1: he hasn't played in a month? Was he had three practices? Chris,

809
00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:15,239
Speaker 1: I mean, this is not a great situation to go into.

810
00:42:15,320 --> 00:42:17,640
Speaker 1: And he's gonna draw Dylan Brooks, who is a bit

811
00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:20,800
Speaker 1: of a dog defensively. We've seen him. I've been on

812
00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:23,280
Speaker 1: the I've been on the Dylon Brooks bandwagon for defense

813
00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:25,160
Speaker 1: for a while and I voted him second team All

814
00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:27,799
Speaker 1: Defense and that was before you know what we saw

815
00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:30,040
Speaker 1: on the playing tournament where he was hounding guys you

816
00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:32,640
Speaker 1: know DeMar de Ros and Steph Curry. He did a

817
00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:34,880
Speaker 1: great job and he's gonna get the assignment on Donovan

818
00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:37,640
Speaker 1: Mitchell and he's gonna make Donovan Mitchell work for the

819
00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:39,759
Speaker 1: rest of this series. So it's it's not gonna be easy.

820
00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:42,600
Speaker 1: And I still think the Jazz have enough with a

821
00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:46,560
Speaker 1: Mitchell to win it. But this is it's not just

822
00:42:46,719 --> 00:42:48,600
Speaker 1: this series with the pressures on Donovan Mitchell. I mean,

823
00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:52,440
Speaker 1: I've stopped a lot at the idea that Mitchell should

824
00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:56,560
Speaker 1: be criticized for not taking the Jazz deep into the playoffs,

825
00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:58,520
Speaker 1: like the shock comments are back in January and some

826
00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:00,600
Speaker 1: other stuff. People have said that he's not that guy.

827
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:04,920
Speaker 1: He's never had a team around him where you believe

828
00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:07,360
Speaker 1: that team could make a deep run. Last year in

829
00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:09,399
Speaker 1: the Bubble, they were without my comm in the first

830
00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:12,840
Speaker 1: couple of games there, without Bogdanovitch for the entire series.

831
00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:14,600
Speaker 1: There was still a lot of the drama that was

832
00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:16,759
Speaker 1: going on around that team. This is the year, though,

833
00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,000
Speaker 1: like this is the year that the Jazz have all

834
00:43:19,040 --> 00:43:22,160
Speaker 1: the pieces to be a championship contender. If they fall

835
00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:25,239
Speaker 1: short and Mitchell fall short with them, any criticism I

836
00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:27,719
Speaker 1: think of Mitchell will be warranted. But up until this point,

837
00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:30,040
Speaker 1: it seems all kind of like, well, what did you

838
00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:32,080
Speaker 1: expect the gotta do? Like, no, how great he is,

839
00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:35,359
Speaker 1: Like you don't expect a guy to perform. He doesn't

840
00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:37,400
Speaker 1: have the teammates around him that can help him do it.

841
00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:40,360
Speaker 1: All right, We'll wrap up with what I think is

842
00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:44,080
Speaker 1: a fascinating series Hawks Knicks. And you know, Chris Trey

843
00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:47,279
Speaker 1: Young obviously was phenomenal in the first game. I thought

844
00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:49,279
Speaker 1: he was a little Derrick Rosish when he came into

845
00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:51,520
Speaker 1: the playoffs against the Celtics in Chicago. I mean, Trey

846
00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:54,719
Speaker 1: Young got whatever he wanted in the lane. And you know,

847
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:56,560
Speaker 1: I'm I've been a Knicks fan for a long time.

848
00:43:57,360 --> 00:44:00,160
Speaker 1: I don't know if the Knicks have enough offense win

849
00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:02,360
Speaker 1: this series. I mean, Alec Brooks is not gonna have

850
00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:06,040
Speaker 1: twenty seven points, you know, five games in this series.

851
00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:09,800
Speaker 1: I kind of like the Hawks here, But I'm just curious,

852
00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:11,800
Speaker 1: just to your thought. Nick's finally back in the playoffs

853
00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:13,719
Speaker 1: for the first time in a while. Are they all

854
00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:17,000
Speaker 1: of a sudden becoming attractive to potential free agents? Oh

855
00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:20,440
Speaker 1: the garden, it's buzzing, Spike Laze jumping around like New

856
00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:23,040
Speaker 1: York is cool again. Yeah, I think they're gonna be

857
00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:27,279
Speaker 1: very attractive to prospective free agents. They're not there yet, um,

858
00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:29,000
Speaker 1: and they don't need to be there yet. I mean,

859
00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,919
Speaker 1: they've still got Random under contract for one more year.

860
00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:35,520
Speaker 1: These core guys like r J. Barrett Manual quickly, they're

861
00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:38,560
Speaker 1: really young. So the Knicks, even though they're the four seed,

862
00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:42,839
Speaker 1: are still very much a rebuilding kind of work in progresress.

863
00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:45,960
Speaker 1: You don't want to go out and add salary player

864
00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:48,840
Speaker 1: to this roster anyway. You you want to, you know,

865
00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:51,399
Speaker 1: use your draft pick middle of the first round. Hit

866
00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:53,040
Speaker 1: on that in the same way you hit on a

867
00:44:53,120 --> 00:44:55,920
Speaker 1: manual quickly, cross your fingers, hope will be topping in

868
00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,879
Speaker 1: year two is better than what he was in year one,

869
00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:01,520
Speaker 1: and and keep building around these guys. I mean they're

870
00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:04,319
Speaker 1: still they're not on that championship level. Yeah, but once

871
00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:07,959
Speaker 1: you know, if these guys keep playing well, and Leon

872
00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:10,840
Speaker 1: Rose keeps making good decisions, and Tom Thibodeau, who is

873
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:15,280
Speaker 1: an excellent coach like I never tis lost his coaching

874
00:45:15,360 --> 00:45:18,440
Speaker 1: shops like he is the least qualified human being in

875
00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,600
Speaker 1: the history of people to hold both the general manager

876
00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:24,880
Speaker 1: and the head coaching job. Like he's the human embodiment

877
00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:27,480
Speaker 1: of that Spider Man. Mean where he's like pointing, like

878
00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:30,120
Speaker 1: like you're fired, or you're fired, or you're doing it wrong.

879
00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:32,520
Speaker 1: Like there's two different sides of him on that he

880
00:45:32,560 --> 00:45:35,160
Speaker 1: shouldn't be doing that job never will again. But as

881
00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:37,320
Speaker 1: a coach he is excellent. I mean, the next of

882
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,840
Speaker 1: the number one defense in the NBA, and not a

883
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:41,640
Speaker 1: single player on that team is gonna make the All

884
00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:45,080
Speaker 1: defensive team. Like that's wild, Like that's all Thibodeau and

885
00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:48,080
Speaker 1: the principles that he's still with that team. So look,

886
00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:51,200
Speaker 1: the Knicks being good are they're gonna make players want

887
00:45:51,239 --> 00:45:53,359
Speaker 1: to go there. But how they're good, it's like, let's

888
00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:55,719
Speaker 1: be good with all these young pieces and key positions,

889
00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:58,440
Speaker 1: and then when a free agent comes along that fits

890
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:00,800
Speaker 1: what we need, whether it's a great point guard, a

891
00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:03,320
Speaker 1: great small forward, will go all out at him, and

892
00:46:03,360 --> 00:46:04,800
Speaker 1: that player will want to go there because of the

893
00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:08,000
Speaker 1: culture that we have already established. So look at this series.

894
00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:10,120
Speaker 1: I think it's a seven game series and a point

895
00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:12,480
Speaker 1: of flip whichever way it goes. But regard this is

896
00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:15,600
Speaker 1: all icing like the next season was a roaring success

897
00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:18,600
Speaker 1: no matter what happens. In these playoffs. I'm curious where

898
00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:21,319
Speaker 1: are you on the whole a Lonzo Ball to New

899
00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:24,279
Speaker 1: York speculation. I mean, I can't tell if this is

900
00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:27,160
Speaker 1: being driven by Alonzo's agent to get you know, the

901
00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:30,400
Speaker 1: Pelicans to pony up or is it real? Like you know,

902
00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:35,040
Speaker 1: could they be interested in Alonzo at twenty mill? Chris? I?

903
00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:37,719
Speaker 1: I mean Fred VanVleet got twenty one mill, and I

904
00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:39,800
Speaker 1: think he's a much better player than Alonzo Ball. I

905
00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:42,120
Speaker 1: know Alonzo good numbers this year, but are you buying

906
00:46:42,160 --> 00:46:47,359
Speaker 1: the Alonzo New York smoke on buying it as a possibility? Um,

907
00:46:47,560 --> 00:46:50,920
Speaker 1: I don't know. Hi. The Knicks will go with any offers.

908
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:53,839
Speaker 1: Chicago is also still interested in Alonzo Ball. They're another

909
00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:56,279
Speaker 1: team that needs a point guards. Alonso is gonna have

910
00:46:56,360 --> 00:47:00,000
Speaker 1: some suitors this offseason. But that's a lot of money

911
00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,440
Speaker 1: for a guy that's yet to prove he's a winning player.

912
00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:06,800
Speaker 1: Good player, but yet to prove he's he's a winner

913
00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,480
Speaker 1: on on a high level. So I think TIBs would

914
00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:11,000
Speaker 1: be able to bring out some things in him. His

915
00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:13,680
Speaker 1: size would be an asset defensively. I think that that

916
00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:17,000
Speaker 1: NIX team, So I think he'd thrive in that system.

917
00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:18,880
Speaker 1: And I think a kid from l A U C

918
00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:20,560
Speaker 1: l A used to play in the limelight's not gonna

919
00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:23,960
Speaker 1: be intimidated by the atmosphere in New York. But if

920
00:47:23,960 --> 00:47:25,560
Speaker 1: you're the Nicks, you gotta be careful, like to things

921
00:47:25,560 --> 00:47:27,600
Speaker 1: you gotta be careful about, you know, spending money on

922
00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:30,520
Speaker 1: Alonzo ball this summer and at Julius Randall extension. I mean,

923
00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:33,080
Speaker 1: I know people love Julius Randall. He was first team

924
00:47:33,120 --> 00:47:36,600
Speaker 1: All NBA on my ballot, most improved player on my ballot.

925
00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:39,880
Speaker 1: But he's he's got a hear left in his contract.

926
00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:42,719
Speaker 1: And if I'm the Knicks, I let that contract play out, Like,

927
00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:45,400
Speaker 1: let's see him do this again year two if he

928
00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:47,600
Speaker 1: can open up the vote for him. Back up the

929
00:47:47,640 --> 00:47:49,480
Speaker 1: brains truck. Pay them all you want, but you know

930
00:47:49,520 --> 00:47:52,120
Speaker 1: where the Knicks have gotten trouble in the past is

931
00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:55,360
Speaker 1: spending too much when they didn't have to. And and

932
00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:57,920
Speaker 1: with this team, I'd be very wary about where I

933
00:47:58,000 --> 00:47:59,920
Speaker 1: put my money. So who else was on your first

934
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:02,400
Speaker 1: team All NBA? Um, are you allowed to reveal that?

935
00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:05,320
Speaker 1: Or no? Yeah? I who was on my first team

936
00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:09,319
Speaker 1: All nbada? Randall's a bit of a surprise, but I mean, well,

937
00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:12,160
Speaker 1: I mean at some point, you gotta like durability at

938
00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:15,200
Speaker 1: some point became a factor, right, like like if a

939
00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:19,000
Speaker 1: guy's playing seventy one seventy two games, Yeah, that's that's

940
00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:25,200
Speaker 1: that's going to trump a player that's in the fifties center.

941
00:48:25,239 --> 00:48:28,680
Speaker 1: And you didn't have to. I don't know why, but

942
00:48:28,760 --> 00:48:30,840
Speaker 1: the NBA said you could put Yokich and NB I

943
00:48:30,880 --> 00:48:33,560
Speaker 1: didn't do it, Like because I believe centers are centers.

944
00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:35,839
Speaker 1: Has always been a center, and he's always been a center.

945
00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:38,439
Speaker 1: I put Yoki first team and them beat second team.

946
00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:41,279
Speaker 1: First team I believe was Janes and Randall at the

947
00:48:41,320 --> 00:48:44,760
Speaker 1: ford slots and Stephan Luca at the two guard slots.

948
00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:48,640
Speaker 1: No Dame or Chris Paul interested to d Chris Paul

949
00:48:48,719 --> 00:48:52,080
Speaker 1: both both second team. UM, but like and I didn't.

950
00:48:52,080 --> 00:48:54,200
Speaker 1: I left Dame off the m v P ballot as well,

951
00:48:54,400 --> 00:48:57,920
Speaker 1: just like what do you do? Like, Luca was phenomenal

952
00:48:58,080 --> 00:49:00,200
Speaker 1: for that team. He gets he gets almost a many

953
00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:03,279
Speaker 1: doving more double team statistically, the Lilla gets like he

954
00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:05,520
Speaker 1: he was, he was amazing. So it's not like a

955
00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:07,880
Speaker 1: knockout Tamy Lillard. It's like, man, we just need more

956
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:11,360
Speaker 1: than five slots on his ballot to recognize the players

957
00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:13,799
Speaker 1: that have the type of season that Dame did. All right,

958
00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:17,840
Speaker 1: he is Chris Mannix Sports Illustrated, NBC's Everywhere UH follow

959
00:49:17,920 --> 00:49:20,720
Speaker 1: him on social media. Chris, thanks a lot for the time, anytime,

960
00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:21,040
Speaker 1: Jason