WEBVTT - Eastern Conference contenders roundup 0:00:10.800 --> 0:00:14.520 On this episode of The Eat Jack, It's Eastern Conference 0:00:14.600 --> 0:00:17.439 contender time. Baby, Why do I go Eastern? Why do 0:00:17.480 --> 0:00:19.439 I squeak like that? I'm here to give you my 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:21.479 take on the four teams that I think are most 0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:23.919 likely to come out of the East. We're talking Boston, 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:28.600 We're talking Cleveland, We're talking Philadelphia, and of course mulwak 0:00:28.760 --> 0:00:32.800 He No Lord forgive me. I'll even bring on Dan 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:37.040 Favali to help me break down the East. Papa Beans. 0:00:38.240 --> 0:00:41.680 No time for losers in this episode, So let's get 0:00:41.760 --> 0:00:44.760 right into it. Anthony, drop that motherfucking beat that should 0:00:44.800 --> 0:01:01.720 be Rihanna Kiyanti Kiyanti. We covered the West yesterday, came 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:04.240 to the conclusion that the Nuggets are gonna win the 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:06.600 fucking whole thing. So why am I doing this? Well, 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:08.280 we gotta figure out who's coming out of the East, right, 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:11.800 Gotta ask the same question, and out west, we're swapping 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:15.840 out the Denver Nuggets for the Boston Celtics. Can anyone 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:22.039 beat Boston? Boston is a wagon. That wagon is driven 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:26.440 not by Drew Holliday, not by Christas porzingis not by Jalen. 0:01:26.600 --> 0:01:30.000 I only go right Brown. This is Jason Tatum's rig 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:35.040 to drive and Jason Tatum has been incredible Jason regular 0:01:35.120 --> 0:01:39.880 season Tatum quietly amazingly and getting very little credit for it. 0:01:40.240 --> 0:01:43.400 Why because we don't trust that man. He's two pretty 0:01:43.800 --> 0:01:49.400 in his postseason runs, We're still holding stuff against him. 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:51.480 How good though? Has he been? Twenty eight nine and 0:01:51.600 --> 0:01:54.440 six with two point one stock stock stocks per game? Yes, 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:58.280 he's playing defense on an astounding fifty thirty five and 0:01:58.360 --> 0:02:02.560 eighty six. Get your fucking three point percentage of Jason Tatum. Those, though, 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:04.920 are superstar numbers, which you would expect from a guy 0:02:05.480 --> 0:02:08.800 who will very soon beginning the bag the highest paid 0:02:08.800 --> 0:02:12.040 player in the NBA is coming for Jason Tatum. The 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:14.919 Celtics have the best record in the NBA. They are 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:17.800 eight full games ahead of the second place Cleveland Cavaliers 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:22.240 out East, and they are doing this in very unsurprising ways. 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:24.440 They average one hundred and twenty one points per game, 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:27.480 that is fifth in the league. But did you know 0:02:27.639 --> 0:02:29.919 that they are second in the NBA in defensive rating 0:02:29.960 --> 0:02:32.560 behind the Timberwolves, who, by the way, are twentieth and 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:34.720 points per game top five and offense top five and 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:40.359 defense that's that championship roh run type of statistic. Right, 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.600 that's what you need. Top five D, top five. Oh pause, 0:02:44.480 --> 0:02:46.480 top five D gets you top five. Oh get it. 0:02:46.720 --> 0:02:50.119 You're gonna do some damage with that. Bamit. Closer look 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:53.080 at the stats shows Boston as the number one net rating. 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:56.519 I'm proud of myself for that impromptu joke. Number six 0:02:56.639 --> 0:03:01.560 assists the turnover ratio number four, rebounding percentage number one 0:03:01.680 --> 0:03:06.160 in rebounds number five, internal percentage number four in effective 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:11.160 field goal percentage number four in true shooting percentage number four, 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:15.399 in three point percentage, number two in blocks. I'm exhausted 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:18.720 by all the things that the Boston Celtics do well. 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:22.520 They are the anti Denver Nuggets that we talked about 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.000 last episode. In not being the top eight and almost 0:03:25.040 --> 0:03:29.440 any major offensive or defensive category, you could hardly find 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:33.600 any metrics that the Celtics are not among the league leaders, 0:03:34.320 --> 0:03:38.160 except for probably coaching. Boston is also facing a favorable 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:41.200 schedule down the stretch, which should allow them to rest 0:03:41.240 --> 0:03:43.240 their stars and the lead up to the playoffs. They 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:48.600 played Portland, Washington, Charlotte, and Detroit twice down the stretch. 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:51.360 Four of the five worst teams in the NBA and 0:03:51.400 --> 0:03:54.480 some historically bad teams in NBA history. Add in two 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:57.960 games with Atlanta that's who just got waxed by the 0:03:57.960 --> 0:04:02.720 Brooklyn Nets. That's like having ten rest days. So yeah, 0:04:02.920 --> 0:04:05.360 they're the presumptive favorites out East, but they're not the 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:08.240 only team with the chance. There have been teams. Two 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:10.560 teams that have been struggling that I think have a chance, 0:04:10.640 --> 0:04:13.360 and another team who has been a goddamn bulldozer. I 0:04:13.400 --> 0:04:17.719 am talking the bulldozer, the Cleveland Cavaliers. They're twenty and 0:04:17.800 --> 0:04:20.520 five in their last twenty five, although they have lost 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:23.480 four of seven, they were nineteen to one point one point. 0:04:23.680 --> 0:04:26.320 They have been incredibly good as of late. We thought 0:04:26.360 --> 0:04:29.160 at one point, maybe they'll just ride this whole thing out, 0:04:29.240 --> 0:04:32.120 just win every other game. They just win until win 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:35.200 until April. Mostly this is because of their defense, right 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:38.080 they only trail the Celtics and the Timberwolves in defensive rating. 0:04:38.760 --> 0:04:41.600 They hold opponents under one hundred points around a third 0:04:41.600 --> 0:04:45.479 of the time. Gross games fun for them over the 0:04:45.520 --> 0:04:48.040 last thirty games. That is the facts. A lot of 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:50.960 this is because we're seeing the return of Evan Mobley, 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:53.280 who came back a month ago. By the way, they 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:57.200 were good without Evan Mobley. Let's be honest. He came 0:04:57.240 --> 0:04:59.599 back a month ago. He's averaging sixteen nine and three 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:03.320 with two stocks per game. The Calves are ten to 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:06.960 one in their last eleven Jared Allen is averaging eighteen 0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:10.239 eleven and two with three stocks per game during the stretch. 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:13.039 Max Streuce, who they got from Miami they plucked him 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:16.880 and stole him, is healthy and he is playing very well. 0:05:16.960 --> 0:05:20.440 He scored fifteen in the last quarter, including a last 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:24.240 second game winning half quarter against the MAVs. Jesus Christ 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:28.880 a game winning half quarter fifty nine feet the most 0:05:29.000 --> 0:05:33.880 meaningful half court shot we've ever seen. The team is 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:37.599 so deep they'll put your ass to sleep. Sam Merrill 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:40.480 getting DMPs, but when he's not, he's lighting things up 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:43.560 from deep. Dean Wade, why isn't he getting more minutes? 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:47.600 Isaaccorro emerging from nowhere. They've all played very well off 0:05:47.640 --> 0:05:50.320 the bench when they get playing time. JB. Bickerstaff how 0:05:50.400 --> 0:05:52.640 much playing time is he getting them? I don't know. 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:56.600 Does he know? That's the question, and that means the 0:05:56.640 --> 0:06:00.479 come playoff time, the rotation won't need to be quite 0:06:00.560 --> 0:06:05.719 so tight, meaning Donovan Jared Allen Mobley, they can wrest 0:06:05.720 --> 0:06:09.039 a little more than normal heading into the playoffs. Letting it. 0:06:09.279 --> 0:06:12.000 Looking at the stats, the Cavs are fourth and net 0:06:12.080 --> 0:06:17.200 rating top ten and assist ratio, assists and rebound percentage. 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:21.000 That's obvious, the rebound percentage component because you have Jared 0:06:21.000 --> 0:06:23.560 Allen and Evan Mobley and they're both beasts. With Donovan 0:06:23.600 --> 0:06:27.120 Mitchell run in the show when he's on, that's the 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:29.880 key piece. When he's on, they have a legitimate bucker 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:32.479 getter who can match up with anyone in the NBA. 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:35.640 So yeah, this is a team that can play defense. 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.960 They have the ability to put up points. They do 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:41.640 get cold, but when they put up points, they make 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:49.400 them very dangerous come April, and man, the other two 0:06:49.440 --> 0:06:52.000 teams I fancy in the East might shock people who 0:06:52.000 --> 0:06:55.920 have heard me on the heat check. The first is 0:06:55.960 --> 0:07:00.160 the Philadelphia seventy six ers. What I know, I know 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:04.440 what you're saying, MB. It's gone Trista. This team's fucking dead. 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:08.320 They stink. They're seven and seventeen without him, four and 0:07:08.440 --> 0:07:11.400 twelve in their last sixteen Guess what, and guess what 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:14.680 and guess what. I don't care. I do not care 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:18.400 what I do care about. Is this from Tim Bontemps. 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:21.400 Joel Embiid says he hopes to still come back this season, 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:24.600 said he's feeling good. No timeline for his return, said 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:26.400 it doesn't matter where the team is at. If he 0:07:26.480 --> 0:07:31.000 can't play, he's going to play. Ooo baby, And now 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:33.640 that we've got to beat himself, saying that he envisions 0:07:33.720 --> 0:07:36.200 himself coming back by the end of March. I tell 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:39.720 you what, I'm betting him. Bid will be back by 0:07:39.720 --> 0:07:41.400 the end of the season. And what I'd like to 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:43.720 see is how he plays with a guy like Buddy Healed, 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:46.720 who opens up spacing in a way that he has 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:50.720 not had before. Tobias Harris will emerge from the crypt 0:07:51.280 --> 0:07:54.480 because he has been got awful without Embiid. Tyrese Maxey 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:57.320 is a star, probably gonna win Most Improved Player. He's 0:07:57.360 --> 0:07:58.960 put up twenty five to five and six in his 0:07:59.040 --> 0:08:02.160 last ten games after he poured in fifty one points 0:08:02.240 --> 0:08:07.520 and that includes a few stinkers. Stinkers, Buddy, Buddy's been 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:10.160 very good. Average seventeen three and six is a sixer 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:14.480 forty two percent from three. That is a game changer 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:16.160 for a team that was the worst in the NBA 0:08:16.280 --> 0:08:18.679 and three point percentage before the trade deadline. They needed 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:21.679 that buddy healed. By the way, Indiana needs that buddy 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:24.400 hild We'll talk about that some other time. The big question, though, 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:26.520 is how far the Sixers will fall in the East 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:30.680 by the time Embad gets back. The worst case scenario 0:08:31.120 --> 0:08:36.120 for fans of the league, probably Adam Silver, is if 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:38.960 they the Sixers are a playing team, Embiid is healthy, 0:08:39.280 --> 0:08:41.280 and then they either get the Celtics or the Bucks 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:44.040 or the Cavs in the first round. Nobody wants that. 0:08:44.520 --> 0:08:47.480 Nobody wants Philly in the playoffs early, especially if Embiid 0:08:47.520 --> 0:08:49.400 has had a ton of time to rest almost an 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:53.840 entire offseason to get into form. Joel Embiid in October 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:58.599 is one of the scariest mans in life. Joel Embiid October, 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:02.240 Embiid in April, fuck you, fuck your life. Add that 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:04.200 to the fact that Nick Nurse is coaching, and you 0:09:04.200 --> 0:09:06.760 can't count at least two losses directly attributed to Doc 0:09:06.840 --> 0:09:10.239 Rivers steering into the Abyss and making no defensive adjustments 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:14.679 or offensive adjustments and then blaming everyone Danger Danger, Danger, 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:17.200 Which is funny because the other team that I like 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:21.080 in the East, Danger Danger, Danger. Trista are the Bucks, 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:23.280 which is kind of funny. I actually like think about this. 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:25.280 I haven't thought about this at all until just now. 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:30.680 Deer in headlights, fear the deer. Fear the deer in headlights. 0:09:30.720 --> 0:09:36.199 Doc rivers anyway, But trista human cooking dog rivers all month. Yes, 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:39.320 and he's deserved it. He's been throwing people under the 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:41.640 bus his entire life, and he's been doing it for 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.360 two straight weeks now. Even though Milwaukee was three and 0:09:44.400 --> 0:09:47.520 seven in their last ten games of Doc Rivers's Bucks tenure, 0:09:47.800 --> 0:09:51.240 he's now put them on their back five and two stretch. 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:55.199 He's righted the ship, hopefully. The defensive rating under Doc 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:57.720 is one twelve, which would be good for top five 0:09:57.760 --> 0:10:00.920 in the NBA. This is a team that was awful defensively, 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:02.880 and he's taken them from the bottom of the barrel 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:04.960 to the top of the heap, flat out off all 0:10:05.040 --> 0:10:08.560 under ageran Griffin bottom third in the league after top 0:10:08.559 --> 0:10:12.200 five consecutive top five defenses Underbut I think I repeated something. 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:14.160 Don't worry about it. How is the rest of the 0:10:14.160 --> 0:10:18.880 team adjusted to Doc. Let's just say it's a work 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:24.080 in progress. Dame has been seventeen six and seven in 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:28.000 his last seven games, not amazing. I think he averaged 0:10:28.040 --> 0:10:30.760 thirty last year, maybe more, maybe thirty five. But he's 0:10:30.800 --> 0:10:34.600 averaged a plus sixteen point six plus minus in those games, 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:36.880 which really is all that matters. Win games, beat the 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:39.599 shit out of their teams, and get in and get out. 0:10:40.080 --> 0:10:42.200 Anytime they need forty from Dame, he can give them 0:10:42.200 --> 0:10:45.160 to them. Also, he's grabbing boards addition out of assists 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:48.440 like an absolute machine lately. So that's good. Yiannis twenty 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:51.199 eight eleven and six in his last seven, which is 0:10:51.280 --> 0:10:54.360 kind of what you'd expect from Jannis plus seven plus 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:56.880 minus average net rating per game in this last seven. 0:10:57.000 --> 0:10:59.280 I think I said last seven multiple times again. But 0:10:59.360 --> 0:11:03.000 it's Brook Lopez who has been flourishing in doc system 0:11:03.040 --> 0:11:05.920 ten to five and two with three blocks and a 0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:08.960 steel in his last seven games, which by the way, 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:10.600 is lower than his series an average, but it does 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:12.840 not matter. His net rating during that stretch was plus 0:11:12.920 --> 0:11:17.720 nineteen and then the plus minus before that with Adrian Griffin. 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:21.400 I mean, he was just tanking his value. So yeah, 0:11:21.400 --> 0:11:23.520 things are much better in Milwaukee if they figure the 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:26.000 offense out with Dame and Giannis meshing like we all 0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:29.400 initially expected, which has been taking some time. Not he go, 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:32.720 I go, he go, I go. And then a team 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:35.280 like Philly or Miami knocks out Boston the first or 0:11:35.280 --> 0:11:38.560 second round. Oh boy, the Bucks are dangerous, baby, and 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:41.880 now that they share a handicap with the Boston Celtics coaching. 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.280 To help makes sense of all of this malwarkey in 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:47.800 the East, all of this ambiguity in the East, I 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:52.680 talked to Dan Favale with a good Kiyanti, who covers 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:54.920 the NBA for Bleacher Report on my other show at 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:58.040 MGM The Night, which airs seven to eleven Eastern in 0:11:58.120 --> 0:12:01.120 most major markets and live on Twitch and YouTube and 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:02.920 on the Odyssey app. A lot of platforms you can 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:06.320 find us on I think like eighty five different radio 0:12:06.320 --> 0:12:08.400 stations around the country too. I'm joined by my co 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:11.040 host Nick Ashew. He gave us tons of info on 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:13.320 what's happening out East. So let's get right into it, 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:14.520 damn for all. 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:19.760 What should we think of this Sixers team the rest 0:12:19.760 --> 0:12:21.479 of the way leading up to the playoffs? 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:23.360 I think you have to look at it from two angles, 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:25.400 which the first one is if he's going to come back, 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:27.400 you do want to tread water, like you said, where 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:29.640 it's not even necessarily staying in that six spot, but 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:33.920 can you avoid the Boston matchup at least until later round. However, 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:35.679 the second part of that, as you mentioned, with the injury, 0:12:35.840 --> 0:12:38.439 he's been banged up in every single postseason that he's 0:12:38.480 --> 0:12:40.000 been played in, and so to come back from this 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:43.040 extensive absence with this injury where you might wonder if 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:44.800 there's going to need to be any additional work done 0:12:45.160 --> 0:12:47.360 over the offseason. That's going to be in the back 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:49.120 of your mind, and it does make you wonder a 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:51.440 little bit if it's worth it, just given how much 0:12:51.480 --> 0:12:54.880 he has struggled in postseasons pass they're clearly better off 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:57.280 with whatever version they could get of him, as we've seen. 0:12:57.320 --> 0:12:58.600 But if you're not even going to come back with 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.200 enough time to get re acclimated to maybe learn how 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:02.839 to play with Buddy Heald a little bit more, which 0:13:02.880 --> 0:13:05.320 is the type of floor space or he's really never had, 0:13:06.400 --> 0:13:08.000 I do wonder how much of an impact it ends 0:13:08.040 --> 0:13:10.080 up having. But if you're the six spot, or if 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:11.960 you can avoid the Boston matchup in the first round, 0:13:11.960 --> 0:13:13.880 I think it's absolutely huge of course to have Joel 0:13:13.880 --> 0:13:15.120 Embiid out there in. 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:17.840 Terms of betting, because that's you know, what we think about, 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:21.480 not just the likelihood but the price too. So the 0:13:21.520 --> 0:13:26.080 Sixers to win the East plus fourteen fifty, how would 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:29.240 you bet a team like the Sixers if you assume 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:31.920 that Joel Embiid is in form and healthy for the 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:35.320 playoffs and they're in a top six spot. 0:13:35.240 --> 0:13:37.760 That still just doesn't seem like good enough value to me, 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:39.760 like covering around kind of that fifteen to one area, 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:42.360 because we know what a banged up Joel Embiid looks like. 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:45.280 And given how much how dominant the Celtics have been 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:47.319 this year, and the Bucks are starting to look a 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:50.000 little bit better on the defensive end, and the Calves 0:13:50.040 --> 0:13:52.680 are healthier, and if the Knicks ever get healthier, it 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:55.920 just feels like, even with the Sixers having this version 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:57.280 of Joell and bid back, if you can tell me 0:13:57.360 --> 0:13:59.079 Joel and Bee's gonna come back and then just be 0:13:59.160 --> 0:14:01.400 the MVP favorite type of talent again, then yeah, this 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:04.559 is absolutely money or value to smash. But when you 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:06.800 look at the rest of the East, I just like, 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:09.400 unless that thing was gonna shift into like seventeen eighteen 0:14:09.559 --> 0:14:11.520 nineteen to one, I would probably steer. 0:14:11.280 --> 0:14:11.680 Clear of it. 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:14.480 Dan, as a Knicks fan sitting here myself, I've suffered 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:18.040 a very very very long time in my life. Help 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:20.720 me feel better about this team. Help me feel like 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.840 not just Jalen Brunson who's playing tonight, og Nanobi, he's 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:27.560 at least ramping back up to play. We got Julius 0:14:27.640 --> 0:14:29.960 Randall still hurt. You're hoping he's gonna be back this year. 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:32.800 Should there be any optimism still that this team gets 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:34.760 healthy in time for the playoffs and can get back 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:37.280 to you know where they were given how open, like 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:38.960 you point out how open the East really can be. 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:41.400 Yeah, I think there should be optimism. I mean, the 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:44.120 Mitchell Robinson and Joyous Randall stuff is the big one. 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:45.960 Those are two guys that it would not shock me 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:48.160 if they don't play again this year. But when you 0:14:48.160 --> 0:14:51.240 look at how Ojananobe came over after the trade, very 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:54.680 little practice time and just immediately had this huge impact 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:56.200 for them at both ends of the floor because he 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:58.520 doesn't need to dominate the ball on offense. If you 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:01.280 can believe that Baion Vagda is going to play a 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:03.840 little bit better and he will, you probably have enough 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.400 to get by on offense. If you're just getting a 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:09.680 healthy Og, maybe an eighty percent of Isaiah Hartenstein who's 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:11.880 been banged up, that's a team that you know, I'm 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:13.400 not going to pick them to beat Boston. I don't 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:14.880 know if I picked them to beat Milwaukee, but they 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:18.240 could win any given seven game series. I think in 0:15:18.240 --> 0:15:20.160 the Eastern Conference right now, it's just a matter of 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:24.040 getting enough bodies back, and specifically for me, it's Hartenstein 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:26.000 and Og, and it does look like those are two 0:15:26.040 --> 0:15:29.480 guys that, barring catastrophe, should be available for them by 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:30.480 the time the playoffs start. 0:15:30.760 --> 0:15:33.280 When you look at the Bucks, because obviously it's been 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:36.960 a disaster Dan up until really the last like week 0:15:37.000 --> 0:15:39.680 and a half, right you look at what this team 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:41.800 has done with Doc Rivers in their first ten games, 0:15:41.800 --> 0:15:44.600 three and seven straight up, but defensive rating, and the 0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:47.040 reason that they hired Doc was to fix the defense. 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:50.680 Top five defensive ratings since the All Star Break, getting 0:15:50.720 --> 0:15:53.680 some quality wins, the offense feels like it's clicking a 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:57.680 little bit more. How sustainable do you think this Bucks 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:01.320 play is? Defensively and offensive? When we start to see 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:04.240 a setting like the playoffs where everything's a little bit 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:04.960 more condensed. 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:08.840 I think the defense is absolutely sustainable because you're looking 0:16:08.880 --> 0:16:10.560 at some of the stuff they've cleaned up is low 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:14.120 hanging fruit, and it's not necessarily a talent issue that 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:16.800 they're dealing with. In that perspective, the offense is weird 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:19.880 because we've seen, you know, flickers and glimpses into what 0:16:19.920 --> 0:16:22.480 they could be when Damian Lowd and Jannis Tantakoombo feel 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:25.160 like they're playing together and cole lacing, but it too 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:28.440 often feels like they're playing separately still to me at least, 0:16:28.480 --> 0:16:32.120 and we've seen Dame have these uncharacteristic peaks and valleys 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:34.360 when it comes to his own shot making, and so 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:37.040 you can just bet on him progressing to his norm. 0:16:37.080 --> 0:16:39.120 But that's something at this point that concerns me a 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:42.200 little bit more than ken the defense sustained, because the 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:44.280 whole point of bringing in Dame was the playoff proof 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:46.880 your offense, and just based off what I've seen with 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:50.840 the Bucks even since the Doc Rivers higher, I don't 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:53.080 know that you can say they've done that just. 0:16:53.080 --> 0:16:57.600 Yet with Doc Rivers because we know what his rap 0:16:57.680 --> 0:17:00.520 is on him, right it's like blown three one leads 0:17:00.960 --> 0:17:03.440 like maybe not getting the best out of his players. 0:17:03.560 --> 0:17:06.679 Even you know, Tom Thibodeau is has been seen as 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:11.040 the reason why he got that championship with Boston. How 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:14.800 do you factor in the Doc Rivers element of this, considering, 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:17.280 you know how what their upside could actually be. 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:20.399 I honestly don't know how to price it in. I 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:22.240 think at the end of the day, Doc is probably 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:24.840 a better coach than people credit him for. I really 0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:28.560 think where he has an overinflated track record is when 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:32.359 you talk about managing superstar egos or these finished products. 0:17:32.600 --> 0:17:35.000 Everywhere he's been with the exceptional Milwaukee's so far, there's 0:17:35.040 --> 0:17:37.840 been these weird behind the scenes locker room stuff. When 0:17:37.840 --> 0:17:40.840 you look at both iterations of the Clippers, both iterations 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:43.879 of the of the Sixers most recently, it doesn't seem like, 0:17:43.880 --> 0:17:46.160 well the deal with that in Milwaukee, at least immediately, 0:17:46.200 --> 0:17:48.200 maybe if they flame out in the playoffs. I think 0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:50.159 when it comes to pulling some different levers on the 0:17:50.160 --> 0:17:53.240 defensive end, he is absolutely a coach that can do 0:17:53.240 --> 0:17:54.639 that for them. We've seen him do a little bit 0:17:54.680 --> 0:17:56.760 of it where the Bucks have played more aggressively. Is 0:17:56.800 --> 0:17:59.359 he the coach that's going to be creative enough offensively 0:17:59.400 --> 0:18:02.760 to tap in to their full ceiling. I honestly don't know, 0:18:02.880 --> 0:18:05.199 And even that, to me, I don't view him as 0:18:05.240 --> 0:18:07.240 a huge factory. To me, it's more like, is Damian 0:18:07.280 --> 0:18:09.159 Liller gonna be nuclears? He's gonna be able to hit 0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:11.719 those off the dribble jumpers because the driving game has 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:13.760 been there, those off the dribble jumpers that have been 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:16.960 all over the place, and that's arguably maybe the one 0:18:17.119 --> 0:18:19.320 the most important shot in basketball when it comes down 0:18:19.359 --> 0:18:21.240 to the playoffs, when you look at the level of 0:18:21.240 --> 0:18:22.680 defenses you'll be facing. 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:26.280 How real dan are the Calves to you? Because they're 0:18:26.320 --> 0:18:28.639 sitting there at the two spot and I feel like 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:31.760 no one's really talking about them. Is that is the 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:34.159 reason why? Because it's just not a sexy market, or 0:18:34.359 --> 0:18:37.359 because they flamed out in the first round against the Knicks? Like, 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:40.520 for you, what is it that we should be thinking? 0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:42.119 How should we be thinking about the Calves? 0:18:42.840 --> 0:18:44.480 I do think a lot of people have last year's 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:46.639 postseason in the back of their mind, which is pretty 0:18:46.640 --> 0:18:49.560 fair given the way it ended. I think this Calves 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:51.520 team is a lot better. They play with more pace 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:53.639 on the offensive end, even in the half court. The 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:56.119 bigger issue for me is they still have some front 0:18:56.119 --> 0:18:59.360 court warts to figure out when it comes to Evan Mobley, 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:02.720 Jared as even George Niang. You know, should Dean Wade 0:19:02.800 --> 0:19:04.520 be playing more minutes over him? Should you make sure 0:19:04.520 --> 0:19:06.680 Sam Merrill's on the court over him? And it feels 0:19:06.680 --> 0:19:09.440 like JB. Bickerstaff is sometimes married to guys a little 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:11.080 bit too long. But we've also seen him close some 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:13.840 games without Evan Mobley and roll with Jared Allen, and 0:19:13.880 --> 0:19:16.880 so that front court awkwardness I think accounts for maybe 0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:19.320 why so many people are skeptical, and I honestly do 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:22.480 think it's fair because we've seen them lose some winnable 0:19:22.560 --> 0:19:25.280 games down the stretch of late and even like that 0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:27.880 near miss against the Mavericks where they should have lost 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:30.680 lost if it wasn't for Max s Druce's heroics. That 0:19:30.960 --> 0:19:33.200 word I would use is just awkwardness where it feels 0:19:33.200 --> 0:19:35.960 like they're still figuring out some stuff about themselves and 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:37.680 I don't know if they'll do it by the postseason, 0:19:37.720 --> 0:19:41.000 but sort of hammering out that frontline rotation, the three 0:19:41.080 --> 0:19:43.800 four five, and knowing what combinations you can turn to 0:19:43.840 --> 0:19:45.840 when it matters most. I think that's going to wind 0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:47.800 up being the sticking point for them. 0:19:48.520 --> 0:19:53.159 Dan, if all things are like, all things considered and 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:57.200 everyone's healthy, who is the second best team in the conference? 0:19:57.240 --> 0:20:00.280 To you? Because Miami it feels like every year they 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:03.080 struggle in the regular season, we count them out, and 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:05.640 then when it's winning time, they figure out a way 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:08.520 to slay everyone. They've beaten the Celtics and multiple multiple 0:20:08.520 --> 0:20:12.920 postseasons Sixers and multiple postseasons Bucks and multiple postseasons. For you, 0:20:13.080 --> 0:20:15.399 are they the second best? And if not, what do 0:20:15.400 --> 0:20:16.400 you think holds them back? 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:20.080 I can't bring myself to say they're their second best 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:22.960 team just because all the things I've seen, all the 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:25.040 data points tell me that they are not. But there's 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:27.600