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

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Speaker 1: straight Fire, Fam, It's me Jason McIntyre. This is Straight

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Speaker 1: Fire for Thursday, November. We have a special guest today.

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Speaker 1: Not much of a pod from a take perspective, not

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Speaker 1: a lot of great stories happening in sports. I personally

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Speaker 1: had a pretty great Wednesday, if you do ask. I

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Speaker 1: took my buddy Dan, who is a regular listener to

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Speaker 1: the podcast as hyped up this boxing classes boxing Jim

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Speaker 1: near Us. He's like, oh yeah, you know, um you

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Speaker 1: got Lenert goes there and some other uh wives of

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Speaker 1: NBA players and like it's big time. You gotta check

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Speaker 1: it out. So reluctantly check it out. And of course

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna be super hurting all day today. I woke

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Speaker 1: up sore as hell, and I know I'm just gonna

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Speaker 1: be uh just regretting it. But it was an awesome

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Speaker 1: workout then and played some hoops. Uh, it had some

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Speaker 1: family time and night. It was just an all around

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Speaker 1: great Wednesday. And for your entertainment, I got Brian Winhorst,

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Speaker 1: the legend who covers the NBA. Yeah he's a legend.

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Speaker 1: I mean he's been at ESPN for like fifteen years,

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Speaker 1: he's written bestseller books, he's got a podcast. Um. He's

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Speaker 1: one of the guys who shapes NBA coverage for ESPN,

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Speaker 1: and we talked about everything Lakers struggles, UM, yes, Lebron Westbrook,

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Speaker 1: but just like all around the league, interesting stuff. UM.

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Speaker 1: And we're trying to get on things before they happen

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Speaker 1: and just keep a close ear or do a couple

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Speaker 1: of things. You know. He can't always go all in, um,

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Speaker 1: but he can kind of hint at things that may

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Speaker 1: be coming down the pipe. So it's really fun midweek

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Speaker 1: NBA discussion. Enjoy Brian Winhorse at the end of the pod.

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Speaker 1: I have a best bet for Thursday night football, and

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Speaker 1: if you remember the direct hit that was Monday night football.

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Speaker 1: I don't know if I can guarantee another victory, but

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Speaker 1: I can guarantee giving you a gross bet that you

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Speaker 1: have to make. But first, here's Brian Winhorse from ESPN.

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Speaker 1: Jason likes to think he knows everything when it comes

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Speaker 1: to sports. I know what sports dance want, but for

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Speaker 1: everything he doesn't. He knows a guy who does. Let's

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Speaker 1: just say I know a guy who knows a guy.

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Speaker 1: He knows another guy. All right, let's welcome back to

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Speaker 1: straight Fire. One of the more popular NBA guests. We

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Speaker 1: have try to bring him on every year twice if

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Speaker 1: time permits, because he's such a huge deal New York

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Speaker 1: Times best selling author. I think he might be neighbors

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Speaker 1: with Jimmy buff Not Jimmy Buffett, Warren Buffett. Uh, this

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Speaker 1: guy's big time Jimmy Buffett. I used to live in

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Speaker 1: Miami and I was neighbors with Jimmy, and then I

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Speaker 1: moved to Omaha. And Brian win Horse the Legend from ESPN.

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Speaker 1: He's got a great podcast. Before we started recording, I

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Speaker 1: was asking about some of the people that he hostsed with.

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Speaker 1: I won't talk about that here, but he's got a

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Speaker 1: good podcast on the NBA. I don't listen to any

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Speaker 1: NBA podcast really except his, because he's plugged in as

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Speaker 1: much as anybody. And um, Brian, first of all, how

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Speaker 1: are you doing? And uh? Second, um, are you excited

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Speaker 1: for the holidays? I'm fine and not really, I mean

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Speaker 1: the holidays you're a kid. Yeah, it's sorry, something you

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Speaker 1: have to do. I'm excited to be around family, that's always.

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Speaker 1: That's God's good. You have a new appreciation for that. Well,

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Speaker 1: you have to go to NBA games on Christmas Day. No,

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Speaker 1: I gave that up years ago. Smart. I did it

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Speaker 1: for like mightbe seven or eight consecutive Christmas is And

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Speaker 1: then you reach a point where you're like, all right,

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Speaker 1: I've done that. I can move on from that. The

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Speaker 1: games are exciting, I get it, but I'd rather be

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Speaker 1: with my family. And now you've got a little kid

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Speaker 1: at home, so you gotta spend time with the fam.

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Speaker 1: Um NBA, Brian, This always happens with the league. The

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Speaker 1: first week or two, there's this huge pop the league

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Speaker 1: is back. Oh my gosh, it's awesome. And then there's

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Speaker 1: you know, kind of Recedes. Okay, we got eighty two games.

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Speaker 1: Let's let's pace ourselves. And right around Christmas there's the

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Speaker 1: reemergence of the NBA. But I'm gonna say, based on

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Speaker 1: some of the stuff we've seen early, it feels like

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Speaker 1: there's a little more juice to the league right now.

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Speaker 1: Namely the Milwaukee Bucks sputtering big time, UM Lebron not

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Speaker 1: playing for the Lakers, this Zion Williamson disaster in New Orleans,

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Speaker 1: Um I ked a little bit about last week. Then

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Speaker 1: the Minnesota Timberwolves and Karl Anthony Towns. It sounds like

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Speaker 1: there's some issues there. What would you like to start

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Speaker 1: the pod today? We could talk about the Atlanta Hawks,

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Speaker 1: those frauds in the East. I don't know these teams

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Speaker 1: you're talking about, all these teams that are underachieving. What

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Speaker 1: about the Golden State Warriors in what about the Washington Wizards.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you're looking at all of the downside of

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Speaker 1: the struggles. Debbie Downer here midweek, but by fine, let's

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Speaker 1: talk about the Warriors. Number one and off. You know,

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Speaker 1: the league sort of yields to the NFL. You know,

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Speaker 1: they have a big um, they have a big kickoff

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Speaker 1: opening week, and then they don't really have many many

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Speaker 1: marquee games until Christmas, and so you you have, like,

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Speaker 1: you know, the Warriors, who are one of the biggest draws.

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Speaker 1: I still think ratings wise, I still think their number one,

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Speaker 1: despite the Lakers and despite the injuries. Um, I still

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Speaker 1: think that the Warriors are the number one draw. And

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Speaker 1: so you know, they have like an eight game homestand

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Speaker 1: early in the season where there's not exactly a lot

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Speaker 1: of big name teams that come in there. I mean,

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Speaker 1: they ended up playing the Bulls in there which ended

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Speaker 1: up being a big game, but it wasn't because um,

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Speaker 1: the schedule makers thought it would be. And so they

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Speaker 1: just don't play that many big games. You know, this

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Speaker 1: week they had Nets Warriors, that was a big game. Um,

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Speaker 1: but they just they just stay away from it. And

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Speaker 1: now they've even given up Thursday nights. They know T

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Speaker 1: and T isn't doing their premium product on on Thursday night.

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Speaker 1: They're doing it on Tuesday night because they don't want

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Speaker 1: to fight with the NFL. And I wonder the NFL

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Speaker 1: is playing more and more games on Christmas Day already.

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Speaker 1: Last year the NBA took its premium you know, usually

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Speaker 1: the premium game was UM in the five o'clock Eastern hour,

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Speaker 1: and they pushed it later to avoid the NFL. And

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Speaker 1: this year Christmas is on Saturday, on US Saturday, and

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Speaker 1: there's a bunch of more NFL games, Like there used

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Speaker 1: to be just one, and I think there's multiple now.

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Speaker 1: The NBA is like that's they're taking the n The

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Speaker 1: NFL is taken over their corners. They can't they can't

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Speaker 1: do anything. They can't there's no point in even trying, right, Well,

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Speaker 1: that's why the thing they're yielding they're yielding to, which

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Speaker 1: is why the league, which is again why after the bubble,

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Speaker 1: after the you know, the pandemic, they thought, hey, let's

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Speaker 1: start on Christmas. We'll start the league on Christmas, um

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Speaker 1: to avoid the NFL. But that didn't really work either.

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Speaker 1: So the NFL has got the NBA in full retreat.

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Speaker 1: You know, they're they're taking some of their corners. But

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Speaker 1: that's not what you asked. You know. I love a

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Speaker 1: good ramble to start, Brian. That's good. Sorry sorry, um. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: the reason the Warriors are fascinating, Jason is that they're

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Speaker 1: really good. And now they're good, partially because their scheduled

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Speaker 1: but obviously that when they had in Brooklyn was a

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Speaker 1: statement win. But they have the ability to get better

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Speaker 1: as the season goes along. Um, So Clay and James

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Speaker 1: Wiseman we think will come back. There's a possibility that

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Speaker 1: they can make a trade. That's a difficult, long, hard

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Speaker 1: to see questions just yet, but they have the pieces

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Speaker 1: to make a trade. You look at other teams out there, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean, if Kyrie comes back, the Nets are going

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Speaker 1: to get better. Um, But the other teams out there

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Speaker 1: who are competing with them don't have the same capability

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Speaker 1: to improve. And so like the Lakers. The Lakers, you know,

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Speaker 1: let's say they get Lebron back and and go on

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Speaker 1: a big wind streak and you know, are biting at

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Speaker 1: the Warrior's heels in in eight ten weeks. They don't

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Speaker 1: have much they can do to improve their rosters. They

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Speaker 1: kind of got what they got. Maybe they can get

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Speaker 1: a buyout guy or something. So that's where the Warriors

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Speaker 1: are very are so fascinating, is that they're in the

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Speaker 1: room for him to improve I don't know, twelve and

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Speaker 1: to number one offense, number one defense in terms of

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Speaker 1: efficiency and just the words they could make a trade

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Speaker 1: hit your lips. That seems a little odd to me.

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Speaker 1: Is that is that a Ben Simmons thing or like

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Speaker 1: what why would they need to improve? I mean, I

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Speaker 1: just think you know, when you want to win the championship,

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Speaker 1: you want to make sure you have the best team

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Speaker 1: possible to win. And so you know, I'm sure this

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Speaker 1: is something that they're gonna talk like, do we want

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Speaker 1: to use some upcoming draft picks or um this somebody's

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Speaker 1: a young player too to go out and get one

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Speaker 1: more piece. Maybe they get to February they're like, yeah,

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Speaker 1: we don't need it. We have a championship team here. Now.

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Speaker 1: Maybe Clay comes back and like looks really good and

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Speaker 1: they're like, okay, we're good. But I'm gonna just you know,

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Speaker 1: regardless of what they do, even if it goes, even

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Speaker 1: if it's into next year, they have maneuverability next summer,

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Speaker 1: you know where they can improve their roster. So I

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Speaker 1: just think that the Warriors after sort of taken two

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Speaker 1: years to you know, to sort of lay in the

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Speaker 1: gutter so to speak. Although they did make the play

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Speaker 1: in round last year, Um, you know, they've they've come

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Speaker 1: roaring back and they're in great they're in great position now.

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Speaker 1: Just to put it in perspective, Um, you know, we're

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Speaker 1: about one sixth of the way through the season. I

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Speaker 1: did some math and it's early on a Wednesday, but

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Speaker 1: I did some math. And that's the equivalent of like

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Speaker 1: three games in the NFL. So everybody who was crawling

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Speaker 1: about like the Carolina Panthers and your Denver Broncos, Brian three,

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Speaker 1: you not to start the season like that's gone. So

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Speaker 1: this Warrior start could just be heavy heavily based on

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Speaker 1: the schedule, right, Like we shouldn't read too much into this. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and they had an eight game homestand which in eight

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Speaker 1: game homestand in any season is rare anytime, but especially

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Speaker 1: like in October November. And what that allowed them to

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Speaker 1: do is not only to get a lot of home

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Speaker 1: games where teams are gonna win most of them if

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Speaker 1: they're a good team anyway, but it allowed them to practice.

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Speaker 1: So you you know, if you're going on long road trips,

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Speaker 1: it's hard to practice because you're traveling so much, you're

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Speaker 1: traveling on the off days, you're you're getting in very late.

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Speaker 1: You can't get really good practice, you can't get good rhythm.

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Speaker 1: So not only do the Warriors have a favorable schedule

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Speaker 1: where they were able to be at home, but they

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Speaker 1: were able for like two and a half or three

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Speaker 1: weeks to be at home and practice. And so it's

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Speaker 1: almost like they have had they they've got a little

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Speaker 1: bit of a jump start on their chemistry and togetherness

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Speaker 1: that other teams would have in mid November. And so

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Speaker 1: you see that in the way they play. You watch

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Speaker 1: in its grands, it's like they just started moving the

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Speaker 1: ball on offense yesterday. That's obviously been a part of

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Speaker 1: their team. It's not like Draymond and Steph developed their

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Speaker 1: great two man game off each other. In these last

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Speaker 1: three weeks that's taken you know, they've been doing that

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Speaker 1: for seven or eight years, but it certainly helps. Um.

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Speaker 1: They just look more organized as a team, and they

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Speaker 1: look more comfortable. And you look at team that you

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Speaker 1: were talking about, a team like the Hawks who's definitely struggled.

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Speaker 1: That's a team that had to go on a long

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Speaker 1: West coast trip, like the second or third week of

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Speaker 1: the season and get their uh, you know, their teeth

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Speaker 1: kicked in for a week and a half out there

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Speaker 1: in the Western road trip, which, by the way, a

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Speaker 1: lot of teams will come out west and get slapped around.

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Speaker 1: A lot of West teams will go east and get

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Speaker 1: slapped around a bit. It's the nature of the NBA,

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Speaker 1: and you all of a sudden look like you're off

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Speaker 1: to a rough start when you have to deal with

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Speaker 1: that road trip right out of the gate. And there's

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Speaker 1: some teams that don't make their big West or first

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Speaker 1: you know, typically teams make two long trips each year

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Speaker 1: to the other conference. Some teams don't go out for

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Speaker 1: the first time until mid to late December when they're rolling. Yeah, huh. Interesting,

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Speaker 1: all right, So what about a team like the Minnesota Timberwolves,

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Speaker 1: who are four and nine. Anthony Edwards gets all the highlights,

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Speaker 1: has a great dunks putting out. I mean, he's out

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Speaker 1: there telling stuff. I might go for fifty tonight and

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Speaker 1: you know you'd start diving a little deeper. Brian. He's

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Speaker 1: shooting forty from the field, thirty two from three um

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Speaker 1: and he's taking more shots than Karl Anthony Towns, who,

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Speaker 1: by the way, is playing. You could argue that the

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Speaker 1: best season of his career player efficiency wise, three point shooting.

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Speaker 1: I don't know. I had heard recently that there was

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Speaker 1: some issues in Minnesota. We know Karl Anthony Towns guys

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Speaker 1: a little strange, and we know his connection to New York.

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Speaker 1: I don't know. Have you heard anything about the Timberwolves

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Speaker 1: anything interesting when there? When they're general manager got fired

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Speaker 1: in training. I mean, that's not a good sign. Um

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Speaker 1: And quite frankly, you know Garrison Rosas, he's a nice man,

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Speaker 1: but um, his judgment some of the things that he

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Speaker 1: did in running that franchise. I mean, David Khan is

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Speaker 1: held up as the standard is sort of one of

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Speaker 1: the worst general managers in modern era, and I'm sad

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Speaker 1: to say that you could put a case together for rosis.

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Speaker 1: Oh jeez, but just rewind the guy you mentioned, Um,

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Speaker 1: he's a former journalist. What's his name again, David David.

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Speaker 1: He's thee who drafted Johnny Flynn over Curry and I

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Speaker 1: think he did Rubio as well, right, Yeah, he drafted

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Speaker 1: two point guards ahead of step Um. But you know,

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Speaker 1: it's always difficult when you draft two point guards in

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Speaker 1: the same draft. But then when you do when you

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Speaker 1: when you pass up Curry. Yeah, um, yeah, Towns has

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Speaker 1: cooled off a little bit, um, but he's still having

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Speaker 1: a great season. What is interesting is that he's definitely

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Speaker 1: having the best three point shooting season of his career, um,

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Speaker 1: which leads me to believe he should be shooting more

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Speaker 1: of them, um, But instead he's taking fewer shots than

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Speaker 1: he did last year. He's he's having a great season.

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Speaker 1: Take a few were shots and Anthony Edward just taking

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Speaker 1: about five more a game. And you know, you you

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Speaker 1: saw that moment that when viral over the weekend, when

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Speaker 1: Anthony Edwards was on the perimeter dribbling in between his

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Speaker 1: legs thirteen times and Towns he counting Towns was so

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Speaker 1: convinced that he was gonna shoot, they just started walking

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Speaker 1: back on defense. And um, and he was right. Towns

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Speaker 1: did shoot, and he was right that he missed it

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Speaker 1: and he had to get back on defense. So UM,

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Speaker 1: you know when you look at just look at the

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Speaker 1: raw data. Um, the issue is, um, that Towns is

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Speaker 1: getting the ball less Eiven when he's shooting really well.

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Speaker 1: The problem is is that Towns really leaned in to

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Speaker 1: Edwards being that draft pick. You know, they could have

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Speaker 1: taken LaMelo ball but you know, Gerson had traded for

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Speaker 1: and at a high cost, had traded for D'Angelo Russell,

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Speaker 1: who has a relationship with Towns and they didn't want

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Speaker 1: to draft a ballhead lead guard to come in and

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Speaker 1: smother Russell. And so after that, UM, last year, when

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Speaker 1: the when the when the pick was coming to he

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Speaker 1: had to make the selection. It was actually a year

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Speaker 1: ago right now, Jason, and the draft was like a

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Speaker 1: year ago right about now. I think this week a

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Speaker 1: year ago this week. Um, you know, like they had

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Speaker 1: a choice, you know, do we go for LaMelo? Uh?

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Speaker 1: Do we do? We do we go for because you

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Speaker 1: really working at draft Wiseman because Wiseman obviously plays the

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Speaker 1: same position his Towns, and Towns like gave interviews, was like, oh,

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Speaker 1: this is the best pick for us or whatever. So

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Speaker 1: he's married himself to tot and so, um that's where

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Speaker 1: difficulty comes in. And they started the season off three

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Speaker 1: and one. They had an easy they had a favorable schedule,

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Speaker 1: but they were playing much better defense. That's gone away,

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Speaker 1: and um, you know, look, I mean Towns has He's

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Speaker 1: got two years at the max left after this. Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, he's tied into the franchise. I think he's

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Speaker 1: just frustrated. He's you know, at the end of what's

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Speaker 1: happening in fourth quarters, they're they're the worst fourth quarter

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Speaker 1: team in the league. I can't be got to talk

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Speaker 1: about the Timberwolves as much. What you really wanted me

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Speaker 1: to do is say that Carl Town's wants to be

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Speaker 1: traded or something like that. Well, I mean, it sounds

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Speaker 1: like he really wants to go to New York, does

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Speaker 1: he not? Um, you know, I think Carl is frustrated

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Speaker 1: with the situation, and and that frustration, by the way

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Speaker 1: comes in like you see it when you watch him

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Speaker 1: in fourth quarters. Their team's double team him because they

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Speaker 1: want Edward Steak and they don't have schemes set up

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Speaker 1: for to take advantage of that. And like they also

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Speaker 1: don't have you know, they don't have good point guards

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Speaker 1: in my opinion, and so they don't have people who

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Speaker 1: know how to get him the ball. But D'Angelo Russell

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Speaker 1: is not a good point guard, Brian. He's just he's okay,

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Speaker 1: he's he's not gonna, You're not gonna. You're not gonna

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Speaker 1: confuse him with Chris Paul. So, um, my guess is

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Speaker 1: he's pretty frustrated. And like I said, it didn't have that.

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Speaker 1: You know, they hired a coach in the middle of

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Speaker 1: last season and then the general manager got fired in

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Speaker 1: training camp, but right before training camp. That's that's not

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Speaker 1: uh something that you're looking for for stability in the NBA. Uh,

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Speaker 1: let's pivot to the Milwaukee Bucks. He honest opened his

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Speaker 1: mouth to g Q and was like, oh, I chose

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Speaker 1: to stay here even though all the pressure is it's

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Speaker 1: easier to leave, and I want to pause there, Brian,

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Speaker 1: and a lot of people in the books fan base

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Speaker 1: are angry with me. And again, I don't know if

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Speaker 1: you and I talked about this yet, but I've been

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Speaker 1: saying this for like five years. I got to FS

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Speaker 1: one and I said this when Durant left. Okay, see

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Speaker 1: for Golden State. It is harder for a guy to

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Speaker 1: leave where he's been for six, seven, eight, nine years.

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Speaker 1: Get hated by that fan base, they burn your jerseys,

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Speaker 1: that people are just bombing you on social media every

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Speaker 1: day for months, weeks, years. Okay, it's harder to leave,

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Speaker 1: and you're not only hated by the fan base you leave,

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Speaker 1: but everyone else say too, because you went, and then

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Speaker 1: we loaded up on a team. So I this whole honest,

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Speaker 1: it's easy to leave. Janice is loved by everybody for staying.

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Speaker 1: Lebron and Katie are hated viscerally. Lebron left Miami like

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Speaker 1: ten years ago and he's still hated for that. Katie

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Speaker 1: left five years ago, he's still hated. Bryant either tell

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Speaker 1: me I'm crazy. I don't mind. You can say that,

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Speaker 1: But the easier decision is to stay. In some cases,

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Speaker 1: that's possibly true. Yeah, I think each case is different.

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Speaker 1: But um uh, I thought they would be reacting to

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Speaker 1: what he said where he was like, well, you know,

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Speaker 1: I'd stay here for now. This is the place I

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Speaker 1: want to be for now. That was this kind of

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Speaker 1: a scary statement. But but he isn't he locked in

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Speaker 1: for like four more years? Like yeah, but well he

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Speaker 1: he's not allowed to be traded but right now under

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Speaker 1: the rules. But I mean, you know the thing about

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Speaker 1: it is, and today's NBA, a contract doesn't mean anything.

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Speaker 1: Concert doesn't mean it doesn't mean anything at all. No,

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Speaker 1: because players are demanding trades all the time. Well, I

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Speaker 1: don't know, Ben Simmons has a contract and they're not

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Speaker 1: They're not dealing him. How is it going? Do you

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Speaker 1: think that's a good situation that I think it's awful,

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Speaker 1: but I love it. It's great for us, right yeah,

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Speaker 1: But I mean, like you know, you're not they're not

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Speaker 1: keeping the player regardless of his contract. So that's the thing.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you have to constantly be maintaining that relationship.

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Speaker 1: It's like, uh, you know, having a having a superstar

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Speaker 1: like this in these days, it's like having a It's

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Speaker 1: like having a race car engine, you know. Like I

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Speaker 1: I've learned so much about Formula one because I watched

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Speaker 1: this Netflix series. Do you know what I'm talking I

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Speaker 1: do know what you're talking about, but I've never seen it.

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Speaker 1: I didn't watch it. Is it that good? I mean,

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Speaker 1: I I enjoy it. But one of the things that

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Speaker 1: I mean, I you already know, it's one of the

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Speaker 1: things that you really learn about those things go wrong

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Speaker 1: with these cars all the time. There's constantly there's like

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Speaker 1: hundreds and hundreds of people working on these cars, and

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Speaker 1: still things still go wrong. But when they're all calibrating

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Speaker 1: everything's right. It's like amazing to watch the way they

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Speaker 1: can corner everything like that. And that's kind of what

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Speaker 1: it's like to have a player like Lebron or like Ynest,

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Speaker 1: like when you have him at full bore, like you

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Speaker 1: watch him in the finals, like Holly Molly, what incredible

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Speaker 1: like moments, but you have to constantly you're constantly making

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Speaker 1: sure that that engine is running right. And you know,

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Speaker 1: the Bucks definitely got an incredible gift from the Honest

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Speaker 1: when he extended before last season, because he took the

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Speaker 1: pressure off the table of of the season going along

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Speaker 1: and people worrying about him being a free agent, and

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Speaker 1: it ended up helping the team as they had a

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Speaker 1: great season and end of waying the title. So it

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Speaker 1: worked together. But like that doesn't buy you five years,

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Speaker 1: that buys you as much time as the Honest remains

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Speaker 1: happy and right now he's happy, and so that's that's

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Speaker 1: a good thing. And the team invested in Drew Holiday

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Speaker 1: and invested in Chris Middleton, and they're gonna invest probably

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Speaker 1: more money and Dante g Vincenzo, and they're paying the

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Speaker 1: luxury tax and all that stuff, and they're continuing to

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Speaker 1: keep that that engine well oiled. But man, it's it's fragile.

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Speaker 1: And that interview is just another example of it. And

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Speaker 1: it might be fragile. I know that they don't have

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Speaker 1: Middleton or Lopez, but they're eleventh in the East right now.

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Speaker 1: If the playoffs started tomorrow, they don't, the Bucks will

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Speaker 1: be out any concerns at all over this clunky start,

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Speaker 1: not really. I mean, um ye honest missed a few

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Speaker 1: games with the sprained ankle, and Middleton miss I think

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Speaker 1: seven or eight games with COVID. Lopez has been out

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Speaker 1: I think since the first week of the season with

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Speaker 1: a back issue. Um Drew Holiday had an injury early on.

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Speaker 1: I mean, if all of those guys are banged up, yeah,

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Speaker 1: they're gonna be in trouble. But if they have to

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Speaker 1: have them healthy to compete, the read to win the

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Speaker 1: championship again anyway, I'm not. There's a bunch of their

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Speaker 1: teams that to keep an eye on before you have

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Speaker 1: to worry about them. Fox Sports Radio has the best

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Speaker 1: sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our

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Speaker 1: shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and within the

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Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live.

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Speaker 1: Let's get positive for a moment. I grew up in

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Speaker 1: the Northern Virginia area. The Washington Bullets at the time

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Speaker 1: were fun when they had Chris Webber and a couple

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Speaker 1: of other dudes. Never really broke through who I thought.

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Speaker 1: The Gilbert Arenas years were okay, The beal Wall years

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Speaker 1: were okay. But they're pretty damn good right now. What's

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Speaker 1: the better story, the Wizards atop the east or the

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Speaker 1: Bulls right on their heels. Yeah, you know both of them.

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Speaker 1: The Bulls haven't been the playoffs in like five years,

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Speaker 1: and it's such a legacy market, and um, you know

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Speaker 1: that's that's a that's a fascinating team to I'm really

424
00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:27,639
Speaker 1: they're there. They've done such a really good job of

425
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,720
Speaker 1: plugging the players that they signed in and having to

426
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:32,359
Speaker 1: be like you look at the way they're using a

427
00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:34,440
Speaker 1: lonzo ball. It works. You look at the way they're

428
00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,240
Speaker 1: losing Marta Rosen, it really works. He's having a career

429
00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:38,800
Speaker 1: season so far. You look at the way they're using

430
00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:43,199
Speaker 1: Alex Caruso, it really works there. You know, sometimes we

431
00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,560
Speaker 1: see guys get signed and they come into a new

432
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:50,160
Speaker 1: situation and it doesn't work. And um, you know, those

433
00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,360
Speaker 1: that they've done, they did a lot of work as

434
00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,919
Speaker 1: they put that team together, a lot of preparation and

435
00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,399
Speaker 1: it's really paid off. And they've actually had injuries, you know,

436
00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,200
Speaker 1: they you know, one of their leading bench scores, Kobe White,

437
00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,760
Speaker 1: has been out all year. Uh, Kobe White. And then um,

438
00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:07,080
Speaker 1: Patrick Williams was one of the most important defensive players.

439
00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:12,119
Speaker 1: He's out for the season with that, with the wrist injury. So, um,

440
00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,000
Speaker 1: you know they've had some adversity and still done it.

441
00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:17,320
Speaker 1: But you know, Washington, that trade that they made with

442
00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:22,199
Speaker 1: the Lakers is a fascinating trade. Fascinating, fascinating trade. It

443
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:26,480
Speaker 1: could end up being a sliding doors moment um. I

444
00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:28,760
Speaker 1: don't know, because you know, for the Lakers, because they

445
00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,560
Speaker 1: could have gone with they could have gone the whole

446
00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:35,159
Speaker 1: different different path. Um. But here's what you have to

447
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,520
Speaker 1: here's what you had to realize two years ago, the

448
00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:43,040
Speaker 1: Wizards were a very average team with an enormous payroll,

449
00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:46,320
Speaker 1: and they had a new general manager and they've had

450
00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:50,560
Speaker 1: a new coach, and they had John Wall who had

451
00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,520
Speaker 1: back to back bad injuries. Not quite as bad as

452
00:22:54,640 --> 00:23:00,240
Speaker 1: Umklay Thompson, but he had surgery on his and goal

453
00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:02,560
Speaker 1: his ankler's heel, it was on his made it was

454
00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:04,960
Speaker 1: on his heel, and so he was gonna miss like

455
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,879
Speaker 1: most of the season. And then while he was recovering

456
00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:14,119
Speaker 1: from that injury, he slipped in the shower and they

457
00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,840
Speaker 1: basically lost two seasons of him, and they and they

458
00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,959
Speaker 1: come back. He's got this enormous contract and they're like,

459
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,160
Speaker 1: oh my god, how are we going to get out

460
00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,520
Speaker 1: of this situation? And not only have they gotten out

461
00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:30,119
Speaker 1: of it, they made two trades, one to get Westbrook

462
00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,399
Speaker 1: and one to get and get rid of Westbrook. And

463
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:36,400
Speaker 1: in those two trades, they've cleaned up their salary books.

464
00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,320
Speaker 1: They've put together a team that is young and definitely

465
00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:43,360
Speaker 1: fun to watch. I don't know if it's a contender,

466
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,199
Speaker 1: but if you're a Wizards fan, you have to be

467
00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,000
Speaker 1: really pleased and excited about the way these teams playing.

468
00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,840
Speaker 1: Um and they've done I mean, they had to trade

469
00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:57,600
Speaker 1: away one first round pick to to Um to trade Wall,

470
00:23:57,640 --> 00:23:59,400
Speaker 1: but then they got a first round pick back when

471
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,720
Speaker 1: they flipped Westbrook. And in the interim season they did

472
00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,200
Speaker 1: make the playoffs. It wasn't like they had a fifteen

473
00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:08,280
Speaker 1: win season. You know, I don't think that it was.

474
00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,800
Speaker 1: You know, it wasn't like acquiring Lebron and his prime.

475
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,760
Speaker 1: It wasn't getting Lebron in way to sign. But that's

476
00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:17,280
Speaker 1: a pretty good management of a roster. And you know,

477
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,920
Speaker 1: Brad Beale is still there and committed. Um, he hasn't

478
00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,200
Speaker 1: asked to jump ship yet, you know, I mean so,

479
00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:26,520
Speaker 1: and if you keep him, he can be a free

480
00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:29,720
Speaker 1: agent this summer. If you keep him, you will have

481
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,600
Speaker 1: done a really wonderful thing, which is why that literally

482
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,840
Speaker 1: today Tommy Shepard, their general manager, got promoted and got

483
00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:40,480
Speaker 1: into contract because he's because he's done such a good

484
00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:44,840
Speaker 1: job and so, um, you know, uh, I don't necessarily

485
00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:49,280
Speaker 1: you know, Kyle Kuzma and uh you know k C. P.

486
00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,560
Speaker 1: Contagious called wal Pope and Montres Harold like that's not

487
00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,919
Speaker 1: exactly the core of a of a dynasty. But um,

488
00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,080
Speaker 1: if you some of the guys that they we're playing

489
00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,040
Speaker 1: in that rotation last year. Some of the guys that

490
00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:07,399
Speaker 1: are giving real minutes to are like either not in

491
00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:09,440
Speaker 1: the NBA or on the end of the benches. Now,

492
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:13,240
Speaker 1: it's a pretty good story. He gives hope to anybody,

493
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,119
Speaker 1: so real quick on Chicago. You know what I noticed

494
00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,000
Speaker 1: last year. I mean it wasn't just me. I'm sure

495
00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,160
Speaker 1: other people saw it, but Thibodeau ran Julius Randall into

496
00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:21,679
Speaker 1: the ground. I think he was like top three in

497
00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,840
Speaker 1: minutes or whatever, and it really worked. They really played

498
00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,480
Speaker 1: heavy minutes for their best players in the regular season,

499
00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:29,600
Speaker 1: maximized it and they, you know, got to the playoffs.

500
00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:31,800
Speaker 1: If you look at the top twenty players for minutes

501
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,720
Speaker 1: per game, Brian three Chicago Bulls are in there. They

502
00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:40,119
Speaker 1: are really writing those guys, Hard Levine, uh Alonzo. I

503
00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:42,480
Speaker 1: don't know if Caruso is in there, but basically they're

504
00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:44,520
Speaker 1: just saying, we're just gonna go all out with our

505
00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,520
Speaker 1: stars to try to We're not gonna like, you know,

506
00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:50,560
Speaker 1: uh work on the Lakers and um save minutes for

507
00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:52,760
Speaker 1: the playoffs. We're just gotta get to the postseason. I

508
00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:55,640
Speaker 1: kind of like the strategy. What do you think? It's

509
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:57,960
Speaker 1: a really good point I think, Um, I think it's

510
00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:04,000
Speaker 1: something that uh definitely lead Bears watching and um, you know,

511
00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,119
Speaker 1: I think the Bulls are under quite a bit of

512
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:14,040
Speaker 1: pressure um uh you know, from top down to have

513
00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:17,560
Speaker 1: a really good year this year. Um. You know they

514
00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:22,600
Speaker 1: they the our tourist condiialists, the GM for this president.

515
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:24,840
Speaker 1: I guess this title is. You know, some of his

516
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,640
Speaker 1: moves early on weren't great. He stuck his neck out

517
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:32,119
Speaker 1: taking Patrick Williams, who was just so so as a rookie, um,

518
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,920
Speaker 1: you know, and they were slapped in. You know, they're

519
00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:38,520
Speaker 1: in this tampering investigation, which we don't know how that's

520
00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:42,360
Speaker 1: gonna turn out. Who's that about? While there they were

521
00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:46,959
Speaker 1: there's a tampering investigation about the acquisition of Lonzo Ball. Um.

522
00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,800
Speaker 1: Uh yeah, interesting, I didn't I was not even aware

523
00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,199
Speaker 1: of that. Yeah yeah, yeah. I mean it's possible that

524
00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:58,760
Speaker 1: they could face sanctions for it, so like yeah, I mean,

525
00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:00,800
Speaker 1: like they could lose a draft pick. And I'll tell

526
00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,360
Speaker 1: you this, like the you know, the Milwaukee Bucks were

527
00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:08,040
Speaker 1: accused of tampering two years ago and they were barred

528
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,560
Speaker 1: from getting the player who happened to be Um Bogdan

529
00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,000
Speaker 1: Bogdanovitch and they were stripped of a second round draft pick,

530
00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,360
Speaker 1: and um didn't really slow him down because they won

531
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,040
Speaker 1: the championship. They luck do it. But let's not go there. Um. Well,

532
00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:23,960
Speaker 1: one more thing on the Bulls, Briant and the case

533
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,000
Speaker 1: of the Bulls real quick. They got the player who's

534
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:30,440
Speaker 1: Anzo ball. Yeah, and so I mean if you look

535
00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:32,879
Speaker 1: at the scale they could they could be facing a

536
00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,320
Speaker 1: penalty if they're found guilty. Yeah. Interesting looking back at

537
00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:38,400
Speaker 1: that draft. Man, if they had gotten Haliburton, that would

538
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:40,199
Speaker 1: have been massive, but then they probably don't end up

539
00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,560
Speaker 1: getting Anzo and Caruso on the Bulls as one of

540
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:47,159
Speaker 1: the marquee markets for TV. Not having a good Bulls

541
00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:49,000
Speaker 1: team for like five years and a good Knicks team

542
00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,200
Speaker 1: for like I don't know ten has kind of hurt

543
00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:52,920
Speaker 1: the league. Would you agree with that? I mean, having

544
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,399
Speaker 1: the Bulls be a draw right now and watch it,

545
00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,760
Speaker 1: but you can actually put them on television, I think

546
00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:02,320
Speaker 1: that's got to be a boost to the league, right, Yeah,

547
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:05,960
Speaker 1: all the TV rantings aren't doing great. Uh No. I mean,

548
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,320
Speaker 1: you know, for a long time before Lebron came back,

549
00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,480
Speaker 1: the Lakers had missed the playoffs, for like six straight years,

550
00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,480
Speaker 1: and the Nicks had missed the playoffs for like six

551
00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,600
Speaker 1: straight years, and the Bulls had missed the playoffs for

552
00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:19,880
Speaker 1: three or four straight years. And you know, I mean

553
00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,240
Speaker 1: the Warriors were you know, definitely the class of the

554
00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:25,879
Speaker 1: league in terms of holding up the ratings. That but

555
00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:30,000
Speaker 1: like you know, if the top three markets aren't engaging

556
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:34,560
Speaker 1: their local fans with great teams, the NBA cannot be, um,

557
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:36,359
Speaker 1: you know, cannot be as strong as it can be

558
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:38,400
Speaker 1: as a whole, not just the truth. And I said

559
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,960
Speaker 1: that as somebody from Cleveland, you know, I'm I'm not

560
00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,240
Speaker 1: I'm well aware of what it's like to be in

561
00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,720
Speaker 1: the mid market or small market, and um, you know,

562
00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:52,760
Speaker 1: it definitely, you know, was an issue healthily back. I mean, um,

563
00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,680
Speaker 1: you know, I for anybody that ever, ever, ever, ever

564
00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:59,240
Speaker 1: wants to talk about a conspiracy, um no, he hate

565
00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:03,520
Speaker 1: that spiraces died the night of the lottery where the

566
00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:09,640
Speaker 1: Lakers and Knicks were in the top four with the

567
00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,600
Speaker 1: with the Grizzlies and Pelicans and John Morant and Zion

568
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:17,720
Speaker 1: Williamson were in the lottery and if you you know,

569
00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,280
Speaker 1: I remember they went to commercial and those were the

570
00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:25,800
Speaker 1: final four teams. Memphis, New Orleans, New York and the Lakers.

571
00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:28,040
Speaker 1: By the way, the Lakers getting into the top four,

572
00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,239
Speaker 1: he helped him get Anthony Davis. But he's neither here

573
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,640
Speaker 1: nor there. Every conspiracy theory you could ever have about

574
00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:36,920
Speaker 1: the lottery died in that moment. When then when the

575
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:40,240
Speaker 1: when the Pelicans and Grizzlies got picked one and two? Canny,

576
00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,560
Speaker 1: can you imagine John Morant with the Knicks right now?

577
00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:47,600
Speaker 1: That would be ye the TV too every night. I mean,

578
00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,280
Speaker 1: that's a slide indoors moment. What if the Lakers don't

579
00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:52,280
Speaker 1: get the fourth pick, what if they get the second

580
00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:55,360
Speaker 1: pick they did not trade for Anthony Davis. You know,

581
00:29:55,400 --> 00:30:02,560
Speaker 1: we could go on, but yeah, but um, it's uh,

582
00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:05,520
Speaker 1: you know, it would have been better for the league

583
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:07,320
Speaker 1: if the Knicks had won that lottery. Yeah, I'm just

584
00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:08,640
Speaker 1: gonna be honest with you. I mean, I know that

585
00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,160
Speaker 1: they're doing better right now, but they would really be

586
00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,280
Speaker 1: doing better if they had Jahmran. So um, that's that's

587
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,320
Speaker 1: the way it goes. But I am happy to see

588
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:22,400
Speaker 1: the fans at the Garden really engaged again because the

589
00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:24,960
Speaker 1: Garden is one of the best places and when the

590
00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,560
Speaker 1: Knicks are doing well, it means that the league to

591
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:29,600
Speaker 1: a certain extent is doing percent. Now, you're the one

592
00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:32,080
Speaker 1: who brought up Zion, so I will pick a piggyback

593
00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:36,920
Speaker 1: off that um unmitigated disaster Defcon one. Where do you

594
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,400
Speaker 1: want to go on this Zion situation? I mean the

595
00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:43,480
Speaker 1: video of him like shifting around in the and stretching

596
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,200
Speaker 1: in the lane where he looks like he's close to

597
00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,040
Speaker 1: three pounds. Um, this is a guy who was pegged

598
00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:49,760
Speaker 1: for stardom, like he can see, you'll be the face

599
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:53,280
Speaker 1: of the league in five years. Brian. I'm not asking

600
00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:55,360
Speaker 1: you to come on here and kill the Pelicans front office.

601
00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:57,480
Speaker 1: But I know you're friends with Griff and he gets

602
00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,720
Speaker 1: a big pass in the media because he knows everybody.

603
00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,479
Speaker 1: But I mean, I don't know how he still has

604
00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:04,000
Speaker 1: a job. And I read that. I think I heard

605
00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,960
Speaker 1: on your podcast how he got into beef and some

606
00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:09,000
Speaker 1: in the tunnel with Gentry recently or something. But like

607
00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,600
Speaker 1: that was just a funny story. Cost anybody job, That's

608
00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:16,040
Speaker 1: just a funny story. This has to be, um one

609
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:17,800
Speaker 1: of the one of the low points in the franchise.

610
00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:20,000
Speaker 1: You wonder are they even long for the for staying

611
00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:22,640
Speaker 1: in New Orleans? At this point, Yeah, they are because

612
00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:26,680
Speaker 1: their owner, Gayle Benson, who has no heirs. Um, she

613
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:31,240
Speaker 1: announced that she's gonna give when that when she passes away.

614
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:35,000
Speaker 1: She's in her seventies, but she's healthy. Okay. Um, she

615
00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,200
Speaker 1: owns the Saints too, and she announced that when when

616
00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:40,760
Speaker 1: she passes away, that the Saints and the Pelicans are

617
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:42,560
Speaker 1: going to be sold and the profits will go to

618
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,280
Speaker 1: the city. M So she basically announced, I mean, I mean,

619
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:49,640
Speaker 1: who knows. She hopefully she lives another couple of decades.

620
00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:53,840
Speaker 1: And the Saints and Pelicans together are worth seven billion dollars.

621
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,200
Speaker 1: I don't know today they would probably worth about five billion.

622
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:58,080
Speaker 1: Well that that they haven't gone in the tax the

623
00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:01,720
Speaker 1: Lonzo situation. Uh ever, there's only two NBA teams that

624
00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,840
Speaker 1: have never gone actually I think it's only one, um,

625
00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,000
Speaker 1: which is the Pelicans. They've never gone in the tax ever,

626
00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:11,440
Speaker 1: which if you're if you're a star player, that absolutely

627
00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:13,200
Speaker 1: is on your mind because like I know that when

628
00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:15,200
Speaker 1: like Lebron went back to when Lebron was a free

629
00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:19,360
Speaker 1: agent and he was talking with teams like that was

630
00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:21,240
Speaker 1: the first thing that he said, are you willing to

631
00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,520
Speaker 1: go into the text no matter what? Um, because he

632
00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,320
Speaker 1: didn't want UH to devote his um prime years to

633
00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,840
Speaker 1: a team that was not going to go all out. Um.

634
00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:34,000
Speaker 1: But you know, the ZI don't think that. The thing

635
00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:38,520
Speaker 1: that's just shocking, it's sad, that's true. The Pelicans have

636
00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:45,400
Speaker 1: given more Zion Williamson health delay updates. Then they have victories.

637
00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:48,520
Speaker 1: They've given like four of them. They have two wins

638
00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:52,560
Speaker 1: that's right now, and he's still not close to playing.

639
00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:58,160
Speaker 1: And you know, Griff and the Pelicans really botched the

640
00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,680
Speaker 1: public relations of this because is they didn't announce that

641
00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:05,440
Speaker 1: he was hurt. They didn't announce the head surgery. Um,

642
00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:07,440
Speaker 1: I mean that happens. I mean Tom Brady comes back

643
00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:09,160
Speaker 1: from the off season and says, oh, yeah, by the way,

644
00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:14,720
Speaker 1: I had a knee surgery. Um. Chris Paul comes back, Um,

645
00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:16,640
Speaker 1: you know, and he says in an interview, by the way,

646
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:18,320
Speaker 1: I had risk surgery a few weeks ago. You know,

647
00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,840
Speaker 1: star players get star treatment. I would argue that for

648
00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:24,760
Speaker 1: these companies that are that are now you know, neck

649
00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,960
Speaker 1: deep in involved with gambling, that that's a completely terrible

650
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,360
Speaker 1: way to run a business. Because obviously many people do

651
00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:34,520
Speaker 1: know that he's got certain he said surgery and that

652
00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:37,280
Speaker 1: he would be out, and there were lines out there

653
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,479
Speaker 1: for the Pelicans that what they're over with their win

654
00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,640
Speaker 1: over under where people knew he had surgery, and the

655
00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:48,960
Speaker 1: NBA is saying, come beat with us, Come fans, come

656
00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,080
Speaker 1: watch our game's wager, stay with us. But wait a minute,

657
00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,560
Speaker 1: you're not being honest. But with with injury information, like

658
00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:56,760
Speaker 1: I'm not. I'm not saying that they have to say

659
00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,840
Speaker 1: when a player broke up with his girlfriend or or whatever.

660
00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:01,760
Speaker 1: But you know, if a guy has surgery, I think

661
00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:03,960
Speaker 1: that should be I think in this day and age

662
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:05,800
Speaker 1: where you're a business with the gambling companies, you should

663
00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:10,960
Speaker 1: announce that. But I digress. You think maybe the Pelicans

664
00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:15,080
Speaker 1: elected not to announce that, and they did that as

665
00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,160
Speaker 1: a nod to Zion's request for privacy. And look, you're

666
00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:21,279
Speaker 1: gonna you gotta keep your star happy before anything else.

667
00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:22,799
Speaker 1: I just talked about how you got to keep the

668
00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:26,759
Speaker 1: engine well oiled. I get it. But when you do that,

669
00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:29,879
Speaker 1: you make the decision to hurt your credibility with your

670
00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,759
Speaker 1: fan base. And then they came out there and in

671
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:35,440
Speaker 1: the exact same day that they slapped the fans across

672
00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,520
Speaker 1: the face and said he listen Zion was out all

673
00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:40,680
Speaker 1: summer because he broke his foot and had surgery. I mean,

674
00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:44,360
Speaker 1: if you're you're a Pelicans fan, you're like, what And

675
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:47,040
Speaker 1: they're like, but don't worry, He's going to be back

676
00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:51,080
Speaker 1: thropening night, and then Zion comes up. Zion gives his

677
00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:54,440
Speaker 1: one interview he's given in the last um, I don't know,

678
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,560
Speaker 1: he's given one interview in the last like six months. Yeah,

679
00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:01,760
Speaker 1: I'll be back again. Nambation. You know. You know, the NBA,

680
00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:05,440
Speaker 1: the players are supposed to talk to the media, and again,

681
00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,319
Speaker 1: if they don't talk to the media, because the media, boy,

682
00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:10,960
Speaker 1: we really need today's clicks. They do that so that

683
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:14,480
Speaker 1: it engages the fans and that they can hear from

684
00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,399
Speaker 1: Zion how he's doing and they don't have to rely

685
00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:21,680
Speaker 1: on video clips or you know, unnamed sources. But again,

686
00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:24,359
Speaker 1: the NBA is like, don't you can do whatever you want, guys,

687
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:25,719
Speaker 1: you don't want talk to the media. We don't care.

688
00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:27,640
Speaker 1: We don't care if our television ratings are down. We're

689
00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:29,880
Speaker 1: not going to talk to the media. Scroom. You know,

690
00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:32,000
Speaker 1: Lebron has been out for two weeks. Don't talk to

691
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,360
Speaker 1: the media. Who he wants to hear from you again,

692
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:36,000
Speaker 1: it's bad business. But what do I know. I'm just

693
00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:39,360
Speaker 1: a little guy. But they come out and they do that,

694
00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:40,799
Speaker 1: and so then not only is he not back for

695
00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:44,680
Speaker 1: opening night, he's not back two weeks in. They give

696
00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:46,759
Speaker 1: another updates, still not back, two more weeks to give

697
00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,719
Speaker 1: another updates, still not back, two more weeks. We're six

698
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,439
Speaker 1: weeks into the season almost now, and they've given three

699
00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:56,839
Speaker 1: updates just since opening night, not not training camp, opening night,

700
00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,440
Speaker 1: and all that updates is that Zion is, you know,

701
00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:02,600
Speaker 1: inching back, And like, if you're a Pelicans fan, you

702
00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:06,359
Speaker 1: have you know the Griffin Dave Griffin and Zion I've

703
00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:08,799
Speaker 1: lost credibility with you. And look, he comes back and

704
00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:11,319
Speaker 1: scores a couple of thirty point games. He'll get it back.

705
00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:12,799
Speaker 1: And I'm sure that's what they believe, and that's true,

706
00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:16,120
Speaker 1: that's true. But um, I'm a huge believer in Zion's

707
00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:19,319
Speaker 1: uh talent. I mean, I know that's exactly a hot take,

708
00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:23,480
Speaker 1: but he's one of the most breathtaking athletes I've I've

709
00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:26,520
Speaker 1: ever covered, I've ever seen him. We bring you on

710
00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:29,360
Speaker 1: for the thoughtfulness and we'll wrap up with this, Brian. Um.

711
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:31,719
Speaker 1: You know, our our podcast is obviously biggest in l

712
00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:35,200
Speaker 1: A because I've moved out here and um, the Lakers

713
00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,320
Speaker 1: have been kind of up and down. And if I'm

714
00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:40,000
Speaker 1: gonna put you on the spot, if you are the

715
00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:42,920
Speaker 1: GM of the Lakers and they say you can rewind

716
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:45,760
Speaker 1: time and go back to the off season and instead

717
00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:48,520
Speaker 1: of getting Russell Westbrook, you could have gotten Buddy Healed.

718
00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:50,440
Speaker 1: Or if you even want to toss it out there,

719
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:54,879
Speaker 1: tomar DeRosa, what would you, Brian Windhorst have done. You've

720
00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:58,239
Speaker 1: watched a lot of NBA, even books, podcasts, everything, what

721
00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:04,960
Speaker 1: would you have done? Well? The Lakers had, um, you know,

722
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:08,680
Speaker 1: they had sort of four pieces that they could use

723
00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:12,239
Speaker 1: in trade. They had, actually, I'll go so far as

724
00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:16,360
Speaker 1: to say they had five. They had Cantavia's Callwell Pope,

725
00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:18,759
Speaker 1: you know, didn't have the greatest year last year, but

726
00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:23,800
Speaker 1: plays three in D Championship experience. Kyle Kuzma, who was

727
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:28,400
Speaker 1: starting a reasonable contract, again a good multi dimensional player.

728
00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:31,560
Speaker 1: They had Montrez Harrold going into the found year of

729
00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:34,000
Speaker 1: his contract, again didn't have the greatest year last year,

730
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:38,120
Speaker 1: but has value. They had Alex Caruso who was a

731
00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:40,520
Speaker 1: free agent, but they had his full rights so they

732
00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:42,680
Speaker 1: could have signed and traded him, and they had their

733
00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:46,359
Speaker 1: first round draft pick. They had those five things. They

734
00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:48,640
Speaker 1: could have elected to hold on to all five, hold

735
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,399
Speaker 1: on to the guys they under contract make the draft pick,

736
00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:55,560
Speaker 1: and um resigned Alex Caruso. Or they could have broken

737
00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:58,480
Speaker 1: them into pieces and said we're gonna keep two of

738
00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:00,560
Speaker 1: them in trade two of them, or gonna trade two

739
00:38:00,600 --> 00:38:03,360
Speaker 1: of them here and two of them over there. Um. Instead,

740
00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:10,560
Speaker 1: they traded four of them four Westbrook. They only need

741
00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:12,480
Speaker 1: to trade two of them for Buddy Healed. That's one

742
00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,640
Speaker 1: thing people look at and say, Westbrook versus Healed, Westbrook

743
00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,920
Speaker 1: versus Healed. That's not accurate. It's even better than that.

744
00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:21,759
Speaker 1: They could have traded for Buddy Healed and still had

745
00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,080
Speaker 1: the other three things. So you tell me it is

746
00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:27,680
Speaker 1: Caruso one of the three things they could have had. Yeah,

747
00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:31,040
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, you either could have resigned him,

748
00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:34,359
Speaker 1: which he wanted to do, and then you'd still have him,

749
00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:36,000
Speaker 1: and then you either have him to play or have

750
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:39,239
Speaker 1: him to trade. Um. And like here's the thing, like

751
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:43,120
Speaker 1: even after you know, even if you had traded the

752
00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:45,200
Speaker 1: other two guys and you know the other four guys

753
00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:47,080
Speaker 1: and you just want to let Crusoe walk, which you

754
00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:52,240
Speaker 1: could have done was signed and traded him to Chicago. Um,

755
00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:54,799
Speaker 1: and that would have cost you something. Chicago didn't need

756
00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:57,600
Speaker 1: to do that to get him. You might have had

757
00:38:57,600 --> 00:38:59,840
Speaker 1: to use a second round pick to get a trade

758
00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:01,640
Speaker 1: of eception back. But if you did that, then you'd

759
00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:04,879
Speaker 1: have a nine million dollar trade exception that you could use.

760
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,560
Speaker 1: They just didn't do any of that. Okay, So can

761
00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:09,439
Speaker 1: I stop be there for a second. Do you think

762
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:14,640
Speaker 1: this was front office related or was this Lebron related? No?

763
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:18,000
Speaker 1: Without question, Lebron and Athley Davis said we want Westbrook

764
00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:21,759
Speaker 1: and you have to go, Like I have to, like,

765
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:27,319
Speaker 1: I have to respect that decision. Um, I have to

766
00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:30,200
Speaker 1: respect it. But do you have to do it? Yeah?

767
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:33,480
Speaker 1: You do, Damn you have to. You have to go

768
00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:37,879
Speaker 1: with what Lebron supports. And um, if if you go

769
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:42,000
Speaker 1: down riding with Lebron, that's the way you have to go.

770
00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,400
Speaker 1: And I will say this, like you know, and I

771
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:48,560
Speaker 1: will say, hasn't started well, But like, how can I

772
00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:51,880
Speaker 1: not give the respect to a d and Lebron to

773
00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:53,880
Speaker 1: believe that they can't put it together and figure it

774
00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:57,080
Speaker 1: out by the end what I wager on that happening? No,

775
00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:00,520
Speaker 1: But how can I not respect them, That's what you know.

776
00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,320
Speaker 1: And the other thing is, you know, despite the fact

777
00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:06,600
Speaker 1: that they are one of the richest in terms of

778
00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:10,920
Speaker 1: generating revenue teams in sports, they have a budget. They

779
00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:15,359
Speaker 1: are not like you know, the the Clippers, who don't

780
00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:16,960
Speaker 1: have a budget. They don't. They are not owned by

781
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,000
Speaker 1: somebody worth a hundred billion dollars. They are owned by

782
00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:23,640
Speaker 1: the descendants of Jerry Buss, the six uh family members

783
00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:26,399
Speaker 1: and a couple of the minority owners. They don't They

784
00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:29,240
Speaker 1: can't operate in the red, okay, But if if Lebron

785
00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:31,440
Speaker 1: wants you to operate in the red, do you operate

786
00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:35,520
Speaker 1: in the red? I mean, obviously to a certain extent,

787
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:39,040
Speaker 1: they're paying the luxury attack, but they have a payroll

788
00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:42,880
Speaker 1: that's lower than the Bucks and the and the Jazz. Interesting,

789
00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,000
Speaker 1: So I don't know. I just look. I look at

790
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:46,959
Speaker 1: the makeup of this team, and even when they're healthy,

791
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:49,160
Speaker 1: when Kendrick Nunn is back and you know th HD

792
00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:51,520
Speaker 1: is working his way in, which is fine, kind of funny. Brian,

793
00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:53,760
Speaker 1: you have to admit, we're like talking about the Lakers

794
00:40:53,760 --> 00:40:56,000
Speaker 1: and these stars they're like, well none and and th

795
00:40:56,160 --> 00:40:58,560
Speaker 1: ht aren't fully back yet. You know it's like, Okay,

796
00:40:58,440 --> 00:41:01,959
Speaker 1: they're not even All Stars, but I just I don't

797
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,520
Speaker 1: see how Frank Vogel handles this down the stretch because Brian,

798
00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:07,360
Speaker 1: you and I both know they can't play Westbrook, Lebron

799
00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:09,520
Speaker 1: and a D down the stretch in meaningful playoff games.

800
00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:13,600
Speaker 1: That's not going to work well. I would say that,

801
00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:19,799
Speaker 1: um the last fifteen years, the teams that Lebron has

802
00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:25,760
Speaker 1: had has been on have devoted incredible amounts of resources

803
00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:30,719
Speaker 1: and creativity to find players who can make space for

804
00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:34,400
Speaker 1: Lebron and shoot to get out of his way and

805
00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:36,759
Speaker 1: shoot so that he can go to work and have

806
00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:40,279
Speaker 1: that support. They have basically tried to find players for

807
00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:43,839
Speaker 1: the opposite of Westbrook, and the team that they won

808
00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:48,399
Speaker 1: the championship with two years ago cleared the space out

809
00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:53,279
Speaker 1: for him and received passes and shot three. And that

810
00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:55,200
Speaker 1: is the inverse of the type of player that you

811
00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:58,200
Speaker 1: want that a guy like Buddy Healed and Alex Caruso

812
00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:02,480
Speaker 1: are the exact prototypes of players that you wanted. That

813
00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:06,040
Speaker 1: the all those finals teams that he was on had

814
00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:12,319
Speaker 1: players like that. UM, So going for Westbrook is an

815
00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:15,400
Speaker 1: inverse of the strategy that has made has had him

816
00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:18,200
Speaker 1: on ten finals teams. So but I also have to

817
00:42:18,239 --> 00:42:21,520
Speaker 1: respect Jason that he's sitting in front of me saying,

818
00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:25,080
Speaker 1: I need somebody else to take the boat to to

819
00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:27,360
Speaker 1: to to to hold the ball and create the offense

820
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,359
Speaker 1: so that I can save myself, because I'm thirty seven

821
00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:33,360
Speaker 1: years old and I can save myself. And if he

822
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:36,400
Speaker 1: says that to me, holding his rings and m v

823
00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:40,480
Speaker 1: ps and Bold medals and everything, I have to respect it,

824
00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:43,600
Speaker 1: even if I don't think it makes sense. Necessarily, I

825
00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:45,360
Speaker 1: have to respect what he's said. Is he trying to

826
00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:47,439
Speaker 1: thread the needle. Is Lebron saying, hey, we need Russ?

827
00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:50,799
Speaker 1: You know why, because I'm gonna probably miss games. He's

828
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:54,160
Speaker 1: probably gonna miss games. We need someone to carry us

829
00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:56,560
Speaker 1: through the dog days of Janior in February, we will

830
00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:59,600
Speaker 1: be fine, come plaus but Brian, But then the question becomes,

831
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,359
Speaker 1: what happens in those final five minutes of games four

832
00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:05,399
Speaker 1: or five, six, seven? Can you just tell Russ, Hey, Russ,

833
00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:08,040
Speaker 1: we're gonna sit you down. We need shooters on the floor. Like,

834
00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:10,600
Speaker 1: how is he going to handle that? How's Vogel going

835
00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:14,040
Speaker 1: to navigate that? I don't know that Lebron through stay

836
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:17,800
Speaker 1: tuned I mean, I'll tell you what I've seen Lebron

837
00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:21,400
Speaker 1: do some stuff, man, like what name when the women

838
00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:23,560
Speaker 1: will awesome thing that Lebron has done that proven he

839
00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:25,640
Speaker 1: can do this. He can tell Russell Westbrook, Hey, dude,

840
00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:28,719
Speaker 1: you gotta just chill out and sit out. I mean,

841
00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:31,720
Speaker 1: at the end of at the end of playoff games,

842
00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:35,040
Speaker 1: the ball is gonna be on Lebronze hands, and if

843
00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:38,160
Speaker 1: it's not, it'll be a problem. I think I think

844
00:43:38,239 --> 00:43:41,719
Speaker 1: Russ knew that when he when he came. I really

845
00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:43,960
Speaker 1: do I think he. I think he. I think in

846
00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:46,839
Speaker 1: Russ's position, I mean, Russ's really really wanted it, man,

847
00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:48,879
Speaker 1: because like the Lakers were about to do this other

848
00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:52,359
Speaker 1: deal and and listening to de Rose and de Rose

849
00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,279
Speaker 1: and gave an interview to Yahoo Sports this week where

850
00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:57,400
Speaker 1: he said that he thought he was going to go

851
00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:01,279
Speaker 1: to the Lakers too, and um and so you know,

852
00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:03,839
Speaker 1: here's de Rosen and here's Buddy Healed. Then they're thinking

853
00:44:03,880 --> 00:44:08,600
Speaker 1: about being Lakers. Um uh, trying to think who else

854
00:44:08,640 --> 00:44:11,319
Speaker 1: recently gave an interview where he talked about thinking he

855
00:44:11,360 --> 00:44:13,399
Speaker 1: was going to be a Laker. All these guys thought

856
00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:18,840
Speaker 1: they were gonna be Lakers, right and Russ is like, actually,

857
00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:21,719
Speaker 1: I want to be a Laker. Yeah, I read the

858
00:44:21,719 --> 00:44:25,600
Speaker 1: story about Russ doesn't come do it without knowing that

859
00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:28,279
Speaker 1: was possibly gonna happen at the end of the day. Again,

860
00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:30,600
Speaker 1: it's probably calling for speculation. I'd get yelled at in

861
00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:33,400
Speaker 1: the courtroom. But do you think that the front office

862
00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:37,880
Speaker 1: was working on De Rosen heel deals and then Russ said, hey,

863
00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:39,960
Speaker 1: I want to be there, and then Lebron and are like, oh,

864
00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:42,560
Speaker 1: oh yeah, we gotta take that guy. Well, according to

865
00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:46,319
Speaker 1: De Rosen, his agent was working on it. I don't

866
00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:50,239
Speaker 1: know where he DeMar was in the priority for the Lakers. Um.

867
00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:51,920
Speaker 1: He just said his agent was working on it. But

868
00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:55,920
Speaker 1: obviously Russ knew that there was only so many chairs

869
00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,799
Speaker 1: before the music stopped and he was stuck in what

870
00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:00,839
Speaker 1: city before this? I've forgot He's been on so many teams.

871
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,600
Speaker 1: I've forgotten. He was on your Washington Wizards. Oh yes,

872
00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:07,360
Speaker 1: I loving life out there. Yeah all right, Brian Winhorse

873
00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:09,640
Speaker 1: Starry to keep you so long, great stuff as always

874
00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:13,239
Speaker 1: New York Times best selling author, podcaster TV guy. I

875
00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:15,520
Speaker 1: mean you go on p t I, you go on

876
00:45:15,560 --> 00:45:18,080
Speaker 1: every show right basically at the net during football season,

877
00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:22,400
Speaker 1: man like until the Super Bowl. They'll they'll, you know,

878
00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:27,280
Speaker 1: they'll remember that there's basketball, Um after the super Bowl. Okay,

879
00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:30,120
Speaker 1: you know right now, I'm on the NBA today in

880
00:45:30,200 --> 00:45:33,719
Speaker 1: my podcast and I cover some games. Just take it

881
00:45:33,719 --> 00:45:35,880
Speaker 1: easy and let the football carry the ball for the

882
00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:37,719
Speaker 1: time being. Yeah, all right, thanks a lot, Brian, Happy

883
00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:41,040
Speaker 1: holidays and not talk to you soon, you too. Fox

884
00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:44,200
Speaker 1: Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.

885
00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:47,439
Speaker 1: Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot

886
00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:50,480
Speaker 1: com and within the I Heart Radio app search f

887
00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:55,560
Speaker 1: s R to listen live. The only thing better than

888
00:45:55,600 --> 00:46:00,000
Speaker 1: sitting on your couch watching the gag. He's making money

889
00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:05,040
Speaker 1: to do it. Here's your best beat, great stuff for

890
00:46:05,080 --> 00:46:10,319
Speaker 1: Brian wyn Horse really a nice guy, an informed NBA opinionist,

891
00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:13,760
Speaker 1: and he's thoughtful, really good stuff. I really enjoyed it, um,

892
00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:15,719
Speaker 1: Brian Wynhorst, good dude. All right, let's get to the

893
00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:18,840
Speaker 1: best bet here on straight Fire. I probably should have

894
00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:22,239
Speaker 1: been keeping track, um, throughout the season of how we've done.

895
00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:24,759
Speaker 1: I feel like I don't want to eyeball and say like,

896
00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:28,600
Speaker 1: but it's been more hits than mrs that's for sure.

897
00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:31,719
Speaker 1: Monday's was a great example of when the game is

898
00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:34,040
Speaker 1: gross and everybody's on one side and you do not

899
00:46:34,120 --> 00:46:36,440
Speaker 1: want the other side take the other side. And that

900
00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:41,760
Speaker 1: applies tonight. Yes, you gotta bet the Atlanta Falcons getting

901
00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:44,279
Speaker 1: seven at home against the New England Patriots. I know

902
00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:47,400
Speaker 1: I've got to get some Patriots a bunch this season. Um,

903
00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:50,920
Speaker 1: it has not gone well, uh namely Carolina. I like

904
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:54,799
Speaker 1: Cleveland against him last week. Mac Jones is ascending. But

905
00:46:55,360 --> 00:46:58,600
Speaker 1: if you're buying the Patriots a rookie quarterback lanes seven

906
00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:01,040
Speaker 1: on the road, you're rying at the top of the market.

907
00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:04,600
Speaker 1: And that's like the worst time to buy. And all

908
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:06,640
Speaker 1: week all we've heard, what are the narratives out there

909
00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:09,360
Speaker 1: right now? Watch out for the Patriots. Boy, they're dangerous.

910
00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:12,840
Speaker 1: That was mine last week. This week main stream Patriots,

911
00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,200
Speaker 1: Oh my god, Mac Jones rookie the year, lookout for

912
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:16,879
Speaker 1: the Patriots. They could they could win, then they could

913
00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:18,480
Speaker 1: win the a f C. That's how good they are

914
00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:22,920
Speaker 1: right now, folks. They got a rookie quarterback going on

915
00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:24,799
Speaker 1: the road. Now, I know that some things line up

916
00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:29,960
Speaker 1: here to go against the Falcons. Um rookie quarterback. Thursday

917
00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:33,560
Speaker 1: Night Football, I'm sorry, rookie coach Thursday Night football. That

918
00:47:33,719 --> 00:47:36,680
Speaker 1: is usually a toxic mix. We are late in the season.

919
00:47:36,719 --> 00:47:39,319
Speaker 1: Couardourell Patterson, we're gonna find out today he's questionable. It

920
00:47:39,400 --> 00:47:42,719
Speaker 1: was looking like he was definitely out and now he's questionable.

921
00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:46,239
Speaker 1: What's Couardorele Paterson works to the line. I mean he's

922
00:47:46,239 --> 00:47:48,200
Speaker 1: worth what maybe half a point a quarter of a point?

923
00:47:48,239 --> 00:47:52,400
Speaker 1: We're talking about Cordarrell Frigan Patterson, like settled down. We

924
00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:57,360
Speaker 1: saw last week where you can just plug in guys.

925
00:47:57,440 --> 00:48:00,520
Speaker 1: Alvin Kamara did not play for the Saints. They just

926
00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:03,880
Speaker 1: plug and chug and covered the spread against Tennessee, which

927
00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,560
Speaker 1: was had the best record in the a f C.

928
00:48:07,719 --> 00:48:10,200
Speaker 1: Like running backs whatever sound a big deal? And that

929
00:48:10,440 --> 00:48:14,160
Speaker 1: are the Falcons good? No, they're not. Somehow they're still

930
00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:16,320
Speaker 1: in the mix for the playoffs. Is there a scenario

931
00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:18,560
Speaker 1: where Belichick comes out and this is thirty to nothing?

932
00:48:18,719 --> 00:48:21,120
Speaker 1: Of course? Yeah. That feels like you have to exist

933
00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:24,200
Speaker 1: that every week with Bill Belichick. He's that good. I

934
00:48:24,200 --> 00:48:26,719
Speaker 1: saw us that where Mac Jones has the is the

935
00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:30,279
Speaker 1: quarterback who's completely the most passes to running backs. They're

936
00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:34,080
Speaker 1: just keeping it safe. Atlanta's defense is not great. There

937
00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:37,640
Speaker 1: is nothing about this team to like that being said,

938
00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:40,440
Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to take a touchdown on Thursday night

939
00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:44,319
Speaker 1: football in Atlanta. Now, this is not a big play

940
00:48:44,360 --> 00:48:48,600
Speaker 1: for me. Um. Going against Bill Belichick long term is

941
00:48:48,640 --> 00:48:53,719
Speaker 1: not positive for your bank roll. But I would suspect

942
00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:57,279
Speaker 1: that the Falcons, who basically took the fourth quarter off

943
00:48:57,280 --> 00:48:59,640
Speaker 1: because they were getting beat so bad by Dallas, they

944
00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:02,319
Speaker 1: will not played that poorly. Are they gonna play as

945
00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:04,680
Speaker 1: great as they did the week prior against New Orleans. No,

946
00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:07,880
Speaker 1: that was a divisional opponent. The familiarity was there, but

947
00:49:07,920 --> 00:49:09,920
Speaker 1: they played out of their minds. They dominated that game

948
00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:13,960
Speaker 1: for three quarters and then held on. I don't foresee

949
00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:17,680
Speaker 1: Alabama winning. I'm sorry Alabama Atlanta winning outright, but I

950
00:49:17,760 --> 00:49:19,880
Speaker 1: have to take the seven, I think just on principle.

951
00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:24,560
Speaker 1: Remember this line was New England minus two and a

952
00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:26,840
Speaker 1: half earlier in the year they set out lines for

953
00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:29,360
Speaker 1: all the games. Has your opinion changed that much of

954
00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:32,319
Speaker 1: both of these teams that it should go through the

955
00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:36,240
Speaker 1: three and through the seven like that to me is insane. Um.

956
00:49:36,280 --> 00:49:38,919
Speaker 1: If you want to tease at New England down, that's great.

957
00:49:39,200 --> 00:49:42,320
Speaker 1: There are many great teaser leg opportunities out there. You

958
00:49:42,360 --> 00:49:44,080
Speaker 1: do order if you if you feel good about Buffalo.

959
00:49:44,080 --> 00:49:47,680
Speaker 1: You tease them down, you tease New England. Um, you know,

960
00:49:47,719 --> 00:49:49,840
Speaker 1: I I don't know how you guys feel about the Chargers.

961
00:49:50,239 --> 00:49:53,120
Speaker 1: That line keeps moving up against the Steelers. Uh, sounds

962
00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:55,839
Speaker 1: like there are issues within Pittsburgh and Big Ben may

963
00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:59,359
Speaker 1: not be ready to go. Um. Six is a lot

964
00:49:59,440 --> 00:50:02,239
Speaker 1: for justin word delay. Let's see what's up with t J. Watt? Though.

965
00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:05,040
Speaker 1: If t J. Watt doesn't play, you know, if he plays,

966
00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:07,520
Speaker 1: obviously it's a problem for Herbert, even though the Charger's

967
00:50:07,560 --> 00:50:10,360
Speaker 1: old line has been great. But um, there are teaser

968
00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:14,040
Speaker 1: leg options. But overall, you know you wanna bite the bullet.

969
00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:17,360
Speaker 1: I'm not saying put down five on the Atlanta Falcons

970
00:50:17,520 --> 00:50:20,680
Speaker 1: getting seven. You make an action play, Maybe start Cord

971
00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:23,759
Speaker 1: Patterson and fantasy like I am uh and hope for

972
00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:25,560
Speaker 1: the best. All right, guys, we'll talk to you tomorrow.