WEBVTT - NBA Midseason Grades: Western Conference 0:00:00.480 --> 0:00:06.560 You're tuned into Heat Check with Triste Quick. On this 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:11.680 episode of the Heat Check, it's mid season grade time, baby, 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:14.720 Part two. Time to go over the Western Conference. A 0:00:14.760 --> 0:00:16.960 lot of teams are gonna get grades that'll make their 0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:20.360 parents proud. Other ones may want to pretend like doll 0:00:20.440 --> 0:00:25.040 gated lots to cover Nick. So drop that generic ass 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:35.479 fucking beat. So we've reached the halfway point of the season. 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:41.080 It's time to give out these mid semester grades. Last episode, 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:44.040 which was on Monday night Tuesday for you, we covered 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:46.680 the Eastern Conference, So now we do the West. So 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:53.239 let's break it down division by division. My Portland Trailblazers 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:56.080 in the Northwest Division have to go first. They were 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:58.080 the first to come to mind. And you know what, 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:03.200 after careful can consideration, the Portland Trailblazers, they get a C. 0:01:04.400 --> 0:01:07.840 It's better than I wanted to give him. Honestly, uh, 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:11.280 because of the moves right, the moves that they've made 0:01:11.920 --> 0:01:15.000 in the offseason. You can't really ask for much better 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:19.960 than that. But they are underperforming in a big, big way. 0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:22.640 I love Jeremy Grant's fit on the team. I think 0:01:22.640 --> 0:01:26.160 he's probably a great third or fourth scoring option, best 0:01:26.319 --> 0:01:29.280 defender on the team most likely in terms of you know, 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:33.200 point of attack, can guard you know, probably one through four, 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:36.160 two through five, kind of a thing. Gary Payton, the 0:01:36.200 --> 0:01:38.520 second has been injured, but now that he's back, he's 0:01:38.560 --> 0:01:43.160 been amazing defensively, very good on ball defender, kind of 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:46.959 guy that's disruptive, kind of guy that just is exactly 0:01:47.000 --> 0:01:54.680 who Portland needs. Scrappy, hardworking, annoying, amazing fit for Damian Lillard, 0:01:55.640 --> 0:02:01.280 the Nirkdee boy. He's shooting a lot of threes. Shooting 0:02:01.320 --> 0:02:03.720 a lot of threes. Is three point percentage is way up. 0:02:03.760 --> 0:02:06.960 His three point volume is way up. Everything else has 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:11.800 been a little erratic, a little touch and go. Portland 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:16.239 started out super hot, looked like they were number one 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:18.800 in the West for maybe a week or so. They're 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:21.800 in the plan right now, not even and I'm not 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:23.760 even sure what they're gonna do to make a move. 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:25.440 I don't know if they will make a move, but 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:27.520 I think everyone expected that this is sort of a 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:30.640 resetting year. You're getting Shade and Sharp back into the 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:34.080 mix as a rookie. He hasn't played games before this 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:37.600 since you know, high school, was chilling in Kentucky just 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:42.839 doing homework and watching and you know, there's a lot 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:46.080 to be encouraged in. But you're not necessarily saying that 0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:51.480 this is a successful year either. Denver Nuggets, oh man, 0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:55.320 I'm not just saying this. They get Nay, I'm not 0:02:55.360 --> 0:02:57.680 just saying this because of the number one team in 0:02:57.720 --> 0:03:00.160 the West. But holy shit, are they just fun and 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:04.000 good Defensively? They're playing elite defense right now, especially in 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:07.240 the games that they continue to keep focus. Aaron Gordon 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:11.720 playing the best basketball of his entire career in his life. 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:16.680 Guys like KCP Bruce Brown really good fits. Drafting Christian 0:03:16.720 --> 0:03:20.760 Brown aka Christian Brawn has been amazing. He's added to 0:03:20.760 --> 0:03:23.200 the versatility of this team. I like the development of 0:03:23.240 --> 0:03:26.880 Bones Highland. Add that to a healthy Jamal Murray. You 0:03:26.919 --> 0:03:29.880 add that to a healthy Michael Porter ju and your 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:32.480 healthy Ish is pretty much all You're gonna get. Andy Jokic, 0:03:32.520 --> 0:03:36.040 who's playing better basketball than he's played in years and 0:03:36.160 --> 0:03:38.520 gonna win the MVP for a third straight time. Nobody's 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:43.840 done that since Larry Bird. Insane. Boy, are they a 0:03:43.920 --> 0:03:46.000 dangerous team. They could win it all if they could 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:49.440 play some defense when Yokic is not on the floor. Utah, 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:57.400 Utah is uh is something special. Boy, God damn does 0:03:57.480 --> 0:04:00.400 Danny Ainge know how to take a mess and turn 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:03.800 it into a bask yacht? Right? I mean he's like 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:08.440 Jackson Pollock, just random spray pieces all over and you 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:12.240 look up and you're like, oh my god, that's a vision. 0:04:12.800 --> 0:04:16.120 I think I love this Utah team. They are fun. 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:19.680 I thought they were gonna stink. I thought that they 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:22.119 were gonna just be right in the dumpster for Victor 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:25.320 Wambin Yama. But man, they have a bunch of fun players. 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:29.440 They have a boatload of unprotected picks. They have thirteen 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:35.599 lightly protected or unprotected draft picks that are first rounders 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:40.800 just from the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trade combined alone, 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:44.839 just alone, just from that. They also got Lori Marknen 0:04:45.040 --> 0:04:47.839 that I mentioned him, He's probably gonna win Most Improved 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:49.960 Player of the Year. He is now the leader in 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:53.480 the clubhouse for that. They have Walker Kestler, who, let's 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:55.599 be honest, is probably gonna be better than Rudy Gobert. 0:04:55.720 --> 0:04:58.760 He can do more things. Oh, you've got shared Vanderbilt 0:04:58.880 --> 0:05:01.880 nice piece versatil wise and you know that everybody that 0:05:01.880 --> 0:05:03.719 they're not gonna resign. All the old guys, all the 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:06.400 guys that don't want to stay, they're gone. They're probably 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:09.560 gonna end up flipping them for more pieces too. This 0:05:09.640 --> 0:05:12.680 team is good, This team in the future is bright. 0:05:13.320 --> 0:05:15.560 They're still in the play in picture. And they didn't 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:18.040 even want to win. We didn't expect a goddamn thing 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:21.920 from them. They get name minus. Minnesota gets an f 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:27.600 really because of the trade with Utah. Danny Ainge fleeces them, 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:31.640 like you know, that's saying if you can't spot the 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:35.760 mark in the room that is you, you are said mark. 0:05:36.600 --> 0:05:40.719 That's the Minnesota Timberwolves. They're the mark. They gave away 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:48.040 so much for a one dimensional center, like so many picks, 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:53.000 so many players. The fit with Cat is not good. 0:05:53.200 --> 0:05:56.640 Will it ever be good? I don't know. Probably not. 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:00.400 They could go down as making one one of the 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:07.520 worst trade decisions in not just NBA history, but sports history. 0:06:08.320 --> 0:06:12.760 Minnesota they've got a bad record for bad trades, herschel 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:15.720 Walker being one, remember that one like this is up 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:19.040 there with the herschel Walker trade. But what's sadder than 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:22.000 the actual trade itself is it's like a what could 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:26.880 have been story? You know. They were fun, They were exciting. 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:30.160 They had one of the best offenses in the league, 0:06:30.320 --> 0:06:35.120 up and down, talking trash, taking Memphis to the break. 0:06:35.640 --> 0:06:40.120 Pat Bev was creating culture there. He loved Minnesota. Kat 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:43.840 was terrible defensively but flourishing in terms of his scoring. 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:48.479 It was just a team you could get behind. You 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:50.719 could say, oh yeah, the future's bright for the squad. 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.000 They add a couple more pieces. They have a bunch of. 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:59.920 Guys fun and all they got now is Rudy Gobah 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:05.560 and a dry ass empty cupboard with just brown rice 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:10.320 bagged up and maybe some cans of cannaloney beans. 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:14.920 That's it. No shade to Aunt Edwards. He's he's everything 0:07:14.960 --> 0:07:17.520 to them. But now you got this guy that you've 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:21.840 replaced all these young players for a lumbering oath who 0:07:21.920 --> 0:07:24.680 all he does is clog up space for your superstar, 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:29.440 make his life harder, not easier. This is a puzzling 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.080 decision that Tim Connelly made so early in his tenure 0:07:32.280 --> 0:07:35.640 that it's going to be analyzed for years and years 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:38.560 and years to come. This team had the possibility of 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:42.480 locking up a top four, top six spot, and now 0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:46.320 it looks like they're a playing team at best. Chris 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:50.320 Finch probably gonna get fired, despite the fact that it 0:07:50.440 --> 0:07:52.800 is a success that they've gone six and four in 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:56.440 their last ten. Just barely being five hundred is like 0:07:57.080 --> 0:07:59.240 taking him from the hot seat and putting him on 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:04.320 the medium heat seat. Not good. By the way, someone 0:08:04.320 --> 0:08:07.000 commented on TikTok that if the Wolves had traded for 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:10.120 Mitchell Robinson instead of Rudy Gobert, they'd probably be no 0:08:10.200 --> 0:08:12.480 worse than the fourth in the West. Like that team, 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:15.400 with all its pieces and all of its picks, probably 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.280 would be better than the MAVs right now. Let's be honest, 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:22.680 think about that. What a fucked up situation for the 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:26.280 Minnesota Timberwolves. I feel bad from Minnesota fans. Man. They 0:08:26.320 --> 0:08:30.840 can't catch a break. Okay, see they're in the ninth 0:08:30.880 --> 0:08:33.720 spot right now, they get an a Oh my god. 0:08:33.880 --> 0:08:37.080 Can you just tell when you watch basketball and watch 0:08:37.120 --> 0:08:40.120 these teams do their jobs, you know, not just the 0:08:40.160 --> 0:08:43.480 actual basketball, but the work that goes on behind the scenes. 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:47.400 They're just some teams with smarter decision makers than others. 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:51.280 And that is Sam Presty, that's him. He's a monster. 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:56.160 He is just miles ahead of other teams. Not just 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:58.480 when it comes to deal making, when it comes to 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:02.360 treating players well. Like you're hearing stories come out from 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:06.360 guys who rehabilitated their careers there, like Al Horford saying 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:08.880 that this is a first class organization. They treated me 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:11.480 better than any place, and they didn't even intend to 0:09:11.600 --> 0:09:18.480 keep him right. Talent evaluation, incredible talent development, bringing on 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:22.760 Chip England to help Josh Giddy shoot threes. He's playing 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.200 at a level we have not seen from him before. 0:09:26.240 --> 0:09:29.520 He has a team everyone thought would be tanking in 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:35.200 the ninth spot. The Thunder have well exceeded expectations. They're 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:40.080 one win away right now from hitting their win total, 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.720 which was twenty three wins. They have twenty two wins 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:48.319 at the halfway part mark of the NBA season. Anybody 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:51.480 think that was gonna happen? Did you think Sam Presty 0:09:51.559 --> 0:09:55.520 was gonna shut it down? Shay has been insane. At 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:58.199 one point, he was the leader to win Most Improved Player. 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:00.480 He's going to be an All Star this year. He's 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:04.160 averaging thirty one, five and five. Josh Giddy is a 0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:08.679 bona fide star with court vision you could only hope 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:11.720 to have in a player, not to mention. He can 0:10:11.760 --> 0:10:14.880 score and rebound and do all kinds of these things too. 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:18.320 I love the fits of the two Jalen Williams that 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:22.920 they got for nothing. They traded some random to move 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:25.400 up in the draft, and now they get both Jalen Williams, 0:10:25.440 --> 0:10:28.120 one j dub one Jay Well, both good in their 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:32.760 own right. Chet holmerun mind you hasn't played one game 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:36.760 this year, not one, been out with the list frank injury. 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:41.800 This team is good. They are more importantly than good, 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:46.040 super fun. The future's bright. Everything they've done in the 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:50.320 offseason was good, excellent, elite, and they're a fun ass 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:53.679 team where you can't really knock anything that's going on 0:10:53.760 --> 0:11:12.480 right now. Moving on to the Pacific Division, let's start 0:11:12.520 --> 0:11:18.200 with our Kanks. Sacramento buttoned up, put the suit and 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:23.880 tie on, Sacramento Kings. Now, what can I say about 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:28.080 the Kings that hasn't already been said. Well, we know 0:11:28.160 --> 0:11:30.880 that they've been in a playoff drought longer than the 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:33.559 city of Los Angeles has been in a drought for water. 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:38.080 And just like over LA, just like Sacramento, the watermark 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:42.840 is high right now. They are overflowing with playoff hopes. 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:46.920 It's been bleak for this fan base. We know that 0:11:47.280 --> 0:11:50.240 for so damn long, and now it feels like it's 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:53.920 sort of over. You know, it feels done. Many McNair 0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:58.000 has done wonders. He needs to be extended. His decision 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:01.240 making quality very high. What he's done in terms of 0:12:01.360 --> 0:12:05.360 drafting players that make sense. The Sabonis trade, Oh my god, 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:11.160 the Sabonis trade was good. That's probably the Sabonus trades. 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:17.560 Probably the definition if you look into a dictionary of 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:22.680 what the NBA was hoping trades would look like. Mutually 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:27.200 beneficial for both sides, makes both players better, makes both 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:32.560 teams better as a result of said trade, right, my god, 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:38.120 both teams, both players flourished because of this trade. They 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:42.160 just beat the Lakers last night in Staples. You had 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:47.559 people chanting like the beam in Staples louder than you 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:52.319 could even imagine. I think they turned Staples purple for 0:12:52.559 --> 0:12:56.960 the Kings last night. And that win over the Lakers 0:12:57.400 --> 0:13:02.880 turns the Kings into the three seed in the West. 0:13:03.200 --> 0:13:07.319 The three seed. Let me say that again. The Sacramento 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:12.559 Kings are currently the three seed halfway through the season. 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:17.160 That's cute. Ten games in, we're more than forty one 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:21.079 games in right now, folks, and they are the three seed. 0:13:21.360 --> 0:13:24.520 They were sixty six to one at one point just 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:28.000 to win the Pacific Division. They are now plus one 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:33.520 twenty five to win said division. Wow, they're basically they 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:36.440 are the leader in the clubhouse to win that division. 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:41.720 Honestly incredible. Keithya Murray will talk about him. He's been okay. 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:46.640 He's not somebody that has outperformed expectations. I think he's 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:48.440 gonna be a good piece for them. He's been up 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:51.240 and down. He had ten rebounds against the Lakers, which 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.360 is very important for his development. He looks like he's 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:56.480 gonna be a fan favorite as well. He already is. 0:13:57.320 --> 0:13:59.400 Malik Monk has been adding a lot in terms of 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:02.400 bench scoring, like a little microwave. Obviously, his connection with 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:04.600 the Aaron Fox down the stretch with them going to 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:08.240 Kentucky together being best friends, that's worked out like a charm. 0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:11.680 Harrison Barnes has turned back the clock, turning into war 0:14:11.800 --> 0:14:16.080 we ares Harrison Barnes. Kevin Herder has still been cave on, 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:18.240 even though he's a little out of shape on back 0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:20.560 to backs. And Fox, of course, as we know, Fox 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:22.920 is an all star. Sabonis is an All Star. This 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:25.520 team's really good. They can get a backup big at 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:29.280 the deadline, someone who can help them in non Sabonis minutes, 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:33.120 someone who can pass, someone who can rim protect man. 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:36.000 What they have done though, at twenty five and eighteen, 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:42.000 there's seven games over five hundred seven games insanely good. 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:44.880 I just can't believe it. Moving on to our Dubs, 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:48.960 they get a C minus. About two weeks ago they 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:52.480 probably would have gotten a D plus. They're gonna be okay. 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:55.160 We know that the Dubs are fine, the Dubs are 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:58.840 always fine, but at the halfway mark, we just cannot 0:14:58.920 --> 0:15:01.680 consider this a success in any real way. Let's be honest. 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:05.840 Steph is missed time. Jordan Poole has been up and down. 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:10.920 The role players they add, Gary Payton, he's gone out 0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:16.000 of Porter, He's gone Niamna Nia Biolica. However you're saying it, 0:15:16.080 --> 0:15:18.520 you know what I'm saying. He's gone playing in Europe. 0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.800 Klay Thompson O bright Spot. He's getting better, much more 0:15:21.840 --> 0:15:25.200 balanced scoring, much more balanced shooting in terms of his 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:30.080 actual weight distribution. He's taking more set shots, moving off 0:15:30.120 --> 0:15:32.640 the ball, getting easy buckets. So he's been really good. 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:35.440 He's been Actually sort of a surprise in terms of 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:38.400 this team Steph Cree's injury. I thought maybe they'd go 0:15:38.440 --> 0:15:41.440 to and eight while he was out. They actually played 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:44.800 pretty well. They weathered that storm in a way that 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:49.800 I think was very surprising. But we are worrying about 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:53.040 this team in a way where you say, okay, knowing 0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:56.080 that I think they're gonna be fine. Can I also 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:59.440 simultaneously say that there's some fundamental issues here? And I 0:15:59.440 --> 0:16:03.320 think the answer yes, But we have to continue to 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:07.160 have blind trust, in blind faith in our dubs, because 0:16:07.160 --> 0:16:10.520 what we know is when the lights get bright, as 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:13.400 long as Steph is healthy, as long as Clay is healthy, 0:16:13.480 --> 0:16:17.240 as long as Draymond's healthy, as long as Kevon Looney 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:20.760 is healthy, They're gonna be able to turn up the volume, 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:23.960 turn up the heat when the lights get bright. That's 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:26.880 just the way it is. You saw it multiple games 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:28.760 in a row. They go down twenty five, they go 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:30.920 down thirty, and then in the fourth quarter they turn 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:34.040 up the heat. They play the stifling defense, They turn 0:16:34.120 --> 0:16:37.040 you over, they make you nervous, they get you flustered, 0:16:37.120 --> 0:16:40.000 they get into transition. Then Steph hits You know some 0:16:40.080 --> 0:16:42.560 of those thirty foot daggers that he hits, he does 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:44.840 the little poo poo motion, he does the little night 0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:47.120 Night's sleep mask, and all of a sudden, a thirty 0:16:47.160 --> 0:16:49.840 point lead has disappeared and now you are down for 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:53.680 That's the Warriors, That's what they do. They always make 0:16:53.720 --> 0:16:56.600 it dramatic. They always want to do that, but we 0:16:56.680 --> 0:16:59.520 know that they're still capable of that. So with that 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:04.199 being said, they get a C minus. However, I'm not 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:09.960 worried Clippers eight seed right now, they get a C plus. 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:13.520 Don't know what to make of them. I don't know 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:16.960 what to make of them. On one hand, their rosters 0:17:17.040 --> 0:17:24.040 very deep, bucke getters everywhere. On the other hand, they've 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:29.320 all been injured. They've all been out significant minute, significant time. Kawhi, 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:33.159 it's like a celebration when he plays five games in 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:35.399 a row. It's only happened one time this season. He 0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:38.960 plays three games, takes one or two off, plays another three, 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:42.280 takes one or two off. That's his cycle and that's 0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:44.639 like a good thing. That's like about as good as 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:48.000 it's gonna get for Kuhi right now. Paul George hasn't 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:51.399 been healthy. John Wall has had signs of brilliance and 0:17:51.440 --> 0:17:54.440 then he's on the bench. They are old as fuck 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:57.639 right now? Like that, that's what you get when you 0:17:57.680 --> 0:18:00.280 have guys who are in the latter stages of their career. 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:03.919 We're like, ooh my nees, ooh my back, ooh, I 0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:06.399 gotta take some time put this icy hot on me, 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:08.680 and you're like, oh god, dude, Like, are you guys 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:11.080 gonna be able to turn it on during the playoffs 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:12.040 or nah? 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.119 A guy can't tell. Are we gonna get Kawhi the 0:18:15.240 --> 0:18:18.040 version of him when he made that shot against Philly? 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:21.000 Are we gonna get Kawhi the version when he wouldn't 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:23.240 drive with his fucking team to go play the Phoenix 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:26.600 Suns when he had an ACL tear, didn't even want 0:18:26.600 --> 0:18:29.240 to support them. Are we gonna get the PG version 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:31.480 of him when he played in Indiana? Are we gonna 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:34.560 get the version of PG when he turtled in the 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:41.080 bubble and everybody started calling him pandemic p Are we 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:45.679 getting PG thirteen? Are we getting Pandemic P? Are we 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:48.240 getting Norm Powell when he won a chip? Are we 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:51.920 getting Norm Powell from Portland Trailblazers when he's doing absolutely 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:55.480 dog shit? See what I just did there. Are we 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:58.440 gonna get Roco from his time in the Philadelphia seventy 0:18:58.480 --> 0:19:01.040 six ers when he was locking guy? Are we getting 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:05.280 Roco getting fucking rim checked in a playoff game losing 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:08.280 the Portland Trailblazers series to the Denver Nuggets throwing the 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:11.760 ball at a bounce? What are we getting? Are we 0:19:11.800 --> 0:19:14.840 getting Luke Canard when he takes this team out of 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:17.840 the door drums when they're down twenty six, helps them 0:19:17.880 --> 0:19:20.800 win a game just based on bucket after bucket after bucket. 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:25.080 Or are we getting Detroit Pistons Luke Canard where he's 0:19:25.119 --> 0:19:28.359 just getting waved? What version of speaking of guys getting waved? 0:19:28.400 --> 0:19:31.760 What version of Reggie Jackson will we get in the playoffs? 0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:34.200 Are we getting mister October or whatever they call it, 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:37.480 mister September, or are we getting mister sends your ass home? 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:41.520 They could use something. They're gonna probably make a move. 0:19:41.560 --> 0:19:45.119 Steve Bomber's got unlimited money, so I imagine something's gonna happen. 0:19:45.400 --> 0:19:48.320 Probably a trade with one of the bottom feeders and 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:51.280 they just get automatically better. Boy On Bogdanovich would help 0:19:51.320 --> 0:19:55.719 them quite a bit. Detroit Pistons are doing absolutely nothing, 0:19:56.200 --> 0:19:58.560 as you guys already know. Let's move on to the 0:19:58.560 --> 0:20:02.160 Phoenix Suns. They get it dus, they get somewhere between 0:20:02.200 --> 0:20:05.240 a D minus and then like sort of a be 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:08.359 because they've all been fucking hurt. Things could not be 0:20:08.400 --> 0:20:12.479 going worse. When the Sacramento Kings are curb stomping you 0:20:12.560 --> 0:20:16.440 to win your division. Curb stomping they are. They are 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:18.560 just not a good team right now they're twenty one 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:24.520 and twenty four, but culturally they're even worse than that, 0:20:24.800 --> 0:20:29.359 right like they are. It started when, let's be honest, 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:33.679 Robert sarvar was just spitting out racial slurs faster than 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:37.119 his name was Twista. You know, he just just giving 0:20:37.200 --> 0:20:39.960 it to you fast, like like he was on a 0:20:40.040 --> 0:20:43.440 Kanye West track, Like that was what Robert Sarva was doing. 0:20:44.000 --> 0:20:47.600 It all blew up when DeAndre Eton wanted to get 0:20:47.640 --> 0:20:51.520 paid and they were like, no, you're from the Caribbean, 0:20:51.640 --> 0:20:55.160 you're too soft. Try to get another deal and we'll 0:20:55.160 --> 0:20:56.679 see if we have to match it. And then he 0:20:56.720 --> 0:20:59.640 goes out and get a deal and they begrudgingly match it. Right, 0:21:00.240 --> 0:21:03.760 it becomes toxic. Then when Jay Crowder's like, hey, i'd 0:21:03.760 --> 0:21:06.280 also like to get paid, and they're like, still, no, 0:21:06.800 --> 0:21:10.520 we don't want to pay anyone. He goes on strike. 0:21:11.240 --> 0:21:14.560 Then Cam Johnson goes out for an indefinite period of time. 0:21:14.600 --> 0:21:17.480 He's gonna be back, but how's he gonna look. Then 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:21.240 you get CP three on his vegan nast diet, breaking down, 0:21:21.800 --> 0:21:25.840 busting down like it's the playoffs when it's still week four. 0:21:27.160 --> 0:21:31.440 You got Cam Johnson or campaign. Excuse me, he's been hurt. 0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:34.800 Devin Booker, where's he been on a milk carton? He's 0:21:34.800 --> 0:21:41.359 been out six sixteen games since December eleventh. Probably won't 0:21:41.359 --> 0:21:45.640 see him for a while. But the most troubling thing 0:21:45.720 --> 0:21:50.960 to me about the Suns is since December first, they've 0:21:51.000 --> 0:21:54.440 lost since just December first, This is very critical. They've 0:21:54.480 --> 0:21:59.800 lost ten games by ten or more points, which is 0:21:59.880 --> 0:22:04.800 more than they had all of last year. And this 0:22:04.920 --> 0:22:08.919 is just since December first. Three of those games are 0:22:08.960 --> 0:22:11.639 at home, which is the same amount of ten point 0:22:11.680 --> 0:22:15.400 losses at the Crib then they had all last year too. 0:22:16.000 --> 0:22:19.679 So I mean they're getting taken to poundtown, you know 0:22:19.680 --> 0:22:21.960 what I'm saying, and not a great way, in a 0:22:22.000 --> 0:22:26.240 bad way, sad way, and the Sun's they gotta do something. 0:22:26.680 --> 0:22:30.439 They gotta move Drake Jake Crowder gotta do that. I 0:22:30.440 --> 0:22:32.360 don't even know if anyone's gonna do that because they 0:22:32.359 --> 0:22:34.520 know that the Suns are so down bad. He's probably 0:22:34.560 --> 0:22:37.120 gonna have to wave him or get him for nothing, 0:22:37.200 --> 0:22:40.800 like just lose him for nothing. They're blowing leads in 0:22:40.840 --> 0:22:43.800 the second half. Can you tell, I'm not optimistic? Can 0:22:43.840 --> 0:22:46.440 you tell? And for the love of the valley, they 0:22:46.480 --> 0:22:49.760 gotta get Devin Booker back healthy. Can we get Kendall 0:22:50.040 --> 0:22:53.399 to go on the road with d book Can we 0:22:53.480 --> 0:22:58.520 give her some sort of magic potion in her watermelon 0:22:58.600 --> 0:23:03.520 to feed to d b book This season's toast if 0:23:03.720 --> 0:23:08.800 we don't figure that shit out fast. Lakers. Lakers are 0:23:09.080 --> 0:23:14.480 interesting team too, set I would say D plus D 0:23:14.680 --> 0:23:20.160 plus for the Lakers, maybe maybe a C minus. It's 0:23:20.200 --> 0:23:23.639 actually like kind of a positive grade because it should 0:23:23.640 --> 0:23:26.879 be an F. Wait based on what they did and 0:23:26.920 --> 0:23:29.199 what they've done and what they continue to do. We 0:23:29.240 --> 0:23:32.280 know they're not gonna move anybody. We know they're not 0:23:32.320 --> 0:23:34.520 trading those two draft picks. Genie Bus has already gone 0:23:34.560 --> 0:23:37.520 on record. There's already whispers about, well, we're not trading 0:23:37.560 --> 0:23:39.439 those twenty five and twenty seven first round picks just 0:23:39.440 --> 0:23:42.200 to make the play in. Ask Braun if he wants 0:23:42.240 --> 0:23:45.399 to make the play or not at all. Hey, we 0:23:45.480 --> 0:23:49.320 can move these two pieces and these two draft picks 0:23:49.640 --> 0:23:51.520 and then we'll give you a shot in the plan, 0:23:51.720 --> 0:23:54.040 or you guys can be the fifteenth seed. How you feel. 0:23:54.160 --> 0:23:56.639 I think Braun would say, yeah, let's try, let's try. 0:23:56.840 --> 0:23:59.320 But she's not doing that. They've been in a bunch 0:23:59.359 --> 0:24:03.600 of games. Compared, they have not been able to close 0:24:03.640 --> 0:24:06.840 many out. They have eight games where they lost by 0:24:06.960 --> 0:24:10.920 six or less. But the thing that makes us all 0:24:11.000 --> 0:24:15.120 quite troubling is how good Lebron's been throughout it all. 0:24:15.720 --> 0:24:19.679 He's been insane. I have never seen anything quite like 0:24:19.760 --> 0:24:23.880 Lebron James in year thirty eight of his natural life. 0:24:23.960 --> 0:24:27.040 He is about to break what we thought was an 0:24:27.119 --> 0:24:32.199 unbreakable record. He is three hundred points short of Kareem 0:24:32.240 --> 0:24:36.000 Abduljabar's all time scoring number, which, let's be honest, is 0:24:36.000 --> 0:24:39.200 the only reason Lebron James is still a Laker because 0:24:39.240 --> 0:24:41.200 he wants to break it. In purple and gold. Let's 0:24:41.200 --> 0:24:45.560 be real, He's averaging more points per game right now 0:24:47.560 --> 0:24:50.840 and last year than in any two year stretch in 0:24:50.920 --> 0:24:55.359 his twenty year career. Think about that, he's averaging more 0:24:55.440 --> 0:24:58.880 right now and last year than in any two year 0:24:59.240 --> 0:25:04.360