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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, Straight Fire for Thursday, February.

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Speaker 1: I'm gonna start the pod today before we get to

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Speaker 1: a great interview. I don't know if it was great

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Speaker 1: as Ian O'Connor on Coach K's book, but it's a

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Speaker 1: good interview. I think you guys will really like it.

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Speaker 1: If you like the NBA, you're gonna love it. I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna start today's pod and I'm not gonna go long

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Speaker 1: on this, but I feel like it's a topic that

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Speaker 1: kind of has to be touched on, and I don't

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Speaker 1: like to what's the saying to not poop where you eat? Um?

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Speaker 1: I think it's something like that. But the big sports

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Speaker 1: news on Wednesday that emerged was a report that Troy Aikman,

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Speaker 1: former Cowboys quarterback, three times Super Bowl Winner, Hall of

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Speaker 1: Famer Troy Aikman has been calling games with Joe Buck

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Speaker 1: on Fox Forever Great Announcer. A couple of reports claim

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Speaker 1: he's on his way to ESPN and they're going to

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Speaker 1: give him Tony Romo money to call games at ESPN,

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Speaker 1: And initially my my reaction was like Wow, Hey, man,

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Speaker 1: if you can get that money, go get that paper, Troy,

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Speaker 1: get that Tony Romo money. That's incredible. And then someone

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Speaker 1: said to me, like, Jay, there's no way he's leaving Fox.

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Speaker 1: He's been talking about going to Amazon and now there's

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Speaker 1: this ESPN stuff and Fox has the Super Bowl next

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Speaker 1: year in Arizona. Why would he leave? And that made

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Speaker 1: sense to me. I'm like, I enjoyed a Fox I personally,

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Speaker 1: I should say I don't know Aikman Um personally. I

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Speaker 1: have never spoken to him, but he's a great announcer

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Speaker 1: and he's been a Fox forever. Him and Buck are

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Speaker 1: Is there a better tandem out there? Like Nansen, Romo's new,

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Speaker 1: They've only they've only been at it a couple of years.

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Speaker 1: They they're good. NBC's Collinsworth and Um, oh my gosh,

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Speaker 1: is it Michael's Yeah, al Michaels and collins Worth are

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Speaker 1: very good. I prefer Aikman to Collinsworth. That that's probably

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Speaker 1: just me Um and then ESPN's booth will get shaken

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Speaker 1: up whatever it is right now, Greasy and a couple

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Speaker 1: of other dudes. But it sounds like a Aikman's headed there,

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Speaker 1: and I don't know, it's just listen, man, hey, eighteen

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Speaker 1: million a year, and then now you've got a factory.

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Speaker 1: Who does Fox replace him with if he goes? What

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Speaker 1: about Sean McVeigh, Where does he go if he leaves

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Speaker 1: the Rams? I mean, there's just so many dominoes to

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Speaker 1: fall and listen. As a guy who used to write

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Speaker 1: about the media, I don't know how many of you

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Speaker 1: guys you know, a lot of you guys know me

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Speaker 1: from FS one, A lot of you know me from

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Speaker 1: going on Cowherd Show, A lot of you guys know

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Speaker 1: me from writing for Fox Sports dot com. A lot

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Speaker 1: of you guys know me from my former Saturday radio show.

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Speaker 1: But I wonder at this stage how many of you

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Speaker 1: knew me from the Big League. Because when I started

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Speaker 1: that website back in two thousand and six, I was

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Speaker 1: there until I think twenties seventeen or eighteen. One of

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Speaker 1: those you know, I wrote about the media extensively on

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Speaker 1: the come up. That was like my ticket to getting

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Speaker 1: people to pay attention to the site. I had it.

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Speaker 1: I broke a bunch of media stories and people love

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Speaker 1: right talking about announcers. There there is just this affinity

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Speaker 1: with announcers. I will say I am curious where you

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Speaker 1: guys are on this, and I'll get to our interview

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Speaker 1: here in a second. But we're in an era for

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Speaker 1: the NFL where red zone dominates Sundays and you've got

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Speaker 1: Thursday Night Football, you've got Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football.

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Speaker 1: For me, being on the West Coast, the viewing habits

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Speaker 1: have changed. My kids are awake for almost all of TNF,

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Speaker 1: SNF and MNF, so we're juggling dinner. You know, remember

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Speaker 1: the game start late on the West Coast. I'm sorry,

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Speaker 1: the games start early on the West Coast and end

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Speaker 1: early as well. So Monday Night Football kicks off at

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Speaker 1: like have a clock. Often I'm not there for the

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Speaker 1: first quarter. I'm not seeing the very the early moments

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Speaker 1: of MNF Sunday Night Football. Usually, you know, it's an

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Speaker 1: exhaustive day. I'll have the game on, but not totally

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Speaker 1: locked in because you know, at some point, nine hours

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Speaker 1: straight of football is tough to continue when you've got

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Speaker 1: a family and you're preparing for the next day and

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Speaker 1: Thursday Night Football, you know, it's Thursday Night's like a

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Speaker 1: big go out night. You know, you're you're maybe out

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Speaker 1: with some buddies, you're watching the game, but it's on mute.

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Speaker 1: And I just I wonder if our announcing habits have

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Speaker 1: changed the way we watch football, because frankly, I've got

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Speaker 1: a lot of games on mute I do, and Red

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Speaker 1: Zone is the one I don't have on mute because

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Speaker 1: you need to know for gambling and in game purposes

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Speaker 1: and of course fantasy and then just watching you have

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Speaker 1: Red Zone on while the other games are on mute

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Speaker 1: on TV two, at least that's how I have it.

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Speaker 1: I do know Buck and Apan because they usually get

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Speaker 1: the best afternoon game every week, or a Romo and

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Speaker 1: Nance get it over at CBS, But more often than

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Speaker 1: I'm muted, Like I, I I don't you know, twenty million

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Speaker 1: a year for an announcer is to me insane, but

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Speaker 1: when you find out how much they're paying for the games,

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Speaker 1: it's like, oh, it's a drop in the bucket. That

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Speaker 1: being said, is anyone not watching games for certain announcers,

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Speaker 1: and then definitely watching games for certain announcers. I just

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Speaker 1: I wonder where we are with that, And selfishly, you know, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I'd love it if I was experimented with and they

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Speaker 1: threw me onto a game and I was you know,

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Speaker 1: either doing play by player or analysis of an NFL game.

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Speaker 1: That's like, I mean, everybody who watches football, plays backyard football,

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Speaker 1: any level of football ever, you'd love to call it

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Speaker 1: NFL game. I just wonder what people change the channel

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Speaker 1: for certain people calling games, like no, you're watching the game,

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Speaker 1: and if you mute it, who cares? Um? So, I

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Speaker 1: don't know. I just wonder if announcing habits have changed

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Speaker 1: when it comes to the NFL. I know people can't

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Speaker 1: stand like Reggie Miller. I personally like Chris Webber. I

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Speaker 1: loved mar Albert in the NBA. I think, as we

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Speaker 1: talked about with you in O'Connor this week, college basketball

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Speaker 1: feels like a big game when it had Billy Packer

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Speaker 1: and Nance on the call, and golf is that way

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Speaker 1: with announcers. I just wonder if it's changed a little

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Speaker 1: in the NFL. Frankly, I'll be honest. Super Bowl, you know,

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Speaker 1: I don't remember hearing the announcers at all, But then again,

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Speaker 1: you're the Super Bowl gathering with a bunch of people,

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Speaker 1: and the commercials are memorable not to me, And like

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Speaker 1: all I remember from the announcing team was they didn't

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Speaker 1: show a lot of replays of where Cooper Cup was

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Speaker 1: for the first like or for the second and third

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Speaker 1: quarter because he was invisible. And that's all I remember

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Speaker 1: from the announcing. I don't you don't remember a ton

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Speaker 1: of great calls. Now now you go, you throw back,

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Speaker 1: and you know you remember some of these iconic calls.

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Speaker 1: UM college football, NFL. I I mean, I know the

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Speaker 1: announcer is getting paid. I just wonder. I'm curious to

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Speaker 1: hear from you guys. Hit me up on social and

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Speaker 1: let me know. But without further ado, let's get to

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Speaker 1: today's guest. He was on NBA TV for a while.

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Speaker 1: He does a podcast, but the Antonio Daniels. His name

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Speaker 1: is Rick Kamela, NBA guy through and through right, So

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Speaker 1: we're online or do a twenty minute interview. That's what

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Speaker 1: you we usually hope for, and he brings up two

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Speaker 1: huge haymakers that just I don't want to say my

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Speaker 1: head exploded, but I was like, WHOA, I had not

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Speaker 1: thought of that, And we just keep going for like

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Speaker 1: another twenty minutes. It's really interesting stuff. A lot of

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Speaker 1: it is centered, at least the second half is centered

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Speaker 1: around Lebron and with the Lakers trade him, it sounded

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Speaker 1: like insanity when he said it, and then some of

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Speaker 1: it kind of made sense. But again it's tough to stomach.

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Speaker 1: But I think you guys will love this, Rick Kamla

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Speaker 1: check it out. Jason likes to think he knows everything

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Speaker 1: when it comes to sports. I know what sports dance wants,

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Speaker 1: but for everything he doesn't knows a guy who does.

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Speaker 1: Let's just say I know a guy who who knows

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Speaker 1: another guy. Let's welcome into straight fire, a guy who

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Speaker 1: knows the NBA about as well as anybody's been covering

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Speaker 1: the league forever. And be A TV does a podcast

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Speaker 1: with former point guard Antonio Daniels Rick Kamla, Rick, how

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Speaker 1: are you? Man? Are doing good? How are you? I'm excellent?

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Speaker 1: Fired up for the second half of the NBA season.

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Speaker 1: I got a lot of questions because the big news,

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Speaker 1: obviously the Kyrie Irving, UH mask mandate, vaccine mandate, all

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Speaker 1: that stuff is out the window. It sounds like and

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Speaker 1: Kyrie Irving is going to play. Um. It's like um

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Speaker 1: in the Karate Kid where Daniel Russo is gonna fight, Uh,

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Speaker 1: Kyrie Irving is gonna play? Rick does out? Does this

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Speaker 1: change any of your thoughts on the Eastern conference. Uh,

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Speaker 1: Kyrie Irving pretty soon gonna be playing all the time

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Speaker 1: with the with the Brooklyn Nets. Yeah, it does because UM,

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Speaker 1: I mean it puts him over the top. To be

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Speaker 1: honest with you, I've maintained ever since that kind of

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Speaker 1: came out that the Nets were gonna welcome him back

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Speaker 1: as a part time player. Uh. You know, clearly, with

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Speaker 1: none of Kyrie you had no shot. But with UM

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Speaker 1: half of Kyrie you had a better shop. You still

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Speaker 1: didn't have, uh to me um, the ability to beat

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Speaker 1: the Milwaukee Bucks in a seven game series. Now it's different.

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Speaker 1: Now if you're gonna have Kyrie UM in both games

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Speaker 1: and uh you know home and Road. Uh, you now

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Speaker 1: have a big three to go up against Milwaukee's big

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Speaker 1: three of Janice and Middleton. In Holiday you have the

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Speaker 1: best player on the planet and Kevin durant Um assuming

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Speaker 1: at that point you will have Ben Simmons up and running,

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Speaker 1: so you'll have arguably the best defensive player and one

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Speaker 1: of the most versatile players if not a flawed player,

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Speaker 1: UM on your side. And Kyrie Irving is one of

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Speaker 1: the best one on one players, one of the best

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Speaker 1: shot makers in league history. UM, and you now have

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Speaker 1: history league history League history. Um, I believe he's He's

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Speaker 1: that profound in that area. UM. Android Drummond one of

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Speaker 1: the top rebounders in league history, Seth Curry one of

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Speaker 1: the top three point shooters in league history. Patty Mills

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Speaker 1: one of the best role players of the last generation.

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Speaker 1: So you know, won a championship in San Antonio. So

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Speaker 1: a lot of the pieces are in place for Brooklyn

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Speaker 1: right now. All they needed was, um, New York to

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Speaker 1: change that stupid rule where uh I mean it was.

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Speaker 1: It was idiotic that and I can't believe it took

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Speaker 1: this long to fix that. Road unvaccinated players can play

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Speaker 1: in New York, but home unvaccinated players can't play in

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Speaker 1: New York. One of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

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Speaker 1: I've been complaining about this since October UM and and

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Speaker 1: finally they fixed it. I'm not saying that they need

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Speaker 1: to repeal all of their vaccine mandates and everybody needs

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Speaker 1: to wear a mask. I don't, I'm I don't, I

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Speaker 1: don't care, I don't know. I don't want to talk

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Speaker 1: about that. What I know is that is a complete

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Speaker 1: contradiction to say that road unbacked players can play at

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Speaker 1: home unbacked players cannot um and thank god they fixed

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Speaker 1: it and uh that it is huge news for the Nets.

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Speaker 1: I do think they're going to the NBA Finals. Now, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I would agree that you mentioned the Milwaukee Bucks a

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Speaker 1: couple of times and this has not been one of

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Speaker 1: my more popular takes. But Rick, let's be realistic. Okay, Uh,

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Speaker 1: Kyrie irvn gets hurt with the Nets up to nothing

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Speaker 1: on the on the Bucks last year, Um, James Harden

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Speaker 1: not Kevin Durants toe on the line. I know everybody

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Speaker 1: gets lucky, but let's be realistic. Milwaukee was dead in

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Speaker 1: the water in that series. Then they have to face

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Speaker 1: the Hawks. Uh not not even a top seed the

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Speaker 1: Hawks Uh in the conference finals, Trade Young I think

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Speaker 1: missed a game. And then in the in the NBA Finals,

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Speaker 1: they don't have to face Lebron, they don't have to

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Speaker 1: face Kauai. You know, they get the Suns, who were good.

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Speaker 1: But I'm not comparing it to the Toronto Raptors title

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Speaker 1: a few years ago, which is the luckiest title in

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Speaker 1: NBA history. But I just wonder if we're overvaluing the

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Speaker 1: Bucks a little. I know they're a great regular season team,

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Speaker 1: but this is still not an amazing Bucks team. Like

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Speaker 1: I don't know, am I going overboard here? Um, look,

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Speaker 1: you're making good points. I think it is an amazing

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Speaker 1: Bucks team. Um, you know your honest to me, is

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Speaker 1: the most dominant player in the NBA right now. Not

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Speaker 1: the best, not the best shooter that step, not the

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Speaker 1: best player that's dur Ramp, but the most dominant guy.

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Speaker 1: I believe he's more dominant than a bead uh and

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Speaker 1: more dominant than yokich And and in large part because

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Speaker 1: you want to ring through his dominance. Uh and Beat

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Speaker 1: hasn't made it to the conference finals. Yoki has made

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Speaker 1: it to the conference finals and then got beat. Um.

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Speaker 1: Janice is he's a force of nature and you know,

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Speaker 1: you know all the you know his his size and

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Speaker 1: wait and you watch you hona so but it's just

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Speaker 1: it's what he's done on big stages, um and and

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Speaker 1: these eruption games like Janice will go for forty points,

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Speaker 1: seventeen rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, three steals, and that's

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Speaker 1: that's a large game for him. Um. But it's like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: that's that's what he does. It's like a better game

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Speaker 1: than what he does. But it's not Oh my god,

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Speaker 1: can you believe what Yannas did. Um, Like, are we

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Speaker 1: really that shocked that step at fifty and sixteen threes

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Speaker 1: in an All Star game? No, I mean it was

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Speaker 1: we saw an act of God. But I mean he's

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Speaker 1: capable of it. Um. Chris Middleton is one of the

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Speaker 1: best two way players in the game. Uh, clutch as hell.

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Speaker 1: Made a ton of big shots for them, um to

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Speaker 1: to win the finals last year. Drew Holiday one of

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Speaker 1: the best two way players in the game. He's clutch

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Speaker 1: as hell. Um. And they've got great role players there

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Speaker 1: as well. So I am bullish on the Bucks. I

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Speaker 1: really like how they've got that team constructed. But when

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Speaker 1: you're talking about the Nets and Kevin Durant, because if

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Speaker 1: if James Harden worened half a guy last year, and

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Speaker 1: if and if Kyrie Irving Um hadn't come down on

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Speaker 1: the foot of Jana Santa Dakopo, I believe the Nets

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Speaker 1: win that series. Um. And so the Bucks did get lucky,

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Speaker 1: But as you know, you've got to get lucky to

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Speaker 1: win championships. Okay, think about the Rams. If Jack Whisky

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Speaker 1: Tart does not drop that pass early in the fourth

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Speaker 1: quarter against San France, they're in the Super Bowl and uh,

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Speaker 1: and and it goes a different way, probably Cincinnati. It

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Speaker 1: just had a parade instead of the Rams. So you

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Speaker 1: gotta have luck. The Bucks had luck and uh and

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Speaker 1: we'll see who who who who gets the benefit of

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Speaker 1: the luck this year. But it's gonna be very important

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Speaker 1: as always. I know everybody loves the stars. Obviously it's

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Speaker 1: an NBA star driven league. But what about the numbers,

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Speaker 1: because if you look at some of the stats net rating,

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Speaker 1: defensive and offensive efficiency, you know, the Bucks right now

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Speaker 1: a quoting in a net rating are the fourth best

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Speaker 1: team in the East. Right Boston the highest rated net

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Speaker 1: rating because they killed teams. Boston's point differentials ridiculous. Boston,

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Speaker 1: Miami and Cleveland currently ahead of the Bucks. Now, how

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Speaker 1: much do you attribute that to? Like the Brook Lopez injury, Um,

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Speaker 1: coming off the championship done that, the hunger not quite there? Um,

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Speaker 1: But the numbers don't love the Bucks the way they

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Speaker 1: did last year. It's a great point about, um, how

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Speaker 1: they're attacking the regular season. I think that's that's the

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Speaker 1: top of the heat here. Uh. The Bucks have lost. Um.

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Speaker 1: I don't have their schedule in front of me, but

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Speaker 1: just off the top of my head. They've lost probably

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Speaker 1: five games that you were like, what the hell do

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Speaker 1: you remember that Denver game? Uh? Denver went into Milwaukee,

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Speaker 1: uh and beat him by thirty six points. Okay that

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Speaker 1: I don't know to three weeks ago whatever it was.

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Speaker 1: Come on, man, if they're on the ascent as opposed

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Speaker 1: to full after winning a goal ball, they don't lose

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Speaker 1: that game by thirty six points. Um. They've lost home

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Speaker 1: games to inferior teams. I there was a stretch in

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Speaker 1: Toronto is good, but that they lost like two in

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Speaker 1: five games to Toronto. Um. These are not teams that

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Speaker 1: they're supposed to be losing too as regularly as they are.

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Speaker 1: I think they're bored. I do think there's complacency. UM.

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Speaker 1: I'm not gonna play the injury or COVID card because

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Speaker 1: you can do that with every team in the NBA

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Speaker 1: outside of probably the Utah Jazz. UM. Although injuries, uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, with Donovan, Mitchell and Gobert, I've started to

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Speaker 1: even bite them. And Phoenix, who's been basically immune from

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Speaker 1: injury and COVID. Now they just lost Chris Paul for

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Speaker 1: two months. So it's gonna hit you eventually. UM, and

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Speaker 1: it and it certainly has. But yeah, man, um, I

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Speaker 1: just I believe in coach bud Uh and what they

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Speaker 1: got going there. But again, I think the Nets are

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Speaker 1: gonna win the East. Now, um, this is enormous news.

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Speaker 1: This is NBA landscape changing news. To find out that

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Speaker 1: Kyrie is gonna be able to play at home and

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Speaker 1: on the road quickly, Just so the Bucks fans don't

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Speaker 1: think we absolutely hate them, I guess specifically me, I think, honest, wow,

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Speaker 1: now they already hate me. That ship is saled, like

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Speaker 1: I can't do anything about that. Uh, yeah, they they

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Speaker 1: I mean they're a little over the top. But at

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Speaker 1: any rate, Um, I want to quickly look at m

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Speaker 1: v P futures because I have bet you honest win

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Speaker 1: the m v P. But he's only the third favorite

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Speaker 1: right now. It's and Bead, followed by Yokich and then Janice.

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Speaker 1: I am curious. Is there a and this is gonna

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Speaker 1: sound prettymature, a Janice fatigue? He already has two m

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Speaker 1: v ps a third? Would I think match Larry Bird

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Speaker 1: put him above Duncan and they won the championship? Is

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Speaker 1: there almost a Yannice fatigue? And how do you approach

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Speaker 1: like gambling if you do on the m v P,

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Speaker 1: when the voters are obviously the writers who love narratives

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Speaker 1: like Joel embiid playing out of his mind Joel embiad

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Speaker 1: gets James, you know, like that kind of thing. Right. Um, Look,

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Speaker 1: I would I think Yoki is the m v P

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Speaker 1: right now. Uh, if I had a boat, Um, he

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Speaker 1: would get my boat right now. Uh. And I'll explain

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Speaker 1: it just a second. But but if I had to

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Speaker 1: bet on it, I would bet on him beat because

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Speaker 1: I believe that a lot of people in their brands

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Speaker 1: have already put that to bed. Uh. When when you

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Speaker 1: when you talk to writers, when you talk to uh,

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Speaker 1: you know on air people, the people that have the votes. Um,

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Speaker 1: it's front runner Joel e beat front runner Joel and

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Speaker 1: beat front runner Joel Ebad. I mean it's it's literally

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Speaker 1: I feel like we're in the Lamar Jackson Heisman year

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Speaker 1: where they put that to bed like in week five

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Speaker 1: and he, as it turns out, he was not the

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Speaker 1: Heisman winner that year was Deshaun Watson. In my opinion,

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Speaker 1: Um so going back to Yoki, Yokis is doing more

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Speaker 1: with less. Um He's done this. Uh. Denver eight games

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Speaker 1: over five hundred, which is mind boggling without Murray and

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Speaker 1: without Porter, and Beat has Philly twelve games over five

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Speaker 1: hundred with no Simmons or Hardened, So that's very impressive too.

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Speaker 1: And Yokich has way better statistics than Joel and Beat.

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Speaker 1: When you talk about fourteen and eight, give me a break.

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Speaker 1: That's a godlike stat line. And the blocks and the

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Speaker 1: steals and the threes and the efficiency, the pr all

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Speaker 1: that kind of stuffs off the charts for yokih Um.

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Speaker 1: But you mentioned voter fatigue. I think Yoki is the

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Speaker 1: victim of voter fatigue left right now because he won

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Speaker 1: it last year, and I think people are like, no,

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Speaker 1: I don't want to give it to him again. I

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Speaker 1: want to go with him bead this year and be different.

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Speaker 1: Um Janice, I think suffered from voter fatigue last year

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Speaker 1: when he was going for the three pete and and

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Speaker 1: look if the Bucks can hit like a thirteen game

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Speaker 1: winner here and and and go to the top of

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Speaker 1: the East. And Yannice is flexing on dudes and going

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Speaker 1: forty and fifteen in a lot of these games. He

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Speaker 1: definitely has a chance to get back in this m

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Speaker 1: d P race because Um I've got him fifth. Right now,

365
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Speaker 1: I go Yokich and beat Morant, DeRozan and Janice. So

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Speaker 1: wait a minute, Wait a minute, I jamar Rant over him.

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Speaker 1: Rick Jamrant has amazing stats and his team is third

368
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Speaker 1: best in the n b A. And if you're in

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Speaker 1: the narratives, they're shocking the world. Who thought Memphis would

370
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Speaker 1: be even above the player tournament line when we left,

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Speaker 1: when we left the station. Um. And then DeRozan, I mean,

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Speaker 1: my god, his work in the clutch this year has

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Speaker 1: been Um, it's been sublime. Um, They've ms Levine had

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Speaker 1: missed this guy, They've missed that guy. They haven't missed

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Speaker 1: the beach. They're still tied for you know, first in

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Speaker 1: the East here at the All Star break. So look,

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Speaker 1: Jay's it's real bunched up. Okay, in terms of those

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Speaker 1: five guys, to me, it's not like the honest is

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Speaker 1: at distant five. Do you know what I'm saying. He's

380
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Speaker 1: in it. It's close. But but yeah, that's how I've

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Speaker 1: got a stacked right now. And then um, you know

382
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Speaker 1: Booker slash Paul, which will now be Bookers on the

383
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Speaker 1: outside looking and Curia is on the outside looking in

384
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Speaker 1: Lucas kind of lurking down there in that second tier

385
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Speaker 1: of MVP candidates as well? What are you have? Forty

386
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Speaker 1: four points in his last four games something like that.

387
00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,080
Speaker 1: I'm I'm a big Dante guy. I wonder since you

388
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Speaker 1: brought him up? Is this the year they finally get

389
00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:43,440
Speaker 1: out of the first round. Now they've had to face

390
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Speaker 1: Kauai and Paul George in the last two years, Dallas

391
00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,760
Speaker 1: has by all accounts, Kawai and Paul George will not

392
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Speaker 1: play again this season, although you know, stranger things have happened.

393
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,720
Speaker 1: Is Dallas a sleeper in the West plus right now

394
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Speaker 1: to win the West? By the way, you mentioned Chris

395
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Speaker 1: Paul's injury, Memphis has never won a lyoff series with

396
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Speaker 1: this group. Lakers, we know the empty David's injury and

397
00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:07,560
Speaker 1: the Draymond injury has really in uh hampered Golden States

398
00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,280
Speaker 1: since he went down. Um, I'm really worried about the

399
00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:12,480
Speaker 1: Draymond injury. I'm real worried about it. I'm not worried

400
00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,520
Speaker 1: about the Paul injury. Broke his hand. He's gonna have

401
00:20:14,520 --> 00:20:16,320
Speaker 1: it fixed. He's gonna be back in two months and

402
00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:17,800
Speaker 1: he should be good. You know what I'm saying that

403
00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,760
Speaker 1: the the the Levine injury. Uh, this PESKINI that keeps

404
00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:24,600
Speaker 1: boiling up on him worries me. Uh and uh a

405
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,840
Speaker 1: Draymond draym with the back injury that connects to his calf. Um.

406
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Speaker 1: I've talked to some people about that. I mean there's

407
00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:33,400
Speaker 1: a significant issue going on there. Uh that only rest

408
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:38,120
Speaker 1: can solve. So I'm worried about those two scenarios right there. Um.

409
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Speaker 1: In terms of Dallas, I would not bet them to

410
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Speaker 1: win at all. I would not. I looked at that

411
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,040
Speaker 1: as just kind of peeing in the wind with your money. Um.

412
00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:48,800
Speaker 1: Now when the Western maybe, um, if there is a

413
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Speaker 1: future for them to get out of the first round, um,

414
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,359
Speaker 1: you know, and depending on what the odds are on

415
00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:55,760
Speaker 1: that maybe a plus one fifty plus one seventy five.

416
00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:57,800
Speaker 1: I may look into that, because if Dallas can get

417
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Speaker 1: into the four five, they're gonna be playing prop either

418
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Speaker 1: Denver or Utah. Could I see Luca? Could I see

419
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Speaker 1: Luca going forty ten and ten, you know, over two

420
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Speaker 1: weeks in a playoff series and kind of single handedly

421
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Speaker 1: knocking out a team I could. Um. I don't like

422
00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:14,240
Speaker 1: Utah's vibe right now. They're funky, Uh, they don't seem

423
00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:17,840
Speaker 1: to like each other. They'll they lost angles. Um, I'm

424
00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,200
Speaker 1: just not feeling them this year like I was last year.

425
00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,320
Speaker 1: And then uh, Denver obviously, if they can get Murray back,

426
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,320
Speaker 1: Uh this there's all these reports that they're keeping Hope alive,

427
00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,480
Speaker 1: that they're gonna have Michael Porter Jr. Back. How the

428
00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,000
Speaker 1: hell are you gonna get him back in the same

429
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,399
Speaker 1: season where he got his back cut and he's had

430
00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,159
Speaker 1: his back cut multiple times. I don't I don't believe that.

431
00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:36,920
Speaker 1: I'm not buying that at all, nor do I think

432
00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,879
Speaker 1: it's smart. Um. And Uh, but if they can get

433
00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,639
Speaker 1: Murray back and his return to me is somewhat realistic

434
00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,959
Speaker 1: based on if he's got kind of a garden variety

435
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,920
Speaker 1: a c L, then we're we're approaching a timeline where

436
00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,080
Speaker 1: he may be able to return. So if he can

437
00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:53,040
Speaker 1: come back, that makes it really um interesting from the

438
00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:56,280
Speaker 1: Denver side. But I do like Dallas's chances of getting

439
00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,399
Speaker 1: out in the first round. Um, if they're in that

440
00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,520
Speaker 1: four or five. Now, if they're in the six and

441
00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,480
Speaker 1: they gotta play Memphis, I don't like it. If they're

442
00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,359
Speaker 1: in the seven, they gotta you know, if they're in

443
00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:06,520
Speaker 1: that four or five. I would like their chances to

444
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,680
Speaker 1: get out interesting. So you're extremely bullish on Memphis. I

445
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,760
Speaker 1: am curious rick this team. You know, there's a young team.

446
00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,840
Speaker 1: I mean, desen Baine is playing out of his mind. Um,

447
00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:19,399
Speaker 1: a lot of these guys have never won a playoff series,

448
00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:21,280
Speaker 1: do you I mean, do you think they're a team

449
00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,639
Speaker 1: to fear or are they still a year away with

450
00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:25,639
Speaker 1: the idea that hey man, everybody has to kind of

451
00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,040
Speaker 1: walk before you can run in the NBA? Or is

452
00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,639
Speaker 1: this like an Atlanta Hawks from last year where they just,

453
00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,040
Speaker 1: you know, things go together, your point guard takes off

454
00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,400
Speaker 1: and you get to the Eastern Conference Finals. You hit

455
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,520
Speaker 1: it on the head. Uh. And I also think that

456
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,240
Speaker 1: being in the playoffs last year, even in a series

457
00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:45,080
Speaker 1: where they did not win, is very beneficial to these guys. Uh,

458
00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:46,680
Speaker 1: they're not going to be oh my god, the lights

459
00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,440
Speaker 1: are so bright. They've been in the bright lights now

460
00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,400
Speaker 1: and they lost. And you remember they won that game

461
00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,119
Speaker 1: one when Donovan Mitchell didn't play and that was the

462
00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,240
Speaker 1: whole controversy with the team holding him out and he

463
00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,680
Speaker 1: wanted to play, and then you talk yeah yeah, yeah yeah,

464
00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,520
Speaker 1: and then you talk crushed them. Um from that point on. Uh.

465
00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,480
Speaker 1: But but you hit it on the Hawks man, because look,

466
00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:07,199
Speaker 1: it's one of the great debates that we do. How

467
00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:11,399
Speaker 1: much does playoff experience matter? And and ash nearests and

468
00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:16,119
Speaker 1: historians and analysts and hosts. We can use that to

469
00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,040
Speaker 1: support an argument, and we can pooh pooh it when

470
00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:20,760
Speaker 1: that when that flies in the face of what we

471
00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:22,560
Speaker 1: want to see happen or what we think is going

472
00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:25,600
Speaker 1: to happen. Right, and so for Atlanta UM into a

473
00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,479
Speaker 1: large degree the Cincinnati Bengals. Okay, and they didn't win

474
00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,480
Speaker 1: at all, But I mean, who thought Cincinnati was going

475
00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:34,199
Speaker 1: that far? Right? I had him. I picked him to

476
00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:35,840
Speaker 1: beat the Raiders. I picked him to beat the Titans,

477
00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:37,880
Speaker 1: but I did not pick him to beat the Chiefs. Hell,

478
00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:39,320
Speaker 1: they went all the way to the Super Bowl and

479
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,960
Speaker 1: should have won the Super Bowl. Um, a bad pass

480
00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,600
Speaker 1: by Burrow, a dropped by Boyd, and some stupid ass

481
00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,280
Speaker 1: coaching by Zach Taylor took the gold ball out of

482
00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,840
Speaker 1: their hand and sent it over to the l A Rams.

483
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,280
Speaker 1: So they were right there. But but here's the thing.

484
00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,280
Speaker 1: At the moment of truth, the playoff inexperience reared its

485
00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,160
Speaker 1: ugly had for the Bengals, right. Uh boy drops the ball.

486
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,960
Speaker 1: Burrow who never misses like routine sideline throws under threw

487
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,480
Speaker 1: that one to the right sideline and Zach Taylor, I mean,

488
00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:06,520
Speaker 1: you know, running p run on third and one, it's

489
00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,520
Speaker 1: one of the most god awful decisions we've ever seen. Um,

490
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:11,160
Speaker 1: you know, on that last drive that could have won

491
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,439
Speaker 1: the game. So going back to Memphis, what I like

492
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,879
Speaker 1: about them, if we're just gonna overcome the playoff and

493
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:22,199
Speaker 1: experience piece, is they're super deep, they're super gritty, and

494
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,560
Speaker 1: they're talented, and they've got they've got athletic guys. Um,

495
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,920
Speaker 1: they've got rebounders. Um. You know, you've got Steven Adams

496
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,200
Speaker 1: down in there, and you've got Brandon Clark, and you've

497
00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:32,960
Speaker 1: got all these great role players with the ants and

498
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,479
Speaker 1: the Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, and you're gonna get

499
00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,200
Speaker 1: Dylan Brooks back. And you've got Jaron Jackson Jr. Who's

500
00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,440
Speaker 1: taken big strides this year. I thought he was very

501
00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,480
Speaker 1: much on the All star fringe in the Western Conference.

502
00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:48,879
Speaker 1: So it's, uh, it's it's a good question about playoff experience. UM.

503
00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:50,760
Speaker 1: I like how hard they're attacking it. They're just in

504
00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,600
Speaker 1: go for it mode. They're totally locked in, and they've

505
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,920
Speaker 1: got a great home environment and a great home court advantage.

506
00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:58,640
Speaker 1: So yeah, there's a lot of reasons why I like Memphis. Wow.

507
00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,159
Speaker 1: Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in

508
00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,159
Speaker 1: the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox sports

509
00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,360
Speaker 1: Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app

510
00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:11,320
Speaker 1: search f s R to listen live. You made a

511
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,359
Speaker 1: good point about Utah. I hadn't looked in the standings.

512
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,720
Speaker 1: They're slowly dropping, and you're right, that's great news from

513
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:18,879
Speaker 1: my maths. I mean, they're not my team, but I

514
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,560
Speaker 1: like Lucas so much, uh that you're right. I think

515
00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,320
Speaker 1: they probably will beat Utah in the first round, but

516
00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:27,960
Speaker 1: maybe Denver gets Murray back. And and it's funny, Rick,

517
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,080
Speaker 1: We've seen a couple of teams you mentioned the Bengals,

518
00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,840
Speaker 1: the Hawks Portland remember a few years ago with Damon

519
00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:35,760
Speaker 1: c J get to the Western Conference finals and get

520
00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,520
Speaker 1: destroyed by k D and Curry. But you make these

521
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:40,879
Speaker 1: runs and I'm gonna I'm gonna bring up the Hawks

522
00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:43,160
Speaker 1: because they basically were like, oh, let's run it back.

523
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,720
Speaker 1: We've got a chance. And here they are tenth in

524
00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:50,600
Speaker 1: the East with essentially the same team. So did they

525
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,480
Speaker 1: just catch a lucky break or five last year? And

526
00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,919
Speaker 1: do we see other scenarios potentially playing out like Chicago's

527
00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:00,040
Speaker 1: playing out of their minds, Memphis to an ex in

528
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,520
Speaker 1: and where are you on that whole you know, lightning

529
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,800
Speaker 1: in a bottle of versus reality striking in for the

530
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:09,679
Speaker 1: Atlanta Hawks. Ah wow, that's a great question. Um, that

531
00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:12,280
Speaker 1: is a great question. What I think is going on

532
00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:14,880
Speaker 1: with the Hawks this year is, uh, they got full

533
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:18,080
Speaker 1: of themselves and they and they lost their way in

534
00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,080
Speaker 1: terms of how hard you have to work to get

535
00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:22,399
Speaker 1: there and then to come back and sustain it. And

536
00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,840
Speaker 1: I think they felt like they did something last year. Um,

537
00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,440
Speaker 1: and they did. They went farther than any Atlanta Hawks

538
00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,439
Speaker 1: team has ever gone Game six of the East Finals.

539
00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:32,480
Speaker 1: The Atlanta version of the team has never done that. Um.

540
00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,320
Speaker 1: So I I feel like, you know, we talked about

541
00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,480
Speaker 1: different layers of winning, right. Winning for a lot of

542
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,240
Speaker 1: teams is the gold Ball or the season sucks. But

543
00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:42,760
Speaker 1: for a team like the Hawks, um, you know, they've

544
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,679
Speaker 1: never won the gold Ball in Atlanta and that's as

545
00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:47,000
Speaker 1: far as they've gone. So that felt like winning for them, right,

546
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:48,880
Speaker 1: And I think they let their guard down. I think

547
00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,280
Speaker 1: they dropped their bags and we're comfortable, and they really

548
00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:55,600
Speaker 1: haven't gotten uncomfortable. Okay, because the Malays they had a

549
00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,119
Speaker 1: seven game winning streak, but then they reverted back and

550
00:26:58,200 --> 00:26:59,960
Speaker 1: lost a couple of games that they shouldn't have lost.

551
00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,439
Speaker 1: If they're a super talented team. I think they were

552
00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,640
Speaker 1: a very dangerous team. But ultimately, uh, the this isn't

553
00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,120
Speaker 1: their year. I don't I don't feel it. They're gonna

554
00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:11,240
Speaker 1: be in the play in tournament. They might win a game,

555
00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,920
Speaker 1: but I just don't feel it. Last year, you felt

556
00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,280
Speaker 1: it once Nate took over. They started finishing games consistently.

557
00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,120
Speaker 1: They played very very good defense, and they had resolved,

558
00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:22,400
Speaker 1: they had pushed back. They had all those good intangibles

559
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,480
Speaker 1: that you want. They don't have any of those intangibles.

560
00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,440
Speaker 1: They sucked defensively, they suck on the road, They're not

561
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,560
Speaker 1: able to finish games, and they're just talented team kind

562
00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:32,640
Speaker 1: of out there running and getting Cardio Right now, that

563
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,040
Speaker 1: that's my sum up of the Hearts. It's pretty much

564
00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,000
Speaker 1: the same thing with the Knicks, right Thibodeau overachieved last year.

565
00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:40,680
Speaker 1: Julius Randall incredible, and they're like, oh we we've got

566
00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:43,720
Speaker 1: something here, and they try to upgrade in the off

567
00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,000
Speaker 1: season and now they're on the outside looking in, like

568
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:48,679
Speaker 1: these runs are crazy. I'm gonna we can wrap up

569
00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,280
Speaker 1: with Portland here with the Dame Lillard situation. So they

570
00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:54,879
Speaker 1: trade c J to New Orleans and it looks like

571
00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:57,840
Speaker 1: maybe a tear down, but it's they're probably gonna be

572
00:27:57,840 --> 00:27:59,720
Speaker 1: in the play in game, unless you know, san Antonio

573
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,240
Speaker 1: overtake him. I think Dame is probably gonna be the

574
00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:06,560
Speaker 1: biggest name this offseason on the market. What's your gut

575
00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:10,760
Speaker 1: telling you, Rick, what five months, four months before Damian

576
00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,159
Speaker 1: Lillard can either demand a trade or get shipped, what

577
00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,240
Speaker 1: do you think happens with him? Well, first of all, uh,

578
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:19,440
Speaker 1: and uh, this mainly do another question and saw I

579
00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,600
Speaker 1: I don't know, but uh, you saw the Windhorse report

580
00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,600
Speaker 1: that Lebron felt offended times two in the last two

581
00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,439
Speaker 1: weeks by the l A Lakers, and so he's got

582
00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:32,359
Speaker 1: an extension this summer. Uh, you know, August fourth is

583
00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,200
Speaker 1: the date they're putting out where if he picks it up,

584
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:38,080
Speaker 1: everything's cool, and if he doesn't, um and then he's

585
00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:40,960
Speaker 1: approaching a walk year where l I could lose him

586
00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,000
Speaker 1: and then get nothing in return, They're gonna probably want

587
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,680
Speaker 1: to trade him. So I think trade Lebron? Yes, So

588
00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:48,520
Speaker 1: I think the heat is going to be turned up

589
00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:50,320
Speaker 1: on Lebron this summer as well. And I am not

590
00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:51,720
Speaker 1: trying to hit you with a hot take. I'm not

591
00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,479
Speaker 1: hold on, hold on. He So you're saying that Lebron

592
00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:57,960
Speaker 1: Lebron obviously would be a bigger name than Dame out there.

593
00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,160
Speaker 1: But do you really think the Akers would trade Lebron?

594
00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,320
Speaker 1: Do Do I think the Lakers would trade Lebron? No?

595
00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:13,160
Speaker 1: But if they're forced to, right, Lebron says, well, I'm

596
00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,000
Speaker 1: gonna I'm gonna end up walking so I can play

597
00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:17,440
Speaker 1: with my son. But then who would want Lebron for

598
00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:21,080
Speaker 1: just one year? That's that That's the million dollar question.

599
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:24,240
Speaker 1: And I went through um um the the league a

600
00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:26,720
Speaker 1: day ago, I believe it was, and came up with

601
00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,160
Speaker 1: and I looked at it every team in the league,

602
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:32,960
Speaker 1: and um, is Lebron a viable option? And what pieces

603
00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:34,440
Speaker 1: would they have to get to l A And I

604
00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,800
Speaker 1: kind of vetted that, looked through a bunch of stuff. Um. Look,

605
00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,560
Speaker 1: the bottom line is with Lebron, if you are going

606
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,920
Speaker 1: to trade for him, you are getting one to two

607
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,520
Speaker 1: years of m v P level Lebron and that's it.

608
00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,120
Speaker 1: And I feel like I'm even being generous and saying

609
00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:56,000
Speaker 1: that because historically you talk about the Dirks, the Reggie's,

610
00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,680
Speaker 1: the Paul Pierces, the Michael Jordan's, all Kareem, all the

611
00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:03,560
Speaker 1: guy is the play thirty one, every single one of

612
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,520
Speaker 1: them their age thirty nine season, their numbers fell off

613
00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:08,760
Speaker 1: the table. Um, and then you get to forty and

614
00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,560
Speaker 1: forty one and all that and it gets even worse. So, look,

615
00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,840
Speaker 1: Lebron has the five father time like pretty much nobody

616
00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:18,560
Speaker 1: other than Brady at this point. But um, but when

617
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,160
Speaker 1: you think about the trajectory, he's gonna be in his year,

618
00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,680
Speaker 1: his age thirty eight season, next year, Okay, cool, I

619
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:26,440
Speaker 1: think he's still going to be a badass and a

620
00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,160
Speaker 1: superhero on Planet Earth at age thirty nine season. A

621
00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,959
Speaker 1: very worried about. And he's currently and he's currently not

622
00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,800
Speaker 1: under contract for that season. Um, he has one more

623
00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,320
Speaker 1: year with the Lakers and then that's it. He's he's free.

624
00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,880
Speaker 1: So um, so I don't it's a possibility. Look, Windhorse

625
00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:43,320
Speaker 1: put the intel out. He's upset with the Lakers, and

626
00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,680
Speaker 1: so a lot of us are taking that and running

627
00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:48,120
Speaker 1: with it. But this is a disaster. He is in

628
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,280
Speaker 1: pursuit of the goat in another ring to get that

629
00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,400
Speaker 1: much closer to him, and it does not look like

630
00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,160
Speaker 1: they're going to win a ring with this rust construction

631
00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,360
Speaker 1: this year or next, and so the clock is ticking.

632
00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:00,000
Speaker 1: So Lebron will be like, I get out of here.

633
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,560
Speaker 1: I gotta go where I got a better chance to

634
00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,520
Speaker 1: win a ring, back to Dame quickly. Well wait, wait,

635
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,640
Speaker 1: now you got me down this Lebron rabbit hole, and

636
00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,720
Speaker 1: my mind is, well, let's get to day, I said,

637
00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,280
Speaker 1: but let me So we had Eddie house On, former

638
00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,920
Speaker 1: Celtics player played with played with Lebron in Miami, and

639
00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:18,440
Speaker 1: he last week said, I would just trade Anthony Davis,

640
00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:22,480
Speaker 1: who always gets hurt, and I would keep Lebron. Would you?

641
00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,800
Speaker 1: I mean again, this is very hypothetical. I cannot imagine

642
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,440
Speaker 1: the Lakers trading Lebron. But the Anthony Davis thing, do

643
00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:32,840
Speaker 1: you think there's any potential reality to that? Because remember

644
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,560
Speaker 1: they gave up a billion picks and if you trade

645
00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:37,880
Speaker 1: a d and thirty seven year old Lebron gets hurt

646
00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:39,760
Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, you're like the six worth

647
00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,760
Speaker 1: team in the league. You're just handing somebody a really

648
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:47,280
Speaker 1: really good draft pick. Look at you mentioned the investment

649
00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:49,320
Speaker 1: that they have in Davis. How do you trade him? Man?

650
00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,600
Speaker 1: How do you trade him? Um? You know you're gonna

651
00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,760
Speaker 1: try to get draft picks back in capital back, but

652
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,360
Speaker 1: then you're not gonna be good, right, You're not gonna

653
00:31:57,400 --> 00:31:59,720
Speaker 1: get dollar for dollar in terms of star power. Now,

654
00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,760
Speaker 1: Danny Davis has turned into a flawed superstar, not as

655
00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,920
Speaker 1: slot as James Harden, who is not as flat as

656
00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,600
Speaker 1: Ben Simmons. Uh. And Ben Simmons isn't a superstar. But

657
00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:09,880
Speaker 1: you know, you get my point. But Anthony Davis is

658
00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:14,440
Speaker 1: now flawed. He's he's real flawed. Actually, Um, he's a

659
00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:17,479
Speaker 1: terrible three point shooter. Uh. As we found out they

660
00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:19,680
Speaker 1: had that little experiment. It worked for a minute in

661
00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:21,640
Speaker 1: the bubble and all of that, and it is completely

662
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:23,840
Speaker 1: washed away. And that probably speaks to him not working

663
00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:26,400
Speaker 1: hard enough in the gym on that shot. He's not

664
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,600
Speaker 1: in good shape. He continues to get injured and uh,

665
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,560
Speaker 1: and we now we have a motor issue to talk

666
00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,840
Speaker 1: about with Anthony Davis. Who the hell are you too? Now,

667
00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,120
Speaker 1: all of a sudden of a motor problem. When you're

668
00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,760
Speaker 1: on the Lakers and you're playing with Lebron and you're

669
00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,719
Speaker 1: in the championship fast Lante, there are no nights off. Okay,

670
00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,000
Speaker 1: there are no quarters off. Um, And so Davis has

671
00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:47,160
Speaker 1: this turn it on, turn it off. It's really wishy

672
00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,640
Speaker 1: washy way about him, and it's driving me crazy. And

673
00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,280
Speaker 1: so he is super flood. If I'm a team out there,

674
00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,560
Speaker 1: I'm not. I'm not trading like everything. I got to

675
00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:56,760
Speaker 1: get Anthony Davis and then he's in my program and

676
00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:58,800
Speaker 1: he missed Happy Year with the damn injury. And then

677
00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,640
Speaker 1: when he's on the court, one night he's Hercules and

678
00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,240
Speaker 1: Wilt Chamberlain and the next night he's you know, I

679
00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:07,440
Speaker 1: don't know, uh, you know, some average power forward. Um.

680
00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:09,960
Speaker 1: So I don't know, Like, I don't see the Lakers

681
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:11,680
Speaker 1: trading him, nor do I see a lot of interest

682
00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:13,840
Speaker 1: from other teams knowing that the price tag would be

683
00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:17,120
Speaker 1: very very high on him. Okay, so listen, Rick, I'll

684
00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,320
Speaker 1: be honest, Like we try not to bring up Lebron

685
00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:22,120
Speaker 1: every podcast because he could and we but like, so

686
00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:23,520
Speaker 1: I was not gonna do it. But you made some

687
00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:25,920
Speaker 1: interesting points that I hadn't really heard of other places.

688
00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:28,120
Speaker 1: So I do want to ask again on this Lebron thing.

689
00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:31,080
Speaker 1: You said you went through the rosters and looked, is

690
00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:34,680
Speaker 1: there a potential trading spot for Lebron? Did any teams

691
00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,920
Speaker 1: jump out at you as even hypothetical, like maybe they

692
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:42,320
Speaker 1: would consider it sell tickets when Lebron's thirty eight? Um,

693
00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:44,959
Speaker 1: did any teams pop up for you? Yeah? And to me,

694
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,680
Speaker 1: it's not about selling tickets. It's about it's about pushing

695
00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:49,320
Speaker 1: all your chips in the middle of the table and

696
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:51,640
Speaker 1: realizing you probably got a two year window to win

697
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:55,760
Speaker 1: it all. Um, Phoenix in Golden State jumped out to me.

698
00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:59,080
Speaker 1: The ties with Phoenix or Chris Paul obviously James Jones

699
00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,680
Speaker 1: who we won Champions Ups with in Miami. There's still

700
00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:03,480
Speaker 1: buddies to this day. We know, we all know about

701
00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:07,479
Speaker 1: Lebron and Chris Paul and Um, and you think about Phoenix. Uh,

702
00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:10,000
Speaker 1: they have a DeAndre Etan problem. Okay, they don't want

703
00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,640
Speaker 1: to pay him Max. He wants Max. Uh. They weren't

704
00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:15,040
Speaker 1: able to come to terms. It was incredibly messy and

705
00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,480
Speaker 1: ugly Aytan's and his feelings. Um, you know you've got

706
00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:21,080
Speaker 1: a governor now who's under investigation for some really really

707
00:34:21,200 --> 00:34:25,360
Speaker 1: terrible accusations and allegations. So so I don't and and

708
00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:27,480
Speaker 1: you know, that's not really a part of what we're

709
00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:29,560
Speaker 1: talking about here, just to give people the grand scope

710
00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:32,839
Speaker 1: and remind them that that investigation is still ongoing. But

711
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:35,359
Speaker 1: DeAndre eight and I believe will be on another team

712
00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,440
Speaker 1: next year, uh, because I believe there's a bunch of

713
00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:40,320
Speaker 1: teams out there that will pay him the max money

714
00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:42,319
Speaker 1: that he deserves. I would pay him max money if

715
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,279
Speaker 1: I were running the Sun's he already would be on

716
00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:47,240
Speaker 1: a max contract. And and people are like, a small

717
00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:51,319
Speaker 1: market can't have three max contract guys. Bs Milwaukee has

718
00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,680
Speaker 1: three Max contract guys, and Denver has three Max contract guys.

719
00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:58,160
Speaker 1: Phoenix can support three Max contract guys. It's just them

720
00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,120
Speaker 1: being cheap. Okay. Bottom line, River I don't think likes

721
00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:04,399
Speaker 1: to go into the tax right he does not. But hey, man,

722
00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:07,319
Speaker 1: get over it. Okay, you now have a team, um

723
00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:09,480
Speaker 1: that went to the finals and got your heart ripped out,

724
00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,520
Speaker 1: and now you've got a finals esque team, a gold

725
00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:16,120
Speaker 1: ball sque team. Get over it. Fox Sports Radio has

726
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:19,080
Speaker 1: the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all

727
00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:22,480
Speaker 1: of our shows at Fox Sports radio dot com and

728
00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:25,120
Speaker 1: within the I Heart Radio app search f s R

729
00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:28,600
Speaker 1: to listen live. One of the reasons I have Lebron

730
00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:32,759
Speaker 1: passing Jordan's is because everywhere he's gone, he's been the

731
00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:34,880
Speaker 1: system and he's won a championship. He goes to Miami,

732
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:38,600
Speaker 1: I know he brought players, wins, goes back to Cleveland, wins,

733
00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:41,640
Speaker 1: goes to l A, wins. The guy just everywhere he goes,

734
00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:45,200
Speaker 1: he wins. I can't. I just wonder Rick, would he

735
00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,759
Speaker 1: jeopardize that aspect of his legacy. Wherever I go, I'm

736
00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:52,719
Speaker 1: the system. Everybody orbits around me and we win. Would

737
00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:55,680
Speaker 1: he jeopardize that at thirty eight or thirty nine, where

738
00:35:55,680 --> 00:36:01,280
Speaker 1: he's probably not going to be the system. I believe

739
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:04,520
Speaker 1: in these next two years that he still will be

740
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:07,120
Speaker 1: the system, like I said, like like I was saying,

741
00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:11,040
Speaker 1: once you get for one year, for sure, next year

742
00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,399
Speaker 1: for sure, once you get to that age thirty nine

743
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:16,279
Speaker 1: season again like kind of all bets Roff and maybe

744
00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:18,640
Speaker 1: Lebron can shock the world. Maybe he can't. But if

745
00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:20,920
Speaker 1: he goes to Phoenix, so what goes back to l

746
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,640
Speaker 1: A is DeAndre Ayton and uh and you know, maybe

747
00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:27,000
Speaker 1: maybe a Cam Johnson like maybe a Jake crowd or

748
00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:29,520
Speaker 1: maybe a couple of picks like Lakers. I I don't

749
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,279
Speaker 1: do that. I mean I need way more than that.

750
00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,080
Speaker 1: I mean I would say I would demand more. I mean,

751
00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:38,399
Speaker 1: do you think Ayton is that good? Well? First of all,

752
00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,480
Speaker 1: I do uh And second of all, again l A

753
00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:45,720
Speaker 1: might not have their choice here. And if plus Anthony

754
00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:49,160
Speaker 1: Davis is I I mean, that's going a little too big,

755
00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:51,760
Speaker 1: is it not. I mean, I'm looking at what Cleveland

756
00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:55,919
Speaker 1: is doing right now with the seventh skyscraper front line there,

757
00:36:55,920 --> 00:37:00,160
Speaker 1: and it feels like the pendulum is swinging back towards Um.

758
00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:02,520
Speaker 1: You know, because because there was that period there where

759
00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:04,719
Speaker 1: you couldn't play with two bigs. It's gotta be one

760
00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,000
Speaker 1: in in four out otherwise you sucking, You have no

761
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:08,719
Speaker 1: chance and you're a miserable team and you need to

762
00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:10,279
Speaker 1: be sent to the G League on the next thing

763
00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:14,400
Speaker 1: smoking right, Well, Cleveland, and God bless J. B. Bicker Staff,

764
00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,120
Speaker 1: who's my front runner for Coach of the Year. Um,

765
00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,440
Speaker 1: you know, he he's basically making what he has worked.

766
00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:23,279
Speaker 1: And you got marketing, you got one healthy, you got

767
00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,799
Speaker 1: mobili and you've got Jared Allen Um and and so

768
00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:28,480
Speaker 1: I think teams are looking at it like, if you

769
00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:31,759
Speaker 1: have the right guys in those places, it can work

770
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:33,960
Speaker 1: with two bigs. And I'm I've always been a fan

771
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,600
Speaker 1: of never lost sight of the value of rebounding. I

772
00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:39,680
Speaker 1: know a lot of front office guys have DeAndre part

773
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:42,520
Speaker 1: of me. Andre Drummond should not be on a minimum contract.

774
00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:46,359
Speaker 1: That is an absolute travesty of a joke. Um, He's

775
00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,760
Speaker 1: one of the greatest rebounders the league has ever seen,

776
00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:51,320
Speaker 1: and and he's not a minimum contract. That's b s.

777
00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:53,279
Speaker 1: He should be a starting center in this league, and

778
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,080
Speaker 1: now he is with the Brooklyn Nets, And it's one

779
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:56,839
Speaker 1: of the reasons why I believe the Nets really got

780
00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,799
Speaker 1: the better of the Sixers in that trade. Um. But

781
00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:04,759
Speaker 1: going back to Lebron, Um, I look, that's what's the

782
00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:08,400
Speaker 1: hard part about possibly trading Lebron is the package is

783
00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:11,440
Speaker 1: coming back in return, because if he asked out now

784
00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:13,600
Speaker 1: the now, the Lakers don't have leverage and they can't

785
00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,239
Speaker 1: grind teams for all this extra stuff they just need.

786
00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:18,440
Speaker 1: Will will need to move Lebron at that point and

787
00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:21,000
Speaker 1: get the best that they can get. Sixty on the dollar,

788
00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:23,719
Speaker 1: seventy on the dollar, whatever it is. Um, and if

789
00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:27,440
Speaker 1: you're the Lakers, like DeAndre Ayton is a young future

790
00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:30,759
Speaker 1: All Star, future a perennial All Star in my opinion, Um,

791
00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,640
Speaker 1: you would get other pieces with it. Um. Now you're

792
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,560
Speaker 1: not getting like an MVP candidate type of guy like Lebron,

793
00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:38,800
Speaker 1: but you are getting a really good build around player

794
00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:41,440
Speaker 1: and other pieces. So, like I'm listening to that, like

795
00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:45,480
Speaker 1: Golden State, it would be like Andrew Wiggins Jonathan cominga

796
00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:47,919
Speaker 1: and a pick and I know it's like, oh my god,

797
00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:50,319
Speaker 1: I can't believe this is Lebron. I would never do that. Well,

798
00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:59,000
Speaker 1: let's see Wiggins cominga Canoni. No, I probably could. If

799
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,799
Speaker 1: I'm Golden State, probably could. That's I just wonder how

800
00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:05,600
Speaker 1: Lebron and Draymond. That's a lot of NBA i Q

801
00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:09,480
Speaker 1: right there. So you would have you would have Draymond,

802
00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:13,760
Speaker 1: Steph Clay and Lebron for again a one to two.

803
00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:16,480
Speaker 1: And if Lebron goes Brady on this and just shocks

804
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:18,719
Speaker 1: us and he remains m v P good until he's

805
00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:21,120
Speaker 1: thirty nine, until he's forty, which is hard to believe

806
00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:23,720
Speaker 1: but it's possible, Well, then now you've got a bigger

807
00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:26,600
Speaker 1: window to proliferate the dynasty down in Golden State, and

808
00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:30,640
Speaker 1: I would not be looking Jaundice Lee at the dynasty.

809
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:33,279
Speaker 1: Oh they got Lebron, and so that totally nullifies the

810
00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:35,160
Speaker 1: dynasty and it puts it in the toilet with the

811
00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:37,759
Speaker 1: turn in the toilet paper, right because because you think

812
00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:39,560
Speaker 1: about it. First of all, I don't do that. I

813
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:42,120
Speaker 1: don't play that game. Um. And second of all, you

814
00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:44,719
Speaker 1: know the the Diminished Championship game, and you know that

815
00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:47,000
Speaker 1: was that wasn't Kobe's ring, that was Shocks ring. I

816
00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:50,760
Speaker 1: think that's a BS narrative. Man. But but if Golden

817
00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:54,040
Speaker 1: State like one four and five and maybe six and

818
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:55,880
Speaker 1: Lebron was a part of that, my god, can you

819
00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:58,920
Speaker 1: imagine the history and Uh and Lebron and step that

820
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:01,000
Speaker 1: they got a lot of love for one another. Um,

821
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,400
Speaker 1: I'm just saying, man, like, do I think it will happen?

822
00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:06,759
Speaker 1: I don't know, But we're we're having a theoretical conversation here.

823
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,920
Speaker 1: If Lebron asked out of the Lakers, then will be

824
00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:12,719
Speaker 1: looking for Okay, I gotta recoup some picks, and I

825
00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:15,440
Speaker 1: gotta get younger and uh and and I'm not going

826
00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:18,360
Speaker 1: to get like an MVP fast lane guy. Um, I

827
00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:20,200
Speaker 1: just got to get somebody in here that that I

828
00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:22,560
Speaker 1: feel good about for the future and the and so

829
00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:26,560
Speaker 1: Golden State checks those boxes right. Um, and maybe it's

830
00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:30,160
Speaker 1: maybe it's not Cominga and Wiseman and Wiggins. Maybe it's

831
00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:33,040
Speaker 1: Wiggins and Wiseman and a couple of picks. But Golden

832
00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:37,080
Speaker 1: State has a treasure chest of young studs. Um that

833
00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:38,880
Speaker 1: a lot of teams in the league would be looking for,

834
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,759
Speaker 1: and including the Lakers. Um, this is fascinating. I know

835
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:45,240
Speaker 1: people are minds are probably blowing when they hear Andrew

836
00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:47,120
Speaker 1: Wiggins in the deal. He's a great number three in

837
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:49,200
Speaker 1: Golden State, but with the Lakers, he'd have to be

838
00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:51,640
Speaker 1: a two. Probably wouldn't work. I personally would take Jordan's

839
00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:55,040
Speaker 1: Pool over Wiggins, but I'm a little crazy. So it's interesting.

840
00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:57,760
Speaker 1: Now I'm looking at and I'm thinking, I'm like Sons

841
00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,640
Speaker 1: and Warriors. Those are good teams. And then you mentioned

842
00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:04,719
Speaker 1: the ring. Rick Lebron loves to have the rabbit ears.

843
00:41:04,719 --> 00:41:06,960
Speaker 1: He hears what people are saying, he doesn't necessarily respond,

844
00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:09,799
Speaker 1: or he does it codedly on Instagram or what have you.

845
00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:14,520
Speaker 1: But would that technically be ring chasing If Lebron went

846
00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:16,920
Speaker 1: to the Suns or Warriors at thirty eight years old,

847
00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:20,400
Speaker 1: two of the best three or four teams in the league. No,

848
00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:24,560
Speaker 1: here's why ring Kevin Durant was not ring chasing in

849
00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:27,239
Speaker 1: Golden would agree, Okay, he And first of all, if

850
00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,240
Speaker 1: we want to play that semantic game, he was ring leading.

851
00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:32,520
Speaker 1: He was not. He was MBB of the finals. I

852
00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:35,839
Speaker 1: think yeah, but I think ring chase people would use

853
00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:39,000
Speaker 1: that because chasing at like late your career, like who

854
00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:41,640
Speaker 1: who's the guy? It's not Joe Johnson, but somebody would

855
00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:44,719
Speaker 1: keep up, was it? Tracy McGrady bounced around when he

856
00:41:44,719 --> 00:41:48,200
Speaker 1: was in his Remember Antonio, he was with San Antonio.

857
00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:51,000
Speaker 1: I he was on that San Antonio team that got

858
00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,520
Speaker 1: beat by Miami on the real and shot and and

859
00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:55,480
Speaker 1: covering the finals that you was like, wow, it's team

860
00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:57,680
Speaker 1: at gonna get his ring? Is Teama gonna get a team?

861
00:41:57,680 --> 00:41:59,799
Speaker 1: Mack isn't gonna get his ring because Ray wanted another one.

862
00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:04,520
Speaker 1: Um so, uh So ring chasing to me is and

863
00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:07,040
Speaker 1: I'm not mad at any of these guys. Okay, ring

864
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:09,160
Speaker 1: chasing to me is Karl Malone at the end with

865
00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:15,000
Speaker 1: the Lakers. That's ring chasing. Maybe with the nets now, yes, yes,

866
00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:19,120
Speaker 1: that's ring chasing to me, Gary Payton with the Miami

867
00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,960
Speaker 1: Heat when he helped them win that championship with that's

868
00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,960
Speaker 1: ring chasing. Gary Payton with the Lakers in two thousand four.

869
00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:28,440
Speaker 1: That's ring chasing. Mitch Richmond at the end of his

870
00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:30,680
Speaker 1: career with the Lakers when he got his ring. That's

871
00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,360
Speaker 1: ring chasing, right because he barely played. He literally barely played.

872
00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:39,600
Speaker 1: That's ring crazy. Um that uh, Kevin going to Golden State,

873
00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:42,200
Speaker 1: Lebron going to either Phoenix or Golden State or wherever

874
00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:44,319
Speaker 1: if that happens, it's not ring chasing to me because

875
00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:47,399
Speaker 1: there's still absolute badass players and probably like the guys

876
00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:49,640
Speaker 1: who would win the finals MVP. So that's my breakdown

877
00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:52,600
Speaker 1: on that, all right. So yeah, let's quickly go back

878
00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:55,360
Speaker 1: to Dame. Probably a little more likely than Lebron to

879
00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:59,840
Speaker 1: be moving teams. I just wonder is his status in

880
00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:02,399
Speaker 1: the league damaged a little bit because of how ugly

881
00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:04,360
Speaker 1: it's been with Portland over the last I don't know,

882
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:08,359
Speaker 1: six months. Um, obviously the injuries haven't helped, and he's

883
00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:11,719
Speaker 1: getting up there in age, But I personally, you know,

884
00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:14,160
Speaker 1: I think Damian Lillard is weren't still one of the

885
00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:17,440
Speaker 1: you know fifteen best players in the NBA, and I

886
00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:20,080
Speaker 1: mean he's had to carry Portland. If he goes somewhere

887
00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:22,400
Speaker 1: and he can be your number two, I think you

888
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:24,319
Speaker 1: automatically are one of the best teams in the league.

889
00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:27,120
Speaker 1: Right Well, you hit it on the head. Um. Dame,

890
00:43:27,239 --> 00:43:29,960
Speaker 1: to me, is not a batman. He's a Robin, and

891
00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:33,799
Speaker 1: he's a He's a power Gassaul Robin. He's a uh

892
00:43:34,239 --> 00:43:37,040
Speaker 1: Scottie Pippen Robin. He's a Kyrie Irving Robin. I think

893
00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,440
Speaker 1: he's that good. Um. If you get him on that

894
00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:41,319
Speaker 1: stage and he's got a Durant next to him, or

895
00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:43,879
Speaker 1: Lebron next to him, or a Jani's next to him,

896
00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:47,919
Speaker 1: or like a true number one championship batman, Um, that's

897
00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:50,960
Speaker 1: the scenario that he needs now. I don't believe that

898
00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:54,000
Speaker 1: he's going to ask out this offseason if he. If

899
00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:56,719
Speaker 1: he does, I will be shocked because everything that he

900
00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:00,520
Speaker 1: has said, even after trading C J. McCollum and Norman

901
00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:04,040
Speaker 1: Powell and Robert Covington, he has had quotes Um saying

902
00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:06,520
Speaker 1: that I'm still locked in with Portland. I'm going nowhere.

903
00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:08,719
Speaker 1: I believe in the team, I believe in the GM

904
00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:10,440
Speaker 1: and and I see shake in your head. Yet it

905
00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:13,360
Speaker 1: could just be lip service. It could but but it

906
00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:16,239
Speaker 1: is consistent with everything that he has said about his

907
00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:19,239
Speaker 1: loyalty and commitment to Portland. And so so that's why

908
00:44:19,280 --> 00:44:21,520
Speaker 1: I think it matters. Like if it was just if

909
00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:24,600
Speaker 1: he was wishy washy and then said that, then I'd

910
00:44:24,640 --> 00:44:26,279
Speaker 1: be like, I'm not buying it. But he has never

911
00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:28,640
Speaker 1: been wishy washy. He's always been locked in with Portland

912
00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:31,279
Speaker 1: and and so he's maintained that, and so I do

913
00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:33,560
Speaker 1: think that there's validity and weight to that. Does that

914
00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:35,400
Speaker 1: mean he won't ask out? No, that's just how I

915
00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:38,479
Speaker 1: read the tea leaves right now. Um. And and here's

916
00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:42,280
Speaker 1: another possibility. And the problem is, though, is that Portland

917
00:44:42,360 --> 00:44:45,919
Speaker 1: doesn't have the assets to send the Lakers for Lebron James. Um.

918
00:44:46,239 --> 00:44:49,000
Speaker 1: They don't. They just don't. Um, unless the Lakers wanted

919
00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:52,280
Speaker 1: to take a bunch of future draft picks. And like Simons,

920
00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:57,120
Speaker 1: you're not feeling him could go? I he You're right,

921
00:44:57,120 --> 00:45:00,680
Speaker 1: he can go. He is. I mean, it's a shame

922
00:45:00,719 --> 00:45:02,560
Speaker 1: that he hasn't been able to play all these years, right,

923
00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,200
Speaker 1: being stuck. Well, that's that's the other thing, right, I

924
00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:09,400
Speaker 1: gotta check his age real quick. He may even be

925
00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:14,480
Speaker 1: younger than that. It's not it's not even like Anfrety Simmons. Um.

926
00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:16,920
Speaker 1: It's not like he had I ramp up to being great.

927
00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:21,279
Speaker 1: He went from not playing too great. We've seen that.

928
00:45:21,640 --> 00:45:23,960
Speaker 1: Holy cow, he's only twenty two years old. Twenty two

929
00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:28,520
Speaker 1: years old, he was but one and the right yep,

930
00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:32,759
Speaker 1: oh that's a great call. Remember Neil Neil Allsha called

931
00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:36,759
Speaker 1: him the greatest prospect he's ever seen in ever. Well no,

932
00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:38,680
Speaker 1: maybe no, no, it might have been hold on, it

933
00:45:38,719 --> 00:45:41,640
Speaker 1: might have been the greatest prospect I've drafted. It might

934
00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:44,360
Speaker 1: have been that, right, But I mean from three I

935
00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:48,440
Speaker 1: guarantee you he would get you know, lebronore gone Anfrety Simmons,

936
00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:51,880
Speaker 1: Anthony Davis Simon's would put up twenty easily and be

937
00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:53,759
Speaker 1: a huge fan favorite that like because he he can

938
00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:56,200
Speaker 1: get up as well and he's a big dunker. Well,

939
00:45:56,200 --> 00:45:58,000
Speaker 1: you're kind of selling me on this, Like I was

940
00:45:58,040 --> 00:45:59,800
Speaker 1: looking around and looking at foland do they have the

941
00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:02,640
Speaker 1: sets to get Lebron, like if he asked out? And

942
00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,080
Speaker 1: because the reason I think that is like Lebron is

943
00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:07,440
Speaker 1: the one in Portland with Dame is the two like

944
00:46:07,560 --> 00:46:10,520
Speaker 1: they could really do some damage. I believe if healthy, um,

945
00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:12,239
Speaker 1: and they would have to have some studs. It's really

946
00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:14,480
Speaker 1: good others around them. Um, and they're a long way

947
00:46:14,520 --> 00:46:17,719
Speaker 1: away from that. But you know, just saying I I know, um,

948
00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:20,920
Speaker 1: I know that Dame needs a batman and he probably

949
00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:24,040
Speaker 1: wouldn't admit that. But you know us as NBA analysts,

950
00:46:24,040 --> 00:46:26,040
Speaker 1: I mean, let's be honest, man. Do you see Damian

951
00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:29,480
Speaker 1: Lillard ever putting a team on his back and leading

952
00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:32,000
Speaker 1: them to an NBA championship as the number one? I

953
00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:34,880
Speaker 1: do not, So I would only say in the playoffs,

954
00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:39,760
Speaker 1: I think he has three career walk off series winning shots.

955
00:46:39,960 --> 00:46:43,760
Speaker 1: He is super clutch. But again, yeah, like you said, defensively,

956
00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:47,799
Speaker 1: he's not great. Um, can you know he's he's Curry light?

957
00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:49,600
Speaker 1: Would you say? Is that is that fair? I mean

958
00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:52,759
Speaker 1: he can hit the thirties bombs. Um. I just I

959
00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:55,600
Speaker 1: don't know, like Curry to me makes everyone around him

960
00:46:55,640 --> 00:46:58,480
Speaker 1: better by creating the space, And I don't know if

961
00:46:58,560 --> 00:47:01,560
Speaker 1: Dame adds that old to his game. He's an awesome player.

962
00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:03,840
Speaker 1: You know. I got in a big argument on The

963
00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:06,600
Speaker 1: Dan Patrick Show this week with Doug Gottlieb because he said,

964
00:47:06,920 --> 00:47:09,960
Speaker 1: who would you take John Stockton or Damie Lillard. I

965
00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:13,040
Speaker 1: was like, I'd probably take Damian Lillard right now. Um,

966
00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:17,040
Speaker 1: I know John Stockton defensively the assists, but John Stockton

967
00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:19,360
Speaker 1: was never the best guy on the Utah Jazz. He

968
00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:22,879
Speaker 1: played with Karl Malone. Damian Lillard has played with a

969
00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:25,960
Speaker 1: Robin and we would agree. Dame is barely a batman,

970
00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:27,839
Speaker 1: right And I know that's gonna sound crazy and people

971
00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:30,360
Speaker 1: are gonna get upset John Stockton or Damian Lillard. But

972
00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:32,680
Speaker 1: Damian Lillard right now when this NBA fits great, he

973
00:47:32,719 --> 00:47:35,320
Speaker 1: has more m v P votes uh than John Stockton

974
00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:37,560
Speaker 1: had in his entire career. Rick, And I know I'm

975
00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:40,000
Speaker 1: going off on a tangent. I'm I'm a John. I mean,

976
00:47:40,040 --> 00:47:42,239
Speaker 1: I'm I'm an appreciator. I'm not like a fan boy.

977
00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,920
Speaker 1: If you want to talk fanboy, that's Magic Johnson and

978
00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:46,719
Speaker 1: Kevin Garnett. So those are the guys that I'm a

979
00:47:46,719 --> 00:47:52,000
Speaker 1: fanboy for. Um. Look, Stockton's an all time great, he is,

980
00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:55,400
Speaker 1: he's number six or seven. I don't have it in

981
00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:58,440
Speaker 1: front of me on my all time point guardless. Um,

982
00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:01,600
Speaker 1: but I'll take Dame. I will take Dame in that argument, Um,

983
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:04,760
Speaker 1: Dame is one of the coldest shooters in the history

984
00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:09,320
Speaker 1: of this league. He's up there with Bird, Dirk, Reggie Steph.

985
00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:14,120
Speaker 1: He's in that category first year, all time shooters and

986
00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:17,400
Speaker 1: just shooters. And then when you bring Clutch into the equation, Uh,

987
00:48:17,680 --> 00:48:21,080
Speaker 1: he's He's still right there and maybe even adds another carrot,

988
00:48:21,400 --> 00:48:24,520
Speaker 1: uh you know to his wagon. Um, I love him. Um,

989
00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:27,960
Speaker 1: Damian Lillard right now, if if me and Antonio Daniels

990
00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:29,960
Speaker 1: had this debate on our show given go on on

991
00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:33,479
Speaker 1: NBA Radio some sometime back, Um, who do you want

992
00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:37,400
Speaker 1: taking the three to one shot? And uh? And for me,

993
00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:40,000
Speaker 1: it's Damian Lillard. I'll take him over step I'll take

994
00:48:40,080 --> 00:48:42,560
Speaker 1: him over Durant, I'll take him over Lebron, who is

995
00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:45,360
Speaker 1: an underrated lee and it's hard to believe he's underrated

996
00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:47,800
Speaker 1: in anything, but people sleep on all the game winners

997
00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:49,680
Speaker 1: and all the buzzer beaters and all the big time shots.

998
00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:51,439
Speaker 1: Lebron is hit and they act like he's never made

999
00:48:51,440 --> 00:48:53,279
Speaker 1: a clutch shot. Oh my god, can you move about

1000
00:48:53,280 --> 00:48:56,480
Speaker 1: clutch Lebrona's last night? Yeah, I can't. He's been this

1001
00:48:56,520 --> 00:49:00,000
Speaker 1: clutch for a freaking generation. Man, Where have you been, um,

1002
00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:01,560
Speaker 1: But but I don't know what's your answer to that.

1003
00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:04,799
Speaker 1: I would say Dame is my three to one a guy. Yeah,

1004
00:49:04,800 --> 00:49:07,239
Speaker 1: he's up there for sure. It's interesting. Dame is kind

1005
00:49:07,239 --> 00:49:09,760
Speaker 1: of a parallel to Paul George. Not the same position,

1006
00:49:10,080 --> 00:49:12,840
Speaker 1: but really close to a guy who can lead you

1007
00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:15,080
Speaker 1: places because they both were the number one guy on

1008
00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:16,919
Speaker 1: a team that went to the conference finals, right Paul

1009
00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:21,440
Speaker 1: George in Indiana, but for whatever reason making that leap

1010
00:49:21,520 --> 00:49:24,279
Speaker 1: to the finals and winning a championship, I I I

1011
00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:26,719
Speaker 1: don't think either of them qualifies as a batman, right,

1012
00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:30,040
Speaker 1: they do not, And Dame qualifies more as a batman

1013
00:49:30,080 --> 00:49:32,480
Speaker 1: that Paul George. To me, Um, Paul George is is

1014
00:49:32,520 --> 00:49:35,040
Speaker 1: a quality Robin um man. If they can never get

1015
00:49:35,080 --> 00:49:37,799
Speaker 1: that thing healthy and and and clipper Land, Um, we

1016
00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:40,720
Speaker 1: will see, right, because if Kaili Paul George is healthy,

1017
00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:43,160
Speaker 1: they have a legitimate chance of winning the gold Ball.

1018
00:49:43,239 --> 00:49:46,400
Speaker 1: Because Paul George has had choke artist issues in the past.

1019
00:49:46,600 --> 00:49:49,319
Speaker 1: That's the big difference he really has. But but when

1020
00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:52,239
Speaker 1: you've got a batman and you don't have to any

1021
00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:54,160
Speaker 1: but he choked under the bright lights of being the

1022
00:49:54,239 --> 00:49:56,880
Speaker 1: number one. Okay, he hasn't choked as a robin on

1023
00:49:56,920 --> 00:49:59,719
Speaker 1: a championship ascent yet we don't know that, um and

1024
00:49:59,760 --> 00:50:01,520
Speaker 1: so and so we'll see. I mean, I guess you

1025
00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:04,440
Speaker 1: could say that the bubble collectively in the bubble, but

1026
00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:07,239
Speaker 1: that was I can't put that all on Paul George. Okay,

1027
00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:11,239
Speaker 1: Doc Rivers was called why was culpable? Paul George was culpable,

1028
00:50:11,280 --> 00:50:14,719
Speaker 1: Marcus Morris was culpable, they all were. Okay, it's not

1029
00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:17,279
Speaker 1: like Paul George had that he shot eighteen per cent

1030
00:50:17,360 --> 00:50:19,400
Speaker 1: for this series. My god, it's all his fault. You know.

1031
00:50:19,440 --> 00:50:22,960
Speaker 1: It wasn't that. So this is the beauty folks of podcasting.

1032
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:24,960
Speaker 1: You know, we were ready to wrap up twenty minutes ago.

1033
00:50:25,120 --> 00:50:28,880
Speaker 1: Rick opens the door to Lebron and then Damian Lillard

1034
00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:31,120
Speaker 1: and then Paul George, Like this is that's I think

1035
00:50:31,160 --> 00:50:33,880
Speaker 1: that was fun, Rick, But I have we taken up

1036
00:50:33,960 --> 00:50:36,400
Speaker 1: enough of your time? Rick Kamla you can find his

1037
00:50:36,719 --> 00:50:40,640
Speaker 1: his podcast with Antonio Daniels. Um. You know, Rick, great stuff.

1038
00:50:40,680 --> 00:50:42,319
Speaker 1: I love the takes. You know that this is where

1039
00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:44,160
Speaker 1: we are. You know, you gotta come strong with it,

1040
00:50:44,480 --> 00:50:46,440
Speaker 1: and uh, I love your stuff. Rick, Thanks a lot

1041
00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:48,320
Speaker 1: for you the time and uh, you know, enjoy the

1042
00:50:48,360 --> 00:50:50,600
Speaker 1: rest of the season and obviously the playoffs. Yeah, I

1043
00:50:50,800 --> 00:50:53,480
Speaker 1: really appreciate it. I had a blast. Call back anytime.

1044
00:50:53,520 --> 00:50:55,840
Speaker 1: I'd love to come on and we can continue these discussions,

1045
00:50:55,880 --> 00:50:58,400
Speaker 1: maybe around the playoffs or something like that. Excellent Rick,

1046
00:50:58,440 --> 00:51:00,040
Speaker 1: thanks a lot man. All right, thank you. It