WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: Revenge of The Beard and LeBron vs. Steph 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.320 Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:10.160 four hour NBA News. This's you, Chris Haynes. It's time, 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:18.800 Mark Stein, it's some time. This League Uncut is underway 0:00:19.000 --> 0:00:22.680 and on five this should be a good one. 0:00:23.320 --> 0:00:26.439 Gonna be a good one, indeed, a fresh and clean 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:31.800 edition of this League Uncut. As we move firmly into 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:35.040 the second round of the NBA Playoffs, Mark Stein here 0:00:35.080 --> 0:00:39.440 with Chris Haynes. As always, eight teams left in the 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:44.120 race for a title. Those eight teams hold the lowest 0:00:44.360 --> 0:00:49.120 composite winning percentage for a final eight in the history 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:55.160 of the NBA's sixteen team playoff format, which by the way, 0:00:55.280 --> 0:01:00.560 turns forty years old next season. And that awesome stat 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:06.320 comes from our shared former teammate from ESPN, Kevin Pelton. 0:01:07.640 --> 0:01:09.960 You got the defending champions in there as a number 0:01:10.040 --> 0:01:14.560 six seed. Two playing teams in the second round for 0:01:14.600 --> 0:01:19.040 the first time, the seven seeded Lakers the eighth seeded 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:22.039 Heat We're gonna get to all that We're gonna get, 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:26.720 of course, to Warriors Lakers. The series that Chris will 0:01:26.800 --> 0:01:32.400 primarily be covering in Round two, Lebron James versus Stephen Curry. 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:36.760 Round five in the playoffs starts later to night, but 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:39.759 we gotta start with this crazy Philly game. We are 0:01:39.800 --> 0:01:45.480 recording Monday night for a Tuesday morning release of this pod. 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:52.960 Game one the Sixers, with no Joel Embiid and James 0:01:52.960 --> 0:01:57.160 Harden goes for forty five, Tyrese Maxi goes for twenty 0:01:57.240 --> 0:02:02.440 six seventy one combined from the Guards and without Joel Embiid, 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:06.160 they take a one to zero lead in Boston. Chris Haynes, 0:02:06.200 --> 0:02:09.359 I did not see that coming at all. I know 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:13.120 obviously we're I mean Tuesday, later today, the MVP award 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:16.880 is going to be announced. Joel Embiid is has emerged 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:18.919 as the favorite to win that. I think we all 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:22.440 expect him to be announced as the MVP. But Joel Embiid, 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:24.680 he's told you, He's told me, he said it all 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:27.720 year long. All he wants to do is get to 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:30.760 the playoffs and be healthy. And here he is. He's 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:36.919 not healthy, but his guys just stepped up huge, and man, 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:40.760 the Sixers. This is this is this is a whopper 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:41.600 of an upset. 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:45.160 I mean, I don't think anybody could have really saw 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:51.160 that coming in Boston. Game one, without arguably well I think, 0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:54.160 like you said, he's gonna be the favorite to win 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:58.079 that MVP Award. James Harden turned back the hands of 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:02.480 time with that performance. That was vintage James Harden with 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:05.399 the Houston Rockets. That's what he did. You could tell 0:03:05.440 --> 0:03:07.720 he was in a comfort zone. He didn't have to 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:11.400 really defer at all. It was his show and he 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:13.880 felt comfortable. He looked comfortable doing it. And then you 0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:17.920 had Tyrese Maxi going off and being a speechter that 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:22.400 he is and making plays, getting downhill, hitting that jump shot. 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.400 Philly looked like they looked like a really good ball club. 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:30.160 He saw James Harden talking with my colleague Ali leave 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:35.480 Forth after the game and he said he was short, 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:38.240 but he was real candid with with his with his response. 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:40.880 His answer, he said, she asked like, how did it 0:03:40.960 --> 0:03:43.560 feel to be back in that mold of the James 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:46.480 Harden of old. He said, I was gonna shoot regardless 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:49.000 whether they where they where, do they win in or not, 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:50.720 that's a different story. But I was gonna get my 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:53.560 shots up. So you know, he looked like a really 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:55.960 confident guy man. So it was good to see him 0:03:56.320 --> 0:03:58.000 kind of back to his old ways. I know, a 0:03:58.000 --> 0:03:59.560 lot of people felt like he may have lost a 0:03:59.600 --> 0:04:03.960 step or lost the lost the ability to gain separation. 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:07.080 But he did that, and he did it against one 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:09.480 a tough one, a tougher defensive clubs we have. 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:11.960 I mean, there is so much to unpack just from 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:15.560 this one game, because really, with Milwaukee home for the 0:04:15.640 --> 0:04:20.800 summer before the playoffs, if we would have said the 0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:23.040 Bucks would lose in the first round, you would have 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:25.679 I mean, I think most reasonable people in the NBA 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:30.839 would have said the Celtics Philly winner becomes the favorite 0:04:30.880 --> 0:04:34.120 to win it all. But the Sixers now don't know 0:04:34.520 --> 0:04:37.320 what kind of Joel Embiid they're going to have back 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:41.400 when he does come back. The Celtics just look like 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:45.480 a mess. I mean, they couldn't close out Atlanta when 0:04:45.480 --> 0:04:47.960 they had the chance in Game five. They finished that 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:53.000 series in very limp fashion. And then for the Celtics 0:04:53.000 --> 0:04:57.480 to come out in this game the day after the 0:04:57.520 --> 0:05:01.720 Boston Bruins in the same building. This ain't a hockey podcast, 0:05:01.720 --> 0:05:03.760 but yes I am a Buffalo Sabers fan, so I 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:05.720 do keep a little bit of an eye on it. 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:09.799 The Boston Bruins had the best regular season in hockey history. 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:12.920 They go up three to one. They lose Game seven 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:17.320 in overtime at home, out in the first round. Twenty 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:19.799 four hours later, the Celtics are back in the building 0:05:20.160 --> 0:05:24.400 with a city in mourning because Boston fans love their 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:27.000 Bruins as much as they love the Celtics as much 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:31.159 as they love the Patriots. And with the city in mourning, 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:36.680 how you don't show up locked in to take advantage 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:41.600 of Philly when Embiid is not there? Is crazy? But 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:46.719 they look, I mean they finished the finish was I 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:50.600 mean indescribably bad. And I mean that, you know, again, 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:53.760 it's only one game, and we don't know even if 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:56.600 Embiid can come back in game two or game three, 0:05:56.640 --> 0:05:59.520 whenever it is, we don't know how effective he'll actually be. 0:06:00.560 --> 0:06:02.479 What would you do if you're the Sixers, do you 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:05.800 now sit him in game two to give him, you know, 0:06:06.040 --> 0:06:08.520 three more extra days before game three? I mean, you've 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:10.560 got the split now in Boston. 0:06:11.680 --> 0:06:13.839 I would sit them. I would sit them because the 0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:17.000 Sixers have confidence now. And I know teams and players 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:20.000 like to say they always have confidence, but they won 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:23.479 Game one in Boston. That is not easy to do, 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.719 and so now they really do have confidence because they've 0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:29.880 seen it happen, and I would sit them. I would 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:32.640 give him the extra rest, see if he can get 0:06:32.680 --> 0:06:35.839 back for Game three in Philly. But I most definitely 0:06:36.400 --> 0:06:39.359 ride the confidence that they have right now. Ride the wave. 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:42.240 See if James Harden and Tyres Maxi and those other 0:06:42.279 --> 0:06:47.680 guys can step up again. And you never know, But definitely, 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:51.839 I think there's no way if I'm management, there's no 0:06:51.920 --> 0:06:54.440 way that I allow Joel Embiid to come back for 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:54.960 game two. 0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:58.880 I think we both know mister Embiid pretty well, but 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:01.400 I'm going to ask you how hard will it be 0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:04.080 to sell him on that strategy? You think he'll see 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:06.880 the wisdom in it and say, yes, let me sit 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:09.960 out here because it's Game three is not till Friday, 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:11.600 it's not too Friday. 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:13.440 But I think it's easier to sell him on that 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:18.000 being at they won game one. I think he gets 0:07:18.000 --> 0:07:21.440 that because ultimately, like he's told us time and time again, 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:26.320 his number one goal is a championship, right, so it 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:28.400 looks like he's going to get MVP. He's going to 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:33.160 be happy with that. He's definitely going to be pleased 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:35.920 by finally being able to raise that award. Up in 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:39.280 the air. But championship is what's most important. So if 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:41.680 that's what's most important, then you have to put your 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:45.040 health first and foremost. And if that means wait until Friday, 0:07:45.120 --> 0:07:48.360 I think he'll be willing to do that considering the sething, 0:07:48.440 --> 0:07:51.000 I mean, considering the sixth were able to get game one. 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:55.280 Yeah, because I do think for him, I mean, were 0:07:55.320 --> 0:07:57.840 he to win MVP but then the Sixers to go 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:00.800 out in the second round. Again, I mean, I don't 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:03.120 want to say hollow because like, like we both know 0:08:03.240 --> 0:08:05.520 he does want that award and it does mean a 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:08.880 lot to him and to finally check off that box. Mean, 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:11.720 you know, that's a big deal to him. But he 0:08:11.800 --> 0:08:14.440 does need a playoff run. I you know, he needs 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:17.280 a playoff run. A long playoff run is least as 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:21.040 at least as much as he needs the MVP award. 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:25.960 So yeah, I mean this is and look, we don't 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:28.840 know for sure, but just the way that this is 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:31.520 all kind of played out, the Nuggets will have played 0:08:31.560 --> 0:08:36.240 both of their first two games against Phoenix. I mean, 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:40.080 they're they're playing game two as we speak. So you know, 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:45.040 when if Yokic won the MVP, you'd think that that 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:48.120 would have already been announced that the league wouldn't announce 0:08:48.160 --> 0:08:50.360 it when Yokic is about to go play two games 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:53.640 in Phoenix. So I do think Embiid is going to 0:08:53.640 --> 0:08:55.720 be announced as the MVP later today. But man, we 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:58.800 got to I mean, what about James Harden? Seriously, he 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:02.880 He's been crushed for years for his playoff performance. He 0:09:03.080 --> 0:09:06.480 was crushed tonight for that. Did you see the did 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:08.480 you see the pregame fit? As the kids would say, 0:09:08.520 --> 0:09:10.439 am I allowed to say it like that? Can I 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:13.560 say it like that? Or do I sound ridiculous? 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:14.320 What do you think? 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:17.000 What do you think of the well pregame fit? 0:09:18.360 --> 0:09:20.840 I think David Stern is rolling over in his grave 0:09:20.960 --> 0:09:24.720 right now with what we allow to happen with this 0:09:24.840 --> 0:09:29.840 dress code. He would David Stern would definitely not approve that. 0:09:29.840 --> 0:09:33.000 That bagging thiss That is beyond bagging this, That's beyond 0:09:33.040 --> 0:09:37.160 the baggingess that we were putting ourselves in the nineties 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:41.960 early two thousand. It's it's he's taking He took it 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:45.400 a couple of degrees up with that style. You know, 0:09:45.440 --> 0:09:48.439 I'm a I'm not a stylish I'm not a stylist 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:51.240 at all. You know, I'm just now getting back into 0:09:51.800 --> 0:09:55.160 getting into custom suits and being tailored, and you know 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:59.160 suits fit in your body mold. So what James Harden 0:09:59.200 --> 0:10:01.400 pulled away with that, that's the complete opposite of what 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:05.040 I'm doing right now. So whatever flows you up, both 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:09.240 him and and SGA over there in ok See. You 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:11.560 know they're they're known by you know, most of the 0:10:11.600 --> 0:10:14.600 players to beat some of the sharpest dressers. You hear 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:18.800 that sharpest dressers we happen to lead. That's that's the 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:22.280 courting to them. You ask people outside the NBA, They'll 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:23.680 probably have to give you a different tale. 0:10:23.800 --> 0:10:26.520 Let's say he got crushed for the look he got. 0:10:26.720 --> 0:10:29.120 You know, his playoff history always gets thrown in his face. 0:10:29.160 --> 0:10:31.360 And then on top of all that, you know he 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:33.800 was seen in Vegas during this week off that the 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:38.120 Sixers had to kind of yo. You know, they they 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:42.800 finished off Brooklyn quick, and you know, we were thinking, okay, 0:10:42.800 --> 0:10:46.120 this is extra time for for maybe Joel Embiid's need 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:50.240 to heal, and all of a sudden, there's James Harden 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:51.840 sighting in Vegas that I don't know what. 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:57.240 Hold on you mentioned a signing in Vegas? Stein hold On, 0:10:57.280 --> 0:10:59.880 I got room so Stein, Yes, come come on here, 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:06.559 I mean, come on. 0:11:01.200 --> 0:11:06.320 What Yes, America, this is what happens on the This 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:10.000 League Uncut podcast. You remember, early in the history of 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:14.360 the show, when we were really a fledgling show, Chris 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:17.560 Haynes had to stop one episode because the pizza delivery 0:11:17.640 --> 0:11:20.599 man rang the doorbell. But this, this is more excusable. 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:23.280 I think we're not gonna find him because he is 0:11:23.320 --> 0:11:26.280 on the road. He is in a hotel getting ready 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:31.439 for Game one of Lakers sixers. So the room service, 0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:33.920 you know he's in a nice hotel though, because there 0:11:33.960 --> 0:11:35.320 was not a knock on the door, there was a 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:39.360 doorbell ring. So when the doorbell rings at a hotel, 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:43.600 that tells you that that TNT's got Chris Haynes hooked 0:11:43.679 --> 0:11:45.480 up and he stands somewhere nice. 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:49.000 A brother has to eat. Oh but that's what I 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:52.480 was saying. So, Stein, you brought up James Hard James 0:11:52.520 --> 0:11:57.199 Harden's sighting in Vegas. What was he seen doing? Can 0:11:57.240 --> 0:11:58.199 you tell me that? Stin? 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:09.680 I have to ask do? I had to ask? 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:16.240 Man? I thought I thought he made some news somewhat 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.280 with his side of it. Maybe I was wrong. I 0:12:18.320 --> 0:12:20.920 thought they said he did something I don't know. 0:12:21.080 --> 0:12:21.760 I don't know either. 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:22.600 That's why I don't know. 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:25.000 I'm just waiting for the explanation. I don't know either. 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:30.840 I doubt we get an explanation style. I highly doubt that. 0:12:31.640 --> 0:12:33.959 Can you imagine, hikesaun stide? Can you imagine? Because I 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:36.440 think this is the first time Hard has been in 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:39.679 front of reporters, can you imagine him getting asked that 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:42.400 question after after? It's nice? 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:45.920 This is the playoff game of his life. So maybe 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:48.200 it's a good time because he can say pretty he 0:12:48.240 --> 0:12:52.640 can say pretty much anything now and uh, and it's 0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:54.880 gonna They're gonna bless it. Do we need to take 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:57.840 a break so you can have this room service meal? 0:12:57.960 --> 0:13:01.760 No, so my my best friend and Terrence Hall drove 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:04.199 down from Fresno to come kicking with me. So this 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:08.480 is actually his food, So it's for him, I ad. 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:13.240 So your idea of a way to, you know, reconnect 0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:15.040 with one of your best friends is hey, come come 0:13:15.080 --> 0:13:18.000 hang out with me and watch me talk on a podcast. 0:13:18.520 --> 0:13:21.720 No, it's not like that. Usually when my friends find 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:28.280 out I'm near, they just come over uninvited. That's usually 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:30.800 how it works. And it's not like I keep it 0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:32.920 a secret. You know, there was a press release of 0:13:32.960 --> 0:13:35.959 what out says. I decided I reported for game one 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:38.719 the Lakers and Warriors. So that's how my friends are 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:40.080 all right? 0:13:40.160 --> 0:13:42.640 That was not part of tonight's plan discussion. But like 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:44.840 I said, I'm not sure we can say that anymore 0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:47.480 because we need a lot more clarity on the Joel 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:51.600 Embiid health situation. But wow, I mean, Philly winning Game 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:55.800 one was not in the script, and James Harden with 0:13:56.040 --> 0:14:00.000 the playoff game of his life. After all of these 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:10.080 other interesting sidebars to the discussion, what I wanted to 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:13.520 ask you when we got together tonight was is this 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:18.839 the year of the lower seed again? Warriors number six? 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:23.240 Take out number three Sacramento. The Lakers as a number seven, 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:28.440 take out number two Memphis, the Heat as a number eight, 0:14:29.240 --> 0:14:33.360 as we all know, take out number one Milwaukee in 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:38.720 historic fashion in five games. Boston is a two versus three. 0:14:38.760 --> 0:14:41.960 But as we've said fifteen times already, Tonight and Beads 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:45.200 got this knee situation, the Celtics have looked like an 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:49.120 absolute mess. I mean, we knew this season was wide open, 0:14:50.040 --> 0:14:53.720 but I think it's even more wide open now than 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:59.440 we anticipated. After a bizarre regular season like Warriors, Lakers, Heat. 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:01.720 Could our chie champion really come from that trio? I 0:15:01.760 --> 0:15:04.000 guess you've been saying you've kind of been a Lakers 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:06.880 believer now for a while, which I clearly have not. 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:11.640 Yeah, ever since they made those moves at the deadline. 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:15.080 But I will say about you know, the point about 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:18.600 lower seeds taking down the higher season is this the season. 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:22.240 I think there's an exception for a few of those teams. 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:24.520 I think there should be an exception made. Let me 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:26.560 know if you agree or not. I believe there should 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:30.440 be exception made for the Warriors and the Lakers. The 0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:32.640 only team that I feel like is really in that 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.000 boat of a true lower seed is the Miami Heat. 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:42.040 The Lakers got better at the deadline, so they you know, 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:44.760 they climbed up the rankings ever since they made those moves, 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:47.400 so they're really a better team than their seating. And 0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:50.440 the same thing for the Warriors. They were dealing with injuries, 0:15:50.720 --> 0:15:54.280 Stephen Curry out, so they're a better team than their seating. 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:57.160 The Miami Heat is really the only team out there 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:03.560 that you can't say, well healthy, didn't make any moves. 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:07.800 They're really a number eight seed and they took the 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:11.080 hard way of the playoff playing route to get to 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:15.640 the playoffs. That's probably really the most spectacular thing that 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:18.440 we've seen as far in the playoffs. But to answer 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:21.760 your to answer your question going into the postseason, Phoenix 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:25.480 was my team that I said, I think, you know, 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:27.480 that's not looking too good as of right now. No, 0:16:27.560 --> 0:16:30.480 it's only one game. But Denver is looking really good. 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:33.280 And I think a lot of people, include myself, were 0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:37.920 sleeping on a bit. But Warriors and the Lakers they're 0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:41.840 better than let me see what the sixth and seven seed. Yeah, 0:16:41.880 --> 0:16:44.320 they're better than the sixth and seventh seed. And uh, 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:47.840 you know, Philly and Boston they were right there for 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:52.320 a minute. And uh, but I do I do feel 0:16:52.360 --> 0:17:01.040 like hmmm, I feel like, hmmm, do I want to 0:17:01.080 --> 0:17:03.560 say this? I'm a bail. I'm a bail. I'm not 0:17:03.600 --> 0:17:05.760 saying that I'm a bail. I was stine. I was 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:07.919 gonna say something that was gonna have me in some 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:10.320 hot water. SI, it was gonna have me in some 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:13.040 hot water because I was gonna pick a team because 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:14.240 I really feel this way. 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:17.439 But I'm a whole is what you're saying. 0:17:18.640 --> 0:17:20.840 This will get aggreated. What I was thinking right now 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:23.000 is we'll get acting. But Stein, I learned from you 0:17:23.040 --> 0:17:25.320 because a lot of times you tell me, don't just 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:27.800 say what I'm thinking at that moment, give us, give. 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:29.800 Us something hugely. You ignore my advice. 0:17:31.400 --> 0:17:33.600 I do most of the time. I but the tip, 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:35.680 ask for my old head counsel. 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.280 And then you just do it anyway, which I which 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:42.000 I actually admire because I wish because I'm too safe. 0:17:42.080 --> 0:17:42.680 You always have. 0:17:42.640 --> 0:17:45.680 The gumption to say, you know what, I'm just gonna Stein, 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:48.200 thanks for looking out, but uh no, I'm gonna do 0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:48.719 it anyway. 0:17:49.480 --> 0:17:51.840 But Stian, how many times have I said something on 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:55.080 this pod? You let it go, and then once the 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:58.840 pot is done, you go back to our super producer 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:02.520 Ryan and you say, hey, Ryan, I think we should 0:18:02.560 --> 0:18:05.600 take out what Chris said in a ten to fifteen. 0:18:06.240 --> 0:18:06.960 Let's take it out. 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:08.080 Oh. 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:11.159 The whole time the rest of the pod, I'm thinking, 0:18:11.280 --> 0:18:15.000 like I'm weighed it. I'm like, should I have said that? 0:18:15.000 --> 0:18:16.520 That may or may not. 0:18:16.480 --> 0:18:20.800 Have happened once or twice in this show's brief history. 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:23.040 So I listen to you. I listen to you. 0:18:23.760 --> 0:18:27.000 I can't confirm or deny that the larger question here, 0:18:27.080 --> 0:18:29.159 and the truth is we can't answer it yet. Is 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:33.479 has something materially changed in the league, Like do we 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:38.600 have new found lasting parody? And I would caution that 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:42.440 there's just no way for us to have that answer 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:45.560 and know that yet. There's just no way because this 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:49.760 season was so bizarre. I mean, we've we have covered 0:18:49.760 --> 0:18:52.520 this in the past. This is the nineteenth season in 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:55.879 the league where you had thirty franchises. In the first 0:18:55.960 --> 0:19:00.480 eighteen of those seasons, the West averaged five point three 0:19:00.720 --> 0:19:04.679 fifty win teams. This season, there were only two, and 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:07.480 a lot of that was because we had so much 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:11.720 I mean, there was just widespread injury throughout the West, 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:17.280 and it makes it harder to judge, Like, you know, 0:19:17.560 --> 0:19:20.239 how can we say it now that this is that 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:22.320 this is the new NBA and it's the new way 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:24.600 it is when a we don't even know what kind 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:27.600 of roster changes we're gonna see from teams for next season. 0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:30.320 I mean, a bunch of teams could look drastically different. 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:31.879 But yeah, I mean, I do agree with what you 0:19:31.880 --> 0:19:34.879 were saying earlier. The Warriors, they're not your normal number 0:19:34.920 --> 0:19:37.400 six seed. They're the defending champs. They had to play 0:19:37.440 --> 0:19:41.560 long stretches of the season with no Steph and no Wiggins. 0:19:41.560 --> 0:19:45.440 Andrew Wiggins missed forty five games, Stephen Curry missed twenty six. 0:19:45.760 --> 0:19:48.680 The Lakers, like you said, that's a completely different team now, 0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:53.320 they made four trades between January twenty third and February ninth. 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:55.800 It is a new roster. And I would actually where 0:19:55.800 --> 0:19:57.879 I would disagree with you. I think even the Heat 0:19:58.080 --> 0:20:03.399 belong in this category to a degree because I checked 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:06.240 with the great Jeff Stotts from in street Clothes dot com, 0:20:06.280 --> 0:20:09.320 and he keeps a database on every injury in the league. 0:20:09.359 --> 0:20:12.640 And you know, the Heat were fourth in games lost 0:20:12.680 --> 0:20:16.440 to injury this season. Only Detroit, Portland and Orlando lost 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:19.399 more games to injury. So even they had a very 0:20:19.480 --> 0:20:23.040 up and down regular season. And even now with this 0:20:23.480 --> 0:20:25.760 one to zero lead that they take into MSG for 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:28.800 Game two, you know, Jimmy Butler's playing with an injury now, 0:20:28.840 --> 0:20:31.399 and they've lost Tyler Herro and they lost Victor Oladipo. 0:20:31.560 --> 0:20:36.560 So this is such a strange season. I just I 0:20:36.680 --> 0:20:40.000 don't know yet if this is the new way. But 0:20:40.080 --> 0:20:43.400 you know, Lawrence Frank dropped this stat last week when 0:20:43.400 --> 0:20:47.960 he was doing his season ending media, and he brought 0:20:47.960 --> 0:20:51.320 it up. Basically, he was saying, the Clippers need to 0:20:51.359 --> 0:20:54.760 take the regular season more seriously than they have because 0:20:54.760 --> 0:20:57.879 if you look at it, the last twenty eight champions 0:20:58.200 --> 0:21:01.159 in the NBA have been a top three seed. We 0:21:01.240 --> 0:21:05.159 have not seen a champion in the NBA outside the 0:21:05.200 --> 0:21:09.440 top three since the Houston Rockets in nineteen ninety five, 0:21:09.640 --> 0:21:11.800 my first full year covering the NBA. 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:16.160 So I like that he said that, Stuy, But who 0:21:16.200 --> 0:21:16.840 was he talking to? 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:21.920 Yeah, well, that's I mean, he was clearly from my seat, 0:21:21.960 --> 0:21:24.760 clearly talking to Kawhi and PG. So how do you 0:21:24.800 --> 0:21:26.520 think that landed with them? I mean, that's really the 0:21:26.600 --> 0:21:30.800 question because obviously they you know, Lawrence Frank was effusive 0:21:30.840 --> 0:21:33.520 in his praise of those guys, and he said, the 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:36.119 Clippers want to resign those guys and keep those guys. 0:21:36.119 --> 0:21:39.160 But if you're talking about taking the regular season more seriously, 0:21:39.520 --> 0:21:43.040 he could only that could only mean he was referring 0:21:43.040 --> 0:21:47.240 to Kawhi and Paul George, unless I'm completely missing the point. 0:21:49.160 --> 0:21:49.880 I just want to get. 0:21:52.840 --> 0:21:59.240 Great, so you just let let me get aggregated. Thanks, 0:21:58.359 --> 0:22:02.600 that's all right, Let's talk talk about the Marquee series. 0:22:02.720 --> 0:22:06.840 Of Round two. You're gonna be on it both TV 0:22:07.000 --> 0:22:10.760 wise and writing wise, and you're already there. Warriors Lakers. 0:22:12.320 --> 0:22:16.080 You know, I'm I'm I kind of brought this up 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:17.960 already on Twitter, but I don't think we can say 0:22:17.960 --> 0:22:20.520 it enough, and it'll be in my story that posts 0:22:20.520 --> 0:22:23.280 today on substack. You know, the joke always used to 0:22:23.320 --> 0:22:27.439 be in the David Stern era, the dream series in 0:22:27.520 --> 0:22:30.879 the NBA offices, when they would talk about their absolute 0:22:30.920 --> 0:22:34.200 if they could do any playoff matchup that they could, 0:22:34.240 --> 0:22:37.720 if they could really control it and joystick it, that 0:22:37.800 --> 0:22:41.760 their dream series would be Lakers versus Lakers because nothing 0:22:41.800 --> 0:22:46.320 would get better ratings, and Lakers versus Warriors Lebron versus 0:22:46.359 --> 0:22:50.359 Steph is probably as close to the mythical Lakers versus 0:22:50.400 --> 0:22:54.320 Lakers matchup. I mean, this is going to be the 0:22:54.359 --> 0:22:58.359 series that TV ratings or you know, that TV executives 0:22:58.440 --> 0:23:02.560 dream of, because you know, these guys have already met 0:23:02.560 --> 0:23:06.000 on the final stage four times. They met on the 0:23:06.000 --> 0:23:08.680