WEBVTT - Is Tension Growing Between AD and LeBron?

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<v Speaker 1>Who do you think shut it down?

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<v Speaker 2>My curiosity is obviously always with Okay see, because even

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<v Speaker 2>when they're teetering on success in prior years, they've been

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<v Speaker 2>very reluctant to keep success going, right, Like they shut

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<v Speaker 2>down Shay last year, they shut down Giddy last year,

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<v Speaker 2>they shut down.

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<v Speaker 1>Like even Kenrick Williams.

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<v Speaker 2>I think at one point, like anybody who had a

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<v Speaker 2>pulse wasn't playing for this team. Obviously we mentioned Portland.

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<v Speaker 2>Portland is not on a trajectory for a play in spot,

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<v Speaker 2>despite what Dame thinks or what Chauncey Billups thinks, like

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<v Speaker 2>who do you think goes or do you like full

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to sell mode like for the rest of

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<v Speaker 2>the season, I'm just gonna whether they shut down players

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<v Speaker 2>or they.

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<v Speaker 1>Just lose games, like semi intentionally.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it'll happen. Can I pinpoint where I'll pinpoint

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<v Speaker 3>where I don't think it will. Orlando seems pretty content

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<v Speaker 3>on trying to win games and trying to compete, and

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<v Speaker 3>Magic want to take steps forward. The Pistons, I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>they haven't had the bench guys to be the worst

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<v Speaker 3>team in the league. So I don't think. I don't think.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't think we'll see that either. I think don

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<v Speaker 3>but are still going to be chasing thirty every night.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, San Antonio has lost a good amount of

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<v Speaker 3>games after selling Josh Richardson and taking on Dwayne dead

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<v Speaker 3>Bean into salary and waving him. I don't think the

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<v Speaker 3>Spurs have a ton of interest in competing for the

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<v Speaker 3>postseason Utah. I would expect to see some more youth movement,

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<v Speaker 3>some more minutes for unproven guys, some boggy opportunity. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>they just moved Vanderbilt and Lake Beasley and Mike Conley

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<v Speaker 3>out the door. Russell Westbrook obviously is not going to

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<v Speaker 3>be playing for the Utah Jazz, so those are probably

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<v Speaker 3>the two teams I would how it's the most the

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<v Speaker 3>Thunder I never I've gotten into plenty of trouble speaking

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<v Speaker 3>about the Thunder and positions where I don't one hundred

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<v Speaker 3>percent know what's going on there. So I'm gonna I'm

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<v Speaker 3>gonna abstain from that.

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<v Speaker 1>Battle out on that that makes sense.

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<v Speaker 2>One thing about the Thunder I thought was interesting was

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<v Speaker 2>a recent article that came out that I don't know

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<v Speaker 2>why even they would do this, That they promised Jabari

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<v Speaker 2>that they would take him number two overall, if he

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<v Speaker 2>was there, obviously they take chet Jabari ends up in Houston,

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<v Speaker 2>like how how normal is something that would be very

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<v Speaker 2>blatantly not true. Obviously was not going to be a

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<v Speaker 2>fit there.

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<v Speaker 3>I think two things. One, I think teams say we're

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<v Speaker 3>going to take you here if you're there, and that

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<v Speaker 3>can be one of two things. One it is a

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<v Speaker 3>promise and the guy they thought wasn't going to be

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<v Speaker 3>there as all of a sudden there. Or two they

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<v Speaker 3>could say to someone, if you're there, we think we're

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<v Speaker 3>gonna take you and that or we're gonna take you

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<v Speaker 3>or whatever, and then the player and their parents just

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<v Speaker 3>take it as an ironclad promise when it really wasn't.

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<v Speaker 3>And then there are promises where you know, we promise

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<v Speaker 3>this guy, and then that's the guy they take because

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<v Speaker 3>they they are men and women of their words, and

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<v Speaker 3>that's what they said. So with Jabari's circumstance, I don't

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<v Speaker 3>know what it was, but I just know that from

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<v Speaker 3>my reporting, chet Holmgren wanted to go to Oka see okay,

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<v Speaker 3>so he was obviously very interested in chet Holmgren. And

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<v Speaker 3>the second that he did knock on number one, I

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<v Speaker 3>was not expecting him to not go to like it

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<v Speaker 3>was kind of a sliding doors thing where either Pale

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<v Speaker 3>or Jabari we're gonna go one or three depending on

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<v Speaker 3>what the magic decided. So I don't know where Jabari

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<v Speaker 3>Smith's camp got that impression. Could they have thought that

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<v Speaker 3>they got promised and it wasn't a promise?

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<v Speaker 2>Sure that is a Houston maybe bro think he seems

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<v Speaker 2>like he's not himself. There's new articles about how he

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<v Speaker 2>cried on draft night when they took him, which I

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<v Speaker 2>guess I understand given that this is going to be

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<v Speaker 2>a losing situation in.

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<v Speaker 1>The post Hardened era.

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<v Speaker 2>To me, my opinion, is the only way he gets

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<v Speaker 2>out of this jail sentence as if James Harden somehow

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<v Speaker 2>wants to go back. Feels to me like Houston is

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<v Speaker 2>a mess, but I don't exactly know why. Like I

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<v Speaker 2>kind of know why, but I don't exactly know why,

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<v Speaker 2>outside of say Stephen Silas being obviously the wrong coach

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<v Speaker 2>for this type of group.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you in your estimation is wrong there?

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<v Speaker 3>You know? It's it's a question that I want to

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<v Speaker 3>make more phone calls about and potentially even go to

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<v Speaker 3>Houston to learn more about. In the coming weeks. But

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<v Speaker 3>all I can say, what I will say is that

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<v Speaker 3>I mean there hasn't been a clear direction to build

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<v Speaker 3>this thing forward, more so than just adding top level

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<v Speaker 3>rookie talents into the mix here. I mean, Eric Gordon

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<v Speaker 3>has been, you know, in the fold, Christian Wood was

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<v Speaker 3>there a year ago. But in terms of like, it

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<v Speaker 3>isn't just like you draft guys, then you add pieces

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<v Speaker 3>and then things just materialize, Like there needs to be

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<v Speaker 3>some type of commitment towards winning as opposed to just

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<v Speaker 3>throwing minutes at particular players that your front office is

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<v Speaker 3>invested in and actually like coming in with strategies on

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<v Speaker 3>how to develop these guys and winning roles in a

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<v Speaker 3>particular greater team environment. That just doesn't seem to be

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<v Speaker 3>the case. It seems like they're back to the John

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<v Speaker 3>Wall situation. From everything I had heard last season, it

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<v Speaker 3>was just we want to play Kevin Porter junior and

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<v Speaker 3>Jalen Green X number of minutes you X number minut

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<v Speaker 3>it's off the bench, and like take it or leave it,

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<v Speaker 3>and obviously he left it, and it didn't seem that

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<v Speaker 3>there's any more of a of a I mean, I

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<v Speaker 3>don't want to discredit the coaching staff there for not

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<v Speaker 3>having more of a plan, but just from the way

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<v Speaker 3>the conversations have gone, it just hasn't sounded like there's

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<v Speaker 3>been a collective universal like we're all moving in this

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<v Speaker 3>direction together, which a concerted thing is important, like to

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<v Speaker 3>have your owner and your front office and your head

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<v Speaker 3>coach and your like the player development guy all aligned

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<v Speaker 3>on what Kevin Porter Junior, Jalen Green or kJ Martin

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<v Speaker 3>need to be doing to JB Jamari Smith to become

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<v Speaker 3>this player that you envision your overall team to be

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<v Speaker 3>than like any second you're not doing that. It's kind

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<v Speaker 3>of just a waste of time.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I saw this, and I don't know why this

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<v Speaker 2>is happening, but this is some tea It's like a

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<v Speaker 2>team related question. Why do you think there's this like

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<v Speaker 2>uprising of chatter that there's some sort of problem between

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<v Speaker 2>a D and Bron?

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<v Speaker 1>Like what's I feel like that's very weird.

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<v Speaker 3>It's just the body language doctors are out. She clearly

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<v Speaker 3>was not thrilled the evening of Lebron's all time record

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<v Speaker 3>setting performance. And he's kind of been poudied ever since.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean when he was when the Lakers were here

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<v Speaker 3>in New York. It was like a week before he

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<v Speaker 3>broke the record. At MSG they were talking about how

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<v Speaker 3>Lebron is going to inevitably and Lebron was in New

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<v Speaker 3>York like a week before he was gonna break it.

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<v Speaker 3>Of course he was going to be asked about it.

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<v Speaker 3>That's just how the media scene works here, and Ady

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<v Speaker 3>was kind of chuckling about it and saying like, oh, Dan,

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<v Speaker 3>that's cold or something like that when Lebron said, I'm

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<v Speaker 3>going to break it just like a matter of time. So,

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, this hasn't been like a long winding whatever

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<v Speaker 3>it is, I'll say I can say that, but yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>I mean the situation hasn't been perfect.

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<v Speaker 1>So do you think it's real?

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know. I don't I don't know. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>I think a lot of this has been just a

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<v Speaker 3>tough season on the whole, where it's just it's a

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<v Speaker 3>it's a drain generally to be in the center of

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<v Speaker 3>that storm all year long, where there's headlines and headlines

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<v Speaker 3>and headlines and people asking about it, and it's not

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<v Speaker 3>just the headlines. I see things are happening behind the

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<v Speaker 3>scenes that are not exemplary either. So when when it's

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<v Speaker 3>just not a fun environment to be in, Like you

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<v Speaker 3>can understand why things can kind of snowball and grow

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<v Speaker 3>a little bit.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean I've heard for years that the Lakers

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<v Speaker 2>are one of the least fun environments to play in,

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<v Speaker 2>Like not.

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<v Speaker 3>Just you're winning, it's great, and you're winning it's great.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's like a worst version of like New York

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<v Speaker 2>sports because it's just different, right, Like there's just different trappings.

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<v Speaker 2>I saw this factoid the Celtics are on pace to

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<v Speaker 2>lead the NBA with fifty eight wins, and that'll be

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<v Speaker 2>the first time it's that a team hasn't broken sixty

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<v Speaker 2>wins in the NBA since like two thousand and it's

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<v Speaker 2>the second time that that would have happened in forty

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<v Speaker 2>four years. Like I just kind of like finally, because

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<v Speaker 2>I know we got to both go just kind of

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<v Speaker 2>get your estimation on, like why why that there is

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<v Speaker 2>no team that's maybe going to get to sixty and

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<v Speaker 2>what that actually means for the league.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, there's just so much talent in the NBA right

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<v Speaker 3>now and there's no absolute juggernaut Warriors or even like

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<v Speaker 3>wasn't just the fact that the Warriors were such a

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<v Speaker 3>juggernaut It was the fact that it was kind of

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<v Speaker 3>a foregone conclusion that Golden State and Cleveland were going

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<v Speaker 3>to meet in the finals for four straight years, and

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<v Speaker 3>that might before that, Miami was going to make the

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<v Speaker 3>finals for four straight years, and San Antonio was there

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<v Speaker 3>for you know, pretty much every year they were and

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<v Speaker 3>in the finals every single year, but they were they

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<v Speaker 3>were a threat every year for the better part of

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<v Speaker 3>two decades. There's the Warriors are still here, Lebron's still here,

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<v Speaker 3>There's still you know, the old cast of characters that

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<v Speaker 3>are knocking on the door. But it's just there's It's

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<v Speaker 3>considered in the league right now that any goal you

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<v Speaker 3>want to accomplish, whether you're a rebuilding team wants to

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<v Speaker 3>make the plan, whether you're a playing team and wants

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<v Speaker 3>to make the playoffs, whether you're a team has been

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<v Speaker 3>a first round roadkill that wants to make move further

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<v Speaker 3>into the postseason. Everyone's under the impression that we're one

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<v Speaker 3>move away from getting there. Yeah, and that's because the

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<v Speaker 3>talent's so deep, so everyone's given the shot primarily, and

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<v Speaker 3>the parody's been I think a result of those compounding

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<v Speaker 3>factors where the playing tournament has clearly helped a lot

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<v Speaker 3>in that regard, combined with this influx of young dudes

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<v Speaker 3>where like you know, Pallo for example, is contributing winning

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<v Speaker 3>type of basketball right now. It's not like Luca was

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<v Speaker 3>immediate William Dallas, but very rarely do these rookies come

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<v Speaker 3>in and impact winning let alone, like Anthony Edwards is

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<v Speaker 3>all of a sudden an engine in Minnesota. And you know,

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<v Speaker 3>there's just there's just a lot of really good young

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<v Speaker 3>players in the league right now, while we still have

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<v Speaker 3>so many players like Lebron and Chris Paul and k

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<v Speaker 3>D and Steph who are playing at such a highlight

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<v Speaker 3>game at you know, in the into their mid and

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<v Speaker 3>late thirties.

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<v Speaker 2>So let's get a prediction. So we got twenty seven

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<v Speaker 2>games left, who is in the finals? Are our Dubs still?

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, I'm going Dubs to the Western Conference Finals. However,

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<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna right now, I'm gonna tip my hat to Denver.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna I'm gonna, I'm gonna pick Denver, and I'm

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<v Speaker 3>gonna pick Denver. Milwaukee a little small market finals that

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<v Speaker 3>the NBA will love.

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<v Speaker 2>And uh, what do they play in the Eastern Conference Finals? Then?

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<v Speaker 3>I think the Sixers had the talent to be in

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<v Speaker 3>that top tier with those two teams, they're clearly ahead

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<v Speaker 3>of Cleveland when they put it all together, but they

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<v Speaker 3>just don't put it all together on a consistent enough basis.

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<v Speaker 3>I think to make it through four rounds, let alone three.

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<v Speaker 3>So I think it's going to be Boston.

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<v Speaker 1>Milwaukee and then who wins.

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<v Speaker 3>Give me honest and the Bucks.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's do it.

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<v Speaker 4>Many thanks to Jake Fisher on this episode of The

0:12:28.200 --> 0:12:32.160
<v Speaker 4>Heat Check. We'll be back on Friday. Keep it locked,

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