WEBVTT - Lakers Survive, Playoff Preview & Outpick Nick 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:03.240 This episode is brought to you by all State. Some 0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:06.080 people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance 0:00:06.160 --> 0:00:08.840 by checking all State first, Like you know to check 0:00:08.880 --> 0:00:12.440 the date of the Big game first before you accidentally 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:15.480 buy tickets on your twentieth wedding anniversary and have to 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:17.920 spend the next twenty years of your marriage making up 0:00:17.920 --> 0:00:21.520 for it. Yeah, checking first is smart, So check all 0:00:21.560 --> 0:00:23.880 State first for a quote that could save you hundreds. 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:26.600 You're in good hands with All States Savings. Very terms 0:00:26.640 --> 0:00:40.680 apply All State Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:47.320 Welcome in. We'll drive with Nick Wright episode ton to 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:52.080 do massive week in our household. I have some important 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:56.240 family business to handle at the end of the show. 0:00:56.640 --> 0:00:59.760 Before we before we do the listener. 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:02.080 Question, do that at the end of the show. But 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:05.080 we got to get right into it today. Diora is here. 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:08.080 She's my seventeen soon to be eighteen year old daughter. 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:11.160 Some of her family business will be discussed at the 0:01:11.240 --> 0:01:13.479 end of the show as well as This is a 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:17.000 wild week and a very important day in the right 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:20.759 family household. But we had play in games last night. 0:01:21.200 --> 0:01:25.520 We have fourteen sixteenths of the playoff set. 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:27.399 We're gonna play a confidence game. 0:01:27.760 --> 0:01:33.240 Today is an anniversary in the NBA as well as 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:35.720 a personal anniversary. I'll get to that in a moment, 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:39.680 But first, what did not make the show? Not on 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:44.080 the show today? Sakwan Barkley doesn't sign his franchise tag. 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:46.959 That's not surprising. I think he'll play, but I don't 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.240 think he's gonna show up for a while. Jake Paul 0:01:49.280 --> 0:01:53.960 and Nate DZ boxing match booked. I it's not possible 0:01:54.000 --> 0:01:57.960 for me to be less interested in anything, Jacob, do 0:01:58.040 --> 0:02:02.080 you like Jake Paul. I used to be, you know, 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:02.840 a Jake Paul. 0:02:03.000 --> 0:02:04.800 I used to watch the Team ten videos. 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:06.840 Okay, I don't know what that is. You know he's 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:08.200 now a professional boxer. 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:10.400 I'm not alm a professional, but I do know that 0:02:10.440 --> 0:02:10.960 he boxes. 0:02:11.240 --> 0:02:13.080 Yeah, no, no, I mean he's but he is a 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:16.320 professional boxer. He fights in professional fights. But then he 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:18.400 got into it with my buddy Bimani. He seems like 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:22.560 a jerk. I'm not a Jake Paul. Guy USC hiring 0:02:22.760 --> 0:02:28.480 Cliff Kingsbury and Bonus missed the show. Doora got me 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:31.119 to finally take the TikTok plunge. So if you want 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:32.040 to follow me there. 0:02:32.160 --> 0:02:35.600 What Let's also mention that you've had tiktoksince November. I'm 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:37.560 just saying that you were going to do things on 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:38.120 it and have not. 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:39.919 I have not done anything on it, but I will 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:41.800 start now. You can follow me on there at get 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:44.680 Nick Wright funny moment? Do Youora? And I signed up 0:02:44.760 --> 0:02:47.800 for TikTok? Who She signed me up for TikTok in 0:02:47.919 --> 0:02:49.359 November on the way to. 0:02:49.320 --> 0:02:50.000 A NETS game. 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:50.880 On the way back from it. 0:02:51.040 --> 0:02:51.919 On the way back from. 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:54.240 A NETS game, thank you for that important clarification for the. 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:58.880 Audience and the and I said, I was like, I'm 0:02:58.880 --> 0:03:02.040 not gonna really post my until I get verified, and 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:02.880 Diora said. 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:04.080 Wow, it took him a week. 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:06.840 You're not going to get verified until you have this 0:03:07.040 --> 0:03:09.800 many videos and do this. And I was like, eh, 0:03:10.160 --> 0:03:12.200 I don't think so. She's like, I know how TikTok 0:03:12.240 --> 0:03:18.600 works since I was making and then you know within 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:21.480 a few months that all happened all right. By the way, 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:28.880 speaking of important anniversaries, today is the seven year anniversary 0:03:30.120 --> 0:03:33.120 of Kobe Bryant's final game in the NBA. We're going 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:35.000 to get to the actual show in just a moment, 0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:37.800 But I didn't realize that game was today until I 0:03:37.840 --> 0:03:41.560 was scrolling Twitter and I saw the highlights from it. 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:46.440 And when you go back and look at what Kobe 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:51.600 did in that game, it is actually, I think underrated 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:56.160 how crazy that was. He was having a really good game, 0:03:56.880 --> 0:03:59.960 but his team was. It was seventy five sixty six 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:04.880 Jazz at the end of three quarters and Kobe again 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:08.480 he had up to that point because he had I 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:11.800 think thirty seven points, so it was really impressive, but 0:04:11.880 --> 0:04:14.200 it's like, Okay, they're gonna lose. He's gonna have somewhere 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:17.520 in the forties. And then Kobe Bryant, in his final 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:21.560 game ever, not only scored twenty three in the fourth 0:04:22.080 --> 0:04:26.200 to finish with sixty, but the way the game ended, 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:32.680 it's ninety four eighty four Jazz with three minutes left, 0:04:33.560 --> 0:04:37.000 and then Kobe gets a layup, Kobe gets two free throws, 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:40.840 Kobe gets a layup, Kobe hits a jumper, and they're 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:44.359 down four with a minute left. Kobe hits a three, 0:04:45.160 --> 0:04:48.880 hits a jumper, hit some free throws, and they he 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:53.400 gets sixty and they win. It was that was a 0:04:53.560 --> 0:04:57.800 sports movie scene, and I remember it vividly. I had 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:01.240 just moved to Los Angeles. I was starting my job 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:07.760 with Fox that week, and it it was unbelievable what 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:11.040 we were seeing. It was also the night the Warriors 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:14.200 got their seventy third win how that season and four 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:17.159 with Lebron sending them home and Draymond crying. More on 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:21.960 that later, But it was seven years ago today, and 0:05:21.960 --> 0:05:24.680 then a few years ago obviously we lost Kobe. But 0:05:25.520 --> 0:05:27.200 what an unbelievable moment. 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:29.200 That does not feel like it was seven years ago. 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:32.640 All right, Diorra, let's get to the actual show, starting 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:33.680 with last night's playing. 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:36.960 Okay, the play in tournament is almost wrapped up. In 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:39.919 the early game, you had the Bulls versus the Raptors, 0:05:40.000 --> 0:05:42.840 headlining dir De Rozan's free throw defense. 0:05:42.920 --> 0:05:46.359 Okay, so so Dr, by the way, that's the first 0:05:46.400 --> 0:05:49.560 person I've never met another Diora. This is the closest 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:53.000 I've come too. I've met I've met Diors, but I've 0:05:53.000 --> 0:05:56.440 never heard Dr met Diors. Yeah, you've never met someone 0:05:56.480 --> 0:05:59.280 named Dior. Yeah, like the Christian Dior, like that type 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:00.960 of is the first name. But set that aside. If 0:06:00.960 --> 0:06:08.719 you didn't watch Demarta Rosen's daughter screamed every time the 0:06:08.800 --> 0:06:11.599 Raptors shot a free throw. Now we go to nets 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:14.520 games and there's that old man, the mister Whammy, who 0:06:14.520 --> 0:06:19.520 does the tries to jinx the opposing team, and statistically 0:06:19.560 --> 0:06:22.480 it actually seems to have a tiny effect. This appeared 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:27.000 to have a massive effect. The Raptors missed eighteen free 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:31.159 throws of their thirty six, half of them. And so 0:06:31.400 --> 0:06:33.760 now before we get to the other game, the more 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:37.919 interesting game, this is where I'm gonna give the controversial opinion. 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:39.960 You guys can start the clock and throw the rundown 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:42.200 up there because we're going, We're off and running. 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:44.720 Uh, this is. 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:51.880 Where I'm gonna give an unpopular take. The NBA's got 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:55.800 to step in. You can't let this happen again. What 0:06:55.800 --> 0:07:02.200 do you mean you can't have little kids screen? Okay, 0:07:02.680 --> 0:07:05.800 so here's the thing again. I said it's gonna be unpopular. 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:11.640 I'm going to use what's gonna sound like an odd analogy. 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:16.679 The Philadelphia Eagles this year, en route to the Super Bowl, 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:22.480 kind of hacked the quarterback sneak. They put the the 0:07:22.720 --> 0:07:26.240 Jalen Hurts their quarterback in the backfield. They then get 0:07:26.320 --> 0:07:29.000 two guys behind him and they all push him in 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:32.920 a rugby scrum. The NFL had the opportunity to outlaw 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:35.920 that this offseason, they didn't. They're like, ah, the Eagles 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:39.520 are good at it. Other teams can catch up. Why outlaw. 0:07:39.800 --> 0:07:45.600 Here's why you outlawed, Because if any team gets good 0:07:45.760 --> 0:07:49.360 enough at that to where instead of getting two yards 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:53.720 every time, they get four yards every time, the sport 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:59.680 is ruined. You just run the most boring, aesthetically unpleasing 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:04.320 play imaginable a rugby scrum all the way down the field. 0:08:05.280 --> 0:08:08.840 You obviously can't have that. That's obviously bad for business. 0:08:09.040 --> 0:08:12.600 So the NFL, in my opinion, should jump in one 0:08:12.960 --> 0:08:18.440 little girl at one playoff game, one time, screaming at 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:23.440 every free throw. No problem, but it worked. If all 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:28.040 of a sudden, now every NBA broadcast, every NBA game 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:31.640 you go to, whenever the opposing team is shooting free throws, 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:35.320 all the children in the crowd are screaming at the 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.000 top of their lungs, that ain't good for business. 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.679 That's a sports game, though, a sports. 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:41.800 Game, I understand say, And. 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:44.920 That's what happens at sports games. Like you can't just 0:08:45.200 --> 0:08:48.520 decide that like nah, the free speech is over, Like 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:49.440 oh you can't know. 0:08:49.800 --> 0:08:54.360 You can't. It's it is entertainment enterprise, and it's bad 0:08:54.400 --> 0:08:55.240 for television. 0:08:55.600 --> 0:08:57.920 It's bad for the paying entertaining for the people that 0:08:57.960 --> 0:08:58.640 are at the game. 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:01.240 Here's the thing I don't think it would be. I 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:02.560 think it would be maddening. 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:05.680 So like at high school games, like I know, it's 0:09:05.760 --> 0:09:08.360 like not even close to the same level. Yeah, but 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:10.280 everyone screams on free things. 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:12.120 Yeah, and it's maddening. 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:16.040 This is actually the example I'm using the high school 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:19.880 people that students that. 0:09:20.000 --> 0:09:21.400 Are totally disgos. 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:23.400 Well, you know what I said, It was gonna be 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:27.400 an unpopular opinion. It is one of those unpopular opinions 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:31.040 I have that I know is right. Today, everyone is 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:35.840 going to be applauding Dearda Rosen, and they should. She 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:39.520 helped her dad. She's adorable. It was a great job 0:09:39.559 --> 0:09:42.920 by her, I'm telling you. And I don't usually like 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:48.040 the slippery slope argument, but if this turns into a trend. 0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:50.320 It already is a trend. 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:53.199 But not again, I think you've got to like see 0:09:53.240 --> 0:09:57.240 the actual video from the game. It's not regular yelling 0:09:57.600 --> 0:10:00.480 or trying to distract the opponent. It is a shrill 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:05.640 childlike scream I'm gonna use another child example that I was. 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:09.280 It was an unpopular opinion involving children of NBA players, 0:10:09.640 --> 0:10:12.880 and I did it eight years ago and I was 0:10:12.920 --> 0:10:17.960 proven correct. So Steph Curry kind of started this trend. 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:23.000 I'm gonna bring my adorable children. At the time, it 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:27.360 was just child one kid, Riley to my press conferences. 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:31.320 Everyone loved it. Steph was the face of the league. 0:10:31.880 --> 0:10:36.120 He was always winning. He had this amazing little girl 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.679 sitting with him at press conferences. We all thought, or 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:45.080 everyone seemed to think, this is great. And I had 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:53.640 the brave, unpopular opinion, Yeah, you're at work, Probably not 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:56.920 the time to have your little kid at the podium, Nick, 0:10:56.960 --> 0:11:01.400 Why do you think that? Well, after you win a championship, 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:04.040 no problem. Even after you win a game and everyone's 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:08.000 applauding you, no problem. But I saw the train coming 0:11:08.040 --> 0:11:13.679 down the tracks of guys who team had just lost 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:18.079 or were embroiled in a slight controversy or had played 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:22.960 poorly bringing their children to their press conferences and there 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:27.359 being a chilling effect from the media on what questions 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:33.120 are can I ask the guy about the game exactly? 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:37.560 That's why they did it. Which is it was exactly 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:42.920 using this as a shield. It is not fine. I 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:45.880 can't now I actually did this as a gag once, 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:50.040 but I can't. Uh. Nick doesn't like kids anywhere. I like, 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:54.000 I love children, but I'm telling you I can't the 0:11:54.160 --> 0:11:57.920 day after. Let's say the Warriors were to win the 0:11:57.960 --> 0:12:01.520 title this year, and I look like a fool. I 0:12:01.640 --> 0:12:05.480 can't show up at first things first with Deanna on 0:12:05.559 --> 0:12:08.800 my lap, like, oh, guys, you can't make fun of me. 0:12:09.240 --> 0:12:10.839 My kids are here now. 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:12.960 When the Chiefs lost the Super Bowl, I actually did 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:15.920 start the TV show exactly like that as a gag, 0:12:16.440 --> 0:12:19.920 like I called it pulling the Steph Curry. Uh. But 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:23.480 I'm just telling you, just guys, everyone right now is 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:27.000 gonna say this is a terrible opinion. Let's just wait 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:29.880 and see how the rest of these playoffs play out. 0:12:30.200 --> 0:12:31.839 And if all of a sudden you're watching a game, 0:12:31.920 --> 0:12:35.040 you're like, god, dog it, they won't stop screaming. 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:37.360 Just remember who was first on it? 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:39.839 All right, what's the other game that we the more 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:41.520 interestant game we have to talk about? Go ahead? 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:45.840 Okay, and Josh Gitty who I'm supposed to say, Timothy 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:49.760 shallow May but he looks nothing like to Timothy shallow. 0:12:49.400 --> 0:12:51.840 See, I thought he did look like Timothy shallow May 0:12:51.880 --> 0:12:55.640 but that's fine. But go ahead anyways, Josh Gitty nearly 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:59.640 a triple double was my life. Oh okay, I apologize. 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:00.760 I didn't know if you knew where we were in 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:02.560 the script. Go ahead. I know what's your question. 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.000 Which of these teams has the best chance at making 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:06.640 the playoffs? 0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:09.520 Oh? I think the Thunder. I think the Heater gonna 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:14.280 beat the Bulls. I like the Thunders team. I mean, 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:18.400 Shay was excellent, Shae's been all NBA caliber all year. 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:25.520 Giddy's a good player. Now the neither None of these 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:29.800 teams have a great chance in the eight versus one 0:13:29.840 --> 0:13:34.440 against Milwaukee or Denver. But I do think Oklahoma City 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:42.360 could cause some problems for Denver that Minnesota couldn't. And 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:47.200 I gotta give Oklahoma City credit. Everyone killed Sam Presty 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:52.480 for tanking and all of it. Man, they made the 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:56.360 playoffs a few years ago with Chris Paul. They are now, 0:13:56.920 --> 0:13:59.319 I mean in the bubble. They made the playoffs. They 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:02.880 then had two two years in the wilderness, and now 0:14:03.200 --> 0:14:05.640 they are a game away from being back in the playoffs. 0:14:06.000 --> 0:14:08.920 They have all these future picks. They will have Chet, 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:10.959 who I'm not a believer, but they will have Check 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:14.280 coming back. And Shay is a legit top twelve player 0:14:14.280 --> 0:14:18.040 in the league now legit, and Giddy's really good. 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:21.880 So I like you look at their team. They actually, oddly. 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:25.680 Viewer, have two rookies named Jalen Williams. One is the 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:30.040 same exact name, The good Jalen Williams is really good. Well, 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:32.280 the other one's fine. But they have either It's like. 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:34.120 How I have Steph Curry and the baby Curry. 0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:37.280 Well, yeah, except those they're not except they have different names. 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:39.160 These two guys have the exact same name. They believe 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:42.320 the team name Stephan Seth. Yeah, but at least they 0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:45.320 play for different teams. And but you're right, there's one 0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:48.160 is awesome and the others just a fine player. But 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:52.280 the good Jalen Williams, Jalen Williams would know why is 0:14:52.320 --> 0:14:54.560 gonna finish top three and Rookie of the Year. They 0:14:54.560 --> 0:14:57.160 have Check coming back. I like lou Dort. I like 0:14:57.200 --> 0:15:00.120 what they're building in OKAC. I would like to to 0:15:00.120 --> 0:15:03.280 see them beat the Timberwolves and see where they can 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:03.680 go from there. 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:09.000 All right, next, Okay, you, Lebron and the Lakers are 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:12.960 officially in the playoffs after an ugly win. The Lakers 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:16.800 are lucky Minnesota didn't have Gobert, and be honest, you 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:20.760 can't be confidence in your Lakers championship pick after that game. 0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:21.200 All right. 0:15:21.320 --> 0:15:24.640 So here's the thing that seems to be the general consensus. 0:15:24.760 --> 0:15:30.000 Oh man, Lakers look shaky, Lakers got lucky. 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:33.320 Here's the counterpoint to that. 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:40.080 What we saw that even though he did wear down 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:47.720 significantly at the end, Lebron played forty five minutes at 0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:51.160 age thirty eight, year twenty and was the best player 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:55.359 on his team. Now, the final five minutes he looked exhausted, 0:15:55.800 --> 0:15:58.160 but he's not gonna have to play forty five minutes 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:02.280 maybe one more time. I'm the entire postseason. So I 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:05.320 felt good about that. The Lakers' ability to get to 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:08.720 the free throw line, which they did at a better 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:11.400 rate than any team in the league all regular season, 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:15.360 that translated to a playoff atmosphere. Felt good about that. 0:16:16.400 --> 0:16:21.320 The Lakers need oddly important guy for this playoff run 0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:25.600 is Ruey Hachimura, because he's their only backup big that 0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:29.320 I don't trust Winning Gabriel at all. Ruey hot chamurrow 0:16:29.400 --> 0:16:33.080 is playing crunch time for them, Liked that ad was 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:37.520 super aggressive. Liked that so was it perfect? No, does 0:16:37.600 --> 0:16:41.200 Darvin Haham's playoff rotations concern me a bit? Sure, But 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.280 now they get almost a week arrest, they get a 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:47.160 Memphis team that I think they match up incredibly well with. 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:50.520 For no other reason then because Steven Adams is out, 0:16:50.800 --> 0:16:55.520 because Brandon Clark is out. Memphis has won great defensive 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:59.120 big Jaron Jackson Junior, but he fouls more per minute 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:02.080 than any player in the league. The Lakers draw fouls more, 0:17:02.120 --> 0:17:03.880 so he will be in the same type of foul 0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:07.919 trouble Karl Anthony Towns is so I actually it was 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.800 not like an overwhelming twenty five point victory, but the 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:15.159 fact that they came back from fifteen down. Lebron was 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:20.720 able to play forty five minutes and still again in overtime. 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:24.520 He was worn out, but at forty minutes he made 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:26.639 the three to tie the game with two minutes left, 0:17:26.840 --> 0:17:29.160 made the play that should have been to win the game, 0:17:29.680 --> 0:17:31.040 hitting Shrewder in the corner. 0:17:31.680 --> 0:17:33.320 I actually feel good about where they are. 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:36.000 Had they lost that game and had to play again 0:17:36.119 --> 0:17:39.080 Friday and then start the playoffs Sunday in Denver. It's 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:42.840 a different story. Now. With all that said, I would 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:47.240 expect them to lose Sunday A. Memphis is totally rested, 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:51.639 and Lebron treats game ones of playoff series is what 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:54.240 he calls feel out games. See what the events is 0:17:54.280 --> 0:17:58.399 going to try to do, not totally exert his himself. Now. 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:03.200 If they do win, however, on Sunday against. 0:18:02.880 --> 0:18:07.800 The Grizzlies, the series is over. Here's an unbelievable stat 0:18:07.840 --> 0:18:14.720 for you. Lebron James has played thirty nine no He's 0:18:14.800 --> 0:18:19.040 won thirty nine series in his career. He's thirty nine 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:23.480 and eleven in playoff series. When they lose game one, 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:27.920 he's twelve and nine. So he has a winning record 0:18:28.000 --> 0:18:31.840 in the playoffs when losing game one. When his team 0:18:32.000 --> 0:18:38.879 wins game one, they are twenty seven and two, almost unbeatable. 0:18:39.200 --> 0:18:43.080 The two losses, by the way, are probably the two 0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:48.520 worst series of Lebron's career. His final series with the 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:51.439 Cavs the first time around against the Celtics where people 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:55.320 said Game five he quit, and the finals against the MAVs, 0:18:55.320 --> 0:18:57.520 which was the worst series of his career where he 0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:01.400 seemed to have some type of mint short circuit. Those 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:06.080 are the only two series of his career where his 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:09.480 team won Game one and they didn't and they didn't 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:12.520 win the series. So Memphis has to win Game one. 0:19:12.840 --> 0:19:15.680 I don't feel the Lakers have to to three point line. 0:19:15.680 --> 0:19:18.320 Memphis probably should win that game. I like the Lakers 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:19.359 chances in that series. 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:22.479 All right, next, Okay, you asked us to remind you 0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:25.960 to do a Lebron best case worst case debate today? Yeah, 0:19:26.080 --> 0:19:28.639 even though, like I'm sure you wouldn't have forgot to 0:19:28.640 --> 0:19:31.760 talk about Lebron on this show. But now that the 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:35.800 goat has escaped, the play in what are his best 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:39.000 and worst case scenarios postseason? 0:19:39.119 --> 0:19:42.080 Okay, so you're fine. So here's why I wanted to 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:49.879 do it, because we are so illogical when it comes 0:19:49.920 --> 0:19:55.760 to certain sports things, most notably when it comes a 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:59.359 lot of it has to do with Lebron, but it 0:19:59.400 --> 0:20:02.480 has to do with what we reward and what we penalize. 0:20:03.320 --> 0:20:10.600 So does everyone agree rhetorical question that the best case 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:17.359 for Lebron is to win the championship? Of course, what 0:20:17.720 --> 0:20:22.800 is the second best case? If you don't win the title? 0:20:23.680 --> 0:20:27.000 What is the best thing you can do? Other than 0:20:27.000 --> 0:20:30.159 win the title. You're not a diehard sportsman. What do 0:20:30.200 --> 0:20:32.640 you think the answer would be? If you don't win 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:35.280 the championship, what's the next best thing you could do? 0:20:36.280 --> 0:20:38.439 Go ahead, just give it a guess. You don't even 0:20:38.480 --> 0:20:40.280 want to give it against no problem, I mean, just 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:43.679 go ahead. They don't want to do it. 0:20:44.160 --> 0:20:47.760 Here's the thing, it's obvious. 0:20:48.240 --> 0:20:52.880 The answer is make it to the championship and then 0:20:52.920 --> 0:20:53.480 fall short. 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:54.920 That would be the second best. 0:20:55.119 --> 0:20:58.000 The third best would be make it to the conference 0:20:58.040 --> 0:21:01.919 finals and fall short. Like, win as much as you 0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:05.280 can is and win it at all is the best, 0:21:05.560 --> 0:21:07.720 when the second most is second best, so and so forth. 0:21:07.960 --> 0:21:11.959 But that's not how we do the basketball discussion. The 0:21:12.000 --> 0:21:15.720 basketball discussion that we constantly have when it comes to 0:21:15.840 --> 0:21:19.120 Lebron is losing record in the finals, four and six 0:21:19.160 --> 0:21:26.000 in the finals, and for many people they believe somehow 0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:32.560 it would be better if Lebron were four and zero 0:21:32.760 --> 0:21:35.240 in the finals. Why well, Jordan was six and oh 0:21:35.320 --> 0:21:40.359 in the finals, and so because for some reason we 0:21:40.400 --> 0:21:44.200 have changed the math on stuff that if you're not 0:21:44.359 --> 0:21:49.960 going to win the championship, you are better off losing 0:21:50.200 --> 0:21:54.760 early than losing late. You are better off being eliminated 0:21:54.840 --> 0:21:59.400 in round one or two or three, than winning those 0:21:59.520 --> 0:22:04.760 rounds and then being eliminated in the finals. And that's 0:22:05.480 --> 0:22:10.560 all in service of Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan played fifteen 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:16.000 seasons in the league. Six of those he won the championship, 0:22:17.240 --> 0:22:21.920 two of those he lost in the conference finals. Two 0:22:21.960 --> 0:22:26.080 of those he lost, I'm sorry, three of those he 0:22:26.200 --> 0:22:30.159 lost in round two, three of those he lost in 0:22:30.280 --> 0:22:34.320 round one. Two of those he didn't even make the playoffs. 0:22:36.560 --> 0:22:41.960 But folks somehow have convinced themselves that it was good 0:22:42.040 --> 0:22:45.600 for Jordan to lose to the Pistons in the conference 0:22:45.640 --> 0:22:50.199 finals rather than beat the Pistons and then lose to 0:22:50.240 --> 0:22:54.359 the Lakers in the NBA finals, that it was good 0:22:54.480 --> 0:22:58.160 for Jordan to lose to the Magic in round two 0:22:59.040 --> 0:23:02.840 rather than beat the Magic and then lose to the 0:23:02.960 --> 0:23:08.000 Rockets in the NBA Finals, which then means, you know 0:23:08.080 --> 0:23:11.880 what was bad for Lebron in two thousand and seven, 0:23:13.520 --> 0:23:18.440 scoring forty eight points and carrying the the Cavs, one 0:23:18.440 --> 0:23:21.399 of the worst teams ever make the championship past the 0:23:21.400 --> 0:23:24.840 Detroit Pistons, because if he had lost that game, he 0:23:24.840 --> 0:23:26.960 wouldn't be four and six in the finals. He'd be 0:23:26.960 --> 0:23:29.159 four and five in the finals, and you know what 0:23:29.240 --> 0:23:31.800 was bad because they wouldn't have made the finals. You 0:23:31.840 --> 0:23:34.760 know what was bad for Lebron when he scored eighty 0:23:34.840 --> 0:23:39.760 points in consecutive games in twenty eighteen with no Kyrie 0:23:39.800 --> 0:23:42.399 with Kevin Love hurt, including a Game seven on the 0:23:42.440 --> 0:23:45.720 road where he's played all forty eight minutes to come 0:23:45.760 --> 0:23:48.600 back from three to two down against the Celtics. That 0:23:48.760 --> 0:23:51.480 was bad for his legacy because if he had just 0:23:51.640 --> 0:23:55.000 lost one of those games, he wouldn't have then played 0:23:55.000 --> 0:23:58.080 the twenty eighteen Warriors in the NBA finals and he'd 0:23:58.560 --> 0:24:03.919 have won fewer finals. Law. So if you are a 0:24:04.000 --> 0:24:10.520 four and six in the finals, Dufus, then you've got 0:24:10.520 --> 0:24:17.600 to say it is better for Lebron to lose in 0:24:17.880 --> 0:24:22.600 round one to the Grizzlies, then beat the Grizzlies, and 0:24:22.640 --> 0:24:26.119 then beat the Warriors of the Kings, and then beat 0:24:26.200 --> 0:24:31.040 the Suns and then lose to Giannis in the finals 0:24:31.680 --> 0:24:37.720