1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,840 Speaker 1: The volume at the end of the season. There's only 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: one team that can call themselves NBA champs, only one 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:09,559 Speaker 1: player that can call themselves the number one pick in 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric suv worthy 5 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: of the title, the Ultimate, the all Electric BMWIX. What 6 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary 7 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: BMW performance. I've had several while It's sleek design exudes 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: innovative style from the inside out, not to mention how 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: much space and utility it provides. Over seventy five cubic 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: feet of cargo space. The IX is completely changing the 11 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of 12 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: sports never compromise any part of the game, So why 13 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, 14 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: there's only one ultimate, the BMWIX. Everything you love about 15 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: the ultimate driving machine electrified BMW And you know, I 16 00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: was thinking about this as you were talking about SJA SGA. Usually, 17 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: let's say, for instance, Shaq wasn't hitting his free throws, 18 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: he still had all time power. If Kobe and mj 19 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: weren't hitting their jumper, they could go vertical Magic Johnson 20 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 1: struggling from the field he just had a size advantage, 21 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: he'd back you down. Sga is not a vertical player. 22 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: So if he's off and he's off center, he doesn't 23 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: have power, he doesn't have speed, he doesn't have he's 24 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: not he's not you know, he's strong for his size. 25 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: He's not a vertical player. He is a mid range maven. 26 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: Like he is all time stuff. And so you know 27 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: I've said before is he's an all time scorer. But 28 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: he doesn't feel like he's in the Curry class where 29 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: you're like, wow, I've never seen a human like Caitlin 30 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: Clark's got some of that. You're like, I've never seen that, right, Sga, 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: I've seen it Alex English, Kiki Vandaway. He's just better 32 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: at it. And so I do think you know, when 33 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: you play better teams and you can get it off 34 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: his game. He has a very centralized game. He's tremendous 35 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: at it. But I think we both admit he needs 36 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: a friendly whistle, and because he's so gifted, he almost 37 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: always gets it. It's not like the Harden whistle, which 38 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: is like it feels illegal. That's not it. It's like 39 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: that feels unstoppable. Is different than it feels illegal, but 40 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: you know he is. I love him. I love his maturity. 41 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: He's just a smart, hard working kid. He's impossible not 42 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: to root for. I know everybody doesn't like, you know, 43 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: all the flopping, but I have a hard time not 44 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: rooting for guys who are more mature than their age, 45 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: with completely refined games where I can see the work ethic, 46 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: I can see the years you've toiled in a gym. 47 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: That to me as a grinder, like, I love that 48 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: kind of basketball, and I think that's what he embodies. 49 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's fascinating because at his age, you know, 50 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 2: being twenty six, he's kind of in this weird role 51 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 2: that's reminiscent of some of the roles that you've seen 52 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 2: guys like Tom Brady and Lebron be in where they're 53 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 2: the elder statesman in the locker room. He's the elder 54 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 2: statesman in the locker room at twenty six years old. 55 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 2: It's such a bizarre dynamic. But to like, for if 56 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 2: he was an immature player at twenty six, this whole 57 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 2: thing could fall apart because of the youth in that 58 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: locker room, and he just brings that veteran presence. This 59 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: is the perfect time for us to get into the 60 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 2: Microsoft bit, and I'm gonna kick it back to you. 61 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: So welcome to course correction, brought to you guys by Microsoft. 62 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 2: Just like star players and teams navigating performance hurdles, and 63 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 2: business decision makers today are under immense pressure to get 64 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 2: things right, they must rise to the occasion, turning challenges 65 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: into opportunities. Microsoft empowers these visionaries with AI solutions, simplified 66 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 2: cloud and data management and trustworthy responsible AI. And when 67 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: you're in the NBA, you have your own hurdles to face. 68 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 2: In this segment, we will highlight the player everyone that 69 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: has risen to the occasion when his team has needed him. 70 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: Whatever challenge you're facing, Microsoft empowers you with the expertise 71 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 2: to say, bring it up. Our player of the Week 72 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 2: this week is the twenty twenty five NBA Finals MVP. 73 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 2: It is now official Shake Gil just Alexander Colin. I 74 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: was thinking about a cool way to frame this segment, 75 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 2: and all I could think about is, like you mentioned 76 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 2: with the Washington Bullets roster, you know everything for me, 77 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 2: as I'm talking about all time greats is kind of 78 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 2: played through this lens of when I started really following 79 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 2: the league closely, which for me was in the like 80 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 2: around two thousand and five, two thousand and six. You've 81 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 2: been watching a lot of NBA basketball for a really 82 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 2: long time. You've seen a lot of stars come through 83 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 2: the league, as young players leave the league as vets. 84 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 2: What has been like your first impression of Shay Gil 85 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 2: just Alexander as a playoff performer in the NBA. 86 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: That if I go back to Kareem and the skyhook, 87 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 1: which was unstoppable, unblockable, and he mastered a shot. I'd 88 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: never seen a player master a shot when I first 89 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: watched Kareem, I can remember as a kid in my 90 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: backyard doing it like nobody else shot the hook. Michael 91 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: Jordan's mid range game. If you look at a lot 92 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: of the great players beyond just scores, they are the 93 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: master of their domain. Like I do what I do, 94 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: and they're all different looking. There was no other There 95 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: was no other Kareem, you know there David Thompson was 96 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: a little Michael, but Michael's mid range game he had 97 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 1: three or four stock moves, you know, Tim Duncan. The 98 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: great fundamental is that a lot of the all time 99 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:47,279 Speaker 1: great players, and I've said this about Mahomes can be boring. 100 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: They have mastered what they do frustratingly so. And I 101 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: look at a player who knows exactly what he is, 102 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: but more importantly, he knows what he's not and he 103 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: leans into all of his skills, and I think when 104 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 1: you watch them play, they can be uneven offensively. The 105 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: greatest thing I can say about SGA, he's their clear 106 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 1: dominant number one score. So when you play them, I 107 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: don't have to pick Tony Parker Duncan Manu. It's like 108 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: stop him and people can't. And that to me is 109 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: a fastball like that you know you can beat them. 110 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: And Jay Dubb can have thirty two, or Check could 111 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 1: have twenty four, or Lou Dort hits five threes, but 112 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: the numbers are if he gets to the free throw line, 113 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: they win. Everybody in the league knows it and they 114 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: can't stop him. Like that is precision, That is mastering 115 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: a craft, and I just I just have great respect 116 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: for that. 117 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, the Duncan cop is super fascinating to me because 118 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 2: Shay doesn't have some super demonstrative personality on the court. 119 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 2: He lacks a vertical element to his game. There's nothing 120 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,479 Speaker 2: that like like people who play a lot of basketball, 121 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 2: Like I've stolen little bits of footwork and moves from 122 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 2: him that I think are useful moves for young players 123 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 2: to work on. He's he's brought his own little kind 124 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 2: of unique flare to the two guard position, just like 125 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 2: Harden did, just like Wade did, just like Kobe did, 126 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 2: just like MJ did. He's got his own like kind 127 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 2: of unique take on it. But similar to Duncan, even 128 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 2: if there wasn't that you know, overwhelming optical appeal, it's 129 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 2: just surgically effective. And no matter what happened in this 130 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 2: playoff run, the most reliable play type out there was 131 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 2: give the ball to Shay at the nail and he's 132 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 2: probably going to either draw foul or get to a 133 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 2: mid range jump shot that he can hit about fifty 134 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: five percent of the time. And you know, you know, Colin, 135 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 2: it has not been a perfect NBA Finals for him. 136 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 2: He had some rough games. But here's the thing. Just 137 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 2: about every star struggles in their first NBA finals. Lebron 138 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 2: struggled in his first two NBA finals. It is an 139 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 2: impossible stage to be to be I shouldn't sy it's 140 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 2: in hospible. It's a very difficult stage to perform well 141 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 2: in and to his credit, every single moment in this 142 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 2: series where things could have gone south. So like Game two, 143 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:09,880 Speaker 2: you're down one zero, you lose. 144 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 3: That game. 145 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 2: Series is probably over. Game four, you're down to one, 146 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 2: you lose. 147 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 3: That game. 148 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 2: Series is probably over. Game five to to two, you 149 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 2: lose that game. Series is probably over. In Game seven, 150 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 2: series tied. If you lose that game, obviously the series 151 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 2: is over. In every one of those games, I thought 152 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 2: he was awesome. This is actually a hilarious stat Colin. 153 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 2: In the four games where I thought he played poorly, 154 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 2: which was Game one, Game three, Game four, in Game six, 155 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 2: in those games he combined for just nine assists. Okay, 156 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 2: just nine in those four games. In the other three games, 157 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 2: in game two, in game five, and in game seven, 158 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 2: he had thirty thirty assists. He averaged ten in those 159 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 2: three games. And if you watched those games from the start, 160 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 2: just surgical and precise with the way he was navigating 161 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 2: the late double teams, help at the rim, making the 162 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 2: kickouts to three point shooters, the role man, whether it's 163 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 2: Hartenstein er Chet, I thought Shay, to his credit, every 164 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 2: time the team needed him to be great in the series, 165 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 2: he was great. And I think that is the stereotypical 166 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 2: Finals MVP performance. I thought he thoroughly deserved it, and 167 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:19,319 Speaker 2: most players don't even do this well in their first 168 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 2: time around. 169 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: Well my first impression the Suns were three and seventeen. 170 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: When Katie didn't play this year, they stump it wasn't him. 171 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 1: He still get a bucket. If he's a leader in Houston, 172 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: it doesn't work. If you need a bucket in Houston, 173 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: it works. And I think today you have to look 174 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 1: at the Rockets. My take is he's gonna give you 175 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: about sixty five games in the regular season. If we 176 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: get two healthy years, then everybody's going to watch Houston 177 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: via for the NBA Championship and feel like they dominated 178 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: the trade. It is, however, a very good draft, So 179 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: Phoenix gets the number two ten pick. Well, many people 180 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: are theorizing there are twelve players in this draft, the 181 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: top twelve players who are All Star potential, So if 182 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: they stay at ten or move up to six or eight, 183 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: they're getting a potentially really good player, probably with more 184 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: than one year in college. And again, I don't think 185 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: anybody will ever unlock Jalen Green, like I think he's 186 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: the classic, doesn't have a defined game never probably will, 187 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: but we can't deny that he can drop thirty in 188 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: any given moment, that he's wildly talented. I don't like 189 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:29,959 Speaker 1: his game, but I'm not going to deny that he's 190 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: you know, long, twitchy, fast, very good transition player. He's 191 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: just and that there are a lot of these guys 192 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,439 Speaker 1: in the NBA. You know, they come in and they're talented, 193 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:43,839 Speaker 1: and maybe either they don't work on their game, or 194 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 1: they don't get the right coaching, or they just they 195 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: probably have so much talent from sixth grade on that 196 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: they never really there's no catalyst for them to like 197 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 1: really burrow down on a specialized you know, not everybody 198 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,440 Speaker 1: is just driven as MJ. Right, I'm reading the Caitlin 199 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:05,439 Speaker 1: Clark book. I mean, that girl's she is MJ. She's obsessed, 200 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: and it's just like, not everybody's like that. Some people 201 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:13,439 Speaker 1: are just talented. And so between Aman Thompson and Shangoon's 202 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,959 Speaker 1: Beautiful Touch, Kevin Durant and a series of four or 203 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: five very good young players, and I think Adokah is 204 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: a very good coach, that's a real team. But I 205 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 1: think it's easy to look at Phoenix and just go. Well, 206 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: they got Green's productive. Dylan Brooks is a very good 207 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,199 Speaker 1: small forward defender can give you seventeen a night. You 208 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: got the number ten pick, You got a bunch of 209 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: second round picks, which you can turn those into things. 210 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: Phoenix wanted her a little bit of a reboot. They 211 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: got it. But people on the internet are like, oh, 212 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: Houston dominated. If Katie got hurt in game thirty six, 213 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,119 Speaker 1: it wouldn't feel like Houston dominated. 214 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 3: Right. 215 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: They're not bringing him there to be a foundational piece. 216 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: They're bringing him in to get a bucket like. He 217 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: will not be the leader is shen Goon will still 218 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: be this I think the centerpiece of the team. Aman 219 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: Thompson will be your best athlete and your defensive stopper. 220 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: He's going to be a bucket guy. So that's why 221 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: I think it works. He's still one of the top 222 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 1: twenty three, twenty six best players in the league. I 223 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: would argue, I mean, I was on the plane when 224 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: I was flying in today, I started writing now numbers 225 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: and I got to like twenty one. I'm like, he's 226 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: in that space. And again, Phoenix was terrible when he 227 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: didn't play. So that's my long winded answer. On. I 228 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: think Houston will look like they won the trade, but 229 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: Phoenix got assets too. 230 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 2: I think that what happened in Phoenix is a sign that, like, yeah, KD, 231 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 2: Steph Lebron, these guys, they're not floor razors anymore. At 232 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 2: their age, They're not going to turn a bad roster 233 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 2: into a fifty win team the way that twenty seven 234 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 2: year old Nikola Jokic could. 235 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 3: Like That goes without saying I don't. 236 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 2: I do think though, that KD has been dramatically under 237 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,719 Speaker 2: rated because he's been on such a poor roster. Yes, 238 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 2: I put this together for you, Colin. This is three 239 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 2: stats to show that Kevin Durant is still one of 240 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 2: the very best players in the NBA. He was the 241 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 2: best jump shooter in the world this year. Among fifty 242 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 2: eight players in the NBA to take at least five 243 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 2: hundred jump shots, Kadi was the only player in the 244 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 2: league to make over half of them, and he in 245 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 2: second place was Shay who made forty five percent. And 246 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 2: if you waited it for threes, his one point two 247 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 2: to two points per shot was still number one in 248 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 2: the NBA number two. He was the only player in 249 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 2: the NBA last year to make at least two hundred 250 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 2: pull up jump shots, meaning off the dribble, while making 251 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 2: more than half of them in three He was far 252 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 2: and away the best isolation player in the world last year. 253 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 2: Out of the ten players ran at least two hundred 254 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 2: fifty ISOs. His one point one to six points per 255 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 2: possession including passes ranked number one in the league, a 256 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 2: full six points per one hundred possessions, ahead of Shay 257 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,679 Speaker 2: who was in second place. I think he is when 258 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 2: it comes to refined offensive skill, he is still one 259 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 2: of the very best players in the league. I would 260 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 2: put him in that six to fifteen range, depending on it. 261 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 3: We haven't seen him. 262 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 2: Play enough high leverage basketball lately to see where he 263 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 2: really lands in there, but I think he's still in 264 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 2: that range. And if you ask me what the Rockets 265 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 2: issue was, this is a deep team with a load 266 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 2: of big, physical athletes. If you ask me what their 267 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 2: one week at weakness was, it's refined offensive skill. And 268 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 2: that's what Kad comes into address. We were just talking 269 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 2: about this with Desmond Baine in the Orlando Magic the 270 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 2: other day. When you take a bunch of big athletes, 271 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 2: the kind of struggle with spacing and you bring in 272 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 2: a guy who like, just run him off a screen 273 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 2: and he's automatically going to pull two defenders out thirty 274 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 2: feet from the basket and unlocks a world of possibilities 275 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 2: on the short role A men Thompson will be an 276 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 2: amazing short role player. You know that thing that Draymond 277 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 2: Green did for Steph where Steph would come off of 278 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,120 Speaker 2: Draymond to take two players and then Draymond would go 279 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 2: right down the middle of the floor and make the 280 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 2: play that broke the defense down. That is a thing 281 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 2: that Amen Thompson has been unable to do in Houston 282 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 2: because they just don't generate many of those opportunities because 283 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 2: none of their shooters are good enough. KD will unlock 284 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 2: that part of Amn Thompson's game. It is not a 285 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 2: perfect roster. I was writing down all the names on 286 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 2: the roster today. They're a little light on ball handling, 287 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 2: but that sort of thing they can get. You know 288 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 2: what's so funny, Colin, I remember when the Sun signed 289 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 2: Highest Jones last summer. I was like, why you already 290 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 2: have this redundancy of all these dudes who can dribble 291 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,080 Speaker 2: and you're just not athletic enough and you're not good 292 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 2: enough on defense, Like you need athletes and dudes that 293 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,640 Speaker 2: can like like beat up people in these physical environments. 294 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 2: You know who could really use highest Jones Houston, like, 295 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 2: I think they should call I think Kevin Durant should 296 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 2: call up Highs tomorrow and be like, hey, dude, come 297 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 2: with me. 298 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: Yeah. I think I think Phoenix. I wish Phoenix would 299 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: have gotten actually a size. I think Phoenix needs size, 300 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 1: and I think Houston needs a ball handler. And our 301 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: takeaway when we watch Golden State beat Houston, we were like, God. 302 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 3: They're so bad in the AF court offense. 303 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: If you stop shn good, it's over right, like it's 304 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: just and so you and I talked about this. He 305 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 1: was a perfect fit there. I thought he worked in 306 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: New York because of Jalen Brunson's you know, has the 307 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:58,840 Speaker 1: ball a lot in his hands. I thought he would 308 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 1: work with that offense, whereas Cat can kind of. I 309 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: always felt like Cat and Brunson were playing you know, 310 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: your turn, my turn, your turn, my turn. Kd's kind 311 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: of like I'll sit in I did it with Russ Westbrook. 312 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: I'll sit in the corner. Get it to me eventually. 313 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: So I think he fits really, really well and I 314 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: think they have the coach. 315 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 3: I think. 316 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: Again, it's so hard to judge Houston because so much 317 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: of their roster is young. I like feel like everybody's 318 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: in the fourth inning. Like, I mean, Amen Thompson could 319 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: take a big leap. I mean, shn Goon's the only 320 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 1: one where I look at him and I think, oh 321 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: that again. I used this word a lot. But that's 322 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: a defined and refined offensive game. He's got European touch, 323 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: like he has a game. A lot of their players, 324 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: I feel like they're just in early innings. I don't 325 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: know what they are. So Aman Thompson's obviously defensively defined. 326 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 1: He's so strong and athletic and aggressive. But KD gives 327 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: them refinement. This is a second offensive player. I know 328 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: exactly what I'm getting. And that's that goes back to 329 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: a little Oklahoma city. One of the reasons Indiana gave 330 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: OKC problems. Siakam has an offensive half court game, Halliburton does, TJ. 331 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: McConnell does. Like, that's three guys, even Obi Toppen. When 332 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: he hits threes, You're like, he's athletic and hit threes. 333 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 1: They had guys that they Rick Carlile knew, Okay, this 334 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: is what this player does with Houston. Houston's like a 335 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 1: younger OKC. I'm just not sure what everybody is like. 336 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: I just need more guys than I go into a 337 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: game and go, yeah, I'm going to get twenty fourth 338 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: to night from KD and I can draw two or 339 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: three plays for him. So Houston to me is early 340 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: innings they could end up being. They could end up 341 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: looking at If you told me next year a team 342 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: explodes in the West and ends up winning by seven 343 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: point eight points, I would guess Houston because they have 344 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: so many players that are just going to springboard to 345 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 1: another level here in the next fifty to one hundred 346 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 1: basketball games. 347 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 2: No, I totally agree. I think they have massive upside. 348 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 2: I think they could very easily be the second best 349 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 2: team in the West and the biggest threat to the 350 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 2: thunder new this year. I think that's absolutely on the table. 351 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 2: They match up well with OKC too, because they have 352 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:05,680 Speaker 2: all the big physical size. The ball handling will be 353 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 2: the weakness, as we saw with Indiana. Even Oklahoma City 354 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 2: struggled because of their lack of depth and ball handling 355 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 2: against Indiana's ball pressure. But the youth the thing that 356 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 2: you're talking about in terms of the wide range of 357 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 2: outcomes is super interesting because as I was breaking down 358 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 2: their depth chart today, I'm looking at it and I'm like, Okay, 359 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 2: Fred van Vliet, legit point guard. You know, Shane gun center, 360 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:28,879 Speaker 2: Kd's your four, Amen, Thompson. I think defensively functions as 361 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 2: either a two or three, so that could be either. 362 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 2: But then it's like Jabari Smith Jr. Is kind of 363 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 2: a four. He plays basically the same position as Kadie. 364 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 2: I don't think he moves his feet well enough to 365 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 2: be a three. Cam Whittmore could be one of those guys. 366 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 2: Reed Shepherd could be one of those guys, but like 367 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 2: who knows. And here's the other thing to call it. 368 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 2: Houston gave up one first round draft pick in this deal. 369 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 2: They still have a boat load of first round draft 370 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 2: picks at their disposal, so they're high. They're like a 371 00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 2: high likelihood for like a we bring this team into 372 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 2: we watch him for twenty games, and we go, oh, 373 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 2: here are the two things we're missing. 374 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:06,720 Speaker 1: Exactly right, Let's go get what we need to get. 375 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 2: Like they are, they're extremely well equipped heading into this 376 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:10,199 Speaker 2: next season. 377 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: That's where Houston won the trade, they didn't have to 378 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: give up another first round pick. That that's where they 379 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: won the trade. It's not just KD because my guess 380 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,400 Speaker 1: is because of their depth, they won't play Kadi more 381 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 1: than like sixty to sixty five games. They want him 382 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 1: for the postseason. There's no reason to play him seventy 383 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: five eighty games. Because they also know if you're in 384 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: the West, Jason, you know you're going to be in 385 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: long series. So there's no you know you're going to 386 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:37,439 Speaker 1: be in six game series. 387 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 3: In the West. 388 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 1: It's not like the East where you kind of feel 389 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: like if Aliberton comes back next year, they're just certain 390 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: you're gonna win a lot of series really quickly. You're 391 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: gonna have long series in the West, no reason to 392 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: have you know, I want KD going into the playoffs, 393 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 1: you know, off about a two games and nine day stretch, 394 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: healthy and ready to go. And I think you have 395 00:19:58,119 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: to think about that as a GM with an older 396 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 1: play in the West, if you have a Steph a KD, 397 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: all these series are long series. 398 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 2: If they get a couple more ball handlers, like that's 399 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 2: the thing, Like if they get a Tyas Jones, if 400 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 2: they get you know, one other guy of that ILK, 401 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 2: then they will be able to rest Kde not just 402 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 2: for the regular season, but even in the postseason. Like 403 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 2: we saw, Houston give themselves a really good chance to 404 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,640 Speaker 2: win games even without high level offensive skill because they 405 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 2: just go, here's Tarry Eason and and Amen Thompson and 406 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,120 Speaker 2: we're picking up full court and you're turning the ball 407 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:31,199 Speaker 2: over now and it's a mess. Like they are able, 408 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 2: like they are able to prevent the redundancy that Phoenix had, 409 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 2: where you have a bunch of guys who do. 410 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 3: The same thing. 411 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 2: On Houston, what KD does is so specialized for them 412 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 2: that they kind of have an identity separate, separate from him, 413 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 2: so they will be able to win games without him. 414 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 2: They will be able to carry the load so that 415 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 2: he can come in and lift them over the top. 416 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,879 Speaker 2: I think it's a I think it's a fantastic on 417 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 2: paper basketball fit. It'll be ugly sometimes, Kadie's gonna have 418 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 2: some nights where maybe the statistical performance isn't there because 419 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:02,680 Speaker 2: it's ugly. They can't space the floor as well for him, 420 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 2: But they will in turn do the same thing to 421 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 2: the other team. So to buy Kevin that margin for 422 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 2: air before we get out of here tonight, Coln, I 423 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 2: didn't want to run this by you because I've seen 424 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 2: a lot of victory lapping criticism. You know, let's just 425 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 2: say the Phoenix Suns have been the butt of the 426 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,919 Speaker 2: joke today because they took McHale Bridges and Cam Johnson 427 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 2: and Chris Paul and they turned him into basically Bradley 428 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 2: Beal and Dylan Brooks and Jalen Green in one first 429 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 2: round pick. I get that it looks bad. Here's where 430 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:43,880 Speaker 2: this is where my brain went this morning. They made 431 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 2: it to the finals a year where because of COVID 432 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,400 Speaker 2: everyone was hurt, and we had a tray Young Hawks 433 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 2: team in the conference finals, a Paul George Clippers team 434 00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:58,760 Speaker 2: with an injured Kawhi in the conference finals, and that 435 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,400 Speaker 2: Son's team. And by the way, they ran into Giannis, 436 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:04,359 Speaker 2: and Giannis beat them four straight times for the title. 437 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 2: So they weren't good enough. Then the next year they 438 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 2: kind of have a great regular season and Luca like 439 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 2: embarrasses them, like embarrasses them for the world to see. 440 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 2: In the second round, they weren't good enough, so they 441 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 2: made an aggressive trade. They went and got Kevin Durant. 442 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 2: Every one of us would have done the same thing. 443 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:26,919 Speaker 2: At that point in time. It was Kevin Durant and 444 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 2: we had just seen him be so amazing for Brooklyn 445 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 2: in those couple of previous playoff runs. Even the Chris 446 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 2: Paul thing that I would argue they should have used 447 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 2: Chris Paul's salary as a vehicle with which to bring 448 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 2: in more size and athleticism. But you're like Chris Paul 449 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 2: for Bradley Beal, Like, I mean, come on right, you 450 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 2: could talk yourself into it. 451 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 3: Again. 452 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 2: It wasn't perfect. There were mistakes. There are certain things 453 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 2: I would have done differently. But now we're on the 454 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,920 Speaker 2: other side of this and it's like self awareness. We're 455 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 2: not good enough. We just missed the playoffs in the 456 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 2: Western Conference, like Katie misses a few games and we 457 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 2: completely fall apart. I understand it looks bad when you 458 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 2: zoom out, but to me, what happened to Phoenix is 459 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 2: just what happens when you get aggressive and it doesn't work. 460 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,200 Speaker 1: So I said today on the show, I said, listen, 461 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:21,360 Speaker 1: I'm not going to come in hot on the draft 462 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: because it's a projection draft. Yeah, I'm like, yeah, I mean, 463 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: I just I said, I think Cooper. Flag's really good. 464 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: I think he's a more aggressive, better defender right now 465 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: at this point than Tatum. I said, I think. 466 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 3: He's really good. 467 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: He's not good as Tatum, he's really good. The kid 468 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,879 Speaker 1: from Baylor. He's a disruptor defensively, looks like he's going 469 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 1: one thousand miles an hour. I'm like, that's an NBA athlete. 470 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: Is he going to score a lot? 471 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:44,479 Speaker 3: I don't know. 472 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:49,679 Speaker 1: I thought the Spurs did pretty well. What I do 473 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: think and I've talked about this a lot, and I 474 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: want your reaction. I've been on this now for about 475 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: two months. There was about a twenty year period. So 476 00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: you and I grew up with the Big East, and 477 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,399 Speaker 1: if you were a great player in the biggiest Pearl 478 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 1: Washington sort of an exception, or if you're a great team, 479 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: you were going to be an NBA player. Youwing was 480 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: going to be great in the NBA. I mean, just 481 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: the way it was. There was about a twenty year 482 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 1: one in college basketball when the G League happened. Guys 483 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: went to Europe, played one year of college where like 484 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: Doug McDermott was the college player of the Year, Tyler 485 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: Hansborough was you go to the pros and they were 486 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 1: rotational guys. And then two years ago I watched Yukon 487 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 1: and I went, oh, shit, there's seven NBA players. They 488 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: have NBA length, They are great. These are great players. 489 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: And I thought, oh, that team could play with you 490 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: and LV and Duke. That is a real team. And 491 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: the reason it happened was guys are staying maybe a 492 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: year longer with an IL. Now American universities are poaching 493 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: European players. I honestly feel like the last two years 494 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: when I've watched college, we had a twenty year period. 495 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,560 Speaker 1: We were trying to pretend the sport was good. And 496 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: Jay Billis said, this their day. NBA guys don't miss 497 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 1: open shots. Like it's just the seven foot guy shoots 498 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: better than the six to two guy in college. And 499 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: I do feel like the NIL for all the bitching 500 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,120 Speaker 1: about it. Rick Bettino said, this here day, it's kind 501 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 1: of made the G League irrelevant. Shit, I watched the 502 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 1: playoffs Indiana, Oklahoma City. You no G League guys, I 503 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,400 Speaker 1: mean a men. Thompson's one of the only G League 504 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,960 Speaker 1: unite guys. It's like the second two year college guys, 505 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: three year college guys che holmgrun one year probably should 506 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: have stayed a second because his offensive games hit and miss. 507 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: But I do feel like the last two years I've 508 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: watched college and I think this will help the draft 509 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,679 Speaker 1: Ryan because it won't all be Euros. It'll even the 510 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: Euros are coming and playing now at Texas, They're coming 511 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,439 Speaker 1: to play at Connecticut. I feel like college basketball was 512 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,119 Speaker 1: kind of unwatchable for twenty years and people kept saying, Oh, 513 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:55,199 Speaker 1: it's great. It wasn't it was diluted, it was bad. 514 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: In the last two years, I've been glued to March 515 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: Madness and it's just more NBA dudes. 516 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 4: College basketball is a weird spot because, you know, growing up, 517 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:03,840 Speaker 4: I probably would rather watch Big. 518 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 3: Monday than NBA. 519 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 4: You know, back when it was the Big East, and 520 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:12,400 Speaker 4: then you know, it was packed ten teams that were 521 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 4: loaded with NBA players, you know, going back to those 522 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 4: UCLA squads, remember Washington State loving that team that year. 523 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,439 Speaker 4: Robbie cal Gill, Well, I guess you want to talk 524 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 4: about the NBA guys, So shout out to Robbie. But 525 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 4: I I'm I'm with you because I think I even remember, 526 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:31,959 Speaker 4: like you and gottlieb arguing it a bit about it 527 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,439 Speaker 4: being like, hey, look, college basketball is largely irrelevant up 528 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 4: until we get to March, and with everything feeling like 529 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 4: it has to be an event, which I think Silver's 530 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 4: doing with the NBA, it's like, hey, we've got the 531 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 4: n season tournament. 532 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 3: We've got plan like we have more. 533 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 4: Almost like specialty events that we can partner in different ways, 534 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:52,120 Speaker 4: Like we're kind of just titling some of the same stuff. 535 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 3: But you know, if this means more revenue, then that's 536 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 3: the game. 537 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 4: And even though like I've talked about baseball with this 538 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,160 Speaker 4: being like, hey, be really happier this utibly successful local 539 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 4: market thing, and that your playoffs are an incredible product 540 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 4: and you just hope that you have enough storylines to 541 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 4: carry over that secondary interest. The tournament doesn't necessarily need 542 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 4: all these crazy storylines because the event itself is still 543 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 4: one of the greatest sporting events in the world. But 544 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 4: your right to point out like whether it was ignite. 545 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 4: You know with Scoop, they had Dyson, they had Hardy, 546 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 4: Jalen Green, Kaminga, and then you had the amen usre 547 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:35,719 Speaker 4: Thompson deal with overtime. I think, yeah, it felt it 548 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 4: was starting to feel like, Okay, this is like even 549 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,640 Speaker 4: more tenuous for a product that was already really struggling 550 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 4: with its regular season in college basketball. So I think 551 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 4: the tournament has always been something everybody's always going to 552 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,919 Speaker 4: care about because it's basically like a football version of 553 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,120 Speaker 4: gambling in a different sport where it's just so much 554 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:55,439 Speaker 4: fun and you almost feel left out of American society 555 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 4: if you're not in the tournament. I don't know that 556 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,160 Speaker 4: they're ever going to recover any of that stuff from 557 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 4: the regular season. But the draft trends of what was 558 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 4: happening with guys circumventing college because of the compensation going 559 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 4: to New Zealand, you know, playing in the Australian League 560 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,919 Speaker 4: and then come back here like it hurt yeh draft 561 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 4: wise for you to have eight what college guys before 562 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 4: s singay well S and Gay went eleventh, so well, no, 563 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,959 Speaker 4: Colin went well you went eleventh. 564 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:32,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, and the other guy went ninth to Toronto 565 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,159 Speaker 5: and even jag or Demon you know he comes from Russia, 566 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 5: but he's at BYU because of the nil stuff. 567 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 3: Whatever it was. And I don't I don't know all of. 568 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 4: A sudden if everybody's going to be prioritizing regular season 569 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,959 Speaker 4: college basketball over the NBA. But there was something that 570 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 4: was incredibly fearful as these other alternatives that the NIL 571 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 4: has helped college basketball solve in the short term. 572 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I just I watched the draft last and 573 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: I watched the yukon a couple of years ago, and 574 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: I watched March Madness, and I'm like, ohkay, I'm back 575 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: into the sport. Like and I've always been sort of 576 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: loyal to the number. Like I stopped talking college football 577 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: for about ten years because it was Alabama Clemson in 578 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 1: Georgia and I felt like nobody Denver West gives a 579 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 1: you know what. And I remember when the Pac twelve 580 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 1: sort of when USC decided we're going in Ucla. I 581 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 1: got a call. I was in Turks and Kkos with 582 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: my family and Eric Shanks called me and said, just 583 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 1: want to give you a heads up. This is going 584 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 1: to be announced in about three hours. I was in 585 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: an airport and I couldn't tell anybody, but I started 586 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: doing some social and having our staff get ready for it. 587 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: And I remember thinking, oh, I can talk college I 588 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 1: can talk college football again, you know, like, oh, USC 589 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: is going to a conference. And then and then there 590 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,719 Speaker 1: was a lot of talk even then about Washington Oregon 591 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: getting in. I'm like, Okay, that's a real conference that 592 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 1: they'll be able to compete. They'll get some Midwest kids, 593 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: they'll get Big ten money, they'll be more fortified because 594 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: the PAC twelve was paying at thirty million year, big tens. 595 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 1: Pania seventy USC was complaining to me, it's like, we 596 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 1: can't compete with anybody. We have the money, and so 597 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: like I feel like, you know, I just follow what 598 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: the audience is following. And I would see those numbers 599 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 1: for Alabama couldn't sell off some home games. I would 600 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 1: see some of those numbers, and it was like people 601 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: were getting tired of it. I was getting tired of it. 602 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 3: So Alabama, though, I don't know, I'm going back on that. 603 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 4: Alabama was an incredibly spoilt fan base to the point 604 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 4: where SABAN had a beg fans for day games to 605 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 4: come in on some of those lower level matchups because 606 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 4: they just suspected a national championship every time. I mean, 607 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 4: it's the only campus that I'd ever been to when 608 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 4: I used to travel a college game day because I 609 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 4: did the radio part of it along with TV, where 610 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 4: it was the only it was the only campus that'd 611 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 4: be like, oh, game Bays here again. Whatever, you know, 612 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 4: I'm gonna I'm gonna sleep in you know, every other place. 613 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 4: It's like a not even a national holiday because you 614 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 4: know it might not ever be coming back. So as 615 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 4: you say that, though, like, let's be honest, would you 616 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,600 Speaker 4: have avoided talking college football based on some numbers if 617 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 4: you were still at ESPN because I sensed an SEC 618 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 4: mid ten shift there, buddy when you started, when you started, uh, 619 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 4: we get somewhere else. 620 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 1: No, well, no, I would. I would say this is 621 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: that Klatt is a big notice and so yeah, so 622 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: I'm I was always I said this for years. SEC 623 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,719 Speaker 1: is the best. They went on recruiting day, they went 624 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 1: on Draft Day, they went on Saturday. That's the best. 625 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: I don't want to hear it, but I did notice 626 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,400 Speaker 1: about four years ago and when the NIL started, and 627 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 1: there's a lot of money in those big ten schools. 628 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 1: Those are sixty thousand student body. A lot of those 629 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:46,040 Speaker 1: graduates do very well. I started noticing like four years ago. 630 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, yeah, people are poaching Georgia and Bama and 631 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:52,360 Speaker 1: they don't like I think Nick Saban realized, like before 632 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: Texas came in it's like, oh shit, Texas is bigger 633 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 1: than Alabama. Texas looked better than Alabama. So about four 634 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,680 Speaker 1: years ago I started saying and then it was it 635 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 1: was the Harbaugh team before they won. I'm like, yeah, 636 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: I think that's they're as good as Georgia. Like I'm 637 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,440 Speaker 1: watching the Saturday and I'm like, they got like ten 638 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: NFL guys, you know all over the field. Georgia maybe 639 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: has twelve. So I do think about four years ago, 640 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 1: I just watched the games and it's like, you know, 641 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: when I first started watching Caitlyn Clark, I was just like, well, shit, 642 00:32:23,080 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 1: she's shooting from thirty three feet. That doesn't even make it. 643 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 1: I mean, the line's twenty two. So I tend to 644 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 1: trust my eyes. And when the Big Ten, when Harbaugh's 645 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:34,400 Speaker 1: team the year before they won, I was like, oh 646 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 1: they caught up. At least the top of the Big 647 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: ten's as good as the top as the SEC. 648 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've heard this. 649 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 4: I actually think people are like more unfair and how 650 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:46,479 Speaker 4: they critique the SEC than it is about being pro 651 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 4: sec because I just see a lot of media members 652 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 4: that all have Big Ten backgrounds that have been like 653 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:55,520 Speaker 4: incredibly celebratory about what's happened the last couple of years. 654 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 3: Now I've heard the nil theory. 655 00:32:57,520 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 4: I think Saban would have figured it out if he 656 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 4: was motivated to figure it out, but. 657 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 3: He may have been right. 658 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 4: You've been there since two thousand and nine or no, 659 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 4: two thousand and seven, excuse me, two thousand and seven, 660 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 4: that first year where they lost to Louisiana Monroe. So 661 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 4: now I'm trying to remember if I have that year right. 662 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:17,200 Speaker 4: I feel like I feel like I'm messing up a 663 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:19,160 Speaker 4: year because I would have been on college game day 664 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 4: for Tumberville Iron Bowl they got smoked. I think that 665 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 4: would have been two thousand and eight. So anyway, I 666 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 4: gotta look that up. 667 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 3: I need I need more results, I need more parody. 668 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 3: I mean I need more. 669 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:33,640 Speaker 4: Balance because you know, the people that didn't like the 670 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 4: SEC still didn't like the SEC when they had seven 671 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,120 Speaker 4: different national or excuse me, seven national. 672 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 3: Championships in a row. 673 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 4: You could run through four or five programs, You're like, Okay, 674 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 4: they could win a national championship. They're playing for a 675 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 4: national championship. It didn't feel like the other conferences could 676 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 4: be that deep. Certainly the Big Ten is in the 677 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:51,960 Speaker 4: conversation now, especially when you add a team like Oregon, 678 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 4: you could say, hey, you're also adding Washington, who plays 679 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 4: in a national championship two years ago, so that puts 680 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 4: them on the probable list, even if that is probably 681 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:01,800 Speaker 4: more of an aberration for that program and just having 682 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 4: an incredible year where everything kind. 683 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:03,800 Speaker 3: Of came together. 684 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:08,840 Speaker 4: So you might be entirely right about the balance of 685 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:12,799 Speaker 4: it flattening out the top here a little bit. But 686 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 4: I guess for the people that I know hated the 687 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 4: SEC so much, they were still arguing against the conference 688 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 4: when they were winning all these titles. And so now 689 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:23,400 Speaker 4: if the standard is that, yeah, I wasn't one standards 690 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 4: that the Big I was won back to back with 691 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,560 Speaker 4: two different teams the first time in eighty years, then 692 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 4: the thing that you said didn't even matter when they 693 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,320 Speaker 4: were winning is now the thing that matters the most, 694 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 4: because you could also you could also just say, hey, 695 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 4: the SEC had an awful quarterback year. So maybe there 696 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:43,799 Speaker 4: is this shift, a shift that's long overdue. You know, 697 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 4: sports are cyclical. Maybe the Big ten's about to have 698 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 4: this incredible run. But it's very hard for me to 699 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,879 Speaker 4: say that because of the national championship results and look 700 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:58,600 Speaker 4: Tennessee looked just fucking frigid against Ohio State that looked 701 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 4: like a football team that was not interested in competing, 702 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 4: and they get trucked. 703 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:04,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, in that game. 704 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:08,800 Speaker 4: I just have a hard time on like the people 705 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 4: that do this for a living, that are on the 706 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 4: evaluation side, they're like, that's still the best. 707 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 3: Conference, Like are you like, what's what's going on? 708 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:18,280 Speaker 1: I think the sixth best team I think I think 709 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,400 Speaker 1: I will say this year, I think about the sixth 710 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:25,239 Speaker 1: best team in the Big Ten will be Washington and 711 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,560 Speaker 1: I think the sixth best team in the SEC could 712 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,720 Speaker 1: be Oklahoma. And so that to me is where about 713 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 1: I think about where we're at. I think I think 714 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: they're both and if they played, it's a go either 715 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: way game. Whoever is at home wins because I think 716 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:43,279 Speaker 1: Penn State's gonna win it. I have I picked. I 717 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:45,880 Speaker 1: remember when Ohio State lost to Michigan, I said, my 718 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:48,920 Speaker 1: favorite part about college football is Ohio State's going to 719 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: lose as a twenty point favorite in their last big 720 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: game and they're going to get into the tournament. And 721 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:55,360 Speaker 1: by the way, Kansas City the year they won the 722 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 1: Super Bowl two years ago, got beat by Oakland in 723 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 1: like weeks sixteen or Las Vegas, and I'm like, yeah, 724 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 1: they should be in the playoffs. I don't care, just 725 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 1: like putting the best teams in. I got Penn State 726 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: winning it. Singleton's amazing, Drew Aller is getting better. I 727 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:12,320 Speaker 1: think that the best backfield by a mile in college sports. 728 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:13,719 Speaker 4: Just to clean it up, it was two thousand and 729 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:17,239 Speaker 4: eight Iron Bowl, Tubberville did get smoked and that was 730 00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:19,640 Speaker 4: his last season, so that's I remember just being down 731 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:23,280 Speaker 4: there for that. But Saban had already been there obviously 732 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 4: the previous year when he had the bad record and 733 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 4: people were like, is this guy really going to be 734 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:26,959 Speaker 4: that good? 735 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:28,879 Speaker 1: He's really good on TV by the way. 736 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think he you know, I think he wants to. 737 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:38,719 Speaker 4: He takes it really seriously. Yes, yeah, like he's he's 738 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 4: in you know, I know a couple of guys that 739 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:42,680 Speaker 4: are really close with him, that are with them all 740 00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:45,719 Speaker 4: the time when they're on the road, and he is 741 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:51,919 Speaker 4: like adamant about making sure the stuff that he's talking about, 742 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 4: like he's he's not just out there like he cares, 743 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:58,319 Speaker 4: he actually cares, like what are we doing similar they 744 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:00,680 Speaker 4: doing it? Which actually makes the most sense. Ever, if 745 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 4: you know anything about the guy where I remember this 746 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:05,879 Speaker 4: story because I've been down there a bunch of different times, 747 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 4: and I really loved I just have so much respect 748 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 4: for Saban. 749 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 3: I've loved interviewing him. I always hated any. 750 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:14,000 Speaker 4: Belichick comp because I was like, Belichick is not interesting, 751 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:15,760 Speaker 4: Like he goes out of his way to not be interesting, 752 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 4: and that's like the game he's playing, and Saban is 753 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:21,799 Speaker 4: really thoughtful, and for whatever reason, people try to like 754 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:24,200 Speaker 4: lump them in because they were both successful. 755 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 3: And had kind of this tip it. 756 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:28,919 Speaker 4: They're not the same guy, and I think the world 757 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 4: the Saban and it seems like whatever he's going to do, 758 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 4: he wants to make sure, like, Okay, what's what's the 759 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:37,920 Speaker 4: best possible way for us to go ahead and do it? 760 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 3: Which is exactly the way he runs a football program. 761 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:43,399 Speaker 1: Well, well yeah, that's when Urban Meyer is a friend 762 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:45,680 Speaker 1: of mine and like Urban watches film? Did I ever 763 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: tell you my Urban? And that's when Urban comes on 764 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:51,000 Speaker 1: the show, Mine like I will talk to him before 765 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 1: the break, I'm like, have you wont he will have 766 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 1: watched film? I never forget Years ago when LSU played 767 00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 1: Ohio State, Jim Trussell was the coach, and I saw 768 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 1: Urban I can tell this story now. I saw Urban 769 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:07,120 Speaker 1: in I think he was at Florida or was leaving 770 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:09,239 Speaker 1: or I forget what it was, but I think he 771 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: was at Florida at the time again. 772 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:16,200 Speaker 3: Because they just was he the National championship the year before. 773 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:20,839 Speaker 1: Yep, and they were LSU was playing Ohio State, and 774 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,759 Speaker 1: I caught him in the hallway. He went on for 775 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 1: about eight minutes. He literally described the game. He said, 776 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 1: Ohio State will move the ball early. Mo Clorette had 777 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:33,719 Speaker 1: a big run early, I think for a touchdown. He said, Ultimately, 778 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,520 Speaker 1: LSU's got about twice as many good receivers, twice as 779 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:39,719 Speaker 1: many good running backs. They'll wear them down, they'll pull 780 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:41,680 Speaker 1: away in the second half, and they'll win by like fourteen. 781 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:45,480 Speaker 1: And he went like for eight to ten minutes. He literally, 782 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:48,360 Speaker 1: I mean he'd watched film for both teams. He literally 783 00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:52,680 Speaker 1: he recited the game. So I took that and went 784 00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:55,319 Speaker 1: on the game and talked about the game, basically using 785 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:57,279 Speaker 1: all of his stuff and say, hey, listen, I just 786 00:38:57,280 --> 00:38:59,319 Speaker 1: talked to somebody I trust. Blah blah blah. It made 787 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 1: me sound so small, but he I liked these ex 788 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:04,040 Speaker 1: coaches because a lot of times. I mean, Sable will 789 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:07,759 Speaker 1: watch film before that Saturday show. Urban will go and 790 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,239 Speaker 1: watch film and break it down like a coach, and 791 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:14,080 Speaker 1: it's and they're so freed, right, there's no pressure. They're 792 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 1: watching film now without an agenda not to protect anything. 793 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 1: And I think both those guys provide something that film 794 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:27,120 Speaker 1: knowledge that's really valuable to me as a consumer. 795 00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:29,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, so LSU wanted, you know seven when they had 796 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:30,400 Speaker 4: the second loss. 797 00:39:30,480 --> 00:39:32,239 Speaker 3: Remember that was the year in two thousand and seven 798 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:36,160 Speaker 3: where UCF Boston College or ranked number two West Virginia if. 799 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 4: They'd beaten Pitt. It's still one of my favorite college 800 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,000 Speaker 4: football years ever because whenever you go through any like 801 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:43,160 Speaker 4: the research packets for the upcoming weekend, it'll be like, 802 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:45,440 Speaker 4: this is the last time. The last time this happened 803 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:47,320 Speaker 4: was in two thousand and seven, because like two thousand 804 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:48,839 Speaker 4: and seven was a free for all, and even though 805 00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:51,120 Speaker 4: LSU had that second loss, they're like, look, we're just 806 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 4: going to vote this team back in. I remember Trussell 807 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 4: after the fact saying that was a game. When we 808 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,960 Speaker 4: were preparing for it, we knew we had no chance. 809 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:02,040 Speaker 4: And then they lose to Ohio State eight. Excuse me, 810 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:06,360 Speaker 4: Ohastate loses the flora the next year, and that was 811 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:06,759 Speaker 4: the thing. 812 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:08,360 Speaker 3: Like, this is the Big ten argument. This is the 813 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 3: pro big ten argument. 814 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:13,800 Speaker 4: That for years we were conditioned, like remember the Alabama 815 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:17,160 Speaker 4: Michigan State games where you were just go jesus. 816 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:19,680 Speaker 1: Oh, thirty four nothing or thirty five seven. 817 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:23,360 Speaker 4: Isn't happening as much anymore, okay. And that's not just 818 00:40:23,400 --> 00:40:25,960 Speaker 4: about the Michigan and Ohio state national championships, and I 819 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:29,600 Speaker 4: think they're kind of like further, the point is that 820 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:32,879 Speaker 4: we may be on the cusp of this thing that 821 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 4: like is real. It's just so hard for me to 822 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:38,400 Speaker 4: think that, like there's going to be another region. 823 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:43,439 Speaker 1: Why though, So here's my take on this. Alabama's doing 824 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:47,839 Speaker 1: car washes and bake sales, and Ohio State's not big 825 00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:51,040 Speaker 1: ten schools. Most SEC schools are smaller schools. I think 826 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:57,040 Speaker 1: Auburn's like is it sixteen eighteen thousand? Wisconsino are like 827 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 1: small cities, man, I mean it's nuts. And they all 828 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:04,239 Speaker 1: those graduates go all across the America and they go 829 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:05,640 Speaker 1: to New York in LA and they make a bunch 830 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:09,440 Speaker 1: of money and they give it back. It's much easier 831 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:13,319 Speaker 1: for these big ten schools. I mean, USC is now 832 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:16,840 Speaker 1: spending twenty million dollars innil. They're twenty twenty six class. 833 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:21,239 Speaker 1: They just went and bought this insane class. And that's 834 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:23,799 Speaker 1: just because of NIL. That's not because they suddenly figured 835 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:26,879 Speaker 1: out how to recruit. They've got money. And so now 836 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:32,440 Speaker 1: the big ten's got Seattle, Los Angeles, Columbus. You know 837 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:36,000 Speaker 1: these are massive. I mean, Penn State's got Philadelphia and 838 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:41,719 Speaker 1: New York graduates everywhere. SCC is a lot of small towns, 839 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:44,920 Speaker 1: and I just don't think the NIL money. I mean, 840 00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:47,000 Speaker 1: I just don't think they have the NIL money in 841 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:48,920 Speaker 1: most instance. So I think Georgia does, but I don't 842 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:51,800 Speaker 1: think a lot of teams do. George is also closest 843 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:55,319 Speaker 1: to the biggest city in the South, Atlanta. Well there's 844 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 1: more money, more attorneys, more doctors, more you know, venture 845 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:01,920 Speaker 1: capitalists in Atlanta in the South, and they're Georgia. 846 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 3: I do think sometimes too, You'll have. 847 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:08,560 Speaker 4: You know, it's a very human nature thing, but you 848 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:12,840 Speaker 4: become motivated by something that you don't think you can 849 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:14,920 Speaker 4: get as opposed to expecting it, right, I mean it's 850 00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 4: the King of the Mountain. 851 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:19,320 Speaker 3: Analogy here where you know, as Georgia. 852 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,880 Speaker 4: Is motivated to spend when they put together these these runs, 853 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,239 Speaker 4: like what if Alabama's not in the playoff for ten years? 854 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:26,640 Speaker 4: What do you think, like what do you think that 855 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:29,319 Speaker 4: nil is going to be like or whatever? You know, 856 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:33,680 Speaker 4: like Ohio State after losing to Michigan before the season, 857 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:35,640 Speaker 4: and it's still This is one of the things I 858 00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:38,280 Speaker 4: think with college football that even though people love the expansion, 859 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:40,359 Speaker 4: I don't. It's more of a reflection of how much 860 00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:42,319 Speaker 4: I hate the realignment. I've already done these rants far 861 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:45,560 Speaker 4: too many times. But I'm watching your network and it's 862 00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:48,160 Speaker 4: Ohio State Michigan and the broadcast is like this is 863 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:50,399 Speaker 4: for everything, and it's like, yeah, except it isn't because 864 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 4: Ohio State's going to lose this and then win a 865 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:56,239 Speaker 4: national championship and I will forever miss that that is 866 00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:59,560 Speaker 4: not on the line. But yes, it doesn't ruin my 867 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:03,240 Speaker 4: enjoyment of this incredible rivalry and what was like an ugly, awesome, 868 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,319 Speaker 4: just a brutal game and you know, the emotions that 869 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:08,400 Speaker 4: game are just like they're on the TV screens. 870 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:09,760 Speaker 3: It's a fucking awesome product. 871 00:43:11,960 --> 00:43:17,520 Speaker 4: But when I think about, you know, how State this 872 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 4: past offseason and grabbing Caleb downs as soon as savings. 873 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:23,960 Speaker 3: Out of there, going to get Will Howard, which you. 874 00:43:23,880 --> 00:43:25,560 Speaker 4: Know at the time, remember like the summer, it was 875 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:27,239 Speaker 4: a bit of an argument like, hey, well if he 876 00:43:27,360 --> 00:43:29,000 Speaker 4: was that special, like why is this guy leaving k 877 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:31,200 Speaker 4: State and all these things, and it just works and 878 00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:33,719 Speaker 4: we knew that it was supposedly this twenty million dollar program. 879 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:35,160 Speaker 3: Is this about? 880 00:43:35,239 --> 00:43:36,880 Speaker 4: Ohio States should always be able to fund all this 881 00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:39,000 Speaker 4: stuff if you name the top blue blood programs, the 882 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:40,840 Speaker 4: places where it matters the most. I don't know that 883 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:42,279 Speaker 4: this is ever going to be an issue, but there 884 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:45,480 Speaker 4: is something about that void. There is something about feeling 885 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:48,680 Speaker 4: like this is bullshit that motivates you in a way 886 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:51,560 Speaker 4: that's that's just hard to replicate when you're used to 887 00:43:51,640 --> 00:43:54,360 Speaker 4: all the success. So I think that's what will probably 888 00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:56,360 Speaker 4: happen amongst the top schools. 889 00:43:56,360 --> 00:43:58,000 Speaker 3: It's just a matter of like, how many. 890 00:43:57,920 --> 00:44:01,080 Speaker 4: Of these top programs do you think will have access 891 00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:05,319 Speaker 4: to maybe a spending spree and look, apparently now we 892 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:09,239 Speaker 4: have a cap at twenty million for an entire academic department. Yeah, 893 00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:11,520 Speaker 4: good luck figuring that one out. Good luck being the 894 00:44:11,520 --> 00:44:16,160 Speaker 4: tennis coach, you know, like, hey, she really like this 895 00:44:16,239 --> 00:44:19,640 Speaker 4: kid from Choate. You're like, yeah, well we our guy 896 00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:21,240 Speaker 4: needs a six defensive back. 897 00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:26,840 Speaker 3: So sorry, Yeah, that thing a bit of a circus. 898 00:44:27,040 --> 00:44:29,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, well I told you it was only gonna take 899 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:31,800 Speaker 1: thirty minutes, but that's not We can't talk for thirty 900 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:33,120 Speaker 1: This fucking thing's already gone an hour. 901 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:34,520 Speaker 3: Sorry. I didn't mean to do that. 902 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:36,360 Speaker 1: I really didn't. I want to. I know you're busy. 903 00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:39,040 Speaker 1: I know you got to do like sixteen local hits 904 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:41,440 Speaker 1: and spoken it's available. 905 00:44:42,400 --> 00:44:46,120 Speaker 3: Are the Sonics coming back? So well? No, man, I 906 00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:47,759 Speaker 3: just love love talking to you. Know how I feel 907 00:44:47,800 --> 00:44:52,200 Speaker 3: about you. So whatever you need, same here, all right, buddy, 908 00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:52,880 Speaker 3: appreciate it.