WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: Multiple All-Stars injured, standout first-round matchups and going inside Inside The NBA 0:00:00.920 --> 0:00:05.520 We lament the very unfortunate injuries to befall both Jimmy 0:00:05.559 --> 0:00:09.640 Butler and Zion Williamson. We've got the latest on Kawhi 0:00:09.720 --> 0:00:13.920 Leonard and Giannis Antetokumpo. We highlight for you the best 0:00:14.040 --> 0:00:17.560 first round series in both the East and the West. 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:20.480 And on top of all that, we're gonna go inside 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:24.800 on Chris Haynes's appearance earlier this week on Inside the 0:00:24.920 --> 0:00:28.120 NBA that kind of went viral. All that's next. You're 0:00:28.120 --> 0:00:30.520 on a new edition of this League Uncut. 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:35.360 Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty 0:00:35.360 --> 0:00:40.200 four hour NBA news, this news you love, Chris Hans. 0:00:40.440 --> 0:00:43.840 It's time, work's time. It's so time. 0:00:48.120 --> 0:00:52.840 This League Uncut is underway and on fire. This should 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:53.680 be a good one. 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:59.760 A hearty welcome in everyone to the latest edition of 0:00:59.840 --> 0:01:04.000 this League Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes. We 0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:08.640 are recording Thursday and evening with no games in the 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:13.400 NBA after to play in tournament games Tuesday night, to 0:01:13.600 --> 0:01:17.560 play in tournament games Wednesday night, two more Friday night 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:24.200 before Saturday's full scale launch of the NBA Playoffs. And 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:31.000 man just since Monday when we dropped the Bobby Portis 0:01:31.040 --> 0:01:34.800 podcast where Chris had a one on one conversation with 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:37.920 Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks one on one because 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:42.000 of some automobile travails that sidelined me and kept me 0:01:42.040 --> 0:01:48.240 from participating. Chris haynes Man, it is amazing everything in 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:52.760 this league, everything in hashtag this league that has happened 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:57.920 since the Portois podcast. The Warrior season is over. The 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:03.040 Sacramento Kings were the team that at last eliminated Golden State. 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:07.000 Major injuries in New Orleans with Zion Williamson in Miami 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:11.760 with Jimmy Butler. We're still waiting on word if Kawhi 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:14.359 Leonard can play in Game one for the Clippers, or 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:17.600 we're still a waiting word on whether Kawhi Leonard can 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.520 even play in Game one for the LA Clippers. We're 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:23.600 also a waiting word on how long we have to 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:27.680 wait before Jannis Antetokumpo can join the Milwaukee Bucks for 0:02:27.800 --> 0:02:32.120 their first round series. There was a ban of a player, 0:02:32.760 --> 0:02:37.799 John Tay Porter, banned from the NBA for gambling transgressions. 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:43.280 Blake Griffin announced his retirement. USA Basketball announced its roster 0:02:43.560 --> 0:02:47.079 for the twenty twenty four Olympics. Award ballots went out 0:02:47.120 --> 0:02:51.399 and were turned in swiftly. This week award voting took 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:55.680 place basically in the space of a day Monday, late 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:59.799 Monday into Tuesday, before the playing tournament started. So many 0:03:00.880 --> 0:03:03.679 going on, and I'm sure my list has left some out, 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:07.200 So sorry for the delay in getting to you, Chris Haynes, 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:10.960 but man, it has been again. It's only Thursday, and 0:03:11.000 --> 0:03:11.480 it has been. 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.760 A lot, probably a record number of occurrences that have 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:17.800 happened over the last three or four days in the NBA, 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:22.280 especially this time the season. Usually we're hyper focus on 0:03:22.919 --> 0:03:25.359 just the playoffs and the matchups out there, but it's 0:03:25.480 --> 0:03:30.080 always it always, let's see a little bit of air 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:31.239 out of room when. 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:36.040 Injuries occurse, particularly. 0:03:35.440 --> 0:03:38.240 To injury suck. Yeah, there's no way around it. 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:40.200 The suck, especially this week. 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:44.400 But this week has been brutal. It's been absolutely brutal. 0:03:45.200 --> 0:03:49.240 You covered one of those playing games. You covered Golden 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:53.600 State's exit elimination in Sacramento, and we will get to that. 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:56.000 We will get to both of the number ten teams 0:03:56.760 --> 0:04:00.800 that lost ten seeds in the playing tournament are now 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:04.320 zero for eight in play in history in terms of 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:08.120 getting out of the play in tournament Golden State, losing 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:13.520 the Sacramento the Hawks routed in Chicago on Wednesday night. 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:16.200 But again we will get to that stuff. Let's start 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:21.520 with the injuries, because I mean, man, it was really 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:26.200 tough to see what happened to Zion Williamson Tuesday night 0:04:26.320 --> 0:04:28.880 in the game of his life, and then last night, 0:04:29.000 --> 0:04:35.760 Jimmy Butler takes a hit, Kelly Ubray came down on him. 0:04:36.560 --> 0:04:40.360 Jimmy Butler. I mean, it's not gonna The Heat ended 0:04:40.440 --> 0:04:42.560 up losing in Philly by a point, so this is 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:45.599 not gonna go into the Jimmy Butler playoff pantheon. But 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:47.960 I don't know, maybe it should to me. If you're 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:52.080 playing thirty minutes on a spray knee, that's a pretty 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:55.600 playoff Jimmy performance. But obviously the Heat lose by one 0:04:55.640 --> 0:05:00.559 in Philly, and now they've lost Jimmy Butler indefinitely. 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:04.919 It's gonna be tough to overcome that. It's gonna be tough, 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:07.239 and I know the Miami Heat way is the next 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:07.839 man up. 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:09.520 You know, they don't. 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:13.880 They tend not to feel sorry for themselves, but this 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:17.080 is gonna be hard to overcome. And now they have 0:05:17.120 --> 0:05:19.440 a matchup with the Chicago Bulls, who are playing some 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:22.599 really good basketball to try to get that eighth seed. 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:27.320 It's tough, it's time. But this is why again I 0:05:27.360 --> 0:05:31.200 don't want to beat a dead horse. But this is 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:35.320 why I talk about the play in format and the 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:39.599 way it's structured. With a team like the Atlanta Hawks, 0:05:40.279 --> 0:05:41.080 I believe they were. 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:41.680 At like eight or no. 0:05:41.760 --> 0:05:44.239 I think they might have even been ten games back 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:50.320 of Miami going into that play in But there can 0:05:50.400 --> 0:05:54.000 be there could be an injury to a key guy 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:58.000 on the team who has the seventh or eighth seed, 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:02.640 and then all of a sudden, you lose a game, 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:05.800 or you lose two games and you're wiped away when 0:06:05.800 --> 0:06:09.000 you've already had a big lead and that's it. And 0:06:10.040 --> 0:06:11.960 you know they didn't play the Hawk so it doesn't matter. 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:16.200 But that's why I say, like, it's this is a 0:06:16.240 --> 0:06:19.440 real it's a real tough situation. Like Miami, they had 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:24.240 a better eighty two game regular season, way better eighty 0:06:24.240 --> 0:06:27.800 two game regular season than Chicago or Atlanta. 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:30.160 And that just. 0:06:30.080 --> 0:06:34.840 Points to my my margin that I talked about win margin, 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:40.279 like if if it's six games or more like, let 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:42.400 them let them advance to the playoffs because if not 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:45.360 a team like a like the Atlanta really have any bit, 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:47.000 I don't care if Atlanta wins too in a row 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:49.480 in the play in did they really have any business 0:06:49.640 --> 0:06:52.960 making it to the playoffs? Answer is no. But back 0:06:53.000 --> 0:06:56.560 to the injury at hand. Tough, tough injury for Jimmy Butler, 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.600 tough injury for the Miami Heat to endure is going 0:06:59.680 --> 0:06:59.960 to be real. 0:07:02.200 --> 0:07:05.000 Well, Listen, the next time Adam Silver does a press conference, 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:07.600 which should be at the NBA Finals, I suspect now 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:12.760 this is gonna come up, because Yeah, I mean, I 0:07:12.800 --> 0:07:15.560 think the play in tournament in the Grand Scheme has 0:07:15.600 --> 0:07:18.760 been fantastic. It is given the end of a regular 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:23.440 season a boost. You know it. The positives have far 0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:26.760 outstripped the negatives when it comes to the play in 0:07:26.840 --> 0:07:30.280 tournament because what the league was trying to do was 0:07:30.360 --> 0:07:33.080 to entice more teams to play to the eighty two 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:36.400 game finish line, and that has clearly happened. We saw 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:40.080 a feverish last week in the regular season, teams trying 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.720 to get to number six in each conference so they 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:46.640 could avoid this play and mess. But yeah, I mean, 0:07:47.040 --> 0:07:50.560 when you look at what's happened this week, and there's 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:54.880 no way you can there's no insulation against injuries. There's 0:07:54.920 --> 0:07:58.560 no way to keep these guys in a bubble and 0:07:58.720 --> 0:08:02.480 ensure that there will not be injury. But the circumstances 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:06.000 in both cases for Miami and New Orleans are awful 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:11.240 because the Heat, as you say, finished seven games ahead 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:15.280 of number nine Chicago. They finished ten games ahead of 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:21.000 number ten Atlanta. And the Heat could rightfully say there 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:23.440 should have been some sort of number here now figuring 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:25.960 out what that number is. Is it four games, is 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:29.680 it five games? Is it six games? What is the 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:34.280 appropriate number where we say there should be no playing tournament? 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:38.040 You know, that would have to be negotiated and discussed, 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:40.800 and I'm sure the league would look back at past 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:42.640 history to try to come up with some kind of 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:45.240 number if it ever got that far. But yes, the 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:48.520 Miami Heat have a right to be pissed off that 0:08:48.880 --> 0:08:51.720 they were seven games better than number nine Chicago. They 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:54.880 found themselves in a playing game. Jimmy Butler gets hurt. 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:58.120 And now even if they can grit through and beat 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:02.440 Chicago with no Jimmy Butler and Terry Rosier, they're not 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:04.719 beating the Boston Celtics in Round one. They don't even 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:08.679 have a chance without Jimmy Butler. They're not. 0:09:08.800 --> 0:09:14.600 But the thing is, say Miami loses to Chicago, and 0:09:14.640 --> 0:09:17.000 that's it's a very real chance that that could happen. 0:09:17.559 --> 0:09:20.480 Like now they're out after two games and they're missing 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:24.960 their best player. And so say say they they did 0:09:25.040 --> 0:09:29.160 make the playoffs. Now you give Jimmy a time to 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:32.120 get back. You know, he's not even gonna have time 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.520 to get back. And that's why I say the all 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:37.640 remember Stein I was talking about when I was talking 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:42.320 about this, advocating for there being a wiz margin. I 0:09:42.440 --> 0:09:46.360 was talking about like the worst case scenario, the worst 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:50.120 the worst case scenario was number one having a big 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:54.000 large margin of wins, which Miami heat did, and number 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:56.959 two I was talking about, what if a key player 0:09:57.800 --> 0:10:01.800 got hurt during that that play in when they already 0:10:01.840 --> 0:10:04.840 had a large margin. Like all the worst case scenarios. 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:07.800 They they've happened over the last couple of days. And 0:10:07.880 --> 0:10:11.320 that's why I say, like you can't and you could talk, 0:10:11.400 --> 0:10:15.720 you know, you could talk about well Miami rested Jimmy 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:18.000 throughout the season. They gave away some games during the 0:10:18.000 --> 0:10:21.920 regular season, Okay, well what did Atlanta do? What did 0:10:21.960 --> 0:10:24.960 Atlanta do this season? What did Chicago do this season? 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:30.199 So again, like it wasn't fair in the West, play 0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:32.920 in was deserved. It should have happened in the East 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:35.120 this year. It should that should. 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:35.880 Not have been in the case. 0:10:36.080 --> 0:10:37.640 Should the margin be six? 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:39.040 I say, six games? 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:42.520 But why why six? Why not four? Why not five? 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:47.120 I think four is still kind of within range. I 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:50.400 think four you can say they had a better season, 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:54.719 but not you know, not that much better than the 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:57.280 next opponent. But six games, It's like, no, you had 0:10:57.280 --> 0:11:02.079 a better season. That's clear to me that six games here. 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:04.240 No, Like I said, I think, I think it will 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:07.960 be brought out now. I think this will become you know, 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:10.560 it will be some sort of discussion. I mean, I 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:16.240 know if I were in the Heat organization or the 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:19.400 Sixers organization, I would be bringing it up at the 0:11:19.440 --> 0:11:23.880 next Competition committee meeting. Like we were so far ahead 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:26.200 of the nine to ten in the in the East 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:28.400 and we had to play these extra games. And in 0:11:28.480 --> 0:11:30.800 the West, Like you said, I think the playing is 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:35.120 very justified and there should be no apologies because look 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:39.360 how tight the West has been really from one to 0:11:39.480 --> 0:11:42.680 ten I mean, look at the Warriors at number ten, 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:46.600 they won forty six games. Chicago at number nine in 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:49.120 the East, won thirty nine, Atlanta at number ten in 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.640 the East, won thirty six. I mean a full ten 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:55.840 games off the Warriors pace in an easier conference. So 0:11:56.880 --> 0:11:59.880 with New Orleans, it's just horrendous, just horrendous luck. And 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:04.320 that forty four point hammering that the Pelicans took in 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:08.560 Vegas in the n season tournament. To that point, that 0:12:08.760 --> 0:12:14.040 was the largest stage that Zion Williamson had ever played 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:17.440 on as a pro, because we're still waiting to see 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:20.320 him in a playoff game. And then you fast forward 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:24.160 to the play in tournament and this becomes the new 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:28.839 biggest game of Zion's career. And after all the criticism 0:12:28.880 --> 0:12:33.280 he took all season about conditioning, what happened in Vegas. 0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:37.120 He played the game of his life. I mean, he 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:40.560 had forty points, eleven rebounds. He was the best player 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:43.839 on the court, the most effective player on the court 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:47.040 in a game with Lebron James on the other side, 0:12:47.800 --> 0:12:49.960 with Anthony Davis on the other side. And I don't 0:12:50.000 --> 0:12:53.680 need to recount Anthony Davis's whole history in New Orleans. 0:12:53.840 --> 0:12:58.520 And then a new hamstring injury left hamstring, and Zion 0:12:58.679 --> 0:13:01.760 is out indefinitely like Jimmy Butler. And Okay, maybe the 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:06.160 Pelicans can find a way to beat Sacramento at home 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:10.200 and make the playoffs, because let's not forget the Pelicans 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:13.480 are five and ohero this season remarkably against Sacramento and 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.200 the teams have met. But even if New Orleans finds 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:20.280 a way through a one game scenario just to extended season, 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:24.079 the Pelicans would have to play the top seeded Thunder 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:26.120 without their best player. 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:26.800 And so. 0:13:28.520 --> 0:13:31.000 Then there's the flip side. If the Pelicans lose to 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:36.280 Sacramento and don't even make the playoffs, they become just 0:13:36.360 --> 0:13:42.240 the second forty nine win team in league history to 0:13:42.360 --> 0:13:47.280 miss the playoffs entirely. So, I mean, your your play 0:13:47.320 --> 0:13:51.840 in arguments have definitely gained steam this week because there's 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:53.920 been some there's been some cruel stuff going on. 0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:57.480 You thought I was crazy, Stein when I first said it, 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:01.079 when I first called for it, Say you thought I 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:01.960 was crazy, or I. 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:03.560 Don't think I thought. I don't think I thought you 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:04.199 were crazy. 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:05.600 You this theme. 0:14:05.640 --> 0:14:07.920 He was like, you were one of those people that 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:11.560 were saying, well, you know, you should have did the 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:13.959 work during the regular season. I'm like, well, listen, this 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:16.600 is any two game season. All games should matter. 0:14:16.679 --> 0:14:18.600 Ryan, did I ever say that? I think I'm being 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:19.320 misquoted here. 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:25.120 Ryan, I don't think you necessarily said exactly what Chris 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:27.840 is trying to lay out here. You were more so 0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:30.720 in the you didn't believe it. 0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:33.800 I loved the plan. I think overall it has been 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:38.080 very good for the league, but there are certainly still 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:41.920 some flaws that Chris Haynes has been trumpeting here lately, 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:46.520 and this week has certainly given steam and support to 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:50.320 those complaints, because, I mean, the Pelicans have to be 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:54.120 sitting there thinking, we won forty nine games, we would 0:14:54.160 --> 0:14:57.320 have been the seventh seed in the traditional one through 0:14:57.400 --> 0:15:01.240 eight system, and now they fail the prospect of being 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:04.320 booted out of the playoffs completely, and even if they 0:15:04.400 --> 0:15:06.720 make it, they're not going to have their best player 0:15:06.760 --> 0:15:09.600 because of an injury he sustained in a playing game. 0:15:09.680 --> 0:15:14.240 So the Pelicans are certainly not loving the playing tournament 0:15:14.320 --> 0:15:18.920 right now, and the Miami Heat, to Chris's off sited point, 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:22.800 have to be even more furious because they won forty 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:29.440 six games and were clearly clearly seven games better than Chicago, 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:33.160 ten games better than Atlanta, and according to Commissioner Haynes, 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:35.640 should not have even been playing a playing. 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:39.800 Game, shouldn't have a stein you know, you know, I 0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:41.800 play a lot. I kid a lot, and I talk 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:44.640 about Miami because yes, I do like my trips to Miami. 0:15:45.080 --> 0:15:48.400 But let's give proper respect to the Philadelphia seventy six 0:15:48.480 --> 0:15:52.520 ers because they shouldn't even play that one game playing 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.560 game they were Let's talk. I know I talk about 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:58.560 the discrepancy between the Heat and those teams, but Philly 0:15:59.680 --> 0:16:02.480 was eight Let me see, Philly was eight games ahead 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:07.280 of Chicago and eleven games ahead of Atlanta. 0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:10.360 I don't care if Philly loses the first game. 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:13.920 There is no way in the world that Philly should 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:18.320 have to play Chicago or Atlanta to try to get 0:16:18.400 --> 0:16:19.400 into the playoffs. 0:16:19.640 --> 0:16:21.360 That is blasphemy. That's it. 0:16:21.960 --> 0:16:25.680 Just come on, now, we gotta do something about this. 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:27.920 This This is I don't I get New Orleans. I 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:31.880 hear you gripe with New Orleans. No gripe to me. 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:36.880 I'm sorry. Like your two three games up up from 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:40.160 the next team, which was the Kings. 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:42.920 Three games now, that's fine. Play in go ahead and 0:16:43.120 --> 0:16:43.960 go ahead do the play in. 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:47.280 But what happened in the East, Travesty should not have 0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:49.840 been a player in the Eastern Conference. Now the problem 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:57.200 is Steyn say they do implement a racial rule. Right, 0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:02.320 That's something that league I believe does not want to 0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:06.520 happen because you know, you've given away money. You're throwing 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:09.480 away a play in, just just a Western Conference play 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.920 in this season and no Eastern Conference playing. Well, that's 0:17:13.000 --> 0:17:17.560 money you're given away, TV revenue you're given away. 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:19.760 So I get why they don't want to. 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:24.160 But this all the worst things happen in the East 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:27.560 to where it should be something in play. 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:32.360 Yeah, Like I said, I'm really curious to see the 0:17:32.400 --> 0:17:38.080 Sixers and or the heat the teams most justified to 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:40.680 be as riled up as Commissioner Haynes. Will they say 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:45.119 something at the next Competition Committee meeting that they have 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:52.280 a representative at, because yeah, this has been rough week. 0:17:52.320 --> 0:17:55.480 And I'm glad you brought the Sixers up because they 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:59.240 that was a very gritty showing for them to come back, 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:02.119 because I mean, Jimmy is just from another planet, like 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:07.520 to have a knee injury like that. It looked ugly 0:18:07.960 --> 0:18:13.320 just watching the replays and he played on. He played 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:15.960 on for pretty much the rest of the game and 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:19.480 didn't come out and Miami almost won that game, but 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:25.120 Philadelphia got down double digits. Your guy, Nikola Batoum really 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:30.600 helped Philadelphia turn that thing around. And you know, I'm 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:33.000 about to spend some time at that Mass Clippers first 0:18:33.040 --> 0:18:36.040 round series. I'm thinking the Clippers have never missed but 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:39.960 two more than Wednesday night if they were watching on TV, 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:45.159 as he drained a number of threes and really helped 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.400 the Sixers rally out of a pretty dire situation. 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:54.280 And lastly, on this guy, you know I sit coach 0:18:54.320 --> 0:19:00.480 spost a text of my my video comment when I 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:04.600 was talking about the play in situation on inside the NBA, 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:10.400 and Spoe text back, we made our bed. We will 0:19:10.480 --> 0:19:12.720 have to do this the hard way. That's the deal. 0:19:12.840 --> 0:19:16.080 We'll be ready. That was before the playoffs started. 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:20.000 And that to me is such a heat answer. Deal 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:21.639 with it and face it, deal. 0:19:21.520 --> 0:19:24.399 It and face it. But that was before the play 0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:24.919 and started. 0:19:25.000 --> 0:19:29.720 Now he may feel they feel differently now that Jimmy 0:19:29.720 --> 0:19:33.399 Butler's out a while. 0:19:33.720 --> 0:19:33.920 Yeah. 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:36.480 Look, I mean I gotta be because I did Power 0:19:36.560 --> 0:19:39.280 rankings on Tuesday. My last Power rankings of the season, 0:19:39.400 --> 0:19:43.320 and I just I wrote a bazillion words. So fans 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:46.600 of every team that wanted to read about their team, 0:19:46.760 --> 0:19:52.280 there's your team is covered in detailed fashion. But I 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:56.280 I put Miami despite this season, despite we made our bed, 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:59.960 as Spose says, I still had the Heat at number 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:04.879 umber ten in my final rankings, and I said, I 0:20:04.960 --> 0:20:08.879 wrote more than once in the piece. I'm sure I 0:20:08.920 --> 0:20:12.560 have the Heat higher than any power rankings institution on 0:20:12.640 --> 0:20:15.280 the planet. But you know what, I'm not writing the 0:20:15.320 --> 0:20:19.120 Heat off until they're eliminated. I am fully a believer 0:20:19.680 --> 0:20:23.680 that they will always find a way and that they 0:20:23.720 --> 0:20:27.800 are just the toughest out you can imagine. But that 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:31.399 was all predicated on Jimmy Butler being able to play 0:20:31.960 --> 0:20:37.000 and activate Playoff Jimmy mode, and obviously now that's impossible. 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:40.920 He did activate playoff Jimmy mode in the playing game 0:20:41.000 --> 0:20:44.800 just by being able to finish that game, but realistically, 0:20:45.480 --> 0:20:47.679 the Heat will not see him again until next season. 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:50.840 So I mean, their season for all intents and purposes, 0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:53.280 is over, even if they find a way to get 0:20:53.320 --> 0:20:56.399 past the bulls Man rough. 0:20:56.480 --> 0:20:59.920 Yeah, take it their nut number ten on your list now. 0:21:01.920 --> 0:21:04.840 Well, like I said, Jimmy Butler was factoring into those 0:21:04.880 --> 0:21:18.280 calculations from the Committee of Won factoring in heavily. What 0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:21.520 about Okay, and then we still have major injury question 0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:26.560 marks both with the Clippers and the Bucks Kawhi Leonard. 0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:30.800 As of Thursday, Game one is Sunday lunchtime, LA time. 0:21:31.600 --> 0:21:34.159 Still not clear if Kawhi Leonard is going to be 0:21:34.200 --> 0:21:37.920 able to play. He's obviously trying. The Clippers are hopeful 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:39.880 that he's going to get out there, but I mean 0:21:39.880 --> 0:21:42.119 we have to remember, I mean, Kawhi Leonard has not 0:21:42.240 --> 0:21:45.080 played a game this month. He last played for the 0:21:45.119 --> 0:21:49.040 Clippers at the end of March. So even even if 0:21:49.080 --> 0:21:52.680 he can play, I think it's fair to pose the 0:21:52.760 --> 0:21:57.399 question how effective will he actually be in game one? 0:21:57.440 --> 0:22:00.760 And the Clippers are relying hugely. I mean, Kwhi Leonard 0:22:00.960 --> 0:22:03.960 is their most important player. This is a deep Clipper team. 0:22:04.000 --> 0:22:07.439 They've got a lot of weapons and at their best, 0:22:07.480 --> 0:22:12.479 we've seen how dangerous they can be. But when countering 0:22:12.560 --> 0:22:16.479 Luka Doncic for the Clippers, that starts with Kawhi Leonard, 0:22:16.480 --> 0:22:21.280 And so how healthy will Kawhi actually be even if 0:22:21.320 --> 0:22:22.520 he does get out there. 0:22:24.240 --> 0:22:24.560 Again? 0:22:25.200 --> 0:22:29.520 A brutal time to be dealing with something like that 0:22:30.280 --> 0:22:32.720 when you have to deal with two of the top 0:22:32.800 --> 0:22:36.080 perimeter players we have in this league, and Luka Doncis 0:22:36.080 --> 0:22:39.720 and Kyrie Irvin. You need your you need your wing 0:22:39.760 --> 0:22:43.760 defenders out there in full throttle. And hopefully Kawhi is 0:22:43.800 --> 0:22:46.760 able to get close to that, because you want to 0:22:46.800 --> 0:22:50.560 see some good games like really starin there's a you know, 0:22:50.560 --> 0:22:52.080 I know we're gonna talk about it later, but there's 0:22:52.119 --> 0:22:55.200 a lot of good intriguing first round matchups. Like the 0:22:55.280 --> 0:22:58.600 NBA has to be really really happy with the matchups 0:22:58.600 --> 0:22:59.399 that we have thus far. 0:23:01.520 --> 0:23:03.560 All right, but you know, let's just let's just do that. Now, 0:23:03.600 --> 0:23:06.000 Let's just let's just get to get to that. Now, 0:23:06.080 --> 0:23:10.440 let's pick what is the standout matchup. We'll do one 0:23:10.480 --> 0:23:14.000 in each conference, so there's eight first round series. Of course, 0:23:14.840 --> 0:23:18.840 as we're taping this, we don't officially know who Oklahoma 0:23:18.920 --> 0:23:23.240 City or Boston those teams do not know their opponents, 0:23:23.280 --> 0:23:23.560 and to. 0:23:23.520 --> 0:23:26.760 Be honest, you don't care. It doesn't matter who. 0:23:29.080 --> 0:23:32.359 For all your ranting about the play in tournament, this 0:23:32.560 --> 0:23:37.280 should be a central element of your argument that it 0:23:37.440 --> 0:23:41.200 needs changes because one of the most again, I love 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:46.679 the playing tournament in the grand scheme, I think overall 0:23:46.720 --> 0:23:49.520 it has been far more positive and negative. But to me, 0:23:49.640 --> 0:23:52.879 one of the huge negatives here it is not fair 0:23:52.920 --> 0:23:56.480 to the Celtics or the Thunder that they're not gonna 0:23:56.480 --> 0:24:00.480 know their first round opponent till Friday night. When those 0:24:00.480 --> 0:24:03.639 are the teams that possess the number one seed in 0:24:03.640 --> 0:24:08.000 the conference. That's not fair. And so that's another element 0:24:08.040 --> 0:24:10.639 of this thing that I think the league has to 0:24:10.680 --> 0:24:14.639 look at. Because Boston sixty four wins run away best 0:24:14.760 --> 0:24:19.960 record in the NBA, and the Celtics know it's gonna 0:24:19.960 --> 0:24:23.000 be Miami or Chicago, but that's all they know. And 0:24:23.080 --> 0:24:27.680