Speaker 1: No, no, come on, come on, no, come home.
Speaker 2: Come home. On this episode of the Heat Check, we
Speaker 2: finally talked about the All Star starters and the All
Speaker 2: Star reserves.
Speaker 1: It's been a.
Speaker 2: Long time coming, so get ready for a deep dive
Speaker 2: in the All Star news as we are only two
Speaker 2: weeks away. So go ahead, rock and drop that people
Speaker 2: barack name. The NBA All Star Game is coming up fast.
Speaker 2: Let's talk about the thoughts. All Star starters were announced,
Speaker 2: and we talked a bit about them in the previous
Speaker 2: episode when we broke down the journey that my man
Speaker 2: Andrew Wiggins had from number one pick to bust to
Speaker 2: someone that franchises gave up on to a man that
Speaker 2: is now starting in the All Star Game despite despite
Speaker 2: being twenty fourth highest score in his conference, pushing p
Speaker 2: people though, are still grumbling about it, but we won't
Speaker 2: go down that road again. It is safe to say
Speaker 2: that was a controversial pick. That was a controversial pick,
Speaker 2: but you should not hold that against Wiggins. He did
Speaker 2: not control that vote. He's played very well in Golden State.
Speaker 2: It's a great story. I'm not gonna hold it against
Speaker 2: him any more than I already have, but I do
Speaker 2: have to say that there is a conspiracy that got
Speaker 2: him there, and I know it for a fact and
Speaker 2: now we can talk about it. According to The Athletic,
Speaker 2: k pop is to blame. The Warriors social media team
Speaker 2: leveraged their partner with singer Ty singer Bam Bam, a
Speaker 2: massive star in the K pop world. The NBA allows
Speaker 2: fans to vote using tags on Twitter, so Golden State
Speaker 2: enlisted my Man Bam Bam to solicit votes for players
Speaker 2: like Steph Clay Thompson and Green, But when it came
Speaker 2: to the tweet promoting Wiggins, the Warriors specifically asked Bam
Speaker 2: Bam to send it out on January seventh, According to Slater,
Speaker 2: when the NBA ran a two for one campaign in
Speaker 2: which any votes that were cast on that day counted
Speaker 2: as double Excuse me, excuse me? That is egregious. Why
Speaker 2: does that matter? Fan popularity was the determining factor in
Speaker 2: Wiggans selection as a starter. The fan vote counts as
Speaker 2: fifty percent, and the choices for the media and the
Speaker 2: players are waited at twenty five percent each. How big
Speaker 2: was this push, you might ask. Bambam has nine million
Speaker 2: global followers, nine million, and his tweet for Wiggins got
Speaker 2: thirty seven thousand retweets, sixty nine thousand likes, and three
Speaker 2: thousand replies, and that doesn't even count his tens of
Speaker 2: thousands of fans who also tweeted hashtag Andrew Wiggins hashtag
Speaker 2: NBA All Star from their own accounts. The tweet was
Speaker 2: Thailand's number one trending topic, folks, and considering every vote
Speaker 2: counted as two, the Athletic claims Wiggins got hundreds of
Speaker 2: thousands of votes, enough to eclipse Paul George and the
Speaker 2: fan vote and to edge out Draymond Green as well.
Speaker 2: Tisk tisk tisk, Shenanigans, no shade to Andrew Wiggins. But
Speaker 2: we all know, and we all knew as soon as
Speaker 2: this came out something was afoot, didn't we And this
Speaker 2: is now why, this is how it happened. So much
Speaker 2: else to talk about. Let's move on. Katie and Lebron
Speaker 2: biggest vote getters, not a shocker, so they get to
Speaker 2: be they get to be captain captains. But Kdi is
Speaker 2: out due to injuries, so somebody else will be starting
Speaker 2: in this place. Here's what else we know about the starters.
Speaker 2: Let's break that down. Western Conference starters. Lebron James Andrew Wiggins.
Speaker 2: Andrew Wiggins, congratulations Andrew Wiggins, congratulations. See we're pushing Pete,
Speaker 2: Steph Curry, Jah Moran Westpool reserves, Devin Booker, Luka, Doncic,
Speaker 2: Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 2: De Jonte Murray from the Spurs named as an injury
Speaker 2: replacement placement for Draymond Green. Congratulations to you, de Jontay Murray.
Speaker 2: You deserve it. Chris Paul from the Phoenix Suns and
Speaker 2: kitty Cat Karl Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves. I
Speaker 2: think saying kitty cats mean, but I think it's borderline,
Speaker 2: so we're gonna keep it. NBA All Star Eastern Conference
Speaker 2: starters Jason Tatum has replaced kd Giannis Antetokounmpo from the
Speaker 2: Milwaukee Bucks, Jojoe Embiid, Trey Young, and Damar DeRozan Eastern
Speaker 2: Conference reserves. Lamello Ball named as an injury replacement. Jimmy
Speaker 2: Butler for the Miami Heat. Darius Garland, James Harden, come
Speaker 2: on like love, James Harden, great player, not an All
Speaker 2: Star this year. Zach Lavine Chicago Bulls Chris Middleton, fam
Speaker 2: Fred van Fleet from the Toronto Raptors. That is the list.
Speaker 2: So let's look at the East first, first, and foremost.
Speaker 2: What I noticed probably the most banged up front court
Speaker 2: in the NBA history. Like, let's break that down. Durant
Speaker 2: has missed fourteen games this season, Jannis has missed ten
Speaker 2: games this season, and Biid has missed twelve games this season.
Speaker 2: Durant's not even playing in this fucking game because he's
Speaker 2: still hurt. When is the last time that you've seen
Speaker 2: three All Star Game starters who have missed over a
Speaker 2: quarter of their team's games. I don't remember that. And
Speaker 2: of course Katie, of course will not be playing. With
Speaker 2: Bron's knee starting to act up. I think Lebron will play,
Speaker 2: but it's possible that both captains aren't really prominent forces
Speaker 2: of this game. Kind of fitting this year with a
Speaker 2: number of players putting on a jersey in an NBA
Speaker 2: all of these hardship clauses, and I'm surprised we didn't
Speaker 2: get a hardship clause into the NBA All Star like
Speaker 2: Hardship All Star. Lance Stevenson a few more points to
Speaker 2: make tons of chatter about Trey Young. Should he be
Speaker 2: an All Star starter? Should he not? Dude's balling out.
Speaker 2: Just stop. He's averaging twenty eight five and nine, playing
Speaker 2: probably his best ball since January when the Hawks, just
Speaker 2: like last year, resurrected their season, even break it out
Speaker 2: that whole boo, I'm cold type of a thing like
Speaker 2: Trey Young with his running his mouth getting into people's grills.
Speaker 2: They got that same That was that same move that
Speaker 2: got the Nick Soeen rage, which I loved. I didn't
Speaker 2: love that. I'm sorry, Knicks fans, I love you. You'll
Speaker 2: know why I said that very shortly. Also, let's remember
Speaker 2: the All Star Game is an exhibition game. Like nutmegs
Speaker 2: and passes and threes from forty feet out. That is
Speaker 2: a part of the game here, folks. This is not
Speaker 2: like an All Star game where you would want to
Speaker 2: see Rucker Park type level of intensity. We want to
Speaker 2: see what these players can do when they're not worried
Speaker 2: about this going against their record. I think everybody else
Speaker 2: is in agreement about every other Eastern starter. But now
Speaker 2: that KD isn't playing in the All Star Game, you know,
Speaker 2: I think I probably would have given his spot to
Speaker 2: Levine out West. Other than Wiggins. Not a ton of
Speaker 2: controversy there either. Jokic having a surreal year. Stat's probably
Speaker 2: the only rival Wilt Chamberlain. Eight times this year, Yoki
Speaker 2: has recorded fifteen assists. Only Yeah, only Wilt the still
Speaker 2: has done that in a single NBA season as a center.
Speaker 2: So as an aside, do you think think about this?
Speaker 2: Is Jokic deserving of another MVP award. He's got a
Speaker 2: thirty three point twenty nine efficiency mark, which is the
Speaker 2: highest in NBA history, which is better than Will when
Speaker 2: he averaged fifty in a single season. His fourteen point
Speaker 2: six y three box plus minus value is also the
Speaker 2: best in history. He is legitimately the affecting the game
Speaker 2: more than any other player in the NBA and more
Speaker 2: than any other player in NBA history. And yet because
Speaker 2: he's how do I say this in a positive way,
Speaker 2: I don't know, Like because he looks like he looks Yeah,
Speaker 2: because he's not how about this? Because he's not shredded
Speaker 2: like a Greek god, and he has a haircut that
Speaker 2: looks like it's from Super Cuts, and he plays in Denver,
Speaker 2: no one's really checking on him, you know what I mean? Like,
Speaker 2: I want to say it better than that, but I can't.
Speaker 2: There's just nothing else that's truthful. He's just so good,
Speaker 2: and yet no one cares, like, no one pretends like
Speaker 2: people pretend he didn't even win the MVP last year.
Speaker 2: They don't even They didn't even put this man on
Speaker 2: national TV on Christmas. Every MVP gets a national televised
Speaker 2: Christmas game. But Jokic because of the aforementioned items that
Speaker 2: I won't not say again because that would not be nice.
Speaker 2: Because he's dowe, because he has those supercuts haircut, and
Speaker 2: because it just cuts just like this eight dollars buzz
Speaker 2: cut that he his brothers probably did for him one
Speaker 2: hundred ten times out of ten times that happens every time.
Speaker 2: Endeavor's last seven games, Yokic is averaging thirty twelve and
Speaker 2: ten seventy three point five percent true shooting percentage, also
Speaker 2: averaging two steals and a half of a block. That
Speaker 2: is an eighteen net rating in that stretch. Jesus Christ,
Speaker 2: can we figure out a way to make him look
Speaker 2: like not that? Like? Can we send a marketing firm
Speaker 2: to his house and make this man a star? Jesus?
Speaker 2: This is with Al Jamal Murray. This is with Al
Speaker 2: Michael Porter Jr. They're missing Will Barton and stretches in somehow,
Speaker 2: some way. The Denver Nuggets keep winning games, they keep
Speaker 2: covering games. They're one and a half games out of
Speaker 2: fourth place, and it's just him. It's only him. It's ridiculous.
Speaker 2: That is an All Star, that is an MVP, and
Speaker 2: we're not gonna give it to him. We're not even
Speaker 2: gonna talk about him anymore. Everybody talks about Jaw. I
Speaker 2: love Jaw, but come on, and Jaw's a lot more swaggy,
Speaker 2: I tell you a lot more swaggy than Yogic. Jaw
Speaker 2: probably the favorite to win Most Improved Player, and he's
Speaker 2: telling everyone, don't vote for me. I don't even want
Speaker 2: that trash ass award. That's a little That is a
Speaker 2: peasant award. I am so much better than that. I
Speaker 2: was already good. Just give it to my boy Baine.
Speaker 2: Give it to Baine. Give it to my other guy,
Speaker 2: Jaron Jackson. Let him share it, split it up, break
Speaker 2: it in two, split it in three, give it to me.
Speaker 2: Give it to him, gives him. That's how you know
Speaker 2: you should fade that pick. Do not vet on Jah
Speaker 2: Morant to win that. I actually a disrespectful to Jow
Speaker 2: to even put him in that mix. Never seen so
Speaker 2: many circus shots that I've seen from Jaw. I got
Speaker 2: guys out here on these streets like Bill Simmons comparing
Speaker 2: my guy nineteen eighties Michael Jordan to Jahn Morant right now.
Speaker 2: That's how good Jaw is playing is they're getting comparisons
Speaker 2: to one another, not d Rose. He's like, he's like
Speaker 2: fucking early, Michael Jordan. Are you kidding me? Goodness, gracious,
Speaker 2: I don't even know though, if Steph Curry deserves to
Speaker 2: be a starter, that is not a nice thing to say.
Speaker 2: I'm trying so hard, guys, I am. But if you
Speaker 2: would have asked me this question a month ago, I
Speaker 2: would have laughed you off the pothet. What you mean
Speaker 2: is Steph Curry an All star starter? But since January one,
Speaker 2: Kurry has averaged twenty two points a game one just
Speaker 2: thirty nine percent from the field. That's not a small
Speaker 2: sample size either. In fifteen games. He's just way off
Speaker 2: from his career average of thirty two points last year.
Speaker 2: Do you know what who is averaging twenty two points
Speaker 2: a game right now? My man Fred van Fleet, Aunt Edwards,
Speaker 2: Brandon Ingram, Can you make an argument for any of
Speaker 2: those guys as All Star starters. No, Pascal Siakam is
Speaker 2: averaging twenty one, He's never gonna be a starter. I mean,
Speaker 2: the only way he's going to the All Star Game
Speaker 2: is in an uber black. He's gonna cruise up there
Speaker 2: and sit on the floor with a swagged out outfit.
Speaker 2: Tyler Hero is averaging twenty. He is not even gonna
Speaker 2: sniff the All Star Game. You have a better argument,
Speaker 2: probably for CP three, probably for Devin Booker, even for
Speaker 2: Donovan Mitchell before that concussion. I know that contradicts my
Speaker 2: point that this is an this is an exhibition game
Speaker 2: and there's no better like box office guy than Curry.
Speaker 2: But like it's just an accolade. He always gets, you
Speaker 2: know what I mean, Like it doesn't matter how trash
Speaker 2: Curry plays, and he's been very good, like does not sleep.
Speaker 2: His versatility is the reason that he has MVP buzz,
Speaker 2: his versatility without Draymond Green, He's got to do other things.
Speaker 2: His assists are up to nine since nine a game,
Speaker 2: since Draymond Green went out. All of that, As Steven
Speaker 2: Asmith would say, I get all that, but like, come on,
Speaker 2: come on Chris Paul. He is the reason that the
Speaker 2: Phoenix Suns hold two records for the longest win streaks
Speaker 2: at eighteen and eleven. This year, they're easily the most
Speaker 2: dominant team in the NBA, and he's that reason. He's
Speaker 2: the guy who makes the entire dish balanced. You know
Speaker 2: what I mean. You've got Booker, you've got eight, and
Speaker 2: you've got Michale. But his defense, his leadership, his ability
Speaker 2: to sprinkle a little season and on that, that's him.
Speaker 2: He's increased his scoring in the last ten games eighteen
Speaker 2: and twelve. He's leading the league and assists. He has
Speaker 2: five and two steals per game, which is tied for
Speaker 2: second in the league, team leader every level. He should
Speaker 2: be starting over Steph Curry. And that's for the West reserves.
Speaker 2: I know Booker got some respect. Se'd be three got
Speaker 2: some respect, but they could both be starters. I'm happy
Speaker 2: for Draymond. He's not gonna play, but he is an
Speaker 2: All Star. So now we get a big, pleasant surprise
Speaker 2: de Jontay Murray, who I love Electric Factory. De Jonte
Speaker 2: coming into his own probably two years ahead of schedule
Speaker 2: in terms of reaching an All Star Game. He's twenty five,
Speaker 2: entering his prime. Like he makes the Spurs feel not
Speaker 2: like the Spurs, you know what I mean. Like he
Speaker 2: is a piece Rudy Luca, Spider Cat round out the
Speaker 2: Western reserves, and I have to say hard to make
Speaker 2: an argument against them, except for Kitty Cat probably out east.
Speaker 2: Three big surprises. First, James Harden. It is shocking he
Speaker 2: it is. He is sitting out games because he's just
Speaker 2: got a sore hamstring and a sore hand. You may
Speaker 2: tell me it's just sore. It's just tight and sore.
Speaker 2: Imagine if I didn't come to work and I was like,
Speaker 2: my throat is just tight. It doesn't hurt. I'm not coughing.
Speaker 2: It's just tight. I don't have COVID, I don't bronchitis.
Speaker 2: It's just it's just tightness. It's just tight. Just tighten
Speaker 2: it up. It's shocking. Second cool surprise Darius Garland. I
Speaker 2: don't know if anybody thought he would be an All Star,
Speaker 2: but Cleveland has been incredible this year. Him and Yerick
Speaker 2: Allen should have both been All Stars. But it just
Speaker 2: shows how much his game has improved. Third surprise, Man
Speaker 2: LaMelo Ball. That's like, that's what we needed. I'm happy. No,
Speaker 2: I'm not happy. I am relieved that we get to
Speaker 2: see La mel mellow ball. I don't want to see
Speaker 2: Kad Hurt. I love KD. He's probably one of my
Speaker 2: favorite players in the league. To watch, his analysis for
Speaker 2: the game, his savagery on Twitter, all of that, I love.
Speaker 2: But LaMelo ball is like joy in a human being.
Speaker 2: He is pushing p in a human like. Everything he
Speaker 2: does is pushing pe you know what I mean. As
Speaker 2: for the rest, Jimmy Butler, Zachlavine, and Chris Middleton, Fred
Speaker 2: van Fleet also making the reserves, So I love that.
Speaker 2: I love it for Fred because he should have been
Speaker 2: an All Star last year. Truthfully he was balling then.
Speaker 2: Biggest snubs probably Drew. Chris Middleton should not have been
Speaker 2: an All Star. Like he's okay, he's deserving ish, but
Speaker 2: not as much as Drew. Jared Allen, of course, sixteen
Speaker 2: eleven and two, two blocks and a steal, a game, defense,
Speaker 2: out of this world, mentoring mobile, two seven footers, meshing
Speaker 2: like peas and carrots, terrorizing anyone driving into the leg
Speaker 2: in the league one hundred percent deserves to be an
Speaker 2: All Star. Probably deserves to be an All Star. Over Mellow,
Speaker 2: which I hate to say, because he's just been better.
Speaker 2: They've been better as a team. Would have been amazing
Speaker 2: to see him come out in front of that Cleveland
Speaker 2: crowd on All Star weekend, like you should give an
Speaker 2: act extra nod to guys who play for that host city.
Speaker 2: You should. That's just facts. Less than two weeks until
Speaker 2: the All Star Game, and I am particularly excited because
Speaker 2: All Star Saturday Night has the skills, the three point
Speaker 2: the slam dunk going off exactly at the same time.
Speaker 2: And like I told you, folks, there's a reason I'm
Speaker 2: particularly optimistic about the Nets particularly optimistic about the Knicks
Speaker 2: is because on All Star Saturday Night, I start my
Speaker 2: very first solo show on w FAM eight to eleven
Speaker 2: pm Eastern every Saturday, so you can find me there.
Speaker 2: I will give you more details to come, but I
Speaker 2: am thrilled and I am very excited that that is
Speaker 2: my start date. That is all the time that we
Speaker 2: have for the Heat Check. Well, be back Friday with
Speaker 2: a new episode. Do not forget to download. No, we
Speaker 2: will not be back Friday. We'll be back Monday. Do
Speaker 2: not forget to download. Subscribe and tell all your friends
Speaker 2: follow us on social at it, this heat check and
Speaker 2: tristokrit on time on.
Speaker 1: The pool of powder, paddle and poky affiction. How to
Speaker 1: feel anything? One more more impa way, I'm turning back passions.
Speaker 2: Nothing