Embiid’s Return, Houston’s Weird Weekend, Joker’s Swoon, and a Knicks Gut Check With Zach Lowe

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Bill Smith's podcast, we're live on Netflix.

Zacclo is here. Zacclo is podcast is coming Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have a new rewatchable's coming tomorrow. We are doing Ghostbusters. A really famous gigantic movie.

Don't forget about Legatha, our new scripted narrative series as well from the ringer. We're coming, the Lakers Rackets game isn't even over yet, Zacclo. The Rackets laid one on the depleted Lakers today. And I'm going to start here. No NBA team has ever come back from three o.

It's true. It's true. And even the gear right to the game is so going on. I don't even think the 2026 Rackets can blow this one. I think we're safe.

“I think we're safe going live right now.”

A 25 point lead with three minutes left.

I don't think any catastrophe.

We can be fall them at this point. But you remember the last time a team got close. It's going back from a three o death. So you probably remember it very, very well. And it didn't happen.

Yeah. It almost happened. Then Jason, I bring his ankle and then that was it. I went to game seven and Tatum, Spring and Zach all right in front of us. Oh, that's to me.

That's sad bill. That's that game. I think that was sad bill. Oh, yeah. What a.

Yeah, that was that that started sad bill. Um, all right. The Kevin Malar theory. Don't let us get one.

Don't let us get to from the 2004.

I'll see you there. So the rockets. They've got one. Now they're coming LA. I think it's they spread it out.

So I think it's a Wednesday night. Game. So I assume we'll have Reeves. Next Wednesday. Two Wednesdays from now.

No, this Wednesday. Three day. I assume we'll have Reeves. No, Luca. I've heard Luca's not even.

That are not even close yet. Um.

“Did you do rockets show you anything in this game today that may do think a.”

They're starting to incorporate strategy into the series. Uh, and and and and maybe some things that might work against an old weird likers team. Because I felt like they had a couple things going today. I mean, thing number one was they actually made Luke can art play defense and did let them just. Wow.

Yeah, I know it took four games. Unbelievable. They didn't let him hang out off the ball the time. I meant Thompson attacked him and they just like he was on to our ease and are easy and even just blue bi. I'm at one point to skip to our use in the ball to bar Smith hunt to them in a switch.

And this is kind of been fun without K.D. It's been fun to watch. Guys like you bar Smith, you know, get to do a little bit more and really stretch their wings. Um, that that was one. And just they're they have this kind of defensive gear in them when they have their best defenders on the floor.

They can get a lot of steals. You even read shepherd who's getting hunted. I mean, LeBron is just being so mean to read shepherd just constantly. But he had a couple seals today. They picked LeBron.

They had a couple. They picked them at half court a couple times. They can create a lot of turnovers. Lakers like 20 something turnovers last time I checked. And yeah, so that strategically that would be the main one.

I noticed those two things. I also noticed they were a little more physical and relentless with LeBron. Trying to put some miles on him. Read shepherd came into the game. Wasn't going well.

Well, but he he stayed with it, which I because I felt really felt like his. There was a fork in the road moment potentially for him where it's like, wow, could this series be so damaging. That it might actually be hard for him to recover, but I thought he gained momentum as this game went along. And then, you know, last but not least, the leadership of Kevin Durant on the bench. Could we just care to elaborate on that?

Well, you know, he wasn't there for game three because he was getting round the clock treatment on his spring ankle. And couldn't come out. Is it's twenty twenty four. I don't know. They were talking about he was running on a treadmill underwater.

I didn't. I'll believe any sort of Durant treatment story. But I don't know why we we still don't have an answer. Why he wasn't out there for game three. There was some weird stuff about how he was actually.

They did the walk into the arena before game three that was on social.

“I think for the rockets and for the NBA and then that clip was taken down the next day.”

It's a lot of weirdness. Okay, I didn't. I was not aware. Okay, it was some some people saying that teammates saying, well, we had it. We don't know what's going on with them.

Then apparently it's all fine now and it was always fine.

And we weren't supposed to doubt it at all that he didn't sit on the bench.

“I mean, it struck me as odd that he wasn't out there on the bench.”

That's that it normally an injured player is there of that status. It's it strike me is odd and. Yeah, I mean, I still don't know when this injury happened. Like when in game two, I guess what did it happen. But I will say this like for all the weirdness you want to subscribe to Kevin Durant and there's been quite a lot.

The one constant of this guy's career is he's a gamer he plays he loves to play played a ton of games this year. He played in the final minutes. He played in the minutes. He played in the finals against the Raptors when it maybe he shouldn't have in a cost of a year of his career. Like I like the guy plays and so I don't I don't know when this injury happened.

And maybe like to your point. If they're actually going to make a run at this and we're like a long way from there.

Given how bad they looked in the first three games.

They're going to need Kevin Durant. They can't win three more games without Kevin Durant. It was weird. You and I know a lot of NBA people and it was hard to get a straight answer for what happened on Friday night. And we still don't totally know.

It was it was a little strange. Yeah, I expect it. It was funny. I was watching a game. And only sometime in the second or third quarter did it like jogging my brain.

Like oh, it's weird that I haven't seen any shots of Kevin Durant on the bench. Like normally that's a thing that just happens when a star player is out. You just cut to them. What do they wear? What's their reaction?

Fred Van Bleed is all over the television. And you know, just but they won tonight. And they're still winning there. Still ahead. Bill.

They have not. Clyde's down to 19 with a minute and 14 seconds left. Oh. Well, on Fando right now. And this may change.

The lakers are minus 850 to win the series. Safe. Safe bed again. No one's ever done it. Seems.

Seems fair. Um, couple Houston things. Oh, so the lakers today that after three they're down 25 points. And they were two for 13 from three. Game three there.

12 for 29 for three. Game three. They're also down by six points with 30 seconds left. And somehow forced over time, which was like one of the only times in the history. The NBA that's happened.

Do you think the series should be two two?

“Oh, do you think three one is the right score for the series?”

I think I think three one is pretty representative. The first two games. I mean, they were close. They were close. Ish, but the lakers felt like the more prepared and the better team the whole time.

And by the way, considering that. Yeah, Durant has missed what three of the four games. Luke and Reeves have missed all of them. And yeah, it just. This feels like a correct.

Score of the series. I mean, I realized like Katie's mystery. Fred Vanne pleats out for the season. Even Adams is like the rockets are missing lots of guys. It's totally fair.

But I just expected better in those in those first two games.

And particularly the one to ramp. You know, who they're awesome missing? I'll disobey them. Yeah, well. And I went on.

I did a Google because I had a vague memory of the rockets kicking the tires with him. And went down a tower east and rabbit hole. Do you remember this? No, inform me. Joe Callie reported on it.

“Who, I think he covers them for the sun times, the bulls.”

Yeah, he's supposed to get bulls bulls report. Yeah, rockets would refuse to discuss Tariysan for Io. Now, I was going to be a UFA at the end of the year. In Tariysan's and RFA at the end of the year. So I could see like.

He could make the case he had more value. It's just an interesting. What if? Because I would say. Io even before what we've seen in this series was probably more.

What the rockets needed than Tariysan. He's been really up and down and has been incredibly erratic as a shooter. And it's a little redundant with some of the other guys that have. Interesting trade. I mean, or non trade.

I mean, I don't know that that's true, but it would not surprise me at all. If that were true that the rockets shut down that talk. Because they do value their own guys very highly. They value two way guys very highly. I mean, I was a two way guy.

But Tariysan has obviously much more size. The restricted versus the unrestricted thing. I also just wonder if. You know, the rockets once the injury started to mount up. And the teams above them look so good.

Just kind of we're like, it's it's going to be. I mean, we're fenced on said something like this. And it's since walked it back, but just like the idea that. Where this is not the year for us to make like big splashy. And not that that's a big splashy move, but we're not rocking the boat.

Because it's just not going to happen for us to share. I understand that logic, but then at the same time, you're giving during a two year extension for 90 million dollars. When he's going to be 38 next year. That would be the.

To be the counter. Well, I mean, that's. It's been it's been the weird distance of their team.

Like it was why I never got the.

Oh, it's a. It's the phrase blessing in disguise was thrown around much too.

Cavalierly went Fred Van Vleika heard like all we'll learn about.

Reach Shepherd and I'm on Thompson on what they can do.

Like that's awesome. You're trying to win the championship to share. That's what you get Kevin Durant. Who has next year, and then a player option in 27 28. If they lose her party is picking that up.

Well, if they lose this series in five games, let's just say game vibe goes badly and they lose. See on the rocket, signature. I headed in my notes. You know, I would lean.

No, I'm just going to come out and say I would say I would lean. No, so I was a hard.

“No, because I think whatever happened Friday,”

we won't fully find out until as Brian Curtis calls it. Now they tell us story that happens after the year. That's probably going to happen with the Red Sox tomorrow. Because the Red Sox, who have a robot GM, who's put together a terrible roster and has made bad trades.

Decided it was everybody else's fault. And they fired Alex Corra, who won the 2018 title with us. And five of his coaches. Hey, says fall. At least you didn't get swept into double header by the Colorado Rockies.

But I combine four of six to one today. Why am I complaining about my baseball team to you? But it's been a great season. I'm having a lot of fun. So I'm fry.

So I was in the mindset of obviously Katie's out now. There's too much smoke here. I don't trust this. Plus the whatever happened all start weekend with the burner. It seems like he'll be moving on, which by the way,

it would be the fourth time he'd be moving on when you count 2019 warriors. Not not the happiest last season there. And that's. Can't say that was a good ship, Lollipop. Suns.

Can't. It's a great. I was a very close. Yeah, it's a good ship, Lollipop. Reference effort.

Thank you. Why no long time. Thank you. And now this one.

The problem is, where does it go?

“If I always say this exercise when I have friends in my life.”

For like, well, they have to trade them. I'm like, all right. Go on spot track. Go on. Whatever that fan trade site is.

And try to find me the team, be like, Oh, hope, maybe he'll go home to Washington. Okay, for who? They have two giant contracts and a bunch of small ones who are the, who are they getting. Like, just go through all the rosters. And I did find a team, Zach.

I first of all, I feel bad for your friends if you're just lecturing them about. About trade mission. I do. I just trying to have fun. You're like, you don't go track.

Can I spot track? You don't want the second eight point is. Like, Oh, the team. I was just, I don't know. I was just trying to have a little fun.

Can I say to the names of two teams that I'll bet one of them is your team? Okay, go. Heat next. Now, I'd neither. He can't.

He can't go to the next. I'm going to veto that. Okay. Well, you know, I just think that's a bad idea for everybody involved. Well, here's him.

All I'm saying is this. This is this playoffs already has been a great reminder that the postseason stress tests. Your roster, like, no other environment, like nothing compared to the regular season. If you have a weakness, if you have any chemistry issues, if you have anything, it's naked in the playoffs.

They expose you naked.

“And that's what's happening to the nuggets in a lot of ways right now, which we talk about later.”

So, like, whatever happens in the playoffs to a bunch of these teams, there's going to be realizations that they learn and moves that they make because of how the playoffs exposes them a little bit. So I those, that's still a thing I'll say about that's fair. I like the Miami idea. As you know, I am all in on LeBron going to go and say next year.

Okay. Can I can I have Kevin Durant and Clay Thompson joining? Well, let's go full expendables. Kevin Durant and Clay Thompson to go and state Butler's expiring to Houston. We throw clean Capella and whatever else makes the small salaries make a work to Dallas.

Maybe they get a second round pick.

Maybe Houston gets something and we end up with. You get something. You get something. You get something. You get a future pick or swap.

Whatever. And go and state ends up with LeBron. Curry Durant. Clay Thompson. Dream on green.

And now, Horford. Let's fucking go. The expendables are here. You say dream team, 2024, run it back. Even I would be rooting for this team.

First of all, every game they play. Every game they play sell out. Couldn't be harder to get tickets. Half the fans rooting for the Warriors wherever we go. Steve Kirk comes back now two more years for him.

And we're off for ready to go. We already had the Warriors tried to trade for Kevin Durant a couple of last season. And him being like, no, that was two teams ago. Now he's now he's ready to reconsider. He should have gone.

Maybe his mistake was he shouldn't have. For entertainment purposes, it sounds great. I like that. Like Wemby and the Thunder just demand everyone's coming together.

All the old guys.

We can't beat him apart. We don't like these young guys. They're not ready. We'll have a blow. Let's all come together.

Kevin Durant. He's been unhappy in a lot of places.

You know where he was never unhappy.

Defending our country with his American stars with the bronze jams and Steph Curry. He fit right in with those guys. He just put him in gold state. I'm down with it. Let's bring clay back.

Clay's having a rough week. I know you don't follow this stuff. But had a break up. Oh, I got it. Okay, you're following that.

I have a lot of friends who's consumption of the NBA is entirely through that lens. So I got a lot of making the step D salient, making these salient. Yes. A lot of clay Thompson texts from those people. And I was like, I don't have time.

There's eight games this weekend. I don't have time to really dive into it. But she seemed to put him on blast as the kids say. I don't know what happened. I have no comment.

There's some blasting. I hope everybody's happy. I hope everyone is happy. And that's it. I hope Rocko the dog.

If he stole a live is happy. I just hope everyone's doing okay. Well, we talk about San Antonio in the next segment.

And they were jaw-dropping in the second half of that port in the game.

Okay. So he has been jaw-dropping for two straight years. There's no way to solve putting together a super team to beat either of those teams. Unless you do the expendables.

“I mean, curries like, curries can I think be really good once a week at this point.”

We're talking about during the course of a season. He can't do what he did five years ago anymore. But I think once a week and if he's out and if you play him 60 games and kind of pay some for the playoffs, I think LeBron's the same way. The rant loves playing big minutes.

Clay Thompson, back home. I don't know. Damien Lord. I think everybody's better. Oh, Bay Area Oakland legend.

Damien Lord has a pretty tradable salary. You want to get find a way to get him. Oh, wow. We've helped in this. Didn't even think of him.

I mean, we have room in the expendables for him. Yeah, absolutely. I actually thought we'd see Damien Lord this weekend. And they got that kind of wet my appetite with that one. Yeah, can we have a can we have a moratorium on the Isamoji tweets teams?

Just you just can't tweet like Damien Lord doing stuff. And Isamoji and then be like, well, no, it's just a tweet. Just a cool video of our guy, damn.

So what would you get rid of first the Isamoji or any time I fail anyone in a many player in the league?

I want my team to review it. No, I like I like that because it it's again. Like I like when players are exposed for I like when anyone is exposed for ridiculous behavior. So I like that and I will say my favorite motion. No is the flopping motion.

I like how dramatic and and broad it is. And I love when it's higher benches. Make it sometimes you make it with two hands. I like that one too. Quick on the rant.

Might have to save this for. Yeah, it's early. But we're not there yet. Well. You know, he he was pretty high in my pyramid at one point.

And he's been going backwards over the last couple years. Basically, based on how this decade has gone and some of the things that have happened with this team. Because sometimes with the pyramid you're projecting, oh, it's going to keep going a certain way.

“And then you kind of go underneath where you thought and then you have to reevaluate.”

He is definitely drop backward. Do you think that's fair? I mean, and also a couple of like. Other players like Yokech have sort upwards. So naturally someone has to drop backward. Steph keeps, you know, putting up stuff numbers every year.

By the way, you mentioned like the only reason I mentioned Nixon heat. Not the only reason is just because you mentioned Oklahoma City in San Antonio. And how can it be possibly compete with these teams? So get out of the conf. Yes, step one to do it is get me the hell over to the east and at least I only got to be one of them.

Right. The thing with that, it's funny how people talk about KD because his career has been so long. They just kind of forget stuff like how good he was on OKC. And those OKC teams were really successful. They made the finals. They had three conference finals losses.

He was an MVP. He finished second in MVP three times. They, you know, they unfortunately blew the last two against the 2014 spurs. And they blew the last three to the Warriors in 2016. And I thought those teams were good enough to win the title. And then you get it done.

But you go to the Warriors where everybody says that, you know, he was carried by those guys. And he was fucking awesome those three years. I mean, in the playoffs, 48 games, including with the year you got hurt. It's 30 a game and 48 playoff games, 37 and five. Who's the best guy in those teams and those teams had Steph Curry.

“I mean, I don't think you need to even do this. He's we.”

You just need to do it. Because I think people are forgetting now that how good he was on the Warriors. He won finals in VP both years. There was like in the first one. This is where I want to bring this up.

In the first one where he makes the dagger from the left wing over LeBron.

There was a whole conversation of like, is he taken the best player in the world belt from LeBron. And that was like a whole thing that happened.

“And I think he was taking it in 2019 when he got hurt.”

And then in 21 with the foot on the line against Milwaukee. What he did that series was great.

The problem is this decade swept by Boston in 22.

Lost at Denver in six and 23. Lost the last two swept in 24. Didn't make the playoffs last year. Almost swept this year, but they won tonight. And you know, that's that's put a little bit of a black cloud over everything.

It's a really tough career. I think at all the careers like in the top 30. The toughest ones to really evaluate our him and will. Will you can go all over the place with it? You could you could make a real case.

He was one of the five best guys ever. And you can use all these stats and all these things that he did. And then to rant is going to what is it going to be second and points by the time he retires. All these playoff games.

All these minutes.

The fact he's going to play for 20 years.

It's finals of the P twice. All these really strong cases for him. And yet it really only peaked when he was on this unbelievable or same. So I see both sides of the argument.

I do not think he has helped his cause the last couple years. I will say that. And also pretty underrated or depending on how you consume the MBA properly rated. Like very good defender for most of his career. Yeah.

Well, like just just just like a pretty like made in a lab all around Superstar player could play with anybody. Play with any kind of other co-star just like nothing. Nothing bad to say about about his game at all. Maybe this summer we should just do like an hour and a half KD pod.

Sure. We might have to just completely deep dive it.

“Because I think there's really not been a career like this.”

Okay. Celtic sixers. Yeah. Celtics were unbelievable. When Caitlin Peyton Richard scores 28 plus points the last two years.

They're 15 and up. If felt like he had 65 points tonight at one point. I was just like you see you just made 12 baskets in a row. Is this ever going to stop with Kobe's 81 point game, but the only at 32 points.

They're 24 and one when he scores 25 plus points. That's not where I'm going to start. We finished. We taped a big chunk of this pod before. Right for the Celtic sixers game.

Because there's a window. We want to get stuff. So we get it up faster. We came out of the room and the game had started. And I saw in bead on the court.

And as a Celtic fan, I was like, oh my god. This is great. I was excited that he was playing. Wow. No reflection on in bead as a player.

I just think to introduce him into the series halfway through. When he hasn't played when he's rusty. Combined with how good I thought the sixers played on Friday night. And I really thought they found something with the smaller lineups. And the defensive identity of that.

I thought the Celtics really pulled it out of their ass in that game. That's make a couple of huge shots. Philly easily could have won it. Maxi was really comfortable attacking them. And you could just feel it today.

I thought and bead by no fault of his own. Completely discombobulated them. And he was minus 25 and it felt that way. I mean, it's it's appendicitis or whatever it is. It's a big deal.

And he came back pretty pretty early from it. I thought he looked pretty good. All things considered like like sure earlier this season. He wasn't dunking at all. And he had an explosive dunk.

He had a couple explosive defensive rotations. All of his pet shots seem to just roll around and go out or rattle in and out. Like you just so close, but not going in. And yeah, you're right that they had, you know, I thought it's funny. Yeah, I watched them game three and then I checked the box score the next morning.

Maxi was 12 for 31.

“I think and it did not it felt much more efficient than that to me because I just felt”

like the Celtics toggled between a bunch of different pick and roll coverages over the courses of game two and three. And he figured out a way to kind of solve all of them and different ways getting to the rim pulling up for three passing. And it felt like an even better game than 12 for 31 to me. And that could be because that game three felt scary for Boston to feel very winnable for Philly and and pretty sure it made a huge three. Tatum made it up three like it was a tough tough game.

This was never a tough game and when the Celtics make threes like this, they're very hard to beat.

He the problem. And this is almost like a basketball IQ test because yeah, he had point he had points he had good stats. But defensively he really hurts him against Boston because it's just you can always pull him into screens and stuff and get threes that you want. He does the offensive rebounding. I think is a problem when he's out there.

And I just think they seem way slower and more kind of lumbering versus the team Friday night. I thought the Celtics were really lucky to win Friday night.

If it be didn't play to that, I generally felt like the Celtics might lose to...

The picture had had to done that yet. And he's usually good for that once or twice the series. But I don't know. I just thought I thought it screwed them up a little bit. Like Uber.

I don't think made a feel go. I thought Maxie it took him.

“It felt like it took him an hour just to be like, hey, is it okay if I can run some of the offense too?”

And they were just constantly trying to work him in. I thought that Bona. I thought that Bona drum and combo was was fairly effective and I thought Paul George has been really good for him all series. I think he's gone toe to toe with Brown and Tatum in a lot of ways. And if there's a bright spot for the sixers in this series, it's that I think they've resuscitated him as like I don't think he's untradable.

I mean, yeah, a huge second half of game three.

And tonight he was, you know, 16 points on six to 13, but made all his threes. He had a couple takes against jail in Brown. Like he had an ice hook and jail in Brown where he kind of bullied him and shot the court. The basculator is like, oh, he's been settling for tough fadeaways a lot. And the Celtics will live with that even if it's over Derek White or like on a switch against paid and printed, they're fine with that.

They're not going to double him. But that one was like, whoa, that's. That looks like Paul George right there. Can I like here. I thought his defense was good too for for the most part, especially in the first half. I think he's been resuscitated as it's not inconceivable that you could get rid of him though.

That's a great feeling right. When the way your sixers like he's playing well, now we can trade him. This is like the same way. Well, but that's we can't even enjoy him playing well. It's already we're just so good.

He's playing well great Paul somebody.

“That's that's kind of how you have to think that when you have him in and be, right?”

100 million dollars, 100 million dollars of guys that you don't know how reliable they're going to be.

So would you have sat and be, would you have just said, you know what, what yours out for the series? I wouldn't have played him tonight. I would have waited for him for game five and I wanted to. I would have, I personally would have waited for a game four because I would have been really really encouraged by how my team looked in game three, especially because like, Edgcom, his three is now in the three losses he's over 16 from three, right?

He couldn't hit a three on Friday and they were still in that game. I don't know, I just, I thought going small against the Celtics was really working in their favor because the Celtics were in this, it played boots like 30, 20 minutes in game three. A lot of, I didn't really love. Fifteen minutes of boots, much less 30 in that game and I thought over and over again,

they were using and abusing him in the screens and getting threes over him and just finger out ways to take advantage of him being out there. He's just too slow coming out on the screens. But with the beat out there, all the sudden out of the Celtics, he just played all their centers. Get a lot of, you know, the 18 fouls of those three guys.

“Even when Garza was out there, it's like Garza's going to shoot over and beat every time he gets it, which I think he did once.”

Yeah, I know, they're not going to say a beat don't play, but I, I wonder if you gave Nick nurse true serum. What do you been happy with it? So you know, like your game plan would have been, let's wait till our backs are against the wall. If we lose and it's three one, then all bets are off wild card, bring them out. But let's give this current team tonight to try to even up this series after they're before I get that.

I just think the, the, the, the, the, the mileage on the maxi do everything offense is just going to expire. Again, it's a really good team and they just need another, another layer of offense, but integrating that other layer was was a little, you know, slip shot for parts little like little wonky for parts of today. So in the Friday game. The Celtics were. 44% shooting and 43% from three.

It's pretty good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, today they made 24 threes. 45% and I actually thought, I thought they got great shots the entire game. It was actually one of those games they scored 128. They easily could add 150 like the missed a bunch of free throws in the first half.

The jays were terrible in the first half. And then the third quarter just became the jays. And I thought really compliment each other well. You know, pictured who's in the running for weirdos career in the decade. Where he plays four solid years.

Where I don't even think he averaged eight points a game. Maybe like eight and a half. You wanted to be traded remember? Yeah. So I got to say a lot of the Celtic fans were like, this guy's good when this guy plays, he's going to be good if he can ever get a chance.

He just, he's always buried behind guards last year, six minutes here this year averaging 17 a game.

And it's just perfect for the team they have because they do so much of this 101 attacks.

What I want to tax stuff.

And he's really great at it.

He's really like, you saw the whole tricks and everything today plus Reggie Miller's there.

“They're going to have to redo his contract this summer, I think.”

And I think I actually think they're allowed to extend it. But he's, I think one of the best contracts in the league, if not the best. 7 million a year. Right. He is extended. It looks like according to Spotrack or Spotrack or wherever you say it, he is extension eligible this summer. Yeah, he's got two more guaranteed years after this at 7.7 and 8.3.

Right. I'd have to look back and re-familiarize myself with how much they're allowed to add on the extension. With the percentages. It's probably one of those ones where it's like, you might not even be worth it for him to do it. Austin Reeves style better off like to wait.

But I also think he wants to stay in Boston. There's going to have an interesting offseason, no matter what happens. He's got money to spend. You know, there are trade exceptions. He's just a really good player.

Like, I remember I picked him as six-man a year last year. There was like a elite beastly, Peyton Pritchard kind of debate. And I was just like, yeah, just a better basketball player than Bleak Beastly. He defends. He passes. He's tough. He's physical. He can score in different kinds. He's just a really good player.

Offensive rebounding. He'll sneak in and see. Wow, wait, Pritchard, four offensive rebounds today. I said they took Beesley.

“I think I was trying too hard not to be a homer and swung too far there the way of the Beesley.”

So the other thing, I don't want to talk about Tatum every podcast. They've known I'd secretly do it. That's what you say, yeah, you do. He just, I just can't believe how good he looks on some of these drives.

First of all, he played 42 minutes on Friday, which is nuts.

If you'd told me two months ago, hey, and game three, just Tatum will play 42 minutes in a regular playoff game. Like, well, that sounds insane. We're going to do that. Definitely did it. He was explosive.

His three point looks great now. Like, he's got a nice snap on it. And it's interesting. He's getting better. Jalen seems like he's having a harder time getting to his spots than he's had all season.

And I don't know if it's because Philly has them scattered really well. But this is a guy who was scoring on pretty easily on people like Lou Dort during the season. And this Philly series, it's just a lot of like feels like he's like a battering ram trying to just like get to his spots and bang into people and swing his arms.

“Like, he got, I think he had two offensive files today.”

But it just, either they're scouting great or he's starting to wear down. But I, that was, that word made me a little bit. I'm, I'm not worried. Okay. I'm just, I mean, it's, they're clearly a better basketball team with the two of them.

It's going to go up and down a little bit of who scores the most points. Who has the ball the most that all that kind of stuff. There's been games like where Jalen, I, I thought, I, I can remember which game it was, but there was one game where they started hunting. They've, they're hunting Maxi all the time.

But they, down the stretch, they made it clear like Jalen. You're going to be the guy to hunt Maxi because you're just having a better night. I, I'm not, I'm not worried about it. But I mean, the stats that jumps out today is the 11 assists that Tatum had. I thought his playmaking was awesome.

And they're just making. Boston's offense is both beautiful and simple at the same time. And sometimes within the same possession. They're just, those guys just get the matchup. They draw a help and they're just making the bait.

The simple reads and Tatum was just spraying it out. And, you know, just really, I mean, again, 11 times, that's a lot. Dream situation is they clinch game five Tuesday. Next, that land, I go seven. And they just get to put their feet up and relax and do the whole thing.

I, I really wish Baylor Schireman would play a little bit more, would be my one critique. I think he's been lights out when he's coming in these games and really additive. And I wish he would get more minutes. Quick mail back stuff before we take a break. Um, Adam writes in the, I had to assume a 43 point game feels eerily similar to Jalen Bronson's

coming out party post Luke Andrew in the 2022 Utah series. Um, are there some parallels for, is he starting to bump his. Fridge and salary. He isn't like an unrestricted fridge at this year. No minutes so to can go over whatever to try to get him.

But could you see, Jalen Bronson next somebody going big on him and giving him like 110 million

for four years or something? I could, I mean, it, I'm not sure any of the caproom teams fit, but that doesn't necessarily prevent things like that from happening. I mean, I could because that's, we're in a world where that's not like max money. It's not, it's not, it's, it's a lot, but he's probably for like 20 plus.

I mean, that that's probably his value for sure.

I think for sure his value is about that.

The Bronson thing is like, well, he, like, could he be the number one option on an elite

NBA offense? I'm not, I'm not sure I'm ready to go there because Bronson has the kind of physicality. Um, but he's a really good player. I was really good. It's, again, like, we talked about it later, but just I don't know what the bulls were.

Yeah, we did, we did dive into that. We have a good player. We don't want to. Okay. I was thinking of the markets between 20 and 25, but then you put the free agent craziness tax on it.

And maybe it does get to like 110 for four years. Maybe somebody's like, this is Derek White. This is like. The 2000, 20's version of Derek White. Nikail lags into Walker.

One of these guys that like, let's, let's invest in this dude.

And we think he could be the third best guy in a really good team.

And by the way, if they thought that, I can't really disagree.

“I think he could be the lead guard on a really good team.”

The lead guard. Yeah. Like the best guard you have, not necessarily your number one score. Not your number one playmaker. You need to really pick playmaker then.

Yeah. But I think he could be your best two way guard on a good team. That's, that, I don't disagree. He's really good. Rob from Philly wants to know if the Ewing theory committee was dispatched

Atlanta to figure out whether Tri Young and the Hawks, the eligibility that. We did send some people down Atlanta and they rejected trace application. They decided he was not good enough. Oh. Yeah.

It's a rare situation because four years ago you might have said so. But nobody was like, wow, what are the Hawks going to do now without Tri Young? Tri Young and that's like it was too predictable. Yeah. Can I, can I just like the Ewing theory?

I, I just, it's, it's, I'm a little angry lately about it because it's now so pervasive that when Francisco and door, my daughter's favorite player got hurt this week. I got multiple text from people because he's been struggling this season. He's the, he's the Ewing theory in play for Francisco and door. No, screw you people.

Don't bombard me with that kind of stuff. Well, did you want it?

“Did you win a world series with Francisco Lendor than is eligible?”

We did not. Yeah. There you go. Um, somebody named Duran once had a long Durant email that ends with the question is Kevin Durant, the Michael Jordan of Good stats bad team guys.

This is my point of bringing up the Durant's up earlier. Like, I'm telling you, people are losing their mind with this Durant. These are the e-bills I've got it. I mean, yeah, I'm the, the answer's no. No, I'm the answer's no, I'm the answer's no.

I'm the answer's no, I'm the answer's no, I'm the answer's no. No, I'm the answer's no, I'm the answer's no. I'm the answer's no. Kyle wants to know. Kyle wants to know.

Is CJ just Dame with worse PR or is Dame CJ with better PR? I don't know. This is PR. I mean, the this thing is cool. The, the watch thing is cool.

He's made a bunch of big shots. Um, CJ awesome. If CJ can beat the next, these two at the next three. And and parade into the next round and try to go toe to toe with the South X. It's not a close discussion.

I just can't.

I mean, you have to sit back for a second.

I mean, he is like murdering the next in crunch time. It's like like he's Michael Jordan. It's like every play CJ and get out of the way.

“And you have to sit back and remember, like he was on the wizards for like most of the season.”

He was just over in Washington. Yeah, you and stuff. And now he's like the biggest clutch force in the play of so far. It's almost like a actor that was on. I don't know, I don't know, one of those fire shows on NBC New York fire.

Is that a show? Probably Chicago fire Chicago fire definitely. He's like a famous movie actor, but now it's like, oh, he's the number three guy in Chicago fire. This is too bad. Now all of a sudden he's in, you know, a Christopher Nolan movie.

You know, like, oh, this, wow, CJ, he's back. Last question. You and you and Zach, this from Ryan from Milwaukee. You and Zach both gush over Yoke at y'all season long. Well, he might be one of the best offense supporters of all time.

He's a cone on defense, forgets the shoot, how to shoot threes in the playoffs. And you only has one ring. Give me Duncan over him. And it's not close. Did any of us put him above Tim Duncan?

I mean, you and I are like president of the Tim Duncan is. That's another one that is the years pass. Like, people are starting to forget about Tim Duncan too. There was this great clip. He turned 50, by the way, happy birthday Tim Duncan.

And there's this Twitter account called NBA history. And they ran this clip of Duncan congrats.

Duncan and LeBron congratulated Duncan after the '07 finals and LeBron's like...

He's like 22. And there's like, hey, great series. And in Duncan says to him, yo, I love, I love what a good teammate you are. Keep it up. Keep doing what you're doing.

Like he doesn't praise him about how always plain he's specifically

praises him on being a teammate and his connection with everybody else. And to me, that's Tim Duncan and nutshell.

“And that's why I always ride for the guy.”

Like he wasn't about the stats. He could have averaged 25 and 12 if he wanted to. He was very happy 2010 and being an awesome teammate. Like he sounds like a mentally healthy youth sports parent basically like. I'm so proud of you.

Here's this little mini trophy. All right, so we think Celtics won a five. Yeah. What about Lakers? I'm going to give the rockets another game and say it's a little frisky

and Lakers win in six. Okay. I, I not only agree. I actually, I think it's six or seven. I thought LeBron looked a little, uh, little gaming.

Forget he's, I don't know if you know this, but he's 41 years old. You are, I mean, I looked a little gaming tonight. We do have to have every and I, he deserves it. He deserves it. Absolutely deserves it.

But we do, it's like, I think it's in the broadcast partners contract that there needs to be a two minutes who will likely about LeBron's fitness and how much attention he pays to his body and every game. It's just like what it doesn't matter if you do it every game. It's just all right.

It's an eight minute mark of the second quarter grand. Grand Hill. Take you to the floor of yours. I want people to start doing that about me. It's like Bill Simmons 25 years now.

Combs and podcasts, you know, he walks every day, sawness. It's really healthy. Like, this guy.

It's amazing how he takes care of himself.

Tell people out there who did that for me. Okay. I'll give it a shot. So you're more depressed about the medicine. I'm depressed about the Red Sox.

It sounds like. Uh, it's a devastating turn of events. Fantasy had like multiple tweets today. He's, he's like, he turns into the uniform. Everyone's around.

There's these long missives about the met. He's having a rough. I mean, it's been. It's a disaster. It's an absolute like this has the met's event.

I have like, the Vince Coleman fireworks season. The Bobby Mia contract. There's like a lot of just. Embarrassing met stuff. This has the potential to just be.

“They have they I think I saw that they've scored two or a few runs in half their games this season.”

They have the highest payroll immediately. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do.

It's the best thing to do.

It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do.

It's the best thing to do.

It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do.

It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do. It's the best thing to do.

I mean, they were winning when he got hurt, but yeah, they were winning in the first half.

They didn't win. I mean, I picked Spurs in five. I gave the Blazers a game one way or another. Their attenacious defensive team that can cause some problems. But yeah, this feels like we're heading toward an appropriate Spurs in five.

“I think that series was a win for the Blazers.”

We know what the limitations are. But when you think about it was a good drew holiday series. It's like a kind of validating a pretty weird trade, at least for the short term. They wanted to bring it a veteran guy. Then he was okay.

I think I wouldn't say the greatest matchup for him. And you know, they're feisty. There's some pieces here. And I can't wait until they have a coach that makes $425,000 a year. We'll see what happens.

We'll see what happens when Gabe Kaplan is the head coach of the trailblazers. The big things for the weekend other than when we come back and looking healthy was Harper and Gabe three and then Fox kind of reminding people like, yeah, this is in here. I've been been scaling it back. Just being just kind of here to help out facilitate get some shots out.

But for the most part, that's that's lurking in there somewhere. We'll see if it lurks in an okay C series. Can we talk about Dylan Harper really fast for game three? Because we haven't done a put neither of us have done a podcast since then. I would love to that was a, I texted some people.

I know it disperse after that game. I said that was, that was a real effing play of playoff win game three. That was like a big playoff win with that Wemby. It was an awesome game.

Scoop going at him and then Harper basically from that moment on just taking his soul out of his body.

Still a win for the series for Scoop, but Harper was so good. And you could just see all the pieces where we're going to go. And I'm not, I'm not really positive where we're going to go with him because when he hits the three pointer, he basically has every single offensive weapon you need. He can, he can do stutter step, get into the lane.

Bronson style, he can just get to the rim. He could play with somebody on his body. He can step back in at three. And, and then he could also kick back out to people with really like precise passes already. But he's a really, really, really advanced advanced advanced guard.

“One of the best, I think, rookie guards that we've seen come into the league.”

That I can remember the last 10, 15 years, right? Who else jumps to mind? Like who, at 19 and 20, where you could really see like some special shit. Not very many people. And yeah, special.

Like that was a game without Wemby that they needed other people to step up and yeah, castle. We're both unbelievable. Yeah, first of all, it helps to move up in the lottery three years in a row. Second of all, it's been one of the pleasures of this series. Like the blazers have a lot of kind of power, perimeter players, including one of the all time great.

Like power, hybrid, point guards and Drew Holiday. Yeah, and it's been so fun to watch castle and Harper be like, oh, we're just kind of babies into sleep compared to you.

We're going to, we have that too.

We're going to take it right at you over and over again. It's been so fun. Yeah, and Castle, who was the unsung hero on game three at 33.

But Harper Harper was just such a dramatic second half entrance by Harper to that game.

That kind of overshadowed everything else. But Castle has been great. Pretty on the present, even that play that lead to the double technical with Denny. Started because Denny was really physical with him dribbling up the ball and can't castle finally got tired of it. Took him to the basket, did the whole thing.

Blazers home game, no t-shirts. They were shooting used t-shirts during timeouts and in the stands. I don't know if you knew about that. They'd gone to some goodwill, grab some stuff.

“We worn armpit stains. Like, what are we talking about?”

Yeah, yeah, just, you know, not, not holes in them or anything, but definitely had been worn. I'd still think when for the Blazers, they've rekindled some trade value for some guys. And I'm interested to see what they do this summer. Okay. Caves or actors.

Yeah, that also happened today. It did. This was an homage to what year 2006, 2005, 2003.

I mean, I looked at the score multiple times in the second quarter and had to remind myself to do was the second quarter.

So you pick a year from a long, long time ago in an NBA, far, far away. Oh, four. Raptors shoot 32% in win. They had 21 offensive rebounds and they had 36 free throw attempts. And it seemed like they blew the game.

And then the calves had a very strange stretch. They're up five. They give up two free throws. They miss five straight shots in the last two minutes. And all of the sudden the Raptors are winning.

And all of the sudden the game's over.

“And it was, it was kind of your worst fears for a Mitchell Harden game, right?”

I mean, I don't even want to put the blame on Mitchell Harden. Nobody covered themselves in glory in this game. Jared Allen and Evan Mobley to combine for 11 points on five of 16 shooting. When you're being guarded, at least to start of the game by a combination of RJ Barrett, who they've cross matched onto a big guy and Yaka Pertil who can kind of sometimes stay on the floor at a couple nice takes in this game. But I understand that the Raptors, they bring in Murray Boyles off the bench.

And when he's the only quote unquote big man on the floor with Scotty Barnes, they're very switchable. They're very hard to play against. But like that's not the entire game.

And remember the third quarter started and they very Cleveland very clearly came out was like, hey, Evan face up against Yaka Pertil if he's guarding you and score some baskets.

And he got to and I was like, all right, great. Then they switched to match up. They put a portal onto, or they put portal onto, I don't know, they switched to match up on where another. They put Pertil somewhere else and they put RJ Barrett on Mobley, I think.

“Yeah, and then we just never heard from either of those guys again.”

Jared Allen had a great defensive game had some blocks that's in their protection, but like we can clown Mitchell. Mitchell and Hardin for shooting 12 of 38 combined, but the big guys deserve a little, a little bit of criticism too. Mitchell six for 24 Kobe homage. Hardin had six turnovers in the first half. And I tweeted this, I was so disappointed.

Barkley didn't make a joke about the calves being in Toronto all weekend Friday night Saturday night and then playing on one p.m. game and. Hardin just looked like he had woken up a half hour before. I had the same question marks next to Mobley. He had eight points that rebounds and three assists and you just forget he's out there for stretches. I'm starting to wonder if this is just who he is.

We kept like factoring in this bump in the ceiling for him and all the potential of what he could be and. And maybe he's really a five maybe he shouldn't point next to Allen. Well, what happens if he starts making three is that's going to change him. Well, we don't see from him. Is the guys get out of my ways. I'm just going to wreak havoc here for an hour. Right. We need this game. We're up to one.

Nobody can get anything going. Just I'm kicking in a fifth gear and I'm going to destroy everybody for about a half hour here and he just doesn't do it ever. This is the game you win if you're a serious NBA contender on the road tough game tough atmosphere tough but like limited Toronto team not a not a great team. You win this game and go up three one and set yourself up for the four one win, which should be which which you know, I picked catch and seven, but like it was sitting there for them Toronto did not come out like a blaze of glory and this is a game you win.

I mean, to your point Cleveland all of a sudden like they'll go they'll put Allen and mobile together to start a beach with each half and then we'll never see them play together again and we didn't see mobility for like most of the fourth quarter. I know it was playing so well. And I think they're caught in this existential dilemma of like, all right. Well, do we want to play them together more? Well, that means we have to increase their minutes. We don't love the spacing. It's a little funky. I've been mobile these three kind of disappears for a week at a time.

Okay, if we want to go small, who do we play when we're small?

And then Sam Merrill, who had been a zero for the entire series came in and damn near swung the entire game at the entire series for Cleveland with his gravity and he's actually held up okay defensively even against the Ingram. But it's like they all of a sudden feel like they're a torn between identities in some ways. And it's not this should I mean, like credit the Raptors, their defense was sensational Murray boils is one of these stories of the last month and a half of the NBA season and the playoffs so far.

And they made it really hard on the calves and the calves did not have a lot of answers. Yeah, Murray boils gets three stars for his game today. And the fact that they can play small with him with a rookie and be okay, but it may like even big picture. Let's say the calves get through this series. And they play Boston down the road. Boston is just going to go small with better players than Toronto S.

“You know, because I think this is a blueprint now.”

The, you mentioned that they were split between two teams basically.

I would almost say they're split between two teams, but then they're also split between a second version of those two teams where the Mitchell and Harden stuff at the end of games where it just feels like they're both 30 feet from the basket. Look at any other and then one of them has the ball and the other one just kind of stands there and watches. It's it's a little weird. There's some Mitchell stuff I want to get into in a second, but I just they leave me cold. I don't think their defense is good enough either.

And then this, you know, the Raptors shoot 32% today. But what the shots that were getting in the games basically they're playing shed out there as a fifth guy. So it's Scotty Barnes just trying to beat people up for the dribble. He's doing these spin things, then trying to kick out. They didn't really have anybody who could create a good shot. I didn't feel like and they still won. I didn't like any of the shots Toronto got.

I mean, they're best offense for a good portion of the fourth quarter was Scotty Barnes just bringing the ball up as fast as you can and see what happens.

And what happened was like people kind of got out of his way. Sometimes they got in his way.

You went through them. I thought he was awesome. I think Toronto's defense is just taking away so much of the paint and leaving Mitchell and hard and to be like. All right. We're just going to kind of run pick and roll out here with our guards to see if we can get RJ Barrett switched on to us and see what happens. And then we'll hoist to step back three because the paint is like a no fly zone, but you know, we're recording this before six or Celtics. So we'll see what happens in that game, but I depending on how that game goes like that was kind of an underwhelming game three win on the road for the Celtics.

I guess no playoff went on the road against a guy like Maxi who's busting every scheme you throw at him is like whole home. But the east is like Detroit's down to one, you know, Cleveland to two. Boston is where they are, the NYX or two to like it's Orlando going to win the east and what's happening in the east. I know it is like a unprepared for any of the moment. So Darko said this about Scotty after the game.

I expect more from Scotty the way he's playing he's 60% of a player that he's going to be in two to three years. Scotty's going to be one of the best players in the league and he's already one of the best players in the league. So he saved it at the end. But I don't think he's one of the best players in the league.

“I think he's a really interesting player.”

And you could see today like the last piece that's for him to become like the number one guy on an awesome team that has changed someone to title. I think he's going to have to have the ball. And like what is his, what's his finishing move going to be? And he might not have one. He might just be almost like what he with all was and some other guys we've seen.

Like guys who are way better up being your second best guy or third best guy for them.

He has to be the best guy. But I don't, I don't, I don't see it offensively. I don't know how he jumps up. What's in there in your opinion for him? I think it's the bully ball and the playmaking.

And look, we could debate like what's one of the best players in the league. Like I had him. I had him.

“Thirteen all NBA and then bumped him off when Luca and Kate is eligible.”

Yeah. So that puts you somewhere around the 20th best player in the NBA. So go like that. And it has been interesting in this series. To see how willing the calves are, you know, they'll start with mobile on him.

And then they'll go with Tyson or Struse or Wade or whatever. And I keep waiting for him to just dominate those matchups. And the raptor spacing makes it hard for anybody to do that. And he has stretches where he does. But I keep waiting for the moment where he's going to force Cleveland to put their centers or whatever.

The only, the multiplayer Allen on him and put their put those other guys somewhere else. And that hasn't really happened yet. Yeah. And it's just because of the jump shot, right? I mean, we all know they're going to try to go under every screen.

For some to shoot jumpers. But I mean, I'm not going to sit here. Dude played 42 minutes. I had 23, 9 and 6.

I'm, I'm all right.

And here's the other thing I would say. They play really fucking hard and they're really competitive. And I, I like that. I like them a little more than maybe I did a week ago. I still can't imagine they would win around or even two rounds.

I still think Cleveland should win this series. But if I'm Cleveland and if I'm a coach on the team or I own the team or I'm in the front office, I'm a little nervous now that we're playing this team that exposes a lot of words that we have. Right? Oh, you're going small. Well, here's Moby to punish that.

Well, Moby's not doing that. Oh, you're super competitive and and going after every 50, 50 ball and pounding us. Like, we're going to fight back with our version that. Well, maybe we don't have that. And they have the Raptors haven't even had the game yet where they just got lucky and hit a bunch of threes.

You know, so if I don't know, I don't know if the Raptors have the game. But every team has that game once in a playoff series.

There's always a game where somebody goes like 15 or 35 or something.

Could you go a little bit of Walter hit one just a shot of some kind. We've had it. It's a greedy dick at support. But yeah, if I'm on the calf side, I'm a little nervous because I have some fears. There's some guys on my team that have wilted in big situations.

We don't have to name them. No, really? Yeah. We have some really bad playoff losses at our recent pass. I got to do this in Google.

I would just start to get out of the getting a tiny bit nervous here.

“Can we do the Donovan Mitchell playoff history really fast?”

I love the Donovan Mitchell playoff history. Go ahead. Lost the Houston round two is a rookie. Then lost to them round one the second year. Blue with three one lead to 2020 Denver in the bubble.

Beat a really young Memphis team.

Then lost to the Clippers in 21 and 6 after Kawai left. The famous Terrence man game. Just an inexplicable loss. One of the most inexplicable losses of the decade. Lost the Dallas in 6 and 22.

No Luke of the first. I think three games. That was Brunston's arrival. And they just kind of cratered as it went along and it came clear. Somebody was going to try to turn that both guys got traded.

Mitchell goes to the calves. They lose to the Nixon five. The next year they beat Orlando in seven in a series that it seemed like they were going to blow. And then they showed up for game seven. Got spoke by Boston in five.

The next year last year swept Miami. And then lost to Indian five.

In a game where they had more excuses than games won after the series ended.

Will mobile the missed a game. Garland was hurt. And Indiana just took their lunch and that series. They come in that series just to add on to it. Like remember DeAndre Hunger got heard.

I think a game one of that series on a matter and chase down block. And they were like, I'd be like, they were mad about that. He didn't get called for a playground.

“I think if I remember correctly or they wanted to start.”

I can't remember what exactly what it was. And then they're like, oh man, what a big loss for DeAndre Hunter. And I'm like, really? Because it seems like you guys can't wait to get rid of DeAndre. Right now.

Now that he's hurt, it's like the biggest loss in the history of playoff basketball. Yeah. I didn't like the way they handled adversity in that Indiana series when it hit them. Well, if they lose the series. I'd every guy in the team, the coach, everybody is, I think, on the table.

I'm prepared for every single outcome, right? Is there one keeper that you would say, wow, they won't trade him. I'm prepared for anything. Now I would say Mitchell, but you know, Mitchell has a little agency in that in that whole discussion as well with just the one guaranteed your left on his deal. I'm not going there yet.

They should win the series. They should win the series. They should be, they did, but credit Toronto, man. I, I thought this would be a tough series for Cleveland. And it's going to be a tough series for Cleveland.

This is officially a who are, who are the tough guys on our team. Let's go kind of like who wants this? Who's ready to bang bodies? Who's ready to, I think, Struce. I like how he's been playing.

I think Jared Allen has it in him. We'll see with Mobile. Hardened. You never know. Mitchell, we've seen it.

And he's his playoff. What is he 28 a game for his career in the playoff?

“Well, that's what I was going to say when you went through the team results.”

I mean, there's been he's got a couple of Dodd playoff series individually. There's also been some series particularly with Cleveland, where it's been like Donovan. It is anyone else coming with me? Am I just going to have to do this all by myself, including that Orlando one. They got it out in seven.

I like he's is postseason individual play is pretty unimpeachable. Like everyone's going to have a dud now. And then even the very greatest players in the world, like you'll could just have it now. But it's been pretty, by and large, very good. Yeah, the only thing you could ding them in the, well, the results.

But also 31% from three the last five post seasons. And a lot of a lot of stuff like today, where he just couldn't ever really get it going. And I thought what the kind of team the Raptors have is actually the kind of team you would want to throw at the calves.

I think the Celtics have a version out too.

Just long wings to put on those guys and really bother them. And the ability to play smaller big depending on what you do. Well, we'll see. I already think the series is a win for the Raptors just even. I had calves in six.

I bet the calves win game five. My prediction would still be that the calves would go and win in Toronto. But it's, I just didn't like how the calves look today.

“Can I say a couple of other things about this game?”

Yeah. About Scotty Barnes just going to the fell line and knocking them all down, right in the game.

And eight second violation gets thrown in there.

Like if we're going to just going to have a complete offensive disappearance. So as well throw in eight second violation. I'm not sure I've ever seen that exact kind of eight second violation. Where Jamal should seem to know that it was coming. And it's like, what if I just jump in front of this guy right now?

And got the front of that initial and sure enough eight second violation. That's not the first time Mitchell's had one of those either. Um, okay. I'm going to save. I'll save the nuggets.

Want to do some magic magic pistons? Sure. Let's go. This is, uh, I've said this to you. I got notes. I got notes on every series ready to go.

I've said this to you before. This is a great one seed case for my two, two, three idea. It again, the trait just on the ropes really after being awesome all season. Or land out, um, couldn't have been more disappointing this season.

And then ended the season in like a borderline disgraceful way.

And now they're in the driver seat at two on. But the number one thing I wrote down and I bolted it. I felt this way after game one. I felt this way halfway through game two. And then the pistons played one awesome quarter in game two.

Other than that, these teams looked dead even to me. And even the net ratings are 105 and 104 offense defense for Orlando and the opposite for Detroit. All their stats are near the same. Um, it just feels like if they play 20 games, I feel like 18 in that market to be close.

“And I honestly don't know who's going to win the series.”

I would not bet on it. I would not make a prediction for it. I do not know what's going to happen. Uh, I think it's also a reminder that sometimes the conventional wisdom about the play. Of being different than the regular season is actually spot on.

It turns out everything that we were worried about about the pistons and Detroit fans. Y'all discriminated about how they had 60 wins in all this. It turns out your lack of shooting is a problem. It turns out the lack of secondary creation around Kate is a problem. And it turns out that jail and Durin is just going to flat out played by Wendell Carter Jr.

And looks just frazzled on both ends of the floor. Which is fine. He's 22 or 23, whatever he is. It's not fine. It's not fine. I voted for him. Second team on BA.

I shouldn't have this many voter regrets already. And I have like five. Well, okay, fine is I guess fine. By fine, I would mean it's not entirely shocking to me that the playoffs have proven much harder for him to the regular season. But.

Yeah, but it's worrisome that Orlando has pretty easily figured out how to nullify him in the series. Yeah, his face-up game just isn't working. I mean, Wendell Carter hit him with the with the Shay like this guy. He's the biggest baddest guy in the bar. And Wendell Carter's like, let's go outside and fight right now.

I'm right here. Wendell Carter's been a big winner. I think of the playoffs so far. The inevitable Stu goga. Conflagration already happened.

And it was interesting to see. JB Vickers have kind of get fed up with both stews and antics. And he yanked Durin.

Durin early in either the third of.

“I think the third quarter of that game after a couple of defensive mistakes.”

And just like Saddam for a long time. Like there. They took that game obviously seriously in Orlando. Took it from him in Palo and Franz made couple dagger threes. You don't expect those guys in dagger threes.

That was kind of fun. Did not expect that. Well, to trade deadline, which we were concerned that they didn't do anything major. It feels like it's continuing to haunt them. Kobe White to soon.

Who? Oh, my god. I mean, add all the teams that could have trump minnesota's. Uh, musily offer a four-second round picks and our bus lottery pick for DeSoonmo.

I'm pretty sure the trick could have topped that one in about five seconds. Right? Maybe though. Four seconds. Three seconds.

Like. Jenkins crash back to earth. Yeah, that's another one. He played seven minutes. Uh, and games.

Thompson. His stats are okay. But especially in the last six minutes in these games. And I would say the same for his brother. Yeah.

He's on the court tripling round and it almost seems like he doesn't know where the basket is. He'll be just going this way and the baskets over here or backwards and just has once No part of shooting ever. And kids been awesome. And if you said before the series, kids going to have a 31-58 through through three games.

You'd. You would think, oh, to try it. Then to trade or they go on for a sweep, what's going to happen? They just don't. They don't have any other crunch time offense.

It's every fear we had about the pistons.

All regular season when we were doing the yeah butts.

And look, let's just be clear. Like the magic are good. This is a tough match up for Detroit.

“It's not like they're, I don't think they're like choking or this is a sort of like condomation”

of their entire team construction. There are young team with some obvious offensive words playing a team that probably had a higher over undernumbered than they did before the season. And so like it's not entirely shocking that this is proven a tough series for them. Everything you said about a star Thompson is true.

And they just, you know, I thought our land Detroit went at Dunkin Robinson with a little bit more precision and intent in that game. And they need Dunkin Robinson's offense on the floor to sort of loosen everything up. And they just need during to play better. Like they're in being a 10.5 rebound, like okay defensive player is there.

They're going to lose this round if that's if that is what he ends up averaging. Yeah, you need the wild card guide, too. You know, like for the Lakers and we're taping this before game four, but couldnard has been something of a wild card guide for them, right? You need that.

Oh, I did like I owe last night. Wow. 27 second half. We weren't expecting that. I don't know who to trade.

Wow, we weren't expecting that guy is. It's probably Dunkin Robinson.

But they just never got the he check it thing.

I mean, it's a really interesting point you made about regular season versus playoffs. It's funny. You have in the East Orlando a team that we were all disgusted by multiple points that share and really frustrated by. And then you have Minnesota who is the classic kept roping us in.

Then making us feel stupid. And they're like, I'm out of Minnesota. Then they look awesome again. They broke you back in. And we just did the zigzag with them for six months.

And then if you just watch them in the playoffs, you would think was Jada McDaniels to run her up to Wemby for defensive player the year or was it go bear? Were those guys finished two and three? And you see their bench and you just see the the physicality and the intensity that they have. And I promise you they did not look like that very often during the season.

But they do know. They absolutely do.

“And I don't know if you want to talk about that series now.”

But let's let's go to a break. Well, we'll do a break. We'll come back. And this is going to be a hard one for us. Nuggets.

Tim was going great. We'll talk about that next. All right, Zach. Game four. Nuggets wolves, which gave us a terrible different chance.

Oh, Achilles injury that I didn't even see because I was watching the other game within a minute of the start. A really scary and injury that seemed like it was the ACL because he was holding the side of his knee. Turns out hyper extension, but he's out for the round. IOS 43 in the game in 27 in the second half. And if you only watch this game, you would think he was one of the best 10 players in the league.

We had a near brawl. Involved. Very entertaining.

In the Joker, which is always all bets are off.

And Julius Randall came in with a little like Stephen Jackson in the art test melee kind of energy. I thought he was really going to escalate it. Huge fight in the stance. Lots of video from that. I didn't see that.

The fight in the stance between Nuggets fans and Timberloss fans. Fake fight in the stance. Can go look that up. Wow. What a rivalry.

It's even spilling into fandom. That's great. We had not great. I don't know if I didn't see the fight. Who knew that was the rivalry?

We're the children involved. I hope not. I hope everyone's okay. Hopefully everyone's all right. We had ABC breaking into the game and forcing us to move to ESPN because they had to do an update about the White House dinner.

The shooting there. And then after the game, someone stole Joker's underwear. I don't know where you want to start. But this was probably the darkest game of the year. Replacing whatever the previous darkest game of the year was.

I want to start with the injuries to Minnesota because they're up 3-1 in this series. And if even just aunt were healthy, they would probably win this series. Even though they only have the one home game left. And if even just aunt were healthy, they would probably win this series. Even though they only have the one home game left.

And be a dangerous team in the next round. And now aunt availability is in question for an unknown period of time. And even Chenzou, the dude is just a winner and a gamer played every game. He wins everywhere he goes. He's just such an awesome role player and it's done so well there.

That's a heartbreaker. And you knew it right away, you feared it right away. He knew it right away. It seemed like when he was on the floor. So I want to start there because as appealing as it is to start with like,

“Is Yokech having the worst playout series of his career?”

Is Denver, is there window already closed or closing right now for this for this core? What does that mean for the offseason? Those are the big questions. I might have to open a make a little balcher for this. I'm getting upset.

I want to sit with the table of injuries for just a second.

Because even Chenzou's like just classic central casting beloved like glue gu...

And aunt is aunt, one of the faces of the league, one of the most explosive players in the league.

“Guy who plays both ends of the floor and his right risen up in the playoffs every year that he's been there.”

And this team is like has a legit awesome top seven. Like they're starting five plus I.o. and Nas Reed. And then you go down below that and its bones has been playing well and whatever. But like they are legitimately really good.

And if they're harmed going into the second round assuming they win the series,

Which I don't think is a done deal, by the way. That's just it just sucks and all these injuries sucks. And when Castle went out in that game earlier today with the hand injury, I'm like, I just don't want to I can't watch this anymore. Yeah, and different Chenzou's out next year.

The timing of these when you when you get March April May range, You're also out for the next season. I would assume unless he's on some crazy Tatum timeline that would put him back. I guess I don't know he would have to get lucky. I know he flew to New York today and got the surgery.

But the thing with him other than your top seven point. He would swing two halves of the series just by getting hot at felt like. And I thought he was a great wild card like, oh my god. Dante's heating up. He's not afraid of this moment. And somebody's going to have to fill that spot.

Yeah, I should have clarified by top seven. I'm including Steven Chenzou and now he's gone. And so we're going to see more of my colleague. I was very happy by the way that Mike Conley threw this all. Confident, had a moment, had a moment in a big big game.

And Shannon got in.

“I think they're going to need their just going to need got other guys to just fill time now.”

The ant thing was the least surprising injury of the first round because he did not.

And the except for Aaron Gordon because. Ant did not look healthy. You could tell something was wrong with his knee. And he was also playing. A hundred percent not favoring it at all.

And then afterwards kind of like, oh, that's still hurts. And it was just scary to watch play by play because he was clearly not healthy. But playing like he was so. And but that's the crazy thing about these two wins from Minnesota. Is ant was in foul trouble and not great in game three.

Ant was doing like pretty much nothing. Like he wasn't even then involved in the offense before he got hurt in game four. And they still win both games. And I'm glad you brought up Aaron Gordon because, you know, he deserves credit for trying to go out that game. But he just was scary.

It was he was just jogging lightly on his feet. And he summoned a couple of big jumps for a rebound and for a challenge at the rim.

“And both times I was like, Oh, no, is this like I it was not.”

And without him and Watson, they're just too small. They're too small for the temple was they don't have enough force. They don't have enough. And like that's not an excuse. It just is it is what it is.

And now there's just injuries scattered across this series. It seems it's going to win four games and go on to the next round and face the spurs. By the way, then be a show of the sauce. But by the way, I mean, you go back to that spurs. And I'll get some regular season finale.

Like the nuggets shouldn't even be playing the timber wolves like both of those teams had it lined up for them. And they just I don't I don't know what happened. I mean, it's not like the nuggets played all their best. David Roddy and all those guys happen. They just start they just play their worst guys played really well for about a half an hour.

That's when you start being like, Hey, David Roddy. If you ever wanted to take 12 left handed threes in a half, like have have had it. Go watch some Mark Madsen film at half time from game it like you got to lose that game and the spurs should have been like, Well, well, help. I talked about that a couple of pods ago how that not only swung this series,

but it swung that liquor's rocket's whole situation in a crazy way where the lakers just would have gotten, I think, dusted by somebody. And instead, we have this next chapter in LeBron's legacy. Marcus, Marcus, Mark's rejuvenated, Luke Canard is back. The rockets are a complete mess.

Darren Gordon thing. Regardless, he looks like he's done and a completely changes whatever this ceiling was for Denver. I thought they're going to make the finals. I don't think they're going to make the finals without he looks. There's some some other stuff, though.

There's a lot to unpack. Well, the eye of thing. How long were we on the trade deadline pod we did talking about how fucking stupid that trade was. And trying to get, we weren't the only ones. I'm not, I'm not claiming that territory by ourselves.

Joining us, we're probably everybody else who has a podcast and watches basketball. Everyone who watched the Chicago Bulls fairly regularly to regularly. This guy was a good basketball player and he was on a cheap contract. And these guys should be the hardest people to trade for.

And they got him for four second rounders.

And it was just immediately clear he was the perfect guy to add for them. And I don't know where a bunch of teams were with this. I don't understand how you get this guy for four second rounders. With that said. The stuff he's doing offensively, I did not.

No, I did not know he had this. Like he was unstoppable unstoppable. Denver was like, during their defense to try to stop him and couldn't stop him.

I did not know he could do this.

I mean, if, I don't know when the first time stamp is of me saying to Timberl,

“you know, just who would do it, but it's like in the fall.”

It was that obvious. And I do feel like imagine being a bullspin. We're almost everything that happens in the NBA playoffs ends up being a joke at your expense. Like, oh, this guy was just on the bulls. Like you had him on your team.

You don't have a lot going for you. You had him. And you're like, yeah, you know what. We have to pay him and something. Minnesota just gets him.

And yeah, I mean, he's he's just a very good player and he fits them well. And you shot 45% on threes this year. But I did not. I mean, it was the I'll show from from start to the other second. Also another guy.

And this is a recurring theme in all these series. Like just an incredibly competitive guy who really seems to respect and treasure being on the big stage.

You know, like you, you've seen a bunch of these guys talk about this.

Barnes is another one. Like I've really grown to admire Barnes. Barnes is like, I'll fucking die to win this series. I'll do anything it takes. I'm so happy to be here in the playoffs.

And I was another one.

“I think I was this guy who probably watched the playoffs in April.”

May and June every year. And I was like, fuck, I really want to be in the playoffs. I'm on the bulls. What am I on the bulls? Or my whole team?

Oh, he's my team. So anyway, I'm happy for him. And he really fits in with the kind of mentality and energy this team. And Jay to McDonald's. I watched some thing on the social media today of all the people.

He's like kind of battled with and gone at. He has no respect for anybody like this sort of been the guy who went at Kobe and Jordan

if he was, you know, in those areas.

He's been like, fuck these guys. I'm not afraid of these guys. And this is the best he's ever played. So to to do all this when you have a compromised aunt who then goes out of the game and game four and still feel like they're probably going to be Denver.

It's pretty crazy. Just a total gut see performance by the wolves. Go bare has been sensational. There are a few other things that need to be remarked on in this game. Go bare took a three.

Well, okay. We need to deep dive the end of the game. But at some point, but go bare takes that three. I mean, they're all they're up 13 with six minutes left. That is such an insulting shot.

That's like a shot. You would take if you're up 30. Yeah. Two and a half minutes left. They're up.

That's like a very like win-able game for Denver and most circumstances and go bare taking that. There was like 17 on the shot. Like he took it. That was so disrespectful. And I mean, this is a good and a good and fun way.

That was just like where we have you. We know we have you. I'm just going to give myself a 15% chance to have the target center just combust if I make this shot. That was so disrespectful. I loved it.

You know, it wasn't even a he check three. It was like a somebody driving home. And they just decided to drive the car with their feet on the steering wheel and stick their heads through the sun roof. There's one of those moves.

It's like, watch this guys. Like that's how confident he was. They were winning the game. It was like a scene to put it in your language. It was like a seven way parlay.

It was like Adam Sandler and uncut gems betting on like KG winning the jump ball. Five or five other things happening. Once and he was like, fuck it. I'm doing it. We're only up 13.

Yeah. Actually, they lost. Imagine if they lost.

“We would look back at that and be like, why didn't you plan to happen?”

You know what the funny thing about that shot was? I thought it was going in. It looked good. It had this kind of energy for the tumblewolves where it was like, ah, this probably fucking going in the way this is going from Minnesota.

But yeah, that what McDonald's has done in this series. And now how many miles he's put on Murray combined with what Go Bear has done to Joker? You know, I was on a lot of text today. I've a lot of people in my life. They know who they are who get really mad when I compare Joker to Bird and magic.

And that I voted for him from VP again on that. So there's a lot of people I heard from today. I don't have to name them. And you want to do this now or did you have more from this game? No, let's do it now.

You feel like you're on the therapist couch and you're ready to go. So let's go. It's for four games in the series. I'm not ready to say that this is one of the big disasters of all time. I will say if they get knocked out of this series and he's looked the way he's looked.

It does feel like the best part of our live room. The door is going to open and somebody's going to be able to walk into that room now. And you do clear the new person. I mean, I have voted, I voted, I didn't vote, but I didn't have a vote. I had Shea MVP and Shea's been number one and rigor 100, the last two or three times.

That's fine. That all happened. Deep in the recesses of your soul, you thought Joker was the best part of the league. No, I mean, like Shea took the belt. I think this season after the injury, the injury is like a line of demarcation.

The injury on December 30th when Yokehch got hurt, he has not been the same g...

And I think Shea has been the best player since then period.

“No caveats, no like, well, if I had to win a game blow of law, I think he's just been the best guy.”

By the way, we're probably not going to talk about it because it's boring series. What he did to Phoenix in game three yesterday was like, how did it in my notes 15, 15 for 18? Was it in the game? Was it in the game? And like, kid talking straight up majestic. And like, they could do anything with him. And defensively, he's a game changing, he makes some game changing plays here and there. And then just, but okay, I'm sorry. I interrupted the Yokehch cope.

Well, this is a six year run six started 20. They come back and they beat Utah, right? They come back from in the bubble. That was kind of the rival playoffs. So seven years, really six. They lose two cuts of the Murray injury. He wins three MVP's. They win one title. That's going to start to. Oh, they won one title, but look what they played. People are going to do that. Um, he started one years old.

I wouldn't say he's going to have a LeBron type of physical arc of staying in shape until his late 30s.

And being incredible. God only knows what he's going to look like at age 35, 36.

The bigger thing for me is the team around him. I really worry. Like, this is like really it for him as a contender. If they can't get out of the first round this year, Gordon's year 13 next year. God only knows what he's going to be like physically. Whatever we saw from Cam Johnson this year, uh, cancer. I was impressed. I went from thinking that was a steel of a trade to wondering, like, would Michael Porter Jr.

have actually maybe helped them in this series. He people I said it from John. I know you did. I know he will disrespect Michael Porter Jr in the analysis of that trade. And then, uh, and then Tim Hardaway, like the biggest part of this game. Denver was like, felt like they were going to come back multiple times in that fourth quarter.

“Hardaway's in the corner takes a three. It hits side of the backboard. Like I think it would have”

cut the game to like four or six next play at Cam Johnson or that next time to have a Cam Johnson's wide open on the side, same thing, miss a three, like Murray was the only guy that hit a three in the second half for the mystery. He had to. Everybody else is 0 for 11. So the supporting cast has

been bad. The here's what I don't understand, Zach. For the season, they were first in, in, uh,

offense, 121.3 for by possessions, 100 possessions. Their offense is 105.3 in the playoffs. They're last in three point shooting in the playoffs. They're 16 shooting 28.5. They're 40 percent feel, go 15th. Um, they're not really turning them all over their second best in turnovers and they're first to get in the land. They're 33 free throw times to game. And the offense just looks awful. Like that there was one side I saw on Reddit. Denver on open shots is 8 for 36 in the playoffs.

And on wide open shots, they're 20 for 57. I don't understand what happened to their offense. And I I can't think it's just Gordon. And I can't think of Barry McDaniels as good as they better are this good. Like they've completely shut down an offense that was humming the entire season. I don't really get it. Well, I mean, a lot of the open shots are Christian Brown and Spencer Jones and Yoke's threes, which they're giving them. We don't go in anymore for some reason.

They're in Aaron Gordon on one leg, jump shots. Um, so they're open, but they're like that. It's not like Steph Curry's out there shooting catch and shoot. Threes. I'm glad you brought this up, though, because when the nuggets fail, everybody wants to clown on Yoke, which is defense, which is hit or miss, obviously. Their, their, their defense has actually been fine in this series of the most part. They're losing because they have absolutely no answers from Minnesota's defense.

And it's shocking to see Denver out of answers because they were the number one offense in the NBA this season. There were nights where it looked so easy for them. And the wolves have just taken them completely out of their game. And they've taken Yokech go bare with the great team of defenders around him has taken Yokech totally out of his rhythm, totally out of his usual game. And the way I was looking at the tracking date over the weekend, oh, this is before a game for

and that because I was curious having watched game three, his post ups are down. Like he just doesn't want to post up against go bear. They, like every minute that he's out there with Naza's reader Julius Randall on him, they should be going to him in the post and yet they weren't in the

third quarter of the, the bear was out of the game for a while and I kept waiting for Yokech to take

over and he was just getting the ball 30 feet from the hoop and they were running split cuts and all this stuff that looks nice, but it's like, dude, you have Julius Randall and Naza's read on you.

“You should, you should be like, this is your time. And then he's also not rolling to the rim”

nearly as often and I don't know if it's, I don't know what it is, but I think he knows that they're trying to take that away and he's just not doing it and what he's not doing it, he's not compromising their defense at all. And I don't know if there was one play in game three that's he finally rolled hard to the rim and he got the ball in the spot where we've seen him make a floater five thousand

Times and he went up for it and Gopera was in the neighborhood rotating aroun...

dumped it down to Christian Brown who was kind of like right under the rim but couldn't go up because Gopera was there and at the possession died out after that and that play and combine with him, if you look at the track and he had a him rolling to the rim a lot of rolling into the paint rolling at all like just he's just popping and staying put doing that less often has me wondering like they're just in his head, Gopera's in his head, he's out of rhythm, he's not playing the way he

usually does and all those pet paint shots are gone vaporized and the typically it's completely taken him out of his game. I agree with everything you just said now that this and this goes to the taking him out of his game. They figured out a way to speed him up to just like almost like a podcast where Yokech is like I like when I like with my podcast there are one two I'm a one point

“two guy. That's what I am. I looked play at that speed and the Timberliffs have sped him up to one five”

and where I've really noticed it is on defensive rebounds when he's like trying to he had a couple of the crazy turnovers that he has an ad since like the 2010s in the second half of that game where it's like he's afraid that McDonald's is going to come from behind or I/O or somebody and they're going to swipe the ball from him so he's getting these balls and he's like like a bad ad hell going up the thing or trying to do these quick passes and he's not he doesn't have

that same calm pace that he always had like they've they've they've just discombobulated him and

the thing I was telling to the people that were making fun of me today in my life like people have had bad series right and every single great player we've ever had has had a lot of these series yeah tragic Johnson Kobe had the O4 against the pistons was a classic bird had a couple of stinkers like the 88 piston series is bad every Jordan against Orlando in 95 everybody has them I'm just surprised it happened right now for yokeage with what we had seen this year because I really

felt like he in a lot of ways you know I know he got injured he came back we were worried about him but I really felt like he had his mojo back and I thought this team knew what it was now you look at him it's like vouching just doesn't play anymore they don't really have a backup point guard it's just a bad matchup for them and sometimes that happens in basketball so they're favored unfandelful for game five they're favored by 10 and a half in game five what's the

“injuries sure yeah I think that's still to I think they're playing like minus six I mean I don't”

know what's gonna happen they're in Gordon just I test like and the fact that he didn't

come back in the game of the second half everyone out like I would just plan on him I'm mentally

planning I didn't have not playing and that that seems like you brought up a very important point though whereas as much as you want to make this about yokeage and that's he deserves all the criticism like go bare as eating his lunch and taking him out of the game yokeage in Murray scored 54 points in game 4 the rest of the team scored 32 I'm sorry 42 and Cam Johnson has been nothing Christian Brown has been nothing that's two of your starters given you giving you zero Watson's obviously not playing

and I think there's a real discussion to be had I don't know if now's the time to do it because we haven't got to the end of the game which I found delightful are you doing this no there's just a real discussion to be had about Oklahoma in San Antonio are who they are and to Denver just flat out miss its chance at a second ring is the window close for them because Murray and yokeage are getting older Gordon it just I think you just have to assume that he's just not going to be healthy

for six straight weeks in the playoffs ever again I mean the evidence suggests that their and the rest of their team is just not performing up to the level it needs to perform and it just you do like things happen fast in the NBA you mentioned 21 Murray hurt 22 Murray hurt 23 they went to

title 24 they'll always regret blowing that lead in game seven at home against Minnesota because I

think that it'd been favorites over Dallas in the next round in favorites over uh Boston in the finals perhaps although that you know that would have been a good match that obviously that would have been the Boston probably would have been favorite but that was it that there are three rings sitting there two of them robbed that their chance was eliminated by injuries one I think they would have had a real good shot at and they didn't get out of game seven and now it's like is this hit like are we

are we done and if if we if we do think we're done what the hell are we supposed to do you know it's hilarious I was a step ahead of you for where you were going and I thought you were going where I'm starting to get trades yo yokeage should Detroit trade everything for yokeage darling trade everything

“for yokeage you want to do it no I thought that's where you were gonna go though that's why I jerked up”

because I do think like this if you're them like we had the window and now we're kind of stuck with

This team that's the real issue with them Shen goon five first round picks si...

you do you I do you're not ready yet I don't think yokeage I think he's a little like curry

where it's like I like Denver and I'm happy and I'm just happy to compete every year but the San Antonio KC point has been lurking all year and this was why I really thought this was last stand for Denver like this is it you might be able to catch okay see in a back to back with jaylamans they bet some injuries you know you can play them pretty well and San Antonio is a year away from being ready this is like your window and you know I don't know about San Antonio

being a year away well after this weekend but I'm just saying like youth wise I played them well in the regular season the nuggets played dispersal on the right my point is next year San Antonio is going to be better than this year so yes teams that are up three one in a series there's been 298 NBA examples okay how many do you think I've come back 17 13 okay 2285 and 13 how many were coach by doctors at least a couple Minnesota's defensive rating with Rudy is 98.5 in the series

that's like out of the 1940s Christian Brown his extension kicks in next year

“per 125 million from five years it does it does that uh it's gonna I think it made the worst”

contracts with me was in house I think was drafted that one it's now uh there's been some him and hurdle I think are going to be high first run picks and that uh draft next year but the brown thing's tough because if you can't guard I/O or anybody else you can't shut down anyone on on Minnesota any their perimeter guys and you're not making threes and you're not finishing around the rim and you can't hit free throws I'm really not sure you're bringing to the table because that's

kind of the four reasons you're playing I think that contract was a bet on him improving his three

point shot which he's done intermittently and then it always seems to disappear for two weeks

three weeks here and there and yeah I mean that was a very clear choice of you know there's obviously a lot of barriers and variables involved in these choices including what salaries the players want and all that but that was a very clear like we're choosing you over Peyton Watson or if we have to choose one and whatever variables line up we're choosing you and Peyton Watson flat out out played on when he was healthy this year and now he becomes a free agent and they are already like

apron troubled and I don't know what they're gonna do this really makes me sad I do respect like if Yoke is just gonna go down my favorite non-self to watch other than maybe Curry if he's gonna go down this way I wanted to go down this way like terminator two style with the falling into the pit putting his hand up down three one just like one last 37

“15 and 17 and just doing everything Murray is playing well in this series I think yes”

they just I just need unfortunately it's Minnesota you're gonna need more than that wow so you're already you've already poured dirt on you know I bet I can the week now it's fine I said that they could still win the series I bet you ain't out you're next year good well you stop you stop it you're far better now all right well that's who you are it's fine um look if I could bat fouls I would bat fouls I can't though

I'm also I'm just it flat I'm just an injury risk at this point for any any running sporting event I'm gonna get you an okay okay okay if C-hat

something now and I'm trying to make the thing now okay C third clearly it's Chase time now

and if they went back to back I think whoever emerges from that okay C San Antonio series will be the best part in the week that's who we will feel as the belt and that's just how it's gonna go can we do three minutes on the end of the game yeah McDaniel's Yokech yeah first of all I hope nobody gets suspended I hate when this stuff happens when they do the

“film about did someone leave the bench as you pointed out over text I think the players thought”

the game had ended and so I thought the game had ended everyone thought the game had ended but I there's one person that's not getting any credit here that I would like to give a little credit to Mike Conley through that pass ahead to Jaden McDaniel's when he absolutely did not have to he could just dribbled out the clock or dribbled up to have court and I think Mike Conley has a little bit of shit to stirbur in him it was like let's see what happens if I throw this

pass up to Jaden McDaniel's and you can see Yokech watching like as soon as that pass went Yokech turned his back to the hoop that he was shooting at and just watched Jaden McDaniel's who was like waiting the car you can do it motherfucker you're actually gonna do it and then he did it but I want to give Mike Conley a lot of credit for starting the whole thing maybe inadvertently maybe slightly vertently I don't know but that's the great pass by Mike Conley yet another assist

In an electric cigarette by Conley come back hard Mike Conley Joke are runnin...

speed angry it's not what I mean first team on BA with I'm trying to think of the ones Isaiah Stewart

Oh I see I say a Stewart is in a league of his own Jalen Durran it's probably top three two of them are on Detroit I didn't join McDaniel's McDaniel's what he was asked about it was like I didn't know what was happened I just know someone big as hell was coming at him like

“yep that's right McDaniel's his energy is I think really spoken for this timbre of steam”

who's clearly knew they were playing with that where it's not at 100% and they're still carrying themselves the other take I just want to have on this if you will allow me yeah is Denver now gets Nicolio good David Adam and all of you stop whining the guy scored a layup against you in garbage time you're that upset about it like how about just don't go to garbage time how about try to play better during the run of the game the unwritten rules like it's not like he did

a windmill dunk 360 just put the ball in the hoop I think it was that it was him of all the people that did it well didn't just take the elk because the guy talked shit about your entire roster backed it up and made a layup in garbage time and then you like get all mad about it it's come on the game's going on he made a layup big deal he doesn't get to see scores he's not like a he wants an extra two points you'll be surprised to know I completely agree and I thought Adam

and seemed like a loser in the press conference and by the way him talking about wondering where when that when the all the nuggets fans everybody who watches this team is like where the where's the fight why are you guys rolling over like this what are we watching we're like the pride that we've watched last six years and Adam and's like what do you mean I thought we were competitive I had it in my notes in the game in the last like from like minute four to minute two of the

fourth quarter the like not not the variant but they're a little stretch there before the variant they seem to start playing harder than they had played particularly on offense like they started executing with a lot more zipping a lot more force and to the point that I put it in my notes is like where it's too late it's too late now well do you think Adam and's coaching this team next chair if they get bounced in five or six because I do not with hell knows I with these coaching

changes I mean Tiago splitter can't get a job these guys are all getting who do they held those with these coaching decisions anymore Billy Diamonds like hey guys do you have a top six or seven for you because I would love to have that opportunity to coach somebody really good you know who did it right money Williams took all the money got fired and was like you know what I'm going to do just nothing how about I just coach high school coach myself yes you can keep paying me

“eight figures a year for as many years as the contract goes on that's what Billy that Billy”

Donovan I don't know I think you know is one more you don't think I don't think people were knocking on money store there's kind of a couple people that have just like will Adrian Griffin ever coach

again there's a couple of these guys that just come and go and we'll never see them again I guess

that was a bad ending anyway that's no good to him so I think there's my only thing to add from your last from that bra was I just really want to encourage people to go back and look at Randall going to another level I don't I actually really thought he was going to take a swing at somebody and get ejected so we'll see if they have any questions I watch it again today many times he seemed under control under control to me and just incredibly strong my takeaway from that

was you as Randall is just so fucking strong that if he gets into these crumbs the whole scrum is moving whenever Julie is random whatever direction he's pushing that's where it's going all right next talk's really quickly it was absolutely panic time after game three for the next fans I know you know a lot of them I know a lot of them too I was just shocked by the angst next come out guess what when the next have the lead for most of the game

pretty fun ride they took the lead early kept there up by 10 11 12 15 8 12

and never gave it up that only things that I noticed other than that they weren't playing

from behind was they one more 50 50 balls they played through towns a little bit more well you know wasn't like he took 40 shots and they gave us a whiff of alvarado yep but the big the big thing was that Atlanta just sucked I thought they were just awful it was a butterfingers game I watch with you old Grant Lanty mate Rember Brown

“all poor rim every time he's come over I think he's come over for an Atlanta loss”

regardless of the sport and we were just saying is this is a butterfingers game every 50 50 you could just tell they're going to lose it guys in traffic there's going to lose it rebounds bouncing off hands going to the next and they just really suck 10 for 41 from three for Atlanta and I thought the next were leaving Daniels and Jayla Johnson in a Congo basically

If you want to shoot that you're up a fair reason good luck well they should ...

be you know the Hawks want to get into the paint and knife around in there and get to the rim and they should go under on screens when they can for all those guys and it's on the Hawks

“to make it hard through disguise and creativity and all that for them to do that but I think”

the next two wins in this series have been two of their very best defensive games of the whole season and towns has been pretty sound defensively throughout the whole series including in those two games and I understand the angst if you're an expand because this is just on paper they should be up three one this should just be a run of the mill favorite over underdog has a chance to close

it out in five first round series and in the middle of their two pretty and fatic wins are

two one point losses both of which they could have should have had multiple chances to win and didn't partly thanks to CJ McCollum being unbelievable partly thanks to some puzzling coaching decisions partly thanks to the Hawks being good but this doesn't as feel like it should be three one nicks and just were barely thinking about this series because it goes the way these series tend to go and now can I say day and a half to one and a half

that's fine they better win the game five because you think it was angsty going into game game four if they're down three two do I want to do it landa look out Bench Carmo is great for the series at land is 32% from three Daniels is I'm sorry Jalen Johnson's 28% Daniels is 14% coming as 18% coming guy I want to single out for being singularly horrific in game four um that was wow they're just really just

it was like throwing her grenade on the court he just couldn't have been worse we've also seen them flip side of that when he comes in and he's awesome that's just who he is he's trick or treat it was a trick in that game but I just wrote down and in bold I do think the Hawks

“blew their window for the series I think they could have if they'd come out and thrown a”

couple punches and made some threes and gotten the crowd into it and gotten the nicks a little nervous I would have been really interested to see what happened this second half but they did not do any of that here's the only I mean I I don't I the nicks are an endlessly fascinating

puzzle to me they look great for one game great for two games crappy for one game you never know

what is going to happen with them the one thing I would say about the Hawks and their chances is I still didn't love the way the nicks half-court offense looked in that game despite the fact that the same simple play of Jalen Bruns in setting a back screen for OGN and OB in the corner worked like seventeen times as if the Hawks were to say I guess we just can't adjust to this we're just get a light OG dot eight more times and I looked up the numbers because it seemed to be like the

nicks were just just every transition chance they had the point about fifty fifty balls and if you go to cleaning the glass there have court points for possession in that game was like average ish and transition it like breaks my laptop when I bring up their transition points for a possession that's like that's that's the Josh hard stuff right I mean that's the stuff that he brings in I mean I mean the other thing is it's not like them a kill bridges question was really

answered he played nineteen minutes in that game even though Mike Brown started him and didn't you think it was weird when Mike Brown was like I'm not going to tell you who's starting but whatever decision is made is my decision I'm like did anyone think like did anyone think it was not going to be your decision like what what question are you answering right Brunson was in play maybe that was a speaking a Rick Bridges has reached the it's a bonus if he does anything in

these games part of his contribution to the season it feels like but the flip side is OG has been so good awesome that the seesaw the OG bridges seesaw is now like this but OG has been so good they're

almost okay with it because they're getting the what they're getting from heart I was I never understood

why they gave up on Alvarado I know that he wasn't hitting threes for weeks on end and had become unplayable but I just think in a playoff series he's annoying and he's the kind of guy who can come in in the second quarter and somebody like CJ McCombs like God damn it I hate going against this

“guy this is not going to be a fun five minutes and I think I really value those guys in a series”

well first of all he had just in all time great grand theft Alvarado in the game he did second of all you just have to add them to your list of when you act when you go through it guards the Houston rockets could have and didn't trade for that might have helped right now list I mean that's that list is a hundred deep it's pretty deep Colin Sexton is like I mean watching these games like I mean I couldn't really Colin Sexton is out right here like I want I want through the ball away

before up by six well I think what's funny and maybe not funny about the rockets is keeping van Vlyte because he was so important as a locker room guy and he wanted to be there and you don't want to put him in a trade which I get that's that's great but who has a worse locker room

In chemistry than the rockets maybe they could have afforded to trade van Vly...

dribble the ball and protect us six point lead with thirty seconds up bridges for the series is

7.3 points again OG's averaging a 21 and 9 and he's shooting 52 percent from three and

feels like he's hit nine huge threes with the shot clock expiring and the nicks have nothing going on just bailing them out so we talked before game four and you were talking about we're talking about emergency pods all kinds of stuff if the nicks were down 31 and the game five view it was conceivable that the nicks were going to be down 31 heading into a game five

“to the to our earlier points yeah it was in the air you could feel it I think game five is”

going to be an awesome game if we're talking about what's going to be the most compelling game five and we're taking this before these last two games that happened today but these are game these are game fours so right um Minnesota Minnesota Denver game five is obviously a must watch with a lot of like big picture yoke it's legacy stuff it's sake and I think nicks Hawks would be the other kind of must watch for me Orlando Detroit they don't even have the we have a game for coming up

because that series has been a little staggered but next Hawks like I still feel like the Hawks could just shoot better and hang around with them and then just try to get it to the last three minutes and I thought the same way with you about the nicks half court offense I mean it's going to be a fascinating game I'm hoping to be there and you gotta go to that one I would want to band you

“go my credential application has been filed and we'll see these games get crowded and all that”

but do you want me to talk to Bobby Bockelot and who did this soprano sick of so I don't know about the other sopranos but I I mean the nicks have more celebrity fans than the lake or somehow I'm going to call Modene see if there's extra technical he hasn't been the I haven't seen him as he has been let me give her a yeah get Susia on the horn you got to go to that one but no I mean like the east is again who wants this conference other than well I mean we're taping this before boss and filly

if boss and blows the crap yeah let's do that we'll do that in the first segment because boss

and we'll give us right now it's 11 to 10 so we got to go pretty soon I got to do a really quick parent corner with you before we go shoot so Amazon Prime they do the thing where if it's like three devices are using it they shut one down or four forget what the number is so my my daughter sees my Amazon Prime which is fine because she's my daughter I'm sure yours will be in college some day using your Amazon or one of your other streamers and I was using two different ones because

there's two games going on it logged me out of one of the things and it was because my dad was logged into my Amazon so call my dad my dad's like well I can't get Amazon unless I'm on your Amazon and I'm like but dad you you have Amazon Prime I do yeah you guys have Amazon Prime that's when you get packages or you send stuff like you pay for Amazon Prime on positive and he's like but that so my Amazon Prime would get me the games I'm like yeah you have Amazon Prime

which would allow you to use Amazon Prime to then watch the game on your Amazon Prime so we walked through this and my my wife and I were on speaker just like ridiculing him and that's not nice now we that's we love to make fun of my dad but I realize they should be doing PSAs I really think they should Amazon Prime should have a whole ad campaign like the game is on Amazon Prime and guess what you have it you are having Amazon Prime go to it here the button then look the

game is going to be on there you don't have to steal it from your kids so I just the streamer

things it's been really rocky this first year not knowing what games are on I did I went to three

before I landed on ESPN for the first game today it's a little game show my 83 year old father has figured it out he could they they call for dinner every once at least once a week and they were

“I think they came Thursday and he was like hey are the are all the games on Prime tonight and I was”

like yeah see you know what I'm gonna I'm gonna give it a try see see see how how it goes and like okay you don't you don't have to call my my younger sister is the one who usually does the get so dicey no she does the tech aid to the parents like I can't get on the zoom kind of stuff but he figured it out and was watching the games I think it's been a real problem in bars because I mentioned this on a podcast about bars and hotels recently and got a few emails from

people who were talking about being at a crowded bar with people telling the bartender to put

On Amazon and just them just basically like doing the borat like oh everyone ...

well I'll get there at some point it's just this is how it was gonna go but yeah so to the parents

“out there the older parents you probably have Amazon Prime stick with it yes stick with it it's”

gonna happen okay saclo you podcast Tuesday morning yes okay and then you're going to the MSG

with Bobby bacola and AJ soprano and Tuesday night that's it's a plan that sounds great all right

“good to see you thanks to Gahau and Eduardo as well I'm coming back on Tuesday with another podcast”

plus rewatchable Ghostbusters Monday buckle up get ready for that one thanks everybody thanks to Netflix too

must be 21 plus in president select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas star casino

“or 18 plus in president DC Kentucky or well my game problem caught 100 gambler 1 800 my reset”

call 888 797777 or visit ccpg dot org slash chat Connecticut or md gambling help dot org and Maryland hope is here visit gambling hupline m a dot org or call 800 3 2 7 50 50 for 24 7 support mess chusets or call 877 8 hope and why or text hope and why in New York for Louisiana call 877 770 787 867

Transcript

[MUSIC]

Then apparently it's all fine now and it was always fine.

Cavalierly went Fred Van Vleika heard like all we'll learn about.

All the old guys.

In the first one where he makes the dagger from the left wing over LeBron.

If it be didn't play to that, I generally felt like the Celtics might lose to...

What I want to tax stuff.

I think for sure his value is about that.

Duncan and LeBron congratulated Duncan after the '07 finals and LeBron's like...

It's the best thing to do.

We're going to, we have that too.

Okay, if we want to go small, who do we play when we're small?

I'm, I'm all right.

I think the Celtics have a version out too.

All regular season when we were doing the yeah butts.

Because even Chenzou's like just classic central casting beloved like glue gu...

I did not know he could do this.

The injury on December 30th when Yokehch got hurt, he has not been the same g...

Times and he went up for it and Gopera was in the neighborhood rotating aroun...

This team that's the real issue with them Shen goon five first round picks si...

In an electric cigarette by Conley come back hard Mike Conley Joke are runnin...

If you want to shoot that you're up a fair reason good luck well they should ...

In chemistry than the rockets maybe they could have afforded to trade van Vly...

On Amazon and just them just basically like doing the borat like oh everyone ...

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