The KAT Redemption Arc, Are the Spurs Misusing Wemby?, and Is the Series Over? With Chris Mannix

The Rhymer Zolo Show is presented by Drought Kicks.

“I will go into a deep dive on what I think is a massive prop for the spurs from Game 2.”

Also, praise for New York. Don't worry about it. More on this series, as we get here, for Game 3. Adjustments, the guys that are working out, the guys that aren't working out with Chris Manix. And then he'll do a bit of a conference boost for spurs fans out there, just based on him being around teams a lot because he was a practice today. And we've got recap of San Antonio, which is probably the first 20 minutes of life advice for those of you that get really upset that life advice starts later than when it's supposed to start.

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It's Sunday after game two. Obviously before game three, we were in Senate 20 over. Game one came back to LA for game two. And I have some thoughts on the next being up to 0 in the series. I don't want to say shocked because of how close game two is.

It's a make or miss game. But yeah, a little surprise in New York goes into Senate 20. And ends up leaving up too low. You know, you had the next up eight. Senate 20 comes back.

Brunston closes them out and game one.

You have that incredible run in game two.

Or looks like San Antonio's dead. And they're back. They take the lead. And they're two different moments in the first half of these games early on. Where it looks like the spurs are maybe going to roll.

And you're going to get the 20 or something like that. And clearly this next group being together. They're personalities. It's such a likable team. You know, I know New York when things are good and like look.

I'll admit you want to know how annoying knowing when Patriots fans are going to be. If they want to Super Bowl with Drake may be in like all right. Sorry. We were down for a couple years and now we're back. You could do the same thing with next fans.

But at least they care. So yeah, it'll be it'll be a lot if they pull this whole thing off. And usually that'll lead to like when you're in the crosshairs of Rudy else. It has no positive attachment to your team. You're going to get all sorts of shit turns into this whole thing.

But like this is a really really likable team.

“Even though I think that probably, you know, at one point was considered very unlikable.”

But he was incredibly maybe not a personality wise. But like you get the point. Like he wasn't exactly everybody's favorite. So if you look at the storylines of all of this, you have Bronson's finishing in game one. Raise 13 points and seven and a half minutes in the fourth quarter.

And being in the building for that. And then being in the tunnel is he's walking out of there like a man possessed. He just like this guy is on another level. I had one of those. And I have a few of these with the things that I'm lucky enough to have access to every now.

And then where you just watch Bronson coming off the tunnel, finishing up game one.

And I'm like, I'm never going to feel anything that fucking cool in my entire life.

And I'm just taking a moment for myself. You don't have to join me if you don't want to on that one. And look, most of us are just mere mortals. And we're not going to be able to experience things like that. So you have that part of it.

You know, I know you can get to Bronson in the shooting stuff. You can get in some of the net rating thing. He actually had kind of a worse net rating of any next regular of like the major minute guys in game two. You know, there's some defensive stuff there, which I actually don't think the spurs are doing a very good job on attacking some of these mismatches.

“And remember we'd always talk about the nicks and be like, and you really have Captain Bronson be the head and back line of your defense and survive and win an NBA championship.”

And it's not even like it was never a factor in the East. And now it feels like San Antonio doesn't realize that people thought it could be a negative about the nicks. You know, I know that some of the Bronson shooting stuff, which you already mentioned, but even even in game two, where the shooting was was not great in the net rating stuff is bad. I just think the fact of having somebody like this on your team that can close out some of these games, the layup against three spurs defenders in the fourth quarter game two.

The imbalance lay up at just two minutes where Harper just messes up and leaves the inbounder and then Bronson finishes. He ties it up at 104 with 39 seconds left. And yes, I know he missed the one that could have put him up to when it was tied at 104.

And I know he missed one of the two free throws, but you know, when you have somebody who's always going to get you a pretty good look because of his talent.

It's just, you know, when you watch these other teams are like, "Who do you like right now? Who do you trust?" And the next half that, all right. Cat game two was the best player on the floor. And if you were to say, "Hey, could cat ever be the best player on the floor for a finals game?" There's probably a time my life or I don't know about that.

But with the shooting and his rebounding and his passing and that passed a bridges man where he's in all sorts of traffic of the restricted area and then he bends over and flicks it out to bridges who basically didn't miss and game two. That passes when I'm still thinking about it. It was one of those passes where you saw it where I had to rewind and good.

“What the hell did he just do? Like, what happened there?”

Just a brilliant, brilliant play from him. But normally if I were going to think of him having an incredible finals game and being the best player for a night

because I still think it'd be hard for me to ever. I never would have ever thought, "Hey, do you think Carl Anthony Towns

could be the best player for an entire NBA finals of all the guys running around out there? I would have never thought that. Great and we only had two games." And he was the best in game two. But he's only made three threes. He's only taken six pre-throws total. But it's been his rebounding and again, back to that defensive point of the concerns of like,

"Can you win with somebody like Cat at center defensively?" Well, he's had the second best defensive rating on the team. Through these two games of, again, any of the regulars behind on the Josh Harp. And, you know, you can talk about what he's doing to women, yama, what he's not doing. We know that like the stout player always has a better chance.

But we thought it might be a little bit more OG. It hasn't necessarily been that. But here's where I want to kind of transition to what's happening on the other side of it. Because the way the spurs are using and more importantly, not using women, yama. For long stretches in these games should be finable. I have no idea what the fucking plan is with him.

And I'm sorry to sound heated about this.

But I watched it all again this morning in game two and this first half in particular.

And I look at the tracking stuff with second spectrum, and they have one be at 70 touches in game two. I calculated it a little differently just because, and over the course of season, all that stuff evens out. But at least for like, as I'm watching going,

why do they ignore this guy so much on offense? And I'm going to go through it with you right now. And you know, because I'm talking like this that it's bad. It's, it's even worse on a rewatch. So I don't on the tracking stuff.

I'm not going to count defensive rebounds as a touch. I'm not going to count like just a random pointless in bounds right back to the next guy, even though there's kind of one in there. I'm talking real touches in the half core or in transition,

which by the way, there are none in that first half.

But real first half touches where the other four guys want to get the ball to women, y'all. First quarter of game two. Three and a half minutes into the start of the game. He is two.

He's touched the ball two fucking times two. I'm going to, I'd be done swearing. I promise. In the first quarter, he had nine total real touches. The sixth touch he was on the ground.

The eighth was like this imbalance thing where I gave it. You know, like, okay, I'll count that one sort of. He has another one where he's in front of the logo. The ball in his hands just passed half core. He has four total paint touches.

There's arguably a fifth, but it's like his foot is over the free throw line.

“If you want to get real technical about it,”

so I'm going to go four paint touches. Do you want to know what happened on those four? Well, I'm going to tell you. It was theficial three to start the game. Also known as Vassal.

By an official who can't seem to pronounce anyone's names. It's the dunk where he cuts behind the play. The third paint touch leads to free throws driving on Mitchell Robinson. The fourth paint touch is a layup against Mitchell Robinson. So that's four paint touches in the fourth quarter.

Or excuse me, in that first quarter, four paint touches in the first quarter. All awesome stuff with points. Hey, why don't we do that more? Nope. Second quarter.

Ten real touches by my count. Three in the first six 40 that he was in the game of the second quarter. Three real touches in the half quarter. One in the paint. One touch in the paint.

And that was a lob.

“I think it was from Champagne where it had no chance other than it's Wimbain Yama.”

It's kind of my point. It's just throw three bad ones and see what happens. And guess what?

He did have two bad turnovers at the end of the first half on these total touches.

“His usage rate in the first half was 18%.”

His field goal of 10 percentage was six amongst his teammates. Granted with five free throw attempts in there, which can mess with field goal attempts. Everything. He had three post touches according to the tracking stuff all game long. I know no one wants to ever run any offense off the block anymore.

We don't even with Wimbain Yama. We don't even see them throw it into him to just get some sort of defensive reaction to get them to collapse. And then play off of that. Again, I know Al Jefferson is not walking through that door. But there's that one touch in the second half where cat is defending Wimbain Yama.

He gets too deep and when he turns left side and he finishes off the glass and you're like, "What's wrong with trying that a couple more times?" But they don't do it. They are so bad at getting him the basketball. They had to play where he has miles McBride on him.

Now McBride is fighting his ass off. All right? So off of that catch there were still going to be more work to have to be done by Wimbain Yama.

“But he's just below the free throw line.”

The first ball handler ignores him. I think it's castle. He swings it to Champagne. He ignores him throws it to Fox in the corner. Fox tries to throw him a pass.

It goes off the side of the backboard. Harper has a play and Harper has been one of the few bright spots for this first team offensively. All right? So I have nothing negative to say about Harper other than the mistake and the imbalance. And on this play, and it wasn't the easiest thing.

But he's in the paint. Wimbain Yama is right behind him. He's deep. He's right there. Just get him the ball.

He doesn't even look at him. There's another play where Wimbain Yama has OG sealed. Champagne drives in. Doesn't even look at Wimbain Yama kicks out of the cell who misses a three. This team cannot get him the ball.

I know the Chris Paul jokes are out there. I've like, hey, he just may have cost himself a ring. And again, that ring is not going to count the same way. It would have counted if he was with Phoenix or the clippers or, you know, when he's the best player. Arguably one of the two best players in the team at the time.

But at least Chris Paul wouldn't let this happen. Chris Paul would be like, hey, you guys have a herd of any entry pass. Watch this. I can, and you can talk about like cat. I watched it.

The early work that you do to prevent the other guy from getting deeper position. It's not really happening as much as you think it is. Mitchell Robinson fights his ass off against Wimbain Yama before he gets set up. Cat. It's not like he's fighting them all the time.

And granted, like even if there's any kind of movement with Wimbain Yama, there's a second defender like Bronsonl Chippum with an elbow. Oh, gee, you'll pop them me her. It's almost like that defensive end coming off the end of the line of scrimmage. Or it's like, hey, tight end, just get your body on him a little bit and then release out.

They're doing that kind of stuff. But as much as I've thought about Wimbain Yama offensively and even like doing the draft stuff with him. And then the, the ups and downs of where his offense has been is incredible as he is as a player. You're like, okay, well, can you really put it in his hands 15 feet away? Like, is he just going to get to the hoop or whatever 15 feet out?

And you're seeing like, okay, that's not always there.

Especially in the playoffs here. But we just saw what this guy did against OKC. So I don't know why it would be so much harder against New York.

“And as much as you should give New York credit for maybe discouraging him at times.”

His teammates are acting like he's questionable, questionable, presingous out there. And you could say, well, you know, it's, it's smart to have him on the perimeter because you're pulling away the defender. But it's a cat. And it's not like he's pulling chat room protection away or Rudy go bare room protection away. They set him up, I think, in bad spots.

And, you know, I'm good. The next castle three with 18 seconds left in the shot clock. Like, I'm, I'm fine with that. And I don't think it's, it's an anomaly whatsoever that when Castle got in a foul trouble and game two. And then had to be bent for like eight minutes left.

That's when they made that run. I think Castle's kind of killing. To be honest with you, which is not shocking because like he plays one way. And it's like, just when you get upset with him, like, I was doing a draft profile. And I kid from Stanford.

And I was, you know, watching him and I'm going, every time I start to dislike him, he does something incredible.

And then every time I start to really like him, he does something I can't stand. And that's kind of where I'm at with Castle. But I just think that he's blowing so many of these possessions. And here's the thing. Like, if you don't think I'm right about this, which, which is fine.

But when he's usage rate in the second half was 42%. Because you know that those guys are going in a lock room going, hey, guys. Sorry, I'm going to swim one more time. What the fuck are we doing?

And even if it isn't a shot, like he's a lot to deal with. So we'll see what happens with game three. But the next, if they pull this off, there's going to be a bunch of things about this group that I'm going to rave about. Okay?

Because they're so likable. They're so locked in. They're so bright bridges was unbelievable in game two. But on the other side of this, I'm going to look at these long stretches. And it's happened before, but they made it to the finals.

But I'll look at that first half of game two going.

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Learn more at m365copilot.com/work. Let's dig deeper into the NBA finals. Chris Manic Sports Hill is straight ahead. And the open floor podcast joins us here. I know you just kind of left practice.

I didn't get to see a final practice for years.

And I attended my first as well.

Game one. So maybe just a temperature on that at some point.

“But for you right now, the biggest reason the next are up 2-0 was what?”

The biggest reason the next are up 2-0. I would say the physicality that they've been able to in a loud to play with. And I say that because coming into the series, I did a piece where I talked to a handful of NBA assistants. And this came up with three of them.

Where they said, if the nicks are allowed to be physical, then they're going to have to advantage in that department. And for the first two games, especially in game two, they've been allowed to play at a level of physicality that I don't think San Antonio is entirely comfortable with.

I thought the spur started out great in game one. They went to the basket at 18 points in the paint in that first quarter. Like when be was aggressive very early on. But then I think the nicks physicality just slowly started to wear them down. Like every quarter was a little bit worse until they got to that outburst

with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. So I think I mean, there's lots of reasons. But I think the fact the nicks are kind of grown men out there playing a physical game and San Antonio is a bunch of young men that's not used to playing. Or isn't as good playing against this level of physicality.

“I think that's a big reason why we're here.”

One of the mistakes that I'll have made here if the nicks pull this off and when the title is like, oh, you know, if you were really like this special, but maybe you would have been the one seed in the east. I think every team that I saw in the eastern conference playoffs ended up being like the worst version of themselves across the board.

And so yeah, I realized the nicks were rolling through everybody. But I was like, hey, and if there was a lot of people in the league, there was like this is going to be a big wake up call like getting through OKC for San Antonio and then New York being like, oh, we're now playing this team. This is a little bit different than it's landed in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Maybe there's a personality thing. Maybe there's cohesiveness. I don't really like to just go with the youth thing. Because it's like, well, how did this group win game 7 at OKC? Like if it was going to be a youth thing where they like, hey, let's let's make mistakes

in the finals, but not games 7, you know?

And like the other thing that always kind of drives me crazy when we talk about youth

is like, so 29 year old guys in their prime don't make mistakes in the playoffs. Like, of course they do. But that is, that's going to end up being my biggest miscalculation if the nicks end up winning an NBA championship. The east versus west thing that I was buying into.

Well, I mean, like when I watched how this series is played out, one of the things that struck me was like, every Eastern conference team has to be looking at this and saying this is how we win. Not just how the nicks built their team, but the reality is that San Antonio had to go through a lot more than New York did

to get to this point. Like the Minnesota series was tough in its own right. The Oklahoma City series was grueling physically, mentally, everything taxing. And that's not going to change as these years move forward. In fact, there's an argument to be made that it's going to get measureably worse

as the teams that are kind of on the bottom right now start to get a little bit better and start to make things interesting maybe as early as the first round.

and saying, look, we might be at a talent disadvantage against San Antonio,

“our Oklahoma City, our Weber mergers over the next couple of years, but if we can be good enough”

to be the best team in Eastern conference by a lot, and we can have kind of extended breaks in these conference playoffs, we've got a chance to use that rest to use that physical, go back to that and use that against some of these teams will might be playing. It feels like a lot to ask of this team to go into MSG,

down to two. Let me just say something on that right here though, like being around, let's go back to today and look, you rat the practicing game one. You know how relatively useless these NBA media abilities are.

It's basically the most manicured process.

Like the one thing they did have the last few years, which was the podiums on the court, and you could have some kind of interactions with guys that they move around. That's completely gone now. It's all mix zones in podium in interview rooms and it's all just pretty much useless for any kind of, you know, kind of normal conversation.

It's just been like that for a while now. But being around some of the spurs guys as much as I was, like the optimism they're speaking with is there, like they're still believing. And I get why they still believe because if you're Mitch Johnson and Sean Swinney and the guys in that locker room, you're hammering home to these guys that look,

we were up by one with two minutes to go and game one. We had a chance to win with our best player getting an open look from 20 feet at the buzzer in game two.

Like we've been right there, this team is not better than us.

We have not played the best version of ourselves up until this point. And I agree with you. It's an uphill task to ask them to win one at mass square guard, much less too. But being around these guys, talking to a few of them in, I don't want to say private setting, you get the sense that they're not discouraged just going into game three.

Okay, I'm really glad you took it there because eventually we're going to get there at some point. But let's just dig into this a little bit. You've been around for a long time. I mean, you've you've understood the personalities of these teams, the further they go, you could probably pick the frauds,

you know, who are saying the choreograph things and the ears like whatever. But you're selling me on this sense that San Antonio still goes into this thinking, like, hey, we've had these two stretches where we felt like we were the better team. Like, I can't help but agree with that where I've watched it when it seems like they're kind of settled. I'm like, man, they're getting up again.

And, you know, granted New York is just a really tough team mentally. Like, you've got to close them all the way out. And they probably had a couple chances to extend those leads. But you would say despite their youth that you have more belief in them going into this than say a different group.

“I do. And I think they've got that self belief, which is more important.”

The one thing that concerns me is obvious. Like, how did these young guys react to what's going to be the most insane environment they've ever been in on a basketball floor? Like, it is going to be nuts inside MSG on Monday night. And how that manifested self often is with turnovers. And I don't know how teams specifically chart turnovers.

We know live ball dead ball turnovers as part of it. But I wonder if the spurs have a category for just batshit awful turnovers. Because if there was, every one of them that they've made in the series has been in that category. Like, how many times in game two way? They had 12 turnovers, gave up 17 points off the turnovers.

Like, how many times have these guys tried to thread a needle or make it obscene pass? Like, castle made a couple of terrible passes. Darren Fox made a couple of terrible passes. But young a four turnovers in this game. Yeah, that one play where he was like at the elbow. And he tried to swing the ball through the paint in the air.

Which just made none of these passes made any sense. And this was happening at home. So it makes me wonder like when this crowd gets revved up and the game gets a little bit tight. Did they start getting even more sloppy?

“Because what's going to kill this team in game three?”

If they wound up losing by a decent amount, I guarantee you Ryan, they're going to have like five or six more turnovers. And more live ball points given up the New York. Yeah, those turnovers are brutal, especially in game two, because they're just not forced. They're not forced at all. The fox one is brutal, or he wants to throw it back to women. Yaman and that leads to the transition bucket.

Castle to me is probably doing as much damage as he is good. Which I understand like he's so aggressive. Do you think that like, I think his defense makes up for it. Like, Jalen Brunson has been having an awful series statistically.

And I think Castle's a big part of that. Like him going out with three files was a body blow for them in that third quarter.

Yeah, but I think it helped him. I just, you know what, they increased the pressure. It was a very specific thing that you saw in game two. It's like, okay, they're really going to get after these guys and pick them up.

So you're right. I shouldn't say that he's doing more harm than good because of the defensive side of it. This offense is starting to drive me crazy. And I don't know. You know, I know you were kind of sitting around as I was finishing up my, my opening thing here.

That first half the way these guards ignore women Yama.

“I can't, I can't help but think because it usually when I think something really stands out.”

That's a problem. We're all going, okay. Even though I'm right, when the first play is like some paint to paint, you know, block to block screen to try to get when be a deeper catch on the first play. Or it's going to be him hard trail following the ball cutting really hard. And everybody knows that he's following behind the ball and we're going to turn around and give it to him.

I can't imagine what it's like for this coaching staff to watch the first half of game two going, what are we doing? Not getting this guy at least a few more touches closer to the basket. And some of that's on Wemby too though, like he just seems to be settling for these touches in the paint. I think he's been pushed out of the paint a lot of times by the next team that has prioritized that.

Like they have, it's clear watching these first two games that they are forming a shell in that lane.

And they're going to do whatever they can to make Wemby Nama more pivot oriented when he doesn't want to settle for that. He's had some really spectacular moves like what he gets on the drive, going to the dribble drive, going to the basket. He's finishing decent at the rim, but some of that's on his on him to get down there and stay down there to push cat around. Like the second start the second half in game one, he picked up three files on cat in like the first five minutes. Like that's the kind of aggressiveness they need from Wemby Nama rather than jump.

I thought they got it in the first few minutes of game two when he was out there playing with that type of aggressiveness. But then it all kind of went away and he's two for nine in game one from three point range. He's two for six from three point range in game two. Like I don't want to see this guy taking more than four threes in this next game. I want to see him living in the paint and trying to get to the free throw line.

“Did you ever think there'd be a scenario where cat would be the best player in the NBA finals?”

No, never. How many years does this?

I mean, you can go back to last summer like last summer. Everybody wanted him out of there last summer. If they're really we're having a conversation with Milwaukee about Janis, which I'm a little bit skeptical of despite the reporting. But if they were really having a conversation with Milwaukee about Janis, it included Carl Towns. Like it did like he was, it was part of it. But you got to give credit where it's due.

Like we called him soft for certainly cited call him soft for so many years and you know. Complained about his defensive deficiencies and thought like conference finals was the furthest that he could lead a team. But man, he's the best big in this series. And like he's he's staring down Victor Wembanyama in a way that the Oklahoma City Thunder drew Handlin, whoever is in the camp of Shetholm.

Grin wants him to stare down Wemby moving forward. Like when he sees Wemby in front of them, It's boom. I'm going. I'm going to put my shoulder into him. I'm going to make a play like his aggressiveness has been huge the series. I'm with you though because like I definitely thought he was a losing player. But then it's like they make Western conference finals out west and you go, you know what's funny is.

That that series against Denver when they won that game seven, which is still one of them.

“I think one of the most remarkable wins ever for a team in that scenario going up against Denver being down that much.”

And it's like one of those because it's not the finals that will get lost to history a little bit. It's like, you know what's kind of crazy is like with his body. He can at least meet Yokehshnaukri at the end of the day. Yokehshnaukri still has a 30, 12 and 12, but you're like, yeah, but in the game it was harder. It was harder for him because it wasn't some quick guy that was going to work at take advantage of him. Cat kid like body match him a little bit and then allow Rudy to kind of decide what he wanted to do on or more likely off of Aaron Gordon run around in the baseline.

And so I don't know that it's the same thing because when he just is not going to have the ball nearly as much as a guy like Yokehshnaukri essentially has as much as anybody does in the game today. But when they traded him, I go, well, yeah, like of course, and I realize like the contract gets really expensive and they had to make decisions, especially after the Rudy acquisition. But when I'm not a huge fan of somebody and then that team has success and then still is like able to trade him for Randall and David Genzo.

And at one point, like not that long ago in the regular season, I mean, Zach Low who I think we all have a ton of respect for is going like, hey, Minnesota won the trade. They won the trade. And so this thing, there's a very weird thing that we do in basketball where you can be somebody for a really long time and then somehow that was all wrong. Because somebody then does something that I think is unlike what I'd expect him to be able to accomplish considering his resume.

That was the first time that I really started to believe that Kat wasn't going to shrink in the moment.

He wasn't afraid of Yokech. He relished that matchup. He went at Yokech in that series. And you're right, you know, every game you look at Yokech is stat line and it's ridiculous, but you could tell watching it. Like Kat was getting the job done. He was doing as much as he possibly could on both ends of the floor in that particular matchup. What I like about this series is not only does he still have the three-point shot. That's always been the big element of his game arguably top three or four greatest seven foot shooters we've ever seen.

But he's playing with an aggressiveness that you want to see at this stage and he's playing really smart. He's playing in the way that Wimbledon should be playing. Like anytime he sees a matchup, he can exploit in the paint. He's going to write down there. Like you want to put Steph Castle on him and Castle is as tough as any six foot five six foot six guard is strong as any guy. But you want to stick Castle on him. He is going to drive you down to the post and make you pay for it. Like the intelligence with which Kat is playing in this series has been something.

I mean, maybe I have seen in the past, but like on this level, I haven't seen it at this consistently. Yeah, I would say like if he was going to light it up for a game and imagine, would he go like six to eight from three, you know, when he's going to get his boards and he's going to get his passing and maybe it's like a one twenty one eighteen win and he hits a couple huge threes. I wouldn't expect it to be every right decision without the threes. He's not getting to the free throw line. I'm so glad you brought it to Castle thing because Castle is sturdy.

I mean, they've have Castle on Yokech sometimes off of the ball. You know, granted, they don't want him on the paint touches or anything like that, but you know, I've watched Castle and I even voted them for one of the all defensive teams this year because I just thought so highly of them already, but there's that second team.

“Yeah, there's that one play in the first half where Castle gets on him and Kat just goes and it's not even a contest. He's just right out of him. I think it's even an M1.”

So you've absolutely nailed it with that because in those weird cross matches, which are not assigned things. You know, they just sort of happened in the course of the game like when he sees it. He lights up because, you know, the other side of me is wondered, but we thought like when he was going to be on hard a lot more and that's not been the case.

And I think if Kat is not killing you from three, I wonder if there's an adjustment there for San Antonio where like we might like if Kat hits for in the first half, then maybe we talk about it.

But they're playing him like he's he's making three or four of these games and he only hit the three after not making any in game one. I agree with you. I've been waiting for that adjustment where we see when be playing on heart, which allows him to be more of the free safety back there and to hold a bunch of different things. I do think that Mike Browns had an excellent series coaching.

“I think the fact that they put Kat on when be early on.”

I think there are two things we expected. OGN, Wemby, Wemby and Hart are really not happening. Keep going. I was waiting for them to treat Brunson, like they treated Shay Gilbert Alexander, like in set over seven games, like they were beating the crap out of Shay, like they were physical, they were bumping him, they were just doing everything they could to take him off his rhythm. They didn't do that much in game one. They weren't fighting over screens as much as they did. They didn't pressure, you know, three quarters court like they did with Shay, game two, they got back to that.

And I think that took Brunson out of his game seven for 25. They'll live with that. Take your 20, take your 25 shots by all means. We can live with that from Jalen Brunson and we believe we keep doing it. It'll where you down as this this series progresses. But the next adjustment I think in this game is going to be a big one. I think it is going to have to involve Wemby and Yama. I think you've got to try to do some things to free him up. Maybe it's put him on heart. Maybe it's put him on somebody else to give him more room to operate alone in the paint.

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In Excel it generates insights from your data. Are you tracking Wemby and Yama touches? Maybe in the first half of the game too.

“And you want to just put him down and do different categories. You're like, how is this all going to work?”

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It's it's funny how it went from like greatest Nick ever too. Hey, he's missing a million shots and now cats going to win finals of repeat. That was a quick shift to 48 hours and.

“You know, I thought they were doubling him a lot and then they got out of it in game two where they were like playing him single and then he still like he still hits three huge shots to close out this game.”

If you count it from like seven minutes out, I know there's he missed a couple freeze you're like, okay, you know, you don't leave expect me can expect and make every single thing here, but. I do think like the value in these guys and the reason everybody obsesses over trying to acquire one of these players, which was not what we thought of Brunson at the time when they signed him or like, oh, nice player, but damn, you know, that's a lot of money. And here we are. There there has to be something that you see with the next and I think we all understand it's at least like forget the shooting numbers and some of the efficiency stuff just knowing that this is still our option and we're all totally comfortable with our roles off of it.

And I think that's like what makes Brunson life easy.

“If you want to talk about another pivot of like I can't believe we use five first rounders on this guy to like can we throw in a six.”

We were having that conversation like three weeks ago or four weeks ago like when they're down to one against Atlanta. Like everybody in New York is once Jalen what's Michaela Bridges to stay in Atlanta like we was like a month ago we're having this conversation. Yeah, I bought Michaela Bridges like I wrote a little bit about this last week like I asked a bunch of guys with the next to kind of talk about this this mental toughness like it is a mental toughness like how many guys would have folded under this like.

Constant strain of a pressure like every time you have a bad game the words five first round picks are company with it in all the copy that's out there like Michaela Bridges had to go through some stuff with the next over these last couple of years but he's been there every single game because he's the iron man at the NBA and he has been. And in indispensable over these last you know two plus series like two and two or three series I guess we want to include the back end of that that Hawks series what was he shooting like 60% since game three of the series again in the conference playoffs.

Then these last two games he's eight or 13 in game two he's playing great defense on everybody whoever he's playing up against is usually not having a good game on the offense event of the floor like yeah it's been like the Carl town stuff is front and center because cats. been around longer and then more high profile but this swing from bridges to being a guy like a month ago New York was ready to dump for whatever they could get for I'm talking more about the fans than Leo Roach.

“to being a guy that you wouldn't trade for like Jalen Brown right now like that's how much they like him in New York is what he's doing.”

I don't know let's some let's dance something else though that was I was thinking about because you know like you probably text people run a leaves like what do you think what do you think and to this point everything it's an overwhelming like. I didn't have anybody going like hey nicks can figure this thing out I mean maybe you know somebody zagged a little bit of like oh if the next do this if they do this you know shot variance like as soon as you get to shot variance it means you don't think that team has like a chance because you're just going to make it with the randomness of the three point shooting and so you know a bit of it too is your own like habits of like what did you think and why did you think these things.

But to think that we have this next team where defensively the question is always like all right what about when cat gets switched and brought up what about when other teams attack Brunson.

Teams attack Brunson and the Eastern conference play us far more than we've seen from San Antonio here in the in these first two games cat has been like a massive defensive plus from like this is just mean he's going to defense now or has have you picked up on anything just being around of like or maybe even from other people that are watching that are with other teams. That are a little surprise that there's not more organization on what they want to attack specifically which may be the spurs undoing in general of like having a plan here.

Yeah if you contrast it to how the next play with Brunson. The next matchup hunt with Brunson like they're doing everything they can to get Castle off him to get Harper off him to get champagne on him to get them to sell on it like to get those guys on it like they have been elite at matchup hunting hasn't always worked out Brunson shot the ball poorly in game to but they've been good at that. I've talked to people about this and I've seen it of course at these games with my own eyes like this just a lot of isolation basketball with the spurs where maybe it's because a play breaks down maybe it's because that's what the play is going to be but it's you know Castle going at whoever is in front of him Harper going at whoever's in front of him fox who played better in game to but couldn't make like you know has a trouble making nine ten footers in this series at times.

Your best chance of having success offensively is to try to get Castle if you're on the perimeter of course you want to get one be the ball on the paint against whoever it doesn't really matter.

“But if you're looking on the perimeter it's got to be Castle it's got to be Harper it's got to be fox and you got to be hunting that matchup with with Jalen Brunson every chance you get due to the nicks.”

What they've been doing to you throughout the course of the series we haven't seen enough of that and that's been pretty notable to me. Yeah fox is supposed to be the guy that settles him down fox is supposed to be the guy even though he's not a traditional point guard like we know what he excels at maybe what he struggles with. But I would say that throughout the entire spurs playoff run like the stuff over the lifeless and they got another son of that two man game was shooting around it with fox and women yama because you're so worried about fox getting to wherever he wants.

And then women yama is trailing I mean that's that's at its best it feels like an impossible thing to deal with in two man basketball.

And people can point to the ankle injury which I'm not saying like I know anything about it, but he's getting open. But he's showing you those fox bursts those quick moves where he might be the quickest guy with the ball on his hands and the entire NBA. And so when I see that but then I see the misses especially in game one where it's like oh he's still dealing with the stuff and I know he shot it better in game two but. I think they need more out of him.

“They need finishes at least because these are a lot of really good look misses I think over the collection of of some of these games.”

He's supposed to be the most reliable perimeter player they have and he hasn't been outside of a few games in these playoffs now. I can buy the argument that's been made that hey they're in the finals without the iron fox he was really good in game seven like he helped them. Beat Oklahoma City but how I'm looking at the number of games he's played where he shot sub 40% it's a bunch of them in the playoffs. And a lot of these shots are the point blank shots I'm talking about they had that point blank one in game one like nine ten footer missed it.

That might have changed the game next one the other way got a bucket like he's supposed to be I mean he's the all star he's the former clutch player the year like he like you said he's the guy that's both settled them down in the perimeter and get a shot when he's supposed to now maybe some of that is. The ankle injury it's obviously been bothering him a lot we've seen during these games he's come up limping a couple of times what I've seen. But they can't win unless he's efficient doesn't have to give you 20 25 but he's got to give you a 15 to 17 with efficient numbers and if he's not able to do that I'm not sure how San Antonio scores enough to win in the series.

They put it on the Carter Bryant in game two he had a drive and it was a pass and it looked exactly like you'd expect a rookie to look like on a play where you went yep that's I'll give I'll go with the you thing along that one. The Kelvin minutes don't be super impact yeah don't seem super impactful so then you're kind of like you just play Harper 38 39 he's at 32. I wonder if they would like push 40 minutes with him with the extra day off here I think you got a got at least try to get Kelvin going like he was such a big part of what they did in the regular season and in the playoffs like he's equipped to defend cat for stretches like he's big enough strong enough and he's had like moments in the series where.

He comes down with an offensive rebound that he has a put back he's not shooting with confidence now at all like he's just kind of aiming at the rim and that shot has even more arc on it seems like then it usually does.

“You've got I think you've got to try to engineer something out of him because he's energy in the locker room on the floor it's been infectious for this team it's been so valuable for them.”

You know the regular season in the playoffs I think you got to at least try but yeah I'm with you if it's not working in the first half of game three just start burning out Dylan Harper that's all you can do you got to play him as many minutes as possible because he has been impactful on both ends. I mean it starts to get weird when you start looking at it because you're like okay well they've put it on Carter Bryant and game two they played Harrison Barnes five minutes played Luke cornet eight minutes looks net rating these first two games is a bismal.

And then you're like all right we'll play Dylan Harper it's like what do you want these guys playing six guys. So you've got you're absolutely right like you got to keep rolling and this is where it can get a little frustrating to like somebody has a bad games like oh you can't play him again it's like well they were not built for this. Whatever when be is and however I had a schedule castle is and how unprecedented this is as I mentioned I don't know a week or so ago where it's like six to the top eight minute guys have never even played in the postseason before now they're a favorite in the NBA finals the downside of being that ahead of schedule is.

You're you're not building your bench the way you would be for a finals run and that's where you can start like sounding a little greed you know like if the next pull this off you go well the spurs.

They need to do a better job of their bench like well Jesus they got basically everything else right in an unprecedented fashion so what did you expect you know the sneaky.

In the fourth quarter one of them was like right in the face of Wemben Yama like a corner three that he knocked down what he squared up on Wemben Yama and then he had that play where the challenge was called while he was shooting the three made three free throws huge place for them like he's kind of like biting his time for the first three quarters and then when they need him to make a place coming up with one down the stretch he's he's been usually in pack like all these guys like Alvarado comes in makes a couple of plays draws that follow on castle in in the third quarter of game two.

Landry sham it like geez where would they be without Landry sham like making shot after shot like there their bench is working like their depth is paying off for them and right now. You know the spurs just searching for answers but some of these role players on the team.

OG had two incredible plays at the rim in transition one on one and you think you're like you've got him you always have the advantage going downhill versus him back pedaling and then it's OG.

He had two incredible blocks on lay up attempts the three free throws were monster free throws at the time too and. You know credit to this bench because when Mike Brown close the third quarter with bridges and four bench players I was like oh this is interesting and it works and you're like all right well he's not going to then he starts the fourth with again and.

“It it worked for him and I'm honestly shocked at Jose Alvarado can be out on the floor during the NBA finals and like when I looked at that bench group with bridges.”

It's kind of like what SGA we get the cornet minutes and you would see it look entirely different basically anybody that's playing against the spurs once the cornet minute starts okay well this is a clearly different approach here and trying to make the most of these few minutes.

But even in that stretch of the end of the third star of the fourth and game too I was like that they're not do they not.

Like he realized like these are all the subs and they're small like go and then it'll be somebody going like you know and I think I'm just going to take a three right now and it drives me crazy. Is is cornet getting like the reverse bridges here like he went from being a guy that was like wow what a steal all year long and he's making it in black.

“Yeah yeah the block you're right like that look games that's what I mean like I think it was a minus 55 manics at some point in that series against Oklahoma saying like the first.”

He has tough he has the block on Heartstein it's like this fucking guys awesome maybe has a point about Atlanta strip clubs not that many people were going to agree with them but it's. It's it's to be expected that there's going to be some sort of drop off I've always I've always been a little shaky on cornet like he didn't play a big role in the Celtics championship and I thought that. Contracty signed was crazy even though it was all like the back ends not really guaranteed but all this season. He's been great like all season long but now we get to the nitty gritty and it's really like if you're the spurs you're holding your breath and hoping that these minutes pass and you're not too big a whole like.

I know the spurs came back in in the fourth quarter of game two but I thought some of the most devastating minutes I think you kind of mentioned this was the last four minutes the third quarter when towns was out. And bruncin was out and if you're sitting at tone you're down for that like this is your chance make a run get a four point lead or something going into the fourth quarter instead they're down nine at the end of the fourth and third and they were lucky to be down nine that's a rally to you just make it a nine point lead like that's.

That's devastating if you have the spurs like if you can't win the minutes where bruncin and towns are off the floor then your second unit guys aren't given you enough.

Yeah totally great that was I thought there was look every game has like all these incredible little two three minute pockets where you're like well that was a factor that was a huge factor but I remember. You know just a couple nights ago sitting there going like you guys aren't going to take advantage of this. And then maybe that will be the inexperienced part of this words like you have to understand who's out there and adjust to that and I feel like the spurs kind of play the same way all the time but they are in the finals so I can understand them saying like hey it's worked.

Yeah enjoy game three and let's get you on in a few weeks about that jail and brown question when the jail and brown trade rumors ratch it up in a few weeks. I mean I it's funny like Boston they've got nothing to talk about there I went on NBC sports Boston recently and it was. Celtics off season maneuvers the red socks suck the Patriots are out the Bruins are done. It's now it's now like all jail and brown all the time man.

“Well it's a lot of touches for him so that's good how you should trade even in the office.”

All right thanks man. What have you can add an AI assistant to your work without leaving your workflow built in a Microsoft word excel and outlook copilot works where you work helping you do more in the app sure to use.

How do I make everybody feel special feeling involved I'm not ignoring them let copilot make that first morning back a hell of a lot easier.

The apps you know go further with copilot learn more at m365 copilot dot com slash work you want details five. What's up I have a ridiculous house in the south for I have every toy you can possibly imagine and best of all kids I am liquid. So now you know what's possible let me tell you what's required like advice the email address like advice RR at gmail dot com get him in summers right around the corner.

Kids are getting ready. Why rules are open pools are open you got to let you guys so Kyle just without any prompting whatsoever posted picture himself it is home pool that's the below ground pool.

“There yeah because I know that also was in ground yeah well I just like you know good go honestly sort of you're right but I just want everyone to know that Kyle has access to an above ground and an in ground pool which is not common.”

So take us through the lead up to that selfie well I just felt like you know we were in San Antonio for three days it felt like a lot longer than that I mean you know we lost we lost. No it wasn't because of you guys or anything it was just like you know in the in a lot of travel we lost fucking water and our hotel seem like a pretty important pipe burst and it's like sorry water is what it is.

People for gallons of water to flush toilets like yeah for a dude who sweats that was kind of a bummer but you did and if you guys take a gallon water and wash cloth your chest and armpits.

Yeah I. No I did have a ton of pee in there so I did do the I did do the flush but I had to use two gallons two gallons of water two gallons I took my baby because you know it's just fine with that. But anyway like we got home I drove I think I got back from Newark Airport like that two hour drive right as the game started on Wednesday finished it up and it was like dude weeks over crazy awesome and then so Thursday it was just like squeezed in a little bit of golf. I played some bucket golf my buddy was over and it was just I was in the pool it was like I don't know they like five o'clock and it's like man I've already done so much it's Thursday it just felt like the weekends like four more days long and I just was like life's great and I just took a.

The cool snap pool side there and I totally forgot about it and then like hours later it's like well dude right Ryan boost it thanks. Yeah, it was an out of retweet I mean it was auto I didn't even want to quote tweet and ruin I didn't want any attention to be taken away. What content was so. Yeah. Yeah, just I almost maybe just a safe place on there but there was a quote tweet I thought about firing off this weekend because I kind of like playing with the political stuff and there was some moment that was like this is the worst finals ever.

And then you have mandami in New York City like I think this I didn't even know who to root for I was going to quote tweet and but like tell me about it sister like I've been watching Hoosiers on repeat all week.

“That was a good one you should have done that one I should have done it because the funny part is when I do that and it's like wait a minute what's.”

All about and it's like well maybe maybe I'm the guy that's just good. I knew it. This stuff is all stupid. Yeah, a question to know you saw a lot of people following up is there a left quarter being there on the floor. Yeah, it's a parking lot thing you know came out found it that way. We did kind of a while too and now I'm not sure what the insurance thing is is all is going on about so I think it might be a man gets a bond of situation I was just like even people in my family I was like should I make my first insurance claim ever my dad was kind of like no dude just it's going to go up and now it's been like a little while got a quote and they're like yeah we'd like to replace it and that's quite a quite a bit of money so I don't know I got to kind of get on the horn and be like hey listen did a super irresponsible job reporting this what do you think.

So we'll see. Didn't realize that was in the photo either until I was like zoomed in and I'm like oh yeah. Yeah, you see I got a question.

“Yeah people point that out I will say we hopped in an Uber in San Antonio and I think it was like a Sequoia you know the Uber XL we had a bunch of dudes was the four of us whatever”

And Kyle immediately just starts chatting I'll do it up but wow you know I just bought a four runner like Toyota gang was like ready to go. Yeah. Yeah, and he said a club. I don't know if there's like a meeting for you, but I'm waving at you. I'm waving at four you know, I'm waving at four runner drivers waving back it's great. I could do more on San Antonio. I would point to you. Yeah. There's a story I've been waiting to hear. All right. Oh, I don't know if you're going to do that story dude. You can't say we saw it. I feel like we have a story. Yeah, I do.

I might have been. I don't know. I don't know. He's not going to pass the bank. That was going on. Yeah, good cool hands from the early from the got from the other guy core has did prevail. I think.

In that first quarter, I thought we were I didn't think we were staying in the stands. I thought you were like you were like we might have to get out of here.

“That's like my first finals ever. I can't sit in the stands when I sit in the stands for like a little bit and you were I didn't even know if you were paying attention to the game. I think you were just on edge after what happened.”

I was pretty mad for about five minutes. I'm like in a lie. Sorry. No, sir. He speaks fluent or solo. Yep. Yep. So here's the deal. We had two seats. That we're a little bit higher up than I don't want to complain, but I was told they were going to be similar. I paid for him too.

So I was like, all right. Yeah, that works because like we're here. We're in the building. We're taping the post game show here. Like I want to go to the game.

I don't want to sit back in the tunnel and then immediately like we're in the next section. And I mean, dudes are just standing up. So now I'm like, oh my god, I can't even fucking see anything. I was going to stand the whole time, which is fine. You know it's the final.

“So I don't want to be one of those guys. Like I can't believe you guys are standing up the whole time. Like there was even a group of four next fans in front of us. And it was a family.”

And I actually thought the guy to Serruti's left was fucking lame because he grabbed the kids jersey from behind to be like, hey, sit down. So if you pick the youngest and smallest of four guys in front of us, I will say though, that guy was actually pretty chill. Like he was a spurspan. He's surrounded by Nick's fans in his home arena. And I think they were like kind of playing back and forth. It was okay. That guy was actually. And they were messing with each other the whole game. I actually think it was fine.

It was a bad start, though, and I don't respect going after the smallest cup fair. All right. Well, maybe he knew he could. That's the only one he could pull. That's your starting. Right. That's what I know you and him got together. You know, you guys are having a good time there. You. Well, he dropped it like you and Nick's fan. And I was like, I'm actually a magic fan. He's like, what the, what are you talking about? What's happening right now? He's like, who are you rooting for today? I was like, probably this first today, but like I also don't, I like the next two. I don't really care who wins.

Yeah, I try to explain what we're doing there. He had no idea what's going on. Well, look, still room to grow for this podcast.

Yeah, I'm on my side of things. Right is the game started. Nick's fans everywhere. And then I feel all of this food just fall all over me and I go, what the fuck is this? And I'm looking around. I'm just seeing chunks of burrito. Oh, my pants. Damn. I'm a shirt. And, you know, I'm kind of like, what is going on? And then I look up behind me and there's a kid. I would say in his 20s. So it's not a kid kid because it's a completely different thought of like, if it's a 13 year old. Yeah, but he was he was definitely in his 20s and he's standing over me with his burrito like over the seat line of like, hey, if you're going to be loose with your burrito like you're going to back that up like tuck it in like a football going through everybody knows.

So, you know, burritos can be loose items. And you're just going to like free ball of burrito out here like extended over the balcony of the seats in front of you. So it's on my, and for the most part, I could wipe off. And then I look at the shirt and there's like a bean salsa caso chunk that stains the shirt. And I'm like, what the fuck. So I look at him. He knows exactly what he's done. And I haven't said anything because I'm just trying to go like, did this really actually just happen. The game's just started.

And he gives me the biggest shittinging grin like, yeah, man, I got my burrito all over you. It gives me the smile. And so it was like, not, hey, oh, my God, my bad, which would have diffused immediately, even though I was still a little annoyed. Instead, I got to like, yeah, like the, the interpretation was I got it all over you, bro. Go next. We're going to do about it. Yeah, so I'm having a hard time seeing little deep on the angle. I'm kind of regretting the 2500 right spin on the tickets. I was like, all right, I was like, well, I got to say something at some point, like he's not going to apologize here. Let's wait for a break in the action because if anything, I'm a viewer first.

“And we get a little time out and I turn around and go, are you serious with this?”

He's like, what? And then his dad is next to him. His dad, what would you say, sir, maybe my age, maybe hard to tell. Hard to tell. He was, he was, he was tall and skinny. He was tall. He was very tall because I sized him up when we saw him go on the bathroom later on because I wanted to see what we're dealing with was looking to just like need to calf ankle ratio. So he had a lot of nicks stuff on, like shorts, hat, height, like a lot of nicks accessories. And so the dad, which again, I assumed it was his dad, but his dad looks over, it's like immediately.

Wow. That's like a curb skit. Yeah. So I was like, okay. That was like, well, I was like, he definitely did. Like, it's, it's on my shirt. He goes, he's setting and doing anything. Turn around.

Now, mind your business. Turn around. Mind your business. Watch the game. I'm so fucking mad. In that one minute that I couldn't even come up with anything like cloud. I was like, yeah, maybe I'll just kind of do whatever I want. And he was like, oh, and so then I sat there.

“I was proud of myself because after like five minutes, it diffused like under the game and started paying attention to what was going on in that whole thing, but I still was thinking about it.”

And then I knew I was going to do anything. Most of us are never going to do anything, but you're just so mad. You know, everybody listening this right now. It's like, you're just mad because you want, it's not that you want to do anything. You just want the other person to go, hey, oh my god. Oh my god. Yes. Instead of the kid being like, fuck you, then lying, then the dad covering for the kid and then the dad trying to tell me like, how it's going to be. And so when we read to the concourse at halftime, I was, I was looking at him.

And, you know, that was it. And then the end of the third quarter, because it was going to be tight. And I was like, man, I'm having a hard time like seeing this stuff. I'm like, let me find a note pad in the tunnels to really like, what do you think. Like, let's go down. Let's go down to the tunnel. If I don't really love to do, but the seats were tough. The seats were kind of tough to see everything. And so I, I was like, I'm going to go out that section. And I was like, I'm going to look at him. I'm not going to try to be a tough guy because I don't think I am. And I was like, I'm just going to, I just want to see, I want to see if like there's one other interaction here.

And as I walk by, he like reaches out. And he's like, we good man, are we good and I'm like, well, dad or the kid, the dad, dad. And I'm like, well, I mean, how do you, I was like, how do you want, you know, I was like, you know, I didn't make it up. Like, I wouldn't make that up because I know I know he's like, it's my son and I killed for my son. And I was like, no, I understand. I was like, I know exactly what we should probably get out of here. Yeah, I was like, I understand. Like, you saw a man saying something to your son and the whole thing kicks in. I was like, I understand what was going on, but, you know, and he was like, all right, we're good, we're good. And it didn't make me think a little bit about like, I think New York can be so intense.

Like the people that are actually from the city and the subway interactions.

“Yeah, I think they're just so used to like New York City people are so used to being at like 10 immediately that they've run into it so often that it's like the normal way to operate.”

And then it's expected that it's like, hey, this is just kind of how New York City is. And then it's fine, whereas like, Massachusetts, it's like, no, like you would you would run into that guy maybe like seven years later days of you can and still be mad at them. So they might be a regional thing there, but yeah, I don't know how I don't know that I would call it a happy ending, but it was it was a safe ending was a safe ending. So, I was like, through to, did you say one word during this whole time or no? I honestly was like pre-locked into the game and the guy first gold spurs fan was luck was talking to be a lot. So I like didn't even see it happen.

I didn't know what happened. And I just saw Ryan arguing with the guy and I was like, what is happening, what's going on? I mean, the standing thing did suck because it was like we were kind of behind. So it was a deer. Yeah, like almost a basket. So like, and the guys right in front of the hoop and the far side were standing. So you couldn't really see anything on that hoop, which did suck.

But if they did, I don't know, maybe half the first quarter, they were all next fans.

So once the next got off to a run. And when the next were up, they didn't sit at all, but then the spurs kind of went out and went up double digits and they all sat down. So it was like, kind of finding their own out. I don't know anything to these guys like, man, I'm super locked into the game was hard to see. I don't know. I truly, I was just like, I don't know, but the guy was shot me up. I mean, I can't confirm he did have a stain on the shoulder and then you poured like half a water bottle on it, which I don't know was the move.

Because then your pants were wet, your shirt was wet. I was like, that's not a cool myself. Like, I was like, is Ryan doing that just to like, you know, for a little showmanship of like, look at this, I got a washman on fucking shirt, you know, kind of thing like in doing this thing like it's right behind us. No, I wasn't doing it for that. I was trying to get the stain out because I really like that shirt. Yeah, and we'll see. We'll see what happens.

But it ended up cool and down and like, I don't know, I feel like the second and third quarters were great.

I mean, I know it's different for you because you're like, there is a big deal of, you know, I try to go to as many things. I don't go with tongue these days, but like being locked in in the arena is hard to do. Like watching on TV, you know, everything that's going on all the time, you know, all the stats.

“We were trying to figure out like, hey, what's the spurs run?”

Because they went on a huge run. Again, this is game one.

And we were like, what's the number? What was the height?

So you're trying to figure this off on the fly. So I actually do understand you being like, man, I just, I'm a little prep on edge. Because I don't know if I'm as locked in on what's happening in the game, which definitely sucks. And we were posting immediately after for me, which is not normal when we do. I usually can go back and watch a ton of stuff like that on the team.

What's that? That looked sick though. I don't know if anybody watched that episode of Netflix. It was cool man. It was cool.

“And honestly like, I didn't see any stain either.”

Thanks. He did a good job wiping it off. So I don't happy ending in that like, he did apologize. Clearly, and like he said, hey, man, it's my son. I doubt for my son. He did say that.

He made the offender didn't apologize. He did say the accessory. The accessory apologized. Yeah. I'm glad he didn't go with his. I figured it out.

I was mad, but I'm like, he's doing this because he's seeing a stranger say something to his son. And even if his son's in his 20s and his son did dump shit all over him. But you're, you can't help but sit there and be like, so you're going to fucking scold me and tell me to turn around. And so I don't know what guy. I mean, who out there wouldn't stew for a few minutes over something like that when you know you didn't do anything wrong.

And then everybody's lying about it and then trying to like, like, tough guy you like mind your business turn around. It's like, well, I have to turn around at some point anyway, but it doesn't mean you want. And then it's like, so what am I going to do proof of point? Just not watch the game and stare at him for a quarter. Because that would have been a bad podcast. But like, I missed the first quarter. I was super heated about this confrontation.

So yeah. There was a lot of steel and burrito here. I've never seen this.

Well, I've seen not just crazy said it doesn't mess around. Yeah, they don't. I will say there was, did you see it, too, right in front of us again, the next family, whatever. Somebody knocked over like just like a giant tall fucking pink like one of those hurricane glasses just all over the place and spilled down because that was like the down edge in the room. You know, it was just filled up, dude. It was bad. It was really bad. So they could have been worse, I guess you were only that. But I don't know, I had fun.

It was like the entire thing on television. Just the environment there. That's a show. That's sure. But just to put a bone on it, being there for a game one was awesome.

“And I think even just like the way the reaction pod was afterwards the setting, it was all worth it in the end.”

You know, was it the normal reseller pod? No, but I thought it was fucking awesome. I had a great time. You can't do that on television, Nickelodeon. Thank you 79. Yeah. I thought it was great.

I loved it. I loved being in the building for a nice little reminder of why you do all this stuff. Yeah. What would you say? 25% next, fans? Easily.

It was a lot. It was jarring at first. Yeah, I mean. It's even if it's 25%, you're talking about 25% of like, probably the lot is fans in the NBA, who are the least likely to just be chill about anything. Oh.

The other thing too, we are under the tunnel for the fourth quarter, because we had to get on the core afterwards and the core. So they're like, hey, just come down whatever. So we're watching on this big screen. And I think it was a halfway through the fourth that got ran on the core. It's trying to take a selfie with Wemby.

And we're like, what's going on? What's going on? And like right after that, they just throw him a handcuffs and walk him right in front of us. And he's got big old smile on his face and we're like, damn, I should have taken a picture of that because that would have been unbelievable. But yeah, the guy who got arrested, he was, you know, to have a happy, happy, you entire arena. Why was father on the TV dude?

Mitchell Robinson looked like he just saw an alien or something like he looked like he didn't know what he was looking at. It was like a pretty good reaction from him. Did they rough me guys up when they bring him in tunnel or are they just like, Oh, the two cops were not through this kid at all. They were like, they were enormous.

I mean, it's Texas cops. They grew up down there. Those guys are down there. Maybe it's the hat. I don't know what it is, but like any time I've ever seen like a Texas trooper or something like that.

Like, what do they feed in these dudes?

“Oh, I think I watched these troopers with some arms that are just like defied.”

Like Tom Platt's legs coming out of their sleeves, Kyle. I was just saying, do you think that guy maybe walked out with like a little AC separation? Like, I mean, those guys probably want to do something, but you can't lie to hit a supportive beam. Like I got to the elbow.

That's about it. No cameras in there. He was so happy. I mean, he's just getting just held and he's cuffed up and it's like two guys holding his arms. And he's kind of like, he was, I did it.

So what are you going to do now? Yeah. Thank you. That's a clutch gene as far as I'm concerned. He was on face.

My couchy bed hit. Thanks. It's wild. We're watching on the screen and I'm like, is this the broadcast screen or like the in studio or the in the live screen?

Because they kept showing the replay of it.

And then they almost never show the people.

And they run on the board. But I was like, I wouldn't know. So we obviously, yeah, we didn't watch the broadcast. We don't know. But I was like, oh, maybe it's because like there was a ball.

Like what was going on? Yeah. So I have wonder why it's happened. Because it's happened on another game where I'm like,

And then I was like, do they doing this because they get more impressions?

“Like, they're like a certain wide thing where everyone's going,”

Hey, we can say like 2.1 billion impressions now.

We actually then get the kid running out. So sell the impact. Really a market inefficiency. Yeah. Yeah.

All right, 20 minutes before an email. That's going to be a new record. But it's worth it. It's all right. It's not a law that we have to start with life advice.

Sometimes we're like to recap. All right. Friend backed out of a wedding because of divorce parents. All right. 33 years old.

I want 205 gym stats of largely decline following back surgery three years ago. Well, the adventures back to 2.95. That's great. Yeah. That's a great bench at 205 after back surgery.

She feel great about that. Trying to hit 315 soon.

Hot take is a former athlete.

Better to power a lifter. There's virtually no reason to ever straight bar deadlift. Nearly ruined my life. Whoa. And brace debate.

I don't straight. I'm straight bar deadlift. Fucking forever. I think I might be like forever done. Which is traditional squats myself.

Yeah. That's true stuff. Is that just like the bench press bar or what's it's like. Yeah. Yeah.

It's the same. Just the point. The hacks or something. Yeah. You do the hacks.

Kettles. Bigger in the goblet squat.

But I'm doing some different shit now that kills.

So as long as it hurts. Feel like I'm doing something right. NBA cops west on sell. No further explanation. Long time a listener.

Many time emailer. This is probably my most life advice appropriate question. So hoping you see it in time. One of my best friends is getting married next weekend. And I'm one of our other close friends.

Or just outside the wedding party guys. We also neither got plus ones. This is an engage or married only plus one situation. You know, the older I get the more that makes sense. But anyway.

As a result, we decided to split a room. As this is a destination event and overall very expensive wedding. Oh, so we split a room with a student. All right. We book travel and rooms together, etc.

Excite from splitting costs. Now there was no a ton of people at this wedding outside of our best friend. So it was going to be nice to have him there as a familiar buddy. The wedding is next Saturday. Uh-oh.

From when I'm writing this email. And today I find out that my roommate and travel partners backing out of the wedding because he just found out his parents got divorced. Well, I imagine like our getting divorced. I doubt they hit it up until the paperwork is finalized.

I'm not downplaying the event. What it means to him, I am also aware that people handle this type of stuff differently. That said, my parents got divorced last year. And while it wasn't the best news ever, it didn't sting like it might have when I was 15.

“My question is simply, is there any room to push back or encourage my friend not to skip this wedding?”

I know it is something he'll look at. Uh, we're all bummed. He's not going. He's also sticking me about 1300 more and a week and expenses right off the bat, which is a separate issue.

I don't plan to address unless he does. He is not hurting for money, parentheses. There's no context to were both invited to the bachelor party, which he also declined the last minute because he recently got engaged. And said his fiance wouldn't go for it.

Well, it was one of the most fun trips of my life. I'm worried the combination of missing the bachelor party and wedding is going to fracture our small but otherwise very tight friend group. I also selfishly just wanted to be at the wedding. Is divorce parents a good reason to back out of one of your best friends weddings at the last minute?

This is a weird one because we discussed my little banana splits thing back in the day when I had to go to that. You know, my parents would have worse forever. So I would probably be super calis about this. And I'd be like, are you, are you kidding me, dude? The bananas splits thing is unbelievable.

It's very fun. But so like, I think I would have no problem. The name. I think they were just trying to dress it up. What did insane name for children of divorce like,

support group? Yeah. And I think it was for new divorces. And I was like, dude, I'm like a veteran. You guys cried about, we go back to lunch with the pizza day.

But like, I think like, I think for me. I'm good. Right. Is there like some form we got to have my parents fill out? Let me know.

“But I think for me, I would have as it been a knee jerk reaction to be like, what are you talking about?”

You cannot be serious. Now that there's money involved too, I'd be hitting all these bullet points. But maybe I don't think that those reactions makes you a better or worse friend. But I mean, I guess it's just a matter of perspective. I, you'd be well within your rights in my eyes to like try to convince him not to do.

That sounds like he's like, even with the bachelor party thing. It's like, new fiance or girlfriend, whatever he said. Like, it's probably not the best look. It's like, you know, you kind of, you move shit around for dude's bachelor parties. If they're, if they're tight like this, I think.

If you guys are tight, you try your best. So that's not like he's trying his best to be there for his buddies. So I probably wouldn't say those words. But I think, you know, you'd be able to add up to it in my reasoning. I'd give a little push back for you.

Yeah, like I can't obviously speak like you guys from personal experience. But it feels pretty reasonable to be like, hey dude, I think you're going to have fun at this.

And just like just having the conversation to me is not offensive or bad.

And actually is a good friend thing to do. Now I wouldn't be pushy and be like, hey man, like, you're going to regret this or say things like that. But hey man, like take your mind off and still go whatever you had to be fond. Like, you know, that's, that to me is totally normal and respectful. And I think your friend wouldn't find any issue with that.

Is he going to change his mind doesn't sound like it. I mean, if you didn't go to the basketball party and this is his choice, it seems like it's probably already kind of a dead thing.

“But I don't, I don't think you should be weird about just respectfully bringing that up with him”

and saying, hey man, like, I want to help you. I want to help you through this. This will be a fun time for you to get away and for you to hang out with the boys to get your mind off it for however many days you're there. The one thing I would add to is like he mentioned that, you know, this happened to me last year. That's that totally kills your argument or at least had it totally a noise to shit out of the other person.

If you're like, you know, well, when this happened to be last year, I didn't cancel on a bunch of your shit. Like, even though it totally feels good to say, it's, it's going to ruin the argument. I'll tell you that right now. Yeah, tough spot for you here on top of the money thing. But I think you all, you have the right instincts on being like,

maybe don't send him event moment request right now on this whole thing. So good instincts again. So you deserve credit for that one. Everybody, as you said, and anybody listening. People are going to handle this stuff differently. You see, the oldest does he feel more responsible if he's the oldest and has younger siblings. Like, as I can tell you.

Right. Like, yeah. But what is the church thing? So you can't really get on a guy for feeling differently about something that's happening to him that also happened to you. Like, some people are very resilient and some people, well, I shouldn't even say resilient.

We all react to this stuff differently and it depends on them. Bunch of different factors. I mean, you know, you don't want to go through life being like nothing bothers me. I'm awesome. You're absolutely right that he'll probably later on regret it. And there are times where whether it's me going through something or a friend going through something,

where you just get really negative and you almost like want things to be even worse. You know, like, all right, things suck now. Can I make him even worse? Then you kind of go through like this self punishment phase of like, I'm not going to let myself do anything fun. Can I go on a generational round of people?

Yeah. Yeah, right. It becomes really contagious, which is annoying. But it also, like, happens. You know, it's easy for everybody else to tell you how you're supposed to feel about all this kind of stuff.

So he could be going through that and yeah, he likely will regret this.

“But you did bring up something that I think is really important that we haven't addressed yet.”

His fiance probably doesn't want him to go into this either. Yes, he has. So if if she said no to the bachelor party, maybe he doesn't even care about the divorce nearly enough. But that might be what you're actually dealing with here. And it's a really good excuse if it's like, in fact, his parents are getting divorced.

And he didn't want to be like, hey, since we can't bring dates, I can't bring my fiance. I'm shacking up with my buddy here and like, I'm going to go on a three day better just the two of us. And she already said no to a bachelor party, which is an awful sign, by the way. So that you're getting married to somebody who says like, no, you can't do this. This sounds like this is her lane of like, hey, I'd also like you to not do this.

So he may not give you shit about divorce at all. He's just using this as a perfect. So it's a perfect. Yeah, somebody back home is sick. Oh, I'm making an extension on his paper.

You know. Looks like he's your dad. Okay, yeah, he's praying his ankle. He's fine. So when do I have to turn this in? So I'll just say like, you can't really do anything.

You can't even bring this up. You can't go, hey, is it really your fiance and all those different stuff? Oh, no, you can't do that one time. Yeah. So you're stuck. And I would say in a year, bring up the 1300.

Yeah, I think 1300 will be part of my plan.

Be if he's not receptive to my first round of like, come on, man.

Are you serious? You want to miss this out? You know, whatever. This will be fun. I mean, then I'd be like, dude, you're going to be one of my guys there. Now I got like less dudes and now you owe me 1300. But I think it would have been my plan B. I wouldn't wait on that.

“But that is the best way to do it. Yeah, I like bring it up.”

I'm also going to be. I mean, we're going with aggressive tactics before I admit defeat on this one. But that's just me. Well, say. Well, say.

Okay. What else do we have here? Rockward work situation. Okay. Five eight one sixty five. No notable Jim stats speak of player comp. Stromau Swift for no other reason that younger listeners need to look up his

dunks. We know how we feel. Big Stromau Swift guys here on this pod. I work in real estate was on a zoom call with a client who is a well put together older lady. Late sixties.

I'm going to tell you, you guys are 70 right now that are still married as somebody that is a headturner mid to late sixties.

That's going to feel incredible.

And who knows, like it's genetics. You know how much effort you put in all that kind of stuff. But like when you're at the country club and somebody thinks your wife is your mom,

That's not.

Excuse me, the opposite, but yeah.

That's not my daughter. My second wife. I mean, maybe I'm maybe I'm revealing too much. But anyway. I know what you're saying.

I know.

“Is having a hot older wife more of a flex and having a hot younger wife?”

Maybe. Yeah. I mean, I think because you get more respect from everyone. If you're poor as a guy. Sure.

All right. Just rare. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

See, don't see those in the wild all the time. That was fucking hilarious. Just think about that again. Yeah. Just think by the way.

Man, you were just taking a beating. I didn't let it stop. We haven't had an awesome weekend though. I really didn't let it stop me. I know.

I didn't even have to ask. And you didn't have to confirm it. That's this weekend had no chance. No chance. I even went out last night.

Y'all in a work night. Saturday was. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. The guy's going to band. And Quinn, who's not the guy. Everyone thinks he is. I don't know what that means.

Wasn't there a guy he looks like and people like isn't that? Was it. Oh, yeah. People? Yeah.

I mean, I see. I think Bradley Cooper should be looking over a shoulder. Cause he had Quinn as a band. And I went to redundant war flashlight.

Which I've never actually been to ever in the entire time I've lived here.

I walked around the Marina a lot. Let's go out and have some stuff. Saturday. Saturday, watching vessels fly by. But yeah, his band played in these lead singer and guitarist for his band.

And of course, he has the bucket head Gibson with the kill switch built into it. And he just started raging singing guitar solos. Awesome pants. It was great. It was great.

Awesome. The crowd was wild. They were like older than me. And they were so banged up. Some guy threw water at another guy.

And it hit me. I was there like one minute. So I don't know what the fuck is going on with the food and beverage target. Like a magnet. Yeah.

Four days twice. Yep. This one. They just kind of gave up what the fuck. But there was a bunch of friends around.

I was like, I haven't even gotten a drink yet. Covered in water. At least it was water. Anyway, Jonathan. Mercury is not in retrograde right now.

By the way, I just checked. I don't know. Something else going on with you. I don't know. I don't know.

Just in the crosshair's life right now. All right. So we had an email here. I believe. Yep.

So all right. She's laid sixties. Put together. Had some work done. I know her pretty well now and have a close working relationship.

She said at the beginning of the call. Put on your cameras. So we can see everyone's lovely faces. For some reason, I replied, yeah, we worked hard for these beautiful faces. Hmm.

Now until hours later did I realize this could have been an insult to my client. Do I reach out and apologize? No. No. Do.

Yeah. Does this just call attention the fact that we can all tell she had plastic surgery? Am I unnecessarily bringing this up again when she could not have noticed it at all? That's putting me in an even more awkward situation. Or I let it lie so you shouldn't make anything of it with the downside.

She thinks I'm complete asshole now if she did take offense to it. Dude, there's no way she knows. What the hell? That's not even. That best, dude.

You just said something fucking weird on a Zoom call. Even if nobody had plastic surgery, that's a weird thing to say.

“It's even weird if you have to type it out and like a quote.”

Your card or something like what? Uh, yeah. That's tough one. This is one of these. I mean, how good is your memory?

Nice. I think you just met us in on this one, man. Yeah, don't set a weird thing. Follow up. Because I mean, there's a really good chance you didn't even catch it.

Nor did she take offense to it. Didn't process it the way you are because you're having anxiety about it. Cause you did it. So the odds are so in your favor that that all those things are likely. What happened for you to then days removed.

Bring it up again. It's not even digging yourself. It's like, hey, just in case you weren't offended. Here's a chance to be offended now. So it's not worth it.

I think it's a follow-up leave some stuff in the past. I would say 99% of we've talked about this for like 99% of your interactions. You are going to Monday morning quarterback and most people just are like, oh, all right.

Well, it's odd and then just kind of like never remember again or don't care or anything like that.

I mean, you are the main character in your own life. You think about things more. Yeah, like just move on. Keep moving. I don't think it's going to make you feel better too.

If you just keep moving, like don't think. I know I brought up curve before, but like this could be.

“And I think you should leave if you followed through with this.”

Well, like, like, like, hey, remember five days ago. What I said, we've all worked hard for a beautiful faces. I wasn't like talking about your plastic surgery.

But yeah, don't do me on that one.

Since it's on me, alterly. Like a seat in on any ideas for season four. Yeah. My dad thought season three was a bit of a flop. So whoa.

And we love watching the show to get it. I mean, it's become a huge part of our lives. We're constantly quoting it. And he's just like, man, what a shame season three. Can't wait to take another crack at it.

No, you're able to have that relationship with him because you got over the divorce and such a young age. Yeah, dude. They're not listening.

“Do you still have any of the gear from being a split?”

No, I mean, there wasn't any gear.

It was just like fucking worksheets and stuff. There's no shirts, strong stuff. There's got to be a banana splits hoodie out there. There's a population operation. It was a public, I think we looked it up last time.

But it was like a public school thing that I was happening during lunch. I mean, they're both younger. The banana split. Did you get it? Did you get a dessert?

Situation. Yeah, right? No brainer, but. Well, no seven. You're like, where's the fucking ice cream?

Yeah. Don't you feel bad for me? Yeah, bananas. Let's club space for kids with divorce parents to support each other. Yeah, this web.

“How good are like 11 year olds with each other during these times?”

Dude, we were all so awkward.

I mean, it was like, it wasn't even like, you know, I always thought like if you had to go to like an

NAA or an AA, like the starting of like, hey, I'm Tom. Here's what's going on with me. Like I feel like that would be tough. But none of us felt like we had a problem. I remember feeling it was just like, no, I don't want to say anything.

Yeah, I'm going to have to click through this website when we get off. We had a lumps really fired up about that reference emailing for like two weeks. Feel like I was in it. You know, they gave us the year, everything. But I don't know.

I got to find out if it's something I don't think I made the first year. I think I was done somehow. You just showed up. Like after the 10 session being like, hey, it's damp. It's not unique.

Yeah. Well, that's why we go outside. Got you, made it through it. All right. That'll do it for the show today.

Thanks, everybody. On the show. And please subscribe. Schedule this week. So Rudy, what is it?

We shouldn't go after both games. So we'll do Tuesday morning.

“Well, you'll come out Tuesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon.”

Okay. Perfect. There you go. Yeah. Recap the next week.

Oh, we should have maybe a week. Preview content coming up too. USA Place Friday. Lost the Germany. What, uh, Saturday.

Yesterday as we're taping this. But look, all right. You know, uh, cautiously optimistic. Didn't watch, but I will. It was a friendly.

You're okay. Yeah. Yeah. Friendly. I don't have time for friendly.

Hi. That'll do for the show. Please subscribe. Check out the full episodes on Netflix. See you.

Bye.