Player Combos to Watch Down the Stretch, Playoff Races, and Awards Talk!

the story of this "shoeflashback",

“just like "rattens" and then "hoffens" this is "stimmt".”

"Pornée, gar濒". "Viso steuere" is my "sayspace". Hmm, do you have anything to say about it? Yeah, exactly. "Viso steuere" is the story of "die steuere app",

which is simply different. "Egalobstudium, job" or "unzug". "Castimmt", "Cras". It doesn't feel like "steuere" at all. Steuere is "lead".

"Safe". With "Wiso steuere". "Castimmt", "Castimmt", "Castimmt". Coming up on the Zacklow Show, the NBA regular season is coming to an end.

And big was, our old friend, let's go, Metz is here to help us run through the late season storylines. We have a little fun draft, the draft of lineups and player combinations.

We are most interested to see

we're watching most keenly toward the end of the season. We're looking at good teams, teams that haven't had these lineups available to them for a lot of the season.

Are these combinations available to them? Teams who are struggling at one thing and maybe this lineup could help them get better. We've got Denver stuff, Philadelphia stuff, Boston stuff, New York stuff,

Clipper stuff, and we lead off with the calves. Both of us had the calves. We didn't cooperate on this. As number one, on our most interesting lineups, combinations, draft, centered around Jared Allen,

centered around his back now. We didn't play last night with his back now. And the big four of Mitchell, Harden, Moby, Allen, what does that look like? Who's the fifth guy?

It's finals or bust for the calves. They're out of the spotlight right now for whatever reason, but it's finals or bust for the calves. Then we pick our favorite of the remaining playoff races. Is it number one seed in the west?

Is it east five to 10, which is a complete mess? Is it just the east play in? Is it the middle of the west? We do that. And then what awards are locked up?

And what's still open? Was it I go through our ballots, both the ones

“that are set almost in stone, the ones that are not?”

All NBA. It's getting toward, it's getting toward go to him. We get into that. And just a reminder, people, anyone who lives in or around Denver

or wants to come to Denver, the Zach Low Show is coming to Denver live on April 13th at the Fillmore Auditorium. All tickets are still on sale. We're opening up a new block of tickets

and just go to the ringer.com/events for all the details on that. We'll have some fun. We'll talk to nuggets, we'll have some good guests. Denver, Zach Low Show live, April 13th,

Fillmore Auditorium, and with that, let's bring in big ones. The Zach Low Show is brought to you by Fandall. Things are really heating up on the court and Fandall is the best place to bet on all the epic matchups during the NBA season.

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(upbeat music) Welcome to the Zach Low Show. Look who it is, big ones with the Metzatom, with three and one. The sun is out, everything's going well.

How you doing, buddy? I'm good, man, and I'm completely certain that things are going to stay this way. We're going to win 75% of our games and it's going to be a magical season, Zach Low.

- 150 games left to go. (laughing) Quote that thing goes annual meltdown and it's not occurred yet. So all things are good.

- We got about 10, 12 days left in the NBA regular season, 68 to nine games for every team. We're coming to the stretch run. We're going to say goodbye to a lot of the tankers. Pretty soon, farewell, have a nice off season.

And so we're going to do a few things today.

But it's always hard like these last games.

You're focused on the big head-to-head matchups that are going to decide tiebreakers. We saw a thrilling, fairly Miami game. Last night, we're Tyler Hero went bananas and Miami got that tiebreaker to kind of stay alive

in the 7, 8, 9, 10 race for the better spots there. But I like to like, what am I actually zeroing in? And I want to see like, as teams gear up for the playoffs, there are line-ups I want to see combinations. I want to see stuff that we haven't seen a lot of.

“But I think it's going to be important if these teams”

are actually going to become who we think they are. So this is what we're going to do. We're going to draft like line-ups or player combinations that we're just interested in seeing last two weeks of the season. Good entertainment value.

It could be a whole five-man lineup. I said it could be two, three players whenever you want. So I'm going to give you first pick and the exciting line-up draft was. - I just want to give just a precursor.

All of my picks are injury-based because to be honest, at this point in the season, I've watched so many, especially at the playoff teams. I've watched so many of these games, it's hard for me to be like,

You know what I mean? Like, that stuff is so well-trot, and so all of my picks are definitely based on guys coming back from injury.

“And that's why my first pick is Jared Allen and James Hardin.”

And it's because, in February, when Hardin first gets to the team, Jared Allen has the best month of his entire career. Ever, and I don't think that's coincidental. You know what I mean?

I don't think people are saying like, oh, just 'cause it's happened at the same time. Doesn't mean Hardin caused it. I was like, no, there's some causation here. If you watch the actual cabs play,

Hardin is just on another level of pick and roll faster and creator, thin, down of the Mitchell is, or of course, or even what Darry is Garland was. Who Garland, I think is a, you know, he's a capable pick and roll operator,

but he's not on James Hardin's level in terms of dissecting defenses and making the play quickly. Hardin is such a quick processor. And I think he was very instrumental in Jared Allen

having that incredible February,

he was averaging like 21, 22 points or something crazy like that. And so, as Jared Allen comes back and we're getting closer and closer to the playoffs, I'm definitely gonna be paying attention to what those two guys are doing on the court together.

To see if they could bring back a lot of that magic that we saw back in the month of February. - My first pick was Cleveland's Big Four of Mitchell, Martin, Mobley Allen, specifically that four man combo. So we had the same basic pick.

I almost, I'm so excited to, they've only played those four of played 48 minutes together. In four games, there are plus 39 the caps are in those 48 minutes. I'm so interested in this four man combination that I almost and intended to watch the Utah Jazz play

another basketball game last night because they were playing Cleveland. And then I saw that Allen was out because there's a very exciting Cleveland Lakers game tonight. Tuesday night that I assumed they're saving him for.

So I ditched that game and then watched another game 'cause I've seen enough of the Jazz lately to go the other way. But yeah, it's like, and now hard and and Mobley are kind of kind of gotten into good picking role rhythm

with Allen out. But like, look, the other thing is, I do feel like Cleveland's getting a little lost in the shuffle in the East because Detroit fans are just adamant like, what about us?

Why are to why are number one team? And they've got this K-d injury, Boston has been the story of the last, really of the whole season almost, but specifically the last month with Tatum coming back,

the NYX are the NYX.

It's just always loud around the NYX.

The calves, like, they need to get back in the spotlight. We need to put the back in the spotlight 'cause when you trade up 10 years in age from Garland to Hardin, you trade up for a guy who has a checkered track record in the playoffs for durability purposes,

you are sending a signal like this is an urgent season. We need to make this work right now and just to me, their highest ceiling is still with the two big guys on the floor for at least a huge portion of every game. It could be somewhat matchup dependent

“and that's why Alan coming back is important”

because there may be matchups where Kenny Acquix and says this is more of a small stagger the bigs, kind of matchup or one where we need them both. You know, they had a game against the NYX and it's also was like, who's the fifth guy

with those four guys? Struces, Struces back. Marles played that role a lot. They get a lot smaller. They have Keyon Ellis and a shooter.

The coaches and the front office love Dean Wade in that spot.

I just feel like he's always got some liner injury

that takes him out of line up and I've seen him get played out of playoff series, but there was one, the game where it finally felt like the calves got a feel for the NYX. They started Wade and they put him on Brunson

and then they started the two bigs and they put one of them on Josh Hart, Jared Allen on Josh Hart and mobileby on cat. And that and they could switch the Brunson cat and pick and roll because Wade's big enough to guard cat

and mobileby's mobile enough to guard Brunson. And it was the first time the NYX was like, well, this is a lot of size and speed and we're not sure quite how to attack this and the thunder did the same thing

to the NYX with the combination of J-Dub, on cat, Hart and steam and home grin. It's just something I'm looking for. So we have the same, we have the same first pick. This is like, everyone says finals are busted for the NYX.

James Dolan basically said finals are busted for the NYX, the pissons of the number one seed.

“I think it's like minimum conference finals”

are busted for the cats and they could maybe finals are busted. - That would seem to be the case, especially when you know, Garland as injured as he was, he was once considered like a future pillar cornerstone of the franchise.

So to move on from him like you don't make that decision lightly, right? Especially when you're moving on like you said for a guy like James Hart and it's like, we're chasing both seasons success and this guy has

of any superstar, of any error that I can remember.

Probably any sport, honestly, safer, Aaron Judge. - Oh, yeah, like that. (laughing) - Even they was done with Aaron Judge after opening day.

He was like, opening day, all eyes are on Netflix. Don't care, again, just kidding. - Hot baby, sorry, I kid the Yankees fans. To me, honest with the nicks, I'm a lot less worried about the nicks than other people are.

“I think they're just a playoff driven team.”

And I like their talent, put a playoffs. I like the combinations that they can play in, like they can, they're multiple and the looks that they could give teams. And I think that's gonna serve them

and a playoff, honestly. They gotta close the multiple wing defenders. Like, they have all the things you want. They're gonna be able to rebound. They're gonna be able to play big or play small.

Like, I'm not as worried about the nicks as I am of say Detroit, to be honest with you. And so I get the nicks skepticism. There's points in the regular season with a play defense that isn't worthy of a CIO league.

But I think when the ships are down and like, they understand what the task is at hand.

“I think the defense is gonna mostly show up.”

I generally agree with you. I talked about, so a couple honorable mentions on my lineup draft are worth mentioning here. Number one, the nicks starting five is in my lineup draft because they've been just kind of in.

Like, they're plus two per hundred possessions. Plus 16 total points for the entire season and almost 500 minutes. So that's not good enough. And that lineup, you know, it's been like,

sometimes it's sours and sometimes it's a little clunky. And you have this agitation from some fans who are like, should do start for Josh Hart to get all shooters out there? - Oh yeah. - Should sham it start for Josh Hart to get all shooters out there.

Oh, wait a second, we're all mad about the McHale Bridges trade

all the time because you just went through a stretch rate. Basically, didn't crack double figures for a bunch of games. Should they start those guys over McHale Bridges. And there's all this lineup turmoil. They're not going to change the lineup, they shouldn't change the lineup.

I do just wish we could go a week without some bridges related panic and media, like Josh Hart versus Steven A Smith about McHale Bridges. Or just like, even what was at Oklahoma City, the game where Kat had like three field goal attempts in the first 28 minutes of the game and everyone was like,

where's Kat just, it just feels like we can't go a week without some mini nicks existential crisis about the makeup of the team. But look, they're like third and offense and sixth and defense. So, and the other honorable mention,

this, they're too far down the standings. Clippers, new starting five of Garland, Kaly, Derek Jones, Junior, John Collins, Brook Lopez, plus 26 already in 77 minutes, Garland, 21 in seven on 50% shooting, 50% on threes for the Clippers.

Just, you know, have some, be looking over there, like, oh, hey, that's, that's, we like that guy, we like that guy when you play it. Yeah, that's the classic, you know, people break up and then one of the, the people in the relationship goes on a strict diet and starts posting stuff from the gym on Instagram and that's, that's that classic right there for Garland.

“And I think that's the other part of the hard and deal because let's be real.”

Garland did not show that form at all this season. No, not at any point of his season with the calves, did he show some of the form that he showed with the Clippers, looking closer to the guy that could have challenged Jalen Brunsett as all star starter just last year.

Like, this was just a year ago, this guy was incredible for the calves.

And so, you know, I understand that risk. I think the, the Clippers, I just love what Garland and math are going to do. Kauai is consistent in like, it's kind of just rock solid. And I don't know why it feels like he's become even more confident in his jumpshooting somehow. We're like, back in the days, it felt like he was ready to send to take three,

especially like pull up threes or, you know, that classic on the break, like just pull up from three on a fast break kind of thing. It feels like now he's just an effett mode and is willing to shoot it anytime. And he wears, like when he first got to the Clippers, he was just like, no, I'm going to work my mid range because I'm basically automatic from there. When the threes there, I'll take it and I'm really good at it. But really what I want to do

is work my mid range, whereas now it just seems like he's just fearless from three as well, which is just an interesting wrinkle in the, you know, the sort of journey of Kauai's career. But yeah, I watched the Clippers every night that they played now.

true, for a sense, is rookie year. And, you know, I felt like nobody could stop them from getting downhill and he was kind of generating free throws at a crazy rate when he first started,

“that's kind of calm down. I think that's kind of what like stunted his growth in Indiana.”

He didn't become that hyper-efficient score. But I don't know, he seems rejuvenated in LA. Yeah. And he's playing great. He's probably not going to play enough games to, I mean, he's going to, you don't need to play 65 to win six-manity areas. But I don't think he's played enough to like get on the top three for six-manity there. But like the Clippers version, if that were the full season, he would be like the favorite for six-manity year.

Okay, don't want the cards we both have the same first pick. So, do you can make the second pick in the lineup accommodations draft? Again, I hate to be basic, but it's, it's Tatum and Brown. Okay. I didn't have them. So, I like, well, I kind of had them, but go. And again, Tatum has come back from injury and, you know, on our show when it was first introduced that Tatum would definitely become a back this year. Paul Pierce said, look, he needs like 20 to 25 games to ramp up for the

playoffs. Because everybody kind of understands playoff intensity is way different than regular season if where his body, not just his body, but just where he slots in. So, what's been so obviously successful for Boston this season is going to take time to develop and lower behold, he comes back with like 22 games or whatever it is to go on the season and we're seeing it inch up slowly, but surely where it's like he comes back. Everybody's like, whoa, I didn't expect

them to look this good this early. Then he has a little low. It's like, ah, he kind of doesn't look to say in the near the night, you know, he kind of explodes for 32 points in a game that Jalen Brown is not playing, right? And so and Derek White, too. And Derek White, exactly. And so to me, it's just Tatum not, I'm confident he's going to be a huge contributor to the success that Boston ultimately ends up having this season. To me, it's just, how does he figure out when and where the pickest

spots and what to deploy? You know, when is he using his size to dictate how he attacks to give

a matchup, which is somebody I always want to see Tatum do just because he's so big and so strong.

I feel like it's just one of the most underutilized parts of his game. I get it's not as pretty as the stepbacks and some of the, you know, some of the other stuff. But to me, it's how he uses

“what he has, not whether or not he's going to contribute. And that's what I'll be looking for.”

And again, you know, the stepbacks is going to be there. The long twos are going to be there in the mid-rays. Like we know that for me, I'm just like, all right, when is Tatum going to be like, all right, this is my moment to be head down, get to the basket, not let us fall into the chat that we did against the nicks and falling in love with the form of our pretty jump shots.

And he's already flashing like incredible playmaking. Again, which I think has always been

another one of the most underappreciated parts of Tatum. I thought it gets Dallas in the finals. That was his best shape, besides the defense and the rebounding was like, when Dallas committed extra defenders, he got off the ball quickly and that thing was spraying around. And so to me, it's more so than Brown, because I think Brown is kind of just going out and showing people like, I am a $300 million player. I'm one of the best guys in the league. I should be in the MVP

conversation. I'm a bona fide superstar. I'm even better than I was when I won finals MVP.

“I think Brown is kind of, it's done. But Tatum, it's just about how and why is he going to help”

the Celtics move forward for the rest of the year? I think it's been an A plus plus return so far

in pretty much every sense. Minimal, your turn, my turn stagnancy. There's always going to be some

of that. But when it's happened, it's always been aimed at the right matchups at the right places. And with the intent of, I'm not just having tunnel vision to be a score. Like, I'm aware of everything going elsewhere on the floor. The Celtics were in my honorable mention, specifically their best lineup and they sometimes get to it a lot and sometimes a little, which is Richard White, Brown Tatum, Kate has a thumb screen right now, by the way. Only 32 minutes,

so far, obviously limited, you know, guys have been in the lineup, Tatum just came back. Plus 39 in 32 minutes. And like, what white and particularly Richard just leveling up is a one-on-one score. What they've done without Tatum, I think that's a pretty scary for some of two way players. Honestly, like, all four of those guys are plus defensive players. And they can score in all kinds of different ways. They can all shoot three. It's a really scary, foreman foundation. And

all four on the floor, or at least three of them, they're just really, really hard to deal with.

“And right now, 75 games in, I think the Celtics highest level has been the highest of all”

the teams in the East. And we mentioned Cleveland, you know, just going back to that, the offense has been unbelievable with Hardin and Mitchell on the floor. They split up. Like, half court is kind of like Hardin's domain. Everything else is kind of Mitchell's domain. The defense has been shaky. The Celtics, I think, have flashed the highest two way ceiling of these

four teams at the top. All right, I'm going to do my second pick now.

I have the nuggets. And specifically, the four man, well, you could, you could do it either way. I have their starting five, which has been rock solid the entire year plus ten, 200 possessions. But defensively, the nuggets are bottom eight right now in the league. And just loafed. And now they've gone through a really tough part of their schedule. Just a bunch of three and fours, a bunch of bad travel things where they lose an hour. And then they go to altitude,

et cetera, et cetera. I mean, they play it out to do so, whatever. But their defense is just,

“like, I was a guest at how bad they were at Utah the other day. I think Utah had 84 points in the”

paint, like in the summer at some point in the fourth quarter. Like, there's that a typo. That's a real stat. Just miscommunications everywhere. Guys shrugging their shoulders. Like, wait, I thought you're going to do that. I thought that was the plan. Their zone has not worked all season. It's 1.2 points for possessions allowed. That hasn't happened. The fail safe. I thought it could be for them. And that David Adam and hoped it could be. So, but here's the combination

of what is zero in on. Now that Gordon is back, the starting five is Rocksau with Gordon and Brown. I'm interested in how much do we see Murray and Yoke. We know they're going to be on the floor at all big moments with Watson and Gordon. Those two guys with their size and the different ways they deploy their size defensively. Gordon is just a center block. You can't move them. Watson is more length and quickness. They can guard different kinds of players. Brown's defense, Christian

Brown's defense has just been okay. This year, I think he's been a little bit overmatched. And some of the matchups they have to give to him. Those four have only played 60 minutes together in six games. The nuggets are plus 45 in those 60 minutes. And you wonder, like, I do think we're going to see a little bit more of the Watson Gordon combo. And then you, who's the fifth guy? Is it Christian Brown? They have not wanted to play Brown, Gordon, and Watson together because

I just didn't like a shooting. You lack a shooting. Is it tomorrow to a junior? Is it Bruce Brown? Is it Cam Johnson? You put like three kind of tweenier forwards out all at once. I think there's still some levers to pull for the nuggets that I don't know where you are on them. No matter how much they suck defensively right now. And I do think they're in a little bit of like tough schedule. Guys coming back from tough like games compressed part of their schedule. Guys coming back from

injury, wake us up in the playoffs. We can't get the one or two seed. We're probably locked into the four or five bracket almost. No matter how much they're defense sucks and how awesome

the thunder and the spurs are, I will never write the nuggets off as a threat to win the West.

I've kind of, man, I'm one of the biggest nuggets homers. I know, and so I'm curious to hear what you're seeing in the literature. Like the defense, since Yokeitch has come back specifically, it's beyond concerning, man. Like every team in the NBA can expect to put up 125 points on the nuggets. It's kind of insane. And when you watch it, it is Yokeitch. It's like, it just straight up is. Like teams are targeting him because before the injury, I want people to understand this,

because this is going to come up with my awards locks as well. Before the injury, Nicole Yokeitch was the MVP of the NBA. He was having the greatest offensive season in the history of the NBA, and I'm to remember the Christmas game where he had like 50 and 20. I don't remember what it was. That was the game where I set up for the game. He is now past shares. He is now the MVP of the league at the Christmas point. Dude, he was the MVP before his leg got crashed into. And since he's

come back watching him on defense, honestly, Zach, I don't know if you see that meme of the

security guard at the baseball game, where he's just basically barely waving the wand on the,

like he's not put up security test. That's what Yokeitch is doing on defense right now.

“He's just straight up not trying and pre-entry, you know, I remember that Nuggets started the”

sea. I think it was like the first thing games at a season. They look great on both ends. They look like top three and defensive officials. I was like, look, it's not going to be this. They're having a lot of shooting luck in terms of opponent three point percentage. But what I'm seeing is the best defense of the Yokeitch

that's crazy considering what we know they're going to do on offense. But since the injury,

“it's just been horrific and maybe we could say he's saving himself. And I think he could probably”

get a level to in between what they were pre-entry and this nadear that they've been an extended period Zach, pre-ense post-entry, they're probably in the bottom three in the NBA and defense. That is unacceptable. So after a bunch of their recent games, I've just texted or called coaches and front of people on the teams that face them. And I was like, what's the vibe? Like, what'd you hear from your buddies on the nugget staff? Like, what did you see when you watch the

game? And they're all alarmed. Like, this is like, like, they're alarmed at the teams collectively

and they're alarmed specifically at Yokeitch. Like, I've gotten many texts that are basically

if I had summarized them, like, I hope he's not trying because if he's trying, they are dead on arrival against the thunder in the spurs. Yeah, certainly, like, before this season, I had the thunder is clearly the biggest, the nuggets is clearly the biggest threat to the thunder. And that's not the case anymore because if the defense is just irreparable, they're not going to beat those two teams in a playoff series. I just can't write them off based on the maybe they're saving themselves.

Plus, now they've got a couple of their best defensive players back from injury. Let's see how they reintegrate it because look, as bad as the defensive end in these games and they have, they've played a lot of bad teams too, but the offense is like fishing a barrel right now. I mean, it's just so easy for them to score that it's kind of crazy. Particularly when they face a bad team, I mean, they're just sleepwalking through these offensive possessions. But here's another thing, though,

“that I think is related. I'm pretty sure it was that Utah game and I text our boy at a modest”

and I'm like, no tanker, no tanking team should be turning Yokeitch over in the double digits. Well, that's the same. The other, I'm glad you brought that up because he came back from injury in his turn over spike and they were like crazy, uncharacteristic turnovers. Like turnovers where this is a guy who has made a career out of being three steps ahead of the defense and all of the sons. He's like, he's making bad reads or the defenses step ahead of him. They're at, they had one

recent game where he was bringing the ball up. I can't remember who was against and he got to like mid-court, almost mid-court and he jumped in the air and you think, okay, well, he's that there's probably somebody open under the basket and he just didn't have a plan and he threw it backwards, like towards the nugget defense of basket and nobody was there and I can't remember if it went out of bounds or somebody saw his like, what, what just happened? And if you look at their numbers,

if there's a team in the league who is not built to defend live ball turnovers, it's the nuggets with York at your center and I looked it up the other day off of steals, they're like 29th or 30th in points allowed. Like they just can't, they could not afford, when you get to really not crunch in time against the nuggets, against the spurs and the thunder, they could not afford like four extra live ball turnovers again because that's going to be 10 points for the other team.

Yeah, so we'll see, give me your third pick. My third pitch, I think. Even though this isn't injury, but it counts, is this Philadelphia 76 years? Yes, we have the same third pick too. Yes, what do you got? I mean, again, is Paul George related just seeing how he's come back in the dance,

is he's come back phenomenally? He looks incredible in terms of like the shot looks great.

“He's moving incredibly well and I think that's important on a defensive end specifically. I don't”

think, Paul George has kind of been a bad driver for like four years, three, four years now. We're like he gets downhill and just throw stuff up. That's just not going to be part of his game. Get into the free throw line is not going to be part of his game. That's just going to have to be a maxi and a bead job in terms of propping up the six his offense for efficiency. But him just being the ultimate glue guy like playing the eggodala role from Goldis State on this team.

He's obviously way overqualified and extremely overpaid to be doing that role, but he's incredible at it, right? And so just watching what Paul George can add in the margins for the sixers, because it's not going to be on ball dominant. It's like he'll be able to manage some pick and roll possessions and be like a great point guard quite frankly. When he's called upon to do that, to be the guy that says people up, make sure everybody's in the right spot, make the right defensive

reads and all of that like he's going to do that at a great clip and his shooting is just going to be an incredibly additive thing to what Maxi and a bead are doing in pick and roll. And yeah,

the guy he walks out of bed, crawls out of bed, yons into 25 points. Like it's just there's just nothing teams could do. Most matchups could do against Joelle, but defensively is what I got my eye on because he's still moving weirdly. In that Charlie game this past weekend, which was an

incredible game, of course. He had a huge block on the baseline. I think Brandon Miller

was shooting the either side of the game or go up by one. According to Joelle and bead does an incredible close out, blocks it. But if you go back and watch how he lands, he is so careful about his left leg. He makes it incredible play, but I'm like, damn right, how long can this actually last? And how much can he actually expand himself on that? And because they can obviously

“your center. That's to be a key part of anybody's defense. And I think about the first”

potential first round matchup we can say to Celtics, who we're just going to five out this freaking dude to death. You know, you wonder what he can do against certain matchups. So the sixers, I'm just watching Joelle on defense and Paul, like, where he chooses to insert himself in Philly's offense. If the sixers had won that game in Miami last night, and it looked like they were on their way around and we didn't get before they kind of like they're like the he just went

crazy in the last two minutes of the game, heroes specifically. There with the talking point around

the NBA today would be, uh oh, is this the scariest team to play in the first round because Maxis

back and bead played a pretty good game last night. I think he was seven of 20. So not great from the floor, but he had a couple. What I look for for him is not only the mobility on defense, which you know is going to it's going to come and go, right? That's just like, but when he exerts his power on offense, that's one of his tells to me that he's actually feeling pretty good. I'm not just going to shoot 20 foot jumpers, even though I could score 40, just shooting and he had a couple

last night where you damn must have pissed him off or something because he was just like, how about I just put your ass in the basket and lay the ball and I don't dunk anymore, but I'm going to lay the ball in and he did. So my Philly thinks, but they lost the game and so we'll see where they fall, we're going to talk about playoff phrases later. I do wonder if they're almost, like, I think you and I are in agreement, like, I don't have any faith that this team can stay healthy and then

if they can stay healthy specifically for like multiple playoff rounds. I do wonder if they're at

their peak scariest in the first round just because the first round has so many two days off

between games before you get into every other game and every other game playing 30 to 40 minutes. I just don't have any faith that Joel is going to be able to stand up to that load. For me, the sixers, I had specifically the lineup of Maxi, Edgcom, Ubrae, George,

“Embede, or Slot Grimes into the Ubrae spot if you want to go a little smaller.”

Grimes guy. He's had a great year. They don't go to those lineups that often because they're pretty small and they throw barlow out there for a lot of time and they've had Wattford and Walker play the four and other guys like that, but I just keep my eye on those lineups. We didn't have this on the rundowns act, but I'm fascinated by the Grimes situation because to me it relates to Commingah IV, you know, Grimes, whatever. These young guys who

coming off in a new MBA, coming off of their rookie deals, having proven themselves to be all stars, but have proven themselves to be kind of capable, you know, Cam Thomas and other one of these guys, Commingah ends up not betting on himself, which I think was a mistake, but maybe it wasn't, we'll see. Grimes said, "Effy, Cam Thomas said, "Effy, I'm going to bet better on myself."

“I think Grimes was asking for something like 30 mil per, and the sixers were offering probably like 15, 16.”

I don't think he's earned 30 mil per this year, but he's got to have up what the offer was from the sixes last summer. What do you think about that? Well, the mid-level is going to be what, like, 13, 14 at this point, and like, depending on how many teams have caproom and how they spend it, that would figure to be his floor, because he's had a really nice year. Definitely the floor. Yeah, he's had a really nice year for them. I think he's in the back end of the six-minute

year conversation, maybe the front and for some people. Yeah, I think it's a good point, it is a fascinating situation that they kind of punted on long-term control of him for various reasons, and then trade to Jared McCain. I'm just going to run through a couple honorable mentions and I'll take a break. Other honorable mentions line-up combinations. Houston's new starting five, which is actually a slight minus so far with Reed Shepherd finally in the starting five

for Tariys and Phoenix. Just who do they start with Dylan Brooks coming back this week?

Dylan Green, Colin Gillespie, Royce. So Neil, do you go small and put green and Gillespie? They both

“kind of, I mean, Dylan Green even invested a lot in Gillespie's and awesome. That's one. Thunder line-up,”

they just have so many options that I didn't know where to go, but one that I just, I'm struck by this one and I'm just going to throw it out into the world. SGA Caruso Mitchell, Jay Dubb, home grin. I feel like who knows how often we're going to see that because that's no door, no wallet, no heart, just the end, et cetera. But I feel like that's a pretty dangerous one. And then Minnesota, I just, I always been so unbelievable for them injecting like it's just hitting a,

it's like smashing the turbo button every second that he's on the floor. I've always been

interested in they don't, they're not built to do this because they have three heavy-minute rotation big men. And now Jay Dubb, McDonald's, this, this, what did they say these week to week with a new thing? I mean, that is a massive X-factor in the playoffs of the whole round. But if you ever got healthy again this season and they're hoping you will, I like the idea of I/O and Steven Shenzul McDaniels go bare, like put McDaniels at the fore, try that out. There's just, just, just try it out,

but get well, Jay Dubb, Daniels because they've been my stealth contender all year and without him, there's just a big hole in the lineup, either play giant lineups or lineups that are probably too small or they have to play ant 48 minutes. All right, let's take a quick break

and then we'll switch gears. This episode is brought to you by eBay. An eBay behind every

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thoughts about the NBA. I watch a lot of games. I talk to a lot of people. I have a lot of meetings. I have a lot of thoughts, random observations that don't necessarily fit into the bulk of the podcast where I dump a few here for a few minutes and have some fun. Tom Dunn is taking over the blazers. The ownership transition was approved yesterday according to various reports in an NBA press release. He's now in control of the blazers, which has everyone around the league wondering,

what's he going to do with the blazers? Thiago Splitter, the front office, what's going to happen, what's the plan? Anytime there's ownership change, they're stressed. And I do think

“apropos of that and some other stuff around the league. I think we're going to enter a pretty”

frothy cycle of coaching changes in the next couple of months. Would not shock me if we see one Taylor Jenkins slash Michael Malone style at the end of the season here in the last couple of weeks from a team that decides, you know what, we know we're going to do, we know we want to make a change. Let's do it now. Let's try to get ahead of the game for some of the hottest candidates there available. And that's Taylor Jenkins who I think would have his pick of several jobs where they to open

and maybe a team acts fast to try to get in the front of the Taylor Jenkins line. There's a lot of buzz about that. So let's just go through like there are 10, there are 10 jobs. These are in no order at all that I could see opening in the next month, two weeks, three weeks, two months, whatever. Portland, new ownership. I think splitters on town splitters on a nice job. I don't know what is going to happen there. My educated guess would be they open it up and say, hey, he can be a candidate for the

permanent job, but we're opening it up. We'll see, maybe they go the other way and say, you know what, you've done such a nice job or 500, or 500, or whatever we are despite injuries will keep you. New Orleans obviously James Barrigo has been the interim there since Willie Green got fired.

“I think he's done a really good job. They've been competitive. They're 25 wins. It did not look like”

there. We're going to sniff that earlier in the season. He's made a strong case to keep the job permanently for a roster that's probably going to be in flux in the next off season or two. A roster that's a little strange, a little strangely constructed with Zion and Queen and that being not an awesome fit to two of them together. I'm either into the floor really. We'll see what they do with that, but I think Barrigo's stake to stake to claim to, if not the job, then being a favorite

to get it, if they open it up, Philadelphia. What happens if this season ends in disaster for them? They're in the play-in right now. What happens if they don't make it to six? What happens if they don't make it to six? They don't make it out of the play-in. What happens if they lose in the

first round, whether it's in the three six matchup or two seven or one eight, and it's not close?

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know the answer to that. It feels like this season, this season, if you told everyone before the season, M.B. would play whatever he's played half the season. Paul George gets suspended for 25 games. Kelly Ubraid be out for a while, etc. To be

Nurse, if I'm Darrell Mori, I'm going to owner should be like, that's a pretty good season. Does ownership see it that way? Does ownership see the Paul George deal as an abysmal failure despite the fact that he's now finally back in playing well? I don't know. We'll see. Orlando. Wolf. 31 0 run against him in Toronto. I didn't even know that was possible. It was ugly. It was as ugly as you would think. Now, on the one hand, they are at a severe talent shortage

right now. Anthony Blacks been out for a while. Sugs is always in and out of the lineup.

Franz Wagner has been out for a while. When one or Bane, a one of Bane or Bancaro is off the floor and they stagger them because they need one of them to run a functional offense at all times. You look around at some of the names you're like, man, this is not, this is like kind of not a viable NBA five at at at at least at a high level right now. So you want to be forgiving in that sense. And what would all the problems that we see, a particularly offensively with,

their middle of the pack, which for Orlando is great in the last 10, 15 years. How much would those be ameliorated if they were actually healthy? The other tell, though, is defensively, they've just fallen off a cliff. They're down to 16th and defense. This should not be the 16th best defense. Their DNA is not to be the 16th best defense and despite injuries, despite all that. Transition defense is a bismal. They're stuck in mud. They're not communicating. They're making very simple

“mistakes. That's kind of the tell. Still time to save their season. And I think best case saving their”

season if France can't come back or if France is back and just not France is, we sneak into the

top six and we lose in the first round. I think that's best case. I don't know that that changes

along term outlook there. That's one demanded or Sacramento. Yeah. I look at that one. Milwaukee. Doc Rivers has money coming in. I don't think he's walking away from the money. So, you know, the bucks obviously have another large issue to resolve that may be linked to the coaching issue, but like if you honest get straighted, what happens with Doc? That's one to watch. Chicago. I think Billy Donovan's a really good coach. I think the bulls are a complete mess. I don't think

they have any coherent direction right now. He'd they've extended him a couple of times over the years. I think he's a really good coach. To me, this would be like does he just sit beside enough his enough? I want to go take a college job for something like that and walk out of it?

“I don't know, but something to monitor. The wizards, you know, I think Brian Keith probably”

deserves to be in the camp of like, you kind of owe it to him to give him a shot with a real team. And like they have Anthony Davis to try young. This could be a pretty quick turnaround to a decent team next year. I don't love the way they've played this year. I don't love the sort of. I mentioned this with Bill last week. I think they've kind of, it's been a, they're tanking. We know they're tanking. Like they can't even play Alex Saur, Alex Saur's too

good to play down the stretch of the season. But law coolabollies got to sit out one every three games because he's too good. I just, they, they are watching them and then watching the jazz, the jazz are playing more real basketball than the wizards. And I'm a little bit worried that the wizards are developing some bad habits. They're young guys, but you've got to give the guy a, like, brand-cheap of chance to see a real team. Um, and other tank teams would fall into that

category, like, Jordy Fernandes, good coach. Let him see this through. Golden State, until Steve Kurt signs an extension or a new contract is contracts up this year. I'm just looking at it, miserable year for the warriors, miserable, just so, and, and, and, and right is they appeared ready to sort of turn the corner, December, January, their schedule at the beginning of the season was horrific, just to the number of big, the volume of games, the travel, they were

gearing up for a second half run, Jimmy Butler gets hurt, steps hurt. It's like, do we even bring

them back for the play and what's the point of this? Steve's been there a long time. Long time you've seen a lot. Don't a lot, negotiate a lot of contracts with Joe Laco. Um, you know, obviously the writings on the wall, the post-steffier is coming sooner rather than later. They do have the trade assets to try to salvage the end of the stuff here, and I expect them to be incredibly aggressive in the off season to do that. Um, I think, you know, I don't even know

what I would bet on this one. Steve, Kurt, and Steph Curry are tied at the hip. They both talked about that. You know, I don't, so does that mean Steve Kurt is there permanently as long as

“Steph is there? I mean, that's what it would mean on the surface. Those things are never as”

absolute as they seem. Wouldn't, wouldn't shock me if there's a new coach there. And just like Dallas, is it just, do they want to first start across the board and would that extend beyond the front office into Jason Kid? What does Jason Kid want? Does he want to front office role eventually? Is that there for him in Dallas at some point? Does he want to go to a new place to

like surprise team X after the playoffs disappointment. Oh, my God, they fired that guy. That's

incredible. They're, so that's 10 plus surprise team X 11 to monitor. Um, some other random observations.

I've lots a lot of the jazz lately. Um, I know it's a problem. It's, it's unhealthy. But they've been playing a lot of teams that a lot of good teams and teams that have been interested in and digging deeper into. And so the jazz have just been a big part of my life for the last three weeks bigger than any reasonable person should have them outside the state of Utah. And just color me is very excited for the jazz next season. When Keith George is back,

Markin and his back, Jiren Jackson, Jr's back, Walker Cessler's back. Because I like a lot of

“what I'm seeing from some of their young guys. I think Cody Williams, who looked like a just an epic”

bust of a top 10 pick, he's, you know, he's getting to shoot as much as he wants on offense. And I'm not sure exactly what he's going to be offensively. But he has shown enough in the last couple of months that he can, I think there's a world in which he's like a functional eighth to 10th guy on a good Utah jazz team. His defense is really improved. He's, he's a solid defender. He'll, he knows how to close out on guy's short. He knows how to run guys off the arc.

He's extremely well bound. He can sprint out and come to a stop and keep drivers and front of them. He's big as long as rangey offensively. It's a little hit or miss. Ace Bailey,

I might actually crack and move Ace Bailey to first team all rookie alongside the big for

all rookie guys. I had Rano tentatively in that fifth spot. I just, I've loved Ace Bailey's rookie season. It was, it's the complete opposite of what I expected it to be. I thought he would

“come in based on all the intel. It didn't even want to be in Utah. Was it washed in or bust?”

Is he going to report all this? I thought he was going to come in and be like, oh, I'm just going to shoot a bunch of horrible shots. Watch me. I want to score all I want to do score. And he has played the exact opposite way. He cuts hard. He defends hard. Like watch his chase down blocks. He's engaged in the game as a screener. He'll screen role and make a pass out of the short role. And lately, as the jazz who go on full tank mode, they've led him spread his wings offensively.

And it is not come at the expense to a large degree anyway of his efficiency. He's shooting three is pretty well. And he's got glimpses of, oh, you, I got a smaller guy switched on to me. Let me take you down to the block. And I'm not overpowering, not overpowering. But I'm big. I'm much bigger than you. Let me shoot this little 15 foot turn around over you. And it looks nice. It looks nice. A plus Ace Bailey rookie season.

“Call full ofowski defensively. He's going to be challenged at the four or the five. That's fine.”

He's a starting center right now. He's not going to be a starting center when the game's matter. He's like, he's a legit good backup big man in the NBA. Very skilled offensively. The three comes and goes. But he's got a little bit more of like a face up bully spin spin shoulder block, lay up hook kind of game to him. He's a very good passer. He's a rotation big man for next year's that jazz team. Bryce Senseaba, one of my white whales of the NBA, just the guy

that I'm endlessly fascinated by weight. He had 35 tonight. What happened when Bryce Senseaba looks good? Like you, if you were a space alien and you watched a good Bryce Senseaba game, you'd be like, well, that guy's a top ten player in the NBA. He looks so smooth. He's making fadeaways and making turn around to spin move all that. And then it's like, do the coaches hate I mean, in play for two straight weeks that we know defensively it's a little bit of a struggle

offensively. He's been a little over dribbly, a little tunnel vision. Last couple months, he's he's more decisive offensively. There's a lot less dancing. There's a lot less like messing around frailude all that stuff. Just catch one dribble, cross up, go drive, keep the machine moving. That race, Senseaba, he can be a rotation player on a good team. Not a starter. I don't think but a rotation player on a good team. And oh, by the way, they have a 99.6% or sorry, 99.4%

chance of keeping their first round pick, but which they owe to Oklahoma City if it falls after

eighth. If they stay in the fist spot of the lottery, they're going to get another 99.4% chance. They're going to get another interesting building block into Jazki win 50 games next year. Random other thoughts. Jacobi Walters have in a nice couple of weeks. Great sign for the Toronto Raptors. Keep an eye on him. Josh Giddy, not not exactly finishing this season the way you'd want. If you were the bulls and you're like, this is kind of the only other than

Matas. Good thing we've had going for us. And he's just kind of like turning it over a lot, not scoring as much to shots, shot efficiencies a little bit down. Okay. You know, the canvas is shot right now. Gary paid in a second. Hats off to the mid and can't miss a shot. Plus, plus off the bench for the Warriors every game. Maxine, right now. Can you dunk, please? Just just

into the basket and you grab the rim and you scream. Just try it, man. Do you like it? It works.

Boston, I'm endlessly, I've mentioned with, I'm Blas that Missulu is my coach of the year. He's been my coach here for a while now. I've mentioned before the way that they game end of quarter possessions in different ways, fouling guys on purpose, rushing teams to shoot early. I've watched a couple of their recent games. The two for one is old hat. We all know the two for one. Every commentator's like, oh, it's two for one. I'm pretty sure the Celtics are

like doing three for two and maybe even four for three because they'll get the ball with like a minute in 10 seconds left in a quarter and someone will just dribble it for 18 seconds and nothing

“will be going on and everything the coaches will just be like watching what's happening. I think they're”

killing time. I think they've figured out some three for two or four for three kind of math that they're on and the last thing on my random observations. Every fourth game I'll watch and a team will have it will make a challenge. They'll win the challenge and the commentators will be like, I don't understand.

Why can't we just have infinite challenges? We lose. We win our second challenge. We don't have

any more challenges. That's not fair. Love, love, love, love, love. Horrible take. Two challenges is enough. Extend that logic as far as you want it to go. If you don't lose your second if you have infinite challenges then you have infinite challenge. When does the challenge end? If you keep your challenge because your second one is successful, you get a third one. Do you get a fourth one? Do you get a fifth one? Like where does this end? The games are too long. Two challenges is enough.

“No extra challenges. Stop saying there should be extra challenges. You should lose your challenge.”

If the challenge and basketball took as long as these new baseball challenges which are absolutely

glorious to do just taps his head and there's a challenge in 10 seconds later we know if you

want your loss. Sure, give me four challenges. The way they are now, two challenges is enough. All right, that's it for Zack's random thoughts. Let's get back to big loss. I forgot two other honorable mentioned line-up combinations. Just monitoring, Kominga and Jalen Johnson together. Does that work? Is it workable? Has it work? Atlanta just keeps winning. And the heat, you know, like hero towel, we're going to do this or not.

Like we can, we can do it or not. And injuries have sort of allowed them to get off the hook and making a permanent decision on that. But defensively, that's tough. Okay, topic two, assignment two for was the playoff race as we get down to the end of the season that you are most excited or curious about. And there's a few different races that you could look at. What did you go with is your most exciting playoff race? So to me, this is not quite a race. It's kind of just the luck of the

draw and it's who draws the Houston Rockets. Because to me, they are the obvious lemon in that three to six range. And whoever draws Houston should be high five and clapping it up, extremely happy because Houston ain't it, Zack. I'm sorry. The one caveat is if

“McDaniels can't go in the first round, I think that's such a significant bloat of Minnesota,”

but yes, you're dead on about Houston pessimism. They have earned it. So continue. It's look, and I'm going to just say this right now, haven't talked to anybody in Houston, haven't reached out to any of my guys over there. People on the ground, people around the team, like with players and stuff. I would talk to anybody about this. I just, this is just, this is just what was doing guess work from T-Leaves, whether that be press conference answers from the coach

in certain players just watching this team, the lack of cohesion, the lack of, like, does it feel like this, this isn't just five guys out there, just kind of rolling the balls out there. It just feels like the coach doesn't like the players and the players don't like him back. That's it. And that does not feel like a winning combination. And you know, again, it's specifically the offense for me, but I know everybody's talked about it, like they're down the stretch offense,

which has been obviously bad. Their clutch offense is bad. Whatever, cool, put that to the side. We were talking, I was talking to Modocchio, our guy, and he was like, man, the thing that is the most frustrating about Houston is they will run a great play three times in a row, get three straight buckets, the fourth bucket, KD gets to open look, the fourth time they run a KD gets to open look,

process. And then we'll just straight up not run that play to rest in a game. It's just like,

“what is going on with this team? So that's the race that I'm watching. Who gets to play Houston”

in the first row? So there were four, there's four candidates to me for this race of the most exciting race award. The race for the last number one seed between the spurs and the thunder, which could impact the MVP race maybe to depending on your taste. The east from five to ten,

I mean, just forget it. It could go in a million different directions. You know,

Philly had a big loss last night. My M.A. had a big win or Lando is trending down. Charlotte has been trending up, but they're at a tiebreaker disadvantage in a lot of these ones. And so, and they have a very tough schedule. They may be stuck in the nine ten bracket, maybe not, they're on the game behind Orlando. And then five, six, seven between Toronto and Atlanta, Philly. I mean, just who they'll notice. And then east two, three, four, same thing, New York,

boss, our boss in New York, Cleveland. But this is the one, four to six in the west. Lakers are very likely going to be three. The nuggets, despite an absolutely brutal schedule are, like if you look at the projection systems, like 80 to 85% in the four, five bracket, it could go to fourth, it could be fourth, it could be fifth. And the reason is they have tiebreakers over both Minnesota and Houston. And their last two games, which are brutal,

are thunder spurs, which like some chance those one are both going to be locked better. Yeah. So, so their schedule made it. So, if Denver is in the four, five, then who is fifth and six

becomes critical to them, to the Lakers, to the second round teams, because I'm surely the

Lakers would prefer it to be Houston. Surely Denver is like, hey, we got to play the Minnesota Timbles again in the playoffs. Like, this isn't any fun. And so, and by the way, the rockets in the wolves, they only play three times this year. It's one one. Maybe the biggest game left in the season is April 10th in Houston, the third game of that three game series

“between those two teams will decide to tiebreak. But yeah, that's a, that's a, a very important”

pivot point for like every team in the western conference in terms of like how the playoff journey is going to work. And maybe Houston figures some stuff about it itself out. Maybe this starting five clicks into place. You know they're going to be a great defensive team or at least a competitive defensive team. Offensively, they've just been a bottom 10 offense for three months now. And disorganized slow. We run one thing and that we don't seem to have anything else sort of in the

can in case that thing doesn't work. Okay, Alpy just dribble from 20 20 feet out and create a hook shot or KD do your thing. It's, it's just, they have the tools, particularly with shepherd, Durant, and Chengun, all on the floor to be a much more dynamic offense. A much faster offense, an offense and go from one pick and roll combination, swing it and go into another one, use shepherd as a screener instead of a ballad. Like, and they do a little bit of that, and then it

just sinks into this into this funk. So we agree on the playoff race, I think. All right, last topic, I said, a bill and I were going to do this one day. One more thing on the playoff race in the east. Yes. I think hopefully, hopefully Detroit draws either Charlotte or Philly, and that's going to be a whale of a series. I really believe that. I don't think Detroit's just going to blow either one of those teams, who I hope comes out of the play in situation. I think

Charlotte's going to ultimately end up being that eighth seed, and I think they're going to give

“Detroit some problems. So yeah, that's what I would say. Yeah, if you're ranking entertainment”

value of the four play in teams, it's definitely Philadelphia and Charlotte overland ghost. And my ambie, the question is, you know, Toronto and Atlanta are like one losing streak away from being in the play in. I don't, I mean, I don't find the raptors particularly in thralling to watch, but but they've been qualitatively better than all these things. Charlotte, Charlotte's a real like Philly full strength in Charlotte. I don't think it's just Detroit. I think particularly

Charlotte, the tracker could say, like they're giving all of these teams a playoff series. Like none of those four teams walks in is like, I'm just pinning in. No, leaveland in five. New York in hell. Boston in five. Like those are going to be, that's a brutal, what not surprised me? What that surprised me is Charlotte actually won any of those playoff series? I'm not sure. I'm going to I'm picking all chalk in the first round for the same. That's just like if you can't, if you

four teams, so much equity, safe distance this year, or have accomplished so much in this year, can't win and

credit him, but we didn't get time for it. Awards that you think are locked up right now for the

most part or totally. So let's just go down the list. MVP is it locked up for you. It's locked. Shake Hills is Alexander. I understand that a lot of money has come into the betting markets behind this Wemby push to, you know, this campaign that he's on. He's an Iowa eaten corn dogs and all of that for his MVP. Shake Hills can some babies. But like, you are not the MVP of the this NBA season, sir. This shake, he'll just Alexander. And I would argue he's kind of not even number two,

“because of how dominant Yokech was pre-engineering. I think the breadth of Yokech's season is still”

better in my opinion. I understand the Wemby arguments in terms of his defensive impact is so high. Like, it's beyond what a, you know, a mottombo was doing or even a Ben Wallace or something like that. I run our tests like these, these previous defensive player to use like his, it's kind of outside. And I was looking up some of the like kind of all in one defensive stats. I think his all in one defensive

stats are messed up by the fact that his backup is an amazing defensive center. And so it's kind of

discounting Wemby's defensive impact in the stats or whatever. And I understand it. I'd take all that into account. Shay on offense is just on another planet from Wemby number. They're not comparable in terms of their offensive impact. Well, the same is true on defense though, right? Just to play doubles advocate. Yeah, but we know defense is an as important as offense. It's when it is Wemby not the exception to that rule as as sort of like the the one superstar maybe ever who actually is

impacting every single moment of every single defensive possession. Like he's not like

Kawai back in the day, you would see teams treat him like Revis Island. Like you're just

we're just not letting you impact the game other than we're just not going to where you are. Wemby, you can't you can't do that with it. It doesn't matter what play you run or where you run it on the floor. He's in your head. For sure, I understand that that argument, but I also think like the guy is playing with defensively talented. That he has mates as well. Like he's not playing with a bunch of bombs on defense. These guys are working in concert. We want another. I think like

the spurs wings on defense can be aggressive in a way that they probably wouldn't because Wemby's back there, right? And like I think they're working in concert. I think Wemby is like his defense is a cut above everybody else. And I think he deserves considerate. Like I think he's in the MVP hunt. I agree with all of that. It's just to me like shape what he's doing on a team that's had guys and important guys in and out of the lineup all year long. And it's

just been shaped. Like at the end of games, this dude is so insanely deadly lethal, completely unstoppable

“where it's like, if he gets a shout-off, that's it. Your defense is cooked. You have to pray that”

this man doesn't shoot the ball at all. I'm sorry man. And Shay is not a liminal defense either. It's not like, no, he's a very, he's a very good defensive player. A Yokey stick. Obviously, his defensive impact can't be compared to Wemby. We know that. And I agree that Wemby's offense is way more closer to the level in terms of impact to Shay than Shay's defenses to him. I just think offense is way more important. And I think like who gets paid and who ends up winning. You know,

like the sort of interchangeability of certain defensive kind of players and like, oh, he's a great player and like how easy it is to come in and replace their defensive production. I don't think anybody would argue that offense isn't just clearly, definitely more important. Shay's just been, he's been a beast on that end to me. Look, the stands of all four of these guys will not want to hear this. You can make a reasonable argument. Yes. All four of these

candidates. Like, that's just, that's not a hot take. That's a cool take. That's a boring take.

“You can make reasonable arguments for all four of them. I think Shay is the MVP. I really don't even”

care if the spurs pass the thunder. I think over weighing that is sort of similar to firing your coach because, you know, you've finished ninth and son of eighth by one game. I'm like, okay, so if you finish eighth, he was a great coach and if you finish ninth, he was a fucking bum.

Like, that's a lot of minutes. And he's doing that without playing fourth quarters and like 20 games because they're ahead by so many. Now, they both have, they both elevate their teams to,

like Wemby's on-off is from neutral to incredible. Shay's on-off is from pretty good to

incredible. And the incredible part matters to me more than where the off-court number is. It's like, are you elevating your team to like, holy shit. This is a machine. That's Shay, clutch numbers are

“outrageous. And this is, this is Jordan, but modern era. I mean, that's how good he is offensively.”

And I just think you put all that together. He's, he's the MVP for me. I would have Wemby second, Yokegster, Luca 4th, the Lucas stands are going to go crazy. I get it. You can make a resort. He's four. He's four. Whatever. But again, it's the breadth of this six weeks, outrageous. If you say to the Lucas stands, Zach, three and a half weeks of great basketball, does not an MVP case make. Well, he's absolutely happy, Y'all. He's, he's having 33 points of

game. I get that. I get that. But like, it's been a difference in kind in terms of what he's been doing recently and defensively, defensively, too. Exactly. Do it for the whole season, gang. Okay, defensive player of the year I assume we think is the same. Lock, lock, that's a lock. I think

“if I had a ballot, you got to go three deep on the ballot. I think right now, my ballot would be”

Wemby Neama, Holmgren, and Anobi, maybe a Saur Thompson third, maybe Derek White third. But I feel

good about my ballot. Rookie of the year. Locker not lock. I'm locked in O'Connor, Knippel. I mean, I'm super. I've been convinced. Oh, my, you know what? My daughter with that's a joke. I would make to my daughter and she just, she just says, no, Dad. No, no, Kringe, Kringe. Kringe. Reach the cringe point in our relationship where I'm cringy. That's fine. I told our comes for a Saur Zach. But I, I told her it's only going to get worse. If you think you,

if you think you calling me, Kringe is going to make me dial it back more. If you know what it's like, it's like the agents calling me to lobby for their players for various awards. First, why I don't have the ballot. Second of all, this is annoying. It's going to make me less likely the kid. You're annoying me. Like, I know the numbers. You don't do it. If you sort of basketball reference, I got it. Like, I got it. I know what they were. They were crazy that

“they would call you instead of sending you a gift basket. That's why I don't want to give”

the basket either. I'm not going to aim the team. I'm not going to aim the team. I got a big package yesterday. I'm not a voter. Can you just look up who the voters are? I got a big package yesterday. A box is big. It's my 36 inch computer monitor. Whenever I need to have over many inches, this is over here. In the box, in the box, was an item, the size of a deck of cards. Why is the box so fucking big? Now I got to add it to my recycling pile. I'm not going to name the team,

but you're not helping. Guys, good gifts and small packages for Zach alone. They'll do state sponsored radio for you guys. The wizards a couple of years ago sent a nice look in cheeseboard. Okay. I'll keep the cheeseboard. Did you just actual use for it? I got only knows what actually what candidate they had for anything. What was the occasion for a wizards thing? I don't know. I bet it was that zorly. I bet you. Anyway, Khan, I'm with you.

And I just think the shooting efficiency is crazy. Outweighs everything else in a slight minutes advantage. And just like, yeah, it's like he's played 10 more games on a team that the games actually matter. I think flag would you agree with this? Flag will be a better NBA player. Yes, yes. But for me, it's another thing, you know, I have some homies as Charlie. And what they're

explaining is not just that this guy is, you know, incredible player team first got it like,

yo, his intensity has permeated the team. He's a freaking rookie Zach. The word killer is used frequently by Charlotte people to describe how serious he is and how that seriousness, as you said, permeates the entire entire team. Like, I mean, I can't say enough. I love him and his game. And, you know, it's not just that he's a great spot. I've shoot a diversity of ways that he finds to get his three-point shots off. It's incredible. Get his first year. He's only going to get

I'm telling it on a tanker. I would have con flag BJ as the order. Harper, I think, per minute. I maybe has been better than BJ, but it's a thousand minutes difference. And so I just can't I can't get there for him. It's they're all first team. All rookie. Yeah, the hornets, they are just really hard to guard. Like, they play so fast both in transition and the way they run their stuff in the half court. It's all full speed. It's unpredictable. They mix up how they screen,

how they cut, how they screen and flare out. Like, if you're not dialed in, they're going to put up one 25 again. That next team was a prime example of that. Yeah. Like, the next have a tendency to be, like, okay, today we're going to be intense on defense. We see that against the okay season. Like,

“when they play some big teams, they'll ratchet up their intensity level. I think they wanted to”

Charlotte thinking like, you know, this is always a de facto home game. There's such a huge New York

city, expat community in the Charlotte area. So be fine. It was not fine. They got their asses ran off the court by the Charlotte Hornets because the hornets, which is beating them to the punch every single possession. And so yeah, I echo your sentiments on that, bro. Coach of the year for me is locked up. Is it locked up for you? Oh, yeah. It's been locked up for a minute for me, honestly, and it's Joe Mozilla. And I don't care that he gave his little speech where oh, they should

band the award. They should. It's all about the players and the staff, the staff who you manage in higher and whatever, um, as an extension of you, whatever. I don't care what Joe Mozilla has to say. He's the coach of the year. Just look at the dudes that they are trotting out there on a night-to-night

“basis. I promise you, have these guys y'all never heard of before this season. Okay? And they are”

poised to be the number two seed in the east. They're looking like the favorites that is because the Celtics operate within a structure and a system that is so, there's so discipline. And on both ends of the floor, like their offense is disciplined. Their defense, their rotations,

their basically match up the pending coverages. And what do I mean by that? It's like,

all right, when Bronson and Cat run a pick and roll, we guard it like this. When Bronson and OG run a pick and roll, we guard it like this. When OG and Cat do something, they are so locked in. And like to me, you can't take that away from Joe Masin. Another thing I'll say, Brad Stevens don't get enough credit. He's the executive of the year. Okay? To be finally scrap heap guys and people say, well, they got to hit him and Brown. Well, they have to hit him for

three quarters of the season, okay? And to be finding these dudes, getting rid of legit, like, bro, who corned that is a good ass player? Out or for it might be finished, that's cool.

“But true holiday was extremely important for these guys. Like, they're getting rid of”

really good MBA players. And they're still the favorites to come out of the East. For whatever reason, Brad Stevens doesn't do what these other GMs do and have people in our profession,

calling him a genius and kissing his ass all day every day off. If I'd never hear about how

great of an negotiator, Danny Ange is ever again, my Lord, will I be happy? Okay? Brad Stevens don't got these people in the media doing this ship for him. But he's one of the best executives in the MBA year in a year, he proves this shit. He's incredible. So GM in a year, coach of the year, the Celtics Brass bro. It's it's really incredible that he's done such a good job as GM and it's not it's been a minute now. It's not like he just got that it's been three,

four, five years or whatever. It's been and yet still like this is now his career. He's the president of basketball operations of an MBA team. This is his job. This is what he does. He's scouting, makes big decisions. He knows the cap or he gets you know what all that. And yet still when North Carolina opens up, you hear the buzz like his Brad Stevens is going to go north and he has to actually come out or the media of the Celtics come out and there's sources say he's not interested. Like he's

still that revered as a college coach that like one of the most prestigious jobs opens up. And he's mentioned for it. Yeah, I have Joe Mizzula coach of the year. The Celtics are a reflection of him. They are strategically on point in every way. As you mentioned, all of that is intentional. Like you're not exaggerating when you say different plans for different pick and roll combinations, different situations. And if you mess it up, you come out of the game. And it doesn't matter if

you're Brown or Tatum. Like the standard is the standard, he's he's he's he's game the possession math for them. They play an extremely low turnover high ISO, high mid range, high three,

well calculated and stem from the coaching staff in a lot of cases. I would probably go Mizzula Bicker staff. But Reddit has a case now. Miss Johnson has a case now. Don't Johnson has a big case for sure. Dark O'Rahack of it, she's done a nice job. Yeah, and

Charles Lee, all those guys. All those guys have done incredible jobs. I would say,

Mitch Johnson, with the spurs, what I love about them is to have a team who pretty much every single player. You can still smell the similar act on their breath. That plays the way that they do on offense. Like one convincing young guys to sell out on defenses a big deal. But offensively, you got a bunch of guys that haven't gotten paid yet for real. You know, aside from Fox and these guys play so unselfishly. They don't really care who gets off on a given night.

And of course, we know that puts a defense in a bond. You can't be sure exactly how they're trying to attack you because everybody's a threat to try to score and to give it up and

make the right play. So getting young guys, man, to understand the virtues of selfless or offensive

basketball to me is an insanely grand fee. And so I took my captain, Mitch Johnson, man, the spurs, how do they stumble from for 50 years of pop of it to this Mitch Johnson guy not to mention Robinson

“Duncan, Kauai. So it's just ridiculous. It's insanity, honestly, and Castle,”

Castle, who's another killer. If I were, if they were allowed to, I would, if I were the GM of the spurs and it were legal, I would just max out Castle now. I would actually break the rules and be like, we're offering them the max now. Whatever it is here, whatever the percentage of the cap is, this is what we can offer. So you know, you know, I worked with Danny Green and it was like a weak into the season. Obviously, he's super connected to the spurs, still like plugged in with them.

And he's like, he's a max player. I'm like, bro, come on, man, I get he's had a nice like three, three games in a row. He's obviously improved. The point is he's like, bro, I'm telling you, he's a max player, bro. He's just bona fide star. And that's just pouring out this entire season. And if you remember, the, you know, the way people used to talk about a men Thompson,

“that's how they talk about Castle now. Yeah. And by the way, I put like, I don't understand.”

So are you in like Bill and Goldberg had this conversation about how I'm in Thompson? Were you on that part too, about I'm in Thompson being a disappointment, being a disappointment this year? Hard disagree for me. I don't know if the expectations for him just got too high. He's pretty on track for what I want him to be. He's averaging 18 a game, five assists. I'm like that. All those numbers are up. Shooting efficiency a little down. I understand the

point guard thing, like, pseudo didn't work. He, I don't think he was ever going to be like a quality NBA, like, number one ball handling point guard at this stage of his career. For what he is, he's like, I'm fine with on that top. So I'm not disappointed. I think there were moments last year when you watched him, that you could dream that he would one day become a possessions eater.

“He's 23. You know, so do you still think that's in this future? I think he's are used 23. He's”

averaging 18 points a game on a team that has no offensive structure. I think he's had a bad season. I don't think he's been like disappointing. I just think the ceiling for him has lowered for me. Not that he's not going to be an incredible player going forward, but I don't see him as, you know, give this guy a ball in the clutch, run possession effort possession through him or with him involved and amazing things are going to happen. I guess I don't ever, I don't think

I never thought he was going to be that kind of player, like a luka or a shay or with like that

sort of usage. But I think he can become an all NBA player, his way, being that way sometimes when the matchups are right or whatever. And like in two years, it's like 23, eight and eight or 23, eight and six and like all defense and like that's an all NBA player. That's all. Speaking of all NBA, six man to the year and most improved, we can skip, we can skip those. Yeah, improved. I still got research to do six man here.

I don't even know who to like, most improved is something I just will never actually understand what the award is trying to do, but yeah, I'll be happy to skip that. And six man, I'd probably lean Keldon Johnson, but Himehaka's junior and Oz read. I had to

was that year to brutal, but he is completely put that in the past. Oh, he's been, he's just a relentless engine of pace and just gets where he wants to go. Spin the shoulder bumps and all of a sudden he's making any foot hook on your face. Either either any of those guys, I suddenly said it. I just want to do all NBA quickly because Keta's still out and is back. If he plays every game, he's going to get to 66 games. Why remains healthy? If he plays every game, he's going to get to 66 games.

Maxi is back. He's going to surpass 66 games. So we're getting some certainty on like who's going to be eligible. Let's leave Keta out of it because it doesn't seem like he's going to come back in time to get to 65 at this point. Like he's at 61 right now and there's no murmuring like he's going to be back in a week. But who knows? I'm getting close. So there are 15 spots. I'm not

“going to do the teams right now because I think that's still in flux. There are 15 spots.”

I'm getting pretty close to having 14 of the 15 in pen. And I'm going to, like, can I name them

and use it? Yeah, good. Obviously, the four guys who are locks for first team are Luca,

Wendy, Yoke, HSGA. So that's four guys. Here are the next 11 who one of them would get a first team spot. Again, if Kates not eligible and then five second team and then, you know, whatever the left overs are for 13. Jill and Brown is a lock. Yeah. He probably get my last spot. Honestly, he might be the favorite right now. First team. Yeah. Anthony Edwards is a lock. That's six. Donovan Mitchell is a lock that's seven. Yeah, Mark. You agree so far. Mm-hm.

Kawaii, I think is a lock. Oh, that's a lock. That's eight. I think Maxi has to be on it all

“NBA team. Yeah, but yeah, but that's nine. I think Jalen Durin has ascended into lock status”

for me. It depends status for me. So that's not going in any order. I just didn't do it with what he's done without Kate, like he put an up 25 30. I'm around there. I think Jamal Murray has ascended

into all NBA lock territory. Super lock. Yeah, 11. Jill and Brunson kind of never left. Maybe

maybe not like in the first, like, top two of the second team composition there. He's in there. That's 12. I think Jill and Johnson is now pretty close to a lock for me, given the Hawks searched in the season. Agreed disagreeing. Not like that. Not bad at that. No, I'm there. I'm there. And then the 14th would be Durant. I think is it despite all the Houston angst. He's this button. He's in pen for me. Yes. So that's like 14 in pen. And you don't seem to

eject really dead. You were like a little shaker on Durin and Jalen Johnson bus. Yeah, yeah, just a little little bit, but especially the out east. Like, are you really going to tell me mobly has been way better than Jalen Durin? No, yeah. I mean, he had there's no, there's no statistical case for that. There's he hasn't been. There's just in the past he's been and you would think that he still has the ability to access how good he's been in the past. But I think you'd be crazy to say that.

I think what people were people are going to complain with you. Zach is somebody from Toronto is deserving of an all-in-be. I still have a spot left. I still have one or one spot. That's

“what I think that's what people are going to be clamor for. Well, look, first of all, the Toronto fans”

are always complaining about something. Yes. American media. I can't just say this. I'm one of

the Zach low show. One of the biggest shows in sports media. All you wrapped this fan is that yell that me two or three years ago when I was like, Scotty Barnes is not the next Koaliner. Can y'all at least admit that we were all right to say that he wants it. Oh, but he's got better. rookie stats than Koai. I'm like, guys. Sorry. Sorry about that one was sorry. Sorry, boot it. So that, but I do have one spot left and Scotty Barnes is on my list for that spot. I don't think

I would give it to him. The names are Devon Booker, Chad Holmgren. Denny Obdius is going to get to 66 games, not a great finishing kick for him. Shen Goon, Kat, Bill with throw castle in there. I probably, I think I wouldn't read mature mobly. I think, I think, can you pull a little bellow ball? You'd have to at least look at Sam and to Tane. Yeah. Bam. Bam. I think I would probably lean to Booker for the last spot. But and maybe something will change with my 14 guys in pen.

And obviously I have to, would have to pick loose second team who's 13, but that's where I am currently. Yeah. I'd probably be Booker or Chet to be honest. And I think, I don't know. It feels like

engine kind of player. And that's, if you were dreaming of the best most ideal scenario for Chet, he just be more dangerous with the ball in his hands. And that just kind of hasn't born itself out.

“But I think his defensive impact is just under state. Like people don't realize”

how incredible this guy is on defense. And again, some, there's some nights where you watch Chet still get pushed around a little bit on defense because he's still like trying to find his grown man's strength. But on a 9 to 9 basis, this guy is a menace on defense. And I think offensively, he's been good even though he's overqualified in terms of his statue on a team. He has a pressure release valve for a thunder office that could sometimes feel like it's kind of

creaky when Lou Dorit and Caruso and those guys aren't making their wide open threes. And I think

Chet has gotten way better at destroying smaller matchups, which is always going to kind of be the

make a break indicator for for bigs. If teams can just switch a wing or god forbid a damn point guard onto you and you can't punish them with free throw attempts or just shooting efficient shots directly over those guys. You know, you're not going to reach your full potential as an offensive

“player. And I think he's made so many strides in that regard in terms of being able to beat up”

smaller switches. You know, I think in the past we've seen this with like guys like Porzingus, where in Dallas, like you could put Pat Beverly on this freaking guy on a switch and something pleasant. And nobody cared. And, you know, by the time you got the Boston, he had so vastly improved his ability. And a lot of it wasn't, you know, posting guys up and putting them under and burying them underneath the basket. It was like, no dude, I can get to a 10 foot or 11 footer

where I'm automatic and you can't contest it. And I think Chet has gotten closer to being good at that stuff. And you know, it's so to me, I probably, if it's not Booker for me, it's Chet. Like, yeah, you look at Chet's numbers 16 and a half a game is a rookie 15 last year, 17 in this year. Like, okay, minutes are the same. He's kept out of 29 minutes. They don't seem to want

to play him more than that until the playoffs just find like defensively unimpeachable, incredible.

And like when Benjama, beyond a rim protector, the arms are everywhere. He's everywhere. He

“guards all sides sorts of different players. I do, the, the, the one thing I think to your point”

that the number is missile, but it, well, he is shooting 64% on Tuesdays, which is a career high. Is the one shot that I feel super confident in him now, and particularly when he has a smaller guy on him is, yeah, I'm not, he's not going to back him down and power through and put the guy in the basket station. But face up from like 20 feet out, hard dribble, a couple hard dribbles, spin move, rise up for a 12 foot jumper, 13 foot jumper. Like, that feels borderline automatic to

me now. And like, I'm fine. If you're three, that's where we are, where the defense is where it is, where he only played 32 games last year, missed his entire rookie season due to injury. Like, I'm fine with where Chet is offensively. And like, maybe there's more there. I do think there is more there. It's also hard to find the more when the MVP of the league is 100 team. And like, AJ Mitchell's like, wait a second, I can average 15 in a game. I'm in six man in the year,

conversation, too. All right, big was no fouls given. Okay. And you can pull pairs, spot us on YouTube, wherever you get your podcast. You know, just play your driven stuff. These guys

always kind of like surprised me with like just the way that they've viewed the league as opposed to

you are Isaac. Like it's just this way different. And yeah, man, I have a great time with those dudes. So yeah, check us out on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast. Let's go, Matt's big was. It's great to see you. I'll see you probably in the playoff somewhere. I sure. We'll see you wherever we're life takes us. Thanks for your time, bud. Later, bro. All right, that's it for this Zack low show today. We'll be back on Thursday. As usual, thanks to the incomparable big was,

no fouls given. Let's go, Matt's thanks to Mike, Billy, and Jonathan on production. Thanks to all of you for listening to and/or watching the Zack low show. We'll see you Thursday. 21 over in president's like states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas star casino or 18 and over in president and DC. You can tuck your Wyoming gambling problem. Call 1 in 100 gambler or 1 800 my reset call 1 888 789 777 777 or visit ccpg.org/chat and Connecticut

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