June 21, 2024 • 37 mins
Former NFL offensive lineman and FOX Sports Radio Weekend host Ephraim Salaam is in for Rob, and he and Chris discuss which Eastern Conference foe is best equipped to knock off the Boston Celtics, tell us why they’ve been so underwhelmed by Joel Embiid these last few years and explain why Caitlin Clark deserves to be one of the leading vote-getters for the upcoming WNBA All-Star Game. Plus, The Athletic senior writer Jovan Buha swings by to discuss the Los Angeles Lakers decision to hire JJ Redick as their next head coach, what roster changes need to be made alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis and much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure
to catch us live every weekday from seven pm to
ten pm Eastern four to seven pm Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
at Fox Sports Radio dot.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Com, or stream us live.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Get this you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Ah, yeah, it is the Odd Couple.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I'm Chris Bruce Hard alongside my partner naw Rob Parker,
not Rob Parker. It's our man e from Salim, and
we are live from the Tireraq dot com studios.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Tirek dot com will help you get there.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
They've got an unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free row
has a protection and more than ten thousand recommended installers.
Tyrereck dot Com is the way tirebind should be. In
The Odd Couple even sans Rob Parker is the way
sports talk radio should be. So keep it locked here
for the next three hours on Fox Sports Radio, the
(01:22):
iHeartRadio app, or Serious XM channel eighty three. However you
may be listening, let me welcome in my partner, he
from Salam, so he was on yesterday. He clearly went home,
soaked his body in a tub of epsom salt.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
And after that rubbed.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
You know, I probably had his wife rub been gay
on him and woke up in the morning ready to
come back for another beat down.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
At the hands of yours truly.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
But hey, he's brave, he's courageous, he's a true from Salam.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Was it a beat down though, I mean, you know, yeah,
I don't want to answer your question. Yes, all right,
I mean because the text you sent me after was like,
thank you so much, man for really uplifting the show.
You know, we really needed you, you know it just
sometimes we need a little you know, a little flavor,
a little spice in it. Rob and I are really old,
(02:24):
so we're not really tapped into what's going on. So
thank you for bringing that youthful energy. And I said,
you know, of course, man, that's what I'm here for.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
And he's funny too, just like the man he replaced,
Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
He's good to have you on my man, great to
be here.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
We got Yovan Buja Athletics senior NBA writers. He can
talk to us about the Lakers and other stuff going
around the league.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Of course, the couple crew in full effect the super producer.
Rob g is in the house.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Oh he showed up today.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Yeah barely. He just got here, just got here, but
he's here.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Cool social media, social media are Man Elijah Sabuna you
just heard him a moment ago.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Steve Di Seger will be on the updates.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
And on the ones and twos in for DJ.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Alex tightsher you know her, well, she rocks the.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
House none other than Man Mary. Oh, that's right, Mary,
Mary on the boards. Even before we get into our topic,
I'm watching the US Olympic Trials. It's on USA and
I've got it on and it just reminds man, when
(03:43):
I was a kid, track and field was really big,
Carl Lewis and just I mean it was.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
It was great.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It was something I really was into the you know,
particularly like the sprints, uh, and the long jump and
things like that.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Not as big now are you in the track and
field now?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Of course? So you're still into it still right now today? Okay, Yeah,
I'm still into it. I think it's especially when it
comes around the Olympics. Yeah. I think it's really the
thing that measured the dominance of the United States when
(04:22):
you look back over the years as far back as
Jesse Owens. Oh yeah, right, and so it was that standard.
It was that thing that we really hung our hat on.
And then we started taking over in the pool. And
then of course when after ninety two when the Dream
Team landed, we started taking over in basketball and so.
(04:47):
But track and field to me was always that that
tent pole event or events to really measure the Olympics.
You think about track and field, right that the kathlon, Uh,
just all of the sprint, like the world's fastest man,
the world's fastest woman, the best, the fastest, you know,
(05:11):
four by one hundred, four by four hundred, all of
those things were so prestigious. And then the little guy
named Michael Phelps came and then you know, shattered all
expectations of anything in the water aquaman as what they
call them, and uh, you got don't even don't forget
Greg lugainis on the diving.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
No.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I wish it was specifically about track and field.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I wish it was bigger in America, Like I don't
know something a league, I don't know what they could do,
but I just wish it were bigger because these are
tremendous athletes and it'd be great to see more of
it rather than kind of every four years, which is
what it has become. All right, let's get into this
Celtics thing, because they had their championship parade today, and
(06:00):
you know, if they went to Miami after the championship game,
e from when they clinched a few hours after the game,
after they had done their media and everything, they boarded
a flight and went to Miami to party.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
I feel that a gangster or is.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Look, I'm not trying to get the Celtics in trouble
with Boston.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
It matter.
Speaker 6 (06:26):
That's a little y'all couldn't stay one night. No, no,
y'all couldn't stay one night. And there's nowhere you could
have kicked it in Boston. Nowhere y'all could have just kicked.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
It for the night and then in the morning, afternoon whatever,
gone to Miami and done your thing.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
For a few minutes. I had to get out, like,
let me ask you.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Forty five minutes after the game.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Let me ask you. Let me ask you a question.
Have you ever now you've been with your wife for a.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Long time, I've been I've been married twenty nine.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Years, a long time, So you may I may know
the answer to this. I haven't kicked it in my life.
You don't Miami hung out, then you don't, Then you
don't know what it is.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
No, but that wasn't gonna be there. Wh was the
game Monday? Was it Monday? That wasn't gonna be there
Tuesday night.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
No, we're gonna get some of that in right now.
Come on, man, you want you ain't about to go
to sleep. Miami is one of the greatest places to
be if you're not going to sleep.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I'm just saying, hey, man, it's I know Boston is
not Miami.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Boston deep in history and architecture all the but Miami,
Miami is steeping butts that that's when you win a championship.
Uh huh.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
How look the city girls are from Miami.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
There you go, city girls. But look that's that's I
get that. I understand. You gotta remember the Super I played,
the Super Bowl I played in was in Miami, Okay,
and it was unreal? Brother?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Was that?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
That was that in Atlanta ninety eight?
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Oh? That was that was the Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, that was you see what happened? You see what
you say?
Speaker 4 (08:10):
You know?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I know mean Robinson, what I know him well too,
you know it better than me. Yeah, you played with him,
but yeah, and and and you know he actually spoke
at an event of men's kind. You know, I have
to keep but he spoke at our event a couple
of years ago and talked about that whole, that whole.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I want you to come to the next one. Okay, well,
I mean I want to keep getting these invites.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Its in d C March thirteen through the sixth.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
He man, I'm gonna give you an invite. Tap me in.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
I know your family's into theology and all that.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
We had tapped me in, homie.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Okay, we got you, but yeah that was yeah, okay
that you're right.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, so yeah, you get it. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
Staying But anyway, who let me ask you this?
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Obviously the Celtics want to repeat and here here's a
little excerpt from there.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
We gotta have seven eight to be Boston and next year,
the next and Celtics. We ain't gonna have to pull
up to that. I need to see that Ritt because
that is to me, the Knicks. You're built to challenge
this Celtic team. Man, listen, the Knicks they can stay healthy.
Pete that's gonna be the asterisk that they if they
can stay healthy. This is to me Philly and the
(09:19):
New York Knicks are going to be the two teams
that I think they give the Celtics a chance.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Okay, that's Kevin Garnett before Monday, when the last Celtics
championship in two thousand and eight. So that was not
from the parade obviously, But what are your thoughts? Who
do you think will be the toughest challenger for Boston
in the East.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Well, it depends on what Philly does this offseason.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Right and supposedly we I don't know, we didn't talk
about it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
We didn't talk about it, but yeah, but they've waned
on Paul George, right, right, So it really depends on
what that extra piece is they can go with Joel and.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
I mean who I wonder who it is, Zach Levine.
I mean, unless they getting a little ron, who's out
there of it than Paul George or maybe Zach Lavine.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
I guess they could do a.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Trade you, I mean, if we what we've known is
the options are there, right, if you want something bad enough,
you can make it work. So this whole notion of
boy they gonna have this and they can. Well, they
got so much cap space they can pretty much make
anything work. It depends for them, It depends on that.
It depends on how serious Joel Embiid is going to
(10:27):
take being a dominant presence in the paint. Thank you
don't say, don't need you at the three point line?
Who's rebounding? If you're if we're if if my center
is swinging the ball to the to the.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
And he ain't swinging it really but but but you
get what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
So if he, if he, if he legitimately wants to
dominate inside out, then they have a shot. Depending on
that piece. For the Knicks, I don't know if the
Knicks have enough size depending on on what happens with
Al Horford, is he retiring, depending on Chris But you know,
(11:07):
but what the the the thing that Boston has, they
have wing defenders that will just destroy anything that you're
trying to get going outside of of the paint. And
not only that, those guys can literally get their own shots.
So you did not mention Milwaukee, Well, Milwaukee is interesting.
(11:30):
I don't know if it's a not with Chris Middleton
being like, if they can replace that piece. And I
know Chris came in and played well for them in
the playoffs when everybody else got.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
Hurt about his health. Yeah, it's just he's a good
third guy.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
He is. But I think they need to get younger there,
more athletic at that third spot.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Where they're talking about moving off Malik Beasley and brook Lopez.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
At least those are report. I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
They need to add athleticism brook Lopez.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
That's clearly a move to match Boston.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah, and I mean they were huge, which I guess
that was.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Gonna be their thing. We're gonna be bigger than y'all.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
But I don't think that's gonna get it done necessarily
against Boston. You're not gonna be able to guard them
on the perimeter. So I look, I hear you, Philly,
and it is all about Embiid. And I'm telling you,
Ephim if I'm Joel Embiid, like, I actually feel like
Joel Embiid, and that all the players obviously are motivated.
(12:37):
So this is a little bit hyperbole. I'm gonna say
he should be the most motivated guy in the league
next year. You can say Damian Lillard too. But every
of course, all the champions and all the players period
will be motivated. But my point is this, all of
the top players from this little mini era, I'm not
even gonna call it an eraror yet, right kind of
(12:59):
that post Lebron's Steph kd generation, Giannie has got one, now,
the Celtics guys Jason and Jalen have got one, Yo,
Kichen's got one, and Luca at least has gotten there.
NB hasn't even gotten to a conference finals. And you
(13:22):
he's lost to Trey Young and Jalen Brunson. And I mean,
I'm not trying to disparage it. I'm just saying Joel L.
Mbs supposed to be a notch above them. He's the
one guy in this era that we think of as
like ultra elite who hasn't even come close.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
And and I.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Ephraim, I'll say this, if he if you could tell,
would tell me he's going to be close to one hundred,
as close as you are at that time of year,
to one hundred when the playoffs startle this, I don't
care who they get if they have him, and they're
(14:01):
a contender, right, And I hear you because I've been
beating that drum for years on Embiid. He is a
great jump shooter, a phenomenalone. So I don't and I
think you feel the same way. We don't want him
to not shoot a jay, but when it's time, you
watch Jokis. He will take you inside when it's time.
And that's what Embiid has yet to really do consistently.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
And let me explain what I mean by that. It
means the way you snatch a heart out of an opponent,
the way you start demoralizing an opponent, yes, is putting
them in a position where they can't stop something right.
No one can guard him on the block, right, So
(14:45):
you're you're making it easier for your opponent further away
from the basket. You are thank you. They will live well,
be six ' five. They'll live with you shooting seven
threes a game that works in their favor. Even if
you hit all seven, right, They'll live with that. That's
the difference. That's what people aren't understanding. Well, look at
(15:06):
this three point percentage is not about that. Well, it's
about imposing your will in the pain and also creating
second shot opportunities for your ball club and drawing fouls.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
There you going it drawing double teams that you can
kick out to open shooters because.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
He's taken I think about four or five threes a game.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
But he's taken long jumpers and long twos and meet
mid range days and he's great at it.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
But I need what you said a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
All Right, We're gonna keep talking about this so we
can get to these other would be contenders in the
Eastern Conference next year who want to give the Celtics
a run for their money.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
It's The Odd Couple.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Chris Brusar and e from salam Is sitting in for
Rob Parker. Keep it locked Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Hey it's me Rob Parker.
Speaker 7 (16:04):
Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for
twenty two minutes of piping hot baseball talk, featuring the
biggest names of newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe
in analytics or the I Test, We've got all the
bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do your
Sofa Favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob
(16:26):
Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Oh my, it's the Eye Couple live from thee Tirack
dot Com studios. Ephraim salam In for Rob Parker. Ephraim
this is one of the best pop songs, you know,
popular music, meaning in American history?
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Am I wrong about that?
Speaker 5 (16:55):
No?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I mean it's been sampled a million times, so that
goes to show you. H this is just how dynamic
it is.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
You a little younger, so you really don't remember it.
You probably do remember it.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Bro was a DJ so but real talk like I
was in like I think third or fourth grade when
this came out, and this was just the jail, So
you were like a toddler.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Yes, but like I said, my brother who's twelve years old,
who was twelve years.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
Old, you will not let me big boy.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
You huh, Oh you can't this How you can't You're
we're peers, well kind of sort. How tell me how
I got years on you. I don't even want to say,
not that many years.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I got enough years on you that when you were
just starting to play basketball, thinking you were nice I
would have demolished you.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
I got enough years because you would have been How
old were How old were you at your years?
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Older than my best.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
At your best? Old were you at your best and best?
I probably believe.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
I maybe my freshman or sophomore year in college. I'll
say my sophomore year in college, so I'll say.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
I'll just say twenty.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Twenty or my senior year.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
I was twenty one, Yeah, twenty twenty one, twenty.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Sixteen, So you were thirteen, yeah, sixteen year on me
against twenty years. No, you were thirteen. But what I'm saying,
and I was terrible in basketball at the time. But
what I'm saying is.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
If you it was made.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
If you took your best you at twenty years old
and played against my best sixteen year old Meigs, You're done.
Bro's nothing. I don't know, it's nothing senior at sixteen.
I was on my way to San Diego State at sixteen,
bro getting recruited. Okay, Maybe no, I was rolled into college.
(18:49):
I was. I enrolled into college.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
I didn't say all that.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
I'm old enough, more old enough, for got enough years
on you where when you were just starting to play.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
You're right, Okay, I'll give it I would have been.
I'm gonna let you whoa whoa, whoa, whoa whoa?
Speaker 4 (19:12):
How tall were you as a senior?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Sixty five sixty one hundred? Hold on, you were six
five eight nineteen. That was one hundred and eighty five
pounds with a thirty eight inch vertical? What could you
possibly know that?
Speaker 4 (19:29):
That's nice?
Speaker 2 (19:30):
How could you here? Could you possibly that was let's.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
See sixteen, I'm a I'm a roughly that was probably
what nineteen ninety.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Four something like that.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I was ninety three ninety three.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Now back then, all due respect because I love the nineties.
Six five you probably was playing inside now in high school.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
But on my AAU team, I was a three.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Probably have tournament was probably okay.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
We trailed in Oakland. I had the record for I
had seven threes that game. Oh word, oh so oh
you just started, you know when I thought it was okay.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
This is our loggo.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
When I played in high school, we didn't even have threes,
real talk, we did not have I'll be honest.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
When we at college we had him.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
I can't count the number threes I shot in my
career on like one or two hands, because.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
It wasn't a shot, you know, unless you was.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Just a shooter, right, And we had a couple of
guys that was shooters. That's you didn't you didn't really
shoot that back, you know what I.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Mean back in the day.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
But anyway, let's get back to who's gonna be the
toughest competition in the East for the Celgiics. We talked
about Philadelphia and Rob G's got a few stats. Both
of us want to see him be use his size
a little more because Ephraim, as great as he is
the way he plays, he might as well be six ' five.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yes, and it's just.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Come on, bro, like you just Rob Gi shares with
us the information you have.
Speaker 8 (21:03):
Oh yeah, it's a rough one for anyone who's a
Sixers fan. But good news for you guys, because according
to Basketball Reference, Joe L. L Embiid takes over fifty
eight percent of his shots from beyond ten feet ten
feet out to three point line. In fact, the shot
he is most likely to attempt at an NBA game,
despite being seven to one roughly two hundred and eighty pounds,
(21:26):
is between ten and sixteen feet. He shoots more shots
between ten and sixteen feet than layups at the rim.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
That's crazy that.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I mean, he only shoots three and a half threes
a game, so we're talking about long and mid range twos,
we're not talking about threes.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Yeah, and that doesn't work for me, right, that for me,
you're not giving us an advantage when you do that.
There's no advantage there. It's basically it's basically you're just
leveling yourself out, not take making advantage of your size
and your power around the rim. But I will say this,
(22:06):
I feel that one of the reasons he doesn't like
to bang and he doesn't dunk really, right, he don't
have because it's because of the I mean seven one seven, right, No,
I know he can I think going up and coming down.
He doesn't want any part of that. He doesn't want
to be he doesn't want to be in traffic, he
doesn't step on someone's foot, he doesn't want to do
(22:27):
any of those things. So psychologically he's already removed himself
from any of that type of contact bang, knee and
all of that, and it's just not what the team
needs from him.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
We're live from the tie right dot com studios. Our
next guest covers the Lakers and the NBA. For the
athletic he's the host of Bujas Block.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
That's the post. Check him out, yo Van, Boh, yo Von.
What's up man?
Speaker 9 (23:04):
How's it going man?
Speaker 4 (23:05):
I'm great.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
You got he from salim In for Rob Parker. Let's
get right to it. How much, because this is what
everybody's asking, how much input did Lebron James have in
the hiring of JJ Reddick.
Speaker 9 (23:23):
So I know people are not going to believe this,
so I'm going to prefaceate with that. But everything I've
heard from people within the organization and outside the organization
is that he has had no input during this process
and he has been completely hands off. Rich Paul gave
a statement to Sean Sharania a few weeks ago basically
(23:45):
coming out and saying that and stating that because at
the time, once JJ became the front runner and towards
the forefront of the process, you know that there was
some backlash as to well, this is just Lebron's guy.
And he's his podcast partner and they're just to appease Lebron.
So Rich Paul came out with a statement which I
thought was pretty like it's rare to have an agent
(24:06):
come out with a statement from a player basically saying
I'm not involved in this situation. And he pushed back
and said, you know, their podcast partners, but that doesn't
mean Lebron wants him as the next Lakers coach necessarily.
So I know people are going to be skeptical of that,
and I understand it. But all I can say is
(24:27):
from everything I've heard, Lebron has not been involved in
this process. If anything, it's been more of an Anthony
Davis led process, just because he's under contract for four
more years and he was someone who was actually sort
of backing James Barrego and those two overlapped in New Orleans.
That was part of why Barrego was so you know,
(24:47):
strongly considered during this process. But AD and JJ connected
on Monday. They had a phone conversation and that was,
you know, one of the things that ultimately led to
JJ getting that job offer on Thursday and then agreeing
to terms.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Well maybe he promised him he wouldn't have to play center.
They'd go out and get some bigs, so he wouldn't
have to. Maybe that's why he was like, yeah, I
think j J will work. Let me ask you this,
since since you know they're saying Lebron didn't have anything
to do with the decision to hire JJ Reddick, how
much input does he have on the Lakers possibly drafting
(25:23):
his son, Bronnie. Yeah, so.
Speaker 9 (25:29):
It's it's been a journey from like, you know, so
about a year year and a half ago, Lebron comes
out and says he wants to play with his son,
and ever since that point, he has been backtracking a bit.
If you look at his public comments, they've kind of
he's been retreating from that stance a bit, so much
so that earlier this week, Rich Paul told ESPN that
(25:51):
Lebron is off that idea of playing with his son,
and that if it happens organically, it happens organically. But
you know, essentially, if you know he's not they're not
a package deal, and that could just be, I guess,
a leverage play because there's been some buzz that maybe
some team is going to try and draft Bronni in
the second round and hold them hostage from the Lakers
(26:12):
and be like, if you want to get Bronnie, you
got to give us X y Z. Or maybe some
team will try and lure lebron James, Like the Philadelphia
seventy six ers have a bunch of cap space. They
could draft Bronnie in the second round and then say, hey,
lebron if you want to come play with your son,
come to Philly. So you know, maybe some of that
is like a smoke screen or whatever, but you know,
(26:33):
from my understanding, like the Lakers do have interest in
drafting Bronnie, and of course it is related to his
relationship with his dad, and there's an element of like
if we can give that, Like the Lakers love taking
care of stars, and if they can give lebron that
opportunity to play with his son, whether he's pushing forward
or not, it is something that they're interested in. Now,
(26:54):
the issue for the Lakers is they have the number
fifty five pick, and there's no assurance that Bronnie James
is going to go that late in the draft. And again,
like you know, maybe if we're drafting based on merit
or looking at it based on merit, like that's probably
the range you should be going in. But there's certainly
a chance that a team reaches for him earlier in
the second round, trying to again hold either the Lakers
(27:17):
you know, hot division and say hey, you give us
something for Bronnie, or trying to lower Lebron to that team.
So you know, But but from my understanding, Lebron has
not been pushing for that. I think he wants it
to come more from Bronnie of what Bronni wants. And ultimately,
the way that you know, Clutch and Bronni are approaching
this is like, what's the best opportunity for Bronnie. What
(27:38):
is the situation where they're going to groom him and
develop him and look at him as a basketball asset
rather than just Lebron's son.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Well, he's not going to get he's not going to develop,
and the Lakers don't develop the players they needs you developed.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
Well, wouldn't you think that?
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Yo?
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Right along the lines of what Ephim said, I mean,
I think what Clutch correct me if I'm wrong. They're
probably just looking for you know, not expecting Brownie to
play much, if at all, but that their assistant coaches
will work with him on what he the skills he
needs to develop to become like, at least in the beginning,
(28:14):
an NBA role player who can maybe start getting into rotation.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Is that kind of how you see it.
Speaker 9 (28:20):
Yeah, Yeah, And one thing they've made clear is they
they don't want him because they've been they've been very
selective with the workout process with him, Like as of now,
he's only worked out for the Lakers and the Suns,
and so there's a few other teams that he might
end up working out for, but it's they've been really
upfront with teams just saying, like, he's not signing a
(28:41):
two way contract. He's not going to be one of
these two way rookies. If you are drafting him, you
are drafting him to sign him to an official roster spot.
So that is something that they are adamant about, Like
he will not sign a two way contract. So to
that point, like I do expect, you know, whatever team
he ends up on, he will likely be in G
League for a lot of the season. I think that's
(29:02):
going to be like that experience of getting the reps
and I'm sure he'll start and play a big role
on whatever league team's on. But like he needs those
reps for at least a year, if not a couple,
before he can really I think, take that next step
to potentially being a role player. So yeah, no, I
think that that's the plan. Is is like they want
(29:22):
a team that's going to have a player development plan
in place for Brownie James, and that is something that
they're they're really prioritizing.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Before you go, we got about a minute for your answer.
Any legit, I mean, Lebron for whatever reason, has left
it out there that he might leave.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
It's probably leveraged playing all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
But do you see any chance, I mean, Philly's got
the cap room, I think if I.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
Don't think you'll leave. But New York is.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Intriguing if he's thinking about legacy goat conversation stuff like that,
and I actually think New York would have good pieces
to make a It's great that the Lakers, you know,
wouldn't lose in So what are your thoughts about him
potentially leaving and maybe even throw in New York?
Speaker 9 (30:09):
You know, it's it's a really good question. And I
think it's been interesting just seeing some of them, Like
you know, you had Philly interested in Paul George. Now
all of a sudden they mysteriously are pulling out of that.
You have Rich Paul publicly saying, you know, Lebron and
Bronnie aren't a packaged deal, which could also mean, you know,
that could also be a sign to the Lakers of
(30:31):
just saying like, hey, even if you draft Bronnie, that
doesn't mean you're necessarily getting Lebron to stay. And even
within those comments, he had some comments about Lebron of like,
you know, him still thinking about his future and you know,
being undecided. So I think it's like, if I had
to make a bet, I think that the most likely
thing right now seems to be Lebron opting out and
(30:51):
resigning with the Lakers on either a two or three
year deal. He had a no trade clause, and he'd
be giving up a little bit of money, but he
would have that security of the note trade cause. But look,
I mean, like he has the history of doing the
sort of unpredictable things and moving every few years like
he has. I mean that he's now been with the
Lakers longer than he was with the Heat, longer than
(31:12):
he was in Cleveland the second time, So like he
has grown his roots here to some extent, but it
certainly been the realm of possibility that he ultimately looks elsewhere.
I just think if I was betting on it, I
would bet he ends up staying in La.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
All right, that's our man, yo Van booh check him
out on Booja's block.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
That's a great podcast, yo Von, great stuff, man. Enjoy
your weekend.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Appreciate you man, Schet, you guys, cut uh Ephraim.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Some of the w NBA players might be mad again
with Caitlyn Clark. That's next a couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern,
four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
All Right Up a live from the tire rack dot
Com studios. E from Let's wrap up our number one
with the w NBA Caitlin Clark. There are all star
votes have come out. I think this is the first one.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
Rob g right, and Caitlyn Clark is second.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
And I'm gonna give And I don't want to sound
condescending because a lot of people she's not the second
best player in.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
The league yet, but the leading vote getter is who
should be.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
So I want to give WNBA fans again, I'm not
trying to pander to your and I hope this is
not condescending. Asia Wilson he from Asia Wilsons Bad.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
Yes, I mean my she's a two time MVP.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
She is averaging twenty seven point nine points a game
right now, which would break the w NBA record for
single season points per game by more than by two
points a game. Diana Trossi right now has the record
for most points per game in a single season at
twenty five point nine. Now WNBA, for those don't know,
(33:13):
they only play forty minutes, so that's why the score
scoring averages are a little bit lower than the NBA.
But she's also averaging eleven point three rebounds. She's a
six to fourth senior or center and the record for
a single season is eleven point eight, so she's got
a shot at maybe breaking that as well. So she's
the leading vote getter, as she should be, but Caitlyn's second,
(33:37):
and I don't have an issue with it. You see
this even in the NBA. E from I mean, I've
seen years where.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
A guy was hurt and got voted in.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
We remember Magic Johnson had retired because of HIV in
ninety two, and he got in.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
It was a vote, you know, voted in.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
So this just shows how popular Caitlyn is. And let
me say this before you go from because there seems
to be a sense out there that she's not like
having a great season.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
She is.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
She is having a great rookie season, like she's a
legitimate All star as far as I'm concerned. She is
averaging sixteen point three points, five and a half rebounds,
and six point two assists, which is in the top
five in the league. And she is on pace Ephraim
to become only the fifth player ever to average at
(34:30):
least fifteen five and five in a WNBA season. And
her team, I know, they're six and ten, I believe,
but they are in the A seed.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
They're in the playoffs right now.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
And you know Aliah Boston, who's supposed to be her
running mate, was Rookie of the Year last year, is
starting to play better. I don't think she was in
shape to start the season. She's starting to play better
and so are they. So Caitlyn Clark, don't be fooled.
She's actually having a really good season for a rookie.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
No, she's she is good. And when it comes to
you know, all star voting, the fan vote counts for
so much of the vote for the NBA as well.
You remember when Yao Ming was voted at the start,
and now I think at that time it was I
think at that time the whole starting five was all
it's all media, all fans, all fans, and so it's
(35:21):
about vote getters, right, Like Kaitlin Clark obviously was the
biggest story coming out of women's college basketball into the
w n BA, has propelled so much of the conversation
of around the w n b A this year. And
so it's a situation where it's not shocking that she
has the second most votes because fans are open to vote,
(35:44):
and she has fans all over the country, presumably all
over the world. And that's fine, that's great. Though, that's
I'm not taking anything away from her, right, Like she's
earning what she's getting. It's not like she's averaging six
points again, two rebounds still.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
Set it in if she were. But still you're right,
but at least he's earning it.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Right, then we could have a conversation about Okay, well,
now you know enough is enough. Popularity doesn't make you
an All Star in terms of in the eyes of
your contemporaries. But the fact that she's putting up the
number she's putting up and going out and fighting and
clawing on a team that that didn't start off very good,
(36:29):
they're getting better.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
They started one and eight. Since then they've gone five
and two. Yeah, so they're getting better. They're finding their rhythm.
I think the time off after their eleventh game really
helped her. She got a chance to arrest.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
I mean, they played more games than anybody by at
least four games, right, so ridiculous. I saw another reason
why I think this break during the Olympics is going
to be tremendous for her in terms of how she
finishes up the season.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
Well, let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
I don't know how much time we have left, but quickly,
what were your thoughts on her being left off the
Olympic team?
Speaker 4 (37:03):
We got thirty seconds.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
I thought it was I thought it was good. I
thought the roster is the roster. I mean, I don't
think she's I think she needs the time to adjust
to her rookie season. I don't think you need to
be thrown into world competition. I think it's going to
be the best thing for her in terms of her
career and longevity and this season for her team, for
(37:27):
her not to have to carry the world on her
shoulders like she's been asked to do this.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
I agree with that it would be better for her,
but I think it was a mistake on their part
for the eyes she would bring.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
Keep it like a coable
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure
to catch us live every weekday from seven pm to
ten pm Eastern four to seven pm Pacific on Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
at Fox Sports Radio dot.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Com, or stream us live.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Get this you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Ah, yeah, it is the Odd Couple.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
I'm Chris Bruce Hard alongside my partner naw Rob Parker,
not Rob Parker. It's our man e from Salim, and
we are live from the Tireraq dot com studios.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Tirek dot com will help you get there.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
They've got an unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free row
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Tyrereck dot Com is the way tirebind should be. In
The Odd Couple even sans Rob Parker is the way
sports talk radio should be. So keep it locked here
for the next three hours on Fox Sports Radio, the
(01:22):
iHeartRadio app, or Serious XM channel eighty three. However you
may be listening, let me welcome in my partner, he
from Salam, so he was on yesterday. He clearly went home,
soaked his body in a tub of epsom salt.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
And after that rubbed.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
You know, I probably had his wife rub been gay
on him and woke up in the morning ready to
come back for another beat down.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
At the hands of yours truly.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
But hey, he's brave, he's courageous, he's a true from Salam.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Was it a beat down though, I mean, you know, yeah,
I don't want to answer your question. Yes, all right,
I mean because the text you sent me after was like,
thank you so much, man for really uplifting the show.
You know, we really needed you, you know it just
sometimes we need a little you know, a little flavor,
a little spice in it. Rob and I are really old,
(02:24):
so we're not really tapped into what's going on. So
thank you for bringing that youthful energy. And I said,
you know, of course, man, that's what I'm here for.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
And he's funny too, just like the man he replaced,
Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
He's good to have you on my man, great to
be here.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
We got Yovan Buja Athletics senior NBA writers. He can
talk to us about the Lakers and other stuff going
around the league.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Of course, the couple crew in full effect the super producer.
Rob g is in the house.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Oh he showed up today.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Yeah barely. He just got here, just got here, but
he's here.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Cool social media, social media are Man Elijah Sabuna you
just heard him a moment ago.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Steve Di Seger will be on the updates.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
And on the ones and twos in for DJ.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Alex tightsher you know her, well, she rocks the.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
House none other than Man Mary. Oh, that's right, Mary,
Mary on the boards. Even before we get into our topic,
I'm watching the US Olympic Trials. It's on USA and
I've got it on and it just reminds man, when
(03:43):
I was a kid, track and field was really big,
Carl Lewis and just I mean it was.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
It was great.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It was something I really was into the you know,
particularly like the sprints, uh, and the long jump and
things like that.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Not as big now are you in the track and
field now?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Of course? So you're still into it still right now today? Okay, Yeah,
I'm still into it. I think it's especially when it
comes around the Olympics. Yeah. I think it's really the
thing that measured the dominance of the United States when
(04:22):
you look back over the years as far back as
Jesse Owens. Oh yeah, right, and so it was that standard.
It was that thing that we really hung our hat on.
And then we started taking over in the pool. And
then of course when after ninety two when the Dream
Team landed, we started taking over in basketball and so.
(04:47):
But track and field to me was always that that
tent pole event or events to really measure the Olympics.
You think about track and field, right that the kathlon, Uh,
just all of the sprint, like the world's fastest man,
the world's fastest woman, the best, the fastest, you know,
(05:11):
four by one hundred, four by four hundred, all of
those things were so prestigious. And then the little guy
named Michael Phelps came and then you know, shattered all
expectations of anything in the water aquaman as what they
call them, and uh, you got don't even don't forget
Greg lugainis on the diving.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
No.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
I wish it was specifically about track and field.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I wish it was bigger in America, Like I don't
know something a league, I don't know what they could do,
but I just wish it were bigger because these are
tremendous athletes and it'd be great to see more of
it rather than kind of every four years, which is
what it has become. All right, let's get into this
Celtics thing, because they had their championship parade today, and
(06:00):
you know, if they went to Miami after the championship game,
e from when they clinched a few hours after the game,
after they had done their media and everything, they boarded
a flight and went to Miami to party.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
I feel that a gangster or is.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Look, I'm not trying to get the Celtics in trouble
with Boston.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
It matter.
Speaker 6 (06:26):
That's a little y'all couldn't stay one night. No, no,
y'all couldn't stay one night. And there's nowhere you could
have kicked it in Boston. Nowhere y'all could have just kicked.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
It for the night and then in the morning, afternoon whatever,
gone to Miami and done your thing.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
For a few minutes. I had to get out, like,
let me ask you.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Forty five minutes after the game.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Let me ask you. Let me ask you a question.
Have you ever now you've been with your wife for a.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Long time, I've been I've been married twenty nine.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Years, a long time, So you may I may know
the answer to this. I haven't kicked it in my life.
You don't Miami hung out, then you don't, Then you
don't know what it is.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
No, but that wasn't gonna be there. Wh was the
game Monday? Was it Monday? That wasn't gonna be there
Tuesday night.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
No, we're gonna get some of that in right now.
Come on, man, you want you ain't about to go
to sleep. Miami is one of the greatest places to
be if you're not going to sleep.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I'm just saying, hey, man, it's I know Boston is
not Miami.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Boston deep in history and architecture all the but Miami,
Miami is steeping butts that that's when you win a championship.
Uh huh.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
How look the city girls are from Miami.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
There you go, city girls. But look that's that's I
get that. I understand. You gotta remember the Super I played,
the Super Bowl I played in was in Miami, Okay,
and it was unreal? Brother?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Was that?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
That was that in Atlanta ninety eight?
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Oh? That was that was the Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, that was you see what happened? You see what
you say?
Speaker 4 (08:10):
You know?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
I know mean Robinson, what I know him well too,
you know it better than me. Yeah, you played with him,
but yeah, and and and you know he actually spoke
at an event of men's kind. You know, I have
to keep but he spoke at our event a couple
of years ago and talked about that whole, that whole.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
I want you to come to the next one. Okay, well,
I mean I want to keep getting these invites.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
Its in d C March thirteen through the sixth.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
He man, I'm gonna give you an invite. Tap me in.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
I know your family's into theology and all that.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
We had tapped me in, homie.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Okay, we got you, but yeah that was yeah, okay
that you're right.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, so yeah, you get it. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
Staying But anyway, who let me ask you this?
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Obviously the Celtics want to repeat and here here's a
little excerpt from there.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
We gotta have seven eight to be Boston and next year,
the next and Celtics. We ain't gonna have to pull
up to that. I need to see that Ritt because
that is to me, the Knicks. You're built to challenge
this Celtic team. Man, listen, the Knicks they can stay healthy.
Pete that's gonna be the asterisk that they if they
can stay healthy. This is to me Philly and the
(09:19):
New York Knicks are going to be the two teams
that I think they give the Celtics a chance.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Okay, that's Kevin Garnett before Monday, when the last Celtics
championship in two thousand and eight. So that was not
from the parade obviously, But what are your thoughts? Who
do you think will be the toughest challenger for Boston
in the East.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Well, it depends on what Philly does this offseason.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Right and supposedly we I don't know, we didn't talk
about it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
We didn't talk about it, but yeah, but they've waned
on Paul George, right, right, So it really depends on
what that extra piece is they can go with Joel and.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
I mean who I wonder who it is, Zach Levine.
I mean, unless they getting a little ron, who's out
there of it than Paul George or maybe Zach Lavine.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
I guess they could do a.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Trade you, I mean, if we what we've known is
the options are there, right, if you want something bad enough,
you can make it work. So this whole notion of
boy they gonna have this and they can. Well, they
got so much cap space they can pretty much make
anything work. It depends for them, It depends on that.
It depends on how serious Joel Embiid is going to
(10:27):
take being a dominant presence in the paint. Thank you
don't say, don't need you at the three point line?
Who's rebounding? If you're if we're if if my center
is swinging the ball to the to the.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
And he ain't swinging it really but but but you
get what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
So if he, if he, if he legitimately wants to
dominate inside out, then they have a shot. Depending on
that piece. For the Knicks, I don't know if the
Knicks have enough size depending on on what happens with
Al Horford, is he retiring, depending on Chris But you know,
(11:07):
but what the the the thing that Boston has, they
have wing defenders that will just destroy anything that you're
trying to get going outside of of the paint. And
not only that, those guys can literally get their own shots.
So you did not mention Milwaukee, Well, Milwaukee is interesting.
(11:30):
I don't know if it's a not with Chris Middleton
being like, if they can replace that piece. And I
know Chris came in and played well for them in
the playoffs when everybody else got.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
Hurt about his health. Yeah, it's just he's a good
third guy.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
He is. But I think they need to get younger there,
more athletic at that third spot.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Where they're talking about moving off Malik Beasley and brook Lopez.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
At least those are report. I agree with you.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
They need to add athleticism brook Lopez.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
That's clearly a move to match Boston.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah, and I mean they were huge, which I guess
that was.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Gonna be their thing. We're gonna be bigger than y'all.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
But I don't think that's gonna get it done necessarily
against Boston. You're not gonna be able to guard them
on the perimeter. So I look, I hear you, Philly,
and it is all about Embiid. And I'm telling you,
Ephim if I'm Joel Embiid, like, I actually feel like
Joel Embiid, and that all the players obviously are motivated.
(12:37):
So this is a little bit hyperbole. I'm gonna say
he should be the most motivated guy in the league
next year. You can say Damian Lillard too. But every
of course, all the champions and all the players period
will be motivated. But my point is this, all of
the top players from this little mini era, I'm not
even gonna call it an eraror yet, right kind of
(12:59):
that post Lebron's Steph kd generation, Giannie has got one, now,
the Celtics guys Jason and Jalen have got one, Yo,
Kichen's got one, and Luca at least has gotten there.
NB hasn't even gotten to a conference finals. And you
(13:22):
he's lost to Trey Young and Jalen Brunson. And I mean,
I'm not trying to disparage it. I'm just saying Joel L.
Mbs supposed to be a notch above them. He's the
one guy in this era that we think of as
like ultra elite who hasn't even come close.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
And and I.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Ephraim, I'll say this, if he if you could tell,
would tell me he's going to be close to one hundred,
as close as you are at that time of year,
to one hundred when the playoffs startle this, I don't
care who they get if they have him, and they're
(14:01):
a contender, right, And I hear you because I've been
beating that drum for years on Embiid. He is a
great jump shooter, a phenomenalone. So I don't and I
think you feel the same way. We don't want him
to not shoot a jay, but when it's time, you
watch Jokis. He will take you inside when it's time.
And that's what Embiid has yet to really do consistently.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
And let me explain what I mean by that. It
means the way you snatch a heart out of an opponent,
the way you start demoralizing an opponent, yes, is putting
them in a position where they can't stop something right.
No one can guard him on the block, right, So
(14:45):
you're you're making it easier for your opponent further away
from the basket. You are thank you. They will live well,
be six ' five. They'll live with you shooting seven
threes a game that works in their favor. Even if
you hit all seven, right, They'll live with that. That's
the difference. That's what people aren't understanding. Well, look at
(15:06):
this three point percentage is not about that. Well, it's
about imposing your will in the pain and also creating
second shot opportunities for your ball club and drawing fouls.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
There you going it drawing double teams that you can
kick out to open shooters because.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
He's taken I think about four or five threes a game.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
But he's taken long jumpers and long twos and meet
mid range days and he's great at it.
Speaker 4 (15:31):
But I need what you said a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
All Right, We're gonna keep talking about this so we
can get to these other would be contenders in the
Eastern Conference next year who want to give the Celtics
a run for their money.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
It's The Odd Couple.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Chris Brusar and e from salam Is sitting in for
Rob Parker. Keep it locked Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Hey it's me Rob Parker.
Speaker 7 (16:04):
Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for
twenty two minutes of piping hot baseball talk, featuring the
biggest names of newsmakers in the sport. Whether you believe
in analytics or the I Test, We've got all the
bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, so do your
Sofa Favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob
(16:26):
Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Oh my, it's the Eye Couple live from thee Tirack
dot Com studios. Ephraim salam In for Rob Parker. Ephraim
this is one of the best pop songs, you know,
popular music, meaning in American history?
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Am I wrong about that?
Speaker 5 (16:55):
No?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I mean it's been sampled a million times, so that
goes to show you. H this is just how dynamic
it is.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
You a little younger, so you really don't remember it.
You probably do remember it.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Bro was a DJ so but real talk like I
was in like I think third or fourth grade when
this came out, and this was just the jail, So
you were like a toddler.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Yes, but like I said, my brother who's twelve years old,
who was twelve years.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
Old, you will not let me big boy.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
You huh, Oh you can't this How you can't You're
we're peers, well kind of sort. How tell me how
I got years on you. I don't even want to say,
not that many years.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
I got enough years on you that when you were
just starting to play basketball, thinking you were nice I
would have demolished you.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
I got enough years because you would have been How
old were How old were you at your years?
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Older than my best.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
At your best? Old were you at your best and best?
I probably believe.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
I maybe my freshman or sophomore year in college. I'll
say my sophomore year in college, so I'll say.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
I'll just say twenty.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Twenty or my senior year.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
I was twenty one, Yeah, twenty twenty one, twenty.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Sixteen, So you were thirteen, yeah, sixteen year on me
against twenty years. No, you were thirteen. But what I'm saying,
and I was terrible in basketball at the time. But
what I'm saying is.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
If you it was made.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
If you took your best you at twenty years old
and played against my best sixteen year old Meigs, You're done.
Bro's nothing. I don't know, it's nothing senior at sixteen.
I was on my way to San Diego State at sixteen,
bro getting recruited. Okay, Maybe no, I was rolled into college.
(18:49):
I was. I enrolled into college.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
I didn't say all that.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
I'm old enough, more old enough, for got enough years
on you where when you were just starting to play.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
You're right, Okay, I'll give it I would have been.
I'm gonna let you whoa whoa, whoa, whoa whoa?
Speaker 4 (19:12):
How tall were you as a senior?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Sixty five sixty one hundred? Hold on, you were six
five eight nineteen. That was one hundred and eighty five
pounds with a thirty eight inch vertical? What could you
possibly know that?
Speaker 4 (19:29):
That's nice?
Speaker 2 (19:30):
How could you here? Could you possibly that was let's.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
See sixteen, I'm a I'm a roughly that was probably
what nineteen ninety.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Four something like that.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I was ninety three ninety three.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Now back then, all due respect because I love the nineties.
Six five you probably was playing inside now in high school.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
But on my AAU team, I was a three.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Probably have tournament was probably okay.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
We trailed in Oakland. I had the record for I
had seven threes that game. Oh word, oh so oh
you just started, you know when I thought it was okay.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
This is our loggo.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
When I played in high school, we didn't even have threes,
real talk, we did not have I'll be honest.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
When we at college we had him.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
I can't count the number threes I shot in my
career on like one or two hands, because.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
It wasn't a shot, you know, unless you was.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Just a shooter, right, And we had a couple of
guys that was shooters. That's you didn't you didn't really
shoot that back, you know what I.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
Mean back in the day.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
But anyway, let's get back to who's gonna be the
toughest competition in the East for the Celgiics. We talked
about Philadelphia and Rob G's got a few stats. Both
of us want to see him be use his size
a little more because Ephraim, as great as he is
the way he plays, he might as well be six ' five.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yes, and it's just.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Come on, bro, like you just Rob Gi shares with
us the information you have.
Speaker 8 (21:03):
Oh yeah, it's a rough one for anyone who's a
Sixers fan. But good news for you guys, because according
to Basketball Reference, Joe L. L Embiid takes over fifty
eight percent of his shots from beyond ten feet ten
feet out to three point line. In fact, the shot
he is most likely to attempt at an NBA game,
despite being seven to one roughly two hundred and eighty pounds,
(21:26):
is between ten and sixteen feet. He shoots more shots
between ten and sixteen feet than layups at the rim.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
That's crazy that.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I mean, he only shoots three and a half threes
a game, so we're talking about long and mid range twos,
we're not talking about threes.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Yeah, and that doesn't work for me, right, that for me,
you're not giving us an advantage when you do that.
There's no advantage there. It's basically it's basically you're just
leveling yourself out, not take making advantage of your size
and your power around the rim. But I will say this,
(22:06):
I feel that one of the reasons he doesn't like
to bang and he doesn't dunk really, right, he don't
have because it's because of the I mean seven one seven, right, No,
I know he can I think going up and coming down.
He doesn't want any part of that. He doesn't want
to be he doesn't want to be in traffic, he
doesn't step on someone's foot, he doesn't want to do
(22:27):
any of those things. So psychologically he's already removed himself
from any of that type of contact bang, knee and
all of that, and it's just not what the team
needs from him.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
We're live from the tie right dot com studios. Our
next guest covers the Lakers and the NBA. For the
athletic he's the host of Bujas Block.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
That's the post. Check him out, yo Van, Boh, yo Von.
What's up man?
Speaker 9 (23:04):
How's it going man?
Speaker 4 (23:05):
I'm great.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
You got he from salim In for Rob Parker. Let's
get right to it. How much, because this is what
everybody's asking, how much input did Lebron James have in
the hiring of JJ Reddick.
Speaker 9 (23:23):
So I know people are not going to believe this,
so I'm going to prefaceate with that. But everything I've
heard from people within the organization and outside the organization
is that he has had no input during this process
and he has been completely hands off. Rich Paul gave
a statement to Sean Sharania a few weeks ago basically
(23:45):
coming out and saying that and stating that because at
the time, once JJ became the front runner and towards
the forefront of the process, you know that there was
some backlash as to well, this is just Lebron's guy.
And he's his podcast partner and they're just to appease Lebron.
So Rich Paul came out with a statement which I
thought was pretty like it's rare to have an agent
(24:06):
come out with a statement from a player basically saying
I'm not involved in this situation. And he pushed back
and said, you know, their podcast partners, but that doesn't
mean Lebron wants him as the next Lakers coach necessarily.
So I know people are going to be skeptical of that,
and I understand it. But all I can say is
(24:27):
from everything I've heard, Lebron has not been involved in
this process. If anything, it's been more of an Anthony
Davis led process, just because he's under contract for four
more years and he was someone who was actually sort
of backing James Barrego and those two overlapped in New Orleans.
That was part of why Barrego was so you know,
(24:47):
strongly considered during this process. But AD and JJ connected
on Monday. They had a phone conversation and that was,
you know, one of the things that ultimately led to
JJ getting that job offer on Thursday and then agreeing
to terms.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Well maybe he promised him he wouldn't have to play center.
They'd go out and get some bigs, so he wouldn't
have to. Maybe that's why he was like, yeah, I
think j J will work. Let me ask you this,
since since you know they're saying Lebron didn't have anything
to do with the decision to hire JJ Reddick, how
much input does he have on the Lakers possibly drafting
(25:23):
his son, Bronnie. Yeah, so.
Speaker 9 (25:29):
It's it's been a journey from like, you know, so
about a year year and a half ago, Lebron comes
out and says he wants to play with his son,
and ever since that point, he has been backtracking a bit.
If you look at his public comments, they've kind of
he's been retreating from that stance a bit, so much
so that earlier this week, Rich Paul told ESPN that
(25:51):
Lebron is off that idea of playing with his son,
and that if it happens organically, it happens organically. But
you know, essentially, if you know he's not they're not
a package deal, and that could just be, I guess,
a leverage play because there's been some buzz that maybe
some team is going to try and draft Bronni in
the second round and hold them hostage from the Lakers
(26:12):
and be like, if you want to get Bronnie, you
got to give us X y Z. Or maybe some
team will try and lure lebron James, Like the Philadelphia
seventy six ers have a bunch of cap space. They
could draft Bronnie in the second round and then say, hey,
lebron if you want to come play with your son,
come to Philly. So you know, maybe some of that
is like a smoke screen or whatever, but you know,
(26:33):
from my understanding, like the Lakers do have interest in
drafting Bronnie, and of course it is related to his
relationship with his dad, and there's an element of like
if we can give that, Like the Lakers love taking
care of stars, and if they can give lebron that
opportunity to play with his son, whether he's pushing forward
or not, it is something that they're interested in. Now,
(26:54):
the issue for the Lakers is they have the number
fifty five pick, and there's no assurance that Bronnie James
is going to go that late in the draft. And again,
like you know, maybe if we're drafting based on merit
or looking at it based on merit, like that's probably
the range you should be going in. But there's certainly
a chance that a team reaches for him earlier in
the second round, trying to again hold either the Lakers
(27:17):
you know, hot division and say hey, you give us
something for Bronnie, or trying to lower Lebron to that team.
So you know, But but from my understanding, Lebron has
not been pushing for that. I think he wants it
to come more from Bronnie of what Bronni wants. And ultimately,
the way that you know, Clutch and Bronni are approaching
this is like, what's the best opportunity for Bronnie. What
(27:38):
is the situation where they're going to groom him and
develop him and look at him as a basketball asset
rather than just Lebron's son.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Well, he's not going to get he's not going to develop,
and the Lakers don't develop the players they needs you developed.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
Well, wouldn't you think that?
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Yo?
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Right along the lines of what Ephim said, I mean,
I think what Clutch correct me if I'm wrong. They're
probably just looking for you know, not expecting Brownie to
play much, if at all, but that their assistant coaches
will work with him on what he the skills he
needs to develop to become like, at least in the beginning,
(28:14):
an NBA role player who can maybe start getting into rotation.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Is that kind of how you see it.
Speaker 9 (28:20):
Yeah, Yeah, And one thing they've made clear is they
they don't want him because they've been they've been very
selective with the workout process with him, Like as of now,
he's only worked out for the Lakers and the Suns,
and so there's a few other teams that he might
end up working out for, but it's they've been really
upfront with teams just saying, like, he's not signing a
(28:41):
two way contract. He's not going to be one of
these two way rookies. If you are drafting him, you
are drafting him to sign him to an official roster spot.
So that is something that they are adamant about, Like
he will not sign a two way contract. So to
that point, like I do expect, you know, whatever team
he ends up on, he will likely be in G
League for a lot of the season. I think that's
(29:02):
going to be like that experience of getting the reps
and I'm sure he'll start and play a big role
on whatever league team's on. But like he needs those
reps for at least a year, if not a couple,
before he can really I think, take that next step
to potentially being a role player. So yeah, no, I
think that that's the plan. Is is like they want
(29:22):
a team that's going to have a player development plan
in place for Brownie James, and that is something that
they're they're really prioritizing.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Before you go, we got about a minute for your answer.
Any legit, I mean, Lebron for whatever reason, has left
it out there that he might leave.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
It's probably leveraged playing all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
But do you see any chance, I mean, Philly's got
the cap room, I think if I.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
Don't think you'll leave. But New York is.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Intriguing if he's thinking about legacy goat conversation stuff like that,
and I actually think New York would have good pieces
to make a It's great that the Lakers, you know,
wouldn't lose in So what are your thoughts about him
potentially leaving and maybe even throw in New York?
Speaker 9 (30:09):
You know, it's it's a really good question. And I
think it's been interesting just seeing some of them, Like
you know, you had Philly interested in Paul George. Now
all of a sudden they mysteriously are pulling out of that.
You have Rich Paul publicly saying, you know, Lebron and
Bronnie aren't a packaged deal, which could also mean, you know,
that could also be a sign to the Lakers of
(30:31):
just saying like, hey, even if you draft Bronnie, that
doesn't mean you're necessarily getting Lebron to stay. And even
within those comments, he had some comments about Lebron of like,
you know, him still thinking about his future and you know,
being undecided. So I think it's like, if I had
to make a bet, I think that the most likely
thing right now seems to be Lebron opting out and
(30:51):
resigning with the Lakers on either a two or three
year deal. He had a no trade clause, and he'd
be giving up a little bit of money, but he
would have that security of the note trade cause. But look,
I mean, like he has the history of doing the
sort of unpredictable things and moving every few years like
he has. I mean that he's now been with the
Lakers longer than he was with the Heat, longer than
(31:12):
he was in Cleveland the second time, So like he
has grown his roots here to some extent, but it
certainly been the realm of possibility that he ultimately looks elsewhere.
I just think if I was betting on it, I
would bet he ends up staying in La.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
All right, that's our man, yo Van booh check him
out on Booja's block.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
That's a great podcast, yo Von, great stuff, man. Enjoy
your weekend.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Appreciate you man, Schet, you guys, cut uh Ephraim.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Some of the w NBA players might be mad again
with Caitlyn Clark. That's next a couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern,
four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
All Right Up a live from the tire rack dot
Com studios. E from Let's wrap up our number one
with the w NBA Caitlin Clark. There are all star
votes have come out. I think this is the first one.
Speaker 4 (32:15):
Rob g right, and Caitlyn Clark is second.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
And I'm gonna give And I don't want to sound
condescending because a lot of people she's not the second
best player in.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
The league yet, but the leading vote getter is who
should be.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
So I want to give WNBA fans again, I'm not
trying to pander to your and I hope this is
not condescending. Asia Wilson he from Asia Wilsons Bad.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
Yes, I mean my she's a two time MVP.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
She is averaging twenty seven point nine points a game
right now, which would break the w NBA record for
single season points per game by more than by two
points a game. Diana Trossi right now has the record
for most points per game in a single season at
twenty five point nine. Now WNBA, for those don't know,
(33:13):
they only play forty minutes, so that's why the score
scoring averages are a little bit lower than the NBA.
But she's also averaging eleven point three rebounds. She's a
six to fourth senior or center and the record for
a single season is eleven point eight, so she's got
a shot at maybe breaking that as well. So she's
the leading vote getter, as she should be, but Caitlyn's second,
(33:37):
and I don't have an issue with it. You see
this even in the NBA. E from I mean, I've
seen years where.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
A guy was hurt and got voted in.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
We remember Magic Johnson had retired because of HIV in
ninety two, and he got in.
Speaker 4 (33:51):
It was a vote, you know, voted in.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
So this just shows how popular Caitlyn is. And let
me say this before you go from because there seems
to be a sense out there that she's not like
having a great season.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
She is.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
She is having a great rookie season, like she's a
legitimate All star as far as I'm concerned. She is
averaging sixteen point three points, five and a half rebounds,
and six point two assists, which is in the top
five in the league. And she is on pace Ephraim
to become only the fifth player ever to average at
(34:30):
least fifteen five and five in a WNBA season. And
her team, I know, they're six and ten, I believe,
but they are in the A seed.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
They're in the playoffs right now.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
And you know Aliah Boston, who's supposed to be her
running mate, was Rookie of the Year last year, is
starting to play better. I don't think she was in
shape to start the season. She's starting to play better
and so are they. So Caitlyn Clark, don't be fooled.
She's actually having a really good season for a rookie.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
No, she's she is good. And when it comes to
you know, all star voting, the fan vote counts for
so much of the vote for the NBA as well.
You remember when Yao Ming was voted at the start,
and now I think at that time it was I
think at that time the whole starting five was all
it's all media, all fans, all fans, and so it's
(35:21):
about vote getters, right, Like Kaitlin Clark obviously was the
biggest story coming out of women's college basketball into the
w n BA, has propelled so much of the conversation
of around the w n b A this year. And
so it's a situation where it's not shocking that she
has the second most votes because fans are open to vote,
(35:44):
and she has fans all over the country, presumably all
over the world. And that's fine, that's great. Though, that's
I'm not taking anything away from her, right, Like she's
earning what she's getting. It's not like she's averaging six
points again, two rebounds still.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
Set it in if she were. But still you're right,
but at least he's earning it.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Right, then we could have a conversation about Okay, well,
now you know enough is enough. Popularity doesn't make you
an All Star in terms of in the eyes of
your contemporaries. But the fact that she's putting up the
number she's putting up and going out and fighting and
clawing on a team that that didn't start off very good,
(36:29):
they're getting better.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
They started one and eight. Since then they've gone five
and two. Yeah, so they're getting better. They're finding their rhythm.
I think the time off after their eleventh game really
helped her. She got a chance to arrest.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
I mean, they played more games than anybody by at
least four games, right, so ridiculous. I saw another reason
why I think this break during the Olympics is going
to be tremendous for her in terms of how she
finishes up the season.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
Well, let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
I don't know how much time we have left, but quickly,
what were your thoughts on her being left off the
Olympic team?
Speaker 4 (37:03):
We got thirty seconds.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
I thought it was I thought it was good. I
thought the roster is the roster. I mean, I don't
think she's I think she needs the time to adjust
to her rookie season. I don't think you need to
be thrown into world competition. I think it's going to
be the best thing for her in terms of her
career and longevity and this season for her team, for
(37:27):
her not to have to carry the world on her
shoulders like she's been asked to do this.
Speaker 1 (37:35):
I agree with that it would be better for her,
but I think it was a mistake on their part
for the eyes she would bring.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
Keep it like a coable
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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