May 27, 2025 • 52 mins
Rachel Nichols joins Matt Barnes to discuss the biggest headlines from the 2025 NBA Playoffs: OKC Thunder’s lockdown of Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony Towns’ monstrous 4th quarter and the Indiana Pacers re-instatement of John Haliburton. Plus, Matt recaps his WNBA weekend, predicts Philadelphia 76ers summer sliding doors & reacts to Luka Doncic’s offseason training.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to another episode of Unplugged, brought to you
by DraftKings Man. I love basketball right now. I mean
men's game is going crazy obviously with the playoffs, got
a chance to catch a court side, sparse game this weekend.
But joining us is none other than one of my
best friends, Rachel Nichols.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome back, mister, mister Matt Barnes.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
How much fun is it watching Kelsey Plumb?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Kelsey's the shit, right. I remember how dope she was
in college, but obviously she fell into her role. But
we'll obviously get to that a little bit later. But yeah,
as a spark, just.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You said you went to the game. I didn't realize that. Like,
plus she talks her shit.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Oh yeah, absolutely, I love it. I just I'm gonna
break her down later because this is the first time
I got to see her play in person in a
while for the Sparks, and it's just a different But yeah,
we'll get to that. But anyway, let's get to UH
Eastern Finals. You were in the building, ye baby, game
one Madison Square Garden. I said, I didn't even care
if I went to the game. I just want to
(01:00):
feel the energy in New York right now, because I
know it's insane, but you witnessed a choke.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
First of all, going into that series, going into the
Eastern Conference Finals first time twenty five years against the Pacers.
Every old Nick is in the building, every pace you know, Reggie,
Reggie's there. All the shit you walk around New York
that day, right, The Knicks were not only going to
win that series in four, they were going to sweep
in four. They were after beating the Celtics, they were
(01:27):
going to sweep the finals in four, and they were
somehow going to win two titles.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
By some they're gonna win next year, next year's title.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
That's what you couldnot tell Knicks fans nothing.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
And by the way, I think you still couldn't. Maybe
even after Game three, they're like, we're.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Bad, baby, It's all happening Nicks and Sick, right, they're wild.
I saw. I just love the ambiance again, every single
former Nick players courtse I think that shit is dope.
And there's a mob, Dylan, what's that ship called? The
mob of just the crazy fans that talk shit to everyone?
Is there like a New Yorkers Yeah, mayn right. They
are nuts with no filter, Like I just love. I
(02:03):
said early on, I just think it would be great
for just the ecosystem, would be the NBA if the Knicks
were able to win. But let's get down to why
I don't think they they're going. I just I love
what they're doing. I have the team run a ton
of numbers, say, because I just kind of want to
figure out like what things look like and what the
vibe is. But let's talk Game three. TIBs Surprise, Surprise,
(02:25):
dipped into the bench a little bit shamming and and
Wright got a little bit of time. There's been a
switch with Josh Hart going to the bench and Mitchell
Robinson's starting now talk to us a little bit about
kind of the shake up and TIBs at this point.
And I was saying before we started, like I'm looking
at the guy's minutes now and all the guys are
in like low thirty, So it means he's dipping into
the bench. But the bench hasn't really got no burn
(02:47):
all year, So how are they supposed to on the
Eastern Conference final stage perform? But go ahead, what are
your thoughts with kind of a little bit of shake
up in him using a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Depth, I think it was Kenny Smith, righty read the
line so far as the series where he's like, TIBs
won't even use nine guys baseball game?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
What was he shows us tonight?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Right?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
That was kind of insane. Whether you play guys a lot,
whether you don't. I mean, it really depends on the day.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
People go back and forth, right because when the Knicks,
you know, when we saw Cleveland, for example, right fall
apart against the Pacers, people were like, oh see the
Pacers have played their guys. They're used to running up
and now they're used to heavy minutes in Cleveland. That
made this huge show all year of like we're not.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Going to wear guys out rolling a player starter a
certain amount of time.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
The criticism was they weren't ready when it was time
to go. The TIBs criticism we always know is he
plays guys into the ground, and yet if you look
at some of the numbers, it doesn't always back that up. Look,
I asked you before we started if you had played
for Carlisle or TIBs before, which I can't kind of
believe you haven't, considering how many teams they've both been
in and you've been at. But it's interesting to me
(03:50):
that Rick Carlisle has largely out coached Tom Thibodeaux in
this series. And then I think what you saw on
what you're asking about is tips sort of feeling around
for what else might work. And when we saw Brunson
on the bench, I am in no way one of
these people who was like.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Oh my god, June Brunson, they're better without him. I mean,
that's just insanity.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
However, the fact that Brunson and Kat weren't playing together
and the defensive weakness, yes, when they're both on the floor,
that that creates wasn't there. That's what I thought was
most interesting.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
About all those Yeah, there's numbers obviously, and analytics, you
guys can get that somewhere else, But when they're able
to stagger their minutes, and let's be real, I mean,
Mikal Bridges hasn't necessarily been the lockdown guy he's been
known to be og has kind of been inconsistent when
it comes to defense. You know, Kat with his size twenties,
he's not really moving them puppies as as they would say.
And then Brunson is doing so much heavy lifting on
(04:44):
the offensive. Man, it's just like, how much do you
expect from him, So you know, I wanted to just
My whole thing is obviously being a former player like
you had, you can't, first of all, simulate game reps,
especially at this point with all the adrenaline, Like you
can't just all of a sudden get in shape, you
know what I mean. And that's why I always tip
guys that with you know, we look at Indiana and
(05:04):
we look at Okay. See their guys have got a
taste of this shit the whole season. So now when
it's here, whether it's a little bit longer than normal
sport or a quick spurt, they're ready and they're here.
You give guys opportunities that hasn't necessarily played. And I'm
not sure what you're expecting because I'm always thinking Rachel
on the playoffs. Every you know, a couple of games
are serious, someone from the bench is going to go
off and really help you get through this. But it's
(05:26):
almost like the Knicks don't even have that opportunity. I mean,
we said early sham at some guy that can get
four to three's. You know, Delawn Wright is great at
getting downhill and drawing fouls, and he does some stuff
on the defensive end. But it's just like these guys
haven't really got an opportunity the whole time, so and.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
The pressure is then on more too.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Right, Yeah, if you know this is your only shot,
I don't care how highly conditioned, highly trained, mentally tough
for pro athlete you are.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
It's tough.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
It's tough.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
People have no idea how especially with the lights being
so bright. This is the Easterns, not the first round.
Like this is the Eastern Everyone's expecting to win two.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Championships in the one today exactly.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
It's crazy. But you know, Kat showed up game two,
excuse me, game three with twenty points. He had just
as many as the Pacers had in the fourth quarter,
played really well, carried him Brunson, I want to say,
what six for eighteen from the field. Scored well, but
not a typical game for these playoffs. What what is
Cat at twenty one and eleven and bruns is at
(06:21):
what thirty four and thirty four at six? Shoot only
thirty percent from the three point line? I was My
argument earlier was that Cat's numbers are very solid. Brunson's
numbers are above average. Cat's numbers actually above average in
this series you look at Og, you look at You,
(06:43):
look at Heart, and you look at Bridges. All their
numbers are solid and where they're at. But that's it.
You know now that Mitchell Robinson is getting a chance
to play, I don't. I don't really know TIV, but
it's just like when he's with you, he's with you,
and I think as a player, you love that. But
like you now he's in serty metro Robinson, but he'll
play him the entire first quarter and then his numbers
(07:03):
drastically drop the rest of the game. I love him
as an energy spark, someone who can change the momentum.
Someone get you three offensive rebounds and a kickout for
it through like that kind of shit. But then he's
playing these consistent whole entire quarters and then his numbers are,
you know, very average the rest of the game. So
I mean, going into tonight's game, what do you feel
like is the knixt game plan trying to go here
(07:26):
and even up the series on Indiana's court.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I think they kind of have to, right, no question.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
You go down three to one. They've shown what they
can do at home. They're nasty at home. It's crazy.
The greatest environment.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
That's been well, First of all, I don't know if
I'm quarter vantage even matter to any of these playoffs anymore.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
At this point, we've seen so many crazy things.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Everyone keeps saying, oh, you get them to the garden
in the game seven.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
These pacers don't care.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
By the way, Tyres Albert is just as happy to
score his game winning.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Shots more in the garden. It's more legendary. Great exactly, So, Rachel,
you were in New York on behalf of Draft Kings
and you've got a chance to win this in amaze
seen Game one Tyrese Halibert and the hero or one
of the heroes. Let's take a look at what he
had to say.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
The ball goes up? How long did it take for
that ball to go down?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Man? Felt like forever hoping it was a three. You
know obviously it wasn't. But proud of our groups. You know, fight, resilience,
and you know it's winning overtimes a big deal. So
just really proud of the group.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
What was it when you were a kid?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
What did you count down in your head that you're
so good at these last second shots?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Was a Game seven of the NBA Finals? Like, what
was it in your.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Driveway High School state championship. I want to go to
the NBA, but more than anything, I want to win,
to stay champions in high school. So that's more more
I would think of, have.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You used the Reggie Miller thing?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
You can't use it again, you feel or you feel
like you might bring it out again.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
It's all spur of the moment. It was spur of
the move. I wasn't plottin on that.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
It just happened.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
So I don't think you'll see it again. I don't
think you'll see that. Yeah, we see. We haven't been
on since that. But I mean, how fucking he big? Toady?
Kdat it he big? But Rachel, can you imagine if
that was the game winner?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Can you imagine if they didn't win the overtime?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Afterward?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
We think about the swaggy pe meme right where they'll like.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Throw it turn around, and that is like, that is
literally the symbol in the NBA.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
How long has that been? Has that been ten years?
It feels like a fucking decade.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And that is still the symbol of all the ship
that is the symbol of right.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
And yet if ty had choked, had done the.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Choke sign and then quote choked the game away or
whatever it was. That image of him with the word
choker underneath would have lived for And that is why
give him a lot of credit, by the way, for
doing all the shit that he does, because he puts
it up. That's all we want, right, put yourself out there.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yes, and he is doing that, and he does it.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
So anyway, he's happy to win a game seven on
the road if it comes to that. But I don't
know if it's going to come to that. I feel
like with the Knicks Pacers series, it's pretty evenly matched.
I feel like anyone could Neither one of these are
perfect teams, right, Either one could come out with the
big night. The problem is the Knicks are in too
much of a hole now, yes, right, because the Knicks
have to win four out of five games. After you
lose the first two, you've got to win four out
(10:00):
of five.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
By the way we've seen it.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
We've seen an NBA Finals not that long ago, right,
So it's not like it can't happen.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
It is hard.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You have to be the better team, and I'm not
sure the Knicks are that much of the better team that,
even though they got one, I don't know if in
total they can win four out of five, and whether
they win tonight or not, I'm not sure it matters
so much in the long term of whether they're gonna
win the series and they gonna make it fun. I
have a question for you about Jaylen Brunson being your
best player.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Though you're talking about one, A, Y, one B, all
the stuff.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Well, my question to you, having played, because you played
such you were such a two way player, which is.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
A hysterical term to me, by the way basketball, because
we are everyone's supposed to be a two way player.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
But anyway, to have a guy who just not because
of his heart, not because he doesn't try, but because
of the size he is, who can never be anything
but average defensively and often something of a liability.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Can you have that be your best player?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
That was my thing. I can he'd be your best
player and win a title. I think he's shown at
times he's been the most unguardable guy in the playoffs.
He's been incredible. They can throw different defenses at him,
He's still doing what he does, but with that load.
And then you look at everything that makes him great offensively,
his pace, playing off two feet, his IQ, all that
(11:22):
he doesn't have any of those natural attributes as like
the normal superstars we think that are carrying teams that
can go ahead and flip around and lock in on
the other side. So when you look at him on defense,
you look at kat on defense, someone who else scores
the ball really well, but doesn't necessarily play defense. As
I said earlier, Bridges hasn't necessarily locked down as we're
accustomed to. Maybe he's a little tired.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Only one guy, right, you kind of would need a
team of Bridges, mean.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, you need at least two guys and maybe one
guy off the bench, and then a team that plays
team defense. We're gonna get to Okac. Yeah, I'm so
in love with the way they're just on a string.
Can Brunson be that guy? And I mean we're seeing
it right now, right, like Jokic said, like last series,
if we could have won, if we could, if we
could have won, we would have won, you know what
I mean. So I'm still interested in and I don't
(12:08):
want this to be a knock on because I think
he's been absolutely incredible in these playoffs. But that was
my question a while ago. Can he be the guy
to on your team and help and you guys win
a championship with that. So we're gonna have to see and.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Always it's hard to because the guy implies that like
he's not tough enough, he's not good enough, he doesn't
have enough swag, like he's got all of that.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
He can be the guy in that way.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Yes, but he's only as tall as he is as
tall and so either you need to have such defensive
stalwart presence around him, yes, And I don't know if
the Knicks have that. I don't know if it's possible
to build a team like that in this era. Yeah right,
where if that is your best player and he's worthy
in every other sense that he's just not four four
(12:52):
inches taller.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, Like, I just don't know.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I think like if for just hypothetis real, coud you
throw him on the Oklahoma City raw Sure, with the
depth of defense they have and you can hide him,
But then is he from that stamp? I mean, it's
a whole nother conversation. I still think there's nothing you can.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Do if you him on ok Yeah, are you putting
him instead of Shae?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah, yeah, You're going to excuse me if I was
removing Shaye and putting him in there in summer you
can hide because there's so much, great, much talent on
that team. But I mean, I guess it's you know,
this is something we're going to have to see. To
your point, even if they get tonight, do we see
them still getting another two out of three? And I
just don't. But one thing is is going to be
(13:35):
a big hit for Indiana if it happens tonight. His
Nie Smith is questionable. This guy is nearly at seventeen
points a game, fifty from the field and seventy three
percent from the three point line. He was single handedly
went nuts game one. At the end of Game one.
He's been the primary defender on Brunton although Brunts in
that thirty four game, nothing has been easy, absolutely nothing,
(13:58):
but he makes him work for everything. In good offense
is always a great offense is always going to beat
good defense, you know what I mean. I ran into
that in my like, I just made them work. But
they still got numbers. So he's definitely making him do
his things. So if they lost him, that could be
big depending on how long. But again they do have
that's the one thing you keep And I had to
say this is all due respect, Like they're bringing guys
(14:19):
off the bench that I haven't heard of, but they're
out there doing the thing, like they're out there playing well.
Carlile has those guys ready. One thing I'm happy about
is big John, how long you got ran stated before
I did. Congratulations man. He gets to be in the
building tonight game four, and I really want to sit
and talk to him because I've talked to people around
(14:39):
him and it's he's just so proud to be a
fucking dad and a black dad with all the narratives
and stigmas that have been in the past, but he's
just happy to be out there. They showed edit to
him at a bar still tripping when he couldn't go
to the game and he was doing his day. So
I absolutely again as a passionate dad, John, I fuck,
we need to have a beer together. But happy he
(15:00):
he'll be back in the building. He missed eight games.
It's crazy we're even talking about it, like as a player.
He missed eight gays because of the Yana shit back
on April twenty ninth. But he will be back in
the building. We saw our boy stat at game go ahead.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Well, I just say one more thing about that.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Yeah, go ahead, Like I'm thrilled, I've been saying for
the last week or two, like, Okay, we have gotten
to the point where the punishment has outweighed the crime. Right,
your son is doing things that, literally, by the way,
no human has ever done in the game of basketball,
and certainly Tyreese has never done. And it's not an
insult to say he might not ever do it again.
There's a lot of time and place, and I mean
it's literally never happened before. So the idea that he'd
(15:34):
have to miss all of that again punishment outweighed the crime.
To me, that we need to be creative about thinking
about how we make.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
These decisions for people.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yes, because the argument that I've gotten thrown back to
me over this last week, that I've said, you know,
come on, let him back in the building is okay,
but what he did was so out of pocket. And
the answer is yes, But there are other ways to
say you can't do this. And I believe they're going
to have him in a swing for the next rest
of the way keep and that is the way.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
To say you can't do this.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
It's kind of like, you know, to the player participation
issue to tie it into the awards Vuning.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
That's bullshit to me.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yes, there's other ways you can say you can't do this.
That doesn't have to be the way. Keeping John out
of the building does not have to be the way
you said you.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Can't do that.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Son uncharted territories with the ship John did on the court.
But again, I'm glad he's.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Well, he's lucky he rolled up on honest.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Man, That's what I said. We were having a conversation.
You would pop that shit in front of someone else,
you might have got smacked. But I'm glad it might
have go there. It didn't have to go there. The
guys in the league, yeah, it didn't have to go there.
But he's back tonight, so I know Tyresee and the
rest of the Indiana Yeah, I can appreciate that. Moving
out West. I haven't been excited about the way a
team plays defense in a long time because it's not
(16:47):
something that's necessarily focused on. But I remember one to particular,
the player where Edwards ran down through the middle. He
had dort Island on him, and then he got screened
and he was switched to Jay's Jalen Williams, which is
so he had a first team All defender on him,
he got he ran off a screen, a second team
All defender went on him, and he went off another screen,
(17:09):
and someone who should be on the All Defensive Team,
Caruso gar like, switched out and denied him. I'm like,
there's no other team out there that can do it.
Not only do they have individual lockdown defenders, but they're
a great defensive team. Like for all the young people
out there, college kids, even NBA guys, just watch how
they are on a string and they're moving and they're
making that second and third effort on top of the
(17:31):
way Shay scoring the ball, on top of the way,
Jalen Williams is scoring the ball. I think Jalen Williams
after a tough second round series, he's kind of flourishing.
And we know stars are born in the playoffs. What
are your thoughts. We haven't even touched on Ants not
playing well and Randall disappearing, but what are your thoughts
(17:52):
in this series? As Minnesota Trail's.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Three one, I've been talking about Game four and this
speaks to how, first of all, the playoffs are good. Man.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
When you sat down and you were like, oh, I
like basketball out right now.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
It's so fun. There's a couple of clunker games that we've.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Seen over the past few weeks. But when games like
the last.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Couple that we see, as we say here today, where
it's just shot making after shot making as opposed to
sucking after sucking.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, it's just to see the elite level right now.
And this is what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Hold your point one second and what I want to
say with that, because I think, Rachel, we've seen a
passing of the guards in these particular playoffs. Again, smaller markets,
none of our traditional old stars that are unfortunately on
their way out. It's new stars, small markets and just
again shot making. There's been some blowouts, but guys are
(18:40):
playing at a high level. This is I mean, I
don't know what the TV numbers are, and obviously when
Lebron's not in and all that, I just know there's
been some really good basketball and it's all new young
players and stars doing it.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
It's fun.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Man, Go ahead, well no, but to your point, right,
So this is what Minnesota Timberwolves did, right And I'm
reading from John Krasinski is a great beat writer from
the Athletic who was covered the team for a long time.
They shot it better from the field fifty one percent.
They shot it better from three point range than Thunder
forty four percent.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
They out rebounded Oka.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
See.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
They scored more points in the paint. They scored more
points in transition, more points than Okaysey off second chances,
had eight more assists, three more points off turnovers. They
made six more three throws, and Minnesota's bench outscored the
Thunders bench. And by the way, the Thunders bench is
Sam Good. Minnesota's bench outscored the Thunders sixty four to
twenty seven. The guess who won the game? And not
(19:32):
even like by a little bit. It didn't feel I
know it got close at the end, but didn't feel
to you. Yeah, the older brother the kind of like
just holding it up a little in front of them.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
But I think the two things you mentioned is their
stars didn't play well. I think you know you look
at Devincenzo seven for eleven from the field, five for eight,
twenty one points. I love Alexander Walker's cousin.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Did you know that their cousins, because they haven't mentioned
it at.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
All, because I talked about it. I think because this
he's finally on a big enough stage, he's showing his shit.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
But he goes for twenty three five for right from
the end, plays tough defense, you know. McDaniels goes for
twenty two, Gobert nearly a double double, thirteen to nine.
But then you look at sh our Aunt five for
thirteen six points or sixteen points, one for seven form
the three, and then Randall, who's been incredible during these playoffs,
but he's been kind of bottled up against this team
(20:25):
twenty eight minutes, one for seven, five points. Yeah, so
you can't your two best players can't have those kind
of night, especially on the same night in the Western Finals.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
I agree, And you can't win when that's the case.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
But you were playing against a defense that is designed
to get this incredible And so when people are like, oh,
aunt Ann had a bad night, and then Aunt comes
out and said I wouldn't say I was struggling, and
that got a lot of attention.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
I think he's right.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Look, the defense is designed to suffocate him and take
the ball out of his hands, and is he making
good decisions or not? And he was generally making good decisions.
He's still twenty three years old. Yes, right, but this
is the Western Conference playoffs. I just think we are
such a like either your gold or your trash society
now that we forget in our breakdowns in some of
(21:12):
these games, like oh man, he didn't show up, he
was trash. Julius Randall, I thought he was good again,
and now like, oh look, he's shown his true colors.
Guess what they're playing against a historically good defense, and
this is what happens. And he has played really well
up until now in these playoffs, and he is having
some not great games against one of the best defenses
(21:33):
to do it.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
And this is what happens when you have this level
of might versus might.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
This is like evengel Civil Warship, Right, You've got like
this team of people and this team with people. Not
everyone's gonna win all the time. So I think that's
what we're seeing a little bit is okay, see is
that good? You sit here and you say they've got
this defense like it's seven on five out there half
the time.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
It's what it feels like.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
The one thing I would say, and obviously you're right,
but still stars have to play better. The one thing
I'll say about Anthon, I just don't like he hasn't
taken enough shots for me. Five for thirteen again, and
I think this is the second time he's taking thirteen shots.
I'm from an era of gunners with Kobe, you know
what I mean. So, but that's what at this point,
(22:17):
I feel like, like, if we're going to go down,
it's going to go down because he went three for twenty.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
But then are we all going to sit here and
be like I.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Would rather, but I would rather rather he's that good?
Yeah right, I would rather have no question, but I
would rather Aunt has to be in the eighteen to
twenty three attempts a game for this team to have
any and I don't think they have a chance. And
I say that with all due respect. I think they've
(22:46):
done very well. But I think, okay, see with the
way their defensive playing and then the way Shay is
still scoring, whether he's baiting fowls or not, he's getting
those buckets. And then again Jalen Williams, for Shay to
be able to go sit on the bench and him
to carry the team offensively, that was that very impressive. Interest. Rachel, Well,
you know what's weird to me is like they have
two guys that can really go out and get it,
but they also have a really good ball movement. It's nuts,
(23:09):
you know. I mean there's times obviously where Shay will
do with things and then last night when Jalen was
doing this thing. But on top of the guys that
are really two guys going to get it, the ball
still moves around.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
They do need Jaalen Williams to play the way he played. Oh,
he was incredible and that is not a gimme.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
And we will still see, by the way, and whether
it's Western Conference finals, whether it's in the finals, if
they make it, we will see a couple of bad
games from him and people will be like, see that
when I'm a second star, they can't do it. He's
not there yet, but he's showing enough that he could
be that.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I'm interested absolutely, First time All Stars, second Team All Defense,
and again for him to carry the offensive load. As
you know, the way he did was was really impressive
and only had four points going into the second quarter,
only took two shots in the first half of the game,
thirteen for the game, sixteen points, six rebounds, excuse me,
(23:57):
six assists, four rebounds. What do you need to see this?
Game for them, which is going to be tomorrow night
for them to have a chance to try to get
one more maybe.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Look, I mean it'd be very hard, first of all,
to walk into that environment in Oklahoma City.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
You know what it's like, nasty, crazy.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
If y'all out there have not seen the video of
them coming back to the airport at three am, crazy,
it was crazy, and this is something they do in
Oklahoma City.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
But I love that, right.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
I mean, they sit and wait for those guys after
road trips, especially during the playoffs. It was a madhouse
at like three point thirty in the morning in Oklahoma,
which was just so much fun.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
To see anything else to do.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
I love it, right, It's going to be a crazy environment.
I think that's going to be hard for them. Look,
Anthony Edwards is a couple of years behind Shay, right,
both in terms of years in the league, age, all
of that stuff.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
He will get there.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Yes, we all know it, we all see it. Dylan
and I had this conversation going into this series. Dylan,
you were saying, I think Ant's ready, He's ready to
be the face of the league.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
He's star, And that's true.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
He's ready to do a lot of the star things,
but you still have to go on the basketball court
first and foremost, but also learn right just we are
so in a culture. The commercials are the best.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
In the in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Right, So I think he's got the best commercials in
the NBA, and he's got the best star power. He
gives it, the best press conference, he's he's great on
the court, walks down the street in LA after fucking
de throning, right, King Slayer, Right, He's he's sitting there
calling the Gobert Dragon and calling himself the King Slayer
(25:36):
and got the whole nine. But he's still twenty three
years old, and he is going to get better enough
in the next two years that he would walk into
a situation like he is about to walk into an
Okac and tear the house down. I just don't know
if he's there yet.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
He's not. And I think it's it's just mentality too.
I don't even think it's skill set. I think it's
the mentality to say, fuck everything else, if we're going
to sink, we're going to sink on my back. I
think that's what kind of talent he has.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
That's what kind of talent he needs to learn how
to do it, and by against again a historically good defense.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
But I mean, if we look at it, what has
he done. He's got his team to the Western Finals
the last two years, like no one thought he was
going to make it this year.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
And by the way, yeah again.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
The King Slayer. He's he beat all the legends, all
the legends of my time that are you know, on
the back side of their career. So again, I think
you made a great point. It's all or nothing with
sports media now and fan bases that don't know shit.
Our peanut gallery downstairs crazy as hell, Like it's just
all or nothing. You cannot falter period, you know what
(26:42):
I mean. But again, if you're a real head of
the game, you know his trajectory is where it needs
to be. Perk said something about he needs to be
a family man. I didn't read the whole thing, But Park,
you're tripping. You just got a hoop and keep getting better.
He will be the face of the game.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
But Dylan's right, He's going to be everything we think
he's going to be.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
He is going to be more.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
You just gotta what he can't skip steps right.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Well, we had conversation and I don't know if this
is are the chat for this show that they were saying,
if Tyres wins a chip, is he ahead of Reggie?
If if Ant wins, if is he had a a KG,
If Brunson win, is he the greatest? And and if
Shaye wins the ahead a KD or Russ And it's
just like it to me, it's not enough under the belt,
(27:25):
like you gotta consistently do it. And granted, some of
those guys that I mentioned, the O G guys that
I played with didn't win rings in those particular spaces,
or the legends didn't win rings. But it's consistency over
a number of years of what makes you jump. I mean,
Kg put what sixteen years or how many years in
thirteen years in Minnesota and all the shit he did,
and Reggie put a lifetime in there, and then you
(27:46):
know you're looking at Patrick Ewan and some of the
other guys. Although Brunston I think has a chance if
he can win it to become the greatest Nick. And
I say that with all the respect Brunton. Yeah, but yeah,
it's it's it's a level of consistency through through a
year in you're out that gets you to the top
of these franchises in my opinion, I have.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
A question for you that goes across a bunch of
NBA discussions I'm having right now.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
How much is winning?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Because you know, there's winning and there's misery, right, that's
pat Riley.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Winning is the only thing blah blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
But we're talking about the y Honest conversation. Should they trade Giannis?
What's the value of having Yannis on your court as
a buck even if you can't win. I would argue
for that franchise, you're not getting another Honest anytime soon,
so they're you know, just being in a hurry to
tear it down and rebuild.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Doesn't make a ton of sense to me.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Like when you talk about who's the greatest Timberwolf player
to ever be there, or who's the greatest nick or
who you know? When we talk about the Lakers, right,
who is the greatest player to wear a Lakers uniform
is a very different conversation than who is the greatest Laker?
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Right?
Speaker 3 (28:47):
And like, how much is does a ring get you
everywhere in that discussion? Or is it no?
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Everything else you do but the.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Bar moves in every situation? Unfortunately, and Rachel, you came
up in the air, and I grew up in an
air watching and playing and where stars didn't move like
they would go through spec what Kobe go through a
five year drought where they were fucking dog shit, you
know what I mean? But he rode that ship, and
you give that respect. KG rode the ship for thirteen
years until he finally jumped off and went to Boston.
(29:18):
So we live in an era where it's it's instant
gratitude in it, and you see it in sports in general.
You think about it, and I'll flip to football. Some
of the great quarterbacks came in and Aaron Rodgers came in,
and Soath what three years four years behind Brett Farb
and was able to learn and develop. Now because everyone
is making some much money in all sports, you get
thrown in the firepan right off the rip, and if
(29:38):
it doesn't pay in your dog shit, you know what
I mean, or whatever people want to call you, instead
of allowing that time to develop to your point, you're
definitely not getting another Giannis. You're not getting no big
free agents. Dame was a huge move, but it wasn't
necessarily free agency. It was coming to play with Giannis.
But if you move him and try to rebuild, I mean,
you know what you're getting rid of and you know
(29:59):
you're not gonna get nothing back. But again, we live
in a society now where you know you you do
you credit or you get mad at Lebron where he
was the first superstar to really kind of start moving
and guys see that, and he moved with success. Ron
moved and went and got three more championships. Now do
you in the in the in the hierarchy of the game,
do you look down on him when you're when you're
(30:20):
when you're talking at the end, because he has a
bunch of numbers, But if he would have stayed in Cleveland,
how many chips would he have won? You know, Kobe
stayed with the Lakers and rode those nasty seasons and
in won five chips. So it's just I feel like
the goalpost moves when it comes to player movement these days,
and who is the best and what route they took.
I mean, it's all.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Subjective to me, and also a lot of its chance, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Kind of luck, kind of luck, Like.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
It's who gets hurt win, right, it's Jayson Tatum gets
injured or not. And by the way, I know the
Knicks we're winning that game anyway. I know, I get it.
But Jason Tatum being injured changes the trajectory of the
Boston Celtics going forward. It's the bracket. Who do you
get in the bracket? I think the La Clippers local
here would have done better if they hadn't run into
the Nuggets.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Right.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
So, there's just so much throughout any postseason that is
just damn luck. And then we sit there twenty years
later and say, well, he didn't win a title there, right,
KG didn't win a title there, so blah blah, blah blah.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
It's just I don't know.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
I am reevaluating a little bit when I have all
these conversations of I get I'm not saying championships aren't important.
Winning isn't important, But if you get a little new,
more nuanced under than that, like, is it such a
big deal that it's the only deal? And I do
not think it is. As someone who grew up in Washington,
DC and whose team has not been to the third
(31:38):
round of the playoffs in forty six years, I can
tell you that it would have been nice when I
was a kid to go see a Yanni Senta Takupo
on my.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Team wearing my jersey. Even if we're weren't in a
fucking win a title, it would have been nice. Yeah,
lovey muxy Boks, but not the same.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
It's interesting and obviously that's a hot topic because you
think any team Yannis goes to, as long as I
have to trade the whole team for him, is it
going to be a contender. So we shall see a
lot's been made of, you know, with Indiana and OKC
or most likely don't want to jinx either of them
going to end up in the finals. And how both
these teams through Paul George trades have been built and
(32:20):
crazy And here's a little bit of a little bit
of how this is broken down. Actually, yo, I saw
someone break this ship down. And it started with the
Rashard Lewis trade.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yes, I did see.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
That. Wasn't that good? Yeah, that was really good. But
Patiers trade Paul George for Victor Olidipo and Sabonis traded
Sabonis for Halliburton, and we are where we are next page,
Thunders trade Paul George and I remember this too. This
was Doc Rivers almost didn't get Kawhi because Kawhi's demand
(32:51):
was PG and Doc did not want to trade SGA.
Doc did not go back. Doc did not want to
trade SGA. He saw something in him. He t SGA
and a ton of picks, and one of those picks
is now Jalen Williams, first time All Star, second Team
All Defense. Since we're talking about our guy, Paul and
Paul you know, I love you, fuck with you, we
need to get back on the golf course. His current team,
(33:12):
Philly Rachel, I'm gonna give you the GM president role.
Both you have both hats on. Do you build around
MAXI and McCain or do we keep our fingers crossed
that someday we might get a Joe LMB that's going
to play a lot of games and lead his team,
and a Paul George is gonna find the magic.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
He used to have a few things.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
You just said, third pick in the draft right this year,
third picking the lottery.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
So we just have to remember the Paul George trade
with the Clippers, and your DOCA is one hundred percent
on the record, by the way, being like this is
a mistake, yep, but it was for Paul George and Kawhi. Yes,
and Sam Presty is a magician, and he was able
to engineer and participate in and take advantage of a
situation where the Clippers were over a barrel wanting Kawhi
(33:59):
for reasons by the way, that had more to do
than basketball and competing against the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
That sort of large shadow.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
That he could have possibly went to the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
He was going to go to the So you remember
what was going on at the same time, right, because
Lebron was clearly coming to La Magic supposedly had the
supposedly Magic had the meeting with him, you know, midnight
oh three. But where I put the supposedly in is
its supposedly that was like some big sel job.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
That's the magic man, right.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
I love Magic. By the way, this is not a
knock on Magic. But Lebron was coming to Lakers. I
mean they could have sent me in a wheelbarrow like
like Lebron was coming to the Lakers, that is who
he wanted to come play for. He was going to
come play for. And Lebron could have demanded they get someone.
Lebron could have demanded they go out and get Kawhi Leonard.
Lebron could have played.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
With Kawhi on the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Lebron could have said, hey, go get this guy. He
didn't do that, and there's pros and cons of him
not doing that. Look what happened to the Clippers, But
Kawai said it. He said I'm not coming, and he
sort of played the Clippers and Lakers off each other.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
He said, well, you know.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
La, I could I could still come home to LA
and just play for the Lakers instead and go play
with Lebron and the Clippers.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
The idea for.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Them of Kawhi and Lebron all across the hall in
that Lakers locker.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Room couldn't have It was.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Just something that seems so deadly for the franchise that
that's why they made that trade for Paul George, because
I told, you know, asked them to and said that
is how I am coming, and that's why they gave
up so much. So I just when we sit back
and tell the story of the Paul George trade, it
was a Paul George for Kawhi swap in the Clippers minds,
and San Presty only had to give up one of
(35:31):
those guys.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
For only to give up Paul George to get to
get all he got. I don't you know. Look, I
think the sixers are deep in it enough.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
With Embiid, he's not in a kind of tradable position
because when he's healthy, though he is scoring more than
a point a minute at times.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Credible, right, wasn't that when? But we keep saying if,
though I know, what if everyone over there is drunk,
if it was a fifth because he when he is
healthy there there's absolutely no question. And I would even
argue at times that people are gonna think I'm crazy,
like I don't know if I'm taking joker Embiid. With
Embiid is fully healthy because Embid moves around more on defense,
(36:11):
he could switch out on the pick and roll like
Embiid went healthy is a problem. We keep saying win
or if, and it just hasn't. What are we your ten? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (36:20):
He had some freaky shit too though he broke his
eye at one point.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, Bell's palsy at one point. That's not his fault.
Like I mean, there's been some horrible love luck.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
But at the end of the dame, when we look
at it, like I said, when we're looking twenty years,
he just he wasn't out there is all and I'm
a huge embiid as a monster. Then PG is making
fifty to fifty five million until twenty twenty eight, so
they're in deep with those two guys alone. Obviously. Maxie
McCain third pick, I think.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
What do you do, Darrel?
Speaker 3 (36:47):
You think you're lucky stars the way the lottery worked out,
because they could have lost that pick, by the way,
if they were outside the top six.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
So it was just a huge win all the way around.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
And I think in the East that looks like it's
about to maybe even get weaker. There's no Tatum next
year if Jannis leaves the conference. And by the way,
if I am the Bucks and I do trade you, honest,
I'm sure as that the Drew Holiday.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Lesson is real.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
People got to go to the West.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Do not trade him within the conference.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
So if that happens the East is I mean again,
you might be thinking about a comeback because.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
There are some Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Right, I'm I'm one hundred percent if I'm Philly, there's
no you're not getting the value you want from moving
one of your big pieces right back.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
See if you.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Can get if Joelle can now with all the rest,
he's going to have had and the surgery he had
and all the stuff. See if he can be more
of the player you need him to be peek at
the right time. Paul, George, you and I both think.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
He still got some in the tank. There's no absolutely
does and he told me too, and I'm obviously not
going to put his But he went through some real
shit this season, like real because I would call and
check on him every once in a while, and he
went through some real shit this year. And people don't
understand how heavy that stuff is. Trying to and again
it's not an excuse, it's just that mental side of
the athlete is ninety percent of the game, ninety percent
of the game. So I expect Paul he still has
(37:59):
something in his tank and something to prove. So would
you possibly attached this third pick, which is a fairly
deep draft with one of those stars I mentioned to
move one of them.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
So again this I'm going to keep saying it.
Speaker 3 (38:13):
What kind of team do you want to see on
the court? Am I tearing everything down all the time
in the hope of maybe one day drafting someone as
good as Joel Embiid. So we are just so quick
right now to be like it's not working. Get rid
of everyone, tear it down. Let's hope that we can
get a bunch of picks. Picks don't play basketball. Picks
do not put people in stands. They're just future things
(38:34):
floating out.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
In the world.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Like there is a point where you have to say,
this is my team. These guys are good, my fans
like them. Let's see if we can give it a go.
I just think that people are so quick to tear
down everything constantly.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
You're not getting.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Value if you have to attach the number three overall
pick to one of your biggest stars in the hope
of what's a clearing salary to do what Presty.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
Makes it look so easy, though, Rachel, Well, they haven't,
won't They haven't.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
And by the way, a lot of people haven't.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
If they do win, yeah, and they are the favorite.
And I now the Boston's at Boston was my pick.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
I'm going freely. I'll say it over and over.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
But now that Boston's out, like I okay, see, he's
the obvious pick right now. Like if they win, it
will still be one title in a sea of how
many years have we've been talking about this? It is
hard to win everything has to go right. You have
to have the team. You have to have the player.
Your guy has to have a great series. The health
has to break the right way. The bracket has to
(39:31):
break the right way. To do all of this roster madness.
If I am tearing everything up and throwing it out
to start, hopefully five years from now we can be right.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Back where we were.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
Right now is insane to be in this NBA. And
I just I don't.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Think it's just the era of sports in general. It's
just what have you done for me lately? There's no hey,
let's figure.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
It out or chantasy teams great the.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
Process and in Philly's words, like it just doesn't. People
are too impatient, Teams are too impatient. Owners are wilder
than ever, and money is crazier than ever. And the
movement makes our game grow even more so. It's just
it's it's not what we grew up on.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
I just I don't know. I think there's something too.
I get it, we're in the era player movement.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
I get it.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
The kids now, I mean, your kids are fans of
not even a team. I mean, do your kids even.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Have a favorite team or just players? I know, but
I know they watched it.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Yeah, I mean they watched the team like the Warriors, Lakers,
the teams I play for the teams. But those guys
are on their way out because they.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
But do they still love watching Staff because the fact
that the Warriors only only got to the second round
this year, does that mean that they don't love watching Staff,
that they don't love watching a war If the Warriors
are on in November, November, you know whatever, November seventeenth,
h they're going to still click that.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Game on, right, yep?
Speaker 3 (40:44):
Like there has to be some value in that for
fans and teams and teams to be like, we still
have Jowel Embiid and Philly fans love to wearing that
jersey with Embad's name on the back. And let's see
what the big man can do when he's healthy. I
just to tear it all down, tear it all down,
tear it all down, give away your future to tear
it down.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
I don't like man. Good luck to him be we're speaking.
I would just love as a fan of him and
how talented is I want him to be able to
get some consistency out there. Rachel, thank you for stopping by.
We will check back in before it's all said and done,
have a good day. I've teamed up with DraftKings pick
six for the Conference Finals Wednesday, Game five t Wolves
first the Thunder. I think Sga will continue on his
(41:21):
scoring hot streak and he'll have more points than the
DraftKings pick six people have him marked four and for
the t Wolves after a rough game, I think Julius
Randall will rebound and have more points than the DraftKings
picks pick have him slated at Thursday Game five Pacers
versus the Knicks. I think Jalen Brunson, after a poor
shooting performance, will have more points than the DraftKings pick
(41:44):
six have him slated at. For the Pacers. After a
big game, I think Pascal Siakam will have less points
than the DraftKings pick six have him slated for Welcome
back someone we haven't seen for a while because the
Lakers have been in care and coon for what a
month now? Gino Rose Sparks Davis, how are you bro?
Speaker 4 (42:06):
They calling me the Rock now?
Speaker 1 (42:07):
Baby? That's what someone said the chatter. Who the fuck
is the Rock Rock without the row? Baby?
Speaker 4 (42:15):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
Come on, that's what we have going on so Gino
as a basketball fan, someone who's been spoiled with excellence,
as a Laker fan, someone who is a gross exaggerator
of life, would okay seeing the Pacers be a bad
finals to watch.
Speaker 4 (42:32):
I mean, that's worse than the Cleveland OKAYC Finals that
we were anticipating, right, Like, who thought the Pacers would
be anywhere close to the finals this year? Come on?
And to be honest with you, what do you mean, like,
it's not haller Burton city if Indiana wins this.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Year, I mean, it's going to be a city because
he's a current player.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
They're not gonna remember Reggie Miller ever again. If haller
Burton wins the fucking championship. Ye, that's the dumb ship.
Is the reason why I brought you on. He say,
so they can attack you and.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
Get them.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Come on, no, but seriously, hold on, but seriously.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Good basketball. We talked. I talked about it with Rachel.
That's not the big names, it's not the big marks
necessarily outside of New York. But I feel like, and
I agree with you, I think it is going to
be an OKAC Pacers final. And although it's not traditional,
it's not I still Both those teams are playing really
good basketball. Both those teams are deep. Both those teams
coaches are out there doing their thing. One thing about Carlisle,
(43:25):
He's been able to make adjustments on the fly and
a lot has gone into the success of the Pacers
and where they're at. But I still think, although it's
not the box office we think of when we think
of the NBA NBA Final, I think it's going to
be a very competitive finals. I don't know what the
numbers and the ratings will do, but it'll definitely be
some good basketball.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
I mean for non casual fans, come on.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
You're right or OKAC as a whole, and the SGA
is the m v P and then Halliburton's been Is
that going to draw people? We shall see. We don't know.
There's been a video going around of Luca, and Luca
looks like he's in great shape. He heard you and
the rest of the fans there he is. Look at him,
slim thug. That's the one thing I said. And obviously
(44:08):
he came in the midst of the season. LA is
not a place that you're going to take so much
heat and criticism about shit that you're going to work
on whatever needs to be worked done. And obviously we're
not even maybe a month away from when they last
finished playing. And Luca looks in great shape. So when
you see him in that type of shape after you
said you should the team should trade him, what do
(44:29):
you think?
Speaker 4 (44:30):
I mean, it's the first point of business for him. Yes,
you know, because he's taking hell in the media for
being chubby, you know what I mean, can't put down
the plate drinking bud.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
He has a body frame like you. Yeah, Yeahhall, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 4 (44:43):
But I'm hot out here though, so but yes, it's
a good start for the city to see him taking
the shit serious. It's the first point of business and
I'm looking forward to next season to see what he
can really do. I think he saw the old video
of himself at Dallas and really got inspired by that.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
When young Luca was looking and turn it out on people.
Word is I saw something earlier today that Broun is
most likely to opt out of his fifty two million
dollar deal at this point in his career. Is this
something where you see he'll opt out take less to
hopefully bring other another talent in.
Speaker 4 (45:16):
I mean, I would speak volumes of his character. I
mean he has enough money. Man Like, I don't think
it's a financial thing for him, but you know who,
I can't talk about a man's pockets.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
As a fan. Do you hope that actually absolutely? Could do?
Speaker 4 (45:28):
Absolutely, and plus it will save his career, So should
he make an adjustment to safe some more years of
his career.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Absolutely, you know what I think. And it's because we
always know that Braun is in peak shape. He does
everything he can do. The fact is the fact, though
he's getting older, and we saw he just ran out
of gas came come late in the season. So it's
just like, I think, to your point, if there's any
way to be able to add more, and we saw
right off the rip Roblink came out and said there's
(45:54):
been some demands made and we're going to go out
and do our best to meet though. So it'll be
interesting to see the way that situation shakes out. And
you know, the Lakers always somehow, some way make something happen,
So I'm definitely interested to see what can work out
as the team is currently constructed, and again with Bron
going into your twenty two next year or twenty three three,
(46:17):
holy shit, twenty three going into year twenty three next year.
The players you bring in moving forward are those to
work around Luca or to work around Bron's last couple
of years in the league.
Speaker 4 (46:30):
I think both can be true. Lebron still the guy
for our team no matter how you look at it.
What can we bring in though?
Speaker 1 (46:38):
To thank you? Guys need some dogs, some wing defenders
that really get out there, possibly three and D.
Speaker 4 (46:44):
So a Giannis tre wouldn't help us.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
Gianni is going to your team would help anything, but
it would help anything. But it's just you know, how
does that work? Numbers wise? Has Austin reeves he's someone
wins he up next year or the year after. Yeah,
he's on one of the most favorable deals you'll ever get.
He's going to demand and I'm something people think I might.
He might fuck around and get north of one fifty
(47:07):
maybe two hundred million from another team the way he
US have played. So is that an asset that you
possibly look to move? There? Adamant about not moving him.
So there's a lot of ifs and what ifs. They're
going to happen this season or summer, this free agency.
So I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what happens The
Bucks hope that Doc rivers presence will convince Giannis to
(47:29):
stay longer. Reported by Mike stein Onto the Coop and
Rivers are believed to have a strong working relationship. Is
Doc Rivers the reason Jannis won't force a trade?
Speaker 4 (47:42):
I don't know if that's the case. I think that
city is just in a bad situation. You know how
it goes when you win a championship and then your
expectations are so high afterwards, What could they do over there?
Like Giannis is the only hope for that city for
the next decade, Like, why would you want to move
your star? Like, let's be honest, I wouldn't want to
(48:04):
move our star.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
You got to be interesting to see if he and
he's never been a guy that he's very been very
loyal and hasn't even allowed conversation to really be brought up.
He's always dead it, but he's not dead in it anymore.
So it'll be really crazy to see him move to
your point small market like Milwaukee. He's done everything he's
(48:25):
done there and accomplished there. You know you're not going
to get anything near the return of what he's been
able to give you. But we live in a society
of what have you done for me lately? And we
live in a society of player moving and in particular
superstar movement. So will he join the you know, the
train to get to a bigger market and a situation
to win? We will see uh Man. Moving ahead to
(48:49):
the women's game. I got a chance to take Ava
and one of her friends for eighth grade graduation to
a sparse game the other day, bro and I was
so impressed with kel Plumb. So obviously she ended up
with what did she score that game? Third? Or twenty
eight and eight and three? But it was a slow
start for her. But it wasn't only how hot she got,
(49:11):
but it's the way she moves and orchestrates the offense
and it's always encouraging on. I hadn't seen her playing
a while, and obviously I got a chance to see her
playing person in Vegas, and obviously her role on that
team was different with Asia and all the talent they
had over Chelsea Gray and those ladies over there. But
with this team that's kind of obviously Cameron brings coming
(49:33):
back and what's her name's coming back to? Yeah, you know,
not fully healthy. The way she's playing thinks she's averaging
twenty five a game, but I was just really impressed
with just the way she ran that team bro and
and the big after big shot after big shots she hit.
I'll also say that was the first time I got
to see Angel Rees playing person. And no matter how
(49:56):
much shit people talk about her, she has a huge
fa Like in LA, there were people screaming her name
and cheering for when she did good shit. She's got
a lot of criticism lately with Caitlyn clarkshit. I'm not
even going to get into that, but what I'll say
is like she works her fucking ass off on the boards,
whether she's rebounding her shot or not. She's rebounding and
(50:18):
she plays with the motor, and I think there's a
big debate about her and her she's leading league and
rebounding I think it nearly fourteen points a game, and
some people's offensive repertoire come in the league ready for
that league. Whatever NBA or not or WNBA, she'll get
her offensive. You know, it's situation down. But she's nearly
at a double double consistently, you know what I mean.
(50:40):
So I think the hate and criticism she takes is
more from people that just just want to talk shit
and don't necessarily watch the game and see that there
is definitely potential there. But yeah, man, I had a
good time. Ava had a good time. It was good
to get to a Sparks game. I hadn't been one
in such a long time. I was there with KD.
Speaker 4 (51:00):
I saw Katie.
Speaker 1 (51:01):
Yeah, he was chilling. We had a good time, caught
up a little bit, talked a lot of shit. Be
interesting to see where he goes this off season. I
heard the Spurs are ready to make a move for him.
Where would you see who is more likely to move
in your Opinionani, KD?
Speaker 4 (51:17):
KD for sure, he's up out of there.
Speaker 1 (51:18):
And three spots you wouldn't mind seeing KD.
Speaker 4 (51:21):
I mean, first spot for him would be going to
Houston and get on with that team. Another spot would
be OKAYC again, you know, depending on especially if they
lose in the finals this year, if they even make
it to the final, but if they lose in the finals,
they'll be looking to change that team, maybe just a
little bit, so you don't think so. And then my
third team is Golden State, obviously interesting, but you don't
(51:42):
think they'll be reade.
Speaker 1 (51:44):
The movie anybody too young, too young, and who you
would have to give up to get a kd is
Or would you give up Jayden, a young Jalen Williams.
Would you give up a chet someone who's been huge
for them offensively and defensively, Dort Island. Dort has shown
in Knee he's a motherfucker. He's already shown, but in
these he's with help. He's given at Edwards hell. So,
(52:05):
I mean, they have a lot of pieces, but I
just don't think this team is too young to do
any kind of adjustments. I think Hardenstein needs to look
to be a little bit more aggressive offensively. I think
that would help their team. But outside of that, I
think this team is a set for the next handful
of years. But Gino, it's good to see you back.
I appreciate you. Rock is what they're calling you in
the streets these days. Brick oh brick. Now all right, bro,
(52:32):
I appreciate you guys. Absolutely. It's a wrap. You can
catch us on all the Smokes productions, YouTube and the
DraftKings Network. We'll see y'all next week.
Welcome back to another episode of Unplugged, brought to you
by DraftKings Man. I love basketball right now. I mean
men's game is going crazy obviously with the playoffs, got
a chance to catch a court side, sparse game this weekend.
But joining us is none other than one of my
best friends, Rachel Nichols.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome back, mister, mister Matt Barnes.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
How much fun is it watching Kelsey Plumb?
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Kelsey's the shit, right. I remember how dope she was
in college, but obviously she fell into her role. But
we'll obviously get to that a little bit later. But yeah,
as a spark, just.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
You said you went to the game. I didn't realize that. Like,
plus she talks her shit.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Oh yeah, absolutely, I love it. I just I'm gonna
break her down later because this is the first time
I got to see her play in person in a
while for the Sparks, and it's just a different But yeah,
we'll get to that. But anyway, let's get to UH
Eastern Finals. You were in the building, ye baby, game
one Madison Square Garden. I said, I didn't even care
if I went to the game. I just want to
(01:00):
feel the energy in New York right now, because I
know it's insane, but you witnessed a choke.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
First of all, going into that series, going into the
Eastern Conference Finals first time twenty five years against the Pacers.
Every old Nick is in the building, every pace you know, Reggie,
Reggie's there. All the shit you walk around New York
that day, right, The Knicks were not only going to
win that series in four, they were going to sweep
in four. They were after beating the Celtics, they were
(01:27):
going to sweep the finals in four, and they were
somehow going to win two titles.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
By some they're gonna win next year, next year's title.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
That's what you couldnot tell Knicks fans nothing.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
And by the way, I think you still couldn't. Maybe
even after Game three, they're like, we're.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Bad, baby, It's all happening Nicks and Sick, right, they're wild.
I saw. I just love the ambiance again, every single
former Nick players courtse I think that shit is dope.
And there's a mob, Dylan, what's that ship called? The
mob of just the crazy fans that talk shit to everyone?
Is there like a New Yorkers Yeah, mayn right. They
are nuts with no filter, Like I just love. I
(02:03):
said early on, I just think it would be great
for just the ecosystem, would be the NBA if the Knicks
were able to win. But let's get down to why
I don't think they they're going. I just I love
what they're doing. I have the team run a ton
of numbers, say, because I just kind of want to
figure out like what things look like and what the
vibe is. But let's talk Game three. TIBs Surprise, Surprise,
(02:25):
dipped into the bench a little bit shamming and and
Wright got a little bit of time. There's been a
switch with Josh Hart going to the bench and Mitchell
Robinson's starting now talk to us a little bit about
kind of the shake up and TIBs at this point.
And I was saying before we started, like I'm looking
at the guy's minutes now and all the guys are
in like low thirty, So it means he's dipping into
the bench. But the bench hasn't really got no burn
(02:47):
all year, So how are they supposed to on the
Eastern Conference final stage perform? But go ahead, what are
your thoughts with kind of a little bit of shake
up in him using a little bit more.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Depth, I think it was Kenny Smith, righty read the
line so far as the series where he's like, TIBs
won't even use nine guys baseball game?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
What was he shows us tonight?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Right?
Speaker 2 (03:04):
That was kind of insane. Whether you play guys a lot,
whether you don't. I mean, it really depends on the day.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
People go back and forth, right because when the Knicks,
you know, when we saw Cleveland, for example, right fall
apart against the Pacers, people were like, oh see the
Pacers have played their guys. They're used to running up
and now they're used to heavy minutes in Cleveland. That
made this huge show all year of like we're not.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Going to wear guys out rolling a player starter a
certain amount of time.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
The criticism was they weren't ready when it was time
to go. The TIBs criticism we always know is he
plays guys into the ground, and yet if you look
at some of the numbers, it doesn't always back that up. Look,
I asked you before we started if you had played
for Carlisle or TIBs before, which I can't kind of
believe you haven't, considering how many teams they've both been
in and you've been at. But it's interesting to me
(03:50):
that Rick Carlisle has largely out coached Tom Thibodeaux in
this series. And then I think what you saw on
what you're asking about is tips sort of feeling around
for what else might work. And when we saw Brunson
on the bench, I am in no way one of
these people who was like.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Oh my god, June Brunson, they're better without him. I mean,
that's just insanity.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
However, the fact that Brunson and Kat weren't playing together
and the defensive weakness, yes, when they're both on the floor,
that that creates wasn't there. That's what I thought was
most interesting.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
About all those Yeah, there's numbers obviously, and analytics, you
guys can get that somewhere else, But when they're able
to stagger their minutes, and let's be real, I mean,
Mikal Bridges hasn't necessarily been the lockdown guy he's been
known to be og has kind of been inconsistent when
it comes to defense. You know, Kat with his size twenties,
he's not really moving them puppies as as they would say.
And then Brunson is doing so much heavy lifting on
(04:44):
the offensive. Man, it's just like, how much do you
expect from him, So you know, I wanted to just
My whole thing is obviously being a former player like
you had, you can't, first of all, simulate game reps,
especially at this point with all the adrenaline, Like you
can't just all of a sudden get in shape, you
know what I mean. And that's why I always tip
guys that with you know, we look at Indiana and
(05:04):
we look at Okay. See their guys have got a
taste of this shit the whole season. So now when
it's here, whether it's a little bit longer than normal
sport or a quick spurt, they're ready and they're here.
You give guys opportunities that hasn't necessarily played. And I'm
not sure what you're expecting because I'm always thinking Rachel
on the playoffs. Every you know, a couple of games
are serious, someone from the bench is going to go
off and really help you get through this. But it's
(05:26):
almost like the Knicks don't even have that opportunity. I mean,
we said early sham at some guy that can get
four to three's. You know, Delawn Wright is great at
getting downhill and drawing fouls, and he does some stuff
on the defensive end. But it's just like these guys
haven't really got an opportunity the whole time, so and.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
The pressure is then on more too.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Right, Yeah, if you know this is your only shot,
I don't care how highly conditioned, highly trained, mentally tough
for pro athlete you are.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
It's tough.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
It's tough.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
People have no idea how especially with the lights being
so bright. This is the Easterns, not the first round.
Like this is the Eastern Everyone's expecting to win two.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Championships in the one today exactly.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
It's crazy. But you know, Kat showed up game two,
excuse me, game three with twenty points. He had just
as many as the Pacers had in the fourth quarter,
played really well, carried him Brunson, I want to say,
what six for eighteen from the field. Scored well, but
not a typical game for these playoffs. What what is
Cat at twenty one and eleven and bruns is at
(06:21):
what thirty four and thirty four at six? Shoot only
thirty percent from the three point line? I was My
argument earlier was that Cat's numbers are very solid. Brunson's
numbers are above average. Cat's numbers actually above average in
this series you look at Og, you look at You,
(06:43):
look at Heart, and you look at Bridges. All their
numbers are solid and where they're at. But that's it.
You know now that Mitchell Robinson is getting a chance
to play, I don't. I don't really know TIV, but
it's just like when he's with you, he's with you,
and I think as a player, you love that. But
like you now he's in serty metro Robinson, but he'll
play him the entire first quarter and then his numbers
(07:03):
drastically drop the rest of the game. I love him
as an energy spark, someone who can change the momentum.
Someone get you three offensive rebounds and a kickout for
it through like that kind of shit. But then he's
playing these consistent whole entire quarters and then his numbers are,
you know, very average the rest of the game. So
I mean, going into tonight's game, what do you feel
like is the knixt game plan trying to go here
(07:26):
and even up the series on Indiana's court.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
I think they kind of have to, right, no question.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
You go down three to one. They've shown what they
can do at home. They're nasty at home. It's crazy.
The greatest environment.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
That's been well, First of all, I don't know if
I'm quarter vantage even matter to any of these playoffs anymore.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
At this point, we've seen so many crazy things.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Everyone keeps saying, oh, you get them to the garden
in the game seven.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
These pacers don't care.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
By the way, Tyres Albert is just as happy to
score his game winning.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Shots more in the garden. It's more legendary. Great exactly, So, Rachel,
you were in New York on behalf of Draft Kings
and you've got a chance to win this in amaze
seen Game one Tyrese Halibert and the hero or one
of the heroes. Let's take a look at what he
had to say.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
The ball goes up? How long did it take for
that ball to go down?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Man? Felt like forever hoping it was a three. You
know obviously it wasn't. But proud of our groups. You know, fight, resilience,
and you know it's winning overtimes a big deal. So
just really proud of the group.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
What was it when you were a kid?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
What did you count down in your head that you're
so good at these last second shots?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Was a Game seven of the NBA Finals? Like, what
was it in your.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Driveway High School state championship. I want to go to
the NBA, but more than anything, I want to win,
to stay champions in high school. So that's more more
I would think of, have.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You used the Reggie Miller thing?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
You can't use it again, you feel or you feel
like you might bring it out again.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
It's all spur of the moment. It was spur of
the move. I wasn't plottin on that.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
It just happened.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
So I don't think you'll see it again. I don't
think you'll see that. Yeah, we see. We haven't been
on since that. But I mean, how fucking he big? Toady?
Kdat it he big? But Rachel, can you imagine if
that was the game winner?
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Can you imagine if they didn't win the overtime?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
Afterward?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
We think about the swaggy pe meme right where they'll like.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Throw it turn around, and that is like, that is
literally the symbol in the NBA.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
How long has that been? Has that been ten years?
It feels like a fucking decade.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
And that is still the symbol of all the ship
that is the symbol of right.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
And yet if ty had choked, had done the.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Choke sign and then quote choked the game away or
whatever it was. That image of him with the word
choker underneath would have lived for And that is why
give him a lot of credit, by the way, for
doing all the shit that he does, because he puts
it up. That's all we want, right, put yourself out there.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yes, and he is doing that, and he does it.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
So anyway, he's happy to win a game seven on
the road if it comes to that. But I don't
know if it's going to come to that. I feel
like with the Knicks Pacers series, it's pretty evenly matched.
I feel like anyone could Neither one of these are
perfect teams, right, Either one could come out with the
big night. The problem is the Knicks are in too
much of a hole now, yes, right, because the Knicks
have to win four out of five games. After you
lose the first two, you've got to win four out
(10:00):
of five.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
By the way we've seen it.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
We've seen an NBA Finals not that long ago, right,
So it's not like it can't happen.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
It is hard.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You have to be the better team, and I'm not
sure the Knicks are that much of the better team that,
even though they got one, I don't know if in
total they can win four out of five, and whether
they win tonight or not, I'm not sure it matters
so much in the long term of whether they're gonna
win the series and they gonna make it fun. I
have a question for you about Jaylen Brunson being your
best player.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Though you're talking about one, A, Y, one B, all
the stuff.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Well, my question to you, having played, because you played
such you were such a two way player, which is.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
A hysterical term to me, by the way basketball, because
we are everyone's supposed to be a two way player.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
But anyway, to have a guy who just not because
of his heart, not because he doesn't try, but because
of the size he is, who can never be anything
but average defensively and often something of a liability.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Can you have that be your best player?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
That was my thing. I can he'd be your best
player and win a title. I think he's shown at
times he's been the most unguardable guy in the playoffs.
He's been incredible. They can throw different defenses at him,
He's still doing what he does, but with that load.
And then you look at everything that makes him great offensively,
his pace, playing off two feet, his IQ, all that
(11:22):
he doesn't have any of those natural attributes as like
the normal superstars we think that are carrying teams that
can go ahead and flip around and lock in on
the other side. So when you look at him on defense,
you look at kat on defense, someone who else scores
the ball really well, but doesn't necessarily play defense. As
I said earlier, Bridges hasn't necessarily locked down as we're
accustomed to. Maybe he's a little tired.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Only one guy, right, you kind of would need a
team of Bridges, mean.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, you need at least two guys and maybe one
guy off the bench, and then a team that plays
team defense. We're gonna get to Okac. Yeah, I'm so
in love with the way they're just on a string.
Can Brunson be that guy? And I mean we're seeing
it right now, right, like Jokic said, like last series,
if we could have won, if we could, if we
could have won, we would have won, you know what
I mean. So I'm still interested in and I don't
(12:08):
want this to be a knock on because I think
he's been absolutely incredible in these playoffs. But that was
my question a while ago. Can he be the guy
to on your team and help and you guys win
a championship with that. So we're gonna have to see and.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Always it's hard to because the guy implies that like
he's not tough enough, he's not good enough, he doesn't
have enough swag, like he's got all of that.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
He can be the guy in that way.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Yes, but he's only as tall as he is as
tall and so either you need to have such defensive
stalwart presence around him, yes, And I don't know if
the Knicks have that. I don't know if it's possible
to build a team like that in this era. Yeah right,
where if that is your best player and he's worthy
in every other sense that he's just not four four
(12:52):
inches taller.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Yeah, Like, I just don't know.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I think like if for just hypothetis real, coud you
throw him on the Oklahoma City raw Sure, with the
depth of defense they have and you can hide him,
But then is he from that stamp? I mean, it's
a whole nother conversation. I still think there's nothing you can.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Do if you him on ok Yeah, are you putting
him instead of Shae?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah, yeah, You're going to excuse me if I was
removing Shaye and putting him in there in summer you
can hide because there's so much, great, much talent on
that team. But I mean, I guess it's you know,
this is something we're going to have to see. To
your point, even if they get tonight, do we see
them still getting another two out of three? And I
just don't. But one thing is is going to be
(13:35):
a big hit for Indiana if it happens tonight. His
Nie Smith is questionable. This guy is nearly at seventeen
points a game, fifty from the field and seventy three
percent from the three point line. He was single handedly
went nuts game one. At the end of Game one.
He's been the primary defender on Brunton although Brunts in
that thirty four game, nothing has been easy, absolutely nothing,
(13:58):
but he makes him work for everything. In good offense
is always a great offense is always going to beat
good defense, you know what I mean. I ran into
that in my like, I just made them work. But
they still got numbers. So he's definitely making him do
his things. So if they lost him, that could be
big depending on how long. But again they do have
that's the one thing you keep And I had to
say this is all due respect, Like they're bringing guys
(14:19):
off the bench that I haven't heard of, but they're
out there doing the thing, like they're out there playing well.
Carlile has those guys ready. One thing I'm happy about
is big John, how long you got ran stated before
I did. Congratulations man. He gets to be in the
building tonight game four, and I really want to sit
and talk to him because I've talked to people around
(14:39):
him and it's he's just so proud to be a
fucking dad and a black dad with all the narratives
and stigmas that have been in the past, but he's
just happy to be out there. They showed edit to
him at a bar still tripping when he couldn't go
to the game and he was doing his day. So
I absolutely again as a passionate dad, John, I fuck,
we need to have a beer together. But happy he
(15:00):
he'll be back in the building. He missed eight games.
It's crazy we're even talking about it, like as a player.
He missed eight gays because of the Yana shit back
on April twenty ninth. But he will be back in
the building. We saw our boy stat at game go ahead.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Well, I just say one more thing about that.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Yeah, go ahead, Like I'm thrilled, I've been saying for
the last week or two, like, Okay, we have gotten
to the point where the punishment has outweighed the crime. Right,
your son is doing things that, literally, by the way,
no human has ever done in the game of basketball,
and certainly Tyreese has never done. And it's not an
insult to say he might not ever do it again.
There's a lot of time and place, and I mean
it's literally never happened before. So the idea that he'd
(15:34):
have to miss all of that again punishment outweighed the crime.
To me, that we need to be creative about thinking
about how we make.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
These decisions for people.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Yes, because the argument that I've gotten thrown back to
me over this last week, that I've said, you know,
come on, let him back in the building is okay,
but what he did was so out of pocket. And
the answer is yes, But there are other ways to
say you can't do this. And I believe they're going
to have him in a swing for the next rest
of the way keep and that is the way.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
To say you can't do this.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
It's kind of like, you know, to the player participation
issue to tie it into the awards Vuning.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
That's bullshit to me.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Yes, there's other ways you can say you can't do this.
That doesn't have to be the way. Keeping John out
of the building does not have to be the way
you said you.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Can't do that.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Son uncharted territories with the ship John did on the court.
But again, I'm glad he's.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Well, he's lucky he rolled up on honest.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Man, That's what I said. We were having a conversation.
You would pop that shit in front of someone else,
you might have got smacked. But I'm glad it might
have go there. It didn't have to go there. The
guys in the league, yeah, it didn't have to go there.
But he's back tonight, so I know Tyresee and the
rest of the Indiana Yeah, I can appreciate that. Moving
out West. I haven't been excited about the way a
team plays defense in a long time because it's not
(16:47):
something that's necessarily focused on. But I remember one to particular,
the player where Edwards ran down through the middle. He
had dort Island on him, and then he got screened
and he was switched to Jay's Jalen Williams, which is
so he had a first team All defender on him,
he got he ran off a screen, a second team
All defender went on him, and he went off another screen,
(17:09):
and someone who should be on the All Defensive Team,
Caruso gar like, switched out and denied him. I'm like,
there's no other team out there that can do it.
Not only do they have individual lockdown defenders, but they're
a great defensive team. Like for all the young people
out there, college kids, even NBA guys, just watch how
they are on a string and they're moving and they're
making that second and third effort on top of the
(17:31):
way Shay scoring the ball, on top of the way,
Jalen Williams is scoring the ball. I think Jalen Williams
after a tough second round series, he's kind of flourishing.
And we know stars are born in the playoffs. What
are your thoughts. We haven't even touched on Ants not
playing well and Randall disappearing, but what are your thoughts
(17:52):
in this series? As Minnesota Trail's.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Three one, I've been talking about Game four and this
speaks to how, first of all, the playoffs are good. Man.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
When you sat down and you were like, oh, I
like basketball out right now.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
It's so fun. There's a couple of clunker games that we've.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Seen over the past few weeks. But when games like
the last.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Couple that we see, as we say here today, where
it's just shot making after shot making as opposed to
sucking after sucking.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Yeah, it's just to see the elite level right now.
And this is what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Hold your point one second and what I want to
say with that, because I think, Rachel, we've seen a
passing of the guards in these particular playoffs. Again, smaller markets,
none of our traditional old stars that are unfortunately on
their way out. It's new stars, small markets and just
again shot making. There's been some blowouts, but guys are
(18:40):
playing at a high level. This is I mean, I
don't know what the TV numbers are, and obviously when
Lebron's not in and all that, I just know there's
been some really good basketball and it's all new young
players and stars doing it.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
It's fun.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Man, Go ahead, well no, but to your point, right,
So this is what Minnesota Timberwolves did, right And I'm
reading from John Krasinski is a great beat writer from
the Athletic who was covered the team for a long time.
They shot it better from the field fifty one percent.
They shot it better from three point range than Thunder
forty four percent.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
They out rebounded Oka.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
See.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
They scored more points in the paint. They scored more
points in transition, more points than Okaysey off second chances,
had eight more assists, three more points off turnovers. They
made six more three throws, and Minnesota's bench outscored the
Thunders bench. And by the way, the Thunders bench is
Sam Good. Minnesota's bench outscored the Thunders sixty four to
twenty seven. The guess who won the game? And not
(19:32):
even like by a little bit. It didn't feel I
know it got close at the end, but didn't feel
to you. Yeah, the older brother the kind of like
just holding it up a little in front of them.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
But I think the two things you mentioned is their
stars didn't play well. I think you know you look
at Devincenzo seven for eleven from the field, five for eight,
twenty one points. I love Alexander Walker's cousin.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Did you know that their cousins, because they haven't mentioned
it at.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
All, because I talked about it. I think because this
he's finally on a big enough stage, he's showing his shit.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
But he goes for twenty three five for right from
the end, plays tough defense, you know. McDaniels goes for
twenty two, Gobert nearly a double double, thirteen to nine.
But then you look at sh our Aunt five for
thirteen six points or sixteen points, one for seven form
the three, and then Randall, who's been incredible during these playoffs,
but he's been kind of bottled up against this team
(20:25):
twenty eight minutes, one for seven, five points. Yeah, so
you can't your two best players can't have those kind
of night, especially on the same night in the Western Finals.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
I agree, And you can't win when that's the case.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
But you were playing against a defense that is designed
to get this incredible And so when people are like, oh,
aunt Ann had a bad night, and then Aunt comes
out and said I wouldn't say I was struggling, and
that got a lot of attention.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
I think he's right.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Look, the defense is designed to suffocate him and take
the ball out of his hands, and is he making
good decisions or not? And he was generally making good decisions.
He's still twenty three years old. Yes, right, but this
is the Western Conference playoffs. I just think we are
such a like either your gold or your trash society
now that we forget in our breakdowns in some of
(21:12):
these games, like oh man, he didn't show up, he
was trash. Julius Randall, I thought he was good again,
and now like, oh look, he's shown his true colors.
Guess what they're playing against a historically good defense, and
this is what happens. And he has played really well
up until now in these playoffs, and he is having
some not great games against one of the best defenses
(21:33):
to do it.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
And this is what happens when you have this level
of might versus might.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
This is like evengel Civil Warship, Right, You've got like
this team of people and this team with people. Not
everyone's gonna win all the time. So I think that's
what we're seeing a little bit is okay, see is
that good? You sit here and you say they've got
this defense like it's seven on five out there half
the time.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
It's what it feels like.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
The one thing I would say, and obviously you're right,
but still stars have to play better. The one thing
I'll say about Anthon, I just don't like he hasn't
taken enough shots for me. Five for thirteen again, and
I think this is the second time he's taking thirteen shots.
I'm from an era of gunners with Kobe, you know
what I mean. So, but that's what at this point,
(22:17):
I feel like, like, if we're going to go down,
it's going to go down because he went three for twenty.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
But then are we all going to sit here and
be like I.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Would rather, but I would rather rather he's that good?
Yeah right, I would rather have no question, but I
would rather Aunt has to be in the eighteen to
twenty three attempts a game for this team to have
any and I don't think they have a chance. And
I say that with all due respect. I think they've
(22:46):
done very well. But I think, okay, see with the
way their defensive playing and then the way Shay is
still scoring, whether he's baiting fowls or not, he's getting
those buckets. And then again Jalen Williams, for Shay to
be able to go sit on the bench and him
to carry the team offensively, that was that very impressive. Interest. Rachel, Well,
you know what's weird to me is like they have
two guys that can really go out and get it,
but they also have a really good ball movement. It's nuts,
(23:09):
you know. I mean there's times obviously where Shay will
do with things and then last night when Jalen was
doing this thing. But on top of the guys that
are really two guys going to get it, the ball
still moves around.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
They do need Jaalen Williams to play the way he played. Oh,
he was incredible and that is not a gimme.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
And we will still see, by the way, and whether
it's Western Conference finals, whether it's in the finals, if
they make it, we will see a couple of bad
games from him and people will be like, see that
when I'm a second star, they can't do it. He's
not there yet, but he's showing enough that he could
be that.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I'm interested absolutely, First time All Stars, second Team All Defense,
and again for him to carry the offensive load. As
you know, the way he did was was really impressive
and only had four points going into the second quarter,
only took two shots in the first half of the game,
thirteen for the game, sixteen points, six rebounds, excuse me,
(23:57):
six assists, four rebounds. What do you need to see this?
Game for them, which is going to be tomorrow night
for them to have a chance to try to get
one more maybe.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Look, I mean it'd be very hard, first of all,
to walk into that environment in Oklahoma City.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
You know what it's like, nasty, crazy.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
If y'all out there have not seen the video of
them coming back to the airport at three am, crazy,
it was crazy, and this is something they do in
Oklahoma City.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
But I love that, right.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
I mean, they sit and wait for those guys after
road trips, especially during the playoffs. It was a madhouse
at like three point thirty in the morning in Oklahoma,
which was just so much fun.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
To see anything else to do.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
I love it, right, It's going to be a crazy environment.
I think that's going to be hard for them. Look,
Anthony Edwards is a couple of years behind Shay, right,
both in terms of years in the league, age, all
of that stuff.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
He will get there.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Yes, we all know it, we all see it. Dylan
and I had this conversation going into this series. Dylan,
you were saying, I think Ant's ready, He's ready to
be the face of the league.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
He's star, And that's true.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
He's ready to do a lot of the star things,
but you still have to go on the basketball court
first and foremost, but also learn right just we are
so in a culture. The commercials are the best.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
In the in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Right, So I think he's got the best commercials in
the NBA, and he's got the best star power. He
gives it, the best press conference, he's he's great on
the court, walks down the street in LA after fucking
de throning, right, King Slayer, Right, He's he's sitting there
calling the Gobert Dragon and calling himself the King Slayer
(25:36):
and got the whole nine. But he's still twenty three
years old, and he is going to get better enough
in the next two years that he would walk into
a situation like he is about to walk into an
Okac and tear the house down. I just don't know
if he's there yet.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
He's not. And I think it's it's just mentality too.
I don't even think it's skill set. I think it's
the mentality to say, fuck everything else, if we're going
to sink, we're going to sink on my back. I
think that's what kind of talent he has.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
That's what kind of talent he needs to learn how
to do it, and by against again a historically good defense.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
But I mean, if we look at it, what has
he done. He's got his team to the Western Finals
the last two years, like no one thought he was
going to make it this year.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
And by the way, yeah again.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
The King Slayer. He's he beat all the legends, all
the legends of my time that are you know, on
the back side of their career. So again, I think
you made a great point. It's all or nothing with
sports media now and fan bases that don't know shit.
Our peanut gallery downstairs crazy as hell, Like it's just
all or nothing. You cannot falter period, you know what
(26:42):
I mean. But again, if you're a real head of
the game, you know his trajectory is where it needs
to be. Perk said something about he needs to be
a family man. I didn't read the whole thing, But Park,
you're tripping. You just got a hoop and keep getting better.
He will be the face of the game.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
But Dylan's right, He's going to be everything we think
he's going to be.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
He is going to be more.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
You just gotta what he can't skip steps right.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Well, we had conversation and I don't know if this
is are the chat for this show that they were saying,
if Tyres wins a chip, is he ahead of Reggie?
If if Ant wins, if is he had a a KG,
If Brunson win, is he the greatest? And and if
Shaye wins the ahead a KD or Russ And it's
just like it to me, it's not enough under the belt,
(27:25):
like you gotta consistently do it. And granted, some of
those guys that I mentioned, the O G guys that
I played with didn't win rings in those particular spaces,
or the legends didn't win rings. But it's consistency over
a number of years of what makes you jump. I mean,
Kg put what sixteen years or how many years in
thirteen years in Minnesota and all the shit he did,
and Reggie put a lifetime in there, and then you
(27:46):
know you're looking at Patrick Ewan and some of the
other guys. Although Brunston I think has a chance if
he can win it to become the greatest Nick. And
I say that with all the respect Brunton. Yeah, but yeah,
it's it's it's a level of consistency through through a
year in you're out that gets you to the top
of these franchises in my opinion, I have.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
A question for you that goes across a bunch of
NBA discussions I'm having right now.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
How much is winning?
Speaker 3 (28:11):
Because you know, there's winning and there's misery, right, that's
pat Riley.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Winning is the only thing blah blah blah blah.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
But we're talking about the y Honest conversation. Should they trade Giannis?
What's the value of having Yannis on your court as
a buck even if you can't win. I would argue
for that franchise, you're not getting another Honest anytime soon,
so they're you know, just being in a hurry to
tear it down and rebuild.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Doesn't make a ton of sense to me.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
Like when you talk about who's the greatest Timberwolf player
to ever be there, or who's the greatest nick or
who you know? When we talk about the Lakers, right,
who is the greatest player to wear a Lakers uniform
is a very different conversation than who is the greatest Laker?
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Right?
Speaker 3 (28:47):
And like, how much is does a ring get you
everywhere in that discussion? Or is it no?
Speaker 2 (28:54):
Everything else you do but the.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Bar moves in every situation? Unfortunately, and Rachel, you came
up in the air, and I grew up in an
air watching and playing and where stars didn't move like
they would go through spec what Kobe go through a
five year drought where they were fucking dog shit, you
know what I mean? But he rode that ship, and
you give that respect. KG rode the ship for thirteen
years until he finally jumped off and went to Boston.
(29:18):
So we live in an era where it's it's instant
gratitude in it, and you see it in sports in general.
You think about it, and I'll flip to football. Some
of the great quarterbacks came in and Aaron Rodgers came in,
and Soath what three years four years behind Brett Farb
and was able to learn and develop. Now because everyone
is making some much money in all sports, you get
thrown in the firepan right off the rip, and if
(29:38):
it doesn't pay in your dog shit, you know what
I mean, or whatever people want to call you, instead
of allowing that time to develop to your point, you're
definitely not getting another Giannis. You're not getting no big
free agents. Dame was a huge move, but it wasn't
necessarily free agency. It was coming to play with Giannis.
But if you move him and try to rebuild, I mean,
you know what you're getting rid of and you know
(29:59):
you're not gonna get nothing back. But again, we live
in a society now where you know you you do
you credit or you get mad at Lebron where he
was the first superstar to really kind of start moving
and guys see that, and he moved with success. Ron
moved and went and got three more championships. Now do
you in the in the in the hierarchy of the game,
do you look down on him when you're when you're
(30:20):
when you're talking at the end, because he has a
bunch of numbers, But if he would have stayed in Cleveland,
how many chips would he have won? You know, Kobe
stayed with the Lakers and rode those nasty seasons and
in won five chips. So it's just I feel like
the goalpost moves when it comes to player movement these days,
and who is the best and what route they took.
I mean, it's all.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Subjective to me, and also a lot of its chance, yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Kind of luck, kind of luck, Like.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
It's who gets hurt win, right, it's Jayson Tatum gets
injured or not. And by the way, I know the
Knicks we're winning that game anyway. I know, I get it.
But Jason Tatum being injured changes the trajectory of the
Boston Celtics going forward. It's the bracket. Who do you
get in the bracket? I think the La Clippers local
here would have done better if they hadn't run into
the Nuggets.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Right.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
So, there's just so much throughout any postseason that is
just damn luck. And then we sit there twenty years
later and say, well, he didn't win a title there, right,
KG didn't win a title there, so blah blah, blah blah.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
It's just I don't know.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
I am reevaluating a little bit when I have all
these conversations of I get I'm not saying championships aren't important.
Winning isn't important, But if you get a little new,
more nuanced under than that, like, is it such a
big deal that it's the only deal? And I do
not think it is. As someone who grew up in Washington,
DC and whose team has not been to the third
(31:38):
round of the playoffs in forty six years, I can
tell you that it would have been nice when I
was a kid to go see a Yanni Senta Takupo
on my.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Team wearing my jersey. Even if we're weren't in a
fucking win a title, it would have been nice. Yeah,
lovey muxy Boks, but not the same.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
It's interesting and obviously that's a hot topic because you
think any team Yannis goes to, as long as I
have to trade the whole team for him, is it
going to be a contender. So we shall see a
lot's been made of, you know, with Indiana and OKC
or most likely don't want to jinx either of them
going to end up in the finals. And how both
these teams through Paul George trades have been built and
(32:20):
crazy And here's a little bit of a little bit
of how this is broken down. Actually, yo, I saw
someone break this ship down. And it started with the
Rashard Lewis trade.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yes, I did see.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
That. Wasn't that good? Yeah, that was really good. But
Patiers trade Paul George for Victor Olidipo and Sabonis traded
Sabonis for Halliburton, and we are where we are next page,
Thunders trade Paul George and I remember this too. This
was Doc Rivers almost didn't get Kawhi because Kawhi's demand
(32:51):
was PG and Doc did not want to trade SGA.
Doc did not go back. Doc did not want to
trade SGA. He saw something in him. He t SGA
and a ton of picks, and one of those picks
is now Jalen Williams, first time All Star, second Team
All Defense. Since we're talking about our guy, Paul and
Paul you know, I love you, fuck with you, we
need to get back on the golf course. His current team,
(33:12):
Philly Rachel, I'm gonna give you the GM president role.
Both you have both hats on. Do you build around
MAXI and McCain or do we keep our fingers crossed
that someday we might get a Joe LMB that's going
to play a lot of games and lead his team,
and a Paul George is gonna find the magic.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
He used to have a few things.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
You just said, third pick in the draft right this year,
third picking the lottery.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
So we just have to remember the Paul George trade
with the Clippers, and your DOCA is one hundred percent
on the record, by the way, being like this is
a mistake, yep, but it was for Paul George and Kawhi. Yes,
and Sam Presty is a magician, and he was able
to engineer and participate in and take advantage of a
situation where the Clippers were over a barrel wanting Kawhi
(33:59):
for reasons by the way, that had more to do
than basketball and competing against the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
That sort of large shadow.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
That he could have possibly went to the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
He was going to go to the So you remember
what was going on at the same time, right, because
Lebron was clearly coming to La Magic supposedly had the
supposedly Magic had the meeting with him, you know, midnight
oh three. But where I put the supposedly in is
its supposedly that was like some big sel job.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
That's the magic man, right.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
I love Magic. By the way, this is not a
knock on Magic. But Lebron was coming to Lakers. I
mean they could have sent me in a wheelbarrow like
like Lebron was coming to the Lakers, that is who
he wanted to come play for. He was going to
come play for. And Lebron could have demanded they get someone.
Lebron could have demanded they go out and get Kawhi Leonard.
Lebron could have played.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
With Kawhi on the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
Lebron could have said, hey, go get this guy. He
didn't do that, and there's pros and cons of him
not doing that. Look what happened to the Clippers, But
Kawai said it. He said I'm not coming, and he
sort of played the Clippers and Lakers off each other.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
He said, well, you know.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
La, I could I could still come home to LA
and just play for the Lakers instead and go play
with Lebron and the Clippers.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
The idea for.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Them of Kawhi and Lebron all across the hall in
that Lakers locker.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
Room couldn't have It was.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
Just something that seems so deadly for the franchise that
that's why they made that trade for Paul George, because
I told, you know, asked them to and said that
is how I am coming, and that's why they gave
up so much. So I just when we sit back
and tell the story of the Paul George trade, it
was a Paul George for Kawhi swap in the Clippers minds,
and San Presty only had to give up one of
(35:31):
those guys.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
For only to give up Paul George to get to
get all he got. I don't you know. Look, I
think the sixers are deep in it enough.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
With Embiid, he's not in a kind of tradable position
because when he's healthy, though he is scoring more than
a point a minute at times.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Credible, right, wasn't that when? But we keep saying if,
though I know, what if everyone over there is drunk,
if it was a fifth because he when he is
healthy there there's absolutely no question. And I would even
argue at times that people are gonna think I'm crazy,
like I don't know if I'm taking joker Embiid. With
Embiid is fully healthy because Embid moves around more on defense,
(36:11):
he could switch out on the pick and roll like
Embiid went healthy is a problem. We keep saying win
or if, and it just hasn't. What are we your ten? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (36:20):
He had some freaky shit too though he broke his
eye at one point.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, Bell's palsy at one point. That's not his fault.
Like I mean, there's been some horrible love luck.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
But at the end of the dame, when we look
at it, like I said, when we're looking twenty years,
he just he wasn't out there is all and I'm
a huge embiid as a monster. Then PG is making
fifty to fifty five million until twenty twenty eight, so
they're in deep with those two guys alone. Obviously. Maxie
McCain third pick, I think.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
What do you do, Darrel?
Speaker 3 (36:47):
You think you're lucky stars the way the lottery worked out,
because they could have lost that pick, by the way,
if they were outside the top six.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
So it was just a huge win all the way around.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
And I think in the East that looks like it's
about to maybe even get weaker. There's no Tatum next
year if Jannis leaves the conference. And by the way,
if I am the Bucks and I do trade you, honest,
I'm sure as that the Drew Holiday.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Lesson is real.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
People got to go to the West.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Do not trade him within the conference.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
So if that happens the East is I mean again,
you might be thinking about a comeback because.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
There are some Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Right, I'm I'm one hundred percent if I'm Philly, there's
no you're not getting the value you want from moving
one of your big pieces right back.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
See if you.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Can get if Joelle can now with all the rest,
he's going to have had and the surgery he had
and all the stuff. See if he can be more
of the player you need him to be peek at
the right time. Paul, George, you and I both think.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
He still got some in the tank. There's no absolutely
does and he told me too, and I'm obviously not
going to put his But he went through some real
shit this season, like real because I would call and
check on him every once in a while, and he
went through some real shit this year. And people don't
understand how heavy that stuff is. Trying to and again
it's not an excuse, it's just that mental side of
the athlete is ninety percent of the game, ninety percent
of the game. So I expect Paul he still has
(37:59):
something in his tank and something to prove. So would
you possibly attached this third pick, which is a fairly
deep draft with one of those stars I mentioned to
move one of them.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
So again this I'm going to keep saying it.
Speaker 3 (38:13):
What kind of team do you want to see on
the court? Am I tearing everything down all the time
in the hope of maybe one day drafting someone as
good as Joel Embiid. So we are just so quick
right now to be like it's not working. Get rid
of everyone, tear it down. Let's hope that we can
get a bunch of picks. Picks don't play basketball. Picks
do not put people in stands. They're just future things
(38:34):
floating out.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
In the world.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Like there is a point where you have to say,
this is my team. These guys are good, my fans
like them. Let's see if we can give it a go.
I just think that people are so quick to tear
down everything constantly.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
You're not getting.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
Value if you have to attach the number three overall
pick to one of your biggest stars in the hope
of what's a clearing salary to do what Presty.
Speaker 1 (38:59):
Makes it look so easy, though, Rachel, Well, they haven't,
won't They haven't.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
And by the way, a lot of people haven't.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
If they do win, yeah, and they are the favorite.
And I now the Boston's at Boston was my pick.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
I'm going freely. I'll say it over and over.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
But now that Boston's out, like I okay, see, he's
the obvious pick right now. Like if they win, it
will still be one title in a sea of how
many years have we've been talking about this? It is
hard to win everything has to go right. You have
to have the team. You have to have the player.
Your guy has to have a great series. The health
has to break the right way. The bracket has to
(39:31):
break the right way. To do all of this roster madness.
If I am tearing everything up and throwing it out
to start, hopefully five years from now we can be right.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Back where we were.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
Right now is insane to be in this NBA. And
I just I don't.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Think it's just the era of sports in general. It's
just what have you done for me lately? There's no hey,
let's figure.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
It out or chantasy teams great the.
Speaker 1 (39:52):
Process and in Philly's words, like it just doesn't. People
are too impatient, Teams are too impatient. Owners are wilder
than ever, and money is crazier than ever. And the
movement makes our game grow even more so. It's just
it's it's not what we grew up on.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
I just I don't know. I think there's something too.
I get it, we're in the era player movement.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
I get it.
Speaker 3 (40:12):
The kids now, I mean, your kids are fans of
not even a team. I mean, do your kids even.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Have a favorite team or just players? I know, but
I know they watched it.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Yeah, I mean they watched the team like the Warriors, Lakers,
the teams I play for the teams. But those guys
are on their way out because they.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
But do they still love watching Staff because the fact
that the Warriors only only got to the second round
this year, does that mean that they don't love watching Staff,
that they don't love watching a war If the Warriors
are on in November, November, you know whatever, November seventeenth,
h they're going to still click that.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Game on, right, yep?
Speaker 3 (40:44):
Like there has to be some value in that for
fans and teams and teams to be like, we still
have Jowel Embiid and Philly fans love to wearing that
jersey with Embad's name on the back. And let's see
what the big man can do when he's healthy. I
just to tear it all down, tear it all down,
tear it all down, give away your future to tear
it down.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
I don't like man. Good luck to him be we're speaking.
I would just love as a fan of him and
how talented is I want him to be able to
get some consistency out there. Rachel, thank you for stopping by.
We will check back in before it's all said and done,
have a good day. I've teamed up with DraftKings pick
six for the Conference Finals Wednesday, Game five t Wolves
first the Thunder. I think Sga will continue on his
(41:21):
scoring hot streak and he'll have more points than the
DraftKings pick six people have him marked four and for
the t Wolves after a rough game, I think Julius
Randall will rebound and have more points than the DraftKings
picks pick have him slated at Thursday Game five Pacers
versus the Knicks. I think Jalen Brunson, after a poor
shooting performance, will have more points than the DraftKings pick
(41:44):
six have him slated at. For the Pacers. After a
big game, I think Pascal Siakam will have less points
than the DraftKings pick six have him slated for Welcome
back someone we haven't seen for a while because the
Lakers have been in care and coon for what a
month now? Gino Rose Sparks Davis, how are you bro?
Speaker 4 (42:06):
They calling me the Rock now?
Speaker 1 (42:07):
Baby? That's what someone said the chatter. Who the fuck
is the Rock Rock without the row? Baby?
Speaker 4 (42:15):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
Come on, that's what we have going on so Gino
as a basketball fan, someone who's been spoiled with excellence,
as a Laker fan, someone who is a gross exaggerator
of life, would okay seeing the Pacers be a bad
finals to watch.
Speaker 4 (42:32):
I mean, that's worse than the Cleveland OKAYC Finals that
we were anticipating, right, Like, who thought the Pacers would
be anywhere close to the finals this year? Come on?
And to be honest with you, what do you mean, like,
it's not haller Burton city if Indiana wins this.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Year, I mean, it's going to be a city because
he's a current player.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
They're not gonna remember Reggie Miller ever again. If haller
Burton wins the fucking championship. Ye, that's the dumb ship.
Is the reason why I brought you on. He say,
so they can attack you and.
Speaker 1 (43:00):
Get them.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Come on, no, but seriously, hold on, but seriously.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Good basketball. We talked. I talked about it with Rachel.
That's not the big names, it's not the big marks
necessarily outside of New York. But I feel like, and
I agree with you, I think it is going to
be an OKAC Pacers final. And although it's not traditional,
it's not I still Both those teams are playing really
good basketball. Both those teams are deep. Both those teams
coaches are out there doing their thing. One thing about Carlisle,
(43:25):
He's been able to make adjustments on the fly and
a lot has gone into the success of the Pacers
and where they're at. But I still think, although it's
not the box office we think of when we think
of the NBA NBA Final, I think it's going to
be a very competitive finals. I don't know what the
numbers and the ratings will do, but it'll definitely be
some good basketball.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
I mean for non casual fans, come on.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
You're right or OKAC as a whole, and the SGA
is the m v P and then Halliburton's been Is
that going to draw people? We shall see. We don't know.
There's been a video going around of Luca, and Luca
looks like he's in great shape. He heard you and
the rest of the fans there he is. Look at him,
slim thug. That's the one thing I said. And obviously
(44:08):
he came in the midst of the season. LA is
not a place that you're going to take so much
heat and criticism about shit that you're going to work
on whatever needs to be worked done. And obviously we're
not even maybe a month away from when they last
finished playing. And Luca looks in great shape. So when
you see him in that type of shape after you
said you should the team should trade him, what do
(44:29):
you think?
Speaker 4 (44:30):
I mean, it's the first point of business for him. Yes,
you know, because he's taking hell in the media for
being chubby, you know what I mean, can't put down
the plate drinking bud.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
He has a body frame like you. Yeah, Yeahhall, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 4 (44:43):
But I'm hot out here though, so but yes, it's
a good start for the city to see him taking
the shit serious. It's the first point of business and
I'm looking forward to next season to see what he
can really do. I think he saw the old video
of himself at Dallas and really got inspired by that.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
When young Luca was looking and turn it out on people.
Word is I saw something earlier today that Broun is
most likely to opt out of his fifty two million
dollar deal at this point in his career. Is this
something where you see he'll opt out take less to
hopefully bring other another talent in.
Speaker 4 (45:16):
I mean, I would speak volumes of his character. I
mean he has enough money. Man Like, I don't think
it's a financial thing for him, but you know who,
I can't talk about a man's pockets.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
As a fan. Do you hope that actually absolutely? Could do?
Speaker 4 (45:28):
Absolutely, and plus it will save his career, So should
he make an adjustment to safe some more years of
his career.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Absolutely, you know what I think. And it's because we
always know that Braun is in peak shape. He does
everything he can do. The fact is the fact, though
he's getting older, and we saw he just ran out
of gas came come late in the season. So it's
just like, I think, to your point, if there's any
way to be able to add more, and we saw
right off the rip Roblink came out and said there's
(45:54):
been some demands made and we're going to go out
and do our best to meet though. So it'll be
interesting to see the way that situation shakes out. And
you know, the Lakers always somehow, some way make something happen,
So I'm definitely interested to see what can work out
as the team is currently constructed, and again with Bron
going into your twenty two next year or twenty three three,
(46:17):
holy shit, twenty three going into year twenty three next year.
The players you bring in moving forward are those to
work around Luca or to work around Bron's last couple
of years in the league.
Speaker 4 (46:30):
I think both can be true. Lebron still the guy
for our team no matter how you look at it.
What can we bring in though?
Speaker 1 (46:38):
To thank you? Guys need some dogs, some wing defenders
that really get out there, possibly three and D.
Speaker 4 (46:44):
So a Giannis tre wouldn't help us.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
Gianni is going to your team would help anything, but
it would help anything. But it's just you know, how
does that work? Numbers wise? Has Austin reeves he's someone
wins he up next year or the year after. Yeah,
he's on one of the most favorable deals you'll ever get.
He's going to demand and I'm something people think I might.
He might fuck around and get north of one fifty
(47:07):
maybe two hundred million from another team the way he
US have played. So is that an asset that you
possibly look to move? There? Adamant about not moving him.
So there's a lot of ifs and what ifs. They're
going to happen this season or summer, this free agency.
So I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what happens The
Bucks hope that Doc rivers presence will convince Giannis to
(47:29):
stay longer. Reported by Mike stein Onto the Coop and
Rivers are believed to have a strong working relationship. Is
Doc Rivers the reason Jannis won't force a trade?
Speaker 4 (47:42):
I don't know if that's the case. I think that
city is just in a bad situation. You know how
it goes when you win a championship and then your
expectations are so high afterwards, What could they do over there?
Like Giannis is the only hope for that city for
the next decade, Like, why would you want to move
your star? Like, let's be honest, I wouldn't want to
(48:04):
move our star.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
You got to be interesting to see if he and
he's never been a guy that he's very been very
loyal and hasn't even allowed conversation to really be brought up.
He's always dead it, but he's not dead in it anymore.
So it'll be really crazy to see him move to
your point small market like Milwaukee. He's done everything he's
(48:25):
done there and accomplished there. You know you're not going
to get anything near the return of what he's been
able to give you. But we live in a society
of what have you done for me lately? And we
live in a society of player moving and in particular
superstar movement. So will he join the you know, the
train to get to a bigger market and a situation
to win? We will see uh Man. Moving ahead to
(48:49):
the women's game. I got a chance to take Ava
and one of her friends for eighth grade graduation to
a sparse game the other day, bro and I was
so impressed with kel Plumb. So obviously she ended up
with what did she score that game? Third? Or twenty
eight and eight and three? But it was a slow
start for her. But it wasn't only how hot she got,
(49:11):
but it's the way she moves and orchestrates the offense
and it's always encouraging on. I hadn't seen her playing
a while, and obviously I got a chance to see her
playing person in Vegas, and obviously her role on that
team was different with Asia and all the talent they
had over Chelsea Gray and those ladies over there. But
with this team that's kind of obviously Cameron brings coming
(49:33):
back and what's her name's coming back to? Yeah, you know,
not fully healthy. The way she's playing thinks she's averaging
twenty five a game, but I was just really impressed
with just the way she ran that team bro and
and the big after big shot after big shots she hit.
I'll also say that was the first time I got
to see Angel Rees playing person. And no matter how
(49:56):
much shit people talk about her, she has a huge
fa Like in LA, there were people screaming her name
and cheering for when she did good shit. She's got
a lot of criticism lately with Caitlyn clarkshit. I'm not
even going to get into that, but what I'll say
is like she works her fucking ass off on the boards,
whether she's rebounding her shot or not. She's rebounding and
(50:18):
she plays with the motor, and I think there's a
big debate about her and her she's leading league and
rebounding I think it nearly fourteen points a game, and
some people's offensive repertoire come in the league ready for
that league. Whatever NBA or not or WNBA, she'll get
her offensive. You know, it's situation down. But she's nearly
at a double double consistently, you know what I mean.
(50:40):
So I think the hate and criticism she takes is
more from people that just just want to talk shit
and don't necessarily watch the game and see that there
is definitely potential there. But yeah, man, I had a
good time. Ava had a good time. It was good
to get to a Sparks game. I hadn't been one
in such a long time. I was there with KD.
Speaker 4 (51:00):
I saw Katie.
Speaker 1 (51:01):
Yeah, he was chilling. We had a good time, caught
up a little bit, talked a lot of shit. Be
interesting to see where he goes this off season. I
heard the Spurs are ready to make a move for him.
Where would you see who is more likely to move
in your Opinionani, KD?
Speaker 4 (51:17):
KD for sure, he's up out of there.
Speaker 1 (51:18):
And three spots you wouldn't mind seeing KD.
Speaker 4 (51:21):
I mean, first spot for him would be going to
Houston and get on with that team. Another spot would
be OKAYC again, you know, depending on especially if they
lose in the finals this year, if they even make
it to the final, but if they lose in the finals,
they'll be looking to change that team, maybe just a
little bit, so you don't think so. And then my
third team is Golden State, obviously interesting, but you don't
(51:42):
think they'll be reade.
Speaker 1 (51:44):
The movie anybody too young, too young, and who you
would have to give up to get a kd is
Or would you give up Jayden, a young Jalen Williams.
Would you give up a chet someone who's been huge
for them offensively and defensively, Dort Island. Dort has shown
in Knee he's a motherfucker. He's already shown, but in
these he's with help. He's given at Edwards hell. So,
(52:05):
I mean, they have a lot of pieces, but I
just don't think this team is too young to do
any kind of adjustments. I think Hardenstein needs to look
to be a little bit more aggressive offensively. I think
that would help their team. But outside of that, I
think this team is a set for the next handful
of years. But Gino, it's good to see you back.
I appreciate you. Rock is what they're calling you in
the streets these days. Brick oh brick. Now all right, bro,
(52:32):
I appreciate you guys. Absolutely. It's a wrap. You can
catch us on all the Smokes productions, YouTube and the
DraftKings Network. We'll see y'all next week.
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Stephen Jackson
Matt Barnes
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