On today’s episode, Jason and Super Producer Rob G kick things off by trying to make sense of the Los Angeles Lakers' season after they were unceremoniously swept out of the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets. Did D'Angelo Russell do enough to earn a contract extension? Would Los Angeles still be in the postseason if Anthony Davis was more consistent? Did the playoffs expose Darvin Ham as rookie head coach? All of those questions are valid but the biggest one of all is: Will LeBron James be back with the Lakers next season? The King was very cryptic about his basketball future at the podium during his postgame news conference. Even still, the guys are convinced that LeBron will be back next season. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic proved once again that he is arguably the best player in the world with the way he thoroughly dominated the Lakers front line in this series. In fact, J-Mac argues that were in not for some non-sensical commentary from ESPN's Kendrick Perkins, Jokic would be a 3x defending MVP on his way towards his first career NBA championship.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up
Straight Fire, fam, It's me Jason McIntyre, Straight Fire for Tuesday,
May twenty third. We are recording this about forty minutes
after Lebron and Ad came up just short in Game
(00:31):
four of the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers are done
season over, folks. They got swept. Yes, Lebron got swept
by Joker, no time All Star Jamal Murray, who made
an outstanding play at the end of the game. He
actually played defense tonight and a feisty Denver Nuggets team
that and Lebron said a lot after the postgame I
wanted to wait for him to talk before jumping on
(00:53):
to talk to you guys. Lebron said, this was the
best team that he and Ad have faced since they
got together. And this Deadver team really just punished the Lakers.
They were down fifteen and a half, storm back in
the third quarter, and then of course the game winning
bucket by Nicole Jokic, and we'll get to him and
his dominance, triple double records and all that, but I
(01:14):
need to start the podcast obviously with Lebron, James and
the Lakers. It's strange. So the game ends, you know,
and Rob and I are starting to talk, all right,
when are we gonna record and all this stuff? And
I'm like, oh, Lebron's gonna talk too, Let's just wait,
you know. And my wife goes to walk the dog
and I'm sitting there shending the kids upstairs get to bed,
(01:35):
waiting for Lebron to talk. And Lebron's talking, and I,
you know, get out of my chair. I'm like, you know,
kind of close to the TV, a little nerdy about it.
And Lebron's talking. He's got his hat low, and it was,
to me riveting television, just Lebron answering questions about what's
going on, what happened in the series his future, which
I thought was a little bit silly, but people are
(01:56):
gonna make a big deal out of it. You're gonna
hear that tomorrow. And I'm just sitting there kind of
with my arms crossed, looking at the TV as if
to say, wow, Like it started to sink in that
like this season's over for Lebron. We just watched Hall
of Famer in Carmelo Anthony, who came into the NBA
with Lebron, retire at the start of Monday. He opened
(02:19):
the week with his retirement even though he didn't play
this season whatever. And then I watched Lebron losing the
playoffs at age thirty eight, twenty a season complete. He
was heroic, thirty one point first half. I think, let
me see what the total point totally finished. Lebron finished
with forty points ten boards nine a sis the oldest
(02:39):
forty point game in the NBA playoffs ever. I think
he had thirty eight, and it was just one of
those amazing performances. As he's talking, I'm in like rapt attention,
just listening, and it's kind of sinking in, you know, like,
let's cheeris these moments, these postgame moments, they're dwindling for Lebron,
who basically, hell, you know, I get out of college,
(03:01):
I'm goofing around in New York City trying to be cool.
I end up meeting my wife, you know, in New
York City, and Lebron comes into the league and I've basically,
you know, the entire time I've known my wife, Like
Lebron's been an NBA player my entire time. Starting the website,
the Big Lead, we moved out to the suburbs, we
(03:22):
had kids, all of this moved out to La like
Lebron's been part of this and it just weirdly sunk
in the Damn. The end is kind of near and
Lebron ended the press conference with a quote, I have
it right here. Again. I don't read too much into it,
but a lot of people are saying, you know, the
vibes were low key, and Lebron I don't know. Is
he gonna come People are gonna start to do that nonsense.
(03:44):
Of course he's coming back, people. But his quote was,
I got a lot to think about, to be honest,
and just for me personally going forward the game of basketball,
I got a lot to think about. Now, A lot
of people read that and it's like, how low it's anger.
Is he gonna play? We know the answer. He's gonna
stick around, so he plays with Bronny for at least
a season. Okay, the Ken Griffy junior factor. We've talked
about that at nauseam. My guess is what Lebron meant was, Damn,
(04:09):
I carried this team with thirty one points in the
first half. Anthony Davis was basically a bystander just watching
a good game. David showed up in the fourth quarter,
a couple buckets, a couple of blocks. But I know
people will look at the box score and be like, oh,
A d had a good game. He finished with the
Internet slow of course, twenty one and sorry, Anthony Davis
finished with damn It. Twenty one points, fourteen boards, three blocks.
(04:32):
Oh he had a good game. No, not really, not really,
he's doing his alternative game shit where he struggles after
having a good game. He was good in game three.
I thought game four he was invisible bo by the way,
his counterpart Yo Kicch thirty fourteen and thirteen, and Lebron
could not stop raving about him in the postgame presser.
I will add Aaron Gordon played tough inside for Denver,
(04:55):
had twenty two points, six boards, five assists. So like
AD miss me with AD's having a great game. Okay,
But I want to just go back to Lebron's quote.
So he's talking at the press conference and I'm kind
of like standing there in rapt attention, and my wife
walks in with the dog and she thought like I
had started recording the podcast or something, or I was
talking to you guys as to what we're gonna say,
(05:16):
and she was like, you look so sad, And I
did not consider it. But I was a little sad
that the Lakers lost. I was a little down of
the dumps, like I did not bet the game. I
did tell you guys to bet Lebron props yesterday on
the pod. They did not have the numbers when we
were recording. Hopefully he found up Lebron props in cash
because that was an easy point total over I don't know.
I'm assuming it was like in the twenty five to
twenty nine range and he ended up with forty, so
(05:36):
it was an easy winner. I didn't even have money
on the game. You know. I didn't want the Lakers
season to end. I wanted basketball on Wednesday night. Now
there's no hoops on Wednesday. There's hoops tonight. There's a well,
we got Celtics Heat Game four that could be a
blood bath. And then and I have the schedule here.
The finals don't start until June first and Denver. Now,
(05:58):
as you guys know, I am taking a Vaca, which
we got very fortuitous. So the the not the Broncos,
the Nuggets are looking at about nine days Tuesday through
next Wednesday. I guess technically I can't count, so that's
eight and then the finals will start June first. As
a fun fact, if you want to file this away,
(06:18):
I'm hosting the Herd yes me, second time. I've done it,
second time solo. That'll be on June first, so that
should be fun. But this Lebron press conference, like there
were so many kernels of wisdom and he just sounded
like really one of the all time greats speaking knowing
(06:39):
like the end is near, and it's tough for me
to say the end is near. When Lebron plays forty
eight minutes, sits out for four seconds. They were like
at the end of the first half, I guess he
had to go to the bathroom or something and there
was a foul and Lebron's like, I've just got to
take off for the locker room, peels off his jersey
and takes off. Did not come out in the second half.
Forty eight minutes, fifteen of twenty five. A heroic performance,
and it wasn't good enough, and you feel bad. Of course,
(07:01):
the Michael Jordan fanboy Jabroni's are gonna come in and
be like, oh he got swept. H Jordan never got swept. Well,
he did early in his career against the loaded Celtics. Well,
this Detroit team, I'm sorry, this Denver team is really
really good. And I'll tell you right now, they're probably
way better than those bad boys teams of the eighties.
Isaiah Thomas. I mean, I don't know, Bill Ambier, Rick Morner.
(07:23):
They can Danny Jokic, like, get the hell out of here.
Like this is an awesome Denver team. Denver going to
the finals for the first time in franchise history. This
was the first time they've swept anyone in the playoffs.
And before I bring in Rob g I know he's,
you know, a despondent Laker fan. He had Lakers and six.
I had Denver and seven. Neither of us were remotely close.
But there was a play late in the game that
(07:45):
a bunch of people were sharing on social media. So essentially,
Lebron has this situation. They're down two with about thirty
seconds left, and he calls for the switch. Aaron Gordon
was guarding Lebron. He calls for Aaron. Anthony Davis comes over,
sets the screen. They switch, so it's Joker on Lebron
and you could see Lebron like, Okay, which way am
(08:05):
I gonna go? How am I gonna take him? At
this point, Joker has five fouls. Remember he picked up
two quick charges against Lebron, and you're sitting there, Okay,
Lebron take them, Lebron take them. But what you don't
really see is the Nuggets were just crowding the lane.
They were just packing everyone in. So they were saying,
you know, we're not letting you beat us, Lebron. You
beat us with a hoop the last time down the court.
We're not letting that happen again. Lebron had to concede.
(08:27):
Passed a shrewder who hot potatoes over the reeves, but
it goes out of bounds and they get Lakers end up,
you know, frittering the possession away. They get the ball
back and Lebron is stopped at the end of the
game by Jamal Murray, my guy. You know, I'm a
huge Jamal Murray guy. And that's that Lebron's done. So
you know, rob g I listen. I know it was
a tough ending for you. Ruyjachimra played like garbage. We
(08:49):
talked about role players, D'Angelo Russell coming off the bench,
two or four in fifteen minutes, he was a plus six.
It didn't matter. He barely played Lonnie Walker, barely played
Tristan Thompson. A ten minute cameo Jared Vanderbilt went from
starting to no minutes. Mobamba your guy, Rob, he was out,
he was there, did not play. But let's be real.
(09:12):
You cannot bag on Lebron. You cannot bag on the Lakers.
This is a Denver team that will win the championship.
I think I saw they were minus two fifty whether
they faced the Heat or Celtics in the finals. They
will host Game one June one, as long as they
don't give up Game one to the Heat. Miami is won.
I saw this stat. This is crazy. Six straight game
ones in the playoffs, and three of those this season
(09:34):
on the road. So, Rob, how you feel about your
Lakers after that devastating loss?
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Well, I don't feel great, Jason.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You know, I was trying to LeVar Ball ask will
it did to exist as Lakers and seven before the
game started. So when they were up fifteen and a half,
I was like, we're onto something, you know, get ready,
and then obviously that came falling apart. Look, Lebron James
played phenomenally in the first half. Second half not so much.
(10:03):
He kind of Oh, I mean even during the broadcast,
which you know, I had to watch on my phone
for reasons I don't want to get into, but they
were mentioning how Lebron everything he did in the first
half he stopped doing in the second half, and it
could just be he was tired, Like that's totally reasonable
to expect. But even said, I don't think it's on him.
I think that Game four and this series in totality,
(10:27):
was said more about Darvin Ham than anything about the Lakers.
Game one, he makes the mistake of starting small against
a ginormous Denver Nuggets front court and doubling Nikola Yogic,
So not only was he getting his on the offensive glass,
but he was getting everyone involved.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So that trick away. Game one done. Game two.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
He and Game three for the most part, he decides
that he's not going to pull D'Angelo Russell because he's
worried he might lose him. So de'angelo Russell, you know,
is easily the worst player on the floor for either team.
You're both of those games, and obviously they lose those two.
And then last night here in game four, he is
so married to the idea of I'm gonna roll with
(11:13):
these five guys lebron A, d Reeves, Rui and shrewder
and Rui obviously didn't have it like we saw that.
The final numbers don't even do it justice. He was
getting abused by Jokic, which everyone does, but then he
wasn't making a pay on the other end by making baskets.
I think he finished what was for three of Yeah,
he was three of twelve from the field, zero three from.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Three and hold on.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
This is a classic wait hold on, This is a
classic Ruiy line. This is what the knock was before
he got to the Lakers. What else does he do?
Rob forty two minutes, zero assists, zero steals, zero blocks, Like,
what is he doing out there? He did get seven
boards in forty two minutes, one offensive rebound. Just again, like,
(11:55):
if he's not getting the ball, is he moving? Is
he a factor? Like you're not gonna make of Draymond Green, right,
nobody expects that, but at least fill up the statue,
like do stuff like you look at Austin Reeves. He's
filling up the statue. Dennis Shooters, Trustling his butt off,
even though he wasn't great, but he just needed a
little more from RUI seems like he's in the cards
for next year, so we can we can bash him
(12:15):
next year when you.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Yeah, of course, I mean it seems like they needed
more from everybody, you know. Like that was the difference
in this series between the Denver Nuggets and the Los
Angeles Lakers is that their stars played well every game,
you know, even the Jamal Murray when he started off
really slowly in the first three quarters, exploded in the
fourth quarter. Jokish never had a bad game in my opinion,
even if his stats weren't always otherworldly, you know, like
(12:39):
Knights and Night Basis Lebron and ad you know, alternated
between great half bad half, great half bad half, and
then the other guys. The role players for Denver were
lights out going into Game four. Their role players were
shooting over sixty percent on uncontested jumpers, which is incredible.
I'm sure no one probably even went up after Game four.
(13:01):
But to me, like I said, this series said more
about Darbnham than anything else. He looked like a rookie
head coach out there game four. He's married to his
lineup he was gonna stick with those five guys even
though he wasn't playing well. Dennis cooled off considerably after
the first quarter, and in the decided third quarter, they're
up fifteen and Denver boat racism in the first eight minutes.
(13:21):
If they're minus sixteen in that stretch, he calls no timeouts,
makes no subs. He just stood there and watched it.
And those are the things you have to deal with
with the rookie head coach. So I anticipate that most
of these guys will be back next season, and we'll
see if they can give it one more go.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
That is, of course, Lebron, What do you mean most
of which guys? I think Shooter Shooter ain't coming back.
No Shooter's got I think Anthony Davis is, Jan Brown's gone.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Oh maybe not.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Who else is gonna offer him anything more than a
that minimum so much.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Somebody surely will pay him a three and d wing
like they could talk themselves in him. Lonnie Walker's probably
getting paid elsewhere.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
By who he was out of the rotation. He was
out of the rotation for two months.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
First pick. I think somebody's got to grab Lonnie Walker.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
I'm choosing to ignore Lebron's cryptic message there at the end,
I think that was more about a power play than
him actually retiring.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, he's gonna get what he wants, and that's that.
Then it becomes and I put this on social I
talked about it yesterday on the podcast, so a bunch
of people hit me up. You know, is there a
world where they can afford Lebron, A d and Kyrie Irving?
And you know, obviously D'Angelo Russell thirty one mil is
out the door. They declined the Malik Beasley sixteen million
dollar team option. They package Bomba their draft pick, I
(14:41):
guess Jared Vanderbilt for whatever they can get, and then
next year their roster essentially is Lebron, A, D, Kyrie Ruy,
Hachi Mora, Austin Reeves, Max Christie, and then six other
guys who are making the minimum. Could that work and
we'll see it? Sounds like rob the league is trying
(15:03):
to end these like dynas dynastic three star teams with
this new apron. I haven't read all about it yet,
and I'm sure we're gonna hear about it as we
get closer to July one. But I think if the
Lakers can add Kyrie to this. You know, I've been
anti Kyrie for the longest time. Okay, Like, I don't
hate the idea of addingm Kyrie. Now in the long run,
(15:24):
it's gonna be bad, but they were close. Now, if
this team lost in the first round, I'd say, no
way ad Kyrie, rob But if you can add him,
I know, reason is gonna have to get a big
uptick and pay. You know, can you find six guys
who are ring chasers, who are sick Tristan Thompson type
players who are just like, yeah, I'll come along for
the ride and provide minutes. The problem is eight goes down?
What else you got? Lebron goes down, which he probably will,
(15:46):
Kyrie IVN goes sideways, and now you got a crap
season in Lebron's toast in La.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Yeah, and look, I'll say this, the only way I'm
on board with any Kyrie Irving acquisition is if they
can keep Reeves and Hachimura. Otherwise it's a non starter
for me because we we've we've seen this play out
already with Russell Westbrook. Obviously, Kyrie is a better player
and a better fit than Russell Westbrook. But when you're
(16:12):
that top heavy, all it takes is one guy to
miss time to your point, or you know, one guy
to have an off night because the rest of the
roster is not capable of elevating the floor after that. So,
you know, and if they if they're gonna, if it
comes down to we gotta you know, only keep Reeves
and that that's Kyrie, then I'm not really feeling that
(16:33):
one because I think you're you're in a much better
situation running it back. Even with the Angelo Russell. You know,
obviously his price tag is cratered, so you probably get
him for cheaper than what you would have. You can,
you can you can flip the Beasley and the Bomba
contracts for you know, Buddy Heal type, Daurrian Finny Smith,
whatever your favorite three and D guy is. And I
(16:54):
think there's enough move that can be made on the
margins with this team where they can be competitive again.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Brooke and claims they were getting an offer of two
firsts for Dorian Fitty Smith, So I don't know if
that okay. So we spent twenty minutes hyping up the
Lakers as we should. They're you know, one of the
marquee teams. I live out here in LA like it's
the Lakers, it's Lebron. I'm sorry, we're gonna give Denver
their due. I do want to ask you Rob about this.
(17:20):
And I had a buddy text me and this was weird.
But this is a smart guy. I played pick up
with him. He's a former water polo college guy, I
think at UCLA or whatever. And he says to me,
you know, Yokics was pretty good. I wonder if those
Kendrick Perkins comments scared people away from voting for him
(17:44):
for the MVP back in and I looked it up
March and ended up giving him be the MVP. Because
if you watched any of these playoffs, and I'm assuming
listeners at this pod watched all the damn games, folks,
it's not even close. It's I mean, Yoka chet the
record now past Wilt. Eight triple doubles in this postseason.
Wilt had seven in nineteen sixty seven. Yo kicch thirty
(18:09):
fourteen rebounds, thirteen assists. He is unbelievable. I mean, this
idea that he's probably the best passing big man of
all time. I think you got that. That's probably there already.
And he's not even thirty. This idea that Kendrick Perkins,
who blocked me on social media about a year ago
because I called him out for some dumb shit that
he said, which is what he does. I don't even
know if we can curse on it with a new
(18:30):
video component here, but you know Josh will believe it out.
But this idea that Kendrick Perkins can sway an MVP discussion,
and apparently he did because after he made these comments
and I'll read them to you, apparently he's saying that
there's like inconsistent criteria for what is the MVP at
it favors white players, which is just ridiculously asinine, and
(18:51):
JJ Reddick called him out and they got into it.
I happened to look this up. So Yokich one of
two years in a row before that, the last white
got when it was like twelve thirteen years ago, Dirk
Davitski in two thousand and six, two thousand and seven.
And I will agree with one thing. We don't know
what the criteria is for MVP. Is it best player
in the league, is it most valuable? Because we know
(19:14):
Jokic took some time off at the end of the season,
you know what to get ready for the postseason, which
is smart. And Beiid wanted to play a ton for
Philly late and then he ends up getting hurt and
hands a shell of himself and just wasn't good because
you know, it's the postseason and Joel Embiid always comes
up small in the postseason. But the reality is Nikola
Yoka should have won his third MVP award. And I
know that sounds ridiculous, like, come on, is he the
(19:35):
best player in the league, folks? I mean Yanich just hot,
Giannis is hot potatoing the ball against Miami because he
missed twelve free throws in the decided game. Okay, I'm
as big as Lebron guy as anybody. He wasn't the
MVP this year. I like Jason Tatum a lot. I
thought he should. He's gonna get MVP votes. I like
Luca a lot. He can't be Luca can't be the
MVP if he's not making the playoffs. So I think
(19:57):
it's ridiculous that Kendrick Perkins can say you're essentially allude
that you're kind of racist if you vote for Jokic
because he's won it the last two years, and all
of a sudden, we watch the postseason and anyone with
a brain is watching Jokic dominate Rob. I mean, he
is utterly unstoppable. Whether it's Ruey, whether it's Anthony Davis,
whether it's Lebron, whether they're doubling him, He's making all
(20:20):
the great passes. I mean late in the game. I
have it down on here on my notes because I'm
taking notes like a loser. Essentially, Jokic at the foul line,
at the elbow, he's unstoppable. He sees stuff, the Aaron
Gordon dunk, the back door cuts, ksep he sees everything.
His vision is timing. It's unbelievable. And in this mythic
(20:43):
best player in the League debate, well, it was Lebron,
and then it was Kobe, and then it was Steph
Curry because he won two straight MVP Awards, and then
it's back to Lebron, and then it was Yiannis And like,
I think it's undeniably Nicola Jokic right now, right it
has to be. I don't know, Rob, is there even
any debate over who the best player in the league is? Now?
(21:04):
I know part of the argument's gonna be well, it's
a regular season award. Well that's stupid. Who's the best
player for eighty two games when half the league doesn't
care and isn't trying. What is that like? It just
doesn't make sense to me why we're giving and beat
all these props. Joel Embiide had a great season, fantastic, terrific,
outstanding job. He ain't the best player in the league.
(21:25):
I'm sorry, Rob, I just I don't like sometimes what
the media does, and not to go too hard at
Kendrick Perkins. I think I called him an ask clown whatever.
But Rob, let's be real, Like you watch Jokicic in
the series like there's no denying it. He is the
best player in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
I'm one hundred percent old on that, and I just
watch him beat the Lakers ass for four straight games.
I still think Giannis is the best player because I
think Giannis impacts the game on both sides of the ball, well,
both sides of the.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Floor, more than Jogic.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Says Jogic offensively far superior, but his defense, to me,
is still average. You know that's being polite, you know,
I mean, the Lakers gotten the paint whenever they wanted
to throughout the series, and they just whether or not
they finished was that was really on them. Ad missed
a lot of bunnies. Lebron miss bunnies, you know, and
that it is what it is and that's ultimately why
they are out and four instead of it being like
(22:18):
tow two heading into game five. So as far as
best in the world, if he's not number one to me,
he's number two. Like, I don't think anything.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
There's no shame in being the second best player in
the NBA. I think yo, which is fantastic.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Let me ask you this question. So we're starting a
team rub age matters. We can't take contract into account.
I mean if we want to, we can't. Are you
taking Yanis over and beat over Jokic? Because if you
gave me those two choices, now, personally, I would take
Luca because I think he elevates everyone. But like you said, defense,
he doesn't play an me. I think I think you
(22:52):
have to go Jokic over Yannis.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
I would probably and that and that's not the passer
and that's an area I probably because I think he
because I think he'd be easier to build around. The
same thing with Luca The thing that Jokic and Luca
have going for him, and just like Lebron back in
the day, is you can build a team very quickly
around them because they're such good passers, they're very unselfish,
they're very skilled, so there's a lot of different ways
(23:15):
you can you can manufacture a team around them. A
guy like Giannis not as skilled, obviously, he's more just
like a brute force kind of a player, and so
it might be more difficult because you need to have
more highly skilled players around him to really reach their peak.
And it's just a different kind of roster construction. As
far as the MVP, though, I had no issue whatsoever
(23:36):
would m bead winning the because it's a regular season
award and we cannot re litigate things just because a
guy flames out in the postseason. Like if it was
just about who the best player is, then Kobe would
probably have like four or five, Steve Nash would have zero,
Lebron would probably have ten or twelve.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
You know, like, oh, well.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
How about you recurrent? He have two?
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Yes, two, right, so yeah, he'd have exactly the same number.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yees, twelve, Oh my god, I mean, if that's what
it was, if it was just who the best player
is and that's what would happen.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Joe l.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Embiid was the leading scorer in the NBA on a
team that was in the tougher conference at the top
and had I believe, the same record as Denver. Denver
was floundering down the stretch, and they obviously took.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
The final two weeks off ready for the postseason.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
And that's fine, but that means that that cost you
regular season awards. That's part of the tradeoff in that situation.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Well, I mean I blame the voters like I don't.
I don't blame Jokics for taking time off. That's smart.
What matters more some dumb regular season award or going
too the finals for the first time in franchise history.
I mean, you know, you look at Yoki's forty five minutes.
I mean, Embiid's not playing anything like that. He can't
handle that kind of especially if they even made the
conference finals. I mean, the BIG's never made the conference finals.
(24:53):
Jokics is now going to the finals. Jokic just minutes
in the series two thirty eight, forty five series before
that against Phoenix thirty three, that blowout, Well, he played
less than that series because they had some blowouts. But Rob,
have you looked at the final schedule? I mean there's
two days off between every game except for one. Like,
I actually think that's a huge benefit to whoever deadver faces.
(25:16):
We it's probably Miami, but Boston have a shot.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Probably not.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
That's actually huge for Miami. I just don't know how
they would defend Jokic. And and it's weird because Rob,
there is a chance that Jamal Murray goes postal and
has a volcanic series the way he did against the Lakers.
And I mean there's a chance Jamal Murray's MVP of
the Finals, and then we have another one of these,
(25:42):
Wow Jokic, I don't know. Jamal Murray's very good, no
time All Star Jamal Murray. I need dad, my guy,
Jamal Murray. Remember we had the Jamal Murray booker discussion
and he changes on that.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
By the way, uh No, I still lean Jamal Murray.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Remember I said in the playoffs with one of the
great postseason formers of the NBA's ever seen.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
He's I mean, the guy's incredible. Now. I know he
did not make a three against the Lakers in Game four,
but it didn't matter. He was everywhere. His defensive presence
was incredible. Let me see if I have anything else
in my notes. Hey, by the way, can I give
a shout out quickly to Aaron Gordon? Can we do that?
I mean, I know nobody really cares and I look
it up. So Aeron Gordon was the fourth overall pick
in twenty fourteen. He was a seventeen and seven guy
(26:25):
at his apex with Orlando and they were losing a
billion games, getting fifteen shots a game, taking the most shots.
He was the alpha in Orlando. It just did not work.
He goes to Denver Game four, he had a really
good game against the Lakers, but by and large, Michael
Malone told him, hey, check your ego at the door.
We know you were the number four pick. That's great.
(26:46):
You were the number one option or Orlando. That's great.
You're gonna be now our fourth option. You're gonna make
a lot of money and you're gonna win games. And
Aaron Gordon did not have any beef like a guy
like D'Angelo Russell should really look hard at what he
just saw from Aaron Gordon. Play defense, catch a bunch
of rim running dunks, be ready to put flush it
(27:09):
when Jokic gets it to you. And by the way,
if you're open for three, shoot the ball. And Aaron
Gordon has best game game four. But this is a guy,
rob fourth overall pick. He was the alpha in Orlando
for about three years and he's now taking a step
back to take a step forward. Okay, this I mean,
I just love that about Aaron Gordon, a guy who
I'm easy to root for. Obviously have him in the
(27:30):
player points pool. I'm gonna win that bad boy. Now
that Jamal Murray and Eric Gordon to Gord to the finals,
nobody has anybody from the Heat, not that you guys care,
but this this Aaron Gordon situation, Like they got him
on a pretty good contract and he's making like twenty
one million dollars nineteen million, twenty one a year or
whatever it is. But this team is really solid and Rob,
(27:50):
they're not going anywhere. They're only thirty year old. In
the rotation is Jeff Green, who has been on nine
teams in eight years. Gordon's locked in, and Bruce Brown
is the guy they probably would lose. He could there
certainly make more than six million a year. But like
KCP another guy, hey man, Rob, you watched was KCP
the third best player on the Lakers in the bubble
(28:12):
or was it Kuzma?
Speaker 1 (28:13):
It was KCP.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
I think it was KCP. And now he goes to
Denver and it's like, Bro, you're gonna be the fifth
option because Michael Porter junior third, Jamal Burray's second, Yo
kich is one, and Aaron Gordon's four. You know what
KCP said? Yes, Sirree, I would love to go back
and win win another championship. He's going to the finals,
and I just think when it comes to team building,
and you know, I'm obsessed with that, Rob. Given now
(28:34):
that we well it, you know, I'm a minority owner
in two teams basketball team in New Zealand soccer team
in Mexico. Like, I love the team building aspect, and
I just I love everything about Denver, Rob. I mean,
this team is I mean, find me a weakness in Denver? Like,
what is there? Another bench isn't super deep, But what
(28:55):
is the weakness?
Speaker 3 (28:57):
I think they have two, one of them being the
bench that you mentioned, the other one being interior defense.
You can get to the rim on them. The problem, though,
is those weaknesses that we've seen in this postseason are
not glaring enough to offset how awesome they are offensively,
Like they're they're just they're they're great. And then to
your point about Aaron Gordon, I know he showed out
(29:18):
there in Game four, but we definitely need to give
him his flowers for what he's done throughout this postseason.
You can argue that he's had the toughest path for
any defender in this postseason. He opens up, he credibly
guarded Anthony Edwards and Carl Towns in the first round.
He followed up with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant for
(29:39):
long stretches in the second round, and then he was
guarding Lebron James and Anthony Davis when they took Yokichaut
in the third round. So he's guarded all of these
all NBA, all world level guys who are all so different.
They all play differently, they all have different strength and weaknesses,
and obviously you're not gonna shut any of those guys down.
But the one thing you can say about any good
defender is did he make can work for his baskets?
(30:01):
And Aaron Gordon made every single one of those guys struggle,
whether it was on a possession by possession basis like
it was with the Lakers, or it was a game
to game bass which would happen with the Phoenix Suns
where they kind of just ran out of gas because
after these guys wearing on you all game for forty
eight minutes, that takes its toll. And Aaron Gordon the
(30:23):
unsung hero him and Bruce Brown, in my opinion of
this Denver nuggetine really good.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I had thought about that, and looking forward, he now
has nine days to watch tape of Jimmy Butler and
every post up move that Jimmy Butler has in his bag,
which is really nice. And oh, by the way, word
to Aaron Gordon, do not do what Grant Williams did
on Friday. Rob. We still haven't even talked about that,
the poking the bear, Like listen, I don't mind Grant
(30:46):
Williams getting in his face and stuff. I don't like
them making the three and then going and talking to
him Jimmy Butler like, laugh that off. That was classic
Jimmy Butler did. Did you notice Aaron Gordon kind of
got into it with Lebron with the arm hooking and
Van Gundy and I think Mark Jackson. The announcers were like,
that's playoff defense, Like what's the problem, and Lebron did
(31:07):
not like it. Lebron was cooking. He had thirty points
and a half. I'm sure people were like, hey, Lebron
had a forty point game. Listen, it's Lebron James you're guarding.
I believe the greatest player in the history of basketball,
Aaron Gordon, like you said, credibly did a good job
against him. Third quarter they had that offsetting technical. He
wasn't backing down from Lebron either. Like, Denver Nuggets team
(31:28):
is really really well built. They've got to open next
season regardless of what happens in the finals as the favorites.
It's Denver team a lot to like. All right, that's
a long podcast. Obviously, Tomorrow we have the what do
we got Celtics? Yes, is Celtics heat. Hopefully a good game.
And oh, by the way, as of now, we have
(31:48):
a special guest. I probably shouldn't tease the person anymore.
It's a big name. Think you guys will enjoy it.
Talk to you tomorrow.
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. What is up
Straight Fire, fam, It's me Jason McIntyre, Straight Fire for Tuesday,
May twenty third. We are recording this about forty minutes
after Lebron and Ad came up just short in Game
(00:31):
four of the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers are done
season over, folks. They got swept. Yes, Lebron got swept
by Joker, no time All Star Jamal Murray, who made
an outstanding play at the end of the game. He
actually played defense tonight and a feisty Denver Nuggets team
that and Lebron said a lot after the postgame I
wanted to wait for him to talk before jumping on
(00:53):
to talk to you guys. Lebron said, this was the
best team that he and Ad have faced since they
got together. And this Deadver team really just punished the Lakers.
They were down fifteen and a half, storm back in
the third quarter, and then of course the game winning
bucket by Nicole Jokic, and we'll get to him and
his dominance, triple double records and all that, but I
(01:14):
need to start the podcast obviously with Lebron, James and
the Lakers. It's strange. So the game ends, you know,
and Rob and I are starting to talk, all right,
when are we gonna record and all this stuff? And
I'm like, oh, Lebron's gonna talk too, Let's just wait,
you know. And my wife goes to walk the dog
and I'm sitting there shending the kids upstairs get to bed,
(01:35):
waiting for Lebron to talk. And Lebron's talking, and I,
you know, get out of my chair. I'm like, you know,
kind of close to the TV, a little nerdy about it.
And Lebron's talking. He's got his hat low, and it was,
to me riveting television, just Lebron answering questions about what's
going on, what happened in the series his future, which
I thought was a little bit silly, but people are
(01:56):
gonna make a big deal out of it. You're gonna
hear that tomorrow. And I'm just sitting there kind of
with my arms crossed, looking at the TV as if
to say, wow, Like it started to sink in that
like this season's over for Lebron. We just watched Hall
of Famer in Carmelo Anthony, who came into the NBA
with Lebron, retire at the start of Monday. He opened
(02:19):
the week with his retirement even though he didn't play
this season whatever. And then I watched Lebron losing the
playoffs at age thirty eight, twenty a season complete. He
was heroic, thirty one point first half. I think, let
me see what the total point totally finished. Lebron finished
with forty points ten boards nine a sis the oldest
(02:39):
forty point game in the NBA playoffs ever. I think
he had thirty eight, and it was just one of
those amazing performances. As he's talking, I'm in like rapt attention,
just listening, and it's kind of sinking in, you know, like,
let's cheeris these moments, these postgame moments, they're dwindling for Lebron,
who basically, hell, you know, I get out of college,
(03:01):
I'm goofing around in New York City trying to be cool.
I end up meeting my wife, you know, in New
York City, and Lebron comes into the league and I've basically,
you know, the entire time I've known my wife, Like
Lebron's been an NBA player my entire time. Starting the website,
the Big Lead, we moved out to the suburbs, we
(03:22):
had kids, all of this moved out to La like
Lebron's been part of this and it just weirdly sunk
in the Damn. The end is kind of near and
Lebron ended the press conference with a quote, I have
it right here. Again. I don't read too much into it,
but a lot of people are saying, you know, the
vibes were low key, and Lebron I don't know. Is
he gonna come People are gonna start to do that nonsense.
(03:44):
Of course he's coming back, people. But his quote was,
I got a lot to think about, to be honest,
and just for me personally going forward the game of basketball,
I got a lot to think about. Now, A lot
of people read that and it's like, how low it's anger.
Is he gonna play? We know the answer. He's gonna
stick around, so he plays with Bronny for at least
a season. Okay, the Ken Griffy junior factor. We've talked
about that at nauseam. My guess is what Lebron meant was, Damn,
(04:09):
I carried this team with thirty one points in the
first half. Anthony Davis was basically a bystander just watching
a good game. David showed up in the fourth quarter,
a couple buckets, a couple of blocks. But I know
people will look at the box score and be like, oh,
A d had a good game. He finished with the
Internet slow of course, twenty one and sorry, Anthony Davis
finished with damn It. Twenty one points, fourteen boards, three blocks.
(04:32):
Oh he had a good game. No, not really, not really,
he's doing his alternative game shit where he struggles after
having a good game. He was good in game three.
I thought game four he was invisible bo by the way,
his counterpart Yo Kicch thirty fourteen and thirteen, and Lebron
could not stop raving about him in the postgame presser.
I will add Aaron Gordon played tough inside for Denver,
(04:55):
had twenty two points, six boards, five assists. So like
AD miss me with AD's having a great game. Okay,
But I want to just go back to Lebron's quote.
So he's talking at the press conference and I'm kind
of like standing there in rapt attention, and my wife
walks in with the dog and she thought like I
had started recording the podcast or something, or I was
talking to you guys as to what we're gonna say,
(05:16):
and she was like, you look so sad, And I
did not consider it. But I was a little sad
that the Lakers lost. I was a little down of
the dumps, like I did not bet the game. I
did tell you guys to bet Lebron props yesterday on
the pod. They did not have the numbers when we
were recording. Hopefully he found up Lebron props in cash
because that was an easy point total over I don't know.
I'm assuming it was like in the twenty five to
twenty nine range and he ended up with forty, so
(05:36):
it was an easy winner. I didn't even have money
on the game. You know. I didn't want the Lakers
season to end. I wanted basketball on Wednesday night. Now
there's no hoops on Wednesday. There's hoops tonight. There's a well,
we got Celtics Heat Game four that could be a
blood bath. And then and I have the schedule here.
The finals don't start until June first and Denver. Now,
(05:58):
as you guys know, I am taking a Vaca, which
we got very fortuitous. So the the not the Broncos,
the Nuggets are looking at about nine days Tuesday through
next Wednesday. I guess technically I can't count, so that's
eight and then the finals will start June first. As
a fun fact, if you want to file this away,
(06:18):
I'm hosting the Herd yes me, second time. I've done it,
second time solo. That'll be on June first, so that
should be fun. But this Lebron press conference, like there
were so many kernels of wisdom and he just sounded
like really one of the all time greats speaking knowing
(06:39):
like the end is near, and it's tough for me
to say the end is near. When Lebron plays forty
eight minutes, sits out for four seconds. They were like
at the end of the first half, I guess he
had to go to the bathroom or something and there
was a foul and Lebron's like, I've just got to
take off for the locker room, peels off his jersey
and takes off. Did not come out in the second half.
Forty eight minutes, fifteen of twenty five. A heroic performance,
and it wasn't good enough, and you feel bad. Of course,
(07:01):
the Michael Jordan fanboy Jabroni's are gonna come in and
be like, oh he got swept. H Jordan never got swept. Well,
he did early in his career against the loaded Celtics. Well,
this Detroit team, I'm sorry, this Denver team is really
really good. And I'll tell you right now, they're probably
way better than those bad boys teams of the eighties.
Isaiah Thomas. I mean, I don't know, Bill Ambier, Rick Morner.
(07:23):
They can Danny Jokic, like, get the hell out of here.
Like this is an awesome Denver team. Denver going to
the finals for the first time in franchise history. This
was the first time they've swept anyone in the playoffs.
And before I bring in Rob g I know he's,
you know, a despondent Laker fan. He had Lakers and six.
I had Denver and seven. Neither of us were remotely close.
But there was a play late in the game that
(07:45):
a bunch of people were sharing on social media. So essentially,
Lebron has this situation. They're down two with about thirty
seconds left, and he calls for the switch. Aaron Gordon
was guarding Lebron. He calls for Aaron. Anthony Davis comes over,
sets the screen. They switch, so it's Joker on Lebron
and you could see Lebron like, Okay, which way am
(08:05):
I gonna go? How am I gonna take him? At
this point, Joker has five fouls. Remember he picked up
two quick charges against Lebron, and you're sitting there, Okay,
Lebron take them, Lebron take them. But what you don't
really see is the Nuggets were just crowding the lane.
They were just packing everyone in. So they were saying,
you know, we're not letting you beat us, Lebron. You
beat us with a hoop the last time down the court.
We're not letting that happen again. Lebron had to concede.
(08:27):
Passed a shrewder who hot potatoes over the reeves, but
it goes out of bounds and they get Lakers end up,
you know, frittering the possession away. They get the ball
back and Lebron is stopped at the end of the
game by Jamal Murray, my guy. You know, I'm a
huge Jamal Murray guy. And that's that Lebron's done. So
you know, rob g I listen. I know it was
a tough ending for you. Ruyjachimra played like garbage. We
(08:49):
talked about role players, D'Angelo Russell coming off the bench,
two or four in fifteen minutes, he was a plus six.
It didn't matter. He barely played Lonnie Walker, barely played
Tristan Thompson. A ten minute cameo Jared Vanderbilt went from
starting to no minutes. Mobamba your guy, Rob, he was out,
he was there, did not play. But let's be real.
(09:12):
You cannot bag on Lebron. You cannot bag on the Lakers.
This is a Denver team that will win the championship.
I think I saw they were minus two fifty whether
they faced the Heat or Celtics in the finals. They
will host Game one June one, as long as they
don't give up Game one to the Heat. Miami is won.
I saw this stat. This is crazy. Six straight game
ones in the playoffs, and three of those this season
(09:34):
on the road. So, Rob, how you feel about your
Lakers after that devastating loss?
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Well, I don't feel great, Jason.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You know, I was trying to LeVar Ball ask will
it did to exist as Lakers and seven before the
game started. So when they were up fifteen and a half,
I was like, we're onto something, you know, get ready,
and then obviously that came falling apart. Look, Lebron James
played phenomenally in the first half. Second half not so much.
(10:03):
He kind of Oh, I mean even during the broadcast,
which you know, I had to watch on my phone
for reasons I don't want to get into, but they
were mentioning how Lebron everything he did in the first
half he stopped doing in the second half, and it
could just be he was tired, Like that's totally reasonable
to expect. But even said, I don't think it's on him.
I think that Game four and this series in totality,
(10:27):
was said more about Darvin Ham than anything about the Lakers.
Game one, he makes the mistake of starting small against
a ginormous Denver Nuggets front court and doubling Nikola Yogic,
So not only was he getting his on the offensive glass,
but he was getting everyone involved.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So that trick away. Game one done. Game two.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
He and Game three for the most part, he decides
that he's not going to pull D'Angelo Russell because he's
worried he might lose him. So de'angelo Russell, you know,
is easily the worst player on the floor for either team.
You're both of those games, and obviously they lose those two.
And then last night here in game four, he is
so married to the idea of I'm gonna roll with
(11:13):
these five guys lebron A, d Reeves, Rui and shrewder
and Rui obviously didn't have it like we saw that.
The final numbers don't even do it justice. He was
getting abused by Jokic, which everyone does, but then he
wasn't making a pay on the other end by making baskets.
I think he finished what was for three of Yeah,
he was three of twelve from the field, zero three from.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Three and hold on.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
This is a classic wait hold on, This is a
classic Ruiy line. This is what the knock was before
he got to the Lakers. What else does he do?
Rob forty two minutes, zero assists, zero steals, zero blocks, Like,
what is he doing out there? He did get seven
boards in forty two minutes, one offensive rebound. Just again, like,
(11:55):
if he's not getting the ball, is he moving? Is
he a factor? Like you're not gonna make of Draymond Green, right,
nobody expects that, but at least fill up the statue,
like do stuff like you look at Austin Reeves. He's
filling up the statue. Dennis Shooters, Trustling his butt off,
even though he wasn't great, but he just needed a
little more from RUI seems like he's in the cards
for next year, so we can we can bash him
(12:15):
next year when you.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Yeah, of course, I mean it seems like they needed
more from everybody, you know. Like that was the difference
in this series between the Denver Nuggets and the Los
Angeles Lakers is that their stars played well every game,
you know, even the Jamal Murray when he started off
really slowly in the first three quarters, exploded in the
fourth quarter. Jokish never had a bad game in my opinion,
even if his stats weren't always otherworldly, you know, like
(12:39):
Knights and Night Basis Lebron and ad you know, alternated
between great half bad half, great half bad half, and
then the other guys. The role players for Denver were
lights out going into Game four. Their role players were
shooting over sixty percent on uncontested jumpers, which is incredible.
I'm sure no one probably even went up after Game four.
(13:01):
But to me, like I said, this series said more
about Darbnham than anything else. He looked like a rookie
head coach out there game four. He's married to his
lineup he was gonna stick with those five guys even
though he wasn't playing well. Dennis cooled off considerably after
the first quarter, and in the decided third quarter, they're
up fifteen and Denver boat racism in the first eight minutes.
(13:21):
If they're minus sixteen in that stretch, he calls no timeouts,
makes no subs. He just stood there and watched it.
And those are the things you have to deal with
with the rookie head coach. So I anticipate that most
of these guys will be back next season, and we'll
see if they can give it one more go.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
That is, of course, Lebron, What do you mean most
of which guys? I think Shooter Shooter ain't coming back.
No Shooter's got I think Anthony Davis is, Jan Brown's gone.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Oh maybe not.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Who else is gonna offer him anything more than a
that minimum so much.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
Somebody surely will pay him a three and d wing
like they could talk themselves in him. Lonnie Walker's probably
getting paid elsewhere.
Speaker 1 (13:59):
By who he was out of the rotation. He was
out of the rotation for two months.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
First pick. I think somebody's got to grab Lonnie Walker.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
I'm choosing to ignore Lebron's cryptic message there at the end,
I think that was more about a power play than
him actually retiring.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, he's gonna get what he wants, and that's that.
Then it becomes and I put this on social I
talked about it yesterday on the podcast, so a bunch
of people hit me up. You know, is there a
world where they can afford Lebron, A d and Kyrie Irving?
And you know, obviously D'Angelo Russell thirty one mil is
out the door. They declined the Malik Beasley sixteen million
dollar team option. They package Bomba their draft pick, I
(14:41):
guess Jared Vanderbilt for whatever they can get, and then
next year their roster essentially is Lebron, A, D, Kyrie Ruy,
Hachi Mora, Austin Reeves, Max Christie, and then six other
guys who are making the minimum. Could that work and
we'll see it? Sounds like rob the league is trying
(15:03):
to end these like dynas dynastic three star teams with
this new apron. I haven't read all about it yet,
and I'm sure we're gonna hear about it as we
get closer to July one. But I think if the
Lakers can add Kyrie to this. You know, I've been
anti Kyrie for the longest time. Okay, Like, I don't
hate the idea of addingm Kyrie. Now in the long run,
(15:24):
it's gonna be bad, but they were close. Now, if
this team lost in the first round, I'd say, no
way ad Kyrie, rob But if you can add him,
I know, reason is gonna have to get a big
uptick and pay. You know, can you find six guys
who are ring chasers, who are sick Tristan Thompson type
players who are just like, yeah, I'll come along for
the ride and provide minutes. The problem is eight goes down?
What else you got? Lebron goes down, which he probably will,
(15:46):
Kyrie IVN goes sideways, and now you got a crap
season in Lebron's toast in La.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Yeah, and look, I'll say this, the only way I'm
on board with any Kyrie Irving acquisition is if they
can keep Reeves and Hachimura. Otherwise it's a non starter
for me because we we've we've seen this play out
already with Russell Westbrook. Obviously, Kyrie is a better player
and a better fit than Russell Westbrook. But when you're
(16:12):
that top heavy, all it takes is one guy to
miss time to your point, or you know, one guy
to have an off night because the rest of the
roster is not capable of elevating the floor after that. So,
you know, and if they if they're gonna, if it
comes down to we gotta you know, only keep Reeves
and that that's Kyrie, then I'm not really feeling that
(16:33):
one because I think you're you're in a much better
situation running it back. Even with the Angelo Russell. You know,
obviously his price tag is cratered, so you probably get
him for cheaper than what you would have. You can,
you can you can flip the Beasley and the Bomba
contracts for you know, Buddy Heal type, Daurrian Finny Smith,
whatever your favorite three and D guy is. And I
(16:54):
think there's enough move that can be made on the
margins with this team where they can be competitive again.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Brooke and claims they were getting an offer of two
firsts for Dorian Fitty Smith, So I don't know if
that okay. So we spent twenty minutes hyping up the
Lakers as we should. They're you know, one of the
marquee teams. I live out here in LA like it's
the Lakers, it's Lebron. I'm sorry, we're gonna give Denver
their due. I do want to ask you Rob about this.
(17:20):
And I had a buddy text me and this was weird.
But this is a smart guy. I played pick up
with him. He's a former water polo college guy, I
think at UCLA or whatever. And he says to me,
you know, Yokics was pretty good. I wonder if those
Kendrick Perkins comments scared people away from voting for him
(17:44):
for the MVP back in and I looked it up
March and ended up giving him be the MVP. Because
if you watched any of these playoffs, and I'm assuming
listeners at this pod watched all the damn games, folks,
it's not even close. It's I mean, Yoka chet the
record now past Wilt. Eight triple doubles in this postseason.
Wilt had seven in nineteen sixty seven. Yo kicch thirty
(18:09):
fourteen rebounds, thirteen assists. He is unbelievable. I mean, this
idea that he's probably the best passing big man of
all time. I think you got that. That's probably there already.
And he's not even thirty. This idea that Kendrick Perkins,
who blocked me on social media about a year ago
because I called him out for some dumb shit that
he said, which is what he does. I don't even
know if we can curse on it with a new
(18:30):
video component here, but you know Josh will believe it out.
But this idea that Kendrick Perkins can sway an MVP discussion,
and apparently he did because after he made these comments
and I'll read them to you, apparently he's saying that
there's like inconsistent criteria for what is the MVP at
it favors white players, which is just ridiculously asinine, and
(18:51):
JJ Reddick called him out and they got into it.
I happened to look this up. So Yokich one of
two years in a row before that, the last white
got when it was like twelve thirteen years ago, Dirk
Davitski in two thousand and six, two thousand and seven.
And I will agree with one thing. We don't know
what the criteria is for MVP. Is it best player
in the league, is it most valuable? Because we know
(19:14):
Jokic took some time off at the end of the season,
you know what to get ready for the postseason, which
is smart. And Beiid wanted to play a ton for
Philly late and then he ends up getting hurt and
hands a shell of himself and just wasn't good because
you know, it's the postseason and Joel Embiid always comes
up small in the postseason. But the reality is Nikola
Yoka should have won his third MVP award. And I
know that sounds ridiculous, like, come on, is he the
(19:35):
best player in the league, folks? I mean Yanich just hot,
Giannis is hot potatoing the ball against Miami because he
missed twelve free throws in the decided game. Okay, I'm
as big as Lebron guy as anybody. He wasn't the
MVP this year. I like Jason Tatum a lot. I
thought he should. He's gonna get MVP votes. I like
Luca a lot. He can't be Luca can't be the
MVP if he's not making the playoffs. So I think
(19:57):
it's ridiculous that Kendrick Perkins can say you're essentially allude
that you're kind of racist if you vote for Jokic
because he's won it the last two years, and all
of a sudden, we watch the postseason and anyone with
a brain is watching Jokic dominate Rob. I mean, he
is utterly unstoppable. Whether it's Ruey, whether it's Anthony Davis,
whether it's Lebron, whether they're doubling him, He's making all
(20:20):
the great passes. I mean late in the game. I
have it down on here on my notes because I'm
taking notes like a loser. Essentially, Jokic at the foul line,
at the elbow, he's unstoppable. He sees stuff, the Aaron
Gordon dunk, the back door cuts, ksep he sees everything.
His vision is timing. It's unbelievable. And in this mythic
(20:43):
best player in the League debate, well, it was Lebron,
and then it was Kobe, and then it was Steph
Curry because he won two straight MVP Awards, and then
it's back to Lebron, and then it was Yiannis And like,
I think it's undeniably Nicola Jokic right now, right it
has to be. I don't know, Rob, is there even
any debate over who the best player in the league is? Now?
(21:04):
I know part of the argument's gonna be well, it's
a regular season award. Well that's stupid. Who's the best
player for eighty two games when half the league doesn't
care and isn't trying. What is that like? It just
doesn't make sense to me why we're giving and beat
all these props. Joel Embiide had a great season, fantastic, terrific,
outstanding job. He ain't the best player in the league.
(21:25):
I'm sorry, Rob, I just I don't like sometimes what
the media does, and not to go too hard at
Kendrick Perkins. I think I called him an ask clown whatever.
But Rob, let's be real, Like you watch Jokicic in
the series like there's no denying it. He is the
best player in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
I'm one hundred percent old on that, and I just
watch him beat the Lakers ass for four straight games.
I still think Giannis is the best player because I
think Giannis impacts the game on both sides of the ball, well,
both sides of the.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Floor, more than Jogic.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Says Jogic offensively far superior, but his defense, to me,
is still average. You know that's being polite, you know,
I mean, the Lakers gotten the paint whenever they wanted
to throughout the series, and they just whether or not
they finished was that was really on them. Ad missed
a lot of bunnies. Lebron miss bunnies, you know, and
that it is what it is and that's ultimately why
they are out and four instead of it being like
(22:18):
tow two heading into game five. So as far as
best in the world, if he's not number one to me,
he's number two. Like, I don't think anything.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
There's no shame in being the second best player in
the NBA. I think yo, which is fantastic.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Let me ask you this question. So we're starting a
team rub age matters. We can't take contract into account.
I mean if we want to, we can't. Are you
taking Yanis over and beat over Jokic? Because if you
gave me those two choices, now, personally, I would take
Luca because I think he elevates everyone. But like you said, defense,
he doesn't play an me. I think I think you
(22:52):
have to go Jokic over Yannis.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
I would probably and that and that's not the passer
and that's an area I probably because I think he
because I think he'd be easier to build around. The
same thing with Luca The thing that Jokic and Luca
have going for him, and just like Lebron back in
the day, is you can build a team very quickly
around them because they're such good passers, they're very unselfish,
they're very skilled, so there's a lot of different ways
(23:15):
you can you can manufacture a team around them. A
guy like Giannis not as skilled, obviously, he's more just
like a brute force kind of a player, and so
it might be more difficult because you need to have
more highly skilled players around him to really reach their peak.
And it's just a different kind of roster construction. As
far as the MVP, though, I had no issue whatsoever
(23:36):
would m bead winning the because it's a regular season
award and we cannot re litigate things just because a
guy flames out in the postseason. Like if it was
just about who the best player is, then Kobe would
probably have like four or five, Steve Nash would have zero,
Lebron would probably have ten or twelve.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
You know, like, oh, well.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
How about you recurrent? He have two?
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Yes, two, right, so yeah, he'd have exactly the same number.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yees, twelve, Oh my god, I mean, if that's what
it was, if it was just who the best player
is and that's what would happen.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
Joe l.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
Embiid was the leading scorer in the NBA on a
team that was in the tougher conference at the top
and had I believe, the same record as Denver. Denver
was floundering down the stretch, and they obviously took.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
The final two weeks off ready for the postseason.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
And that's fine, but that means that that cost you
regular season awards. That's part of the tradeoff in that situation.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Well, I mean I blame the voters like I don't.
I don't blame Jokics for taking time off. That's smart.
What matters more some dumb regular season award or going
too the finals for the first time in franchise history.
I mean, you know, you look at Yoki's forty five minutes.
I mean, Embiid's not playing anything like that. He can't
handle that kind of especially if they even made the
conference finals. I mean, the BIG's never made the conference finals.
(24:53):
Jokics is now going to the finals. Jokic just minutes
in the series two thirty eight, forty five series before
that against Phoenix thirty three, that blowout, Well, he played
less than that series because they had some blowouts. But Rob,
have you looked at the final schedule? I mean there's
two days off between every game except for one. Like,
I actually think that's a huge benefit to whoever deadver faces.
(25:16):
We it's probably Miami, but Boston have a shot.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Probably not.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
That's actually huge for Miami. I just don't know how
they would defend Jokic. And and it's weird because Rob,
there is a chance that Jamal Murray goes postal and
has a volcanic series the way he did against the Lakers.
And I mean there's a chance Jamal Murray's MVP of
the Finals, and then we have another one of these,
(25:42):
Wow Jokic, I don't know. Jamal Murray's very good, no
time All Star Jamal Murray. I need dad, my guy,
Jamal Murray. Remember we had the Jamal Murray booker discussion
and he changes on that.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
By the way, uh No, I still lean Jamal Murray.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Remember I said in the playoffs with one of the
great postseason formers of the NBA's ever seen.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
He's I mean, the guy's incredible. Now. I know he
did not make a three against the Lakers in Game four,
but it didn't matter. He was everywhere. His defensive presence
was incredible. Let me see if I have anything else
in my notes. Hey, by the way, can I give
a shout out quickly to Aaron Gordon? Can we do that?
I mean, I know nobody really cares and I look
it up. So Aeron Gordon was the fourth overall pick
in twenty fourteen. He was a seventeen and seven guy
(26:25):
at his apex with Orlando and they were losing a
billion games, getting fifteen shots a game, taking the most shots.
He was the alpha in Orlando. It just did not work.
He goes to Denver Game four, he had a really
good game against the Lakers, but by and large, Michael
Malone told him, hey, check your ego at the door.
We know you were the number four pick. That's great.
(26:46):
You were the number one option or Orlando. That's great.
You're gonna be now our fourth option. You're gonna make
a lot of money and you're gonna win games. And
Aaron Gordon did not have any beef like a guy
like D'Angelo Russell should really look hard at what he
just saw from Aaron Gordon. Play defense, catch a bunch
of rim running dunks, be ready to put flush it
(27:09):
when Jokic gets it to you. And by the way,
if you're open for three, shoot the ball. And Aaron
Gordon has best game game four. But this is a guy,
rob fourth overall pick. He was the alpha in Orlando
for about three years and he's now taking a step
back to take a step forward. Okay, this I mean,
I just love that about Aaron Gordon, a guy who
I'm easy to root for. Obviously have him in the
(27:30):
player points pool. I'm gonna win that bad boy. Now
that Jamal Murray and Eric Gordon to Gord to the finals,
nobody has anybody from the Heat, not that you guys care,
but this this Aaron Gordon situation, Like they got him
on a pretty good contract and he's making like twenty
one million dollars nineteen million, twenty one a year or
whatever it is. But this team is really solid and Rob,
(27:50):
they're not going anywhere. They're only thirty year old. In
the rotation is Jeff Green, who has been on nine
teams in eight years. Gordon's locked in, and Bruce Brown
is the guy they probably would lose. He could there
certainly make more than six million a year. But like
KCP another guy, hey man, Rob, you watched was KCP
the third best player on the Lakers in the bubble
(28:12):
or was it Kuzma?
Speaker 1 (28:13):
It was KCP.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
I think it was KCP. And now he goes to
Denver and it's like, Bro, you're gonna be the fifth
option because Michael Porter junior third, Jamal Burray's second, Yo
kich is one, and Aaron Gordon's four. You know what
KCP said? Yes, Sirree, I would love to go back
and win win another championship. He's going to the finals,
and I just think when it comes to team building,
and you know, I'm obsessed with that, Rob. Given now
(28:34):
that we well it, you know, I'm a minority owner
in two teams basketball team in New Zealand soccer team
in Mexico. Like, I love the team building aspect, and
I just I love everything about Denver, Rob. I mean,
this team is I mean, find me a weakness in Denver? Like,
what is there? Another bench isn't super deep, But what
(28:55):
is the weakness?
Speaker 3 (28:57):
I think they have two, one of them being the
bench that you mentioned, the other one being interior defense.
You can get to the rim on them. The problem, though,
is those weaknesses that we've seen in this postseason are
not glaring enough to offset how awesome they are offensively,
Like they're they're just they're they're great. And then to
your point about Aaron Gordon, I know he showed out
(29:18):
there in Game four, but we definitely need to give
him his flowers for what he's done throughout this postseason.
You can argue that he's had the toughest path for
any defender in this postseason. He opens up, he credibly
guarded Anthony Edwards and Carl Towns in the first round.
He followed up with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant for
(29:39):
long stretches in the second round, and then he was
guarding Lebron James and Anthony Davis when they took Yokichaut
in the third round. So he's guarded all of these
all NBA, all world level guys who are all so different.
They all play differently, they all have different strength and weaknesses,
and obviously you're not gonna shut any of those guys down.
But the one thing you can say about any good
defender is did he make can work for his baskets?
(30:01):
And Aaron Gordon made every single one of those guys struggle,
whether it was on a possession by possession basis like
it was with the Lakers, or it was a game
to game bass which would happen with the Phoenix Suns
where they kind of just ran out of gas because
after these guys wearing on you all game for forty
eight minutes, that takes its toll. And Aaron Gordon the
(30:23):
unsung hero him and Bruce Brown, in my opinion of
this Denver nuggetine really good.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I had thought about that, and looking forward, he now
has nine days to watch tape of Jimmy Butler and
every post up move that Jimmy Butler has in his bag,
which is really nice. And oh, by the way, word
to Aaron Gordon, do not do what Grant Williams did
on Friday. Rob. We still haven't even talked about that,
the poking the bear, Like listen, I don't mind Grant
(30:46):
Williams getting in his face and stuff. I don't like
them making the three and then going and talking to
him Jimmy Butler like, laugh that off. That was classic
Jimmy Butler did. Did you notice Aaron Gordon kind of
got into it with Lebron with the arm hooking and
Van Gundy and I think Mark Jackson. The announcers were like,
that's playoff defense, Like what's the problem, and Lebron did
(31:07):
not like it. Lebron was cooking. He had thirty points
and a half. I'm sure people were like, hey, Lebron
had a forty point game. Listen, it's Lebron James you're guarding.
I believe the greatest player in the history of basketball,
Aaron Gordon, like you said, credibly did a good job
against him. Third quarter they had that offsetting technical. He
wasn't backing down from Lebron either. Like, Denver Nuggets team
(31:28):
is really really well built. They've got to open next
season regardless of what happens in the finals as the favorites.
It's Denver team a lot to like. All right, that's
a long podcast. Obviously, Tomorrow we have the what do
we got Celtics? Yes, is Celtics heat. Hopefully a good game.
And oh, by the way, as of now, we have
(31:48):
a special guest. I probably shouldn't tease the person anymore.
It's a big name. Think you guys will enjoy it.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Host
Jason McIntyre
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