March 23, 2024 • 48 mins
Chris Haynes and Marc Stein connect for a new edition of #thisleague UNCUT that covers all the latest in the late-season jockeying for playoff seeding in the Western Conference and a detailed discussion about what goes into voting for year-end awards like MVP and Coach of the Year. Plus: Chris has an update on his ongoing banter with fellow podcast host Patrick Beverley.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
The NBA's version of March Madness, which really means the
night to night jockeying for playoff positioning in both the
West and the Eastern Conference. Plus a deep dive on
the intricacies of voting Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year,
and other year end award categories, and a Pat Bev
(00:29):
story as only Chris Haynes can tell it all. Coming
up next on the latest edition of This League Uncut.
(00:52):
Welcome to this league, to the rule of twenty four
hour NBA news, Chris Haynes, Cork Stein. It's some time
this leagueln Cut is underway. In on fire. This should
(01:13):
be a good one. Hey, everyone, welcome in to another
edition of This League Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes.
March Madness is fully underway. But I'm not sure that
either one of your co hosts on this trusty podcast
(01:38):
can bring too much insight to you. On the collegiate front,
I am an absolute NBA snob who once Cal State
Fullerton season is over, my college season is over. So
my college season ended March ninth. I do not fill
out a bracket. Chris Haynes, how is your bracket looking.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
There's nothing on it. I haven't filled out a bracket.
I don't think I ever have. I just, you know,
it's cool to see all the hoopla surrounding March Madness
and seeing all these contests and all that stuff, and
I like to hear about it. I like to hear
about how everybody's bracket is. But I've never participated in one.
I did want two years ago, a few years ago,
(02:25):
I wanted to start a trend with my wife. She
doesn't watch college basketball at all. I wanted to start
a trending with her and where we would you know,
have our bracket and the winner of the bracket would
would make the other do something that the other one
once done. But we never got that off the ground.
So but yeah, I mean it's fun for everybody else,
(02:45):
but I just never really got involved into it.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, we're kind of I probably should move on because
we're people love this time of year so much, and
I do not do not want to bring people down.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
We're we're being with a couple of grints.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
And so look when my school's in it. You know,
cal State Fullerton has made the NCAA Tournament four times
in school history, three times in the twenty first century.
Whenever we make it, the three times we've made it,
most recently, I was there and proud to be in attendance.
The first time we made it, I was just a
young kid, so still years away from actually attending cal
(03:22):
State Fullerton. But yeah, let's just politely say that neither
one of us is a college hoops expert. So let's
move on to the NBA's version of March Madness, which
certainly isn't known for capturing the nation's attention with the
(03:42):
same fervor. But for our jobs, this is a very
important time of year because what's really happening. There's the
jockeying for playoff seatings, which is a night to night
scoreboard watch that is very important. Last night, we're recording
this on Friday afternoon. Last night I was watching Utah
(04:04):
in Dallas to play the Mavericks and just a stunning
result the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a
back to back. But even so, you would have never
expected Sacramento to lose at Washington, but the Kings did,
and the Mavericks, with a win over the tanking Utah Jazz,
were able to move up and take the number six spot,
(04:25):
which is not just surprising, but look, it's only one night,
it's only one game for both teams, but leading into
next week in your neighborhood, in your backyard, the Mavericks
play the Kings in a huge two game baseball series.
Huge for the purposes of that race for number six.
In the West. The two kinds of March madness that
(04:47):
I'm really focused on. It's the jockeying for the seedings
like that, and then the MVP race. This is when
the MVP race really comes in to focus. We'll get
to the MVP stuff in a minute, but you know,
I know you're not even gonna be there. You're on
the road next week, so you are gonna miss I mean,
these are two huge games the way I look at it.
Really in the West, we're talking about three races. Really
(05:09):
in the West, you could even say maybe four, because
the Houston Rockets insane. Even after losing Alpa and Shngoon,
the Rockets have won seven in a row. Okay, some
of that is favorable schedule, but the Rockets have kind
of thrust themselves into the playing race when it was
thought that their season was over. So we got these
(05:30):
three races in the West, the race for the number
one seed thunder Nuggets, Timberwolves. Then there's this battle for
four or five with the Clippers and the Pelicans, and
the Pelicans had got within a half game I think,
or at least got within one game of the Clippers,
(05:50):
and now the Pelicans are dealing with the terrible news
that Brandon Ingram just went down with a hyper extended
knee and will be out for at least two weeks
before he's evaluated again.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Could have been worse THI yeah, for sure, that was Yeah,
that looked bad.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
It looked bad. So yeah, I mean, if it's only
a matter of weeks and if Ingram can indeed come back,
not to say he'll be back in two weeks, but
reevaluated in two weeks, certainly that was best case scenario
news for the Pelicans. Then we got this race from
six through ten and again if we want to extend
it even a little further, nine, ten, eleven, because Houston
(06:27):
is now decided that their season is not over and
even without Shnghu and the Rockets are still trying to
steak into the play in zone. If I had to
ask you, you know, who do you think gets the
sixth seed in the West, which is so important because
it keeps you out of the play in tournament. So
(06:47):
you got Dallas, Phoenix, and Sacramento. Those really are the
three teams in battle for six through eight. Then the
Lakers and the Warriors. It just doesn't look like they're
to be able to lift themselves out of the nine
to ten range. So you know, if you asked me
before last night, I would have said Sacramento. But that
(07:07):
was a bad loss for the Kings, who on top
of everything, the Kings have also lost Kevin Herder in
definitely to a separated shoulder.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It's tough. It's tough. I mean, you got the Mavericks
playing playing really well, the Pelicans with the brandon ingram
you whether how to ask going the effect the rest
of their season. Phoenix, you just I can't get a
firm grasp on if they're legit or not. They're good,
(07:36):
they're a threat, but you know, well they play it
consistent enough basketball. Who is last threats to get into
that sixth spot? I don't know. So if I had
to guess the Pelicans suffering that injury, Phoenix being kind
of hit and miss, the Kings, I will probably lean
(07:59):
towards saying I'll probably give the ads to Dallas. They're
playing really good basketball right now. I had Jason Kidd
on my Bleacher Report live stream.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
I was just gonna say, that's the reason, that's the
reason you're picking the Mavericks at six, because you on
your live stream.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
No, I'm looking at I'm looking at that stile, I'm
looking at the Pelicans. I'm looking at the Suns and
the Kings, and the Dallas Mavericks are playing better ball
than all three of those teams. So I think I
have to go there. I just don't have the comp Like,
I don't know camp Pelicans sustain what they've been doing.
Potentially possibly the Suns again, they you know, they've been
(08:37):
hit and miss. And the Kings right now, I don't
know what. I don't know what's going on. So I
think Dallas is probably the easiest bet right now. But
you know, I don't know for sure, but I like
the way they're playing. One thing about the Mavericks, man,
they're athletic. Now they got that aerial threat, you got
Kyrie and Lucas. Seems like they figured out a good
balance of how to attack angst each other. So they're
(09:02):
looking good right now. But yeah, I am. I am
kind of pissed at the fact that I won't be
able to be in attendance for the MAVs Kings Matt
Day next week.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
The schedule is bizarre that basically on Monday night, Dallas
and Sacramento are both playing, the Mavericks are in Utah,
and then Tuesday night, on the second night of a
back to back for both teams, the Kings will host
the Mavericks for the first time. I think you will
(09:35):
be in far away Milwaukee, your second home to cover
Lakers at Bucks on Tuesday night. Miss second, you will
miss the first of those games. But then there's two
days off. The Mavericks have two full off days in Sacramento,
and then the teams play again on Friday night. Now,
(09:55):
Sacramento has already won the first two meetings in Dallas,
and so the Kings only to win one of these
two games to clinch the head to head tiebreaker. But again,
there are so many interesting little intricacies when we look
at this race, and just just to hit you with
a few of them, because this this actually shocked me.
(10:17):
My sub stacking pal Tom Ziller came up with this one,
which I was not aware of. Only three teams in
the league this season have lost to Charlotte, Detroit and Washington. Charlotte,
Detroit and Washington. Only three teams have lost at least
once two those three teams at the bottom of the.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Standings are these are these good teams.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Only one of them is Portland Brooklyn. And sorry, sorry,
I didn't know you. I did not want to do
trivia time.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Yeah, I did want to do trivia, but I might
have got I might have gotten sacer Midal because you
said Zilla.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yeah, yeah, probably that's that just happened. But like, if
Sacramento doesn't get the sixth seed, they're really going to
point to those losses to the Hornets, Pistons, and Wizards
at what probably cost them. And now when you go
to Tankathon and you look at remaining strength of schedule, Phoenix,
(11:21):
with twelve games to go, has the second hardest remaining
schedule in the league in terms of opponent winning percentage
five seventy four. Sacramento is third thirteen games left for
the Kings a five sixty two opponent winning percentage. Dallas
is all the way at number twenty two. The Mavericks
remaining schedule. In their final twelve games, the opponent winning
(11:44):
percentage is four to seventy seven and Dallas needs a
nine to three finish to get to fifty wins. So
it's funny that you were talking about the Pelicans before
because I had basically, you know, the Pelicans have been
so good since February, first of the best teams in
the league, with Zion Williamson playing as well as he
(12:05):
ever has and most importantly just playing just being out there.
Zion Williamson, as we're recording this, has played in fifty
eight games. His career high is sixty one, so he
is on pace to set a career high in games play.
People will obviously point to the fact that his rebounding
(12:26):
numbers are still sub part. Zion is only pulling down
five point eight rebounds per game, that is a career low,
but the balls in his hands more. He's up to
five assists a game. Scoring's a little bit down. His
minutes are a little bit down. He's only playing thirty
one minutes a game compared to thirty three minutes the
(12:47):
previous two seasons, and there was a season in there
that he lost completely to injury. But they've cut his
minutes down just a little bit, and they're getting the
most all around productive play that the Pelicans have ever
had for Zion Williamson, and he's headed for a career
high in games played and his first playoff appearance. But
I had the Pelicans, I basically had just considered them.
(13:10):
They were going for fourth in the West to try
to bump the Clippers down. And now with this brandon
Ingram injury, that could drag the Pelicans back down with
the MAVs and the Kings and the Suns in the
six to eight race, because the Mavericks, as of the
Friday standings were only a game and a half behind
(13:32):
New Orleans. I mean, this is what I'm talking about.
This is again, It's not the kind of March madness
that leads to office pools all over the country and
commercials on your TV all day long. But every night
in the NBA you have to dial into the standings
because weird stuff is happening and things are changing.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
A couple of weeks ago, Stein, you know, talking about
the Sacramento Kings. I don't have the numbers on me
at hand right now, but you know they struggle against
lower level opponents, and they exceed against the high level opponents.
So my brother, who Mark Kings, who covers the Kings
for the Sacramento Observer newspaper, he asks, Dearon Fox a
(14:15):
couple of weeks ago, does it concern you guys that
you guys don't seem to play with the ferber needed
and energy level needed to beat these lower level opponents,
but then you guys rise to theication against high echelon teams.
And Fox said, yeah, there is a concern. You know,
(14:36):
we definitely need to take our opponents seriously. But uh,
you know, on the other end, you know, we're playing
good against high level teams. So if we get in
the playoffs, I guess we'll be playing good because all
the days of the playoffs. So Kings just want to
get into the playoffs. They feel like they would be
(14:57):
in a good shot. They just got to get past
the the Washington's and the Toronto's and the Charlottees. Once
they get past that, they feel like they'll be in
good shape when they have to face Denver and OKC
in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Well, I'm not sure that I can echo that pretty
optimistic view from the Yaron Fox, but look, he is
correct what you cited about your brothers reporting and just
the Kings in general. Look, it is true there are
only eight teams in the league with winning records against
five hundred or better opposition, and the Kings are one
(15:34):
of those eight teams. The Kings are twenty two and
twenty one against five hundred or better opposition, And again
that's true, there are only eight such teams. Sacramento can
feel good about being one of those eight. But like
I said, if they end up seventh or eighth or
just and look, if they end up seventh or eighth,
they're gonna have to go through the playing round, and
(15:55):
that playing round is brutal. They're really going to rue
the fact that they dropped games to the Charlotte Hornets
and the Detroit Pistons and on Wednesday night in Washington
to the Wizards, like you just you know, those are
particularly damaging losses. And no bracket here but scoreboard watching,
(16:19):
and I feel like I click on the NBA standings
like ten times a day looking for hints, clues, trends
that might tell us what's going to happen next, because
I mean, this is another crazy stat. The Chicago Bulls
thirty four and thirty five before they lost Thursday night
(16:40):
to Houston, so that loss dropped the Bulls to thirty
four and thirty six. But Chicago is now flirting with
getting over five hundred if the Bulls can finish eight
and four, which is probably optimistic given their injury woes.
(17:01):
No Zach Lavine, no Patrick Williams, obviously no Lonzo Ball,
although this week our guy Casey Johnson and Chicago reported
that there's some kind of the first rumblings of positivity
about Lonzo coming back next season, which I think, obviously
people would love to see. But if let's just say
the Bulls can muster an eight and four finish, if
(17:22):
they do, that will give the NBA nineteen teams with
a winning record this season. That would be a single
season record. There has never been more than nineteen teams
in the NBA with a winning record in one season.
I mean, even with eighteen, that would tie the records.
I mean not just think about that that it's a
thirty team league and there's a chance that nineteen of
(17:45):
the thirty teams are going to post a winning record
this season. It just kind of also shows you what
the bottom of the league the Charlottes, the Detroits, the Washingtons,
the San Antonios have just been so bad and have
struggled so much. You got through Portland in there as well.
Whereas in Memphis, I think Memphis, which has had this
(18:05):
hollacious string of injuries, obviously John Morant only playing in
nine games, the Grizzlies play super hard and are a
tougher out, But these the bottom five have just been
such bottom feeders that it's certainly contributed to the possibility
that night. I can't believe nineteen teams in the league
the winning record, it's probably gonna end up eighteen. I
(18:26):
don't think Chicago really has an eight and four finish
in them, but let's see, let's see if they can
surprise us.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I have a question for you regarding that. So the
eighteen and nineteen, whatever number it is, do you think
the play in format has anything to do with that?
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Well, I think yeah. I mean, I guess you would
have to say more teams are trying. You know, teams
that are in range of the tenth seed certainly have
more incentive to play all the way through the eighty
two game finish line. And that's one of the things
that the league definitely prioritized and why the league loves
(19:07):
the playing tournament because you know, the NBA loves to
put out lines that say, so, what is it now?
Eleven teams in the West, and this is actually, you
know what, it's actually low for this season. Normally at
this point in the season, you know, the league would
love to say there are still twenty four or twenty
(19:27):
five teams who are still alive, and it really is
only there are only twenty one teams available for the
twenty postseason spots. In the West, you know, again, Utah
has you know, they are not trying to win games
right now, Memphis, Portland, San Antonio, they're already out of it.
So in the West, Houston has made this unexpected surge
(19:50):
that they're still in the play in mix. But in
the East, you know, we know our ten teams. Mathematically,
you could say Brooklyn is still in the race for
the number ten seed, but the Nets were four and
a half games behind number ten Atlanta entering Friday's play
and the Nets have been trending in the wrong direction
(20:10):
since December. So again, mathematically, the Nets are still in
the race for a top ten spot. But I really
think in the East, our top ten is decided, and
again in the West, I think most people thought that
the top ten was decided until the Rockets kind of
went on this late surge, and I have to say,
(20:31):
like Coach of the Year, I don't think emy Udoka
is gonna win, but to have Houston this competitive this
late in the season, he should at least be mentioned.
You know, Coach of the Year I think is probably
I would say Orlando's Jamal Moseley, Oklahoma City's Mark Dagnault,
(20:54):
and Minnesota's Chris Finch. I think they're probably at the top,
But I would say Willie Green in New Orleans, Emi Udoka,
and Houston JB. Bickerstaff in Cleveland. I think these guys
deserve shout outs too. And then you know Joe Missoula
kind of like Jason Tatum's MVP case. The Celtics are
(21:16):
so good that in a weird way, that's probably gonna
work against Joe Miszoula in the Coach of the Year chase.
When it comes to Coach of the Year, we typically
see teams that overachieve in surprise and win more than
they were supposed to. It's it's rarely given to a
team with the runaway best record. But I guess we'll see.
(21:39):
I guess we'll see how it plays out.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
All right. So I'm glad you brought that up. I
agree with what you said just now, and it reminds
me of a conundrum that I've been thinking about contemplating
over the last couple of days. So this new award
has been around for last few years, the Clutch Player
of the Year award. Right, So, just like all other awards,
(22:08):
different writers or different coaches or who's ever voting, they
have different requirements, They're looking at different things, they evaluate
the game differently, they're looking at different metrics, so to
each his own. But with this clutch award, right, so
you got leaders, you have players who are the leaders
in clutch points. I believe Steph is number one. I
(22:31):
want to say DeMar Derozi number two, Damian Lillard maybe three.
But my question to you Stein, obviously there's value in
having the most clutch points, but are you really clutch
if your team doesn't make the playoffs, Because the way
(22:54):
I'm looking at it, I would look at it. Yeah,
clutch points definitely you have to have. You have to
be top five clutch points. But then I'm looking at
your team as well, and so how how do you
think most people are how do you evaluate that role?
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Stan normally, as you know, I like to think that
I've got an answer for anything you're gonna ask me.
But it's interesting, I have not officially voted since twenty seventeen.
The Clutch Award did not exist when I did it,
So I have to confess I haven't given huge thought
to the Clutch Player of the Year, which is now
heading into year two, I believe because I never had
(23:34):
to do it before, and so I didn't, you know,
and then last season, I just remember Dearon Fox was
a runaway candidate in that award, Like it was just
so obvious. Fox's clutch numbers were jump off the page,
and so it was so obvious that he was gonna win.
But there has been a lot of Derozen talk in
the Clutch Player of the Year conversation. And you know,
(23:57):
your point is obviously valid because the Bulls, whether or
not they can get to forty two and forty at best,
they're going to be a playing team, so they might
not even make the playoffs. And then yeah, there's your
you know, there's your conundrum. Should DeMar DeRozan be the
Clutch Player of the Year if the Bulls don't even
(24:18):
make the playoffs and ballots have to be turned in
April fifteenth this year is not only National Tax Day,
April fifteenth is also the day that voters have to
turn their ballots in the day after the regular season,
so the ballots for all the regular season awards will
be turned in before the play and round takes place,
(24:39):
so we won't even know if the Bulls are a
playoff team. I tend to think DeRozan is going to
win it. There's just been I just keep hearing his
name for this award more and more. But I don't
know that I have a great answer on this one.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, that's that's one that I'm stuck with. And I
haven't voted in the last few years, but I will
vote this year.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
You will, so one there will be There will be
one official end of season awards ballot cast by the
cast of this league uncut.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yes, I'll represent both of us. I haven't did much
digging on numbers in stats and metrics yet, but I'm
just trying to figure out for this award, should winning
be a high priority or not because you can score
a ton of points in the clutch and your team
(25:34):
still loses. You know, you can score a lot of
points from the five minute mark to the two minute mark,
but the last two minutes or the last one minute
you go over.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Well. Look, I think winning and success should and has
to be a priority. If we're talking about clutchness, can't
we make the case that the Bulls have been shorthanded
all year long, no Lonzo ball at all, barely any
Zach Levine, and so DeMar de Rosen has had to
carry a huge load without the two guys that were
(26:11):
supposed to start next to him in the backcourt. And
I would say he's been clutch enough to deserve it,
even though the Bulls are again just a thirty four
and thirty six team.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Okay, I'm not disqualifying Jamar. I'm not. I'm trying to
for the first time having to vote and evaluate this
award process, Like I'm trying to figure out, like what
do I really value or what should be valued when
it comes to this award. So, using your example, you're saying, hey,
Jamar is doing a hell of a job with the
(26:46):
team that he has available because a lot of their
big guns haven't been able to suit up. Okay, now,
take a player who's averaging thirty five for the season,
is clearly probably the best player in the league, but
his team hasn't shown up. He had key players injured,
(27:08):
But you can make a case that he's the MVP
because he's the best player. So I don't I don't
know that that Like, I don't know that I buy
credence to that argument stint of a person that is
doing you. You play with what you have, You play
with what you have. I don't know that I'm evaluating
based off of who's not in the lineup. You play
with what you have and the results speak. So again,
(27:32):
I'm not disqualifying tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out, Okay,
how do I evaluate this award? How do I evaluate,
like what really matters?
Speaker 1 (27:45):
I'm glad that you voting and not me.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
I'm trying, you know, I want to you know, I
want to do my due diligence, that's all. This is
just a tough one because if you you know, you
could be clutched on again said you can be clutched,
but your team is not in the playoff picture. I'm like,
were you clutch enough, Like I don't know, I'm just
thinking out loud. Just think it out loud.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Look, clutch is a hard one. And again I'm fully
admitting here that I haven't studied it super closely or
formulated what my philosophy would be on it because I've
never had to do it. Whereas MVP, even though I
have not voted, this will be the seventh year in
a row that I haven't officially voted. But I do
(28:29):
have a better idea when it comes to what I
consider the six traditional individual awards that I've always voted
on MVP Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year,
Defensive Player of the Year, most Improved Player of the Year,
and six Man of the Year. So I'm much better
(28:51):
versed in those six and I'm gonna let you figure
out Clutch Player of the Year. You you can come
up with formula, you can come up with you.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
This league uncut formula, unclutch Player of the Year MVP.
Now I did earlier this week, I did a whole
tvessay for Bally Sports Southwest on the MVP race. I
really feel as we've now moved inside a month to
GOO basically, as of Monday, there were four full weeks
(29:25):
left in the regular season, so we're almost down now
to three full weeks left in the regular season. My
feeling at this point, I think only three guys can
win MVP. I think Jokers in the lead. SGA is
his closest pursuer, and if the Thunder end up with
(29:46):
the number one seed in the West, that is certainly
going to help SGA's case and maybe sway some votes
away from the Joker. And then I think Luca is
the only other candidate who could get in there and
real realistically, even though the Mavericks had a slew of
injuries for the first part of the season before the
(30:06):
trade deadline, before they changed their roster. And you know,
this speaks to some of what you were talking about
with the Clutch Player of the Year award. You know,
should Luca be punished for that that he was playing
with such a severely understrength roster around him, because Lucas
gonna win his first scoring title. But typically, you know,
(30:27):
I hear a lot of talk the question gets posed
often in Dallas. What seed do the Mavericks have to
be for Luca to win the MVP Award? And I
have to say, in my experience, at least voters my age,
or what I would consider my generation, I never really
heard voters focusing on the seeding, whether a team was fourth, fifth, sixth, seven, third.
(30:51):
The bar always was fifty wins. Does a player have
fifty wins to be in the MVP conversation? And Dallas,
as I mentioned before, the Mavericks would need a nine
to three finish to get to fifty wins. But there
are then the two very recent examples that people cite
of MVPs who were not on teams that won fifty.
(31:12):
One of the Jokers two MVPs, they didn't win fifty.
I'm pretty sure that was the year though he had
to play a lot without Jamal Murray. And then Russell
Westbrook is the even more prominent example because Westbrook won
MVP on a forty seven win Thunder team the year
after Kevin Durant left, and of course, Russell Westbrook averaged
(31:36):
a triple double. He was the first player to average
a triple double going all the way back to the
Big O Oscar Robertson, and with forty seven wins and
a triple double average, that was enough for Westbrook to
get through and win the MVP.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
So I think for the most part time for me,
I would speak for me, and I think a lot
of voters feel this way. That you know, winning is big,
winning is its significant. That's why most should I say
most Without knowing the numbers, I would say a lot
of MVPs have come from teams who hold the number
(32:13):
one seed in either conference whatever. So with that being said,
winning is important. But there have been seasons where as
you mentioned, the Joker won with a team that was
in the high forties and wins Russell Westbrook his year.
But I think those years right. Whenever an MVP comes
(32:34):
from a team that's in the forties in the win category, typically,
to me, that means that there just wasn't a clear
cut another MVP candidate out there, Like it was open.
It's wide open, just like this one. I think it's
pretty open. Yeah, I think the favorite right now is
(32:58):
the Joker, but there's room. Like we see scenarios if
this played out, if this played if this situation played
out this way, if this other situation over in the
East plays out that way, then we can see this
player leap fraud the Joker hypothetically, right, so we see
scenarios of which where things can happen, you know, But
(33:23):
a lot of times when again, when you see players
that win from the team from the mid forties and
in the victory category, a lot of times there's just
not a clear cut MVP opponent out there prospect, I
should say, so, I think that's the case. But this year, yes,
I think the Joker is his to lose. There's still
(33:44):
time for him to lose it. I don't know if
he's going to lose it though, And Luca, I don't know.
Stein I would like to give Tatum, show Tatum some
love over there, what they're doing with Boston. You know,
I know he's not probably in people's most people's top three.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Yeah, how mad is he?
Speaker 2 (34:06):
I wouldn't say he's mad. He he he gave credit
to the Joker. He he actually called him out, unprompted,
called out the Joker, said what he's doing, he's having
an unbelievable year. You can't dismiss him. He called out
SGA as well. So his problem is just like with
(34:27):
a lot of other players, it's that like he wants
to know, how are you judging? He said, because for
a long time the trend has been the MVP is
mostly coming from the team with the best record, and
he was like, and then something changed, He said, so
what is it now? You know? So, and that's hard, Like,
(34:47):
that's hard to answer because each voter has their own
different set of requirements that it takes to get their vote.
So you know that that's that's what he's frustrated about.
But he gave credit and he acknowledged those two in particular.
He definitely believes he should be in a conversation though.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
All Right, I've got to do a little bit of
clarifying here because I made the mistake of trusting my memory, which,
as you know and as listeners of the show, no,
probably never a good idea at this point because my
memory continues to fade by the day. So it was
actually the second of Jokic's MVPs in the twenty one
(35:27):
to twenty two season that the Nuggets only won forty
eight games and Jokic won the MVP. Yokic beat out
Joe l Embiid in the twenty twenty one to twenty
two MVP race, and the Nuggets did not have fifty wins.
They were only a six seed, So why did Yokic
(35:48):
win MVP that year. It wasn't just because he averaged
twenty seven and fourteen and eight. The Nuggets played the
twenty one to twenty two season without Jamal Murray at all.
Murray missed that entire season, and also they were largely
without Michael Porter Junior. So that's why again the two
(36:10):
times it's only happened twice since the early eighties. Before
Westbrook in twenty seventeen and before the second of Jokic's
two MVPs, you had to go all the way back
to the early eighties for an MVP who did not
play on a fifty win team, and that was Moses
(36:31):
Malone in Houston early nineteen eighties. After that, every MVP
to Tatum's point came from a fifty win team. The
two exceptions in that forty ish year span. The two
exceptions Russell Westbrook on a forty seven win Thunder team
averaging a triple double for the season, the first triple
(36:54):
double since Oscar Robertson, and then Nikola Jokic on a
forty eight win Denver team. Okay, fine, they were seeded
sixth if you want to focus on seedings, but they
won forty eight games, playing the entire season without Jamal
Murray his main sidekick. So that's why Russ and Jokic
(37:15):
won those MVPs. And look, I feel sympathy for Tatum
because he's had a great season, He's had a great
leadership season. And I'm sure this isn't fair. I said
similar stuff when we were talking Coach of the Year
about Joe Mizzoula. But the Celtics have been so good that,
just as an observer, I think it's going to work
(37:36):
against Tatum in MVP voting because when you look at
Tatum's team, not only does he have an All Star
next to him and Jalen Brown, you've got Porzingis and
Drew Holliday, former All Stars that are flip flopping between
third and fourth best player in the league. Derek White
as your fifth best player is he's an incredibly valuable
(37:57):
player as your fifth best guy. And so I think,
both for Tatum and MVP discussion and Missoula in Coach
of the Year discussion, Boston has such quality in its
top five to six guys and we haven't even gotten
to Al Horford as the sixth man. Old head. My
suspicion is. It's probably going to work against him.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Peyton Critch is pretty good too. Uh yeah, no, it
probably will. And I think he could largely understand that.
He just wants to like, Okay, what's the criteria? What
do you guys? How are you guys evaluate?
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Well, and look, he's asking the question that voters have
been asking for decades. There is no criteria. Yeah, you know,
you've seen the ballot, you get it. You know there
is no listed criteria. It is an eye of the beholder.
Every single voter can bring their own rules to it,
and so there are no rules, and it really does
(38:52):
change season to season, and every voter has their own criteria.
So that does complicate the process. And I do certainly
understand Jason Tatum's frustration.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
Did I tell you about my running with Pat Bev
a few days ago? Starn? No, you did not, So
do you remember recall because I did this, I think
we were doing this podcast then we might we might
have missed it. So when Pat Beab was with the Lakers,
(39:36):
when he had just signed with the Lakers, so I
was doing media day for NBA TV, and you know,
you get to when I'm doing media. When I'm doing
media day for NBA TV or TNT, they'll arrange for
players to come over and spend some time with me
and give me some interviews. So that year I got
Lebron to come over. I got a d and they
(39:58):
had just signed Pat Bev and I got Pat and
so there was a question that NBA TV needed me
to ask players about Lebron. So the question was I
had to ask each player who came over, what's your
fondest memory of Lebron James? No, no, no, no no.
The question was what is your best highlight moment by
(40:23):
Lebron James. So everybody had to come and say, hey,
it was the time he blocked equal dollars shot in
the finals, it was the posterized dunk over Jason Terror whatever.
So I asked everybody. Everybody's cooperating. Then I go to
Pat Bell. I asked Pat Bell, same question, was your
(40:44):
favorite highlight of Lebron James? And Pat Bev says the
block I had against him last year. So he talked,
he's talking about he knew what he knew what I
met with my question, but he goes, he flipped it.
Talk about the block he had against Lebron. That was
the best highlight you've seen of Lebron. So and this
(41:06):
is where I have to take some blame for this
because this is where me and Pat kind of got
into it. So I go Lebron. Lebron's the last player
I get on media day, and I told him what
Pat Bev said. But the way I said it, I
was like, Hey, Bron, I'm asking players this question and
(41:27):
everybody's saying this. And then I said, in this food,
Pat Bev is going to say, Hey, the highlight I
like the most is when I blocked him last year.
And so that went on. Lebron laughed. It was whatever,
it was right, funny moment, and I'll tell you why
I take some blame. I got too comfortable, That's what
(41:49):
it was. I just got too comfortable. Anyways, about three
weeks later, the Lakers come to Sacramento and they played
the Kings, and after the game, I forgot who won
or not. After the game, I'm going to the Lakers. I
was doing this. I was doing something. I believe it
was destroyed with the earn. So I didn't have time
(42:10):
to go in the Lakers locker room after the game,
and so I was like, dang, okay, it's late. I
know the Lakers are probably gone. Let me go in there.
So I go in the Lakers' locker room and Pat
Bead is only there. Nobody else is there. And so
I looked in there all right, seeing nobody was in there.
Then I took off. Pat bad was like, come call
(42:31):
me a food of my face. Come call me a
food of my face. And I'm like, what like, I'm
not thinking nothing, thinking nothing, nothing, But it didn't hit me.
I'm like, oh, oh okay. So I go in there right,
so it's me and Pat. So Pat was like, you
calling a grown man a fool. You call a grown
man of fool on TV? I said, Pat, you know
(42:52):
I didn't mean it like that. Pat, you know that's
not the way I intended it. No, man, you don't
call no grown man of fool. You know he talking
like Pat, I apologize. You took it like that, But
I didn't mean no disrespect. I got too comfortable, blah,
you know that's what Nah. Don't don't don't give me
that apology here. You know you said that on TV.
(43:12):
Apologize on TV? I said, Pat bro I'm into it here, man.
You can take my apology or not that's it, man,
I slipped up and got too comfortable. That's on me,
all right, all right, And so you know, walk we
go our separate ways. I leave, and so Pat ends
up talking about it on the on his podcast by
probably a month later, say yeah, I had to check
(43:34):
Chris Haynes and blah blah blah whatever. So it's funny whatever.
I even shared the clip. I even shared the clip.
So anyways, I say all that to say that was
what two years ago, year and a half ago, when
he was with the Lakers. So he's in Sacramento last
week and it's pre game and every all the players
are shooting shooting out on the court before the game.
(43:55):
Pat bears out there shooting for the Bucks Bucks Kings game.
And he gets done shooting and he walks by me.
I'm sitting down front road. He walks by me. You
ready to cut work for a fool? I'm like, what
you say? You're ready to cut work for a fool?
(44:17):
You know I got money over here, you know TNT
and I may pay you what you should be paid.
I got money over You're ready to cut work for
a fool? Okay, Well, if you're ready, you know where
to find me. He took off. Sam ain't been sitting
next to me at this time, Like Sam was that
passed Wayam offered me a job.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
You know, we made that offer to Draymond Green, which
you know last season I think I think clinched me
a podcast Executive of the year war. But we offered
that lopsided trade to Draymond Green come on our podcast
and will come on yours. And Draymond Green did join
us on this league uncut, but I don't think he
(45:04):
feels like he needs us. We haven't been invited to
fulfill our half of that trade. So basically we got
we got a Draymond Green appearance. We didn't have to
trade anything. Do we dare? Do we dare? Do you
want to? I mean, I don't even know if Pat
BEV would want me, but maybe he would want you
to come on his pod and then he comes on
(45:25):
our pod. Should we should we make that trade offer?
Speaker 2 (45:28):
Well, we were talking about dra Ma. I don't I
think it's safe to say. I don't think he's holding
us to the other end of that that deal. I
think I think his long gone is forgotten about, I think.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
Which makes it an even better trade for us.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
I think, Okay, I'll be in Milwaukee early next week.
I'll bring it up the PET. I know Pat does
his He has a co host he does his pod with,
and they usually when I see them, they usually do
their pod when together.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Yeah, I think you have to. I think I think
you have to be in person to be on his podcast.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think. So it's start.
You know, I only see you twice a year, if
that so, I don't know, if you know, that would
be hard for both of us to be there.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
Well, because let's not forget that you've been to Dallas
once this season. I saw you for about seven minutes total,
and then you were assigned to a second Mavericks game
and somehow you got switched off it.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
Maybe I'll see you in the playoffs hopefully. But we did.
We did get to spend time together at the All
Star weekend.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
That was cool. That was cool. That was cool. Yeah
we did.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
Yeah, Well that's a good question. Will we Will we
end up in the same place. I mean, you obviously
have no idea yet where you're going for the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (46:49):
You know, I have to be honest traveling for the playoffs,
I just don't know how much of that I'm really
doing my old age, but we'll see, we'll see what happens.
We'll see what the matchups are. Let's before we go, So,
as you mentioned, you have Lakers at Milwaukee and then Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
And then I have Tuesday and then the next day
I'm joining the NASAs on his podcast, Oh live the
next day that Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
But is it the analysis podcast podcast?
Speaker 2 (47:20):
That's all right, analysis. So I'm looking forward to Uh,
I'm looking forward to getting with my other cousin doing
our pod together.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Man. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Yeah, all right, So we will have
plenty to talk about next week when we do this again.
We're working on some special guests as well. Were we're
in talks. We're in talks with three prominent guests. I
don't want to spoil who they are, but hopefully at
(47:52):
least one will come to Fruition very very soon. That's
going to do it for this edition of this League. Uncut,
Stein and Haynes will be back with you again. We'll
be back together again very very soon. Until then, remember,
please leave us a five star review. Please remember to
rate and review the show. Follow us via Apple podcasts
(48:17):
or Spotify podcast wherever you get your pods, and thank
you everyone so much, and that'll do it for us.
See you next time. This League Uncut is an iHeartRadio
production Chris Hanes and Mark Stein
The NBA's version of March Madness, which really means the
night to night jockeying for playoff positioning in both the
West and the Eastern Conference. Plus a deep dive on
the intricacies of voting Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year,
and other year end award categories, and a Pat Bev
(00:29):
story as only Chris Haynes can tell it all. Coming
up next on the latest edition of This League Uncut.
(00:52):
Welcome to this league, to the rule of twenty four
hour NBA news, Chris Haynes, Cork Stein. It's some time
this leagueln Cut is underway. In on fire. This should
(01:13):
be a good one. Hey, everyone, welcome in to another
edition of This League Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes.
March Madness is fully underway. But I'm not sure that
either one of your co hosts on this trusty podcast
(01:38):
can bring too much insight to you. On the collegiate front,
I am an absolute NBA snob who once Cal State
Fullerton season is over, my college season is over. So
my college season ended March ninth. I do not fill
out a bracket. Chris Haynes, how is your bracket looking.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
There's nothing on it. I haven't filled out a bracket.
I don't think I ever have. I just, you know,
it's cool to see all the hoopla surrounding March Madness
and seeing all these contests and all that stuff, and
I like to hear about it. I like to hear
about how everybody's bracket is. But I've never participated in one.
I did want two years ago, a few years ago,
(02:25):
I wanted to start a trend with my wife. She
doesn't watch college basketball at all. I wanted to start
a trending with her and where we would you know,
have our bracket and the winner of the bracket would
would make the other do something that the other one
once done. But we never got that off the ground.
So but yeah, I mean it's fun for everybody else,
(02:45):
but I just never really got involved into it.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, we're kind of I probably should move on because
we're people love this time of year so much, and
I do not do not want to bring people down.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
We're we're being with a couple of grints.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
And so look when my school's in it. You know,
cal State Fullerton has made the NCAA Tournament four times
in school history, three times in the twenty first century.
Whenever we make it, the three times we've made it,
most recently, I was there and proud to be in attendance.
The first time we made it, I was just a
young kid, so still years away from actually attending cal
(03:22):
State Fullerton. But yeah, let's just politely say that neither
one of us is a college hoops expert. So let's
move on to the NBA's version of March Madness, which
certainly isn't known for capturing the nation's attention with the
(03:42):
same fervor. But for our jobs, this is a very
important time of year because what's really happening. There's the
jockeying for playoff seatings, which is a night to night
scoreboard watch that is very important. Last night, we're recording
this on Friday afternoon. Last night I was watching Utah
(04:04):
in Dallas to play the Mavericks and just a stunning
result the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a
back to back. But even so, you would have never
expected Sacramento to lose at Washington, but the Kings did,
and the Mavericks, with a win over the tanking Utah Jazz,
were able to move up and take the number six spot,
(04:25):
which is not just surprising, but look, it's only one night,
it's only one game for both teams, but leading into
next week in your neighborhood, in your backyard, the Mavericks
play the Kings in a huge two game baseball series.
Huge for the purposes of that race for number six.
In the West. The two kinds of March madness that
(04:47):
I'm really focused on. It's the jockeying for the seedings
like that, and then the MVP race. This is when
the MVP race really comes in to focus. We'll get
to the MVP stuff in a minute, but you know,
I know you're not even gonna be there. You're on
the road next week, so you are gonna miss I mean,
these are two huge games the way I look at it.
Really in the West, we're talking about three races. Really
(05:09):
in the West, you could even say maybe four, because
the Houston Rockets insane. Even after losing Alpa and Shngoon,
the Rockets have won seven in a row. Okay, some
of that is favorable schedule, but the Rockets have kind
of thrust themselves into the playing race when it was
thought that their season was over. So we got these
(05:30):
three races in the West, the race for the number
one seed thunder Nuggets, Timberwolves. Then there's this battle for
four or five with the Clippers and the Pelicans, and
the Pelicans had got within a half game I think,
or at least got within one game of the Clippers,
(05:50):
and now the Pelicans are dealing with the terrible news
that Brandon Ingram just went down with a hyper extended
knee and will be out for at least two weeks
before he's evaluated again.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Could have been worse THI yeah, for sure, that was Yeah,
that looked bad.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
It looked bad. So yeah, I mean, if it's only
a matter of weeks and if Ingram can indeed come back,
not to say he'll be back in two weeks, but
reevaluated in two weeks, certainly that was best case scenario
news for the Pelicans. Then we got this race from
six through ten and again if we want to extend
it even a little further, nine, ten, eleven, because Houston
(06:27):
is now decided that their season is not over and
even without Shnghu and the Rockets are still trying to
steak into the play in zone. If I had to
ask you, you know, who do you think gets the
sixth seed in the West, which is so important because
it keeps you out of the play in tournament. So
(06:47):
you got Dallas, Phoenix, and Sacramento. Those really are the
three teams in battle for six through eight. Then the
Lakers and the Warriors. It just doesn't look like they're
to be able to lift themselves out of the nine
to ten range. So you know, if you asked me
before last night, I would have said Sacramento. But that
(07:07):
was a bad loss for the Kings, who on top
of everything, the Kings have also lost Kevin Herder in
definitely to a separated shoulder.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It's tough. It's tough. I mean, you got the Mavericks
playing playing really well, the Pelicans with the brandon ingram
you whether how to ask going the effect the rest
of their season. Phoenix, you just I can't get a
firm grasp on if they're legit or not. They're good,
(07:36):
they're a threat, but you know, well they play it
consistent enough basketball. Who is last threats to get into
that sixth spot? I don't know. So if I had
to guess the Pelicans suffering that injury, Phoenix being kind
of hit and miss, the Kings, I will probably lean
(07:59):
towards saying I'll probably give the ads to Dallas. They're
playing really good basketball right now. I had Jason Kidd
on my Bleacher Report live stream.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
I was just gonna say, that's the reason, that's the
reason you're picking the Mavericks at six, because you on
your live stream.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
No, I'm looking at I'm looking at that stile, I'm
looking at the Pelicans. I'm looking at the Suns and
the Kings, and the Dallas Mavericks are playing better ball
than all three of those teams. So I think I
have to go there. I just don't have the comp Like,
I don't know camp Pelicans sustain what they've been doing.
Potentially possibly the Suns again, they you know, they've been
(08:37):
hit and miss. And the Kings right now, I don't
know what. I don't know what's going on. So I
think Dallas is probably the easiest bet right now. But
you know, I don't know for sure, but I like
the way they're playing. One thing about the Mavericks, man,
they're athletic. Now they got that aerial threat, you got
Kyrie and Lucas. Seems like they figured out a good
balance of how to attack angst each other. So they're
(09:02):
looking good right now. But yeah, I am. I am
kind of pissed at the fact that I won't be
able to be in attendance for the MAVs Kings Matt
Day next week.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
The schedule is bizarre that basically on Monday night, Dallas
and Sacramento are both playing, the Mavericks are in Utah,
and then Tuesday night, on the second night of a
back to back for both teams, the Kings will host
the Mavericks for the first time. I think you will
(09:35):
be in far away Milwaukee, your second home to cover
Lakers at Bucks on Tuesday night. Miss second, you will
miss the first of those games. But then there's two
days off. The Mavericks have two full off days in Sacramento,
and then the teams play again on Friday night. Now,
(09:55):
Sacramento has already won the first two meetings in Dallas,
and so the Kings only to win one of these
two games to clinch the head to head tiebreaker. But again,
there are so many interesting little intricacies when we look
at this race, and just just to hit you with
a few of them, because this this actually shocked me.
(10:17):
My sub stacking pal Tom Ziller came up with this one,
which I was not aware of. Only three teams in
the league this season have lost to Charlotte, Detroit and Washington. Charlotte,
Detroit and Washington. Only three teams have lost at least
once two those three teams at the bottom of the.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Standings are these are these good teams.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Only one of them is Portland Brooklyn. And sorry, sorry,
I didn't know you. I did not want to do
trivia time.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Yeah, I did want to do trivia, but I might
have got I might have gotten sacer Midal because you
said Zilla.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Yeah, yeah, probably that's that just happened. But like, if
Sacramento doesn't get the sixth seed, they're really going to
point to those losses to the Hornets, Pistons, and Wizards
at what probably cost them. And now when you go
to Tankathon and you look at remaining strength of schedule, Phoenix,
(11:21):
with twelve games to go, has the second hardest remaining
schedule in the league in terms of opponent winning percentage
five seventy four. Sacramento is third thirteen games left for
the Kings a five sixty two opponent winning percentage. Dallas
is all the way at number twenty two. The Mavericks
remaining schedule. In their final twelve games, the opponent winning
(11:44):
percentage is four to seventy seven and Dallas needs a
nine to three finish to get to fifty wins. So
it's funny that you were talking about the Pelicans before
because I had basically, you know, the Pelicans have been
so good since February, first of the best teams in
the league, with Zion Williamson playing as well as he
(12:05):
ever has and most importantly just playing just being out there.
Zion Williamson, as we're recording this, has played in fifty
eight games. His career high is sixty one, so he
is on pace to set a career high in games play.
People will obviously point to the fact that his rebounding
(12:26):
numbers are still sub part. Zion is only pulling down
five point eight rebounds per game, that is a career low,
but the balls in his hands more. He's up to
five assists a game. Scoring's a little bit down. His
minutes are a little bit down. He's only playing thirty
one minutes a game compared to thirty three minutes the
(12:47):
previous two seasons, and there was a season in there
that he lost completely to injury. But they've cut his
minutes down just a little bit, and they're getting the
most all around productive play that the Pelicans have ever
had for Zion Williamson, and he's headed for a career
high in games played and his first playoff appearance. But
I had the Pelicans, I basically had just considered them.
(13:10):
They were going for fourth in the West to try
to bump the Clippers down. And now with this brandon
Ingram injury, that could drag the Pelicans back down with
the MAVs and the Kings and the Suns in the
six to eight race, because the Mavericks, as of the
Friday standings were only a game and a half behind
(13:32):
New Orleans. I mean, this is what I'm talking about.
This is again, It's not the kind of March madness
that leads to office pools all over the country and
commercials on your TV all day long. But every night
in the NBA you have to dial into the standings
because weird stuff is happening and things are changing.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
A couple of weeks ago, Stein, you know, talking about
the Sacramento Kings. I don't have the numbers on me
at hand right now, but you know they struggle against
lower level opponents, and they exceed against the high level opponents.
So my brother, who Mark Kings, who covers the Kings
for the Sacramento Observer newspaper, he asks, Dearon Fox a
(14:15):
couple of weeks ago, does it concern you guys that
you guys don't seem to play with the ferber needed
and energy level needed to beat these lower level opponents,
but then you guys rise to theication against high echelon teams.
And Fox said, yeah, there is a concern. You know,
(14:36):
we definitely need to take our opponents seriously. But uh,
you know, on the other end, you know, we're playing
good against high level teams. So if we get in
the playoffs, I guess we'll be playing good because all
the days of the playoffs. So Kings just want to
get into the playoffs. They feel like they would be
(14:57):
in a good shot. They just got to get past
the the Washington's and the Toronto's and the Charlottees. Once
they get past that, they feel like they'll be in
good shape when they have to face Denver and OKC
in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Well, I'm not sure that I can echo that pretty
optimistic view from the Yaron Fox, but look, he is
correct what you cited about your brothers reporting and just
the Kings in general. Look, it is true there are
only eight teams in the league with winning records against
five hundred or better opposition, and the Kings are one
(15:34):
of those eight teams. The Kings are twenty two and
twenty one against five hundred or better opposition, And again
that's true, there are only eight such teams. Sacramento can
feel good about being one of those eight. But like
I said, if they end up seventh or eighth or
just and look, if they end up seventh or eighth,
they're gonna have to go through the playing round, and
(15:55):
that playing round is brutal. They're really going to rue
the fact that they dropped games to the Charlotte Hornets
and the Detroit Pistons and on Wednesday night in Washington
to the Wizards, like you just you know, those are
particularly damaging losses. And no bracket here but scoreboard watching,
(16:19):
and I feel like I click on the NBA standings
like ten times a day looking for hints, clues, trends
that might tell us what's going to happen next, because
I mean, this is another crazy stat. The Chicago Bulls
thirty four and thirty five before they lost Thursday night
(16:40):
to Houston, so that loss dropped the Bulls to thirty
four and thirty six. But Chicago is now flirting with
getting over five hundred if the Bulls can finish eight
and four, which is probably optimistic given their injury woes.
(17:01):
No Zach Lavine, no Patrick Williams, obviously no Lonzo Ball,
although this week our guy Casey Johnson and Chicago reported
that there's some kind of the first rumblings of positivity
about Lonzo coming back next season, which I think, obviously
people would love to see. But if let's just say
the Bulls can muster an eight and four finish, if
(17:22):
they do, that will give the NBA nineteen teams with
a winning record this season. That would be a single
season record. There has never been more than nineteen teams
in the NBA with a winning record in one season.
I mean, even with eighteen, that would tie the records.
I mean not just think about that that it's a
thirty team league and there's a chance that nineteen of
(17:45):
the thirty teams are going to post a winning record
this season. It just kind of also shows you what
the bottom of the league the Charlottes, the Detroits, the Washingtons,
the San Antonios have just been so bad and have
struggled so much. You got through Portland in there as well.
Whereas in Memphis, I think Memphis, which has had this
(18:05):
hollacious string of injuries, obviously John Morant only playing in
nine games, the Grizzlies play super hard and are a
tougher out, But these the bottom five have just been
such bottom feeders that it's certainly contributed to the possibility
that night. I can't believe nineteen teams in the league
the winning record, it's probably gonna end up eighteen. I
(18:26):
don't think Chicago really has an eight and four finish
in them, but let's see, let's see if they can
surprise us.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I have a question for you regarding that. So the
eighteen and nineteen, whatever number it is, do you think
the play in format has anything to do with that?
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Well, I think yeah. I mean, I guess you would
have to say more teams are trying. You know, teams
that are in range of the tenth seed certainly have
more incentive to play all the way through the eighty
two game finish line. And that's one of the things
that the league definitely prioritized and why the league loves
(19:07):
the playing tournament because you know, the NBA loves to
put out lines that say, so, what is it now?
Eleven teams in the West, and this is actually, you
know what, it's actually low for this season. Normally at
this point in the season, you know, the league would
love to say there are still twenty four or twenty
(19:27):
five teams who are still alive, and it really is
only there are only twenty one teams available for the
twenty postseason spots. In the West, you know, again, Utah
has you know, they are not trying to win games
right now, Memphis, Portland, San Antonio, they're already out of it.
So in the West, Houston has made this unexpected surge
(19:50):
that they're still in the play in mix. But in
the East, you know, we know our ten teams. Mathematically,
you could say Brooklyn is still in the race for
the number ten seed, but the Nets were four and
a half games behind number ten Atlanta entering Friday's play
and the Nets have been trending in the wrong direction
(20:10):
since December. So again, mathematically, the Nets are still in
the race for a top ten spot. But I really
think in the East, our top ten is decided, and
again in the West, I think most people thought that
the top ten was decided until the Rockets kind of
went on this late surge, and I have to say,
(20:31):
like Coach of the Year, I don't think emy Udoka
is gonna win, but to have Houston this competitive this
late in the season, he should at least be mentioned.
You know, Coach of the Year I think is probably
I would say Orlando's Jamal Moseley, Oklahoma City's Mark Dagnault,
(20:54):
and Minnesota's Chris Finch. I think they're probably at the top,
But I would say Willie Green in New Orleans, Emi Udoka,
and Houston JB. Bickerstaff in Cleveland. I think these guys
deserve shout outs too. And then you know Joe Missoula
kind of like Jason Tatum's MVP case. The Celtics are
(21:16):
so good that in a weird way, that's probably gonna
work against Joe Miszoula in the Coach of the Year chase.
When it comes to Coach of the Year, we typically
see teams that overachieve in surprise and win more than
they were supposed to. It's it's rarely given to a
team with the runaway best record. But I guess we'll see.
(21:39):
I guess we'll see how it plays out.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
All right. So I'm glad you brought that up. I
agree with what you said just now, and it reminds
me of a conundrum that I've been thinking about contemplating
over the last couple of days. So this new award
has been around for last few years, the Clutch Player
of the Year award. Right, So, just like all other awards,
(22:08):
different writers or different coaches or who's ever voting, they
have different requirements, They're looking at different things, they evaluate
the game differently, they're looking at different metrics, so to
each his own. But with this clutch award, right, so
you got leaders, you have players who are the leaders
in clutch points. I believe Steph is number one. I
(22:31):
want to say DeMar Derozi number two, Damian Lillard maybe three.
But my question to you Stein, obviously there's value in
having the most clutch points, but are you really clutch
if your team doesn't make the playoffs, Because the way
(22:54):
I'm looking at it, I would look at it. Yeah,
clutch points definitely you have to have. You have to
be top five clutch points. But then I'm looking at
your team as well, and so how how do you
think most people are how do you evaluate that role?
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Stan normally, as you know, I like to think that
I've got an answer for anything you're gonna ask me.
But it's interesting, I have not officially voted since twenty seventeen.
The Clutch Award did not exist when I did it,
So I have to confess I haven't given huge thought
to the Clutch Player of the Year, which is now
heading into year two, I believe because I never had
(23:34):
to do it before, and so I didn't, you know,
and then last season, I just remember Dearon Fox was
a runaway candidate in that award, Like it was just
so obvious. Fox's clutch numbers were jump off the page,
and so it was so obvious that he was gonna win.
But there has been a lot of Derozen talk in
the Clutch Player of the Year conversation. And you know,
(23:57):
your point is obviously valid because the Bulls, whether or
not they can get to forty two and forty at best,
they're going to be a playing team, so they might
not even make the playoffs. And then yeah, there's your
you know, there's your conundrum. Should DeMar DeRozan be the
Clutch Player of the Year if the Bulls don't even
(24:18):
make the playoffs and ballots have to be turned in
April fifteenth this year is not only National Tax Day,
April fifteenth is also the day that voters have to
turn their ballots in the day after the regular season,
so the ballots for all the regular season awards will
be turned in before the play and round takes place,
(24:39):
so we won't even know if the Bulls are a
playoff team. I tend to think DeRozan is going to
win it. There's just been I just keep hearing his
name for this award more and more. But I don't
know that I have a great answer on this one.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, that's that's one that I'm stuck with. And I
haven't voted in the last few years, but I will
vote this year.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
You will, so one there will be There will be
one official end of season awards ballot cast by the
cast of this league uncut.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yes, I'll represent both of us. I haven't did much
digging on numbers in stats and metrics yet, but I'm
just trying to figure out for this award, should winning
be a high priority or not because you can score
a ton of points in the clutch and your team
(25:34):
still loses. You know, you can score a lot of
points from the five minute mark to the two minute mark,
but the last two minutes or the last one minute
you go over.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Well. Look, I think winning and success should and has
to be a priority. If we're talking about clutchness, can't
we make the case that the Bulls have been shorthanded
all year long, no Lonzo ball at all, barely any
Zach Levine, and so DeMar de Rosen has had to
carry a huge load without the two guys that were
(26:11):
supposed to start next to him in the backcourt. And
I would say he's been clutch enough to deserve it,
even though the Bulls are again just a thirty four
and thirty six team.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Okay, I'm not disqualifying Jamar. I'm not. I'm trying to
for the first time having to vote and evaluate this
award process, Like I'm trying to figure out, like what
do I really value or what should be valued when
it comes to this award. So, using your example, you're saying, hey,
Jamar is doing a hell of a job with the
(26:46):
team that he has available because a lot of their
big guns haven't been able to suit up. Okay, now,
take a player who's averaging thirty five for the season,
is clearly probably the best player in the league, but
his team hasn't shown up. He had key players injured,
(27:08):
But you can make a case that he's the MVP
because he's the best player. So I don't I don't
know that that Like, I don't know that I buy
credence to that argument stint of a person that is
doing you. You play with what you have, You play
with what you have. I don't know that I'm evaluating
based off of who's not in the lineup. You play
with what you have and the results speak. So again,
(27:32):
I'm not disqualifying tomorrow. I'm trying to figure out, Okay,
how do I evaluate this award? How do I evaluate,
like what really matters?
Speaker 1 (27:45):
I'm glad that you voting and not me.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
I'm trying, you know, I want to you know, I
want to do my due diligence, that's all. This is
just a tough one because if you you know, you
could be clutched on again said you can be clutched,
but your team is not in the playoff picture. I'm like,
were you clutch enough, Like I don't know, I'm just
thinking out loud. Just think it out loud.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Look, clutch is a hard one. And again I'm fully
admitting here that I haven't studied it super closely or
formulated what my philosophy would be on it because I've
never had to do it. Whereas MVP, even though I
have not voted, this will be the seventh year in
a row that I haven't officially voted. But I do
(28:29):
have a better idea when it comes to what I
consider the six traditional individual awards that I've always voted
on MVP Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year,
Defensive Player of the Year, most Improved Player of the Year,
and six Man of the Year. So I'm much better
(28:51):
versed in those six and I'm gonna let you figure
out Clutch Player of the Year. You you can come
up with formula, you can come up with you.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
This league uncut formula, unclutch Player of the Year MVP.
Now I did earlier this week, I did a whole
tvessay for Bally Sports Southwest on the MVP race. I
really feel as we've now moved inside a month to
GOO basically, as of Monday, there were four full weeks
(29:25):
left in the regular season, so we're almost down now
to three full weeks left in the regular season. My
feeling at this point, I think only three guys can
win MVP. I think Jokers in the lead. SGA is
his closest pursuer, and if the Thunder end up with
(29:46):
the number one seed in the West, that is certainly
going to help SGA's case and maybe sway some votes
away from the Joker. And then I think Luca is
the only other candidate who could get in there and
real realistically, even though the Mavericks had a slew of
injuries for the first part of the season before the
(30:06):
trade deadline, before they changed their roster. And you know,
this speaks to some of what you were talking about
with the Clutch Player of the Year award. You know,
should Luca be punished for that that he was playing
with such a severely understrength roster around him, because Lucas
gonna win his first scoring title. But typically, you know,
(30:27):
I hear a lot of talk the question gets posed
often in Dallas. What seed do the Mavericks have to
be for Luca to win the MVP Award? And I
have to say, in my experience, at least voters my age,
or what I would consider my generation, I never really
heard voters focusing on the seeding, whether a team was fourth, fifth, sixth, seven, third.
(30:51):
The bar always was fifty wins. Does a player have
fifty wins to be in the MVP conversation? And Dallas,
as I mentioned before, the Mavericks would need a nine
to three finish to get to fifty wins. But there
are then the two very recent examples that people cite
of MVPs who were not on teams that won fifty.
(31:12):
One of the Jokers two MVPs, they didn't win fifty.
I'm pretty sure that was the year though he had
to play a lot without Jamal Murray. And then Russell
Westbrook is the even more prominent example because Westbrook won
MVP on a forty seven win Thunder team the year
after Kevin Durant left, and of course, Russell Westbrook averaged
(31:36):
a triple double. He was the first player to average
a triple double going all the way back to the
Big O Oscar Robertson, and with forty seven wins and
a triple double average, that was enough for Westbrook to
get through and win the MVP.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
So I think for the most part time for me,
I would speak for me, and I think a lot
of voters feel this way. That you know, winning is big,
winning is its significant. That's why most should I say
most Without knowing the numbers, I would say a lot
of MVPs have come from teams who hold the number
(32:13):
one seed in either conference whatever. So with that being said,
winning is important. But there have been seasons where as
you mentioned, the Joker won with a team that was
in the high forties and wins Russell Westbrook his year.
But I think those years right. Whenever an MVP comes
(32:34):
from a team that's in the forties in the win category, typically,
to me, that means that there just wasn't a clear
cut another MVP candidate out there, Like it was open.
It's wide open, just like this one. I think it's
pretty open. Yeah, I think the favorite right now is
(32:58):
the Joker, but there's room. Like we see scenarios if
this played out, if this played if this situation played
out this way, if this other situation over in the
East plays out that way, then we can see this
player leap fraud the Joker hypothetically, right, so we see
scenarios of which where things can happen, you know, But
(33:23):
a lot of times when again, when you see players
that win from the team from the mid forties and
in the victory category, a lot of times there's just
not a clear cut MVP opponent out there prospect, I
should say, so, I think that's the case. But this year, yes,
I think the Joker is his to lose. There's still
(33:44):
time for him to lose it. I don't know if
he's going to lose it though, And Luca, I don't know.
Stein I would like to give Tatum, show Tatum some
love over there, what they're doing with Boston. You know,
I know he's not probably in people's most people's top three.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Yeah, how mad is he?
Speaker 2 (34:06):
I wouldn't say he's mad. He he he gave credit
to the Joker. He he actually called him out, unprompted,
called out the Joker, said what he's doing, he's having
an unbelievable year. You can't dismiss him. He called out
SGA as well. So his problem is just like with
(34:27):
a lot of other players, it's that like he wants
to know, how are you judging? He said, because for
a long time the trend has been the MVP is
mostly coming from the team with the best record, and
he was like, and then something changed, He said, so
what is it now? You know? So, and that's hard, Like,
(34:47):
that's hard to answer because each voter has their own
different set of requirements that it takes to get their vote.
So you know that that's that's what he's frustrated about.
But he gave credit and he acknowledged those two in particular.
He definitely believes he should be in a conversation though.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
All Right, I've got to do a little bit of
clarifying here because I made the mistake of trusting my memory, which,
as you know and as listeners of the show, no,
probably never a good idea at this point because my
memory continues to fade by the day. So it was
actually the second of Jokic's MVPs in the twenty one
(35:27):
to twenty two season that the Nuggets only won forty
eight games and Jokic won the MVP. Yokic beat out
Joe l Embiid in the twenty twenty one to twenty
two MVP race, and the Nuggets did not have fifty wins.
They were only a six seed, So why did Yokic
(35:48):
win MVP that year. It wasn't just because he averaged
twenty seven and fourteen and eight. The Nuggets played the
twenty one to twenty two season without Jamal Murray at all.
Murray missed that entire season, and also they were largely
without Michael Porter Junior. So that's why again the two
(36:10):
times it's only happened twice since the early eighties. Before
Westbrook in twenty seventeen and before the second of Jokic's
two MVPs, you had to go all the way back
to the early eighties for an MVP who did not
play on a fifty win team, and that was Moses
(36:31):
Malone in Houston early nineteen eighties. After that, every MVP
to Tatum's point came from a fifty win team. The
two exceptions in that forty ish year span. The two
exceptions Russell Westbrook on a forty seven win Thunder team
averaging a triple double for the season, the first triple
(36:54):
double since Oscar Robertson, and then Nikola Jokic on a
forty eight win Denver team. Okay, fine, they were seeded
sixth if you want to focus on seedings, but they
won forty eight games, playing the entire season without Jamal
Murray his main sidekick. So that's why Russ and Jokic
(37:15):
won those MVPs. And look, I feel sympathy for Tatum
because he's had a great season, He's had a great
leadership season. And I'm sure this isn't fair. I said
similar stuff when we were talking Coach of the Year
about Joe Mizzoula. But the Celtics have been so good that,
just as an observer, I think it's going to work
(37:36):
against Tatum in MVP voting because when you look at
Tatum's team, not only does he have an All Star
next to him and Jalen Brown, you've got Porzingis and
Drew Holliday, former All Stars that are flip flopping between
third and fourth best player in the league. Derek White
as your fifth best player is he's an incredibly valuable
(37:57):
player as your fifth best guy. And so I think,
both for Tatum and MVP discussion and Missoula in Coach
of the Year discussion, Boston has such quality in its
top five to six guys and we haven't even gotten
to Al Horford as the sixth man. Old head. My
suspicion is. It's probably going to work against him.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Peyton Critch is pretty good too. Uh yeah, no, it
probably will. And I think he could largely understand that.
He just wants to like, Okay, what's the criteria? What
do you guys? How are you guys evaluate?
Speaker 1 (38:31):
Well, and look, he's asking the question that voters have
been asking for decades. There is no criteria. Yeah, you know,
you've seen the ballot, you get it. You know there
is no listed criteria. It is an eye of the beholder.
Every single voter can bring their own rules to it,
and so there are no rules, and it really does
(38:52):
change season to season, and every voter has their own criteria.
So that does complicate the process. And I do certainly
understand Jason Tatum's frustration.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
Did I tell you about my running with Pat Bev
a few days ago? Starn? No, you did not, So
do you remember recall because I did this, I think
we were doing this podcast then we might we might
have missed it. So when Pat Beab was with the Lakers,
(39:36):
when he had just signed with the Lakers, so I
was doing media day for NBA TV, and you know,
you get to when I'm doing media. When I'm doing
media day for NBA TV or TNT, they'll arrange for
players to come over and spend some time with me
and give me some interviews. So that year I got
Lebron to come over. I got a d and they
(39:58):
had just signed Pat Bev and I got Pat and
so there was a question that NBA TV needed me
to ask players about Lebron. So the question was I
had to ask each player who came over, what's your
fondest memory of Lebron James? No, no, no, no no.
The question was what is your best highlight moment by
(40:23):
Lebron James. So everybody had to come and say, hey,
it was the time he blocked equal dollars shot in
the finals, it was the posterized dunk over Jason Terror whatever.
So I asked everybody. Everybody's cooperating. Then I go to
Pat Bell. I asked Pat Bell, same question, was your
(40:44):
favorite highlight of Lebron James? And Pat Bev says the
block I had against him last year. So he talked,
he's talking about he knew what he knew what I
met with my question, but he goes, he flipped it.
Talk about the block he had against Lebron. That was
the best highlight you've seen of Lebron. So and this
(41:06):
is where I have to take some blame for this
because this is where me and Pat kind of got
into it. So I go Lebron. Lebron's the last player
I get on media day, and I told him what
Pat Bev said. But the way I said it, I
was like, Hey, Bron, I'm asking players this question and
(41:27):
everybody's saying this. And then I said, in this food,
Pat Bev is going to say, Hey, the highlight I
like the most is when I blocked him last year.
And so that went on. Lebron laughed. It was whatever,
it was right, funny moment, and I'll tell you why
I take some blame. I got too comfortable, That's what
(41:49):
it was. I just got too comfortable. Anyways, about three
weeks later, the Lakers come to Sacramento and they played
the Kings, and after the game, I forgot who won
or not. After the game, I'm going to the Lakers. I
was doing this. I was doing something. I believe it
was destroyed with the earn. So I didn't have time
(42:10):
to go in the Lakers locker room after the game,
and so I was like, dang, okay, it's late. I
know the Lakers are probably gone. Let me go in there.
So I go in the Lakers' locker room and Pat
Bead is only there. Nobody else is there. And so
I looked in there all right, seeing nobody was in there.
Then I took off. Pat bad was like, come call
(42:31):
me a food of my face. Come call me a
food of my face. And I'm like, what like, I'm
not thinking nothing, thinking nothing, nothing, But it didn't hit me.
I'm like, oh, oh okay. So I go in there right,
so it's me and Pat. So Pat was like, you
calling a grown man a fool. You call a grown
man of fool on TV? I said, Pat, you know
(42:52):
I didn't mean it like that. Pat, you know that's
not the way I intended it. No, man, you don't
call no grown man of fool. You know he talking
like Pat, I apologize. You took it like that, But
I didn't mean no disrespect. I got too comfortable, blah,
you know that's what Nah. Don't don't don't give me
that apology here. You know you said that on TV.
(43:12):
Apologize on TV? I said, Pat bro I'm into it here, man.
You can take my apology or not that's it, man,
I slipped up and got too comfortable. That's on me,
all right, all right, And so you know, walk we
go our separate ways. I leave, and so Pat ends
up talking about it on the on his podcast by
probably a month later, say yeah, I had to check
(43:34):
Chris Haynes and blah blah blah whatever. So it's funny whatever.
I even shared the clip. I even shared the clip.
So anyways, I say all that to say that was
what two years ago, year and a half ago, when
he was with the Lakers. So he's in Sacramento last
week and it's pre game and every all the players
are shooting shooting out on the court before the game.
(43:55):
Pat bears out there shooting for the Bucks Bucks Kings game.
And he gets done shooting and he walks by me.
I'm sitting down front road. He walks by me. You
ready to cut work for a fool? I'm like, what
you say? You're ready to cut work for a fool?
(44:17):
You know I got money over here, you know TNT
and I may pay you what you should be paid.
I got money over You're ready to cut work for
a fool? Okay, Well, if you're ready, you know where
to find me. He took off. Sam ain't been sitting
next to me at this time, Like Sam was that
passed Wayam offered me a job.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
You know, we made that offer to Draymond Green, which
you know last season I think I think clinched me
a podcast Executive of the year war. But we offered
that lopsided trade to Draymond Green come on our podcast
and will come on yours. And Draymond Green did join
us on this league uncut, but I don't think he
(45:04):
feels like he needs us. We haven't been invited to
fulfill our half of that trade. So basically we got
we got a Draymond Green appearance. We didn't have to
trade anything. Do we dare? Do we dare? Do you
want to? I mean, I don't even know if Pat
BEV would want me, but maybe he would want you
to come on his pod and then he comes on
(45:25):
our pod. Should we should we make that trade offer?
Speaker 2 (45:28):
Well, we were talking about dra Ma. I don't I
think it's safe to say. I don't think he's holding
us to the other end of that that deal. I
think I think his long gone is forgotten about, I think.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
Which makes it an even better trade for us.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
I think, Okay, I'll be in Milwaukee early next week.
I'll bring it up the PET. I know Pat does
his He has a co host he does his pod with,
and they usually when I see them, they usually do
their pod when together.
Speaker 1 (46:01):
Yeah, I think you have to. I think I think
you have to be in person to be on his podcast.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think. So it's start.
You know, I only see you twice a year, if
that so, I don't know, if you know, that would
be hard for both of us to be there.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
Well, because let's not forget that you've been to Dallas
once this season. I saw you for about seven minutes total,
and then you were assigned to a second Mavericks game
and somehow you got switched off it.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
Maybe I'll see you in the playoffs hopefully. But we did.
We did get to spend time together at the All
Star weekend.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
That was cool. That was cool. That was cool. Yeah
we did.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
Yeah, Well that's a good question. Will we Will we
end up in the same place. I mean, you obviously
have no idea yet where you're going for the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (46:49):
You know, I have to be honest traveling for the playoffs,
I just don't know how much of that I'm really
doing my old age, but we'll see, we'll see what happens.
We'll see what the matchups are. Let's before we go, So,
as you mentioned, you have Lakers at Milwaukee and then Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
And then I have Tuesday and then the next day
I'm joining the NASAs on his podcast, Oh live the
next day that Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
But is it the analysis podcast podcast?
Speaker 2 (47:20):
That's all right, analysis. So I'm looking forward to Uh,
I'm looking forward to getting with my other cousin doing
our pod together.
Speaker 1 (47:30):
Man. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Yeah, all right, So we will have
plenty to talk about next week when we do this again.
We're working on some special guests as well. Were we're
in talks. We're in talks with three prominent guests. I
don't want to spoil who they are, but hopefully at
(47:52):
least one will come to Fruition very very soon. That's
going to do it for this edition of this League. Uncut,
Stein and Haynes will be back with you again. We'll
be back together again very very soon. Until then, remember,
please leave us a five star review. Please remember to
rate and review the show. Follow us via Apple podcasts
(48:17):
or Spotify podcast wherever you get your pods, and thank
you everyone so much, and that'll do it for us.
See you next time. This League Uncut is an iHeartRadio
production Chris Hanes and Mark Stein
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.