April 8, 2024 • 49 mins
This week on BULLY BALL, Rachel and Boogie are joined once again by the great Amin Elhassan for a big episode. Boogie gives an impassioned reaction to Coach Calipari leaving Kentucky for Arkansas and the trio debates if the Clippers are still a contender. Plus, the craziness that is the west seeding and what's wrong with the Bucks?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Welcome to Bullyball, presented by DraftKings. I am Rachel Nichols
as always, mister DeMarcus Cousins. His plant has been replaced
by some artwork. We're gonna have to discuss that in
(02:38):
a minute, but first we are also joined by I
mean Al Hassen and I mean something happened over the weekend.
We can't give the people the full story because we've
got to wait till it airs. But Boogie Cousins and
Paul Pierce faced off against each other during the final four.
It just gives us a little taste. You don't have
to tell us a whole story book, but but give
(02:59):
us a little taste of whether you or Paul came
out victorious and it was a.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Fish far so I think we're new, yeah, man, Poor Paul,
Poor Paul.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I just want you to know that we would be
breaking down to this comes out.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
One thing I love about Paul, you know, he talks
to ship. He may not always be able to back
it up, but he's gonna take it like a chance
regardless of the results. So he's a good sport. Thought
he was just saying he could beat the number one
pick in this year.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Is that's what I was saying. Wasn't he just saying
he could be that everyone picking? And didn't he also
say earlier this year that he could like beat someone
in a forty Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Think, I think, Yeah, I think.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Paul in that moment once the game started, all his
thoughts and comments came to him at that moment, and
like it was like a punch of reality kind of helping.
He kind of had this look of shock on his face,
but like they were of the day. Damn what I
get myself into. But he was a great sport about it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
That's I can't wait to see it. Very excited. Everyone
watch when it comes out. It's going to be good.
And yes, we will be going frame by frame, breaking
down table, just saying, all right, guys, much more seriously,
we got to get to your opinion. Boogie on John Calipari.
John Calipery finalizing a five year deal to become the
next head coach at Arkansas, salary being reported in the
(04:36):
eight million dollar range per year. Now in fifteen seasons
with UK Calipere was four to ten and one twenty
three seven Elite eights, four final fours, twenty twelve National Championship.
But of course, as we know, and we've talked about
on the show, lots of dissatisfaction around Lexington. He had
not reached the second round of the NCAA Attorney since
twenty nineteen. So, Boogie, I want to know when you
(04:58):
first just crossed your phone. I don't know if it
was last night, I don't know if it was this morning.
What was your reaction, your first, like thirty second reaction.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I was shocked. I was I was. I was shocked.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
And you know, I have a soft spot in my
heart for you know, Lexington, Kentucky. That was a place
I consider home at a certain part of my career.
You know, I've got great memories, great times, great relationships
still to this day in that place, and it's gonna
(05:29):
remain that way, you know what I mean. The same
goes with Kyle. Like I understand this business. I understand
the ups and downs of it. I see both sides.
I understand both sides. But uh, you know, I think
I think this it's good for both sides in a way.
(05:50):
I think This is a fresh start for Kyle and
it's also a fresh start for the University of Kentucky.
You know, it's been a lot up chatter and back
and forth about you know, what's the standard, what's what's
expected on the year to your basis, Well, I think
I think everybody's going to get a real, you know,
(06:11):
taste of reality moving forward. Like from this, I think
with cal he's now in a place where it's not
this pressure to bring in a championship every single season,
since you know that's the standard at U K. This
is now a place I think Arkansas, we all know,
(06:33):
we've seen this movie before with Kyle, like where he
goes becomes the hotspot. That's the reality of this. Yeah, Arkansas.
Everything about Arkansas is I put Cayl and Deon Sanders
in the same category. You know, Deon has the prime effect.
(06:54):
And we've seen what it's done for not just the program,
but the entire city of Colorado, uh fire, state of Colorado.
In the city that they're we've seen what is done.
It's the same thing with Caliberry, Like Arkansas will now
be the hot spot. Arkansas will now have the number
(07:15):
one recruiting classes coming in every single year, Arkansas will
be full of celebrities, Arkansas will have the most talent
coming in and now every single year the machine will
continue to go.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
It's just being a new place.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I think when it comes to you know, UK, we're
gonna have to go throughout our rebuilding process. I don't
think there's a right well, I actually do, and I'll
get to that point in a second. Outside of that
one specific thing, I think there isn't a right answer
as to you know, who will feel that spot. And yeah,
(07:50):
there's plenty of you know, popular names out there right now.
You know, you got you know, Daran Hurley and Yukon.
You kind of letting him go. Let's let's well.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
That was my question. Okay, So if if you were,
if you were the athletic director, who would you get
to replace John Caliperry, who's gettable?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Then Harley's not going. Jay Wright is living his best life. Yes,
he has to work even more money.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
He's not leaving.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
I saw something about Oats, the coach Oates from Alabama, Alabama,
Uh we go. I also saw something about Brad Stevens.
You're out your mind if you think he's leaving his position.
He's living his best life. And then I saw something
about Billy Donovan. Billy Donovan has been a part of
college basketball. He's now at the ultimate level when it
comes to the NBA. Uh, it's going to be hard
(08:37):
to convince any coach that has been to the ultimate
level to then take a step down to go to
the collegiate level. And it's not the collegiate level of oh,
this is a this is a brand new monster. So
now and most of these coaches that used to coach
in that old way, it was their way or the highway.
That's not what college basketball is anymore. So to think
(08:59):
that it's going to be a lying around the door
of coaches that want to, you know, not only coach
at this level, and it's ten times the amount of
work you now have to convince them that, yeah, you
have to meet this standard of being a championship team
every single year. Good luck finding a replacement for Cale
(09:20):
because it's gonna be very very hard. Yeah, and UK
will and what we experienced in those fifteen years of
KYL being it, we will never experience again. Now I'm
not saying we won't have championships down the line because
UK is UK.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
You know what, I mean, I think I think the
ad will.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
You know, go about it the right way, find the
right person to fit the culture, meet the standards, and
it's gonna be a process as long as they understand
it's going to be a process. And I think it's
going to be one of those processes to where you
get you end up finding talent, you build on them
for three or four years, and it's going to be
a team for the juniors and seniors like we continue
(10:00):
to see in this tournament, because that's what wins tournament games.
Experience and consistency, that's what wins in college So and yeah,
it's rare occasions where you get a young group that
can do it, but that's a rare thing.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
That's like hitting the lottery.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
But at the same time, we see time and time
again the consistency and the experience is what wins college tournaments.
So I do think, you know, Kentucky down the line
of finally get one of those teams and you know
we'll be back at the top, or in that moment,
be at the top, But to be the hot spot
or be what we've been as of lately or these
(10:36):
last fifteen it'll never be the same, even when it
comes to TV games, the revenue everything comes with. Kentucky
won't be on TV anymore. It's going to be hard
to get a kid to go to Kentucky if they're
not on TV. What kids are looking for in today's
time is what's hot, what's cool, what's relevant. I want
to be on TV every single night to show my talent.
(10:58):
Guess what team's going to be on TV every night?
The Arkansas Razorbacks.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Rachel. I think the thing to keep in mind is
you know and boogie. You could correct me if I'm wrong.
But sometimes people in places like Kentucky or UCLA is
a great example of how it could be because Ucla
is kind of going through it in terms of they start,
they think, oh it's here, it doesn't matter who's coaching,
They're always gonna come. But the reality is, in the
(11:24):
last fifteen years, these kids wanted to go play for Cal.
And it's not just because Cal is a nice guy
or a fun guy to be around. Is because Cal
went into every one of those living rooms and told
those kids, my number one priority is to see you
be as high a draft pick as possible. My number
two priority is championships, and he knew that if I
get the talent, we're gonna win games. We're gonna go
(11:46):
to final fours. We might win some championships. They ended
up winning one. But the reality is every year the
start of the year, we knew that Kentucky was gonna
be one of the top teams in the league. And
that was because of cow And like Boogie said, we
could look at the track record. He went to U
Mass What they do there? Final four? He went to Memphis?
What they do there? Championship game? And again, those aren't
(12:08):
hot spots. Those weren't blue bloods. Those were smaller schools.
He comes to Kentucky, he has a success there, He's
gonna go to Arkansas. Arkansas ain't Memphis, and it ain't
you Mass. That's a school with deep pockets, with boosters
that want to see winning. Jerry Jones, Tyson, Chicken family,
all them people, Walmart, they got money and they want
(12:29):
to see wins. And they'll give col whatever he needs.
He's gonna be happening.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
They'll they'll make the money.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
And they'll make the money back. They'll make the money back. Meanwhile, Kentucky,
we've seen what happened when they have a coach and
then they're trying to transition off afterward. So what happened
after Patino, after Tubby and the down years can happen.
And like I said, if you don't believe me, look
at UCLA, the greatest basketball dynasty ever. Look at what
(12:58):
happened to them in the in the down Look at
what's gonna happen in some of these other schools, Georgetown
in the down years, Yukon in the down years. It
happens to all of us. This is this. This game
is built around the people who play it and the
people who coach it, and the name of the team
has an impact, but it ain't. It ain't going to
(13:19):
erase what the first two things do.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Yes, yeah, it's fast than it ever has been been before.
And look, the game has changed so much. But you're right.
I mean the way men's college of basketball is with
guys in and out, especially the one done culture at Kentucky.
You know, I would not be surprised if we saw
Cal shift his approach a little bit at Arkansas. I
think that it might be definitely some of his you know,
freshmen coming in huge recruits. I don't think that's changing.
(13:43):
That's who Calipari is that's why they're on TV so much.
I think you might see a little bit more mixing
in of guys who are there for maybe two or
three years to kind of keep that unity and that
chemistry together when they go into the tournament. But you've
got a fan base that hasn't had a title in
thirty years. That is a very different fan base than
the fan base that's like, why haven't you want ed?
What have you done for Lee lately? How come it's
(14:05):
only been since twenty twelve. You are having a different
environment when you wake up in the morning and your
day to day. And frankly, I think cal was ready
for that because when I saw him sit up during
that press conference after he and the athletic director they
came out at the tweet, right, we've decided to bring
call back for another year. That was so uncomfortable. I
have never seen two people they did not want to
(14:25):
be in the same room more. And all I could
think about was, Okay, they've got a thirty three million
dollar payout if they get rid of him. So basically,
it's like staying married to someone because you guys can't
afford to split up, right, can't you will use the
house you like, can't afford a new apartment, so you're
gonna just have to live in the house together. And
there you go. Nobody wants to be like that, and
(14:46):
Cal is too accomplished a guy to live like that.
There's a little bit to me in this of like
I'm gonna break up with you before you break up
with me. I'm gonna be just fine. And you mentioned
the Chicken money, Chicken money man, Chicken money, Walmart money,
Jerry Jones money.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Those guys, they are going to be able to automatically.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Hey nil money as much as they want. They're going
to be paid for a deep staff book. I know
we were talking about the assistant coaches and how maybe
he could be beef up the assistant coaches on his
staff to kind of get some of the guys who
relate to players who are a little younger. Well, he
is a leader still of the ship, obviously. I'm very
curious to see what happens here. I will say, Faetteville
is not Lexington. Lexington is beautiful. Fetteille his all kinds
(15:25):
of strengths to it. But they are different cities. But
I do think, why are you laughing at me. I'm
trying to be nice.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I do think there is a right answer to UK,
like moving forward and making this process, like moving forward
with a good energy. I think I think the perfect
high for UK at this point would be Rajon right though.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Oh wow, we sat here last week, Bog he said,
I want to go into coaching. We sat with rajeon
last week. He said, I definitely want to go into coaching.
He said, the only reason I'm not doing it now
is that I need to get my daughter off to
her final year of high school volleyball. And then once
she's set and she's in college, I can go guess
(16:08):
what he can play and coach and the I mean sorry,
he can coach in the same place as o't her place.
He doesn't have to wait that year. She's right there,
He's right there. It's all good and by the way
I mean. He also said that he'd like Boog on
his staff, so I might be looking for a new
co host if that happens, we'll talk a little bit
more later.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Book.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
You don't you don't want to be babysitting these kids.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Man, you're gonna go man.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
You're gonna go crazy. Well, you like the way as
hard as you played, as passive as you were having
to deal with I'm like, today, I don't want to
do this today. I want to be a TikTok star
raw man man.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
At the top of my lungs, getting the goddamn again
farther that TikTok man. But I honestly think Razean would
be the perfect guy for this situation. And the reason
saying that is obviously he's a Kentucky kid. He played
that Kentucky, He's an alumni.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
He lives there right now.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
He lives there.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
He's already in town. He doesn't even have to move,
don't even have to pay moving expenses.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yes, but he understands both sides, like probably better than
anybody else ever will. And I think when it's this
is going to be a healing process for Kentucky, Like
it's going to be a lot of things moving forward.
And I think putting a run in that position, he's
going to be a great energy moving forward. He's great
at creating a standard, he's great at leading the ship.
(17:30):
I don't think he I don't think there's a better
leader to lead Kentucky out of this spot than a
Rajon Rondo.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
He has the intelligence.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
We don't even have to speak on the intelligence and
knowledge of basketball.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
That's want you want to know what my prediction is.
My prediction is they're not going to do that. They're
going to hire the wrong person. They're going to learn
the hard way that all this ain't as easy as
we thought it was, right, and then maybe they'll they'll
come around.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
But because don't want to be the rebound anyway, right,
So I don't know, we see me he doesn't want
to be the rebound. Maybe he wants to wait, I'm.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Not thinking about it in that type of a way.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I just think this is great for everybody moving forward,
not in the rebound type of way, but just putting
things in a positive way moving forward because at the
end of the day, I'm still I believe Blue like
I'm Kentucky to the death of it. So I always
want success for this, you know, university in school.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
So that's more so my thinking.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
And you know, how can we write this ship now
that we've moved on from this part, And I think
those was the perfect person to do it.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
All right, We're gonna call him after we're done taping
this and we'll pump him up a little bit, we'll
guess and we'll see what happens. So all right, let's
move on to the NBA, friends, because Paul George led
the Clippers to a huge comeback last night against the Calves.
He had thirty nine, eleven and seven, the clutch game winner.
LA is looking a little more healthy. They've now won
three straight. They're likely kind of locked into that four spot.
(18:52):
They would match up with the MAVs at five. We're
going to talk in a minute about how dangerous Dallas is,
but just foing focusing on the LA side right now.
Would you do you still think of the Clippers as
a contender the way we were sort of maybe in
the middle mid late of the season, or are you
sort of like I've seen enough to know that they
probably won't be there toward the end.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
I still think, you know, this is a team that
can definitely compete in the West. And obviously with every
team there's ups and downs. I feel like every team
in the West this year has had their ups and downs.
Probably outside of the top three, who've you know, dominated
most of the year. But uh, when it comes to
you know, the possible first round matchup if we going
(19:29):
to the playoffs, as of right now, and it's just
match up with the MAVs. I mean, we know the
fireworks that's coming with these squads. I mean there's so
much history between them, the love hate relationship between you know,
Kawhi pg Luca, and you know, now you add Kyrie
(19:50):
to that mix, it's it's going to be an electric,
you know, playoff series.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
So oh, it's gonna be amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Playoffs are always about matchups, So I think I think
these two teams meeting up first round, I mean, this
shit could really go either way. So but outside of that,
I do still think the Clippers are you know, contenders,
but the inconsistencies that they've had, you know, throughout the season,
(20:16):
we can't have that in the playoffs or they will.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Be a first round exit.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Yeah, I think so. First of all, first of all, yes,
they are absolutely contender. This team. The biggest thing is healthy.
Are they healthy? If they're healthy, then absolutely, yes, they
are contenders. There's no question about that. I think the
inconsistency and play biggie that you're talking about that happens
a lot with veteran teams that know, man, just get
(20:42):
me to the stuff that matters, right because They've been there,
They've done that, They've been on teams that won sixty
games and done all those things. They understand all right,
especially now this time of year. Just get me there.
They've been pretty locked in the fourth for a while,
so I can see a lack of motivation of going
on now trying to save for the playoffs. The other
(21:02):
thing is, Man, you cannot discount the impact of having
ty Lewis your head coaches.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
This guy is a.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
Master x's and oh's, master adjustment guy, and so he's
got a team where other than his three bigs of Zubats, Tye,
and plumb Lee, everybody else is switchable one through four.
They are switchable the whole time. So he's gonna have
all types of combinations that he can run out there.
(21:29):
I think if you're saying that the Clippers aren't a threat,
you're whoever says that they're out of their mind. The
one thing is looking like they played Dallas in the
first round, and you have to acknowledge Dallas since the
trade deadline has been a different team. They've been a
much better defensive team, and Kyrie and Luca have been
(21:50):
playing out of their mind together making each other better.
Making their teammates better. Tim Hardaway Junior or Bono five
six Man of the Year candidate, and Jason Kidd really
has this team on the page. And like Boogie said,
it ain't in a random matchup. These two teams haven't
seen each other in the playoffs before. There is a
history there, so you know it's going to be fireworks.
(22:11):
It's kind of ironic. I can call them both championship
contenders and also say one of them is going to
be going one of them could go home.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
In the first round. Look, Kyriees dropped forty eight points
right yesterday, wallfasting Luca, wallfasting Pharamada on not a small thing, seriously,
not a small thing. Luca dropped thirty seven points. They've
won nine of ten. It is impossible not to take
them seriously. In fact, I think they're the sleeper in
the West, the team you know obviously Nuggets aside, et cetera.
(22:39):
But they're they're the team that you don't want to
see from that half of the bracket. And I just
I don't know, man. I think that the Clippers still
have some trouble with teams with length. It is matchup dependent,
and if they end up facing a big team and
Dallas has some height. I mean, we got to see
where Derek Lively's health is. But I don't know. I
(22:59):
as stars studied as the Clippers team is. And I'm
with you on Tyler TYLERU you know, I think he's
the best excell no coach in the game right now.
The Mavericks, man, they just look like they have everything
right now to be a very very dangerous team. Who
do you think the Mavericks should be scared of? I mean,
is there anyone? I don't know if you even they
face Denver. I always think that Luca and Yokis just
(23:21):
raised each other's games. Those games are a battle. I
don't know if the if the Maverick should be scared
of anyone right now.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I don't think the MAVs are scared of anybody.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You have two matchup problems every single night in Kyrie
and Luca, and we all know the playoffs are based
on matchups like or mismatches. Going into a game with
these two guys who are walking thirty balls on a
nightly basis, I just I don't think.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
I don't think they are operating off of fear at all.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
So this is a scary team for any team that
meets up with them. And I mean when you think
about it, like when it comes to these top teams
in the West and you think about their point guards,
their two guards or three guards, the guys that will
be matching up against you know, Kyrie and Luca. It's
just like I can't see these guys having an assignment
like that for an entire playoff series and seeing them
be successful in that matchup.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
So this is tough for any team.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
I think the MAVs are, like I said, a matchup
probably from anybody in the West, and when they're on
their air game, they're dangerousing, very dangerousing.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
I mean, I want to ask you a little bit
more about Kyrie, because first of all, we talked to
you on the Pot a few weeks ago just about
how difficult it is to play during Ramadan, the limitations,
just not even being able to have water. I mean,
I don't think people understand what even when they read it,
just really what it means and what you're going through.
But I also want to take it out even wider.
You know, I just sat down with Kyrie for our
show Headliners at the beginning of the season, and I said,
(24:48):
what's the biggest thing you've learned through all of this, Right,
all of the tumult he had gone through in Brooklyn
and a dick and forth and all the other stuff,
And he said, I've learned not to touch the stove
when it's hot. And I thought that was a great
way to say, right. And I think Jason Kidd has
been really instrumental. Jason said to him, He's like, I
don't want you to tamp down who you are. He goes,
I'm looking for the creative Kyrie. I'm looking for Kyrie
the artist. I'm looking for the guy who thinks outside
(25:11):
the box. I just want you to know when it's
smart to weigh in and not weigh in, when it's
smart to put basketball first, so everyone can see who
you are. And I just want to give Kyrie credit
for that, because I don't think we can be as
critical as people were of him in Brooklyn for not
knowing how to do that and not recognize that he's
had personal growth and been able to do that. And
that doesn't mean that he's had to shut up or
(25:32):
change who he is. Kyrie is still Kyrie Irving. I mean,
you talked to him for five minutes. He is still Kyrie,
but he has been able to really kind of put
the part of him that is also Kyrie Irving, which
is this basketball genius to the four during the NBA season,
and I just think it's been great to watch he
and Luca clearly like each other. Kyrie said at one point,
(25:52):
just like I wish I had been drafted by the MAVs.
I just think that they would have sort of helped
me mature, quicker and taken care of me. I think
Jason Kidd hasn't really gotten enough credit, frankly, because Jason's
such a laid back guy. Everyone's just like, oh, Jason.
But I mean, obviously he has known what buttons to
push with this team. So I don't know. When you
look at Kyrie, and you've been critical of him in
the past, but when you look at his growth and
(26:13):
sort of what he's done this year, what do you think.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Well, I think a couple of things. First of all,
Jason Kidd laid back. He looks laid back. That man
ain't laid back that right now. But you first of
all have to give a lot of credit to Mark Cuban.
Nico Harris talking about.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
The waffle house at three in the morning. I'm talking
about you know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
Talking about in the basketball court, since he's not laid
back there either. He looks it, but he's very intense.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Right.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
You got to give a lot of credit to Mark Cuban,
Nico Harrison, and Michael Finley, because where Kyrie has been
the last three stops Cleveland, Boston, Brooklyn, he hasn't felt
the love and welcome from the organization. It's kind of
almost like, well, he's really good, so let's let him
do what he wants to do. But I don't do that.
(26:58):
There's a difference in doing that being nurturing, and I
think the Mavericks have obviously provided a nurturing environment. Jason
Kidd and his staff are part of that as well. Also,
there is exactly what you said, Rachel. Is one of
the things that blows my mind about people when they
watch either players or coaches or whoever. They think, if
I saw you do or be a certain person in
year two or year three or even year five, that's
(27:20):
who you are forever. You ain't never gonna change, And
that's just ridiculous. Everybody grows, everybody learns, every no one
is the same person they were five years before, and
I think Kyrie he said, I learned not touch the
stove when it's hot. How do you learn that by
touching the stove? He touched the stove when he was
in Brooklyn, and so some of that was unfair, some
(27:42):
of that was justified. But he grew from that experience.
He learned what is the most refined version of myself,
not changing myself, but refining myself to be sharper. And
he's done that and he's put basketball first, and ultimately
that part was always undeniable with him. So I think
it's a little bit of everything. But I want to
go back to the fasting part, because it's not just
(28:05):
you're not eating and not drinking during the day. It's
everyone when they hear that, they just think about it
in terms of one day. I woke up today, I
didn't have anything to eat, a drink, and then as
sundown I ate and drank, and then I went and
played an NBA game. Right. What people don't realize is
he played that game on day twenty seven of Ramadan,
So that's twenty seven straight days of doing this. There's
a cumulative effect that happens to your body when you're
(28:27):
going through this day after day after day. It's not
just a blip in the calendar. Oh didn't eat and
drink today, it's I've been doing this day after day
and for him to continue to not only have the
focus and the tenacity, but it feels like he's getting
better as the month goes on. There's only one other
athlete in the NBA I've seen to do that, and
that's Akima Ladrawn where he was getting better as a
(28:49):
month went on. He won Player of the Month when
it was in Ramadan back in nineteen ninety five. I
believe mind boggling Kyrie is on that same kind of
track in terms of he's almost making him better in
some ways in terms of his focus.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Well, and you're on day twenty seven of doing it
and you're podcasting with us, so you know, thank you.
I think that's basically the same thing as playing an
NBA game, right, the same.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
Physical They're all there, same physical effort. I got to
keep talking. I got to keep with this. I got
enough Venner record.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
There you go, Boom. I want to go to the
rest of the West though, down there, because if you
do have that LA Clippers, MAVs sort of four or
five spot, which is fascinating. Once you get to six
through ten, oh my lord, right, I mean, you've got
half a game here, half a game there. Everybody is
all bunched up. That could end up anywhere. But of
course the key is that first spot, the six spot.
The sixth spot keeps you out of the plan any
(29:40):
of the rest of the way down that those teams
jumble through. That's just going to be a bit of
a free for all and depends on who you face
on a given night. It's March madness, and everyone can
win one game, that sort of thing. So you want
to get to that number six. So right now as
we sit here recording this, and I feel like it
could change in the next five minutes, even though they're
not playing any games right now, Phoenix sits at number six.
You've got Nola there, You've got sacrim I know, you've
(30:00):
got the Lakers, You've got Golden State. Houston is now
out of it. So that is your group. Who do
you think, boogie, Who's going to end up at that
number six spot. Phoenix, remember, has the toughest schedule in
the entire NBA going forward, although they have managed it
already over the last week or two very well, and
I got to give them credit for that, but they
do still have more tough games to go. You've got
Nola Sack, Lakers, Golden State. Who's getting that number six
(30:22):
spot when it's all said and done.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
There's two teams that stick out for me, and that's
the Phoenix Signs who's currently in that position, and it's
the La Lakers. I think the Signs obviously have the
talent to do so. They have three of the probably
the most gifted offensive guys in our league right now
on one team. They've had an up and down year.
(30:44):
They haven't had the consistent year that they've you know,
probably planned for or won it. But you know, they've
had a pretty decent gear for the most part. They're
for sure a threat in the West.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Like just with the.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Talent constructed, like, they're for sure a threat. So you
can't ignore that. And then obviously with the Lakers, with
Lebron James and Anthony Davis, everybody knows this is one
of the most dangerous teams specifically at this time of
the year, Like for some reason, this is when they
decide to hit their switch.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
I haven't figured that.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
I don't think anybody's figured that part out yet while
they wait until you know, this late in the season
to start, you know, really being the team they can be.
But you know it works for them. But I can
for sure see them, you know, winning out the rest
of the season and easily sliding to that six spot.
They have the talent to do so, Like I said,
(31:39):
when those guys do decide to hit the switch and
Lebron and Anthony Davis, they're a totally different team and
they are for sure gonna be a threat also in
the West, which is crazy to say. So for me,
those two teams stand out in New Orleans. I think
they've had a great year. But you know, with b
(31:59):
I being out like that's that's a huge hit to
this team. So I can easily see them, you know,
not finishing out as strong as they would like to,
uh and be I being a big reason, you know
of that.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
And when it comes to the second, well.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Though, I'm gonna make you pick. So if you think
it's Lakers or Sons, who's getting the six Lakers or Sons, I.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Can't go Lakers or so.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Lakers or Sons, I'm gonna say.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
I'm going to say the Lakers are going to finish
out six, just because Phoenix has such a tough schedule
finishing out. So I'm gonna roll with the Lakers, and
I think it's a great chance they went out the
remainder of their games. So I'm gonna say the Lakers
are going to be at six.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
Okay, all right, man, there's no good answers for this.
Everybody not Nobody's got challenges. So I'm gonna try. I
try to make it as simple as possible, but it
ain't simple. So the Suns, first of all, we got
to look at that remaining schedule. That schedule is crazy.
The Clippers twice this week. They've got Sacramento who's playing
for something. They also have was it Minnesota who's also
(33:07):
playing for the number one seed? Right, So not only
are they playing four tough games, it's four tough games
against teams that have incentive to play hard. Right. Then
you got to look at the other part of this,
which is they lose the tiebreaker to the Lakers because
the Lakers won three out of the four games and
the Kings they're tied in terms of two games apiece
(33:31):
for the head to head. But you know what, the
second tie breaker is is your division record. The Kings
are ten and six in division right now, the Sons
are seven and nine, so they lose that tiebreaker. So
you got the two tierekers against you, and you got
one of the toughest schedules ahead of you. They've got
the talent to get it done. Let's make that clear.
And if they win out then this isn't a conversation.
(33:52):
But the problem is that tough schedule against teams that
are motivated. I'm with Boogie. I think the Lakers are
probably gonna end up six. They have a slightly easier path.
They've got some hard ones too. They got to play
Golden State, who are also I'm still tasting them for
that to get to at least nine.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
So I don't think it's slightly easier. I think it's
significantly easier that. Yes, they play Golden State, but they
play Golden State at home. Then they go look at that, hey, people,
they play Golden State at home. Then they go play Memphis,
not you know, a game that is locked and loaded
because they don't have their main guys, And then they
go to New Orleans and play in New Orleans. And
I do think that is going to be tough. But
(34:30):
I just I don't know. I look at Phoenix and
I am not down on Phoenix. I think Phoenix is
just an exceptionally loaded team right when you look at
their top heaviness and their front guys. But they have
shown that they cannot play in the fourth quarter and
be organized the way that we expected them to be.
The numbers aren't good. And it just happened again. It
just happened against the Pelicans on Sunday, right they had
(34:53):
the chance to win that game.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
That was a super Bowl for the Pelicans because the
Pelicans knew, even though they lost the season series, they know,
if we're gonna have any chance to get in this six,
we have to win this game for sure.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
And it shouldn't it be shouldn't shouldn't the Sons feel
the same way. I mean, come on, nobody should feel
Nobody at this point in the season, in the six
to ten clot should feel like, oh, that's fine, we
got this, We're good. The Sons need to have some
fourth quarter wins. They need to have some wins where
that fourth quarter it was right there, it came down
to the wire and they came out victorious and they
have not been able to consistently do it, and it
(35:26):
just happened again. So again I'm all in on the
Suns as a concept. I think it is okay to
have a team that's a little bit top heavy in
the way that they did. I think they did a
good job sort of putting some of those pieces around
in a better way that right after the Kevin Durant trade,
where obviously the cupboard was so bare. But I have
been very surprised with an excellent coach and Frank Vogel,
guys like Kevin Durant, guys like Devin Booker, Bradley Beal
(35:48):
that their fourth quarter numbers just they've been pretty shocking.
And again we just saw it happen again. So I
don't know that is the thing that gives me pause
about Phoenix. I do think the Lakers right now are
one with a bullet in terms of moving up that section,
and we'll have to see what happens. I mean, as
we sit here on Monday morning taping this pod, that
Tuesday game against the Warriors looks huge and it looks
(36:09):
exciting too, right doesn't it Shouldn't it be fun?
Speaker 4 (36:12):
Super Bowl? These are all super Bowls.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
There you go, all right, let's go to the East guys,
because the Bucks they fell at home to the Nicks
on Sunday. Doc Rivers record with the Bucks is not
what anybody expected. Let's just say that since he came,
they're fifteen and sixteen. Remember, of course, under Adrian Griffin
they were thirty and thirteen and he got fired. Milwaukee
is only ahead of Orlando by one game for the
(36:35):
number two spot in the East. They could drop down
to third. So I think it's been very interesting to
hear the rhetoric coming out of the Bucks the last
few days. You heard, first Pat Conaden say we're just
not having fun anymore. There's not really that joy. Then
you heard Doc Rivers after a game say, hey, one
of the officials came up to me and said, ah,
your team's so heavy, man, your team feels so heavy.
And then you and Jannison Sakoopa after the game last
(36:57):
night talk about again that same lack of joy. He said,
I'm not sitting out here like pound in my chest,
and Pat Conston said, Yannest isn't making dad jokes. So
I do think that sometimes the fix can just be
like can this go team have like a team bonding.
Can they go get drunk and bowling? I mean, can they?
Can they do something like that? I mean, but if
you've been on teams for just everything is so tight
(37:18):
and everyone just needs to let loose and enjoy each
other a little more, well.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
I mean that's that that comes with, you know, the
personalities in the room when you really think about.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
It, Like you know, you've been in that room. You've
been in that locker room, honest when.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
I'm yeah, yeah, loosing happy in his own way, honest
is a guy that's more to himself as well. Though,
But when it comes to that just having that that
personality that can bring everybody together, I think the closest thing.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
They do have is is a Pat Beverly.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
But you know that that voice is only going to
carry so much, but you know it does go to
the mixture of guys in the locker room. Like when
it comes to most you know, championship teams, it's always
that joyous like type energy on that team. And like
I said, outside of Pat Bev, it's not a lot there.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
I think.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
I think when it comes to Damian Lillard and and
being that leader and the guy that can bring guys together,
He's always shown that, but I think he's going through
his own struggles this year with just theentleness in his
own life, So we might not be getting the best
version of Dame when it comes to being, you know,
a leader.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
For the Bucks. Is he capable of.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Absolutely, But you know, it's it's hard to you know,
hold weight from other situations and you know still have
or still be the perfect person in your active duty
in your job as well. So I do think Dame
is kind of struggling with that. But man, it's it's
been a lot with this team this year. They've had
a lot of adversity, so and it's hard to sit
(38:51):
here and not commend them. There's still the number two
team in the East, like through all of these struggles,
so there has to be some type of you know,
credit given to them on that end. But man, it
does seem to be like a heavy cloud over this
team just from Afar that you know, I'm not really
sure outside of you know, just bringing some type of
a good energy to that team and you know, allowing
(39:13):
guys to just have fun with, you know, with the game.
I think it is a lot of pressure now, Like
I said, it's pressure from the organization, it's pressure from
the fans. Guys are dealing with their own personal issues
in their personal lives. So it's a lot going on
with that team for sure.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Yeah, Rachel, you know, you look at it and we
talk about them being a game at Orlando that one.
At least they've got two more games against Orlando. They
control their destiny there. They're a game ahead of the Knicks,
and the Knicks have a season series on them, so
that tiebreakers take care of if you tie with the
next day leap progue. So this team, we're talking about
dropping a three, you might drop to four, and now
(39:52):
you're talking about something different. But in terms of how
do you fix this, I'm gonna say this, there's one
silver lining to dropping out two, and that is we
talked about the last time, if you're three, four, five,
or six, you know who you're playing. Meaning the regular
season ends April fourteenth, for teams three, four, five, and six,
(40:13):
they know exactly who they're gonna play a week later
on that Saturday or Sunday, So we get to spend
that entire week game planning and just figuring out how
to stop you. I don't have to watch the play
in and pay attention to how someone's playing or whatever.
So that is an advantage in and of itself. And
because you have that week dedicated. If I'm Doc Rivers
and I'm the staff, Monday morning, kiss your families goodbye.
(40:36):
We're going on another training camp somewhere, not in Milwaukee,
not in Wisconsin.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
We're gonna say where with bowling and beer.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
Bowling and beer, which is also in Wisconsin's I guess
up the Madison or whatever. But the idea is we
have to sequester ourselves from the outside distractions of people
who are not in this locker room. The season was,
what the season was. The new season begins on Saturday
or Sunday. We got to get together and prep that
and that's the only thing you can do. You can
hit a reset button in that week if you're the
(41:05):
Milwaukee Bucks and you got.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
To count on.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
I've got great players. I've got championship caliber players, and
I've got people who have been through some deep playoff
runs and wars. We know how to flip that switch
if it's going to get flipped. But if we stay
in this mindset of woe is us and we lost
to the Wizards and we lost it a rap that's
just going to carry on that stench with them into
the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
That is a great idea, by the way, because that
is also the fix. I mean, obviously I'm joking about
the bowling and beer, but the truth is, if you're
away for four or five days as a team, everyone's
on the same page, right. You get to have the
team dinners, you get to hang out in the lobby
or hang out in the guys room just playing you know,
Madden or whatever it is that you're just spending that
time with each other that you're not spending if everyone
is going home to their own house. And you mentioned
(41:47):
Damian Luller book, like you know, he's been very public
about it. It has been a very difficult personal adjustment
for him to be in Milwaukee away from his kids.
I really think that's you know, it's funny. There's certain
guys in the NBA. You come see them, you haven't
seen them in a while, and they come across the
court and you say hi, and you're like, how are you,
And the first words out of their mouth are about
their kids. There's about five or six guys I can
always count on it. The first five or six words
(42:08):
of their mouth, they'd be like, oh, my son did
this or that kind of thing. Dame is one of
those guys. He just is And I think that he
really feeds off of the joy of being able to
put the game behind him at the end of the night,
be with his family, be with his children, and then
come back the next day energize. And he just hasn't
had that. And he's been in a place that's frankly
cold in the winter and it can be a little gray,
and it could be you know, I went to school
in the Midwest, it can be a lot, just sort
(42:30):
of weatherwise. And I think that if he's back on
equal footing with the rest of the team in like
a getaway for three days situation where none of them
are with their kids or families, then all of a sudden,
you're kind of balancing that out a little bit better.
I love that idea. I love that they would have
more preparation, as you point out, and frankly, I would
love that maybe for them, that they would get out
of range at the Philadelphia seventy six ers, because with
(42:51):
them be back right now, if they stay in that
number two spot, with the way Philly is playing, they
could finish sixth, and maybe they end up playing them anyway,
but they could play them seventh.
Speaker 4 (43:00):
Rachel. The way they're playing right now, you can't be
worried about who our oppoint. It might be they are
not right, they were right, then you can be like,
let's avoid them, let's try to get them. But they
got to get themselves right. They got to love themselves
and what they can love other people. Rachel.
Speaker 1 (43:17):
Well, look, let's talk about Philly for a minute. Whether
they played Milwaukee or not. They've won five straight. They're
three and zero with Joel back on the floor. They
pulled one out even without him against the Spurs the
other night. I mean, they definitely look like a team
that feels comfortable with themselves again. And you get that right.
The whole team ran around Joel and Beat, so you're
just waiting for him, waiting for him, waiting for you
to get back. Once he finally does, everyone can relax.
(43:37):
The defensive attention is completely different. I mean, do you
think that with the right matchup in the first round
they can get back to the conference finals? What do
you think?
Speaker 4 (43:46):
I mean, absolutely. I watched them play against Miami the
other night. That was Inbeat's second game he played his
first game back was against Oklahoma City. He kind of
looked ginger there, and then against Miami, starts the game unstopped,
but then he kind of he loses his legs and
he gets tired as the game wears on, and Maxi
has an amazing game. They go to Memphis he has
(44:08):
and b looks even better, and you see the momentum
start picking up. He said it himself over the weekend,
he said, I'm still sloppy, but that sloppiness is getting sharper,
and this is the exact right amount of time he
needs to get his game and his conditioning to where
it needs to be. I think ultimately you're still talking
about Maxi needs to be Maxie and Miami as opposed
(44:31):
to Maxie and Memphis where he had like seven points
or something like that. He needs to be assertive and
aggressive because it's not fear to expect Joel to just
be Joel out the gate right here. And so I'm
of the opinion absolutely, if I'm the Sixers, if my
guy's healthy, he's not moving gingerly, he's not his conditioning
(44:52):
is better, we absolutely have a puncher's chance against anybody
in the Eastern Conference. Now, does that mean they're gonna win,
they're gonna get to the conference finals. No, because, as
we point out, there are a lot of good teams
in their way.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Yeah, I shouldn't say back to the conference finals because
they didn't get there recently. So I would say to
the conference finals. This is how I shall phrase it,
not to s a. I Yes, which of course was
the goal, right, I mean that's frankly where they got
rid of Duck. They said second round isn't good enough.
So I think this year it's different. Nicknurse, by the way,
he's done a fantastic job, and if they don't make
it past the first or second round, everyone's going to
blame that, rightly, so on Embiid's injury. So I don't
(45:24):
think it's a coaching thing. But I do think that
they are a sleeper team here in the East. And
I have been encouraged Bogie by how quickly Embiid has
started to look like himself.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
Yes, man, he's a special talent man like I just
you know, we were having a conversation before about you know,
some of the most skilled players to ever played.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
His game, and.
Speaker 3 (45:47):
This dude is he's up there like I mean, you
think about the lower leg injuries. You know he's had
a few of them. But one thing about him, he's
not a player that just relies on athleticism. This dude
is so gil is crazy. So for him to get
back in the form or you know, not have to
rely on athleticism so much. He has a consistent jumper,
(46:08):
He can get to any shot he want, He can
create his own, Like, this dude is special.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
Man.
Speaker 3 (46:13):
So you know that talent now being back apart, you know, affiliate,
they do have a great chance of competing the needs.
Like I think conditioning will always be a concern when
it comes to missing so much time and having you know,
ten twelve games to come back, and you know he
can look great finishing out you know the regular season,
(46:33):
that playoff atmosphere is just a completely different monster and
you can't ignore that. So conditioning will continue to be
a concern for me. But just as far as talent
and impact on that team, like it's, man, this dude
is incredible.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
Man. That's that's That's just the least I can.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Say about He's really an incredible player, and I think
he's going to surprise some people in this playoff run.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
Yeah, I mean, I mean no back to backs in
the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (46:58):
Well, that's a good news.
Speaker 2 (46:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (47:00):
I think Tobias Harris. Tobias Harris needs to be healthy
for them too.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
Like that.
Speaker 4 (47:04):
They need everybody, don't They can't afford to have anybody out.
And like I said, Maxi and Kelly Oubre, the guys
who've been picking up that offensive slack, they're going to
need to continue that. It's not like Joelle's going to
come in and save the day. They need to still
be aggressive out there. Well.
Speaker 1 (47:20):
I got to give the NBA credit here because they've
had some new ideas. Some of them have looked great
at the beginning and then faded. Right. Remember the Elon
ending and the NBA All Star Game. This is great.
This fixed the All Star Game. It's wonderful. Oh wait,
never mind. You know, we've had other things that have
come in and they just haven't stuck the way that
you would want them to, even if they were successes
at first. The plan has stuck, man. I mean, this
(47:40):
has kept this last third of the season so interesting,
trying to compete to get into that sixth spot out
of the bottom. It makes teams in the nine and ten.
Can you imagine the last couple months if in the
West the Lakers and Warriors were at nine to ten
and the cutoff was eight. I mean, the conversation would
be completely different. Now it's been oh, well, what can
they do in a plan now where they get into it.
But I just think the discourse around the league is
(48:02):
so much more fun. The teams you can see competing
in a way they weren't. We used to have teams
sitting guys down the stretch left and right, and that
hasn't been happening with these kinds of teams. So I
would just say this organic kind of competing to win
when the NBA is looking to solve other problems over
the course of the next few years, whether it's guys
sitting during the bigger chunks of the regular season, whether
it's the All Star Game. In the end, you cannot
(48:24):
bribe people. You actually have to make the stakes worth
it for them, and they have done that with the
play in, and congratulations to them on that, because this
next week's going to be good boys. I cannot wait.
Thank you so much for joining today. You can catch
all episodes of Bullyball out there on the DraftKings Network,
all the Smoke Productions YouTube channel, wherever you get your podcasts.
Please rate and review us. We will see you next week,
(48:45):
unless Boogie is already the assistant coach and Kentucky by that.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
We'll see what happens.
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It's that bittersweet time of year. The NBA season is
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Welcome to Bullyball, presented by DraftKings. I am Rachel Nichols
as always, mister DeMarcus Cousins. His plant has been replaced
by some artwork. We're gonna have to discuss that in
(02:38):
a minute, but first we are also joined by I
mean Al Hassen and I mean something happened over the weekend.
We can't give the people the full story because we've
got to wait till it airs. But Boogie Cousins and
Paul Pierce faced off against each other during the final four.
It just gives us a little taste. You don't have
to tell us a whole story book, but but give
(02:59):
us a little taste of whether you or Paul came
out victorious and it was a.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Fish far so I think we're new, yeah, man, Poor Paul,
Poor Paul.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
I just want you to know that we would be
breaking down to this comes out.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
One thing I love about Paul, you know, he talks
to ship. He may not always be able to back
it up, but he's gonna take it like a chance
regardless of the results. So he's a good sport. Thought
he was just saying he could beat the number one
pick in this year.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Is that's what I was saying. Wasn't he just saying
he could be that everyone picking? And didn't he also
say earlier this year that he could like beat someone
in a forty Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Think, I think, Yeah, I think.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Paul in that moment once the game started, all his
thoughts and comments came to him at that moment, and
like it was like a punch of reality kind of helping.
He kind of had this look of shock on his face,
but like they were of the day. Damn what I
get myself into. But he was a great sport about it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
That's I can't wait to see it. Very excited. Everyone
watch when it comes out. It's going to be good.
And yes, we will be going frame by frame, breaking
down table, just saying, all right, guys, much more seriously,
we got to get to your opinion. Boogie on John Calipari.
John Calipery finalizing a five year deal to become the
next head coach at Arkansas, salary being reported in the
(04:36):
eight million dollar range per year. Now in fifteen seasons
with UK Calipere was four to ten and one twenty
three seven Elite eights, four final fours, twenty twelve National Championship.
But of course, as we know, and we've talked about
on the show, lots of dissatisfaction around Lexington. He had
not reached the second round of the NCAA Attorney since
twenty nineteen. So, Boogie, I want to know when you
(04:58):
first just crossed your phone. I don't know if it
was last night, I don't know if it was this morning.
What was your reaction, your first, like thirty second reaction.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I was shocked. I was I was. I was shocked.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
And you know, I have a soft spot in my
heart for you know, Lexington, Kentucky. That was a place
I consider home at a certain part of my career.
You know, I've got great memories, great times, great relationships
still to this day in that place, and it's gonna
(05:29):
remain that way, you know what I mean. The same
goes with Kyle. Like I understand this business. I understand
the ups and downs of it. I see both sides.
I understand both sides. But uh, you know, I think
I think this it's good for both sides in a way.
(05:50):
I think This is a fresh start for Kyle and
it's also a fresh start for the University of Kentucky.
You know, it's been a lot up chatter and back
and forth about you know, what's the standard, what's what's
expected on the year to your basis, Well, I think
I think everybody's going to get a real, you know,
(06:11):
taste of reality moving forward. Like from this, I think
with cal he's now in a place where it's not
this pressure to bring in a championship every single season,
since you know that's the standard at U K. This
is now a place I think Arkansas, we all know,
(06:33):
we've seen this movie before with Kyle, like where he
goes becomes the hotspot. That's the reality of this. Yeah, Arkansas.
Everything about Arkansas is I put Cayl and Deon Sanders
in the same category. You know, Deon has the prime effect.
(06:54):
And we've seen what it's done for not just the program,
but the entire city of Colorado, uh fire, state of Colorado.
In the city that they're we've seen what is done.
It's the same thing with Caliberry, Like Arkansas will now
be the hot spot. Arkansas will now have the number
(07:15):
one recruiting classes coming in every single year, Arkansas will
be full of celebrities, Arkansas will have the most talent
coming in and now every single year the machine will
continue to go.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
It's just being a new place.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I think when it comes to you know, UK, we're
gonna have to go throughout our rebuilding process. I don't
think there's a right well, I actually do, and I'll
get to that point in a second. Outside of that
one specific thing, I think there isn't a right answer
as to you know, who will feel that spot. And yeah,
(07:50):
there's plenty of you know, popular names out there right now.
You know, you got you know, Daran Hurley and Yukon.
You kind of letting him go. Let's let's well.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
That was my question. Okay, So if if you were,
if you were the athletic director, who would you get
to replace John Caliperry, who's gettable?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Then Harley's not going. Jay Wright is living his best life. Yes,
he has to work even more money.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
He's not leaving.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
I saw something about Oats, the coach Oates from Alabama, Alabama,
Uh we go. I also saw something about Brad Stevens.
You're out your mind if you think he's leaving his position.
He's living his best life. And then I saw something
about Billy Donovan. Billy Donovan has been a part of
college basketball. He's now at the ultimate level when it
comes to the NBA. Uh, it's going to be hard
(08:37):
to convince any coach that has been to the ultimate
level to then take a step down to go to
the collegiate level. And it's not the collegiate level of oh,
this is a this is a brand new monster. So
now and most of these coaches that used to coach
in that old way, it was their way or the highway.
That's not what college basketball is anymore. So to think
(08:59):
that it's going to be a lying around the door
of coaches that want to, you know, not only coach
at this level, and it's ten times the amount of
work you now have to convince them that, yeah, you
have to meet this standard of being a championship team
every single year. Good luck finding a replacement for Cale
(09:20):
because it's gonna be very very hard. Yeah, and UK
will and what we experienced in those fifteen years of
KYL being it, we will never experience again. Now I'm
not saying we won't have championships down the line because
UK is UK.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
You know what, I mean, I think I think the
ad will.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
You know, go about it the right way, find the
right person to fit the culture, meet the standards, and
it's gonna be a process as long as they understand
it's going to be a process. And I think it's
going to be one of those processes to where you
get you end up finding talent, you build on them
for three or four years, and it's going to be
a team for the juniors and seniors like we continue
(10:00):
to see in this tournament, because that's what wins tournament games.
Experience and consistency, that's what wins in college So and yeah,
it's rare occasions where you get a young group that
can do it, but that's a rare thing.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
That's like hitting the lottery.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
But at the same time, we see time and time
again the consistency and the experience is what wins college tournaments.
So I do think, you know, Kentucky down the line
of finally get one of those teams and you know
we'll be back at the top, or in that moment,
be at the top, But to be the hot spot
or be what we've been as of lately or these
(10:36):
last fifteen it'll never be the same, even when it
comes to TV games, the revenue everything comes with. Kentucky
won't be on TV anymore. It's going to be hard
to get a kid to go to Kentucky if they're
not on TV. What kids are looking for in today's
time is what's hot, what's cool, what's relevant. I want
to be on TV every single night to show my talent.
(10:58):
Guess what team's going to be on TV every night?
The Arkansas Razorbacks.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
Rachel. I think the thing to keep in mind is
you know and boogie. You could correct me if I'm wrong.
But sometimes people in places like Kentucky or UCLA is
a great example of how it could be because Ucla
is kind of going through it in terms of they start,
they think, oh it's here, it doesn't matter who's coaching,
They're always gonna come. But the reality is, in the
(11:24):
last fifteen years, these kids wanted to go play for Cal.
And it's not just because Cal is a nice guy
or a fun guy to be around. Is because Cal
went into every one of those living rooms and told
those kids, my number one priority is to see you
be as high a draft pick as possible. My number
two priority is championships, and he knew that if I
get the talent, we're gonna win games. We're gonna go
(11:46):
to final fours. We might win some championships. They ended
up winning one. But the reality is every year the
start of the year, we knew that Kentucky was gonna
be one of the top teams in the league. And
that was because of cow And like Boogie said, we
could look at the track record. He went to U
Mass What they do there? Final four? He went to Memphis?
What they do there? Championship game? And again, those aren't
(12:08):
hot spots. Those weren't blue bloods. Those were smaller schools.
He comes to Kentucky, he has a success there, He's
gonna go to Arkansas. Arkansas ain't Memphis, and it ain't
you Mass. That's a school with deep pockets, with boosters
that want to see winning. Jerry Jones, Tyson, Chicken family,
all them people, Walmart, they got money and they want
(12:29):
to see wins. And they'll give col whatever he needs.
He's gonna be happening.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
They'll they'll make the money.
Speaker 4 (12:36):
And they'll make the money back. They'll make the money back. Meanwhile, Kentucky,
we've seen what happened when they have a coach and
then they're trying to transition off afterward. So what happened
after Patino, after Tubby and the down years can happen.
And like I said, if you don't believe me, look
at UCLA, the greatest basketball dynasty ever. Look at what
(12:58):
happened to them in the in the down Look at
what's gonna happen in some of these other schools, Georgetown
in the down years, Yukon in the down years. It
happens to all of us. This is this. This game
is built around the people who play it and the
people who coach it, and the name of the team
has an impact, but it ain't. It ain't going to
(13:19):
erase what the first two things do.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Yes, yeah, it's fast than it ever has been been before.
And look, the game has changed so much. But you're right.
I mean the way men's college of basketball is with
guys in and out, especially the one done culture at Kentucky.
You know, I would not be surprised if we saw
Cal shift his approach a little bit at Arkansas. I
think that it might be definitely some of his you know,
freshmen coming in huge recruits. I don't think that's changing.
(13:43):
That's who Calipari is that's why they're on TV so much.
I think you might see a little bit more mixing
in of guys who are there for maybe two or
three years to kind of keep that unity and that
chemistry together when they go into the tournament. But you've
got a fan base that hasn't had a title in
thirty years. That is a very different fan base than
the fan base that's like, why haven't you want ed?
What have you done for Lee lately? How come it's
(14:05):
only been since twenty twelve. You are having a different
environment when you wake up in the morning and your
day to day. And frankly, I think cal was ready
for that because when I saw him sit up during
that press conference after he and the athletic director they
came out at the tweet, right, we've decided to bring
call back for another year. That was so uncomfortable. I
have never seen two people they did not want to
(14:25):
be in the same room more. And all I could
think about was, Okay, they've got a thirty three million
dollar payout if they get rid of him. So basically,
it's like staying married to someone because you guys can't
afford to split up, right, can't you will use the
house you like, can't afford a new apartment, so you're
gonna just have to live in the house together. And
there you go. Nobody wants to be like that, and
(14:46):
Cal is too accomplished a guy to live like that.
There's a little bit to me in this of like
I'm gonna break up with you before you break up
with me. I'm gonna be just fine. And you mentioned
the Chicken money, Chicken money man, Chicken money, Walmart money,
Jerry Jones money.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Those guys, they are going to be able to automatically.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Hey nil money as much as they want. They're going
to be paid for a deep staff book. I know
we were talking about the assistant coaches and how maybe
he could be beef up the assistant coaches on his
staff to kind of get some of the guys who
relate to players who are a little younger. Well, he
is a leader still of the ship, obviously. I'm very
curious to see what happens here. I will say, Faetteville
is not Lexington. Lexington is beautiful. Fetteille his all kinds
(15:25):
of strengths to it. But they are different cities. But
I do think, why are you laughing at me. I'm
trying to be nice.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
I do think there is a right answer to UK,
like moving forward and making this process, like moving forward
with a good energy. I think I think the perfect
high for UK at this point would be Rajon right though.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Oh wow, we sat here last week, Bog he said,
I want to go into coaching. We sat with rajeon
last week. He said, I definitely want to go into coaching.
He said, the only reason I'm not doing it now
is that I need to get my daughter off to
her final year of high school volleyball. And then once
she's set and she's in college, I can go guess
(16:08):
what he can play and coach and the I mean sorry,
he can coach in the same place as o't her place.
He doesn't have to wait that year. She's right there,
He's right there. It's all good and by the way
I mean. He also said that he'd like Boog on
his staff, so I might be looking for a new
co host if that happens, we'll talk a little bit
more later.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Book.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
You don't you don't want to be babysitting these kids.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Man, you're gonna go man.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
You're gonna go crazy. Well, you like the way as
hard as you played, as passive as you were having
to deal with I'm like, today, I don't want to
do this today. I want to be a TikTok star
raw man man.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
At the top of my lungs, getting the goddamn again
farther that TikTok man. But I honestly think Razean would
be the perfect guy for this situation. And the reason
saying that is obviously he's a Kentucky kid. He played
that Kentucky, He's an alumni.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
He lives there right now.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
He lives there.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
He's already in town. He doesn't even have to move,
don't even have to pay moving expenses.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Yes, but he understands both sides, like probably better than
anybody else ever will. And I think when it's this
is going to be a healing process for Kentucky, Like
it's going to be a lot of things moving forward.
And I think putting a run in that position, he's
going to be a great energy moving forward. He's great
at creating a standard, he's great at leading the ship.
(17:30):
I don't think he I don't think there's a better
leader to lead Kentucky out of this spot than a
Rajon Rondo.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
He has the intelligence.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
We don't even have to speak on the intelligence and
knowledge of basketball.
Speaker 4 (17:40):
That's want you want to know what my prediction is.
My prediction is they're not going to do that. They're
going to hire the wrong person. They're going to learn
the hard way that all this ain't as easy as
we thought it was, right, and then maybe they'll they'll
come around.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
But because don't want to be the rebound anyway, right,
So I don't know, we see me he doesn't want
to be the rebound. Maybe he wants to wait, I'm.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Not thinking about it in that type of a way.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I just think this is great for everybody moving forward,
not in the rebound type of way, but just putting
things in a positive way moving forward because at the
end of the day, I'm still I believe Blue like
I'm Kentucky to the death of it. So I always
want success for this, you know, university in school.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
So that's more so my thinking.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
And you know, how can we write this ship now
that we've moved on from this part, And I think
those was the perfect person to do it.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
All right, We're gonna call him after we're done taping
this and we'll pump him up a little bit, we'll
guess and we'll see what happens. So all right, let's
move on to the NBA, friends, because Paul George led
the Clippers to a huge comeback last night against the Calves.
He had thirty nine, eleven and seven, the clutch game winner.
LA is looking a little more healthy. They've now won
three straight. They're likely kind of locked into that four spot.
(18:52):
They would match up with the MAVs at five. We're
going to talk in a minute about how dangerous Dallas is,
but just foing focusing on the LA side right now.
Would you do you still think of the Clippers as
a contender the way we were sort of maybe in
the middle mid late of the season, or are you
sort of like I've seen enough to know that they
probably won't be there toward the end.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
I still think, you know, this is a team that
can definitely compete in the West. And obviously with every
team there's ups and downs. I feel like every team
in the West this year has had their ups and downs.
Probably outside of the top three, who've you know, dominated
most of the year. But uh, when it comes to
you know, the possible first round matchup if we going
(19:29):
to the playoffs, as of right now, and it's just
match up with the MAVs. I mean, we know the
fireworks that's coming with these squads. I mean there's so
much history between them, the love hate relationship between you know,
Kawhi pg Luca, and you know, now you add Kyrie
(19:50):
to that mix, it's it's going to be an electric,
you know, playoff series.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
So oh, it's gonna be amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Playoffs are always about matchups, So I think I think
these two teams meeting up first round, I mean, this
shit could really go either way. So but outside of that,
I do still think the Clippers are you know, contenders,
but the inconsistencies that they've had, you know, throughout the season,
(20:16):
we can't have that in the playoffs or they will.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Be a first round exit.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Yeah, I think so. First of all, first of all, yes,
they are absolutely contender. This team. The biggest thing is healthy.
Are they healthy? If they're healthy, then absolutely, yes, they
are contenders. There's no question about that. I think the
inconsistency and play biggie that you're talking about that happens
a lot with veteran teams that know, man, just get
(20:42):
me to the stuff that matters, right because They've been there,
They've done that, They've been on teams that won sixty
games and done all those things. They understand all right,
especially now this time of year. Just get me there.
They've been pretty locked in the fourth for a while,
so I can see a lack of motivation of going
on now trying to save for the playoffs. The other
(21:02):
thing is, Man, you cannot discount the impact of having
ty Lewis your head coaches.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
This guy is a.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
Master x's and oh's, master adjustment guy, and so he's
got a team where other than his three bigs of Zubats, Tye,
and plumb Lee, everybody else is switchable one through four.
They are switchable the whole time. So he's gonna have
all types of combinations that he can run out there.
(21:29):
I think if you're saying that the Clippers aren't a threat,
you're whoever says that they're out of their mind. The
one thing is looking like they played Dallas in the
first round, and you have to acknowledge Dallas since the
trade deadline has been a different team. They've been a
much better defensive team, and Kyrie and Luca have been
(21:50):
playing out of their mind together making each other better.
Making their teammates better. Tim Hardaway Junior or Bono five
six Man of the Year candidate, and Jason Kidd really
has this team on the page. And like Boogie said,
it ain't in a random matchup. These two teams haven't
seen each other in the playoffs before. There is a
history there, so you know it's going to be fireworks.
(22:11):
It's kind of ironic. I can call them both championship
contenders and also say one of them is going to
be going one of them could go home.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
In the first round. Look, Kyriees dropped forty eight points
right yesterday, wallfasting Luca, wallfasting Pharamada on not a small thing, seriously,
not a small thing. Luca dropped thirty seven points. They've
won nine of ten. It is impossible not to take
them seriously. In fact, I think they're the sleeper in
the West, the team you know obviously Nuggets aside, et cetera.
(22:39):
But they're they're the team that you don't want to
see from that half of the bracket. And I just
I don't know, man. I think that the Clippers still
have some trouble with teams with length. It is matchup dependent,
and if they end up facing a big team and
Dallas has some height. I mean, we got to see
where Derek Lively's health is. But I don't know. I
(22:59):
as stars studied as the Clippers team is. And I'm
with you on Tyler TYLERU you know, I think he's
the best excell no coach in the game right now.
The Mavericks, man, they just look like they have everything
right now to be a very very dangerous team. Who
do you think the Mavericks should be scared of? I mean,
is there anyone? I don't know if you even they
face Denver. I always think that Luca and Yokis just
(23:21):
raised each other's games. Those games are a battle. I
don't know if the if the Maverick should be scared
of anyone right now.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I don't think the MAVs are scared of anybody.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You have two matchup problems every single night in Kyrie
and Luca, and we all know the playoffs are based
on matchups like or mismatches. Going into a game with
these two guys who are walking thirty balls on a
nightly basis, I just I don't think.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
I don't think they are operating off of fear at all.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
So this is a scary team for any team that
meets up with them. And I mean when you think
about it, like when it comes to these top teams
in the West and you think about their point guards,
their two guards or three guards, the guys that will
be matching up against you know, Kyrie and Luca. It's
just like I can't see these guys having an assignment
like that for an entire playoff series and seeing them
be successful in that matchup.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
So this is tough for any team.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
I think the MAVs are, like I said, a matchup
probably from anybody in the West, and when they're on
their air game, they're dangerousing, very dangerousing.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
I mean, I want to ask you a little bit
more about Kyrie, because first of all, we talked to
you on the Pot a few weeks ago just about
how difficult it is to play during Ramadan, the limitations,
just not even being able to have water. I mean,
I don't think people understand what even when they read it,
just really what it means and what you're going through.
But I also want to take it out even wider.
You know, I just sat down with Kyrie for our
show Headliners at the beginning of the season, and I said,
(24:48):
what's the biggest thing you've learned through all of this, Right,
all of the tumult he had gone through in Brooklyn
and a dick and forth and all the other stuff,
And he said, I've learned not to touch the stove
when it's hot. And I thought that was a great
way to say, right. And I think Jason Kidd has
been really instrumental. Jason said to him, He's like, I
don't want you to tamp down who you are. He goes,
I'm looking for the creative Kyrie. I'm looking for Kyrie
the artist. I'm looking for the guy who thinks outside
(25:11):
the box. I just want you to know when it's
smart to weigh in and not weigh in, when it's
smart to put basketball first, so everyone can see who
you are. And I just want to give Kyrie credit
for that, because I don't think we can be as
critical as people were of him in Brooklyn for not
knowing how to do that and not recognize that he's
had personal growth and been able to do that. And
that doesn't mean that he's had to shut up or
(25:32):
change who he is. Kyrie is still Kyrie Irving. I mean,
you talked to him for five minutes. He is still Kyrie,
but he has been able to really kind of put
the part of him that is also Kyrie Irving, which
is this basketball genius to the four during the NBA season,
and I just think it's been great to watch he
and Luca clearly like each other. Kyrie said at one point,
(25:52):
just like I wish I had been drafted by the MAVs.
I just think that they would have sort of helped
me mature, quicker and taken care of me. I think
Jason Kidd hasn't really gotten enough credit, frankly, because Jason's
such a laid back guy. Everyone's just like, oh, Jason.
But I mean, obviously he has known what buttons to
push with this team. So I don't know. When you
look at Kyrie, and you've been critical of him in
the past, but when you look at his growth and
(26:13):
sort of what he's done this year, what do you think.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Well, I think a couple of things. First of all,
Jason Kidd laid back. He looks laid back. That man
ain't laid back that right now. But you first of
all have to give a lot of credit to Mark Cuban.
Nico Harris talking about.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
The waffle house at three in the morning. I'm talking
about you know, I'm.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
Talking about in the basketball court, since he's not laid
back there either. He looks it, but he's very intense.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Right.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
You got to give a lot of credit to Mark Cuban,
Nico Harrison, and Michael Finley, because where Kyrie has been
the last three stops Cleveland, Boston, Brooklyn, he hasn't felt
the love and welcome from the organization. It's kind of
almost like, well, he's really good, so let's let him
do what he wants to do. But I don't do that.
(26:58):
There's a difference in doing that being nurturing, and I
think the Mavericks have obviously provided a nurturing environment. Jason
Kidd and his staff are part of that as well. Also,
there is exactly what you said, Rachel. Is one of
the things that blows my mind about people when they
watch either players or coaches or whoever. They think, if
I saw you do or be a certain person in
year two or year three or even year five, that's
(27:20):
who you are forever. You ain't never gonna change, And
that's just ridiculous. Everybody grows, everybody learns, every no one
is the same person they were five years before, and
I think Kyrie he said, I learned not touch the
stove when it's hot. How do you learn that by
touching the stove? He touched the stove when he was
in Brooklyn, and so some of that was unfair, some
(27:42):
of that was justified. But he grew from that experience.
He learned what is the most refined version of myself,
not changing myself, but refining myself to be sharper. And
he's done that and he's put basketball first, and ultimately
that part was always undeniable with him. So I think
it's a little bit of everything. But I want to
go back to the fasting part, because it's not just
(28:05):
you're not eating and not drinking during the day. It's
everyone when they hear that, they just think about it
in terms of one day. I woke up today, I
didn't have anything to eat, a drink, and then as
sundown I ate and drank, and then I went and
played an NBA game. Right. What people don't realize is
he played that game on day twenty seven of Ramadan,
So that's twenty seven straight days of doing this. There's
a cumulative effect that happens to your body when you're
(28:27):
going through this day after day after day. It's not
just a blip in the calendar. Oh didn't eat and
drink today, it's I've been doing this day after day
and for him to continue to not only have the
focus and the tenacity, but it feels like he's getting
better as the month goes on. There's only one other
athlete in the NBA I've seen to do that, and
that's Akima Ladrawn where he was getting better as a
(28:49):
month went on. He won Player of the Month when
it was in Ramadan back in nineteen ninety five. I
believe mind boggling Kyrie is on that same kind of
track in terms of he's almost making him better in
some ways in terms of his focus.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Well, and you're on day twenty seven of doing it
and you're podcasting with us, so you know, thank you.
I think that's basically the same thing as playing an
NBA game, right, the same.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
Physical They're all there, same physical effort. I got to
keep talking. I got to keep with this. I got
enough Venner record.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
There you go, Boom. I want to go to the
rest of the West though, down there, because if you
do have that LA Clippers, MAVs sort of four or
five spot, which is fascinating. Once you get to six
through ten, oh my lord, right, I mean, you've got
half a game here, half a game there. Everybody is
all bunched up. That could end up anywhere. But of
course the key is that first spot, the six spot.
The sixth spot keeps you out of the plan any
(29:40):
of the rest of the way down that those teams
jumble through. That's just going to be a bit of
a free for all and depends on who you face
on a given night. It's March madness, and everyone can
win one game, that sort of thing. So you want
to get to that number six. So right now as
we sit here recording this, and I feel like it
could change in the next five minutes, even though they're
not playing any games right now, Phoenix sits at number six.
You've got Nola there, You've got sacrim I know, you've
(30:00):
got the Lakers, You've got Golden State. Houston is now
out of it. So that is your group. Who do
you think, boogie, Who's going to end up at that
number six spot. Phoenix, remember, has the toughest schedule in
the entire NBA going forward, although they have managed it
already over the last week or two very well, and
I got to give them credit for that, but they
do still have more tough games to go. You've got
Nola Sack, Lakers, Golden State. Who's getting that number six
(30:22):
spot when it's all said and done.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
There's two teams that stick out for me, and that's
the Phoenix Signs who's currently in that position, and it's
the La Lakers. I think the Signs obviously have the
talent to do so. They have three of the probably
the most gifted offensive guys in our league right now
on one team. They've had an up and down year.
(30:44):
They haven't had the consistent year that they've you know,
probably planned for or won it. But you know, they've
had a pretty decent gear for the most part. They're
for sure a threat in the West.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Like just with the.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Talent constructed, like, they're for sure a threat. So you
can't ignore that. And then obviously with the Lakers, with
Lebron James and Anthony Davis, everybody knows this is one
of the most dangerous teams specifically at this time of
the year, Like for some reason, this is when they
decide to hit their switch.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
I haven't figured that.
Speaker 3 (31:19):
I don't think anybody's figured that part out yet while
they wait until you know, this late in the season
to start, you know, really being the team they can be.
But you know it works for them. But I can
for sure see them, you know, winning out the rest
of the season and easily sliding to that six spot.
They have the talent to do so, Like I said,
(31:39):
when those guys do decide to hit the switch and
Lebron and Anthony Davis, they're a totally different team and
they are for sure gonna be a threat also in
the West, which is crazy to say. So for me,
those two teams stand out in New Orleans. I think
they've had a great year. But you know, with b
(31:59):
I being out like that's that's a huge hit to
this team. So I can easily see them, you know,
not finishing out as strong as they would like to,
uh and be I being a big reason, you know
of that.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
And when it comes to the second, well.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Though, I'm gonna make you pick. So if you think
it's Lakers or Sons, who's getting the six Lakers or Sons, I.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Can't go Lakers or so.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
Lakers or Sons, I'm gonna say.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
I'm going to say the Lakers are going to finish
out six, just because Phoenix has such a tough schedule
finishing out. So I'm gonna roll with the Lakers, and
I think it's a great chance they went out the
remainder of their games. So I'm gonna say the Lakers
are going to be at six.
Speaker 4 (32:44):
Okay, all right, man, there's no good answers for this.
Everybody not Nobody's got challenges. So I'm gonna try. I
try to make it as simple as possible, but it
ain't simple. So the Suns, first of all, we got
to look at that remaining schedule. That schedule is crazy.
The Clippers twice this week. They've got Sacramento who's playing
for something. They also have was it Minnesota who's also
(33:07):
playing for the number one seed? Right, So not only
are they playing four tough games, it's four tough games
against teams that have incentive to play hard. Right. Then
you got to look at the other part of this,
which is they lose the tiebreaker to the Lakers because
the Lakers won three out of the four games and
the Kings they're tied in terms of two games apiece
(33:31):
for the head to head. But you know what, the
second tie breaker is is your division record. The Kings
are ten and six in division right now, the Sons
are seven and nine, so they lose that tiebreaker. So
you got the two tierekers against you, and you got
one of the toughest schedules ahead of you. They've got
the talent to get it done. Let's make that clear.
And if they win out then this isn't a conversation.
(33:52):
But the problem is that tough schedule against teams that
are motivated. I'm with Boogie. I think the Lakers are
probably gonna end up six. They have a slightly easier path.
They've got some hard ones too. They got to play
Golden State, who are also I'm still tasting them for
that to get to at least nine.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
So I don't think it's slightly easier. I think it's
significantly easier that. Yes, they play Golden State, but they
play Golden State at home. Then they go look at that, hey, people,
they play Golden State at home. Then they go play Memphis,
not you know, a game that is locked and loaded
because they don't have their main guys, And then they
go to New Orleans and play in New Orleans. And
I do think that is going to be tough. But
(34:30):
I just I don't know. I look at Phoenix and
I am not down on Phoenix. I think Phoenix is
just an exceptionally loaded team right when you look at
their top heaviness and their front guys. But they have
shown that they cannot play in the fourth quarter and
be organized the way that we expected them to be.
The numbers aren't good. And it just happened again. It
just happened against the Pelicans on Sunday, right they had
(34:53):
the chance to win that game.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
That was a super Bowl for the Pelicans because the
Pelicans knew, even though they lost the season series, they know,
if we're gonna have any chance to get in this six,
we have to win this game for sure.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
And it shouldn't it be shouldn't shouldn't the Sons feel
the same way. I mean, come on, nobody should feel
Nobody at this point in the season, in the six
to ten clot should feel like, oh, that's fine, we
got this, We're good. The Sons need to have some
fourth quarter wins. They need to have some wins where
that fourth quarter it was right there, it came down
to the wire and they came out victorious and they
have not been able to consistently do it, and it
(35:26):
just happened again. So again I'm all in on the
Suns as a concept. I think it is okay to
have a team that's a little bit top heavy in
the way that they did. I think they did a
good job sort of putting some of those pieces around
in a better way that right after the Kevin Durant trade,
where obviously the cupboard was so bare. But I have
been very surprised with an excellent coach and Frank Vogel,
guys like Kevin Durant, guys like Devin Booker, Bradley Beal
(35:48):
that their fourth quarter numbers just they've been pretty shocking.
And again we just saw it happen again. So I
don't know that is the thing that gives me pause
about Phoenix. I do think the Lakers right now are
one with a bullet in terms of moving up that section,
and we'll have to see what happens. I mean, as
we sit here on Monday morning taping this pod, that
Tuesday game against the Warriors looks huge and it looks
(36:09):
exciting too, right doesn't it Shouldn't it be fun?
Speaker 4 (36:12):
Super Bowl? These are all super Bowls.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
There you go, all right, let's go to the East guys,
because the Bucks they fell at home to the Nicks
on Sunday. Doc Rivers record with the Bucks is not
what anybody expected. Let's just say that since he came,
they're fifteen and sixteen. Remember, of course, under Adrian Griffin
they were thirty and thirteen and he got fired. Milwaukee
is only ahead of Orlando by one game for the
(36:35):
number two spot in the East. They could drop down
to third. So I think it's been very interesting to
hear the rhetoric coming out of the Bucks the last
few days. You heard, first Pat Conaden say we're just
not having fun anymore. There's not really that joy. Then
you heard Doc Rivers after a game say, hey, one
of the officials came up to me and said, ah,
your team's so heavy, man, your team feels so heavy.
And then you and Jannison Sakoopa after the game last
(36:57):
night talk about again that same lack of joy. He said,
I'm not sitting out here like pound in my chest,
and Pat Conston said, Yannest isn't making dad jokes. So
I do think that sometimes the fix can just be
like can this go team have like a team bonding.
Can they go get drunk and bowling? I mean, can they?
Can they do something like that? I mean, but if
you've been on teams for just everything is so tight
(37:18):
and everyone just needs to let loose and enjoy each
other a little more, well.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
I mean that's that that comes with, you know, the
personalities in the room when you really think about.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
It, Like you know, you've been in that room. You've
been in that locker room, honest when.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
I'm yeah, yeah, loosing happy in his own way, honest
is a guy that's more to himself as well. Though,
But when it comes to that just having that that
personality that can bring everybody together, I think the closest thing.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
They do have is is a Pat Beverly.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
But you know that that voice is only going to
carry so much, but you know it does go to
the mixture of guys in the locker room. Like when
it comes to most you know, championship teams, it's always
that joyous like type energy on that team. And like
I said, outside of Pat Bev, it's not a lot there.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
I think.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
I think when it comes to Damian Lillard and and
being that leader and the guy that can bring guys together,
He's always shown that, but I think he's going through
his own struggles this year with just theentleness in his
own life, So we might not be getting the best
version of Dame when it comes to being, you know,
a leader.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
For the Bucks. Is he capable of.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Absolutely, But you know, it's it's hard to you know,
hold weight from other situations and you know still have
or still be the perfect person in your active duty
in your job as well. So I do think Dame
is kind of struggling with that. But man, it's it's
been a lot with this team this year. They've had
a lot of adversity, so and it's hard to sit
(38:51):
here and not commend them. There's still the number two
team in the East, like through all of these struggles,
so there has to be some type of you know,
credit given to them on that end. But man, it
does seem to be like a heavy cloud over this
team just from Afar that you know, I'm not really
sure outside of you know, just bringing some type of
a good energy to that team and you know, allowing
(39:13):
guys to just have fun with, you know, with the game.
I think it is a lot of pressure now, Like
I said, it's pressure from the organization, it's pressure from
the fans. Guys are dealing with their own personal issues
in their personal lives. So it's a lot going on
with that team for sure.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Yeah, Rachel, you know, you look at it and we
talk about them being a game at Orlando that one.
At least they've got two more games against Orlando. They
control their destiny there. They're a game ahead of the Knicks,
and the Knicks have a season series on them, so
that tiebreakers take care of if you tie with the
next day leap progue. So this team, we're talking about
dropping a three, you might drop to four, and now
(39:52):
you're talking about something different. But in terms of how
do you fix this, I'm gonna say this, there's one
silver lining to dropping out two, and that is we
talked about the last time, if you're three, four, five,
or six, you know who you're playing. Meaning the regular
season ends April fourteenth, for teams three, four, five, and six,
(40:13):
they know exactly who they're gonna play a week later
on that Saturday or Sunday, So we get to spend
that entire week game planning and just figuring out how
to stop you. I don't have to watch the play
in and pay attention to how someone's playing or whatever.
So that is an advantage in and of itself. And
because you have that week dedicated. If I'm Doc Rivers
and I'm the staff, Monday morning, kiss your families goodbye.
(40:36):
We're going on another training camp somewhere, not in Milwaukee,
not in Wisconsin.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
We're gonna say where with bowling and beer.
Speaker 4 (40:43):
Bowling and beer, which is also in Wisconsin's I guess
up the Madison or whatever. But the idea is we
have to sequester ourselves from the outside distractions of people
who are not in this locker room. The season was,
what the season was. The new season begins on Saturday
or Sunday. We got to get together and prep that
and that's the only thing you can do. You can
hit a reset button in that week if you're the
(41:05):
Milwaukee Bucks and you got.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
To count on.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
I've got great players. I've got championship caliber players, and
I've got people who have been through some deep playoff
runs and wars. We know how to flip that switch
if it's going to get flipped. But if we stay
in this mindset of woe is us and we lost
to the Wizards and we lost it a rap that's
just going to carry on that stench with them into
the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
That is a great idea, by the way, because that
is also the fix. I mean, obviously I'm joking about
the bowling and beer, but the truth is, if you're
away for four or five days as a team, everyone's
on the same page, right. You get to have the
team dinners, you get to hang out in the lobby
or hang out in the guys room just playing you know,
Madden or whatever it is that you're just spending that
time with each other that you're not spending if everyone
is going home to their own house. And you mentioned
(41:47):
Damian Luller book, like you know, he's been very public
about it. It has been a very difficult personal adjustment
for him to be in Milwaukee away from his kids.
I really think that's you know, it's funny. There's certain
guys in the NBA. You come see them, you haven't
seen them in a while, and they come across the
court and you say hi, and you're like, how are you,
And the first words out of their mouth are about
their kids. There's about five or six guys I can
always count on it. The first five or six words
(42:08):
of their mouth, they'd be like, oh, my son did
this or that kind of thing. Dame is one of
those guys. He just is And I think that he
really feeds off of the joy of being able to
put the game behind him at the end of the night,
be with his family, be with his children, and then
come back the next day energize. And he just hasn't
had that. And he's been in a place that's frankly
cold in the winter and it can be a little gray,
and it could be you know, I went to school
in the Midwest, it can be a lot, just sort
(42:30):
of weatherwise. And I think that if he's back on
equal footing with the rest of the team in like
a getaway for three days situation where none of them
are with their kids or families, then all of a sudden,
you're kind of balancing that out a little bit better.
I love that idea. I love that they would have
more preparation, as you point out, and frankly, I would
love that maybe for them, that they would get out
of range at the Philadelphia seventy six ers, because with
(42:51):
them be back right now, if they stay in that
number two spot, with the way Philly is playing, they
could finish sixth, and maybe they end up playing them anyway,
but they could play them seventh.
Speaker 4 (43:00):
Rachel. The way they're playing right now, you can't be
worried about who our oppoint. It might be they are
not right, they were right, then you can be like,
let's avoid them, let's try to get them. But they
got to get themselves right. They got to love themselves
and what they can love other people. Rachel.
Speaker 1 (43:17):
Well, look, let's talk about Philly for a minute. Whether
they played Milwaukee or not. They've won five straight. They're
three and zero with Joel back on the floor. They
pulled one out even without him against the Spurs the
other night. I mean, they definitely look like a team
that feels comfortable with themselves again. And you get that right.
The whole team ran around Joel and Beat, so you're
just waiting for him, waiting for him, waiting for you
to get back. Once he finally does, everyone can relax.
(43:37):
The defensive attention is completely different. I mean, do you
think that with the right matchup in the first round
they can get back to the conference finals? What do
you think?
Speaker 4 (43:46):
I mean, absolutely. I watched them play against Miami the
other night. That was Inbeat's second game he played his
first game back was against Oklahoma City. He kind of
looked ginger there, and then against Miami, starts the game unstopped,
but then he kind of he loses his legs and
he gets tired as the game wears on, and Maxi
has an amazing game. They go to Memphis he has
(44:08):
and b looks even better, and you see the momentum
start picking up. He said it himself over the weekend,
he said, I'm still sloppy, but that sloppiness is getting sharper,
and this is the exact right amount of time he
needs to get his game and his conditioning to where
it needs to be. I think ultimately you're still talking
about Maxi needs to be Maxie and Miami as opposed
(44:31):
to Maxie and Memphis where he had like seven points
or something like that. He needs to be assertive and
aggressive because it's not fear to expect Joel to just
be Joel out the gate right here. And so I'm
of the opinion absolutely, if I'm the Sixers, if my
guy's healthy, he's not moving gingerly, he's not his conditioning
(44:52):
is better, we absolutely have a puncher's chance against anybody
in the Eastern Conference. Now, does that mean they're gonna win,
they're gonna get to the conference finals. No, because, as
we point out, there are a lot of good teams
in their way.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
Yeah, I shouldn't say back to the conference finals because
they didn't get there recently. So I would say to
the conference finals. This is how I shall phrase it,
not to s a. I Yes, which of course was
the goal, right, I mean that's frankly where they got
rid of Duck. They said second round isn't good enough.
So I think this year it's different. Nicknurse, by the way,
he's done a fantastic job, and if they don't make
it past the first or second round, everyone's going to
blame that, rightly, so on Embiid's injury. So I don't
(45:24):
think it's a coaching thing. But I do think that
they are a sleeper team here in the East. And
I have been encouraged Bogie by how quickly Embiid has
started to look like himself.
Speaker 3 (45:34):
Yes, man, he's a special talent man like I just
you know, we were having a conversation before about you know,
some of the most skilled players to ever played.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
His game, and.
Speaker 3 (45:47):
This dude is he's up there like I mean, you
think about the lower leg injuries. You know he's had
a few of them. But one thing about him, he's
not a player that just relies on athleticism. This dude
is so gil is crazy. So for him to get
back in the form or you know, not have to
rely on athleticism so much. He has a consistent jumper,
(46:08):
He can get to any shot he want, He can
create his own, Like, this dude is special.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
Man.
Speaker 3 (46:13):
So you know that talent now being back apart, you know, affiliate,
they do have a great chance of competing the needs.
Like I think conditioning will always be a concern when
it comes to missing so much time and having you know,
ten twelve games to come back, and you know he
can look great finishing out you know the regular season,
(46:33):
that playoff atmosphere is just a completely different monster and
you can't ignore that. So conditioning will continue to be
a concern for me. But just as far as talent
and impact on that team, like it's, man, this dude
is incredible.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
Man. That's that's That's just the least I can.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Say about He's really an incredible player, and I think
he's going to surprise some people in this playoff run.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
Yeah, I mean, I mean no back to backs in
the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (46:58):
Well, that's a good news.
Speaker 2 (46:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (47:00):
I think Tobias Harris. Tobias Harris needs to be healthy
for them too.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
Like that.
Speaker 4 (47:04):
They need everybody, don't They can't afford to have anybody out.
And like I said, Maxi and Kelly Oubre, the guys
who've been picking up that offensive slack, they're going to
need to continue that. It's not like Joelle's going to
come in and save the day. They need to still
be aggressive out there. Well.
Speaker 1 (47:20):
I got to give the NBA credit here because they've
had some new ideas. Some of them have looked great
at the beginning and then faded. Right. Remember the Elon
ending and the NBA All Star Game. This is great.
This fixed the All Star Game. It's wonderful. Oh wait,
never mind. You know, we've had other things that have
come in and they just haven't stuck the way that
you would want them to, even if they were successes
at first. The plan has stuck, man. I mean, this
(47:40):
has kept this last third of the season so interesting,
trying to compete to get into that sixth spot out
of the bottom. It makes teams in the nine and ten.
Can you imagine the last couple months if in the
West the Lakers and Warriors were at nine to ten
and the cutoff was eight. I mean, the conversation would
be completely different. Now it's been oh, well, what can
they do in a plan now where they get into it.
But I just think the discourse around the league is
(48:02):
so much more fun. The teams you can see competing
in a way they weren't. We used to have teams
sitting guys down the stretch left and right, and that
hasn't been happening with these kinds of teams. So I
would just say this organic kind of competing to win
when the NBA is looking to solve other problems over
the course of the next few years, whether it's guys
sitting during the bigger chunks of the regular season, whether
it's the All Star Game. In the end, you cannot
(48:24):
bribe people. You actually have to make the stakes worth
it for them, and they have done that with the
play in, and congratulations to them on that, because this
next week's going to be good boys. I cannot wait.
Thank you so much for joining today. You can catch
all episodes of Bullyball out there on the DraftKings Network,
all the Smoke Productions YouTube channel, wherever you get your podcasts.
Please rate and review us. We will see you next week,
(48:45):
unless Boogie is already the assistant coach and Kentucky by that.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
We'll see what happens.
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