March 26, 2025 • 37 mins
Sean Barnard and Sean Brace talk about the latest #NBA headlines as we get ready for the playoffs and some #MarchMadness!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Picks and Roll, handicapping the hardwood with Sixers insider Sean
Bernard and Sean Brace Going.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
You live here late night edition Picks and Roll chan
bre Shaw Bernard as always, be sure to follow Sean
on all things socials, and of course you can find
him representing the Great Squad over at DraftKings Sportsbook doing
a bang up job at DK network dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Sean, how are we doing today, sir?
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Yeah, doing well. I feel like I'm like understimulated by basketball.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Man.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
I'm used to having the three screens up games all
over the place, all in front of me. It feels
a little bit light just having like the Heat Warriors
watching one game at a time. Now it's not quite
the same. So cannot wait till there's is going to
be backing for the action to be back in full swing.
But can't complain basketball is basketball.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, it is funny because you go through those four
straight days of nothing but hoops, college hoops front and center,
and we haven't had the great games that everybody has
wanted and been you know, fired up.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
And there's some other things.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
That has everybody caught up and losing their mind over
specifically with four conferences only being represented so odd. Look,
we're gonna mix in some college hoops. We're definitely gonna
talk about those games because, as I said, you do
a great job over at DraftKings cover in college hoops.
But yeah, it's crazy because with the NBA, and both
of them do intertwine because of the prospects potentially could
(01:23):
be drafted by the seventy six ers, one that hit
a game winner and our first buzzer beater of March Madness,
and Derek Queen with Maryland. But the NBA, man like,
they might as well give them this week off.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
That's my point where I'm at right now. Just give
them this week off, and I think we experiment with that.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Get rid of the All Star Game, you give them
that week, You give them a week off a March,
and I think the Players Association might be on board.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Yeah, I think quite a few organizations have taken your
advice this week, Brace because I don't know if you've
taken a peek at some of these injury reports, man,
but it is tough times out there in the NBA.
Anyone putting any sort of bet on the table, look
right at that injury report, because every night it is
something pretty extreme, and honestly, the race to the bottom
of the NBA to be competitive with those NBA Draft
lottery odds has been even steeper than the race in
(02:08):
the actual playoff race for some of these teams. Is
all these organizations are trying to stack the deck in
their favorite to maximize the best future outlook there. So
there's been some bizarre lineups, rosters, combinations, however you want
to put it. In these past couple games. There there's
players that I did not realize we're still playing in
the NBA that I've seen on full display in recent days.
So yeah, it's been quite an interesting week.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, and then of course today we get more news
from the NBA as far as a major injury that
seems to be something that isn't running in the NBA.
But we've now had a few big names with blood clots.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Who's the latest here, Yeah, Damian Lillard. So never something
that you want to want to see here, and it
does seem likely that this is going to shut down
his season. They haven't laid out a timeline yet. From
reading up on it a little, it seems like three
months is the tentative expected timeline for him, So that
would push you past the season point. That's a tough
break for obviously Damian Lillard individually, and I know he
put out a statement through Chris Haynes talking about obviously
(03:06):
the life aspect of this, that blood clouds are a
little different than treating a sprain ankle or something like that,
that you got to think about life post basketball in
a slightly different way here. So Dame obviously taking that
seriously and Milwaukee supporting that and in the short term, Man,
this is a tough break for the Bucks as an organization.
There's been a lot of these kind of bubbling conversations
under the scenes here of could Jannis be that next
star to demand out face the open market. It was
(03:29):
just a couple months ago that Sean Shrani was reporting
that the Bucks needed to prove to Jannis over this
next stretch that they are doing the right step, taking
the right steps as an organization to solidify themselves. If
Damian Lillard is not healthy for the playoffs, and this
is Jannis going to war by himself again, it would
not shock me if this could be coming to a
close for the honest Aaron, Milwaukee, It's a little premature
to have those conversations. At this point in time, maybe
(03:51):
Damian Lillard is able to escape. This is not as
bad as initially feared. Hoping that is the case for sure,
but certainly not when you see from Milwaukee Bucks perspective.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Well, you know, first and foremost, get well, Dame.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Second of all, it's a good thing they didn't pop
those bottles out in Vegas when they won the end season.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
That's a good thing. It's a good thing that they did.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
It's a good thing they didn't enjoy themselves, you know,
and they allowed to get caught up.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Well, we gotta get out of here. We got it
over a good time.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Yeah, I think you and I were both on the
right side of history at the time and even now so.
And by the way, our boy Doc Rivers doing his
media tour once again about how he doesn't get enough
credit for winning the three games in the blown three
one series, the multitude that he does have of them
the most in NBA history, The most playoff loss is
in NBA history. So I'm sure Doc is licking his
(04:40):
chops at another excuse being thrown on his plate. Right now.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
What's the latest there?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Because I saw it on my television screen and I
flipped through the chances that I saw steven A and
skip or Shannon yelling about it.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
What is the latest with doc foot and mouth situation here?
I lujah?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Uh oh internet Internet, Yeah, my apologies.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
Looks like the Internet cutting out a little in and
out here. But I'm back and I do have the
full quote from Doc Rivers. So Doc Rivers says he
doesn't get enough credit for winning three games in the
playoff series where he blew three one leads quote. No
one tells a real story, and I'm fine with that.
It's unfair in some ways. I don't get credit for
getting the three wins. I get credit for losing. I
always say, what if we lost to Houston in six?
(05:33):
No one cares. One of the things that I'm proud
of is that we've never been swept. All the coaches
have been swept in the playoffs. My team's achieved a
lot of them overachieve, and I'm very proud of that.
You will never find a master of excuse making like
Doc Rivers. Man shout out to him the best at
his craft, and he's relentless.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
He doesn't give up. He never waves a white flag.
Uh uh, He's still standing standing tall.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, I've never been swept before.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Like that's put that on a banner, all right, put
that on his tombstone.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's absurd.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Well, look, you know, without Dame, they're in trouble. And
it was a moment in time this season. And maybe
you could even pitch me about a month ago talking
to me about the Bucks.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
But no, more so, what is there any teams right now?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
As we get caught up here, let's have some NBA discussion.
The Pacers have won a bunch of games in a row.
Are we looking at them in a different light? And
again for this discussion here, no one's going to tell
you anything different about the Boston Celtics and the Cavs,
the two best teams in the conference.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
But if one of them.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Was to slip up, do the Pacers have a shot?
Could the Knicks get them?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Of course, they've been always top dogs in there, the
Hawks if they're in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Is there a team out there right now that's making
a push late that maybe have your eye on?
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Yeah? And I will say it is a bummer because
I was starting to sip the Bucks kool aid a
little bit and believing in what they were leaning on
his basketball team. That all changes if Damian Liler is
not a part of it, and that does seem to
be the reality that we are living in. So if
that is the case, and that seems to be what
we are fully on to the impression of, I don't
think you can view the Bucks as legitimate contenders in
that way. Indiana is interesting. They've won five in a
row to this point. It's been a strange season for
(07:08):
Tyrese Haliburton. He's taken a statistical step back this year,
playing much better of late, and he's certainly been bothered
for injuries at stretches, so I'll give him a bit
of a pass there. Pascal Siakam has been their best
player on the wider scale for the season long standpoint there.
That was a nice edition last season, and I think
he's coming to his own a little bit better in
the second or in his second season in Indiana. There,
I still don't see like the top end talent with
(07:29):
Indiana to run with either the Celtics or the Calves there.
I do think we're heading to a two team race
in the East, and it kind of has been that
way all season. I guess to go down the list
a little bit. I'm not fully counting out the Detroit Pistons.
I know that they're well ahead of the curb, and
I think it's probably more likely than not that they
get swept or get knocked out in the first round.
But they're gonna give whatever team they face a battle.
(07:49):
If this is like a Knicks versus Pistons first round,
that's gonna be war man. And frankly, I think Detroit's
bought in and ready to compete with anybody. And Kate
Cunningham's gonna be the best player on a lot of
floors that he walks on, even in some of these
plays off series there. So Detroit would probably be the
dark horse, the dark horse that I point to, even
though they probably are still too youthful and ahead of
their timeline right now.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
All right, and from the east, let's get on over
to the west side of things.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Injuries.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
What happened with Steph Curry? Why are all these big
time players hurt right now?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And should we be concerned as far as playoffs are
concerned are coming up?
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah, definitely not ideal, And it does feel like the
injuries have been brutal on another level, especially of late,
and really all season. Steve Kerr said, like Steph Curry
tried his best to play tonight, that this was obviously
an important game between it being the Warriors and the
Heat here that he flew across the country, but ultimately
they decided that he was not ready and had him
left out for this game. But the fact that that
was the conversation, to me, is encouraging that this isn't
(08:43):
a long term thing. We know who Steph Curry is,
and frankly, I've been really encouraged by the version of
him we've seen in the post Jimmy Butler trade. As
much as Butler is an upgrade from a personnel standpoint,
to me, what the biggest takeaway of that entire deal
is is Curry has more freedom to move off ball,
you know, do the things that he is best at,
as far as having guys chase him arounds, creating looks
for himself without having the ball in his hands. Here,
(09:03):
it does feel like everything fits back into the pecking
order out there in Golden State than it did before
the Jimmy Butler trade. So disappointing that he was not
able to play in this Heat versus Warriors game, but
I don't have any sort of concern in the long
haul for Steph car.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yeah, Jimmy's another one, kind of like Doc Rivers a
little bit different, but at the same time, just like
open the Mouth and sert Foot. I saw Jimmy talking
to reporters how like he's always made out to be
the bad guy.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
It's just, you know, Jimmy deserves Jimmy should be in politics.
After it's all said and done. He should be in politics.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Just Doc might end up there. And I also know
I will give Jimmy a little love. They asked him
if he has anything to say to pat Riley, and
his response was nope, I have nothing to say to
pat Riley, and he better have nothing to say to me,
which I did like that quote.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
There, Damn pat got it some some heat, not strays. Now,
that was a head seek a missile right at him.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Hey, you asked jim I mean he's gonna answer yeah,
that too.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And look you brought him in. This is you know
players like that, people like that. It's only got one
way of ending.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
And you know how it's eventually they're gonna run their
time and and hell's gonna break loose when it does happen.
All right, let's go ahead, and as far as the
West is concerned with Oklahoma City and the Nuggets, okay, see,
mightus won forty Nuggets six to one, Warriors plus seven
to fifty Lakers eight to one? Will stop there. How
(10:29):
we feel about the Lakers with the Lebron's absence.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Yeah, they're certainly struggling a little bit. They've lost their
past three games. And I think like the biggest thing
that myself and a lot of people had their eye
on is it was ridiculous the defensive metrics, the way
they leads following the Lukadancis trade that we all knew
with Lukadancis, that's the concern, right, we know how gifted
he is offensively, But that was part of the driving
force of why the Mavericks made that trade, is they
wanted to sell this vision of being a defensive minded
(10:53):
basketball team. It made zero sense to me when looking
at the personnel in this Lakers team, why they were
performing so well defensively, why they were able to be
so just impactful and assertive on that side of the ball.
We're finally seeing that a little bit that honeymoon period
wear off, where there have been some issues. The biggest
thing that I'm going to continue to circle back to,
and we kind of have known this to be the case,
the lack of interior presence and not having like a
(11:14):
real deal big man is really killing this team. The
defensive issues come from not having an anchor behind them,
Guys like Jackson Hayes, Alex lenn They're just not good
enough for what this Lakers team needs them to be
doing or the role that they need them to be
playing there. So there certainly has been some defensive slippage.
I'm still not counting out a team that has Luca
Doncis and Lebron James on it. I think they're going
to be a very matchup based team when speaking the
(11:35):
playoff perspective there. But it has been the first I
would say concerning stretch since the Luka Doncics trade. I'm
not hitting the panic button. This needed to happen. But
we're finally starting to see like the actual defensive concerns
that we knew we're going to be there showing up
on the court. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Look, it's great to have Lebron back in the mix,
and it looked like, you know, he didn't miss it
much time. It came back and scored a bunch of
points against the Bulls. Then Team excuse Me played thirty
one minutes in a second game up against the Magic
twenty four.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Perfect time, get everything going, Plenty of.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Time to get you know, reacquainted as far as with
Luca and the system, the way that they're playing.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
So I'm right there with you. I know that there
was a.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Lot of hype for a couple of weeks that they
were the story of the sports world. Sean Binnard, do
you think we'll be getting back to that height, you know,
let's say, once March Madness is over and April comes around.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Yeah, I do think we will. I think there will be.
This is a little bit of kind of the valley
that we'll see as far as the dip in the
production and all the kind of talking points with the
Lakers here, it's gonna happen, like there are the ebbs
and flows of a season. I do think that they
will find their form again and at least look better
than they have been in the short term. So I'm
not hitting the panic button with the Lakers yet. These
are the growing pains that you're gonna happen when you
(12:48):
see such a seismic roster shape or roster change in
the midpoint of a season here, so not worried about it.
They will look better than they have in recent games,
but the flaws are there. They're not a perfect team,
and we all knew that as well.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
All right, now, we can get on over to the
Sixers side of things and we'll ease our way into
some college hoops conversation based off of the prospects that.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Are currently playing.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
What's the latest with the seventy six ers as far
as news that's worth our attention, of course, injuries injuries.
We're tanking where we're playing for lottery balls. Grimes was
too good of a player. We're sitting him down. Just
an incredible disaster.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
That we are. But it's beautiful.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yeah. Another five game losing streak. I believe this is
twenty three of their last twenty five they have dropped
at this point here, including the most recent game of
the hands of New Orleans Pelicans, who also rested all
their players. So they play. They face the Wizards tomorrow,
a big day in the lottery outs tomorrow is the
Sixers will play the Wizards as well as the Raptors
and Nets playing each other. So unfortunately, the way that
basketball works is one team in each of those games
(13:50):
does have to get a victory there. So we will
see that shape itself out in a little bit. In
the standings there, they're currently tied with the Brooklyn Nets
for the fifth worst odds at this current mo they
have a thirty nine point nine percent chance at a
top four pick, a nine point eight percent chance at
the number one overall pick here, and as far as
if they finished the season, them and the Nets with
the exact same record, it comes down to a straight
(14:11):
up coin flip for who has the increased lottery odds.
So kind of a little bizarre that that is the
outcome of that, But something to keep in mind. The
bottom line is the tal has been thrown in for
quite some time. We have ten games remaining. Hold your breath,
get to the finish line and then we can start
to have some a little bit of discussion about the
Sixers team. But boy, I the Sixers game that has
happened in the middle of March madness does not crack
(14:31):
that my top ten of favorite basketball games. Watch that game,
I'll tell you that, no, I.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Haven't tuned in and to be honest with the NBA
has been completely on.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
The back burner.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
But you know, I think a lot of us are
in that same area. But at the same time, we
know playoffs.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Are fast approaching, and it doesn't help that the Sixers
are a disaster. There's nothing worth like tuning into right now.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
A lot of injuries across the league, a lot of
places are positioned, a lot of team's already locked in,
not so much locked in. But you know, no one's
looking at anything other than the two horses in the East,
right No one's given the Knicks an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Why would you because they never beat them in the
regular season.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
So it's the Celtics, and it's the Calves and then
over on the west side.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yeah, it could get a little bit more interesting, that's
for sure.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I think people definitely paying attention to it a little
bit more than what they are at this point in time.
But March Madness is March Madness, dominant time a year
for all things college basketball, and rightfully so, I think
we're gonna have some better games coming starting up on
a Thursday.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
And I will say from a Sixers perspective that like,
for the first time in several years, you can be
in full prospect watch mode that if some of these
top March Madness names are guys that you want to
keep your eye on. If could that be a potential
Sixers target or could that guy change the trajectory if
they keep their pick there. So I've had a little
bit of fun with that angle.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
And Will Smith making an appearance the Fresh Prince? Did
you see that for the Sixers?
Speaker 4 (15:50):
I did. I panicked a little bit when I saw
the French princes coming home here. I thought that was
Ben Simmons reference at first. So would much rather Will
Smith be walking into the arena.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Yeah, let's just hit the fast forward, but and not
play these games.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
How about that. Let's just get to the end of
if they could, they would I know.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
They probably would.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah, exactly all right, And let's talk a little bit
about as far.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
As the prospects are concerned. Cooper Flag, That's what it's
all about.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
What a difference maker shown so far for Duke and
I think it's going to be the same, if not more,
at the professional level. And there are so many things
that come with Cooper Flag that I think had raised
the game up. We were talking about this earlier. I
know I brought it up, you know, after the weekend
as well, and I think we're all on the same
page as far as how special of a player he is.
(16:38):
We see, he's eighteen years old. But when you really
dig deep and you get into the commercialized side of it,
the marketing side, and I'm not trying to water things down,
but we have to be realistic about it. First and foremost.
You talk about the international players, they dominate at the
top of the list, right, Yeah, top five players.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
In the NBA are all international players. So now you have.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
An American player that could potentially be one of the
better players in the league.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Oh, by the way, you know I said this to Beef.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
He's a white dude, right, You don't see this happen
often at this type of level.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
Especially if he ends up on the Jazz by the way.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Oh jeez, yeah, you know, like you got to go
back to having a white dude being being a franchised
difference maker.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Am I wrong by saying Larry Bird?
Speaker 4 (17:23):
I mean, I see you're not counting the Luka, Doncic,
Nicole Yak just because they're international.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Correct, Yes, they gotta be American? Yes, American?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
So yeah, I don't know, if you've got a little
Tyler hero love or something like that. Nothing to this, Reddick,
I said, Reddick.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
I gave Reddick some some credit there. You had a
great you had a solid NBA career, great college career. Again,
you know, is there someone that jumps off the page
that you know?
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Yeah, I'm trying to think Franz Wagner. I don't think
fits that full criteria. He's went to Michigan, you know, American.
I believe he grew up in America. I'm pretty sure
that is the case there. So maybe i'd throw him
in that category. Kind of I guess I'm in the
gray area there. Yeah, there's not a lot that we're
working with in kind of this overall conversation.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
So docton Bird Stockton Key, Like, this is what we're
talking about right now.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
And I'm not trying to build him up, but like
it could be a Caitlin Clark type deal. It really
could be, you know, where he comes in and this
dude all of a sudden just gets this fanfare and
people love him and he's dominating and he's eighteen years old.
That's why I say, don't put a ceiling on this
kid right now, we're having some grimlins, some grimlins in
(18:41):
the system.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I love he locks in.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
I wonder what he sees when when it happens, when
the freeze happens.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
What do you see? That's what I want to know.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Mostly spinning spinning wheels here and kind of audio in
and out here. But yeah, So to go back to
the Cooper Flag conversation, the thing that's impressed me to most,
Like I get we're talking about a lot of kind
of the commercial aspects, the marketing aspects, and I do
think where he lands is going to have like a
huge part in that. Like there, yeah, there, there have
been like all the buzz of could he stay at
(19:12):
Duke another year if you know the Wizards get the
one pick or something like that. We live in an
era of nil where I think we're in some uncharted
waters where it's more possible than ever before. But bottom line,
I just don't really see that happening or even being
a little any sort of possibility. Maybe it's a leverage play,
Maybe there's some thoughts he loves it at Duke that much,
but the reality is, like you go to the NBA
if you're the guaranteed number one pick and he That
(19:33):
is certainly the case with Cooper Flag here watching him
like at Duke this year. I don't mean this as
a slight at on him, but I think he's more
of like a winning player than he is that the
stats are gonna show that. It wouldn't shock me if,
like his NBA outlook is sort of like a I
don't want to say connective piece, because he's way more
than that. But he's a guy that what has really
impressed me is he does the little things. He is
(19:54):
like an ultra competitor. He's willing to do the dirty
work for teams and that's all stuff that like, I yes,
the more that I've watched him this year, it was
slightly different than what my expectations of him were. And
I mean that more as a positive than anything. But
it wouldn't shock me if, like, the ultimate takeaway for
Cooper Flag isn't that he's this leading scorer on a team.
It's that he's a guy that's just a huge winning
player that is necessary to winning basketball games.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Yeah, he does it all, defense, rebounding, you know, he's
got the dunks in your face, you know.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Seems like a damn good kid.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Yeah, strong, solid, personality, but nothing too flamboyant, not over.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Over the top, and just you know, it's just glaring.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
How young he is, so sky's the limit, not putting
the ceiling on him. But you are one hundred percent correct.
It matters so much where he ends up. You know,
Sam Austrey was saying the other day he thinks he
could turn around the Wizards.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Good luck.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, you know, the Charlotte Hornets have never won anything
in my lifetime.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Good luck. You know, we'll see.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
I read an article that brought this up earlier that
they ranked the death today Sixers were number.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Two on this list.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
What was one?
Speaker 3 (21:03):
One was San Antonio.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Okay, I'll give him that. That's fair. Wow, that'd be
something I do think like Cooper Flag, if you're Cooper
Flag right now and looking down your list of options,
there is a world where he's saying, sign me up
for Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Man.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
He's an East Coast kid, obviously, I mean main not
quite East Coast, East Coast, but nonetheless on the same
side of the United States. There and a guy that
like could be closer to his family. And when you
look at the actual roster right here, you get to
play next to Tyrese Maxi, you get to play next
to Jared McCain, a fellow doochie there, as well as
Joel MBII potentially coming back in Paul George on this team. Still. So,
(21:38):
while it has been a disastrous season for the Sixers,
if you're talking about adding a Cooper Flag and then
running it back next year, you are talking about a
legitimate contender, Like I don't want that to get lost
on people. Yes, everything that could go wrong has gone
wrong this year, but if you have a nine point
eight percent chance at adding this generational type talent for
all the reasons that we just talked about, everyone should
be backing on the Sixers. So it's not a like
(22:00):
case that that is how things played out, but there's
also a direct nine point eight percent chance that that
is how it plays itself out. So we're at the
mercy of the lottery balls. But I do think if
you're in Cooper Flags camp right now, the Sixers are
pretty near the top of where he should want to play.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Yeah, it's hard to argue, and you know, you look
at with McCain, you look at with MAXI. Of course
Jojo if he can get somewhat back out on the
floor healthy. It doesn't take you know, someone a genius
to realize how good Jojo has potential or what his
potential is. We'll see how it shakes out. Everybody wants
to deprized, everybody wants Cooper flag see teams. The teams
(22:36):
are trying anything and everything, Seohan I saw teams are
like sitting players in the fourth quarter star players, so
they don't you can find. Yeah, they're being a little
tricksters these days in the NBA with tanking.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
That that to me, by the way, is way more
egregious than like anything that like the Sixers have done
in this conversation. The Raptors in the Jazz are the
two most guilty parties of this. But like I've seen
several games for both of those teams this season, Like
the last Lori marknin scored sixteen points in the first half,
just didn't play in the second half. They just sat
him the whole time. That same game, Walker Kessler was
active in uniform on the bench, did not play a minute,
(23:10):
and the Raptors same thing. I've seen multiple games this
season where it's a tie game with five minutes ago,
and all of a sudden, all their starters are pulled there,
so teams certainly go into some pretty crazy lengths here.
Who knows how things shake out. And by the way,
for the anti tanking conversation, like the NBA has taken
strides to prevent this. The top three or the bottom
three records all have equal odds at getting that top pick,
(23:31):
so it's not even like a team like the Wizards
of the Jazz gain this advantage by doing it. It
all comes down to the ping pong balls. But yeah,
I do think this year has been another level of
tanking than I've ever seen before. And I thought we
had hit the peak of the tanking era across the NBA.
I guess not.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Nope, definitely not nope. And the truth is it will
always be based off of the player, right.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Sure, well, like who's available you're.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Saying correct, who's coming out in the draft?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
Yeah, And I think this specific year has helped by
the fact that like like when you think of the
victor Wen Minyama, yet like it was when Minyama and
then a drop off like this year, while Cooper Flag
is the clear cut number one, like you're not gonna
be mad if you walk away with Dylan Harper or
Ace Bailey or VJ. Edgecomb or Common Malawaka, any of
these like top guys that are like I wouldn't go
as far as saying franchise changing players, but you know
(24:19):
you're getting a good player. It is a deep, good
draft and we haven't had a lot of those recent memory.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Yeah, Maloaka is who I got my eye on for Duke.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
I like him a lot.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Yeah, that's the guy that I'm I'm thinking could be
potentially the the guy that helps lift things up for
the sixers, and especially if you have MAXI and McCain
already in there. And why wouldn't you believe that that's
the case. So go out there and get you some size.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I like that. Plus I think him and Jojo might
have like a connection, you know. Yeah, But we'll see
what happens. We're a long way from that point, but
we'll see.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
With that being said, real quick, let's go ahead and
close up shop and let's talk a little bit about
the college card here.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
It's Picks and Roll. We cover it all NBA.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
And college here specifically when it is March madness. Do
you know who will be in the final four?
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Do I know? Uh? I mean, my initial predictions are
off aus My Saint Johnny's took a tumble there, But
I wouldn't say I'm super locked in on who I
know my final four will be. I do wholeheartedly believe
Houston will be in the final I do think it's Houston,
Florida Duke, which is pretty chalk there a little more
unsure in like the last region of it there. I
think I'm confident that those three will be in the
(25:30):
final four, all.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Right, because I think that's a good place to start.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
And also.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
With the sixteen sixteen teams that are left that DraftKings sportsbook,
how many of them could you make the case to
win the national championship?
Speaker 4 (25:46):
Interesting?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, Like, I as good as Texas Tech has looked,
I'm not going to go down that path, Perdue, I'm
not going to go down that path. Like there are
a few teams that I would remove, but the majority
of them, I'd say there's probably like eleven teams that
I can make a really good case that they could
win four straight.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Yeah, No, I agree with that. And even a team
like Michigan, who I've seen like just about zero buzz on,
like they're playing good basketball right now, and sometimes it
is about getting hot at the right time. That is
a team that I kind of have my eye on
that could be worth taking a chance on here. I'll
even throw Arkansas in the mix here that I understand
it would be a long shot here, but John Kyler
Pari has done this for a long time.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Man.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
That is a team that has some deep NCAA tournament experience,
guy like John L. Davis who obviously has gone deep
in the tournament not too long ago, a ton of
talent on this roster, Boogie Flann playing the best ball
that he has all season. So even though team like Arkansas,
I would squint and make the case for it, even
though I think it's unlikely. So it does feel pretty
wide open.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Worst odds too.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Words, Yes, no matter what, you're shaking out Arkansas. So
there's a lot of money to be made. Beef and
I were talk and we might be. We might be
hogged up. We might be hogged up, man, because there's
money to be made with Arkansas here as a late
Friday night tip ten on nine pm, taking on those
Red Raiders.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I think they could do it. We might be chasing
some hogs into the weekend.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
I like it. I like I can be talking that
as well. And I've been a Calipari guy for quite
some time here. I love that the team is fully
like rallied around him, got it and a very impressive
victory over Saint John's's. Once again, I had that team
winning at all in my bracket there, so I was
believing what Patino was doing. But Calipari basically beat him
at his own game to an extent that they play
very similar styles of basketball there and Arkansas got the
(27:23):
better of them. So shout out to the hard fought battle.
And now they're getting ready for another one against Texas
Tech there.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
All right, let's open up Thursday BYU Bama. Five and
a half. One seventy five and a half.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Could be the highest total NNCAA tournament history if it
does go off at that number.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
As far as five and a half as concerned where you're.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
At, feels like kind of a lot to me that
I do think this is gonna be a competitive game.
Whoever can get any sort of stops on defense probably
wins this one. Is what it boils down to. Very
similar styles. They're gonna play up temple tempo. I do
like this BYU team that I've kind of bought into
him a little more than I expected to. This feels
like a game that's gonna go down to the wire.
To me, I don't think either one of these teams
deserves to be five point favorites based on the quality
(28:03):
of defense that they do hold here. So to me,
I'm taking the cover and could see this. I view
this is more of a toss up game. So kind
of surprised that five and a half being the number.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
All right, you're right with the crab five where you're
gonna go with them Gators six and a half point
spread one seven and a half game two on Thursday.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
I know I've been labeled as a Maryland hater here
a little bit by our friend Sam Austri, And uh
my answer here isn't gonna gonna change the story on
that whatsoever. I do think Florida has too much the
minus six and a half that I'm seeing on that.
Maryland's good, man, They're a very good team. They're very
like they're starting five is electric. Derek Queen is awesome,
and he's a guy that has certainly grown on me
(28:40):
a ton since this tournament has started here. But Florida's
so deep. Walter Clayton's the real deal there, and I
still am waiting for this moment, and this has been
my fear all tournament. You get one of those starting
five in foul trouble or if there's something that happens
that one of their availabilities is impacted, it's straight up
over for Maryland. When you look at Florida, I see
a million different ways in which they can win that
game and a shootout, playing hard nosed defense, completely cutting
(29:02):
things off in the half court. I just feel better
about more ways Florida can win. I think Maryland hangs
with him a little bit, but I think Florida breaks
this when open the second half and they cover the
minus six and a half.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Duke's been dominant, probably the most dominant team all tournament.
Long nine and a half point favorites one fifty three
and a half.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Is that too many points in your mind?
Speaker 4 (29:20):
It is a lot. But I don't think it's enough
that this Duke team looks borderline unstoppable right now. I
am a Caleb Love guy out there in Arizona, and
he played terrific in the last round against Oregon there.
It wouldn't shock me if there is Caleb Love ready
to come for some revenge, take on his old foes there,
and be ready for a heater. But I don't think
there's enough in this overall Arizona roster here. I think
we're gonna see a lot of points in this one.
(29:41):
I do lean towards the over but I think Duke
has too much for Arizona to ultimately hang with. And
sort of a similar story to the Maryland and Florida
outlook there that I think that they hang for a
while before Duke pulls away in the second half and
the nine and a half is still comfortable length.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
That's where I'm at as well. I think Duke is
the play here they're going to put up.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
You know, they were giving monster spreads all season long,
so there's gonna be nothing new. You know, anything's possible.
You take your foot off the gas. Next thing in
Arizona gets hot. I didn't think they were beating Oregon.
I didn't think they were gonna come back and beat
Oregon with it. They did, they did. They deserve credit.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
They're rolling on, but give me Duke and that one
final fourth game here.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
On Thursday night, we just talked about Arkansas and Texas
Tech five and a half.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
You backing them Hogs.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
Here, I am. I do like Arkansas. I like the
five and a half, and I do think it's worth
of taking a chance on the money line here. And
by the way, Texas Tech is like real deal good
like I've been a big believer in this Houston team,
have a Houston future out right now that I think
they win it all as them in Saint John's are
my two teams drive into this Texas Tech kind of
orchestrated and built pretty similarly. That they're gonna be a
defensive minded team. They're gonna wear on you, They're gonna
(30:44):
compete without. But I do think Arkansas is playing its
best basketball at the right time, and really the story
of the season when looking at that Razorbacks team, They've
never had a chance to hit their peak. They've dealt
with injuries all years, guys in and out of the lineup,
and Calbary has been pretty open talking about how that's
been the case there. So it does feel like they
are peaking at the right time. They have all their
notable guys back and playing their best ball, So I
like Arkansas to keep it rolling. That is the Cinderella
(31:06):
story of this season.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
I think Old.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Miss Michigan State, first game on a Friday seven or
nine pm. Two great coaches, Beard and Izzo. But you
know what they say, can't bet against hiszo in March.
Where do you stand on this one?
Speaker 4 (31:19):
Yeah, and I know I'm laying all the favorites here,
but I think that is the takeaway here. With all
due respect to Sean Padula who's been awesome for Ole
Miss and Chris Barry, who's coaching that team up quite well,
I do think Michigan State, I think it's a little
bit more of a threat to win at all than
I gave him initial credit. Walking in Jace Richardson leading
the charge there obviously Jason Richardson's son and the cool
kind of stories that tie there, but from top to
bottom that team has it. And what's interesting isob be
(31:41):
the first guy to say this is not his most
talented team. But they all buy in. Man, they all
get their role, they all do their thing, and any
given player can step up in any game. So I
like that about him sometimes that matters in March, and
I do think that the way they can kind of
beat you in a variety of ways appeals to me.
So I like the minus three and a half in
favorite Michigan State.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Nine PM Kentucky and Tennessee four and a half point
spread one forty four and a half is our total.
Kentucky beat them two times already in the regular season.
Get their four and a half point dogs make it
makes sense?
Speaker 4 (32:11):
Yeah, and I will not because I think Kentucky rolls again.
I like the plus one sixty on the money line.
Otega Oway has become one of my favorite watches. He
had a pretty rough performance in the last game, but
I kind of like a bounce back performance. Tennessee's good,
the Kay Ziegler, Rick Barnes. We know the story with them,
and defensively they're even a notch better than I expected.
They kind of have graded out metrically as one of
the better defenders, are better defensive teams all season, but
(32:34):
I do think that they've taken it up a notch
in this tournament. I've been impressed with that. With that
all being said, I do think there's too much talent
on this Kentucky team. Experience matters, and obviously this is
a whole new Kentucky team versus a Tennessee roster that
has been established. But I keep waiting for the shoe
to fall and we get one of those Tennessee slip
up performances. I think it happens this round and the hungry,
competitive athletic Kentucky team runs them at the gym.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
All right, just brought up Michigan, but they got a
tough test going up against.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
The overall number one seed in Auburn.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Here.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Nine and a half points spread one fifty three and
a half is our total. I just think that's disrespectful
towards the Wolverines. Man, it's a good team. They got
some big size down low two seven footers.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
I think they're ready for the battle here.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
But I was singing the same tune about Creton and
then Nick got ugly in that second half, so.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
I'm a little hesitant here. It's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
It's the seventh game out of the eight total games here,
so we'll see what.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Happens in those first six. But here we are. I
do like the nine and a half of Michigan. What
do you think?
Speaker 4 (33:31):
Yeah? I feel the same way, And this is the
one that I have as much optimism for an upset
compared to like the Arkansas game that we were talking about.
But I do think Michigan's gonna stay competitive throughout. I've
been very skeptical of this Auburn team that yes, they're
very good, Yes they should be viewed as contenders to
win it All to cut down those nets, but they
also have stretches where they look like they forget how
to play basketball and make some of the stupid stupidest
(33:51):
decisions of any top team that I've seen, with Chaz
Baker Mazzarro really headlining those moments there. So I think
that there's gonna be kind of enough stupid goodness that
pops up in this game to keep it competitive, and
Michigan's gonna bring it.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
Man.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
Danny Wolf is a blast to watch, and the two
seven footers running pick and roll together is just pretty
unique to see. Again, Wolf is like the orchestrator to
make it happen the IVY League transfer and really unique
just skill set to his game there. So I think
there's gonna be a different look that they provide that
Auburn isn't quite accustomed to. I do wonder how Johnny
Broom hangs when he's brought out to the perimeter far
more than he's comfortable doing or really has it in
(34:26):
the past year, So I don't love this matchup from
an Auburn perspective, I do think Michigan brings it to him,
competes and covers the plus nine and a half. So
while I don't think we might see this big upset,
who knows could talk myself into it to this time,
I do think the nine and a half is disrespectful
Michigan covers.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Yeah, Dusty may coaching hiss off as well for Michigan
with that one all right, final game here, Purdue in
Houston eight and a half Sean Minard one thirty two
and a half.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
It's our lowest total in the Sweet sixteen. I know
Beef said he was on the under here.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Does Purdue have enough to hang with Houston or will
be too much defense from Houston's.
Speaker 4 (34:59):
Perspective, Yeah, I don't think they do. And to be honest,
the minus eight and a half in favor of Houston
is my favorite bet. It is a bummer that it
is the last game here. I think Houston is the
real deal and a team that has not got enough
respect is this should be viewed as the championship favorite.
Maybe that's a little strong, as Duke looks unbelievable. Florida
looks unbelievable, Auburn looks great as well, but it doesn't
feel like Houston is thrown into the same tier that
(35:19):
they are when they are every bit as talented.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
L J.
Speaker 4 (35:22):
Cryer has taken his game to new heights this year. Defensively,
they lock in, and the way that Calvin Sampson just
establishes a program culture with just straight up dogs across
the roster is really impressive to me. It happens year
in and year out, and you can clearly see this
roster embracing it, buying into the style, and just competing
on that side of the floor. So Purdue has already
exceeded my expectations. I did not think this was a
(35:42):
team that had this type of ability to make noise
in this tournament. I did not think this was one
of Matt Peters better squads that he's worked with. So
I think it comes to an end here and Houston
ends up ends our Friday Night on a blowout.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Yeah, he deserves a lot of credit for getting him
to this spot.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
I know he wasn't the strongest opponents in High Point
by no means.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
And then h McNeice McNeice.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Yeah, which McNeice I thought should have played a little
bit better. You know, they they had some size, they
got some skill there, they got some ballers, but they
weren't able to put it together. But Purdue, look, they
roll on tough spots going up against Houston as far
as the one seed is concerned. But we got eight
great games in front of us, and look forward to
covering all that and more with you. Of course, Sean
(36:24):
on the Gambler will continue to read you over at
a DraftKings sportsbook. Be sure to get all of Sean
and of course Julie had those content the great folks
from a DK network dot com Sean.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
But Alreadyny final thoughts before we get out of here, sir, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
Make the most enjoy March Madness. Man, it only happens
once a year, so buckle up for Thursday and Friday.
That's our real last chance at kind of the NonStop
ebbs and flows of basketball, multiple games going down before
the action really thins out here. So enjoy Thursday and Friday.
We only get this once a year. It doesn't happen
often enough, and it is the best sporting event across
the entire calendar. Year, So shout out the March and
this and be locked in for Thursday and Friday.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
It's supposed to be like eighty degrees on Saturday too,
it's gonna be hot.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
Hey, TV's work outside, TV's work outside. That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Shapanard you the best.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
We'll continue to follow you on socials, read you over
at DK Network, and of course, folks, if you missed anything,
be sure to get everything over at FOXPHL gambler dot com.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
The pix and Roll podcast can be found on FOXPHL
gambler dot com
Picks and Roll, handicapping the hardwood with Sixers insider Sean
Bernard and Sean Brace Going.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
You live here late night edition Picks and Roll chan
bre Shaw Bernard as always, be sure to follow Sean
on all things socials, and of course you can find
him representing the Great Squad over at DraftKings Sportsbook doing
a bang up job at DK network dot com.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Sean, how are we doing today, sir?
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Yeah, doing well. I feel like I'm like understimulated by basketball.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Man.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
I'm used to having the three screens up games all
over the place, all in front of me. It feels
a little bit light just having like the Heat Warriors
watching one game at a time. Now it's not quite
the same. So cannot wait till there's is going to
be backing for the action to be back in full swing.
But can't complain basketball is basketball.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, it is funny because you go through those four
straight days of nothing but hoops, college hoops front and center,
and we haven't had the great games that everybody has
wanted and been you know, fired up.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
And there's some other things.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
That has everybody caught up and losing their mind over
specifically with four conferences only being represented so odd. Look,
we're gonna mix in some college hoops. We're definitely gonna
talk about those games because, as I said, you do
a great job over at DraftKings cover in college hoops.
But yeah, it's crazy because with the NBA, and both
of them do intertwine because of the prospects potentially could
(01:23):
be drafted by the seventy six ers, one that hit
a game winner and our first buzzer beater of March Madness,
and Derek Queen with Maryland. But the NBA, man like,
they might as well give them this week off.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
That's my point where I'm at right now. Just give
them this week off, and I think we experiment with that.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Get rid of the All Star Game, you give them
that week, You give them a week off a March,
and I think the Players Association might be on board.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Yeah, I think quite a few organizations have taken your
advice this week, Brace because I don't know if you've
taken a peek at some of these injury reports, man,
but it is tough times out there in the NBA.
Anyone putting any sort of bet on the table, look
right at that injury report, because every night it is
something pretty extreme, and honestly, the race to the bottom
of the NBA to be competitive with those NBA Draft
lottery odds has been even steeper than the race in
(02:08):
the actual playoff race for some of these teams. Is
all these organizations are trying to stack the deck in
their favorite to maximize the best future outlook there. So
there's been some bizarre lineups, rosters, combinations, however you want
to put it. In these past couple games. There there's
players that I did not realize we're still playing in
the NBA that I've seen on full display in recent days.
So yeah, it's been quite an interesting week.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, and then of course today we get more news
from the NBA as far as a major injury that
seems to be something that isn't running in the NBA.
But we've now had a few big names with blood clots.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Who's the latest here, Yeah, Damian Lillard. So never something
that you want to want to see here, and it
does seem likely that this is going to shut down
his season. They haven't laid out a timeline yet. From
reading up on it a little, it seems like three
months is the tentative expected timeline for him, So that
would push you past the season point. That's a tough
break for obviously Damian Lillard individually, and I know he
put out a statement through Chris Haynes talking about obviously
(03:06):
the life aspect of this, that blood clouds are a
little different than treating a sprain ankle or something like that,
that you got to think about life post basketball in
a slightly different way here. So Dame obviously taking that
seriously and Milwaukee supporting that and in the short term, Man,
this is a tough break for the Bucks as an organization.
There's been a lot of these kind of bubbling conversations
under the scenes here of could Jannis be that next
star to demand out face the open market. It was
(03:29):
just a couple months ago that Sean Shrani was reporting
that the Bucks needed to prove to Jannis over this
next stretch that they are doing the right step, taking
the right steps as an organization to solidify themselves. If
Damian Lillard is not healthy for the playoffs, and this
is Jannis going to war by himself again, it would
not shock me if this could be coming to a
close for the honest Aaron, Milwaukee, It's a little premature
to have those conversations. At this point in time, maybe
(03:51):
Damian Lillard is able to escape. This is not as
bad as initially feared. Hoping that is the case for sure,
but certainly not when you see from Milwaukee Bucks perspective.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Well, you know, first and foremost, get well, Dame.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Second of all, it's a good thing they didn't pop
those bottles out in Vegas when they won the end season.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
That's a good thing. It's a good thing that they did.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
It's a good thing they didn't enjoy themselves, you know,
and they allowed to get caught up.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Well, we gotta get out of here. We got it
over a good time.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Yeah, I think you and I were both on the
right side of history at the time and even now so.
And by the way, our boy Doc Rivers doing his
media tour once again about how he doesn't get enough
credit for winning the three games in the blown three
one series, the multitude that he does have of them
the most in NBA history, The most playoff loss is
in NBA history. So I'm sure Doc is licking his
(04:40):
chops at another excuse being thrown on his plate. Right now.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
What's the latest there?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Because I saw it on my television screen and I
flipped through the chances that I saw steven A and
skip or Shannon yelling about it.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
What is the latest with doc foot and mouth situation here?
I lujah?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Uh oh internet Internet, Yeah, my apologies.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
Looks like the Internet cutting out a little in and
out here. But I'm back and I do have the
full quote from Doc Rivers. So Doc Rivers says he
doesn't get enough credit for winning three games in the
playoff series where he blew three one leads quote. No
one tells a real story, and I'm fine with that.
It's unfair in some ways. I don't get credit for
getting the three wins. I get credit for losing. I
always say, what if we lost to Houston in six?
(05:33):
No one cares. One of the things that I'm proud
of is that we've never been swept. All the coaches
have been swept in the playoffs. My team's achieved a
lot of them overachieve, and I'm very proud of that.
You will never find a master of excuse making like
Doc Rivers. Man shout out to him the best at
his craft, and he's relentless.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
He doesn't give up. He never waves a white flag.
Uh uh, He's still standing standing tall.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, I've never been swept before.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Like that's put that on a banner, all right, put
that on his tombstone.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It's absurd.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Well, look, you know, without Dame, they're in trouble. And
it was a moment in time this season. And maybe
you could even pitch me about a month ago talking
to me about the Bucks.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
But no, more so, what is there any teams right now?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
As we get caught up here, let's have some NBA discussion.
The Pacers have won a bunch of games in a row.
Are we looking at them in a different light? And
again for this discussion here, no one's going to tell
you anything different about the Boston Celtics and the Cavs,
the two best teams in the conference.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
But if one of them.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Was to slip up, do the Pacers have a shot?
Could the Knicks get them?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Of course, they've been always top dogs in there, the
Hawks if they're in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Is there a team out there right now that's making
a push late that maybe have your eye on?
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Yeah? And I will say it is a bummer because
I was starting to sip the Bucks kool aid a
little bit and believing in what they were leaning on
his basketball team. That all changes if Damian Liler is
not a part of it, and that does seem to
be the reality that we are living in. So if
that is the case, and that seems to be what
we are fully on to the impression of, I don't
think you can view the Bucks as legitimate contenders in
that way. Indiana is interesting. They've won five in a
row to this point. It's been a strange season for
(07:08):
Tyrese Haliburton. He's taken a statistical step back this year,
playing much better of late, and he's certainly been bothered
for injuries at stretches, so I'll give him a bit
of a pass there. Pascal Siakam has been their best
player on the wider scale for the season long standpoint there.
That was a nice edition last season, and I think
he's coming to his own a little bit better in
the second or in his second season in Indiana. There,
I still don't see like the top end talent with
(07:29):
Indiana to run with either the Celtics or the Calves there.
I do think we're heading to a two team race
in the East, and it kind of has been that
way all season. I guess to go down the list
a little bit. I'm not fully counting out the Detroit Pistons.
I know that they're well ahead of the curb, and
I think it's probably more likely than not that they
get swept or get knocked out in the first round.
But they're gonna give whatever team they face a battle.
(07:49):
If this is like a Knicks versus Pistons first round,
that's gonna be war man. And frankly, I think Detroit's
bought in and ready to compete with anybody. And Kate
Cunningham's gonna be the best player on a lot of
floors that he walks on, even in some of these
plays off series there. So Detroit would probably be the
dark horse, the dark horse that I point to, even
though they probably are still too youthful and ahead of
their timeline right now.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
All right, and from the east, let's get on over
to the west side of things.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Injuries.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
What happened with Steph Curry? Why are all these big
time players hurt right now?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And should we be concerned as far as playoffs are
concerned are coming up?
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah, definitely not ideal, And it does feel like the
injuries have been brutal on another level, especially of late,
and really all season. Steve Kerr said, like Steph Curry
tried his best to play tonight, that this was obviously
an important game between it being the Warriors and the
Heat here that he flew across the country, but ultimately
they decided that he was not ready and had him
left out for this game. But the fact that that
was the conversation, to me, is encouraging that this isn't
(08:43):
a long term thing. We know who Steph Curry is,
and frankly, I've been really encouraged by the version of
him we've seen in the post Jimmy Butler trade. As
much as Butler is an upgrade from a personnel standpoint,
to me, what the biggest takeaway of that entire deal
is is Curry has more freedom to move off ball,
you know, do the things that he is best at,
as far as having guys chase him arounds, creating looks
for himself without having the ball in his hands. Here,
(09:03):
it does feel like everything fits back into the pecking
order out there in Golden State than it did before
the Jimmy Butler trade. So disappointing that he was not
able to play in this Heat versus Warriors game, but
I don't have any sort of concern in the long
haul for Steph car.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yeah, Jimmy's another one, kind of like Doc Rivers a
little bit different, but at the same time, just like
open the Mouth and sert Foot. I saw Jimmy talking
to reporters how like he's always made out to be
the bad guy.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
It's just, you know, Jimmy deserves Jimmy should be in politics.
After it's all said and done. He should be in politics.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Just Doc might end up there. And I also know
I will give Jimmy a little love. They asked him
if he has anything to say to pat Riley, and
his response was nope, I have nothing to say to
pat Riley, and he better have nothing to say to me,
which I did like that quote.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
There, Damn pat got it some some heat, not strays. Now,
that was a head seek a missile right at him.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Hey, you asked jim I mean he's gonna answer yeah,
that too.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And look you brought him in. This is you know
players like that, people like that. It's only got one
way of ending.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
And you know how it's eventually they're gonna run their
time and and hell's gonna break loose when it does happen.
All right, let's go ahead, and as far as the
West is concerned with Oklahoma City and the Nuggets, okay, see,
mightus won forty Nuggets six to one, Warriors plus seven
to fifty Lakers eight to one? Will stop there. How
(10:29):
we feel about the Lakers with the Lebron's absence.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Yeah, they're certainly struggling a little bit. They've lost their
past three games. And I think like the biggest thing
that myself and a lot of people had their eye
on is it was ridiculous the defensive metrics, the way
they leads following the Lukadancis trade that we all knew
with Lukadancis, that's the concern, right, we know how gifted
he is offensively, But that was part of the driving
force of why the Mavericks made that trade, is they
wanted to sell this vision of being a defensive minded
(10:53):
basketball team. It made zero sense to me when looking
at the personnel in this Lakers team, why they were
performing so well defensively, why they were able to be
so just impactful and assertive on that side of the ball.
We're finally seeing that a little bit that honeymoon period
wear off, where there have been some issues. The biggest
thing that I'm going to continue to circle back to,
and we kind of have known this to be the case,
the lack of interior presence and not having like a
(11:14):
real deal big man is really killing this team. The
defensive issues come from not having an anchor behind them,
Guys like Jackson Hayes, Alex lenn They're just not good
enough for what this Lakers team needs them to be
doing or the role that they need them to be
playing there. So there certainly has been some defensive slippage.
I'm still not counting out a team that has Luca
Doncis and Lebron James on it. I think they're going
to be a very matchup based team when speaking the
(11:35):
playoff perspective there. But it has been the first I
would say concerning stretch since the Luka Doncics trade. I'm
not hitting the panic button. This needed to happen. But
we're finally starting to see like the actual defensive concerns
that we knew we're going to be there showing up
on the court. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Look, it's great to have Lebron back in the mix,
and it looked like, you know, he didn't miss it
much time. It came back and scored a bunch of
points against the Bulls. Then Team excuse Me played thirty
one minutes in a second game up against the Magic
twenty four.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Perfect time, get everything going, Plenty of.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Time to get you know, reacquainted as far as with
Luca and the system, the way that they're playing.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
So I'm right there with you. I know that there
was a.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Lot of hype for a couple of weeks that they
were the story of the sports world. Sean Binnard, do
you think we'll be getting back to that height, you know,
let's say, once March Madness is over and April comes around.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Yeah, I do think we will. I think there will be.
This is a little bit of kind of the valley
that we'll see as far as the dip in the
production and all the kind of talking points with the
Lakers here, it's gonna happen, like there are the ebbs
and flows of a season. I do think that they
will find their form again and at least look better
than they have been in the short term. So I'm
not hitting the panic button with the Lakers yet. These
are the growing pains that you're gonna happen when you
(12:48):
see such a seismic roster shape or roster change in
the midpoint of a season here, so not worried about it.
They will look better than they have in recent games,
but the flaws are there. They're not a perfect team,
and we all knew that as well.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
All right, now, we can get on over to the
Sixers side of things and we'll ease our way into
some college hoops conversation based off of the prospects that.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Are currently playing.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
What's the latest with the seventy six ers as far
as news that's worth our attention, of course, injuries injuries.
We're tanking where we're playing for lottery balls. Grimes was
too good of a player. We're sitting him down. Just
an incredible disaster.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
That we are. But it's beautiful.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
Yeah. Another five game losing streak. I believe this is
twenty three of their last twenty five they have dropped
at this point here, including the most recent game of
the hands of New Orleans Pelicans, who also rested all
their players. So they play. They face the Wizards tomorrow,
a big day in the lottery outs tomorrow is the
Sixers will play the Wizards as well as the Raptors
and Nets playing each other. So unfortunately, the way that
basketball works is one team in each of those games
(13:50):
does have to get a victory there. So we will
see that shape itself out in a little bit. In
the standings there, they're currently tied with the Brooklyn Nets
for the fifth worst odds at this current mo they
have a thirty nine point nine percent chance at a
top four pick, a nine point eight percent chance at
the number one overall pick here, and as far as
if they finished the season, them and the Nets with
the exact same record, it comes down to a straight
(14:11):
up coin flip for who has the increased lottery odds.
So kind of a little bizarre that that is the
outcome of that, But something to keep in mind. The
bottom line is the tal has been thrown in for
quite some time. We have ten games remaining. Hold your breath,
get to the finish line and then we can start
to have some a little bit of discussion about the
Sixers team. But boy, I the Sixers game that has
happened in the middle of March madness does not crack
(14:31):
that my top ten of favorite basketball games. Watch that game,
I'll tell you that, no, I.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Haven't tuned in and to be honest with the NBA
has been completely on.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
The back burner.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
But you know, I think a lot of us are
in that same area. But at the same time, we
know playoffs.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Are fast approaching, and it doesn't help that the Sixers
are a disaster. There's nothing worth like tuning into right now.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
A lot of injuries across the league, a lot of
places are positioned, a lot of team's already locked in,
not so much locked in. But you know, no one's
looking at anything other than the two horses in the East,
right No one's given the Knicks an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Why would you because they never beat them in the
regular season.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
So it's the Celtics, and it's the Calves and then
over on the west side.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Yeah, it could get a little bit more interesting, that's
for sure.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
I think people definitely paying attention to it a little
bit more than what they are at this point in time.
But March Madness is March Madness, dominant time a year
for all things college basketball, and rightfully so, I think
we're gonna have some better games coming starting up on
a Thursday.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
And I will say from a Sixers perspective that like,
for the first time in several years, you can be
in full prospect watch mode that if some of these
top March Madness names are guys that you want to
keep your eye on. If could that be a potential
Sixers target or could that guy change the trajectory if
they keep their pick there. So I've had a little
bit of fun with that angle.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
And Will Smith making an appearance the Fresh Prince? Did
you see that for the Sixers?
Speaker 4 (15:50):
I did. I panicked a little bit when I saw
the French princes coming home here. I thought that was
Ben Simmons reference at first. So would much rather Will
Smith be walking into the arena.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
Yeah, let's just hit the fast forward, but and not
play these games.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
How about that. Let's just get to the end of
if they could, they would I know.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
They probably would.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Yeah, exactly all right, And let's talk a little bit
about as far.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
As the prospects are concerned. Cooper Flag, That's what it's
all about.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
What a difference maker shown so far for Duke and
I think it's going to be the same, if not more,
at the professional level. And there are so many things
that come with Cooper Flag that I think had raised
the game up. We were talking about this earlier. I
know I brought it up, you know, after the weekend
as well, and I think we're all on the same
page as far as how special of a player he is.
(16:38):
We see, he's eighteen years old. But when you really
dig deep and you get into the commercialized side of it,
the marketing side, and I'm not trying to water things down,
but we have to be realistic about it. First and foremost.
You talk about the international players, they dominate at the
top of the list, right, Yeah, top five players.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
In the NBA are all international players. So now you have.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
An American player that could potentially be one of the
better players in the league.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Oh, by the way, you know I said this to Beef.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
He's a white dude, right, You don't see this happen
often at this type of level.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
Especially if he ends up on the Jazz by the way.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Oh jeez, yeah, you know, like you got to go
back to having a white dude being being a franchised
difference maker.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Am I wrong by saying Larry Bird?
Speaker 4 (17:23):
I mean, I see you're not counting the Luka, Doncic,
Nicole Yak just because they're international.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Correct, Yes, they gotta be American? Yes, American?
Speaker 4 (17:31):
So yeah, I don't know, if you've got a little
Tyler hero love or something like that. Nothing to this, Reddick,
I said, Reddick.
Speaker 3 (17:38):
I gave Reddick some some credit there. You had a
great you had a solid NBA career, great college career. Again,
you know, is there someone that jumps off the page
that you know?
Speaker 4 (17:49):
Yeah, I'm trying to think Franz Wagner. I don't think
fits that full criteria. He's went to Michigan, you know, American.
I believe he grew up in America. I'm pretty sure
that is the case there. So maybe i'd throw him
in that category. Kind of I guess I'm in the
gray area there. Yeah, there's not a lot that we're
working with in kind of this overall conversation.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
So docton Bird Stockton Key, Like, this is what we're
talking about right now.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
And I'm not trying to build him up, but like
it could be a Caitlin Clark type deal. It really
could be, you know, where he comes in and this
dude all of a sudden just gets this fanfare and
people love him and he's dominating and he's eighteen years old.
That's why I say, don't put a ceiling on this
kid right now, we're having some grimlins, some grimlins in
(18:41):
the system.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I love he locks in.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
I wonder what he sees when when it happens, when
the freeze happens.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
What do you see? That's what I want to know.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Mostly spinning spinning wheels here and kind of audio in
and out here. But yeah, So to go back to
the Cooper Flag conversation, the thing that's impressed me to most,
Like I get we're talking about a lot of kind
of the commercial aspects, the marketing aspects, and I do
think where he lands is going to have like a
huge part in that. Like there, yeah, there, there have
been like all the buzz of could he stay at
(19:12):
Duke another year if you know the Wizards get the
one pick or something like that. We live in an
era of nil where I think we're in some uncharted
waters where it's more possible than ever before. But bottom line,
I just don't really see that happening or even being
a little any sort of possibility. Maybe it's a leverage play,
Maybe there's some thoughts he loves it at Duke that much,
but the reality is, like you go to the NBA
if you're the guaranteed number one pick and he That
(19:33):
is certainly the case with Cooper Flag here watching him
like at Duke this year. I don't mean this as
a slight at on him, but I think he's more
of like a winning player than he is that the
stats are gonna show that. It wouldn't shock me if,
like his NBA outlook is sort of like a I
don't want to say connective piece, because he's way more
than that. But he's a guy that what has really
impressed me is he does the little things. He is
(19:54):
like an ultra competitor. He's willing to do the dirty
work for teams and that's all stuff that like, I yes,
the more that I've watched him this year, it was
slightly different than what my expectations of him were. And
I mean that more as a positive than anything. But
it wouldn't shock me if, like, the ultimate takeaway for
Cooper Flag isn't that he's this leading scorer on a team.
It's that he's a guy that's just a huge winning
player that is necessary to winning basketball games.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
Yeah, he does it all, defense, rebounding, you know, he's
got the dunks in your face, you know.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Seems like a damn good kid.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Yeah, strong, solid, personality, but nothing too flamboyant, not over.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Over the top, and just you know, it's just glaring.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
How young he is, so sky's the limit, not putting
the ceiling on him. But you are one hundred percent correct.
It matters so much where he ends up. You know,
Sam Austrey was saying the other day he thinks he
could turn around the Wizards.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Good luck.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Yeah, you know, the Charlotte Hornets have never won anything
in my lifetime.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Good luck. You know, we'll see.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
I read an article that brought this up earlier that
they ranked the death today Sixers were number.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Two on this list.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
What was one?
Speaker 3 (21:03):
One was San Antonio.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Okay, I'll give him that. That's fair. Wow, that'd be
something I do think like Cooper Flag, if you're Cooper
Flag right now and looking down your list of options,
there is a world where he's saying, sign me up
for Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Man.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
He's an East Coast kid, obviously, I mean main not
quite East Coast, East Coast, but nonetheless on the same
side of the United States. There and a guy that
like could be closer to his family. And when you
look at the actual roster right here, you get to
play next to Tyrese Maxi, you get to play next
to Jared McCain, a fellow doochie there, as well as
Joel MBII potentially coming back in Paul George on this team. Still. So,
(21:38):
while it has been a disastrous season for the Sixers,
if you're talking about adding a Cooper Flag and then
running it back next year, you are talking about a
legitimate contender, Like I don't want that to get lost
on people. Yes, everything that could go wrong has gone
wrong this year, but if you have a nine point
eight percent chance at adding this generational type talent for
all the reasons that we just talked about, everyone should
be backing on the Sixers. So it's not a like
(22:00):
case that that is how things played out, but there's
also a direct nine point eight percent chance that that
is how it plays itself out. So we're at the
mercy of the lottery balls. But I do think if
you're in Cooper Flags camp right now, the Sixers are
pretty near the top of where he should want to play.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Yeah, it's hard to argue, and you know, you look
at with McCain, you look at with MAXI. Of course
Jojo if he can get somewhat back out on the
floor healthy. It doesn't take you know, someone a genius
to realize how good Jojo has potential or what his
potential is. We'll see how it shakes out. Everybody wants
to deprized, everybody wants Cooper flag see teams. The teams
(22:36):
are trying anything and everything, Seohan I saw teams are
like sitting players in the fourth quarter star players, so
they don't you can find. Yeah, they're being a little
tricksters these days in the NBA with tanking.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
That that to me, by the way, is way more
egregious than like anything that like the Sixers have done
in this conversation. The Raptors in the Jazz are the
two most guilty parties of this. But like I've seen
several games for both of those teams this season, Like
the last Lori marknin scored sixteen points in the first half,
just didn't play in the second half. They just sat
him the whole time. That same game, Walker Kessler was
active in uniform on the bench, did not play a minute,
(23:10):
and the Raptors same thing. I've seen multiple games this
season where it's a tie game with five minutes ago,
and all of a sudden, all their starters are pulled there,
so teams certainly go into some pretty crazy lengths here.
Who knows how things shake out. And by the way,
for the anti tanking conversation, like the NBA has taken
strides to prevent this. The top three or the bottom
three records all have equal odds at getting that top pick,
(23:31):
so it's not even like a team like the Wizards
of the Jazz gain this advantage by doing it. It
all comes down to the ping pong balls. But yeah,
I do think this year has been another level of
tanking than I've ever seen before. And I thought we
had hit the peak of the tanking era across the NBA.
I guess not.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
Nope, definitely not nope. And the truth is it will
always be based off of the player, right.
Speaker 4 (23:51):
Sure, well, like who's available you're.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Saying correct, who's coming out in the draft?
Speaker 4 (23:57):
Yeah, And I think this specific year has helped by
the fact that like like when you think of the
victor Wen Minyama, yet like it was when Minyama and
then a drop off like this year, while Cooper Flag
is the clear cut number one, like you're not gonna
be mad if you walk away with Dylan Harper or
Ace Bailey or VJ. Edgecomb or Common Malawaka, any of
these like top guys that are like I wouldn't go
as far as saying franchise changing players, but you know
(24:19):
you're getting a good player. It is a deep, good
draft and we haven't had a lot of those recent memory.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Yeah, Maloaka is who I got my eye on for Duke.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
I like him a lot.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Yeah, that's the guy that I'm I'm thinking could be
potentially the the guy that helps lift things up for
the sixers, and especially if you have MAXI and McCain
already in there. And why wouldn't you believe that that's
the case. So go out there and get you some size.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I like that. Plus I think him and Jojo might
have like a connection, you know. Yeah, But we'll see
what happens. We're a long way from that point, but
we'll see.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
With that being said, real quick, let's go ahead and
close up shop and let's talk a little bit about
the college card here.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
It's Picks and Roll. We cover it all NBA.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
And college here specifically when it is March madness. Do
you know who will be in the final four?
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Do I know? Uh? I mean, my initial predictions are
off aus My Saint Johnny's took a tumble there, But
I wouldn't say I'm super locked in on who I
know my final four will be. I do wholeheartedly believe
Houston will be in the final I do think it's Houston,
Florida Duke, which is pretty chalk there a little more
unsure in like the last region of it there. I
think I'm confident that those three will be in the
(25:30):
final four, all.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Right, because I think that's a good place to start.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
And also.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
With the sixteen sixteen teams that are left that DraftKings sportsbook,
how many of them could you make the case to
win the national championship?
Speaker 4 (25:46):
Interesting?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, Like, I as good as Texas Tech has looked,
I'm not going to go down that path, Perdue, I'm
not going to go down that path. Like there are
a few teams that I would remove, but the majority
of them, I'd say there's probably like eleven teams that
I can make a really good case that they could
win four straight.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Yeah, No, I agree with that. And even a team
like Michigan, who I've seen like just about zero buzz on,
like they're playing good basketball right now, and sometimes it
is about getting hot at the right time. That is
a team that I kind of have my eye on
that could be worth taking a chance on here. I'll
even throw Arkansas in the mix here that I understand
it would be a long shot here, but John Kyler
Pari has done this for a long time.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Man.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
That is a team that has some deep NCAA tournament experience,
guy like John L. Davis who obviously has gone deep
in the tournament not too long ago, a ton of
talent on this roster, Boogie Flann playing the best ball
that he has all season. So even though team like Arkansas,
I would squint and make the case for it, even
though I think it's unlikely. So it does feel pretty
wide open.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Worst odds too.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Words, Yes, no matter what, you're shaking out Arkansas. So
there's a lot of money to be made. Beef and
I were talk and we might be. We might be
hogged up. We might be hogged up, man, because there's
money to be made with Arkansas here as a late
Friday night tip ten on nine pm, taking on those
Red Raiders.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
I think they could do it. We might be chasing
some hogs into the weekend.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
I like it. I like I can be talking that
as well. And I've been a Calipari guy for quite
some time here. I love that the team is fully
like rallied around him, got it and a very impressive
victory over Saint John's's. Once again, I had that team
winning at all in my bracket there, so I was
believing what Patino was doing. But Calipari basically beat him
at his own game to an extent that they play
very similar styles of basketball there and Arkansas got the
(27:23):
better of them. So shout out to the hard fought battle.
And now they're getting ready for another one against Texas
Tech there.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
All right, let's open up Thursday BYU Bama. Five and
a half. One seventy five and a half.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Could be the highest total NNCAA tournament history if it
does go off at that number.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
As far as five and a half as concerned where you're.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
At, feels like kind of a lot to me that
I do think this is gonna be a competitive game.
Whoever can get any sort of stops on defense probably
wins this one. Is what it boils down to. Very
similar styles. They're gonna play up temple tempo. I do
like this BYU team that I've kind of bought into
him a little more than I expected to. This feels
like a game that's gonna go down to the wire.
To me, I don't think either one of these teams
deserves to be five point favorites based on the quality
(28:03):
of defense that they do hold here. So to me,
I'm taking the cover and could see this. I view
this is more of a toss up game. So kind
of surprised that five and a half being the number.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
All right, you're right with the crab five where you're
gonna go with them Gators six and a half point
spread one seven and a half game two on Thursday.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
I know I've been labeled as a Maryland hater here
a little bit by our friend Sam Austri, And uh
my answer here isn't gonna gonna change the story on
that whatsoever. I do think Florida has too much the
minus six and a half that I'm seeing on that.
Maryland's good, man, They're a very good team. They're very
like they're starting five is electric. Derek Queen is awesome,
and he's a guy that has certainly grown on me
(28:40):
a ton since this tournament has started here. But Florida's
so deep. Walter Clayton's the real deal there, and I
still am waiting for this moment, and this has been
my fear all tournament. You get one of those starting
five in foul trouble or if there's something that happens
that one of their availabilities is impacted, it's straight up
over for Maryland. When you look at Florida, I see
a million different ways in which they can win that
game and a shootout, playing hard nosed defense, completely cutting
(29:02):
things off in the half court. I just feel better
about more ways Florida can win. I think Maryland hangs
with him a little bit, but I think Florida breaks
this when open the second half and they cover the
minus six and a half.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Duke's been dominant, probably the most dominant team all tournament.
Long nine and a half point favorites one fifty three
and a half.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Is that too many points in your mind?
Speaker 4 (29:20):
It is a lot. But I don't think it's enough
that this Duke team looks borderline unstoppable right now. I
am a Caleb Love guy out there in Arizona, and
he played terrific in the last round against Oregon there.
It wouldn't shock me if there is Caleb Love ready
to come for some revenge, take on his old foes there,
and be ready for a heater. But I don't think
there's enough in this overall Arizona roster here. I think
we're gonna see a lot of points in this one.
(29:41):
I do lean towards the over but I think Duke
has too much for Arizona to ultimately hang with. And
sort of a similar story to the Maryland and Florida
outlook there that I think that they hang for a
while before Duke pulls away in the second half and
the nine and a half is still comfortable length.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
That's where I'm at as well. I think Duke is
the play here they're going to put up.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
You know, they were giving monster spreads all season long,
so there's gonna be nothing new. You know, anything's possible.
You take your foot off the gas. Next thing in
Arizona gets hot. I didn't think they were beating Oregon.
I didn't think they were gonna come back and beat
Oregon with it. They did, they did. They deserve credit.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
They're rolling on, but give me Duke and that one
final fourth game here.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
On Thursday night, we just talked about Arkansas and Texas
Tech five and a half.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
You backing them Hogs.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
Here, I am. I do like Arkansas. I like the
five and a half, and I do think it's worth
of taking a chance on the money line here. And
by the way, Texas Tech is like real deal good
like I've been a big believer in this Houston team,
have a Houston future out right now that I think
they win it all as them in Saint John's are
my two teams drive into this Texas Tech kind of
orchestrated and built pretty similarly. That they're gonna be a
defensive minded team. They're gonna wear on you, They're gonna
(30:44):
compete without. But I do think Arkansas is playing its
best basketball at the right time, and really the story
of the season when looking at that Razorbacks team, They've
never had a chance to hit their peak. They've dealt
with injuries all years, guys in and out of the lineup,
and Calbary has been pretty open talking about how that's
been the case there. So it does feel like they
are peaking at the right time. They have all their
notable guys back and playing their best ball, So I
like Arkansas to keep it rolling. That is the Cinderella
(31:06):
story of this season.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
I think Old.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Miss Michigan State, first game on a Friday seven or
nine pm. Two great coaches, Beard and Izzo. But you
know what they say, can't bet against hiszo in March.
Where do you stand on this one?
Speaker 4 (31:19):
Yeah, and I know I'm laying all the favorites here,
but I think that is the takeaway here. With all
due respect to Sean Padula who's been awesome for Ole
Miss and Chris Barry, who's coaching that team up quite well,
I do think Michigan State, I think it's a little
bit more of a threat to win at all than
I gave him initial credit. Walking in Jace Richardson leading
the charge there obviously Jason Richardson's son and the cool
kind of stories that tie there, but from top to
bottom that team has it. And what's interesting isob be
(31:41):
the first guy to say this is not his most
talented team. But they all buy in. Man, they all
get their role, they all do their thing, and any
given player can step up in any game. So I
like that about him sometimes that matters in March, and
I do think that the way they can kind of
beat you in a variety of ways appeals to me.
So I like the minus three and a half in
favorite Michigan State.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Nine PM Kentucky and Tennessee four and a half point
spread one forty four and a half is our total.
Kentucky beat them two times already in the regular season.
Get their four and a half point dogs make it
makes sense?
Speaker 4 (32:11):
Yeah, and I will not because I think Kentucky rolls again.
I like the plus one sixty on the money line.
Otega Oway has become one of my favorite watches. He
had a pretty rough performance in the last game, but
I kind of like a bounce back performance. Tennessee's good,
the Kay Ziegler, Rick Barnes. We know the story with them,
and defensively they're even a notch better than I expected.
They kind of have graded out metrically as one of
the better defenders, are better defensive teams all season, but
(32:34):
I do think that they've taken it up a notch
in this tournament. I've been impressed with that. With that
all being said, I do think there's too much talent
on this Kentucky team. Experience matters, and obviously this is
a whole new Kentucky team versus a Tennessee roster that
has been established. But I keep waiting for the shoe
to fall and we get one of those Tennessee slip
up performances. I think it happens this round and the hungry,
competitive athletic Kentucky team runs them at the gym.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
All right, just brought up Michigan, but they got a
tough test going up against.
Speaker 3 (32:59):
The overall number one seed in Auburn.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Here.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
Nine and a half points spread one fifty three and
a half is our total. I just think that's disrespectful
towards the Wolverines. Man, it's a good team. They got
some big size down low two seven footers.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
I think they're ready for the battle here.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
But I was singing the same tune about Creton and
then Nick got ugly in that second half, so.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
I'm a little hesitant here. It's a good thing.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
It's the seventh game out of the eight total games here,
so we'll see what.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Happens in those first six. But here we are. I
do like the nine and a half of Michigan. What
do you think?
Speaker 4 (33:31):
Yeah? I feel the same way, And this is the
one that I have as much optimism for an upset
compared to like the Arkansas game that we were talking about.
But I do think Michigan's gonna stay competitive throughout. I've
been very skeptical of this Auburn team that yes, they're
very good, Yes they should be viewed as contenders to
win it All to cut down those nets, but they
also have stretches where they look like they forget how
to play basketball and make some of the stupid stupidest
(33:51):
decisions of any top team that I've seen, with Chaz
Baker Mazzarro really headlining those moments there. So I think
that there's gonna be kind of enough stupid goodness that
pops up in this game to keep it competitive, and
Michigan's gonna bring it.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
Man.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
Danny Wolf is a blast to watch, and the two
seven footers running pick and roll together is just pretty
unique to see. Again, Wolf is like the orchestrator to
make it happen the IVY League transfer and really unique
just skill set to his game there. So I think
there's gonna be a different look that they provide that
Auburn isn't quite accustomed to. I do wonder how Johnny
Broom hangs when he's brought out to the perimeter far
more than he's comfortable doing or really has it in
(34:26):
the past year, So I don't love this matchup from
an Auburn perspective, I do think Michigan brings it to him,
competes and covers the plus nine and a half. So
while I don't think we might see this big upset,
who knows could talk myself into it to this time,
I do think the nine and a half is disrespectful
Michigan covers.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Yeah, Dusty may coaching hiss off as well for Michigan
with that one all right, final game here, Purdue in
Houston eight and a half Sean Minard one thirty two
and a half.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
It's our lowest total in the Sweet sixteen. I know
Beef said he was on the under here.
Speaker 2 (34:53):
Does Purdue have enough to hang with Houston or will
be too much defense from Houston's.
Speaker 4 (34:59):
Perspective, Yeah, I don't think they do. And to be honest,
the minus eight and a half in favor of Houston
is my favorite bet. It is a bummer that it
is the last game here. I think Houston is the
real deal and a team that has not got enough
respect is this should be viewed as the championship favorite.
Maybe that's a little strong, as Duke looks unbelievable. Florida
looks unbelievable, Auburn looks great as well, but it doesn't
feel like Houston is thrown into the same tier that
(35:19):
they are when they are every bit as talented.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
L J.
Speaker 4 (35:22):
Cryer has taken his game to new heights this year. Defensively,
they lock in, and the way that Calvin Sampson just
establishes a program culture with just straight up dogs across
the roster is really impressive to me. It happens year
in and year out, and you can clearly see this
roster embracing it, buying into the style, and just competing
on that side of the floor. So Purdue has already
exceeded my expectations. I did not think this was a
(35:42):
team that had this type of ability to make noise
in this tournament. I did not think this was one
of Matt Peters better squads that he's worked with. So
I think it comes to an end here and Houston
ends up ends our Friday Night on a blowout.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Yeah, he deserves a lot of credit for getting him
to this spot.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
I know he wasn't the strongest opponents in High Point
by no means.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
And then h McNeice McNeice.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Yeah, which McNeice I thought should have played a little
bit better. You know, they they had some size, they
got some skill there, they got some ballers, but they
weren't able to put it together. But Purdue, look, they
roll on tough spots going up against Houston as far
as the one seed is concerned. But we got eight
great games in front of us, and look forward to
covering all that and more with you. Of course, Sean
(36:24):
on the Gambler will continue to read you over at
a DraftKings sportsbook. Be sure to get all of Sean
and of course Julie had those content the great folks
from a DK network dot com Sean.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
But Alreadyny final thoughts before we get out of here, sir, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:40):
Make the most enjoy March Madness. Man, it only happens
once a year, so buckle up for Thursday and Friday.
That's our real last chance at kind of the NonStop
ebbs and flows of basketball, multiple games going down before
the action really thins out here. So enjoy Thursday and Friday.
We only get this once a year. It doesn't happen
often enough, and it is the best sporting event across
the entire calendar. Year, So shout out the March and
this and be locked in for Thursday and Friday.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
It's supposed to be like eighty degrees on Saturday too,
it's gonna be hot.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
Hey, TV's work outside, TV's work outside. That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Shapanard you the best.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
We'll continue to follow you on socials, read you over
at DK Network, and of course, folks, if you missed anything,
be sure to get everything over at FOXPHL gambler dot com.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
The pix and Roll podcast can be found on FOXPHL
gambler dot com
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com