December 5, 2025 • 8 mins
After securing a spot in the NBA Midseason Tournament, a snag is caught in the lineup.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
We've got James Madison and Troy playing football right now.
Game so far, Yeah, it's a bunch of defense so far.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah, but I mean, I mean a lot of people
have expected James Madison to come out swinging, but Troy's
playing out.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
He's a very underrated program.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
They've they've they've competed well in the Sun Belt for
most of the years.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, they've been kind of the marquee program of the Sunbelt.
It feels like for a long time there was always
them in North Texas.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
We got we got Spurs and Calves tonight, excuse me,
and Spurs and Pelicans on Monday, and then the Empirts
Cup game with the Lakers Wednesday night. The rest of
this road trip Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell. Uh there. When you
look at this game, another opportunity to win on the road.
And what I think is remarkable so far is the
(00:49):
Spurs are seven and two without Victor women Yama and
I never I would not have predicted that at all.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
No, I mean, it definitely takes a shot at MB's
chances of MVP because they're winning without him, but it
it definitely shows the job that miss Johnson has done
in his.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Stay Wamba's chances of MVP are deteriorating with him missing games.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
That's exactly exactly because they've they've gone nine because if.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
He gets to sixty five, he's not winning MVP. Yeah,
it's the seventeen games.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
They're also going to point out at the end of
the season.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Hey, in the ten games they played without Victor woman Yama,
they went eight to two without them. But the thing is, like,
his defensive efficiency is still I think one of the
best in the league went on the court versus off
the court. And again, and I've talked about this before,
we can we can appreciate this Spurs team really showing
off its dev and its growth from last year. But
you also you also don't want to not be without
(01:37):
your star player or players without Steph Castle as well
to have them, especially in a playoff run, which could
eventually be Because I think maybe I'm wrong. I understand
the West is obviously deeper overall in the East is
this year, but it also feels like to me that
the West isn't as aside from the thunder, it's not
as locked in at the top.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
As I thought it would be.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I thought the Nuggets would be better obviously that there's
still last season to be played. I didn't see the
Lakers being this good this early, especially.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
I'm still I'm still not convinced the Lakers are going
to finish the season as strong as they've started it.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
And that's fine. But I also didn't expect the Spurs too.
I expected the Spurs to be better. I didn't expect
them to be, you know, this high up this early.
I thought they would be more like in the seven
to eight range at this point, still kind of fighting
their way in because I expected.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
More to win fifty six games, I know, but.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I expected more of teams like the Rockets and the
Nuggets and all that.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Right now, the Spurs, you can make the argument now
just a playoff team, they could actually be a REALIGIT contender.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I don't think anybody's beating Oklahoma City unless they have injuries.
I think they're in the league by themselves right now.
Uh and I Minnesota may be the second best team,
but I think the changes that Denver made, yeah, uh
has it's basically up to Yokich every night to perform
if they're going to win. And I just can't imagine
(02:55):
Luca and and and Reeves are going to carry the
Lakers etan to me is an old school center when
you don't play old school anymore. Sure, and Lebron is old,
is old and be up and beat up and tired
and injured.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Kashi Mora is a utility player.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
And so is Vanderbilt and the rest of that roster. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So, like right now, they're winning honestly with and this
is similar to what the Spurs are doing. They have
guys in their proper role and that's okay because like again,
like the Lakers are not a flashy team. The Spurs,
to their credit, and really a flashy team either. They
just fight now have been the better story. And there's
obviously more expectations of the Lakers. They're on TV, they're
on national TV, a lot more people, a lot more
opinions about them. But I'm gonna give them credit that
(03:37):
they in this season even without Lebron being played so much.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
This is kind of what the future of LA is really.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Going to look like from that standpoint, because we're kind
of getting a glimpse into that. And I agree with
you that we can we can hold Lebron to the
highest regard all we want, but also recognize that he
has reached the point to where it's going downhill from here.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Well, I'm just wondering if he recognizes it, because the
last thing people want is for this generation of people
who are just now watching the games to say, well,
this Lebron guy when I was watching him was terrible.
Why didn't he go out when he was on top?
And that's something sometimes. I mean, I remember I got
to watch Willy Mays play, and I got but I
(04:17):
didn't get to watch him PlayN till he was over
with and done and was like twenty.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Five years or something like that. Didn't he wait for
a long time?
Speaker 1 (04:26):
He played from the mid fifties to nineteen seventy three.
I think there seventy four was his last year, and
I got to watch him in seventy two. He was
still with the Giants, he had not been traded yet
to the Mets, uh and and he was.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
He was just a shadow of himself.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
He wasn't nearly as good as as you would want
him to be.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
He was a dr he was used.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
He still went to the games because it was Willie
Mays right, And I think you could make a case
that up until show A showed up and maybe Barry
Bonds that he was the best all around baseball player
that ever lived. There others that hit more home runs,
or others that hit for better average, or as others
that maybe stole more bases, but collectively he did all
of that. But I never got to see any of that.
By the time I got to watch him play, he
(05:09):
was too slow to run the bases and too beat up,
but he would get a few hits from here and there.
But I did get to see him in his prime,
and I wish now. I'm glad I did get to
see him, but I don't have the recollection of how
good he was as others who are fans of his
that are that are older than me did so anyway,
(05:30):
that's but I think the same thing with Lebron. You know,
I got to see Kareem Abdul Jabbar play in his prime,
and I got to see him play in person when
I came to San Antonio in the last two years
that he played in the league, and he was still okay,
but you could see him declining and he wasn't just
going to be a token player that sat on the
on the bench and occasionally got in the games and Unfortunately,
(05:51):
I don't think you can put Lebron on the bench.
If he's available to play, he has to start, and
he has to play, you know, significant minutes probably when
he's in there, as many as his body will allow.
But I don't think that's the way that a star
player like him should ever go out.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
The one thing that hurts though, going back to the
Spurs for a second, the thing that's gonna hurt them
tonight though is obviously Luke Cornett is out, so tonight
you're gonna see a lot see out on here.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
It says, let's see.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
They have no rent protection without him and win be
out of the lineup.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Also, this is an ankle.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
It didn't specify what type of injury, but but to
right now, you're gonna see a lot of Bismack Byambo
and probably a lot of Kelley Olennock at the five,
which you know, going up against I guess against guys
like Evan Mobley, that's gonna be obviously a huge issue
because you're right, without that paint presence, it really does
hurt a lot of their defense. You're gonna see obviously
the majority of their scoring is gonna be from the outside,
which the Spurs. I like to use all three levels,
(06:43):
and if you take away their paint presence we've seen
them against primarily against like the Phoenix Suns for example,
that hurts them because they are not a team that
can be it's just a all it's all around three
point shooting team. They're not an all around paint team.
They use all three levels, close, mid, and three point shooting,
and so if you take away the offense from down low,
that is going to limit the Spurs team, which is unfortunate.
(07:03):
But I mean, they just started and they and the
Spurs are up to an early lead. But I think
it's gonna that might be something to watch out for.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, I'm not I'm not surprised that Spurs are playing
well early. May be a little bit surprised at the
actual record and the fact that they're on pace for
fifty six games.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
They still haven't played.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
They have played Oklahoma City yet, and they may play
him twice in just a couple of weeks if they
if they happen to win against the Lakers and then
face them in the Emirates Cup semifinal game.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
But I do like the way I do like this roster.
I like the way it's composed.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
You've got several first round draft picks in there, and
people have underestimated this organization. And I understand that the
folks that are general managers in this league no more
than me, But I do not want to see it
a Yannis strait. I do not want to see you
giving up three, two or three young marquee players who
are paying nothing for a guy that's not going to
(07:56):
play for another month at least with the injury. Yeah,
And I don't think that makes you better. I think
this team makes you better for a long time. And
I don't think there's an urgency to win the championship
this year. If you can somehow get to the Western
Conference finals or even the Western Conference semifinals this.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Year, then then you're gonna be in good shake.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah, just send it New York and be done with it.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Well, I don't think New York has the capital to
that best.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Type of move.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
They would do well, it would, but I don't. I
don't think Milwaukee's gonna want what New York's.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Got to offer.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I don't disagree if I'm if I'm Milwaukee.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
I don't think there's any team out there that actually
has the assets that Milwaukee needs to move off of
you honest, that would.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Actually need him money. The Spurs have the assets, they
don't do it, okay.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Exactly if they need three they need three draft picks
and three players at match fifty six million dollars.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
And if you can do that, great, But then the
Spurs have the draft capital. But to get to that number,
you'd have to give up good players, and I don't
want to do that. All right, more coming up, we
wrap up the show next six to forty three on
the ticket
We've got James Madison and Troy playing football right now.
Game so far, Yeah, it's a bunch of defense so far.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah, but I mean, I mean a lot of people
have expected James Madison to come out swinging, but Troy's
playing out.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
He's a very underrated program.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
They've they've they've competed well in the Sun Belt for
most of the years.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, they've been kind of the marquee program of the Sunbelt.
It feels like for a long time there was always
them in North Texas.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
We got we got Spurs and Calves tonight, excuse me,
and Spurs and Pelicans on Monday, and then the Empirts
Cup game with the Lakers Wednesday night. The rest of
this road trip Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell. Uh there. When you
look at this game, another opportunity to win on the road.
And what I think is remarkable so far is the
(00:49):
Spurs are seven and two without Victor women Yama and
I never I would not have predicted that at all.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
No, I mean, it definitely takes a shot at MB's
chances of MVP because they're winning without him, but it
it definitely shows the job that miss Johnson has done
in his.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Stay Wamba's chances of MVP are deteriorating with him missing games.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
That's exactly exactly because they've they've gone nine because if.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
He gets to sixty five, he's not winning MVP. Yeah,
it's the seventeen games.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
They're also going to point out at the end of
the season.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Hey, in the ten games they played without Victor woman Yama,
they went eight to two without them. But the thing is, like,
his defensive efficiency is still I think one of the
best in the league went on the court versus off
the court. And again, and I've talked about this before,
we can we can appreciate this Spurs team really showing
off its dev and its growth from last year. But
you also you also don't want to not be without
(01:37):
your star player or players without Steph Castle as well
to have them, especially in a playoff run, which could
eventually be Because I think maybe I'm wrong. I understand
the West is obviously deeper overall in the East is
this year, but it also feels like to me that
the West isn't as aside from the thunder, it's not
as locked in at the top.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
As I thought it would be.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I thought the Nuggets would be better obviously that there's
still last season to be played. I didn't see the
Lakers being this good this early, especially.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
I'm still I'm still not convinced the Lakers are going
to finish the season as strong as they've started it.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
And that's fine. But I also didn't expect the Spurs too.
I expected the Spurs to be better. I didn't expect
them to be, you know, this high up this early.
I thought they would be more like in the seven
to eight range at this point, still kind of fighting
their way in because I expected.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
More to win fifty six games, I know, but.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I expected more of teams like the Rockets and the
Nuggets and all that.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Right now, the Spurs, you can make the argument now
just a playoff team, they could actually be a REALIGIT contender.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I don't think anybody's beating Oklahoma City unless they have injuries.
I think they're in the league by themselves right now.
Uh and I Minnesota may be the second best team,
but I think the changes that Denver made, yeah, uh
has it's basically up to Yokich every night to perform
if they're going to win. And I just can't imagine
(02:55):
Luca and and and Reeves are going to carry the
Lakers etan to me is an old school center when
you don't play old school anymore. Sure, and Lebron is old,
is old and be up and beat up and tired
and injured.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Kashi Mora is a utility player.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
And so is Vanderbilt and the rest of that roster. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So, like right now, they're winning honestly with and this
is similar to what the Spurs are doing. They have
guys in their proper role and that's okay because like again,
like the Lakers are not a flashy team. The Spurs,
to their credit, and really a flashy team either. They
just fight now have been the better story. And there's
obviously more expectations of the Lakers. They're on TV, they're
on national TV, a lot more people, a lot more
opinions about them. But I'm gonna give them credit that
(03:37):
they in this season even without Lebron being played so much.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
This is kind of what the future of LA is really.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Going to look like from that standpoint, because we're kind
of getting a glimpse into that. And I agree with
you that we can we can hold Lebron to the
highest regard all we want, but also recognize that he
has reached the point to where it's going downhill from here.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Well, I'm just wondering if he recognizes it, because the
last thing people want is for this generation of people
who are just now watching the games to say, well,
this Lebron guy when I was watching him was terrible.
Why didn't he go out when he was on top?
And that's something sometimes. I mean, I remember I got
to watch Willy Mays play, and I got but I
(04:17):
didn't get to watch him PlayN till he was over
with and done and was like twenty.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Five years or something like that. Didn't he wait for
a long time?
Speaker 1 (04:26):
He played from the mid fifties to nineteen seventy three.
I think there seventy four was his last year, and
I got to watch him in seventy two. He was
still with the Giants, he had not been traded yet
to the Mets, uh and and he was.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
He was just a shadow of himself.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
He wasn't nearly as good as as you would want
him to be.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
He was a dr he was used.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
He still went to the games because it was Willie
Mays right, And I think you could make a case
that up until show A showed up and maybe Barry
Bonds that he was the best all around baseball player
that ever lived. There others that hit more home runs,
or others that hit for better average, or as others
that maybe stole more bases, but collectively he did all
of that. But I never got to see any of that.
By the time I got to watch him play, he
(05:09):
was too slow to run the bases and too beat up,
but he would get a few hits from here and there.
But I did get to see him in his prime,
and I wish now. I'm glad I did get to
see him, but I don't have the recollection of how
good he was as others who are fans of his
that are that are older than me did so anyway,
(05:30):
that's but I think the same thing with Lebron. You know,
I got to see Kareem Abdul Jabbar play in his prime,
and I got to see him play in person when
I came to San Antonio in the last two years
that he played in the league, and he was still okay,
but you could see him declining and he wasn't just
going to be a token player that sat on the
on the bench and occasionally got in the games and Unfortunately,
(05:51):
I don't think you can put Lebron on the bench.
If he's available to play, he has to start, and
he has to play, you know, significant minutes probably when
he's in there, as many as his body will allow.
But I don't think that's the way that a star
player like him should ever go out.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
The one thing that hurts though, going back to the
Spurs for a second, the thing that's gonna hurt them
tonight though is obviously Luke Cornett is out, so tonight
you're gonna see a lot see out on here.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
It says, let's see.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
They have no rent protection without him and win be
out of the lineup.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Also, this is an ankle.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
It didn't specify what type of injury, but but to
right now, you're gonna see a lot of Bismack Byambo
and probably a lot of Kelley Olennock at the five,
which you know, going up against I guess against guys
like Evan Mobley, that's gonna be obviously a huge issue
because you're right, without that paint presence, it really does
hurt a lot of their defense. You're gonna see obviously
the majority of their scoring is gonna be from the outside,
which the Spurs. I like to use all three levels,
(06:43):
and if you take away their paint presence we've seen
them against primarily against like the Phoenix Suns for example,
that hurts them because they are not a team that
can be it's just a all it's all around three
point shooting team. They're not an all around paint team.
They use all three levels, close, mid, and three point shooting,
and so if you take away the offense from down low,
that is going to limit the Spurs team, which is unfortunate.
(07:03):
But I mean, they just started and they and the
Spurs are up to an early lead. But I think
it's gonna that might be something to watch out for.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Yeah, I'm not I'm not surprised that Spurs are playing
well early. May be a little bit surprised at the
actual record and the fact that they're on pace for
fifty six games.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
They still haven't played.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
They have played Oklahoma City yet, and they may play
him twice in just a couple of weeks if they
if they happen to win against the Lakers and then
face them in the Emirates Cup semifinal game.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
But I do like the way I do like this roster.
I like the way it's composed.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
You've got several first round draft picks in there, and
people have underestimated this organization. And I understand that the
folks that are general managers in this league no more
than me, But I do not want to see it
a Yannis strait. I do not want to see you
giving up three, two or three young marquee players who
are paying nothing for a guy that's not going to
(07:56):
play for another month at least with the injury. Yeah,
And I don't think that makes you better. I think
this team makes you better for a long time. And
I don't think there's an urgency to win the championship
this year. If you can somehow get to the Western
Conference finals or even the Western Conference semifinals this.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Year, then then you're gonna be in good shake.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yeah, just send it New York and be done with it.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Well, I don't think New York has the capital to
that best.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Type of move.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
They would do well, it would, but I don't. I
don't think Milwaukee's gonna want what New York's.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Got to offer.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I don't disagree if I'm if I'm Milwaukee.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
I don't think there's any team out there that actually
has the assets that Milwaukee needs to move off of
you honest, that would.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Actually need him money. The Spurs have the assets, they
don't do it, okay.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Exactly if they need three they need three draft picks
and three players at match fifty six million dollars.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
And if you can do that, great, But then the
Spurs have the draft capital. But to get to that number,
you'd have to give up good players, and I don't
want to do that. All right, more coming up, we
wrap up the show next six to forty three on
the ticket
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