December 16, 2025 • 32 mins
Welcome back to Basketball Home — your full-court rundown of everything happening across the NBA and NCAA, all in one packed episode. We open in Las Vegas with the NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena, where the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs arrive with identical 18–7 records and real playoff-level intensity. We break down why this midseason trophy suddenly feels massive: the money. With over $530K per player (and the head coach) on the line, the urgency hits every minute, especially for minimum and two-way guys. From there, we dive into the matchup chess: Jalen Brunson’s MVP-caliber engine, the Knicks’ elite defense, and the near-impossible problem of trying to “contain” Victor Wembanyama — plus the Spurs’ guard depth and the emotional storyline around De’Aaron Fox facing coach Mike Brown. Then we tackle the uncomfortable conversation around the Emirates sponsorship and the growing scrutiny of sportswashing, examining the NBA’s public response and what deeper global partnerships could mean for the league moving forward. From high-stakes basketball to full-blown dysfunction, we pivot to the LA Clippers’ collapse — a brutal stretch of losses and the stunning, public breakup with Chris Paul. We unpack how clashing expectations, behind-the-scenes friction, and a franchise-wide identity crisis turned a farewell run into a PR disaster. After the chaos, we spotlight stability: the Spurs thriving under Mitch Johnson as he steps in after Greg Popovich’s stroke, keeps a battered roster steady through injuries, and proves he’ll evolve tactically while maintaining San Antonio’s culture. We also celebrate the league’s next wave. Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg detonates for a historic 42-point night, breaking an 18-year-old scoring mark that stood since 2003, and showing a relentless, win-first mindset. Plus, we hit the broader rookie ladder, a banner year for young talent, and a historic moment for big men as Nikola Jokic and Alperen Şengün both post triple-doubles in the same game — redefining what “center” means in today’s NBA. Finally, we go college: top-25 momentum, Arkansas sweeping SEC weekly honors, Louisville landing a major 2027 commitment, key injury watches, and a sobering moment as Brown University cancels games after a tragic campus shooting. We close with a bigger question that ties it all together: in a league racing toward positionless versatility, where do specialists truly fit — and can specialized excellence still win at the highest level?
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/basketball-home--6810996/support.
Listen to all of our podcast episodes here: Basketball Home
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/basketball-home--6810996/support.
Listen to all of our podcast episodes here: Basketball Home
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Basketball Home. We're here to give you the
complete picture of everything that's going on in the basketball world.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
That's right from the NBA all the way down to
the NCAA.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
If it's happening on a court, we're talking about it.
We've done all the work so you can get a
full rundown of all the biggest stories.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
And we have a huge agenda tonight. We're going to
start in Las Vegas.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
The NBA Cup Final exactly.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
It's delivering that playoff level intensity way earlier than we expected.
And we're going to break down the two very different
teams that are fighting for that trophy.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And speaking of different, we have to get into the
absolute implosion that's happening with the LA Clippers. It's a mess.
It is a future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul has
this really ugly sudden exit. It's a story that just
says so much about expectations and friction behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
From there, we'll pivot to some individual greatness. We're looking
at the unbelievable start for Maverick's rookie Cooper Flag. I mean,
he is setting records that used to belong to Lebron James. Yeah,
and We'll also dive into a historic night where two
centers basically redefine their position in the same game.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
And finally, we'll wrap it all up with a big
look at the college game. We've got sweeping SEC honors
for coach Cow's Arkansas razorback.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
A huge recruiting commitment for Louisville, and.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Of course, the ongoing injury watch for some of the
biggest names in college shops. It's a pack knight, so
let's jump right in. Let's start with the NBA Cup Final.
All right, So the stage is set T Mobile Arena
in Las Vegas. It's the third annual Emirates NBA Cup
Championship tonight. And what a matchup. You've got the New
York Knicks eighteen to seven, they've won five straight, roll in,
(01:40):
just roll in, and they're up against the San Antonio Spurs,
who have the exact same record eighteen to seven and
are on a three game winning streak themselves.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
And the atmosphere around this whole tournament, everyone is saying
it feel like a real playoff rehearsal.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
It does, and that's exactly what the league was hoping
for right when they came up with this whole mid
season tournament idea. But let's be honest about what gives
this thing it's genuine edge. The one thing that elevates
it beyond just you know, a simple exhibition, it's the money.
It's the money.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
It's absolutely the money. The financial stakes here are they're substantial,
and what's really important is that it's spread across the
entire roster.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
We're talking five hundred and thirty thousand, nine hundred and
thirty three dollars.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Each for every player and the head coach on the
winning team.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
That number is just staggering when you think about it
through the lens of the different contracts on a team.
For the max guys, you know, you're Jalen Brunson's your
Karl Anthony Towns, that's a nice bonus, it's a new
car whatever. Sure, But for the guys on minimum deals,
or especially the two way players, yeah, a half million
dollars is it's transformative. It could be two or three
(02:45):
times their entire annual salary exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
That's the key. When you have a two way guy
who might be making what six figures, and suddenly there's
a potential five hundred and thirty thousand dollars bonus on
the line. Their whole approach just fundamentally.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Changes every position matters, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Every single one. That final angel incentive. It drives the
urgency we've been seeing. It makes sure that even in December,
these games feel like the playoffs. It's honestly, it's a
brilliant way to guarantee high effort basketball from top to bottom.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So let's start with the Spurs side of this. Yeah,
because they are the real story here, this story of ascendants.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Absolutely. They finished last season a disappointing thirty four to forty.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Eight, and now they're eighteen to seven. I don't think anyone,
and I mean anyone projected them to be here competing
for a trophy this early in their rebuild. They really
feel like the upstarts.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
They're way ahead of schedule, and their path to get
here was probably the hardest. They had to take down
the league leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
A team that was twenty four too.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
And on a massive sixteen game winning streak, and the
Spurs beat them in this thrilling two point semi final.
That win wasn't just you know, a number in the
win column. It was a psychological statement for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
It tells you that this young Spurs core, even with
all its youth, can beat the absolute best in the
league when the pressure.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Is one which part of that win was the return
of Victor Wembanyama.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
He'd been out for nearly a month with that calf
strain and you could tell the team was being.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Cautious with him, Oh very cautious. They limited him to
just twenty one minutes in that semi final game.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
But even so in the final against the Knicks, he
still puts up twenty two points, nine rebounds, two locks,
and two assists in just twenty minutes.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The efficiency is just off the charts. It shows his
immediate game changing impact.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
What's really interesting, though, is that the Spurs haven't really
needed him to carry this massive load throughout the tournament,
which you know speaks to the depth they've built.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Right But when they needed that moment of brilliance, he
was there. And on top of that, wehm Banyama has
a history of just absolutely terrorizing this specific opponent. Against
the Nares against the Knicks in their two matchups over
the last couple of seasons, Wemby has averaged an absurd
forty one points and nineteen rebounds.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Get out of here. Forty one and nineteen and.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Five point five assists, five three pointers, and four that
steals plus blocks.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Those are I mean, those are literally video game numbers.
To average that against an elite Eastern Conference team is
almost unheard of.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
It just suggests there's a fundamental matchup problem that New
York has not figured out.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So if he can do even like seventy percent of
that tonight, the Spurs are going to be incredibly tough
to be.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
And he'd be the clear front runner for Cup MVP.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
It's important to mention his perspective though.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, he's very measured. Even after that huge win over OKC,
he sort of downplayed the whole rivalry idea. He said,
the Thunder in their own tier right now, but he
wants to build one exactly. He hopes to build one
in the future. That humility, that a long term view.
It's such a hallmark of the Spurs organization. It keeps
that young roster from getting, you know, too far ahead
(05:45):
of themselves.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
The other big narrative for the Spurs is the the
emotional side of it. For Darren Fox.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, the Texas native who forced his way out of
Sacramento and.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Tonight he faces his old coach, Mike Brown, who's now
leading the next.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
That whole situation in Sacramento was complex. Fox had really
fought for Brown to get a contract extension, and when
Brown got fired anyway, that was reportedly the last straw
for him.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
But they're still close.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah personally, right, oh yeah. Fox calls Brown family, but
professionally he seems so much happier in San Antonio. He
told Ansgap that the grass is definitely greener. He said
he hasn't stopped smiling since he.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Arrived, and that happiness is translating on the court. He's
playing so efficiently he is.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
He missed the first seven games with hamstring injury, but
since then he's averaging almost twenty four points, over six
assists and nearly four rebounds a game.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
His speed and his vision, they just fit perfectly with
Wemby's gravity. It makes their whole offense so much more dynamic.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Okay, so let's switch over to the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
The Eastern Elite.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
That's how they're seen. They're hungry for a signature win,
and you know, for that franchise. They're chasing their first
championship banner of any kind since nineteen seventy three.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So even a mid season cup for them, it's a
huge step. It helps them as establish this new identity, and.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
That identity is, without a doubt, defined by Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
He is playing at an undeniable MVP level.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
He's six on the MVP Ladder right now, seventh overall
in scoring. He's just this aggressive, relentless engine for their
whole offense. He dictates everything.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
So what's the game plan for the next how do
they stop this unique Spurs team?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Well, coach Mike Brown laid it out pretty clearly. He said,
they have to match the Spurs physicality. They have to
run the floor and they have to rebound.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
And New York's defense is legit.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
It is they allow the fourth fewest points per game
in the league. They rely heavily on guys like og
and Nunob and McCall bridges for that defensive versatility. But
it's got to be a full forty eight minute effort.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Okay, So let's drill down into the key matchups that
are going to decide this thing. It has to start
with the Biggs.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
It has to Wan Banyama versus Karl Anthony Towns.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
And kt is having a super efficient season. He's averaging
over twenty three points a game on almost fifty five
percent shooting.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
He's arguably one of the best shooting centers ever. But
the dynamic here is it's.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Complicated because Towns has stepped up his defense lately.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
He has, but the Knicks coaching staff, Mike Brown included,
they've openly admitted that guarding one Banyama one on one
is basically impossible.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
So what's the strategy. Just hope he misses.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That's pretty much it. Brown's direct quote was nine times
out of ten, he's gonna miss because he misses.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It's a defensive philosophy of just forcing him into tough,
contested jumpers, and then you know, playing the odds. They're
not expecting any one player to shut him down.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
That is a fascinating, almost philosophical way to approach defense.
It's basically admitting you can't stop me, you can only
hope to contain him exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
And on the perimeter, you've got the battle between Brunson
and the Spurs guard.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Rotation, and the Spurs have options there they do.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
They can throw different looks at him. You've got Fox,
who's quicker You've got stuff on Castle, who's been maybe
their most impactful player in this whole Cup run because of.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
His defense, and the rookie Dylan Harper, who's.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Been praised for being so poised and sure. But Brunson
is a master at leveraging defenses. He's always hunting for contact.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
So the Spurs' best bet is probably using Castle on
him early to wear him down.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
I think, so you try to frustrate him, keep Fox
fresh for the offensive end. It's a real strength on
strength matchup that's going to come down to help defense.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
We have to talk about the environment around this tournament though,
specifically the controversy with the title sponsor Emirates.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah, this is a serious issue. The tournament is sponsored
by the UAE, which has been directly linked by organizations
like Refugees International to funding the RSF paramilitary group.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
And this immediately brings up the very sensitive issue of
sports washing.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
It does the RSF is accused of mass killings and
ethnic cleansing in the civil war in Sudan. Refugees International
put out a very strong statement saying the NBA is
allowing itself to be used as a pawn by the
UAE to normalize this alleged humanitarian catastrophe.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
It's a huge moral question for the league and their response.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Their stated response is that they're following US State Department
guidance and that their goal is to engage with fans
and players globally. They point out that basketball is very
popular in the Middle East.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
But you have to ask the question, right, does that
response that they're just following guidance? Does it ring a
little hollow When so much money is flowing from a
regime accused to these things.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
It puts the league in a very tough spot. It's
this constant balancing act between global expansion and ethical integrity,
and right now it seems like the money is a
huge factor in their decisions, and.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
This partnership goes deeper than just the Cup sponsorship.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Much deeper. There are annual preseason games in Abu Dhabi,
and there are plans for a new NBA Global Academy
at NYU's campus there, And.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Now there are reports the NBA might even move the
final stages of the Cup out of Las Vegas next season,
and that.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
They're seeking investment from Abu Dhabi to launch a new
NBA branded European league, maybe as soon as twenty twenty seven.
So this financial relationship, it seems to only be getting deeper,
which means this ethical scrutiny isn't going away.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Okay, that is the high stakes and very ethically complex
setup for the Cup Final. Now let's pivot from that
to the ugly reality of just pure organizational chaos. Let's
talk about what's happening in Los Angeles. The Alley Clippers are.
I mean, they're in a complete and total meltdown. They're
six twenty that puts them fourteenth in the West. They've
lost eighteen of their last twenty one games. This isn't
(11:25):
just a cold streak. This feels like the whole organization
is collapsing.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
And right at the center of all this chaos is
the spectacular and very public implosion involving Chris Paul.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
The way it all went down was just terrible for
the franchise's reputation.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Oh yeah, a forty year old future Hall of Famer
is just abruptly sent home twenty one games into what
was supposed to be his farewell run.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
And he's the one who broke the news.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
At three am Eastern time on Instagram, he posts just
found out and being sent home. I mean that just
exposed the deep, deep dysfunction inside that building.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
So let's get to the root of it. This whole
re union was basically doomed from the start because of
completely different expectations.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Wildly different. Paul signed that one year, three point six
million dollar deal thinking he'd have a reserve role, but also,
and this is key, that he'd be an extension of
the coaching staff.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Well, the team just wanted a veteran presence at the.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
End of the bench exactly. They wanted a low maintenance
leader and cheerleader, not a co coach.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
And that gap right there between wanting to contribute to
strategy and being told to just you know, be a
good vet, that's where the friction started.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
And it was immediate and intense. Sources say Paul had
serious arguments with Tyron Low and especially with the associate
head coach, jeff En Gundy.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
The core issue, from what we're hearing, is that players
and coaches found him abrasive when he was challenged.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Yeah, an executive from another team summed up Paul's entire
history perfectly. He said, he wears you out, he's convinced
he's right, and he often is right, which kind of
pisses you off.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
That quote is everything. It just captures the whole tension
of his personality. He's a brilliant basketball mind, one of
the best ever, but he struggles with the humility he
need to have when you're in a reduced role like that.
He was apparently warned over and over not to undermine
the staff, but he.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Just kept doing it, and it all came to a
hat on a team flight. This is unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
It is after a tough loss, he's openly questioning the
coaching staff's decisions about Kowee Leonards minutes.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
But it gets worse to prove that he had only
suggested a defensive change, not you know, challenge the staff.
He actually starts pulling Cowie and Chris Dunn right there
on the plane to get them to confirm his side
of the story.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
He's conducting his own internal investigation on the team plane.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
It was the final straw. The front office saw that
and knew he was creating a massive division.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
So the team president, Lawrence Frank, has to deliver the
news in a late night hotel room meeting in Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Right and Frank gives him one last warning about being divisive,
but says the decision is final.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
He's going home, and Paul apparently tried to fight it.
He brought in brook Lopez as a character.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Witness, and he reminded Frank that a one on one
meeting he was promised with Tylo never even happened, but
it didn't matter.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
The aftermath of this just shows how fragile that whole
franchise is.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Right now, Oh yeah, after Monday's blowout lost to the Grizzlies,
Cowie and James Harden both just skipped talking to the media.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Which just amplifies the sense of chaos.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
And then you have Dwyane Wade, who talked to Paul
and he suggested the whole thing was forced by people
inside the organization. He said, somebody didn't want this study
to happen anyway.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
That feeling that was driven by resistance from inside. It
just highlights how unstable everything.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Is, and this whole Chris Paul saga, it's not an
isolated thing. It's just one part of a string of
catastrophic offseason moves.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Right. They bring in Bradley Beal, he immediately suffers a
season ending hip injury.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
They trade away Duncan Robinson, who is now thriving in
Detroit for John Collins, who just hasn't been the answer
they needed.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
So what was the strategic failure here? What were they thinking?
Speaker 2 (14:57):
It was the classic one last push strategy. They brought
in all this aging high profile talent Paul Beale Collins,
hoping to supplement their stars. They banked on name recognition
instead of fit and durability, and.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
They needed cohesion. Instead, they got high maintenance.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Division exactly, and trading Robinson, a specialized elite shooter for Collins,
a big who needs the ball in specific spots, just
made the floor spacing even worse. The whole thing is
just a mess built on a flawed strategy and dysfunctional leadership.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So let's contrast that absolute chaos with the quiet, unexpected
steadiness that's happening in San Antonio.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Yeah, where coach Mitch Johnson has just provided this necessary calm.
He's the stable leadership the Clippers desperately need.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
He had to take over November after the legendary Greg
Popovich had a stroke. I mean, that's the ultimate following
a legend scenario.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
And he hasn't flinched. And what's really remarkable is He's
navigated all these huge injuries.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Lambayama miss twelve of the first twenty five games, Harper
miss ten, Castle miss nine, Fox missed.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Eight, and yet he's guided them to an eighteen to
seven start, which is their best since the twenty sixteen
seventeen season. That stability is the exact opposite of what
the Clippers are going through.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Johnson even admitted he said, I'm not Pop, so I
can't lead how he did. He's not trying to be
a clone.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
He's leading authentically, and he's made these mild little tweaks
to the Spurs way that are actually really significant.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
The big one was in that Cup semi final against OKC.
He used intentional fouling late in the game with a
three point.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Lead three separate times, and Pop was famously philosophically against
that tactic. He saw it as concession.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
So that shows Johnson is willing to evolve. He respects
the tradition, but he's not afraid to break it for
a tactical advantage.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
And the players trust him. Devin Missel said they trust
him one hundred percent. The Thunders coach Mark Danielle, who
coached Johnson in the G League, called him steady, emotionally unflappable, and.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
That emotional consistency is what you need for a young,
injury hit roster.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
That contrast is just so starksan and to finding stability
after a legend versus the Clippers just imploding from within.
It just shows you that cultural health is the foundation
for any kind of success.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Speaking of success, let's transition now to some of the
incredible individual performances that are rewriting the record books. Let's
start with the rookies, because Dallas Mavericks' rookie, Cooper Flag's
not just having a good start to his career.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
No, he's having a historically defining one.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
He just put up a career high forty two points
and a tough overtime loss to the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
And the historical context of that performance is what's really
mind blowing.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
He surpassed Lebron James's record for the most points scored
by an eighteen year old in NBA.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
History, a record that stood since December of two thousand
and three. He also tied Mark Aguire's long standing record
for most points by a Mavericks rookie.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
So he's now in the company of Lebron James and
Kevin Durant as the only three teenagers ever to have
a game with forty points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
It's just astounding company to be in twenty five games
into your career. But what stands out even more than
the numbers is his mindset.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Right after the game, despite all those records, he was
almost entirely focused on the loss.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
He said he had major regrets about turnovers and missed
free throws. It's that singular, intense focus that people are
already calling a Kobe Bryant like mindset.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Let's dig into that a little. Yeah, what does that
mindset actually look like in his game?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Well, it's an inability to accept anything less than perfection.
Even in a game where he performed at a historic level.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Most young players would be celebrating the forty.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Two points exactly, He's immediately critiquing his own efficiency and
the final outcome. That complete prioritization of winning over personal
stats is so rare for an eighteen year old. For
the MAVs, it signals they have a cornerstone player whose
internal drive matches his talent.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
And that high standard is really defining this year's rookie class.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
It really is. Flag is actually ranked number two on
the Rooky Ladder.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Right now, and number one is his old teammate from.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Duke Condinuple of the Charlotte Hornets. They actually made history
as the first college teammates to win conference Rookie of
the Month honors at the same time.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
And Contineple is leading all rookies in scoring.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
At eighteen point three points per game and he's already
hit seventy three threes. His scoring and shooting are making
the Hornets surprisingly competitive, and a.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Sophomore class is just as impressive. Stefan Cassel from the
Spurs is number one.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Right and he's getting praised for his two way play,
especially his one on one defense against elite guards like
Shi Gilgess Alexander.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
That's the skill that separates him for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
At number two is Alex Sar of the Wizards. Sar
is putting up incredible defensive numbers like when b Ya
Mahalmgren level stats, and he's.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Doing this with what some people are calling the worst
guard room in the league.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Which is a testament to his individual production. And rounding
out the top three is Reed Shepherd of the Rockets.
He is the pure shooter the flamethrower.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
When he's on the floor with their starters. Their net
rating is a plus nine point four.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
It's a banner year for young talent. And speaking of talent,
we saw this history evolution of the center position this
week in.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
That Nuggets Rockets game. The one twenty eight one to
twenty five overtime win.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
For Denver, Nikola Jokic and Alprin Sengan made NBA history.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Jokic had thirty nine points, fifteen rebounds in.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Ten assists, and Sengen had thirty three points, ten rebounds
and ten asists. They became the first pair of centers
in NBA history to both record a triple double in
the same game.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
It's just a staggering moment. It really shows how the
center position has evolved from just being a post scorer
to being a primary playmaker.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I mean, Jokic is just anchoring his MVP case, averaging
a triple double on the season while shooting over sixty
one percent, and Sengen has taken this massive leap. He's
a legitimate superstar now.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
And of course both of them immediately pushed back on
that baby Joker comparison.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
For Sengen, Yeah, Yokich was very respectful. He said, I
think he needs to be recognized for who he is.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
And Sengen said, I'm on my own way.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
They appreciate the comparison, but they're building their own legacies.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
But that game wasn't without some seria drama.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Oh yeah, the ending was controversial.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
That away from the playfoul on Iman Thompson that led
to Jamal Murray's game tying free throw.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
And Rockets coach Ime Udoko was furious.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
He put the officiating crew on blast, called it the
most poorly officiated game I've seen in a long time.
He said two of the refs had no business being
out there, and Jamal Murray, who hit the free throw,
defended the ref saying it was just a physical game, right.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
But for the Nuggets, it was a big win. They
snapped a four game home losing streak and now they're
on a five game win streak overall.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
So we just saw an example of peak level positionless
basketball and Denver. Now let us look at the other
side of that coin. The Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah, a team that seems to be suffering from a
real identity crisis.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
They're struggling at fifteen twelve They've lost six of their
last nine. This is a huge drop off from last
year when they started fifteen to low.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
And this crisis is forcing them to rely so heavily
on Donovan Mitchell.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
He had that incredible fourth quarter against the Wizards where
he scored twenty four points to lead a comeback.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
That was the highest single quarter scoring output in the
entire NBA this season. It shows he can be this
nuclear offensive force, but it also shows how dependent they've.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Become on him, and you can tell the pressure is
getting to them. After that overtime loss to the Hornets,
where they missed every single shot in ot all ten
of them, Mitchell admitted the fans were right to be frustrated.
He said, I was a fan once, I would boo
us too.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
That's some raw accountability from a superstar. And it doesn't
help that they're dealing with injuries.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Evan Mobley is out for a few weeks with a
calf strain, Darius Garland is still battling pain from off
season toe surgery.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
All this adversity is really chipping away at their foundation.
It's raising serious questions about whether they can get back
to being a true contender.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Let's shift over to another part of the East where
we're seeing some big power shifts. The Detroit Pistons are dominating.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
A twenty one to five record with a plus six
point three differential. Their success really highlights one of the
most regrettable trades of the season.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
The Miami Heat trading Duncan Robinson.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Yeah, the Heater a struggling at fourteen twelve, They've lost
five straight and reports are they deeply regret that move.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Robinson is averaging twelve a game, shooting forty percent from three,
and the Pistons starting five as a plus ten net
rating with him.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
So what was the failure there? Did the Heat just
misjudge the value of a pure shooter?
Speaker 1 (23:22):
I think it's a failure on two fronts. They underestimated
his unique gravity, the way he creates space for guys
like Jimmy Butler just by being on.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
The floor, and they not only made themselves worse, they
gifted a key piece to an in conference rival who
they're now chasing in the standing.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
It's one of their most regrettable moves in a long time.
It really shows you that while versatility is great, elite
specialized shooting is still irreplaceable.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
And Miami's problems go deeper than that. Nikola Jovitch got
hurt in that loss to the Raptors, and there's.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
The whole off court distraction with Terry Rouzier and the
betting scandal.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Right He's accused of faking an injured back in twenty
twenty three, and now prosecutors are raising conflict of interest
issues because he's reportedly paying for a co defendant's lawyer.
That's the kind of thing that can really erode trust
in a locker room.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
The Raptors, though, they're starting to find their footing. They
beat the Heat to end a four game skid.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
That five day break from the NBA Cup seems to
have really helped them.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
They got to prepare, specifically for Miami's unique offense.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Yeah, that five out low, pick and roll offense. For
anyone listening, that just means all five guys are outside
the three point line, which spreads the floor, and the
screen is set lower near the free throw line, which
forces the defense into tough decisions closer to the basket.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
And the Raptors totally neutralized it. They held the third
best offense in the league, twenty six points below their average.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Brandon Ingram led the way with twenty eight. It was
a great defensive performance.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
And one last quick personnel.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
No.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah, but Pacers, they're so beat up with injuries. They
got a hardship exception and they used it to sign
Gabe mcloughin to a ten day contract.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Called them up from their G League team, the Nobles Boom,
where he was averaging almost seventeen points and eight rebounds.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
It's a great story the former Grand Canyon star gets
his first real shot in the NBA. It just shows
you how fast things can change. Absolutely Okay, that's a
lot from the pros. Let's jump over to the college game,
where the talent is just as high and the recruiting
battles are heating up.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
All right. In the men's Top twenty five, the Arizona
Wildcats are still the consensus number one team, holding strong
at nine and' eel. They just look like the most
complete team in the nation right now. They got forty
two first place votes in the latest APEEP Pole.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
The consistency has just been so impressive. They're pairing this
high powered offense with really disciplined defense.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
And tonight we've got a huge non conference matchup with
big top twenty five implications.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Number twenty three Tennessee is hosting number eleven Louisville in Knoxville.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
And it's a confirmed sellout. It's the third sellout of
the season already. For the volunteers, that kind of fan
support is huge. It gives these players invaluable experience in
a high pressure playoff like Atmosphere in December.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Over in the SEC, the Arkansas Razorbacks are really starting
to gain some momentum on a.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Coach cal They just swept the conference's weekly awards after
a big win over Texas.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Tech, and that sweep really shows you how well built
their roster is.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
It does. You've got the senior forward Trevon Brazil, who
won SEC Player of the Week. He had twenty four
points and ten rebounds against a ranked opponent. He's the power,
the energy in the front court.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
And then you have the freshman guard Darry z Acuff.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Junior, who won his second straight SEC Freshman of the
Week award. He had twenty points and eight assists. He's
the poise, the control in the backcourt that stabilizes their
whole offense.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
That balance of veteran power and young playmaking, Yeah, that's
a great sign for Arkansas heading into conference.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Play and switching to the recruiting landscape, Louisville just landed
a huge commitment.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Yeah, this is a big one class of twenty twenty seven.
Combo guard Isaac Ellis committed to the Cardinals.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
He had decommitted from South Carolina last week, and this
is a massive get for coach Pat Kelcey. Ellis isn't
just a talent, he's a phenomenon.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
He's averaging over thirty points and eight assists in the overtime.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Elite League and he has a huge social media following
over a million followers on TikTok alone.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
So what does a commitment like this say about the program?
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Well, Ellis specifically mentioned his belief in coach Kelsey and
the high standard culture they're building. For a player with
that kind of online profile to choose a program that
promises discipline and excellence, it's a statement.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
It suggests Kelsey is building an identity that appeals to
these top tier, media savvy recruits who are looking for
more than just playing time exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
They're looking for brand alignment and structure.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
We also saw some strong finishes to non conference play
from some mid majors Wyoming moved to nine to two
with a good road win over South Dakota State.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
And their freshmen. Nasser Meyer led the way with twenty
five points and seven boards. He's had a really hot start.
It's that kind of performance that puts a mid major
on the map heading into comfort.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
On the flip side, huh, Maryland is having a tough
go of it at six'. Five.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Yeah Coach Buzz williams is dealing with a lot of
Injuries Ferrell, Payne Solomon, washington and he's pointedly refusing to
give any updates on their.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Status he says he wants to protect his, team.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Which is a classic coaching move. Right you shield your
players from pressure and you don't give opponents any extra.
Information but you could see signs of progress in their
loss to number One.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Michigan they played a great first, half lowest turnover rate
of the, season.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
But then they had eight turnovers in the second half
That michigan immediately turned into transition. Buckets it just shows
how a lack of depth from injuries can hurt your
stamina and focus late in.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Games and now they have to get ready for a
brutal game against number twenty Three.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Virginia, meanwhile the injury watch continues For kansas's potential number
ONE nba draft, Pick Darren.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Peterson he's dealing with these ongoing leg.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Issues, yeah it's quad, cramping not a reaggravation of his
old hamstring, injury but it forced him to miss time
and leave their last game.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Early his status For tuesday's game is still, unclear and
anytime a potential top pick is dealing with an, injury
it's going to be monitored very closely for.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Sure before he left a, game he still had seventeen,
points five, boards and four. Assists he's just so productive
when he's.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Healthy, unfortunately we also have some truly heartbreaking news to
report from the college basketball.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Community, Yeah Brown university had to cancel both its men's
and women's games scheduled For december twenty.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
First this was after a mass shooting on campus that
killed two people and wounded nine others On.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Saturday it's just a, tragic tragic situation that really puts
basketball into. Perspective usc who the men's team was supposed to,
play has found a replacement, opponent but obviously the thoughts
of the entire basketball community are with everyone At. Brown
university right.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Now, Absolutely and just to round out the, results in women's,
Basketball California baptist fell at home TO Uc San.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Diego they just really struggled from, outside shooting only twelve
percent from three point. Range it's just so hard to
overcome that in the modern.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Game and, finally a quick note on excellence across college.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Sports, yeah Four Oregon ducks football players were NAMED Ap All.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Americans Emmanuel, pregnant the offensive, lineman Was first Team All Big.
Ten he didn't allow a single sack all.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Season that is just a phenomenal level of. Consistency and
you Had Kenyan, Sadig Dylan, thienemann And Iaponi La lulu
also getting. Honors it just shows that winning culture is
thriving across the Whole oregan athletic.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Department, okay we have covered an immense amount of. Ground.
Tonight we set the whole stage for THE Nba Cup.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Final we analyze the financial, stakes The Wee binyama matchup,
problem and that a very complex ethical layer with the emerate.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Sponsorship then we dissected the complete chaos and dramatic fall
of The La clippers after that ugly divorce.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
With Chris, paul and we contrasted that dysfunction with the
stability that Coach Mitch johnson is bringing To San.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Antonio and we Celebrated Cooper flag who is just shattering
rookie records while keeping that Singular kobe like focus on.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Winning and we wrapped it up with THE ncaa focusing
On arkansas sweeping THE sec, Awards louisville's huge recruiting win
With Isaac, ellis and the injury watch For Darren peterson At.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Kansas as we put all these stories, together there's a
big theme that sort of, emerges and it's all about
how you build a roster in today's.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
League Right we talked about those historic triple doubles From
jokic and Seng, gun two centers who are really primary.
Playmakers they embody that positionless player.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Ideal but then on the other, hand we also saw
the massive specialized impact of a guy Like Duncan, robinson
a pure three point, shooter helping to completely transform The piston.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Season and we saw the struggles of a team Like
cleveland when they have to rely too heavily on just
one star.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Player so if the league is truly moving towards that
versatile positionless, model The jokic And sengen. Model where does
the specialists fit?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
In, yeah where does a dominant defensive, center or more,
importantly a pure shooter Like, robinson where do they rank
in terms of importance for a team that's building for the.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Future and that really raises a big question for, you the,
listener to think, about can a team built around specialized
excellence still win in a league that's becoming more and more,
positionless or.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Are those pure skill guys now just valuable assets that
you're waiting to package together in a trade for the
next versatile. Superstar the future.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Of HOW nba rosters are built might really depend on
whether you value having five average skills and one player
or one truly elite skill in a.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Specialist and we'll be tracking those strategic trends and all
the successes and failures that come from them all season.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Long we absolutely will thank you for joining us here
On Basketball. Home we'll catch you next. Time
Welcome to Basketball Home. We're here to give you the
complete picture of everything that's going on in the basketball world.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
That's right from the NBA all the way down to
the NCAA.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
If it's happening on a court, we're talking about it.
We've done all the work so you can get a
full rundown of all the biggest stories.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
And we have a huge agenda tonight. We're going to
start in Las Vegas.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
The NBA Cup Final exactly.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
It's delivering that playoff level intensity way earlier than we expected.
And we're going to break down the two very different
teams that are fighting for that trophy.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And speaking of different, we have to get into the
absolute implosion that's happening with the LA Clippers. It's a mess.
It is a future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul has
this really ugly sudden exit. It's a story that just
says so much about expectations and friction behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
From there, we'll pivot to some individual greatness. We're looking
at the unbelievable start for Maverick's rookie Cooper Flag. I mean,
he is setting records that used to belong to Lebron James. Yeah,
and We'll also dive into a historic night where two
centers basically redefine their position in the same game.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
And finally, we'll wrap it all up with a big
look at the college game. We've got sweeping SEC honors
for coach Cow's Arkansas razorback.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
A huge recruiting commitment for Louisville, and.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Of course, the ongoing injury watch for some of the
biggest names in college shops. It's a pack knight, so
let's jump right in. Let's start with the NBA Cup Final.
All right, So the stage is set T Mobile Arena
in Las Vegas. It's the third annual Emirates NBA Cup
Championship tonight. And what a matchup. You've got the New
York Knicks eighteen to seven, they've won five straight, roll in,
(01:40):
just roll in, and they're up against the San Antonio Spurs,
who have the exact same record eighteen to seven and
are on a three game winning streak themselves.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
And the atmosphere around this whole tournament, everyone is saying
it feel like a real playoff rehearsal.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
It does, and that's exactly what the league was hoping
for right when they came up with this whole mid
season tournament idea. But let's be honest about what gives
this thing it's genuine edge. The one thing that elevates
it beyond just you know, a simple exhibition, it's the money.
It's the money.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
It's absolutely the money. The financial stakes here are they're substantial,
and what's really important is that it's spread across the
entire roster.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
We're talking five hundred and thirty thousand, nine hundred and
thirty three dollars.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Each for every player and the head coach on the
winning team.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
That number is just staggering when you think about it
through the lens of the different contracts on a team.
For the max guys, you know, you're Jalen Brunson's your
Karl Anthony Towns, that's a nice bonus, it's a new
car whatever. Sure, But for the guys on minimum deals,
or especially the two way players, yeah, a half million
dollars is it's transformative. It could be two or three
(02:45):
times their entire annual salary exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
That's the key. When you have a two way guy
who might be making what six figures, and suddenly there's
a potential five hundred and thirty thousand dollars bonus on
the line. Their whole approach just fundamentally.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Changes every position matters, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Every single one. That final angel incentive. It drives the
urgency we've been seeing. It makes sure that even in December,
these games feel like the playoffs. It's honestly, it's a
brilliant way to guarantee high effort basketball from top to bottom.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So let's start with the Spurs side of this. Yeah,
because they are the real story here, this story of ascendants.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Absolutely. They finished last season a disappointing thirty four to forty.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Eight, and now they're eighteen to seven. I don't think anyone,
and I mean anyone projected them to be here competing
for a trophy this early in their rebuild. They really
feel like the upstarts.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
They're way ahead of schedule, and their path to get
here was probably the hardest. They had to take down
the league leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
A team that was twenty four too.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
And on a massive sixteen game winning streak, and the
Spurs beat them in this thrilling two point semi final.
That win wasn't just you know, a number in the
win column. It was a psychological statement for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
It tells you that this young Spurs core, even with
all its youth, can beat the absolute best in the
league when the pressure.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Is one which part of that win was the return
of Victor Wembanyama.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
He'd been out for nearly a month with that calf
strain and you could tell the team was being.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Cautious with him, Oh very cautious. They limited him to
just twenty one minutes in that semi final game.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
But even so in the final against the Knicks, he
still puts up twenty two points, nine rebounds, two locks,
and two assists in just twenty minutes.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The efficiency is just off the charts. It shows his
immediate game changing impact.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
What's really interesting, though, is that the Spurs haven't really
needed him to carry this massive load throughout the tournament,
which you know speaks to the depth they've built.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Right But when they needed that moment of brilliance, he
was there. And on top of that, wehm Banyama has
a history of just absolutely terrorizing this specific opponent. Against
the Nares against the Knicks in their two matchups over
the last couple of seasons, Wemby has averaged an absurd
forty one points and nineteen rebounds.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Get out of here. Forty one and nineteen and.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Five point five assists, five three pointers, and four that
steals plus blocks.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Those are I mean, those are literally video game numbers.
To average that against an elite Eastern Conference team is
almost unheard of.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
It just suggests there's a fundamental matchup problem that New
York has not figured out.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
So if he can do even like seventy percent of
that tonight, the Spurs are going to be incredibly tough
to be.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
And he'd be the clear front runner for Cup MVP.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
It's important to mention his perspective though.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, he's very measured. Even after that huge win over OKC,
he sort of downplayed the whole rivalry idea. He said,
the Thunder in their own tier right now, but he
wants to build one exactly. He hopes to build one
in the future. That humility, that a long term view.
It's such a hallmark of the Spurs organization. It keeps
that young roster from getting, you know, too far ahead
(05:45):
of themselves.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
The other big narrative for the Spurs is the the
emotional side of it. For Darren Fox.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Yeah, the Texas native who forced his way out of
Sacramento and.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Tonight he faces his old coach, Mike Brown, who's now
leading the next.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
That whole situation in Sacramento was complex. Fox had really
fought for Brown to get a contract extension, and when
Brown got fired anyway, that was reportedly the last straw
for him.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
But they're still close.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah personally, right, oh yeah. Fox calls Brown family, but
professionally he seems so much happier in San Antonio. He
told Ansgap that the grass is definitely greener. He said
he hasn't stopped smiling since he.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Arrived, and that happiness is translating on the court. He's
playing so efficiently he is.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
He missed the first seven games with hamstring injury, but
since then he's averaging almost twenty four points, over six
assists and nearly four rebounds a game.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
His speed and his vision, they just fit perfectly with
Wemby's gravity. It makes their whole offense so much more dynamic.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Okay, so let's switch over to the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
The Eastern Elite.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
That's how they're seen. They're hungry for a signature win,
and you know, for that franchise. They're chasing their first
championship banner of any kind since nineteen seventy three.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
So even a mid season cup for them, it's a
huge step. It helps them as establish this new identity, and.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
That identity is, without a doubt, defined by Jalen Brunson.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
He is playing at an undeniable MVP level.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
He's six on the MVP Ladder right now, seventh overall
in scoring. He's just this aggressive, relentless engine for their
whole offense. He dictates everything.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
So what's the game plan for the next how do
they stop this unique Spurs team?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Well, coach Mike Brown laid it out pretty clearly. He said,
they have to match the Spurs physicality. They have to
run the floor and they have to rebound.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
And New York's defense is legit.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
It is they allow the fourth fewest points per game
in the league. They rely heavily on guys like og
and Nunob and McCall bridges for that defensive versatility. But
it's got to be a full forty eight minute effort.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
Okay, So let's drill down into the key matchups that
are going to decide this thing. It has to start
with the Biggs.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
It has to Wan Banyama versus Karl Anthony Towns.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
And kt is having a super efficient season. He's averaging
over twenty three points a game on almost fifty five
percent shooting.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
He's arguably one of the best shooting centers ever. But
the dynamic here is it's.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Complicated because Towns has stepped up his defense lately.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
He has, but the Knicks coaching staff, Mike Brown included,
they've openly admitted that guarding one Banyama one on one
is basically impossible.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
So what's the strategy. Just hope he misses.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That's pretty much it. Brown's direct quote was nine times
out of ten, he's gonna miss because he misses.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It's a defensive philosophy of just forcing him into tough,
contested jumpers, and then you know, playing the odds. They're
not expecting any one player to shut him down.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
That is a fascinating, almost philosophical way to approach defense.
It's basically admitting you can't stop me, you can only
hope to contain him exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
And on the perimeter, you've got the battle between Brunson
and the Spurs guard.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Rotation, and the Spurs have options there they do.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
They can throw different looks at him. You've got Fox,
who's quicker You've got stuff on Castle, who's been maybe
their most impactful player in this whole Cup run because of.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
His defense, and the rookie Dylan Harper, who's.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Been praised for being so poised and sure. But Brunson
is a master at leveraging defenses. He's always hunting for contact.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
So the Spurs' best bet is probably using Castle on
him early to wear him down.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
I think, so you try to frustrate him, keep Fox
fresh for the offensive end. It's a real strength on
strength matchup that's going to come down to help defense.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
We have to talk about the environment around this tournament though,
specifically the controversy with the title sponsor Emirates.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah, this is a serious issue. The tournament is sponsored
by the UAE, which has been directly linked by organizations
like Refugees International to funding the RSF paramilitary group.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
And this immediately brings up the very sensitive issue of
sports washing.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
It does the RSF is accused of mass killings and
ethnic cleansing in the civil war in Sudan. Refugees International
put out a very strong statement saying the NBA is
allowing itself to be used as a pawn by the
UAE to normalize this alleged humanitarian catastrophe.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
It's a huge moral question for the league and their response.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Their stated response is that they're following US State Department
guidance and that their goal is to engage with fans
and players globally. They point out that basketball is very
popular in the Middle East.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
But you have to ask the question, right, does that
response that they're just following guidance? Does it ring a
little hollow When so much money is flowing from a
regime accused to these things.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
It puts the league in a very tough spot. It's
this constant balancing act between global expansion and ethical integrity,
and right now it seems like the money is a
huge factor in their decisions, and.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
This partnership goes deeper than just the Cup sponsorship.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Much deeper. There are annual preseason games in Abu Dhabi,
and there are plans for a new NBA Global Academy
at NYU's campus there, And.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Now there are reports the NBA might even move the
final stages of the Cup out of Las Vegas next season,
and that.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
They're seeking investment from Abu Dhabi to launch a new
NBA branded European league, maybe as soon as twenty twenty seven.
So this financial relationship, it seems to only be getting deeper,
which means this ethical scrutiny isn't going away.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Okay, that is the high stakes and very ethically complex
setup for the Cup Final. Now let's pivot from that
to the ugly reality of just pure organizational chaos. Let's
talk about what's happening in Los Angeles. The Alley Clippers are.
I mean, they're in a complete and total meltdown. They're
six twenty that puts them fourteenth in the West. They've
lost eighteen of their last twenty one games. This isn't
(11:25):
just a cold streak. This feels like the whole organization
is collapsing.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
And right at the center of all this chaos is
the spectacular and very public implosion involving Chris Paul.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
The way it all went down was just terrible for
the franchise's reputation.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Oh yeah, a forty year old future Hall of Famer
is just abruptly sent home twenty one games into what
was supposed to be his farewell run.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
And he's the one who broke the news.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
At three am Eastern time on Instagram, he posts just
found out and being sent home. I mean that just
exposed the deep, deep dysfunction inside that building.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
So let's get to the root of it. This whole
re union was basically doomed from the start because of
completely different expectations.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Wildly different. Paul signed that one year, three point six
million dollar deal thinking he'd have a reserve role, but also,
and this is key, that he'd be an extension of
the coaching staff.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Well, the team just wanted a veteran presence at the.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
End of the bench exactly. They wanted a low maintenance
leader and cheerleader, not a co coach.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
And that gap right there between wanting to contribute to
strategy and being told to just you know, be a
good vet, that's where the friction started.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
And it was immediate and intense. Sources say Paul had
serious arguments with Tyron Low and especially with the associate
head coach, jeff En Gundy.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
The core issue, from what we're hearing, is that players
and coaches found him abrasive when he was challenged.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Yeah, an executive from another team summed up Paul's entire
history perfectly. He said, he wears you out, he's convinced
he's right, and he often is right, which kind of
pisses you off.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
That quote is everything. It just captures the whole tension
of his personality. He's a brilliant basketball mind, one of
the best ever, but he struggles with the humility he
need to have when you're in a reduced role like that.
He was apparently warned over and over not to undermine
the staff, but he.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Just kept doing it, and it all came to a
hat on a team flight. This is unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
It is after a tough loss, he's openly questioning the
coaching staff's decisions about Kowee Leonards minutes.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
But it gets worse to prove that he had only
suggested a defensive change, not you know, challenge the staff.
He actually starts pulling Cowie and Chris Dunn right there
on the plane to get them to confirm his side
of the story.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
He's conducting his own internal investigation on the team plane.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
It was the final straw. The front office saw that
and knew he was creating a massive division.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
So the team president, Lawrence Frank, has to deliver the
news in a late night hotel room meeting in Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Right and Frank gives him one last warning about being divisive,
but says the decision is final.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
He's going home, and Paul apparently tried to fight it.
He brought in brook Lopez as a character.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Witness, and he reminded Frank that a one on one
meeting he was promised with Tylo never even happened, but
it didn't matter.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
The aftermath of this just shows how fragile that whole
franchise is.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Right now, Oh yeah, after Monday's blowout lost to the Grizzlies,
Cowie and James Harden both just skipped talking to the media.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Which just amplifies the sense of chaos.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
And then you have Dwyane Wade, who talked to Paul
and he suggested the whole thing was forced by people
inside the organization. He said, somebody didn't want this study
to happen anyway.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
That feeling that was driven by resistance from inside. It
just highlights how unstable everything.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Is, and this whole Chris Paul saga, it's not an
isolated thing. It's just one part of a string of
catastrophic offseason moves.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Right. They bring in Bradley Beal, he immediately suffers a
season ending hip injury.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
They trade away Duncan Robinson, who is now thriving in
Detroit for John Collins, who just hasn't been the answer
they needed.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
So what was the strategic failure here? What were they thinking?
Speaker 2 (14:57):
It was the classic one last push strategy. They brought
in all this aging high profile talent Paul Beale Collins,
hoping to supplement their stars. They banked on name recognition
instead of fit and durability, and.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
They needed cohesion. Instead, they got high maintenance.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Division exactly, and trading Robinson, a specialized elite shooter for Collins,
a big who needs the ball in specific spots, just
made the floor spacing even worse. The whole thing is
just a mess built on a flawed strategy and dysfunctional leadership.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
So let's contrast that absolute chaos with the quiet, unexpected
steadiness that's happening in San Antonio.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Yeah, where coach Mitch Johnson has just provided this necessary calm.
He's the stable leadership the Clippers desperately need.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
He had to take over November after the legendary Greg
Popovich had a stroke. I mean, that's the ultimate following
a legend scenario.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
And he hasn't flinched. And what's really remarkable is He's
navigated all these huge injuries.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Lambayama miss twelve of the first twenty five games, Harper
miss ten, Castle miss nine, Fox missed.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Eight, and yet he's guided them to an eighteen to
seven start, which is their best since the twenty sixteen
seventeen season. That stability is the exact opposite of what
the Clippers are going through.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Johnson even admitted he said, I'm not Pop, so I
can't lead how he did. He's not trying to be
a clone.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
He's leading authentically, and he's made these mild little tweaks
to the Spurs way that are actually really significant.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
The big one was in that Cup semi final against OKC.
He used intentional fouling late in the game with a
three point.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Lead three separate times, and Pop was famously philosophically against
that tactic. He saw it as concession.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
So that shows Johnson is willing to evolve. He respects
the tradition, but he's not afraid to break it for
a tactical advantage.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
And the players trust him. Devin Missel said they trust
him one hundred percent. The Thunders coach Mark Danielle, who
coached Johnson in the G League, called him steady, emotionally unflappable, and.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
That emotional consistency is what you need for a young,
injury hit roster.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
That contrast is just so starksan and to finding stability
after a legend versus the Clippers just imploding from within.
It just shows you that cultural health is the foundation
for any kind of success.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Speaking of success, let's transition now to some of the
incredible individual performances that are rewriting the record books. Let's
start with the rookies, because Dallas Mavericks' rookie, Cooper Flag's
not just having a good start to his career.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
No, he's having a historically defining one.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
He just put up a career high forty two points
and a tough overtime loss to the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
And the historical context of that performance is what's really
mind blowing.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
He surpassed Lebron James's record for the most points scored
by an eighteen year old in NBA.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
History, a record that stood since December of two thousand
and three. He also tied Mark Aguire's long standing record
for most points by a Mavericks rookie.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
So he's now in the company of Lebron James and
Kevin Durant as the only three teenagers ever to have
a game with forty points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
It's just astounding company to be in twenty five games
into your career. But what stands out even more than
the numbers is his mindset.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Right after the game, despite all those records, he was
almost entirely focused on the loss.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
He said he had major regrets about turnovers and missed
free throws. It's that singular, intense focus that people are
already calling a Kobe Bryant like mindset.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Let's dig into that a little. Yeah, what does that
mindset actually look like in his game?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Well, it's an inability to accept anything less than perfection.
Even in a game where he performed at a historic level.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Most young players would be celebrating the forty.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Two points exactly, He's immediately critiquing his own efficiency and
the final outcome. That complete prioritization of winning over personal
stats is so rare for an eighteen year old. For
the MAVs, it signals they have a cornerstone player whose
internal drive matches his talent.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
And that high standard is really defining this year's rookie class.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
It really is. Flag is actually ranked number two on
the Rooky Ladder.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Right now, and number one is his old teammate from.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Duke Condinuple of the Charlotte Hornets. They actually made history
as the first college teammates to win conference Rookie of
the Month honors at the same time.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
And Contineple is leading all rookies in scoring.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
At eighteen point three points per game and he's already
hit seventy three threes. His scoring and shooting are making
the Hornets surprisingly competitive, and a.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Sophomore class is just as impressive. Stefan Cassel from the
Spurs is number one.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Right and he's getting praised for his two way play,
especially his one on one defense against elite guards like
Shi Gilgess Alexander.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
That's the skill that separates him for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
At number two is Alex Sar of the Wizards. Sar
is putting up incredible defensive numbers like when b Ya
Mahalmgren level stats, and he's.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Doing this with what some people are calling the worst
guard room in the league.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Which is a testament to his individual production. And rounding
out the top three is Reed Shepherd of the Rockets.
He is the pure shooter the flamethrower.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
When he's on the floor with their starters. Their net
rating is a plus nine point four.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
It's a banner year for young talent. And speaking of talent,
we saw this history evolution of the center position this
week in.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
That Nuggets Rockets game. The one twenty eight one to
twenty five overtime win.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
For Denver, Nikola Jokic and Alprin Sengan made NBA history.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Jokic had thirty nine points, fifteen rebounds in.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Ten assists, and Sengen had thirty three points, ten rebounds
and ten asists. They became the first pair of centers
in NBA history to both record a triple double in
the same game.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
It's just a staggering moment. It really shows how the
center position has evolved from just being a post scorer
to being a primary playmaker.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
I mean, Jokic is just anchoring his MVP case, averaging
a triple double on the season while shooting over sixty
one percent, and Sengen has taken this massive leap. He's
a legitimate superstar now.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
And of course both of them immediately pushed back on
that baby Joker comparison.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
For Sengen, Yeah, Yokich was very respectful. He said, I
think he needs to be recognized for who he is.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
And Sengen said, I'm on my own way.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
They appreciate the comparison, but they're building their own legacies.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
But that game wasn't without some seria drama.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
Oh yeah, the ending was controversial.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
That away from the playfoul on Iman Thompson that led
to Jamal Murray's game tying free throw.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
And Rockets coach Ime Udoko was furious.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
He put the officiating crew on blast, called it the
most poorly officiated game I've seen in a long time.
He said two of the refs had no business being
out there, and Jamal Murray, who hit the free throw,
defended the ref saying it was just a physical game, right.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
But for the Nuggets, it was a big win. They
snapped a four game home losing streak and now they're
on a five game win streak overall.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
So we just saw an example of peak level positionless
basketball and Denver. Now let us look at the other
side of that coin. The Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Yeah, a team that seems to be suffering from a
real identity crisis.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
They're struggling at fifteen twelve They've lost six of their
last nine. This is a huge drop off from last
year when they started fifteen to low.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
And this crisis is forcing them to rely so heavily
on Donovan Mitchell.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
He had that incredible fourth quarter against the Wizards where
he scored twenty four points to lead a comeback.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
That was the highest single quarter scoring output in the
entire NBA this season. It shows he can be this
nuclear offensive force, but it also shows how dependent they've.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Become on him, and you can tell the pressure is
getting to them. After that overtime loss to the Hornets,
where they missed every single shot in ot all ten
of them, Mitchell admitted the fans were right to be frustrated.
He said, I was a fan once, I would boo
us too.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
That's some raw accountability from a superstar. And it doesn't
help that they're dealing with injuries.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Evan Mobley is out for a few weeks with a
calf strain, Darius Garland is still battling pain from off
season toe surgery.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
All this adversity is really chipping away at their foundation.
It's raising serious questions about whether they can get back
to being a true contender.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Let's shift over to another part of the East where
we're seeing some big power shifts. The Detroit Pistons are dominating.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
A twenty one to five record with a plus six
point three differential. Their success really highlights one of the
most regrettable trades of the season.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
The Miami Heat trading Duncan Robinson.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Yeah, the Heater a struggling at fourteen twelve, They've lost
five straight and reports are they deeply regret that move.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Robinson is averaging twelve a game, shooting forty percent from three,
and the Pistons starting five as a plus ten net
rating with him.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
So what was the failure there? Did the Heat just
misjudge the value of a pure shooter?
Speaker 1 (23:22):
I think it's a failure on two fronts. They underestimated
his unique gravity, the way he creates space for guys
like Jimmy Butler just by being on.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
The floor, and they not only made themselves worse, they
gifted a key piece to an in conference rival who
they're now chasing in the standing.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
It's one of their most regrettable moves in a long time.
It really shows you that while versatility is great, elite
specialized shooting is still irreplaceable.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
And Miami's problems go deeper than that. Nikola Jovitch got
hurt in that loss to the Raptors, and there's.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
The whole off court distraction with Terry Rouzier and the
betting scandal.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
Right He's accused of faking an injured back in twenty
twenty three, and now prosecutors are raising conflict of interest
issues because he's reportedly paying for a co defendant's lawyer.
That's the kind of thing that can really erode trust
in a locker room.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
The Raptors, though, they're starting to find their footing. They
beat the Heat to end a four game skid.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
That five day break from the NBA Cup seems to
have really helped them.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
They got to prepare, specifically for Miami's unique offense.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
Yeah, that five out low, pick and roll offense. For
anyone listening, that just means all five guys are outside
the three point line, which spreads the floor, and the
screen is set lower near the free throw line, which
forces the defense into tough decisions closer to the basket.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
And the Raptors totally neutralized it. They held the third
best offense in the league, twenty six points below their average.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Brandon Ingram led the way with twenty eight. It was
a great defensive performance.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
And one last quick personnel.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
No.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Yeah, but Pacers, they're so beat up with injuries. They
got a hardship exception and they used it to sign
Gabe mcloughin to a ten day contract.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Called them up from their G League team, the Nobles Boom,
where he was averaging almost seventeen points and eight rebounds.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
It's a great story the former Grand Canyon star gets
his first real shot in the NBA. It just shows
you how fast things can change. Absolutely Okay, that's a
lot from the pros. Let's jump over to the college game,
where the talent is just as high and the recruiting
battles are heating up.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
All right. In the men's Top twenty five, the Arizona
Wildcats are still the consensus number one team, holding strong
at nine and' eel. They just look like the most
complete team in the nation right now. They got forty
two first place votes in the latest APEEP Pole.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
The consistency has just been so impressive. They're pairing this
high powered offense with really disciplined defense.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
And tonight we've got a huge non conference matchup with
big top twenty five implications.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Number twenty three Tennessee is hosting number eleven Louisville in Knoxville.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
And it's a confirmed sellout. It's the third sellout of
the season already. For the volunteers, that kind of fan
support is huge. It gives these players invaluable experience in
a high pressure playoff like Atmosphere in December.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Over in the SEC, the Arkansas Razorbacks are really starting
to gain some momentum on a.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Coach cal They just swept the conference's weekly awards after
a big win over Texas.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Tech, and that sweep really shows you how well built
their roster is.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
It does. You've got the senior forward Trevon Brazil, who
won SEC Player of the Week. He had twenty four
points and ten rebounds against a ranked opponent. He's the power,
the energy in the front court.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
And then you have the freshman guard Darry z Acuff.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Junior, who won his second straight SEC Freshman of the
Week award. He had twenty points and eight assists. He's
the poise, the control in the backcourt that stabilizes their
whole offense.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
That balance of veteran power and young playmaking, Yeah, that's
a great sign for Arkansas heading into conference.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
Play and switching to the recruiting landscape, Louisville just landed
a huge commitment.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Yeah, this is a big one class of twenty twenty seven.
Combo guard Isaac Ellis committed to the Cardinals.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
He had decommitted from South Carolina last week, and this
is a massive get for coach Pat Kelcey. Ellis isn't
just a talent, he's a phenomenon.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
He's averaging over thirty points and eight assists in the overtime.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Elite League and he has a huge social media following
over a million followers on TikTok alone.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
So what does a commitment like this say about the program?
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Well, Ellis specifically mentioned his belief in coach Kelsey and
the high standard culture they're building. For a player with
that kind of online profile to choose a program that
promises discipline and excellence, it's a statement.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
It suggests Kelsey is building an identity that appeals to
these top tier, media savvy recruits who are looking for
more than just playing time exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
They're looking for brand alignment and structure.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
We also saw some strong finishes to non conference play
from some mid majors Wyoming moved to nine to two
with a good road win over South Dakota State.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
And their freshmen. Nasser Meyer led the way with twenty
five points and seven boards. He's had a really hot start.
It's that kind of performance that puts a mid major
on the map heading into comfort.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
On the flip side, huh, Maryland is having a tough
go of it at six'. Five.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Yeah Coach Buzz williams is dealing with a lot of
Injuries Ferrell, Payne Solomon, washington and he's pointedly refusing to
give any updates on their.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Status he says he wants to protect his, team.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Which is a classic coaching move. Right you shield your
players from pressure and you don't give opponents any extra.
Information but you could see signs of progress in their
loss to number One.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Michigan they played a great first, half lowest turnover rate
of the, season.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
But then they had eight turnovers in the second half
That michigan immediately turned into transition. Buckets it just shows
how a lack of depth from injuries can hurt your
stamina and focus late in.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
Games and now they have to get ready for a
brutal game against number twenty Three.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Virginia, meanwhile the injury watch continues For kansas's potential number
ONE nba draft, Pick Darren.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Peterson he's dealing with these ongoing leg.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Issues, yeah it's quad, cramping not a reaggravation of his
old hamstring, injury but it forced him to miss time
and leave their last game.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Early his status For tuesday's game is still, unclear and
anytime a potential top pick is dealing with an, injury
it's going to be monitored very closely for.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Sure before he left a, game he still had seventeen,
points five, boards and four. Assists he's just so productive
when he's.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
Healthy, unfortunately we also have some truly heartbreaking news to
report from the college basketball.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Community, Yeah Brown university had to cancel both its men's
and women's games scheduled For december twenty.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
First this was after a mass shooting on campus that
killed two people and wounded nine others On.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Saturday it's just a, tragic tragic situation that really puts
basketball into. Perspective usc who the men's team was supposed to,
play has found a replacement, opponent but obviously the thoughts
of the entire basketball community are with everyone At. Brown
university right.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Now, Absolutely and just to round out the, results in women's,
Basketball California baptist fell at home TO Uc San.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Diego they just really struggled from, outside shooting only twelve
percent from three point. Range it's just so hard to
overcome that in the modern.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Game and, finally a quick note on excellence across college.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
Sports, yeah Four Oregon ducks football players were NAMED Ap All.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Americans Emmanuel, pregnant the offensive, lineman Was first Team All Big.
Ten he didn't allow a single sack all.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Season that is just a phenomenal level of. Consistency and
you Had Kenyan, Sadig Dylan, thienemann And Iaponi La lulu
also getting. Honors it just shows that winning culture is
thriving across the Whole oregan athletic.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Department, okay we have covered an immense amount of. Ground.
Tonight we set the whole stage for THE Nba Cup.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Final we analyze the financial, stakes The Wee binyama matchup,
problem and that a very complex ethical layer with the emerate.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Sponsorship then we dissected the complete chaos and dramatic fall
of The La clippers after that ugly divorce.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
With Chris, paul and we contrasted that dysfunction with the
stability that Coach Mitch johnson is bringing To San.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
Antonio and we Celebrated Cooper flag who is just shattering
rookie records while keeping that Singular kobe like focus on.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Winning and we wrapped it up with THE ncaa focusing
On arkansas sweeping THE sec, Awards louisville's huge recruiting win
With Isaac, ellis and the injury watch For Darren peterson At.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Kansas as we put all these stories, together there's a
big theme that sort of, emerges and it's all about
how you build a roster in today's.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
League Right we talked about those historic triple doubles From
jokic and Seng, gun two centers who are really primary.
Playmakers they embody that positionless player.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Ideal but then on the other, hand we also saw
the massive specialized impact of a guy Like Duncan, robinson
a pure three point, shooter helping to completely transform The piston.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Season and we saw the struggles of a team Like
cleveland when they have to rely too heavily on just
one star.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Player so if the league is truly moving towards that
versatile positionless, model The jokic And sengen. Model where does
the specialists fit?
Speaker 2 (31:51):
In, yeah where does a dominant defensive, center or more,
importantly a pure shooter Like, robinson where do they rank
in terms of importance for a team that's building for the.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Future and that really raises a big question for, you the,
listener to think, about can a team built around specialized
excellence still win in a league that's becoming more and more,
positionless or.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Are those pure skill guys now just valuable assets that
you're waiting to package together in a trade for the
next versatile. Superstar the future.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Of HOW nba rosters are built might really depend on
whether you value having five average skills and one player
or one truly elite skill in a.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Specialist and we'll be tracking those strategic trends and all
the successes and failures that come from them all season.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Long we absolutely will thank you for joining us here
On Basketball. Home we'll catch you next. Time
Popular Podcasts
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
Betrayal: Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.