East Over/Under Predictions | 2025-26 NBA Season Preview - No Dunks

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to a new era of No Dunks. We're in
a new studio. It's our twenty year anniversary in a
few months. One of our guys is in Canada right now.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Listen. It's a work in progress. This is going to
work over the next few weeks, will be going when
the NBA season starts. I'm task Melice with me. It's
the man in the middle, Trey Kirby, hey a, and
the man making the magic happen. As always, he made
this studio happen, did I? Yeah, yeah, you did. Super

(00:40):
producer JD. Hello, hey JD. And that man in Canada.
As I said, Scott, some immigration issues we're working through.
We're working through, as I said, you know, it is
a work in progress. There he is as happy as ever.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
Jay skeets, it's actually not an immigration issue anymore. H Now,
it's a mailing issue here. Relater. What's going on. Their
truck broke down. We're waiting on documents, but hopefully it'll
be back later this week. But hello, gentlemen, the studio
looks very different. You got like a debate show going on.

(01:14):
You guys are so far apart.

Speaker 4 (01:16):
Yeah, I feel like we need to bring twenty people
in to argue with either your points or my points,
and you got to just shut them down going head
to head here. But it feels nice. We're only missing
one thing, you know, skates.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Man, can I Jamie's on the opposite side of the
garage now too, right of the factory. That's correct, Kitty
corner mode. Yeah, it's weird watching you guys look to
the opposite side now very whoa, whoa, whoa. My lines
are gonna be crazy, Pip. It's gonna take a while
getting used to. But I'm loving the new look over all,

(01:50):
the new rebrand, and I'm definitely excited to finally talk
hoops with you guys. I've been listening to all you
shows and I'm ready to actually share some opinions.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, and hopefully we'll have everything to get by the
beginning of the season because things are going to be
working in here. Yes, we're sitting across from each other.
Now that'll change with a third person here, it'll be different.
How much are we changing the background? We'll find out.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
Hopefully, hopefully we make some significant changes here. I know
people are asking about the sign. It's still here in
the factory at some place somewhere but we're probably gonna
upgrade the sign as well. And look, it's the sign
needs to be upgraded. Yeah, it's the preseason. It's the preseason.
We're going to be upgrading. We'll be making more announcements
as time comes by, sooner or later, Pure Later We're

(02:37):
going to be reunited to touch hands and make takes.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yes, Hey, listen, I've been waiting for my daughter's passport.
Very very different problem. Also some FedEx truck issues as well, skeets.
If that makes you feel better, it does not, I'm sure,
but I.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Don't believe that Pure Later's truck broke down on a
Friday night, one hour before service ended. Let me just
say that for the rec that's what you say when
you realize the package is not going to be delivered
by the end of the day. Yeah, how am I
to know if their truck is actually working? But anyway,
I'm a little frustrated. I've been here way too long.
At least the Blue Jays are kicking ass. Yeah that

(03:16):
going for me here in Toronto, But yeah, I want
to get back there. And I also know what people
are thinking. Didn't you have all summer to redo the factory?
Oh yeah, we waited until the final weekend to do it,
so that's why it's still work in progress.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, and I think because we have two weeks before
the start of the NBA season, people will think it
gets better and better. You know, we didn't want to
come out with them bang the finished deal, you know,
the finished product. We wanted to make sure everybody saw it.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
Doesn't. Bill Simmons call it the Milton burrel where you
showed just enough to make people impressed.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
Sure I didn't know, but yeah, he does.

Speaker 4 (03:57):
But I won't go further into that. All right, hopefully
we can burrow this thing out as time goes on.
Let's go.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Let's get into the Eastern Conference over under total predictions
because it's fine. All of these are provided by Fan Duel.
I want to start with the first one because I
think this one is really interesting. We'll get to all
fifteen teams, but the Boston Celtics over under number is
forty one and a half, this team that won sixty
one games last year. So start us off trade. Do

(04:24):
you think this team is basically a little bit better
than five hundred this coming season or not?

Speaker 4 (04:30):
I think this is one of the hardest teams to
tell Where are the Celtics going to be because their
win total is going down by twenty wins sixty one
and twenty one for Boston last year. We're looking at
can they get to forty two wins? But they lost
basically everybody on their team of any sort of size.
Jason Tatum will be playing this year unless he hops
in at the end of the season for a handful

(04:52):
of games for a playoff push, perhaps, But Christaps porzingis gone,
Al Horford gone, Drew Holliday, he's in Portland. Right now,
we're talking about some of the best defenders on the
Celtics and then most of their big man rotation. I
don't even think it's a guarantee that the starters they
have opening night will be the starters they have the
first week in December. Like Jalen Brown, you're starting, Derek White,

(05:13):
you're starting everything else basically up up for grabs. To me,
Simon's Pritchard. Who's going to be the center, nimiash Kaita.
Right now, I do think though, that this is going
to be one of the biggest curve ball teams in
the NBA. We know the Celtics like to shoot threes.
They were first in three point rate last year. That
probably bumps up even more so this year with a
team that has very few creators on it, but they

(05:37):
do have a lot of guys who like to shoot threes.
Celtics were thirtieth in pace last year. I think that
goes up this year as they try to play a
little bit faster. But the question is, like, what does
a Joe Missoula team look like when they're not one
of the best teams in the league. I think it's
a chip on the shoulder season for him. I think
he's going to be locked in and as many wins
as possible during the regular season. But yeah, Celtics are

(05:59):
a weird team to consider this year because they have
had so much continuity the past five seasons. This is
the first year that feels really confusing.

Speaker 3 (06:07):
Yeah, I would agree with that, just to piggyback off
what Trey's saying, and traded really well. By the way,
in our over under predictions last year, you had like
an incredible overall record, But like I don't know about
utk and tasks, this is like the most difficult year
I can remember, Like with a lot of these teams
and a lot of these lines, and I think the
Celtics starting with them the injury part, it's like, what
are they Like, we know they're a good team, but

(06:28):
to lose three of their five starters right from twenty
four to twenty five, like not on the floor, that's
that's a hell of a drop off in talent. So
Ken White and Jalen Brown and Pritchard like they played
well when Tatum wasn't out there with them, but it's
a small sample size. And then yeah, the questions of
the front court, I am, this is the one I
keep going back and forth on whether they're a plus

(06:51):
five hundred team or whether they may be like, ah,
it's a bit of a down year and like they're
sort of scraping to get into a play in. I
struggled with this team and a lot of these teams
in the East.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
If the line akers know what's going on, that is
for sure they're hitting home runs. This forty one and
a half, though, is such a huge drop off from
last year. Obviously, those guys that you mentioned Trey, I
mean you basically he lost a huge chunk of this
championship team. To me, it comes down to, is Joe
Miszula a good coach, can you get enough energy out

(07:20):
of these other guys? And I will say it's all
talk during this time here, but some good, really good
stuff coming from some veteran coaches like Sam Cassell has
assistant coach. So this is my thirty fourth training camp
and this is the hardest training camp I've seen. Right now,
I don't think he just says that. He said, we're

(07:40):
gonna play hard, We're gonna compete, We're gonna be the
hardest playing team in basketball.

Speaker 4 (07:44):
Okay, that was the Miami Heat.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
What Yeah, Well, then you get a player jumping in
Josh Man new player on working with Joe Mizula. He's
inspiring and a little bit of a weirdo. So I
do that.

Speaker 3 (07:55):
I do. That's an understatement.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
I do think the guys that you mentioned, and Derek White,
Jalen Brown, and Peyton Pritchard are are the primary guys
leading this team. Yes, they're going to probably shoot more
threes than they ever have because they obviously shoot a
ton under Missoula. In the three years that he's coached,
they've shot and fifty three percent of their shots from

(08:20):
three point land will go even higher this year. I
wouldn't be surprised coming off a fifty three point five
year just to keep it going. But their front court
is an issue. So to me, I'm taking the over
because I do think they will work hard enough for
Missoula number one, because it is Yeah, it's a hey,
it's it's on his shoulder to do this this time.

(08:42):
I think they have enough guys to be a five
hundred team, especially in this Eastern Conference. But what are
your takes?

Speaker 4 (08:46):
Yeah, I actually am in Missoula mode for this one
as well. He seems to me to be the kind
of coach who will be able to succeed with not
having a lot of talent and will take a great
deal of pride in being able to do that. You know, like,
I'm thinking of a Doc Rivers Orlando Magic team where
you're like, you should be the eighth seed and suddenly
you win more games than anybody's expecting, you win Coach

(09:07):
of the Year sort of thing. He seems exactly like
the type of guy to thrive in that scenario. We
just haven't seen it yet. I'm going for a slight
over here on the Celtics as well. I'm kind of
surprised though that you took the over since you said
Jalen Brown won't even be an All.

Speaker 3 (09:20):
Star this season.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, well, I've gone through some waves. I mean when
it happened, when Tatum's injury happened, I know you formulated
the idea that, hey, the other teams like Jannistead of
Gumbo and the Milwaukee Bucks are going to be fantastic
because of these injuries. There's no doubt. And I felt

(09:41):
at that time though the Celtics are just too good,
they'll be able to hang with the Milwaukee Bucks. Then
I watch Jalen Brown in the playoffs and he just
wasn't quite the same guy, and maybe he won't be
the same guy. But we're talking about the East. We're
talking about a five hundred team. So even if Jalen
Brown isn't necessarily an All NBA player again, if his
knee is still bothering him, this team is good enough
to be literally be a five hundred team. I think

(10:04):
this is a forty one and a half number. It's
not five hundred.

Speaker 4 (10:08):
Is an under task?

Speaker 2 (10:09):
Yes barely. Yes, you're right. I mean I should say
they have to be over five hundred, but I'm fine
taking that even if I don't know how Jalen Brown's
knee is but I think they'll be fine. What do
you think, Skeetz, are you over under on a forty
one and a half number.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
I'm ultimately going just under. I think this is going
to be like right around that thirty nine forty forty
one wins and that'll be under. I mean, we're glossed
over it. This is a rough front court. And I
like Kita and he looked great in your ow basket
and he's going to get an opportunity. But then we're
talking Chris Bouchet, who I also like, but that guy
was like in the doghouse up in the Toronto and

(10:43):
now he's an important part. And lucat Garza, I mean,
like he barely played in Minnesota. These are like their
main bigs. So as even if the much three point
shooting and scoring they get, they're gonna need to stop
some teams and get something from their front court. So
I think, you know, look, this is there's gonna be
no shame in being five hundred club just over, just
under whatever with when you lose a top five MVP

(11:04):
guy in Jason Tatum, But I'll go just under him.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yeah, that's the weird thing about these numbers. Sometimes the
Bulls had thirty nine wins, not too far off from
this forty one win number that we're looking at last year, right,
and would you consider the Bulls front court all that amazing?
I mean they did it, they did it late in
the season.

Speaker 4 (11:22):
Bulls have to do with that nothing, I know it
right here.

Speaker 3 (11:27):
Last year, the Celtics would love to have Booch as
a starter. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (11:31):
They ten times better than any of their front court players.

Speaker 1 (11:34):
I know.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yeah, so it is a question about the Celtics front
court players. But I say, Josh, why not, Josh, why not?
Why can't this team go forty two and forty? That
guy should be decent. He's calling Missoula weirdo. I think
Missoula's as we said, He's focused on getting this team
to freakin above five hundred, so it'll be fun.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
Yeah, he said he.

Speaker 4 (11:56):
Would if he was ever in a marathon, he would
just run until he dies. What I asked him how
he thought he would do an a marathon. He's like,
I'll just run until I die. I personally think he
could finish before twenty six point two miles, but I
think he finished that before dieing. But you know, This
guy isn't gonna let the Celtics slack it all. They're
going to try and win as many games as possible.

(12:16):
The problem is, if like Jaylen Brown goes down with
an injury, Derek White goes down with an injury, they're
even shallower than they are. But like, I feel like
they can challenge for forty two wins.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
Would you want to play hard for a guy that
says that, I mean, I guess it doesn't matter, but
I don't know. It's just a weird thing to say.

Speaker 4 (12:35):
He has a lot of ways like that that was
so under the radar that you didn't even care about him.
Now like, yeah, it's sure you want to play for
a guy that's gonna throw down on the Brazilian jiu
jitsu map.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
Yeah, we didn't even mention Affredy Simons, who said, I mean,
I've never been taught defense before, and now he's here
on the Boston Celtics and he's being taught defense. We'll
see if they can go forty two and forty. Let's
get to another team that's in a very drastically different position.
The Brooklyn nets line is twenty and a half after

(13:07):
going twenty six and fifty six last year, So can
this team win twenty one games to be over that line?

Speaker 4 (13:14):
Trey, what do you think under twenty wins is pretty bad?
Three teams were under twenty wins last season. We only
had two in the twenty three to twenty four season
and then one in the year prior to twenty twenty
two slash twenty three. I do think the Nets roster
is the worst roster in the Eastern Conference from the
beginning of the year to the end of the year.

(13:34):
Like once we get to the end of the season,
I think the Wizards will probably have a worst roster,
but at least they're starting the year with Chris Middleton
and CJ.

Speaker 3 (13:41):
McCollum around.

Speaker 4 (13:42):
You look at the vets for the Nets and it's
like Michael Porter Junior is probably going to lead their
team in scoring. It'll be him or Cam Thomas, depending
on I guess who gets the jump ball, because that
person's getting one more shot than the other guy. Other
than that veteran wise, it's like Terrence Man really enthused
by this Brooklyn team. You think of their season last year.

(14:04):
They won twenty six games, that includes going nine and
eleven through November. Then they said, we're a little bit
too good right now. We got to get rid of
Dennis Shrewder. From there on, seventeen wins the rest of
the way, which is still a twenty two win pace.
But I think this is the year the Nets really
want to be bad for the entirety of the season.
They have their own pick. They do have a swap

(14:24):
next season with Houston, so it's better to be bad
this year, get another look at, hopefully a top five pick,
and at least have good odds to get it. So
I'm anticipating the Nets being I don't know, one of
the two worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Take your
pick if it's going to be them and the Wizards,
But I will go under on the Nets. I think
they're in the teams for wins.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
All right, Skeets your thoughts on the Brooklyn Nets.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, this team stinks. They're going to be bad. I'm
with Trey. I mean, twenty and a half is low.
It is really low. They did look solid to start
the year, like Trey said, they got a great coach,
but yeah, then they traded all their talent and then
they drafted five rookies in the first round, like They're
gonna be the first team to like put a full
season with five rookies selected in the first round on

(15:10):
their roster. They had a bunch of lineups last year
and now their main guys are Michael Porter Junior and
Cam Thomas. Like, that's gonna be fun. I know House
of Highlights is going to have a blast clip and
all their high jinks. And I'm sure Cam Thomas will
you know, score forty plus in a couple of games.
Even Michael Porter Junior maybe, but I don't think it's
gonna translate to a lot of wins, just with all

(15:32):
the rooks and like even these like like Kobe Buffkin,
they're hoping pops and obviously Tarren's bann is there, and
I guess Hayward high Smith. It's just like it is
a gross looking roster. They're in a transitional sort of
phase here. They're gonna want a high draft pick, and
don't worry, they're gonna get it because they're bad. I
think they're gonna be one of the worst teams, and
that probably will be I don't know, seventeen eighteen wins

(15:54):
something like that.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah. The worrisome part is getting into that offense without
a veteran point guy. Really, now, could it be Terrence
Man getting the reins here a little bit, even though
you know he's more of a combo guard. Their first
round pick that people were excited about, Yegor Joeman is
injured to start the season. Ben Saroff could be the guy.

(16:17):
He literally could be starting for them, this nineteen year old,
who's capable guy. He's a big six to six guard.
That being said, yeah, it is worrisome, even though you
got Jordy Fernandez, who yes started that season last year
coaching a nine and eleven team. But the point guard
problem is the biggest problem. Den Shrewers traded last season,
then Dangel Russell gone at the end of the season. Here,

(16:37):
Cam Johnson gone, So you're you're running out Michael Poor Junior,
Terrence Man and the guys I met you mentioned, Cam Thomas,
Nick Claxon will be there. The point guard thing is
is an issue. Watford left. It is a very good line.
I think they're going to be somewhere around there. But

(16:58):
the point I again, starting these possessions getting into their
offense is not something Michael Porter Junior ever did so
even though he's there and he's their guy. That's not
what he did in Denver. He can't do that. So
they have a lot of point guards. Yeah, but to me,
they're all Their strength is on the wing or their bigs.
So I don't see them getting there. It'll be close,

(17:19):
but I'll take the under as well.

Speaker 3 (17:21):
Their best chance to hit the over is to have
so many games where the competition comes in and be like,
look at these guys, Oh my god, we're gonna play
like we're gonna play pickup hoops for three quarters tonight, right, Like,
we don't have to try all that hard. We're not
gonna be given it on the defense of end. And
then suddenly it's like a close game in the fourth
and maybe they pull out more victories than we sort
of anticipate. But all said, yeah, yeah, it's a good line.

(17:42):
They're gonna win fifteen to twenty games or fifteen to
twenty two games. I'm just taking the under.

Speaker 2 (17:47):
Yeah, it would be a you know, it's a pretty
drastic drop off from last year's twenty six and fifty
six to lose. We're not win ye they do.

Speaker 4 (17:57):
I'm confident they can pull it off.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yeah, we shall see.

Speaker 4 (18:00):
How about this, though fewest assists per game in the
shot clock era, the eight or the ninety eight ninety
nine Hawks only fifteen point six assists per game. I
think NETS could challenge that this year. Not a lot
of passers on this roster.

Speaker 2 (18:15):
That's a great line.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
Yeah, I mean under four assists per quarter is pretty brutal.
But they got some guys that like to dribble and
shoot right right, and they're not gonna play it super
fast by any means.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
So something to keep the track of, for sure.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
Very good line, very good line. All right, let's stay
in the New York area. Let's go to the New
York Knicks, because this one is a little bit more
inspiring to talk about. I'd say then the Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks line is fifty three and a half wins
up slightly, you know, bumped up a little bit from
last year's record where they were fifty one and thirty one. So, Treyer,

(18:53):
what are your thoughts on the New York Knicks.

Speaker 4 (18:56):
Yeah, they only got to win three more games to
hit the over here. I think this is an over
for me, the Knicks because they have their starting five intact,
though the formulation may change. It might be Mitchell Robinson
in for Josh Hart. I know you've said you'd like
to see gersh On yabou Sele in there for Josh Hart.
Either way, their top six guys are still around. They
added Yabu, They added Jordan Clarkson, who I think is

(19:18):
at least a helpful player, especially considering he'll be farther
down on the pecking order for the next.

Speaker 3 (19:23):
Duce McBride is still good. Even their dudes.

Speaker 4 (19:26):
Who are getting like camp invites might not make the team.
You're like, I know that guy, he might be helpful.
I'm talking about a Malcolm Brogden, Alex Lenn Garrison, Matthews,
guys who are like, you know, ten to twelve men
on teams. But that's what they are on the Knicks,
and last year it was like they wouldn't even go
past number eight. So I think a little bit of

(19:46):
extra depth is big time. They don't have much depth
on the wing. The good thing is that Michale Bridges
basically plays all the time. If they can keep him healthy,
keep Oganna nob healthy, I think they've got a really
solid one through ten. So like what the Knicks are
cooking up. They've been playing together for a while they
won fifty one games last year, and that's throwing Karl
Anthony Towns for Julius Randall trade in right at the

(20:08):
last second, completely changed their team compared to the Nova Bros.
That they thought they were going in with. So I
think the next will be good. This year wouldn't surprise
me if they have the most wins in the Eastern Conference.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, what do you think? Skeets is just two and
a half more wins essentially than last year. If you're
looking at the line, it's a line that everybody's optimistic about.
What do you think?

Speaker 3 (20:29):
Yeah, I was sort of shocked that, you know, Vegas
put this line of fifty three and a half. I
think before they came out, I thought it would be higher. Right,
you know, they're running back the same core that was
really good. They've added some pieces like Traders went through.
Now they have the new coach. Thing like that's the
big question mark. It's will Mike Brown be playing more
of a longer game, trying to build up the second unit?

(20:50):
Maybe a sacrifice of w's there or tims are sort
of like always like balls to the wall, everybody's playing
forty minutes. Maybe, but you need to do that in
order to have playoff success, sort of build up these six, seventh,
eight to ninth guys. But yeah, I thought it was
gonna be higher, So I like the over too. I
think they're in the fifty five to sixty win mark.

(21:10):
That's where I would have them if everybody stays healthy,
and this is low. It's fairly low, So I'm in.
I'm in on the Knicks being one of the best
teams in the East. Of course, they have goals to
make the Eastern Conference Finals in finals, so I think
they're just gonna piece together a really good season here more,
you know, just continuity with their main guys, and I
like it. It feels almost too easy, so I'm a little

(21:32):
hesitant there.

Speaker 2 (21:33):
I'll take the over. Could be a sneaky one. I
also have to say, I agree. How can I How
can you disagree? Like coach aside who I think will
benefit them staying way fresher, I just think we forget
that Mitchell Robinson is healthy to start the season he
wasn't last year. He can get in there at the
five and play good defense and allow car to go

(21:54):
to the four. And last year they didn't allow guys
to come off the bench enough and I think Mike
Brown's going to do that. Everyone will be fresher. To me,
I think they're going to go way deeper throughout the bench.
And last year they were just so good offensively. They
just came back in one games and even though there

(22:17):
was a sort of a middle of the pack defense,
they were just able to turn it on in the
fourth quarter. Brunson and Carl were able to do that.
And I think if they do have a little bit
more of it, a defensive attitude that starts with Mitchell
Robinson starting and Yabuselee probably coming off the bench, I
think there's enough guys to help their defense. I think
everyone will be fresher and everybody will be into it.

(22:40):
This is these are these guys are in their prime.
You know, I'm talking about Jalen and Karl, Anthony Towns
and Og and mckel bridges. It feels in the Eastern
Conference that they're going to win fifty five games. It's
just it just feels feels right, especially again with you know,
the the between years of the Celtics and the Pacers.

(23:04):
I got the over, but maybe a right skates Maybe
this is just a sneaky line. Maybe maybe they don't try.
I don't get it. I honestly, I don't get why
they wouldn't be this good or excuse me, have the
tendency to be like a fifty five to fifty six
win team. I just don't get it.

Speaker 4 (23:21):
I mean, Tom Thibodau is a good coach, of course,
of course, you know, and for as much as we
talk about how shallow he goes with the bench players
like that's good for getting regular season wins. That's a
large part of the reason the Knicks usually overperform. Same
with the Bulls back in the day. When you play
your best guys all the time, you're going to probably
win more games than you should. Maybe spreading out the

(23:42):
minutes is better for them long term, especially come playoff time.
But I suppose they could go under on their wins
just from playing their guys less.

Speaker 2 (23:50):
That's a fair point.

Speaker 3 (23:50):
I mean.

Speaker 2 (23:51):
Michael Bridges though, during the season, said you got to
play our guys more, and I think he meant that because, yes,
they got tired for the postseason, but also because they
got some good guys and they have even more of
them now special with Mitch and Robinson starring the season
healthy and we'll see what they do as far as
the buy in for Mike Brown's offense, where Brunson has
to come off the ball a little bit more, a

(24:11):
little bit more of the Warriors or Calves type, where
it's not just hey, Brunson, you bring up the ball.
Let's get everybody involved. So we'll see if they don't
like Mike Brown for some odd reason. But I am
looking forward to Carl out there with Gershan Yabuseli, a
guy who shoots threes, to space out the floor for
him as much as possible on those drives and play

(24:31):
five out. I'm just a Yabuseli backer.

Speaker 4 (24:35):
You think you're going to call him Carl the whole season, Yeah,
I can't.

Speaker 3 (24:38):
He always calls him Carl, straight up.

Speaker 2 (24:40):
I'm not going three names. It's just too many names.

Speaker 3 (24:43):
How about Towns called him Cat.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
Yeah Cat?

Speaker 4 (24:46):
Everybody else, yeah yeah, Carl, every time it was Carl.

Speaker 2 (24:53):
Well, Reggie Miller calls him Anthony Towns, right, or that
one's either weirder. I don't know which is weirder out there,
Carl or Anthony Tufts. All right, let's move on to
the Philadelphia seventy six ers. Now, this one is a
pure guests. Another tough one, Another tough one. Linemakers are
doing well? Forty three and a half. Can the Philadelphia
seventy six Ers win basically twenty more games than last year?

(25:17):
They were twenty four and fifty eight last year. Their
line is forty three and a half this year? What
do you think, Trek?

Speaker 4 (25:22):
This reminds me of the Clippers line before last season,
where you're like, literally, who's going to be playing? Because
if Paul George and Joel Embiid played their starting five
looks good. Guess what those guys are already question marks
for when they start the season. All of their returning
players this season played sixty or fewer games, like Kelly
oubre Junior is the high games played man from last

(25:43):
season on this year's Sixers team. Embiid and George played
a total of sixty games last year. I think they'll
play more this year, but literally, who knows? This one
feels like an impossible way to pick on either side
with confident and not knowing when Embiid and George are
going to be healthy. Er girl, I'm going under. Things

(26:05):
are already bad for the Sixers. Man, know Jared McCain
is out. We've got the question marks with Embiid and George.
I know Paul George said it can't be as bad
as last year, but it could be the same as
last year.

Speaker 2 (26:18):
Right, Yeah, yeah, And when you look at the number
at forty three and a half, that's a low number. Yeah,
even if it's close to last year, they're winning way
fewer games than forty three and a half. What do
you think, Skeitz?

Speaker 3 (26:29):
I'm leaning under as well. I just could I mean,
I I mean, I basically want to flip a coin
because who knows, But I guess we'll go with what
we've seen over the last little while and just Embeard
struggling to stay healthy and Paul George don't love McCain injured.
I'm excited for VJ. Edgecumbe. I think this guy's going
to be an unbelievable highlight from night to night. Very

(26:51):
excited for that rookie and the possibility of him getting
an opportunity because of all the injuries. But there's no
way I have confidence in them all playing. Listen, their
main trio of Embiid, Paul George and MEXI played what
fifteen games together last year? Like, even if we double that,
even if we make it half the season, we still
might be struggling to get to this overall line. So

(27:14):
give me just under. I think they're going to be in,
you know, that play in sort of category, or maybe
vying for the sixth seed for a good chunk of
the season. But I'll go just under.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
Yeah, that line of forty three and a half is
just for seventy six ers fans. I guess to go over.
I mean, who else is really thinking that Embiid and
Paul George are going to play again as much? It's
just it's just hard to see that happening and be
played nineteen games last year. He's not playing right now.
They think they're I think they're going to go more
with the modern day Kawhi Leonard load management system, which

(27:47):
is sit out October November, December, and play in January
in February. I think that's what unless they want to
try what they did last year, which was play one game,
sit to play one game, sit too it. I just
don't know what the over underline is for Joel Embiid
games played. I think that's twenty five thirty. I guess

(28:08):
it's halfway. I guess you would do it halfway, but
I'm taking the under on that one no matter what
it is. Paul George last year played forty one games.
He's not playing right now. He had offseason knee surgery Again,
can he bounce back? Last year was his worst year
in a long time. Is this not exactly the same
as Joel Embi that has these injury issues, but Paul

(28:29):
George had that very traumatizing injury early in his career
a long time, over a decade ago. Is it starting
to catch up to him at this point? I don't know.
Maybe I'm leaning into that a little too hard, but
it's just difficult to see a lot of guys playing
on this team. As you said, Trey, it the leaders
games played last year, it was Ricky Counsel the fourth

(28:52):
who's gone, Gershon Yabuseli who's gone. Those were one two,
and then it's Ubre Adam Bona, Tyres Maxi who played
fifty two, justin Edwards, and then Paul George was seventh.
And then this year who are going to play those
games at Ubray I guess Grimes will play a good amount.
Fiji Ashcombe and Trendon Watford.

Speaker 4 (29:09):
Yeah, a silver lining here. I was like Trendon Watford.
That guy had to play a ton of games for
the Nets. Last year they had nothing forty four games.

Speaker 2 (29:16):
Yeah, he didn't a lot.

Speaker 4 (29:17):
Man, It's like the one bargain basement signing they did that.
I was all a little enthused by. And he played
half the season. He's a born Sixer.

Speaker 2 (29:26):
So across the board we're going under, I guess on
forty three and a half just seems seems out there.

Speaker 4 (29:33):
Yeah, yeah, hard like, Yes, this is the year for
the Sixers.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
Yeah, I think this could be a year too. I
know they make an insane amount of money, both guys
and beating Paul George, but you're taking phone calls from
teams that are maybe trying to get them, Like if
you're Darryl Brie and the Sixers like to trade off
of them, I think it'd be silly to at least
not explore that. But again, I don't think there's all
It wouldn't be great packages for guys that are perpetually injured,
but when healthy or talented and maybe like they're enough

(29:59):
for some of these teams that want to jump up
a level or even you know, with hopes of a championship.
I don't know who, but I'm just saying I wouldn't
be all that shocked if one of those guys has
maybe moved during the season. If it goes to shit again.

Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah, I can look at their roster and think the
same thing. They have a seemingly a two path system here,
maybe we go. Yeah, but Paul George has this current
this coming year plus two years after that.

Speaker 4 (30:25):
Oh I know, well that's I mean, would would not
the Sixers have to add draft picks to get off
like either one of those contracts and.

Speaker 3 (30:33):
Maybe not indeed oddly, but yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:36):
Yeah, yeah, unless Paul George can turn around, because last
year was a bit of an anomaly because he hadn't
been that bad in a long time. So we'll see
what PG can do, and then then he could be
trade worthy for another team. I suppose I.

Speaker 4 (30:55):
Would guess that they are both Sixers by the end
of the season, but probably if they have literally two
weeks of good health, they should be in trade rumors.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
Okay, let's move on to the Toronto Raptors. The line
is thirty nine and a half coming off a thirty
and fifty two season, skeets, you want to start on
this Toronto Raptors team.

Speaker 3 (31:14):
Yeah. Sure. Look before I waive the homer flag, I
want to remind everyone that the last couple of years
I was not high on the Raptors. Then I was
saying pound the under. This team is bad and they're
gonna be bad. So it's not like I'm every year
coming in here going over a little different. This year.
I actually do believe somewhere in this squad is a

(31:35):
round a five hundred team. Got the line at the
perfect spot of thirty nine and a half. It's gonna
be real close on one side of the other, but
I'm going to take the over. I think they are like, look,
there's no other Raptors' front office is believing this is
a five hundred team with the amount of money they've
thrown at it like this. The pre payment for this

(31:55):
team is unreal. So now they need to at least
deliver a borderline playoff team or at least one that's
in the play and you're gonna be around there with
that record, But I am. I'm excited just to see
them out there and hopefully playing together. And that's what
we get with this team. I guess it's not all
that's dissimilar to like a sixers team or teams that
are perpetually injured. Like we got to see them at

(32:15):
this point the quickly. Obviously the Barns and the Brandon
Ingram and RJ. Barrett as their main four, and then
Pearls there fit like it's a good starting lineup. It'll
be interesting to see what meshes. But I'm in on
just hitting the over, and I am excited for the
articles that will be written about this second unit on
the Raptors. Give it like four or five weeks, because

(32:37):
there's a lot of dogs, defensive minded guys, and I
think they're gonna like help the Raptors stay in games
and win games with some of those guys. And they're
talking to talk here in the preseason, so I'll go
just over. I am not saying this is a fifty
win team or anything like that. I think they're flirting
with a five hundred squad here, and I'm excited to see,
really Scotty and Brandon Ingram see how that works.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
They do have a lot of dogs. It is funny
when you think the best thing about this team is
saying their names. Most of the time, it's Barnes and
Ingram and RJ Barrett and just saying their whole starring lineup.
It seems to be the most exciting part.

Speaker 3 (33:17):
I'm to work together, is the question.

Speaker 2 (33:19):
Yeah, I'm enthused. But anyways, before I get to my enthusiasm, Trey,
what do you think, Uh.

Speaker 4 (33:24):
There's a lot of talent here. Yeah, for sure, they
just have never played together, which is pretty tough to
overlook when the big question is how are all of
these guys gonna fit like you guys keep including r
J Barrett. I think the only way they hit their
over is if they trade them right away, and I
don't think that's gonna happen. Emmanuel Quickly played thirty three
games last year. Brandon Ingram played zero games for the
Raptors last year, and they still won thirty games. They

(33:46):
should be better this year, but ten wins better Brandon
Ingram a ten wins worth player. I don't know about that.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
Yeah, I just think the other guys are going to
play now. I'm just assuming. I'm assuming Emmanuel Quickly doesn't
take the floor and Darius gar And gets under him
for a rebound in the first game and knocks him
out and they go down. I just assume that it's
just being positive that these guys are healthy to some
degree that there is going to be a year where
they play basketball. They have been playing together since the

(34:14):
beginning of September or something like that. It's been a
long time. I'm just enthused by their enthusiasm about playing together.
Like these guys seem like they want to play ball together,
as in they're going to allow the other guy to shine.
It sounds like a squad. Scottie Barnes is not going
to be the go to guy. Here's a ball dark

(34:36):
and Milichich said as much. And he's a dark Ryako. Yeah,
I'm sorry, milic Wow, once you say darko, it's kind
of hard to say he is the number one Darko.
But he said he's going to be on the ball less,
which I think is great. You come in for those
little seal on post ups, the dunker spot, that kind
of thing. Give the ball to Brandon Ingram Emmanuel quickly
also said, I think I can average ten threes per

(34:58):
game and watch them. A lot of them are to
be catch and shoot. They're all dependent on each other. RJ.
Barrett is excited to play as not just the go
to guy on a team. Is a guy who you know,
sets up other guys, allows others to take pressure off him.
So it's optimism time with all those four guys. If
they allow each other to do their thing and they're

(35:18):
deep enough, I think Scotty is just going to do
so many good things. If Brandon Ingram is the leading
point scorer on this team like he has been before
in his career, and Scotty can play off the ball,
do a ton of things like that, set up his
defensive side of the ball because he's not gonna have
to do as much offensively. And then all those dogs,

(35:38):
as you said, skeets so many dogs. Name some dogs,
Jamal shed Oh, Colin Earle, Calin.

Speaker 3 (35:44):
Murray, Bolls Already, guy's an elite defender. I know, I'm
like drinking the preseason juice here, but he's legit defensive guy.
So he'll have it be a second unit guy that's
going to shut down guys.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
They've got a near seven foot dog in Mam Kevin Steely.
He's less of a dog than the other guys, but
there's enough dogs on that second you did, I mean,
we're gonna talk about Grady Deck weredn't talk about Kobe
Walter Jonathan Mobo more of a dog than those last
two guys I mentioned, but he can be added to
the dog pound.

Speaker 3 (36:12):
He can't be the reason why this line is maybe
high to some like thirty nine and a half is
pretty simple. Like last year, it couldn't have started worse.
Barnes and Quickly were out early. They missed extended time
in November and December, and the Raptors started like seven
and twenty six by the new year. After that, they
actually ended on a positive note. They were a five

(36:33):
hundred team. They were like twenty two and twenty one
over the final half of the season, and for had
a defensive identity like it jumped from like twenty sixth
to second in defensive rating. I get it. It's Mickey
Mouse March time and all that, and people are taking
their foot off the gas, but there is something there.
And so now the hope is adding Brandon Ingram and
adding quickly, like you said, shooting like maybe ten threes

(36:56):
a game. They need to hit threes. This team stinks
at shooting threes and hitting them, so they need quick
in there. Firing away Ingram has added a little bit
more to his game from the three point line that's
got to continue. And then Grady Dick does need to
stretch the floor and hit threes if he's probably as
in the second unit. So that's all we're asking a
lot here. But that's the reason I think that the
line is what it's at. There was like glimpses of

(37:17):
it last year, and now you've got more talent and
now it's up to to Darko, the third best Darko.
There is Milicic and Donnie to make it work. And
I think that's where we'll get here, a five hundred team.
And look, that's the expectation, Like this is an expensive team, Trey.

(37:38):
You've said a million times it is, so at least
has to be flirting with a playoff position and that
like Darko's gone if they can't get around five hundred,
Like there's this is such a proven year for the
coach and a lot of these players, and I guess
I'm banking on that they put it together.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
Yeah, they're saving some money by five ring Masai u Jeri,
but they decided, yeah, this is what they're going with,
and yes, so this is a team that could make
a deal. And Bobby Webster was kind of indirect about
that but basically saying we'll feel it out, but it
could feel like a team that trades RJ Barrett most
likely that would be the guy of the three Yeah,

(38:20):
mid range play.

Speaker 3 (38:20):
Bobby Webster also said that r J.

Speaker 4 (38:22):
Barrett needs to improve his offense, his defense, and his
rebounding that media day, so I don't think he's maybe
the biggest man and would help their roster to move
him for a guy who can shoot from the outside
or give Grady Dick a little bit more space. I'm
going to go under here, like thirty nine to thirty
eight wins sounds about right to me. I think they'll
be better this year, but I don't know if it
translates to an over, so A'll go slide under.

Speaker 2 (38:44):
Okay, let's get to the other ten Eastern Conference teams
in a second, but first a word from our sponsor.

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Speaker 2 (40:57):
Good stuff back here in the Nodunks studios. As we're
working on you said, sculpt that's a good word.

Speaker 4 (41:03):
We're sculpting.

Speaker 2 (41:04):
We're sculpting in here, Yes, sculpting our studio. All right,
let's move on. We've got ten teams to get through.
Since the Atlantic Division took a little bit of time,
let's move on to the Central. It's your team, Trey,
the Chicago Bulls. Yes, their line is thirty two and
a half, coming off a year where they're thirty nine
and forty three. Quite the drop off in numbers.

Speaker 4 (41:26):
What do you think well, thirty nine and forty three.
That of course includes going fifteen and seven during Mickey
Mouse March, and I don't.

Speaker 3 (41:34):
Believe it April.

Speaker 4 (41:35):
The only real change for the Bulls this season is
isaacacorro In, Lonzo ball Out. Even look at their veterans
who might get traded during the season, talking about Avouch,
maybe Kobe whyet Io Deasumu, even Zach Collins. These are
guys who I think, if they're traded, probably don't move
the needle. Wins wise all that much for the Bulls.

(41:57):
Dissimilar to me to last year when they traded zach Lavine,
he was kind of like, clearly the best guy. There's
just some guys on this team. I think there will
be less surprise for the Bulls this season. Last year,
after the DeRozan and Levigne era with DeRozan gone, even
with that, zach Lavine still around and then even more
so once he got traded, they played super fast, shot

(42:18):
a ton of threes, finished the year third and three pointers.
Last season. People will be more ready for it this year.
The team I think is worse, but the number is
so low thirty two and a half wins, so I'm
goaling barely over this year, barely over.

Speaker 3 (42:35):
I was I was envious of this thirty two and a half.

Speaker 4 (42:38):
I was like, why can't this be the Raptors totally
You're telling me the Bulls are that much worse.

Speaker 3 (42:41):
Than the Raptors. I mean, yeah, I know, I was.
I was a little shocked that the Raptors was maybe
as high as it was and this was as low
as it was. I don't think I've correctly predicted a
Bulls over underline. Ever, I'm always wrong. I was wrong
last year, I was wrong the year before that, and
I'll probably be wrong again. So Trey will not be
happy to hear me say I'm taking the over as well.

(43:04):
This seals it feels very very low in a crappy,
crappy Eastern Conference where there's just a lot of somewhat
easy wins to pick up here against some of these
bad teams, and they're like they got their little core,
the little nucleus of their twenty five years or younger guys,
and Gideon White and boozellis like there's something there basically

(43:25):
the same team, like Trey said, but that should still
be a thirty five win team to me, So I'm
taking the over. This one's a weird line to me.

Speaker 2 (43:32):
Tests it is a weird line. Do they know something?
Are all the Bulls fans saying, wow, seven fewer wins
than last year? Of course I'm taking the over. That's
the part where I think if other teams are looking
at last year and saying, Okay, this team's gonna run.
They're just such a pace based team. Can we play

(43:53):
with them and slow them down a little bit, because
that's how you beat the Bulls. They're not going to
stop their defense. Stunk, yes, across across the board, every
single stat their bat. So then they go and get
Isaac Accorra, who's literally their best defender. Can he be
a guy who just instills defense? It's hard to imagine that.

(44:15):
I think Iodasumo got injured late in the season. Maybe
him working his way back would help because he's been
training for a long time. Maybe that helps on the ball.
But at the same time, you're gonna play with Gidea
ton Probably not so this thirty two and a half
is a good line. Really, it's Isaac Accorro in their

(44:36):
draft pic, Noah senge In and Lonzo ball Out, so
it's such a similar team. But does it all come
down to March? Really this was gonna happen? Are they
just are they able to turn it? What was this
the line or the record n during the.

Speaker 4 (44:51):
Last two months of the season. And that's why I'm
ultimately going over. You know, the Bulls are going to
care about winning those games when they probably should be
going the way and trying to get better lottery odds.
That's not how it's going to be. They're going to
try and make it back to the play in. I
saw over on Fandel they're a plus one eighty five
to make the play in. As that fan told us
at Summer League, we love the tenth seed. That seems

(45:14):
like a given right there, that the Bulls are going
to finish tenth in the Eastern Conference after back to
back years finishing all the way up at ninth.

Speaker 2 (45:20):
Yeah, all you do, all you have to do is
finish tenth. You gotta be better than five teams in
the Eastern Conference.

Speaker 4 (45:26):
I don't think there's five teams that it's a lock
the no, no, no, no no. But they're going to care
a lot during the last third of the season.

Speaker 2 (45:33):
Yeah, the Hornets, nets Wizards, I'd say, are the teams
that are yeah, exactent destined to be at the bottom,
but there's not five locks. No, no, I totally agree
with that, But.

Speaker 3 (45:43):
I want to know. I want to know from Trey
what like what a year looks like for Bozellis or
what a good year looks like from Bozelli's for you,
Because he did look strong to end the season. Again,
it's classic at the end of it, but he like
looked good over the final twenty game. Shot the ball well,
But where do you see like him going? What's his ceiling?

Speaker 4 (46:00):
I guess all right. He finished the season averaging eight
and a half points per game. I want to see
him at twelve to thirteen points per game. I would
like to see the three pointer stay at least thirty
six percent that's what he shot last year. If he
can shoot league average, I think that's awesome. Take more
of them, give us some highlights, and be a guy
who we mention at the end of the season as

(46:21):
an All Defense team snub. I think it's asking a
lot for him to make it to second team All Defense,
but I would like him to be one of the
guys who would make third team or maybe fourth team
All Defense if they did that.

Speaker 3 (46:35):
That's what I'm excited about.

Speaker 4 (46:37):
Can Mats Boozellis be a fourth team All Defense player
this year?

Speaker 3 (46:40):
I hope.

Speaker 2 (46:41):
So it is a strange season in Chicago.

Speaker 4 (46:45):
Yeah, not a lot of bulls talk at the wedding, unfortunately.

Speaker 2 (46:51):
What was the talk about any any Cubs.

Speaker 4 (46:54):
Cubs blowing it against the Brewers? Of course, you know
they went up one zero in the first inning and
then it was over by the end of the bottom
the first Inny.

Speaker 2 (47:02):
Yeah, the Brewers. I just saw it. We got it going,
They got it going on right now, all right? Moving
on to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Also an interesting line here
at fifty six and a half after going sixty four
and eighteen last season, and they're running back a very
very similar team. Trey starts off here. What do you think, Yeah, no.

Speaker 4 (47:23):
Ti Jerome, no Isaacacoro. But you are getting Lonzo ball in.
We'll see exactly how much he's able to play. Full
season of DeAndre Hunter as well, one of the like
the most forgettable guys. When I'm looking at the Rosters,
I'm like, oh, yeah, they did trade for DeAndre Hunter.
He did play for them last year. It was a
big deal when it happened. I think they'll probably need
a little bit more from him, especially with Darius Garland

(47:45):
banged up to start the season Max Struce banged up
to start the season. It feels like DeAndre Hunter, at
least in the early goings, will be important for the Calves.
But yeah, sixty four wins down to fifty six and
a half, I'm probably still going over. Even though I
think the Calves will prioritize the postseason more than they
did last year when they ripped off a huge win

(48:06):
streak to start the year and focused really hard on
getting the number one seed, I don't think chasing wins
is as much in the cards.

Speaker 3 (48:13):
You also look at how healthy they were last year.

Speaker 4 (48:15):
Eighty two games for Jared Allen, seventy five for Garland,
seventy one for Donovan Mitchell, seventy one for Evan Mobley.
A couple of those guys are younger, so I assume
they'll play quite a few games like Mobley is, but
Garland being banged up, I don't think that's encouraging. Jared
Allen does play a lot of games. Mitchell seem to
manage his body pretty well. But if any of those

(48:35):
guys misses extended time, the Calves look a little worse.
That'd being said, like, I don't think they're going to
lose that many more games this year, so I'm still
sticking with the over, though. I do think they will
be under sixty wins this year.

Speaker 2 (48:48):
Okay, line fifty six and a half. Yeah, Skeets, what
do you think?

Speaker 3 (48:51):
Okay, I'll swerve. I guess a little bit from Tray,
I'll go just under. I mean all for all the
reasons he just said, I think it's going to be
around fifty five, fifty six, maybe even They're just they
had the perfect season. Hold on, they had the perfect
regular season last year. They scored a ton of points.
I read that they scored the eighth most points in

(49:11):
NBA history on their way to sixty four wins. Apparently
they scored ninety nine points. Man, somebody couldn't hit one
more free throw to make that a cool ten k.
But they led their conference for like the entirety of
the year, one hundred and sixty five straight days. They
had three All Stars, they had the Coach of the Year,
they had Defensive Player of the Year, and then you know,

(49:32):
they got banged up once again in the postseason. You know,
in twenty four it was Alan and Mitchell missing multiple
games against the Celtics. Last May, it's Garland, Mobley Hunter.
They're all missing time in the Semis to the Pacers loss.
So they need to flip that and get guys injured
in the regular season and then all be healthy come
the postseason. I think they're going to play the long

(49:52):
game here, and with these injuries coming in, I think
they're not just going to be the starting as hot
as they did, so got to go just under. They're
still gonna be one of the best teams in the
Eastern Conference, but not sixty plus like Trey said, So
I'll go just under.

Speaker 2 (50:07):
You mentioned the injuries being a problem. I do think
that Darius garland injury to start here this season could
be a bit of a blessing because this team needs
to do more than just give Garland and Donovan Mitchell
the ball to finish games. It's got to go through
Evan Mobley a heck of a lot more. Now, that
doesn't necessarily mean not ton more regular season wins, but

(50:28):
this team will focus on what they have to be
in the playoffs, and they have to be a more
versatile team ev Mobley just wasn't used enough last year.
He just got it, has to be given the ball,
he has to be unleashed a little bit. This number
is crazy when you look at their clutch situations. Their
usage rates were Donovan Mitchell thirty seven point seven, Darius
Garland twenty eight percent, and Evan Mobley just eleven point

(50:50):
nine percent. And then when it came to that series
against the Pacers, Pacers knew what was going on here.
They were just ready for this team. And so that
fifty six and a half win Mark. I think they
can beat it and they're not going to crush it
like last year because Garland is out. I think that
does hurt. But Lonzo Ball, who's going to get a

(51:12):
ton of minutes because Garland is out. We'll do a
good job of sharing the ball. It's his job. I mean,
they essentially went Lonzo Ball over Ty Jerome because they
number one. They needed a ball mover and I guy
who could play fourth quarters. And in the end they said,
by to Jerome, we're keeping Sam Maryll. They paid him

(51:33):
and they got Lonzo Ball. So I think they know
what they have to be. They got to be the
team that moves the ball more so, I think I
don't see a problem with all those guys plus DeAndre
Hunter there for a full season. As Kenny Atkinson said,
you can argue that he is our best player this offseason.

Speaker 3 (51:50):
Cool, God, that I'll pound me under.

Speaker 4 (51:52):
Yeah, this is making me less confident.

Speaker 2 (51:54):
God, I know you're not a DeAndrea Hunter fans skis,
but Ray.

Speaker 3 (51:58):
Forgot he even plays on his team. He's a forgetable guy.

Speaker 2 (52:01):
Yeah, he had his best season last year. I know
you don't like the fact that he can't play games.
He's usually injured. He was injured with the Atlanta Hawks.
Then he got traded to Cleveland, who look like a
new player. Although you know he was great coming off
the bench for the the Cox last year and then
now he's entering his prime. So he doesn't have to

(52:24):
be much of a player there because everybody else is
going to take Which is it?

Speaker 4 (52:28):
Man, does he need to me doesn't need to be
much of a player, or he was the best guy
in calvs training camp?

Speaker 2 (52:33):
Well, I don't know. I'm not watching the training camp.
In training camp, he doesn't have to he doesn't have
to be here.

Speaker 3 (52:39):
I might be I might be changing up here.

Speaker 4 (52:42):
I might be changing up here with this DeAndre.

Speaker 2 (52:43):
Hunter pitch because Kenny Atkinson said he's our best player. Yeah,
I'm not pitching him. He's a good player. He's a
good he's a good basketball player. He was fourth and
six man voting last year. That's all. That's all you
need to hear.

Speaker 4 (52:57):
And they have him for a full year, so they
need him to be good for him and he was
good for the Hawks at the beginning of the year
last year. But the clutch thing is kind of interesting
because the reason Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell got the
ball so much in the clutch is because they were
great at it. They both finished top ten in Clutch
Player of the Year voting last year. I can't believe
Garland actually finished higher than Mitchell, but he made a
lot of big shots late. So I do think if

(53:20):
the Cavs are wanting to prioritize the playoffs, which they
should because they've kind of flamed out these past couple
of years and they need Evan Mobley to be more
empowered come playoff time, that would mean that they are
turning down better clutch options in Garland and Mitchell to
build up Evan Mobley, which is bad for their regular
season win total, even if it's good for the team

(53:42):
in the long run. So I'll stick with my over
but I'm not feeling good about it.

Speaker 2 (53:47):
Yeah, they'll definitely finish a lot closer to that fifty
six and a half win total because of that than
they did last year at sixty four and eighteen. Being said,
it's such a similar team, why should they be dramatically worse?
I know Garland's not playing.

Speaker 4 (54:03):
Yeah, Ty Jerome was like Steve Nash last year as well.
I couldn't miss he was good. He was good coming
off the bench, all right. Moving on to the Detroit Pistons,
who were everybody's Cinderella last year. They finished forty four
and thirty eight. This year their number is forty six
and a half.

Speaker 2 (54:21):
Skeets. What do you think of this over under number?

Speaker 3 (54:24):
Good line, Well played Vegas. You know, they didn't go
crazy with it, didn't even keep it the same, just
a couple wins more than last year, where they went
from the worst team in the league to clinching a
playoff spot, which was pretty impressive. They've added Kris LeVert
Duncan Robinson sort of to replace Malik Beasley. Javonte Greens.

(54:45):
There lost Tim Hardaway, Junior shrewder Tecchio Waters the third,
so just the round the fringes. They are adding a
fully recovered Jaden Ivy, which is exciting. I think that's
going to really give them a nice boost. Should take
some pressure off Kate Cunningham. He has a super high usage.
He should He's awesome. But the one knock against Kate
is he's sort of sloppy with the ball at times

(55:07):
and the turnovers are high. So maybe that sort of
like is a little more kept in check with Ivy
back in the fold, maybe as a secondary ball handler.
I guess I struggle with where to go over under
here when I go, okay, which of the three teams
of the Pistons, the Hawks, and the Magic are like
you expecting to jump up sort of into the top

(55:29):
of the Eastern Conference picture if any of those three,
are you picking one of the three? Two of the
three zero three? Whatever? So I'm like going back and
forth here, and because of all that, I'm shocking myself here.
As much as I love this team, I'm gonna take
the under. And I really truly believe they're going to
win forty six games. So I am saying just under,

(55:50):
but I think a lot of people, maybe you guys included,
are gonna pull me over and say, no, this is
just a team growing. An All NBA guard in kid
leading your team, and then guys like Thompson and Duran
and Hallin and just everybody sort of improving as they
get a little more reps in the league. So I
get it, but I'm I'm swerving. I think I think
a lot of people are gonna be on the over,

(56:11):
and I'll go just under on Detroit Trey.

Speaker 2 (56:13):
What do you think?

Speaker 4 (56:14):
Yeah, I'm under as well. I think this is basically
the same team as last year, and last year was
the big jump. They won thirty more games than their
disaster season when they had Monty Williams there in twenty
three twenty four, So you know, progress isn't always linear.
Going from fourteen to forty four wins doesn't mean you're
going to fifty four wins. I think they have very
similar talent. Like to me, Duncan Robinson can replace the

(56:37):
shooting that it got from Malik Beasley last season from
Tim Hardaway junior. The question then becomes, can Jaden Ivy
do what Beasley and Shrewd were doing from a ball
handling standpoint and hitting clutch shots. Maybe I think we
haven't totally seen that, but in the thirty games he
played last year, he looked pretty solid alongside Caid Kunn.

(57:00):
So I think the Pistons can be a little bit
better this year and still go under, still have a
quality season. Last year was just such an aberration to
jump up that high that I think it's unlikely they
have a similar provement this year. So give me like
a barely under like forty five forty six wins. I
think is still a good year for the Pistons. That's
just unfortunately and under for them. When you're making the.

Speaker 2 (57:21):
Pick, yeah, I'm with you. I guess people who watch
this team realize, you know, they don't have to jump
up a ton of wins to be a better team.
That's what it comes down to. I still think they
can finish around that forty six win mark. I just
think they are banking in a lot of young players
in new roles, and that's what it comes down to.

(57:43):
Jade and Ivy could be really good in catching shoots
with Kate Cunningham. Sure that could work, but this is
the first time they were really playing together with Kate
being that number one guy in a serious role here
because Ivy's role is going to jump up, especially with
Malik Beasley. Gun Asar Thompson is a similar thing where
he played in short little spurts last year coming off

(58:04):
the blood clot. Now he's going to play even longer minutes,
which is good in the long run, but maybe it
doesn't result in four more wins. Essentially, they have so
many young guys, they're going to rely more on Jalen Durham,
Ron Holland as well, and then they have to do
what they didn't do last year is rely on somebody
to be Dennis Shruder. Essentially, Destruder was a ton I

(58:28):
had a ton of ball handling possessions at the end
of games. Now it's carsel Vert I think is going
to be that guy. And Bicker or bj Biker Staff
Bigger Staff has a ton of connection with Kerselvert going
back to his Cleveland days that he will work for him.
But I mean this is different. This is different than

(58:48):
Dennis Shruterer. So I don't know, there's just question marks
that you go into the season. He didn't have last year,
and Ken Duncan Robinson really be as good as Malik Beasley.
I think that's a fair question. We haven't seen as
good a year from Duncan Robinson as we did Blake
Beasley last year. That guy was just.

Speaker 3 (59:06):
Beasley hit like nearly three hundred and twenty threes last year.

Speaker 4 (59:09):
We haven't seen the Lake Beasley have a season like
that before last year.

Speaker 2 (59:12):
Yes, that was a spectacular year. So it's going to
be a lot on dunk. Yeah, just a lot of
moving parts here with this team that obviously is going
to be led by Kate. The guy expects to win
and they're going to have a winning record. But jumping
up to five, it has to.

Speaker 4 (59:27):
Be the number two guy. I'm sorry. If it's Kris
Lavert as the second guy soaking up possessions in fourth
quarters alongside Caid Cunningham, something's gone wrong because this is
the year we need to really see something from.

Speaker 3 (59:37):
IVY year four.

Speaker 4 (59:39):
You know, Caid had an injury year where they didn't
get to play together. Then Ivy had an injury year
where they didn't get to play together. This year, he
needs to play like seventy games, stay on the court alongside.

Speaker 3 (59:49):
Caid Cunningham and show us what you got is the
number two man.

Speaker 2 (59:52):
Yeah, this is his year. There's no doubt. I do
think Kris Livertz sort of just overlooked as a player.
Deni Shruder was relied on last year, got moved and
we'll see if Karaslovert can replace that. But it is
good to see j and Abby back playing basketball after
he was I mean, he was taken out by Cole
Anthony last year, so this is it's good to see
him play. But it again, these are this is a

(01:00:16):
new connection between him and Kate. Moving on, the Pistons do.

Speaker 3 (01:00:19):
Feel like a team just before we move on, where
like you guys are saying, if they have a similar
record to last year, I don't think that's like a failure, right,
I think like that's building on something. I think you'd
want to see some incremental win increases and maybe some
more another great fight in the playoffs or maybe even
winning a playoff series. Who knows. But like I guess
what we're getting out here is even if we say
the under I don't think that's bad by any means.

(01:00:41):
Like they have obviously their superstar guy in Kate, and
then these other really good talented guys and they're hoping,
Like Trace said, Ivy is the secondary guy and then
you've got all your other guys. So I just want
to make that clear, like I don't think this is
like a knock on them, and I think they're one
of the weird teams, like they cant have a similar
year And people are like, oh, that's great, that's not
bad as long as there's some internal growth that we're

(01:01:01):
seeing from the team.

Speaker 2 (01:01:03):
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, it'll be fun to see people either
love or hate on the Detroit business. It's bound to happen.
But they have so many capable players. We'll see what
they can do under JB. Bickersteph. Let's move on to
the Indiana Pacers. It's a very interesting team here. Last
year going fifty and thirty two, they're lying now at

(01:01:24):
thirty seven and a half way lower. I know when
you did our we did our mailbag show recently, Tray,
you said this team is going to be that overachieving
team next year. What do you think now?

Speaker 4 (01:01:37):
It's even crazier that I'm looking at this. The Celtics
went from sixty one wins down to their over under
being forty one wins. You're saying fifty wins last year
for Indiana, and they are lost Tyrese Haliburton, they lost
Miles Turner, and theirs is only dropping down to thirty seven,
which is why I'm going with the over here. I
do think this is the biggest change up team in
the league. Like Halliburton defines that offense, he is the

(01:01:59):
general of most of their good looks. He's completely their
identity on that end. Losing him completely changes the way
Indiana is even going to approach the offensive side of
the ball and the defensive side. Miles Turner was their
center for literally ten straight years, so another change on
that side. But Rick Carlisle in the twenty three seasons
he's coached in the NBA, He's only had thirty seven

(01:02:21):
or fewer wins in seven of those seasons. I just
think there's enough good players left on the Pacers to
win thirty eight or more games, So give me the over.
I'm a Pascal Siakam believer. I think Nemhard is capable
of more and they're going to need more from him.
And you know, Ben Mathrin is basically in a contract

(01:02:41):
year trying to prove that he is worth keeping around
his long term piece for the Pacers. So I think
they will be back to full strength for the twenty
five to twenty sixth season. They'll be looking good then.
But in the meantime, I think probably playing for the Pacers,
but still a good enough team. So give me the
over here.

Speaker 2 (01:03:00):
It's thirty seven and a half for a team that
just went to the finals. What do you think?

Speaker 3 (01:03:04):
Yeah, I contemplated going under because they did lose their
like two of their best players, one to injury and
then the other in sort of a shocking free agency
move in Myles Turner leaving from Milwaukee. But I just
love all their guys still, and I think we're gonna
have like a most improved race between Nemhard and Mathern.

(01:03:24):
I mean, that's good. That's a season's going well probably
for Indy if that is the case, and those guys
are like in the top five for MIP votes. Siakam
is a lead guy. We've seen it as Raptors fans.
You know, it has its limitations, but we have a
very low line here. I'm going just over. They're gonna
be a playing team. They're well coached, you know, they're

(01:03:46):
gonna have obviously their system in place, and they just
still like, are this team feels still better to me
somehow than the Raptors than the Bulls. I guess we
could debate about the box and stuff like that, but
they're not. They're not. There's no way we're sliding them
down to the low here of the Eastern Conference. They're
in the middle, and I like a lot of guys,
So I'll go just over with Trey. I'm with the

(01:04:07):
on this one.

Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
Yeah, it's easy to buy into this team after watching
them go essentially nine to ten deep into the NBA
Finals and say, well that guy whoa, oh we top it,
whoa everybody contributing off the bench. Will they just get
into a funk like they did last year They were
ten and fifteen to start the season and they suddenly
found their groove and they got super hot. Will the

(01:04:29):
lack of Haliburton starting every position limit them from getting
into that groove? And Miles Turner on the defensive end,
will he not being around limit them there? Because that
is where defensively they got a big issue. And they're
running out Isaiah Jackson, They're running out James Wiseman, they
running out Jay Huff and Tony Bradley. So the defense

(01:04:50):
is going to take a step down. Will know Haliburton
be out there take a huge step down offensively. I
mean they will share them. B Rick will make sure TJ.
Connell will share the ball with everybody. And you know
a guy like TJ McConnell's going to try and lead
this team into a they're betting against us type of mentality,
type of locker room. They have a bunch of guys.

(01:05:13):
There's no doubt like Pascal Siaking, like you said, Skeetz,
he did lead a Toronto Raptors team to a lot
more wins. He led his team to a forty eight
win season in twenty one to twenty two. There was
a fret on there. There wasn't og playing half a
season on that team. This seemingly isn't as good, but

(01:05:34):
you know, five hundred team would not be surprising. I
do think the Halliburton loss, they may just not find
that groove. It's really just it is a it's a
coin flip here. I'll take an under, but there are
so many guys, there are so many freaking guys that
could easily propel them over that total. It does seem low.

Speaker 3 (01:05:53):
What do you think a Jayhoff shave in his head.

Speaker 2 (01:05:55):
I haven't seen the hof head much needed.

Speaker 4 (01:05:58):
Good choice.

Speaker 3 (01:05:59):
It looks good.

Speaker 4 (01:06:00):
Yeah, he was well compared.

Speaker 2 (01:06:03):
Was he balding before? Oh yeah yeah, okay, yeah yeah yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:06:09):
He shaves his head. Rudy Gobert shaved his head.

Speaker 4 (01:06:13):
That's the time.

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
See now that you say that, now that I'm looking
at the hair on his head, I mean it is
pretty substantial for you. Like when you said bald and
I've seen bald. I guess the bald spot is pretty.

Speaker 4 (01:06:26):
Yeah, yeah, you got you gotta get the reverse angle. Yeah, yeah,
he's looking good. That's he's looking good. He'll look nice
next to Tyres Haliburton next year. But they don't got
the setup man this year.

Speaker 3 (01:06:40):
We shall see.

Speaker 4 (01:06:40):
They're not gonna be as fun to watch, but I
think they can still win games.

Speaker 2 (01:06:44):
See in our at our new studio set here, we
just flip the camera and flip the screen around and
we show you Jay Huff if I could figure out
how to show you Ja, that's Hof. Yeah yeah it
is that camera. Here's half head. It looks good. Ayran,
moving on, pacers will be fun to watch. Let's get
to Milwaukee Box forty two and a half for a

(01:07:07):
Yianni's team.

Speaker 3 (01:07:08):
It's low. What do you low?

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
What do you think Skeet's you locked into an over?

Speaker 3 (01:07:13):
This is one of my locks. Yep, this is I
was shocked how low this was.

Speaker 1 (01:07:19):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:07:19):
I know there are some question mark, especially when it
comes to their guard play, and they had a busy summer.
They retooled to try and keep you honest happy. We
can debate whether they did a good enough job. I
guess they did a great job because they got his
brother back on the team. Good for vibes. The Nazis
is there, but Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, then Miles Turner.
That was huge and it took waving Damian Lillard to

(01:07:40):
get there. Brooks gone, Pat Connington's gone, re signed a
bunch of guys Portois, Ken Porter junior at Gary Trent Junior.
I just think this line is too low. If Jannis
is like healthy for you know, seventy games, If you
play seventy games, he's enough in the season conference to
get you, you know, forty four to forty five wins.
I think so I'm locking this one in. This is

(01:08:04):
gonna be I guess we're getting whispers of the point
Yannis experiment here. Too. The guy's numbers are already insane,
so if they only increase somehow across the box score,
he will, like he always is is in the MVP conversation.
Maybe they even surprise teams and are flirting with fifty,
and then he's like possibly even winning another one. I
don't think that's out of the question. So I'll go

(01:08:25):
over Trey as one of my locks to tip my
hand here. I like it.

Speaker 4 (01:08:29):
Yeah, they gotta have point Giannis because they have probably
the worst creators in the NBA outside of him. Their
top perimeter options are going to be Kyle Kuzma, Kevin
Porter Junior, and Cole Anthony. So Yiannis is going to
need to make a lot of plays. They lost Dame,
they lost Brooke Miles. Turner is going to make the
defense pretty solid. I think him and Yannis are a
destructive duo together. The last time the Bucks won fewer

(01:08:53):
than forty games was Giannis's third year in the NBA.
But back then Yannis played like eighty games a year,
and now he's at like sixty five games a year.
And the question to me is what happens in those
fifteen games that Yiannis misses? Bucks could go on fifteen.
They have basically a tanking roster outside of Giannis, so
if Jannis has an MVP like season, they go over.

(01:09:14):
But I'm going under. I just think he's going if
he misses any kind of time. They're one of the
worst teams in the league.

Speaker 2 (01:09:19):
It's totally reasonable, and that's why that line has dropped
from a team that went forty eight and thirty four
last year to forty two and a half. I'm going
over because I think Giannis will just be pretty prideful
this year, wants that MVP back, wants more talk of that.
I think Miles Turner will help him, just having to
deal with a heck of a lot more centers. Brooke

(01:09:42):
was there last year, but Brooke couldn't be old Prime
Brook while you're getting Miles turned off. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.
He just wasn't the same guy. And now Miles Turner
will be guarding every single five out there, and I
think that just helps him on both sides, because Johannis
has had to deal with centers and that just it

(01:10:03):
hasn't worked all that well. Actually, when he was interviewed
after EuroBasket, an hour long Greek interview, he was asked
about playing in Europe versus playing in the US. He
said he kind of favors playing in Europe because you
don't have to deal with all these monsters like Jalen Duran.
He just named these monstrous centers that he had to
deal with. It won't happen the same way with Miles Starner.

(01:10:25):
He's going to take that off him. That being said,
who's going to help the guy who is their second
best player that's going to handle the ball. It's just
such a big question. Is it a positive that he'll
big up Cole Anthony? I mean he's doing that right now.
He said. Cole Anthony is going to be a secret
great player for them. Okay, I mean they're really Jardan

(01:10:50):
Horst is really just grabbing guys in the barrel. Give
me Cole Anthony, gim me Gary Harris, come on by
help us out in any way, shape or form you can.
A mere coffee from the Los Angeles Clippers could literally
be their best wing at times. Or is Kyle Kosma
a new player? Kyle Cooz have to reinvent himself to
be good. But yeah, Milwaukee has won at least forty

(01:11:13):
six games for seven straight seasons. Is this the season
that they're going to drop to essentially like a five
hundred team. I'll take the over, but it is, Yeah,
a ton of question marks, especially considering how many games
Giannis is going to play. I think he's still young
enough to be able to play as many as he wants,
but how many does he want to play? He wants

(01:11:33):
to be healthy for the postseason. But will the Miles
Turner factor help him out a good amount? I think
I think he will.

Speaker 3 (01:11:42):
Yeah, I mean it should Turner like he brings rim
protection like obviously Brooke did in his prime, and he
at least last year showed an ability to really stretch
the floor, like he hit over two threes per game.
He showed a really good percentage with the pacers. They're
going to need that Turner to be, you know, the
same type of thing replicated in the way. But yeah,
you're right about the guards. It's rough. I mean, this

(01:12:03):
is why this Yiannis sort of point, you honest, everything
through him, not that it it feels like it already does. Anyway,
It's like how much more can go through him is
going to be fascinating. I saw da, I thought sort
of perfectly wrapped up the front office from the Bucks,
and how they like turned over every stone to keep
you Honest happy, and again I will include bringing back
his brother, which is definitely a part of this. But

(01:12:25):
they burned through much of their future draft capital. They've
cycled through coaches, they've traded impact players. They even did
the whole waving and stretching of Lillard and like setting
fire to like one hundred million dollars right there, doing
all they can to at least please y Honest and
keep them. And now maybe it's Yo Honest's turn, I
guess to sort of like thank them, so to speak.

(01:12:45):
So I just if he plays enough, they just he's
too good to have a five hundred team.

Speaker 4 (01:12:50):
Yeah, at least for me, is like if he misses
fifteen games, can they win forty out of sixty?

Speaker 3 (01:12:56):
Yeah, that's when Giannis plays.

Speaker 4 (01:12:58):
And that seems like a big lift, right, because I mean,
you're I mean, they're really scraping the barrel if they're
bringing in Gary Harris and Cole Anthony, two guys who
were on the worst offense in the league, and they're like, hey,
we got these two to help us out.

Speaker 2 (01:13:12):
Yeah, Ryan Rollins is probably gonna start a lot.

Speaker 4 (01:13:14):
He's also bad on offense unfortunately.

Speaker 2 (01:13:16):
Yeah, he struggles. Yeah, that's why.

Speaker 4 (01:13:17):
And the Bucks defense was better than the Pacers last
year even though they had Brook Lopez and the Pacers
had Miles Turner. I think that's like a sideways move
Lopez for Turner.

Speaker 2 (01:13:28):
We'll see, we shall all right. Moving on to the
South East Division. Always fun to say the Atlanta Hawks.
I'll stay here in Atlanta. They are at a line
of forty seven and a half, big one, huge one.
What do you think, Trey? Can they win over forty
seven games this season?

Speaker 3 (01:13:48):
Hawks haven't won forty eight or more.

Speaker 4 (01:13:50):
Games since the twenty fifteen to sixteen season. That's ten years.
This is the best deepest team they've had around Trey Young.
I'm anticipating a breakout season for our guy Mogay, the
Mogay that's on the Hawks, not the one that was
signed by the Bulls and is a former Raptor. There's
a lot of health concerns, certainly I think with Chris STAPs,

(01:14:11):
Porzingis and Jalen Johnson. But to me, those are more
health concerns for will they be healthy come playoff time
when it really matters The bigger risk to the over
under for me is Trey Young. He's generally pretty healthy,
but if he misses time, there is not a backup
on the team for Trey Young. I guess it would
probably be like a combo platter of Dyson Daniels and

(01:14:31):
Nikhil Alexander Walker. Maybe they even would start a guy
like Luke Canard for a little three point shooting and playmaking.
But if Trey misses any significant amount of time, I
could see this going under for sure. This is such
a devious number. Like I do think the Hawks are
gonna be better. They were forty and forty two last year.
I think they can easily win five or six more

(01:14:54):
games this year. That would still put them under unfortunately,
so I am gonna go under. I believe in the team,
and I think if they have Porzingis and Johnson and
Trey healthy come playoff time, like they've got a good
chance to surprise people and make a run similar to
twenty twenty one where they make it to the conference
finals if things break perfectly. As for regular season, forty

(01:15:15):
seven and a half is just too high for me.

Speaker 2 (01:15:17):
It is a devious number because we just talked about
the Detroit Pistons, who have a lower number at forty
six and a half, and they went to the playoffs.
What do you think? Is this just the linemakers riding
the hype train of June and July where listen, they
made some glorious moves, but can they win forty eight games? Skits?

Speaker 3 (01:15:39):
I think that's exactly what this line is. I think
you're right, you nail at their tasks. They're getting people
with this one. Oh that's not that crazy. Forty seven
and a half. They could win a fifty games? Yeah,
maybe they could, because I don't think like it's a
stretch of say, Atlanta's front office probably had top three summer, right,
I mean Houston, maybe Denver's in the mix there. I

(01:16:01):
think the Hawks are in the mix for crushing the offseason.
But that's all on paper, and now we got to
see it in action. I am excited to see Nikhil
Alexander Walker alongside Dyson Daniels, Like when they're out there,
that's two elite perimeter defenders and they can force turnovers
and fuel that offense for Atlanta. And if Jalen Johnson's
on the wing running and obviously Trey Poshing the ball.

(01:16:24):
That's going to be a lot more fun to watch.
I think it'll be exciting. Porzingis huge question mark. Guy
played forty two games last year. I mean he had
ankle surgery at the start, then he had a mystery illness.
And he never plays like this.

Speaker 4 (01:16:37):
I checked.

Speaker 3 (01:16:38):
He's never He hasn't played more than seventy games since
his rookie season. So to get like a full healthy
KP season, it's far fetched. I think the Hawks have
guys that they can slide in there during the regular
season and would need KP come playoff time. Like Trey said,
But I'm going just under. As much as what I
love they did this offseason, there'll be an improvement and

(01:16:59):
it'll be right around. I don't see him as a
fifty win team. I really don't, and that's why I'm
going under.

Speaker 2 (01:17:05):
Yeah, the front office was incredible. Ancie Sally than those
moves helped everybody out here in Atlanta. I had a
Hawk's shirt on I was out and about. Guy just
yelled at me, go Hawks, and I said, it's going
to be a good year. He said it's going to
be the year and I said, woa, Well, people are
over Yeah, people are hype because of these moves. There's

(01:17:26):
no doubt for every good move, though there is a
question mark, like you said, Christapsporzingis is gonna play. Jalen
Johnson a fair question if he's going to play or not.
He's only played in fifty six percent of games in
his young career. He's easily you know, their their second
best player, thirds, whatever you want to call him, he's
he's super important to this team. That being said, you

(01:17:48):
start to look at the lineups, like you said Nikhil,
Alexander Walker, Dyson Daniels. If they're playing beside Tree Young
and they go in that direction, Trey Young doesn't even
have to play defense in those lineups. There's gonna be
enough defense around him. It's gonna be fun to watch,
like a Chris STAPs and Trey Kris Stapps said that
Trey Young is the best passer in the league. He's

(01:18:08):
going to be picking him popping. There's no doubt. It
is gonna be interesting to see those those guys in
these I think there's a lot of versatility in these lineups,
like a Dyson Daniels, who unfortunately could have to be
more of a ball handler. He said he's working on
his mid range game. But you start to put those
pieces in these lineups where you put him beside Nika

(01:18:29):
and Alexander Walker and then you got the fire guys
around him, like Luke Canard. You start to think, well,
this team can win plenty of games, but that number
is just it's just big and there's too many question
marks for me, so I'll go under. But the first
winning team in a while, it feels like and over
five hundred is it's a good season for the Atlanta Hawks.

Speaker 3 (01:18:51):
A good season for the Hawks is to avoid the
damn play in tournament, like get into the playoffs, like
forty six wins that get you in, I think, or
maybe right around there, forty six to forty seven wins
like gets you maybe like a sixth seed or a
fifth seed. Even so that's the goal. Avoid the play
in at all costs where they just are like like

(01:19:12):
the Bulls are just sort of always in the mix
there and can never sort of take it to the
next level. And oh yeah, injuries come into play. I
am excited, like I do think there's like not pressure
because he had a pressure on him his entire career,
but like this on paper is as bout as well
as you could do. I think to put a team
around Trey Young to fit sort of his style, right,
he went through all the defensive guys and the pick

(01:19:34):
and pop big and all these athletic guys that he
can throw lobs with, like it makes sense, and now
it's like okay, now it's got translated into some some
wins and then maybe some playoff success. So there's that
that he should be looking around like, oh, this is
my best chance here in a very depleted Eastern Conference,
like we said too, So I'm excited to get down
to the Fortress watch some Hawks games CACA left and

(01:19:54):
right on the podcast because I think they're.

Speaker 2 (01:19:56):
Gonna be more fun. They will be more fun. I
didn't mention some guys that will see playing like zacharyisa Chet.
I think it'd help out. You know, when he's pegged
into a fourth, fifth, sixth best player type of role,
he can be awesome. But will they put him in
a third best role because of injuries or the third

(01:20:17):
best player type of role? That's the question mark with
this team, so TBD. And then the question mark is
if Trey Young is happy at the end of the
season because he was put into all those rumors last
year that he wasn't happy if this team isn't all
that good, which is a fair question.

Speaker 4 (01:20:35):
It made a little noise about not having that extension yet.

Speaker 2 (01:20:38):
He did say that, but the pressure is on him,
like easily.

Speaker 4 (01:20:41):
This is the best team he's had, and the team
that makes the most sense and the deepest team and
the things that address his weaknesses the most. So if
it ain't this year, it might not ever be the time, right.

Speaker 2 (01:20:52):
I did think I watched that clip of him being
asked about the extension, he just kind of answered the question.
I mean, he was asked he said, well, I'd always
like an extension, but I want to talk about my
team here, you know. So then it's well, this guy
doesn't want to be on this team, and I think
he is happy to be here. At the same time,
this is it. This is on paper, this team can

(01:21:15):
go monstrous and long beside him, and I think we
don't give enough credit for how hard he played defensively
last year. But again, if these guys are injured, then
it's not really entree. It's kind of just like, Okay,
this team ain't all that get It'll be fun, it'll
be fun this year going down to State Farm. All right,
moving on the Charlotte Hornets twenty six and a half

(01:21:37):
after going nineteen and sixty three last year, Ski, you
want to start us off on a twenty six and
a half line? What do you think?

Speaker 3 (01:21:44):
Oh, the Charlotte Okay, they are on a crazy long
playoff rout. It shocked me when I saw it was
nine years. I think it's the longest active playoff rout
in the league right now. So they have not sniffed
any postseason in a long time. But they have their reasons,
they have their excuses. It usually starts with injuries. Again,

(01:22:05):
I hate to sound like a broken record, like we've
done a lot of these teams, but like does LaMelo
ball play that really helps their chances to hit a
very low over here. Same with Brandon Miller. I think
they're just trying to replicate what the Pistons sort of
did last year, and that is to grow develop the
young core. That's the theme. But then you bring in

(01:22:25):
sort of these vets like Sexton and Dinwitty and Pat
Connaton and plumb Dog Millionaire to like raise the floor
a little bit, to help out the kids and maybe
put together some wins, but I still don't like love
this squad overall. I'm not really a Lamello ball believer,
and I'm gonna go under. There's got to be some

(01:22:46):
bad teams, really bad teams in the East, and I
think they're still going to be in the mixes one
of them. But I get it. I could see people going,
are you silly? Like when he plays, they're a much
better team. Well, he's got to play first off and
a lot of other things gotta go right. So I'm
going under tray twenty six and a half.

Speaker 4 (01:23:03):
That's the smart move. But I'm a believer.

Speaker 3 (01:23:06):
I see, I know it. I don't know. I guess.

Speaker 4 (01:23:09):
I saw a LaMelo do an eighteen foot step back
yesterday on Instagram, and now I want to go over.
He's playing sixty plus games this year, and if that happens,
I think the Hornets go over. The last three years,
LaMelo's played thirty six, twenty two and forty seven games,
and when he plays, guess what, they play at a
twenty nine win pace, So it doesn't really even matter
if he's out there, skeez, you'll listen off the Vets.

Speaker 3 (01:23:30):
Those vets suck.

Speaker 4 (01:23:32):
Collin Sexton Pat Connaiton, Spencer Dinwitty, who's.

Speaker 3 (01:23:35):
Maybe not even on the team.

Speaker 4 (01:23:37):
That's not Tobias Harris, that's not Malik Beasley, right, Like,
those guys are rotation players for basically any team. Sexton
and Connaton and Dinwitty, they are rotation players for the Hornets.
Then you look at their bigs. It's Plumbley kolk Brenner,
a rookie, and Tajan Salon, who was maybe the worst
rookie in the league last year outside of Cody Williams.
I don't know toss up between those two guys. They

(01:23:58):
should be under, the nuts should be under. I'm going over.
This one's the one I'm gonna be wrong on twenty
seven wins for the Hornets.

Speaker 2 (01:24:07):
I think, Wow, I was wrong last year. I got
fooled last year when he went nineteen and sixty three.
I thought they were an overteam because I thought la
Millo Ball was going to play basketball. I believed in
him saying I'm wearing ankle braces for the first time
in my career. My ankles are going to be strong,
and he learned that from Steph apparently, so I thought

(01:24:30):
that he was going to play. But I got fooled,
and I'm not sure how many games he plays number one,
Like you said that, sure they could win twenty seven
or twenty nine games, is what they're on pace for.
If he plays, I don't know. I don't know. If
he plays, he doesn't have the leadership in him, I
don't think. And Colin Sexton is there, yeah, because apparently

(01:24:54):
he's there to be his bud, and they talk about
him helping him out in as far as leadership goes.
They're inseparable and he's really helping him out. But I
can't buy that talk. I just I can't buy it.
I got fooled last year. And they're literally trying to
get young guys there as well that can hopefully turn

(01:25:16):
around this team. You mentioned guys like Ryan Kalchbrenner, the
defensive player of the year in college, khon Ka Nipple
who plays really hard. Liam McNeely plays really hard. They
got a bunch of those guys, but a bunch of
white guys. Oh yeah, there's so many white guys. Yeah,
that's why they got Mason plumb dog there. That's what
they have. Is this a twenty seven win team after

(01:25:37):
going nineteen and sixty three last year. I find it
hard to believe. So I am under unfortunate under Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:25:46):
Back to Colin Sexton. I just saw this yesterday from
Clutch Points sort of blew my mind. It was about
how Colin Sexton has been in the league for eight
years and he has still not played for a true
contender and nor Willy this season with the Charlotte Hornets
because he went through Cleveland's post Lebron years and then
Utah's transition after Donovan Mitchell and now he's with this

(01:26:07):
young Charlotte team trying to like find some sort of
rhythm or try and win. He's played for I looked
it up. He's played for one winning team in his career.
It was the twenty one to twenty two Calves. They
finished forty four and thirty eight, and that was their
Sexton barely played. He played like eleven games because of injury,
so it wasn't really because of him. So he is
in here as a vet voice. I guess to help

(01:26:27):
LaMelo ball again. I don't think it's gonna matter. They're hits,
They're still going to be a bad team, and they're
just hoping Nipple Calcilbrenner. They're gonna like pop, they got
something they're hoping for, because it ain't Salon. I'll tell
you that.

Speaker 2 (01:26:42):
Yeah, Collin Saxon hasn't played in a playoff game in
his career. Although, as you said, they're forty four and
thirty eight. They finished eighth in that twenty one twenty
two season, fell off.

Speaker 3 (01:26:53):
Completely in the second half.

Speaker 4 (01:26:54):
If I'm not mistaken, Well.

Speaker 2 (01:26:56):
Why weren't they a playoff team? Why didn't he play
in the playoffs that he was tournament?

Speaker 3 (01:27:00):
Right?

Speaker 2 (01:27:00):
Yeah, I guess it was the playing tournament. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:27:03):
Like I'll just say, Colin Sexton's numbers are always better
the worst his team is. Yeah, yeah, I don't think.
I think it's more of a feature, not a bug. Yeah,
he hasn't made it to the playoffs yet.

Speaker 2 (01:27:12):
Yeah, he had a good, good season last year and
they decided, okay, Usifnerkitch isn't working here in Charlotte, let's
trade him for Colin Sexton. I suppose to literally have
a friend to sit beside LaMelo ball to try and
get him, just have a guard around him. I think
that's what the idea is, to try and get LaMelo
to be a leader, because that's what this team comes
down to we watched lam Allo ball. He's obviously enamored

(01:27:37):
by so many fans out there. He led the fricking
Eastern Conference guards in All Star fan voting last year.
Pretty weird, and.

Speaker 3 (01:27:44):
They finished nineteen and sixty three.

Speaker 2 (01:27:46):
It's just about playing. We'll see if he plays, That's
what it comes down to, and they'll win. Be on
a twenty nine pace win streak. Sure, all right. Moving
on to the Miami Heat thirty seven and a half,
thirty seven and a half for a team that went
thirty seven and forty five last year.

Speaker 4 (01:28:04):
Yeah, this one was such a dare, Like, you don't
really think the Heat were that bad last year? Do you?
Or do you? He haven't had back to back sub
forty win seasons since two thousand and two and two
thousand and three. I saw on Fando. They're also a
plus one fifty four to get to forty wins. If
you're saying it's not gonna happen again, but guess what

(01:28:24):
it might happen again thirteen and twelve with Jimmy Butler
in the lineup. Last year, people blamed him a lot
for the Heat's problems, saying his trade request was hanging
over the team, but they were also bad once he
finally did get traded, twenty four and thirty three in
the games they played without Jimmy Butler last season. A
large part of that was because the Heat couldn't win
clutch games. They were twenty eighth in the league and

(01:28:46):
clutch wins last year. So if you're looking at this
from a glass half full perspective, better luck.

Speaker 3 (01:28:52):
More wins.

Speaker 4 (01:28:53):
If you're looking at it in a glass half empty situation,
you're saying Tyler hero is already out. He is their
main clutch player, so maybe fewer clutch wins. I still
think the Heat that we're going to have a top
ten off top ten defense. They'll probably finish in the
bottom ten on offense as well. I think they go over,

(01:29:14):
but I think they finish under five hundred. So give
me thirty eight or thirty nine wins for the Miami Heat,
a slight over Skeets.

Speaker 2 (01:29:22):
What do you think of this line here? Thirty seven
and a half.

Speaker 3 (01:29:25):
I'm glad Trey brought up their abysmal play in the clutch.
They lost so many games that they were like leading
by double digits or leading when they entered the third quarter,
and then when it got into clutch time. I think
they had a fourteen and twenty eight record in clutch
games and they still finished thirty seven to forty five,
and they still had a positive net rating, which is

(01:29:47):
really weird. So I think that does flip back a
little bit here. There is no Jimmy Butler cloud hanging
over them at the start of the season. There's a
question mark, especially with the Tyler hero injury. It's like
who is starting for this team? Like, what is the lineup?
Is it Mitchell, Powell, Wiggins, bam and where? Like are
they going with that? Are they going to go a
little differently? But I think it's enough to be a

(01:30:11):
ballpark five hundred team. I think this line is a
little low for them. I think if this was thirty
nine forty, I probably go the other way. But give
me the over, give me the over. That's just odd
to have still a positive net rating and blow all
those games. I think the luck, you know, flips a
little bit in their favor.

Speaker 2 (01:30:30):
Yeah, I don't buy that. Jimmy Butler was a huge
cloud on this team. They started twenty and seventeen. That's
pretty solid. And the fact that they go and get
Norm Norman Powell to be their leading scorer. Will I
think it'll cancel the Tyler hero injury. Decent a decent amount.
Nikola Yovic, I think we'll have his best season young guy. Yeah,

(01:30:52):
man start too, he'll probably start. I imagine he will
him a Hawk as we'll have a bounce back here.
It can't be worse than it's season. Andrew m Wiggins
there for the beginning of the season can't be worse either.
I think Eric Spoelstra goes really really deep with this
team because there's a bunch of guys and I think
there'll be good enough to win over thirty seven wins.

(01:31:14):
So whether or not they hit five hundred, I still
think they're they're an over for me.

Speaker 4 (01:31:19):
Yeah. The hero, however long heroes out, I think kind
of determines this because he was he's foot surgery right,
so he's out for quite some time. Ye if he
misses like all of November and they're playing catch up,
I think they're definitely on under. But as of now,
I'm hoping he heals quickly barely over.

Speaker 2 (01:31:39):
Yeah, he'll be back some point in November, but yes,
it could be late November, and again he'd have a
bunch of guys. But will they be able to score?
As the question because their defense will be solid as always?
All right? Moving on to the Orlando Magic, pegged at
fifty and a half wins. WHOA what do you think

(01:32:00):
exis is an over or under on a team that
was five hundred last year.

Speaker 3 (01:32:04):
I'm hesitant to go over because I did it last
year and then I got screwed by the Obliques. The
Obliques did me in or at least That's what I'm
convincing myself. But I'm gonna go over. I love the
addition to being I know it cost him a lot
of draft capital, but the guy is exactly what they need.
They they need a boost in perimeter shooting. The guys

(01:32:26):
are really good three point shooter. They only hit eleven
point two to three pointers per game last year, one
of the worst when it came to three point percentage
as well, like some thirty two percent. Those are bad,
bad numbers in today's NBA. So formula simple, boost the offense,
keep that elite defense, that lockdown defense, and I like it.

(01:32:47):
So I'm gonna be basically banking on this is the
team of those three I sort of pitched to you
guys sort of the Hawks, the Pistons, and then the
Magic as the one I think does sort of break
out into that next level, hoping bank Hero and Franz
play coming off best years for both those guys, big numbers.
Just need to be healthy. And Joe and Suggs too.

(01:33:07):
He's like the ultimate, like blue guy. When he plays,
they're good. And he was setting career highs across the
board and then his knee you know, went out on
him there and he had to have surgery in March.
So I'm gonna drink the kool aid. It looks good.
They have an identity, that defensive identity, and now they're
adding some hopeful punch to their three point shooting, and
they need to improvements from ben Caro and Franz as well.

(01:33:28):
It's can't just be bane, you know, hitting three or
four three is a game, But I believe in it enough.
I like that. I love a team that sort of
knows who they are and are trying to improve the
things that they suffer at. So I'll go just over.
They're not gonna be a sixty one team, but I
think they're low fifties.

Speaker 4 (01:33:43):
Yeah, forty one and forty one last year, and that's
with sixty games from Franz, forty six from Palo, and
I think Suggs only played thirty five. He doesn't seem
like he's totally ready for the start of the scene
on Suggs, but you know they brought in Tias Jones
as a good backup point guard. Jase Richardson has been
running with the starters I've seen in Jay and Suggs's absence,
and then the addition of Baine definitely helps on the

(01:34:03):
offensive end. It feels like this should be a regular
season wins machine because they've been second in defense last season,
the season prior as well. You assume that's gonna stay
strong that end of the ball Top five for sure,
if Franz, Polo and Baine are able to stay on
the court. Been a question mark with Bain as well.
I think their offense creeps out of the twenties. We're

(01:34:24):
talking about low teams, which would be amazing for the
Orlando Magic. They would be like seven seconds or less
suns if that happens. So if they keep their good defense,
we're all expecting their offense to take a step forward.
That means you have to be looking more at the
twenty three to twenty four season, Franz and Polo both
played seventy games, Orlando one forty seven, So I'm kind

(01:34:44):
of judging it more so off that I think this
is an over as well.

Speaker 2 (01:34:48):
Yeah, I'll go the over. Hopefully those two guys play.
There's no doubt. I think they just have so much
less pressure now. You just watch a lot of those possessions.
It's literally those guys handling the ball, creating on their own.
Desman being known for a shooter, but also can create
five assists per game in the last couple of seasons.

(01:35:09):
He can create on the ball. He can definitely attack closeouts,
and he'll just create space for those two guys. Hopefully
Jalen Sos is on the floor with him and these
little tiny moves like Tyas Jones, that's an improvement. He
will take the minutes of Corey. Joseph literally was starting
for a ton of games for them last year when

(01:35:29):
Socks was injured. Jace Richardson's an exciting guy. He's probably
gonna be their sixth man, I would guess, and he's
going to be good. He looks good in preseason because
that means a lot, but he is obviously a talented guy.

Speaker 4 (01:35:43):
So plus one ninety four to get to fifty five
or more wins the magic I like, you likely?

Speaker 3 (01:35:49):
Do you think that is fifty five wins?

Speaker 4 (01:35:50):
That's a lot. That's like you're challenging for the one
than you are you are.

Speaker 2 (01:35:56):
I wouldn't take that. I wouldn't take that line. I'd
rather bet the Knicks plus fifty five with the Calves
plus fifty five. How many fifty five teams wins? Can
you have? Fifty five win teams? Can you have in
a conference?

Speaker 3 (01:36:09):
It was to last year. Yeah, it's it's usually one
to three, I think, right.

Speaker 2 (01:36:14):
I guess as possible to have three. It's in an
Eastern Conference. I guess it is possible.

Speaker 3 (01:36:18):
But I think Trey, you said that you slipped in there.
They just feel like they're going to be a regular
season machine again, like health bearing, Like they're like they're
already flirting right with the second aprin like it's coming,
like it's looming. I guess, so it's sort of like
I gotta start winning now, we gotta start like really
showing that we're one of the elite teams in the

(01:36:39):
Eastern Conference. So I do think they're going to approach,
and when you have an awesome defense, you can do
that as well, even on nights where you're struggling to
score like they were last year. And still we're a
five hundred team and we think that's going to improve.
So that's why I do like them winning fifty one
plus here and jumping up sort of into the conversation
at least of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.
I do some trivia for you guys. I know it's

(01:37:00):
been a while. Ben Carrow twenty five point nine points
per game, Franz Wagner twenty four point two, both coming
off career years. Like I said, they're one of only
three returning healthy duos to each average twenty four plus
points per game. Can you name the other two duos
to score over twenty four points per game that are
that are both healthy that coming into the season.

Speaker 4 (01:37:20):
Here, Okay, both healthy coming into the season. Yeah, twenty
four plus last season.

Speaker 3 (01:37:33):
We're just yeah, right, going off the last season. So
points per Yeah, it's a pretty obvious one.

Speaker 4 (01:37:40):
Uh, pretty obvious one to Townsend Brunson.

Speaker 3 (01:37:45):
There you go, Yes, there you go. I was gonna
say maybe the other one was even more obvious. There
you go, there you go.

Speaker 4 (01:37:52):
I haven't thought about the Western Conference in Wednesday and
was there more?

Speaker 3 (01:37:59):
No, that's it again, healthy coming into this season. Yeah,
it's Luca Lebron, and then it's Kat and Brunson, and
then Polo and Ben Carroll sorry Pallo in the front.

Speaker 2 (01:38:11):
Yeah, Tatum and Brown obviously would have been there. Yes, yes, yes, he.

Speaker 3 (01:38:15):
Didn't get there.

Speaker 2 (01:38:16):
Actually no, Jaylen Brown only had twenty two point two
points per game last year, so yeah, twenty four.

Speaker 3 (01:38:22):
I guess that's why you called him a role player,
no joke.

Speaker 2 (01:38:24):
Yes, yes, I went there earlier on this off season. Yeah,
I hope his knees all right, obviously that's a factor.
Let's get to a team that there really aren't any
factors to talk about. I would say, uh, sorry, Washington Wizards,
Will you be better than the Brooklyn Nets? I don't know.

(01:38:44):
I don't know. What's the name of our bet later
on in the season where we bet on it will
be the nut Dust Bowl. Yes, the team that's got
to stay out of this cellar, it's the Wizards. It's
the Nets. In the Eastern Conference. The Wizards line is
twenty one and a half, so higher than the nets.
They're eighteen and sixty four last year. Who wants to start,

(01:39:06):
I'll get leave it open to anybody who wants to
start about the Washington, Oh Wizards.

Speaker 3 (01:39:10):
I'll start this one because maybe it's a little surprising.
I think they're doing the right thing here in Washington
right and they're taking baby steps definition of baby steps
because they're all young kids. They basically are all babies.
Their rookies played a crazy high percentage of the team's
minutes last year. They feature ten former first round picks
on this roster. Now you've got Trey Johnson number six

(01:39:31):
pick because they didn't have lottery luck and sort of
slid down there. But they went fifteen and sixty seven
two years ago, eighteen and sixty four last year. And
I like them to win four more games than they
did last year and hit the over I'm going over here,
which I can't believe I'm saying, because I don't think

(01:39:52):
I've ever done that with the Wizards. But I like,
at least the front office is like valuing all these
bites at the apple, like trying to get all these picks.
They're hoping to hit maybe on one or two of
these and have like Cornerstone guys. But I just don't
think they're like the worst of the worst. Like I
think the Nets are going to actually have a worse
record than the Washington Wizards. So I'm going over Trey

(01:40:13):
because I don't know.

Speaker 4 (01:40:16):
Man, they've got the worst best player in the league. Yeah,
name their best player. That's the problem.

Speaker 3 (01:40:23):
The Wizard's best player in twenty five twenty six. It's
a great question, is it Alex Sarah right?

Speaker 4 (01:40:33):
Say McCollum. Still, I mean, that's the thing. It could
be Chris Middleton or CJ McCollum. Yeah, they won't be
on the team at the end of the year. No,
it could be Alex Sar could be Little Bali. They
both struggled in EuroBasket. They've taken a lot of bites
at the Apple, none of them delicious, yet some of them. Okay,
the pick is top eight protected. I think they're going

(01:40:55):
to keep it. I think the reason that this over
under is a win higher than the next is because
they do have better vets right now in Middleton and McCollums.
C J. McCollum has scored twenty plus points per game
for like ten straight seasons, a crazy run for that guy,
but been doing it mostly in obscurity. He's probably approaching

(01:41:15):
twenty points per game easily on this team. But I
do think the Wizards will be the second worst team
in the Eastern Conference. I'm still going under the I
think they win like twenty which would be an improvement
over the past two years. It's bad when you win
eighteen games, and that's an improvement.

Speaker 2 (01:41:33):
Yeah, it's hard to see them winning a bunch of games.
I'm debating are they going to win more than the
Brooklyn Nets?

Speaker 3 (01:41:38):
Can they win enough before they trade the Vets?

Speaker 4 (01:41:41):
Yeah? Be over because that's what they did last year.

Speaker 2 (01:41:44):
Yeah, they don't have young guys that are gonna do
enough in Keishawn, George, Alex Aar, Bob Carrington. It could
be Cam whitmore time getting out of Houston to try
more of a lead role, but I don't see it either.
A lot cool Bally's injured to start the season. There's

(01:42:04):
a Canadian Well Riley's going to help out, but not
enough guys. I think I think that line is too high.
I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait till
it comes down to the nut dust Bowl, Nets or
Wizards at the end of the year, it's going to
be a part of it.

Speaker 3 (01:42:20):
Well, I guess I get the Wizards by default, you guys,
sounds like you guys are taking the under.

Speaker 4 (01:42:25):
You might want the Jazz, and the Jazz will be
challenging for worst team in the.

Speaker 2 (01:42:29):
League for sure, back back in the Nut Dust Bowl,
the Utah Jazz. All right, that's it. All fifteen teams
over under? Did we go one hundred minutes so far?
Talking about the We're.

Speaker 4 (01:42:44):
Very close to right at one hundred right now?

Speaker 2 (01:42:46):
I got one O two? Yeah, all right? So what
are your three Eastern Conference over under locks? Tray start
with you give us your three please.

Speaker 4 (01:42:54):
Okay, I'll take two overs for locks. To begin with
the Knicks over fifty three and a half. I think
they will have the best record in the Eastern Conference
over fifty five wins, I assume for the next I'm
also going with the Orlando Magic over fifty and a
half wins. Should also finish top three in the Eastern Conference.

(01:43:15):
Wouldn't surprise me if they surpassed the Cavs. So give
me the over on the Knicks and the Magic fifty
three and a half and fifty and a half, respectively.
I will take one other under, and that's gonna be
the seventy six ers under forty three and a half.
Not a lot of confidence in this one, but you
can do okay betting against the seventy six ers, and
that's what I would do under forty three and a

(01:43:36):
half for Philadelphia.

Speaker 2 (01:43:37):
All right, Skeets, what are your three locks.

Speaker 3 (01:43:41):
I'm doing some quick typing over here, because incredibly, Trey
and I had some of our locks the same, so
I wanted to switch at least one of them, which
I just did. I'm going over over over this year,
red Rover, red Rover, We're going over. I want the magic.
So that's where I agree with Trey half. I like it.
That's one of my locks. I already said the bucks

(01:44:04):
I believe in Giannis MVP honis forty two and a half.
That's enough for me. And then I'm gonna I agree
with your Sixers one, Trey. I was gonna take them
as an under, but I will swerve just for fun here,
and I'm gonna take the Miami Heat over thirty seven
and a half, which still feels like a weird blind
to me. So I'm going over Orlando, Milwaukee, Miami triple

(01:44:26):
m with the Magic Magic Milwaukee my.

Speaker 2 (01:44:33):
Three. I also agree in the Knicks over fifty three
and a half just too good, getting better. I'm gonna
take the Bulls as an over lock at thirty two
and a half. I do think it's important that in
March and April they got something to play for. They
will be playing for that plan getting those few extra wins.
They can do that. And I'm locking the under on

(01:44:55):
the Charlotte Hornets. Man, this is a bit spiteful because
I locked them the other direction last year and I
was banking on Lamello I like a lot of people. Yeah,
it's just hard to see. It's it's a low number
in twenty six and a half because yes, they could
win twenty seven or twenty eight games, but it's hard

(01:45:16):
to see what that roster. So my next my Bulls
overs and my Hornets as an under.

Speaker 3 (01:45:22):
Some fun stuff, all right, nine and oh oh wait,
no we had some duplicates.

Speaker 2 (01:45:28):
Never mind, I think it's a seven and oh seven
and oh yeah, perfect, we'll do it. We'll share this
on our socials. Obviously we got a new logo out
there as well. I didn't mention that during our show.
A lot of things changing around here. We'll be back
on Wednesday for the over under Western Conference fifteen teams

(01:45:50):
in debate there. Actually I got to do the math
on those, because it did the math like a huge
nerd on these Eastern Conference over under totals. Because there's
twelve hundred and thirty games in an NBA season, so
if the wins are even for each conference, it's six
hundred and fifteen wins for each side. But the over
unders totaled to like five hundred and ninety seven or

(01:46:12):
five hundred ninety eight in the Eastern Conference.

Speaker 3 (01:46:14):
Not a lot of respect for.

Speaker 2 (01:46:16):
The Eastern Conference, seems. I wonder if the Western Conference
makes up for that, like if it's you know, six
hundred and thirty three or whatever.

Speaker 4 (01:46:23):
I'm just interested in these numbers.

Speaker 2 (01:46:25):
Love these numbers.

Speaker 4 (01:46:26):
He pays off to do the math.

Speaker 2 (01:46:28):
Yeah, I guess that's what's happening, that the Eastern Conference
just pegged to be bad. But we will get into
the Western Conference on Wednesday. For now. Clipper bros.

Speaker 3 (01:46:40):
You heard it here first.

Speaker 4 (01:46:41):
Have a great time, turn up, Love you guys. Awesome me. Yeah, yeah,
thanks for joining us. We're back Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (01:46:52):
It's free season.

Speaker 2 (01:46:54):
You're getting her, getting our legs under us,

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