Tough Cover Show: College Football Playoff, College Hoops, Sixers Back? And More - 12/21/24

Mark Henry Jr. spends Hour 1 from the happiest place on earth while discussing the #NotreDame win in the #CFP Friday night, #CollegeFootballPlayoff Saturday match-ups, and more.

In Hour 2, Sean Barnard and Sam Oshtry talk #Sixers and #NBA, #CollegeHoops, #NFL Week 16, and more.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you can wager on it, We're talking about it.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's the Gambler, the Fox Sports Radio, The Gambler. Fox
Sports Radio in Philly is the Gambler. The Gambler Philly's
home for all things sports.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Gambler can understand.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
To get ready for the day's action, from the sides,
to the totals and everything in between.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Nobody does it better than the top cover.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
With Mark Henry right here on the Gambler.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Hello, and welcome to the Tough Hugger Radio Show. I
am your boost, Mark Henry Junior. Still alive, but I'm
barely breathing. It is December twenty one. We are recording
this just a little bit early because I happen to
be in Orlando, Florida, going to the happiest place on Earth,

(01:12):
going to Disney World today, staying at Universal badly timed
vacation obviously with the college football playoffs, and I'll tell
a funny story about that in just a minute. But
we are going to record the first hour here talking
all things college football playoffs, obviously, recapping last night's game,
previewing the three games today, and talking about the two

(01:35):
NFL games today as well as the rest of the
NFL Board weird slate this week. Obviously, when we get
into these later weeks of the year, so much if
it just becomes about playoff scenarios and you know what
outcomes impact who in terms of seating or getting into
the playoffs, and that's kind of where we're at this year. Obviously,
a lot of teams just playing out the string, but

(01:57):
I do think that there are a lot of gambling opportunities.

Speaker 4 (02:00):
In those situations.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
So whole first hour, we're gonna be talking all things
college football, playoff, all things NFL. Second hour, I'm gonna
throw it back to my guy in the studio on
the ones into cham Bernard.

Speaker 4 (02:12):
Unfortunately, we were supposed to record last night.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
I was watching my Notre Dame fighting Irish at a
bar here at Seywalk in Universal and met up with
a guy I heard him meet up with him. We
met a guy at the bar, older, older gentleman, big
Notre Dame fan, and he drank me under the table.
He was feeding me shots, feeding me Tito's feeding me
red bullvod Because I could not record this broadcast last

(02:39):
night after the Notre Dame win, because I was simply
too drunk.

Speaker 5 (02:43):
To do a radio show folks.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
So didn't want to give you guys just just a
blasted loaded radio show. Wanted to come here in the
morning when I had a little bit more of my
wits about me and give out my picks and my
reaction to the game.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
But what a game. Obviously for the Notre Dame Irish.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
I think a lot of my friends were probably really
hoping that they'd lose that game. A lot of people
at this radio station really hoping that they'd lose that
game so they could get the reaction show on Saturday
morning of me freaking out. I'm very happy that those
people are not happy today because I would not have
handled losing to an Indiana team that hadn't be anyone

(03:22):
all year long. Well, I think it would have kind
of justified the way that everybody talks about Notre Dame
a lot of the time, in terms of taking any
credit away.

Speaker 4 (03:31):
It's big for them. People are going to discredit.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
The win by saying Indiana shouldn't have been there, and
you know, I'm fine with having that conversation. I hope
it's had also if SMU loses today, and I hope
it's had also.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
You know, if Clem's in Arizona State, Boise State.

Speaker 3 (03:47):
I hope it's not just Indiana who gets that because
Notre Dame beat them.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
But I.

Speaker 4 (03:55):
Think, without question, you have to walk out of that.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
Game feeling extremely happy, regardless of where you think Indiana
ranks the team. Let's say Indiana was an eight and fourteen,
just a good football team, hang tough, can run the
ball and play defense, can throw a little bit. They
even if that was an eight and fourteen, not a
playoff team, that would have been an impressive win. The
way they were up twenty to three with I don't know,
seven minutes to go. Obviously you win the game twenty

(04:21):
seven to seventeen, but you were up twenty seven to
three with a couple minutes ago. So I think that
they dominated the game in every single aspect of the game.

Speaker 4 (04:29):
I thought Riley Leonard after a tip.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
Pick early in the game, played really even football, didn't
obviously make any mistakes that cost them, That's really all
that they had to do. And obviously had the tippick
turnover to start the game. And you get nervous because
in a game like that, it's about the Jimmies and Joe's,
not the Ex's and as Kurt Signetti done a great
job all year, completely turned around the Indiana football program.

(04:54):
But Notre Dame just has a higher level of athlete
than Indiana has.

Speaker 4 (05:01):
And all Notre Dame.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
Had to do was not mess it up, don't go
out there and give the game away, and they did
more than that.

Speaker 4 (05:12):
They played fantastic.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
Jeremiah Love gets it kick started with a ninety eight
yard run that you know will go down in Notre.

Speaker 4 (05:18):
Dame history or at least you know, recent history, recent memory.
In my lifetime. That's one of the biggest plays of
my lifetime.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
This is the first Notre Dame playoff win, postseason win,
whatever you want to say, however you want to work
at college football playoff victory of my life. It's the
first New Year's Day or you know, New Year's six
Bowl that they've won since nineteen ninety six.

Speaker 4 (05:40):
That's my entire life. So I get that.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
You know, you see Notre Dame and people think, oh,
you're a front runner, YadA, YadA, YadA. I haven't had
a whole lot of success in my life as a
Notre Dame fan, so people are going to try to
take away last night with Indiana not being that good.

Speaker 4 (05:56):
That's fine. They can do that.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
You can't take away how happy last night made me
and how relieving it was, and how the fact that
now we have another ten to eleven days to talk
ourselves into beating Georgia, which, by the way, Notre.

Speaker 4 (06:08):
Dame opens plus one in that game. That is a
pick them.

Speaker 3 (06:13):
I mean, that's Vegas telling you it is completely fifty
to fifty on who is going to win that game.
And I don't disagree, And I think it's hard to
have any real take about the game not knowing what
George's quarterback situation is obviously not going to be. Carson
Beck is going to Stockton good enough is he even
healthy to be honest, So it's going to.

Speaker 4 (06:32):
Be really interesting. After last night's game, I feel like
they can win the game.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
And as I've said repeatedly, I think I said it
last week, whoever wins next week's Notre Dame Georgia game
will go to the National Championship. They will beat Penn
State or SMU or Boise State, whoever makes it out
of that little quadrant there. The winner of Notre Dame
Georgia will be in the National Championship. And at this
point I firmly believe that it's going to be the

(06:59):
Notre Dame fighting Irish heading to the National Championship, beating
the Georgia Bulldogs and then beating Penn State or SMU
to get to to get to the national Championship.

Speaker 4 (07:09):
I'm I'm fully bought in, ready to be hurt again.
Let's move on.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
Let's talk a little bit about the other games coming
up today on the college football Board before we head
over to the NFL. I I can't all week Tennessee
obviously plus seven and a half game of the year,
and we're gonna get to that. But all week I
really liked SMU. I got it at plus nine early

(07:35):
on now sitting at eight and a half.

Speaker 4 (07:38):
Had to get the bets in early heading down to Florida.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
And I all we kind of talked myself saying, well,
I don't think SMU can win, but I think it
can keep it close. I think they're going to score
points the Penn State defense. I have concerns about now
that we're here, now that I watched one of the
underdogs really not show up last night, it does feel
like we are getting an underdog win today. I don't

(08:05):
know where it's coming from. It will be SMU, it
will be Clemson, or it will be Tennessee. One of
those three teams will come up big. We are not
getting four favorites of a touchdown or more just rolling
through and winning. I don't believe that, and you made
me pick. I think it's Tennessee. I think Tennessee is
going to win a close game. But my official take
both of SMU and Tennessee will cover. One of SMU

(08:30):
or Tennessee will win. That is my official take here
on this show. And I'm going to tell you why
with SMU. You look at SMU's offense, and I understand,
maybe not the highest class of opponent, but is Penn State.

Speaker 4 (08:46):
Play that I have a class of opponent.

Speaker 3 (08:48):
SMU scored thirty one, thirty eight, thirty three, thirty eight,
forty eight, twenty eight, forty thirty four, forty two sixty six.

Speaker 4 (08:57):
That's their last eleven game.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
Their first game of the year is the only game
that they didn't really put up a ton of points,
and that is eighteenth there, or I guess that was
their third game. They played a couple in August, but
an eighteen to fifteen game against BYU BYU.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
Ended up being a very good team too. It sounded
like that was a.

Speaker 3 (09:14):
Bad loss for SMU, and I haven't really been all
that in on SMU all year long. This is me
more having legitimate concern with Penn State. People are talking
about Drew Aller. People are talking about Penn State like
they've completely turned a corner in the passing attack.

Speaker 4 (09:31):
People talk about that game against.

Speaker 3 (09:33):
Oregon, like Drew Aller finally looked like this guy he
was hyped up to be. Yeah, he went twenty for
thirty nine, he had two picks, get a fumble. I
don't get the way that people are talking about Drew
Aller right now. I think he's one of the worst
quarterbacks in the playoff. Ryan beef Coyle sent me a thing.
One of the lists set him is the best quarterback

(09:54):
in the playoffs. I think he'd be seventh or eighth,
if not ninth. For me, I think Kevin Yeah, I
think the Jenning is the better quarterback in this game.
I think if Jennings's on Penn State, they'd be in
a better situation. I don't think it's a good thing
for Penn State to bot Pribuela left and that takes
away some of your gadget options, takes away your backup
option if Alor were to go down.

Speaker 4 (10:16):
I think SMU can win this game.

Speaker 3 (10:18):
I think that the way that they score, the way
that Penn State's defense has given up points to teams
like USC, teams like Bowling Green, and especially the game
that sticks and obviously forty five to Oregon. Oregon really
good team. I'm not going to criticize Penn State's defense
too much for.

Speaker 5 (10:31):
That, but what I will say.

Speaker 4 (10:37):
Is you look at that Minnesota game, and it sticks
with me.

Speaker 3 (10:40):
That Penn State Minnesota game will continue to live rent
free in my head because I.

Speaker 4 (10:46):
Do not think that Minnesota is a good football team.

Speaker 3 (10:49):
And Penn State had them, they have Penn State on
the roots twenty six to twenty five. I really think
Minnesota outplayed them in that game and should have won
that game outright. Obviously should have of different conversations, but
I do think SMU can win this game. SMU will
stay close in this game, and I think you look.

Speaker 6 (11:11):
At Penn State's Penn State's offense, I think Penn States
are I think SMU's offense will put up at least
twenty four points.

Speaker 4 (11:22):
I think they put up at least twenty four points.

Speaker 3 (11:24):
Are you guys telling me that you're that confident that
Penn State's offense is going to come out and put
up thirty four points and I can't cover this spread.
I'm not I'm not that confident in that. I know
they can run. I know they can run the ball
really well. I think Penn State's strengths if they want
to win this game, obviously they want to win this game,
are running the football.

Speaker 4 (11:44):
And if you run the football and kind of keep
it on the ground and.

Speaker 3 (11:47):
Playball control and play the clock, I think it's gonna
be hard to cover a spread.

Speaker 4 (11:51):
I think it's that simple. So give me SMU plus nine.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
And also I just laid out that I think SMU
is scoring at least twenty four points.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
Give me the over at fifty two and a half.

Speaker 3 (12:02):
Four of the last or five to the last seven
games have went over for SMU. The last four games
all have went over for Penn State. And I think
people are a lot of people I've seen give out
the under in this game. I get it might be
a little cold out there. I'm not worried about the
weather for SMU. They just played in Charlotte. I think
it was forty that night. Think it's supposed to be
thirty tonight at Happy Valley, no snow, so I'm not.

Speaker 4 (12:26):
Taking the weather too much into account.

Speaker 3 (12:28):
I think these teams are going to be ready for it,
come ready to play, and I think they're gonna.

Speaker 4 (12:32):
Put up points.

Speaker 7 (12:32):
I think this is a I think this is a
thirty eight, thirty five, thirty four to thirty one field
goal at the buzzer type of game, maybe even overtime.

Speaker 5 (12:43):
I really don't.

Speaker 4 (12:45):
I really don't think either team blows the other one out.

Speaker 3 (12:48):
So give me SMU plus nine, give me the over
at fifty two and a half. Also, if SMU doesn't
cover nine, I think there's a pretty good chance Penn
State blew them out, which means the over is probably
gonna hit. So if you want to look at it
that way, not a hedge of your betsuse I think
both can hit, but a little bit of I don't
think that.

Speaker 4 (13:09):
Penn State's winning an under a game. That's that's my.

Speaker 5 (13:12):
Take a little bit.

Speaker 3 (13:13):
So I don't think Penn State's covering in an under game,
I should say. And also, you know, sprinkle sprinkle it
on SMU money line. Just a little, just a little
Danny sprinkle on SMU plus two sixty.

Speaker 4 (13:24):
Give me the money line there, and that's uh.

Speaker 5 (13:27):
We'll move on.

Speaker 3 (13:28):
Next game up at four o'clock, we have Texas and Clemson.

Speaker 4 (13:33):
I'm out.

Speaker 3 (13:34):
I don't know what to do with this game. I
think Texas is gonna win. I think Clemson really has
no chance of winning. But realistically, what is Texas shown.

Speaker 4 (13:46):
Any of us?

Speaker 3 (13:48):
They just they have no real resume. You have the
Texas A and M win. Sure, it's the same thing,
Notre Dame had. I don't know what Texas is. That's
where I'm struggling. I think they have a lot of talent. Normally,
I think there's a team like Texas with the resume
Texas has. I would come out so strong against that
team and say that they are primed to be upset, YadA, YadA, YadA,

(14:10):
whatever you want to say. I know the team, the
talent on this team. I know the NFL guys on
the old line, I know Isaiah Bond out wide, a
couple of guys on the D line and the trenches.

Speaker 4 (14:19):
Obviously, Quinn Eewers, for.

Speaker 3 (14:21):
All the criticisms that are about him, I feel like
I feel the way about him that some feel about Alert.
I still feel like he's one of the best quarterbacks
in college football, even if there are you know, at
this point, I think very clear limitations with Quinn. But
I really also just don't want Dabbo in the college
football playoffs.

Speaker 5 (14:39):
I really don't want Clemson moving on.

Speaker 3 (14:41):
I think this is a fraud Clemson team sitting in
the College ball playoff, sitting there at ten and three.
The only thing that worries me about SMU is that
they lost to this Clemson team that I really don't
think is very good. I think there was some mental
warfare there with them having to worry all week about
you know, where they going to be in or not,
and I think RHT. Lastly, their coach not do a
good job handling that. And I think Clemson, no matter

(15:03):
what you want to say, Diabo really well coached. It's
gonna have the team ready to play. I don't think
that will matter against Texas. I think Texas simply too talented,
simply too fast, simply too physical for a Clemson team
that I don't think they have the same level of
dudes in the trenches that it feels like they used
to have every single year in the Christian Wilkins, Cleveland Ferrell,

(15:27):
you know in Jackson Carman on the O line, some
of the other guys in the O line era that
it felt like they had guys there for four years
who would just play Miles Murphy, who would just play
a full college career in the trenches, go to the
NFL first round draft pick. Doesn't feel that way anymore
with Clemson. So give me Texas to win the game.

(15:47):
I would not touch this game. From a gambling standpoint.
If you made me bet every game on the board,
I would probably take.

Speaker 4 (15:57):
I'd probably take first half Texas.

Speaker 3 (16:01):
I struggle with this game a lot, and this is
normally where I have Sean Bernard talked to me. I
know a long time since I've been doing these one
man shows, used to do them all the time. I Yeah,
Texas first half is minus seven, you can get six
and a half potentially, That's probably where I'd look if
you maybe make a playoff the game. Maybe Texas first

(16:21):
half Texas game is probably where i'd look.

Speaker 4 (16:24):
Next game up and the last game of the night
and a g O T why.

Speaker 3 (16:29):
Game of the year four, Your boy, I am going
with the Tennessee Volunteers plus seven and a half love Tennessee.
Have loved this team since the preseason, loved them a
couple of weeks ago, and it seemed like they might
have been on the outside looking in at the College
Ball Playoff as Oldmus was losing. Put in those futures

(16:50):
on Tennessee at fifty to one. I think I doubled
down at thirty to one. I think it's sitting right
around that twenty to thirty number, depending where you look.
I really believe that this Tennessee team is one of
the four to five best in the country.

Speaker 5 (17:08):
Now.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
I think Ohio State's probably right there too. I think
Tennessee got a brutal drawl for someone who adds their
ticket and is hoping for them to win the title,
having to go to Ohio State and then next up
having to play the Oregon Ducks, who I think are
the best team in the country. After that, if you
beat both of those teams, you have to go and

(17:32):
play Texas. Probably, if not Arizona State or Clemson, I
don't think it'll be either of those teams.

Speaker 4 (17:41):
I think it's absolutely going to be Texas.

Speaker 3 (17:43):
So if you're Tennessee and you want to go to
the national championship, You've got to beat Ohio State in Columbus,
you've got to beat Oregon, and you've got to beat Texas.
I've moved off of me talking about my Tennessee College
football national champion futures and even suggesting that to people

(18:06):
because of the path, not because of the team. I
still believe in this team. I think they have one
of the two to three best defenses in the country.

Speaker 4 (18:14):
James Pierce.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
Everybody's pushing Abdul Carter all the way up draft boards
to be the number one pick, potentially, definitely a top
five guy, no doubt, a top ten guy. While James
Pierce has fallen to the teams fall into the middle
of the first round. I don't get it. James Pierce
is a better player. He is a scarier pass rusher.
Gimme James Pierce ten times out of ten or abdual Carter.

Speaker 4 (18:33):
I think he's on.

Speaker 3 (18:34):
I think Tennessee's defense is more legit than Penn States,
and I think it starts all up front with James Pierce.
I think he's going to dominate this game Ohio States
and say lost Josh Simmons McLaughlin on the interior line.

Speaker 4 (18:46):
That O line has really struggled, really.

Speaker 3 (18:49):
Taking some hits, really really struggled against the Michigan Wolverines,
really struggled against Nebraska or earlier on in the year.

Speaker 4 (18:56):
And that game is what.

Speaker 3 (18:57):
I want to talk about. Everybody's coming out and saying
everybody that likes everybody that likes Ohio State in this
game is coming out and saying, oh, well, they're going
to respond. You know, they got punched in the mouth
to Michigan. They lost, They're not going to show up
flat at home. Earlier this year when obviously different type

(19:17):
of loss, but Ohio State loss to Oregon in Eugene
by one point, tough.

Speaker 4 (19:22):
Brutal loss. Will Howard slides at the end in the
red zone.

Speaker 3 (19:27):
The next week, everyone talked about how they were going
to blow Nebraska.

Speaker 5 (19:32):
They talked about.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
How this was going to be, you know, them coming
out and getting.

Speaker 4 (19:36):
Revenge for a loss the week earlier.

Speaker 3 (19:39):
I think they were fifteen sixteen, seventeen point favorite, something
in that range. They want, they want twenty one seventeen,
barely won the game, and that's when I knew that
that Oregon game was not just a blip. This Ohio
State team has problems. They are not the same team.
They don't have the same caliber of guy around the quarterback.

(20:00):
I don't think they have the same caliber guy at
quarterback that they had back in the salad days of
Dwayne Haskins, Justin fields into c. J.

Speaker 5 (20:08):
Stroud.

Speaker 4 (20:12):
Obviously, it's good enough to win the national championship.

Speaker 3 (20:14):
They have enough talent Jeremiah Smith, Quinchohn Junkins, Travian Henderson,
and Meca Buka.

Speaker 4 (20:19):
I don't know if the O line is good enough
to win the national championship, and I.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
Don't know if the team makeup is good enough to
win the national championship. It seems like they have some
serious problems with each other, with the coach, with the staff.
I just I can't imagine this team bouncing back and
coming back and winning more than a game. Also, so
even if obviously wins this game, I think Oregon would

(20:45):
take care of Ohio State even though they only won
by one in Eugene. I actually think they win more
convincingly this time. Oregon Tennessee. I think would be the
game of the year. Not my game of the year
from a gambling standpoint, just the actual game of the year.
I think it'd be the best game played this season.
I think it'd be a fun game. I don't know
if Tennessee's offense can hang. That's my only concern, and

(21:06):
kind of to put up forty plus with them, but
I don't think they'll have to do that with Ohio State.
Ohio State wants to run the crap out of the ball.
Tennessee wants to run the crap out of the ball,
and they're better at it than than Ohio State. I
think Dylan Samson has become maybe the most underrated player
in the country. I don't feel like I hear anyone
ever talk about Dylan Samson when we're talking about best

(21:28):
running backs or even just best players in the country.
You look at what he's done this year, two hundred
and fifty six carriages, fourteen hundred eighty five yards, twenty
two touchdowns. Evergon almost six yards per carry with twenty
two touchdowns, and nobody's talking about he has twenty catches
as well as he's a factor in the passing game
as well.

Speaker 4 (21:47):
You look at you know, he has six hundred.

Speaker 3 (21:49):
And eighty more rushing yards than Ohio State's leading Rusher.
And I know that Ohio State has judkins En Treveon,
but gimme Dylan Samson over anybody Ohio State's got to
throw at them.

Speaker 4 (21:59):
And I think this Tennessee defense is.

Speaker 5 (22:01):
Just as legit.

Speaker 3 (22:01):
And for anybody who wants to say, oh, well, Nico's
gonna screw it up, Nico Iyami Liava is not very good,
that's fine and dandy.

Speaker 4 (22:10):
Guess what he is just about the same stats as
Will Howard, the quarterback for Ohio State, who has who
has Jeremiah Smith out wide at receiver, one of the
best players in the country.

Speaker 3 (22:23):
Tennessee maybe not that doesn't have that top top Smith
type receiver, but they have Dylan Samson.

Speaker 4 (22:29):
But you look at the stats.

Speaker 3 (22:30):
Nico went one ninety nine for three oh three twenty
five hundred and twelve yards, nineteen touchdowns and five picks
Walker Walker Howard Will Howard two twenty seven three fourteen
twenty eight hundred and sixty yards, twenty seven touchdowns and
eight picks. So eight more touchdowns, three more interceptions, two
hundred more yards.

Speaker 4 (22:47):
But guess what, he played an extra game.

Speaker 3 (22:50):
So you look at the yards per game, the touchdowns
for beginning the you know, intersections per game.

Speaker 4 (22:54):
It's pretty close. It's not a big difference. It really isn't.

Speaker 3 (22:57):
And I would argue that Nico played a tougher schedule
that and Will Howard played potendent. Maybe you couldn't argue that.
I'd have to go look at the go look at
the numbers a little bit there, But it's not a
considerable difference either way in my opinion. So give me Nico,
give me Tennessee plus seven and a half.

Speaker 4 (23:13):
Go Valls. I think that they can win the game.

Speaker 3 (23:16):
But I see no way that they don't cover the game,
which is why it is one of my biggest college
ball beats of the year.

Speaker 4 (23:23):
I think all Tennessee has to do is.

Speaker 3 (23:26):
Score fourteen points because I don't think Ohio State is
putting up more than twenty one on this Tennessee defense.

Speaker 4 (23:33):
You look at what they've done. They put up ten
on Michigan.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
They only put up thirty five thirty eight on Indiana,
who it felt like we're handing them the game. They
put up twenty on a Penn State defense that I
think is not even as good as this Tennessee one.
They only put up twenty one on a Nebraska defense.
I think Ohio State's cap is scoring twenty one points.
I don't think Tennessee's scoring more. It's scoring less than fourteen.

(23:57):
Tennessee plus seven and a half.

Speaker 5 (23:58):
Book it. That's going to do it.

Speaker 4 (24:01):
For the college football portion of the show.

Speaker 3 (24:04):
Here, let's switch it over to the NFL.

Speaker 4 (24:08):
We have two games today. Funny enough, I'm here in
Universal at CityWalk today.

Speaker 3 (24:13):
You have the Texans Chiefs game football night in America,
coming from Orlando, coming from CityWalk. I actually will be
at Disney, so I won't be there, but pretty crazy.
I had no idea in small world. I Patrick Mahomes
is superhuman. You know, obviously we know that here in
Philadelphia watching him in the Super Bowl.

Speaker 4 (24:34):
High ankle sprain didn't even face him.

Speaker 3 (24:37):
He was right back at it the next half or
obviously he came into the game. And then we thought
before halftime at the Super Bowl that he was going
to be done for the rest of the game. Came
back and ran.

Speaker 4 (24:48):
All over us, ran on.

Speaker 3 (24:49):
It didn't affect him whatsoever. I think we'll probably see
the same thing. He'll come out and won't affec him whatsoever.
The only thing that concerns me is that O line
seems to have some problems, so the Alion can protect Mahomes.
I would lean Kansas City. I'm staying away for it
from it because of the Mahomes factor with his leg.

(25:10):
But they were if you grab Casey when they were
plus two and a half plus three this week when
it looked at Mahomes wasn't playing props to you because
that was a great move by you.

Speaker 4 (25:19):
Fun fact.

Speaker 3 (25:21):
One of my second biggest fantasy football league, the one
I've been running myself since two thousand and six.

Speaker 4 (25:26):
Since the eighteenth year.

Speaker 3 (25:27):
For that fantasy football league, I've won three of the
last six championships. Coincidentally, Patrick Mahomes has played six years
in the NFL. I've had him as my keeper for
every year. We've won three titles together. I'm loyal to
Patrick Mahomes, but I am starting Jared Goff this week

(25:48):
over Patrick Mahomes in my fantasy matchup.

Speaker 4 (25:52):
So I apologize to Mahomes.

Speaker 3 (25:54):
And he's probably gonna go out and drop forty now
now that I put him on the bench just in
case he can't move her round. And Golf has been
putting up big numbers, So starting Golf over Mahomes, I
would bet Casey staying away from it. How I'll be
focusing on that game.

Speaker 4 (26:09):
Just give me all the Travis Kelcey points for fantasy.

Speaker 3 (26:11):
We're in the nitty gritty two big fantasy fantasy games
this week. I have a two hundred league fee and
a one hundred league fee, so playing if you win
this week, you finish in the top two.

Speaker 5 (26:22):
I'm in.

Speaker 3 (26:22):
I'd be a share of twenty four hundred dollars and
one and a share of twelve hundred dollars in the others.
So hoping to get a couple of playoff wins in there.
Travis Kelcey, eyes on, you brother, need a big game
from you Steelers and the Ravens. Baltimore a shocking seven
point favorite in this game.

Speaker 4 (26:43):
I think that says a lot.

Speaker 3 (26:45):
The Steelers won eighteen to sixteen, only one by two
points in Pittsburgh in a game where Baltimore fumbled three
times and missed three kicks. Baltimore still would need Pittsburgh
to lose another game to win the division. Good thing
Pittsburgh Hasna City coming to town on Christmas Day on
Netflix in just four days, so I think there's a

(27:06):
really good chance that the Baltimore Ravens win this game,
and then the Steelers go lose. On Christmas, Steelers both
US three in a row Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, and a
ten day gauntlet, which I talked about last week on
the show, and then the Ravens wrestled away that three
seed and win the a FCED North. I don't even
necessarily know if that's would you rather be the three

(27:28):
seed and play rob probably the Chargers. Would you rather
be the three seed and play the Chargers or potentially
the team that loses the AFC Norse? Or would you
rather be the five seed and go on the road
and play the Houston Texans, who I think are total frauds.

Speaker 4 (27:45):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (27:46):
I don't know where i'd rather be. I think you
can make an argument you'd rather be the five seed.
So I almost think if you're Baltimore, you'd want Do
you want to beat Pittsburgh and then have Pittsburgh win?
Maybe I don't know that it's probably a little overthinking,
but I won't be betting on that game.

Speaker 5 (27:59):
I just think seven.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
Points a lot of points there. I'm not going to
touch that one. I'm going to stay away. But if
I were to touch it, I'd be betting Baltimore. I
don't think Pittsburgh. I think they've totally run out of gas.
You watched that game against the Eagles, and this is
what I said all year long. I think Pittsburgh is
the seventh or eighth best team in the NFL. I've

(28:24):
thought that since the preseason, when I was the only
person telling people this team's gonna win twelve games, this
team's going to be really good this year.

Speaker 4 (28:32):
Nobody listens.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
People tell me, Oh, the offense is terrible. They can't
throw the ball like they do every year. When I
bet their win total over eight and a half, seven
and a half, nine and a half, wherever it is, I.

Speaker 4 (28:41):
Bet it almost every season, pretty confidently.

Speaker 3 (28:44):
Is one of my favorite bets every season, and it
hits every season where I The tide turned for me
about a month ago, a couple of weeks ago, around
that first Ravens game, when people started to discuss the
Steelers as Super Bowl contenders because they want to rave
game that the Ravens missed three kicks and fumbled the
ball three times, missed a two point conversion to tie

(29:05):
the game, and lost by two. I thought that the
reaction to that game was absurd. Everyone should have talked
about how lucky the Dealers were to win it, not
how legitimate of a Super Bowl contender they are and
how the Ravens are frauds. There was the wrong reaction
to the game. I think Baltimore shows that today around
four thirty. So give me the Ravens. And I'm still

(29:26):
holding on to a Ravens AFC North ticket at even money.
I think that's at plus one forty plus one fifty
now I think there's a good chance I cashed that.

Speaker 4 (29:37):
Let's move on to Sunday. I would say the biggest
game at one.

Speaker 3 (29:41):
O'clock obviously biased here, but the biggest game at one
o'clock is the Philadelphia Eagles at the Washington Commander's. Eagles
come in as a three and a half point favorite.
I got in early. I was able to hammer the
Eagles at minus three. Heaves are eight and two against
the spread their last ten games.

Speaker 4 (30:01):
They've been really just, I mean, rock solid in this
such a time.

Speaker 3 (30:06):
The Eagles are nine in two in games that they
are favored in terms of winning them outright, six and
one against the spread on the road, six and one straight.

Speaker 4 (30:15):
Up on the road as well.

Speaker 3 (30:17):
So I just think the Eagles a much better football
team than Washington. I'm kind of happy that Washington almost
won that game last week against the Saints. I actually
think that that helps the Eagles a little bit. I
think it would have been worse for the Eagles if
Washington long game and they come into this game fully desperate,
behind the eight ball and behind some of these NFC
West teams. I think Washington comes into this.

Speaker 4 (30:38):
Game like Phew, we escaped, and not like, oh my god,
I can't believe we lost. I don't know if that's
a real thing that people care about. But give me
the Eagles minus three. I think they handle their business.
I think this is a relatively easy win.

Speaker 3 (30:51):
Gimmy Jalen Hurts anytime touchdown sitting there at minus one
twenty ten and four on the season, obviously over the
last two years, open up. I don't know, one hundred
and something units just on Jailing Hurt anytime touchdown, tweeted
it out.

Speaker 4 (31:06):
I tweeted about it this week, Thank you.

Speaker 6 (31:08):
Jalen Another anytime touchdown that I think it's becoming almost
an auto.

Speaker 4 (31:12):
Bet for me week to week. It's AJ Brown, Give
me aj Brown.

Speaker 3 (31:16):
It's an auto it because they keep putting it around
plus one forty, plus one fifty. I had the stats
right in front of me and lost it there. Aj Brown.
You look at his touchdowns this year. He only has
five touchdowns, but he's only not scored in six games.
He scored in five games, hasn't scored in six. You
look at last year, seven touchdowns, eleven touchdowns in twenty

(31:36):
twenty two, eleven touchdowns in twenty twenty, nine touchdowns a
year before that. I think it's just about its likely
every game that Aj Brown scored a touchdown that he doesn't.

Speaker 4 (31:45):
I think that should be an even money prop. Give
me aj touchdown.

Speaker 3 (31:48):
That's actually a two unit play, so a whole lot
of plays on that Eagle game. I also have a
teaser from earlier in the week that was Notre Dame
money line with goals plus three and a half. So
even if the Eagles lose this game by a field goal,
I'll at least cash that teaser moving on to the

(32:09):
next games on the board.

Speaker 4 (32:11):
Here a bet that I'm not in love with. To
be honest with you, it's my least confident play of
the week.

Speaker 3 (32:18):
Give me the Indianapolis Colts minus three and a half
against the Titans.

Speaker 4 (32:22):
I just think the Titans seems so bad, so truly terrible.
I think Callahan is in way over his head as
a head coach there.

Speaker 5 (32:29):
Levis is terrible.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
But the thing that makes me nervous is Mason Rudolph
has come in for the Titans, played pretty competently last week,
and it makes me a little bit nervous that he's gonna,
you know, make them slightly more confident. I will say
he came into the year, came into the game earlier
this year, was pretty good, and then kind of stuck
when he was started after that. So I'm hoping for

(32:51):
a little bit of the same thing here. Moving on
to the next game, we have the lost Angela's Rams
minus three at the New York Jets.

Speaker 4 (33:03):
Give me the Rams. I like the Rams to kind
of handle the Jets.

Speaker 3 (33:08):
The Jets are just so terrible against the spread weekend
and week out.

Speaker 4 (33:13):
They are now four and ten.

Speaker 3 (33:15):
Against the spread, which fits because they're four and ten
straight up. They're the same against the spread as they
are straight up. The Jets found a way to win
last week. I thought they got out played by Mac
Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars and somehow just kind of
found a way to luck out at the end. A
couple turnovers here and there, but I thought the Jacks
were the better team in that game, and then they
tied the ball. They tied the game with two minutes left,

(33:37):
and then the Jets go and win on a touchdown.

Speaker 5 (33:39):
I don't even get the cover.

Speaker 3 (33:40):
That was brutal, even though we had a great Sunday.
Could have been better if the Jacks would have covered
that game. But give me the Rams. I think this
RAMS team, I don't know how legit they are, but
I think that they've They've proven that they can handle
the bad teams. We saw them handle the teams, saw
them handle the Patriots, saw them handle the Niners. Obviously
win big win against the Bills that would go into

(34:01):
a different category, and he got blown out by the Eagles,
different category. But I think they've proven that they can
handle the also Rams of the NFL. So Rams minus
three feels a little dispectful to me. I know it's
a cross country all of that, but I don't know
if that's I think that line should probably be up
around a field goal or around a touchdown instead of

(34:23):
a field goal. Moving on my next bet here, I've
got Jamar Chase. This Actually, this line is not available anymore.
Just to be frank with you, I got it at
minus one twenty when it opened on DraftKings. When it
opened on FanDuel, it was minus one seventy five at
the time. Truly a shocking difference there between books. That

(34:44):
line's now been adjusted somewhere around minus one fifty on
both books.

Speaker 4 (34:48):
But you look at Jamar.

Speaker 3 (34:49):
He scored in four of the last five, in six
of the last eight, in nine of the last twelve.
He has fifteen touchdowns in the year, leading the league
in receiving touchdowns. Maybe that's a parlay booster, but I
think Jamar Chase finds his way into the end zone
against the Cleveland Browns.

Speaker 4 (35:10):
Giv me Jamar Chase wherever it's at, but I got
it at minus one twenty.

Speaker 3 (35:14):
Moving on to the four to twenty five slate of games,
I'm on Josh Allen anytime touchdown here. He's another guy
that the Bills have also started to The Bills have
started to adopt the touchbush, which obviously helps anytime touchdowns
for quarterbacks. As I can tell you very confidently about
Jalen Hurts. But looking at his game log on the season,

(35:37):
Josh Allens, this Pro Football Reference is the worst reference website.
But looking at his touchdowns on the season, he has
scored in each of the last five games, and in
that stretch he has scored eight of his eleven touchdowns
on the year. Only scored in two of the first
nine games, but obviously has scored in five since and

(36:00):
they have.

Speaker 4 (36:00):
Fully adopted the ways of the touchbush. So I expect Josh.

Speaker 3 (36:04):
Allen to just get in the end zone just about
every week. I'll be betting it just about every week.
So give me Josh Allen anytime touchdown, and then my
last bets of the slate this week, I have the
Tennessee or Tennessee poof long morning, folks. Not a lot
of mess ups on this so far from last night

(36:25):
from being a hang hungover mess call him Tampa Bay Bucks.
The Tennessee Bucks just about just about tops list.

Speaker 4 (36:31):
Give me the Bucks minus three and a half.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
That line is sitting around four now, would obviously still
take that four number. I'm still seeing a roade three
and a half on a blue website out there.

Speaker 4 (36:42):
No free ads, but give me Tampa Bay minus.

Speaker 8 (36:46):
And we did have a little bit of technical difficulties
with Mark Henry Junior as the Disney Wi Fi would
not let him spread any more Notre Dame positivity there.

Speaker 9 (36:54):
But don't do anything, keep it locked to this channel.

Speaker 8 (36:56):
We're going to be back for the final eight minutes
of Mark Henry's thoughts on I said before myself, Shan
Benard and Sam Astre chop it up for what's going
on around the NBA right now, breaking down who the
real deal contenders are, as well as giving out some
Christmas gifts to the most notable teams and what they
need this holiday season.

Speaker 9 (37:13):
So don't go anywhere, agreed.

Speaker 8 (37:14):
Back right on the other side with the final eight
minutes of Mark henry Juniors thoughts.

Speaker 2 (37:18):
The Gambler, Philly's Home for all Things Sports gamblingcome.

Speaker 4 (37:31):
Back to the Tough Cover radio show.

Speaker 3 (37:32):
Had a brief Wi Fi issue there, got kicked off date.

Speaker 4 (37:36):
The people at Universal Studios do not want.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
Me spreading my Notre Dame propaganda on their on their
Wi Fi on these airwaves, but they can't stop me
for too long.

Speaker 4 (37:45):
Five minute quarantine. I'm right back at it.

Speaker 3 (37:48):
Let me get right back to finishing out of the
NFL board. Here, I have Tampa Bay the Buccaneers minus
three and a half against the Dallas Cowboys, and I
talked about it on Twitter earlier this week. I think
the Bucks are arguably a top seven team in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (38:08):
I think the.

Speaker 3 (38:08):
Chiefs are better. I think the Eagles are better. I
think the Bills are better. I think the Lions are better.
I think the Ravens and Packers are better. Besides that,
I don't think there's any team in the NFL as
good as Tampa Bay. I take Tampa over Minnesota if
they played today on the neutral field.

Speaker 4 (38:22):
I take Tampa over Pittsburgh.

Speaker 3 (38:23):
Take Tampa over the Rams, Denver, La, Washington, Houston, Seattle,
whoever you want to throw at me. I think this
Tampa Bay team is just a team that struggled early
in the year because of a brutal schedule at times,
or even earlier year.

Speaker 4 (38:38):
I would say that maybe the middle.

Speaker 3 (38:39):
Of the year, a brutal schedule and a brutal list
of injuries. They kind of compacted at the exact same time.
So give me Tampa minus three and a half. I
think they're getting hot at the right time. Getting healthy
at the right time. And this is also you're going
against the Dallas team one and six against spread at home,
four and seven against the spread as an underdog, five

(39:02):
and nine against the spread. Overall, I think this is
just a bad Dallas team, and I think people are
way overreacting to them winning three of four, and let's
go through those three or four nice an eight point
win at Washington, that's a nice win. A seven point
win against the dead New York Giants on Thanksgiving, a

(39:24):
seven point loss against the dead Cincinnati Bengals, and then
being a Carolina team that I think showed up to
that game a little high and mighty for the first.

Speaker 4 (39:33):
Time of their lives as Carolina Panthers.

Speaker 3 (39:36):
They were reading the press clippings, kept close, Kansas City,
kept the close with Philly won a game.

Speaker 4 (39:41):
I think Carolina was.

Speaker 3 (39:42):
Reading the press clippings just a bit going into that game,
and Dallas came out ready to fight for their coach.
I think that was a one week blip, and I
think this whole thing is a little bit of a
couple week blip.

Speaker 4 (39:53):
I think Tampa is an actually legitimately good team.

Speaker 3 (39:55):
It's way better than any of those they faced in
this little four week run. I mean they played a
legitimate team. Was a November eighteenth. They played the Houston Texans,
lost thirty four ten. I don't even think see I
don't think Houston's very good. I think Dampa's better. I
think we get a blowout on Sunday Night Football with
Tampa putting.

Speaker 4 (40:13):
It on Dallas.

Speaker 3 (40:14):
And I'm also taking Mike Evans anytime touchdown. He's another
guy has scored, you know, just about as often as
he hasn't this year. He has nine touchdowns on the season.
But if you go through and you look at it,
he missed three games. So he has scored in six
of his eleven games. So I think that should be

(40:35):
minus one twenty minus one thirty getting it at plus money.

Speaker 4 (40:38):
Barely plus money, but it is plus money.

Speaker 3 (40:40):
Let's finish out the card of the games I didn't
get a chance to talk about.

Speaker 5 (40:44):
You are the New York.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
Giants playing the Atlanta Falcons. The Atlanta Falcons and minus
nine in that game. Michael Pennix, big Pennix energy coming
into the game, and that makes.

Speaker 4 (40:55):
This more watchable, more and more and more worthwhile more interesting.
And I think they win. I think they their business.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
I'm not gonna I'm not gonna bet nine points, but
I do think Pennix gets them to eight and seven.

Speaker 4 (41:06):
I think this is a smart move by the Falcons.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
Get a little look at Penis by the end of
the year, and also maybe he can help you make
a little playoff push, because Kirk clearly is washed at
this point. The Arizona Cardinals playing at the Carolina Panthers.
I didn't bet this Arizona five point favorite. I kind
of like Carolina to bounce back. Obviously, they were playing
a lot better football terrible, they played bad last week.

(41:32):
I think they showed up to that game thinking they
were gonna win. They were favored for the first time
in a millennium or however long it's been. I think
Carolina shows up to this game and keeps it close.
I'm not gonna bet it. I don't know who wins
the game, but I think this game comes down to
a field goal, maybe even a little overtime action. Arizona Carolina.
So I would take Carolina if you're making me make
a pick. Cleveland at Cincinnati, Cincinnati minus nine and a half.

(41:56):
Cleveland starting Tory and Thompson Robinson in this game. I
have absolutely utely no idea. Don't ask me, Jamar touchdown though,
look I said earlier. Detroit Lions at the Shy Cargo Bears.
Detroit minus six and a half in that game, not
touching it obviously. So many injuries for the Detroit Lions.
Good speeches from Dan Campbell and Aaron Glynn. They're doing

(42:18):
exactly what you want your coach to do when you're
going through just a you know, an absolute nightmare, a
barrage of injuries the way that Detroit is.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
But Chicago looks like they've really really quit.

Speaker 3 (42:31):
Hard for me to go and want to back to
the Chicago Bears, I think it, you know, I think
Detroit should handle business, but I'm not going to lay
points of the team that has so many injured guys.

Speaker 4 (42:42):
And also, just to be frank, I really hope.

Speaker 5 (42:45):
They lose the game. You know, it would really help
the Eagles.

Speaker 4 (42:48):
If the Lions lost the game down the stretch here.

Speaker 3 (42:50):
I don't see it happening until at least Week eighteen
against the Vikings Minnesota at Seattle.

Speaker 5 (42:57):
I don't know what to do with this game at all.

Speaker 3 (42:59):
Seattle showed up so flat last Sunday night, which is
a bet we loved.

Speaker 4 (43:04):
We hammered Green Bay against Seattle.

Speaker 3 (43:09):
I don't know if that's just who Seattle is and
they were a total fraud, or if that was just,
you know, a total down game for them. I think
it's probably somewhere in the middle. I don't know what
Minnesota is. Obviously at twelve and two, I don't really
take them that seriously. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would
not be touching that game. At four oh five at
four to twenty five, the Buffalo Bills minus fourteen against

(43:31):
the New England Patriots.

Speaker 4 (43:32):
I also wouldn't touch that.

Speaker 3 (43:34):
I think the Buffalo Bills defense has serious problems, and
what if Drake.

Speaker 4 (43:37):
May just goes a little crazy and keeps him in
the game. Wouldn't touch that either way.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
Worst game of all time the Jacksonville Jaguars and Mac
Jones take on Desmond Ritter and the Las Vegas Raiders.
I will not be betting it because the Jags screwed
me beyond belief last week.

Speaker 4 (43:53):
But Jaggs plus two is the play.

Speaker 3 (43:55):
The Jags are much more competent than this Raiders team
at this stage of the sea, you know, and I
might end up betting the Jacks. I can't believe I'm
gonna bet the Jags for like the fourth straight week.

Speaker 5 (44:05):
But I might end up betting the Jacks.

Speaker 3 (44:07):
So the Raiders want to lose, they want shit, or
you lose out you get the first pick. The Raiders
winning that game would be crazy to me. At four
to twenty five the San Francisco forty nine ers at
the Miami Dolphins, I cannot believe that where we're sitting
in Week sixteen, that San Francisco forty nine ers the
Miami Dolphins are playing and it doesn't matter for either team. Shocking,

(44:30):
shocking stuff. I would leave Miami plus one. But I
don't know how you confidently bet that game either way.
I confidently bet the Dolphins last week or that get me,
I won't be betting that game.

Speaker 10 (44:42):
By the way, brutal, brutal four o'clock slate of games terrible,
only four games you get Viking Seahawks, Pats, Bills.

Speaker 3 (44:53):
Jags, Raiders, Niners, Dolphins. All you have is Viking Seahawks.
That's the only worthwhile game at all. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (45:04):
I'll just just full disclosures to the people.

Speaker 3 (45:07):
I will be taking off the four o'clock slate will
not be watching the four o'clocks tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (45:11):
Have Josh Allen touchdown. That's all I'll be tracking. Obviously,
we went three Bucks Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Speaker 3 (45:18):
We have another terrible game, the New Orleans Saints at
the green Bay Packers. Green Bay minus fourteen and a
half ton of snow there in the forecast, allegedly not
laying fourteen and a half points.

Speaker 4 (45:28):
New Orleans is not that miserable, so I won't be
touching that one.

Speaker 3 (45:32):
But green Bay should be able to win. Maybe do
like a green Bay Buffalo.

Speaker 4 (45:40):
I don't know who the third ties the team is,
maybe Atlanta. Maybe you do a ten point tease with
green Bay, Buffalo and Atlanta.

Speaker 3 (45:46):
It takes the Falcons to plus one, it takes the
Buffalo Bills to minus four, it takes green Bay to
four and a half. Those numbers aren't low enough for me, though,
so I will not be doing my teaser of the week.

Speaker 4 (45:59):
That's gonna do.

Speaker 3 (45:59):
It for the first hour of the tough Cover radio show,
The College Football and NFL Report, brought to you by
Mark Henry Jr. Here, I'm gonna turn it over to
my co host on the ones and twos on the
other side.

Speaker 5 (46:13):
Of the studio.

Speaker 3 (46:14):
Give it over to Sean Bernard, who's got a great
show ahead for you on the second hour, the Tough Cover.
He's gonna break down all things basketball. I'm sure he's
gonna be giving us some takes on the world of
the NFL as well. So stay tuned, stay locked right
here to the Tough of a radio show right here
on Fox Sports again.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
Spreads totals and all the prop that's in the Queens.
It's the Gambler. If you can wager on it, we're
talking about it. It's the Gambler. Fox Sports Radio Road
and Gambler. Fox Sports Radio in Philly is the Gambler.
The Gambler, Philly's home to all things sports, Gambler.

Speaker 9 (46:59):
And what is going on.

Speaker 8 (47:00):
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome back to the second hour right
here on Fox Sports The Gambler.

Speaker 9 (47:05):
Mark Henry Jr.

Speaker 8 (47:05):
Doing a nice job holding things down in the first hour,
breaking everything you got to know as far as college
football and the NFL slate.

Speaker 9 (47:11):
But I'm back for the second hour.

Speaker 8 (47:13):
My name is Sean Minard here with my guy Sam Ostre,
and shout out to Sam for answering the call. This
early morning, a last minute calling to the radio show.
So appreciate you hopping on and joining me.

Speaker 9 (47:22):
Sam. How are we doing on this fine Saturday.

Speaker 11 (47:24):
I'm great, Sean, thanks for having me.

Speaker 5 (47:26):
It was a little late call up, but I'm always
grateful to get the call up, so i appreciate you
having me. And it's a great, awesome slate of college football, NFL.
We've got great NBA games going on today. We got
some good CBB my marylyn Tyripins are playing right now.
They just tipped off in Brooklyn against Syracuse, so I
have to watch the second half of that.

Speaker 11 (47:46):
But we got a great, great slate of sports event.

Speaker 8 (47:48):
Yeah, one hundred percent, pretty much across the board. You
mentioned college basketball, you mentioned college football, and we also
cannot forget here.

Speaker 9 (47:55):
Something's happening.

Speaker 4 (47:57):
Something's happening.

Speaker 8 (47:59):
Yes, we may be on these six side of things
as well. So we're gonna touch on a bit of everything,
primarily run in the NBA lane that me and Sam
are going to break down who are the true contenders
in the NBA this season and what teams should have
on their Christmas wish list. As we're starting to get
a little bit of the transaction season, and everything else
coming up, as John Jansen walks in the studio as well.
But before we dive into that, Sam, I want to
give you the floor to talk a little bit of

(48:19):
college football. So obviously Notre Dame the first team to
punch their ticket in advance in this playoff. We've got
Penn State kicking off as we speak right here, plenty
of other action. Any takes you in a run with
any takeaways from Notre Dame or where do you want
to take this?

Speaker 5 (48:32):
Yeah, I think what we figured out last night, which
is what everyone kind of knew, but some people were
scared to say Indiana are were is frauds. Yeah, they
were frauds throughout this entire season. And when I say frauds,
I mean they weren't one of the twelve best teams.
And I get people complaining that like this one game
shouldn't justify everyone kind of piling on them. But if

(48:54):
you were someone like me who this whole season going
into the College wall playoffs didn't believe that Indiana was
one of the twelve best teams and didn't have a
chance or shouldn't have had a chance to compete for
a national title, then this game can justify that take
for you. And that's where I stood, because they aren't
close to South Carolina or Alabama. You line up against them,

(49:14):
those two teams are killing Indiana. Every good team they
played this year they got killed by really only two
good teams because their schedule was so easy. But look,
we get it, like, this is how the system works.
If you're a one loss team in the Big Ten
or SEC, it doesn't matter what your schedule is, You're
gonna make it. And that's why this works. And that's
why Indiana wasn't even really a debate in that final

(49:35):
couple weeks of the season because they had a spot in.
It was really between SMU and Alabama and some of
those other SEC teams, but Indiana had a spot in
because that's just how it works. That's why they weren't
worth the debate, even though we all knew they didn't
really deserve it, Like their record was good, but the
context surrounding the record wasn't good, so I didn't think
they deserved it.

Speaker 11 (49:55):
And that's what you saw last night.

Speaker 5 (49:56):
I was all over Indiana, so I was fading that
fraud that is Indiana.

Speaker 11 (50:00):
I was all over Notre Dame.

Speaker 5 (50:01):
Excuse me. So I was fading the fraud that is
Indiana and that's what we saw last night.

Speaker 9 (50:05):
Yeah, one hundred percent there.

Speaker 8 (50:06):
And I think it's especially disappointed to hear the amount
that was kind of talked from coach Signetti over there,
and all the kind of hype up leading up to
it just to come out like that, particularly punting late
in the game and all those kind of conversations. Definitely
disappointed that that was sort of the start of these
college football playoffs. But I do think there are going
to be some better games on the slate, including today.
So any takeaways on Penn State do you expect them
to roll? Do you think SMU is a live dog today?

Speaker 5 (50:28):
Yeah? No, I'm keeping with the theme of fading frauds
and I'm going to fade SMU another team that I
don't think should be in there. I would much rather
see one of these SEC teams. I don't number one
SMU shouldn't be in period, But how they're head of
Clemson and look, these conversations are irrelevant at this point,
but how they're ahead of Clemson when Clemson beat them
and then ACC championship doesn't make sense. Penn State, this

(50:50):
is a big game for them, and we know big
game James Franklin, oh doesn't really show up for those,
but those are against really good teams that he doesn't
show up for. His record against top five, top ten
teams is really poor. SMU isn't that it's a big
game in the sense that it's a College for Ball
playoff game, but it's not against an even opponent close
to the level. So I think SMU Roles that's my
favorite player the day, honestly. And then in the Clemson game,

(51:13):
leaning Clemson with the points, maybe even as a live dog.
And then I'm pretty torn on that last game between
Tennessee Ohio State. I don't know what Ohio State team
is going to show out or should be a great debt.

Speaker 8 (51:23):
Yeah, absolutely there, and I think Tennessee's my favorite play
on the slate there that I think I'm sipping the.

Speaker 11 (51:27):
Cool A lot of people are on that.

Speaker 8 (51:29):
Yeah, I definitely not a unique take of mine by
him buying in as well, but I do think that
Tennessee's got a little something going and I cannot watch
that lost by Ohio State to Michigan for my memory there.
But enough with the college football talk. Mark obviously They're
an awesome job of that. In the first hour of
the show, let's talk some basketball, Sam. So we're a
past about the quarter mark of the season, getting close
about thirty percent through at this point in time, pretty

(51:51):
much wire to wire leads in both conference, the Cleveland
Cavaliers and the Eastern Conference. One of the biggest surprises
of the season, they said at twenty four and four
before they face off with the Philadelphia seventy six ers tonight.
Pretty likely chance at twenty five and four after we
speak about that one, but we'll circle back to that.

Speaker 9 (52:05):
And in the West, kind of the same conversation.

Speaker 8 (52:07):
The Oklahoma City Thunder twenty two and five, a team
that looks exactly on the the trajectory we expect them
to be, that this is one of the best young
teams in the NBA.

Speaker 9 (52:15):
They're putting the pieces together.

Speaker 8 (52:17):
I guess i'll phrase my first question to you, how
many true contenders.

Speaker 9 (52:21):
Do you think there are around the NBA?

Speaker 8 (52:23):
And I get this kind of a loaded question throughout
you'd like this, but I have kind of flip flopped
on how many I truly identify as that. I think
the West there's a far better case for more teams
in the East right there. But do you have a
number that you would come up with the top of
your head back, Yeah.

Speaker 5 (52:35):
It's it's a really hard question, man, because a lot
of these teams number one injuries are really prevalent right now.
Like a team like the Clippers, I really like what
I've seen from them, especially defensively, but it's all hinges
on Kawhi Leonard's health and I have no idea what
that's gonna look like. Obviously, sixers are the same thing, like,
you can't you can call them a contender based on
their talent, but we haven't seen them actually all those

(52:56):
guys on the four enough together and will they be healthy?

Speaker 11 (52:58):
So it's really hard.

Speaker 5 (53:00):
I probably have about six to seven contenders, only two
from the East. Again, like i'd like to hear take
him a Bucks the Calves, Like are those teams really
consider contenders right now? If you ask me, how many
teams can win the NBA Finals in June? I got
the Celtics, I got the Knicks, I got the Thunder,
the MAVs, the Nuggets, and Suns and I'm capping it there.

Speaker 8 (53:21):
Okay, I like the Suns call because I'm also pretty
high on the Suns team, and I have not seen
a lot of public level on that. So let's start
right there with what's gone right with the Phoenix Suns.
So I'll speak for myself for starters, Kevin Durant still
playing at an incredibly high level, and I've been pretty
impressed with the things defensively that he's doing, sort of
anchoring the defense for stretches, which is something he has
not got enough credit for throughout his career. I think
Devin Booker is exactly who we expect to be, and

(53:44):
there is like a level of competition that he plays
with that I also think doesn't get acknowledged enough that
he is a fiery competitor, a guy who brings it.
I think Bradley Beal is still kind of the X
factor the question mark with that team. Also point at
Yusuf Nurkic, who I think has been very disappointing kind
of the overall sample size and I think kind of
doesn't get what he's there to do, which is frustrating
from a coaching standpoint, And to be honest, kind of
the use of nurkic story when you look back at

(54:05):
his career is sort of how that goes.

Speaker 9 (54:07):
But how are you viewing this Sun's team?

Speaker 8 (54:08):
What are the X factors and how high are you
that they can reach these potential championship aspirations.

Speaker 5 (54:14):
Yeah, when we were going through some of the Christmas
presents for teams, Yeah, and I was researching a little bit.
So many of these teams only present they should want
is health. Yeah, good health. And that's the case with
the Suns, and probably the Suns more than most of
these teams. You just look at the big three barely
played together last year, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and.

Speaker 11 (54:35):
This year they've been things up too.

Speaker 5 (54:36):
And look at the record with Kevin Durant thirteen and
three without Kevin Durant one and nine, Like that's value
when you talk about the most valuable player in the league.
Kevin Durant deserves to be in that conversation because of
how valuable is the Suns. And he's ket older, but
he's still playing at such a high level.

Speaker 8 (54:51):
And they were to start the year right, They were
eight and one to.

Speaker 12 (54:55):
Start the year before the then Katie gets that injury
and then they kind of off a little bit, but
they're really good when Kevin Durant plays, and the biggest
thing for me is they had a great offseason, which
was hard to do given the cap space that they
had and how much they're paying those top three guys.

Speaker 5 (55:10):
But they got Tias Jones, which was huge for them.
One thing that they really struggled last year was turnovers.
They were one of the worst turnover teams in the league,
and they also really.

Speaker 11 (55:18):
Struggled in the fourth quarter. Their fourth quarter.

Speaker 5 (55:20):
Offensive rating was the worst in the entire league last season.
With guys on their level offensively, that's kind of hard
to imagine. But part of it was they didn't have
a point guard. Devin Booker was relegated to play a
lot of point guard, but he's better off the ball.
He can do point he can play point guard, but
he's better off the ball. You have a guy like
Kevin Durant who had to play more on the ball
last season. You bring in Tias Jones, that completely changes everything.

(55:42):
That they're one of the best turnover teams one of
the worst, lowest turnover percentages in the entire league now,
so that's completely different. That's the addition of Tias Jones
takes a lot of pressure some of those ball handling
responsibilities off of Devin Booker, off of Kevin Durant allows
them to flourish on the wings where they stand. So
I like this team. I think they can make a
run in the West. Like I still consider them a contender.

(56:04):
The only question is health, and it's hard to bank
on their health with Bradley Beal's injury history, with Kevin
Durant and Devin Booker who've had some injuries last few years,
it's hard to bank on their health. But if healthy,
which is a theme for a lot of teams, if healthy,
the Suns can win four straight series in the West,
a wide open West, the thunder of the favorite for sure,
there's no juggernaut in the West. I like the Sun's

(56:25):
team as contender and I'm not giving up on them.

Speaker 8 (56:26):
Yeah, no, I'm with you. I'm on the same page there.
And the only name that I would push back on
on your list there would be the New York Knicks.
I still don't know if I'm fully bought in, so
I want you to sell it on me for starters.

Speaker 11 (56:36):
Is that a little Is that a little biased?

Speaker 5 (56:37):
Because of your beef with the knixt Twitter last last
playoff for UM.

Speaker 8 (56:41):
I think partially, I won't lie, I'll acknowledge that I
don't blame you. Yeah, I'll say what my largest concern
has been about this next team as a whole, is
I still doubt Jalen Bronson being your one a guy
that I think when you look back to the history
of the NBA, it's really hard to build around below
six foot two guards, and especially a guy like Jalen Bronson,
Like Steph Curry, he's a guy who's been kind of
an outlier here. When you look at how Steph Curry

(57:02):
does it, it's off ball motion. He's flying around screens,
he's creating shots for himself without the ball. Those are
not things that Jalen Brunson does that. He wants to
get to his spots, get in the post, do these
pivot moves, and he's excellent at it, Don't get me wrong.
He's delivered it at a level far above what I
ever expected could be the peak for Jalen Brunson, and
still playing very well this season. I think Karl Anthony
Towns has been an awesome edition. Frankly played far better

(57:24):
than I expect to be the case. But I still
kind of have some doubts that that is the two
men stuff that gets them over the edge. I think
Michel Bridges is still not quite the clean fit that
I expected to be, and frankly been really underwhelmed with
how they're using them.

Speaker 9 (57:35):
Oh, gennerobe been very good. I don't know. Sell me
on the New York Next. Why am I wrong here?

Speaker 11 (57:40):
Let's start with Brunson.

Speaker 5 (57:42):
You're right, like historically in the NBA, you can't win
and teams don't win with really small guards. And the
one exception so that rule is Steph Curry, who was
the greatest is the greatest shooter in the history of
the sport. So obviously that's a rare exception. So you're right,
like historically, I can't argue with that. What I will
say about Jolen Brunson and why I do and have
come to believe in him as a one A is

(58:03):
he creates space in the most unique way that I've
ever seen among a point guard. Like you talk about
his pivots and how how he creates space against the
lane guys that's small aren't great finishers. He is such
a great finisher around the rim, how he creates space
on his threes. He's one of the best pick and
roll ball handlers in the entire league coming off coming
off those screens finding guys. He's so like, it doesn't

(58:26):
make sense how he's that good and it's that efficient
around the rim and that grade of a shooter and
shot crater because of his height and his size, but
he is, Like I can't deny what my eyes are
telling me, what the numbers say, Like I do believe
him as a one A because we've kind of seen it.
Like last year that was an underman team and you
could say they probably should have been in the Eastern
Commons finals if og Annoba doesn't get hurt in that

(58:48):
Pacer series, so probably in the Eastern Commons finals. And
that's an underman team not near as good as the
one this year, and the team that Brunson completely carried
on his back. So I have to give him the
credit where it's due. Look, this offense is the number
two offense the entire league, behind only the Celtics.

Speaker 11 (59:03):
They're that I believe.

Speaker 5 (59:04):
Yeah, if I looked at that yesterday, last time I
saw this offense is unstoppable. With Corinthine Towns. Now they're
probably Corinthine Towns and Jim Bruns are probably the best
pick and roll combo duo in the entire league. You
have so many great role players. Mckel bridge is playing
much better recently. He's not driving as much, like his
free throw rate is as low as it's been in
his career, but he's shooting the ball pretty well and

(59:27):
he's getting into his MIDI spots and doing what mckael
Bridges does, So he's playing well. This team is just
so talented offensively, I don't like, especially when you go
down the East, I don't know who could be thrown
them other than the Celtics.

Speaker 11 (59:40):
Of course.

Speaker 5 (59:40):
I trust Jalen Brunson as a one A and I
think this next team could easily make a champion to Brunt.

Speaker 9 (59:45):
Yeah, there's certainly a chance of that. I'm not rolling
it out.

Speaker 8 (59:48):
I'm more open mind that than i've been probably in
this entire kind of stretch of play with them. And
I will say, like regarding the Knicks specifically, it's pretty
much the opposite of what I expected that I basically
thought at this point in time defensively they would have it,
they'd be a locked in team, and that offensively would
be a work in progress. It's basically been the direct
opposite of that that they've been elite offensively, they haven't
quite connected. And I by the way, I think the

(01:00:08):
mkale stuff is probably more of a critique on Thibbs
than mcale specifically.

Speaker 5 (01:00:12):
Yeah, no, I agree with that for sure. But to
the defensive point. The thing about the defense is Corinthon
Towns is exceptional as a five offensively because he can
space the floor, but he's not a five defensively at all.
And that's a big reason why the Timbwolves traded for
Rudy Gobert all those years ago. Yeah, because he couldn't.
Corinthy Towns is getting abused as a five defensively and

(01:00:32):
you're seeing I wouldn't say he's getting abused this year,
but they struggle protecting the rim because Karnathine Towns isn't
that five. And so what I think is going to
be a huge key for them is Mitchell Robinson coming
back and being healthy, because if you pay Mitchell Robinson
with Karnthin Towns, you're protecting the remit of much higher
rate and your defense is going to go from league
average what it is now to one of the best
in the league. Of course, that move will sacrifice the offense.

(01:00:55):
You're probably Josh Hart will go to the bench. McKell
bridges minutes might go down a little bit, but you're
gonna sacrifice offensively to have a top ten defense and
you still have a top ten offense. So that's the
big thing. Mitchell Robinson has to come back be healthy.
I want to see him and Karnthon Town's paired at
the five and four. And the other thing is Corinthine Towns.
They need some relief for him. Like in that Hawks

(01:01:16):
knock got around in the NBA Cup. What you saw
is Karnthine Town's gotten foul trouble, which he does a
lot throughout his career. He's obviously very foul prone.

Speaker 10 (01:01:24):
We know that.

Speaker 5 (01:01:25):
And the Hawks abuse the Knicks on the offensive boards
because they don't really have a backup center Jerico Sims
precious sure. They're not real backup centers in this league.

Speaker 11 (01:01:34):
So they got abused on the boards because of that.
So they need Mitchell.

Speaker 5 (01:01:37):
Robinson back really healthy, and then I think their defense
will will rise and go to another level. While I
don't see I can see their offense being flourishing like
this because they just have so many great offensive pieces
it's really fun to watch. I know a lot of
people are Nick haters, and I don't blame them in
this town, but this Knicks team is pretty special.

Speaker 9 (01:01:57):
Yeah, no, I hear you on it.

Speaker 8 (01:01:58):
I'm gonna stay on the anti Knicks propaganda and Tom
forced to get off at there. But let's stick in
the Eastern Conference and talk to Milwaukee Bucks. You mentioned
the NBA Cup winners this week. I think it's pretty
impressive the way that they have turned things around this season. Giannis,
by my money, if you made me pick today, would
be my MVP choice. I think he's been playing at
an incredibly high level, leading the league in scoring. And
what impressed me the most about Jianna specifically, is a

(01:02:19):
guy who's accomplished as he is already in his career
with two MVPs, with an NBA championship, you know has
done plenty. He's still the hungriest guy on the floor
every single time he's on it, and I think that's
a large reason why they won the Cup overall. So
how seriously are you taking this Milwaukee Bucks team? Do
you buy the turnaround or are you still skeptical?

Speaker 11 (01:02:37):
I'm skeptical.

Speaker 5 (01:02:37):
Number one.

Speaker 11 (01:02:38):
I'll ask you do you trust Doc Rivers on the Welves?

Speaker 9 (01:02:41):
Absolutely not. I do think Doc is a clear Achilles
heel there.

Speaker 11 (01:02:44):
Exactly, But it's really more than that.

Speaker 5 (01:02:46):
Yeah, this team is just too old, Like they need
Jos on the compo and Takupo is my MVP too,
and he's playing at having the best season of his
career and it's really going not unnoticed. But I just
saw the straw poll that that Tim Bontams puts out
for ESPN and he was behind Shaye gild Okay, fine,
he's behind Jokic whatever.

Speaker 11 (01:03:04):
He was behind Shade too.

Speaker 5 (01:03:05):
Like what Yiannis has done to turn this buckst team
around from a two to eight start is remarkable. Him
and Damian Lillard's chemistry is better. All that's trending in
the right direction. They're just too old and don't have
enough surrounding pieces other than Lillard and Giannis. Like Chris
Middleton didn't even play in the NBA Cup Final. Can
he put a two week stretch together? And it was
an illness He wasn't injured, but sure, can he put

(01:03:27):
a two week stretch together at being healthy? Like, I
don't trust that at all. Brook Lopez is playing much
better defensively protecting the rim over this recent last month
or so. Again, he's really old. You ask him the
garden space, he can't. He's not shooting it as well
from three. This team is just old, aging and I
don't trust their surrounding parts. Andre Jackson putting him the
starting lineup was a great move because he's such a

(01:03:49):
great defender and helps with their perimeter defense. But he's
really not an offensive threat at all, Like you can
leave him open, honestly on the perimeter, which would be
a problem in a playoff series. So I just I
think this Bucks team is aging. They don't have enough
surrounding parts. And as good as Giannis is and look,
in any playoff series, he will probably be the best
player on the floor. Yeah, I still don't trust the

(01:04:10):
rest of this Bucks team.

Speaker 9 (01:04:11):
Yeah, I mostly sit on the same side.

Speaker 8 (01:04:13):
I just kind of believe in Giannis to a level
that I'm keeping the door open in my mind that
I like, there is a look, Yeah, there's a look
in his eye that he gets that truly very few
players can match in the NBA, maybe no one else
right now, which is a look of determination. The work
rate that he puts out and like to his credit,
I think he's adjusted his game to him rather than
sticking with the rest of the league. He's basically stopped
shooting three pointers this year. He's pulling up a little

(01:04:35):
bit more in the mid range, looking pretty comfortable. Less
I saw he was shooting forty seven percent from the
mid which is you take that. That's absolutely fine from
that percentage there, particularly when that is basically just kind
of you know, the threat to open up the drive
for him, which is really what he's all about. I
will say I think Damian Lillard shown a little bit
more of a pulse than I thought he had that
I was ready to be completely out on Dame Lollard
entering this season, and he still had his flashes where

(01:04:56):
he has been able to carry this team offensively. So
I'm open to the bucks, but I guess I was
completely the door is closed. I've probably had peaked it
open a little bit. Is where I stand at this point.

Speaker 4 (01:05:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:05:07):
One of the things I want to bring up with
you is a lot of the trade discussions around and
Gianni's has simmered down, and rightfully so.

Speaker 11 (01:05:13):
Of course he's not getting traded this season, but.

Speaker 5 (01:05:15):
It's gonna pick back up this summer if they have
a second round exit, like Timmy Lillard. I'm with you,
Like he's having a great season and I like what
I see from him. He's also, I believe, thirty four
years old, Like he's not. He doesn't have too many
more years in him. He's one of those small guards,
and those small guards don't last as long as some
of these big wings like a Lebron, like a KD
he's not, Like, I don't think he's trending in the

(01:05:36):
right direction in terms of his career. And then you
Chris Middleton, you Brook Lopez. This roster is getting really old.
If they don't make it past the second round or
so this season and this roster, it's hard to see
how they're going to improve this roster. That Yiannis trade
discussion is going to pick back up. And I don't
think we've seen the last of that, which was really
hot in the beginning of the year. When they start
too and eight. I don't know what you think about that,

(01:05:57):
but I don't think he's gonna be a buck in
two years.

Speaker 9 (01:06:00):
I don't know.

Speaker 8 (01:06:01):
I feel like he loves being the guy, which I respect.
Like there's a lot of players who don't want to
be in that position where every decision runs through I
think Joellen Beiid specifically is a guy who we could
critique for that, for not being the face of the
franchise in the way I think Giannis has embraced that
in a pretty impressive factor. But obviously there comes like
limits to everything, and if this team does have another
exit and Damian Lillard is on the decline, I could
certainly see that being equation of being a part of

(01:06:23):
the equation here. And I know the Lakers buzz has
been I don't know if I would call it legitimate,
but there's been those watching eyes over it, so he
certainly would have plenty of takers. It would be frustrating
if it ends up in Oklahoma City or Houston or
something like that, which would be kind of fun there
as well. But ultimately, I think they're locked in for
this season and we'll see what happens from there. So
to keep it moving a little bit here, I don't

(01:06:43):
think we got to go too deep on the Boston Celtics,
the defending champions, who look every bit the same. There's
no doubt that they're contenders, and I mean shattering three
point records at the rate that they're both connecting and
attempting these long range attempts there, So shout of the
Boston will leave them alone. What do you make of
the Cleveland Cavaliers? As I mentioned pretty much wide are
leaders in the Eastern Conference, a twenty four and four
record on the season, but there is still kind of

(01:07:04):
a little bit of doubt I think in everyone's minds there.

Speaker 9 (01:07:06):
So what's your take on the Caves?

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
Yeah?

Speaker 11 (01:07:10):
I like the Cavs, I don't love them.

Speaker 5 (01:07:12):
Yeah, Darius Carland and Donovan Mitchell have been great this
season together. Donald Mitchell should be a East All Star starter. Yeah,
I believe, not just an All Star starter. He's been
awesome and really just distributed as a distributor to more
than just his normal scoring output. Him and Darius Carland
have been really fun to watch together because they've kind
of taken on this Jalen Brown Jason Tatum thing where
they don't work together that much, but it's kind of

(01:07:34):
like your turn, my turn, but it works and it's complimentary,
if that makes sense, because it's just they're both really
good on ball creators and scorers and they kind of
just let let each other flourish and do their thing,
which is.

Speaker 11 (01:07:48):
Cool to see and look.

Speaker 5 (01:07:50):
Evan Mowgley and Jared Allen are daunting frontcourt that but
that's also the reason. As good as they are defensively,
especially with those two, part of the reason why I'm
not completely sold on them is those two in the
playoff series, like they're gonna be easy to guard. Evan
Mobley has become a more willing three point shooter, and
he's shooting it better this year from three, He's still
not a real three point threat. You pair Jared Allen

(01:08:11):
Evan Mobley on the floor together in the playoffs, teams
are going to exploit that. Like teams just start, They're
gonna not guard Evan Mobley on the perimeter, pack the
paints and make it difficult for Donovan Mitchell and Daris
Garland to find these driving wings, and that's gonna be
a problem for the Cavs. So that's why I'm not
completely soling them. I think Jared Allen might have to
take a seat on the bench for extended stretches. When

(01:08:32):
they pair Dart Darius Garland and with Jared Allen and
then Evan Mobley with Donovan Mitchell, those two combos individually
are great, and they're obviously all great when they're all
four of them on the floor together. But they have
a really deep bench that's great for the regular season.
Does that really matter that much in the playoffs You're
not playing more than eight, maybe even seven guys in
tight games.

Speaker 11 (01:08:52):
So I like this Cavs team.

Speaker 5 (01:08:54):
Do I think they are a threat to be the Celtics? No,
Nicks is a tough one. Like the least isn't that great?
So they're a contender in the East. I'm not one
hundred percent sold on the Calves yet.

Speaker 8 (01:09:05):
Yeah, I think I've kind of backtracked off it that
I started taking the Caves a little bit more seriously,
and then in recent weeks have kind of back there.
They're back out of the top ten in both defensive
efficiency and opponents points per game, and that really needs
to be their identity if this is going to work,
that they've got to be a defensive minded team that
buys in And Evan Mobley, I've kind of been a
Evan Mobley's skeptics since he came out of the draft
there that I never kind of saw this like huge

(01:09:26):
potential the way it was portrayed obviously a top three
pick and a dude that was looked at to be
a potential, like foundational piece of a franchise.

Speaker 9 (01:09:33):
I just don't think he's that.

Speaker 8 (01:09:34):
But what I will give him credit for is I
think he's taking a huge step forward and kind of
like his ability and kind of feel for the game.
Like there's been several flashes this year on a pretty
much like game by game basis where he'll make a
defensive play, a blockdown one end and go coast to
coast himself for a bucket, and like we have not
seen that from him a ton in past years that
he basically has had to be spoon fed opportunities.

Speaker 9 (01:09:54):
So I think Mobley has changed the equation a bit.

Speaker 5 (01:09:56):
For me, And credit to Kenny Atkinson for that, because
he's putting the ball in his hand a lot more
and that's good to see it.

Speaker 11 (01:10:01):
Evan Mobley is having the best offensive season of his career.

Speaker 8 (01:10:04):
Yeah, absolutely, So that's probably the biggest X factor for me.
But I'm still kind of skeptical at this point in time.
How about the Philadelphia seventy six ers. Is this purely
just an injury kind of take for now? I personally
feel if you're gonna have all three of Paul, George
Jowell and Beat and Tyreese MAXI, it's a contender. If
you're only getting two of those three, it's gonna be
an okay team. If you're only getting one of them,
it's gonna be a pretty bad basketball team. And the
Jad McCain injury obviously hurts as well. But how do

(01:10:26):
you set on the Sixers at this time?

Speaker 11 (01:10:30):
Indifferent? It's it's hard, it's hard. It's like it's really
of course.

Speaker 5 (01:10:34):
They're in the contender circle if they're completely healthy. Yeah,
there's no way I'm trusting this team to be completely
healthy totally fair May, which is where they have to win,
or even late April to have to win the playoff
series or maybe two.

Speaker 11 (01:10:46):
So I can't put them in the contenter circle right now.

Speaker 5 (01:10:47):
I can't. If they have a stretch coming up here
where hope we'll see what happened to Joelle tonight, I don't.
I don't know if you've heard anything or yeah, he's
gonna play, he's out, Yep, he's out.

Speaker 4 (01:10:56):
All right.

Speaker 5 (01:10:56):
I didn't see that. See, Like that's disappointing, Like I
get it, but it's it's to face injury. You should
be able to play through. But he was never going
to play back to backs. But when you get punched
in the face, it should have changed and you should
have approached the back to backs differently. Regardless, maybe of
the next six weeks, eight weeks or so, they can
put together a nice run, like maybe they have ten

(01:11:17):
and three January something like that. But what I'll say
is this the Sixers team, it's all about It's just
all about health and there's nothing more.

Speaker 11 (01:11:26):
There's nothing more too. It's all about health.

Speaker 5 (01:11:28):
And I can't put them in the contender circle until
I see let's say, fifteen games from the Big three together.
Fifteen games. It's a pretty low threshold that I'm holding to,
but I want to see fifteen complete games of them
and then I'll decide what.

Speaker 7 (01:11:40):
To do with it.

Speaker 8 (01:11:41):
Well, we're at a grand total of two so far
that the trio of Tyrese, Max and Paul, George Joel
Avieve has started and finished together. We do have four
seas almost last night, that's true. Almost last night, that's true,
and two and zero in those games. So you know,
we'll start the record as it may be there.

Speaker 5 (01:11:55):
But I'll both against the Hornets, because the Sixers only
play the Hornets.

Speaker 9 (01:11:58):
It does feel like that, Yeah, against the Hornets.

Speaker 8 (01:12:01):
Four of their nine wins have come against Charlotte this year,
but the other one in which all three of them
play was the Chicago Bulls. Not a whole lot better,
but still kind of I guess you know. We will
take the wins where we can get them at this point.
But uh, I do want to take a quick break
here before we get back to the other side. I
want to dive in and dig into this Christmas wish
list idea. So shout out to Sam for coming up
with this. We're gonna kind of phrase this as what
each team should be rooting for to find it in

(01:12:22):
the Christmas tree and complete their roster this season, or
what they're missing to kind of have reach their success there.
So stay tuned for that. Keep it locked right here
on the Gambler. Me and Sam be right back on
the other side.

Speaker 1 (01:12:32):
You can wager on it. We're talking about it. It's
the Gambler.

Speaker 8 (01:12:45):
And we're back for the second half of me and
Sam breaking down the NBA right here on Fox Sports
to the Gambler, and here we be able to talk
some Christmas wish lists for NBA teams across the league. So, Sam,
this was your little brain child here, But to kind
of set the stage, anything else that you want to
say regarding the specific topic, No.

Speaker 5 (01:13:02):
I think it's just teams what they'd wish for for Christmas,
what they would ask Santa for or Harry Hanika, whatever
you celebrate. And really, I guess you could say news
resolution too for teams. You can do it either or
but yeah, right, I'm excited to die.

Speaker 8 (01:13:16):
In perfect So, yeah, I have my top five lists
here and then I have a couple of outside the
box out of the ideas as well.

Speaker 9 (01:13:21):
I'll let you start off though.

Speaker 8 (01:13:23):
So with the stage kind of set here, it's obviously
the holiday season, Christmas right around the corner. What should
team you want to start with? Give me your top
one what they should be wishing for for Christmas?

Speaker 11 (01:13:33):
Yeah, so I'm going to go with the Nuggets.

Speaker 5 (01:13:35):
What they should wish for and pull for is a
zach Lavine trade because that's really the only guy in
the market I can see make turning them into a
true title contender. That that and have the necessary help
that Yok needs. And what the trade would be as
I was playing with the trade machine earlier. Is Zach
Levine for Michael Porter Junior, Peyton Watson and Jalen Pickett

(01:13:57):
who plays a lot of the G League anyway, So
that that make the aggregate salaries work, that you could
send Zach Levine's monstrous deal and send back those three players. Look,
Zack Levine has really increased his trade value this season. Like,
he's shooting career high forty three percent from three on
almost eight attempts per game, fifty percent from the floor.
He's a willing defender, which is kind of rare for him,

(01:14:18):
and he stayed healthy, which is huge for him. Yeah,
and you're not getting that from Michael Porter Junior. He's
having a fine season. He's so unreliable. If you remember
that that Nuggets Wolves series last year that the Nuggets
lost in seven, Michael Porter Junior shot thirty seven percent
from the field of five of those seven games, he
was in single digits. So like this, Michael Porter Junior
can't be trusted. He's not reliable. And another thing is

(01:14:40):
Jamal Murray's numbers are down too. Yeah, the Nuggets need
another creator, they need to get Jokic help. You're wasting
Jogic's prime. He's the best player in the league. This
is the prime of his career. Who knows how long
his prime will last. You have to make a move
because you're not really a title contender. I don't think
you can compete with the Thunders of the West right now,
and so I think Zach Levine is the perfect guys

(01:15:00):
a creator. The Nuggets also the fourth best three point
percentage in the league, but they don't shoot them. They're
dead last and three point attempts and sixth, sixth worst
in three point meets, so they don't shoot them as
much as they should. Zach Levine a great three point two,
are having a great shooting season. He will help with that,
will help as a secondary score. He is the fix
for the Nuggets and that's what they should want for Christmas.

Speaker 8 (01:15:22):
Love that this is also on my Christmas list as well.
Here that I do think Zach Levine same trade for
fourteam trade for the Denver Nuggets there and I will say, well,
everything you've spoken on Jamal Murray stuff is the biggest
concern to me that he just doesn't look like he
has it. To me, there isn't that same burst. There
isn't that same kind of ability to create separation. And
I think a lot of times it's kind of a
false narrative that we all have in our heads that

(01:15:43):
these like kind of you know, athletic guards age, well,
it typically does not happen. And for a guy like
Jamal Murray, what the exact process that I'm seeing is
he's lost a little bit of that burst and now
every shot becomes harder because you're not creating that level
of separation, and now you are shooting over defenders constantly.
And he really hasn't found like a bread and butter
offense on the entire season, and I guess typically it's

(01:16:04):
been the two man actions with him and Jokic that
have been sort of what has fed him opportunities. It
really just hasn't looked the same this year. And I
do think Zachlyvian's a nice kind of switch up to that.
That's a guy who I think the perception of him
is far more negative than it deserves to be at
this point time.

Speaker 9 (01:16:18):
He's kind of been.

Speaker 8 (01:16:19):
Stuck out there in basketball purgatory in Chicago, and they've
obviously talked about trying to move him for several years now.
I would love to see it happen. I think he
could use to play some actual basketball where he has
a chance to win. And one hundred percent with you
about Jokic being wasted like this is an incredibly high
level of basketball that he's producing this year. To me,
it's very clearly him and Giannis is the two best
players in the sport on the season. And as much

(01:16:40):
as we're in a rush to hand it down to
the next generation, to the Shay Gilders Alexander's and the
Luka Doncic and all these guys who want to throw
in that mix, to me, it's still Jannis and Jokic
is the gold standard right now.

Speaker 9 (01:16:50):
So I would love to see it happen. What do
you think the likelihood of that is.

Speaker 5 (01:16:54):
I think it's kind of like him because look, Sean,
why wouldn't Bulls do that. They're just stuck, Like you said,
there's a mediocre basketball team and they've been that for years,
And why do you want to be at that point
where Zack Levine's actually hurting you because he's winning games
for you, he's helping you win games. They need to
lose some more games to get in that Cooper flag discussion,
that Dylan Harper discussion for one of those top two

(01:17:15):
picks this season, Like that's the only reason, that's the
only way they're gonna turn this franchise around and have
some sort of hope and have something to build around
with with this span base, And you're getting back some
young pieces in that deal. So I don't know what
the Bulls are doing holding on to zach Lavine. Like
they let them more drozenwalk this beast offseason and they
traded Alex Crusoe. That signaled to me that they're kind
of ready for this rebuild. The next step is you

(01:17:37):
got to get rid of zach Levine. So I don't
know why they wouldn't do it. It makes sense to me.
Maybe they'd want to pick in there from someone, but
I think it's like somewhat likely. I can't imagine zach Levine.
It would be blasphemy if zach Lavine is still on
the Bulls by the end of the year. That would
be incompetence by the Bulls organization, which has been pretty incompetent.
But I would be shocked.

Speaker 8 (01:17:55):
Certainly has been very incompetent there, and what I think
what's specifically frustrating me from like team building concept is
it seems to their goal to just be mediocre that
they love being, you know, directly forty one and forty
one and right in that play in range. That seems
like their goal in a year, in a year out standpoint,
like I don't know, I don't get it, I've never
got it. This has been the track record for the
Bulls and if there was not Michael Jordan being Michael Jordan,

(01:18:16):
they're probably were talking about them as we would talk
about like the Sacramento Kings or you know, an organization
like that at this point, So shout out the end the.

Speaker 5 (01:18:22):
Big market like that. It's fun when the Bulls are good.
It's fun when the Sixers are good. The next are good.
Chicago's a huge market. They should have a team to
get behind.

Speaker 8 (01:18:29):
Yeah, yeah, it's frustrating there. So I'm rooting for that
to be the case and think it would be important
and effective for both teams there. So to hop into
my first Christmas wish list here, I'm starting with the
Indiana Pacers and what I'm asking for I want some
truth saram to find out what Tyrese Haliburton really is
because we I was bought in last year, seeing this
new identity, then playing with this up tempo pace, running

(01:18:52):
the fast break as often as possible, blowing teams out
of the gym, and then it just has not been
that case this year now. As far as like these
standings out right, they're thirteen and fifteen currently eighth place
in the Eastern Conference, they've been way worse than that
by my eye test. And to speak about Haliburton and specifically,
he's obviously taken a statistical step back that last season
he averaged twenty point one points per game and ten
point nine assists, which led the league. Shooting or at

(01:19:13):
only eighteen points per game this year and eight point
seven assists. The assist are the most concerning to me,
And I guess what I was even more surprised to
dive into is the shooting splits. Aren't that drastically different
that he's shooting thirty five point four percent from three
this year. He was thirty six point four percent last year,
forty two point seven percent from the field. He was
forty seven point seven percent from the field last year.
So obviously a little bit of like regression in his shooting,

(01:19:35):
But to me, it's been more about, like everything else,
that I have not seen him actually control a game
pretty much all season. I can think of two or
three games that I actually felt like, Okay, there's the
Tyrese Haliburton that this team needs. But I think the
fact of the matter is this organization is built for
this to be their guy, for this to be their
franchise centerpiece, the face of the franchise. And he's done
a nice job running with that as the identity. But

(01:19:56):
if the play does not back it up, they're gonna
have some real issues. And and if they're they're like
heading down a pathway where that's the problem.

Speaker 5 (01:20:04):
Yeah, I'll save you the gift for the truth serum.
I'll just tell you what he is. He's a fraud
and that and and it's not his fault. It's really
the media's fault and and fans fault that crowns him
after that in season tournament run last year and that
playoff run where he just isn't that guy, Like he's
simply not. And look, Sean, I sold all of my
Pacers Shayers at the top of of the of the

(01:20:26):
market when they were won the in season tournament and
then they made the Eastern Conference finals, Like I got
rid of all of them.

Speaker 11 (01:20:31):
I cleared that portfolio.

Speaker 5 (01:20:33):
And the reason why is because that was a fluky
run like Tyreus hallettburn like you just said, Like, he's
just not this aggressive score that that's constantly looking to score.
He's looking, he's looking to get teammates involved. And sure,
that's good for traditional point guard. When you're building your
team around the guy like that, it's not really good.
There's so often turning the corner off these screens and
not even looking at the rim. He's not even like

(01:20:54):
going towards the baskets, constantly looking to kick out and
that and that's concerning. And the other thing is the
reason why I was down on this Pacers team is
because it reminded me a lot like the Sacramento Kings
two years ago, where if you remember, they had the
best offense in the entire league, and it was shocking
because they didn't really have the best players necessarily, but
they were running this really fast paced, unique offense, a

(01:21:16):
ton of dribble handoffs, a lot of off ball action,
and they had the best offense in the entire league,
number one offensive raiding. Last year, they were middle of
the pack, and they didn't make the playoffs. And what
you saw was that regression was because most teams we
have the best offens in the league actually have the
best players. The Pacers were number one in offense last year,
but they didn't really have the best players. So I
kind of felt that regression coming, and you're seeing that

(01:21:37):
this season. I just building a team around Tyra Salaburn
isn't the answer. You're never gonna win anything if he's
your best or even second best player. Like he needs
to be a guy who's facilitating to a star wing
like a Kevin Durant or Jason Tatum or someone like that,
and then that serves his role better because he's not
this prolific scorer.

Speaker 11 (01:21:56):
And so yeah, I'm right there with you on the Pacers.

Speaker 5 (01:21:59):
I don't buy them at all, and I don't buy
Tyres Aliburn in them, and I never I really have
never been a fan of him. So I'm not like
glad that he's struggling. I would never say that, but
it's I've never been a Tyre's Aliburn guy, and I
thought people praising him last season was just out of hand.

Speaker 8 (01:22:14):
Yeah, it's certainly looking to be the case there, and
there's a fine line between playing unselfish and playing passive,
and I think all too often he slips into that
playing passive mold there. But let's keep it rolling here.
What is your next Christmas wish?

Speaker 9 (01:22:24):
Here?

Speaker 5 (01:22:25):
All right, let's go to my next Christmas Christmas wish.
A tongue twister there, and it's for the Rockets. It's
for the Rockets, and it's for a story to become available. Like, look,
I really like.

Speaker 11 (01:22:37):
This Rockets team.

Speaker 5 (01:22:37):
Rockets team, they're a really good young group and their ceiling,
but their ceiling is a great regular season team, and
they won't raise that until they bring in a reliable store.

Speaker 11 (01:22:46):
Like they're so physical, tough. They're a really good of the.

Speaker 5 (01:22:48):
Best offensive rebound team in the entire league because of
how tough they are, and that creates extra possessions and
really extra points for them that they would that their
offense is middle of the pack because of that, they'd
be one of the worst offensive leagues if they weren't
crashing in the glass and creating these extra chances as
much as they were. And Sengoon is awesome, but he's
not and he's a great hub. And I like how
they run their offense around him, but he's not like

(01:23:09):
a Jokic yet where he can get guys involved and
people can rely on him as a score as much
as you could Jokic, Like, you haven't seen that yet
from him, and maybe he'll develop into that eventually, but
he's not that yet. Jalen Green is so inefficient, so unreliable.
We shooting career low forty from the field and thirty
one percent from three. And they have an amazing bench,

(01:23:30):
but again we talked about earlier that bench. Great benches
don't really carry you carry you in the playoffs. You
need a superstar, a star, and I think a guy
who who could be available is Jimmy Butler, and I
think that's the kind of the guy they need because
he is that creator that you can rely on, especially
in the fourth quarter in clutch time. Yeah, he's aging,
and when you have such a deep bench, you don't

(01:23:52):
have to rely on Jimmy Butler for a whole season
that like a whole regular season. That would be a
perfect situation for him, just because Heat actually need him
to play eighty two games and be a store in
eighty two games. And I don't know if Jimmy Biler's
cable that anymore, but he's certainly capable of it in
stints and the Rockets could use that in stints. So
I don't really see like Kevin Durant becoming available. Maybe
a Yiannis in a couple of years, and they have

(01:24:12):
the assets. They have a ton of picks, but that's
what they need for Christmas is a reliable store creator
and Jimmy Butler might be the answer.

Speaker 9 (01:24:19):
Yeah, this was on my list as well, and I
totally agree with every.

Speaker 11 (01:24:22):
We're locked stut together, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:24:24):
We are. We are.

Speaker 8 (01:24:25):
Jalen Green, I think for my money's worth is the
number one. You never know what you're getting from him
on a night to night basis guy in the entire NBA.
And there's Knights that I've watched this season where he's
looked like, Okay, I see the vision. And what I
will say I'm particularly frustrated about is the tail end
of last year was the best stretcher basketball I've ever
seen him play. I thought he was playmaking better. I
thought he was making the proper readson just about every situation.
And he kind of regrets in a lot of this

(01:24:47):
decision that.

Speaker 11 (01:24:48):
Was without Sengoon.

Speaker 9 (01:24:49):
That's true.

Speaker 8 (01:24:49):
It was a little concerning, that is true. Yeah, And
obviously they gave both these guys extensions. They were sort
of like prove it extensions. So it's not exactly your
as locked into these guys as it tends to typically
be the case. So it certainly can be a piece
of that massive trade either one of these guys if
that does prove to be the case. But do agree
they need to take a swing on a big star
as soon as a guy does come available. So we'll
be interesting if the Jimmy Butler rumors come true and

(01:25:10):
that becomes a true competition.

Speaker 9 (01:25:12):
I'll keep it rolling here with my next one.

Speaker 8 (01:25:14):
I'm gonna start with the New Orleans Pelicans and the
wishes for Zion Williamson to have his beyond scared straight moment, man,
because I don't see any other world where this franchise
can turn around without him being the guy, and he's
supposed to be, man. This was one of these guys
that should be carrying the crown for the NBA for
all these ratings conversations and everything else. You need these
young stars to become real deal stars, and Zion absolutely

(01:25:36):
is a player that's capable of that. But injuries have
robbed him all too often, and I do think it's
fair at this point in the game to assess that
he does not put in the proper work for his
body and getting himself ready. I mean, I saw a
video a couple weeks ago of him and not the
body shame here, but this dude walk around shirtless and
like that is not a model of what an NBA
basketball player should look like, particularly one like Zion who's

(01:25:56):
built off athleticism and strength and doing this so I
don't think has been the necessary commitment from him. I
think he's feeling it, and obviously we've seen these kind
of short doses of what he's capable of. It's not
a doubt about the talent, it is about the availability there.
So I think until Zion starts taking things seriously, this
organization has pretty much had nowhere, and you're probably looking
more likely towards a breakup with him than you are

(01:26:18):
for actually getting back on track. And I think the
only way that changes is if this guy kind of
has that wake up moment.

Speaker 11 (01:26:23):
Yeah, the Zion Williamson stories, it's a sad story.

Speaker 5 (01:26:26):
It is. Look just reading all of how many games
he's played every single season. His rookie year twenty four games,
second season sixty one games. That was pretty full season,
twenty nine games. The next year obviously very disappointing year.
Last year you had the best year of his career,
seventy games. But guess what he got hurt in the
best game of his career yep against the Lakers.

Speaker 9 (01:26:45):
I believe inh toe to toe with Lebron exactly, and.

Speaker 11 (01:26:48):
Then he gets hurt.

Speaker 5 (01:26:49):
And that's just like, that's the story. That's Zion Williamson
in a nutshell. And then this season he's played six
games so far.

Speaker 11 (01:26:56):
It's just a sad story.

Speaker 5 (01:26:57):
And when you're the Pelicans, you're like, how much longer
can we rely on this guy? And you have a
lot of tough decisions coming up if you're the Pelicans
Ingram where he's probably like he's asked for a lot
more morey than the Pelicans are willing to give him,
which is why an extension hasn't worked out. But he's
about to become a fregent of this season. So do
you trade him if he's potentially gonna walk or do
you think the market's not really going to be that

(01:27:18):
high for him? And you and you kind of test
it out and then maybe you bring him back on
a lower deal if the market's not there. But do
you even won him? Do you like Johntay Obviously, Jontay
Moore was a Murray, was a huge pick up for
them this season he has He's got injured in the
first game, has n't played since, so that they've just
been so unlucky. Herb Jones's battled injuries. They've been so unlucky.
But question for you is like, what are you actually

(01:27:41):
rooting for? If you're the Pelicans, the organization, the fans,
are you just because you're I believe they have five
wins so far. Let's see where they are on the standings. Yeah,
they're the They're five and twenty three, last place in
the Western Conference standings. If you're the Pelicans, are you
sitting everyone in the rest of the season, putting all
your chips into a Cooper Flag or potentially a high
draft pick and just giving up on this year, seeing

(01:28:02):
what happens with the draft and then kind of go
from there because maybe your trajection of your franchise. Franchise
changes if you can get that number one pick and
you can be okay, I feel more comfortable getting off
Zion because we have this guy coming in. So, what
are you like rooting for the rest of the year
if you're the Pelicans.

Speaker 9 (01:28:18):
Yeah, I think at this point it has to be
a lost season.

Speaker 2 (01:28:20):
Then.

Speaker 8 (01:28:20):
I think, realistically, like they're last in the West directly
fifteenth there and five and twenty three is a huge
hole to dig out of. And when you look around
the Western Conference with the Thunder, the Grizzlies, the Rockets,
the Mavericks, the Clippers, the Nuggets, like you're not beating
any of those teams in a playoff series. So I
think unforced, you got to kind of have a chalk
up this year. I think you do enter that tank
and really the decision has been made for him, and

(01:28:41):
then you got to have some hard hitting conversations this
summer when you're actually building this rosterback up.

Speaker 9 (01:28:46):
So I do think it's a last year for New Orleans.

Speaker 8 (01:28:48):
Disappointing because if you just get all these guys healthy
and on the floor together, I think that's a pretty
good basketball team. But we really have not seen that
happen there, so didn't want to toss that out. We
only got a couple more minutes here so you're going
to rip out a couple of rapid fire for what
you got for these Sam.

Speaker 11 (01:29:02):
Yeah, I'll go quick.

Speaker 5 (01:29:03):
I mean the Sixers, what you know, obviously, what you're
asking for is healthy and luck. But like asking that's
like me going to my parents being like like, what
do you want want? What do you want for Christmas?
What do you want for the holidays? And them saying oh,
or me saying yeah, can I get a waterfront property
on the Amulfy coast? Like that's what it's like asking
for the Christmas for the Sixers to get luck. I mean,

(01:29:26):
it's just like the Sixers and luck do not go
well together. It's it's I can't really see it happening
with their luck and their health and all that. But
that's what the Sixers are asking for. And then a
bunch of these other teams, a lot of teams are
asking for that number one pick. When the Blazers, Jazz,
we just talked about the Pelicans, the Wizards, Raptors, Hornets,
all those teams. That's what you're praying for for for

(01:29:46):
for Santa is to have that number one pick in
the draft because Cooper flag is a prized possession. Yeah,
people are talking about who's the next American sensation.

Speaker 11 (01:29:55):
Is an Anthony.

Speaker 5 (01:29:55):
Edwards, Who's going to be the guy that can kind
of everyone can rally around because we don't have this
American superstar cultural icon right now. Cooper Flagg very well
could be that guy. He is a generational player, will
change a franchise's trajectory. So all those teams are begging
for that number one pick in this draft.

Speaker 8 (01:30:11):
Yeah, one hundred percent there and very very curious to
see how this race heats up and how what the
lengths some of these teams go to to tank. I mean,
the Wizards and Pelicans certainly leading the charge, doing their
best job possible.

Speaker 9 (01:30:21):
So we'll see how that shakes out.

Speaker 8 (01:30:23):
My last couple of rapid fire I want to rip
off for the Warriors, I said, the Jonathan Mingo leap.
I'm really not optimistic about that being the case whatsoever.
I think he's a fine player, but he kind of
is what it is. But I think for this to
have any sort of legitimacy of them being a threat
in the West, he's got to take that step and
be that guy. They're very clearly trying to accelerate it.
I don't know if I see it, but that's my
wish list for them.

Speaker 5 (01:30:43):
Go ahead, Yeah, real quick, I was gonna say I
put down Johnathan kaminga reliable jumper. There you go, Like
if I think, because I'm right there with you, that's
the next part of his game. He's actually in the
December's shooting thirty seven percent from three, but he's a
career thirty three percent three point shooter thirty one percent
this season. If he can build a jump shot from
the outside, this Warriors team goes to a whole other level,

(01:31:04):
and I think Steve Kerrs starts to trust them more.
There's no reason he's not a thirty plus minute a
game guy like Steve Kerr is always heasn't to play him,
but when he plays heavy minutes, he's good. He's a
great driver, he's a good creator. He has the size,
but to post up, he's a good defender. Like, the
only thing that's not there is a is a great
three point shot. He develops that into his game. It's
a whole nother conversation for the Warriors.

Speaker 8 (01:31:25):
Yeah, one hundred percent, and they need that desperately. So
I do hope that is the case. We'll be riotten
for that the last one I wanted to throw at you.
Here for the Los Angeles Lakers, I think it's a
Lebron James trade request. I think if you love something,
sometimes you got to set it free. And I don't
see a world in which they can retold this roster
to be a legitimate contender. I get that kind of hurts,
but I think from the Lakers' perspective, he kind of
got to have this guy make the decision for you.

(01:31:47):
And I think for the Lakers to actually move on
and build, it's going to take the break up with Lebron.
Who knows what he's thinking about as far as retirement.
So I'm not thinking this is overly likely. But any
thoughts on that one there.

Speaker 5 (01:31:57):
Yeah, I'm with you, because when you think about their future,
they don't have a lot of draft picks. They don't
have any first rounders in twenty twenty five, they don't
have any first rounders in twenty twenty seven, so they're
slim on draft picks.

Speaker 11 (01:32:08):
The only way to get those back is to make
some major trades.

Speaker 5 (01:32:11):
At some point, they're gonna have to realize their perennial
playoff playing the team they're not a contender. I don't
know why they keep telling themselves they're contender. Rob Blink
hasn't done anything to actually improve this team other than
bringing a new coach, which really doesn't matter that much
if you don't have the personnel. I'm right there with you, like,
it's not gonna happen just because, like you don't trade
Lebron James unless he asked out, which right, I think
he's pretty happy in Los Angeles. But look like I don't.

(01:32:33):
I don't see this Lakers team contending and they need
something big tappen, which would be a trade of Lebron
or even a D maybe.

Speaker 9 (01:32:39):
Yeah, So we'll see what happens from there.

Speaker 8 (01:32:41):
But that's gonna do it for me and Sam here
today once again shout out to Sam for happening on
on short notice and chopping it up for me.

Speaker 9 (01:32:46):
Sam, what else you got going on over at the
Score and everything else? In your word?

Speaker 5 (01:32:50):
Yeah, just great stuff on the NBA, NFL everything you
can follow, follow me on Twitter, ss H t r Y,
look my name up in the score app and hopefully
gonna be on with with Sean and then Brace and
the rest of the crew a lot more. And I
appreciate you having me on Sean.

Speaker 8 (01:33:06):
This is fun. Yeah, absolutely, man, So that is gonna
do it for us here today. Appreciate each having one
of you guys tune into this here playing this song
on the way out. Absolutely here. We're going to take
a quick break onto satellite, but we will be back
on air here on Fox Sports The Gambler for Villanova
basketball at four o'clock. Pregame coverage starting at three point thirty,
so make sure to keep it locked for that pregame here.
But for now, that is going to do it for

(01:33:26):
me and Sam. So I talk to you next time.
And tough cover country, Let's ride.

Speaker 1 (01:33:31):
Spreads, totals and all the prop that's in the tweens.
It's the Gambler.