February 20, 2025 • 43 mins
Brian Noe & Geoff Schwartz are in for the guys and talk about Luka and the Lakers losing another game to a bad team, the Bengals attempts to keep Ja'Marr Chase & Tee Higgins, the Top NBA storylines, and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the best of two pros and a couple
Joe when Lamar airings, Rating Winn and Jonas Knox on
Box Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Jeff Schwartz always good to be with you, buddy.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Yeah, I hope your morning is going better than the
Lakers last night, because your morning would be a wreck
if it was the equivalent of last night with your
purple and gold. Not a good way to start the
second half. Not a good way.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Not a good way for a second half. Great way
to start this morning with you and our listeners. So
good morning everyone, No morning is great. Got my coffee.
My my daughter got me a You're never too old
to need your dad mug for Honukkah. Very sweet, So
I'm using my Yeah, my little eight and a half
year old. She still loves us. No, she still likes
(00:47):
to snuggle and hang out. And I'm sure it's gonna
change one day, but I'm gonna I got my little
mug here and a little coffee and then, yes, I
woke up this morning. I live on the East Coast
to a Lakers loss again. They lost to Utah before
the break and lost the Hornets last night. Who who
stinks the Hornets are not very good and you can
(01:10):
chalk it up I think to obviously Luca figuring out
his role on the team. But I do think that
that hole in the middle of their team at center
is going to be a problem, right, Like we know
that And the answer was supposed to be the guy
of the Hornets, And so okay, what do we know
of the of the Charlotte Hornets? Basically the challenge of
(01:32):
the physical Like is I've never heard this before? Is
it like dead? Like, are they gonna the Lakers gonna
end up with Mark Williams because the arbitrar decides that
he's actually healthy. I mean, there's a weird thing around
this where the Hornets did not accept that he feels physical.
But look, the Lakers have plenty of time to figure
this all out. But you're right, when you trade for
(01:54):
someone like Luca, I think you expect immediate gratification. It
just hasn't happened.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yet, No, it has and Luca, I mean just trying
to find his legs. They showed him on the bench
and obviously during the game, and this guy is just
like beat red.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You know, it stands out even more. I think wearing gold.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I don't know if it's kind of like you ever
see those people that they're in like a snowy area
and they have like the little reflector they put up
to their face, you know, to get some That's that's
what Luca looks like.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
He just beat Red.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I could just picture Nico Harrison like say say like
non shape, say say see look at that guy, and
he's just trying to find his conditioning. Here Luca shot
five for eighteen from the field. Yesterday he was one
for nine from three. But listen to the rebounds are
there eleven of them? The assists are there eight of them.
He's just got to find his shooting touch, which he will,
(02:47):
but it is embarrassing. That was a standalone game for
the NBA and the Lakers start the second half by
losing at home to the Charlotte Hornets. I love the
call here on a Spectrum Sports net listen to. It's
always interesting listening to these guys because they do a
great job. But the very end where Stu Lance puts
(03:09):
like the little like the period on what happened last night,
It's not like the Hornets even played well, that's the thing,
Like they stunk and they still they still ended up
winning the game.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Here was the call. At the end, Lakers are down
by two.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Here's Lebron gonna get a good lookout. Charlotte holds on
and wins on the road. Strange loss or strange win
for the Hornets. You're on the road, You're not a
good road team by any stretch. You shoot thirty eight
(03:44):
percent from the field and you win the game.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yeah, Charlotte.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
When the Lakers came to Charlotte about a month ago,
went to the game, and they've told you this, Brian,
a lot of fun Lakers one it was ad Was
had twenty one and eleven the first quarter. It was incredible.
But Stu Lance was was there obviously, who was the
longtime Lakers color guy. Yeah, And I was telling my
buddy that I was there with I'm like, Stu Lance
(04:10):
has been doing this with the Lakers longer than I've
been alive. Wow, he has been the Lakers. He's been
the Lakers analyst I think since like the early eighties
with Chick hern and then moved to TV eventually. But yeah,
he's like a thick. I mean, he's been there forever.
It's kind of a while to have that job for
that many years, considering like the travel on the road
(04:31):
and all things that were required to be someone who
travels with the team and the eight team. And he's
gone every every single you know, every week.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah, limit thirty five years for Stu Lance and just
he and Bilt.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
It was a little bit wrong there, so he's close.
I had three years on him.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Yeah, you're a toddler, you know, you're a toddler at
that time. And just Bill McDonald and Stu they've worked
together for this is their twelfth season, you know, like
I actually actually a little bit longer than that. So yeah,
you're right, No, this is you're right, Jeff, this is
like year thirty. You're completely right. Yeah, And those guys
have worked together for about fifteen years or so. They
(05:09):
do a great job. I love the Lakers broadcast. If
you would like you like coffee in the morning, Jeff,
for you.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
A coffee guy at Allah?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Oh yeah yeah, big time.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Okay, well this is your splash of coffee via like
a play by play call. Eric Collins, who I love
is just complete energy. But this was the Charlotte Hornets call.
I love this because you can tell when lebron is
open for a three instead of Charlotte fowling and he's like,
oh no, he loses it for a second.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Check this out.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Lakers do not have a time out, folks. This is it.
Lakers have to get it in James Watson, Oh.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
No, shit, shit, your.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Charlotte Horns win here in La.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
And Eric has a lot of energy. Is fantastic, he
really does.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
And that's good, especially for a franchise that's, you know,
just losing and losing. It's good to have that positivity,
you know. And they stand out, like his calls are
all over the place, a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
I enjoy him.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
But you know, what do you think about the Lakers
in the second half here as they you know, try
to get in position for the playoffs and beyond what
do you think about them? And you mentioned like rint
protection kind of an issue, size, sort of an issue, frontline,
big time issue, no A D.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
So that's a big problem going forward right now.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Well, look the way I look at the at the
NBA is like a lot of sports where if you
have sort of a veteran team and I'm not Lakers
have a veteran team. They have a veteran leader right
in Lebron and Lucas play a lot of basketball. I mean,
they have guys that played ball, but they're not i
would say an oldish team, but they've done the playoffs before.
(06:57):
Is is just you got to you gotta get it right, Like,
just get in and you can figure it out. We've
seen it all over sports where that happens. You know,
you might not be playing your best ball, but you
get in and you figure things out. I think that's
where the Lakers are right now. Where you know, if
you are, you know, Lebron and Luca. Your goal from
(07:17):
here until the end of the regular season is figuring
out a rotation that works for the postseason. Right It's
figuring out you know who gets the ball in situations,
figure out who does what and when, and it's figured
out obviously you know who's playing defense in the middle.
How are we getting some work there inside? And then
enter the postseason feeling good about your team because look,
(07:41):
being the five seed, the sixth seed, as long as
you're not to play in team, to me, it does
not matter, right. I mean people will say, well, you know,
they don't want to play a certain team in the
first round, but you got to play those teams anyway.
At some point right, Brian, Like, you don't have to
play I think the Nuggets right now where they play
the Nuggets first, right, who they cannot beat. Ever, you
might have to play, but at some point right like
you have to beat the best story they not they're
(08:03):
not the best, but the team that you you know
you can just avoid everyone, right. So that's my goal
for the Lakers is when you enter the postseason, you're
feeling good about where you sort of are as a team.
The seed, to me is less important than feeling good
about how things look with with Luca and with Lebron
(08:23):
and and sort of your interior defense. Because they're a
veteran team, like they've been here before, they don't have
to have the one seed. They don't have to have
the seed to me is less relevant. I don't know
how you feel about that, but that's sort of where
I sit with how I think the Lakers have to be,
which is, by the way, a veteran team. Mike, I'm
saying this about the Chiefs, like just getting the postseason right,
it doesn't matter where you are, just get in. I
feel that way a lot with the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I hear you to a point, because the only thing
is and I get it. I don't disagree with feeling
good about yourself and you know, clicking at the right
time and all that stuff. But the more that you
fall like that the game last night, you dropped half
a game. When you're trying to get to the four seed,
like you're trying to surpass the Rockets, you know, like
getting the top four seeds, that's good to have home court,
(09:07):
like you're playing a best of seven series. I'd rather
be at home if we're facing the Rockets than on
the road, you know what I mean. Like so that
I hear you, I'm not disagreeing. I just I wouldn't
be as casual with seeding as some teams are. Like
to your point, some teams are just like, Eh, who cares,
Let's just get into the tournaments, get into the playoffs
(09:28):
and feel healthy, and that's more important than our seed.
A lot more times than not, it seems like that's
the way they approach it. But if you're giving me
a choice between hey, you get home court and the
best of seven, or you don't get home court and
the first two games are on the road, I'd rather
have home.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Court against Atlanta, though it feels like less important than
maybe like Denver, right, because I mean Atlanta. To me,
they've not been in the spot before. How good are
they going to be in this situation? I feel like,
if you know Denver obviously, who you could not beat,
I think having one ear game at home will probably
feel a little bit better for you. So that's again
(10:04):
I agree with you. It's home court. Home field doesn't
matter most in basketball, still I think it does, right
because the officials. I know that there's numbers out there
that say it might not influence them that much, but
very clearly, if you're at home, you get more calls.
I think that's right. That's that's the case because football,
we've seen in the NFL it matter less and less
(10:25):
over the years, right, home crew, manage baseball, it's baseball,
no matter what you play. Hockey does not even matter
as much, but it does seem like still in basketball
matters a lot.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Right, Yeah, I think so?
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Especially?
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, No, I think so absolutely. Your home rims, the field,
the backdrop. You know they're bombing from three, you know,
so I'd rather be at home and feel more comfortable
and more used to your surroundings.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
The one in college basketball is crazy is they use
different balls depending on who your sponsor is at home.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
That's pretty crazy.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
So if you're a Nike team, you have a Nike
ball at home, you go play an Adidas team, you
might have a Wilson ball.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Wow, yeah, it's kind of I.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Mean, the same ball, but just like kind of crazy.
That's the way it works.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
It is. It is wild like that. And the lost
last night.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
I couldn't help but think of our guy Bill Krakenberger, Right,
we worked with him on Sundays here on Fox Sports
Radio for Countdown.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
I didn't do it, Brian, you didn't.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
You didn't fade the Lakers in the second half.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Here goes against my rule.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Yeah, well, hey, that's your squad. I get that. Nothing
wrong with that. But he took the season win total
under after they acquired Luca. And this is why crack
is successful.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
You know, talking about the tonight the Blazers number.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Well yeah, oh yeah, we're on the Blazers already tonight.
I haven't looked it. Do you know where it's at
right now?
Speaker 4 (11:52):
No, I'm said over last night. So take take him
four and a half. Take the the Blazers four.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I did.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I jumped on it. It was to four, but I'm like, yeah, whatever,
three and a half now, okay, So it's moving a
little bit. Shockingly, he's on the He's got the best
of the number. That's weird, that never happens, but yeah,
he's on the Lakers. Before last night's game, their season
win total was at forty nine and a half and
(12:18):
going into the game they were thirty two and twenty,
which means if you're on the over right, they would
have to go at least eighteen and twelve down the
stretch here, and so they lose last night. Now they're
gonna have to go eighteen and eleven to hit the over.
So if you're on the under, last night's result was beautiful.
(12:40):
They lost to a bottom feeder team and the Hornets.
They're tied with Phoenix for the hardest strength of schedule remaining,
so under on the Lakers might.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
End up being the right side.
Speaker 6 (12:52):
So be sure to catch live editions of Two Pros
and a Cup of Joe with Brady Quinn, LeVar Errington
and Jonas Knox Weekday said six am Eastern, three am
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
We Got Ball Ball is on the ball at all times,
always on the brain.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
So we have between now and four pm Eastern on
March fourth, where all these thirty two teams they're permitted
to apply a franchise tag yes to one of their
pending free agents. So the big ones are the big names,
a couple of them. T Higgins with the Bengals, Stefan
(13:33):
Digs with the Texans. We'll start with the wide receivers.
First things first, what do you think about that? So
Stefan Diggs coming off an ACL tear, T Higgins, he
might get slapped with the franchise tag while they're trying
to work out a deal for Jamar Chase. Jamar Chase
is gonna make around forty million dollars a year, you know,
like he's a triple Crown winner. Yeah, and they're thinking
(13:54):
about using a franchise tag to the tune of about
twenty five million dollars even for one year.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Do you like that idea? With T Higgins?
Speaker 4 (14:02):
So the salary cap is continue to explode. It went
up another like twenty million over projection. It's insane. So
there definitely is rude with the Bengals want to do it.
I I just if you're in a page of mar
Chase I am sure the structure of the deal so
where they can afford T Higgins, they're gonna pay Trey
(14:23):
Hendrickson once they have to do. You know, a one
year deal for T Higgins is not not great for
the books, so they got it. So it's it's basically
a play like the franchise tag is always a placeholder.
Neither the player nor the team wants the franchise tag
to be used. But the player wants a long term contract, okay,
(14:45):
and the team wants a cap flexibility of a long
term contract because that that that cap pit goes immediately
to your salary cap. And you know, the way NFL
contract are structured is you can, you know, mess with
the numbers to make a cap pit much lower then
it would be otherwise, not with the franchise tag. Brian,
you know this. I'm not say anything that you don't
(15:06):
know that you know, the franchise tag the number is
what it is in the salary cap. So it's a placeholder.
So the Bengals would like to get a deal done
with with T. Higgins. Also blocks other teams obviously from
who making a plant Higgins, who I think would make
more money in the open market. Than with the Bengals.
But we'll find out obviously what his deal ends up
being if he gets there. But to me, it's just
a placeholder for the Bengals who want to keep those
(15:29):
guys together. The question I have about the Bengals is
is is Jamar, Chase, T Higgins and Trey Hendrickson enough
to win a championship? And the answer I think would
be no. But the question is if you don't pay
t Higgins, what do you do about your second wide receiver?
And what do you do to fix the defense? Because
(15:49):
the defense has to be fixed. So if you're using
that money that you would save by not paying Tea
on four defenders that might be better for your long
term success, then it would be to pay to Higgins, right,
So that's part of the equation is if you're not
gonna send the money on him, what do you spending
on The money has to be spent, There's there's a
(16:09):
spending floor has to be met. I'm always sort of
of the opinion that if you have superstars that you've drafted,
you should probably try to find a way to pay
them and keep them because that's the way you build
your team, and that's sort of the best way often
to build your team. So I get what you're doing.
But this also comes back to the idea, there's there's
(16:30):
two ways to spend money on your team, right, Brian.
The first way is is what we know of, right,
Guys a contract and that contract is whatever it is,
and they're paid, and that's the end of it. Right.
The other way to do it is you sign guys
to a contract and you you convert their base salary
(16:51):
essentially right to a signing bonus, and you pay the
player the signing bonus. And when you do that, you
can adjust a salary can right. So let's say that
a player is a has a ten million dollar capt
for next season. Well, if you pay, if you if
you convert that that ten million dollars and you pay
them nine million to signing bonus asap, you can spread
(17:12):
out nine million dollars Brian, over three more years, and
that manages your cap a lot better. But you have
to be willing to spend the cash to do that.
You have to have the cash on hand to spend it, right,
Because again, if you're if you're going to convert nine
million dollars to signing bonus, it's got to be paid now.
And that's where the hold up is for a lot
of the teams. They don't want to spend the cash
(17:33):
immediately to pay for these players, Brian, and because the
Eagles do that, and that's how the Eagles afford everyone, right,
they pay cash and they can adjust their cap that way.
So even if the Bengals do all these things, like,
they have to at some point start paying these players
in cash to afford to pay everyone because they need
(17:54):
a lot of good football players. And the Chiefs have
to do that with Mahomes this year, Like, there are
a lot of teams that have to make these adjustment
to get him to the cap.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Well, the thing that stands out to me is your
first question, which is can the Bengals win a Super
Bowl with you know, Burrow Chase, t Higgins, Trey Hendrickson.
And what's funny is my mind immediately goes to, well,
hey man, in the twenty one season, they were a
couple of plays away from the Rams. Yeah, and they
(18:25):
were a couple of plays away against the Rams with
almost all those dudes on rookie deals, Okay, like Burrow Higgins,
Jamar Chase, they're on rookie deals. That's what changes the
math so much. Trey Hendrickson he was a rookie in
twenty seventeen. Burrow and T Higgins they're both from twenty twenty,
and Jamar Chase was a year later in twenty twenty one.
(18:49):
So the nucleus of your team, like your stud quarterback,
your two stud wide receivers, they were all on rookie deals. Yeah,
and now they would all be on like top of
the market type deals.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
That changes everything. So your first.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Question is can the Bengals win it all paying all
of those dudes?
Speaker 2 (19:10):
And I think the answer is no.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
This is why it's so important to hit the ground
running with content with young contracts, because you know, when
you start paying all these guys, the math becomes difficult
in keeping everyone right. But also then there's more onus
(19:33):
on your ability to draft and develop right because you
have to be able to now draft these guys if
you pay T. Higgins and Jamar Chase, Traders and Joe
Burrow and like you didn't have to make sure that
you are able to to draft and develop other places,
which is what Kansas City, by the way, has done
so well over the years, right, Like they have drafted
(19:54):
and developed very well, which allows them to pay Patrick
Mahomes and Chris Jones of Travis Kelcey and and Creed
Humphrey and still have a good team. So if you
do this, the Bengals didn't have to really make sure
that that that they sort of develop the players around
these other guys to then and which comes to drafting
(20:15):
and all, like all the things that are that are
important to winning a championship, the Bengals have to do
really well if they're going to pay all these players
top of the top of the end money, which again
that's that's the NFL I we share this toy the
Eagles the last four drafts. Oh god, this is why
they're good. Yes, they're good because they have Lane Johnson
and Jordan Malatta and and and but they're good because
(20:38):
all the young football players are impactful. Right, you have
to have that to win championships. And so yeah, the
Bengals can pay all these guys and they can send
everyone under the camp, but now the onus is on
them to add really good football players in the draft
to balance out the top of of of what you spend.
You can spend money on on Fregent's absolutely and on
your own guys. But now you have to draft develop
(21:00):
really well, which defensively they've been struggling like that. There's
a big hole there on defense for them.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Yeah, well that's the thing is I think we talk
about this in basketball a lot more than football. Where right,
we do talk about in football. But take like the
Phoenix Suns for instance. They have like these high priced
you know, guys like KD. Devin Booker, and they don't
have great depth and that hurts them a lot. That's
(21:27):
why they're hovering around a five hundred team that's just
trying to get into the playoffs, you know. So it
works the same way with a football team in the NFL,
where yeah, you can have some high priced guys that
you give second third contracts to. You can have some
high price free agents, but you've got to be able
to draft and develop well because those are the cheap guys.
(21:47):
You got to have good cheap guys on your team.
If you've got a bunch of high priced guys, and
the more high priced guys you have, the less margin
for error you have in terms of who you're selecting in.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
The draft, who your cheap guys are.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Because if you're swinging and missing on these cheap guys
and missing on draft picks. It's like, bro, you're not
gonna go anywhere. That's the way it works. And so
that's where I am with the Bengals. I just don't
think it makes sense to invest that much money in
two wide receivers. If you want to keep Jamar Chase, okay,
you want to have one top of the line receiver, great,
(22:23):
But to invest that much in T Higgins.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
I love t Higgins.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
I think he could be a legitimate number one receiver,
but I just don't think it makes sense to structure
your team that way when you need a lot of
help elsewhere. And these wide receiver drafts, Jeff, they're oftentimes
rich in talent, go young man, go cheap.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Wide receiver feels like the position of the National Football League,
where you are getting quality players later in the draft
that can play immediately in the end. Yes, that's like,
you know, if you get a fifth round offensive lineman, yeah,
a little bit of work defensive lineman, Yeah, it takes
a little bit of time. Quarterback wide receiver Puka Nakua
(23:04):
just like Boom Superstar. I mean, it happens all over
the field with this position, You're absolutely right. And look
Ross Tucker, you know former NFL off. It's a lineman
all over the media. He said the other day. That's interesting.
He said that the frettack is Unamerican, which I thought
was was pretty funny because it sort of is. It
(23:25):
limits the free market, right, And like I T Higgins
would make far more money in the open market. Like
I know, he said he wants to come back and whatnot,
but he will be the highest paid wide receiver in
fer He's not making what Jefferson makes, but like he
the Panthers. I mean, there's so many teams that could
use the T Higgins. Now, the question for me too
with T Higgins is I don't see him as a
(23:46):
one A. He's like a one B, right or two.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
I think he's I think he's a one B at worst.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
If a team pays him like a one A, is
that a mistake.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Well, time will tell, you know. I think that he
can be a legit one, but we'll see. You know,
he's been opposite Jamar Chase, he's had Joe Burrow as
his quarterback. There are a lot of situations where you
might be the one and you're the main guy getting
the top corner more times than not. And you might
have a quarterback that's not nearly as good as Joe Burrow,
(24:21):
and both of those things would contribute so well.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Actually won't have a quarterback as good as Joe Burrow
most likely because you're a high price free agent and
you typically you go those teams that aren't as good.
That's the way it works, right right the Frens. No
one likes that. I don't want to that great. Yeah,
they keep a green to at the players.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Jeez, Brian, well, yeah, to take a stand, man, I
think the Bengals it makes sense to franchise T Higgins
and trade him. Like I get that you don't want
to You don't want to lose him for nothing, but
like to to franchise him for one last go or
to franchise him with the hopes of extending him to
(24:59):
a long contract. I just you gotta spread the wealth
on your roster. I don't think that's the right way
real fast, Jeff, I looked at the twenty three draft
just in terms of wide receiver talent. Listen to all
these dudes. You mentioned Pokin Nakua. He's a fifth rounder
in that draft. But listen to the guys that have
contributed already, Jackson Smith and Jigba with the Seahawks. He's
(25:22):
a stud, he's a pro bowler already, Zay Flowers with
the Ravens, pro bowler, Jordan Addison with Minnesota, Jaden Reid
with the Packers, Rashie Rice with the Chiefs, who's done
really well. He was on track before he got hurt
to have a monster season. Tank Dell has made an
impact with the Texans.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
It goes on and on. Josh Downs with the Colts.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
So you can find talent throughout the NFL draft, And
although t Higgins is a really good player, it's just
not smart for the Bengals to go in that direction.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
You got other spots.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
You gotta address your defense sucked last year and you're
gonna bring it back and pay te all that money.
It's just not a smart approach.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Look the NFL, you know, you got have to make
tough decisions to win championships, right and you can't always
be stuck on you know again, like let's keep this
impact player, but can we use that money to get
other impact players or you know, this is often discussion
(26:26):
about running backs, right is you know, if you're gonna
pay running back twelve thirteen to fourteen million dollars. Can
I get two other or three other depth pieces that
might end up being more valuable to have those three
guys are paying the one running back right now? The
running back discussion to me, and this is my biggest
takeaway sort of from from this season, not one of them,
(26:47):
not all of them. I mean have more than one.
But is the idea that you know, if you add
a Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, Derek Henry to a
team that's already good that's sort of missing a running
back they're running back away, then that that player is
very much worth it. Because I'm in the camp of
don't pay running backs right second contract. But if you're
a team like that, everyone's the Giants that should have
(27:08):
paid Barkley. No, they shouldn't have what they're not Barklay
for winning anything, right, Like, they can't use Barkley correctly.
And so you know, that's a takeaway for me from
from the season is like again, so but he correct,
It's like correct. It's like it's like, you know, for
for for Derek Canyon's contract, I know we got nine million,
(27:29):
but if that nine million is used to get three
three depth pieces right on defense, like that might be
better for your team in the long run than paying
the running back. And so for t Higgins, if you say,
let's say he's gonna get twenty million, it's just even numbers, okay,
And that twenty million is not given to a wide receiver,
(27:51):
but instead you get you know, a defensive tackle, a linebacker,
and a cornerback yet mid level veteran deals. But that
makes you defense give up seven le less points a game,
three let's points a game like that to me might
be worth it because you can find a wide receiver
to your point in the draft or play Hickens.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
Be sure to catch live editions of two Pros and
a Cup of Joe with Brady Quinn, LeVar Errington, and
Jonas Knox weekdays at six am Eastern, three am Pacific.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
All right, Jeff, top three most interesting NBA storylines heading
forward this season? Right, so, the stretch run of the
regular season, the playoffs, and the not too distant future.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, what do you have on your list? We'll compare
notes here. What are your top three?
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Okay? Is Oklahoma City ready to win a championship?
Speaker 2 (28:44):
That's on my that's number three for me.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Okay, there we go. I mean that's not again least
they're not gonna We're not gonna have probably eleven different
topics here, But the NBA tends to be a league
one by players who your star players like played seven, eight,
nine years. It's not often the league is one with
younger teams. Now, those young teams can make playoff runs,
(29:08):
and they certainly can can have good postseasons, but the
Oklahoma City Thunder are still a young ish team.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Right, yeah, yeah, Look at s Gas.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Though he was drafted to twenty eighteen and he's played
a lot of basketball, he's sort of at the age
now where some of these players start winning their first championship. Right,
he's twenty six, I think if I think twenty seven
typically is the year where most of the superstars win
their first championship. So's he's right there. But to me,
it's about like who is in the West gonna be
(29:41):
the one that gives them the most issues in the postseason,
And I don't know who that is right now, but
that's a storyline to watch, is again, you know, is
Oklahoma City ready for this moment? Now? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Well, and I also think it's they're a fun team
to watch and they're so young. That's the question is
are they ready? And think about this, you might not
be on the edge of your seat when it comes
to OKAC like oh thunder, but when the playoffs roll around,
Sga is just a scoring.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Metro, you know what I mean. He's good for thirty.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Just consistently, so consistent. And they're young guys. They're a
fun team to watch. They've been banged up and they're
still like the top team record wise, so that's impressive.
But yeah, with Jalen Williams and chet Holme Grin and
these young guns, are they ready to win it all?
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Right? Now? Yeah, that's gonna be one to watch for
sure quickly.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
I'm the chet Holme grid when I watch him play,
I mean, oh, stiff wins gonna blow him over? Is
is that type of player trustworthy of the postseason? Beau's
a little more physical, it's a little more a little
more elbowing and hip checking, and yeah, the refs let
those things know. I mean, he disappeared a lot of
(31:02):
times in the postseason last year because he just was
getting out physical and that worries me about him specifically.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Yeah, I get it, and we'll see. We'll see when
the playoffs roll around, if he's going to contribute or not.
But it's just the way the NBA has changed, like
the you know, the nuts, he would have no chance
to be like an impact player. Now he does. Now
he does because it's different. But hey, to your point,
we'll see. I feel like two and one are going
to be similar here. What's your like your number two storyline?
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Well, I was, I mean sort of. I guess maybe
they're almost the same. But I mean the Lakers at
some point are one of mine. But right they're sort
of like the West, right is the rest of the
West is like who who is gonna compete with Oklahoma City?
Because to me, it could be the Lakers, but I
(31:54):
I don't know. After the last two games, yeah, I
think I think people think it might be them. But
then again, Denver is right there as usual, right, I mean,
they're gonna be and have something to say here about
what happens in the West. So to me, the second
story line is sort of along with OKAC and the
Lakers and and and the West, it's like, who is
who's that contender? Who's oklohmen, the city have to vie
with to you know, to to yeah, to win the West.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
That's a good one because if you just look at
the West as a whole, it's a these teams are interesting. Okay,
So okay, sees the top dog in the West right
now record wise.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Then it's like, who steps up to really challenge them?
Could it be Memphis?
Speaker 4 (32:33):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Could it be Denver? Yeah? Could it be the Rockets? Maybe?
You know, what is it? The Lakers or Clippers or
the Rockets?
Speaker 4 (32:39):
To the Rockets, I think are too new to the postseason.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
A little too young. Yeah, like this is sort of there. Uh,
They're they're welcome to the playoffs moment. Maybe they win
a first round series.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
And they are a good fade team this postseason. I
feel like it's it's hard your first year in the
situation to win a playoff series. It depends what they
played Round one, but like even earlier, just the Lakers.
I like the Lakers a lot in that series.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
They feel a little bit like the Timberwolves a couple
of years ago. Remember when they won the play in
and Pat bev was jumping on the scorer's table and
they're just way did it's like, yeah, you qualified for
the playoffs. Yeah, it feels a little bit like the Rockets,
and they're talented, but this is a try hard regular
(33:27):
season team.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
I don't mean that as a bad thing.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
They're competing, right, they're trying to make a name for themselves.
But when the other teams start competing on your same
level come playoff time, that's when you see tryhard regular
season teams come back to the pack.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
I think that's what you're gonna see there.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Yeah, I would go just my specific teams. Look my
number two it's it's the trade, right My number two
storyline is the Dallas Mavericks. Like one, are they gonna
make the playoffs after trading Luka Doncic?
Speaker 2 (33:59):
You get Anthony Davis. He's hurt right now?
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Are you gonna qualify for the postseason? Because making a
trade like that and then missing the playoffs, that might happen.
It can't happen for him, it might happen. And the
number one storyline, it's it's gotta be the Lakers. It's
getting Luka Doncic. Does it mesh with Lebron? You don't
have a front line right now? How far did they
(34:23):
go and it's a it's a glamour franchise, you know,
so you make a trade for a superstar and like
last night, Like last night, it's a big story against
the Charlotte Hornets because they lost. You know, they are
the team to watch storyline wise.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
The yeah, yeah, yes they are. I have one more
I sort of have one more story. I didn't rank
my story, so yeah, I don't know. But the Lakers thing,
so they made the trade for Luca also knowing that
we're gonna do something at center because they had to,
and because it's the trade got nullified, the Mark Williams trade.
(35:04):
I feel like it's an incomplete grade for what happened,
Like yeah, because that was going to be part of
the deal, was that they were trading away Anthony Davis
and they were gonna have to get a center, and
they thought they made the trade. If if you had
Mark Williams and you had a d and Lebron and Luca,
like you would be all about you'd be all about
(35:28):
the Lakers, right, like they they get a it'd be
a plus. But because they don't have Mark Williams and
they got they got Alex Lynn right, that's yeah. Their
senator is now it's incomplete to me, Like, I don't
know how you grade that trade. It's an A plus
trade obviously, but just the whole, the whole idea of
what they want to be because they were able to
(35:50):
finish the process, and so that's gonna hurt them. Now
next year, obviously they'll have they'll have a center, I
would imagine, and they'll look much different. But it's it's
hard to see them having the success they want because
they were able to finish that. Really what they want
to do with the entire trade.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Process, yep, right, it would be kind of like getting
a brand new sports car that's Luca, like high end,
top of the line sports car. But you're like, it
just doesn't have tires right now. Yeah, You're like, okay,
well it really doesn't. It doesn't do much. We gotta
get tires for this to really work out. Like, you
(36:26):
gotta have some big dudes, you gotta have some rim
protection in a front line. They don't have front like
Alex lenn Is not helping their front line be anything
come playoff time.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
So that's why I think they're they're a little bit
of a It's tough to see them in the post
hamming success, but they want Okay, the last thing I
have Brian for story lines, sure is basically the New
York Knicks. Are they gonna spoil sort of the Celtics
Calves potential meeting in the East. The Knicks are fun
to watch. They feel like you're talking about nineties basketball earlier,
(36:58):
Like they feel like the nineties back. Yeah. Physical, and
they play their butts off every single night, like every
single game for them is like the most important game
of the season. We know that last year they gave
the Celtics a little bit of a push, but work
good enough because of the d injuries they had. Are
they the team to spoil what looks like a Boston
(37:23):
Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (37:25):
No, I like that one. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
And even if you look at you were looked at
the West like who's challenging the Thunder, you could look
at the East like who's taking it away from the Celtics,
you know, like the defending champs. Is there a team
in the East that can dethrone them? The Calves have
had a great season, they have the same record as
the Oklahoma City Thunder, But do you fully trust them
(37:47):
come playoff time? I think they have to earn that
for you to truly buy in. So is it gonna
be the Calves or somebody else that takes it away
from the Celtics in the East. And I agree with
you As far as the Knicks their feel, I think
a lot of it has to do with Tibbs is
a crazy man and plays his guys all these minutes.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
But also it's Brunson.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Brunson is such a good player, yes, but the way
he plays and the way he makes that team feel
it is it's like a throwback style where he's not
using this Ja Morant just sheer athleticism. He's just crafty,
you know, like he's got enough quickness, but he's sort
(38:28):
of like a miniature Luca in a way where he
just uses his body and he's not going incredibly fast,
but he gets to his spots and he's crafty enough
and skilled enough where he gets a shot off all
the time, you know, but he takes hits, he's banged,
he's on the floor. It just feels like more of
(38:49):
a nineties style, but he's incredibly effective.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
I love Jalen Brunt.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
He's a lot of fun to watch. And obviously we'll
see if there are that teams that the throw I
don't see anyone in the East, you know, the Pacers,
the Bucks. Maybe if they you'll get things to It
does feel like it it's those couple of teams in
the East. But again, like I want to see if
there's a team that can you know, if it's the
Knicks or someone to take down Boston or Cleveland. I
(39:15):
do you see Cleveland beating Boston in a I don't.
I don't think.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
To me, it's it's a little like a Chiefs thing
with Boston, right, Like Boston just sort of cruising through
the regular season, and so my question is can they
just crank it up come playoff time or have they
been coasting for so long that it's just harder to
(39:44):
do that.
Speaker 4 (39:46):
Well, they're they're interested because they're a new champion, Like
they're not a multiple time champion. They've had played the
finals before, so it's like they haven't been in this
position before. But with the Chiefs, it's because of what
they've done in years past. We trust them right right, right,
(40:07):
Boston doesn't have that that equity built up quite yet. Sure,
so I understand these cepticism of what Boston could do
in the postseason. But again, the NBA earlier does feel
very much like a league where getting in is the
most important thing and we can figure out later. There's
many examples for this. But you know, the Warriors, it
(40:29):
was their last championship. Remember, like Wiggins was hurt all
year and we were like and they came back the
last week of the season that the starting five and
only played you know, three games together, and then all
of a sudden they win a championship. Sometimes you have
to get in and figure it out. And for Boston,
I think you would like to see them play better
down the stretch here and make you feel, you know
a lot better about their chances to repeat as a champion.
(40:50):
It's hard to repeat, man, everyone every night you're getting
everyone's best game. It's hard to do it.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
And well that's the thing with the Calves that I
find interesting. They're a fun team to watch. They've had
a lot of success. Their offense has been really good,
but come playoff time, as good as Donovan Mitchell is,
sometimes Spider just flat out disappears. And it's really hard
when your star, your leader, just disappears. I mean, there
(41:18):
are some games where Jason Tatum has an off shooting
game for the Celtics, but they have so much he does.
Speaker 4 (41:25):
But he also he also gets a ton of rebounds
and assist in them.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
That's right, that's right. He finds ways to impact the
game beyond.
Speaker 4 (41:33):
The reason I know is because our our friend Bill Krackenberger,
I have figured out the way Sharp's bet on the
NBA catching the postseason. They wait on the same day.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
They don't bet on Sam Sam howser is that.
Speaker 4 (41:44):
What he But they've been the same thing every game,
Like he he bet on Tatum rebounds and assist over
I nearly every game of the postseason. Yeah, because he'll
get like it's normally fourteen and a half. It's an
insane number, but he will get there because that's will
do other things besides score points and games. And yeah,
you're not getting that obviously with with Mitchell, you're not
(42:06):
getting fifteen assistant rebounds. That's right.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
No, it's a good point. And the same thing with
Darius Garland, who's really good.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
But if he's just got.
Speaker 4 (42:14):
Him last year, some games he did four points.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
Right, he just has an off game offensively, Yeah, that's right.
I'm really excited about the Cavs in the postseason because
they've got some strengths, but they have noticeable weaknesses and Boston.
That's the thing, man, When you can crank up your
defense like Boston can, it's like, Holy they were playing Philly.
(42:40):
I know, eye rolls like, oh my gosh, the Sixers,
but they're playing Philly and they were getting smoked. They
were losing by twenty some points, and they're just like,
you know what, let's play defense. And all of a sudden, Philly,
who was scoring like crazy, they could not score.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
They're just like, I guess that's it for our Orrington night.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
That's what Boston can do to you. And to play
at that elite level, it takes a lot out of you.
I understand you're not going to do that for a
full eighty two game season. So when they really crank
it up, they're the opposite of a tryhard regular season team,
This is the best of two pros and a couple
Joe when Lamar airings, Rating Winn and Jonas Knox on
Box Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Jeff Schwartz always good to be with you, buddy.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Yeah, I hope your morning is going better than the
Lakers last night, because your morning would be a wreck
if it was the equivalent of last night with your
purple and gold. Not a good way to start the
second half. Not a good way.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Not a good way for a second half. Great way
to start this morning with you and our listeners. So
good morning everyone, No morning is great. Got my coffee.
My my daughter got me a You're never too old
to need your dad mug for Honukkah. Very sweet, So
I'm using my Yeah, my little eight and a half
year old. She still loves us. No, she still likes
(00:47):
to snuggle and hang out. And I'm sure it's gonna
change one day, but I'm gonna I got my little
mug here and a little coffee and then, yes, I
woke up this morning. I live on the East Coast
to a Lakers loss again. They lost to Utah before
the break and lost the Hornets last night. Who who
stinks the Hornets are not very good and you can
(01:10):
chalk it up I think to obviously Luca figuring out
his role on the team. But I do think that
that hole in the middle of their team at center
is going to be a problem, right, Like we know
that And the answer was supposed to be the guy
of the Hornets, And so okay, what do we know
of the of the Charlotte Hornets? Basically the challenge of
(01:32):
the physical Like is I've never heard this before? Is
it like dead? Like, are they gonna the Lakers gonna
end up with Mark Williams because the arbitrar decides that
he's actually healthy. I mean, there's a weird thing around
this where the Hornets did not accept that he feels physical.
But look, the Lakers have plenty of time to figure
this all out. But you're right, when you trade for
(01:54):
someone like Luca, I think you expect immediate gratification. It
just hasn't happened.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Yet, No, it has and Luca, I mean just trying
to find his legs. They showed him on the bench
and obviously during the game, and this guy is just
like beat red.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You know, it stands out even more. I think wearing gold.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I don't know if it's kind of like you ever
see those people that they're in like a snowy area
and they have like the little reflector they put up
to their face, you know, to get some That's that's
what Luca looks like.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
He just beat Red.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I could just picture Nico Harrison like say say like
non shape, say say see look at that guy, and
he's just trying to find his conditioning. Here Luca shot
five for eighteen from the field. Yesterday he was one
for nine from three. But listen to the rebounds are
there eleven of them? The assists are there eight of them.
He's just got to find his shooting touch, which he will,
(02:47):
but it is embarrassing. That was a standalone game for
the NBA and the Lakers start the second half by
losing at home to the Charlotte Hornets. I love the
call here on a Spectrum Sports net listen to. It's
always interesting listening to these guys because they do a
great job. But the very end where Stu Lance puts
(03:09):
like the little like the period on what happened last night,
It's not like the Hornets even played well, that's the thing,
Like they stunk and they still they still ended up
winning the game.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Here was the call. At the end, Lakers are down
by two.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Here's Lebron gonna get a good lookout. Charlotte holds on
and wins on the road. Strange loss or strange win
for the Hornets. You're on the road, You're not a
good road team by any stretch. You shoot thirty eight
(03:44):
percent from the field and you win the game.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yeah, Charlotte.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
When the Lakers came to Charlotte about a month ago,
went to the game, and they've told you this, Brian,
a lot of fun Lakers one it was ad Was
had twenty one and eleven the first quarter. It was incredible.
But Stu Lance was was there obviously, who was the
longtime Lakers color guy. Yeah, And I was telling my
buddy that I was there with I'm like, Stu Lance
(04:10):
has been doing this with the Lakers longer than I've
been alive. Wow, he has been the Lakers. He's been
the Lakers analyst I think since like the early eighties
with Chick hern and then moved to TV eventually. But yeah,
he's like a thick. I mean, he's been there forever.
It's kind of a while to have that job for
that many years, considering like the travel on the road
(04:31):
and all things that were required to be someone who
travels with the team and the eight team. And he's
gone every every single you know, every week.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah, limit thirty five years for Stu Lance and just
he and Bilt.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
It was a little bit wrong there, so he's close.
I had three years on him.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Yeah, you're a toddler, you know, you're a toddler at
that time. And just Bill McDonald and Stu they've worked
together for this is their twelfth season, you know, like
I actually actually a little bit longer than that. So yeah,
you're right, No, this is you're right, Jeff, this is
like year thirty. You're completely right. Yeah, And those guys
have worked together for about fifteen years or so. They
(05:09):
do a great job. I love the Lakers broadcast. If
you would like you like coffee in the morning, Jeff,
for you.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
A coffee guy at Allah?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Oh yeah yeah, big time.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Okay, well this is your splash of coffee via like
a play by play call. Eric Collins, who I love
is just complete energy. But this was the Charlotte Hornets call.
I love this because you can tell when lebron is
open for a three instead of Charlotte fowling and he's like,
oh no, he loses it for a second.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Check this out.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Lakers do not have a time out, folks. This is it.
Lakers have to get it in James Watson, Oh.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
No, shit, shit, your.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Charlotte Horns win here in La.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
And Eric has a lot of energy. Is fantastic, he
really does.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
And that's good, especially for a franchise that's, you know,
just losing and losing. It's good to have that positivity,
you know. And they stand out, like his calls are
all over the place, a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
I enjoy him.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
But you know, what do you think about the Lakers
in the second half here as they you know, try
to get in position for the playoffs and beyond what
do you think about them? And you mentioned like rint
protection kind of an issue, size, sort of an issue, frontline,
big time issue, no A D.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
So that's a big problem going forward right now.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Well, look the way I look at the at the
NBA is like a lot of sports where if you
have sort of a veteran team and I'm not Lakers
have a veteran team. They have a veteran leader right
in Lebron and Lucas play a lot of basketball. I mean,
they have guys that played ball, but they're not i
would say an oldish team, but they've done the playoffs before.
(06:57):
Is is just you got to you gotta get it right, Like,
just get in and you can figure it out. We've
seen it all over sports where that happens. You know,
you might not be playing your best ball, but you
get in and you figure things out. I think that's
where the Lakers are right now. Where you know, if
you are, you know, Lebron and Luca. Your goal from
(07:17):
here until the end of the regular season is figuring
out a rotation that works for the postseason. Right It's
figuring out you know who gets the ball in situations,
figure out who does what and when, and it's figured
out obviously you know who's playing defense in the middle.
How are we getting some work there inside? And then
enter the postseason feeling good about your team because look,
(07:41):
being the five seed, the sixth seed, as long as
you're not to play in team, to me, it does
not matter, right. I mean people will say, well, you know,
they don't want to play a certain team in the
first round, but you got to play those teams anyway.
At some point right, Brian, Like, you don't have to
play I think the Nuggets right now where they play
the Nuggets first, right, who they cannot beat. Ever, you
might have to play, but at some point right like
you have to beat the best story they not they're
(08:03):
not the best, but the team that you you know
you can just avoid everyone, right. So that's my goal
for the Lakers is when you enter the postseason, you're
feeling good about where you sort of are as a team.
The seed, to me is less important than feeling good
about how things look with with Luca and with Lebron
(08:23):
and and sort of your interior defense. Because they're a
veteran team, like they've been here before, they don't have
to have the one seed. They don't have to have
the seed to me is less relevant. I don't know
how you feel about that, but that's sort of where
I sit with how I think the Lakers have to be,
which is, by the way, a veteran team. Mike, I'm
saying this about the Chiefs, like just getting the postseason right,
it doesn't matter where you are, just get in. I
feel that way a lot with the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I hear you to a point, because the only thing
is and I get it. I don't disagree with feeling
good about yourself and you know, clicking at the right
time and all that stuff. But the more that you
fall like that the game last night, you dropped half
a game. When you're trying to get to the four seed,
like you're trying to surpass the Rockets, you know, like
getting the top four seeds, that's good to have home court,
(09:07):
like you're playing a best of seven series. I'd rather
be at home if we're facing the Rockets than on
the road, you know what I mean. Like so that
I hear you, I'm not disagreeing. I just I wouldn't
be as casual with seeding as some teams are. Like
to your point, some teams are just like, Eh, who cares,
Let's just get into the tournaments, get into the playoffs
(09:28):
and feel healthy, and that's more important than our seed.
A lot more times than not, it seems like that's
the way they approach it. But if you're giving me
a choice between hey, you get home court and the
best of seven, or you don't get home court and
the first two games are on the road, I'd rather
have home.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
Court against Atlanta, though it feels like less important than
maybe like Denver, right, because I mean Atlanta. To me,
they've not been in the spot before. How good are
they going to be in this situation? I feel like,
if you know Denver obviously, who you could not beat,
I think having one ear game at home will probably
feel a little bit better for you. So that's again
(10:04):
I agree with you. It's home court. Home field doesn't
matter most in basketball, still I think it does, right
because the officials. I know that there's numbers out there
that say it might not influence them that much, but
very clearly, if you're at home, you get more calls.
I think that's right. That's that's the case because football,
we've seen in the NFL it matter less and less
(10:25):
over the years, right, home crew, manage baseball, it's baseball,
no matter what you play. Hockey does not even matter
as much, but it does seem like still in basketball
matters a lot.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Right, Yeah, I think so?
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Especially?
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah, No, I think so absolutely. Your home rims, the field,
the backdrop. You know they're bombing from three, you know,
so I'd rather be at home and feel more comfortable
and more used to your surroundings.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
The one in college basketball is crazy is they use
different balls depending on who your sponsor is at home.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
That's pretty crazy.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
So if you're a Nike team, you have a Nike
ball at home, you go play an Adidas team, you
might have a Wilson ball.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Wow, yeah, it's kind of I.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Mean, the same ball, but just like kind of crazy.
That's the way it works.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
It is. It is wild like that. And the lost
last night.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
I couldn't help but think of our guy Bill Krakenberger, Right,
we worked with him on Sundays here on Fox Sports
Radio for Countdown.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
I didn't do it, Brian, you didn't.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
You didn't fade the Lakers in the second half.
Speaker 4 (11:27):
Here goes against my rule.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Yeah, well, hey, that's your squad. I get that. Nothing
wrong with that. But he took the season win total
under after they acquired Luca. And this is why crack
is successful.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
You know, talking about the tonight the Blazers number.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Well yeah, oh yeah, we're on the Blazers already tonight.
I haven't looked it. Do you know where it's at
right now?
Speaker 4 (11:52):
No, I'm said over last night. So take take him
four and a half. Take the the Blazers four.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
I did.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I jumped on it. It was to four, but I'm like, yeah, whatever,
three and a half now, okay, So it's moving a
little bit. Shockingly, he's on the He's got the best
of the number. That's weird, that never happens, but yeah,
he's on the Lakers. Before last night's game, their season
win total was at forty nine and a half and
(12:18):
going into the game they were thirty two and twenty,
which means if you're on the over right, they would
have to go at least eighteen and twelve down the
stretch here, and so they lose last night. Now they're
gonna have to go eighteen and eleven to hit the over.
So if you're on the under, last night's result was beautiful.
(12:40):
They lost to a bottom feeder team and the Hornets.
They're tied with Phoenix for the hardest strength of schedule remaining,
so under on the Lakers might.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
End up being the right side.
Speaker 6 (12:52):
So be sure to catch live editions of Two Pros
and a Cup of Joe with Brady Quinn, LeVar Errington
and Jonas Knox Weekday said six am Eastern, three am
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
We Got Ball Ball is on the ball at all times,
always on the brain.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
So we have between now and four pm Eastern on
March fourth, where all these thirty two teams they're permitted
to apply a franchise tag yes to one of their
pending free agents. So the big ones are the big names,
a couple of them. T Higgins with the Bengals, Stefan
(13:33):
Digs with the Texans. We'll start with the wide receivers.
First things first, what do you think about that? So
Stefan Diggs coming off an ACL tear, T Higgins, he
might get slapped with the franchise tag while they're trying
to work out a deal for Jamar Chase. Jamar Chase
is gonna make around forty million dollars a year, you know,
like he's a triple Crown winner. Yeah, and they're thinking
(13:54):
about using a franchise tag to the tune of about
twenty five million dollars even for one year.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Do you like that idea? With T Higgins?
Speaker 4 (14:02):
So the salary cap is continue to explode. It went
up another like twenty million over projection. It's insane. So
there definitely is rude with the Bengals want to do it.
I I just if you're in a page of mar
Chase I am sure the structure of the deal so
where they can afford T Higgins, they're gonna pay Trey
(14:23):
Hendrickson once they have to do. You know, a one
year deal for T Higgins is not not great for
the books, so they got it. So it's it's basically
a play like the franchise tag is always a placeholder.
Neither the player nor the team wants the franchise tag
to be used. But the player wants a long term contract, okay,
(14:45):
and the team wants a cap flexibility of a long
term contract because that that that cap pit goes immediately
to your salary cap. And you know, the way NFL
contract are structured is you can, you know, mess with
the numbers to make a cap pit much lower then
it would be otherwise, not with the franchise tag. Brian,
you know this. I'm not say anything that you don't
(15:06):
know that you know, the franchise tag the number is
what it is in the salary cap. So it's a placeholder.
So the Bengals would like to get a deal done
with with T. Higgins. Also blocks other teams obviously from
who making a plant Higgins, who I think would make
more money in the open market. Than with the Bengals.
But we'll find out obviously what his deal ends up
being if he gets there. But to me, it's just
a placeholder for the Bengals who want to keep those
(15:29):
guys together. The question I have about the Bengals is
is is Jamar, Chase, T Higgins and Trey Hendrickson enough
to win a championship? And the answer I think would
be no. But the question is if you don't pay
t Higgins, what do you do about your second wide receiver?
And what do you do to fix the defense? Because
(15:49):
the defense has to be fixed. So if you're using
that money that you would save by not paying Tea
on four defenders that might be better for your long
term success, then it would be to pay to Higgins, right,
So that's part of the equation is if you're not
gonna send the money on him, what do you spending
on The money has to be spent, There's there's a
(16:09):
spending floor has to be met. I'm always sort of
of the opinion that if you have superstars that you've drafted,
you should probably try to find a way to pay
them and keep them because that's the way you build
your team, and that's sort of the best way often
to build your team. So I get what you're doing.
But this also comes back to the idea, there's there's
(16:30):
two ways to spend money on your team, right, Brian.
The first way is is what we know of, right,
Guys a contract and that contract is whatever it is,
and they're paid, and that's the end of it. Right.
The other way to do it is you sign guys
to a contract and you you convert their base salary
(16:51):
essentially right to a signing bonus, and you pay the
player the signing bonus. And when you do that, you
can adjust a salary can right. So let's say that
a player is a has a ten million dollar capt
for next season. Well, if you pay, if you if
you convert that that ten million dollars and you pay
them nine million to signing bonus asap, you can spread
(17:12):
out nine million dollars Brian, over three more years, and
that manages your cap a lot better. But you have
to be willing to spend the cash to do that.
You have to have the cash on hand to spend it, right,
Because again, if you're if you're going to convert nine
million dollars to signing bonus, it's got to be paid now.
And that's where the hold up is for a lot
of the teams. They don't want to spend the cash
(17:33):
immediately to pay for these players, Brian, and because the
Eagles do that, and that's how the Eagles afford everyone, right,
they pay cash and they can adjust their cap that way.
So even if the Bengals do all these things, like,
they have to at some point start paying these players
in cash to afford to pay everyone because they need
(17:54):
a lot of good football players. And the Chiefs have
to do that with Mahomes this year, Like, there are
a lot of teams that have to make these adjustment
to get him to the cap.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Well, the thing that stands out to me is your
first question, which is can the Bengals win a Super
Bowl with you know, Burrow Chase, t Higgins, Trey Hendrickson.
And what's funny is my mind immediately goes to, well,
hey man, in the twenty one season, they were a
couple of plays away from the Rams. Yeah, and they
(18:25):
were a couple of plays away against the Rams with
almost all those dudes on rookie deals, Okay, like Burrow Higgins,
Jamar Chase, they're on rookie deals. That's what changes the
math so much. Trey Hendrickson he was a rookie in
twenty seventeen. Burrow and T Higgins they're both from twenty twenty,
and Jamar Chase was a year later in twenty twenty one.
(18:49):
So the nucleus of your team, like your stud quarterback,
your two stud wide receivers, they were all on rookie deals. Yeah,
and now they would all be on like top of
the market type deals.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
That changes everything. So your first.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Question is can the Bengals win it all paying all
of those dudes?
Speaker 2 (19:10):
And I think the answer is no.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
This is why it's so important to hit the ground
running with content with young contracts, because you know, when
you start paying all these guys, the math becomes difficult
in keeping everyone right. But also then there's more onus
(19:33):
on your ability to draft and develop right because you
have to be able to now draft these guys if
you pay T. Higgins and Jamar Chase, Traders and Joe
Burrow and like you didn't have to make sure that
you are able to to draft and develop other places,
which is what Kansas City, by the way, has done
so well over the years, right, Like they have drafted
(19:54):
and developed very well, which allows them to pay Patrick
Mahomes and Chris Jones of Travis Kelcey and and Creed
Humphrey and still have a good team. So if you
do this, the Bengals didn't have to really make sure
that that that they sort of develop the players around
these other guys to then and which comes to drafting
(20:15):
and all, like all the things that are that are
important to winning a championship, the Bengals have to do
really well if they're going to pay all these players
top of the top of the end money, which again
that's that's the NFL I we share this toy the
Eagles the last four drafts. Oh god, this is why
they're good. Yes, they're good because they have Lane Johnson
and Jordan Malatta and and and but they're good because
(20:38):
all the young football players are impactful. Right, you have
to have that to win championships. And so yeah, the
Bengals can pay all these guys and they can send
everyone under the camp, but now the onus is on
them to add really good football players in the draft
to balance out the top of of of what you spend.
You can spend money on on Fregent's absolutely and on
your own guys. But now you have to draft develop
(21:00):
really well, which defensively they've been struggling like that. There's
a big hole there on defense for them.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Yeah, well that's the thing is I think we talk
about this in basketball a lot more than football. Where right,
we do talk about in football. But take like the
Phoenix Suns for instance. They have like these high priced
you know, guys like KD. Devin Booker, and they don't
have great depth and that hurts them a lot. That's
(21:27):
why they're hovering around a five hundred team that's just
trying to get into the playoffs, you know. So it
works the same way with a football team in the NFL,
where yeah, you can have some high priced guys that
you give second third contracts to. You can have some
high price free agents, but you've got to be able
to draft and develop well because those are the cheap guys.
(21:47):
You got to have good cheap guys on your team.
If you've got a bunch of high priced guys, and
the more high priced guys you have, the less margin
for error you have in terms of who you're selecting in.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
The draft, who your cheap guys are.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Because if you're swinging and missing on these cheap guys
and missing on draft picks. It's like, bro, you're not
gonna go anywhere. That's the way it works. And so
that's where I am with the Bengals. I just don't
think it makes sense to invest that much money in
two wide receivers. If you want to keep Jamar Chase, okay,
you want to have one top of the line receiver, great,
(22:23):
But to invest that much in T Higgins.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
I love t Higgins.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
I think he could be a legitimate number one receiver,
but I just don't think it makes sense to structure
your team that way when you need a lot of
help elsewhere. And these wide receiver drafts, Jeff, they're oftentimes
rich in talent, go young man, go cheap.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Wide receiver feels like the position of the National Football League,
where you are getting quality players later in the draft
that can play immediately in the end. Yes, that's like,
you know, if you get a fifth round offensive lineman, yeah,
a little bit of work defensive lineman, Yeah, it takes
a little bit of time. Quarterback wide receiver Puka Nakua
(23:04):
just like Boom Superstar. I mean, it happens all over
the field with this position, You're absolutely right. And look
Ross Tucker, you know former NFL off. It's a lineman
all over the media. He said the other day. That's interesting.
He said that the frettack is Unamerican, which I thought
was was pretty funny because it sort of is. It
(23:25):
limits the free market, right, And like I T Higgins
would make far more money in the open market. Like
I know, he said he wants to come back and whatnot,
but he will be the highest paid wide receiver in
fer He's not making what Jefferson makes, but like he
the Panthers. I mean, there's so many teams that could
use the T Higgins. Now, the question for me too
with T Higgins is I don't see him as a
(23:46):
one A. He's like a one B, right or two.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
I think he's I think he's a one B at worst.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
If a team pays him like a one A, is
that a mistake.
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Well, time will tell, you know. I think that he
can be a legit one, but we'll see. You know,
he's been opposite Jamar Chase, he's had Joe Burrow as
his quarterback. There are a lot of situations where you
might be the one and you're the main guy getting
the top corner more times than not. And you might
have a quarterback that's not nearly as good as Joe Burrow,
(24:21):
and both of those things would contribute so well.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Actually won't have a quarterback as good as Joe Burrow
most likely because you're a high price free agent and
you typically you go those teams that aren't as good.
That's the way it works, right right the Frens. No
one likes that. I don't want to that great. Yeah,
they keep a green to at the players.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Jeez, Brian, well, yeah, to take a stand, man, I
think the Bengals it makes sense to franchise T Higgins
and trade him. Like I get that you don't want
to You don't want to lose him for nothing, but
like to to franchise him for one last go or
to franchise him with the hopes of extending him to
(24:59):
a long contract. I just you gotta spread the wealth
on your roster. I don't think that's the right way
real fast, Jeff, I looked at the twenty three draft
just in terms of wide receiver talent. Listen to all
these dudes. You mentioned Pokin Nakua. He's a fifth rounder
in that draft. But listen to the guys that have
contributed already, Jackson Smith and Jigba with the Seahawks. He's
(25:22):
a stud, he's a pro bowler already, Zay Flowers with
the Ravens, pro bowler, Jordan Addison with Minnesota, Jaden Reid
with the Packers, Rashie Rice with the Chiefs, who's done
really well. He was on track before he got hurt
to have a monster season. Tank Dell has made an
impact with the Texans.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
It goes on and on. Josh Downs with the Colts.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
So you can find talent throughout the NFL draft, And
although t Higgins is a really good player, it's just
not smart for the Bengals to go in that direction.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
You got other spots.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
You gotta address your defense sucked last year and you're
gonna bring it back and pay te all that money.
It's just not a smart approach.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
Look the NFL, you know, you got have to make
tough decisions to win championships, right and you can't always
be stuck on you know again, like let's keep this
impact player, but can we use that money to get
other impact players or you know, this is often discussion
(26:26):
about running backs, right is you know, if you're gonna
pay running back twelve thirteen to fourteen million dollars. Can
I get two other or three other depth pieces that
might end up being more valuable to have those three
guys are paying the one running back right now? The
running back discussion to me, and this is my biggest
takeaway sort of from from this season, not one of them,
(26:47):
not all of them. I mean have more than one.
But is the idea that you know, if you add
a Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, Derek Henry to a
team that's already good that's sort of missing a running
back they're running back away, then that that player is
very much worth it. Because I'm in the camp of
don't pay running backs right second contract. But if you're
a team like that, everyone's the Giants that should have
(27:08):
paid Barkley. No, they shouldn't have what they're not Barklay
for winning anything, right, Like, they can't use Barkley correctly.
And so you know, that's a takeaway for me from
from the season is like again, so but he correct,
It's like correct. It's like it's like, you know, for
for for Derek Canyon's contract, I know we got nine million,
(27:29):
but if that nine million is used to get three
three depth pieces right on defense, like that might be
better for your team in the long run than paying
the running back. And so for t Higgins, if you say,
let's say he's gonna get twenty million, it's just even numbers, okay,
And that twenty million is not given to a wide receiver,
(27:51):
but instead you get you know, a defensive tackle, a linebacker,
and a cornerback yet mid level veteran deals. But that
makes you defense give up seven le less points a game,
three let's points a game like that to me might
be worth it because you can find a wide receiver
to your point in the draft or play Hickens.
Speaker 6 (28:09):
Be sure to catch live editions of two Pros and
a Cup of Joe with Brady Quinn, LeVar Errington, and
Jonas Knox weekdays at six am Eastern, three am Pacific.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
All right, Jeff, top three most interesting NBA storylines heading
forward this season? Right, so, the stretch run of the
regular season, the playoffs, and the not too distant future.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah, what do you have on your list? We'll compare
notes here. What are your top three?
Speaker 4 (28:38):
Okay? Is Oklahoma City ready to win a championship?
Speaker 2 (28:44):
That's on my that's number three for me.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
Okay, there we go. I mean that's not again least
they're not gonna We're not gonna have probably eleven different
topics here, But the NBA tends to be a league
one by players who your star players like played seven, eight,
nine years. It's not often the league is one with
younger teams. Now, those young teams can make playoff runs,
(29:08):
and they certainly can can have good postseasons, but the
Oklahoma City Thunder are still a young ish team.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Right, yeah, yeah, Look at s Gas.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Though he was drafted to twenty eighteen and he's played
a lot of basketball, he's sort of at the age
now where some of these players start winning their first championship. Right,
he's twenty six, I think if I think twenty seven
typically is the year where most of the superstars win
their first championship. So's he's right there. But to me,
it's about like who is in the West gonna be
(29:41):
the one that gives them the most issues in the postseason,
And I don't know who that is right now, but
that's a storyline to watch, is again, you know, is
Oklahoma City ready for this moment? Now? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (29:56):
Well, and I also think it's they're a fun team
to watch and they're so young. That's the question is
are they ready? And think about this, you might not
be on the edge of your seat when it comes
to OKAC like oh thunder, but when the playoffs roll around,
Sga is just a scoring.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Metro, you know what I mean. He's good for thirty.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Just consistently, so consistent. And they're young guys. They're a
fun team to watch. They've been banged up and they're
still like the top team record wise, so that's impressive.
But yeah, with Jalen Williams and chet Holme Grin and
these young guns, are they ready to win it all?
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Right? Now? Yeah, that's gonna be one to watch for
sure quickly.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
I'm the chet Holme grid when I watch him play,
I mean, oh, stiff wins gonna blow him over? Is
is that type of player trustworthy of the postseason? Beau's
a little more physical, it's a little more a little
more elbowing and hip checking, and yeah, the refs let
those things know. I mean, he disappeared a lot of
(31:02):
times in the postseason last year because he just was
getting out physical and that worries me about him specifically.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
Yeah, I get it, and we'll see. We'll see when
the playoffs roll around, if he's going to contribute or not.
But it's just the way the NBA has changed, like
the you know, the nuts, he would have no chance
to be like an impact player. Now he does. Now
he does because it's different. But hey, to your point,
we'll see. I feel like two and one are going
to be similar here. What's your like your number two storyline?
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Well, I was, I mean sort of. I guess maybe
they're almost the same. But I mean the Lakers at
some point are one of mine. But right they're sort
of like the West, right is the rest of the
West is like who who is gonna compete with Oklahoma City?
Because to me, it could be the Lakers, but I
(31:54):
I don't know. After the last two games, yeah, I
think I think people think it might be them. But
then again, Denver is right there as usual, right, I mean,
they're gonna be and have something to say here about
what happens in the West. So to me, the second
story line is sort of along with OKAC and the
Lakers and and and the West, it's like, who is
who's that contender? Who's oklohmen, the city have to vie
with to you know, to to yeah, to win the West.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
That's a good one because if you just look at
the West as a whole, it's a these teams are interesting. Okay,
So okay, sees the top dog in the West right
now record wise.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Then it's like, who steps up to really challenge them?
Could it be Memphis?
Speaker 4 (32:33):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Could it be Denver? Yeah? Could it be the Rockets? Maybe?
You know, what is it? The Lakers or Clippers or
the Rockets?
Speaker 4 (32:39):
To the Rockets, I think are too new to the postseason.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
A little too young. Yeah, like this is sort of there. Uh,
They're they're welcome to the playoffs moment. Maybe they win
a first round series.
Speaker 4 (32:50):
And they are a good fade team this postseason. I
feel like it's it's hard your first year in the
situation to win a playoff series. It depends what they
played Round one, but like even earlier, just the Lakers.
I like the Lakers a lot in that series.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
They feel a little bit like the Timberwolves a couple
of years ago. Remember when they won the play in
and Pat bev was jumping on the scorer's table and
they're just way did it's like, yeah, you qualified for
the playoffs. Yeah, it feels a little bit like the Rockets,
and they're talented, but this is a try hard regular
(33:27):
season team.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
I don't mean that as a bad thing.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
They're competing, right, they're trying to make a name for themselves.
But when the other teams start competing on your same
level come playoff time, that's when you see tryhard regular
season teams come back to the pack.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
I think that's what you're gonna see there.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Yeah, I would go just my specific teams. Look my
number two it's it's the trade, right My number two
storyline is the Dallas Mavericks. Like one, are they gonna
make the playoffs after trading Luka Doncic?
Speaker 2 (33:59):
You get Anthony Davis. He's hurt right now?
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Are you gonna qualify for the postseason? Because making a
trade like that and then missing the playoffs, that might happen.
It can't happen for him, it might happen. And the
number one storyline, it's it's gotta be the Lakers. It's
getting Luka Doncic. Does it mesh with Lebron? You don't
have a front line right now? How far did they
(34:23):
go and it's a it's a glamour franchise, you know,
so you make a trade for a superstar and like
last night, Like last night, it's a big story against
the Charlotte Hornets because they lost. You know, they are
the team to watch storyline wise.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
The yeah, yeah, yes they are. I have one more
I sort of have one more story. I didn't rank
my story, so yeah, I don't know. But the Lakers thing,
so they made the trade for Luca also knowing that
we're gonna do something at center because they had to,
and because it's the trade got nullified, the Mark Williams trade.
(35:04):
I feel like it's an incomplete grade for what happened,
Like yeah, because that was going to be part of
the deal, was that they were trading away Anthony Davis
and they were gonna have to get a center, and
they thought they made the trade. If if you had
Mark Williams and you had a d and Lebron and Luca,
like you would be all about you'd be all about
(35:28):
the Lakers, right, like they they get a it'd be
a plus. But because they don't have Mark Williams and
they got they got Alex Lynn right, that's yeah. Their
senator is now it's incomplete to me, Like, I don't
know how you grade that trade. It's an A plus
trade obviously, but just the whole, the whole idea of
what they want to be because they were able to
(35:50):
finish the process, and so that's gonna hurt them. Now
next year, obviously they'll have they'll have a center, I
would imagine, and they'll look much different. But it's it's
hard to see them having the success they want because
they were able to finish that. Really what they want
to do with the entire trade.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Process, yep, right, it would be kind of like getting
a brand new sports car that's Luca, like high end,
top of the line sports car. But you're like, it
just doesn't have tires right now. Yeah, You're like, okay,
well it really doesn't. It doesn't do much. We gotta
get tires for this to really work out. Like, you
(36:26):
gotta have some big dudes, you gotta have some rim
protection in a front line. They don't have front like
Alex lenn Is not helping their front line be anything
come playoff time.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
So that's why I think they're they're a little bit
of a It's tough to see them in the post
hamming success, but they want Okay, the last thing I
have Brian for story lines, sure is basically the New
York Knicks. Are they gonna spoil sort of the Celtics
Calves potential meeting in the East. The Knicks are fun
to watch. They feel like you're talking about nineties basketball earlier,
(36:58):
Like they feel like the nineties back. Yeah. Physical, and
they play their butts off every single night, like every
single game for them is like the most important game
of the season. We know that last year they gave
the Celtics a little bit of a push, but work
good enough because of the d injuries they had. Are
they the team to spoil what looks like a Boston
(37:23):
Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (37:25):
No, I like that one. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
And even if you look at you were looked at
the West like who's challenging the Thunder, you could look
at the East like who's taking it away from the Celtics,
you know, like the defending champs. Is there a team
in the East that can dethrone them? The Calves have
had a great season, they have the same record as
the Oklahoma City Thunder, But do you fully trust them
(37:47):
come playoff time? I think they have to earn that
for you to truly buy in. So is it gonna
be the Calves or somebody else that takes it away
from the Celtics in the East. And I agree with
you As far as the Knicks their feel, I think
a lot of it has to do with Tibbs is
a crazy man and plays his guys all these minutes.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
But also it's Brunson.
Speaker 3 (38:07):
Brunson is such a good player, yes, but the way
he plays and the way he makes that team feel
it is it's like a throwback style where he's not
using this Ja Morant just sheer athleticism. He's just crafty,
you know, like he's got enough quickness, but he's sort
(38:28):
of like a miniature Luca in a way where he
just uses his body and he's not going incredibly fast,
but he gets to his spots and he's crafty enough
and skilled enough where he gets a shot off all
the time, you know, but he takes hits, he's banged,
he's on the floor. It just feels like more of
(38:49):
a nineties style, but he's incredibly effective.
Speaker 2 (38:51):
I love Jalen Brunt.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
He's a lot of fun to watch. And obviously we'll
see if there are that teams that the throw I
don't see anyone in the East, you know, the Pacers,
the Bucks. Maybe if they you'll get things to It
does feel like it it's those couple of teams in
the East. But again, like I want to see if
there's a team that can you know, if it's the
Knicks or someone to take down Boston or Cleveland. I
(39:15):
do you see Cleveland beating Boston in a I don't.
I don't think.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
To me, it's it's a little like a Chiefs thing
with Boston, right, Like Boston just sort of cruising through
the regular season, and so my question is can they
just crank it up come playoff time or have they
been coasting for so long that it's just harder to
(39:44):
do that.
Speaker 4 (39:46):
Well, they're they're interested because they're a new champion, Like
they're not a multiple time champion. They've had played the
finals before, so it's like they haven't been in this
position before. But with the Chiefs, it's because of what
they've done in years past. We trust them right right, right,
(40:07):
Boston doesn't have that that equity built up quite yet. Sure,
so I understand these cepticism of what Boston could do
in the postseason. But again, the NBA earlier does feel
very much like a league where getting in is the
most important thing and we can figure out later. There's
many examples for this. But you know, the Warriors, it
(40:29):
was their last championship. Remember, like Wiggins was hurt all
year and we were like and they came back the
last week of the season that the starting five and
only played you know, three games together, and then all
of a sudden they win a championship. Sometimes you have
to get in and figure it out. And for Boston,
I think you would like to see them play better
down the stretch here and make you feel, you know
a lot better about their chances to repeat as a champion.
(40:50):
It's hard to repeat, man, everyone every night you're getting
everyone's best game. It's hard to do it.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
And well that's the thing with the Calves that I
find interesting. They're a fun team to watch. They've had
a lot of success. Their offense has been really good,
but come playoff time, as good as Donovan Mitchell is,
sometimes Spider just flat out disappears. And it's really hard
when your star, your leader, just disappears. I mean, there
(41:18):
are some games where Jason Tatum has an off shooting
game for the Celtics, but they have so much he does.
Speaker 4 (41:25):
But he also he also gets a ton of rebounds
and assist in them.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
That's right, that's right. He finds ways to impact the
game beyond.
Speaker 4 (41:33):
The reason I know is because our our friend Bill Krackenberger,
I have figured out the way Sharp's bet on the
NBA catching the postseason. They wait on the same day.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
They don't bet on Sam Sam howser is that.
Speaker 4 (41:44):
What he But they've been the same thing every game,
Like he he bet on Tatum rebounds and assist over
I nearly every game of the postseason. Yeah, because he'll
get like it's normally fourteen and a half. It's an
insane number, but he will get there because that's will
do other things besides score points and games. And yeah,
you're not getting that obviously with with Mitchell, you're not
(42:06):
getting fifteen assistant rebounds. That's right.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
No, it's a good point. And the same thing with
Darius Garland, who's really good.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
But if he's just got.
Speaker 4 (42:14):
Him last year, some games he did four points.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
Right, he just has an off game offensively, Yeah, that's right.
I'm really excited about the Cavs in the postseason because
they've got some strengths, but they have noticeable weaknesses and Boston.
That's the thing, man, When you can crank up your
defense like Boston can, it's like, Holy they were playing Philly.
(42:40):
I know, eye rolls like, oh my gosh, the Sixers,
but they're playing Philly and they were getting smoked. They
were losing by twenty some points, and they're just like,
you know what, let's play defense. And all of a sudden, Philly,
who was scoring like crazy, they could not score.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
They're just like, I guess that's it for our Orrington night.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
That's what Boston can do to you. And to play
at that elite level, it takes a lot out of you.
I understand you're not going to do that for a
full eighty two game season. So when they really crank
it up, they're the opposite of a tryhard regular season team,
Hosts And Creators
Brady Quinn
LaVar Arrington
Jonas Knox
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