March 14, 2025 • 31 mins
Trysta is back with another episode of the Heat Check! She gets into why national pundits STILL don't believe in the Oklahoma City Thunder, slim Zion showing promise, and what to watch for as the playoffs approach!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
On this episode of The Heat Check, the ok Seat
Thunder put that on Whax. So the team to be
in the West right now, So why is it vogue
for everybody to doubt them? I don't fucking know. We'll
break into that. We'll also get into Zion Williamson's resurrection.
He looks lean, he's put the ben Yates down, he's
hired a shift, and then we get into some news
(00:20):
from around the league. Playoffs are just twenty games. Wait,
drop that motherfucking beat. That should be Rihanna.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
You're listening to the hottest, the hottest podcast out here.
I said what I said, it's the Heat Check, the
Heat Check Check Critter.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
We got to talk about the Oka Seat Thunder. They've
had some huge wins over the last week or and change.
There are many games above anybody else in the West.
I think eleven. Brian Windhorst took to the airwaves on
ESPN also on his podcast and said what I think
everybody is. He's saying the quiet part out loud. Other
(01:04):
teams and pundits are like, I'll believe it when I
see it. Best net rating in NBA history. I'll believe
it when I believe it when I see it. Most
steals per game in the NBA sixteen per game. I'll
believe it when I see it. In the playoffs. You
(01:26):
can give me whatever you want in the regular season
until a half court game slows down, it's game of seven.
I'll believe it when I see it. Here's another reason
why you saw them beat the snot out of the
Denver Nuggets on the first night of a back to
back when they played the Denver Nuggets in a baseball series.
(01:47):
And guess what, it didn't help. It did not help
the allegations, folks. Denver Nuggets found a way to end
up beating the OKC Thunder by many points the next
game and what was a very close game by the way,
both of those games, this is a team on paper
(02:07):
that you should circle on your schedule and say, you
gotta show up for this game or we're gonna get
beat the Okay, see Thunder just beat the mess out
of the Boston Celtics, the defending champs. And you may say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Trista,
they didn't have Chris STAPs, poor zingis okay, all right,
we're gonna do that. Now we're doing that. Now. Guess
(02:30):
who the oka See Thunder didn't have in that game.
By the way, they didnt have Jalen Williams. Jalen Williams
didn't play. Who is their third best maybe their second
best scorer depending on the night. Chet Holmer went bananas,
we had Kendrick Perkins before that game, being like, oh,
by the way, when they have their When okay See
has their two bigs out there on the floor, teams
(02:50):
are shooting the best three point percentage of in the
NBA against them, whatever that percentage is the best against
the oka See Thunder two bigs, it's better than that.
And guess what the Thunder said, Yeah, we'll let them shoot.
We'll let them do whatever they want from the perimeter,
and we'll see what's popping. They found Jalen Brown out.
(03:14):
Oh okay See had them in fits and yet win
Horse says. NBA players and coaches say, we would rather
be on the okay S side of the bracket than
Golden State Denver or the Lakers. Fam Fam, okay, okay,
(03:38):
just just know you asked for it. Just know you
wanted this the team. I think the thing that's very impressive.
Let's not act like, by the way, let's not act
like the Okay See Thunder, the same okay See Thunder
team from last year. They got beat by the Dallas
Mavericks in the second round and six they added Isaiah Hartenstein,
(03:59):
a legit big and then they added one of the
best catch and shoot three point shooters in the league
in Alex Crusoe. Alex Crusoe didn't even play in the
game against Boston. Also so Alex crusso Jaalen Williams didn't
play against the Boston Celtics. They still beat that ass
in the garden and people are like, na, I'd rather see,
okay see, I'd rather see though, I was looking through
(04:21):
the statistics in terms of how deep this team is.
Alex Crusoe has played about two third of their games
this year. He's averaging nineteen minutes per game. That is
the ninth most minutes on the team. There are eight
other players who are playing more minutes than Alex Crusoe.
He's widely considered if he was playing for the Lakers,
(04:44):
he would playing thirty minutes for the Lakers. He's widely
considered one of the best on ball defenders in the
entire NBA, and the Thunder like we really just can't
get you any minutes. My guy even got caseon Watlett's
in here. What are you serious? They have twelve guys
getting fifteen minutes or more a game. The Denver Nuggets
(05:06):
have eight guys playing fifteen minutes a game. The Denver
Nuggets are one ankle spraying away from playing guys you've
never heard of, like the New York's the New York
Knicks seven guys. Let's be honest, probably six guys that
Tom Thibodau has any real faith in in a scenario
(05:26):
of clutch time. I think it really just has to
do with the fact that we don't trust their shooting.
I personally see that the OKC thunder are a top
ten I believe, if I'm not mistaken, a top five
three point shooting team this year. And you're like, yeah,
(05:46):
but are they who? Like? Are they? I know that
they are in this eighty two game series set of
games the regular season, but in a playoff series, if
we send two guys Shay Gilgess Alexander, are these other
dudes gonna open shots? Do I believe in Aaron Wiggins
(06:07):
and Isaiah Joe to do it? A lot of people don't.
A lot of people don't. PJ. Washington was knocking them down.
I guess who was not Isaiah Joe. I think it's
kind of like you can't really see it until it's
been done. We're going to give credit to teams that
(06:29):
have already done it that might be in the twilight
of their dynasty, and we would not want to give
credit to teams that are on the up and come
because they haven't done it yet. Right it's Golden State
before the chip. It's the proven season. You were number
one in the West last year, you got taken down early,
and now you're the number one team in the West
(06:51):
right now again, so we're gonna have to see it.
You addressed your big man issue. You got Zay. You
have the best defense in the league, locked down defenders
all across the roster. You've got Shay as a two
way player, Loudord as a two way player, Alex Caruso
as a two way player, Caseon Wallace as a two
way player. Chet Holmern is a two way I mean,
(07:12):
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, They've addressed their Achilles heel. Isaiah
Joe right now, I know I was giving him some shade,
just a second ago, but he's actually one of the
leaders in three point percentage this year as a whole. Okay, see,
like I said, top five three point shooting team shooting
almost thirty seven percent from deep, which is above the
NBA average. Like I said, two of the better three
(07:35):
point shooters chet Holm running Jalen Williams. They're not even
playing their best basketball right now. So Shay said, we
lost the game to Denver and now everyone thinks we stink.
That was in reference to losing by thirteen the Nuggets.
And guess what that was the second night of a
back to back after beating Denver one twenty seven to
(07:57):
one oh three. That was a game where the Nuggets
their playoff rotation all five starters besides Aaron Gordon, who
also did not play. We need to make sure to
give him credit. Give the Nuggets credit for doing what
they did. Their five starters played thirty three or more minutes. Jokic.
Yokic had a little fire in his belly because everybody
was saying he didn't deserve the MVP after Shae Banana's
(08:19):
in Game one of the baseball series. So he said,
hell no, I'm not sitting out of this game. Despite
Michael Malone being like, we should probably punt this game
against the Thunder and they were like, nah, Yokic said,
don't absolutely not. Hell No was the exact words. Thirty five,
eighteen and eight. And he's one of the very few players,
which is why he's won an MVP three times. One
of the very few players that can beat anybody single handedly.
(08:44):
And then you got the game against Boston where I
trista creek bet against Oka See. I took Boston minus
two and a half at the Garden. I'm like, this
is where it all ends. This is this is where
it all falls down. No, hey, look dominant. They came
out to an early lead, Boston was shook. They finally
(09:04):
clawed themselves back into the game. They ended up taking
the lead Boston and okay, he said, the okay See
Thunder are one of those teams where you look up
and they were down four, You go and get some
water and they're up nine. What the fuck? That is
not a characteristic that you expect from the Okase Thunder
in terms of how fast they can score. All starters
(09:27):
had a positive net rating in a game that was
tig going to the fourth quarter. The Celtics set and
NBA record for most threes attempted, and okaysee was like,
all right, do it, bet bet, we'll take that all day.
We'll take your three point variants. They set a franchise
record with sixty three by the end of the game.
Okase held them to thirty two percent from deep. That's
(09:49):
why they were like, go ahead, keep shooting, keep shooting
all night. We will blow your ass fucking out. I
think it's just the fact that they're young, that we've
seen them get beaten by a Mavericks team that I
did not believe in their average ages twenty four. But
shay Is is the truth and he is a foul baiter,
(10:11):
which will go great in the playoffs. I promise you
that we've had six different champions in six years. Each
of those champions have had a different path, So we
don't really know what the best way is to build
a roster for a championship. Everybody thinks they know, But
I tell you this, if I look at OKC and
how they're built, I feel a lot more confident in
(10:32):
them than I do long term. The Denver Nuggets, which
are rolling seven deep, and honestly, you could say the
Oka see Thunder run twelve deep, pause, building a dynasty
around multiple players. I trust that. Also, did I mention
how many first round picks the OKAC Thunder has And
if the Miami Heat have a somehow sneak into the playoffs,
(10:57):
they're getting the okay see, they're getting Miami's first pick
this year, and if somehow they don't get in the palloffs,
they get the unprotected pick from Miami next year. The
amount of first round picks to Miami, okayse has is insane.
And they love each other. I know that doesn't matter
to some, but the chemistry on this team is immense.
(11:19):
And I know Dramon wants to hate on the postgame
pressers where they're all up there going oh, I like that.
I personally like that. I know Draymond doesn't like me.
Apparently there is the guy know basketball, but I think
I know a little bit about basketball, and I think
team chemistry. I don't think Draymond knows about team chemistry
right now, after he punched Jordan Poole in the fucking face,
(11:40):
they had to get Jimmy Butler to fix their chemistry issues. Anyway,
I like Oka see so many championship caliber teams. Okay,
See has their unquestionable leader in SGA, and people are
calling him a lot of names, which I don't understand.
You don't have to denigrate him to elevate Jokic. I
(12:01):
think he can embellisch call, but like he's not prime hardening. Okay,
let's let's put that on Wax. This team kind of
reminds me of a better Celtics team, right. They're not
as big as the Celtics, surely not, but they have
better centers, they have more durable centers. They have guys
who I believe in more in the clutch than I
(12:22):
believe in Jason Tatum, who, by the way, against Okse
Thunder played incredible. I want to give Jason Tatum to
his flowers for a second and say, when he had
the opportunity to shoot a thirty foot three, he put
his nose down and his head down and went to
the basket. So congratulations to him. Everybody said the Celtics
were vulnerable because we had never seen them go all
(12:44):
the way before, and they continue to be a disappointment
in the playoffs. Maybe that's what the Thunder are. I
think that they could be a buzzsaw through this West,
same story, different year. If the Thunder continue to have
the highest point differential in the NBA, there's going to
have doubters. That's just the way it goes until they
do it. As Windhorse said on PTI, they're gonna have
(13:05):
to earn it. I don't disagree with that. I gonna
need to see it to believe it. Gonna need to
see it. But I do think anybody who's actively asking
for smoke, that's a mistake. I think you probably don't
want to try to be on their side the bracket personally.
That's just me though, considering what they just did to Denver,
(13:30):
considering what they just did to Boston, I wouldn't be
surprised if people start putting money on them to win
the whole damn thing. Despite what anonymous players and gms
want to tell you, keep asking for them, keep asking.
Moving on. Are the Pelicans actually getting better? Do they
actually have some optimism? Is their hope for them? A
(13:52):
fascinating thing is happening in Nola. They are not being discussed.
There is no eye eyeballs, I mean none. It's six
dollars to get into the Smoothie King Center. I mean
the in person eyeballs are dwindling. TV eyeballs not there,
conversation around the media not there. But there appears to
(14:16):
be a little tiny sliver of hope, and it becomes
in the form of a man we have besmirched his
for his physique or lack thereof, and that is Zion Williamson.
Zion Williamson has been now this season, the lowest weight
that he has been in years, probably even better physique
(14:38):
than he was at Duke, and he has been balling
out despite the fact that Shaq wants to criticize and
denigrate him, which we are not about to do. If
I have nothing bad to say about Zion, then nobody
should have anything bad to say about Zion twenty two,
ten and twelve. If that's not impressive to you, then
I don't really know what to say. He is bouncy again.
(15:01):
He is explosive again. He is fast. He's making shots
that he hasn't made since he was a rookie. That
lot left hand hook shot is working, folks. Zion was
asked about it, he said, this is the best I
felt offensively and defensively in his career. He gave a
postgame presser after the Clippers game, and let's just say
(15:22):
it might have been the ray of sunshine this league
and this fan base has needed. He was asked how
significant the final quarter of the season would be for
the Pelicans, and he gave a very thoughtful answer. Suron
always gives very thoughtful answers. By the way, he says,
this is when it comes down to being a pro
and deciding which you want to get out of it.
We talked about it as a team. This season hasn't
(15:43):
gone the way we wanted, but that doesn't mean we
can't build into something for next year and build better habits.
It's about consistently consistency. Remember what shay Yojas said back
to OKAC for a second, and they asked him, how
are you this consistent on the floor. He's averaged thirty
points a game for two straight years now, and he said,
(16:05):
everything I do in my life is consistent. That's why
I'm consistent on the floor. The truth of the matter
is that's what Zion is trying to build as well.
And this team went healthy, has been proven very difficult
to beat, and I personally think it was auditioned by
(16:26):
subtraction without brandon Ingram because brandon Ingram and Zion on
the floor have never been able to function in an
ecosystem that made any damn sense, which is why it
was a good thing that one of them was always hurt,
because we really never got to see how much of
a disaster it was when they played together. Zion is
(16:48):
turned into the player, or at least is turning into
the player we were hoping for him to be. Zion
right now is averaging twenty four to seven and five
and said this, when we take a lead, we have
to maintain it instead of being front runners. We have
to lock into the scouting report and how we function
as a team. All that matters. We've got to build
on that. When summer comes, we need to stick together
(17:09):
and by the season time the season starts, we'll be
locked in and ready to go. Herb Jones is coming back.
Jose Alvarado's coming back. You still got trade Murphy on
this team. There are fun players on this roster. They
need some more playmakers. They need some more guys who
can create their own shot. But that is about as
good of a sign as you're gonna find in New Orleans.
(17:29):
A happy, healthy, optimistic Zion just in time to trade him.
I mean if you wanted to trade Zion, this is
probably the time to trade Zion. I'm not gonna lie
to you. I like Zion, I like the Pelicans. But
(17:51):
you don't sell stocks when they're low. You don't sell
in a recession. You sell when they look about as
close to their peak or on their way to their
peak as they're going to get. If you can get
in the door for three dollars and you live in
New Orleans uptown, thug of that's you go to some
games and support your guys. There's some entertaining basketball for
(18:14):
the price of a small fry, no for a baby fry.
Down the stretch of the NBA season, we move on.
We got to talk about a couple of things that
are very sad. I hate talking about death. Death is
like the one thing in life I'm scared of the most,
so I really don't like pointing it out. But we
(18:35):
had some NBA deaths worth discussing and noting. A fifty
four year old Oliver Miller, the Big Man. He was
a nine time veteran, nine year veteran, and a fixture
in the nineties. He had an awesome NCAA run in
nineteen ninety where He made the final four at Arkansas
under Nolan Richardson, the great Nolan Richardson. He was drafted
(18:56):
by Phoenix with the twenty second pick in the first
round of the ninety two draft. He played for four
teams over nine years. He played for Phoenix twice, Detroit
Toronto in their inaugural real year, actually Sacramento in Minnesota,
so he bounced around a little bit overseas. He was
in the CBA, settled in Mesa, Mormon country, and weren't
(19:17):
selling cars. Actually until his passing. He wasn't a superstar,
but he was one of the more recognizable players in
what many people consider to be the golden age of basketball,
which is the nineteen nineties. So rip to the other
big o' and fifty four years old is really freaking young.
(19:38):
So I'm I'm really sad to hear about that loss.
The other death is of a player who became one
of the greatest success stories, not only in the NBA
but in all of sports history. Junior Bridgeman. He passed
away at seventy one. He was a staple of the
NBA from nineteen seventy five to nineteen eighty seven. Six'
(19:58):
five guard which at that. Time you didn't see a
lot of six to five guards the small man sport
at that. Point played his entire career for The Milwaukee
bucks and The, clippers and after a stellar career At,
louisville he led The cardinals to The Final, four where
they lost TO ucla by one back When John wooden
was doing just going through everybody like a fucking, buzzsaw
(20:23):
winning every single. Year and he was drafted eighth overall
by The lakers in nineteen seventy, five traded in one
of the biggest deals IN nba history folks For Kreem
abduorge bar cemented in history just based on that trade.
Alone he joined a corps that Included Marquise, Johnson Sidney,
(20:44):
Montcreef Bob, lanier And Quinn. Buckner he won five straight
division titles and then he was traded The, clippers spent
two years, there then returned To milwaukee for his final,
season averaging, fourteen four and three in his, career shooting
just an under fifty percent from the. Field but he
was a good it was a fine. Player he's well liked,
teammate and the reason he became so legendary is is
(21:06):
he became enamored with the fast food franchise, model working
At wendy's when he was playing in THE. Nba that's.
Insane and then he invested in A, wendy's eventually owning
over one Hundred. Wendy's find you somebody who likes anything
more than our guy Loved. Wendy's he then sold it
(21:27):
in twenty sixteen and then Bought Coca cola bottling. Plants
he became a. Billionaire he was worth one point four billion.
Dollars if that's not AN nba success, STORY i don't
know what. Is he then, invested gave back to the.
Culture he purchased a Bankrupt ebony And jet magazine for
(21:49):
the fucking culture my, guy presumably with the loose change
from his couch because he was so damn. Rich we
use the term irreplaceable so often that it loses. Meaning
But Junior, bridgeman that is an irreplaceable, human right like.
That he's one of. One he was working at The
wendy's playing in THE nba to try to learn the
(22:11):
whole structure of how it, worked the whole business. Model
and the sad part is he had just bought ten
percent of his Beloved Milwaukee bucks for four hundred million
and twenty twenty. Four so if things that worked, out
he might have become a SECOND nba player to become
an owner of a franchise Behind Michael. Jordan what a.
Legend his loss is going to be felt for, many many. Years,
also just a great role model for MANY nba players
(22:34):
who are role. Players he wasn't a, star and somehow
he still became a. Billionaire that's a blueprint for a
lot of players to follow in his. Footsteps in all,
right moving, on some news from around the league is
worth talking. About if you might, imagine The luca trade
(22:54):
is still, reverberating the turmoil hasn't unturmoiled themselves, yet the
have not gotten. Clean every day The MAVs front office
and ownership says something even dumber than they did, before
and it goes viral. Again not, Surprisingly Tim, cato Beloved dallas,
(23:16):
journalists cited a poll of four Thousand Dallas mavericks fans and.
Folks Nico, harrison you're hiding under your desk right now
if you're one of. Them according to the, poll a
full eighty percent of self Identifying Dallas mavericks fans says
that they were now AND i quote much less engaged
(23:40):
and this is worse quote reconsidering their fandom. Entirely reconsidering
their fanom entirely must be the sign when you Enter
dallas as a. Whole, cowboys reconsidering my fandom, Entirely, mavericks
(24:07):
reconsidering my fandom. Entirely if we're rolling with the stars
only the hockey, team it's a, bad bad bad. Thing
that is bad. Bad this is really really. Awful you've
Got Patrick, dumont one of the, dumbest fucking governors of THE,
(24:29):
nba still speaking in front of. Crowds he said this
after the trade. Deadline we actually had the best record in,
basketball which was a big, accomplishment and we got to
the championship games and we didn't, win and we had
to decide how do we get. Better he also made
(24:49):
some comments about you, know it's not about the short
term or the intermediate, term it's about the long long.
Term and when you would Equate Anthony davis with the
law long, TERM i am, sorry, dog you lost. ME
i have an idea about how you get better from
making the. Finals you don't trade your best, player the
(25:10):
top three player in THE nba right. Now Even Cedee,
lamb who plays for a hopeless fucking, franchise so hopeless
That DeMarcus, lawrence THE edg dresher for The, cowboys, SAID
i Think seattle is a more is a spot WHERE
(25:32):
i have a better chance of winning A Super bowl
than The Dallas. Cowboys my guy went To seattle where
they Have Sam darnold and no wide receiver, one and he,
SAYS i think that's a better situation Than. Dallas, wow
he said THE Cd lamb back to See lamb, said
(25:54):
The MAVs killed the. CITY i don't know if The
mavericks weever. Cover this is Like Hurricane katrina level disaster right.
Now this is Like haiti. Hurricane this is Like. Ukraine
this is Like World War one And World war two
(26:15):
combine levels of decimation to the. CITY i don't know
how you Get this Is palisades and Al dina levels of.
FIRE i don't know how you escape from the, REBEL
i really. Don't we'll move On New, Orleans pelicans. GUARDS.
Cj McCollum just let slip something a lot of players
(26:35):
have talked about, lately which is playing in The, EuroLeague
which is probably WHERE cj McCollum should be playing unless
he's playing against The Sacramento. KINGS i, KNOW i know
he's a LEGIT nba. PLAYER i just am mad because
he's A Portland trail but Former Portland trail, bazer and
we didn't do anything with him on the team because
he was undersized and didn't play. Defense BUT i LOVE cj.
McCollum i. Do he SAID i would love to play
(26:57):
In europe at some, point AND i had, dreams goals
and ambitions to play with my brother In europe one.
Day he's thirty. Seven i'm thirty. Three BUT i have
things to do. HERE i have, Kids i'm, married my
kids are growing. Up my wife is a. DENTIST i
don't know why that needed to be. Said we have
all these things that affect our. Lives, OH i guess
maybe she can't be a dentist. Overseas but if all
(27:19):
things were as they should, BE i would love to.
PLAY i have the opportunity to do. It SO cj
Joins Kevin durant And Edwards Luka jokic as players who
have expressed playing more In europe than just a passing.
Interest maybe that's the reason That Adam silver said he
wants to start a EURO nba league to give guys
like that an opportunity to go somewhere other Than dallas
(27:41):
to play without losing their marketing. VALUE i like the Euro.
LEAGUE i think it'd be awesome if we HAD nba
players in a Euro league. Setting you could use it
like THE, mls where big stars can take a victory
lap right before, retiring Like messi And. Miami, finally quick
rumor about the train wreck that Is. Philadelphia according To
(28:02):
Sam amiko And Daryl, moury they're pondering Trading Paul george this.
Offseason congratulations and good luck with. That they still haven't
decided what to do With Joel inbiad's, kneed and now
their other star, Player Paul, george is at a. Crossroads
Daryl moury is pondering shutting him down due to his
(28:25):
combined groin and knee, injuries and rumors are he's headed for. Surgery, congratulations, Podcast,
pe you can now restart the. Pod you've got nothing
else to focus on other than your. Content rumors are
he might be getting. Traded The sixers signed him four,
years two hundred and twelve million DOLLARS i think they're
having a touch of buyers. Remorse, Congratulations, clippers you are
(28:47):
the winner of the off. Season sometimes it's not what you,
do it's what you don't. Do according To Hoops, wire
The sixers have made the decisions to Trade Paul george
this summer after being split on whether to trade him
at the. Deadline oh fucking. Boy the, problem of, course
when you're selling. Something ask, ME i had to sell
(29:12):
a PlayStation four right around The christmas time after THE
ps five came. Out you gotta find a, buyer. Baby
put him On facebook marketplace and see what comes. Back
he is making one hundred and sixty three million dollars
and he's played less games Than Joel embiid has over
the past five. Years who is going to say yes to.
(29:34):
That Daryl morey has a big decision to make and
to play kate the fan. Base he gave an interview
saying anger is the only thing that Drives philly fans
and now they hate you even more tough, year heading
for an even tougher, offseason and That philly anger that's
gonna be on full display as they head in to a,
(29:56):
TEARDOWN a full fucking. Teardown you can't Keep Joel unbeat
on this. Roster you have to just Keep jared McCain
And Tyrese maxey. Only quick, note thank you for being
patient during our. Transition it is taking longer than. EXPECTED
i don't know when it's going to be fully. Done
over to. iHeart we will get back to a regular,
schedule hopefully. SOON i. Promise that is all the time
(30:18):
that we have for this episode Of The Heat. Check
come Back monday for then only, episode and check out
the feed for past episodes and many episodes which drop
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(30:41):
media media platform WHERE i post every. Day but if
they fuck around with my, bonus it might not be every,
Day so keep an eye out on. That H we'll
see you next. Time thanks so much for listen
On this episode of The Heat Check, the ok Seat
Thunder put that on Whax. So the team to be
in the West right now, So why is it vogue
for everybody to doubt them? I don't fucking know. We'll
break into that. We'll also get into Zion Williamson's resurrection.
He looks lean, he's put the ben Yates down, he's
hired a shift, and then we get into some news
(00:20):
from around the league. Playoffs are just twenty games. Wait,
drop that motherfucking beat. That should be Rihanna.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
You're listening to the hottest, the hottest podcast out here.
I said what I said, it's the Heat Check, the
Heat Check Check Critter.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
We got to talk about the Oka Seat Thunder. They've
had some huge wins over the last week or and change.
There are many games above anybody else in the West.
I think eleven. Brian Windhorst took to the airwaves on
ESPN also on his podcast and said what I think
everybody is. He's saying the quiet part out loud. Other
(01:04):
teams and pundits are like, I'll believe it when I
see it. Best net rating in NBA history. I'll believe
it when I believe it when I see it. Most
steals per game in the NBA sixteen per game. I'll
believe it when I see it. In the playoffs. You
(01:26):
can give me whatever you want in the regular season
until a half court game slows down, it's game of seven.
I'll believe it when I see it. Here's another reason
why you saw them beat the snot out of the
Denver Nuggets on the first night of a back to
back when they played the Denver Nuggets in a baseball series.
(01:47):
And guess what, it didn't help. It did not help
the allegations, folks. Denver Nuggets found a way to end
up beating the OKC Thunder by many points the next
game and what was a very close game by the way,
both of those games, this is a team on paper
(02:07):
that you should circle on your schedule and say, you
gotta show up for this game or we're gonna get
beat the Okay, see Thunder just beat the mess out
of the Boston Celtics, the defending champs. And you may say, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Trista,
they didn't have Chris STAPs, poor zingis okay, all right,
we're gonna do that. Now we're doing that. Now. Guess
(02:30):
who the oka See Thunder didn't have in that game.
By the way, they didnt have Jalen Williams. Jalen Williams
didn't play. Who is their third best maybe their second
best scorer depending on the night. Chet Holmer went bananas,
we had Kendrick Perkins before that game, being like, oh,
by the way, when they have their When okay See
has their two bigs out there on the floor, teams
(02:50):
are shooting the best three point percentage of in the
NBA against them, whatever that percentage is the best against
the oka See Thunder two bigs, it's better than that.
And guess what the Thunder said, Yeah, we'll let them shoot.
We'll let them do whatever they want from the perimeter,
and we'll see what's popping. They found Jalen Brown out.
(03:14):
Oh okay See had them in fits and yet win
Horse says. NBA players and coaches say, we would rather
be on the okay S side of the bracket than
Golden State Denver or the Lakers. Fam Fam, okay, okay,
(03:38):
just just know you asked for it. Just know you
wanted this the team. I think the thing that's very impressive.
Let's not act like, by the way, let's not act
like the Okay See Thunder, the same okay See Thunder
team from last year. They got beat by the Dallas
Mavericks in the second round and six they added Isaiah Hartenstein,
(03:59):
a legit big and then they added one of the
best catch and shoot three point shooters in the league
in Alex Crusoe. Alex Crusoe didn't even play in the
game against Boston. Also so Alex crusso Jaalen Williams didn't
play against the Boston Celtics. They still beat that ass
in the garden and people are like, na, I'd rather see,
okay see, I'd rather see though, I was looking through
(04:21):
the statistics in terms of how deep this team is.
Alex Crusoe has played about two third of their games
this year. He's averaging nineteen minutes per game. That is
the ninth most minutes on the team. There are eight
other players who are playing more minutes than Alex Crusoe.
He's widely considered if he was playing for the Lakers,
(04:44):
he would playing thirty minutes for the Lakers. He's widely
considered one of the best on ball defenders in the
entire NBA, and the Thunder like we really just can't
get you any minutes. My guy even got caseon Watlett's
in here. What are you serious? They have twelve guys
getting fifteen minutes or more a game. The Denver Nuggets
(05:06):
have eight guys playing fifteen minutes a game. The Denver
Nuggets are one ankle spraying away from playing guys you've
never heard of, like the New York's the New York
Knicks seven guys. Let's be honest, probably six guys that
Tom Thibodau has any real faith in in a scenario
(05:26):
of clutch time. I think it really just has to
do with the fact that we don't trust their shooting.
I personally see that the OKC thunder are a top
ten I believe, if I'm not mistaken, a top five
three point shooting team this year. And you're like, yeah,
(05:46):
but are they who? Like? Are they? I know that
they are in this eighty two game series set of
games the regular season, but in a playoff series, if
we send two guys Shay Gilgess Alexander, are these other
dudes gonna open shots? Do I believe in Aaron Wiggins
(06:07):
and Isaiah Joe to do it? A lot of people don't.
A lot of people don't. PJ. Washington was knocking them down.
I guess who was not Isaiah Joe. I think it's
kind of like you can't really see it until it's
been done. We're going to give credit to teams that
(06:29):
have already done it that might be in the twilight
of their dynasty, and we would not want to give
credit to teams that are on the up and come
because they haven't done it yet. Right it's Golden State
before the chip. It's the proven season. You were number
one in the West last year, you got taken down early,
and now you're the number one team in the West
(06:51):
right now again, so we're gonna have to see it.
You addressed your big man issue. You got Zay. You
have the best defense in the league, locked down defenders
all across the roster. You've got Shay as a two
way player, Loudord as a two way player, Alex Caruso
as a two way player, Caseon Wallace as a two
way player. Chet Holmern is a two way I mean,
(07:12):
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, They've addressed their Achilles heel. Isaiah
Joe right now, I know I was giving him some shade,
just a second ago, but he's actually one of the
leaders in three point percentage this year as a whole. Okay, see,
like I said, top five three point shooting team shooting
almost thirty seven percent from deep, which is above the
NBA average. Like I said, two of the better three
(07:35):
point shooters chet Holm running Jalen Williams. They're not even
playing their best basketball right now. So Shay said, we
lost the game to Denver and now everyone thinks we stink.
That was in reference to losing by thirteen the Nuggets.
And guess what that was the second night of a
back to back after beating Denver one twenty seven to
(07:57):
one oh three. That was a game where the Nuggets
their playoff rotation all five starters besides Aaron Gordon, who
also did not play. We need to make sure to
give him credit. Give the Nuggets credit for doing what
they did. Their five starters played thirty three or more minutes. Jokic.
Yokic had a little fire in his belly because everybody
was saying he didn't deserve the MVP after Shae Banana's
(08:19):
in Game one of the baseball series. So he said,
hell no, I'm not sitting out of this game. Despite
Michael Malone being like, we should probably punt this game
against the Thunder and they were like, nah, Yokic said,
don't absolutely not. Hell No was the exact words. Thirty five,
eighteen and eight. And he's one of the very few players,
which is why he's won an MVP three times. One
of the very few players that can beat anybody single handedly.
(08:44):
And then you got the game against Boston where I
trista creek bet against Oka See. I took Boston minus
two and a half at the Garden. I'm like, this
is where it all ends. This is this is where
it all falls down. No, hey, look dominant. They came
out to an early lead, Boston was shook. They finally
(09:04):
clawed themselves back into the game. They ended up taking
the lead Boston and okay, he said, the okay See
Thunder are one of those teams where you look up
and they were down four, You go and get some
water and they're up nine. What the fuck? That is
not a characteristic that you expect from the Okase Thunder
in terms of how fast they can score. All starters
(09:27):
had a positive net rating in a game that was
tig going to the fourth quarter. The Celtics set and
NBA record for most threes attempted, and okaysee was like,
all right, do it, bet bet, we'll take that all day.
We'll take your three point variants. They set a franchise
record with sixty three by the end of the game.
Okase held them to thirty two percent from deep. That's
(09:49):
why they were like, go ahead, keep shooting, keep shooting
all night. We will blow your ass fucking out. I
think it's just the fact that they're young, that we've
seen them get beaten by a Mavericks team that I
did not believe in their average ages twenty four. But
shay Is is the truth and he is a foul baiter,
(10:11):
which will go great in the playoffs. I promise you
that we've had six different champions in six years. Each
of those champions have had a different path, So we
don't really know what the best way is to build
a roster for a championship. Everybody thinks they know, But
I tell you this, if I look at OKC and
how they're built, I feel a lot more confident in
(10:32):
them than I do long term. The Denver Nuggets, which
are rolling seven deep, and honestly, you could say the
Oka see Thunder run twelve deep, pause, building a dynasty
around multiple players. I trust that. Also, did I mention
how many first round picks the OKAC Thunder has And
if the Miami Heat have a somehow sneak into the playoffs,
(10:57):
they're getting the okay see, they're getting Miami's first pick
this year, and if somehow they don't get in the palloffs,
they get the unprotected pick from Miami next year. The
amount of first round picks to Miami, okayse has is insane.
And they love each other. I know that doesn't matter
to some, but the chemistry on this team is immense.
(11:19):
And I know Dramon wants to hate on the postgame
pressers where they're all up there going oh, I like that.
I personally like that. I know Draymond doesn't like me.
Apparently there is the guy know basketball, but I think
I know a little bit about basketball, and I think
team chemistry. I don't think Draymond knows about team chemistry
right now, after he punched Jordan Poole in the fucking face,
(11:40):
they had to get Jimmy Butler to fix their chemistry issues. Anyway,
I like Oka see so many championship caliber teams. Okay,
See has their unquestionable leader in SGA, and people are
calling him a lot of names, which I don't understand.
You don't have to denigrate him to elevate Jokic. I
(12:01):
think he can embellisch call, but like he's not prime hardening. Okay,
let's let's put that on Wax. This team kind of
reminds me of a better Celtics team, right. They're not
as big as the Celtics, surely not, but they have
better centers, they have more durable centers. They have guys
who I believe in more in the clutch than I
(12:22):
believe in Jason Tatum, who, by the way, against Okse
Thunder played incredible. I want to give Jason Tatum to
his flowers for a second and say, when he had
the opportunity to shoot a thirty foot three, he put
his nose down and his head down and went to
the basket. So congratulations to him. Everybody said the Celtics
were vulnerable because we had never seen them go all
(12:44):
the way before, and they continue to be a disappointment
in the playoffs. Maybe that's what the Thunder are. I
think that they could be a buzzsaw through this West,
same story, different year. If the Thunder continue to have
the highest point differential in the NBA, there's going to
have doubters. That's just the way it goes until they
do it. As Windhorse said on PTI, they're gonna have
(13:05):
to earn it. I don't disagree with that. I gonna
need to see it to believe it. Gonna need to
see it. But I do think anybody who's actively asking
for smoke, that's a mistake. I think you probably don't
want to try to be on their side the bracket personally.
That's just me though, considering what they just did to Denver,
(13:30):
considering what they just did to Boston, I wouldn't be
surprised if people start putting money on them to win
the whole damn thing. Despite what anonymous players and gms
want to tell you, keep asking for them, keep asking.
Moving on. Are the Pelicans actually getting better? Do they
actually have some optimism? Is their hope for them? A
(13:52):
fascinating thing is happening in Nola. They are not being discussed.
There is no eye eyeballs, I mean none. It's six
dollars to get into the Smoothie King Center. I mean
the in person eyeballs are dwindling. TV eyeballs not there,
conversation around the media not there. But there appears to
(14:16):
be a little tiny sliver of hope, and it becomes
in the form of a man we have besmirched his
for his physique or lack thereof, and that is Zion Williamson.
Zion Williamson has been now this season, the lowest weight
that he has been in years, probably even better physique
(14:38):
than he was at Duke, and he has been balling
out despite the fact that Shaq wants to criticize and
denigrate him, which we are not about to do. If
I have nothing bad to say about Zion, then nobody
should have anything bad to say about Zion twenty two,
ten and twelve. If that's not impressive to you, then
I don't really know what to say. He is bouncy again.
(15:01):
He is explosive again. He is fast. He's making shots
that he hasn't made since he was a rookie. That
lot left hand hook shot is working, folks. Zion was
asked about it, he said, this is the best I
felt offensively and defensively in his career. He gave a
postgame presser after the Clippers game, and let's just say
(15:22):
it might have been the ray of sunshine this league
and this fan base has needed. He was asked how
significant the final quarter of the season would be for
the Pelicans, and he gave a very thoughtful answer. Suron
always gives very thoughtful answers. By the way, he says,
this is when it comes down to being a pro
and deciding which you want to get out of it.
We talked about it as a team. This season hasn't
(15:43):
gone the way we wanted, but that doesn't mean we
can't build into something for next year and build better habits.
It's about consistently consistency. Remember what shay Yojas said back
to OKAC for a second, and they asked him, how
are you this consistent on the floor. He's averaged thirty
points a game for two straight years now, and he said,
(16:05):
everything I do in my life is consistent. That's why
I'm consistent on the floor. The truth of the matter
is that's what Zion is trying to build as well.
And this team went healthy, has been proven very difficult
to beat, and I personally think it was auditioned by
(16:26):
subtraction without brandon Ingram because brandon Ingram and Zion on
the floor have never been able to function in an
ecosystem that made any damn sense, which is why it
was a good thing that one of them was always hurt,
because we really never got to see how much of
a disaster it was when they played together. Zion is
(16:48):
turned into the player, or at least is turning into
the player we were hoping for him to be. Zion
right now is averaging twenty four to seven and five
and said this, when we take a lead, we have
to maintain it instead of being front runners. We have
to lock into the scouting report and how we function
as a team. All that matters. We've got to build
on that. When summer comes, we need to stick together
(17:09):
and by the season time the season starts, we'll be
locked in and ready to go. Herb Jones is coming back.
Jose Alvarado's coming back. You still got trade Murphy on
this team. There are fun players on this roster. They
need some more playmakers. They need some more guys who
can create their own shot. But that is about as
good of a sign as you're gonna find in New Orleans.
(17:29):
A happy, healthy, optimistic Zion just in time to trade him.
I mean if you wanted to trade Zion, this is
probably the time to trade Zion. I'm not gonna lie
to you. I like Zion, I like the Pelicans. But
(17:51):
you don't sell stocks when they're low. You don't sell
in a recession. You sell when they look about as
close to their peak or on their way to their
peak as they're going to get. If you can get
in the door for three dollars and you live in
New Orleans uptown, thug of that's you go to some
games and support your guys. There's some entertaining basketball for
(18:14):
the price of a small fry, no for a baby fry.
Down the stretch of the NBA season, we move on.
We got to talk about a couple of things that
are very sad. I hate talking about death. Death is
like the one thing in life I'm scared of the most,
so I really don't like pointing it out. But we
(18:35):
had some NBA deaths worth discussing and noting. A fifty
four year old Oliver Miller, the Big Man. He was
a nine time veteran, nine year veteran, and a fixture
in the nineties. He had an awesome NCAA run in
nineteen ninety where He made the final four at Arkansas
under Nolan Richardson, the great Nolan Richardson. He was drafted
(18:56):
by Phoenix with the twenty second pick in the first
round of the ninety two draft. He played for four
teams over nine years. He played for Phoenix twice, Detroit
Toronto in their inaugural real year, actually Sacramento in Minnesota,
so he bounced around a little bit overseas. He was
in the CBA, settled in Mesa, Mormon country, and weren't
(19:17):
selling cars. Actually until his passing. He wasn't a superstar,
but he was one of the more recognizable players in
what many people consider to be the golden age of basketball,
which is the nineteen nineties. So rip to the other
big o' and fifty four years old is really freaking young.
(19:38):
So I'm I'm really sad to hear about that loss.
The other death is of a player who became one
of the greatest success stories, not only in the NBA
but in all of sports history. Junior Bridgeman. He passed
away at seventy one. He was a staple of the
NBA from nineteen seventy five to nineteen eighty seven. Six'
(19:58):
five guard which at that. Time you didn't see a
lot of six to five guards the small man sport
at that. Point played his entire career for The Milwaukee
bucks and The, clippers and after a stellar career At,
louisville he led The cardinals to The Final, four where
they lost TO ucla by one back When John wooden
was doing just going through everybody like a fucking, buzzsaw
(20:23):
winning every single. Year and he was drafted eighth overall
by The lakers in nineteen seventy, five traded in one
of the biggest deals IN nba history folks For Kreem
abduorge bar cemented in history just based on that trade.
Alone he joined a corps that Included Marquise, Johnson Sidney,
(20:44):
Montcreef Bob, lanier And Quinn. Buckner he won five straight
division titles and then he was traded The, clippers spent
two years, there then returned To milwaukee for his final,
season averaging, fourteen four and three in his, career shooting
just an under fifty percent from the. Field but he
was a good it was a fine. Player he's well liked,
teammate and the reason he became so legendary is is
(21:06):
he became enamored with the fast food franchise, model working
At wendy's when he was playing in THE. Nba that's.
Insane and then he invested in A, wendy's eventually owning
over one Hundred. Wendy's find you somebody who likes anything
more than our guy Loved. Wendy's he then sold it
(21:27):
in twenty sixteen and then Bought Coca cola bottling. Plants
he became a. Billionaire he was worth one point four billion.
Dollars if that's not AN nba success, STORY i don't
know what. Is he then, invested gave back to the.
Culture he purchased a Bankrupt ebony And jet magazine for
(21:49):
the fucking culture my, guy presumably with the loose change
from his couch because he was so damn. Rich we
use the term irreplaceable so often that it loses. Meaning
But Junior, bridgeman that is an irreplaceable, human right like.
That he's one of. One he was working at The
wendy's playing in THE nba to try to learn the
(22:11):
whole structure of how it, worked the whole business. Model
and the sad part is he had just bought ten
percent of his Beloved Milwaukee bucks for four hundred million
and twenty twenty. Four so if things that worked, out
he might have become a SECOND nba player to become
an owner of a franchise Behind Michael. Jordan what a.
Legend his loss is going to be felt for, many many. Years,
also just a great role model for MANY nba players
(22:34):
who are role. Players he wasn't a, star and somehow
he still became a. Billionaire that's a blueprint for a
lot of players to follow in his. Footsteps in all,
right moving, on some news from around the league is
worth talking. About if you might, imagine The luca trade
(22:54):
is still, reverberating the turmoil hasn't unturmoiled themselves, yet the
have not gotten. Clean every day The MAVs front office
and ownership says something even dumber than they did, before
and it goes viral. Again not, Surprisingly Tim, cato Beloved dallas,
(23:16):
journalists cited a poll of four Thousand Dallas mavericks fans and.
Folks Nico, harrison you're hiding under your desk right now
if you're one of. Them according to the, poll a
full eighty percent of self Identifying Dallas mavericks fans says
that they were now AND i quote much less engaged
(23:40):
and this is worse quote reconsidering their fandom. Entirely reconsidering
their fanom entirely must be the sign when you Enter
dallas as a. Whole, cowboys reconsidering my fandom, Entirely, mavericks
(24:07):
reconsidering my fandom. Entirely if we're rolling with the stars
only the hockey, team it's a, bad bad bad. Thing
that is bad. Bad this is really really. Awful you've
Got Patrick, dumont one of the, dumbest fucking governors of THE,
(24:29):
nba still speaking in front of. Crowds he said this
after the trade. Deadline we actually had the best record in,
basketball which was a big, accomplishment and we got to
the championship games and we didn't, win and we had
to decide how do we get. Better he also made
(24:49):
some comments about you, know it's not about the short
term or the intermediate, term it's about the long long.
Term and when you would Equate Anthony davis with the
law long, TERM i am, sorry, dog you lost. ME
i have an idea about how you get better from
making the. Finals you don't trade your best, player the
(25:10):
top three player in THE nba right. Now Even Cedee,
lamb who plays for a hopeless fucking, franchise so hopeless
That DeMarcus, lawrence THE edg dresher for The, cowboys, SAID
i Think seattle is a more is a spot WHERE
(25:32):
i have a better chance of winning A Super bowl
than The Dallas. Cowboys my guy went To seattle where
they Have Sam darnold and no wide receiver, one and he,
SAYS i think that's a better situation Than. Dallas, wow
he said THE Cd lamb back to See lamb, said
(25:54):
The MAVs killed the. CITY i don't know if The
mavericks weever. Cover this is Like Hurricane katrina level disaster right.
Now this is Like haiti. Hurricane this is Like. Ukraine
this is Like World War one And World war two
(26:15):
combine levels of decimation to the. CITY i don't know
how you Get this Is palisades and Al dina levels of.
FIRE i don't know how you escape from the, REBEL
i really. Don't we'll move On New, Orleans pelicans. GUARDS.
Cj McCollum just let slip something a lot of players
(26:35):
have talked about, lately which is playing in The, EuroLeague
which is probably WHERE cj McCollum should be playing unless
he's playing against The Sacramento. KINGS i, KNOW i know
he's a LEGIT nba. PLAYER i just am mad because
he's A Portland trail but Former Portland trail, bazer and
we didn't do anything with him on the team because
he was undersized and didn't play. Defense BUT i LOVE cj.
McCollum i. Do he SAID i would love to play
(26:57):
In europe at some, point AND i had, dreams goals
and ambitions to play with my brother In europe one.
Day he's thirty. Seven i'm thirty. Three BUT i have
things to do. HERE i have, Kids i'm, married my
kids are growing. Up my wife is a. DENTIST i
don't know why that needed to be. Said we have
all these things that affect our. Lives, OH i guess
maybe she can't be a dentist. Overseas but if all
(27:19):
things were as they should, BE i would love to.
PLAY i have the opportunity to do. It SO cj
Joins Kevin durant And Edwards Luka jokic as players who
have expressed playing more In europe than just a passing.
Interest maybe that's the reason That Adam silver said he
wants to start a EURO nba league to give guys
like that an opportunity to go somewhere other Than dallas
(27:41):
to play without losing their marketing. VALUE i like the Euro.
LEAGUE i think it'd be awesome if we HAD nba
players in a Euro league. Setting you could use it
like THE, mls where big stars can take a victory
lap right before, retiring Like messi And. Miami, finally quick
rumor about the train wreck that Is. Philadelphia according To
(28:02):
Sam amiko And Daryl, moury they're pondering Trading Paul george this.
Offseason congratulations and good luck with. That they still haven't
decided what to do With Joel inbiad's, kneed and now
their other star, Player Paul, george is at a. Crossroads
Daryl moury is pondering shutting him down due to his
(28:25):
combined groin and knee, injuries and rumors are he's headed for. Surgery, congratulations, Podcast,
pe you can now restart the. Pod you've got nothing
else to focus on other than your. Content rumors are
he might be getting. Traded The sixers signed him four,
years two hundred and twelve million DOLLARS i think they're
having a touch of buyers. Remorse, Congratulations, clippers you are
(28:47):
the winner of the off. Season sometimes it's not what you,
do it's what you don't. Do according To Hoops, wire
The sixers have made the decisions to Trade Paul george
this summer after being split on whether to trade him
at the. Deadline oh fucking. Boy the, problem of, course
when you're selling. Something ask, ME i had to sell
(29:12):
a PlayStation four right around The christmas time after THE
ps five came. Out you gotta find a, buyer. Baby
put him On facebook marketplace and see what comes. Back
he is making one hundred and sixty three million dollars
and he's played less games Than Joel embiid has over
the past five. Years who is going to say yes to.
(29:34):
That Daryl morey has a big decision to make and
to play kate the fan. Base he gave an interview
saying anger is the only thing that Drives philly fans
and now they hate you even more tough, year heading
for an even tougher, offseason and That philly anger that's
gonna be on full display as they head in to a,
(29:56):
TEARDOWN a full fucking. Teardown you can't Keep Joel unbeat
on this. Roster you have to just Keep jared McCain
And Tyrese maxey. Only quick, note thank you for being
patient during our. Transition it is taking longer than. EXPECTED
i don't know when it's going to be fully. Done
over to. iHeart we will get back to a regular,
schedule hopefully. SOON i. Promise that is all the time
(30:18):
that we have for this episode Of The Heat. Check
come Back monday for then only, episode and check out
the feed for past episodes and many episodes which drop
unexpectedly Like Tiger woods and his Ruptured. Achilles do not
forget to follow the Heat check all. Season that means dawnoad.
Subscribe that means tell your friends and follow us on
TikTok at this Heat check and At Christer, creek and
we go On, twitter ig and, Threads meta's new social
(30:41):
media media platform WHERE i post every. Day but if
they fuck around with my, bonus it might not be every,
Day so keep an eye out on. That H we'll
see you next. Time thanks so much for listen
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The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
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Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com