April 11, 2024 • 41 mins
Episode 168: Arky Shea and Joel C. Cordes break down the nearly formed 2024 NBA Playoffs field while wondering whether the Denver Nuggets are the West's team to beat. Who do the other top teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder want to see in the first round? They also assess the threat level teams like the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers pose to the front-running Boston Celtics.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hello, Jelly Spoon's my name isArkie. She that is Joelsey Corter.
This is Basketball Bob the Association.That's not bad. That's not bad.
You held the pitch, I heldthe what Oh different the pitch? Oh
that's right. Sorry, my bad, My bad. Uh. We So
(00:23):
we got two or three games leftin the old NBA season. Gonna be
having a little bit of a shorterpodcast today because really it was really up
for grabs, right, No,I mean a little bit of city.
But we were trying to figure outa time to be able to record this
to your podcast, and Joel atone point said, as I was trying
to say, hey, can wedo eleven eleven fifteen, have eleven twenty
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eleven, twenty two, eleven,twenty three, Joel's like, hey,
man, if we need to punditfor this week, that's fine. And
I was like, Joel, youwill not get away from losing the West
last night to the NBA did forNuggets and that discussion. Uh nay,
I say, we will be talkingabout this, however, Joel, it
is very much worth mentioning that withtwo games left and only one game back
(01:07):
of Denver and tied with the OKCwith one game back, still legally possible
to win the West. However,DAC has San Antonio and Memphis in the
season, but the number two seeds, okay, because OKAC has Milwaukee and
Dallas. I think for the lasttwo games. So chance still to win
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the West. Technically probably not,but I don't know. Yeah, Minnesota's
got Atlanta and Phoenix on their lasttwo And I said this last week when
we met, you were asking mewho's going to win the West? I
said, it'll be the winner ofthe Minnesota Denver Nuggets showdown. Both teams
coming off of back to back thatwas playoff caliber basketball last night, and
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first three quarters it was close.Minnesota had leads at times, but they
couldn't capitalize off of turnovers. Ifthey forced, they were about even with
Denver, but the Nuggets were gettingpoints off of their turnovers. Minnesota could
not capitalize. Minnesota did not shootthe free throws very well, and then
they gave up a ton of offensiverebounds. There was a point in the
third quarter where Nikola Jokic was prettymuch allowed to do whatever he wanted,
(02:16):
both by the Wolves defense and bythe referees, and things got a little
bit out of hand. But butI'm not going to play that card because
it was only a three point gamegoing into the fourth quarter, and Denver
rose to a level defensively. I'vewatched a lot of Nuggets games this year.
They rose to a level defensively thatI have not seen them play this
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year in the regular season. AndMinnesota is the elite defensive team coming into
that matchup, but Denver, Denvertook it to another level. It was
Peyton Watson blocking six shots. Hejust completely snuffed out nasried over and over
again. They were flying all overthe place. Every single Nuggets player that
was on the floor was locked intothe game plan, and they played hard,
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and they played like defending champs.And they deserve to win that game.
And in essence, I hate tosay this, they deserve to win
the West. Wow, just concedingthe whole conference in the middle of April.
Well, I didn't say go tothe NBA Finals, But when the
Western Conference you can get the numberone seed, I can. I can
give them that. They they earnedthat last night, and they've been staying
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in the hunt all season. Minnesota'sbeen barely ahead, but like a marathon
runner, you stick right behind thelead person and you save some energy and
then you take it at the end. Was that a gut punch, especially
after reading the news that Alex Rodriguezwouldn't be buying the team because he wanted
to cut the roster by like thirtymillion dollars immediately, Oh, well,
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you know who leaked that story.That's a leak from Glenn Taylor. One
hundred percent to go. You guyswould all rather have me as owner.
I mean, we could spend anentire show on the ownership debacle. But
let me say this, Glenn Taylorhas been kind of a shady business guy
for a long time. I givehim props for keeping the Wolves in Minnesota.
He did a great job with that. He has not done a great
(04:05):
job as owner in most other regards, and Wolves fans everywhere are wanting this
to get over quickly and for Taylorto be done as owner. And I
don't doubt for a second that ARod and Mark Laurie and eventually someday,
once Taylor's out of the picture,Kevin Garnett will run a much better ship
in Minnesota than Glenn Taylor ever did. Do you think Taylor has to be
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completely gone before Garnet comes back,Yes, one hundred percent. KG will
not touch the Wolves at all untilTaylor is out of the picture. They
tried to patch things up, youknow, when Garnett came back to the
Minnesota at the tail end of hiscareer, there was a promise that Garnett
and Flip Saunders and Sam Mitchell,we're all going to be involved in moving
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the franchise forward. And of courseFlips On as tragically passes away and Glenn
Taylor renigs on his verbal com tothat, and sam Mitchell was not given
a fair shake at being head coach. Garnett was kind of slandered by Taylor
again and he was done with it. And Taylor has done this before where
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he said he's going to do onething and then goes back on it.
So this, this unfortunate is goingto go to the courts. But yeah,
it didn't have anything to do.I mean, it's not not a
gut punch on the court. Minnesotawent into that game without Karl Anthony Towns
Anthony Edwards coming off a fifty onepoint night. They played hard. It
was a fantastic game. Denver wasjust more cohesive down the stretch and they
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played better defense at home. Theyalso hit the offensive glass as hard as
any team I've seen this regular season. Well, let's just say this also,
it's screwed Denver. We don't careabout Denver right now. It's not
one of our teams. And congratulationsof winning the West. If that's how,
if they don't collapse, A getswhimby. You know, well he
even plays because they sat him theother night too. My fantasy basketball team
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in the championship, not happy aboutthat one. Well, you should be
happy that Karl Anthony Towns has beencleared for full contact activity, and Soortzes
are saying that he may come backand start getting with the team on the
old weekend, which makes sense becausethey need the regular season. They need
to They've got the Friday night game, and I think they've got one or
two more after that. They gotto get as many as they can with
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him, because even though he'll comeback, and even though he can score,
the team has played faster without him. Nazarita's you know, slid into
that starting line. I think youonly get two lifted. You can get
Friday and Sunday lyft. Yeah,you know, defensively, they've been better
and That's not a knock against Carl. It'll be great to have him back.
I said. Without him, theirceiling is severely capped. But he
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is a guy that they've kind ofhad to accommodate so much for. It's
going to take time to reaccommodate KarlAnthony Towns and shake off the RUSS.
You do not want to be doingthat in a first round playoff series in
the Western Conference, not this WesternConference, not this year. Well,
the Minnesota Timberwolves did happen? Doyou read anything in the fact that they
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were eleven and five without I meantnight, Yeah, nas Reed gives you
what Karl Anthony Towns gives you offensivelyto about eighty five percent and with fewer
headaches, and defensively is the betterplayer. Karl Anthony Towns is by far
the better passer. But Towns asa supermax guy nas Reid nowhere near that
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much money and the Wolves up againstthe salary cap. I mean, I've
been saying that Towns is kind ofthe weak link and expendable, and I
still say that going in and Townshas been a good soldier. He deserves
to come along for this ride.I hope they get a championship this year
so that they can move townside,you know, within good faith, but
I don't I don't know if that'llhappen or not. But moving Towns to
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a team that brings you back anotherwing defender or a couple of them guys
that can shoot a little bit,that would be preferable. But I don't
know that that'll happen. To thispoint, Towns has raised his trade value,
played well this year. Well,we're not training him yet. How
about that. Let's hang on tohim for your sake until you get to
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meet us in the garden in June. Buddy. That's what's gonna happen.
Listen, if they if both thoseteams make it to the finals, like
we're traveling at least one of thosegames, right, that would be amazing.
And then I gotta ask you.We talked about this last week because
we I don't know if we sensedit coming or we're just afraid of it.
Julius Randall had not been shut downfor the year yet, and like
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Karl Anthony Towns, we had bothkind of said, you know, Randall
caps the Knicks ability to maybe makeit to an NBA finals. But now
that it's official. The good newsis Ogiananobi is back, as a Hertenstein
is back, Mitchell Robinson is back. Almost everybody besides Julius is there.
How are you feeling about the Knicksright now? Oh, Betty's been a
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conference where I mean, the Bucksare stumbling up in the two seed.
Cleveland didn't get hot like we thoughtwe did. Orlando suddenly looks like that
young, wet behind the ears teamthat we were afraid they might be.
How about this? How about this? Watching when the Knicks, the Knicks
punk down Boston to That's that's howyou know the granted Boston doesn't really have
anything to play forgets tonight and thenext you know, are still trying to
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they clinch a playoffs butt, butthey're still trying to keep a top four
seat, which they technically could loseout on it. Boston may rest some
guys tonight, don't be surprised.Boston may may not need everybody or may
not care while they're out there.They may just Richard around a little bit.
I don't love it. Julius Randall'smy guy. Uh, it's poor
Man's MVP. I haven't loved aNew York Knick player this much since.
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Oh man, I'd have to say, man, probably since Ewing. Like
the fact that it took you thatlong. I was wondering if you would
go to the Ewing route, Butthe fact that it took you that long
that says everything. Man. Yeah, I you know, I was a
defender of Carmel Anthony, but Ididn't love the guy. I just thought,
you know, he was sort ofthat, you know, sort of
mercenary pick up that you know.Grant did take them into the playoffs and
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they did play. He played wellin the playoffs with him, but it
was very brief and once Maris Stattemeyergot hurt, that was it. That
team was never the same again.Yeah, it's probably since Definitely the Ewing
teams. I really really like CharlesOakley, but Man Ewing was so endearing
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to me. Uh just I couldnot imagine loving a guy who looked like
he was physically tore up from themoment he walked into the league more than
Patrick Ewing. So uh yeah,he's probably the guy I've liked really the
most since him. Now Jaylen Bruntonis starting to get another but you're one
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for me with Jaylen Brunson, sostarting to really enjoy him. But I
do think that, you know,this team is in the best shape that
it's been all season without Randall,of course, and depends on whoever up
getting that number six spot. Youknow, if the Knicks are able to
hold on and maybe win to nine, probably essentially clinch that six spot or
three spot. Oh I I wouldnot hate them against Philly or Orlando or
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who's Indiana. I would not withI think the Knicks. I think the
Knicks are a team that can makeit to the Western Final, the Eastern
Finals. Let's let's say so Inamed all the Western Finals. We have
a problem. Uh yeah, Soall right, a couple more things I
wanted to talk about this Tier podcast. Speaking of the teams that we're talking
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about, let's go back to theWest to actually know it's just stay in
the East for just a minute.You brought up Cleveland. They've lost six
of the last ten. Uh.Orlando's lost six of the last ten as
well. Uh. These are teamsthat are stumbling at the time that they
don't want to be stumbling. Theteam that is hot right now is Philadelphia,
who is trying to get up tothat sixth spot. They are a
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game back of Indiana right now,and they have two games. Both those
teams have two games left. Joe, I thought Philadelphia would get up to
that spot. They've still got acouple of games to do it. They've
won six in a row, whileIndian has won a three in a row.
They haven't quite had a chance tochase them down both ten. Yeah,
but Indian has got Cleveland and Atlantaneck. That's kind of gonna make
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it interesting, I should say,very very interesting, because both those games
are very losable for them. Yeah, both opponents have something to play for
yet exactly exactly because that's you know, for me, that's one of the
reasons I want to talk about somethingin the West. But you know,
teams to get something to play for. But do you think that the I
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feel like we've already given the Eastaway to Boston, right, But do
you think that there is a teambelow Boston that could give Boston at this
point in time a formidable series comingout of the West in the East,
I think Gianni's being heard in goinginto the playoffs I don't like and you
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know they've been God, say whatyou want, Aby Doc Rivers it's never
good New York. I think canbe somewhat formidable, but we've seen throughout
the season and they've gotten you know, they were formidable early and they got
gut punched up a couple of timesin the middle of the season, but
the Knicks also had dealt with abunch of injuries during a couple of those
games. Cleveland's not playing well particularlywell right now. Neither I want to
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put an asterisk on one asterisk onCleveland in the not playing well department.
They did just get Evan Mobley back. They just did finally get Darius Garland
and Donovan Mitchell back. They're workingthrough some major rust and some chemistry stuff,
but the entire starting five group thathas been so good together is finally
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finally back and healthy. And thebench, as you know, constituted for
this year, where we looked atthat and said, Okay, you added
Max Strus, you had George's Yang, you still got Karris LeVert, you
still got some other pieces on thatgroup. It's a good bench. It's
a lot of shooting off that benchtoo. They are still intact, So
I'm less concerned about seating for Clevelandas I am about chemistry heading in and
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I think they're working out some stuffhere. I expected them to win more
games, but but do you thinkthey're gonna be able to like this is
the last weekend, like we're doneafter this week. They got to figure
it out, because if they're stuckwith they are right now. I mean,
their first round matchup gets Orlando,in which I'm okay with, I'm
okay with. I think I thinkthreatening of the group I would I would
say so, I think Cleveland's betterthan Orlando, but I think Orlando could
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I think could win that series herehere is possible. You know, you
talk about like Philadelphia trying to catchup to Indy, but Orlando is also
just a game ahead of Philly.And so while the Pacers have won seven
of their last ten, Orlando's onlywon four of their last ten. And
I think Philly is a little magicschedule too. Yeah, I think Philly
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is looking to catch Orland though evenmore than Indiana, and Philly is not
the matchup that the Knicks would liketo see in the first round. Philly
is not the matchup that is probablynot the matchup with a healthy Joel and
b that Boston wants to see.Because remember, with a healthy Joel and
b the Sixers are a two three, a two or a three seed.
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You know, like you're hitting onmy team. I think Philadelphia is that
team. Philadelphia is that team thatcan get Boston troubles if it got to
them, because Philadelphia is not onlygetting healthy at the right time, they're
also playing really well at the righttime. And that is so important when
it comes to we talk about constantlyin the NBA when he talks about injuries
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and how much that sort of dictateshow the playoffs go. It's going in
the right direction for Philadelphia right now. And the fact that they've gotten a
lot of chemistry over these last coupleof weeks still Be's and back, and
the fact that they're playing well withthat, that's a tough team that's gonna
be a tough team if they endup seeing Boston. I think they're probably
the best team of all of themto be able to beat Boston if there
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was a chance that they met up. And the thing that's really important to
me beyond just Embiid coming back,because that's obvious, Tyrese Maxy clearly the
second wheel there, but can bea number one guy when embiid goes down,
and no longer do the Sixers haveto rely on Tobias Harris every single
night to be their third best player, sometimes their second best player when it
comes to the scoring department. KellyUbrey Junior is capable of being that guy
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on certain nights. Buddy Healed iscapable of being that guy on certain nights.
You still are going to need TobiasHarris to play well, but the
pressure is off for a guy thatI thought had been miscast as the second
or third wheel in Philly for quitea number of years. And so I
think they're better balanced than before.And I'm looking at them. I'm looking
at Cleveland and yes, also NewYork as the teams that can give Boston
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a run during a series. Idon't think it's Milwaukee. It's definitely not
Orlando. Indiana could make things weirdand Miami could make things weird in their
own ways. And I don't knowthat either of those two teams really,
you know, give the Celtics muchof a nightmare. Yeah, I think
Indiana could win a couple of gamesat home, but I don't think Miami
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is still something nasty too, youknow, like that's about that, saying,
I don't know how many I swearto all heavens if Miami tries to
do this again, like where it'sjust not even the we're gonna see that
we should never talk about again,right, like we except for like who
do you think will to win thisaward? But you think, well,
the next award, then it turnsinto all right, who do you think
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loses to Miami? As in aone seed? It's yeah, it's the
They are the slasher from an eightiesyou know, horror movie that just will
not die no matter what you do. They just come back for the sequel
again and again. Yeah, andyou know they're they're clinched in at the
the the eighth seed at this moment. But obviously that puts you straight into
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the playoff round. The play inround, I should say, and Chicago
and Atlanta, no one scares methen if you're Miami, right, So
if you're Imy, just got Tylerhero back. They're not healthy still.
I don't know that the heat willever be healthy because it seems like every
year they're just not and it doesn'treally matter. But Heroes back, and
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they got Terry Rogier to add tothat, group. The team is full
of like old old Patrick Ewings anduh Derreck rose Is. It feels like
every time you're like, oh,that guy's probably broken, that guy's broken,
that guy's broken, but hey,look they're in the NBA Finals.
That's fun, which goes to showyou expulture deserves triple what he gets.
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Yeah, I don't think there's anybodyarguing that, you know, and and
all props to Jimmy Butler and bamAdebayo and the veterans who keep that team
going and focused and meaningful because it'sthe coaches can say all they want,
but unless you have those guys inthat culture enforcing it on the practice court
and then you know, game time, it is a It is a well
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trained unit and machine in Miami,and it takes a great coach like Spo,
and it takes great veterans like theyhave to. Well, let's talk
about some more veterans over in theWest, where we got essentially the first
five seeds are wrapped up. Weknow at least who they are going to
be. What order they'll be incan be determined this weekend. However,
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six, seven, eighth's pretty interesting, especially you can look at nine,
ten, as well, because yetNew Orleans half a game up on Phoenix,
who is a game and a halfup on Sacramento, who's a half
game up on the Lakers, whois a half game up on Golden State.
Now, if you look at what'scoming up, the New Orleans is
in that six butt. New Orleanshas guess what, Sacramento, Golden State,
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and Los Angeles, the Lakers varietyon their schedule. But I think
if they win, I think theyplayed a night right, they played at
Sacramento to night. If they winto night, they can essentially grant themselves
the sixth seed and avoid the playin. But they don't have an easy
road to be able to try todo that. This is a again we
brought up earlier teams with stuff toplay for. You know, grant everyone
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knows who that they're going to bein the playoffs one way or the other,
play in or playoff, but stillthe seating is up for grabs.
The six bot is still up forgrabs. It'd be difficult for LA and
Golden State to be able to grabthat that number six, but at this
point, but they can make ittough because they're still trying to get out
of that number nine and ten spun. I mean, as a Minnesota fan,
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I want anybody but Phoenix. TheSuns are the one team out of
that group that Minnesota and the oneteam in the West that Minnesota has played
terribly against this year. Everybody elsethey have been super competitive or have had
the advantage. Phoenix has had Minnesota'snumber, and they just did it a
couple nights ago, earlier this weekin Minnesota. Minnesota's got to close out
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the season against them. Yeah,it's a really intriguing group. Sacramento's got
no momentum right now. The Lakersand the Warriors are pedigree threats right there.
They've played okay basketball. They're talentedteams. The Warriors are eight and
two in their last ten, theLakers seven and three in their last ten.
But they've lost to in a row. But you look at those two
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and you go, we still knowwhat they're capable of. It's kind of
like Miami. You get into aplayoff series, all bets are off.
Phoenix, super talented, super injured. All year, they shuffled the deck
on the bench, you know downit's super injured. Yeah, that's the
great monitor for They reshuffled the deckat the trade deadline with that bench again,
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so it's not as if they've hadtime to really bring chemistry together.
But the sheer fire power of thatgroup is scary. And New Orleans is
scary because Zion is here and asfar as we know, is going to
be in a playoff series, andbrandon Ingram, as far as we know,
is going to be in a playoffseries. They've got all those young
guys in that start lineup, They'vegot veterans on the bench, and it's
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tough because Dallas all of a suddennine and one in their last ten games,
winners of five in a row,Kyrie Luca not only clicking, but
the starting lineup with the new guysDaniel Gafford and PJ. Washington along with
Derek Jones, it's the new LobCity, you know, it is the
new Lob City with with those guysand they're really playing well. So you
know, when I talked about likethis Western Conference, yes, pick your
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poison, Like I think Sacramento isprobably the only team and maybe the Clippers
if Kawhi you know, can't comeback healthy, which is for you know,
that's the forever story. Those mightbe the only two teams where you
look at and go, yeah,I think we probably want to play them.
I don't think you can look atthe Pelicans and go yeah, I
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want a piece of that, becauseyou know that the Pelicans are They're prime
to be a spoiler. Do youknow what I was thinking about this watching
watching the nixt the other night,And it has nothing to do with things.
You know, sometimes your mind wonders, and uh, you know when
they were when they were beating downChicago, Billy donnom a mister ibe to
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go to a Kentucky and blah blahblah blah. Oh, I'm surprised that
place doesn't get generally more talent likemortalent. Is it just interested in going
there? You know? It's whatever? Anyway, So I was sort of
thinking about this, like who ifI was in the West, who am
I most interested in sort of seeing? Right, like just watching visually watching,
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not not just sort of matchup wise. And so I went down the
list and in my mind it wasnumber one was Minnesota, Number two was
Denver, Number three was Okay,see that it was Dallas, that it
was New Orleans, and it wasthe Clippers. And then he started getting
into like the teams that no onewill shut up about nationally. Who are
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the worst in this with the Lakersand the and the Warriors? And I
am over the Warriors, like Iam over Aymon Green's getting kicked out of
games in like nine seconds, Likelike I don't did you see that that
video one video a couple of weeksago where he got kicked out of the
game, and Steph Curry just sortof, you know, like what's going
on? Like what are we supposedto do with this guy? Like he's
(24:15):
over I'll completely agree with him.But that team just has been in this
spot for the last couple of seasons. I'm not that interested in sort of
seeing what gold they do, exceptfor, like you say, they're the
legacy team, right, They're thelegacy team that's been there. The Lakers.
Yeah, they won a championship duringCOVID. That's four years ago now,
all right, So this team hasbeen competitive and has been very good.
(24:37):
Last year they were very good WesternConference finalists, right? But am
I do I think this team isinterestingly interesting enough for me to want to
watch, not not in the topsix or seven. I think I'll say
this for the Lakers. I've watchedmore Lakers games this year than typical and
they're watchaball you don't like to dofor them, but they're watchable. They're
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watch a bull. But like,they're not the first team I'm going to
pick out there, and it's Sacramento, especially the last few weeks. Yeah,
I don't know what I'm supposed todo with Sacramento. Man. I
want badly for them to be moreconsistent and better than what they are.
And it just it's tough when youlose Malik Monk. It's tough when you
lose Kevin Herder. Although Herder hasbeen in kind of a season long slump.
They just they don't have the magiclast year, which we kind of
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we're afraid might happen. Yeah,So for me, like Phoenix, is
that team that I'm with you,like thinks is a team I would want
to see, But I would notwant to see if I was one of
those teams that match up with it, because again, really really good,
really really talented, got MVPs onthat roster up and down, got all
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stars up and down that roster tothey outside of the shock of the way
Denver dispatched them last year, AndI don't think they do that again this
year. I think I think Phoenixis the dark horse here that that's not
so dark when you think when youthink about who they are, just the
way the state's gonna have them,because they're gonna probably end up with the
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sixth, they might end up thesixty's got left. Phoenix is the one
team in the Sacramento in Minnesota,so they're the one team in the West,
although the Lakers came close when healthy, but now that Phoenix is healthy,
they're the one team where you lookat them and go on paper they're
fourteen deep. Does that really matterwhen it gets to the playoffs and you
only play eight nine guys? Maybemaybe not, but it gives you the
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sense of how many different options FrankVogel has to throw out there. I've
been a little bit concerned about thelack of bench production, even though they
have a lot of capable guys withthat group, I'm not sure if they're
being deployed correctly or what the dealis. And then of course they you
know, made all those trades ofthe deadline, but they're really deep,
and they got a lot of differentdefenders, a lot of different shooters,
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and I feel like, you know, it's a bullpen analogy. They've got
the d piss bullpen in the WesternConference and sometimes you do need that.
In the playoffs obviously is about topline star talent, but the Sons have
got that in spades too. Solet me ask you this. We essentially
know who the teams are gonna be. What we definitely who the teams are
gonna be in the playoffs. Sowho do you think? Because next week
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we'll talk about the actual playoffs andwe may try to record before. I
think Wednesday is the first playing game, right or it is a Tuesday Tuesday
or Wednesday the first playing game.I'd have to go look on the schedule,
and I honestly should know that,and don't I think they can like
two days in between, like thegame the season being over in the first
play in But anyway, so whohas surprised you the most now that the
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season essentially is done positively or negatively? Who was just surprised you? As
far as who? It could bea player, a coach, or a
team or a decision. Are youI allow a decision that shocked you the
most? Well, the decision wouldbe the Bucks hiring Doc Rivers after firing
Adrian Griffin. That's the decision teamthat's shocked me the most, I think
(28:06):
has been Phoenix's struggles, although theydo have the built in excuse. Oklahoma
City really surprised me with how readythey were to go, But once you
saw that the bench was ready,it wasn't that big of a surprise because
that starting lineup has been so goodI think for me has been it's not
(28:29):
really a surprise. It's more justlike watching an awe of Victor Wembin Yama
and going, okay, he tookhis lumps a little bit early. They
had to limit his minutes, butyou still saw everything you needed to see.
And if that's as good as hestayed all year, it would have
been a very successful rookie campaign.But he just keeps getting better and more
(28:52):
eye popping every single month. Andwe're talking about a guy who is in
Defensive Player of the Year running simplyon blocks alone, even though there are
guys like Rudy Gobert and some ofthe other defenders who do more than just
block shots, and they deserve theaward this year. But with Wemby,
you're looking to go and if you'realready at this point as a rookie on
(29:15):
a really bad Spurs team that nowunderstands how to build around you, and
that process begins. You hear thatphrase the sky's the limit or this player
has no ceiling. You see thatthrown out from time to time and a
hyperbole. This is one of thosefew guys where I legit don't know what
(29:37):
the ceiling even looks like. IfWemby stays as good as he is now
at the end of his rookie season, he's a first ballot Hall of Famer
without any question, right, Buthe's so young, he's so young and
still has so much to learn inthe NBA, and his body's got to
get better and all these different things. Like with Zion was an amazing prospect
(30:02):
when Ben Yamba make Zion look likea second grader, you know, like
honestly, and that's Ion, allright, You're just crazy, You're just
jeduy. You just love the factthat that big, tall dude can do
the sham gut driven. That's whatyou're doing. That's what you're impressed by,
and like, you know what,I get it, I totally totally
get Okay, let me give youthree quick surprises, Uh, and then
(30:22):
we can you know, walk awayif you want. Uh. Okay,
so uh for me and I'm notgonna reckon this just three three ones uh.
Shay Gilges Alexander. This guy cameonto the scene a few years ago
and sort of made a dramatic improvementin how he was offensively last year average
(30:45):
as well, like thirty won agame, thirty two a game. Then
this year does the same thing,averages thirty games. Now he's not leading
the league, but he's like third, second or third in the league in
scoring on an okay case team thatpeople were a scaded about, didn't think
they'd be at the top of thestandings the entire season. And Shake Gilders
Alexander turned himself into over the lasttwo seasons an MVP, legitimate MVP type
(31:10):
candidate, but a way MVP toow MVP. Yes that that I did
not think it. He coming threeyears ago, did not have that anywhere
near the Bengal card of what couldhappen in the NBA. So I think
Shake Gilders Alexander is a huge surprisefor me. The fact that he followed
up last year's effort with a verysimilar effort this year and a plus.
(31:32):
Okay, See, it's so muchbetter. Last year they were in the
plane, right, they were playing. Yeah, last year, Shane's just
did in control. When you watchhim play, He's just in control of
everything that's going on, and youmatch the game slowing down with you know,
a great, great mental capacity forthe game and all that athleticism in
those gifts. Man, he issuch a good player. The thicket surprise
(31:53):
for me is Milwaukee is Milwaukee,not just the decision for Doc Rivers,
but the fact that they have beenI mean everything does essentially come from that
decision, right, but the factthat they have been so in the middle
of the league, right, andthey really should be six or seven or
(32:13):
eight games better than what they are. Yeah. Still a still a comfortable
to see, which is why it'ssuch a weird year in the East that
you could be thirteen fourteen games backand still be the number two seeds in
the East. But still Milwaukee justhas not clicked this entire season. Uh.
And they were better before they puton doc Rivers before the All Star
(32:35):
Game. But still they feel likethat they've I feel like they're lost,
right, does it seem like thatthey're lost that he don't have an identity
that sort of makes sense to them. We raised the red flag a little
bit on them in the preseason,going they're a defender or too short,
they're the roster just it's got someshooting, and yeah, you had Damian
(32:58):
Lillard, but if you're gonna takeDrew hollow out of that mix, you
better replace him with some good defenders. And they did not really do that.
They you know, get a healthyj Crowder, but that was it.
And we said that same warning atthe trade deadline, and they did
essentially nothing to address that issue.Yes, adding Patrick Beverly, okay,
you get some toughness, but Patbev is a name only at this point.
(33:22):
He he is not that big ofan impact player and they needed more.
You could have added Patrick Beverly ifyou were adding one or two other
good defenders, and then I wouldhave said, oh, yeah, that's
a nice a nice guy to have. It's not enough, and Milwaukee has
not had enough. It's not reallyDame or Jannis's fault. You know,
(33:42):
the pairing has clicked enough. It'snot as great as people thought it was
going to be. And if youwant to put that at the feet of
Adrian Griffin. Like you said,they were better before Doc Rivers, but
they weren't that much better before DocRivers, and that's what got Griff fired.
So you could see kind of whatthe way Boston started the season.
You could kind of see where Milwaukeemay have gotten a little antsy like,
but nowhere near to make a decisionlike that, especially cut for how good
(34:06):
they were to start the season rightuh. And thirdly, Memphis, for
me, you knear the beginning ofthe season was going to be an interesting
slog for the first twenty five gameswith uh with the job Moran suspension,
but then they had a little bitof a bump when he came back,
but not much of one. Andthey've been just tanked with injuries. This
(34:27):
is even Adams never played the entireseason. They cut bait on him,
even though they loved him. Yeah, everybody else in the starting lineup except
Jaron Jackson, you know, wasbasically out much of the year. Yeah,
So like it's such a like.I thought they would be much much
better, and injuries do torpedo aseason. I could totally get that.
(34:49):
I did not foresee clearly the rosterbeing injured at some point for Johnny ch
other for the season, and Igot job Moran. As long as they
held serve around five hundred John Maricaback, that would be a boit the
arm what they needed, and theygot it for a little bit. But
they were so bad early because ofearly injuries. I think about their season
never really got started new like solike it really this was just a lost
(35:13):
cause. It felt like from essentiallygame one. So they were up and
playing territory sort of or at leasttrending in that direction. When Jock came
back before he hurt the shoulder,all of a sudden, they went a
few in a row and you're like, all right, they're still within spitting
distance of the play in. They'llmake up that ground. Desmond Bain came
back right around that time too,And but yeah, lost lost cause never
(35:37):
had Marcus Smart, never really hadDerreck Rose for the year. Just it
should have been better. The onlygood news, and this has been said
a whole bunch of times, butthey have had a chance to develop some
of those young guys. Memphis isnot a team that can sport a giant
payroll, and so as some ofthose top flight starters become super expensive,
you need to be developing younger guys, and memph did get a freebie year
(36:01):
to kind of play as a badteam but get extra looks to a lot
of guys that are going to bein the rotation next year. It's not
quite the same, but it's kindof like when when Golden Steak got really
bad a few years ago because ofinjuries, that they were able to take
advantage with some good draft picks andsuch, and also were able to get
some more playing time for younger dudes. And then you came back and you're
(36:22):
like, Oh, that's the redemptionTour. That's to remember us Tour.
I don't know Mephi's gonna be thatnext year, but Memphis is gonna be
a much, much much better teamnext year. I tell you what,
Joh I better have his head onstraight. Job, better have his head
on straight, because he owes thatGrizzlies team. He owes them at this
point a magical mature season, andyou hope that good karma comes along with
(36:46):
it in the injury department, thathe's got a full roster of teammates to
play with because they can get rightback into the mix very quickly. But
this all hinges on John Morant beinga knucklehead last off season. I think
you're right. This is where youfind out what this guy is made of.
Right, you had the suspension,you had the then coming back and
(37:06):
being really good and then getting hurt. You had the team being really,
really bad and really hurt. Therewas really nothing redeemable about this year if
you're a Grizzlies fan. So yougo through the turmoil legally from last offseason
into the year, then you gointo a really bad season, including injuries
for yourself. Now you got achance over a year's worth of adversity to
(37:27):
sort of deal with like this isthe sort of you kind of make or
break what a guy's gonna be mentallyon the on the court for a franchise
when something like that happens. SoI'd love to see John Morant come back,
head on his shoulders and ready tojust light up Beal Street for a
long long time. Yeah, andlast thought for me, and you said
those probably a few shows ago,but it's stuck with me. John Morant
(37:50):
was Anthony Edwards last year. Twoyears ago. John Morant was the up
and coming guy who was the faceof the league, who had everybody talking,
who is on the highlight reels.And you know, Ant was a
good player coming up and we hadhigh hopes for him. But John didn't
just lose out on a season inMemphis. He didn't just lose out on
(38:14):
a lot of question marks around hisyou know, maturity and decision making.
He lost out on the opportunity tobe the face of the league. And
he's never going to get that back. Like Anthony Edwards has taken that mantle.
And there's still are guys like NikolaJokic and Luka and you know,
all these other phenomenal players Joel Embiidego on and on who are faces of
(38:35):
the league. But Anthony Edwards hasthe chance to become like the transcendent guy
that is just so cool that everybodywants a piece of. And that was
John Morant and he blew it.Sells on all the jerseys, Uh,
put your name on, put yourface on all the video games, all
that stuff. That was. Yeah, that's the chase. Now Anthony Edwards
has because he's had such a phenomenayear. I mean, dude, dude,
(39:00):
dunk in his own head, likein the back fords like that.
There's just no end to what thatguy can do with John Moran, with
the guy John Moran literally ever AndI was like, what dunk did he
do? What did he do tonight? What did he do tonight? And
now where a year gone for that? And people forget, people are willing
to forgive, like for free issuesand stuff like that. He's still can
have a glorious career and be theface of the league. There's no one's
(39:21):
saying that that he can be aface in the league still, but he'll
he'll do. You want the nextthe next sort of Lebron, the next
guy that's sort of seen as theleader of the class for a long time
for the league. I don't thinkJohn's gonna be able to get that back.
And he had it right in thepalm of his hand riding up.
We all wanted it, Joel,We all wanted it for him. Yeah,
(39:46):
now we got to give it tosome guy from Minnesota. Whatever.
I'm going with Halburton. Actually Ican't go with Haliburton because he's a he's
an Indie guy. Now, yeahit's not that's not say but those guys
are facing of the league, likethose are luminary players in the league for
sure. Oh my god, like, could you could you imagine the push
(40:07):
that would be given to him ifif Anthony Edwards or John Moran was in
like New York or Los Angeles.Right, oh yeah, yeah, it
would be in the face of theleague. Right, no doubt it's unfair,
but it's the reality of it.You are absolutely one hundred and ten
percent Jyleb Brunt. Jalen Bruns istop five in the league in score and
(40:28):
the Knicks are good. And stillthe Knicks don't get as much because they're
not as an exciting of a team. They don't have that as exciting a
player. Jalen Bruns is just areally good score. Julius Reynolds just really
good. I think Hartenstein. It'sjust a bunch of really good players.
But they don't have a transcendent typeplayer that could be that. There's only
a couple of those in the league. So yeah, all right, Joel,
that's good. Due for us talkingbasketball by so the next time we'll
(40:51):
talk, they'll be doing what welike to call post season play. That's
right. I came up with thatterm. What do you think you like
that term? I'll allow it,all right, You and your Bucks shirt,
you say goodbye to everybody speaker.Spotify iTunes is where you find the
audio only version of This Year podcast. If you want the video version,
find us on YouTube, like Share, Subscribe, and we'll do it again.
(41:12):
This has been Basketball by Association.Goodbye,
Hello, Jelly Spoon's my name isArkie. She that is Joelsey Corter.
This is Basketball Bob the Association.That's not bad. That's not bad.
You held the pitch, I heldthe what Oh different the pitch? Oh
that's right. Sorry, my bad, My bad. Uh. We So
(00:23):
we got two or three games leftin the old NBA season. Gonna be
having a little bit of a shorterpodcast today because really it was really up
for grabs, right, No,I mean a little bit of city.
But we were trying to figure outa time to be able to record this
to your podcast, and Joel atone point said, as I was trying
to say, hey, can wedo eleven eleven fifteen, have eleven twenty
(00:44):
eleven, twenty two, eleven,twenty three, Joel's like, hey,
man, if we need to punditfor this week, that's fine. And
I was like, Joel, youwill not get away from losing the West
last night to the NBA did forNuggets and that discussion. Uh nay,
I say, we will be talkingabout this, however, Joel, it
is very much worth mentioning that withtwo games left and only one game back
(01:07):
of Denver and tied with the OKCwith one game back, still legally possible
to win the West. However,DAC has San Antonio and Memphis in the
season, but the number two seeds, okay, because OKAC has Milwaukee and
Dallas. I think for the lasttwo games. So chance still to win
(01:32):
the West. Technically probably not,but I don't know. Yeah, Minnesota's
got Atlanta and Phoenix on their lasttwo And I said this last week when
we met, you were asking mewho's going to win the West? I
said, it'll be the winner ofthe Minnesota Denver Nuggets showdown. Both teams
coming off of back to back thatwas playoff caliber basketball last night, and
(01:53):
first three quarters it was close.Minnesota had leads at times, but they
couldn't capitalize off of turnovers. Ifthey forced, they were about even with
Denver, but the Nuggets were gettingpoints off of their turnovers. Minnesota could
not capitalize. Minnesota did not shootthe free throws very well, and then
they gave up a ton of offensiverebounds. There was a point in the
third quarter where Nikola Jokic was prettymuch allowed to do whatever he wanted,
(02:16):
both by the Wolves defense and bythe referees, and things got a little
bit out of hand. But butI'm not going to play that card because
it was only a three point gamegoing into the fourth quarter, and Denver
rose to a level defensively. I'vewatched a lot of Nuggets games this year.
They rose to a level defensively thatI have not seen them play this
(02:37):
year in the regular season. AndMinnesota is the elite defensive team coming into
that matchup, but Denver, Denvertook it to another level. It was
Peyton Watson blocking six shots. Hejust completely snuffed out nasried over and over
again. They were flying all overthe place. Every single Nuggets player that
was on the floor was locked intothe game plan, and they played hard,
(02:58):
and they played like defending champs.And they deserve to win that game.
And in essence, I hate tosay this, they deserve to win
the West. Wow, just concedingthe whole conference in the middle of April.
Well, I didn't say go tothe NBA Finals, But when the
Western Conference you can get the numberone seed, I can. I can
give them that. They they earnedthat last night, and they've been staying
(03:22):
in the hunt all season. Minnesota'sbeen barely ahead, but like a marathon
runner, you stick right behind thelead person and you save some energy and
then you take it at the end. Was that a gut punch, especially
after reading the news that Alex Rodriguezwouldn't be buying the team because he wanted
to cut the roster by like thirtymillion dollars immediately, Oh, well,
(03:43):
you know who leaked that story.That's a leak from Glenn Taylor. One
hundred percent to go. You guyswould all rather have me as owner.
I mean, we could spend anentire show on the ownership debacle. But
let me say this, Glenn Taylorhas been kind of a shady business guy
for a long time. I givehim props for keeping the Wolves in Minnesota.
He did a great job with that. He has not done a great
(04:05):
job as owner in most other regards, and Wolves fans everywhere are wanting this
to get over quickly and for Taylorto be done as owner. And I
don't doubt for a second that ARod and Mark Laurie and eventually someday,
once Taylor's out of the picture,Kevin Garnett will run a much better ship
in Minnesota than Glenn Taylor ever did. Do you think Taylor has to be
(04:30):
completely gone before Garnet comes back,Yes, one hundred percent. KG will
not touch the Wolves at all untilTaylor is out of the picture. They
tried to patch things up, youknow, when Garnett came back to the
Minnesota at the tail end of hiscareer, there was a promise that Garnett
and Flip Saunders and Sam Mitchell,we're all going to be involved in moving
(04:51):
the franchise forward. And of courseFlips On as tragically passes away and Glenn
Taylor renigs on his verbal com tothat, and sam Mitchell was not given
a fair shake at being head coach. Garnett was kind of slandered by Taylor
again and he was done with it. And Taylor has done this before where
(05:12):
he said he's going to do onething and then goes back on it.
So this, this unfortunate is goingto go to the courts. But yeah,
it didn't have anything to do.I mean, it's not not a
gut punch on the court. Minnesotawent into that game without Karl Anthony Towns
Anthony Edwards coming off a fifty onepoint night. They played hard. It
was a fantastic game. Denver wasjust more cohesive down the stretch and they
(05:34):
played better defense at home. Theyalso hit the offensive glass as hard as
any team I've seen this regular season. Well, let's just say this also,
it's screwed Denver. We don't careabout Denver right now. It's not
one of our teams. And congratulationsof winning the West. If that's how,
if they don't collapse, A getswhimby. You know, well he
even plays because they sat him theother night too. My fantasy basketball team
(05:56):
in the championship, not happy aboutthat one. Well, you should be
happy that Karl Anthony Towns has beencleared for full contact activity, and Soortzes
are saying that he may come backand start getting with the team on the
old weekend, which makes sense becausethey need the regular season. They need
to They've got the Friday night game, and I think they've got one or
two more after that. They gotto get as many as they can with
(06:16):
him, because even though he'll comeback, and even though he can score,
the team has played faster without him. Nazarita's you know, slid into
that starting line. I think youonly get two lifted. You can get
Friday and Sunday lyft. Yeah,you know, defensively, they've been better
and That's not a knock against Carl. It'll be great to have him back.
I said. Without him, theirceiling is severely capped. But he
(06:36):
is a guy that they've kind ofhad to accommodate so much for. It's
going to take time to reaccommodate KarlAnthony Towns and shake off the RUSS.
You do not want to be doingthat in a first round playoff series in
the Western Conference, not this WesternConference, not this year. Well,
the Minnesota Timberwolves did happen? Doyou read anything in the fact that they
(06:58):
were eleven and five without I meantnight, Yeah, nas Reed gives you
what Karl Anthony Towns gives you offensivelyto about eighty five percent and with fewer
headaches, and defensively is the betterplayer. Karl Anthony Towns is by far
the better passer. But Towns asa supermax guy nas Reid nowhere near that
(07:24):
much money and the Wolves up againstthe salary cap. I mean, I've
been saying that Towns is kind ofthe weak link and expendable, and I
still say that going in and Townshas been a good soldier. He deserves
to come along for this ride.I hope they get a championship this year
so that they can move townside,you know, within good faith, but
I don't I don't know if that'llhappen or not. But moving Towns to
(07:46):
a team that brings you back anotherwing defender or a couple of them guys
that can shoot a little bit,that would be preferable. But I don't
know that that'll happen. To thispoint, Towns has raised his trade value,
played well this year. Well,we're not training him yet. How
about that. Let's hang on tohim for your sake until you get to
(08:07):
meet us in the garden in June. Buddy. That's what's gonna happen.
Listen, if they if both thoseteams make it to the finals, like
we're traveling at least one of thosegames, right, that would be amazing.
And then I gotta ask you.We talked about this last week because
we I don't know if we sensedit coming or we're just afraid of it.
Julius Randall had not been shut downfor the year yet, and like
(08:28):
Karl Anthony Towns, we had bothkind of said, you know, Randall
caps the Knicks ability to maybe makeit to an NBA finals. But now
that it's official. The good newsis Ogiananobi is back, as a Hertenstein
is back, Mitchell Robinson is back. Almost everybody besides Julius is there.
How are you feeling about the Knicksright now? Oh, Betty's been a
(08:48):
conference where I mean, the Bucksare stumbling up in the two seed.
Cleveland didn't get hot like we thoughtwe did. Orlando suddenly looks like that
young, wet behind the ears teamthat we were afraid they might be.
How about this? How about this? Watching when the Knicks, the Knicks
punk down Boston to That's that's howyou know the granted Boston doesn't really have
anything to play forgets tonight and thenext you know, are still trying to
(09:09):
they clinch a playoffs butt, butthey're still trying to keep a top four
seat, which they technically could loseout on it. Boston may rest some
guys tonight, don't be surprised.Boston may may not need everybody or may
not care while they're out there.They may just Richard around a little bit.
I don't love it. Julius Randall'smy guy. Uh, it's poor
Man's MVP. I haven't loved aNew York Knick player this much since.
(09:39):
Oh man, I'd have to say, man, probably since Ewing. Like
the fact that it took you thatlong. I was wondering if you would
go to the Ewing route, Butthe fact that it took you that long
that says everything. Man. Yeah, I you know, I was a
defender of Carmel Anthony, but Ididn't love the guy. I just thought,
you know, he was sort ofthat, you know, sort of
mercenary pick up that you know.Grant did take them into the playoffs and
(10:03):
they did play. He played wellin the playoffs with him, but it
was very brief and once Maris Stattemeyergot hurt, that was it. That
team was never the same again.Yeah, it's probably since Definitely the Ewing
teams. I really really like CharlesOakley, but Man Ewing was so endearing
(10:24):
to me. Uh just I couldnot imagine loving a guy who looked like
he was physically tore up from themoment he walked into the league more than
Patrick Ewing. So uh yeah,he's probably the guy I've liked really the
most since him. Now Jaylen Bruntonis starting to get another but you're one
(10:46):
for me with Jaylen Brunson, sostarting to really enjoy him. But I
do think that, you know,this team is in the best shape that
it's been all season without Randall,of course, and depends on whoever up
getting that number six spot. Youknow, if the Knicks are able to
hold on and maybe win to nine, probably essentially clinch that six spot or
three spot. Oh I I wouldnot hate them against Philly or Orlando or
(11:15):
who's Indiana. I would not withI think the Knicks. I think the
Knicks are a team that can makeit to the Western Final, the Eastern
Finals. Let's let's say so Inamed all the Western Finals. We have
a problem. Uh yeah, Soall right, a couple more things I
wanted to talk about this Tier podcast. Speaking of the teams that we're talking
(11:35):
about, let's go back to theWest to actually know it's just stay in
the East for just a minute.You brought up Cleveland. They've lost six
of the last ten. Uh.Orlando's lost six of the last ten as
well. Uh. These are teamsthat are stumbling at the time that they
don't want to be stumbling. Theteam that is hot right now is Philadelphia,
who is trying to get up tothat sixth spot. They are a
(11:56):
game back of Indiana right now,and they have two games. Both those
teams have two games left. Joe, I thought Philadelphia would get up to
that spot. They've still got acouple of games to do it. They've
won six in a row, whileIndian has won a three in a row.
They haven't quite had a chance tochase them down both ten. Yeah,
but Indian has got Cleveland and Atlantaneck. That's kind of gonna make
(12:18):
it interesting, I should say,very very interesting, because both those games
are very losable for them. Yeah, both opponents have something to play for
yet exactly exactly because that's you know, for me, that's one of the
reasons I want to talk about somethingin the West. But you know,
teams to get something to play for. But do you think that the I
(12:39):
feel like we've already given the Eastaway to Boston, right, But do
you think that there is a teambelow Boston that could give Boston at this
point in time a formidable series comingout of the West in the East,
I think Gianni's being heard in goinginto the playoffs I don't like and you
(13:03):
know they've been God, say whatyou want, Aby Doc Rivers it's never
good New York. I think canbe somewhat formidable, but we've seen throughout
the season and they've gotten you know, they were formidable early and they got
gut punched up a couple of timesin the middle of the season, but
the Knicks also had dealt with abunch of injuries during a couple of those
games. Cleveland's not playing well particularlywell right now. Neither I want to
(13:26):
put an asterisk on one asterisk onCleveland in the not playing well department.
They did just get Evan Mobley back. They just did finally get Darius Garland
and Donovan Mitchell back. They're workingthrough some major rust and some chemistry stuff,
but the entire starting five group thathas been so good together is finally
(13:48):
finally back and healthy. And thebench, as you know, constituted for
this year, where we looked atthat and said, Okay, you added
Max Strus, you had George's Yang, you still got Karris LeVert, you
still got some other pieces on thatgroup. It's a good bench. It's
a lot of shooting off that benchtoo. They are still intact, So
I'm less concerned about seating for Clevelandas I am about chemistry heading in and
(14:11):
I think they're working out some stuffhere. I expected them to win more
games, but but do you thinkthey're gonna be able to like this is
the last weekend, like we're doneafter this week. They got to figure
it out, because if they're stuckwith they are right now. I mean,
their first round matchup gets Orlando,in which I'm okay with, I'm
okay with. I think I thinkthreatening of the group I would I would
say so, I think Cleveland's betterthan Orlando, but I think Orlando could
(14:35):
I think could win that series herehere is possible. You know, you
talk about like Philadelphia trying to catchup to Indy, but Orlando is also
just a game ahead of Philly.And so while the Pacers have won seven
of their last ten, Orlando's onlywon four of their last ten. And
I think Philly is a little magicschedule too. Yeah, I think Philly
(14:58):
is looking to catch Orland though evenmore than Indiana, and Philly is not
the matchup that the Knicks would liketo see in the first round. Philly
is not the matchup that is probablynot the matchup with a healthy Joel and
b that Boston wants to see.Because remember, with a healthy Joel and
b the Sixers are a two three, a two or a three seed.
(15:18):
You know, like you're hitting onmy team. I think Philadelphia is that
team. Philadelphia is that team thatcan get Boston troubles if it got to
them, because Philadelphia is not onlygetting healthy at the right time, they're
also playing really well at the righttime. And that is so important when
it comes to we talk about constantlyin the NBA when he talks about injuries
(15:39):
and how much that sort of dictateshow the playoffs go. It's going in
the right direction for Philadelphia right now. And the fact that they've gotten a
lot of chemistry over these last coupleof weeks still Be's and back, and
the fact that they're playing well withthat, that's a tough team that's gonna
be a tough team if they endup seeing Boston. I think they're probably
the best team of all of themto be able to beat Boston if there
(16:00):
was a chance that they met up. And the thing that's really important to
me beyond just Embiid coming back,because that's obvious, Tyrese Maxy clearly the
second wheel there, but can bea number one guy when embiid goes down,
and no longer do the Sixers haveto rely on Tobias Harris every single
night to be their third best player, sometimes their second best player when it
comes to the scoring department. KellyUbrey Junior is capable of being that guy
(16:25):
on certain nights. Buddy Healed iscapable of being that guy on certain nights.
You still are going to need TobiasHarris to play well, but the
pressure is off for a guy thatI thought had been miscast as the second
or third wheel in Philly for quitea number of years. And so I
think they're better balanced than before.And I'm looking at them. I'm looking
at Cleveland and yes, also NewYork as the teams that can give Boston
(16:49):
a run during a series. Idon't think it's Milwaukee. It's definitely not
Orlando. Indiana could make things weirdand Miami could make things weird in their
own ways. And I don't knowthat either of those two teams really,
you know, give the Celtics muchof a nightmare. Yeah, I think
Indiana could win a couple of gamesat home, but I don't think Miami
(17:11):
is still something nasty too, youknow, like that's about that, saying,
I don't know how many I swearto all heavens if Miami tries to
do this again, like where it'sjust not even the we're gonna see that
we should never talk about again,right, like we except for like who
do you think will to win thisaward? But you think, well,
the next award, then it turnsinto all right, who do you think
(17:32):
loses to Miami? As in aone seed? It's yeah, it's the
They are the slasher from an eightiesyou know, horror movie that just will
not die no matter what you do. They just come back for the sequel
again and again. Yeah, andyou know they're they're clinched in at the
the the eighth seed at this moment. But obviously that puts you straight into
(17:52):
the playoff round. The play inround, I should say, and Chicago
and Atlanta, no one scares methen if you're Miami, right, So
if you're Imy, just got Tylerhero back. They're not healthy still.
I don't know that the heat willever be healthy because it seems like every
year they're just not and it doesn'treally matter. But Heroes back, and
(18:14):
they got Terry Rogier to add tothat, group. The team is full
of like old old Patrick Ewings anduh Derreck rose Is. It feels like
every time you're like, oh,that guy's probably broken, that guy's broken,
that guy's broken, but hey,look they're in the NBA Finals.
That's fun, which goes to showyou expulture deserves triple what he gets.
(18:37):
Yeah, I don't think there's anybodyarguing that, you know, and and
all props to Jimmy Butler and bamAdebayo and the veterans who keep that team
going and focused and meaningful because it'sthe coaches can say all they want,
but unless you have those guys inthat culture enforcing it on the practice court
and then you know, game time, it is a It is a well
(19:00):
trained unit and machine in Miami,and it takes a great coach like Spo,
and it takes great veterans like theyhave to. Well, let's talk
about some more veterans over in theWest, where we got essentially the first
five seeds are wrapped up. Weknow at least who they are going to
be. What order they'll be incan be determined this weekend. However,
(19:21):
six, seven, eighth's pretty interesting, especially you can look at nine,
ten, as well, because yetNew Orleans half a game up on Phoenix,
who is a game and a halfup on Sacramento, who's a half
game up on the Lakers, whois a half game up on Golden State.
Now, if you look at what'scoming up, the New Orleans is
in that six butt. New Orleanshas guess what, Sacramento, Golden State,
(19:45):
and Los Angeles, the Lakers varietyon their schedule. But I think
if they win, I think theyplayed a night right, they played at
Sacramento to night. If they winto night, they can essentially grant themselves
the sixth seed and avoid the playin. But they don't have an easy
road to be able to try todo that. This is a again we
brought up earlier teams with stuff toplay for. You know, grant everyone
(20:08):
knows who that they're going to bein the playoffs one way or the other,
play in or playoff, but stillthe seating is up for grabs.
The six bot is still up forgrabs. It'd be difficult for LA and
Golden State to be able to grabthat that number six, but at this
point, but they can make ittough because they're still trying to get out
of that number nine and ten spun. I mean, as a Minnesota fan,
(20:32):
I want anybody but Phoenix. TheSuns are the one team out of
that group that Minnesota and the oneteam in the West that Minnesota has played
terribly against this year. Everybody elsethey have been super competitive or have had
the advantage. Phoenix has had Minnesota'snumber, and they just did it a
couple nights ago, earlier this weekin Minnesota. Minnesota's got to close out
(20:56):
the season against them. Yeah,it's a really intriguing group. Sacramento's got
no momentum right now. The Lakersand the Warriors are pedigree threats right there.
They've played okay basketball. They're talentedteams. The Warriors are eight and
two in their last ten, theLakers seven and three in their last ten.
But they've lost to in a row. But you look at those two
(21:18):
and you go, we still knowwhat they're capable of. It's kind of
like Miami. You get into aplayoff series, all bets are off.
Phoenix, super talented, super injured. All year, they shuffled the deck
on the bench, you know downit's super injured. Yeah, that's the
great monitor for They reshuffled the deckat the trade deadline with that bench again,
(21:40):
so it's not as if they've hadtime to really bring chemistry together.
But the sheer fire power of thatgroup is scary. And New Orleans is
scary because Zion is here and asfar as we know, is going to
be in a playoff series, andbrandon Ingram, as far as we know,
is going to be in a playoffseries. They've got all those young
guys in that start lineup, They'vegot veterans on the bench, and it's
(22:02):
tough because Dallas all of a suddennine and one in their last ten games,
winners of five in a row,Kyrie Luca not only clicking, but
the starting lineup with the new guysDaniel Gafford and PJ. Washington along with
Derek Jones, it's the new LobCity, you know, it is the
new Lob City with with those guysand they're really playing well. So you
know, when I talked about likethis Western Conference, yes, pick your
(22:26):
poison, Like I think Sacramento isprobably the only team and maybe the Clippers
if Kawhi you know, can't comeback healthy, which is for you know,
that's the forever story. Those mightbe the only two teams where you
look at and go, yeah,I think we probably want to play them.
I don't think you can look atthe Pelicans and go yeah, I
(22:47):
want a piece of that, becauseyou know that the Pelicans are They're prime
to be a spoiler. Do youknow what I was thinking about this watching
watching the nixt the other night,And it has nothing to do with things.
You know, sometimes your mind wonders, and uh, you know when
they were when they were beating downChicago, Billy donnom a mister ibe to
(23:08):
go to a Kentucky and blah blahblah blah. Oh, I'm surprised that
place doesn't get generally more talent likemortalent. Is it just interested in going
there? You know? It's whatever? Anyway, So I was sort of
thinking about this, like who ifI was in the West, who am
I most interested in sort of seeing? Right, like just watching visually watching,
(23:30):
not not just sort of matchup wise. And so I went down the
list and in my mind it wasnumber one was Minnesota, Number two was
Denver, Number three was Okay,see that it was Dallas, that it
was New Orleans, and it wasthe Clippers. And then he started getting
into like the teams that no onewill shut up about nationally. Who are
(23:51):
the worst in this with the Lakersand the and the Warriors? And I
am over the Warriors, like Iam over Aymon Green's getting kicked out of
games in like nine seconds, Likelike I don't did you see that that
video one video a couple of weeksago where he got kicked out of the
game, and Steph Curry just sortof, you know, like what's going
on? Like what are we supposedto do with this guy? Like he's
(24:15):
over I'll completely agree with him.But that team just has been in this
spot for the last couple of seasons. I'm not that interested in sort of
seeing what gold they do, exceptfor, like you say, they're the
legacy team, right, They're thelegacy team that's been there. The Lakers.
Yeah, they won a championship duringCOVID. That's four years ago now,
all right, So this team hasbeen competitive and has been very good.
(24:37):
Last year they were very good WesternConference finalists, right? But am
I do I think this team isinterestingly interesting enough for me to want to
watch, not not in the topsix or seven. I think I'll say
this for the Lakers. I've watchedmore Lakers games this year than typical and
they're watchaball you don't like to dofor them, but they're watchable. They're
(25:03):
watch a bull. But like,they're not the first team I'm going to
pick out there, and it's Sacramento, especially the last few weeks. Yeah,
I don't know what I'm supposed todo with Sacramento. Man. I
want badly for them to be moreconsistent and better than what they are.
And it just it's tough when youlose Malik Monk. It's tough when you
lose Kevin Herder. Although Herder hasbeen in kind of a season long slump.
They just they don't have the magiclast year, which we kind of
(25:26):
we're afraid might happen. Yeah,So for me, like Phoenix, is
that team that I'm with you,like thinks is a team I would want
to see, But I would notwant to see if I was one of
those teams that match up with it, because again, really really good,
really really talented, got MVPs onthat roster up and down, got all
(25:47):
stars up and down that roster tothey outside of the shock of the way
Denver dispatched them last year, AndI don't think they do that again this
year. I think I think Phoenixis the dark horse here that that's not
so dark when you think when youthink about who they are, just the
way the state's gonna have them,because they're gonna probably end up with the
(26:10):
sixth, they might end up thesixty's got left. Phoenix is the one
team in the Sacramento in Minnesota,so they're the one team in the West,
although the Lakers came close when healthy, but now that Phoenix is healthy,
they're the one team where you lookat them and go on paper they're
fourteen deep. Does that really matterwhen it gets to the playoffs and you
only play eight nine guys? Maybemaybe not, but it gives you the
(26:33):
sense of how many different options FrankVogel has to throw out there. I've
been a little bit concerned about thelack of bench production, even though they
have a lot of capable guys withthat group, I'm not sure if they're
being deployed correctly or what the dealis. And then of course they you
know, made all those trades ofthe deadline, but they're really deep,
and they got a lot of differentdefenders, a lot of different shooters,
(26:56):
and I feel like, you know, it's a bullpen analogy. They've got
the d piss bullpen in the WesternConference and sometimes you do need that.
In the playoffs obviously is about topline star talent, but the Sons have
got that in spades too. Solet me ask you this. We essentially
know who the teams are gonna be. What we definitely who the teams are
gonna be in the playoffs. Sowho do you think? Because next week
(27:21):
we'll talk about the actual playoffs andwe may try to record before. I
think Wednesday is the first playing game, right or it is a Tuesday Tuesday
or Wednesday the first playing game.I'd have to go look on the schedule,
and I honestly should know that,and don't I think they can like
two days in between, like thegame the season being over in the first
play in But anyway, so whohas surprised you the most now that the
(27:45):
season essentially is done positively or negatively? Who was just surprised you? As
far as who? It could bea player, a coach, or a
team or a decision. Are youI allow a decision that shocked you the
most? Well, the decision wouldbe the Bucks hiring Doc Rivers after firing
Adrian Griffin. That's the decision teamthat's shocked me the most, I think
(28:06):
has been Phoenix's struggles, although theydo have the built in excuse. Oklahoma
City really surprised me with how readythey were to go, But once you
saw that the bench was ready,it wasn't that big of a surprise because
that starting lineup has been so goodI think for me has been it's not
(28:29):
really a surprise. It's more justlike watching an awe of Victor Wembin Yama
and going, okay, he tookhis lumps a little bit early. They
had to limit his minutes, butyou still saw everything you needed to see.
And if that's as good as hestayed all year, it would have
been a very successful rookie campaign.But he just keeps getting better and more
(28:52):
eye popping every single month. Andwe're talking about a guy who is in
Defensive Player of the Year running simplyon blocks alone, even though there are
guys like Rudy Gobert and some ofthe other defenders who do more than just
block shots, and they deserve theaward this year. But with Wemby,
you're looking to go and if you'realready at this point as a rookie on
(29:15):
a really bad Spurs team that nowunderstands how to build around you, and
that process begins. You hear thatphrase the sky's the limit or this player
has no ceiling. You see thatthrown out from time to time and a
hyperbole. This is one of thosefew guys where I legit don't know what
(29:37):
the ceiling even looks like. IfWemby stays as good as he is now
at the end of his rookie season, he's a first ballot Hall of Famer
without any question, right, Buthe's so young, he's so young and
still has so much to learn inthe NBA, and his body's got to
get better and all these different things. Like with Zion was an amazing prospect
(30:02):
when Ben Yamba make Zion look likea second grader, you know, like
honestly, and that's Ion, allright, You're just crazy, You're just
jeduy. You just love the factthat that big, tall dude can do
the sham gut driven. That's whatyou're doing. That's what you're impressed by,
and like, you know what,I get it, I totally totally
get Okay, let me give youthree quick surprises, Uh, and then
(30:22):
we can you know, walk awayif you want. Uh. Okay,
so uh for me and I'm notgonna reckon this just three three ones uh.
Shay Gilges Alexander. This guy cameonto the scene a few years ago
and sort of made a dramatic improvementin how he was offensively last year average
(30:45):
as well, like thirty won agame, thirty two a game. Then
this year does the same thing,averages thirty games. Now he's not leading
the league, but he's like third, second or third in the league in
scoring on an okay case team thatpeople were a scaded about, didn't think
they'd be at the top of thestandings the entire season. And Shake Gilders
Alexander turned himself into over the lasttwo seasons an MVP, legitimate MVP type
(31:10):
candidate, but a way MVP toow MVP. Yes that that I did
not think it. He coming threeyears ago, did not have that anywhere
near the Bengal card of what couldhappen in the NBA. So I think
Shake Gilders Alexander is a huge surprisefor me. The fact that he followed
up last year's effort with a verysimilar effort this year and a plus.
(31:32):
Okay, See, it's so muchbetter. Last year they were in the
plane, right, they were playing. Yeah, last year, Shane's just
did in control. When you watchhim play, He's just in control of
everything that's going on, and youmatch the game slowing down with you know,
a great, great mental capacity forthe game and all that athleticism in
those gifts. Man, he issuch a good player. The thicket surprise
(31:53):
for me is Milwaukee is Milwaukee,not just the decision for Doc Rivers,
but the fact that they have beenI mean everything does essentially come from that
decision, right, but the factthat they have been so in the middle
of the league, right, andthey really should be six or seven or
(32:13):
eight games better than what they are. Yeah. Still a still a comfortable
to see, which is why it'ssuch a weird year in the East that
you could be thirteen fourteen games backand still be the number two seeds in
the East. But still Milwaukee justhas not clicked this entire season. Uh.
And they were better before they puton doc Rivers before the All Star
(32:35):
Game. But still they feel likethat they've I feel like they're lost,
right, does it seem like thatthey're lost that he don't have an identity
that sort of makes sense to them. We raised the red flag a little
bit on them in the preseason,going they're a defender or too short,
they're the roster just it's got someshooting, and yeah, you had Damian
(32:58):
Lillard, but if you're gonna takeDrew hollow out of that mix, you
better replace him with some good defenders. And they did not really do that.
They you know, get a healthyj Crowder, but that was it.
And we said that same warning atthe trade deadline, and they did
essentially nothing to address that issue.Yes, adding Patrick Beverly, okay,
you get some toughness, but Patbev is a name only at this point.
(33:22):
He he is not that big ofan impact player and they needed more.
You could have added Patrick Beverly ifyou were adding one or two other
good defenders, and then I wouldhave said, oh, yeah, that's
a nice a nice guy to have. It's not enough, and Milwaukee has
not had enough. It's not reallyDame or Jannis's fault. You know,
(33:42):
the pairing has clicked enough. It'snot as great as people thought it was
going to be. And if youwant to put that at the feet of
Adrian Griffin. Like you said,they were better before Doc Rivers, but
they weren't that much better before DocRivers, and that's what got Griff fired.
So you could see kind of whatthe way Boston started the season.
You could kind of see where Milwaukeemay have gotten a little antsy like,
but nowhere near to make a decisionlike that, especially cut for how good
(34:06):
they were to start the season rightuh. And thirdly, Memphis, for
me, you knear the beginning ofthe season was going to be an interesting
slog for the first twenty five gameswith uh with the job Moran suspension,
but then they had a little bitof a bump when he came back,
but not much of one. Andthey've been just tanked with injuries. This
(34:27):
is even Adams never played the entireseason. They cut bait on him,
even though they loved him. Yeah, everybody else in the starting lineup except
Jaron Jackson, you know, wasbasically out much of the year. Yeah,
So like it's such a like.I thought they would be much much
better, and injuries do torpedo aseason. I could totally get that.
(34:49):
I did not foresee clearly the rosterbeing injured at some point for Johnny ch
other for the season, and Igot job Moran. As long as they
held serve around five hundred John Maricaback, that would be a boit the
arm what they needed, and theygot it for a little bit. But
they were so bad early because ofearly injuries. I think about their season
never really got started new like solike it really this was just a lost
(35:13):
cause. It felt like from essentiallygame one. So they were up and
playing territory sort of or at leasttrending in that direction. When Jock came
back before he hurt the shoulder,all of a sudden, they went a
few in a row and you're like, all right, they're still within spitting
distance of the play in. They'llmake up that ground. Desmond Bain came
back right around that time too,And but yeah, lost lost cause never
(35:37):
had Marcus Smart, never really hadDerreck Rose for the year. Just it
should have been better. The onlygood news, and this has been said
a whole bunch of times, butthey have had a chance to develop some
of those young guys. Memphis isnot a team that can sport a giant
payroll, and so as some ofthose top flight starters become super expensive,
you need to be developing younger guys, and memph did get a freebie year
(36:01):
to kind of play as a badteam but get extra looks to a lot
of guys that are going to bein the rotation next year. It's not
quite the same, but it's kindof like when when Golden Steak got really
bad a few years ago because ofinjuries, that they were able to take
advantage with some good draft picks andsuch, and also were able to get
some more playing time for younger dudes. And then you came back and you're
(36:22):
like, Oh, that's the redemptionTour. That's to remember us Tour.
I don't know Mephi's gonna be thatnext year, but Memphis is gonna be
a much, much much better teamnext year. I tell you what,
Joh I better have his head onstraight. Job, better have his head
on straight, because he owes thatGrizzlies team. He owes them at this
point a magical mature season, andyou hope that good karma comes along with
(36:46):
it in the injury department, thathe's got a full roster of teammates to
play with because they can get rightback into the mix very quickly. But
this all hinges on John Morant beinga knucklehead last off season. I think
you're right. This is where youfind out what this guy is made of.
Right, you had the suspension,you had the then coming back and
(37:06):
being really good and then getting hurt. You had the team being really,
really bad and really hurt. Therewas really nothing redeemable about this year if
you're a Grizzlies fan. So yougo through the turmoil legally from last offseason
into the year, then you gointo a really bad season, including injuries
for yourself. Now you got achance over a year's worth of adversity to
(37:27):
sort of deal with like this isthe sort of you kind of make or
break what a guy's gonna be mentallyon the on the court for a franchise
when something like that happens. SoI'd love to see John Morant come back,
head on his shoulders and ready tojust light up Beal Street for a
long long time. Yeah, andlast thought for me, and you said
those probably a few shows ago,but it's stuck with me. John Morant
(37:50):
was Anthony Edwards last year. Twoyears ago. John Morant was the up
and coming guy who was the faceof the league, who had everybody talking,
who is on the highlight reels.And you know, Ant was a
good player coming up and we hadhigh hopes for him. But John didn't
just lose out on a season inMemphis. He didn't just lose out on
(38:14):
a lot of question marks around hisyou know, maturity and decision making.
He lost out on the opportunity tobe the face of the league. And
he's never going to get that back. Like Anthony Edwards has taken that mantle.
And there's still are guys like NikolaJokic and Luka and you know,
all these other phenomenal players Joel Embiidego on and on who are faces of
(38:35):
the league. But Anthony Edwards hasthe chance to become like the transcendent guy
that is just so cool that everybodywants a piece of. And that was
John Morant and he blew it.Sells on all the jerseys, Uh,
put your name on, put yourface on all the video games, all
that stuff. That was. Yeah, that's the chase. Now Anthony Edwards
has because he's had such a phenomenayear. I mean, dude, dude,
(39:00):
dunk in his own head, likein the back fords like that.
There's just no end to what thatguy can do with John Moran, with
the guy John Moran literally ever AndI was like, what dunk did he
do? What did he do tonight? What did he do tonight? And
now where a year gone for that? And people forget, people are willing
to forgive, like for free issuesand stuff like that. He's still can
have a glorious career and be theface of the league. There's no one's
(39:21):
saying that that he can be aface in the league still, but he'll
he'll do. You want the nextthe next sort of Lebron, the next
guy that's sort of seen as theleader of the class for a long time
for the league. I don't thinkJohn's gonna be able to get that back.
And he had it right in thepalm of his hand riding up.
We all wanted it, Joel,We all wanted it for him. Yeah,
(39:46):
now we got to give it tosome guy from Minnesota. Whatever.
I'm going with Halburton. Actually Ican't go with Haliburton because he's a he's
an Indie guy. Now, yeahit's not that's not say but those guys
are facing of the league, likethose are luminary players in the league for
sure. Oh my god, like, could you could you imagine the push
(40:07):
that would be given to him ifif Anthony Edwards or John Moran was in
like New York or Los Angeles.Right, oh yeah, yeah, it
would be in the face of theleague. Right, no doubt it's unfair,
but it's the reality of it.You are absolutely one hundred and ten
percent Jyleb Brunt. Jalen Bruns istop five in the league in score and
(40:28):
the Knicks are good. And stillthe Knicks don't get as much because they're
not as an exciting of a team. They don't have that as exciting a
player. Jalen Bruns is just areally good score. Julius Reynolds just really
good. I think Hartenstein. It'sjust a bunch of really good players.
But they don't have a transcendent typeplayer that could be that. There's only
a couple of those in the league. So yeah, all right, Joel,
that's good. Due for us talkingbasketball by so the next time we'll
(40:51):
talk, they'll be doing what welike to call post season play. That's
right. I came up with thatterm. What do you think you like
that term? I'll allow it,all right, You and your Bucks shirt,
you say goodbye to everybody speaker.Spotify iTunes is where you find the
audio only version of This Year podcast. If you want the video version,
find us on YouTube, like Share, Subscribe, and we'll do it again.
(41:12):
This has been Basketball by Association.Goodbye,
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