Are the Stakes are Too High in the NBA?

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Drive and Dish podcast, the.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Welcome to you to start it off, it's.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Just let's go all.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Right, so here we are. You know, immediately the season
is underway. We're like four or five games in for
each team. So this this is always I say, this
is one of the more difficult podcasts to do every
year because it's just like, what do we really know
after a week? What what definitive conclusions can we possibly make?
But like, hey, this is a basketball podcast. We got
to come out with some and see what we got.

(00:36):
If you're watching on video, our guy Nick Renowitz is here.
I'll do the full intro and plug and all that
of course here in a little bit. But yeah, Justin's
off for a few weeks. Yeah, Justin is like I said,
Justine is a promotions director. Now, man, he's got a
lot of events to plan. And like I'm not even
saying like my man is busy on the weekends, my
man is busy during the week Like I'm you know,

(00:58):
I'm always honest with the podcast list, Like Justin and
I have just not gotten on the same page time wise,
Like and you know, we recorded, like I said, we
got we recorded an episode last week but yeah, we
probably will be down. I think he's gonna be back
in like two weeks. It'll figure it out. But you know,
like I said, we're gonna hold it down. The show
goes on in the meantime. But I just don't I

(01:18):
never want anybody to think there's like some weird podcast
beef bruined, because I feel like Justin and I have
done like maybe three episodes together in the past like
seven weeks, and it's just like, you know, that's that's
how life goes sometimes. But you know, he actually held
it down. He had He and Chase had a great episode.
Their intro. They talked about the history of Heaves, which
is way more entertaining. I'm not gonna lie that they

(01:39):
kind of smoke that segment. But no, we're we're gonna
fire off the hot take cannon here. Like I said
at the beginning of the season, you know, talk about
things that have stood out. So Nick, I mean, I
guess any teams. I mean your bulls are three and oh,
right now, how about that my sixers of four and Oh,
we'll talk about them a little bit. I guess out
West is where if we're gonna art, we should start

(02:00):
somewhere because for one, OK seed defending Champs five and
zero super impressive, like, you know, not looking like there's
a hangover. The dynasty talk is certainly you know that
that's a good way to bring attention that you may
have a shot at doing this and building this dynasty
like everybody's been talking about. The other one for me
too is like I don't know if this stood out,

(02:21):
but like Wemby and the Spurs, like all my preseason,
like leading up these last few episodes, I've been saying
with the Spurs like they just need to finally start
winning this year, And like I know Wenby missed the
DA last year he had blood clots, so obviously you
know that sinks your season there a little bit, like
you made the move for Daron Fox last year. I
want to see this team start to win listen or

(02:41):
early sample size, small sample size, but they are very
much winning so far. They look good. Like that's my
big takeaway in the West is like, hey, I've been
waiting for this leap again, extra small sample size, it
feels like I'm getting there. I'm thu so far with
what san Antonio has done.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yeah, and when there's been good with san Antonio on
your right. I mean, like the thing with with predicting
where these teams are going to be is always like
Victor Winbernana. Uh, you know, Wemby's the the big you know,
unknown h you know, when is on time for him?
When is he going to take that leap and take
that step? And I think a lot of people were
thinking year three, Well guess what, Like, I mean, here

(03:17):
we are for for for Wemby, it's year two and
he's like, uh, I'm just gonna I'm gonna take that step.
And he's looked like, you know, a top five, six
seven player in the league through the first four games
of san antonio season, you know, whether it's defensively, you know,
or even on the offensive side. And so I mean
it's looked good with him and then all the guys
that they've been able to surround him with and where

(03:40):
san Antonio's look good. We'll keep it in the lone
Star state. I mean, for me in the West Houston
one and two. Obviously it looks different if you're two
and one, you win the you know double is a
double overtime game, first game of the year against Oklahoma City.
But it just looks a little bit rocky right now
with how everything is going to fit. Like the Red
van Vleet injury really I think threw them off. Then

(04:02):
you're trying to work Kevin durant In. There's been a
lot of change for an organization coached by email Udoka
that I think has high hopes this year that you
know is a championship or bus. Maybe not, but it's
like Western Conference finals or bus for the moves that
you've definitely made and so you know they're going to
have to figure it out. And in the Western Conference
you can get buried pretty early. I mean when you're

(04:24):
looking at how Okayse's playing in San Antonio, I know
we'll get to Golden State and then you've got you know,
Denver there as well. Like there are some really good
teams in the West. We've spent the entire offseason talking
about them. But you know, Houston can't get off to
a terrible start and then expect to have home court
advantage by digging themselves.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
Out of it. Yeah, I mean the conference is ten
eleven teams deep. Like you're right about that. You will
find yourself down the seating list very quickly. When seating
matters more than anything. I mean even avoiding that play.
I mean, think about that play and race last year
at the end of the season, like how close that
was for everybody. I mean, the difference between you know,
five and ten essentially, like what a two game window

(05:01):
I think. But you're I mean with Houston, it's just
the adjustment period, right, I mean you mentioned the Van
Fleet injury. I think that's looming large here, Like he
was gonna kind of play more of a point guard
role for them, so they got to figure that out.
But yeah, I mean, I think it's getting these guys
and it's just it's the weight of expectations for the
first time, Like Houston was a young breakout fun story

(05:22):
last year, like the casual media realized, like how good
Shanngun is. You know, you saw the Amen Thompson break
out and him starting to live up to the billing
that he was when he was a number four overall pick.
Like this year, you're gonna hopefully for them, it's like,
you know, Kijabari Smith step up with more minutes, you know,
obviously a number three pick for them a few years ago.
Can a guy like Read Shepherd start to contribute off

(05:43):
the bench KD is kad KD will be fine. He'll
settle in. He knows his role as long as he's
staying healthy, Like you know, you're not going to doubt
what he can still bring there. But yeah, I mean
there's there's gonna be some more adjustment the way that
there may not be with I mean obviously, okay See
has the old timid amount of consistency there. But I
mean even you know, Denver's two in one right now,

(06:05):
so I guess it's too early. But like with those
two teams, because because that was the grouping, right it
was it was okay see, it's Denver, it's Houston, who
I feel like we thought we're going to be at
the top of this conference, even with it being as
talented as it is. You know, there's more familiar faces
and okay see and even Denver, Denver's got some new pieces.
But at the end of the day, with Aaron Gordon,
with Jokic, with Jamal Murray, the core of that roster

(06:26):
is still there. I mean, you should be from Bruce
Brown coming back like my man was on the championship roster.
So there's just with yeah, Houston, maybe it has a
little more of that adjustment period.

Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yeah, No, I think you're.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
One hundred percent right, and it's just once again, how
does everybody fit, and they'll catch your rhythm if it works.
And I think if there's a guy you trust to
do it, it's Ima Udoka, right, I mean he's been
there of course the run with Boston and they won
the title not long after that, and so I mean
I think that as you kind of look where everyone's tax,
there's also a couple of teams I think that are

(06:58):
playing better than weeks affected.

Speaker 4 (07:01):
I'll call out Utah. It's might be the only time
we talk about Utah all year.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
But the two and one Utah Jazz is we're sitting here,
you know, Laurie Marketing, we'll talk about him. He's he's
been had you know, a good start to the season
as well. But maybe the Jazz are much improved this
season too. But it's a tough conference, definitely the varsity
to the to the JVA, the East.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
I really appreciate you shooting the Jazz there like they
do need to be talking about now. I don't know
what they're saying. They're gonna be the surprise of the
conference yet, but no, I mean, yeah, Shelton Laurie, I
mean fifty one points him, and I mean it's crazy.
Four fifty point games already. SGA's got fifty five. I mean,
that's that's the high currently. He put up fifty five
on Indy in the rematch. It's just the randomness of

(07:42):
it so far this season. Like marketing, you maybe you
expect a little more with Laurie, Like Laurie's the number
one guy. He's gonna get a lot of shots. You know,
he can score in bunches. Man. The other two fifty
point games, Austin Reeves the other night against the Kings
fifty one points, and then of course Aaron Gordon fifty
in the Law but just absolutely lights out from beyond
the arc that game against Denver against Golden State. Just yeah,

(08:08):
not necessarily other than SGA of course raining MVP, but like,
not necessarily the three names. When you go, man, who
would I think would have the first fifty point games
in the NBA this season. It's that Trio No.

Speaker 3 (08:18):
And I mean, like I think if you're a Magic fan,
obviously here in Orlando, you're watching that Aaron Gordon fifty
piece and he's knocking down all these threes. I mean,
we waited how long for Aaron Gordon shooting the three
that way? And obviously it's a little bit different when
you're playing with Nikola Jokicic and the setup that they
have there.

Speaker 4 (08:34):
And we put a lot on Aaron Gordon's shoulders when
he was here in Orlando.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
It's great to see the player he's developed into the
player that I think everyone expected him to be when
he was in Orlando, kind of that you know, three
and D type of guy in just overall kind of
jump out the gym athlete. But you know, a fifty
piece like that. It's just it was a great performance.
And I love the attitude afterwards too, where like, you know,
he's basically like I don't need a fifty piece. Take

(09:00):
an l home with too, you know, like he didn't
want the ball, right, Like they tried to give him
the ball from his fifty point game and he's like,
I'm good, I don't want it.

Speaker 4 (09:06):
I love that from Aaron Gordon.

Speaker 3 (09:07):
Maybe it's just a little old school, it's a little
bit cliche, but I liked that he was like, I
don't really want to remember this game even if I
had fifty something because we lost.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
Yeah, I mean, it's the mentality you want, and I
mean it's it's from a guy who was an NBA champion. Now,
so you know, we like this said this Denver squad,
they've got big aspirations, Like I think this is the
most you know, for Denver. The question was was the
window closed? Frankly, like after the way last year ended,
it kind of went out with a whimper. But I
really liked the way they shake this roster up, where

(09:36):
you know, trading Michael Porter, bringing Cam Johnson, Like there's
just a lot in my opinion to like they're going
forward no one. Aaron Gordon reminds me of it. And
I'm gonna sound like a Homer here a little bit,
but whatever, Aaron Gordon reminds me of Andrea Gudala and
Andreau Dolla. You know, and when Erin Gordon was on
the Magic and Andrea Udala was on the Sixers, they
just were you know, they were cast in roles that

(09:56):
they just were out of their depth a little bit
where you know, they're Aaron was projected when needed to
be like the number one or number two option on
that team like Igudala for a lot of those Sixer teams,
had to be the number one and the number two option.
But so in a way it seemed like they were disappointing,
but if you watch the games, they weren't actually disappointing.
They did a lot of things well the entire time,

(10:17):
like both of them excellent defenders, super athletic, and it
just felt like it's like, hey, once they get to
a situation where you know, maybe they don't need to
be the number one or the number two options, I
think that's when people will pick up. It's like, no,
they're really good players. You know, Aaron Gordon goes to
Denver Igadala also actually I think goes to Denver as
that one breakout year, but then obviously to Golden State,
and that's where I think, you know, you can start

(10:38):
to see where it's like, no, they're really good. You
absolutely they make a difference on winning, Like they are
that impact player you know, you just sometimes you're just
miscast in the wrong places. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (10:48):
I think it also shows those true one a guys
how special they are, right, I mean, like the ones
of ones you know you mentioned Shay earlier, you know,
the Steph currys, Lebron James, you know, the Michael Jordan's whatever.
The guys that truly are transcendent, that helped carry a
league and carry a franchise to multiple championships like those
are one of ones, and they're not on every single team.

(11:10):
I mean, you look around the league and there are
a lot of good players. There are a lot of
really good players. But in terms of those kind of
I can put a franchise on my back and carry them,
there's a handful of those guys in the league. And
I think we do a lot of players in disservice
during the draft time and early in careers where we're
looking at them saying, hey, listen, like this is a
franchise play, you know, changing player, right, I mean, like

(11:34):
that's you know, it's a phrase that we we love
to use where it's like, you know, it's a once
in a generation player, with a once in generation player
every single year in the draft, right, I mean, rarely
do you have someone come along that is that once
in a generational guy. And you know, I've spent a
lot of time down in the G League, right working
with the Osioo Magic.

Speaker 4 (11:51):
Here's what I'll tell you.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
The guys that aren't in the NBA that are trying
to make their way in they're damn good too. We've
talked about that a lot, and so it just shows,
I mean, from Aaron Gordon's aspect, when he came into
the league, is the number five pick, number four pick,
number four, number five pick. When he was drafted out
of Arizona, it was this is a guy you can
build a franchise around. Not necessarily true, no slights to

(12:15):
Aaron Gordon, but he is a guy you can build
a championship team with. And though you know, he's very,
very good, very special player, I'm glad to see he's
having the success he's happened.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah, one hundred percent. And I mean I do think
for what it's worth that there's probably more quote unquote
franchise guys like true number ones, and there probably ever
has been in the league. Like most teams have, if
not a one, they've got a one A. I think
almost every roster in the NBA has that at this point,
which is great. Like that the why you know, there
is a reason to watch every single team. But you know, yeah,

(12:47):
you're right, Like you start to notice like not everybody
the term generational, You're right, is really the only generational
guy we've had truly where it was like, no, this
is maybe the best prospect ever is Wemby. And the
only reason I'm not calling Wemby the best prospect ever
because yeah, I'm watching I'm watching Gold Medal finally or
Court of Gold. I should say the Netflix documentary on
the Olympics, Like I've been real slacking there and I

(13:09):
haven't watched it yet, but I think it was Malik Andrews.
It's calling Wemby the best prospect ever, and I'm just like,
I can't call Wemby the best prospect ever when Lebron
James exists, like Lebron James' high school games are getting
televised on ESPN, and he somehow is better than actually
the hype was, which is remarkable. That's my only thing
with calling Wemby the best prospect ever. Like that's kind

(13:30):
of random thought, but I was like, I feel like
that's underselling Lebron Mania. From one to two, it's just Wemby.
Wemby's just such a like you just you know, he's
such a freak from how he's built, like my guy's
seven foot six and just splashes jumpers, like, yeah, there's
elements you can't teach you about that. And I think
Wemby is probably the number two prospect ever, right behind Lebron.

(13:54):
But I'm like, I don't know how I feel about
just giving him that title there right away.

Speaker 4 (13:58):
Yeah, and we'll see, we'll were when he ends up
in his career.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
But if there was ever a prospect, of course that
paid off on all the hype. Lebron is that guy,
you know, I mean, came in with all of the
you know, next next MJ. And whether you believe he's
the goat or MJ's the goat, you know, we don't
need to have that debate for the twelve million time,
but you know, he's he's right up there and has
had the career we all thought he would have.

Speaker 2 (14:21):
Yeah, I mean just truly truly remarkable. Staying in Texas,
the Mavericks one in three, Uh, they started chanting fire
and Deco again, which is kind of crazy. But I
think that's kind of your point where it's like, hey, Cooper,
Flags had a little bit of a slower start, and like,
don't get me wrong, I'm not about to be out here, like,
you know, doing the pull bust conversation or anything already.

(14:43):
That's ridiculous. But it's like, yeah, no, sometimes these guys,
it takes a little bit of time to ease in
right away.

Speaker 4 (14:50):
Well, and I mean, like I saw it today.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
I mean that he's banged up and he is dealing
with the shoulder injury. I don't understand what they're doing
having him run point as much like they got the
ball in his hands.

Speaker 4 (15:01):
And you know, what's really hard going from college to
the NBA. This is a one and done.

Speaker 3 (15:05):
What's even harder is doing it as you know, a
ball centric guy, and they put the ball in your hand,
you know, seventy eighty percent of the time, and it'd
be the one that's running the offense, you know, Cooper
Fish to play in the NBA and and kind of
keep up with the speed of the game. Then also,
now they're having to make all these decisions. And I
get it, Kyrie is hurt, but you have D'Angelo Russell there.

(15:27):
I think they're doing them a real disservice and not
just letting him settle in. Maybe in the interest of
having a better season than we thought that they would
this year.

Speaker 4 (15:35):
But I think we expected them to kind of have
an up and down year so far.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, and I mean, look like because you're right with
the guard, they don't other than d Lo, they don't
have that other traditional point guard on the roster, like
Clay is obviously not your traditional point guard. Think about
Max Christy. It's not like he's played a ton of
point guard minutes so so far. But yeah, you're right,
there's there's definitely a little bit of a learning curve.
I mean, beyond that you're going to like Jayden Hardy
on the roster type deal, like you're not about to
move him into the starting lineup. So and I mean

(16:00):
they're also dealing with some injuries just team wise as well,
especially on the big man front, like Derek Lively's out,
Daniel Gafford is missing time right now. I think he's
sprained his ankle. So yeah, I mean they're a little
bit of adjustment there obviously, Like you said, the big one,
Kyrie Irving not playing, but like it takes some time sometimes,
Like that's what it always like. Look if Dallas wants

(16:21):
somebody looking example, look at Kay Cunningham last year, Like
Kay Cunningham kind of had an up and down first
two seasons of the NBA and then absolutely went off
last year and took Detroit to like, finally was that
guy that he expected it to be. Like, these guys
are young, they're twenty years old, like I think, and
with Cooper Flag, the hype is real for a reason,
Like there's a reason that he's going to all these
Olympic camps, Like he's the consensus number one pick. Like

(16:42):
I don't think that happens by accident in today's NBA either,
But it's like the development is just weird sometimes. You know,
there are different timelines for these guys. You can't always
predict or predict it down to a perfect science.

Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yeah, no, I think you're right. I mean it is.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
It's not linear, it's not hey, you know, step one,
stay two, step three. I mean sometimes you do take
a step forward and two back. And I mean like
it's three games. We're three games into his career too.
I mean it's not even a sample size to be
able to make a determination. But I think there are
franchises that set guys up for success, and then there

(17:17):
are franchises that put guys in a position where they're
swimming upstream. I mean, like to use the comparison, I mean,
we've all been employees and companies where we feel like
there's a good support system where you know you can
do your job well and you've got you know, a
good focus, then other ones where they kind of throw
everything at you and they say figure it out and
you know, paydays every other week. So I mean, I

(17:38):
think Cooper Flag right now is in.

Speaker 4 (17:39):
The latter, not the former.

Speaker 3 (17:40):
And you know, I think the the Dallas Mavericks need
to figure out, you know, what's best for his development,
maybe not what's best for the twenty five twenty six
Dallas Mavericks, and there's somewhere.

Speaker 4 (17:52):
In the middle that will work.

Speaker 3 (17:53):
But when you have all the injuries that they have,
as you mentioned, playing him out of position isn't going
to win you a ton of games anyway. So I think,
you know, I know they're experimenting with a lot of
things in terms of how he's going to look.

Speaker 4 (18:05):
But Cooper Flag also comes.

Speaker 3 (18:07):
Off to me as a player that he plays with
a lot of feel with the game and he's got
a really you know, good IQ basketball IQ that is.
But I think you got to give him time to
get some of that feel before you start moving around
the court.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
I mean, do you think they're a victim of expectations
a little bit as well, because you know they make
the trade last year with Luke obviously, and so you
bringing Anthony Davis, You've got Klay Thompson, you've got Kyrie.
These are very much like we're trying to win basketball
games now, and so I think, you know, the reaction is, yeah,
we got Cooper Flag, like, here's our Luca replacement. We're ready,
we're going to contend, We're going to be right back
in the finals. When it's like, no, it's not that

(18:44):
quite yet, Like you said, it's a little bit. It's
not a full like two timeline thing going on right now,
but it is a little weird where it's like, you know,
they're trying to actively win basketball games right now, Like
you don't bring in Anthony Davis if you're not trying
to win currently at his age. So yeah, I think
there's a little bit of that as well.

Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah, I think a lot of this is that Nico
has kind of played off like this was all part
of the plan, right, I mean, like it's it's you.

Speaker 4 (19:10):
Know, I love it when a plan comes.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
I mean, Wi Wi handshake got him silver. Maybe it
was part of the plan.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
But I mean, like so yes, I think those are
the expectations where it's you know, we have these older players.
I mean Clay Thompson must be looking around like, wait
a minute, I've seen this two timeline thing before. I
don't think it ends well for us. As a side
note too, can we just put Clay back on the
Warriors and he's not gonna win in Dallas? Like this
isn't what we wanted for Clay. Okay, like let's put
him back in Golden State where he belongs.

Speaker 4 (19:38):
And just it makes me sad.

Speaker 2 (19:40):
Then I hear you. I think Klay Thompson is also
like dating Megan the Stallion and hanging out in Texas
driving his boat around on the lake. And I'm not
sure Klay Thompson cares at this point. Man, I think
he might be good.

Speaker 4 (19:50):
Yeah, maybe maybe he doesn't.

Speaker 2 (19:52):
But with you, because like the Warriors, you know, you
get the band of like the Warriors are, every team
is going young in the NBA. The Warriors said not
give us every vent week possibly have on the roster,
and like, look, I respect it, it's different like why
not go, you know, bring the band out for one
last or raw? I mean, you know, obviously got Jimmy
last year, You're bringing Al Horford this year. You know
that that team.

Speaker 3 (20:11):
Is AARP is the Jersey sponsor, right, I mean that
is that they are the old heads and you know
to to you know, switch gears to that team from Dallas.
You know, you go from kind of that young star
to these old stars. You know, with Golden State, I
think the entire question is can they do it for
an eighty two game regular season clip in the playoffs?
Because it's looked good to start their four and one. Obviously,

(20:34):
Steph Curry has had a few really good games, Jimmy
Butler has has played up to expectations, and Draymond Green
I think set the record for the quickest tech for
someone not in the game to start the season.

Speaker 4 (20:47):
But can they do it for eighty two games?

Speaker 3 (20:49):
Are you going to see a bunch of guys just
get hit with injuries this year because that's where that's
where they'll be doing it.

Speaker 2 (20:53):
I'm intrigued. They really are one of the most intrigued
because if you talk about the second half of the
season last year post Jimmy trade, they were they were
one of the best teams in the NBA, and then
Jimmy went out and got hurt in the first game,
and that's the story, right, Like it's don't get hurt
when it matters. And that's a very fair concern to
have with this roster. But sable size again small this year.

(21:14):
But I'm going to give them a little bit of
the second half last year and say it looked kind
of good. I see the vision. It's there, like they're
they're nowhere near favorite contender for me right now. But
could you know, if you give me a thousand scenarios,
can you talk me into like maybe twenty five of
them where it goes the Warriors way? Yeah, maybe I'm
there a little bit.

Speaker 4 (21:33):
Yeah, No, I think you're right.

Speaker 3 (21:34):
I mean, like I think that a lot of people,
including myself, looked at the second half last year. It
was like we get it, Like it's all the inertia
you trade for Jimmy Butler, you make the move. We're
gonna make a run here, one last hurrah for Steph
and Dre. You roll it around of this year.

Speaker 4 (21:49):
Is they gonna come out stale enhancements?

Speaker 3 (21:51):
And you know Kmenga, I know we're going to talk
about him at some point, Like Minga's playing well to
start the year. You have Al Horford, who it's probably
the most liked guy in the league by other players
boo booo.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
But it's everywhere except out of here, most like guy
in the league. My guy moped for an entire season.
He did he gonna resign with Boston. He moped the
entire year.

Speaker 3 (22:18):
You know, So I think I think that's that was
always the question with them. But it's big started this
season picking up where they left off.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, and I mean that's what you got to be
encouraged about. I mean, we should go to the East
a little bit here, you know, like we like we said, definitely,
it feels like the more JV of conferences right now.
I mean, not necessarily anything super surprising, I guess so far.
I mean, Cleveland's three and one, They're down fourteen to
to Boston right now, excuse me. I mean the East

(22:50):
is kind of wide open though otherwise, right Like, the
Bucks are three and one, the Knicks are two and two.
I don't think you're really hitting the panic button there
in New York yet.

Speaker 3 (22:59):
Miami in three and mold Yeah, six ers in Miami
atop the Eastern A little bit of a surprise to me.

Speaker 4 (23:04):
Miaman.

Speaker 3 (23:04):
Leading the NBA in points per game with one hundred
and thirty one per game through their first four games
is a surprise. And obviously I watched the whole Magic
Sixers game Monday Night a couple of nights ago. And
you know the Tyrese Maxi leading the NBA scoring, and
you know VJ. Edgecombe, you know dynamic duo there has

(23:25):
led them to a lot of success.

Speaker 4 (23:27):
And that's been a lot.

Speaker 3 (23:28):
I mean from a Philly standpoint, I mean, you got
to leave you like a pig in mud right now
because your expectation was maybe it'd be a so so year.

Speaker 4 (23:35):
We'll see what happens with Joelle Embiid.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
Now you're kind of like, all right, well we get
anything out of Embiid, it's gravy.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
At this point, Justin is screaming right now because I
can hear him already because he's about to be like, no,
we're not giving them credit, We're not doing this, don't
do this, don't fall for the trap. But I'm sitting here,
like I said, I was done with this team, and
I'm so far back in.

Speaker 1 (23:52):
VJ.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
Edgecomb saved my life. No, he's a.

Speaker 4 (23:56):
Talker too, He's chirping everybody on Monday. I mean, like you,
he's having a huge game. I get it.

Speaker 3 (24:01):
But I mean, you've got a rook in what his
third fourth game of the year, and he is bleep
talking everybody.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
I am. I'm praying that he isn't afflicted with the
whatever weird Sixers injury, rookie injury that's about to happen
at some point, and that's really gonna break my heart
when that does happen. But no, I mean, I mean,
he's been electric so far. I mean, just it's been
about the guards, like you said, Maxie, obviously just absolutely
on nuclear to start the season, taking on a huge

(24:29):
role of that offense because Joe Joell has been on
a minute's restriction, Like Joel's only playing about twenty some games.
To be honest, Defensively, he's looked a mess so far.
Like I think that that's the one concerning thing the
Sixers team so far. Defense has not really been there,
but they're scoring a lot, and I think offensively Joel
especially the other night or the last two games really
against Charlotte or and not the Magic game, but the

(24:50):
game against Charlotte, so that was second game, I guess
and then the last night against the Wizards, I think
Joel looked good. Offensively, he looked assertive. But yeah, yeah,
I mean they're just guard rotation has been really good.
I mean it's it's been edge combing, it's been maxy.
It's also been Quinn Grimes off the bench. Like you
talk about a guy that's picking up where he was
last season, Like Quinn Grimes came over from Dallas and

(25:11):
was just awesome the second half of the year. A
bit of a mess contract situation, why so we talked
about a few episodes ago with him being a restricted
free agent, like it just kind of ended bad for
both sides. But all in the court it's been great.
I mean, you want to talk about him coming off
the bench and just providing a massive scoring punch for them,
Like he's not afraid to be that spark there and
guard wise, they're only going to get better, Like Jared

(25:33):
McCain's gonna come back here too at some point in
the next couple of weeks and it's like all of
a sudden, it's like, hey, you kind of got something
here a little bit. Adam Bona's been a good positive
development for them off the bench as well, in terms
of backing up Joelle, He's looked really good defensively, Like,
I still think there's limitations there offensively. But you know,
last night against the Wizards, you know, that's kind of

(25:53):
the game that gets you to buy in, right because
that's the second night of a back to back. You know,
they have a real nice win against the Magic, but
then you're playing Wizards. You're down eighteen on the road
in Washington. Granted just a little trip down ninety five,
but whatever, and they come back and they win that
game in overtime, Like that's a gutsy win. That's the
type of win that gets you to buy back in.
And like, again, I'm not going to sit here and

(26:14):
go small sample size all episode and then be like
the Sixers are going to win the NBA Finals. But yeah,
when Jared McCain hasn't played, when Joel's been on a
minute's restriction, when Paul George hasn't played a minute yet, Like,
the early returns are good, and because the conference is
so wide open, it's like, no, there is a world
you could see this working. And I think that's where regardless,

(26:35):
no matter what, the maxi edgecomb duo is just at
least something positive for fans to you know, hang their
hat on, because, yeah, it hasn't exactly been a lot
of fun here the last few seasons.

Speaker 3 (26:45):
Yeah, Now, if you're the front office, you lean as
hard into that as you can. And I mean the
nice thing is that, frankly, it's a great distraction from
what's happened with Joel Mbi, Right, So you hope that
that just continues to play the way that it's playing.
And whatever you get out of Embiid, as I mentioned,
is kind of gravy, and frankly, can you put as

(27:06):
little on.

Speaker 4 (27:06):
Embat as possible before you get to the postseason. I mean,
we're a long way away from that. We just started
the year.

Speaker 3 (27:12):
But that's always been the problem with Embiid is by
the time you got to that postseason, he was so
beat up and belieguered that you know, he didn't have
anything left in the tank. And he's a guy that,
while availability has been an issue with him, he has
had some of the worst luck with injuries and truly
someone who's left it all out there on the court.
And so you know, you hope that he can get

(27:33):
back and get back healthy and the Sixers team if
you can add even Joel embiad at seventy five percent,
which I think all Sixers fans would take right now,
you tell me, But you know it's it's a viable
team in the Eastern Conference especially.

Speaker 2 (27:48):
Yeah, and again that's the biggest thing, you know, going
to Miami. Listen man, suppose just a wizard. There's no
way around it. Like suppose just he's the best coach
in the NBA Lake fly out. I mean, and maybe
some of the isn't surprising, but like Norm Powell twenty
four points a game. Norm was great last year for
the Clippers, like that was his breakout year. So maybe again,
you know, savvy veterans signing there, taking a large portion

(28:10):
of the offensive load. It's just it's been the combo
of everybody so far right, It's like and part of
it is having solidvents. You know, Wiggins is there playing
minutes for them. Obviously, Bam out of Bayo's bam at
a baio. He's always gonna be great. But it's like
Wakez has given them good minutes right now, Jovic has
given them good minutes right now. Where is given them
good minutes right now? Like it's just they're in good
minutes at Daveion Mitchell at this point, like they're just

(28:33):
they're deep. They look like a deep roster, and the
question is gonna be you know, and oh, by the way,
like Tyler Herro really hasn't played at all this season.
The question is is that sustainable? I don't know, But like,
do I think Miami is always going to be annoying?
And do I think they're gonna play hard? And do
I think they're gonna probably win more games than they
probably have any business winning? Yeah, of course I do.

Speaker 4 (28:54):
Yeah. Norm Powlell.

Speaker 3 (28:55):
By the way, twenty third in the league is scoring
right now. I don't think that'll last. But Norm, have
you know, kind of like have your moment here. I
will tell you I did not look at this until
right now. The NBA currently, how many players do you
think in the league are averaging thirty points a game
or more?

Speaker 4 (29:11):
Right now?

Speaker 2 (29:13):
I'm probably a disgusting amount. I'm a little concerned, honestly,
like nine players, Oh okay, all right, ty.

Speaker 4 (29:21):
Tyrese Maxie of course leads the league.

Speaker 3 (29:23):
Giannis Reeves, Shay Laurie market In, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Wenby,
and Jamal Murray, Zach Lvin's at twenty nine points a game,
Devin Booker twenty eight and a half just outside of it,
then Steph Curry at twenty seven make up the top twelve.
But that's what the scoring has looked like to start

(29:44):
the season too. I mean, I'm jumping kind of off
into a tangent here a little bit, but I mean
it has been I feel like paces up. I feel like,
you know, scoring is way up just through the first
week of the season here. It's been crazy to see.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
Yeah, I mean you, I mean yeah, the Sixers are
scoring one hundred and twenty nine right now. Now, Miami,
who we mentioned, is scoring one hundred and thirty one.
Even teams like the Hornets are are averaging one twenty
eight right now. The Bucks are at one twenty two,
the Nuggets are at one thirty. So, like, yeah, definitely
a live pace. I mean, yeah, the pace I think
we've been seeing here for the past few years. Definitely

(30:18):
the Bucks. I feel like, I mean, I was I've
been kind of hard on the Bucks all offseason. They're
kind of they were off to a good start though.
Jannis is just so good, Like that's what it comes
down to is like Giannis is still for as hard
as I've been on that roster, it's about the roster.
It ain't about Giannest And like, honest, you know, we
kind of talk about winning games that you shouldn't have
any business winning, Like Giannis is still definitely capable of
doing that. Obviously a huge win for them against Knicks

(30:39):
the other night on national television. That's their signature wins
so far. There are another team where it's like because
of Gianni's like I think they're going to compete in
the Eastern Conference. I'm just so jaded with them in
the playoffs right now. It's like we you know, we've
kind of seen these last few years haven't been what
you wanted them to be.

Speaker 3 (30:56):
Yeah, and I think not to make that you could
ask this, do you say this for every single time?
But I think especially with Milwaukee and some of these
teams where it is one player that is the engine
of everything, I mean everything. Can he do what he's
doing for eighty two games and the playoffs?

Speaker 2 (31:14):
Right?

Speaker 3 (31:14):
I mean right now Milwaukee is seventh in points, ninth
in assists, They're seventeenth in rebounding. Like, I don't think
they have enough size. That's really where they are lacking. Defensively,
they're in the top half of the league. But you know,
when you take a look at what Yiannis has done
so far this year, I mean, he's in the top

(31:36):
five in the league in scoring this year, and so
he's second at thirty six points per game. But I
mean the numbers for him to start the season have
just been frankly like out outstanding.

Speaker 2 (31:48):
You know, Well, so you want you just mentioned how
he's the engine of everything. Giannis is averaging just to
take over thirty six points a game so far this season.
How many do you think the second highest on the
Bucks is averaging right now? How many points per game?

Speaker 4 (32:03):
Sixteen?

Speaker 2 (32:04):
I would guess you're pretty close, Yeah, fifteen. Ryan Rollins
is averaging fifteen points, fifteen point three points per game,
Gary Trent Scott thirteen and a half. AJ Green and
Cole Anthony have twelve each. Yeah, IT'SI honest, like it's
it's jarring how much Giannis it is right now. And
I think, yeah, that's a very valid concern going forward

(32:24):
of how sustainable that is, because like that, this looks
like it could go south very quick if he's not
on the court. But hey, you know, listen, my man
is brilliant and he's gonna win them a lot of
games off that fact alone. So yeah, it's it's not
a bad idea to get to give the ball to
honest at this point and just watch how the season goes.

(32:46):
We'll see how the season goes. We've got a lot
to talk about in this episode of the Driving Dish
NBA podcast. You know, when the warm up is just
about the season so far, because we have a whole
gambling scandal to get to. It's gonna be a kind
of an interesting episode, not the start to the season
I think the NBA was looking for. But yes, welcome
to Driving to the NBA podcast. My name is Kevin
ray Fuse. My co host Justin Kuzar. We'll be back

(33:07):
in a few weeks. Genuinely. Nick Renowitz is here holding
down this episode at get Nick g on Twitter, of course,
played by play voice for the Ossiola Magic. You've heard
Nick on the show plenty of times. We're gonna talk
all things gambling scandal coming up, of course. Chauncey Billups arrested,
Terry Rogier arrested, Damon Jones arrested. Yeah, needless to say,

(33:30):
there's a whole lot to break down there that we'll
get into X ray vision on the poker goggles like
you listen, the mafia is involved. What a bunch of
sentences there, and of course we're gonna do who Who's ballin,
Who's fallen? As well? Leave us a review on iTunes,
good battle read them on the show. If you're not
on Apple, use a Google Play story speaker, Spotify, tune
in Amazon Music player FM and where you can find

(33:51):
a podcast, you can find us. Of course, you can
watch the video version of the podcast as well on
YouTube just search Driving Dish NBA podcast. Now we're sponsors,
so we have some hoops that we could talk about
and some small sample sizes of course, but we also
have to we'd be remiss not to mention the fact
that an active NBA head coach got arrested for we

(34:15):
over the past week in Chauncey Billups getting arrested. Of course,
Terry Rogier also has been arrested. Damon Jones, ex player
arrested as well. This is all part of a big
gambling breakup, you know, basically sting operation by the FBI,
and and it's a bit twofold. That's That's the thing
here that's worth mentioning is so Chauncey Billups is facing

(34:36):
these charges related to rigged poker games. Essentially, he was
brought in by the mafia, according to the indictment, like
no joke, like for separate crime families to just lure
people in to play these games. It's like, hey, you
want to play poker with Chauncy Billups, Like here's NBA
Hall of Famer, you know, you get to do that.
And then they were just they were rigging it, like
I mean, you name it. You know, they were counting cards,

(34:57):
they had X ray vision, they had all sorts of
taels and body language you can think of. Like it
was a firmly rigged poker game. So he got arrested there.
There are many people think he's one of the conspirators,
the unnamed conspiracors name in the gambling ones, because of
course there's a gambling indictment that goes back to Johntay
Porter as well. Of course, got the lifetime ban from
the league. He's named in this. But Terry Rogier got

(35:19):
flagged for a few games where you know, games where
he was injured and left the game after about ten minutes,
and there were large amounts of cash transactions related his
unders that night that got flagged, of course, and so
here we are. You know, neither of these guys. The
update today is that they're getting paid while the investigation
is going on. John Say Porter, of course, we know

(35:39):
got a lifetime ban once he was found doing that
could potentially be on the table as well. You never
want to rule that out. But I mean my initial
takeaway with this, and this is something that Justin and
I have talked about in the past, and I feel
like Justin, I feel like they like kind of like
paints me as the Puritan when it comes to gambling,

(36:00):
and so I feel like now that we have a
major gambling story, I really should clarify my stance here
because I'm definitely not anti gambling, Like I absolutely think
gambling should be legal. I'm very like libertarian in that category.
It's in the category with like marijuana and alcohol and
any other vice where I'm like, people are gonna do it.

(36:23):
It's been a thing forever. I think it should be
legal because then you don't have the black market, Like
then other things aren't happening where people could get hurt.
You know, there's just regulation is good. But man, we
have we are flying so close to the sun with gambling,
and that's just what I think is what is you know,
because it's not as basketball. I think this is American

(36:44):
sports in general, like the past few years where you've
seen you know, play by playing color commentators just like
actually working the unders and the overs into games, and
you know, on pregame shows you have you know, guys
picking their player props. And again, I want to abundantly
make clear that I'm not anti gambling. I think people
should gamble. If people want to gamble, go do it.
But like, I don't know, man, maybe we should have

(37:06):
gambling ads every other ad right now and then be
surprised when it bleeds in the league a little bit
like or you're just gonna not have any integrity left,
Like that's gonna be the ultimate endgame consequence if they
don't really like, nip this in the butt, because that's
the direction we're going right now. Like when you have
an active coach getting arrested and like, listen, I know
Terry Rozier is a star player necessarily, but like this
is a big deal, do it?

Speaker 3 (37:27):
Those are the guys. I mean, like, here's the thing.
Lebron has nothing to gain by doing something like this.
They make enough money. Where this has the effect is
with some of those mid tier, lower tier, end of
the bench guys, like those are the guys that are
going to do this. Those are the guys that get
into trouble with I mean, i'll say the wrong people,

(37:47):
but whoever, you know, with guys lending them money or
getting exactly the mafia right exactly, you know. And so
those are the guys that get leaned on, whether it's
Chauncey Billups allegedly that you know, we don't have all
the information. We'll we'll kind of continue to follow this.
But you know, Terry Rozier is the perfect I mean,
even for him, he's making what thirty million dollars a year,

(38:10):
Like it blows my mind that he's screwing around with
the with the unders.

Speaker 4 (38:15):
But yeah, I mean, I'm right.

Speaker 3 (38:18):
With you, and I should say, I work for an
advertising company. The gambling companies pay some of my bills,
you know what I mean, they buy they they spend
quite a bit on advertising. In fact, turn on a
television you can't go without seeing a DraftKings fan duel
whoever add that's out there.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
Fandel has saved multiple local regional TV networks that we're
supposed to go off the air. And so that's the
part of it where it is. It's like the marriage continues.

Speaker 3 (38:47):
Including the one that I will be on next week, right,
I mean Home of the Orlando Magic and the Ossiola Magic. Like,
I have absolutely no ill will towards these companies whatsoever,
nor do I have any ill will towards sports gambling.
But as you mentioned, it's not that we've seen sports
cozy up to gambling or open up to gambling. Over

(39:08):
the last decade, we have seen them walk into the room,
pulled back the duvet cover, and get right into bed
with these gambling companies. And you know, I worked in
sports radio for ESPN five in New Orlando over the
last ten to fifteen years are.

Speaker 4 (39:26):
Getting closer to fifteen now Kevin Cheesez.

Speaker 3 (39:28):
But over the last ten to fifteen years, and it
went from the first few years I was working there,
it was, you know, we don't talk about gambling. It's
kind of very taboo too. By the end, I'm doing
my five picks against the spread, you know, every single
Friday we're not hiding it. I mean, as you mentioned
Al Michaels when he was doing Sunday Night Football for NBC,
there'd be like a little wink and knot to the

(39:51):
under the over or something. And now in the middle
of the broadcast you can, you know, play by play
guys color analysts are talking about, well the over under
is sixty three and a half. You know, a touchdown
hits the over. So yeah, we've become much more I
would say open about that. And there are good you know,
there are good parts of that, and I think there

(40:12):
are bad parts of it as well. And I think
if you're a player on the end of the bench
for aning of these sports, you're saying, wait, then everyone's
cleaning up on this, why don't I clean up on it?
But you know that is the integrity of these leagues
is the most important thing.

Speaker 4 (40:25):
I like Adam.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
The most important thing for Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner,
should be to make sure that the integrity of the
league goes untarred this.

Speaker 4 (40:36):
Year because if not your professional wrestling, that's what you are.

Speaker 3 (40:38):
I mean, the games are scripted to game, there's no
reason to tune in and care because someone's on the take.
And so now is you know, the NBA is the
only league over the last twenty five years that there's
two gambling scams.

Speaker 4 (40:51):
You've got Tim Donahey and now you.

Speaker 3 (40:53):
Have this and whatever it is, and I don't know
your thoughts on it, we'd have a chance to discuss it.
But this is like this the tip of the iceberg. Yeah,
the FBI is in on this. We are going to
find out more. And it has been interesting just being
on social media and watching the social media sluts come
out and go through this a Bruner film of different

(41:15):
games or tie together different characters and you know, different
stories that have come out about sure the poker games,
but also players that could be involved in this stuff.

Speaker 2 (41:23):
Yeah, it's this And then you added to the you know,
keep adding to the list. It's like you got the
whole Kawhi Leonard thing going on right now. Yeah. So
it's like this is a bad, bad list of headlines
that the NBA is dealing with right now, and it is.
It's gonna be a huge test for Adam Silver, Like
Adam Silver is about to earn his money as the
NBA commissioner because you have to you have to get
a handle on this. You have to protect the integrity

(41:45):
or it's going to cost you, like long term, like
you have to Again, it's not going away like the
gambling companies. It's out now, Like do I do? I
hope it reels back a little bit. And do I
think that like gambling should just be one of those
things that you have to go find and kind of
see out yourself a little bit. Yeah, I do for sure,
Like you you should have to go to the casino
or you should have to like it's just it's all

(42:07):
in your pocket right now. I just don't think you
should be advertising every other commercial with it the way
that you know that we get political ads and election season,
Like it's just it's a lot, it's and it's a
zillion different companies, like you said, companies that have probably
advertised on this podcast before. Like again, I'm not anti gambling,
Like I'm not hating on anybody that like go place
your bets. I'm really I'm not that person. But yeah,

(42:29):
I think this is like and I even hate the
slippery slope barkment. I hate it even more after going
to law school, but like this is it, right, Like
this is the one time I feel like it applies
a little bit where it's like, no, we are going
down like you said I or it is it's gonna
be scripted there and in a league, especially with the
with the NBA, where you know, fouls are so subjective

(42:51):
a lot of the time it can look bad very quickly.
And that's a lot you know, talking about credibility, like
look at the draft lottery, Like we have a lot
of credit ability questions right now in the NBA. And
that's where I worry about. Does Adam Silver habit in him?
I don't know. David Stern, Yeah, he had dealt with this.
I don't know what he would He might have been
breaking kneecaps behind the scenes, but he had dealt with it,
like I Adam Soilber, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (43:13):
Yeah, crack out a Ouiji board. We might need his
advice on this. But I mean, I think, as you
mentioned things.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
Like the draft lottery, and of course I mentioned Tim Donaghy,
basketball is the easiest sport for you know, when something
like this happens, it gives credence to those conspiracy theories.
And I'm not a conspiracy theory guy. Maybe I'm even
a little bit too naive where I'm the guy, it's
like it's never something, and of course sometimes it has
to be something. But when something like this comes along,

(43:42):
it gives credence to all of those conspiracy theories. And
once again like death to a league is when people
are questioning the legitimacy of the outcomes, and you know,
the NBA is nowhere near being in trouble. Of course,
it's a healthy league. It's a good product. But you know,
as this comes out, if you have more people that
are you know, more players and more prominent players going

(44:05):
the way of Terry Rozier and you know John tay Porter,
it's it's gonna get really slippery really quick.

Speaker 4 (44:12):
As you mentioned.

Speaker 3 (44:13):
Now, do I think the top players in the league
are getting involved in this, No, but I do wonder
how high up it goes. Like I I would say,
like who is the most prominent player that maybe is
messed around with an under too or something like that.
And also I guess I and I've this idea has
been thrown around. This isn't my original thought, but I
have to throw it out there. I also have to say,

(44:34):
for some of this, why are we betting unders at all?
Like why are you like to me, like there's some
design in this that we can we can adjust to
help root out some of these problems.

Speaker 2 (44:46):
Yeah, like stop having player problems on guys who get
ten minutes a game. Like that's a real easy way
to root it out.

Speaker 4 (44:52):
Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 3 (44:53):
Like two way, players shouldn't have unders you want to
bet the over on them? Great, he got in there
and got some minutes and played, well, that's awesome. But
you know, you shouldn't have an under on Terry Rozier
if he's playing twelve and a half minutes a game.
And honestly, outside of twenty five players in the league,
should we bet unders on any of them?

Speaker 4 (45:10):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (45:10):
I don't see a reason to bet the under, either
bet the over or bet the game.

Speaker 2 (45:16):
You know, betting owners cowardly anyway, Come on, evenly.

Speaker 4 (45:21):
You suck.

Speaker 3 (45:22):
Let's be honest, like, like we want to go out
there and watch guys get buckets. If you're betting under
twenty five points for Kich, just go to hell, frankly.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
Yeah, I mean, listen, that that's a gambling take. I
think we all can agree on is listen, main things
you can bet on, don't bet the under, bet and
the under is crazy? All right? Who's balling? Who's falling?
Our NBA version of the stock market, we always like
start with good before we start with bad. Uh So, Nick,
you are our guest this week, I will start with you.
Who is balling?

Speaker 3 (45:48):
I mean, like we've talked enough about your Sixers, but
I gotta mention bj edgecumb right. I mean, like the
rookie comes out, and the rook in his first you know,
four games, has just lit the league on fire. I
watched him play against the Orlando match a couple of
nights ago, and he looks like the real deal, one
of those guys that you know when he came up
in the draft, the Sixers, you know, kept their pick,

(46:11):
they end up with them, and it looks like they've
got a real gem there. But you know what he's
been able to do through you know, the first four
games of the season for Philadelphia, I mean, what twenty
two points per game, He's shooting over forty percent three.
It's just been it's been a crazy start for him.
I mean, he's he's making over eight field goals a game,

(46:32):
forty two point nine percent from three. It's it's just
crazy to watch for a guy that I think many
expected to have to kind of ease his way into
the year for a Sixers team that was looking for
a little bit of a shot of energy.

Speaker 4 (46:45):
So he's he's balling.

Speaker 2 (46:47):
Definitely. I didn't tell Nick to say any of that.
I swear I didn't plan that. That was all on
his own. This was not me putting the Philly hat on.
I appreciate that too. He's playing, yeah, I mean, he's
been great at finishing like that was the knock one
and going into the league is that he just needs
to get better at, you know, finishing around the rim,
and so far he's finished everything. So yeah, I mean

(47:07):
it's definitely a great sign so far. Obviously the three
point shot has been there, like that was one of
the things that it could develop. But yeah, early returns
are very good. You know, the last six Ers, the
last Sixers player to win Rooie of the Year is
our boy, Michael Carter Williams. You got to go way back.
But yeah, certainly DJ is gonna have a chance to
do that. It'll be in that conversation. I think he's

(47:27):
jumped like I think he's jumped Cooper Flag currently again
four games in on the on the Rookie of the
Year leader board. But he's gonna play heavy minutes, like
there's no doubt about it. So I mean you certainly
have to factor it in. Ballin for me again. We
talked about this team briefly as well too with the Warriors,
but I've got Jonathan Kmingo balling as Steve Kerr officially
announced that Kaminga will be in the starting lineup, which

(47:51):
like this is a pleasant surprise, right, Like I feel
like Steve car Johnathan Cominga and the Warriors have gone
through every phase possible you could go through a relationship,
and now like here we are after all that, they
kind of like each other, Kamingas in the starting lineup,
the team is playing well. I mean, look, there's another
if there's a jaded part of you, it says maybe
they're just trying to showcase them so they can trade

(48:11):
him midway through the season, like let's see what that
value does here. But no, I mean this is again
putting it on paper out there, definitive he's going to
be in this starting lineup of course with Steph and
with Jimmy and Draymond. So yeah, and.

Speaker 3 (48:26):
Here's the thing, Cam, I mean, like if he's playing
well and they're winning. They're not going to trade them
because they're they're married to winning. Now for Steph and
for Dret, I mean, if he's winning games for him,
it doesn't matter. They're gonna keep them and they'll just
figure it all out.

Speaker 2 (48:41):
Yeah, I mean, so far, sixteen point two points, fifty
three point seven percent shooting overall. So you know, again,
early returns have been good, so you can't really knock
that too much. All right, who's fallen for you this week?

Speaker 3 (48:54):
I'm gonna go with the Homer pick here. The Orlando
Magic and more than anything, the Orlando Magic defense. They're
allowing one hundred and twenty points per game, or just
about bottom half.

Speaker 4 (49:04):
Of the league.

Speaker 3 (49:05):
They are a team that is it going to score enough.
They need to be defending, and they haven't through the
first four games of the year for them, You're off
to a one to three start. They're playing the six
and they're playing the Pistons right now, eight and a
half to go in the fourth as we're taping this,
and they're down by twenty points, and so it looks
like you're heading to do a one and four star.
Not really the start you're looking for from a team

(49:26):
that many had been picking to be the third or
fourth team in the Eastern Conference. And really, what it's
been to me is like it's the bench. They've gotten
nothing off of the bench for Orlando at all. It's
the Desmond Baine trade has looked good in my opinion.
I think he's played well. Polo has kind of been
up and down to start the year. I've liked the
way that Franz has looked, But defensively they haven't been

(49:47):
the same team. They're only averaging one hundred and thirteen
points per game right now. But really, I mean they've
gotten absolutely nothing off the bench.

Speaker 2 (49:55):
Yeah, I mean, even looking at this box score for
a night like you mentioned, they're down twenty to the
Pistons right now, Like they got ten from Tristan to Silva,
they got ten from Blitz and that's about it. You
got eight from Anthony Black. But it's it's a really
inefficient two from nine, you know, Tyas Jones giving me three, Like, yeah,
it's it's not even I mean, it's the starters are

(50:15):
doing the heavy lifting here in the case of Night,
they're not even doing that much. I mean, Bain's struggling
big time he's three or thirteen. For tonight, he's only
got ten. Franz has twenty, but it's kind of inefficient.
Paulo's got eighteen and ten, but again kind of inefficient. Yeah,
I mean, Bench is definitely gonna have to give them
a little more. I mean it feels like some of
these guys like it's part of it, like the younger

(50:37):
guys that drafted not developing either necessarily the way you
want to. Like I'm looking at like Anthony Black and
Jed Howard for example, like they really may be anything necessarily.

Speaker 4 (50:45):
No, And I mean this is a it's a big
year for Anthony Black.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
I mean the team announced today they picked up, uh,
you know, the option on his contract, so he's in
Orlando through twenty six, twenty seven. The same thing with
Tristan Silva was what they're Yeah, So I mean I
think it's a big year for Anthony Black because you
have to figure out, Okay, is this a guy that
we can build with on the team or are you
likely going to look to move him either at the

(51:11):
trade deadline or you know, in the next year. He's
a good talented player. I think he's developed well, but
he hasn't quite taken that next step. I don't quite
think he get enough from him on the offensive side
from the guard position to be able to play him
big time minutes. Yet we just haven't seen it. And
I think, you know, Tristan de Silva, I like Tristan

(51:33):
de Silva, Like, I think he's a guy that you know,
you're in year two with da Silva and so I
think he's developing just fine. But he's hot and he's cold,
you know, And that's I think that's kind of the
thing is they don't have anyone that's coming off the
bench consistently right now.

Speaker 4 (51:49):
Like I mean, can.

Speaker 3 (51:50):
Terrence Ross come back? Like, can we get him in
a Jersey? I mean, if we if we had Terrence Ross,
you know, light the torch and see whether or not
we get something. But right now, the Magic havev just
nothing really coming off that bench, and you know from
a big man rotation too. I mean, it feels like
they're just missing one more piece still early in the year.
And I believe in Jamal Mosley. I think they'll figure

(52:11):
it out. But it's a new group and you know,
so far, they just haven't quite had anything coming off
the bench.

Speaker 2 (52:18):
Yeah, no, and I mean that'll be we'll see if
they make the moves as they can do, because, like
you said, expectations are there for sure. You know, unlike
the West, you have a little bit of room if
you start to slip in the Eastern Conference a bit.
But yeah, definitely this is a team with expectations. Like
there's big time expectations there. You know. It was a
fun story last year. It's we're trying to win games now,

(52:40):
sort of magic adjacent from my fallen that goes to Shack.
Shack had a custom range Rover that got stolen in transport.
So this is one hundred and eighty thousand dollars vehicle.
It happened in Georgia apparently, and again this is according
to ESPN and the Associated Press. Umkin County Sheriff's office

(53:01):
says the SUV was taken from a local fabrication business
and brought to Atlanta last week. It was supposed to
be shipped to Baton Rouge while he was in town
for the LSU game, but it just never arrived. By
the way. Like I feel like, if you're looking for
a car, you got to find that one right away,
right because I know, like listen, a range Rover is

(53:22):
a big vehicle, but like this is spitting Shaquille O'Neil.
You need a little bit more than a big vehicle
here either way though, like man, dude heists or back
though we got we got shacks thinging stolen here, the
Louve got hit and the French Crown jewels got stolen.

Speaker 3 (53:38):
What a time to be alive. You're right, I mean,
the love story is incredible. I'm looking at a picture
of the range Rover right now, Shaquille, and you able
like kind of all out on this one.

Speaker 4 (53:48):
But yeah, it's a crazy story.

Speaker 3 (53:49):
I mean, like it just doesn't doesn't show up and
I don't know, just just just a weird one, I guess.
But you know, Chap Shack will figure it out. I'm
sure they'll find him another one.

Speaker 2 (54:03):
I mean Shack's isn't he a sheriff's deputy in like
fifty two sheriffan counties or something. I feel like that's
what Shaq does is just go around to local police
departments a collect honorary sheriff's badge, like you know, but
that police worked yourself, like i'd be kind of should
imagine if you stole shacks SUV and he just pulled
up and arrest of you.

Speaker 3 (54:19):
That would be awesome. Actually, that's that's they should do.
It's like the the inside the NBA guys, they should
send Shack out.

Speaker 2 (54:25):
To find his cover shacked the bounty hunter.

Speaker 3 (54:29):
I guess they were on tonight, so we haven't seen it,
but I wonder whether or not they talked about it
on the inside of the NBA tonight.

Speaker 4 (54:36):
We'll see it. We'll see it online. Whether or not
I need.

Speaker 2 (54:38):
Chuck to be cracking a joke or something like that.
That'd be pretty entertaining, but we shall see. Thank you, everybody,
my bad go ahead.

Speaker 4 (54:45):
Keys Early season takeaways on the inside the NBA, you
caught him at all.

Speaker 2 (54:49):
I liked it, not as much on the inside of
the NBA. I like the NBC coverage so far. I'm
definitely like the reviews there have been positive, and I'm
here to add to that. I liked them. I mean
they went all out, like the fact that they've got
so we've got so much from Michael Jordan already, like
my main bashload management. He said if I could like
take a drug and start playing yesterday, like he was like,

(55:10):
that was honest. Like you felt him Like I felt
like that was Jordan being more vulnerable than he's been
in a while. Yeah, I mean, I like they're just
not talking about nonsense, Like that's just what it all
comes down to me. I mean, that's why I liked
Inside the NBA so much, is it didn't feel like
they talked about nonsense, Like you know, it's it's kind
of a different crossover now and I still think, of

(55:31):
course they're finding their footing, but I haven't. I truly
haven't seen enough of it to have like a big,
big takeaway for it so far.

Speaker 4 (55:38):
Yeah, so far, it's felt pretty similar.

Speaker 3 (55:40):
I've only watched a bit, just like you, but it's
felt kind of like inside the NBA, honestly. So it
feels like everyone was really worried about what that would
look like. Obviously we'll see as things kind of start
to get into rhythm. Just I would say, just like
these NBA teams, the inside the NBA ESPN relationship is
new and so they got to figure all of that out.

(56:01):
But yeah, it's been it's been interesting. And having back
on NBC's cool as well. I mean, having round Ball
Rock back is great. It really takes me back to
an earlier, simpler time in my life.

Speaker 4 (56:11):
So it's fun.

Speaker 2 (56:12):
Yeah, I mean, the only thing that it's just the
score at the bottom, Like I don't like their they're
scoring graphic right now. It's just not like I don't
it's not really that big of a deal, but like
it's just not super aesthetically pleasing to me. That's about
like the only thing they've done wrong so far. And
even that, like it's not necessarily wrong, it's just like
it's fine. It could be better, I feel like. But again,

(56:34):
if that's what we're complaining about, we're really pulling here.
Harris here. Thank you everybody for listening this episode the
Driving Dish NBA podcast Again, get the show wherever you
can get your podcast. Thank you to Nick Grenowitz for
filling in for justin this week. Course. Following Nick on
Twitter at get Nick g you can hear Nick Ostiola
Magic play by play. Make sure you're checking out those games.
A lot of fun action in the G League going on. Yeah,

(56:55):
where are you guys? You talked about a little bit earlier,
but like we're from people on the go who aren't
in the area. Where can they listening to the Magic
Osiol Magic?

Speaker 3 (57:02):
You can catch us, of course on the FanDuel Sports Network.
Our games are all airing there, so whether if you
have a subscription to that to watch the Orlando Magic,
you'll be seeing the Ossiola Magic.

Speaker 4 (57:15):
I'm there to catch us.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
You can find the team, of course on all the
social media outlets in order to hear them. I'm still
waiting at some other news in terms of potential other
outlets that you may be able to catch us on.
So our season starts a week from Friday. We open
up the year at home at Osiole Heritage Park.

Speaker 4 (57:36):
Looking forward to it.

Speaker 2 (57:37):
I love a good teas. There are some good process language.
Buddy good did the journal is The journalist has never
left you.

Speaker 3 (57:43):
No tea's there just a man that doesn't know anything,
and so I'm looking forward to getting back. I missed
all last season, first time in my first time in
how old am I now? I'm thirty six, So first
time in eighteen years. I have not broadcasted a basketball
game in a year since I was basically eighteen, and
so obviously missed all of last year due to my
health condition.

Speaker 4 (58:03):
But looking forward to getting back.

Speaker 2 (58:04):
Yeah, big shout as always to the Cleveland Clonal forgetting
my dog back on his feet. You see the big
heart behind you. You know how it goes. Yeah, So
and also be an organ donor, like I feel like
that should hopefully go without saying, but like, yeah, if
you all got the opportunity, you know Nick here post
heart transplant, like, but there are plenty of other ways.
It's one of the easiest things to do of all time.
H Yeah, like you said, when you're gone, you you

(58:25):
really don't need them. I promise they can be better served.
It's it's a great way to give back. Yeah. Watch
the video of the podcast on YouTube, just search Shriving
Ish NBA podcast. Like I said, Justin is gonna be
out next week. I don't know who we're gonna have
guest things, so stay tuned for that. We'll have another
episode and then just we'll be back the following week.
But yes, we will catch you guys soon.

Speaker 4 (58:45):
I think we've done my dances today, so I want
to dance Wednesday.

Speaker 1 (58:49):
See the star side all right, I

Speaker 4 (59:01):
Think they can do onruction

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