April 17, 2025 • 49 mins
Keith and Dave discuss the play-in games, preview the Playoffs, and more
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Episode 795 (S11 Ep. 20)
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Get 20% off a Stathead annual subscription with code FBBF
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Episode 795 (S11 Ep. 20)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
All right, and welcome to Fast Break Breakfast NBA podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
My name is Keith Parrish, and.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I'm here once again with my buddy through the miracle
of computer phone. I'm here with Dave de four, coach
Dave de four. How's it going man? Playoffs basketball? Postseason basketball?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I'm sorry, asterisk postseason postseason.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Basketball going on?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
How you doing? I'm good Man, been a good week already.
How's this is? What a great pace of games?
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Okay, if you're a person who likes to think like,
you know, it was nice. I got to go back
and rewatch the Grizzlies.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Oh yeah, with the word you know. I just I
haven't had time all season to do this.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
What what did the robots unfail for?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
You? Well?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Tell me everything?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Great. I honestly, I assume we're going to talk about
that game. I'll save it. I do talk about that.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Listen, we're jumping past everything. Time for breakfast. I don't
care about your dumb o'meal. There's no time for apologies.
We got to get into it hot and heavy.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I pulled a Keith. I just grabbed a banana. Keith.
What happened to the Jah Morant? Jared Jackson pick and roll, Like, I.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Don't know, they're not running Zach Edie picking rolls.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Okay, that's not it's not as good. Yeah, I don't
know if you're aware.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
I like I like Zach Edy. I think he's he's fine.
I actually thought his second half.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Was yeah, good, strong second half.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
First half though, you know, it was all the stuff
that we we kind of worried.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
About with him. But I just cannot wrap my head around.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
The fact that you you could be spamming Ja Morant
and Jared Jackson picking pick and roll, pick and pop,
and it just won't happen. I think Jared Jackson was
like non existent in that game.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I think Dave they need five more years together and
then they'll have it. I think in year ten of
Jaw and Jaren.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
They will be like, all right, now, this is it.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
You know, you bring up a great.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Point, You bring up a great question on my Griz
and Grinds episodes this week. Frankly, I should have had
you on because I needed a sounding board.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I like, the.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Monologue thing wasn't working for me.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
I didn't feel I wouldn't feel inspired because I have
these kinds of questions where it's like, yeah, there's a
big question about the Grizzlies right now, like Jaren's averaging
under twenty points per game since the trade deadline, which
is just an arch jery cutoff. It happens to be
where everything went awry statistically for the Grizzlies. And meanwhile,
Jaw's back at twenty seven twenty eight points per game,
and you're like, well, is that related? But then Zach
(02:40):
Ed's minutes are up and the Zach Edie usages up,
and you're like, well, is that related? If you talk
about just the Warriors game, Jaren took over half of
his shots from the three point line, and he's not
getting these shots in the paint. I mean, although who
could score on Quinton Post. I know Zach Edy can't,
and I know Jared Jackson Junior can't. Who can Dave?
Jaren was missing his floaters the few that he took.
(03:02):
But what was so successful for the Grizzlies the first
fifty games was was Jaron's scoring in the paint non stop,
beating everybody off the dribble left and right. But it
hasn't happened. And again, new coach. Now we're doing a
lot more ball screens and things but you think.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
It gets hurt.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Do you think this is the he's totally healthy?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
You sure? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
I mean, I like, listen, I.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I like making injury excuses for all my guys. No,
I think Jared's fine.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I just don't.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, it hasn't hasn't been happening.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
It's weird. It was weird, but yeah, man, I don't know.
So it's been a good week.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
I like again, I love this pace, Like in two
and a half weeks, once we get to that two
games a night, this is where also it gives us.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
It gives us the Los Angeles Lakers first round series
pace where they'd ever make the Lakers play more than
once every three or four days, where they're.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Like, hey, take it you guys, take it easy.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
I hope it works out for Mike Conley though, another
old guy enjoying the multiple days off between games. Yeah, so,
like even going to the end of the regular season
day off on Saturday, which again I don't understand it.
I understand they wanted no one to have to play
the second out of a back to back on Sunday,
but like tons of teams played back to backs on Thursday, Friday,
and it's still three out of four.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
What's that?
Speaker 4 (04:14):
I don't understand that, right, what's the games? Game eighty
one counts as much as game eighty two.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, And also, like you we're talking about, it was
a sports desert for some of us on Saturday, You're like,
how is the NBA not playing these games?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
And Thenday called outside man.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Just dude, I enjoyed it. I'm just saying I enjoyed
the outdoors. Also, the uh on Sunday, the final day
of the regular season, just frankly one good game.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Because it was Clippers Warriors had to play. It was amazing.
The rest just abominations.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Oh, I disagree, I think so some of these. So
just the random overtime.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Games, those were funny.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
They were funny.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Bub Carrington hitting the game winner to Tank he tanked
the Wizards.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Congratulations Bubb, recording the worst plus minus ever recorded for
a season. This is we've only had these play by
play stats since the ninety six ninety seven season. But
he posted the worst total plus minus of all time.
But it was two points better because he made the
game winner. Yeah, and now they Jazz have the best lotterys. No. Actually,
(05:22):
on the last day of the season before we get
to the playoffs. So today's episode we got to talk
about the play and stuff it's been going on. We
need to make our predictions Dave for the first round
of the playoffs and beyond before we get there. The
last day of the regular season, which player, Dave, which
player scored the most points that you'd never heard of?
(05:44):
And I'll give you, I'll give you. I'll give you
a name. You just tell me if you know who
he is. You tell me if you know what team
this guy plays for.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
There was a.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Person named Nakwon Tomlin scored twenty four points on the
last day of the season.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
What team?
Speaker 3 (05:59):
No clue? You know, you've never heard of this guy?
He did a two way guy.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
It was this fifth game ever. Okay, I'm guessing probably too.
He was on the tape.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
He was on the Cavs calvs.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Okay, okay, Yeah, so this is the Caps Pacers game that.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
When he played to or with someone who definitely has
to watch every single game every night.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And I never heard of that.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
The last other other notable scoring performances on the last
day of the season. Now I've heard about the listener.
You guys have all We've all heard about these people,
but still Pat Conninson had forty three.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Jalenys thirty one. Career high was only twenty four before that?
Which of that? I wonder, like, you know, I wonder.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
For this stage of career, is this like the biggest
leap between like old career high and new career high.
That sounds like, Man, I don't know how to look
at how many guys score forty for the first time
after being in the league.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
You know, how long has he been in the league?
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Well, I mean what was what was what was Kenneth
Loughton junior's career high before he dropped over forty on
the last game of the season a couple of years ago.
It's the same situation. Yeah, Like it's a great point.
Lamar Stevens had thirty one. Tristan Vuksvich had twenty eight.
My guy, Justin Champagne, who I actually think is quite good,
he had twenty seven, Brandon Carlson had twenty six, Cam
(07:17):
Spencer twenty three, Jamison Battle twenty five.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I don't know you said it was funk.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
I still think it's preposterous that they can't make the
last day of the season. Something that like a general
sports fan would find interest in or find compelling. There
were fourteen teams playing at noon, and none of them
were trying to win. Yeah, like not one and many
of them so some of them their spots were locked.
(07:45):
Some of them they still needed to lose. So you
had fourteen teams, no one's trying to win. Meanwhile, like
seven of them.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Were like we actually actually really is it?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
The masters are like? Cause you know that. Then they
didn't go up against the Masters. Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Mean they went right up against.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Them every thing.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Man, I don't understand it, Like I just you know,
if I had the best sport in the world, I.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Think I would promote it. You try to show it off,
I mean a little bit, right, So yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Well, so one of the funny things about the play
in is now, of course there's twenty teams make the postseason, yeah,
which is two thirds of your league, and you have
these below five hundred teams playing in these play in games.
You have the magic at five hundred being a seven seed.
And this all ties into why the last day of
the season doesn't matter, because, like, well, losing is so incentivized,
(08:32):
and the reason you have twenty teams in your postseason.
You could say, look at baseball, look at football. Your
regular season is way more important. These games would mean
more if fewer teams made the playoffs. But they can't
do it, Dave, because then everyone would try to lose,
Like if only twelve teams made it, if only ten
teams made it, you'd have fifteen teams. Tanking and sports
(08:55):
don't work all of a sudden when everyone's trying to lose.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
So it's funny, like the front office guys in the
NBA are the most like probably, like I think I
compare them to finance guys, you know what I mean,
Like che we're gonna just the number, the numbers say
we got to do this. Let's we're taking this hard
turn we're going and it's just it goes against sport.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, this is why we got to fix that.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
We gotta let me ask you about the play in
before we before we start talking about the games.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
I think the nine to ten things got to go.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I actually do, like it's so many teams, right, what
if the seven eight was for seven and eight, so
like you did a play in but it was just
the seven and eight seed, like kind of like we
just have you just feel like we should go back
to one to eight.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I don't see a fix under this current system. And
this goes back to my lottery reform. I don't see
a current fix if you're gonna reward losing, if there's
so much of an advantage to jump starting your franchise,
to turning around your entire fortunes in the draft in
a sport where one player can change your whole franchise,
(10:01):
unless you're the Mavericks, and you don't want the Pelicans
or soul.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Situations for teams getting the top pick.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
By the way, with with Monte McNair being fired and
and Vladi Devots being back in charge for the Kings, now, uh,
seven percent of NBA gms don't think Luka Doncis is
very good.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Hey, hang on, A, isn't that incredible?
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Get into something. I want to admit something right here
on the podcast. Are you messing with me about Flatty Devots?
Is that I don't know because I haven't seen it.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Did I get ball sacked?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I mean I don't know.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
All I said so last night, you know you we
recorded the show at night. I don't mind doing a
little bit behind the scenes. We record the show at night,
and then after we finished recording, the news came out
that Monti McNair got fired. So es Sparrahanni, my co host,
we hot back on. We we did a little addendum
to discuss it, and then you know, it was late
at night. I went to bed, and I don't like
(11:00):
to look at stuff in the morning, so you know,
I get up, I kind of have a routine.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
I'm not thinking too much, and.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Uh, you you just said something to me that sounds
incredible and it is legitimately news to me.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
If that's true, it might be false. So now I'm okay.
So now we live in.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
This we live in this post uh Google search being
useful world, and I cannot Yeah, I can't figure outf
this is true or not.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Hang on, I mean no, I mean listen, I'm looking
right now on the athletics. Shout out to to Sam
Amock and later because I can trust them.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Why did apparently is still around?
Speaker 2 (11:40):
I mean he's in the he's in the organization.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
I'm seeing this one.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I'm seeing this one guy who's not a verified thing
that has gone a little bit viral.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Maybe with this, uh.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
I assumed it was gonna be Jeremy Lamb.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Well so this person though beat shams with the King's
are are firing, So maybe not, maybe it's fair. We
gotta find out again.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Well, useless in the situation, I can't useless.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
I try to avoid social media doesn't have that.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
It's it's devots. We can imagine it's useless.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
But actually so, the Kings are in a weird situation.
The King's humiliating loss too. Yeah, I mean, I guess whatever.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Oh no, that was humiliating.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
The Mavericks played well. Clay Thompson had a redemption game
for his zero for ten in the play in last
season the Mavericks, you know, Anthony Davis was the best
player on the court by a mile, which we knew
he was supposed to be going.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Into the games.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
The trade right maps when the train. Yeah, but the
Kings lose. I am embarrassed for Zach Lavine. I'm embarrassed
for Jamar de Rosen. I'm sad for the Kings. I
want those players to do well.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I like them.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I do think not having Malik Monk and Jake Laarabia
a little bit of a big deal there.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
I'm not even joking.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
But the Kings lose, and this all goes back to
the play in and is to play in good and
of course like in both conferences, the eight seed was
far ahead of the nine and ten. Also, when you
compare the conferences East versus West, it's aggravating, Dave, as
someone who cheers for a Western Conference team, it's aggravating
(13:17):
watching the Hawks and the Magic and be like these
these are the seven eight teams.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
We got Mo gay and and.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Georges Niang on the court.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
At the same time we got Reese Shay shooting all
these step back three pointers. And then it's like you
have forty eight win teams and the Warriors and the Grizzlies,
and they're the same.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
It's not the same.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
You have the Thunder who just wrapped up the best
point differential of all time for a season, and they
were staring down maybe having.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
To play like the Warriors.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
If the Grizzlies pull off the close game, they pull
off the victory, you're like, the Thunder have to play
the Warriors or the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers get to
play like horrible teams.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Likelies were the two seed six weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Yeah, and Atlanta has it been just seven. Look at
the records do you have?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Like the Sons are an absolute catastrophe and rightly our
Bootenholzers fired.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Every mic got fired this year. Who's coach of an
NBA team? There's a mic purge going on the the Sons.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
If they were in the East, they're in the playoffs
like the funny season.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
At least, so all the coaches that were fired were
Western Conference coaches.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
If Cooper Flagg doesn't end up in the East. But
I'm I'm also looking at this like Lakers Timberwolve series,
and it's why and it's like, why can't we have
why can't we just have conference free playoffs?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
The West teams already play a much travel. Everyone travel.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Grizzlies had to.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Fly to San Francisco for a one game playoff and
then fly back to Memphis.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
And then it's like these teams are already spread out.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
If you have the random Oh my goodness, the Trailblazers
and Heat got matched up.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Well, guess what give them the Lebron playoff.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Schedule where they get to where they get two days
off between every game.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
I'm with you, man, what if we like one to
sixteen is that how you do it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
I don't see the downside.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
You can even do what they're twenty.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
You can even mean if you think about it, for
the bad teams, it does create value in the regular season.
It makes it so that you wouldn't have teams that
would say, oh, it's the Eastern Conference, we'll take tonight off.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Yeah, you have a thing.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
You have the Grizzlies maybe falling all the way out
of the playoffs if they lose to the Mavericks team
like this that front court against you know, they're gonna
pack the paint. Jaron doesn't play well against Anthony Davis,
and it's like it's gonna be gonna be tough.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
But like the Grizzlies would have been the five seed.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
In the East, like if you eliminate the conference.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
If you eliminate the conference, they would have been like
the twelfth seed overall. But anyways, unrelated to any of
our reformation ideas, just looking at the situation we have
now and just thinking about the front offices that maybe
run their team like a trading firm and they're looking
at the math for everything.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
We have a lot of.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Really interesting scenarios playing out, and honestly, I feel like
the play in could be hitting an uncomfortable inflection point
for a couple reasons. One, like you said, there's such
a big gap, it doesn't seem fair for like the
Grizzlies forty eight win team playing a below five hundred
team in a one game playoff for making the postseason.
(16:33):
But beyond that, just look at the Mavericks. All right,
the Mavericks, they have like the easiest straightforward. Of course,
they made a win now trade. They're trying to win now.
Their draft pick is basically unaffected. If they lose to
the Grizzlies, all right, they're gonna pick probably twelfth or thirteenth.
If they make the playoffs, are gonna pick fifteenth.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
No big deal. But you look at every other team
the Grizzlies.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
If the Grizzlies win, they're gonna get probably humiliated by
the thunder and they're gonna lose their first round pick.
If the Grizzlies lose miss the playoffs, they get to
keep their pick.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
They get the fourteenth pick.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
They have a what one in eleven shot, Oh that's no, no,
Well like a one in twenty one and forty shot
at a top four.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Pick, Like you're saying there's a chance situation.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
But the Grizzlies, of course, in their situation, I'm sure
they want the revenue of two home playoff games.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
You can't miss the playoffs with.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
John Moran and Jared Jackson Junior in Desmond Bane. So like,
maybe it's a silver lining if you lose. Yeah, so
like maybe it's a silver lining if you lose, you
keep your pick. But then you look at the Heat.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Okay, the Heat, what are they playing for?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Theirs is even tougher where you don't think the Heat have,
Like the Grizzlies have a lot of pieces where you're like,
that is your future?
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Still young core, awesome core.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
They Heat have Bam out of bio and they got
some dudes, just just some dude.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
You know, well Tyler Hero is amazing Tier thirty eight points.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, so they have two guys Hero and Bam.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
But the Heat, if they win against the Hawks on Friday,
they're gonna go get massacred by the Calves and lose
their first round pick.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
If they don't, they're the team.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
They have a one and an eleven shot at a
top four pick, or they pick eleventh. We're talking the
eleventh pick. Or get or no pick for the Heat.
That's their situation. You look at what's funny to me,
the Kings who are now eliminated. The Kings have the
most at stake on Friday night. You might not know this.
(18:30):
I didn't know this until about an hour ago, so
I was looking at Tankathon.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
The King's pick is top twelve protected.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
The King's pick goes to the Hawks if everything plays
out as we expect, so like if the Heat lose,
which again is toss up Vegas. I think it has
this as a one point game, so maybe it's not
even what we expect.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
But if the Heat lose, if.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
The MAVs lose, okay, the Kings pick.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
If they don't get this miracle jump up, it goes
to the Hawks because of the Kevin Herder trade Kevin
heard Er Chicago, the King's traded up protected first run
pick for Kevin Herder. Anyways, it's top twelve protected, which
means if the MAVs and Heat went on Friday, Dave,
the Kings get their pickback because it's probably gonna be twelve.
(19:14):
It's like a you know, it's like a ninety eight
percent chance of being to at twelve so that's hysterical
to me where the Kings are facing down with this, like, yeah,
we're gonna give the fourteenth pick to the Hawks, or
if the MAVs and Heat win, we get to keep
our twelfth pick.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
It's amazing stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
We got to fix the lottery and it all goes back.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
You should get a lot of repoints based on my
system of beating a team that has a worse record
than you. Anyways, let's take a break, Dave, and then
let's come back. I think we hit I mean, actually,
let's wrap up the play in what do you expect
for Friday night? Because again Heat Hawks toss up Hawks
hysterical ending to their game. Trey Young getting ejected for
(20:00):
disgracing the game.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Honestly, man, he was so sure but also hilarious.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
It was hilarious he got he got ejected for embarrassing
the referee.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
But like the referee, he did.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
The ice cream trick with the ball, like we hand
the ice cream company and you pull it back and
then you yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
You know for yourself, man, have a little sense of humor.
It's fine expect from Hawk's Heat. Honestly, man, I think.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
The Heat are gonna win. They look pretty good in
the game the other night. Uh, I don't know, Tyler
Hero is good. I will say this, Atlanta has guys
who might be able to go well. Dyson Daniels can
guard Tyler Hero.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
So you really the ugly.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Game from the Hawks?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Who Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Thought they'd be competitive.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
And of course this is what happens when you, you know,
consider that the last month and a half of the
season is fake. Yeah, and nothing really happens. And like
I was like, oh, Reese's he's looking great. Reesis they
dropped thirty five points in a regular season game and
then you watch them in like a game where someone's
playing defense and you're like, oh, this looks terrible. Like
I don't I don't know anymore. Is Zach Edy leading
(21:02):
the Rookie of the Year race for the postseason hits seventeen?
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Who are probably it's probably Edie.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Coloware was fine? Uh, Coloware was fine. Post Quentin posted
pretty good, pretty good. It was like fifty second pick
or something. Yeah, and then MAVs Grizzlies.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
You know, the Grizzly should win, right, the Grizzly should win. Yeah,
I just think that I don't know. Man's so John
Moran hurt that and he's hurt.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
And I think when you look at what the what
the Mavericks did to the Kings, they can do that again. Yeah,
everything they did was repeatable. If Anthony Davis is healthy,
like we know he's a force, and then Dallas is big,
they can play two bigs right like and they and
they looked huge in their game against the King, So
I think that that that they match up pretty well
(21:54):
with the Grizzlies. Yeah, it's gonna be a Desmond Baying game,
which basically feels like how every game has been since
the All Star Break.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
He normally has great games against Dallas because he's he's
a game player. That's that's a team that he specifically
thought should have drafted him because he played the TCU
and they had a pick near where they should have
gotten him.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
So he definitely normally shows out again.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
That against every team, because there's fifteen teams that should
have drafted him and including the Warriors who should have
just taken him number two. But Bain is like a
big game guy now and it seems like every time
they've got to get a win, and they don't necessarily win,
but he does something kind of like they did the
like he did the other night, where you know things
are going weird. Well, Desmond Bain's gonna hit three huge shots,
(22:40):
you know, I think that the Grizzly should win.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
But man, I just like what Dallas did the other night.
And there's something to.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Having guys like Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson that have
been in big games and not that Jaw and Jaron haven't.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
But I just think those guys got a little bit
more I mean experience. I think it does matter.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
We make fun lot of Nico Harrison and everything he's done. Also,
the Mavericks.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Oh God, that weird press.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
They're a weird closed press conference.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Shout out Tim McMahon for just mocking them incessantly. I
mean not mocking, but just straight up asking, like with
a hard question where it's like, how is this in
the best interest of the Mavericks.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
You gave up your draft.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Capital for these three seasons to build a finals team
around Luca. Now, how is giving up your best player,
Luca of this finals team when you don't have the
draft capital? How is that in the best long term
interest to the team. And Nico's like, I'm sorry, could
you repeat that. The transcript is really funny. It is
so like good good job by, good job by Tim
(23:42):
McMahon going hard being one of the invites to this
little private press conference.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
It does not even press cover. We call it.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
It's like a it's a closed press conference. Yeah, it's
a closed press conference.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
But the Mavericks, even if we do make fun of
Nico Harrison in his repeated mantra, defense wins championships, which
I'm like, it's that true, like offense plus defense wins championships.
There's no example of just defense winning championships.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
But that being.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Said, defense beats the Grizzlies. Usually the Grizzlies are not
good against the top defensive teams. And if this healthy
squad with their big their big players, they know how they're
with Anthony Davis in there, with zachiad clogging it up,
with Jaren maybe not having as much driving space anymore,
with the lack of shooting, I mean, even jam.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Lee Weell is being injured.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Yep, they just one.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Spacer now they're starting. They started against the Warriors, of course,
multiple point guards Scottie, Pipman Junior and Jaw. It's like
the Grizzies don't have spacing, they don't really have shooting,
and it seems like a bad matchup, but they are
seven point favorites last I saw.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I'm nervous.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Obviously, I'm hosting a watch party in Nashville, a lot
of fun. Any local listeners come to Nobles Beer Hall.
We'll be having a great time on Friday night, eight
thirty pm.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Come hang out with me and other Grizzlies fans.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Anyways, Uh, let's take a quick break, Dave, and then
let's talk some.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Playoffs, all right, Dave.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Obviously, the playoffs proper are starting on Saturday. That also
means the kickoff of the Stone Cold Locks Playoff Challenge
for our Patreon supporters. I'll be dropping that later on Thursday.
That gives everyone an opportunity to make their predictions each
round and then they can risk some points. It's a
(25:32):
very complicated scoring system, but it's always a lot of fun.
So Patreon supporters keep an eye out for the annual
Stone Cold Locks Playoff Challenge that's dropping. The winner of
that we'll get a fifty dollars gift card to the
NBA store. Anyways, Dave, let's go through these series a
little bit. Probably just go a little bit rapid fire.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I think.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
It feels I guess because of the way that the
conference has split the good teams, Like it feels wild
some of these series are the first round, Like even
like Warriors Rockets. You're like, those are two those are
two of what the seven best teams?
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Maybe?
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Yeah, actually I want to start here, who are the
best teams? So let's say, of course we have this
top three throughout the regular season of Celtics, Calves, and Thunder.
Everyone's like, those are the three best teams. Like, who's
the fourth best team to you right now, Dave.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
I mean it's it's been the Rockets.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
I mean I know by record it's Rockets, No, but
I mean it's been the Rockets.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
They had a really good, strong close to the season.
I thought like the last six weeks for them were
pretty good. So you know, once the once those guys
started getting healthy again, like they had that little swoon,
you know, when Fred van Vliet was out. But I
think they've been the fourth best team. I mean, I know,
it's it's funny because we don't expect much out of them,
Like I actually think that they're.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Going to lose this first round series to the Warriors.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
So okay, Dave, So no, no, no, let's let's back up.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Then, if you're if you're thinking jumping the gun, if
if you're gonna pick the Warriors to beat the Rockets,
you do not think the Rockets are the fourth best team.
I think that they need to know your power rankings
for the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Oh okay, for the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Well, because right now, who are the four best teams
going into the playoffs. Who do you think is the
fourth most likely to win a title or at least
to advance to the conference The Lakers.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
So you think Lakers are fourth? I think it's fair.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I think yeah, they have the best big game player.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
I think you whoops, Okay, So I think it's reasonable.
I'm here's what I here's what I'm thinking about. I saw, like,
apologies to Dylan Brooks. I'm not thinking about the Rockets
for this. I'm thinking about I'm thinking about the Lakers.
I'm thinking about the Clippers. I'm thinking about I guess
the Timberwolves and the Nuggets, and maybe the Warriors, and
(27:49):
maybe the Knicks and then the Rockets. So like, but like,
I think I think I might go I think I
might go Clippers, but it feels nuts.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
So I don't know the Clippers for what the last
six weeks of the season since like March six or something.
Number one offense, number one defense. Yeah, and Kawhi Leonard
has looked the way he's looked, right, which is more
than than I think even just having the best offense
and the best defense for for that stretch. Uh, he
(28:23):
looks like he could be the best player in any
series that they're in.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Yeah, and that gives you a chance to win.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
And then James Harden honestly, I mean that game that
he had.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Yeah, Zubach having his best season. I actually I wouldn't
be shocked if he winds up winning Defensive Player of
the Year like he's got him.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
It looks like he's getting a lot of votes for
also most improved Players.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yeah, and that's that's a pretty good call too.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
I just think that the Clippers have been under the
radar this year.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Clippers are and they're good, so all right, well coached.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
So obviously they're there's a lot of debate to be had,
and it's the playoffs I think should be awesome because
of how like close these teams can be, Like the Timberwolves.
They're besides the top three teams Thunder, Calves and Celtics.
The Timberwolves the only other team that was top ten
both offense and defensive rating this year. They finished the
(29:18):
season very, very strong, just like the Rockets, just like
the Clippers.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
So there's a lot of I.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Feel like good parody or like maybe it's matchup based
like Timberwolves Lakers. Of course in Skinny Luca like it's
it's a toss up. Anyways, I guess we can just go,
let's let's start. We don't let's start at the Western Conference.
So Thunder versus Grizzlies or MAVs. We don't think it's
gonna be much of a competition, right, Nah? Yeah, I
think I think Thunder could lose one game to hit
(29:47):
their team. But so i'd probably say Thunder and five.
How are you feeling?
Speaker 4 (29:51):
I think Thunder and five, but we both want to
say Thunder and in.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
A swite Thunder and easy. Yeah, because they're.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
A machine, right and I don't think that the first
out of the playoffs changes much of that for them.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Yeah, Rockets Warriors is an incredible two seven matchup. It
is not at all the matchup I think Rockets fans
wanted they were cheering for the Grizzlies.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Rockets Warriors. It is.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
It's it's a little bit of new kid on the block, youth,
some brazenness, some brashness. Uh. With the huge question marks
for the Rockets about late game execution and what it's
going to look like in close situation. Is the meanli
The Warriors, of course, have have this championship pedigree of
Stephan Draymond and then have Jimmy Butler who steps up
(30:36):
in the playoffs like you never believe. He had thirty
eight points against my Grizzlies. A lot of it was grifting, Yeah, eighteen,
he's a grifter. If Stephan Jimmy Butler get thirty one
free throw attempts in a game.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
It's hard to win if you're the opponent.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
So you already said you think the Warriors are going
to win. That's I'm that's close to where I'm at.
Pretty heavy favorites like they were. I think it's changed,
but early on they were over minus two hundred favorites,
which is huge.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
The thing is the Warriors had a chance to be
the two seed up until like a week ago. Yeah, right,
like they lost like one game and it took them
out of.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Well, you have that, you obviously have that.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
You know, the Rocket game pulled away at the very
end of the two seed, but for a while there
there were like six seven teams that could all been so.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
You can't just take you through a record, you know.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
I think that that throws us off, right, because we
think two seed, seven seed. If if the seventh seed
is favored, it can't be by very much. But I
do just think like the Warriors, they push, They pushed
so many of the right buttons that I think the
Rockets will struggle to deal with. I mean, obviously they
did a good job on Steph not that long ago,
(31:49):
but I don't expect them to be able.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
To pull that off over the course of a seven
game series.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I have dreams that, like the Rockets athleticism will humiliate
the Warriors.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
That's that's what I want, that's mine.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
I mean, there's a world where that happens, and this
would be a huge This would be a coming out
party I think for the Rockets in a way like
similar to like the Warriors when they played the Spurs
before you know this, before the titles, right, And I'm
not saying the Rockets are going to turn into that
kind of team because I don't know if they've got
that kind of talent, but if they won this series,
(32:23):
I do think it would be it would be pretty
tempting to think, oh wow, they could maybe go on
to the Confer Finals.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
The formula I think we're going to say for the
Rockets is of obviously avoid close games easier. Second, kid,
even if it is a close game, won't the Rockets
win the possession battle with their their offensive rebounding?
Speaker 3 (32:46):
I mean, I don't.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
You can't put Stevid Adams against the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
I mean, you know, you just watched what Zach Edy.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
So Zach Edy has so but you say what he
did the zach Edi Zach Edy, you know, seventeen rebounds.
The Grit needed him on the court. He had a
positive impact on that game. Despite I would say conservatively
Zach ed he left twenty points on the table with
like turnovers and missed bunnies. I don't think Shingoon, Steven Adams,
(33:14):
Tarry Esan are going to do that. I think they're
gonna get all the rebounds, They're gonna make much quicker decisions.
They're gonna go back up.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I don't think.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
I don't know if the Warriors can play their small
ball against the Rockets necessarily.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
That's for me.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
It's a Looney series for sure. Right, They're gonna have
to get big minutes out of Looney. The truth is Quinton.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Post series a Gi Santo series.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
They may need, right, you would think, right, and he
had he had a few good games against the Rockets
this season, and again his size is athleticism. I don't
think he's going to play though. It just seems like
they that's the decision that's been made. We'll we'll see though,
but he he's he fits.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
I mean.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
The problem is on the other end with Kaminga. If
Kaminga's gonna if he's gonna score thirty and give up twenty,
I don't know, but.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
It seems like, I mean, it seems like the Rockets
are the team where maybe you could get away with
Kaminga giving up because what is Dylan Brooks? You want
to funnel the ball to Dylan Brooks. This has been
a player for other teams. You want to be going.
I mean, I don't know, there's so many variables for
the Rockets. There's such an interesting squad and not knowing
(34:25):
how Shinguon's gonna perform and how Jalen Green's gonna perform
in this and like a men Thompson has just taken
this leap throughout the season and it might be a
realization watching this playoff series that like, like, oh my goodness,
we actually even underestimated what amn Thompson has become.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
A men guarding Uh Steph, Steph's gonna have a nightmare.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
I mean Steph has to face Fred van Vliet, Dylan
Brooks a men Thompson.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
That's hard for Steph.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
I actually haven't looked to their schedule.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Did they get By the way, Green also, uh not
like a bad defender at all.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
That guy's high effort blocks a lot of shots.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
I think I think the Rockets lose Game one.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
M h.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I think the Rockets lose Game one by two. Rockets
lose Game one close, they win Game two by thirty.
Then they go to the Warriors. They actually win Game three,
close game massive rebounding battle. Then Game four, Warriors blowout
Game five, heartbreaking Rockets last second loss. Fred van Vliet
pulls up from thirty four straight possessions. Missus all, Jimmy
(35:30):
Butler gets six free throws and then the game six tight.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Warriors win it.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
So I'll say I'll take Warriors, Warriors and six. Yeah,
let's go to Lakers Timberwolves, which is also to me,
it's a coin flip series. I'll go in and say
I think it's Lakers and seven because of Luka Dancic.
So that's that's my entire analysis. Julius Randall has horrific
postseason stats. I hope he bounces back, but it's gonna
(35:57):
come down for me to Luca and Lebron. James also
the greatest playoff performer of our lifetimes, ruy Hetcha Mura.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
A different gear. Look at postseason.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
He's gonna shoot nine catching passes from He's.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Gonna have an effective field goal percentage of eighty two.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
No, I think it's I think the temb Worlds are
so good, but you have to play Luca and Lebron,
and I think the Lakers just that's the tiebreaker for me.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
So yeah, in seven, is that kind of what you're thinking, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
I'm I just think you've got that much playmaking, got
that much shot making.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
And let's never forget man. Austin Reeves is a huge, huge.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
Deal playing off of Lebron and Luca, and that's something
that most teams don't have to account for.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
I they're big, Yeah, and I think that that that's
really good when you're going up against the Lakers. And obviously,
I mean, Anthony Edwards is gonna be able to score
with any.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Of these guys.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
But there's this social media clip making the rounds right now,
Anthony Edwards talking about how Luca wore them out in
the playoffs last year. Yeah, and he was just like, yeah,
he killed us, he just cooked us.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (37:07):
And I actually think that we're about to see something
crazy out of Luca for the next Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
Could be.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
So we both think Lakers and seven Nuggets Clippers. If
I had if I had won battle, if I had
one wish request granted for the postseason, they didn't have
to do with my team.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
It would be that Kawhi just plays healthy, the whole
the whole player.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
That's all I want to say. It's Qui healthy. Yeah,
I think the Clippers. I think that Clippers win this
in seven. I'm taking Clippers. I think they've been like
I said, I think the fourth best team in the
NBA in my estimation. I trust a lot of what
they have going on. Their defense is good, Zubach is
(37:51):
really really good, Kawhi isn't playing as well as anybody,
And I just don't see how the Nuggets survive Kawhi, Like,
who's gonna even guard James Harden on the Nuggets? Like
it seems like a good matchup for James Harden who
has heard us in the playoffs before, of course, And
like I don't know.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Also ty Lou versus David Adelman.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Yeah, yeah, to me, that has to like swing it
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
So I think the Clippers gonna win. What do you think?
Speaker 4 (38:16):
I'm with you, Okay, I think the Clippers are gonna
do it. Yeah, I think the Clippers. Again, they've they've
under the radar. They're the Clippers. And then the Lakers
got Luca Right. Uh, doesn't it feel like this is
kind of just gonna be the death now for the Nuggets?
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Right? Like this is this is the final one they fired.
It's not gonna be there, gonna they're gonna run it back?
Speaker 4 (38:38):
You think, No, I think there's gonna be huge changes
this summer could be, and a first round playoff out
feels fitting.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
Yeah, how many games are you thinking, I think six.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Okay, I think seven.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
I think it's a painful, painful home court games have
been lost again for the Nuggets. Maybe let's say they're
up by nineteen into the third core. There you go, now,
uh second round real fast. We would say thunder, I
have thunder. Yeah, both both of us think thunder versus Clippers.
If you told me kauh I was healthy, I would
(39:11):
say thunder and six. I'll say thunder and six regardless.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
What do you think?
Speaker 3 (39:19):
What if it's the Clippers in seven Clippers.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
And seven, it wouldn't it wouldn't shock me.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
I don't. I don't. I don't know how to wouldn't shot.
I don't have a pick.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
This is you know, it's one of these things. Keith,
like the playoffs. I really love like to watch it. Yeah,
I hate to pick it because this is, especially.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
This year, more hard than it feels like than normal,
especially in the West.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
Man. The Clippers could beat could beat the Thunder. But
I think my pick would be the safe, bettest thunder
and I will go South.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
So we we both resolved to say Warriors against over
the Rockets. So we both picked the Lakers in seven.
We both think it's gonna be the tightest thing in
the Timberwolves. Do we think Lakers beat the Warriors?
Speaker 3 (39:57):
I guess I do. I do.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
I also think the Timberwolves could beat the Warriors. I
think I might pick the I think I might pick
the Timberlves over the Warriors or Rockets, depending who advances.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Then Thunder Thunder, Lakers, Lakers. Man, I've made.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
I think I'll take the Thunder. I think I'll trust
the best point difference of all time. I think that
I wear him down. I think the longer the playoffs go,
it might be harder for the Lakers.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
I keep thinking about Luca and the way that he
plays against these teams like Minnesota and Oklahoma City.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
And I don't know, man, I just feel like he
raises the level.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
I hate to be the guy who's like, oh, yeah,
the Lakers are going to the finals, But I just
I've watched Luca do it, you know, and and it's
hard for me to go against that. You know what, Man,
My heart says that about Luca, but my head says
that the Thunder are machine.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Let's do a speed run through the East Calves over Hawks,
heat four or five? Yeah, what Celtics silver magic four
or five?
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Five, I'll say five. We'll give the remember like Orland,
it would be that's they got to drop one. Boston
doesn't magic.
Speaker 4 (41:01):
Normally the magic grab a game one usually don't and
Boston loses a game one.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
Every we go Nick's Pistons. I think this is listen.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
I'm gonna put on I'm gonna find my childhood Pistons
T shirts and I'm gonna wear them, and I'm gonna
be cheering for Isaiah Stewart and Asar Thompson, and I
hope Ron Holland gets minutes. And I think Beasley should
probably be the most improved player. But I think I
think the Pistons are a fun, exciting story of like
this is not real though you're not gonna actually I don't.
(41:32):
I don't think this series is gonna be that close.
I hope I'm wrong, because again I don't know.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
I Pistons.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna say Nicks in five, gentlemen,
sweet Pistons, good game three, and that's it.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
What do you think I'll go Knicks in six?
Speaker 4 (41:44):
I really I've I've been kind of teasing this this
whole idea that I think the Pistons can beat the
next I do think the Pistons can beat the Knicks
if the Knicks aren't playing well.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
But I don't think they're going to play that. I
don't think they're gonna be that. Yeah, Pacers. A few
weeks have been weird for the Knicks.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
Right, Pacers, Bucks.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
These teams play each other more than any other teams. Ever,
this is like nineteen sixties NBA, where it's like they played.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
They played like twenty times in the last like two years.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Two years.
Speaker 4 (42:13):
Yeah, I'm going Pacers in in six. And I hate
to bet against Giannis because I do think he's a
player that can win a series by himself.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
But without Damian Lillard, I just man, I mean, Ken.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Has been playing so well. But also that feels like
fraud in the late season type stuff.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
Yeah, Pacers look really good.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
I think Pacers.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
I don't they They both burned me last year and
getting further than I thought, and also blew so many
games in spectacular fashion.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
It's just a weird team.
Speaker 3 (42:43):
Yeah, I'll go.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
I'll go Pacers in six. Second round.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Calves, Pacers, I have Calves easily.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
I don't. I don't trust.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
I don't trust Bucks or Calves to I mean, should
be Bucks or Pacers to hang with the Calves.
Speaker 4 (42:58):
I do think that the Pacers have, like you know,
Nie Smith, nem hard. They have guys that can actually
like bother the Calves guards, uh, in a way that
some other teams don't. So I think that that is
a super interesting series. But I'll probably lean Calves, Celtics,
Knicks Celtics next.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
Did beat anyone all year?
Speaker 1 (43:20):
I think I think Celtics and five Yeah, Calves Celtics,
this is the hard one. Everyone in the world is
gonna pick Cave Celtics for the Eastern coarferce.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
Final, Celtics and six man.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
That's that's what I'm thinking too.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Yeah, I kind of feel like you got me onto
The Celtics kind of rope it ope in a lot
of games in the regular season, not running anything. They
obviously have the experience. I think it's gonna come down to,
has Drew Drew Holliday been resting all year, you know,
or it's actually just a little tiny bit cooked not Yeah,
(43:59):
it's it's also it's always hard for me to imagine
the new team breaking through, and this is this is
an error in my predictions many seasons where it's like I.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Have a hard time imagining there is a new team
breaking through.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
Okay, there you go.
Speaker 1 (44:12):
So yeah, I think I lean Celtics too, even though
I've waivered on this. I spent a couple of months,
like January February thinking no, no, no, no, the Cavaliers are
the best.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Team, like they're much better than the Celtics. But now
I don't.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
I don't know as much Donovan Mitchell shooting a little
bit scary to me the postseason performance of just the
random role players where I know, like the Celtics have
six guys and those guys are gonna make their shots
when it made.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
Pritchard is gonna have a game or two in the
conference finals where he hits six threes over over.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
Under one point five half court shots for Peyton Pritchard in.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
The let's go let's go under. Okay, I'm gonna say,
I'm gonna take it. I'm I'm gonna say two. I'm
gonna say two.
Speaker 3 (44:55):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
Anyways, all right, so and you tipped your hands, so
thun we think Thunderbeat whoever comes out, Yeah, I think
I think it's most likely, but I could imagine. I
could imagine scenarios where all these teams beat each other.
The only team I can't see beating winning a series
is the winner of Maverick Grizzlies. That's the only UH
(45:18):
West team I can't imagine a.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
Scenario where they win.
Speaker 3 (45:21):
Yeah, parody is good.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
Parody is good, Dave, real quick, let's wrap up the
show with a single listener submitted question Yeah the croissant questionnaire.
Speaker 3 (45:32):
Any questions? Yes?
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Are you going to finish that?
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Quass? Knock yourself out.
Speaker 1 (45:49):
Mike Frederick wanted to know who won Keith and Dave's
pre season draft for picking the teams most likely to.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
Make the play in oh Man.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
So we had a draft Dave back in I guess
early October, where we said who's gonna We wagered any
any food item at the concourse at Summer League I
believe was the stakes.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
And we did a back and forth draft. You got
first pick about.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
Who can pick the the playing teams accurately. And it
breaks my heart to tell you that we each were
tied with three correct picks.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
In the fifth round of our draft.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
Wow, and then we struck out for the next six
picks combined because we forgot the Chicago Bulls existed. A
very embarrassing relisten, A very embarrassing re listen. I did
eventually remember that the Bulls existed, but it was too
late because you'd picked the Mavericks correctly for your fourth
(46:47):
correct pick.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
So Dave, you win.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
You won.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
Here's how here's how our picks went to start off.
Your first pick was Pacers. Fair enough, they didn't make it.
My first pick was the Pelicans, whoopsie Daisy. Then we
went on our own. You picked Grizzlies winner. I picked Lakers,
also loser. I didn't know they get Lukatdancic. No one
told me they. Then you picked Magic winner. I picked
Heat winner. You picked Hawk's winner. I picked King's winner.
(47:13):
You struck out with the Clippers, and then I nailed
the Warriors, and then again we picked every team under
the sun before you got the Mavericks. And then I
remember we have a missing team. Oh it's Chicago Bulls.
Oh it'll be the Bulls. So congratulations, and thank you
Mike for the question.
Speaker 3 (47:28):
Summer concourse. Yeah, man, the meat free options there?
Speaker 2 (47:32):
Oh, I don't. I'm not sure there's any actual meat
in the entire concourse. Da one final thing. I think
this is funny.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
This is tracked by Justin Russo, who covers the Lakers
the Clippers. He's tracked all year the postseason award eligibility
of of of NBA players.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
Have you seen this, Oh man, it's like eighty five players. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (47:59):
Yeah, eighty four players are eligible for postseason awards based
on the sixty five game rule and the twenty minutes
in all those games Ris the way of a couple. Yeah, Chris,
Chris Dunn is excluded. Yeah, so seventeen percent of NBA players,
(48:19):
eighty four players eligible.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
For the postseason. Good job, everybody.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
Good job NBA.
Speaker 1 (48:25):
FO honestly devaluing your regular season so much that everyone
knows they can rest their players and still make the
twenty team play in. But you can't reduce the playoff
size because then every team will just lose on purpose.
Speaker 3 (48:37):
Brilliant, get it. Dump the conferences, balance the schedule.
Speaker 1 (48:44):
Yep, anyway, get down, Thanks for hanging out. Yeah, great
job by you. Grizzlies. Don't don't lose this game to
the Mavericks. It's gonna be too ugly if you lose.
I need Zach Edy too, I need them to dunk
call Anthony Dave. It's like three times.
Speaker 3 (49:01):
Anyway. If anybody's going to WrestleMania hower at me.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I think Bill Simmons will be there. You should say hi.
Speaker 1 (49:09):
Remember Patreon supporters, go fill out your stone cold locks
when that drops later today. That's patreon dot com slash
fast break breakfast all right, you.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Guys are the best.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
Thanks for listening, and remember breakfast is the most important thing.
All right, and welcome to Fast Break Breakfast NBA podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
My name is Keith Parrish, and.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I'm here once again with my buddy through the miracle
of computer phone. I'm here with Dave de four, coach
Dave de four. How's it going man? Playoffs basketball? Postseason basketball?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I'm sorry, asterisk postseason postseason.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Basketball going on?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
How you doing? I'm good Man, been a good week already.
How's this is? What a great pace of games?
Speaker 4 (00:43):
Okay, if you're a person who likes to think like,
you know, it was nice. I got to go back
and rewatch the Grizzlies.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Oh yeah, with the word you know. I just I
haven't had time all season to do this.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
What what did the robots unfail for?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
You? Well?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Tell me everything?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Great. I honestly, I assume we're going to talk about
that game. I'll save it. I do talk about that.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Listen, we're jumping past everything. Time for breakfast. I don't
care about your dumb o'meal. There's no time for apologies.
We got to get into it hot and heavy.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
I pulled a Keith. I just grabbed a banana. Keith.
What happened to the Jah Morant? Jared Jackson pick and roll, Like, I.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Don't know, they're not running Zach Edie picking rolls.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Okay, that's not it's not as good. Yeah, I don't
know if you're aware.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
I like I like Zach Edy. I think he's he's fine.
I actually thought his second half.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Was yeah, good, strong second half.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
First half though, you know, it was all the stuff
that we we kind of worried.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
About with him. But I just cannot wrap my head around.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
The fact that you you could be spamming Ja Morant
and Jared Jackson picking pick and roll, pick and pop,
and it just won't happen. I think Jared Jackson was
like non existent in that game.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I think Dave they need five more years together and
then they'll have it. I think in year ten of
Jaw and Jaren.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
They will be like, all right, now, this is it.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
You know, you bring up a great.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Point, You bring up a great question on my Griz
and Grinds episodes this week. Frankly, I should have had
you on because I needed a sounding board.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I like, the.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Monologue thing wasn't working for me.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
I didn't feel I wouldn't feel inspired because I have
these kinds of questions where it's like, yeah, there's a
big question about the Grizzlies right now, like Jaren's averaging
under twenty points per game since the trade deadline, which
is just an arch jery cutoff. It happens to be
where everything went awry statistically for the Grizzlies. And meanwhile,
Jaw's back at twenty seven twenty eight points per game,
and you're like, well, is that related? But then Zach
(02:40):
Ed's minutes are up and the Zach Edie usages up,
and you're like, well, is that related? If you talk
about just the Warriors game, Jaren took over half of
his shots from the three point line, and he's not
getting these shots in the paint. I mean, although who
could score on Quinton Post. I know Zach Edy can't,
and I know Jared Jackson Junior can't. Who can Dave?
Jaren was missing his floaters the few that he took.
(03:02):
But what was so successful for the Grizzlies the first
fifty games was was Jaron's scoring in the paint non stop,
beating everybody off the dribble left and right. But it
hasn't happened. And again, new coach. Now we're doing a
lot more ball screens and things but you think.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
It gets hurt.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Do you think this is the he's totally healthy?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
You sure? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
I mean, I like, listen, I.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I like making injury excuses for all my guys. No,
I think Jared's fine.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I just don't.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, it hasn't hasn't been happening.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
It's weird. It was weird, but yeah, man, I don't know.
So it's been a good week.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
I like again, I love this pace, Like in two
and a half weeks, once we get to that two
games a night, this is where also it gives us.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
It gives us the Los Angeles Lakers first round series
pace where they'd ever make the Lakers play more than
once every three or four days, where they're.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Like, hey, take it you guys, take it easy.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
I hope it works out for Mike Conley though, another
old guy enjoying the multiple days off between games. Yeah, so,
like even going to the end of the regular season
day off on Saturday, which again I don't understand it.
I understand they wanted no one to have to play
the second out of a back to back on Sunday,
but like tons of teams played back to backs on Thursday, Friday,
and it's still three out of four.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
What's that?
Speaker 4 (04:14):
I don't understand that, right, what's the games? Game eighty
one counts as much as game eighty two.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah, And also, like you we're talking about, it was
a sports desert for some of us on Saturday, You're like,
how is the NBA not playing these games?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
And Thenday called outside man.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Just dude, I enjoyed it. I'm just saying I enjoyed
the outdoors. Also, the uh on Sunday, the final day
of the regular season, just frankly one good game.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Because it was Clippers Warriors had to play. It was amazing.
The rest just abominations.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Oh, I disagree, I think so some of these. So
just the random overtime.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Games, those were funny.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
They were funny.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Bub Carrington hitting the game winner to Tank he tanked
the Wizards.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Congratulations Bubb, recording the worst plus minus ever recorded for
a season. This is we've only had these play by
play stats since the ninety six ninety seven season. But
he posted the worst total plus minus of all time.
But it was two points better because he made the
game winner. Yeah, and now they Jazz have the best lotterys. No. Actually,
(05:22):
on the last day of the season before we get
to the playoffs. So today's episode we got to talk
about the play and stuff it's been going on. We
need to make our predictions Dave for the first round
of the playoffs and beyond before we get there. The
last day of the regular season, which player, Dave, which
player scored the most points that you'd never heard of?
(05:44):
And I'll give you, I'll give you. I'll give you
a name. You just tell me if you know who
he is. You tell me if you know what team
this guy plays for.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
There was a.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Person named Nakwon Tomlin scored twenty four points on the
last day of the season.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
What team?
Speaker 3 (05:59):
No clue? You know, you've never heard of this guy?
He did a two way guy.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
It was this fifth game ever. Okay, I'm guessing probably too.
He was on the tape.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
He was on the Cavs calvs.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Okay, okay, Yeah, so this is the Caps Pacers game that.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
When he played to or with someone who definitely has
to watch every single game every night.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
And I never heard of that.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
The last other other notable scoring performances on the last
day of the season. Now I've heard about the listener.
You guys have all We've all heard about these people,
but still Pat Conninson had forty three.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Jalenys thirty one. Career high was only twenty four before that?
Which of that? I wonder, like, you know, I wonder.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
For this stage of career, is this like the biggest
leap between like old career high and new career high.
That sounds like, Man, I don't know how to look
at how many guys score forty for the first time
after being in the league.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
You know, how long has he been in the league?
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Well, I mean what was what was what was Kenneth
Loughton junior's career high before he dropped over forty on
the last game of the season a couple of years ago.
It's the same situation. Yeah, Like it's a great point.
Lamar Stevens had thirty one. Tristan Vuksvich had twenty eight.
My guy, Justin Champagne, who I actually think is quite good,
he had twenty seven, Brandon Carlson had twenty six, Cam
(07:17):
Spencer twenty three, Jamison Battle twenty five.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I don't know you said it was funk.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
I still think it's preposterous that they can't make the
last day of the season. Something that like a general
sports fan would find interest in or find compelling. There
were fourteen teams playing at noon, and none of them
were trying to win. Yeah, like not one and many
of them so some of them their spots were locked.
(07:45):
Some of them they still needed to lose. So you
had fourteen teams, no one's trying to win. Meanwhile, like
seven of them.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Were like we actually actually really is it?
Speaker 3 (07:53):
The masters are like? Cause you know that. Then they
didn't go up against the Masters. Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Mean they went right up against.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Them every thing.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Man, I don't understand it, Like I just you know,
if I had the best sport in the world, I.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Think I would promote it. You try to show it off,
I mean a little bit, right, So yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Well, so one of the funny things about the play
in is now, of course there's twenty teams make the postseason, yeah,
which is two thirds of your league, and you have
these below five hundred teams playing in these play in games.
You have the magic at five hundred being a seven seed.
And this all ties into why the last day of
the season doesn't matter, because, like, well, losing is so incentivized,
(08:32):
and the reason you have twenty teams in your postseason.
You could say, look at baseball, look at football. Your
regular season is way more important. These games would mean
more if fewer teams made the playoffs. But they can't
do it, Dave, because then everyone would try to lose,
Like if only twelve teams made it, if only ten
teams made it, you'd have fifteen teams. Tanking and sports
(08:55):
don't work all of a sudden when everyone's trying to lose.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
So it's funny, like the front office guys in the
NBA are the most like probably, like I think I
compare them to finance guys, you know what I mean,
Like che we're gonna just the number, the numbers say
we got to do this. Let's we're taking this hard
turn we're going and it's just it goes against sport.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Yeah, this is why we got to fix that.
Speaker 4 (09:19):
We gotta let me ask you about the play in
before we before we start talking about the games.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
I think the nine to ten things got to go.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
I actually do, like it's so many teams, right, what
if the seven eight was for seven and eight, so
like you did a play in but it was just
the seven and eight seed, like kind of like we
just have you just feel like we should go back
to one to eight.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I don't see a fix under this current system. And
this goes back to my lottery reform. I don't see
a current fix if you're gonna reward losing, if there's
so much of an advantage to jump starting your franchise,
to turning around your entire fortunes in the draft in
a sport where one player can change your whole franchise,
(10:01):
unless you're the Mavericks, and you don't want the Pelicans
or soul.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Situations for teams getting the top pick.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
By the way, with with Monte McNair being fired and
and Vladi Devots being back in charge for the Kings, now, uh,
seven percent of NBA gms don't think Luka Doncis is
very good.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Hey, hang on, A, isn't that incredible?
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Get into something. I want to admit something right here
on the podcast. Are you messing with me about Flatty Devots?
Is that I don't know because I haven't seen it.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Did I get ball sacked?
Speaker 3 (10:37):
I mean I don't know.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
All I said so last night, you know you we
recorded the show at night. I don't mind doing a
little bit behind the scenes. We record the show at night,
and then after we finished recording, the news came out
that Monti McNair got fired. So es Sparrahanni, my co host,
we hot back on. We we did a little addendum
to discuss it, and then you know, it was late
at night. I went to bed, and I don't like
(11:00):
to look at stuff in the morning, so you know,
I get up, I kind of have a routine.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
I'm not thinking too much, and.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Uh, you you just said something to me that sounds
incredible and it is legitimately news to me.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
If that's true, it might be false. So now I'm okay.
So now we live in.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
This we live in this post uh Google search being
useful world, and I cannot Yeah, I can't figure outf
this is true or not.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Hang on, I mean no, I mean listen, I'm looking
right now on the athletics. Shout out to to Sam
Amock and later because I can trust them.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Why did apparently is still around?
Speaker 2 (11:40):
I mean he's in the he's in the organization.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
I'm seeing this one.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I'm seeing this one guy who's not a verified thing
that has gone a little bit viral.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Maybe with this, uh.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
I assumed it was gonna be Jeremy Lamb.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Well so this person though beat shams with the King's
are are firing, So maybe not, maybe it's fair. We
gotta find out again.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Well, useless in the situation, I can't useless.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
I try to avoid social media doesn't have that.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
It's it's devots. We can imagine it's useless.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
But actually so, the Kings are in a weird situation.
The King's humiliating loss too. Yeah, I mean, I guess whatever.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Oh no, that was humiliating.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
The Mavericks played well. Clay Thompson had a redemption game
for his zero for ten in the play in last
season the Mavericks, you know, Anthony Davis was the best
player on the court by a mile, which we knew
he was supposed to be going.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Into the games.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
The trade right maps when the train. Yeah, but the
Kings lose. I am embarrassed for Zach Lavine. I'm embarrassed
for Jamar de Rosen. I'm sad for the Kings. I
want those players to do well.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I like them.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I do think not having Malik Monk and Jake Laarabia
a little bit of a big deal there.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
I'm not even joking.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
But the Kings lose, and this all goes back to
the play in and is to play in good and
of course like in both conferences, the eight seed was
far ahead of the nine and ten. Also, when you
compare the conferences East versus West, it's aggravating, Dave, as
someone who cheers for a Western Conference team, it's aggravating
(13:17):
watching the Hawks and the Magic and be like these
these are the seven eight teams.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
We got Mo gay and and.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Georges Niang on the court.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
At the same time we got Reese Shay shooting all
these step back three pointers. And then it's like you
have forty eight win teams and the Warriors and the Grizzlies,
and they're the same.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
It's not the same.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
You have the Thunder who just wrapped up the best
point differential of all time for a season, and they
were staring down maybe having.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
To play like the Warriors.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
If the Grizzlies pull off the close game, they pull
off the victory, you're like, the Thunder have to play
the Warriors or the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers get to
play like horrible teams.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Likelies were the two seed six weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Yeah, and Atlanta has it been just seven. Look at
the records do you have?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Like the Sons are an absolute catastrophe and rightly our
Bootenholzers fired.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Every mic got fired this year. Who's coach of an
NBA team? There's a mic purge going on the the Sons.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
If they were in the East, they're in the playoffs
like the funny season.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
At least, so all the coaches that were fired were
Western Conference coaches.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
If Cooper Flagg doesn't end up in the East. But
I'm I'm also looking at this like Lakers Timberwolve series,
and it's why and it's like, why can't we have
why can't we just have conference free playoffs?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
The West teams already play a much travel. Everyone travel.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Grizzlies had to.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Fly to San Francisco for a one game playoff and
then fly back to Memphis.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
And then it's like these teams are already spread out.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
If you have the random Oh my goodness, the Trailblazers
and Heat got matched up.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Well, guess what give them the Lebron playoff.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Schedule where they get to where they get two days
off between every game.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
I'm with you, man, what if we like one to
sixteen is that how you do it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
I don't see the downside.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
You can even do what they're twenty.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
You can even mean if you think about it, for
the bad teams, it does create value in the regular season.
It makes it so that you wouldn't have teams that
would say, oh, it's the Eastern Conference, we'll take tonight off.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Yeah, you have a thing.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
You have the Grizzlies maybe falling all the way out
of the playoffs if they lose to the Mavericks team
like this that front court against you know, they're gonna
pack the paint. Jaron doesn't play well against Anthony Davis,
and it's like it's gonna be gonna be tough.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
But like the Grizzlies would have been the five seed.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
In the East, like if you eliminate the conference.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
If you eliminate the conference, they would have been like
the twelfth seed overall. But anyways, unrelated to any of
our reformation ideas, just looking at the situation we have
now and just thinking about the front offices that maybe
run their team like a trading firm and they're looking
at the math for everything.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
We have a lot of.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Really interesting scenarios playing out, and honestly, I feel like
the play in could be hitting an uncomfortable inflection point
for a couple reasons. One, like you said, there's such
a big gap, it doesn't seem fair for like the
Grizzlies forty eight win team playing a below five hundred
team in a one game playoff for making the postseason.
(16:33):
But beyond that, just look at the Mavericks. All right,
the Mavericks, they have like the easiest straightforward. Of course,
they made a win now trade. They're trying to win now.
Their draft pick is basically unaffected. If they lose to
the Grizzlies, all right, they're gonna pick probably twelfth or thirteenth.
If they make the playoffs, are gonna pick fifteenth.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
No big deal. But you look at every other team
the Grizzlies.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
If the Grizzlies win, they're gonna get probably humiliated by
the thunder and they're gonna lose their first round pick.
If the Grizzlies lose miss the playoffs, they get to
keep their pick.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
They get the fourteenth pick.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
They have a what one in eleven shot, Oh that's no, no,
Well like a one in twenty one and forty shot
at a top four.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Pick, Like you're saying there's a chance situation.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
But the Grizzlies, of course, in their situation, I'm sure
they want the revenue of two home playoff games.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
You can't miss the playoffs with.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
John Moran and Jared Jackson Junior in Desmond Bane. So like,
maybe it's a silver lining if you lose. Yeah, so
like maybe it's a silver lining if you lose, you
keep your pick. But then you look at the Heat.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Okay, the Heat, what are they playing for?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Theirs is even tougher where you don't think the Heat have,
Like the Grizzlies have a lot of pieces where you're like,
that is your future?
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Still young core, awesome core.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
They Heat have Bam out of bio and they got
some dudes, just just some dude.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
You know, well Tyler Hero is amazing Tier thirty eight points.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, so they have two guys Hero and Bam.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
But the Heat, if they win against the Hawks on Friday,
they're gonna go get massacred by the Calves and lose
their first round pick.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
If they don't, they're the team.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
They have a one and an eleven shot at a
top four pick, or they pick eleventh. We're talking the
eleventh pick. Or get or no pick for the Heat.
That's their situation. You look at what's funny to me,
the Kings who are now eliminated. The Kings have the
most at stake on Friday night. You might not know this.
(18:30):
I didn't know this until about an hour ago, so
I was looking at Tankathon.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
The King's pick is top twelve protected.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Right now.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
The King's pick goes to the Hawks if everything plays
out as we expect, so like if the Heat lose,
which again is toss up Vegas. I think it has
this as a one point game, so maybe it's not
even what we expect.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
But if the Heat lose, if.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
The MAVs lose, okay, the Kings pick.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
If they don't get this miracle jump up, it goes
to the Hawks because of the Kevin Herder trade Kevin
heard Er Chicago, the King's traded up protected first run
pick for Kevin Herder. Anyways, it's top twelve protected, which
means if the MAVs and Heat went on Friday, Dave,
the Kings get their pickback because it's probably gonna be twelve.
(19:14):
It's like a you know, it's like a ninety eight
percent chance of being to at twelve so that's hysterical
to me where the Kings are facing down with this, like, yeah,
we're gonna give the fourteenth pick to the Hawks, or
if the MAVs and Heat win, we get to keep
our twelfth pick.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
It's amazing stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
We got to fix the lottery and it all goes back.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
You should get a lot of repoints based on my
system of beating a team that has a worse record
than you. Anyways, let's take a break, Dave, and then
let's come back. I think we hit I mean, actually,
let's wrap up the play in what do you expect
for Friday night? Because again Heat Hawks toss up Hawks
hysterical ending to their game. Trey Young getting ejected for
(20:00):
disgracing the game.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Honestly, man, he was so sure but also hilarious.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
It was hilarious he got he got ejected for embarrassing
the referee.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
But like the referee, he did.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
The ice cream trick with the ball, like we hand
the ice cream company and you pull it back and
then you yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
You know for yourself, man, have a little sense of humor.
It's fine expect from Hawk's Heat. Honestly, man, I think.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
The Heat are gonna win. They look pretty good in
the game the other night. Uh, I don't know, Tyler
Hero is good. I will say this, Atlanta has guys
who might be able to go well. Dyson Daniels can
guard Tyler Hero.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
So you really the ugly.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Game from the Hawks?
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Who Yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Thought they'd be competitive.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
And of course this is what happens when you, you know,
consider that the last month and a half of the
season is fake. Yeah, and nothing really happens. And like
I was like, oh, Reese's he's looking great. Reesis they
dropped thirty five points in a regular season game and
then you watch them in like a game where someone's
playing defense and you're like, oh, this looks terrible. Like
I don't I don't know anymore. Is Zach Edy leading
(21:02):
the Rookie of the Year race for the postseason hits seventeen?
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Who are probably it's probably Edie.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
Coloware was fine? Uh, Coloware was fine. Post Quentin posted
pretty good, pretty good. It was like fifty second pick
or something. Yeah, and then MAVs Grizzlies.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
You know, the Grizzly should win, right, the Grizzly should win. Yeah,
I just think that I don't know. Man's so John
Moran hurt that and he's hurt.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
And I think when you look at what the what
the Mavericks did to the Kings, they can do that again. Yeah,
everything they did was repeatable. If Anthony Davis is healthy,
like we know he's a force, and then Dallas is big,
they can play two bigs right like and they and
they looked huge in their game against the King, So
I think that that that they match up pretty well
(21:54):
with the Grizzlies. Yeah, it's gonna be a Desmond Baying game,
which basically feels like how every game has been since
the All Star Break.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
He normally has great games against Dallas because he's he's
a game player. That's that's a team that he specifically
thought should have drafted him because he played the TCU
and they had a pick near where they should have
gotten him.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
So he definitely normally shows out again.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
That against every team, because there's fifteen teams that should
have drafted him and including the Warriors who should have
just taken him number two. But Bain is like a
big game guy now and it seems like every time
they've got to get a win, and they don't necessarily win,
but he does something kind of like they did the
like he did the other night, where you know things
are going weird. Well, Desmond Bain's gonna hit three huge shots,
(22:40):
you know, I think that the Grizzly should win.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
But man, I just like what Dallas did the other night.
And there's something to.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Having guys like Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson that have
been in big games and not that Jaw and Jaron haven't.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
But I just think those guys got a little bit
more I mean experience. I think it does matter.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
We make fun lot of Nico Harrison and everything he's done. Also,
the Mavericks.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Oh God, that weird press.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
They're a weird closed press conference.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
Shout out Tim McMahon for just mocking them incessantly. I
mean not mocking, but just straight up asking, like with
a hard question where it's like, how is this in
the best interest of the Mavericks.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
You gave up your draft.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Capital for these three seasons to build a finals team
around Luca. Now, how is giving up your best player,
Luca of this finals team when you don't have the
draft capital? How is that in the best long term
interest to the team. And Nico's like, I'm sorry, could
you repeat that. The transcript is really funny. It is
so like good good job by, good job by Tim
(23:42):
McMahon going hard being one of the invites to this
little private press conference.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
It does not even press cover. We call it.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
It's like a it's a closed press conference. Yeah, it's
a closed press conference.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
But the Mavericks, even if we do make fun of
Nico Harrison in his repeated mantra, defense wins championships, which
I'm like, it's that true, like offense plus defense wins championships.
There's no example of just defense winning championships.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
But that being.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Said, defense beats the Grizzlies. Usually the Grizzlies are not
good against the top defensive teams. And if this healthy
squad with their big their big players, they know how they're
with Anthony Davis in there, with zachiad clogging it up,
with Jaren maybe not having as much driving space anymore,
with the lack of shooting, I mean, even jam.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Lee Weell is being injured.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Yep, they just one.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Spacer now they're starting. They started against the Warriors, of course,
multiple point guards Scottie, Pipman Junior and Jaw. It's like
the Grizzies don't have spacing, they don't really have shooting,
and it seems like a bad matchup, but they are
seven point favorites last I saw.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I'm nervous.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Obviously, I'm hosting a watch party in Nashville, a lot
of fun. Any local listeners come to Nobles Beer Hall.
We'll be having a great time on Friday night, eight
thirty pm.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Come hang out with me and other Grizzlies fans.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Anyways, Uh, let's take a quick break, Dave, and then
let's talk some.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Playoffs, all right, Dave.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Obviously, the playoffs proper are starting on Saturday. That also
means the kickoff of the Stone Cold Locks Playoff Challenge
for our Patreon supporters. I'll be dropping that later on Thursday.
That gives everyone an opportunity to make their predictions each
round and then they can risk some points. It's a
(25:32):
very complicated scoring system, but it's always a lot of fun.
So Patreon supporters keep an eye out for the annual
Stone Cold Locks Playoff Challenge that's dropping. The winner of
that we'll get a fifty dollars gift card to the
NBA store. Anyways, Dave, let's go through these series a
little bit. Probably just go a little bit rapid fire.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
I think.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
It feels I guess because of the way that the
conference has split the good teams, Like it feels wild
some of these series are the first round, Like even
like Warriors Rockets. You're like, those are two those are
two of what the seven best teams?
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Maybe?
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Yeah, actually I want to start here, who are the
best teams? So let's say, of course we have this
top three throughout the regular season of Celtics, Calves, and Thunder.
Everyone's like, those are the three best teams. Like, who's
the fourth best team to you right now, Dave.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
I mean it's it's been the Rockets.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
I mean I know by record it's Rockets, No, but
I mean it's been the Rockets.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
They had a really good, strong close to the season.
I thought like the last six weeks for them were
pretty good. So you know, once the once those guys
started getting healthy again, like they had that little swoon,
you know, when Fred van Vliet was out. But I
think they've been the fourth best team. I mean, I know,
it's it's funny because we don't expect much out of them,
Like I actually think that they're.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Going to lose this first round series to the Warriors.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
So okay, Dave, So no, no, no, let's let's back up.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Then, if you're if you're thinking jumping the gun, if
if you're gonna pick the Warriors to beat the Rockets,
you do not think the Rockets are the fourth best team.
I think that they need to know your power rankings
for the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Oh okay, for the playoffs?
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Well, because right now, who are the four best teams
going into the playoffs. Who do you think is the
fourth most likely to win a title or at least
to advance to the conference The Lakers.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
So you think Lakers are fourth? I think it's fair.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I think yeah, they have the best big game player.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
I think you whoops, Okay, So I think it's reasonable.
I'm here's what I here's what I'm thinking about. I saw, like,
apologies to Dylan Brooks. I'm not thinking about the Rockets
for this. I'm thinking about I'm thinking about the Lakers.
I'm thinking about the Clippers. I'm thinking about I guess
the Timberwolves and the Nuggets, and maybe the Warriors, and
(27:49):
maybe the Knicks and then the Rockets. So like, but like,
I think I think I might go I think I
might go Clippers, but it feels nuts.
Speaker 4 (28:00):
So I don't know the Clippers for what the last
six weeks of the season since like March six or something.
Number one offense, number one defense. Yeah, and Kawhi Leonard
has looked the way he's looked, right, which is more
than than I think even just having the best offense
and the best defense for for that stretch. Uh, he
(28:23):
looks like he could be the best player in any
series that they're in.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Yeah, and that gives you a chance to win.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
And then James Harden honestly, I mean that game that
he had.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Yeah, Zubach having his best season. I actually I wouldn't
be shocked if he winds up winning Defensive Player of
the Year like he's got him.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
It looks like he's getting a lot of votes for
also most improved Players.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yeah, and that's that's a pretty good call too.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
I just think that the Clippers have been under the
radar this year.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Clippers are and they're good, so all right, well coached.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
So obviously they're there's a lot of debate to be had,
and it's the playoffs I think should be awesome because
of how like close these teams can be, Like the Timberwolves.
They're besides the top three teams Thunder, Calves and Celtics.
The Timberwolves the only other team that was top ten
both offense and defensive rating this year. They finished the
(29:18):
season very, very strong, just like the Rockets, just like
the Clippers.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
So there's a lot of I.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
Feel like good parody or like maybe it's matchup based
like Timberwolves Lakers. Of course in Skinny Luca like it's
it's a toss up. Anyways, I guess we can just go,
let's let's start. We don't let's start at the Western Conference.
So Thunder versus Grizzlies or MAVs. We don't think it's
gonna be much of a competition, right, Nah? Yeah, I
think I think Thunder could lose one game to hit
(29:47):
their team. But so i'd probably say Thunder and five.
How are you feeling?
Speaker 4 (29:51):
I think Thunder and five, but we both want to
say Thunder and in.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
A swite Thunder and easy. Yeah, because they're.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
A machine, right and I don't think that the first
out of the playoffs changes much of that for them.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Yeah, Rockets Warriors is an incredible two seven matchup. It
is not at all the matchup I think Rockets fans
wanted they were cheering for the Grizzlies.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Rockets Warriors. It is.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
It's it's a little bit of new kid on the block, youth,
some brazenness, some brashness. Uh. With the huge question marks
for the Rockets about late game execution and what it's
going to look like in close situation. Is the meanli
The Warriors, of course, have have this championship pedigree of
Stephan Draymond and then have Jimmy Butler who steps up
(30:36):
in the playoffs like you never believe. He had thirty
eight points against my Grizzlies. A lot of it was grifting, Yeah, eighteen,
he's a grifter. If Stephan Jimmy Butler get thirty one
free throw attempts in a game.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
It's hard to win if you're the opponent.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
So you already said you think the Warriors are going
to win. That's I'm that's close to where I'm at.
Pretty heavy favorites like they were. I think it's changed,
but early on they were over minus two hundred favorites,
which is huge.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
The thing is the Warriors had a chance to be
the two seed up until like a week ago. Yeah, right,
like they lost like one game and it took them
out of.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Well, you have that, you obviously have that.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
You know, the Rocket game pulled away at the very
end of the two seed, but for a while there
there were like six seven teams that could all been so.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
You can't just take you through a record, you know.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
I think that that throws us off, right, because we
think two seed, seven seed. If if the seventh seed
is favored, it can't be by very much. But I
do just think like the Warriors, they push, They pushed
so many of the right buttons that I think the
Rockets will struggle to deal with. I mean, obviously they
did a good job on Steph not that long ago,
(31:49):
but I don't expect them to be able.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
To pull that off over the course of a seven
game series.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I have dreams that, like the Rockets athleticism will humiliate
the Warriors.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
That's that's what I want, that's mine.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
I mean, there's a world where that happens, and this
would be a huge This would be a coming out
party I think for the Rockets in a way like
similar to like the Warriors when they played the Spurs
before you know this, before the titles, right, And I'm
not saying the Rockets are going to turn into that
kind of team because I don't know if they've got
that kind of talent, but if they won this series,
(32:23):
I do think it would be it would be pretty
tempting to think, oh wow, they could maybe go on
to the Confer Finals.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
The formula I think we're going to say for the
Rockets is of obviously avoid close games easier. Second, kid,
even if it is a close game, won't the Rockets
win the possession battle with their their offensive rebounding?
Speaker 3 (32:46):
I mean, I don't.
Speaker 4 (32:47):
You can't put Stevid Adams against the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
I mean, you know, you just watched what Zach Edy.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
So Zach Edy has so but you say what he
did the zach Edi Zach Edy, you know, seventeen rebounds.
The Grit needed him on the court. He had a
positive impact on that game. Despite I would say conservatively
Zach ed he left twenty points on the table with
like turnovers and missed bunnies. I don't think Shingoon, Steven Adams,
(33:14):
Tarry Esan are going to do that. I think they're
gonna get all the rebounds, They're gonna make much quicker decisions.
They're gonna go back up.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I don't think.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
I don't know if the Warriors can play their small
ball against the Rockets necessarily.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
That's for me.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
It's a Looney series for sure. Right, They're gonna have
to get big minutes out of Looney. The truth is Quinton.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Post series a Gi Santo series.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
They may need, right, you would think, right, and he
had he had a few good games against the Rockets
this season, and again his size is athleticism. I don't
think he's going to play though. It just seems like
they that's the decision that's been made. We'll we'll see though,
but he he's he fits.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
I mean.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
The problem is on the other end with Kaminga. If
Kaminga's gonna if he's gonna score thirty and give up twenty,
I don't know, but.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
It seems like, I mean, it seems like the Rockets
are the team where maybe you could get away with
Kaminga giving up because what is Dylan Brooks? You want
to funnel the ball to Dylan Brooks. This has been
a player for other teams. You want to be going.
I mean, I don't know, there's so many variables for
the Rockets. There's such an interesting squad and not knowing
(34:25):
how Shinguon's gonna perform and how Jalen Green's gonna perform
in this and like a men Thompson has just taken
this leap throughout the season and it might be a
realization watching this playoff series that like, like, oh my goodness,
we actually even underestimated what amn Thompson has become.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
A men guarding Uh Steph, Steph's gonna have a nightmare.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
I mean Steph has to face Fred van Vliet, Dylan
Brooks a men Thompson.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
That's hard for Steph.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
I actually haven't looked to their schedule.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Did they get By the way, Green also, uh not
like a bad defender at all.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
That guy's high effort blocks a lot of shots.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
I think I think the Rockets lose Game one.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
M h.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I think the Rockets lose Game one by two. Rockets
lose Game one close, they win Game two by thirty.
Then they go to the Warriors. They actually win Game three,
close game massive rebounding battle. Then Game four, Warriors blowout
Game five, heartbreaking Rockets last second loss. Fred van Vliet
pulls up from thirty four straight possessions. Missus all, Jimmy
(35:30):
Butler gets six free throws and then the game six tight.
Speaker 2 (35:34):
Warriors win it.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
So I'll say I'll take Warriors, Warriors and six. Yeah,
let's go to Lakers Timberwolves, which is also to me,
it's a coin flip series. I'll go in and say
I think it's Lakers and seven because of Luka Dancic.
So that's that's my entire analysis. Julius Randall has horrific
postseason stats. I hope he bounces back, but it's gonna
(35:57):
come down for me to Luca and Lebron. James also
the greatest playoff performer of our lifetimes, ruy Hetcha Mura.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
A different gear. Look at postseason.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
He's gonna shoot nine catching passes from He's.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Gonna have an effective field goal percentage of eighty two.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
No, I think it's I think the temb Worlds are
so good, but you have to play Luca and Lebron,
and I think the Lakers just that's the tiebreaker for me.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
So yeah, in seven, is that kind of what you're thinking, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:28):
I'm I just think you've got that much playmaking, got
that much shot making.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
And let's never forget man. Austin Reeves is a huge, huge.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
Deal playing off of Lebron and Luca, and that's something
that most teams don't have to account for.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
Minnesota.
Speaker 4 (36:46):
I they're big, Yeah, and I think that that that's
really good when you're going up against the Lakers. And obviously,
I mean, Anthony Edwards is gonna be able to score
with any.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Of these guys.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
But there's this social media clip making the rounds right now,
Anthony Edwards talking about how Luca wore them out in
the playoffs last year. Yeah, and he was just like, yeah,
he killed us, he just cooked us.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (37:07):
And I actually think that we're about to see something
crazy out of Luca for the next Yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
Could be.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
So we both think Lakers and seven Nuggets Clippers. If
I had if I had won battle, if I had
one wish request granted for the postseason, they didn't have
to do with my team.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
It would be that Kawhi just plays healthy, the whole
the whole player.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
That's all I want to say. It's Qui healthy. Yeah,
I think the Clippers. I think that Clippers win this
in seven. I'm taking Clippers. I think they've been like
I said, I think the fourth best team in the
NBA in my estimation. I trust a lot of what
they have going on. Their defense is good, Zubach is
(37:51):
really really good, Kawhi isn't playing as well as anybody,
And I just don't see how the Nuggets survive Kawhi, Like,
who's gonna even guard James Harden on the Nuggets? Like
it seems like a good matchup for James Harden who
has heard us in the playoffs before, of course, And
like I don't know.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Also ty Lou versus David Adelman.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Yeah, yeah, to me, that has to like swing it
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
So I think the Clippers gonna win. What do you think?
Speaker 4 (38:16):
I'm with you, Okay, I think the Clippers are gonna
do it. Yeah, I think the Clippers. Again, they've they've
under the radar. They're the Clippers. And then the Lakers
got Luca Right. Uh, doesn't it feel like this is
kind of just gonna be the death now for the Nuggets?
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Right? Like this is this is the final one they fired.
It's not gonna be there, gonna they're gonna run it back?
Speaker 4 (38:38):
You think, No, I think there's gonna be huge changes
this summer could be, and a first round playoff out
feels fitting.
Speaker 1 (38:45):
Yeah, how many games are you thinking, I think six.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
Okay, I think seven.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
I think it's a painful, painful home court games have
been lost again for the Nuggets. Maybe let's say they're
up by nineteen into the third core. There you go, now,
uh second round real fast. We would say thunder, I
have thunder. Yeah, both both of us think thunder versus Clippers.
If you told me kauh I was healthy, I would
(39:11):
say thunder and six. I'll say thunder and six regardless.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
What do you think?
Speaker 3 (39:19):
What if it's the Clippers in seven Clippers.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
And seven, it wouldn't it wouldn't shock me.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
I don't. I don't. I don't know how to wouldn't shot.
I don't have a pick.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
This is you know, it's one of these things. Keith,
like the playoffs. I really love like to watch it. Yeah,
I hate to pick it because this is, especially.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
This year, more hard than it feels like than normal,
especially in the West.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
Man. The Clippers could beat could beat the Thunder. But
I think my pick would be the safe, bettest thunder
and I will go South.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
So we we both resolved to say Warriors against over
the Rockets. So we both picked the Lakers in seven.
We both think it's gonna be the tightest thing in
the Timberwolves. Do we think Lakers beat the Warriors?
Speaker 3 (39:57):
I guess I do. I do.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
I also think the Timberwolves could beat the Warriors. I
think I might pick the I think I might pick
the Timberlves over the Warriors or Rockets, depending who advances.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Then Thunder Thunder, Lakers, Lakers. Man, I've made.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
I think I'll take the Thunder. I think I'll trust
the best point difference of all time. I think that
I wear him down. I think the longer the playoffs go,
it might be harder for the Lakers.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
I keep thinking about Luca and the way that he
plays against these teams like Minnesota and Oklahoma City.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
And I don't know, man, I just feel like he
raises the level.
Speaker 4 (40:29):
I hate to be the guy who's like, oh, yeah,
the Lakers are going to the finals, But I just
I've watched Luca do it, you know, and and it's
hard for me to go against that. You know what, Man,
My heart says that about Luca, but my head says
that the Thunder are machine.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (40:44):
Let's do a speed run through the East Calves over Hawks,
heat four or five? Yeah, what Celtics silver magic four
or five?
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Five, I'll say five. We'll give the remember like Orland,
it would be that's they got to drop one. Boston
doesn't magic.
Speaker 4 (41:01):
Normally the magic grab a game one usually don't and
Boston loses a game one.
Speaker 2 (41:06):
Every we go Nick's Pistons. I think this is listen.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
I'm gonna put on I'm gonna find my childhood Pistons
T shirts and I'm gonna wear them, and I'm gonna
be cheering for Isaiah Stewart and Asar Thompson, and I
hope Ron Holland gets minutes. And I think Beasley should
probably be the most improved player. But I think I
think the Pistons are a fun, exciting story of like
this is not real though you're not gonna actually I don't.
(41:32):
I don't think this series is gonna be that close.
I hope I'm wrong, because again I don't know.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
I Pistons.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna say Nicks in five, gentlemen,
sweet Pistons, good game three, and that's it.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
What do you think I'll go Knicks in six?
Speaker 4 (41:44):
I really I've I've been kind of teasing this this
whole idea that I think the Pistons can beat the
next I do think the Pistons can beat the Knicks
if the Knicks aren't playing well.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
But I don't think they're going to play that. I
don't think they're gonna be that. Yeah, Pacers. A few
weeks have been weird for the Knicks.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
Right, Pacers, Bucks.
Speaker 1 (42:03):
These teams play each other more than any other teams. Ever,
this is like nineteen sixties NBA, where it's like they played.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
They played like twenty times in the last like two years.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Two years.
Speaker 4 (42:13):
Yeah, I'm going Pacers in in six. And I hate
to bet against Giannis because I do think he's a
player that can win a series by himself.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
But without Damian Lillard, I just man, I mean, Ken.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Has been playing so well. But also that feels like
fraud in the late season type stuff.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
Yeah, Pacers look really good.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
I think Pacers.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
I don't they They both burned me last year and
getting further than I thought, and also blew so many
games in spectacular fashion.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
It's just a weird team.
Speaker 3 (42:43):
Yeah, I'll go.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
I'll go Pacers in six. Second round.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Calves, Pacers, I have Calves easily.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
I don't. I don't trust.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
I don't trust Bucks or Calves to I mean, should
be Bucks or Pacers to hang with the Calves.
Speaker 4 (42:58):
I do think that the Pacers have, like you know,
Nie Smith, nem hard. They have guys that can actually
like bother the Calves guards, uh, in a way that
some other teams don't. So I think that that is
a super interesting series. But I'll probably lean Calves, Celtics,
Knicks Celtics next.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
Did beat anyone all year?
Speaker 1 (43:20):
I think I think Celtics and five Yeah, Calves Celtics,
this is the hard one. Everyone in the world is
gonna pick Cave Celtics for the Eastern coarferce.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
Final, Celtics and six man.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
That's that's what I'm thinking too.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Yeah, I kind of feel like you got me onto
The Celtics kind of rope it ope in a lot
of games in the regular season, not running anything. They
obviously have the experience. I think it's gonna come down to,
has Drew Drew Holliday been resting all year, you know,
or it's actually just a little tiny bit cooked not Yeah,
(43:59):
it's it's also it's always hard for me to imagine
the new team breaking through, and this is this is
an error in my predictions many seasons where it's like I.
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Have a hard time imagining there is a new team
breaking through.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
Okay, there you go.
Speaker 1 (44:12):
So yeah, I think I lean Celtics too, even though
I've waivered on this. I spent a couple of months,
like January February thinking no, no, no, no, the Cavaliers are
the best.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Team, like they're much better than the Celtics. But now
I don't.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
I don't know as much Donovan Mitchell shooting a little
bit scary to me the postseason performance of just the
random role players where I know, like the Celtics have
six guys and those guys are gonna make their shots
when it made.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
Pritchard is gonna have a game or two in the
conference finals where he hits six threes over over.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
Under one point five half court shots for Peyton Pritchard in.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
The let's go let's go under. Okay, I'm gonna say,
I'm gonna take it. I'm I'm gonna say two. I'm
gonna say two.
Speaker 3 (44:55):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
Anyways, all right, so and you tipped your hands, so
thun we think Thunderbeat whoever comes out, Yeah, I think
I think it's most likely, but I could imagine. I
could imagine scenarios where all these teams beat each other.
The only team I can't see beating winning a series
is the winner of Maverick Grizzlies. That's the only UH
(45:18):
West team I can't imagine a.
Speaker 2 (45:20):
Scenario where they win.
Speaker 3 (45:21):
Yeah, parody is good.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
Parody is good, Dave, real quick, let's wrap up the
show with a single listener submitted question Yeah the croissant questionnaire.
Speaker 3 (45:32):
Any questions? Yes?
Speaker 1 (45:36):
Are you going to finish that?
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Quass? Knock yourself out.
Speaker 1 (45:49):
Mike Frederick wanted to know who won Keith and Dave's
pre season draft for picking the teams most likely to.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
Make the play in oh Man.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
So we had a draft Dave back in I guess
early October, where we said who's gonna We wagered any
any food item at the concourse at Summer League I
believe was the stakes.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
And we did a back and forth draft. You got
first pick about.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
Who can pick the the playing teams accurately. And it
breaks my heart to tell you that we each were
tied with three correct picks.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
In the fifth round of our draft.
Speaker 1 (46:26):
Wow, and then we struck out for the next six
picks combined because we forgot the Chicago Bulls existed. A
very embarrassing relisten, A very embarrassing re listen. I did
eventually remember that the Bulls existed, but it was too
late because you'd picked the Mavericks correctly for your fourth
(46:47):
correct pick.
Speaker 2 (46:48):
So Dave, you win.
Speaker 3 (46:50):
You won.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
Here's how here's how our picks went to start off.
Your first pick was Pacers. Fair enough, they didn't make it.
My first pick was the Pelicans, whoopsie Daisy. Then we
went on our own. You picked Grizzlies winner. I picked Lakers,
also loser. I didn't know they get Lukatdancic. No one
told me they. Then you picked Magic winner. I picked
Heat winner. You picked Hawk's winner. I picked King's winner.
(47:13):
You struck out with the Clippers, and then I nailed
the Warriors, and then again we picked every team under
the sun before you got the Mavericks. And then I
remember we have a missing team. Oh it's Chicago Bulls.
Oh it'll be the Bulls. So congratulations, and thank you
Mike for the question.
Speaker 3 (47:28):
Summer concourse. Yeah, man, the meat free options there?
Speaker 2 (47:32):
Oh, I don't. I'm not sure there's any actual meat
in the entire concourse. Da one final thing. I think
this is funny.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
This is tracked by Justin Russo, who covers the Lakers
the Clippers. He's tracked all year the postseason award eligibility
of of of NBA players.
Speaker 3 (47:55):
Have you seen this, Oh man, it's like eighty five players. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (47:59):
Yeah, eighty four players are eligible for postseason awards based
on the sixty five game rule and the twenty minutes
in all those games Ris the way of a couple. Yeah, Chris,
Chris Dunn is excluded. Yeah, so seventeen percent of NBA players,
(48:19):
eighty four players eligible.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
For the postseason. Good job, everybody.
Speaker 3 (48:25):
Good job NBA.
Speaker 1 (48:25):
FO honestly devaluing your regular season so much that everyone
knows they can rest their players and still make the
twenty team play in. But you can't reduce the playoff
size because then every team will just lose on purpose.
Speaker 3 (48:37):
Brilliant, get it. Dump the conferences, balance the schedule.
Speaker 1 (48:44):
Yep, anyway, get down, Thanks for hanging out. Yeah, great
job by you. Grizzlies. Don't don't lose this game to
the Mavericks. It's gonna be too ugly if you lose.
I need Zach Edy too, I need them to dunk
call Anthony Dave. It's like three times.
Speaker 3 (49:01):
Anyway. If anybody's going to WrestleMania hower at me.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I think Bill Simmons will be there. You should say hi.
Speaker 1 (49:09):
Remember Patreon supporters, go fill out your stone cold locks
when that drops later today. That's patreon dot com slash
fast break breakfast all right, you.
Speaker 2 (49:17):
Guys are the best.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
Thanks for listening, and remember breakfast is the most important thing.
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