May 1, 2025 • 50 mins
Keith and Dave talk about the playoffs, accidents, the weird Rockets, and podcasters becomning coaches.
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Episode 797 (S11 Ep. 22)
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Episode 797 (S11 Ep. 22)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
All right, and welcome to Fast Break Breakfast MBA podcast.
My name is Keith Parish and I'm here once again with.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
My buddy, through the miracle of computer phone, I'm here
with Dave the four Dave, how are you doing. What's
it like in California?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You know, it's nice, a little overcast right now, right
like in the mornings when you live really close to
the ocean, not to but you get this this marine
layer often, so it's like a fog that rolls through.
So it's nice.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Protagonist in every Michael Mann's story, just living in your
house beside.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
The ocean with a big dog.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
No one sure how you afford it anyways.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
No precocious kid involved, Like I don't you know?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
There you go, you talk, You're going to game six tonight, Lakers. Yeah, Clippers.
You went to the what it was a game, which
was Clippers. I went to games three and four.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, So I was in the house, dude. I was
in the house for the Aaron Gordon buzzer beater. Amazing,
And I had a look the media seats there. It's
not what it used to be for the Clippers because
you used to sit court side on the corner right
and it was great. But you know, the Clippers I
found be very friendly, like organization. I happen to know
a lot of those people. But the way they set
(01:30):
up the media seats, it's exactly where you want to
sit to watch a game, Like like if you're scouting
a basketball game, right, you're you're like mid level on
the corner. I don't have to turn my I didn't
have to turn my head to watch the game, like
it's super important, you can just watch it. And so
I'm on the Nuggets end for the end of that game,
so I get the somboard shuffle, I'll tie it up right,
(01:52):
and then the the Jokic miss and I mean that
was just that was insane. I'm not sure how it
trans they sow TV. The crowd was so loud. I
mean like my watch started giving me, like you know
the ear warnings that that your iPhone will give you now, Okay, yeah,
it's like, oh it's too loud in there, move, are
(02:12):
you in danger? And then dead silence. I mean it
was it was really it was awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
What's it like in arena when you have a moment
like that where he makes the dunk at the buzzer
but then no one knows what the result of the
review is going to be. And we've spent a lot
of time talking about how reviews really suck a lot
of enthusiasm out of some of the greatest moments in sports.
(02:42):
What was that, Like what replay angles were you guys
able to see in arena? And then what happened when
they made the announcement?
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Well, number one, we saw what we saw. The replay
immediately right into a dome has that huge ye, right,
it was all over that, right, But we're all still
confused because nobody actually knows the rule.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, also, there's a lot right, Yeah, so they're showing
you that what I assume they're showing you on TV,
which is like the balls like eighty percent through the rim, right.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
And so it's to me, I'm like, oh, it's through
the cylinder.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
But you're like, is that a bucket? Right?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
The rule is right? The rule is out of the hand,
and so you know, we're we're all scrambling because I
don't even know that, right, Like why would I know?
Like that's sort of that's not a scenario you run into.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Very often, Dave. You make a great point, and this
is something I've always tried to defend referees for lot,
there are always these moments that you've never seen before, right,
where As basketball fans, you're like, I've been watching basketball
for forty years and I've actually never seen that before. Wait,
what's the rule? And the referees actually have to already
know the rule. They have to already know the rule
(03:47):
for situations they've never even seen before. This was one
We're like, wait, is it.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
It's not exemptions to a referee before?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yep?
Speaker 3 (03:54):
With something right, Like so one of my press bricks
okay after a made basket is it's an out of
bounds pass, which totally legal.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
The base you mean like throwing it based on totally legal,
totally legal. I feel like college coaches would do that
all the time, little and.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So and so if a player reaches across the line
and touches the ball or touches the other player, it's
a technical foul. You know, it's a trick, right, It's
a way to to to get these guys to back
off on the press. So I would do that, and
you know, you'd be surprised at how many referees didn't
realize it is legal, right, Like, so and that that
one of course, like we're talking high school level when
(04:32):
I was doing that. But this was just such a
unique circumstance. I mean I literally have never seen that before. Yes,
and uh yeah, so I would say this. The replay
time in the arena actually added so much drama for
the moment it was there was the crowd was pensive, right,
(04:53):
they were waiting.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
They were like, what's going to happen because.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
We didn't know. Nobody knew in the building. It's not
like they put the rule book up, you know, right,
And so amazingly I didn't not a lot of cell
phones out.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
It was kind of it was kind of cool.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
But then then when the when the ruling came out, man,
the air just sucked out of the building, like the exasperation.
So it would have been interesting if it had happened
in Denver, Like what would it have been like?
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Because I feel like it would have been an explosion.
If if they had given you, guys the rule book
why you waited? It would have been a worse situation
because you would have found out like, oh, there is
no carve out for a dunk where your fingers can
still be touching, because there literally is a carve out
for goaltending on dunks. Yeah, like you can touch it
over the cylinder if you're dunking the ball, that's legal.
(05:40):
And so I'm sitting there like you, I'm watching it
on television thinking, you know what, maybe you're allowed to
still touch the ball and it counts as I made
basket on a dunk. Maybe there's a carve out for that.
I don't know. I've never read the rule book. But
if they had told you the ball has to be
clear of your hands, and then you're watching the renplays,
you would have said, oh, well, he's clearly touching the
ball when the light goes off. So the Clippers fans
(06:01):
would have been like, we got this, the game's over
right then when Secaucus is like, we have clear evidence
that the ball has left his hands, and they introduced
this hawkeye camera shot that no one else can see.
All the TV cameras are too slow, the frame rate
of the television cameras can't capture it, and so then
(06:22):
you find out it's a game winning dunk. We've also
said many times, tie goes to was it cool?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Was it cool? You know?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
And that one was cool? So you're like, all right,
that one should have counter but I gotta say, and
I think Nate Duncan was on this. Yeah, we still
haven't seen an actual visual proof and it probably doesn't
exist that the ball wasn't touching his hands, right, because
we just have these frames. I don't know was it
was it thirty frames per second? Was it I don't
(06:51):
even know what the hall times or something insane?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Probably I don't know, at least sixty probably at least sixty. Yeah,
but still there's like TV camera, it's in.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
His hands, no light, it's not in his hands, the
lights on. But we still don't have you know.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
It's like we're missing the basket, right, Yeah, we don't
know something incredible. I'm happy with the mystery, but it
was it was. I don't like that we're breaking out
spy satellites for reviews now between that and and then
the lebron Yeah, touch on the wrist, Like I'm not
into that again, like human error, like in this sport.
(07:30):
It's a fast sport, and I'm okay with it. I
think for the flow of the game or whatever that
being said, Like hawkeye cameras are that that's not how
we want to litigate.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
That's the new drone camera view where you're like, I've
never seen this angle before, and it makes me feel
weird because again, the normal baseline, the normal baseline camera
looked like Lebron you know what. It looks like he
got all ball, or at least he got his hand
hand is the ball. And from the referee perspective, which
is roughly six feet off the ground where you're eye
level is, you're like, that looks clean. But then when
(08:02):
you go from the sky the eye of God perspective,
You're like, oh, well, okay, it is a foul.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And I don't like that. It's like the thing. Look
when the guy comes in from out of the play right,
it used to be you know, guy who had positioned
on the ball. His team usually gets possessioned if the
ball's poked out of bounce right and now right be
pedantic about it. It's like, well, no, actually his fingernail.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
You know, then it go but then it goes to
the game. So what's what's your feeling? And I feel
like I know how you're going to answer, what's your
feeling on the no call? The Josh Hart no call
at the end of Piston's Next And it was really
funny because we had three games all essentially decided, sort
of at the very end, you had the last second.
I mean the Lebron play wasn't the last second, but
it was a.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Whole show on fifteen seconds of basketball.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
It was almost game defining for the Lebron call. But then,
of course Aaron Gordon was game deciding. The no call
was also you could say game deciding if they call
the felt oh there, the Pistons probably win. Well, what
were your feelings on this note call because it's like
it's a foul, but also that had been a very
physical game.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yeah, I thought I thought there were two fouls before that,
right that I would be much more upset about if
I was Detroit. But you know, Tim Hardaway Junior, that's
the foul that we didn't want in the game. He
jumps and like throws his hip into Josh Hart And
I mean, yeah, I don't know, man, I'm totally fine
with that. I didn't even think about it after the game.
(09:30):
So there actually until they came out and said, oh
we missed.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
So I'm cheering, like my fandom here, I'm cheering for
the Pistons. I want the Pistols still win. Just really
are that's that's the team I'm cheering for. I was
upset at the note call, but also I didn't feel
like I didn't feel like grieved or wronged. I'm like, eh, live,
it was like that was a scramble, and it was like, wait,
did he hit him? It wasn't like, oh, my goodness,
(09:56):
has a foul? It was like okay. It was more
like I'm asking you watching it in real time, I'm like, wait,
was that a foul? And then I see the replay
You're like, yeah, they call that, but also then not
calling it, then they haven't. I grew up with them
not calling that in these situations. It also goes to
and we can get to our breakfast in a second.
Of course, I probably doing a compressed show once again
(10:18):
as I'm strapped for time. As always, the there were
a couple of overturns, calls that were challenged, and even
another note call I'm thinking about where they all to
me demonstrated, uh, the incorrect spirit of the rule book.
So like, there's the one call beforehand where Jada McDaniel's
trips Luka Dancic, and that's one of those where the
(10:40):
rule book seems to be saying Uh, defenders aren't allowed
to move alongside the guy they're guarding. Period, Like if
if the office of player steps on the defender's foot,
it's it's devas a foul unless the guys stationary. And
you're like, yeah, but come on, you know it, what's
the guy supposed to do? Then there was another there
was a Dylan Brooks block shot and Steph Curry that
(11:00):
the Warriors challenged, where if you're talking about playing pickup basketball,
that was perfect defense. Dylan Brooks jumps moving alongside the
offensive player is way up in the air. Steph Curry
then leans into him because Jillan's jumping from point A
to point B. It's a legal defensive playing. But you're like,
but also that was perfect defense.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
So I don't know, Like again, I mean, you know
what I say, Like the rules are tilted toward the offense,
and it's already look offense already has an inherent advantage
in sports because they know what they're doing with the ball.
We don't need to help them with all the you know,
the bs.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
So let's let's center ourselves, Dave, and let's center the show.
So we have many series that have ended since we
last recorded you have now the Nuggets up three games
to two heading into Game six, you have Nicks did
not close it out, up three games to two. Meanwhile,
(12:00):
last night you had the Lakers get eliminated. That of course,
very big news. The way that series went, very interesting.
The Eastern Conference is not that riveting. Uh, we've had
most of those teams, Advance, Warriors, Rockets. The Rockets stayed
(12:20):
alive in that one. So we got a lot to
get to before we do. Let's let's let's start it
off just with some brief breakfast today for you oatmeal.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Oh yeah, of course, okay, you know, doing dates.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
I had an I had some trail mix, just your
normal traditional, some almonds, some what cashews were in there,
some raisins, some eminem's. I gotta say, there's a top
five thing maybe you shouldn't eat before speaking. It's just
it might just be peanuts. It's like back in my
(12:53):
throat kind of like a So that's what I'm That's
what I'm working with right now. That's my breakfast. Anyway,
after our breakfast, we moved through the breakfast in bed. Apologies.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
My choir teacher in high school, Yeah, she liked to
eat potato chips, Oh weird my things before podcasting.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Don't do the don't do the sparkling water or just
your your you know, like like the carbonated it's just
powerful carbonation. Just get burpy. Don't eat anything peanut based.
It's just kind of got a scratchy throat going on. Anyways,
our breakfast and betapologies. This is our chance to make
right when we got wrong on a previous episode. Frequently
(13:31):
the first time we talk about the NBA, but we've
already jumped in for the NBA. Don't have any big
air I want to atone for. But I would like
to say I feel like maybe I let the listener
down by not preparing a bit about this year's Hustle
Award winner. I feel like it's every single year I'm
(13:52):
like this, the Hustle Award is so stupid. And Draymond
Green won the Hustle Award this year. I think if
I have gotten sinteled, I would just say I didn't
prepare a long list of stats saying that this award
is fake and I don't understand how Draymond won it.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
How does how does Dyson Daniels not win that award?
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Hit wrong? Hustles although I uncovered it years ago when
Marcus Smart won the Hustle Award, and I'm like, this
is very fishy. The numbers don't back it up. It
really seems to heavily weigh charges, like if you draw charges,
they're like, this is the most husty thing you could
possibly do. Right. But again this year, I dove heavily
(14:37):
into the Clutch Player of the Year award stats last
episode that was my big blowout on these stats are dumb.
I reached out to a couple of NBA Award voters
Dave to try to find some answers on how Jalen
Brunson got so much of the vote. I've gotten no answers.
They don't have good they don't have good theories.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I mean, I think your theory on sorted by points
kind of does.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I feel like the NBA gave guidance was like, listen,
we don't even think about it, just we don't care,
Like these are anyways. By the way, Dyson Daniels Most
Improved Player good, I don't. Yeah, it's kind of a
passionate no. I mean, for me, I like it because
it's the genre of we didn't know he was this good.
(15:18):
When the Pelicans traded him, right, they didn't think he
was this good. If they would have known, he would
have averaged three steals per game. I don't think they
would have done the trade, and they're already regretting that move.
So anyways, let's take a break, Dave, and then let's
come back and let's hit a lot of these series
and let's talk about the Lakers getting eliminated at the
(15:40):
hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. All Right, Dave, the Timberwolves.
I feel like after Game one, a lot of people
were like they I thought they were gonna have the
best player in the series, but maybe Aunt Edwards is
the best player. And also it seemed so much more
(16:02):
athletic in a lot of ways, and this was a
dominant five game series win for the timber Wolves. I
think the biggest question for me about this is is
it gonna make it harder for other podcasters to get
NBA head coaching jobs because j kind of forged out.
(16:26):
I mean he tried some things. Yeah, he didn't sub
in the second half of Game four. I think that
was the game. I can't remember the game three or four.
He's like, you know what, when I sat here watching
the games on my couch preparing my podcast. I was like,
I wouldn't even sub anybody. Why haven't Why hasn't any
(16:46):
coach tried, Oh, just play your best players all the minutes. Yeah,
so he poked a whole That one for us is
this is this gonna set a ceiling on us Dave
becoming NBA head coaches?
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah? Probably, Yeah, that's too bad. Yeah, probably, I mean know,
I would say it definitely is hampering the interview process.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
I think Rudy Gobert might have been the second best
player in the series, right, Like.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
So, okay, they the Wolves were just big and they
played big.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
And this is the thing about the Lakers, I think
they just kind of ran out of gas. I think
Lebron getting hurt obviously down the stretch of the season.
He looked different in the playoffs, like this guy was
ridiculous for a few months and then he you know,
he started with that growing injury. It was different.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
And I don't want to make.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Excuses for him, because they just weren't good enough, right,
they didn't have enough guys who could play, but they
definitely have more than five. It was weird to me
that Gabe Vincent couldn't get in the game in the
second half of what was a game for and the
same with Jared Vanderbilt. I mean they couldn't give you
five minutes, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Just that Jordan Goodwin, but that's my podcast.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah, but like I really hitting the rotations aside, Jackson
Hayes might be the biggest issue that the Lakers had
right like him to being completely unplayable.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Dave, what about Mark Williams doing a little victory lap
online when the Lakers lost waiting for Gobert's been playing, Like,
let's be honest, Keith, come on, Mark Williams have been playing.
Mark Williams is not that good. Yeah, I don't know,
it's very funny.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
I think it would have been the same thing.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
We just talked about. Gobert. So Gobart, of course, in
the close out game has twenty seven and twenty four
seven points, twenty four rebounds. He had made three shots, no,
four shots in the first four games. Yeah, in the
first four games he had fourteen points and twenty five
rebounds combined. And then in game five, all of a sudden,
(18:53):
he's just rebounding everything. The terror Wolves can't make a
shot but it's their best offense. It's their best offense
is just freaking African jumpers. Seven. Yeah, it's the worst
three percentage for a winning team with that many. I mean,
you say, I think it's over forty attempts. Yeah, yeah,
but it was just them grabbing the opficse of rebounds.
I thought I thought Lebron looked like a better player
(19:17):
than Luca in this series.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Sure, even though I mean, Lucas scored a lot, though
his schooling is like it it mass.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
I mean, maybe it was Lebron saving it more where
he could do it just in spurts where you're like,
oh wow, that was that was a great play. I
was really impressed with the Timberwolves. I was happy for
my guy, Mike Conley, I sort of as much as
I don't normally cheer for Gobert. I like that Gobert
at least got one back against Doncics. But also, what
(19:49):
about a serious for a series for Julius Randall. Julius
Randall was Julius Randall transforming, transforming his entire kind of
perception around the NBA and very small sample size. He'd
had atrocious playoff stats before this series and Julius Randall.
I mean he did like fouling three point shooters, maybe
more than normal. I don't know what the total valley wassive.
(20:12):
But man, he was so good in this series, and
like I feel like you think about that trade where
it's been up and down at the beginning of the year,
You're like, oh, yeah, I mean, maybe not a good idea,
but like the way he played in this series, the
way he was able to go at Lebron and go
at Luka Doncic even just like I think they cut
(20:35):
it to three, the Lakers are cut it to three
and he has like a it's not a clear out.
The shot clock's running down, and you can see him
be like, give me the ball. He went out and
got the ball, did it behind the back dribble and
puts the tumbles back up five. I was just I
don't know, I was blown away by Julius raandl in the.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Series, him and Gobert figuring some stuff out together is interesting,
but yeah, great. He even drew a three shot foul
on Luca then it got reversed, I think, but you know,
he like but his defensive effort I thought was it
was not out of character. The thing is he has
(21:15):
done this before, right, Like I've seen him do that before,
but never for you know, four or five games in
a row like this.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, that's a different thing.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
I mean, remember this was a secret for them last
season when they beat the Nuggets. It was Karl Anthony
Towns giving crazy defensive effort that we had never really
seen out of him before. Remember how he just battled Kic.
Jokic is going to score still, but you know, he
was able to guard him and allowed Rudy to roam
a little bit, which that is that's one of their
(21:45):
big assets, right Like, if you had Rudy back there,
he didn't need to get rebounds, he didn't need to
score because he's keeping guys away from the rim. And
if you can do that and then you're against the
team that's not hitting shots, that's the top five defense
that you get. Like with Rudy Gobert. I just it
only works if you have a guy who's hustling next
to him, like Randall did. I mean, I was impressive.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Yeah, So congratulations to the Timberwolves advancing. The Lakers will
try to regroup, try to find a center in the
off season. They probably they might lose Dorian Finney Smith
because he has a player option he can opt out.
Who knows what he chooses to do. A lot of
questions for the Lakers going forward. I mean it's hard,
of course, doing a mid season trade like this, Yeah,
(22:28):
and getting these two superstars or bringing Luca in. This
roster was not tailored for Luca. It's hilarious how much
the Mavericks roster was taylored for Luca right now and
now they made a change. I will say, actually, here
here's a cream of wheat. Worse thing. This reared its
ugly head in this game. This is just a general
thing that I wish would stop happening in the playoff broadcasts.
(22:54):
Stop telling me the team leading three to one in
a playoff series wins ninety six percent of the time.
That is a useless stat that is not even approaching
anything vaguely interesting, Like you have to at some point
give us some context for that. You could say, like
if you said, when the higher seed is down three
(23:15):
to one, they win this percentage of time, Like that's
that's beginning to approach an interesting stat. But just blanket
we're talking about all the one seed versus eight seeds.
And two seed versus if you're just telling me blanket.
In every NBA playoff series since we were to the
best of seven format, the team up three to one
wins ninety six percent of the time. Beyond useless statistic.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
It's funny.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
I mean, like what I just said it, Well, all right,
what if before the series started, if you were less
than a minus two hundred favorite, right, and those series? Again,
we have to we have to narrow this down. This
is also like, uh, the winner of game one wins
eighty four percent of NBA series. This is useless. Usually
the winner is.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Way better than the other team, right, I don't need
to know the future again, like sports is supposed to
be fun, The mystery is the fun part. I don't
know who's gonna win, Like, I don't care.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
You gotta you gotta break these things down roughly. For
like if people thought, like I don't know, maybe if
you tell me if the higher seed loses game one, Yeah, okay,
tell me what percentage they have normally winning. That's at
least more interesting. Just just throwing all the series together
in one big pile absolutely useless. You know what else?
(24:29):
It was awful? Dave the way the Bucks collapsed against
the Pacers that.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
I don't know, man, that was a valiant effort.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
That made me physically ill. Like I was watching that
game and Gary Trent is having the game of his life,
and of course they've lost Damian Lillard to this horrible injury,
and everyone's doing their Uh, what would the Bucks actually do?
Because they're over, like the Bucks are over for years,
and you have this that that sickening thing going on,
(25:02):
and then meanwhile they build a big first quarter lead,
they give up the lead, but then Gary Trent Junior
is coming up clutch over and over and over, and
then they blow a seven point lead in the final
seconds of overtime and Gary Trent turns the ball over
twice in a row. I'm telling you physically ill. And
I don't even care who won the game. I was
(25:22):
so upset. I was like that, That's what a horrible
way to lose a basketball game.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
I mean, and then I mean the way that Tyrese
Halliburton just drove to the I mean.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Oh right, the embarrassing the lack of defense for those
drives at the end of the game for the Bucks,
it was very similar to the lack of defense for
most of I felt Game five Lakers Timberwolves, where Temples
the Lakers just giving up drives left and right, well
not stopping them ball forever.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
To watch the I mean not to go back to
the Wolves, but the Wolves just just jacking up threes,
which often good looks, right, was very frustrating because sometimes
you just need to see the ball go through the basket.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I'm surprised Moxic didn't have a bigger impact, you know,
uh playing and I was like, I was like, hey,
he's out there with three minutes left.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Oh buddy, I remember, I don't know, it's like maybe
a month after the trade I realized, oh, Maxi's on
the team. I forgot, but I was thinking they might
ramp them up ahead of the playoffs, where hey Maxi
Claybook he can guard and he can well if he
shoots threes, they often go in, right they he would
have helped them. But to break him out in Game five,
(26:37):
come on.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
That was that was hard. Before we talked some some
Clippers nuggets. Actually, let's go over to the Rockets series.
The Rockets and Warriors. A lot of so much has
happened in this series because of it's been it's been
back and forth. This series right now actually is directly
paralleling the Grizzlies Warriors second round series from twenty twenty two.
(27:03):
Like every game where it's like, oh so the Warriors
of the lower seed, they steal game one sort of,
Game two, the Rockets bounce back. Then games three and
four they had Rockets had a chance to win them
but they just came up short. Then you return home,
Rockets get the easy win essentially in game five. So
this does mean I assume the Warriors can close it
(27:26):
out in game six, but so many a thing, so
many things going on, the Rockets not taking advantage of
no Jimmy Butler in game three, not being able to
get that. It was just such a disappointment. In Game four,
then you had the situation where felt like Dylan Brooks
was just needlessly antagonizing Jimmy Butler or Dylan Brooks is
(27:46):
once again poking the bear once again. And I don't
want to say.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I don't want to say he wasn't engaged before that,
but man, he got fired up after that.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Yeah, the hard foul happened.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Uh huh, right, which they didn't even bot They didn't
even think to review because Jimmy Butler is a gentleman
to the referees. He also didn't wind up. This was
like it was like a perfect hard foul and then
that the switch flipped. Dylan Brooks sometimes is his team's
own worst enemy, right like, And he had a good game.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
He's had a pretty good series. I mean he had
he had a great game in Game five. Dylan Brooks
averages more points in the playoffs in his career than
Jared Jackson Junior. It's fun fact. Uh. The Also in
game four, so there was the play where Draymond got
he got an early technical foul. Yeah, and then it
(28:42):
looked like he was clearly going to get a second
technical foul. He kicks Tari's in in the head. The whoopsie, Daisy,
I kicked somebody in the head again defense then he
grabs the jersey around the collar and so the referees
decide to give him a flagrant and then nothing for
the the reaction. I'm of two minds of this, Dave. Yeah,
(29:06):
if it wasn't Draymond Green, I would applaud everyone involved
because I would say, because Dave, you and I both
believe we don't need to do we don't need to
inject players in the playoffs unless they're literally fighting. You
don't need to eject anybody in the playoffs. So I
liked I think it was John Goebel calling the game.
I can't remember now where they were where they were saying,
(29:28):
all right, here's the thing. We're gonna call it a flagrant.
He's good, he can stay. And so that wiggle room
I thought was a little bit amazing. You go with
anybody else that was a technical foul for like you
can't grab the collar of your opponent, you know. But
because it was Draymond, I have emotions and I'm just like,
(29:50):
get him out of the game. You got to get
him out of the game.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
The technical was a soft technical that he got, right,
it was, but yes, heard Draymond peacemaker moment, right, he
didn't have a arm around him by his neck, and
and I mean maybe that played into it. I don't know,
but I'm just glad that they were so creative because
you know, it's it's way worse when guys get ejected.
(30:15):
I just you know, I just the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
The Rockets are such a strange team. And okay they
have I mean, you got you got Shingoon who I
think uses more parts of the rim and backboard than
any other player. Like I don't want to say his
touch is bad, but he has so many like five
footers where I'm like, yeah, eighty percent of NBA players
would switch the shot. You slammed it into the heel
(30:39):
of the rim. It went in right, But it was like.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
So like he's shooting like a medicine ball.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Yeah, it's like have you seen I think it's supposed
to come off your fingers, not not your palm. But
but anyways, he has small hands. But then you have
he plays like he has small hands. Yeah, but then
you have like Tarry Eason and a Men Thompson, who
both who both played like college basketball players in some
(31:08):
sense in the fact that like they do so many things.
We were like, oh, that looked ugly, Like that shot
was tear Tarry Eason, same thing shooting jumpers. You're like,
whoa brother, you got to figure out a handle in
his shot to make it in the NBA. And it
turns out, no, that's false. It turns out my just
raw awesomeness even carries over in the NBA. And you
(31:29):
have a Men Thompson, I don't know what his final
stat line was beyond incredible.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Game five, he had five I know, he had five steals.
In the first half. He finished like twenty something points,
bunch of rebounds, a bunch of blocks, and he's just again,
like out of control. It felt like at times the
Rockets were like forcing it to him to get the
highlight play like he got the he got the steel.
Now it's just just trying to him to finish. Yeah,
And I don't know, watching those guys play, it's.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Just they throw him all the time, right.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
I think it's because they're pretty under the rule you
got the steel. We need to make this the sports
inner highlight. So I don't care that Dylan Brooks is
open to my left. I'm forcing it back to a
Men Thompson even though even though the defense is like, hey,
I'm not gonna get dunked onto.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
And So I love Tarry Easton and a Men Thompson
because they're like throwback guys right like right now again.
And I talked about this a lot, like the skill
curve in the NBA Number one, it was exponential for
years and it's flattened out. So you basically like one
through fifteen are some of the most skilled basketball players
that ever exist on the planet as far as just
(32:31):
being able to shoot, dribble, all these things. And these
guys are lesser than at at the stuff that's like
the hand eye coordination skills. Not to say that they
aren't excellent at that stuff, but the in the gym tricks,
you know, of the sport.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
You would say, you would say, this is stuff is
terminology we use, but you would say they don't have
a bag. They're right, you know, like they don't have
they don't have like, oh, Jamal Crawford can get the
shot of like Jordan Clarkson is is like someon wuld
say Jordan Clarkson is a better basketball player and and
you know that's the thing people say, meaning, well, he's
(33:09):
more fluid and has more skills that can make these
beautiful step back jumpers all the time. But Aman Thompson
is a monstar, right, and he's better at basketball, you know.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Yeah, he has impact and so like you know, there
used to be more the league used to have more
of these guys. It was just like, why is he
good while he's just a so much a better athlete
than other people, And a lot of it was like
great athletes being pulled up to average NBA players, but
they were awful at all the basketball stuff, right like
couldn't shoot, couldn't catch, things like that, but they were
(33:40):
just freak athletes, so they would make it. So these
guys are a little bit like throwbacks. And also like
the way that the league has shifted as far as
just like styles now, like it's non homogenized, right, Like
shooting looks so different from guy to guy because biomechanics
is actually advanced to the point where we let guys
(34:01):
shoot like, oh, what's natural and then we adjust, right,
so you've gone back to what you know in the
eighties used to have.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Some freaky shooting styles.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
A lot of like the stylistic changes that we're going
through right now, a little bit of a throwback, and
those guys are part of it.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Well, I would say the Rockets roster arguably the most
unique roster because like we're talking the guys we just mentioned, yeah,
Tari's and Men Thompson and Shingoon, none of those guys
have I mean obviously AMN has a sar. It's like
(34:37):
there aren't really normally copies of those kinds of players.
They also have Steven Adams. You've got Fred van Vliet,
who's not that normal. He's pretty atypical. Dylan Brooks, you
could say, is a little bit of a one of one,
the negative wing, spanned defensive stopper who is just a
wild man and a little loose cannon at times. Jalen
(34:58):
Green might be their most typical, just a stereotypical player
and he's had a big up and down series.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Jabari Smith Junior is like super weird, but he.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Is at least a traditional like nineteen nineties basketball player.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Sure, but they be big and play him at the three.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
I love their big lineup so much.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
Really is a Swiss army knife. It would be amazing,
Like I would love to see what it looked like
if they had like an organized offense.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Yeah, we just gave them a lot of attention for
the next team to get eliminated, but to wrap they're
probably out to wrap up that series. I have a
lot of strong opinions about Pat Spencer getting ejected. Pat
Spencer comes in and headbuts Alprin shingoon it the game
wasn't totally over because, yeah, things were getting a little
(35:49):
bit nervous because the thirty point lead had been cut
in half. But Pat Spencer comes in clearly headbutts a guy.
He already has a cop stash and looks a bit problematic.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Podcast.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
I'm glad he got ejected. And here here's here's here's
my take, Dave, I'm gonna unleas should take all right.
I would like to see him ejective for the next game, too,
suspended for the next game, because I have a belief
that bigger suspensions should be handed out to lesser players.
(36:25):
If you're a thirteenth man and you had but the
starting center when you're down fifteen points in the fourth
quarter of a playoff game, Sorry, buddy, Like that is
that feels like it could be if if punishments were
handed out equally, that would then.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
It feels like, are you saying Pat Spencer's.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
I would say, I've seen it, I've seen I've seen
the Spencer brothers, and I would call it a posse
and you know, but but by the way, I love that,
Zach Zarba ejected, Cam Spencer, Cam Spencer. That was a
great moment. I watched this game like three hours after
it happened because I nearly died moving my washing machine
(37:08):
out of my basement. It's okay, just I might have
almost lost a foot. It's cool thanks to my buddies
who uh as we push the washing machine up the
dolly up the stairs. Anyways, I enjoyed the slip of
the tongue where Grizzly's two way player Cam Spencer was ejected.
But Pat Spencer, if you're a bitch player and it's
(37:31):
a fifteen point game in the fourth ward of the
playoffs and you get involved with a starter for the
other team, no, you should be spinn of the next
game because otherwise you could try to instigate things and
try it like because if they both get thrown out,
that obviously hurts the rockets way more.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
You know what if you're if you're adjusting for impact,
if you think about it right, yes, you barely play.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Yes, maybe it should be three games. I'm just saying
it's it's kind of like actually, like I.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Feel like you're rich and you get pulled over. Your
speeding fine should be much higher because you want to Yeah,
it's a sliding skal.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
That was literally what I was about to say. Dave. Also,
where you're coming from, I'll sell your ticket. Your speeding
tickets should be based on the weight of your car,
how dangerous you're the thing you're doing is anyways, I
think Cam Spencer, sorry ha, Pat Spencer, dirty player. Can't
let him out there.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I like that take. That's a great one.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Let's uh, let's talk about the Nuggets game of the
Nuggets Clippers series. So after Game three, everyone was like, see,
the Clippers are the best team. They're one of the
best teams in the league, just like we thought. And
then Game four happened where you got the Aaron Gordon finish.
They the Nuggets pull that out after blowing a lead.
(38:49):
Then Game five, Jamal Murray arguably has the best performance
of the postseason for anybody so far. And now the
Clippers are on the brink of elimination. This entire series,
the casinos, the sports books have really thought the Clippers
were going to win even and it was two two
and the Nuggets had home court advantage. The Clippers were
still big favorites. But then Jamal Murray shows up, and
(39:13):
now the Clippers are on the brink of elimination. What
do you expect for this Game six that you're going
to dave, I think.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
It's gonna be I think I think the Clippers are
gonna win. I think we're gonna get seven games.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
Wow, this is so you're still like everybody, you still
believe in the Clippers. Yeah, like the better team for
a lot of the time.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Well, I mean, look, there was an argument to be
made if you look at those first four games, they
should have won all four of them, right like, and
for reason.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
They lost too and they could have lost a third.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
Right exactly. And there's so there's various reasons why they
lost the games that they lost, right Like. I mean,
you know, James Harden gives up that that rebound at
the end of at the end of regular or you know,
on the on the Aaron Gordon putback, So I just
think it's been really close, and then you get this
breakout Maul Murray game. But he's been incredibly inconsistent and
(40:04):
too bad this year, right, Like, he has not been good.
He hasn't looked good in this series until this game.
He's had a few moments here and there, Like he
had one quarter, I think he put up like eleven
in a quarter, right, but it was all tough shots,
right Like, He's not getting anything easy, nothing in the
flow of what they do. So you know, that game
(40:26):
is an aberration to me, like I almost say, Okay,
prove to me you can do it again. And also,
role players usually play better at home. They got a
big Russ game, right, He hit twenty one off the bench,
And part of that is that's because the Clippers won't
guard Russ right like they're they're leaving him open and
he's making them pay. I don't know if you'll get
(40:48):
that again, because he's now done it to them a
couple of times. I don't know. I just think the
Clippers will play better at home. I know that's like
a stupid cliche thing, but it really is. It's real,
and especially for this team, and they do have the defense.
I just don't know why they haven't been able to
show up in the big moments. Right. It feels like
every single time there's a clutch possession, Denver gets something
(41:12):
that they want.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Well, I mean, that part's not a mystery, I know.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
But you know, but Zubach for the rest of the time,
I mean, he does a pretty good job. Even on
the shot, I mean the shot that misses. Zubach guards
that hell out of him.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
What Kawhi double. It seemed like he might have helped
Kawai also man on the comeback keeps turning it on
and making these incredible steals and doing these like claw
things where he's like he still has the claw, he
can turn it on every now and then for these
like but.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
James Harden's got to do more for them, right, Like
that's actually been the guy who's missing.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Yeah, I really I think I'll be legit said if
we don't get a game seven out of this one,
because these guys are so These are two of the
best teams. These are two of the best is it
six teams? I don't know, to the best seven teams
playing right? Maybe to the best five teams. You know
they happen to be facing off in the first round.
It's been amazing. Let's uh, let's answer a single listener
(42:10):
submit a question, Dave. This is the Croissant questionnaire.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Any questions?
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Yes, are you going to finish that quiss.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Knock yourself out.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Stavro wants to know. This is in regards to the
Pacers playoff shirt is yes, sirs if you haven't seen it.
For the listener, this is an audio format the Sir Pacers.
It's abbreviated where it just says c e R s
yes Sirs, like yes Pacers slash. It's a yes sir
(43:02):
is yes sirs. The dumbest slogan since see US Rise,
which looked like it was the C and then the
US and it looked like it looked like cuss cries
or see it. It was very confusing to look at when
the Celtics did it. What are your thoughts on yes sirs?
Dave Uh?
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Do people call them the sirs? Are they like, yeah,
I'm gonna go to the surs game?
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Not that I know of, right, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (43:28):
I mean, it's pretty bad. That's that's pretty bad.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
So it's the Celtics. It's bad, but it's playful and
different and because of that I find it mostly Okay.
Here's the perspective I hadn't considered. My wife pointed out,
doesn't yes sir have a negative connotation, especially in this
maybe time of history where we don't need people just
saying yes sir? Like yes sir has a compliant feeling
(43:54):
to it, of a just following orders feel to it.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
You know, I would say with that, it's more of
a yes is very not s yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
If they've gone with yeah, all right, an authoritarian Yeah,
if it was less less authoritarian fought, that's a good point. Yeah.
So the Pacers advance. We haven't given them much love.
The Calves advance in record fashion. The Miami Heat traded
in the eleventh pick to have consecutive home losses by
(44:32):
an NBA record ninety two points.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
Is the cruise industry really like down?
Speaker 2 (44:38):
I mean, I know you play to win, but like
both the Grizzlies and Heat got swept, and both of them,
by making the playoffs, lost their first round pick. They
would have had their first round pick if they both
lost their final play in game. The Grizzlies give up
a fourteenth pick, it becomes the eighteenth pick goes to
(45:00):
the Wizards. The Heat lose again the eleventh pick with
like a maybe like a camera, like a one and
twenty chance of jumping up. That's tough. I don't know
where the Heat go from, no path to anyways. Hey,
they and the Suns and the Bucks. There are several
(45:21):
teams out there. We are like, you're just kind of done.
What do you do anyways, Let's take a quick break.
Oh no, no, no. If you want your question answered on air, listener,
thank you, stabbro for the question if you want your
question answered on air or as part of the monthly
milliona Bunch bonus episode which will come out soon. It's
April's episode didn't come out yet because of me almost
(45:44):
dropping a washing machine on my foot. Uh the uh
that if you want your question answered on air, become
a Patroon supporter. What you keep saying almost well almost
was it just so traumatic?
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Well, come do?
Speaker 2 (45:59):
It did come to a rest on my leg for
a little bit. I'm if there were a game tonight
I could play. I'm not even questionable. I'm I'm there's
like a raised swollen part. How many people were involved
in this? Three three three gentlemen moving a washing machine
up a tight stairs and a dolly Okay, I'll say,
(46:22):
I'll say it was just one of those Hey. I
saw that Adam Schefter story about about how John Elway's
friend died falling off a golf cart, and I'm like,
that's just horrible, just random accident. It could happen anytime.
And then like four hours later, there's like a washing
machine where I'm like, we almost kind of dropped. That
would have been bad.
Speaker 3 (46:38):
And then I'm like, yeah, that's not an accident in
my opinion.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
Because the preparation wasn't there.
Speaker 3 (46:44):
Yeah, yeah, like that's that's not like being cautious.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
And you know, well, I felt like we were being cautious.
But like, I mean, how did this guy fall off
a golf cart? I have no idea. I don't know
any of this. I don't know, I don't know none
of the details.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
But I don't like the word accident. We'll have we'll
talk this, Okay. Most accidents aren't.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
By an act of god, Dave. The Washington machine could
have slipped.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
In five God.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
I was just like, that could have been bad if
random things happened. Anyways, let's just say Patreon dot com,
slash Fast break Breakfast.
Speaker 3 (47:21):
We gotta get keep some furniture moving straps.
Speaker 2 (47:25):
Yep. I'm hiring movers to get it back downstairs.
Speaker 3 (47:28):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
It's no sign. For the awards segment of the program,
the International Stackhouse Have Pancakes Award. Give it to the
worst performance in a box score, Dave. We have several
honorable mentions this week. Chris Dunnamles Turner one for nine,
Damian Millard Rip two for twelve, Dante DiVincenzo three for
thirteen and Anthony Edwards five for nineteen are three nominees
throughout the last week at the playoffs. Here they are
in chronological order as they occurred. Desmond Bane three for
(47:54):
fourteen ten points, eight rebounds, four assays, two steals, one block,
five turnovers, two personal five in a Game three loss
where the Grizzars blew a twenty nine point lead, Tyler
Hero while getting smoked by the Cavaliers one for ten,
four points, one rebound, one assist, one turn over, three
personal fouls. And then Jalen Brunson in a loss four
(48:16):
for sixteen sixteen points, seven assists, three boards, four turnovers,
four personal fouls. So Desmond Bane three for fourteen, ten points,
eight rebounds, five turnovers, Tyler Hero one for ten, four points,
Jalen Brunson four for sixteen, sixteen points, seven assists, Tyler Hero,
you know, gotta be for me. I feel like the
(48:39):
Desmond Bane. I get moved by the five turnovers. Also, yeah,
slightly more volume. I mean a three for fourteen against
a one for ten, All right, we can split it.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
I mean I watched the game No, so that's the problem.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
I watched the game two problem.
Speaker 3 (48:55):
That's the problem.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
I'm just looking at the numbers. You just gotta look
at the numbers.
Speaker 3 (48:59):
Elimination game, Tyler hero and you know he it's just
green light. Hey go out there, hey drop forty. All right,
let's just go out on her shields and no, instead
they went out on their bellies.
Speaker 2 (49:12):
I mean, just the hardest working, most disciplined.
Speaker 3 (49:16):
Oh yeah, well, speaking of by the way, Bucks, the
culture way that they lost, right, yeah, that's valiant, you know.
Speaker 2 (49:24):
Is it? Well? They fought for a while.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
They fought, and I mean, you know, you lose all mistakes,
but they didn't lose for lack of you know, effort
or any of the things that Miami rolled over.
Speaker 2 (49:35):
The Grisses fought valiantly under your destination, only lost like
two without John. You know, it's not even worth talking
about the heat though. The heat rough. Maybe maybe Andrew
Wiggins is finally available to be a fifth option on
some team. I believe in the salvage Andrew Wiggins again. Anyways, Dave,
(50:00):
that's all we have time for today. I appreciate your
time hanging out talking basketball. Have fun at Clippers Nuggets.
Let's get it one game seven. One of these series
has to go seven We need it anyways. Listeners, thank
you for your support. Patrons, thank you for your support.
You guys are the best. Thanks for listening, and remember
breakfast is the most important thing.
All right, and welcome to Fast Break Breakfast MBA podcast.
My name is Keith Parish and I'm here once again with.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
My buddy, through the miracle of computer phone, I'm here
with Dave the four Dave, how are you doing. What's
it like in California?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
You know, it's nice, a little overcast right now, right
like in the mornings when you live really close to
the ocean, not to but you get this this marine
layer often, so it's like a fog that rolls through.
So it's nice.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Protagonist in every Michael Mann's story, just living in your
house beside.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
The ocean with a big dog.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
No one sure how you afford it anyways.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
No precocious kid involved, Like I don't you know?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
There you go, you talk, You're going to game six tonight, Lakers. Yeah, Clippers.
You went to the what it was a game, which
was Clippers. I went to games three and four.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, So I was in the house, dude. I was
in the house for the Aaron Gordon buzzer beater. Amazing,
And I had a look the media seats there. It's
not what it used to be for the Clippers because
you used to sit court side on the corner right
and it was great. But you know, the Clippers I
found be very friendly, like organization. I happen to know
a lot of those people. But the way they set
(01:30):
up the media seats, it's exactly where you want to
sit to watch a game, Like like if you're scouting
a basketball game, right, you're you're like mid level on
the corner. I don't have to turn my I didn't
have to turn my head to watch the game, like
it's super important, you can just watch it. And so
I'm on the Nuggets end for the end of that game,
so I get the somboard shuffle, I'll tie it up right,
(01:52):
and then the the Jokic miss and I mean that
was just that was insane. I'm not sure how it
trans they sow TV. The crowd was so loud. I
mean like my watch started giving me, like you know
the ear warnings that that your iPhone will give you now, Okay, yeah,
it's like, oh it's too loud in there, move, are
(02:12):
you in danger? And then dead silence. I mean it
was it was really it was awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
What's it like in arena when you have a moment
like that where he makes the dunk at the buzzer
but then no one knows what the result of the
review is going to be. And we've spent a lot
of time talking about how reviews really suck a lot
of enthusiasm out of some of the greatest moments in sports.
(02:42):
What was that, Like what replay angles were you guys
able to see in arena? And then what happened when
they made the announcement?
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Well, number one, we saw what we saw. The replay
immediately right into a dome has that huge ye, right,
it was all over that, right, But we're all still
confused because nobody actually knows the rule.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, also, there's a lot right, Yeah, so they're showing
you that what I assume they're showing you on TV,
which is like the balls like eighty percent through the rim, right.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
And so it's to me, I'm like, oh, it's through
the cylinder.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
But you're like, is that a bucket? Right?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
The rule is right? The rule is out of the hand,
and so you know, we're we're all scrambling because I
don't even know that, right, Like why would I know?
Like that's sort of that's not a scenario you run into.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Very often, Dave. You make a great point, and this
is something I've always tried to defend referees for lot,
there are always these moments that you've never seen before, right,
where As basketball fans, you're like, I've been watching basketball
for forty years and I've actually never seen that before. Wait,
what's the rule? And the referees actually have to already
know the rule. They have to already know the rule
(03:47):
for situations they've never even seen before. This was one
We're like, wait, is it.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
It's not exemptions to a referee before?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yep?
Speaker 3 (03:54):
With something right, Like so one of my press bricks
okay after a made basket is it's an out of
bounds pass, which totally legal.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
The base you mean like throwing it based on totally legal,
totally legal. I feel like college coaches would do that
all the time, little and.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So and so if a player reaches across the line
and touches the ball or touches the other player, it's
a technical foul. You know, it's a trick, right, It's
a way to to to get these guys to back
off on the press. So I would do that, and
you know, you'd be surprised at how many referees didn't
realize it is legal, right, Like, so and that that
one of course, like we're talking high school level when
(04:32):
I was doing that. But this was just such a
unique circumstance. I mean I literally have never seen that before. Yes,
and uh yeah, so I would say this. The replay
time in the arena actually added so much drama for
the moment it was there was the crowd was pensive, right,
(04:53):
they were waiting.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
They were like, what's going to happen because.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
We didn't know. Nobody knew in the building. It's not
like they put the rule book up, you know, right,
And so amazingly I didn't not a lot of cell
phones out.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
It was kind of it was kind of cool.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
But then then when the when the ruling came out, man,
the air just sucked out of the building, like the exasperation.
So it would have been interesting if it had happened
in Denver, Like what would it have been like?
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Because I feel like it would have been an explosion.
If if they had given you, guys the rule book
why you waited? It would have been a worse situation
because you would have found out like, oh, there is
no carve out for a dunk where your fingers can
still be touching, because there literally is a carve out
for goaltending on dunks. Yeah, like you can touch it
over the cylinder if you're dunking the ball, that's legal.
(05:40):
And so I'm sitting there like you, I'm watching it
on television thinking, you know what, maybe you're allowed to
still touch the ball and it counts as I made
basket on a dunk. Maybe there's a carve out for that.
I don't know. I've never read the rule book. But
if they had told you the ball has to be
clear of your hands, and then you're watching the renplays,
you would have said, oh, well, he's clearly touching the
ball when the light goes off. So the Clippers fans
(06:01):
would have been like, we got this, the game's over
right then when Secaucus is like, we have clear evidence
that the ball has left his hands, and they introduced
this hawkeye camera shot that no one else can see.
All the TV cameras are too slow, the frame rate
of the television cameras can't capture it, and so then
(06:22):
you find out it's a game winning dunk. We've also
said many times, tie goes to was it cool?
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Was it cool? You know?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
And that one was cool? So you're like, all right,
that one should have counter but I gotta say, and
I think Nate Duncan was on this. Yeah, we still
haven't seen an actual visual proof and it probably doesn't
exist that the ball wasn't touching his hands, right, because
we just have these frames. I don't know was it
was it thirty frames per second? Was it I don't
(06:51):
even know what the hall times or something insane?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Probably I don't know, at least sixty probably at least sixty. Yeah,
but still there's like TV camera, it's in.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
His hands, no light, it's not in his hands, the
lights on. But we still don't have you know.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
It's like we're missing the basket, right, Yeah, we don't
know something incredible. I'm happy with the mystery, but it
was it was. I don't like that we're breaking out
spy satellites for reviews now between that and and then
the lebron Yeah, touch on the wrist, Like I'm not
into that again, like human error, like in this sport.
(07:30):
It's a fast sport, and I'm okay with it. I
think for the flow of the game or whatever that
being said, Like hawkeye cameras are that that's not how
we want to litigate.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
That's the new drone camera view where you're like, I've
never seen this angle before, and it makes me feel
weird because again, the normal baseline, the normal baseline camera
looked like Lebron you know what. It looks like he
got all ball, or at least he got his hand
hand is the ball. And from the referee perspective, which
is roughly six feet off the ground where you're eye
level is, you're like, that looks clean. But then when
(08:02):
you go from the sky the eye of God perspective,
You're like, oh, well, okay, it is a foul.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And I don't like that. It's like the thing. Look
when the guy comes in from out of the play right,
it used to be you know, guy who had positioned
on the ball. His team usually gets possessioned if the
ball's poked out of bounce right and now right be
pedantic about it. It's like, well, no, actually his fingernail.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
You know, then it go but then it goes to
the game. So what's what's your feeling? And I feel
like I know how you're going to answer, what's your
feeling on the no call? The Josh Hart no call
at the end of Piston's Next And it was really
funny because we had three games all essentially decided, sort
of at the very end, you had the last second.
I mean the Lebron play wasn't the last second, but
it was a.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Whole show on fifteen seconds of basketball.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
It was almost game defining for the Lebron call. But then,
of course Aaron Gordon was game deciding. The no call
was also you could say game deciding if they call
the felt oh there, the Pistons probably win. Well, what
were your feelings on this note call because it's like
it's a foul, but also that had been a very
physical game.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yeah, I thought I thought there were two fouls before that,
right that I would be much more upset about if
I was Detroit. But you know, Tim Hardaway Junior, that's
the foul that we didn't want in the game. He
jumps and like throws his hip into Josh Hart And
I mean, yeah, I don't know, man, I'm totally fine
with that. I didn't even think about it after the game.
(09:30):
So there actually until they came out and said, oh
we missed.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
So I'm cheering, like my fandom here, I'm cheering for
the Pistons. I want the Pistols still win. Just really
are that's that's the team I'm cheering for. I was
upset at the note call, but also I didn't feel
like I didn't feel like grieved or wronged. I'm like, eh, live,
it was like that was a scramble, and it was like, wait,
did he hit him? It wasn't like, oh, my goodness,
(09:56):
has a foul? It was like okay. It was more
like I'm asking you watching it in real time, I'm like, wait,
was that a foul? And then I see the replay
You're like, yeah, they call that, but also then not
calling it, then they haven't. I grew up with them
not calling that in these situations. It also goes to
and we can get to our breakfast in a second.
Of course, I probably doing a compressed show once again
(10:18):
as I'm strapped for time. As always, the there were
a couple of overturns, calls that were challenged, and even
another note call I'm thinking about where they all to
me demonstrated, uh, the incorrect spirit of the rule book.
So like, there's the one call beforehand where Jada McDaniel's
trips Luka Dancic, and that's one of those where the
(10:40):
rule book seems to be saying Uh, defenders aren't allowed
to move alongside the guy they're guarding. Period, Like if
if the office of player steps on the defender's foot,
it's it's devas a foul unless the guys stationary. And
you're like, yeah, but come on, you know it, what's
the guy supposed to do? Then there was another there
was a Dylan Brooks block shot and Steph Curry that
(11:00):
the Warriors challenged, where if you're talking about playing pickup basketball,
that was perfect defense. Dylan Brooks jumps moving alongside the
offensive player is way up in the air. Steph Curry
then leans into him because Jillan's jumping from point A
to point B. It's a legal defensive playing. But you're like,
but also that was perfect defense.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
So I don't know, Like again, I mean, you know
what I say, Like the rules are tilted toward the offense,
and it's already look offense already has an inherent advantage
in sports because they know what they're doing with the ball.
We don't need to help them with all the you know,
the bs.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
So let's let's center ourselves, Dave, and let's center the show.
So we have many series that have ended since we
last recorded you have now the Nuggets up three games
to two heading into Game six, you have Nicks did
not close it out, up three games to two. Meanwhile,
(12:00):
last night you had the Lakers get eliminated. That of course,
very big news. The way that series went, very interesting.
The Eastern Conference is not that riveting. Uh, we've had
most of those teams, Advance, Warriors, Rockets. The Rockets stayed
(12:20):
alive in that one. So we got a lot to
get to before we do. Let's let's let's start it
off just with some brief breakfast today for you oatmeal.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Oh yeah, of course, okay, you know, doing dates.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
I had an I had some trail mix, just your
normal traditional, some almonds, some what cashews were in there,
some raisins, some eminem's. I gotta say, there's a top
five thing maybe you shouldn't eat before speaking. It's just
it might just be peanuts. It's like back in my
(12:53):
throat kind of like a So that's what I'm That's
what I'm working with right now. That's my breakfast. Anyway,
after our breakfast, we moved through the breakfast in bed. Apologies.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
My choir teacher in high school, Yeah, she liked to
eat potato chips, Oh weird my things before podcasting.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Don't do the don't do the sparkling water or just
your your you know, like like the carbonated it's just
powerful carbonation. Just get burpy. Don't eat anything peanut based.
It's just kind of got a scratchy throat going on. Anyways,
our breakfast and betapologies. This is our chance to make
right when we got wrong on a previous episode. Frequently
(13:31):
the first time we talk about the NBA, but we've
already jumped in for the NBA. Don't have any big
air I want to atone for. But I would like
to say I feel like maybe I let the listener
down by not preparing a bit about this year's Hustle
Award winner. I feel like it's every single year I'm
(13:52):
like this, the Hustle Award is so stupid. And Draymond
Green won the Hustle Award this year. I think if
I have gotten sinteled, I would just say I didn't
prepare a long list of stats saying that this award
is fake and I don't understand how Draymond won it.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
How does how does Dyson Daniels not win that award?
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Hit wrong? Hustles although I uncovered it years ago when
Marcus Smart won the Hustle Award, and I'm like, this
is very fishy. The numbers don't back it up. It
really seems to heavily weigh charges, like if you draw charges,
they're like, this is the most husty thing you could
possibly do. Right. But again this year, I dove heavily
(14:37):
into the Clutch Player of the Year award stats last
episode that was my big blowout on these stats are dumb.
I reached out to a couple of NBA Award voters
Dave to try to find some answers on how Jalen
Brunson got so much of the vote. I've gotten no answers.
They don't have good they don't have good theories.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I mean, I think your theory on sorted by points
kind of does.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I feel like the NBA gave guidance was like, listen,
we don't even think about it, just we don't care,
Like these are anyways. By the way, Dyson Daniels Most
Improved Player good, I don't. Yeah, it's kind of a
passionate no. I mean, for me, I like it because
it's the genre of we didn't know he was this good.
(15:18):
When the Pelicans traded him, right, they didn't think he
was this good. If they would have known, he would
have averaged three steals per game. I don't think they
would have done the trade, and they're already regretting that move.
So anyways, let's take a break, Dave, and then let's
come back and let's hit a lot of these series
and let's talk about the Lakers getting eliminated at the
(15:40):
hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. All Right, Dave, the Timberwolves.
I feel like after Game one, a lot of people
were like they I thought they were gonna have the
best player in the series, but maybe Aunt Edwards is
the best player. And also it seemed so much more
(16:02):
athletic in a lot of ways, and this was a
dominant five game series win for the timber Wolves. I
think the biggest question for me about this is is
it gonna make it harder for other podcasters to get
NBA head coaching jobs because j kind of forged out.
(16:26):
I mean he tried some things. Yeah, he didn't sub
in the second half of Game four. I think that
was the game. I can't remember the game three or four.
He's like, you know what, when I sat here watching
the games on my couch preparing my podcast. I was like,
I wouldn't even sub anybody. Why haven't Why hasn't any
(16:46):
coach tried, Oh, just play your best players all the minutes. Yeah,
so he poked a whole That one for us is
this is this gonna set a ceiling on us Dave
becoming NBA head coaches?
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah? Probably, Yeah, that's too bad. Yeah, probably, I mean know,
I would say it definitely is hampering the interview process.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
I think Rudy Gobert might have been the second best
player in the series, right, Like.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
So, okay, they the Wolves were just big and they
played big.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
And this is the thing about the Lakers, I think
they just kind of ran out of gas. I think
Lebron getting hurt obviously down the stretch of the season.
He looked different in the playoffs, like this guy was
ridiculous for a few months and then he you know,
he started with that growing injury. It was different.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
And I don't want to make.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Excuses for him, because they just weren't good enough, right,
they didn't have enough guys who could play, but they
definitely have more than five. It was weird to me
that Gabe Vincent couldn't get in the game in the
second half of what was a game for and the
same with Jared Vanderbilt. I mean they couldn't give you
five minutes, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Just that Jordan Goodwin, but that's my podcast.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah, but like I really hitting the rotations aside, Jackson
Hayes might be the biggest issue that the Lakers had
right like him to being completely unplayable.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Dave, what about Mark Williams doing a little victory lap
online when the Lakers lost waiting for Gobert's been playing, Like,
let's be honest, Keith, come on, Mark Williams have been playing.
Mark Williams is not that good. Yeah, I don't know,
it's very funny.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
I think it would have been the same thing.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
We just talked about. Gobert. So Gobart, of course, in
the close out game has twenty seven and twenty four
seven points, twenty four rebounds. He had made three shots, no,
four shots in the first four games. Yeah, in the
first four games he had fourteen points and twenty five
rebounds combined. And then in game five, all of a sudden,
(18:53):
he's just rebounding everything. The terror Wolves can't make a
shot but it's their best offense. It's their best offense
is just freaking African jumpers. Seven. Yeah, it's the worst
three percentage for a winning team with that many. I mean,
you say, I think it's over forty attempts. Yeah, yeah,
but it was just them grabbing the opficse of rebounds.
I thought I thought Lebron looked like a better player
(19:17):
than Luca in this series.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Sure, even though I mean, Lucas scored a lot, though
his schooling is like it it mass.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
I mean, maybe it was Lebron saving it more where
he could do it just in spurts where you're like,
oh wow, that was that was a great play. I
was really impressed with the Timberwolves. I was happy for
my guy, Mike Conley, I sort of as much as
I don't normally cheer for Gobert. I like that Gobert
at least got one back against Doncics. But also, what
(19:49):
about a serious for a series for Julius Randall. Julius
Randall was Julius Randall transforming, transforming his entire kind of
perception around the NBA and very small sample size. He'd
had atrocious playoff stats before this series and Julius Randall.
I mean he did like fouling three point shooters, maybe
more than normal. I don't know what the total valley wassive.
(20:12):
But man, he was so good in this series, and
like I feel like you think about that trade where
it's been up and down at the beginning of the year,
You're like, oh, yeah, I mean, maybe not a good idea,
but like the way he played in this series, the
way he was able to go at Lebron and go
at Luka Doncic even just like I think they cut
(20:35):
it to three, the Lakers are cut it to three
and he has like a it's not a clear out.
The shot clock's running down, and you can see him
be like, give me the ball. He went out and
got the ball, did it behind the back dribble and
puts the tumbles back up five. I was just I
don't know, I was blown away by Julius raandl in the.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Series, him and Gobert figuring some stuff out together is interesting,
but yeah, great. He even drew a three shot foul
on Luca then it got reversed, I think, but you know,
he like but his defensive effort I thought was it
was not out of character. The thing is he has
(21:15):
done this before, right, Like I've seen him do that before,
but never for you know, four or five games in
a row like this.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah, that's a different thing.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
I mean, remember this was a secret for them last
season when they beat the Nuggets. It was Karl Anthony
Towns giving crazy defensive effort that we had never really
seen out of him before. Remember how he just battled Kic.
Jokic is going to score still, but you know, he
was able to guard him and allowed Rudy to roam
a little bit, which that is that's one of their
(21:45):
big assets, right Like, if you had Rudy back there,
he didn't need to get rebounds, he didn't need to
score because he's keeping guys away from the rim. And
if you can do that and then you're against the
team that's not hitting shots, that's the top five defense
that you get. Like with Rudy Gobert. I just it
only works if you have a guy who's hustling next
to him, like Randall did. I mean, I was impressive.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Yeah, So congratulations to the Timberwolves advancing. The Lakers will
try to regroup, try to find a center in the
off season. They probably they might lose Dorian Finney Smith
because he has a player option he can opt out.
Who knows what he chooses to do. A lot of
questions for the Lakers going forward. I mean it's hard,
of course, doing a mid season trade like this, Yeah,
(22:28):
and getting these two superstars or bringing Luca in. This
roster was not tailored for Luca. It's hilarious how much
the Mavericks roster was taylored for Luca right now and
now they made a change. I will say, actually, here
here's a cream of wheat. Worse thing. This reared its
ugly head in this game. This is just a general
thing that I wish would stop happening in the playoff broadcasts.
(22:54):
Stop telling me the team leading three to one in
a playoff series wins ninety six percent of the time.
That is a useless stat that is not even approaching
anything vaguely interesting, Like you have to at some point
give us some context for that. You could say, like
if you said, when the higher seed is down three
(23:15):
to one, they win this percentage of time, Like that's
that's beginning to approach an interesting stat. But just blanket
we're talking about all the one seed versus eight seeds.
And two seed versus if you're just telling me blanket.
In every NBA playoff series since we were to the
best of seven format, the team up three to one
wins ninety six percent of the time. Beyond useless statistic.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
It's funny.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
I mean, like what I just said it, Well, all right,
what if before the series started, if you were less
than a minus two hundred favorite, right, and those series? Again,
we have to we have to narrow this down. This
is also like, uh, the winner of game one wins
eighty four percent of NBA series. This is useless. Usually
the winner is.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Way better than the other team, right, I don't need
to know the future again, like sports is supposed to
be fun, The mystery is the fun part. I don't
know who's gonna win, Like, I don't care.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
You gotta you gotta break these things down roughly. For
like if people thought, like I don't know, maybe if
you tell me if the higher seed loses game one, Yeah, okay,
tell me what percentage they have normally winning. That's at
least more interesting. Just just throwing all the series together
in one big pile absolutely useless. You know what else?
(24:29):
It was awful? Dave the way the Bucks collapsed against
the Pacers that.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
I don't know, man, that was a valiant effort.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
That made me physically ill. Like I was watching that
game and Gary Trent is having the game of his life,
and of course they've lost Damian Lillard to this horrible injury,
and everyone's doing their Uh, what would the Bucks actually do?
Because they're over, like the Bucks are over for years,
and you have this that that sickening thing going on,
(25:02):
and then meanwhile they build a big first quarter lead,
they give up the lead, but then Gary Trent Junior
is coming up clutch over and over and over, and
then they blow a seven point lead in the final
seconds of overtime and Gary Trent turns the ball over
twice in a row. I'm telling you physically ill. And
I don't even care who won the game. I was
(25:22):
so upset. I was like that, That's what a horrible
way to lose a basketball game.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
I mean, and then I mean the way that Tyrese
Halliburton just drove to the I mean.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Oh right, the embarrassing the lack of defense for those
drives at the end of the game for the Bucks,
it was very similar to the lack of defense for
most of I felt Game five Lakers Timberwolves, where Temples
the Lakers just giving up drives left and right, well
not stopping them ball forever.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
To watch the I mean not to go back to
the Wolves, but the Wolves just just jacking up threes,
which often good looks, right, was very frustrating because sometimes
you just need to see the ball go through the basket.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I'm surprised Moxic didn't have a bigger impact, you know,
uh playing and I was like, I was like, hey,
he's out there with three minutes left.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Oh buddy, I remember, I don't know, it's like maybe
a month after the trade I realized, oh, Maxi's on
the team. I forgot, but I was thinking they might
ramp them up ahead of the playoffs, where hey Maxi
Claybook he can guard and he can well if he
shoots threes, they often go in, right they he would
have helped them. But to break him out in Game five,
(26:37):
come on.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
That was that was hard. Before we talked some some
Clippers nuggets. Actually, let's go over to the Rockets series.
The Rockets and Warriors. A lot of so much has
happened in this series because of it's been it's been
back and forth. This series right now actually is directly
paralleling the Grizzlies Warriors second round series from twenty twenty two.
(27:03):
Like every game where it's like, oh so the Warriors
of the lower seed, they steal game one sort of,
Game two, the Rockets bounce back. Then games three and
four they had Rockets had a chance to win them
but they just came up short. Then you return home,
Rockets get the easy win essentially in game five. So
this does mean I assume the Warriors can close it
(27:26):
out in game six, but so many a thing, so
many things going on, the Rockets not taking advantage of
no Jimmy Butler in game three, not being able to
get that. It was just such a disappointment. In Game four,
then you had the situation where felt like Dylan Brooks
was just needlessly antagonizing Jimmy Butler or Dylan Brooks is
(27:46):
once again poking the bear once again. And I don't
want to say.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I don't want to say he wasn't engaged before that,
but man, he got fired up after that.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Yeah, the hard foul happened.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
Uh huh, right, which they didn't even bot They didn't
even think to review because Jimmy Butler is a gentleman
to the referees. He also didn't wind up. This was
like it was like a perfect hard foul and then
that the switch flipped. Dylan Brooks sometimes is his team's
own worst enemy, right like, And he had a good game.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
He's had a pretty good series. I mean he had
he had a great game in Game five. Dylan Brooks
averages more points in the playoffs in his career than
Jared Jackson Junior. It's fun fact. Uh. The Also in
game four, so there was the play where Draymond got
he got an early technical foul. Yeah, and then it
(28:42):
looked like he was clearly going to get a second
technical foul. He kicks Tari's in in the head. The whoopsie, Daisy,
I kicked somebody in the head again defense then he
grabs the jersey around the collar and so the referees
decide to give him a flagrant and then nothing for
the the reaction. I'm of two minds of this, Dave. Yeah,
(29:06):
if it wasn't Draymond Green, I would applaud everyone involved
because I would say, because Dave, you and I both
believe we don't need to do we don't need to
inject players in the playoffs unless they're literally fighting. You
don't need to eject anybody in the playoffs. So I
liked I think it was John Goebel calling the game.
I can't remember now where they were where they were saying,
(29:28):
all right, here's the thing. We're gonna call it a flagrant.
He's good, he can stay. And so that wiggle room
I thought was a little bit amazing. You go with
anybody else that was a technical foul for like you
can't grab the collar of your opponent, you know. But
because it was Draymond, I have emotions and I'm just like,
(29:50):
get him out of the game. You got to get
him out of the game.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
The technical was a soft technical that he got, right,
it was, but yes, heard Draymond peacemaker moment, right, he
didn't have a arm around him by his neck, and
and I mean maybe that played into it. I don't know,
but I'm just glad that they were so creative because
you know, it's it's way worse when guys get ejected.
(30:15):
I just you know, I just the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
The Rockets are such a strange team. And okay they
have I mean, you got you got Shingoon who I
think uses more parts of the rim and backboard than
any other player. Like I don't want to say his
touch is bad, but he has so many like five
footers where I'm like, yeah, eighty percent of NBA players
would switch the shot. You slammed it into the heel
(30:39):
of the rim. It went in right, But it was like.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
So like he's shooting like a medicine ball.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Yeah, it's like have you seen I think it's supposed
to come off your fingers, not not your palm. But
but anyways, he has small hands. But then you have
he plays like he has small hands. Yeah, but then
you have like Tarry Eason and a Men Thompson, who
both who both played like college basketball players in some
(31:08):
sense in the fact that like they do so many things.
We were like, oh, that looked ugly, Like that shot
was tear Tarry Eason, same thing shooting jumpers. You're like,
whoa brother, you got to figure out a handle in
his shot to make it in the NBA. And it
turns out, no, that's false. It turns out my just
raw awesomeness even carries over in the NBA. And you
(31:29):
have a Men Thompson, I don't know what his final
stat line was beyond incredible.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Game five, he had five I know, he had five steals.
In the first half. He finished like twenty something points,
bunch of rebounds, a bunch of blocks, and he's just again,
like out of control. It felt like at times the
Rockets were like forcing it to him to get the
highlight play like he got the he got the steel.
Now it's just just trying to him to finish. Yeah,
And I don't know, watching those guys play, it's.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
Just they throw him all the time, right.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
I think it's because they're pretty under the rule you
got the steel. We need to make this the sports
inner highlight. So I don't care that Dylan Brooks is
open to my left. I'm forcing it back to a
Men Thompson even though even though the defense is like, hey,
I'm not gonna get dunked onto.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
And So I love Tarry Easton and a Men Thompson
because they're like throwback guys right like right now again.
And I talked about this a lot, like the skill
curve in the NBA Number one, it was exponential for
years and it's flattened out. So you basically like one
through fifteen are some of the most skilled basketball players
that ever exist on the planet as far as just
(32:31):
being able to shoot, dribble, all these things. And these
guys are lesser than at at the stuff that's like
the hand eye coordination skills. Not to say that they
aren't excellent at that stuff, but the in the gym tricks,
you know, of the sport.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
You would say, you would say, this is stuff is
terminology we use, but you would say they don't have
a bag. They're right, you know, like they don't have
they don't have like, oh, Jamal Crawford can get the
shot of like Jordan Clarkson is is like someon wuld
say Jordan Clarkson is a better basketball player and and
you know that's the thing people say, meaning, well, he's
(33:09):
more fluid and has more skills that can make these
beautiful step back jumpers all the time. But Aman Thompson
is a monstar, right, and he's better at basketball, you know.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Yeah, he has impact and so like you know, there
used to be more the league used to have more
of these guys. It was just like, why is he
good while he's just a so much a better athlete
than other people, And a lot of it was like
great athletes being pulled up to average NBA players, but
they were awful at all the basketball stuff, right like
couldn't shoot, couldn't catch, things like that, but they were
(33:40):
just freak athletes, so they would make it. So these
guys are a little bit like throwbacks. And also like
the way that the league has shifted as far as
just like styles now, like it's non homogenized, right, Like
shooting looks so different from guy to guy because biomechanics
is actually advanced to the point where we let guys
(34:01):
shoot like, oh, what's natural and then we adjust, right,
so you've gone back to what you know in the
eighties used to have.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Some freaky shooting styles.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
A lot of like the stylistic changes that we're going
through right now, a little bit of a throwback, and
those guys are part of it.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Well, I would say the Rockets roster arguably the most
unique roster because like we're talking the guys we just mentioned, yeah,
Tari's and Men Thompson and Shingoon, none of those guys
have I mean obviously AMN has a sar. It's like
(34:37):
there aren't really normally copies of those kinds of players.
They also have Steven Adams. You've got Fred van Vliet,
who's not that normal. He's pretty atypical. Dylan Brooks, you
could say, is a little bit of a one of one,
the negative wing, spanned defensive stopper who is just a
wild man and a little loose cannon at times. Jalen
(34:58):
Green might be their most typical, just a stereotypical player
and he's had a big up and down series.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Jabari Smith Junior is like super weird, but he.
Speaker 2 (35:09):
Is at least a traditional like nineteen nineties basketball player.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
Sure, but they be big and play him at the three.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
I love their big lineup so much.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
Really is a Swiss army knife. It would be amazing,
Like I would love to see what it looked like
if they had like an organized offense.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Yeah, we just gave them a lot of attention for
the next team to get eliminated, but to wrap they're
probably out to wrap up that series. I have a
lot of strong opinions about Pat Spencer getting ejected. Pat
Spencer comes in and headbuts Alprin shingoon it the game
wasn't totally over because, yeah, things were getting a little
(35:49):
bit nervous because the thirty point lead had been cut
in half. But Pat Spencer comes in clearly headbutts a guy.
He already has a cop stash and looks a bit problematic.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Podcast.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
I'm glad he got ejected. And here here's here's here's
my take, Dave, I'm gonna unleas should take all right.
I would like to see him ejective for the next game, too,
suspended for the next game, because I have a belief
that bigger suspensions should be handed out to lesser players.
(36:25):
If you're a thirteenth man and you had but the
starting center when you're down fifteen points in the fourth
quarter of a playoff game, Sorry, buddy, Like that is
that feels like it could be if if punishments were
handed out equally, that would then.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
It feels like, are you saying Pat Spencer's.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
I would say, I've seen it, I've seen I've seen
the Spencer brothers, and I would call it a posse
and you know, but but by the way, I love that,
Zach Zarba ejected, Cam Spencer, Cam Spencer. That was a
great moment. I watched this game like three hours after
it happened because I nearly died moving my washing machine
(37:08):
out of my basement. It's okay, just I might have
almost lost a foot. It's cool thanks to my buddies
who uh as we push the washing machine up the
dolly up the stairs. Anyways, I enjoyed the slip of
the tongue where Grizzly's two way player Cam Spencer was ejected.
But Pat Spencer, if you're a bitch player and it's
(37:31):
a fifteen point game in the fourth ward of the
playoffs and you get involved with a starter for the
other team, no, you should be spinn of the next
game because otherwise you could try to instigate things and
try it like because if they both get thrown out,
that obviously hurts the rockets way more.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
You know what if you're if you're adjusting for impact,
if you think about it right, yes, you barely play.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Yes, maybe it should be three games. I'm just saying
it's it's kind of like actually, like I.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Feel like you're rich and you get pulled over. Your
speeding fine should be much higher because you want to Yeah,
it's a sliding skal.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
That was literally what I was about to say. Dave. Also,
where you're coming from, I'll sell your ticket. Your speeding
tickets should be based on the weight of your car,
how dangerous you're the thing you're doing is anyways, I
think Cam Spencer, sorry ha, Pat Spencer, dirty player. Can't
let him out there.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I like that take. That's a great one.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Let's uh, let's talk about the Nuggets game of the
Nuggets Clippers series. So after Game three, everyone was like, see,
the Clippers are the best team. They're one of the
best teams in the league, just like we thought. And
then Game four happened where you got the Aaron Gordon finish.
They the Nuggets pull that out after blowing a lead.
(38:49):
Then Game five, Jamal Murray arguably has the best performance
of the postseason for anybody so far. And now the
Clippers are on the brink of elimination. This entire series,
the casinos, the sports books have really thought the Clippers
were going to win even and it was two two
and the Nuggets had home court advantage. The Clippers were
still big favorites. But then Jamal Murray shows up, and
(39:13):
now the Clippers are on the brink of elimination. What
do you expect for this Game six that you're going
to dave, I think.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
It's gonna be I think I think the Clippers are
gonna win. I think we're gonna get seven games.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
Wow, this is so you're still like everybody, you still
believe in the Clippers. Yeah, like the better team for
a lot of the time.
Speaker 3 (39:30):
Well, I mean, look, there was an argument to be
made if you look at those first four games, they
should have won all four of them, right like, and
for reason.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
They lost too and they could have lost a third.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
Right exactly. And there's so there's various reasons why they
lost the games that they lost, right Like. I mean,
you know, James Harden gives up that that rebound at
the end of at the end of regular or you know,
on the on the Aaron Gordon putback, So I just
think it's been really close, and then you get this
breakout Maul Murray game. But he's been incredibly inconsistent and
(40:04):
too bad this year, right, Like, he has not been good.
He hasn't looked good in this series until this game.
He's had a few moments here and there, Like he
had one quarter, I think he put up like eleven
in a quarter, right, but it was all tough shots,
right Like, He's not getting anything easy, nothing in the
flow of what they do. So you know, that game
(40:26):
is an aberration to me, like I almost say, Okay,
prove to me you can do it again. And also,
role players usually play better at home. They got a
big Russ game, right, He hit twenty one off the bench,
And part of that is that's because the Clippers won't
guard Russ right like they're they're leaving him open and
he's making them pay. I don't know if you'll get
(40:48):
that again, because he's now done it to them a
couple of times. I don't know. I just think the
Clippers will play better at home. I know that's like
a stupid cliche thing, but it really is. It's real,
and especially for this team, and they do have the defense.
I just don't know why they haven't been able to
show up in the big moments. Right. It feels like
every single time there's a clutch possession, Denver gets something
(41:12):
that they want.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Well, I mean, that part's not a mystery, I know.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
But you know, but Zubach for the rest of the time,
I mean, he does a pretty good job. Even on
the shot, I mean the shot that misses. Zubach guards
that hell out of him.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
What Kawhi double. It seemed like he might have helped
Kawai also man on the comeback keeps turning it on
and making these incredible steals and doing these like claw
things where he's like he still has the claw, he
can turn it on every now and then for these
like but.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
James Harden's got to do more for them, right, Like
that's actually been the guy who's missing.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Yeah, I really I think I'll be legit said if
we don't get a game seven out of this one,
because these guys are so These are two of the
best teams. These are two of the best is it
six teams? I don't know, to the best seven teams
playing right? Maybe to the best five teams. You know
they happen to be facing off in the first round.
It's been amazing. Let's uh, let's answer a single listener
(42:10):
submit a question, Dave. This is the Croissant questionnaire.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Any questions?
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Yes, are you going to finish that quiss.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Knock yourself out.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Stavro wants to know. This is in regards to the
Pacers playoff shirt is yes, sirs if you haven't seen it.
For the listener, this is an audio format the Sir Pacers.
It's abbreviated where it just says c e R s
yes Sirs, like yes Pacers slash. It's a yes sir
(43:02):
is yes sirs. The dumbest slogan since see US Rise,
which looked like it was the C and then the
US and it looked like it looked like cuss cries
or see it. It was very confusing to look at when
the Celtics did it. What are your thoughts on yes sirs?
Dave Uh?
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Do people call them the sirs? Are they like, yeah,
I'm gonna go to the surs game?
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Not that I know of, right, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (43:28):
I mean, it's pretty bad. That's that's pretty bad.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
So it's the Celtics. It's bad, but it's playful and
different and because of that I find it mostly Okay.
Here's the perspective I hadn't considered. My wife pointed out,
doesn't yes sir have a negative connotation, especially in this
maybe time of history where we don't need people just
saying yes sir? Like yes sir has a compliant feeling
(43:54):
to it, of a just following orders feel to it.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
You know, I would say with that, it's more of
a yes is very not s yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
If they've gone with yeah, all right, an authoritarian Yeah,
if it was less less authoritarian fought, that's a good point. Yeah.
So the Pacers advance. We haven't given them much love.
The Calves advance in record fashion. The Miami Heat traded
in the eleventh pick to have consecutive home losses by
(44:32):
an NBA record ninety two points.
Speaker 3 (44:35):
Is the cruise industry really like down?
Speaker 2 (44:38):
I mean, I know you play to win, but like
both the Grizzlies and Heat got swept, and both of them,
by making the playoffs, lost their first round pick. They
would have had their first round pick if they both
lost their final play in game. The Grizzlies give up
a fourteenth pick, it becomes the eighteenth pick goes to
(45:00):
the Wizards. The Heat lose again the eleventh pick with
like a maybe like a camera, like a one and
twenty chance of jumping up. That's tough. I don't know
where the Heat go from, no path to anyways. Hey,
they and the Suns and the Bucks. There are several
(45:21):
teams out there. We are like, you're just kind of done.
What do you do anyways, Let's take a quick break.
Oh no, no, no. If you want your question answered on air, listener,
thank you, stabbro for the question if you want your
question answered on air or as part of the monthly
milliona Bunch bonus episode which will come out soon. It's
April's episode didn't come out yet because of me almost
(45:44):
dropping a washing machine on my foot. Uh the uh
that if you want your question answered on air, become
a Patroon supporter. What you keep saying almost well almost
was it just so traumatic?
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Well, come do?
Speaker 2 (45:59):
It did come to a rest on my leg for
a little bit. I'm if there were a game tonight
I could play. I'm not even questionable. I'm I'm there's
like a raised swollen part. How many people were involved
in this? Three three three gentlemen moving a washing machine
up a tight stairs and a dolly Okay, I'll say,
(46:22):
I'll say it was just one of those Hey. I
saw that Adam Schefter story about about how John Elway's
friend died falling off a golf cart, and I'm like,
that's just horrible, just random accident. It could happen anytime.
And then like four hours later, there's like a washing
machine where I'm like, we almost kind of dropped. That
would have been bad.
Speaker 3 (46:38):
And then I'm like, yeah, that's not an accident in
my opinion.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
Because the preparation wasn't there.
Speaker 3 (46:44):
Yeah, yeah, like that's that's not like being cautious.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
And you know, well, I felt like we were being cautious.
But like, I mean, how did this guy fall off
a golf cart? I have no idea. I don't know
any of this. I don't know, I don't know none
of the details.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
But I don't like the word accident. We'll have we'll
talk this, Okay. Most accidents aren't.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
By an act of god, Dave. The Washington machine could
have slipped.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
In five God.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
I was just like, that could have been bad if
random things happened. Anyways, let's just say Patreon dot com,
slash Fast break Breakfast.
Speaker 3 (47:21):
We gotta get keep some furniture moving straps.
Speaker 2 (47:25):
Yep. I'm hiring movers to get it back downstairs.
Speaker 3 (47:28):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
It's no sign. For the awards segment of the program,
the International Stackhouse Have Pancakes Award. Give it to the
worst performance in a box score, Dave. We have several
honorable mentions this week. Chris Dunnamles Turner one for nine,
Damian Millard Rip two for twelve, Dante DiVincenzo three for
thirteen and Anthony Edwards five for nineteen are three nominees
throughout the last week at the playoffs. Here they are
in chronological order as they occurred. Desmond Bane three for
(47:54):
fourteen ten points, eight rebounds, four assays, two steals, one block,
five turnovers, two personal five in a Game three loss
where the Grizzars blew a twenty nine point lead, Tyler
Hero while getting smoked by the Cavaliers one for ten,
four points, one rebound, one assist, one turn over, three
personal fouls. And then Jalen Brunson in a loss four
(48:16):
for sixteen sixteen points, seven assists, three boards, four turnovers,
four personal fouls. So Desmond Bane three for fourteen, ten points,
eight rebounds, five turnovers, Tyler Hero one for ten, four points,
Jalen Brunson four for sixteen, sixteen points, seven assists, Tyler Hero,
you know, gotta be for me. I feel like the
(48:39):
Desmond Bane. I get moved by the five turnovers. Also, yeah,
slightly more volume. I mean a three for fourteen against
a one for ten, All right, we can split it.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
I mean I watched the game No, so that's the problem.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
I watched the game two problem.
Speaker 3 (48:55):
That's the problem.
Speaker 2 (48:56):
I'm just looking at the numbers. You just gotta look
at the numbers.
Speaker 3 (48:59):
Elimination game, Tyler hero and you know he it's just
green light. Hey go out there, hey drop forty. All right,
let's just go out on her shields and no, instead
they went out on their bellies.
Speaker 2 (49:12):
I mean, just the hardest working, most disciplined.
Speaker 3 (49:16):
Oh yeah, well, speaking of by the way, Bucks, the
culture way that they lost, right, yeah, that's valiant, you know.
Speaker 2 (49:24):
Is it? Well? They fought for a while.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
They fought, and I mean, you know, you lose all mistakes,
but they didn't lose for lack of you know, effort
or any of the things that Miami rolled over.
Speaker 2 (49:35):
The Grisses fought valiantly under your destination, only lost like
two without John. You know, it's not even worth talking
about the heat though. The heat rough. Maybe maybe Andrew
Wiggins is finally available to be a fifth option on
some team. I believe in the salvage Andrew Wiggins again. Anyways, Dave,
(50:00):
that's all we have time for today. I appreciate your
time hanging out talking basketball. Have fun at Clippers Nuggets.
Let's get it one game seven. One of these series
has to go seven We need it anyways. Listeners, thank
you for your support. Patrons, thank you for your support.
You guys are the best. Thanks for listening, and remember
breakfast is the most important thing.
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