Aaron Rodgers NY Jets looking iffy, James Harden blasts Daryl Morey, Bleacher Reports Top 5 duos list is TRASH

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
What's going on? What is goingon? Everybody? Welcome to the KBR
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(00:21):
on, and follow KBR Sports onany social media platform you have. On
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A B B A N, buteverywhere else it would be KBR Sports.
And on Twitter you just put anunderscore in between the KBR and the sports.
So guys, hopefully you are havinga great day. I'm excited to
get into some sports conversation and there'sa couple of things to talk about.

(00:46):
Obviously, the James Harden news hasgone I'm kind of crazy and the over
the weekend it was pretty wild justto see James Harden essentially go nuclear.
But touch on that, sum Man. If you don't follow myself or KBR
Sports on social media, you mighthave missed me doing a reaction on TikTok
and on Instagram reels or YouTube shortsor so on in reaction to a bleacher

(01:07):
Reports top five NBA duos. Andlet's just say I had a pretty good
level of disagreement with bleacher Report underlist. So I'm going to be giving
my list today and talking about thatas well to maybe see how I'm out
of viewed it differently than how BleacherReport rationalized it. So I'm gonna get

(01:29):
into all those things. But Igot my guy snack Heel Oatmeal here with
me to talk about all these greatNBA topics. Dude, there is some
on the perimeter, like NFL stuffthat's going on. For example, Dalvin
Cook just signed with the New YorkJets, so I figured that's something that's

(01:49):
notable, but I didn't really knowwhat it's weird because NFL is so quiet
right now, right even when Iwhen I'm scraping NFL news, you know
it's news when really the one ofthe feature topics is coming from Hard Knocks
and it's Robert Salah getting on theJets O line talking about how bad the
old line is and how he's notI'm paraphrasing here, but how he essentially

(02:13):
is saying how he can't want itmore than the team wants it and so
on, and that those guys needto want it bad enough in the locker
room. And then that led topeople questioning Aaron Rodgers about the offensive line
and so on. But yeah,I just figured that was more of a
blimp story rather than me doing awhole segment about I mean, unless,

(02:34):
bro, unless you got something tosay about that. I mean, I
think Dalvin Cook going there is goingto be a good addition for the Jets.
I think he's going to be aviable option for them in the backfield.
I think that it's always good tohave, especially if you can have
an all time great quarterback and youpair that with a running back of the
talent capabilities of Dalvin Cook, thatgoes a long way. And definitely Dalvin

(02:58):
you have to imagine he's seeing achance to win a championship here with that,
with his decision to go there.You don't you're probably done talking,
man. I asked you a question. You can go ahead. I mean,
I know, I mean, youwere just rambling. I don't even
know if you wanted to, ifyou wanted me to step in or not.
I was like, man, itseems like you want to do the

(03:19):
show by yourself. You know,I'm so talented enough. I believe that
with my ability, I can obviouslydo such things. But then I figure,
why not grace you with the abilityto anyway to share the monkey with
me? You know? Anyway youbegged me to come on here, I
will. I will now talk?All right? What they call? Alright?

(03:44):
All right, you cause all whateveryou want to? I got,
So why what do you mean?All right? Let's pull him out?
I what's they call it? Listen? You got technos? I got see,
I can't post the phone calls.It sounds like a you problem.
I'm just saying. Anyway, SoI'm gonna listen. I'm trying to I'm
trying to give this this show backto where it's supposed to be. The

(04:08):
so thousand got cut, but weall know it's not because of a talent
issue, right, I mean,dude's not even thirty yet, and you
get to add him to the backfieldwith Aaron Rodgers. I mean, that's
a that's a dub. I mean, you gotta think this guy eleven yards
the last four years, Yeah,forty forty three touchdowns the last four years.

(04:30):
And you get so you say,hey, you don't listen. I
loved her, I love the strongword. I liked her cousin. But
yeah, it is, but havn'tAaron. Aaron Rodgers is definitely noted her
cousins. And so you get toadd, listen, now you always running
to reverse that Kirk Cousins. Isn'tAaron Rodgers the same? You know what,

(04:55):
It's the same thing, It justsounds different. Forever be any anytime
you have a great quarterback, it'slike, man, listen, he's about
to have the easiest season he everhad. I think he maybe Adam Jones,
I believe, or maybe has hehad. He hasn't had a running

(05:16):
back that I think has been asgood as no I mean the most notable
guys, I think, I meaneven the most recent I think, well
Eddie Lacy is one of the mostrecent ones. Oh boy, that's going
that's going back beyond even this mostrecent era. To be honest, but
I was gonna say that's a that'sa throwback. That is I'm trying it's

(05:41):
Adam something. I don't want tosay Jones, that's pac Man. But
I'm trying to. I can't rememberhis last name precisely. I have some
of the Adams in my head,but I think that was his last running
back in terms of like a highprofile back, not ever in the really
the top five echelon of running backs, but just a quality running back.
I don't think Aaron's ever had aguy that's been top five and talent that's
really been able to have defenses accountfor him in a heavy capacity. But

(06:06):
granted, yeah, I think that'sgoing to be important to see how things
play out with that offensive line,because even I saw that against the Buccaneers
in their scrimmage that they had thatessentially on ten dropbacks, Aaron Rodgers had
like got sacks six times, andyeah, that's awful. That's that's terrible.

(06:29):
And it was pretty much a situationwhere I guess that there are there
are some players that were missing fromthat line, like their tackle was out
and some other people along that linewere hurt. But it's one of those
things that you keep an eye onit because no matter how talented a team
can be on the skill positions,your line is always we talked about this,
right like your line is the backboneof your team front offense and defense.

(06:54):
And if you can't get that going, and you can't, those guys
can't protect your quarterback. Hell off, it's Aaron Rodgers back there. I
mean, it doesn't matter because ifhe doesn't have time to throw the football,
your offense is gonna be just inthe gutter and it's gonna be it's
gonna be a half of what itcould be in its full potential when he
has time to actually operate back there. So we'll see how it goes.

(07:15):
But I'm curious to help with theJets do this season. If you had
a bet you had the Jets overten wins, oh yeah, you do.
Yeah? What they finished last year, I don't remember. I know
they dropped like there's six sixth straightor something like that. But it's only

(07:39):
gonna post this PREDI season. Yeah, if you go, if you if
we go to twenty twenty two,twenty three, then it or it will
show Yeah yeah, yeah, theoverall records for the teams they won.
All right? Why have you beendoing this to me? Oh no,
I'm stupid. They won the sevengames last year with with Weston stellar you

(08:03):
know, with quarterback play. II don't think Tim Lince is impossible.
They really dropped six straight games,and I mean, bro, listen,
look at their quarterback though. Yeah, yeah, you know, Zach is
not he's got bent for a seventhrometer through. He threw six touchdowns and

(08:30):
seven interception. I mean the guys, I mean, he's not. He's
a young quarterback. Him not him. I do feel bad for young quarterbacks
because now it's like you have noruin to fail and be able to try
and get better. I mean,maybe what he saw Zach Wilson, he's
like, that's enough. Man,Listen, Zach Wilson's had I think it's

(08:56):
you know, but it's not athing where it's like, oh man,
you know, he looked it.He just you have to put just the
fields right, Just the fields lookedgood, and you're just like you see
the talent and it's like he justneeds to put it together. It's like
you watch Jack Wilson, You're like, huh huh. It's like, you

(09:16):
know, it's like how would yougo second? Yeah, you know,
it's like it's like that thing whereit's like quarterbacks are so overvalued, not
overvalued, but if they're so importantthat you're like looking at quarterbacks too,
probably shouldn't go as high as hedid, And then you look back at

(09:39):
it, you're like, man,we really shouldn't take him this high.
Drubisky same thing. Oh, Imean we have a graveyard of quarterbacks that
fall into that category. But yeah, who wasn't it It was Josh Rosen
that was taking like seven by theCardinals a couple of years ago. Yeah,

(10:00):
who's the other one? Is righton the tip of my tongue,
it's right, I can't remember either. It's right on the number one overall
quarterback, Trey Lance. That's whoit was. Oh yeah, Trey Lance.
Yeah, isn't he? I thinkhe's the third he's the third stringer.

(10:20):
I don't know how people would defindBaker. I mean, if you're
a number one overall pick, that'sah, not a bit listen, Baker,
No, that's a bus. Yeah, he's he's better than other like
he's better than JaMarcus Russell, youknow, level bad. But he's still
like, you know, he he'son his third team in him like what

(10:46):
a year? Basically he couldn't evengot it on the Rams. What would
you say? But to be fair, the Rams were just in the Super
Bowl like a year ago. Butyeah, but they were. I mean,
but look how they were last yearand it's like they basically had no
quarterback and he still couldn't play.No, you're right, but okay,
what would what would quantify a numberone overall pick at quarterback? Not being

(11:07):
a bust? Right? Because there'slevels to it if a guy able to
win. So just being an NFLstarter? Okay, I think being a
lock as a starter, like ifyou get a guy who's like, hmmm,
it's such a if you get aguy I think who's like Kurt Cousin's

(11:33):
good. I think that as afirst pick, like, you're not a
bust, You're not what he wantsyou to be. But we can we
can do something with this. Okay, so remedied me this. If Dak
Prescott was the first overall pick,is Dak a bust? Oh that's exactly
who the first person that popped inmy mind? Actually? Oh really yeah,

(11:54):
he was actually the first person topop in my mind. I don't
think. I don't think so,hm. I think Dad gets a lot
of hate, but I think Dakis. I mean, I think he's
a well above average quarterback. Ithink he's a well above average starter in
the league. I'd agree. Ithink. I think I think you can

(12:15):
get a DA level quarterback of thefirst pick. I mean, do you
think you go into though a rolewith that man? I don't. He
hasn't shown me, even with acrap ton of weapons and so on,
that he's been able to do that. But granted, Dak's outperforming his pick,
so I feel like that level ofvalue that he provides, he's provided

(12:39):
the Cowboys. Granted he's getting paidlike a first overall type player now.
But yeah, yeah, I mean, listen, uh, that's where the
floor meets the you know, theceiling come somewhat because the expectations changed with
the contract. Part of the whyI got your expectations if you're drafted number
one over all are somewhat in linewith the the capitol that was used to

(13:03):
get you and then the contract thatthat pick carries with it. And for
a guy like Dak, Jacks beenout performing his contract for years until he
most recently signed his new deal.So yeah, I think. But see,
here's the thing. It's like it'stough because it's like the most recent
year was his worst year. Yeah, and so it's like it's kind of

(13:24):
like right in the forefront, butit's like a year before that he throwed
thirty seven touchdowns tim picks. Yeah, the year where he was another the
year he got hurt ninety four,but then the year before that he goes
thirty and eleven. Year before thathe goes twenty two eight. So it's
like, if you're getting that fromone hundred and sixty six touchdowns to sixty
five picks, I mean, like, if you're getting that from a guy,

(13:46):
I'm like, again, you're notthe superstar double quarterback, but you're
still you're right there. Yeah.It's interesting because it kind of shows how
often the number one overall pick doesn'tend up being a superstar. I mean
yeah, I mean look at lookat a guy like Kyler Murray, which

(14:07):
is he is, like, he'snot playing bad. I don't think he's
I don't think he's been great,but I don't don't you know, he's
not bad like all these first overallpicks, Bryce Young, Tray, Von
Walker, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Baker, Mayfield,
Miles Garrett, Jared Goff, JameisWinston, Jadave Young, Clowney, Eric

(14:31):
Fisher, Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford, Matthew Stafford, Jake
Long, JaMarcus Russell, Mario Williams, Alex Smith, Eli Manning, Carson
Palmer, David Carr, Michael Vick. That's going back to two thousand and
one. But in that, Imean that's Bill Burrow obviously, Yeah,

(14:56):
Joe Burrow without question, Mile Garrett, Yes, yeah, Okay, Andrew
Luck, Andrew Luck. Obviously whatwas the one? Where was the one
before before? Joel Burra, KylerMurray, who's the one after Joel Burra,

(15:18):
Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Lawrence. That'swhat it was. That was like
Trevor Lawrence, uh, turning itaround. Yeah, he got he still
got to show more. He doesfor two years in twenty five eight.
Last year, Yeah, I thinkhe's don't forget them, I mean,

(15:39):
don't forget he let them, Heled them. They were not they were
pretty much out of the playoff pointand they got they got high at the
end of the season. They did, and he played phenomenal in those games.
It's just he's godicated with that momentumdid help the Colts like choked,
but nah, fightens didn't the Coltsshoke too. The Colt there, I

(16:02):
don't know how many of the lastfew games. No, I think you're
thinking of the Titans, Bro,they dropped like six straight. They both
probably did because I remember the coat. I remember this emphatically. It was
like a big contention point about howbadly the coach choked away the postseason.
Let me see. But also Iwould say in that mix, well where

(16:23):
well, I guess Jameis Winson isnot he's he's That would be a technically
a bus Uh yeah. No,the Colt broy they were They were five
and two when their last in theirlast five games, they lost their last
two. But and I just neededto win one of those games to make
it to the playoffs. Bro.When you when you talk about choking,

(16:48):
man, listen, holding on.Let me see. The quint Cam Newton
is an interesting one. I think. I know. I think he's fine.
Yeah, because I think if CamCam was the Panthers quarterback for years
led them to the Super Bowl,wont And I mean he won an MVP.

(17:10):
So it's kind of hard to saya guy that went to a Super
Bowl and won an MVPs a bust. He brought that more successful they probably
would have had any other way.The Titans fall seven in a row,
wolf first first in division by amile. They just tripped over themselves and

(17:34):
fell like I couldn't get a win, Bro, It's not like they played
it's not like they played them likegaunt late. They locked to the Jazz
in the last game too. That'swhat the sad part was. Maybe it's
the tighten something. Oh maybe I'mthe year I'm thinking about. I don't
know, because I think about theyear before. You might be like,

(18:00):
Bro, they had they had theTexans on their they lost the jack twice.
Actually they had Denver. Oh no, they'd be Denver. They lost
the Jags. The Texans the Jagtwice. And you know the technique Bro,
they had they won three games.Really, man, they were they
were not good godly man. Titansjust be dropping some horrific games. Man,

(18:26):
it doesn't make sense to go andlisten, man, I've been straight.
Yeah that's rough. They walked everyall the close games. Just just
that's just that's just said. Alright, anyways, but I think that's so
can. I don't think it's abus It was so funny. This is

(18:49):
just interjecting the fact that I ledthis this segment saying that, oh,
NFL is just like not, there'snot much to talk about with the NFL,
and then we proceed to talk aboutthe NFL for twenty minutes pretty much.
But I think, I think,I think talking about the first I
think, I mean, I thinkit's a good question, like what what

(19:10):
constitute the first first pick? Overallthere's a quarterback and not being the bus.
Yeah, it's a It's an interestingpoint of because I do think that
so many times, like people expectthat guy to come in and be great
right out the back, like ZachWilson had that level of pressure right to

(19:30):
go and prove himself right away.And I think we've noted that those guys
are the exceptions very how many guyscome in and just take off running.
I mean even a Rod it's notobviously notable that he sat behind Brett Farve
right. Even Patrick Mahomes in hisfirst year sat sat behind Alex Smith.

(19:55):
You know, Kirk Cousins sat behindRG three. Yeah. Love, Yeah,
So I'm gonna make tom but I'lllet that set well. I mean,
Patrick Mahomes technically only sat behind AlexSmith for what a season, So
you know it wasn't that long.But no, no, no, no.

(20:17):
I mean even Joe Burrow played,you know, he got halfway halfway
to the season. I think ithelps. It just helps when you have
a veteran quarterback that you can bebehind and watch. Zach Wilson didn't really
get the benefit of that. Hecame in and was expected to be that
guy. I mean, granted,now, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Rodgers already
he knows the tricks of the game, he knows the trade of the game,
and he's gonna it's gonna be alittle different. I think Green Bay

(20:41):
was making a lot of moves thatsometimes I look back and I'm like a
lot of the time truly, butI look back and I'm like, what
was green Bay building? Because man, listen, green Bay looks back and
wonder what they were building. Becausedoesn't it feel like we looked back at
green Bay say they needed this,they need did this? They also needed

(21:02):
that? Damn what were they drafting? The worst one was drafted in Jordan
Loves Do you think so that wasbecause I think Jordan was either like it
was like they hadn't drafted a receiverand I was don how long I had
draft and then it's like you turnaround, yeah, he's the first round.

(21:22):
Think I was gonna say they hadn'tdrafted the first round like byde receiver
and basically since the NFL has started, and they turn around and take a
quarterback first in the first round whileyou still have Aaron Rodgers there for you
know, a little of like whatmaybe two three years. Yeah, And
I think that was the point.It was just like, nope, I'm
done, like you guys, Youguys clearly don't want to like give me

(21:45):
where I need to succeed. I'mgood, I'm done. I'm out.
It is nuts when do you thinkabout it, It's pretty crazy. Just
it's like, how do you howdo you have like this this whole being
quarterback and are just like we don'tneed him receivers. He's fine, like

(22:07):
he like he had DeVante and thenDeVante left and it's like, you guys
might need you know, to replacehim or something, you know, just
maybe Yeah, And literally they literallydidn't take a wide receiver in the first
round. I'm in twenty sixteen rightnow, and yeah, bro, I

(22:30):
don't think they've taken one since uhsince has been a starter literally, Devant
Adams is a second round pick.This is nuts. They haven't taken one.
I thought he's the entire time he'sbeen there, they haven't taken one.
Wow. Man, Like literally allof Aaron Rodgers tough receiving weapons are

(22:55):
second round and after Yeah, itdoes. It just makes you wonder,
man. I mean you definitely realizethey were they were prioritizing defense and a
lot of their picks. I mean, the defense was definitely the focal point.
AJ Dillon, That's what I wasthinking of the running back AJ Dillon.
Oh okay, yeah, that's whatI was thinking about. Yeah,

(23:17):
linebacker, safety, Yeah, theywere. They were going so heavy onto
defensive also has not had great defensiveeither, No, he hasn't. That's
I think that's the funniest part.I think they had maybe a notable defense.
And I think the highest spot thedefense was was like six maybe and
maybe then I think that was awhile ago. It was. That's why

(23:38):
I'm laughing about it. Something wasthis is Clay Matthews era. I think,
man, who was their defensive tacklethat I'm thinking of. There was
a point when Dominican Sue was there. I think maybe Nah, I don't
don't know it was. It wasbig dude who used to dance Easter.
Oh, man, I know you'retalking about somebody, and big dude after

(24:03):
the licens cannot think of who itis. I have the picture in my
head too, and I'm just like, man like, that was the time
I think the defense was good.Well let me okay, so maybe we
need to put more respect on theirdefense because here's here's their ranks. Okay,
all right, total ranking in twentytwenty one, they were in points
they were tenth or sorry sorry wowokay, yeah, overall rank oh sorry

(24:29):
okay, and defensive points in twentytwenty, Yeah, I'm messing up.
In twenty nineteen they were ninth inpoints. They were eighteenth in yards that
year. In twenty twenty they werethirteenth and points ninth in yards, same
thing, twenty twenty one, twentytwenty two, seventeen seventeen. Outside of
that, the last time the Packershad a top five defense in both categories

(24:55):
was two thousand and ten. Whenthat's bj Rag, yes, yes,
that's so funny, bro Heat listeninghis defense. He definitely didn't get Tom
Brady treatment for his defense. Andyou know the funny thing is the last
time he had that that stout defense, that's when they won the Super Bowl.

(25:15):
Yeah, the offense that season wasten was tenthen points in nineteen yards.
Wolf for comparison, right, letme give you, let me give
you Tom Brady. Tom Brady hadsix seventeen first, third, seventeen,
second, fourth, fifth, eighth, fifteen, ten, ten, eighteen,

(25:38):
first, fifth, seventh, first, eighth, fifth, top ten
defense seventeen of his twenty years.Oh my gosh. Defense, I mean,
defense is what wins it. Man, it is. I mean,
you just need to be protected andhave a defense. Having it's great if

(26:00):
your offense is great. But thelast time the Patriots had what one of
those top offenses, that's when theylost to the Giants. When they when
they it been had five number onedefenses. They've been had two. Big
Ben had two years where his teamwas his defense was three years, sorry,
and they were eleventh, and thenthree times they didn't get top ten

(26:22):
defenses. They were eleventh, eleventh, and twelveth. That's why Mike Thomas
never had a losing season. Andit's like, man, you name you
look at what you just said.Aaron Rodgers defense man, that is different
that's got to be frustrating that thathas to be dude. I mean,
I imagine, I imagine, soall your first round picks are going to

(26:44):
that side of the ball and it'sjust not it's not having any effect,
right, That's that's nuts. Imean, hopefully this year because the last
year's Jets team, the one thingthey had was a defense, So you
would naturally hope that. Yeah,yeah, that's that's why I'm like,

(27:06):
I'm thinking they're gonna be They're gonnabe. Okay. It's like he now
has the defense, he has DalvinCooks the running game, and it's like,
all right, bro, here's theteam you wanted. This is it,
this is the this is the squad. Just protect him. Have just

(27:27):
protected Like you said before, wehave talked about defense and offensive lines and
you know how important they are andyou know they can they can ruin the
team if if they just don't theydon't protect. That is a fact,
all right, talking about ruining teams. So yes, I'm not putting it
all on that. But so JamesHarden's in the news again, and obviously

(27:52):
due to some controversial comments he madewhile on his Adida's tour in China,
and I figured better yet for meto try and read a quote to you
guys. I've always felt like thingsare better said, are better understood when
you guys can hear it for yourself. So I'm gonna go ahead and play
you the James Harden audio of whathe said on his China tour. You

(28:15):
get the idea of where his mindsetis at, and then you know,
well, then discuss he's a liarand I will never be an organization said
your moring is a liar, andI will never be. All right,

(28:41):
So now after you all got it, finally you can hear that, you
can make your own opinions on it. But I do want to also give
you some background with that, withthat bombastic James Harden's statement pretty much,
so a lot of what the stemsfrom is what happened, I think last
offseason when James Harden got traded fromthe Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia seventy six

(29:03):
ers. So going into that offseason, James Harden had at forty seven
point three million dollar option and hedeclined the option and ended up signing a
two year deal that was worth sixtyeight million. So in that first year,
his salary was about thirty three million, and then now he opted into
a part of that salary was thirtyfive million, so he essentially took a

(29:26):
fourteen million dollar pay cut. Now, this pay cut allowed the seventy six
years to go and signed guys likePJ. Tucker, Daniel House and so
on and be able to try andgo for that championship. So you know
James Harden's sacrifice on the front endand what you would presume, so they
could obviously make that run at achampionship and then try to go and get

(29:48):
that money back on the back enddo a max long term guaranteed contract.
Now, what James Harden did indeclining that forty seven point three million dollar
option, and this is according tothe spot rack, because you know,
I always want to go to thepeople who are smarter than myself. But
this is according to how they evenperceived him declining this option. He essentially
reset his starting salary point. Hadhe exercised that option then then signed a

(30:14):
maximum free agent contract next offseason,Harden's twenty twenty three twenty twenty fourth starting
salary would be one hundred and fivepercent of that forty seven point three million
because he had earned more than themaximum salary in the previous year. This
means that Harden could have cashed ina forty seven point three million dollars deal
with the opt in plus forty ninepoint seven million or ninety seven million over

(30:37):
the next two years had he stayedin that current plan, twenty nine million
dollars more than his current contract contains. And just to give you a breakdown
of how they compared it on twoyear basis and the different scenarios. So
on his current deal, James Hardenis set to make sixty eight point sixty
four million dollars right now if hehad taken the current salary, then opted

(31:02):
out and then got a max contractgoing into the next summer. So if
he would have opted in, orhe would have played that first year in
Philly right then, coming into thisoffseason, if he would have opted out
and signed a max he would beable to have made seventy nine point nine
million just considering two years now.If he would have stayed with the original

(31:22):
option then, which would have beenexercising his original option worth forty seven million,
then signing a max contract next summer, which would have been this upcoming
summer, he would have been ableto make ninety seven point one million in
those two years. So that justgives some perspective into how much money James
Harden has given up here for theseventy six ers. And I'm guessing on

(31:44):
what was a promise from Daryl Morey, because it's a pretty strong stance to
come out and say Daryl Morey's aliar and I'm never going to play for
an organization he's a part of.Ever. Again, that's a strong take,
you know, And I would assumeif Daryl Morey made a pro And
I've even you know, I've listenedto different pundits talk about this, and
Bobby Marks even alluding to the factof Ramona Shuburn. First, let me

(32:07):
see what she said first. Soshe said that this is just the beginning.
She said. Ramona says this,someone had told her this is only
the beginning, and that it expectedto get much more uncomfortable for James Harden
and the Philadelphia seventy six ers.Like he's from his side of the camp.
He's like planning to make things likevery very uncomfortable for that seventy six
ers organization. And when I listenedto Bobby Marks, talk about the whole

(32:30):
ordeal. He gave in a perspectivethat I thought was very interesting because he
said that in the way that thisdiffers from the Ben Simmons situation, when
Ben Simmons initially requested his trade andwas not playing games and so on,
Ben Simmons was on a four yeardeal, So any penalty that would have
been exercised to Ben Simmons in termsof his contract really fell on dall teeth

(32:52):
because of the fact that he wassigned for four millions. He was signed
for four years. What changes forJames Harden though in this context, is
that there's language in the CBA forwithholding services and pretty much under withholding services
in the CBA, is states,a player who withholds playing services called for

(33:12):
by a player contract for more thanthirty days after the start of the last
season covered by his player contract shallnot be deemed to have completed his player
contract by rendering the player the playingservices called for their Under accordling, such
a player shall not be a veteranfree agent, and shall not be entitled
to negotiate or sign a player contractof any other professional basketball team unless and

(33:36):
until the team for which the playerlast played expressly agreed otherwise. So in
short, if James Harden decides notto show up for at least thirty days
of the season of the start ofthis season, which is the last season
under this contract that he's on,then essentially, if he doesn't show up
beyond that thirty days, then essentiallywhen he that contract would have expired.

(34:01):
It's up to the seventy six ersif they really want to say, oh,
you're a free agent or not,or for him if it's up to
them. Also if he can evengo sign anywhere else. So essentially he
would just be kicking It's kind ofthe same thing the NFL does with the
franchise tag thing, where they canjust keep franchise tagging you and kicking the
can down the road. So nowyou're in a weird situation if you're James

(34:22):
Hardened. So you see, bothsides are in an awkward position here,
and you and you go on andtell me some of your thoughts here,
because I think both sides are ina weird position here in terms of leverage.
I mean, how would you surmiseor how would you evaluate how you
see this whole layout of how thingshave gone down between these two sides.
I don't understand James hard Okay,okay, First of all, sources sources

(34:47):
have told me that. So theidea was that James Harden and Maury had
a handshake agreement. He would goingto get a back to contract and obviously
Rene, so I like, I'mjust go in a trade request. Okay,
Okay, you know obviously you feelyou feel snaked by by Darryl Morey,

(35:10):
and you you know you want atrade request. The problem I have
with James hardin he demanded to goto the Clippers, and the Clippers were
like, nah, we're good.And so I'm looking at James and I'm
like, so what do you wantnow? Like do you want to go

(35:35):
to another team? Because you haven'tyou haven't said you wanted to go anywhere
else yet, and so it's like, what do you want them? To
Just keep working with the with theClippers because seventy sixers aren't going to attach
a pick to it. They're notgoing to attach a young player to him.
You know. It's like, youwant to go somewhere, We're not
gonna you know, we're not gonnascrew ourselves to get you to get you

(35:55):
off here so I'm looking at JamesHardin, I'm like, what's your plan
here. I So, from theway I'm viewing it, yes, I
agree with you. I think obviouslythere was an agreement of some sort,
and I and Bobby Marks noted this. I don't know if the NBA actually

(36:17):
would do this, but they actuallymight investigate that whatever agreement might have been
made, because if James Harden gaveup money and essentially like negotiated lesser money
to help the team on the promiseof more money on the back end,
that might be something the NBA couldlook into, because that's kind of that's

(36:38):
shape, that's that's shape. Problemis the problem is like, if it's
a handshake agreement, it's because sillydid get hit with the tamper in charge
already with with p J. Tuckerand Daniel House. So if they had,
if they but if Murray can youremember him and him and Harden had

(36:59):
a great relationship, yeah, allright before that, and so it's like
if him and more sat down andjust you know, head hid agreement.
Hey listen, I got you onthe next the next contract, then it's
like they can investigate. But Imean, there's something going to be there.
So that's the weird thing with that. But I just I don't I

(37:20):
don't know if there's anything in theCBA pertaining to exactly this. The CBA
so long, I don't know.I try to ask you find something there
was something like I try to searchwith the word player. Yeah, good
luck with that. Yeah. Right. So when it comes to that scenario,
yeah, I don't think. Ithink if if I had to lean
on the NBA giving disciplinary action,I doubt it. But I think when

(37:42):
you say what is Harden's angle,I think his angle is that, look,
I can make this team. Ican make it miserable for this team,
right they can. You can tryand I mean, you can send
me home whatever. But if yousend me home, you're the ones that
are like dismissing me. That's notme not trying to play for the team.
Right. So for Harden's things,it's not at this point, I

(38:06):
don't care what I don't care whatyou get for me. Either you get
something or I'm gonna walk in ayear and best believe I'm gonna show up.
I'm gonna make it. Just likeRamona's report apparently was that it's going
to get very uncomfortable for this team. And I don't think Harden's gonna make
the mistake of becoming fat suit hardenedagain like he did with the Rockets.
But even when I watched him playon those Rockets teams and he was buying

(38:30):
for himself to get traded, Hardenwas doing things like throwing terrible passes.
He was he just wasn't playing goodbasketball, and it was obvious that he
was going to playing him was takingthe team like he was doing just enough
right to have nice numbers, notto hurt his stats. But at the
same time he was doing he waslike throwing bullet passes to people. He

(38:52):
was very being very passive, aggressive, aggressive of his time on the court.
And when you have just don't know, Oh, I was gonna say,
I don't know if this might bea little too far back, but
you remember Vince Carter, yes goingout in Toronto, go Like, if
you look at his stats before hebefore he got traded, you want to

(39:15):
talk about somebody sand bag. Imean he was blighted with it. Yeah,
And it's like I'm saying, youcould see that level of of James
Harden and exactly, and if you'rethe seventy six ers. Do you want

(39:38):
to deal with that because if therewas an agreement, because there's players agreeing
siding with James Harden, and thisgranted, players normally have each other's back,
so that's not too much of asurprise. But guys like PJ.
Tucker have already come out and supportedJames Harden. I've seen guys like Paul
George, Evan Turner and so onsiding with Andre Gudala how to take in

(40:00):
the back for James Harden. Andthey even said what James Harden did was
calculated doing what he did in China, because we know Darryl Morray's history with
China. So and obviously people inChina are master James Harden fans. Yeah,
so, yeah, apparently it wasvery calculated on Harden's part. Oh

(40:22):
sure, sure. And so Ialso, I don't think if you're if
you're the seventy six ers, obviouslyyou're trying to prioritize Joel Embiid is your
priority at all costs, right,and sacrificing a season of Joel Embiid being
able to contend for a championship isnot ideal under any circumstance. But that's
essentially what you would be doing ifJames Harden is going to be a cancer

(40:44):
in your locker room. So youessentially have one of three options. If
you're Philly, you play hardball.You say screw it, James, You're
going to report like you're under contract. And if you don't want to report,
then you're just not going to gointo free agency. Right, you
can play hardball. You either tryto do that or you try to work
things out with James and see ifyou can somehow fix the issue, because

(41:04):
you if the only circumstance where itmakes sense that Darryl Mori Reniggs on the
hardened promise is because of Harden's performancein the playoffs, Right, I was
gonna say something and which I waslike, I was like, man,
listen once you I mean, you'reonly gonna miss him the regular season.
So it's like, I mean,why not just go ahead and and you
know, let him be a cancer? Like I want to get into plow

(41:27):
season. What's the difference between himand I don't know, we're the bench.
Come on, oh, I'm justsaying. You know, somebody off
the bench wouldn't score from when ninepoints in Game seven? It was rough.
It was rough is not the bird. It was if you were being
very you were being very kind rightnow. It's so weird too, because

(41:53):
he led the league and assist thislast season. I don't get it.
Play one ten, don't get it, man, I don't get how he
managed and then just shaw the glimpseof of dropping forty two in that series,
he dropped forty two Game one.We really were like, yo,

(42:14):
he's back. We really we reallythought, no EMBII and he he went,
He went out, and so heain't back. He put up nine
points, nine points and a ninenine. He got outscored by PJ Tucker.

(42:42):
Yeah, and p PJA played twentyminutes. James played forty one.
Yeah, it's pretty it's pretty bad. Like, no, that's not pretty
bad. No, no, no, that's not that's not pretty bad.
It's awful. That's trash with garbage. That's unbelievable. That might be the
worst performance of a game seven froma a star slash superstar like that.

(43:08):
I can think of off the topof my head that that's that's a bisbal
it is. I can't even Imean that that's true. I don't even
I don't even blame more for beinglike, nah, no way, I'm
giving you a mac deal when youscored nine points in the game seven.
And it's not like he played betterbefore that. He played good in game
one, and then he had Ithink one more game in the series where

(43:30):
he played really well. Yeah,game five. Then it was game five,
I believe it was game five orgame four. Then he dropped forty
two points. Yeah it was gamefour. And yeah, and then besides
that, he was he was,he was, he was solid. In
game five, I think he haddouble double, seventeen points, ten rebounds

(43:50):
or ten assists, eight rebounds onwhat the what the shooting looking like?
Well on that in that game?Yeah, in that game did sixty nine
or sorry, fifty percent? Okay, all right, no month, okay,
wan bad James hard. So Imean game game six in game seven

(44:14):
were horrific though. I mean Gamesix he was four or sixteen twenty five
percent from the field. Game sevenhe was three of eleven twenty seven percent
from the field. I mean thosewere just that was incomprehensible that those were
awful. Two closed out games.Yeah, and yeah, I thought,
you play yeah, and that's enough. That's the craziest part. It was

(44:35):
its two closed out games they wereup. Yeah. I think we talked
about it during the playoffs where Iwas like I read off games hard and
closed out games fats, and theywere like disgustingly low. But like compared
to his event is his playoff statsand even you know, more more lower
than his regular season stats. Yeah, And it's just like, I don't

(44:57):
think I can't name somebody atop myhead that is just not built for that
moment. But I'm not even I'mnot even Tronna be fucking or anything like
that. I'm just being like superdead, I'm doing super serious. But
I don't know anybody who just justhas this massive drop off when it comes
to the closed out game. Andit's not like he has. It's not
like it's like one or two gameswhere it just swings wildly. No,

(45:22):
he has double digit playoff games inthis in this situation, Yeah, and
he just he just falls apart.And I think the only guy who even
of the modern era, who's evencloser would probably be Chris Paul, Right,
Chris Paul is I don't been ChrisFault in clothes out games. Well,

(45:43):
I mean just from more so fromthe standpoint of like just I guess
disappearing. I don't think he's beenJames Harden bad, but no. But
the difference is for me with ChrisPaul is like Chris Paul is a six
foot point guard. Like, I'mnot shocked that, you know, I'm
not shocked in the playoffs if hehas a harder time, you know,
scoring the ball than you know,a six six guy who's like two thirty.

(46:08):
You know, you know, it'sjust two different levels of difficult of
scoring. Yeah, I agree,you mean, yeah, yeah, you
mean to tell me a guy whoaveraged thirty but as James Hardy average thirty
six. Yeah, and you averagetwenty one points in a close out games.

(46:30):
Nah, I can't accept that.That's just like, this is like
looking at him beating and saying,you shoot ten percent lower in the postseason
and you're doing the regular season.How Yeah, that's the baffling team.
Baffling team. So how do yousee this thing playing out? James shows

(46:51):
up and plays terrible? Yeah right, I mean again, I don't like
he's not gonna sit out. Obviously, James Harden knows that BBA and Dene
at seven. He got to showup and then see it's like Philly,
Philly tried to make a deal,but it's like James first of all,
James hartn is injury issues last lasttwo three years with the hamstring issue.

(47:17):
Yeah, to the playoff performances threethe contract, it's like because he's going
to keeps gonna want to get paid. Or it's like you win a one
year lowner of James Harden while givingup assets to acquire James Harden exact,
And and it's like I looked aroundthe league and I'm like, what team

(47:39):
has the a, the assets andbe the want of James Harden exactly.
I think that's why he said theClippers, because I think the Clippers are
the only team that you look atright away and you've realized their issue has
been point guard for years. Yeah, but then the Clippers also resign Russell
Westbrook, So what's is James Harden'sboy? It is James Harden's boy.

(48:05):
But I think from that standpoint,the Clippers aren't. That's probably part of
the reason why the Clippers aren't necessarilysitting here begging to trade away some of
their young assets or whatever to goget James Harden, because they're like,
well, dude, we got Russ. Really, we just need a healthy
season from Kawhi and Paul George.I'm pretty sure that's how this the Clippers
see things. And it's not evenlike they're asking for a lot from from

(48:28):
the Clippers. I think it waslike, oh, different, I can't
Karence Man. They just want Theywere like, we just want Terrence Man,
and the Clippers were like, yeah, no, the Clippers though,
I don't No, I don't either. I can whole you don't. But
it's like that's like, that's thelike the demand of James Harden, right,

(48:55):
is like we won't even like we'renot going to treat Terrence Man for
James harden Like you know, it'slike, no, we'd rather keep care
of Man than trade for James Hardy. And it's like, when you're that
value, that's the way I'm lookingfor. When you're value is that low,
it's like Philly, either Phil hehas with either a pick to him

(49:20):
or a young talent to him,and they're gonna be like, no,
we're not doing that. Yeah,I think they're They're determined on trying to
get like a big deal for him, and I just don't know. I
don't even think they're trying to geta big deal. They were asking for
careless man, They aren't even lookingfor a big deal. Yeah, I
mean, but I think they wantdraft But I think they want a big

(49:44):
deal in this in the sense ofdraft capital, and then they need some
stuff to line the money up.Clippers don't have draft capital first round.
They they traded all their pictures toOkay see yeah, yeah, so it's
not even like they got draft capitalof the trade. Yeah, and they

(50:06):
still don't want James Harden. Yeah, it's pretty nuts. I saw.
I'm looking around them, like,what team you gonna go to? Miami
gonna trade you? Tyler Hero noman prospects they can kind of slim.
I'm saying, like Orlando No,I like, I'm looking around the league.

(50:34):
Where are you gonna go? Myboy flowing right now. I'm just
saying, like Pop Pop wouldn't wantto trade for you. They got a
young spot ready to go, Yeah, the Pelicans, Pelicans have their spot
ready to go, Memphis, JohnMoran, Sacramento, Eric fo Okay,

(50:58):
see s Ga, where are yougoing? Yeah? It doesn't really,
it doesn't really make sense. Honestly, He's I don't I don't know why
he didn'tknocked out. I actually notknow why he didn't knocked out. He
wanted to. Yeah yeah, butbut like even Toronto though, they're not

(51:22):
going to train for him. Yeahno, he he's I mean, he's
in the he's in the perfect placethat literally needs him. Yeah. That's
the crazy thing. It's like thisteam is still like good, it's Jane.
Jane is like, if you wantto talk about somebody who's like just

(51:44):
ruin their reputation, right, likeCarmelo, Carmelo took the head, like
his competation obviously took the head.Carmello is like, you knew exactly what
Carmelo wanted. That's fine. Thiswasn't wrong with that. You know,
I get it. Some people areupset and when people take money over you
don't win a championships or whatever.Partners clearly wanted the bag. I'm fine

(52:07):
with that. Yeah, looks likeJames Harden has made it look like he
looked like he wanted to win theirring. Yeah, right, he went
to look, he went he demandedthe trades of nets and it was like,
all right, we got this bigthree. And then he saw the
dumpster fire that was that was incoming. He said, nagging me out of

(52:28):
here, and he was right,and he's like, trade me the Philly
another championship contender. And now he'slike, you're gonna leave there, and
I'm like, what do you,bro? What do you want? It

(52:49):
is? It is getting to apoint right where because you can't to just
keep requesting trades like that. That'swhy I was really I was really weird
to me when the NBA spoke upagainst maybe because James hadn't put out the
feelers of I won't play anywhere elsebesides the Clippers, you know, but
it was really weird to me thatthe NBA decided to make Damian Lillard the
target of cut the crap out abouttalking about want to play somewhere else other

(53:12):
than Miami. But you gotta rememberit, man, we were we were
getting Dame non stop Dame update becauseI'm going to Miami. Yeah yeah,
but I think naturally because it wasjust the most it was the most perfect
fit, right, I mean,that's where he wanted to go, and
that was the team that wanted himthe most, at least from what it
seemed like. Yeah. So,but I mean that thing that was dominating

(53:34):
the headlines, like I understand whythe NBA was like towing it down,
But have we heard one hard intoanywhere else report other than the Clippers.
No, But I mean we alsohaven't got a report about hard because the
Clippers and like I'm want to liketo two weeks, maybe maybe three.
It's just weird to me that thatwas where they were like, we gotta
put our front down, like thiswas this was like a dead story.

(53:54):
So James Harden said this from China. No, I'd agree with that.
Yeah, So it's like it's it'slike weird. Now now we're gonna see
like a bunch of you know,but that I was not going to be
about the trade. Now it's justgonna be about hardening in Philly working it
out. Yeah, I agree withthat. I agree. I don't think

(54:14):
he's gonna show fat hardened. Butyou're you're definitely going back to the Vince
Carter thing, right. Vince Carteraverage fifteen points with the with the Toronto
Raptors, and then he got tradesto the Nets in the same season.
By the way, he starts scoringtwenty seven a game, Like you're about
to see that level of James Hardenif you don't. If he gets traded,

(54:38):
that's facts. So I mean,I'm ready for this to tank.
I'm ready for this. It's gonnabe. Like I think he said himself.
I think a report came up fromhimself. He said he was ready.
He was ready to make it uncomfortableas possible. Yeah, for this
team. I saw that and it'slike that was the Romotah album. I

(55:00):
think it's a quote from somewhere else, and it was like he was like
from Harden directly. It was like, he's ready to make this un as
the uncomfortable for the time. Secularhypost to care. That's just such a
fun report. It's just it's apersonal situation. Wow. And again it's
just like I just can't think ofsomebody who's just Kyrie. But I can't

(55:23):
think of anybody else who you ruintheir reputation, Like as bad as James
Harden has in like a two years. The crazy thing is I think the
crazy this is the wild thing.For as much damage as Kyrie as an

(55:43):
analogous to James Harden has done tohis reputation, just at least around leak
circles, the benefit Kyrie has isthat his basketball game makes you forget about
everything else, like yeah, itall falls to the periphery when you're watching
him on the court. James Hardenhasn't done that. And then when he

(56:04):
had the biggest stage to do that, he just, I mean he flopped.
So yeah, you know that's thethat's the glaring difference between even when
Kyrie's playing bad, somebody still makesyou forget about what's going on, right,
Like that's a listing Kyrie. Kyriecan be three or seventeen and he
buffed out the layout package and you'relike, bro, Kyrie has the prettiest

(56:27):
three of seventeen you'll ever see inyour career. Exactly. It's it's like,
man, you know it's Kyrie,Kylie. It's kinde like ten or
seventeen, Like what's going on?You know how Kyrie playing Like yeah,
you know, it's like nine ofhis last ten. You're right. And
the other thing is it's like whenyou do these kind of things, you

(56:52):
probably want to build a capital.Yeah, right, so you can take
that hit and you James Harden.James Harden didn't go back cap and up
at the end of the season likeJames James Chimo probably the worst performance of

(57:15):
you know, in his playoff career. I just want to know it,
like I really want to know.Man, Sorry, go ahead, I
just yeah, no, I getyou. I kept waiting for the report
that he was hurt. I truthfully, I kept waiting for it. I
was like, shoulder has to bea shoulder or something. I think he
I don't know. I want tosay he checked out, but it's like,

(57:35):
why would you check out when you'reup three too? Well? People
kept saying he checked out because youwant to doc Rivers fired? Why would
you go up three too? Whywould you drop forty in the games if
you wanted to? That's why Idon't get it. You know that that
that doesn't make sense. That doesn'tmake sense to me exactly. It doesn't
doesn't add up. I don't youweren't you weren't control of the series,
the whole entire series. It wouldn'tmake sense. Why are you gonna drop

(57:58):
forty five and then drop forty?You know, that's the one. You
know. Funny thing is, it'snot been the Celtics series or the Heat
series that makes me weary on theCeltics. It's that series that's the series
that makes me be like uh uhCeltics, you know, because they should
have lost to Philly, like theyJoel Embi regress from being an MVP hardened,

(58:21):
goes from being almost like, ohsix Kobe levels to just I don't
even know who it was in gamesix and seven. I don't know.
I think the other thing with theBoston was the coach first year in the
playoffs. I think that's a littlea little different. I think it's,

(58:44):
you know, you have to getback to it. Look, some coaches
just come in and immediately get it, and I think it was just an
adjustment period. I would be shockedif they came in next postseason and playes
don't I want to say poorly,because they got to they went seven games
in the Eastern Conference finals. It'sweird to say they played poorly. But
I think they come in more preparednext year in the playoffs. And but

(59:07):
just to finish off the point like, there ain't no way, I how
do you how do you finish theseason like that and then go in there
and demand that a max contract?Yeah, I think it was promised.

(59:27):
Was promised. Yeah, yeah,we can't. We can't say for a
fact, but sometimes you gotta yougotta self reflect and you go in there,
you play like that, back toback games, close out games,
you're thirty thirty three, gonna bethirty four. And I'm just like,

(59:53):
that's a tough stick. I can'tthink. And honestly, I'm not even
sure on on market he gets amax deal. I don't know. That's
actually an interesting question. I don'tknow. All right, I'm running and
I'm runing. You touched on themthough you already went through all the teams,

(01:00:15):
because all the teams that would givehim a max or the teams that
would have essentially traded for him,and there's nobody out there the only team.
I mean, if the Lakers didn'tsign the intro Russell, that's probably
your bet. But no, Idon't even think that they wouldn't have the
money after they signed Reads. No, but that's what I'm saying. That's
like, those are the type ofspots he would need to go to,
but that's nobody can pay him.No, that's I'm like, I don't

(01:00:38):
that's why he wants to get traded. That's the main reason he wants to
get trade because he knows on themarket he can't get a max contract from
somebody, but he wants to gettraded so that if he gets there,
they at least had the option togo over the salary cap to sign him.
The Wizards no about it, likelike once Houston said they they don't

(01:01:04):
want this, like that kind ofshut the door. We're good, We're
good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's like that kind of shut the
door on like most like the onespot that was like he could go do
like Bro when Houston saying we're goodand they won like less than twenty some
percent of their games. Yeah,like just like Bro, and they need

(01:01:27):
a point guard. Is like theyspent forty million dollars on Fritty and they're
like, God, j Cardy don'twant you. It's you, It's not
us. Bro, like on thatplayoff series. Hurt him. Man,
if he if he like let's sayhe would have dropped forty two and like

(01:01:49):
sprained his hamstring or something, hewould have gotten the max I think,
or he would have been way morecapable of getting a contract offer. I
mean, granted, you don't wantto see him get hurt again, but
I don't know. I'm just tryingto make a scenario where he just didn't
have to play the last. Yeah, I agree, like, man,
listen, you better like man,I'm I'm putting the stay. I'm putting
like an injury port or something likeI'm putting oh you know. He tweaked

(01:02:12):
his hand string like I'm throwing somethingout there. All right, No way,
I'm leaving that just in the airthat I was healthy and played that
bad. Yeah. Yeah, becausethat's one thing, man. You gotta
have Lebron level cope. Because theway that man Lebron came out after the
after they got swept to the Warriors, that man had a cast that right
after the game. Nah, bro, nah bro, they had they had

(01:02:35):
a picture of his swollen, Like, they had a picture of his hand
that's almost swollen. So Lebron leftvery zeroed out. He said, look,
my hand fine, but after I'mgonna where the cast. Yeah,
It's like it's like, man,listen, it was swollen. He probably
didn't. The cat probably not.But you got to look. It's like
when you get in a car actingright and you're like, oh my neck,

(01:02:58):
I got a whiplash, and thenyou put on the breaks and everything
like that, when you deal withany like you go to work and like,
oh my neck, you don't worklike this, you know, oh,
man, oh my neck and thenyou damn well know, damn well,
no, you perfectly fine. Yougot a little crick when you turn
your neck. But you find areyou hopping on that zoom call? You're
like ah, oh, like ohmaybe head at this angle. I can't

(01:03:23):
hold my head this angle, man. It kind of kind of hurt me
hopping off just to go play cardexactly. It's like, you know,
you gotta you gotta sell it,look like play that. You gotta sell.
You gotta sell something. You haveto you have to. Harden didn't
sell enough. You didn't sell Youonly told the game Harder used to be

(01:03:44):
the prime time salesman in Houston.Let me tell you all them flops who
nuts man, you needed that neededthat game truly though, Okay, let's
talk about because Harden is one ofthese honorable mentions from Bleacher Reports Top five
Duo's list and the NBA as obviouslike I know it. In the beginning
of the podcast, I had alot of consternation with this list, and
I had a lot of issues withthis list because let me run through each

(01:04:06):
one and then I'll give you mineand also snack he will give you his
as well. So starting with honorablementions, they had Jason Tatum, Jalen
Brown, then Joel Embiid and JamesHarden and then Kawhi Leonard and Paul George
at number five. Mind you,those were just honorable mentions, so they're
not on the list. Number fiveLuca don Chich and Kyrie Irving. Number

(01:04:28):
four, Lebron James and Anthony Davis. Number three, Nicola Yokich and Jamal
Murray. Number two Janniss had aKompo and Drew Holiday, and number one
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Okay, so I think their list is garbage.
Okay, I meant, what doyou think about this list in my

(01:04:50):
opinions? I've already been made publiclyon this list. I want to know
what your thoughts are here, Okay, I know, Okay, So I
get the Kevin Durrett Devin Booker one. I know they don't say all stop
stop stop. I get it onbecause on paper, right they are,

(01:05:14):
they're good. They're the best ownedpaper. They're probably the best duer.
Yeah yeah, yeah, that didn'ttake a long problem paper, they're problems.
They're probably the best duo probably whatreason. And then and then they
played, they played in the playofftogether. They it's not like they look
bad in the playoffs together, butthey didn't look anywhere near as good as

(01:05:36):
Jamal Murray and Devin. And sothe thing with that is right, is
like, don't do this. JamalMurray is probably the worst player on this
list. Problems do outside, don'teven I don't think he's worse than is
he worse than through a holiday?Offensively? I think he'd But the thing

(01:05:56):
is the I think it's that's that'sthe it's how the duo performs. So
as an individual player, there's acase. But because of like him and
Yokis together are so good as aduo, that's the problem. Right they
function is it's like twenty right,It's like you like Lebron and a D

(01:06:21):
works. Lebron and a D workbecause eight is a monster on the eighties,
a monster on defense. Lebron's goodon defense. Adi and Lebron play
pick and roll. They can bothdo with on offense. They can both
show wild on offense. It's likeYokis and Murray, like Yokis set up

(01:06:42):
everything. That's my thing. It'slike a lot but like Murray was was
big in that in that postseason.Let's not do that. And the only
thing, and the thing is,it's like Murray's not gonna like Bey's not
consistent. Man, It's like,do you think he he carries this in
the next season. It's a possibility. I mean, it's only the only

(01:07:02):
but the only thing is that thatwas the last time he was healthy.
He hasn't been healthy for two seasons. The last time they're in the postseason
was twenty twenty. He tore hisacl that this season, this season,
what do you mean championship was healthy? Yeah, But what I'm saying,

(01:07:24):
like in the regular season, right, twenty points the game. That's fine,
and like James hard one and caughtme his sister James Harden average.
Yeah, but that's fine. ButMurray's not the main ball handler on that
team. That's That's my thing islike his job is literally just score and

(01:07:47):
it's like he's okay at it.No, But here's the thing. I
mean, when you go from abut here's okay. So when you average
over twenty wait here, twenty pointsper game and the regular season and then
you go to the postseason, yougo out there and you average twenty six
point one, and you've done thatfor two every postseason he's been in,
he's averaged twenty six outside of hisvery first year in the playoffs. Okay,

(01:08:11):
so he raises his play every singletime he's in the postseason. Okay,
And I naturally, I think theNuggets changed their play style a bit
when they go to when they getto the playoffs. Outside of the regular
season, I think they played throughMurray and Yokish a lot more than they
do in a regular season. They'reway more team oriented in the regular season
than they are postseason. So Ithink Murray is dependable at this point.
I think that that question mark Ialready wiped it off for him because that

(01:08:32):
was my cushing mark for this postseason. You know, So, so Yoki
and Murray, you're number one?Well, do you want to do this
where we go from five to one? So we can because are you gonna
you want to give me your wholelist or get no, no, we
can we can just go number mynumber? Or are you done critiquing bleacher
reports lists? Or well, Imean we'll talk about hours and we'll so

(01:08:58):
breacher Report number five, Well,uh, we've reporting number five was Kyrie
and Lutha. Yeah, right,how do you feel about that? Okay,
so let's give we can give oursand then well we'll give ours,
explain to ours, and we'll criticizeBleacher Reports as we do it, so
that way we're not here for alreadystarted. I already started. I know
That's what I'm saying. Like youasked me, how I feel we talked

(01:09:18):
about we're talking about Bleach Reports,and I'm gonna say right after, we're
dumb. We're gonna give ours atfive. So oh okay compared Okay,
yeah, yeah, I think it'sstupid Kyrie and Luca five? What is
Kyrie and lukat that? Oh?Okay? Are you surprised I'm sucking?

(01:09:40):
You don't feel it? Something similar? Right? Oh? Yeah? Yeah?
Yeah? God? Now what iseven the rational here? Okay?
So they're saying the MAVs offensive rainjumped to one with both on the floor.
Last year, offensive raining and theiraffective field goal percentage rows to sixty

(01:10:03):
six. The overall net the overallnet was average, So I don't know
the bro So they're they're plus theirplus minus together it was four point six.

(01:10:26):
Oh, I guess it's going byplus minus right, I guess that's
what it's going by. Yeah,it is going by plus minus. That's
how they're doing going Okay, thatmakes way more sense. Okay, so
yeah they have they're just going bysolely net net net raining, which is
stupid, it is, but theySo the problem with that is exactly as

(01:10:48):
you said, is that they whatthey just lost game. They played themselves
out of the playoff spot. Theyliterally were in a in a better playoff
position prior to making the Kyrie trade. Yeah, that's one thing. Like

(01:11:09):
it wasn't one of those things whereit was like, oh one's injured and
the others the others playing or anythinglike that. No, they both,
they're both on the court. WellLuca, Luca was hurt for part of
that. Yeah, that was thethat was he played enough time for them
to make a playoff push, andthey decided, not like they were losing
so much, they decided, no, we're just gonna eat the l and

(01:11:30):
we're gonna take the You will neveryou will never find a team just blatantly
just openly talking about taking a game. Yeah. Yeah, like yeah,
it like so bad that the leaguehad to step in. Yeah, I

(01:11:54):
mean it's laughable, but I mean, that's why I don't I there's no
scenario where they can say they dida plus minus. Sure, great,
I'm not saying I'm just I'm tellingyou the viewers, but I'm saying that's
probably, that's probably would it makessense, that's how they did it.
But that's for it's a it's abad it's a bad way to do it,

(01:12:15):
but it's an awful way. It'sit's it's the stupidest way if we
because I don't know this is there'sworst ways. Don't know the worst ways.
But I just want to get soanimated because this is one of those
things that when you have chill out, when you have honorable mentions in Tatum

(01:12:38):
and Brown they didn't even make thelist. No, and they got to
the Eastern Conference finals. Yeah,three of them the last four years did
it make the list. This isone of those things where I really was

(01:13:00):
looking at their list and I waslike, this has to be a potential
list, like potentially could do this. But even based off potential, I
still don't understand. Look and Kyrieget on that list before Tau the best
offensive players in the league, Idon't know. Luca Luca top five Player,

(01:13:20):
Kyrie top fifty. I don't knowthose your five my five. So
this was actually the toughest part ofthe list for me. Yeah, say,
I think all right, let melet me let me preface this.
I think the top three are prettysolid five. It'll be interesting when we

(01:13:44):
get there. Okay, yeah,I think it. I agree to I
think it's pretty For me, itwas clear who my top three were.
But yeah, like to me,it was like an easy, easy top
three. But go ahead with yourfive. So my five was Kevin Durant,
Devin Booker. Oh okay, that'sinteresting. That's my four. Oh

(01:14:08):
really yeah? Yeah, so okay, so now I guess we can Okay,
well, who's your five? Ihave Paul George Kaid, Leonard Oh
really. So the only reason becauseI think they're actually higher. But the
only reason, oh yeah, theonly reason I have them at five is

(01:14:31):
because they're not healthy and you can'tcount them to be healthy. Yeah,
and that's why they did but makemy list. But I think they would
be still my five. Okay,I respect that. So yeah, so
I left them off mainly for thatreason. I know they said they're gonna
be Yeah. Tyron Lou came outand said that he told Kawai Apologis were

(01:14:56):
focusing on the regular season this year. Yeah, bullshite. Okay, no
way, I gotta use Carl Doyou take me for but you guy's gonna
sell me faking, no way,no way. Yeah, there's no shot.
What was the last time Kawhi Leonardplayed over sixty games and in a
regular season before he got h beforehe got Zaza Petulia? It probably was

(01:15:24):
then, right, did can Ieven play over sixty games with Toronto?
I was actually just about to lookthat up. That was actually the last
time Toronto he played sixty? Didn't? No, no, no, no,
let's be let's be fair. Heplayed sixty on the dot, he
played over game? He played reallysixty? You have to go back to

(01:15:48):
twenty sixteen, twenty seven games thelast time he played more than sixty games.
That's that's a joke. He wastwenty five. There's no way.
Hey, there's no way. Thisman, he doesn't he's just not built
to last a whole regular season.Oh, he's not built the last of
postseason. No, he's thirty two. No, yeah, thirty two.

(01:16:12):
Dud's not built to last. Man, And that's no, that's no slight
is just the truth, Like hedoesn't that in years. Yeah, that's
that's bad. That's rough. Sevenyears was not played more than sixte years.
I said, both of them areinjury prone. Him and Paul George.
Uh yeah, Paul George, Likehold on because I think Paul George

(01:16:32):
is like kind of weird. PaulGeorge is in the same Kawhi is pretty
bad, but Paul George is ina similar ballpark. Paul George the last
time. It's crazy. Yeah.The crazy thing with Paul George though,
was like he was healthy and thenhe's like as soon as he goes to
the Clippers, he just can't stayhealthy. That Kawhi got on him,

(01:16:54):
guy Kawai fled to him. What'sit called? Oh, it's actually they
played two all right, so holdthem on. Because he played he played
fifty four out of seventy two.I mean that's not bad. So I
mean, if you, if you, if e stappolate that he played over

(01:17:15):
fifty games. Yeah yeah. Butoutside of that though, outside of that
though, he played thirty one andafter that, I played fifty sixth last
year and had to get shut downright before the playoffs. Uh, that's
just that's just rough. But likeI said that, the talent, like

(01:17:35):
the talent when they played together,like just there's great when they're on the
court. Yeah, getting them onthe court, they're they're they're one of
the scariest duos if they're healthy andplaying together. And they've always been.
Yeah, yeah they have. Butit's just it's they just can't get can't
get them on the court the sameexact talent exactly, and for me to

(01:17:56):
get one, get the other exactly. And I have Durant and Buoker here
because for one, I just theyhaven't improved anything. And two I do
I do think that Durant's still atop eight level player. Yeah wow,
not even the top five anymore.No, I mean it fluctuates. I

(01:18:20):
think I just say top eight justto give grace to others because I don't.
I don't think throughout the course ofa SEPHN Durant falls below eight.
So that's why I just say Isay that, so I don't have to
consistently be moving guys in and out, because even Durant, he deals he
deals with health issues. Like forexample, if I was to rattle hurt
himself literally hurt himself in boom uplineexactly right. So, but just off

(01:18:45):
top of my brain, if Iwas a rattle off top five guys,
Yoki, Jannis, Steph, Lucaright there, I'm trying to think of
him fifth, that's not five,be Durant. Would it be the would

(01:19:05):
you take Durant over Tatum? Thatwas actually that was actually exactly what I
was thinking of. Yeah, Iguess that's where I'm stuck at. Yeah,
I but see, I'm super highon Tatum. I I love Tatum
too. I love him as atwo way, two way wing. So
I have him at five and Durantdoesn't. Durant is like he's better than

(01:19:27):
Tatum offensively, but just the defensethat Tatum gets, he's not bad.
He's not bad on defense. It'sjust like I love, Yeah, I
just love Tatum as a as afirst of all, it is a two
way, and he's good enough asa score that I'm okay with. I
wish Tatum was a better playmaker.I've always I wish Tatum was a better

(01:19:48):
playmaker, and I wish Tatum's abetter shot, and he's problems and he's
healthier. It's actually that's the bigthing though, It's Also he's healthy.
He's health it's just younger, it'stam it's ta him fixes his shot to
election. I think Tatum's amazing.Yeah, he has the talent to do
it. I mean, this isgreat love Tatum. Just Sean needs to

(01:20:12):
be able to fix the shot lection. So and then I okay, So
then I do like, I like, that's why I like Durant in that
area. And I think Devin Bookerhe's really talented. Obviously, de Booker
is like a top fifteen guy.And yeah, I think those two together
are going to be an incredible scoringtandem right in terms of the And then

(01:20:33):
granted this is the Nuggets, thechampions, right, but yeah, it
kind of showed me though that thosetwo just doing what they do isn't I
mean, granted, this is thecase of any team, but Durant and
Booker just can't do Durant and Bookerstuff and be the best players in the

(01:20:54):
court or you know, it'll bethe best team in the court. Like
they can maybe win you a gamehere or there, and that's what they
did against the Nuggets. But weall knew that was going to run out
because it was just astronomical levels ofscoring. But if they perform at their
optimal level, they are they cancompete with the best of any duel out
there. It just you just godown and essentially assinuate that that may not

(01:21:15):
last rather and the other duo cankind of match that as well, and
who can match that? And Ithink every duo I have above on this
list possibly can match that at ahigher level or also come back that.
So when I say come back that, that means Impede, Durant and Booker
trying to do their thing. Sobut okay, so number four Bleacher Report

(01:21:36):
had Lebron and Anthony Davis. Wherewhat would you what would you say on
that ranking? Man? Yeah,I mean that's that's I mean, it's
a number, it's a ranking,you know. Yeah, that's as far
as I can go. I mean, I don't know how you get to
the Western Conference finals and fourth.Yeah, that's that's a tough that's a

(01:22:01):
tough sell to me. And that'sjust it's just that I feel the same
way. And so we already knowyour fourth is Devin Booker and yes in
Kevin Durrett. Wow, so whatis your reasoning for putting them for similar
to mine or for putting them fifthor what's your reason for that? So

(01:22:24):
I know they only played the gamesto go in the regular season, but
the postseason, and it's kind ofa skewed because Devin Bookers went nuclear for
a stretch there, but they untilhis ankle injury, they I mean,
Durant didn't play bad. Durant wasdropping twenty seven a game on Durant offition
cream and so it's like they're offensivetalent together. Who I forgot? Who

(01:22:47):
I had? Yeah? Yeah,the talent, the offensively talent, the
offensive talent together. I think thesecond best moment on in terms of dumos.
It's just Kevin Durant. Coats andDevin Booker's playmaking are got's be my
two big things. If Devin Bookertakes that next step in playmaking, because

(01:23:09):
I mean, he has responsibilities now. I think the court is open enough
for them to just they can justbe like, you can't you can't leave
Bradley Beal and what's it calls?And I don't you know? You eat?
You can't really help off Eten becauseI mean, as much as people

(01:23:29):
were crapping on him, he's anineteen and ten guy, like he's he's
a good offensive player. Yeah,and so you have those two who can
just and they can just get theirshot wherever they they can shoot. They
both can shoot, they both create, they both catch and shoot. So
it's it's it's offensive package. Outsideof they're both not great playmakers. That's
kind of why I happened fourth asopposed to hire, but a just on

(01:23:55):
terms of offense, they can theyboth can do it all. But the
reason I also have before it isjust like you said, it's tough because
the teams that the Rant would bebetter than where he's like the higher player,
It's like it's close, but thenDevin Booker is probably on the lower

(01:24:18):
end. Yeah, and that's theand then the problem also is the Rant
kind of fluctuate, like you said, kind of fluctuates. And then you
also throw in Durrant's injury issues andnow you're kind of like, oh,
they kind of got quite a fewissues now going on, and so it's
like their positives are phenomenal, buttheir negatives just kind of derailed them.

(01:24:43):
Yea, and that's my that's myissue. Basically, it's kind of like
the same thing with the Clippers,right, It's like it largely depends on
Durant's health. Yeah, totally,but they the Durant, I can't even
say he plays and more than KawaiPaul George. But like I said that,
the Rants are just like weird injurieslike Paul George and Kawai have like

(01:25:08):
knee injuries, like have knee issuesand stuff like that. Like the Rank
like just fell and twisted his twistedhis ankle Like it's just it's like he
doesn't have like a permanent n issue. He doesn't have like degenerative knees or
anything like or like a consistent ankleinjury like how Curry used to have or
anything like. He doesn't have anyof that. So I'm like, I'm

(01:25:30):
kind of okay because he also playsin the post season. Like it's not
like a thing where he has tobe shut down in the postseason or anything
like that. So I'm like,I'm kind of more okay with the Rant
and am Paul George and Kawai.Yeah, no, I feel that all
right. Number three, Well,my four, let me give me my

(01:25:53):
four real quick. Oh yeah,my bad, My bad, No,
you're good. So my four isJannasteta Kompo and either Drew Holiday or Chris
Middleton. However, people want toslice it. I saw that kind of
going around. I think it wouldprobably be Drew Holiday, but that would
be that probably be my duo,and I had them at four largely because
obviously one of their players consists ofthe best player in the Eastern Conference,

(01:26:16):
and I feel like they have definedroles, so there's really no ego thing
going on there as well. SoI like the prospect of that duo,
and they've already won together, sothey know what it takes to win,
and I've seen them be able tokind of turn it on. Obviously,
it's weird saying that after they getbounced in the first round, but I

(01:26:41):
feel as though some of that,I mean, the reason why that I
feel as they'll part in part thathappened is no longer a part of that
team anymore. Yeah, right,so no, not well, I'm not
going yeah so, and obviously Jannieis under the age of twenty nine and
he's still getting better. Yeah.So, I definitely feel though that duo.

(01:27:06):
Holidays probably the second best defensive guardin the NBA, and I would
say that the combination of having thatexperienced them knowing it's almost a guarantee every
year they're gonna finish top three inthe Eastern Conference in terms of records.
Yeah, you know, and thenat that point it just comes down to

(01:27:27):
how are they going to perform inthe postseason. Last year they came up
short, of course, but thenthe year before that they did their things
so or I guess even the yearbefore that's when they won the championship.
There you go. But yeah,so it's gonna be interesting. I think
that I think that those guys deserveto be at four. But a number

(01:27:48):
three, Oh so what do youwhat do you well, actually, I
don't know if I don't want tospoil years, but no, no,
but I was gonna say a numberfour. Do you think? What do
you think about me having them atfour? I mean, I understand,
I totally understand that. Okay,number three I had our Bleacher Report had
Nicola Yoki and Jamal Murray. Thisis probably the one that annoyed me the

(01:28:12):
most. Yeah, I get it. Yeah, I was. I was
very annoyed. It's just it's hardto sell someone that the reigning champions are
three, yeah, right, andcoming fresh off of watching them dominate,
you know, Yeah, it's it'sI'm gonna take I'm gonna take a wild

(01:28:34):
guest they had the problem I hadwith Jamal Murray. But you know,
I think about I thought about whatyou said. They have twenty six.
It's like, yeah, you're right. You know I'm I'm short and Jamal
Murray you're right. Yeah. Sothat this one for me from Bleacher Report,
it was was pretty Yeah. Ididn't like it, but yeah,
I think that's a sufficient word touse. So who who was your three?

(01:28:56):
My three? And this was thiswas the hardest point for me.
I went back to work on thismoney. I put Boston right here.
Oh really yeah, really yeah.I think our three and two are swapped.
Yeah they are. Yeah, Iknow it, Yeah they are Our
three and two are yeah. Mhmmmmm. Why why three? Jaylen Brown

(01:29:26):
is my main issue? Wow?He I guess you can go ahead and
talk about a three and two becausewe know what they are. Okay,
go ahead. So my main mymain issue is Jaylen Brown is worse than
Anthony Davis, and Anthony Davis iscloser to a superstar, while Jaylen Brown

(01:29:49):
is like a solid star and AnthonyDavis is a is a perennial All NBA
level player. And I think Jaalenis a fringe third third team All NBA
player, And the gap between Tatumand Lebron's still not wide enough for me

(01:30:16):
to be like, Okay, theyare definitive number one option and then the
second the second thing is was andwe just talked about Jason Tatum is a
phenomenal two way wink. Anthony Davisis the defensive anchor alone in his impact
no matter what happens, his impactis going to be felt if he's even

(01:30:40):
if he's having an offensive awful offensivegame, his impact is still going to
be felt as whereas and I feelthis is more Jalen than Tatum. If
he's not shooting, will like he'snot doing too much. He's not a
great playmaker. He's a good defenderwho at times kind of slacked off.

(01:31:03):
As you saw he got abused thisplayoffs. He was he was awful this
playoff series. Yeah, there's nothere's no way around it. And he's
less inconsistent than Jason Kayton mess AndI'm not gonna get into his left hand
business not you know, it's it'sa meme good enough, I don't need
to talk about it. Yeah,It's like I don't I don't need to

(01:31:29):
talk about it. I already wenton the whole rant about him. I
don't need to rehash it. Sowhen you have that and I just think
of the the consistency of Anthony Davison'sdefense and what Lebron showed me in the
playoffs last year, like he's stillkind of he still has it. Yeah,
just between those two things, Iwas like, nah, I can't.
I can't put them over number two. You know, it's interesting,

(01:31:55):
you know, you make it.That's it. That's a strong case.
I'm not gonna lie you kind ofyou got me kind of swaying on mine
a little bit because this one saysit's tough because I like, I don't
think they're that far Park. I'mgonna be honest, I do. I
don't think they're far apart. Okay, So let me let me make this
counterpoint then, because this is whatthis is what So this is when I
even wrote down here is that Lebronand Anthony Davis because they're my three.

(01:32:18):
And what I wrote down as oneof my bullet points is they have been
the best duo on the court wheneverthey are both healthy. Outside of facing
the Denver duo, I mean,yeah, yeah, And for me,
the key word in there was healthy, right, yeah, because Boston has
made it to three of the lastfour Eastern Conferences as we as we noted,

(01:32:40):
and they're young, so they're justgoing to be healthier naturally. Anthony
Davis suffers from the same issues thatwe noted of Kevin Durant, of Paul
George of Kauai, and so whenwe talk about that, then I'm like,
ah, man, you guys areamazing when you're healthy. And Lebron,
I mean he's starting to have thoseinjuries now, Like Lebron's not the
iron and he was granted he's thirty. I don't mean he's like thirty.

(01:33:04):
He's gonna be thirty nine, isn'tmy bug? You you're probably right,
my bother the Bron is gonna bethirty nine. No, yeah, he's
gonna starting on December. Yo.Yeah, I mean it's I mean,

(01:33:30):
that's amazing that that's that is that'swow. It's like, can you hear
it? That's nuts. But Imean, but that that just goes to
the point I just can't depend onthese two to be healthy. It's one
of those things that the Lakers,the Lakers knew this offseason they had to
just resign their guys because they neededrole players that could help take the load

(01:33:53):
off Lebron because he just can't beon the ball like that anymore. So
I kind of am anticipating somewhat ofa dip obviously from Lebron and production.
I okay, so when you're steppedin right here real quickly, Okay,
Yes, I also expected dipping Lebron'sproduction, but I don't think that's going
to be because of like the talentis still there. I don't I don't

(01:34:15):
think it's bad. I just thinkhe now has to pay himself a little
bit better, and he wants tohave that that Like when he got to
the playoffs, Lebron was playing crazy. He was and and so I think
he's like, okay, you know, he always did this. He he
always elevated his game in the postseason, and but in the you know,

(01:34:39):
previously he was like, okay,I can I can pay myself the entire
season. I'm good. I'm good. Now he's been old. Now he's
he's forty, you know, he'snow has to be like, okay,
I gotta I gotta pay myself now, I can't just go out there,
play thirty seven minutes, get tothe postseason, play another you know,
downplaying a forty minutes a game.I can't do that no more. And

(01:35:00):
so yeah, I agree they're probablywon't be a dip, but I don't
think they'll be a dip because oflike he can't produce. I just think
with the with the rise of AustinReeves who bawled out in the plostseason,
and you have the angel Rusty who'sgonna play phenomenal. He's gonna play good,
he's gonna play good in the regularseason. It's like, okay,

(01:35:21):
as long as I'm as long asi'm I'm they're doing, you know,
somewhat lebron things. I think weget a good a good season the playoffs.
Yeah, yeah, that'sinite thing.But go ahead, No, I
feel that, And I'm not thesame benefits that I gave like Janice and
the other duels. I give thesethese guys they've won together, and I

(01:35:42):
noted I do consider I think bothof them are top ten players. Yep.
That was my main thing too,is is both of them are top
ten players. Yeah, so Igave them both that nod, and so
I think that's that was you knowthat. That did it a lot for
me. Putting them both at threeand then two. Like I noted I
Blucher Report had Jannis and Drew Holidayhere, and I was like, sham,

(01:36:04):
fam, yeah, ain't no way, ain't no way. Yeah.
I was like, dude, whatin the way? In the way when
when they when they said the honorablemention, I was like, oh,
yeah, this was about to betrashed. There ain't no way. I
couldn't understand it. I literally couldn'tbelieve it. I was like what yeah,

(01:36:27):
Like, I was like, youdon't have Jason Tatum and Brown on
your list? Like And then whenI got to two, I was just
sitting there. I was like,fam. Actually, when when I got
to three, I was like yo. I was like yo yo, Kitchen
Murray. And then when I gotto two, I was like huh the
and the like the thing is likeno, when I got five, I

(01:36:49):
was like, five was ridiculous.Oh, It's like I don't care what
their plats mine is in Oh Iknow is they were in the playoffs and
then they weren't as simple as thatfor real, really really is just that
simple. That's hilarious because like,I get it. They're offensive ratings phenomenal.

(01:37:10):
Show me that defensive rating. Yeah, Luca and Kyrie like there's no
shot, that's a chill. That'sshow us the defense because the lawd knows
I didn't play it. Okay,So yeah we're both writing Drew Janni's off
at two. That's that's the joke. But yeah, you had, you
had Lakers here and Lebron Anthony Davis. Yeah, I had. And I

(01:37:33):
also want to say one more thingis the the winning. Winning the championship
was also a thing where I waslike, they've won, they get to
the postseason, they can do itagain. I genuinely think they can still
do it again. Yeah, yeah, go ahead, fast your point,
go ahead. And Boston, butthey got to the finals, which I

(01:37:54):
think is a big deal. Ijust want to see them get over the
hump. I feel that. See. What did it for me for Boston
was that they've had so much successin spite of all their faults. Right
like we we we meme on JalenBrown's left hand, we meme on his

(01:38:14):
dribbling ability, we meme on JasonTatum shot selection. But they still got
to the NBA Finals in spite ofall those things, still getting better.
Yeah, exactly. Like they're theone duo on this list that's under the
age of twenty seven, both ofthem. Yeah, you know, so
the room for growth is immense forthese two and I just and they also

(01:38:38):
play for an amazing organization. Theyand even like I keep catching about Jayson
Tatum, I know, but it'slike in the in the in the finals
that they lost, you like,he was burnt out. You can call,
you can say whatever you want todo about them, you know,
how bad you played, whatever,he was burned out. But in that
in that series, you saw himplaying being the main ball handler and being

(01:39:04):
the main playmaker of the team inthat series. And that was that was
not that was not all something healways did. That was a new role
for him, and he took it. He took it last season and he
continued it now. And as longif Jason just becomes if he becomes like
an above average playmaker, just again, just the opens up his game of

(01:39:26):
a lot more. You see,he will see a lot more different coverages
and I think it again opens uphis scoring now. And so again it's
the thing of like they can theycan get better. I know, Jaylen
Brown is in the in the labright now, doing nothing but working on
in cleff hands. I hope rightbecause this happened two playoffs ago and we

(01:39:53):
were saying this about his handle.So I hope right. And I'm a
Laker for you. Yeah, Idamn Jalen get together, man, Like,
I just want to see successful youngplayers. But come on, dude,
okay, Number one, No,there's no point. There's no point.
Really well, I guess it's moreso to acknowledge bleacher reports because bleacher

(01:40:15):
Report they have Kevin dur and Bookerhere and we're talking about that at the
beginning, and I just that tome sent me. I was like,
come on, man, like,you know, like in the regular season,
they they played eight games together inthe regular season. The postseason,
what you add that in. That'snineteen games that they played in the postseason.
And they didn't do a thing inthe postseason. That made me be

(01:40:38):
like, you know what these twothese two number one number one, Yeah,
okay, is Devin Booker better thanthe Kyrie Irving? Yeah? Okay,

(01:40:59):
I think because I don't think evenwhen when when Kevin duranpa with Kyrie
Irving, I think I might havesaw them on list where they put them
at one or two. I thinkbro Trace McGrady said they were grady to
do it. Oh yeah, Iremember that. Or you said they're most
skilled. Yeah, sorry, sorryhe did pay much because I'm putting yeah,

(01:41:24):
which I mean most skilled. It'sarguable just on the basis for skills.
But yeah, number one, it'sgreat. Number one. We both
have your kitchen, Murray, Imean, that's those two are so good
man. I mean, it gotto a point watching them play the Lakers
against play the Suns, played theTimberwolves and playing the the heat where you

(01:41:48):
just realize it's particularly in the Lakersseries, since the Lakers were more so
built defensively to combat everything that theywere doing, and they just were helpless
to do it. Yeah, andthat's when you realiz, Nah, man,
if it's not one guy, it'sthe other one. And if one
guy isn't killing you with the threes, it's the other guy. And the
one guy's not healing you the midrange jumpers, the other guy addishing it

(01:42:08):
to Aaron Gordon on the mismatch,you know, it was it's always something
with these guys. So yeah,they're just here's the thing, here was
a thing for me. Right thePhoenix series. It's like you have a
devil Bookers glowing in nuclear like Imean, he looked like nineteen sixty Jordans
out there juke. It's sitting herethirty five thirteen ten on almost sixty percent

(01:42:36):
shooting. It's insane, bro,It's like you have a guy going nuclear
and you're shitting here. Is hethe best player on the in this series?
Yeah? You know, And it'slike, no, no, not
at all. They didn't even didn'teven cross my mind. Literally, Yeah,

(01:42:58):
I mean it's it's facts, becauseI mean that's the truest testament of
how to say it because for howwell Devin Booker was playing, like you
just you couldn't ignore Yokis on theother end, Yeah, it was.
And Kevin the funniest part. Thisis why I don't I didn't have them
at one, because Kevin Durant wasan afterthought. Literally, I was like,

(01:43:19):
I didn't even think he average twenty. I mean, it's kind of
weird when it could because like youcould say the same thing about Maurray,
but it's like kind of the samething, but it's Kevin Durant. It's
kind of the same thing. Yeah, but it's like Kevin Durant, like,
you know, he was putting uptwenty seven. It's just you see
these guys just dropping at forty andyou know, just vast and triple doubles,

(01:43:41):
and it's like, you know,what do you do? But I
guess I guess that's what we're saying. Though. Those two were playing at
such a level. It's like almostin an anime, right, when two
people are going at it and they'refighting at such a level that everybody else
is just like, we can't evenkeep up. And that's the level those
two were at because Kevin Durant,I mean, it's freaking Kevin Durant and

(01:44:02):
he was an afterthought. And whatin any scenario when is Kevin Durant and
afterthought? Right? I mean honestly, he wasn't for this place. But
it's like that's not It's like yourkids had a game he had. He
scores fifty three and eleven and it'slike, see, but here's the thing.

(01:44:23):
They lost that game and it's likeyou see this and you're like how
And it's like Durant goes thirty sixeleven and six and Devil Booker goes thirty
six, six and twelve. Yeah, I mean that's what it takes.
That's what I mean. They onlylooked by they looked by five. Yeah,
that's what it takes. Yeah,it's like I mean, like I

(01:44:46):
said, we we we we've acknowledgedthat the number one as a real point
and really talking about that much.Who would be your honorable mission? Well,
from my list, it would havebeen Kauhai and Paul drap since I
didn't have them, Steph Curry andyou know, I know, I think
in my video I said Steph Curryand Clay, but I know they're just

(01:45:08):
slash brothers. Don't say I feellike Steph and Draymond are more of the
duo. There you go, Thereyou go? Am I wrong? No,
that's exactly That's exactly what I thoughtI was not going to put.
I would not put Steph and dSteph and Clay. I would put Stephan
and Draymond. Yeah, I definitelythink Steph and Draymond are more the due
And literally the only reason that Stephisn't Steph and Draymond aren't here is because

(01:45:34):
I feel as though that that equationis a bit it's a bit wonky.
Yeah, like it's so predicated onSteph, but Draymond is also so important.
It's you know, the problem isDraymond is just a bad absolute ass
on offense. Yeah, exactly,and so too, but he's so phenomenal

(01:45:57):
in defense. And that's the toughpart. Yeah, these other guys are
like, oh yeah, they're they'relike really good on offense, and some
are like okay on on defense andwhatnot. But Draymond is like historically great
on defense. But yeah, onoffensive, guy's a joke. But his
passing is amazing. His playmaking isgreat. So yeah, it's just a
weird it's and it's like the thingis is like his playmaking slash his his

(01:46:20):
screening ability is like what kind ofsprings you know, Steph and Clay.
So here's the issue. So Ishould mention I don't have Drew and be
honest all here at all. Yeah, And the problem I have with that
is the same problem I have withthe if you put if you send trios
easily on here easily, but asduos, I just can't. I got

(01:46:49):
it. I totally just yeah,I just can't. Like I don't think
they're on a list. Janie isso good and then whomever he plays as
a cohort is also like they playedso well to help him. But I
get why. I get I getwhy you didn't have Yeah, it's like,
yeah, they're like that's why Isaid as a trio. Yeah,

(01:47:10):
but the problem is with the duelis like they're not there's no consistent too.
Yeah. I agree. So itmakes it tough. So my honorable
mention, if I'm be kinding howleft feel, I'm gonna be honest with
you. I has a bonus box. Yo. I was literally thinking that
too. Yeah, but I waslike, do I get you? Guys

(01:47:31):
get that from one postseason? Butno, I was thinking that. Yes,
I was thinking that as well.Yeah, I listen, I give,
I give to him it. Imean it's tough because I mean,
what other really duels are there aheadof Morant and Jackson. Yeah, that's
interesting. I don't think Jackson's offensivegame. I get his defense, his

(01:47:57):
his offensive games. It's weird.It's a weird offensive game. I'm gonna
be honest with you. Almostrand turnsand Maranda turns ball on on defense.
Yeah. So it was like I'mokay, I get that. So they
were they were honorable mentioned, It'slike I couldn't really think. I mean,

(01:48:20):
like Moran Jackson, never really I'dnever really even considered it. I
did consider Draymond's stuff as well,but I was like, Draymond's offense has
just got awful. I can't.I can't put them on. If Raymonds
shoot thirty five percent, I'd probablyput them on there from thirty Did you
consider and bid because that's who Bleacherhad in there there one I didn't.

(01:48:40):
I was like, that's no,no, no, it's postseason. I
can't. I'm not gonna accept up. It's you know, if it was
just this postseason, I'd probably belike, yah, whatever, it's kind
of just a one off whatever.Not every postseason. Joel Embie disappears,
James Harden I already talked about hisplayoff the failures. I'm just knocked don

(01:49:01):
out. I'm not going to putthem on there. Gets that simple.
I can't not. And then youjust then you just get down to like
the Rose and Lavigne brunts and bruntsand Randy he's just like all right,
like the only other one you couldreally connect consider its like Garland Mitchell.
But I don't think you put themon here. I would take Marant Jackson

(01:49:26):
before I put Garland and yeah,it's just like there's there's really not man
right And see now if you saidthat, that's a lot more interesting.
Yeah, but their defense though,so again again trios, Yeah, yeah,

(01:49:47):
you open see that should be thereal thing, the truth. There's
a lot more trios than there areduos. I feel like, are there
though, I definitely feel like it. I feel like every good I don't
think I don't think people think ofthe teams as trios, but like when
you actually analyze them, they kindof operate in that way. But people

(01:50:08):
think of these teams as duos becausethe most noted trios are going to be
the Warriors. Then after that you'regonna have There was a time the Celtics
kind of have their own little triowith I mean it was hold On,
I was gonna say, I meanthey just added Porzingis, they added Porzingis,
but their trio for a long timewas them and market Smart. Yeah

(01:50:30):
it was then, I mean,I mean Phoenix it was. It would
have been I mean you could dotwo trios with the with Phoenix now,
yeah, but it would have beenBooker. It would have been Booker,
Chris paul In Eyton. But youcould now you could have done now and
Booker. Yeah, and then likethe Nuggets. No Michael Porter jan no,

(01:50:57):
no, no, I can't.I look at and I know he
played, I know he played badin the finals, but I mean he
I mean he's he's good, buthe's he's no, he's good. You
know, he's good. Yeah,he's good. I'm not giving him trie
all right. If I give MichaelPorter Junior trio, I gotta give freaking

(01:51:17):
am I give him am. Igonna give him a leak month. Okay.
So I actually just thought about thatand I was like, look at
am I putting them in the trio? Good enough for me to put it
in the trios. It's a situation. Yeah, you see that when we're
forcing it. You see what I'msaying, Like, it's not natural whenever
we literally forcing it. So Iknow, no, no, there's just

(01:51:38):
not enough trios. Okay, Yeah, I'm not gonna argue with that.
Yeah, but guys, I thinkat the end of all of this,
we realized beat reports asked and oh, all right, we did bam,
did bam? Did me ever crossyour mind? Yeah? They did?
They would be and they would bean honorable mention for me before pretty much

(01:52:01):
anybody else outside of Steph Draymond andwell, actually no, they probably should
have been the second honorable mentioned behindSteph Draymond. And I think I was
already talking Kawai and Paul George,so they were already at top of mine.
But yeah, it'd be Jimmy andBam. Okay, really didn't even

(01:52:23):
that's nuts. Yeah, I thoughtI thought about them. Yeah, but
but no, I think about it. They're probably better than Memphis do well?
Oh yeah, without question, yeah, I probably. I probably think
Memphis got a lot of regular seasonsauce. Right now, let's let's you
know now now if you want toif you want to say Trio now,
Kaitla Martin do it. Yeah,we need to end this show, you

(01:52:47):
know, for one series, KaylaMartin whatever, bros. All easily?
All right, guys, thanks fortuning in for all of you I have
watched to this point in the episode. I appreciate you all. Of course,
if you guys enjoyed this episode,go ahead and hit the subscribe,
but and make sure you follow KBRSports as well as myself on all social

(01:53:10):
media platforms, and of course youguys can pitch your own topics for the
show if you want. You canDM KBR sports or WHOA that was not
anticipated? Yeah? Or you canalso message myself and I would be happy
to do a feature of your topicon the show if it's I guess,
if it pertains to the actual show, I guess it doesn't have to be

(01:53:31):
exactly. If you want to debatesomething like our insects an actual snack or
should they actually be a snack atsporting events? What insects? Yes?
Yeah sure? Why not? Naman? Other countries them? Yeah?
Yeah, we're not them? Yeahyeah, that's are you gonna think we

(01:53:56):
are? Then? Because chocolate covered? I think it's chocolate. Every crickets
are served as Seahawks games or Mariners. Yeah, so why wouldn't they Why
wouldn't it these snacks? You canorder a spider that. Oh that was
the intersect. I didn't need tohear a man. I don't understand why
you wouldn't consider them snacks. No, it's terrible, man, it can't

(01:54:19):
be, but it's still it's stilla snack. This vile is disgusting.
Listen, it's a lot. There'sa lot worse food out there. I'm
gonna say something, but I don't. I don't think. I don't think
that's no, no, don't doit. Don't do it. Listen.
You can say, you can saypeople don't have no, No, I

(01:54:40):
don't know. I don't listen.I think that's worse than you know,
eating insect of a snack. Igot people people eat, I had already
eaten my dinner, I brush myteeth. Now I got to eat something
else to get like the taste ofimagination out of my mouth. But I'm
saying, like people, there doesn'tknow one worse than that. But I'm
not going to say that one don'tbecause I don't remember it. I don't.

(01:55:02):
I don't remember it exactly, butyou know, it's it's it was
a thing. And I was like, oh that's disgusting and it's a delicacy,
so whatever you do, but yeahit is. But this next gosh,
that just that messed me up.All right, guys, thanks everybody

(01:55:24):
for watching. I appreciate your time. Of course, tell somebody you love
them, get somebody a hug.We spread love, not hate up on
these parts my Twitter, Which onemy ex I guess which one? Next?
No? Which which account? Sure, never mind, I had to

(01:55:56):
clarify, Bro, that's death fora different podcast. You're not take give
Me Down Witch. Yeah, yeah, that's a different one. Well well,
well you know, listen, wehave but we have some we have
some podcasts we're kicking around. Maybemaybe the real world version of the podcast
we could do that. We don'tactually have podcasts kicking around. It's just
this one literally though. All right, guys, thanks for watching. Guys,

(01:56:19):
everybody, enjoy your day.

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