March 31, 2023 • 38 mins
Chris and Rob explain what – if anything – we can take away from the Boston Celtics’ blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks, tell us why they have a problem with the NBA keeping their one-and-done rule in place and debate the merits of social media in this week’s edition of Shop Talk. Plus, longtime NBA writer Howard Beck swings by to discuss why the one-and-done rule isn’t going anywhere, what to make the bunched up Western Conference, how he expects the MVP vote to shake out and much more!
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You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. It is the I Couple.
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a well spring of NBA information and a special shop
(01:10):
talk coming up on this funky Flashback Friday to wrap
up the hour. But first, Rob let us go back
to the NBA and last night we were talking about
it briefly during our game, you know our show, because
it was on during the show. The Boston Celtics go
(01:33):
into Milwaukee and put a whooping on the Bucks beat
him by forty one, I believe was the final score,
and led by as many as forty nine points they were.
They won one forty to ninety nine again in Milwaukee,
(01:57):
and all the stars were there. Jason tay Them and
Jaylen Brown for the Celtics was soccer and right, Chris
Middleton and Drew Holliday for the Bucks. So uh, they
they put it on the Bucks. A lot of people think,
including myself, that this will be the matchup in the
(02:18):
Eastern Conference finals, and I picked Boston to win the East.
So I felt pretty good about what I saw last night. Rob.
Do you think last night was something or nothing? I
thought I thought it was nothing. And um, from the
standpoint of you could have a stinker, bad game, you
can't look at it like that's two lopside. It wasn't
(02:40):
like they were winning and Boston did something and they
you know, fixed their defense or stopped Yannis, you know,
and won the game or figured out some way of
beating them, and you thought, wow, I'm shocked at Boston
was able to a race a twelve point leading the
fourth quarter, you know what I mean, and holding Yannis
scoreless or they doubled him, or they they but the defender,
(03:01):
or you know what I mean, like something where you go,
maybe they have some Yanna's kryptonite, maybe they figured something out.
So it wasn't like that. It was just a bad
night and a great night for Boston. So I'm gonna
say I'm not going to read too much into it, Rob.
I do think it was something, and that's because a
(03:22):
lot of the things you said, like it was a
read I mean, grant, they're not fifty points better than
the Bucks, of course, and I'm not saying there it
would be an easy victory for Boston if they meet
in the playoffs. But what I'm saying is there were
things we saw last night that the Celtics have done
(03:42):
to the Bucks time and time again. Number one. I
believe it was a message set to the Bucks that look,
if you're in the number one seed and you have
home court advantage and we play you in the conference finals,
it don't matter because we know and you know that
we can come into your home and kick off our shoes,
(04:06):
getting your refrigerator, eat what we want, and you can't
do anything about it, and last night's job not the
only reason. I was just the latest confirmation because they
pounded them yesterday in Milwaukee. Last year when they played
in the playoffs, remember that, Rob, they played three games
(04:28):
in Milwaukee and Boston won two of them, including that
game six when Milwaukee had a three two lead and
it was everybody thought the series was over and Boston
went in there and gotta win. So that's the first
thing they have shown time and time again that they
(04:48):
can beat Milwaukee at home. Secondly, the Bucks don't have
an answer for Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It's just
as simple as that. Yeah, but I'm trying to say
that it's one thing. But winning by forty one, I'm
talking about the winter that's that's something like you're you're
(05:10):
making a forty point Like they got no shot against them.
I no no, I stated at the beginning of my
red No but Bucks. I respect the Bucks and I
was Yannis is the best player in the world, so
they definitely have a shot. But I do think Rob,
you noticed from covering the league so long matchups and
a lot of all of my matchup a team might
(05:31):
be better, you know, But because they don't they can't
match up well with a certain team. It's a problem
for them and a team they're better than it might
be able to beat that team to beat them. So
Boston is a tough matchup. Milwaukee is a great defensive team,
one of the best in the league, but their defense
(05:53):
is a lot of it is based on their size.
Brook Lopez is huge, Yannis is huge, Bobby Poorness is huge,
and Drew Holiday is a great perimeter defender. But outside
of Drew, they got nobody that can stay in front
of you, Rob, keep your man in front of them.
You're talking about after Drew, it's Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton,
(06:14):
Joe Ingalls, Chris Middleton, who's a good, really good player,
not a fantastic defender, and they can't stop even Drew
has problems with them. But those others have no chance
of stopping Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum. And here's why
I say that, Rob, Not just last night where they
combined for seventy points. They played Milwaukee twice this year
(06:38):
and both Tims, Tatum, and Brown combined for seventy points,
and both times they destroyed Milwaukee. They waxed them. On
Christmas Day, waxed them last night and went to Milwaukee
in February without Brown, Tatum or Marcus Mark playing and
(07:01):
took him into overtime and all the well, the Bucks
had Drew and Yannis playing, And so they're a tough matchup. Defensively,
they hold They've held Yannis to forty three percent shooting
this year. That's the second lowest field goal percentage for
him against any team they've played more than twice this season.
(07:23):
Last year, remember in that playoff series they held him
the forty five percent shooting, which is way low for Yannis.
And in the two games this year Jason Tatum against
the Bucks, these are his averages forty points a game
or sixty five percent shooting, Jaylen Brown twenty nine points
(07:43):
a game on sixty three percent shooting. Like it, they
they're a tough matchup for the Buck. So I don't
of course they're not forty points better than them. But
I think Milwaukee, while they certainly have a chance to
beat Boston, there's no doubt that's gonna be a great series,
but I think give him some truth serum and they
(08:06):
would tell you they'd love to see Philadelphia upset Boston
in the second round. So so do you think so
you you would pick right now, you would pick Milwaukee.
I mean, I mean you would pick Boston, Chrish, we
hear you're banging the bike, Chris, can you hear me?
(08:31):
All right? Okay? Uh? Yeah, I get all of Yeah,
I get all of the uh talk about Boston and
uh the U and the Bucks and you know, and
and and Rob g all of the uh stuff that
(08:53):
happened in the numbers that he threw out. But uh,
I think we want to talk a little bit about
the college basketball. All right, Well it's more NBA than
college basketball, right, but yeah, about the NBA. But but
but I meant because because it affects college right, we
were talking before the show, and and Aaron Torres brought
it up during the interview last hour. I said he
(09:13):
wanted to hear Chris's opinion on it. Uh, exactly and
so um. According people who don't know ye, according to
multiple reports, first by ESPN Adrian will Jowski, it's looking
like the NBA and the players unior are gonna reach
an agreement on a new deal. They have a deadline
of midnight tonight Eastern time, and multiple outlets are saying
this is gonna get done. They're ironing out all the
(09:35):
details right now. But one of the big talking points
to come out of this is the one and done rule,
which we had expected for a long time, was gonna
get removed in this new CBA looks like it's gonna
stay in there. What a what A disappointed negotiation has
kind of been pulled off the table as part of
this new deal. I think it's it's a bummer, a
disappoint again. The union fails. It's membership U Rob G
(10:01):
from the standpoint of there's just no reason, there's no
rhyme or reason why kids can't play. If you're a prodigy,
right and you're good enough and somebody wants to draft
to then then you should be able to go to
the NBA. You can do so many things in this
country at eighteen years old, including fight for your country. Right.
(10:24):
Does it make sense? Absolutely? And you know what's funny,
Rob is we always talk on this show, you know
about the NFL player UNI might the strongest and the weakest.
What I think this shows, and I could be wrong
with this, is just my opinion that the NBA Players Union,
obviously they got guarantee contracts, they were doing a really
(10:44):
good job in this. But what it tells me is
that they're really concerned about having veteran players kind of
get pushed out to the side. And this is them
saying we're gonna look out for the ten eleven, twelve
year event. Hanging on at the end of a bench.
Who's a good locker room prayers over these young kids
who are gonna get drafted because they got a lot
of talent, who are gonna take up a roster spot
(11:06):
but are not actually ready to play, because you know
NBA teen, they're always gonna shoot the young guy. Yeah,
but but my issue is that that's the owners should
be on management and the teams that pick people who
aren't ready to play, do you know what I mean? Like,
that's not the kid's fault. If the kids not ready
to go, then they shouldn't draft him. But if a
kid is a prodigy and is great, you could go
(11:31):
to Hollywood and be a movie actor, you could do
almost anything. And then to tell you can't play basketball
at eighteen years old or right after high school. Michelle
Wee when she went to the LPGA tour, what was
she rob g sixteen? She was sixteen playing professional golf
Jennifer Caprioti fourteen fourteen. Chris, Right, yeah, I'm back. Obviously
(11:55):
sorry about that technical difficult, but you know what I'm saying,
I've an issue with it. I don't want. First of all,
I think Rob g hit it on the head. The
reason that players didn't go to bat for this and
fight for it is because a lot of veterans over
the years did feel like, and they were, they're better
than that eighteen year old coming right out of high school.
(12:16):
But the team is choosing the eighteen year old over
a guy that's thirty five but at this point is
better than that kid. So they are doing that, Rob
to save these veterans jobs for another year or two
or whatever. But look, I'm not like that passionate about
it one way or the other. But what I do
(12:38):
feel like, Rob, is that what is fair is what
you're saying. What's fair is that the kids, if they're
good enough coming out of high school, they can go
to them. If you're a propergy, it's not it's a
it's not a lot. You're talking about a Kobe or
Lebron or Kevin Garnett. Well, but then there are other players, Robbers,
(12:58):
you notice who've tried to But that's the draft not
being good enough. And then they far by the way,
say now to me, the answer to that is if
a kid it comes out of high school, and look,
you're gonna have a bunch of kids do this if
this is the case. But still, if a kid declares
for the NBA out of high school and he's not ready,
he gets drafted in the second round or not drafted
(13:20):
at all, let him go to the G League, right,
he can go. He can. Before a while they wouldn't
let him go. That was the problem, which I never understood.
But just let him because in the same thing when
before they changed the rule in uh college where you
could go back Chris, if you know what I mean,
Like that was punishment. That was to kind of scare them.
(13:40):
I'll scare them to say, you better not declare because
if you do it and you don't get done, you're done.
And that's what it was. It was just straight up.
There was no reason that they shouldn't have been welcome
back to go back to college or finish your education.
And you tried it, it's okay. And at the end
of the world, the coach goes to the NBA and
horrible he gets to go back. Now, I will say this,
(14:05):
I think for quality of play, it's better to have
the older players. You know, there's the there's the once
in the generation Lebron. Lebron's really the only guy that
came straight out of high school and was great right away.
But um, I think that's best for quality of play.
(14:27):
But what's fair? And as you said, Rob, they can
go to they can go play baseball, they can play tennis,
they can wrap, they can go they can do any
other thing, the military, Chris, exactly, they can go die
in the war for our country. They can go work
in McDonald's and not go to college and nobody cares exactly,
But you can't play in the NBA if you're a prodigy.
(14:48):
Come on, they let me down with this, They let
the I you know, this whole idea of just make
it fair and if some of the kids, it's not
gonna be everybody, but some of the kids will get
picked some won't, you know, and someone make them go
to the G league. Put the safety net there, and
if they're not good enough, they'll never get out of
G league and they won't even last very long in
(15:09):
that that's fine, but I agree. I mean, look, I'm
not being out of shape. I don't think I'm taking
it as as badly as you might be. But I
do think what's fair is that they should be able
to come right out of high school. I mean that
just you know, that just seems to be obvious. All Right,
we're gonna throw it out to you, guys eight seven
seven ninety nine on Fox eight seven seven nine ninety
(15:31):
six sixty three sixty nine. Do you agree with the
NBA's decision to keep the one and done rule alive.
It's Chris and Rob the I Couple, and we want
to hear from you next. Fox Sports Radio. Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
(15:53):
com and within the iHeart Radio app. Search f SR
to listen live. All right, this is j Glazer. And
you may know me for the world of football or
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know is for my entire life. I have lived in
something I refer to as the grey depression anxiety. So
now I'm coming out with a new podcast, Unbreakable, a
(16:15):
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All right, it's the Eye Couple. I'm Chris, He's Rob,
(16:36):
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(16:58):
nine on Fix you turned the way in? Do you
like the fact or hate the fact that the NBA
kept the one and done rule or he's about to
keep the one and done rule when they agree on
this new CBA. All right, Brett in Spokekan Washington. You're
on the Odd Couple of Fox Sports Radio. What up, Brett?
Thank you for taking my call, first time call or
(17:19):
listen to you guys all the time. Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you. My question is, and
I know it's a different sport, but why doesn't nobody
ever says anything about college football. If you remember the
Ohio State, I can't remember the one year or two
(17:40):
two years. Yeah, he I agree that even in those situations.
To me, a player should have the right. Now, if
you don't want to draft a guy you don't think
he's people get hurt in the NFL. That was always
the argument. Their bodies on developed, they're gonna get hurt,
they need to play three years. Well, there's some people,
people who are bigger and stronger, and then there are
(18:02):
other people who aren't. So it just to me is
an individual thing. And if somebody's not ready, then don't
draft him if you don't think he could play in
the league. But yeah, I've always agreed with the physical argument.
I think an eighteen year old in most cases will
get maimed in the NFL. Now there are some you know,
(18:24):
I'm saying, prou I believe, but I don't want to
put a kid. I mean, we even see it in basketball.
That's why these prodigies go to the G League and
they don't light it up because the men, you know,
even we're seeing in the Final four, these these transferred
guys and these mid majors who are twenty one years old,
twenty years old. Physically, there's a difference between them and
(18:47):
most kids coming right out. But here, because he's my
only arguments. I just don't want a kid getting hurt.
I don't want to experiment with a kid that gets
But here's my argument. You don't need to make a rule.
If the kid's not ready to play or physically and
you win, and you watched them and you looked at
his tape or whatever, you shouldn't draft them. You don't
need to make a rule. You should be doing what's
(19:09):
right from tape. Well, I'm saying what they do while
pro day or whatever it is, you watch the kid.
So I'm just saying, like, if you believe the guy's
not physically ready and all that, don't draft them. I
hear you. That's all you have to do. You don't don't.
I get that, But I don't want to you draft
the kid and then he gets You know, people get hurt. Yeah,
(19:30):
but they don't get hurt because they're not strong enough. Well,
then don't they developed that. I just I just think
it's a mechanism to keep those kids. At that point
in college, it was always about we want to keep
the college game. We got a free minor league system.
I get it. We don't want to no, no, no,
but if the school should be paying, But that's that's
the next step, Rod, because it shouldn't just be on
(19:53):
boosters and corporations, you know what I mean. But anyway,
we got Howard back, long time NBA writer, right around
the corner. But first, Fox Sports Radio has the best
sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our
shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within the
iHeart Radio app search f SR to listen live. Longtime
(20:14):
NBA writer and producer, friend of ours going way back,
Howard Beck. Howard, Welcome to the our couple. Good heavening guys.
How are you great man? It's great to talk with
you now. Rob and I were just talking about the
fact that it appears that when they come to this
agreement with the new CBA, that they're gonna keep the
(20:36):
one and done rule, or you know, the you have
to be a year out of high school before you
can enter the NBA draft. Are you surprised at that?
And how do you just feel about it? Overall? I'm
not surprised. I'm not in the least bit surprised. If
you guys, remember, and you can google this. Your listeners
(20:57):
can google this. Go back five six years something from
very early in Adam Silver's tenure as commissioner. He said,
you know what, I think we need to take another look.
And then eventually he says something the effect of, you
know what, it's probably time to get rid of it.
And of course the union was already in favor of
getting rid of it, though I will always note the
(21:18):
union signed off on this themselves in two thousand and
five because they got more money by trading off the
age limit for more guaranteed basketball income at the time.
So the union and the commissioner were on the same
page as of five six, seven years ago whenever it was.
And there were predictions at the time that they would
do this separately, because you don't have to wait for
(21:38):
a new CBA to change anything at any given time
that the union and the league can Yes, right, yep,
you can change it anytime. It didn't happen in twenty
seventeen or eighteen, or nineteen or twenty, despite predictions that
we're going to have a double draft coming up in
twenty twenty or twenty two or still didn't happened. There's
(21:59):
a reason that hasn't happened this whole time, guys, and
a reason why it apparently is still not going to happen.
And it's this some point along the way, you guys remember,
because you're as old as I am, there was a
movie called Freaky Friday back in the day where they're
like the kid and the parent changed bodies. They've changed.
This is what happened. The league got religion on the
(22:19):
issue and decided this is not the best way to
do this, we should change it, and the union it's
not that they're opposed, but practicality came into play in
two different ways. One, some semblance of the union membership
realized that, oh, if we startling these guys in now,
those of us in our thirties are going to get
(22:41):
pushed out by the teenagers. So that's that's a factor too.
As soon as the league decided they wanted to eliminate it,
the union view that has an opportunity to say, well,
what are you going to trade us for it, when
in fact the league's view was, well, if we're getting
rid of it, this is a confession to you. You
guys wanted both sides At some point decided that the
(23:03):
other one is supposed to give something up to get
rid of the age limit, and as a result, this
is where we are. That's my understanding of it. That's
my read of it. I have not made any calls
on this recently, but I have. The reason I'm not
surprised is because there's been an impass philosophically, I think
for a few years now where both sides thought the
other one supposed to give something up if they're eliminating
(23:23):
the age limit. Yeah, just the crazy thing and all
the other sports. You could play golf at sixteen and
tennis at fourteen or thirteen or whatever it is. To me,
it's it's crazy. If somebody's a prodigy, you don't hold
them back, right, everybody's not going to get in at
that age. But anyway, let me ask you about the
(23:44):
Western Conference, and everybody has dismissed the Nuggets as Okay,
yeah they won the West, but nobody buys into them.
Where are you won the Nuggets and their potential for
the postseason. I've been asking people an open ended question
over the last several weeks. When I see folks at games,
scouts and coaches and others, GMS, who's coming out of
(24:08):
the West, and nobody ever names the Nuggets. You know what,
you have a better chance of getting a four piece
of chicken nuggets and having anybody thank you, thank you, Howard,
that you made day. That's seven time. It's the first time. Listen,
it's the first time I heard the joke. That's right,
(24:30):
thank you Howard, Yes, thank you. I don't I don't
want to overdo the laughter, but that did hit me.
Um So, yeah, nobody believes in the Nuggets because one
lack of track record, two lack of defense, and three
lack of faith in anybody outside of Yoki and I.
(24:52):
That said, you know, it's not as though there's anybody
in the West who's a great, you know, consensus pick.
There is no obvious favorite in the West. And if
Kevin Durant had been playing for the last month, maybe
the Suns would have established themselves as a clear favorite.
They're still kind of like the on paper favorite. But
(25:12):
I've said this from the beginning, even when they got him,
and I thought he was going to be playing for
the rest of the season. Is fifteen games enough and
now it's going to be is like eight games enough
to establish some sort of rhythm and chemistry and you know, talent,
you know, wins out generally speaking in this league. But
if we're going to talk every season about which teams
have the best chemistry and cohesion and who really clicks
(25:34):
and you know, hey, you know the Draymond and Steph
have this you know, sixth sense about each other and
of all the years they played, if we're going to
talk about all those kinds of things that we can't
pretend it doesn't exist when it comes to the Suns
and just say, oh, they've got the talent, Like no,
it matters that they haven't played together. There's no precedent
in NBA history that I'm aware of of a player
of Kevin Durant's caliber, or even just Mark Kuye value
(25:58):
playing like less than ten games a team in the
manor season and then leading them to a championship. I mean,
it may happen, but I think it's ever been done.
And so, you know, the Warriors, we still can't dismiss them,
The Lakers, we still can't even dismiss them. The Clippers
if they get called George back. But everybody's got all
these caveats on them, and it's impossible to to to
(26:21):
say anybody's the favorite. And as a result, to get
back to your uh your your nuggets and your nuggets
and and your your your your four pack value meal
with the fries and the soda. Um like, you can't
rule them out either. I mean, they obviously had the
best regular season record, They're gonna have home court advantage,
They've got the elevation in Denver going for them for
(26:42):
all those home games, and they are really good, uh
you know, so it's it's it's it's like an eight
team race for the West, which is crazy. Right now.
Let me ask you, MVP um and and I believe
and I don't know where you are on it or
you know, the in picking. They just did a new
recent Straw poll and now it's closer to had up two,
(27:06):
but then Yoke has just moved ahead again right on
the NBA dot com polls. So let me let me
ask you this is is this a because I think
it has to do with the younger writers who are
into the analytics, and I think Yoki his analytic numbers
and the things that he's done in the average and
a triple double, I don't think that the analytics will
(27:29):
allow them not to pick him. Where are you on this?
So so you know, so your listeners know there's one
hundred voters, I am one of them. Um. Of those
hundred voters, I haven't broken it down by by age group,
but an interesting way of looking at it. Um. You know,
it is a variety of people from all around the country,
and there are ten international voters usually as well. Um,
(27:51):
and everybody sees it a different way. But Rob, you're
not wrong to bring up the analytics part as in
part a demographics issue in a generational issue, because because
I agree as somebody who again three of us are
about the same generation. We have younger colleagues in this
business who I have had some pretty intense discussions and
arguments with about this. I'm one who absolutely believes in
(28:15):
using all of the advanced metrics that we have available
to us. I believe we should look at all of this.
Some have more value than others, a lot of them,
especially the all in one stats things like wind shares
and box score plus minus. Most of us we put
a little certain amount of blind faith in. And that's
the dangerous part is that we don't really know what's
behind these formulas. And if you ask the people who
know them best. They'll tell you, well, this formula is
(28:38):
biased in this direction, this form is biased in that direction.
And what's happened is we've decided that somehow this is
this is science, like the math is infallible, and if
somebody is winning all of the advanced stats, it must
mean that they are therefore the best player in the
league or having the best season in this particular run.
And I understand that line of thinking, but there's definitely
(29:00):
a danger to me to putting too much faith in
those and people around the league, especially people who are
really analytics savy will tell you actually the same thing.
So I agree with that, and I do think that
Yokich on some level is kind of an analytics darling.
Now I test, I test. The dude is incredibly talented.
He controls the game in a way that we've never
seen a big man control the game with his passing
(29:21):
as well as his scoring. He's an incredibly versatile scorer.
He is a selfless playmaker. He is an incredible player.
I voted for him for MVP the first year. I
did not vote for him. Last year I had Yannis
at the top of my ballot. I don't know where
I'm going to be honest on April tenth, which is
when we have to to file the ballots again. But
(29:42):
he's got a strong case. Again, I don't dispute that
at all. Joel Embiad also has a strong case, and
Jannis has a strong case once again. Although Jannis I
think has the fewest games played among them all, yeah
he might, he might have vexed himself out and it's
only yeah, that's too few in an mbia though, but yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's that's true. That's true. So um, it's it's difficult.
(30:04):
You can spin yourself in circles. And I will arguing
these things because I will sit here over the next
week and a half, you know, opening up various stat
head pages, basketball reference pages, NBA stats pages, trying to
figure out the best way to delineate. Because what happens
is eventually you're you're looking for somebody's got a strong case,
(30:25):
and in some years somebody's far and away has the
best case, and in other years you have multiple guys
And now you have to drill down to okay, well
is this gonna tip based on win total? You know,
is there enough of a gap in wins between one
guy's team and others. Is it gonna tip based on
games play? Is there enough of a gap there, as
you were just pointing out, there's only a two game
gap in games played between and beating Janis Is it
(30:47):
gonna tip based on, you know whatever efficiency? Is it
gonna tip based on who did the most with the
least around them? Which was a large part of Yokashi's
case last season when people gravitated to them a lot
because they thought, well, you know, the Nuggets have have
just crap on the roster around him and look what
he's done with it, which, to me, if you're gonna
(31:08):
buy into that argument, the problem is the converse of
that is, well, then you're sort of punishing mb for
having better teammates. So that gets weird. Right, So there's
this is not science, it's art, it's it's judgments, it's interpretation,
and a hundred people will give their best stab at
it and we'll see what happens. Right. I'm I'm like you, Howard,
(31:30):
I'm a voter um right now, I'm leaning MBAD. I
do want to see these this last week of the season,
but I think I'm gonna go with Himbad and I
do think that, and quickly. I mean, we only got
a quick answer from you. I do think also that
Yokee's if you're gonna if I'm gonna vote you the
three straight MVPs, something that neither Michael, Lebron or Kareem
(31:54):
ever did. To me, there is a higher bar for that,
and I think you have to be heading shouldiers above
your competition. And he is heading soldiers about above the
players in the league generally, but he's not heading shouldiers
this year above Jannis and MB So that's a go
factor into me as well. Does that three you know,
(32:15):
him becoming three straight MVPs quickly with that factor in
your voting as well, or will it? I absolutely listen.
I give a lot of creeds to what you just said, Chris,
and I think that there is something to it, But
I don't want to make my decision based on that
because it is a singular season award, and while three
in a row feels like an honor unto itself, to
(32:39):
dismiss him because we don't think, oh, he should do
something that Bird never did, or excuse me, that Michael
never did, or that Lebron never did, that Steph never did,
like that doesn't seem fair like he either had the
best season or he didn't. So I don't want to
think about the historical standpoint when I'm processing this. I
really truly, for me, I want to make it about
did Yokas have the US season and the most worthy season?
(33:01):
Or did Embat or did Janice? And I want to
keep it at that for my purposes. That's but I absolutely,
but absolutely understand the historical standpoint. Right. That's our man, Howard,
Thanks great stuff. Man. We appreciate you. Appreciate a fellas
to take care of all right, brother Peace shop talks next,
keep it like a couple of Fox Sports Radio. Fox
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
(33:22):
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
Com and within the iHeartRadio app search f SR to
listen live. All right, it is the eye couple on
the Funky Flashback Friday. Grease is the word. We're coming
to you live from the Tirerag dot Com Studios and
(33:44):
another and another life. I might have said something, but
you know, we'll leave it at the law. I like
this alley and I was the kid and when I
went to see that, it was a great movie. Why
do you saking your head, Alley, because I bet I
know what you would say too. Yeah, tell him in
the break, don't get our show canceled? No, no, no morning.
(34:06):
We are the Eye couple in this time for shop talk.
Nobody ain't still been a bomb shop you know that?
Ain't nobody? You will talk about whoever, whatever, whatever you
want to. It's shop talk, that's right, his shop talking.
A second, we just got something happing outside of the the
world of sports. This week's topic where cheating has a
sports tie. And I don't know if you know this,
(34:26):
but uh Lebron James says he will not be paying
the five dollars actually eight dollars fee to keep the
blue check mark on his Twitter account, So look for
King James be no longer verified here in about a
month or so, which is easy question here, guys. Number one,
would you pay the money to keep your blue check mark?
And number two, just in general, are you willing to
pay money to keep your social media al Twitter at all?
(34:50):
Rob Parker just gotta hack twice, So yes, your thoughts.
Uh No, I'm out on the paying for the blue
chat or paying period. I'm I'm out on that. I
just it's not that important to me. Yeah, Rob is
much more in the social media than I am. Well
(35:10):
you got people working now, not really I think that way. Yeah,
we didn't pay anything, but um, I I don't want
to pay the blue check. I mean, I'm just talking
about the whole social media like Instagram all that I
(35:31):
don't want to pay. I certainly hope it doesn't come
down to that. But it is a valuable tool. Um.
You can reach so many people so simply um that
I think honestly, if push came to shove, you know,
if it wasn't an astronomical price, I probably wouldn't pay.
(35:53):
Um Because if I'm doing things where I want to
be able to reach a lot of people, I think
it's worth it. So I think I think what's going
backwards though, is how many people are gonna stick with it? Yeah,
and I think I think a lot of people want
to get off and it's not anymore. You know, it's
not that valuable anymore. I'm with you. But if it's
(36:13):
if people still stay on it, uh, and I want
to reach you know, tens of thousands and one fail swoop,
then um, it's a great way to do it. So Rob,
you paying Hell, no, of course not, are you kidding me?
I look, I use the Athletic for work every day. Son,
you got sorting the other time. I don't pay for
the Athletic. I got ESPN Plus. I only got it
(36:34):
because it came free with my Verizon cell phone bill
that I can get my information other ways about having
to pay for especially nowadays, when after the news is broken,
it's already available everywhere else for free, like a minute later,
and we talked. I talked to Chris about this off
the air all the time when you got like news
breakers like woes and should want to throw them under
the bus. But after they break the news, I don't
(36:56):
care anymore who broke it. I want to know what's
next Now that broad has announced that uh he's coming
to Lakers, What does that mean going forward for them?
Now that Kevin Iratt demands a trade, Well, who's gonna
get involved in the trade? I'm saying, so, I don't.
I don't need news on a page, you know, subscription
site or something. Then that news is gonna be all
(37:16):
over the place right away, right now. I don't have
to go to your website to read it. And I
agree with that. No, I'm just talking about things like Instagram,
and so if I want to get a message out,
I do think it's worth it. But when we were
doing it, uh, you know, in the newspaper used to
hold a story so that you would have the only
you could only get it in your paper, you know
(37:37):
what I mean? Like that, That's where it was valuable
back then. And well and also rob because if you
broke a story in Newsday, everybody to read that story,
you'd have to buy a Newsday. But people that might
have read only the Post or the daily News in
New York, they still have to buy a Newsday to
read that story. And that was really the value of
(37:58):
breaking news. And now as I viously not the same.
All Right, we got an hour left here on the eye,
a couple of funky flashback Friday, y'all, keep it locked
you here,
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure
to catch us live every weekday from seven pm to
ten pm Eastern four to seven pm Pacific, or Fox
Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd Couple
at Fox Sports Radio dot com or stream us live
every day or the iHeartRadio app by searching f s R.
(00:26):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. It is the I Couple.
I'm Chris, He's robbed. We are live from the Tirec
dot Com studios. Tirec dot com will help you get
there wherever there may be. They've got an unmatched selection,
fast free shipping, free row hazard protection, and more than
(00:49):
ten thousand to recommend to installers. Tirec dot Com. It's
the way tire buying should be. Regt Howard Beck, longtime
NBA writer and producer, joining us at the bottom of
the hour. That'll be a lot of fun. He's just
a well spring of NBA information and a special shop
(01:10):
talk coming up on this funky Flashback Friday to wrap
up the hour. But first, Rob let us go back
to the NBA and last night we were talking about
it briefly during our game, you know our show, because
it was on during the show. The Boston Celtics go
(01:33):
into Milwaukee and put a whooping on the Bucks beat
him by forty one, I believe was the final score,
and led by as many as forty nine points they were.
They won one forty to ninety nine again in Milwaukee,
(01:57):
and all the stars were there. Jason tay Them and
Jaylen Brown for the Celtics was soccer and right, Chris
Middleton and Drew Holliday for the Bucks. So uh, they
they put it on the Bucks. A lot of people think,
including myself, that this will be the matchup in the
(02:18):
Eastern Conference finals, and I picked Boston to win the East.
So I felt pretty good about what I saw last night. Rob.
Do you think last night was something or nothing? I
thought I thought it was nothing. And um, from the
standpoint of you could have a stinker, bad game, you
can't look at it like that's two lopside. It wasn't
(02:40):
like they were winning and Boston did something and they
you know, fixed their defense or stopped Yannis, you know,
and won the game or figured out some way of
beating them, and you thought, wow, I'm shocked at Boston
was able to a race a twelve point leading the
fourth quarter, you know what I mean, and holding Yannis
scoreless or they doubled him, or they they but the defender,
(03:01):
or you know what I mean, like something where you go,
maybe they have some Yanna's kryptonite, maybe they figured something out.
So it wasn't like that. It was just a bad
night and a great night for Boston. So I'm gonna
say I'm not going to read too much into it, Rob.
I do think it was something, and that's because a
(03:22):
lot of the things you said, like it was a
read I mean, grant, they're not fifty points better than
the Bucks, of course, and I'm not saying there it
would be an easy victory for Boston if they meet
in the playoffs. But what I'm saying is there were
things we saw last night that the Celtics have done
(03:42):
to the Bucks time and time again. Number one. I
believe it was a message set to the Bucks that look,
if you're in the number one seed and you have
home court advantage and we play you in the conference finals,
it don't matter because we know and you know that
we can come into your home and kick off our shoes,
(04:06):
getting your refrigerator, eat what we want, and you can't
do anything about it, and last night's job not the
only reason. I was just the latest confirmation because they
pounded them yesterday in Milwaukee. Last year when they played
in the playoffs, remember that, Rob, they played three games
(04:28):
in Milwaukee and Boston won two of them, including that
game six when Milwaukee had a three two lead and
it was everybody thought the series was over and Boston
went in there and gotta win. So that's the first
thing they have shown time and time again that they
(04:48):
can beat Milwaukee at home. Secondly, the Bucks don't have
an answer for Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It's just
as simple as that. Yeah, but I'm trying to say
that it's one thing. But winning by forty one, I'm
talking about the winter that's that's something like you're you're
(05:10):
making a forty point Like they got no shot against them.
I no no, I stated at the beginning of my
red No but Bucks. I respect the Bucks and I
was Yannis is the best player in the world, so
they definitely have a shot. But I do think Rob,
you noticed from covering the league so long matchups and
a lot of all of my matchup a team might
(05:31):
be better, you know, But because they don't they can't
match up well with a certain team. It's a problem
for them and a team they're better than it might
be able to beat that team to beat them. So
Boston is a tough matchup. Milwaukee is a great defensive team,
one of the best in the league, but their defense
(05:53):
is a lot of it is based on their size.
Brook Lopez is huge, Yannis is huge, Bobby Poorness is huge,
and Drew Holiday is a great perimeter defender. But outside
of Drew, they got nobody that can stay in front
of you, Rob, keep your man in front of them.
You're talking about after Drew, it's Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton,
(06:14):
Joe Ingalls, Chris Middleton, who's a good, really good player,
not a fantastic defender, and they can't stop even Drew
has problems with them. But those others have no chance
of stopping Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum. And here's why
I say that, Rob, Not just last night where they
combined for seventy points. They played Milwaukee twice this year
(06:38):
and both Tims, Tatum, and Brown combined for seventy points,
and both times they destroyed Milwaukee. They waxed them. On
Christmas Day, waxed them last night and went to Milwaukee
in February without Brown, Tatum or Marcus Mark playing and
(07:01):
took him into overtime and all the well, the Bucks
had Drew and Yannis playing, And so they're a tough matchup. Defensively,
they hold They've held Yannis to forty three percent shooting
this year. That's the second lowest field goal percentage for
him against any team they've played more than twice this season.
(07:23):
Last year, remember in that playoff series they held him
the forty five percent shooting, which is way low for Yannis.
And in the two games this year Jason Tatum against
the Bucks, these are his averages forty points a game
or sixty five percent shooting, Jaylen Brown twenty nine points
(07:43):
a game on sixty three percent shooting. Like it, they
they're a tough matchup for the Buck. So I don't
of course they're not forty points better than them. But
I think Milwaukee, while they certainly have a chance to
beat Boston, there's no doubt that's gonna be a great series,
but I think give him some truth serum and they
(08:06):
would tell you they'd love to see Philadelphia upset Boston
in the second round. So so do you think so
you you would pick right now, you would pick Milwaukee.
I mean, I mean you would pick Boston, Chrish, we
hear you're banging the bike, Chris, can you hear me?
(08:31):
All right? Okay? Uh? Yeah, I get all of Yeah,
I get all of the uh talk about Boston and
uh the U and the Bucks and you know, and
and and Rob g all of the uh stuff that
(08:53):
happened in the numbers that he threw out. But uh,
I think we want to talk a little bit about
the college basketball. All right, Well it's more NBA than
college basketball, right, but yeah, about the NBA. But but
but I meant because because it affects college right, we
were talking before the show, and and Aaron Torres brought
it up during the interview last hour. I said he
(09:13):
wanted to hear Chris's opinion on it. Uh, exactly and
so um. According people who don't know ye, according to
multiple reports, first by ESPN Adrian will Jowski, it's looking
like the NBA and the players unior are gonna reach
an agreement on a new deal. They have a deadline
of midnight tonight Eastern time, and multiple outlets are saying
this is gonna get done. They're ironing out all the
(09:35):
details right now. But one of the big talking points
to come out of this is the one and done rule,
which we had expected for a long time, was gonna
get removed in this new CBA looks like it's gonna
stay in there. What a what A disappointed negotiation has
kind of been pulled off the table as part of
this new deal. I think it's it's a bummer, a
disappoint again. The union fails. It's membership U Rob G
(10:01):
from the standpoint of there's just no reason, there's no
rhyme or reason why kids can't play. If you're a prodigy,
right and you're good enough and somebody wants to draft
to then then you should be able to go to
the NBA. You can do so many things in this
country at eighteen years old, including fight for your country. Right.
(10:24):
Does it make sense? Absolutely? And you know what's funny,
Rob is we always talk on this show, you know
about the NFL player UNI might the strongest and the weakest.
What I think this shows, and I could be wrong
with this, is just my opinion that the NBA Players Union,
obviously they got guarantee contracts, they were doing a really
(10:44):
good job in this. But what it tells me is
that they're really concerned about having veteran players kind of
get pushed out to the side. And this is them
saying we're gonna look out for the ten eleven, twelve
year event. Hanging on at the end of a bench.
Who's a good locker room prayers over these young kids
who are gonna get drafted because they got a lot
of talent, who are gonna take up a roster spot
(11:06):
but are not actually ready to play, because you know
NBA teen, they're always gonna shoot the young guy. Yeah,
but but my issue is that that's the owners should
be on management and the teams that pick people who
aren't ready to play, do you know what I mean? Like,
that's not the kid's fault. If the kids not ready
to go, then they shouldn't draft him. But if a
kid is a prodigy and is great, you could go
(11:31):
to Hollywood and be a movie actor, you could do
almost anything. And then to tell you can't play basketball
at eighteen years old or right after high school. Michelle
Wee when she went to the LPGA tour, what was
she rob g sixteen? She was sixteen playing professional golf
Jennifer Caprioti fourteen fourteen. Chris, Right, yeah, I'm back. Obviously
(11:55):
sorry about that technical difficult, but you know what I'm saying,
I've an issue with it. I don't want. First of all,
I think Rob g hit it on the head. The
reason that players didn't go to bat for this and
fight for it is because a lot of veterans over
the years did feel like, and they were, they're better
than that eighteen year old coming right out of high school.
(12:16):
But the team is choosing the eighteen year old over
a guy that's thirty five but at this point is
better than that kid. So they are doing that, Rob
to save these veterans jobs for another year or two
or whatever. But look, I'm not like that passionate about
it one way or the other. But what I do
(12:38):
feel like, Rob, is that what is fair is what
you're saying. What's fair is that the kids, if they're
good enough coming out of high school, they can go
to them. If you're a propergy, it's not it's a
it's not a lot. You're talking about a Kobe or
Lebron or Kevin Garnett. Well, but then there are other players, Robbers,
(12:58):
you notice who've tried to But that's the draft not
being good enough. And then they far by the way,
say now to me, the answer to that is if
a kid it comes out of high school, and look,
you're gonna have a bunch of kids do this if
this is the case. But still, if a kid declares
for the NBA out of high school and he's not ready,
he gets drafted in the second round or not drafted
(13:20):
at all, let him go to the G League, right,
he can go. He can. Before a while they wouldn't
let him go. That was the problem, which I never understood.
But just let him because in the same thing when
before they changed the rule in uh college where you
could go back Chris, if you know what I mean,
Like that was punishment. That was to kind of scare them.
(13:40):
I'll scare them to say, you better not declare because
if you do it and you don't get done, you're done.
And that's what it was. It was just straight up.
There was no reason that they shouldn't have been welcome
back to go back to college or finish your education.
And you tried it, it's okay. And at the end
of the world, the coach goes to the NBA and
horrible he gets to go back. Now, I will say this,
(14:05):
I think for quality of play, it's better to have
the older players. You know, there's the there's the once
in the generation Lebron. Lebron's really the only guy that
came straight out of high school and was great right away.
But um, I think that's best for quality of play.
(14:27):
But what's fair? And as you said, Rob, they can
go to they can go play baseball, they can play tennis,
they can wrap, they can go they can do any
other thing, the military, Chris, exactly, they can go die
in the war for our country. They can go work
in McDonald's and not go to college and nobody cares exactly,
But you can't play in the NBA if you're a prodigy.
(14:48):
Come on, they let me down with this, They let
the I you know, this whole idea of just make
it fair and if some of the kids, it's not
gonna be everybody, but some of the kids will get
picked some won't, you know, and someone make them go
to the G league. Put the safety net there, and
if they're not good enough, they'll never get out of
G league and they won't even last very long in
(15:09):
that that's fine, but I agree. I mean, look, I'm
not being out of shape. I don't think I'm taking
it as as badly as you might be. But I
do think what's fair is that they should be able
to come right out of high school. I mean that
just you know, that just seems to be obvious. All Right,
we're gonna throw it out to you, guys eight seven
seven ninety nine on Fox eight seven seven nine ninety
(15:31):
six sixty three sixty nine. Do you agree with the
NBA's decision to keep the one and done rule alive.
It's Chris and Rob the I Couple, and we want
to hear from you next. Fox Sports Radio. Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
(15:53):
com and within the iHeart Radio app. Search f SR
to listen live. All right, this is j Glazer. And
you may know me for the world of football or
fighting or even shows like HBO's Bawlers. Well you don't
know is for my entire life. I have lived in
something I refer to as the grey depression anxiety. So
now I'm coming out with a new podcast, Unbreakable, a
(16:15):
mental health podcast with Jay Glazer where each week while
we talk about mental health, I hope to describe it,
give it words. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay Glazer on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
All right, it's the Eye Couple. I'm Chris, He's Rob,
(16:36):
and we are live from the tire rack dot Com Studios,
brought you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive makes Moundley easy and affordable,
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bundling save at Progressive dot Com A seven seven ninety
(16:58):
nine on Fix you turned the way in? Do you
like the fact or hate the fact that the NBA
kept the one and done rule or he's about to
keep the one and done rule when they agree on
this new CBA. All right, Brett in Spokekan Washington. You're
on the Odd Couple of Fox Sports Radio. What up, Brett?
Thank you for taking my call, first time call or
(17:19):
listen to you guys all the time. Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you. My question is, and
I know it's a different sport, but why doesn't nobody
ever says anything about college football. If you remember the
Ohio State, I can't remember the one year or two
(17:40):
two years. Yeah, he I agree that even in those situations.
To me, a player should have the right. Now, if
you don't want to draft a guy you don't think
he's people get hurt in the NFL. That was always
the argument. Their bodies on developed, they're gonna get hurt,
they need to play three years. Well, there's some people,
people who are bigger and stronger, and then there are
(18:02):
other people who aren't. So it just to me is
an individual thing. And if somebody's not ready, then don't
draft him if you don't think he could play in
the league. But yeah, I've always agreed with the physical argument.
I think an eighteen year old in most cases will
get maimed in the NFL. Now there are some you know,
(18:24):
I'm saying, prou I believe, but I don't want to
put a kid. I mean, we even see it in basketball.
That's why these prodigies go to the G League and
they don't light it up because the men, you know,
even we're seeing in the Final four, these these transferred
guys and these mid majors who are twenty one years old,
twenty years old. Physically, there's a difference between them and
(18:47):
most kids coming right out. But here, because he's my
only arguments. I just don't want a kid getting hurt.
I don't want to experiment with a kid that gets
But here's my argument. You don't need to make a rule.
If the kid's not ready to play or physically and
you win, and you watched them and you looked at
his tape or whatever, you shouldn't draft them. You don't
need to make a rule. You should be doing what's
(19:09):
right from tape. Well, I'm saying what they do while
pro day or whatever it is, you watch the kid.
So I'm just saying, like, if you believe the guy's
not physically ready and all that, don't draft them. I
hear you. That's all you have to do. You don't don't.
I get that, But I don't want to you draft
the kid and then he gets You know, people get hurt. Yeah,
(19:30):
but they don't get hurt because they're not strong enough. Well,
then don't they developed that. I just I just think
it's a mechanism to keep those kids. At that point
in college, it was always about we want to keep
the college game. We got a free minor league system.
I get it. We don't want to no, no, no,
but if the school should be paying, But that's that's
the next step, Rod, because it shouldn't just be on
(19:53):
boosters and corporations, you know what I mean. But anyway,
we got Howard back, long time NBA writer, right around
the corner. But first, Fox Sports Radio has the best
sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our
shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within the
iHeart Radio app search f SR to listen live. Longtime
(20:14):
NBA writer and producer, friend of ours going way back,
Howard Beck. Howard, Welcome to the our couple. Good heavening guys.
How are you great man? It's great to talk with
you now. Rob and I were just talking about the
fact that it appears that when they come to this
agreement with the new CBA, that they're gonna keep the
(20:36):
one and done rule, or you know, the you have
to be a year out of high school before you
can enter the NBA draft. Are you surprised at that?
And how do you just feel about it? Overall? I'm
not surprised. I'm not in the least bit surprised. If
you guys, remember, and you can google this. Your listeners
(20:57):
can google this. Go back five six years something from
very early in Adam Silver's tenure as commissioner. He said,
you know what, I think we need to take another look.
And then eventually he says something the effect of, you
know what, it's probably time to get rid of it.
And of course the union was already in favor of
getting rid of it, though I will always note the
(21:18):
union signed off on this themselves in two thousand and
five because they got more money by trading off the
age limit for more guaranteed basketball income at the time.
So the union and the commissioner were on the same
page as of five six, seven years ago whenever it was.
And there were predictions at the time that they would
do this separately, because you don't have to wait for
(21:38):
a new CBA to change anything at any given time
that the union and the league can Yes, right, yep,
you can change it anytime. It didn't happen in twenty
seventeen or eighteen, or nineteen or twenty, despite predictions that
we're going to have a double draft coming up in
twenty twenty or twenty two or still didn't happened. There's
(21:59):
a reason that hasn't happened this whole time, guys, and
a reason why it apparently is still not going to happen.
And it's this some point along the way, you guys remember,
because you're as old as I am, there was a
movie called Freaky Friday back in the day where they're
like the kid and the parent changed bodies. They've changed.
This is what happened. The league got religion on the
(22:19):
issue and decided this is not the best way to
do this, we should change it, and the union it's
not that they're opposed, but practicality came into play in
two different ways. One, some semblance of the union membership
realized that, oh, if we startling these guys in now,
those of us in our thirties are going to get
(22:41):
pushed out by the teenagers. So that's that's a factor too.
As soon as the league decided they wanted to eliminate it,
the union view that has an opportunity to say, well,
what are you going to trade us for it, when
in fact the league's view was, well, if we're getting
rid of it, this is a confession to you. You
guys wanted both sides At some point decided that the
(23:03):
other one is supposed to give something up to get
rid of the age limit, and as a result, this
is where we are. That's my understanding of it. That's
my read of it. I have not made any calls
on this recently, but I have. The reason I'm not
surprised is because there's been an impass philosophically, I think
for a few years now where both sides thought the
other one supposed to give something up if they're eliminating
(23:23):
the age limit. Yeah, just the crazy thing and all
the other sports. You could play golf at sixteen and
tennis at fourteen or thirteen or whatever it is. To me,
it's it's crazy. If somebody's a prodigy, you don't hold
them back, right, everybody's not going to get in at
that age. But anyway, let me ask you about the
(23:44):
Western Conference, and everybody has dismissed the Nuggets as Okay,
yeah they won the West, but nobody buys into them.
Where are you won the Nuggets and their potential for
the postseason. I've been asking people an open ended question
over the last several weeks. When I see folks at games,
scouts and coaches and others, GMS, who's coming out of
(24:08):
the West, and nobody ever names the Nuggets. You know what,
you have a better chance of getting a four piece
of chicken nuggets and having anybody thank you, thank you, Howard,
that you made day. That's seven time. It's the first time. Listen,
it's the first time I heard the joke. That's right,
(24:30):
thank you Howard, Yes, thank you. I don't I don't
want to overdo the laughter, but that did hit me.
Um So, yeah, nobody believes in the Nuggets because one
lack of track record, two lack of defense, and three
lack of faith in anybody outside of Yoki and I.
(24:52):
That said, you know, it's not as though there's anybody
in the West who's a great, you know, consensus pick.
There is no obvious favorite in the West. And if
Kevin Durant had been playing for the last month, maybe
the Suns would have established themselves as a clear favorite.
They're still kind of like the on paper favorite. But
(25:12):
I've said this from the beginning, even when they got him,
and I thought he was going to be playing for
the rest of the season. Is fifteen games enough and
now it's going to be is like eight games enough
to establish some sort of rhythm and chemistry and you know, talent,
you know, wins out generally speaking in this league. But
if we're going to talk every season about which teams
have the best chemistry and cohesion and who really clicks
(25:34):
and you know, hey, you know the Draymond and Steph
have this you know, sixth sense about each other and
of all the years they played, if we're going to
talk about all those kinds of things that we can't
pretend it doesn't exist when it comes to the Suns
and just say, oh, they've got the talent, Like no,
it matters that they haven't played together. There's no precedent
in NBA history that I'm aware of of a player
of Kevin Durant's caliber, or even just Mark Kuye value
(25:58):
playing like less than ten games a team in the
manor season and then leading them to a championship. I mean,
it may happen, but I think it's ever been done.
And so, you know, the Warriors, we still can't dismiss them,
The Lakers, we still can't even dismiss them. The Clippers
if they get called George back. But everybody's got all
these caveats on them, and it's impossible to to to
(26:21):
say anybody's the favorite. And as a result, to get
back to your uh your your nuggets and your nuggets
and and your your your your four pack value meal
with the fries and the soda. Um like, you can't
rule them out either. I mean, they obviously had the
best regular season record, They're gonna have home court advantage,
They've got the elevation in Denver going for them for
(26:42):
all those home games, and they are really good, uh
you know, so it's it's it's it's like an eight
team race for the West, which is crazy. Right now.
Let me ask you, MVP um and and I believe
and I don't know where you are on it or
you know, the in picking. They just did a new
recent Straw poll and now it's closer to had up two,
(27:06):
but then Yoke has just moved ahead again right on
the NBA dot com polls. So let me let me
ask you this is is this a because I think
it has to do with the younger writers who are
into the analytics, and I think Yoki his analytic numbers
and the things that he's done in the average and
a triple double, I don't think that the analytics will
(27:29):
allow them not to pick him. Where are you on this?
So so you know, so your listeners know there's one
hundred voters, I am one of them. Um. Of those
hundred voters, I haven't broken it down by by age group,
but an interesting way of looking at it. Um. You know,
it is a variety of people from all around the country,
and there are ten international voters usually as well. Um,
(27:51):
and everybody sees it a different way. But Rob, you're
not wrong to bring up the analytics part as in
part a demographics issue in a generational issue, because because
I agree as somebody who again three of us are
about the same generation. We have younger colleagues in this
business who I have had some pretty intense discussions and
arguments with about this. I'm one who absolutely believes in
(28:15):
using all of the advanced metrics that we have available
to us. I believe we should look at all of this.
Some have more value than others, a lot of them,
especially the all in one stats things like wind shares
and box score plus minus. Most of us we put
a little certain amount of blind faith in. And that's
the dangerous part is that we don't really know what's
behind these formulas. And if you ask the people who
know them best. They'll tell you, well, this formula is
(28:38):
biased in this direction, this form is biased in that direction.
And what's happened is we've decided that somehow this is
this is science, like the math is infallible, and if
somebody is winning all of the advanced stats, it must
mean that they are therefore the best player in the
league or having the best season in this particular run.
And I understand that line of thinking, but there's definitely
(29:00):
a danger to me to putting too much faith in
those and people around the league, especially people who are
really analytics savy will tell you actually the same thing.
So I agree with that, and I do think that
Yokich on some level is kind of an analytics darling.
Now I test, I test. The dude is incredibly talented.
He controls the game in a way that we've never
seen a big man control the game with his passing
(29:21):
as well as his scoring. He's an incredibly versatile scorer.
He is a selfless playmaker. He is an incredible player.
I voted for him for MVP the first year. I
did not vote for him. Last year I had Yannis
at the top of my ballot. I don't know where
I'm going to be honest on April tenth, which is
when we have to to file the ballots again. But
(29:42):
he's got a strong case. Again, I don't dispute that
at all. Joel Embiad also has a strong case, and
Jannis has a strong case once again. Although Jannis I
think has the fewest games played among them all, yeah
he might, he might have vexed himself out and it's
only yeah, that's too few in an mbia though, but yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's that's true. That's true. So um, it's it's difficult.
(30:04):
You can spin yourself in circles. And I will arguing
these things because I will sit here over the next
week and a half, you know, opening up various stat
head pages, basketball reference pages, NBA stats pages, trying to
figure out the best way to delineate. Because what happens
is eventually you're you're looking for somebody's got a strong case,
(30:25):
and in some years somebody's far and away has the
best case, and in other years you have multiple guys
And now you have to drill down to okay, well
is this gonna tip based on win total? You know,
is there enough of a gap in wins between one
guy's team and others. Is it gonna tip based on
games play? Is there enough of a gap there, as
you were just pointing out, there's only a two game
gap in games played between and beating Janis Is it
(30:47):
gonna tip based on, you know whatever efficiency? Is it
gonna tip based on who did the most with the
least around them? Which was a large part of Yokashi's
case last season when people gravitated to them a lot
because they thought, well, you know, the Nuggets have have
just crap on the roster around him and look what
he's done with it, which, to me, if you're gonna
(31:08):
buy into that argument, the problem is the converse of
that is, well, then you're sort of punishing mb for
having better teammates. So that gets weird. Right, So there's
this is not science, it's art, it's it's judgments, it's interpretation,
and a hundred people will give their best stab at
it and we'll see what happens. Right. I'm I'm like you, Howard,
(31:30):
I'm a voter um right now, I'm leaning MBAD. I
do want to see these this last week of the season,
but I think I'm gonna go with Himbad and I
do think that, and quickly. I mean, we only got
a quick answer from you. I do think also that
Yokee's if you're gonna if I'm gonna vote you the
three straight MVPs, something that neither Michael, Lebron or Kareem
(31:54):
ever did. To me, there is a higher bar for that,
and I think you have to be heading shouldiers above
your competition. And he is heading soldiers about above the
players in the league generally, but he's not heading shouldiers
this year above Jannis and MB So that's a go
factor into me as well. Does that three you know,
(32:15):
him becoming three straight MVPs quickly with that factor in
your voting as well, or will it? I absolutely listen.
I give a lot of creeds to what you just said, Chris,
and I think that there is something to it, But
I don't want to make my decision based on that
because it is a singular season award, and while three
in a row feels like an honor unto itself, to
(32:39):
dismiss him because we don't think, oh, he should do
something that Bird never did, or excuse me, that Michael
never did, or that Lebron never did, that Steph never did,
like that doesn't seem fair like he either had the
best season or he didn't. So I don't want to
think about the historical standpoint when I'm processing this. I
really truly, for me, I want to make it about
did Yokas have the US season and the most worthy season?
(33:01):
Or did Embat or did Janice? And I want to
keep it at that for my purposes. That's but I absolutely,
but absolutely understand the historical standpoint. Right. That's our man, Howard,
Thanks great stuff. Man. We appreciate you. Appreciate a fellas
to take care of all right, brother Peace shop talks next,
keep it like a couple of Fox Sports Radio. Fox
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
(33:22):
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
Com and within the iHeartRadio app search f SR to
listen live. All right, it is the eye couple on
the Funky Flashback Friday. Grease is the word. We're coming
to you live from the Tirerag dot Com Studios and
(33:44):
another and another life. I might have said something, but
you know, we'll leave it at the law. I like
this alley and I was the kid and when I
went to see that, it was a great movie. Why
do you saking your head, Alley, because I bet I
know what you would say too. Yeah, tell him in
the break, don't get our show canceled? No, no, no morning.
(34:06):
We are the Eye couple in this time for shop talk.
Nobody ain't still been a bomb shop you know that?
Ain't nobody? You will talk about whoever, whatever, whatever you
want to. It's shop talk, that's right, his shop talking.
A second, we just got something happing outside of the the
world of sports. This week's topic where cheating has a
sports tie. And I don't know if you know this,
(34:26):
but uh Lebron James says he will not be paying
the five dollars actually eight dollars fee to keep the
blue check mark on his Twitter account, So look for
King James be no longer verified here in about a
month or so, which is easy question here, guys. Number one,
would you pay the money to keep your blue check mark?
And number two, just in general, are you willing to
pay money to keep your social media al Twitter at all?
(34:50):
Rob Parker just gotta hack twice, So yes, your thoughts.
Uh No, I'm out on the paying for the blue
chat or paying period. I'm I'm out on that. I
just it's not that important to me. Yeah, Rob is
much more in the social media than I am. Well
(35:10):
you got people working now, not really I think that way. Yeah,
we didn't pay anything, but um, I I don't want
to pay the blue check. I mean, I'm just talking
about the whole social media like Instagram all that I
(35:31):
don't want to pay. I certainly hope it doesn't come
down to that. But it is a valuable tool. Um.
You can reach so many people so simply um that
I think honestly, if push came to shove, you know,
if it wasn't an astronomical price, I probably wouldn't pay.
(35:53):
Um Because if I'm doing things where I want to
be able to reach a lot of people, I think
it's worth it. So I think I think what's going
backwards though, is how many people are gonna stick with it? Yeah,
and I think I think a lot of people want
to get off and it's not anymore. You know, it's
not that valuable anymore. I'm with you. But if it's
(36:13):
if people still stay on it, uh, and I want
to reach you know, tens of thousands and one fail swoop,
then um, it's a great way to do it. So Rob,
you paying Hell, no, of course not, are you kidding me?
I look, I use the Athletic for work every day. Son,
you got sorting the other time. I don't pay for
the Athletic. I got ESPN Plus. I only got it
(36:34):
because it came free with my Verizon cell phone bill
that I can get my information other ways about having
to pay for especially nowadays, when after the news is broken,
it's already available everywhere else for free, like a minute later,
and we talked. I talked to Chris about this off
the air all the time when you got like news
breakers like woes and should want to throw them under
the bus. But after they break the news, I don't
(36:56):
care anymore who broke it. I want to know what's
next Now that broad has announced that uh he's coming
to Lakers, What does that mean going forward for them?
Now that Kevin Iratt demands a trade, Well, who's gonna
get involved in the trade? I'm saying, so, I don't.
I don't need news on a page, you know, subscription
site or something. Then that news is gonna be all
(37:16):
over the place right away, right now. I don't have
to go to your website to read it. And I
agree with that. No, I'm just talking about things like Instagram,
and so if I want to get a message out,
I do think it's worth it. But when we were
doing it, uh, you know, in the newspaper used to
hold a story so that you would have the only
you could only get it in your paper, you know
(37:37):
what I mean? Like that, That's where it was valuable
back then. And well and also rob because if you
broke a story in Newsday, everybody to read that story,
you'd have to buy a Newsday. But people that might
have read only the Post or the daily News in
New York, they still have to buy a Newsday to
read that story. And that was really the value of
(37:58):
breaking news. And now as I viously not the same.
All Right, we got an hour left here on the eye,
a couple of funky flashback Friday, y'all, keep it locked
you here,
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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