Club Shay Shay - Nightcap NBA Playoff Recap - Part 1: Ant-Man ready for Steph & Warriors

Episode Date: May 6, 2025

Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson recap the NBA Playoffs, including the upcoming matchup between Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors vs. Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Russell Westbrook coming alive for the Denver Nuggets elimination game vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, and much more!01:41 - Ant-Man on the Warriors19:26 - Russ describes the Russell Westbrook Experience27:00 - Jrue Holliday set to return after injury31:00 - Number of Players Declaring for the NBA Draft by Year35:00 - Warriors on the brink of blowing another 3-1 lead(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)#Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Volume Music An interview has surfaced of Ant-Man saying he wants to face the Warriors in the playoffs. Ant, I want to go get the Warriors. Wherever they at, I want to get them. Reporter, why the Warriors? Ant, because Dre Mon talks so much trash and that's pretty much the only reason. I like, see, man, why the Warriors? And that's because Dre Mon talked so much trash, and that's pretty much the only reason. I like, see, man, that's, see what it means?

Yo, what you expecting, huh? That's what I'm talking about, man. We need more of that. Some, everybody likes to just play the game of basketball, but when you bring that entertainment value like that, that makes you want and hope that the Warriors and the Wolves have a series, it's because of somebody like that that can talk it and they can walk it

It may it just makes it makes it that much better. That's why I say I would love for him to be the face of the league No disrespect to Jason Tatum great player NBA champion, you know NBA champion all-star, you know Olympic team He has all these accolades, but it just doesn't add up to that aura and it factor that Ann has. Like that's, that's, man. Buddy Raw, man. Hey, hey, for the story, for the story, okay, Ocho, this one here gonna go down in the books. See, the one team that was at home tonight cheering was the Timberwolves. They were cheering for the Warriors for a number of reasons. They play the Warriors, they get home court advantage.

See the Warriors, under them. But if the Rockets were the one, they would have had to go to Heifton. You see what I'm saying? So Timberwolves got home court advantage. They know and understand, you know, the moment and what it presents. And like I say, N-Man got this hit list. He finna add, he try to, he got a couple more people he finna add to this list. He finna add to it. Hey, when they series start, Joe?

It's just, it don't, uh, probably Tuesday. So look, think about this, okay, Ocho. That series gonna start Tuesday. You just coming out for seven game ruling series Against the Rockets probably way down a little bit to Timberwolves been at home kind of resting they got they feed up a little bit, but uh They gonna be ready. They probably gonna look a step or two faster than the Warriors on game one. Yeah. Yeah Now watch watch Rudy Gobert go out there and forget how to play basketball

and Dreemont take him completely out there? This is gonna be WrestleMania, we just talking to Bianca. We just talking to Bianca, by a week or two ago. Yeah. And this is gonna be WrestleMania, this must be TV.

Rudy Gobert and Dreemont Green. Oh yeah, y'all already know how this thing will go down. Yeah And it's better 12 months the wolves are sent home Kevin Durant Nicole, a yogurt to Luca Donchich and LeBron James and man is looking to add Steph Curry to his list Let me ask you a question. How many game who wins and in how many games? Oh, I'm gonna start with you Who wins and how many games? Oh man, this is a good one. Listen, with Anthony Edwards playing the way he's playing, Rudy Garber, if he can have another game, maybe not 27 again, but he contribute

on both ends of the court, giving them second chance points, rebounding defensively. Everyone else contributing as well. I see it's gonna be another seven game series, and I got Ant-Man, I got Ant-Man pulling it off, adding another one to the hit list. What you got, Joe? I don't got no seven game series.

I got this, I got the T-Wool's winning this in about five, six games. Damn, five, six? Yeah, what's wrong? I only said the seven because Steph and Drey Mon and them boys are used to playing in this type of atmosphere. So I'm saying they're gonna stretch it all the way to seven. But if you say five or six, you know better than me, because you played. I just be in the YMCA. This is just my opinion, Ocho. I don't want it to be true now. Allow me the right to be wrong, alright?

Right, right, right, right. But, in my assessment, I'm thinking of, okay, seven game series, Butler didn't look like, he didn't look like, he don't look like he moving good, even though he played a decent game night, he played a good game tonight. Him and Steph looked like they kind of hobbled and gimpled a little bit. And going into playing against these T-Wolves, they gonna be ready, man, they hungry. They ready, they sitting and waiting. It's gonna, I think the X-Factor,

because my thing is, who's gonna do, who's guarding Jew Randall? Right. That's what I wanna know. Because if you go big, you put Kevon Looney in there to deal with Kevna, you mess up your spacing. Cause if you put Looney in in there and you have Draymond to bang with Jew, Jew Randall's a load.

Yeah. You gotta be ready to bang with it. Yeah, it's gonna be a tough one, it's gonna be some nose and nose in this series, you know, cause Jewel is Randall. Well, I can definitely see Randall and Draymond getting into it. You know, you know

I think I think one of the weapons for the Warriors man They don't have to try to find a way to get comingo back into the fold Because they don't need him in this series coming up man, you know, and they kind of he kind of showed today They kind of need they needed him early, but I think they gonna need him throughout this series You know, he got he got you throw this side. Yeah He's he's played in big moments. He knows he knows what wouldn't he knows what you know, he's capable of doing I think they need his productivity, you know, especially coming up in this series. He hadn't played in a while I know they threw him they've been throwing him out there here and there

But they got to try to find some consistent minutes for her. I They've been throwing him out there here and there. But they gotta try to find some consistent minutes for him. I like the T-Wolves also, because I don't know when they go to the bench, Nas Reed, who's gonna deal with him. Because not only can he shoot the spree and stretch the floor, he can also go down and poke.

So now, you gotta think about it, that's Moody, that's Kaminga, that's trying to deal with a big, a big, a true big. Yeah. And that's why I favor the T-Walls. Because of them big bodies that they have that they can throw at them. They big bodies can score and they can playmate.

So, and they guards sit down and they play deep. McDaniels, Edwards, Alexander Walker. Alexander Walker, Devin Tisos. You know, those are some guys, you know, obviously who's going to win you games throughout the series. So I get a T-Wolf's edge, man. I think it's going to be a fun one to watch. Gary Payton the second didn't play tonight. He was dealing with an illness. He's going to get a lot of minutes on Ant-Man. They're going to try to wear Ant-Man down. They'll probably have Kamingo deal with him. They'll have Moody deal with him. They'll have Gary Payton II deal with him. They're gonna try to throw different,

because I don't think anybody can stop him. You're gonna try to get the ball out of his hand wherever you can, make somebody else beat you. Lakers did that, and McDaniels had a great series. Nas Reed knocked down some big shots. Obviously, Ju Ramble gave you what he gave you. Probably averaged 22 and eight for that series. This is gonna be a very, very interesting matchup.

It's gonna be a chance. I'ma see how Finch is, what he gonna do with Steph, how he gonna defend Steph. Because Buddy Hill's like, I'm gonna make y'all pay. Cause y'all make it seem like I can't shoot the three. Y'all know I can shoot these three. Man, listen, if you don't scratch and gain six, how we expect for you to come out and give a third,

I mean, gain seven? Come on, man. Yeah. We ain't nobody's finger. Like this man is a, he out of. Hey, when you hit that shot with that, at the end of the hat? Yeah.

I said, aw, man. I said, aw. Hey, it's good, it's things good. You living right, huh? You living right. Yeah, yeah, I said, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Hey, it's good. It's things good. You living right up you living Hey boy guy boy guy who couldn't make it shot at game six to hit that like yeah, that's that's the conflict That's the confidence builder. Hey, listen, I so you not now, you know, I don't he like cuz he had 23 He had 23 in the first half. He didn't give you nothing in the third core

I don't think he's going in the third these core the third core. I think he give you none in the third quarter. I don't think he scored any in the third quarter. Did he score in the third quarter? I think he got his 11 in the fourth. He said he done it. He said, I got y'all this lead. I spotted y'all. So okay, Steph and Jimmy, y'all, y'all pairs. Hey, I don't know how much the NBA is a copycat league as you watch a series and knowing you playing

up the following team coming up next, like the NFL is. You see some work on the other team and then you just copy that and knowing you you playing up the following team coming up next like the NFL is you see some work on another team and then you just copy that and do the same thing well you know you know how to slow Steph down you know maybe not stopping but contain them and just do the same thing the Rockets are doing defensively the Wolves are capable of doing that yeah we're doing the same I think I think the Rockets the Wolves might have better defenders individual defenders Jay McDaniels is the end of it if it's a better individual individual defender than anybody that wait individual defender I don't think there's really nobody off the dribble that can stay with Steph regardless

regardless of who ain't nobody really dealing with nobody one-on-one oh it's the best of the best you just you try to make it as tough as possible so if he gives you 20 if he if he averages 27 you try to hold him to 23, right? Or if he gets his 27 you try to make it as an inefficient as possible, right? But you go out there say oh, yeah. Oh you have his 27 you ain't give it 12. Okay. Good luck with them nah, but I think I think I think T was got to defend this to to to know, wear him down throughout a series. You know, long rangey guys who are going to be pesty, pick him up, you know, just don't

give him nothing easy. Man, I watch, when I be watching the game, they take Steph out of the game, they be playing 4 on 4 out there. That man be standing there half court, his man don't even be looking at the ball. But I got the T-Walls and made a young fella legacy continue. I think he's gonna be special in this series. I do too. And Ant is a big game performer. I think the best thing that happened to Ann

was going to the Olympics and being around KD, being around LeBron, being around Steph Curry, like, okay, I'm where I belong. Yep, amongst the graves. Yes, and so how they approach it, how they get themselves prepared, how they go about their business. Now, look, he's not going to that's that's not what he is.

He's not going to be. As buttoned up as LeBron and stuff, but you got you just got accepted for who he is, that's who he is. Yeah, and that was and you heard what you just said. Yes, he doesn't have to be as buttoned up and he refused to be that. He's authentic to himself, which is why he's so relatable to everyone else. Why everybody's gonna be a fan.

And that way, you'd have some people that had to bring up stuff that has nothing to do with on the field, I mean on the field, on the court Anthony Edwards. But man, I love and appreciate anybody that remains true to themselves and who they are without conforming to how they think you should be as an NBA player. Yeah.

But no, I don't just necessarily think it's an NBA player because every player is not held to the same standard as LeBron and a Steph Curry. Everybody wasn't held to the standard like Jordan. Everybody wasn't held to the standard like Birdie, or Kobe. There's difference. But when they say, okay, when they talk about the NBA

and they have these pictures up there and your face is front and center, when the NBA marketing campaign, they want you front and center. It's just, it's different now. You gotta realize these guys, like, those old guys, they got married. They, you know, they, nah, these guys, they playing got married. You know, now these guys on your show,

they playing video games. Jordan, they playing no video game. Magic and Bird, these old guys were playing on their video game, man. These guys now, they playing card, and they playing Fortnite against somebody else. Somebody on a whole different team. Hey man, what's your name?

What's your tag? All right, come on, check this out. It's a different time now, and I think we have to change our way of thinking of what the face of the NBA is Because the old faces those guys aren't like that anymore. No He hey look whether whether he likes it or not, you know when you chose and you chose him bro You know, I mean you can do ain't nothing then you can do about it in the route that he's taken Whether he likes it or not. He complete this mission right here. Mm-hmm you know, it's gonna happen whether he whether he likes it or not and

That just comes with the game. It's part of it man. You know what I mean? Yeah, look when you chose and Joe you can't run from that. You remember Jonah God told him say that you know You know, he's like nah. Nah, let somebody else so he what he gonna do. He gonna get the boat and go now where else the camera Now when he spit his ass back up on the shore what he do He wouldn't deal with Jesus has been doing it. They don't you see when you're chosen Would you that's your car? You can't run from it. Hey, listen, you might not answer the phone It's your call you might not answer the phone Don't worry about it.

He'll take care of the rest. Yeah. So you can't run from that. I understand. Because he's like, man, look, I want to go. I want to be free. I want to do what I want to do without y'all looking over my shoulder and cameras everywhere I go because I might come out of the little hole in the wall and you know, basically the

NBA ain't supposed to be in the hole in the wall. You know what I'm saying? Joe, you know what I'm saying? Hey, I understand, but when the universe pick you, baby, they pick you. Yeah. You got to treat it like, uh... Is Ant-Man the best big game player in the NBA currently? Best big game player in the game currently?

Man, we've had some guys play some big games. Yeah, I think I probably I'll probably give him the nod. I think because he just accepts it, man. He's a little different than some of the other superstars that we have in the league and I think that's why people gravitate to the rawness of who he is and how he speaks his mind and how he cares himself and how he talks trash throughout the games Oh, yeah, I'm looking to anybody. I'm looking to play the warrior matter who you are. Oh, no Yeah, I see what Obama say he say look at this guy right here. He can play a little bit I say you better stand out on the truth

So We we love that we grab a tape toward it and we all wanna see him do good, man. Because he has the talent. And night in and night out, bro, he gives us something spectacular, you know what I mean? Because not only can he make the three, he can play above the rim. He put your ass on the post tonight,

you go up there if you want to. If you ain't, I'm telling you, you gonna be on his card, you gonna be on his card. You're gonna be on his card. I think the underrated thing, I think his underrated attribute is his defense. Okay, old joke. Oh, yeah, sure. I'm saying on any level, whether it's blocking shots, whether it's locking down, playing his one-on-one defense, fighting over picks,

like he showed me some of that Laker series, and I was like, yeah, our young fella taking the next step. And that's what it is, playing on both ends being a two-way superstar. You know what I mean? Not just a two-way player, but he a two-way superstar because he impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Just like in that last closeout game against the Lakers, he didn't play great offensively, but defensively, he was disruptive.

He made plays offensively and he did enough for them to win. Like it didn't take for him to you know Wow you on the stat sheet, so Yeah, I think that's I think that's the the best part when you could tell about a player When you can find other ways to impact the game, you know even even When you're not doing what you're known for which is scoring can I can I impact the game with you? If I if I don't have ten guys How's my blocking? when you're not doing what you're known for, what you're scoring. Can I impact the game with your,

if I don't have 10 catches, how's my blocking? How's my decoy? Am I getting out of there making everybody think I'm about to? I'm about to get this wrong when I know I'm just clearing for somebody else to run the shallow or to run that deep over, but I need to make sure I get that safety up out of there and pull that line back.

Is that really? So you got to find other ways to impact the game. Because sometimes guys only see their value if I'm catching pass, if I'm scoring points. No, you got to find value in other things also. And that's when you become the greatness. Maybe a made three is gonna be all of that. I call it the Russell Westbrook rollercoaster. And he just laid it out for you. I think, hey, he might shoot an air ball.

He might turn it over. You're like, no, don't shoot that. Come on, Russell. And then when you least expect it, he'll go four or five from the three. Yeah. You'll get two steals. He'll make some big. Go back and look at the series. Hey, he played unbelievable short term memory.

You know, he has it. He's short term. He got it. You know, just like in football from week to week, you got to put it behind you, short term, we got another game. Well in basketball, you play every other night or considering in a basketball game in possessions, Russ, if he come down, miss a wide open layup, he gonna hustle back, try to get the block or steal.

Like, it's a lie, it's a lie. It is, and you have to accept that, dude. You have to accept, you have to take the good with the bad. But just know one thing, he give you everything he got. Come on, hey, Russ, pick it up a little bit. Russ has never had a coach to tell him to pick it up. He might have to say, son, calm, settle down. Come on down, settle down, you okay? You might have to tell him son, calm, settle down. Hey, come on down, settle down, you okay?

You might have to tell him to settle down or calm down, but you never have to tell him to pick it up because he's going to give you that effort and you can appreciate that. And sometime in trying to give you everything he got, he's a little out of control. He'll fumble the ball at it. I mean, the other night he had two point blank layups. Mr. Bow in game six But he cut he could but he come right babe come right back down He gonna get you a second He gonna get you extra possessions because he gonna battle somebody for the rebound I saw him last night a line against he go out there get the ruba to rebound. He ain't got no business whatsoever

When you ever see the six ball guard only in the box trying to get a real miss free. Hey, and that's why you gotta love him. That's why you gotta love him. He gonna be. Is Russ the X Factor, Menugas against the Thunder? Is he the X Factor? Made it. If he played well, obviously they always got a great chance of winning. But I think this Thunder team is, uh, it's their time.

It's their moment. They've been, they've been sitting around waiting and I know we can go off rust or, you know, whatever the case may be. Uh, but I think this is a young team who's, uh, prepared and understands the moment and they're going to come out ready. Yeah, it's going to be, it's gonna be, it's definitely gonna be interesting to see. Obviously you need Yoke and Murray to do what they do.

I think probably Gordon has been really consistent over the last three to four games. He's been really consistent in that last series against the Clippers. He needs to play really well. A big body guy that can defend. Now, but his offense is playing well. He's knocking down the three. He crashes the glass.

If I had to say an X fact, I think they need Michael Porter. Yeah. Yeah. Because sometimes he, sometimes, you know, he drifts, but when he's in, go ahead. But yeah, I agree. If he can get him some consistent productivity in this series to where they're able to compete, you know, they always gonna have a great chance. Like I think we all know what Yoke is gonna do.

He's gonna make them dudes around him better. And if he have to score 40 or 50, we know he'll do that as well. But I like how, you know, the series went throughout the regular season, how they played and how OKC competes against them. So I just don't think they got nobody who could deal with Shay on the perimeter, if I'm just being honest. You know what I mean? I think he's going to be able to pretty much have his way now. Yeah, you probably could put Gordon on him sometime, but even him, I just don't think they,

I don't think they're gonna have nobody who can stop him. No, I think Brown will start, because he seems to be their best defender, but that's what happened when you let KCP go, and you let, what's the other guy's name? They ended up letting him go. Bruce Brown. Who's the great defender?

Bruce Brown. Bruce Brown, yeah. They let him go, and so now it's really, you left up letting him go, who's the great defender? Bruce Brown. Bruce Brown, yeah. They let him go. And so now it's really, you left up to Christian Braun because he's really the only defender. We're like, the Gordon, but I don't think they're gonna put Gordon on the point. They normally put Gordon on the big guy,

if it's LeBron or if it's a KD. Guys like your Jason Taylor. I'm saying, if he get it going though, I'm saying if he get it going to one of them games, you can't stop him, you're gonna have to you try to put you try to put that light out I put some size on him. You know what I mean? Cuz them guy. Yeah Six six six. No, no, no, he's six. Yeah, he don't you know He gonna get to his spots and raise up and them look dudes ain't gonna be to do nothing with that, right? I

Just got to make it tough. I just got it. I got a key I got a key a Joe I got a keeping from the rim and I got to keep him up the free throw line If you make it threes and pull-ups, I got a I can't take every damn thing away You can't you got it. You got to live with that but he's a one dude who has mid-range game down to the tee and If nothing if he can't get this three off and get to the basket He can always be able to get to his middies. So this is what I'm talking about. That's the step that I was talking about that I want,

you know, Jalen Green to make and just being able to get to that mid-range, because he's so athletic, bro. He can get up once he go into his shot. You can't block that. Right. You got to put that time in the lab, though. Ocho, who you like in this series, Ocho? Oh, I like, I'm going with the young bulls.

I'm going with the young bulls. Even though, like, when you ask a question about the X Factor, I think the X Factor would be Russ. Obviously, with Russ coming off the bench, we know what Yoko, Yoko, Nugger Joker gonna do. Um, if they have a chance to win this series, if the Nuggets do have a chance, I think Russ would have to be the difference maker.

He'd have to be the difference maker. Obviously Porter has to do what he needs to do. Murray is gonna be Murray. And you know what Joker could do. I really think Russell Westbrook has to be that X factor in order for him to even have a chance to win this series. But I'm going OKC. That make OKC so tough is that they got guys coming off the bench

that sit in the chair. They're mainly there. Yeah, they're sitting in the chair, but they can knock down threes. You look at Caruso, you look at our Isel Joe, you look at Wiggins. They got guys, man. They really Wallace. Yes. Yeah.

And you know, you still got Lou Dora, you got Jalen Williams. So they got six guys that are 3 and D guys There ain't very many teams that have that many guys are 3 and D guys And they got to sound like you going with Denver sound like you going with okay see to It's hard to go get joking It's hard to go against Joe Gator. It is. It's hard. Because you can see him.

It's hard. In some sense, you can kind of see him going in there showing up. You can kind of see him. Because it's the MVP. Yeah. It's the two league candidates for the MVP. Let me show you. Hey, let me show y'all why I should win it.

45, 19, and 13. Yeah. Hey, listen. And we wouldn't be surprised if we seen those stat numbers, but yeah, I totally understand that they're definitely capable of winning the series. I just seen some holes in their defense, or in their. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

they definitely have to have lapses, absolutely. True Holliday is set to return from injury. Game one versus the Knicks. Holliday would make his return to the floor after missing the final three games of Boston's first round series with a hamstring strain. How important is it for them? Because he's probably gonna match up with Brunson. He'd probably take Brunson.

But you got a bunch of guys you can throw at Brunson. You can throw Derrick White at Brunson. You can throw Holliday at Brunson. You can put Jaylen Brown on Brunson. But you got a bunch of guys you can throw at Brunson. You can throw Derrick White at Brunson. You can throw Holliday at Brunson. You can put Jaylen Brown on Brunson. You put Holliday coming off of injury out there in front of Brunson, you're gonna pull something. What? You're gonna pull something.

You can put Derrick White on him. You can put Derrick White on him. He gonna sauce Derrick White up too. You can put Jaylen Brown out there on him too. He gonna sauce Jaylen Brown up there too. You You gotta understand everybody, your naming players that are really good, your naming players that are defensive players, but everyone Jalen Brunson goes against, he gonna get to his spot. He gonna drive, he gonna use his body, he gonna do what he always do regardless of who he is out there.

I'm trying to make him as inefficient as possible. That's all I'm trying to do. He gonna get to his spot. Hey, he get 33, I'm trying to do. He gonna get to his spot. I'm trying hey he get 33 I'm trying to get make him take 30 shots to get okay, right? That's all I just trying to wham down You just trying to get different looks different bodies Hopefully look they just come out of grueling series as well He was banged up a little bit in that series so he carried on to the next series. You know that We get hey, we got to make it tough on him I'm trying to how he'd you like it?

Like Joe, Joe said, he just came out of seven game series. He's averaging 40, 42 minutes a night. Yeah. So, Hey, see, pick him up. D what D white, you got it. Hey, Jalen, you got it. Holiday. You take it.

Oh yeah. We just go, Hey, pain Fritz, they be past. Yeah. Just buzz around like a nap. Zzzz. Zzzz. Zzzz. Zzzz.

Zzzz. Annoy the hell out of him. Oh, hey, I'm sure the sellers will happen to have him back because like you said, Jalen Brunson is the one guy that really can create his own shot. It's gonna be interesting to see the matchup. They'll probably put OG on Tata.

This is what they got? I'm thinking probably take Josh Hart, probably have him on Jalen Brown. Who you putting Bridges on? Oh, Bridges, you know what? I think Bridges might take Jalen Brown. And then Josh Hart take Derrick White. Yeah, and OG on Tatum.

Yep. This is why they wouldn't got OG. Hey, but here's the thing. Who y'all met? And I guess, Rosengus and Kat. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Or Al Horford and Kat. Yeah.

What you got? What you got, you got Knicks and Six? I got the Celtics. Oh, myicks and 6? I got the Celtics. Oh, my bad. Okay. I got the Celtics. Joe? Yeah. I got the Celtics.

I don't know about that. The 5-0 win. It's over with. It's over with. I got the Celtics. I got the Celtics on old Joe. You know, a very experienced team, you know, obviously, and they've been playing well. They know what these battles are like and they've had the Knicks number, you know, over the years. Yeah. You know, I don't even think this is gonna be a long series. I actually think it's gonna be a short one, actually.

Sweep it? I ain't saying sweep. I actually think it's gonna be a short one, actually. Sweep it? I ain't saying sweep. Man. What the hell about you? You ain't like my fire prediction. Well, hell go you don't like that pic. Go with it.

I'm saying you got it. You wore the five out, the five. I got to bring it back. Lately we got to find something that's catchy. I mean, for the Celtics. I don't know. Man, you remember, hey, Joe, you remember they brought the... See, they brought the Bell Bottom fans back.

Remember the Bell Bottom jeans? They back his style. Bell Bottom Dress Pants, back his style. Everybody, everything come full circle. Full circle. Everything come full circle. But, uh... Yeah, I say the circle. I do got the Celtics in five. I say the Knicks won the game.

Got a very something very interesting for the both of you guys the number of players declaring for the NBA draft by year in 2020 in 2021 it was 353 in 2022 it was 283 in 2023 was 240 to 2024 it was 201 this year is only a hundred and six 201. This year it's only 106. NIL, Monday Ocho, got the boy like you know where he is. He's gonna stay here and get a quick 250-500. He's gonna give me that money and I'm gonna stay right here in college. Yeah, listen, also the opportunity with the great understanding,

your chances of making it to the NBA and actually playing in the NBA or making that squad is only a team of what? 15, right? How many players it is? 15 a team. Yeah, two, 15. So you got about 400 players. Yeah. Man. 450.

I'm gonna bet on myself in college and get as much as I can. Hey, that's 450, that's every year. That ain't just this year. This is, yeah. Yeah. I ain't like to add something. Hey, ain't no way, we gonna be 460 today.

Look, look, if you got 50, 60 guys coming in every year, you got 50 60 leaving every year So that's a real and that's why I tell cast as hard as it is to make it to the league, bro It's even harder to stick. You know what I mean? It's harder to stick because once you get there, you can't exhale You know saying you got to keep going. You got to keep pushing you got to work even harder So, uh, you know I tell Cass all the time bro Can't get it's hard. It's Joe. I and that's what I tell football player. I say bro it It's Easier to get in the league and stay right then get out the league and try to get back in

Yeah Cuz did you think it's hard getting in get in and get out and try to get back in Right unless you unless you're a quarterback and you got to be decent Yeah, and what they say on the stadium, you know, you go to the game you lead into the arena. You can't get back in Hey, what what you in see I got a ticket even you got a ticket. They don't know bro. You know, you We can't let you back in the game. And that's how they feel about sports. It's like, bro, I was just here a year ago. I was only going a year.

Y'all making it seem like I was going to decade. Well, a lot of other people done came in bro. We the NFL, they had 70 early declarations in 2025 down from 82 in 2023. And I all changed the game game college athletes aren't finding value Risking turning pro when they can earn six seven fingers right here And that's what I say why am I gonna go to the NFL hold your if there's a possibility Man, I don't give me six million stay right here with quarterback

But also you have to understand the people that are choosing to go back They questioning themselves you question're questioning themselves with great understanding. Well, hell, if I know what I'm gonna get going to an NFL and entering the draft, it's because I know I'm that boy. Because you know what you're gonna get. I told Quinn, what did I tell you, Ocho? If I'm Quinn Ewers, I take my butt, I go jump into that portal, and I go somewhere else, and I make me three four million dollars again. You want more huh? Yes! As opposed to be a fifth or sixth or seventh round drive back because I believe he could have built his value he could have been you know who knows a first or

second they picked and picked up at three four million I have, cause if Carson Beck jumped in the portal and got four million from the University of Miami, which called I'ma leave him, cause you know, look at his last name, high spell, I'ma leave him. That's what he did to Tennessee. He left. Now I don't know why he left for a state like Tennessee

with no state income tax to go to California to take three, $400,000 less where there's 50% state tax. What's that about? Make it make sense. Make it make sense, Ochoa. Oh, no, listen, I don't know who was advising him. I'm not sure where he thought he can make more. But again, I always tell you,

if you deserve what you was asking for, they would have gave it to you where you was at because that's what they thought of you. The Warriors are on the brink of blowing another 3-1 lead throughout NBA history. There have been 290 instances in which a team has gone 3-1 in the playoffs of the series. Only 13 times has the team come back to win.

The Warriors know all too well about blowing a 3-1 lead. Is there one of the 13 teams to do so. Q, who you got tomorrow night? Oh man, this is a tough one for me because you know, game sevens you throw everything out the window, but I can't not roll out with the light-skinned assassin and Jimmy Buck and Draymond, just with the experience they got, man. Like, if I'm wrong, I take that to the chin, but just with the inconsistencies

of the young boys over there in Houston, I gotta- No, inconsistency of Jalen Green. Go ahead and say that. Everybody else, hey, Fred Van Fleet, the last five games have been on one. Hey, that's the list. I feel like we don't even respect, like Fred Van Fleet is a champion, a dog.

You know what I'm saying? Like he gotta get proper respect. He doing what I expect him to do. He over there in like win, lose, or draw, Houston Rockets is gonna be back. Win, lose, or draw, they gonna be right back like they forgot something. They got, he may got them boys growing.

I love what, I love, you know what I'm saying, like we talking about Van Vliet being a veteran OG out there to get it done and then pack the game and be able to show them and say what he's saying and it means something because he out there. So I like what they got going on, but even still with that being said, I don't know. You got, when you got that little dude number 30,

all it take is if he hit one, it's now we in the matrix. He turned to Neo and everything else, it don't matter. We've all seen it happen. The game could hinge on that right there. If he come out and make one shot and start looking funny, if he give you a little shimmy, it's curtains. It's about to be a long night. And it's like, I don't know, like you say,

with the, to me, when I say inconsistencies with Houston, it's like, they don't know where they gonna get they scoring from, from night to night. It's like, it's nice, like you know who leads them in scoring and you know who you would expect to do it, but like, it's not concrete. You can't hang your hat on it like, ah, we gonna go such and such from this player

or that player. It's like, it might be anybody. And when you got something like that, it's hard for me to roll the dice with that. Yeah, look, Shen Goon has been sensational. He's been doing a great job. He leaves them in points, rebounds, assist and steal. I thought I may, inserting Steven Adams,

he was the difference maker last day of the night. He gave him rebounding, he gave him toughness. He did all the right plays, you know, he went to Hacker Adams, he made nine of 16, and sometimes I think that takes the team out of their rhythm, because you know, you don't get a flow, you stop, you don't get to go up and down,

but I don't know what Fran Van Fleet did from games three through six, I mean, four through six, but he been on one. I mean, he's been through six. I mean four through six. Yeah, but he been old one Yeah, he I mean he's been all one. I mean he's I'm talking about he's coming down on the break and he like Oh, now you under the basket. I don't want the two. I want this pull up I want this 26 foot pull up. Yeah, and it's been it's been money. I like what they're doing when it comes to step because he tried to come up that peak they doubling make him get a Ball up cuz I don't believe look Draymond, I'm not worried about Draymond.

You know that Draymond always take the first shot, because he wide ass open, they gonna lead him over too. That's true. You're not fit to make eight of those. Steph Curry can. So you shoot as many of them as you want, Draymond. We're not gonna worry, we're not gonna worry ourself with that.

But what we will worry ourself with, is to make sure Steph don't catch fire on us. Keep Jimmy Butler off the free throw line, because you know he's gonna tack the basket. It's gonna be interesting to see Steve Curl, how does he play this thing. Because remember the other night he started Gary Payton the second. He went away from his normal lineup with Puzzimski. So does he go back to that queue or does he still, does he ride, does he ride with Gary Payton the second again or is Moody inserted into the starting lineup? What's he gonna do?

I might start Moody and bring GP up because he's a pace changer to me. You know what I'm saying? He comes in and is supposed to raise the energy and things like that if it's not right, try and get some defensive energy going. I would start Moody to see. I mean, I like what Moody's been doing. He presents a lot of length defensively, you know what I'm saying?

And I would start him. He's been shooting the ball. I mean, not as well as you want him to. Well, he's made some big changes. Yeah, he's made some big changes. He's known that he bar. I mean not not as well as you what do you think? It's a big show. Yeah, he's a He had knocked down a shot and he'll make some plays drive to the basket and I say most importantly he got that He got a lot of lean defensively and that's you know, that's always big in these games Okay, what you thinking the Warriors gonna blow another three one lead?

Absolutely not, you know curry not having another bad game like that Listen even with even what they try to do trapping him, you know, making all shots contested, it's not happening. Listen, the Warriors have a championship pedigree and there's no way in hell they lose a game seven. Not like this. It's definitely not going to happen. I think Dr Mon, Dre Mon can do what Dre Mon does. Jimmy Butler, like you say, he gonna get to the basket where they try to stop it or not. He gonna be aggressive. He gonna be playoff Jimmy like we used to see in him

when he was with Miami. And Curry, he gonna cook. He gonna cook, especially after the last game. He's not gonna have another performance. Yeah. I think Dre Mon need to make sure he stay within himself. Cause I think sometimes he get going too early and he kind of gets himself, he gets himself out of rhythm.

He gets early fouls, he gets tanks. And now he knows in a game like game seven, they gonna probably get a take early cause he know they're not gonna throw him out. They don't want to impact the game like that. So he has a very good understanding cause most players to do what Dre might done. Oh, they'd be gone. They'd be teed up. Whoa. Oh, what'd you say? Whoa? Take that with you on the way. Yeah, yeah, you're out of here, bro Yeah, but they wouldn't do they wouldn't do they wouldn't do them do that to him in the playoffs though, huh?

No, that's what I'm saying. He knows that but I think sometimes it gets him It gets him out of his game. Now, sometimes he riles himself up, he gets the team going. But it had the opposite effect the other night. They got the Rockets going. Shungoong, they was piling them on the glass. I mean, they crushed them. They crushed them on the glass.

They had 25 off as a rebound. That's part of J Ma's superpower, though. He gotta play with that edge. He gotta play with the way he play. That's part of what makes him him. If he doesn't play with that edge. He gotta play with the way he play. That's part of what makes him him. If he doesn't play like that, he's not as impactful or as effective as he can be. Now, I agree with you.

He gotta toe that line and tuck it in when he need to, but he absolutely gotta play like that to be the most impactful and the best version of Jermon Green. Like you say, he can't step over that line, but he gotta toe it. And plus, that big lineup that Houston go out there with Sam Adams, with Steven Adams and Shungoom,

the Warriors can't match up with that. That's why Adams and Shungoom was killing him on the glass. Because you really, you don't want to play Looney. You really don't. Because he don't really give you a whole lot of offense, but he set picks and he can rebound. But Shhingu's going to punish whoever on the offensive end. And so now you got Big Adams. They're like, okay, now you take a shoot off the floor.

We want you to play. You know, they try to put post out there who's a big that can stretch the floor and shoot that. But he's a little bit too inconsistent. So if I'm going to keep listening to Curry, I'm going to gonna try to get the ball out his hand as much as I possibly can I'm gonna trap it every chance I get he goes to that corner. Hey, they got road We come we come from we get your help back side. Well, we're not like her get no easy shots, huh? Listen, we talked about curry. We talked about Jimmy. We talked about joy, man. We talked about the elephant in the room What does curve on do about coming up?

Obviously you you're mostly one of your most athletic players he lives against the Rockies in the games during this irregular season against the Rockies he averaged the most points for the Warriors against them so it only makes sense it only gave him seven to put him in there I don't know how to be Steve be. Steve Kerr said, Jonathan Gamingo returns to the rotation of the 100% on the table in game seven. 100% Gamingo is on the table. We kind of found a formula here in the latter part of the season.

We've stayed with that formula to start this series up three to one. Things are going well and obviously last few games have gone very poorly. We have to access everything, the lineup combination, starters, all of that we have to assess. I don't know why he fell out of favor and what happened with that, but did y'all see him the last time he got in the game? He didn't look like he was like,

he didn't look locked in and looked like he would be, I hope the young fella do get out there and ball out of his thing, but from the looks of everything that he did last time, it don't look likely. Don't look like he's mentally there. You know, like when you a young fellow like that, I don't know how easy it is for you to get back into it. That's right.

Hey, Q, when you have a coach that that is not playing you and you don't know what's going on or what happened, obviously, we don't know from the outside looking in what happened internally. But for you to be one of the best players on that team that can contribute on both ends of the court and then not get any playing time, it has to be something. It has to be something that we don't know publicly.

But I mean, I hope his confidence is there. You know, after not playing for so long, some time, something like that, can do something to your mental. Obviously when he does get in the game, is he gonna be gunshot? Is he gonna be scared to pull the trigger? Is he gonna be hesitant?

I mean, if it was me, my boy, I'd be like, listen, I can't take it personal. He benched Jason Tatum. Who am I to be mad at here? Okay, okay. I'm gonna just take it like a champ and keep it moving. It's a good one. You feel me?

Yeah. I mean, real talk though. Yeah, I don't know what Kaminga's done, but he's definitely been out of the rotation and he's one of the more athletic guys. He can defend, he can get all the way to the rim. He can not casually knock down the three. That's not his strong suit.

But for whatever reason, he don't even get no mop up minutes. Like, damn, let me break a sweat so I don't have to get on the bike after the game. Q, he can't even get no cardio in. He got to get on the bike after the game after the set. He like, I'm all still and I got to get 30 minutes on the stationary bike. And then you say he was getting shots up

after one of the games and everything. Like that's a little bad signal. Like, yeah, I'm hot. And then you say he was getting shots up after one of the games and everything. Like that's a, that's a little bad signal. Like, yeah, I'm hot. Like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. He probably said, get me out. Hey, y'all, y'all ain't going to play me. Get me out of here.

Let me go somewhere. Hey, let me go somewhere. At least I can contribute. I can play. I ain't say, hey, look, I'm not saying I'm SGA. I ain't saying I'm one of the five ten best players in NBA but damn I see guys that I know I'm better than and they getting 10-15 minutes a night I can't get that. Yeah I know a

perfect place for him too. Moving around. I know the perfect place for him too. Man ain't nobody coming there. You know the perfect perfect place, bro. Right here. He thinks somebody always wanna go to the, he wanna go to Miami Heat. I mean, Pat Riley with them 19, with them 1955 rules. Hey, listen, it ain't as bad as you think it is, man. People may listen, when you look at the guys that go there, they have some of their best years of their careers

when they go there. And look at the guys leave. I They have some of their best years their careers when they go and look at the guys leave I saw the Wayne Wade leave. I saw Jimmy Butler leave. I saw LeBron James leave now That's three of the best players that you've had in the last 15 years. Now. Tell me what I don't know Q What you know? Yeah, hold on. Let me finish up you could chime in after him Q. We all got family, right? Yeah, yeah You could chime in after MQ. We all got family, right? Yeah. Yeah. Sometimes you get mad at your auntie or your uncle or your cousin or even your mom or your brother

or sister, right? I like that. I like where you're going. I ain't leaving him. They, hey, look, he didn't leave for good. He left and went over his auntie house and then he came back over here and back to uncle's house. He came back.

OK, you think Jimmy coming back? I didn't say Jimmy came back over here and back to Uncle Niles. He came back. I'm okay. You think Jimmy coming back? I didn't say Jimmy came back. I was talking about D-Way when we said that. When we was talking, yeah. Okay, what about LeBron? LeBron going back to Miami? No, I said family. But I'm saying, the mere fact that family left.

If I leave the house, yeah, I might go away when I'm on hard times. You said that D-Way was a different type of family. Like D-Way was drafted homegrown there. That's Dade County. And he left. You can't say the same for LeBron or Jimmy, so it wasn't that same type of thing.

You, he left. And came back, and they both admitted that it was some wrongdoings and reasons why they left, and they came together and pieced up and it's all love. Yeah. This is all I know. This thing is all love. I see D Wade is part owner in the Utah Jazz. He's sitting court-sided in Utah Jazz. Why isn't he sitting court-sided in Miami? It's family. I'm not telling you. D Wade do be sitting court-sided in Miami. He got a statue in Miami and he's a boss here. You a deservedly so. A smart businessman.

Of course, deservedly so. But we can't pretend like people aren't fed up with Pat and Riley and those archaic ways, Q. That's not being true. You hear it? But it can go two ways, though. You gotta understand that some of those same ways that people being critical of are the reasons

for some of the most brilliant careers that you talk about. The best version of LeBron James that you know was right there under those arcades. Ooh, tell me I'm wrong. I still like LeBron when he went back to Cleveland. No, you ask anybody in the league. That LeBron, him two years back the back please

Blame that was that was hell on wheels. Why you hear me like playing you? Let's say that okay. What play they have a body both side Okay, then he had his best years. And then what made LeBron leave? You got that? On the 27 game winning streak, what happened, Q? I don't know. I didn't hear a lot. You know what happened? D-Wade said he done heard about cookies being taken away.

I didn't hear about cookies being taken away. I didn't hear about all type of stuff. But I also heard that some of the same things that he reared from that he tried to take with him and bring it but stole on these other organizations when he went there. So it wasn't all bad. You already, listen, you already know,

Rich, Mav is gonna be there every day. Mav is my chief of staff. Not Mav, excuse me. What's the other one? Randy. Randy is gonna be there. Have you ever seen LeBron James anywhere without Randy? I have not.

Whether it's out in Vegas, whether whatever the case may be, Randy is gonna be there. You- So, Pat should have let him be there. Oh, he gonna be there. He won't be there, he gonna be there, he don't want it. But you know, hello, you already know what you, when you sign up,

if you get Yardis, what, you see where the Yardis brother is? Where he at? Hey, time out, time out though. You just said you already know what you get when you sign up, right? So you can't say that, and then say that LeBron came to Miami as a free agent,

knowing that the Godfather was the Godfather and then say that LeBron came to Miami as a free agent, knowing that the Godfather was the Godfather and the Godfather do what the Godfather does that he always has. You signed up for that. I did, but not for to be petted and take some damn cookies away. I ain't done anything.

Listen, you talking in a way like were going to clean up my damn room. It could have been a headband. It could have been anything. But the cookies is what set it up. But like, this is what you signed up for when you signed up for Chris Bosh. I ain't signed up for this. I signed up to come down here to get structure. I wanted to play with D-Way, Chris Bosh, and OK Spokesman.

And it got you two championships. And it showed you how to go on the rest of the way and be a champion. Hold on, hold on. Hey, we talk about the heat of the old. Let's talk about the new heat. Let's talk about the new heat and what's going to happen. Hey, the new heat, it doesn't matter. It's still Pat running it. Don't say they're about to get somebody.

Yeah, I've been telling you. Wait what? I'm trying to tell you. I already know. That's what you, that's what you, that's what people always understood and knew. Pat Riley, the Godfather is always one move away. How did he, like, I don't know if he really got shacked and then they won the championship.

Like, he always willing to swing for the fences and do what needs to be done. But he don't have the drive capital to do it. What are you gonna do? Now think about it. He couldn't get Kevin Durant. He could get Dame Lillard. So in order to get, well, let's just say for the sake of argument, Kevin Durant,

what do you think it's going to take for him to get Kevin Durant? He's going to have to give up the hero and bam. Then what? Who could it get? Y'all just- I don't think so. I told you, I told you who we're going to get. I told you, I already told you already.

I told, I think, Q, I sat down with Pat, Pat Riley and Mickey Harrison. I done told already told you already. I told you, Q, I sat down with Pat Riley and Mickey Harrison. I done told Robert O'Reilly, I done told the ISO Joe, I done told Joe already and I'm telling you, I'm telling you too. I told the Pat, I sat down with Mickey Harrison and we gonna get Yonis, we gonna get John Marant. I'm trying to figure out what are you, but see here's the thing. They're only a handful of team that have the pieces. They want assets because they gave up all those assets to get said players. Q, you know how this thing works. A lot of times, like, man, I want to go over there.

And when you get there, they had to gut it to get you. And so now you're there in the same situation you were in, where you left from. They're not going to be able to, I don't see how they get to Kevin Durant in Miami and keep Bamb and Tyler Hero. Oh, you talking about, I want Duncan Robinson and Housmith? Hey, you'd be surprised what these deals shake out once these players step out and say that they wanna be moved. We ain't seeing, like, guys ain't been, like,

been yielding what you thought. Like, when you look at what Rudy Gobert got in his trade and then a trade. You got four first rounders. Yeah. What started happening after he did that? Nobody was getting all of them first rounders and it was looking how did like,

how did Rudy get, you get Rudy for all of this and you get such and such for all of that. That it wasn't going the same way. They're not giving as much up, especially when these teams, like when you get put in that pigeon hole, like a player come out and say, hey, I want out.

I want out. Like you done. You done. Like, we ain't gotta be at your back and call because we're basically helping you at this point because your dude that said he want out. So no matter what happens, you gotta get out. Or your situation is blown up.

So at that point, if they exhausted to a certain point, it'll get bad. See, I told you, I'm, I told you. But here's the thing. Why it didn't get that bad? Why it didn't get that bad? They couldn't make the pull the trigger for Dame Lilla. That question, I mean, I don't know the answer to that.

I thought that was a done deal like everybody else. They didn't want to give up Tyler Hero. I don't see a scenario where a team doesn't get Tyler Hero back as a piece. Do you see that scenario? You never know, man. I didn't see a scenario on the planet where Dallas was trading Luca, but look what happened.

Yeah. So I didn't learn my lesson. I didn't see Shaq get traded. MJ left the Bulls. Anything could happen. In the right circumstances, they'll do whatever they feel is the best. That's just how it go.

And then they gonna tell you, that's good business. You know what I'm saying? It's what's's for the organization. That's why I don't be mad when players go do a thing out of me. The Volume.