Nightcap - Nightcap - Hour 1: Unc, Iso Joe, and Patrick Beverly react to the Thunder beating the Pacers in G5!

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

Shannon Sharpe, Iso Joe Johnson and special guest Patrick Beverly react to Shai Gilgeous Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers in game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Memphis Grizzlies trade Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic, and Kevin Durant trade match continues and much more!01:47 - Introduction04:42 - Pacers v OKC36:25 - Grizzlies trade Bane to Magic58:26 - KD Trade Watch(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)#Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Hello ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us for another episode of Nightcap as you watch the OKC Thunder take a 3-2 lead as they head back to end it, 120-109. Jalen Williams was sensational and you know, Shay Gill just did what Shay Gill just does. He wasn't terribly efficient but he got to the free throw line 14 times, and he made 13 of them. He chipped in with 31, but it was the big 40 from Jalen Williams that really did the paces in. Y'all know me, I'm your favorite, Shannon Sharp. Fill it in for number two is number three.

Little Rock Arkansas native, the University of Arkansas alum, that is Iso Joe, who got a big win this weekend. They were down, but Iso Joe refused to let them lose and they come back and win it 50 to 48. That is Joe Johnson. And joining us to break down this game, give us a little better insight, is a three time all defensive player,

knowing from Houston, played with the Clippers, went overseas this year. He might be back in the NBA, they don't know yet. But he's ready to bust somebody, you know what, in one-on-one, because that's what seems to be going around now, the one-on-one battles. Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, you know him, Pat Bell. Pat, what it do?

How you doing, brother? You look good. I'm doing good, I'm doing good. Please make sure you hit that subscribe button. Please make sure you hit the like button. And guys, go subscribe to the Nightcap Podcast feed wherever you get your podcasts from. I want to thank each and every one of you that have supported us from day one.

Although we got Joe filling in this week, we gonna have no drop off. We gonna let Ocho do his thing and Kanz, he's celebrating, eating croissants and, you know, grape moupon. But you know what? The show got to go on. Pat Bell gonna fill in with us tonight. We got Bun B tomorrow night.

So we're gonna keep this thing called Nightcap continuously rolling, although Ocho is out. But he will be back on Saturday. So tune in for Ocho for that. But I want to thank each and every one of you because of your eyes, your ears, and your word of mouth, you've helped Nightcap grow to what it's become. And we cannot thank you enough. Ocho, myself, Nacho filling in, and the entire staff at Nightcap, we want to thank each and every one of our listeners, our people that download

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Go follow my media company page on all of its platforms, Shade Shade Media, and my clothing company 84 with 84 being spelled out. That link is pinned in the chat. Supplies are limited and once they're gone, they're gone. So please grab yours while supplies last. Thunder beat the Pacers 120 to 109. Jalen Williams had himself a night. 40 points, 6 rebounds, he was 3 or 5 from the three- point line. The second most points in a finals game in franchise history.

For the first time in the playoffs, Indiana will face elimination. Tyrese Halliburton did not have it going tonight. I think they showed a graphic. I couldn't hear the sound, but I think he's dealing with something, a calf, ankle or something. But he was 0 of six, 0 of four from three,

and he only had 4 points and He turned the ball over because seem they were about to get back into this ball game If I'm not Rick Carlisle might have should have left those backups in because those were the guys that got him back in the game Guys, Joe, let me start with you first How was okay see able from this tip take control of this ball game and although they cut it down to two Really never relinquish the lead from that point on man. I thought okay Able from the tip, take control of this ball game. And although they cut it down to two, really never relinquished the lead from that point on. Man, I thought OKC, you know,

they did everything they could in Indiana to compete better to get a game. And they did, so they reclaimed home court advantage. I love the big lineup, man. From the jump, I always ask, man, why did they switch that lineup? Why would he change that lineup? If you look at the first quarter, Hardenstein put his stamp on their first quarter.

Yep. His energy, his effort and making plays, getting these guys easy buckets. So they got into a rhythm early. I thought playing through him almost in that first quarter to where he was able to get back doors, get guys wide open for three, and I just thought they pretty much opened up the game. But for me, Arkin P. Bale, it was too close for my liking.

If I'm OK, see, I thought they should have put them guys away a lot sooner. But, you know, giving credit to Indiana, whose fault this whole postseason. And you're probably right. You probably should have stuck with the backups because those guys had so much energy and they got them right back in the game. Like, how they down six points in Hallenberg playing this bad? So, but I thought late in that fourth quarter, you know, the Thunder put their stamp on it,

you know, with Williams obviously having an incredible game. Shade kind of followed up and, you know, was a sidekick tonight, but they did what they do, man. They got guys who can close. I like... Look at that, Andy. It looked like from the jump that Andy, like, they came into the. Like, well, you know what? Even if we lose this game, we get to go back home because I don't think they came out with the energy that you look.

I understand it's two, two, but it doesn't look like they came out with the energy that I expected the team to come out with, especially on the road. What didn't you like about what you saw from Andy? I look at the first play on. I feel like being in the trenches, especially in Indy? I look at the first play on, like, you feel me, like being in the trenches, especially in the playoffs, I looked at the first play. The first play, they got the ball, OKC got the ball in the pocket, like Joe said, Harlestein, they hit Harlestein in the pocket, first play of the game,

dump, boom, set the tongue, right? And finding them on the other end, I'm telling, hey, listen, man, first three minutes, no dumps, motherfucker, you know, we filed, we putting them right to the floor, but okay. She sat the tone and they can really handle it. I think they really, really got back into the game of like punching back that, uh, that, that, that section unit that was in the game that third quarter.

Yeah. I, I agree with you guys, but tonight they needed a little bit more from Halliburton. They didn't get it. Nelmheart I thought he needed to look if you go back and look at it They got back in the game with Obi Toppin and TJ McConnell and Pascal Siakam That was the unit that really got in the Pascal's a starter But you look at TJ McConnell you look at guys. They were flying around the floor They've making it and then all of a sudden it was a two-point game

You get a loose ball. Okay, see they get a second chance points They kick it out Jalen Williams hit a three and the next thing You know Halliburton comes down and he turns the ball over and so what was a two-point game? All of a sudden is a seven-point game Call the timeout to come hit another three and it's a ten-point game and from that point on the game was over Look, I understand and I think everybody has played everybody here It's been a professional athlete for an extended period of time and we've all played injured or hurt or whatever the term you want to use. It's not, it's a lot

easier said than done because your brain knows that you're hurt. Your body's gonna favor that injury, be it a knee, be it an ankle, a calf or whatever the case may be. But tonight I thought Halliburton hurt them more than his presence helped them. I could be wrong. What did you guys see? Nah. I think from like an athlete standpoint, and we all know, like, you feel me,

like you wanna trench this as playoffs and play in a big game, a huge game. You feel me, like you throwing in a towel and saying like, okay, I'm hurt, I ain't gonna play no more. Can rub it off to some players on the 10 like, damn, he put on us. Like, why, why wouldn't you like we as competitors know, man, if it, if it ain't broke, come on, let's keep playing.

You know? So I look at that standpoint from competitors. Yeah. Hey, look for me, man, this is it. This is it guys. I mean, hell, you can't, you can't get it back. Like Auk said, I didn't think that they came out with that sense of urgency that they needed to compete now.

Okay. See, you know, they knew, uh, they come squandered this game away. They had, like I said, they had got home court advantage back and they play like, they play resilient. They attack the basket. They put pressure on their defense. They probably had more wide open shots tonight, arcing MP Bell, than they probably had in this whole series.

Yep. They turn, they defense, they play great defense, which turns into, you know, pretty good offense, to where they all kind of got into a rhythm. Then you get Wiggins making threes. You get Walkers. That's the thing, right. That's the thing. You can't stop that. When you got your others playing great,

they at home, they feel comfortable. It's a wrap. I thought they was going to blow them out. So I was surprised that Indiana was able to even stay in the ball game. Yeah. And I think the thing was, look, they had seven turnovers in the first.

And look, I think the first game kind of gave Indiana a false sense because they had 25 turnovers past. They had 19 turnovers in that first game in the first half. And they ended up winning And I think it gave him a false sense like hey we can turn the ball Oh, no You can't because when you turn the ball over gives this team they turn them into point and they turn them into points abruptly So and now you look at it

They're right back in this game and they have like three consecutive turnovers back to back to back and now what was a two or four point game all of a sudden is right back to a 13 point game I'm like guys you've got to do a better job of they the Pacers got to do a better job You know They got very active hands and when they bring Caruso in and they bring that second unit they get even more active Yeah, and we talked about it the first game. We like, why y'all go to that small lineup? You look at tonight, uh, chat hungry, uh, where is it at?

Chat hungry, five office and rebounds, Isaiah Hardenstein, six office and rebounds, Lou Dort, five office and rebounds. Not it had 19, but three guys has 16 of the 19. You see now you're getting second chance points. I don't know what made you think you could go to a small lineup and play. No, no, I'm gonna make you adjust to what I do. Cause I'm the one that won 68 games. I've got the MVP.

I'm not adjusting to you. But I just thought Indiana, the effort that I thought. And even in the second half, hold on, the fourth quarter, they get the ball and what did they do right out of it? Turn the ball up out of line with damn. And then he called a time out, they was down, I think they was down seven. They come out of the time out

and turn the ball over again. Pat P. Bam, I'm like, bro, what are y'all, I know Rick Carlisle ain't draw that bull job up in the huddle. Amen. You gotta think, you gotta think, this a young team too, right? This a team, and I ain't really trying to like,

obviously we can say, I don't know, this team win, right? This is a team and I'm, you know, I ain't really trying to like, obviously we can say, oh no, this team win the championships, you know, they supposed to play perfect, but this is a team that's only been here first time. You know, obviously they both been there the first time, but okay, see, it has a little bit experience of guys who's won on that level, right? I mean, as far as guard play, these are young guards, right?

These state first really experience of only big shows. So you talk about like making the right decision constantly and a hostile environment like OK, see, go be tough for any player. So I think they go play much better at home as we see. We know how Indiana play at home. But I just think that, you know, that the moment the Halliburts injury, it took it to veterans. T.J. McConnell, you see the game he had, you know?

It took guys who's been there before, they're okay, cool, let me get the ball, let's calm it down, let's get the best possession, let's get the best bucket. So we're gonna see how they can mix that in all together, Indiana, with that pressure of if they lose, it's over with. Hey, listen. Before you go, Joe, there's two days in between.

So they don't play again until Thursday. So probably get around the clock treatment tomorrow. You know, hey, tonight, tomorrow, Wednesday, hey, be ready to go because there is no Thursday. I mean, excuse me, there is no Friday. There is no tomorrow if you don't take care of business on Thursday. Man, you better put some dirt on that thing

and patch it up, man. Stop playing. Come on, man, we got a ball game to win, fellas. Hey, hey, do y'all use DMSO? Do y'all use DMSO in the NBA? What is that, huh? What's that? It's like a veterinarian rubbing on horses to take the soreness out of your ankles and muscles.

Man, you better get this. I don't take medicine, huh? I'm from the motherland, I don't take medicine. No, you don't take it, you rub it on, but it makes your breath smell like garlic. But it does take the soreness out. They used to have that endocin. You know what endocin is, huh?

Yeah, we call it the endo. They had that endocin, boy, you take that endocin, you don't feel nothing, you hear me? Yeah. Oh my God. But you know what, I mean, the thing was, you're supposed to be careful taking all that medicine because it's really toxic on the liver Yeah, don't you put it in your body if it's a medicine it's got to go through that liver to get

Anything anything where you could play in comfort the way you ain't in pain boy You've been toward all well. I know y'all had torn all yeah, definitely I know guys this is to take the lead, 60 minutes on the clock, every game, faithfully. Faithfully, every game. Yeah, man, hey, hey, to take that pain away, I done seen people get that shot in the glute. Oh, now I'm in the-

In the glute, in the glute. I done seen it, I done seen it. Hey, look, P-Bell, man it seemed like Indiana was under distress, you know, pretty much the whole, it's like they couldn't calm down, they couldn't settle themselves down. No. And they got themselves in a lot of trouble,

which led to a lot of turnovers, and those turnovers led into Easy Basket, man. Easy Buckets. Yeah, which got OKC going, and they never bounced back from it. It seems like they want to... Look, they have a style of play. P-Bab, you played against them. And it seems like, look, they want to speed tempo.

They won't make or miss. We're going to push tempo. So we don't care if you make it, we'll take it out of the net. If you miss it, we'll get it off the rim. But we're going to go. And it seems like they wanted to play that style, but it was playing right in the OKC's hand because you're speeding up, but you're speeding yourself up. And next thing you know, deflections, they get ball going the other way. I'm like, bro, what do y'all do?

Just settle, just, I wish somebody, he better be saying like, this is a young team, and they are, they don't really have anybody. I think the only guy that's, Thomas Bryant has been in the championship. He won one with, I think, was he with Denver when they won the championship? Yeah, he was.

He was with Denver. He won it. Now that man was on the bench, man. Hey, look, look, look. He was playing about being in LA. They got him up out of there because he wanted more time. Yeah, yeah.

And he ain't been seen since. But I think the thing was, you're right. They played at a pace that they wanted to play at, but it wasn't conducive for that game. It's kind of like a team that want to, hey, we throw the football, bro. It's a downpour. It's a hurricane out here, bro.

Hey, you got to pick and choose our spots when we're going to throw it, but we got to come up with a different game plan. I agree, I agree. I think, and that's why, you gotta pick and choose our spots when we gonna throw it, but we gotta come up with a different game plan. I agree, I agree. I think, and that's why, you know, when you look at OKC and their makeup of their team, obviously having the MVP and Shay, you look how poised he be down the stretch

and when it's time to get to his spot speed there, hey, look, you can do all that grabbing, holding, bumping when I drive, but I'm gonna get on balance. I'm gonna make some tough shots. I thought he made some tough shots tonight, especially in that fourth quarter, to get him over the hump. And I think that's the difference in the series.

Even though Hallenberg has had flashes the way he's played Grape, I just think OKC, led by Shea and obviously Williams, those guys are very patient offensively. They get to their spots and there's nothing you can do about it. Yeah, and I think when you look at the game, right, and I'm gonna jump on the other side.

And if I'm Indiana, right, and I'm in the front office and I'm the numbers guy, right, I'm looking at this game, Joe, I'm looking at this game like, oh man, we could have won that game. We just shot it bad from the three. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

So like, regardless of what we're saying, right? I don't know, half of those threes go down with the way they play, this is a totally different game. So they're getting on the plane mentally like, oh, it's okay guys, we just missed shots. Regardless of how the game is going. So you gotta kind of understand how that works too going back to the end.

I agree with you, P-Bef. When you look at it, if I'm Rick Carlisle, guys, we can't play any worse for three quarters. And we still, and we cut it with like nine minutes to go to a two point game. So just think if we play, if we play 10% better than what we played the first three quarters. Now we got, we got our crowd. Now we can't just become reliant on our crowd. We're going to have to play better, clearly. And I believe we can play better than what we played tonight.

But guys, think about how we had seven turnovers in the first quarter on the road. So, I mean, we're down 10. Yeah, I think that's my motivation going into that locker room. That's my motivation. Just like you said, my motivation is if I'm Rick Carlisle, obviously he's a phenomenal coach, right? And he's been doing it for every season

that he's been in the NBA. But if I'm him, that's the message. The guys, we miss shots, guys, we turned over the ball. Protect the ball, hit, we're gonna make shots, stay in it. And real simple, real easy, because you don't wanna put too much pressure on that lemonade game. You don't get people kinda thinking.

Second thing. Oh, no, I got OKC. Oh, no, I got OKC. Oh, man. I got OKC. You got OKC closing it down on 30? Yeah, I got him closing down. Man, listen, if Hallenberg gonna come out and give you what he gave you tonight,

I don't see how he can be much better in Indiana. I mean, if he hurt, he hurt. I think OKC gonna come out and take advantage of that, and obviously close him out and go and win this series man You just I mean you you are playing you playing well enough to win. I love topping. I love TJ McCollum I love Matthew and those guys come out the bench because they really don't have a drop-off when they come in the game So they come in and they getting straight to it the The energy, the effort, they all attacking, they flying around. But I just felt with that big lineup that OKC has,

Hardenstein playing the way he's playing, obviously Chec Homrich didn't play great, but I thought he played well enough for them to win. I just feel like OKC is a better team. And I've been saying it now. He's had some bumps in the road throughout this postseason dealing with just Pacers team, but I think the run is over, guys, it's over with. No, no, don't throw that on.

Yeah, it's over with. The Thunder had 12 blocks, think about it. It's over with. It could be hard for you to lose a game if you turn a team over 22 times and you have 12 blocks Let us think you turn them over 22 times. You had 12 blocks. You have 15 steals Yeah, it's good. Hey, so I think you know, yeah, we shot the ball bad with there had to be a reason It wasn't like they were not there shoot around shooting by the damn self. Okay, see had something to do with that P-Band

Yeah, yeah. I mean. Putting them in uncomfortable situations, bro. So. And then I think, I think for Nam Hart, like, and I'm a, again, I know I'm on Indiana's bandwagon right now, but for Nam Hart, it's gonna be tough for him

to score a lot of points because of the load. He trying to deal with Shaq. Yeah, the load he has with Shaq, right. You can see it. You can see it because we seen him in the past series play extremely well. Now we see him catching the ball, not even been taking a spot up three.

So like, you can see that matchup with him. That's a tough cover, you know, to take your legs from under you. Hey, P. Bell, man, listen, you know when you in somebody's back pockets all night, like Nemard is with Shea, it's tough. Bro, you gotta find somewhere to rest in that. You know what I mean? You can't. I'm gonna catch, see me in that corner. He gotta rest on offense. Hard is with Shay it's tough, but you got to find somewhere to rest

He got a rest on office, yeah sitting that corner So hard hey you sleep Because she put so much pressure on so much bro, pressure. Bro, he looking to attack at every turn. He not letting you rest. Absolutely. And now he and Jay Williams, they've got the, you know what? Hey, we going to play pick and roll. Just us two going to play pick and roll.

Because Nees Smith got one and Jay and Nees Mimhar got the other. So we'll just play pick and roll with y'all two. And you know, we've think people talk about this too. You see a lot of people been talking about how the game is changing and how you need a team concept. Right. And Joe, you know, personally, I that play a number, your two main players getting the ball, everybody else flat. That is that's that's that's too flat.

That's all that is. So regardless of how teams play, what pace they play, what defense they go to, no, your best players win games. You go get him with the ball, we go get him with the ball, we go get him in the spot, we go get him in the spot, and we go put the cards in their hands.

Yeah, you know what? Shay says I'm one, Jaylen Willard says I two. Everybody else get it up to you. He might be the MVP. If he's not here, if it was today, if it was today, he ain't probably the MVP. But here got him, if it was today, if it was today, he would probably be the MVP. But here's the thing though, Pat Bell.

He just tied Michael Jordan for the most 30 point playoff game in a, in a Jordan and Elijah one in a playoff run. So he got a chance. He might have two chances to get 17. He ain't losing that. Nah. And he's averaging 30. That's what I'm trying to say. He might be two chances to get 17. He ain't losing that. You know what I'm saying? And he's averaging 30? That's what I'm trying to say.

He might be the MVP. He might get finals MVP. Hold on. Who you say averaging 30? You talking about Shay. Shay. Shay averaging 30. He averaging 32 again.

Yeah. He going to get the AAP, baby. He going to get there because he going to fight at about 35. I'm trying to say, hold on. It's happened. No, no, Pete Baird, we gonna get there, because he gonna fight about 35. Can you? Dang. I'm trying to say, hold on. It's happened. It's happened. No, no, he balling. He balling.

Can you imagine? The MVP, hold on. Pat Baird, think about what you saying. The guy that won MVP in the regular season didn't win finals MVP. Man. And his team won. Joe, can you imagine that happening?

I can't. Hey, Cornbread did that when he played with the. No, but Bird didn then when the MVP he finished He finished third that year. He finished second that year Okay, bird wanted bird one MVP 84 85 86 He was the last to win it three consecutive consecutive times cornbread wanted that was bird second year Okay, if he was to get it would y'all be like would y'all be like, oh, they're shocked Depending on what the throws out game is,

we just a prisoner at the moment right now because he had a hell of a game tonight. But depending on if he can follow this up with another 35 or another 40 people. He just had a 30-dog jet tape. But you make me feel like Shay didn't. No, no, no. I know he did, but it's just like,

you pointed out like I- He just about efficient with it. That's all I'm saying. Jalen Wynn was 14 to 25 tonight. That's all I'm saying. Shay has thrown caution to the Wynn with efficiency because he knows I'm gonna draw the contact and I'm gonna get to the free throw line. So I'm gonna make up, I'm gonna go,

like you look at nine to 21, like, well damn. But you look at 13 to 14, you look at 11 to 12, you look at 14 to 15 from the foul line. So he's not efficient like he was in the regular season where he shot over 50% from the floor in average 32. But he's like, I will get my shots up. And one or two things gonna happen. They're gonna go in or you're gonna foul me.

But I'm gonna get points one way or another. So does, and y'all man, as athletes who watch the game, does the, does the plus minus matter in this situation where you talk about, uh, two guys who, who can, you know, be close to getting that award. Does plus minus matter? Cause if it does, Jay Dove wins the plus minus and the dope. That's all I'm saying.

I'm just saying when we looked at games, that was, that was, that was, Jay Dove put that team on his back in Indiana. was that was They put that team on his back in Indiana Game for him on his back in Indiana. I agree. I agree. That's all I'm saying Like if they follow that back at home, they was giving the ball to him and say was running to the corner So I'm just saying you get another 40-point game it it has happened in 2015 Steph was the MVP Iggy won finals MVP Yeah, yeah, you're right In 2015, Steph was the MVP. Iggy won finals MVP. Yeah. Yeah.

You're right. And I don't think Iggy numbers were nowhere near close. Boy, they wasn't even close. That's what I'm saying. Hey, they gave that man MVP for holding LeBron to 35-14. Right. Right. 14-9.

For real. For real, I'm telling you so. I just think the thing is, I think the thing is, and Jalen Williams is playing unbelievable. I think if he do a contract soon, or he just signed an extension? I think he just signed one. I think he might have just signed one too maybe last year. Yeah.

But Shea about to get five, Shea about to do that four for 294. I ain't worried about that five to 380. I think Jaydub's still on his first one. I think he's up after after one more year because he's checking in check. Oh he's still on his first contract? Yeah. Oh jdub hey hey jdub jdub. Hey y'all need to break this off. Go ahead break this off. Shay you gonna get your phone for 294? Hey y'all come see your boy. I got five, give me, give me five for two 15. Hey, listen, when you win, everybody wins. You know what I mean? So, and you know what I just heard the thing, you know, a Pat, you've been around locker rooms, you know, the thing that'll break a team up quicker

than anything is egos, man, man. If I was somewhere else and getting shots and yada, yada, yada, I could be, I could be an MVP or I could be a first team all NBA selection. Bro, y'all got a great fan. You got a guy that's 26 and you got another guy that's 24. Y'all can, hey, y'all can run this thing for, it was kind of like Kareem, it was like,

even though Kareem was much older than Magic, because you gotta realize, Kareem was the MVP of Magic's rookie year. Magic, even though Magic was finals MVP the first year and he won it again in his third year, he still deferred to Kareem because he understood, I'm better with Kareem than without. And sometimes players don't realize they're better together than without. Okay, so what? Yeah, you might be a first team all-MBA selection. You might average 25-28 points a game, but with no chance of winning a championship. Wouldn't you rather average 21-22 and win championships as opposed to

28-30 and don't win at all, P-Band? Yeah, I think like the way OKC has done and you gotta give a lot of credit to obviously the sound press in everybody over there. They've been holding it down for decades. Right. Uh, the way they lined it up, they could literally pay each guy at separate times. You know, like, so like the way they lined it up is, is it, it, it, it wouldn't be harm to anybody that's affecting, you know, them getting more money resulting in how they play the game of basketball.

So like, that's the good thing about it. My, my, my next thing about it, like, if that's your core, right. All those other pieces around that, that's all that's interchanging. Well, you can go find that plug that in. Like you've seen how success looks. So you can, you can run with that until, you know, man, you can, you talk about a dynasty team, you know, like you talk about it. Oh, check will be coming up soon too.

Hey, listen, I think, I think check is probably one of the most important pieces because throughout this postseason, he's had some growing pains and he's been able to learn through playing. And with him having Shay and Williams, with them both being in kind of reform and understanding, you know, what's expected of them and delivering night in and night out. He's been able to kind of get by with subpar performances from time to time.

But, you know, once he develops some consistency to where he kind of knows who he is as a player and he knows how to be consistent on a night to night basis, that's going to make them even more deadly. So I agree with you guys. I think if they're able to keep them three together and, and check continues to grow until the player who we ultimately think he can be, which is a, you know, an all star caliber guy, man, they gonna, they can run, they can run the Western conference, they can run the NBA for quite some time.

He just need these Oklahoma stakes out there. Yeah. And one of the things that y'all understand too, like they, okay, see, he's been down this road, they made a mistake, right? Yeah. And one of the things that y'all understand too, like they, okay, see, he's been down this road. They made a mistake, right? They, they, they, they've had the same, the same drink that just, that just didn't cut it. They get to where it's supposed to. So like, instead of letting that James Harden go, nah, we paying him now. Right. Yeah. You know, that James Harden may be check in his position or, or, or, or J-Dubb, right? No, we seen how it go. We let them go. We let them do their thing.

Nah, we're going to make this work this time. For extra five million. Yeah. They blew it up. We're going to make it work this time. Yeah. J-Dubb joins elite company after putting up 40 points in a game five, only players with 18 points in the paint and three threes in a finals game since 1998.

Kevin Durant, J-Dub, LeBron James. Hey, man, he's, like Pete Bell say, he has been sensational these past two games. And you're right, Pete Bell, in Indiana, and what was that, game four? He kept, even, look, I seen Shay, he was dead dog-tied. Shay was like this, hey, go on, get that. I'm gonna go on up the court. You go on the way. You know what I mean? And he was dead dog-tied. Shay was like this, hey, go on and get that. I'm gonna go on up the court.

You go on the way. You know what I mean? And he didn't disappoint. He got to his spots, he got in the paint, he made plays, he put pressure on the defense, and he carried them for at least two to three quarters, especially down the stretch. So I ain't got no drawback on P. Bev with that.

He is a hell of a player, and he is an elite company, you know, with what he's done in the past two games. And plus he giving it to you on both ends. Because he got, he takes a tough defensive assignment and still got it. And we saw how it's impacting them hard, having to deal with Shay. So J. Dub is taking a tough defensive assignment

a lot of times and he still knows he's got to give you his 20 plus. Tonight he doubled you up. He gave you 20. He gave you a 40 piece. Hey, P.Bell. Hey, look, P.Bell, you look at Shay. He had 10 dives tonight. He had two steals and he had four blocks. He played on both ends, too. Yeah. He's out here trying to get to the Baja, get to the

U-Claxon and get by his man and make plays. That man out there sitting in that chair, he said Pete Bell knows about sitting in that chair, he's sitting in that chair, he's making plays on defense as well. But Joe you remember we talked about it at game four, he had 35 with zero on six. It was the first time since I think Jared West had 35 points. He's like, I ain't get nobody involved. Get your damn self involved. I'm getting buckets. I am. I'm a, I'm empty in the chamber and when the gun runs out, I'm a thorn in that.

But I'm letting it all, I'm not leaving anything. Right. Anything. Right. Yeah. We see how Sass Joe obviously, you know You you've been a player that you know, like you haven't been you know the fastest or this that that but you see truly like you Sass matters. Yeah, yeah, sass really matters. I don't know you've had a heart of a champion

You can you know, man, I thought for two games. I was locking up Kevin and Randy and he gave me 50 I just I couldn't block the side. I was just too, I just had too much to ask. You were there though, Pat. You were there. I promised I was trying my ass off. I ain't gonna lie to you. But because you fighting them to get to his spot, Pete Bell. You know what I mean?

Like, you ain't gonna give nothing comfortable. You're gonna make him work the entire game. Now, when he go up to shoot that tall man jump shot, ain't gonna be nothing you can do. You can't do your work early. early right and that's all she doing that's all she doing they got him and I like the adjustment the coaches made they instead of putting the ball in his hand they put in the ball and j-dub they hit them right there the elbow you know about that sweet elbow Joe you can't

double you can you see the whole flow you can't double team you not about a three you don't have a lot of dribble you can catch it off the jab you can get them off me with a foul so like they put them in a great position to be successful. Hey, hey, hey, Oh Peter, Paul said try it all baby. Hey They out there I like when they throw the ball to Hardenstein a chick and they do they look cut game action Yeah, they did the head. Oh, that's hard to guard man Yeah To guard because once you come to Shea

with a dribble handoff, now he got a live dribble, he got the catch and shoot, now he can manipulate the defense however the way he wants. And I felt with them playing like this, especially in that first quarter, it got so many people involved in the game that they was able to kind of blow the thing open. And I just thought Indiana with their resiliency,

they were able to fight back in the game They look you can have Indiana down by 20 once they score they picking you they turn around right in your mug They read out that I mean, so we're gonna get him a lot of credit because I had been counting them out I ain't gonna lie to you. They showed me they showed me a lot of heart, you know throughout this whole postseason J-dub can't be real after the game. He had a 40 piece. He said, sorry, I'm tired to be honest. I can imagine. Cause you know, he's taking responsibility. I mean, he's trying to pick up, he's trying to defend. What was his stat tonight? He had 40, six rebounds, four assists to steal. Only had one turnover. Had four personal fouls, so that lets me know he's trying to steal. I only had one turnover. Had four personal fouls, so that lets me,

he's involved, that lets me know, hey, he tried on defense. When guys get four, five, fouls. That's how you see it, P.B.F.? I just look at it, man. If this guy's on the court, we up 14 points. I look at it like that, then I look at the last game. He's on the court, we plus 11 points.

I have to play this guy. That's the reason why he always plus. Oh, yeah. Let's talk about this trade. The Memphis Grizzly said Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic for KCP, Cantavious, Caldwell Pope, Cole Anthony for 1234 unprotected first round picks and a pick swap. Hold on. I don't think y'all heard me, P-Bell, because I ain't getting the reaction that I thought I was gonna get from you. One, two, three, four. Unprotected first round picks and a pick swap. Yeah. I mean, when you do something like, are you blowing it up?

Are you going to get rid of Jah? Are you going to get rid of Triple J? I mean, what's going on? What's going on, Joe? Man, that's what it looked like. I'm like, man, they gave up a lot, you know, to, uh. For Desmond Bane. Yeah, they gave up a lot for Desmond Bane, man.

But, man, I don't know what Memphis got going on over there. I don't know what they plan on doing. Maybe they will get rid of Jai and JJ, but I'm like, why? If you do that, then what you banking on? I mean, what's gonna be your draw? You know what I mean? Bev, you get rid of them. Yeah, I look at it like this, right?

I look at it like this, right? If I'm GM, I'm looking at it like, if I wanted to start like this, right? I look at it like this, right? If I'm GM, I'm looking at it like, if I wanted to start a team, right, obviously I'm gonna pick the guy that I wanna start the team with. I'm gonna pick a five man, but if there's anybody else that you need as like a shooter, a glue guy, a guy that can just get you points from nowhere,

I honestly think he's an upgrade from Kyle Willpoke, if we being honest. It's different, baby. Yeah, if we being honest, he's an upgrade from Kyle Willpoker, if we're being honest. It's Deezer Bane. Yeah, if we're being honest, he's done it in the regular season, he's done it on the highest, you know. Oh, you say he's an upgrade over KCP? Yeah, I think he is. Oh yeah, for sure, for sure.

Right, right. And I think Memphis also needed a guard who can bring up the ball, you know, who can go get his own bucket. I like that in Cole Anthony. Cole Anthony. They also needed some locker room presence. I like that from KCP, right?

I don't like the picks, right? But it's been so up and down in the NBA, Luca Dodgers gets one first round, a guy gets three first rounds. So you just don't know the scale of how they negotiate with the picks. So you just don't know the scale of how they negotiate with the picks. Like we just don't know.

And you see Rudy Gobert go for four first round picks. Right. So we just don't know. But see, go ahead, Pat. Go ahead. Yeah, it's just hard for us to know like what's actually been saying in those conversations. So like we can look at it like, man, what the hell?

What's wrong with y'all? How y'all giving up that much, right? To the naked eye. But I don't know, it might have been the deals and place before we don't know if this you know It's so much with this business that you really you know You don't know everything but I thought Scottie Pippen jr. Played well for Memphis last year when job was when job was down I thought he played well P. Bear. Yeah, I think I think I think you keep him and you get cold also, right? I don't think you can as many as play ball handlers and playmakers you can have, you know, I think that's,

that's a good, that's a good look. I think Luke Canard, Luke Canard is up for contract. I think he's free agent. Right. So I mean, that's, that's an open position that's, you know, just telling you, they might not want to bring Luke Canard back. So, you know, I, I think I like it with the presence with KCP and Winner who's done it before, someone that can be in Jive. I like Jared Jackson, JJ and Jive still together. So we was just, I like eating. You know what I'm saying?

We just have to see how it go now. Yeah. I mean, I'm looking at this, I'm like, what message? I don't think they got better. I don't think they got better with this trade. I don't think Memphis, they're still ninth seed for the play in. The move they made today, they're still in the play in. Yeah.

I don't look at them and say, okay, with this move right here, now they're top five, they're top five, top four seed. I don't look at it like that. You think they're top four, top five seed right now, P-Bell? No, you got to think this is the same team that fired Taylor Jenkins. So you got to come here thinking that sometimes, maybe they don't think the right way at all. Okay.

You know what I'm saying? So you gotta understand, like, oh man, this is the same organization that fired a phenomenal coach. You feel me? They been in the headlines with John Moran and this, this. They been in the headlines more than the Hollywood team. You know the members. Yeah.

I was with them. I was team. You know the members. Uncle, you was there? I was. I was with the ladies. Unfortunately, I was there. Big Yacht, by the fact you was on the team, yeah, you was there too. I tracked her and said, Uncle, will you?

I'm cool. I'm like, yeah, man. You said, hey, you said, hey, you said, hey, let that go, man, let it go, man. They on some bull jive, them young boys, they like that, let it go. Let it go. So like, they've been in the news more than the Hollywood team.

So like, you know, you always have to question any move they may go for. ["Triple J's Trash Talks"] Could you see them trading John in Triple J? Man, I can't see that. I know the rumors been spreading around, but man, John is star power. He's box office. I think a lot.

I think they lean. I think they putting more pressure on him to be elite, to be one of the top guys in his league. And JJ, like you got two great pieces who work together. I don't know why you would trade that and what you would get back for it. You know what I mean? That would be comfortable to what they give.

So I don't see them trading them. I think they looking for Jai to take that next step and be elite in his league, be one of the top elite guards. Man, that's how they're gonna be able to contend. I think J Josh is phenomenal. He just can't stay. He got to stay healthy, though, Joe. I think that's why they got them other guards.

That's why you bring in Cole Anthony. You keep Scottie Pimper because of his injury history. But if you can keep him healthy, I think. Oh, he's phenomenal. Yeah. Yeah. he's phenomenal. Yeah. Yeah. He's phenomenal. And besides, I mean, you get rid of him, who... Look, there are very few big men that people have ever come to see.

So they come to see small... They come to see Garz, they come to see LeBronz and Kevin Durant. They come to see Steph Currys and James Harden and guys like that. I mean, look, Triple J is phenomenal, but people ain't gonna be lining up to see Triple J and Zach Eady. I'm sorry. Hey, P. Bear.

You know, this a star-driven league, bro. You know what I mean? He got commercials, this, that, and the third. Like, he got a shoe. Yeah, he got his own. He's a coach, too. He's a coach, too, right? He's just looking for him to take that next step, man.

You know, be a little bit more disciplined in the things that he's doing off the court. You know, hold himself accountable and, you know, come in and help get that franchise, you know, back to their winning ways. Yeah, cause he the chief of the YNs. Oh yeah, all the YNs love him. They love him to death.

Yeah, hear me, MP Youngboy, they love them two the most. Yeah, so like he got the culture. He just gotta stay healthy like you said. They healthy. Hey, see what they feel like is bad for the public eye. Like Pete Bell said, these YNs, they loving it. You know what I mean? They loving it.

They love it, they love to see them act like that. But here's the thing, bro, do you understand how much money you cost yourself? I mean, you make a big money. Hey, you get suspended for 20 games. Hey, P-Bam, man, come on now. 20 games, that's probably three, that's two, three million dollars, four million.

Yeah. I'ma tell you who mad. Jen Jackson Jr. mad. Oh, man, cause yeah, oh yeah. He cost himself 100 mil. Hey, you know what they say? He made one of the all the NBA. They talking about your homie cost them all that money, LeBron James.

How? They say LeBron, if LeBron don't get that position, they say that's the short JJJ spot, and he gets that 350. But here's the thing, does anybody think Triple J outplayed LeBron this year? No, not even close. Not even close. But in my mind, I'm thinking like, they're gonna gave it to LeBron for 20 years, at least give me, you know?

So I feel it both ways. And the thing is that you can't win. They said, OK, we want this. Okay. Now you got writers that's going to decide how much money you actually made. Ain't that wild? First team, second team, third team, first to second team, all NBA MVP. You're right. It's a cold game now. It's a cold game for me, man.

It used to be the players voted, but they say, man, y'all got favorite killer. You got your plans X, Y, and Z. So they say, you know what? Let's turn it over to the writers. They turn it over to the writers, bro. You ain't somebody going to be disappointed because the season that will average 50 and 25, he didn't win the MVP. So up until 1980 players voted for the MVP. Yeah.

They said, nah, man, man, y'all be buddy, buddy. Y'all be hanging out the all star game. Y'all cool. So you vote for your buddy. Okay. They said, I'll tell you what we're going to take it out. Now the riders got it. Now what you want to do.

Somebody got to vote. Somebody got to win MVP, P-Bell. Somebody got to be first, second team, all NBA. Somebody got to be first to second team all NBA, somebody got to be first and second team all defensive. So, and got to win these awards. So what's the way that you guys, you guys played in the league? How would you like to see that handled?

I like, I like the Aspen handle. Like, and I, and I, I think that once, once you kind of understand and the older you get that basketball is a huge business and part of basketball being a business is it's partly entertaining also right it's entertainment it's fans being entertained by guys shooting threes guys and you know doing called crazy dumps so once I kind of found that out and I used to steal stuff from like pay okay cool I see Tony out and throwing up first thing.

Okay, cool, anytime I get a big stop, I'm gonna throw up first thing, right? And right there, that'd trigger people to be like, oh yeah, he's first thing. Then he look at going, media has to go with it, right? So I get to play the game. Now I don't, I haven't been at the luxury to, you know, see 350 million or get voted in GP.

I haven't been in that luxury, but I know the small things I did. So ain't no telling what guys out here doing. Probably guys probably sending wine bottles, all types of stuff out there. But here's the thing, people, before you go, Joe, is that if Memphis, if JAR take care of it, now they're on television more,

and now people see them more. Yeah. Good call. See, LeBron's on, the Lakers, they got 40, 42, 43 televised games. So you go see LeBron, you go see Luca, you go see Jason Tatum, you're gonna see a lot of these guys, but in Memphis, it's contingent.

So with John's there and they're playing well, Memphis, we used to see Memphis, and we see John be a second team. We see J Triple J be on all NBA selection But when you're out of sight look, I only got so bad. Look, I'm following the team Well, a lot of these people are beat riders. Everybody's not and they're all these games everybody ain't watching everybody play It's not like the NBA. I mean, excuse me NFL all the games come on Sunday. You got something playing Wednesday They got something playing Tuesday got something in Thursday

Got so I can't hey, I can't keep up with everything people Hey listen, I think with Jan Jackson, Jr He bare for me is like he hang his hat so much on office nowadays And I think he need to go back to being that mean defensive presence. I don't know if he can lead the league in blocks anymore with Wimby being in the NBA, but. No, he ain't even winning that. No, he ain't winning that.

Nobody wouldn't, ain't nobody, ain't nobody fitting to win the block title with Wimby there. Hey listen, but he gotta hang his hat on defense. You know, his offensive game will come. You defense, you know, his office the game or come You know if he if he let his defense fuel his offense versus just standing out there at the three-point line You know shooting a lot of threes. I know he got a nice little bag, you know with him Offensively, but they need his defensive presence for them to be effective in it in their wild wild west Hey, he said that so so we played them

we played him in a playoffs when I was in Minnesota. And he was in the next year, he wanted to kind of work on his offense. And his switch was, okay, if I focus all on my defense, I'm going to end up in foul trouble. He led the league and fouls also that year. So his thing was like, I'm going to balance it out. I'm going to go a little bit more offense. I ain't going to put all my energy on defense. I'm going to put a little bit more of my energy on offense to'm a balance it out. I'm going to go a little bit more offense. This is, you know, I ain't gonna put all my energy on defense. I'm going to put a little bit more of my energy on offense to kind of balance it out because when he was all defense, he was five men, man, foul not every game.

But the problem, the problem is you're going to have is that they've made the all NBA team positionless. So now you might have five, six, seven, eight, ten, fours or threes or guards. So it's not like we got to have a five, a four, a three, a two and a one. So, cause you look at the second team, I mean, you look at all, I mean like, damn. And so now you really ain't have, but Yocage was the only center. Yeah. And there was no Joe Allen B.

Cause you know when Joe Allen B come back healthy, he getting one of them spots. Yeah, and there was no Joe Ellen B because you know when Joe Ellen B come back healthy he get one of them spots Yeah, for sure. And he ain't never gonna play enough games to get no spot on. That's right. You might be right. So you gotta play 65. It puts the oldest on a lot of people. Yeah. Yeah, so that's why I'm saying for me It's like I felt like it's kind of you know It's kind of easy for him to crack in that because this is a lot of these top guys They're not gonna play enough games to even be qualified for any of these awards you know what I mean so if he can keep himself healthy I say a solid 22 23 game about 12 rebounds you know a couple blocks man that'll put you right there

hey hey be a 19 11 guy with three block with two and a half blocks that's the best you could do because if you put 20 points 22 points a game that takes too much away from his defense Yeah, oh you just gave away bangs. How much bangs average he average 20 something, right? Yeah bangs average about 19 20 KCP and and and the mother guys come in. Cole Anthony. Cole Anthony They're not gonna they're not gonna be putting up points like that now They're gonna have some games where they gonna be lights out But for the most part I'm saying to be consistent, you know They not gonna be putting up points like that. Now they gonna have some games where they gonna be lights out, but for the most part, I'm saying to be consistent.

You know, he has to be consistent on night to night basis. That's basically what they gonna be looking at. Hey, gotta get tight in them handles up, P-Bab. You gotta be able to put that thing on the plug, get to that spot. He better get his ass to the block, left block, right block. A hundred right hooks, they don't put no, no.

Hey look, how many bigs we got in the league, who can tell, who can. And there ain't really none. It ain't about four, five up. When you talk about true, I'm talking about like a Yocitch and a Embiid. I mean, theoretically they list Yanni says a big and LeBron and JT and all that,

but Evan Mobley, Jared Allen, but when you really look out to my like big big that play big I Mean triple J right now Ad yeah now ad healthy. Hey with ad healthy Yeah, so you got yokage you got him bead you got ad You got a Yannis You got Embiid, you got AD, you got Giannis. So that's four, fours right, the fours and fives. You could take Giannis.

Giannis done made first and last eight years. You go ahead and take him off that. He's gonna be on that. He's definitely gonna be on that. He gonna be on that. And Jokic, it's gonna be hard for somebody to unseat him because he gonna have to damn that after the triple double. This team gotta win.

This team gotta win. They have to win. That's it. That's it. They gotta win. Did the Bayne trade expose how badly the Mavericks botched the Luka deal? The Mavericks, the Lakers gave up one first round pick for Luka. The Mavericks gave up four first round picks

and a pick swap. Oh, P-Bear, they got AD in return. AD ain't no slouch. Okay. He ain't no slouch. He can play. Like he an all-star caliber guy. If he can stay healthy.

But if you have been, they treated Desmond Bain like he's an all-star with four first round picks. Unprotected. Normally Pete Bell, you're like, okay, they got some protection, okay, top five protected. They like, nah, nah, ain't nothing protected. We all out, everything out. Yeah. Right. And a pick swap, that kind of reminds you

of the Clipper deal done to PIP here when they gave with the get shake. Oh yeah, I was there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I was there for that one. Yeah, I was there. I, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I was there for that one. Yeah, I was there. I thought and looking back on it, I thought for a minute like, yeah, we won this trade. Easy.

I was wrong. Hold on. Were you there with Shay? He was my rookie. We all keep forgetting that. Why you think he a dog? So did you see, okay, obviously, he was a lottery pig, but did you think he could turn into this?

I told him the third day of training camp, I tapped Lou. Me and Lou sitting down, I tapped Lou. I, hey, Lou, hey, he cold. Lou say, yeah, he different. I'm like, no, no, no, no, Lou. He, I get up from Lou. You don't hear what I'm saying. I go right to say, hey, say, um, how good do you think he could be?

You know, he from the six, so he talk like, he talk different than, he's like, I mean, I think I could be like really good. I'm like, no, no. No. That's like, you know, like, that heavy ass boy. You a superstar.

You mean like All-Star? I'm like, that heavy ass boy. You a superstar. You mean like All-Star? I'm like, no, no, no, no. Superstar like Mike Jordan, Kobe Bryant, you like, like he seriously? So fast forward, you know, I see his mom out shopping and while, you know, while we playing Toronto and she's like, man, thank you for, you know,

telling my son that like you gave him that confidence. Like after you said that he really believed it. People always forget, same it was my rookie. Say it was my rookie. Yeah, he's next year, he went with Chris Paul and Dennis Schroeder respectfully. You know, everybody gotta get their groove from somewhere else. But nah, say we getting that ball in the playoffs

and we was playing Steph Curry. Hey man, get Steph 30. What are you doing? When you pass me the ball? Go get Steph 30. Killer. Wow. Yeah. Hey, look, but when you look at it,

RK and P-Bev, certain things happening throughout a guy's career, they kind of help take him to that next level. You know what I mean? Him getting traded from the Clippers, you never know how he was thinking. Even he was thinking like, man, they ain't think I was good enough.

So now- Of course, of course. So now- Anytime somebody get rid of you, that's what they're telling you But so now he in the lab working hard as ever, you know, probably showing proof like I don't show him I don't know if he if he expected himself to reach this level But man, it's been it's been special to watch. It's been

What like I see him the next year and lay up on us on he was like man at trade I was like, yeah, man, what you think though? He like man, what you mean? You don't trade me for him You know like time about Paul George. I'm like, yeah like and and to be a second third year guy Like saying that shows you how much confidence they had but I I think it happened. I think it happened later I think it happened when they got rid of, uh, uh, uh, Dennis Schroeder and CP and they put the ball all in his hands. Yeah.

Cause that's when you kind of seen like that 19 point, 20 point, got up to 30. Yeah. Like when it wants to, once they like clean house and like made him the primary ball handler, everything changed. Everything around him. Everything changed. Just there.

So I think that was a, that was the, that was you have to, again, Sam Preston, that's a, that's a, that's another one of Sam's brilliant moves. And then look, and I think we both get why the Clippers had to do this. You get in Kawhi. Kawhi's basically said, well, if y'all don't do this, I'm going to go with the Lakers. Do y'all really want me, LeBron and AD? And then y'all, y'all got a cup, Pat Bell, that wouldn't have worked that well for y'all, man.

I know, but we only, in our mind, mind you got a thing we just took the year before we just took gold and state six games We're Kevin Durant. So in our mind our mind we think it like man We just need one more person be cool, right? So they was they were shopping Katie might come, you know There was a thoughts that Kawhi might come we didn't think Kawhi and Paul George is gonna come, you know So for us we looking like oh man We got a real chance to win a trackmanship and Paul George is gonna come, you know, so for us, we looking like, oh man, we got a real chance to win a championship. And that's when, you know, you know, things, you know, the bubble happened and the three one happened and injuries happened and next thing you know, you know, Shays, Shays the MVP and he's in a championship game up, uh, up three, two right now.

Another day, another KD trade watch. The sons reportedly aren't committing to trading K KD to one of his preferred landing spots, Miami, Houston, San Antonio. All no state income tax. He he. P-Bell, I'm gonna come to you first. Joe, let me ask you this. Has KD earned the right to choose his landing spot?

Man, yes Yes, that man is an all-time great. He's done nothing but play hard now. Everybody, you know, chastise him about his leadership, but do love the hoop, man. He love the game. So you know what you're gonna get from him. P-Bev, you know what you're gonna get from him. He's gonna be efficient from the floor. He's gonna be the easy money sniper. The game comes easy to him. Now, help him out.

You know, it ain't like the places he asked and they ain't got talent that you can get some guys back in return to where you can still be competitive. You'll be better than what you were last year. Hell, you ain't make the play in last year. You trade him the San Antonio or Houston. I feel like you can, Houston, you didn't make the play in last year. You trade him the, uh, uh, San Antonio or Houston. I feel like you can Houston, you can get some good comparable pieces to where you'll still be in contention.

You can, you can at least make the playoffs. I lost that as this we've, we've seen, we've been saying Katie, we've seen Katie at all for, I mean, since I've been in NBA, I don't know, 13, 14, 15 years, whatever. Right. We've seen him in places where when he's happy, right. And I mean, happy, like it's a great team. It's not a surface running around it. He plays elite basketball.

Right. When he goes to places where it's the, you know, the Brooklyn net scenario and, you know, this and that. I'm not saying it wasn't an elite ball, I'm just saying like it was just a little harder. His teams were not as good, you know, like, so I think you get Katie, you get him in that, you know, one of those teams. He's obviously he went to the University of Texas, no state taxes, you know, so people love that. People love playing in somewhere, somewhere in Texas, right? So you played in Houston? Yeah, you get here- You played in Houston?

Yeah, I'm- You played in LA? I'm in my Houston house now. Yeah, I'm in my Houston house now, yeah. So like when you get, as an athlete, we all know, when you get to somewhere, it's a fresh start. You got a lot of young talent. You got a, you know, you're not beefing with a coach.

Like we don't know the dynamic with him in a coach. Like you got something new, you got a coach. Like we don't know the dynamic with him in a coach. Like you got something new. You got a coach that you believe in. Your game goes to another level automatically. You know, so I just think that's kind of the situation that he was in. It sounds like some things that, you know, prom, I wouldn't say promise to them, but, you know, as far as how they want to win and then, you know, you get the coach who, uh, Booth and Hozer,zer, who's not for everybody, right?

He's not for everybody. He does things his particular way and it works. He's won a championship. It works, right? So you can't blame him, but we see that, you know, that fit, it just didn't work. It just didn't work for Kevin Durant. ["Dog on Fire"]

Pete Beav, you said something very interesting. you say when there's not a circus, KD played his best basketball once he left OKC at Golden State because all he got to do was hoop. You see, you go to Brooklyn, they're counting on you. They want you to lead even though you want to just hoop, they want you to lead. You go to Phoenix, now you and Devin Booker should have to lead you see you got clay You got step you got dream on I get to be a bad really truly I can lead sing but I kind of like being in the back up. I kind of like doing back with our background vocals, right? So I don't know because now at this point at this point in time now guys

Everybody that gives Kevin Durant they look at him as a hired good. We're bringing you here to get us over the hump. That's why they don't get him. So the expectation wherever he goes is going to be expedient. He goes to Miami. Miami is expected to be able to compete for a title. Now it's been reported Mark Spears says Kevin Durant was interested in joining the Knicks as well, but the Knicks as well,

but the Knicks were not interested in pursuing him. Now I don't know how true it is, but Mark Spears seems to be a reputable reporter and I haven't heard anybody come out and say Mark Spears, Mark J. Spears doesn't know what he's talking about. All I can just go by is what's being reported. And Mark J. Spears says he wanted to go to the Knicks. Now when he had, we was a free agent, the Knicks really wanted Kevin Durant. But he bypassed them and jumped over and went to Brooklyn. Now, he was at OKC.

Probably OKC said, no, we good. So wherever he's going, the pressure is going to be what he felt when he went to Golden State because they're like, hold on, they got Steph, they got Clay, they got Draymond, they won 73 games the year before. They just lost a 3-1 lead with Kevin Durant. It should be a breeze. And it was. And maybe it became too easily.

Maybe Kevin Durant says, my job is done here. What do you think about that? What do you guys think about that? I don't think Phoenix was a good team, if we're being totally honest, right? I don't think they were a team where they got Kevin Durant and you looked at their roster and you were like, this is a team that can win a championship.

They need Bradley Beal. I don't think that was anyone's thought. I didn't think anyone thought that once Phoenix got KD that they were gonna win a championship. I honestly thought when they lost CP, they were going to go down and they've been going down since then. That's what they should have kept. Yeah. So that's my mindset.

Obviously, you add a player like Bradley Beal, who's phenomenal talent, dealing with injury, but when he plays and he's healthy, he plays well. You got this guy on ball defender. You got this guy at the three points a game, maybe five points from a game. I mean, they just wasn't getting the best versions of the players that we're accustomed to, that's all.

But you played him out of position. I understand Devin Booker can play. He's not a point, he's a two. And there are a lot of these guys that are saying, oh, they got the position, they got PG by the name. There are a lot of these guys that are saying, Oh, they got the position, they got PG by the name. There are two guards masquerading, P.B.F. Devin Booker is not a point. He played his best basketball when CP was there. That's the best basketball we see and they got to a championship. They should

have kept CP3. I'm not saying you got to pay him 25, 30 million dollars, but I'm saying you keep him. You didn't need Bradley Beal. If you can't get enough score from Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, well, I don't know what to tell you. Because in the process of getting Devin or Bradley Beal, you give up all your depth. The reason these two teams that are in the finals, Indiana and the OKC, what?

Depth, bitch. Yeah. That's how they beat all the teams. I honestly think if they, I honestly think, I'm gonna be honest, I think they, from they dropped the ball when they got rid of Deandre 80. If we been real. We got rid of who? Deandre 80.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Him and Monty couldn't get along. But now you see you don't got Monty or you don't got Deandre 80. You know, coaches are revolving doors. We see that all right. Well you ain't got Bogle, you ain't got Bogle. You you know, coaches are revolving doors. We see that already. Well, you ain't got Bogel, you ain't got Bloodholtzer, you ain't got Monty, you're on your fourth coach in four years.

Yeah. It's hard to get consistency and continuity when you're doing it like that, P.B.F., because that's our old new sister. And they looking for a five-man now. He might coach you one way and somebody coach it another way. Yeah, and they looking for a five- now. He might coach it one way and somebody coach it another way. Yeah, and they looking for a five man now. Think about that. Because you think, hey look, you think guys are easily replaceable in this league and they not, bro. They not. Look, you give up CP who was a hell of an orchestrator and you know he would have made sure Devin Booker and Kevin Durant got their points.

Yes. So I agree with y'all. I don't think Bradley Bill was a great fit because now you're trying to make sure all three of these guys get at least 15 or 20 shots a night and it just didn't add up to wins. And that's easy to guard. That's easy to guard. Okay, cool. He goes shoot 17, he goes shoot 18, he goes shoot 22.

All right, cool, got it. Stop one of them, we win. Easy game point. Some in the Suns organization believe Bradley Bill will produce when Katie is gone per Jake Fisher. There's a light, there is a likewise, some hope within the sons that moving Kevin to red could possibly present Bradley bill with a more

offensive opportunity to produce in a manner you expect from a player with that sort of contract. As the Steinlein has previously reported various candidates considering during the Sun's recent coaching search was asked how would they try to get the best out of Bradley Beal if he remained a Sun? Hey, he gonna have to step up. If they get rid of Kevin Durant, Brad Beal definitely he got to step in their role in

P-Bev. He gonna have to, they gonna need at least 22 to 25 points from him a night, man. I trust that coach. I had that coach. I had that coach before. They got a really good coach. Jordan Ock, Coach Ock, he was the elite coach. When I mean elite, he's uh, his IQ on offensively is so simple but so like advanced and what he does defensively, he's one of the few coaches that can do both. I had him as a coach.

Like we talk comp, like I have a text message right now from him, you know, happy father's day, father's day. So like coach out, he's a phenomenal coach. Don't sleep on them. Well, hey, look, I don't know what kind of system he's going to implement, but, uh, they need, they need Bradley bill to be the guy who they got from the Wizards at 26 27 a night now I Don't know if he can average that but he a look they they gonna need him to be one of them top guys on a consistent

Basis. Hmm, but he and Bradley be him and Devin Booker really the same person. I agree But he and Bradley, him and Devin Booker, really the same person. I agree. They're the same people, P-Beth. They need a center. They need a center. They need a center. But when you gave up all those, think about it.

You had just went to the NBA finals. You had Geandre Aitin, you had Mikael Bridges, you had Book, you had CP, you had Calder. Crowder, yeah. Yeah, you had a nice, and you blow that all up. You get rid of Aitin. For whatever reason it seemed like Aitin and Monty was going back and forth.

I don't know, but it just seemed like they was always button heads on the sideline. Look at it from the TV. I was not just watching it from a distance. It seemed like they was always button head. But you blow it up and you've had three coaches, you're about to be on your fourth coach and for since they last won a title. And you, you get Kevin and Rand, look at what you gave up.

You traded McKellar Bridges, you KDJ and draft picks. You give up draft picks to get Bradley Beal. So, okay, you got three guys that can score, but they're going to be stepping over. Kevin and Rand not, but kind of Bradley Beale and Book, they kind of stepping over each other, doing the same thing. And you ain't got no doubt. You ain't got no big.

Nurgat, less of he meant well. Yeah, I think it might be a chess piece too, right? It might be a chess piece too. You look at these moves that guys giving up picks, like you get these big name guys and no, you can get picks back and not at picks back, you can get younger talent and assets for them too, right?

Like we don't know what does Kevin Durant, we don't know what kind of hall of a trade is gonna be with Katie. He's 37 with an injury history, P-Bab, what you think you think and you know, he want to leave so now you can ask for more You could definitely ask him or now cuz I know he was believe it If I know he wants to leave, okay. Okay, I can ask for a whole bunch of more. Okay. Yeah, you want to leave anyway Go ahead. I don't give it to you because he's 37 and he has an injury history. Is he a phenomenal talent? Absolutely There's a reason why he was on the 75th anniversary team.

He's one of the great players in NBA history, but we can't ignore the fact, Pat Belph. He's 37 with an injury history. But you told us in the beginning of the show, you just said, if this player is coming to, if this, if this player is coming to your team, is he feeling, is Janet Jackson filling up stands? We said no. Kevin Durant coming to your team, he is filling them up. Is he in the lineup that night? Cause he might be hurt.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think if you got him on the organization, he gonna fill up stands. Because we know every organization he's been in, he's, especially Brooklyn, he came to Brooklyn, he missed the whole year and missed that bubble year and half the year, then played to the following. So we get that.

Phoenix, he got to Phoenix and got hurt immediately. He got Nick last year. Hey, look, I feel like he deal with them injuries, man, because of the workload that he gotta carry. I think he gotta carry too much of a workload. Like you say, when he was with Golden State, all he had to do was just hoop. You know, he didn't have to do a whole lot of dirty work. You know what I mean?

He can take it to Brooklyn. They expect a lot out of him. Absolutely. Offensively and offensively. And I think that puts him in a comparable situation to where he's having to deal with injuries. I didn't think they needed James Harden. I didn't need him, man.

As great as the talent James is It's just like it's kind of like the situation in Phoenix. It's like you got a rookie you got three bonafide Players right and you know what James can do, you know, he can go get you 30 and 12 on any given night But it's like you got too much offensive power. And it just, it didn't, it didn't add up. It didn't add up. It didn't add up the wins. And when you get, guess what you did?

Guess what you dealt because when you trade for James, because think about it, you got Kyrie and Katie for nothing. They were free agents. They came and you didn't have to give them no compensation. You didn't have to give up no draft capital. You'd have to give up no players. Now you get James, you got to give up draft capital and you got to give up players to get in. Yeah.

I, when we played against that Brooklyn Nets team, they were so talented. I ain't, and I mean, that's the year James started to get hurt too. So we really didn't really get to see the full potential of how that team looked all together, you know, we might've seen, you know, them together for a little bit of period of time. I think Kai got hurt that year. I think James got hurt. So we really didn't really get to see the best,

the best, the best form of that. But when we played them, and I think I was with the Clippers and we played them, it was nothing that we can do. Like it was so much going on. It was match up problems over here, match up problems on the post, matchup problems, pick and roll. Like it was so many matchup problems that it wasn't a lot that we can do.

They just wasn't healthy. Man, I bet you, what, what, look, you guys followed in bed, I followed. Was it always like this? Like the, the, the, the, the transcendent historically great players end up moving like this? I mean, because think about it, KD was at OKC, Golden State, Brooklyn, Phoenix. Now he's about to be on his 15th. And two of the teams he's been trading. Three of them was because he got traded from Brooklyn to Phoenix. And now he's about to be traded from Phoenix to wherever he goes.

I think that the sense of like, the money is obviously got. I blame the rain culture. No, it's the money, right? It's the money and then it's gas. You're gonna see a lot of guys back then using their voice. Everyone has a platform now. Right. They didn't have the empowerment like they got now, people.

Right now. So like now you can go and be like, nah man, he getting that, I want this. And if I can't get this, I'm gonna go to another team and go get it. Right? And you got guys that got relationships like, hey bro, what you doing this summer?

All right, cool. All right, we can do this, we can do this. So like you got guys that's working behind the scenes. That's like, okay, cool. They go maximize and what they should, right? And what they should. So like, it's just different now. It's working behind the scenes. That's like, okay, cool. They go maximize and what they should. Right. And what they should. So like, it's just different now.

It's different times right now. I think it's more of a flex, right? Right. You see a, you see a guy play on one team this whole career. A guy like Steph Curry, right. Guy like Drake Ma. It's, you know, moving teams, guys feel like, okay, I can win a championship over there, I can change the coach over there.

I can win a championship over there. They it's more of a flex a little bit. I agree. Hey then when you look at Durant man he's such a polarizing you know clear meaning he's always gonna have value you know what I mean so it don't it don't matter where he's at somebody's gonna always want him on his team because his skill set is It's second to none, you know a team can always use it you look and for me you look Yeah, who could use 26 27 points a night? But look you look at it you look at Houston P bear who was number two C in this year's playoffs And they were a young team. They struggle scoring the bat scoring the basketball, especially. Yeah. You get Kevin Durant, you know, you don't have them problems.

You know what I mean? Yeah. So I know, I'm sure they're going to get him traded. I just hope he goes to a situation to where, you know, it's comfortable for him and he's able to just hoop, play his game and be the easy money sniper that we know he is. And if it's Houston, I think- He's Kevin Durant. The days are just hoopin' over.

He got that when he first got to, when he was in Seattle for that one year, and when he went to, they went to OKC. When he go to Golden State, ain't no more just hoopin', because the expectation is championship. Anybody that trades for Kevin Durant right now, P-Bef, and Joe, you know this, they expect championship.

Because the one that's called the... What realistic affair or whatever the case you wanna use, he's a seven foot scoring machine. He's efficient out of the yin yang. I mean, he shot, I mean, he had an off year shooting from the free throw line cups. He shot like 84, 85% which is crazy. He's normally 89, 90. Yeah.

But he gave it 26, five and six. And so he goes to Houston. You know what that means? They had the number two seed. They expect to go further. If he goes to Miami, you know what the expectations are when you go to Raleigh led organization. So there's, there's no place he can go that he's going to be able to rest comfortably because the expectations are going to follow Kevin Durant. I think, I think, I think he can go to, I ain't going to, you talk about one in a million or billion chances of like, there's only one, a couple of things that he could have went to and, and, and, and they underachieve, right. And one of them is Phoenix, right? New situation,

new coach, your coach is going, it's the first year. You don't know how it looks. He could go to any other team though, and definitely take that thing where it needs to go. And that, and we're talking about contenders, right? He can go to San Antonio right now. Unbelievable team. We'll say the team was a Chico. He go to the Rockets right now, unbelievable team. We'll say the team was a Chico. He go to the Rockets right now with the pieces they have, with the coach they have.

Right? What are they gonna give up? What are they gonna give up at Houston to get it? Or you, look, I think Jalen Green would be one. That's one. I think Jabari Smith Jr. would be two. That's two. I'm not giving up, I'm not giving up,

I'm not giving up Armin Thompson. I'm not giving him up. No, no, no, no, no, he's untouched, he's untouched. But I think you give up Armand Thompson. I'm not giving him up. No, no, no, no. He's untouched. He's untouched. But I think you give up those guys you named, and you give up some 16 and 15-year-olds. Some 2,000, 31 draft picks. So 29, 29, 30, 31 draft picks. Right, if it's a 15 and 16-year-old,

you go put a couple of them in there. I mean, I do like, I like, let's see, Thompson, Shingoon, KD, Van Fleet. Not bad. Oh, Dylan Brooks. Not bad. Yeah, see now you got your blue collar worker guys and you got KD who will seamlessly fit right in

and alleviate the pressure from those guys, especially in their fourth quarter. I just feel like that's a great matchup. But I also like him going to San Antonio playing with Dianne Fox. Oh, Fox and Wimby? Man. But they're gonna probably have to give up Castle.

Yeah, you probably gonna have to give up Castle. But you gotta give up something else too, to make it work. I give, hey, they got a hundred, like you said, Pat Bell, they got some seven-year-old picks in there too. They got picks all the way out of 2040, so. For sure, that's one thing we do know these teams have. They have a lot of money and they got a lot of picks.

So I tell you that, we know that. Yeah. Well, Pat Bell, we're gonna get you out of here. Make sure you guys go forward. Wait, wait, uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh. And you know you speaking about 101? You know me and Joe playing, you know me and Joe, you know he went to Arkansas.

I don't think you know the Joe Johnson story. I don't think- Tell the story, Papel. Yeah, I don't mean to keep y'all still going on too long, but I gotta tell you the story. I'm telling you, you gotta tell the story. Okay, so, you know, I went to the University of Arkansas, like you say, alumni of where Joe Johnson went to, right? And then during the time I was there, you gotta think, I'm probably like, you say, alumni of where Joe Johnson went to. Right. And then, and then during the time I was there, you got to think, I'm probably like, you know,

I'm freshman of the year, you know, I'm newcomer of the year. So all the accolades that I'm getting, I'm really just, Joe Johnson got them before, right? I'm the only kid on the team that has like any type of NBA stardom. So what Joe Johnson do? He come get me up,, take me under his wing. He take care of me while I'm at Arkansas. He give me place to live, rock the state.

He give me, I'm talking about anytime he got a free time, he come up to the school, that's a two hour drive. I get into the NBA, we play Atlanta, I go right to his house all the time. Like his family is my family. Like you gotta think Joe was really like big bro to me. Like he's like the guy. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

The first dude who ever put me on, ever, ever. Hey listen, listen. Oh, hey, I was in the league, he was in college, he come over to the house, he be like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I can't wait till I get to the league, boy. Give me one of the big rolls, girl. Give me one, ooh, I got to have one of these too.

I got to. He was them too. I got to... He was like that, hey, hey, he was geeking up the whole time. Look, we had a summer league back at the crib in Little Rock, and man, I had him come down there and play with us, man, come out there and turn out the whole gym. Y'all know how he is, all them antics, picking up full court talk and stuff, the whole gas. Oh yeah, that's what I need, they're a little pit bull, right?

So yeah, Bill is like, he the one who shows me like, man, you got kids? I'm like, yeah, I got kids. He's like, okay, you gotta feed your kids. So he really the one that like, I'm talking about, I'm with LeBron in Miami, got dinner. And LeBron like, oh, everybody know you, you about to go, you about to go

with your big brother Joe John. I'm like, hell yeah. You damn right. I'm talking about, I'm in his room just looking around like, yeah, what else you got? Yeah, tip, tip, tip. Yeah, I need that. That's what, hey, but you know what, guys?

That's the greatest motivator to see it. Because like, my brother went, and I go, there's a three car, I see a three car garage, and you hit, there's a Ferrari, there's a Porsche, there's a big body Mercedes, and you know, central heating and that, boy, to see that, I see, I know somebody that actually got that, oh, I gotta get that.

Yeah. I'm at his mama house, I'm staying at his mama house, oh, his mama got a pool, I gotta get my mama a pool. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, everything. So shout out to Joe Johnson. Y'all ain't never heard my story though. Joe Johnson, big part of it.

So I appreciate you Joe. Appreciate that bro. You know the vibe. Y'all make sure y'all go follow the Pat Bell podcast on social media and on YouTube at the Pat Bell podcast with Rome. It's on Barstool. Social media. Where are you on IG, Pat? Pat Bell 21.

You know me, Pat Bell, pot with Rome. I, you know, me, PatBear, Pah, Lerone. I see you had Dave on the, um, on the, on the show, too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He a good dude. He real smart. He real smart. Very smart. Very, very smart. PatBear, thank you, man. We really appreciate you coming on tonight. We know, you know, hey, we really, really appreciate you coming on, providing your expertise, breaking down this game,

and talking about a lot of other topics. Hey, you get a free time, man. Come on back, you welcome anytime. Always a blast, always a blast. Good to see you, bro. Good to see y'all. Love, bro. All right, man. I appreciate you.

All right. The Volume. This is an iHeart Podcast.