The Bill Simmons Podcast - NBA Lottery Karma Rankings, Jaylen’s Future, and a Blistering Wolves-Spurs Series With Nick Wright

Episode Date: May 6, 2026

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Nick Wright to check in on the Celtics by reacting to Jaylen Brown’s controversial Twitch stream and discussing a possible Giannis trade (3:02). Then, they preview the rest of the Timberwolves-Spurs matchup and discuss LeBron’s Ringer Top 100 NBA player ranking before ending with their 2026 NBA Lottery Karma Rankings (31:58). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Nick Wright Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo Brought to you by PayPal. Learn more at paypal.com/paymonthly The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit https://fanduel.com/playwithaplan to learn more about the resources and helplines Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bill Simmons podcast is brought to by Fandall. We're also brought to by the Ringer Podcast Network where I put up a new rewatchables on Monday. We did There's Something About Mary, which is also on Netflix. It was me and CR and Sean. The OG crew had a great time. A lot of fun discussions. You can go check that out on Spotify and Netflix, wherever you get your podcasts. For next week, just giving you the heads up now.

We did Tropic Thunder. So that is coming on Monday. I think it's on Netflix. I'm pretty sure that's why we want to do it. It's a pretty easy movie to find. Almost 20 years since it came out and a really fun one to revisit. So that's happening. If you like narrative podcasts, we put up the last episode of Lagata.

That went up on Tuesday. If you missed it, please go check it out. Great one to Power Walk, driving the car with. Really, really good. Really proud of this one. So check that out whenever you have a chance. Coming up on this podcast, the one and only Nick Wright is here. We're going to talk about the San Antonio Minnesota series.

We're going to talk about my Celtics and what that'll happen and what's happening with Jalen Brown. Does he even want to be a Celtic? We're going to talk about LeBron. Are we evaluating him correctly in The Ringer? Nick was upset that. We probably weren't a lot on the San Antonio Minnesota series, which we both feel like something really crazy might be happening there.

And then last but not least, I do this every year. Usually we do it on a Sunday, but the latter is on a Sunday. year. Zach Lowe's going to be at it. So instead we're doing the lottery karma rankings today. And that was the last part of this podcast, trying to figure out who should win the NBA lottery just from a karma standpoint. So that is all coming up next. We're going to take a break. And then ProJamp. The Bill Simmons podcast is brought to you by Fandul. It's been a wild playoffron. Not over yet. Fandle wants to bring you closer to the court to make all of that action come to life for you.

the basketball fan. Fandle, the best place to bet the teams, players, plays during NBA postseason, build the same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout or try live betting and jump into the action right after tip-off, whatever you want. That's the whole point in live betting. Download the Fandul's Sportsbook app right now

and play your game. 21 plus select states are 18 plus D.C. Kentucky, Wyoming. Game problem called 1-800-Gand-8-8-78-9-7-7-7-7 or visit C-CPG. dot org slash chat in Connecticut. All right, we're recording with Nick Wright about an hour or so after you did first things first. I like when you're a little groggy. I feel like I have an advantage.

You know, you've basically played a whole game. Now you're doing a double header. This is good for me. Correct, which is why, you know, I have a light rule that if I'm potting after 6 p.m. Eastern, I drink red wine while I'm doing it. But I really, I need to be have, you know, know all my sensibilities to be able to combat whatever stuff you throw at me. So I have a big glass of pink lemonade, a backup bottle of water.

I'm going straight sober to deal. Because I don't know how you're, I don't really know the state you're in. The Celtics, who I picked to win the title. And I know now you're like, ah, they weren't ever going to win the title. You thought they could maybe win the title. They're out. And so I don't know how you're doing. Terrible.

Yeah. Yeah, excited. I mean, the Lakers are still playing. The Celtics are at home. It's a catastrophe. It's a total catastrophe. I woke up at 4 in the morning and I was just lying in bed staring at the ceiling and I just woke up. I went for a power walk at like 7.30 of the morning. I was walking around. I was talking to my dad. Two days after the game, still furious at everybody. My dad, the madness he's ever been after a series. I mean, Ron Harper Jr. are not going to save the season, it turns out. I, I, so. Here's the thing I think I'm most stunned by. You could argue of every... I don't know when we're leading with this. Sorry, will you? Sorry, well, you?

No, it's all right. Go. You could argue of every contender in NBA history. There was not one better prepared for, oh, shit, our best players out for game seven. What are we going to do? Then this year, Celtics. Yeah. Who had 65 games of that scenario.

So I didn't understand that from Missoula the starting lineup. And how do you grade four years of Missoula, year two, crush everyone en route to a championship, and every other year horrifying defeat as huge favorite. Yeah, did you see the numbers? It's like plus 500 plus 900 and plus 1,000, I think we're the three, something like that. Yeah, I mean, so we're. It's real. And so I don't, you know, and then and you, and you did a very, I feel like you don't want

them to break up Tatum and Brown, but you acknowledging that it might happen really helped the conversation get going. So it was journalistically, I respect it, even though it caused pain for you. But I think Jalen Brown, I think Jalen Brown, I think there is a very interesting trade where Atlanta sends a bunch of stuff. including Milwaukee's own pick, back to Milwaukee. Atlanta gets Jalen Brown, who would fit with them perfectly. Who's from there?

And Yonis goes to Boston. That probably makes more sense than Yonis for Jalen Brown straight up, because why would Milwaukee necessarily want to do that? That I think for Boston's a really interesting possibility here. I have it in my notes. I mean, we hinted at it on the Sunday pod. As we were doing the Sunday pod, Zach and I, Jalen was doing this Twitch stream.

It did not go over well with the fan base. I'll just say that. Look, it's a free country. You do what you want. But over and over again, the theme from him this year has been, this has been the most fun season he's ever had. Time of my life. And even the Game 7 stuff of that was the pace we should have played all along.

I liked how I liked the style we had that game. And it's just very, it's becoming very clear to me and I think to a lot of other people that he wants his own team. And that's fine. But I think we can accommodate this. The trade you mentioned is the most logical trade because you left out one thing. They also have an almost $28 million trade exception. So they can trade with Milwaukee and they can also take a contract back and actually save Milwaukee money.

And because they got under the tax this year, they can actually go over the tax, right? So they have Kuzma for one year left like 22. You could just take that as part of the trade and absorb it. or you could take my, hey, did you not like the Miles Turner experiment? We'll take them off your hands. He fits in that thing too. The trade, who has the trade exception? Boston or Atlanta?

Boston does. Okay. So Boston could basically get Janus and a year of Kuzma. Yep. Send Jalen out. Send a pick to Milwaukee. And then Atlanta sends, you know, Reese or Shea, Dyson Daniels and the, whatever that picks.

Well, so yeah. And the thing is, it's super valuable in this. regard because we'll see what that Atlanta pick, you know, I know talk a lottery later. They have potentially a really good pick this year. But since they have Milwaukee's 27 pick, Milwaukee being able to get that back and be like, all right, next year, we're going to suck and reap the benefits of it before we get going. And I think Jalen would be great with Atlanta. I think that would.

Yeah, if you have him and Jalen Johnson, you bring McCollum back. Yeah, that's something. Were you a wire guy? Yeah, of course. So I used to do this thing when I had my column, back with my fingers worked, about Durant and Westbrook, about wondering if the Stringer Avon thing was going to happen and bring them down. Yep. Right? And I was writing about this.

And it really did not go over well with, I think, either of them or anyone in OKC. But the whole point was like the balcony scene in the wire where Avon comes back. But Stringer's kind of been running the show and they start side-eyeing each other a little bit. But my fear with the Celtics season was that they were, it was a little like the wire thing where Stringer was running the show, in this case, Jalen. Tatum comes back like Avon. It's like, okay, guys, we're a partnership again, but Stringer got a taste to run in the show. I didn't really fully think until that Twitch stream that this is kind of what Jailen wants.

So I want them to stay together, but maybe this is just how the league goes. So I want to talk about the Twitch stream for a minute. Yeah. Okay, so because I find Jalen to be both of these guys. Tatum, I find, I found Tatum's openness and vulnerability in his recovery process. One of the most remarkable and endearing things from a star athlete I've ever seen. Him flatly saying before the New York game, yeah, you know, I, it's in my head, but I need to get over it. Like being back on the court, like to, I thought it was stunning. approach there. And I thought his recovery that obviously hit a wall here at the worst time

was remarkable. Well, and then I would also add just him traveling with the team everywhere and being kind of needing to be on the team and to be involved and watching them and being a part of it. Other guys just would disappear. He didn't. He's the blueprint now, I think, for how you deal with something like this. I agree. Jalen, I find fascinating because I truly believe if all 450 NBA guys took an IQ test, I bet Jalen's in the top couple percent. I think Jalen is a very thoughtful and guy and a guy who's off court causes, I think are really important and does, like he does is a smart, thoughtful guy. Well, and also the stuff he does in the city of Boston is the highest possible level of an

athlete's relationship with the city. That's another thing you have to think about it if you're trading it. Right. So all of that is like true. And here's what's also true. He has some of the like wildest takes I've ever heard. Like the, the part of the Twitch stream where it was, yeah, there was basically a conspiracy against me from the league because I've criticized the refs.

Like, are you serious? Yeah. And where he's like, yeah, the refs confirmed it to me. Because before the game, they said we're watching. I'm like, buddy, it's not because you criticize him. it's because the other team's like, hey, he pushes off. So they're letting you know they flagged it to us. Him, the fact that he is that smart and yet thought it would go over well to be like,

yeah, I know I've won a championship here and been to six conference finals. But the year where my running mate was out with the torn Achilles and we flamed out a 3-1 lead in round one, best year ever. Even if you feel that way, that ain't going to go over well. and then the decision to do it and to do it with those three dudes just standing. Like, none of it made any sense.

It was, and so I'm like, I know he's a smart, thoughtful guy, yet he's doing this, which is... Well, so, but you have to flip that around. So why is he doing it? Correct. And he is a smart guy. And I think that's,

my takeaway after that was, he's probably okay with moving on. And you forgot to mention with that thing about the best year of his career. This is my dad. I was talking about, my dad was like angry for my dad, but then started talking about

how the NHL lottery is tonight and if the Maple Leafs fall to six, we get their pick. So he's moving on. But my dad was like, we won the title two years ago. We were one of statistically the best teams of all time.

We ran through it. He was a huge part of it. He won finals MVP and conference. conference finals MVP, how is that not the most fun year of his career? My dad was like, I just don't understand. Like, I would love for him to explain how this was, and Jaylon was saying, like, look, everyone counted us out. There was this adversity. They were calling us the gap year Celtics and we banded together. But the way the season ended, there's no way that could be your most fun year. Correct. And it'd be one thing if, you know, if Scotty Pippen said, hey,

94 was the most gratifying year of my career. I was always number two. Jordan won every award always. And in 94, we overachieved. We had a great season. We won around. That'd be one thing. I think that would also be insane.

I understand that, that you probably wouldn't say it, but I would get it more than if Scotty had in 93, one finals MVP, and people thought he was awesome. Like, it was... Well, how about, let's say you get hit by a bus tomorrow and you're recovering for nine months

and as this is happening, the first thing's first has to revolve around Wilds. That's what I said. And all Wilds is doing is like, this is the most fun I've ever had doing TV. People would be like, whoa, he must hate Nick Wright. What's going on? That is, that's the exact comp.

I said, I do, the podcast I do, what's right with Nick Wright? I would say that, by the one plug. Yeah. No. Well, I, so I do that podcast with my son. Yeah. And I said to, I said that to him this morning.

I was like, if I got, you know, pneumonia and was in the hospital for two months and you had to hold down. You're in a yacht. You're in the hantavirus. You're on a cruise ship. Yeah, exactly. We're stuck at a cruise ship for six months. And you're doing the pod without me. And I keep seeing these clips of you saying to the producers, boys, I don't think the show's ever been better than right now.

I'd be like, what the fuck? Like, buddy, like, I'm trying to get back. And so, but that's what it was. And you said throughout the year, and I think it's right, he was like 10% too happy about how it was going. Yeah, he almost needed like a crisis consultant to say, hey, every three weeks, don't forget to talk about your brother, J.T. And how great it's going to be when he comes back. But you could feel it in the playoff series because they did slow down. they did play a different style.

I was talking about it on my podcast. Everyone I did, I was like, I don't really like how they look. I don't, something's different. We're not using the bench. And this is, you know, some Missoula stuff. But like I said on Sunday, I think they were using that Sixers series as a tinkering lab for the Knicks series, not realizing Philly was going to blossom into this. I mean, Philly might not win another game in the playoffs.

This might have been a five-day Philly run that is just this. crazy blip, right? Yeah, I mean, that's, game one was obviously a disaster. Yeah, you know they're going to lose. Right, that's the thing. I think they can win the series, but they were drawing dead to win that game after the 3-1 comeback.

We'll see what they look like in game two. They also might be when, if Embedd's healthy, that's a legit, really good top four guys. Like Paul George playing the way he is, Embed Maxie and Edgecombe, that's legit. They don't have a bench, but they have those guys. here's my question for you on Boston

before we get to the stuff you wanted to get to. Well, I have a yonness thing we should talk about too, but go. Okay, let's do. Because obviously the hot button thing is the threes, all the threes, all the threes. Yeah. Do you think

that while, when our pal, Daryl did that against the rockets and did it, I'm sorry, did that against the Warriors with the rockets, what was underlying, all that was, we're the underdog. We need, we are not, they have more talent.

We need to add more variance to the equation. Are the Celtics underselling their position in the Eastern Conference by adding so much variance to these playoff series? Should that be the strategy if you make the finals against the Thunder, but not the strategy in round two last year against the Nick? or round one this year against the Sixers team without Embed. Like, it felt like an underdog NFL team

that's like, we're on side kicking every time back in the day or we're going for trick plays, but you're not the underdog. Right. They're doing five-lad receiver every down, never running the law ever. And so that's my question for Missoula. Like, can you throttle it down when you have the better team and then throttle it up when you do need to add the variance because the other, because you're overmatched,

and he's just never done it. It's just all gas at all times. In 24, it made more sense because the players they had were so good. They had Horford and Prisingerus and Drew Holiday. Yep. Three guys who weren't on this team. It felt like they had to do it a little more with the math

before Tatum got back. But when Tatum got back, I think they were trying to change it a little bit. And yet the habits and the games didn't reflect it. In game two, they shot 53s, I think. That was with Noin Bede. I was just the coaching strategy stuff. And it's weird because, like, I think Missoula is a really good coach.

I just think he kind of whiffed on the series. But I don't think it was, doesn't make me think they should fire him or anything. I just think he, I think he missed read it because I think the way to beat the Sixers, especially those first couple games of that and beat is like, you just got to stop Maxie. Like, we have all these wings. You have, you know, Hugo, you've Walsh, Shireman, let's throw Derek, white on him. Let's just not let him go get going ever. And instead they're like, hey, I wonder if Vucevich can hop out in time on these threes. It's like, I can tell you right now,

I can't. It's definitely not happening. So yeah, but your bigger question is, do they need to game the math like this? We saw it in San Antonio, Minnesota last night. We're taping this on a Tuesday. You know, it's really nice sometimes. Or like 12-foot Julius Randall, you know, bang into the body shots. just to keep going. You know, it was really nice for Philly? Like MB just getting nice, easy eight to ten footers. And you need a balance of that, and they lost the balance.

And there is one last thing for we do your Janus thing. Three is worth more than two. But a one point lead, the difference between trailing by one and leading by one in a playoff game is 10 miles wide. And the difference between leading by one and leading by two, is six inches wide. Yeah. So when you,

when you had six possessions in a row, down one point in the fourth quarter of a game seven, I don't give a shit if I can be up two. I just want to be up. I just want Philly to have the ball. Yeah. I want Philly to be like, oh, no,

did we blow it? And, and it's what we have seen. And I just think teams have screwed that up. And I think I am, I'm stunned Boston lost the way they did. And it does make you wonder, like you said, that Janus would fix a lot of this just by virtue of the fact

he ain't shooting threes. He is giving you that presence and fast breaks. The problem, I went back and I watched that fourth quarter again. The shots were actually good shots. No, I can see, like, Jalen had a couple two-pointers that he just made all year. They were like 12 footers. Now, the one where I forget who someone falls down. Yeah, yeah. He's shooting right inside the foul line jumper.

Yeah. Pritchard in the corner. I would bet my life on that shot. He missed it. So you can go out in the summer and be like, oh, we usually make those shots. But they lost the series in game two and game five. That was when their style went sideways. So the honest piece, which I did a whole thing about it,

I don't know, maybe six weeks ago talking about my fears for trading too much for him because I think he's going into his 14th season. The track record is terrible. It's basically like just even guys doing 23 and 10. There's like four of them ever. Not to mention he's been injured in some capacity, I think every year for the five of the last six, something like that.

Since the title, at least three of the years, major injuries. A lot of miles. And then you think about big guys with, you think about Dwight Howard, the second part of his career. You think about Shaq,

the second part of his career. Like big guys, they don't necessarily age in the greatest ways. So I don't think he's worth as much as we thought he, year and a half ago where it was like, oh my God, you trade everything for that guy. I don't think that's the case. I don't think things are going to approach it that way.

But you would trade jail and Brown straight off. Yeah, I think that my point is, I think the Celtics have enough to get him without gutting the entire whatever, because I think his values dropped. Especially because here's the other thing, the reason why I think the Celtics have enough to get him. Because a Shingoon package looks less attractive today. No question. How about Evan Mowgli looks less attractive than it did a year ago?

He's the same guy he was a year ago. Right. And so, like, who you're competing with and how that now, Atlanta putting together the package we're discussing and cutting Boston out, I guess is interesting. If they decide that's the move they want to make. That's going to be this Sunday. And we're talking lottery a little bit later. Sunday, if Atlanta gets into that top four, they're out of the Jay.

I'd rather have the top four pick the J-Lan. I think it has more trade value. Oh, interesting. Yeah, there's no question. Jalen's making $60 million a year and you could have Cam Boozer or I love Caleb Wilson. I actually have Caleb Wilson higher on my board. I'll show.

Wow. I have a board. No, I don't. But my fake board, you have those guys for $10 million a year on a rookie contract versus paying Jalen 60. It would be irresponsible to trade that pick for Jalen. I think. So, yeah, I mean, I feel like, I feel like four.

is where it's interesting. I think top three definitively has like this intense value. I don't. No, you, you're going to get on board with Caleb Wilson. Okay. All right. I think he's, I think he is higher than four on multiple teams boards already.

No, but that's what I'm saying. I agree with you on that. I don't, I'm not as in love with Boozer as everyone else. I think if the draft goes... Do you do the thing I do when you're watching the play? And you try to imagine the guy in the game you're watching. I was trying to imagine him in the San Antonio and Minnesota game last night. I was like, well, all right, I could see him guarding Randall. I mean, I know this is going to sound pretty dumb or obvious.

You know who Cam Boozer reminds me of? Guy named Carlos Boozer, his dad. Like, that guy that is going to have a really solid 12-year NBA career. I think he's a better passer. Sure. The game's changed. my point is a guy who, I think of all the top prospects, Cam probably has the lowest bust potential.

Like the least likely to be a bust. But I think he's also the least likely to be an MVP. Like, and so that's why I'm not as high on and maybe as other guys. I would take Caleb second. Now, I'm, I reserved the right to change my mind and three more weeks. So you go to Banza, Caleb Peterson? Yeah. Peterson's interest.

I think Caleb's going to be unbelievable. that guy the same thing Castle was similar whereas just like the guy's too competitive he's too athletic and he's too competitive

those guys always win we see it doesn't matter what team it does what draft like he's got that I know what that is and he's like a combination of like Sean Kemp

and Chet I think he's going to be really special so I'd be careful passing on him but yeah for the honest thing if I'm in Lanna now if I'm in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,

now I could really think about the Jalen thing. Because you think like now I could have, because Jalen Johnson, as much as I like him and I voted for him all NBA, he's kind of a 1B. I'm not sure he's a 1A. You could feel it in that playoff series. It's not like, hey, clear out guys, I got this.

He's not, that's not the type of player he is. No, he's, his ceiling is like a better offensive Igwadala, right? Yeah, the guy who can, like a better Jalen Williams. Like, that's like it's just, a guy who can do everything is a winning player, you know, can definitely be a key part of a championship team. Yes. But if he's your best player, you've got no shot.

No shot. Just no shot of winning a title. So what would you give up? How much would you, how crazy would you get for Yon's? For if I'm what team? Pick a team. I mean, I think if you're Miami, would you gut everything you had and all your picks? I just wouldn't.

I know. I know because I don't know what that achieves. If I, now all of a sudden, Janice is just in Milwaukee South. Like I. I mean, the Knicks would have been the one that were like, fuck it. We have a window. We got to do this. But the Knicks are going to make the finals, I think.

I don't, I don't see anybody stop. And also, I don't love any of the Knicks trades. Right. Like the, because they traded their picks. No, I, if I were Detroit, would I give up. I haven't done the trade machine on them. You're looking at Duren and all your picks, basically. Did I give up Duren and all my picks?

And I don't even know if Milwaukee, if that's changing my destiny. Right, if that, if Milwaukee wants it. I think the easiest trade is going, would be the reason I think the Celtics are very live here is because it's so easy. Yeah. Jalen and Yannis make the same amount of money. You can, you have a third, if you need a third team at Atlanta. makes a ton of sense. By the way, you can't cut out in New Orleans.

New Orleans might be like, we've always loved Jalen and all of a sudden they're in it. Oh, yeah. They're capable of anything. Yeah, they are. That's when we do this lottery karma thing, I've got something on that. But no, I agree with you that. Yonis is right now the fifth best player in the league. And oddly.

Does not have the fifth trade value. No, not at all. And I think there's teams that would maybe be like, we're good. Like, OKC, San Antonio, I don't think those teams would trade for him. Well, let me, hold on. So that's an interesting. San Antonio is an interesting one. I think they love their culture and their young guys.

I don't think they, I think they'd obviously love to win the title this year, but I don't think they'd feel like the season was a failure if they lost. And they're looking at the long runway, you know? Not the season's a failure. but let's just say Minnesota beats them in six and Fox struggles the way he did in game one

throughout the series. Then Fox is the fall guy after the series. Yes. And added bonus, Wimby gets pushed around a bit. Like he did in game one. You mean Wemby shoots five for 18 and short arms

every big shot down in the stretch? Like in a similar like that? And, well, and gets, you know, physically pushed around. Like, that's the thing for Wimby is, A, he was exhausted at the end of that game. Falling down all over the place. He's not used to playing big minutes. And so he's doing all that.

B, Gobert is strong as hell. And Nasry and Julius Randall are strong as hell. And they were pushing him around. I do wonder if San Antonio loses in bad fashion, if they feel like, listen, we're not abandoning our future or our plan and we're keeping Harper, Castle, and Wimby. But Deerrin Fox, another contract, and a bunch of our picks for Janus. So, you know, so there isn't such a heavy offensive load on Wimby. And oh, yeah, by the way, we just become, you know, a better defensive team than OKC like that.

That's something I would think about. I would. I'd be more excited to just play Carter Bryant more next year and ride this out. And I would, Janice feels like a panic move to me. Like that, like Sam Presti to me, I always say what would Sam Presti do? That is a Sam Presti would not do that. He would probably, he would probably look at the Harper situation because we all love Harper.

We were going to expound on him. But as like, okay, Fox Fox was our training wheels. Now we got to send Fox off. let's get like another score in that spot. Maybe somebody with a little more size and think about it that way. We got to take a break. I want to talk about San Antonio, Minnesota.

And I think you and I are feeling similar about this series. Perfect. The Bill Simmons podcast is brought to you by Fandul. Fandle will give me better payouts on same game parlayas, all NBA playoffs long, with more ways to build and more value

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available through PayPal Inc. NMLS 910457. Learn more at PayPal.com slash pay monthly. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who were such giant underdogs for the series and for the finals that Nick Wright has a story for us from his trip to Vegas. Well, okay.

So I went to Vegas to see the Benavita's fight. Who is one of the scariest boxers we've had in the last 20 years? Unbelievable. He broke the guy's face on Saturday night. No, he destroyed it. He broke his orbital. The guy we fought Zerto had never been knocked down, much less knocked out, was a total warrior. And Benavita's just annihilated him.

And I, by the way, I had Benavitas by knockout. nice little ticket with my buddy, Nick Schollman, the world's greatest poker player. So who's a huge boxing thing. That's like an automatic bet. And but so I'm in Vegas Saturday morning. And I'm on my way to the sports book or I'm at the sports book to bet Benavides. And I see the championship odds. And I see the, you know, OKC minus 1, 25, whatever they,

were at the time. Spurs wrote, the Lakers at 28 to 1. And then 28 to 1. Well, that's because the California people come and they bet the Lakers. But that's still important context for what I'm about to say. Then I see beneath the Lakers, the Lakers who play O KC and Luca is injured. Yeah. 28 to 1. Minnesota is 200 to 1 Saturday morning. Orlando was 400 to 1. This was 12 hours after Orlando played the worst half of basketball in television history. There's not been a televised half of basketball worse than what they did. They're not even going to

make... Can we count fictional shows for that? Four of 37 is worse anything. Say by the bow. Probably had a word. Yeah, save by the bow or Fresh Prince. Fresh Prince. We need a fictional basketball. So I'm like, Orlando's 400 to 1. Yeah. I'm like, what the

I was like, so I'm staring at it. I'm like, hold on. I watch speaking of Janice, Janice, suffer this same injury Anthony Edwards did. He missed seven days, came back for game one of the finals. Yeah. And averaged 35, 13, and six. I was like, I think Anthony Edwards might come back sooner than people think.

I think that there is just always this weird specter of injury looming over Wimby. I was like 200 to 1. He's 7 foot 7. At any point he can get hurt. Correct. I was like, it's 200 to 1. So I'm like, I had won in poker the night before. So I'm like, I think I'm going to put like a thousand bucks on this.

Yeah. I'm texting my buddies. All of a sudden, a couple of my buddies want in, want in. And they're like, hey, see if they'll take $10,000 on it. And I'm like, okay, my guess is they. I was like, my guess is they won't, but I'm not sharp action. Like, you know what I mean? It's not like they're like, oh, this, like I come to Vegas to play cards.

They see my history. I win a little in poker. I spill it off playing blackjack at four in the morning. They don't think all of a sudden I have like, you know, I have inside info. Yeah, vacuum blackjack when they're vacuuming in one day. Yeah, exactly. Give you your money away. They see on their cards.

They're like, my God, we've got, we've copped this guy $1,200 in packs of Newports over the last year. And he said the vacuum hours. So I walked to the window and I'm like, hey, oh, and the derby. And people are betting the derby. It's a couple hours before the derby. Yeah. And I say, I'm like, hey, I'd like $10,000 on the Timberwolves to win the title. And the lady pulls it up and she's like, oh, she's like, I'm going to have to get a manager.

You should say 9,000. I don't think once it gets to five figures, they get freaked out. No. Well, what she said was any ticket that will pay out more than a million, which five, thousand would have paid out a million because it's 200 to one right we have to get a get permission oh i'm like okay so i'm just sitting there people are betting the horses ladies like i think they'll she's like i'm sure they'll take at least 5 000 of it so i'm texting my buddies because we're going to split this ticket four ways like i you know here's what it is i don't know five minutes

later guy comes he's like you're good they printed the ticket so i have in my possession on the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is unbelievable. 10,000 to win 2,010,000. They were 200 to 1. It's been three days. What are they on Fanduil right now, Bill? 25 to 1.

35 to 1. 35 to 1. It's a great investment. The ticket, right now the ticket's worth $65,000. I mean, I would never hedge. I'll never sell it and it'll probably lose. But it was just mispriced. It's like, it's just a mistake.

Just a mistake. You could at least try to hedge that with OKC. Like, there's moves you can make. Well, I'll tell you another thing that you will laugh at me about. I have not from Vegas, but from, you know, a gambling app, the day before the playoffs started, $100,000 just of my own money, $150 to $1 on the Los Angeles Lakers. So I just need a Lakers, a Lakers T. Wolves. Western Conference Finals and I am free rolling. But I

I was watching last night and I swear watching Minnesota play so well and then almost blow it and then Champany have a shot because I now think Minnesota is going to win the series and had he made that shot

I think they would have lost in five. I think it would have been such a stomach punch. Yeah. Yeah. So look, the Celtics had an awful loss on Saturday. My daughter turned 21. I don't like to apologize to my listeners that often. I really regret not studying the Minnesota-San Antonio thing way longer.

The Edwards thing's a great point. It was basically the same. He came back in nine days. They said it was going to be 14. He was really only on paper, probably only missing game one. But the thing I realized last night, I was watching, and I was kicking myself. I was trying to think of

21st century Hall of Fame Fuck you basketball teams. Just teams that just have fuck you all of everything they're doing the way they're carrying themselves everything. And the three I had were the pre-mele Pacers,

which ended up the fuck you spilled in the crowd. But that the way they carry, that first month before the fight, they looked like they were going to win the title. And they looked like a more dangerous, scarier version of the 04 Pistons. The 07 Warriors in the

we believe season. Ironically, Stephen Jackson on both of those teams. And I think the 2020 heat had it too. And it was interesting because when that was the series, I screwed this up a pod before where Draggich got hurt. But there was something about that heat team that they were just, they carried themselves

like dragon slayers. Like, do you watch Survivor? Well, no. There's this Survivor contestant coach who tries to, he calls himself the Dragon Slayer and he tries to carry himself like a fuck you guy and it always backfires on him. There's certain teams that actually carry

it and can do it. And I watch me as grittily. The stuff they said after the game where Shannon's like, I'm going to fucking drive to the basket. And Wemby might block some of them. I'm going to keep coming. And he can either block them or I'm going to score. But I'm never going to stop coming to the basket.

It's like, I think that's exactly how you have to play San Antonio. Keep coming. Right. And you can't because here's the thing. A block shot does not kill a possession as much as a shot clock violation because you won't put anything up. Yeah, you might get the ballback. One of the biggest shots of the game last night was after a block shot. I think it was Conley, the corner three.

Shout out Mike Conley, by the way. The Rockets could have had him. They probably saved their season. I would add maybe to your list, the grit and grind Grizzlies who one time. Another great one. Didn't, they didn't have their best player for a game seven. No, they had Tony Allen. He punched someone in the head.

Right. And then game six of a series. That's a great one. So the, the 2011 Grizzlies, I apologize. That's the perfect ad for this. And so I,

here's the thing why I feel so good about Minnesota. I don't think they played great yesterday. They were awful from the free throw line. Yeah, he was mad after the game. they were awful from the free throw line. McDaniels was in foul trouble the whole game so he couldn't do all his shit. Yeah.

Aunt was just getting back into the flow of it. You could see it, but he ran out of gas at the end and almost blew it. And he only played 25 minutes. Right. And they still, and by the, at some point, I think, I.O. is going to take those Bones Island minutes. And Bones Highland, he hit the one three. they took it off, but he's old for six. And you left out two other things.

They have nobody believes in this energy. They're like a football team. This is like watching an NFL playoffs. They finch what he said after the last series where he's like, they wanted a playoffs. Like that's, this is what they wanted. And that really made us bad. And now this series, same thing,

where the Spurs, huge favorites, the darlings. That's one. The other is you don't really realize that sometimes you're watching it, the spurs are going to need Carter Bryant to come back and actually play real minutes or they're going to lose the series because Minnesota has a physicality advantage

with Randall and with Edwards and to me, San Antonio last night, three guards, Fasel and Wembe. It's not going to cut it. They're not big enough. Well,

and there's two other kind of, and I'm not like an X's and O's guy, but it's very obvious. There's two things that jumped out to me before the series and now after watching game one. When Gobert's on the court, he really is going to give Wimby trouble on offense. However, him being on the court fully unleashes Wimby on defense because Gobert's never going to be anywhere but by the basket so Wimby can just play safety and block everything. However, when Gobert is off the court, they can mitigate Wimby a bit because they can go five out. And they can go five out and because everybody can shoot. So that's the first kind of-

And then also multiple physical guys that can come in. You just want to beat him up. He's 22. He's never been played 10 straight weeks of playoffs like this. Zach, I listened to Zach today. Zach said last night was the third most minutes he's ever. played in any game in his career. It was 40. Wasn't 46. It was 40.

And at the end, he looked a little, the final possession, Derek Harper gets the rebound, gives it to Wemby. Wimby gives it right back to him. Like, I, no. He was gassed. And they didn't spread up. Remember the Denver, the Saturday game against the back and forth with Joker? The same thing happened. He got gas in the O.T. Right. The game of the year. And by overtime, he's out. He's just out of it. And you are how many elbows to the ribs? And he had those bruised ribs, which at the very end of the year, is he going to have

from Gobert, Randall and Nasry? How about how many guys going full speed driving into him, knees hitting his legs, elbows, pushoffs? I think their whole game plan is to beat the shit at him. Which is why winning, which is why they couldn't blow that first game, Minnesota. Like, they couldn't have done all that and then lose. Well, that's my five-game role where it's like, if you lose that game,

now you basically have to win five games at a seven-game series. You're not going to win. You have to win the game. And so I just think, and I'm going to say one other thing that I think is like psychologically just true. And this is a problem probably for a lot of Kevin Durant teams, to be totally honest. the best teams take on the personality of their best player, whether he wants them to or not. Like my team, the Kansas City Chiefs, you know why there's never any bulletin board material?

Because Mahomes is the most boring press conference there's ever been, and everyone just falls in line. Brady was like this, too. Right, right. The Thunder, Shea is kind of a unique personality. I don't want to say corny, but whatever it is, he's got his own thing. everybody's like, you know what, we're doing group photos, we're in group commercials, we're doing that. Ant is so goddamn fearless.

Yeah. And confident that not only does the whole team take on the personality, you know who I think it is great for is Gobert. Who Gobert is just like, man, I've just been a fucking punchline. Everybody make me, my own team, when I was in Utah, It seemed like sometimes my own teammates didn't like me. The inside the NBA makes fun of me. Draymond chokes me.

I don't get the respect. And now- I started COVID. Yeah, well, that was, I mean, that wasn't great. That was, that was not great. And now, like, it's like, I've got the toughest crew. And guess what? Joker, come deal with me.

Wimby, this is, this is for, gobeer's going to be in the Hall of And this is the Everyone's in the hot family. What'd you say? Everyone makes the hall of fame though. Right. I understand. But four-time defensive player in the year.

He's going to make it. This is the moment where he can really puff his chest out and doing it against like I don't know if Wembe's his protege, but you know, they're both French. Like he's known him since he was a kid. Like, I don't know.

There's a little big brother, a little brother thing to that. Like when you know somebody, when, you know, when they were 12 and you were 25 or whatever it is, like you're always going to kind of see them that way. What you just described with the Gobert thing with Ant, it's one of my favorite basketball things. The best one ever for this was Bill Lambert, who ends up on a team eventually with Mooran. And then Isaiah, who was probably the toughest guy of the 80s, even though he was six foot two, and that whole team. And then all of a sudden, Lambears like, by 1990, Lambert's like,

I think I can fight Charles Barkley and gets like, he's throwing actual punches with Berkeley, he's clotheslining dudes, that, you know, when you, you could do that when you have those guys around you. And then in the early 90s, those guys weren't around him. And what happened? The Knicks, they come

in, the Riley Knicks, and they basically just snatch their souls like a boxer. But it's, it's so authentic from Aunt Jaden and Julius Randall. Those guys are like, we're badasses and we're going to beat you up that it is infectious

for everybody. Everybody's like, the Joker fight, it seemed like Randall was going to or their near fight. It seemed like Randall wanted to fight everybody in that. He definitely has it. It's a tough thing. Yeah. And so I just, I don't know, man. I am. So here are my concerns. Yeah. Can they ramp up

Edwards' minutes enough? They're relying on zombie Mike Conley who played a good game six and played decent minutes for them yesterday, but old guys in a series always makes me nervous. What's going to call, is I. are going to be able to come back and actually play? The Shannon thing, what he brought to the table in DeFincenzo's place, I kind of liked.

Like, it just felt like another relentless guy who just all he wanted to do was ball and get to the rim. San Antonio, three point shooting is always going to make me nervous with them. The youth and the inexperience, including him, the coach. And then the fact that they. They need Carter Bryant, who's a rookie. I don't even think he's 20 yet, but they're actually going to, like, genuinely need him in this series. And then the big thing is Fox, because Fox killed them yesterday.

And I felt like they didn't want to bench him because they didn't want it to become a story. But they should have, and they should have played Harper down the stretch. I'm not going to say Harper's better than Fox, but Fox was so bad in that game. And it's going to be a story now because he knows he'll be the fall guy if they lose. Yeah, the Fox thing's really disappointing. I've, I lived in Houston when he, we've talked about this a bit. My son was a big time high school and then college basketball player. And so I was in a lot of the same AAU events as D. Aaron Fox.

Yeah. And he's just a little bit older than my son. I mean, I watched him score 40 points in the first half of a running clock AAU game. I've never seen anybody like him on the court. And so I've always, I rooted for him in Sacramento. I've always liked him. But he is the fulcrum of this series. Because I don't care about Harrison Barnes experience.

Harrison Barnes is not a key part of the rotation. Luke Cornett has experience. He's a backup center. The only guy with playoff experience that should be on the court in crunch time is five. They would trust. Yeah. And if he's not, if he's not up to it, it's such, you're going to have moments like, the end of last night. Can we spend a minute talking about the very hand? Also, he's going against

Mike Conley instead of Io. What happens when the Iyo comes back? Like, this should be, that should be the easiest game in this series for you. What did you make of the final possession for San Antonio? Young team, I'm calling time out. A lot of times I like to let the clock go in that situation. I think you do it if you have an older team, experience team. Like if you're the Knicks, young team, I'm calling time out. And I, and I, and I didn't. And I didn't. And I didn't, I didn't think Champany shot was going in, even though it was wide open and it was the best possible shot they could have gotten in kind of that, you know, Harry Carey kind of situation. I would have called time out, but I, I don't, it's like, it's like staying on 12 in blackjack. You kind of have to decide, is this who I am with this moment?

You can't just be like every time I do something differently. So that's apparently what they do. So I have two takes, I guess. If I'm Mitch Johnson and I see Harper get the rebound and throw it to Wembe, the moment I see that, no, the moment I see that Wembe has now just passed it back, timeout. Yeah. Like if he threw it to him and Wimby's ripping up the court, like, all right, you know what? Win or die with what this guy decides to do.

Either way, it's an important moment for him. But once he gave it back, I'd be like, okay, let's talk it over. My other, I normally think down to go for the three because overtime, like try to get the win. It felt to me like because the one time I am a bigger fan of playing for overtime is when the other team has just absolutely melted down. Well, and also has a guy on a minutes restriction who's their best guy. I mean, I know Castle had fouled out, which works against it. But it just like when when LeBron hit the three in game three against Houston, it was 100% that if Houston did not win in regulation, they were losing an overtime because it was such an emotional devastation that you were there.

But the Sturt says their momentum doesn't matter, though. I don't give a shit. There are certain things that you just, you, if you know, you know it every time, especially if you're in the bill. building for that. Right. If you blow it, if you're a big underdog that had a game one and then lost it. And it goes to overtime. It was... Pritching

missing the three in the corner, I knew we're going to lose. Game was over. And so, I just, I wouldn't have hated a timeout draw. And the other thing is this. Here's the other thing a timeout allows for you to have. If you are, like you're

saying, San Antonio, trying to win and also trying to win next year and like develop something. A good moment for Wemby either way. Hey man, drawing this up for you. Win or lose. We know you're 5 for 18 and they're going to put Rudy Gober in now that we call timeout.

All right. So that's fair point. That's fair point. Keeping Gober off the court. But this is the issue with them is who is your, I'm going to create a good shot going downhill for us on our team? And the answer is it's Dylan Harper, who's 19 years old.

Even in that moment when he got the rebound, five years from now, he's going to know in his head exactly how much time is left, and he's off. He doesn't throw it to Wembe. He's just going because he knows like I have eight seconds.

I got to go. He's 19. He was like, hey, oh shit, there's seven seconds left, and you can see it the way that's the problem with relying on young guys.

By the way, I think I've been calling Dylan Harper, Derek Harper. You did it once. Listen, blisters of this podcast are used to old guy,

things like that, so it's fine. I have a really important question for you about this series. Yeah. Who do you think O'KC wants to play after they watched that first game? What a great question. I was thinking about this all day, and I don't even have an answer, but I think they would want to play Minnesota because San Antonio was such a weird matchup for them.

But after watching that game, I think I'd be afraid of the fuck you with the Minnesota team. man it's going to feel if Minnesota wins this series it will feel a little team of destinyish and we assume aunt will be by the end of it in the best like the healthiest he's been that team I would want nothing to do with how about the run of beating Joker and beating them to the point that Shams is

on sports center next day going, they'll take calls on everyone on the team except Yolkich. That's round one. Round two is we've cut the legs out of this Wembe juggernaut that everybody was just assuming it was going to be. Then round three, you beat the back-to-back potential champs who've just won, I think, 140 games in two years

or whatever it is. And then round four, you beat the Knicks. That's about as good of a run as you're going to have. Well, it certainly would be as good, it would be as good of a run to a finals as we've had since Dirks Durk in 11 or Hakeem in 95

Hakeem 95 is the all-timer Oh yeah and they because that's my favorite but this team's a 60 too Yeah and by the way it came in 95 also ended with the Knicks Well here's the other question Well answer that one and then I have a second And Kemp in 95 ended with the magic sorry go ahead

So who do you think they're rooting for. I think they'd, as crazy as it sounds, because San Antonio owned them, I think they'd want, I think at this point, they'd rather play San Antonio. Who do you think the NBA is rooting for? Because I think you could make the case. It's better for the NBA of Minnesota wins this series. Because Wembe's already going to happen. Wembe is inevitable. It makes, and Minnesota elevates in. Yeah. And it gives, I, I think that is true. And I think there is there is a authenticity

and charisma to aunt that is just infectious. Yeah. And that is impossible not to be drawn to. And it is, I also feel like Minnesota winning it gives a lot

of fan bases hope. Because Minnesota is not considered, they're just smartly put together. Like, it's like, they did get a number one pick in the draft. Yes.

And it's a great, great player. Don't get me wrong. But they don't look at him like an alien like Wimby. Yeah. It's not like OKC. It's like, oh, well, yeah, they have a billion picks and pulled off this heist.

It's like, no, actually, we had a smart GM. We just lost the most improved player in the league. We left our team. We lost him and had to replace him. And Nikiel Alexander Walker and we were fine. So I think that, is, I think Minnesota winning it,

I also, again, as your audience, as I just told them, you know, I have a half a million dollar worth of equity in it. So I guess maybe I'm a little... It's an awesome story. I could not believe... Sometimes I watch, like, you know right away

with a playoff series. Orlando, Detroit, it was just clear they were even. And you could watch game one and I'm like, oh shit, this is going to be a good series. Boston, Philly, game three was the game

that worried me, and then Embed came back and messed them up for a game. But game three, even though the Celtics fun, it's like, ah, they seem really comfortable against us.

Like, this is a bad, bad sign. And I think that game yesterday, I don't think it was a fluke. Castle fouling out, you can point to. Fox was terrible.

No Carter Bryant. Those are three things they can fix. But I agree with you. I think Minnesota could absolutely win the series. And gun to my head, I think I would pick them. Listen, I think it is,

Minnesota was like plus 800 and then the aunt news came down and they were down to like plus 400 and then right before tip off it was down to like plus 350. Yeah. And now right now I think they're like plus 160. And the only reason I don't think it is even is because it's all ready. They started as such dogs. It hasn't totally fully over corrected. But I, I think plus 176 right.

Okay, plus 176. That's fair considering they have three home games left. The guys come back. We got to take a break and we have two more big topics. All right, pretty good NBA playoffs so far. In case you didn't know, all playoffs long, I'm looking at the slates sharing my favorite picks on Twitter. I almost hit everything last Friday and ended up Tatum gets hurt in the third quarter

and doesn't hit his points rebounds over, which he was very close on. Everything else hit. This is what happens. This is also why same game parlays are so excited to do. I'm posting my picks on Twitter, usually for the Wednesday games and then maybe or Friday over the weekend. So I'll be looking at San Antonio, Minnesota, putting some sort of pick. I really think Minnesota every game is a live underdog because they are absolutely convinced

that they can beat San Antonio. So stay tuned for that pick. When I bet I bet with Fandle, a brand I trust, easy to build your NBA bets on Fandle. You know you're getting great odds, payouts on your partner. R-Lays, many boost options, and you're going to get your winnings instantly. Fandel, play your game. RBC Training Ground has discovered potential in over 20,000 Canadian athletes and counting. Your story could be next.

If you've got the drive, they'll help you find your path to the Olympics. Let's see what you've got. Sign up for free at rbc training ground.ca. All right, I want to do lottery karma rankings with you, but you wanted to do LeBron and the Ringer 100 quick. So go ahead. You have the floor. Well, I don't know how quick. You're going to have to cut me off.

Make it kind of quick. I know where you're going with it. I just have a request to the founder, CEO, and president of the ringer to convene an emergency ranking session and be like, hey, real quick, everybody. I just want to do a status check. Do we still think all the old guys are better than LeBron? because all fucking year I've had to look at this and see, oh, Steph Curry's better than LeBron. Kauai, he's obviously better than LeBron.

Kevin Durant, oh my God, he's clearly better than LeBron. James freaking hardened better than LeBron. I'm looking at it. And I don't know. I live in New York City. I saw Steph Curry yesterday at the Met Gala. Kevin Durant, I didn't see him, but I know what he's doing. Hang out somewhere ruining a locker room via Twitter.

Hey, Kauai Leonard is winning your, our buddy, Pablo Pulitzer. James Hardin's going three for nine in the game seven. And LeBron's throwing goddamn alley-ups to his son in the same game. He hit a series clinching three. And I got to say he's not a top 20 player in the league. Give me a break. Can LeBron please be the highest ranked old guy, please?

Well, we do the list every month. And it's a snapshot of where everybody is at that moment when we do the list. And I'm sure he'll be much higher when we do the list again. I think we need to add another list, though. Which, by the way, is always great content. But we have the ringer 100. That's over here. So somebody like Embed's not going to do well in the ringer 100 because he plays 30 games a year.

Like at some point, you got a durability has to become a huge part of the ranking. I think we should start a list of best guys if I know I'm getting them 100% healthy for one playoff series. What's your list? And then LeBron moves up really high on that list. I think by that metric, first of all, I hear what you're saying about durability really matters. Not for the ringers, favorite child, Steph Curry. He can miss 35 games. Nobody cares.

It's got to be top 10. Not neither in or there. Fair. If that were the list, what you said exactly, I think LeBron right now is still a top eight guy. What you said, you get fully healthy. I think he's 14 to 15 range, but you could talk me into 10, 11, 12. just because how fucking smart he is. Yeah.

And like that Houston series, and I should have probably talked more about it on this pod, but Houston was so disgraceful with the whole everything. It was also brutal. It was, I mean, it was so mad about this. It was the two critical moments in the series were Friday nights,

which are terrible for TV shows and pods. Yeah, you're right. Game three, the steel and game time three is a Friday night. And then the masterpiece in games, Six is a Friday night. So it's just bad for content, but it was, I understand. How many times have we seen him just do that to a team

where it's just like, Jordan would do it with like his prowess. LeBron kind of will do it with his prowess, but his brain. And he just kind of unlocks the other team. And you give him a team like that messed up Rockets team with no point guard and a weird coach. And I'm not sure the chemistry was great.

And it's like fucking red meat for LeBron. No, yes. And that's why, and so that's why I, like, is Cade Cunningham better than LeBron right now? Yeah, sure, of course. He's Cade Cunningham. His first team all NBA. Got it. But Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson and Tyrese, all these guys who are better than

LeBron, even by, I would say so, could not have after a game and a half just been like, oh, here are the fatal flaw. of Houston and now you can't win. And I am going to, I am in, I'm going to be in such full control. I'm creating memes with little kids on the bench. I'm mortifying Shinggoon in front of his teammates saying everyone else can complain about me flopping, but not you. All your teammates can, but not you. I'm doing all of this. And it is juxtaposed to one of his primary rivals of the era, the story around him being, wait, he's on an underwater treadmill during game three. Yeah.

Wait. It's tough. The team, and I like Katie a lot. But oh, yeah, as it turns out, you know, him shit talking his team actually bad for chemistry. And it did kind of hurt the locker room. No, we learned on ESPN.com feature today that the young guys in the team are used to criticism, so it didn't bother them as much as you'd think. that same feature. I would have fucking hated him

after I read that. And I'm playing basketball with him. I've been like, fuck this guy. Dude, of course. But also that feature was wild. Because that feature also said, internally the Rockets View, Reed Shepard with Steve Nash upside. You know what Steve Nash could do

early in his career? Dribble and pass. And so I, so, yeah, I mean, I'm glad I got that off my chest. I'm glad you did too. And I do think we should have a, I know I'm getting 100% healthy for this playoff series list. Yeah, I think would be good.

I don't know what number he'd be, but he'd be, I don't think I would have him as high as eight. But he'd be up there. Okay, lottery karma power rankings. Let's go. I first wrote this column in 2007, back when my fingers worked. I had more things on there. Basically, the concept is who should

win the lottery. And we have four chances. They do the lottery for the first four picks. Yep. The big questions, I used to have more questions, but for karma, number one, is your team overdue to win the lottery? Great. So like Utah has never moved up. That's the team I would say is overdue.

Indiana, I don't think he's ever had the first pick. That would be another one. Has the team's big picture game plan made any sense? So Sacramento, for instance, paying the luxury tax for one of the worst teams in the league and not having a future. they would count as a not making sense. Like the Bulls. The Bulls. It's a not making.

Well, the Bulls actually makes sense because they're like, we just want to cheap out every year and our fans are going to pay for tickets. Yeah, I don't know if I.O. was that expensive.

He probably could be useful. The $7 million in the year. It was too pricey. Got to cut that out. Kobe White had a playoff moment, but go ahead. Sorry. This one's a big one.

Did they handle last season with dignity? Oh. That's going to be a tough one for teams this year. Number four, did they ever make you say, why can people divorce their spouses, but they can't divorce their teams? If any of these teams that we have made one of their fans say that to another fan,

we have to measure that in the karma rankings. Then finally, do you honestly believe the karma gods would feel bad for this team is our fifth one? That doesn't happen all the time. But I think Indiana would be a good case of, Oh, man. They were in game seven in the finals, and their best guy blew out as Achilles.

So is that the full list of rules? Because I have a question. Those are just five questions, kind of thought starters, to think about. Is there any factor of it would be catastrophic for the league if this team won it? It's a good ad.

I think I used to have it. Catastrophic in the, so you're talking OKC specific. Yeah, yeah. Normally would not apply. So we have that covered. I'll give you the categories because we have that covered. And I'll just give you my list and you can be my conciliary for the list.

Love it. First category is no karma points whatsoever. So you big goose egg. OKC is our first team. They're in the 12th spot right now. They have a 1.5 chance to win. There's also a scenario where OKC gets in the top four and Indiana gets stays in the top four,

aka the Clippers Apocalypse, where they would fall up by some sort of ruling the next day. But yeah, OKC's had in the last 20 years, second, second, fourth, and third. So they've had some lottery. I give them no karma points at all. They're really good.

They're probably going to win the title again. They don't deserve to get a top four pick. The other one I have in there, and tell me if I'm right, and I say this, with advance apologies to the Maverick fans who loved Luca and did not want to trade him. They got Cooper flag last year.

And I think that was the makeup call for the horrible trade. Nico got fired. They just brought him a Maasai, you Harry. Things are okay. Kyrie's going to come back. I think they used up all their karma points

last year with the flag thing, but I'm willing to accept other arguments. Nope. It's, I have no other argument but I think, I don't think they used up the karma points for the flag thing. I think they had karma points even after winning the flag. So you think they have residue karma points? I think they did.

What happened? And then I think Nico Harrison said, and I quote, I hope people are seeing the vision now. Oh, that extinguished the carbon points. Okay. And they were like, you got to be kidding. This guy. Fair.

So no, so I'm with you. They're out. So they have the eighth spot. They have a 6.7% chance to win. 45.2 for top four. No karma points for them. No. By the way, they're going to,

they'll get the seventh, eighth pick, they're going to get a great guard. They'll get somebody really good. All right. Next category is a small vial of karma points. Charlotte, who's in the 14th spot,

2.4% chance to move up. But they've picked, Kahn was the third pick, Miller's second, and Lamello's third. they don't really need another top four pick. They don't need another top four pick. You do give them credit, though.

For the dignity of the season. They really put together a smart team. And the. Well, I mean a smartly constructed roster. Yes. Try to set me up. Yeah. And also the fact that those guys, if you redrafted, they made smart picks.

Yeah. they went three for three. You could argue Halliburton for Lamello, but nobody would have taken Halliburton. Nobody would have taken that at the time. That's a different type of thing. So, yeah, so they made the right pick in those. So they get a little karma for how well they've run the team,

the last couple of years. Yeah. Next one is Miami, who's in the 13th spot. They're not going to win anyway. They haven't picked higher than 10 since 2008. They did get the decision and all the stuff with LeBron. I think they're still dining on the karma points from that. I had them at zero karma.

points just in general. But Bam scoring 83 points on the tanking wizards, I think they won karma points for that. So I'm going to give them a little violent. I was so hoping you were going to go there. Yeah. That is correct. They get points for that. So if they get in the top four, it'll be like, oh, it's because the Bam 83.

It is because they said, oh, you're going to shamelessly tank, are you, Washington? Yeah. Well, we are, we're going to scarlet letter you. Yeah. We're going to show you there's a penalty for trying to lose basketball games. And then unapologetic afterwards. Unapologetic. And the penalty is roughly, and again, this is off the top of my head, the 374th best

scorer in the history of the NBA is going to score 83 points on you. Right. And you're just going to eat it. So I'll give them a little karma for that. Yeah. Memphis in the six spot, 9% to win 37.2 for top four. So Jah was the second pick and Triple J was also a top five pick.

They also took Kevin Love 5 and Thabit 2. From 95 to 2002, they picked 634-22-2-6-4. They've had 12 top six picks in the last 30 years, the Grizzlies franchise. 12 top six picks? In the last 30 years. This is their second teardown slash rebuild in seven, eight years.

Sorry, Chris Vernon. It's true. Karma points for, wasn't their fault, jaw flamed out. Everyone would have taken them second, and I don't know what they really could have, what they really could have done differently.

So they get points for that. They're one of five teams that have never made the finals, and recently LeBron crapped on their city. And I think they get points for all three of those things, where if they won one of the top four picks, I don't think people would be that upset.

So I'm going to give them a little vial. Can I give them a little extra? Yeah. Okay. We can move them into the next category if you want. I would like to rep for Memphis for a moment. Let's hear it. So my sister-in-law lives in Memphis. I go there a lot. LeBron's comments really, really like hurt the feelings of folks in that city in a way that I thought was a little too much, but it really bothered them. there is a, it's a very, yes, it is a very tough city, but it is a prideful city.

And they did everything they could to really support and love the Jha Grizzlies. And through no fault of the, in my opinion, the organization and certainly the fans, Jaws screwed the whole thing up. So you're, we'll move them higher. Okay, you're selling me. Yeah, I would like Memphis to have another shot at this. And so, yeah, I would like to move up. So we'll revisit a little bit later.

So that list was just Charlotte and Miami. You know, the thing about the LeBron comments, it was like the, it was almost like a sucker punch. It was like somebody punched them from behind as they're just walking down the street and they just woke up the next day. Like, what happened? LeBron punched you in the back of the head. But what?

Why did he do that? Like there was no warning at all. And listen, as it turns out, because I then, you know, followed that story probably closer than most. Man, NBA guys really do hate that hotel. That's it. It all comes down to the hotel. That's all that matters.

Just build a four-story Mandarin and you're good. It's just the hotel. But LeBron, he was golfing, he was trying to make people laugh. He should have just really focused his critique on just the hotel. It wouldn't have hurt his bad. You know what? I didn't mind it because I think LeBron's one of his issues over the year. is like, I don't feel like we see the real LeBron and some of this stuff.

Like, authentic LeBron that I'm sure he's actually like versus what's presented to us. And I thought in that golf video, it's just, I think that's what he's like. So I was like, this is, I wish he did more of this. But then he ended up, you know, making an entire city feel terrible for a week. Everybody got mad at him. All right. Next category is soup cup of karma points. So Milwaukee is in the 10th spot, 3.0%.

Top four would be 13.9. Ironically, they get the worst of their pick or Atlanta's pick or the Pelicans pick that goes to Atlanta. Yes. So I don't even know how to do the karma points here because if they go in the top four, Atlanta takes the pick anyway. I'll give them a little, though. They need two teams to jump.

Yeah, they need both of them to go in. Yeah, they need both. So they need a lot of help. Here's, yeah, I'm fine with them not having a ton. Yeah, yeah. And here's why. What's there? Go.

Everyone in the media has landed on, geez, Janus, enough already. Ask for a trade. Move on. All the pressures on Janus, when everyone I think acknowledges, yes, it's best for Janus to move on. It's also best for Milwaukee to move on from Janus. It's best for both parties. And there is, so there should be just as much. if not more pressure on the party that actually has to execute the trade to be like,

you know what, Janice, we're going to move on from you. But they don't want to be a bad guy. And everyone's like, well, of course, you don't want to trade. Yonazza, I'm demanding it. And Yonis is like, well, I don't want to be a bad guy either. So I just think, pardon me, the organization hasn't been great. Also, Jimmy Haslam bought into the team. Karma is not coming his way anytime soon.

So, yeah, they don't need any extra. I'm glad about the Jimmy here. So we could move them back then. That's fine. Yeah, put them where you had Memphis. Yeah, the Janus Milwaukee thing was like the benevolent version of the Justin Baldoni, Blake Labley lawsuit that finally got settled. Neither one wanted to admit that they were the one that wanted to settle it,

which is basically where we are with the bucks. Okay. Next one is Sacramento. I was very curious where you were going to have it. Fifth spot, 11.5%. they had the fourth pick in 22, Murray. They had second and 18, Marvin Bagley, one pick ahead of Luca. Luca.

And then, uh, a lot of he said Luca's a big market guy. Can't do that. Sacramento wasn't big enough market. Can't take them. Got to take a more loyal, worse player. One of the craziest takes I've ever heard. He's like, how could Sacramento fans feel worse about this?

How about this podcast interview for eight years later? And then Fox was the top five pick. So from 2009 to 18, they picked 4-5757-8-6-8-2. And I'm just tired of this team and this franchise. But the karma points, and this is why they're in the soup cup, their fans, this 20-year run for them, just for the fans only, there has to be like a significant amount of karma points. And they've 20 years of just, ugh.

They've never had the number one pick, right? Never had it. Oh, no, they had it once. Never nervous pervis. Oh, okay. So yeah, that was late 80s. 89. So they haven't had the number one pick in 35 years.

They've certainly been bad enough to get it. There's six teams that haven't had the pick. Denver, Miami, Utah, the Hornets, the Lakers, and the Pacers. The Lakers not having ever had the number one pick and having had nine number one. one picks on the team and their history is just bananas. Right. Yeah, I'm fine with that for Sacramento. Okay.

Now for a special part of today's episode where we unpack a six-pack or rather six of the biggest things happening on and off the court during playoff season. Brought to you by Michael Lerbaultra, the official beer partner of the NBA and a superior light beer. I had a couple of them last weekend and it really is superior. Let's get started. Here's my six-pack. six possible trade candidate fall guys for round two.

As round two evolves here over the next two weeks, who not only might take some of the blame for a playoff loss, but also it would open the door for them to potentially be trade bait to improve a team. I'm going to rank from one to six for the six-pack. Number one, Jared Allen on Cleveland, because if Cleveland cannot get by Detroit, that will mean they probably have to decide between,

Mobley and Jared Allen as they're quote unquote big. Maybe you could trade one of them to either change the team, get somebody like Janus, if you put Mobley on the table or just trade Jared Allen for somebody who's a little bit cheaper. But I think Cleveland would have to decide between those two guys because over and over again, it would have been the same story with them.

That's one. Number two, Deerrin Fox, which Nick Wright and Ty talked about on the Tuesday pod, if he just cannot rise to the challenge against a timber Wolf's team that has zombie Mike Conley and Ida Sunmu, who's battling injury, if he can't figure out a way to really impact that, he would be a potential guy. Maybe they turn him into a shooter or somebody with more size. Number three, Nas Reid. I don't know if anybody and the nobody believes in us, Timberwolves would even be in the trade block, but this would be the one

guy you would maybe think about because for what he's making and doesn't play a ton of of minutes and you have Gobert and you have Randall and maybe you could flip him into more guard help or something else. But I'm not even sure. I really believe in this one. Number four, Evan Mobley for all the same reasons I mentioned with the Cavs. Number five, Carl Towns on the New York Knickerbockers, just because if they somehow blow this Sixers series, I assume there will be a fall guy in the Knicks and Janus trade rumors and he's the logical person that would be in a trade. I actually like the way he's playing in the playoffs, but I had to mention him. And then number six, I have Isaiah Stewart on the Pistons, who reasonable salary, he's making like 15, really good advanced stats could probably

be the starting center for somebody. And maybe you see his usage gets yanked around on Detroit with Durrance. Sometimes they get smaller. Maybe that's a piece they would want to put in a trade to get the much needed second score they have. So Kate Cunningham does not have to shoot 35 times. honorable mention Austin Reeves as a sign and trade. It's had to throw him out there in case the Lakers decide maybe we do want to keep LeBron. Anyway, that's it for today's six-pack. So now you can go grab your own six-pack of Mickelope Ultra. Plus, Mickelope Ultra has given you a chance to win exclusive prizes, including court-side tickets and more.

Enter now at miccolobulra.com slash court-side. Mickelob Ultra Superior is worth playing for. Mikkelob Ultra Courtside 2526. No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. Residence 21 plus begins on October 1st, 2025 ends on June 30th, 2026. Multiple entry periods. See official rules at makelobe ultra.com slash courtside for free entry, entry deadlines and prizes and details. Next one is Brooklyn. I didn't really know where to put Brooklyn. 14%. They're in the third spot. top 4, 52.1. They've only had one top three pick, really in the last 20 years.

Derek Favors, number three. Karma points for building the 2012 Celtics, inadvertently. Karma points for really trying to make a legitimate run with Cap Space and KD and Kyrie. They trade everything for Hardin and they get hosed.

I'm going to give them demerits for, I just think they're incredibly poorly run. I don't understand just about anything they do. And so I kind of put them here. I'm willing to be talked out of it. Listen, man, Sean Marks, he just needs a 13th or 14th year and he'll nail it. This could be the year. He might have figured it out further. So I agree with you in that I do want to give credit for the fact that Brooklyn twice in the last 15 years has been like, we are going.

Yeah, we're going all in. We want to win the title. We're brazenly going after the time. Right. And so I want to give them credit for that. I want to give them non-credit for the fact that they had five first-round picks last year, and I don't know who any of them are. I live, I want to, I, I want to give them. You're not a Nolan Traitori guy?

I want to give them non-credit for the fact that the first year that they had Kyrie, Katie, and Hardin. Yeah. I got pretty good season tickets to the Nets. and midway through the year. They were a good team. And midway through the year, my wife said to me,

next year, do you think it'd be better if we just spent the money on 10 good Knicks games? And I was like, really? How come? You could say five good good games. Right.

And it was, and it's not like she's a, you know, a huge fan of anyone on the Knicks and anything like that. And she was like, it just feels so much more fun there. Like here, nobody's really into it.

They had Katie, Kerry, and Harden, they had no fans. Like they, and so, well, you know when it even gets worse,

the Liberty games are fucking awesome. They're awesome. They're awesome. Same arena. My daughter and I went to, when the Liberty, the clinching game for the title. Yeah.

It's electric. Yeah. So that does work against them. It would, though, they do have to get a superstar to have any chance of getting any type of attention there.

So, yeah, a little bit. I mean, they've gone for it. I just don't, I don't think they're well run. So I'm going to keep them in this category. Yeah. We'd all be better off if they just moved to Seattle and we didn't have expansion. Next category is a salad bowl of karma points.

You might disagree with this. I have Golden State here, 2.0% 11 spot, top 4, 9.4%. They did have Wiseman as the second pick six years ago and Camingo number seven. those were the last two really good picks last 15 years. This is just about, this is where you're going to get mad.

Yeah, I don't want to see Steph just be on shit teams for the next three years of his career. I'm not going to get mad. I totally agree with that. Let's get him one more good guy. So I'm, Steph,

so I don't know what category is bigger than salad bowl. There's two more categories. There's, okay. Oh, no, this is the second or last category. Okay.

Steph individually, his karma deserves the biggest. What works against him and brings it to this just second tier. Tramon. Is the team, no, the team being so smug in that we've got one of the 12 greatest players of all time. He's still awesome. Let's try to win while also preparing for a two-time life. It was the same shit.

I'll never forgive, never. The Cavs in 2018, when Kyrie wanted out and they could have had Paul George. And the owner, Dan Gilbert was like, well, no, we need a post-Lebron life. And so we need a pick that turned into Colin Sexton. And they got little Isaiah Thomas that trade they did with Boston. That was your guy, though, LeBron. What do you mean? Because he was going to leave after the year.

And they're like, we'll do the trade if we know you're staying and he would have come in. I understand. And guess what? Whether he was leaving or not, you know what you should try to do when you have peak LeBron James, win the title. that year. Instead, they were like, no, we have to be okay afterwards. He could have waited one more year and then gone into Lakers in 2019.

He could have done all those things. He's been like, I'll sign a one year extension if you do this trade. Yeah, he could have done all those things or the Cavs could have just made the better. First of all, it would have been the better trade. Second of all, planning for a post of a future post, your all-time legendary players dumb. So I hated what the Warriors did with to Curry. Like this, not maximizing those young players for win now guys. So he deserves extra karma. Okay.

The organization deserves less, so leave it where it is. Also, a little tiny douse of negative karma for Draymond having the audacity to be like, yeah, you know, Steve Kerr held me back. What? What? Are you, now that's Austin. I think he only did that to get talk show segments out of it. Well, he got it.

He got there was content all over the place. Bringer favored Austin Rivers and Draymond. They might be meeting in Temecula soon. They're going after it, but it was, but so go ahead. So you're fine. I'm fine where they're at. Next one, Chicago. Top four for them is 20.3%.

They're in the nine spots, so 4.5 to win it. They've picked fourth in 2020. They had a stretch from 99 to 08, 144-27-3-291. they've been the cheapest big market team in any sport. If you think the three biggest markets are New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. They've been the cheapest of anybody other than the Sterling Clippers. It's been 28 years since Michael Jordan retired. Their fans deserve better.

And all of those are reasons they should have karma points. Conversely, do the Rhinstorfs deserve the top of a pick? Where do we put this? This is way too high for Chicago. But can you blame the fans, though? So you would put them more Sacramento. is basically. Yeah.

All right, I'll move back. I don't, I don't blame the fans, but listen, Bulls fans, they're also Bears fans. You just got Caleb Williams

and Ben Johnson. You got, you got a hockey team, you got two baseball teams. I don't see, that's their attitude. They've just moved to the Cubs and they've moved to the Bears

and the Bulls, they just assume are going to go 42 and 40 every year, and that's the NBA team that have. Yeah, and so the Ryan's doors I moved them back. I don't deserve it.

All right, so we have Golden State, moved Memphis into this category. Utah. Thank you for that. Fourth spot, Utah, 11.5%, top 4, 45.2. Last 15 years, they picked fifth last year, fifth and 14, took Dante Exum and Canter in 2011.

They have never moved up in the lottery ever, and they bastardized the sport to the point that they finally had to actually change the lottery rules and do this 3-21 thing. I think they got karma points for that. They're the catalyst. Why? Yeah, they were the catalyst for changing the lottery in a good way.

It took them before the All-Star break to do it. This is a little bit of you love Danny Aange and want good things for him. I mean, this is. No, Danny Hage deserted us and took our best assistant. All right. So maybe they, I mean, here is why they, the fans of the jazz deserve, do deserve good lottery luck. The fact that the team that quite little. literally, for all of NBA past, present, and future is going to have the hardest time signing

free agents in perpetuity, has never moved up in the lottery. Seems like a sick joke. Although, Salt Lake's red hot right now. You know, I do believe it is. Might get a baseball team. It's really cool to go there. I believe, you know, there are reality shows. Wyoming is sick, is super hot right now too. You know where, you know what demographic? It's not super hot around.

NBA players. NBA free agents. 27 year old NBA superstars, not very often being like, hey, guess where I just got a spread, Salt Lake. And so I, they need some luck there. Okay. All right. So keep as is. So Golden State, Memphis, Utah in this category.

I have Atlanta via the New Orleans pick. So they had a good season. They did win the lottery two years ago, so they lose points for that. Top four, 29.3% chance to move up. 6.8 for the 7th spot. And the case for them, for karma points, they built a really fun team. They did a good job for the most part. They have fun nucleus.

It would be fun if they got one of these guys. And I think this is around the right area for them. So when you first told me we were doing this, my gut was I was going to say Atlanta should be number one. Oh, well, let me give you the other two teams then. Well, no, but I'm going to, but I know, I think you have it right. I know because so my gut was, it was such a savvy trade with Joe Dumars and New Orleans just to get this pick. Them having the guts to finally move off Trey Young, the fact that they, you know, CJ had this moment, all that worked for him.

and then what kept sticking in my head was, yeah, but they took Zachary Resaché number one overall. So probably third is a good spot. So we have two teams left, two karma teams left. Two karma teams. One is in the same category.

The Washington Wizards. All right. Shout out of Joe House. 11.5% to win. No, that's not right. They're in the first spot. 14% chance to win. Yes.

52.1 for top four. They picked SAR two years ago, number two. They got the six pick last year with Johnson. They've had 12 top six picks in the last 35 years. Since they made the 1979 finals, they have five playoff series wins in 47 years, and they've never made the conference finals, and their fans are in about as dark of a place as it gets.

And they're probably upset that they couldn't even win this. So I have them second. And Anthony Davis is talking as if he's never going to play a game for him. Yeah, he's on Redfin in every NBA city. Look at it. They have a pool? Is there an eight bedroom place in Portland? Figuring out where he's going to be.

They're also about to have the Trey Young experience, which I don't think is enjoyable. Can I tell you something about Trey Young? I think we've all blocked it out of our mind. I was just looking this up randomly the other day because I was looking at Yonah stuff. The Hawks won two games in the 2021 conference finals. Yeah.

That series was four to two. Now, Yonis missed a couple of them, but if you go back and look at the box scores, they look like two eight seeds compared to now. It was, but it was two, Janus got hurt in game four. Yeah. So it was,

it was two, two, with Janice out for the rest of the series. Atlanta, it was going to be, you know, Chris Paul was going to be a champion is what was going to happen. If Atlanta wins that series, yeah, it was 2-2 in the conference finals. It's remarkable.

I think the 2020 and 21 seasons, 50 years from now, people are going to be on basketball reference, like, wait, what? What's going on here? Yeah, I mean, 20. I think people will probably remember 20 is probably the final title

for the greatest player of all time. It's neither here nor there. Atlanta, what's working against Atlanta is, or I'm sorry, what's working at Washington,

pardon me. The shamelessness, the embarrassment of being scarlettered by BAM. I mean, they have, well,

they have just been, but their fans don't deserve, it's not on their fans. All right, I'm fine with them being there. Would you put Atlanta over them? Yes.

Okay. I would put it. land in the second spot. Okay. And I love who you have number one. Yeah. So this is the last category. A swimming pool of karma points. Indiana, 14%. They're in the two spot. Top 4.52.1. An amazing wrinkle where they only keep the pick if it's top four. They could drop to five or six. Otherwise, it goes to the clippers. A little similar to, I don't know if you watch Survivor, but Devin's flipping the coin to basically try to stay in the game is kind of what they did. with that pick, they flip the coin.

And if it comes up heads, they're away and they get a top four pick and they get Zubots and they get Tyrese Halliburton coming back. Yeah. Like they're probably going to be like the number two favorite in the east. Well, yeah. And they, if there is ever an acceptable reason to throw a season away, it was them. It's like, hey, we, they, we made a finals. the year before that,

they made the conference finals the year before they made the finals. We made the finals that our best guy risked everything to play in Game 7 took a chance and the worst possible outcome

happened and ruined our next season. Ruined our next season. And so we snap recalibrated. We're not, we didn't tear it down. We just took a gap year. Yeah. And we also,

also didn't they, they had their pick only because of a trade. They made a trade during the finals. To get their pick back. So they did that with a little, maybe a little premonition of what was to come. That came across conspiracy bills desk last summer. Why did they make that trade during the finals?

Was it like Halliburton protection? Like getting protection in blackjack or something. It's crazy how it happened. It was days before the guy gets hurt. Yeah. they're well-run. They have a plan, and it is, it's not quite the O3 lottery where Jerry West is sitting there. I either get LeBron James or nothing.

It's the all-time either or. Although now we know LeBron would have been out of there in 07. Maybe they, no, can I tell you something? Not only would LeBron not have been out of there, they would have a 30, a 30-story seven-star hotel with what that's downtown

would have been if LeBron was there. The Memphis montage. Indiana being like, all right, they're going to be watching the lottery

just knowing if three teams move up were sure. Yeah. If they come like five or six, it's over.

And then if you're, so the best thing they have going for them is the quip. would benefit from this, which would, I don't know if the league would be doing backflips, that the Quippers got the fifth pick in the draft. So. And then could if, let's say a ruling came down, they decided the Quippers did all this stuff. Could they then just say you don't get the fifth pick that's going to be part of the

penalty? I don't know. But so I think Indiana, Indiana, I don't, they don't have to get the number one pick, but they've got to stay in the top four. So I like them. I like them. I like, like them being number one on this. All right. So I'll recap. No, from no karma points to a swimming pool of karma points. OKC, Dallas, Charlotte, Miami, Milwaukee, Sacramento, Chicago, Brooklyn, Golden State, Memphis, Utah, Washington, Atlanta, Indiana, having the most karma points.

That's a good list. It's a good list. Congratulations, Indiana. Yeah, congratulations, Indiana. Good luck Atlanta. Memphis, I hope this made Chris Vernon everyone happy that there was somebody reping for Memphis. What does conspiracy, Nick think,

would be the fissiest outcome? Last year, we hit the fissuous outcome when Cooper Flagg went to the Dallas Mavericks. I think it's Golden State getting a top four pick would be the one that would make me go, oh, yeah, if I was running the league, that's what I would have done. All right, so Golden State,

Golden State certainly is the one that's best for the league. There's no doubt about that. Like them just getting DeBanza? Who could play right away for them? What about this one? And I don't know, again, I don't know if they would do it, but maybe they would. What about Brooklyn getting a top four pick and using that as a trade for Janus? Like that is something.

Well, here's the thing with Brooklyn. they don't have their pick next year because Houston can swap it. Oh, yeah. It's part of that weird deal they made. So they actually have to be good next year. So yeah, Brooklyn would be another one. I'm not sure they're anxious to help about Brooklyn.

No, that's probably true. Dallas could be the other one. It's like, hey, you owe us for the rest of the Luca trade. We know you promised us one lottery, but it was actually two. Two lotteries to send Luca to Los Angeles. Just so you know, I just clicked Sim lottery on Tankathon and the result was Milwaukee moved up to one.

So that goes to Atlanta. Wow. And the Clippers moved up to two and that goes to OKC. That would not be great. That's what just came up. In the one that I just did. Oh, my God. Milwaukee goes to Atlanta is one.

The Clippers, which goes to OKC at two, Washington three, Utah, four, poor Indiana drops to five and it goes to the clippers. Oh. Gammon of emotions for the clippers. Gamut of emotions. OKC moving into the top four of this lottery would enrage people. It would be a catastrophe. I was on the air when Cleveland won the 2014 ladder and I kind of melted down for like a minute.

Yeah, I remember. I remember. I was like, he had to be kidding me. This is the third time in four years that they won the lottery? Real quick. Is it weird to you that it's on a Sunday? Yeah, I hate it. I hate it.

It's supposed to be Tuesday night or Wednesday night, right? Well, they're going to have, so it's a 1230 game, lottery after the, or 1230 Pacific, 3.30 Eastern game, lottery, and then the next game. I don't like that at all. I don't like it either. I liked when it was the middle of the week and we could get content out of it. Yeah. All right, Nick, right. I took enough of your time.

this was a true pleasure. Thanks for doing the karma rankings. Thanks for talking basketball with me. It was great to see you as always. Oh, you know what? You as well. I'll tell Kevin Wilds. How about this?

I'll tell Kevin Wilds you say hello. And you tell Joe House, who I've never met, but in my head we're friends. I say hello. All right. We'll do that. All right.

See you. Bye. Thank you. Yeah. Bye. All right, that's it for the podcast. Thanks to Nick Wright. Thanks to Gahow and Eduardo as well.

Don't forget about the new rewatchables we put up. There's something about Mary. Don't forget about Lagata. Finally ended. The conclusion, the last seventh episode of the series is up, and you can rip through all of them now. I'm going to be back on Thursday with one more podcast. Can't wait.

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