The Bill Simmons Podcast - NBA Over/Unders, Part 2: The West With Ryen Russillo and Joe House

Episode Date: October 13, 2021

In Part 2 of a two-part podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo and Joe House for the annual NBA Over/Unders pod. They run through win totals for each team in the Western Confe...rence and look at odds for the NBA awards. Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Ryen Russillo and Joe House Producer: Kyle Crichton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 What's up, everybody? I'm J.J. John G. Stramski. And I'm Jason Goff, and if you haven't heard, The Ringer has gone local. I'm bringing the fire, I'm bringing the rain from the Big Apple with my show, New York, New York. And I'm repping Chi-Town with my new show, The Full Goal on all things Chicago. We've got episodes three nights a week with all the reaction of the local teams and guests. Plus bonus episodes around all the big games and storylines. So whether you're uptown, downtown, in the burbs, or a transplant, make sure you follow
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Starting point is 00:01:45 pretty well on million dollar picks this year. I love the first month of the season because you have to go into the season thinking, I think Pittsburgh's going to be good. I think the Chargers are going to be good. I think Seattle's going to be good. And then trying to back what you think in those first few weeks and then zag the other way if you were wrong. You could bet on new and fun markets on FanDuel like to catch a pass, same game parlays, highest scoring game across the Sunday slate, offensive TDs in the next drive. They have so much stuff, it's crazy.
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Starting point is 00:02:45 FanDuel Sportsbook as well as the Ringer Podcast Network. If you missed part one, me reselling house at NBA over-unders for the East, it was 20 minutes too long.
Starting point is 00:02:55 It's fine. It's an annual tradition. We're excited for the season. This is going to be part two. We're going to be doing the West in one second. First, our friends from Pearl Jam.
Starting point is 00:03:25 All right, the West. We're going to get into it. All lines are from FanDuel. We're doing it by divisions. House, you're going to have to be like our FanDuel. Make sure the odds haven't changed in even the last 24 hours since we did this thing. Dallas Mavericks, they are minus 210 to win their division,
Starting point is 00:03:41 16-1 for the conference, 31 for the title, and their over-under is 48-1. Rosillo, there's a case that you could go way over here that they're a stealth finals team. We've discussed this on this podcast with multiple guests, including most recently with Jonathan Jarks.
Starting point is 00:04:02 The case would be this is Luka's year. Did some research. Did a little research for the pod. When guys have the year, and it's usually like they're somewhere between their third and sixth season in the league, but we just going from 1977 Bill Walton, 1981 Moses,
Starting point is 00:04:19 86 Hakeem, 88 MJ, 95 Shaq, 99 Duncan, 01 Iverson, 03 Dirk, should have been the finals that year, 05 Wade, 07 LeBron, 2012 Durant, 2015 Curry. This happens over again with the elite, great future superstars where kind of a year, two years before you expect it, all of a sudden they're in the conference finals or the finals. You're like, wow, this is happening now. Could this happen
Starting point is 00:04:45 for Luka Doncic? It might happen for him, but even if it does, Bill, there's just too much uncertainty around it. I mean, look, there's not much anti-Luka stuff because then on top of that comes playoff time. This guy, the usage rate that he had over the last
Starting point is 00:05:01 couple postseason, we're talking like 40% usage rate. He's doing this a lot on his own because the Przingis part hasn't worked out. Hardaway's been a really nice running mate with him. Jalen Brunson was bad in the playoffs, but I do like him going off the bench. But it gets so thin. So I don't know how the outcome of this team
Starting point is 00:05:16 is like a sneaky finals team until one of these other secondary pieces becomes something that I don't think is possible. And I even like Powell. I like how it might be Powell at center more often and Porzingis off of him. Healthy Powell this year. Everybody's saying
Starting point is 00:05:31 Porzingis looks way better. Who knows? I don't trust it. I don't hate Porzingis. Bullock? Reggie Bullock. Bullock? Oh, that was Bullock. We fortunately did it on both pods. Josh Green breakout year? The backups are Brunson, Burke, Bullock, Maxie Kleber,
Starting point is 00:05:50 and Willie Cauley-Stein. Yeah. They might also be a buyout guy away. So one of the cases for them with buyout guys, Nets and Lakers loaded up. There's actually going to be a couple of buyout guys for teams like Dallas. House, do you like this team more than you liked them last year? I would guess the answer is yes.
Starting point is 00:06:11 Do you think we probably don't realize when we talk about their last two years that maybe they just had bad luck playing the Clippers two years in a row. It was a terrible matchup for them it is a terrible matchup for them uh i i i like the fact that luka donchic is healthy and not fat entering this season so that that does make me like this team better um i don't like jason kidd as a as a head coach oh i don't like you Kidd as an NBA head coach. He does not have a track record with a super-duper star, a budding super-duper star like Luka, that is particularly impressive. The defensive rating of his teams over the years, not good. Defense is the single thing that this team must improve.
Starting point is 00:07:04 Must improve defense. Dallas must improve defense. The thing that counsels in favor of the over is this division is awful. And they're going to get to play a whole bunch of games. For the people listening, it's Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio, and
Starting point is 00:07:19 Houston are the other teams in this division. None of whom have an over under over 41. Exactly. Yeah. So there, that's the case. House brought the eight game prep today. It's pretty great job by him. Thank you. How about that?
Starting point is 00:07:30 I got to keep up with the big boys here. I really liked the over. I don't, I was looking at the China, talk myself into conference 16 to one and title 30 to one for them too, just because everyone's just pushed the Lakers into the finals. And I just like, just can, what are our other alternatives?
Starting point is 00:07:46 And we don't have the Clippers in the same way this year. We don't have the Nuggets in the same way. And then you start looking around the West and you start quickly landing on teams like Dallas, where you're like, Dallas, hmm. Dallas still feels like a reach. It just does. I mean, would we ever do this with anybody else?
Starting point is 00:08:00 It's a star power pick. That's it. I mean, as great as Luka is. And, you know, there's one part of the kid thing that is worth and i just the only reason is the neighborhood i live in like living out in south bay i would see jason kidd at this breakfast spot that i go to all the time i never said hello to him uh he probably wouldn't be super into talking to me um but greg st gene who was a lakers assistant he brought him to dallas and i know of greg i'm not like tight with him or anything only because he was like a st john's guy
Starting point is 00:08:32 when chris mullen was there yeah and if you hear anything about him like i have a hard time believing that kid would go you're gonna come with me to dallas and not be willing to change some of the stuff that kid has done in the past. Okay. Where it seemed to be very stubborn, sometimes non-functioning defensive stuff. And this kid, Greg and scary St. Gene, you know, if you remember him from the warriors, um, he's just such a hardcore film, everything prep. And he has a voice that Kidd would bring with him gives me hope that Kidd would lean on him a little bit more because this guy's held in pretty high regard
Starting point is 00:09:11 and probably be a head coach one day. Okay. All right. So I like that. Is it wrong that I haven't quit Porzingis yet? No. I mean, you know. He just didn't seem healthy to me last year. It seemed like the lower half of his body was compromised.
Starting point is 00:09:25 Hilariously, Tim Kalashow kept pushing a Zinger-Ben Simmons straight-up trade. And I actually sat down and started doing a little, and I was like, you know what? I can kind of talk myself into Zinger on Philly. I can almost kind of see how that would make sense. Kyle, turn the overhead camera on. Holy shit. Porzingis
Starting point is 00:09:55 Simmons. Let's talk this out. I mean, it's just, it's hilarious. Right? That's the starting proposition is it's funny. So Porzingis stretch for playing his natural power forward position maybe letting him cook a little bit more or sell out then on defense
Starting point is 00:10:12 what are you doing just I can't trade Simmons for somebody if I don't know is going to be able to run up and down the court in a couple years I just can't yeah when we already have him be it's a no but it's a fun thought experiment I just thought it was funny that's good man yeah what about Kyrie for Simmons Kyrie for Simmons Kevin B. It's a no, but it's a fun thought experiment. I just thought it was funny. That's a good one. What about Kyrie for Simmons?
Starting point is 00:10:28 Kyrie for Simmons? I can't do it if I'm Philly. Philly would never. I can't put Philly in with the Sixer fans. That's a disaster. They're not going to do anything that is going to help somebody. They're one of their big competitors in the conference, right? Yeah, that's not. Simmons is leaving the Eastern Conference.
Starting point is 00:10:45 Unless one side's like, here you go. Which one is the here you go? I haven't been able to figure that one out. That's a great one. I would imagine Brooklyn would be like... I agree with you. But the reason the Brooklyn thing...
Starting point is 00:10:57 I mean, on top of the Kyrie thing, he's got an extension that he could have done. The Kyrie not doing the extension was a mistake. Because guess what? That extension's not going to be there anymore for that guy. All right, so I'm going over.
Starting point is 00:11:13 House is going over. It's a slight over for me. Slight over. Rosillo? Is it zag time? Zag me up. The king of the zag. Wow.
Starting point is 00:11:21 Get the zag music. Wow. I don't know where... The zag master. Going to Memphis. 40 and a music. Wow. I don't know where... The zag master. Going to Memphis. 40 and a half. Over under. Division.
Starting point is 00:11:32 Plus 440. Playing game. Minus 110. They actually have minus odds. You got to lay odds. 79-10 team. I'll start here, House. I've asked Chris Vernon this question.
Starting point is 00:11:43 I'll tell you his answer after. Are we sure Jaron Jackson is good? We have no idea. Okay. I think that's the right answer. Literally no idea. We have no idea. I think people have penciled in this.
Starting point is 00:11:53 He's good. And Vernon, I was like, he's a monster. And I looked at his stats and he averages, basically he's like five rebounds a game. The stats aren't very good. It's that he's that young, that he's that big, and that he has the perimeter skills. I get it.
Starting point is 00:12:06 That's all we're talking about here. I get it, but he hasn't actually done anything yet. No, he's been hurt, and I think he's played out of position, and I think that's part of the Valanciunas move to get a more traditional center to also protect Jackson.
Starting point is 00:12:20 I mean, the thing, the high side of Jackson is that he can do different things, and he can be this perimeter guy that's that size, but like him I just I like his talent but I just think it's you're on this thing though with Jackson I've noticed this now like we all have our guys that we kind of like talk up a little too much and then question a little bit too much Jackson is in the Bill Simmons crosshairs in for a good way or bad way because bad way I think yeah when you start doing the is so-and-so
Starting point is 00:12:46 good, then it means you don't think they're good. I just think if you talk to the average basketball fan, you're like, Grizzlies, what are your thoughts? They'll be like, well, John Morant, he's awesome. And Jaron Jackson, Triple J, he's great. It's like, is he? That's fair. If somebody starts telling you how great the guy is. I think people
Starting point is 00:13:03 have penciled him. First of all, I don't think he's the second best player on their team. I think Dylan Brooks is. I think he's the wild card of their team. I think he has incredible upside, and this is where I'm going to pull it all the way around. One of the reasons I like the over-under for them is I still like his talent. I just don't think we've seen it yet.
Starting point is 00:13:21 But on this team, with Adams doing all the grunt stuff for him, this is what Verno was saying. Jackson came in. He's in great shape. He's healthy. Adams takes away some of the dirty work stuff and the rebounding and the picks, and they can kind of concentrate on him as a stretch forward. And then John Morant, who, you know,
Starting point is 00:13:41 there's a world in which he's awesome this year that I think has to be factored in with the over-under. What if John Mor in which he's awesome this year that I think has to be factored in with the over-under. What if John Moran is just fucking awesome this year? I mean, this is a team that conceivably to me could win like 47 games. I don't know if they will, but I think the variance of them,
Starting point is 00:13:56 I could see them slipping like 38 wins, but no really lower than that. And the variance of them being able to go up. That's why I'm going over. I'm going over as well. I just believe in the franchise. I think that there's still a player out there
Starting point is 00:14:09 that we're going to be shocked that they pull in because they do an incredible job with building assets, trade, and room for additional cash under the cap. None of us liked what they did
Starting point is 00:14:25 with the Valanchunas, that whole Adams and taking Bledsoe back. We don't know the answer yet. Like they roll those things out and they're creating space that only they know what their targets are. I just trust them. I think they have,
Starting point is 00:14:41 they've built an enviable track record. They finally parted ways with justice Winslow. Best of luck to justice in China. I don't, I don't, I don't blame them taking a flyer on. No, I agree. That's right. They were like, they wanted to find them for helping Miami beat the Celtics in the playoffs. That sucked, but they're really good at drafting.
Starting point is 00:15:00 Bain was great. I love Bain. I like Tillman. Clark was good. I don't know what happened to him last year, but they've done over and over again. Theyain was great. I love Bain. I like Tillman. Clark was good. I don't know what happened to him last year, but they've done over and over again. They've found value. We're still going over? Over. John Moran is point guard Giannis
Starting point is 00:15:13 with his mentality, with his limitations, with the explosiveness and looking at that number, every one of these teams is healthy, but if they're healthy, they're an over 500 team. So Trey, Trey and Booker, I think were the two breakout guys last year of the young guys that just clearly made a leap and made their teams legitimate. Ja would be the candidate.
Starting point is 00:15:34 I think this year he'd be the, the number one guy I'm looking at. We're all comfortable at 41 and a half, right? Is that what it is now? It's 41 and a half. God damn it. These lines keep moving. 41 and a half. There must be like a lot of NBA over under action lately. All right. I still? It's 41 and a half. God damn it. These lines keep moving. 41 and a half. There must be like a lot of NBA over under action lately.
Starting point is 00:15:47 All right. I still like it at 41 and a half. New Orleans Pelicans. What are the Pelicans? What's the updated for them? I had it at 38 and a half. I looked at it today too. They'd put it 38 and a half.
Starting point is 00:15:58 I can't believe it's still 38 and a half. Yeah, I don't get it. It's under for me. It's a lock. It's an under for me. It's a lock as well. It's an under under for me and it's a lock as well. It's an under for me
Starting point is 00:16:07 and it's a lock as well. I have some material on this though. Plus 500 for the division. No thanks. Plus 100 for the playing game. I think I'll pass. House, what's their in-season panic move? Because there will be one.
Starting point is 00:16:23 This is a team now with an ownership that there's rumors they're trying to sell the team. Seems like a pretty decent chance they will. Well, here's the sale of the team. There was a time when it was going to be potentially packaged the Saints and the Pelicans. But now it seems like separate, right? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:16:39 So I think the unfortunate thing here is eventually this thing will probably get moved. They should be in Vegas. I don't want New Orleans to not have a basketball team. They should be in Seattle. Seattle's fine too. I think the Jazz. New Orleans will be fine. They love football. They'll have the Saints
Starting point is 00:16:57 a lot of LSU. They'll be totally fine. They'll probably survive with the Saints and LSU. But whatever. I just really like the city um i love it too but sometimes like like basketball just doesn't work out in certain places for whatever reason i mean you could argue sacramento's like well i think they have a huge problem with the zion part of it so whatever whatever like i think we can't do the panic move until we talk about zion because i think if you're in that front office you have to have like real conversations
Starting point is 00:17:24 about like we're not even to the extension part that front office, you have to have like real conversations about like, we're not even into the extension part of this. And we already have to worry about this guy, like threatening to do a max deal and then telling us he wants to leave immediately. Cause if there's another guy that's going to try to ask his way out with multiple years left, it's Zion. Like all the rumblings are always this.
Starting point is 00:17:37 And then all of a sudden we find out he has this foot fracture that people didn't know about. How many injuries are we up to with him now? At least three. This is like his third major one? Because he had the knee thing. We're not sure whether this is major or not. He might be, he was last year.
Starting point is 00:17:52 He was my single favorite player to watch. And he backed it all up. Would you mortgage the entire future of your team for him? If you were another team? If I were in a different city, yes. None of this is going to be popular, okay? And you end up just giving the guy the extension. And if you're Zion,
Starting point is 00:18:10 we've talked about the guy one day will do where he turns down the rookie extension and hasn't happened, but I imagine one day it'll happen. But if you're Zion, you're like, all right, just where's all that extra guaranteed money? Because we're always worried about his body. But I would be real tempted with like two or three people on my staff that I would really trust and be like, what if we went completely outside the box?
Starting point is 00:18:35 Like if this guy is leaking that we're the worst all the time and the organization isn't the right organization. Should we just trade him now? What could we get for him that we know would be healthier? Now we're speaking my language. I know Daryl would take Zion for Ben Simmons. I know it sounds crazy. What's he worth to the Knicks? He's worth everything, but the Knicks don't have enough.
Starting point is 00:18:57 R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin, four first-round picks. How many times are you going to bring up Obi Toppin? I'm just throwing guys out. Randall? Is it R.J. Barrett and Randall? Once you said Knicks, we're on to the next offers. Because, I mean, it's still, it would have to be such a monumental package because if you're going to keep the Pelicans in New Orleans, you actually have to keep Zion, the sales, the marketing people,
Starting point is 00:19:15 the business side. They all get involved and then you can't do any of this stuff. I think you sign Zion and you... Of course you do. Of course you do. But I think you're shitting bricks about it. You're doing all of those things this is this is the most name and on the on the flip side everybody and i even
Starting point is 00:19:30 talked about on this pod about could zion be the one who doesn't i thought it was gonna be luca potentially but zion from a health standpoint has to take the extension yeah he's never made the real money before okay but then you're asking like with the push of of labor versus management here where ben simmons tried it you know dame may throw it out there if this year doesn't end right with three years remaining like these are all this is again the uncharted territory of this stuff where would zion be like okay thanks for the extension now i'm out of here in a year you know i possible we joked about towns doing it and then he finally seems like he's sniffing around
Starting point is 00:20:06 but it took an extra year. I don't know what they do. But I'll tell you this. Ingram for Simmons is still a fun something. I'd need to get a little more from Philly.
Starting point is 00:20:18 I think Ingram has more value than Simmons for obvious reasons. Simmons and Maxie? Or is that too much? Could I get Simmons and Maxie in a pick? You'd probably be able to get a piece of the guard stuff back because they brought in Graham. They got Kyra Lewis.
Starting point is 00:20:32 They've got Alexander Walker. That feels like my number one pick for a New Orleans panic move. It's pretty good. It's pretty good. I got to know what's happening with Zion. Yeah. Because Ingram. Well, when they said he had a Jones fracture, he'll
Starting point is 00:20:45 be ready for opening night. It's like, what fucking opening night 2023? What night? What year? I don't know. I don't know. The Jones fracture is fucking brutal. Go Google Jones fracture. It's rough. Anyway, under is all around probably
Starting point is 00:21:01 a couple of locks. I don't like anything they did. I didn't like the Lonzo Ball thing. Val and Shun is sure. They're able to get rid of Bledsoe, but when you're touting like, hey, we got rid of the Adams Bledsoe contracts and you go, you're the same motherfucker who signed and traded for those dudes.
Starting point is 00:21:18 Now it's a party that we got rid of the contracts? You just did this. And watching Drew Holiday in the Olympics. Yeah. Why didn't you keep Drew Holiday? Go look yourself in the mirror. You could have had Drew Holiday, Ingram, and Zion. That's exactly right. That's exactly right.
Starting point is 00:21:31 I think it's, honestly, Griff's a nice guy, but one of the worst GM jobs we've had in the last 15 years. Like, I disagree with everything he's done. At least Stan's gone, because that wasn't helping anything. That was also terrible. San Antonio Spurs, 29 and a half. House, is this your least favorite roster or is there another roster you dislike more? I can't name.
Starting point is 00:21:52 I could look it up, but I can't name five Spurs right now off the top of my head. Murray and White. I know, right? I know. Keldon Johnson. Yaka Pirtle. You officially, I could have done Murray, White, and Purtle. Those are the three.
Starting point is 00:22:07 Thad Young and Devin Vassell. Sure. Lonnie Walker. The fourth? It's a strange team. And yet, I'm still going over at 29 and a half because it's a bunch of guys who I think will play hard. I think the Kelton Johnson Olympic thing
Starting point is 00:22:27 was weirdly valuable. Okay. You love Olympic experience. I think he'll be better. No one has ever. I like their guards. You're one of the great
Starting point is 00:22:34 patriots of the day. I really do. Just point me to the guy who's like, I wish I hadn't played the Olympics. I'm a worse basketball player now. No, I'm not saying that.
Starting point is 00:22:42 I'm not around those other 11 awesome guys. That's not what the argument is. No, it is. I think it's right. It's the Kelton Johnson comes back to Spurs camp, and they're like, who's this guy? Yeah, I think that's what happened. Team America.
Starting point is 00:22:51 Prove me wrong. Fuck yeah. Prove me wrong. No, he picked up some stuff. He was playing with all these great guys, and he's like, oh, I didn't realize that. Oh, that guy got up at 530. Oh, this guy worked on his turnaround jumper for an hour. This guy brought home three girls from Benihana.
Starting point is 00:23:06 This guy got BD. This guy has a shoe cleaner who's a human being. I'm going over 29 and a half. What do you guys got? I can't believe they went 33 and 39 last year. This is why I'm going over. I don't want to deal with it again. I'm going to be wrong.
Starting point is 00:23:23 I'm going to pick under. But they went 33 and 39. seed no one cared everybody didn't want to watch them anymore 458 winning percentage 30 and 52 is 363 i mean this is a this is a massive step back for a team that should be better yeah so all the all the math tells you over, over, over. And there's no sign of them tanking. I mean, there's a world. It's so weird. I'm going to still say under,
Starting point is 00:23:49 I'm still going to say under. And I hate, I hate that I'm doing under because they're, they just seem to be a group of guys that were competitive last year. I mean, look, there's no DeRozan, but I think all of these guys are going to be better.
Starting point is 00:24:02 And I still hold out hope for DeJounte, but you know, DeJounte in this point guard market, what's the best version of that? I don't know. You guys already know the answer to what the top salary on this team is. Isn't it like $15 million?
Starting point is 00:24:14 It's $15 million. I was trying to make fake Kyrie trades with them today. And I had to use three guys. I had to do Murray with Thad Young and with Al-Fariq Aminu to get to $39 million. And then the Nets threw other stuff in. Yeah, because you can't trade any of the other guys.
Starting point is 00:24:32 Jacques Melendale. I'm going to over. I'm going to say one of the crazies. Kyle, you might have to turn the casino camera on again. I actually think this is the team that should trade for Kyrie. Okay. It's fine for Kyrie. Okay. It's fine.
Starting point is 00:24:47 Kyrie and Pop? I think Kyrie is now a house that's in foreclosure. Where it's like, ah, that house in Wellfleet. Yeah, the bank's just going to take it. It's like, ah, should we go see it? I think that's where the spurs are with Kyrie. It's like, Kyrie's in foreclosure. Should we go see Kyrie?
Starting point is 00:25:07 Dude, it's got a tabernacle. It's a boat thing in the back. What do the Nets want from San Antonio? You could give them Murray or White with Thad Young. And then I would just wait it out. White is tough. I do like that. It's pretty good.
Starting point is 00:25:23 Texas, he could play all his home games. He could definitely play all the home games. If I'm the Spurs and I have a roster where I just do not have one of the top 50 guys in the league, we can name 50 guys right now that are all better than everyone on this roster. I would have to
Starting point is 00:25:40 at least consider the Kyrie thing. I wouldn't do it, but I would have a three-hour meeting about it. I like this. And then I would have my staff go, what the fuck are you doing? We're not training for Kyrie. What are you doing? Yeah, those are the offers. I'd just be like, hey, that's right. He can watch us on League Pass and we'll wait until he changes his mind. Well, now he's got Donald Trump Jr.
Starting point is 00:25:55 behind him, so the sky's the limit for Kyrie. He tweeted it. He's going to feel great about that. So we are how many hours are you under? Over. 30. 30 and 52. over and over again. It's me and house versus Rosillo and these over-unders. I don't know what happened. So it came in hot. This episode is brought to you by Movember. The mustache is back with a vengeance. Look at Travis Kelsey before he rocked that super bowl ring, he rocked that super soup strainer. Grow a mustache for Movember. You'll do great things too. You won't
Starting point is 00:26:30 win the Super Bowl, but your fundraising will support mental health, suicide prevention, and prostate and testicular cancer research. And if you don't want to grow a mustache, you can still walk or run 60 kilometers, host an event, or set your own goal and mow your own way. Do great things this November. Sign up now. Just search Movember. Houston Rockets. Over under 25 and a half?
Starting point is 00:26:55 Under. You have 25 and a half for them still? I'll look it up. Yeah, I'll look it up right now. Russello, question for you. 25 and a half. 45 and a half. Sneaky fun league pass team for you or openly
Starting point is 00:27:05 fun league pass team? Absolutely. I can't wait. I feel like you're going to watch a lot of the Rockets. I feel like you're going to be sending us videos. Oh my God. You're not going to believe this. Kevin Porter Jr. pick and roll. Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Christian Wood. Banger.
Starting point is 00:27:22 Yeah. Eric Gordon, like why am I here Garuba Where's John Wall He's just hanging out What's he doing Nothing They got Daniel Tyson
Starting point is 00:27:31 For four years They re-signed Dante Exum Which I didn't You know when you're going Oh three years for Dante Exum Was there another Were there other teams Offering two
Starting point is 00:27:40 You'd be like Hey we want an Exum We gotta go to third year Get a team meeting And they're going, our team's a little too brash. We need a guy who can come in
Starting point is 00:27:48 who just gets hit in the head and knocked down all the time and never fights back. Like, let's get Tice, call him. Call Tice. I know,
Starting point is 00:27:56 really like Tice, but Tice, like, hey, do you want to get kicked in the balls and have a guy teabag your forehead
Starting point is 00:28:01 on the baseline and wipe his sweat? Do you want to get knocked in the basket support again and then hold your nose as it's going down the other way? Just put your palms. Do you want to just get your ass kicked?
Starting point is 00:28:09 And the thing is, Tyson's actually a really good player. I've just never seen a guy. I like Tyson. I've never seen a guy get worked so many times in embarrassing fashions and never fight back. He's like, he's Cranston in season, in episode, season one of Breaking Bad. Ah, I like that. Like first five episodes. Yeah. He's got to grow the goatee and just get Bad. The first five episodes. He's got to grow the goatee and just get mean.
Starting point is 00:28:28 Under for me, though. This is an under for me as well. I can't wait to watch them. Under, under, under. And also a team... They went six. Do you know they went six and 45 in their last 51? I know that because I bet they're over last year.
Starting point is 00:28:44 Not only did I say over, because I thought that they might try and hang in there for a little while. That was one of your dumber moments. They started off pretty, like, on their number. House was holding on to James Harden hope for some reason. Three-enters could be a lock for me. 25 and a half seems
Starting point is 00:29:00 really high. I don't know. 26 and... This team's going to win 26 games? And 56? Is that what it is? That's it for that division. Jesus.
Starting point is 00:29:10 Thank God. Clusterfucks. Thank God. Well, here we go. Get ready for the Utah Jazz fans to send their venom our way. The NBA's most angry fan base. Bloggers
Starting point is 00:29:23 moving their fingers right now, getting ready to eviscerate all of us because we deign to wonder why this team completely choked against
Starting point is 00:29:32 the Clippers team that didn't have Kawhi. Their over-under is 53 and a half. Minus 310 to win the division, plus 650 for the conference, 15 to one for the title.
Starting point is 00:29:43 House, 10 to one for the play-in game. Don't sleep on that bet. 10-1 flyer, that's like... That's throwing money away. I agree. One hamstring injury for Mitchell for two weeks.
Starting point is 00:29:53 Just give me $100. Okay, all right. I'll do that. I'll work on that. They're not going to the play-in game. They're not going to the play-in game. House, how much do we hold the last two years against them? They're good.
Starting point is 00:30:04 We can hold things. I'm not holding anything against them? They're good. We can hold things. I'm not holding anything against them. They're good. You're not holding. They have a playoff 26 point. They have a six. They have a very specific, very,
Starting point is 00:30:14 you know, they have a particular problem that they need to use the season to figure out. They are an awesome regular. What succession character would they be? Wow. This is Tom. Maybe,
Starting point is 00:30:24 maybe Shiv. I think they're Roman. I think they can only have sex if they're on the side of a bathroom door with a 64-year-old lady on the other side. That's the only thing that can truly get them to the border. I can't wait to get this Utah Jazz. No, I just came up with it. That was juicy.
Starting point is 00:30:40 I love the over. It might be a lock for me. I love this team, a regular season team. Rudy Gobert is like the single biggest regular season game changer, possibly in the entire fucking league. I love the Jazz. What? I love the Jazz.
Starting point is 00:30:56 They are perfectly built for regular season success. They're a big over for me. I love the over. I mean, look, they were one seed last year. They were 50-22. That's 7-22 winning percentage. All right, so with 54 wins, you're asking me to duplicate a 6-60 winning percentage? No problem. They were number one in point differential by a wide margin. Up there with some of the best historic teams. They have a playoff problem, and we saw it against the Clippers,
Starting point is 00:31:24 and it's not just defensively asking Gobert to chase all these guys around, which wasn't great for him. It's that he doesn't do it anymore. None of that shit matters to me. They could be the one seed again. The problem for Utah fans, they've got to understand, they could go 75 and 7, and no one's going to give a shit. That's exactly right. Now, they're not good enough.
Starting point is 00:31:40 I'm kidding on the high end of it. No one is going to care. You have reached now the conversation of the other NBA players. Your team is going to be treated as the NBA star that hasn't won, the quarterback that can't get out of the divisional round. You are that collectively as a team, but they should be. I know Conley is a big question mark. You would imagine Mitchell is going to be better to close the season
Starting point is 00:32:02 than he was last year. The favors thing didn't really do that much for him. They have Clarkson again. Some Rudy Gay and Eric Pascoe. Hassan Whiteside is on this team now. I don't understand the Whiteside stuff because I just think he's kind of a net negative. Well, if you guys like Utah this month, sounds like you should go on FanDuel and do four to one for best record.
Starting point is 00:32:24 I just know they're going to have a really good record. I agree. I disagree. I'm going under. Alright. I think 53.5 is high. I think the West is better, especially in the middle class, than it was, even though, despite the division we just routed off.
Starting point is 00:32:39 What are you talking about? I don't think many of the teams are that much different. I mean, we're going to get to Denver. Their injuries, the Clippers' injuries. We don't know what to do with Golden State. I think going 54 and 28 is a good record. So I get the leeway. That would be the same team and we're talking like
Starting point is 00:32:55 eight to nine less wins than last year. No, but last year, I'm sorry, but they other than when Conley, when did Conley go down like a fourth of the season? Which time? They had like an incredible health advantage for the first two thirds that I do think helped them.
Starting point is 00:33:12 They had continuity and they had health. I just, 54 wins seems like a lot and I'm going under and I think it's a good zag. Let me ask you this. If it's such a lock that this would be an over, why is the over-under only 53 and a half? Sometimes we're better than the desert, bro. It's the market.
Starting point is 00:33:33 We started off the East Coast pod with this. In a different time, it would have been 56 and a half and we would have had teams of 59 and a half. But Vegas has responded to the overall direction. I was in the room when they lost that Clippers game and I said, I don't know what the over-under is for them next year, but Vegas has responded to the overall direction. I was in the room when they lost that Clippers game, and I said, I don't know what the over-under is for them next year, but I'm going under. I'm sticking to it. Yeah, but that's the worst possible
Starting point is 00:33:51 thing to have influence. It's just how I feel. I agree. I agree with what I'm saying. I'm not betting it, but I'm going under. When we're doing the playoff preview, bring it all up, because they deserve it, because there's been some... There's the Denver loss up 2-0. All that stuff is real, and it's all why I'm like, look,
Starting point is 00:34:06 I don't want to hear about the Gobert shit in the regular season anymore. I don't want to hear it. But for the regular season, I don't want to hear about the playoff results. Are we sure Conley,
Starting point is 00:34:18 Ingles, Bogdanovic, a year older? A little big bull, a little more of a bullseye on this team. They went 28-6 against teams 500 or worse. Great.
Starting point is 00:34:30 Under. Portland, 44.5 is their over-under. Plus 750 for division, 31 in conference, 81 for the title, plus 125 for the playing game. Priscilla, more likely Blazers, a legit sleeper, or Dame gets traded before March. You can only pick one. Well, then I'll go legit sleeper,
Starting point is 00:34:51 but they're not winning the West. I just think Dame is more content there, despite some flirtations and frustrations. But that went from a couple posts and then the Chris Haynes thing where he was complimenting Portland's fans. And I was like, oh, wait a minute. Are you celebrating them on the way out of the next ask?
Starting point is 00:35:13 Yeah. Testing the waters. Like, well, Russell Wilson said he didn't want to trade, but if you do want to trade me here at four teams, go to. Where you're like, what the hell are you doing? Dame Lillard never even got to that point, but they're good. Their top six is really good. With Powell and the other projected starters,
Starting point is 00:35:31 they were plus 13 per 100 possessions. Nurkic is going to be a year healthier. I like the Nance addition. They kept Powell around because that was kind of like the future of free agency. Like, hey, let's make a move here, and then we know we're going to bring Powell in and then also re-sign him. It's a big number. I like the future of free agency. Like, Hey, let's make a move here. And then we know we're going to bring Powell in and then also resign him. It's a big number.
Starting point is 00:35:47 I like the Nance thing. Yeah. And also they have, I'm over on them. They have a Portland tradition. The young guy that they're telling you how great he looked training camp this year. It's in the Sierra little.
Starting point is 00:35:59 Yeah. It looks great. It's great by all accounts. Anthony Simons is so good. Oh my God. Oh my God. Who was the guy during the Pritchard era the
Starting point is 00:36:07 we had the there was a Rudy Fernandez run with this Rudy Fernandez this is the year it's happening there's every year with Portland
Starting point is 00:36:15 there's always a guy Sergei Monia Sergei you gotta see this guy just killing people in training camp I like this team I'm going over
Starting point is 00:36:23 I actually think that over under is like two wins too low. And I'm thinking about a possible lock for me on this house because I like the Nance Covington combo. I like the fact that I didn't feel like this team was malleable enough last year, especially the Carmelo thing, I just thought, was such fool's gold in so many different ways. Like he's just at a different point of his career
Starting point is 00:36:44 and was actually in big spots. This team when Lillard and McCollum are together and healthy, which they've had some bad luck with over the last couple of years, but when they're actually out there together and healthy and doing well, and they can get, I don't know, four people with them, which it seems like they have this year, the team's pretty good. They're good. I feel like it's a 47-48 win team house.
Starting point is 00:37:07 I like the over for them as well. So we're all in lockstep on this Portland team. Do you realize the starting five guys with Powell in the Denver series, they outscored Denver by 47 points and 112 minutes and lost the series. Wow. And I don't love the bench this year unless Little can come through, like, past the seven. It seems like they're about seven deep this year.
Starting point is 00:37:37 Yeah, and I still wonder how they're going to defend, but getting rid of Cantor and Melo is... Net positive. Yeah. And I also think there might be a little bit of an invigoration that comes from Chauncey, right? Just a different guy.
Starting point is 00:37:51 A guy that is in their ears that they like and they support. Chauncey's one of the few guys in the league that I think can get right in somebody's face and tell them to fuck off. He's going to get away with it. He certainly did it with Paul Pierce on NBA Countdown. Pierce would have some crazy take
Starting point is 00:38:07 and Shotzi would just cut his legs out and left out for shit. It was rough. I really like Portland. I think that division plus 750 bet. I know you guys like Utah. I just think those are pretty heavy odds.
Starting point is 00:38:23 Oh, that's a great payout. Yeah. I don't think that's a bad bet at all. There's a world where they're 50 and 32 in Utah. Somebody gets injured for three weeks and they're 49 and 33, something like that. I like that bet. Denver Nuggets. This one's a tough one.
Starting point is 00:38:37 Their over-under is really high. 47 and a half. Purely out of respect for Jokic. So we've seen house like Jokic, Luka. They're just certain guys now that are just, if you're healthy and you're in the team, you're guaranteed 48. Yep.
Starting point is 00:38:51 As long as everyone else on your team is at least average. Question for this team is, it's definitely a little bit over average. Man, that bench is rough. They're going to need something from Gordon. And then the big question, Michael Porter, if you had to pick, massive breakout or weirdly disappointing, if you only pick one breakout,
Starting point is 00:39:11 I think he, I said bad things about him during the stretch last season that he was making the leap. He had looked bad. He looked lost. He was in Malone's dog house. I came on your pod, observed that in a game that
Starting point is 00:39:26 I watched them play against Washington uh but it had happened like two and a half weeks up to that point and then I went after our that podcast sat down I was like oh shit he's playing good and he's getting run and it looks like they trust him yeah and now he knows who he is on this team and he's going to get tons of touches and tons of opportunity. Plus that contract. I like him this year. He's shooting 44% from three for his career. Okay.
Starting point is 00:39:57 It's 42 is rookie year, 45% last year. He makes his free throws seven boards a game. The advanced stuff is pretty good on him. Defensively, I know it's a problem, but it was atrocious in the beginning. I actually think Malone could have been a little bit more patient with him
Starting point is 00:40:15 because his shot making, he has moments in games where you go, there's not 10 guys that can just make the shot that he just made and then he added in the size. It's not five guys. So you're on the massive breakout front, because I think I am too. I think I'm buying it. Look, I'll watch him enough.
Starting point is 00:40:32 I'm fine with like, oh, what are you doing? And then you're a little bit of a black hole here and lost defensively again and all that stuff. But there's a version of this that's pretty special offensively, and that's why I like the over, even with the Murray uncertainty. Even if you're getting him back, I don't think it's happening until later. It's a Jokic bet to me
Starting point is 00:40:50 and Porter is the ketchup on the cheeseburger. What did I say about Dallas? Did I take the over for Dallas because of how bad that conference is? I'll stand by that. I'm not going to switch that. Division. But I think I'm going to stand by it. If you're just riding overs for Jokic and Luka,
Starting point is 00:41:05 you're going to go at least one for two and probably two for two. I'm going to... I really like Denver. I really like them this year. I like that number. I love the 47 and a half. Yeah, I feel like they're a high 40s team.
Starting point is 00:41:15 Look, they went 40s... And then the Gordon piece will be fun. Well, you know... They can figure it out. I could bring up last year's numbers again, but it doesn't... No, I know it was bad. It doesn't...
Starting point is 00:41:22 No, no, no. They were good. I mean, they won, but... No, I thought I was talking about It doesn't... No, no, no. They were good. I mean, they won, but... I thought I was talking about the Gordon numbers. Oh, those numbers weren't good at all. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:41:29 No, Gordon... I trust Denver to have used this entire offseason to figure out how to make him work. I think he's always going to be generally
Starting point is 00:41:39 disappointing offensively. I think Gordon's kind of like... I didn't love the Beal thing I brought up in part one, but I think Gordon is the epitome of we got Aaron Gordon! There should be a post-game show where Rosillo reviews his own takes of the podcast.
Starting point is 00:41:53 So I'm thinking about it more. I didn't love the Beal take. We call it the Zag podcast. We do it with Cerruti almost every week. Just two people listening. I'll be honest, I didn't love my Utah defenses, but the numbers seemed high. Sometimes that's all I got. It's your worst part of the show so far.
Starting point is 00:42:09 Listen, I don't think they're a 54-win team. I don't think they're going to be as good as they were last year. They're a 56-win team. Your whole argument is that they look like shit against the Clippers in the playoffs. I think that stuff matters. If you completely choked on a pretty big stage where you had a chance
Starting point is 00:42:27 literally to make the finals and then you watch this Phoenix team that you could have beaten in a series. The guy who loves Rocky doesn't think the Utah Jazz can be inspired by failure. Unbelievable. I don't think the Gobert thing is solvable, but you're right. Maybe for the regular season, it doesn't matter.
Starting point is 00:42:43 I don't trust on my Conley thing either, I doesn't matter. Regular season, it's very solid. I don't trust on my Conley thing either, I got to be honest. Okay. My Conley's been in the league since 07. He was in the same draft as Horford and Joakim Noah and all those dudes. He has a lot of miles on him. Your guy, Jeff Green, is on this Denver team. We like Denver.
Starting point is 00:43:00 Love Jeff Green. All right, over for us. So, Minnesota, over-unders 33.5. Be honest. The first time you saw 33.5, you were like, wait, what? Or no? My hand's up. My hand's raised for that. Wait, what?
Starting point is 00:43:16 Wait, too high or too low? Were you expecting a total in the 20s? I have breaking news for you guys. Something is happening. What the fuck is going on with Minnesota? The Sun Fan Duel? It's 35 and a half oh my god you have to lay significant juice to get the under the under is minus 144 well so maybe they put up a number because i mean i had over mark tentatively down but now i don't know what to do 35 and a half riscilla what month is towns asking for a trade? Pick a month.
Starting point is 00:43:46 Can't be November because that's too soon. You get December, January, February. One of those three months. I'm going to pass on being critical of Carl Anthony Towns. Not saying you're critical. I'm saying if you had to pick a month for the Carl Anthony Towns trade ask, would you pick December? July. July.
Starting point is 00:44:01 I think it'll ride out Anthony Edwards. Yeah, they're going to out Anthony Edwards. Yeah. They're, they're going to play this whole season. Not the thing. That's interesting about Minnesota is the Chris Finch, David Vanderpool. Like they,
Starting point is 00:44:16 they, they, it was such a shitty situation. Poor flips on his kid who like God, God bless him. I think, you know, he truly believed he's just in over his head.
Starting point is 00:44:26 Yeah. And that happens sometimes. And the franchise tried to do the right thing by giving him an opportunity. And it didn't work. Chris Finch is a real effing basketball coach. And Vanderpool is a really good defensive coach. His reputation, I believe in the reputation. And there's good evidence of him, you know, teaching defense to guys that have otherwise not learned it. Uh, so that would be the case
Starting point is 00:44:50 for the over with this Minnesota team. I'm just not there under, I love the over at 33 and a half, uh, for whatever reason, watch them a bunch last year. I think they had the 13th best offense. If you go from a March 1st on split. They were 12 and 13 in the last 25 games under Finch. The Finch hysteria, because it was odd that you wouldn't just promote an assistant, but they didn't want to screw around. They wanted to bring in Finch. And as soon as he got brought in, I'd heard from a bunch of different teams, you're like, this guy's a stud. He's a stud. And they didn't want to screw around with it. They were like, look, we're just going to go ahead and grab this guy. So I think a lot of people that were criticizing it probably didn't know what Finch's reputation was.
Starting point is 00:45:28 And I'm telling you just from the eye test part of it, I love how hard they played. They played really hard. They had some of those games. I think it was the Philadelphia game where I was like, man, these fucking guys are like, there's something I'm seeing out of the Timberwolves that I just not used to
Starting point is 00:45:40 seeing all that much. Um, because usually they're really bad. They're four and 18 without Towns last season. So clearly the odds makers here are on it. I can't believe it jumped up two more games. This is from last night. It was 33.5 last night when I was doing mine.
Starting point is 00:45:56 God, it seems crazy. Am I really going to say 36 wins for the Minnesota Timberwolves? I'm not kidding. I just spent five minutes complimenting them and I think I'm going to say under. Look, this is from March 15th to the end of the season. They went 14 and 19,
Starting point is 00:46:12 which is a 42.4 win percent over 82 games, which translates to 35 wins and the numbers 35 and a half that we're looking at right this. I like them. Like I'm finally seeing. I saw some life
Starting point is 00:46:26 from them the first time forever but i in the west and that's that's the other thing about the west it's not even the eight when you go nine through like 13 those teams are all talented yeah and so that's why if you go 35 and 47 that's actually not a lot of shame in that because it's going to be a bloodbath almost every night except for the OKC game. You can easily bet if you do that. If you bet on Minnesota at this number and they go 35 and 47, you lose your money.
Starting point is 00:46:55 33 and a half, I was over. I'm not going to go 36 wins, so I'll say I'm not either. I have serious reservations, and I appreciate your case about how hard they play. As you know, I've loved Nas Reed forever. Yeah. Okoji too, I've enjoyed.
Starting point is 00:47:11 But... Well, Jaden had moments. Yeah, Jaden had moments where he was getting thrown in Ben Simmons trades as like one of the prizes. The Edwards and Russell defending people piece
Starting point is 00:47:24 cannot be overstated. I'm just not sold on either of those guys. No. And Russell scares the shit out of me over like the course of a full season, a full season. And they got Pat Beverly, who's going to definitely be. And I got this. Let me teach you young guys how to win mode that I don't know if the hell great that's going to go.
Starting point is 00:47:43 Let me show you guys something. Oklahoma City Thunder, over under 22 and a half house, and we're going to talk about it right after this break. The smart approach is to look at the facts, like the fact that York U graduates have a 90% employer satisfaction rate. That's because across its three GTA campuses, York U's programs are strategically designed to prepare students for a meaningful career and long-term success. Join us in creating positive change at yorku.ca slash write the future. Okay, OKC. Over Under is 22 and a half. This is our second take on this
Starting point is 00:48:29 because I screwed up my whole Sam Presti secretly as the best GM job in sports thing. I just couldn't make it work. I tried. We talked for nine minutes about Oklahoma City. It was like I was doing stand-up comedy at the comedy store, just working at a riff
Starting point is 00:48:42 and the audience was like, eh, not sure. So I'm just going to, I'm just going to scrap it. It was like you were going to barbecue with Nate Bargatze and you were throwing him jokes. He's like, I don't get it. Um, I am jealous of his ability to just accumulate these picks, roll assets over. And then now each year he's just going to take the high impact, high ceiling, swing my dick
Starting point is 00:49:08 on the table if this works out guy, which I really respect. At the same time, House, this team is the worst team in the West.
Starting point is 00:49:17 And I think they're going to have moments where they're just hilariously bad. I think you're right. They finished the season 2 and 23. Beat the Celts, right? Tough one.
Starting point is 00:49:30 Really hurt us. It was very, very intentional that they finished the season 2 and 23. Yes, it was. And I actually think there are a bunch of guys that we like. Yes. Couldn't agree more. I even like Kenrick Williams a little bit. Kenrich Williams? Kenrick Williams a little bit. Kenrich Williams?
Starting point is 00:49:46 Kenrick Williams? Okeke? Okeke? They were 16 and 19 when SGA played. 16 and 19 when SGA played. At the end of March, they were 20 and 27. Shout out Matt Moore
Starting point is 00:50:02 at the Athletic. I mean, Action Network. Dort? Like Lou Dort. Like Lou Dort. Don't like their big guys. This is a team that, weird, they could have really used Shang-Goon if he's good.
Starting point is 00:50:16 It's not like it's like, ah, he would take time away from our center. I'm kind of stunned. They took Shang-Goon. I think this would have been a league pass must for me, as it is now. Not as much of a must. So I'm goingoon. I think this would have been a league pass must for me, as it is now. Not as much of a must. So I'm going under.
Starting point is 00:50:28 I think this is almost a lock that this will be the worst team in the West. Give us your thoughts, Rosillo. Remember last year when we did this? And I was screaming lock. I was screaming under. And for most of the season, they were headed to the over.
Starting point is 00:50:43 And that's even though... Did they get over? It depends on what number. It went over in some books, under in other ones. And they found ways to win a bunch of these games despite having easily the worst point differential in the NBA. They were 30th in offense, and they were four points worse than Orlando who was 29 so their
Starting point is 00:51:08 offense wasn't just awful in the worst in the league it was like off the charts worse than the next worst offense and they were terrible on defense too um they found a way despite trying to tank and they they did a good job on the tanking part. They even told Al Horford, hey, we're good. We're good. I still think they're really bad. And I think they actually got incredibly lucky to have the record they had last year. So unless Poku takes a massive step up and some of the wings are giddy, which is, giddy is actually kind of a weird fit.
Starting point is 00:51:42 But again, it doesn't matter because most of this roster is never going to be part of the future. I'm going under, but they almost, they almost screwed everybody that played the under against a team that they were right about because it was the worst team in the league and they still eclipsed the number depending on where you got it. They only have one player with four or more years of NBA experience.
Starting point is 00:52:03 Can you name him? Who is it? Oh, you have the right- Derek Favors? Yeah, Favors. Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, they have two then. I was going to say-
Starting point is 00:52:11 DJ Wilson? I was going to say Muscala. Do they still have Muscala? Yeah, I think so. All right, we don't need to talk about OKC too long. I like what they're doing. I think they should take in Shinga. Under for me.
Starting point is 00:52:21 Rossello under? Under. House under? Over. Over. OK, House. 23 wins. Russillo under. Under. House under. Over. Over. 23 wins. That's all. That's my zag.
Starting point is 00:52:27 Just a forced zag by House. Los Angeles Lakers, 53 and a half. Is that still the over-under, House? I don't know what's going on with it. The numbers are changing.
Starting point is 00:52:39 Somebody moved in and our fan-do odds is happening. Moving it around. Basketball is happening. Minus 110 for the division. 52 and a half. What's happening. Moving it around. Basketball is happening. Minus 110 for the division. 52 and a half. What'd you say?
Starting point is 00:52:48 I said 53 and a half. It was 53 and a half last night. Man, what is going on? 52 and a half right this second. Why is FanDuel doing this to us? They love this pod. Conference plus 195. Title plus 450.
Starting point is 00:53:00 Rosillo, is this the 2004 Lakers all over again? Or do we have higher hopes? No, no. Okay. Because they already know that the two main pieces work together. All right? They won a title. And I think it's pretty clear that they would have done some damage last year again, too.
Starting point is 00:53:14 Remember how good this team was the first 30-plus games in? I think all of us that cover this stuff are going, all right, they won the title. Say what you want about the opponents, which is a fair criticism, but they still won the title. But when they came in on paper, you're like, this team is better, all right, they won the title. Say what you want about the opponents, which is a fair criticism, but they still won the title. But when they came in on paper, you're like, this team is better than the team that just won the title. They were playing that way. And they even
Starting point is 00:53:31 held up a little bit through some of the injuries, which was crazy because I was watching going, how are they still winning these games? The only reason it's an under for me, they're the favorites in the West. They are the favorites in the West. We could talk injuries, but we could do that literally with every single team i think the the reasons i would go under is not just age and injury history but vogel trying to figure this whole deal out
Starting point is 00:53:55 trying to figure out the rotation and figure out the personalities because this collection of people they put together there's going to be a couple guys that are really bummed out about what their role is. And I could see Vogel trying to maybe appease people in the beginning of the season and Westbrook, who's going to have to figure out
Starting point is 00:54:11 a way to somehow adapt, which I don't think he's really... I don't think there's... There's just stuff with Westbrook that's never going to change. I don't want to hear about it. But the only reason is under is Vogel getting through it all,
Starting point is 00:54:21 resting some guys here and there. But they're still the best team, I think, on paper right now in the West. west I agree with you I'm interested in hearing who you think the candidates are for who's going to be bummed because one of the things about amassing these veterans is you as you as I have assumed and not what one might assume as I have that all those guys have bought into whatever the configurations are. That's the whole point of going out and getting five guys that are 36 years old or older. It's all leadership. It's all guys that can go with the flow.
Starting point is 00:54:54 And they're deep. They're deep. I don't understand 52 and a half in any way, shape, or form. Over for you. Oh, it's a big over for me. What do you have for some i have under because i think that they're going to pace people this is where i like the westbrook trade is for the regular season his energy and his care and all that kind of stuff like i think he helps bring them a kind of energy throughout the regular season that'll help them get through some of those months that feel like it's slogging but i also think that
Starting point is 00:55:22 with all of these guys that Vogel is probably going to try to play nice with everybody, give a day or some minutes here. And then I think there's going to be a stretch where Rondo and Mello are watching Kendrick Nunn and Taylor Horton Tucker play ahead of them when it actually matters who's winning some of these games. And those guys aren't going to love that.
Starting point is 00:55:44 I hate this. This is my least favorite over under Evolvum well it's because you hate the Lakers no no it's not I love money more than I hate the Lakers that's true
Starting point is 00:55:52 I can and I love winning this contest over you two guys over anything I feel about the Lakers it's hard for me to believe if they get 70 games from LeBron
Starting point is 00:56:03 70 games from Davis and 65 to 70 from Westbrook, that this team's not going to go 53 and 29. Yeah. But are they going to get all those games from all those people? And I think Rossello's point about the happiness factor, it's hard not to think about it. We've seen Rondo not be happy. You also have Nunn and Monk who I think...
Starting point is 00:56:26 Nunn could be closing with this group. And they're there because they're trying to increase their value, correct? They're hoping that they're going to be in this situation that people are going to look at them. Nunn and Monk. Those are the only two guys that would need that kind of
Starting point is 00:56:42 nurturing we're talking about. I think everybody else Bazemore is not going to be fighting, you know, upset about minutes. Trevor Reza ain't going to be mad about minutes. Why is DeAndre Jordan there? I think five of these guys are going to be irrelevant. Like Wayne Ellington or Reza. DeAndre Jordan
Starting point is 00:56:58 was done three years ago. I don't know if Howard has anything left. Howard's serviceable as a backup. He is. He fouls the shit out ofable as a backup. He is. He fouls the shit out of everybody the whole time. He's a dirty player, but he still makes you think about hanging out down there. But they're talking about they want to play Davis more at center
Starting point is 00:57:12 and LeBron more at power forward. How much do we even going to see? But Davis has never wanted to play center before. He said this year he wants to play. I know that he has, and I think they only played together for 173 possessions with Davis as the center of LeBron on the floor. All right. But when they won the title, it's what they shifted.
Starting point is 00:57:29 Everybody in basketball knows it's what Davis should be doing all the time. But I wonder over the course of the regular season if he's just going to like it's clearly something he's never wanted to do. Because he's just going to say yes and do it all regular season. They're going to be like, hey, we're going to put Dwight out there with you a little bit to give you a break. House, I'm going under. It's fine. I don't feel great about it. This team reminds me a little of the 2018 calves.
Starting point is 00:57:51 As weird as that sounds, Davis is way better than Kevin Love was that season. But that 2018 calves where it was just like, they're just signing people left and right. They had Dwayne Wade and they made a bunch of trades mid season. And Darren Williams. Yeah. If you go look at their basketball reference,
Starting point is 00:58:09 it's like 22 guys they had that season. They had Jay Crowder was there for a little while. Isaiah Thomas was there. And it just was kind of, you knew at the start of the season this wasn't what it was going to end with. I think they have a lot of fat on this team for all the wrong reasons. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:58:23 The Horton Tucker monk, none thing. I'm not sure any of those guys make sense with LeBron James, except monk. And I think, you know, I think none does a little bit. Do you like none though? I don't, I don't, I mean, I've never really been a fan. I always felt like when the Celtics went against them, the playoffs, I was like, please play none more. I'm not afraid of this guy. He had some really up and down moments there where he also was like, well, if I'm not scoring, what the hell am I doing out here? But I think there's a real LeBron fact
Starting point is 00:58:49 that we all have to understand is that when you're out there and you're playing with him, you don't just start doing whatever you want to do. Well, that's why Schroeder's out. Westbrook will. That's the other thing. It's like, I have no idea how this is going to work with Westbrook and LeBron.
Starting point is 00:59:02 I've read all the stuff. I've heard all the things. And Westbrook needs the ball all the time as well. If he plays off the ball, it'd be great. Well, we saw him play off the ball with Harden and they were fucking miserable after a year. So he's going to be happy with LeBron and Davis? I mean, Daryl basically had to say no centers
Starting point is 00:59:15 to make the Westbrook thing work. I don't care what it looks like in the regular season. I only care. Yeah, I just think, I agree with you. I think they're the class of the West, at least from a talent standpoint. I think it's going to take a while to figure out. And I think there's real injury risk.
Starting point is 00:59:28 Davis has been hurt a bunch. LeBron's in year 19. And I'm going under. I think all those things are true. It's a soft number. Of course they're true. I think it's a safer bet. My life depended on an under is safer.
Starting point is 00:59:38 Okay. I hate it. I would never bet it. It's a lock for me. It's a lock for you to go over. Yeah. Jesus. We haven't even gotten to the lock set. 53-29.
Starting point is 00:59:47 It's crazy to me that you guys are taking the under. Phoenix over-under is 50-and-a-half unless that changed like everything else is changing. Division 2-1. Conference plus 850. Title 50-1. I like the division odds at 2-1. I think it's, in my mind,
Starting point is 01:00:03 a toss-up between them and the Lakers. 51.5. 51.5. What the hell? How does all this stuff change? It's been the same for two weeks. It's starting to sense like they updated it maybe the day we did this. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:00:17 So maybe that could be it. Come on, Fane. It's not real time. Priscilla, what happens to this team if they don't lock down extensions to Aiton and Bridges? Well, I don't think they're going to. They're 44 million away from next year's tax line, but they're going to be over that
Starting point is 01:00:35 with two of those guys getting signed. So, are you asking? I brought this up with Zach last week. I'm not convinced they're going to pay Booker, Chris, Aiton, Bridges, where three maxes and Bridges making $25 million a year, which he's going to get in the open market.
Starting point is 01:00:53 Like he just did. Yeah, he will. He's going to get $100 million for four years from somebody. He's not taking a discount on that. If he does, he's stupid. I'm not going to bet where I have to tell you Sarver's going to do the right thing financially. But before the Chris Paul deal was done, when he opted out and then there was that weird week or so where it sounded like they weren't really talking, which didn't make a ton of sense and it didn't matter.
Starting point is 01:01:17 And the people were saying, oh, Sarver, is he actually going to screw this thing up? Because if you lost Paul, then you got to revisit like the rest of those guys. What are we doing? I don't think Paul really had that much interest in going anywhere else, but it was an anti-Sarver argument because of history. It's like, well, he's not going to do this with Paul. He's not going to do this with Paul. It's like, wait, what did he do this radio hit where he's like, well, we'll see. We'll just see what the market is.
Starting point is 01:01:38 Remember, people are like, wait a minute. Is he actually doing this? And then he signed him for a big number. I gave him the three, maybe four year extension on it. So, you know, the TV money, when's that going to kick in? 2024. big number i gave him the three maybe four year extension on it so you know the tv money when's that going to kick in 2024 so you know isn't that when the new tv deal money starts or something like that they're gonna have a year where he gets crushed by sellers now maybe they can time that where it's not the tv thing but what's what's the franchise worth from when you bought it to what it's worth now you know what i mean you're pitching the choir. If you can't pay these guys, sell the fucking team. But I'm
Starting point is 01:02:05 just saying, they're going to have three max guys and another guy who's worth at least Jalen Brown money. So you think maybe flip bridges at some point? No. I don't know. I don't know what to expect. This is a team that in the 2000s traded the rights to the Lil' Al Dang pick just for a future
Starting point is 01:02:21 pick and did shit like that. They sold the Rondo pick. They just sold it. Remember how many of the picks they used to sell? Yeah. They just used to sell them all the time. I still have it as an over because they're really good.
Starting point is 01:02:32 Their four guys are terrific. They brought in Shamit, which I think knocks down just another useful player to have out there. They had to put him in therapy after his year with Kyrie. Kyrie couldn't stand him. which I think knocks down just another useful player to have out there because they they had to they had to put him in therapy after his year with Kyrie
Starting point is 01:02:48 Kyrie couldn't stand him JaVale's the backup center Cameron Johnson's a good basketball player you know I'll raise my hand up on that one like I was like
Starting point is 01:02:57 I'm not sure if he's gonna even Kobe White was like wait how high did he go and now when you watch him you go this guy's just solid everywhere with everything he does.
Starting point is 01:03:05 He can handle it. What if Jalen Smith is decent? Sticks? What if he's decent? What if he can give them 15 minutes a game? I like this team too. House, I'm going over. I think this team has a real chance
Starting point is 01:03:20 to be the one seed in the West. And everyone, if there's dialogue about who's this year's Phoenix, and I did this on the pod a few weeks ago, I think this year's Phoenix is going to be Phoenix. I like their team more than Utah. I think they let an unbelievable chance slip away in the finals. I watched three, four, and five. Those games were... Two of those games were just way closer than I think I remembered because I watched those in the moment we did pods and then it's done. But holy shit, man.
Starting point is 01:03:51 If you're going to the offseason and you're like, man, if Holiday throws that alley-oop a little too high for Giannis or we had Booker with the ball with a chance to put away game 5. You just go through and you can... They were really close.
Starting point is 01:04:07 So 51 and a half seems... To me, they'll be better this year from what they learned from Aiton. Yeah. I mean, we're only asking them to... It's the same number of wins as they had last season, except for they have 10 more games to get to the number. If they had the most regular season wins this year, 11 to 1.
Starting point is 01:04:32 That's interesting. Could they go 57 and 25? The problem is it's a Chris Paul bet. Him staying healthy. I'm not willing to do it. Could they go 57 and 25? Sure, they could. It's not unrealistic.
Starting point is 01:04:44 No, it's not unrealistic. They could. We all like the over on that one. That might be a lock for me too. Golden State Warriors. Yikes. I can't believe I'm doing this.
Starting point is 01:05:01 Their over-under is 47 and a half unless it's changed. We've got to be really diligent now with some of these over-under is 47 and a half unless it's changed we gotta be really diligent now with some of these over-unders division plus 550 conference plus 550 title 12-1 playing game plus 155 47
Starting point is 01:05:16 and a half right? Yep. That's the number I say this out of love for Steph Curry my favorite non-Celtic this is a team I really like watching. Russillo, are we wishing this 2022
Starting point is 01:05:31 Warriors thing to happen because we like watching them? Because that number seems high when you consider Clay's not even going to be back until probably January. Yeah, I had under 48 and 34. Do we want this too bad? I talked myself out of it last year
Starting point is 01:05:48 and then I watched them put together a run that I almost thought was improbable because when Steph didn't play, this was a horrible basketball team. Yeah. And that's how good he was and that's why I was in the MVP conversation towards the end.
Starting point is 01:05:59 I was like, oh, cool, playing game. Now he's not in the playoffs. Awesome system. I'm going over and I know that that's a clay projection. I'm really surprised. You're the most surprising zag of the day. Their defense is really good.
Starting point is 01:06:13 I think they figured some stuff out rotationally. I don't expect much from Kaminga as a rookie. I'm not even a huge moody guy. I'm not basing this any kind of trade. I just think that in a weird way, Steph was overlooked as a guy that was able to care. Like I was already getting ready for my Steph defenses. We had, we had the shields up.
Starting point is 01:06:36 We were ready to go. We're putting in work. We're scouting. You're watching Braveheart on YouTube. Absolutely. You know, and, and then Steph has that season.
Starting point is 01:06:46 It was almost one of those weird seasons. You could appreciate him even more than one of the seasons when they're playing in the finals because of how bad it was around him. So I do think they figured some things out there, and I think there's some guys coming back at some point where Wiseman really hurt him defensively, and now he's not available right away, I don't believe. How's he buying the auto-porter, Russ? I don't believe. How's she buying the Otto Porter, Russ?
Starting point is 01:07:06 Oh my God. That's one of the... I had two Warriors fans this week because I asked like, hey, how are you feeling? They're like, well, if Otto Porter can keep looking like this... That's a problem if you're saying that to yourself out loud.
Starting point is 01:07:21 I kind of like Otto Porter. Why? He's never healthy. When he's actually healthy, he's... He's fine at $7 million a year. Better than some of the guys that were playing last year. I mean, he ruined two and a half to three years. It was the most predictable Grunfeld. Yeah, it was.
Starting point is 01:07:35 You know. I felt bad. Our big three, Wall, Beal, and Porter. That was actually one of those when they did that Porter contract. I texted House the same way I would text him if there was something bad had happened in his family or something like that i mean the brooklyn was dying to overpay him and the stupid wizards matched them yeah but that's when you're just afraid to lose the asset you know you know we'll do it this way and then the next thing you know you're attaching assets to get rid of the asset god damn it yeah it's weird usually that
Starting point is 01:08:02 doesn't work out when you're afraid to lose the asset so you match the terrible offer i guess the kings are the other way where they didn't match bogdanovich probably should have that's that's or if you knew you weren't going to match him trade him that's the key that's right and then their argument be like well everybody knew that he was going to walk it's like here all right i don't know you guys murder each other for second rounders every now and then that's right act like it matters i'm going to make. It's like, all right, I don't know. You guys murder each other for second rounders every now and then. That's right. Act like it matters. I'm going to make the case against, I'm going to make the case for the under
Starting point is 01:08:29 while also keeping optimism for the Warriors. I think this is going to take like two months. They're going to figure out these rookies. I think they're going to be 500, maybe even a little below 500 heading into that Christmas game. There's the Wiggins, that re-acclimating him.
Starting point is 01:08:47 He missed most of training camp. You got the Otto Porter thing. They're relying on him. We know he's going to get hurt. Wiseman, you got to figure out what you got there. They're going to, you know, they're going to rely on Iguodala early. I think he's done, unfortunately.
Starting point is 01:08:58 He looked done. Yeah, he just looked done last year. I hope I'm wrong. But I think until Clay comes back, this feels like a 500 team to me. So if he comes back in January, then you're talking about a guy coming off of an Achilles and a knee. I could see this team in March and April, all of a sudden, like the Warriors, 14 and two in their last 16, like one of those things.
Starting point is 01:09:20 Thompson, he said December, Myers, I think think said January so I didn't love the Draymond throwing Myers and Kerr under the bus with the Durant story either thought that was weird and they're like ah it didn't bother me it's like alright would have bothered me yeah but with Draymond it's clear that it's just like
Starting point is 01:09:39 if Draymond he's like biff before they go back in time or when he comes over and you're just like, fuck this here. Let's let him, let him break shit and fucking blame us for everything. And I'd like Draymond more than I like Biff in the first back to the future.
Starting point is 01:09:55 But I think, I think you just know when you're around and like, okay, cool. Got it. Yep. Thank you. You just don't want to argue with him.
Starting point is 01:10:02 It's like the blue boy in college. Um, is there a Draymond-Ben Simmons something that could happen? Oh, I've thought about this for way too many hours. They just threw in Kaminga and Draymond and they were like, let's call it a day?
Starting point is 01:10:16 I don't think I'd even give them Kaminga. A couple picks? And could Draymond make sense in Philly? It's not crazy. No, I think it's pretty bad in Philly. I just think it's really good for Simmons to be surrounded by shooters. No, it's great for Simmons. For Draymond make sense in Philly? It's not crazy. No, I think it's pretty bad in Philly. I just think it's really good for Simmons to be surrounded by shooters. No, it's great for Simmons.
Starting point is 01:10:29 For Draymond, though, it's not crazy that he could... Oh, I think it's bad. He would have to be rock bottom for them to have to want to do that. Another non-spacing ball handler for who's older, for Embiid. No, but that's why you'd have to get Kaminga and Picks
Starting point is 01:10:42 if you're doing it. And then if you're the Warriors, I'd just rather keep Draymond. That's why it's not going to happen. All right. Under for me. Over for Rosillo. House?
Starting point is 01:10:50 I'm going to do under. I think 47 and 35. And that is a five seed in the West. I like their playing odds at plus 155. I think they're a seven or an eight seed. I think that if Clay was here the whole year, I'd feel great about it. Obviously,
Starting point is 01:11:08 you know, here's what I would ask you. Why do you like Dallas so much more on paper than what golden state is on paper right now? Good question. Dallas was really good offensively last year. Like they're all their offensive numbers were pretty off the charts. And I don't know.
Starting point is 01:11:24 I just feel like their team's better than it was last year. They were good. Lucas is going to be a year older. They were like eighth in per 100. So it wasn't like they were tough. Yeah, but remember there was one stretch there about halfway through the season. They tailed off at some point. And they obviously had
Starting point is 01:11:39 some weird stuff with Carlisle. And then two years ago they were number one. Which was crazy. They had the best per then two years ago, they were number one, which was crazy. They had the best per 100 two years ago. Clippers, 45 and a half, plus 750 for division.
Starting point is 01:11:54 Conference, plus 550. Title, 16 to one, which is ludicrous. Playing plus 110. My question for you, House,
Starting point is 01:12:02 what if this is just not a playoff team? We never see Kawhi what are the odds for them to not make the playoffs well there there's no playoff odds but there's playing game
Starting point is 01:12:11 odds which I think playing is realistic for them that's plus 110 I don't really like I don't think they have a lot of above average guys in this team now I don't know if
Starting point is 01:12:21 playoff Reggie is going to now be regular season Reggie and they're going to become one guy but I'm just going to list the guys who aren't Paul George, Reggie Jackson, Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Morris, Zubats, Terrence Mann, Batum, injured Ibaka, Justice Winslow, Luke Kennard. If you just cover the Paul George name, that's a below average roster. And then, so they're asking Paul George to basically be one of the top 10 players in the league.
Starting point is 01:12:48 We're not seeing Kawhi this year, in my opinion. I do not think he will come back. I'm sure at least it'd be really cool to have Sherry's shares information with the team and giving them updates. So that's why I'm under because of the Kawhi. If Kawhi were normal about injuries and we had a timetable and, you know, instead of
Starting point is 01:13:05 the, is his ACL torn? No, he's coming back. He's not coming back. Oh, but you can tell. We've had no communication with him for five months. You can tell something was wrong when you started having the sideline reporters being like, people have been blown away by how responsive Kawhi has been and how into it. He's in the locker room cheering him on.
Starting point is 01:13:20 You're like, all right, he's totally, he's actually hurt and checked out on these guys. So the Kawhi part of this, 47 wins in this, this blue collar working class part of the top end of the Western Conference. It's deep. Like it's all these teams. It's 45 and a half,
Starting point is 01:13:37 right? Yeah, 46 and a half. I don't know. It went up, it went up a win? No, it was 46 and a half last night.
Starting point is 01:13:43 Oh man. Okay. I like man. Okay. I like it even more. A lot of volatility with this Clippers market. 45 and a half right now. Yeah, okay. 45 and a half. 45 and a half.
Starting point is 01:13:53 You have to lay juice on the under. You have to pay minus 142 on the under. Not only am I going under, I'm in the mode of, I'm kind of pissed off that Tolan, the guy I shared Clippers season tickets with, we're going to have to send like the playoff, you know, you have to pay
Starting point is 01:14:07 the playoff tickets ahead of time. And it's like, this team's not going anywhere without Kawhi. When is their stadium going to be done? Oh, that's all like 2025. So there, that's the answer. Okay. I thought it was a shorter timetable on that. That might have been the only reason for me to think about an over. There's no way I'm
Starting point is 01:14:24 taking the over. Zion will be a great clipper, though, when they open that place. Wow. That will be it. That's amazing. I'm shocked that the over-under is this high. But the reason why is because they shot the shit out of the ball last year. Yeah. They've got a bunch of vets. You can name all those guys. Ask for Paul George.
Starting point is 01:14:40 Paul George, I'm not going to say prove the doubters wrong because he gave us plenty of evidence to doubt him for years in playoff games and guess what last year he stepped up he changed it how about change the narrative
Starting point is 01:14:50 I hate the word narrative because narrative usually means it's like it's insinuated that the narrative means the conversation around the person's inaccurate and what it usually means
Starting point is 01:14:58 is the person saying and using the word narrative doesn't like the accuracy how about one over some people yeah there you go just shut up. I was trying to think of whatever the best thing would be. Think about how well... Paul George deserved any
Starting point is 01:15:09 narrative that was said about him until he came through last year in the playoffs and played... He played really well. Played fucking awesome. Right. So they missed 38 games between them last year and they still had a good record. They still... You know what I mean? They still actually... Remember how limited time they had together and it still kind of worked and it was crazy.
Starting point is 01:15:27 So I think that's why the number is what it is because of a belief in George, guys that know their roles. I don't believe in George as the number one guy. And I think the Kawhi thing is just so much. I'm under two. I'm under two. So if Kawhi was playing,
Starting point is 01:15:39 would the over-under be like 54 and a half? Yeah, sure. But in the low fifties, they wouldn't put them ahead of the late i think the over-under should be 43 i'm going so we're all going i just can't wait for kawaii updates oh god next spring when it starts happening rank your rank your oh my god so kairi is one ben simmons is two are the kawaii how's your knee doing updates would that be three i guess i'm an old-fashioned sort over here.
Starting point is 01:16:05 But, you know, what happened to caring about team? And I'm not talking high school football varsity jacket out back looking like an asshole. I'm just, you know, this is still about being there for your teammates. It's still about some buy-in. It's still about rowing in the same fucking direction. And for whatever reason, these guys, like not all, but there's a handful of guys that are so driven to be selfish in a way
Starting point is 01:16:32 where it's like, what are you trying to prove? Like, I'm surprised you even like sports. It's not great when it's your signature guy. At least he extended his contract. All right, we're all going under. Last team, Sacramento Kings, 35 and a half. Their playing number house is plus 175.
Starting point is 01:16:50 I'm going to end with this question. Is Sacramento's non-playoff streak? I have an update for you. 36 and a half. It's like they hacked into the mainframe. This is bullshit. I really think they're messing with us.
Starting point is 01:17:04 Is Sacramento's no-playoff streak the NBA's greatest streak right now? they hacked into the mainframe. Yeah, this is bullshit. I really think they're messing with us. Is Sacramento's no playoff streak the NBA's greatest streak right now? Yes, it's 15 years. They haven't made the playoffs in 15 years. If they miss the playoffs this year, it will be a record. Let's do it. It will be a record
Starting point is 01:17:18 for most times any team has missed the playoffs in consecutive years. Do we have someone on that? Maybe a newsletter? No, they got to make it. They got to make the playoffs. They got to missed the playoffs do we have someone on that maybe a newsletter no they gotta make it they gotta make the playoffs they gotta make the playoffs because I just always thought the baseball thing was really lame when a team
Starting point is 01:17:31 would be like oh we made the playoffs two lesser years you lost in the wild card game 15 years no playoffs this is year 16 Russillo how many head coaches during that time seven oh wait 15 years in the 15 years where they didn't make the playoffs nine head coaches that nine what do you say wow i think it's more like what he said i think it's like seven
Starting point is 01:17:50 10 no no they had like a really weird stretch they had like four is that right they've averaged 50 plus losses a year jager wasn't there how long was jager there for a couple years wasn't here's where they picked him. Boogie Cousins would have been a Hall of Famer. First round picks during that 15 years. 10th, 12th, 4th, 5th, 7th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 5th, 2nd,
Starting point is 01:18:18 12th. No playoffs. It's like impossible. You could take a drunk person from in front of the 7-Eleven and they would do just as well running the Kings the last 15 years as they actually did. And with all that said, I think I'm going over, guys.
Starting point is 01:18:36 I think this will be a frisky. There's an identity with them. I like the three guards thing with Fox and Halliburton. I think Mitchell's going to play for them. I don't mind the Rashawn Holmes, Tristan Thompson, as much of a disaster as he was last year for Boston combo. Barnes, steady forward. Terrence Davis?
Starting point is 01:18:58 I don't know. I think this team will compete. So what Rossella said about Minnesota, I feel the same way about Sacramento. They're going to go head to head for the, this team's not going to make the playoffs, but they're young and they give a shit and they try and they play really hard.
Starting point is 01:19:12 I think that's my team. I'm going over. The single thing that I wish I could look into crystal ball again. The answer to is will shithead Luke Walton still be coaching this team by come christmas time because if he's the coach for the whole season it's an under for me but i think he's going to get fired and he deserves to get fired i love d mitchell d mitchell is my guy i think he's going to come in as a rookie and inspire all these guys to take on his bulldog personality he's going to earn the minutes i already i can see it i can already imagine how hard he plays the defense
Starting point is 01:19:53 intensity that he breaks how about the little crunch time where they can go basically fox haliburton mitchell if they wanted to just all together go super small and play them with Barnes and Holmes. And just be like, we're just going to be really active. Mitchell, I think, is one of those guys who's going to be able to guard basically anybody. What do you think, Roussel? Under 6'7"?
Starting point is 01:20:16 Wait, say that again? What's the height range? Oh, 6'7"? Where it becomes unrealistic. Probably 6'7"? 6' becomes unrealistic. Probably 6'7"? 6'7"? 6'7"? 6'7"?
Starting point is 01:20:27 6'7"? 6'7"? Feels big. But again, is the guy going to post him? Could he guard Paul George? That's giving up a lot of size. Yeah, that's a lot.
Starting point is 01:20:35 So maybe 6'6", 6'7"? Yeah, but then again, what are you going to do? Post up? I mean, people have post mismatches all over the place. They don't go to them anymore. I like that they put out
Starting point is 01:20:43 that Simmons is not on the table for them. They're not interested. They literally put that out. They floated it out. I think they could have been a little more interested in him. But I like this team. I have him as an over. I'm doing the over as well.
Starting point is 01:20:58 Alvin Jettree's on the bench waiting to take over for Luke Walton. Alvin! He's right there. That would be, what, his fifth shot at it? No, seriously. I think sixth. Sixth. He's right there. That would be, what, his fifth shot at it? No, seriously. I think it would be his sixth. Sixth? He was an interim once.
Starting point is 01:21:09 He's a great interim. Almost made the finals. I love him as an interim. Better than St. Van Gundy. All right, we're going to recap. Dallas, over under 48 and a half. Me and House went over. Rosillo went under.
Starting point is 01:21:21 No lock there. Memphis, 41 and a half. I'm going over. I'm putting a lock next to that one. Ros a half. I'm going over. I'm putting a lock next to that one. Priscilla went over. House went over. Pelicans, 38 and a half.
Starting point is 01:21:33 I'm going under. I'm making that a lock too. I do not think. That's an under lock for Joe House as well. I do not think. Priscilla, you're not using any locks yet? I'll lock it up. Oh, lock it up.
Starting point is 01:21:43 A triple lock for us. Another triple lock. another triple lock. Get that music. Pelicans four seat. San Antonio Spurs. I went over house, went over. Priscilla went under 29 and a half.
Starting point is 01:21:53 That was a red wine. Pop of it's over rockets. 25 and a half. We all went under lock. Oh, a lock for Priscilla. I might lock that one down too. Yeah. I'm going to lock it down as well.
Starting point is 01:22:08 Utah, 53 and a half. I went under. You guys went over. Lock. Lock. Okay. That could be a good swing one for us. Portland, 44 and a half.
Starting point is 01:22:19 Over, over, over across the board. I'm not going to go lock because... No, no, no. Is lock worth extra points? No, it's just bragging rights. I thought we only got go Locke because... No, no, no. Is Locke worth extra points? No, it's just bragging rights. I thought we only got five. You guys seem to have a lot. Well, it's like seven or eight.
Starting point is 01:22:30 He gave us four. He said four per conference. At least four in each conference. Oh, per conference. Up to four. Denver, 47.5. Three overs. Minnesota, 35.5.
Starting point is 01:22:41 Three unders, although we're all rooting for him. OKC, 22.5. Me under. Rosillo under. House over. Locke. for them. OKC, 22 and a half. Me under. Rosillo under. House over. Lock. Which one?
Starting point is 01:22:48 OKC, 22 and a half. Oh, yeah. It's not a lock, but I'm not sure. I'm staying away because I'm afraid of OKC. Lakers, 52 and a half. Me under.
Starting point is 01:22:56 Rosillo under. House over. House over. Lock. OK, house. Well, it's always a bad sign when house locks it down with their team
Starting point is 01:23:04 since he goes two and five on this every year. I was four and two last year on locks. S, it's always a bad sign when house locks it down with their team since he goes two and five on this every year. I was four and two last year on locks. Suck it. Yeah. Phoenix 51 and a half. I'm overing the shit out of this. We're so low over house over. Warriors 47 and a half.
Starting point is 01:23:20 I think I used all my locks. I don't want to root against Warriors anyway. Under for me. Under for house. Over don't want to root against the Warriors anyway. Under for me, under for House, over for Priscilla. It's a good position. I have regrets. Clippers, 45 and a half. Under for all three of us.
Starting point is 01:23:38 I really want to lock on that one, but I'm not going to do it. And then Kings, we all went over 36 and a half. That's hilarious. As their streak to go 16 straight playoff losses. All right. The other reason I like them, though, is the over. Yeah. Sacramento, 12-minute segment.
Starting point is 01:23:55 They were defiant last year because of the playoff streak where they weren't going to trade Barnes for a pick. They didn't want to do these things, so I go, I think they're still going to go for it. They may add. And then Marvin Bagley, I think they'll probably give up on him at some point,
Starting point is 01:24:08 and that'll just open up minutes for the rest of the small guys. Marvin Bagley's dad against De'Aaron Fox is my favorite storyline entering the season. I'm not selling my Marvin Bagley stock. My NBA stock accountant keeps like, hey, dude, we've got to get off this.
Starting point is 01:24:22 This is going to be a penny stocks. Write it off at this point. Yeah, I'm keeping it. Quickly, we'll just do futures quickly. MVP, who do you have? Steph Curry. Steph Curry, 8-1. I'll give you the odds, actually. Doncic, 5-1. Durant, plus 650. Giannis, 7-1. Embiid, 8-1. Curry, 8-1. Dame, 12-1. LeBron, 16-1. Jokic, 16-1. Harden, 18-1, Jokic 16-1, Harden 18-1, Trey's 21-1, then it gets a little bit... Harden's 18-1? Yeah, Mitchell...
Starting point is 01:24:51 Oh, I'm going to bet on that. I think value-wise, Mitchell at 30-1 is the best value. I wouldn't bet it, but if you're just riding Utah going 16-22, something like that, who do you have for MVP, Russolla? Durant. He won his only other one in 14. He's due for one more. And I think if they have a nice season
Starting point is 01:25:07 to lock it up, it'll be kind of a sentimental vote to go with him again instead of somebody new. No Kyrie all year, possibly. Or half the year. That's why I harden at 18-1. Like, I wouldn't touch it at 10-1 or 12-1. 18-1 has my attention
Starting point is 01:25:23 though. You know, whenever I think about the MVP stuff, I'll always go, how disappointing was your playoff thing where now people get pissed at you? And after the last Harden-Houston thing, I thought, they're never going to vote for him for MVP again. And I felt good about it. Halfway through this past Nets season, what he was doing, carrying them when the other guys were out
Starting point is 01:25:41 and they were winning games. And he was like the leader of the team by all accounts seriously and he was it was nenek sort of story-wise which is what you have to bet on you have to bet on the story that the voters are going to like harden had redeemed himself yeah in voters eyes like i thought steph after back-to-back and the unanimous thing first time ever and then blowing the through i was like he's never going to win another one and yet he became kind of a sentimental pick last season because the way he was carrying that Warriors team. So I can write guys off, but then it's like, okay, what story exists? So I like the version of a Durant story where he's healthy. You know, the team is going to be good. And just a little nod to him that he's
Starting point is 01:26:18 only had one. Uh, for MVP, I think Luca is the smartest bet at 5-1 for the narrative thing. Those are horrendous odds. Brutally bad odds. I would not bet those odds at 5-1 because I don't think they're good enough. I like your Duran. I don't love the odds. 8-1? I have it at plus 650. Oh, okay. Giannis 7-1
Starting point is 01:26:40 I think is the one out of those three because I just feel like it's a toss-up between those three guys. I think Harden's the best odds at 18-1 for the for what we just talked about I think there's a narrative with him I could see him being awesome it happened whatever I thought was like he was on the
Starting point is 01:26:55 do not disturb list post Houston he's gotten that out of the way so I just think odds wise 18-1 Harden Mitchell like a 30-1 flyer. If you wanted to put a penny on that, fine. Whatever. Scoring leaders.
Starting point is 01:27:11 Who do you have for scoring? Who's leading the league in points, House? And I'll give you the odds. I'm going to go ahead and just say Bradley Beal. I'm fine with that. He's the favorite. Plus 340. What do you have?
Starting point is 01:27:20 Kevin Porter Jr. Trey Young, 29-1, I think is a fun one. That is fun. His team's too deep. I agree. It makes more sense for him. I just think those odds are really high. And then you have Durant, 9-1.
Starting point is 01:27:39 Curry's 6-1. Tatum's 10-1. That's not going to happen. Most improved, do you have a pick? Kanter. Kanter. Zach Lowe's guy, O.G. Ananobi, 26-1. Could be the year.
Starting point is 01:27:55 Did he pick him? Zach might just create a FanDuel account just to bet that. I think Nurkic is a real option. Well, your guy Garland's 34-1. Oh, I bet that. I think Nurkic is a real option. Well, your guy Garland's 34-1. Oh, I love that. Yeah. I might retire on that one.
Starting point is 01:28:10 Garland got the blessing from Steph Curry the other day. Almost my lead odds. Most regular season wins. Who do you got? Nets 2-1. Bucks plus 350.
Starting point is 01:28:20 Utah 4-1. Lakers plus 750. Suns 11-1. And then it gets stupid. I like the jazz. I'm going to do the jazz with best regular season record. I love those sons. I like the sons.
Starting point is 01:28:32 I like the sons, but I probably, because of the depth that one through eight, again, one through nine in the West is still kind of hard to figure, you know, let's not rule out Memphis of that group. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:28:42 Where, you know, Brooklyn might just get to 60. I mean, think about what Brooklyn did last year, and those guys didn't play. Finals picks? It's time to go on the record. I'm going to say Milwaukee and the Lakers.
Starting point is 01:29:03 Brooklyn over Phoenix. Chris Paul, another injury. Interesting. I. Brooklyn over Phoenix. Chris Paul, another injury. Interesting. I have Milwaukee over Phoenix again. Wow. Yeah. That's great.
Starting point is 01:29:14 I meant that not as a criticism of Chris Paul, but we haven't spent a lot of time talking about the fact he did have surgery and that's why he didn't look so good. I feel like we need to do an entire podcast on that for Chris Paul at some point. Is he 100% healthy now? You ever 100% anymore at this age, Bill? I certainly am not.
Starting point is 01:29:27 I am not either. Unless I go to cryotherapy with my daughter. Let's talk about some sushi that we're going to eat tonight. Yeah, we're going to have some sushi tonight. This was fun. I think part two is a little faster than part one. We're able to do this in two parts. So Milwaukee Phoenix for me, Brooklyn Phoenix
Starting point is 01:29:43 for Brasillo. Milwaukee Lakers for House. You just love Russell Westbrook. You really see him on the big stage. Coach of the year? Ime? Ime Adoku? I don't have a coach of the year. I'm doing Rick
Starting point is 01:30:01 Carlo. Let's wrap this up. It was produced by Kyle Creighton. Six man? Kyle Creighton. Hopefully, he's still alive. But back on this feed on Thursday. Check out Rosillo's podcast. Check out Fairway World with House.
Starting point is 01:30:15 Check out the Prestige TV podcast. House and I did an hour. I counted down my 25 favorite succession characters. And House heckled me and was upset at me over and over again. Where's Tom? I had Tom too. Yeah. Spoiler.
Starting point is 01:30:28 He deserves to be. Spoiler. He should be one, but two wallets. There you go. All right. We'll see you on this. Greg Sprinkles? Greg Sprinkles.
Starting point is 01:30:37 Oh, and if you want to play against us, Fando has their over-under contest. Go to the site. Go to the app. Go head-to-head. There's 14. And then there's a bunch of tiebreaker stuff. And you can see if you can beat us.
Starting point is 01:30:50 We'll see you on Thursday. Thanks for listening. I don't have feelings within. On the wayside, I'm a person never lost. I don't have feelings within.

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