The Bill Simmons Podcast - The Rockets' Rise and NBA League Pass Rankings With Zach Lowe, Plus Week 12 NFL Picks With Joe House

Episode Date: November 21, 2025

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Zach Lowe to have an NBA League Pass draft of the most fun teams to watch (2:19). Then, Joe House joins the pod to make their Ringer 107 picks for the week (02:01:30). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Zach Lowe and Joe House Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo This episode is brought to you by Apple Watch. Find our more at apple.com/apple-watch-series-11 Presented by @MichelobULTRA #ULTRACourtside LDA 21 and over. Drink responsibly. This episode is sponsored by State Farm®. Don’t settle for just any insurance when there’s State Farm. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit⁠⁠ www.rg-help.com⁠⁠ to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Bill Simmons podcast brought to by Fandual Sportsbook. We're also brought to you by the Ringer podcast network, which has a slew of awesome podcasts, both sports, culture. Amy Poller's Goodhang, I don't need to tell you

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Coming up in this podcast, Action Pack, I'm recording from New York City. Zach Lowe is here. He joined me live. We did League Pass rankings and a whole bunch of other stuff. and then House comes on late for the Ringer 107 picks. It's all next. We're going to take a break, Pearl Jam, and then Sacklow. This episode of the Bill Simmons podcast is presented by State Farm.

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Two trains, two kinds of trains. Metro north to the subway. Was it fun? I love the train. You like the train. Do you get recognized? Are people like, hey, Zach Lowe? Occasionally, and sometimes someone is listening to my podcast on the subway, that's always a good one.

I was like, hey. That's a good one. I like that one. If I can make your commute better, that's, I've done my service to the world. What are the Nix Nets ratio of people like, what's up with my blank when you're in New York? Probably like 99% Nix? Yeah, it's 50 to 1 Nix versus Nets.

Meeting a Nets fan, even in New York, is only slightly more common than meeting like a magic fan in New York. It's that bad. So I went to Nets Celtics on Tuesday night. We had a, we had a bunch of Spotify meetings, and we actually had a suite.

It was a Spotify suite for Seltz Nets. Got there pretty early. It was hilarious watching the Nets do all the checkpoints that they NBA teams do where they're like, no! And then the Jumbotron video screen for two minutes, and it's like Michael Porter Jr.

turning around and Camp Thomas and the crowd's just dead. And it's like 60% Celtic fans. The Nets don't even really seem like they want to be there. The Celtics are just like, let's not fuck this game up, guys. And Nets fans hate when you say this

and talk about how dead the Barclays Center is and how it's kind of dead even when they were good. It's like, look, I don't know what to tell you. sorry. I've been to a lot of arenas. This is not, it's not resonating. Here's the problem. It's not dead for the Liberty Games. The Liberty Games are awesome. The Liberty games are alive. Yeah. So it's the Nets fault and it's the Nets fault probably for thinking they could come into New York and try to steal New York for the Knicks because everybody loves the Knicks here. So I don't know what the solution is, but I'll tell you one of the solutions, having five first round picks

and not having any of them be anyone I was that interested in watching play basketball, that wasn't great. Anyway, enough about the Nets. We're going to talk about them later because one of the many things we're doing. We have a lot of bells and whistles for this one. We're going to do it updated through, what is it, five weeks now? 15 games, wherever it is. I don't know.

Six weeks, whatever. Updated league pass rankings. More based on if there were 15 games on and all the teams are across the board, where does your eyes go for like, oh, that team? I'm not going near that team. Combined with like what the situation I was in last night where I went to dinner, I came home. I really had time to watch one game, one of those condensed games,

and then a whole fourth quarter of one of the games. And the game I pick kind of ties into where we're going. Before we do this, I mean, we could do the league pass draft, and then when we get to this team, deep dive them, you want to just do it that way? Whatever you want. This is the Bill Simmons podcast. I hate when you pass off this responsibility.

This is the best thing about being a guest is I don't have to worry about any of that stuff. Yeah, good point. All right, league pass draft. I'll give you the first pick. We'll go back and forth. So where are we drafting? Are we drafting the best? Are we drafting right off the top?

I think we have to go best to worst. Okay. And I think worst will be actually kind of funny because there's a few choices this year and we'll talk about some of the reasons why. But who's your number one team so far, six weeks? So here's what I did. I did when Mahoney and I did the league pass rankings

before the season, I wrote those down on one column. And then I did a revamped, revised one on the next column with biggest risers, biggest losers, people who stayed about the same. So taking from that comment, column. Only because when Benyama is hurt, right now I'm taking Denver with the number one

pick. Denver was number two great pick for my preseason league pass rankings. Yeah. I think of Wembe were healthy. They'd still be number two. Right now they are number one. It's just unassailable. Like it's, and the Yolkitch stuff just gets crazy. Did you watch any of their game last night?

I saw that they... Did you see the one-handed underhand off the backboard floater? It was very Larry Bird, like I'm so fucking bored. Yeah. Let me catch this pocket pass with my right hand, not touch it with my left hand. And I'm 14 feet away from the rim and like almost half underhand scoop off the backboard and it went in. And it was like bird shooting left handed.

It was just crazy. And the outlet passes are out of control. Cam Johnson's starting to find his way. It's just a great time. So I only watched the highlights of that game because I got home from dinner too late. It was a good at B.A. last night. But a friend of mine watched that game and said, watching. Yokic slowly over the course of two and a half hours

become kind of interested in what was happening with Derek Queen and be like, all right, I guess I guess I'm going to have to. I thought this was going to be an easy night, maybe not, and become just more interested to credit to Derek Queen. Just a professional basketball team. You ever know when David Adelman is going to be like, you know what, AG's out today? We're going Valenciunis Yokic together. Let's see how that works. Valachunis gets to go beast mode when Yokich is off the floor.

I mean, like, what else is there to say? They're just supremely entertaining to watch. I talked, Legs was on last week talking about the all-time teams of, I have to go to the arena because this person's in town. And Yokic has been, Yokic and Curry have been levitating above everybody this decade. And Yokic is the clear number one. I mean, even like, what's interesting about this year's team is Christian Brown gets hurt and it's okay. It's not ideal, but they can patch together four or five weeks where I feel like a couple years ago, that is probably a bigger disaster. Murray looks better. too. Murray has at least like his

kind of zip back. All right, so that's you. You're up now? Denver's off the board. We've talked about Yokage so much. There's not a lot left to say. He was, they were my clear number one. San Antonio would have been my number two except for the Wembe injury.

Is this just where we're going to be with Wembe? Oh, yeah. Can't miss. Just can't miss every game. No, but I'm saying, is this where we're going to be where it's like treasure the weeks that he's actually playing? I'm not going to go there. He played 70-something games his rookie year.

we'll see how long he's actually out with this calf thing. Everyone's going extra cautious with the calf stuff, justifiably so I'm not panicking. I'm not going to panic. Last year was a blood clot, fluky, like, I hope not. I'm not going there yet. It's funny that it took until 2025 for people to be going, calf strains, look out.

Could be more, there could be more there. It's like, why weren't we there after the 2019 finals? Shouldn't that have been the moment? We're like, calf strains, okay. I will say, now we know. I will say to your point earlier about, Is this just where we're going to be? You do hear people around the league,

just front office guys spitballing about the spurs. You can find people who would be like, I think they should accelerate their team building schedule, almost assuming that his career ends up being shorter than they think it's going to be. I just, that seems so early and dire to me. And they're not like five-year career. They're like, you know, assume an eight to 12-year career

and not anything more than that. You hear it, is all I'm saying. I've made that point in the past on pods and felt bad. It's out there. But look at the history of the league. Look at the super tall guys. How many of them had longevity? The only one was Karim.

So the case, well, I was going to say, the case with Wembe for him to have a longer career is the Kareem case. Like Kareem, I think Kareem was 7'4. Like he was listed at 7.2. I always thought he was two inches taller. Wembe, he's at least 7. I know now he's admitting he's 7.5. I still think he's taller.

Could be. I feel like he's at least 7.6 and I think 7-7's in play. The thing I was worried about with him is the landing when it's just so hard for him to stop his body when he's going full speed that there's just things to step on. That's my biggest fear of them. Anyway, I did not have them second. I have the Houston Rockets and let's do this because this was, I texted you around the train. Just heads up.

I'm the most excited to talk about the Rockets. This was the team last night. I couldn't wait to do Houston, Cleveland. I couldn't wait to see what happened. I actually put a little, I put a little, because I'm in a place with legal gambling. I put a little on the rockets last night because I actually believe in.

I think they're the third best team and have a maybe be even possibly in the running for the second. It's been so fascinating to watch them figure out who they are, what they are. And I don't even think they've fully figured it out yet. But I have a number of things I'm enjoying. I'll start here. Okay.

Most fun I've had watching Kevin Durant play basketball since 2017. Since year one, Warriors. Year one Warriors, when I think he was really happy and invested in the team and didn't really care about stats, the ball, that he was just so happy to be in the framework of all of it. And there was like just real joy and camaraderie with him. I think he's been a little, as both you and I are KD defenders. He's a little up and down emotionally sometimes

with seasons and situations. Certainly the last two stops. Last two stops were awesome. Did not go great. I think he's completely locked in with this Rockets team. I think he knows what they need from him. I think it uses the best pieces of him. He's not doing too much.

When they need him in crunch time, he's there. When they need him to do a little more rebounding, rim protection stuff, he can do it. The passing stuff, I think, is the best that's ever looked from him. even though I know the stats are down, but I think the setup stuff and figuring out where his teammates are, he did a little high screen with Thompson last night

that they've been doing more and more where Thompson comes out high and Durant waits and then just kind of floats the thing and Thompson kind of chases it down like a running back on a screen pass and then just goes to the basket and I was like, oh, that's something. There's just a lot going on, Zach.

I'm enthralled by this team. I've been saving it for a standalone podcast because... I just stepped all over for it. We're going to do it anyway. I mean, they have the number one offense in the league. Is that true? They're number one right now?

They have a 41% offensive rebounding rate, which is just unheard of. It's unheard of. They're absolutely gigantic. Like, their starting lineup is so big. It's ridiculous. Especially last night they went, a kogi on the bench,

started the double centers again. And there's just a lot of dudes I love watching. Like, forget Durant. Everyone loves Durant. Shengun, up a big, level and his ability to just because of the VAM lead injury, their offense

is not the most aesthetically pleasing and kind of needs a couple guys who can just create from nothing and a seven footer who can get the ball at the top of the arc and just dribble all the way into a hook shot that's pretty efficient. It's pretty rare like you got to have a tight handle to be able to hold

that. Could he do that two years ago? Because sometimes they'll give him the ball 30 feet from the basket and he just goes by somebody and then does his warly kind of the little yokegee and then ends up with a jump hook or something but I don't remember

him being able to do that the same way. It's like easy to take for granted these centers who can dribble in traffic with someone harassing them that long of a distance. I love watching him.

I've always loved Jabari Smith Jr. I just think he's a winner. Amen is Amen. And Stephen Adams, man, just what a what a mid to late career revival. Like he was injured, he was broken.

What was that trade when they kind of just took him from New Orleans? Memphis, New Orleans. Somebody needed to dump a salary and Houston's like, cool. There was an Adams Valenciunis exchange between Memphis and New Orleans that was mostly salary-related. But he's, I had him in my top 100 players when we just did our, I just, first of all, you get to like 80. And then it's 80 to 130 is just, I had the beholder.

And I'm just like, this guy is a one-man offense almost. Like his offensive rebate, he's average, he's an offensive rebounding. he's like 28% he's a one-man offense he's such a weapon for them I'm just rewarded and he's like got a little juice back

defensively too not putting Jabari in the in the KD trade was brilliant by them just waiting that out and I still think that turned out to be

an okay trade for Phoenix I think it accomplished some of the stuff they needed I don't think they were gonna do better no

but I've actually liked watching him on this Houston team I don't feel like he's an afterthought and in a weird way he's the one that tilts it because sometimes they'll just have him out with KD and with Schengoon. I think they've even, like, has he, they've played a little with the two centers and those two guys.

Yeah, that's what they started it last night. Yeah, but I don't know, they won't finish games like that. Sometimes they will. They'll float it out there. But I think it actually works with them. It's weird to think he can basically be a two guard, even though it's not a two guard, but that's how they'll use him sometimes. Ethan was her, we didn't even see him. They're a nightmare.

We haven't seen Finney Smith yet. Right. Reed Shepard is starting to happen. Well, so that's the other thing. So there's this Reed Shepard subplot. And I think it's going on a scale of 1 to 20. It's probably like a 17 or an 18, how well it's going. Compared to where...

I don't think I've ever heard of a 1 to 20 scale. I think you just invented that. Yeah, it's our 8.5 out of 10. I was obviously dubious. Some of the preseason stuff worried me a little bit. But they kind of give him the car keys sometimes. They'll give them like stretches for like five minutes. We're like just you're in charge.

Here you go. I mean, they kind of have to because he's the only guy they have that's really like that. Plus or minus a random Aaron holiday game like last night. And who I've always liked. The first couple games, he looked so in mud defensively, like just getting turnstiled by anyone and everyone. he's kind of settled down a little bit like he's never going to be a plus defender

he's always going to be hunted he does make plays but he has been a little bit more just I'm not rolling over or getting blown by in the open court every single time easily and offensively he's like profiled as a good player and he looks like he's going to be a good player I think this team is

I just don't even know what to make of them like they're awesome the numbers clear suggests they're awesome their offense is just so weird 40% offensive rebounding it's crazy yeah it's weird but they really only get like the traditional old school fast breaks if he's playing, right? Yeah.

Otherwise, it's a little slower and it's a little more half-court, but in a way that no other team in the league looks like, the Schengun thing is probably the most shocking part of it. That, and Thompson was doing a little of this last year with the top of the key, beating guys off the dribble, almost like an ISO offense with everybody spread out,

but he seems way more comfortable with it. And I gotta be honest, like the team makes sense. It's like when we did the over unders, I think I went a little under on them. And I was just like, I have too many questions, right? It was 52 and a half. And I was like, I have questions about this. I don't know if Shepard's going to be ready. I think, I wonder if their ball is going to be too stagnant when we watch them.

It's just everybody doing their own thing and everybody else watching that person. It's not like that when you watch it, even though it's a lot of iso ball, but it's, I feel like everybody's included. And then the other thing is, you know, the body language doctor is just watching intently. I think they have great chemistry I haven't seen Duran on a team like this that's like they're very competitive I think they love Shangoon

he's kind of a badass like he's you know he's he's got to there's an anger to him that in a good way that I really like like he'll get really mad if he doesn't get a call and he just runs easy

a little like Lukash but this is like a really competitive physical nightmare of a team and they killed the Celtics and Duran feels like he's found a couple of little brother types that he really likes.

Jabari Smith Jr. just mimics his every move in practice and warm-ups. Durant is clearly like I'm going to make sure you're okay, Reed Shepherd. I'm going to compliment everything you do well.

I'm going to pat you out of the butt. I'm going to talk. I'm going to scream when you do great things. He's enjoying that role with those guys. Yeah, this team is the stat. Has he been on a team like that where he was Big Brother? because Phoenix was obviously not like that

and if anything it was like this partnership and he's playing for Booker's team and it was uneasy from the get-go and then Brooklyn was just whatever that was. You'll have forgotten about this as most normal people would have. There was a stretch in Brooklyn and I can't remember if it was pre-harden

or post-harden where Kyrie was shockingly hurt or absent and Hardin was absent or Hardin or Simmons, whichever one was there at the time. And it was Duran and a bunch of roles. It was like Durant and Edmund Sumner and like random guys and people you could tell, I think he even said like

this is so much fun. I'm having most fun. Oh, it's early Jacques Vaughn, was that? I don't know. And people with the Nets were like just the most fun we've ever seen KD have. Maybe that is something that reminds me of this. But not that these guys are, the talent is the whole other. No, this team is, I'll tell you this stat on monitoring. Okay. So you mentioned ISO ball, right?

KD is a great ISO guy. Shen Goon. We talked about his ISO game. Ahmed Thompson is like can create a good floater out of nothing against any defender. They are, I'm looking at it now, 20th in turnover rate, and they don't force a lot of turnovers yet. ISO teams generally

one of the benefits of playing that way is you don't turn the ball over a lot. If they can start tilting that aspect of the possession game to their advantage and keep the rebounding where it is, and they just become a team that's going to bludgeon you

in the possession game every single night, they become very, very dangerous. what are they I forgot to look this up what are they in assists are they let me see here they are

I'm looking at it now 30th in assist rate 30th in assist rate so again that's another it's not a red flag because it's the way they play if you counted misses as assists

they would be like self passes they would be number one I mean, I half joke about it. They have, like, a Durant run, Durant and Shengoon, like, do something offense, run a set, and then the other half of their offense is just shoot and we'll get the rebound.

Yeah, it's weird to say this about a basketball team, but the way they play sometimes reminds me of a hockey team where it's just like, just keep shooting on the net and we'll just have guys flying in there, big physical guys trying to tip in the whatever. It's a really interesting team. Like, right now I'm Fandul. They're plus $6.50 to win the West.

OKC's even, and Denver is plus $4.30. And I think all of us, Legs and I talked about it last week, you did two in your pod. It's OKC, Denver, and then it drop. I apologize to Rockets fans when I said that. But I think, I'm sorry, I got to figure out your team. Right. But I think that going from Denver down to Houston,

I think that that distance is going to shrink a little as the year ago. on with Houston. And here's the other thing. I don't know anyone in the East that, like if Houston's in the East, that's the favorite in the East, I think. I don't think anyone in the East

could hang with them in a seven-game series the way they're currently constructed. We'll see. There's some things that could go sideways. The Shepherd piece could go sideways. They haven't had an injury or anything yet. Like, there's lots of things that could happen. But I'm really, really impressed.

They're tough. And by the way, we didn't mention eBay. So he's got to be loving and everything about this team. I mean, talk about a team built in his image of like, I just want to kick your ass. Like, we want you to, at the end of this game, have bruises and feel like you don't want to see us again

for a month. That's the Rockets. After that Celtic game, I was like, I don't, if these teams played 20 times, I don't know if the Celtics would beat them in any of the 20. Like, with the way the Celtics are constructed versus the Rockets, it's like, they'd have to make like 30 of 53s, I think, to win.

And to tie it back to now. You watched that game last night. I thought that was an awesome win last night for the Rockets in Cleveland. They got up to like a 20-point lead. Cavs bench goes crazy, gets them back into it. Lonzo's doing crazy stuff. Donovan Mitch Hook finally gets hot, late third, early, fourth. They cut the lead all the way down to one or two.

It is like a 23-3 run. Maybe they even tied it. I can't remember. I got down to one or two. And the Rockets on the road withstand that, get some big buckets. Aaron Holiday makes some big buckets. Shangoon makes some big buckets. And pull away for like, I don't know what that ended up being.

it back to 11 at one point. That's like a, that's a real professional basketball win for a good team. I've watched a lot of rockets this year. They've had probably five moments already this season where they're like, need a basket. And it's like, Kevin Durant's like, I got this guys. Let me, let me just get my little 15 footer in traffic that nobody's blocked for since 2009.

That's two. We drafted two teams. We drafted two teams. We're going to take a break. Wow. Keep going. The Bill Simmons podcast is brought to you by Fandall. Fandall putting you in control right from tip off with my favorite sport,

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All right, league pass draft. We're going to zip through this now. Houston was the one we really wanted to spend some time on. Who do you have Denver and Houston so far. Who's your third pick? San Antonio. I had them well. So we've had the same top three.

Doesn't need an explanation. I'm curious how they get through this stretch without Wemby plus Harper plus Castle for the next few. Hot take without Wemby. Still really fun to watch. Get a little Luke Cornet Olinic combo, et cetera. We get to watch Deer and Fox kind of try to figure out who he is. on this team, Castle, Harper,

I like all these guys. I like Washington. Can I get Fox and Wembe for a week? Right. Just one week. But yeah, I mean,

they're still fun to watch. Kelton Johnson had a nice season. Sohan, doing Sohan stuff. If you had to put an over under for Darren Fox on the San Antonio Spurs, what year and what month would you give? I don't know,

a year and month. I was going to say, is he there in 2020? I would go no. I would set the over under at two and a half years. I think this is a great problem to have. I don't think the spurs feel like this is a problem at all based on what I've heard.

Because they're not going to win the title this year. Everyone's rushing this whole process and they're like, look, we already have injuries. This is one of the reasons you get a second star. The first one gets hurt. And these young guards are going to have ups and downs and we're going to be able to play. They're going to try to play all three of them together. This is a non-issue right now. Do you think they're in their 2013 Warriors phase or their 2014 Warriors phase?

So 2013 is Warriors Surprise oh my God Wow they won a series Oh they just got their asking As they lose to the Clippers And the Sterling year in March Jackson Oh dude I think they're even I think they're 2013

Closer to 2013 Warriors That's what I have as well This is fun Whoa look at us Hey we want a playoff series It's about where we're going It's I mean They're two years away from being whatever

They're put Where the ceiling comes in I think And just I mean It goes without saying but it's hard to miss a Wembe game because four ridiculous things are going to happen in every single game even if he has like a random

4, a 15, 12 point game and he's going to do four things on defense where you're like, that's not even a real thing that just happened. What was it Friday night? When they play Golden State, was it Friday night? They play them twice.

They had a baseball series. I think it was Friday, Sunday, Thursday, Saturday. One of the ones when Butler was in the last minute in Butler, it was a fast break. And Butler, for some reason, decided he could challenge Wemby and take it to the rim. And it was a huge part of the game.

It was like, it was tied or it was at one point. And Wemby did some, he blocked it. And it was hard to tell which arm he blocked it from. He was like a fucking octopus. And I, so that was lady. I was like, I want to see the replay because I couldn't tell if he swung around and blocked it this way or blocked it this way. And then they showed the replay. And it was his left hand.

But I had no idea which arm he used. You just don't know. He see he might have a third arm. Look at that. He might have a third arm. So yeah, I take the spurs three. No further explanation. Now it's going to get interesting because I think we're going to have very different things.

Oh, not for me. The number four is clear. Really? Yeah. Move your mic closer to you so we can still hear you. It's the Detroit Pistons. Oh, my God. Yeah.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Talked about a little with legs last week. I had them 11th. Interesting. I mean, it's a lot of brute full. First of all, 11th is way higher than they were coming into it. It's actually, I had them 15th before 11th now.

They're a battering ram. They're not the, most attractive. I'll make the case. And I don't think they'll be here two months from now. But when I talked about them last week, like it was more like I'm really interested in what's happened to them. And they moved in.

They have a couple new guys, right? Robinson's a new wrinkle. Lavert's a new wrinkle. But just what's happening with them competitively? What happened to Duren? Who, I can't wait to talk about where I had him in Ringer 100. What's happened with Cade? just that

like that teams on a winning streak as we record this and it's just not surprising if you watch them like they're it's like another team like Houston like these competitive motherfuckers who just want to win every game who want to like rip your heart out of your chest

and during they'll be 11th for me in a month but right now the during piece has been fascinating for me like for him to just become basically Dwight Howard he's like a 23 and 11 night after night like just

kind of brute forcing everybody. It's like, I didn't have this on my bingo card. I think he's 22. I'm going to, he might have a more, I'm not saying better. Higher ceiling than Dway. He might have a more refined offensive game now than Dwight Howard ever did.

And he's not as good of a shot bockers as Dway. But I'm just saying like that force who's like, no, I'm saying he might have a more refined offensive game now than Dwight ever did. Like his face-up game is really good. I agree with that. Okay. I think he should be an all-star I haven't sat down and looked at

God only knows how to even build the rosters anymore with this stupid new thing that we're doing He's in the running for 13 all-in-BA for me If we were doing it after 13 games Which we wouldn't but Now he's had a hot start to last season two And it faded so but he looks like He's a different player defensive

I've always been a big Duren guy This is way ahead of schedule Like this is a complete all-star level Explosion I got to be honest, I did not see this one coming with him. Like, I think he's a guaranteed 22 and 12 a night now, right? That's about what he's averaging. But I like watching them, and the curiosity of just what's going on with them was number four for me.

Can I ask you a Pistons question that's popular around the league, whether they should make a trade? Well, no, that we could do that if you want. It is interesting that Troy Weaver, much ridiculed for his Pistons tenure, currently, pre-ridiculed for his New Orleans tenure with Joe Dumars. He did draft most of this team shoving aside the Killian Hayes pick, which didn't go great. And it is kind of interesting. I'm just marveling at this Zach.

The Trey Weaver's zag right now. This is incredible. But you hear front office, he will be like, you know, he did. First of all, you don't credit him for Cade, right? And there was a Cade-Mobilie debate in Detroit's front office that I can't remember off the top of my head which way he fell on that. Can't win-win, right? Win-win.

But number one pick, getting it right, you don't get extra credit. for that. Mobley going one, I think, would have been pretty surprising. A Star Thompson, he picked. But there was everything else he did around the team, like, made no sense and put all those young guys in positions to fail. And then they change leadership. And then they're like, oh, shooting. Veterans, that's a smart thing to do. But that's why he got fired. And then people are worried the same thing is going to replicate itself in New Orleans. We're like, Queen's pretty good. Fears is pretty good. But A, your value proposition on Queen was like, way wacky to trade the pick you traded and b do we trust you to actually put the right pieces around these draft picks even if they hit so there's an interesting troy we ever think the trade thing i talked about it on my pod yesterday i would just i would posit the question to you if you're a trade in langdon yeah you're 13 and two i'm not doing anything okay let me just ask you though

forget not doing anything right now no one's doing anything the east is a little bit of a mess like cleveland's a little meh new york's a little meh compared to expectations um New York's a lot of me. Do you read 13 and 2 as, oh my God, are we like good enough to make the finals already and we don't have to do anything? Well, they could make the finals. Or do you read it as like strike while the iron is hot and this shit emboldened me to be like even more aggressive if the perfect player, i.e. Markinen, is actually available. So Tobias has to be in that trade. And I think he's important for this team because he's, everyone says he's really.

important guy behind the scenes. I just wouldn't mess with it. There's a, there's a, Tray Murphy conversation that's not the marketing. I think marketing, as much as I like him,

and he's awesome. I do think it shifts their team a little bit in a way that I'm not, I'm not certain, what direction they're like, I know he's awesome. I think he'd be perfect. I would just look at like,

my two guys are Cade and Duren, and if I added just an awesome, awesome, awesome score, a shooter and improve that side of this smaller scale move than like a slightly smaller scale than like we're now doing the Desmond Bain trade with Lori marketing we talked about this possibility yesterday and I just don't know who the guy would be yet to like fit that I feel like they could add around the fringes it's listen we've talked about this the entire time I've known you what are your responsibilities when you actually have a chance to make a finals should you do you have to

think differently even if your timeline you think it's this but now you have this and it's like Hey, there's the finals. We might make the finals. Do we just move this timeline over here? And also there's the question of like, so if you think you can make the finals as is coming out of this ravaged East. I think they could. Nothing is impossible, right, in the East.

And this team is clearly a very good team. Do you have to begin thinking of should we think about winning the finals? And is that where the train stops for this current roster, given who's coming out of the West? I mean, like, do you have to, like, when you talk about your responsibility when there's a window, the window isn't just the East. I mean, it's cool to say if we make the finals, we have a puncher's chance. We've seen some East teams make the finals and not have a puncher's chance. This brings me to a new segment on the Bill Simmons podcast.

It's brought to you by no sponsor yet. It's called What Would Sam Presti do? I think that would be a good segment. Okay. What would Sam Presti do if he was running Detroit right now? Probably nothing. he would do nothing, yeah. He might add around the fringes.

He would, I think his weird Sam Presti computer brain would see all the possibilities, but even if we made the finals, we'd get killed with Lori Markinen. So why would I go all in? I'm only going all in if I can make the finals. I'm only cashing in if it's my version of like Giddy for Caruso, where it's like, I'm now adding this and now we are ready to win the title. And I just don't think Marketing wins the title for them. Like, you got to measure yourself against this OKC juggernaut

that also might have the top five pick. Unbelievable. I just wouldn't go all in. And I like the team, and I think the team likes each other. But I think if you can steal Trey Murphy and not mortgage everything, I think you have to think about it. I don't know. The price for Trey Murphy is going to be pretty high.

Not Lorry, marketing high, but high. Probably two to three first, right? Good first. Yeah, and I've got to put in somebody, like Ivy or Holland. That's why with the Seltz, if it's just, if it's the Simon's expiring and you can have 26, we'll give you the worst of our swap with San Antonio in 28, we'll give you an unprotected in 31. We'll give you a hugo. As much as I love him, does the New Orleans have to at least have a meeting?

Yeah, for sure. Okay. So you pick Detroit fourth. So you love watching this team. Right now I do. In a month, I'll have solved them and I'll have moved on. Are you, wait, are you slightly concerned that have there been any fights yet? I feel like Isaiah Stewart and Ron Holland are dialing it back a little bit to show.

I'm so glad you brought that up because it was part of my case. Yeah. It's like watching a hockey team where they might mix it up who might be like there might be a third line brawl in the third period in a five to two game. Because they do, Ron Holland's itchy. Stewart's itchy. Like those guys are coming around. round with their chest out. Those guys, both of them, can really guard.

I mean, Ron Holland is a menace. Do you feel like Thompson went up a level two on that? It started in the playoffs. He was my pick for most improved player this year, despite the fact that his brother was the odds on favorite. Wouldn't you say that's a team that the other teams are like, ah, fuck, we're playing Detroit tonight? It's a great thing to be in the regular season,

the off-fuck team, like, oh, God, they're on the schedule now, but we just played this other team. So who are the off-fuck team? The off-fuck finals is Detroit versus Houston? Oh, I mean, no, I mean, I don't even know. Houston is the ultimate. Like, anytime Stephen Adams is involved, she's like, oh, my God, this is going to be so much.

By the way, Stephen Adams, only 25 years old. Somehow, I just read that somehow. Just turned 25. 32. All right, your team, your number five pick. All right, I didn't do this to annoy you. I'm picking the Lakers. I had them fourth on my list.

I thought LeBron's debut went swimmingly, particularly on offense. And I'm just, I'm legitimately fascinated by JJ working the three of these guys together over an extended period of time the star power is undeniable and that now includes Austin Reeves the supporting pieces are kind of interesting

Austin Reeves, it was 28 and 7 and 4 the first 12 games of the year I mean I was afraid of where I was going to put him in my top 100. Like Austin Reeves stats were better than any Paul Pierce's in for the first 12 games to put it in context

like how are they going to guard how are the lineups going to be? I think the whole thing is great theater. LeBron being back is great theater. I love it. I'm all in. Not on the team as a contender. I had them in the top half of my list. As you know, it's always tough for me to look at the Laker uniforms. But

I will say the LeBron, what he said, I thought was very encouraging. I don't know if you saw that quote. I didn't see the comments. It was basically effectively, I'm LeBron James. I can fit in any basketball team I want and I can be a useful basketball player and I'm not worried about I'm going to fit in. It's like, that's good. I'm glad he's I said it out loud. That's all we've been waiting to hear. Yeah.

Other than, how about more of that and less of cryptic statements from agents and tweets and Instagram posts from Cleveland's practice facility? How about more of that? You weren't talking about the ringers, Rich Paul, were you? As you know, I'm a bit. It's my guy. As you know, I'm a fan. No, listen, I don't like the passive aggressive Laker shit.

And we talked about it. I thought it was weird. And I don't know why LeBron has done this and continued to do this. for the last eight years. I don't know what would be a better situation for a guy his age than to have two awesome offensive players, Rich man's Nemeus Keda and Dandreate.

Wow, Nimi, getting early shot out. Nimi with more PR. Wow. They're basically the same guy, let's be honest. Nimi's good. Neme's good. And if you just switch them one day and they did like the Nicholas Cage,

John Travolta face off, I don't think people would realize they'd switch faces. for like two weeks. This is a nice team. And by the way, I think it's good if you're 40, 41 years old to have Luca Dantja just handle most of the day-to-day stuff.

Seems great. And this is like, LeBron's one of the smartest players of all time, and he knows he can fit into it wherever they need them. The question will be, the end of the game will be a little weird that's always been weird with the biggest guys ever. Even going back to like, you know,

magic when he came back at 96, that was weird. Like, dude, should I take over here? What do I do? Larry Bird's last couple years, same thing when Reggie Lewis was ascending. Like, dude, do you want me to? Like, what should I do?

That's the part that'll be fun. But I'm with you. I think it's a defensible pick. Honestly, I kind of feel like Austin Reeves would have the ball just but you guys defer to me. Like, I got this. Like, crunch time, I'm him.

I'm good. Like, Austin Reeves is ready for that. You wouldn't think about trading Austin Reeves? For what? You don't think about trading. for who somebody awesome who just fits this kind of like are you if luka and austral rubez are your best two guys can you actually compete for a real title can you win four straight

rounds if those are your top two guys i don't think this team can in this conference but two years from now the team i don't yeah i don't i mean i think there's no reason why a team built around those two guys can win i mean we've seen luca get to the finals with kairi and you know what the answer is don't trade austin ruse i'm just being a dick okay well that was just trying to put seeds because I don't like Laker fans. Well, I mean, the Laker fans should remember who took the over on the Over Under podcast. Only one of the three of us did.

Is that true? Yeah. It's a long season. It is a long season. Luca, what does he play? 60 games a year? LeBron's already been hurt. And yet, and yet, they're 11 and 4 or whatever they are.

11 and 4, yeah. So I picked them, I picked them 4th. I picked them 4th. Well, you 5th. So we went Denver, Houston. Oh, 5th, you're right. San Antonio, Detroit, Lakers. So you have the sixth pick?

This is, you're just going to be upset. Why? Because you're going to think this is a ridiculous pick. You're not picking Boston. No. Okay. I'm taking Charlotte. It's insane.

Honestly, you probably need to take a week off. Take a beat. I love watching Charlotte. I had them 23rd. I love watching Charlotte. I'm not going to apologize. Do you love watching Charlotte or do you love watching Con Ciple? Lamello came back?

Yeah, and he sucked. He's 6 of 21 or something. They're just fun. I just want to see all the pieces. I'm enjoying it. I watch a lot of Charlotte. Look, I get it. I've been tricked by Charlotte for the last three seasons straight.

Like, hey, I like some of their players. I know all the names like this. This isn't a power pole. It's a league pass ranking. The heart wants what the heart wants. I enjoy watching Charlotte. They're 4 and 10. and 11.

Bad, bad. But they've been in these games. Like, they're in the vicinity when you watch them. They lose overtime games. They were the single digit loss to the Pacers last night. Well, well, that wasn't great. That wasn't great. Oh, my God.

I like watching Charlotte. Canipal's been the best rookie in the league. Yes, he has been. I'm learning about him as a player. I like watching the rookies. I like watching Edgecombe. I like watching Flag. Those people don't play for the Hornets, the Flag and Edgecom.

I just have been. the Hornets. In a month, I won't watch them anymore. But right now, I've been test driving them, and I had them slightly over another team that I think you're about to take. This is the crazy sixth? Sometimes I like bad basketball team, Zach. But like them at 18. My favorite Clippers team ever was the 2011 before Chris Paul team for to have season tickets for when they had heavy Baron Davis before they traded them. I really enjoyed watching that team. They were like 32 and 50. I had a great time. They also had. I have a great time with the Charlotte team.

I'm not going to apologize. I do like Eric Collins. I do like Eric Collins. Well, he's a highlight for me. That's another league past thing. When they had the Milwaukee game, Eric Collins had the broadcasting performance of the year. Khan, it was like Miles Bridges went for a dunk and it kind of got blocked.

And Khan hits a three. Set out to Khan, yes! Went like fucking lost his mind. Hum did it a lady. It was great. I love that, dude. Well, that's an easy pick for me not to make. Go ahead.

Dude, go chalk. Go ahead. I'm just going chalk, Warriors. Oh, wow. I had them lower. I mean, Steph Curry is amazing to watch, like watching Steph Curry. Well, unfortunately, he doesn't play all the time. True.

You know who's always in the lineup? Con Canipal. Is he, do you, like, here's why I go and stay lower. Frustrating. Yeah, but frustrating at a way that. makes you think about what is the ceiling of this team? What are they going to look at the playoffs? What riddles does Steve Kerr?

What's the ceiling of this team? Charles Lee has no riddles to solve. Charles Lee is just like, I can get through another season of this shit. The ceiling of this team is low. I don't, I don't disagree. I mean, you know, by the way, do you want to work on a documentary about the two weeks when it seemed like Jonathan Cominga had finally found a home in Golden State? I was thinking about stylizing it.

Like, it's like maybe it's 10 days and it's just day one, day two, and then by day 11. then it's like, eh. Yeah. It was a fun 10 days, though. He's figured it out. But you know. He's Sean Marion. You know it's going to happen again.

There's going to be a two-week stretch in January where, or December, probably December. Because by January, it'll be like. I think January 15th. Yeah. January 16th, he won't be on the team. Wow. The Al Horford. Just slipping it in there.

Oh, it's just my guess. I don't know of inside info. Possibly washed up. Bale-Horford has been depressing. Draymond doesn't look to shoot ever. Shooting threes. How many field goal tips is he at? I'm going to guess.

I feel like he's just not interested in shooting. Well, I mean, none of them are interested in shooting around the basket, other than Cominga. Dramon's at his regular seven again. I did enjoy the San Antonio game when he tried to fuck with Wembe, I thought was probably my favorite moment of the year. Following that up with the fans. thing in New Orleans.

It's like it's always, it's always, it's always something. It's always something. He's starting to get a little gaming. Steve Kurt complaining about the schedule, one of my favorite NBA staples. In this case, he was kind of right.

It was kind of nuts, how many cities they played in. So here's the thing. I was in Minnesota last week. Yeah. They were whining about the schedule because they had Denver on a back-to-back and Denver was rested.

And I believe I believe they have that again in Minnesota at some point. And I'm like, look, guys, zoom out a little bit like if your schedule sucks now you're gonna have all these little cookies

in other parts like the Lakers with two Utah games in eight days yeah you're gonna have little cookies at other parts of the schedule it's all it all evens out

the schedule is too long sack well that's a different thing we all know that everybody knows that everyone knows that including Adam Silver he doesn't care he's like wow

we can have eight more peacock games let's get it to 80 and then two more Amazon there's 82 right there it should be 76

should be the maximum and it really should be 72 or 70 and it would make the league better and make everybody. And everyone knows this. It's not. By the way, no one disagrees.

There's no one, how you know you're right is there's no one on the other side being like, you know, we really need 96 games. The season's too short. There's no one making the other argument. Yeah, that's a good point.

Because the other thing is they're like, well, it never happened. It's too much money to give up. It's like, how much fucking money does everybody need? How much money does, like the Celtics just sold for over $7 million. Devin Booker's going to make $75 million a year.

Like, what's an acceptable money level for everybody? It's all these owners, too, that are worried now suddenly get cold feet about expansion because, well, we get the expansion fee, but then we have to divide this massive TV money up in two more slices, one 30 seconds. That won't affect them for 50 years. Oh, man, which gigantic pot of money is more gigantic for me? Okay, Seattle, sorry, you got to wait because NBA fucking Paris is coming up next. I said this on my mailbag pot.

there's some Vegas momentum again. Great. And I don't know whether they want to get an expansion team in there because they're worried about New Orleans in 2029, just jumping there or maybe New Orleans goes there. But something's going out in Vegas. People are a little buzz with the Vegas piece. Okay. All right.

Could you do a 31 team league? Is that too weird? Sure, you can do it. It's doable. the imbalance conference. I mean, they change the lottery odds once every eight years, ten years. Change these rules, make them more complicated.

We're behind schedules. Okay, let's go Zoom. I'm going to take Chicago 8th. Okay. Wow. I'm sorry, I like watching basketball, Zach. Yeah, we all like watching basketball. And I like watching basketball that is different than the basketball

that I watched a year before, which in the last 25 games of last year, the Bulls all of a sudden became really fun to watch for whatever reason. They are fun to watch. The Bulls are fun. They play super hard, super fast. I like watching the Bulls.

Here's the Bulls. They're a boxer that has great fights with everybody else. Right? They're like, Avander Holyfield. It's a great example of this. Like, a Vander Holyfield wasn't one of the best heavyweights of all time, but had like 10 awesome fights. And if you just like took 10 Holyfield fights on a desert island,

even going back to when he was a cruiser rate, you'd have a great time watching his fights. Chicago, game after game, Just a great time. Great hang. It's the games are like the game last night. It would be like 123 to 121. And somebody will have the ball with 30 seconds left

with a chance to go ahead or tie. And yesterday was a Vooch game winner. Huge mistake by Tumadi Kamara. Love Tumadi Kamara. You've got to play no 3s D. No 3s D. Good chemistry. Yeah.

A lot of guys that I've liked individually that I'm happy they're in a good basketball situation. And what they're over under was like 32. They're going to shoot over that. I think they're in the 40s. Anyway. Should they trade for Anthony Davis? So he's from there, and that can go one and two ways with these guys.

Either they're excited to go home or they want no part of going home. I would assume he's more on the side of. I'd rather not go home. I don't know. I'm interested to see what they do because now they, you know, they're six and one, six and six. Now they've won a couple in a row, so they're back to being overfied. As long as they're around here, I think inertia wins out. Let's just play our cards and free agency

down the line. Is that your expert opinion? Because that's been the last 15 years personified? Well, you would think if they're better than expected, maybe that changes the equation one way or another, but if they're just, who knows? Anyway, do I get to pick? Do I get to pick? What's their ceiling? They're not passed in Detroit, New York, Cleveland. Is the four spot, like, in play for them?

Because, like, right now, Toronto's 10 and 5, and they're the two seed. I mean, I just feel like the four spots in play for everybody. The four spots in play for everybody except your beloved Charlotte Hornets in below. But I think Miami, Cleveland, Knicks, Atlanta, I think Philadelphia, depending on M.B., obviously. Toronto's in there. Yeah, I think all those teams have slightly higher ceilings than the Bulls, maybe. Is there... Did you, I didn't hear your party yesterday.

Did you talk Anthony Davis with the Pistons? Yeah, I hate it. I wouldn't do it. I don't, I hate is strong. It's just not, I mean, we're sitting here talking how all in should they go. What, who should they give up to stuff? I just don't, they have the number two defense in the NBA and they desperately need shooting. I just don't think they need him and he's not the guy that I would give up stuff for.

I'm going to go further. I think what's happened with. I don't even get why people are bringing it up. I think what's happened with Paul George and Joe L. Embed would scare the living shit out of me, trading for anyone with miles on them who's injury prone heading to the mid-30s. I'm just talking about this year. I'm just talking about even if you're saying like if I'm to trade, it's not even a sure thing. I don't, I'm not trading for a 26-year-old Anthony Davis.

You're trading for a 32-year-old. I've had a lot of injuries, Anthony Davis. And I have to wear goggles for the rest of my life when I play basketball because I got like poke badly in the eye. I don't know. The miles have added up for him. So you're not. you're a no. I just like I said I'm a no as well.

My Nico fired pod last week I went through like 15 fake Anthony Davis trades and I brought I said the two teams that are getting brought up that I just don't see the fit with or that I don't really get why they're brought up except they have a lot of assets or Detroit and Houston. I just don't like Houston. I just don't think it addresses anything that either team needs. He may is blocking that way. All right.

My pick? Yeah. Nix. Okay. Just a lot of pressure. a lot of pressure had them lower fun to watch good broadcast have some injuries now brunson came back last night and it will be still out love watching josh hart and just the ongoing tibbs fired pressure how can you maximize carl towns the dance of how often he plays center how often he plays with mitchell

robinson i love machin michael rott i love the whole mitcher robinson experience i like the free throws I like the offensive rebounds. A lot of pressure on the Knicks and that makes for good theater for me. I feel like we'll be talking about them a lot over the years. That was the ninth pick. Nineth? Okay, whatever it is. Yeah, I don't know what,

I don't know what they're missing for me. Maybe there's a familiarity because we had them last year, but they haven't really caught my fancy this year, unlike this next team. Okay. The Hawks of Atlanta. There you go. I had them pretty high. I actually should have, if you were just giving me the No-Trey Young Hawks of Atlanta,

I probably would have put them in the top six. I really like when he, no, no shots at Trey Young here, but I... A little bit of a shot. I'm just saying I like the identity of the No-Trey-Young Hawks is really fun to watch, I think. I like all the long guys and the defense and some of their role players are fun. The poor Zingis, just whenever he plays, just throwing him on this team. team. It's like watching somebody just pop on to a movie that you're

watching. Like, hey, that guy. And Jaylin Johnson. Oh, so good. I can't wait to talk about Ring and 100. That was another one. I'm feeling very good unless Porzingis misses so many goddamn games that it disqualifies Akangu. I'm feeling really good about

my Akangu Sixth Man of the Year pick from preseason. Yeah, that's a good one. I love that pick. Well, you talked about Detroit as their pressure on them to do something. To me, Atlanta is the team that actually should do something. They have real assets. They got to figure out this Tray Young thing. They have this giant trade exception

where they could take money for a year and really do an interesting trade. And they have that New Orleans pick if they wanted to get like, if they wanted to dance in the fire. You can't trade that. If you're the Hawks. You can't, but...

Could be the number one picking the drafts. You can't trade it, but it puts them to the front of the line of trade conversations of the best guys that are going to be available. Well, then that's just a who. Then that's just because the New Orleans Pelicans are two and 13 and trending toward a season. Now, there's a world in which Zion stays healthy

and they trend toward like a regular 32 win season. They don't have their picks, so they're going to try the whole time, which we've seen. You would see two and 13 and be like, wow, they're right there with Brooklyn and Indiana. You're going to be guaranteed a top five pick like at worst. There's a world in which that doesn't end up being the case. But that I don't think right now,

I don't think you can trade that pick if you're the Hawks. You're not good enough to trade that pick. Just put the top three on it. Why don't they call us? Okay. I've met Joe Dumars. Just call it. Just call three people who have no stakes in it.

Just like, hey, what do you think about unprotected here? Can you imagine if that leaked out? They called you and I. Like Bill Simmons stopped trade. You'd be the most hated man in Atlanta. They would never give you a credit. They would never even sell you a ticket ever again. This is an awesome draft, but I don't know what we've seen from Boozer.

And I want to see Boozer more, but I do have some questions about him as like, this is a guaranteed three franchise guys. I want to see Boozer more, but I'm not, I'm not sure I'm there with him yet with that. So what do you do with Trey then? Because I have the Hawks very high. You know what you do? I like what. Can I play act this?

Sure. Vivek. It's Bill Simmons, owner of the Atlanta Hawks. I knew it. What are you up to? Hey, had an idea. What do you want? What do you want from the Kings?

You got to take money back. Whatever. They'll make a dumb trade. That's got to be your first call if you want to trade. Levine? Do you want Levine? Because he's under contract next year. Demar DeRosen plus salary.

Do they even have expirings? DeRosen is a semi-expiring. Levine has a player option. The King somehow built this terrible team. There also has no trade flexibility. Let's not talk about the Kings. We've done too much. after Vivek, my next call would be the L.A. Clippers.

I can't wait to see how they react to a season that isn't going well. John Collins, Bogdanovich. Bring John Collins home, baby. Give us an unprotected 2013-1st. Former Hawks galore. Yeah. Just give us a 20132 first. You can have Trey Young and you don't have your pick this year.

Maybe I'll save it. It should be illegal to have Trey Young and James Harden on the same team. You can't do it. Well, then you would trade James Hardin, I think. That would be your next month. you wouldn't trade James Harden and Tray Young for each other in the same deal, correct? I just, I can't, I don't even, I'd have, I need about four hours to digest that one. Okay. You enjoy Atlanta though. Their bench guys are fun. Yeah, I just, beat creachis on a heater right now.

I enjoy the Hawks. Yeah, and I did a mailback the other day and I said, Guy A instead of gay. Yeah. Do you know why I had his name wrong? Because I haven't watched the Hawks this year. They've always been on one of the other TVs and not the main TV. I've never heard the announcers. So I thought it was guy. It's Mogey. I know it's Mogey. They love Mogey. I am interested in the, I want Trey to come back soon because I want to see.

Okay, you watch this, Trey Young. You saw the team play pretty well without you and pass more and move more. I mean, what did they go? Eight and two so far? Yeah, the ceiling of, but the ceiling of the non-Trey-on Hawks realistically is like here, like pretty good team. The ceiling of the Trey Young doesn't adapt as game hawks, reintegrates with this team, probably like here.

The ceiling where everything clicks and you get a Trey Young who's committed to a different style of play is here. And that's interesting to me. So I had them pretty high on my list too. Can I make a Trey Young point really fast before we go to the next one? Yeah. Do you know what Trey Young was shooting

on three pointers this year before he got hurt? I'm going to guess 26%. 1.92. Okay. It's low. He's taking five a game. Only five games. Yeah. I'm not glad. I don't. Can I Can I not?

He didn't have a great shooting year last year. You're before 34. Yeah. Year before 37. You're before 33.5. It's one of those things where you think he's this awesome three point shooting and he's just not. And we now have a lot of evidence because he's about 10th is 30.

So I think this is. What's his career? What's his career shooting percentage? His career is 35. And his best year ever was 38 in 2022. This is part of the reason why I like the mystery of what does it look like if he plays his game a little bit or differently. and some of the 32-foot pull-ups

are traded for not all, he's always going to take all pull-up threes, but like two of those a game become two spot-up threes or two passes or two whatever's a game. Okay, who do you got next? For the sheer pleasure of watching Anthony Edwards destroy people

when he's in the mood to do it, I'm going to take the Minnesota Timberl. Is it also to watch a Rudy go bare call for the ball a lot and not get it? It's a good time. You know what we're learning with our league pass rankings? I'm more interested in the teams

that are either different than the year than they were the year before or are just super weird or, but you, you, like,

to me, I don't even really need to watch Minnesota that much because I know what they are. I know what I'm getting. And I want to like use my time to watch the weirdo teams like Charlotte. And then by January, I'm going to be moving back toward the Minnesota.

That's fair. That's a good interesting approach to this season. I also saw Minnesota in person. And I just like, when teams don't have a point guard that can do anything, it just physically hurts me. Well, isn't that kind of interesting? Like, Anthony Edwards is now kind of, is the official point guard of the Minnesota.

But he's not a point guard. So does that, he dribbles the ball up after it was made basket or a rebound. That doesn't mean you're a point guard. You're a zero guard. And so I watched them with the eye of it. What's the answer to this question? Do they need to do something? What couldn't they possibly do?

I think they're stuck with what they already did because they thought Rob Dillingham would become something and they don't play him. putting him a little bit now. He's getting his chance now. Going to have to. Let's take a break, and then my next pick is worth a discussion. All right, special part of today's episode. It's brought to you by McLaughaltrow as the official beer partner of the NBA, they know the best moments on or off the court are served cold.

So we're going to crack open a little six-pack. And we're supposed to be about the biggest moments happening right now in the NBA, but we just did a whole podcast about that. We will have our coldest play of the day, which is going to be I'm going to talk about six guys we just had to hand in

our ringer 100 rankings six guys that shocked me I'm going to bounce these off you that I had in my list first I had A.J. Mitchell in my top 100. I had him 82.

Was he on your list? 89. What were the, if we had done the overrunners with House and I had said to you, by the way, In six weeks, A.J. Mitchell is going to be in my top 85 for Ringwood 100.

What were the odds have been? Like 50 to 1? Probably longer than that. I'm not even positive I knew what A.J. Mitchell looked like. He got in the finals game one, I think, for a hot second, and it was like a complete disaster. And that was the end of the AJ Mitchell finals experience. Look, again, like 75 to 150, it's just I had the beholder, prisoner of the moment, whatever. But those guys on Oklahoma, you don't get on the floor for the thunder unless you are a winning. a basketball player.

And he's been very good. Number two, Khan Kinnipo had 66 with VJ Edgecombe 67. And I wanted, I always mail my list to House because House will tell me to, and one other friend we have, House will always tell me, that's ridiculous, you can't do that. Like he'll, he's like my shit detector. Initially I had Knapple and Edgecombe in my top 50 and he's like, that's ridiculous. They're rookies.

You can't do that. So I put Canipal 66. Where did you have him? Higher. Where was he? 62. Oh, fucking house. He's really good.

And actually... And he's been consistently really good. So I handed to this, I think, Monday, and he's had two really good games since. I think he's moving higher. He's just like our kind of player. Like does everything, rebounds, moves the ball correctly, open shooter, tries on defense. Okay. my third guy

I'm going to go all the way up to number 26 which is where I had Jalen Duren where did you have him that's that's pretty high and I say that as a massive Jailen Duren fan I don't know where I had Jailen Duren so you had a problem in the 30s

lower than that I don't want to say where I had Jail and Dern because it's too low I'm a big like you got to prove it to me for a little longer guy but he's top 50 okay he's top 50 26 so that means you have him over like

bam out of bio I had him bam out of bio 27 you have him over like I I'm giving the track record I had Aaron Gordon at 30 I have Aaron Gordon 37 I'm giving the track record

of guys like Jaron Jackson Jr. and DeMont de Sabonis a little more leeway the Jaron Jackson Jr. track record yes of five rebounds a game and just fouling out he's made all-star teams at some point you got to blame him

a little bit for him making Max money and his team not winning really now for the entire 2025. Jill and Duren gets a lot of love in the rest of this podcast. You're going to hear it all. Yeah. Next guy. Fourth guy I wanted to mention I had Denny Avdiah

number 22. That's high. Yeah. That's high. I figured you would react that way. But again, I'm more conservative. So I had people, I kept like proven veterans who have not played very much this year over at any update.

He did it last year. He's very good. He's even gone up a higher level. I had him in the 30s to be clear. I had him in the 30s. Just think he's can be, he's proven to me that he can be the best player on a good team if you had a good team around him.

I think he could be. He's very good. I actually, while doing these rankings right now, I actually had just in my head because of where they are in the rankings, in my rankings, near each other. I was like,

what would happen if Atlanta called Portland? It was like Trey Young for Deniobvious straight up. Portland hangs up.

Which is like a kind of a crazy thing to think about, right? I think Portland's like, let's talk about that New Orleans pick. What's happening in there?

Fifth guy I wanted to bring up. I had Schengoon 14. I don't, I don't mind it. I had him 19. Okay. I had him

one behind Evan Mobley. and I had him one ahead of his teammate, Kevin Durant. And I said, I'm in Thompson, 19, which means I had three rockets in the top 20, which makes sense because I think they're the third best team in the league. That's bullish on those guys, but I think that's... I had actually Durant higher than you.

Yeah. You value the years of experience slash results when you do these lists. Yeah, I don't know how to do the top 100. I'm new to the top 100, so I don't know how to do it. I try not to agonize too much over it because it could take up a whole week of your time, I don't have that kind of time. Shengun is one of my biggest risers from end of last season to this season. He was high last season, but he's sniffing the top 10 conversation.

I had him in the low 40s after the season last year. So he's jumped the highest for me. By the way, defensively, you hear no noise anymore about, like, I don't know, he's like another vooch. You can't build a good defense around him. He's like a pretty rugged, nimble defensive player. He's at least figured out the verticality part. He knows where to be.

Yeah, he knows where to go and he tries. I do not think he's a minus defense support anymore. I don't either. Last guy I want to mention, number nine on my list. Right after Stefan Curry, you might have heard of him. Cade Cunningham. I had him ninth. I had Cade 12th.

So I had him ninth, Brunson, 10th, Booker 11th. I have Brunson 8th. Yep. Cunningham 12th. Very fair. Booker 15th. the um with which again i don't i'm not like what did you do with jalen williams hasn't played yet this year how 12th i had him 13th i didn't know where to put him in moby moby 13th still waiting for

that last movie league too low on booker 15 might be too low on booker or did you have maxi 20th i went head over heels on maxi i just i went prisoner of the moment if you can play 40 minutes a game Run an offense and take every big shot down the stretch and just do it again a day later. I'm in. So that's what I had. Okay. You good with that list or not? Austin Reeves top 20?

No, but he was, oh my God. I don't think that's, I'm not asking funnels. I had him 32. Ooh, I went 21. 21? You just said if you can average 30 a game. He's averaging 28 points a game. I thought from like 18 to 33.

A lot of fluidity. I was shocked by how deep and awesome the guys were. Well, you also have things like, what do you, what do I even do with Kauai Leonard anymore? Who when he plays is like, I put him in the 60s. Did you put your list or not? Yeah, he made my list. He, I, with those guys, I just put them toward the end because it's like, I don't know. You're awesome, but I don't know what to do with you.

That's it for today's six pack. If you want even more, go grab yourself a pack of Mikloa Beltra. Plus, they're getting you closer to the action than ever with a chance to win exclusive prizes, including courtside tickets and more in Michelobotra. superiors we're playing for enter now. McLeodhurture.com slash courtside. Micklow-Bulcher, Courtside, 25-26. No purchase necessary.

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My next pick. A team that I didn't think was going to be good. I've been surprised. They have a really, really good bench, which I didn't really see coming either, the Toronto Raptors. Hey, there you go. I like Sheed in college, and I remember he fell to, like, the mid-40s, and he's just the classic, like, why don't guys just, why don't teams just take guys like this every year? He's going to be a fucking annoying pest on defense. This is, like, look at Chris Dunn on the Clippers, who's Chris Dunn's going to be in forever.

Just look for guys who are going to be in forever. be like Chris Dunn. That'll be like your ninth or 10th player in your team. He's going to have an impact. Anyway, he's on there. Mamu, who I know you love. Love Mamu. Just in general, like they go 9, 10 deep. They haven't had an injury yet. And

Scotty Barnes, even though his stats are basically identical except the field goal and threes are up a little. I just, I think he's gone up a level. And just from eye test, right? Is that, like, the stats say not really? You are reciting what I said on

my podcast that you didn't listen to yesterday or two days ago whenever it was. You look at the numbers and you're like, oh, same guy. I watch him play. I just see a much more sophisticated and engaged basketball player. I love the way he's played this season. Sophisticated and engage is good.

Unselfish. There's a physicality with him. Right decisions, guarding the hell out of everybody on defense. I love the way he's played. He was one of my least favorite expensive players to watch and now he's off that list. I did not think

I remember Perk said Top six Yeah and I was like That's ridiculous They're probably going to be top six I might have lost that one I might be O and one against Perk It's long season

Long season But the bench helps them though Because even if one of those guys gets injured And I'll say another thing Brandon Ingram who is available for a year Can go get a basket Yeah I think we kind of forgot that it's like

I don't know if I'd be that fun to play with He can't really guard anybody. Scott's size doesn't really rebound, but he can go get a basket. They're making it work right now. Yeah, I'm dubious long term, but with how weird the East is, maybe. And you look at the schedule,

and this is one of the things, I remember this happened on Sacramento a couple years ago. You know, they're playing Cleveland three times here in the first six weeks with no garland in any of the games, right? And they've already beat Cleveland twice. They got to play, I think in this whole stretch, Indiana twice, Brooklyn twice. everything's kind of moved their way.

There was one game. They played Cleveland. There was no Mitchell in the Cleveland game. I think it's like the only game he hasn't played. So I think they can add up some wins before. I looked at their schedule in mid-January, and all of a sudden it's like the all-time gauntlet where they're just playing every hard team.

I'm going to be there over the holidays, and I have a great slate of Toronto games for the holidays. Oh, yeah. Orlando, Golden State, Denver, in Toronto over Christmas New Year. So could they be... Great time. Could they get to like 20 and 10? 10 before the schedule gets hard.

I think they could. Yeah, I mean, they're good. They have it working right now. And I'll just say, just deep cut. I've enjoyed the last week of the Jacoby-Walter experience. I have my eye on it. I like what I was seeing. You know, he and Grady Dick, it always seems to be like one or the other one or the other, you know.

Grady Dick, like crazy high net rating. The whole bench. Mamu was last time I checked was like plus 18 per 100 possessions. That was a nice trade. Yeah, Toronto. So far. I mean, they're 10 and 5. A couple of those games are down on the wire.

Our schedule has been easy, but they're definitely a little better than I thought. Who do you have for your next one? I mean, you're just making this too easy for me and I'm being too boring. At some point, someone has to take the defending NBA champions who have the number one defense by such a margin that it is absolutely laughable. And just for the sake of A, the Chet leap is kind of happening. B, it's just so fun to watch them get to a gear on defense where you can see the other team be like, We just got to go to the next game.

Like, we can't even do anything. And they're just taking the ball, run, take the ball, run, block shot, run. It's just, if you like defense, it's just absolutely riveting TV. To bring another boxing analogy that you probably won't get, sometimes there are these boxers. It's actually happening in UFC, too. It happened with Islam last week. These boxers that are just awesome.

And it's like you can either, Islam and UFC, like, just kills everybody. He's like a takedown guy. And these guys always think they can like go stand up and that Islam's going to fight. And then Islam just tackles them and they're on the ground for five minutes just like getting worked. And then the round ends and the next round happens the same thing. I personally don't love watching Islam. I would much rather watch stand up punching guys. But some people are like, this is the greatest fucking thing I've ever seen.

And I think OKC is kind of like that. Well, if you like watching. But I think if you like watching an awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome defensive basketball. basketball team or the transcendent guard just day-to-day, just fucking kill teams. This is your team. Well, the transcendent guard is a big part of it because they also have star power in the

traditional sense of, like, highlights, jaw-dropping plays, and J. Dubb will add to that when he comes back. I just, their defenses... They're a nightmare. They are... And also the A.J. Mitchell thing out of nowhere. I mean, that was the big wrinkle.

I like watching their role players play. Like, Kason Wallace is fun to watch. Aaron Wiggins comes in and puts him 15 points. No, you're right. This is the right. There are 103 points allowed 100 possessions on defense and number 2 is 109.6. I mean, that's just absolutely crazy.

Yeah, I was thinking like in the mid-90s that would have been like 79 compared to everyone else. All right, I'm going to take Philly just because of Maxine and Edgecombe. I also enjoy Quint Grimes. I can't decide if it's a constant trade showcase for them or not.

It's obviously way more fun when Embed doesn't play for them because it's a bummer to watch Embed. Crowd likes the team. I think the Philly Home Games have been really fun. Crowds into it. They're like, we like these guys. The minutes with them are hilarious.

You see Maxie's over 40 minutes a game? Edgecombs at 37 as a rookie. He's 20 years old. I don't know if that's sustainable. I think there's a world where this team tails off. I think they have their pick, right? I believe so. There's a world where this team throws their hat into the...

I think it's top... No, they don't have their pick. I think they owe it to somebody. Do they? I think it's top me, not OKC. It is OKC. No, come on. Don't do that to us.

I'm looking at my draft capital dot. Do you have a draft capital doc? No. I just go to real GM. Philly. Yeah, Oklahoma City top four protected. Yeah. So last year was top six, remember?

And that was the drama. This year, it's top four. so it's much more likely. It's certainly going to Oklahoma City this year. So, OKC, I think I knew this and I think I took pills to make me not think. Yeah, nobody wants to think about it. The Clippers, Sixers. There's even like a weird jazz scenario where if the jazz are better than expected,

Oklahoma City can end up with another lottery pick. It honestly might be frame them for some sort of illegal NBA thing where they'd have to have picked suspended time. You can't joke about that right now? Can another team do that? What? Can't they just like to use AI to fake some Sam Presti calls?

Just take the team down. What else is left? How do we stop this team? How many fan bases do you want to piss off? You want to sabotage the Hawks Pelicans? You want to go back in time and sabotage the Hawks Pelicans trade and now you want to frame.

This is a credit to Sam Preston OKC. Like the only way to stop them is to frame them for some sort of NBA crime. If you're going to quantum leap this, you have to go back. Wait, Quantum Leap was back in time. ahead of time, I don't know what Scott Bacula did in quantumly, but I can't remember. That's Scott Bacula, right?

He would either go back or forward. You got to go help people, too. You got to go back and, like, tell the Nets, don't do this Paul Pierce, Kevin Gardner that trade. Don't do it. I would tell them to do it. I know I know you would, but you got to pick a couple people to help. The bomber one definitely like, don't put the 25 in there.

Goa. Just don't put that one in. Keep that one for yourself. All right, I'm going to whack, you know. Would you have more to say on that Philly? No, you're up. No, I just said Maxine Edgecomer. What do you even think of Philly like as a team?

I think the identity of that team, which is yet to find its full fruition yet, will be a delight when they end up with the three guards and people who run and nicknors. That's going to be a fun something. It'll be the post and beat error, which is probably already happening. You're still just like this is a placeholder,

or this team can't do anything real. No, because nobody would ever take Embedder, George, ever. I'm saying Embed and George remain on the team. There's no, like, oh, you mean like there's, oh, my God, Embed's looking great. I think it's done. Did you see him use the one leg? He was playing on one leg. He was, like, dragging the other leg.

Like, Duncan did this for the last, what, five years of his career where it seemed like one of his legs just didn't really work anymore. He made it work. It's a little different for Embed. What do you have next? I'm going a little bit off the board, though. Yeah. Miami. I had them as my next one.

Well, I stole them. They're fun to watch. Super fast, fun, weird style. Hakez resurgence. Simone Fantacchio. Just shooting a million threes per 36 minutes. Andrew Wiggins, a little happier. Looks great.

Bam's back. Ware is averaging like 18 rebounds a game over the last week. Tyler Hero's coming back. That's an interesting plot twist. Rozier. Oh. Sorry. Wow.

And Norm Powell. Maybe he makes his All-Star team this year. I don't know. So talk about going back in time and stopping something. Yeah, I know. John Collins and Bradley Biel for Norm Powell. Didn't work out. As you know, I don't like Miami or their fans.

This team is very fun to watch. Very fun to watch. They brought back to Miami Vice jerseys. Yeah. Huge. I'm really glad that Hockaz is good at basketball game because I really enjoyed him as a rookie. Pella Larson.

Pella Larson's interesting. And as you know, I mean, we always joke about islands. What Warnett in an island, Davian Mitchell Island. I mean, I basically had to fold it. It was done. It was empty. There were no people living there anymore, but he's back. And always, always frisky on the trade market when they have stuff to trade.

I have Utah is my next pick. Oh, they were going to be my next pick. So we're now going off the board. Utah is. I don't know if you noticed, but I took Charlotte like seven. So I've been going off the board this whole time. Yeah. Listen, it's the first six.

six weeks of the season. I'm just the heart wants with the heart wants. Utah, marketing's playing great. Unbelievable. The Kessler thing, which was a bummer.

It is a bummer. Weirdly made them more interesting because now just lineups and I don't know what's going on. What do you think

Markinen is averaging points per game? He's 30. 30.6. Yeah. It's like, oh my God. Night after night,

30 a game. Kante George isn't my cup of tea, but he's been really good. Yep. I don't know if you're winning three straight playoff rounds with the best version of him seven years from now, but he's definitely

a bad, I mean, that's definitely an asset for them. I don't know, what player from the past would you compare him to from a ceiling standpoint? That's a... Like, what are the best version of his stats someday? Like, 24 and 8? Yeah, 20, yeah, something like that. Is the team winning?

I don't see why not? He's a completely different guy this year in terms of his approach to the game. It's a huge win for them. Look, Ace Bailey's playing. Ace Bailey started the other day. Kevin Love's involved. Slow Mo's back involved.

And either they score 140 points or the other team scores 140 points or both. They put a 150 plus burger on somebody last week. Yeah, it was an overtime game. Okay, Utah. Do you take them or I take them? You took them. See, it's about to get dark.

Yeah. We should speed run. around this a little bit. Before it gets dark, all right, let's speed through it. I'll take Cleveland. Boring, but good.

Yeah, it's just early on with no garland. It hasn't been that fun, but they're, you know, they're fun. Donovan Mitchell,

Donovan Mitchell heaters are really fun. What an incredible shot maker that dude is. The guy just makes both threes and shots at the rim, the degree of difficulty, and he makes it look easy.

Like, some of these pull-up threes in traffic that he's hitting are like, it's a crazy shot for a 6-3, whatever he is. guard to hit. They're going to get all their guys back and win like 15 straight in like

January. It'll be one of those where it's like, oh, Cleveland. They've won 12 straight. They have, you know, and then that'll just happen. I have Dallas next. We're from a train wreck standpoint, but just for flag scouting. I don't really like anything else that's going on with this team. DeLo, it looks like the train has finally reached the last station. At a big game last night. Oh, did he? I didn't even say. He did. And yet another in another loss, they lost at the buzzer to the I thought that was the worst call of the year. Which one? The foul?

The offensive foul on the game time. The hook on Brandon Williams? Yeah. First of all, they call that one out of every five times, but to call that on that moment when he's about to score a game time basket, like, ridiculous. Hey, look, you win the lottery from the 10th spot. Yeah, you're not allowed to complain. You can take a couple bad calls.

That's a high pick for Dallas. They are a rough. I just talking flag scouting only. No other reason. Just checking in with him, seeing what's going on. on being relieved, they weren't playing him a point guard anymore. Thank God.

Thank you for not playing him out of position and ruining his confidence. Who do you have next? Janus is hurt, but he's still Janus. I'll take the bucks and Janus. And the Kuzma revival, baby. Yeah, until he goes like 0 for 6 one day out of nowhere.

He's back. And Ryan Rollins is the real thing. Did you have him in your ringer, 100? I don't think so. I'd like to see it a little more time. I had them in there. Portland's my next one. See, of all the teams that's left, Portland is the correct pick.

Back to my boxing analogy. They're in fun games over and over again. They seem to be in these games that come down to the last five minutes. I've watched, I'm not saying I'm watching entire Portland games, but I've watched a lot of the fourth quarters and OTs that they've been in. The scoot thing is lingering. It's an injury that they always say four weeks. And then it's like 12.

I just would like to see Scoot. I know. They're fun. Portland is super fun to watch. They're starting to get the injury thing. Like Sharp was out last night. Drew's been out the last couple games. They're starting to just not have a lot of guys.

Avdia was a borderline like 13-m-B-A guy for the first five weeks of the season. I can't believe how good he is down. House was saying that this was a version of this was lurking in him in Washington. You could see it. But I don't think even House. Nobody thought he was going to be a 25-5. the game guy. That trade,

I've talked about it on my pod, that trade was polarizing when it happened among front office people. I got it for both teams and just remember thinking like, this guy's good and his contract is crazy.

Like, his contract is crazy good. He's a very good player. That's one of those. If OKC was worse, Presti, he just, Presti would have gotten him

somehow, like Hamilton. Sounds great, but he doesn't need him because he's got 50. I'm mad you took Portland because we've now reached the point where it's getting dark.

I'm not that excited on this. I'm excited to watch any basketball. We're now reaching the point where I'm not that excited. I will take Phoenix. I had them next. Workman-like, dependable, gritty. This is the team at Ishbis said he was going to put together, that they're going to put together.

Tough, a team the city can be proud of. They play hard, they defend. They have a transcendent guard. A highlight machine. Dylan Brooks is causing a ruckus at the minute he gets out on the court. They're fun to watch. Grayson Allen's been rejuvenated. Yeah.

Booker finally looks like he's one of the best players in the league who's not one of the top best players in the league but that next level he's back in that conversation again he was not for the last two years for me yeah the Suns fans could settle down like a whiff Gillespie about Gillespie yeah well but it's like on the one hand yeah we're way more likable this year and we might have a chance to win between 35 and 40 games right

the schedule is about to get hellish for them And Isbiyah, the chest is out, a little is out before the year. You did trade all your picks and all your swaps for the next six, seven years. Like, I'm glad you're more watchable, but settle down would be my advice to everybody involved, including Eddie Johnson, my arch nemesis. Don't. Eddie Johnson just needs, what a, he just needs to settle down. Don't tempt Ishbia.

Don't tempt him. Because he's, he's, he's been quiet. He's been quiet. He's play cool, man, Ishboh. But he has been playing. Have you heard from him for a while? No, just let the team speak for itself. It's a way more likable team.

Your star is re-engaged. By the way, the malliage doesn't play. No. Well, they have three centers, three rotation centers ahead of them. And they knew he was going to be a lot of them. One of them they should trade because there's a lot of teams that need centers. All right. It's really rough now.

I'm going to take New Orleans next. Just because for the same train wreck for seven weeks of the year, just watching different. Like, I wanted to see Queen who only recently started playing. Fears is better than I thought, although he's another one where I'm not what you're stealing as a team if he has the ball all the time, probably not that high. We don't got to worry about that yet. I'm just thinking like eight years from now. But he's better than I thought and he's competitive.

You know, and Zion will come back eventually. This team could be higher on my next time we do this. Zion came back last night and looked okay. Still, it looked good. He looked good. He's a good player. He just hasn't reached the level he was at before the injury and the play-in-game. Did you trade for him?

No. No. No. Would you trade comminga and a contract for him? Okay, stop. Why stop? If you're like a smart, good team with the great training staff, you wouldn't roll the dice? I don't know.

Would you trade Jalen Green for him? What I trade Jeline Green for Zion? I have no idea what his trade value is. Would you trade Michael Porter Junior for him? Probably not. Probably not. This is really depressing. Jalen Green, would you trade Anthony Simons in a contract for him?

Yeah. Oh, okay, we're here. We've arrived. Why not? Anthony Simons. He's non-guaranteed. These deal is non-guaranteed after this year. As it is, it's, you know, has that weird thing where it cycles every year.

Did I tell you, well, my next pick. Oh, no, you have a pick. Yeah, I'll do it when we do our next pick. New Orleans is the sad situation. The crowd has never seen more depressed or empty. It's really dark. But Queen is good. Queen's good.

Let's zoom out. The main plot point is Queen is good. The idea made sense. And Queen and Zion looked like a good offensive tandem. Really like Queen. All the ring or draft guys like Queen. Like, we all like Clean. You know what's one small thing I really wish for the Pelicans?

I just really wish that alleged shooting guard Jordan Hawkins could make more shots. That's all. Every time he comes in, he just missed like seven more shots. He's been not good for two years. I know. All right, we've reached the by default stage of this draft. I will, by default, take a team who fell 11 spots from my preseason rankings. Orlando?

Yes, to now. The Orlando Magic. It's just been... It's awful to watch. It's just been not fun. It's awful to watch. And I thought the project... None of them seem happy either.

I thought the project of the puzzle-solving nature of this would make for exciting night-to-night watching. And it just hasn't, in part because they're struggling. Like, they can't find the corner pieces anywhere. The puzzle is not really being solved. Suggs is like, I guess Suggs just can't play back-to-backs ever and will be on... His minutes are going up, but, like, is he ever going to just be a full-time,

like, 35-minute-a-game player ever again? They had a really, really fun game against Houston that I watched the second game. and a half in the O T of. And I was like, all right, there's hope. There's hope. There's, I mean, there's not no hope at all. They're over 500, eight and seven. Yeah, but you know who they remind me of?

This is a watchability rating. You know who they remind me of, sadly. The year, Kairi's last Celtic year when Hayward came back and you watched them and it just was off. And it was like, well, this feels off. What's off about this? All of these guys are good. I'm watching this and something doesn't add up.

and nobody seems really that happy on a basketball court and something's what's missing. And you just kind of stared at it for three months and there was no answer. And then it started to leak out that this guy's unhappy, that guy's unhappy, this guy thought he was going to get more shots. I just wondered with Orlando. Like, there's a happiness quotient with them that I, it's,

I'm in L.A. watching this team on my TV. Like, I'm not an expert on this. I'm not in the locker room. But something just feels off from a basketball playing standpoint. I'm giving it more time I don't disagree with you I'm just giving it more time because they have found a way to get to 8 and 7

which makes them a game out of 4th in the East so I'm just let's just see if the defense hasn't played he hasn't shot well no let's see how the defense if it can find something like its level from the last couple of seasons that it's starting to trend a little bit more that way

one more break and then we'll do the end baddy weather advisory in effect Icey baddies, proceed with caution. Grab Nick's professional makeup's new buttermelt highlighter. With zero glitter fallout and a formula that glides on so dangerously smooth, it should come with a warning. You'll be able to survive the cold with a glow so icy, it's hot.

Find your glow at nixcosmetics.ca.ca. Shop buttermelt highlighter now. This Giving Tuesday, Cam H, is counting on your support. Together, we can forge a better path for mental health by creating a future where Canadians can get the help they need when they need it, no matter who or where they are. From November 25th to December 2nd, your donation will be doubled. That means every dollar goes twice as far

to help build a future where no one's seeking help is left behind. Donate today at camh.ca slash giving Tuesday. Well, there's seven teams left. I'm going to take the Boston Celtics. Shocker, I couldn't believe you took them off the board for me. The last watchable team, because the bottom six are brutal. Celtics, here's what's going on with the Celtics. That's actually kind of fun.

And I've actually weirdly enjoyed this season. But I'm not, I wouldn't recommend it for everybody. It's definitely not for everybody. Kada, a real guy. Yep. And his advanced metrics are just jaw dropping. He has some of the best advanced metrics in the league. It makes no sense.

Pritchard and Wright have a history of those guys Jalen Brown has been I think a really good score as a number one option we'll see when they play some of the harder teams

I've liked Jalen Brown's season overall I like how he's playing like I was thinking about it watching the being at that Nets game in the other net net he was like really patiently getting good shots

and creating good things I was like this guy he's getting it um Ugo I like I like Josh my not now we're getting

now we're getting to just as energy random guys but it's the team tries hard they're over 500 miraculously I don't know

how much longer that's gonna last my dad not as happy though no no he doesn't like what Joe's coaching this year

he's why what's the great threatening the demote I'm gonna have to have them on he's really upset with the simons yo yo routine with Joe

I don't know if Joe likes Simons but it's really upsetting my dad. My dad's like, he had 25 in the first half against Orlando and Joe's buried him ever since. Makes no sense. I had this conversation with some people who have come through here recently. It is almost jarring what a non-impact he's had on the team for 75% of the season. He'll pop in a game. Two streaks. And then it'll be like, he played 16 minutes last night, it was two of seven. I had one scout who was in town last week. We had lunch and he was like, I think

they should maybe start him over Pritchard just to see... So my dad's nice. If they can get him going that way and get him more engaged. And I know they're loyal to Pritcher. Pritcher's been good, though. Pritchard's just a more competitive, feistyer player than Anthony Simmons. The team would be better if they started Simons. But my dad doesn't think Joe likes them.

I mean, the minutes... I'm not worried about this being aggregated because my dad turns 78 next week. And I don't think people really ultimately care what my dad thinks. But my dad, who goes to the games and watches them is very upset. with Joe's treatment assignments. Well, the minutes would suggest he doesn't have a huge amount of faith in him as a winning.

You scored 25 points in the first half and zero points in the second half and don't get any minute. That's just weird. I don't think Joe Lexx. You did text me earlier this week that you wanted me to start the Jordan Walsh

for a steam all defense campaign on my podcast. So Jordan Walsh did, had this moment against Maxi for three straight minutes. That was the most exciting moment of the real Celtic fans know what I'm talking about,

where he just became Jonathan Isaac three years ago. Remember that Jonathan Isaac stretch where we were like oh my God? And Joe is overreacted to it

and like started Jordan Walsh in the next game. I don't, to me he's like, there's certain guys in the league where you bring him in and you throw him on. And if you're...

You guard it Harden a game later and decently. The one I'm really interested is SGA when they play them to watch him try to guard because I, like on paper,

the kind of guy, nobody's guarding SGA, but you want taller and you want to reach and you want him to hop around. I think he's like an elite defensive player. Not sure what else is there. Is the SGA thing, is that you trying to brainwash a Western conference team to trade like two first round picks for Jordan Walsh?

Like we need to SGA stopper for the playoffs. I will say this, though. I'm glad you brought that up. I do think he has value for a really good team because I think he can come in. I knew it. No, but I wouldn't trade him, though. Unless it was like a stupid offer.

I think he went from like he's a G-League guy to, wow, this guy can actually guard real scorers. Like what he did at Maxie, I was shocked by. I think Maxie was shocked. Are you at all concerned that Shireman is on the fringes of all this in year two? I'm not seeing it with him. Okay. So it was, what, 30th pick? So it's, you know, I'm going to whisper this one.

I'm not seeing it with Garza either. I don't think there's anything there from what I've seen so far. I wish them the best. Houser is the one that, you know, like for some reason, gravity has become the term of the year in the NBA and everybody, you watch the studio shows. Like, gravity, this guy's gravity,

Steph Curry's gravity, they miss Jason Tatum's gravity. I'm not buying the gravity thing. It is interesting to watch these guys who were awesome three-point shooters when all of a sudden they're in a normal basketball situation. And the percentages go from 44 to 33 because guess what? when you're on a worst team,

one out of every 10 of your threes now are going to be terrible shots. Yeah. And that's going to go down. The old usage versus efficiency tradeoff. Derek White, in related news, is shooting 31% on threes

and 43% on twos. Out of every 10 shots he took, last year, there was one wide open, awesome shot. So it would be like nine shots and then this wide open awesome shot that he usually made. And now that shot doesn't exist.

Who do you have? Wow. So just for the people listening, we have six teams left. the Nets, the Wizards, the Pacers, the Grizzlies, the Kings, and the Clippers. Can I pass? No. Washington.

A scouting thing. Just let's watch some young guys play. Can A.J. Johnson get some minutes? Can we just go full entertainment? What are we winning? It's your one in 12. Can we give A.J. Johnson some minutes? The problem is they have seven guys who are the same guy.

And I don't know. You can't like play more than two of those guys at the same. same time. Why not? Who say no? What Wizards fan in the crowd is being like this is just, we can't play this lineup against this team? Wizards fans don't even know who's on their own team.

There's like eight guys who know who's on the team. Does Sarr do anything for you? Yeah, I've always liked Sars. Sars good. Sars good. Redraft, I think he's won. It's not a great draft. It's not a great draft, but I think he's won. Would you rather have Risa Shea or Shepard?

Shepard? Just for the upside right now. I think Ries Soucher is a stolen cold lock to be a good rotation player, a good starter. I don't know there's a lot of... I think from what I've seen this year and his age, I think, and both of them are young, I think Shepard, I think I would have him second. He would have been like 10th if we did this two months ago. Where would you have T. John Salon of your Charlotte Hornets?

There's some moments. In the G-League? There's some moments. I'm taking Washington over all these other teams. Trey J. Just, you know, they aren't. You know what Reed Shepard needs to, he needs to, they need to show him

like 100 hours of John Stockton being a dick footage. John Stockton, setting hard screens and putting his elbow in, John Stockton tripping dudes. Like, he needs to embrace his asshole John Stockton's side. That's the next thing for him. Okay. feisty. I know I'm undersized, but I'm a, I'll fight

you. This is the... I always feel like John Stock that never got enough credit for that. Just like a mean-spirited player. We're at the point of the show where if you want to put C.J. McCollum in a fake trade, this is the time to do it. I know. Poor C. I think I've put him in more fake trades than any player in the history of the league.

He certainly thinks you have. I know, but most the time was justified and he did get traded. It's tough. I don't see it. I think he's a buyout. And I think teams would just go, like, we'll get him in the end of February. Sadly, I feel the same way about Middleton, who looks like he's moving in molasses. And Corey Kisper, suddenly is a non-factor. The veterans are not doing a ton for the young guys. I think this might be the way it plays out with the Celtics with Simons.

It might be a buyout thing where that would be disappointing from their perspective. Yeah. But it might be how it plays out, considering his minutes have been yanked. And I also don't think, there still think a lot of teams have the $27 million salary spot to flip. I know here you're taking the next, by the way. I know what you're going to do. I'm taking the quippers.

Oh, okay. Yeah. It's amazing how I had them 27th, and they were actually 21st in my preseason, so I was not excited to watch them off the jump. I had them 27th among these dregs, and I was like, I didn't even think that hard about it. It's just not fun to watch.

No. It's just a, it's a chore. I burned out on Hardin like six years ago, so that part's not great. But I couldn't put them below any of the next four teams. I don't know what the Quippers do. They don't have their pick, as we mentioned, nine times. Well, this, but that is, they are one of the, they not only do they not have their pick, they have this whole thing hanging over them, right?

Like, what's going to happen? Is this investigation going to come out to anything? What's going to happen? Derek Jones, Jr., out six weeks. I honestly don't think they care. I think bombers be like, whatever. I mean, if they get, they don't even have any picks to be penalized from.

They get fine, bombers rich. They do have picks. They get banned from, what are they going to take their 2032 first? But that would really be devastating for them if they did. I don't think he's doing that. Okay. I mean, I don't,

I think it could be a huge fine and he's banned from going to games for a year. Something like that. I do, I do think he cares that they are. I mean, I said this earlier in a week. the best thing they have going for them is their 11th. The four teams below them are in just as much, if not a worse situation, just as much shit as they are.

They're not getting killed. Utah is 5 and 9. Portland's now 6 and 9. The sun's schedule is about to toughen up. It's like by default, they should be a play-in team. Like, they shouldn't have to do anything crazy to make the play-in.

Yeah. But I don't think... And they have these two big expiring contracts that they can take a swing. If they're bad, like this bad, they're going to do something. because as much as you think they might be realistic about what their chances actually were

and I think they were pretty realistic. I don't think they expect today like this. I mean, this is, and you throw in the Beal disaster, Jones injury, you know. Well, look at their losses. Utah opening night, not great. Awful. It's bad a loss for an allegedly good team as you'll see.

At Golden State. Home Miami, lost by one. okay C no shame in that at Phoenix mildly shameful got swept by Phoenix that was home for Phoenix

now a little shamy Hawks not surprised Denver not surprised beat Dallas and two OTs and lost to the Celtics and Sixers by three and two in games I watched

both of those fourth quarters those games were closed the Celtics one was kind of one of those miracle that was like a 10 point game and then they just went three thousand around around around

Yeah. They did. Okay. I don't know. I don't think it's as, I don't think it's as bleak as it seems, but they do have the next four in the road and two home and then the next five on the road, ending with Minnesota and OKC. So you're right. But the ship might have sailed. I don't want to pick anybody else. I would say they're number one for panic trade for me, though. I mean, look, I put him, I made a fake Anthony Davis trade for them right away. And just because I just think this. is untenable for them to be in that no i think we they keep zubots just why do i do that if i'm dallas what are

they getting i don't this i don't think there's like a big i don't i said i don't think they're going to get a mother load for anthony davis the contract and the loomingate would you take zubots and john collins and some swap in nine years from now and that's it i don't even know if that's legal in the cap but something of that vicinity i would love to get i would you rather have zubots that the price he's at with coming up for a new contract or Anthony Davis? Zoo, I think. Right. So, but that would be the panic trade.

So maybe it's just Zubots and John Collins for Anthony Davis. See, that I feel like they just don't think that does enough for them. It has to be more additive than that. All right, who do you have with the 27th pick in our draft? I got a cross off the Clippers. Okay. I guess I will go Memphis just for the theater of John Moran. Is this going to be a DefCon 1 jaw tunes out the coach game or a DefCon 3 jaw tunes out the coach game?

And how is that going to, you know, manifest itself in the game? I don't know how this strategy. And Edie's back. Edie's back. I like, I'm interested in Edie. I don't understand how this is a strategy that succeeds. Like, if there was some podcaster that was trying to. Oh, and Cedric Cowan.

I should have mentioned that right off the bat. That guy is good track. If there's some podcaster that's like, I don't want to be here anymore, I'd like to go to a place like The Ringer. And we listen to the podcast and he was just mailing it and acting crazy in the podcast

and doing weird shit. I'm banking this in my head for like a year or two from now. No, I just wouldn't be like, oh man, I hope that guy becomes available. We can turn them around. Like, people have scouts at these games watching, you know,

John Morant just not look like he gives a shit. Well, how about John Morant shooting like 30% for the season. How about the history of super explosive guards as they hit their late 20s who have had a lot of injuries? Like there's red flags all over the place, not to mention on the other shit that happened with them. I think it's going to be a hard winner trade.

I have Sacramento as my next team. There's no reason other than there's only a couple teams left. I do like watching Doug Christie coaching. I think it's been pretty funny. I like the shots of Vivek just silently stewing in his court set. seat has been hilarious. I wonder if he's sitting there thinking, I wonder if he's so delusional

that he's sitting there when he's stewing like that. The stewing is not, boy, our roster sucks. And I made some bad calls. It's like, man, if we just, just fucking coach. If we just had a better fucking coach. You know, like maybe I should.

They liked that, Christy. Who could I go back? Is Yeager available? Is Michael Malone available? Who did we fire? Who did we fire? that's available because I think this team

like there's something here if we just had the right coach to get it we're 3 and 12 with a minus 12 point differential but if we just tweak the offense a little bit tweak the sub patterns no I think it's more like

when Kegan Murray comes back this is all going to fall in the place yeah it's like where we're just need Kegan back do you think in the coaches meetings before the game they just pick a number out of a hat and that's how many minutes

Keon Ellis is going to play on that particular. I would have already traded for him. Seven minutes tonight. I would have already traded for him. Tonight, 32 minutes and he starts. Great train wreck potential.

All right. Then the last two picks are Indiana and Brooklyn. No, I'm up. I have two picks left. You just picked the Kings? No, we have three picks left. You took the Kings. Oh, I took Memphis.

You took the Kings. Oh, I did take the Kings. There's two picks left then. I will just honor the defending Eastern Conference Champions by saving them the indignity of not going less? I didn't realize that they moved the tanks to Indy until like a couple days after it happened that the tanks got brought into the state of Indiana.

Well, they're getting healthier now, though. I think they've made their decision on what they want to be this season. And I'd fully support it. And by the way, there's no better tanking situation ever than the most beloved finals loser we've probably ever had

with the start to finish awesome season, tragic ending, iconic all-time Pacers team. This would be the most beloved Pacers team they've ever had. And now they get to tank. It'll be over in five months, right? April 10th, it's over. You can start watching college now. Enjoy yourselves, guys.

I mean, look, you and I are captains of the Tim Duncan is historically underrated brigade. Like Tim, Tim Duncan is a top whatever player. Every year we lose people. I don't say his name in vain. I don't mean to even bring up his name in this way. This could be the best single season tanking scenario since the Spurs got Tim Duncan.

This team coming back... You mean like a team being able to get a major guy? A very clearly good team that is decimated, takes a gap here, miraculously gets its own 2026 pick back in a trade at the 2025 draft. Yeah, that's right.

The trade they made during the finals when we were together. Not knowing that Tyreys Halliburne is about to get injured and that whole season is going to go up and smoke for them. Gets everyone healthy. They're not old.

And they're just like, we'll just add potentially the number one pick, the number three pick, the number four pick. A guy who can probably come in and give them real minutes next year. They're going to have to solve the center position and all that.

But like, it's honestly a pretty, like if you're going to suffer that kind of blow and it was horrible and like it still gets talked about every time I go out for lunch or drinks or coffee with anybody that injury and the what if of all that and that miraculous playoff run it's a pretty good I mean this is an objectively

like people haven't wrapped their minds around it yet but the pacers are going to come back sans Miles Turner and with a top five pick we started with the Nets and we end with the Nets I wish there was another team I could take. I keep looking. Is there another basketball team?

Can we count like the teams that the international teams that played exhibition games in the free season? There's still no other teams. I just think it's a disgrace. This is the NBA at it's worse. This is the NBA at it's worse. A team that sucked for a couple years now and wanted to suck again. I don't understand in a draft that had so many good. players that they took five guys

that not one of them has jumped out to me yet. It's so early. I know, but it's just like this is a disgrace of a team. It's just terrible what they did. I don't, this is the NBA. So do their draft...

We've never solved the NBA correctly with shit like this. It's embarrassing to watch. So if you do the draft over again, okay. Coward is there for them at 8. listen, they they passed on,

even if they had taken Murray Boyles or Coward, like you have to think Demon is like awesome. And I don't even know what position he is. He made a couple threes against Celtics, but for the most part, you know, it doesn't seem like he can shoot. And I'm not,

it's not like he's an elite playmaker. I don't see it at all. I'm just saying that that's the one. Even if they had taken Derrick Queen, it made more sense to me. The other picks are 19, 22, 26, 27. Hasn't played.

Yakasianis. Talk about a guy who hasn't made an impression. He hasn't played. Clifford. Like Gonzalez. But like why take all these guys who all play the same position?

I don't, and then I just don't understand anything. There's no one below 15, 16. Yeah, after 15. That is making me like. But why keep all the picks? I'm sure they tried something.

I don't think they tried anything. They were like proud of it. of like, we like all five of these guys. The whole thing was stupid. Coward is the one that got away. Horrible. Because he looks like a star. I mean, a star.

Yeah. Can you imagine how different the vibe would be in Brooklyn if one of those picks was such a coward? There'd be legitimate like Brooklyn has a guy, a homegrown guy. Well, the other thing with Demand is they might have been able to get him later or use two picks to trade up for him, you know?

also like if dumars wanted queen that bad why didn't you trade him the eighth pick well yeah we'd have to do a whole well he oral history of who called who when and how many teams knew and you know because there was all the way up to chicago there was or doubt chicago's well so he traded for the 13th pick to take queen yeah chicago's 12 would you have traded for the eighth pick to take queen probably

and would you have done that if you're brooklyn in five seconds also if Joe Dumars takes over a team I'm calling him constantly to make sure he's not going to do anything I want to be his first trade would they have just taken Queen at 7 if they couldn't have acquired another first round pick

with which to trade up possibly I like Queen the Nets still have cap space that pick costs them one of those things well they have cap space and the ability to maybe grab some more non-modary picks that are not going to play for them I do wish, even after 20 games,

Joman is the closest one that's like he's had a couple of moments. You just do what, like every time Drake Powell gets on the floor and does anything, like gets a stop. Nets fans are like, see? Drake Powell is like, yeah, he scored four points for a team that like doesn't really have anybody right now. The one defensible one is Porter has played better. Porter has been good. Irfutably than Cam Johnson.

Porter has been very good. James Johnson struggled early. I love that trade for Denver, but if you're Brooklyn, you have to be delighted with Porter. I liked that trade for Brooklyn. You and I disagreed heartily on that. I liked it for both teams.

You liked it for both teams. I think the pick they got is potentially super valuable. And, you know, we'll see. It's 2032 pick. I just, no, Noah Clowney's playing well. Does that do anything for you? Walking by a Barclay Center and seeing a giant Noah Clownie with his arms folded, looking tough, like, this has come, come.

Come watch. Yeah. I like Clowny, and he's going to have a moment for somebody because he's like the kind of agro-feisty guy. He'll mix it up. Shots look good. Prediction of the year right here. Clowny, Ron Holland, they're going to mix it up at some point.

Maybe Isaiah Stewart will come in. If Isaiah Stewart comes in, that's not going to go well for no clowny. This would be a good social media quick for us. Two-on-one tag team. Well, then Nick Clackston will come in on the other side. and there'd just be a lot of, like, a lot of this happening. Nick Claxton alternates just from afar between the polls of, it's kind of fun.

Like, these young guys, like, I really care about Brooklyn. I care about this franchise. And, like, I'm trying to my best to be a role model and just dejected, like, man, I can't believe. I just can't believe I'm still here. And this is what the team is. Yeah, I wouldn't, from what I've seen from an energy slash demeanor standpoint, I wouldn't be frothing at the mouth to try to.

a trade for Nick Claxton. Tough one, though. Take the money. Can't blame them for that. All right, we're wrapping up. Do you want to... You don't have another podcast this week, right? I don't think so.

Do you want to do one big prediction for the weekend before we go? Sure. I haven't looked at any of the games other than... Other than Friday nights... Biggest league... No, not even for a game. Biggest league story you're monitoring of the next few days that you're the most interested in? Can you go first?

Or I'll go first. Biggest league story. Well, the most fun thing is the Detroit Street. that's a good one they're at 11 whether Toronto is for real I think they're going to beat a couple of these bad teams

and them being 12 and 5 I think is interesting Houston always and then but number one is LeBron fitting with the Lakers that's the one of the most interesting fitting in not fitting out and I will go like

how do the bucks fare without Janus for an extended stretch can they tread water even if it's just six seven games Is it 0 and 6 or is it 3 and 3? 0 and 6 could, yikes. That's a good one. Denver, Houston on Friday is appointment viewing.

Is that the first like... I changed my flight going home to make sure even if it was delayed. I wasn't going to miss any of that game. I remember flying back from L.A. two seasons ago and realizing two days before that it was the first Denver, Boston game the year. We all thought Denver and Boston were going to meet in the finals. And I couldn't change my flight And the Wi-Fi worked just well enough That I could stream the game

It was a great game too This is the first game The first head-to-head game That it's like Now we have enough information About both of these teams They're as good as we thought Better probably in Houston's case

Is this the first like all right Yeah they haven't played yet Buckle up I got to sit and watch this one The problem is no brown Like New York Cleveland There were a bunch of injuries both ways Yeah

A bunch of like big injuries Well, has O KC played Denver yet? I don't think so. Denver, Houston, I think, from a matchup, we didn't get to see a version of this last year with the type of players we have in the series or a game. Throwing them against each other

is probably the matchup on the most interested in. We're going to see at the same time. I bet we see it. Valenius Yokash versus Adam Schengoon. Oh, double twin towers? Yeah, same time. Like, let's just, fuck. Go crazy.

That would be pretty good. Who guards Durant, Gordon? Valentuna. Just throw him on there. Gordon, if he plays, yeah, he sat out last night, I assume, just for precautionary reasons. Gordon, Watson has been playing a lot because of Christian Brown's injury. I bet he gets a shot. Before we go, I haven't talked to you since you lost your live show Virginity.

Yeah. In Minnesota, of all places. Yeah, why not? You had a good time. Great time. Great time. Had some guests. Good crowd.

Finchie brought it. I told me I bring the heat. Some laughs. You brought it. Dante brought it. It was good. What's the next city you think? We're talking about it.

We're definitely going to do one here in New York. And then we are debating one other city. I think we're going to try to three this year. New York, I insisted on, because this is my home. Yeah, that's a layup. And we've got a few. Do you just want me to name them that are candidates or not? No, you don't need to.

I know they're percolating with Elizabeth. Yeah, yeah, they're percolating. She sent me a long email yesterday that I had not yet responded to with this in mind. But it was funny. It's actually, I haven't gone to a bunch as a fan. Yeah, true. And appeared on a couple. Like, I knew that they would, it was going to be way different than a normal podcast.

But the level of difference was jarring and like kind of kind of shook me up for the first 10 or 15 minutes. Yeah. And then also I was very concerned about time. Yeah. Because I feel like as an audience member, you start approaching two hours, and I start to be like-hour-a-half, hour-and-a-half. Before Q&A. And I was going to monitor the time very carefully.

And I left my phone in the green room. So I had no idea how long anything was taking. So I was rifling through the couch cushions thinking my phone was in there. That stressed me out. And it turned out we were in faster than I expected as I did all right. So I learned a lot. Next one will be even better, but it was fun. It was cool to meet people.

I did a Den of Thieves, rewatchables, and I brought the wrong iPad out, and the battery died. And Chris Ryan had to ad lib for like two minutes while I ran backstage, and he just had to freelance a van. We still got to get me on rewatchables. Like, I know. When you come to L.A. I don't know. We're going to play in it. You can book it.

You know what I watched for the first time this week on my Peloton rides? First time. One of those movies that I just missed, casino. Oh, my God. I've ever seen it before. It's great. It's a great time. It's great.

It's the unofficial little brother. My wife texted me mid Peloton ride yesterday and she was like, can you turn that down? It's a lot of swearing and our daughter can hear the entire thing. And it was Pesci and De Niro arguing in the desert. And it was just like, it was bad. Yeah, because you have this weird TV movie life where your wife is just like some shows movies are a non-starter. Violence. Yeah.

Violence. She's out. Yeah. Casino would have lasted three minutes. Yeah, so you almost have to, like, sneak in these things to get a taste of... Like, the beast didn't me on Netflix, your wife wouldn't watch, but it's really good. Don't even know what that is. You recommended task.

Task is great. That's another one. Yeah, there's some good ones. All right, Sacklow. Pleasure, as always. Thanks for taking the train to come see us. Great time. Great to see you.

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we make insurance easy to understand, so you can focus on the big, stuff like your small business get insurance that's really big on care find an agent today at dejerdin dot com slash business coverage all right we had to do ringer 107 even though we just went two hours with zacklow joe house is here this has been an action pass BS pod what a week for me for the listeners the mailbag came back this week house just like it's like it's like it never left mailbag and uh league pass rankings i mean seriously Just throwing 95.

Yeah, what year is this? I don't even know. We're going to talk football. We went three and two last week. There is a five-way tie in the Ringer 107. It is just the definition of mediocrity. But this is perennially right around when I usually get hot. Okay.

Right around Thanksgiving. Speaking to existence, buddy. I usually start coming on. We have a nice feel for the season. You have a real feel for what teams want to do and not do. And we're going to rip through the games right now. stayaways for me this week are bear bear Steelers, no thanks. Packers, Vikings,

no thank you. Ravens Jets. Let me stop you. Why don't you want? You don't want to bet on the Packers. Why? I don't want to lay the points with the Packers when I can't figure out what the F is going on with them and I don't want to bet on J.J. McCarthy. So it's a stayaway for me. They're not betting on J.J. McCarthy is very, very sound strategy. I don't want to put the Packers in a T's. I don't want to lay a touchdown with them. They're at home at less than a touchdown.

against J.J. McCarthy. Good luck. Ravens Jets. Staying away. Mabes. I liked Panthers plus seven against the Niners a little bit, and you did not. You don't like Bryce Young on the road? What are your other reasons? That's it. That's the reason.

Well, and also this version of the San Francisco offense, right? We finally, this is their offense. They saw what we saw against San Francisco. We lost it on a parlay last week. The cards plus 13 and a half. That was so dumb. I don't want to do it anymore. The case for the Panthers is, I still think that Niners' defense is hot garbage.

And Berset was moving the ball all up and down the field on them. And the points should have been higher. The guy fumbled on the goal line as he was running in. But they were moving the ball whenever they wanted. So the question is, could the Panthers just move the ball whenever they want on this team? They want to run the ball, and they're very good at running the ball, the Panthers. But I'm looking at the other side of things, which is the San Francisco. offense, which really...

It's a juggerna. I didn't like going against it last week. I did not have a good time. So we're staying away from that. Eagles, Cowboys, I just want to stay away from. You probably have a lean either way on this. You had the Eagles last week as your wise wager. You tried to talk me into it for Ringer 107.

I didn't want to do it. They killed the lions. Eagles are minus three and a half at Dallas. There's just enough there with that Dallas team, and especially with the cheap touchdown at the end. I don't know. It's just a stay way. I don't want either of those, but.

I would really go hard if it was three. And at different points, it's been three. Like, it's, the Eagles are favored minus three and a half at plus, at even money, plus 100. Yeah. The three and a half for Dallas is minus 122. Like, yeah. I mean, come on. Just put the three out.

And then, uh, a big maybe for me, which you're just going to reject like a, like a, like the Kempbe? Like a transplant, or DeKembe Batumbo. I'm going to give it the way. Browns plus three and a half against the Raiders. The Raiders can't block at all. We saw that last week against Dallas, which they single-handly vindicated the Quinn and Williams trade,

just whiffing. So I thought, I watched the entire game on my flight to New York City. Some of the worst offensive line play I've seen all year. So the case would be the Browns defense is just going to single-handedly win this game. The case against it is it's the Browns. offensive line on the road with Shadur Sanders, who could not have looked worse now. He gets to practice with

the first string all week. They're getting three and a half points against a biggest team that's bad. You could argue this line should just be even because who the hell knows what's going to happen, but I can't bet on Shadur as a Ringer 107 pick. When we're trying to win Ringer 107

you just can't. We can't do it. No. I would... I did think about it, though. I'm... Well, I would, you know, I don't have enough information to make the strenuous case I'd like to make to take the Raiders. No, we're never taking the Raiders.

I'm not doing that. So that's fine. Okay. Duly noted. There's no reason. They're awful. The Patriots losing to the Raiders in week one is in the running for dumbest result of the season, like in retrospect.

What would the Pats be favored now? Get something like 13? Yeah, yeah, easy double digits. Some parlay games for you. we have the Seahawks money line. They're favored by 13 and a half in Tennessee. A couple reasons to be slightly afraid of that game. Zabel's probably out.

Simmons is back for Tennessee. It's a lot of points for a road favorite, and I would like to steer clear. Lions Giants. Lions minus 10 and a half. Lions coming off a bad loss. Lions with some starters back. Lions, for instance, could be parlayed.

The Money Line Lions with the Chiefs minus 1.5 gets us under minus 120. It's minus 113. We have to go back to the Chiefs. Are the Chiefs going to go five and six? Why can't they? Tell me why they can't. Okay, we'll talk about them in a second. And then Patriots Bengals, that line dropped to six and a half.

The money line's lowered because there's a possibility of a Joe Burrow comeback. Just insane to me. No why that would happen. No Jamar Chase. How does that make any sense whatsoever for Cincinnati? Awful defense. What possible explanation? And then the ones that I really like, Jaguars at Arizona.

I know there's some red flags with going into Arizona. And there's always red flags with taking the Jags. On the road. Can't take the Jags on the road. Can't do it. Except we're going to. It's because it's going to be one of my picks. That's fine.

It's minus two and a half. No Marvin Harrison. Arizona's defense is horrible. Like horrible. San Francisco wasn't just scoring last week. They were doing whatever they wanted on defense. I don't know what happened at Gannon and the defense in general. It's in Arizona, but they don't have a home field advantage.

It's not like it's, oh, it's outdoors. It's going to be cold. Oh, it's in Florida. It's going to be human. just in a dome, and with depressed fans, they're three and seven, the team's done. The Cardinals have given up 84 points in the past two weeks.

I think Gannon's and next coach fired, at least. There's a whiff of it now. And then here's the other thing, House. Jacksonville, would say what you want about them? They're second against the run defensively. And the Cardinals can't run the ball. So this is just Brissette

trying to keep them in it. And I think Berset's kind of shown, you know, he can put up garbage time stats, but I just think the Jaguars are going to win 11 or 12 games, and we're going to be like, what just happened? They play the Jets two more times. They play somebody else awful, the Titans. They have this game, like, they already have seven wins or six wins.

Yeah, I don't mind the case for the rest of the season or the case for them, you know, threatening for a playoff spot, but we need more evidence. They lost to Jake Browning and Dan. Davis Mills this season. In fact, Davis Bill's led Houston to, what was it, 21 points in the fourth quarter?

I'm aware that saved us in Rainer 107. Davis Mills did that against this Jacksonville team on the road. So Jacksonville had two consecutive weeks on the road against Vegas,

which took Vegas failing on a two-point try in overtime for Jacksonville get the win. And then lost to Houston outright. They lost to Jake Browning

in week three. week two they have one win on the road and it was against that that San Francisco team where every single person on the team was in the hospital counter

they still beat the Niners who have been banged up all year and they're just like a wounded people. That's what I just said on the road I know their whole team in the hospital I still think you I'm saying

I still think you get credit for beating the Niners even when the whole team's in the hospital because they're well coached and they always whatever they beat the Panthers in week one they beat the Chiefs in week five granted dumb game but they did beat them

they beat the Chargers handily last week they did and here's my case I just wonder if they're the good bad team they're six and four their real record is three two and five five either war games so they're basically three and two in the either were games

they're at Zona at Tennessee home Indiana apolis home jet at Denver, at Indianapolis, home Tennessee. There's four more wins than this. I just think they're going to be in the playoffs

and we're going to wonder what the F happened. I don't disagree with you. But they have to win this game to be in the playoffs. I'm not going to accept your insistence. It's your pick. You're allowed to make it. I watched that Cardinals team really carefully last week and they sucked.

It did suck. They just sucked. But the problem is, And I don't think it matters if they're, does it matter where Arizona plays? Does it go, oh, they're in Arizona. Watch out. Why, why does that have to matter? They played against an offense that by priors, that San Francisco offense on priors coming

into the season, San Francisco was supposed to be an 11 or 12 win team based on on the offense that for the first time this season, that group of skill players had played nine snaps together before this Arizona game. And so, you know, there is a. a difference in class between that San Francisco offense with all of their talent out there. Also, the familiarity of Shanahan against Gan and against Arizona. Radically different thing for this, because Trevor Lawrence, he sucks. He sucks.

He sucks. So just be aware of what we're doing here. Listen, it was very hard to find five picks this week. I have them marked down. I have the Bucks plus six and a half against the Rams marked down because I think the Bucks are, like I watched that entire Bucks Bills game.

They were leading in the fourth quarter. I actually think their defense is pretty good. I know they got lit up by Buffalo, but Allen was just out of mind. Got lit up by Josh Allen. I thought they did a good job. They gave up two dumb plays. The question is can the Rams get some explosives on them?

But this just felt like I thought this was a flash sale line to me. I just blink test in my head. It should be four or four and a half. And the Rams are just getting two extra points for being home. Their offense did mostly jack shit. That's what last week in Seattle. Are we not getting seven in that game?

Just six and a half. Now we're only getting six and a half. Yeah, I thought of it was six. Another one where, you know, the proper price is seven, but it's six and a half at 102. It looks like Irving and Goodwinner, Goodwin are going to play. And then the Rams just had their biggest. win of the year last week, which I was like the week after for that. I just feel like Tampa's

going to hang around. I don't have an argument. It's too many points. I like where your head is out on Tampa. And then this was not a game I had. And I know all the cases for it, but you were intrigued by the Saints minus one and a half against the Kirk Cousins Falcons. And after you suggested it, I did get excited about the chance to bet against Kirk Cousins and Rahe Morris, who I talked about in my mailbag. Two of the greats. The warm, the warm himself. The warm.

There you go. So the saints are bad, but what is it? It's one and a half in their home. Yes. Coming off the buy. The Panthers two weeks ago and then had a buy. Yep. Shucks, okay.

Yeah, he's, he's okay. There's some signs of life there. They only traded one of their, they only traded Rishishie Shaheed, you know. They didn't trade the entirety of their offensive skill position nucleus. also these these two the fan bases hate each other

so this is not a let's roll over this week this is like we actually hate the Falcons let's like jam a stake

into their heart Kirk Cousins without Drake London and yeah no Drake London the impact on Atlanta's offense when Drake London

plays versus when he doesn't play specifically on the run game they are a yard per attempt worse a yard per carry

worse over a yard worse without Drake London on the football field. They're like four point something yards per carry with him when he plays and in the mid-threes

when he doesn't play. All right. We're not going to have any more opportunities to bet against Kirk Cousins. That's the most important thing. That's the thing. And technically we could say the same thing about Shardar Sanders,

but I'm not taking it. And the same thing about J.C. McCarthy. Like, I would bet against all of them. I already have. I'm happy to have less. less than a touchdown against J.J. McCarthy. Are you kidding me? I can't do it.

That's fine. You have to give me one of them. And the one for me is the Saints. I'll gladly, gladly, gladly, gladly back the Saints here. It was interesting how some of the talking heads talked about McCarthy last week where there was not a lot of yeah butts with him.

The people who were like, I watched the All 22. They were some of the worst throws we've seen this season. Yeah, there is no rhyme or reason for where the ball was going. His feet aren't set. They've rushed him. This is a disaster.

There's no real signs at all, except for that last drive, that there's something here. It was pretty sobering. I felt that way watching the game as we rooted for them. Didn't enjoy it. I didn't enjoy it.

That was one where we made our pick on Thursday. I thought the defensive line and Jonathan Greener was going to be playing. He is their primary. pass rush asset and then he was ruled out after we made the pick. I got off of the position. I got out of all my Minnesota stuff.

I bet on the Eagles last week, that covered off all the stupid Minnesota money. It didn't help us with Bangor Minow 7. We couldn't do anything about it. It wasn't our fault. I just don't like the smell of that Packers team. It doesn't smell good. I understand what you're saying.

When it's 3rd and 8, I just don't know what they do. They don't either. That's the problem. Jacobs is either not playing. or he's going to play hurt. Right. Not awesome. Right. They drop balls all over the place.

They sure do. Yeah, it's a stay away from me. I could see, like, I personally could see Minnesota winning that game, and I could see them losing by 25. Their defense is very good. That's the reason why I like the idea of Green Bay, why I personally have already bet it.

So Chiefs Colts, there's two ways to go because we have the parlay. Because we're doing the Pats. Okay. The Pats are minus six and a half. I'm happy doing that. straight up. I'm also happy doing them with the money line and like over 44 and a half or something like that. Because there's going to be points in the game regardless. But I just think I don't think

people are real. The Pats have played some decent to really good defenses the last few weeks, even a team like the Jets that traded two of their guys. But they were still like, they're still like their identity is defense. They're not awful. The Bengals are like reprehensible how bad they are in defense. And the Patriots should be able to move the ball up and down the field. them all game. I think it has blowout potential. They haven't had a blowout in a couple of weeks. There's a burrow piece about him coming back,

but it's only T. Higgins. I think the one bet I would say is, I think Chase Brown, if you have them in fantasy or guillotine or whatever, he's just the exact type of guy that the Pats have had trouble with this season. But Pats and a parlayer T's. And then we have to figure out this chief's thing.

Because the lions have to be in a money line against the Giants with all their starters coming back coming off a loss like the Giants are a mess the Lions

Money Line with the Chiefs is an easy way to do it why can't we do the Lions Money Line with Seattle because we don't we're not nearly enough

yeah we're not nearly enough well explain your hesitation with the Chiefs who the hell are they I have no idea who this team is they were winning that game and it seemed like

were wrapping it up there against the Broncos and then they just kind of died with 10 minutes to go. Their defense doesn't get stops the way that that defense used to get stops, got stops last year. What we're accustomed to, which is putting pressure. I kept waiting for the Chris Jones play. Where's the Chris Jones

play? They put pressure on Nick. Knicks had all the time in the world in that fourth quarter and he threw an absolutely beautiful ball to Troy Franklin. A beautiful ball. That secondary, that that chief secondary is poverty.

There is no indication that they can slow anybody down. We've been watching it literally all season. We watched it the first week, Herbert threw all over that team. He had a field day. He had so much time, and he just picked them apart. And there really hasn't been any signs of progress to my way of thinking. So I'm scared. I'm scared of the Colts ability to get what they want whenever they want.

Are you scared with Daniel Jones? I'm not after the Pittsburgh game which was the classic perfect put Danny Dimes outdoors put him up against a physical kind of defense and let him just turn into the pumpkin that he is yeah that's the that's the thesis for for what you would say that's the version of Daniel Jones that we expect here except they're coming off the buy and Steikin's a pretty good coach he he they might scheme up something to keep him out of harm's way. Now, the best case for the Chiefs is that

the Colts defense is extremely mediocre. That is a mediocre defense. The best, you know, the Colts win games by scoring, outscoring the other team. And anytime we've seen them... Is that what they're trying

this year? They're trying to outscore the other team? It's the... I haven't seen a strategy like that yet. They're not stopping the other. No, I know. They're a opponent. You get it. Yeah. They're not winning games by stopping you. It sounds like you're more interested in moving the Coltsine the other way.

No, I don't, I'm not, I want to stay away from that game. Personally, I don't want to bet it. Because tell me what version of the chiefs is going to show up. Mahomes is running around, you know, part of the game script last week, why I liked the chief to handle their business against Denver was that his unique ability to scramble for yards. He scrambled for shit. He didn't do anything with his legs. He was behind the line of scrimmage.

They had him bottled up. Can I give you some part of the handicapped? Nothing to do with anything we've seen all season combined with nothing about anything with the stats? Yes. I can't wait to hear it. The chiefs are five and five. And they've taken shit all week.

All they've heard all week was, oh my God, this is a wrap. This could be done. They also need to win games to make the playoffs. I don't know if you've checked. They need to win some games now. They really do. They're running out of games in the season.

That's a fact. And I don't know, man. Chiefs minus one and a half with the Lions money line to beat the Giants and just betting on the Chiefs to beat Daniel Jones by two in the biggest game they played all season. We have 10 years of evidence

that that is what you're supposed to do. A full decade of solid evidence. The Chiefs are going to go 5 and 6. I'm honestly happy to lose the pick if they go 5 and 6. And here's the other thing about the game last week. Guys were open. Mahomes missed dudes.

He missed guys deep. What, four times? He had plays. They had offense that they left on the field. They've lost two games this season because he's thrown red zone interceptions. They lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Red zone interception. There was some weird field position stuff in the second half or the special team.

and I just think it was a weird game. That's also another thing. Well, let me ask you this. Am I allowed to say out loud, bleep this, please. Harrison Bucker can go fuck himself. Every week they have us. We have Bell. Bells here in New York City with me.

She loved it. She also wants them to fuck himself. On top of everything else, just go back to that. You watch that entire KC Denver game as did I. Did Denver win that game or did Casey lose? it. Both.

But I give credit. Denver won the game. Bo Nix had to drive them down the football field, had to make throws. I think Casey lost that game. I think they left players on the field the whole time. I thought that interception by Mahomes

considering he's supposed to be one of the best quarterback small time was abysmal. Abysmal. I can't believe he did that. Inexplicable. And their last drive was, I just, I'm taking him. This is going to me.

I get two picks. This is going to be my other one. Are you good with Patriots minus six and a half against the Bengals? I sure am. If you want to put them in a parlay, that's fine, too. I don't mind laying the points with the Patriots. All right.

The Ringer 107 is presented by a Fandul. First pick. We just argued about it for a while. We're going to take the Chiefs minus 1.5. You just need to win by two. Parlayed with the Lions money line against the Giants who stink. And the Lions coming off a loss where their playoff position is a little precarious and their home.

Yeah. And they're getting guys back. Come on. So Chiefs from three and a half to one and a half with the Lions Money Lion, that's our first pick. House did not want me to do this. And I'm doing it. It's like when we were in college, when people had tequila with the worm in the bottle and we were like, should we drink this? Don't do it.

Don't do it. You'll go crazy. You'll get brain damage. you're going to wake up tomorrow without your pants on. And you'd be like, all right, I'll try it. I'm trying the Jags on the road. You can try it. Go ahead. I might wake up with my pants down at 5 p.m.

I guarantee it. Who knows where that worm is going to be? Who knows? But Jags minus 2.5 in Arizona. This checks 100 stay the F-O-A boxes. Arizona coming off two big losses in a row. The Jaguars with people believing. Trevor Lawrence on the road.

He stinks. I get all of it. But I think the Jags can run the ball. Okay. And I think they're the good, bad team. Okay. I think they're going to go 10 and 7, and we're not going to believe they went 10 and 7. I'm going to root for the Jags this week.

You picked them, I'm rooting for them. Also, there weren't enough picks for this week. The last three we like, bucks plus six and a half in L.A. against the Rams. The bucks suddenly with the Panthers breathing on their necks a little bit. They need a win. They lost the bills and the Patriots in a row. have some guys coming back, might be able to run the ball better, and Rams coming off a giant win.

So we call that a flash sale. Lines a little too high. House, you love the Saints, minus one and a half against Kirk Cousins. I don't know if anyone enjoys anything in life more than you enjoy betting against Kurt Cousins at this stage of his career. All credit to that guy. He had an incredible once-in-a-lifetime career. The amount of money that he made going from situation to situation

and at the exact right time jumping at the at the biggest contract out there truly amazing truly one of a kind it's just a miracle can't play professional football what other evidence is there we watched it last year he got replaced last year because he can't run and he can't throw other than that he can't push off his leg to throw anything to the mustard on it other than that this guy i think it'll be a good announcer oh i agree to have me in the booths totally agree Great sense of humor. I'm a cousin's fan. Saints one and a half.

Plus two weeks ago they beat the Panthers 177, which ain't nothing because the Panthers then, although the Panthers are as exact team. The mother shuckers are ready. Believe me. And then our last pick is the Patriots minus six and a half in Cincinnati. This Patriots team likes playing on the road.

That's one thing. No Jamar Chase because he decided to spit on Jalen Ramsey for reasons that remain unquired. It's just a fighting thing. You spit out somebody. You're going to get punt. There's some good Zags against the Patriots this week

with some of the advanced metrics they're getting a lot of this team isn't as good as Meanwhile Indianapolis gets none of metrics But like that their defense is very good No supporting that the Patriots are a little Smoke and Marysy all that stuff it's fine Well they play an easy schedule They just beat the teams in front of them

Wasn't easier than Indianapolis's schedule like I you know whatever um no jubar chase and I think the Patriots that says blowout potential and also the Sincey fans are incredibly depressed by the team so it's not like I wouldn't say they have an awesome home field advantage um just remember it's Thursday Joe Burrow might play quarterback for the Bengals they're that stupid they might it might it might get it and if he does the line maybe drops a point or two and I'm fine living with it I think it would be dumb for them to play Joe Burrow in this game when they have the Baltimore game coming I don't think Joe Burrow should play this season

we will find out. Patriots minus six and a half is our last pick. Those are the Ringer 107 picks brought to by a Fandul. Odd subject to change. You've been betting on basketball.

I have been. You've been dabbling. But doing stuff. Who are you riding? We just did the league past your toes. You're riding the rockets and pistons? I have not. I'm just looking situationally,

you have to have the time to do this. but the injury report, the direction of injury stuff, and the way the schedule is insane. You and I sat down together, what was it, two weeks ago, three weeks ago, and you asked the NBA why they hate Golden State so much. Well, betting against Golden State, you know, has been relatively profitable

because the stretch that they just went on, it was like seven road games in a row or six road games in a row, seven games in ten nights. What are we doing? What, like, it's step-eping curry. I know. One of the three most important players from a marketing standpoint. So stupid.

But guess what? Last night that the line opened up against the heat, the heat were small favorites. Then they got to be larger favorites as Steph was ruled out because he rolled his ankle the night before. And then everybody on Golden State sat out and, you know, Miami Cruz. It was a great leg for a money line parlay. It was a great leg, you know, laying the small set of points in the morning. So it's those kinds of opportunistic things. The other thing I'm doing is live betting.

The Nets have lost 12 games. They've only been inside of 10 points in two of those 12 games. If you get into the fourth quarter and the game's relatively close, you can get a great price for the lay the points. Some live betting advice from house. The live betting stuff is tremendous. The Nets to lose by 10 points, that outcome, when they're up against anybody that's reasonably good,

that's a great angle to play. Sounds like on the ringer gambling show, we need a Damon Jones special every night where you're like, this is too good to be true. Toronto was another one. Toronto I've been riding. Nine out of ten wins.

The market hasn't really... I just talked about them in league pass. They're playing good. Easy schedule too, so they're gaining some confidence. The two teams that fit that are Phoenix and Toronto. Both of those, and the market hasn't really accounted for

the identity of either one of those teams. Those two teams try. They're trying. They're not effing around. They're playing all the way through to the end. That's what you need at this early stage of the season. I had a great cheeseburger at the Waverly Inn last thing. Oh, I'm so jealous.

You're in New York. I'm in New York. I'm about to leave, but I'm in New York. And it's cold. East Coast. Yeah, it's cold. There's a lot of buildings. the cab drivers just seem like they've gone to another level of weirdness

now that they can play stuff through their phones heard some interesting songs and different things cultural yeah adventure yeah learned about some different cultures there you go and I'm ready to go back to L.A. do tell yeah do tell ready to go back I see I'm surrounded by Yankees and Nix fans

and people who can't wait for scam cataboo to come back. Oh, no. Just get me out of here. Scam cataboo. That's so bad. Why'd you do that to him? Cam scataboo. Anyway, that's all I have to say, other than it, Stephen A. Smith made me mad today

when he said that, called Drake May a liar for saying you never watched first take. Did you see that all story? I like Stephen A, but this one made me mad. This is phenomenal. Jake May said he didn't know what Cam. what show Cam Newton was on. And Stephen A. took Umbridge and was like, there's no way he doesn't know Cam Newton's on this show.

Drake May's a liar. Um, it seems semi-tongued and cheap. He was standing up for his guy. I think it's conceivable. Drake made wouldn't know that Cam Newton was on first take. Respectfully, respectfully, I would have needed three tries. What shows Cam Newton on? I don't know.

One of those ESPN ones. How would I know? Professional athlete who obviously isn't watching ESPN who works during the day on the East Coast. He's got stuff to do in the morning. First takes off from 10 to 12. Do you know Drake May's not doing from 10 to 12 by the through Friday watching ESPN?

So how would he know Cam Newton is on first take? I'm going to give Stephen A the benefit of the doubt. Standing up for his guy. I like to, as you know, I like Stephen A. But I didn't, listen, don't come in Drake May. He's the most popular Boston athlete a long time. People love Drake May. Has anybody come up?

Drake May's wife now is becoming like a cult hero on Instagram. She cooks for Pat's fan. She does recipes. They ask her. people love Drake, man. It's a mistake by Stephen A. I could have had her on House of Carbs. We could bring that back.

Could it? Maybe bring it back just for her. For her, yeah. Yeah, this was, you can't come at Drake May. He's too popular. This is a real, real big mistake by our guy, Stephen A. We'll see. He's going to have to apologize.

I don't think he's worried about the good people of Boston. I don't think he's trying to build bridges with Boston or New England. It might be true. He needs to apologize to me. Maybe just a text. Good luck. Send me a text, Stephen A. Good luck.

I'm sorry what I said about Drake, Meg. House, good to see you guys. We'll see you on the ringer gammon show on Sunday. 11 a.m. Which is now on all the Fandall Sports Networks. We're on 11 a.m. Wise Wade, you hit a 50 to 1 last week on that show. Kenneth Gainwell, two touchdowns.

Unbelievable stuff by you. I'll see you next Thursday. Oh, I won't see you next Thursday. We'll have to figure out what we're doing next week for Thanksgiving. Yeah. Because on Thanksgiving. Normally we do picks on Thursday, but on Thursday, you eat all day. You fall asleep.

I'll be a, yeah. Then you wake up and you eat more and then you fall asleep and then you eat a third time. Yeah, who knows where I'll be, I'll be busy one way or the other. All right, bye, house. All right, that's it for the podcast. Thanks to House and thanks to you, Zach Lowe. Thanks to Gal and Eduardo, as always. Thanks to our New York crew for helping us out.

That includes Bell and Caroline and Kate, Juliet Lippman, my old friend. She even, like, I think, moved some stuff around on the table, turned on some lights, showed me where the studio. was. Anyway, it was fun to do a podcast from here. Enjoy the weekend. I will see you on Sunday night live with Cousin' Sal. Enjoy the weekend. Must be 21 plus in President Select States for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus in president in D.C., Kentucky, or Wyoming, game problem, call 100 gambler, or visit RG dash help.com. Call 88879-7777 or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut

or MD gambling help.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gambling helplinema.m.m.org or call 800-327-50-50 for 24-7 support in Massachusetts or call 8778-8-Hope-N-Y or text Hope NY in New York.