The Daily Zeitgeist - MJGMB #156: Memphis on Our Minds, Mane with Molly Morrison

Episode Date: March 13, 2025

Jack and Jabari were pleased to be joined by Bleacher Report's Molly Morrison for today's episode. The trio discussed Ja's recent play, the title odds for the Grizzlies, Cavs as contenders and plenty more from around the league!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Hi, I'm Bob Pippman, chairman and CEO of iHeart Media. I'm excited to introduce a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Magic, Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. I'm having conversations with some folks across a wide range of industries to hear how they reach the top of their fields and the lessons they learned along the way that everyone can use. I'll be joined by innovative leaders like chairman and CEO of Elf Beauty, Tarang Amin, legendary singer-songwriter and philanthropist, Jewel. Being a rock star is very fun but helping people is way more fun. And Damian

Maldonado, CEO of American Financing. I figured out the formula is have to work hard then that's magic. Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math, and the ever- important creative spark, the magic. Listen to Math and Magic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up everyone? Julie Swirpinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together.

Here we go. The name? Energy Line with Nate and JSB. Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey, life, all topics are fair game, right? Exactly, and you'll never know who will drop by to join us. Julia's pretty well connected.

She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe. Listen to Energy Line with NathanJSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, well, well. We're back. Another week in NBA action. podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Which is... you ask me? As a sixers fan? That's too much winning. That's just weird. It's unfair. The injury bug continues to hit some playoff squads.

But the Grizzlies appear to be poised for the final stretch. We'll discuss all of that and more with Bleacher Reports. Molly Morrison on today's episode. I'm Jack O'Brien. And I'm Jabari in for Miles. And this is... Miles and Jack areattuskies! Banner number 18 has been secured. The Celtics are NBA champions. Over the double team.

Yeah, damn, the zoom just asked me if I was playing music because my voice is so The zoom just asked me if I was playing music because my voice is so Melifluous or whatever that word is Molly Morrison. How are you doing? Welcome. Hi, I am I'm doing great. Actually, I'm doing really well. How are y'all? Oh, you know Doing good. We were actually having a conversation before I was congrats, you know well, so Jabari was complaining about how hard it is to be a Lakers fan. And we were congratulating you on being a Grizzlies fan. Like, hey, this is fun. This is a fun time for both teams, I think. Heading into the playoffs, there's a lot of questions around, like, how are they gonna do? I feel like I'm genuinely excited to see how both of your teams fare in the playoffs. And then I was saying, I think as a Sixers fan,

I might have it worse than any other fan base because first of all, we're miserable people. And second of all, like they can't even lose. Right? Like I think they're going to end up missing out on their pick, like giving their pick to OKC Like they can't even like I'm I'm why I'm reading headlines about how the jazz are getting fined for like Holding players out and I'm like, that's how you do it Like that is how you commit to the bit

I aspire but we can't even do that, you know, so that's how I'm doing But it is wonderful to have you here. You're one of our favorite guests on mad boosties I aspire. But we can't even do that, you know? So that's how I'm doing. But it is wonderful to have you here. You're one of our favorite guests on Mad Boosties. We do have to kick things off by talking about the game of the week, Molly. Each week we pick a game that we think people should check out that we're certain we'll be watching. We'll cover it and then you later on in the episode, we'll get to choose next week's

game of the week. But our game of the week this week was the Los Angeles Lakers at the Boston Celtics on ABC, 111 to 101. The Celtics pulled it out, very competitive first half. And then Boston just went on a run in the third and ended with a 29-13 quarter, which not great. Molly, what did it look like to you? It was literally such good basketball and honestly it just had me thinking

like this would be such a good playoff series, such a good finals, which is just absurd that we're having that conversation, which brings me back, I do wanna ask you, how are you a sad Lakers fan? But I don't wanna get too off topic, but I need to know what does that mean? Cause how can you be sad? I don't understand that.

The fears that I had going like once the connection was made, once I saw how good it looked, I said, please don't get hurt LeBron. But the, but, but here's the reality. When LeBron is 34 and he has that injury. Yeah. Maybe he, you know, maybe I could have that same attitude. Totally fine. As a 40 plus year old man myself, I know what that feels like. And I know that it might not just be fine. So any 40 plus year old, this is true. This is, oh, so you're saying are you telling me that you do not believe that we are in the same condition? I mean, come on here. We were just talking about how basketball is the thing that gets the hardest, the older you are. Basketball and hangovers are the things that get worse with age the most, I think. Basketball is

so hard on the body. It's incredible that he's doing what he's doing. I'm not that worried because there's also those times throughout his career where he'll just like take a little break and then come back and he's like better than he was all season and you're like, well, what just happened? What just happened there? And it's just that he caught up on sleep, I think is what it is. I mean, what's so stunning going back to the Celtics Lakers game to me, just in terms of LeBron is that you think Luca comes to the team and it's like, okay,

instantly he's going to be the best player, which is how it should work. But it's, it's still LeBron. And I'm not saying that's going to be the case for a long time. Obviously, Luca has been a little rusty offensively, even though he's, he's gotten better, but you know, you saw them lose the other night against the Nets without LeBron. It's just unbelievable how much control he has over the game and just shows like all he needed was just someone by his side and not that's not to discredit AD because obviously AD we all know how unbelievable he is but it's just so evident that with the addition of Luka you just feel LeBron's excitement and it's like, okay, like we actually can do this. So yeah, it was, it was amazing to watch, you know, two 40 year old legends, almost 40 Al Horford.

I know Al Horford was bawling. It was crazy. Yeah. Luca and LeBron on the same team feels like you have two queens in chess. Like it's just like, they just cover so much ground offensively. The angles on the court are just like so open in every possible direction. And they are, you know, chest-like in their ability to just like pick apart a defense. It really is pretty cool. I just think Luca needs to start trying to make more shots.

Like has anybody, do you, do we think JJ is going to talk to him about this? Because his shot making, his shot making scene used to be a strength and now has not, has not been. And we do have to ask because the, the Nico decision still lingers in my head as the most inexplicable decision that I've seen in person or public. Like just that I have seen, I think in my adult life. And so I'm like, does he know, we've seen the number one pick in the past decade

forget how to shoot because of maybe some sort of curse. Did Luca forget how to shoot? And we've got a Markel Foltz situation headed our way. I'm just saying, like, these are the only things that make sense of the trade to me. Oh, I think people really undermine how important the mental aspect of sports are. Like with Luca, I truly feel like this dude has just gone through an extremely traumatic situation. You know what I mean? I really feel like this dude has just gone through an extremely traumatic situation.

You know what I mean? He saw his life going one way. Just the knock to your ego that that must be and the betrayal, he was stabbed in the back. I feel like he hasn't mentally fully gotten back to himself. And I think you're being sarcastic with your curse, but seriously, I'm not worried about him at all. He'll be fine. I mean, sometimes, yeah. So sometimes I'll allow people to tell me it's psychology over

witch's curses, but I think they're both worth examining. Not through the psychologist in the room, but yeah. Yeah. I actually think with a lot of Jaws shooting struggles he's had, I felt like a lot of that was psychological and could still be so. Yeah. Oh, for sure. Yeah. I think that's definitely the case is it is. It does have to feel good when every when you get traded and everybody is like, what?

No, that can't be true. That has to be. That's impossible. Yeah, I do get where you're coming from. that can't be true. That has to be, that's impossible. But yeah, I do get where you're coming from. That like, it's also just, you know, a very disruptive. And then the other side of that coin for Anthony Davis is like, Oh my God, am I the worst player? We all not see how incredible I am, which obviously everyone knows was a Testament to Luca and the shock of that

rather than a knock on a AD. But of course, and also the irony as we saw in his first game of the issue being Luca's health when AD is not exactly the picture of health himself. Right. But yeah, I, I just cannot, I think Luca looks more normal, but I, I truly think it's going to take like a full off season to process What's going on with him real quick just kind of touching on Boston? It's one thing for Jason Tatum to give you, you know, 40 12 and 8 is another you know, like of course that at this point That's expected. He's he's that he's that level player

It's another thing for Jalen Brown to give you 30 plus and you know do all the different things he does But to the point that go that one of you guys made earlier, when you're getting the type of defense and the type of effort from a 40 year old Al Horford, that's just what makes them so frustrating. Like that game was fun until it was right. And that's kind of how it goes against Boston. I don't know. I feel like they have a lot more weaknesses than a team like a Cleveland or an

Oakdale. Ooh, this is what I love to hear. Feed me, feed me with this team. I mean, I also think that they're one of the top, they're a top three, obviously, team in the league. It's not like weaknesses as compared to the near perfection. People maybe thought they were starting the season or last season. Yeah. I mean, like you said, you have Jason and Jaylen, you do have guys on the bench who can step. I mean, they freaking pay in print. Oh my God. Like these not on the bench, but these people that just can make all of these threes. But when your offense is so reliant on the three, you know,

if the shots aren't falling like drew holiday, I don't know what's going on with him, but he's felt off I think he might be aging like a normal human being instead of like LeBron Yeah, it could be I feel like we've seen them like to me LeBron getting hurt It was less of like oh the Celtics are unstoppable and more of a you know, the Lakers sort of fell apart But again, I'm comparing the Celtics to the Celtics themselves and not slandering them. But I do feel like there are some weaknesses that could get exploited. So good news for you. Yeah, so skipping down just to the NBA playoff odds, I'm just curious to hear if you think

this is off. So right now the Celtics are plus 180, OKC is plus 200, and then Cleveland is plus 525. So they're way back from Boston. It sounds like you would move them up a little bit closer to the OKC in Boston. So you might as well be speaking

a completely different language. I am slightly proud to say, at this point in my life, I do not know anything about gambling odds. I don't know what that means. Yeah, it's like they have half as good, people think they have half the chance. It would be like Boston has a 20% chance and Cleveland has a 10% chance of winning the title,

would be, I think, what we're about. I think that's fair still, I think that's fair. I mean, with Cleveland, they need to prove themselves in the playoffs, right? Yeah, yeah. I don't, I see it more as like a. I think Boston isn't is indestructible and unbeatable, but I don't. I do think the team that's been to the finals the year before and has not had any crazy changes to their roster. By the way, for Zingas is an underrated thing. Like what's going on here is freaky.

I hope, hope all is well with him. But yeah, I feel like with Cleveland, with OKC, it's kind of a thing where we just need to see it. We can't fully know until we see them go deep in the playoffs. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's right. I do think Missoula is both like he's a strength in like his single mindedness of focus. Like there was that quote where somebody was like, is it, are you excited that your brother is like,

I forget who he's coaching for. Is it Detroit? Like he, Missoula's brother is like getting involved with another franchise and they're like, is that like exciting for you? Are you happy to see that? And he was like, he plays for the other team or like he works for the other team. Like he just like can't acknowledge anything that isn't the Boston Celtics succeeding and the movie The Town. Like those are the two things that he's capable of. And he is Mary and Joseph, obviously. But I also feel like there, I could see somebody like doing something smart against them and out-coaching him in a seven game series. So that's one of the other things that gives me a little bit of hope.

But we'll see. Your players are hopeless, so now all of my hope needs to go into who can stop the Celtics. That's right. Let's take a quick break. And when we come back, we'll talk Grizzlies and take a look around the league. We'll be right back. I'm Mark Seale. And I'm Nathan King.

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I wore nine Inch Yield sweaters, and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey. Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially line mates, Nate.

We're the Energy Line. We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, Hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex. Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what Energy Lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?

I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back. And Molly Morrison, did you grow up in Memphis? I did. You think I chose to be a Grizzlies fan? No. Because of job, people actually are Grizzlies fans that were not born in Memphis, but that's new. That's a phenomenon I'm still getting used to because before that was not the case.

And are you like one of those types of fans who's like get out of here unless you were lifelong or you welcome the JAW lovers? Yeah. Well, I welcome the JAW lovers. Totally, I think it's exciting to grow a fan base. And what I say when I said, do you think I chose? I mean more so I would choose it in every lifetime.

Of course, naturally. Of course. 100%. Let's recount your good fortune here. Currently the four seed. It is tight in there though. We got from the second to the sixth, there are a total of five games separating the two and the sixth seed in the lost column. The

Grizzlies are sixth in offensive efficiency, tenth in defensive efficiency. Finally, like things are starting to come together. It feels like three wins in a row. Ja is looking like Ja again, and then Triple J is out for the last four games with an ankle sprain. That's the one thing with them that I feel like feels like dueling injuries where they're just like never quite on at the same time, which must be frustrating as a, but I don't wanna start you down that path. Let's just talk, are you excited?

How are you feeling headed towards the playoffs here? I would not say I'm excited. I feel like Grizzlies fans are the only people that kind of don't feel like we're contenders honestly at this point. Well, and we could be it's like I saw something that said the Grizzlies could be first run exits. They could also be in the finals. I think the finals is a bit of a stretch, but truly that's the way it feels this season. It's been so up and down and I wouldn't even point it at health because I don't think that's a fair reflection of this season, although that's of course always a factor, but it's

confusing. It's been a really confusing season because when you look at the standings, right, as, you know, an observer of when the Grizzlies are on national TV, you'd be like, oh, nice, they're killing it. But when you watch every game, it's a confusing picture. So yeah, I would love to unpack this. This is honestly like a bit of a therapy. Let's talk.

Let's let it out. This is a safe place. And this is actually a safe place. I'm like when those Twitter threads. No one will hear this. What has been confusing? It's just like their their quality of play is all over the place. Well, OK, I take it back when I said about health, because health is the number one factor.

Right. This has been a team that has not been consistently on the floor together for the last several years. And this season, though, it kept being like for literally years. Oh, just wait, just wait till Josh, Aaron and Des are all together, right? And then Josh, Aaron and Des are together. And what you see is not that great. And that's not because the three of them are not incredible players. That's because our offense is a bit disjointed and confusing. And this new system we've implemented is still being it's still in

the works it feels like it I don't think we quite have an identity an offensive identity and now like you said with Jaren out I almost feel like of course assuming that he's alright and he'll be back it's weirdly been this a blessing in disguise for job because he's been able to find his identity again in the offense. It felt like he had been thrown to the side. And I do think going back to the mental aspect, I do think that was affecting him. He was struggling a lot offensively because I feel like he was just in this new offense, which I should explain is like, so the five out is what the Grizzlies have implemented, right?

It's the offense that focuses, you know, more on the moving and the, and the three point shooting, which obviously you see a team like the Celtics do, but when John Morant is your best player, um, that doesn't really work for him. He's not, he's not a guy who thrives. Uh, right. It's not Steph Curry out there like running around on the yeah. Yeah. Another weakness we can we can get into of course. But so it's been sort of confusing because it's like, okay, that offense is great. And it unlocks a lot

of bench players we have death, I would say quantity and not necessarily known quality in that because these are guys that we haven't seen perform in the playoffs and I think that's a question mark but we know that those three guys jaw jaren and does are incredible but the question is how do you get them all how do you optimize their abilities and it felt like the offense that we were, we, I'm not on the team. That's all I- Yeah, we allow we allow we. It's a lot of- Yeah, this is a we friendly show.

I am a Laker to be clear. Injected, ejected sixer. Yeah, exactly. Okay, good. I feel safe here. The Grizzlies were not allowing Ja to be Ja. And of course, something people were very excited about, which was the pick and rolls with Edie,

that was not really part of the offense. And finally, we're seeing them start to combine that in, which is what we wanted, put Jaren's out. So now it's like, okay, we don't know what it's gonna look like with the offense tweaked slightly so that it's not just this five out thing plus Jaren back so it's like this is a weird time in the season to still be experimenting

Because it's so close to the playoffs and that's why I don't think Grizzly stands quite know what to expect. It's like no one's worried about the three of them. They're incredible I mean Jaren Jackson jr. the the leave he's taken this year is which is crazy because he was so unbelievable before he can't be stopped. Like literally he can't be stopped. So yeah, I feel like there's a lot of question marks, but I'm we're in a great place. Like I'm spoiled to be saying this. I'm happy with the team, but I feel like all of this to say, it sort of seems like coaching is probably a slight question mark because you got the because you're still figuring things out.

Yeah. So I didn't realize that Jaws at 21 points a game like he's been up around 30 in the past. I feel like, hasn't he like average high 20s? He's always at his best when he's playmaking, you know, when he's. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like the scoring. I will. Yeah. The thing that when I'm just thinking about, OK,

this is why Memphis is exciting to me, it's still those moments we've seen when Jaws able to take a game over and get buckets unlike anybody else. So like that's that still feels pretty undeniable and pretty hard unlike anybody else. So like that's, that still feels pretty undeniable and pretty hard to mess up. Like is just like when you need a bucket, which comes up so frequently in the playoffs, like he's still able to do that. And we've seen it this year, but yeah,

it'll be interesting. And I mean, I need to watch more Jaren Jackson Jr. But I've heard from people who are paying attention that he's just like taking a huge leap. So I feel like those ingredients like the the class is kind of about ingredients a lot of the time. And if everybody's just like aligned and pulling together, which it sounds like might be the problem. Things could be interesting. I wondered, even with the team uncertainty, and to be honest with you, we all have our own uncertainties about the team

because we were watching the- Not me. Like how they, we're watching how the season's progressed. And that's what's nice about being a Sixers fan. No uncertainty. Isn't it weird that I feel like outside of OKC, the West is wide open this year? Or I would not be shocked kind of like-

Oh, I agree. Yeah. I agree. And I also love that you said outside. OK, see, because I can confidently say this. I can't say anything confidently about the Grizzlies in the playoffs. I don't know. We cannot beat the thunder if healthy in a seven game series. We we can't like I've I it hurts. It feels feels wrong, but we can't it's not that wouldn't happen

So our best bet is someone else knocking them out. Good thing Nico, you know, just assemble the one team that Right. Yeah, I mean we got And maybe indirectly assembled one that could possibly be okay see and then might not match up all that well Yeah, you guys. We can't do it. Who have the Grizzlies or who do you feel like the Grizzlies match up well against in the West? We got Rockets, Dubs, Lakers, Wolves, Nuggets. I would say, well, it's a great question.

And another reason Grizzlies fans can be a bit pessimistic is because they have really struggled against good Western conference teams. That's been a big weakness. I would say the teams you named, absolutely the Minnesota Timberwolves, give me them over those teams any day. And the West is a blood bath. You know, I'm not like, Oh, I'll be a walk in the park. But I do think just matchup wise us next to them. I mean, we beat them a few seasons ago and now they don't have Kat. I still feel like you mentioned about Ja having that ability to take over at the end of a

game that really can separate a superstar a lot of the time. Even when he's not, he can literally go one for 12 from the field and then in the last three minutes, he can take that one for 12 from the field. And then in the last three minutes, he can take that game and with confidence win it. I don't think Ant has reached that level quite yet. Yeah, it doesn't feel like he has. He is a superstar. We all know it, but he hasn't, he's not going to do that. And I think like with Edie, someone I don't know if I've mentioned yet, you have to think about that as well. Teams, maybe he could be playing with.

With Go Bear, I feel like that works. Yeah, are you happy with Edie? Are you happy with the draft pick? I am happy with Edie. She'd be even happier if they did more two men with him. Right, right. Yes. Yeah. I'm excited about Edie. I feel like any negative marks I would have to say about him, which I don't have a lot, would just be him being a rookie and things that he'll learn. I'm excited for his off season. I feel like people were very disrespectful about him, like

pre-draft, just about how unplayable he'd be. And I don't, I don't think that's true. So yeah, I'm big ED believer. It worries me a little if he's going to be playable in certain series this year in the playoffs, but I think that's normal with a rookie. Great weapon to bring in, change your pace, change the size. Exactly. Yeah. All right. Let's take another look around the league at the dubs.

Jimmy Butler just put up a 15, 10 and 10 triple double, which was the first triple double of the season for the Warriors, which is, I guess that's not shocking, but Steph is now within just two more made threes to become the first NBA player with 4,000 three pointers in his career. This and like LeBron hitting, what did LeBron just hit? Like 50,000. Yeah. I don't know.

These milestones are less impactful to me than like, I know you're going 30, 20, 20, I guess. I will say I thought this trade was going to work at, like I think the reason that this trade didn't seem like a bigger deal was just because it was a couple of days after the Luka trade. And everyone was like, yeah, well, it's not Luka. So I don't know what everybody's getting so excited about. They're 12 and two since this trade, which is good, I think.

Pretty good. Pretty good. Pretty good. And peaking as people are kind of starting to focus on the playoffs. And Jimmy Butler does tend to lock in in the playoffs if healthy. So that's I don't know. Yes, the West is a bloodbath. Also, it just feels like we're headed to the end of the wild bunch or like some movie where

it's just like, oh, this is going to be good. This is going to be ugly and good. And like a lot of people are going to be unhappy with the results, but we're going to learn a lot. Yeah. I don't see them making a deep run. You don't? Yeah.

In terms of you say, who would I most like the Grizzlies to play? Story wise, I would love and second behind Minnesota in terms of you say, who would I most like the Grizzlies to play story wise? I would love and second behind in terms of who they could be. I would love to play the Warriors. Right. That was the matchup again. Yeah, finally. Finally need to get that win, man.

I've been itching for it. It's a little different with no clay and no Dillon Brooks. One of the most underrated beefs of all time. Honestly, any of the beef was underrated. But yeah, I just, when I look at the West, to me, they're not a team that I'm like, oh, I'm, I'm afraid personally, but what we can't ever count out stuff with Jimmy. I just like, don't't I don't buy it I don't buy that

You know, it's gonna be real but I was just gonna say you're not buying it Are you that you had that look on your face like yet? Yeah, but I also know that I can never count out stuff curry so There we've made reference to it a couple of times, but uh, Joe Kic went 30, 20 and 20, uh, 31 points, 22 assists, 21 rebounds. Uh, first time any player has ever put up a 30, 20, 20 game in the history of the league, which is so wild. And he looked pained the entire time he was doing it. He just, I know people have made this point over and over again, but he really, I don't know, I don't know if he was

like putting a little extra mustard on like every sort of like hip pointer and like, you know, whenever he would like throw a sick pass, he would be like kind of just shuffling back. Really an amazing performance from him as a basketball player and also as like just the most out of shape looking basketball player in the history of the NBA. Incredible game. Did you guys watch this one? I have a quick theory. It is a totally lost reference.

Molly is going to look at me like I am crazy and Jack probably will as well. Jim Brown, Jim Brown Jim Brown Yeah, but Jim Brown notoriously every time he would get tackled every time he would you know go to the ground he would take His time and make it look like oh Like it was so much difficult and then line up in the huddle and run over somebody once again That is what joker does i've watched it enough to recognize. That's exactly what he's doing Acting he's a great actor. Yeah. Yeah, I know he definitely I it's the head flail. It's it's all of it He just he just looks like he's just so

You know, like am I, am I really doing this right now? I don't know everything. The way he moves is it's so captivating and hilarious. And it's like so nonchalant as well, obviously the way, the way he does everything, you know, and it's so funny because with my job, which is doing social for Bleacher Revo, it's my full-time job all the time. We'll go and try to find screenshots.

You know, you'll go through the highlights of like a player being hype and you just can't. With Yokich. Not at all. Yeah. Ironically, which is probably a good setup for that conversation, but with Yokich and SGA, they are not, they don't emote. They're not emotive. No.

They don't show. And they're neck and neck for MVP. Yeah. So maybe this emoting thing is overrated. You wasted energy. Oh, um, and they're neck and neck for MVP. So maybe this emoting thing is overrated. Wasted energy. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm like, Yoko is just my favorite basketball player. Non-grisly.

I'm in love with the way he plays. I am in love with every post game. Like I could sit there and watch 12 minutes of Jokic postgame and be thoroughly entertained. Even though, because those are the most unentertaining thing ever, because players are like, I don't want to be here. I'm going to answer this in, you know, the most like just media trained, whatever way I can. And Jokic doing it is just so perfect because he's so annoyed, but he like actually answers the question really you know it's like yeah yeah actually answers it really well and thoughtfully

but it's like he's so annoyed to be answering it you know the way he delivers it it's it's funny it's like he actually does give you the response but he's like the grumpy old vet that like knows knows everything he's like been on the police force for 30 years and like is correct, but is like so annoyed that you're even asking the question. I do have big news, Molly, uh, for the rest of the league that Jabari said that Yokochi is the guy that he would actually really like to see on the Lakers at some point. So, um, that's,

and I need a big, I they need a big, so that's big news for the league and also big news for Jokic, you know, that I would be okay with it. Yeah, that's pretty cool. And by the way, they, uh, Miles and Jabari were saying this about Luca last playoff run and look at where we are now. So whatever weird, which is cursed every Jersey swap person, that basically a Laker is, it pains me honestly.

To be clear, let me, let me just say this really quickly for Lakers fans. Like, well, I'm not going to speak for all Lakers fans because that's a dangerous thing, but I've been a lifelong fan. I've been watching them since the Showtime Lakers. Obviously I'm invested in this, but obviously I recognize it is an absolutely charmed existence and it's absurd how often the scenario that you just laid out

actually does work out in our favor. I'm not saying that we're spoiled, I'm just gonna say we're very well cared for. Very, very well cared. By the basketball gods. Basketball gods. Thank you for, you know, just putting that out there so that nobody hates you anymore.

That's okay, I don't mind. It's just. Life does not suck. No, it doesn't. A couple, just in my, in Jack's Don't Look Now rundown of the week, I just want to let everybody know that despite the fact that they've had a year that nobody's really happy with within the organization, the Timberwolves have won five in a row. So they might be picking up a little bit of steam heading into the playoffs. The Cavs,

meanwhile, have won 15 straight. Second time this season, they've won 15 in a row, making them Second time this season they won 15 in a row Making them the sixth team in NBA history with multiple 15-game win streaks two of those five won a championship Three of the five made it to the finals the one that made it to the finals and didn't win more was of course the 97 jazz which Michael Jordan just Single-handedly reached inside their chest and never moved their hearts. Um, and then the other don't look now is just, uh, don't look now, but the 76ers have suddenly forgot how to lose fast enough. I mean, they're two and eight over their last 10, but like they,

they just can't do anything right. Like, I don't know. Drop two that they shouldn't have. We need to be, we need to Institute a no hands rule. Like you're not allowed to use your hand. Like we need the Washington generals out there. I just, we need that pick. Please, please. What are you doing?

Anyways, let's take one more break. And when we come back, we will have the fastest segment in sports podcast against the rapid fire round of questioning. Molly, you're in for it. We'll be right back. I'm Mark Seale. And I'm Nathan King.

This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli. The five families did not want us to shoot that picture. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli is based on my co-host Mark's best-selling book of the same title. And on this show, we call upon his years of research to help unpack the story behind the godfather's birth from start to finish. This is really the first interview I've done in bed. Ha ha ha ha! We sift through innumerable accounts.

I see 35 pages in there. Many of them conflicting. That's nonsense. There were 60 pages. —And try to get to the truth of what really happened. —And they said, we're finished. This is over. They're only going to stop going to work. You can't get rid of those guys. This is a disaster.

—Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Kahn, Talia Shire, and many others. —Yes, that was a real horse's head. Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Mary Kay McBrayer,

host of the podcast, The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told. Join me every week as I tell some of the most enthralling true crime stories about women who are not just victims, but heroes or villains, or often somewhere in between. Listen to the greatest true crime stories ever told on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Ever wonder what it would be like to be mentored by today's top business leaders? My podcast, This Is Working, can help with that.

Here's some advice from Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase on standing out from the leadership crowd. Develop your EQ. A lot of people have plenty of brains, but EQ is do you trust me? Do I communicate well? When you walk in a room, do people feel good you're there? Are you responsive to people? Do people know you have a heart? Develop the team, develop the people, create a system of trust, and it works over time. I'm Dan Roth, LinkedIn's editor-in-chief. On my podcast, This Is Working, leaders like Jamie

Diamond, Mark Cuban, and Richard Branson share strategies for success and the real lessons that have shaped them. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson. I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. Believe it or not

I have plenty to say and not just about hockey believe me He does energy line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be well It's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially line mates Nate. We're the energy line We'll have plenty of folks join us current players some of my former teammates Hall of Fam Hall of Famers, and wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex. Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what Energy Lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?

I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back. And this is the rat fire out of questioning the fastest question, answer segment of podcasts. And we're just going to fire some questions at you.

That's what it's gonna sound like as we do it, for some reason. It's gonna sound like, shoo, shoo, shoo, shoo, shoo, shoo, shoo, shoo. Then you're gonna answer the questions without even really thinking about it, just fire them right back at us. We gotta keep the pace up,

even though I'm really not good at doing that, and I might just get off on a tangent here and there. You are going to have to keep us on track here. Are you ready? Molly? I am ready. Let's do this. Oh, look at that confidence. I'm just not a good person to keep people on track. So just just warning. Oh, unacceptable. All right. Jabbar, you want to go first? Yeah, I don't mind. Oh, sorry. All right. Jabari, you want to go first?

Yeah, I don't mind. Sorry, real quick. Brian, start the clock. That's where it is. OK, now I am ready. All right, Molly, this or that, you can choose between two gentlemen. And those two gentlemen are Ja and Ant in a fantasy dunk contest

similar to the showdown that we saw in 2016. Gordon, first, Livia. Yeah, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I just want to just... Ant, yeah. Obviously. This has been like one of the big revelations for me this year. And I guess, I don't know if it was a revelation necessarily, but the fact that like the two best dunkers in the league both hate dunking,

Ja and Ant, were both like, yeah, no, oh, it hurts. That was very interesting. As someone who never has and never will dunk. Oh my God, you haven't dunked? Oh, you simply must, Molly. It's the best. Dunking is so fun.

Yeah, it really gave me a lot of respect for, I mean, I feel like it must hurt, but nobody ever admitted that it hurt. So the fact that people were just like yamming on people so hard for so long without being like just tears silently rolling down their eyes. Anyways, all right, so it's Ja over Ant. I feel like that would be a lot of fun. All right, you can pick any former Grizzlies legend to make a run with this current team. Who are you taking? Pao? Mark? Tony Allen? Zebo? I mean, it has to be Mark. I think that's peak gas hole Yeah, I mean add mark to this team there. They're going all the way. Yeah, they are Wow

Confidence in y'all at that point, but yeah, I was gonna say you pick mark over pal. That's interesting mark I have more range though, right? I don't know how old I am. Yeah, that is fair. That is fair. I Remember today pal was traded. All I grew up on marks, though. Yeah. Yeah. All right. All right. Keep it going. Now we got a bit of grizzly grizzlies trivia for you. No, it's not a problem if you don't get it. We just do it for fun.

OK. We'll bounce back and forth. All time franchise leader in games played. Oh, this is a multiple choice. No, it's not. Is it? Me. All time franchise leader in games played. Is it someone that I would have watched?

It is someone you would have watched. Is it Mike Conley? You got it. Wow. Seven eighty. All time franchise leader in triple doubles. Oh, triple doubles. Also someone you would have watched. Okay, um

mark No, no I mean hell you might still be watching a Molly. Oh is is it jaw? That makes sense That's crazy I was thinking of the Formers of the what? Oh of the four Yeah, I kind of it was kind of misleading because I said someone you would have seen I blame you I mean technically that is correct because you would have seen them maybe

Yesterday mark us all with five is second at all time. There you go. See, okay You got the second place. Yeah All right, Keeping it going. One more for you along these lines. All time franchise leader in rebounds per game. Vivo. He's sick. I think he's second. And it's per game.

Yeah, per game. Mark. Is now Mark. Is it someone I would watch? Is it once again? Yes, I made I did make sure of this. Wait, what was all you said? I made sure all of these guys are people that you would have seen.

Oh, is it Stephen? No. Why are Stephen Allen now? This one's hard. Jabari, what is OK? All time franchise. It's not Ziva. It's not Mark. Oh, my God. I'm like, what era was it? Like, I need initials or JV.

Okay. I was literally going to say, was it Jonas, Jonas Valentunas? I'm pissed. I was literally about to say that. There it is. We'll just cut out my head. Don't worry. Jonas Valentunas. Yes. Yes. That is amazing. From the logo. All right. You can go back and live one year as an NBA player and experience everything they experienced in that single year.

What player in year would you choose? Michael Jordan, 92, Michael Jordan, 88, Shaq 2000. I don't want to live 20 16 player that doesn't sound like you got to choose. Got to choose like Luke Longley during the second three-peat. That probably was pretty dope. Not a lot of pressure. I'm trying to get creative with it. Chandler Varsin's 2014 when he got to rob the Grizzlies and not contribute.

That is the answer. Money in the bank, literally and figuratively. That was not 2014. That's sweet. Yeah, the money in the bank. Living his best life. Literally and figuratively. That was not 2014. What year was that? I'm so bad at years, isn't that? That's okay. Whatever year. We all know what your reference is.

And finally, you get to choose the game of the week. We're giving you three games to choose from. I have no way of guessing which of these you're gonna pick. Friday, there are the Cleveland Cavaliers playing at the Memphis Grizzlies That's on lead past Saturday. We got the Knicks of the Warriors on ABC Sunday Thunder at bucks on ESPN Who should be who should we be watching? Honestly, none of those excite me like that much

Okay, let's not watch basketball this week guys Uh, honestly, none of those excite me like that much. Uh huh. Okay. Let's not watch basketball this week, guys. I'm actually binging severance right now. So maybe your severance next episode, we're going to talk about severance. See, I would say Grizzlies calves, but without Jaren, I don't want to say Grizzlies calves because that's not fair. Yeah, it's not. But but Grizzlies Cavs because Yeah It's not but but Grizzlies Cavs. What was it? Nicks? Who are they playing? Nicks at warriors?

That'll be but again, no runs in Injuries suck and then do thunder at bucks. Maybe that one let's go Thunder at bucks on ESPN on sund Sunday folks. You heard it here. That is your homework assignment. Molly Morrison. What a pleasure having you on miles and Jack. And sometimes Jabari got mad boosties. Uh, where can people find you, follow you all that good stuff? Find me Molly Hannah M on Twitter

and tick tock and TikTok and bluesky. Yeah. We'll use that now. And molly underscore Morrison on Instagram. And you might complete your report talking about that. Awesome. Amazing. Well, thank you so much for doing it.

Go Grizzlies. I feel like I need to end this on a positive Grizzlies note. I wasn't positive enough. Listen. Look, they might be used to people being negative on their team on this podcast. So I think we can allow it. Yeah. Go Grizzlies. Jabari, where can people find you? You can find me whooping that trick on Blue Sky.

Oh no. At Jabari Davidson, B.A. You can find me whooping that trick on blue sky. Oh no at barry davidson ba. Uh, i'm on twitter at jack underscore o'brien on blue sky at jack ob1 uh and you can search hashtag mad boosties for show links and updates and you can join the conversation on our discord and you can find the link for joining the discord when you search hashtag mad boosties b double o T I E S. That is gonna do it for us this week. Back next week with more NBA action. Have a great week everybody. I'll see y'all next week.

Hey. Bye. What's up everyone, it's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the king of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that. We're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents. The only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season from DJ's mock drafts to my top one on one free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday, keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL draft.

Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Are you hungry? Colleen Whit here and and Eating While Broke is back for season four every Thursday on the Black Effect Podcast Network. This season, we've got a legendary lineup serving up broke dishes and even better stories. On the menu, we have Tony Baker, Nick Cannon, Melissa Ford, October London, and Carrie Harper Howie turning Big Macs into big moves. Catch Eating While Broke every Thursday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeart Radio app, Apple

Podcasts, wherever you get your favorite shows. Come hungry for season four. Hi, I'm Bob Pipman, chairman and CEO of iHeart Media. I'm excited to introduce a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Magic, Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. I'm having conversations with some folks across a wide range of industries, to hear how they reach the top of their fields and the lessons they learned along the way that everyone can use.

I'll be joined by innovative leaders like Chairman and CEO of Elf Beauty, Tarang Amin. Legendary singer-songwriter and philanthropist, Jewel. Being a rock star is very fun, but helping people is way more fun. And Damian Maldonado, CEO of American Financing. I figured out the formula, you just have to work hard, then that's magic.

Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math, and the ever important creative spark, the magic. Listen to Math and Magic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Mark Seale. And I'm Nathan King. This is Leave the Gun, Take the Canole. The five families did not want us to shoot that picture.

This podcast is based on my co-host, Mark Seale's best-selling book of the same title. Leave the Gun, Take the Canole features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Cobola, Robert Evans, James Kahn, Talia Shire, and many others. Yes, that was a real horse's head. Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts.