The Daily Zeitgeist - MJGMB #160: Now Or Never Around the League with Warren Shaw

Episode Date: April 9, 2025

Miles and Jabari were pleased to be joined by 19 Media Group’s Warren Shaw for today’s episode. The three of them discussed the state of Warren’s Celtics, some surprising moves from playoff teams around the league and another fun round of ‘Contenders vs Pretenders’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Sam Mullins, and I've got a new podcast coming out called Go Boy, the gritty true story of how one man fought his way out of some of the darkest places imaginable. Roger Caron was 16 when first convicted. Has spent 24 of those years in jail. But when Roger Caron picked up a pen and paper, The postseason is just within reach, but we still have active playoff teams making shocking podcasts. and podcaster Warren Shaw on today's episode. Me, I'm Miles Gray. Wait, what's that you say?

Oh, well I'm Jabari Davis. Oh, with a check. And this is Miles and Jabari. God man, bullsh- I'm talking to you, Maurice. Donchich, D3, got it! And Luka Donchich hits 10K! There you go.

He's driving, spinning, fading, hitting. Batter number 18 has been secured. The Southanger NBA champions. Over the double team. Oh! Night, night! Yannis with the take, oh look out. No show time, what you got Yannis?

All right, Warren Shaw, owner of 19 Media Group, co-host of the Baseline NBA podcast, and host of Dope Interviews. Thank you for coming back to Miles and Jabari Got Mad Boosties. So many things to talk about, and we will get into them. But first, we've got to do a little bit of our homework. We've got to catch up. We had Games of the Week that we said, hey, do your homework,

because we're going to be talking about this. The first first one Friday's matchup nuggets at Warriors. Hmm. Oh This is getting so petty are What happened there did anything happen as a result or What I'm a yoke is put up 33 12 9. I mean, yeah, he was 17 from the floor. Nice. Okay. Okay. Steph Curry looked, man, I'm worried about he's, that's, he looks like a problem again. Like he always does. But yeah, I mean, obviously that ended in what, maybe 10 point loss?

Was it six, 10? 14 or so. 14, 10 to 14 points. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That did not end great. I mean, the other thing to every single player had a negative plus minus. That's tough. That's I mean, that's that's not just an indicator of like, you know, one thing going wrong.

It's kind of like just across the board, maybe sounds like systemic. Yeah, I agree with you. Matter of fact, a systemic call it a systemic issue. That's just me. Warren, did you catch that game? Little bit, little bit. But I'm not in the same vibe and mode as you are right now. That's fine, that's fine.

I mean, you had a wonderful stretch of March into early April and we'll get to that obviously. I think only two L's taken, yikes. But see, I think that's the thing. Before I have to confront the inevitability of the domination of the Celtics, I have to microdose a little bit, a hater aid, you know, and just watch the Nuggets because they've had our number.

But recently we've had theirs. And then also the other game we were watching, Lakers at OKC on NBA TV. Now that, that was interesting. That was, I thoroughly enjoyed that. I thoroughly enjoyed our shop making. I thoroughly enjoyed just the deep everything. It was a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful result, I would say. I would say.

So my question for Warren is obviously, you know, where we land on the Lakers andakers and you know a game like that it's going to restore some hope. You know they out rebounded them they defended well they actually defended the three-point line. You know you got people in you know around the Lakers you're in the run the fan base at least talking about you know making a run from the outside looking in. Do you think that's a blip on the radar or are these Lakers you know a live dog this year? No there there's a lot of healthy respect for this Lakers team and there should be, especially when you have two generational, literally generational players playing at the same time. It doesn't matter what part of LeBron generation we're in, he's still out here rocking and rolling. And like they see the bejesus out of me, you know, as a South expand to just know that they could have

some semblance of success and the way they handled OKC that night, that afternoon rather, was, was pretty damn impressive. So, you know, I don't want to write nobody off. I'm, I'm, I'm a little nervous. I'm a little uneasy. And before you even asked me, the best thing for me is y'all to get the Warriors at the first round and one of y'all got to die. Yeah. I think that's what every, every, a lot of us are just being like, I just need this first round to work out for me personally. And that would, yeah, that's what you want to see.

You're like, yeah, can the two monsters I'm scared of just fight it out and then whatever ends up surviving? Yeah, I'll take that one. I'll take that one. But yeah, the Nuggets. Do we, I think that Minnesota game happened after, right? We recorded last week. Oh, Lordy Lord. I think that Minnesota game happened after, right? It did. We recorded last week. It did.

Oh, Lordy Lord. So my goodness, that double OT loss, I remember, I think you texted me and you're like, hey, Jokic putting up, but he's having a 60 point triple double in what I'm pretty sure is about to be an overtime loss. And that ending was surreal. Just have fun, guys.

Just have fun. Oh, Russell, fun, guys. Just have fun. Oh, Russell, Russell, Russell. Make a legend. That, to not finish at one end of the court and then give up that foul to send him to the line, it made my, like, I was having, like, cause we, I think, know deeply the chaos that Russell Westbrook can bring.

I even felt it deeply in my bones. And did you see that one, people isolated the angle of the Timberwolves bench, right, in that last stretch, from them like putting hands on foreheads after he missed that layup, to then the foul and people truly like melting. I was like, oh, this, I was like,

this is, this is what hurts to even watch, to be honest. Listen, from the outside looking in, you know, just looking from basketball plays, you see something like that happens. And I mean, and to a to a nicer guy or to the best guy, depending on your on your your viewpoint, so to speak. But it historic, historic triple double firm from your kids just for that to kind of go to waste. And then a couple of nights later, I don't want to get too far ahead.

He puts up another thing against Indiana. They lose again. Like, well, well, miles, you're going to be microdosing for a little while, brother. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got to make sure I'm not. It's not a macro. But just to be clear there, because obviously this is going to come across as like, oh, we're dancing on Russell Westbrook. I don't know. I still don't have a problem with Westbrook.

I only dislike his fans that made it seem as though the Lakers ruined him. And he was, you know, it was all good once he went to the Clippers and then it wasn't and it was all good once he went to the Nuggets. And now it's not again. And it was, that's all I'm saying. I think, well, cause the ups and downs, especially in the last few years of his career has been a mix of like, I want you to do well, man. I was having fun.

But then he gets on your team and you're like, Russell, no. And it becomes very frustrating. But yeah, which brings us to our next story because what's his record with coaches getting fired after he's played on their team? It's like what happened in Houston. It happened in LA.

Ty Loo obviously safe. Wait, wasn't Scott Brooks the coach in Washington that year or was that after? Oh, might've been also. I feel like he did play for me. All I'm saying is it's, I'm not to say one's connected to the other, but it might be ominous when you do sign him

of something that might be happening on the team. But either way, that brings us to the fact that now Mike Malone and the GM Calvin Booth are both out in Denver. Just wait, there's games to play still. I don't understand this. And it war, please, please jump in here. I don't understand the timing of this.

What, what is ha like, I'm, this is the biggest question, Mark. I have you have must win games coming up and you're like, nah, vlog it, let's just see where this thing goes. Yeah, I'm just like, I'm not, obviously, I'm the last person to be a Mike Malone defender, but I am very, I'm, this is where I am ignorant and I do not understand what the Cronkies are thinking, unless it relates to Arsenal Football Club, in which case they're doing fine, but what, Warren,. But Warren, what's happening? No, nobody has any clue at this stage and anybody who would tell you that they do would be lying.

I think, you know, you would have to talk to the Nuggets ownership specifically to get real insight into what's happening here. I just want to say for me, this is going down as one of the more bizarre seasons of my generation, like? Like by far and away. And I, I'm not one fry verbally and, you know, over exaggerations, but there's just been some weird ish that has happened, especially the second half of the season since the turn of the year of 2025. And to do this with a team that is basically a year or a year and change removed from an NBA championship is just F and bananas.

And if you're the Nuggets fan base, you're just sitting here scratching your head. Yeah, he graded on people and yeah, he yelled and so forth and so forth. But as you alluded to three games before you get into what is supposed to be another playoff run with the best player in basketball, would you get on your roster? Like, I don't know, brothers. I know because one version here is like, well, you know, Booth and Malone, they didn't get along. They were talking trash behind each other's backs constantly and there was a lot of conflict. Other people were like, well, Booth's strategy around drafting was not really, it didn't

really reconcile that with Malone wanting to have veterans around and things like that. But like there were just so many errors. Like they let players go that they didn't replace. You're putting people on like maxed out contracts like that. But like there were just so many errors. Like they let players go that they didn't replace. You're putting people on like maxed out contracts for that. It just, there was just, I don't know, a lot of mistakes. And it's hard to even say like, yeah, you got to do that. Although the fans seem to be calling for blood by the time of that Pacers loss.

They were like, something's gotta have, something needs to change. The way you just laid that out and bear with me here, this is a lost reference. It reminds me of that episode of it reminds me of that episode of entourage That episode of entourage where the squire brothers end up having to get fired because they simply can't you know, they can't coexist Right, like that's it for whatever reason, you know, that's just crazy to me Like if it happened at the end of the year, OK, fine. Like that's you know, that's fair.

But like to go into the postseason and say, no, we're fine. Stay at the house. I don't know. But but I mean, I think to you, to both your points, it's it's usually one or the other ownership governorship. Sorry, they usually pick a side. Right. So like, you know, like both of you out here. That sends the organization to even further chaos and dissension Especially if you're players in that locker room, I cannot wait like I haven't like said just get home haven't dove into it

I don't know what the players are gonna say and what their real thoughts are You know, you'll catch is just that he's gonna not give you much But there will be some guys who might be a little bit more verbose and some of those younger guys come like, yeah What the hell just happened here? Right, right? Um, it's I'm just scratching my head cuz I mean Yokech is a Malone guy, right. I'm just scratching my head, because I mean, Jokic is a Malone guy, right? Like he likes, yeah, it seemed like that was fine. But then when you also, I felt like for the last few months, we kept seeing this thing being hammered in the media

over and over again of like, oh, he has nobody around him that's at his level at all. And this feels bad that this guy is putting in performances like this without any kind of tangible result in terms of a winning record or, you know, adding wins to the record. And then you're like, so what is it? Is it a Yocca just frustration? Because I feel like after that, that Lakers loss that I truly believe set off this whole downward spiral, because what are the,

what's their record again since then? A 10 and 12 since that one. Not great. When we, when on. Not great, not great. Even though they beat us again. But like seeing his, Jokic's words after that, he's like, we just gotta want it more. I don't know, again, we were also saying, is he over his teammates? Is he just being a practical sort of leader

and just being really honest and holding himself to account? Does he want absolutely new people around him? But that's gonna, that's a complex operation when you have one of the best players of all time and you're fumbling that bag. I, the only thing that I can see, and again, the timing is the only thing

that doesn't make sense, but the only way I can see it is they look at the O'Kish and they say, how much more great, how many more years of greatness do we have? Whether that's three years or five years or whatever the case may be We're not wasting another second of it So right if at the end of the at the end of this run, they did that again I actually would have understood

But you know what like kind of to Warren's point This has been an absolutely crazy year around the league and I guess this is you know, this just makes sense. So What like what is the move here? Like if they say, you know what, we need to win now. We need to win yesterday. What is even the most idealized version of what this off season looks like to get there? And is one version just saying,

yo, we're letting the league know. We just canned the GM and the head coach. This might be, just so you know, we're open to some people coming to play with Nicola Jokic, just so you know, I don't like, I'm just trying to help me make sense more like, what do you think that that could mean? Or even again, what is the ideal sort of next phase? I'm going to just take us back briefly.

I think, you know, to the Memphis situation and right where like ownership must be thinking like time is of the essence. We have some summons of a runway this year to make a change effort. Let's just do it. And I think what's and I don't want to get all, you know, soft and sappy with a case to me, but there's a real psychological aspect to the players who are impacted by the voices in the locker room here that I don't think is being considered.

So that's where I think they've overshot this, even if they feel like, well, we need to do it now because we have an opportunity right now. It's kind of BS if you ask me. And if they're going to do something long term, obviously, you're not trading Joker himself, then you're looking at the larger contracts of Murray, which you probably shouldn't have resigned to a max anyway, especially with how you looked after the Olympics. But they love eat out of shot. And then the larger contracts of Michael Porter, Jr., who has been listed in trade rumors previous to this guys like Aaron Gordon

and Christian Brown, like they're like, that's not going to really get you anything. And they know that without doing a deep dive into what the draft capital is right now, it's some of those larger contracts. But I think other teams they will find are going to be hesitant. Like no one's going to. Yeah. Like Murray, Murray has his flashes like let's like I call a spade a spade. Like just like he has he has issues. And then Michael Porter Jr.

has his issues have subsided in terms of those injuries. But you're not going to be able to get top quality or top tier draft picks. So these are one of those guys. So you're kind of stuck in limbo. And that's where I guess where they feel like, well, we can't do anything. Well, let's change the leadership. And maybe that will give us a boost in the locker room to propel us forward. I don't know, Miles. I mean, it's wild.

They got they got a good piece of Nicola Yogi. I'd say that that's a piece right there. Hey, and I would say, you know, bring him home. Yeah, come on. Come on home. Come on home, Nicola. Come on home. Look, I said that about Luca jokingly last year. But look, Warren, stranger things have happened. Have happened.

But yeah, it's, I'm, yeah, I just don't know. Like even I get that, like the other thing, yeah, the morale question is huge. I don't know what this does to these players or they're just like, you know what, man, like we weren't really going to go that deep anyway. And maybe people stay healthy or something. I just, it's, it's very hard to understand. And I just don't, I'm not sure what they're, I just don't understand the calculus of it because you have Jokic who's

dying for support, but this doesn't seem the best way to sort of arrive at that destination. Where you just landed is kind of where, you know, I was listening to like as many analysts as I could about, cause I, I'll be honest with you, it came as such a shock. I thought, okay, is something going on that I don't know? I know that they've been struggling on defense, but there has to be more. Friend of the show, Jason Temp, no big deal. His opinion on it was it indicates that they just don't believe like that. It is clear in that locker room and around that organization that the belief in their capabilities to win this year is just not there. So if that's it, I mean, if ultimately that's the case, I guess you go ahead and you do

it. But yeah, that's a crazy, crazy day for Denver Nuggets fans. But is that a punch or barry? Is that more or less saying that guy, well, we don't care. So fire the coach now and whatever the morale be be danged. Apparently so. Or maybe it was OK. And it's a complete speculation.

But if it's that toxic, maybe it is like, OK, you know what? They can figure like the assistant or somebody else can figure this out for now and we'll reset in the offseason because we're going to have some sort of blow up. Like for them to make this decision, it had to have been at that point between those two. Yeah, exactly. And they must truly feel that like, man, Mike Malone cannot get a tune out of these guys at all. Like at all. And maybe that is, maybe from their perspective, they're like, the second this guy's out, these guys will start to breathe again. Like, cause they look, I mean, the way he's, he's like, he's ruthless as a coach. And you feel like some of those players are shook

trying to be like, don't mess up in front of the coach, man. I wanna play. Whatever. We need some sort of insider, man. Like get us, you know, the locker room guy, the equipment manager, somebody. Somebody tell us. You know what I mean?

Somebody spy them. What's the mascot name, Rocky? Hey, what have you heard? What are you hearing around the tie melts? Exactly. And look, and you don't have to use verbal language with me. You can just kind of gesture and like draw, do drawings and we can do charades. Awesome, pictionary.

I'll respect that. Yeah. Yeah, I will respect canonically that you do not speak. 100. You know what I mean? But give us the T, please. Love it. Love it. All right, let's take a quick break. We'll come back and talk about the Celtics. Love it. All right. Let's take a quick break. All right. We'll come back and talk about the Celtics

Oh, yes, man. Yeah, because March March was only one loss, right? Okay, see feeling good. Yeah. Okay. See came in there and wiped this up Was one I can remember because there were only two last month and nearly a half All right. We'll be right back and talking the state of the Boston Celtics right after this. 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 DJs 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 on the iHeart radio 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.

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 going to 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

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and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. And we're back. So the Boston Celtics, Vegas, still thinks the defending champs have these second best odds. Okay, that makes sense. I mean, like the Cavs in Boston are still pretty much the runaway teams right there in the East. Makes a lot of sense. This would be the first franchise back to back since 68, 69.

That record though though that record. I mean this this last Since what beginning of March? Two losses both without Chris Stapp's prisingis and jewel holiday at least for one. Yeah for one. Yeah Yeah, think again. I remember a few weeks ago We were talking about how the three-point shooting is so good that we're about to have three players break the franchise record With many games to go has Tatum also broken it? Cause Derek White and Peyton Pritchard. Three away, three away from also breaking it, which is ridiculous. Okay. So he needs three more three-pointers and then he too will now break. Okay. So

the previous Very, very, very, very big season. Warren, you're looking at this. This is good momentum. Things are, they're just, they're locking in at the right time as we get to the business end of things. Feeling good. Yeah, I mean, that's the best. The best way to say, I think really and truly this team has looked mediocre at times, you know, December and specifically was was rough in parts of January. But, you know, Przingus took took some time to get himself back into proverbial shape.

They have, you know, quietly, you know, rested him kind of throughout where he probably could have played. Then he had this really strange illness. You know, in February, he was out a bunch of games for there, too. But when he's out there and holidays out there and white is out there and all those guys will drew and person gets a missed the most amount of time. This team has looked like like the defending champions. So where, you know, I think all all team fan bases get a little worried, a little concern and you know, you want always them to optimize. But people who really understand as I listen,

this team is kind of coasting. They don't need to win 66 games or whatever it was like, like they don't they still need that. And while the Cavs came out here, like, you know, gangbusters Boston has been kind of quietly just kind of like getting it, getting their stuff together. And now to be at this point in the season where we are, where they actually still technically tie, Cleveland still has not somehow clinched the East yet completely with the number one seed shows you just the depth that Boston has had,

especially when they've been at the height of their power. So I credit Joe Missoula for just kind of keeping things like, hey, just riding the ship as necessary. It hasn't been a great year for Sam Houser and some of those other guys? But this Boston team is rolling and they look like the juggernauts that they were last year. Like, do you feel better about them having seen what you saw last year, even though you know that the competition may be, you know,

may be stiffer in this room? There's there's a little bit more confidence, right? Like like anything else, like you have to see it one time, you know, and this is a team that hadn't gotten over the hump, had kind of blown a lot of games and just kind of like them, they let things slip through their fingers. Now they have the opportunity to understand. So even with a stiffer competition in the Eastern Conference with Cleveland and New York to a lesser degree as well, too, it's like, all right,

there's a certain level of trust you have in this team as long as they can stay healthy. I will say that the shining difference here is I don't think they can lose poor Zingas for an extended period like they did last year and have the same results. He is really the key to the ultimate level of success for Boston. So while they're able to, you know, get past Miami and then get past was Atlanta or whoever it was. I even remember what happened last year or whatever. Like you know, it's just like work.

Sorry, not Atlanta, Cleveland. And then ultimately Indiana. That's again, they will need porzingis, a healthy porzingis, a healthy drew holiday in essence to be the best versions of themselves. Otherwise, the East could be a lot more challenging than they than they saw last year. Yeah, I mean, it also feels like just like you're saying that that sort of wobbly run at the end of the year, beginning of the year. If that was even somewhat normal, like I feel like you guys would have been even your record would be very close, if not better than last season, too.

Like that just again puts it all into perspective. Like how still I still feel like there's not much has been lost there. If anything more is gained because you have KP playing a lot more consistently. I'm interested from your standpoint, though, right? Because I obviously follow the team fairly closely. What? And there's some people who say people who say this is a very deep team. I don't think they're that deep Hey, you know me I look it's like my I think what people mean by that specifically is they have so many different guys that can feel like look there's three point shooting team

And they have so many different guys that can you know that could knock that down So like when you're a team like like say the Lakers prior to last couple of years, last year, right? If you had one guy, you were happy about it. Or maybe if you had two, you're feeling real good about it. The Celtics can put out an entire lineup of guys that can knock it down. So like that is crazy. But in terms, but that is an excellent point in terms of their ultimate depth. You know, and of course, you're not wishing anything negative upon any team

at this point in this point in the game, especially. But like, yeah, if someone were to go down, I would be a little bit worried. I would be much more worried for you. So I think that was an excellent point. And Jalen Brown was dealing with some nagging knee thing right now as well, too. So he's got to have to kind of keep an eye on that. He's a trooper. He's going to continue to play through things because that's just who he is.

And he understands the gravity of what they are ultimately trying to do. But for me, I've always been like, well, I wish they would have just a little something else to kind of shore up the wing, you know, kind of just just in case. And it doesn't need to be like this, you know, 25 point per game guy, because that doesn't exist coming off your bench. But just somebody who could give you a little bit more wiggle, you know, off that. And I don't think that's going to be Torrey Craig or even a guy like Baylor Sharman. You know, I mean, that's going deep dive for some folks here.

But I mean, I don't know if Sharman will even make the playoff roster. But but I just wish they would have had something else there. But because they have so much interchangeability, we know through their lineup where Holliday can play up and White can even play up if need be, like, you know, up to to the three position, that's where they feel like, all right, maybe we don't need all that depth. But I just wish they would have had something else. But this team is is obviously very, very strong.

Well, to that point, wasn't Lonnie Walker on the roster earlier this year? And I'm not calling him a savior of any kind, but look, I've I've personally watched him have a very solid postseason performance, even if it was a singular one, I've watched that happen. So like, you know, how come they didn't, you know, why do you think they weren't interested in him? It was just a numbers game, you know, because Tatum and Brown play. They also play heavy minutes.

So but I will I would like I was surprised that, you know, they let Lonnie go. He goes overseas, comes back, science with Philadelphia. You know, and he's doing all right over there in Philly. And I think he's like he's like kind of like the perfect guy, you know, for that for that last roster spot, you know, they're they're they're trying to develop a guy like time when they're trying to develop a Drew Peterson as well, too, you know, from the main team as well. And sure, you know, they're they're they're trying to develop a guy like Charm and they're trying to develop a Drew Peterson as well, too, you know, from the main team as well. And sure, sure.

But there's nothing like a proven veteran, if you will. And again, I think we all kind of like Lonnie Walker. But there's some people who like the idea of Lonnie Walker and then what life actually really is, you know, at times. And I think I'm in the probably like the idea better than maybe what he really provides. But I think from a depth standpoint, it could have been a solid move to kind of keep somebody like that on this roster, especially behind Tatum and Brown. That was it.

We had a good run with Lonnie, didn't we? That one when he was Lonnie Walker, the fourth quarter, the fourth quarter. Exactly. Oh, good times. Good times. I'm glad you do not cheer for an organization where we would really have to hold on to that. But yes, that was a fun moment. He also has the most consistent smile in a roster for the point that I'm glad you do that to your foreign organization where we would really have to hold on to that. But yes, that was a fun moment. He also has the most consistent smile in a roster photo to the point that I'm wondering

if they are just photoshopping different jerseys on him. They're just like throwing it right over. Yep. Like look at this one between these two from the Celtics to the Sixers. I'm like, is this the same photo? The same photo. Shout out to Google for that. They just photoshopped the jersey on him, right?

Okay. I was like, if this man is able to hit the angle so accurately with the same expression, sign him up for modeling. I don't know what it is, but sign him up. Okay, just looking at this post-season run, is there any kind of nightmare scenario for y'all? Is there someone you are shooketh by or someone you're like i'd

rather not obviously you have all the confidence in the world defending champions but is there what's what's the nightmare scenario and what's the ideal scenario uh well listen the seltzes have kind of exercised some demons against uh this orlando team i don't I don't love night. Listen, I'm not afraid. I just don't love it. We've we've we've had we've had some trouble with, you know, their size. You know, then you got guys get Isaac and Ben Caro and and why like I said, they're just all very, very rangy or kind of across and the Celtics have struggled with those types of things. So it could be a harder first series potentially than they would potentially want to be dealing with But the rest of the East isn't really

Figured out in any way capacity as well to Atlanta beat Boston twice this year as well So I mean like those first round max again not scared. Are you just like ah, I mean, but they're getting around it Yeah, you know and the last thing I'll say about like it comes with first round because there really no great options Get another series with Miami. There's just the lore of Miami that annoys Boston people to no end. So those three potential matchups in the first round is like, again, yeah, we should beat them, should not, you know, not be much of a series. But it could be like a hard five games.

You know what I mean? As a person, like, hey, we just need to run in through them one way or the other. Then you look at the rest of the East. I mean, you know, they've handled the Knicks very, very well. So I'm not really concerned about what the Knicks bring to the table there. But Indiana also gives Boston a lot of problems. Beat us twice again, this year as well too.

They just run and race up and down the floor. So to me, if you end up in some semblance of that, Indiana cannot climb up, you know, to get into that second round. So you wouldn't see them until our conference finals potentially. But ultimately, climb up, you know, to get into that second round so you wouldn't see them until conference finals potentially. But ultimately I think, you know, if the Knicks somehow, you know, don't do well in their first round. Again, I think even what Detroit brings to a lesser degree, make the series harder. Not again. I want to reiterate, not something that's going to

threat, but just makes it harder. But you feel like against a Detroit team, if there are somehow to upset the Knicks, Detroit is just like so inexperienced. But ultimately for me, you know, the biggest nightmare is one of those first round teams with all the history that Boston has with all three of them in terms of Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, all three of those could be, it could be problematic in the first round. So you heard it here first, folks. What that means? What that means is if you were an anti-Boston guy, if you're the local on the show, you

know, shout out to you, Jack, and you want to see the Celtics go down, it's probably not going to happen like in a shocking sense, but it's got to be death by a thousand cuts. So stiff, you know, stiff competition throughout getting bruised every round. Yeah. Get to the finals and the Lakers go ahead and take y'all out. I understand. There you go. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah then we signed Nicola Jokic in the off season. Baby, you couldn't write a better script for me to go to fantasy town. All right, let's move on because Warren, we do respect your acumen in looking at basketball teams, looking at the horizon, looking at the teams out there.

We've been doing a segment the last couple of weeks, contender versus pretender. And in some cases, chicken tender. If you feel that contender or pretender doesn't fit. And maybe this is more better described as a crispy, delicious, unctuous piece of chicken meat. And there's no disrespect there. The chicken tender is a noble piece of food. No disrespect to me, but it rhymes also. And that's why we did it. So contender versus pretender, we've had the following, the calves contenders, Clippers, chicken tenders,

Pacers, dino nuggies, Nuggets, Burt, dino nuggies. Okay, Wolves, pretenders, dubs, contenders, but with a side of your favorite dipping sauce. Thank you so much for that Jabari. But let's take a look now at some obvious ones and some hopefuls just to get your assessment here Warren Shaw Boston Intender mm-hmm thousand percent easily. Yeah, okay. Okay. Just want to make sure Keep it a buck. Yeah

Okay contender, uh, what about the cat? No, sorry the Rockets pretender. I'm not gonna I ain't gonna I ain't gonna nugget them But but okay there there. Yeah, they're they're not ready. Fifteen and two over the last 17. Doesn't count. They need some more season in my guy. Like they need to get those get those get those playoff bruises as you all were talking about. Like I just I got to see it to believe. But again, they're going to be hard out. Yeah, sure. Yeah. I mean, they had look, that's that's they had a pretty easy run.

Well, not in the light. No disrespect. But that wasn't the the most difficult run of games, was it? The Warriors begrudgingly. Oh, no, no, I'm standing on business. Pretend I don't believe this. Oh, I don't believe that. Talk, Warren. I don't I don't.

We don't believe you, Jimmy. You still think. Yeah. I think there's a there's a lot of juice that Jimmy has obviously brought to this, to this, to this organization. And I think Draymond is kind of like willing it into existence since the All-Star game that we're going to contend for an NBA championship or whatever. But I think similarly to what we said in the kind of the outset is that they're going to end up in a first or second round matchup

that is maybe a little bit above their their punching class. And even if again, they get through, they probably get battered and bruised to Ultimately not get to the to the promised land. I just can't see it with this roster Myles stop you if you heard this the Dubs are as great as Steph is on a given night and that's not shade Several recent games he's been dominant. They are 52 the other night 37 36. They look incredible Then he has a stinker against against the Rockets He shoots one for ten doesn't ever really him you'll make an impact on the game and you know We see what takes place that that's not to say the hell out of him. I guess they did a blitz like he

It was rap city. He had no space and yes That's a young plucky Rockets team that has the horses in essence to do that But again as you alluded to if if he ain't cooking, then it's rhapsody for that team. It's rhapsody because his shooting was in the basement. OK. Shout out to ET. You know, just just some light turn of the century, I see you like turn of the century.

BT references. OK, we're going to have hits from the street back on the next episode. Cameron count his money while he's flowing for you. Hits come on the show, baby. We need you. And finally, Warren, the Lakers just to get your take their temperature real quick. Yeah. Oh man. I will, I will, I will not not I will not cave in the way that I would order. No, they want to. I will give you guys the the the nod of contenders here.

Oh, no. OK. You want to be beyond all hell. But I think when people got Luca and it was, oh, well, it's going to take some time. They don't have it. Oh, and then Mark Williams thing, you know, backs away so forth and so forth. I just think it was overlooking and maybe just flat out hate and understanding. Yes, these are generational geniuses playing together. And yes, the defense can be suspect at times, but I think there's there's this aspect of situational defense I talk about a lot of time.

Like, hey, if you can start to clamp up, you know, you keep the game close and you clamp up the last six minutes of the fourth quarter or whatever it is, you can see a lot of things, especially with Luca and LeBron, you know, on your roster. I mean, they make Jack guys like Jackson Hayes who's, you know, probably should be a journeyman for all intents and purposes. I know you make him look like a viable NBA player. It's yeah, it's, it's wild.

So they said, y'all make me a little bit nervous, but you know, I'll give y'all contender route. Okay. That's fair. Look, that's why Warren, you are our most respected Boston fan. You know, exactly. That's love. That's love. That's love. I mean, we, we only respect one. It's a small club. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Shout out Josh Gondelman. Shout out Alicia too. You know, you know, from our Boston too.

Yeah, yeah, we have a couple people, you know. But that's it. That's it. Small club. It's a small club. All right. Cool, cool, cool. All right. Let's take another quick break and we come back. Warren Shaw, it's time for the fourth quarter rapid fire round of questioning right after this. 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 on the iHeart radio 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 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 going to be, well, it's going to 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. 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. Hey, this is Mel Reed, LPGA Tour winner and six time Lady Geo-Bean Tour winner. And Kira K. Dixon, NBC Sports reporter and host. You forgot to say All My Miss America, by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please, with Mel. And Kira, we are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haves, and interviews

with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their superpower. Or just people we like. Plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, brads, and chads. Yeah, it's actually life's cheat code, and we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle Wee, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baleotis. So if you want to keep up with us and here's YAP, tune into our new podcast.

Listen to Quiet Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. And we're back. Warren Shaw, you are a respected fan of the Celtics. We respect you as a person, as an analyst, but now it's time to enter the zone of disrespect. It's the fourth quarter round of rapid fire questioning. We're gonna ask you a question. Just act quick, don't think, keep it moving.

If you hold the segment up, we will be rude. And I tried to rap like one of those SoundCloud kids. That's not really rapping, but with me talking. I felt it. Bars. They're getting away with it. I hate to be an old head. We were just talking about Rap City, the basement hits from the street, but these kids ain't

rapping. No. They're not. I think everybody's like, no. I don't want to win. I want to win. I'm going to win. I'm going to win.

I'm going to win. I'm going to win. I'm like, what? Okay. The what? No. You did sound like somebody that I don't listen to. I know listen to

Anyway, this is called the old head basketball rap podcast, but it's time for the fourth correct Friday rather questioning Warren Shaw You know the deal. Here we go. Are you ready? It's her Brian start the clock started This is gonna go quick you want to go first should I go first? I don't know how you feeling about it Warren Which one of us should go first? Yeah Okay, that was quick. That was quick and I take that as disrespect. I will I will get you know, yeah, okay I see you saw now. It's not a warrant most or more dominant player Tatum in birds era or bird today Bird today and why today. And why?

That's the answer. Mentality. Yeah. Yeah. Mm hmm. Bird Bird at any time in the league. Give me that. And I know I just you want to see it. Yeah, you got to see it.

You got to see it. This is from someone that used to cry actual tears. Same about about Larry Bird. to cry actual tears. Same. About Larry Bird. Same. Same. Actual tears about how much I hated his guts. But yes, give me all.

But you gotta see it. You gotta see it. And an all time trash talker. I mean, come on. Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. And Warren, I'm about to talk some trash to you because we need to keep this thing moving, man.

Thanks for trying to sneak that last comment in. We're keeping this going. Warren, you can pick any former Celtics. Yeah, man. Thanks for trying to sneak that last comment in. I'm keeping this going. Warren, you can pick any former Celtic. Yeah, exactly. You can pick any former Celtics legend to make a run with this current squad, except for the aforementioned Larry Bird, because we are that that's I want to see that to anybody else. KG, KG. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

I mean, no, it's funny when you're wrestled. You know, when you have teams that are that understand though. But yeah, no, it is. Wow. Like it's only a few teams where you like any player and then you just say one of their greats. You're like, yeah, of course you're going to get that kind of one of the best. Yeah, that's a good I would love to see. I would love to see KG play with these dudes because it's I love His commentary about these guys right now. I would love to see that energy on the court

mic'd up zoomed in Documentary now. Thank you. He hyping up Porzingis Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Woo! Picking his chest. Oh, my heart. Oh, my heart, bro. That's what your boy would be saying. Oh, yeah. Oh, man.

All right, keep it going, keep it going. Seize trivia here for you. Who do you think their all-time franchise leader in triple doubles is? Triple double? Holy hell. Exactly. Antoine Walker.

He's number six on the list with 13. Six? Let's see how many you can hell. Exactly. Uh, Antoine Walker. He's number six on the list with 13. Let's see. Let's see how many you can get. Yeah, he's got six on the list of 13. He's six Rondo. He is four with 22. Oh, my God. I triple doubles.

Oh, cool. It's all the people you think. Number one, 59 of them things. Wow. Number guy. He has like seven and a half of this at some point in the system. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's I guess that's probably more obvious than that I'm giving it credit for.

Number two is someone I have disrespected in your presence on several occasions. Pierce. No, well, yeah, that's that's just he's number seven on this. You got me. I don't know. Old school. Go old school. Old. You got one hand. One hand on one hand. Who are you talking about?

Bob Cousy. I don't know if you were keeping the record back then. Yeah. 33. Just cleaning it up. John Havlick's third 31. You know, the engine run Rondo 22. Bill Russell, it was 17. Wow. That's what's up. Yeah. Learn somethingondo. Twenty two Bill Russell, 17. Wow. That's what's up. Yeah.

Learn something today. Yeah. Thank you for this. Boosie's bonus. Oh, best guess. How many times has Larry Bird scored 40 or more points? Forty two. Whoa. Close. Damn close. That's very close.

The answer. Forty seven. And close. That was very close. The answer, 47. And Warren. OK, OK. I wasn't familiar with your game, young man. I respect you. I respect that. I respect that. I respect that.

I knew you were all right when you were making Rapp City references. You sir. I knew you were good people. What about some bonus bonus? Can you? Oh, OK, Arvidis. Exactly. The bonuses of the bonus. Give us how many Tatum has 40 point games. Yep. And is it higher or lower?

I think it's slightly lower. It is lower. I'm going to say 37. Still close. 29. Oh, he's not. Yeah. I was surprised by that, to be honest. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I scored like high thirties to. Yes. That's a point. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I mean I scored in like high 30s too. Yes Yeah, yeah, they feel like he's sitting in the fourth quarters of a lot of these games over the last couple years at least Yeah, they're feeling like 40s. You know what I mean? Yeah, if you go by this for 36, maybe we get there

Exactly. Exactly. Well Warren Shaw. Thank you for joining us. But before you go, you have to help us pick the game of the week That's the game we're gonna watch all are going to watch so we can talk about it briefly up top of the next show. Our options are here's what we have on the menu on Thursday, we have the Cavs at Pacers on TNT, Friday, Houston at Lakers on NBA TV, and Sunday Clippers at Warriors are your local or league pass. The most important game will probably be Clippers Warriors Sunday, honestly, just by virtue of where they're all like, and they're like some sort of crazy five way ties.

I know, right? Is it like four through eight? So like it could potentially have some kind of weird tiebreaker if they had identical records or something. I thought it was something like that. Yeah, I think the Clippers can control their destiny to like maintain in that five position or get as high as four, I think potentially. So yeah, Clippers Warriors by their destiny to like maintain in that in that five position or get as high as four

I think potentially so yeah Clippers Warriors by far and away of those three and Cavs and Pacers. No, no, thanks. I'm good Fantastic well Warren Shaw again, thank you so much for joining us on miles and Jabarga man Boosties Where do the people find you follow you take in your work take in your genius? You are gentlemen and scholars I appreciate you can follow me at Shaw Sports NBA still kind of rocking out on next a little bit I know I need a whole lot over the blue sky donate me but definitely follow the baseline of my guy Kelly and what we're doing over there especially with the great and the mighty 19 media group as well to 19 media group.com brothers thank you so so much guys are amazing. Always great having you you can follow us.

I'm on Twitter. Everything. If there's an at symbol search Miles of Gray, I'm there. And on Twitter, I think I'm I think I'm still Jibari. I think I'm pretty sure. Get it together. What is it? This is true. I need to.

Well, because I've changed it a couple of times, but then when because the league tweets it out, I was like, oh, I need to actually change that back. So I think it's Jabari A. Davis, and then on Blue Sky, it's Jabari Davis NBA, for old school's sake. I will say, I will confirm now, you are Jabari A. Davis over there on Twitter. And look, you can follow the hashtag

madboosties, B-double-O-S-D-I-E-S, that's where you find show links, updates, and that's how you join the conversation on the Discord server. Again, all of that is very much available. If you just search the hashtag, MadBoosties, that is gonna do it for us this week. We'll be back next week.

Oh, you can't just one step closer, baby, to the postseason, the business end. And maybe all my dreams will be fulfilled or I will be a crumbling mess of pathetic emotion because I had deluded myself into believing that the Lakers were somehow infallible. Stay tuned to see which option we get. It will be thrilling. We'll talk to you then. 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 DJs mock drafts to my top one on one free agents. We'll 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 on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Sam Mullins, and I've got a new podcast coming out called Go Boy, the gritty true story of how one man fought his way out of some of the darkest places imaginable.

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Now more than ever, we need to use our voices to fight back. Part of the power of black queer creativity is the fact that we got us, you know? We are the greatest culture makers in world history. Listen to Fighting Words on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows

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