The Daily Zeitgeist - MJGMB #99: Suns, MVPs and Cavs with Lina Washington

Episode Date: February 8, 2024

Miles and Jack were very pleased to be joined by Emmy-award winning sports anchor Lina Washington for today's episode! The trio discussed a wide variety of topics including Lina's Suns ahead of the deadline, the blazing hot Cavs and Knicks, and general trade deadline talk!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm Keri Champion, and this is Season 4 of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. Every great player needs a foil. I know I'll go down in history. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Listen to the making of a rivalry.

Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. I'm Keri Champion, and this is Season 4 of Naked Sports. Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark vs. Angel Reese. People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's basketball.

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Hey! Well, well, well. Episode 99. Guess what? We are here. The doctor said it couldn't be done. i think it's just funny how the listeners they were all talking to each other about how we'd never make it to 99 they said we never make it they died and it's just amusing to me is all yeah but here we are

buckle up because benjamin will be in town for the next one. But anyway, we're here to talk the NBA trade deadline. The Cavs, they're the hottest thing in town. And by town, I mean the league. And also some NBA. Oh, you're really gritting those teeth. MVP talk. And we've got to talk about the Suns with today's guest, Lena Washington. On today's episode, I'm Miles Gray.

And I'm Jack O'Brien. And this is Miles and Jack got mad boosties. Donchich, deep three. Got it. And Luka Donchich hits 10K. There you go. And the driving, spinning, fading, hitting. LeBron's got it with five.

He's going to try another three. Mr. LeBron James. Giannis with the take. Uh-oh, look out. A little showtime. What you got, Giannis? Lena Washington, thank you so much for joining us. Look, you're classing the join up, like I said last time.

Emmy Award winning sports anchor and reporter for 12 news again listeners in your face you said she couldn't do it you said we couldn't have an emmy award winning sports and we just did and look we did that look at you now you look like fools they said i wonder what would happen if y'all never made it to 100 podcasts yeah and we still might not we'll never know well we better manifest the 100 the big wow thank you that's amazing so important because after this one you have to come back you honor us yeah yeah or do we just put the mics down we're like hey we did it yeah what do you say that would be a good way to go out. Yeah.

Just like in the middle of this season, they didn't even talk. They weren't even in the, they didn't get to the all-star break. Just pull an Andrew Luck and just hang it up in the middle of everything. My inner 76ers fan is having trouble getting out of bed right now. But as an NBA fan, I'm excited.

There's a lot of exciting teams. We're doing some fun stuff. I mean i mean since we have you lena you know you the phoenix suns you know give us some insight oh that's right your west coast team obviously yeah uh i mean 29 and 21 you know looking pretty good 14 of the last 10 yeah look yeah as a laker fan those are numbers i wish i was saying out loud about my team but they're not so i'm gonna ask you you guys have your name as a number that we would like to say oh yeah i mean it's fine it's fine i mean it's only it's look we don't have to get into that but uh yeah but it's 17 so just make sure everybody knows just just for the top okay um but yeah i mean uh to talk to us i mean like bradley beal recently

put in a apparently the one of like i guess the most points a player has scored in his first meeting against his former team so yeah yeah i mean what better way to show up and have your best game in a Suns uniform than when you're going back to your old stomping grounds in D.C.? It was a homecoming for Kevin Durant as well. But right now, the big three seems to be humming. I mean, this last stretch of about mid-December when Bradley got healthy and back into the lineup consistently, this team is starting to find its rhythm,

its flow, and they're still trying to work through some fourth quarter struggles i don't know if it's fatigue it's if it's a loss of focus um just not as much effort on the defensive end but we've seen some games get away from them against some teams that they should have gotten wins against so that 29 and 21 record could be better but right now as long as the suns are out of play in tournament position i think everyone can be satisfied yeah um i mean we we thought that defense was going to be a struggle for them coming in it's still kind of the the question mark but again when you've got these three playing this well it's it's pretty exciting to see. Yeah, and then you have Grayson Allen

showing up in a big way. He was like the auxiliary member of the Big Three when either KD, your book, or Beal were out. And we'll see if he gets a shot at the three-point contest in Indianapolis. But it's a fun time to be a Suns fan the last several years. Didn't think we'd be here.

So every win, we're coming up on the one year anniversary of Kevin Durant being traded so just to see that as a reality is something that I think we're still trying to fully grasp but yeah it's it's good vibes in the valley right now for sure I mean I remember just remembering like wait who ended up oh that's right I remember that's my son was just born. So I was like in and out of keeping up with the news as I was like sleep deprived. And I was like, I'm hallucinating. I'm like, Kevin Durant is, why am I seeing Kevin Durant son's jerseys happening right now?

It's been a year already. Is Grayson Allen leading the league in three point percentage shooting? He is. He is. He should be getting some, some for real looks to represent the sons in the-point percentage shooting he is he is but he should be getting some uh some for real looks to represent the suns in the all-star game and see if he can bring back a title some kind of title right but he's not going to be in the three-point contest right i think they're still considering participants so he would be interested right and he would be capable i also saw a quote that

felt very like mature in the event that he wasn't selected was like i actually you know i'm i have a vacation plan with my wife so you know i'm gonna i'm gonna enjoy that time off it's okay it's okay yeah i think he would also i think wifey would understand if uh they had to cancel those plans and watch her man do something could you imagine our game i'm just like we said we're gonna go to the wizarding world of harry potter very soon you're like i'm sorry i can work or yeah exactly you know while you work right right right uh hot players right now i think i feel like nobody's hotter than brandon mill Miller. His last five games, 33, 35, 28, 21, 29. I don't know. He's looking like a real one.

He's looking like he might be another really consequential player coming out of this draft. Yeah, and I just remember watching. I mean, I saw him up close in his game against the Lakers. And I mean, yeah, 33 against the Lakers. And just he looks real good. He looks really good. Yeah, yeah. He's got it all, I think, is the phrase that they say.

But yeah, I mean, looking at a lot of the other rookies, I mean, obviously, Wemby's leading the pack in terms of the points he's putting up. But the performances that B. Millie is putting in, I'm also very, very keen to see if that changes. What do you, what are your feelings on that rookie of the year race, Lena,

and how that's shaping up or just Brandon in general? Yeah. I mean, Brandon Miller is showing up in a big way. I think it is probably when these are jets award to lose at this point, but I I'm curious how you guys think wendy has lived up to the expectations that were pressed upon him because i remember last time we were here we were talking about if there's anything worth giving up for him or if you go with him as the number one pick so

i was all about wendy mania back then i think it's it's manifested in a really special way even though the record isn't there for the spurs but I think he's running away with this and his charisma and personality to showing up and shining in big moments as well as also special to watch. Yeah. That's a good idea to revisit that question. Like, is there anyone? So prior to his draft,

we were asking the question, would you trade any single player in the league for the right to draft victor wambayama and now that we're you know approaching the all-star break like what would people trade any player for wambayama at this point i think they probably would at this point i think yokich probably i think maybe yannis probably yannis and but maybe not much more than like those two it's yeah is that just because of the miles that the the other pieces have on them versus a younger body yeah and maybe even not those two maybe even not those two right to be honest um shea maybe because he's so young and he's just able to lead a team shea might be the answer at this point because also like

he's not on a bad contract is he like he's on a pretty crazy good contract um yeah it's it's like one of those things too where it can it's like hard to even conceptualize what it looks like because looking at those sort of uh highlights from france in a vacuum you're like oh yeah but then like when seeing it in nba too and like seeing just the effect that his like length has on people psychologically that i couldn't quite uh like account for just in like sort of like a thought experiment um yeah i mean but i but like after seeing everything and like between his skill set and you're like to your point like his his like will as a competitor he seems like so mature mentally in this way that i like i think

that's one of his like reallyrated traits too, just to see how we saw that first game in Summer League, and I remember joking, we're like, okay, alright, we're out on this guy. What a hoax. Sell, sell, sell! Get rid of him, dump it now!

But now you see how much he is just in the zone and just unafraid to compete i don't know yeah i i yeah i feel like everybody anybody would be lucky uh to have him to incorporate him in their team uh but yeah like the thunder they already have a someone very similar so i think yeah i think that i think they probably they will sit tight stick with shay yeah yeah yeah yeah but yeah i mean and also like Jaime Jaquez, I'm very pleasantly surprised with how he's been playing too.

What a perfect opportunity for him, just from the swagger to the work ethic, heat culture, you know, just the way that he was able to make a career out of his time at UCLA and then propel himself to a championship franchise and get valuable minutes is really impressive. Yeah. It's heartening for me as a,

as a brew and myself, I'm like, you know, looking at those teams, I'm like, okay, I can see some of these guys doing it, but like,

he's truly a God above and beyond. So well done. Well done. Watching him in the PAC 12 tournament in the finals, the last two years, his will in those battles with u of a those were two classic games and it was so fun to watch him and tiger compete with again a tommy lloyd led team that's just been you know crushing the pack 12 uh but yeah

jaime hawk is on the heat that's another guy to watch for some uh end of the year awards perhaps yeah yeah hopefully i think you'd have wembing yama perhaps. Yeah, hopefully. I think you'd have Wembingama, if you redrafted today, I think you'd have Wembingama 1, probably Brandon Miller 2, and then Jaime Jaquez, who was at 18, getting drafted 3rd at this point.

Yeah, for real. What else is happening around the league? What do we got from the Lakers side of things? I know listeners are look you saw we beat the celtics there's nothing you know just some just some light work obviously wow lebron and ad must have had a good game whoa you thought well well well well uh but i don't know i mean look we're so up and down like even then, I was just like, we'll see. The other shoe was going to drop the whole time. I kept watching the game like that.

But yeah, it was nice to see. And then, yeah, AD put up his third career triple-double against the Hornets in that game against Brandon Miller. And he's doing pretty good. I guess also Vando going out is also not welcome news. But let's focus on other things. I think there's bigger things to talk about than the Lakers just being, I think, 27 and 25 at this point.

The Cavs, though. The Cavs. Hot. Hot. They're so hot. They're so hot right now. They're so hot right now, these Cavaliers. Their Cavalier attitude towards the game, their performances. I mean,

what are they? 14-1? Over the past 15. That's wild, because I think that one loss was against the Bucs, who they played the very next day and then beat. Responded pretty quickly. That's an impressive run i

know that i know the schedule is going to get a little bit tighter come march but um so far i think like they're so exciting to watch and i i know a couple people who are calves fans are just like i knew it's like i never thought it could be like this but it's happening and to get it to this level i mean this is like the what i think is the record i think the best for a non-bron cavs team i think yeah that would make a ton of sense yeah so yeah this 15 game span is the best record in franchise history um so you know 32 and 16 uh well i mean like i think a lot of the question was sort of looking at with like the people coming back from injury with Mobley and Garland. Yeah. And just like figuring out because before I think, you know, Jack, you were saying like it's addition by subtraction.

But as they get slowly worked back in, do we think they they're going to fully embrace their full health squad or just keep it to, you know, being like if it ain't it's literally not broken so there's no need to fix it but is there a need to tinker at all yeah there i mean they're so deep now like with those guys coming back i feel like i don't know it always makes more sense to me than it ends up like working on the court but if you you're just like all right so have garland be like just stagger him like never have him on the court at the same time as you know donovan and just have like the best second unit but i feel like that then you get you know egos and just like personalities involved and it never ends up being that clean but um that that scene i don't know it seems like it's working so far obviously yeah he's just back but um they they seem tough to

beat their second in the east nobody saw this coming a few weeks ago uh because nobody knows anything in the nba media except us because we're always right except us and we talk about the same five teams over and over lena what about you what do you how you thinking the calves are looking especially with with the players coming back that they have were they missing them are they not missing them or they stumbled upon something a new balance that works for them i mean what a surprise out of the east and we've seen a couple surprises in both conferences in terms of the teams that have propelled themselves to the top of the standings at this point of the season. But I'm kind of in the same boat of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I think if you found the continuity right now and you need to incorporate some guys,

now is not the time to add in new pieces to kind of mess up the chemistry even more. I think trying to focus in and hone in and not make too many big moves or tinker too much is what will set the calves up for success at this stage right um i don't know if i don't know if we'll see any real big splash trades in these final couple of days i don't know what you guys think i don't know i mean it feels like things are dying down in terms of the deadline uh yeah i mean is it does that seem like the it's like for the suns too it seems like miles bridges is probably the loudest the possibility or the most potential for possible name i keep hearing

floated and that we're pulling footage of but i don't i don't know if there are any other big kind of kd big moves splash trades that we can anticipate or prepare for or get a you know notification for in the middle of the night yeah no woge bombs in that department i can't i don't know i don't what do you think maybe that the sixers go for someone jack i don't think so i don't think it makes sense now that this season might be a write-off you know we just don't know with injury if if it with the possibility that it is

it's just so much is in the air right like yeah you know with his knee it's you know they're saying revisit in four weeks but that you know a lot of people when you see surgery on the meniscus in season that usually means the end of the season um so i don't know it seems like we just don't know but he's also somebody who needs to play himself back into shape and is like a little unsteady because he's incredibly strong but he's also moving an incredible amount of weight i feel like the most since shack so um it's yeah i just i i feel like we were very lucky to have the first half of the season be as fun as it was and from here on it's it's just up in the air is all i'm saying we were all i i i can't, Jack. We got to believe. We got 14 games until they revisit the status of his name.

I mean, you know me. I'm not the biggest pessimist. When they're winning, when they were at their best this year, I'm like, yeah, we'll see. I know. You're like, I don't even know them. Who are them? I guess he's putting up just ridiculous numbers.

But yeah, I mean, you guys are 4-11 without him. So that obviously doesn't bode well. But who knows? I mean, like Woj said, quote Jack, the door isn't closed. Just hearing Woj bombs hurt my heart a little bit. So that's where I'm at as an NBA fan. Yeah. Right now.

Yeah, exactly. But yeah, I wouldn't go in on a trade right now because it just doesn't, it doesn't feel like you want, you know where you're going to be this season compared to early next season. So it might make sense to keep your powder dry.

Yeah. Producer Jabari was telling us too here in our little sidebar about the type of procedure he did where Embiid is having the one that has a quicker recovery time just to touch up the meniscus.

Oh, he got a little touch up? Yeah, a little touch up on the menisci but then you got you know people like duane wade and ron artest saying like when they were in a similar situation they're like i wish i just went for the full-on repair the full meniscus yeah yeah but um it's a tough one yeah you just want to you want him to do what is best for his career long run. As a Sixers fan or just a fan of the NBA. I mean, I guess that does make that sort of the last few weeks, it does put a different tinge on it. We're like,

I can't believe what he's doing. He's really chickening out against Jokic. Of course, yeah. That will be the narrative, whether we like it or not. Someone's going to come up with that take that one of the top competitors in the league one of the guys who has the most to prove and has tried to prove year after year in spite of injuries isn't trying to work his way back to

take his team on a deep playoff run but right yeah and then despite that was potentially maybe doing some damage while trying to like overcome those sort of accusations and that narrative. And then it's a bit of a tragedy. Jack, the door is still open. The door is still open. I choose to see the door is still open and the universe. Exactly.

And the universe. Good reference. Thank you. I've been practicing my Scott staff. So, Oh, got to get your yarling in. Can you

take this team higher? Tyrese Maxey, please help me. I think it's possible. Creed, please don't send us another cease and desist, because I felt like that was enough of a parody that falls under fair use.

Just 15 seconds, right? That was clearly a parody. Clearly a parody enough of a parody that falls under fair use. Just 15 seconds, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that was clearly a parody. Clearly a parody. Clearly a parody. Just a joke. And I think I don't have to say that. But yeah, I think, you know, stay.

The universe will beckon you at least through to the second round. Oh, wow. That means a lot. I don't know if that's true, but we will see. No. Your energy. I can't. Yeah, whatever. That's what you guys think

no it's great I'm glad you guys think that I'm glad you guys are so positive some of us live on earth the east just got really really tough the nicks look incredible the calves look incredible I'm sure the bucks are going to get it together the magic coming out of nowhere

so we shall see. I've enjoyed. Thank you Joel Embiid for your service up to this point. Let's take a quick break. We'll come back. We'll check in around the league. We'll be right back.

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Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and don't worry we promise to avoid any black holes most of the time and we're back we're back and i don't know why we have to keep telling these guys it's the law it's a lot of physics score 60 points your team is going to lose exactly if you score 70 your team will win so if you think you can get 70 fine go for it but if you get in the 60s your team's gonna lose uh steph proved it again you know we had cat who else do we have go for 60 in the past weeks and lose and now we got steph going where's it devin booker dropped yeah yeah yeah yeah that was he also dropped 70 in a loss before yeah yeah you can't guarantee

drop 70 and win okay well many many this is a new rule this like that just started just now yeah the NBA just instituted it in the past a couple weeks um but anyway Steph still incredibly fun to watch still one of the funnest people to see when he's locked in 60 point outburst

uh Saturday versus the Hawks um the Hawks and the Wizards seem to be the two teams that people are uh just feasting upon um yeah yeah i think they call that food bruv in the uk yeah in it yeah it's i mean look or i say a team that inspires greatness that's right that's greatness. That's right. I think that's one way to look at that coin. It's inspirational, for sure.

But, you know, just as we talk about Steph putting up 60, this Clay Thompson, he's been, I'm worried about Clay. I mean, he's going to be okay. I know he's's gonna be okay i know he's gonna be okay it's more the it's more the process in which an athlete a human being comes to grips with that things aren't just happening the way they used to be there's like an air there's like an air of confusion about i think that's what kind of bums me out because like he's like kind of scratching his head. He's like, you know, like you go from like one of the best to, um,

like he couldn't even find the word. I mean, knee injuries would do that to a player. I think totally the Achilles that's we we've seen it before. Yeah. It's just a tough, it's just a tough, tough thing.

But I mean like, but just like he wears, he, you know, he wears his heart on his sleeve and it's just like recently when like hey is it hard you know like you know i haven't been closing out the games and he's like yeah you kidding me he's like yeah like the way he said you kidding me i was like oh clay clay clay please baby i know i know i know it's different now yeah um but yeah there's just a there's just a little bit you know more like we all have to accept our mortality and i guess in this case athletic mortality um am i the only one who feels

somewhat i'm like i see that i'm like oh wow wow wow wow we are we are we or you or jack you're kind of like you're gonna be fine bro good go cry on your cabinet with a pile of money uh oh who's like i didn't close game five it doesn't matter who remembers that kind of stuff sir you just now yeah um no i mean it's painful it's painful because he is like like you said he just you know he doesn't have a poker face so no you just get to see what his feelings are like on his face um and he's so honest i don't know it just made me really like clay thompson more yeah um but yeah it's it's tough to see it's like it's a bummer when any of you know these prolific scorers athletes these

players part of dynasty teams start to fade and father time is largely undefeated unless you are of course like serena williams lebron james tom brady right a couple a handful of other athletes in the history of all sports to play at a high level past your 30s i mean you're 34 you're like geriatric in the nba i mean, Kevin Durant is like considered a senior citizen, and he's still playing at a high level, which is considered an anomaly. So when you think of a guy like Clay Thompson and what he's had to overcome, it's not necessarily surprising. But yeah, it's a bummer.

He's one of those guys you want to root for, just his personality, his charisma, his love for the Bay and the fans, his openness and vulnerability throughout all of his rehab and and yeah the mental that comes with that has been really uh you know encouraging as a fan to see you know players open up about that but right yeah because it feels like because we are in this sort of in a bit of a different era you era where players are more vulnerable and open about what their feelings are and how whatever's happening is affecting them. And yeah, that honesty, I think maybe that's what it is too. I'm not used to seeing that.

You know what I mean? From an athlete. Usually they're like, yeah, we'll get him next year. And then they cry behind the scenes. Right. You know what I mean? And then you hear about it in the biography. It's like that was the darkest interview I actually ever gave and i know look i have my chin up but it was

actually the saddest moment of my life where he is really sort of giving it to us in real time and i think that's what yeah i think like it's endearing in this way but then i'm also realizing like oh right i'm also used to this very like specific way of like never communicating weakness especially for the professional athlete like in a public setting um so yeah the honest radical honesty radical acceptance that's what it's all about but at the same time his career has like had tremendous longevity and he came back from that injury and won a title and got to uh you know drive his boat to the parade and uh you know all sorts of great clay thompson stuff so totally totally yeah it's not it's not an entire it's not so not say the whole thing's been tragic it's just

more like these moments where it's like oh you realize yeah it's like just it's not you're gonna be starting to say stuff you know your old man used to be able to do this and that's when yeah the washed the washed reaper comes for all of us oh the washed reaper i like that i can still see him because he's still shooting well from three it's just that people have to respect his drive less um but i can still see him getting hot for a quarter and like having an outburst here and there like i don't think he's completely cooked or anything well there's also been some pretty eye-opening

performances in the sense you're like, oh no. Some of the things, the pieces that used to click together for him are kind of jumbled at times. It's definitely a balancing act as we go into the third act of our careers. By the way, Shams

is reporting six to eight weeks uh following the surgery for joel and bead so um by the end of the episode we should finally have confirmation he's out for the season uh we're gonna be yeah we're gonna be playing church organ music and you're gonna be up there with a handkerchief being like i just thank you joel for everything you've done beautiful Beautiful man. Beautiful man. All right, let's talk about who's hot. Yeah. So Clippers just hit number one on the Athletic and NBA.com's NBA power rankings,

or I guess they've been number one for the past couple weeks, which is kind of wild. The Knicks are number seven, while teams like the Bucs have fallen to number eight. Mm-hmm. And I think, I think the cat, yeah,

the calves are now second in the East. Um, Sixers are at 13 and 10, uh, on the athletic and nba.com. Uh, but the Knicks are, are on a tear,

right? Yeah. Like they, they just have, they've got like that heat culture thing going where it's just like, everybody knows how to defend. Everybody's kind of on the same page about like what, what it means to play for this team.

They're a lot of fun. Okay. See, remains hot. Uh, the Clippers out West. I don't know, but it's,

it's fun because it's not the teams that everybody was talking about heading in. Uh, other than like Denver is still solidly there obviously. And Boston is still absolutelyly there obviously and boston is still absolutely you know scorching but yeah yeah unless they're playing lebron and if anyone is going to knock off the celdics or the nuggets uh lena who who do you think who who do you think has the best shot well i have to say with confidence, the sons, um,

you know, just, just, you know, I, I would get probably eviscerated if I didn't say that on this podcast, but, uh,

I mean, the, the Timberwolves are surprising. I think that would be an interesting matchup. I don't know. It would just be interesting to watch those two teams, you know, a surprise out of the West and then the defending champs going up against each other but the knicks are the surprise in the east it was cool to see

jalen brunson getting emotional too he's just kind of taken on this identity the heart and soul of of this franchise and in the you know biggest basketball arena in the world the most heralded so uh i'm interested to see if the celtics can even keep it together in the postseason because it was a challenge last year uh it's been a challenge in recent seasons so you know i think the suns they can stay healthy they can rival with denver last season things fell off in the post season after their run with the Clippers with Chris Paul's injury and all that. So, of course, health is the magic elixir for every team to be successful at this time of year. But, you know, I like that the standings are a little bit different from what we've seen recently. And then, of course, the play and I've been all in on the plan since the first season.

recently and then of course the play-in i've been all in on the plan since the first season so whatever teams are going to be competing those final four i think those games are going to be spicy competitive and then once you're in it's anyone's game yeah it's uh it feels like honestly right now it's like rise of the teams that don't have the added pressure of media scrutiny or attention and not say that like as a dig but it's like it's like like every every knicks clippers and calves fan is basically like ain't nobody talking about us at all right we are solidly up there and it's like and everyone's kind of like referencing like oh yeah i mean obviously they're they're a hot team right now but yeah there's i think just that lack of expectation, too, and the outsized expectation on maybe some other teams this year

has, I don't know, created a nice opportunity. And on top of that, all their pieces are just humming along. In a way, that makes... The under-promise and over-deliver is kind of the theme for some of the franchises this season.

The Cavs, the Timberwolves, Thunder. It's fun to see. And then looking at just the MVP talk, you know Kawhi. Is it time to start talking Kawhi Leonard for MVP?

He's never won it. He probably has the best body of work, best career of anybody in the league who has never won MVP before. I mean, two finals MVPs. He's coming second, I think, once. Yeah, to Steph.

Yeah, to Steph. But, you know, I mean, I think he's the best player in the league a lot of the time, you know, on any given night. And his team is 24-3

over the last 27 games he's played in. That's pretty good, I'd say. That's like Duke in the 90s. That's like you know like that record is not an nba record 24 and 3 is like yeah powerhouse i mean yeah we were just like hypothesizing like assume they the clippers went all the way and then kwhi gets finals MVP. That's three different teams, three different times to get finals MVP.

That would like, you'd have to have some serious discussions in general about looking about like, okay, now where, where do we place this guy? Well, now what?

Yeah. Same thing with Jokic, right? Those are two guys. It's crazy to think that in this generation are kind of mounting and positioning themselves in a top 10 20 all-time conversation when you look at the accolades if we're judging on that the hardware the trophies the awards they have it yeah um yeah like elsewhere I mean I think you got your usual suspects that everyone's talking about

shay jaylen brunson jason tatum yokich who will never not be in that conversation yeah it feels like yeah and denver is probably gonna have to stay pretty competitive for the rest of the season because because it's such a log jam at the top in the west like so it's not like last season where they had like a five game so i think he's gonna have to stay you know putting a big number so i could definitely see it being yokich just playing out of his mind down the stretch pulling away from everybody and you know they're just being a lot of energy for Jokic should have won anyways last year. Um, but I think like the Kawhi story is starting to make a lot of sense to me. Shay makes a lot of sense to me, but I feel like they probably won't give it to him at this point because he's kind of still not a proven commodity.

Um, but yeah, but like Shay, Kawhi and, uh, uh yokich feel like the top three that makes the most sense to me yeah yeah just the oh man even rivalries aside i'm like i i like to see kawaii leonard playing at his best because he's it's so it's fun to watch he so attack-minded and then if he's like, oh, do you want me to just lock you up and take you away because I can do that too. Yeah, it's always fun to see. It was good to watch him

in full force last year during the playoffs and having Russell there and seeing them rise to the occasion and to see the Suns pull it out against that team but yeah i mean kawhi leonard healthy is is one of the greatest to watch and enjoy and if he can stay off the bench and out of street clothes for the rest of the season there's a good argument for him to come away with mvp how come jason tatum is always just kind of

you know on the on the periphery because you know jabari brings up a good point producer jabari he's like is he always going to be the best man and never the groom even with the best record year after year maybe maybe maybe maybe i just feel like even celtics fans aren't like he's the MVP like you guys should you know they're always like a little disappointed in how he's performing yeah he ends up shooting a lot of threes

and like I feel like could be like more assertive more like taking people to the rack like he just doesn't he still hasn't like fully developed into the person that I think a lot of Celtics fans want to see him become.

And they feel like that is maybe not getting them where they need to be to win a title. Killer instinct from the jump. Right. Every minute that you're on the floor, I think maybe that just falling short or letting up a little bit is is maybe the the gripe that fans have in terms of you're not taking it to your maximum potential yeah which is wild too because even with him not maxing out you're like oh sir

uh okay that's that's that's what i would call a good performance but yeah i get that too i think especially when you're when your ceiling is that high then it feels like it's it feels like you're just not quite getting high yeah it's like a difference between the 97th and like 100th percentile it's like feels like splitting hairs but it does right like when you listen to celtics fans like they like you you hear you know they're just kind of like ah he's so good i just want him to do that like one extra little bit better yeah it's like it's also just like a ptsd kind of effect with them where it's accumulated in big moments maybe he doesn't rise to the occasion or the moment and so just all of that yeah it's built up over time to create this narrative or feeling towards Tatum.

Yeah. Right. It kind of reminds me of like, I was a big LeBron fan, his whole, his whole career. And there was that period in his career where it felt like he didn't always have the killer instinct.

And it was, it was a big narrative that was kind of overblown, but they were like, he'll like pass it off at the end. But, and then there was that game against the Celtics when, during the heats, like run to the finals,

uh, to the, to their first championship. I think it was where he just like locked in and really just annihilated them, like had the best game I'd seen him have. And just, it was like the game I'd seen him have. And just, it was like the game that he had to do that for them to win for his, uh,

legacy. And he just did it. And like, I feel like that's what people are waiting for from Tatum. Like that game where it's just like, he puts it all together and it's just like, no, I'm not letting my team lose.

And like, it's a lot to ask for though. I mean, LeBron James is maybe the best player to ever play. I feel like he could be doing a little bit more, honestly, you know, as a Lakers fan, just, yeah, I just feel like, you know, just, he could just go a little, just that little bit more, just that little bit more. Yeah. And maybe never satisfied, never satisfied. And I are realistic.

And that's the thing that we can always come back to them for. Because look, LeBron, I also graduated high school in 2003. And as someone that's three months older than you, we got to recognize when it's just time. You know what I mean? Are you trying to son LeBron James on your podcast? Yeah, that's my son. That's my son. In a very high school way.

I would never let him forget that. Even though he's the goat, I would be like, you know, I'm three months older than you. Right? Like, cause that's how you always,

that's your currency. When you're like a younger person, you're like, well, you know, I'm like two weeks older than them. Like, obviously.

So like, they got to listen to what I say. It's a noticeable two months. Yeah. Oh yeah. It's a noticeable. Oh yeah. You can tell.

You can tell. There's a maturity to you. Oh, bring the picture of when Le. Oh, yeah. You can tell. There's a maturity to you. Oh, come on. Like LeBron did. Bring the picture of when LeBron and I were in third grade. Look how much bigger I am than him right now. And I'm standing on an apple cart. Yeah.

Apple box. Yeah. And he's on his knees. And he's only two inches shorter than me. I feel like in third grade, he was like already bigger than me. Oh, for sure. For sure. Yeah.

Should we take a break and come back for the Rapid Fire Round of Questions? Let's do it. Let's do it. We'll be right back after this. All right, here we go. It's Cam Jordan from New Orleans Saints here to tell you it's going down. On season two of my podcast, Off the Edge with me, Cam Jordan. Can't stop it.

You know what's going to happen. Can't stop it. You know what's going to happen. Can't stop it. That's right. Catch new episodes every Wednesday, all season long. That's what you look for in year 14, to do more. No days off. And I'll have my friends, who happen to be some of the NFL's biggest stars, join me on the pod. We'll give you a player's perspective of the biggest storylines,

trends, and did that really just happen moments from around the league. And you know we'll have fun doing it. Ha! Yeah! Oh, and I'll have a special guest each month join me to mix it up a little bit. Who is it? None other than... Syke! You'll have to tune in to find out. So tap in to Off the Edge with Cam Jordan's podcast,

your ultimate playbook for all things football and not football. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Mike Wright from the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Podcast. You heard that right. The Fantasy Footballers have officially entered the Dynasty space. Every week we bring you the same in-depth analysis and entertainment you've come to expect from the fantasy footballers, only now from a Dynasty perspective. Maybe you've been living in the Dynasty fantasy football space for a while.

Well, we're here to take your game to the next level. Maybe you love fantasy football and you've been feeling that itch to jump into the Dynasty format, but it feels a little bit intimidating. No matter where you're coming from, the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty podcast has something for you, and you're going to have a great time listening, I promise. Join me and the rest of the crew every Wednesday

for a new episode. Listen to the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It was December 2019 when the story blew up. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, former Packers star Kabir Bajabiamila caught up in a bizarre situation. KGB explaining what he believes led to the arrest of his friends at a children's Christmas play. A family man, former NFL player, devout Christian, now cut off from his family and connected to a strange arrest. I am going to share my journey

of how I went from Christianity to now a Hebrew Israelite. I got swept up in Kabir's journey, but this was only the beginning. In a story about faith and football, the search for meaning away from the gridiron and the consequences for everyone involved. You mix homesteading with guns and church and a little bit of the spice of conspiracy theories that we liked. Voila! You got straight away. I felt like I was living in North Korea, but worse, if that's possible. Listen to Spiraled on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and we are back lena washington oh you may have forgot i mean i know you're in the valley of the sun but it's definitely

getting hot in there because you're in the hot seat. And it's time for the fourth quarter rapid fire round. Questioning the hottest question and answer. I said the hottest. The hottest question and the fastest. Yeah. Hottest question and answer answering section in podcasting history. You know, sometimes it's like really hot and sometimes like all of a sudden I'll notice that you can see the guest's breath because it gets so cold. Like the temperature drops 30 degrees yeah

in the room that they're in ice uh it really depends uh on kind of the energy the questions we've prepared yeah and what's fun is i can write my answer on like the fogged up window slowly but surely you'll be able to understand my response to the question that is coming so quickly to me that i have to really think quickly unfortunately there is nothing slowly but surely about this segment it is quickly and just rapidly random uh you know unsurely and yeah lena we obviously know that it's clear that you're an honor student because you understood the assignment. But are you ready now to come through with it? Ready?

I think I'm prepared. Okay. As sure as I'm going to be. Sure. Yeah. Keep it quick. Keep it quick. Don't, don't, don't drag it along.

Brian, start the clock. The clock started, right? Brian, I just want to confirm. Do I have confirm okay for like can i phone a friend is there like a 50 50 almost seems like she's stalling doesn't it miles doesn't seem like she's stalling in the fastest segment in podcasting what's going on lena lena lena you know you can't no cheat sheets no phone No phone a friend. No open notes here. You're just going straight off the dome. Okay?

And it's fast. The clock's already started. Whenever they were phone a friend on that, I was like, oh, you got a friend. You think you're better than me? Okay. Someone has a friend. That's how I take it. I'm so cool.

Oh, wow. I'm on TV. You didn't alienate yourself from your friend LeBron James because you kept harping on about how you're three months older than him? Hmm. Weird. Could have been. I'm going to call my friend LeBron right now. No! No! LeBron, you're not going to guess what he said.

Anyway, we got to keep this thing going. Who's first, Jack? You or me? Why don't you go first, Miles? I'll go first. Lena Washington, All-Star Weekend is coming up just very, very soon. Give me your all-time fantasy dunk contest lineup. You're picking four dunkers. Oh, okay.

Anytime. Anytime. Anytime. Well, I have to go Vince Carter just because it's Vince Carter. He existed. He graced a basketball court. He has a pretty decent vertical.

I would assume that he would be able to add some flair with him. Vince Carter. Vince Carter. Not Vince Carter. Not Vince Carter. Not Vince Carter. Vince Carter not Vince Carter somebody was passing around some highlights from his rookie season

and just like some of the dunks like he was doing some of the dunks that he did in that dunk contest like in game as a rookie it was like wild as he should Lena we have to keep this segment moving

so um okay so number two of four i guess um maybe aaron gordon so that he could prepare super elaborate dunk contests like performance where it's like the drone goes from lucas oil stadium and then drops the basketball into the or you know right into the arena and then the led court lights up and all this stuff and then you know the pacers mascot comes in and he jumps over him while doing a full 360 like access turn and then he ends up losing again, um, I think that'd be fun to watch. were these dunks designed by Doc Brown? Yeah. From, you know, that 80s movie.

That recent, that recent, that recent hit film from the 1980s. Rube Goldberg. Okay. You got two. Who's three and four? So that's two.

Um, I feel obligated to say LeBron James just because Miles, you could be a part of it he could just like walk up to and over you and then just yeah or hold me like a baby and be like and be like you're my son yeah oh yeah he rock rocks the cradle but it's me in his arms and then throws me through the hoop and i do i have serious injury from it well let's hope the medics are involved but this is again just like envisioning this mount for a dunk specifically and like who would be able to execute them best and then maybe if there's some backstory or context that would add to the pizzazz of the show so um only if files

is involved in lebron's dump okay thank you thank you but okay um and uh the fourth before um you know how about um what was his name was it was it uh mac mcclung who wanted the other oh Was it Mac McClung who won it the other year? Was that his name? Was it him? Mac? Mac the Lung McClung.

Was that last season? Shoot. Yeah, was it? I feel like it was. Two seasons ago? Time flies when you're sipping the Mac McClung Kool-Aid. I know.

Is he in the G League now? I don't know what happened to him. I haven't followed his career. Lena, unfortunately, you did not specify years for Vince Carter. So it will be modern day Vince Carter in the dunk contest, unfortunately. I think he would still be good. Yeah, he was still fresh. He'd still be good. Yeah, he still got it. Yeah.

Alright. Was that good? Was that fast enough? Yeah, that was good. It was not fast enough, but you nailed it anyways. It was highly entertaining. What schoolyard game do you want to see added to the All-Star weekend? It can be...

I think we were saying the pro bowl we've we've seen do dodgeball and uh tug of war what game would you like to see nba players compete against one another um i'll give i'll give three okay um just because i can't choose and i know i know this is like a really like i have to answer quickly but i just wanted to be really thorough so the first would be four square because i know athletes uh can be very competitive yeah yeah schoolyard games and gotta play house rules your cherry popcorn no popcorn what are we talking about yeah yeah okay yeah so um, red, could you imagine just to see the pure violence of being clothesline by running at full speed into your friends, maybe some broken,

maybe, uh, you know, on phones popping out. Yeah. It could be like that, uh, last survivor show where,

uh, all of the the most powerful people in the government get blown up and Kiefer Sutherland is the guy who is designated survivor. It would be the NBA version of that where all the best players just have their arms

ripped out of their sockets. And Mac McClung is back in it, y'all. Mac McClung is leading the league and scoring in the playoffs um and then the third i would probably want to see is tetherball because they're both oh wow more of a controlled environment yeah so it really takes skill focus um i would liken it to like a tennis match so So it's just you and no coaching allowed. And it's just a ball on a string and your opponent. And you're just trying to see who's going to

wind that rope around that pole faster. So I would say those three, Red Rover, Foursquare and Tetherball need to become Olympic sports by 2028. We just have this from the judges. Lena, you got two of the three right, unfortunately. We can't tell you which one was wrong, but I do have to ask you this question, which I think you can get right. Who's the greatest Suns player ever?

And who's the most underrated Suns player of your fandom? I mean, I have to say Charles Barkley is my favorite Suns player ever. From what he meant to the city, what he did when he was part of the team, to now, you know, actually claiming the Valley and claiming this team. Underrated. You know, in light of his retirement, Goran Dragic, the dragon himself. I will say he didn't get a lot of love but he was

uh an instrumental figure in some some fun teams to watch out here so maybe that's recency bias but okay uh just thinking about him hanging it up and then just remembering his times here and you know bringing his twin brother along also for some of those rides. Those will be my two. So you're going to get the throwback? Do you have a driver's seat? I have a Sean Marion throwback jersey. So that was pretty cool to see his number and jersey retired in the Ring of Honor. So yeah.

Avari Stoudemire is next. So if you're in Phoenix, come check it out. I will bring my goggles. Amazing. As you should. Well, Lena Washington, you have made it through the gauntlet. That was the right answer. Yeah, that was the correct answer.

It was so hot. I know. I know. Yeah. I think you were wearing athletic material that's breathing and sweat wicking because it's not apparent. You look immaculate. Thank you so much. Where do the people find you, follow you, listen to you, see you, all of that, experience your greatness?

All of that stuff. You can find me on social. I really only use X and Instagram. So you can find me at LWashingtonTV. If you live in the Phoenix to Flagstaff area in Arizona, you can find me on 12 news, the NBC affiliate. We've got waste management, Phoenix open coverage coming up, and we'll also be following the suns and the playoff run the sun devils and wildcats in the NCAA tournament. We have the final four coming up in the Valley. So a lot of fun things to

look forward to and that you can see me reporting on and uh if you see me out in these streets say what's up give me some kind of shout out from the mad boosties crew and uh yeah that you listen to the pod number 99 hopefully 100 yeah wow we'll see we'll see we'll see you know it's touch and go after this so i mean i'm just glad that's touching. We'll see. It's touch and go. I don't know if you guys will be cancelled after this. I'm just glad that we're commemorating 99. It's touch and go. That's what we say. You can make sure you follow. I'm going to get cancelled for saying pizzazz is supposed to be pronounced

pizzas. They're like, what was that, man? What was that? Are you for real? I can't believe we let this guy near a microphone. Well, make sure you guys follow us. Check out the hashtag MadBoosties, M-A-D-B-O-O-S-T-I-E-S, so you can catch all the show links and updates. You can follow me on Twitter at MilesOfGrey.

You can follow me at Jack underscore O'Brien. And shout out to listener at Farron LE for predicting first time all-star Scotty Barnes. Yeah. Back in October, we got the smart listeners. I mean, not to rain on that parade, but that's because

Embiid went out. He actually predicted that. He said, Embiid is going to go down with an injury and I like the ring of Scottie Barnes All-Star. I like that. And yeah, he was getting risky with the menisci. And the story writes itself. You already know.

All right, y'all. We will see you. Don't be risky with that menisci. Just repair it, y'all. We'll see you next time. Until next time. Don't be risky with the miniski. I explore the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. Every great player needs a foil. I know I'll go down in history.

People are talking about women's basketball just because of one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's sports. Listen to the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. I'm Keri Champion, and this is season four of Naked Sports.

Up first, I explore the making of a rivalry. Kaitlyn Clark versus Angel Reese. People are talking about women's basketball just because of

one single game. Clark and Reese have changed the way we consume women's basketball. And on this new season, we'll cover all things sports and culture. Listen to Naked Sports

on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio apps, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Black Effect Podcast Network is sponsored by Diet Coke. Captain's Log, Stardate 2024. We're floating somewhere in the cosmos, but we've lost our map.

Yeah, because you refuse to ask for directions. It's Space Gem, there are no roads. Good point. So, where are we headed? the cosmos but we've lost our map yeah because you refuse to ask for directions it's space gem there are no roads good point so where are we headed into the unknown of course join us on in our own world as we uncover hidden truths navigate the depths of culture identity and the human spirit with a hint of mischief one episode at a time buckle up and listen to in our own world on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts trust us it's out of this world