The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 1: Dan Steals Stan's Nuggets (feat. Stan Van Gundy)
Episode Date: March 10, 2026"I don't know if there is an 'All-Star' in that category." Stan Van Gundy took some time away from his World Baseball Classic adventures to join us for a trip around NBA topics, including the upco...ming game between the Celtics and Spurs, the Hornets and the "wide open" Eastern Conference, Wemby's biggest flaw, and the greatest offensive player of all-time, all while stifling Diet Coke-induced burps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcript
Discussion (0)
At Desjardin, we speak business.
We speak equipment modernization.
We're fluent in data digitization and expansion into foreign markets.
And we can talk all day about streamlining manufacturing processes.
Because at Desjardin business, we speak the same language you do.
Business.
So join the more than 400,000 Canadian entrepreneurs who already count on us.
And contact Desjardin today.
We'd love to talk.
Business.
Where is Daredevil?
I'm right here.
Don't miss the return of Marvel Television's Dear Devil Born Again.
So what's next?
I'm gonna take this city back.
In an all-new season now streaming only on Disney Plus.
They're hunting us.
It's time we started hunting them.
I can work with that.
This should be tons of fun.
Marvel Television's Daredevil Born Again,
now streaming only on Disney Plus.
Only on Disney Plus.
You don't need AI agents,
which may sound weird coming from Service Now,
the leader in AI agents.
The truth is,
AI agents need you.
Sure, they'll process, predict,
even get work done autonomously.
But they don't dream,
read a room, rally a team,
and they certainly don't have shower thoughts,
pivotal hallway chats,
or big ideas.
People do.
And people, when given the best AI platform,
they're freed up to do the fulfilling work they want to do.
To see how ServiceNow puts AI to work for people,
visit service now.com.
This is the Dan Levator show with the Stucats podcast.
Look at who's here.
The lead game analyst for the NBA on Prime.
He's half the man he used to be.
Look at him.
Look at him.
Stan Van Gundy with us.
Sixers at Detroit.
Celtics at OKC on Thursday.
A special game last night in the association.
So we start obviously here with Stan.
about food. Stan, they're DTF St. Louis. They're down to feast in St. Louis at the ballpark.
You got $29 get you an assortment of foods. All you can eat here, Stan, hot dogs, chicken
nuggets, brought worse, nach chips, popcorn, french fries, peanuts, kettle chips, ice cream
and fountain drinks for $29. What does Stan Van Gundy think of that deal as a baseball fan? He's in
Houston. He went to the world baseball classic yesterday. He loves baseball just as much as he loves
basketball, but he loves food more than both of them. What do you think of this unlimited $29
deal here, Stan? That's a hell of a deal. I mean, I would just make sure I didn't eat before I went
to the game that night. That's a hell of a deal. What would be your choices there? What would you go with?
How much damage do you think you would do? Well, I would have the first line,
there. I would get a diet cope, the hot dogs, the chicken nuggets. I'd probably, well, I might
get a brat, but definitely popcorn. And yeah, that would be it, but I'd eat a lot of all that stuff.
So you would make them regret their decision to make all of that $29? I would try to make them
regret it, yes. Your love of baseball. Tell me about going to the World Baseball Classic. What did you
see yesterday? Well, it was incredible. I had never, and I didn't really think,
think about it until I was going.
But for all the sporting events I've been to, I had never been to a major international match.
Like, you know, I was talking to my brother, and he's been to the Olympics and the World Cup in
basketball.
He's been to the Women's World Cup in soccer.
I had never been to anything.
And it was phenomenal against Mexico.
I mean, the atmosphere before the game, there were probably more Mexico fans there than
USA fans.
They were certainly louder.
You know, USA had a five-run inning and got up five-nothing, but Mexico battled back and made it interesting, and the crowd was really into it.
I haven't been, and I've been to the World Series when the Marlins were in it.
I've been to the World Series back in the day when I was young and the A's were in it.
I've never been in a stadium that was as electric as it was last night.
Judge and Roman Anthony hit home runs, but Bobby Witt, Jr. made two of the best defensive plays.
You would see Judge made an incredible throw to throw a guy out at third base.
I mean, it was just a lot of fun.
I was hurt and offended that you went on another show and told people that Dwight Howard had not only a world-class NBA IQ,
but was also an all-star farder.
I just got asked the question. I didn't bring it up. I did not bring it out. Well, now I'm asking you.
I just verified the story. So what constitutes being an All-Star farder? No, no, I didn't say that. I did not say that. They said that the story was that, you know, in walkthroughs and things, that he would fart. And I said, yes, that's true. That's it for me. I didn't, I don't classify an All-Star. I, you know,
I don't know if there is an All-Star in that category.
So he's cropped, Dustin?
Yeah, I guess.
But do you have second place?
Like, who else is all NBA farder in your experience?
No, I don't have that.
I don't have that experience.
But think about it for next time.
Okay.
Is that Shaq?
Yes, give it some thought and make sure to get back to us on that.
Oh, yeah, I'll spend a lot of time thinking about that, guys.
Since February 1, the NBA's best record, number one, San Antonio,
Boston number two. NBA net rating, San Antonio number one, Boston number two. NBA defense,
number one, Boston, San Antonio number two. Are those your NBA finals team, Stan? I don't know.
I mean, I still think, look, Oklahoma City, you look at the number of injuries they've had and they still
have the best record in the league. I mean, it's incredible. I mean, Jalen Williams has missed 40 games and
they've had numerous guys miss games.
Isaiah Hartenstein, I think, has missed 30 games.
SGA missed 12 games.
A.J. Mitchell just came back after missing 20 games straight.
It's incredible.
I mean, they haven't had their team, and yet they have the best record.
So I would still say until somebody knocks them off, they're the favorite.
But I like San Antonio.
I like Boston, but I think the East is wide open.
New York, Cleveland, Detroit,
and then even you've got a lot of teams starting to play well now.
I mean, the team nobody's going to want to face is Charlotte in the first round.
I mean, so you went through all those things.
In the last seven weeks, Charlotte is tied for the best record in the East with Boston,
and they are tied only san antonio has a better record than they do somebody in the first or second spot
is going to get them in the first round and they're playing as well as anybody in the league right now
stan i wonder what your thoughts are when you heard people on television or radio before jason
tatum returned speaking about how difficult it might be for the celtics to reintegrate tatum
because i remember you dealt with something similar when you were coaching orlando with jimier nelson
Yeah, I didn't really worry about Boston's ability to reintegrate him.
He's played with all those guys.
I just am shocked that in 10 months, this guy's able to come back and has looked the way he has.
Now, he hasn't shot the ball well, but he's looked like he's moving well and playing well.
I've been through it, you know, with a guy coming back off of an Achilles.
And usually when they come back, it's still a good long time,
almost an entire season before they're back playing at a high level.
And that's guys that have taken a full year or more to get back.
So I'm absolutely shocked to see what he's doing out there.
Obviously, he did an unbelievable job in his rehab because he looks like the same old Jason Tatum to me.
Were you tempted at all to say Miami when you said Charlotte there, group them when you're talking about other teams in the East?
You say the East is wide open.
I don't agree with you.
I think Boston is better than everybody, and I don't trust everybody.
You caught a lot of heat for comments recently on Detroit because you know how offensively limited that team is.
Yeah, yeah.
Look, I love Detroit.
I mean, as a guy who really respects hard playing teams, the defensive into the floor, the whole thing.
I love them.
I just know that the regular season and playoffs are two totally different challenges.
The regular season, you know, is about how often your team is ready to play and, you know, brings close to their best.
And Detroit has been phenomenal at that.
But the playoffs are what your best is.
I would agree with you right now with Tatum back.
in the way he is, that Boston's the favorite.
But I don't think that they're an overwhelming favorite.
I don't.
I think New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Miami's starting to play well.
Orlando is playing well now, and they don't have their best player.
So, you know, injuries are going to be a big part of it.
I mean, you'd give me the top four or five teams in the east and do the same in the West.
Tell me who's going to be healthiest.
That's who I'll pick.
Did you just make Wagner better than Boncaro?
Yeah, I think he's their best player if you're looking at both ends of the floor.
I mean, it's close.
And I will say, Paulo Bencaro since the All-Star break has been a different guy.
I mean, he's been great.
He's been much more aggressive.
I didn't think up until the All-Star break that he was playing great.
I thought he was playing okay.
I didn't think he was playing great.
since the All-Star break, he's been phenomenal.
They get those two guys and Desmond Bain.
They've rediscovered their defensive identity.
I think they've got a shot.
I mean, New York has stumbled in the two games in L.A.,
but their defensive identity is back.
Look, I do.
I think it's wide open.
I would agree with you that Boston's a favorite.
But I think it's wide open.
Last night's game between OKC and Denver was really great.
It was great from start to finish.
Denver is down seven with a minute 12 left and tie the game even though Yokic missed a free throw.
The math on that is hard.
Dort again did a foul to Yokic, hit him in the face, and it was a flagrant.
Shea Gilgis Alexander tied Will Chamberlain scoring streak by getting 20 points in 126 straight games.
When I say that to you, Stan, what are your thoughts?
just on that.
The Shea Gilgis Alexander has tied Will Chamberlain's scoring streak of 20 points in a game
and 126 straight games.
Yeah, no, look, that's phenomenal.
And we have their game Thursday night where he will more than likely break that record.
I mean, if you tell me a guy's scored in double figures, 126 straight games, it's phenomenal.
I mean, but 20 points in basically a season and a half straight game.
straight worth of games. That's, it's mind-boggling. And anytime you're doing something in a
scoring realm that surpasses Wilts Chamberlain, I mean, it's incredible what Shea Gilges
Alexander has done. I mean, not only has he been great, but that level of consistency
is incredible. There's something about college hoops this time of year, where you tell
yourself, you're just going to casually watch one game. And suddenly, you're
entire night is gone. That happened to me the other night. I was planning to stay home and keep a
game on in the background, maybe pretend I wasn't checking scores every five minutes. Then a text
comes in. We've got multiple screens set up. That's how they get you. So I said, yeah, I grabbed a pack
of Miller light on the way. A little while later, nobody's casually watching anything. Somebody's
yelling because their bracket is already cooked. Somebody else suddenly cares deeply about a school.
They hadn't thought about in 10 years. And a game that looked over is somehow tied late. You take a
sip, you look around, and realize, yeah.
This was absolutely the right move.
That's why I reached for a Miller Light.
It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink,
brew for taste with simple ingredients,
the original light beer since 1975,
and still hitting different.
Cheers to legendary moments with Miller Light.
Great taste, 96 calories.
Go to Miller Lite.com slash Dan to find delivery options near you,
or you can pick up some Miller Light
pretty much anywhere they sell beer.
It's Miller time.
Celebrate responsibly.
Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories
and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.
You guys hear that?
That's the sound of my calendar
flipping over to March.
Yes, I know March is more than halfway over.
Don't bug me down with details.
Just stick with me here because March means one thing.
It means college basketball insanity.
Draft King's Sportsbook,
the number one sportsbook for live betting,
is built for March.
The tournament is unpredictable.
You kind of like me.
But the rewards are guaranteed.
And Draft Kings is delivering
some of the most generous rewards on the market.
Are you new to Draft Kings?
Bet just $5 and get $200 in bonus bets instantly.
Download the Draft King Sportsbook app now and use code Dan.
That's code D-A-N to turn $500 in bonus bets instantly.
In partnership with Draft Kings, the crown is yours.
Hey, who wants to hear me do that crazy noise again?
I do.
Gambling problem?
Call 1-800 gambler or 1-800 My Reset.
New York call 877-8-0-0-0-0-0-7-8-0.
Hope and why or text Hope and Why.
Connecticut, call 888-78-9-777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boot Hill Casino in Kansas.
Wager tax pass-through may apply in most states, void in Ontario.
Restrictions apply.
Bonus bets expire, seven days after issuance.
Four additional terms or responsible gaming resources, see sportsbook.
draftcings.com slash promos.
Limited time offer.
Don Libetard.
You know how these late season games are.
We don't know.
It's a big game for the Knicks.
We have absolutely no idea how Boston will play.
I don't know who they'll play, who they won't play.
Stugats.
Okay.
All right.
That's fine.
That's an excellent promotion.
You know, I love that.
That's great.
Sol!
That's it.
That's perfect advertising for the game of the national game on TV.
I was going to watch.
Holy shit.
That was a shitty sales job.
This is the Dan Levitar show with the Stugats.
Windhorst has mentioned that empirically, numerically, the Lakers are good when it's Luca and Austin Reeves,
but not when LeBron's on the court.
What do you do with that?
First of all, I would say that they don't have enough of a sample size
with all three of those guys healthy to really know what's going to work and not work.
But I looked at those numbers the other day.
Yeah.
And Luca and Reeves has been better than either one of those guys with LeBron.
So, I mean, it's true.
I just don't know if it's meaningful in the sample size that we have.
I still think the big problem with the Lakers is going to be whether or not they, you know,
are able to defend at a high level.
They're going to score.
They're not going to be able to defend at a high level.
What do you do?
I don't think so either.
No, they're not going to.
Like, what are you talking about?
No, and I would agree with you.
But it's the question, if they can,
then they've got a chance, but I don't see how, because your three best players, none of them are plus defenders.
Like, they used, I mean, LeBron used to be, I mean, he was as good a defender as there was in the league.
But at 41 years old, he's not an above-average defender anymore.
And Luca and Reeves certainly aren't.
It's going to be very, very tough for them.
And the West is just really difficult.
The team, I think, in the West that, you know, can give San Antonio and Oklahoma City a run as Denver.
They have not been healthy all year, as we know, and yet they're still hanging in there.
And if they, when they get everybody back, you know, I didn't think it was a good sign last night, though,
because they were fully healthy last night.
And Oklahoma City was, you know, with out Hardinstein.
Aaron Gordon was so good last night.
Like he's important to them.
Well, he's very key to them.
But, you know, I would have thought even though it was on the road.
Last night, they should have been able to pull that one out with no Jalen Williams, no Chet Holmgren, no Isaiah Hartenstein.
I mean, like, that was their chance.
No Alex Caruso.
And still Oklahoma City wins?
I mean, that's what I'm saying.
I mean, Oklahoma City, they have the best record in the league,
and these guys have missed a ridiculous amount of games.
He's the lead game analyst for NBA on Prime.
As I mentioned, Sixers at Detroit and Celtics at OKC on Thursday.
On Friday, it's Cavs at Dallas and T-Wolves at Golden State on Saturday.
It's Hornets at San Antonio.
That's this week on NBA on Prime.
I want to speed stand up, though.
I'm going to make his answer short.
Tony's dying to get in here with 1,000.
question, so we're going to speed you up.
Let's give him some music here.
You mentioned the LeBron
was a great defender in his prime.
The best defender in the league right now
is blank.
The Thompson twins.
The both of them,
they're just equal. You're making...
You know what? Yeah, I would have said that in
early in the year, but
watching Asar as the years
gone on, I think he's his brother's
equal at the defensive end.
A men's a better offensive player.
The best shooter in the league after Steph Curry is blank.
The best shooter in the league, period, just shooter, is Luke Kinnard.
Better than Steph.
Well, just as a shooter.
Yeah, but Luke can't get his shot on the, put it on the poll at Lebitard show.
Is Stan Van Gundy crazy for saying that Luke Kinnard is a better shooter than Steph Curry?
Okay, see, you never let me explain myself.
Luke can't get his own shot.
Steph is by far the more dangerous shooter and player.
But if we're just going to stand there and shoot the ball,
Luke Kennard's the best shooter.
The best front office in the sport is blank.
Well, you got to, I mean, Oklahoma City,
but San Antonio's pretty damn close.
Is Khan Cinnipple the most fun name to say on a broadcast?
You know, we haven't had their games, but yes, it would be,
and I would love to do that.
Though I will say this, okay, I had a college game.
The only college game I did before I do March Madness Tuesday night,
and the point guard at, and this is his true name,
the point guard at Xavier is his last name is right.
His first name is all.
He is all right.
And now crazier than that, his brother, his brother who plays,
I want to say it like Rio Grande Valley or something.
His first name is always.
Do you have a Hornets game?
Can we get you to say some form,
can we get you to shout some form of genuflect before the nipple?
No, you're not going to get me to say that,
but I do hope we get one of their games.
We have Amazon Prime has the play-in games.
They're going to be in that.
we have all the play-ins.
So hopefully I'll get a Charlotte game
because their turnaround has been incredible.
I watched them early in the year,
and I thought same old Charlotte,
and now literally they're as good as anybody.
I mean, we're talking about Boston,
and they're the favorite.
Great, I agree.
But Charlotte's been just as good over the last seven weeks.
Charlotte has had the best offense in the league
since the 22nd of January
and the sixth best defense.
I mean, they've been phenomenal,
and Concanipple has been a huge part of that.
I think he's the rookie of the year
just on availability and team success.
Why won't you say bow before the nipple?
Why won't you say it?
You know, you guys, like,
I'm not going to say it.
Yeah, you're not going to get me to say that.
Coach, obviously you mentioned Conkinnipal's your rookie of the year.
This has been a super tight race between Cooper Flag and Concanipple.
Do you feel like Convinple, who's now the betting faster, will win?
Well, I do think he'll win.
I think it's more unavailability.
He's played more games.
He's on a better team.
Cooper Flag's fabulous, but I think Concaniple's a rookie of the year.
Everybody talks about Wembe and glowing praise and all that.
Can you give me Wemby's flaw, his one flaw?
You can turn him over.
You know, at 7 foot 4, he's got a high dribble.
You can attack him on the dribble, and he can at times become a mistake player.
Kauai Leonard having his best season after 14 years.
Can you describe what he's doing?
They're 26 and 11 in their last 37 games.
I mean, that's the other great turnaround this year.
They started 6 and 21, and Kauai has had to absolutely carry that team offensively.
I mean, and he's been up to the challenge.
And the thing with Kauai, too, is he not only puts up big numbers,
but he does it so efficiently, and he does it with defenses loaded up to him.
What do you think the penalty should be if all of this around Kauai Leonard is true,
the way that Pablo Tori finds out keeps making it seem like it's all true?
Well, to me, it's not a matter just if it's true.
It's a matter of who was doing it and what the motivation was.
I mean, I do not think that Steve Ballmer was involved in this.
I don't think either directly or indirectly.
So I don't have any idea.
Why?
Because I just don't see, I don't see why.
I mean, the guy's making all kinds of money.
I mean, I don't see why.
I really don't.
It's tens of millions of dollars that are being hidden there.
You think that escapes his attention?
I don't have any idea in terms.
I really don't.
On the business side of things, I just, I don't have any, any idea of what, what was,
what's going on with any of that or what he's been.
You haven't heard any of Pablo Tori's episodes, have you?
You just don't want to.
I have heard, I have heard, I've read stuff.
I have not heard any of them.
But listen, I do think Pablo Torres, I mean, I think he's a good journalist.
I think he does a good job.
I'm not slighting him, but no, I haven't.
See, listen, it's the same thing.
You know this when you start talking to me about sports and in basketball about potential trades and salary cap and free agent signs.
I'm interested in the games.
I just don't get caught up in a lot of the other stuff.
Stan, the Hornets sent the Heat a second round pick yesterday from the Terry Rozier trade from two years ago.
Should the Heat be upset about that whole situation?
About the Terry Rozier situation?
I mean, everybody's upset about all of this.
That stuff is, you know, it's affected the league in a bad way.
So if, again, depending on what everybody knew and if,
They knew what was going on and sent the heat Terry Rozier and didn't tell the heat.
Yeah, the heat should be upset.
The heat should be more upset that Terry Rozier didn't play very well for him.
Let's play some sound here of Steve Kerr and get Stan Van Gundy's reaction to this.
I know this will not be a popular opinion in the league office,
but I will continue to say it because it's obvious we need to play fewer games.
we need to take 10 games off the schedule.
I think it would be great for the league.
And I get it.
It's revenue, and you'd have to get everybody to agree to take a little less money.
And that's a really hard thing to do.
But what I know about the league, about coaching, about how hard it is to play the modern game with the pace and the space,
I think it would be a more competitive and healthier league if we played fewer games.
Stan? Well, look, I agree. I think that to me, the best way, if we wanted just great quality of play, the best way to play the league would be a very balanced schedule. Everybody would play everybody twice. We'd play 58 games and we would take our best teams into the playoffs. But I do think something's missing from the argument. I don't think fewer games in and of itself is enough.
I think the biggest problem with injuries is not the number of games.
I think the biggest problem with injuries is that people have stopped practicing.
And the league-wide way to do things has been to do less and less and less.
I think the players are deconditioned.
And yes, the game is more demanding than ever.
But it's nonsensical to me that as there are greater demands, we do less.
in preparation. No other sport would think of doing it that way. Ask the swimmers if as they meet more
demands, they do less and less and less. No, you do more and more. I think we've deconditioned
players. I don't think we practice enough. I think that's the problem. I think that there are people
who in the scientific world who are coming around to that. But listen, here's the thing. It's a C-Y-A
and no strength and conditioning coach, no coach is ever going to be, you know, chastised for doing too little.
Ah, the guy got hurt and you haven't practiced enough.
That's never going to happen.
But if they think you're working guys too hard, playing guys too many minutes and they get hurt, then you have a problem.
All I know is this.
We're doing less and less and less in terms of practice.
We've load managed.
We've given guys games off and injuries continue to climb.
Something isn't working, okay?
Whether that's too many games, there can be a lot of answers, but something isn't working.
That was a heroic effort by you keeping down that burp.
Mike Ryan thought it was a yawn.
I don't think it was a yawn.
I think it's too many diet sodas in the morning.
Yes.
Well, it's not too many because I'm on my first one, but yes.
That sounded like the carbonation.
I thought that was courageous.
It was the carbonation.
You pushed it down and you fought through and I salute you.
It's why you're the lead announcer for Prime on all things basketball.
At Medcan, we know that life's greatest moments are built on a foundation of good health,
from the big milestones to the quiet winds.
That's why our annual health assessment offers a physician-led, full-body checkup
that provides a clear picture of your health today,
and may uncover early signs of conditions like heart disease and cancer.
The healthier you means more moments to cherish.
Take control of your well-being and book an assessment today.
Medcan, live well for life.
Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started.
It's never too early to plan your summer story in Europe with WestJet,
from rolling countryside to cobblestone streets.
Begin your next chapter.
Book your seat at westjet.com or call your travel agent.
WestJet, where your story takes off.
Where are my gloves?
Come on, heat.
Any day now?
Winter is hard, but your groceries don't have to be.
This winter, stay warm.
Tap the banner to order your groceries online at voila.ca.
Enjoy in-store prices without leaving your home.
You'll find the same regular prices online as in-store.
Many promotions are available both in-store and online, though some may vary.
Don Libotard.
punctuate this segment with what is your strike-three calls.
Strike one would be strike!
stand up and you give a good point to the right.
Stugats.
That's same for Strike 2.
But Strike 3, you get down low.
You got your hands behind the catcher.
All right, the right arm goes up into the air.
Yeah.
And then you finish it with the punch.
The right arm flings way up into the air.
Ha!
Yeah.
I wish I could see that.
It's terrible.
Audio's great.
This is the Dan Levitar show with the Stugats.
Well, it was a gradual...
thing over the years and it just, you know, it became the idea that, you know, the game is more
demanding so these guys need more rest. It makes sense. It's just not working. I mean, and I think that
I think you can, I don't think practices need to have the contact all the time, but I do think these
guys need to be getting up and down the court on a more regular basis. I look at a lot of these
soft tissue injuries and I'm saying, wait a minute now, we shouldn't have as many pulled muscles
and things like that as we have. I mean, you're not going to get away from the knee injuries
and things like that. We've always had those, you know, but with pulled hamstrings and groins and
all of that. I don't know. To me, that's as much a conditioning issue as anything. There's not
many people going to agree with me on this because, again, the do less is really attractive to
players, to coaches, to everybody that just do less, don't get criticized for it, show up and play
games, is a popular way to go about it. Put it on the poll, please, Juju, and I should remind people
Juju's got new music out today. His name has been changed from juju
Gotti to juju got it and you can find it wherever it is that you find your music.
You can do so by looking for the song Blue Flame. Let's speed Tony and Stan up again here
because Tony's got a lot for Stan and I want to get to it.
Stan, are we going to fall for the Minnesota trap again where they look good at the end of the season?
getting to the playoffs, they kind of fall flat and fizzle out?
No, we're not going to fall for that.
They always get us too.
No, I'm like, I think Anthony ours can do it.
No, not anymore.
What else you got for him, Tony?
We've got to speed it up.
Are the Wizards heading in the right direction as a franchise?
No.
Doesn't even need an explanation.
Stan's gotten good at this game.
San's gotten good at this game.
What's your next question?
I would like to see if we could change the music for a second and do a stat of
the day would stand. Is that possible? No, it is not.
No, a third no for you. The Nix,
are you believing that they
are something that can actually
be for real this year and
get to the Eastern Conference finals?
Yes.
Ooh, what are you believing in there?
Their defense? You're believing that they've...
Their defense has really started to step up
and they are an elite
offensive team. So, yeah,
I believe they've got a shot.
I think they and
Boston could be a
terrific series. Last time that you were on with us, you said that Yolk, not Yolkich, I'm sorry,
Luca was the best offensive player you had ever seen. Are you sticking to that?
Yeah, I think so. I mean, it's he and Yokic and I said the other night, because we had all three
of them in the same game in Denver. Yokic, LeBron, and Donchich, the three certainly best all-around
to offensive players can handle the ball, pass, shoot from range, post up, take the ball to the
basket, pass off the dribble.
I mean, those three guys are the only guys I can think of that can do everything required
in the game at an elite level.
True or false, Wemby's going to start hogging all the championships.
Man, certainly possible.
I don't know that anybody in,
I don't know that anybody can totally dominate.
There's going to be some good teams,
but God, that team is really good,
and he's unbelievable.
You don't seem to understand true or false.
It's true or false.
Okay, well, I'll say false
because I don't think anybody's going to hog all the championships.
But if anybody's going to, it would be him.
There you go.
Wait a minute.
How did that get in here?
Did Roy overrule me?
Commentering the ship, Dan.
I got overruled.
How do I get overruled?
It's like a mutiny.
You better watch it, man.
Start of the day.
This year, start of the day.
Start of the day.
Start of the day.
Did this year start of the day?
The league leader in points per possession on ISOs is not who you think it is.
Obviously, we have incredible offensive prowess.
in the NBA, the number one person in the NBA on points per possession on ISO's is Peyton
Pritchard at 1.3 points per possession on ISO ball. Stan, can you tell me how good of a season
Peyton Pritchard is having if that's number one? Well, I think what's been phenomenal, he's having
a great season. But what's been unbelievable to me is this guy got his opportunity to start.
They decided it would be best for him to go back to the bench. And he's played better off
bench than he did as a starter.
So he's not a guy who'd spend any time pouten.
He's averaged more points off the bench, higher percentage field goal, higher three point
percentage, higher free throw percentage, more assists.
I mean, he's been better off the bench.
I mean, incredible.
I mean, that team in what they've done and that organization in terms of developing talent
and Understanding Town.
I should have thrown them in.
I thought that's what you were going to answer.
I thought that's what you were going to answer when I asked your best front office.
San Antonio and Boston have been phenomenal.
I think, but I think what all those three teams have done too is they have done a great job in talent evaluation, all three of them.
And then their coaching staffs have all done an incredible job in developing players.
And if you're just talking Boston, look, Peyton's Richard and Sam Howie.
I remember, God, I don't know how many years back, I watched them in a series against Miami,
and they tried to play those guys, and they couldn't.
I mean, Miami just abused both of them.
And Joe Missoula stuck with those guys, and now they're two very important players.
And then I watched Baylor Shireman as a rookie, and I'm like, God, I don't know if this guy will ever be an NBA player.
Now I watch him.
And, you know, over the last eight games here,
he's averaged over 10 points a game
and shooting phenomenal percentages.
Nemeus Keda, I think, is better for them
than Christop's porzengis was for what they need.
They just keep finding and developing players.
I think San Antonio and OKC have done the same thing.
Yeah, that's three phenomenal organizations.
And Brad, Stephen,
to me for somebody to have the success he had coaching and then the front office success he had,
there's not too many people who have done that. Obviously, Pat Riley right there in Miami,
has had a phenomenal success on both sides, but probably the next best behind Pat would be Brad Stevens.
You're not going to believe this, Stan, but as we were leaving ESPN, there was a giant wrestling
match for our intellectual property
and we somehow were able to
wrestle this away from ESPN.
And now time for
Stan Van Gondi's top NBA
Nugget on a Tuesday.
Show.
Hmm? Huh? Dingy.
We're bringing
back the nuggets of Stan Van Gundy.
Do you have some nuggets for us?
You know what? Here's the thing.
I had nuggets prepared
and then we've hit on
we've hit on most of them.
I had my Charlotte nugget
because I didn't think people realized how good they were.
I will go on with my, I will go this, though,
since we're talking MVP race a little bit.
So we talked about SGA and his streak,
126 straight games.
I'll give you a nugget on that.
The second longest active streak,
Kauai Leonard, who we talked about,
it's exactly one third of SGA's streak.
He scored 20 plus and 42.
straight games. That's the second active streak. And by the way, Will Chamberlain also has the next
longest streak. He had another streak of 92 straight games of 20 over. So that's a very long nugget.
And then my third one would be on Yokic. No one has ever at any point in their career had a season
where they led the league in rebounds per game and had a season where,
they led the league in assists per game, and Yolkich is on track to do that in both categories this season.
I think he's a better offensive player than Michael Jordan.
People think that it's offensive to say that, but I...
It is.
Okay.
If you say anybody's better at anything in basketball than Michael Jordan, you are going to get a ton of pushback.
I mean, it's just the Michael Jordan fans are out there.
Like, here's the one I got pushed back on, and I don't even see how you can get pushback on this.
We could argue all day on who the best player is and everything else.
But the thing you cannot argue to me is no one has had a career even close to LeBron James.
No one's had a career close to him in the NBA.
Now, you want to say at their prime, who's better, everything else, fine, go ahead, argue.
but you can't.
I mean, this guy is going to put the scoring record out of reach,
and that's not the best part of his game.
Last two minutes here, and it's not enough time.
The state of American politics at the moment.
Go ahead, Stan, have at it.
Listen, I mean, it's almost unthinkable that we're where we are.
I mean, it's just like forget, let's try to even put aside the,
ideology, okay, which is hard for me to do. An ideology of hate and racism and prejudice that
half the country has embraced, that's unthinkable to me. But even beyond that, even if you're
on that side and you're a conservative through and through, like, can we hire people that have some
experience and some qualifications? Can we hire some people with intelligence? Like, I don't think you
can hire a less competent administration if your goal was to be as incompetent as possible.
That's the dismount. Thank you, Stan. Always good seeing you. We miss you around here. Please make
your way around here more often. We love you. Love you guys too. Keep having fun. And I see all your,
you know, you're getting ready for March Madness, so am I.
I'll get my assignments on Sunday and find out where I'm going.
That I love you had a question mark on it, didn't it?
Like, he said that in a way that was, I love you too.
I think it was a burp that he was trying to sequester.
Again, another burp.
Okay, you're right.
See you later, Stan.
All right, guys.
Good seeing you.
Spectacular stuff.
