The Deep 3 Podcast - 1 Question Every NBA Team Must Answer In 2026 | Ep. 173

Episode Date: December 26, 2025

Every NBA team's biggest question of 2026 that will define their team! #nba Check out the TD3 merch: https://the-deep-3-shop.fourthwall.com/ Listen on Spotify!: https://open.spotify.com/show/3elbbqVumwqz8wlIdknsLW Listen on Apple Podcasts!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deep-3-podcast/id1657940794 Follow us on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedeepthree Follow us on Instagram!: https://www.instagram.com/thedeep3podcast/ Isaac's twitter: https://twitter.com/byisaacg Mo's twitter: https://twitter.com/Mojo99_ Donnavan's twitter: https://twitter.com/Dsmoot3D 0:00- Intro 1:47- Atlantic Division 29:08- Pacific Division 48:37- Central Division 1:06:40- Northwest Division 1:26:10- Southwest Division 1:50:46- Southeast Division 2:03:20- tiktok time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donovan, what is one thing that you want to learn in 2026 in life? Man, I don't know, man. I'm just trying to get these bands up, you know what I'm saying? You're taking it by day by day? Yeah. One band at a time? One band at a time. Who are you feeling like, man, what's going on?

That's it. So it's like, you know what I'm saying? As you guys see that title, we are here to do our annual New Year's Eve preview episode. We are here to tell you one question that we think every NBA team needs to answer in 2026. More like one question we have for these teams that we

want to see them answer for us. As you see, we also have Christmas gifts everywhere. If you watch last week, we had our TV3 Christmas episode came out on Friday. We recorded this ahead of time. We were recording this before Christmas happened because obviously we're not going to be recording a podcast on Christmas day like we would do for our normal schedule.

We have families. Exactly. But with that being said, we're not going to let you all starving. We're not going to take any days off we're recording a little bit early. So this might be a few days outdated about the time you guys hear it. Some stuff might have changed that we talked about that you know now it's not longer true. That's the case. Bear with us because we're here to make sure you get a content regardless.

You'll be all right. You'll be all right. Yeah. It's only like three days early. You'll be okay ultimately. You are just fine. But with that being said, we're here to talk. Look forward to the future. Into 2026. Talk about what we want to see from the NBA from life. Cue the intro music. Let's get these bands.

We're throwing it back. That's crazy. He was bragging. The cranium is crazy. Oh, my God. Thank you, my. Crown eaters, rejoice. So we're going to do this the same way we always do.

We each have 10 teams across the NBA that we have put down questions for deciding what we want. want to see them answer in 2026, I will go first this time. My first team, I have the Boston Celtics. Okay. What question do they have to answer in 2026? Will Jason Tatum play basketball in this calendar season? Because I'm not going to lie.

If you can come back like they hope he can, there's talks that like maybe he's weeks away. Now, weeks doesn't mean two weeks. It might mean like six to eight, whatever may be, but they're not thinking about months. And with how they're playing right now, how Jalen Brown is playing right now, how their role players they've discovered and elevated our play. playing right now, like Jordan Walsh, the Mias Qaeda, all those guys. I think if Jason Tadenon comes back, there's no reason they can't make the finals. If you would have told me that the, if you would have told me during the summer, that they

would have the fourth best offense in the NBA, I'm over here talking to you like, oh shit, like Taden came back in like four or five months. He's a freak. He's not real. He's not a human being at all. If you would have told me that they would be primed in this position position right now where we have a, I guess, relatively healthy Cleveland Cavaliers. the New York Knicks, the Detroit Pistons, who are leading the Eastern Conference, some ways, some

wow, that the Celtics were going to be still, like, towards the top of the east, I would tell you that you're out of your mind and Jason Tatum needs to be examined, drug tested. Even if he comes back in, like, six to eight weeks, he should still be drug tested in a game. Nobody does this. And I guarantee you, Joe Missoula is his dealer. Crazy going crazy. Yeah, I feel like this is only right that this is their question for the year, right? because we came to this year, everyone thought that one, they'd probably tank because

look at the three stars at top of this draft, why would they not go for those top picks? Because we assumed that they'd be a playing in range team. And we assumed that even though Jason Tatum's gone, shout out their coaching staff being elite, one of the best drawers of modern offenses we've ever seen in the Joe Mazula era, they know the threes are going to get up, they have a certain floor of offense that we thought would make them like the seven seat or something. They've so far exceeded that, that the tanking thing is no longer an option because they

just keep winning games that now I think I understand that Jason Tatum. coming back thing. I never did in the preseason when it was floated by these fans because I was like, that's a lot to ask for for a team that's going to be like the 90th year when he comes back because I didn't have this highest expectations they have. But now if they're going to be the three student he comes back, even if he's not 100% and he's able to have this weird, miraculous thing where he comes back in seven months instead of 12, 70% Jason Tatum could make them win the finals.

I always thought it was hoping for people to come back and for people talking about the Celtic season this year as like, you know, we have so much like good infrastructure and we'll be fine. And it felt like, it felt like something that you just say, just to say, because a majority of those players were gone, right? We talked so much about Al Horford, Drew Holiday, KP, right? Tatum being out, Luke Cornett gone. Like, you go up and down the roster, and it's a completely different group of guys. And so for you to say infrastructure, basically just means, yeah, like Jaylon Brown and Joe Missoula here.

But it, it worked. And so now that we're here, I agree. I think even, even like two weeks ago, I was like, man, there's no way he's playing this year. Like, that's not going to happen. And now I think I do believe it. I think he is going to play. Yeah. Now, we'll say, just for the thought process about him playing and how, me personally,

I kind of want to see this happen because the Eastern Conference is so dire considering the Cleveland Cavaliers are just playing whatever style of basketball as a late. And it feels like it's more wide open than literally ever. There's several unproven teams in front of you and the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks who are trying to do their big one too, shout out to them. But when it comes to actually like having the, what's the best word for it, championship DNA and whatnot, like I think this is the, you don't, you don't sell off and just easily give up finals appearances.

Well, they wouldn't probably not like, no one in the Eastern Conference is going to do so. But you're a fool to say they don't have a puncher's chance. Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah, if you can get to the finals, you never know what can happen. Right. Yeah, we all, of course, are probably going to pick whoever comes out of the Western Conference, assuming everyone's healthy. But yeah, it's one thing to say we shouldn't rush him back because the team is mediocre. It's another thing to say, we really believe we can make a finals run to pass that up, like you said.

And I think it's probably more likely if it comes back that they're in the conference championship than it is, they go on the first round. Is that crazy? Like you said, given the state of the Eastern Conference, if they're in that, and Jason Tatum is 22 points per game, solid defender, but isn't quite the same level of oomph as a driver or, maybe a shot block or whatever, but he's another good wing there. And maybe Jaylon Brown's taking the most shots now. So he's like hyper-efficient, like better version of Michael Bridges for them. I think it's more likely they're one of the two best teams in the conference than it is they lose to the next in the first round or whatever. It makes sense, but also I think I'm always going to proceed with this conversation with caution, which is if he can come back this early, fine, right?

If all the doctors say it's okay and he's healthy enough to do it. it, fine. Even then, I'm not going to, I'm not going to think that he's going to come out here and instantly be, even like Mikhail Bridges, like 22 a night, hyper-efficient, great defense, like that's still a lot to ask for somebody to get to. Yeah. Coming off of this injury. Now, if Jason Tatum is just immune to any of the, to any of the normal effects that an Achilles injury can do to you, fine. And it looks like he's kind of on that way. He was dunking two months ago. Yeah. It is what it is, but I, I am hesitant to say, oh, yeah, we're just going to slot Tatum in. He's going to be, you know, 22, five, and five, and we're going to get

to a conference finals. Easy, right? That seems a little bit more. For sure. Yeah. Maybe I'm sitting too high expectations. I'm saying this operating on the assumption that he's only coming back if he's ready. And I'm just assuming that it is true and he is capable of doing this thing that we don't often see, which is a bad assumption. But, you know, that's the spirit of the question that if that is the case and he is a complete outlier, in the course of NBA history and a complete outlier in the sports medicine

development cycle of history then I think we're just going to see an unprecedented team this year Okay But that's a question maybe This isn't a prediction This isn't a prediction This is a question

We have to find out Is he ready? If not, then you know We have a cute team That's going to be the four C or whatever That will put up a good fight Against whoever's the one seed And it'll still be a cool season for them

They'll get development of the young players still They'll still be in a position To be really prime to have a great year next year with Jordan Walsh in starting lineup and maybe they trade for a center at the deadline there can still be a promising season that's better than we thought but if that outlier possibility is there this could be a crazy year yeah man I hope it's not putting Tatum's long-term health in jeopardy at all of course that's what we're all hoping for but I do want to see it more than ever and if this happens man oh man yep they make the finals

still Missoula you're one of them ones as a coach brer just what I thought if they make the finals again What is that top three coach in the league at worst? Yeah. Maybe top one? He could be in the running. He's top three for sure. He's top three for sure, man. This is a good question.

This is a good question to kick off. Okay. Let's stay in the Atlantic Division. Who has the Detroit Pistons? Oh, that's me. What is your one question for the Detroit Pistons in 2020? Wait, but the Pistons are not in the Atlantic. Oh, my bad.

Who has, who's in the Atlantic is the Raptors? Oops. Who has the Philadelphia 76ers? That's not me. Philadelphia 76ers is me. What is your one question for the six? Sixers in 2026? My one question for the Sixers in 2026 is, can Jared McCain be a part of this core

in the long one, be impactful, at least for the next year, specifically in 20206? Over the last few games, he's been much better, specifically this weekend. Now, of course, don't look at these efficiency numbers. They're discussing, yet he still hasn't been hitting his shots whatsoever. But he's been doing all the other impactful things for the Sixers coming off the bench, of course, alongside at Spurts with Tyrese and Vijay Edgecombe. There's been so many conversations when it comes to how will he fit onto this team? And of course, since he's tore his meniscus, like we haven't been able to see the same level

of anything pretty much, especially shopmaking when it comes to, when it, especially shopmaking for Jared McCain at all. And so like with Vijay, just like being better, trending up as of late, having a natural up and down rookie year, it's, it just begins harder and harder. to think about Jeremy McCain and how he's going to showcase his value. And I want to know if he still has a place on this team. Yeah, especially, yeah, going to the rest of the season, like we said, really the next two months, all of January and the first half of February before the trade deadline,

decide, do you see a vision where he's one of the more important parts of your team? And it's also, like you said, post-meniscus injury, can he make the shot making level again and like be worthy of that? But even if he does start playing really well, is there ever a world in which you can start Maxie, Vijay, and McCain? Probably not. Probably not. And those are your three best assets, I think.

You probably want to be able to start your three best assets. Now, you don't want to rush into things if you're not really trying to win anytime soon, so you don't have to move him or anything. It's okay to have an elite six man as one of your best assets, right? It could be fine. But if the opportunity presents itself and you have three guards and you want to redistribute your talent a little more evenly, and there's a forward available for trade,

and he could be one of the most important parts of that trade package, you have to explore that option. I feel like with McCain, everything's interesting because Whenever he got going last year, like Embed's out, PGs out, Maxie was hurt. And so you really had this moment where it was just McCain. And then for a second, it felt like McCain was like was the future. Yeah. And then now, now that he started this year hurt and Maxie came out doing what he's doing,

VJ Edgecombe has had, you know, super bright, bright spots. They're starting at this, when people talk about the Sixers, that you talk about them in the context of this backward of the future, which is Maxie and Edgecombe. And so it already feels like McCain is kind of on the outside looking in of this, of this duo or this trio and kind of like an understanding of you're probably not going to be here just because of, and again, it has nothing to do with Jared McCain, the player.

Yeah. For what you said, it's hard to start and play and close games with three, you know, smallish guards and think that you can, that you can still yield a positive winning defense. and positive winning team like that, it would be easier if you had a, you know, seven foot two defensive demon, but obviously those days of Joel and Bid are gone. At least in a consistent basis.

Yeah. And yeah, and this tweet I saw the day, Jared McCain, unfortunately, and it's Tyrese Halliborne and Brunson, saying he's the next guy to find a new team and flourish with more usage, getting healthy, being able to be the main part of a team.

I don't think it's off the table. So I think he's a very attractive trade chip. I'm sure teams out there aren't overreacting to him coming off an injury. I'm sure he has some good value to him. and you look across the Sixers roster they're in a weird limbo season where they have this big money of Paul George and Joel and Bede

who have had some good games as of late I think Paul George might be on he can be decent still watch which is a strange phrase for Paul George but even if he is really good for his standards of this age post injuries and whatnot those are still kind of negative contracts

no matter what we know no matter what VJ and Maxie are going to be where they are developing nicely McCain's really the only question mark on this roster unfortunately the dynasty starts after him and he might start a dynasty somewhere else. Yeah.

He might be Jalen Brunson. Yeah, potentially, man. Not really, but, you know, he can be really good, whatever that looks like. Yeah, yeah, exactly. We know exactly what you're trying to say. This last game, I think it was against the Mavericks. He had a plus minus, of course. Plus minus don't mean too much.

But for the context of Jared McCain and showcasing how different his game looks now in terms of like he's doing all the scrappy things, trying to rebound here. And even though he's a little dude, like he was a plus 29, which is amazing for someone like him. Shadda isn't falling and he's still like that impactful and he's doing things on this on the court that other guys like I would say like Quentin Grimes

necessarily isn't doing all the fucking on the court other than getting buckets. And we can look King Grimes into there too. What do you do this guard log jam that we're highlighting Jeremy King because he's the most interesting part. Quinn Grimeshame Shade might happen. They don't know if they want to pay him long term either. So they didn't want to pay him either.

Yeah. So that's another trade that might be available to try to maybe repackage both them together to a team or maybe two different deals and get more picks in the door, like figuring out what to do with all these guards is their question mark. But I don't know. I think Quinn Grimes is more so

just like a six-man type of guy. Like he should know his role. At least I hope so. Sure, but if he's expiring, they should trade him to do a contender that wants that extra punch. Yeah. Like I've seen Lakers fans won Quinn Grimes

because a little bit better point of attack defender and what they have, making a little bit more defensive focus. Yeah. Not really my point of what I want. I'd rather have a big wing defender, but every good team could use

a Quinn Grimes type player. Okay, that makes sense. Next team in this division. I'm sure you have this team Donovan. What is your question mark for the Knicks in 2026? I don't have them. Ha ha ha. That's me. So my biggest question mark for the Knicks. They've had a tremendous season so far. It started off a little bit rocky, but as of late, they've been much better. From head to toe, they recently made the change where they had Josh Hart, they put Josh Hart into the starting lineup and

that's looked amazing. You know, Katz been better. J. John Brunson's playing some of the most efficient basketball in the league right now. McAulbridge is elite. and Obie's doing fantastic. I don't have any real questions for this team as a contender, but if you're a contender, one thing I will say is that every single dollar that you spend is so insanely valuable. And they're specifically spending $5.7 million on one, Gersona Buselli, and he's not doing anything productive on the court at all. He's not good. So my question for them is, will they be able to do anything of importance with that salary? Because that type of salary It's not a mid-level exception or anything like that

You know, it's actually decent money That's role player type money Can they do anything with that salary? I'm not expecting to trade or anything like that Or potentially that that could be in the fucking air What else would you want to see them to do with this? I'm not saying not like a massive trade in one-not You know?

But can they do something with that salary? Yeah, yeah, can they use that salary filler Probably to get a move for one more guy on this bench And have a little more depth What do you want to see them address If they're going to use that And package it with whoever else you think is expendable I mean, honestly, somebody who could play like the Yabu role.

Get another big forward? Yeah, somebody who, like, because if he was working out, I'd feel great. And I would really, really feel good about it. But when you have this, the rotation of heart sometimes at the wing and the OG and Mikhail, I would like to get one more because you know that you are going to have your bigs of Kat and Robinson. You know that Brunton is going to be out there. You have Deuce there for shooting who's been shooting like crazy, even though he's been hurt, but you've had, you've had Deuce.

Jordan Clarkson has played really well. Tyler Colick established himself throughout the NBA cup run and with that game, like he's been good. So I feel like you're good on guards. You know who your bigs are going to be. It's everybody in between. And just finding some more big bodies would be great. And so I fully agree with Moe.

If you can find a way to get something out of that basically $6 million salary spot, That would be awesome. Yeah. I've got a pair with somebody else, though, because $6 million really doesn't do a lot for you. I know. But, I mean, it could do at least something, at least do something for the fan spirit

because he's currently getting like 10 to 7 minutes a game and whatnot here and there. And that could at least get you to do something in the buyout market, potentially. Can we help the fan spirit by cutting Yvouseli? Yes. Yes, we can make this happen. We can make their lives better

by not making them watch Yabuselli. But they're good, man. Their overall solid. The defense is middling. They have like one of the three best offense. is in the league. This is the best case scenario for the Knicks right now. Yeah, and like the bigger picture, the only question is, are you going to make the finals

this year? We've talked all year. That is just them or the Cavs. The Cavs have seemingly bowed out of that equation. They have been absolutely terrible. So the East is yours for the taking. What are you going to do about it? Yeah. I need that. If they don't make it, oh, oh, it's over.

It's not going to be fun. Donovan, do you have a team in the Atlantic division? I do. I have the Brooklyn Nets. What do you got for me? My question is, Should MPJ actually stay here long term? It's a fair question. I'm sure to think about it. I think with the level that he's been at, this idea of just, you know, bringing in guys and selling high. And like, you can do that and get two more, you know, two more draft picks, get some more first-round picks.

However, what are we going to do with them? We're going to draft some more wings. We're going to draft some more point guards. Like, I think they are so, they've been so, so bad and so, like, money laundering adjacent. that you really like have to look at MPJ and the production and say this might be something worth building around or worth at least having in the building so we have actual NBA talent here

while everything else kind of develops. I don't think it would be crazy to not trade MPJ and to keep him and now you just have this guy who can score 25 a night for you. Yeah, I think we've drawn the comparison all season that he's basically Larry Markman from production standpoint and from a style of play off ball, scoring specialist that can do

a little bit of ball handling if needed, but you really want him running off the screens, cutting, not really dribbling much, and he's finding a way to score at essentially the same rate as Larry Marketing? Stop! Stop right there. No, no, no, no, no. Named a lot. When was the last time the Utah Jazz got the number one overall pick? They haven't gotten the number one over our pick at all throughout this Larry

marketing era. Get rid of MPJME immediately. Why would you want to be like the Jazz? I mean, they're on the uprising right now. Don't get me wrong. I got them. I got some words for them. But no, you don't want to keep him. Why? So that's what I was going to say is, do you want to go down that road they did it and making him untouchable on trade talks for some reason where

Larry marketing they're viewing him as their franchise player and building around him to stay competent and like do this halfway rebuild thing I suppose there's a route where they had some a little bit more lottery look they could look smart because maybe if they happened to have who could have they picked in this coming draft instead of Ace Bailey

if they had been like pick number two or three they could have got Dylan Harper and now we're like oh shit Dylan Harper and Larry Marketing is awesome so the lottery kind of makes a lot of things look stupider than they are potentially, but they haven't had top four odds for what you just said, because mostly because the liar marketing, they shut him down last year. I think most would argue that they could have got the most value out of liar marketing a year and a half ago before they paid him. I don't

know if that's a right you want to go down, but I don't think it's indefensible. I think it like they have, they have their own first-on pick this year. They have two first-on picks next year. I think for them, you can, you can kind of become a player. And I think that for that same reason, why we can look at the jazz and be like oh like i don't know why you didn't trade lottery because you didn't have lottery luck you can say the same thing for the nets and for all of these bad teams yeah which is just because you lose the most games does not guarantee in the same way that you're going to have a top three pick true so already bringing in talent like mpj knowing that you got a 232 unprotected pick in that in that trade obviously that's that's way down

the line but you essentially kind of like won that trade right we'll see how how the Nuggets ultimately end up. But you got a 25 point per game score. You added another first-on-pick to your arsenal. You have three first-on picks over the next two years. We will see what happens. And if you don't end up, like, they might be one of, they might finish with a bottom three record,

not get the number one pick. And now you don't get the exact player that you want. Let's just have a good player on the team. Yeah. And kind of build it out. Yeah, the fact that nothing's guaranteed with these odds is equally as much an argument to keep good players as it is to make sure you have the best odds.

Like, you can really look at it from either point and it's not illogical, especially because Brooklyn is not Utah, they can get a free agent star at some point. And Michael Ford Jr. has a player that fits with any star, obviously. So no free agency signing stars is dead. But I'm sure if player,

if Donovan Mitchell became available today because the Cavs blow it up, okay, that's a bad example because he's played in Utah. Let's say he never played in Utah. I think Donovan will be a lot more interested in living in Brooklyn and facilitating a trade there than he would to go live in Utah.

he still he still would have did that the the nets at their peak if they can they can like figure stuff out and start getting everything um starting and everything rolling their pitch is you can come live in new york have all the access of being in in the new york market and not have to deal with the day-to-day you know slander talk show new cycle of being a new york nick you can have it all and not and still be under under the radar it's it is very um very a very track that. And when we're ready to do that, maybe next summer, we have a wing score that can fit with you, and we have a big man that can block shots, a good

defensive center in Claxton. Obviously, we have a lot of other fucking ridiculous young players around the roster that we've got a hope one or two of them are good, but it kind of makes sense to straddle both those sides of them right now. So I do think they should share Michael Porter Jr. at the right deal arises, but they don't have to force it for everything you're saying. They're super, they're sneaky, man. It's kind of

fucking up their lottery odds. I don't even kind of, it is fucking up their lottery odds. Yeah, yeah. Maybe that's good. Macy. And look at that. Trade them. So, I don't know. It really depends on what they want to do,

but I understand both sides. It's a valid question. Next team in this division, Toronto Raptors. I have them. They are lastings division, aren't they? They are. Yuck.

The Toronto Raptors currently have two good players in this roster that are solidified. We know they're good. Some more promising players, not to despair as young guys. Scotty Barnes and Ingram are the real players in this roster. Okay.

My question for you, in 2026, how do you acquire more than two good players because I don't know I sat down and I said I want to make sure every question asked here is a little more specific than just like

can they win finals do they need tank I'm like not so simplistic it kind of has to be simplistic because they are in a weird fucking spots they just paid Yakopoda a deal that immediately aged like fucking yogurt

it's disgusting he's played very poorly playing through back injuries does not look like a player you want on your roster for the next four years Emmanuel quickly has had some bright spots better than he was to start this season

we all agree that that was a swing and a miss as far as giving him that big money as well RJ Barrett has proved to be immensely valuable to this team because they need all the ball hunting they can get they need all the scoring threats that can get around Scotty Barnes and Ingram obviously not someone that we view as like

a cornerstone player on the same level of the other two guys they've quickly fallen down the standings because after that stretch where they went 8 and 0 beating a bunch of terrible teams it's kind of falling apart a little bit with that RJ Barrett injury I mentioned They have a lot of promising young guards.

Maybe Jacoby Walter can become something. Maybe Grady Dick will one day start shooting like we hope he can. We'll see what C&B becomes. There's other pieces that may be a swing factor in coming years. But they can't just rely on that. They're kind of at the point where they're clearly trying to do this all-in win now type of thing. They refuse to fully tank when you get a brand-ninger when you pay him to give you a second all-star level guy, quote-unquote, around Scotty Barnes.

You're trying to win now. And their pieces just are not good enough to win now under any circumstance. And they're also big contracts that have pretty much zero value, I think. So they're kind of stuck without a way out. I don't even know the answer to this, but they got to find a way to get some good players in that roster. Yeah. I honestly feel like they're the perfect team that is in contention for

we're asked right now, but we have to wait until the next star player who is unhappy is ready to be traded. That's the only way out on my mind. I guess. And if that's the scenario, like, I don't know what player that'd be right now. Let's say Dary's Garland,

can continue to pick on the Cavs. There's a report. As people were like theorizing, Darius Galena might be the next one out, maybe wants his own team. That makes sense with them. They need a point guard. Are the Cavs going to want R.J. Barrett or quickly, their money plus picks?

Like, those contracts are kind of undesirable. Maybe there's some team out there that would want that. Like, if the Kings were trading Levine and for some reason they want a Levine, like the Kings would probably want your mediocre players to make a lot of money. Not a lot of good teams would. So it might be kind of hard to make a deal like that happen because you might give you more picks to compensate for the fact that a team views quickly as a negative contract.

It's just a really hard spot to be in when you're paying people like you're a contender and you're performing like you're the 12th best team in your competition. conference. Yeah, they're three and seven in their last ten, last, last ten games. Guess who has a worse net rating than them? Guess how many teams? Two? In those ten games? Yeah, in the last 10 games. Oh, zero. Zero. They've been the worst offense in the league. They scored the other night, uh, we were again, we're recording this on Monday night, December 22nd. On Sunday, the Hawks and the Bulls played, and it was 150 to 152. On the same night, the Raptors played. I forget who. Neither team scored 100 points.

what the hell it's two different games they're anti buckets man that's crazy so like it was great when they started the season strong and they're putting this stuff together the talent is caught up to them they're getting out talented there's obviously you know like i said injuries at play too it's not they're not three and seven for the rest of season level good yeah but they're also not eight no like they were for that stretch they're somewhere in the middle and i think that middle is probably closer to being a playing team they got a trade for jaw man maybe they got to like they got trade for Trey i'm not even joking about that if he's available dady tray that would be that would help that can never i would hate to be a raptors fan man i would hate to have to like force myself

every single night to tune in to not even tune in ray barns ingram never mind yeah i have to keep up with like toronto news and make sure tray is safe every night bro like i got to like tune into the local news stadium and all that like i can't i don't want to do that i don't want to do that i'm good I'm good I don't know what the move is You're in a really tough spot to pivot Most teams we can live up and say We need to blow it up

They're not in blow it up range They have Scotty Barnes Who's like not super young anymore Like eventually you gotta win Or otherwise you're gonna look up And he's 28 and you haven't done shit So unless you want to trade Scotty Barnes Which they clearly don't want to do

So they can't blow it up blow it up The only option is to trade these contracts And like all the picks you have remaining For another star Then you have a big three That's expensive with Ingram as part of it Like that's not appealing And you're not going to trade ingram.

You just paid them. Like, they're fucked. They're stuck. They're stuck. Yeah, it's just a bunch of like misfits together doing misfit things. Yeah, they just got to hope some of these young guys pop, I guess. Like, man, when it comes to trading contracts specifically, Poto got to be the first one now. And then after that, I'm looking at IQ.

You're not getting, you cannot trade Yacquipurto. Nobody will give you anything for a three-year contract of Yacopertil. Call up, see what front office has the lowest IQ based off of their college track record. It's yours. You're going to see a mirror. Years ago, years ago. They just traded for income and game all that money. Like I didn't for this to be the outcome.

They're not high up on the IQ rating right now. They gave Yaka Pertil the contract we're talking about. They're low on the ranking. And I don't even hate the Ingram move, but like the Ingram move being like all in and you're not ready to be all in because quickly is a bad contract. Pertil's a bad contract. Like they're not high up on the ranking of smartest front offices. The quickly thing is still. That's so dumb.

Yeah, that's the one that hurts the most because that was your opportunity trading OG and like that was seen as like a worthwhile bet who didn't work. Yeah, the Perth one's indefensible though because that was a bad contract in the moment. He's old like that's not, that was dumb. It's crazy.

Just net with stuff, man, that's great. All right, that's the end of the Atlantic Division. Let's move on to the Pacific Division. Who has a team in this they want to start with? Me. What you got? I have the Phoenix Suns. And my question for them is

Jalen Green question mark? Because does he exist? Yeah. Does he exist? Will he exist on this team? Will he exist for another team? He's only played two games. He got, he came out, played well, then got hurt again with that, with that hamstring.

And the Sun's team has played really, really well. They're going to be in the play-in. They're going to have an opportunity to make the playoffs. And you've basically gotten nothing from Jalen Green all year long. I am still, I'm still weary of the idea that we can play Devin Booker and Jalen Green at the same time. and the entire identity that we've created for this team so far, that Jalen Green is just going to slide right in for a long period of time

and continue doing that. So do you try and flip Jalen Green at the deadline and just do what basically we all thought was going to happen anyways, which is you'll reroute him, get some more pigs, get some more assets, or for the second half of the year, whenever he comes back, do you try and run Booker, Green, Brooks, and see how far that that gets you and kind of commit yourself to Jalen Green. I think at this point, that's the biggest question that you have

because everybody else on your team has bought into what Jordan Ott is selling. I think you definitely give it this year and you see what it can be. Whether or not you believe in it long term isn't even necessarily the point to me. It's just like the value isn't very high right now, especially with him being injured.

He need to reclaim value and like play well so you can flip him for something worthwhile, not just him being salary stuff. Yeah, so I think you give it this year especially how they're playing. Devon Booker is essentially playing point guard again. I don't see why Jalen Green can't fit in. And yeah, you know, that's assuming he plays well, which is always

the on Jalen Green, but if he discontinues to be Jalen Green, I can see it working. We're seeing a good defensive infrastructure here. We're seeing the Dylan Brooks culture setting. That's what's interesting to me. Like, how do you want him? How is he supposed to like come in there and just take on Dylan Brooks role? Because I'm assuming that's what's going to happen because he's

the number two overall picking the hope of years ago and he has like of course the bag he has the expectation to be like the second best pair on the team and it's so weird i never thought i would get to this point but i don't know if i'd necessarily would want that to happen i'll slow down the dylan brooks i don't know it's not taking his role they can clearly play together dylan brooks is having a cool year where he's having these big games he's not like he's not an efficient second option still like it's nice that he's scaling up when needed you want jalen you want on Dylan Brooks to be spotting up attacking with bench units not being your second leading shot take what he's doing it's working it's cool it's working he's not actually like efficient

on the year and anything like that so like hey man it'll be good for Dylan Brooks as well if there's another guy out there so he can have some easier shots obviously I'll say it like this it is it's Devin Booker's is Devin Booker's city this is Dylan Brooks's team Dylan Brooks is out here hooping and he can still hoop with Jim and Green there they're not mutually exclusive they can still get their games off together. I hope so, man. But yeah, the question is,

what do you get out of Jen and Green? Does it give you a second win to this season where you go even higher because it works well? And now you're a clear top six team. Does it give you a trade asset to make something else happen? We will see, but answering that question is huge.

Yeah. I have the Sacramento Kings. I can get them out the way really quick. Cool. All right. For the Kings, my question is, can you identify the youths and develop them? I'm looking at you, Devin Carter.

That's it. Okay. I had the loss of New Yorkers. This one's kind of interesting. Obviously, like, the big question is, like, are they good enough to win the championship? Will they win a championship? The LeBron stuff is the LeBron stuff.

But I think the more specific question that they need to answer, that's more interesting to me, should they trade for an elite defender, if they can at the deadline right now? Because they have one first-on pick plus two swaps. They can probably get in the running

for Herb Jones if he's available or whoever player X is available that, you know, is worthy of a first-round pick and a couple more small assets. They can throw their hat in that ring, and I think they have a good chance of getting a team to give them that for that package. Or do you wait till the summer and stick to your original plan that if you go to the summer, LeBron expires, you have a ton of cap space and you have three first-on picks and you have three first-on-picks and you can go big fish hunting and try to get whoever the best elite role player and like a OG and Ananoi type trade that takes multiple first-on picks or a star trade that's available, whatever it looks like, you have a bunch of cap space and a bunch of ammo trade-pick-wise to like. completely reinvent your roster in the summer.

So the question is, is this season, are you confident enough in your team and the nucleus you have right now while being an imperfect defensive construction that you think it's worth giving up that flexibility entirely, taking away the three first round pick vision, spending one this summer

to maximize this single playoff run. I feel like they've been having the same conversation for three years now. Yeah, but now it's real with Luca thing. Yeah. Because now, now we can actually say we can pivot to new era of the summer because LeBron can be gone off the books,

maybe it comes back for cheap for farewell. or he goes to Cleveland for a farewell tour or whatever may be I can assure you LeBron James will not be on this roster

for a max contract next year that is that much as a guarantee and they'll have to pay awesome reason max contract I don't know last somebody he said oh I can assure you that LeBron's not going to take the max or whatnot and he just went ahead

and stifled him for a bigger contract well because he's not offed in now he's a free agent they're not going to give him if they wanted to they already would have you know there's all this smoke here about them not wanting to pay him and there's a reason

that smoke is there so like literally if he he wanted an extension and they said no So they're not going to give him $60 million. Now, they might give him $30, which is in a maximum where it feels like it. That might be possible if they give Austin Reeves 40 and LeBron 30 for one year. Like that's certainly possible.

But he won't be making $60 million next year. So they can go that route and retain all their players, maybe get a couple guys in here, get the mid-level exception open, trade those three first-on picks, makes stuff happen. That's a real option on the table that makes it so it'll be dissatisfying as a fan. If they don't maximize this year, they don't go get a defender, and they go into the playoffs and no real chance of winning a title, get their fucking teeth kicked in again by the Timberwolves

because they're bigger and more athletic than them and the wing defenders aren't nearly good enough and we're like what the hell man you wasted your last year of LeBron potentially but I get it if they can really reinvent the roster the summer and that is why I would go all in I would get a defender I would do it I think that there was a

there was a moment where Lakers fans were talking about okay we're going to get ourselves a third star and like we can get we can get Kyrie should we trade for Tray Young all this other stuff of you got your star, right? You got your second star and star that can be the face of the franchise post-Lebron. You got that in Luca.

I think that now the biggest priority should be how do we fill out this team around Luca? Because if you know that you don't think LeBron is going to be here long term, you didn't give him the extension, you guys have both been passive-aggressive all summer long, you know that we're moving around Luca? okay cool let's get the good players in the door right now because we are in his prime we are in his window and i think that that that's the way that they should go yeah being 100% honest with you i agree because okay c's just going to continue to get better and better the spurs where the fuck are they going they're going to get better and better as well like once lebron leaves of course

you're going to open up a ton of cash space and whatnot but realistically speaking like what better chance do you have in terms of a talent talent juice aspect to give these other teams like the Spurs like the OKC of course a real run for their money I think the time is now well I don't know but you do have a substantially better chance if you wait like in terms of so I'm not saying it's the right move value wise because I'm not saying we should punt the season

I'm not necessarily deciding that's why I think but to be a contrarian and to be Rob Polinka and explain his vision let's say I don't know who the players will either they're available, hard to say, right? Let's say it's an Ogen, Anobi type who was available few years ago for multiple first-on-picks. That's what a player could be gotten in the summer. So you could, like, one, trade your second-round picks and swaps for a

Keon- Ellis in the summer and pay him, who's going to be a restricted free agent, right? You can pay Aden a reasonable amount, extend Austin Reeves, and then trade for OGAnna-N-Nobie as a filler for Wing X with those three first-on picks. And that is, that's obviously outlined a great team. You know, now you have a starting five plus Keone Ellis is a six man, that's like, that's real. Now at the deadline, maybe Keon Ellis is the guy you have to trade a first round pick for

or whoever is somebody of that caliber and you lose the ability to trade three first-on picks for that top tier guy's available in the summer. So you're, so the, all of this is really on like pick inflation and value because I mean, people are getting traded for

four first-round picks and three first-round picks that have never been traded for three or four first-round picks. So you need the ammo to be able to do that. So, and I understand that. I also think that if you like and obviously we don't know right now how things are going to play out in six months but if you're going to make if you're going to make that move uh during the season you better be damn sure that the player you are getting is going to be uh competent for you yep we cannot have another gay vincent situation yeah and you better be damn sure that if you get that player

you're good enough for it to matter because there's a chance that like i'll use keonellis for example. I don't think he deserves a first-on-pick in a trade market. What if he does? And that's their only move. They go get Keon-Ellis with their first. Keon-Ellis doesn't make them good enough to win a championship. No, I know you never want to waste a year when you have Luca. But like, there's a real argument that it'll hurt. Your fans will be mad. But like, if there's no needle-moving move out there that'll really make you have a chance to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in a seven-game series, don't waste a first-on-pick. And I agree. I think if you, if you're the Lakers and we keep, you know, we use Keanu Ellis, if you don't think that he's, that he's worth

a first-on-pick, don't do it. Or Wiggins, well, I don't know something like that who's an expiring contract. Maybe he can be gotten for a first-home pick. Yeah, but if in a vacuum, you don't think that the guy is worth the first-on pick and you know, like, ah, we're going to have to spend it because we're trying to do something right now. If that's the case, then no. But if there's a guy out there that you value as a first-on-pick internally and he's

available for one first-on-pick, then yes, then if that's the case, then go do it. Yeah. With all that being said, I want to see them trade Andrew Wiggins, give for Andrew Wiggins the first one pick, trade Dalton Connect in two seconds for Keon Ellis. As a fan, I want to see him go all in, but I do understand the argument to not do it. And that's the biggest question.

Okay. Who's next in this division? Me. I have the Warriors. Very existential. What is our next move? Is there your next move? You have to figure it out because it is,

you are 14 and 15 right now. 14 and 15. Yuck. We're about to be 30 games into the season, and you're going to be either under 500 or right there. And you have Steph Curry playing at the level that he's playing. You have Jonathan Kaminga that we have been having this like on again, off again, relationship for.

They have a will they want they with Kaminga? Yeah. It's not, it's not great. And I think that this franchise has been in transition for a long time, but it's kind of of been masked by like, oh, we're actually doing the two timelines thing. Well, that's officially over. And it's been done. And you know that you have Steph Curry for only a couple more years left either at this,

at this level to reasonably expect him to play this or that his patience is going to run out and like he's going to ask for a trade or anything. You have to figure out what's going on. Because for a team that has had all the success that they have, that still have, you know, bits and pieces, and if you squint your eyes, you can still see the infrastructure of a good team here that can legitimately compete. But the rest of the league and the rest of the conference is passing you by, and you have to figure it out very, very quickly. So in 2026, whether that is a minor thing that you figure out and something snaps, or if it is a

big picture, complete retooling of how you want this team to operate, that's fine. whichever route that you want to go that's okay you just have to figure it out yeah it really does come back down to Kaminga like it's the same question you had preseason I tried so hard not to just yeah I know it is though for them that's what sucks

it's like some teams it just will be the obvious answer and I think it's literally the thing we said in the preseason what will you trade Kaminga for we did our one question that would define the overall season it's still that you know there was those couple few games before the beginning of the season where we were oh shit he figured it out he's cutting he's making these short roll passes

the ball is moving Kaminga's fitting in he knows what his needs needed of him. That's all we ever asked of him. He forgot. He's back to Van Kaminga. Now he's completely out of the rotation. That's crazy. They're not even trying to have value. They're not even trying to big him up. They're saying you will sit over there until we're legally allowed to trade you. Forgot is also a hilarious. He like makes a lamb. He's like, oh. Yeah, he's his first couple games. He's a role player. Third game, he scores 20 and he's like, I got to keep going. He's at the devil on his shoulder.

He looks over. He's Carmelo Anthony. He's like, shoot that bitch. But yeah, I don't know if they can get anything for them. I can't imagine anybody's jumping to add value. Can they get a couple seconds and give themselves something to add on to other contracts and like maybe a pick swap? I don't know, like some low level picks that they can package other stuff to go get a role player. Yeah. I guess. I'm so incredibly tired about talking about the wars because it's the same exact shit every single time.

I feel like I'm just in a stray jacket in a white room by myself, no windows, no, no, nothing but just straight white wall saying the same thing over and over i'm i'm yes i'm in psychosis bro i'm tripping literally tweaking beyond measures because it's the same talking point consistently the same like oh look at step though he's what 37 38 years old and he still has a chance we can just go ahead and trade maybe for larry marketing and whatnot we go ahead do the jimmy butler thing and it gives us like it's honestly been the biggest fresh of breath air or biggest ounce of fresh air over the last, what? Since they won the fucking finals, bro, back in 2021.

What was 22 or when did they win the finals? 22. Yeah, back when they won the finals in 22, bro. Since then it's just been nothing but fucking bleakness, bro. I hate talking about the Warriors because it's annoying and we don't talk about anything new. Like the craziest talking point that people have had, Warriors fans specific, he's like, oh, man, he went ahead and benched Will Richard.

Who gives the fuck? This is you thinking about the Warriors? You're just stuck in the void. Yes. What are we doing? Why is the car benching Will Richard? Like, what are we doing right now? Yeah, they're there.

They just are who they are. They're just his old team trying to cling on to it. Find ways to get this new era. And they just keep, the keys to be one reason why they're not there. The way, the way they just let this Steph Curry era just dwindle away and give him like no help at all.

They tried. They've tried and things haven't worked out. It's just, I'm past like, I'm past making this hole. Like, I can't believe they've allowed to start out. and like, we're just here and they're just a mid team trying to get the way out of mid

and that's tough. They make me talk about them every single week saying the same things every single week. Next team, Los Angeles Clippers. A real big, honestly, the main question

that will define the 2026 is one of the feds going to do a sweep and what are they going to decide? That's the real answer in lieu of not talking about that any further. Are you going to decide

to keep the band together and just how to win it out or are you going to do what you should do and are you going to enter a poor man's rebuild and who are you going to trade to do that?

they clearly I think at this point are so bad that I don't think there's any real reason to set yourself in the vision of we'll drag ourselves into the play in let's sell tickets and have this new dome that shit's dead when you're this far under the ability to be good that's not by accident you know I think they need to trade Hardin maybe trade Kauai if it's possible probably not probably trade Zubotch if the self-thers are throwing you a couple first-round picks all you can do now is ignore the sunk cost of not having your first-round pick ignore the fact that you're going to give Oklahoma City AJ DeBonza it's tough It feels icky. Pretend you don't know about that because it's sunk cost. Get as many first round pictures you can. Get as many young players as you can and hope you strike gold somewhere deep in the first round and do everything you can to maximize your assets because this era is over. So there are five games behind the Blazers for the 10th spot in the West. Damn.

Listen, we go on a nice little six game winning street. We can get some stuff done. Yeah, I guess if you think the Blazers are going to fall off, sure. Just to catch, yeah, just to try and catch people, we'll see. But I don't, obviously, I don't think that they're going to make the plane. and I don't think that they're going to make the playoffs. You, you do have to trade too much.

And if the Celtics ask, or if anybody asks, and they are offering first-round pick, you take them. Yeah, multiple, you take that. You have to. Same for Hardin. And I,

I trade everybody. Yeah. Right? Do you have to, you have to figure out, you have to figure out if we're able to recoup anything. If,

if all you have until 2030, let's say, let's say we get to, to, uh, to 2030 over the next five years. And it's like, the clippers have picked 26 times in the second round. It's like, you know what? Okay. Like, let's see.

Let's see we can do that. They have, they have nothing. And I, they have nothing. And I just think that you have to find a way to, to figure out how value. And you've, you have to mentally prepare yourself that you have given the Oklahoma City Thunder, not only one dynasty, but you have set them up for, the potential to get another one. And now that Zubach is going to be hurt for several weeks,

nothing else matters. Yeah. And so the real question is, do you have the courage to do an ugly rebuild that nobody will like and you have to hope that you can succumb to or not not succumb to that pressure of avoiding the ugliness and deal with your lumps, have bad seasons when you get first-on picks that aren't yours, and you just do everything you can to get young players on the door,

take as many bites of the apples you can, and find a way to find value, do what the Brooklyn Nets did, post their colossusely terrible, trade and honestly we'll also fucking hire an entire new scouting department and really invest there throw bombers money that direction this summer so we can get some young players that are actually good it's it's a bad outcome but you have to be willing to accept it and that takes a certain amount of bravery yeah you guys are literally the worst team in the league when it comes to finding scouting developing young talent you guys have no names to actually show for showing your

like development trophy case at all over the last goddamn 15 or something like that years right we sat down and dove deep into that and that we dove deep into just a couple episodes ago and the best hope it's going back to what you said find a couple of diamonds in the rough guys who have a lot to prove find you i don't know camp thomas mp day some of that nature comming or whatnot and have those guys try to make a name for themselves in the league guys who are starving who are hungry but yeah i'm i'm treating this like like the like his summer league and the g league's last chance you we're having we're having open tryout anybody who wants to come and see and prove that you can play basketball let's do it yes is what

it is sucks next division who we're going to do the central division who has the cleaving cavaliers that's me what should this team do what should the most what is the question for the most disappointing team in the NBA right now I think at least in the eastern conference what is their biggest question for 2026 they need to as a as a team get into a bus and drive out to to the shore to the closest body of water near them, they need to sit on the shore, and they need to all just sit around in a row. Preferably, there would be like a campsite around. You start a fire and you sit there and you look at each other and you ask yourself, how do we get here? Because what the hell do you mean? You want 64 games and you're getting walked down by anybody who comes and plays against

you. Darius Garland, we talked about it a little bit earlier, has the reports that, like, he might want to be traded. You thought you saved those off a little bit. Now, now we don't know. Evan Mobley was supposed to take a leap. He didn't do it. Donovan Mitchell was scoring 35 every other night. Somehow, that's a bad thing. And now Jared Allen is, you know, in and out of the closing

rotations. Now, he's somewhere telling somebody by the lights are too bright. He keeps talking about it. Which is ridiculous. He loves that joke. But I just, it is so shocking that a team has flipped its entire ethos, its entire vibe in six months

when even even within the organization with how they lost you could have told yourself all summer man you're lucky we were hurt and so it's not like you truly truly got beat and so the fact that you've done this complete 180 and you're struggling the way that you are and that you are the seventh seed and you are 15 and 14

and you've lost three in a row and you're three and seven in your last 10 games I don't understand I really don't understand how we got here me either but also then what you're question based on this what was the what's a question that we take away from this no that's that's the question that they need to answer how do we get here because this can't happen again this is crazy because i i don't even think that anything is like because all the other stuff of like like you you kind of understand the moves that that they had to make you understand that you weren't

going to keep tidrome you understand that you have to take you know take a take a swing try to try to feel that this way you bring in lanzo that didn't work out we we understand that yeah but for you to be the seventh seed in an Eastern conference that all summer long we said is as wide open as possibly can be and you are potentially going to get lapped by the 76ers by the Orlando Magic both teams whose star players are are hurt all the time and you have your guys like I understand that the Moby's hurt as well this is just ridiculous got reports like this on the screen right now there have been rumbles in coaching circles that pressure is mounting on Kenny Atkinson, per the Stein line.

What the fuck are we talking about? He is the last person on the pecking list, on the unpecking order who needs to be questioned. Well, I think what this means is probably losing a locker room. For whatever reason, you know, whenever stuff like this happens, it's hard to say why, or if it's deserving, we're not there. Typically, I think

what stuff like this happens is really interpersonal dynamic based that, you know, we can applaud his offensive scheme he implemented last year to create all these three-point loggs based on cutting and using Biggs in the Ducker spot as spacers for opening shots, yada, yada. It was all beautiful.

You don't get this bad without some locker room issues, I think, without some coaching issues, people not being bought in. Granted that we said there is injury issues right now still. There is actual on-court exes and nose issues. Losing Ty Jerome, losing those pain touches, losing Darius Garland's ability to generate pain touches because of his injuries. A lot of their playmaking impetuses have kind of died. And now they're replacing Alonzo Ball, who has been a negative experience, to say the least.

They just got worse in some meaningful ways that cascaded, right? But it's also, you don't get that bad because of this. This is clearly an issue of a team being broken, I think. And the question I have is, what are they going to do about it? Yeah, they're definitely in for a retooling scenario, a retooling season of their, of their rebuilt or retooling or whatnot again. This is like a third, it's going to be the third iteration of this Cavs team. And at this point in time, at this point in time, I am so just like, again, bro,

why are all these teams irritating me today? You guys are supposed to be the ones coming out of the conference. This is supposed to be your year clear cut. And right now you're sitting at a point to where what are they? You said they're 15 and 14. Last year they were like 27 and 4 or some like that to this day. Like this, that's crazy. Yeah.

You know what they need? They need Tristan Thompson. They need to restore some veteran leadership onto this team. Like they need something, right? Because I'm not going to, I'm not going to sit here and say, oh, what's going on? It starts from top down because that's not the case most of the time. You know, like, look at the Warriors. No one's ever questioning fucking Steph Curry and whatnot, bro.

For this CAF's team, I question things all around them. And I think it starts at the foundation. Who are your vets around there? They have no Georges Nying no more. They have no Tristan Thompson no more. Where are your vets? Yeah, man, they need fine God. Brian Winhorst said via his asking around to folks in the NBA,

he feels like they don't have any options right now. They kind of have to weather the storm. And that might be the real answer. You know, you don't want to overreact. But if weathering the storm means continuing to just, see if sample size grows and you get better. Sam Merrill is coming back now. About the time you're hearing this on Friday,

I think you already be back playing. That's good. Maybe that helps. Gives them another good wing there. We'll see the rest of the pieces come back and they get whole. They clearly are capable of writing the ship. But if we get to February 1st

and the ship is still leaking in every which direction and everybody's wet and tired and hates each other, Jared Allen's not safe, Darylis Garland's not safe. Apparently Kenny Atkinson isn't safe, whatever that means.

I think that's crazy, but if you lost them, they lost them. I don't know. trading one of these stars and getting a new version of the team clearly should be on the table. Yeah. It's going to be super hard.

Like they are going to have to stand Pat and bond together and have some like sports movie time and it's like, yes, I will do this for the good of the team because you're in the second apron. It's going to be so hard to make moves in season when you have all of those restrictions on you. So this is like if they do trade garland,

it's going to have to be an offseason thing so that everything can be much easier to Or you get real creative and you probably lose some assets in that like it's just it's a lot it's a lot and that's probably

I'm sure that's what Brian Rehnhorst meant by they have no options this last game against Chicago there is Garland at 35 points amazing

but he took 27 shots to get there ass a lot man that's a whole lot of points yeah and Moby wasn't playing that game and was Demich playing that game uh I believe deemich was playing the game

let me double check I have the box score right here yeah Yeah, okay. Who's the next team in this division? Listen, I have a lot of central division. Let's go. Nope, he wasn't playing.

Nope. All right. Also, quick one for the Indiana Pacers. The question is, how quickly do we shut everybody down? Because you are, because you're obviously not good. You're not going to go to the playoffs or anything like that. The Pacers are currently six and 22. You've lost four straight at this time, at the time of this recording.

They are not going anywhere. and they are doing what we thought that like the Celtics would do which is yeah you can come out here and say you have you know championship and finals DNA all that stuff what happens when somebody gets injured and for them everybody got injured yeah so i think they're clearly going to be in the lottery they're going to be at a certain point where they start looking to you know to the draft lottery and start to adjust themselves for positioning how early do do we want to do that that's really it for them yeah and i guess another question would just be like is there going to be a center you like at the deadline kind of like the Celtics there that even if this year isn't anything, we need a center next year if we're when our start comes back. Can you get the guy? And then is it this deadline or is it going to be this summer?

Yeah, they're one of the least interesting teams in the league just because we know what they are and they're just, you know, stuck in a gap year. Hopefully they get Cameron Boozer. That'd be cool. I have two teams in this division. I have the Bulls and the Bucks. Which one you want first?

Bucks. Okay. I hate that I'm asking the same question again, but it's like, this is the biggest question of the fucking entire NBA. When is the yonest thing happening? Yep. And you know what?

All we can do is say that Because we talked about it to death The biggest question for 2026 Will they trade Janus? If so, for what? If not, for what? What are we going to keep them for? Yeah, exactly.

There was a port that came out a couple days ago about how, I think it was Jake Fisher who reported it and they said that or he said that they were having conversations around Jeremy Grant.

Yeah, apparently they're trying to go the other way and they're trying to get one last ditch effort to convince him to stay by presenting him with the trade option. Can we get this guy? and do you feel confident we can compete with that? Is that answer is Jeremy Grant's?

Oh my God, that is the most grim statement. I was thinking it was like Zach Levine or something, who was an imperfect option that might be available, but you can sell him on buckets. If you're selling him on Jeremy Grant, you hate Yonis. You don't respect him. You hate, not even Yonis, bro.

You hate these fucking fans, bro. Because they're going to have to deal with this shit when he's fucking gone. And you have nothing but to deal with other than KBJ, Miles Turner, and Jeremy Grant. Kyle Kuzma, and I sold a $25 million power for that makes too much money. You like that?

Here's one more for you. Jeremy Grant. Yeah, no, it's not looking good, bro. Yeah, we know what it is, right? It's just a wait-and-see thing. We'll see what the February comes around. If they get a deal they like, if Janus really puts his finger on the button,

he's been flirting with the button, and he's like, I'm going to press it. I'm going to press it. Yeah. Don't make you press it. Get another star. They will not get another star. So he's probably going to have to press it.

We'll see where it goes. He's over here saying, I'm not going to press it, but my man's behind me wants to press it. I'm not telling him to press it. But, Yonis, doesn't he do what you say? Uh-uh. Just implying his age is going rogue. Exactly.

I don't have anything to do with it. All right, buddy. Come on now, man. Please, free us, free us. So we will see. But obviously, the Yonest trade hangs above their heads. Nothing else really matters. My next team and last team of the division was the Chicago Bulls.

Same old story. Well, actually not say a little story for me personally. Some new talking point that I have is like, hmm, why does Billy Donovan hate Modis Buzellis? That's my main question. Why? I've seen some Bulls fans talking about this. I've had someone say that they get scary flashbacks to the Patrick Williams development

and how where that went all wrong. But some Bulls fans that obviously had the built-in optimism for all their young players believe that Patrick Williams was done dirty by Billy Donovan limiting his development by making him put on weight and be the stand in the corner three and D type power for a guy that wasn't allowed to explore the options of his bag. I'm not sure anything would have saved Patrick Williams for being a top four pick and making it worth it. But, you know,

Monos Mazzis is standing in the corner a lot. Yeah. Yeah, he is. There was just some interview that Modis did. And he talked about his rookie year and how he made a really cool play. He, I think he bumped into someone,

created some separation, and he hit a fade away or something like that. He said that interview, not that long ago. And he talked about how he thought it was a good move. He thought he had one of his first NBA-type shots. And then he talked about how,

Billy Domman chewed him the fuck out and was like, yo, this is not what we do here. With that, well, granted, this was recent game, he had 28 points on 91% from the field. Yeah. Playing the Hawks in that garbage-ass defense. Anybody could get their shit up.

Jalen Johnson was going to run by him every time. He's like, I score points now, by the way. I don't know if you heard. The defense don't worry. Job description's updated, buddies. But yeah, I don't know. I guess, so to your point, the question is like, are we going to get a on-ball,

modest, dozealous opportunity as a season goes on? Are we going to see him develop to be in the star We think he can be? Yeah. It's a little bit they got going on is can Mattis be a needle mover Otherwise they're just who they are.

I think that's like the most important talking point for them And another side conversation is like What's going to happen with Kobe White Because I think his deal is expiring And he could be like a legitimate trade candidate But they're the bulls like They lose trades

They're not in the business And making things Doing things in like a timely manner at all They might just let his ass walk Yeah, yeah Can't take him seriously What is your one question? for the Detroit Pistons in 2026.

With trading a star throw us off this path. Trading four a star. Yeah. Yeah. With trading four star throws us off this path. Because on one hand, you can look at the Pistons.

You say we're 22 and 6. We are awesome. We're having fun. Vives are high. We have a lot of young players. People are developing. Everything is going good. Let's just stand pat.

On the other hand, you say, hey, everything is going good. We're ahead of schedule. We have a little bit too many young players and we need to just focus on like one or two to develop, let's go consolidate this roster, go get a star, pair somebody with Cade, and make a real push for the Eastern Conference and an NBA title this year. However, it's midseason. If trading for a star, it's going to take some time to integrate. You're going to lose depth whenever you do

that naturally. Is that going to mess up the fact that you have the number one seed in the Eastern conference right now? Is that ultimately a good thing? Or are you better just riding this year out and living with the results and saying we can make it far in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year and we can get development. I think that's the line that they're towing right now and they have to figure out, you know,

what they believe about trading for a star because obviously we talked for years prior to this year about them trading for Zach Levine. We've talked a lot about Lowry marketing being a trade target for the Pistons. What do they want to do? And I think trading for a star and how that impacts the team in this season,

season is the biggest thing for them. Let's see. Five points, two assists, eight points, one assists, 10 points, three assists, 10 points four. It says, okay, 10 and four, 10 and two, two and two, oh, 15 and one. That was a good splash game on December 3rd. Oh, my gosh.

It's J. Nivey. Ah, man. Yeah. He's just not having a big role right now. And he's the real swing piece we've always talked about. You know, coming off an injury, not his fault. You know, coming into a team that has a lot of win-up, he's not his fault.

necessarily feels like we should probably trade this guy feels like this is the guy that I think we can expand and do what you're talking about

and I would take the gamble of I think we can eject when you say star who you what was a star mean are you seeing like a lot of marketing or MPJ

I think MPJ like perfectly fits this description because I agree that he fits the description however I would not call him a star

yeah well then who are you referring to in this whole idea of trading for someone basically a lot all star or above So Larry marketing Yeah

In terms of like practicality Yeah I would trade to Byes Harris Jay and Ivy And two picks For Larry and I don't think You can get that

For Laramor He's so expensive for that Oh Salary You gotta put some more filler in there Value Oh so you're saying That's not enough value

So you need more than two First round picks and Ivy Two first round picks is a lot Yeah because if I have to give Three first round picks And Ivy Go like hang up It might be that

I think it might be that Well, then go fuck yourself to any age. That's a little different. Like, that's a different problem. Yeah, I'm not, I'm not doing that. Fuck off my phone. Keep them in. That's all I'm like, I think someone like MBJ is much cheaper.

He hasn't made any All-Star teams, obviously. And he, his contract is only this year and then next year. So it's like, it's a two-year deal compared to Larry Markin who's going to be making $50 fucking million, $53 million up until 2028, 2029. Yeah. I'm a firm believer that should get Larry marked him. But even outside of that specific example, you're right. it is a question of like do we feel so do we feel like chemistry and the exact formula we have

right now is why we're good and if we disrupt that we'll get worse in some ways and give back value or do we feel like we're good but have another level to reach because our shot making could be better and our spacing could be better around k and we're leaving value on the table right now i kind of feel like is that i don't feel like they've hit some magical formula that can only be replicated by the exact guys they have i think they can clearly get better yeah i think I can be sold on either direction. I can see how, especially for this year and doing the trade at this specific moment,

if you said, I just want to spend the rest of the year with a high chemistry team and doing the things that we've done. That doesn't make sense. I think I'm okay with that right now and even on the other side saying, hey guys, like we're good, but also like the offense is not amazing, right?

Like we have to figure something out the last 10 games. 14th in the league in offense or dead middle like we can we can get that up to top eight if we trade for somebody i would be okay with that too i just that's just something that they have to figure out yeah that it's definitely i'm sure it's definitely a real factor for the team internally probably as much as it is uh is his team good enough now i mean is this team uh already good enough now it's also like do we feel like we're good enough to make the finals if we get a lot of marketing or we still a year away like do we still need another sorry leap etc i feel like the

Duren leap we've seen has made it so if you can get a Lowry and Duren can be your third best offensive player I think you're ready to make a real push yeah like they have no reason to not go ahead and do so it is interesting because like teams like this I love I love him because I love teams like the Detroit Pins is because they thrive off none but chemistry obviously and there's internal growth between players like Duren and Cades gone a little better on the edges and whatnot he's been shooting a lot better from from the three specifically over the last two games compared to the start of the year. All that's great, but they thrive on chemistry.

So that is like a very world thing that it's hard to gauge. And at times it's like we don't value it as much. Yeah, you have to be in the locker room to really know. Yeah. See, I understand that. Definitely, they're the best could go either way by your team. Yeah. Because I don't know who else is really in that range.

Them to the Lakers, like they have to really consider for different reasons, should they be buyers at this deadline? Yeah. Them Lakers, depending on Tatum, Celtics. Sure. Yeah, you guys have them too. Okay, that is a central division. Next up, let's do the Northwest Division. Mo, who you got in this one?

I have the Utah Jazz. I guess one of the more interesting talking points that I've had personally is like, I'm like, oh shit, like this team is legitimately like better than I thought. Second question that I had is, oh my God, like how good can Keonti George be? because he's coming off with three straight 30-point games and something that's been expected that I've been waiting for is a three-point shot

and it's come back around and he's shooting up to damn near 36% on the year. Over the last few games, he's given 39 to the Memphis Grizzlies, 37 to Dallas Mavericks, 34 to the Lakers and he just gave 27 to the Orlando Magic.

Last five games, he is averaging 29 points for game, 6.8 assists 63.4% true shooting 50% from 2 and 40% from 3 91% from the free throw line What the fuck are we talking about? Granted it's five games

But still that is a great stretch And what's your takeaway from this? What is that? How does that inform your opinion on their timeline? I think their timeline is a lot shorter than I thought when it comes to them being in like playing contention

Again in the future. Does this make you want to keep black marketing? Yeah. I'm so indifferent about Larry Merkin. He can stay, you can go. It doesn't really matter. Like, he's just here. He's playing productive basketball,

making a lot of these guys lives a lot, hell of a lot easier. And he's, like, making guys like Keonté more efficient and whatnot. So I don't care about Lowry, to be honest with you. He can say he can live. I don't, I don't care. More seldom thinking about something like Keonti, George, and how he's, like, really, like, he's benefited off of Larry. So if anything, I'm like, Lari can stay.

Like, you're making my guys better at this point. Yeah, probably. is they have that top eight protective pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder I don't know if they're like they're not in danger of getting too good I think I don't know if I see them like making the plan you know so maybe it doesn't matter

but I think it is interesting if Kianti's emerging as like I don't know if star is the right word but like whatever that tier is right below all stars one of those like really good players that's like it's hard to say elite role player because he's a score so that's not typically like people associate him but if he can be that

and can be this 20 point per game efficient score that's going to be a like real player that definitely changes things for them because it obviously makes guard being less of a priority for them some guys could be traded potentially it makes them a little bit closer to winning like you said

maybe makes it so they can't fully tank if he's like emerging emerging definitely changes things yeah I think I'm see someone like me personally I'm not saying they should do this but me personally I think I would do this

late at night if you do notice that the Utah Jazz are winning a little bit too much games for your liking, take a hammer and just Keante George's ankles. Real quick, have him out here and there periodically, bro. For the sake of the program. He didn't say

fake an injury. He said mall, Kiante George. He said assault Kiante George. Late at night, no one's going to know what's dark. You're doing it for the better of the team, betterment of him in his career, bro. Nice. You're getting too good. You're second of the league. Yeah, so the question they need to answer this year. It's Keonti Georgia point guard of the future, is really what we're saying.

And we'll we assault him at night. How really, what I'm saying is how good can he be, bro? Like, what else he's going to do to actually stamp himself in the league, bro? Because the rim finishing is fucking there and it's growing. So really the question is, can Keonté George shoot for real? Because that'll be the deciding factor. Will Keontade George shoot above league average from three for the rest of the season? Yeah, man.

Yeah, man. What do I have in this division? It's been a while since I gave one. Oklahoma City Thunder. Can you get J-dub 100% on time for the playoffs? That guy came back? Man, he's been stinking it up. Man, he's been laying turds on the court left and right.

Man, he's been shit and farting and pissing everywhere he goes. Dude, OKC fans, I think they've become brats now. Oh, they're super, super privileged. It's crazy. They're mad because it feels like Jado's ruined the chance to get the record because he's taking all these shots and missing all these shots. So it feels like he's made them worse a little bit on the court. And I can't argue with that.

He's been bad. Yeah. Which he got resurgia right for the finals and couldn't play basketball for seven months, same as LeBron. So stance the reason he would need time to recover. He's also the type of, like, offensive players, it's imperfect, he needs to be in a good rhythm. He's very like, for his overall efficiency,

he's pretty jump shot reliant because his handle is very if he at best, that he needs to be 100% and he's so clearly far from that, that if that's going to be the difference to them being able to break the regular season win total or not, so be it. I don't really care that much about that in actual terms.

It would be cool if they break it. If they win 71 games, I don't give a shit, you know? Can he be healthy in the playoffs and make it so they can go back to back? Because they damn sure need him to be performing well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I agree, man. They've been blaming him. They've been trying to trade away

or think about trade away Lou Dort and some or shit like that. No, no, never mind. J-Dub getting healthy is question one. Question number two, how do we trade Lou Dord? Lou Dore has been a disaster.

Dude, he sucks right now. He has been a disaster. They've won in spite of him because he's shot really well from three last year. And that was like how he wasn't an issue at all. I remember the playoff games. I don't know everybody else does. They were losing these playoff games

and pushed to seven because they had too many fake shooters in the roster that couldn't attack up closeout and we'll go cold from three, i.e. Lou Dort and Case and Wallace, so they're getting left open all the time and they can't attack those base they're given and they can't make three consistently enough and all of a sudden we look up when they're in game seven

despite having no business being that. Lou Dort is number one issue there. His defense is not irreplaceable. Have you seen the defensive depth here? He can go. I'm not going to lie. So far this year is shooting 29% from the three point line, bro. That's crazy.

And when his threes aren't falling, he's fucking horrid. What does he do? He's horrid offensively when his three On offense What does he do if he's not hitting that three? Now when his three is falling And he's allowed to legally assault people On defense is awesome

Because he's an amazing screen navigator throws his chest into people It's awesome when he can shoot threes And be able to do that I love it It's an awesome addition to their roster But it's such a fine line That goes so quick when he can't shoot

Flirting versus harassment He'll get back to Two three is the pinnacle of that A toothpick is a difference No, one point five three is a game Is a difference Yeah You can go

But yeah So I'll throw that in there too Can we get Ludo To remember how to shoot before the playoffs And can we get J-Dub 100% healthy And able to handle the ball And be a secondary creator Before the playoffs

I don't know I mean J-Dow would probably be all right Ludor I don't know He's gonna be good I'm moving for Ludo Ludo can be benched though So that's fine Yeah it's not the end of the world at all

It's not the end of the world Who's next in this conference The Hating Heart Next up we have the Denver Nuggets Ooh, I have the Denver Nuggets. Okay. So for the Denver Nuggets, my question is their offense is like clicking on us and their defense is whatever. I'm not going to pay too much attention to that.

They're missing their best defender right now. Aaron Gorn, yeah. So it's unfair, really unfair to talk about Spencer Jones. He shoots really weird. That's all right. And he's a starter now because everybody's hurt. And he plays real hard. I love that about him.

The only real question I have about them is more so player focused is Yolkutch. going to win the MVP, bro. Like, that's the only, like, interesting talking point at this point in time. Jamal Murray's doing this thing and whatnot. The bench has, of course, like, been thriving. Jonas Valenius has been very respectable on the court and all that. But is Yolkins going to win MVP again? Will he have the opportunity to?

Are people going to not get tired of him anymore and see the ridiculous stats that he's been averaging still a triple double in back-to-back years is nuts shit? He's not the MVP. Good shit. they're going to win 70 games that's shake Are they going to win 70 games I don't know

Should have Jada I've got something to say about it I don't know man We got him four minutes in one Yeah but Yeah they are one of the least

questionable teams right now Just because they're clearly good The additions they made Getting the bench Replenished dope Oh no no no No you avoid the record

The best question Will Kim Johnson Be a good shooter by the playoffs Is the question He's been better as elite Yeah but will he be like You know The best version we wanted of him

Will he be better than MPJ and bring that secondary ball handling we wanted and being an equal shooter? The MPJ trade was worth it no matter what because it allowed them to replenish the bench. And I think people neglect that in the conversation. Everyone loves posting the side by side of their stats and being like, did OKC win the trade? I mean, did Denver win the trade? It's not only about that. It's about what losing that extra money opened up for them to do. So overall, they'll be fine regardless, right?

But if you want to have a chance to beat OKC, I think you need Cam Johnson to be a real lethal threat. Yeah, everybody's going to have to be at their best to be OKC. see so it wouldn't yeah like that then does need to happen yeah I would like to believe that he would be better of course over the last 15 games he's been averaging 15 points and also shooting 48% of three point line like he's justifying cam johnson that we all thought he would be we just need to see that like continues to be better and see that when everybody else is back because 15 points per game is real tough for him when you I feel like a lot of the issues early in season was like lack of rhythm because he was like such a low totem pole fitting in there when

Christian Brown was there, Aaron Gordon was there, everybody's fully healthy, being able to maintain that. And naturally, a three-point shot is what starts and stops there. But even though two-point stuff with the lack of ball handling, being able to be in a rhythm despite getting a lot less touch as you did last year, that's a question for me. Very true. In the first 11 games, when a lot of the guys were there, including Christian Ron and also, Aaron Gordon, dude was just averaging seven points while shooting 21% from the three-point line.

Now, of course, everyone gets under Cold Streets here and there to start off. That's not really worrisome. was worrisome is like the actual fit on the core and how often he's getting these looks and how he's asserting himself in an offense that already has like a lot of commotion going on between yoke it's jemmaul murray and erin gordon even handling the ball a lot other thing too so it's him also can christian brown ever make a three again christian brown shooting three on the season and he's seen worse at the rim christian brown has had a horrid shooting season yeah he hasn't played in the while though yeah he got hurt he's only played 11 games yeah but in those 11 games he couldn't buy a bucket so it was him and cam johnson now they're bricking everything well, everybody else went crazy. And it was fine because Jamal Murray was playing like a superstar and their defense is really good.

But again, come playoff time. We need the role players to be clicking. Yeah, if Aaron Gordon is doing what he's doing too, it's fine. We'll survive with his two clanks a game.

No, I can't throw out two clinkers. We need one clanker and one guy would be respectable. You pick. Cam Johnson can be killing it. Christian Brown can be a clanker. We need to have some kind of back on me.

You have to coordinate. Yeah, yeah. We've got to take turns, having off nights. Exactly. Two off nights in a row. You're game beat by 40. Timberwolves

That's me What you got My question for them Is how do we get And help And if that is by a trade Who do we get to help ant Because I think the how is interesting

Because obviously like I do think That they are That they need to trade for somebody Do you feel like you want to go guard Do you feel like you want to go wing Do you feel like you want to go big And then depending on that Then you know

Ultimately Ultimately decide who is going to be the additional piece to this team I think for them guard-wise it's probably like that's probably where you need to go we've talked you know

so much about the point guard situation they've actually been getting pretty good minutes from from Mone's Highland yeah he's been he's been really good for them but I mean everybody else they're the best bad team I've ever seen and I say that

they're a top 10 offense and top 10 defense they're a good team they're so broken so much many ways and they're so good in spite of it so maybe i should say no because when i say they're the worst good team that makes it sound like we think they're going to fail they're just succeeding at spite of some major issues that on paper you would say oh that's going to sink them right the only good defender they have and they're starting lineup so far this season on a consistent basis has been rid of go bear carrying everything jamey daniels has not had a stellar defensive

season to me especially on ball and obviously is a overall good defender for a star but it's not like you want your star player to be carrying the defensive impact of a guard you know outside of that Jolie Channels, whatever, don't even Chenzels, whatever, like, they're really surviving off of a DPOI level defensive season from Gobert, and then offensively it's kind of the same thing with Ant being the guard creation. They have no other guard there for everything reason you just said and why they need to address that. They have glaring flaws on both sides of the ball that makes you think that like they need

to change a lot, but they put their top 10 on both ends. So like you don't want to change too much, right? Yeah. And also like every single year, we get to the second half of the year and the two moves are like well time to sit up now yeah they understand it now yeah their their locking factor is honestly at the top of the league they had more talent and you add that to the lock in factor they honestly would just keep doing what they're doing which is making conference finals for back-to-back years but i think that you always want to address some of the weaknesses that you have so

i think that they can go out and make a trade get get some more get some more help um for aunt and i think at this point and especially in the middle of the season finally finding other people that finding like more defensive oriented players that are still competent defensively or offensively that's going to be hard i got a name for you who christopher emmanuel paul good lord tell me i'm cooking it's not really honestly i don't think it's it's ridiculous well you should chris pa can't play in the playoffs i don't christ paul can't play a single minute against okay they don't have anybody they don't have chris paul can't play a single a minute against okay c thunder they don't they don't have anybody so i think i think bringing in

chris ball like obviously if you look at chris paul and it's like he's gonna change everything i think that's dumb but just just signing him wouldn't be a terrible thing to do but they they they're they very clearly are at a point where i again i do like everything that bones highland has been given him we're going to go into the playoffs and be like yeah bones Highland is going to carry us? Like, that's, that's kind of a nasty place to be in right now. Yeah. It's crazy.

Like, this is one of the more in balance teams in a league, I think, in that ants the entire offense with respect to Julius Randall, Gobert's entire defense, and everything else in the middle could really be changed and minimally impact the team overall. That's crazy, man. Which not to disparage, Jamie Downs also a great player. He helps on both ends pretty equally, I'd say. But he's not, like, reputationalally, I don't think he's providing quite as much impact defensively, as you would think.

Yeah. But I do want them. Do you think they should sell high on Julius Randall? Absolutely. Yeah. That would be amazing. That would be brilliant, to be honest with me. Now, I don't know what they would get for Julius Randall.

So I realize what I guess I mean is do you think they should trade him for a guard? Which, again, who want me? I don't know. Nah, I don't know what guard there is. Takes you to tango. I don't know who the other person is, but like, pardon. I think you can get him without giving up Randall, I think. I don't think I won both of those two on my team

At the same time along it's like I wouldn't want both of them That is I see what you mean like that this most disgusting stinker yeah I see I see what you get Yeah that is a bad combo yeah you can only have one left-handed do with an attitude on the team can't have it It's okay Timberwolves are you gonna improve your offense or improve your defense you kind of got to pick one it seems Yeah, but both can be picked But also you'll probably be topped in either way. So I don't know it feels like we're hating because the numbers are the numbers. We are hating hard.

But, you know, they deserve it. They have made the conference finals type of standard, so they need to be critiqued. Yeah. Portland Trailblazers, last team in this division. I got the Portland Trailblazers. This team is so, it's kind of complicated to talk about.

They have, like, several questions. Like, I could sit here and talk about how, huh, like, they recently paid this dude to Monique Kumar. He's been wildly up and down. We talked about him already before. Shaden Sharp has been better as of late, but a lot of people are clamoring about how this team needs a point guard

Shaden there's supposed to be that What the hell happened to... Did you say Shade's supposed to be that? People would consider him a point guard? Two guard, lead guard, you know what I mean? Like, because really, Denny's like the point guard for that team or one with how many, with how often he handles the ball.

What is going to happen with Schuenderson? He's out indefinitely still. And I think we got a report late November saying that he was going to be re-evaluated in two weeks or whatnot. If he comes back and he is looking like at least 75% of what he looked like last year, then you're on a decent track and pathway. But as of now, like, the updates have been quite like,

it's been quiet when it comes to conversation around him. Yeah, I think the hamstring stuff is, it's crazy. Being out this long for the hamstring. I don't know, man. This team is also another one where it's like, man, you had everything going for you and obviously Coz got picked up right

you can you can understand a little bit why what do you think about the picture of him shirt off went off the rails what you think about this I don't know this oh no oh no

no no no no does he shoot now is he on court I don't know this is a random

blaze fan post this is a shirt off picture with him. There's an aura picture. This doesn't work unless he's great. I don't know why it's frying. He just like, he froze.

This doesn't work unless he's good. He told the truth finally. It doesn't work unless he's good. No. Yeah, I'm not turned on until the average is 30. I got you. You can't be shirtless. Yeah, you can't be shirtless.

not average 15, I'm sorry. You can't expect me to quiver if you're not a bucket. But yeah, you know, it is like what is going to happen with him? Is he going to be your answer to point guard? If not, what the fuck is? Because they just don't have any point guards in the roster. You mentioned Denny is the point guard. That's a bad thing.

He does not need to be your primary ball handler like this. Like, honestly, him averaging 25 and 7, like good for him, kind of emblematic of an issue that he has to have that much usage. Like, I want Denny to be a little more diverse, but to put a little more effort back into defense. We need a point guard that would release some of the playmaking duties from him. Hopefully at school Henderson. If not, that has to be your focus of the summer.

And I drew Holliday's also been hurt. Is he playing right now? He's been so in and out. I believe he might be. Has he been playing in the past like 10 games? Let's see. 10 games, hell no, he hasn't. No, my God.

He's still been hurt the whole time. He hasn't been back yet. Yeah, he's been 12 games this season. So no Drew, no scoot. They have no playmaking whatsoever. Pray to God, it can be scoot. If not, what are you going to do about it? Yeah, bro.

Not a damn thing. Nope. I'm putting my analysis on the, my analysis on the pulling trailblazers down for the rest of the season until they get some more point guard. help. I find them very uninteresting. Dude, they were so fun to me like two, three years ago when we first started the show. They were fun last year. They were fun last year. You're right. But when they first started out, they're tanking, their tanking era. Like, I was like, this team is bad, but their defense isn't terrible at all. And then they became like this super

annoying defense over the last two years and went on. And now they're back to just being like a very whatever defense. So now I'm like, what is the identity of this team? Yeah. What do you all thrive? What are you all good at? Yeah, I find them very dull. Yeah. It was. Can't do it no more, man. Next division, Southwest Division. Pelicans, real simple. Like I said, we're trying to find new questions that have changed over the course of the season,

trying not to give you the same thing we gave you before the season started, kind of react to the 25 games and say, how has the mission, how has the vision grown for this team over the course of November and December? Shit stayed the same. Question for the Pelicans in 2026. Is it finally time to give up on Zion Williamson?

Is it finally time to rip that bandit off and move on to New Era? Yes. Now, I will say he just hooped and just had a crazy game as of late. Don't care. Six-Man Zion, man, he's in the building. He's not a missed restriction, so six-man's Islems kind of killing it. And I say they had exactly one good game, but, you know.

He did his best when he did have to play a lot. Yeah. When he was in a limited role, not to start a team. My question really is it, is it time to move off the Zion thing? It is a time, I think, unless he proves otherwise. Unless he proves from now to February, he gets back on Superstar Tract and you just can't help, but say, I got to pick the pipe back up and I got to keep it going, sure.

If you relaps because Zion dunks on someone, great. I guess we're going to stop scratching our face and we're going to take that shit. But if that doesn't happen, the question to me is, can you trade him, what can you get for him? If not, it's the time to cut him. Yes.

Yeah, because he's in, you know, we've talked a lot, he's that rare contract that you can cut him. Given the stipulations in his contract for games played, there's a potential that if he misses more games, this summer you can cut him and have no financial impact

and just move on to a new era, free up that money, give the ball to Queen and Fears and whoever your next pick is and get something going, it might be that time. So it's really, what route are we going to take to move on to the next era that probably does not include Zion Williamson?

Yeah. Unless I once again say he makes us be addicts again in which we will shoot that shit. I'm not talking about them. So, yeah, I'm doing. I'm telling you I'm done, but my veins are ready to be open design again if this is needed. Ah, please, no. For the sake of your health, no.

I'm telling you, like, if I see him dunk on someone, it's over. Please, Simon. Give me Lashers production from now to February is over. I'm back. We're training for Trey Young. We're making a run. The fuck are we talking about right?

Okay. I have a team in this division and that team is the Houston Rockets. Okay. My biggest question for them is up close and personal, who is closing these games for them? Who is their closer? Okay. They are one and four in clutch games so far this year. every single one that they have

it's pretty much like 10 plus in point differential row they don't know how to close games at all they have real issues because they got guys like amend good player great player elite role player starting challenging at times he can be challenged

at times offensively Josh Okie's there playing a lot playing a lot of minutes that's all I can say he's playing a lot of minutes Alfred Sungoon obviously he's an all-star KD is or at least You would think he is KD, but he hasn't been the closer. The team has real issues when it comes to late game situations.

They don't have to close games for the life of them at all, bro. Rockets have lost nine games this season. Eight of them have been in clutch time. Yeah. Also one and four in overtime games is what I think you're referencing. That's what I meant. Yeah, one and four overtime games, not clutch games. But eight of their losses have come in clutch time.

So I'm sure they have plenty of wins there too, but, hey man, which really means, I guess you can say it means they're not getting blown out. They're only losing close games, which could be seen as a good thing. But one in four in overtime is funny. They just keep burning out in these late games. They're six and eight in clenched games. Okay, so not even that great. Nope.

No, no. Yeah, no. And, you know, that stands to reason, given the clunkiness of the offense that we thought would be a bigger deal before the season started. They've found a way to be an elite offense through pure fucking willpower and playing points shangoon and being people up at office rebounds like always, running transition like always. They've really found a way to overcome the lack of ball handling issue, lack of shooting issue and whatnot. Apparently it's coming to rear. It's ugly head and clutching. time though 16th in offense in clutch time yeah it could be worse honestly considering what's your

defense not 22nd oh so that's the bigger issue why can't we defend in clutch time that that's a way bigger issue they are 24th in net rating in clutch time good lord everything falls apart i yeah i haven't thought about this so i lack the uh analysis to tell you why outside of like why it makes sense on paper that's definitely a problem all i can speak on their offense offensive because i watched the king's game last night that went into overtime. Oh yeah, I didn't watch it. What happened? Shout out to Westbrook. He hit like multiple clutch shots and also so did Dennis Schroeder or not too. But this team when it comes to how they lay their players out on the

offensive and specifically first of foremost, Shangoon is way too far away from the basket. And KD, we've talked about so many times already how limited KD is at this old age because of his ability to not handle the ball really well. Thus, when he's double team, shit is cooked. because he's never been one of the more gifted pastors at all throughout the entirety of his career in the same talking point pertains, especially at this old age.

And you leave the ball in the hands of someone like a men Thompson who is not a natural point guard or not like one of the better playmakers at his position. And you got an absolute pumpkin in Josh Okie too, who's just trying to occupy the same spaces and places as Amin Thompson. And so now you got a couple of things, so many things working towards you or working against you. and that leads to just clunky offense.

Meanwhile, you need someone who can set the table for you, a.k.a. someone like Fervidivably, who's obviously hurt and whatnot. And now you're just scratching your ass in overtime. You know what's been hoping? Wondering how you got here. Who? Reed. He's been getting this shit off.

You know who's their third best offensive player? Reed. You know who needs to close these games? Read. You know whose team this is? Not Reed. Read. Read.

Give him the keys. Yeah. I'm only half joking. I think he deserves more opportunity. Keys, I'm joking, but, like, he needs to be, like, one of the holders of the keys. Now, obviously, the defense always has been an issue, but, like, he's been exceptional offensively. No, he's really been good. Like, he needs to, like, he should close some games over him, man, for the reasons we're talking about.

Which is hard for defense to take him out of the court, especially in certain matches where he can be more exposed than others. So, easier for me to say that than actually do it in practice. There's a lot of matches that we need to be on that court to close the games. it's tough man but the defense again like dies when he's on the court damn near does it is it still are the off numbers that bad i'm not sure about his on and off numbers but i did see multiple times where someone like demar de rosa was literally trying to hunt read well yes they're trying to switch over and whatnot and it was just like that's all the more i mean but he's so yeah he's you a four points better with reed shepherd on the court i don't want to hear shit start read now he is

a disruptor the offense is five points better than him on the court he's a plus nine with him playing with him on the bench start reed shepherd all the time he's just the goat huh he is nice he is start new age john stockton all the time okay well man i hope he's not new age john stock my bad start new age mark price all the time there we go start white dami lillard all the time yeah but they have issues i i think start white kairi all the time what's up by white man why can't just be reed shepherd what he's now he's now he's not white i'm not saying that's not what he is so now i can't say the obvious? Not everything needs to be said.

You're not supposed to see color, Isaac. Oh, I see it all right. And I see white and it is awesome. He's so good. He's good in ways that he shouldn't be. I see white and it's awesome. He's a bucking in ways that is not traditional given his body type. Well, no, I mean, I do, I am joking, but I do think he clearly is their best answer, right, to continue to empower him and have him be some of these late game situations that I'm sure there's going to be times or lights are too bright.

But that is their best offensive use. I don't even, I actually don't agree with that. I think, I think that Reid has shown the lights are never too bright. Like, he's never, he's never going to miss because he's scared. Okay. You know, like, if he misses, he just misses. But like, it's not going to be because he's like, oh, well, I don't know what to do in the situation. Like, the pressure is getting to me.

He's shown the confidence and the audacity to take shots at the end of games, to take shots that are difficult, that that takes. some real confidence is the lights are not going to be yeah i really meant like in a two-way impact type of way like defense changed in offense and things spooky real fast we get attacked all the time but yeah fuck it if he's that guy offensively and we say he is ice of ice cold veins fuck it i'm not going to disagree yeah yeah next team in this division let's do spurs who has them do i have them no i have them what you got uh so we need we need two things one for the spurs you need to define internally what all in means and then you ask yourself do we go all in okay because what do you think it means um see this this is the thing this is this is why i'm asking

them the question of of doing of defining all in because you can say hey all in is just adding another piece and go going to get a tray murphy or you can say that all in is yonis and that's what all in means and if that's what it means and you say no we don't want to go all in we'll just fill in the the gaps with other pieces all right that's cool or if you say all in is is making another move to add another very like significant rotational piece to this team right now that is what we we will do and we have to make that move right now or it or even if you decided that that's all in and you say we don't want to do that and we just want to stick with the people that we have now castle has been developing very well. Dillon Harper is awesome. D.R. Fox is here. We think that with the team

we have right now, we can make a run and hold all of our assets. Fine. I just think that you need to figure out what level is all in. And then do you think that you have to make that push? Because the Spurs right now are second in the Western Conference. They were in the final in the final for the NBA Cup. You just beat the thunder though in order to get there. And Wembe was on a minute's restriction while doing that, you can look at this team and say, hey, we're ready to push the nuggets, right, in a, in a playoffs series. We're ready to go toe to toe to with OKC, with Huesa, all these other teams. Do we need help?

And let's figure that out. Yeah. I think they definitely needed to make some move, right? Like, they're so good that I think I find it pretty undebatable that they need to get better at the deadline. But to your point, what does that mean? Like how far do you go is a question? I agree with you.

I think my personal thought if I was working for that team would be like the Tray Murphy type guy is probably the answer that they don't got to do the honest thing that everybody wants them to do you just don't have to like you can if you really want to

if he's available and says send me there and it's not everything you have I guess I'm not going to be one to say absolutely not don't go get Janus if he's available but like I wouldn't try to get Lager Marketing in

I wouldn't try to get I wouldn't try to get if the Casbell up I wouldn't try to get Donovan Mitchell like I wouldn't try to get these like superstars superstars but I do think they should add

an elite role player like trade murphy i think i think so as well yeah and i think and it sounds crazy to say but i'm only getting yannis if i can get them at a discount i'm not paying full price for for yonis when you say full price it would mean you're not giving up everything yeah i'm not i'm not unloading the the chest to go get yonis yeah because i have again i have development pieces on my on my on my team right now that are already playing extremely well and i can i can do that without having to go put myself in a situation when now I'm paying somebody else $60, $65 million, haven't paid Wemby yet, haven't given him his extension,

and we can still have flexibility to handle anything that comes at the team in the next couple of years. So, yeah, unless it truly, truly makes sense and we feel like we're kind of getting a lick, you know, I'm not doing it. Yeah, I think this identity of this team with these young athletic players running around around wimby is like you have you have the formula just try to get whatever a talent upgrade is to maintain that yeah like herb jones or tray murphy yeah i love the idea that i don't think they absolutely have to do so but it wouldn't be unwise to do so because tray murphy

it's not like he's one of the more like a lot of four assets in the entire NBA he's only tray murphy still hasn't made any type of all-star game hasn't like made any super sound leap in the league at all and he's on the pelicans who are making no noise it hasn't been a good reason as to why they've been slightly better as well he's just tray murphy at the end of the day but i just i wonder what it would take to get him uh so han a first on pick maybe two first on picks kelly olinick for salary stuff like that like it would be a couple picks and sohan maybe okay you got me those are pretty much you got me you got me let's do it you got me let's do it I'm on board But that's also, like, if the Pelicans want to trade Cher Murphy, I'm not sure they actually do.

Who cares what they think? They're not going to exist in, like, a couple months. When we say stuff like this, like a Tray Murphy-like type of player, like whoever's available in practicality of that ilk. I think two first-time picks and So-Hon can get you a very good player like that. How much higher would their ceiling be if they had Tray Murphy in the fold? I don't know, but I do think their ceiling is high enough now that I think this is a year you can try to maximize without jeopardizing your future. Like I said, like don't trade when you're core players. You have enough young core players that I think you can be comfortable to.

trading some picks right now because you know by the time by the time these young players get expensive your picks will replenish so you'll kind of have some more ammo for now so I think they can trade their next couple drafts and try to like go all in on this year next year with a tremorphy type you're right you're right you're right yeah okay yeah I'm on board that'd be that'd be lit yeah because look castle harper they're going to be cheap for a while yeah damn it's maximize the vision of this team let's get another wing it's not harrison barns so he has some miss some games again a little creaky we have another shootie that can replace them

That's a great fit. I only said I love it. Yeah, Jeremy would be nice. Next team in this division, Grizzlies. Let's do it. Obviously, it's John Morant related. Spoiler alert. But it's not to me, do we trade John Morant?

Because, like, duh. If they could trade John Morant today, if someone came knocking and said, we'll give you multiple first-on picks in this, like, star package for Ja, he would be no longer living in Memphis by this time tomorrow. They clearly can't get anything for Jao right now.

Nobody wants John Moran at the level he's playing. He's having a truly cataclysmic season. Every time you go on Twitter and you see these graphs that have an X and Y access to some kind of advanced at maybe it's measuring rim pressure per 705 possessions

times three point temporary whatever it is, some kind of formulation for a good offensive player he's always in the bottom left being bad at everything every graph you see a star player is Jean Moran is the worst of the worst right now

so we're past the point of should we trade him yes but you can't so the question is for this season how do we put John Moran in the best position to be good when he gets back how do we put in the best position to recoup value

either for us because we still want him to be the franchise because he is still John Morant and a big part of what makes Memphis great or make him have some value so he can flip his ass the summer. How do you make, how do you optimize John Moran? Who are these bigs? Yeah, that's my first question.

Yeah, so you have to get Zach E.D. healthy and probably get a second backup big on the trade market if potentially that's there. You have to hope that you can get Cedric Coward and Jaylon Wells playing well when he gets back and have this good wing duo. Because honestly, I think of John John Morant was playing like John Morant.

This could be one of the better supporting cast he's had in recent years. It should be. They're kind of deep. It should be. I just think, I also think, like, yes, you have to put him in a position. He also has to play better. That is the, yeah. Yeah.

Like, you can have the perfect supporting cast, but even if they did all of these things, and he's still coming out here, shooting 19% from three, we still can't really do anything. So, okay, so you're right. The better question is, can we cross our fucking fingers and hope John Morant rumors that'll play basketball well. That's really all it comes down to you. Yeah. I, I,

you're stuck with him. It is crazy the drop off that that he's had. And a lot of it is, it's crazy because like the shooting has gone down, but he's obviously never been a big three-point shooter in that way. And so it's like, dang, you still can't, can't get your game off. Like, this should, this should be the one thing. Obviously, he's, he's had some injuries.

We're in year seven, though. The athleticism should still be there, and it's still not the same. you're shooting as bad as you've ever shot before you're scoring less than you did in your rookie season you are as inefficient as you ever are this is a job morant issue no it's an unmitigated disaster that we haven't seen anything like this

from a young player that did not go any major injuries as in no major like ACL Achilles etc I guess the many small injuries have added up in ways that we don't fully understand potentially or it's just a funk beyond funk that we can't even fucking fathom because they're not in the building with them. Yeah. But it's a disaster

and you're looking the tornado in the face and all you can do is hope the wind passes. Man, this is so disappointing because if we would have came up here in the offseason and predicted that the Memphis Grizzies season would have gone this way, of course we would assume like yeah, John Moran's hurt, he's been hurt, whatever,

but it doesn't matter, he's been asked regardless. But this team right here, like, I think we had real questions. I remember we had real questions about their supporting cast and whether or not they would have enough juice. And I'm not going to go as far as to say, like, this is some of the,

this is probably the best or one of the best of the winning cast that we had. But they've been for sure surprising considering Cedric Howard has been consistently one of the better rookies out of this class. Cam Spencer, he perfectly, shit,

even better replaced Luke Kennard in his role. He's an even better player than him at this point in time. Low bar, but shit, it's a bar that he leaped over, you know, Jalen Wendellellell's started off the season, really rocky but he's remained solid and positive

over the last few games specifically too they have a lot of players here who are who still like have been developed and who have been like maintaining the overall identity when it comes to how we think about the Memphis Grizzas being like this role player factory is still happening and I think the Zach Yidi leap before he got hurt was real and that's kind of what I was getting to when I said this could be one of your better supporting cast I think he could be better than Desmond Bayne ever has been

if he says healthy and continues to develop especially John Moran back being another playmaker that hopefully he gets good chemistry with if John Morant ever plays basketball well again? Like, that could be a legit third star if what we saw in those 10 games before the injury is real. I hope it is. That's obviously not a guarantee being a 7 foot three guy

dealing with injuries all the time, but if that goes well and like I said, the Cedric Coward thing keeps going, like it's hard to say that because we haven't seen it and we haven't seen that because John Moran's been terrible. And when the head of the snake sucks, hard to have a supporting cast full of role players really cascaded to something good. But if he was a star and was able to rise to ties for everybody else,

I think these guys are capable of being risen to quite a high level. Yeah. We'll see. This is tragic. It's weird. It's, I don't, I haven't seen anything like this.

Yeah. Next team, the Dallas Mavericks. Do you stay in win now mode with Cooper to set the tone for your rebuild and continue to try to win and put yourself in the same situation you were in with Luca Donchish where you never tank and never have a real young core because he's too good right away, playing out an all-star level on your one? Or do you take your time,

trade some veterans? rebuild, make yourself bad on purpose to get some other young pieces in the door while you still have pick and roll and decide to take the long game route. Do, so question for you about your question, who, who is deciding that they are in when now moved?

The presence of Anthony Davis. Okay. That's really what it comes down to is do you trade AD and then if it also turns into trading PJ Washington or Gafford, whoever, like if you want to really tear it down, which I don't know if they need to do that per se because they're not going to get the number one pick our number one odds, but it really is Anthony Davis question of Cooper is really good

right now. Like the past 20 games, he's playing like an All-Star, despite not going to make a single three. Yeah. If that comes around in this season or maybe going the next year, he'll be an all-star very, very quickly. Do you want to do what you should do with Luca and say, we see this rookie who's averaging 18 points is clearly on the precipice of figuring everything out and being a guy that can lead our team in year two most likely. Let's just make our team good now. And so be it. We're a culture team that wins and we'll continue to add on the margins as the years go on but this is what we do

we win basketball games that's a reasonable way to go about it if you play your cards right but you know this happened with Luca where we had to make a trade every five seconds

because we didn't have a young core because he was too good right away I think specifically for the predicament that they're in right now they need to sell off everything because they don't have no future picks

outside of this specific year right now because of going back to what you said all the recouping assets they had to do when it comes to making sure that Luca has constant new fresh phases to work with to make the finals that they did make a couple of years ago.

You don't have to have many options that many chances at being trash and having some young budding star alongside Cooper flag. This is your only chance. But does trading AD make it so they're going to have a better, are they going to have a substantive chance

of getting a top three pick if they trade AD? They're not going to make the playoffs either way so they can keep them and still try and get lucky and get those top three picks with good luck in the lottery. If the trade AD are they going to get that much better in the odds? Like, by the time we get to February, probably not.

So, like, they might be able to have their cake needed too. Maybe. I mean, so right now, right now. But you're nasty if you like that top of cake, though. Well, when I say that, I mean, the type of cake is either way, we're going to have the 10th best odds and pray we jump up. So maybe if we do jump up and by all means get a top three pick and we get to add to Bonsa, it'd be nice to have Coup de Bonsa and Anthony Davis next year. I think, for me personally, top three pick is out of the fucking question. At this point, it's like, can you get a top eight or seven?

Whatever good lottery look looks like. Yeah, I mean, they're tied for the ninth best odds right now. Yeah. So they can easily get a top eight pick, top seven pick, all those things. And then if you look at like the specific, you know, pick odds for them right now, they actually can't get the six, seven, eight or nine. Anyways, what's probably going to happen is like you either going to stay and get like the tenth overall pick or you're going to have some crazy luck and they end up getting the fourth overall pick.

Yeah, so it does. You either jump in top four or you stay where you are, maybe go a little lower. So you really, really have to be bad. I think that they can be bad because even some of the other teams ahead of them, like Milwaukee, Utah, Charlotte, they all have a little bit of talent to where they can win. Where the Clippers right now? The Clippers are, please. Five?

Fifth. Okay. Oh, my goodness. Right, yeah, right now. Oh, but they're not top four anymore? No, the Pelican. Top four right now is Washington, Indiana, Sacramento, New Orleans. They got out of the top four.

They're not almost given a 50% chance of giving that pick. Top three to OKC? No, but this is disgusting. Damn, still nasty work. I almost forgot about that. But yeah, so that's the equation. Do you think you can get enough assets

for Anthony Davis that is worth it? Which that's an easy part to clear, right? That's an easy bar to tell yourself, okay? But then do you think that will substantively give you a better lottery chance? I think probably not. Realistically? I don't know if they're going to be winning a lot of games either way. And I don't know if they're going to be losing substantially more games,

just given the fact that AD will probably miss more time going in and out. Like, I don't think 80s didn't keep them to play in range. and I don't think if they trade him, they're going to go all the way down at bottom four and get that real juicy odds, you're probably going to have to rely on luck either way like we're talking about. So I don't think it's as simple as you have to trade AD.

Either way, you'll get a top 10 pick, is what I'm saying. And AD plus top 10 pick is a pretty good path still. And that's, yeah, that's why. Because if you know you're going to be bad, let AD go and be ADs for somebody else and you can recoup assets while still winning the same amount of games. Yeah, well, I've done the thought is like next year of Coop's an All-Star next year.

Then we can have AD, Coop and a top-10 pick. Like, we can just be good now and be a playing team, like, pretty immediately next year. Yeah, and now we're banking on 33, 34-year-old. Sure, and Kyrie. And nothing's a guarantee. But, like, I forget Kyrie's coming, too. But that's the cars are Dell. You know, they have the two old guys and they're not going to trade Kyrie.

Nobody wants him right now coming off an ACL. So you just got to make the best of the situation. And maybe that's who has some old vets to try to win with next year. Key Wolves. Come on. Let's make this move, man. For Kyrie? Let's make this move.

Kyrie. My God, but the TikTok Ed is going going dumb Yeah, we'll see I don't think it's quite as obvious

as it was a month and a half ago that they had to trade AD but you know I'm also not clamoring they got to run it back and try to win games it's a bit's a little complicated

last division Southeast Division first off let's go with the Miami Heats I have them and my question for them that will define the 2026

what the hell of the Fed's going to do about the Terry Rosier's situation because their flexibility is held up pretty large to what Adam Silver decides. Adam Silver

has to make the decision right now and he just refuses to make it. I don't know why. He doesn't realize it's his decision. Basically, the Terry Rozier thing happened before the Hornish traded him. He's being investigated for illegal activities he did as a Hornet. There's some evidence that the Hornets knew about it and they knew he's being investigated and they still traded him to the Miami Heat and which they got a first round pickback. So the heat are saying

oh, you've got me incredibly fucked up. Give me that first round pickback or get his money out of the books something. They traded me a known felon by choice. They fucked me over. They did not disclose this. It's the same thing as trading me a guy with the torn ACL without telling me. You need to rescind this trade and give us our pickback. Adam Silver is like, oh no, what are we going to do?

Even though he's the one that hasn't made a decision end of the day. That's really holding them up. Because if they can get a first round pickback and get Terry Rozier out of the books, that opens up so much more flexibility to make a move, so much more ability to make a big all-in trade with an additional first-round pick. And they're at the point now where they just are who they are. They're a good team with some depth, playing this new style that we'll see how far it can take them.

They clearly, as always, are going to be a team that wants to make trades and get more and more talented players in the door and getting Terry Rozier's ass out of here and that compensation back will make that a lot better. Adam, step up. Yeah, man up. Come on.

Just do it. Just do it. Just make a choice. I don't even care what you should decide. Just do it. It's time to be commissioner of the league. I know. Not capitalist of the league. Yeah, you try to do it. How about you to make a decision? How about that? Oh, my gosh. Staying on something.

No, man. What are the Hornets get? They got back for that trade. It was 27 or 29 first-on-pick. Yeah, it was a 27 first-round pick that was lottery-protected and then also Kyle Lowry. Yeah, so they're not going to Kyle Lowry back, but they can get that first-round pick back

and void Terry Rogers' contract. Nah, man, if I'm the Hornet, you got to get that shit back in blood. Sorry, if you was not getting back this pick, you want it, I dare you from getting it. I got to hit his all around me. What are you talking about? Nah, man, you can't get that shit.

That's funny. Yeah, so we'll see. But that's because obviously, like, if we're talking about them on the court, they clearly are going to be a team that wants to be tracing, make it better. So how much ammo we got? Yeah.

Next up in this division, who has the Orlando Magic? That's me. Ooh. Similar to the Cleveland Cavaliers. I think the decision-making people of the Orlando Magic should, once again, get into a car, drive very far away to the nearest body of water, right? You sit on the leg, you have some type of campfire situation, right? you make sure it's peaceful and your mind is clear.

And you ask yourself, who do you truly think is the best player here? How philosophical? Right? You have to make a decision. And I know that like publicly facing you, you kind of have this thing of like, yes, like Palo is our guy. We gave him the extension. We drafted him at the, you know, with the number one overall pick.

I understand that. However, there's been a little bit of evidence, right? that like franz is just playing better and or operates the team better and i'm not even saying that you have to trade palo however to fully reconfigure the direction of this team i think you do need to know who you think is the best player and they move from there that's my question what do so we talk about this a lot and like it's fun for us as like people who like make rankings and have discourse about who's the real best player like it's fun to talk about does it matter who they think their best player is like what does that change when they're both already paid

under contract long term either way, they both got to play with each other so you're not, you're not gonna bench one. Like, well, if you decide Frand's your best player, what does that mean in practicality? So I think that if you, if you decide the France is, is your best player, then you start to think of,

of your team as, okay, then how do we fit pieces around France as opposed to how do we fit pieces around Pondon? Don't need the same pieces, though. They're both big fours I want to drive. A little, a little bit, but also hit the real thing is, whoever you decide is the better player then gets more patience right of we can deal with

whatever your your flaws are as opposed to you are the second best player we're not building around you and then you the second player is no longer as big or bigger than the program and you are now not safe like that's that's the only that's the only thing where it'll it now allows you to mentally think about whoever you decide is the second best player as it's okay if we if we ultimately decide to move on but I do think that you are going into a very very weird spot in this year where people have missed time you haven't really had everything clicked together you just traded four first round picks you need continuity from the top down and you need a a purposeful direction and because you haven't gotten two weeks straight

of Franz and Paolo playing at all-star level together we need to figure out where we need to go and you need to set the tone from the top down yeah i just think they're kind of in a hope and pray type of thing and like at least for this season maybe the summer some like drastic moves and nobody sees coming could happen that i won't further elaborate on but at least for now like best version of fronds like you don't want him taking like more shots than palo like he's not like a volume shooter from the outside you know like so what he runs more picking roles and palo plays off ball a little bit more that should happen even if palo is your best player just like encouraged them both being a duo you know so i just don't know what they can do differently given the

because of both players, how Palo's obviously a slower isolation score, that if you want him to be good, even as a second option, he's got to take shots. Franz is a better playmaker driver. If he wants, even as a first option, that doesn't necessarily mean more shots. So, like, either way it goes, whoever is referred to as a best player, I feel like they're going to have the same dynamic no matter what, just because Franz isn't a good outside shooter either. So I don't know if they can really do anything with that information.

All of this is to basically mask a who are we picking conversations. obviously in terms of like who are who are are we are we trading anybody do we feel like we need to trade one of the top two guys yeah and just because of recent evidence it feels like it would make just slightly more sense to trade palo as opposed to fronts yeah we can't really trade either so i'm just thinking about like short term like i don't know what they can do besides hope that palo starts playing really well and if he doesn't yeah some might be getting interesting right now they're the fifth but will it though like they still won't trade them like it's not going to like it would take a lot of courage and proactivity to trade him like with the like gms also understand the reputation and the like stigma attached to making a move like that like that takes a lot of balls of the gym if this was if this was last year i'd i'd understand lukadontas got traded in the middle of the night ain't nobody safe you thought you thought that it's very true you thought that it's been nine months and now everything is safe guess what i'm circling the block you're gone yeah you're going you're going you say that but then the guy who made

the decision got fucking publicly burned like you're thinking GMs are seeing that and be like I want to do what Nico did if he had called around and said hey I think I kind of want to do this what is everybody offering it would have been received much different he asked for Janice and Anthony

Edwards and they told him to go fuck himself he's an idiot he should have done that no like the other teams to kick rock Nico like he asked about those guys and the other GMs were like fuck off my phone but now now there's a seven foot Greek man who doesn't want to be where he wants to be.

And depending on what happens in the next month and a half, he may still be on the roster coming in the summertime that when you have, you know, a full season of evidence with Franz, Palo, Bain, you have another playoff run. Then we can kind of start to think about things. That's the proactive move, I think. It's trading Palo for Yannis. That could make sense.

Yes. Other than that, I don't know. It's kind of tough. Yeah, that's so weird, bro. Most any other top 10 players are becoming available. Okay, next team in this division, who do we got? We have Washington Wizards. Who has them make it quick, 30 seconds go?

For the Washington Wizards. I don't think it's been announced yet, so for them they need to figure out what day the NBA lottery is on. That's really it. Y'all suck. Nice. Charlotte Hornets.

I think, I don't know the right way to frame this. I've been struggling with this. Really, it's, is Lamello, Brandon Miller, and Kahn as a true. is that your nucleus? I'm not really pinpointing one option or the other. The Lamello thing, like, yeah, we all know

that he has these tendencies that are bad and, like, if there's a perfect world in which you could trade him for someone more serious, of equal level, we would do it. But do we want to rip that band it off for no reason? Not necessarily. Brendan Miller's been hurt. Just dunk somebody into oblivion. Been hurt a lot.

We don't know if he's good. Yeah, like all these, everything individually is a question. Is this your big three? Do they play together? Like, get a sample size if Lamello can say healthy and realize like do we have a trio we can build around because I don't inform a lot of your moves because if you do get best case scenario for those three guys

on paper they would fit pretty seamlessly I like the idea of Lamello and Kahn being a part of the like being a part of the future for sure watching Brandon Miller has been so like fall in a little like it's just the type of shots that he takes some times are kind of you know all over the place at times or whatnot he's wildly not not going a lot

inefficient you know so it's like when I think about the Charlotte Hornets, it's clear who their future is and what the face of the franchise looks like and it's con con-coniple at this point in time. And I think right now, they're just waiting for the perfect opportunity to move off with someone like Brandon Miller.

And if it needs to me to be lamella ball too, share her in the future. But that's not a decision that you like... You know what the hard part is with teams like this? What is it? They're not waiting for the perfect time to do anything. They're just existing. We talk about all these teams

and like, yeah, surely they have this in mind they don't got shit in mind they're the charlotte hornets they're just out here again bucket selling tickets like whoever like stumbles onto their laps they're going to take if they land i don't know number two overall draft pick then they're going to go ahead and take a j and let that be that and that's just going to how it's just going to how be how plans out and yeah unless they get blessed they're just going to do nothing that's the reality i think is like when's the last time they did something proactive and like smart the last time they did something proactive and smart.

Good luck. Kemba Kodrad. What part about that was proactive and smart? Not wanting to give him that like Supermax. Oh, I guess, sure. Whatever.

I guess. I suppose. Yeah. Okay. They decided to be greedy that one time. I don't know though. That's like what is this?

Yeah. I don't think you can classify that as greedy. No, I'm kidding. But like, whatever. Like it's not like that was like some brilliant thing to get more assets. Some of them makes. I'm just saying that that's what we're pointing to

is like not giving Kim Walker quite as much money that was sure that was my decision he got hurt right away but like okay that's pretty we're reaching pretty far back it's been a whole era since then i mean they haven't really had an error but it's been it's been a combination of years yeah no we punch it down man yeah like they just whatever man i don't even know i don't my question is are these guys your nucleus yeah they're they don't know either right they're just taking the last team of the day alana hawks what do we got for them oh man you talk about teams i'm seeking tired of talking about

We talk a disproportionate amount about the Hawks compared to every other NBA podcast. We talk so much about the Hawks. I'm so tired. You got 30 seconds. What is one question now to find their 2026? You want to join my gaming fruit, fruit ninjas? Yeah.

Okay. Okay, I'll take it over. One question is real simple. Can Trey Young and Jalen Johnson thrive as a duo together? If not, Tray Young will be traded this summer. I ain't got that. Hold on. Sorry.

I got them. No, it's like, is that duo feasible? If not, we have to pivot. Can Jalen Johnson get some defense going with Trey on dribbling more? Can these two work? Is this style of play we're building around Trey worthwhile? If not, we're shipping the small one out

and building around the big one. I think Jailen Johnson has a concussion when you play his defense. Specifically on that end. And with that being said, that is one question now to find every single NBA teams, 2026. One thing we want to see them answer,

questions we have. Hopefully they have the same thing if they're trying to get better. And with that being said, it's on to our last TikTok time of 2025, the final one. We got Christmas lights up. It's still the season.

I know this is coming out on December 26. It's still Christmas season. We're keeping these lights up until New Year's. Syke until the 4th of July. Sike. Until Halloween. Took a lot of time and effort

to put these decorations up. We will enjoy them. And we will enjoy this TikTok time. Let's go have some fun. Welcome to TikTok Time, a very festive New Year's edition of TikTok Time, the last one of the year. I think it's right. We start with some bread and butter. Damn. You said last one of the year? That should shock my heart. Damn. Last one of 2025. We're going to go out to bang. Do some fun. We're going to do some discourse baits, a staple in sports media around everybody that wants to get a little clip off.

We are going to redraft the 2024 NBA draft class. This is a class that, you know, it was referred to as potentially the worst draft class of our era, potentially the worst draft class of all time. We're going to sit down and we're going to redraft it after a year and a half of basketball. Okay. Well, you know, your team has the number one overall pick. We're going to take turns. All of us making a pick one by one.

You can go first. As a Hawks fan, who do you think looking back they should have picked number one overall? Man, oh man. Certainly it's not Zachary Richie saying anymore. God damn. I don't know if you would be top 10. after this. I got about the 22 players

that are relevant in this conversation on the screen right now but you know who's in the draft class you can put up on your phone who is number one

picking this class very worthy give me Stefan Castle at number one okay is there anybody she thought about Alexar of course he's been hurt

as of late but I love his potential it's just so hard to see his potential when he's masked and shit and covered up and shit

you gotta like do a lot of cleaning up to see the value in him but it's there but it's close do we feel like Stefan Castle

has the best all star caliber potential right now Yeah, yeah, I think so. Yeah. Because, like, even Alexar, like, if you want him to be an all-star, like, he can, he can kind of get there. But, like, Safar Castle is genuinely, like, impactful on both ends of the floor. Yeah.

Okay. Donovan, number two, who are you picking? Listen. This is hard. You can go a few ways. I can't. I can't go a few ways. I got to let you hear what I'm saying for this one.

Understand. God forbid a white boy. get a little bit of motion. Jimmy Reesheper number two over the old. That's not ridiculous. People wrote him off. He's been a bucket. He has been everything we wanted to be.

The defense is coming around. He's a sharpshooter. I like it. Okay. That's fair. That's very fair. He's nasty, man. He's filthy.

Number three, things get interesting. I think if I was in, if I was a GM right now, and I'm staring down this draft board. I'm taking Zach Eadie. Yep. I'm taking Zach Eadie. I think that. The 10 games before he got hurt, I think he was shaping up into being borderline, also at level production.

He was a top 10 center in the league. Then he got hurt a couple weeks ago. I think he's going to come out. He's going to be a Zubach type level player. What about the 18 games of Alex Ard that we've seen? Oh, my God. Alex Stark before. Oh, my God.

I believe in the floor of Zach E. More than I do the ceiling of any of these guys. I think he's going to be an above average starter for a long time. Wow, man. Wow. I never, ever doubted his glazed ability. I knew that he was going to take Zach Ety 30. It was doing him or sorry.

Oh, my God. If you tell him you piss all over him, I understand. Yeah, yeah, man. I feel so sorry for you. I know what you are, but I'm taking Alex Arr for. Yeah, that's fair. I don't, do you think it's a guarantee that Alex Arb becomes better than Zach Edy? I'm not saying it's a guarantee.

No, nothing in this life is a guarantee. Sure, sure, sure. But do you think it's likely? I think it's likely that Alexar will have a better career than Zach Edy. Injuries are the one reason I can understand that. Exactly. That's the start of the conversation. But also, I think.

Alexar has the higher ceiling, too. I don't know. I mean, I get why you say that. Yeah. I don't know, though. I think Edie, if those few games are real, those 10 games, like, he was defending. And this is what these damn watchmen, we just have done to Alexar. They're so bad all around that you don't even know what that dude is good at, right?

Yeah, I think that Zach Edie obviously gets treated like he has less of a ceiling. Man, he is surely closer to a ceiling than Alexar is. But I think he can be a legit elite defender being that giant rim deterrent. I think he can be an elite finisher. obviously in the early rebounder I don't think that's a guarantee that SART becomes what we want from both sides of the ball

but granted with the shot and obviously the handle he could do more if it's his best case scenario yeah and I think the injury concern and balancing that you know with

with just Alex R being there you have a little bit more reliability that you feel more comfortable with Alex R I get the injury thing for sure Domain number 5 where we're going first team

all white boy as well Give me Modis Buzellis. Yeah, Modis has had to go number five. First team all white boy. That's all I'm taking. I'm just taking the whites. Nah. Okay, who am I left now with?

Who are we deciding with between for number six? You got quite a few options. Kishon George, having a great second season. He should have won number five, to be honest with you. Over Buzellis? Yeah. For the first two years, yes. Okay, I agree with you, but I also still, like, I agree with you that

that George has put more on on film than the modest, but I still think that the upside of my, of modest and seeing the stress that he had at the end of last season where everything like really really started to click I see that and I don't see that as just like fake March basketball I actually believe to that I think that he still has a high

I agree I will go Kishon George number six same type of thing is Eadie in a draft class full of mediocre players I want to pick the safest role players I know will be great for a long time that's Kishon George okay very very fair number seven man I think we're kind of out of the sure things which some of these guys weren't sure things

But I think we're getting more towards role player central, not really start upside. And now that you say that, it's my turn correct? Yep, number seven. Number seven, give me Donovan Klingin. That's a good pick. Yeah, he will give you the most stable level defense ever. I'm not going to ask too, too much from him when it comes to offense, stone hands, but I see the three point potential.

Very interesting. I think Donovan now, number eight, I think there's a second round pick you might be able to start considering. Bronny James? Is he here right now? Oh, my God. There's another one. Playing over there wearing blue.

Is that time? Maybe. I don't know. I think he's in consideration. Nah. Nah. I don't like him. You whack?

I'm going with Jeremy Kane here. Okay. What we saw in 16 games last year, you think we can extrapolate that and get it for a full year? Yeah, I do. And I think that it's weird because, like, I don't think that he's going to be,

like, he might be able to, like, get into maybe one All-Star game. maybe, but I still think that in terms of floor and solid and consistent play, Jeremy Kane can give you that. And right now, just because of how weird the Sixers are, you're not seeing it 100% this year. He also started the year coming off of injury. So a lot of stuff is just, you know, up in the air, not 100% as ideal as you'd like it

to be. I believe in what I saw last year. And I think he could be a top 10 pick, especially in last year's draft. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And it's a same type of thing that maybe he is like an elite shooting. role player for a long time but if that jump shot is real from we saw last year that's going

to be a sticking trait for a long time number 10 I picked two safe picks before I'm going for upside now give me calilware number 10 you mean number nine oops yep my bad number nine give me kill me the upside of what might be a shot blocking stretch big type of combination that just provides crazy value dude over the last two games he hit 11 threes that's ridiculous what center's doing in the league right now it's crazy and obviously he has there's a downside here that if the motor ends up being an issue throughout his entire career and can't stay on the court for various reasons that maybe he's just like, Mr. Potential Man.

But if he can figure it out with the right coach, I think he can be lethal. He can be an elite starter. He could be up there with the guys in top five. Okay. But the downside's crazy. Speaking of elite starter, I think one guy who I feel very comfortable

with starting for my team, but has a chance to be a borderline potential. He can sniff an all-star game potentially. A.J. Mitchell, put him up on one. Okay, I don't know if you're just in an All-Star game, but that's a great pick. Put them on my list, man. Sam Presley did it again. Found the 10th best player in his draft class in the second round.

Yep. Great defender can pass, can bolsters way into the rim. I like him, man. Now we're getting to the point where we've got to start considering some of these guys that haven't done much yet, but I have a ceiling. Ew, we're those type of GMs? You have to be. It's the name of the game. E.

Pick number 11. I think a lot of the shirt things are gone. Who are you putting your, who are placing your chips on? now but there is some like 23 year old role players are still available if you want to go safe and boring Tristan to Silva's looking at you I really like I like Jalen Wells

okay yeah I like Jalen Wells here I think I think upside you know if I'm picking at at this point in the draft sometimes depending on how my team is I feel I will feel okay swinging for the fences other times I'm just trying to

to make sure I get a good player. I know Jalen Wells is going to be a good player. Okay. Yeah, that's fair. Going to be a three-indy type of guy. There's no real hope for him being anything more than that, I think. And that's, yeah. There's also no hope for him being bad.

That's okay. He can start for you for 15 years, bro. Be your 2025, Damari Carroll. That's fine, bro. That's a crazy comparison. Damari Carroll. What in there to pool. He's a great starter.

Okay. Number 12 now. East Missy has solid rookie year. I love Isaiah Collier's passing, but he can't shoot. you love Terrence Shannon Jr. Ah, don't say him, please. I'm not. You can't be here, sorry.

I think, I don't want to pick one of these 23-year-olds safe picks now. I want to go for the best swing available, I think. Give me Ron Holland on a number 12. Wow, wow, wow, okay. Ron Hahn has to go. The Ron Hall can still be extremely good. Obviously, a lot of swing factors needs to be able to shoot, needs to go to handle, improve some offensive stuff.

I'm going to bet on that motor and that slashing. Okay. Damn. Pick 13. I'm not a crossroads right now. I can go so many, so many ways. I see so many, like, quality players. So I'm like, yeah, he can play for my team.

He could be, I don't know, the seventh man. And my team is going to be in great shape. I could go Cam Spencer, but he's, I don't really want to do that. 25, he is what he is. Yeah, exactly. Someone who has, like, a little bit higher of a ceiling, and I know he can play, he can play and contribute now. I think he's, like, actually a year younger than Camp Spencer, too, maybe two years.

give me Tristan de Silva Okay I like him Yeah big forward Can do a lot of stuff Can handle the ball Sneakly go up For someone that size

Obviously shoot Play defense I like that Yeah Okay Okay Donovan who is closing this out Who is pick 14

To round out the lottery One guy left Everyone else He's told to fuck off Who are you saving We are saving Mr. Energy himself I'm going

Jalen Tyson here Oh okay again All these safe role players Wow that's Okay, that's... I don't care about none of these other dudes. He just won guys who got energy and static. That's all I want.

That's all we need. So you're telling me, number one pig, Zachary Richardier's Day couldn't go on the top 14? He would not be on my team. Come on, man. He could have went. When Jayla Well started, Risha Shaysh's in this tier,

Rishishay couldn't win as high as 11. He could have, but not if I'm the G. He's more talented than Jalen Tyson. That's fine. You can win titles with talent. Go ahead, try that. You picked Tristan de Silva for him I'm winning with players

So today as a Hawksman Would you have traded Ritcher Shea for Tristan The Silva tomorrow? Yes Right now, yes I would That's no hate to Risha Shay at all Yes it is You don't like you

It's nothing to do with him Yes it is I just like Tristan to Silva better No no no If you're telling number one pick That you like Tristan Silva better That's hate No it's not

That's nothing to do with you You don't like Rishishishet You've never liked them I like them I like them What do you mean You have no evidence That I don't like him

I do The world does Where? How? Broadcast and how's the highlights. If you know, you know. How was AI? That was not. Rob Dillingham, fell out of the lottery all entirely. Yeah, no, he's not getting picked here at all.

Sorry, man. That's tough. Anybody else that, I'm not saying, can't have right? Ryan Dunn potentially had a lot of. Bub character has been better as of late, but you need more sample size. A lot of these guys have given you plenty of sample size. Missy, maybe, could have been in contention for 13 and 14. Do you really want to go?

Yeah. Do you want to go outside? Ronnie James, you know, an argument here. And that is our top 14 players in the 2024 NBA draft. Connect.

Man, what a, what a draft. I didn't realize I was going to be like, it is, man. Damn. I realized.

Shit. So next thing we are going to do, I'm going to show you 10 NBA players and I need you guys to guess the order of them based on their career points scored. Ooh. So you're going to order them

from one to, 10 based on who you think you know total cumulative career okay this is hilarious i see all-time greats here bro i see harden i see cp3 bro i see step curry and then presings is staring at me my goddamn face so one through 10 where we're going first number one should be hardened well number one should be hard and i believe too okay that's a safe safe place to start we'll go hard and one never missed the playoffs hello longevity is that f two oh hold on so on don't so on you do what Steph did miss a lot of games. I think I'd rather go Steph then, Scotty.

But who has, like, crazy longevity here? Nobody. I mean, CP3 does. Is that Pistol Pete over there? That is Pistol Pee on the top left. Also, I'll say the names out loud for audio listeners. We had James Hardin, Pistol Pete, Christophe, Pistophoresingus, Scotty Pippin, Steph Curry, Tracy McGrady, John Wall, Chris Paul, Joellen Bede, and Dwight Howard. So C.P.

two, don't go CB3 at two, and then Steph? Probably, yeah, because Steph was in college for a couple of years. Okay. And it took him some time to pop two and he missed like so many games. CB3 also for two years in college. Yeah, he did. Well, he's in, you know, he's a year 155. But this is also year like 16, 17 for Steph.

Yeah, he's like 42 years old too. Yeah. But CP3 is like 69. I feel like we should go step two. Okay, let's go Steph two. Mm, okay. Steph Curry number two. Pistol Pete where we where we bring you don't you also don't got to go in order you can

fill some on the bottom how long how long okay so who who who we've got no buckets I think it might be Christops forzingis or John wall Christops has missed the most time is missed so much time yeah put KP at 10 KP at 10 John Wall at 9 that's easy John wall 9 yeah okay you agree done compared to all these guys yeah okay oh hold on wait Pistol Pete is right there, though. What did you know about Pistol Pete longevity? They did not play for that long. I mean, I'm assuming he didn't play for that long.

Plus, you want to go Pistol Pete at nine? I don't know. With Dwight Howard there? I'm asking questions. I don't know. Okay. Dwight played for a long time. Dwight could be at like eight.

Eight for Dwight. Okay. We need to put someone there. We could put Dwight at eight, I guess. Let's put Dwight at eight. Okay. Who's at nine? I think.

Scotty? Scotty played for some time. First you want to say John Wall at nine, now you're saying Scottie, all over the place. Ah, man, I think. Okay, here's the question. Where, let's forget those two. Where are we putting T-Mack?

T-Mack? You can put it at six. I was thinking five. Five it is. Let's meet T-Mack at five. Okay. If you get all this wrong, it's going to fry me, bro. If you don't get a singular right, right,

it's going to kill me, bro. All right, Joelle and Bede. six hell no put him at put him at nine he barely plays but he's had some moments

he had a peak worth like maybe three or four years multiple years out and 30 does a lot for you I don't know man I think I want to put him at night I'm gonna trust you I'm gonna trust you go ahead

and put Joffere me that night I don't like it but we will go then we go Scotty you know what you're trusting him first you want to put John Wall at nine Adam Lee now he's Joelle and B

you're trusting the guy who's all over the place We'll put Scotty at six. Okay. Yeah, yeah, that's fine. Put Scotty at six, John Wall at seven. Okay. Pistol Pete at four, CP3 at three.

All right, yeah. Let's rock. Okay. So your final order, James Hardin, Steph Curry, CP3, Pistol Pete. T Mac is your top five. Can we make it at six, John Wall at seven, Howard at eight, Joellen beat at nine, and KP at 10. I don't like this at all.

Can we make any switches? What are you like hate? It doesn't matter at this point. I know you got a few right, but I know you're not getting them all right. Okay. Final answers. This is the real order. We got James Harded, Steph Curry, Chris Paul, what you got right?

Dwight Howard was four. Wow. Pippin five, TMAX6. Got to flip them. Pistol Pee was seven. Joelle Mied was eight, not nine. He had more than John Wall. And you got KP right.

Hey, man, you got one through three and ten right. Other than that, straight misses. 40% as a three-point shooter, we're knocking it. Yeah. A win is a win. I'm happy with this. You put that in baseball, we're hitting 400?

Oh my gosh. Yeah. We're so good. No one's ever done this. I did fumble by not putting John Wall there. You wanted to. If you would have went John Wall at 9, you guys definitely didn't think enough about Dwight Howard.

Dwight Howard put a while. He did play a long time. I did say that. Before he started getting hurt, he played a lot of Iron Man games. Yeah, he did. John Wall at 9 should have been obvious. And then Joel and Beat is in

next pick that would have made some of these cascade for you guys yeah i will i don't care i'll live with 40% yeah it's just fine we're gonna get them next quite terrible but next time you guys might do better it's not quite terrible prison is it's worse than terrible this is absolute dog shit we're getting a second contract not for me you're not okay you guys are pretty solid next thing we're gonna do you know this is a new year show we're looking forward to 2026 donovan what are things that you are going to go out there on a limb right now and What are your predictions for 2026 in the NBA? Let me let me get this together.

We asked all I'm going to put together a list. As a resident hater, our resident slanderer, big picture thinker, what do you predict it's going to happen in the NBA this year? All right. Ten things. Number one, 2026 would be the last season that the NBA All-Star game will be played. Whoa. And what are we doing in place of that?

I don't know yet. They will figure something out, but the All-Star game will not be played after this year. It has the last couple of years have been as bad as. as it's ever been. It's been an embarrassment of staying on the league. They're trying to switch up formats every two years, no type of consistency. You can feel them grabbing for any straw that they can.

I think at a certain point, Adam Silver is just going to look up and say, hey, you guys don't want to play hard. We can't make you guys do it. We're getting rid of the game. Because it's become something where after All-Star weekend, it doesn't matter what happens. Monday morning comes and everybody says,

man, that Al-Star game was bad. What can we do? to fix it. I got a proposal for you all. So you know how we're doing like team versus world or USA versus world? What if depending on your matchup, I don't know, let's say who's someone like, yeah, let's say Nicole Yokic is faced off with Bam out of buy or something like that. Bam is team USA. Yokic's team world or whatever. Bam out of bio. If Nicole Yokic outplays you, you have to go back to his home country for five years minimum. Five years. That's going to make these guys hoop day ass off man

what you don't want to banish me to live in Serbia for five years you have to play hard it's a jail sentence and we're going to get the all-star game right back where it deserves to be you don't care about hoops I love this idea I mean can they really disband the all-star game though

I feel there might be too much history to actually disband the all-star game I think they might have to just continue to try to find a way to make it good and just going to suck forever I disagree I mean they got rid of the of the actual pro bowl in the NFL that they have played that for a long time and they switched into like events you can still have all-star saturday night and you can still have other events around it but sunday sunday and the all-star game being the main being like the capstone of the

weekend that's not going to be it and they have to pick all-star still all-sor as accolates have to exist so they got to do something you'll still pick them yeah but what do they do they don't play yeah yeah this guy's an all-star yeah yeah you have you have distinctions but they're they're gonna to score 300 points in an all-star game and it's going to be the most disgusting thing we've ever watched. Well, that's one less ad spot for YouTube TV though. They will figure something up.

How do we survive without that Sprite sponsorship? I don't know. Adam keeps coming up with great addition. So we need those big ass logos on the court. Damn. All right. Number two. Either the Clippers or the Pelicans

will get the number one overall pick. Okay. Why one of those two? Is this like a conspiracy assumption? It'll just be funny. right both of those teams are obviously terrible bad they're going to be at the top of the lottery with you know whatever odds that they have i just think it'll be funny if the pelicans who made a bad trade everybody said it was bad at the time and then they get punished oh hey i forgot

you're picking the two teams that don't want their picks yes okay so either the thunder or the hawks get the first round thinking about it'll be honestly that thunder getting the first one pick is by far the funniest outcome whether you like the thunder or hate them it's fucking hilarious for the clippers to make them a juggernaut even more so exactly it would be funny so that's I'm speaking it into existence right now it's funny until they deal in your team in every single night

it's funny until they win 80 games a year shit's real funny until they have small shay and big shay with AJ DeBonson next to him god man we'll see number three Darius Garland will be traded this year where too I'm not sure yet okay probably Sacramento

damn you want to banish Darius I'm sorry I'm sorry I like Darius you're going to do them like that. It's not me. I'm not making the call. I'm just saying I think it's going to happen. He will get traded though. The Cavs,

they are a broken team. They're probably going to fire Kenny Atkinson and trade Darius Garland, tear this thing down to as many studs as you can have left, and that's going to be it. Just retool the team around Evan Mowley and Donovan Mitchell. Yep.

They need to trade them. That's probably inevitable. And like, it's such a bad pill to swallow because they probably have to change something and there's not a lot of good outcomes outside of trading Darius. Like trade Jared Allen. All right.

Cool. Exactly. slightly change your team up. It's not really a gigantic identity shift. Facts. Oh, man. This is so bad. Okay.

I would so want to keep Darius, though. I feel that. But Kings, they are on the list. Ew. Next up. Actually, a King's prediction. The Kings will make a dumb trade in 2020. Oh, you can bet that in every single year.

They're going to make a trade regardless of them, always going to lose. Does he Fandu offers for Kings losing a trade? Probably not. I know Adam Silver should have to roll back the property. Let's just roll them forward. Let's bet on the downfall of a king. Let's add him. more prop bets.

I'm going to get so motherfucking rich. That's easy money, man. That's too easy. I'm going to bet on the king's doing something stupid and the Pelicans doing something stupider. That's how you boost. I'm going to get bans.

That's how you boost the economy right there. That's how you boost my pocket. All right. Next up, the New York Knicks will make the NBA finals. It's going to happen. This is the year. Now,

I said that we're going to win the title before the season. I still believe that. But 100% we're making the finals and nobody's beating us. Yeah. It's not going to happen. If it's not this,

you guys are now. ever making the finals like it's not going to happen for the rest of this decade for the rest of your fucking life yeah like it's not happening i guarantee you and they will take advantage they will do it the nicks are going to the nix are going to make the NBA final okay i promise i was we're talking to a GM or you can shoot more down to the day why you think i'm fighting my homie body kill my homie body oh no no no no no just 500 man i'll give Please, God. No.

No, he's fucking head off. No, mine, please, please. We do need the Knicks in the finals, though. Like, we're dying for a class. It would be so fun. No, we need fun. We need a classic finals right now, no matter how it goes. The last few have been very low-ora finals.

And, you know, the days of these super teams, like we don't have LeBron and Curry coming out of the woodwork right now. So we're not really going to be able to, at this current state, I think, hit the levels we knew. when we were teenagers, but we need some more in the finals. No, no more Indiana basketball

on the finals. It was great when we had it. We need the New York Knicks losing to either Anthony Edwards or Shegildos Alexander. I need to be in New York. I will, if that happens,

I'm beating you, every day from the garden. I am being outside of that stadium every single day. Like them winning would be great for the vibes of the NBA, but also them losing would be cool because I think if they're there,

we need it. The city of New York is going to be in chaos. It would be hilarious. Lakers versus Knicks would be insane. I think Shay being the Knicks would be good for the Thunder. like having them be some iconic team people actually like

being the Knicks would help that and the most aura by far would be Anthony Edwards rising to be best in the world caliber by beating the Knicks if you if you want the title on the road in MSG it would be crazy

Adam Silver's number one option should be Anthony Edwards takes down the Knicks All right next one Jason Tatum will play in a playoff game this year I like it at this point they're good enough

bring it back if he wants to if he's capable of doing it without getting hurt without jeopardizing the long-term health of his lower body, let him play because this team can make the finals. You're talking about, oh, the Knicks are going to be in the finals, not of Jason Tatum and Jaylon Brown have anything to say about it. We were going to go up 3-1 when he hurt himself anyways.

We were going to win that series, and we'll do it again back to back here. Now we'll beat him always a cripple. And not when Joe Ross is there, but... Listen, man, don't show up on the court if you're not ready to play. No, man. You better be ready. We'll be cool. If he comes back...

Oh, dude, I just had a vision. I just had a... We're writing fan fiction. I just had a Dasso-Raven moment. Jason Tendon comes back to start the playoffs. First round, they play the Knicks, and he gets revenge, gets it back in blood, beats them. Ends their season in disastrous fashion when they should be in the finals.

Like, they did it in him last year. I'd cry. No, that would do so much. That's damn near, like. I won't say anybody tears their Achilles, but Jalen Brunson shit his pants on the court. Hey, man. Defecates on the court. You keep his name myself.

Pants full of doo-doo. physically like Paul Pierce Now next one Josh is going to lose his mind Oh my Shayla That was crazy I don't know why he did that Plugging holes

We will get a playoff series With Wemby versus Yokic I need it I need it so bad Please That's like Godzilla man Versus Kong Oh my God that's nasty work

I don't know when it's going to be If it's going to be In the first second or third round But they will match all match up for hopefully seven games and we will get that in 2020 we need that we're talking about we need a certain level of aura back in the playoffs maybe versus yokech will restore the feeling i'm ready for the playoffs to start right now i ain't gonna lie get you for that what that need to be because they're probably be the two seed so probably got to be the second round if the spurs

can get to the three seed the spurs yeah right now right now right now right now the two and the three oh they're three right now yeah okay second round let's get it yes i need that to to maintain the air fox with jamaur would be fun too It's a nice little chain to be snatched, a little rivalry. That would be fun. Best Kentucky guard. I see the vision. I see the storylines.

They're both fighting for a second behind Maxie. You're right. All right. Last three. In 2026, Anthony Edwards will release an album. Okay. I think he's been working on something. I think he's been in the stew.

I think he has something to say. Where are you getting these visions from? what do you think he has something to say? I think Anthony what has been pent up in his chest? What do you think his rapist style is going to be like who's in an emulate?

Like young nudie or something? Not a little baby, for sure. Have you seen him freestyle before or heard him? I can't remember all this time of my head. There's one freestyle of him when he was, I think he was freshly out of Georgia and he was freestyle in the car

during the COVID time or whatever. It was hilarious, right? Little baby. Yeah, I do think that the album is on the way. Every summer and add something to his game. And I think rapper will be what it is to show. Yeah. And you know what?

That's a good prediction because every NBA star does it. KD. LeBron, Steph, everyone does it. He's up next. Okay. The Los Angeles Clippers will sue Adam Silver because of the punishment that he is going to put out on them. I think that they are going to, I think that the punishment is on the way. And I think that the Clippers are not going to be happy.

and they are going to try to extend this and Steve Bomer is going to be like I'm the richest man in this league I will buy every team myself you can't do this to me I'll see you in court Mr. Silver He did a subpoena Pablo Tori He's like you listen to this guy

Come on now what are we actually doing you No great you want to do some journalists You want to revive real media Here's $200,000 in legal fees That's what I'm saying They're going to take the All-Star game Out of the Intuit Dome and Steve Bomer's going to lose his mind And he's going to make it his ultimate life life's work to take down, take down

Adam Silver. Okay. If I go down, every he goes down with me. Damn. Real evil villain from movie. We might not have an NBA in 2027 because Steve Ballard is going to be so vengeful. He will be the most hated man on the planet.

He topples that. He's going to get crazy. He's the kingpin. And last, but certainly not least, in 2026, I'm telling you right now, there will be an episode of the Mind the Game podcast.

where LeBron and his family are together and he announces his retirement. On mind the game. Oh, mind the game. He's going to do it on his own platform. He's going to do it on his own terms and he would do it with his family surrounding him. I can honestly see that happening, right?

Like nothing so far that he said in any type of interview has indicated that he has real love for the game still going past this year. And he keeps telling us this and ways he doesn't need to. They ask him, oh, Keontay Georgian, I'm going crazy.

What do you think about that? Yeah. Man, I just watch golf on YouTube these days. I know, yeah. He doesn't want to let you know I'm old. Like, exactly. How do you still feel about playing Christmas Day? He was like, listen, I love it.

Been watching since I was kid, but I'd rather be holding my family. You know I wouldn't rather be here if I didn't have to. Come on. He just keeps down there, buddy. Stop doing this to me. Damn it. Also my feet hurt. My knees hurt.

My back hurt. My head hurt. Authorities, don't forget. But yeah, so it will be a very, very planned retirement announcement on his own platform. He thinks there's any world in which he's keenly aware that we all think he's his media attention horror and we'll do all this and maybe he just retires up the blue because he thinks his aura farming. Yes, 100%. That's definitely

in the car is where he just like tweets like Finn. Like he's just over. I'm out. Like you know what Jordan had the I'm back thing? He's just like I'm out. Yeah. That's so dope. There's a world world in which he's just like it's over. Dude, the internet's going to explode when that happens, right? He just text Shams. I'm out and he can tell Shams

post a screenshot of this. I'm going to be in this bitch having a mental breakdown. I'm going to be in shimper. I'm going to lose my mind, man. I'm not going to know how to act. He said, LeBron, keep playing or I will die tomorrow. That's all I got, man. You think I'm fucking playing.

You think everything's a game, LeBron? Facts, bro. Oh, my God. okay those are solid predictions for next year I like it's the next thing we are going to do we are going to play NBA keep forward

cut four a staple on this show I'm a name eight NBA players you keep for a cut four based on how clutch they are based on how much you want to take the final shot

okay let's do it the most clutch players first name Shay Gildas Alexander keeping him it's okay sisy man He's home.

We're keeping him. You know what? I'm going to pull it up. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not going to say a word. I'm just going to nod and do that. All right. It's hard to talk.

That's real good audio content. Don't care. Tap it for her. Tap it for him. So Shake-good us, Alexander, is our first keep? We're keeping him. Joel Embed. I feel like we might get better, but he is the MVP.

He is the MVP. Not really like one known for like a winters. He's a big man. It's kind of hard to be a last shot type of guy. Yeah, but I mean, he could get jumpers off. Yeah. He gets blitz all the time though. And it's hard for him to get him jumpers off so fast.

I mean, I agree with you. I would cut him. All right, let's cut him. That's a good point. It's hard for a seven footer to beat a blitz like it is for a guard. Yeah, unless you're yokech, you can't do it. Even then, like you're only so, you're only so fast. You're only running around a double team so fast.

Yeah. You got to pass it. Yes. I'm cutting him. Okay. Steve Nash. I feel like Steve Nash taking the last shot consistently is a dream of people's. Yeah.

But it never really happened like that. And it really just the last of the ball in his hand. So if you wanted to say the passing's part of it, you can do that. No, it's the last shot. Okay. Take the jumper. Yeah. Taking the jumper.

He is a good shooter, though. Yeah, I wouldn't hate it at all. He can get any shot off. We probably should cut him, but I want to keep him just because it makes sense. It's your world. It's your list. You can keep cut. You just not, there's no shit anything.

I want to keep Steve Nash. I'd keep him. Yeah, let's keep him. Do what you want. Up to you guys. Keep him. Yeah, why not? All right.

Keeping Steve Nash. He'll play the game the right way. He'll get to a good shot. They'll get to the right shot every time. If he's on shooting, let's believe he's going to be dishing it off. Janus. No.

Cutting. Cutting. Yep. Sorry. He just had a game winner of the game winner this season, though. Good for him. But I'm still cutting him. Yeah.

Yeah. Sorry. Carrey Irving. Insanely close. We have to keep him. What? No. Is his jersey untucked?

Of course. Yes, I'm keeping him. Of course. Fourth quarter, Kyrie, untucked jersey. You think he's keeping the shirt tucked in? Are you stupid? Stop. No, we're keeping him.

Why are we keeping him? That's three keeps. You only have one left. Yep. Choose carefully now. Trey Young. Cut it. I love him mad clutch.

He has the clutch. We should have bobby cut Stephen Ash. Damn it. 100% should have cut. Should have cut Steve Nash. But we are living with that. It's okay. You know, three-point percentages are down,

haven't seen him do it in quite a long time. I'll live with it. Okay. One spot left in each side. Keep in mind the caliber players we're talking about. Jason Tatum, cut. There's no consideration. Why are you saying so fast?

You're fucking up my game right now. What do you mean cut? What do I mean cut? You've got to think through this first. No, I don't. I've seen Jason Tatum multiple times. He had a game winner before. He had a spinning game winning layup.

All of these players have hit game winning shots before. True? I guess. Except for Tray Young. I know. I'm kidding. Jason Tatum is going to go to the left side of the floor. He's going to back down, square up, step back, step back, middy.

Mean fundamental. Way off. Missing that. I'm not taking that shot. I'm not doing it. We have to cut him. All right. We can cut him.

Cut him. Tatum, last name written down. I'm not gonna lie, did not rig this. Last name written down, Evisa Zubach. Take that fucking shycy off your mask. Take it off now. Take it off. We have Zubash on our team.

I like Yvisa. He's good. No words. He got to stay like that. I mean, we have a post player. Listen, an uncontestable hook shot is available if you really want it. This game is ass. It sucks.

I don't like, damn, Zubach! And it's so funny that I literally wrote Zubach and you didn't. That's hilarious. You definitely should have captained him. But the hate got in the way. That's what it is. He's not like that, though. We're in Bid.

I think I figured I figured you'd pick him Bid. Yeah. I figured you'd keep him, considering he's one of the greatest scores of all time. Damn. It's just one shot. It's just one shot. You're not asking him to play seven playoff games in a row without getting hurt. It's one shot.

Fuck one of the greatest scores of all time. We got Zubach. I have to think that you can do it all the time to think that you can do it one time. No, no, no, you don't. I don't remember seeing. No, you don't. Joel and Beat hit a game. Well, yeah, because then I'd be like, oh, anybody can do anything one time.

Josh Hart can hit a three one time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. James aren't going to three. Yeah. Exactly one time. It's all you need. Andre Drummond just hit a three, three times in the game. Okay.

Next thing we are going to do, we are going to put 2026 NBA six men into a tier list. I have a collection of players coming off the bench that are, by my estimation, the six men on their team, the best player off the bench. We're going to put them on a tier list. The tiers are you should have a team. Franchise player waiting in the wingspan. You should be flourishing with the team that is all built around you. Should start, but politics.

Damn politics, man. Could start, I guess. Right where you need to be. You're a six man. Okay. Quintessential six man. You move a lot, huh? South, self-explanatory.

Lots of houses. Lots of rentals. Get ready to speak Wongdong. Ooh. Starting off this tier list. I think a surprising six man, Jordan Poole. Jordan Poole

Probably should start But politics? But politics He should have been You're right But Jeremiah Fier's isn't bad So was it really politics? I don't know

But he is like Again Like Jordan Poole is a good player But the head coach is like Now I don't really rock with you like that We're going to start this other guy Politicking But there's another head coach though

Doesn't matter the other guy's better Or not politicking There's another head coach though And still still the same sentiment Prevails Exactly It's an organization wide Okay

He should start But politics Okay Okay Why not? Sure Yeah Reed Shepard

I'm not gonna lie Listen Should start But politics Reed Shepard He's a start Eventually If this team

Is gonna have an offense That's playoff proof He should probably start At some point That the politics Is just lack of experience And defensive Virtue

But fucking politics Is politics Okay They're lobbying Against them In the coach's office The assistants hate him They're hating on him in the office

They're talking about Man, I was watching film He was looking at his phone The only cutting up clips Of his bad defense Yeah, they're deleting the good clips On purpose They're praying on his downfall

Like you said God forbid A white boy gets a motion They hate it They hate it They hate it Hymei Hawkes Jr Could start I guess

Kind of feels like He's right where he needs to be Yeah he's a neat player That's like really suited to be a six man with the lack of outside jumper and like downhill slashing if he's going to start it would have to be i guess because he needs a very unique system and it's probably his Miami heat one and that's what i'm saying this he really got to thrive because he's in this new system and that's why

we like think about him on this elevated tier yeah he's right where he needs to be playing in this he's having the best year of his career by far keep him where he's at don't change the thing shit's going smooth i say to stuart oh right where you need need to be only because i don't want him to play in another jersey for the rest of his career. I probably say in real life, he could start. I would say should start, but it's not politics. Jalen Daryan is just a goon and you don't really need to start double bigs, but you can play

it a lot. I would say could start, I guess, because if you want to run double bics for some reason, you could very much start him. Yeah. And also, like, a lot of teams would be feeding to start someone like him. Yeah, he could step out, shoot threes, and be a good like paint protector. That's him. Should we go, should start with politics then?

The politics is just another guy that's the franchise. Let's say, I'll start, I guess. Because he is a hot head And like God knows how many minutes he can play Okay, you want to channel that? It's like when Yannis under Coach Buck couldn't play Weren't the six minutes in a row Got to let him go 100 miles per hour

Got to make sure he's not playing 30 minutes Or he's more likely to punch someone Yeah, exactly, yeah He'll get too irritated if he's touching people for too long Exactly, we're saving him from himself. Okay. Nas Reid Man, you are right where you need to be.

Yeah, stay there. With that defense, you are right where you need to be Not too closer. You are ideal as a backup big that can come in and play some minutes next to where you go bear You are right where you need to be. Yeah.

Dennis Schrooter. You move a lot, huh? That man is everywhere. I can tell. I can tell. He's out here getting traded like three times in a single day. Yeah, he moves around a lot. That's a lot.

He was supposed to be the start of this year. Russell Westbro, came in. And it's my move again this year. Russell Westbro, took the chain. Bro, last year he thought I found a home in Detroit, went ahead and gave their bench some good energy. Moved again. God damn, man.

Yeah, he's everywhere. Okay. Mitchell Robinson. Right where you need. to be yeah with that free throw percentage you are right where you need to be buddy what's his free throw percentage of like two yeah that free throw percentage the stamina too he also can't play 30 like 30 32 minutes a night because he does get tired playing in short bursts being a very energy goon that's what he needs to be keep him over there okay dylan harper i think you got to break

the top tier could start oh he needs his own team yeah loki loki in 19 99% of outcomes in the multiverse. Dylan Harper's starting right now when he's the phrase of the franchise. He just happened to get drafted to the team that has a win being Deheron Fox. If he was on the team like the Brooklyn Nets, he would be dead ass averaging 18 and 5 assist a game.

Yeah, this is ridiculous lottery luck has him on this team that's win now, but he should have his own team. Yeah. And it's a technicality pick because he will be part of this team. Yeah. But he should certainly have his own team. Okay.

Has a rookie. Yeah, it's very debatable. If he had more opportunity, he would be the rookie of the year. There's no way you can look at him and be like he isn't like a tier one talent. Yeah. I don't mean, Cooperflex's pretty good, so I don't know for sure,

but he'd be in the conversation. Yeah, just talent. Yeah, he'd be in that conversation for sure. DeAngelo Russell. Got his chain snatch, sent straight to the bench. Get ready to speak Wong Dong. Are we putting Dilo on Wang Don talks? Potentially.

Don't. It sucks because you don't ever want to just banish somebody to Wong. It's a long flight. Especially not someone that does this sometimes. It's kind of cool. It is pretty cool. and somebody who's reached the heights, but this is a team that needs a point guard.

Yeah. You're a point guard. You are a point guard. And they need a point guard. Ultimately, they need a point guard. And he said, we don't need you. Ultimately, they don't need you. I think Wongdon might need you.

He would have a great impact in Wongdong. He would have a long career in MVP. Yeah, bro. You know how many people who would have just spamming this? Hell, yeah. Have you seen what Javail McGee's been doing? First of all. No.

Hey, I'm telling you right now. You go over to China. You start doing this. They shut that day. You're going to jail. You're getting arrested before you score four points, money. For that reason, we cast him to Wongong. You move around a lot, huh?

He won't fit in. We're going to have to trade something to get you back. We're going to have to trade a war criminal. We're going to have to... You're going to tell the Chinese... Luke is. They're going to go to your own class. Ah!

They said, man. Right to tears, man. We can't have this. We're going to have to trade you for the guy who invented a new form of drug that kills you instantly. We're trading you for the creator of the RPG or something. That's what I'm saying, man. You better not go over there and start to talk about guys in my face. Going to die and try to bed.

I'm sorry. It would be so crazy. Did not do that. You imagine him during, like, teaming up with Nike or Adidas in their branch? It's just like, ah. Oh, who gets come? Oh, the Chinese good deal, oh. In fact, would be crazy, bro.

Oh, my God. And there'd be a language barrier. He might as well be warming up a spoon. It's the same to them. Yeah, man. Oh, my. my god all right

delo you move around a lot huh we can't let you in a long time you saved yourself saved yourself Brandon Pajemski hey man

honestly low key should start but politics like he probably is their most talented secondary guard they just keep trying

these other combinations because Steve Kirk can't decide who he wants to play he's so indecisive you're right or is it could start I guess

because he's not like that I think could start I guess because it's like all right okay whatever listen they've tried 75 lineum combinations

you've been in some of them So you could start, I guess. Yeah. It's not a good, though. It's not good. A.J. Mitchell. Listen, loki.

He could have a team. I don't know about all that. I think he potentially could, but I need to see more. I'm not going to play Jay Mitchell on the top tier. He could have a team. Y'all are drunk. He might. Is he Jalen Brunson waiting?

That separation. You know what? It's not impossible. It's not crazy. Put him on the Kings right now. Unless you what happens. Yeah. It's not ridiculous.

I'm not going to rule it out. I'll probably say could start I guess They're so talented There's no politics involved But he could start If they decided they want to go to his more ball handler Look and they want to start him between Shea and J. Dube Okay

We get A.J. Mitchell and Concanip him right now That's a that's a duo That's a nice NBA nerd duo The only we want to see Let's sell no tickets We get no highlights It's okay Zero motion but we'd enjoy it

Lonzo Ball Oh Guangdong for sure Send him there That hurts my heart. How far he's falling. But yeah, this season has looked so bad. It's tough. Refusing to shoot the basketball.

We can't even get to move around a lot? What are we doing? We can't even tell him he moves around a lot. He doesn't even move around a lot. He can't move. He just started moving. Yeah, no. Mike Connolly. I'm sorry.

We got to put him down. We got to send the remains to Wong Dong. It's time. Yeah. It's tough. He served us well. put out a head a great career it's probably one long time yeah i think we trade his contract to wong dong and he graciously retires before making that move yeah that's how we do it okay we offload the

contract and he decides to take a step to the side that's fair yep yep like uh who just did that the NFL too oh like garius sleigh they claimed him buffalo he said hell not yeah that's crazy queen grimes um you could start i guess i'm not gonna say he shouldn't start, but I think he could start, I guess. You could start, I guess, or right where you need to be? I think where he's at right now is the maximum of value that he'll have in the league. I'd say could start, I guess. Yeah, I'd say could start.

When you say right we need to be, it's like you are a six man. We don't want you starting. If you tell me a team starts with Quinn Grimes for a playoff round, it's not crazy. Yeah. Like, you're not getting worse. Yeah. I guess, yeah, I guess so. He's perfectly equipped to be a fourth option shooting guard as he is to be a six man.

It won't change him at all. Yeah, if he was on Christian Braun's spot, they'd be better. So I guess so. Low key. Low key, yeah. Make it Christian about $25 million a year. Yikes. Oof. Nekiel Alexander Walker.

He got some motion. That life point does that motion. Got his hair is a different. He's magic mic. Nikol Alexander Walker should start for politics. And that politics is we haven't trade, Tray Young yet. No, sorry. Trade him.

We're starting to kill him. That is Dyson Daniels because he is stealing money. He got paid and he decided to be way worse offensively. Tell both his guards. kick motherfucking rocks we're starting to kill us under walker yeah man he could if he was way younger who was producing at this level you could have your own team but 26 years old or whatever 27 years old you should start like he's ancient Anthony Simons right where you need to be here right where you need to be yeah you're right

where you need to be yeah nothing more nothing less swell we're about like a couple months away from him being like you move a lot huh but but now you're right we need to be but you're on watch Jake La Ravia I mean he do be moving sometimes Let's move three times He was a king He was an Memphis Grizzies

Now he's a Laker Yeah It's a solid amount of movement Damn Solid amount of motion He hasn't been to league For two too long too That's a lot of

You move a lot huh Don't you Don't you And that's our six man tier list Honestly look at this It's the perfect Distribution It's a perfectly even pyramid

It's so good That's crazy We just delete lots of from existence It's perfectly even Okay We did a good job This is like you know we know that We need to aim for this shape every single time

This is super What do you call that? Is that a parabola? Is that what that is? We need a perfect parabola You don't know No, it's a bell curve The parabola is... Oh is it inverse?

Yeah, my bad, perfect bell curve Hmm Look at that Did our thing Next thing we're gonna do Let's talk about The 2016 Cavs I can name five

teams in the last 20 years better than the 2016 Cavs. Oh, five is a lot, but I think I can name, I can name eight teams better than the 2016 Cavs. In the last 20 years. So since 2007. I can name eight. I got 12.

I can name 13 teams better than the 2016 Cavs. 13. Why is he looking like that's light work? I know. I'm trying to think. 13's a lot. Maybe I can do one up, but it's not confident. I could do 14.

Donovan do anything, 15. 15. I got 15. All right. You got it. Name 15 teams better, 2016 caps. Liar. Last 20 years.

Last 20 years. 20, 2015, 16, 17, 18. Are you allowed this? And 19 warriors. And 19 warriors. Okay, no, you can pick one KD Warriors and one non-KD warriors. This is the same team.

Come on now. Yeah, you can pick Katie over a pre-KD. You don't know. take both? You want to take 16 and 17? Yeah, you can take both of those. I'll take 16 and 17. Okay. Motherfucker was in a rattle out of 17. That's, we already know 15's a lie also too. Yeah, that's a cap.

It's just not happening. Okay, 16 and 17. No, 15. 15 would beat the 15. 15 versus 16 when they're healthy. That was pre-Stef Curry second. I understand that. I understand the words that I'm saying. They are better. All right, neither here nor there. Okay. Conversation for another day.

Yeah, conversation of the day. You have 16 and 17. All right. 16 and 17. Give me the 08 cell. Oh, eight Celtics better than 16. I'm gonna, I don't know if it's guaranteed, but you can have that. Give me, give me the 14 spurs. 14 spurs. Okay.

Yeah, well, I want to do that. I'm taking that. Give me the 2012 heat. You got that. Okay. Sure. That's probably a good debate. It's a debate.

So it's cool. But you can have it. I guess. I'm taking, I'm taking that. If it's debatable, we got to allow it. I'm taking last year's thunder. Okay. I'm taking the 24 Celtics.

Don't take this year's thunder over this? 24 Celtics is interesting I don't know if you actually believe that People are gonna be mad at you I see the vision that team is incredible But people are gonna imagine that one I'm people and I'm mad at you He's like me I'm pissed

Yeah They're they're on the line Okay also because I don't think that the 16 caps Are an all-time team either But there's That's neither here nor there That's seven That's what we only do for 20 years

It's not all time That's fair Also a big part of my strategy Was getting those warriors Yeah, sorry Start rattling All right So we have the

24 um you got seven now i will take i'm taking the 2020 lakers over over the 2016 i think that's true i think nancy davis is the difference especially if they're playing in the bubble undeniable that defense is top not so you got it i'm taking the 23 nuggets over on that's it that would be an interesting matchup because they that's going to seven two half court offenses playing slow smart basketball around ball handlers yeah around passers i'm doing that you can have that it's nine I'm taking the 2019 Raptors Fair

Fair honestly Very that team is deep as far Underrated That team is deep Okay that's 10 Five more Five more Only down

Back to 2007 I understand that Give me the 2009 Lakers 2009 I don't know I don't know about that one Come on

Kobe would have outplayed Braun Nah That's right Easy. That version of Kobe was not losing to anybody. He's out, he's out playing Brock. Okay,

whatever. That's 11. They're beating them in 6. He can also pick finals losers and non-final teams. Like, it doesn't necessarily got to be champions. I don't, I know, I know. This is where I start coming up here with Knicks tape Knicks.

No, but. It's 11. Four more. Four more. I'm trying to think of other, like, do I think that any of these finals lose? Honestly, the 16 warriors are better than the 16 cast. We've already picked the 16 warriors?

We said 16 and 17. Good. I'm taking 15 and 16 and 17 That whole thing I don't know if any version Of the Of like the Any of the other Hedal's versions

I don't think that the baby thunder Are gonna beat them I don't think Even if we go back to like So I'm here is that you failed You're at 11 right now I'm at 11 We're going 06-07 which is tough

Yeah I mean you put this Burge Like That's tough That's also two different versions of the spurs because one had Kawai and was like completely different

than the 07 spurs that's what I'm saying you could pick the 07 spurs that I'll take the 07 spurs okay okay that's 12 nice this is hard

yeah you know you need three more are there any other team maybe honestly low key in a series 18 rockets that's not crazy did go into a

18th 18 rockets they is kind of I'd probably go towards LeBron in that series but if you want to pick them okay They did some that no team in league

in history was able to do which is give the KD Wars an actual run for their money. So I can't argue. In 2017, they pushed the Warriors further than LeBron did. Okay, you can have it.

2018 Rockets. You need two more. I'm not going to lie. I don't know if I can get there. I don't know if I can get to 15. Do we have a failure? Yeah, because unless I just start saying stuff that.

I mean, you could mention, I guess it shouldn't. It shouldn't be cheating because there's a 22, the 22 warriors. But like, completely different version. But like, I'm not taking, I'm not taking the sons who lost. I'm not taking, like, any of these teams, like, I'm not taking them. Sons, the heat teams don't make, like the Jimmy Butler heat teams don't make it. The bucks are already there.

I took the Raptors. We had mad years in a row. Mads would be a good I'm not taking the 2011 maps over No the 24 maps Oh no I actually think they're gonna smoke

They're getting smoked They're getting dusted Wallet All right sounds like you failed You tapped out at 13 If you had to disforce some names To be the last two If you had to force names

Yeah Probably I probably would have went To the 24 maps Do you want to go 2021 Nets In those eight games They're together I mean I guess

Is this any version of a team? If I was you and I'm pushing agendas, I go 2021 Nets because the seven games are unbeatable, and I go 2011 Mavericks because they already made LeBron Cray. And that's how you get to 15 years. There you go. It's top tier career on Eater Math. I'll catch a lot of. I'll finish it.

Mathematics. Okay. Math. I felt that. I felt it. Shout that hard. I know. Next thing we're going to do, I'm going to name five NBA players.

from the 1990s, you tell me who would be better, them, or if he transported Victor of Mnayama through time and put him in the 1990s. Okay. So, Wembe, as we know him today, in the 90s. Level one, Wembe or Matumbo. I love Matumbo. Rest his soul, but is Wembe.

Imagine him a Tumbo can shoot threes. It's pretty simple. That's Mnukh Bo. If matches him a new ball can move. Times 80, man. Imagine him a new bowl can snatchback. Oh, my goodness. Level two, Wembe versus John.

He first of all, especially in a one-on-one. He's swatting John Stockton shot. What's not a one-on-one? John Stockton shot is getting sent. What are you fucking left for you was? That shikes he got demons just implanted into his head. To the second deck. He's sending that.

I'm taking Wemby. You could slit Wemby's both of his wrists and he's still better. He's way better. Yeah, he could bleed out. I'm taking him over with John Stockton. Damn. It's not. It's not, it's not close.

I'm not doing that. Pleat out. I mean, you're talking about slits. All right. So, no, so John Stockin's obviously like an all-time psychic. You think Wemby could also do that? Yes, of course. Absolutely.

If it was Carmelone and Wembe, they would have beat Michael Jordan. That would have been fucking filthy. I wouldn't want that for Wemby, though. That can't be. Yeah, I wouldn't want that for NBA history. Yeah, come on, man. He's good right where he's at. Yeah.

Level three. Speaking of psychics. The greatest psychic, Scotty, Pippin or Wemby? See, this is where he gets to. What if Jordan had Wemby and what have Wemby got to be his own guy for not two seasons? Oh, he has 12 championships under his belt. What are we talking about right now?

He got Dennis Robin in the back of him too. Oh, yeah, he's going crazy. He's going crazy. And we're putting modern day Wembe, so he knows out a dribble, he knows out of shoe. He has today's player advancements. Which is really cheating. I know, but what happens like you, they would, they would foul him extremely hard. Go for it.

he's gonna block eight shots a game because the pain is back that doesn't matter also dennis robin's there this will be thrown you know what you're like rebu play power forward and nobody was going to pay yeah with those rules back then too oh my that's what i'm saying like they would punch him in the face he's gonna punch him he's better reach no one's touching him he's gonna put his hand on everybody's forehead it doesn't i will punch and that's the misconception about like really when you want to get on the inside you want to take the fight to the body right just because your arm is long you're gonna you're gonna win no Is he better than Scottie Pippen?

If we put both of our feet in the tire, we can't move. Now what are we doing, right? Where's the fight? That's exactly. That's exactly what Rockin told Adonis in Creed 2. He was like, you got to take the fight to him. He's fighting Drago. Drago's like 6, 7.

What is I'm talking about right now? 280. How did we get here? 100% would have been a sanctioned fight at all. I'm talking about Scottie Pippen right now. The dude beats him. And he's still. going.

He won that fight because he took the fight to the body. The shi is suffocating his brain. Brain can't breathe. What are we talking about? That's exactly. No. Stop, please. God.

He's better than Scottie 50. I love Kri-3. It's a great move. No one asked. It was the wrong one. It's Kreet-2. I love them all. They're all great movies.

Oh, my God. All right. level four Charles Barkley now Chuck got him you don't think maybe would be an MVP back then you don't think the best defensive player in the NBA maybe him one-on-one with Hakeem

as best D. P.O.O.I. It'll be he or Hakeem as a best defender and he shooting threes. Hakeem got him but I do think it would be interesting if you told Wembe, even though that he's not like a post-up player if you told Wembe hey you can post up for 12 seconds every single player yeah he's he's better

he's better and it's kind of unfair because he would like break the three point barrier because he knows because he came from the future that if I shoot a bunch of these I'm going to win every time he'd have it's like 15 3s a game he would be curry before curry but at 7 foot 5 dude do you think that would be bad for his legacy

back then and today we'd talk we would like be diminishing him right now no because he'd make him because nobody would defend him to be wide open every time but we'd just be like it's not really a certain point you have to step up we'd have to learn his name what do you mean they won't that's just going to be the only era in history where they just like don't evolve mystical force in front of him you can't sorry they won't okay so they'll step up with the centers that are big plotters will step up he's gonna run by him yeah it's he'd be unguardedable

i'm gonna take charles bark no wimby sorry i'm gonna go wimby because we're cheating and we're integrating time travel and the knowledge gained over 25 years and nobody else has so due to cheating and science fiction laws we're going victor women yama okay level five became Yeah, Hakeem got him. He's the second best player in the world at that time. Wimby, you could be third best player in the world. Yeah, man. He'd embarrass him. He would have him looking silly like a lost gazelle. I think Prime Wemby in the 90s

would probably be able to get him with anybody, but he's not prime yet. So this version of Wembe would get done out by Hakeem. He still, yeah. He did get stronger over this whole season. Hakeem is going to be much stronger than him. Yeah. None of these big back then are used to guarding 35 feet out

from a three-point line from the center. Hakeem would adjust. Yeah, he could be fine. But, I mean, he would get blown by at first, but then if he figured it out. He would adjust. He got three blowbys, and he'll understand it now.

Yeah, if anyone can guard him in NBA history, he's the perfect player, dude. Yep. Hakeem, congrats. Your legacy lives on. Next thing we're going to do, the last thing we're going to do

for our cause of this episode, we are going to play the imposter game, something we haven't done in a long time. Andrea is going to text us all names she will text two of us a name of an NBA player one of us imposter and we will have to play the game

and see if we can figure out who's lying okay we haven't done this in quite a while it's been a long time and I think I am a Hall of Famer at this game have you ever won have I ever lost as the imposter you've ever had a victory

have I ever lost is a good question oh yeah never lost is there a single notch on my belt have you done anything you guys did with the text received

let's do it okay Donovan you go first let's see who can tell who the NBA imposter is nasty

okay nasty athletic mix tape mixed tape nasty nasty mixtape I can meet a lot of things

man oh man fashion icon okay fashion icon okay I do understand what you're saying I first I was a little worried by I get it okay yeah so people watch this gonna be like who the hell are they talking about right now okay no I see it it's it's like okay okay okay okay let's say athletic didn't you already say that last time you said that last time you said that the first time. This guy's ridiculous. I said it in the first time? Yes. You did. He's twice in a row. No way. You were ridiculous. No way. We've never seen. What was the first one you

said? These levels have checked out. He said that's no way. That's locked in. What was the first one you said? I said nasty. And then you said athletic and then he said, uh, icon. You said, I like a game. Bro, that's Christ. I feel like I didn't swear I say athletic at all. My turn. That's crazy. Wait, we just letting them get... Whatever. It's funny that way. Tapping logo. Tapping.

All right. Tapping. If you know, if you get it, you get it. Okay. Okay. I will say... Um, I, I will say, um, adored. All right, man.

That's a hard, that's a tough one. Adored. It's a tough one and I look at you but we'll keep it going Maybe at one point Okay It's a tough one

Old school Okay Kind of a tough one too Now I'm more confused But maybe I see what you're cooking Limited Okay I don't really like that

Don't try to reverse psychology Me keep going I don't try to turn that around Limited Okay I don't really like that we will go sought after

you're making it real tough right now we'll keep it going for fun aura oh my god are you both imposter no we're cooking right now either you're an imposter or you think very differently this guy than I do okay

down south yeah okay okay um we will go you get a third strike I'm not getting a third strike for the last two things I said have been on point yeah all right buddy on point I for okay for this one I'm trying to describe this player I will go um infamous okay maybe it's a little bit of recovery That's, that's so bad. Okay.

Commercials. Oh, yeah. Lean back. Lean back. Lead back. No, lean back. Oh, lead back. Okay, okay, okay.

Okay. I guess. I'm trying to figure out words to describe this player. I guess we can go with if I said you said lean back yes afterwards I need to know what you meant by that okay I have no idea uh I say disappointing I think he might be catching on to who the player is but I think he's the imposter do you guys ready for a vote yes because let's do it I vote Donovan I vote and I vote you okay well somebody has to change your mind but I'm the imposter.

You're the imposter? Yeah. Oh, wow. He said athletic twice. Yeah, I thought he was just tired. You have a... Okay, we'll get back to your thing.

Your things are crazy. No, no, no. Okay, so now you can try to win. Do you know the player? I'm going to guess the player. And is it Anthony Edwards? Nope, it's Zion Williamson.

I still won. I'll go, but damn. No, you didn't. Don't reveal you're the imposter until we have a final vote. Because, like, you know, we might have agreed to go to you. So you didn't really win.

It was a split vote, you know? So in the future, in the future wait that someone gets figured out. Okay, you said adored? I said adored and saw after. Who the fuck is seeking after Zion in 20205? The chefs, they're looking for him. They love them.

They're looking for them. Okay. I thought you for sure didn't know Oh my God That's funny Did you were both Even crazy imposture? I could not decide

At first I was thinking Okay this could be aunt This could be Jordan Maybe James Harden When I said lean back Because he said commercials The Mountain Dew commercial Where he's like this

Looking huge That was the worst thing for his PR I haven't seen that picture in a minute Oh my gosh I'll do one more round That was crazy. Next round of text are being sent out.

That's hilarious. All right. Jesus, man. All right. What the fuck am I looking at? How is that real? It's so crazy. Okay, round two.

Here we go up next. I'll go first. Disliked. okay um successful very successful fair fair wow um we'll go i guess like also apply some infamous real safe pick i first said dislike and successful that's the definition of infamous okay um Valuable Valuable Build

Right-handed Okay Fair You're not love-handed Articulate Okay In a way In a way

Okay Unique articulations if we're going to go there or should not pick you back off him I don't pick you back okay okay okay yeah I just wrong back okay okay okay I don't want to make sure I check

um um do you're trying to think yeah I'm trying to think it with the way to not give it away because um you don't know

no I do know um winner at every level yeah okay I actually don't know if that's... I don't know. You're right.

It's actually not that true at the last level. Now I'm thinking about it. Let's say facial hair. Okay. Normally I don't allow that. Normally I don't allow that. I will allow that this time.

I will say rescued. Rescued? Yeah. Like George Pickin style? Just rescue. Just rescued. Okay. okay um i don't know what that means uh what so i have verbiage for this not little brother um

great value version walmart version walmart version okay you got a bag handle okay relatively i guess I don't I genuinely don't know like the

he don't know anything no I don't know the word for like what I'm trying to say if there's like a single word to say for it yeah I'm trying not to give it to get away yeah

okay literally for like for lack of a lack of a better word also like adored but I can't I can't, I'll explain that afterwards, but I can't figure out the word for it. Okay.

I don't know if that's true. I'm going to call that strike one. Okay. I'm going to call that strike one in my book. In the way that we use this, ironically, in basketball conversations, scalable. Scalable. Okay. Know what else?

I'll double up. Portable. I mean, you're not lying. Okay. Let's say. Triple up. Versatile. I don't even know if this is like

110% correct. Say NBA young boy. I don't know. Okay. Ex spiritually? Uh, no. I don't know what the young boy is.

I don't know. You lost. Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, young boy. NBA young boy. Okay. We'll circle back. Yeah. NBA young boy, yep, if you know, you know.

Ecclectic. What does that mean? Electic? Yeah. Electic? Yeah. Second time, dropped the phone. I know.

Tough. O.D. What? He's O.D. Wait, that's it? Yeah. What the fuck? He's OD.

what you want me to say okay well some guys are an OD I guess so he said eclectic you don't know what you're talking about you have no idea he blanked and he said

eclectic what are we talking about right now I'm ringing it in he's kind of a collective though and you're a little quick to judge give me one more oh my god okay I'll give you one more whatever um I'm going to say this guy is

I'm going to say he's I think I'm kind of cheating if I use one of your thing so let me scale back let's say everyone goes one more chance meme that's the word that was your last chance to prove

an out of imposter you said meme the most big thing you could have said yeah meme Okay I am going to say 180 What the fuck is that Hey yeah There we go

It means absolutely nothing My last thing I will say north of Texas Okay Let's get this last Let's get this voting I'm ready Three two one Voted on Donovan

Donovan are you the imposter? No You're not the imposter No Oh my God I was like what 180 the player is

cat incorrect this is chad homegrin yeah 43 from tray balls oh d yeah I said

young boy in control um boy oh boy oh block down I was kind of learning that OD would give it away yeah I thought so too why else when I say that

I've never said that a day in my life I have no idea because 403 from trade balls OD dang I was like OD what did 180 mean

I was thinking about cat and I was thinking his PR's done Oh, okay, okay. Nice. You did one more game, it's fun. You said Kat, and I said young boy, NBA young boy.

How does those two, like, correlate? Listen, man. He's the complete opposite. I was the impossible. Hey, man, we're gay. I'm not here struggling. That's funny. All right.

That's the end of this episode. If people are still here, what should they comment? 54 from Tray Ball's OD. Is your comment? 54 from Tray Ball's OD. I'm sure we've had you comment that before. Hit it again. Unless, man.

If you're here at the end of this episode, you've sat through the entire three hour and 20 minutes. Appreciate you. This is the end of 2025. I'll say, no details yet. A lot of big updates coming in the next 30 days or so. Y'all are goaded. Throughout January, some big changes coming to the show. If you're here right now at the end of this episode, you know before everybody else,

I isn't here at the end of the episode because not everybody sticks around for three hours. That's a tall task. Yeah, so I'll have to ask for. You're right. Several big announcements coming week after another in this next January. It's just been a change. In a good way. so we'll see you all next week