The Deep 3 Podcast - We Predicted Every 2023 NBA Award | The Deep 3 Ep. 7

Episode Date: October 24, 2022

This NBA Star will earn his first MVP! Today we predict the NBA awards and season standings! Follow us on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedeepthree Follow us on Instagtam!: https://www.instagram.com/thedeep3podcast/ Isaac's twitter: https://twitter.com/byisaacg Muhamed's twitter: https://twitter.com/Mojo99_ Donnavan's twitter: https://twitter.com/Dsmoot3D Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to episode seven of the Deep Three podcast. I'm here with my co-host Donovan, Mojo 99. And today we're going to talk about a few different things, most of which is going to be the NBA Awards prediction episode. I know we've been talking about this for the last couple weeks as we finish up our team previews, but today's the day we're going to go out there, let y'all know what we think is going to happen this season.

And throughout the season, if we're wrong, dog host accountable. You guys are not ready. I'm going 100%. I'm not missing on anything. I'm actually very confident about, I'm very, very confident about a lot of these picks. I'm very, very confident that you're going to be wrong.

I think I'll throw that out there. Look, before this podcast, Isaac went ahead and rolled out a message telling us to go ahead and post our, our standings and also our predations and shit like that for the awards. And I came in this bitch like Alan Iverson. I ain't got no practice, roll. All this is going to be free-flowing and watch me go ahead and dominate you guys. We're going to see that in the movie. That's a terrible strategy.

I'm going to let you know that all the top. You are going to be very obvious. Just let everybody know, guys. I am a podcast host that is not prepared. That's what I'm saying. He's just sending himself up. Yeah, let's go. Let's run it.

I'm ready, boy. But first, we got to do what we always do to start of the show, and we've got to go over some fan hot takes. Let's do it. Let's do it. Make my ears bleed once again. Let's go.

So, as always, I got a list of NBA hot takes for you guys. Y'all let me know if these are W takes or L takes. And if you all have first time, go ahead and comment your questions for next episode. We picked like five or six to react to you every time, and there's a good chance we're going to pick yours. All right, first one. Renade Gamer says that,

Renade, it's like Renate with no G. Renade Gamer says that Tatum and Jalen are a better duo than Katie and Kyrie. Yeah, that's an L-Thing. That's an L-Ton. At their peak, Katie and Kyrie are an elite duo

top two, top three. I don't, I'm still like unsure about like, the potential of Jalen and Jason is very, very high, but I don't think that we've seen them both. mesh at the same time at their peak yeah i think it's easy to argue that the net's duo is the best in the NBA than it is to argue that the Celtics one is better yeah yeah absolutely this

question's hard because if we're being real jalen and of course tatum have been more productive and kairie and katie have been filled with nothing but disappointments but the idea of katy and kary in general is just probably the best duo in the entire NBA yeah that's why i see the vision with the take because like I get it they perform this the Nets have had a lot of personnel issues on and off the court so I don't hate you if you'd rather take a W in my mind okay I don't think I have to give a W I'm still giving me an L but I understand it I don't I don't think it's true so it's an L take yeah yeah I think tying things your evaluation of players so strictly to results is like a nasty way

to look at it because there's so much context it goes into things yeah that is true all right anyways go to the next one cozy says that Jimmy Butler is a top 10 player right now. I get that at W-Take. I'm not mad at it. You can't be mad at it. I'll say W-Tek because I see the vision behind it. But I don't personally believe it, but I see the vision.

I don't. I'll take. I think he's more like, he's like 12 to 15 range. Like he's close, so it's not insane. But I think we talked about this before. I think like the 9th and 10 best players right now is like Jason Tatum and Damien Lillard. I'm not picking Jimmy over either of them. Yeah, I mean, that's fair.

Like, it's, I'm not going to, like, again, none of this is, like, crazy. I feel like a better way of ranking players is by tiers. Oh, for sure. And so, like, Jimmy's probably in that tier of, like, can be. Yeah, he's on the lower end of that tier. I put him in the top of the next tier, I think. I think there's, like, I would rather have Jason Tatum and Jimmy Butler, like, pretty definitively. I know people would debate that one, and a lot of people will say Jimmy, and I get it.

But I'd definitely rather take Tatum, I think. Hmm. I'm not mad at that Okay I guess I guess Listen from your perspective And then from our perspective

This really is coming out To just be a take Like no no W No W no no gold Just take Yeah It's definitely debatable You can't be

You can't be super passionate about it either way Yeah Right next one Silgo says that Hakeem Elijah won Is the best international player In NBA history The best player

Not coming from the US Ah Ah, I'm trying to think of everyone. Yeah, it's, that's hard. It's got to sit down. Yeah. It depends. It depends what you call the Virgin Islands.

And if you have to. That's the U.S. territory. Okay. That's, then, yeah. Yeah, I give it a W-Tek. Yeah, I'm not going to put too much thought into it. Yeah. It's a W-Tag.

I think the only way you could question it is if you think Yon is going to pass a Pakeem and get into that, like, top 10 range, which probably too soon to say that. Yeah. So W-T. I'll say it. Too soon my ass. saying i right now who said that zogo me this guy that's funny okay last one noah says that cp3 is a top three playmaker ever uh top three's top there's a lot

good playmakers out there i feel like top two were definitely magic and lebron and then you get into like stockton uh steve nash like the fight for third spot is pretty hard i'm i i think i would take cp i think i would take cp over over steve nash i might go there. I might go there because I feel like Stockton and Steve they were more products of their system rather than like drivers of it. Yeah. And I'll say more so stock in an hour. No, I think Steve Nash is definitely the driver of his system, but I can see why you say that for Stockton since it's built around Carl Malone. A lot of his assists are just dumping the ball off to Carl. So I get it. Yeah. I'll say, hmm. I think I'll see if you can have it's a

W take. Off the top of my head, I'll say W take. bro these takes are kind of you know it's crazy these stakes are good takes but they're kind of cool I think yo right now you're gonna say yokech and joe yo kish and luke and both better playmakers right now

i knew it i knew it yoke's a look at both better filmmakers than chris paul right now and chris paul is not like a way worst playmaker than he wasn't his prime i'm not gonna say those guys are top three because i guess we've got to see him do it for longer and longevity but yeah i think they're definitely both better playmakers okay so so you so you're settling on l-take Since you think Joke?

No, CP can be number three for now. But I think give a few more years to see them continue their run of dominant. Because CP has crazy longevity. Let Yokic and Luca both do it for like 10 years like CP has, and they're going to be in this conversation. Okay. I'm not married to for that one. That's all the hot things I got.

So I think we can go ahead and get to these award predictions. Let's do it. Which, it took us 12 minutes to get here. So sorry to make y'all wait, but I think we should just get it over with and start with the MVP. Let's do it. I want to start. What do y'all think is going to win MVP this year? I want to start because I have thought long and hard about this and this is going to kind of change.

You'll see my reasoning later in the show, but Joelle and Bede's going to be MVP this season. Fair, it's solid. It's a pretty safe pick to pick the guy who finished second horse in a row. Yeah, and so the, but like part of it is because of kind of the way that I feel about the sixes, which is kind of evolved over the past couple of days, the more and more I've thought about it. Okay. But Embed, Embed has been top three in the voting for the last two years. He was third in 2020.

He was runner up last year. We've seen, we've seen the trend of guys where, like, when they've been knocking on the door, and you have other guys who have the voter fatigue, you have Yokic who's gone back to back. He's probably not going to go three straight. I don't know if Yonis is going to get three and four years. And in my opinion, there's only two guys at the top of the list. I'm like, okay, this is like your MVP. to kind of lose that Timbid and Luca.

Yeah, definitely the two favorites. Yeah, and so with Embed, he's an elite scorer, almost led the league in scoring. I think he did, it was either him or Yannis. I can't remember who finished. It was Embed, yeah. Him and LeBron were both, but LeBron didn't have enough play games,

so went to Embed. Yeah, so you have a scoring, a scoring leader, one of the best defenders in the league at his position. He's consistently in the top three of the voting. I think this is finally the year where everybody just looks at him and says okay like he's this is his year so it's a good pick it beats my MVP I'm that's kind of tough bro yeah I understand that pick for sure and you mentioned the

vote fatigue for yokech and everybody I think it's definitely going to take yokech out of the running but I'm going to pick yonis onto the cumpo okay because the voter fatigue didn't let him get the last two years even though he was just as good as yokitch and like could have already to be done it it's just nobody wants to give it to him and yokish was an anomaly now there's been enough time off and the bucks are going to be dominant again I can definitely see yonis getting back into this mix where it's been long enough that he has since he hasn't won it and the people are going to be willing to give him again. That's fair.

I like this conversation. I like, I like, I like that, I like that pick as well. Yonis is definitely in my top four, like, preseason MVP voting. I don't know. Right now, MVP is such, like, narrative-driven to the point where, like, mid-season, they were trying to throw Devin Booker in there. You're trying to throw DeMarde Rosen in there.

Like, it's such a narrative type of award. that I don't know just the sheer dominance of Yonis and the Bucs is too good enough And I think the narrative for him Is that we know he's the best player in the world He's been the best player even when Yolk which is winning it It's been enough time since he hasn't won it

It's criminal if he doesn't win it eventually again So people are going to be like I feel comfortable Stamping him as his best player in the world And letting him win it for a third time While it is criminal for Yonis Only walk away with potentially two MVPs At the end of his career Which I think is not going to happen

And I think it will be even more criminal for ZO&B to not even win a single one in this career. And ironically enough, like, those were my top two picks. And I was leaning towards Jowell and B because of all, just because of the way the 76s are set up, I think they're going to be a fantastic, like the best, probably the best team in the NBA. I'm just going to go ahead and say they're going to leave the, they're going to have the best record in the entire NBA. Just because heads up, I don't have Doc Roo's as my coach in the year, though. Even though that that most likely is the case, I'm not going to have Dock Revere as a coach, bro. He still has, like, the stink bug to him and attach to him.

But anyways, if they win, it's not because Doc Rivers. Yeah, no, hell no. MVP has to go to Joelle and Bede in my mind because he's been so close. He's gone so much better as a big man slash you can say, damn near guard now with the way he's fucking breaking down his defenders, bro. And I think, I just think the team is for the, this is the best Joelle and B lead team that he's ever had. everything is catered towards him. He has his primary ball handler and James Harder, and Tyrese Max, who plays off the ball. Damn near perfectly.

He got PJ Tucker by his side who's going to do all the nasty, dirty work. He don't have to go ahead and his team is not going to be absolutely killed because the bench is a good amount better. They got DeAnthe Anthony Melton Montres Harrow. I just love this team. I just love this team. As you should. They're going to be fantastic. Exactly.

There's no chance that either of any of us have them outside of our top three seeds. Yeah, exactly And I think this is just finally the year Where people just have to give it to them And I think other people's circumstances Are a little bit worse And that helps Joel in B's case Because no one's gonna give him

I'm sorry Unless Nicole Yokic goes ahead and wins like 70 games He's not winning him for the first rate year They don't want to give it to him bro They barely wanted to give it to him Back to back years They barely want to give him the first time You know what I'm saying

I don't think Steph Curry is going to go off I, Kawhi Leonard and MVP don't sound right in the same conversation, bro. Like, and as for Janus, voter fatigue's the real thing, and I still think that people might be slightly hesitant to go ahead and go ahead and give it to him. But your argument was very valid. The problem with the Joellen Beat pick is obviously it gets a good pick, but what if James Hardin comes back and he's looking great again? And he's not MVP for him, but he's like all NBA, fantastic form again.

Maybe we'll get the situation like we have the Warriors where having two of the best players a lot just takes away from each other and neither one of them can win. I think it's a very real possibility. Okay, but that's, that's, having, having Steph Curry and KD in 2017, it's much, much different than having, even a good James Hardin than having James Hardin and Joel Embed right now. So, like, I guess, I mean, it's still, like, I mean, I use that example, but it's not the only instance we've seen teams that are too good to have an MVP winner. Like, we've had to play events where the stars take away from each other because maybe people were like, oh, I'd give him the vote, but I'd also give the other guy to vote. Like, it's not an exclusively warriors thing. Outside of the wars, give me an example.

Because off the top of my head, I can't remember, I can't remember recent history, something like that happening. I think, I mean, I don't know exactly, but people talk about all the time. I'm not necessarily saying that's been like we can point to a single year where that's directly happened, but you know what's talking about people would use all the time. Yeah, but I've, I feel like the main causes of that was the wars, was the fact that like I'm, you have two times. top five players on your on your team until like i can't i can't do that even when the nets were uh we're actually not i'll take that i'll take that back because the because then the nets have been a mess my i was thinking about them as a hard example because like yeah maybe the maybe the first year when they were formed when they're at their peculiar powers and people thought

they were going to be running through titles nobody was going to give kd the MVP because he asked james hard and kairie even if he would have been good enough like that's a perfect example like yeah it happens that way i think but i think okay even aside from from joel the one person that none of us mentioned that I think is obviously like why I kind of mentioned it but like Luca Yeah I can say why I'm not picking Luca

The knock on Luca has always been He comes in he comes into Camp Fat and he plays his way into shape throughout the season And that's why like second half of the season Luca is just God tier And so if he could do that Already 2 games that he could do that If the if the

Eurobasket stuff that he was doing in the offseason was real and now he's in shape coming in coming into camp Yep, like, are you guys at all thinking about Luca potentially being the MVP now that he's going to have the, I guess, the body type that he needs to sustain 82 games at that level? I'll let you go first, Mohamed. No, I don't think Lucas is going to go ahead and get it because there's like three things that factor into the MVP conversation is like narrative, the numbers, and how much you win. And Luke is probably going to have the, I don't really think there's going to be a real negative, a narrative for him. I think the narrative is going to have the numbers.

There's a strong narrative. He's a favorite right now. Lucas has been, people have been trying to hand Luke at this the award for the last three years. He's the betting favorite. Yeah, you're right. That is, that is hell of true. That is how it's true. I'm tripping on that one.

So he has the narrative. He's going to have the numbers, but he's definitely not going to have the wins just because I think. That's where I'm going to. Yeah, exactly. The wins are just not going to be there. You're telling me he's going to have a better record. He has to go ahead and outperform the Nuggets, the Clippers, the Warriors, the Pelicans, the T, evils potentially the phoenix sons like no he doesn't no he doesn't no he doesn't he doesn't

he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't I think I think Luca only has to make it to the four seed if you have Luca type numbers and he's the only person on his team that's like that you only have to make it to the four seat possibly 50 yokech has won it at the six seed for the last two years definitely crazy but see I don't even know yeah he can weigh this but the thing is yokech won the six seed but he also put up one the best offensive seasons of all time like no exaggeration like what he did he was a best most highly efficient score in the NBA at a high volume while being a top tier passer like you could say luca could do the

same thing but lucca is Luca is is is an amazing passer and he's and he's an amazing score and in terms of like no help is that his situation in Dallas is going to be a little bit better than what yoke had in in denver but at the same time there's nobody else on on his team like it's going to be him Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood like that like what type of stupid NBA you know 2K black top team is that like it's not a legitimate big three so I see what you mean I definitely I understand why he's the betting favor for the reason you said people were saying he could do what Yokic did and him being in shape now is a big part of that but I think the team's not going to be good enough and that's the case because I think last year they probably overachieved a lot

they had a top 10 defense despite having bad defensive talent that we thought was going to be a mediocre to subpar defense and they kind of to like piece it together made it work I don't know if that's sustainable and they have to be playing like above the range Dorian Finney Smith defending his ass off somehow them piecing together great rim protection on Maxi Kleba but now they're going to be giving

minutes to more Tim Hardway Jr. minutes and Christian Wood who aren't good defenders so I don't know if they're going to be able to get to that place and without that good defense they're not going to be a top 16 we could see them we can we can see them do what they did in the Western Conference finals and listen I don't I don't

even know why we're like stuck on lucca running i'm capping for him even though that he's not it's a good thing to talk about he's a favorite he's not my pick but i think that lucca and the mabs if they get to a point where they see that that defense isn't isn't working they straight in the west conference finals was like we're just going to jack a three like we're just going to we're going to play the numbers and we're going to play the numbers we're going to give lucca the ball we're going to let him drive and kick all day long and we and that's that's how our offense is going to roll in the regular season, you can do that a lot more successfully than you can in the postseason. And so if that ends up being your offensive system by mid-November and you have a long

way to kind of run through that, you can have a lot of success, especially in the regular season when you're putting up threes at volume. And the person who's driving and kicking and getting to the rim is Luca. Yeah, they're going to be fantastic in that way. The local uses rate ever, bro. yeah i see what you mean and i understand the argument for that i just think what it comes down to that let's say we the other two candidates are joel and yannis their numbers are going to be just as good as lucas and then you factor in the fact that they're elite defenders more so yonis

and the team's success like even if the best case scenario happens and the maps are this team that we saw in the western carpets finals last year or in the road to that and they're clicking all cylinders lucas healthy all year they're still not going to be a better team than the 76 of the bucks Donovan got me You got me when you said Joel and Bid and Yons are going to put up just as good as numbers as Luka.

What if Luka Kohl comes up to the season and puts up a 30 point triple double? Averages a 30 point triple double. He could do that. I think he's capable of that. He's not going to have, he already had it. We're talking about it like he's going to hit a new level because there's no help now.

The only difference is that Jalen Brunson shots are going to go to Dinwiddie and their rookie what's his name? Uh, who's like, uh, Hardy. Yeah, Hardy. Yeah, Hardy. So, like, there's should be redistributed. Last year in the playoffs, Brunson was great.

And look, that's how they got through the Western Conference finals. But in the regular season, Brunson wasn't some enigma. They didn't drop off that much. No, but even, but outside of that, I think the biggest, I think the biggest fact and the biggest, like, point that I want to make for Lucas, the fact that he plays his way into shape throughout the season. And there's a whole two, two and a half month stretch where he's not at his best. But then once he gets going, everybody looks at Luca and it's like, oh, my God, like, this might be the best player in the league.

And if he starts like that, you know, from week one to week two, and we'll say, oh, wow, like, Luca's coming, he's coming to camp in shape. Look what he's doing. Like, that that's where, that's where my point for Luca comes in is that he can have this amazing season. The narrative is a form really early and people kind of take that and you have to, like, lose it. Like, Steph won the MVP in the first month. and then he won in that cold streak and lost it, if he was just like normal staff, he would have won the MVP. So if you're saying that and you think Luke was going to come off firing,

then for sure. I can see the pick. That makes sense. And I think after three years of everybody really just trying to force, like, the Luca MVP thing to happen and he just hasn't delivered like that, if he gives anybody just an inkling that, like, he's reached that level and that he, like, looks like the MVP. Oh, it's his to lose from the first, like, two months if he comes down like that.

I think you should change your pick to Luca. That's what I'm hearing. Yeah, exactly. You damn Craig. I don't want me to convince me to kill anything. No, I still think I still think I still. Fuck it, Lucas won an MVP. I'm here.

Listen, you can take them. I still think I still think Embedd is going to, um, is going to, is going to win. I don't, I don't think it's going to be like a landslide, but it definitely will be something where I'll say about like the last month or so. We kind of know like, okay, like, like if there, if there was a. Sixers Mavs game in, I like to start of April, we're not going to go into that with like, oh, well, this is the swing game for the MVP like this. It's going to be like, oh, yeah, Luke has to drop 100 in this game against MB to win the MVP. I get it.

All right, well, we spent a lot of time on the MVP. I think these are all really good picks. None of these would be surprising. Let's move on the defensive player of the year. Who do you all think is going to win defensive player this year? I'm going to go ahead and slap on Rudy Gobert for that soon because it's a new team. and I think that Rudy, bro, I didn't even really acknowledge this, but the damn Timberwolves had like a top 13 defense in the NBA,

our top 11, one of those two. And if you add a generational paint protector, rim protector, like Rudy, that's just like you're just a lock to elevate on all levels on the basketball as a whole, bro, just naturally, you know? Sure, it's a good pick. And, yeah, yeah, I just got Rudy for all the right. reasons now don't not the only thing that really scares me is like car Anthony town's a big slow ass running around the front but like that's super scary that's

that's just an ungodly sight to see if Rudy's behind him to help him out when he gets blown by I think they'll be okay exactly exactly so I got Rudy Gober he's gonna make cat is gonna make Rudy look like a guy period yeah that's a really good pick I thought about going that way for the same reason people are gonna have like the narrative that Rudy's finally out of Utah they're gonna be winning a lot of games and they're gonna be like look what Rudy can do with the right system with the better players around and whatever i can see that happening i'm personally going to go to the miami heat and pick bam out of bio i think last year a lot of people including me were upset he wasn't

even top three and now i think they're going to have just as good of a defense still be top five but they also lost p j tucker which is going to give bam that narrative boost to say oh he did this without his second best defensive player so i'm going with him that is that is a great pick i zy because it's the exact same pick that i'm making i'm taking bam for for d p o why because For everything that you said And like Mo you said The Timberwolves were top They were 13th in the league

In defensive rating last year Miami was fourth In defensive rating of the year We had a really weird year Where Marcus Smart ends up getting Defensive Player of the year And I don't think anybody really like considers Marcus Smart the best defensive player

And nobody Nobody considers him the best defensive guard I think a lot of people still consider Drew Holiday To be a better defensive guard But But you talk about BAM they are going to put so much on his plate just as a player offensively and defensively and he is going to be one of the most versatile defenders in the league this year he's going to

be you know he's going to be switching you know guarding guarding guards guarding bigs and just on a nightly basis especially in the east where there's just going to be so much firepower and he just has so much to do on a nightly basis I think bam ends up jumping into the top three and getting it yeah yeah you speak in my language it's just the narrative so perfect with um what's his name leaving p j tucker yeah like that's the exact type of thing you need to be like oh they're still elite he deserved it last year he wasn't even in the voting like it's set up perfectly but i also agreed set up perfectly for gobert so i think that's also a great pick yeah it's very funny i think the the the d p o why it's such like it's such like big man centric

and like it doesn't should be yeah it makes sense right because like if you're the anchor of a defense like that provides more value than if you're like locking somebody down on the perimeter um but do you do you think that drew holiday can maybe jump in there at all no no so so who's your who's your top three then okay so he wants to be in there before drew holiday yeah i think yon is kind of a lot to always be top three like was he was he top three last year um i will check i would check that yeah i think yeah the safe pick is yonis like the guard won't in last year because the self-ex had such an enigma of a defense and people were kind of like there was a media campaign to like finally give it to a guard because two big

centric you know the bag twitter guys that are like oh big's overrated give it to the guy who lock on the perimeter like they got what they wanted and marcus won one but the reality is bigs are far more impactful for a reason it's because affecting shots in the rim you can do more than you can be on the perimeter so we're going to go back to seeing bigs win so so rudy rudy was third in voting um and yannis was six so market smart was first mckell bridges mckel bridges ended up against a good pick and bridges isn't going to win it but he's a good top of pick so it was smart bridges go bear bam jaron jackson junior and then yannis at six yeah i forgot yonis didn't make it because their defense wasn't quite as good because bric lopez was out the whole year

so yonis kind of had to be the anchor instead of being the weak side defender that usually is but now he's going to go back to being his normal role where he's a monster and insanely impactful yeah but i can see britches being top three it wouldn't surprise me yeah i think i think i think especially i think especially i think this this would be the last thing that we sound this but i think especially like now that we're like we're moving backwards and so it's like okay we're going to give it we're going to give the award to the guard and it's like all right well a wing has to get it now and and then slowly you know work our way back up to the big yeah that's the annoying part like it's going to be like all that last year started as firestorm it's going to be

like premier play one last year why shouldn't they always be in the top three and we're just going to see that like virtue signaling voting yeah yeah anyways I'm glad we can agree on the top too yeah what's next one Rookie of the year. Who do y'all think is going to win NBA rookie of the year? Okay. I have, I have long slanted. Obviously, I'm going Palo Bancaro.

I think you're going somewhere else though. Yeah, yeah. So you're going, you're going Palo. I'm going with Kegan Murray. It's a good pick. I've long slanded the Kings. This is going to be the one thing that I give them this year. But listen, I think that the Kings,

offensively, like, they're going to get up and down the floor. And I think that there's going to be a lot of opportunities. use for Keegan to flourish offensive. This is the most positive I heard him talk about the Kings in my entire life. Listen. Listen. I'm glad that we have this on video because we can just run this back for the next six months. Because it's the last time. I'm not praising them anymore.

I can't stand the Kings. They're sewn up. But yeah, I think Keegan's going to have a lot of opportunities to be successful. And now that you've kind of like, he's in that core with Fox and Subonis and Murray. They are kind of planning on those three, pushing them into the playing and where they want to be. And you saw, obviously, like, I don't want to overreact to somebody, but he looked really, really just, like, ready. No, he's really good right away. He looked ready.

I wouldn't have an overreaction. Yeah. He's a finished ride. He looked ready. So I'm going to go with Keegan. Yeah, for sure. So when it comes to rookie of the year, if you look at all the past rookie of the year winners, you know, you find a formula and you come to find out that, yo, like, it's basically. strictly like a numbers game wins they help they you know they're cool and all that but people

really don't give a fuck about none of that if we're being completely honest and i genuinely do i do not see a world where kegan murray is going to put up more shots than powell brinkero that's just not going to happen bro dear d'nard fax is going to be putting up shots de montes the bonus is going to be putting up shots kevin herder going to be like they have they have a lot of options and i don't know how kegan murray aligns that pecking world but that's not a bad choice. I just think that Palo Bancair is just the most safe choice because like there's not a lot of options on the Orlando Magic and they're still looking for someone to be that guy and so far Palo Bancaro like he should be looked at as that guy at least for now. Yeah. Yeah, I think I wouldn't

be shocked if Keegan was like the more impactful player and like a better player overall in year one. I could see that being the case because he's older like but like he said as a numbers game and Palo is going to have the usage and he's already like you can say maybe he's still going to be even though he's so much younger like he's incredibly good the way he moves with the ball in his hands at that size is ridiculous like he's going to be an elite not elite he's going to be a high level score from like day one and that's just going to translate to an easy 20 points per game i will i will say i will say this though the so scotty and evan mowgli finished one and two in in in the voting last year the two guys behind them cape cunningham and jaden green both averaged more

points cape cuttingham was he was the pittons offense right he's the facilitator there and so even if you have a guy who is the center of of their offense like i don't think you can immediately dismiss somebody for for keene and and i know that you guys aren't doing that but i'm saying like i that's why i'm not as worried that keegan isn't going to be the focal point of the offense because if you do enough things you can be there in this case that happened because one jalen green was awful to start the year and had a good second half the season but he was never going to fucking win and kate also started kind of slow like he picked up as a year went on but he started super slow like for his standards as number one pick. Mobley was an enigma from day one. He was an elite like straight up

elite defender as a rookie and on team that was like making huge strides and to be like a top four playoff team before they got injured. So he was a lock. The only reason that Scottie came up at the end is because he was like super consistent throughout the whole year and he was also a winning team. Yeah. So like he had the combination of the numbers and being on a winning team. So I don't know if Keegan's going to have that winning team to hold them up. Probably not. Honestly, I don't even think I really don't think that like the winning I don't think anybody, when it comes to rookies, I really don't think that anybody cares about it. It did last year, though.

It mattered for sure last year because both those guys were contributors on playoff teams from day one. Like, normally it doesn't matter because normally that doesn't happen. But we happen to see two players that were the best rookies also be playoff contenders. So like it worked out that way. But if it's there, it's definitely going to help. Yeah. I think the fact that a big part also is who plays the most games, right? Out of these guys.

Scotty, Scottie played 74 games last year. Yeah, that's why he won. Mowbly missed some time and Cunningham miss some time. If Keegan can be on the floor, I think as a rookie, like, that's really one of the best things that you can do. Just be there and show up. And so whoever, honestly, like, that's probably a big, maybe not a bigger, but it's a very, very, like, key thing that we should keep an eye on. Be real. Does anyone want to give anything to the Sacramento Kings?

Is anybody going to be really? I mean, Tyree Evans, one rookie of the year one time? Bro, you were nine years old when that happened, bro. You're like, nine years old. So I can't study history? Like, you can't study history, but, bro, it's like no one, no one cares about them anymore like that, bro. I don't think that's going to happen. Maybe that's a reason people want to give it to them.

Like, oh, they finally have hope. Keegan Murray's bawling out, 19 points per game. Yeah. These are definitely the top two picks, though. So, like, I don't hate the Keegan pick. I just feel pretty confident that Powell is going to, like, prove himself to be, like, future top ten player, elite player of the elite right away. So I feel like it's going to be, like, right away, people are like, oh, he's him, he's going to win. And that narrative's not going anywhere

That's fair That's fair Again I really don't feel like If we all just said Palo It would be kind of boring Yeah I don't yeah But I don't feel like any one of us On any of our picks

Have just been like off the wall yet We'll see Once we start getting the sixth man of the year And most improved I want to see what you guys think about My page Oh I forgot the most improved player Okay

I got muscle in the bag Okay well let's Let's talk about coach of the year first That should be a quick one Who is gonna win NBA coach of the year I got Tailu Tailu Because like hopefully

All these guys are going to It's either going to be I put Tailu slash Mike Malone I've basically the same argument For both these Both of these coaches Obviously one of the best coaches Top five top ten coaches

In the entire NBA And finally they have all the talent in line And it's just another And it's just in time for them To go ahead and rack up this award For Mike Mowlover I believe another award That's a good picks I'm going to go with the name

You're probably not thinking about. I'm going to go Joe Missoula, the Celtics interim coach. Okay. I think that they're going to be crazy. The one thing that concerns me is not having Robert Williams for the start of the season, but I think they're going to be just as good as last year. Still a top two, three seed. And you're going to have the narrative

that you have this turmoil that they don't have their coach. And the new guy comes in and he's just like elite, keeps him where they are all year. I think that's an easy win. It's kind of like what Luke Walton did where he went like 25 and oh, whatever it was, whenever Steve Crow was out, but for a whole season. Okay. Okay. That's

That's tough, bro. That's tough. I like that. The only reason why I'm not flying with that and my standings will show or reflect that is because of Rob Williams is so important to that defense, bro. So I like that. You're hell of bold for that. But I, what's you got, Darwin? I, and so, okay, so this is, this is really weird. But, and I don't know if you can win it from here. But I kind of like Willie Green. Oh, I love that. I love that. I love that. I think that's a division. I think that the pelicans have. have a really high seat like if everything clicks new Orleans can really really go some places and you kind of and you can have this like progression of oh well we we were at the number one picking the draft and we made the playoffs last year we we were in the playing and fought really hard to get to to get to the playoffs we push the sons to six games like there's you know now now that we get our star player back we're going to go even further right we're going to win more games

there's a real progression for them there so I think that if Zion is there and he can stay healthy and they can they won like they won 36 games last year you get them a couple you get them a couple games over 500 and you get them an eight game increase in a tough western conference that's i think i think the narrative is there for willie green to um to be at the top of the list I love that pick. I can see that. I like that pick for sure. Yeah. So that's my coach of year. I like the Tailu pick a lot, though.

Because the Clippers definitely have, like, obviously, like, we, listen, they, they didn't have Paul George or Kauai for a lot of games last year, and they still ended up with a very good record. Should have, well, I guess they were, they were the ATE lost in the playing, yada, yada, yada. But, like, you see what Tai Loo is able to do on the. on a nightly basis with just like mid guys and bringing them up now that he's going to have stars like the clippers should be at the top of the conference yeah he's the top three coach in terms of just like exes and nose so like he deserves one i don't know why he hasn't gotten one yet so i kind of

hope you're right with that yeah and he hasn't got one because he was coaching lebron i'll just about to say that i mean now he's coaching one the deepest the deepest raster in the league so maybe that hopefully hasn't hurt him either i don't think it should bro i don't think it should You could easily have one of the deepest rosters. You could theoretically have one of the best rosters on the team in the entire NBA, but that doesn't mean anything if you don't do little things like keep egos intact and make sure you put these players in the best place as possible to win, and all these other things.

And another just random side-knowing tangent that I'm just so happy, bro, John Wall has been looking nice in the preseason. There was a very real world where we all thought, at least not all, but in the back of our minds, I don't think any of us really expected anything to, too much out of John Wall. You know what I'm saying? For the top? I did. Really?

Wow. You expected a lot out of them? Not a lot, but like a decent amount. Like I have not been looking at John Wall as like some completely washed up player. I actually thought that that was like a piece. Yeah. And so like if you ask Isaac about the John Wall sign and he's going to be like, who cares?

He's too. He's too. I don't know who cares. But like you're saying like, listen, he's two, three years watched. He's going to play, you know, 15 minutes. it's a night or this and that like i'm expecting a little bit more from john wall than that and i think that he will make a significant impact and he'll probably be like in the finishing lineup for for the clipper at the end of the year i was in a way i didn't think i thought he like to fit is so good

that they'd get the most out of him so i was like okay that's a good good signing good death there that he's just a role player that fits that really well but i wasn't like he's gonna make them unstoppable he's gonna come in and like really unlocked their playmaking they've always needed i was like that's cool if it works out well works out well but it's good to see the early signs are looking well listen he's all listen he's not like you know gang sign john wall the the deepest bag of john wall but he but he is duggian again he is dancing again and so you have one you have one of his alter egos that is back so i think i think john wall has like a bright future ahead of him i've been itching to hear isa for what coach of the year he said he said

he said joe mazula oh i forgot about that where you been yo i told you before this podcast i He's about short-term memory loss. Bro. You thought I was lying? What is this? This is literally an eye mask, bro. I had this next to me. It's a good.

Yeah, absolutely. Okay, well, let's go ahead and get some most improved player. Who do you all think is going to win most improved player this year? Let me go first. Let me go first. No, no. Tyrese Halliburton. Tyrese Halliburton.

Oh, that's not nasty, but I think my pick is better. Why do you say Tyrese? Because he's going to have hell of usage. And in the games we had in the last season when he got to Indiana, he was average. he was averaging like 22 and 9 like it was like a huge jump if you finally gets that usage for a whole season without Darren Fox

plus a year development he's gonna put up stupid numbers yeah I like that for me I got another New York Nick a couple years ago was Julius Randallel this year I'm gonna go ahead and say Jalen Brunson

I mean yeah Jalen Brunson and one thing that could easily say to just go ahead and demolish your that's nasty what that's nasty? I'm not picking Jalen in my top three It's got it's kind of nasty Wow, you're a Knicks fan

Out of everyone you don't want Who's saying is nasty Bro, you're nasty for that actually I thought you were going to say I didn't expect Jalen Brunson Jalen Brunson Yeah, I gotta Yeah, bro

I gotta pay Jalen Brunson One thing that I have to say Is that like When it comes to The president of The president that has been set For the MIP Did I see that right?

I probably didn't write The precedent Yeah, president Yeah, whatever. What's been set for the MIP Award over the past? I'm just going to say a year with John Morant winning. I hate that he won it, and I don't think he deserved it. I can say he deserved it, but I don't think it was right for him.

You know what I'm saying? The true meaning of that, in my mind, at least, is when you see a crazy jump from a player just kind of out of nowhere. A lot of NBA fans who are in the trenches like us could expect it could see it. That's why I think Tyrese Halliboran is a tremendous pick, but I think Jalen Brunson is probably even a better pick. Yeah, you're good. I think Jalen Brunton is probably even a better pick because I think Jalen's going to be on a better team.

I don't think it's really that debatable to say the crazy to say that the Knicks are going to be much better than the Indiana Pacers. Now, Tyrese is probably going to have a better stats because he's just overall a much better player than Tyrese. But that's just my take, bro. What's yours? Okay. What do you think on that actually?

Okay. Let me get your piano. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, so when it gets to the Jalen thing, the reason why I'm saying it's nasty is because a lot of times these goes to, like, young players, right? But, like, we see guys in their second or third year trying to make that leap into all-star.

It shouldn't, though. That's fun. No, but, like, but you're talking about, like, the precedent and what it was, especially after JAA. A lot of people didn't even think that, um, that Jah deserved it because it's like, hey, this is a guy who, like, Like, he was an all-star. You've got a one MVP, yeah.

That's what I'm saying. Like, he was, he was an all-star last year. We already know that he's the face of a franchise. Why are we giving him most improved when we know good and well that, like, that's not what we're here to do, right? So I think when you talk about a guy like Jalen, we're trying to give this award to 20, 21-year-olds. Jalen's 26. That's a grown man, dude. Like, like, he doesn't deserve it.

He just got a hundred million dollars. Right? Like, you're not, you're not giving him. you're not giving most improved to a guy who just got who just got the bag that's not what it's about and also that's what you that's what happened with julius randall is it not julius randall yeah yeah that is a good comparison honestly if jalen brunson goes jalen brunson goes to second team all-nbbae listen you got me right right if he does that if he does that listen i apologize and you saw something that i that i did it but last year he shot four

50% from the field and 37% from three. Do you think that he's going to shoot 50% again from the field, right? Yes, but I think they should shoot better than that, no. No, better than that, but I think you should put up better counting stats, points. Even if he does, if you apply that to, like, 36 minutes per game and, like, give him the usage, it's going to be like 22 points and 7.5 assists. That's not second team all NBA. If he brings the Knicks to the playoffs, eighth seed, I think that'll get him through the door.

maybe but you guys think there's also every year there's every year there's young players that make the star leap and people want to give it to them so for jillam brunson to be like julius randau it would have to be like above and beyond you can't deny it julius rando was arguably the second best power for in the league that year like he was at the point where it was like you gotta give it to him he's so good like he's got to star now i don't know if we're going to see lely from jillan brunson just because he gets him to the playoffs and randall was able to do that because there was no other like credible who well i i'm a disrespected i'm a disresby i'm a i'm

became a jump shot god yeah i'm a i'm a disrespect rj here but like there was no other credible you know offensive option on that team and that's a team that overperformed like crazy right because because their defense was just off the chart and and tibs had them buy in for a year but like as i said if jaylon brunson is going to make every single turnaround jumper if he's going to shoot 40% from three if he's going to continue shooting 50% from the field then okay sure If he's going to be one of the four best guards in the league, by all means, Mo, you got it. That's not happening.

You're making me look like this. It's not happening. It's not happening with that. No, I mean, it was a crazy pig. So like, that's a crazy, it's not crazy. It's not crazy. I see why you say that. I see where the logic comes from.

I just, there's reasons why I'm definitely not going to predict that, but I definitely see where your head's it. Yeah. Okay. Now that I've done, get on Mo. I'm going with Josh Giddy for my pick. I think, I think that, that Josh, Giddy last

season and the jump that he can make with a Thunder team that is still going to be kind of I guess vying for guys to play Shay's going to start the season a little bit hurt.

Chet's not there and you have Giddy who is a really good passer he can rebound he last season he didn't shoot well right he only shot 42% from the field he shot 26% for three if he becomes just a little bit better right if that 40

goes to 45 or that 26 goes to 30 and now you're talking about instead of 12 points a game he's at 16 maybe 16 and a half along with the other things that he's doing I think that there's a jump to be made for giddy so that's what I'm going to take him as my pick I like that I think we're not going to see second year players win it all the time like we do with jaw like jaw was such a special circumstance because he became one of the most electrifying arguably when the best player is in NBA so I think it's going to be hard to break that second year precedent for giddy but I I see he's going to make that type of leave. I agree with you.

I think that pick is even nastier than what you said about me with Jalen Brunson. What? That's not. That's even worse. How? How? Be able to Asick, that's even worse. Let's bureau.

No, it's not. Who, so you think Josh Giddy has a better chance of winning it than Jalen Brunson? Yes. What do we talk about? This is a mid-off real. I don't know. I don't know if I won't think so. Yeah, I think so.

Yeah, I think Giddy's would be more deserving than Jailam Brunson would. He's a second-year player. You're guys, 26 and you're trying to give him most improved bro how old was julius randall when he won it bro julius randall is a special case because he became second team all the NBA how he's supposed to be got to say it's what i'm saying is jane brunson going to be is jalen bruns going to be one of the four best guards in basketball next year no i know that's that's a tough predicament you're putting me out no no no no no no you're saying all that stuff

that's a yes or no question yes or no is he going to be one of the four best okay no Absolutely not. Then the precedent of the jump that Julius Rattle made is not there anymore. Bro, you're putting me in a nasty debacle right now. Because you made a nasty pick. No, that's not. Your pick is so much worse. What are you talking about?

Josh Giddy, are you serious right now? Okay, what is this counting that's going to look like for him to win most improved of the player of the year? What is it going to look like? 17? 17? 10? Oh, no.

You can have 1710? Why do you think Josh Giddy is so bad? Just like a second time you said this, Josh Giddy's really good. He's really, he's good. I would love to have a player like him on my team, but. Josh Giddy's him, I don't think he's him. Again, that's my only thing. Josh, Josh Giddy last year, just straight counting stats.

Average 12 and a half points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 0.9 steals. If he gets that up to 17 to 6, we'll go 16 and a half points, two more buckets again. 16 and a half points, 8.1 rebounds, 7 assists, 7 assists, and one steal. Tell me, tell me that's not like a most improved stat line. Tell me you can't see the division. On a 27 win team with like mid-efficiency, bro, Jalen Brunce is running away with that compared to that sat line, bro. I'm sorry.

Neither one of them are going to win it because Tyler is going to win it. Maybe Jordan Poole, y'all haven't been a mid-off. Yeah, this is a mid-off right now. Hang on, this is disgusting. You're not going to disrespect Josh Keating like that. You're not going to disrespect Josh Keating like that. You're crazy for this. He's not going to win it.

You're right because he's the second-year player. And it's not going to happen unless he became an all-star. So, whatever. Isaac, just for the sake of my pride, if you were to bet money on it, who would you rather place your bets on? I don't know. I don't know. I guess I'd pick Brunsome because a second year player is not going to wait,

but I would fucking hate that pick. I would be never expecting to see that money again. I'm done. All right, cool. I feel better now. Let's go. Who's going to win six men of the year this year? I'm taking Malcolm Brogden.

That's a great pick. I'm taking Malcolm Brogden. I forgot of Malcolm Brogden. I wrote down Jordan Poole, but I think I might pick Malcolm Bracken now that you mentioned it. This is going to be the lamest argument and conversation ever because I'm like, yo. I don't know if you guys remember this, but whenever we tend to talk about this,

I always talk to you guys about, yo, you got to remember Malcolm Brogden. He's there. Last time we've seen him healthy, he was going to like, I may be true, but something near along the lines of 20 and 7 or something like that. something like he's crazy efficient yeah yeah exactly he's crazy efficient he's a great defender you know what I'm saying he could be the facilitator that the Celtics have been looking for could be playing could be playing a part of closing lines things of that natures and I just love him on this team I love him as a player I hated when the bucks got

rid of him I hated it especially wait wait so you're so you're on Brogden as well and we're making a clean sweep clean sweep love it I mean this was easy I think like this is like a near lock especially because Tyler Hero might start that a lot of to chatter about that it's like Malcolm Broggen's clearly the best six man in terms of like caliber of player that's currently coming off the bench I still think Jordan Poole has some validity there if you think he's gonna make that leap especially because like what we saw in the playoffs last year there's a big like hype around him people were thinking he's like star in the making so you can see the narrative being there especially if those Celtics are like I mean the

warriors are top tier again yeah but you got to go Brogden like we already know he's gonna be if he's if he's healthy he's and Mo you talked about his numbers the last time I have him up right here so the last time he was out on the floor last year He finished 19.1 points per game, 5.9 assists, five rebounds per game, and he did it while shooting. Dang. And that was on a bad year from three. He shot 31% from three last season, 45% from the field. If he can, listen, he's a career 37% shooter from three.

He gets that up, he gets that back up, and we're here. And so clean sweep. I think we don't even got to talk much about it. Like, we all know he's going to win it, or he should be the favorite to win, and I should say he may be going to get hurt. Who knows? But I think we should move on to the standings. Let's do it.

Okay, so we're going to go conference by conference. Let's start with East. This is pretty difficult. How we're going to do it is we're going to go by blocks of four teams. So I feel like can we all agree that the bottom four teams are Detroit, Charlotte, Orlando, and Indiana? Yeah. Yes. Yes.

So I don't think the order for the last four matters. We're just going to clump them all together as the non-playoff teams that are tanking still rebuilding. We can do that. So, we can go the playing teams now, 7 through 11. I'll let you know who I got first. At 7, I have, don't kill me, the Atlanta Hawks. Calm down, Muhammad. Shut up.

Just keep going. Atlanta Hawks are 7. Toronto Raptor is at 8, New York Knicks at 9, Chicago Bulls at 10, and Washington at 11. Okay. That's fair. I have the same teams. Okay, what order? So I have Toronto at 7, Atlanta at 8, Chicago at 9, New York at 10, Washington at 11.

Mohamed, tell us yours before we get into the arguments. Okay, so at 7, you're going through 7 through 11, right? Correct? Yeah, yep. Cool. Okay, so at 7, I have the Brooklyn Nets. At 8, I got the Raptors. At 9, I got the Bulls.

10, I got the Wizards. and then at 11 I think I got Who do I have at 11? So you have the Knicks at 11? Yeah, exactly I'm sorry to say yeah You nasty bitch

You pick Jaylon Brunson To be the most improved players Because he takes in the playoffs And you put them at 11 This is why you have to be preparation You have prepared fuck Look, as we've been talking Through this conversation

As we've been talking through This conversation bro I'm just like I really like I really like to watch the Wizards and I believe in Friday Beale and enjoy him. I can put him over, I can't put him over the Wizards. Meet his Mike.

Yeah. Mute his Mike. Okay, so let's start with the Wizards. So I think we all agree the Wizards and Knicks are going to be in the bottom tier, trying to get into that last spot. Actually, I had the Bulls at 10, so I think the Knicks are better in the Bulls. I think that actually the Knicks with competent point guard played by Jalen Brunson. Maybe RJ Barrett tastes a leap that Knicks fans seem to think he's already taken,

but maybe he actually becomes a good two-way player. Yeah. Julius Randall can't be worse than one's last year, so he's going to make some sort of positive progression. And Isaiah Hardinstein is a really good pickup. I just see it come together for them to be a very bottom-tier playing team, but be able to be better than expected. Yes, I think everything that you said is right. I think that Chicago is just going to be a little bit better, but I think that Washington and New York are interchangeable. But they're going to be separated by like one, two games max.

Oh, I should say why I think Chicago is going to fall to 10. I think losing Lonsaball sucks. And I don't know if Lonsaball is ever going to be held. this year. I think it's at the point now where his injuries are so nagging that we have to assume that maybe he's just not going to be who we thought he is the whole season. RIP to his career.

Damn. And Vucevic's signing didn't look too great. He's a year older. DeMarg Roza is the best season of his career maybe. It's hard to predict he does that again at the age of 30 or whatever he is. Patrick Williams, I'm just not high on him. Patrick Williams, a young player, a lot of Bulls fans. I feel like he's really controversial and I think a lot of

both fans, at least this season. are going to come to the realization that he's really not the goods. He's okay, but he's not the goods. The other day, he just got bench in a preseason game for, what's his name, Javonte Green? I don't know his name. I forgot about his name. Yeah.

Yeah, Javentay, that's tough. He's good. All right. So I think the main thing of contention here is that we have Atlanta, Abbott 7, Donovan has been 8. You think Atlanta's top six. You put the Brooklyn Nets behind Atlanta? I think it's kind of disgusting.

Yeah, the Brooklynness has a Kyrie and KD-led team. together both of them they've given me no reason to go ahead and propel them over a team like the Atlanta Hawks who have shown I don't want to say a level of consistency because trade just got on the scene and things of that nature but they they just they haven't given me a reason to go ahead and put up put them above them like you're talking like the Hawks at the freaking Miami heat they were in the plane last year they weren't good at all talking about them as Miami this is more so about the Brooklyn that's and the dysfunction that lies between their

organization bro now yeah You could go ahead and tell me a story and sell me on, potentially like, yo, contract your Kyrie. Like, he probably could be a different breed. And I understand that completely. And Ben Simmons is going to fit beautifully alongside all those suits. You can sell me on that. But at the end of the day, they've given me zero reason to buy in on anything, bro. On anything.

I understand that. Okay. Yeah. And I don't have the next in the top three. So, like, I get it. Well, it's definitely not safe. But, I mean, it's understandable. so yeah okay in the day it's a one spot difference for me I'll give that spoiler alert so I don't think it's insanely incomprehensible for Atlanta to jump to six like that wouldn't shock me at all but I feel comfortable saying that if all things go away as according to plan because we can't assume injuries dysfunction and whatnot if things just go chalk I'm thinking the nets are going to be for sure the better team I just think the offensive ceiling you have with those two lead players Ben Simmons fits imperfectly as a connective tissue that really it seems to let him thrive in a way he's never been able to because he's had Joellen beat next to him I think we're going to see and unlock Ben Simmons on both sides of the court and

and I think the ceiling there is too high not to put them top six. For sure, for sure. I'm not mad at that. Let's actually take the next segment. Let's just go one through six. Let's just go, like, I guess, playing and then just now I'm playing. Yeah, yeah.

Okay. So I'll start from the back half. We'll lead up to the top. Yeah, let's do that. The top three I'm really not confident about, because I think they're all going to be within like one or two games of each other. But the back half I'm pretty confident about. So we have, where is it?

Toronto at 8th Wait what am I looking at So start from 6 and go up Sorry sorry yeah yeah yeah We didn't even talk about Toronto But I think we all agree They're just like in that range That's who they're gonna be

Yeah Yeah so at 6 I have the Brooklyn Nets at 6 The Cleveland Cavs at 5 Who I wanted to put higher But kind of just can't Okay The Miami heat at 4

I had respect The Miami heat You have to The Milwaukee bucks at 3 The 70 sections at 2 And the Celtics at 1 I might flip the top 2 But the only reason is because Robert Williams is hurt

So I think maybe that make them slack off in the beginning of the season So you can put the 7-6ers at one But I think we saw the Celtics last year second half of the season They're hemathe all around the whole roster top the bottom And now they have Malcolm Brogden They're going to be them Okay All right well you are not you're I'm gonna go next

Go ahead So I have Brooklyn at 6 as well I've Boston at 5 What the fuck I've Cleveland at 4 Miami at three Philly at two and Milwaukee at one

And that's what you're Boston pick And that's why I have it Y'all are insane My thing with Especially the non-playing teams I would be shocked If one If the one seed and the six seed

Were separated by anything more than five games I think the east is going to be Extremely close And so when we're talking about four, five, and six. To me, it's kind of just like a crapshoot a little bit because I think it's all just going to end up random and it's like, oh, well, you lost the, like last year, the two through four seed all had the same record and it was just decided by tiebreakers.

So for me, like me putting Boston at five isn't necessarily like, oh, they're going to suck this year. They could be just as good as, as Philly. But I think that, I think that Rob Will's injury in the beginning of the same. season might put them behind the eight ball going forward and they might have to catch up a little bit to where everybody else is at and obviously all of these predictions are like assuming everybody stays healthy for the year yeah see i'm not assuming that that's i picked the Celtics at one because i think their depth is so good that they're the team i think can sustain injuries the most

like you said they're also close to each other i think the Celtics have the best chance of making it through because of all that depth okay let's let's let's let's give us your list okay so i'm not mad at anything that you i said isaac we're on completely different ends of this i think that the turmoil that the celtics felt within the organization is seriously going to hurt them and also the importance of robert williams is going to get they're going to see that they're going to really see that once he's not on the court anymore so i have at six the boston celtics at five i have the hawks i have to i will bet you what everyone the celtics are going to have more wins in the hawks dude i will bet you anything that the south of the celtics started last season dude

Did you forget how amazing they finished? Yeah, they finished amazingly, bro, but I'm just, I look. They finished amazingly with no turmoil at that time. And also, they're pretty much, yeah, look, you can argue with that on another day. I do not love me, bro. All right. So six, Boston, five hawks, four, calves, three, you got to have the Miami heat. Two bucks, and number one, I got to have the Sixers.

Okay. Any discrepancies. I think we're all in the greens where each team is. I think we're all also like flirting with the 70s pictures being at the top I'm I kind of want to put them there I might flip you might you might convince me to put the savings pictures one Celtics two but I'm not putting them out of top three but I see I see the vision yeah as for the Celtics dude I just feel so sorry for that organization

they always just have like the Celtics and their fans I they've portrayed to me just how inconsistent this team could be and when And for the most part, throughout the Jason Taylor and Brown's stint that they've had, they've been more inconsistent than not, and they finally, like, got over the app, I believe. But I also believe that because of all this turmoil that was felt throughout their organization from head to toe, like, I don't think anything, I don't think that, now they do have Malcolm Brogden. I just feel so torn about the Celtics at times, you know? I don't feel that torn.

I don't think that I made docket thing. It's going to be that big of a deal to them. like obviously it sucks not having him there they have his lead assistant there they're going to have the same exact system that they found last year in the second half of the year that made them so great they're going to be playing the exact same style of the ball same players that clearly mesh together and figured out how to win they're coming off a deep run that shows them they have that confidence that they can make it that far they're not going to have the same players though because robert who knows when he's going

to come back three months from now i think they'll be back by December which it sucks but they they weren't just like awful without him like he missed time last year too and they still made they missed time in the playoffs and they still made it to the finals Like they can win without Robert Williams We're talking about him like The Lakers without LeBron Like they'll be fine overall Like obviously it limits their ceiling

If he wasn't there all year I would agree But they can make do without him They still have Al Horford You're so disgusting for that Yo get out of here That word did you spend out of Horford after last year You don't know if it was fantastic last year

No but I mean that's a That's a legitimate concern of mine That you have an ageing Horford Like I listen he was he was great. I really don't want to disrespect him, but, like, we can't just expect everybody to just be LeBron and be, you know, the same that you've been for 20 years. Like, at a certain point, like, people get old and it goes very quickly. So it wouldn't surprise me if we came out in the first three months and we're like, dang, like, Al Horford, he's, he's kind of getting

up there. Like, you know, it's. Sure. I mean, if that happens, then the picks, then this is all gone, but I'm going to assume that he's going to be the same until he's not, you know what I mean? Like, I can't predict oldness. That's, that's, listen. Al Horford will fall off a cliff. No, but, yeah, that's a concern of mine. And so that's why I wouldn't necessarily have boss at, like, the top three seed that you have the best. Yeah. Okay.

All right. It's not bad bad. It's weird. I expected the East to kind of be a little bit more. Divisive. Yeah, divisive just because it's so good. I think we all agree they're also close. So, like, how can you have a super strong opinion about any of them?

True. Because, like, would you be shocked that the Cavs ended up being the one seed? Like, I would. Actually, no, I would. I would. The one seat? Like, dude, you're saying they're all,

if you're saying they're all within the same few games, like, how can you be shocked if any of them are the one seat? Don't what I mean? That's true, but it's just, it's just crazy. It's crazy like thinking about like at the end of the year, you're going to look up and you're going to be like, wow, like the Cleveland Cavaliers were the best team in the East. Like that.

I wouldn't be shocked. They were the onesie beginning of last year before they got injured, which they weren't going to sustain that. It would just look weird on paper. of it would just look weird. Okay, well, I'm just, fuck that shit. You just add what they were doing beginning of last year, add Donovan Mitchell. Like, they're going to be freaking amazing.

Like, I wanted to put them higher. I just put them, I put Miami above them out of respect because they always just find a way to win in the regular season. They're just like a machine. So they deserve to be above them. I think that Cleveland Cavalers will for sure be a better team than Miami. Okay. Maybe just won't be reflected by regular season record. Yeah.

I like that take. All right. Okay. Let's move to the west. So same thing. The bottom 14 is, I think we can all agree. San Antonio. Houston, Utah, okay, C.

Don't really give a fuck what already want to put them in. I wrote it down, but who's the shit? So if we're going to do 7 through 11 again, we'll start from there. This time, Mohamed you go first. Okay, so I'm going to start off from 7. At number 7, I have the Phoenix Suns, man. Yeah, I think they're going to, yeah, I got the Phoenix Suns on that one, bro. I got the Phoenix Suns.

Yeah, bro, I got the Phoenix Suns. So I said I have the Phoenix Suns. I'm probably going to hate myself for this, but I have certain propaganda that I'm pushing this season, and I have to put the Memphis Grizzies at 8. At number 9. You are bugging. Yeah, man, I got the Arizes at 8.

Grizzes at 8. And at 9, I think they're going to miss Jared Jackson, Jr. Hella. I think you're under, you probably, you might be under-resumating that. All right. And at 9, I got the Phoenix Suns. I'm not Phoenix on my bad. The Portland Trailblazers.

And then at 10, I got the Sacramento Kings and that 11, bro. You can put really anyone, you put the Lakers. Cool. The Lakers, yeah. Lakers at 11. You have the Lakers at 11? Yeah, bro. They just start the Rurs or took off of the bench.

They're bad. Our list are wildly different. I don't think the Russ come off the bench thing is a negative in any way. I think that's a positive. I're willing to do that. Now make them a better team. I have the Dallas Mavericks at 7.

Okay. The Lakers at 8. The Pelicans at 9, which I want to put them higher, but there's so many good teams. It's tough. That's a team that I won't be shocked that I won't be shocked if I'm wrong about the most. Like, if they're four, five, or six, I see it.

Because I think six through nine will be really clustered like it is in the east on the top. I feel the same way about the Brissues. Ten, I have Portland. What does that noise? Yeah, it's a car? Oh, shit. Okay, at ten I have the Trailblazers. Yeah.

And at 11, I have Sacramento. Okay. So, I don't, Sacramento is worse than these teams. what you don't know what you don't know all right so here's here's here's what we got right so for seven okay i'm gonna change my list right now i'm gonna so at seven i have the minnesota timblewoods at all at the minnesota timblews at seven oh at eight i have the phoenix suns at my god y'all are so wrong about the suns at nine i have the lakers and now you have what at nine at nine at have the lakers and then at 10 i have the blazers at 11 i have the kings okay y'all are so wrong

about the sons why are you because they had the worst playoff collapse of all time because they all had fucking covid there's a COVID outbreak that doesn't mean they're going to be a worst team now they're not going to forget to play basketball to that extent they're still going to be a regular season powerhouse those are not only those are some of the reasons why i feel low about the phoenix suns and i also feel like they stumbled on a lot of success i like like the pieces that they have. I love the pieces that they have. But for someone like DeAndre Aden, who it looks like he's on better terms with the head

coach and everybody on the team or whatever the case may be, but as a whole, I still think that, like, once that time comes and the stars in line, he's going to get out of there almost as soon as possible. Maybe, but they also don't have to trade them. Like, if they're just chugging along to a top three seed, like, last year, like, I think then they just don't think they're going to be chugging along. I don't see them being better than any of the top four teams or five teams. So obviously they have a little bit worse depth with Jay Crowder being out of there now, which sucks.

We'll see what they're going to get for him. But that's like the only real meaningful difference. They still have Chris Paul. They still have Devin Booker. They still have McHall Bridges. Cam Johnson's going to be the starter. Gives them more than Jay Crowder gave him. DeAndra Aiden's going to get more focused now.

Maybe we'll put up better numbers. I don't see any reason for them to be that materially different from the best team in the NBA to the eighth seed. That's such a wild jump. On paper, there's no real reason to do that. You're absolutely right about that. But when it comes to just in the locker room stuff, that's the main thing. That's really it. That's the main thing.

I look at the suns. I look at the suns and there's just so much turmoil. Listen, you both talked about the Celtics turmoil from head to toe. The sons have turmoil from head to toe. And that locker room just seems so afraid. They do not have that dog on them and I do not like the vibes that are coming out of Phoenix. And I'm such an overreaction. I'm being for real.

And so that's why I would have them back in the playing. I also think that. like a lot of a lot of these other teams just like are just going to be better so okay yeah we'll see about that that's what I'm so obviously we we all have the Lakers in this range do you all see if what I see a world where they can get up to like five I wouldn't be shocked by that necessarily or four I would be shocked by nine or four five or six I would be shocked if they weren't if they weren't in the playing I would be shocked okay what if they trade Russell Westbrook like what if they do the Indian appeal and get everything changes if they trade oh yeah

They trade Russ. Everything changes, but as presently constructed, even if, even if Russ comes off the bench, which I'm with you, I think that that's a positive and that's something that they need to do. But even if that's the case, I don't see them jumping, I don't see them jumping New Orleans with a healthy Zion. I don't see them jumping Minnesota with all the talent that they have. Dallas, Memphis, you can forget about that. And then obviously the top three teams like, I don't care. I think I'm going to mend my list. I'm going to put, I feel really bad about New Orleans at nine.

I think I'm going to put New Orleans up a seven, then put Dallas at eight, and Lakers at nine. He's hating on Dallas. He's not a believer. There's a lot of good teams. I mean, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think New Orleans has to be seven. I'm going to change that. That's something that I think that we've seen in our rankings is just like, you just feel back because there's so many good teams.

Like, yo, we're through the playing. And probably like, what, 19 out of these 20, 18 out of these 20 teams are like, hey, these are really, really good teams. like it's hard to see them yeah six months out the fact that Dallas is going to be the eight seed like in my or even like the Lakers a nine Lakers are going to be a competent team if LeBron 80 are healthy like they're not going to be like great but like they're going to be a solid team like they have that gives them a high floor the fact that's probably the ninth best team in the conference is kind of crazy however you also said earlier that you put Boston at the top because they have because they have a roster that can sustain injuries the Lakers are not yeah and so like

yeah which is why they're down here yeah And so I think, that's what I'm saying, like, you thinking that they can get up to five, I don't think that that's feasible because AD's going to get hurt. He's getting hurt. Okay, well, I mean, sure. He's had too bad in the injured years, but, like, let's say he doesn't, and he goes back his normal self and plays 65, 68 games. They could get up to the 60, maybe the five if, like, the bronze playing MVP level again. Like, obviously the jokes, he's glass, whatever, but like, it's just optimism talking.

He's going to get hurt. Yeah, we're talking about the optimistic outcome. We're talking about the best case scenario where he plays, he still gets hurt because his AD. And he'll also miss 15 games, but the last two years have been like the worst case scenario twice in a row, which is like maybe it happens against who he is, but there's no, I don't know, like it's only been two unfortunate injuries. No, he's out of there. He's not playing. He's not playing 65 games this year. That's how can you confidently say it?

65 isn't even a high bar. I'm not saying 80. Like, come on. Anyways, whatever, I don't care. Fuck 80. This isn't the conversation. 80 sucks. 80 sucks.

80 sucks. Yeah. Top six. He's overrated. Let's do these top six teams. I'll go first. Six, I have the Memphis Grizzlies. I'm not putting them alert in six.

Six is like the worst end because they're missing Sharon Jackson, maybe some regression. But really it's more about the top five teams are fucking great. I think Minnesota will be nearly as good as they were last year. Five, I got the Clippers who should be higher. They're going to be a higher level of contender. But I think because Kauai will sit a lot, Paul George will probably sit a lot. They're not going to be quite as high. but also I won't be shocked that I'm wrong

because they have the crazy depth to sustain them in the regular season but again I think it's just more about the top four teams they can be really good in the regular season for I have Minnesota every Rudy Gobert team is a regular season powerhouse they surround him with great offensive talent is going to work well in the regular season

but I won't be shocked for clippers they're above them three have Golden State I don't got to say nothing as Golden State I kind of want to put them higher two I have Phoenix who I don't think there's a big difference in the regular season from last year I think they'll get over the drama

and be another powerhouse one I have the Denver Nuggets Okay Okay I'm gonna give you my list And then we'll compare So I have the Pelicans at 6 I have the Mavericks at 5

I've Memphis at 4 Golden State at 3 Denver at 2 And then the Clippers at 1 I don't see them playing enough games Get the 1 They're stars I like that's

I think if Paul George is If Paul George is there for a majority of the year and even if kawai is in and out right like they they won enough games last year to where they could be the 18 and they didn't have paul george for a lot of those games you give them one and a half stars i think ty luke can coach them up to to to the one seed and like we've talked about so many times they are so deep they have so much depth and there's so many guys that they that they can norman powell is going to come off the bench and we didn't we didn't we didn't talk about him in the six men of the year but you have a guy who was average 20 off the bench

It's like they, they just have so many guys. So I think that they'll be able to withstand a whole bunch of injuries. So that's why I have them at one. You took the words out of my mouth. I don't have them at one, but you took the words out of my mouth. So at six, I have the Mavs. At five, I have the T-Wools. At four, I have the Pelicans.

Three, warriors just like you. And two, I have the clippers. And number one, I got the Nuggets. Okay, that's fair. I'm glad we all respect the Nuggets. We know they're going to be top two in the conference. Like, Nuggets are going to be filthy. Yeah.

And listen, that was honestly one of the hardest picks on here. The one in two and then the six and seven were the hardest for me. And I, like, you know what, I'm going to switch it. Put the nuggets at the one seat, clean sweep. We're all back the nuggets to be the one seat. If we all think Nuggets are going to win the one seed, how are we not considering Yoko's sport for MVP? Voterative people, yeah.

Yeah, I know, but like, at a certain point, if he's just as good, now they have the one seed so they show that it's like lebron james might be unniable lebron james never won three mpp the last person to win three mpies in a row was larry bird like this brahames never deserve three mpies in a row yokish might

do you just say that is that you vina yeah yeah go each year like what year when i say that he's obviously is good enough to win it i'm not saying that but you know we're talking about narrative and we're talking about the things that okay so maybe like never mind i'll change that he should want derrick rose's MVP so that should have been a three p but we're talking about he won

two and then no but I mean like so I think realistically what that means when you say that is that the third year came around and they didn't want to pick him because the first if I would predict one before that that doesn't matter because that's not realistic but there's never been a time where LeBron won two in a row in the third year he should have won it you know what I mean like there's always a more deserving candidate that made sense except for listen I I uh I kind of please get on because I want to give Derek I'd like to give Derek that MVP I know a lot oh wait he won two before

Derek was year didn't he won't never mind never mind I think back he went yeah Derek Rose and then two. Yeah, I forgot it was the one team. I was thinking there was a year before that. Never mind, I take it back. LeBron should have won three in a row. Yeah. Yeah, okay.

That's, I'll look at you nuts, bro. So, Byrd's the last one to win three in a row. It has to happen in 40 years. They're not going to, if LeBron didn't get it, if Jordan didn't get it after Byrd, like, it's just, I don't think it's going to happen. But see, with the Derek Rose year, like, LeBron should have wanted it. He was better. But that was a special circumstance because Derek Rose was like this enigma, every loved him. He took the team to one.

like people were like wanting to give him that award because it was such a like a lovable story and the problem was the villain because he went to miami so like yokech isn't the villain i guess you could say he's to some crowds but not to NBA voters yeah who the fuck is he a villain to bro the fuck yeah i mean some people that are like oh he's overrated he doesn't have a bag he's why he sucks like he's going to say that bro but let's be real but yeah he's not that villain factor about yokeet that won't when we talk about yokeet that won't when we talk about Yokin's because the thing that held Yonis from a third straight MVP was all right you have to do it in the playoffs for us to consider you like a great player again like that hell

Yonis MVP is that Yokish burst on the scene having being an all time level offensive player like no no yonis had those two MVP and choked both and took both and like he had a bad 2019 in the in the conference finals and then they got blown out in the bubble in 2020 and everyone's like listen we recognize that that you're great but until you do it in the playoffs we're not we're not giving you the MVP anymore sure what I'm saying is there was a clear reason like yokish was that reason like if yonis was like clearly best player it could have went to him still even though people had to stomach that but yokish was yokech was yokech and he clearly deserved it like he was he had a better regular season than yonis maybe if we're saying

luca's going to do that or if you think joel is falling in his turn but if we're saying that we're all saying they're going to be the one seed in a stack conference that's going to imply that yokish is still playing at the level he's going to be playing at and at that point there has to be a pretty good argument for it it's just not going to happen it's just not i think the voter fatigue is just going to be too too to real what if fatigue only works if there's a more deserving candidate and we don't know if there's going to be that's what i'm saying i'm telling you it's not it's not it's not it's not going to be a thing there's going to be two guys who are who are going to be as deserving as as yokets or at least one in imbid and if you have if you have

yonis who you think is going to be top three in d plow voting and then it's already as well like if he's as well let's compare him to imbid we okay so we're all agreeing that yo the 76 years are going to be a top three seed yes let's say it's a two seed and we're all agreeing the nuggets are they run away one seed if they're the one seed and he's yokish is just as good as he was last year joel is just as he was last year with a two seed the argument for joel last year was his team was that he had more wins. Now Jokic is still a better player and has more wins himself.

How could you possibly put Joelle ahead of him even though he has an all-in-bate teammate? I'm telling you that's going to be the situation because obviously everything that I've said on this podcast is going to happen. So the Nuggets are going to be the one seat. The Sixers are going to be the two-seat. I would guarantee you.

If the Nuggets are going to win the Sixers, Joel would not win the MVP. They are going to give, they are going to give Joe Lowe. There's no, they're not giving anybody three straight MVP. LeBron didn't do it. It's not happening. Do you hear yourself?

The argument was that Joel had more wins. If he doesn't have more wins, there's no argument for Joel being better than Yokic. The only argument. I know what you're saying. I know what you're saying. Even if you're saying that you're right, you're right. But there has to be a deserving candidate that makes sense for them to use the excuse of voter fatigue. You have to have this out that makes sense to be able to say this is why I didn't pick Yokic.

If there's no realistic out and that's logical, then it's kind of hard to not pick Yokicch. No, but I'm saying you're saying you're saying that the, and here's the different. You're saying that. I'm saying Joelle and B is not a logical. Well, if you think that the Nuggets number wins, you can't pick Yokic. No, no, no, that's not what I'm sorry. And actually, maybe it is. That's not what I'm going to address.

What I am going to say is that voter fatigue isn't something that happens on the back end. It happens on the front end. And so because people have voter fatigue, it affects the way that they look at the entire season. And so Yogic's entire season is going to be looked at differently because he has two MVP's already. And so we're going to be looking for a reason. not to give it to yokech we're going to be looking for me i agree i agree not to but you have to have that reason they're already going to be looking to if if the voters want to give joel and be the MVP he will get the MVP and whatever narrative and whatever narrative is needed will be constructed

to give you're talking about this like it's it's not that no come on we have to it's still we can track everything that has been a narrative pick it still makes sense because people point to a reason logically on the court maybe they twist it whichever way they want interpret it but there's still the way to twist it and i'm only saying so maybe if you're If you want to say Luca's going to win it, sure. I'm just saying that if you're going to predict the Yotanokets being won and the 70s not being won, he's not going to win it. It'll be Luca if you really think somebody has to win it besides Yokic.

I'm trying to pull this up. Y'all are going at it, bro. Oh, my goodness. This is a feisty episode, and we're not even talking to it right now. Y'all are going to the chat of this. It is. I mean, you can't, it's only because of the context of last. year if that was argument last year and that's why you think joel should want it you can't

flip it like otherwise it just would not make sense at all so again maybe it just means that luc is gonna win that that's the case and sure but yoke with it with these things we're mapping out with no youngest being one c joel cannot win it this one v1 it will still happen it was still happen i'm i'm laying you i'm laying you it's going to happen it's going to happen everything i just think is not wrong i think that yo like it is just one of those it's just one of those it is what it is situations, bro. Joe well is going to have it at the end of the season. They're not going to, and also you're talking about like the one seat and the two seat.

One, we're going to look at the Eastern Conference and say the Eastern Conference, the East and the East Top Six is better than the West Top Six. So a two seed in the East. I don't know if that's true. I mean, it's maybe a little bit, but it's pretty good at the top. I think, I think it's true in the East. And I think that- It goes like six deep in the East and four deep in the West, but the top three or four are pretty similarly.

I believe that it's that you have a whole conference that you have to that you have to play with throughout the entire season so that that's one two is that I think that if we're saying oh one's the one seed and one is is the two seed I think that that is splitting hairs and you can kind of splitting hairs last year and you can and that's why some people picked joel that's why joel got first place votes is because he had a few more wins than the nuggets like it's always been splitting hairs but that's what they do I'm saying I'm saying if that's the Isaac just did it I mean Donna just that it no no no because if you have no because if if you are splitting hairs on the on the winds right then that is what i'm saying the voter fatigue that that came in at the start of the season where you're like oh like we have like like yokic he has he has two we have to give it to joel and then the baseline of hey we're going to go and um and like we're going to go off the winds and that's like one and two that's going to be out of there so now the only thing that's left is oh we just really want to give it to joel and he's going to get he's going to what i think you're saying is you're making it sound like people no voter is going to explicitly say that

i want to give it to joel because yokech has two what we're describing of joel of if yoke's not been going to win three in a row is uh implicit thing that's behind the scenes that they're like they're alluding to they're finding reasons and no one's actually going to say i don't think yokech should win it and you're making it sound like it's obviously not not on not on wax but we've seen 40 years of history of guys not getting of guys not getting three in a row okay either way we can move on a video within itself. I'm sorry. Right there, y'all went on for a minute. I need to. I need that as a video.

Okay. Well, we have a T-Lash to get to before we wrap up the episode, so I think we should get to that. Let's go. Let's do that. That's funny. Donovan, you want to do the first one? Yeah.

Yeah, let's get this. All right. So as you guys know, Bleach Report put out of top 100 players they're projecting for next year. We're going to react to those names. Yeah. All right. Let's start to. I'm going to get into my Isaac bag.

I'm going to try to get my TikTok. you know what I'm saying all right all right so I'm gonna give you guys a couple of players you tell me where you think Bleacher Report ranked them in their list LeBron James the top of your list oh yeah all right I'll start okay I got you you ready go ahead and just talk cool so so damn so I'm gonna list off the players and you tell me damn it moh don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh I'm sorry don't laugh I'm trying to be serious trying to get into character all right all right so I'm gonna give you you guys some players and you tell me where you think Bleacher Report ranked them in their top

100 list. LeBron James. People have. They definitely didn't put him in top three. Eight. Yeah, they didn't put him up on the door. Yeah, that's safe. I'm going to go ahead and say six.

Mo, you are correct. He is number six on the list. I swear to God, I ain't looking at. Good. I'm glad he's tired. He should still be top four. I'm going to say that. All right, for sure.

Our guy that we talked about last time, Jalen Brown. Okay. This is funny. I feel like they're probably really high on Jalen Brown. Yeah. I'm going to say 17. I bet they put him somewhere like, I was going, I was going to say 18. Mo, where are you going?

17. 19 for Jalen Brown. Okay. Damn, okay. A little high for me. I like that. I like that. Okay, okay.

Next. John Morant. Ooh. They probably put him stupid high. Yeah, they probably put them. They didn't put him over a brawn. Sure not. I'm going to go eight.

They probably put him at eight. I was just about to say the same thing. But I can't say the same thing, so I'm going to say nine. They put John Morant at number 10. Okay. Top 10 in the top. I probably put him like 12 or 13. Okay.

Yeah, that's not terrible. All right, next player. Jason Tatum. He's probably five. Did they put him at five? Did they put him above LeBron? I think they might have. They probably do that.

You guys are being real generous. Jason Tatum is at seven. Wow. Okay. That was my second guess. makes sense. I'm glad they put him behind LeBron. People putting Tatemole of LeBron already is wild. All right. Next guy.

We got Anthony Davis. Well, they probably put him like 14. Damn. Anthony Davis is ranked the number 17th best player in the NBA. Whoa. That's fucking stupid. He's hurt and not watched. Like, what are you doing?

Number 17 for Anthony Davis. All right. Next one on the list. Damien Lillard. 13 15 i bet they're doing way too low on him because he was hurt all right we're going to split the difference he is 14 okay 14 on the list he should be number 10 he should be much higher

all right donovan mitchell donovan mitchell's a hard one yeah did they put jenn brown about donvin mitchell yeah 20 20 they put them too low I'm gonna say 19 they put well change your

change your pick because they put jalen brown at 19 yeah they put jalen they put jamb round 19 so i have to say they might put him 18 or something like that they put donna mitcher at 21 okay okay

I think don't know better than jailin brown yeah for sure I agree with that one I'm high on jalen brown but I'm not literally that high on it all right all right last guy Zion Williamson oh this is tough

know what they did with him given the fact that he didn't play last year yeah 23 23 I guess 24 sounds fair Zion is 22 on the list damn we're real close on all of these yeah so so yeah that's all the names I have for you guys that's fine I'm very confident at the end of the year everybody's gonna rank Zion Williamson above Jalen Brown oh 100% 100% yeah absolutely top top The top three on the list was Yonis was one, Yonchitz was two, Luca Donchitz was three. A little bit from my blood on Luca. I don't know if he's better than Steph, but what are you to do? And then the top five rounds out with Steph at four and Katie at five.

I don't think Katie's better than LeBron. People hold people back so much because I got injured, but that doesn't mean they're worse at basketball. I'll die on this hill, I guess. No, one more TikTok. You got it, Mohamed? Okay, cool. Yeah, one more TikTok. Let's go ahead and run it.

I like that one. That one's going to go crazy, by the way. All right, so. We're all getting it into the back. I got you. I got you. Yeah, it takes a lot of pressure. I'm going to list some NBA players,

and I want you guys to grade the careers so far. Damn, that was beautiful. What? Just talk normally. Why do you all do this? Shut up. That was fine. Not normal?

No, that's cool That was cool It was very like news anchorish But like Yeah, it was good So far Okay All right, hold on

Okay I'm going to list of NBA players And I want y'all to Wait, I said rank I was gonna say I want you to give them a grade For some of it

I'm gonna rank some NBA I'm gonna fuck okay I'm gonna give you guys Some NBA players And I want you to grade Their career so far Okay Very interested in this

concept i like this a lot first player de anzo russell oh i'll give him about a b minus yeah i think i agree b minus he didn't meet the expectations of a number two pick but he's built out a pretty good career for himself and it's going to impact winning this year with this with the table all-star yeah made an all-star team all that good stuff he probably could play a pivotal role on the minnesota timbles and who knows they could i don't think it would surprise anyone if they were as good as the number two seed and there was a conference yeah yeah best He's a good, he's a good high-level player that isn't an all-star, but is still above an average role player. I think that's solid.

He was, he was the best player on a fun Brooklyn Nets playoff team. Like, yeah, very good career. Exactly. What about his teammate calling Anthony Towns? B, you know, plus. C, C, honestly, I think he's kind of, he's underperformed for the, he's underperformed for the expectations he has for being that talented. The fact that he's not a competent defender at that with the athletic. athletic gifts he has is malpractice not malpractice but it's unacceptable i'll give him a b plus just

because i think the you're being so generous yeah that's so nice he did nothing he's scurred you deserve a b plus listen i i i think i think i think i think that cat and while although i i hate whenever he says it he has like he's on the short list of like the best you know shooting big men of all time and so i think that like like the the talent is definitely the playoffs he's not the the no listen who he's right but like the the the that matters for the talent he's put he's put up some numbers he made some some all sorts like it's a pretty decent career he should have much more than decent career though oh for how good he is for cat should be a minus a he should be there um so i so i mean i guess i could drop down to b but i it feels i okay i'll do that

I'll drop it down to B and I'll say that his career's been marginally better considering the expectation. He can't break into the B's for me. Yeah, I ain't a lie. I veered towards her. Did you give him a C plus, Isaac? Yeah. Yeah, I give him a C plus as well.

Good career, solid, but you know what I'm saying? A lot of people, I feel like almost everyone had. I remember back in 2018 or maybe it was 29 or it was the GM survey. Yeah, that GM survey, people went to him as like the best player or some, he was viewed as like the best player. as a player you'd want to build around the most of any player in the league yeah exactly and go ahead and continue to go outside sat in the playoffs and now he's not looked at as being the man in minnesota they moved on to anthony edwards and now of minnesota does elevate it's not

going to be because of carthety town it's going to be because of the new guy that they're like yeah he just been taking back seats lately so i agree with you guys on all right so what about ben simmons i'll say i'll say a c minus for Ben, no, I'll say C, I'll say C, because Ben Simmons has made, Ben Simmons has reached, like, the height in terms of, like, making an all NBA team, like, all NBA defense. However, if Ben Simmons' career ended today, it would end in shame. And, um, that's a horrible way to frame it, though. No, it would. It's not going to end today, though. The lasting image of Ben Simmons career would be him passing up a dunk over Trey Young and him blowing a lead. And then, two

years later the first time we see him back on the court we're shooting the ball he's shooting an air ball out of practice and i'm not saying that i'm not saying that that matters a lot but i'm saying that the perception of ben simmons it doesn't matter at all the the perception of ben simmons is one that is it's it's very very negative and i think that there's heights that that ben simmons has not reached because of his unwillingness to to learn how to shoot or to even take the jumper even attempt it. I'm going to go, I'm going to go B. I think maybe you could say if he got better on offense and was more certain of his potential would be like a top tier player, but he's been a great, he's an all-star level player, all-defense level, who's been contributing to winning.

Sure, he had a year where he struggled with his physical and mental health. I'm not going to pretend that that just invalidates his whole career. Like, people have short-term memory loss. Yeah, can't be mad at you with that one. You said B, I'm going to go ahead and be a little step lower than that. I'm going to give him a B-nice because people like me, yo, don't forget a couple years ago when he first got drafted people were calling this man like the next Magic Johnson and they were throwing those LeBron

James comparisons out there bro and he was yeah look at him now yeah look at him no well that that was unrealistic expectations you shouldn't call anybody the next Magic Johnson what he was doing back in high school in his high school days and in college and I don't want to say that those were warranted but I wouldn't say those people are absolutely

insane for that No they were insane for calling Magic Johnson calling anybody Magic Johnson before they hit the NBA is insane. Like, come on, what are we doing here? Next player, next player is Lonzo Ball. D, D plus. Tough, tough, really tough, bro, right? It's just injury after injury.

He hasn't been able to find a home. And the hype, like, again, we talk about calling people the next Matt Johnson. Magic Johnson said that he was going to retire Lonzo Ball's jersey. before he ever played a game and he was out of there within two two and a half year so i'm gonna say d plus it can't be anything higher than d because we're talking about him now last year we're like oh he finally figured out because he was a high-level role player like originally we thought he was gonna be a star and that's just completely off just that expectation isn't even around anymore yeah exactly bro yeah i get really sad talking to my lones of all bro

somebody because he used to be quote quote the one and now he's like no one's one two war three he's just like nothing now and uh yeah bro i want to give him i want to give him i want to give c plus though c plus because he's not a lost cause he's not a lost cause i mean he might be that that that that that that needs it's not his knee is falling off the bone yeah it's not his fault who's but that's all that i have for now i think this series is going to go stupid and i want to save other names for another day all right okay Well, I think we're done then. This is a long-ass episode.

We had a lot to talk about. Got a couple of debates in there. It was a good episode. So if you all are still around here, salute to you. This is a long-ass podcast. I appreciate you. If you are, be sure to like and subscribe.

If you're listening on Spotify, rate us five stars. Follow us on our socials. You'll see them on the screen right now. Yeah. See you next time.