The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hoops Tonight - Why Bronny James is BETTER than you think, will he help LeBron & Lakers?

Episode Date: June 29, 2024

Jason Timpf reacts to the Los Angeles Lakers selecting Bronny James during the NBA Draft to pair him with his father, LeBron James, ahead of the 2024 NBA season. Jason discusses why Bronny is better than people realize and breaks down what his role will be the Lakers. Later, Jason answers listener questions during an NBA Mailbag segment including his reaction the Celtics, Nuggets, and Suns selections in the NBA Draft. Should the Thunder go after Kevin Durant? And what did Jason think of JJ Redick's intro press conference with the Lakers? 5:00 - Bronny James to Lakers 8:30  - Will Bronny contribute to Lakers this season? 14:00  - Baylor Scheierman to Celtics 25:30 - Ryan Dunn to Suns 31:00 - Best foundation for NBA team 36:00 - Should Thunder trade for Kevin Durant 37:00 - DaRon Holmes to Nuggets 41:30 - Wizards-Trail Blazers trade 48:00 - Will JJ Redick run 5-out with Lakers? 49:00 - Is Julius Randle underrated? 52:00- What Thunder lineup will look like 54:30 - Are Knicks second best team in East? 55:30 - JJ Redick press conference 58:00 - Apology for Star Wars spoilers 59:00 - What happened to Jason's nose? 01:00:30 - Where to start watching Star Wars   (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)   #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games.

This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the ice planet, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The volume. Get ready for a night full of big fights and big action. It's UFC 303, and it can be even bigger. Jump in on all the action at Draft King Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of the UFC. It's super easy for first-timers to get started. Try betting on something simple, like picking a fighter, to win. Go to the Draft King Sportsbook app, select your fighter, and place your first bet.

It's that simple. The light heavyweight title is on the line in the main event. But there are so many more amazing matchups happening in Vegas. And speaking of amazing, if you're new to Draft Kings, listen up. New customers bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets instantly. Download the Draft King Sportsbook app now and use code Hoops. That's H-O-O-P-S. That's code Hoops for new customers to get $150 in bonus bets when you bet just $5.

Bucks. Get that big fight feel. Only on Draft Kings. Draft Kings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem, call 1-800 Gambler, or in West Virginia, visit www.1-800-Gambler.net. In New York, call 8778-8-8-8-7-8-8-7-8. Hope N-Y or text Hope N-Y to 467-369. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-78-9777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill casino and resort in Kansas. 21 plus age varies by jurisdiction. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. Deposit and eligibility restrictions apply.

See terms, eligibility, and responsible gaming resources at DKNG.com slash MMA. All right, welcome to Hoops tonight here at the Volume. Heavy Friday, everybody. Hope all of you guys are having a great end to your week. Well, as promised, we're going to get deeper into the NBA draft today, and we're just going to do it mailbag style. I planned on doing a mailbag at the end of this.

week anyway. And so many of you guys had so many questions related to the draft and some of the trades that took place around the draft that I figured we'll just use that as the format for today's show. So the main guys from the draft that we're going to be hitting today, obviously brawny, Ronnie to the Lakers biggest story in the league today. So we're going to be hitting that. Baylor Shireman to Boston. This was a pick at the tail end of the first round that we didn't have a chance to hit yesterday. Ryan Dunn to the Phoenix Suns is another pick we're going to be taking a look at. and then Dayron Holmes to the Denver Nuggets in their pursuit of finding a backup center for Nicole Yokic. So those are the main draft prospects we're going to hit today,

but we're also going to bounce around the league with a bunch of your guys's mailbag questions. So tons and tons of stuff to get into. You guys know the drill before we get started. Subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channels. You don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at underscore Jason LT so you guys don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about our podcast feed wherever you get your podcast under Hoops tonight. And then keep dropping mailbag questions in the YouTube comments so we can keep hitting them throughout the rest of.

the summer and I sincerely appreciate you, all of you guys, for participating in the mailbag with tons of questions you choose from. Obviously, can't get to all of them, but we're going to get to a bunch of them today. All right, let's talk some basketball. So we're going to start with Bronny, our first mailbag question. Hey, Jason, I appreciate the way you break down the game. Do you think Brony can meaningfully contribute to the Lakers this season? Forget the fact that he is LeBron's son.

Isn't Brony the type of archetype that the Lakers are looking for? He's an athletic guard who can defend on the perimeter and has the potential to be a really good spot-up shooter and close-out attacker. So rather than diving right into his fit with the Lakers, I want to kind of hit the story as a whole first, and then we will get into that question because that is true. His archetype is exactly what the Lakers need. But the question is whether or not Brunny is actually that type of player at an NBA level at this point, which is what we're going to get into. So first of all, the story is going to be centered around nepotism, right? That's the main kind of point of contention in the media space today and among all basketball fans today. And I think it's unfair that it's even a topic, to be honest with you, because this is just a thing that is rampant around the league.

As Adrian Morgianowski pointed out yesterday on ESPN, he said, quote, people talking about nepotism. The NBA is full of nepotism, the ownership level, the front offices, coaching. I don't want to hear about it all of a sudden because Brony James' father plays for the Lakers. is rampant in this league. And this is something that I've personally learned just in my time covering the league. There are many people that I talk to around the league where I hear about this front office has this guy that's in this major role. This coaching staff has this guy that's in this major role. We've all made fun of or had moments where we've gotten some humor out of watching Phanasas on Tenacumpo playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. It is rampant. So if you're

like suddenly upset about it now, then it clearly has something to do with the way you feel about LeBron, which is a whole other topic, right, that I don't have any interest in getting into. So the nepotism thing just doesn't matter to me. And then also, just to be honest, and this is something that I try to generally do when I'm confronting these types of situations, I try to just put myself in that type of person's shoes. So, like, for instance, if I had a child and I had the capability to present my child with an opportunity that would give them a better chance of success, even if it wasn't necessarily

the most fair thing in the world, would I say no? Would I not give my kid that opportunity out of some vain pursuit of fairness? Or would I try to take care of my kid? And I don't have children yet, but like I have a feeling that if I have that capability, if I have the ability to give my child opportunities, I'm going to try to, right? And I certainly, certainly am not going to be critical of a parent for trying to give their children opportunities. Like if the discussion of whether or not it's fair, totally different. That's a totally different discussion, how fair nepotism is, whether it's too rampant in our society. That is entirely different. However, it is rampant in our society. And I personally am not going to judge a parent for doing something like that when I can't

definitively say that I wouldn't do the same thing if I was in that position. So just put yourself in that headspace. Chances are you'd do anything you can to help your kid, and that's exactly what LeBron James did, right? So, now that we can move past the basic fact that yes, Bronny James benefited from neptism, yes, it's rampant throughout the league, and no, none of us could actually say we wouldn't do the same if we were in that position. Now let's talk about the basketball side of it. Brony is a lot better than his numbers at USC would lead you to believe, right? He was shortly removed from heart surgery. Anytime you go an extended amount of time, not playing basketball, and then try to get back into playing basketball, there is a ramp-up

phase. Any of you guys who have dealt with an injury have felt this before? I personally, I broke my foot in between my first and second season playing in college. And I had to take a couple of months off. I came back. In the first half of the season in non-conference play, I literally was so bad my coach removed me from the starting lineup and had like sit-down meetings with me about what was going on with my production. And I was one of two full-ride scholarships on that particular team, so I just wasn't living up to what the investment was from the coaching staff. And it was totally fair criticism.

And then in the second half of the season, I played well enough to be an all-conference selection. So, like, I was two completely different players, because when I came back from that foot injury, I was just so distant from the game, even though I was there, even though I was, like, back healthy, it took me forever just to, like, get back up to basketball speed to even look like myself. I was two completely different players several months apart just because of that turnaround. And this, what Brani went through, forget about just being disconnected from the game. Talk about the trauma and everything that comes from that horrific situation that happened to him.

But most importantly, he was away from the game for a while. And so stepping into Division I, Pack 12 basketball from being disconnected from the game like that is a challenge. So I do believe that that Brony is a much better player than what his numbers would have led you to believe at USC. That said, I also don't think he's ready to play in the NBA yet, right? And that's the important kind of like context to the question, right? Yes, his archetype is exactly what the Lakers need, a super athletic guard who can defend at the point of attack and knock down threes and attack closeouts and all that sort of stuff, right?

But he's too far away from being able to do that at the level he needs to be a rotation player, on a good NBA team. And that's what the Lakers are. Yes, they are a team that's perennially been in the playing, but last year they made it to the two years ago, they made it to the conference finals. Last year, what did they have, 46, 47 wins, but they were every bit as good as the teams in the middle of the pack in the West.

That more has to do with just how deep the West is with talent. The Lakers are a good NBA team. And Brani is not ready to be a rotation player on a good NBA team, right? So the truth of the matter is, this is a developmental opportunity. for Brony. This is just an opportunity for him to learn how to play, potentially NBA basketball, and to see if he's capable of it, right? I'm not sure if he's going to get a roster spot or if he's going to get a two-way spot, but chances are the majority of his on-court reps over the next few years

will either be in G-League games or in garbage time of NBA games. Like if the Lakers actually need a young guy to play point-of-attack defense and play off-the-ball offensively this year, in not. meaningful minutes, it's going to be Max Christie. It's not going to be Bronny James. So this is not, he's not just going to get jammed into meaningful NBA basketball. If he does, Bronny ends up playing meaningful minutes this year and he doesn't deserve it in the rotation, then we will have a different conversation. And I will come on the show and talk about how this is now becoming a problem because the nepotism is extending into affecting the Lakers' ability to win basketball games. But that is not where I expect this to go. I think he'll be in the G League,

and I think he'll play in garbage time in the NBA. And if he does play meaningful minutes, it will mean that we all were way off in our evaluation of Brony, and he's better at this point than we expect it. I don't expect that to be the case, but if we do see Brony play meaningful minutes, it will be because he got better at basketball. But the truth is, he's going to have to learn on the fly, and he's going to have a few years to do it, and if he can convert his considerable athletic gifts into a functional NBA role player, then he'll stay in the league. And if he can't and three years go by and it's clear that he's still really far away, then he'll go play overseas or stay in the G League for a while, or he'll retire and do something different. He's going to get

his opportunity, right? And that's the thing. That's what I mean when I say it's a developmental opportunity. Like, his opportunity has been gift wrapped for him, but he's not going to get real NBA minutes unless he earns it. So I don't have any problem with it at all. whatsoever. Obviously, it's cool that LeBron gets to play with his kid. You'd be lying if you didn't say you were going to watch and see what happens. Like, he's the first summer league game. It's going to be him and Dalton Connect playing against Houston and Reed Shepard. And like, we're all going to be watching, right? And so, like, it's interesting. I don't have any problem with it. If you have a problem with it, then you've conveniently looked the other way with every other example of nepotism in the

NBA over the last forever. So it is what it is. It's a developmental opportunity for Brony. We're going to find out if he's an NBA player over the next few years within the Lakers organization. Next question. Wish you discussed the Celtics selection of Baylor Shireman.

Baylor seems to be one of the more pro-ready guys in the draft and fits the current mold of what teams are looking for. Thought that was a great pick. Well, you're right. We didn't get a chance to hit him yesterday, so why don't we hit him today? So here's my little quick scout on Baylor Shireman. He's a 6-6 movement shooter, lefty.

out of Creighton. His jump shooting numbers from last year were really good. 39% on jumpers overall, 39% on catch and shoot jumpers. 26% when he was guarded and 49% when he was unguarded. That wasn't surprising to me on tape because he's a little bit of a groundbound shooter, a little bit of a set shooter with a low release point. So that means he needs more separation to get clean looks. He was 39% on pull-up jump shots. He had a lot of pull-up threes as well. So he was up over a point per shot attempt. He was actually pretty successful. on the ball at Creighton. He shot 59% field goals, 59% as the shooter in ball screens. Overall in ball screens, including passes. He was 98th percentile in efficiency, 1.33 points per possession

including passes. I'll be at low volume. He was only 140 reps all season long. So he was more of like a guy who was flying off the screens off ball, but he did have some on ball reps in ball screens. Not an ISO guy. He only ran 16 ISOs all season. But as we know, within Boston's office, he's not going to be used on the ball. What I think of him as within Boston, within the context of Boston's offense is just a movement shooter. And he was a good movement shooter last year.

He shot 42% coming off of screens. That was 55% in effective field goal percentage when you wait it for threes. Movement shooting in particular is very valuable within the context of Boston's offense. And the reason why is that's usually where you hide your weakest defender, right? You hide your weakest defender,

typically on a movement shooter, They're not going to do as much stuff on the ball. And asking a guy just to chase and stay glued up to a shooter is probably the easiest defensive responsibility among all of the many different things that you can do at the NBA level. Aside from guarding a complete non-threat offensively, guarding a movement shooter is the next easiest responsibility. Right.

So, like, that's where you tuck your weakest defender, right? So if you're tucking your weakest defender on, let's say, Baylor-Styerman, and you're Jason Tatum or your Jalen Brown or you're Derek White, you're trying to bring that weakest defender into the end. action. We saw this a lot in the finals when the Mavericks put, when they put Luca Donchich onto Sam Hauser, right? And we saw lots of spamming Jalen Brown, Samhouser two-man game where Hauser comes at the screen and Luca would end up switched on to Jalen Brown and then Jalen Brown would get downhill. And one of the reasons why that works is Samhouser is a movement

shooter. And so if Luca throws a hedge, then Hauser can see. slip out of it and shoot a three. In Dallas, because Luca was so slow-footed, they didn't have him hedge very much. They would just switch. And so as a result, that ended up with Luca on Jalen Brown or on Jason Tatum so much, he'd give up dribble penetration and then their defense would fall apart, right? So like, in order to punish a team for throwing a hedge or to force a team to switch in action like that, the guy has to be able to quickly slip out of the screen and knock down three-point shots, right? That's the thing. If Sam has to be able to, Hauser was not a good movement shooter, then what Dallas would have done is either blitzed

those ball screens or had Luca throw a hard hedge to cut off the driving lane and then recover to Hauser. They could not do that because if they did, they'd be giving wide open threes to Sam Hauser. That's what I like about the concept of a movement shooter within their offense, right? Teams are going to tuck a weak defender on Baylor-Styerman. Then the Celtics can bring that defender into the action, they'll have no choice but to either hedge or to switch. And if they hedge, you're going to be able to get Baylor wide open catch and shoot threes on the move. If they switch, then Jason Tatum or Jalen Brown can attack inferior individual defenders. That is the thing. It's part of, and it's fascinating to me because it's clear that Brad Stevens has this like

very clear basketball philosophy, right? And this is something that I think is important for a front office to have. You need to have like a year over year consistent philosophy. It tells me that you believe in something as a basketball mind. And it's clear that Brad Stevens wants everybody to be a threat. All eight rotation players for the Celtics last year were a threat. Baylor-Styerman is going to be able to step onto an NBA floor immediately and take advantage of the attention that the Jays get, the attention that Derek White and Drew Holiday gets. He's going to get clean looks. Really, it just comes down to what he can do on the defensive end of the floor. Can he follow the path of Peyton Pritchard and Sam Hauser as lesser athletes who learn how to do well enough defensively

to be a functional player that can stay on the floor? And I'd actually argue Pritchard and Hauser both did a good job last year on the defensive end of the floor. Hauser got multiple stops against Luca. Pritchard got multiple stops against Kyrie Irving. Those guys did great, right? So the question is, can Baylor Shireman do that in a similar way to Pritcher and Houser did. But I like it. It was just a, it's a, for a late first round pick to get a guy that can play rotation minutes in the NBA regular season and, and just kind of be another functional piece of that Boston five out attack. I really liked the move. Preparing for your upcoming fantasy football draft, do you wish that you could wave a magic wand and somehow know who exactly your league mates are going to take? Well, with draft intel from fantasy pros, you'll know exactly how your league mates draft better than they do. draft intel will automatically analyze your league's history to see who rushes to the draft board first to take a quarterback, who takes too many rookies, and who is going to reach for their favorite teams players over and over again.

Everybody hates a homer and every league has one of them. But right now, you can put all that intel to the test by bringing those patterns directly into a mock draft and make your mock draft feel like the real thing. Check out fantasy pros.com slash volume today to get an edge over your leaguemates right now and finally. Forever. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments

in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me

or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and a TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. At this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack, so I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now, so... Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it.

And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are

both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What do you make of Ryan Dunn at 22 for Phoenix? His defensive tape is some of the best I have ever seen.

Dude looks like Draymond out there sometimes. I had a lot of fun watching Ryan Dunn this morning. Unbelievable defensive prospect. That has great tools. Unbelievable ground coverage, which is what we talked about a lot with San Vucini. if you guys remember, like, his ability just to get from one part of the floor to the next is insane. I was watching film of him this morning.

Multiple plays, one against Georgia Tech that I saw and one against Duke, where he blitzed a ball screen out like 30, 35 feet from the basket. And then recovered as the blitz came, the guard made the over-the-top pass to the short-roll man. The short-roll man came down the lane and engaged the low man and dropped it off to a cutter along the baseline. and on both plays, Ryan Dunn literally came from the Blitz, 30, 35 feet away from the basket, and recovered to the rim to block the guy cutting along the baseline. Imagine that.

Like, blitz, quick pass over the top, drop off for a cutter, and he was throwing the blitz and blocking the cutter at the rim. So it multiple times in my film session this morning. That is ground coverage. That is the ability to be multiple places at once. He has the ability to throw an aggressive coverage, to force a ball handler to get rid of the basketball and be the same guy who cleans up the mess

that coverage produces on the back end. That is unbelievable defensive potential. He had crazy closeouts. There was this play against Wake Forest where he got kind of caught. It was a cleared corner on the right side and the shooter was kind of relocating along the right wing and he got caught a little bit high

and the swing pass was made and the offensive player caught it in the corner and Dunn was way up on the high side. So there was an easy rip-through move available. The Wake Forest player rips to the baseline, and Ryan Dunn closes out, chases him off the line, somehow manages to funnel and push him behind the backboard. The player tries to bully him back underneath the rim,

Dunn just swallows it up and swats him out of there. Like just unbelievable ground coverage. He's a quick two-foot jumper. He's got great instincts to kind of snuff out plays. It was just a lot of fun. watching Ryan Dunn tape this morning. But at this point, he's a legitimately bad offensive player. He was 5 for 27 on unguarded jump shots last year.

That's an issue. He was 58% on layups. That's an issue for a player as big as he is. You can't put the ball on the floor. He can't make reads. So it's a developmental type of move for Phoenix, right? Like you're betting that if you can turn Ryan Dunn into a functional offensive player, then he suddenly becomes a huge asset for you.

As someone who roots for the Lakers, I can tell you I've kind of had a similar experience further along with Jared Vanderbilt, right? Like, Jared Vanderbilt, when he's actually, like, healthy, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, who's also an excellent defensive rebounder, who also is an excellent help side defender. He's this, like, Swiss Army Knife, do everything, type of athlete that can do so much.

But it's just really difficult to find a functional role for him. Two years ago, when they made the Western Conference Finals run, he was such a bad corner three-point shooter, and he kept getting those wide-open corner threes, that it became an issue, and the Lakers had to bench him. But that was in a four-out offense where he was consistently spotting up beyond the three-point line. Suddenly, in the springtime this year, before Vanderbilt got hurt,

the Lakers actually managed to build a functional role for him as a dribble handoff and roll guy, kind of like as a cutter, he was operating a lot more in movement in the middle of the floor rather than standing still in the corner, and he had a bunch of double-figure scoring. games and became like legitimately a functional part of the Laker offense. And that was when they were playing some of their best basketball in that time period. Right. So like, like, that's what you've got to do with Ryan Dunn. You've just got to find a way to make him useful offensively. If you do,

then he becomes this profoundly impactful player because of what he can do on the defensive end of the floor. But I just have a hard time believing that within the short term, they're going to be able to get enough out of him offensively for him to be a guy who's like a significant rotation player for them. But we will see. And Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Biel do bring in a lot of attention. And so if there's anything in there for him in terms of functional offensive ability, this is a situation where he should be able to show that. But we will see, I kind of view him as more of a long-term prospect for Phoenix. I'm going to leave you guys before we go to the next question with this quote from San Vassini. As you guys know, he's the guy that I trust the most when it comes to

the draft. He said, quote, I cannot over-emphasize Dunn's defensive level. He is in the top tier among all wings I've evaluated over the last decade and is on an all-defense candidate long-term, and is an all-defense candidate long-term if his offense allows him to stay on the court. I thought he was one of the two most disruptive defenders in college basketball this season. That's quote from San Vassini. By the way, guys, he's literally the best. His draft guide that he has on the athletic is unbelievably comprehensive as information on family background, tons of information on strengths and weaknesses, extensive statistical history. It's just you guys got to check it out.

He also will bring those guys on his show and go over tape on his YouTube channel. I can't say enough about the quality of Sam's content. You guys got to get over there and check him out. Next question. This was an interesting one. Which is the better foundation for a modern NBA roster? A star guard center combo like Chet and Cheggildes Alexander or two star wings like Jalen and Jason. For starters, I don't want this to become a debate about specific players.

Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum at this point in their careers are a better duo than Shea Gilders Alexander and Chet Holmgren. They're older, they're more experienced, they're just better basketball players right now. So I'm not trying to make it an argument between those two pairs, right? Also, the Js play alongside two $30 million guards and a $30 million center. So they kind of have that and the guard center combo, right? So it's just not even remotely comparable. I don't even want to get into that.

So let's remove the names and let's just talk about the gist of the question. Would you rather have a guard center duo as a foundation or a forward forward duo as a foundation? And my answer is pretty simple. It totally depends on the physical build of the players. Is the guard a good point of attack? defender with size who can switch onto wings is the center a legit rim protector, but one that can also switch onto guards and slide his feet in guard in space. If so, I want the guard in the big, and the reason why is they are more versatile.

A guard center duo can attack and defend in multiple ways. On offense, they can run pick and roll, they can run pick and pop, but they can also matchup hunt with size and quickness, right? Like Chet in the long run will be able to beat switches by just shooting over the top and using his size. She gets a big on a switch. He's going to be able to drive off of him or score with his like kind of step back midrange game. Right. So like a guard center combo can attack in traditional pick and roll, traditional pick and pop and in switch situations attack matchups, right?

On defense, you can run a deep drop coverage, right? You can keep Chet Holmgren by the rim in a drop, right? You can play aggressive coverages with him using his length, and you can switch. You can have Chet guard a guard on the perimeter. He's got the length and quickness to kind of handle that sort of thing, right? Like, if you've got a guard that is also big enough to switch on to forwards and to guard in space and to guard in the post and things along those lines, that is the versatility element that comes from a guard center combo.

If you have wings, they're just a little bit more focused in what they can do, right? right, like they're always going to be a switching look on defense, can't run a drop coverage with the forward. They're just not tall enough to bother lob passes, right? So like, you're going to be switching almost exclusively with that type of kind of construction. And for the record, that's what the Celtics do, a lot of switching.

And then they run drop with Christopps Porzengis, right? Who's their rim protector kind of fitting the mold of this question, right? And then on the offensive end of the floor, if you don't have a versatile offensive center, then scoring and pick and roll is harder. Just asking, just take a look at that Dallas Minnesota series, right? Like you've got, you've got Rudy Gobert setting screens and rolling into the lane.

It's an issue, right? It's hard to score that way. And so basically, like, if you have a forward type of setup where you just have a couple of scoring forwards, they're primarily going to be hunting matchups. It's uniquely Chet's ability, or let's just say a star center's ability, to function in multiple different ways offensively,

to be a dribble handoff fulcrum, to be a pick and pop guy, to be a pick and roll guy, to be a guy who can be a vertical spacer in the dunker spot. Look at that donkey had in game six that put the thunder up one before the final possession, just him sitting under the basket and just being a release valve for a quick little lob pass for a dunk.

There's just a lot of different ways that those guys can look to attack on offense. And on defense, you can run drop, you can run aggressive coverages, you can switch. And so again, like the guard center duo just has more versatility in the way that they can play on both ends of the floor. That said, it has to do with the physical build because if the guard center duo involves some limitations, then it doesn't function as well, right? Let's take Trey Young and Anthony Davis, for instance.

This is a trade that has been proposed a lot over the course of the last few months involving the Lakers and the Hawks. It's a trade I do not want to see. The main reason why is that's a small guard who cannot defend in multiple different ways in a big and Anthony Davis that can't shoot. So now most of those advantages that I just discussed don't exist. Your optionality on defense is not there. You pretty much have to either hide Trey somewhere or ask him to chase over the top of screens. You can't get away with a ton of switching with Trey Young on the floor, right?

So like your optionality goes away. So it's a complicated question. If I had to pick between a big guard who is versatile and can defend multiple ways and a seven-foot rim protector that has guard skills, then I want that over two wings. But if it's a tiny guard and just a rim protector that doesn't have a ton of versatility, then obviously I'd take the forwards. And that's why these kinds of conversations are always difficult because it really has to do with just how good are you at basketball overall. Because, you know, that sort of thing kind of complicates these questions. these questions, but foundationally, give me a versatile guard and a versatile center just because I have more coverage options on both ends of the floor.

Next question. Why didn't the Thunder trade for KD? They have the picks. I think the fit on defense would be awesome as he can give them the length and maybe the rebounding that they need. And offensively, he fits everywhere. Also would be a great story. And if he helps OKC get a title, he can kind of redeem his whole career.

It's just about the timelines. KD is going to be 36 by the start of training camp. and like you're looking for sustainable success of your Oklahoma City. Like you trade for KD, you're the title favorite next year, no doubt. But any sort of injury disrupts that. Now KD's 37 the following season. Sam Presti and those guys are going to be looking for sustainable success. It's like the, it's kind of like what we've heard out of Denver.

It's like they're more interested in winning three titles in five years than one title next year. Does that make sense? And so I think as much as Katie is a perfect fit, They got to look for somebody that matches their timeline better. Also, the Sons would want win now pieces, not picks. Oklahoma City has more to offer in the way of picks. It just isn't a really good trade partnership in that regard. Next question.

What about Denver getting Dehran Holmes? Well, this is going to be our third draft evaluation here in the show, or fourth, I should say. It's just clear that Denver is trying to find a long-term option at Backup Center. DeRan Holmes is considered undersized for an NBA center. He's only 6'8 and 3 quarters without shoes, but he does have a longer wingspan and a higher standing reach than Zik Naji. So he's a bigger frame than what they had at backup center last year.

Obviously, I don't think DeAndre Jordan is an option either, obviously. I covered him with the Lakers. And he had his moments with Denver, but all of you guys who are Denver fans know exactly what DeAndre Jordan is. He's a locker room guy, right? But what I like about Darren Holmes is he's a prototypical five-out big, especially on the offensive end of Florida. He's one of the best roll men in the country last year.

He can roll hard and finish lobs above the rim. He can short roll out of traps, and he can pass pretty well out of those situations. And he kind of demonstrated a little bit of a pick and pop game last year for Dayton. He's a really quick decision maker and ball mover. This is one of my favorite things about a center who plays in a five-out system. You've got to be able to quickly flow into the next action. And one of the things I like about DeRon Holmes is when he catches on the perimeter,

he makes quick decisions. If he doesn't see something that he likes as a shot attempt or as a role attempt, he's just going to quickly either make an outlet pass and go set the next screen or flow into a dribble handoff. You'll watch these possessions where you'll see Dayron Holmes set five ball screens. And he's just like flowing into the next one, it flows into the next one. Rescreen, re-screen. The dude is just a super active center in five out that greases the wheels in the sense that he just flows into the next action. And as we know, in five out, ball reversal is vital.

important, getting the defense to switch sides. And the only way you're going to do that is if you have a big that can quickly flow into actions on both ends of the floor. I just think he's going to be a really natural offensive fit with Jamal Murray, a really nice ball screen partner. And we think about those bench units when Yokic is off the floor, especially in the playoffs, it's been mostly Aaron Gordon at center. And they're probably still going to do that when they get into the postseason next year. But in the regular season, last year was a lot of Zik Naji, right? This gives you kind of like more of a traditional center type of option to run with Jamal Murray in those situations so that Jamal can kind of run a similar style of offense to what he runs with Nicola

Yokic in the sense that there's going to be flow. He's going to be coming off of dribble handoffs. He's going to have an option to throw in the short roll that can make quick decisions, a guy who can hit pick and pop threes. Again, like the main issue with him is size and that's what everyone's going to be talking about as a negative. Like will he be able to defend and rebound at the NBA level? but the nuggets don't need him to become a starter. They just need him to be able to play when Nicole Yokic is off the floor, right? So, like, that's an advantage. Denver can give him an achievable role in the way that, like,

if you were drafting him as a foundational piece to be your starting center, then those concerns about defensive rebounding and size in general become an issue. But, like, I like this move for Denver. If you look at the center market, it just isn't great this summer in terms of free agency. So the draft was just a great place to look for discounted options. Holmes was actually one of the guys that I had my eye on for the Lakers at 17 because they also need a better option at Backup Center. So I really like this pickup for Denver as a discount.

Just a functional five-out big that can set screens and roll and pop and at least try on the defensive end of the floor to do an effective job in those bench units for Denver. Next question. What do you think about the Washington Portland trade? view it as a pretty weird move by the Wizards, especially after a big leap season from Avdia, which still has a lot of upside. I was surprised too. Denny was already tied up on an extension that has descending numbers. So like in the year 2028, Denny Avdi is going to be making less than $12 million. And I'm pretty sure that's after the new TV deal kicks in. So that's like a,

that's pretty crazy. I figured they trade Kyle Kuzma. He has more trade value around the league, excuse me. He has more trade value around the league, and he's on a more expensive deal, so you can get more back in terms of trade return. And maybe they still will trade Kuzma, so we'll see in the long run. But I just looked at it as like an asset accumulation move. Like they clearly did not view Avedia as a foundational piece. Otherwise, you would have kept him, right? They got the 14th pick in this draft, which they used on Bub Carrington, who's like got a big kind of scoring guard, right? They got a future first round draft pick out of it. And they got Malcolm Brogden, who they might be able to flip for even more

draft compensation this summer, right? So, like, they're just trying to start their rebuild, right? I should say restart their rebuild, right? Like, they took Alex Tsar at number two, you're going all in on youth. If you have a guy in the rebuild that doesn't fit your timeline or doesn't fit the build that you're going for, you got to move in for compensation. That's what they did with Avdia. As far as Portland goes, from what I understand, it was just a move about saving money because apparently they're in the luxury tax. Yeah, you heard that right. The Blazers are a luxury tax team right now before the deal. They had four-plus. players on the books for next season combining to make $112 million in trading Malcolm

Brogden helps them relieve some of that. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim?

Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Trip Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely.

And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of taun tons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to bowl your mind on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Next question. What makes you think JJ is going to run five out? That isn't Darwin's team anymore. JJ Reddick's offensive philosophy is five out. It's also the setup that most benefits this roster. The stretch that they had in the second half of this season was the best offensive basketball the Lakers have played in the LeBron era.

And it's just what makes the most sense, given their personnel. I think J.J. is going to add complications and make it even better. I think he's going to help them get it to the next level. And then the Lakers do not have a movement shooter. And so bringing Dalton connect into that situation is a huge value. In five out, when you have these bigs running these dribble handoffs and ball screens, having a guy that can fly off of that and if you're not attached can shoot, that forces the screen defender to actually show on Dalton Connect as he's coming off of those actions.

That's what opens up rolls and slips for Anthony Davis and LeBron James. That's a dynamic in the offense that wasn't there last year. So JJ is a five-out coach. It's the perfect fit for this roster. And with him just kind of adding complications in the addition of Dalton Connect, I just expect a better version of the Laker offense heading into next year. Why do you talk about Julius Randall as if he's just some sort of ancillary piece and not a two-time All-MBA player

that is a key cog on this team. I have a ton of respect for Julius Randall. I think he is a player that's a little bit underrated in terms of what his ceiling is, as we've seen him make all-MBA teams before. It has to do with a couple things. One, injury history has just been consistently unavailable

and-or-playing injured, which has led to poor results. That's been part of it. And then two, I don't think it's the right type of fit with this offense. The Knicks, I think, are going to be a pretty active five-out team next year with a lot of ball and player movement,

Julius Randall is a ball stopper. In order to play in five out, you have to be able to read and react and make quick decisions, and those are not strengths for Randall. So it's not about whether or not Randall's good enough to be your second or third best player on a championship team.

It has everything to do with whether or not he's the appropriate use of resources for this team. Because he does make a lot of money, because you do need to get a player that can play alongside Mikhail Bridges and J. Lambrunson. and Dante Devencenzo and OG and an OB and OB. And so here's the thing. You just look at the trade market. And by the way, I, in my breakdown, talked about what it would look like if Randall stays. If Randall stays, I'd probably take Dante DeVincenzo to the bench and play Mikhail Bridges

at the two. I'm a big believer in like play your best players. So like I'd play Brunson, Bridges, OG, Randall, you know, just go all in on your talent. If you do that, you have a small ball look for the Celtics where you can play Devencenzzo at the two and play Bridges and an OB. and Randall at the 3, 4, 5, like there's a version of this that works with Randall. My thing is I would just, I would peruse the market. I'd bruise the market and I would just look to see what you can get for Randall. Because if you can get quality pieces or assets back that fit the actual motion of the team better,

then that makes sense to me. Or like, let's say for instance from a money standpoint, what if you have the ability to withstand a long-term deal for Isaiah Hartenstein by virtue of getting rid of Randall, I'd rather have Hartnstein at the 5 alongside Ananoi, Bridges, DeVincenzo, and Brunson, than have Randall on the team but lose Isaiah Hartnstein to free agency, right? So, like, they just got to figure out what makes the most sense in terms of what Randall's value is this summer. But, like, at the end of the day, I just view him as a little bit of a clunky fit,

even if I do respect him as a player. And so I would at least be exploring options to make better use of his salary slot. Next question. My buddies were having an argument on whether, or not Caruso should start over Dort. I'm of the belief that Dort would be better in their driving kick offense than Caruso, but Caruso on some nights might be on the floor and closing lineups over Dort because of his knack to make winning plays.

Also, my buddy feels like Chet is best with this group at the five, but I feel like they should look at him at the four. What are your thoughts? Couple things. Let's start with Chet. As far as whether or not he plays the four or the five, it all just depends on what kind of player. Like if you're getting Isaiah Hartinstein at the center, I like that alongside Chet at the

four, because Isaiah Hartinstein is just a co-exam. complete just a pain in the ass on the glass, right? Which would address a specific need for Oklahoma City. He's a great five out big, great dribble handoff, folkroom who can score on the role and is a great offensive rebounder, also a great passer out of those situations. Love the fit there. Chet is a shoe in, obvious fit at the four, if that's the case.

I like Chet at the five, if you can get him a big power forward. Like if you got a Jeremy Grant at that position, I like Jeremy Grant, Chet Holmgren 4-5. It all just depends on the type of player you can get. I don't want Chet at the 4 next to a bad center, and I don't want Chet at the 5 next to a bad power forward. It just depends on what kind of player that you can get. As far as Caruso and Dort, they're two very different types of players.

Dord is like a more confident shooter and a guy that has a little bit more offensive upside. But Caruso is a higher floor offensive player. He's a better decision-maker. He's not going to hijack as many possessions. Really active off ball as a screener and a cutter. Loved watching him play on offensive. alongside LeBron James as a result of that kind of thing. I think defensively he's a different type of player.

I think Caruso's probably a better defensive player in terms of the overall number of guys he can guard. But Dort, I think, is better for the bigger forwards, which is especially valuable in the later rounds of the playoffs when you run into your Lucas and your Tatums and your LeBrons and your KDs and your Kauai Leonard's and just all these huge forwards that we have in the league. So like, Dort, in all likelihood, it's just optionation. right? Like there'll be games where you close with J-dub, Shea, Dort, Coruso, and Chet. There will be games where you close with Caruso in for Dort and with

another big on the floor. There'll be games where Crusoe doesn't close, right? So like, it's all about optional. Optionality is a good thing. You have the ability to tweak your approach based on your opponent. And so again, you can't have enough, you can't have too many good basketball players, right? And Crusoe is just another really good basketball player. And again, you turned a player that didn't fit in your team in Giddy. into a player and crew so that you're going to be able to play one way or another. It's just a question of how often. Next question.

With the Knicks acquiring Mikhail Bridges, do you now have them as the second best team in the East? If so, who would you have as your top four teams in the East? Absolutely would have the Knicks at number two right now. I think Milwaukee and Philly will end up being the three and four, and both of those teams are capable of passing the Knicks for me at number two, but it's just so much is up in the air with them. I have no idea what Philly's roster is going to look like next year,

and I have no idea what Milwaukee's roster is going to look like next year. Philly, damn near has a clean cap sheet, and Milwaukee is probably going to look to make several trades this summer. So, like, I just don't know what those teams are going to look like. I also think Orlando could crack into that mix this year, especially if they get some more off-ball shooting. Like, the East is going to be tougher next year and certainly more deep with talent.

But I think at this point, given what we know for sure, I think the Knicks are clearly the second best team in the league. Did you watch the J.J. Redick Press conference? I think he showed that he has the right mentality about taking the job and knows what he's getting into and still seemed very confident. His answers in charisma were very impressive in my opinion. I think he'll be able to connect with the players well. I would love to hear your thoughts. Everyone knew.

JJ was going to nail the press conference. I liked the JJ higher, but the press conference for me wasn't going to be a major swing factor in that regard. He's a professional. He's a media professional. Like it's just like he's good at being in front of camera and communicating his thoughts. And the thing that stood out to me, like his attitude came through in a big way, which is like, we see JJ Reddick as the media professional, but we forget he was a basketball asshole. And that's a good thing in my opinion, right?

Like, that's the competitiveness, right? Like, that's the best kind of guy that you want is the guy that, like, when it's go time is a motherfucker. And then when it's off the court is a nice guy, right? And, like, that's the kind of, like, competitive energy that you're looking for, right? You don't want him to grate on people behind the scenes, but you need him to be a in the trenches warrior, right? And so that's kind of what I'm hoping for from JJ

is the ability to do both, the ability to be diplomatic, the ability to be an asshole, right? And if you can do both, that's what gives you the ability to kind of like pick your spots of when to be hard and when to not, to identify different personality types. Like, oh, this guy needs positive reinforcement.

This guy needs negative reinforcement. As a basketball player, I needed negative reinforcement. I needed a guy. I needed my coach. to name call and tell me to stop being a bitch and to do that sort of that sort of thing resonated with me better. But I had teammates that like needed more coddling that needed more positive reinforcement. Right. And so like it just, that's the type of personality dynamic that JJ is going to have to to figure out. And I actually think he's got the ability to do to both.

Like he can do the good cop bad cop thing. And he can bring that competitive energy. I think like, I think the attitude about when he got asked the question about, when he got asked a question where he basically said, like, I don't give a fuck when he was talking about what people think. Like, I think that energy will serve him well because this is a job that's going to come with a lot of criticism. This is a job that's going to come with a lot of negative energy online. And there's going to be a certain amount of mental toughness that he's going to have to show.

But did the press conference surprise me in any way? No, JJ's a professional. But I just, I loved that. We got to see a little bit of his nasty side because I think that's going to be a significant him part of what makes him a good coach. All right, we have three non-basketball things before we get out of here. Jason, I'm listening to basketball content. I don't want spoilers for an episode.

I haven't seen yet. That's not cool. I am sincerely sorry. We did a mailbag. Not a mailbag. I had a comment about the acolyte the other day, and I kind of spoiled what happens in the first couple minutes of the show. And I should not have done that.

That was a mistake. I am so sorry. Second one, comments about my nose. There were like 20 or 30 of you guys who asked what happened to my nose. I had that scratch on it. Those of you who guessed basketball were correct. I was high pointing a rebound and a guard tried to like swipe up at the basketball as I was coming down with it and like just missed everything and like it was weird like just straight up came across the tip of my nose with this fingernail. So like I didn't bust my nose or anything but I just had this like

really clean cut which was super bizarre like immediately started bleeding and everything. I obviously was super annoyed but it is what it is. It's part of the game. I'm actually, I was actually thinking about it. I am shocked that that hasn't happened to me more often since I started doing this. Because, like, I've been doing this on camera every day for two and a half years. And this is the first time I've had, like, a significant, like, obvious face injury, right? And, like, it's not the first time it's happened to be playing basketball. I've got busted in the nose a bunch of times.

I've had cuts and scratches. And I had, I remember when I was, just before I started playing in college, I was playing pickup at the University of Arizona one time. and this guy tried to take a charge on me at half court. Like I made a move in the open floor running full speed. And the dude slid in front of me and fell down. And I ran into his head. And I had like an inch long Harry Potter scar, which I still have right here that goes up my forehead. Literally split open and was bleeding ever.

It was actually kind of funny because the kid who did it was a med student. So like suddenly as soon as I am like laying on the ground bleeding everywhere, the guy like started taking care of me as if he was a medical professional. It was so funny because he was doing, he was super nice, and he was doing all the right things, and he was just trying to take care of me. But at the same time, I'm like, you just took a charge on me in a pickup game at half court. Now my forehead's busted. I was just, I was so damn annoyed. But it's part of the game. Like I, I play basketball competitively four or five times a week. And so I, it's not the first time. Or it is, it's not the first time I've had a scratch on my face or some sort of laceration from basketball.

And it probably won't be the last. And I'm thankful that it hasn't happened too many times since I got started. with the volume. Last question. Hey Jason, love the show. Wanted to start watching Star Wars, but I don't know where to start. Do you have any ideas? And again, before I get into this, I wanted to remind you guys, I do have a podcast where I cover TV shows and movies. Right now, I'm covering House of the Dragon as well as the Acolyte. I do it with my buddy Luke, who's my best friend. We do it right here in the studio. Very different vibe than Hoops tonight, but it's another format that I use. This is the name of the show. It's called Two Suns. spelled exactly as it sounds.

You can find it on YouTube as well as on your podcast feeds, wherever you get your podcasts. We do pretty much like biweekly content on that account. You guys can check that out there. But no secret. I'm a die-hard Star Wars fan. And if you were starting from scratch with Star Wars, I'd start with the movies and I'd do them in order

because I think that would make the most sense. So I'd watch Phantom Menace, attack of the clones, Revenge of the Sith, Then a new hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi. The sequel trilogy sucks, but you got to watch it just by virtue of just being aware of what happens. After that, Clone Wars and Rebels are really, really good. There are two cartoons that are on Disney Plus, but don't let the cartoon thing fool you. They are like deep, deep, deep Star Wars content.

There's a little bit of like a childish element that you'll run into on occasional episodes, but the majority of it is really good. Rebels in particular was just an awesome, awesome show. All the Disney Plus content is good. Mandalorian, Canobi was good. Osoka, the Acolyte. And then books, if you're into the book side of it, Darth Bain books are really good.

Darth Plague's book is really good. The Thrawn books are some of my favorites. They're getting into Throne in the Asoka TV series. That would be a good one. And then if you, at the High Republic series I'm struggling with right now, because it's a little bit weird, but that is some stuff that helps set up the world for the Acolyte, so it might be worth checking out. But that's just like an initial kind of list if you're looking to get into Star Wars.

But again, those of you guys who are already fans, don't forget I have that other podcast where we break that sort of thing down. All right, guys, that is all I have for today. As always, I sincerely appreciate you guys for supporting me and supporting the show. We're going to be taking the rest of the weekend off, and we will be back on Monday for the start of free agency. And I will see you guys then. The Volume.

Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guide, not quite on human Unhumor Me with Robert Smygel and Friends, me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but

encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to learn the hard way with your favorite therapists and hosts care games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the

world that you not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to, listen to learn the hard way on the IHard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind, podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tontons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. That was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. I mean, it was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.