The Mismatch - SGA’s MVP Moment. Plus, Major, Minor, or Meh?

Episode Date: March 10, 2026

Verno and Jacoby return to recap last night’s matchup between the Thunder and Nuggets. Then they address their levels of concern for the Pistons, Rockets, and Knicks and the effects of Jayson Tatum returning from injury.  (00:43) SGA ties Wilt, then steals Nikola Jokic’s soul: OKC’s game of the year  (14:41) Verno “walks back” his Lu Dort take on his uncontrollable movements  (21:47) Jacoby and Verno’s level of concern: Major, minor, or meh  (22:33) Concern level for Knicks two games after losing streak in L.A.: Minor  (29:13) Concern level for the Pistons' losing streak: Major  (35:01) Concern level for the Rockets getting waxed: Major  (41:03) Concern level for the 76ers: Major  (44:56) Concern level for Michael Jordan’s concept of excellence: Meh  (51:05) Concern level for the East with Tatum back: Major  (56:08) Concern level for the Hornets being mediocre: Meh  (01:01:52) Concern level for Magic City Night being canceled: Minor  (01:09:48) Concern level for the lack of drama in the West: Meh  Leave us a message on our Mismatch voicemail line! ⁠[phone]⁠  Hosts: Chris Vernon and David Jacoby  Producers: Stefan Anderson and Jeff Shearin  Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to The Misfatch. I'm Chris Vernon and joining me. See us every week for The Ringer.com. It's Dave Jacoby. Jacobi. Furno, this might be recency bias. But I think that was the game. I think that was the game. So far.

As we recorded this on Tuesday morning, we were up Monday night watching the broadcast of the Thunder versus the Nuggets, which we were eagerly awaiting to see those two teams. And when you get to a game that's, in March, you know this is going to feel much bigger because we are now heading closer to the playoffs. You also know that it's kind of got center stage on this night because it's on national TV. And you also know that you have the two guys that are most likely going to be the leading vote getters for MVP, Victor Wimbunbigham and outwithstanding. And so whoever comes out on top of this game, it's not only going to feel like a signature win, it's going to feel like a signature

moment for who is the best player in the league, who is the guy that is going to get MVP. And that's what we were left with last night. As SGA hits what would be a game clinching three to put them up four with 13 seconds left, immediately everybody's like, that's the MVP, that's the MVP. And then Yokic comes down on the other end, hits a three. off ball foul, wild down four, they tie it. And it's like, hold on now. Maybe this isn't over yet.

And maybe this MVP isn't over yet. And then SGA enough time to come back, hits a step back three to win the game. And then it became just an avalanche of people like, all right, that's over. We just saw the MVP have his MVP moment. it was Heisman moment, Heisman moment, Heisman moment, all within the span of like three minutes.

Amazing. Seriously. It was like, I just felt like, oh, well, there's a clincher. I was like, oh, well, there's a clincher. Up, well, there's the clincher. And in the post game, when SGA says, he's like, well, I knew if I drove,

they were going to double, so I got to my step back. I'm paraphrasing, but then you watch the slow-mo replay and you can see it. Like, they are ready to double him if he gets to the elbow. And he just, he uses one thing. and then a second faint, and he uses the same step back with the different foot. He jabs his left foot off of it. Spencer Jones is no hope.

It was just the building was electric. Like the whole thing. And like one of the things that we do in our jobs is we always focus on the last couple of possessions. Right. But from start to finish, this game was high, high, high level. SGA 15 assists zero turnovers. And they're missing.

Just tell the people who was missing for. the Thunder. Who was in street closed? I mean, there was no Jalen Williams. There was no Chathamongren. There was no Hartenstein. There was no Caruso. I mean, like, there was one Jayne Williams, though, Jay Will, I mean, outside of running through Murray for no reason and ruining the entire game at the end, he had a game. He had, you know, went band for band, as they say, 29 points and 12 rebounds. And he didn't miss threes. Well, and AJ Mitchell played the Jalen Williams role, right? The other, Julian Williams that was missing in this game.

He was absolutely awesome off the bench. You know, as you mentioned, the step back three to win the game. And by the way, Yokic had 32, 14 and 13. Ho-hum. Ho-hum. In this game. Tim Hardaway couldn't miss. Tim Hardaway is, like, it depends on when you catch him.

He either looks like the best player in the league or like maybe someone who's going to fly to China. I don't know. Yeah, but it also goes back to what you were talking about. when we did our a week ago when we did our negative Nellys and you were real negative about Cam Johnson, you see him standing over there on the bench and you're like, I mean, Tim Hardaway Jr. Like I know Peyton Watson's out. Did Cam Johnson play last night?

I know they're available. I mean, I know they're down some guys, but it's like, these are the kind of guys you have to have contribute on the highest level games, right? And they're having to count on Tim Hardaway Jr. who is certainly was a massive bonus knocking down threes last night. But that's not a guy that you can have in big playoff games against somebody like the Thunder. When they're, come on, man, over the course of a series, that's not, that's not what that position needs to be. You have to have elite wing defense.

You have to. Every great team has elite wing defense. and they are deficient in that, right? And so now you are going to see, because everybody switches everything, and they'll find you, they'll hunt you out every time. And you see these guys,

whether it was J. La Williams last night, whether it was A.J. Mitchell last night. I wanted to throw up all over my game room last night, watching Jared McCain knocked down the shot. Like, that is it. That is so disgusting to me to watch Jared McCain. Jared, you know, he looked like Murray. That's who it looked like they were like mirror images of each other

on either side of the floor. And I'm like, this is crazy. How do they have Jared McCain out? He shot a 28 footer on the left wing with like four minutes left in the game. And it was just no question it was going in. There's no question. It was like he started turning around before the ball, even went through the hoop.

Well, and then you have not only, only the SGA moments, plural. You also have him after the game where, look, I know we've done our share of hating here. I got to give credit where credits do. They ask him about the last play. Did you see the press conference by any chance? We said, like, I saw the answers to the test or whatever.

I have the answers. I just need the question. I was like, damn, that is pretty cold. That's a bark. That's a bar. That's pretty good. Yeah. Because it didn't even, because you know, like... I have the answers.

I just need, like, whoo. Kobe used to do this. Tatum does this. Like, there's a bunch of guys in the league. I don't want to throw everybody under the bus. There's a bunch of guys that feel like they have rehearsed whatever they're going to say into the mirror 20 times. And now it's time to read it off the teleprompter. But, like, they've saved that for this moment.

and so it comes off a little inauthentic, that just felt like that was off the top of his head. And I was like, damn it, man. Pretty good. After doing that and winning the game and then winning the press conference, like, just give me MVP. Let's give him a stupid MVP.

Bro, you don't understand. They're missing J-dub and chat. Like, that's their second and third option. I know. That is their second and third option on championship team. Yes. And he's just like, get on my back. get on my back, I got this.

It was so cold. And like to do it at home, the energy in the building, like, you've been to games there, every game's there. Like, that place can get going. And like, I was standing up in my living room,

losing my mind. Oh, Oklahoma City is an unbelievable crap. Unbelievable. The other thing about Oklahoma City, I have never been to an arena. Like, so this is in the heart of, Grizzly Thunder rivalry. They're playing each other in the playoffs during the Grit and Grind

Era. I went to a road game down there, walked in as an opposing fan. Bro, everybody was so nice, like over the top nice. And I'm like, this is so weird. And they were all so nice. And there was like families, like all four of them, like walking together. and it was the mom and dad and the two kids and the dad had on Stephen Adams

and the two kids had on Durant and Westbrook and the mom had on a cephalotia jersey and it's just like, where am I? This is like a utopia. And they were all so nice. And when they get cracking during the playoffs, I mean, small markets are just different. It just feels like they're on top of you.

It's a super like college vibe in there. And they have a. very serious home court advantage. Very serious. It was. Have you seen a better game this year? No. I think that's the game.

And the other thing is it locked that up. I went to go check on Fanduil this morning. You're going to love this. SGA minus 1,000 to win MVP. What? Minus on Fanduel? One thousand. No.

Yes. No. minus 1,000 after last night. Oh, God. You know, I don't have the patience to, like, future bet, but, like, I think there's a Wimbunyama. There's got to be a Wimbunyama, like, plus 1,000, but I wouldn't mind getting a piece of. He's second. Really?

Yeah. Well, who knows? I wrote down plus 200. So, right? Just, I want to get the people behind the curtain for a second. Before we started taping, I was like, there's two things I've stolen from. Verno, vernacular, the Verno vernacular, is how dare you? I love that one, stole that, and you're going to love this.

And then when I say you're going to love this, he's like, literally, and anyone's listening to the mismatch knows that you say this all the time. You're like, I say that. I didn't even know I said, do you know you just said it before you gave the stat? That's why I did that. Okay. All right. SGA, Wemby, Yokic, how about this?

After last night, a game where the guy had 32, Double double. 32, 14, 30. SGA is minus 1,000 and Yokic is plus 2,500. Now, it would be great if I would have written them down yesterday, so I knew the change, but I didn't. So I don't know. But I will say, you got to put $1,000 down to win 100 now on SGA.

And I can't imagine that those odds didn't just grow exponentially after last night because you felt the same way I did as did the rest of the NBA viewing world, which was like, okay, that was it. You remember Westbrook had one of these during his MVP season? Yeah, it was like 45 points or whatever. And everybody was watching and he hit the game winner. And it was like, okay, that's it. That was it.

That was the moment. That was Desmond Howard. That was Charles Woodson. That was Johnny Mansell. That was, you know. the I would say the that arena also hosted what I would call the best regular season game of the 21st century the warriors Steph Curry from right inside half court pull up oh yeah when they won on the road that was that was a Saturday afternoon I want to say double bang I was in LA at the time yeah that was a double bang

that was probably what I would consider the best regular season game of the 21st century I think this might be sick yeah you know it was last night so I'll probably on Friday I'll probably have another one I know we're prisoners of the moment, but like also, you have to also take it a consideration that not only did the guy have a monster game, not only did he hit literally two game winners in front of everybody, you also had

this subplot of him breaking this record that has stood since 1961 through 63. right? I mean, this record has been around for 60 years

and he scores 20 points for his 126 consecutive game for it to just happen to fall like they could have been a game against Brooklyn. That could have been a game against Charlotte. It could have been

a game not on national TV and it gets like the sidebar headline on ESPN. Instead it's part of this huge story that's going on. This guy is trying to score 20 points for the 126 consecutive time, breaking a record that has stood for 60 years. And he has this game,

and he hits the two game winners, and he has the unbelievable press conference. Van Duel has this, I would argue, misnumbered. This should be minus five billion to win. I mean, there's injury concerns, whatever, because he could get up against the 16-game thing.

But who cares? But the, it's one of those games, like, when you, the day before, it was like, oh, tomorrow night is OKC Thunder, 730. Okay. You start to, like, build your day around it. Like, all, what time is dinner? I'm going to do the dishes. It's like one of those games.

You're like, I'm not watching any other games. No. I'm not, I'm not changing the channel. I'm not looking at my phone. There's only one game on. Everybody leave me alone. I'm going to watch this. I ended up getting in a fight with my wife at the end of the game.

Because my son, my son becomes a sports fan when he wants to go to bed. Right. His bedtime, he becomes a sports fan. He wants to watch with me. And I was dragging him out. I'm like, you've got to see this. You've got to see this. And he didn't care.

And I was just like, and my wife is sitting there. I'm like, watch this game. And she doesn't care either. She ends up getting mad of me. She's like, you're so immature. You're trying to make us into sports fans. We're not sports fans. You're so immature.

I'm like, this is part of my childhood. It's not part of his childhood. Wow. And she's just like, you're the worst. you're probably right. She was right. She was right. I was wrong.

I was too excited. I got too excited. I lost my mind a little bit. It was a good game. It was a good game. I was excited. It was amazing. I was excited.

Oh, and also, let me just go ahead and correct something because it was a week ago that we did this show. I just want to apologize to Lou Dork. It's become incredibly clear to me that he just has absolutely, no control over anything he does. He has these out-of-body experiences. And, you know, as someone who, for my entire life, has been able to control where my arms and legs go, it's hard to relate.

It is. It's hard for me to relate. But last night was a realization. Oh, wow. Everything truly is just a random mistake. And whacking someone in the head because you're just trying to get around the screen. That kind of stuff does...

But with a spinning back fist. Like, it was like, I couldn't, and you could be a, there could be a mannequin in an apartment store in front of me. You're like, hit this with your left elbow from your right side. I would be like, no, I don't even know how to do that. He does all of this without intention.

And as someone, and you know what, maybe I should have given Draymond grace. There are some of these guys that just can't control where their arms and legs go. And now I'm empathizing because as someone who has been able to control where my arms and legs go for honestly my whole life, I've been able to control. Yeah. Probably the first year you probably had some stories. Like right now I can, you know what I mean?

Like I can feel, I have a mind-body connection. And it appears as if that is. There's a system of nerves that go from the stem of your brain throughout your body that trigger the muscles. then you can coordinate that with your brain. But Lou Dort doesn't have that. Can't. That's also why he gets left open in the corner in the playoffs. Yeah, he only, he needs to tell everybody he has a disability.

And he doesn't. I will say this, though, it was such a great night for O'KC, like, God bless him. And I don't know if you read this, but after the game, Lou was like, I went over to, he like apologized to Yokic and shook his hand and all this. And it was like, God, these guys are just like, they're adorable. Like when they won the championship, they didn't know how to over. open the champagne. They're just like, you're like little cousin that you just can't even like be mad at. There was the moment though where Jalen Williams, I believe it was struck Jamal Murray to

give up a four point play. And that my brain. Oh my God. My brain could not comprehend what was just because I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like who shoots the free throw? Should that be an and one because they didn't foul the shooter? But then you start going into hypothetical worlds where you're like, imagine you're up by four. Yep. And someone raises up for three, then off the ball, you can just tackle somebody else to like,

I couldn't figure out how that should be adjudicated. But I think it was fair, right? Yes. Yes. It seemed like the contact with Murray was before Yokic was shooting. Oh, no. I'll give them credit for that because,

I mean, I was sure Mark Davis was going to screw that up. there was Mark Davis on the headset and I was like, oh God. This is about to be a thing and we're going to have to talk about the friggin' refs tomorrow. But the thing is like when it's like a block charge, I have an opinion,

I'm like, well, this is the way it should be because I think I know everything. But I was watching that and I was just like, huh? I was like, I don't even know. I mean, I wanted it to be a tie game just for like funzies, but I didn't know what was fair in that moment

because if you started thinking about it, if an off ball foul negates the shot, then you could just like, if someone's going to the basket, you can just foul someone off the ball. So it was, it worked out. But then they'd give you an intentional and that, that's, yeah, that's the thing. I know. It's like, it's up.

But I didn't, my brain was like twisted in pretzels and I was just like, can we just like, let me just get to the next possession. I didn't think, I didn't think, I didn't think, I didn't think, I didn't think, just both of them hitting every big shot down the stretch. Like they were going literally shot for shot. Yokin just knocking down threes. He hit the one from the corner. He, I mean, you know who the ball is going to. and those guys still came up clutch every shot.

It's unbelievable. It's also, they're so inevitable. Like you kind of know what they're going to do. Like SGA is going to drive or step back or do his little hezzy foul bait thing. And Yokic is like, I'm a slowly pump.

I've never seen anyone like be effective with a pump fake that takes four seconds. Slowly pump fake, put his back into you, slowly turn and do some weird little semi-hook thing with his right hand and get an eight-foot little thing and then jog back slowly. and it's crazy.

And honestly, like it felt like one of those, if Denver would have had a time out, that if they would have been able to like set up a play for a top of the key, Yokich 3, you know it's going in and it goes to overtime. Of course.

Right? It was whoever got the cake, get the last shot off. Yeah, it was like a football game like that. But it's also, it is one of those things. If you're Denver, you're thinking, they didn't have, they didn't have their front court.

Oh, I know. And our best guys, our center, and they didn't have their front court. And remember when, when OKC was up on Denver, I think it was like after, I want to say after game five, when Caruso, they switched Caruso onto Yokic. And he had like four, he had like six turnovers in the game in the playoffs. And like they didn't have Caruso.

Yeah. They didn't have Jdub. Like it'd be a unbelievable series though. Oh my God. Would it though? It would be so good. If OKC is at full strength, I have trouble thinking that, you know, no, because Denver's home court advantage is very, very serious.

serious. You're forgetting that. They're a different squad. You know what I mean? They're a different team. Spencer Jones isolated on SGA in the biggest possession of the game. I mean, they took them to seven last year. I don't know. They took them to seven last year. I'm not going to like, I'm not going to let the, the, a game that went down to one shot. And the other thing is like those guys that were performing for, uh, for Oklahoma City last night. Like, that's just. not totally random. It's, they've got so many guys that if you give their players that are on their bench, I mean, this goes to San Presti. Like, those guys would be performing in a big way for other teams too, bro. A.J. Mitchell is legitimately awesome. Jared McCain would be good on any team. And like, he's just at his best getting to play around that group.

And there's, these are good players, man. I would say that like outside of SGA, they don't have that. many guys that can really break down a defense individually in an isolation situation. And AJ Mitchell is one of those guys. And they haven't had them. And now they just, now it's, it's, it's crazy. Yeah. And then the idea that we need to investigate you, Pablo Tori, investigate Daryl,

how do you give away Jared McCain and say you trade it high? It gets more gross. Soul high. Pablo, go figure that out. Yeah. I'll text them. All right. All right.

Before we get into our bit this week, which is levels of concern, I'm going to start with one that is not on the list. Just so we can hit last night. I stayed up until one in the morning to watch this bullshit, too. The Knicks lost two games in Los Angeles. Level of concern, major, minor, or ma'er? First of all, I love major, minor, or ma'er. We're bringing this back.

This is a great job by you. You send me the text yesterday. And you know there's a good idea in this industry when I get mad when I see it. You know what I get jealous? Because I, you know, I'm kind of evil. and I was just like, oh, fuck, that's a good idea. Fucking burn. It's a good one.

Major, minor, man. New York's two losses in L.A. Minor concern. Not a major concern, minor concern. Because the first one was like, it was daylight savings. It was a 1230 game after they whoop Denver's ass. The team that, you know, that took OKC to the finish, then the finish and then the finish, like, you know, they could not.

not miss on Friday in Denver. Here's my, I think after the game, they fly to L.A. They're staying in the L.A. hotels. Everyone's got like off-season homes there and connections and people they know. Some tells me they were on the town on Saturday. No shoot around Sunday. 12.30 start. Body clock is off.

Like, it looked that way. It looked that way. And last night was just like, I just felt like I wasted my time. I stayed up and watched the buzzer at the end of the game. game. I just feel like I wasted my time. Staying up late to watch that. Have you seen McCall Bridges this weekend? Nobody has. Have you seen him?

Nobody has. Have you seen him? Nobody has. Let's get Pablo to investigate that too. Let me text. Have you seen McCall Bridge? Can I just mention? I went to a game since we last spoke on Saturday night. And I would say I was as impressed. You know, my job now, as I am at games for a team that is no longer competing on the highest level.

My job is to evaluate the other teams and the NBA draft. That's where I am this season. And I told you that was going to become my role. So I see these teams come through town and I get to see them in person. I was as impressed with Kauai Leonard seeing him in person on Saturday night as I have been any player this year. year in a small setting. He,

so the first, this was, they played the night after the San Antonio come back with Wemby crying, right? And that was that in San Antonio or Los Angeles? That was Friday night. So they got to Memphis at four in the morning.

Yeah. It was a horrible back to back. So the Grizzlies jump out on them. It's like, I mean, they're up by probably, I don't know, 15 or 17 after the first quarter.

It's, it's a run out. And, you know, totally understandable, right? Considering what they're coming. In that second quarter, I'm telling, Jacoby, this dude acted like the biggest superstar in the world. He slowed that game down to a grinding halt, turned it into a half-core basketball game, and just abused everyone on the court on both ends. He's strong as an ox. He gets to all of his.

It's like he's got this institutional knowledge of being in the NBA for so long. He has these exact spots that he gets to on the court and is unstoppable. It was, it's wild because he's not the most exciting player in the world, as we know, but just witnessing it and watching it and watching. It was like watching a like Picasso paint or something. I'm like, God, this guy is unbelievable. And it did give me this tinge where it. It's like, you know, Garland went off in the fourth quarter.

And I'm like, Garland looked good last night. If I'm one of these playoff teams, man, or play in teams, I'm like, stay away from that, dude. No piece of that. They got Ty Lou and they got Van Gundy. And in any one game, there's a very high probability he could be the best player on the floor that night. He was, I got it. I understand where the team I'm watching and play against is right now. But they were like trying.

And he was. otherworldly. Otherworldly. I can't believe how awesome he is this year. I was watching a game like 10 days ago just flipping around

and he was on fire he hit like two shots in a row and then he raised up from the right elbow missed. But you could see in his head he knew he missed. You could see he got pissed

and he just ran right at the ball and just grabbed it out of the air and put it back and he was mad with himself. It was just like whatever he wanted he was doing and he missed a shot and he was just like so mad at himself and just grabbed the ball.

ball and put it back in. It was just really weird because I see all these teams come through. And sometimes, you know, you get to watch and you're like, all right, I just watched the superstar be a superstar. And never in a million years was the expectation that in the year 2026, I mean, honestly, we're a year removed from me being at a game where he left at halftime and nobody knew why. That's right. that happened a year ago.

He just stopped playing. No PR release. Tyloo wouldn't talk about it. Russell Westbrook's like, yeah, I don't know where he was. Like just didn't come out of the locker room at halftime. Like just doing his own thing. And I'm like, what is going on? And now a year later, I go out and if you would have,

because I saw him at his absolute apex, the year that Petulia, you know, tripped him up that year. That first round where he played against Memphis, I don't think I've ever seen a better basketball player than him in my life. He was the best basketball playing in the world at that time. He was the best player in the world. He was the best player in the world.

But it was just jarring to watch him on Saturday night and be like, dude, this guy, like, he's seriously one of the handful of best players in the entire NBA and getting to witness it like up close and personal and watch how he can totally dominate both ends still. It's crazy. It's like, and now he doesn't have a team that can win it. If you're him, he said, like, after the deadline, he's like, yeah, we're not good. We're not competing anymore for a championship, but whatever.

I'll just go out and dominate. They got Canon Needlehouser and Garland and, like, traded away Zubach and Hardin. If you're like, who are the three best players in the Clippers? You'd say, I don't know, Kauai and Hardin and then Zubach. And they traded two of them away. And he's just like, I'll just win games anyway against what's considered to be one of the best teams in the East. So you say minor. You're not that concerned.

You're just really, you're willing to write it off to L.A. partying. L.A. parting. That sounds like you're writing it off to L.A. parking. That's exactly what I'm doing. You're correct. Okay. All right. Let's get to the rest of them.

You go ahead. All right. You're first, man. We have the run down. All right. Pistons are on a major losing streak. Concern level for the Pistons, major, minor, or me? Okay.

Me. Oh. No, I'm going to go major. Wait. That was a tease. That was a tease. That was a tease. That was a tease.

Listen, I'm getting warmed up to the game, okay? I have major concerns about the Pistons. But also, their schedule is pretty easy coming up. They've got the nets, the Sixers, the Grizzlies, the Raptors, the Wizards, the wizards, the warriors. So it's like, do I have major concerns about the pistons? Yes. But because their schedule is the way it is and there are basketball teams not trying

to win basketball games, it's going, their flaws are going to be covered up. But this like lack of three point shooting, they're 24th and three point efficiency in 27th in the attempted threes per game. Like, you're not going to win like that. It's not. And the singularity of Cade is an offensive creator. We were just talking about the thunder where it's like AJ Mitchell can create his own and J. Dubb can create his own. Like outside of Jenkins, like who else is breaking down a defense on that team?

Yeah, right. Seriously. No, it's an issue. Like. And you know they're going to load up and make K.C. 2 and 3 and they're just going to have to shoot you out of it. You saw what happened when SGA saw two yesterday. Yep. It was Jared McCain.

You know, it was just every, it was, it was Jay Will. It was like, he's like, oh, he saw the questions on the desk. and he had the answers, and I'm not sure Kate is quite there yet. The one thing I- He doesn't have the roster. I worry a little bit just because of the amount of points that they gave up to the calves and the spurs and the heat and like the metrics were bad, right? Like those were, they have not been doing that this year.

We're 60 plus games into the season. And for the seventh, eighth, eighth, the ninth time, they gave up over 120 points per 100 possessions, right? in those games. My worry, and again, you can get this back, but my worry just from watching those is, you remember how we talked about this a lot with the magic last year, which is when you're playing so hard every single night

and you hang your hat on the defensive end, and you can win a lot of games doing that. And especially during the regular season, you remember a couple of weeks ago, I did this whole bit that you mocked about how the new money ball is, you know, this competitive character, right? Like the guys that will play hard

because that's how you could rack up a bunch of regular season wins. I do worry a little bit about a tortoise and the hair thing with this. That, you know, like you've gone so hard for so long. There's a lot of these teams that pace themselves. And every game is. life or death, and they don't hang their head on the defensive end and bring their lunch pail

every single night. And that, bro, there's only so many times you can do that, right? Like, you know what I mean? Like a lot of them, you can feel, you watch Minnesota and you'll watch them and you're like, God, what the hell was that? And then you'll watch them and be like, oh, yeah, okay. That's team in the league. They crank it up.

You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. They've been to two West Finals. you're not going to get that honest max effort on the nightly basis. I put Denver in that too. Denver's like that as well. You're not going to get that honest max effort on a day. A lot of times they're going to do what they feel is required to win the game.

And then if it's not enough, then okay, we'll just move on to the next one. But it's no, like they, whoever we match up with the playoffs, we're going to have to beat good teams anyway. And they don't really care, right? But young teams care about every game. They care about every game. And I do worry a little bit about that with the pistons that it's a little bit of the tortoise and the hair

because you do, a lot of these teams pace themselves to not only get healthy but be plaguing at their apex right at the right time. And a young team doesn't understand that. They've been going hard the whole year, right? They've been. And you love these teams because they're the ones that honor the regular season. But also, you do wonder as it gets down to the home stretch, it's like, bro, we've been

going hard this whole time, you know? And then it fizzles out a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. It fizzles out a little bit. They need to get that defensive edge back. Everyone says like, oh, there's no Kade when they lost the Nets. It's like, you should beat the Nets without Kade Cunning.

Well, they'll probably. You should beat the Nets without Kade Cunning. We have a chance. We have a chance to see. the biggest margin of defeat of the NBA season tonight. They play the Nets. Again? I bet they beat them to death.

I'm going to get my fan to allow. Just take them minus 30. I mean, I bet I would be, I would be surprised. You'd be shocked if they didn't beat them to death. After what happened over the weekend and everybody talking about it. Yeah,

and, and Brooklyn played a hard-fought game against Memphis last night. one of their big, big win for them. Didn't even know that happened. I looked at the schedule. I was like, I'm watching every second of OKC Thunder and Clippers Knicks. And I regret watching every second with the Clippers Knicks. God damn.

All right. My turn. It feels like three weeks ago. Okay. But it was just Sunday that the rockets got waxed by the Spurs. What's your level of concern for the, the Rockets. Is it major, minor, or ma'am?

I guess it depends on what the question is. Are we talking like West Finals? Their ability to win two series? Major, minor, or ma' what's your level of concern? I messed it up. I can't even be mad at you because I messed it up the first time. I said ma' and then major. I say major and this is why.

I say major and this is why. Because they were the way they played at the beginning. beginning of the season when we were like, oh, buddy, you don't want to see them, was when you shot it, they got the ball, and when they shot it, they got the ball. And that was pre-Steven Adams injury.

To wit, they were first by a wide margin in offensive rebounding. Now, they're still third, but that has dropped tremendously. Defensive rebounding, they were fifth. They've moved to 22nd. Post Adams. Yeah.

Post Adams. Yeah, yeah. Post Adams. So what I'm saying is the way they functioned. And the other thing is, you don't trust them. It's so reliant on KD getting that shot. Maybe Schengun getting that shot at the end of games in these clutch games, right? When they're playing these games.

And you know so many players. off games become these nip-tuck affairs and so many games that they play become nip-tuck affairs they're five and seven this year against the top six in the western conference eight of those games have gone to clutch situations and they're five and seven in those games so that would be my the reason i would be concerned is because of what are they doing in late game fourth quarters to be able to get a shot and this is me at the beginning of the season saying the Van Vleet thing was going to be huge. Now, if they surprisingly got Van Vleet back in the mix,

I would feel differently about it. I would. Really? Yes, I would feel differently about it. I think that the absence of Stephen Adams looms a lot larger than the absence of Vamble. And here's the other thing. This is the other thing that was so concerning about the Spurs game. You could have put a...

orange jumpsuit on Shengoon and he would not have stood out more. I mean, they found him on every single action. You're watching and you're like, bro, why is he on an island versus Steph Castle? Somebody fight through these screens. Like this, we can't switch that every time. They abused this guy and people are going to use that as the. template and the guy's going to have to have like 30 and 20 to make up for it because they are just going to find his ass.

For no, I had two thoughts watching the game. Number one, I was like, I'm not even sure the spurs should be doing this. They should be saving this. That was the first thing I thought. I was like, I don't even, I think they're kind of wasting this right now because this could be a postseason matchup. And they're also like giving a little bit of a blueprint on how you can beat the Rockets. And the second thing I thought I was like, they're probably better with sang going on the bench.

I was thinking about that I was like Jabari Easton I mean I know they're missing Thompson I was just like I was just trying to think of a lineup that worked without Sangoon and I couldn't figure it out You know what it felt like? I felt like years ago in the playoffs

You remember the guy was caught on tape Billy Donovan was caught on tape when he was coached over home city and he said can't play canter Yeah yeah That's what it felt like It did It felt like oh my God

You can't like If he's out there they're finding him. They're putting him in everything. It's slow feet don't eat. I said to myself, I literally said to myself, I was like, they probably shouldn't be doing this. Crazy.

You know what I mean? I was like, they should probably save this. That's my, that's why it's my, the late game stuff, the offensive rebounding, or, you know, the rebounding numbers, you know, changing in the way that they have. And most importantly,

the way an elite team, like just abused them for who is, one of their best players. Like a guy that is essential on offense, but destroys you by having him out there on defense. At least did against that team. Possession after possession. I mean,

it was like someone who runs a fullback dive in Madden for like four yards. And like that's how they beat you. It's just like, full back dive, full back dive, full back dive. And he just kind of throw the sticks. You're like, I don't want to do this anymore. That's what it felt like. It felt like if he's out there, you got to figure out how to play zone. I'm not kidding.

I like it's otherwise like I don't know like you can't keep switching him bro that's crazy he's not switchable they just put it I mean and it was just this is a top five defense last year I know no they still are a great defense no but you saw them against an elite team and it was a mangling absolutely yeah the spurs oh I got I got I got real concerns over that I got I mean that was jarring to watch that. I texted you in the middle of that game and I was like, they are emasculating them. This is rough.

Do you know what happened? Whenby listened to the mismatch. When we listened to the mismatch. You're welcome, San Antonio. Sixers were missing everybody yesterday. They've dropped precipitously in the standings. We were talking about

them like being amongst the top five and like, oh, wait, hold on. now with Maxie and Edgecombe and then and Embed and like this thing is they could be a threat right because they could have the best player on the floor in any given game. Sixers level of concern as they tumble down the standings, major, minor or meh? Okay, a couple things. Number one, I did around the horn like four times. I think they hated me. You know what I mean? They've never did it again. They never invited back. Who were you with? I don't know. Plachkey and

Woody Page and that group. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know who it was. That's why they hated you. They never, they hated you. You didn't work with your co-workers. You didn't work with your co-workers, well. You don't even remember who you were on with. But you just did a Tony Realli. Like, I was on the show and he'll like give all of the information. He's like,

well, last night, um, the Nuggets played the Thunder and such and such and such and such did that and then such such did that. And then such such did that. So what do you think of the game? I'm like, bro, you just said everything that happened in the game. Like, what am I going to do now? That's what you just did in the question. Like, you just, you answered the question. I didn't, I didn't answer the question.

Yes, you did. Just read the paper. But instead you're like, this guy's out, this guy's out, this guy's out. You answered the question in the question, but I will say the concerns. This is my frowny face. Look, I'm going to do like your daughter's probably due to you. That's my frowny face. I'm upset.

You're so happy that doesn't even work. It doesn't even work on you. You're such a good guy. That's my frowny face. I'll say this is this is a major, major, major, major, major, major, major, concern. This was their starting five. By the way, on the other channel, Jerry McCain is going off, okay?

And this is who they started in the game. Kelly Ubre, okay, he's a starter. Barlow, Bona, Grimes, and wait for it. Cameron Payne. They start, that was the starting five. I had to look at it like three times online today. Did you not see last night the meet, the, the, uh, screen cap that was going around.

There was a guy at the game and they put the starting lineup up on the Jumbotron and for a campaign, they had Jared McCain's pitcher. That's not real. Yes. Oh, my God. No, but they did have Tyrese. They had Tyrese. Tyrese was back. He played last night.

Tyrese Martin. Tyrese Martin played last night for the Sixers. The Jalen Derry guy that was on the Knicks for like a second. He played. You loved him. I don't know. For one day. Yeah, I guess. It was just, it's bad.

And Embed, it's not even like a beat is out with like, oh, the knee is flaring up again or whatever. He's got like an oblique problem. Max, he's got a finger thing that's like, seemed like it wasn't a big deal. But he's only had a couple games. It starts to feel like a big deal. I don't know. But it's like, but it's going to get reevalued. There's some new release yesterday that's like getting evaluated or MRI.

There's some like new thing that's going to be worse. And Edgecom. He's got a back injury. He's young. He'll be fine. And then I kind of forgot that Paul George got suspended for drugs or whatever. Like, what is going on? You forgot?

I didn't forget. I was like, oh, what's Paul George out with? And I was like, oh, yeah, 25 games suspension for violating the policies. And it's one of those things where it's like, I would say six weeks ago we were on this show being like, listen, you know. Yeah. Maxie, Edgecombe, Eude, like, that's a starting five. that is a starting five and powerful on both ends of the floor

but now we got campaign and Bona and Tyrese. Tyrese. Tyrese. Tyrese. Tyrese Martin. They got Tyrese. Tyrese played last one. Mark. Next up. NBC put out another clip of the same. It says my name right next to it.

Oh yeah, it does. Why are you asking me this? You're the one that bitches about Michael Jordan. I know. This is really a me thing. So you literally made a question for me so that you could complain. Yeah. I'm odd to you, bro. Like, are you criticizing me?

That's so out of pocket considering I looked at this question and I was like, there's no way he's asking me this question because he's the guy that bitches about Michael Jordan. NASCAR champion Michael Jordan. As a serious journalist, I just want to say, NBC put out another clip of the same Michael Jordan interview. called Insights to Excellence. Concern level for the concept of excellence, major, minor, or math. You know what?

I'm just going to let you answer it because you didn't write this question for me. You don't even care what my answer is to this. We've been lied to. We've cheated. They've stolen time and energy away from us. Preseason, I legitimately thought that Michael Jordan might be like

a color guy on a broadcast. I thought he might be like at the booth. I thought maybe he'd be like at the studio in a major weekend spot for NBC broadcast. I thought maybe they would drag him out of the golf course and he would put a suit on and do a live show.

The NASCAR track, the NASCAR track. He goes from the NASCAR track to the golf course. He's had three wins already. I guess that's excellent. He's NASCAR. That's excellent. He's NASCAR. Mike.

So my concern level is meh for excellence because he's excellent at NASCAR. I don't think this has done anything to the word excellence, honestly. I don't think that people attribute, I don't think that I'm saying meh, because I don't think people now look and go, well, if that's excellent, because I don't think anybody. I didn't really know how to phrase the question. I just wanted to bitch about Michael Jordan. He is in. I've got a worse one later.

Don't worry. He's unbelievable at NASCAR stuff. Unbelievable. What do you mean? If you own a NASCAR team, like what do you really, what do you really contribute? The money.

Okay. So that's what's unbelievable? It's unbelievable at having money. Yes. He's unbelievable at having money. Yes. And they've won three times already. And I've got to admit.

And, you know, you always say that you hate to admit when I was right about something. I don't feel the same way about admitting that you were right about something, but you were right about this right at the very beginning. Snit-it-out. I was very excited about this. I think everybody was excited when they announced.

Oh, my God, we're going to hear from Michael Jordan. And from day one, when they put out the first interview, you sniffed out that this was bogus. Snift it out. And it has. I want to run an audit on NBC's books. How much money did you pay this man for a one-hour interview? Seriously.

Yeah, I don't know. How much money did you pay this guy? He probably sounded like a $10 million deal. I'm serious. And spend it on a NASCAR. It's unbelievable at having money. You know, somewhere like on the 19th hole after his second round of the day, he's smoking a cigar, drinking some tequila on the rocks.

He's just laughing with his golf buddies like, it paid me $10 million dollars that I worked. for 90 minutes. I told him my hated tanking. Oh, I told him the goat debate doesn't matter. I got $10 million. I want to play that course he's got so badly.

Have you heard about that? The Grove? I've heard of it. He built a course down in Florida. And it's invite only. And it's all Jordan stuff. And they say the course is built exactly to fit his game. So then he goes and gambles there, buddy.

But I saw a guy take a video from there. you can, like, order a beer or something and a friggin' drone flies to you and hands it to you. I bet they give you Jordan golf shoes. You can't go there with, like, regular golf shoes. It was like, foot joy. I'm like, man, I got to get there some way somehow. So, look, I got to separate myself from you some way somehow on this excellent thing. I think that I actually, now that I say, oh, you want to play the course.

Oh, yeah. Bro, I love Insights Excellence. And I think it was worth every penny. Me too. 10 second, 10 second personal golf story. I played around a golf in LA and I didn't have any balls or rental, and rental clubs. I wasn't planning to plan.

So I bought, I bought 12 balls and I ended up with two around. Two. I hit one deep into a neighborhood. Like not just like off the course, like in the middle of a neighborhood. It wasn't just like, oh,

it's in the woods on the side. How? You played with another neighborhood. You played with Shaw Fantasy and Chris Ryan, right? Yeah, yeah. How were they reacting? to your golf game. Politely, I would say.

So when you hit it in the neighborhood, are they laughing? Are you pissed? No, they're like, hey, hit another one. They're like, oh, yeah, you really got some good contact there. Oh, patronizing. No, but there's some sweeties. Like, they're not being dicks. They're just like, it's one of those things like everything else in my life.

Like, we were equally bad like four years ago and they passed me by. It's happened to me with my basketball team. It's happening with my career. It's just like everyone just passed me by. Sit here in a windowless. room talking about Wimben Yama with Chris Vernon. What happened to me? I think that's supposed to make me feel bad, but I... No, it does. It's supposed to make it feel good. I love you, buddy. This is a great time.

Since they wax of Celtics, everybody's favorite team. Oh, wow. This is some real, like, the way to, the way... My name, my name is next to this. Can you read? Oh, no. Okay, my bad. Jason Tatum looks pretty much like Jason Tatum in return. Concern level for the rest of the Eastern Conference, major, major, major, or what? Major, major, major, major, major, major, major, major. Oh, major concern. Major concern. Why, can you watch the game against the Mavericks or which one, the Cleveland

without Hardin one? Can we play somebody? Let them play somebody awesome first. Can we do that? They're already good without Jason Tatum and now Jason Tatum looks like Jason Tatum. You spent 24 hours at Bill Simmons house and now you're, oh my God, yourself the green to the bone.

Oh, look at him. Please. Look at him. Please. Dude. 12 of their last 18 games are against winning teams. I don't care.

You got tough schedule ahead. Tough schedule. I don't want to see that team. I don't want to see that team in the playoffs. Oh, no. Joe Missoula is a wizard. I, you know,

it's like, do you know what? You messed me up on this one. What? You, you did because you are great at your job and you did some really good research on the show last week and you broke down the amount of months that all of these other

players have returned from Achilles. And like Jason Tatum's like right in the middle. Yeah, it's not a big deal. It's not. This isn't some like crazy accelerated like Aaron Rogers type of thing. Right. Where it's like he came back in six months. Like this is like sort of the median amount of time that it takes to come back from the Achilles. And he had the like the surgery right away. It was in New York and blah blah blah. And like it just feels like they have Jason Tatum again. And I've seen enough.

First of all, like, I don't want to overreact because I watch these stupid games. He's not just missing shots. Like, he's like, he's bricking shots. Like, if you look at his three, he's like, we're going to watch SportsCenter and see the ones he makes. Like, oh, Jason Tate was back. But he was like, ugh. Like, some of these were just off off. I just want to see them play awesome teams that are playing awesome.

And then I'll decide. You know what I mean? Awesome teams that are playing awesome. Yeah. Do you have to look up their schedule right now? You would. San Antonio. on the on the schedule.

And 12 of their last 18 are against winning teams. So they got some good ones coming up. Oh, yeah. Oh, well, the wizards. Okay. No. When's the next one that we can watch them? And it's like, all right, that's a good barometer. That's a good barometer.

Oh, today they play the spurs. Then they play the thunder. That's it. That's it. Spurs. Yeah. Okay. Good barometer. So let me see. Let me see that first. Friday show. Is that fair? Friday show. We will revisit the Celtics and Jason

Tatum. If they go two and oh in this thing, I give up. I will say, I was absolutely in stunned disbelief when I was reading Schumann's rundown of the teams yesterday. And there was a note in there and I jotted down because I was like, wait, what? That they were the best rebounding team since February. Since February 1st. And I was like, how? I mean, the best rebounding team? I'm trying to think. Like, it's Kata, dog. It's Kata.

Garza. Like Busevich isn't playing right now, right? No, he's out. Yeah. It's wild, though. I mean, a lot of long rebounds. And you got, you know what I mean? You got guys that chase it down.

I was thinking about Jason Tatum, it's like he's just an A minus at everything. Like, he's not an A plus at something. He's just an A minus at every single thing. Defense, rebounding, playmaking, jump shooting, driving, three-point shooting. He's just an A-minus at everything. Yes. Let's just see them this week. I just want to see them against those teams.

And then I'll decide what level of concern everybody should have in the Eastern Conference. Mismatch listeners, Chris Vernon has officially put a pin in this conversation that we'll revisit on Friday. Is that fair? It's fair. Very fair. I mean, the Spurs and the Thunder, those are tests. Sensei wax the Celtics in a game that you did watch, L.A. My name is right next to it, Chris.

What is going on with you? I don't know. I don't know. Do we need to talk? Here's the thing. The reason that this is an issue, and I'm not going to, this is my fault. Oh, no. Oh, my God. It's written right there on the piece of paper in bold.

No, no. This is my fault. I view that as the question is for you. That's my fault. When I see your name next to it, I view that as the question is for you, not that you are supposed to read that. You know what? I'm not doing the rundown anymore.

You do the rundown now. Oh, don't be like that. Don't be petulant. Come on. You take it. It's a one-time thing. I've ruined the episode. I spent 45 seconds on this, okay?

I spent 45 seconds on this, all right? It is. At least, it was at least two and a half minutes of my day. I mean, I came up with the bit. It's a good bit. We're doing it again. Well, I've ruined this episode. This is a disaster.

You can hear subscribers unfollowing right now on Spotify. They don't even know how. I don't even know how to break up with the podcast. If you're broken up with the podcast, I don't even know how. They've done it. Since they waxed the Celtics, everyone's favorite team, the Hornets lost to the heat and the suns. Concern level, the Hornets are just mid. Major, minor, or men?

Minor? Because what did we think? Did anybody think that, like, oh, the Hornets are going to the, like, they're, it's been an amazing story. They're the most fun to watch team in the league at their apex. Come on. Like when Lamello's hitting this one foot stepbacks and con can't nipples crack. By the way, when I looked at that MVP this morning, I scrolled down.

What's con? He's minus 150. He's flipped it on Cooper Flagg. Oh, for a rookie of the year. Yes. for MVP. No, no, no, no, no. Oh, yeah, I can see that.

I can see that. I didn't happen. That happened. You could not escape Hornets talk. I know. You could not escape it. And now just like everyone's like, oh, they lost the heat and sun's astral. Yeah, cock and nipples minus 150.

Cooper flags plus 120. Roommates going at it. Anyways, I just don't think, I don't think it's fair to say that they're, like, what did we think they were, right? Do we fancy them as it? I know that there was like a sentiment of like look at their record since the beginning of the year. Oh, the starting five is 20 and two. Could they be. So if they have their guys, they're better than the thunder.

Could they be this year's Pacers and whatever else? But did we ever think that like they're going to get into a playoff series and oust someone in the first round that they're one of those teams that could do that? I'm not so sure. So, I mean, I think they're, I think they are certainly. one of those teams that is much better than their record. They are much better than their record, and that is not so of most of the teams in their range. Most of those teams have their record for very good reason.

So I don't think, I mean, I guess it's just dependent on what you think they are. They are better than their record, and they are more dangerous than their record. record, right? You're typically, if you're like a 500 team that gets an eighth seed, you know, you're not worried about having to go six or seven games with that team. But if they, if the pistons hung on to the one

seed and drew the Hornets, that would not be quick work. And it would be the most, the most unbelievable thing to take place given what took place with the suspensions and the heat and everything else that's already happen, you know. But yeah, I will say this, like a sneaky sub story here is the, the bottom of the Eastern conference is kind of strengthening up. Like the heat, the team that beat the Hornets are on like a little mini streak of their

own. Tyler Hero is playing great. Like, if the Eastern conference is this whole like quote unquote wide open conference and the West is so tough or this team is in the West and that, you know, imagine if they were in the East, like the Eastern Conference one through seven is looking pretty good right now. I would just say that if they can get there, if they can get there, as long as they can get into the playoffs proper, I think I'd be surprised if there's not a game six in Charlotte.

Depending on the... No, I really do. I think they can win two games. I mean, against the Celtics? I think, yes. Against the pistons. I can see that. Sure.

Sure. I'll give to you. Because you got to remember. I think they lose game six in Charlotte, but that will be a game six. Because you've got to remember, game one, or I'm sorry, game three is going to be their first playoff game in forever in a small market. Like, you know what I mean? You can kind of. So could they get one more as all I'm thinking?

I'm just saying I don't think they would be wiped out like some teams that would get there. And I do think they are better than their record. So I guess I'm going mad. I don't think they're mediocre. I don't think they're mediocre. I think they're pretty good. And I think they're better than what their record is at this point in the season. So the next one says Verno.

and then there's a colon, those two dots on top of each other. You're a colon. You're a colonel. I got a colonoscopy six months ago. How'd that go? Not great. Yeah. They found that you're a jerk.

I am. Do you know what the worst was? They stuck a thing in your ass and said this guy's a jerk. They need more privacy because there's just a curtain between you and the other guy. So I'm about to go in and God bless this other guy, but he got like negative results. Oh, no. And I'm listening through the curtain. No.

And I'm about to go in and get mine. No. They said they had to like, you know, whatever, take it for testing. They weren't like, hey, like, you're going to die, buddy. But it was like, it was like, oh, we found some stuff and we're going to have to get it tested. And we'll see that and follow up with this. And I'm listening to this. The guy is three feet from me.

And I'm about to go in. And I was just like, what is going on here? But I have flying colors. My ass checked out. Flying colors, buddy. Leave that alone. Just leave it alone. Don't say anything.

Just move on. Just read the paper. Just read the paper. Read the paper. I'm showing unbelievable restraint. Restraint. I'm really proud of you. I'm really proud of you, Bernault.

Magic City Night was canceled in Atlanta by the NBA. Concern level for freedom. Freedom. I didn't know what to write. I told you I spent 45 seconds on this, all right? I could tell. Finish. Major, minor, or men?

Major. That was called the dramatic pause. Oh, a good job. Major. Major. Miner or man. Going with minor here. The problem with this whole topic is it very quickly gets into really murky, like, college professor territory about, like, feminism and sex work and, like, rights.

and freedom and like all of this stuff. Like I've talked to people that I really respect and love that were like, well, actually, Luke Cornett is being anti-feminism because of blah, blah, blah. And then I talked to, and then I read Luke Cornett's thing. And he's like, hey, man, like, I've got daughters and wives and partners and we should all like celebrate women and not. I'm like, but it's, it's kind of like that.

Yoke and shot when Jake Will took over Jamal Murray. I'm like, I don't know what is fair and what is just and what is right. But I will say this, Chris Vernon. If you push the search function on my Instagram account, what are the two things that you see? Basketball and butts. I am pro Magic City Night. I think it's an Atlanta institution.

I've never darkened their doorstep myself. It's about food and wings and like hanging out. And when I've gone to gentlemen's clubs in Atlanta, they are not that. They are very free with lots of female. on the stage and off the stage. Like, it's a different environment. Like, I've been to all manner of strip clubs,

and a lot of the time, they're just like creepy, pervy, dark, weird, gross stuff. Atlanta, it's much more of just like a pub. It's like a public house where everyone congregates and eats wings. I'm one of those. I've just stayed out of this because... Yeah.

Look, if you haven't been to Magic City and you haven't been to Atlanta and you don't understand Atlanta, that it's almost like state's rights, you know what I mean? But I am totally unsurprised at the NBA. It was like, you know what? Yeah, maybe not. Yeah, it's better off.

Yeah, it's, you know what I mean? Because we have to deal with, you know, it's fine. And everybody can, you know, cosplay on the, on the internet and act like they care deeply about this. Exactly. But they don't have to answer to multi-billion-dollar sponsors that are like, really, guys, a strip club? Like, so I got it, right? And so... It just, it quickly turns into a thing where you're like,

I am not an expert on feminism and rights and I'm not a college professor. Like, other people should be having this debate, not David Jacoby. Like, is Magic City like, okay? I'm like, I don't know. Well, and then the other day is, you know, then every, you know, people that, this is a perfect subject for people that want to fight on the internet. Either, or they want to act like super cool. Like, I'm so pro Magic City.

Like, okay, all right. Okay, buddy. All right. But look, here's what I'll say. They, I do think it is false equivalency, and you can argue that it shouldn't be, but it is to say, oh, yeah, they're canceling Magic City, but go ahead and gamble on whether Jayla Brunson's going to have eight points in the first quarter.

And it's like, yeah, guess what? They're big corporate sponsors. Don't care about that. They're fine with that. And in fact, they are that. And you can argue that they should. But this Magic City thing ain't going to make them a dime them, the NBA at large, and could possibly hurt them, you know, with some sponsors.

And so it's not where. Follow the money all the time. And I promise you, the second the gambling thing started hurting their bottom line greatly instead of helping it. And again, you can say it's selective morality. but just understand that's not we're not,

it's not apples and apples here. It's also like there's evil and corruption everywhere you turn. My iPhone, it's like, exploitive of the workers

at Magic City. Like, well, what about my iPhone? Like, aren't, isn't that exploiting workers? Like,

where does it end? Like, who am I to draw the line? I'm out. I'm out. You guys, you guys have to have it. Have it on the internet.

Go be mean to each other, threaten each other, and you can scream at each other all day long, I'll be over here watching Yokic and SGA trade basket. And this is what I said, the amount of energy that is put into this people arguing this on the internet.

And, you know, I got it. Like the whole NBA, I don't think the NBA bowed down to social media or Luke or net. I think the NBA bowed down to corporate sponsors that were like, really, guys? Well, it's also an opportunity cost. It's an opportunity cost. It's like,

okay, we can do this and we can fight. for it or we cannot do this. And if we don't do this, what's the downside? And it's also... Answer that question. And that's what I'm saying. A whole lot of energy for what is dust in the wind. Nobody will care in three days.

I actually know the real reason that they canceled Magic City Night. I've got it from a real good source. Do you want to know? Why? Zach Lowe live show in Brooklyn the same night. Can't compete with that. Oh, yeah. And David Jacoby might be taking the stage for a segment too.

Can't compete with that. Wait, did you... You can't compete with that. Pete with that. Did he invite you or you're just going to show up? So he texted me. He's literally never asked me to be in his podcast. And like, I was there day one when it was on ESPN. He's never, ever called me to be on his podcast. I agree with that decision. I know. I know. It wasn't just one decision. It's consistent philosophy. It's not a decision. He said he texts me and he's like, hey, man, do you want to come to the live show? And he was like, you know, he's like, and me and him were

like brainstorming ideas. And the whole time I'm talking. texting with him. I'm like, does he want me to like produce the show or be on the show? I couldn't tell. Come on. Come on. No, I'm dead serious. Bro, I wouldn't lie to this microphone. I wouldn't lie into this microphone. And then later on, it became apparent that he wanted me to be on the

stage. But early on, I was like, I think he wants me to just like produce it and like come up with some ideas. He did ask me. He asked me one time, he said, should I have Howard Beck on for the 7,000th time or Jacoby? And I said, Beck. Howard Beck, yeah, yeah. It's good read.

it's a good read it's a good read you're good to be there you're going to be at the live show and one time I was at ESPN and Zach Lowe's number pops up in my phone and I was like he's finally going to ask me to be on the podcast he said wrong number I answer it and he's like hey man I just want to you know tell you something

I just really appreciative of you and Bill making me podcast because you know I used to be a writer and now it's all ESPN cares about I just wanted to say thank you and I was like oh man no problem man, you're great at it. You're really talented. He's like, all right, just thanks. I was like, oh, thanks. I hung up the phone.

I hung up the phone. Now, for the first time in, seriously, it's been like 2013 or something. 2014, first time on the show. Then people are seeing like this is going to be, this is going to be amazing when you're there for the live show. That's the thing. That's why they canceled Magic City Night.

That's just too much going on in Brooklyn. Yeah. Yeah. This is, my name is there. So I ask you the question. Just for the record. I see. The last one.

I see the COVID. Okay. We're children. You got children. I can't believe they pay us for this. All right. Ready? No. All right.

The West is looking like a two-horse race. Concern level for the lack of drama in the Western Conference playoffs, major, minor, or me? Me. Oh. Mare. Concern level for the amount of drama? Lack of drama.

Yeah, no. I think these playoffs are going to be amazing. I do because I think everybody has been like, I don't know what happened, but we went through like an era of softness, trading jerseys, taking pictures with each other. We have had more squabbles, more heightened intensity, more everything. Bro, look at the bottom of the West. That's where. Phoenix is. Let them get into the playoffs. Especially after Dylan Brooks says yesterday, I want Minnesota. We

play great. That's a great bad job for us. And he named himself better than literally half of the league. He was with Gillian Wallow and there's reading players' names. He's like, I'll take me, I'll take me, I'll take me, I'll take me, like, Wilk Chamberl and he's like, yeah, I would lock him up. He's like, he's soft, he's

nothing. He's always hurt. You know. I love Dylan Brooks. So look, that's, so Jacoby, I don't even understand this. That's the bottom. So if we're talking like, that's round. Ferno. If Phoenix gets there, it's mega heat with anybody they play against.

Ferno. Yeah. I'm sitting there thinking, LeBron James and Luca Donchich are on the same team. They can't cover anybody. They're not good. But there's still LeBron James and Luca Donchich in a playoff series. I don't want to see that.

here's six, seven, eight, and nine. Oh, Denver. I think I know off the top of my head. Go ahead. Denver dropped to six after their loss last night. But that's a half game, right? It's fine. But it's Denver, Phoenix Clippers Golden State.

Who do you not want to see the Clippers? And they might have the best guy. I mean, Golden State is, it doesn't belong there, but they won't stay there. But if Curry's back. Even then. You wouldn't mind seeing them, though, in the playoffs. You still will watch if Steph Curry's involved. Yes, you will.

Yeah, I mean, I'm going to watch anything. I'll watch the Grizzlies Nets. And Phoenix is going to get in a fight with somebody. Like, that's going to happen. Oh, yeah. Yeah, if they're down 10 with 30 seconds left, Dillon Brooks is on them, he's going to do something. And we've seen the Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Minnesota, Houston,

Denver, like all those teams have smoke with each other. Denver and Minnesota play awesome games. San Antonio is going for their first time through. I think these playoffs are going to be amazing. Amazing. You know, no one ever says anything positive about the Lakers, but every time I look up, I'm like, they're right in the thick of it in the Western Conference.

I did think about this yesterday. What are they like 35 and 27 or something? I don't have in front of me. They have the same amount of losses as the NICs. That's what I'm saying. But the coverage they get. As anyone ever said something nice about the Lakers? Are we actually going to start siding with JJ Reddick that they are getting...

The Laker fans? That they are getting a bad... That they are actually getting... When I saw the Knicks record last night, and then I went and checked it against the Lakers, I was like, damn, man, they got the same record. I mean, the Lakers have two less wins. But the way people think and talk about the NICs

versus the way they think and talk about the Lakers is dramatically different. I got to admit it. And I worked at ESPN for like 23 years. just put LeBron and the Lakers in the first spot in A1 in every show. And now there's the same spot. And like, for some reason, everyone's flipped on them. Because they get no.

Honestly, it is, I hate to do this. I hate to. Honestly, I load this. But let's just take for instance, that was a really good win, really, really good win against the next. And what have we done? made it was 1230 on a Sunday okay so you make excuses for the necks on one hand so that's that's that's the go-to would those excuses have been made for the lakers absolutely not if they were playing in a day game in in new york no those those everybody loses day games in new york okay but the other thing is what came out of that game every oh the lakers are better without lebrun i'm so tired of like i'm so tired of like is jason tatoe going to ruin the celtics no are they're Are the Lakers better without LeBron?

Guess what? Good basketball players make teams better. I've got it with the people on that. I watched him and I'm like, yeah, you know what? It's one less guy that has to have the ball to do something. So I was thinking, I'm like. Reeves look good. Reeves looked like he like at a battery pack put in his back.

Reeves is, he looks like a eel. He's just like, you just can't get your hands around him. I did this the chris manx report that like they're going to build around donchish and Reeves and be Dallas 2.0 um mr. Polinka I know you listen to the mismatch. She listens all the way to the end. So he's going to hear this. I don't think that's a good idea. Like I don't know if you want to really dedicate a large percentage of your salary cap to Austin Reeves to go alongside the I mean you the other three guys have to be defensive dogs.

That's what I'm saying. You need three Kauai Leonard's. Like two Kauai Leonard's and a girl. bear. Seriously. I just don't, I don't know. I mean, I understand where they are. They're kind of pigeonholed into this spot. Like what else are going to do with the money and blah, blah, blah. It just feels like, I don't know, man.

Is that back court going to host the Larry O'Brien trophy? I don't know. I mean, he almost did with Kyrie. Kyrie's a different animal than Austin Reeves, though. I think also. And did they almost for a no? I mean, they were there. They were there.

Game five, game five swung it for sure. Game 5 swung it for sure But like yeah I mean they look when you're in the finals You got a crack at it Sure of course right Of course All right

Well I'm sorry I've just made an absolute mess of what was a great idea It's a great no because I couldn't I couldn't follow along with the run down I feel terrible Don't do that don't do that don't do that I feel no no no see I don't like

I don't like to point the figure to others I just I messed it up The first question you asked me was major, minor, or meh, and I said, ma'am. And then I said major. This is going to... The very first one. This is going to bother me. Look, I'm going to have to wait all the way until Friday to get this out of my system. No, do what I do? No. Bruno, first meeting. We're going to have our first meeting.

No, we're going to have the producers. We're going to have Jeff. We're going to get the phone. I'm busy. And we're going to send out a Zoom link. You have to click on your camera. I'm busy. It's how important this meeting is. Our first post show meeting in the history of the Jacoby-Berno mismatch. It's time that we really get on the same. same page. No, I'm busy. This is my Pistons versus Nets, but I will make amends. And I mean, it's going to, Friday is going to be Oh, no, don't do that. Unbelievable.

The same way the Pistons beat down the Nets is going to be my return to glory. My Friday show is going to be one of the greatest episodes I've ever done. And I can't do anything about the hour and 15 minutes I just before. It's, okay, Furno. Furno. But I'm not giving an action. piece of advice to anyone who's still listening to this. Minor setback for a major comeback.

I'm going to give an actual piece of advice that I really believe for anyone still listening to this. In all aspects of your life, keep expectations as low as possible. In all aspects of your life. What you've just done is set expectations high. I'm not scared. I'm not scared of those expectations.

Look, I have the answers. I just needed to know the question. questions. And by Friday, it is on. I love you. I'm fixing everything. I love you so much. Thank you to Jeff. Thank you to Stefan for making it all happen. Oh, wait. Executive producer. Oh, yeah. Jesse had a baby. Jesse Lopez. Congratulations. Jesse Lopez. He's been out. He's on our paternity leave now. Daisy Rose. Daisy Rose. Daisy Rose was born healthy. mom, dad, everybody, they're back home from the hospital and now getting to start their life as a family

and we couldn't be more happy for him. What happens to this show without Jesse Lopez? Look at what happens to us. I didn't even put that together, but you're right. We need dad to come home. You know what? He would have stopped the podcast like 20 minutes in. He'd be like this guy.

I don't even think they're recording this anymore. I think he would have been like, this sucks, started over. You know? No. He would have just stopped recording, just let us talk to each other and then just not posted it. Yeah, you know what's still on. Yeah, you're probably right.

Talk to like Chris Ryan on the side and been like, hey, man, that podcast is unworthy of being posted. I think, I think Dr. Rivers is going to be available soon. I got to tell you, if you've made it to the end of this podcast, you are an unbelievable American. We love you. And we salute you. I'll see you at Magic City.