The Mismatch - The Lakers' Statement Win, Resurging Bucks, Cade’s Growth, and More We Love and Loathe

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

Verno and Jacoby go through last night’s action, starting with the Lakers' impressive blowout win over the Celtics and the Thunder's surprising loss to the Mavs (01:39). They then discuss Nikola Jokic’s historic performance in the Nuggets' win over the Kings, the Bulls' future, and their reaction to the All-Star starters (11:29). Next, the guys share the teams, players, and things they loved and loathed from this week in the NBA (26:19). The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hosts: Chris Vernon and David Jacoby Producer: Jessie Lopez Social: Keith Fujimoto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's popping, everybody? Logan Murdoch here from Real On the Ringer NBA show. And I wanted to invite you to pull up and kick it with Roger Bell, Howard Beck, and myself during All-Star weekend for our live podcast. We're going to be at the historic punchline comedy club in San Francisco on Saturday, February 15th at 2 p.m. pre-gaming all the all-star festivities. And you never know who might stop by. Get your tickets now by heading over to ringer.com backslash events. That's ringer.com backslash events. to see you there. Welcome to The Misfatch.

I'm Chris Vernon. And joining me to us every week from the ringer.com is Dave Jacoby. Jacoby. Bruno, I'm excited about this show. There's a lot to get to. And there's a lot I know that has been bothering you.

There's a lot that's bothering me. There's a lot to be celebrated. Let's get it. Yeah. And I've gone to a bunch of games. This is a weird week for me because I went to a game in person on Monday for Martin Luther King Day

with the Grizzlies and Minnesota. Then I saw him play against Charlotte on Wednesday night. Then they play tonight against the Pelicans. Then tomorrow night at home against the Jazz. It's four games in the very short amount of times. Are those are games you have to win. I know.

The Pelicans are kind of hot now. The Pelicans are low-key hot right now. I know. Actually, this one might actually be the fun one to go to tonight. But a bunch happened last night. Let's start with the Lakers smoking the Celtics. So are we going to give the Celtics a pass because they went to overtime against the Clippers?

or did this have meaning? This is, again, I've said it before on this pod, so I don't want to repeat myself over and over again, but like this is habitual now. Over the last two months, the Celtics have been like a win-one, lose-one team, but we're all just penciling them in and the NBA finals, like it's not a thing.

Like, at what point are we going to actually question the Celtics? And everybody else says, oh, if they make threes, they win, if they miss threes, they lose. it's not that simple. It's really not, but they were missing threes. You're not making your point the best regarding last night's game.

No, no, no, no, no. 38% from the field and 33% from three. Meanwhile, LeBron James, Austin Reeves, and AD combined for 67. About their 34% from three. That includes two for two from Jaden Springer. So it's like, it's really more like,

29% from three. Let's be honest. And then you had these performances off the bench for the Lakers. Don't connect with 13 and the ghost of Gabe Vincent. Yeah. With a double digit performance. Wasn't he like five for five at some point? I was like, what? I think it was four for four from three.

I was like, is this? What year is this? For one night, we got Miami Heat Gabe Vincent. Exactly. Who was like, he tore up the league one playoffs. I know, right? And so anyways,

It's a good win for the Lakers for sure. And look, and I know we're going to talk about it a little bit later, but it's one of those games that now, and they even, of course, used their time in front of the microphone. It was like, hey, we're good enough. You just saw what we did to the Celtics. We just need more. And if you give us a little more, then we're going to be able to beat anybody.

You just saw what we did to Boston, right? Just help us out here, get a little more. So we're about to go into full on these last two weeks, the full court press from within with the Los Angeles Lakers, for them to make moves, improve said team, because this is one of those proving ground games. I think if you're trying to make your case from within, and obviously LeBron and AD are both trying to do that.

It's one of those that can give you some hope. Well, yeah, it is one of those that gives you hope. And there's not, I don't see any national trade partners out there to sort of like put them over the hump. I don't think they're like a Vucevic away from, you know, the Larry O'Brien trophy. But one thing I walked away from this game saying to myself is, are the Boston Celtics just inventing white guys at this point? Like, who is Baylor Shireman? He's like, who? He was like the last pick of the first round.

Who's this guy? And it's like coming out. I was like, so now they could, they could in theory, play Hauser, Pritchard, Shireman, Porzengis, and Cornett and be the funniest team in the league. And if any coach was going to do it, it would be Joe Mass. If any coach was going to finally do it. If any franchise, it would be the Celtics. And if any coach, it would be Joe Mazuma.

Just for the, just, just, just. for the vibes. Hey, don't let them find a grizzly game on a random night because they may see Conchar, Huff, Laravia, and Knard coming right at him. And Yuki, just for fun. A couple other things that took place last night. Boy, I'll tell you this, if you are the number one seed, which it appears that the thunder are going to be, certainly through the first half of the season, the last thing on earth. Your nightmare is the math somehow dropping to eight because the maps truly have their number. Last night, in the absence of Luca Dajic, Spencer Denwitty is 11 of 14 from the field, has 28 points.

PJ Washington has 19 rebounds, and look, you can't do the, well, the Thunder didn't have their guys. I mean, they didn't have Luca Dodgich in this game. Yeah. And I saw it posted this. I saw this posted this morning. The Thunder in the last 50 games that they have played are 38 and 12. They're 2 and 7 against the MADs. So that would make them 36 and 5 against everyone else that is not the Mavericks.

And we just saw them recently. You know, the Mavericks had won any other games. But a couple weeks ago, they beat the thunder 106 to 98. Like if you look up and down their schedule, it's like Oklahoma City win, lost, loss, loss, lost, Los, Oklahoma City win. Los, Los, Los, Los. It's hilarious. Like, I mean, sometimes other teams just have your number.

And one of the things is it's low possession game. This is one of the things I've talked to you about. And this is true of those young teams that are at the top that want. to play out in space. They want to force turnovers. They want to get up and down the court. And so how do you muck it up? How do you drag that into the mud?

And a lot of times there's going to be these games where these potent offensive teams and really good teams like the Thunder, like Memphis, can look bad because you're playing so much deadball basketball. And last night, one of the things I look at, I'm like, every time. something like this happens, I go and I look at that free throw number, it's 58 combined free throws in this game, 58 free throws in the game. And so you are playing tons of dead ball basketball and it makes young teams very uncomfortable to play it like that. That's a good point. I didn't, while I was watching this game, I kept,

I wasn't considering pace as much as I was considering the Thunder offense. and I kept waiting for a run. Because I'm like, guys, the number one team in the West. You can't. It's a whistle. They're playing the Mabs without Luke Godachish. I'm like, there's an 80 run coming. There's a 12-0 run coming.

This is going to be a close game. This is, there is a run coming for the Thunder. And it just never came. Jacoby, runs happen when there are allowed to be consecutive possessions. And that's what I'm saying. Those runs never have. happen and so you never get the juice up you never get the crowd going and young players are affected by this more the veteran teams and so you don't get to have that run because as soon as you

you know make a two then you come down make a three then the next possession of and now we're walking up and down the yeah yeah it it i think that those two things are related because what the thunder want to do is they want to steal the ball from you get out transition and score get the crowd excited steal the ball from you again get out in transition someone hits a three next thing you know they're calling a timeout, then they're dancing their way over to the bench. Yeah. Oklahoma City's going crazy.

And even though you're down by eight, it feels like you're up six because the inevitable is about to happen. And that just didn't happen last night. And I think that you astutely pointed to the amount of fouls and the sort of lack of rhythm and flow in the game. But for me, it's a point, and I'm not going to sit here.

Like, I don't want to be too critical of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who I consider to be the best team in the National Basketball Association. But there is a part of me that's watching the game. And watching the game when SGA was out, J. Dub couldn't sort of like carry. the offense. And he played well last night, but my question for you is like, there aren't

too many teams that have a true, like, third score that's not like some sort of like Jordan Clarkson off the bench or sort of like Malik Munk sort of a person. But they don't really have a third guy that can get their shot. I mean, the idea is going to be a chat. Yeah, but he's not there. You're not there. I understand.

Right. Well, and Williams is a fantastic scorer in his own right, but it's a lot like other players around the league where it's like, okay, but SGA creates for everybody. Like that's the thing. Not only does SGA create his own shot, he creates for everybody else. I mean, the usage rate is really high.

I mean, he makes that whole thing go. He makes the whole thing go. And so in the absence of him, you have to have somebody else. There's a lot of guys that are not going to create their own shots, right? Those shots are created for them because of playing. It's hard to do against an NBA defense, to be fair. That's an elite, elite skill. You have to be like a true born score.

And they're playing, you know, but they're playing off of this one guy, right? In the same way that many teams, rightfully so, play off their best player. It is weird. It's one of those like hawk Celtics things where it's just like for whatever reason this matchup doesn't work and let's put a pin in that and just if you're a fan of the Thunder, you just hope you don't see the Mavericks in the playoffs. Because PJ Washington is seven and one against the Thunder as a match. ever. That's crazy.

And you can't just say like that's a, well, that's an anomaly. Like, because the guy, he stood in the court and like folded his arms against him and he's had like huge games, right? 19 rebounds. PJ Washington's hanging out with his homeboys. His homeboys is like, wow, the thunder of the best team in basketball. He's just sits back like, I haven't seen it. I've seen it on screen.

I haven't seen it myself. I'm seven and one in my last eight against these guys. Yokic, just an absolutely insane night, obviously, though there was other stuff going on in the NBA. It was outside of a dunk, easily the most passed around highlight that I can remember this year. I mean, I had that texted to me four times.

Oh, yeah. And if you haven't seen it, we'll play the clip. Yokic going to throw it up from what? Did you see him after the game? Yes, of course I did. What was running through your mind? I knew it was going in. I'm glad you brought that up because we also have some sound from him after the game.

We'll get to his performance, but here's what he said after the game. It's hilarious. I bet a lot of these Nuggets fans in here voted for you to make it there. What do you have to say to them? Thank you guys. Thank you for sending me and making me not having rest. Thank you, guys. So that's about the Nuggets fans sending him to the All-Star game, right?

He just won a big game, hit a three-quarter court shot. You heard about that. He says, oh, I knew it was going in. And they're like, yeah, these Nuggets fan, they voted for you. You're an All-Star this year. He's like, thank you, thank you for not letting me get rest. He doesn't want to be an All-Star. I love Nicola Yokic so much.

He has no interest in being an All-Star whatsoever. I don't even think he knows where his MVP trophies are right now at all. He's just like, I would rather have the time off, but thank you, I guess, for voting me into being an All-Star. And I'm going to tell you something wild. Look this up. while we're on the air. Because if I'm not mistaken, a few years ago,

when I went to the All-Star game, I think it was Utah. I think it was Utah when it was in Salt Lake City. One of my buddies went to this, like, nice restaurant, one of the night, and he said, he gets set at this table,

and there is, it's got to be the All-Star game. And there's like this crazy loud music that he cannot understand a word, two. I can't understand a word to. And he's like, what in the hell? Like this guy, like, eating dinner. And they open up the door and it's like a private room. And it's Yokic and like all his family and all these people. And they're blaring this like music from his home country. Serbian folk music. And it's his and they're celebrating his birthday. That's why I said,

look it up. Is his birthday like right around All-Star? It's got to be. You want me to look this up? You want the audience to look this up. No, no, no, no, no. I don't know you're giving me homework. I don't want to do any work. Wait, you can't. Let me see when Yoki did the first. What are you talking about?

Look this up while I fill time. February 19. It is All-Star. So not only does he not want to go do all the pomp and circumstance of All-Star, it's literally his birthday every year. That's great. I guess, you know what? He, All-Star weekend will be over by the 17th,

or by the 16th. So he'll actually get to celebrate. Still, he has no interest in going to All-Star weekend whatsoever. None. He will leave straight from San Francisco home. Yeah.

Like, and I mean to a different country. No, no, he doesn't have that much time. He doesn't have that much time. For his birthday. Huge night, though.

I mean, 35, 22, and 17. It's just, that's ridiculous. Okay. That's ridiculous.

All right. Oh, crazy. Absolutely crazy. And so I'm reading. an article. By the way, that 32, 22, and 17, only Wilt Chamberlain has ever

had a 35-2015 game. I mean, it's always Will. It's always Will. Right. It's always Will. But just for point of reference, he's the only player that's ever done that. I mean, those stats, that's how insane those stats are. And we do kind of take it for granted. I mean, 35

and 17, let's say all those 17 assists were for two-pointers, that gets to like 69 points. And let's say, let's say five of those were threes. It gets you over 70 points. Just you yourself contributed to it. So I'm reading an article this morning and it says that his shot, he said his shot was 80 feet.

Said he hit an 80 footer last night. I think it's listed at like 66 for some reason. I don't know why. But that was long. The article I read said 80. And that it was the sixth longest shot. shot in NBA history. So a lot of those go off the backboard.

You know what I mean? Like that was just a swish. That was in. So here's a little trivia. Who is recorded as having the longest shot in NBA history? Well, I mean, there's no like physical attributes or or sort of, uh, something in someone's bag that makes them good at this. So I'm just guessing random players.

So I need like a little bit of. a hint like something a year a team of facial a early 2000's Hornet Larry Johnson Del Curry

Baron Davis Oh I love it God I love Baron Davis Baron Davis has a recorded 89 footer that he made so people can go find that one on YouTube that is the longest shot in

NBA history it of course made me go look this up because I was like the sixth longest I was like the thing was far so baron davis norm van leer get an 84 footer magic johnson 84 lebron james 83 herb williams 81 and then they say the yokic one uh quick baron davis story um i was we did an interview with them whatever and we ended up going to like a basketball court to shoot around in los angeles who lives in around Los Angeles or knows Baron at all. Like he's outside. Like he's a very available human being to interact with.

Like he's around. He's on with Draymond all the time now. All the time. Yeah. He's a co-host in that show. But there's that one thing that basketball players do, really good ones, where you know that you fake a shot, but you roll the ball on the back of your hand and then pull it back. Oh, yeah. You know that little trick? I can't do it. I don't have that in my tool but set.

Baron Davis is so good at that. there were just shooting around and multiple times he would go to shoot and then I would turn to look at the basket and then I would have to turn back two seconds later he'd just be laughing at me with the ball at his side. There's no one better at the fake shot rolled over your hand and then pull it back.

I'm surprised he doesn't have like 15 highlights in the league doing this because it is so effective. He's fantastic at that. He's a great hang too, by the way, child to parent. Other things that happened last night, Warrior smack the bulls. The bulls are just cratering Jacoby.

And so, I mean, they're now 19 and 26. They've lost six of seven. And the only one that they won in that stretch was when the clipper started Chris Dunn and Mo Bamba on a random night. They were without their guys. So look, the reason that they are significant is not only the Levine thing and like, hey, are they, which are they going to choose a direction to go even though they've said we want to be competitive and we want to win games? Are they going to choose a direction to go in the next couple of weeks? What happens with Levine, whose name is always thrown around? But the reason that they are significant is because they are literally the only thing that stands in the way of Philly having a crack at the play in.

And unbelievably, Philly has lost seven games in a row and plays Cleveland tonight. and they're still just two and a half games back from 10. Somewhere the Bulls are like, hey, Philly, win a fucking game so we can get into the 11 seed. This is crazy. I know the Bulls could like, but if the Bulls just had not been trash over the course of these last seven games, they could have really stretched out a lead against Philly because Philly never wins. Philly wants nothing more than just to be the seventh seat or the eight seat coming out of the plane and make a run like they did last year.

They made a run at the Knicks. The Bulls want nothing more than just a bottom out. I don't know that they do though. They do. What else are they doing? The Bulls have been like the sort of the poster child franchise of where you don't want to be in the National Basketball Association as a franchise. You do not want to perpetually be between seven,

and 10 year after year after year. You want to be like the spurs where you're like, we're competing, we're good, we're not good enough to make a run for the playoffs, but we're building something for the futures. We're gradually getting better year after year. The Bulls are just stuck right in the middle of the Eastern Conference year after year after year. And it's not bad players. It's like a collection of guys that when you look at them,

you're like, they can help them, they can help them, they could help them. Like, they're not, they can help each other. I got it, but it's not a bunch of bad players. No. Odd.

And Levine has been like wildly efficient this year too. Yeah, but like where are they going? Like they're not nowhere. Right. I can't see. There are teams in the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference playing

that I could say to myself, that's a tough out. Like, that's a tough out. The Bulls are not one of those teams. Right. The Bulls are not one of those teams. I mean, they do have one guy that on a random night could drop 42 on you.

That's always this. That's always a scare. Stop. Laveen is fantastic. He's fantastic. I do, look. You know what I mean?

And he could help somebody. He could, he could change things. I want to see him in a new environment. I just want to see it. Very well may get it. We have the All-Stars got announced. Yesterday, we have the starters.

Our Nicolaeokich, LeBron, James, Kevin Durant, SGA, and Steph. in the East Janice Tatum Katn, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson. So you got two All-Star starters with your Knicks. I know.

You see that coming? Not really. I mean, I think some of the fan voting with Lamello kind of threw us all off the scent, but I think once the media and the coaches get involved, Le Mello gets pumped down to the bench. I am always, I'm always interested in the gap between

media and players. Like where those gaps exist in terms of the voting? I was very interested by this. La Mello was third in player voting. Seventh in media voting. Interesting.

Yeah. The media had Wemby and A.D. As the starters in the West instead of LeBron and Durant. So we know the media loves Wembe and we know they hate Lamella. Yeah, I think that's fair to say.

And that kind of tracks with what you thought going in. You know what I mean? The media loves Wembe, the media hates Lamello. I get it. I totally get it. Yeah, I mean, I think generally, and the media outside of that, I was kind of surprised AD. AD is one of the starters for the media.

But really, there's not huge differences between the player voting, the fan voting, and the media voting. really La Mello is the one. I think Lamello, you could make an argument that Wembe should be a starter in the West, but what are you going to take out KD? Right. He's KD.

But there's a big gap between Lamello and player and fan, or I guess really media voting. Media voting destroyed Lamello. Yeah. You know, we all know the demographics of the media and the demographics of the fans. Also one that I noticed on there, players lower on Franz Wagner than the media.

Media love. Franz Wagner too. Oh, yeah. Oh, they love Franz. Oh, we're going to get to old Franz who made his return last evening. Oh, it was triumphant. It was trying something. All right. Sometimes in basketball, 30 points could be worth more than 30 points.

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Restrictions apply, including any token expiration and max wager amount. See terms at sportsbook.vandal.com. Gambling problem. Call 100 gambler or visit RG-Help.com. we got to get to the team and players and things that we loved and loat from the week that was in the NBA. You want to start? Do you want me to? I want you to because you got to sell me on this one.

Team that I love. Okay. So look, we do this show every week. We do this episode. Can't be the calves every week. Every Friday from the week that was. And so when I get the opportunity to highlight someone, I've got to take that opportunity. because it's probably going to be the only time.

And that opportunity is now for the Portland Trailblazers. Okay. Who Sunday beat the Bulls. Tuesday won at Miami. And then Thursday last night, not only did they win at the magic, they beat them down. 1-01 to 79, ruining the fronel. Wagner return. I cannot

bully. I mean, I would have bet my life they would have lost to Miami in Orlando. Like this is Orlando? In Orlando? Yeah, this is like, and of course, you know, we had the Scoot story last week. It's like, hey, now, watch out. Scoot might be coming along.

He's back to the bench. But, I mean, this is just a group of guys that are not part of the long-term future for the Portland Trailblazers, but every once in a while, you are going to see especially leading into what is a stressful last three weeks, or two weeks for that matter, two and a half weeks, for these guys where it's like, hey, how, if I play super well, they're going to get me up out of here.

And so you have, and you look, and they've, again, kind of like the Bulls, they've got players, right? don't look at their team and go, well, there's a bunch of guys on that team that can't help anybody. In fact, I look at their team and go, you know, everybody Sevis could help someone and Rob Williams could help someone and Jeremy Grant could help someone and Denny Avija could help someone. And, like, you know, and obviously the future is going to be like clinging, sharp Henderson, building out around that and whatever else. But like the vets that are on their team, you look up and down and it's like, you know, on a given night. And so maybe they're just rallying together for a couple of weeks. You know, they're not, like, at least they're

still competing. And hopefully, I think for most of them, they're hoping that their name gets called within the next couple of weeks that they can go to different situations. Yeah, I'm sure that if you are one of the trade ships there, when your agent's number pops up on the phone, you're not upset about it. You're not too concerned. And, I'll push back a little bit about the Amphrey Simon's thing because I don't know what team that has like competitive aspirations is like really looking for a shoot first point card. No, no, no, no.

He's, no, no, Simon's is best cast as that guy that comes off your bench fills it up and flips the game for you. That guy could get a bucket for you now. But here's a lead the second team. Your second team literally has no one that can do things with. the basketball. So you put Simon in that role. No, that Lou Williams, Jamal Crock, that's what he should be. He should be the somebody's Lou Williams, someone's Eddie Howe, someone's, Jordan Clarkson, yeah. Yeah, he should be that for someone. And he could

help a lot of teams doing that. Yeah, I think so too. Like there are teams that could use a point guard, but not the no, he's not starting. Simon's type of point guard because he's not starting for a good team. No, no. Or if he is, he's, there's going to have, we're going to have to sit down in the office and have some chats about your role in the offense if he's going to be starting for a good team. But I think that you did a good job by celebrating Portland because there's not going to be a lot of opportunity.

That's the reason. But they've got the Hornets tonight. That could be a win. I watch that Hornets team. And look, let me just go ahead and speak on this. I saw him Wednesday night. They were absolutely pitiful. I mean, pitiful. They got 78 hung on in the first half.

And, but Morant wasn't even like, he had like 30, he was just past. passing to people. I think he took nine shots in the whole game. I mean, if he would have put the pedal to the medal, they could have beaten that team by a hundred. And I got it. I don't understand. Like the one thing that does frustrate me about the like young rat teams in, and I was a few have been my praise about Charles Lee when I saw them in the preseason. And I got it. Body language. I got it, but they don't have their guy. Like, you know, look, when I saw them, they had Brandon Miller, they had Grant Williams. They had. They had.

Tray man, they had like, you know, they have a reasonable amount of players to be like a team that could catch you when you dick around one night, right? But those guys, a lot of those guys are all out now. But that still does not change for me that. I watch that team get almost 80 hung on them in the first half. I watch them not rotate on defense. And it's like even if you're bad, you still. have to, you still have to have to have accountability. You know, like, if you ain't going to play hard, if you're going to take bullshit shots, if you're going to play the wrong way, then you're not going to play. Right. We're losing anyway, but I've got to instill

in you. And what I detest is seeing those teams that just do whatever. Like, that Mark Williams, and I saw somebody post, like, you know, he had this huge game, 30 something, whatever, but I know nobody was watching this game. He had like maybe 28 of them in the second half after the game is.

I mean, they were down 30 at halftime. Okay. So it was literally all meaningless. And that guy has a 10 foot. It's actually a 9 foot 9 wing span. 9 foot 9. It's longer than Wembe's. What?

Yes. What? 9.9.9 wingspan? You have to try. Teradactal. You have to try to not. block a shot when you've got a 10 foot wingspan. You have to actively try.

You have to just be dedicated to never putting my arms in the air. It's the damnedest thing I ever saw. So they suck. They actually piss me off watching them. I'm like, bro, you can at least make these kids accountable. Like they just do, obviously it plays off Lamello. Lamello does whatever the hell he wants. No, it's frustrating to me because.

they go through the stretch without Lamello and Miller plays well. And now they're going through the stretch without Miller. And it's like, guys, yeah, you've got ball and Miller. What else? Like what bigs do they have? What are you doing? Like, what is the plan? Mark Williams can go.

I mean, he's a big dude and he can go. But, I mean, you got to make him accountable on the defensive end. Everybody just drove. Everybody did everything. And I'm like, this guy has a 10. Hold on, guys like that drives me nuts. What happened to preseason,

Verno, that watched Charles Lee just orchestrate, just a conductor of an orchestra. Just, just the body language was so good. The vibes were so right. I liked it. I liked what I saw.

What happened to that, Verno, huh? Well, Brandon Miller broke his wrist. Brandon Miller broke his wrist. The night I saw Brandon Miller in the preseason. That dude looked like, frigid,

Well, Blazers Hornets tonight, the game that never happened. If a Blazers Hornet's game falls in the forest and no one's around to hear it, doesn't actually happen. Team that I love this week. And this is also an anti-Sixir's take as well because the Bucks and the Sixers once upon a time were grouped together as these teams with championship aspirations that were absolutely faltering out of the gate to start the season. and they have since been on very divergent paths.

And quietly the bucks are eight and one in their last nine. They're a game and a half behind the Knicks for the three seat. Like they're a week away from being in the three seed in the Eastern Conference. And in particular, they had a really wacky week since we last spoke. They were down in New Orleans and anyone who hasn't been paying attention, the weather in the south has been snowing, snowing in Florida. Verno's kids were in snowed from school last week. Like there's just wacky weather going on all over the place.

And the Bucks got stuck in a hotel for three days in New Orleans. They fly back because they have a game at home against the heat. They land at 5 p.m. for like a 7 o'clock tip. They have to move the tip of the game an hour. And I'm watching the start of this game. Bucks are flat. They look like a team that just got off. football. And they look like a team that hasn't touched a basketball in three days.

There's no chance they're winning this game. Like none. Like it was it was the heat we're kind of like, oh, this is this what we're doing? Like you guys you guys just aren't going to try. The heat jump out in this early lead and everything's going well. I stopped watching the game. But I'm looking at my app on the phone. Well, the bucks are making it a little bit closer. Let me tune back into that game. The second half, they were a different team. And I will say that when they brought on Torian Prince and Gary Trent Jr., I said to myself, oh, look at that. We got some shooting because Brooke Lopez can't be your sort of sole three-point threat outside of Dame Lillard.

And I thought those were really good pickups, and they did not pan out. However, I know Prince had a high, you know, three-point percent of your lease. Gary Trent Jr. stepped up last. Prince was leading the NBA in three points. I know, but he has since come back to her. And I will just say that they had no Middleton, they had no AJ Green, they had just gotten off a plane, that this was a loss.

This was a loss. Before the tip, this was a Milwaukee Bucks loss, but they turned this game around against the heat team, you know, without Jimmy Butler, and we all know that story. But I was really impressed with this Bucks team of late. I've been really impressed with them

specifically last night. And we're just, we all talk about SGA and Yokic like they're the only two MVP candidates. But Yonis is averaging 31, 12, and 6. Which is better than his MVP since. Oh, so now you're going to throw Yonis into the MVP mix again?

It's just worth mentioning. Okay. You know what I mean? It's worth mentioning. It's worth mentioning. Because they be, okay. Look, they have been on a really good streak. and Janus simultaneously, both being good on a regular basis

is something that other teams should feel. I would say the bucks were a head scratching team earlier in this season. They make a lot of sense now. However, Sixers, I've scratched my head so much, I'm losing my hair. Team that I load this week, what the hell Orlando? I mean, you've gotten your guys back. Now, I'm going to make a little bit

Of an excuse for them. No, no, no. It's the team you loathe. No, I load them. Don't make no mistake about it. Look. Look, look at their, go look at their chart. Loss, loss, loss, loss, loss.

Not only that. It's not just, it's not like you're losing 108, 106. You're getting your ass kicked every night. And you got your ass kicked by Portland. They had bronze last night. They had one of the lowest scoring games. I think the third lowest scoring game of the entire season, 79 points

and got run out by Portland on their home court no less and this is coming off of losing by 16 to Toronto. I can excuse losing to Milwaukee at Milwaukee

at Boston, Denver, but then you ended up you know, now you got to get back on track against Toronto and against Portland. And not only did you lose both those games,

you lost both of those games decisively. Now the only thing I will say I get it, it's hard always to function one way, then bring back guys, then bring back another guy and whatever else. I will also say that I had never covered a guy that I knew of that had an oblique injury until this year when Desmond Bain had his. It took Desmond Bain a long time to become Desmond Bain again. I don't know what all goes into that injury. He came. back and was still not himself for three to four weeks. And so I do wonder if that is going to be the case like you saw,

but that is not Paulo Bancaro. Like him, he's won for 14. I mean, bro, come on. That's ridiculous. The problem with Vancaro is that first game back he had 34 and looked like he picked up where he left off. And I said to myself, here come the magic. Palo's back.

Palos, at the rate that he started the season, he started his post-injury season. And I was so excited for the impact that he was going to have. It felt like the magic had finally weathered the storm. The cavalry was coming. They're going to make their run up the Eastern Conference standings. And instead, Pablo goes, what, one for 14. And he's disappeared since that one, that first game back. You get Franz back.

It doesn't make a difference. Even the defense wasn't there. No, they need sucks back. They need sucks back. For sure. But I thought they needed Paolo back. And then I thought they needed Franz back. For sure.

Now they need Suggs back? Like, what's happening? I will say, I will, I think, we talked about this earlier in the year. When you look up and down both conferences, and I tell you, like, who is playing much better than you thought they were going to be playing, right? And so inevitably, you're going to say Houston. and you're going to say the clippers. You're going to say the clippers and you're going to say Houston. Orlando was certainly in that mix.

They were one of the teams that were like, hey, now. For sure. We've got to, but we've got to look at them much differently. And what those teams have in common is that they were elite defensively. They've been like in the top five. They've been in the top 10 in defense this year. And so like most,

and most important, importantly, we would say with Houston and the Clippers and with Orlando, right? We were saying, if you go and dive in, these teams are winning, and they're winning at the rate, they're winning because of their defense, because they have an elite level defense. And this can win you a lot of regular season basketball games. Yes. But when you get to the playoffs and now a team is going to take away, not your two favorite things to do, but your three favorite things. things to do. And now you're going to have to figure out how you're going to score. If you are offensively deficient, then that's going to show up in the playoffs. I also think that part of it

is what's happening, especially if you're not going to get a great polo, is that as the year goes on, as the year goes on, the first half of the season, I think you can stack up a ton of wins just by bringing your defense every single night. But as the year goes on, you've got to be reasonable offensively. Because I think that at the start for a lot, there's a long stretch of time where most teams aren't defending hard every single night. And so you can hang your head on the defensive end, and you can pick up a bunch of wins just by having a good game plan

and being active and defending. But the longer it goes, and then especially when it gets into the playoffs, you've got to have an offense. Because it's a lot harder to stay focused. It's harder to stay focused right now. This is always a malaise. And you see weird stuff happen as we start hurtling towards the trade deadline

and the All-Star Break. This happens every year. And then when you come back from the All-Star Break, now, boy, it is hard to maintain that defensive intensity over the course of 82 games. And so the Orlando Magic, they better find a way to put the ball in the basket at a reasonable rate because otherwise you just put so much pressure on having to be awesome defensively every night. Well, they've got, I'm looking at their schedule quickly to see what they've got coming up. They've got the Blazers.

They've got some winnable games. Blazers heat and pistons. Pistons heat blazers coming up. That should be some wins. Yeah. then the Jazz, then the Warriors, and they hit a tough stretch. Don't you dare Mark,

don't you dare Mark a win against the Pistons. That ain't the way that goes now. No, no. You got to watch out against it. I mean, I really feel like I got okedoked by that first game back from Palo. That is my problem. That is my problem. Do you know they're in seventh?

Yeah. And the Pist, above them, the Pistons and the Paces. We have the top four in the East, we know. But the pisses and the Pacers are playing better basketball than the Magic right now. For sure. So they're not in a seven where I can see them going into six and five pretty easily. Right. They're going to have to change something. And I thought their offensive woes were solved with KCP shooting and Paolo and Franz sort of upgrading their offensive output, which is where we were. But hopefully, hopefully, because we're magic supporters here, this is a, this is a low point in the season right now.

just strange because, I mean, they were winning games with Goga, Batatsi, Cole Anthony and Tristan De Silva. Do you remember that? The NBA Cup game to go to Vegas against Milwaukee. They didn't have any. They didn't have Franz.

They didn't have Paolo. We all thought this was a big disappointment. They were toe to toe with the bucks. Well, they still had sogs. Yeah. He got hurting that one, too. All right, team that I loathed, team I just mentioned.

And they were, eight and one heading into yesterday. And it, oddly, the team I love this week is the Indiana Pacers. What? Now, why would I loat the team that is playing so well? I'll tell you why. Because do you know what the NBA did? The NBA threw on a beret.

They got in a first class flight to Paris. Zutalore. I don't speak French that much anymore. I can show. I can show. I'm a Paris. Quasson. Cret.

Sounds like you're hawk at a luggy. They went to Paris, and I was so excited for the Pacers to beat the Spurs in this exhibition game, which is a trip to Paris to watch Wimby dominate. And I said, you know what? The Pacers are going out there. They're one of the hottest teams in the NBA, and they're going to ruin the party. They're going to play the spoiler. They're going to play tough defense.

They're going to show the Parisians that this is not just an exhibition for Victor Wimbunyama. Stop. But that is exactly what it was in the second half. I was watching this game out and about. I was watching on my phone because I was like, you know, it's 2 o'clock in New York City, so I've got stuff to do. And the first half was pretty tight.

It was pretty good. And I felt pretty good about the Pacers winning the game. I was like, you know what? Good. Like, let's, let's let's let's, let's, I felt a little like patriotism about it. I was like, let's not make this, the Washington generals to the Harlem Globetrotters that are the spurs.

The Wembe invitational? Yeah. Like, that's what it felt like. And I was like, you know what? This person put up a fight. They did not put up a fight. Look, look. Who?

Nobody loves the globalization of the game more than Adam Silver. What if I posited to you that they understood the assignment? No. No. I think this is a team that was enjoying their time in Paris. They're like, oh, free trip to Paris. Maybe we'll split. I think you're right.

But I'm going to explore. I'm going to explore the town. Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, Desmond dezum. Let me.

Quasiam Elantizum. I saw a clip. I saw a clip of, uh, Jokit Noah. I can't, uh, forgive me.

Oh, he's out there. I don't remember what podcast it was. So forgive me. But I would say, they were asking him about going to different countries for a trip. I think his dad, Yonik Noah is French.

Am I wrong? Yeah, I think he's, yeah. But he was talking about how he, they were saying, where would you want, to go if you were an NBA player.

And he said, we got to go. He said, we went to Rio and we get there to like Flamingo or whatever. We're going to Brazil. He goes, and we're going to do it. And he goes, and F in Tibbs makes us practice when we got off the plane.

He goes, I'm still mad at him. Like he didn't let him go and enjoy Brazil at all. He made him practice after the flight to Brazil. He's like, I'm telling you guys. What my favorite stories

from the Olympics in Brazil was the, the USA basketball team, like a few of the gentlemen, I can't name names because I don't remember exactly who they were. I know Boogie Cousins was one of them.

They went to an establishment in which I think you changed into robes and like go to a bar. There's like some cell phone footage of like Boogie Cousins like in a robe. And again, like you have to Google this and fact check it not a journalist, but like at some point, I was like,

did you really think that you could just like walk in like a normal person when you're seven feet tall? You know what I mean? Like, do you think they have a robe your size? You can just lounge around at the bar and just like look at what's offered up in a robe and no one notice Team USA? God. But, yeah, I wanted the patience to do more.

But it was, it was a great performance. Wimbunyama. And I've been very critical of Wimbunyama, but the off the backboard dunk. Oh my God. There was, the highlights are crazy. They're stupid. There's one play in particular that I absolutely loved. And it was he got a block and he dribbled it up. I think he kicked to Champany.

And the defense gravitates towards Champany. Champany kicks to Wembe. And he's got the opportunity to shoot a three. It's like a step from behind the line and he's got plenty of space and time to shoot. But he doesn't. he up fakes because he's got two guys on him now and they're so scared that he's going to shoot the three that they both fall for the upfake

he takes one dribble towards the basket the defense collapsed and then he kicks out to Champany for an open three and that to me was like a really good microcosm of sort of the next step in the evolution of when Benyama's game

he's established that he can shoot from three he's got everyone scared to score on them around the rim but he's now sort of establishing some counters. The up fake and drive and kick is something that I was like, oh, look at that. People are going to start closing you out from three,

take advantage of that. And I thought that that play, off a block by him, by the way, was a really good microcosm of his evolution since just a few months. Player that I loved this week.

I mean, look, this was cinched by the time we did the Tuesday show. I know. If Kay Cunningham is going to, dunk on the Houston Rockets and then turned to them and say on all you MFers. Like I don't, I didn't even care what he was going to. He did that on Tuesday.

I don't even care what he did the rest of the week, but he backed it up by winning another one. He backed it up. I mean, I get it. He had, look, he had 10 turnovers in the game, but he had 11. 9. He had 11, he had 11 assists in the game too, though. And now.

An extra turnover after the game. They reviewed the 10. I guess so Look Cade Cunningham is now leading a team after they They had the Houston win

Then they went at Atlanta Not a place For great performances from young players typically Well especially perimeter guys With Tyson Daniels out there I was talking about the night life But nevertheless 12 for 19

29 points, 11 assists. Yes, he had the 10 turnovers, but he's got the ball in his head. He had 20 turnovers this week and still is my favorite player. Yeah, yeah. He's my favorite player this week. Look,

he's got to make the All-Star team this year and more importantly, he has broken into a different level of player. He has been a great breakout player this year. Certainly will run away with that most improved goofy trophy.

they give out, I'm sure. But don't look now, as you mentioned, when we're talking about Orlando, Detroit's in sixth place. Yeah. And make no mistake, it's Kade, and then it's everybody else. So when you are able to, I mean, and he, he carries the mail every night, every night. I love him. I do. I love him.

Yeah, I mean, I, I, there's a weird, like, sympathy I feel for number one picks because of all the expectations that come with it. I think you're much better off being a number two pick. And I think Cade's first sort of two or three years in the league, disappointing is too strong of a word to use, but not the sort of like franchise altering power balance of the Eastern Conference altering impact that you would like a celebrated number one pick to have. And I think that it's just been delayed.

I think his development and the team around him and the coaches coaching him has changed so much that this seems to be stabilized this season. He seems to be sort of self-actualized as a basketball player. He's absolutely dominant. It's gone from Izzy and All-Star to Izzy All-N-B in like two weeks. Well, I think even Pistons fans have changed their opinion on whether or not, when we have these drafts and we deem guys, we say that guy could be a franchise changing player. I think we had already decided that Cade Cunningham is not a franchise changing player. He's not that level. But he is.

He's not? I was about to say, who said he wasn't? No, I'm saying up until this year. Oh, sure. I think people had decided, hey, that, that, that, look, he was great. He might end up having a really good career, but he's not franchise altering. Well, there's guys you hear, it's the guys you hear about two years out. You know what I mean?

Like the, I can't say his last name, AJ DeCiomo. how do you say? DeBansta. DeBansta, that's right. Yeah, sorry. That's right. You hear about guys two years out. Those are the guys that pop.

And Kade, we were hearing about two years out, three years out. Cooper Flagg, you hear about two years out three years out. Well, and I think we're also, look, with with Cunningham, you look around and I say, like, guys that we previously deemed, they're not like franchise altering. But Kay Cunningham is franchise altering. And Deeran Fox was, but we had already decided he wasn't. And Jalen Brunson, no one in the free one. world. Oh, no.

Thought he was franchise altering, but he is. And those are all point guards. It's taking a little bit of time. Take some time. Yeah. That's fair. It might be here. It's four, five, or six.

You celebrated the Blazers this week. There's some Blazers fans out there waiting for Scoot's turn. Man, you ain't like. There's some Blazers fans out there. Beardt, what was it, K's year four? That we got? That we're waiting for? You're four?

Man, I don't want to wait four years. Watching, Wemby and Paris throw the ball at the backboard and dunk. I know. Scoot. Can't even play 20 minutes a game. The player I loved, Calel Ware. How do he keep doing this?

Losing? Well, just finding guys. Why did you just go ahead and heart like Mark Williams, too? He's the 15th pick in the draft. I got it. From Indiana. He's, he,

the last three games said 25, 20, and 22. Are any of those wins? Every time, he's, shut up. Every time he's played 20 minutes, which is five times, he's had 20 points for the five times. And I was watching this game last night. He's a seven footer.

He's skinny. He rim protects. He moves. He rebounds a little bit. But he was hitting threes. In the last two games, he was two for six and two per seven. Not great. But he's had, in his very short time,

he's had a three for three for three game from three, a three for four game from three, and a two for three for three in his very short career. And Khalil Ware, he could be a guy that could have a really. impact for this heat team, which is definitely getting younger and definitely sort of like changing their timeline. And Khalil Walker be a part of it. I thought that was a hit. I actually talked about where coming into the draft as he was, I thought that what we saw

by the Mavs making the NBA finals was that this archetype of the lively. He has been compared to lively a lot. Yeah. Well, because he was the only. thing that was close. You had some of these other guys, like at the very top, you had the Klingons and the Edies and whatever. But if you were looking for

that rim running, big athletic, fly up and down the court catch lobs kind of guy, who was also, by the way, a disappointment in college early came on last year at Indiana, but still not

like crazy. And then also a massive like McDonald's All-American five-star, five-star, right? Like those guys have been. Seven four, they can shoot. I mean, they've been previously bet on at very good rates before. James Wiseman could shoot.

And I'll tell you this. And I have the weirdest Khalil Ware experience because I ended up becoming super high on him and talking about him a lot last year leading into the. draft and it was because I was going to watch a Caitlin Clark game and Indiana, Michigan State was on like right before it. So I just ended up watching Indiana and Michigan. And I just happened to see like literally the greatest game he's ever played in his life. So as far as you're concerned.

Yes. So I was watching the game. I'm like, Jesus Christ. Who is this guy? Seven feet and rebounds like a shot's in three? Why is he not? Why is he not projected? This draft stinks.

Why is he not supposed to go in the top ten? You're telling me there's ten guys better than this guy? Well, turn of the player development. If you're in OKC or you're in Miami, you're going to get a shot. You're going to get a shot. They'll get the best out of you. And I feel really good from what I saw from where this week. He just started, started.

Well, this is perfect because the guy I loathe is a teammate. of Kalil-Wares. Is he? Yeah, Jimmy Butler, okay, like, I got it. I'm not even going to talk about him getting suspended for missing the team flight. That's obviously ridiculous. What I'm going to talk about is sending out your guys, first Chris Haynes, and now Mark Spears, who is doing reporting, and he's on ESPN, and here's what he has to say

about Jimmy Butler yesterday on their NBA Today show. I was told today from someone closest situation that his wish list is just out of Miami, with exception to Memphis. That's not out of Miami. That's what they said developing, developing, developing. Yeah, that's like when people say, what do you have for your birthday? Oh, anything. But here's my three-page list of the actual.

But he does want to finish his career where he ever goes. That's the key. Oh, that's interesting. All right. I remember when he told me he wanted to finish his career in Miami. Um, anywhere but Memphis. What the hell? Anywhere, but Memphis is the three seat in the Western Conference.

He'd rather play for the Wizards than the Grizzlies. He'd rather play for the Pelicans or the Grizzlies. He would rather be on... Look, I'm not going to go through this. I'm not going to go through this massive defense of Memphis and that you could win and you might be able to win a title. I'm not going to go through. all of that and tell you all the reasons. I love Memphis or whatever else.

I will just say it's mega disappointing because Jimmy Butler has always been one of those guys that people would love here. Oh, yeah. He's cut from that cloth. What they respect is that kind of guy that's tough, that guy that plays hard, that guy, I mean, they've made a focus.

I'm going to watch Tony Allen's, jersey hanging in the rafters later this year. But he is the archetype of everything that would be appreciated the most and would have a chance at winning a title. Like you might be the piece. Oh, yeah. Right? You might be the piece that could end up winning a title. By the way, something that you have not done with this team.

Like this team plus Jimmy Butler minus whatever, Marcus Martin, whoever else has got to going the deal. Right. That way, that's a, that's a championship contending team. It's just bullshit to be always leaking out. Like, I'll go anywhere except there. So here's my question. And I'm not going to take it as a per, here's the thing. Why would he not take Charlotte off the list? Why would he not take Brooklyn off the list? Why would he not take the Pelicans off list? Why aren't the Warriors off the list? Why aren't the Blazers off the list? I'm glad you're bringing this up. Why the Grizzlies is the one team that's off the list. I'm glad you're bringing this up. The reason.

I am not going crazy about this. Because, I mean, look, in the end, F you, right, if you don't want to be, you'd be wherever you want to be. You're too good for it. But the reason I'm not going so crazy about it is because my experience has been this. If something like this happens

and it feels like targeted, like why? Like, as you said, why? Why Memphis? Because there must have been, those conversation, that it became a reality. And that's why you have Haynes first. So it became a reality that it like, hey, this might could happen to Memphis.

This might could happen to Milwaukee. Could you remember those were two of the first ones? Memphis and Milwaukee. By the way, both do have chances to win a title. No, no, no, no, no. As places he didn't want to go. Memphis and Milwaukee was first. And now it's Memphis.

And so that's what I've got to believe that then you met with the, you know, But you could, I can understand Milwaukee because of the playoff series and the sort of like hatred there, I guess. No, no, no, no. The reason he's saying Memphis is because he doesn't want to be there and it's probably the best deal on the table that they've gotten. And so then they talk to him a couple of different times and been like, look, bro, you could be an asshole, but you want out. And this is like we have to do what's best for our franchise too. And we think this is the best deal that we can get for you. We've scouted around.

and they're actually willing to give us something to get your ass. And so, hey, man. And then so he has to keep on saying, not there, not there, not there, not there, because it very well may be the best deal that they could get. It's disappointing. It's disappointing because you might be a Jimmy Butler away from having a real shot at the title. You know what I mean?

You walk into Oklahoma City with John Moran, Desmond, Bain, Jimmy Butler, and Jared Jackson. that's a different deal and Jay Huff just to run it out and Jiuke and you forgot I saw forgive it yeah yeah player that I loath is a player that I love I love them this week

and it's I just don't want a similar thing that happened with me and Joel and Bede to happen to me in this player which is over time I start to realize what a dirty player they are and I start getting mad at them yep this is uh Lugan's Dort a four popularly known as Lou Dort

he punched Daniel Gaffer to the dick yesterday He did. Yeah. He did. And you watch the slow-mo replay. There's just kind of nothing else that you can, you can gather from it, aside from that. And then, like, I remember, look, Batum did this years ago in the, in the, in the Olympics. And he just, you're a nerd puncher, bro.

That's what you are. What you get labeled as. You're a darned puncher. Do it. You're that. Nope. Dylan Brooks did it to, uh, to a Donovan. Bill and Brooks did it.

Draymond's done it. It's a weird, it's a weird thing. No other. sport that I'm aware of has had this last year in the offseason, two off seasons ago, they were like, we're going to focus on keeping our players from punching each other

in the nards. Like they had to come out with a rule change. Like, I don't know if FIFA has done this, or Boondislega, or team handball. I don't know if any league has ever made a statement being like, we need to make sure that genitalia punching and grabbing is weeded out of our sport.

I don't think that's ever happened in the history of sports. I'd rather be I'd rather be closed line. Well, the Ludo-thing thing on Gafford was pretty gnarly yesterday. I think he deserved to be kicked out. And it's also a function of losing game. It's a losing team,

a desperate team does stuff like that. And then I started going down a little bit of a rabbit hole of Ludoort being dirty. Earlier in the game, he had an egregious flop with Kai Rieck's, quote-unquote, pushed him. Like, it was kind of a bad night for Ludoort in terms of ethical basketball. thing that I loved,

the video of the Pistons going to Buckees. You've ever been to a Buckees? For Northeastern Elite like myself, please explain what Buckees. I have been to Buckees because I've been on many road trips, many tours, but many sort of like on the road for months sort of things, which is a Buckees.

Buckees is like a combination of the greatest gas station you've ever been with the greatest gas station, gas station food you've ever had and then like a quasi Walmart. Yeah. And it's also like a, what's that store in the mall where these to have like quirky teen stuff? Spencer's. Yeah, it's kind of like a Spencer's too where it's just got like weird items.

Buckies is amazing. I was so ready to, I was on a road trip and I was headed to Alabama and I saw an exit and it said Buckies. and I was like, I've never been there. And I was so ready to say Buckees is overrated. If anything, it's underrated. And by the way, Jacoby, they are building one 20 minutes from my house. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's an afternoon with the kids.

Take the kids getting cards, go to Buckees. That's four hours. They have 100 million gas pumps. They have 100 million bathrooms that are always clean. Snacks, you've ever seen. Every snack you have seen, nostalgic snacks, you have. haven't seen for years. There's got everything.

There's never a line. And by the, and the mascot, Bucky where they have the little, the gopher looking beaver, whatever hell it is. Don't call him a gover. That is a goddamn beaver.

It is. Hey, it's amazing. I have a Yeti with a Bucky on it. My kid had a T-shirt with a Bucky on it. Oh, we have a little, we have a little plush Bucky.

Oh, this is a plush Bucky. A plushy bucky. Wow. I didn't realize how deep the Vernon roots were in the Bucky Bucky brand. No, we've only been once, but we bought it all. The Pistons loved it. They looked like an AAU team rolling up in there. You can go find the video, but them on their road trip,

getting off the bus and going to Buckees and then filming it and putting it out for the world to see was my favorite thing this week. Let me just say that that feeling, because being trapped in a car, like I said, I've been on a couple of tours where we drove from city to city sometimes like eight hours or seven hours. It's kind of a drag. You kind of like work the night before you wake up early, you go out of the hotel lobby.

And you just like looking at an eight hour drive and you drive for three hours. You've listened to all the goddamn songs. You've been the same car with the same people for three weeks. You've had every conversation there is ever have with these people. And you're getting bored. It's like hour three and a half. And you're hungry and you're tired. You still got five more hours in the road.

And there is nothing like one car calling the other car and saying, do you guys want to stop at Buckees? Hell yeah, we do. that you can feel the palpable excitement on the pistons of just like, I get to get out of this car, I get to walk around, stretch my legs,

get some food, get a shopping experience. It's honestly like being a kid and like walking up to the Magic Palace at Disneyland. It's the same thing, being an adult who's been in a car for multiple hours going to Buckees.

Buckies is amazing. I love Buckees. Very quickly, the thing that I love is this surprising duo of Nika Lokey and not Russell Westbrook. Earlier in the week, Russell Westbrook, Yokic said all he has to do is give Westbrook a nod, a look,

and he knows what I'm thinking. And just last night, Westbrookic said that Yokic is the best player in the planet, and he loves, he thanked him in the Nuggets franchise for sort of revitalizing his career. How could another duo between Yokic and an unsuspecting teammate to trump that as the thing I love this week? Well, started with former colleague in front of mine, Michelle Beatle, Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams, the run-in-back show, talking to D'Andre Jordan, current front-court teammate of Nicolio.

Peyton Watson is our locker room DJ, so anytime Nicole requests a song, if it's not like Serbian folk music, it is a minivan by 50% and he knows the worst will start to finish. So then after the game, the TNT guys asked Yokic if he would perform many men if he knew the words, he said he needed to practice. And then 50 cent tweeted this.

Look, if he says he's going to perform, we're going to perform, I'll back him up. We will have the spot jumping, L.O.L. 50 cent, Nikola Yokic, duet many men performance soon come. That is the thing I love this week. The thing that I loathe this week as myself.

What? Yeah, because I have talked to Jesse and the Powers that Be, and I'm trying to get Monday's podcast deleted. Why? Because Eric Collins didn't come on the show? Eric Collins did not come on the show. Did he deny your request? They said he couldn't do it because he did not fly in with the team.

He was having to fly commercial the day of. therefore he couldn't make it in time. So I accept that. I accept that. That's fine. It's a hard thing to lie about. So that's a hard thing to lie about and I accept it. It's acceptable.

I don't take it as a person. It's a standing invite to come on the Chris Vernon show. Right. Next time you're in Memphis. Next year. Next year. All right. All right.

So we did things that we believe, right? Oh, Monday. Yeah. And, you know, look, I can't very well pat myself on the back when I tell you, hey Cooper Flagg's living up to the hype and then he breaks the ACC freshman scoring record the next day. That was great, right?

It was the same day. I had these beliefs. And then so I had SGA is going to be a unanimous MVP and everybody's going to be tired of Nicolio Kitch and he's already won three. And then SGA had

54 points in the week and I'm like, oh, this is great. Like, look, this is easier than ever. Except for the fact this son of a bitch has five triple doubles in a row, including a 35, 22, and 17, or whatever the hell it was. I'm like, okay. And one dickhead didn't vote Ichero into the Hall of Fame backing up your, there's always one ticket. There's always one.

Especially in the media. That one went to hell in the handbasket. I said the Celtics were fine, and they got beat by 20 on national TV by the Lakers. During Rivals Week. Yeah. It was an absolute disaster for me, because I had these things that I believed.

I was like, all right. Oh, by the way, do you remember what my third one was? No, I don't listen to you. It's the worst of them. Oh, God, let me try to think. I still have a chance at SGA being unanimous. miss.

No chance. I still have a chance of the Celtics being fine. I still do, even though this has been admittedly bad week. The third one is the worst one. What do you got? The third one was that the only team that could break up the East Top 4 is Orlando. Oh, God. And they lose every night.

I just had to burp on that one. It's been a disaster. You know what? I don't believe in you anymore. I want to delete Tuesday's show. And Eric Collins didn't come on the show. It's just been a, it's just,

it's a tough week. It's been a bad week. It's been a bad week. The thing I loath is something that's been bothering me for years, to be honest with you, for years. And it was, it occurred again during a sit-down with Shams, And it's with Anthony Davis and here's what he had to say.

What more can be done with this roster? Are you satisfied with the roster? Do you feel like you guys need some more here? I think we need another big. I feel like I've always been at my best when I've been to four. And having the big out there, we know it worked when we won the championship with Javille and Dwight. Met the five and I met the four.

I'm so tired of this from Anthony Davis. I'm so tired of Anthony Davis being like, I'm a four, I need a five. And there is, like, I'm not going to completely discredit it as a sort of like a basketball strategy because there is, it does hold some water in that regard. But the idea that he is constantly saying, I'm not a five, you're seven feet tall, you're one of the best rim protectors in the game. You're not a great shooter. Like, why aren't you a center? And again, this has been proven time and time again. That bubble championship, they won.

60% of the time he was on the floor in the playoffs, he was the center. The majority of the time during the playoffs, when they won the championship, that he just referenced, he was the biggest man on the floor for the Lakers, 60% of the time. And he had a great finals that year too.

I understand what he's trying to say. He's saying, I would have a much easier regular season if there was a goon that could cover the other team's biggest player, so I wouldn't have to do the dirty work. I wouldn't have to contest all the shots. I wouldn't have to bang against the big. I wouldn't have to box people out as much.

I wouldn't have to rebound as much. It would be easier for me if the Lakers would bring in a center. But I don't think that that's going to solve any of the Lakers' problems, especially with the centers that are available. And I am so tired of this narrative from Anthony Davis that he's not a center. bro, you're seven feet tall, you're a center in the National Basketball Association. Just get over it. That's the thing I love this week.

The next time that you and I record, it is going to be after we have both been in attendance together at the Knicks versus the Grizzlies. I'm so excited about this. Nick's Grizzlies is Monday night in Madison Square Garden. I'm going to fly up this weekend and I will be there with Jacoby in person. to watch both of our teams battle it out in Madison Square Garden on Monday night and then we'll record on Tuesday morning so you can hear what the experience is like.

First of all, I'm most excited that we're both bringing our wives. It's going to be amazing. A little double date night. Go to dinner first. And I sent you a text and I was like, oh, it's a Monday. Like Monday night in the garden gets kind of sleepy. And what was your response?

Not when John Morant's there. John Morant will wake him up. Don't worry. And I also feel like it's going to be a good game. I think it's going to be a good game. I feel like there's going to be some good. There's a little bit of like a Spider-Man meme thing between like Cat and Triple J.

We're like it's kind of like cat's kind of like I am who you want to be. And Triple J is kind of like I am who you want to be. And I feel like there's a little bit of that between John Brunson. There's going to be there's going to be some interesting things going on on that floor. And I'll predict this too. I think you're right. I think Jha is going to. going to have a moment, a dunk, a play, a highlight, something that's just going to wake everybody

up and sort of re-energize the guard. I think it's going to be a close game, too, and I'm so glad that we're going to be there together to talk about it. We'll be recording right after that game. Thank you to our executive producer, Jesse Lopez, as always, and Jacoby. I will talk to you. I will see you. See you. This week. Must be 21 and over in present in select states for Kansas and affiliation. with Kansas Star Casino or 18 over and present in D.C. Got a gambling problem? Call 1-800 gambler or visit RG-Help-Help.com.

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