The Ringer NBA Show - Can the Thunder Keep This Up? Plus: Do We Believe Their Raps. | Real Ones

Episode Date: January 4, 2024

Logan and Raja are back to acknowledge what has been a very successful year for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and discuss what it takes for a young team like this to stay on top for a whole season (01:00). Later, the guys bring back their favorite game, Do We Believe Their Raps, to highlight some of the best and worst teams in the West right now, including the Lakers and Clippers (33:30). The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming, please checkout theringer.com/RG to find out more or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Producer: Jonathan Kermah Production Assistant: Kai Grady Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would you do if you got scammed? Would you suffer in silence, or would you do something about it? Well, I got scammed once, and this is the story of what I did. I'm Justin Sales, the host of the Wedding Scammer, a true crime podcast from The Ringer. And for seven episodes, we're hunting a comment. A guy with a lot of aliases, a guy who's ruined a lot of weddings. And with the help of some friends, I just might be able to catch him. Listen to The Wedding Scammer on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's popping? Logan Murdoch here, Roger Bell, there. Real ones, we are back. 2024. You know the vibes. Raja, how you doing, man? How was your two weeks off? What'd you do?

Tell me everything. What's going on? I miss you. That's a lot of time. Miss you too, buddy. Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you. All the listeners, Kerm.

What did we do? Hi, wherever you're at. Happy New Year's of you as well. It was a busy, it was a busy couple weeks, bro. We were, you know, obviously we did the Christmas holidays and stuff. My wife's family was. in town. My family's here already. My middle boy Tye's team played in Vegas, which I did not go to the Tarkhanian Classic. My wife took him to that. And then we went as a family to the Arby's

classic up in Tennessee slash Virginia. It's right there in the Tri-Cities, I think they call it. I've been to a lot of tournaments, Logan, high school tournaments. That one was done really, really well. It looked like it was yanking. It looked like it was yanking. It was crazy, man. We pulled up to the gym. I did not know what to expect. There's no parking. This town kind of shuts down. I met maybe four or five dudes, like independently who all told me they're probably 50s that they've been coming to this event since they were like seven or eight years old with their father. They take their holiday. Their vacation is built around the Arby's classics so they can bring their kids to watch these high school players. It's a it's a field of all state champions

or state runner up. So it was pretty dope. You know, and then we got back and it's just been on the grind, bro. Kids, you'll learn this one day. When the kids are off from school, it should be downtime, right? Like, because you get to sleep in, you ain't got that hustle and bustle in the morning to get them out. But it always winds up being more tiring than if they're in school, bro. You didn't, you, you didn't have that time for your, for your 10 a.m. nap that you're used to before the pot. You're not, you didn't get that time. You weren't afforded that, right? You missed that, didn't you? You have to be leaking my beauty secrets, dog. Like, yeah. Listen. There's been plenty of times of Raza's been like, hold on, dog. Roger's, hold on, hold on, hold on, man. Like, what did you do, Roger?

If we'll switch the time from like 1130 to noon, Roger gets a little divish and goes, hey, relax. And I'm like, what are you doing, Raza? I was, I was napping. I took the kids to school and I did my beauty. Here's the deal, dog. I'm just going to keep me the buck. Since we're on a pod and my goal is to get back.

I fell off the wagon in terms of my workout and my diet. So like starting Monday when they're back in school, I'm back at it. But the 640 wake up, right? And the last drop off is like the last drop off for school is like 8.30. So this, this back and forth with myself between like, yo, do I get the workout now or do I cop a quick nap? And I can still get the workout before I got to pick somebody up at 3 o'clock. block, you know, the sheets talk to me sometimes, but I'm not going to front.

Like, I get the workout now, then I'm up all day, but I could get the nap and still get the workout later. Come on, yo. You're killing two birds and one stone. That's a simple math. What are we talking about? What are we talking about? That's simple math.

I mean, I don't need the, I don't even need the bed, bro. You see me after the, after the pod. I'm going straight to the couch. Just, not. Get ready for the game tonight. You ain't got to tell me about random naps. I'm locked in. That's my day.

Happy lazy New Year, bro. I'm off that, though. I'm getting productive. I'm getting back in the golf swing. My white bar me some cold-ass J-1 silver golf shoes for Christmas. Like, I'm back. So basically, with Mike, when MJ, when MJ makes that call again, you're going to be ready to roll. But MJ, you got, hey, look, give me three weeks at the range, my boy.

Long time, listen to the pod, Michael Jordan. We're listening. Yeah, right. All jokes aside, I've had a couple cups of coffee, so I'm talking fast. but there were some people in the Tri-City area at the Arby's Classic that were fans of the pod. Word? We had some listeners, a lot of people running up saying I really enjoyed a pod. Funny, I was listening to you the other day.

Ain't that wild? I was having breakfast with somebody, and they were like, they came up to me and they were like, yo, I'm going to listen to the release. Just don't, don't, don't trip. I'm going to listen to it. I was like, yeah, I really don't. I'm not really tripping. I don't care.

But they're like, no, I'm going to listen to release. And I'm like, okay, cool, for sure. Thank you. Like, I'm, shout to all the real ones, everybody, tap in all the shits. So going into the new year,

we now have a new team on the rise, Raja, and is the Oklahoma City Thunder who are currently second in the Western Conference. They're fifth and offensive rating, seventh and defensive rating. That's not really what we're into.

This is what jumps out at me, right? They are winning against teams that they are not expected to win against. They are now two and one against the Nuggets this season. They have beaten the Sons. They have beaten the Clippers. They have beaten Boston, which was a really, really good game at home. They seem to be this team.

And I said this in the beginning of the year. I may have thought they were too cocky going into the season and they needed to match it up with results. They have done that in more. They seem to not only be a team on the rise, Roger. They seemed like a team, especially with this Western conference. where you see, it seems like this is the changing of the guard year. You know, I mean, last year was that with the Nuggets, but the Nuggets were an established group.

Now you're starting to see newer teams, the Timberwolves in the mix now, and now the Oklahoma City Thunder. When you look at a team that is on the rise right now, when you see them, what is the biggest advice you want to give to the Oklahoma City Thunder during this time where they're transitioning from a team that is in the plan to now they're,

they're going to try to compete for a title this year. My biggest advice for them would be to whatever degree you can keep yourself right in this sweet spot of humility and hungriness. Like stay humble and hungry. Don't start reading your press. Don't start getting caught up in the fact that you might be closer to a potential championship than people thought or maybe even than you thought. like keep your head down and stay in this mindset, whatever it is. I'm not in that building. I don't know.

But, you know, typically when you come in during the season or at the beginning of a season, there's some sort of attitude that's developed amongst your team. Like it kind of happens organically. Sometimes there's like a mantra, but sometimes it's just like you take on this, either us against the world or, you know, we're coming back off of a championship. We're nice. Nobody can touch us. Whatever, whatever that is that they've got going on.

And like stay in that sweet spot because it becomes difficult sometimes. I'll do this like my young son, Ty, we were up at Arby's. And, you know, he plays on this really good team. And he popped off for some buckets at 27, a lot of press written about him, a lot of shit. And I had to talk to him about, hey, bro, this is dangerous. Because it feels good. Like for the Oklahoma City Thunder, you're getting all this recognition. You're beating these teams.

But with that comes, you know, eyes opening, awareness for casuals, more articles written, more press, more stroking, if you will, of the ego. And so you have to do everything you can to keep it in perspective and stay locked in on whatever that mindset was that got you there. Because if you start accepting it and letting it in, you will also be accepting and letting in the pressures that come along with being regarded as a better team now or being closer to a championship. And those pressures can derail you.

So, you know, same message I had from my young buck. Hey, keep your head down. Stay grinding. Still no pressure, man. We're playing with house money. But keep the main thing, the main thing, right? Like, we're hunting. We're out here trying to prove something, you know, with this humility and hunger.

I was over the break. I was watching an interview with Chris Rock, right? And he was talking about this time where he, I think when he was on SNL and one of his first years. and he it was the i think it was a season premiere in 1991 when michael jordan was on there and he killed right and then the next the next week he was trash to the point where uh one of his co-stars al frank and had to tell him like yo man you got to get on your shit like this isn't this is an everyday thing chris rock said what he learned from that is as a comedian you can't be you can't be cocky. You have to

have a, they have to have a balance of humility and confidence. And I seem like that with, that translates to where the thunder are right now, right? Where now, I mean, we're what, almost

what, they're 33 games into the season. It's still a lot of season left, right? And they're starting to get all this adulation. They're starting to get the league's attention in the similar way that the Timberwolves were a couple weeks ago, right? they're starting to be the toast of the league. The key is sustaining it.

The key is making sure that, you know, they are figuring that out. How hard is that, though, for a young team, though, right? Because, like, their leaders have net, like, SGA has been in the postseason before, but that was a long time ago, right? That was in, you know, 2019 where they actually played into, it played in a series. They're young guys. Shed Holmgren, you know, as a rookie in all senses of the,

word, you know, and their leadership is a very young leadership, right? They could, they could be susceptible to the highs and lows. At this point, it doesn't seem like they are, but there is a, they have it, they don't know what they don't know yet. Who is that, what is the onus on, who has to take on that mantle to be guys like, hey, let's just keep it even killed, let's relax, let's chill, let's keep methodically winning, games and methodically getting better. Yeah, I mean, I mean, clearly SGA is responsible for for a lot of that.

Even in his relative limited time in the league and experience in those situations, like you're going to look to him. He's your leader in all aspects and respects. And so it's going to be important for him to do that. But with a young team like them, I would imagine, again, I didn't play on a team that was, this young and this good, but it would probably come from the top, from the front offices, from the coaches, from the people that ordinarily would kind of set the tone and then let

an older, more mature team kind of police itself in that regard. They might have to step in a little bit more, right? Like that's all part of understanding your team, the chemistry of it, you know, what it's capable of doing and watching it. And so if you're in that front office or you're on that coaching staff. I would just let me speak from the front office staff perspective because I wasn't ever on a coaching staff. But I would be watching that locker room. There would be somebody like me when I was in Cleveland attached to the team.

And if I was that GM, I'd be asking, you know, hey, what do they look like? How's that happening on the road? Like, what's the morale look like? Who's taking leadership roles? Like, are we jelling right? Like, does the chemistry seem good? And if it's all good and everything's taken care of itself, even with a young team like that, you're good.

Like you don't really have to worry about it. You just keep your finger on the pulse. But if that report comes back and it's like, hey, man, when things don't go well, we kind of fracture. Like guys, you know, I don't know, guys seem to kind of be off on their own. We split up into a few different groups. We get a little finger pointy and stuff like that. Then it's probably time to go to your coaching staff and have a conversation with them.

Like, hey, listen, you know, here are some things that we've identified that might be lacking on a team. team of this age. We might need someone from the staff, whoever's got the best relationship with these dudes, because every team has a guy, you know, on the staff that's got a better relationship with the players. And whoever that is, maybe he's in their ear a little bit more than ordinarily because they might need a little bit more guidance. But, you know, I think they plan a good market for this. You know, it's not, it's not, it's not, it's not a market that it's a pressure cooker and it's not going to have you under the microscope at every turn.

It's not going to be analyzing every single thing that happens. They're happy to be there, pro. They're happy to be here in the game, you know? And I feel like in a good way. I'm not even, I'm not dissing. I'm saying like they're just, they're very appreciative of just even having a team. And they will love you for through it most of it. Absolutely. Well, I mean, I didn't play there, but just being a player coming through there, it gives you real, you know, true die, hard college fan vibes.

Yep. Where, you know, they know that sometimes you're going to be good, sometimes you're going to be down, but they're die hard. Like,

they're not jumping shit. The whole state is behind you when you go and when you fight for Oklahoma City. Yep. And it's rocking and it's a great environment to play in. And they respect, you know, they respect where you are in your arc as a team.

You know, when expectations are low, they're in there and their expectations are relatively low. Do you know what I mean? They're not, there's some fan bases that they just can't get that. Like, New York might be one of those for some fans in New York's.

We're like, it's win now regardless. And you're like, well, our team's not at that point. We are rebuilding. And they're like, we don't give a fuck. Like, we want you to win right now. OKC's not like that. So it's a good market for a team like that to be coming out of, you know, trying to navigate its way, you know, through the phases of a team trying to win a championship.

Well, there's the, they're in an interesting space right now because we did talk about how young their roster is. and just, you know, how they're winning regardless of that. But every time, you know, you see a team that is on the rise that are so young right here, there's always a trade that validates the success that makes sense, right? We've talked about this in the past when it's time to push the button for a young team to accelerate that growth, right? Examples are Andre Godaulah and Golden State, right? Or another example is when Oklahoma City traded for Kendrick Perkins, from Boston.

You could dissect that move however you please, but that was the move to show, like, oh, we're a title contender at this point, right? Is it time for this team to push the button in that regard? Do they need an extra leader in that locker room when you look at this roster, Rajah? Ideally, in a vacuum, when I look at that roster, yes. Like I would say they're so young,

that if you gave me the option to have a very good piece that wasn't going to step on SGA's toes and could lead or help him lead, yeah. But the answer is no, Logan, because they're doing it right now. And I wouldn't be willing or ready to make a move like that until it looked like it was going to stall. I might not wait until it all the way stalled out. But as long as they are improving, as long as they're on the same trajectory, as long as things are moving at the pace that we wanted to move at and guys are maturing and developing and the results are consistent, I'm good. I'm good because they've done a great job in the draft. They've done a great job with development. And while that hasn't always been the recipe to success in terms of championships, who's to say that it can't be? So I don't

think the time is now for that. I think as long as they continue to develop, continue to play well, continue to to gel, you just watch it until it looks like it's not. And or, you know, I don't know how patient ownership is or the general, you know, the executives, but until you see signs that it's not going to work. And I don't necessarily see those yet. Now, like, it's just interesting because all this is happening. It seems like great vibes are an okay C, but there is a looming threat of some shit about to pop off, or it could be, right? Where, you know, Josh Giddy is being investigated for things that you all can Google by local authorities.

And also, the NBA is also doing an investigation. When you see that, Roger, obviously, you know, things can go any type of way. But at this point, you are bracing for something to happen. how do you this will be the question for this the thunder until this gets resolved in any way that it gets resolved.

How do you keep your locker room intact when one of your best guys might not be with you through the duration of this run and it could derail all of your plans not only for the fact of the things that

you know, the investigation is that could bring out that we've seen already. But this is a key contributor to your ball club. Sure. Well, you are, I mean, there's not a whole lot that you can do in terms of shuffling pieces or roster maneuver. Like there's nothing to do other than to kind of convey the message that, look, this is, this is out of our hands. We're waiting on some sort of investigation and decision. that happens where business as usual. Like we're head down this combination of humility and

hungreness to your point, humility and confidence. Like we're, we're on that same path every day. Our process remains the same. We're still out here, you know, treating this the way we treated it at the beginning of the season. Nothing will change in that regard. And if we get some information that changes that, it's next man up mentality. Like we believe in everybody on this roster. We've, we've developed. We got, you know, We have a lot of people playing over double-digit minutes. You know, we're young anyway. So what's the difference?

Let's just go out there in hoop. So we're going to take this, I guess, double down on this us against the world type of, you know, we're too young. No one expects anything of us mindset, if that's in fact what they're working with. I mean, but that's just going to, you know, bolster and fortify that. Man, we're down one. So, you know, we're back even further into the corner. Next guy up. Let's go.

how often do like how often do y'all look at outside noises as players right of just what's going on in the outside talking about your team i know i know pretty like 95% of you guys talk about what's going on around your you're at least you guys see it right like it's it's more of the response but how do you how much do you guys even pay attention to what's going on in the outside is it is it too much of life that's going on that keeps you from doing that or is it like we're in the we're just in it right now and we have to fortify this. I think it's the ladder. You're just in it. It would be exponentially harder in today's NBA to not hear or see what's going on in the press or around you just because there's so much access to it via social media and whatnot. Like, we didn't have it to that extent when I played. But like I just, when I signed in Phoenix, we had lost Joe Johnson to the trade to Atlanta. I thought I was going to play with Joe, but we had lost him. Quentin Richardson wasn't there.

You know, I came in, Boris came in, and we were in training camp that first year. And things were, you know, we were starting to develop the identity of what this new type of version of the Suns was going to look like, obviously playing the same way, but with some different pieces. And Amari gets this, I think it was, it was it as cornea scratch or he had some injury in training camp and he wasn't able. It could have been a knee. It was like a micro fracture. It might have been micro fracture. or, yeah, I don't remember. But anyway, like, the air was kind of out of our sales that day. We were in an auxiliary gym somewhere in Tucson, I think. And I remember that it just getting really

stale in there like, oh, shit. We all just, you know, they were on this arc. We all just got there to meet him on this arc. We were hoping to get to a, you know, a goal of winning a championship. And now Amari's gone. And Mike D'Anon Tony came in and delivered the message about, you know, no one's going to give us a chance. Everybody thinks we're dead in. the water, but we believe in what we got. And we're just going to go out there and show them that we can get it done. And while all of us kind of probably felt like that already, you know, Mike had been tapped into what was going on around us and what the words were.

I really didn't know that that's what they were saying about us. You could feel it. Amari is a great player. But Mike came in and delivered that message. And sometimes it takes a while for a message to sink in, but it was weird. That practice the next day. shit was humming, bro. Like the ball was moving.

People were moving. Like there was an energy in there where you could tell everybody went and slept on that and came back the next day, like, bet. That's what we're on. And that was a great season for us. Like we, you know, that was,

we wound up being under man and too injured to really give Dallas a good push. But we, that was one of my better teams. And Amari wasn't really healthy that year. We didn't play with us. But we adopted that like, man, fuck the world.

Like we're going to go out here and do it regardless. Was that a player thing you think? Or was it because you just needed the reassurance from the coach to tell you that, right? Like, because you guys had good players. You had, I mean, you yourself, you guys might not have been the elite team that you could have been. I remember that year. You guys beat the, that was the, you beat the Lakers that year. I remember that.

And you guys, you guys went to the Western Conference Finals. I'm not mistaken because you guys did the Lakers and the Clippers. And the Clippers won game one in Dallas. Tim Thomas was playing great. Boris was playing. Boris won that. And then I tore my calf in game one. And we were just, I didn't cost us, I mean, it wasn't because I was unavailable.

It was just, we didn't have enough bodies to withstand another injury like that. So we just, you know, Dallas was good too, so fell apart. So was it the, was it the combination of the coach's messaging versus like how the players reacted to it? Like, why do you think you guys had the good juju on that in that, oh, six season? Well, I think players are going to feel like that anyway. So players in OKC are going to feel like if something were to happen and Josh Giddy's not available, whoever's waiting for those minutes, that's why that person is there. They're going to feel like they could step into those minutes and work. They're just waiting on an opportunity to do that.

Like everybody on an NBA bench that's young. Some dudes are older and they're just there. But the young dudes, the hungry ones, like they're waiting on that opportunity. So, you know, we were all kind of like, you know, in stats absence, while yes, it will hurt. I mean, we still have stuff that we want to prove. But I think Mike coming in there for some of us new guys, hearing him like have the same level of confidence in what we could be without stat was really important.

Like we might have believed it, but hearing him come in there and not even miss a beat, like, no, we're fucking fine. Like, stats's great. But we'll just, we'll just tinker. We'll tweak and we're going to fucking, we're going to go. Like hearing him, you know, have that like confidence almost. Almost bravado about it. Like, bro, they don't even know.

Like, that certainly went a long way for me. I just got there. Boris had just got there. Some of those other dudes might have played without stat and known that that machine worked well even in stats' absence at times. But, like, I didn't know. All I knew was Maumari was great. So hearing Mike, hearing Mike come in there and kind of give us the message

that we all were probably feeling a little bit was important. Very weird to be in this position with you, Raj. of the fact that like retroactively I really love these sons teams like like the 06 team and like like as a kid

hated y'all like hated you guys but I think in hindsight one of my favorite teams like to go back to back in the day was the 06 sons and the 9 the 09 10 sons because you guys were just like

you weren't on the 10 team but overachievers, you know? Like, you guys have no business being in the position that you guys are in. And you guys are really good teams because despite that, I just wanted to give you guys your flowers. Those were fun teams. I appreciate that. You know, it's, you know, OKC reminds me of it a little bit. There are a lot of teams that have, like, it's a team that you could tell likes each other, right?

Like, our Phoenix team really enjoyed playing with each other. Like, we liked each other as human beings. there wasn't a lot of there wasn't a lot of agenda infringing people weren't stepping on each other's toes trying to get something done there was there were you know kind of clear lines and role definition

but within those everybody unselfish you know it didn't matter if I gave up a couple points a game to get X, Y and Z player fed and Steve embodied that like he'd give up I don't know, could have scored as many as he wanted but he'd give them up to make sure everybody else was going on And so I see that in OKC2, a way that, you know, obviously their best players are their best players, but they play for one another.

They play not just with one another, but you can tell when a team is playing for each other. You know, they're willing to sacrifice something and put themselves out there in a vulnerable way because they trust that the guy behind them would do the same. And that's, you know, that's how good teams work offensively and defensively. You know, you can play with each other or you can play for each other. And I really do think those are two different things. What's the biggest difference between this team and the sample size that you've even watched this team versus the, let's say, a 2011-2012 Thunder, who I'm sure you played against. I think you guys are in the same division. But what are the similarities and differences between those two clubs?

What was it? 11-12 was who? Was Katie's, that was Hart and Russ? Yeah, I mean, look. I mean, those are three of the best to ever do it. Hall of Famers. Yeah, I mean, come on, man. That was ridiculous.

Now, in their relative arcs to being the best version of themselves, I don't know exactly where each one of them fell on that arc. But obviously, you know, when you prepared for that team, you're preparing for three people. I talk about this all the time. There's only so much bandwidth you have, so much time, you know, in between games that get a scout. only so much time, you know, for a player to get that scout that a coach has produced and

ingest it and break it down and be able to retain it. And in a lot of instances, you're only preparing for like one or two dudes, really. Everything else is, is kind of superficial. Well, with them, you're preparing for three dudes. You know what I mean? Like, that's a lot of information given to somebody going into OKC on a back-to-back to try to remember what KD wants to do, what Russ, if he's your assignment, how hard is it the scouting report when you got three dudes that are, that you can't guard?

That's a nightmare. That's a nightmare. Now, Kobe is a nightmare, right? But that's one dude. Like, I know I can't stop him, but, but I can memorize this shit and it's the same dude over and over again. When you get three dudes,

well, you're trying to, you're trying to remember all of that and then make sure that you're getting it right depending on who you're playing. It's just, it just adds, you know, it's not impossible.

It gets done, but it's a lot. Um, so preparing for them was harder probably in that regard. Um, but I do think with that 11 and 12 team, there was a little bit more role infringement maybe than this team. I think they're clearer lines of delineation, you know, a clear, clear, clear role definition, maybe on this team. So, you know, where that team might have gotten at times, let's say, and I don't remember every game we, they played or that we played against them, maybe down the stretch there

could be a little, hey, his ball, your ball, whose ball? their ball. I don't know whose ball. He shot it. Oh, shit. You saw that with the 12 team, with the 12 team in the finals against the Miami Heat, right? Where the Miami Heat clearly knew their roles by that point, right? It was the second year with LeBron and DeWade and all those guys. They knew. And then you get to, you get in the series after the OKC, I think one of the first game. You get to see, it was a lot of just one-on-one basketball. Hey, Russ, figure it out, have a game for us. Katie, figure it out, have a game for it. Hardin, please figure it out because you're terrible in the series,

but please find some symbols of your game. But here's a one-on-one opportunity to do it. Right. So, I mean, yeah, that Miami's that second year, they were on a mission anyway. But yes. And so I don't think when you play, to take it back to this iteration of Oklahoma City,

I think they have that organically ironed out a little bit better for themselves. While it might not be as much top-end talent, I think the pieces might ultimately kind of groove together better. you know so like um i can't speak to the defensive numbers again like you got forgive me dog like going back to 12 for me i don't have a clear picture of exactly what that looked like but you know this is a very good defensive team really really versatile like like there's real length out there

and and and maybe it's just the evolution of what defense looks like in the NBA the way everything's a switch now and and and we're keeping things in front of us like i think this team defensively probably buys in maybe is the word I'd use maybe if that's fair like I don't know what the numbers

suggest but maybe like they it's more of their it's more of their DNA I guess is what I'm trying to say so I don't know all right man that's enough talk about the Oklahoma City Thunder let's take a quick break

that's a fun team no bro it's a fun team it's a fun team it's a fun team I'm excited to watch. I'm excited to watch some more of them and see what they do. And also just how the city galvanizes around them once again, if they do continue this into the postseason, have a deep postseason run because they look like a team that can go deep into the postseason.

I will say this again. And I know I've said it a few times, but there are cities that when you go to them, when their team is good, are electrifying. OKC is a place, man. When it is going well there and those fans are lit, it is a place. For sure, for sure.

I've been there on there a couple of times towards the end of that thunder run. And by the end of the thunder run, I mean like Russ's last few years there, it was always electric up in there. Always. Say a quick break. And it's time for a game of do we believe their wraps. Get in on all the NBA buzzer beaters, ankle breakers, and Tomahawk jams with Bandool. America's number one sports book. Right now, new customers get 150 and bonus bets guaranteed when you place a $5 bet.

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We're back. It's time for Do We Believe the Raps? Where we just have a list of teams curated by our super producer Kermm. And we just answer the question, should their raps be believed? And we're going to go with the team we talk a lot about on this program. The Los Angeles Lakers. It is looking, it's not looking great right now. They lost to the Miami Heat.

They are currently the 10 seed in the Western Conference. I pick this team to go to the NBA finals. I'm really glad I'm off that narcotic. They are 2 and 8 in their last 10 games. After they won their 18th title in franchise history in December, after the end-season tournament, it has been all downhill from there. They're 2 and 8 in their last 10 games. They've lost with the Mavs, spurs, bulls,

Timberwolves twice, Pelicans, and Heat. They are 24th. They're 24th in offensive rating, 10th and defensive rating. During this run, DeAngelo Russell has been benched for Jared Vanderbilt. And we're starting to get the story where the athletic today, the disconnect between Darwin Ham and the rest of the, roster because of his it's getting bleak because of his roster decisions he's being it's the annual lebron scapegoat um story that's coming out um lebron led team scapegoat you know how this goes you know how

this rose you've been a part of these raja um i think i know your answer but let's get your explanation do you believe the lakers wraps at this point in time of the regular season i I mean, it's hard. Look, I don't even know what their raps are, so I couldn't tell you if I believe them or not, right? Like, I'm not listening to their raps. I've been telling you that. Like, everybody was telling me to get the album.

I told you, I'm not interested in it. I don't want to hear it. And it sucks, right? Because I get it. Like, me and the Lakers, I got no beef with the Lakers. I just didn't think that this, I couldn't have been more clear on past episodes of the pod. I just think that they're missing something

specifically offensively to complement the AD-Lebron relationship. And that was going to be too much. Like they're too disjointed as an offensive unit. You know, I could get into the LeBron age and having to do all the heavy lifting all season. I've said that to, you know, just exhaustion. The AD piece we've covered over and over again, they needed to make a move. There's still a move that needs to be made. I don't know if it's possible.

I ain't digging into their cap. I'm not digging into who's available. We're strictly off the cuff right here. But they need a piece. They need something to shake that up. They need something to infuse into that that can create for itself. They don't run a ton of action other than just pick and roll. They play really simplified.

Let me try to get this mismatch. and then let me try to work it out type of basketball. And to do that, you have to have cats that can go eat on their own. You know, you have to have the complimentary shooters for sure. But I've said this years ago, like, this is bigger picture. And I hope I say it the right way because I, it's an interesting point, but it's not meant to throw shade at LeBron in any way, shape, or form. When LeBron was at the peak of his powers and he was helping to construct rosters

around him. What you needed at that point was more sharp shooters because LeBron was able to get his shoulders by his defender. And when your shoulders get by your defender and you're downhill, it collapses the defense in a way that you just need pieces around him to catch it and shoot it. Right? As LeBron continues to age. The Mike Miller's, the Ray Allen's, the down the jupes. Those are what he's looking for, right? But as LeBron ages and his shoulders aren't by as much, and he becomes, more of a three-point shooter. And AD basically is a jump- is a jump shooter, a mid-range jump shooter. You're not collapsing defense in a way that allows sharp shooters to accentuate you, right?

Like so, so, or to accent you, I should say, in a way that would help you win, you know, games. And so now you've got these guys out there that really don't produce on their own. You're not collapsing the defense and making the play for them at the rate that you used to. And so the recipe around him just changes a little bit. Like as he matures and he's still great, he just is a different version of himself, right? Like he's going into another chapter of his greatness. And so you've got to find pieces around him that might be different than the ones that you used to use in the past. And while I think, look, so Delos, you know, Dilo's kind of, that kind of player.

Nothing wrong with that. But I wouldn't say like the higher end of the spectrum. And that neither is, neither is Austin. Austin Reeves is a good player Can make plays with the ball Can play pick and roll a little bit Like don't get me wrong He's not just a spot up guy

But doesn't make him At that level He's not a bona fide number three guy That you want to put Yeah not at that level And so Ross real quick aside real quick How tired of you

How tired are you Of the Lakers manufactured Number three guy with the hype Going to THT award How tired of you Of the guy that gets propped up is the number three that you see early that it is not a number three.

Doesn't mean he's a bad player. But how tired of you you are seeing that from the Lakers' contingency? Well, I'm not really tired. I feel like we've had this conversation every year. We have it a lot. I'm not tired of it because it doesn't mean much to me. I do think it's just interesting

that the Laker brand, I guess, is that strong that it's going to lift you up. If you're producing on their team, it's going to lift you up in a way that not many other teams can lift you like that. You know, again, I'm not taking anything away from Austin Reeves. He's a really good player. He ain't what y'all told me he was.

I mean, she's not. Streets, aka Jomey said that he was the second coming. Yeah, and that's all. We know what Jomey's track record is on that too, by the way. He's better with the ball in his hands than I could ever want to be. So don't get me wrong. But, you know, I wasn't out there proclaiming to be something that was going to help the Lakers win a championship with the ball in my hands.

I was a piece. I ran around and defended and shot threes. Like that was my role. So, you know, when you're stepping into out of a role like that and into a prime time ball in your hand type of role, like there's a consistency that you have to be able to do that with and a level and a stage that you have to be able to do that on consistently that determines whether or not you are that dude.

So we started this off, and we're going to get to the next team in a second. But we started the Lakers segment off with, we got a report from the athletic, Darvin Ham. There's a disconnect according to multiple sources on the Lakers team. There's a disconnect between him in the locker room and his rotations. How much time does this man have with the Lakers? I don't know, Darvin, just tell him to cut you to check, man. Go find a beach somewhere, dog. Manhattan Beach is right there.

Tell them. Nah, go find them. No, not a minute. You don't want to hear all that Laker shit, man. Just go find you a beach somewhere where there aren't any Laker fans and you ain't got to hear it, man. Save yourself to trouble. No, it's all jokes aside. It's not joking.

You're not joking. You said that very seriously, Rosam. No, part of me is, like, was joking, but part of me is serious with that. When that starts to happen and you, I don't believe you to have the answers over there. Like, you're searching for him. I don't think you got the answers. How does that play out? right? You're saying like

you're going to keep tinkering and keep trying to find it and I don't think you have the recipes I mean you don't have the ingredients for the recipe. The dish don't turn out right and if the dish don't turn out right it's reflection on the chef. Eventually

you have enough dishes not turn out right the chef gets fired so I think the writing is on to what you talk about when this these stories leak this one that's funny because I'm just going to say from the the journalist's point of view. When these stories leak,

that means that the players have been talking shit about you for months. And it's just time that you push the button, right? Like, it's finally time for they're just at their wits in and are ready to talk, right? And you've lost the team. I watched, I read the article as well. He,

it's very clear that he has lost the team. I haven't read the article, but when you are absolutely right, when that hits the fan, like when that hits the wire, that they've been talking shit about him since November. That's been a lot. Yes.

And specifically on teams that are LeBron led and AD, top heavy talent, like top players in the league type of teams, it's hard to roll that back for a coach. Young teams without bona fide superstars or burgeoning stars on their team, like a coach might be able to put that genie back in a bottle and rework the trust and stuff like that. That's a very dead.

difficult thing. I've told you multiple times about the conversation that I had with LeBron when he was with the Cavs in regards to David Blatt. And I was, you know, kudos to LeBron for being professional enough to get his team to play for David Blatt in a way that got us to the championship and so on and so forth. But ultimately what happened to David Blatt when they didn't win their neck, like what, like what happened to him? Hello, Tyloo. Do you want this seat? Yeah. So I don't think there was ever a full buy-in. Like he did that, and that's a testament to his professionalism and his his ability to kind of compartmentalize and say, all right, this is what I got to do. But I don't think, I mean, I'm not disillusioned. Like, I don't think he ever fully trusted David Blatt like that.

And so that's why I'm saying to Darwin, hey, bro, I don't, I'm not blaming you, but I mean, if that's, if that's where they're at, I didn't read the article, but that's going to be a tough one. Hey, two first class to, two first class tickets to Tahiti. Now we're talking. Yeah, I mean. Just chill. We're talking. It's direct deposits. I'll check the account. Just make sure that it's flowing. I'll see y'all when I see y'all.

Peace. All right. Let's go to another team that we picked to do well and are not doing well at all. The Phoenix Suns. Let's go to Roger Bell's backyard. Five and five in their last 10. Bradley Bill has been in and out of the lineup, 11 in offensive rating, 17 a defensive rating. 17 a defensive rating, just a zero on overall vibes.

What do they do? I've watched the Suns a little bit this season. They're just not a fun watch, man. They're not. I can tell you, I've watched a few games, and I can just tell you how every game is, a variation of every game is going to go. There is going to be a Devin Booker,

Flory. He's going to score a lot of points. they may go up on a big lead and then they're going to give upset lead because they play no defense and there is going to be a loss, probably a close loss, right? I'm playing the average here.

That's usually how it goes. Or KD has a big night. Doesn't matter because they play no defense, right? Or Bradley Beale is not in the lineup and they can't get any continuity whatsoever. And it's funny because you talk about roster construction. And you have these guys that have,

it's an interesting mix of guys that have been there before and guys that haven't been there before. And not in a good way, right? And I think you saw that with, when you saw Devin Booker and Shemezzi Metu kind of get into it, right? Where it's like, yo, are you going to fucking like, mind you, this was a career game for Metu

in that evening. And he's like, yo, are you going to go back on defense? This is not something that a star player should be saying on a championship team to a young guy, right? But the young guys that they have are so young and an experience and are some are even on their last legs, right? Like I think about Bobo, right? It doesn't seem like barring a big move that I don't think is out there. I think this team is in a playing position, Rajah. What do you think?

So I don't believe their wraps. I do not believe their reps. Yeah, that's a tough one, man. I don't know. I mean, ultimately, I would have to say, I guess, I don't believe they're raps. But I would like to qualify that with there's just been so much inconsistency with the lineups and the health. And there's still a lot of season left. And this is me, this is me hedging for my Phoenix Sun.

He's trying to be able to get to Sky Harbor unscathes. I know. I might be here this weekend. Dia's got a 707 event out. there might be there's weekend. So I want to be, I want to be okay to walk the streets. Bandering. But here's here's, here's my concern for them, leadership.

And what a Chris Paul type of personality can do for a locker room and how undervalued that can be at times. Kevin Durant is phenomenal, like a phenomenal player. but I don't recall hearing for many of the teams he's ever played on that he was that he was the vocal kind of leader of the team you don't you don't have to be that's not taking anything away from him like he he can lead it by example and the way he works and and what he does for you in terms of winning on the court both ends of the floor like all of that's fine same can be said for Devin Booker and the same can be said for Devin Booker and the

same can be said for Bradley Beal. Right. And so if you have players and they fall into that category, and this is just me looking from the outside and going off of what I've seen from them throughout their career and what I've heard coming out of the locker rooms that they're on, like, I don't know that any of them are the type of, and Chris Paul is probably not fair because he's one of the best to ever do it in terms of vocal leadership. But if you're in a space where none of those guys typically play that role comfortable.

Trouble E. And that's, you're asking them to step outside of their organic self to do that for a team. 82 games is too long for someone to fake that. It's too long. You could fake that for a few games and step into that role for a week. But you're eventually like going to wake up one morning and and be off of your fake. And then it doesn't come across. So what I'm saying is I think they're missing, they're missing that. They're missing someone there that that in the rough seas, in the storm, he's standing there like at the, you know, at the, the controls. Like, we're straight. We're good. I got it.

We're going to steer us out of that. Like, you know what I? It's so critical to have a dude like that. He does not have to be your best player. He does need to be someone that's, that's, that's playing. That can't come from a Eudanus all the time who was sitting on the end of the heat bench at the end. He chimes in every now and again and smack somebody upside the head.

That's got to be someone who's out there that's productive and is, and is keeping your your train on the tracks. And I don't know that they have that guy. I agree with everything you said. You kind of took my next point, just right out of my mouth. I appreciate that. But the thing is, it's tough when you're too,

and this is their two best players that are like this. They're not alphas. They're not. It is what it is. They're not alpha personalities. Now, that doesn't mean that they're not going to, talk about Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. If you look at both of their careers,

they have succeeded when they have had an alpha alongside them, right? Kevin Duran and OKC had Russ, ultimate alpha personality down to the point where he is organizing the schedule of how the team is going to play, just the locker room dynamics. He is organizing all of that, right? Then he goes to Golden State where he can be this guy that can be an amazing, just basketball player and only have to focus on basketball because it's not his locker room. It never would have been his locker room, right? He had like three or four alphas in front of him that he could just, it's interesting

to think about even KD because he's like, it's not like he's a role player by any means at all. But I just bear with me on this one, Raj. He does have that when he has that mind type of mindset when he's within a locker room structure full of alphas, right? He is at his best where he only has to focus on the game. It is what it is. And then he goes to Brooklyn where James Harden isn't that alpha type personality.

And Kyrie is an alpha personality, but was figuring out a lot of, isn't a leader, right? And then you go to Phoenix where they need KD and book to. be alpha personalities and set the tone. And neither one of them could do that because you think about even with books personality. They didn't win until they had Chris Paul in that locker room alongside them organizing how to win and teaching how to win. And when you have those two guys, you see it on the floor throughout games all the time when I watch Phoenix.

I see just a lot of dudes just hooping, but I don't see a lot of, there's not an identity there. right so it's not there's not it's not that oaf there that you would want out of a team that's supposed to be contending you know it's really interesting um and allow me to draw a parallel real quick and i can only do that to things that are going on in my world so i talked about my young son tie who's in the eighth grade and he joined a state championship basketball team who lost some pieces from last year they were out in Vegas i stayed home and so i watched the game with no volume like on my computer it was streamed and they lost a couple early games, Ty would come in and have good minutes. The score would, like, the margin would decrease. Like, his plus minus was really good. Then he'd go off. It would extend a

little bit more. He'd come back in, so on and so forth. And his coach just kept rewarding him with more minutes. And so his coach called me, he's a young dude, really good coach. And he was asking me what I thought. And I was sharing some stuff with him. And he said something to me about leadership. And I said, well, you know, that's interesting. I was like, let me ask you, who do you think the leader is on your team right now. And he said, I think it's tie. And I said, well, you're right. I was like, I wouldn't say that as his dad unless, you know, I asked you first. I was like, but that he is the leader on your team because what he does is he just tethers everyone together every time he's on a court. He comes in and all these dudes are hooping to your point. They're just hooping. And he comes

in the game and he's chatting, right? He's talking to Logan, talking to Logan, like directing Logan, pointing to Logan. Logan falls. He runs over and he helps Logan up off the floor. Boom. 35 seconds later, 35 seconds later, something happens with Kerm and Ties over there talking to Kerm, pointing to Kerm, smacking him on his butt, you know, this and that. Now, I ain't scored a point yet, right? Boom. 35 seconds after that. So we're like at what, a minute and a half now, he's over there with me communicating. And it's just tethering himself to everyone. And before you know it, everyone's tethered because they're all tethered to tie. And so that energy is what leaders,

he don't fake that. That's what he's been everywhere he's ever been. Like he's just a kid that runs over and fucking leads and talks and points and has good body language and fucking cheers for people and is the hype and flexing when you dunk on someone. And that energy can lead. So, you know, ties earn more and more minutes.

And the point is he don't have to be your best place. Ty is not their best player. Tye's in the eighth grade. He's a baby on that team. But somebody that's out there enough to tether those individual hoopers who might be super talented to each other to make them understand, hey man, this is a family. Like we're still in this together. You can't just go off and do your own thing. We're all connected. That shit's priceless. And when you can have Uber talent. And if it's working individually, especially in basketball, If it's working singularly, I mean, it might score 50 and lose. But man, when you tether that 50 to 15 and that 15 is tethered to someone who ain't

scoring, but he's just tethering everything together. And that's tethered to another 20. Now we're cooking. And you've got to have somebody out there, you know, touches. You heard this old stat. Somebody did a study on Steve Nash. And Steve is unfair because he did so much for our team. Like he scored, he assisted, he pushed pace, he did everything.

but one of his most incredible stats were human touches. How many times he high five, had it somebody on the butt, touch somebody on the head, just physical touches. That's what Ty does. Like those are tethering things. Those are energy builders.

Those are there are fountains of good vibes that just, you know, like leak out of people who are really about winning and leading. And those are really important to keep people on the same page. lead them amongst other things. Don't get me wrong. But like, just that alone is helpful. And the sons don't have that at all. They don't have, they do not have that. It doesn't ooze that confidence. It's basically, hey, yo, you take this shot. You do this. You, you, you, you figure it out. And, you know, there's a, there's also, there's also, the scouted reports also out on Devin Booker.

You get under his skin. You, it's going to be okay. Like, you will, you will play him out of the game if you get under his skin and there's not a guy on there like Kevin's not putting his arm around like hey man relax it's going to be okay like yeah there was even there's not that there's not that leadership there and I'm not it we didn't even bring up Bradley bill but I'm not even expecting Bradley bill to take on that leadership role like he never did that in in Washington he's not that type of player and he's still figuring his self out in there but he's not someone I expect to be the voice of a team I just see like again a lot of dudes hooping so we'll see what happens. We got a couple more.

We've got a few more teams and then we'll get a get up out of here. The Sacramento Kings, Raja, fifth seed in the Western Conference, 12th in offensive ratings, 17th and defensive rating, six and four in their last 10. They have, they're one of those teams that they beat up on bad teams, Roger. You know, whatever there is a time. Now, they beat the nuggets early in the season, but the nuggets are just on bottom. at this point of the season. I'm not really counting that.

The games that they are supposed to win that will come of age, come of age wins, they've lost to the Timberwolves, the Celtics, they lost to the Trailblazers, and the Hornets. Yikes. Yuck. I'm going to go out on a limb, and I love going to Sacramento. I love the energy in those games. I just think it's the exact carbon copy of last season, right?

Where they're going to win a lot of games in the regular season. just for the simple fact that they play hard. But I don't see that, I don't believe their wraps in terms of contention. And it's short of all the contenders in the Western Conference suddenly getting injured. I don't see the Kings doing anything going into this postseason, Roger.

It's a tough one, man. I'm going to say, by the way, Roger, they lost to Charlotte at home. Yeah, that's a bad. That's a bad. I mean, that's a terrible loss. Yeah, it's a terrible. loss. You can't defend that.

Like, that's a terrible loss. But I would say that I believe their wraps. I don't believe that they're a championship this year team. But I believe their wraps. Look, there's been some, there's been some slippage on the offensive end, but there's been some ground gained on the defense event, right? And the balance that you're looking for, obviously, is to find a sweet spot where you're above average in both.

I feel them going through those, I feel them going through those, you know, trials and, and error type of figuring it out a little bit. I do think that they would fall into the category slightly of what I said, Oklahoma City should guard against, which is starting to read your press maybe

and believe that you've done it before you did it. I don't think that, I don't think that it's too long. late for them. I think they were a team that was in a position last year to compete on a stage. They know what that's like. The feeling it's so intoxicating. You can't replicate that. Like you want to get back in that at every turn. I think they can do that. I think they'll find a way to click back in and get back to that because they've tasted it a little bit, but I don't think they can win a championship this year. So wherever that falls in there, do I believe their

reps or not, like, I'll leave that up to you. But that's how I see them. Maybe, maybe put the cart before the horse just a little bit. I thought that they were a little further along than they should be, maybe not as much humility and not as much hunger. And then trying to figure out the balance between being this, I mean, they were, they were crazy offensively last year and just awful defensively and trying to figure out that balance. I see them going through a trial and error phase with what they have to play like to be consistent. Yeah. And I just think, you know, watching them as much as I've watched them. I just think they are who they are, right?

I mean, I think, you know, you can talk and see what they're going to do in the rest of the season. They're in a homestand right now. They have Toronto and New Orleans coming up next. Curious to see what they do in that New Orleans game because New Orleans is how many. We're going to talk about that in a second. But I think we're going to see what they are made of on this next upcoming road trip. They got Detroit, Charlotte, Philadelphia on an ESPN game,

and they're at Milwaukee at Phoenix. I want to see what they do, right? Not necessarily talking about the, the pistons and the hornets. They should win those games on a back-to-back. They should, in theory, do that. But I want to see what they do against the elite of the NBA. When they play against the Sixers, when they play against the Bucks, when they play against the Suns in a game that they're supposed to win on the last game of a long road trip.

I want to see how they respond to that. That's what's – those are the separators. when you see a team that you think is who they are versus, oh, we've taken that next step. That's what I want to see. Let's talk about, let's go to the Pelicans, who has been a very polarizing group. The last time I saw them, I think I'm going to see them next week.

Last time I saw them was in the end-season tournament where they just got flat out embarrassed in front of the world. And they've played well since then, right? They've done really well since then. they've beaten the spurs, cab, jazz, nets, and Timberwolves. I guess you'd say the signature win would be against the Timberwolves. You know, I'm not really jumping up for joy for a win against the Hornets and the jazz and the Lakers considering. And then, you know, considering how they've, those teams have played.

But Zion and Ingram and McCollum are, you know, kind of rounded in the form. Are you trusting their raps, Raja? So you talked about them being on a heater lately, right? Like, I'm looking here. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. So the last 12 games, you've lost two losses to Memphis by three points total. And one to Houston by two points. So you're nine and three over that.

And those three losses were by what I just say, five points total. Before that, you got smoked by the Lakers. Look, they're playing really good basketball right now. They are the team that I quite frankly thought they could be last year. Zion, you know, being out and missing, I couldn't account for that. And so, you know, they didn't wind up being that. Do I believe there are wraps in terms of winning a championship this year? The answer is no.

Do I believe there wraps in terms of being what I thought they could be last year, which is a really dangerous and tough team that you don't want to see in the playoffs? and I could see winning a playoff round for sure. For every reason that I said, obviously offensively, you know, the balance between the weapons they have and figuring out what that looks like

on a night to night is critical. Defensively, they just have pieces and length and their DNA is to get down and guard you. And that usually travels. So I do believe they're wraps. I don't believe that they can win a championship this year, though. The jury is still out on my decision. I don't think, I'm looking at this stretch of games, and they haven't played anyone, Roger.

They played at Washington. They played at Charlotte. I mean, they played just bottom feeders, and it just seems like they're just feasting on, you know, the bottom of the NBA, right? Like, I don't see they have a game coming up against. Now, Minnesota is an impressive win, right? That is good. They play the Clippers who we're going to talk about in a second. And then they play, then they have this upcoming road trip where they have Sacramento,

Golden State, Denver, and two games against Dallas. That's what I want to, that's what I want to see how they do on a road trip like that, where they're actually playing against teams that are playing for something. You're not going to impress me by beating Washington and Charlotte, you know? You're just, I don't care. I would just say that, I mean, that's fair and you're allowed to have that opinion, but I don't make the schedule. just play the teams that are in front of me.

Do you know what I mean? And sometimes the teams in front of me might be a soft run. My job is to go out there and beat them. Yeah. And good teams do that. Right? Like all jokes aside, good teams handle their business against bad teams. They beat them. And so I can acknowledge what you're saying, but it ain't their faulted there in that

stretch of the season. They're winning games. They're stringing them together. Yeah, they've lost, they've lost to some good teams. But again, I'm not sitting here trying to tell you. I think that they're a championship team. I don't, I'm only putting a few teams in that category. There are only a few teams that I'm going to sit here and tell you

are championship level teams, like a very few. So they come into a category somewhere right underneath that where they're a good basketball team and will be in fights against other good basketball teams, sometimes they'll win some, sometimes they'll lose them. But, but I could, I could hear what you're saying for sure. I just, I think that they are, they're playing good ball. And because of the way they're built and because of their defensive versus, subtility and some of the weapons that they have offensively when playing well.

I think that they're a good team, not a championship team. Last one. And I'm just going to say that, you know, maybe I might be eating crow right now with this team in regards to how they're playing. But the L.A. Clippers, fourth in the Western Conference, have won eight of their last 10, hardened as balling. Russ is coming off the bench, making Roger proud. Kauai has just been Kauai. they're the team of 2K that you thought they were going to be,

Raja, where every player is playing in sync. I think it's a credit to Tailu. The fact that they, I saw them play, I think last month and in Golden State, they seem to have the chemistry that we didn't think that they were going to have and that we thought was going to be eroded by this move to bring Hardin into the fold.

And they have, they play pretty good basketball so far. I think that's a credit to Ty Lou, Ra. I think it's a credit to all of them. Obviously, Tyloo is going to get, you know, his praise for sure. Like he is the head of that, but, and he's great. But I think you've got to give a lot of credit. I got to give a, you know, lightweight apology to James Hardin.

You know, I, in fairness to my assessment of him, I was only going off of what has happened in the past. Like, I could not have predicted the future. I guess that's my job. But he has been really good there. and I don't just mean on the court. He's been really good in terms of fitting in. You can tell by what's happening on the court. His production, both scoring when it's his time to do so,

and in terms of setting teammates up, is kind of vintage stuff for him. It's obviously not when he's in his prime, but he looks really good. Kauai's been playing really well. Paul George is still doing his thing. It hasn't upset either one of their abilities to go out and get you, you know, 24 and a half for Kauai and 23 and change for Paul George.

They're good defensively. I believe they're raps, dog. They're sitting there, what, three games out of the first spot in the West? Three games out. I mean, I believe they're wraps. Look, anytime you put that type of offensive firepower out there on the court and you combine it with defensive of ability, and I don't know what they're at, they're probably at, like, 12 or something. terms of defensive efficiency, but you have individual defenders, and there seems to be,

at least through this many games, some defensive team principles that are in place. Otherwise, you're not this level of defensive team. They could be a problem. I believe they're reps. I still think that there's obviously a lot more season left to play. But here's the biggest thing, though, Rob. It doesn't matter what they're doing right now. It doesn't matter the regular season.

They should be doing this on paper. one of the best teams in the league. We need to see what happens in April and May in June because that's what they're playing for. We've never criticized James Hardin's regular season play because it's been off the charts, right? We, and I'm still curious to see if they're going to do that in May, right? Like, I don't, the jury is still out, right? Like, even last year when we saw James Hardin ball out the game one against the Celtics and

what did he do the rest of the series, right? You have that, you combine that with the fact of their health, which hasn't been a clean bill whatsoever over the last few years. And you also combine that with the fact of the clippers in past seasons not being well or not being good when it's time to be good and faltering when it is time to win a championship. I think that they're really good now. They're going to put themselves in prime position to do that. but I'm very curious to see what they do, you know, going into the latter months of the season. That is all we have right now for, do we believe their wraps? There is one more segment because it is Thursday.

Y'all know what it is. We're back for 2024. It is time to crown our first ruin of the week of 2024. Raja, you can go ahead. I don't want to take your pick. Man, that's a lot of pressure. or the first one of the new year, huh? Man, can I, can I go co off the bat?

Would you, would you, would you mind? Would you grant me a co? Real one of the week to start 2024. I've touched on him a lot this segment. Missed my young boy, Ty Bell. Out there as an eighth grader hooping. And just because of the things I talked about with the leadership and shit like that and really not caring about anything other than winning,

working his way into real minutes on a real good high school basketball team. I'm really proud to watch him understand what it's all about and be rewarded for that. So you're talking about his game or how good he is or all of that. I'm just talking about understanding what being on a high level team is all about, which is winning and contributing to that, whatever your role is, accepting that, diving into it. And then, you know, obviously he's being rewarded for it. So that's really cool to watch his understanding, like kind of materialized.

in front of me. My other one of the week is going to be Michael Pennix Jr. Michael Pennix Jr. It's a Tampa kid. I think he was committed to Tennessee at first, wound up at Indiana. Things just did not go well. It's also a testament to system fit for you as a player in any sport. Personality fit, what they ask you to do.

He was my son Dia's counselor at the Manning Passing Academy when Dia was in the eighth grade. And so Dia got to know him a little bit. And Dia has stayed friends with him, like on Instagram. You don't have to do that if you're a Michael Pennix Jr. For an eighth grade kid that you met at Manning Passen Academy. But he's been nice enough to look at Dia's film sometimes, give him a little feedback on what he sees. And just be a friend, kind of mini mentor to him, if you will. Like I know that relationship means a lot to Dia, maybe not to Michael Pennix.

But his success and what he's doing, the freedom that he looks like he's playing with, the confidence that he's got, the money that he's earning for himself while he's doing it. Good for him, dog. Like, you know, Michael Pennix Jr., ruin of the week. I'm about to go get that Natty. I have a co-rewerone of the week myself. I am going, my first ruin of the week, Roger is going to go to the Indiana Pacers as a staff, record label, and mother effing crew. We wondered if they were going to how they were going to be after the in-season tournament.

It was early. Looks like they got the Milwaukee Bucks number. This is all I'm saying, right? Looks like they're going to. So they're four and one of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks. They seem like they're just building. They're continuing to build something. And I don't know what that is just yet, but I'm curious to see what it's going to be in the postseason.

Tyrese Halliburton is a bona fide superstar. We've talked about him on this program. So that's my first one in the week. The Indiana Pace is the Staff Record Labeling crew. Second one is one, Lamar Jackson. Oh, how'd I miss on that? Yes. Go.

The God. I just want to say, not even just for the last few weeks. You know, the Niners, he went into the Bay Area and just kicked the shit out of the Niners. The best, who I thought was the best team with the league. And I thought they were just going to just walk into the Super Bowl. No, Lamar Jackson said, uh-uh, we're doing this. And you see his performance last week. And I just want to say, a lot of people were over here talking about, should the Ravens

re-s sign him? Should he get traded? Oh, yeah. Don't hide now. Hey, don't hide now. Hey, hey, don't. We knew what that stem from, too. We knew what y'all was really saying, right?

We knew what y'all was really saying. Should you have a, Rajah, the question was, should you have a Lamar Jackson on your football team? Should he be the quarterback of your football team? That's a wild shit. Are you serious? That's what the street said. That's what the street said.

That's what they said. Listen. Let that marinate. Let that breathe. That's crazy. In fairness to anybody, like, I don't know that everyone in the streets was saying that, But some of the people in the streets were saying that. And I read a lot of...

A lot of... A prominent voices in these streets were saying that about Lamar Jackson. I read a lot of stuff. Again, can I talk real quick? I didn't mean to steal your real one. But this speaks to... It could be another cold real one, dog. I'm just saying real quick.

Real quick. Hold on, hold on. Hold on. Went into Jacksonville. Uh, beat their ass. Went into Santa Clara. Beat their ass. Right?

Went versus Miami, which was supposed to be... what, a, AFC championship preview. Nah, Tua, sit your ass down. Don't even trip. We're going to put a 56 on y'all. Don't even trip. Yeah, no, straight up. Their defense is real, too.

But let me just go back to fit. No, like, and I think it's crazy that people can't see through this sometimes, that what someone is being asked to do gets held against them so often. Do you know what I mean? Like, I hear so many people tell you. what Lamar Jackson couldn't do and no one is given him credit for just doing what he's been asked to do.

Like, do you know what I mean? Like, he can't do X, Y, and Z in the passing game. Well, are they giving him a fucking chance? Wait, wait, but look at what. Like, no, but like, look at the weapons that he's throwing to and look at the scheme that they're running, like, in the last few years. Like, that's the way they built that offense.

Like, you can't hold that against him. Roger. I don't know if you watch Hard Knocks in season, but I've been, I've been, thralled with hard knocks in season with the Miami Dolphins. They showed, just to start the season, to start the week, the Ravens Week, Mike McDaniel shows tape of Lamar, and it's just clips of him doing shit you have never seen before, just clips of him just shaking the shit out of players.

The best athlete we've seen since Michael Vick, before that, I don't even know the athlete, what, Bo Jackson, Dionne Sanders, who didn't play most? Like, we've never seen him before, and you're holding that against him saying that he shouldn't be. Fuck that. Rewan of the week is Lamar Jackson. I just, it's ridiculous. It's ridiculous, bro. We know how coded that is.

We know how coded that is. Now, we're but a super talented passer of the ball, too, bro. Like, what? I mean, watch some of the thos that that cat makes. Like, not just the layered ones down the field and the touch passes. Against the dolphins? What? Are you serious?

Watch those arm slots that he's able to athletically put. pull off. Like, come on, bro. Like, don't, come on. Let's stop that. All right. I'm sorry. Hey, yo, we gave you an hour of 20 minutes of content. Okay, we're tired. I'm exhausted. I need nap. All right, man. It's been another edition of real ones.

We'll see y'all motherfuckering Monday. Shout up to how we're back. Ah, all those shits. Bye. Must be 21 plus and present in select states. Vandul is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with the Kansas Star Casino LLC. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 gambler or visit fanduel.com slash RG in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia.

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