The Ringer NBA Show - Ep. 47: The MVP Rat Race, Clippers-Nets, and Conley's Injury With Chris Mannix

Episode Date: December 1, 2016

The Ringer's Chris Vernon and Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Chris Mannix discuss the state of the MVP race (5:00), Sean Kilpatrick's breakout game (12:00), the Clippers-Nets fiasco (16:00), the Celtics' struggling defense (24:00), the impressive Pistons backcourt (28:00), and the best plan for the Grizzlies post-Mike Conley injury (32:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to another edition of the Ringer NBA show. Today we are joined by Chris Mannix of Yahoo's The Vertical, the Chris Mannix show on NBC Sports Radio, CSN, New England NBA analyst, a boxing podcast. How many jobs do you have, man? Good grief. I try to take money from the least possible bidders. I mean, anyone that will throw cash in my direction, I will accept it. All right, so last night we look around the league, and I guess the biggest story that came out of last night was probably Carl Anthony Towns having 47 and 18, which is a monster night.

And yet it comes in defeat. Not even when Carl Anthony Towns has 47 and 18, can the Timberwolves beat the Knicks? Now, Porzingas had a big night on the other side, but what are we thinking about the plight of the Knicks and the T-Wolves? Because that was a game that seemed like a lot of NBA fans were paying attention to. Yeah, I was watching that game. last night just for a couple of reasons. First, closing out game, first month or so, perils of youth, and even though Tibbs and learn on their own early on,

and that's kind of what we're seeing right now in the Knicks, they're like what I saw, I continue to see from Porzingis, dunk that he had to put the Knicks ahead towards the end. I mean, this guy is rapidly developed there. I mean, he should be the way he's going. You know, it might not be even consideration as much. a lock pretty soon. You were around both the teams the other night.

I'm saying the Knicks and the Thunder when they played against each other. What were your biggest takeaways from just being around both of those teams? For starters, every time he's out there, he's become must-watch TV. And it looks like he's out there not trying, not

Ricky Davis style trying to get triple doubles, but actively trying to accumulate as much as many stats, as he can because he needs to be everywhere. I mean, that team leaves off the floor. I don't know what the exact numbers are, but offensively, even defensively, to some degree.

So, you know, watching Westbrook just kind of go nuts out there was really something. And really, Chris, it, you know, I've asked a few people around the NBA this about the whole MVP discussion. Now, usually MVP's go to a team that finish in the top two or three in the conference standings, that sort of MVP voting era. I think Russell Westbrook has a great chance to break that mold. I mean, the Thunder, you know, kind of at best they're a five-seat.

They might even be a six or seven-seat at the end of the year, but if Russell Westbrook averages a triple-double, something we haven't seen in a very long time. It might be kind of odd the MVP because he'd be doing something that is just unprecedented in the modern era. I saw you ran a Twitter poll about that the other day, kind of like if Westbrook averages a triple-double is he an auto- MVP. What were the results on that?

In the high 60s, that other MVP voters, I've been an MVP voter for years. And they've kind of, old has always been a guy at a top two or three team. But if there isn't one that there could be, I mean, we talk about Kevin Durant and how we'd have to sacrifice. And it wouldn't be an MVP candidate in Golden State. Well, moan behold, he is an MVP candidate in Golden State and one of the best players in the NBA right now. LeBron having another fantastic year. Those two guys, if they play a full 75 plus games slate and average what they're averaging, they might be able to sneak out an award.

But if either won fault or either one missed games because of injury or otherwise, Westbrook has a we haven't seen a long time. Yeah, I'm trying to go back. I just pulled up the MVP's like when you were saying break the mold. I mean, I don't even know. And I'd have to do, I hate to have to do this off the cuff. I'd have to go do all the research. But like the worst record that won an MVP, I mean, I'm looking back,

It's Curry, Curry, Durant, LeBron, LeBron, Rose. Even Rose's team won like 60 games that year. I believe they were the number one seed that year, I think, in a run ahead of Cleveland. And then it's two LeBrons before that, and then a Kobe. And then Dirt Novitsky, Nash, Garnett. I mean, yeah, I think, I mean, Iverson, going back to that. And then you've got all the Jordans and the birds and the Moses Malones.

I mean, I don't think anybody on a Midland team has ever come close. close to winning an MVP. No, you're not going to see in basketball kind of a Mike Trout situation in baseball where Trout was the MVP in the American League, but his team was

awful. It just doesn't work that way in the minds of basketball voters. Now, I don't think that Oklahoma City can be the eight seed and Westbrook will get enough votes to win the MVP, but if they can stay in the mix in that four or five slot, and even within

shouting distance of them in a couple of games at the end of the season. I think you're going to see a ground swell of support with those numbers for people to vote for them. Yeah, I'm looking back because there's 07-08 Lakers. I mean, that was the Kobe team. They won 57. They won 57

games. Yeah. I mean, Oklahoma City ain't winning 57 games, Chris. No, no, they're not. Like I said, when Westbrook's off the floor, they're really bad offensively. And when you watch them play, you know, they'd love to go to Stephen Adams a little bit more. They see incredible upside in Adams as an offensive player.

He continues to evolve really every single year he's been in the league. But with no Durant out there, teams are kind of starting to wall up the beat from the outside. And right now, you know, Ola Depot can do it sometimes, but a lot of people canter, you know, not all that scary, especially when you have to put him on the perimeter. It's a really ugly offense when Lesbork comes off the floor, and that's not going to help them getting that 50-win range. What do you think about Hornacek? Is he built for that New York job and all that comes with it?

Yeah, he's built for it. I mean, he's a very easy-going guy, and then clearly an intelligent guy. The narrative is always something on me. If he wants to talk about why do that kind of a free, why would you do that when the focus should be on your team? Your player meant to me this first year with the Sun, it was a 48-win team.

They surprised everybody. Injuries derailed the Knicks. I think he's a very good coach. How do you think they figure out the whole Porzingas being this budding possible superstar while on the team with Carmelo? Do you think it'll be just a natural transition to Carmelo being the sidekick? Or do you think something's got to give? No, I actually think it'll be a more seamless transition.

Anthony, you know, he loves his shots and he wants to get his numbers. But Carmelo wants to win at this point. I mean, he has been on so many bad teams over the years. And believe me, that sticks at him. That needles him. So I don't think anyone would love the evolution of Porta Way with Mello as he tries to that he's not the alpha male. You know, enough around those two players, who they draft, the success they have,

not with the big name free agents, but the second tier type of guys. I mean, Chris, look around the league. It's a second tier free agent in the last couple of years that the Trailblazers have been out of that lineup and they lack a defensive presence. Those are the type of free agents who can help flesh out that roster. Sounds to me like you think Carmelo gets a bad rap. Yeah, I mean, look, it's hard to play in New York. If you're the alpha male on a New York Yankees team,

you know that if you go, you know, one for four that you're going to have, and GMs tell me all the time, like they can't believe how, you know, sort of, he goes one for 14, one night, he gets criticized. It's not going to influence him one bit going out and playing with the same level of confidence the next night. So I respect that, and he's certainly less perfect than the Wade's and the LeBron of his draft class. I think that's a super fascinating discussion that I hadn't really thought about that. He still takes all the bullets, right?

Like, if they lose, the first person people look at in the box score is Carmelo. Whereas, and that actually is a great thing for Porzingus, wouldn't you think, because he's a young guy. Like, if he's, like, I remember famously, you know, there was this guy years ago. this guy, Frederick Weiss, right? Do you remember the name that? Oh, yeah. I mean, Carter jumped over him in the Olympics, and I suppose that's what he's famous for.

But the Knicks drafted him, and they were in, now listen to this, Chris, they were in Summer League, summer league, and he played, like, horrible. The next day, the back page of the post was, like, French toast with, like, a picture of him, like, laying on the ground, right? I mean, he's just can't handle,

like, what the hell did I just walk into? And I say that to say, Porzing is young, just getting used to it. Obviously, he's in the bright lights in New York City. But if he has a bad night, he doesn't get destroyed, right? And if he has a good night, it's like Porzing God and this and this and this. Whereas Carmelo is still to this day. Carmelo has a three for 14 night.

He's probably on the back page, you know, Mello stinks or whatever. Yeah, yeah, he is. But I'll tell you this much. You know, whatever Carmel is, I mean, I've been around him for a couple of years. I've done some stories on him out here in New York, and when you talk to people in university, a dozen players. He plays with a very quiet confidence every single night. I mean, there was a stretch.

A lot of the shot about what his three-point shot looked like, but it didn't dissuade him at all for anybody in this league. And I think he has that kind of Carmel-like mentality did he pretty well. You were at the Clips Nets game in Brooklyn the other night. And, I mean, this was for any NBA fan that was paying any attention. and obviously everybody saw the GFs, etc., of Doc Rivers going insane at the end of the game against with Ken Mower. Is this as ridiculous a game as you've seen in a long, long time? Just being there in that arena to witness that all unfold?

Well, it was ridiculous because it didn't seem like for a while that either team wanted to win. It was what, like, you know, left, and you assume that two technical free throw and be, and then I forget who it was, but he goes behind. And the Nets were Brooke Lopez, of all people, Jack and threes. And what is with these seven-footers? You got one in Memphis. What is Mark Esau doing? I mean, he's just firing threes up at a rate we haven't seen before.

Everybody seems like in the NBA is a stretch five right now. But the Clippers couldn't do anything right now. I mean, they were so cool. Even in wins, they're playing terrible defense. I mean, Sacramento put 115 on them. I think 108. The Nets, if people say, well, it was double overtime, well, the Nets in regulation had like 10,10 points. Back to be, some of it you can attribute to fatigue.

They played 19 games this season, which as of yesterday was like the second. They've got to find a way to tighten up that defense because the only way they can hope to exceed against Golden State. What was crazy about the other night is if you were from like overseas and somebody just, you know, and you'd never watch basketball in your life and they just set you in that arena, you would have thought Sean Kilpatrick was a superstar the other night. Oh, yeah. I saw him play Memphis a bunch in college because he played for Cincinnati and just, I mean, like drop like 35 on senior night. I mean, the guy was unbelievable.

I couldn't believe when he didn't get drafted, but he was one of those guys that he was old, right? I mean, I think he's 26 now when people are just getting a wind to go and he's kind of fought his way up. But I love stories like that, right? I love seeing Kilpatrick the other night because he was an outstanding college player in a pretty good conference. And then he just had to battle his way onto a team. It's not a good team, but he's a, I mean, that was a big stage the other night. It felt like, you know, a lot of people, NBA fans were all watching.

A kid drops 38. Yeah, yeah, he was great. And, you know, not to get too net-centric here, but the nets have been high on him from Billy believed. He found, like you said, an older player kind of missed the boat of quality, and that's a pretty absurd number. for a guy like that. But they can just get him to develop nicely

and keep Brooke Lopez around for a couple of them. You wrote about after that game about the Clippers and their defense. So, I mean, what do you think? Do you think it is fatigue? Or do you think there's something intrinsically problematic with the way that team's built? Well, I was talking to Jamal Crawford about this for a while. And, you know, where, now they'll never admit to the fatigue part.

But if you look at their sketchplay, you know, what the 19th, team. I think that's a factor. And what Jamal was telling me was that the way they play defense, like everything is kind of interconnected. So if they're struggling, when they say the pick and roll, that means pretty much struggle. They're not a team.

I mean, DeAndre Jordan, I mean, they all recognize what I was just saying. I mean, the only chance the only prayer, one, to be healthy, and two, to be the best defensive team left standing. Well, they were an awesome defensive team to start the season. I guess that's a question, right? Was that a mirage or not? Like, are they, are they

actually capable of being a big-time defensive team? If I look right now just in terms of defensive efficiency numbers, I think they're still rather high. They're still number two in the league, right? Even given the recent downturn, they're still second in the league in defense right now. Yeah, yeah, they've just had a rough, you know, five, six, seven game stretch here where they've given up a whole bunch of points.

But they've been a good deal. These aren't out there, and they were kind of playing off the mean as we move forward in this year. But if they can just be kind of average, maybe the Clippers might have might have some. On a topic that a lot of people have brought up, and I saw our buddy Zach Lowe wrote about it today, which is kind of this overarching theme

that this is it for the Clippers, right? If this ain't the year, then what? Right? Like, I mean, you're sticking with this whole Paul, you know, Griffin, Jordan, triumphant, or, you know, you got the whole Blake thing hanging out there? And so I think that's why people are paying so much attention to the clippers, besides the fact that they've got an outstanding record and they're right up there. And you wonder if they're going to be able to compete with the Warriors.

Everybody's looking for who could possibly compete with the Warriors. I think that's why they're a big topic. Not only their success rate and if they can stay healthy, but also if it doesn't happen for them this year, if this isn't the year that they make deep run in West Finals or NBA Finals appearance, maybe this is a last go with this lot? Yeah, I think it's possible, and it's been kind of an ongoing narrative, Chris, for the first couple of months of the season, as everyone kind of looks at salary database pages and see the opt-outs that Paul and Griffin have,

and they'll both take it. There's no question about that. I mean, it'll be financially stupid not to take that opt-out. And JJ Redick, of course, being a free agent. But whenever you say, well, they might lose these guys, or they might go elsewhere, you have to sort of also add where would they go. Now, there's been this kind of natural, Blake Griffin to the Thunder. Have Russell Westbrook Griffin played his college back to the city over the last few days,

and there have never been any indication that they've gotten that Blake Griffin would even be remotely interested. So I think it's highly likely. If the dream still alive for Chris, would that new team be good enough to get past Cleveland over the next couple of years, or even Boston, which is an emerging team over the next couple of years? I think these guys wind up staying a great away to supplement that rock on younger, frankly, on their bench. But that's starting lineup. You know, anything can happen, I guess. But if I was a betting man right now, I would say it all stays together for at least another couple of years.

Yeah, the interesting thing about the Oklahoma City stuff that comes up, which is, you know, Blake Clayton's college basketball there, et cetera, et cetera. We do have to look back and go, all right, what's track record here? I mean, Oklahoma City, and this may be why Kevin Durant plays in Golden State now. They've never signed a big time free agent, ever. And that's even when they had Durant. They had Durant and Westbrook. If a big time free agent was ever going to sign there,

wouldn't you think they'd sign on to go play with Durant and Westbrook and take a run at the title? And they were never able to get that guy. Yeah. And look, they had a shot at Al Horford this summer. Al, you know, wanted to know from both those guys' commitments from Durant and Westbrook, when we didn't get that, is in the Washington Wizards this off season because the Wizards represented home to him and he didn't want to go there.

You know, the belief for the hope. I'm glad you brought up Horford. You're around that Celtics team a lot. What do we make about the Celtics about a quarter of the way through the season? You know, very much incomplete. You know, Horford missed, what, eight games or so with the ankle injury. You know, this team needs to get all these guys back and healthy for a month. watching the game, though, last night against

system, that defense needs work. I believe we're on a second night. Brad Stevens still believe when these guys were on the floor, I mean, there is the most underrated player in the NBA. Any team, any player, Avery Bradley's most underrated because of what

we know what he can do defensively. I mean, you're around Tony Allen a lot in Memphis. I put Avery Bradley right up there within the NBA. And right now, he's averaging 20 points per game. I mean, he's putting up monster numbers that nobody seems to be paying attention to. All these stuff combined, I tell the healthy. They're going to emerge.

This is just a bad day for you to jump on the Avery Bradley's the most underrated player probably just because he was terrible last night. He probably had his worst game. Yeah, he was terrible, but look at those numbers, man. I mean, he's, I mean, look, the defensive stuff, like, I've asked Dwayne Wade about this. You know, Dwayne, you know, I talked to him about, you know, the time. Avery's had to defend him a lot in the playoffs over the years, and he ranks Avery right up there with him that Bradley's played throughout.

He improved every single year, single year. And he has become one of the best points. You sound like Danny Ains trying to swing a deal. I guess there's nobody I wouldn't trade from Danny at this point for a star. But I'd be hesitant to trade in Avery Bradley. He's that good. I'll tell you this, on the Piston side. I actually flipped them on a league pass the last two nights.

I mean, they beat the hell out of Charlotte. And I know Charlotte was in a bad schedule spot with the four games in five nights. But that was still, like, mega impressive to me. and then they turned around to win at Boston last night on the second night of back to back. And they were up. They were up big in that game, too. Yeah, it's impressive. I mean, they're getting some, you know, their young, their back court especially is playing really well with Reggie Jackson and Katabias Caldwell Pope.

Some of these role players are stepping into role. Well, Jackson's not even back then. It's friggin' it's frigging, it's Frigin' Smith. Yeah, it's, sorry. Yeah, I mean, they're playing, I mean, they're getting some, some great production from all these guys. scary. I mean, we're worried about the Jackson injury, of course, coming into the season, how it would derail

this team overall. But they've gotten some guys stepping up playing some great basketball. So when they're Reggie's back and playing with Drummond, we saw Chris at the end of last year. I mean, they, they looked like a team on the rise. They were a widely projected five-seed

in the Eastern Conference. They wanted to give somebody hell. You know, they're still waiting to get all the way back, but, you know, stay in afloat with this. Smith is pretty, pretty great because, I mean, last night he placed 36 minutes. He's 9 of 12 from the field, 19 points, and 8 rebounds, 8 assists. Like, all right, what were you expecting if you did have Reggie Jackson? Do you want 19, 8 and 8? Who is Smith? Get you some. You got to love Ish Smith, though, as like the Pistons Savior this year and, what was he,

Philadelphia's savior last year. He was the guy everyone was talking about last year. He's been on 20 teams. In Philly. Yeah, but in Philly, like when they signed him, last year, it was like, wow, we got a point guard. We got Ish Smith on the team now. I mean, he stepped into some roles and played really nicely. Speaking of point guards, unfortunately this week, the first big, big injury has taken place, and that was to the Grizzlies who were sitting in the fourth spot in the Western Conference, and Mike Conley, with the vertebrae fracture, is going to be out, re-valuated

in four weeks, expected to be out at least six weeks, for the... the Grizzlies and they're going to try to get by without him. And, you know, you're talking about them playing 20 games without him, which is a massive portion of the season. And you look around the Western Conference, I've got to imagine that when that news came across while everybody feels bad for an injured player, a lot of teams and a lot of fans got really wide-eyed thinking that there's an opportunity there if the Grizzlies falter as much as is possible without Conley.

Yeah, that was brutal because as you know, Conley was having what is best year probably of his career and the money that he got in the off season. I mean, you know this. Conley for that team is worth it. I mean, for what he brings, if he has to say that

for $150,000 plus million dollar contract, he earns every nickel, but it's hard to, it's hard to be optimistic. They just don't have the death. Somebody like a in and kind of ease the transition a little bit. And even if they did, It's hard to rope.

I mean, they're, they're like Randolph, and just try to slow the game down to a crawl and win it that way. It's not a solution. Stay in games with the playmakers. All right. Well, I, many people know. My studio is in FedEx Forum. So walking around these premises, the last couple of, I mean, Chris, it's like a morgue.

I mean, it's so depressing. And they've got an interesting, this for any, for NBA fans that are out there, which, listen, if you're listening to this podcast, you're an NBA fan, They've got an interesting proposition here because I think they're going to have to swing a deal. They might have to swing a deal. They're bringing in, listen to this, this is what happens when you lose your star point guard. So they're bringing in three guys to work out.

They're bringing in Tony Douglas. They're bringing in Kendall Marshall and they're bringing in Will Bynum, right? And I guess they've kicked the tires on Norris Cole, who's now in China, just to try to get by possibly in the short term. because there's guys out there like a Chalmers or like a Jarrett Jack, but those guys aren't available right now. Like they can't play. They're both still coming back from their injuries. And those are more like long term.

Those are your backup point guard guys. So this is one of the crazy rules about the NBA. You have to have four guys that are out at least four games, right? Or maybe three games. And then you can apply for an injury exemption. Okay. So and then you can get. get a 16th roster spot.

So then you could sign, let's say, Tony Douglas or whoever, just somebody to try to, like, you know, stick a, try to get you by. So anyways, basically, after the Grizzlies play on Saturday, they're going to have to go to the league and they're going to have to declare it. Like Mike Conley's out. You have to say that the players are going to be out for two more weeks if they're going to be out, right? So Conley's for sure out for another couple of weeks.

Brandon Wright out for another couple of weeks. They would have to basically go to the league and say and declare Chandler Parsons and James Ennis. Two of their biggest minute wings who are both sitting now would both be out for another two weeks. This is why being in a front office is not easy, right? because that's the decision you're having to make. Would you rather have Tony Douglas or Kendall Marshall or whoever the hell you want to bring in, right? But you then have to declare two of my better players aren't going to be playing at all.

And so that's why I wonder, I can imagine that the Grizzlies are just calling around the league everywhere, trying to find like some kind of somebody that some coaches pissed off at or whatever. But look at this way, though, Chris. I mean, the market for even average player, I mean, you saw Jeremy, Jeremy Grant, you know, what he drew as you were protected from. You know, you just can't, I mean, even if you like a guy, but the asking price is going to be so steep. And if you're Memphis, what do you really give up, you know, for a stopgap type of solution? How much do you mortgage that old line, they say, close your eyes and think of England. I mean, this might be one of those moments with Mike Conley being out.

You just kind of got to, you know, bite down and hope that a weight ball, windpipe or somebody can, you know, catch lightning in a bottle and turn into a decent player one in Congress apps. You'll love this one. So I don't know if people know this, but Bynum, one of the guys that are bringing in a workout. That's Tony Allen's best friend from like way back. Like Bynum used to pick up Tony Allen to, like, Tony Allen isn't Tony Allen unless, except for Will Bynum.

Bynum used to go and like pick him up and drive him to school to make sure he was going to class, right? and the best story. And of course, Tony didn't have the grades and ended up having to go to junior college or whatever else. Thus, the story of Mr. First Team All Defense. But Bynum in high school, you'll love this, Chris. So Bynum is trying to keep Tony out of trouble in high school, okay? He ends up signing him up for football so that he will stay out of trouble.

but they end up Tony doesn't have the grades to play football and so they call him and it's so funny that as the years go on they mark him down on the roster as Antonio Brown and it's funny that Antonio Brown is probably the best receiver in the world so they sign him up to play football

as Antonio Brown but he's ineligible right so they put him down as Antonio Brown he had like six touchdowns in a game and he was in the newspaper, and all these college coaches started showing up, and they're like, who is the 6-4 tight end playing for his ice? Antonio Allen never played football again, right? So they signed him. They signed him up.

His grades suck. They change his name. He plays in a game and scores six touchdowns as Antonio Brown. The newspaper writes all about it. College coaches are like, who the hell is Antonio Brown? and they were like, oh, I'll forget about it. He can't play anymore. That's great. That's vintage Tony Allen there.

How good is that, right? So I'm kind of hoping... I'm kind of hoping they sign Will Bynum just so I get more of those stories. Yeah, I like Will Bynum as a player too, but, I mean, you know, you have to be the ultimate of Wil Bynum, however. He was as well as anybody, you know,

just how much responsibility is heaped on the shoulders of Mike Conley every single night and how easily he kind of handles that. Like I said, I mean, I can only see a scenario where they're just playing Dahl and Zbo and hoping that they can survive triple teams and keep them in games. I got a couple more questions for you. We'll be back right after this. Late Night TV just got darker.

Deesis and Ice and the Kid Miro have landed their own Late Night TV show on Vicer, the new channel from Vice. It's called Deasus and Miro, late nights at 11 p.m. You may know these guys from the Bidaga Boys podcast. Yes, podcasters can become TV stars these days. You might also know them from Twitter.com. Apparently, Twitter people can get TV shows, too. This is not your typical late-night show.

No A-list celebrity selling their movie, no scripted jokes, no band. Just two guys from the Bronx giving you their takes on culture, politics, sports, entertainment, and other subjects they don't really know anything about. Watch the show because Miro has mad kids and Deezis love sneakers, and they're funny and other late-night shows are corny. Watch Deezus and Miro on TV on Vicerland every Monday through Thursday night at 11 p.m. Go to Vicerland.com to find your channel and check out some free episodes. The brand is strong.

Ringer NBA podcast also brought to you by Dick's sporting goods. Youth Sports Matter. Student athletes are four times more likely to attend college and 11% more likely to graduate compared to non-athletes. Physically active kids also have 40% higher test scores and are 50% less. absent. Despite this, $3.5 billion have been cut from school sports budgets in the recent years. This especially affects low-income families, which are four times more likely to decrease participation in sports due to cost. Programs around the country are losing funding at an unbelievable rate. They need your help. Join us in the quest to get green laces on sneakers

across the country and help save youth sports. Purchase a pair of Sports Matter green shoelaces at Dick's sporting goods and $2 of your purchase will help underfunded you sports. Go to sportsmatter.org to learn more. Swap out your laces and help save you sports. All right, Chris, so we've talked about the things that have been going on around the league, some of the injuries that have taken place. We have also mentioned some big name players and trade possibilities or whether or not they're going to get moved. Who do you think is the most likely huge name that could get moved? Is it Cousins?

Well, I don't believe that Cousins is going to get traded. Now, it's a fluid situation, of course, in Sacramento, and if that season goes completely off the rails, I think it makes it more likely. But everything I've been told from people in Sacramento is that as long as they're in the playoff chase, DeMarcus Cousin isn't going anywhere. I mean, they would like nothing more,

even as an eight-seed, even getting blown out by Golden State in the first round, to be in the postseason with this group. So as long as Cousins, as long as that team is in that mix, Couss isn't going anywhere. Now, it's not a big name, but his teammate, Rudy Gay might be more likely. I mean, Rudy's, you know, he's, at this point, one step away from being George Costan Trophy around trying to get fired from Sacramento. I mean, he wants to be traded. He might be a name on the move.

As far as other big names on the market, I mean, there are teams that are aggressive, bottom of their young talent. It seems like Jimmy Butler is not going in. Orlando could make a trade to free up that log gym of players. That's not a lot of sexy names down there. Nobody's getting excited necessarily. Right now, I don't know if there's a... I think Vousa it could move the needle for somebody, though.

I do. I think he'd be helpful. Don't get me wrong. I think he's good, but it's not going to be... They need to move somebody right now. Yeah. All right, so let me... So if we're looking at the Western Conference standings right now,

as it seems as if early in the season everybody was high on the jazz and now it appears they were right about this team is top top 10 in offensive efficiency top 10 in defensive efficiency they went through the Hayward entry they went through the Georgiaill injury favors missed some games

but it looks like you know they've won the last four games in a row it looks like they're going to continue this trek up the standings in the West fair oh yeah Nobody is driving the jazz bandwagon as much as I am. I'm incredibly well-constructed. The young talent they've acquired over the years

about what that team needed to take the next step. And it wasn't had last year on the back end of the bench that weren't doing anything. And that included a play significant minute. They got exactly that. I mean, George Hill, that's right. Joe Johnson is going to be able to take advantage of development of the likes of Hayward and Gobert.

I really do. I think they're going to rise very quickly. now they're starting to get healthy. Will they do it right now? They can get the 50-year win for the Utah organization. Most of the teams that are not very good were probably expected to not be very good. But I'm not sure people thought that the Wizards would be 6 at 11. Certainly nobody expected for the Timberwolves to be 5 and 13.

Would you say at this point right now, Timberwolves most disappointing? Yeah, but I think the expectations were probably a little high and said you put these two together and off to a meteoric start. But like we said, at the top of the show, I mean, you just can't coach or educate players on how to win at the end of games. It's organic. And the Jazz and the Thunder, two teams we've talked about are great examples of it. Look at the Jazz from a couple of years ago. The Jazz were the first half of the season.

They were stumbling through the end of games. They couldn't get their act together in the fourth quarter. Same thing with Oklahoma City in the early Westbrook and Durant years. They learned both those teams, and they've gotten a lot better. To me, the Jazz are also a good example because those two years ago, when you look back at what the Jazz were over the final two months of the season, they're one of the best teams in the conference, have their young talent evolve and mature. That's what Minnesota's got to hope for.

Forget the record this year. Be one of the best teams in the West over the final month-plus of the regular season. If you do that, you're going to be in great position for the next season. All right. Well, we've talked a lot about everything that's going around the league, Manix. But I must sell you out right now and tell everybody out there, oh, I love getting to do this, that I have seen you treat Uber as if it is Tinder. Chris Manix is the guy that will pull up Uber.

And you know, like for anybody out there that uses Uber, and the face of the person that is going to be your Uber driver comes up, Manix, will you cop to this, that you will keep flipping through and not accepting Uber's until you get somebody on your screen that appears to be someone who will not speak to you when you were in the car? I can absolutely confirm that, and I say it with steadfast pride, because as a frequent travel. One that spends the majority of his time, either, you know, writing, reporting. The last thing is get into an Uber car and talk to somebody. I don't want to tell you what I've been up to. I don't want to have any conversations with you. That's why, I mean, you and I have had this

conversation in the past. There needs to be a quiet ride option on Uber. There has to be, get a button, demand that you don't talk, and just cruise. If that means, you know, there's no better way to get five stars from me than to never talk. There's no better way. There's no better way. to get two stars for me than to try to engage in a long-going conversation that I'm clearly not interested. I think we should be incredible. I have, Chris, I have, you know, canceled Uber's because the driver they gave me looks a little chatty. How can you look at someone and tell if they are going to speak to you or not? I don't know. I just do it. I just, I just, maybe they have a big smile on their face.

I want someone to look miserable. I want some angry-looking dude that sits. sitting there, like, I don't want to talk to anybody either. Here's the ultimate sellout. My favorite text I've ever gotten in my life was one you sent me of a picture, and it said this Uber driver is hearing impaired. And you sent the pitcher and said jackpot. Jackpot. I want to book that guy for the rest of my stay in Memphis.

I wanted that guy to be my personal driver to and from the games. He can't hear you anyway. He's perfect. Exactly. I would think that's a little dangerous. So, right? Like, I don't know. But I don't know.

I'd like the idea of not talking. But listen, Uber, if you do this or we should get credit for this, right? If you put in a quiet ride option, you should at least, like, give us some stock in the company or some crap, right? This is what I'm saying. We're on the record here. We can back this up with multiple conversations of the archive. That's right. We can do that for it.

Or we're just going to create our own company called Silent Ride, one of the other. Silent Ride works, too. silent rides perfect is you know and I think lots of people out there would certainly appreciate I just don't know why people want to talk like I get into the Uber and I have the glumice look in my face I bury my face in my phone sometimes I put the Bose quiet headphones on and they still talk sometimes I put them on my head it's like I what do I have to do do I have to put Spotify on and blast it over my ear butts to make it clear that I don't

want to have any kind of conversation it's not personal I'm sure these people are wonderful people but the last thing I want to do in Uber car is talk I want to put my head back, I want to watch YouTube videos, and I want to take a nap. My favorite is when you get on the, when you do the fake phone call. That's the best, that's the best Uber movie. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. No question. The fake phone call, like where you're actually, I mean, there's some, I don't know, there's some kind of like lack of self-awareness that you must have to be talking into a phone that's a dead phone, but it does stop people. It does stop people for talking. Whatever works, right? Whatever works.

All right. Last thing, you're doing all this boxing stuff, and you're doing a Yahoo boxing podcast, which I can't wait to listen to. I saw that you just interviewed Buffer, Michael Buffer. Michael Buffer, great stories from him. You know, it'll actually play your wedding or bar mitzvah if you put up a play. I mean, he'll announce it, which I think is awesome. I mean, think about, I'm not married, but if I ever do get married, I would love to have Michael Buffer show up and introduce a wedding party. How much is in charge? He wouldn't say. I think you have to have that conversation with him but offline and he'll give you some numbers. But whatever it is, it's probably worth it. But he also does one thing he does, Chris, is that he'll make a CD for you for probably a lot cheaper

where you just have to announce, he'll just announce the names, pre-recorded names, and you can play it over the PA system. All right, these don't have to be long answers, but I do want it since you do cover boxing so intensely, I've got to know. percentage chance I get to see a

Genetti Golovkin versus Canelo Alvarez fight percentage chance I see Mayweather Pachiao again Well I think Golofkinllo I would put it at 80% months he can't hide Forever and our part of the last

Pachio fight and you know that was that sort of raised eyebrows because he'd never been in a Pachial fight I saw Mayweather in New York a couple of weeks back he insists that he's retired we'll see. I think that's more like a 25% chance moving forward. Chris Mannix, you the man. Thanks, brother. All right, man, we'll talk.

It's going to do it for another edition of the Ringer NBA show. If you dig what you're hearing, go give us a rating and review on iTunes. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you on Tuesday.