The Ringer NBA Show - Grizzlies Lose Their Grip In Game 4, and the Celtics Make a Necessary Comeback | Real Ones

Episode Date: May 10, 2022

Logan and Raja talk about how the Grizzlies lost their grip in an extremely close, but strangely unexciting Game 4 of their series against the Warriors (0:40), and the Celtics’ comeback against the Bucks in their Game 4 (20:05). Then, they give predictions for 76ers-Heat and Mavericks-Suns in their respective Game 5s on Tuesday night (34:12), and each award their Real One of the Week (40:55). Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Producer: Sasha Ashall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The goal, explain the 1990s in exactly 60 songs. The result, we did it. I'm Rob Arvilla. I host 60 songs that explain the 90s, which has, indeed, covered 60 fantastic songs thus far from Tupac to Radiohead to TLC. So let's do 30 more. Let's do 90 songs. No, we're not changing the name.

More rad songs. More special guests. More astute critical analysis. More loopy nostalgic exuberance. That's 60 songs that explain the 90s every Wednesday, only on spot. Spotify. Real ones. Logan Murdoch here, Raja Bell.

This is real ones after dark. Raja is off that dark. It's going to be an interesting show. Ryan, how are you doing, buddy? I'm tired. But I'm good. I'm good. Hey, you know what?

I am tired. That's no bullshit. Listen, man, it is, what time is it here? It's 1244. I'm not going to front, man. Like, at 40, what am I, 45 or my 46? I don't even know. You stopped counting after a while.

But there are very few reasons. There are a few reasons on the regular that I would see past 1130. So when you ask me how I'm doing at 1244 after a few, like, yeah, I'm tired. We are talking to you guys and gals, whatever your pronoun is. We are talking to you right now after the Warriors

beat the Grizzlies. In game four of the semifinals, Rajah, just before we get into the finish of that game, can you just tell me overall what you felt about the quality of the game? It was a shit game. I mean, hey, this is going to be a relatively quick pot. That was a shit game. It was played shittily.

It had, there are certain games that you have to win. Yes. The Grizzlies had to win that game. Golden State came out and just, they looked sloppy from the jump. First few possessions, turnover after turnover after turnover, quick threes weren't going in. And you had the lead. through, I mean, 97.8, 98.5% of the game, you have to win that game if you're Memphis, even without John Moran. And they didn't do it. But overall, generally speaking, it was a poorly played

game. Yeah. I was there for the first half. And it felt it had the energy of a January, a back-to-back in January, four games and five nights type game where just shots are just not going in. I think the Warriors started off over. 12 from three point range. The Grizzlies weren't any better. It was just a very, very, very just off game. And then the Grizzlies take the lead. And, Raja, I have to say, I feel vindicated.

I feel very vindicated right now. Because while the Memphis Grizzlies, we are big fans over here that business Grizzlies, huge fans of what they got going and what they're building. But I think they've showed time and time again that they are not ready for this stage. We're not ready for it. The reason why I say that,

had leads down the stretches, or had chances to win down the stretches of every single game, but game three. Had control of games in three of the four games, of which the warrior, three or four games, the warriors have just played like absolute shit and somehow have had a chance to or have won the game.

I look at down the stretch of this game, Raja, and I see the grizzly, is up by 12, but about eight minutes left in the, in the, in the, um, in the fourth quarter. Veteran teams, they win those games. Championship team, not veteran teams, championship teams, win those games. You have a team on the ropes on the road. You're down to one. You have to have this game. You got to make stops. And the shots that they got, Raja, the Jaron Jackson three in the final minute, Raja, you can't get a better look than that. Yeah, uh, the Jaron Jackson. had one, Dylan, Dylan Brooks had one.

They shoot some very untimely, poor choice shots down the stretch. And it's funny, when shots go in like that, everybody thinks it's brilliant. You're like, oh, my God, yes, they can play fast. This is what they do. But, you know, shot selection is an art. And good teams have, they know when to shoot those shots.

They have good shot selection. They know time and score and situation. And sometimes that shot isn't the one that we need to shoot that quick three coming down just because it's there. Multiple times the night it wasn't even there. They just came down and without a pass in an ISO situation, pulled a contested three. Like those are not shots that are going to preserve wins for you. So, you know, I often get on here and would argue the counterpoint to your point. But I can't do that because they do have possessions.

And it's been over the course of the series where, you've got an opportunity to win this game, but we've got to be dialed in and we've got to have good possessions and they fumbled the bag in that regard multiple times. Was there ever a time down the stretch where you thought, hey, the Memphis Grizzlies have this game in the bag? No.

We're about to go back down. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Well, you know, a few things. You know, when you're playing a team like Golden State who can just pop off and, you know, Steph can get hot, Clay can knock one down, Jordan Poole can get hot. Like those type of things always make one feel like they would be in a game, right?

Especially when you're within 6, 7, 8 with two minutes to go. But the overall, an overriding reason why I didn't feel like they had it in the bag was because they have those loose possessions. And, you know, I think Jimmy Jackson on a broadcast, shout out to JJ, said something about Hero Ball on one of the shots by Dylan Brooks. Like, you know, I'm not going to get into calling a Hero Bowl or not, but it was certainly not a good shot. And it did, it felt like you felt as the player shooting it, that you had to be the one to save the day. And I guess that's the definition of that. But you should have just trusted your offense, move the ball,

you know, got through your actions. And generally speaking, you would have probably got yourself a better shot. I want to get into the John Moran absence in a bit. But I don't think this is just the fact that, oh, we don't have John Moran on the floor. You know, we're out of sorts because John Moran is not on the floor. This team is unorganized down the stretch Even when he is on the floor It's just so erratic

You kind of saw it in the Minnesota series Where they were just really erratic Down the stretch but they were just a better team Than the Minnesota Timberwolves ultimately And so they can get away with a lot of that stuff Against this team I think they I don't know if they're better at this point

I think they're more athletic I think they're more talented But I think when you see over the course of this series And why I said in the beginning of the postseason why they, I think they're about a year away, is because they need a lot of those lessons down the stretch. And that's just built with time, with just overall maturity.

I don't think this team as mature as it needs to be to win a title. I think they're maybe need another vet in that locker room, just being around them for a little bit. But you could kind of see that they're just taking their lumps right now. And that's okay. And I think that that's where we're headed right now. It's going to be a fun time game five in Memphis. But I don't know, man.

I think this series is, if it keeps going this way, it's pretty much over. What you think? I agree with you on what you said. You're talking about youth versus experience. You with me and the Grizzlies, having a lot of young players, being in these situations for the first or second time. And also, you know, all, again, we talk about this,

kind of wanting to be the guy in that situation, right? And so, you know, you get people stepping on toes, people shooting shots out of turn, certain things rear their heads at the wrong time. I don't know what John Morant's health. John Morant's health is going to determine whether or not this, series has any legs when he goes back to Memphis or not. If it goes back to Memphis and John Moran's healthy, I could see them winning a game and forcing a game six, would that be at that point? But if he's not healthy, yeah, I imagine you're right. I imagine this is a five game series and

Golden State figures out a way to pull it out. They played, I don't mean any disrespect. I'm a huge Golden State fan. They played poorly. It was an ugly game. There were tons of turnovers, poor shooting. They just looked like they they came out thinking that since John Morant wasn't there, this was going to be kind of cake. And they weren't as laser focus as they needed to be in that scenario. And they still got the dove. That's what I said. Memphis,

there are games you have to win. Memphis had to win that game. Here's another dirty little secret. The Warriors have played like shit all series. They played terrible all series. And they just made a couple. I think if you look at the totality of this series, They've been outplayed in a lot of stretches other than game three. Game three is the anomaly game, right?

They just, they everything clicked for that on that game. But if I look at most of the series, they have not played well. They have thrown the ball away so many times against this athletic grizzlies defense, and it doesn't matter. Where do you see the warriors right now? Even though that we know, like, that's an interesting question, right? What are the warriors going to be? And we're going to talk about your Phoenix Suns later.

and who the warriors would face if they go to the Western Conference finals. But where do you see the Warriors right now? Yeah, that is a very interesting question. If the Warriors were to play loose with that ball, the way they play throughout this series, they're not winning a championship. You can't do that.

They're not. You're not. The only thing they have going for them in the Western Conference right now is that all teams look beatable in the Western Conference right now. They all have real flaws. And, you know, again, we'll get into the Phoenix series.

But you see them getting pushed by a team that, you know, kudos to the to the Mazz and Sasha Mack for, you know, being a Mavs ride or die, I guess. But like I didn't see the Mavs being able to push Phoenix like that. But that's what Golden State has going for them. They're not playing great. They're not turning the ball over. But the Western Conference teams that are still alive all seem to have kind of lost their mojo, so to speak, a little bit. I think I want to get into this. I've been meaning to ask you this.

Since we last spoke, Gary Payton has gotten injured, which was a gruesome injury. Hopefully he recovers. He hurt injured, dislocated his elbow on a Dylan Burke's play, trying to go, I think it was going for a layup or he was going for a block. One of those things dislocates his elbow. And then you see another play with Jordan Poole and,

Jha, two injuries that have immense ramifications on this series. So when Jordan Poole, I want to get your take on both plays. When Jordan Poole pulls, it seems like he's pulling Jauman's knee in a defensive stance, and then you see the Dylan Burke's play where it seems like he's pushing, he pushes GP2 and he dislocates his elbow.

Is there, how, let's compare and contrast this. Is it is one play, Dirty another play. Not dirty. What did you see on those two plays, Rock? Oh, you love to. Yeah, because you're the guy to ask. You love to do this.

I've been meeting to ask you this because you are the guy to ask for this. You love to do this. The Jordan, okay, no, let's go back to the, was it Dylan? Was it the Dylan Brooks on Gary Payton? Second. Yeah. Or the second. Of the two plays, the dirtier of the two, for sure.

You know me, Logan. You're flying down the court. It's playoff basketball. Oh, my God. Gosh. You're coming in, trying to take a swing at the ball. But you hit him in the head and the tenor of the series. Like, I'll give you that.

Dirty play. But, I mean, he didn't tackle him. He swung. I knew you were going to do this. I knew you were going to do this. They swung him in the head. Like, what the fuck? I missed.

Sorry. And I'm sorry, you got hurt. Like, I don't mean any disrespect. I don't know. I'm trying to hurt you, but shit is what it is. But yeah, the dirtier of the two. I don't think the Jordan pool play was dirty at all. I thought that, first of all, let's let me,

before I get into that, if someone wants to hurt someone, they're not going to grab said person by the knee. Yeah. And shake it. That's not going to hurt the knee, but that's not going to hurt your knee. Of the things that you could do to hurt someone,

that would never pop into someone's head, hey, let me grab his knee and shake it. It doesn't happen like that. So what I saw was like, yes, if you slow that down and you break it down frame by frame, it looks like he made a conscious decision to kind of grab his knee and pull it. But he would just smack the ball right before that. So if you played at real speed, he smacked the ball. And it looks like he was just in there, like grabbing back and he grabbed his knee. And that is what it is.

But again, if you were going to make a dirty play on someone and try to hurt them, grabbing the knee is not the play to make. So I don't think that was dirty. Unfortunate for sure, but not dirty. And again, the Dylan Brooks, yeah, the dirtier of the two plays. But there's a world that I played in where, I mean, sure, like there are ramifications. You're going to get a flagrant and stuff like. that, but.

It wasn't even called a flagrant on the, I'm talking about the Jordan pool, and it wasn't even called a flagrant on the floor. It wasn't called anything on the floor. That's ridiculous. That one was ridiculous. I'm not even going to, like, we shouldn't even be talking about that. Anyone saying that was, anyone in Memphis, I'm sorry, Memphis. Well, I don't know if you were on the Twitter sphere, Raja.

I didn't know if you were locked in on the, on the Twitter. You were in gym all some, I mean, all weekend. I don't think you were true. Ja, and this goes to like the maturity aspect of it. But after the game, in the hours after the game, Jarrant goes, tweets out the video of the play and says that Jordan Poole broke the code. Oh, the code,

the Steve Cork code? The code, just the code in general. You just, I don't know. And it's just interesting, just the tenor of the series because the aspect of social media in this. And I remember being, you know,

after that game, and we didn't even know the play happened, first of all. We didn't even know, like, it wasn't even a big deal. And then he sends that tweet off. Like, what do we, I don't, I think there was just emotions running high and he did it because he ended up deleting it.

But what are you doing that scenario? Are you a guy, what do you think if you was in this, in this, in this era you'd be tweeting, you'd be popping off at the mouth and you'd be on the Instagram live right at the end? Is that something that you would do? No, that's not my, that's not, that's never been my style. I don't, I don't think I would be, I don't think I would be venting my frustrations on, on Instagram or Twitter or what have you. I, but I can understand if you've been raised in the general,

of people with access to it, how you would think that that's the platform to venture frustrations. I've always said, like, forever that if I were a player, I would subscribe to like the no Twitter for 24 hours rule after a game, especially a heated one, especially one where the outcome wasn't what I wanted or something like that might have transpired. Like I think you need to let that breathe, right? Because throwing shit out there to the world at your most, you know, sometimes your worst moments and definitely your most vulnerable moment. I don't think that's a great idea, right?

You got a lot of emotions flying through your body. Like, you just came off adrenaline coursing. You're injured. You don't think you're going to play anymore. Do not reach for the phone and shoot out a tweet. Yeah. I still believe, and I think that the grittlies are going to be a team.

I think they're learning a lot of hard lessons during this postseason. They need some. they need some they need to supplement that core though Logan they need to supplement that with some they need some vets who do they need who do you think they would need like what is the type of player they need on their team oh the type of player um a j crowder type of player i'm not saying j crowder as as the name they need to go get right but like those type players that have been on playoff teams over and over again right whatever position they decide that is whether it's a big wing a small wing a backup pg a big i don't know but but But they need those type of players, guys that can add to that experience level when you get into the playoffs, that calming influence in the locker room or in the huddle to help with the situations that we're talking about. They need more pieces like that. They got great young talent.

Now it's time to figure out what pieces can work around some of that young talent to help expedite the maturing process. That's why they look across the court and they see Steph and Draymond and Clay. if the grizzlies were to do that, what they wouldn't see is the Andre Aguadal is Sean Livingston and the David West that kind of made that happen. If they can get some guys like that

into the locker room, they're going to be a force. But it just seems like just a whole bunch of just kids right now. And I think they'll be fine. This is going to be an important summer for them though, for sure. But they take that next step.

And I'm curious to see what they do, man. I'm not writing all the Grizzlies completely. Just, you know, might not be there, year. I really love them, real ones. Let's take a quick break. We're going to talk about someone we haven't talked about in a while. No sweat, same game parlay each week, $20 in free bets if you don't win. The playoffs are heating up, and you can make every game feel like game seven on Fandual Sportsbook, an official partner of the NBA. Throughout the playoffs, all customers can place a no sweat same game parlay each week. You'll get up to $20 in free bets if you don't win.

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Do you have a guest who we're going to talk about? No, you tell me, Logan, who are we going to talk about? We're going to talk about Janice. Oh, Janis. Okay. Was he third in the MVP voting? Was that where he finished? Yeah.

Yokic was my pick, and he's going to win the MVP. Are you cool with that? Are you, is it? I mean, yeah, I'm all right. Yonich had a great year. Joel and B. should have been the MVP. I'm not going to sit here and cry about it. You've got that Dirk MVP.

Yeah. I'm like a beef. I know, listen, analytically speaking, like, I get it. That's where it's at. And I don't, I'm not the most analytically driven person. I understand a lot of voters are into that. But I think Joel M.B. deserve the MVP.

Sue me. Are you, are you a guy, okay, we're going to talk about Yonis at a second. But you brought up a big point right here. Are you a guy that like, is it eye test involved too? goes into your, what is Embed over? Because you kind of got, kind of got a little in you right there when it came to analytics. What do you take into account when it's MVP? Well, they just don't tell the whole, they just don't tell the whole story. I mean, I'm an eye test plus analytics guy. So I can, I can understand and appreciate the place that analytics have, even, you know, use them

to support an argument or to debunk one. But I don't think they tell the whole story. I think you pair them with the eye test. And, you know, use them for what I just said, either to support what your eyes are telling you or something other than what your eyes are telling you. And then you've got to dig a little deeper. But I just, I'm not one of those guys that just looking at numbers and analytics. And I don't think they just tell the whole story. And so I think, you know, Joel M. Bid, over the course of this year and what he was able to do, I just think, I think he was the MVP, man. I don't know. Like, you want me to, but I don't have a beef with Yokic kitten. And he was great. And he was down two stars and or two of his

best players and he was fantastic. He had great numbers too. I just think Joel NB deserved it this year. Well, Raju, I don't know if the, I know, I don't know if the MVP is in an analytics award. I don't even know if it's an I test award. I think it's a narrative award, to be quite honest with you. If you could sell a story of an MVP, you'll do it. I think that we've seen that time and time again. You kind of know who's going to be the MVP based on, if you look at the coverage of the league, the MVP ladders of all publications. It kind of drives our perception of what an MVP is. And Yolk has had that all season.

This is what it is. Now, back to Yonis, I was watching the series. This series against this Buck Celtic series is just a hard series to kind of get a gauge on. Because the first game, I'm thinking, oh, shit, the bucks are going to sweep. They're going to win in five. If you go back into the last episode of the podcast, we're basically, saying, oh, yeah, they're going to the next round. We'll see the Bucks in the Western Conference Finals.

But Janus had one great game, playing as good as he can throughout the series. But this Bucks team is always hard to figure out because you never know who that second star is going to be. And I know Chris Middleton is out, which means the onus to be a second. All, like, what I've learned this whole, this series is that, Janice just needs a second star. That's all he needs. He doesn't need enough.

He doesn't need two stars. He doesn't, we don't need a big three in Milwaukee. He just needs a serviceable number two. With Middleton out, there are some nights where he could just have a Janus game and he can go get a game for you. But he needs help from his supporting cast, man. Oh,

you're, you're right, but that's not just Janus. That's, that's the Celtics, right? Like, it's either got to be Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown or on a night like tonight.

It's got to be Jason Tatum and Alist. Al Horford giving you a 30 ball. Also, shut out. Al Horford, hold it down for the O'Gs, bro. 15-year vet. Absolutely. And this is just the opposite of the game we talked about a minute ago, where I said, if you were Memphis, you had to win that game and you didn't.

If you're Boston, you got to win this game. Al Horford gives you a 30 ball. You got to win that. Right? You get 30 from Chase Tatum and Al Horford. You got to figure out a way to win the game. And they did. And so I agree with you.

This is a really hard one to put your finger on. And you hit the nail on the head with Chris Middleton. In his absence, it puts Drew Holiday in having to be a number two. I love Drew Holiday. I've talked about that before. I think he's a really, really, really good player. I think he's an All-Star. I don't believe him to be a true number two on a championship-winning team because of his inconsistencies.

He shoots some erratic shots. He is an interesting player for me to watch Logan because I will often, more so than a lot of other players, watch him come down and get into some kind of action that just looks like it's not within the flow of the offense. He just looks like he's out there on his own. You're like, oh, shit, why do he just, oh, okay, good bucket. Good for you. You know, like, oh, like it's just added a blue.

You're like, oh, okay. And when it's working, it's great. And when it's not, you know, he's five for 22 tonight. And he gave him very little. He's great defensively. But they needed another option. When you were an ISO, when you're ISO, like Janus is, and like Drew Holiday is, and one of them is really inconsistent.

You need that third ISO score, and Chris Middleton is a bucket, and they just don't have it. And so then the question becomes, where are you going to get it from? And I would contest that without Chris Middleton, they got to move the ball. And I know how stupid it sounds, because Janus is so dominant,

but they got to move the ball. They got to move it. They got to get other people opportunities to play with Janus. He's still going to get his. He's too good not to, but that ball's got a damn move. Um, the Celtics, the Celtics are physical, man. They're there to fight.

They were, I mean, they got out rebound in the night on the offensive glass for sure, but they were, they were down there. They were digging out rebounds. They were boxing. They were physical. They were bodies on. And they got point production from, from two people. They got over 30 from two people.

You're going to win that game or you should. Hey, how you feel about low? The physicality and all in this postseason has been palpable. How have you thought about the physicality? I love it. It seems like it's back. I'm here for it. It's not no soft shit.

We're back. Just allow me to make this a running theme for the playoffs. Why does it only have to be the playoffs? I don't understand. You have to explain that to me. You have to explain to me why we can't see. Like, I don't understand. I don't understand why the whistle has to change.

And now we see this physical brand of basketball. And then through the course of 82, we're like, nah, not, everything's going to be a foul. We want the scoring up into the one-thirties per game. But I don't want the one-thirties. I want to see some compelling basketball, bro. If that means 101 to 98, I'm cool with it. I don't need 140 to 135. Somebody thinks we need it because that's what we get.

Maybe you're going to tell me, hey, man, we can't have them playing at this level of physicality over the course of 82 because there's going to be too many injuries. It's going to be too physically demanding. And to that, I would say, okay, explain it to me. I appreciate it. But I just, you know, I'm here for it. I like to see these boys banging.

And I like to see the, I like to see that old school shit. Yeah, they're getting after it. It's funny. You're talking about Middleton, and I'll get to the Celtic in the second. You talk about Middleton and Holiday in my eyes, this is no disrespect. There's no disrespect. I think both are overqualified threes. If they're the third best player on your team, both of them, they're good, they're really good players.

They can be number twos and spurts for sure. I mean, you've seen that in the finals on both guys. But it's just, I watched that game. When, if Drew Holiday is not cooking, man, they just built a wall. The Celtics just built a wall around the paint. And it was just, it was, especially down the stretch of that game, it was just, it was hard to watch. And then the Bucks, uh, offense just gets ugly and muttered and just nasty.

It's not a good, it's not a good basketball to watch, man. I've said this before. I said it last year. Uh, I think I got some kick, like some, some, some people getting after me because of it, because, oh, Lord, we can't post anyone anymore. Like, that can't happen. That's that one. But you've got fucking Marcus Smart guarding Brooke Lopez.

What in the actual fuck? Well, I mean, we can't get that man a touch dog. Like, in a world where we got one person that can playmate. Bro, Brooke Lopez literally took the bucks to the finals last year. I know I cited it. I synced it. Come on, man. Like in a world where Janice has to go to your point against three people at the top.

It's basically a one-two-two zone when he's got it at the top of the key. It's his man and two-wing defenders just sitting in his lap. Can I just say something real quick, bro? I just don't understand. It's unrelated to this series, but I'm so sick and tired of seeing big men shoot threes. Get your ass in the post, okay? I just watched the whole, I'm sorry. I just watched the whole series so far of Jaron Jackson shooting nothing but threes.

And not getting any rebounds. I hear you, bro. You hear me? I'm sorry. It's a quick tangent. Can we just, let's go here. Let's go there. You remember the episode?

We had, we had Verno on in the episode, and I said that. And he was, he got, he got on me a little bit about that. But I'm with you, dog. Hey, hold on. Hold on. Verno. Lock in, Verno. Come on.

Lock in, dog. Just lock in. Cho-ass in that pain, man. Hey, listen, Janus is another one. You, every time Janus shoots a three. And listen, I hope that he continues to round out his game. The mid-range is looking good. The free throws are looking good.

You know, you keep adding to your game. But as of right now, when he shoots a three, it is a exhale, collectively from the Celtics. Every time you do that, they exhale. They get the ball back without doing any work. Does that make sense? I know you're talking about the Celtics. It's a turnover.

It's a fucking turnover. It's a fucking turnover. It's a fucking turnover. It's a fucking turn over. I'll just pull up the stats for Jared Jackson, Jr., because I just wanted to make sure that I was good. Game three of the West Semifinals,

he was four of 13. You know where all four of his buckets came from? Beyond the arc. You know how many rebounds he came down with, Raja? In the past two games, you know how many rebounds he had combined? Over a course of two games?

Over a course of two games. You know how many rebounds he had combined? Eight. Rebounds. Roger. Raja. Raja. Come on, man.

Roger. I'm sorry. We're going to talk about Janice. We could talk about it. I'm just sorry. I just, Rajah. Yeah, Janus doesn't have those problems. Like, Janus had 15 to them.

Like, you're preaching to the choir. But what analytics people are going to tell you are, is that he is great, great rim protector. Right? He's a great rim protector. And the reason he doesn't rebound is because of his ability to stretch the floor, create the space that John Morant and everyone else needs. and knock down the three,

at whatever percentage it is that he knocks down. And you and I are just going to have to live with that, apparently. Warriors are a very small basketball team, and they have outreed. I have to look at the last game or this game, but they have rebounded. Out rebounded the Grizzlies every game in the series. I just think it doesn't have to be feast or famine, right?

And that's essentially what I'm saying, and let me go back to the bucks. I'm not saying, thank you. I'm not saying that you take the ball out of Janus's hands and not let him cook and not let him ISO. I'm saying that we can, basketball is a game of flow, man.

There's a lot of minutes in a basketball game. You know, Janus is off the floor. Let's play through some of these people who have mismatches maybe on the post. With Boston doesn't have the size with Robert Williams out. Let's figure out how to kind of attack some of these switches. Again, we've got Marcus Smart on either Bobby Portis or Brooke Lopez. I'm going to that. Like Janus's man can double if Janus is flown at the three point line.

Just dive his big ass to the ring. him. Like, we don't have to just, it doesn't have to be Feast or Famine. Ra, whatever happened to, I know we're like, we're in love with the motion offense, we love shooting. Whatever happened to fuck the play call. I see a mismatch.

Everybody get out of the way. I'm going to throw it to him. What happened to that offense? Where did that go? Some teams still do it. Some teams still, I mean, I think you see Brooklyn a lot. Like when, when they get the switch they want, they'll put it. And Katie's a prime example. He's

probably best score on the planet, pure score on the planet, right? KD doesn't just have the ball at the top of the key, dancing on it. Right? Like, Katie gets a lot of touches where he's able to score off of a live dribble, meaning like he hasn't used it yet. He's got you in that mid-post area or around that elbow. He can one dribble into a pull-up or get to the rim in one dribble. They were using Yonis like that a little bit in the last two games.

I'd like to see them do more of that, but I'd also like to see him involve other people. So to answer your question, Logan, I don't know where it's going. Some teams still do it. But these teams with all this spread out motion, we're rolling into it, we're all creators off the bounds. Like it's just different for me. I'm not complaining about it in terms of the way the games change.

I just think there's a time and a place, and especially in a seven game series, when these mismatches keep presenting themselves, where you have to figure out how to attack that, especially when you're missing a huge piece like Chris Middleton offensively. I have no gauge on this series. I had no idea what's going to happen. Roger, do you have any idea what's going to happen?

I really don't. I feel like it's going, it could go seven, it could go six. I have no clue what's going to happen in this series. I have no idea. I have no idea. I can make a case for both teams and why they should be 3-1 right now. So I don't know. Let's take a quick break.

And it's time for predictions. And we are back. He's getting the prediction bag, talk. some of the Tuesday Slates, you know, doing the robot. We're here. Uh-huh. We're here.

First matchup of Tuesday night. Is game five of another series? I have no idea. I have no pulse on this series whatsoever. This is Sixers Heat. Tie 2-2. Joelle Embed is back. But you know who else is back, Roger?

James Hardin. James Hardin. Guess who's back? Back again, James Hardin. Do you trust this? Are you ready to, are you trusting? Nope. Okay.

But you know what? I trust. I trust that James Harden changed the math for the Miami Heat defensively. Mm. And the space that's created by him offensively is going to allow not only James Hardin, but other people opportunity to eat a little easier than they were without him. I also trust that he has secured their defense in a way that it hadn't been secured in his absence. Like he doesn't get the credit for being the defensive presence that he is,

but he is a very good defender, you know, in and around that rim as well, right? You're talking about James Hardin? No, I'm talking about Joel Embed. Oh, okay, because we just, okay, all right. My bad, you didn't know. But I said Joel and Bedeed has changed the math for the heat defensively. And he's also fortified their defense.

So while I don't know that James Hardin is going to give you what he gave you, I think the math has changed on the heat. Now, what I imagine is the heat go home and they start to shoot the ball better. They've just shot it. I think they're the best shooting team in the NBA this year from three or something, Like, I don't know, but they've been terrible over the last two games. They're going to shoot the ball better. So I think the heat win the next game.

Okay. I'm going to go with, I'm going to, you know what? You know what? You know what? Fuck that. I have no rhyme or reason for this. I have none. I want to pick the Sixers.

No. I want to pick the Sixers. James Harder Redemption game. Another one in Miami. So if James Hardin is going to be. he doesn't have to be that. But if he's close to that and Joel and B

just steadily gives you the 24 and 12, yeah, I'm with you, but I don't know. I don't trust it yet. I got to see it again. All right, man, I want to talk about your Phoenix Suns, bro. Let's just get right to it.

Let's just get right into it. This is going to be a little discussion here. So I don't know how to read the Phoenix Suns because especially in this series and at times in the first round series, they have looked dominant. Like they are a, machine of force.

And especially throughout in the onset of this series, I thought they were going to sweep. I thought, I didn't think the maps had anything for him. Backel Bridges was bawling. Chris Paul was bawling. Seemed like Devin Booker was back in the flow.

And the sun seemed like when they're on, they're on, and there's no middle ground. What have you seen from the suns, man? Chris Paul's played two shitty games. Yeah. And I, I mean, Chris Paul would tell you he played two shitty games.

I firmly believe that Chris Paul will turn around and play a fantastic game going back to Phoenix. And I think it's not as simple as that, but that's a huge part of Phoenix not looking like themselves. It's just Chris Paul hasn't been good. Now, Dallas has played really well around Luca. You know, Luca is moving the ball enough to get people involved. They've shot it really well. and combining that with Chris Paul not playing well, and that's what you get.

Dallas is just one of those scrappy teams. I think Phoenix is going to be fine. I have my eye on Chris Paul, raw, because there are times where he plays brilliant, like he did in New Orleans to close out that series. There are other times where he reminds you he's 37 years old. You know what I'm saying?

Sure. There's times where in the first half of a playoff series, he is gassed. I know he's gassed because he has his hands on his knees, Not barely Get to the locker room, but he's not, he's just not moving well.

He's tired. He's there. I don't know what kind of Chris Paul I'm going to get on a day in and day out basis. I know he's great. I know he's amazing. But he does show his age. I don't know if that is that,

am I bringing too into this? I mean, we're in the second round of the post season. Yeah, man. Chris Paul's going to be fine. Phoenix Suns are going to be fine. He's going to be fine. No.

I mean, he is 37. Like, so, you know, there may be the, the odd night here or there where he doesn't have it like he's supposed to have it, but it rarely looks the way it did the last two games. It rarely ever looks the way it looked the last game.

And two games in a row, it's an anomaly. And so I just can't see him hitting a wall at this point in a season in whatever year this is for him. I just don't see it. I don't buy that. I think the sons, I think that they are the most prime to get to the finals. But what have you seen from Dallas? What have you seen from them going in these next two games? Because I think the last show, we pretty much thought that this is going to be a sweet, man.

Five games, tops. What have you seen from Dallas? Yeah, Dallas, it's hard to tell you what I see from Dallas. I mean, Luca's a problem. I mean, he's a matchup nightmare. But they've got this spread floor full of shooters. And when they're making shots, you know, it's hard to catch up. up to a ball. You saw it with Boston

the night too, right? Like when one person would beat their man downhill and then the ball gets moving, right? And when Dallas does this, they're equally as hard to guard. So Milwaukee or Phoenix, as it would pertain to the Dallas series, is just

running, trying to close out to the next guy that's about to shoot the shy. And then you just lift him up with the quick ball fake. You know, you go by him, you collapse the D again, and you swing it again. And so the ball can move faster than players move. And it's all you need is the one guy that someone can't guard to break down the defense

to start it and initiate it. And now the ball's moving. And if you can keep the ball moving until you find a three-point shooter and you're good enough three-point shooting team, like Dallas made, I mean, what did they make, 24-3s in the last game? Like, you're going to beat people. I don't give a damn who you play. So, you know, if they, that's what they're doing right now.

They're moving the hell out of the ball. They're defending capably. Lucas still has his moments where I think you should move in more, but when they're moving it and making shots, you know, that they catch you in that kind of blender. Let's go to predictions. I'm going to pick the Sons.

Who you got? Game 5. Sons. Sons. Okay. Let's go to a little segment we like to call. Real one of the week. We shout at a person organization or entity that won the week. You want to go first?

I mean, I got mine. I don't know. I don't know who you got. Yeah, I'm going to give a shot. I'm going to give a shout out real one of the week to Nicola Yolkich, man. 41st pick in the, was he the 41st pick in the draft, I believe? Just, you know, it doesn't look like the prototypical two-time MVP in terms of, you know, building athleticism and all of that. But he's a cold-blooded dude.

And while I don't think, and while I think Joel Embed probably deserved my vote, I didn't have one, congratulations to Nicola Yolkich and real one for the season he had and for back-to-back MVP. That's a rare air, bro. Good for you. Congratulations. Word. I'm going to go out of sport, but still, you know, in the workout sphere.

I'm going to go with Hannah Frankson from Peloton because, you know, Raja, I don't know if you know this, but I've just been just a sad excuse for a person when it comes to working out over the last few months. I'm trying to get back on my shit. Okay. And Hannah kicked my ass today. I'm just going to set flat out say it. She did it. I did the Usher ride.

It was actually jamming. It was jamming. You got to lock in. It was popping. The Usher ride. And yeah, I was, I was tired. I was done. I was done after that.

It was, it was, that was this morning. And I was laid out on the floor. And, but, you know, shout out to Hannah. She always comes with, she's the type of trainer that will give you confidence through compliments, but while also kicking your ass. I don't know if you, you know, one of those instructors that's like, no, you can do it. You can totally do it.

Now I'm just going to push your whole body to the brink, but you can do it. I always appreciate the upbeat, positive. I'll kick your ass coach. Yes. So shout out to Hana. Shout out to the usher run on Peloton. I'm going to make that in my room of the week. And yeah, man, that's our little Monday show.

Real Ones after dark, baby. Catch us every Monday night during the postseason. Raza going to have that yak. Ra, Ra, you got that yack? You got that yak? I'm out about to hit the bed, but I'm going to have it next week. You go ahead of yack? Yes, I will.

What do you know about that yak? Spill that shit on my $100 suit. Bro, you got a T-shirt on, too. You got a suit off. It is 1.30 in the morning. Relax. Thank you. Hey,

Hey, man. All right, we got to go, man. Roger got some kids to wake up in the morning. Got a wake up call in the morning. 6.30, baby. We're talking about five hours. Let's get it. Wait, hold on.

You thought we was going to leave before paying the bills. No, no, no, no. No, no. Come on, baby. All right, man. You catch us every Monday nights. But in the meantime, in between time, on that heme time, make sure you check out all the shows on the ringer slate.

It's the answer. That is group chat. That is weakens with Waz. That is a mismatch. That is a void. Fall on the void with KLC. And then make sure you check out, you know,

a little show like we like to call Black Girl's songbook with who, Roger Bell. Oh, town legend. Miss Danielle Smith. She was in the Bay this weekend doing a book sign. I got my book sign,

Roger. Hey. And we're going to keep the propaganda going because you knew we would. Make sure you also check out R2C2 with who. Roger Bell. The Crest-E-Sy clown Valleio legend C. C. Sabathia.

See y'all in a week. We're going to have that at what? We're going to have that at Brown. At the dark. Howl.