The Ringer NBA Show - Jimmy Butler Reigns As the Heat Take Game 3 of the NBA Finals | Real Ones

Episode Date: October 5, 2020

Logan and Raja convene right after Game 3 of the NBA Finals to talk about the Lakers’ meltdown and Jimmy Butler’s unreal 40-point triple-double (0:41). Then they each crown their Real One of the Week (37:58). Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is up? This is Logan Murdoch of the Real On The Real Ones' NBA show with my guy, Roger Bell. We get into a lot of things and I was a really fun show after game three of the 2020 NBA finals where Jimmy Butler was a real one. We get into Jimmy Butler's performance. We get into LeBron James. And we also get into Roger Bell's Tupac-like beef with Scott Foster. Really, really fun show.

Check it out right now. What is popping? Welcome to a game three post-game live edition of the real ones on the Ringer NBA show. It's just a two-man group. It's just the real, real ones here. Logan Murdoch and Roger Bell. What's popping, bro? Chilling, bro.

Barefoot. Pissed right now. I don't know. I don't even know. Like, we already had the pre-show. Let's get to why you're pissed. We're talking about this right after the heat-take game three to NBA finals. What are you mad about, Roger?

What are you? Why are you mad? All right. I'm going to tell you why I'm mad. All right. I'm going to tell you why I'm mad. I'm going to tell you why I'm at. First of all, let me say, brilliant performance by one Jimmy Butler. Brilliant performance by Kelly Olinick. Olinick. You have to say a Canadian Lee.

It don't matter. Brilliant performance nonetheless. Brilliant performance by the heat defensively with the strategy. But why I'm pissed is because I didn't expect to see a brilliant performance from one Scott foster, dog. Talk about it. Talk about it. Listen, man, he came out and it was on from the jump. And I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I'm not going to sit here

and tell you that it was done to predict the outcome of the game. I'm not saying that. But I don't like my basketball games like the best ones of the season affected by you taking one of the best players and neutering him early in the game with all them damn foul. It was bullshit. Oh, oh, you know in your bag right now. Okay. It was bullshit.

Listen, I'm not, I ain't taking nothing away from the heat. I'm sorry, Logan. The heat played like some G's. Like, they deserved to win that game. I don't like seeing NBA finals game dictated by three quick early fouls on possibly the MVP of the series. Like, I think that's some bullshit. I don't like it.

Anthony Davis, for context, Anthony Davis got three quick fouls in the first half, all called by Scott Foster. We were in the group chat all day, all game long, and Raja was steaming. He was pissed. We got to the pre-show. He was pissed. You have a little history with Scott Foster, man.

What's going on there? What's going on? I have history with a lot of them. But Scott is one of those dudes that just thinks he's bigger than the show. Or maybe, maybe is that he's not scared to do what he's supposed to do. I don't know. I'm just saying, like you ain't supposed to have your product, the NBA finals, the biggest stage with two or the baddest men on the planet. and now three of them because Jimmy Butler is squarely in that conversation right now, dog.

Like, they better figure out a way to double Jimmy Butler because the Lakers ain't got nobody who could guard his ass. Wait, wait, wait. I do more before we get, okay, go ahead, go ahead. Scott Foster, don't be fucking up my finals games with that dumb shit, man. That was stupid. Yo, before we, I do want to make sure we talk about Jimmy Butler right now. Before we get to Jimmy, though, are you saying that the refs make it about themselves too much? much in this league that they maybe meddle around when they're not supposed to and they kind

of get a little ego in this league right now. Is that an example of that night? That man was running around with three inch lifts on the night, bro. It is about him. I mean, like, yes, no, refs have huge egos, dog, and I don't mean to make this. Like, I do mean to make it. So let me stop. I'm not apologizing. I'm making it squarely about Scott Foster. Like this, but yes, some of them do. The good ones can have their ego because you were at the top of your profession, just like everyone else, but still realize that the show is the players and the coaches and the game itself. Don't insert yourself in there with calls that you don't ordinarily make. And that's where you lose credibility for me. Like, if you ain't going to make that call on AD 9 out of 10 times and

you haven't in the bubble, don't make it tonight. And I thought, like, it just robbed, it robbed me personally. Like, I know Heat fans would disagree. It robbed me personally of my viewing pleasure tonight. They just had me salty for now. to jump. Well, if you could have, if you could create a ref, right, NBA 2K or something like that, if you can create a ref, what would a ref be in your eyes a perfect ref? And what have you seen that is not making these refs perfect during your career and throughout the playoffs? For me, there's one word when it comes to rest, consistency. Like, be consistent. What a foul is today should be a foul tomorrow and it should be a foul, you know, three months from now when we're

in the NBA finals. For me, for Logan, for MJ, for LeBron, like consistency is huge. Humility is another word that I would throw in the bag there. Like, you know, you have to

not put yourself before the real product, and the real product is the game. And they're 90% of them are great at doing it. I have friends that are great reps. One of my college teammates, Dedrick Taylor's a ref. You know, one of my sister's really good friends.

Eric Lewis is a really good ref. Johnny Goebel is a really good ref from Miami. I played basketball against him when he was younger in high school. Like, they're really good reps that don't interfere with the product. They're not inserting themselves on the stage, making the call that you and I can sit back here after the game and be like, why would you do that? Devil's Advocate a little bit here. I know you're not a fan of Devil's Advocate here. But I'm going to bring this to you.

Okay. Why would a ref like Scott Foster want to? influence a game like this when the Lakers are one of the marquee teams in the league, why would you want to do that? It's a, he cleans. Are you, is there no conspiracy or is this is for one man? Like, what is this for right now? This is, I'm not saying they were trying to dictate the outcome of a game.

Like, I'm not there. I'm saying that when you make those calls on that player and you don't normally make them, those are not calls, the AD. Okay, let's flip the script. Okay, you've got the three fouls called by Scott. Foster on AD. Did you see what the Miami Heat were doing to Anthony Davis on a lot of those like 50-50 balls down there where they were doubling him and they were raking at his arms and all of that shit? Those have been fouls through the first two games of the series. Why not

tonight? So it leads me to believe that you have a different whistle tonight for one reason or another and when you get the three quick early ones on AD. So the first two I'll give you. He comes back in, he jabs. Kelly Olinick barely slides in front of him and you called a 50-50. charge on that, like you're just, you've taken away like the, the game for me. Like that game, I should be able to watch LeBron and AD try to beat Jimmy Butler and whoever he's got. I shouldn't see Jim, I shouldn't see AD essentially neutered for the rest of the game. Like he's got four fouls early in the third quarter. You can't do anything after that. You can't do anything. You're cut off. It's a rat. What is that from a player's perspective when a guy like that gets off the floor that fast?

Does it mess up your rhythm? Because you've talked about this in the past, right, when And it was in a different conversation about how when players are just not on it, and then that makes you have to be on your stuff and overcompensate for things. And when a player is in foul trouble, what does that do for the other guys? Yeah, I think for for more like more stepped up, he was huge, knocked down a bunch of big shots. Like you come in and you pick up some extra shots. I thought Kyle Kuzma played pretty well.

Danny Green was MIA and KCP didn't have a great game, but I thought guys stepped up but where it really affects their team, Logan, is it makes LeBron have to do way more than he is accustomed to doing for that team. And that sounds crazy because he's triple doubling,

but as you saw it at night, like triple doubles not enough. Like if you don't have somebody else going for 35, 36 of those things, 37 of them, you know? Like the triple double in and of itself didn't get you over to hump. Now, I have a question for you.

There's a follow-up, because this was later in the show, but you brought it up right now. He had a near triple double. We had 25, 10, and 8. Also had a lot of turnovers tonight. Are near triple doubles and triple doubles created equal? Because we were talking in the group chat.

We were talking in the pre-show. We read a nice column from our teammate, Jackie McMullen, talking about how Rajan Rondo has helped, tried to help LeBron just be. in it. And there was a lot of times tonight where you could see him being very lackluster and not being on it. So I'll go back to that question. Was his near triple double as effective tonight? No. No. That was a that was that was that was LeBron at at like I am six eight, six nine

two forty five and like super gifted physically and super gifted cerebrally. And if I can do this kind of in chill mode, LeBron. Like he wasn't, okay, let's paint this picture, right? Like, I've very rarely seen this. I was trying to rack my brain on when I've seen a team. The heat made a subtle adjustment in their pick and roll with LeBron. They did not switch that tonight. They did not put Duncan Robinson's little behind over there on LeBron, right?

But what Duncan would do is come up and he effectively would switch on LeBron. And then in mid-play, they would take Duncan Robinson and drop him back into the paint and have Jimmy Butler come back to LeBron while LeBron is on a live dribble. And LeBron very rarely made them pay for that. He was allowing a switch and a switch back with a live dribble. You are not being assertive and aggressive. That happened at least 10 times tonight that I could count. And that is evidence of LeBron just not being aggressive.

Not to mention that a lot of those times when he was shaking his head looking like despondent on the defensive end, if it was somebody else's fault. that shit was his fault. Like when he got back cut out of the corner by Crowder, like LeBron's standing there, ball watching. He can't see man in ball. He's staring at the pick and roll and Jay Crowder slips behind him for a big bucket.

Some of those switches up there in the pistol action. Like that's LeBron. And I think it's twofold, right? Because if he can get 28 or 25, 10, and 8 and still like we're like, what are you doing, LeBron? That shows how great LeBron is. Absolutely.

You just do that right away. But I think that's just been a recurring thing of LeBron. Sometimes it's just, he's so great. He was like a top three player of all time. But there's also been times where he's just in big games where he's just out of it. You know what I mean? We saw that in these playoffs where he's just, you know, he's at the wing. He's not engaged.

What does that do to a team when your star player is just not engaged? He's going to get 25 and nearly 30, but he's just not all the way there. Yeah, I mean, that's a difficult cue to take if you are a complimentary player on a team with LeBron. I don't know. So it's more about like that body language that we talked about. And I just referenced like when things don't go right or someone makes a mistake. And we're all a product of like the way we were coached when we were younger and the way we were brought up. So everyone kind of has a different way of leading and and demonstrating.

either their displeasure with what you're doing or their pleasure with what you're doing. LeBron is a hangar of the head at times, like a bad body language type of dude. And that can, you know, that can affect guys negatively. Now, I didn't see it a whole lot tonight. I'm not saying that was the problem tonight. But when that does happen, it can crush spirits, especially younger players, like players that are just trying to get firm footing in the league. You know, I was one of them.

And I responded much better to positivity. by my elder statesman and my vets as teammates, like guys that were fully established in the league that could afford to be like, yo, dog, that's my bad. Even though I knew it was my bad. Do you know what I mean? Do you get that from, do all, like,

I just know from watching on television and watching in the arena, very few, if not any, like, superstars, say my bad like that. You know what I mean? Especially on the defensive end. From like just the eye test, I just don't see it. I mean, you were fortunate to be around Nash, but even when you see like,

Oclips of Kobe, you see Oclips of LeBron or you see Oclips of any like superstar Michael Jordan back in the day, even if they miss an assignment, they're looking at the other person like, what are you doing? What is that like when you're on the receiving end of a like, hey, bro, what are you doing? Even though it's the person saying, what are you doing's fault? You have to have really thick skin, bro, and realize that like if you say something wrong to one of them or do what you really want to do, which is curse them to F out, you might not have a job. So you just kind of grin and bear it and you keep it moving. But I would say this.

For every, for every like LeBron or MJ or Kobe, there's a Tim Duncan who doesn't do that. Like, do you know what I mean? It's just who you are as kind of, again, we're products of the way we came up in the game. Like I probably had bad body language at times too. Could you have dealt with that though? Could you, because I mean, you were with Nash and you were with superstars that don't do that. say my bad, do you think you could have dealt with a player that's just like, Rajah? Yeah, I've had players like that.

And my shit was like, it's like any relationship, Logan. Like, I'm going to tell you in no uncertain terms that I'm not the fucking one. And so, like, we're going to get that shit out the way real early in the relationship. So you will know that if it's your bad, you ain't got to say it was your bad, but don't fucking say it was my bad. And then that's it. You just keep it moving. What's it like for a role player to be a role player on a team with a generational superstar?

Fun. I mean, it could be really fun because when you have a generational superstar, it makes your job exponentially easier. I'm going to get shots. Like, you saw LeBron serving up for all that I said about LeBron and some of the mistakes he made defensively and maybe he wasn't, you know, as assertive offensively scoring. I mean, he still was serving up like dimes. people are getting wide open looks because you have two people focused on LeBron at all times. That is the gift of playing with the generational talent. So it's a security blanket.

Usually you can give them the ball when you can't make something happen. And usually they'll bail you out with a tough shot or something like that. It can also be really demanding. Like, you know, there are expectations that you have to meet both as a team and individually when you're on the team with them that can be a lot of pressure for people. I always enjoyed that challenge. Like, I felt like that was like my inner competitor. But, I mean, it could be really draining when you're on a team with a guy

and you're not up for that challenge night in and night out because it's always there. They always expect to win and your teams usually are expected to win. This episode of The Real Ones is brought to you by Fan Dual Sportsbook. The NBA Finals are here and FanDul Sportsbook is ready to support your betting needs during the whole series. Fan dual Sportsbook has over 400 betting markets, not counting the tens of thousands of same-game parlay combinations, with markets as granular as first-quarter player points and player to make

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visit www. www.1-800 gambler.net. In Indiana, call 1-800-9 with it, and Colorado call 1-800-2-4-7-00. Or in Iowa, call 1-800 bets off. Let's get into the real one of the night, early candidate for a real one of the week, Jimmy Butler.

Like I said, 40 points, 13-assist, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. in the game that when the season is on the line, what did you think of that dude's performance? And the thing is, like, he doesn't, he's not a guy that does anything super well, right? He doesn't, he's not a great shooter. He's not a great midter.

I mean, he's, I don't know what he is. He's just, he just got all heart. What do you see from him? Jimmy, Jimmy Butler is a throwback player in terms of where he does his work and how he does his work. Most of it's, most of it's around the rim. in the mid-range game.

He'll shoot some threes, but he's a reluctant three-point shooter, plays at his own pace, quick to put somebody on his back. Like when he gets anything smaller than Kyle Kuzma on him, he is putting you right on his hip and going into his back-to-the-basket

type of fadeaway game or, you know, that's throwback. That's the error when I came into the NBA and right before me. He's like a 90s basketball player. No doubt, no doubt. Like, he would thrive in 1995. What?

Like, now the problem is, in 1995, you had two, 270 pounds, seven footers, like anchoring all of that shit down. There was not nearly the same amount of space as Jimmy Butler operates in around the rim right now. But that's his style. But he's going against the Lakers right now, right, with all their size right now. So I just want to just want to put that out there. But so that was interesting too, right? The Lakers couldn't get their side.

They had to sit that size the night. Like, AD was stripped of his ability to play. Dwight Howard was useless. And so Jimmy had a lot of space. around the cup to go to work. And you know what I really love about him, man? I love that he just takes challenges. Like he is, he doesn't realize to some degree that he's not LeBron.

Like, Jimmy doesn't, Jimmy doesn't know that. And Jimmy is up for all challenges, which is really pretty cool. Like, that's near and dear to my heart. I think the biggest thing that I've seen about Jimmy, and especially in the story that I wrote you guys into tapping with that on the ringer.com. And seeing Jimmy's story, he is a guy that during his career, he has spoken out. He is one of those guys that just tells it like it is. You're someone that does that as well.

How challenging is that for a guy to tell it like it is and then be crucified for it? Or be labeled a bad teammate or bad player? How is that? when you're just speaking was on your mind. You have to, it can be challenging, but you have to just, you got to be true to yourself, man. And Jimmy is, I always said with me personally, like, if I could sleep at night, like,

because I know I said what was on my heart and I was being honest about it, then that's all that mattered. And I think Jimmy kind of takes the similar approach where he's just calling a spade a spade. And unfortunately in this league, there are a lot of politics. So on some of the teams that he was on before,

you know, like let's use the Timberwolf situation, you know, he probably wasn't the favorite of ownership and so on and so forth. So that's speaking out, even if it were based in real facts and truths, no one wanted to hear that shit. And he was labeled as the bad guy, right? So, you know, it takes going to a place where people really think you are the dude and they appreciate what you're saying. And people do want to be held accountable. And instead of just talking that shit, they walk it and talk it for it to be appreciated. And he found a home in Miami. Why is Miami such a place for like rugged dudes that just don't tell it like it is? Why is that the case? Because that's what they practice. It's what they preach. It's who they go out and get from Pat

Riley starting that, like a heat culture to like the udonist as a 50-year-old graybeard sitting over there on a sideline who's built like that. And honestly, like you can even look at it in their approach to, you know, the tanking situation or when you think their teams are really lean and they should go out and just, you know, try to get the best draft pick. They don't practice that. They are trying to be competitive no matter what they do. And that, you can see that. I mean, you can see them scrap and fight and claw. And, you know, although they were under man and I text early in the game, I still thought the Lakers were going to win it. I hadn't factored in that the Lakers just looked like they, you know, they didn't have.

have as much energy tonight as they needed to have to overcome that that Miami Heat team that's always game, Logan. How much is, how much is energy, how much energy do you need for a game three? And like, especially the odd number of games where the game one where you started out, the game three, which is always a swing game, game five, game seven. Like how much time, what kind of energy that you need to be different than what's normally the case? Yeah, game threes are usually trying to think of the finals.

Did they go 2-2-1-1 now, right? They went back to that. We went back to that. I got news for you, Jimmy. I mean, not Jimmy. Raja, it's bubble, bubble, bubble. No, no, no, but I'm trying to draw on, like, if we weren't in the bubble, I believe, though.

No, it's, it's usually you can, like game three is a swing in, in, in energy because you're, you're going to be in somebody else's building or you'll be back at your building. And so with that comes a very natural swing in energy. I think you saw the bubble kind of catch the heat tonight. Because if the heat were going on the road to Miami, while Miami was going to have all the juice, the home crowd, and they were going to feel like they could win game three, the Lakers know unequivocally that you have to walk into that building,

laser sharp and focused because you're up against it. The Lakers would have gotten blown out with the energy they had tonight if it was in Miami. Facts, facts, if it was in Miami. But I would contest they wouldn't have looked as flat as they looked had they known they were going to Miami. The Lakers took that shit for granted. They thought it was Kate. They came out, they thought the Siri was over, kind of like, you know, you and I are here talking about.

So let's get back to Jimmy. You're a defender. You know, you're a defender. You know, that's something that you always pride yourself on. How are you defending Jimmy Butler? Because it seems weird, right? Because he doesn't have any, like, crazy strengths as a player, right? What are you defending when you defend him?

You're defending heart? Yeah, you're defending heart. You're defending foul line. and you're defending mid-post, like, and pick and roll. So I'm going under pick-and-rolls. That's a rule. I'm going to, any three that you'd like to take off the bounce, I'm penciling those in for you.

You can have as many as you want. Once I catch you on the other side of pick-and-roll, if we're in an ISO, I'm playing cat and mouse with you. I'm never really pulling up into your hip pocket. Because I'm trying to influence you to pull as many jumpers as I can get you to pull with the contested hand up, right? having said that, I'm going for no pump fakes out on the perimeter, because again, I'm going to contest that shot,

and I'm trying to keep you off the foul line. Once Jimmy put you on his hip, and he gets into his semi-backdowns, offensively, guys in this league are so good that you're not going to block shot. So I'm living with the turnaround jump shot. If I can affect it and make it go over its left shoulder, I'd like for him to go over his left shoulder, Logan. He's going to get to his right.

what I don't want to do when he gets over to his right and shows me the ball is jump so he can get into my body. And when he fades away, I'm going to put that hand up and I'm going to live with the result. What I can't give you is the 15 or 16 or 17 free throws that you get when you get cooking at the rim.

You know what I mean? Like all of that diving into me and shit like that. Like I have to try to eliminate those as best I can. Easier said than done though. So with Jimmy, how do you, is this the Jimmy that you wanted this whole series? Because this is something that we've always said, you, Jimmy just got to step up offensively.

Jimmy has to do this. Jimmy has to do that. Is this the Jimmy you want it? And is this sustainable? That's a good question. Because I don't know if it's sustainable. That's a good question. My heart says no on sustainability.

I mean, that was a, Logan, that was a game for the ages, bro. Like, that was, I mean, you were putting up. That was a legacy game right there. That was a legacy game. But the effort, like the style he played has to be there every game where I'm taking control. of this. Do you know what I'm saying? Like this isn't going to run through Bam Out of Bio. Bam Out of Bio is in his, what, third year? Is he third year player? Yeah.

No, we're not going through Bam Out of Bio. I'm sorry. Not happening. I mean, to be fair, to be fair, they were going at Bam Out of Bio throughout most of this postseason. Bam out of bio is the reason why they're here, Roger. I'm not going through Bam out of bio. It's what I'm telling you if I'm Jimmy Butler. Like, we can share this, but I'm going to be aggressive. I'm not going to be relegated to watch him. It's literally what he's been doing this postseason, Roger. You're talking about in the finals? That's literally what Jimmy's been doing this whole postseason.

Instead of stretches. He's been giving the ball to bam out of bio. Yeah, okay, for stretches, but like Jimmy Butler was going to work against Boston at times in that series. Like Jimmy Butler was working against who was our second round? Marcus Smart.

Was it Marcus Smart? No, I'm trying to, no, no. I'm sorry, the Milwaukee Bucks. Oh, yeah. Jimmy Butler has stretches where he goes. And from series to series, it can vary. Like, you can ride Goren Drogich and ride BAM out of bio.

But like the guy who can, listen, you think BAM out of bio was beating the heat by himself tonight? I mean, beating the Lakers by himself tonight? If it was BAM minus Jimmy Butler and Gron Drogich, don't answer it. It was rhetorical. He was not. He was not.

So Jimmy is the first player with the 40-point finals game without attempting a three since Shaquille O'Neal in 2002. He made 70% of his shots. No three's attempted. Not sustainable, correct. Well, one, I don't know if it's sustainable, but two, what did I say about the Lakers defense that they did this to a 6-5 guard who did? And the 2020 NBA.

Utter, utter, utter, utter, utter trash, bro. Their defensive performance was garbage. And the Miami Heat, like, if I told you, Logan Murda, that these two teams were going to play, and the Miami Heat were going to bully the Los Angeles Lakers in the paint for paint buckets.

Like you would tell me there's not really a chance that the Lakers win, right? We're going to go wash from the three point line and the Lakers are going to get bullied interior by the Miami Heat. Like you tell me it either couldn't happen

or you'd be like, yeah, the Lakers got to lose that game, right? And that's what happened. They got bullied. My thing is, though, man, I just feel my heart of hearts and we saw this and we talked about this pre-show.

If LeBron just cares even a little bit more If he's a little bit more engaged, they win this game. So I think that's how much better the Lakers are than the- Engaged in what, all right, explain it to me. Break it down a little bit for me. Engaged in regards to his defensive performance, his- Just careless turnovers, man.

His energy, I would say energy level and just cut down the turnovers, man. And get me 35 points instead of 25 points. If he gets 35 points, they win the game. So there we are. All right, let me ask you this question, right? Now, it's going to be blasphemous. I am a huge LeBron believer and a fan. in the half court, right?

LeBron this year, or at least in the bubble, since I've really been tuned in, hasn't seemed to really have a steady, offensive game in the half court. He's setting the table, and he gets to the rim from here to there, but you give LeBron to ball and say get a bucket, I'll pick a lot of other people right now in the half court to get me a bucket. Whoa.

Are you serious? I'm just saying, with the game on the line, you're not giving the ball to LeBron James if you're the coach to the Los Angeles Lakers. That's not what I said.

It's not what I said. I'm saying, game on the line, last second, that's a different conversation. I'm saying, when I see LeBron in a half court, and I watch the heat switch,

like, with, whoever tells you they weren't switching the night is, is lying, because they were switching. And then they were switching back in the middle of a possession

with LeBron with a live ball. And LeBron wasn't attacking that. Like he wasn't able, he's not shooting a jump shot. Have you, when's the last time you saw LeBron shoot a jump shot? Like, confidently. Like, he was like, I got this shit, pop. When's the last time you saw that? Tonight.

He hit a three tonight. How many threes did he hit tonight? How many threes did he hit? Like, my damn, one three. May I take my 11-year-old out there right now. He'd cash a three for you if you give him a wide open look. But my point is, like, I need, I need LeBron to be aggressive in the half court. When he gets it on the break, he's a freight train.

Yeah. But like in the half court, I need him to be aggressive. I'm not saying he can't. I'm saying he hadn't shown it. I want you to be aggressive, though. Like, do what Jimmy Butler did to some degree. It's not going to look the same, but the same mentality. I think LeBron has been.

And also, you know, it's a very nuanced thing, man. Like, he's one of the people like Paul George that has been affected by this bubble that he's talked about. He's always talked about that. We don't know that. But I have seen him engaged in this postseason. When he's engaged, still the best player on the planet, man. Absolutely. And I just felt like in a game three that we could have just seen, you know what I mean?

We could have seen a little bit more out of him just to shut this series down. Like this, when you, when you have Bam out of Bao and Gorindrogics, you've got to smell blood and get it and get, and get this game out the way. You have to get the game. And that's why what Scott Foster did was so egregious, bro. You might be a writer. You know what I think you might be a writer? That's why? Because, you know, when we write something, we try to, we set the scene and then we write towards the end of the show, we just.

ring it right back. God. It's what you did. Staff writer, Roger Bell here. Boom. So who would you take? So who would you take?

I got a list for you here. Yeah. Who you would take over LeBron? Yes or no? All right? And what, what's the scenario? Like what you just said?

Like I would just, I would give the ball to somebody else, right? All right, I bet that. Go ahead. Go ahead. All right. Kwai Leonard.

Yeah. You would give the ball to Quile Leonard over Lebron in 2020. In a half court, like, all right, purely half court. And a one-on-one, half court, defense is set. I need you to get me a bucket.

You're not passing it. You're getting in the bucket. Okay. Yes. Kauai Leonard. Yes. Kevin Durant. Absolutely.

James Hardin. Yes. Dame Lillard. Yes. Steph Curry. No. Clay Thompson. No.

Steve Nash. No. Kobe Bryant. Yeah. What you talk about. Yeah. Dwayne Wade. Hmm

That's a really That's a good one We're talking We're being a little unfair Because like LeBron isn't vintage You're LeBron isn't vintage And you're asking me to compare him to vintage If you want to do that bet

Okay if you don't want to do that Janice No No Luca Yeah You would give the ball to Luca I would

Chris Paul Right now No No I'm gonna just test you right now Russell Westbrook No man I'm not

Listen man I'm not biased here. I'm simply, and again, I want to qualify with the exercise was not based on, like, last 10 seconds of a game. We need a basket. Who are you giving the ball to? It still sounds blasphemous, bro. I know what it sounds like.

And I said that. Like, I prefaced it with that. But what you're talking about a bunch of guys that can create not only going to the basket, but they all have legitimate, like, mid-post type of mid-range games. And they all can shoot. So, like, if you were to back up or they were going to. gonna wall you off, you could...

So on this team right here, on this team right here, would you tell Anthony Davis to get the ball before LeBron in a half-course setting to get a bucket? He has a live dribble. Like, I can get it to him

like either around the elbow or... Yeah, live jump or the wing. 18 feet from the basket on the wing with a live dribble. Somebody gives him a catch. Yeah, absolutely. Yep. Damn.

That's going on the Lakers roster. For a bucket. Not, not for... Not to create a play. Like, LeBron is my... creator. I'm talking about... Yeah, but you're talking about him. I don't think you're... No, I'm not going to do that, bro.

Like, you're talking about LeBron like he's a... Like, he's barely an all-star, bro. No, dog, you just named... The people you named were like the five best players in the NBA, bro. You said you wouldn't even give him the ball on his own team. AD is one of the five best players in the NBA, bro. He would have been... If Scott Foster didn't get involved, he was NBA finals MVP. Do you want to go to the bubble and fight Scott Foster right now? If I said...

Listen, if I saw Scott Foster right now... now? We didn't even like, I didn't even bring up Scott. Here's a question. Would you give the ball to Scott Foster and a half court saying over the bra? Well played. You didn't answer the question. Well played. You didn't answer the girl. Look, I am, I am merely trying to point out with with the tape and could have been hot, but it was fine. I'll stand by it. I'm merely trying to point out in the half court, LeBron doesn't have the same burst that he used to have, so he's not always getting his shoulders by his defender. And I don't see him really, you know, with a willingness to shoot to jump or a few years ago,

he was shooting it pretty willingly and shooting it at a good clip. It made him really dangerous offensively, like in the half court. But he's not shooting that. And he doesn't really seem like he really wants to be in the post at all. And so for those reasons, there are other guys with skill sets that I'm going to take to get me a bucket. LeBron is still one of the top guys to do that. let's look ahead real quick if Bam comes back

can this series go to distance yes it can oh yeah okay yeah could you see this being like a seven game series or something I think probably more six but it could dog two things the heat and their effort

I trust the consistency of it more than the Lakers the Lakers will fall asleep they did it tonight that might be heat offense with all of the movement and all of the the shooters flying off of those high screens with the fake handoffs. And it causes so much confusion for the Lakers. And it puts a lot of pressure on that defense. And if they're knocking down shots and they got you spread out with that movement,

like it could be a series. Now, I don't imagine Scott Foster gets involved like he did, dog. I'm going to keep it up. Listen, it's a running theme. Like, you're not going to get the same treatment in game four. You're not. If you're the Lakers, you're not going to get it. Can I be real with you, man?

Please. I think the Lakers are going to be the breaks off the heat next game. I think the Lakers are going to be the breaks off the heat next game. I think LeBron's going to just going to go crazy. He probably heard this right here. He's probably going to be like, you got me messed up. And he's going to have one of them games. Right.

Anthony Davis is going to be probably on your side with this Scott Foster argument and be pissed off. I think the Lakers are going to beat the breaks off of them. And they're probably going to be pissed off. because there's another thing, man. These guys, especially the Lakers, they want to win, but they also want to get back to their families, man. Like, this just gave like a two-day,

an extra two days where they can't go back to the crib. They, I think they are going to be the breaks off of the heat in the next game. Weather Bam plays. Well, I'll tell you what. LeBron and company better stop, like, begging for calls and throwing their hands up in there, like somebody did them wrong and handle your business. I mean, Brown's been here before.

I know that. I trust LeBron. I tend to agree with you. I tend to agree with you. But if they come out and punch the heat in the mouth, which you and I both think they will, and the heat take that punch and get up off the canvas and you're sitting there looking at a six-point game around halftime, game is on, sir.

Game is on, sir. Okay. Let's get to a real one of the week, man. Who's your real one of the week? My real one of the week. Let's see. I was going to go, Scott Foster, just because I think he might have had a bet in on like the finals MVP.

Bro, were you listening to hit him up during this time, man? Like, has you really been going to him on Scott Foster? I know. But I'm not going to go, Scott Foster. You know who I'm going to go with? Who you're going to go with? Who are you going to go with? Golden Tate from the New York, from the New York Giants.

The New York football Giants. Yeah. Jalen Ramsey, you know the backstory, right? Like Jalen Ramsey, dating his sister, you know, it didn't work out. No, I'm just saying. No, no, no, I don't know. This is facts. I read it.

Like, they got in, you know, It didn't work out with the sis. You know, they got two beautiful daughters together, apparently. But then there was some beef between the two of them. And Golden Tate held his sister today, held his sister down today postgame. Like that's something you just kind of, like, he knew he was going to fight him that night. Yeah. He just knew.

Like, he already knew going into it. They knew they were going. All right. They're the real one. Okay. All right. I'm going to go with, I'm going with Jimmy Butler, man. Been a real one this whole postseason, probably been a real one his whole life.

I'm going with Jimmy. He bawled out tonight. Shout out Jimmy. Also. Special honorable mention because we do not have our WMBA correspondent on here. We do not, I want to go with Sue Bird. Sue Bird. Sue Bird has been bawling in the WNBA finals.

Storm in three. Storm probably going to wrap this up on Tuesday night. And the big reason has been Sue Bird. She's a beast. She's a real one of the greatest point guards of all time. Man or woman. Yeah, she's a boss. Shout out.

Also shout out Doc Rivers back in the game. Yes, sir. You know? Yeah, that's a good hire, good hire, bro. Good hire. Sue Bird, year 17, on a quest to get title number four. Does that remind you of somebody? Hmm.

Hmm. Hmm. Mm. Shout out Sue Bird, man. Shout out of the WMBA. Also, now that, now this, Doc Rivers got a job right now, what does that do for your guy, Mike Dan Tony there, young guy, young fella? What's going on there?

Yeah, I don't know. That's interesting. Mike got the rug pulled out from under him on that one. A little, a little, a little, a little, a little, a little, a little, a little, a little, do you like that higher though with Mike? Do you like that higher? I like that. I think he fits better with them than Mike did.

Really? Because they would have, I mean, they would have, they would have to trade one of those guys if Mike get, if Mike Dantone gets a job, right? Either Embed or Ben Simmons, right? Yeah, I think you would have to tinker with that, with the makeup of that, because you know what Mike wants to do. I think, I think Doc's got more of a, Doc can play more of a, um, uh, prototypical. style, if you will.

You know what I mean? Like more traditional. Mike's just going to want to do it the way he wants to do it. Can Sixers win with Ben and Joe L&B? Can they win a title? I don't know, dog. Yes. I mean, they're so gifted.

Both of them are so good. I don't think they're natural fits for each other. But if you got the chemistry, right? Every year, I think they're going to get 60 wins. And every year they get like barely 50. I know, right? It's the most frustrating thing. I think you really got to be good around the edges with them, Logan.

Like you have to, you can't, it's got to be perfect around them. if that makes sense. Yeah. All right. Well, this has been a live edition of the Real On the Real Ones podcast on the Ringer NBA show feed.

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Shout out. But check us out. man this was a we will see you guys next monday this was a special edition on sunday we will see you guys next monday man peace man see y'all next time