The Ringer NBA Show - Klay Thompson and Devin Booker Trash Talk, Plus Raja Amends His Finals Pick | Real Ones

Episode Date: October 27, 2022

Logan and Raja unpack the back-and-forth between Klay Thompson and Devin Booker and what that means for the brewing Suns-Warriors rivalry (17:40). Along the way, they break down the situation between Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards as well as their thoughts on NBA player dieting (38:27). Later, they discuss whether Anfernee Simons and Pascal Siakam can take the next step in their respective careers (47:38). Finally, the guys close out with their Real Ones of the Week (51:33). Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Associate Producer: Jonathan Kermah Production Assistant: Kai Grady Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yo, this is Rob Harvilla from 60 Songs That Explain the 90s, the world's greatest loopy and perverse and inaccurately named music nostalgia podcast. We're doing 90 songs now because there's too many songs. Pearl Jam, J-Z, Jewel, YouTube, Cher, Hootie. These are just some of the names people yell at me on the internet because we're back. More great songs, more rad special guests, more loopy perversity. Join us once more on 60 Songs That Explain the 90s every Wednesday on Spotify. I was popping.

Logan Murdoch, Roger, before we get started, I just would like to say you were in a special bag on Monday. I just would like to say that. I re-listen to the audio from Monday morning and, Dog, you are one of the best speakers that I know because you can be incensed and yelling and doing all these things. However, your grammar and your vernacular is perfect throughout all those things, particularly. I just want to say there was a one moment during the podcast. You guys are going to listen to the Monday pod with Ryan Rousseau. It was a really good episode. But there was a moment when we were talking about the Lakers.

And you said, I'm paraphrasing, but you were defending Russell Westbrook and you said, LeBron does it play defense? And no disrespect to LeBron. And then you go into a whole diatribe. and you said Anthony Davis was, uh, he went in on Anthony Davis, but the part where I thought that was great is when you talked about,

uh, Patrick Beverly and you said he overstimates, something along the lines that he overestimated his ability to play on this, and this type of, type of season. And I was like, oh my God, Roger is in a bag. Roger is in a bag. So good shit, Rob.

Thanks. You know when you get good at that low? You know, you get good at like keeping grammar and sentence structure in the midst of yelling when you yell a lot. Okay. Yeah. And so I'm, you know,

I try to work on that. I'm still a work in progress. It's been a lifetime of trying to achieve Zen. And I haven't gotten there yet. So I've got a lot of practice in that space, man. Okay. Yes. I just wanted to just highlight that.

Thanks. The Lakers lost again. I don't want to get into it. What's up? You got something to say on the way? Yeah. Let me just say this because I know I get a little push. back and I thought about what I said. And I just want to clarify when I'm talking about LeBron

needing a different kind of team around him at this point in his career, I'm not saying that he doesn't need shooters. Clearly, if you watch the game, you know, last night or any of the game so far this season or any NBA game in general, shooting is really important. Like, you have to have shooters. I'm not saying that he doesn't need any shooters around him, but he needs a better balance of people who can shoot and people who can be primary creators. There's a lack of them on that Lakers team. There's a lack of them.

AD doesn't even really do that anymore. I mean, they throw him a post up early in the game and everything else he gets is like a lob at the rim or a, you know, a rim run or a jump shot. I see another lob to Anthony Davis. I'm never going to watch another Laker game for the rest of the season because I'm so sick of them throwing lobs that have been. You know, but like even when you,

look at, when you look at a team like Denver, there are multiple people out there that can create. There are multiple people that have the ability to do that. And so I just think, you know, I wanted to clarify that. I'm not saying he doesn't need shooting, but I think at this stage in his career where it's, did you, if you saw the game last night, he cruised through two quarters, right? He did. And then in the third quarter, you know, and it's what happens as you get older as a player, you start to try to find that time to imprint on the game. Like, I'm going to bide my time and then here it is. So he made that run in the third. But I mean, after that, like, he was gassed.

You can't do that. He doesn't have that in him for four quarters over the course of 82. So he needs help in that space, man. Other people that can individually, singularly break down their man, get a bucket or create for someone else. And I didn't even plan on talking about the Lakers, but let's just do it real quick. I think that it goes back to discussions that we've had in the past, It's not just about LeBron, but with star players in general of a certain age. They, and this isn't even like disrespectful or anything, but they cruise through games because they, like, you're not, no one plays hard 100% 82 games straight, regular season games all the way through for 48 minutes. You just can't. It's unsustainable. There's no way you can do that, right?

Right. But when I see the Lakers and I see, you know, LeBron and LeBron play really, I don't even know his stats last night, but I think they started the game, the Lakers, particularly. particularly well. The biggest thing with the Lakers right now is they don't have good enough players to help carry them when LeBron has to go through the lull or has to go ease himself into a game. He's 20 years in. They don't have those other. That's the difference between this Lakers team and the 1920 Lakers team where you can at least have somebody go off for a quick spell and just get you a quick 15 or you just have reliable dudes. They don't know. where their points are coming from, right?

Like, Lonnie Walker's been really, really good. But if you see down the line of the roster, every time Pat Bev takes a three, I'm just like, it's not going in. It takes away energy when LeBron is going to the cup, dishing out to a wide open man, and he misses a corner three. And it's not just Pat Bev,

it's everybody that they get. It's demoralizing. It's demoralizing to watch when, you know, they're working hard to get good shots. The Lakers are really getting good shots. But they're just not going in for whatever reason. And that's just demoralizing to, a team when you continue to see shots not go in from the other guys.

Yeah, that's tough. I thought it was interesting, listening to the broadcast where they were saying Darwin Ham wants the team to stay confident and not lose its confidence, especially in the ability to knock down the three, right? It's critical that they continue to shoot. Law of averages will play themselves out. They will not shoot this poorly as a whole for an entire season. So they just got to weather the storm, stay confident and continue to shoot.

but I would just add on any team, if Pat Bev is going to be counted on to carry any of the scoring load, we have a problem. You're 100%. And that's historically a thing, though. That's not even just him on the Lakers. That's talking about when he was at his best and on other teams as well.

You didn't want that. You wanted him to be a spark off the bench or a defensive presence. Yes, I don't mean that as a slight to Pat Bev. If he scores, then that's just like icing on the cake, right? But so whatever contribution you can give there is cool. But if I got a pencil you in for 15 a night to supplement LeBron, AD, and sometimes Lonnie Walker or whatever Russ is doing, then, you know, we've got problems as a constructed team. And that's kind of where they're at now.

Well, it goes back to this roster construction in general because they systematically, Rob Polinka and everybody and the staff, whoever is making these decisions, has systematically taken away the consummate role players, right? The really, really effective role players. You trade away Kyle Kuzma, right? You trade away THT. I mean, I know that we, THT has been a polarizing topic on this podcast, but you need scores. You need guys that can create, right?

And if you trade a THT, I don't necessarily want to get a Pat Bev back for that because you're really missing a THT type of score, right? another guy that can get buckets or not keeping, you know, Dennis Schroeder. There's just a lot of different things that you're putting a lot of pressure on your star players. And you juxtapose that last night when you watched the Denver Nuggets. All right. If Yokets isn't balling, okay, I'm going to give it to Jamal Murray, right? Or, you know, when Michael Porter Jr.'s not injured, give him the ball, right?

Or you have other guys that can supplement scoring. You even got cats like Bones Highland coming off the bench. Now, he was off last night, but you know, that's a, you saw how often the ball was in his hands and he was shooting. Like, he wasn't bashful. Like, clearly, that's his job description. He has the ability to do that. Like, you get that job description because of the trust that you've earned from your teammates and your coaches and your ability to do that. So that means you are a creator, right?

Like, you can get a bucket. You can do those things and facilitate. And so they've got, they've got them kind of scattered across their roster in a way that the Lakers just don't. Yeah, they got to the point last night on the broadcast. I think it was Richard Jefferson. I'm not sure. But they were like, KCP had hit a three. And now CCT was like, you know, KCP was on the Lakers in past years.

They probably could use them on the roster this year. It's just, that's why like the Lakers ceiling is just so low because at a point in time, you have two great players, but I think we're getting a lesson that you need other guys to succeed. Right. I think I saw that in the Brooklyn, Milwaukee game last night as well, where you have two, on the net side, you have two really, really great players and KD and Kyrie. But there's not enough like supplementary performances from other guys. It's just not, right?

Like Joe Harris can get his, but can he create? I don't know. You have Ben Simmons, who can't create, but still trying to find his way. But you need to build. out an entire team to supplement stars in this era. That's what it's

seeming like at this point, right? Even in the Miami Big Three, which is the poster child for, you know, matching a team of stars together. Who else did they have? They had James Jones.

They had Mike Miller. They had Ray Allen, you know, they had other guys that could supplement scoring when the Big Three wasn't out. And also, you had a younger LeBron James.

That helped too. But it's just, it's really hard to watch the Lakers at this point. It is hard to watch. I like where you went with the Brooklyn Milwaukee game because you're right. When I watched Milwaukee play,

first of all, they just move the ball so much quicker on the offensive end than Brooklyn does. Brooklyn looked good when they got out in transition. I had no beef. They were out in transition. But when they get into a half-court set, although the ball moves,

it doesn't move with the type of pace and the type of energy that it moves with Milwaukee on offense. And so that ball is humming. And people are moving. They're really deliberate cuts being made. Defenders are always being put in this situation of conflict where they're trying to figure out what they're going to do.

And now an opportunity has been created. But Milwaukee has more guys that can get a bucket. Like they got more guys that when that conflict comes, and I've got this defender in this precarious situation, and he's closing out to me, that I can now make a play, like a good play and consistently make plays out of that. shit, I was a player that can make a play once in a while, you know, but I wasn't consistently playmaking.

They have consistent playmakers to a degree that Brooklyn just doesn't. Now, I think Brooklyn, you know, you brought in pieces like Royce O'Neill, and he got a little hot last night for a minute. He had 12. Like, they've got to figure out offensively how you're going to integrate some of these pieces and allow them to supplement, right? If they can. Ben Simmons needs to be more aggressive.

I think, I'm sure Steve, I haven't talked to him about this, but you should be empowering him. It's great that he can get it off the rim and push it down, but I need you to push it down and get in the paint. Don't push it down and immediately flip it, and then we're into a pick and roll. You really ain't really rolling to score anyway. So go ahead and attack the basket.

Let's see if you can get you 12, like just getting on top of the room. Maybe last night wasn't the night because it's the honest, but that's the mindset he should be in. And then everyone else needs to be able to eat a little bit. Well, there were a couple of times where even the announcers were like, why didn't Ben shoot that ball? Even when it led to good opportunities for other people, it was like, yo, shoot the ball.

I think the bigger thing with Brooklyn and also to a big extent, Los Angeles, is there's so many moving parts within that organization. And there's so many roster changes, outside changes, that I don't think either one of those teams trust each other yet. You know, it's going to take time for them to trust each other. And I think Brooklyn played like a team. this isn't even really disrespect at all. This is time is going to make this happen,

but they play like a team that doesn't trust each other yet, right? That doesn't know where the cut is going to come from, right? Whereas Milwaukee's been playing for years. That roster is, by and large, been playing for years. You put different pieces and, you know, you do that, but, you know what Bobby Portis is going to bring you on a night and night basis, right? You know what other different guys are going to do. And Brooklyn doesn't have that yet because they haven't had time together.

And neither is L.A. with their current rosters. That's a very good point. It's a very good point. You know, there was a play. I think it was Dayron Sharp had the ball. But, you had Kyrie in the corner. And Kyrie kind of set his man up and danced a little bit.

The back door was there. But Kyrie wasn't sure that Dayron could make the play. So Kyrie popped back out to the wing looking to get the ball. And Sharp had already kind of thrown the back, great little back door pass. And you could even see them have the dialogue. Like, Kyrie was like me. That's a good pass, bro. Like, good pass.

But that will work itself out. They will get better at that. And I think that's a really good call on your part. Like the trust isn't there. It will build. I just hope that sometimes you're not always afforded the time to build because someone else externally kind of or maybe it could be internally says, hey, this needs to be done quicker than that. And the pressure starts to mount. I just hope they're given the time to figure that out.

Yeah, that's why I really don't want to talk about the Nets too early this season. They're working progress. I don't even think that we haven't seen them at their best or at their final form. But let me just say that if you would. grant me the pass and the ability to augment my finals participants when I predicted. Wow. We're not even in November yet, brother. We're not even there.

Well, I think I said that I rarely bet against Milwaukee. I think I said that when I was picking Brooklyn. I said I'm usually Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Milwaukee. You saw Yada to score 17 in the third quarter. was like, I don't know. This has less to do with Brooklyn, because I think they're going to be really good. And more to do with,

do you know how fucking big Milwaukee is, man? Bro. Do you know how big? I just forget, right? Because I default to like, Janus is great and this and that. And you're still without, you know, Chris Middleton,

who's a 6-7, 6-8-2. Like, they're just really big. Amongst a bunch of other great things, offensively and defensively. That's why I picked Milwaukee as my champion, because Yonis is just now getting into his peak. And you saw it last night where I think, so at halftime, I think he had like 13 or something.

They put the stat line up and it's like, you know, Janus, going into the third, Janus is well below his seasonal averages. I'm sure he'll get back. Like, he was not playing well in that first half. And then you could just see it in his eyes in that third quarter where, I think, you know, I don't remember. I know Brooklyn was up.

They might have been up double digits at that point. But Janice was like, just give me the ball. It was just give me the ball offense, right? And there was a time where they met where Janus matched up against KD. And he did, it was in the post deep in the post. And Janus gets the ball, does a, like, Kevin played solid defense to start. And then Janus pump fakes says, excuse me, Kevin. It just gets a layup in, just body, Kevin.

It was, it was pretty, pretty insane to see. Janus in that third quarter. We'll just give me the ball and I'm just going to, I'm just going to bring us back. Not only am I going to bring us back. I'm just going to win this, this Wednesday night game for us. It's okay. Don't even trip. It's ours.

Don't even trip. You've become accustomed to things and you take them for granted. And Milwaukee's size is one of those things that I took for granted. I was watching the game last night. Nick Claxon is what, 611? Yeah, he's 6. He's tall guy, tall guy. Okay.

KD's 610, 611, whatever they list him at. He's seven foot. He just doesn't want to say it. They both look small. Yeah. They both look small and, and slight of build. Not just to Janus, but to, to big ass Brooke Lopez to, to. And then, A.O.

And then they put, then they put Ben Simmons on Janus, bro. And that was just, that was just disrespectful. I know Ben Simmons is a really, really good defender, but damn, Roger. I mean, I thought he did a, yeah, he did a good job in the first half. Not so, yeah. He did a good job until Yonis said, nah. Don't even trip. Basically.

I'm just going to change my pick. I'm just going to change my pick. Who are you going to change it to? You're going to change it to Milwaukee? Yeah. No question. You ain't shit. I'm not shit.

But I am. If you will allow me, I will not be shit and change it to Milwaukee. All right, for sure. I want to talk about another team near and dear to your heart. This was a Tuesday matchup. I want to talk about the Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Suns are, they have an impressive start at the time. They played tomorrow night.

I think I have a bit of a break. But the three and one, as we're talking about this, coming off a really, really, really big win against the Warriors, where the game started off as a really good playoff-like game. And then Clay Thompson starts popping off at the mouth to Devin Booker. It was great. So that was a turning point. I don't know.

It was a turning point in the game. I don't know what it means, like, to, to, for the rest of the season. But I was expecting, I was like, uh-oh, are the warriors going to go on a run right now? They're talking popping big shit. They're talking about how they got, they're talking about how they got four rings.

And then something different happened, Raja. The sons responded and just ran the warriors out of the building. Is this a turning point for the, for the sons right now? Where are they right now in your eyes? Because they've been really impressive to start the season. I think it's a little early to say turning point because,

I mean, I don't know that. I mean, they've just started off really well, right? So, like, it's not really a turning point. They've started off the way you would hope. They're third in the NBA in terms of defensive efficiency. Milwaukee, my pick to be in the finals now is, it's number one. They're just, they're long and physical and whatnot.

But what I watch that game, I mean, Phoenix can really lock up. They strap up when they want to. And they, too, have dudes that can get buckets. Like, they have guys that, you know, that. So they're like Milwaukee. in that that ball moves crisply. It moves with an energy. It usually finds the person

that's open and should have the ball and puts them in a position to be productive with the ball. I mean, these are corny things that old school coaches talk about, hey, when the ball moves with energy and you move with energy, the ball finds the guy it's supposed to find.

But they're tried and true, dog. And when you watch Phoenix play, that shit happens. And then they got guys that can get buckets. Like Cam Johnson, he can get a bucket. McHale Bridges? You know how I fell out of McHale Bridges. No, straight-out. Friend of the show, but could get a bucket. DeAndre Aiton, I mean, but, you know, can finish and can get a bucket. Chris Paul and Devin Booker are certified. So when you're versatile like that offensively and you strap up and defend, you're going to be a problem. And I would just double down and triple down now because I said it pre-season. Monty Williams, James Jones, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, the leadership in that locker room. They need to be commended for the job that they've done.

last year with all the distractions and coming into this season with all the distractions late in the game like you have to tip your hat to those dudes for keeping it keeping it singularly focused keeping the blinders on and being about the task at hand right like being able to compartmentalize like that is is huge when you're in an NBA season being able to block out all the noise all the distractions all of the things that that don't factor into us winning games or at least shouldn't, like being able to keep them outside or critical, and they just seem to do a really good job at that. Here's the thing with Phoenix and hindsight's 2020,

but I think they made it, I know why they did it, and I get it, but last year, them going for that many wins, I don't think that was the best course of action for this type of roster. I think that this roster is, I think they need to be similar to how the Warriors were last year. I think they need to get to about 50, 52, 53 wins, right? But make sure you're winning the games. Make sure you're winning the games like you did Tuesday night against Golden State.

Make sure you win the games against Denver, you know, against Dallas. You don't necessarily, but make sure you are just keeping your rhythm. Because what happened last year can't happen. What happened last year was your top dog, your leader gets tired. Let's just keep it a buck, right? Chris Paul, as great as he is, getting a little long. in the tooth. You've got to make sure that you guys are healthy and fresh going into the postseason and not necessarily chasing that regular season record. Get to 52, 53 wins and then we'll

see what happens. Question for you, because you've been in the league a long time. What for a team like the Sons, what does an early season game against Golden State mean? What are you thinking about going into a game like that when you, you know, you didn't have much playoff success, but you see the champs coming into town early in the season. What is your mindset going in to a game like that? What are you trying to prove? What are you trying to, what time of tone are you trying to set?

I'm starting to make a statement. We're trying to make a statement. Every game of 82, especially early in the season, isn't significant. But when certain teams come to town or when you go to their town, you're certainly trying to make a statement.

And Golden State would fall into that category. You know, Boston, obviously, finals participant would fall into that category. Milwaukee, the butter teams, right? The better teams. Western Conference top tier opponents. Like, I am trying to set a tone and let people know, you know, who we are this year, right? Everyone's jockeying right now for position and not just on the standings board, but like in the, how do I want to put this?

in the hierarchy of fear in different in ball clubs. Do you know what I mean? So like, you know, certain clubs fear other clubs more than than another one. And so we're trying to put ourselves on the top of that list. Like certain teams didn't fear the Phoenix Suns when I played there. They thought that they could beat us. They had a recipe that they felt could work. A lot of teams for a lot of those teams, they didn't want to see us because we played at a

tempo that just took them out of what they wanted to do. And so you're trying to send that statement to Golden State. Like, y'all don't, you don't want to see us. It won't care if you're number one in the West or, you know, what the seedings are come to the playoffs. Like, every time we see you in the regular season, if we can, we're going to do this to you and just plant those seeds in your mind for the playoffs. What did you see from the other side of the matchup on Tuesday night, right? Because the Warriors came out really good, but it seemed like they're in this, I don't know how to say this lightly. It seems like to early on the season, they've been in a bit of a very slight identity crisis, right, where they got a lot of guys that are, they got a, like,

lot of questions that are unanswered at this point. I don't think, I think the J.P. Beef is, I think that's a non-issue at this point. It's more so like, how are we going to get Wiseman involved, right? How are we going to get this young core involved? How are we going to ease Clay Thompson into the fold? You know, because he didn't, you know, because

he didn't play much in the preseason. But I think the game came to a head in that, and that skirmish between Thompson, or just to yell him. That's just wasn't that big of a deal. But what did you see from the Warriors' point of view of that back and forth between Clay Thompson and Devon Booker? Because Clay Thompson is going to the fact that we got four rings, we chill in, whatever. But what do you see from the, what are the warriors trying to say in this matchup?

What was their point of view at this point in that game, you think? I mean, their point of view was they got ran out the gym. So, like, we have what we have work to do. And I think that a team like Golden State, after what they achieved last year and all that they've achieved over this this kind of window that they're in could use something like that early in the season, right? Or coach could use that, right? There's sometimes where a coach comes into his staff after a loss. Like, I've been in those rooms, right? Like when David Blatt or somebody would come in afterwards and it didn't go the way we wanted. And they're like, not all the way disappointed because you could use that, right? Like, we needed that.

we're feeling a little better about ourselves than we should be feeling right now. You know, sometimes you're winning games and coaches can look at it and say, damn, man, we're winning, but we don't look. You know, this doesn't look great. We're winning despite not playing great basketball. And the more you win like that, the more it gets kind of brushed under the rug, like, players don't believe it until players get beat the way they got beat. And now as a coach, I can say to you, hey, look, I try to tell you. Like, we were winning or we were skating, whatever was happening and you weren't believing me. but now look, it bit us in our ass.

And so here are some of the things that we need to get back to doing or here are some of the things that we need to start doing or what have you. And I think if anyone can take that kind of message in, rally the troops and understand that this is a marathon,

like there's a lot of basketball to be played. It's golden state. So I'm not worried about them. You know, I'm not, I think it's fine. I do think it's a good thing to happen now. I worry a little bit about Clay Thompson, though. I worry a little bit about Clay. And when we had Steve on, remember I, you know, I asked him, I said, you know, should he and you guys anticipating after, you know, coming back on that next year, you know, that he would, he's going to look a lot better because it looked like he was kind of rushing and forcing. And, and, and I'm not going to say this definitively, but I am worried about what percentage of his self he gets back to at this point. And his acceptance of that.

If when you look and you dissect that, that, the exchange he had with Booker, it didn't seem like it had anything to do with Booker. It had every. everything to do with his frustration levels coming into this season, you know? And like, look at the situation. You have a guy like Clay who was a pillar of that organization. Injuries have have, have derailed, you know, his career in a lot of ways, right? And he played really well in spurts, but he hasn't played well consistently since he got back. And then you have, you know, this kid, because, I mean, JP balled out in that Phoenix game.

He was just doing some, he was just doing some mess. He's consistently great this season talk. But you have a guy like that who's balling and he's... That boy does some shit. That boy does some shit with a ball, Logan. I'm sorry to interrupt you, man. There are a few people in my career where you watch them with the ball and you can't figure out how their mind works.

Where you're like, how would that shit even pop into your head to do that, man? Like, Jamal Crawford had a little bit of that where you'd watch him. And he ain't playing to be no six man right now. You can tell by the way he's just playing. He ain't saying nothing. And he is playing like, yo, this is. This is not only going to be my starting spot at point. This is going to be my team one day.

That's how he's trying to play right now. Yeah, he's on another wavelength creatively. I mean, you know, we can talk about skill set and production and all that. But in terms of creativity, when he's on to bounce, his brain works different. Anyway, go ahead. You see that. You see that as Clay Thompson. And you can see how a guy can be frustrated right now.

And he has to figure out his new role in this organization and just how things are going. It's tough. It's tough. My question, oh, to you, though, Raja, is just bigger than Golden State or Phoenix or any team for that matter. I just want to just the art of ease or trying to find your identity within a season for a team. I feel like that's the stage we are in this regular season right now. We're not even November. A lot of, that's when you see the standards are kind of wonky, right?

The team that might win the titles like 10th in the West or 10th in the East, right? Or, you know, it's just all wonky right now. when do you get a sense of oh we know what our team is right now when do you get a sense of oh we found our identity like what is this time right now when you're a team trying to find yourself what is that like and how do you get through this this little weird period of the season that's it that's a good question um before i answer it let me just throw kairi into that mix of people when they're handling the ball that like dog just like bro what are you doing that's crazy who would think to do that um Kyrie is like, no, no, no, no, no, no.

And then he just has somehow has his left hand go from and just flick it to the top of the bagboard that goes in, dog. It's brilliant. If I'm, you know, if I'm already core rotational guy top five to maybe seven, right? Like six man, you know who you are. Like, no one's really vying for that. They should be a starter on most teams. They're the six man on your team.

Like, they're not really going anywhere. Seven is usually kind of pretty solid too. But like for eighth, ninth, depending on how deep my coach goes, 10th, like, you know, there's a lot of jockeying going on. Like players are trying to impress upon coaches that they should, you know, move up and be considered for minutes. And it's not a fight per se, but there is this element of like, hey, while we're chasing this championship, it's still early in the season. and let me show you guys that I deserve a little bit more than I'm getting if you're one of those guys, right? If you're like a top seven guy, you're trying to develop that chemistry. You're trying to figure out roles if anyone's taken a step over the course of a summer that is going to translate to this season.

Like maybe let's say, I don't know, Jonathan Kaminga, for example. Like, let's say in preseason and summer, he showed that he could be a kind of primary playmaker. Everyone's kind of trusted. And then from summer, he did it in the preseason and in practices. And now we've got to see if it works in the games. So do you understand what I'm saying? So guys are looking around each other trying to see if anyone's taking that step. Like, can I relinquish a little bit of this?

Maybe Logan's gotten better in that space. Man, maybe Logan, you know, gives me a little bit more because I'm better in this space now. I get a few more three. So starters are figuring that out at the same time. trying to get out to a quick start, right? Because if you bank a bunch of wins early, I mean, you know, that's while everyone else is trying to figure it out, like that's house money.

Coaches are trying to figure out the recipe. They're trying to figure it out. They're trying to figure out what combinations work, what rotations work. They're still trying to probably hammer home philosophy, if there's been a change from last year, make sure culture is in place, and just make sure more than anything, you know, even if you're not winning games, although you'd love to be winning them, that you're playing the way you want to play.

That the efforts there, the attention to details there, and that you are from the ground up built the right way. And then if that's solid, then wins will come. Is that why it's always, first part of regular season is always a little wonky, right? You just see weird stuff. Like you see a lot more passes thrown out of bounds in the first week of the season, right? Or you see just like, oh, back door cut comes, or somebody's expecting a back door cut,

throws the ball, and the guy's just not there. And you're like, you know, is that why you see a lot of that to start the season? Well, yeah, it's like that is the play

we were talking about with Brooklyn last night. Like, those are two guys that haven't had a lot of time together, right? One is, one is vying for real rotational minutes and trying to prove to coach a staff

and to his peers that he's able to, you know, produce in those minutes. And the other one is a bona fide superstar. And they, you know, they're just not on the same page on that. And so,

you know, you're trying to work out your chemistry. man, you're trying to fire on all cylinders as best you can. That was what was kind of unique, you know, about those, the Phoenix teams. And I thought Mike DeAntoony did a great job, at least with those Phoenix teams. I can't speak to any other team that he coached. But we for the most part hit the floor, forgive me for this running. Like, you know, we ran, but like we hit, we didn't. Was it seven seconds or less? I mean, yeah, we were flying. And, and offense was running seamlessly. people just kind of fell into roles.

But Mike did a good job of kind of making you feel real comfortable in your space and empowering you to do things. And really, we practice like that every day. So when we hit the court, we were ready to go. Let's take a quick break. I want to talk about team chemistry and the art of it on the other side of the break. The NBA season is underway and it's the perfect time to download FanDuel, America's number one sports book.

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Fanduel.com. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 gambler or visit fanduel.com backslash RG in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Virginia. 1-800 next step or text next step to 533442, Arizona, 188-889777. or visit ccpg.org backslash chat, Connecticut. 1-8009 with it, Indiana, 1-800-2-22470, or visit KSgamblinghelp.com in Kansas, 1877770, STOP in Louisiana,

18778, Hope N-Y, or text Hope NY, 467-369 in New York, Tennessee Red Line, 1-800-889-9-97-89 in Tennessee, 1-800522-470-Yom or visit www.1-800-gambler.net, West Virginia. And now, a real one's original. Fuck, it's always the goddamn TV acting up, man. What the fucking Wi-Fi down shit don't work.

Ayo, hey-o! Bring me something to drink. Yeah, yeah, that fucking Scotcha, dude. Bring that shit. Fuck, ain't shit to watching this bitch. Hold it up. What the fuck is this? Bar-pap-pah-pah-bba-pah-pah-bha-pah-bha-bba-bha-bba-bha-pha-pha-pha-pha-pha-pha-pha-pha-ffog.

What's motherfucking good? I'm your host, motherfucking O.G. Jazzy Jade. And we're back with our final two contestants, Kerm motherfucking frog and Logie G. Monsworth. They'll be playing for a $20 shooting sleeve

and a $15 gift card to the Laney Flea Market. Okay, y'all ho's got 30 seconds to answer three goddamn questions. Third I Kai, you ready with that clock? Let's get this shit started. Hey, bro, we got this shit. Oh, fuck here, man, let's do it. Let's get this here right now.

Let's get it, Kern. Yeah, let's get it. Are you ready? Fuck it, fucking. All in big Twitter, watch. Let's go. Let's go. Quantic.

Pookie. Uh, uh, uh, pooky. Uh, uh, uh. Backwood. Snoop. Snoop dog? No, no, no, no. Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, the Lakers final.

chances. Uh, uh, oh, oh, things that people smoke. Yes, sir, yes, sir, that's it, that's it. Yes. Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, first of all, you know nothing about going back to back. Um, um, um, um, the 90s warriors. No, no, no, no, no.

Uh, uh, uh, you fat and you ain't never one shit. Uh, uh, uh, come on, man. Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, oh, oh, thing Shack says the check on TNT. That's it, that's it, okay, one more, one more, one more. Yes, let's go, let's go. Uh, uh, uh, worst takes in basketball media. Okay.

Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, Jomi. Jomi. Is it Jomi? Jomi. No, no, not Jomi, not Jomi. It's on the real one's pie, man. It's not Jomey? It's not Sasha Mag. He's one of the hosts, dog. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, we did that shit.

All right, so after a loss to the spurs, uh, Carl Anthony Towns was asked about, uh, Anthony Edwards' struggle. and Anthony Edwards was talking about how he could have been better, just making sure his body is better on the second night of a back-to-back. And Carl Anthony Towns was asked about that. And he talked about, you know, Anthony Edwards' comments. But a little, I don't even know if it was a Freudian slip. I don't know if it was just a message being sent by a veteran.

on the roster, but he says, you know, I don't like when, and I'm paraphrasing, I don't like when Anthony Edwards come up here and just jokes about getting Popeyes and shit, right? And Anthony Edwards also just has been just a very entertaining guy since his career has started, you know, him getting to Uber Eats during the press conference and stuff. It's been hilarious at times, right? Other times he's said some stuff on social that he need to relax on and that he's, he's stripping. But he has had the reputation of just being a very charismatic guy for the most part. But a lot of that has had to do with his press conference antics and getting McDonald's and stuff on Uber Eats after games. Or getting Popeyes and getting stuff after games, right, in front of the media.

And so Carl Anthony Town says he didn't like that stuff, right? And he went on to say that, you know, I watched the full clip, you know, because this has gotten a lot of attention over the, over the, over the, the last few days. And I wanted to watch the full clip. And on the full clip, he did say it's on us as a whole team to make sure that, you know, we're holding each other accountable and that we are doing these things. And I can do a better job of making sure that his died as good as a leader of this team. But what got everyone's attention was the Popeye's line, Raja. And I believe, this is my personal opinion and I want to get yours as someone who's been in locker rooms. But my personal opinion is you could have said that without the Popeye's line. I feel like you could have said all those things that you wanted to say without publicly calling him out about the Popeye's line.

I feel like you could have just did that in-house and kept it pushing. Am I wrong to think that or was it time for Kat to call him out publicly like real, real, real publicly after Aunt has already held himself accountable in the press conference before? I'm not making as big a deal of it as everyone else's. Okay. I'm not. have to say Popeyes? Probably not. I mean, is that a little extra? A little extra. A little couple of biscuits in there. He threw a couple of biscuits in with the Popeye's meal, maybe a little apple pie. Yeah,

yeah, he probably did. But I'm not really tripping off of it. I think those dudes are going to be okay. I don't think that that's something that really festeres or leaks into your locker room and starts permeating through it. I don't believe that to be the case. I just, that's interesting to me in a way that I just thought that those days had kind of gone and passed for NBA athletes. I mean, I was a terrible eater when I was in the league. Defined terrible eater. No, I was terrible, man. I would stop a fast food spot on the way home and get something to eat.

No problem. Not even an issue, man. Like, there was a Wendy's by my house in Phoenix. I'd slide right by it and grab something and be home. Bro, there was outside of Oracle Arena back in the day, bro, there was a Popeye's Oh, you score a team dog and dog. There ain't nothing. Here's the thing that people don't realize.

I'm just deviating. We're going to food talk really quickly. I want to get back to this. People don't realize, bro, after you play a game or after you cover a game, bro, you're hella hungry. You are hella hungry at the end of the night around 11, 11.30 because you've just been exerting so much energy, right?

And the only thing that are open are these fast food joints, dude, unless you have a chef or unless you have someone like, or you got the meal prep popping, I got the meal prep popping. it's changed my life. But like, when you, when late at night, dog, only thing that's around, it sounds good and you're delirious is some Popeyes, bro.

Sometimes this is what it is. Facts. Now, and so I say, I say that because I would have thought that there would have been, most teams in the NBA now have really, really nice meal set up. You know, in Cleveland, when I was there, you'd have a real meal with salmon and, like, potatoes or rice, pilaf and great veg. and, you know, salad and... But not all teams got that, Roger.

Sometimes when they come to the debate, they just get the In-N-Out Burger, bro. They just have the In-N-Out burger on a thing. That's not cool. This was for a home team. This was for a home team. This isn't... Away teams, yeah, you're not going to get that kind of spread, right?

Like, unless they're catered. But if you're staying in town, you should be able to go back to your hotel and get a real meal. Yeah. Because you're staying at, you know, 18-star hotels. Like, their room service is open, man. Get yourself. a real meal. And if you're going to the plane, you would think that most planes have real good catering.

They have real meals, right? So you might get a snack to hold you over until you get to that plane. Like the in and out might get me to the plane. I grab a burger real quick at the bottom of Oracle to like it to the plane. Get a little double double after your double double. Word. But look, I played with cats, first of all, like I told this story before in Utah, because you're right. When I went back the second time and I had seen a bunch of places and and what like places like Dallas did and in other places. And even Phoenix had really good food. And I'd say, I think I said to Kevin O'Connor,

I was like, we need to get some food in here after the game for our team at least because it is 11 o'clock. Salt Lake closes early. Like the places close early. My wife, even if she were going to like have dinner made and stuff like that, like, and my wife was good about that. She'd make me pregame and stuff like that. But she was at the game.

So she wasn't cooking when we got home. And so I'm kind of forced now to leave this place and go fuel my body because I'm starving with something bad. And all of us had to do it in Utah. And so Utah was kind of. Yeah, Wendy's was hell of good though, like 1145. A little tripper decker. Oh my goodness. Yeah.

But I also played, again, I played with guys, I won't say names. And I thought these days were past because the educations come so far and the options that teams provide are so limitless that I thought these, you know, I just kind of thought they were in the past. I play with dudes who would get on a bus for breakfast to shoot around and drink a Coke and two Reese's peanut butter cups. So four peanut butter cups, two packs. And I'd be like, what the, what are you doing? And that's just, you know, those were our eating habits. We weren't educated the way. You know how many diet cokes I'd be seeing in media rooms, bro?

And I'm just like, yo, what? Word. How are you hydrated right now? No, I, listen, man, we used to drink after, I mean, this is every day and age, man. Like, we used to be in a hot tub. We'd be Steve Nash and myself would be in a hot tub. Maybe Grant would slide through there, depending on who was would us. After a playoff win, like three, three beers deep before we even like, before you even got in the shower, man.

You're like, hey, bro. Good fucking win. Yeah, good win. We're going to get on the bus. Like, let's, we're going to get on the bus, man. We're three deep and we're just going to keep it moving. Doug, you see Michael Jordan in the 90s, bro. he's walking out of the gym with a coke in his hand.

Not because a great product placement, because Mike was going to have a product placement popping. But he was drinking that shit, right? This is Michael Jordan. You know, like, but, and I think that like also, man, you know, I don't know Ann's background. I don't know what he's been doing, but he'd probably be drinking.

That's probably what he grew up on, right? It's probably that. Sure. You go to any AAU gym around the country, right? What they got. They got fucking McDonald's bags in the middle of the fucking games and shit. They don't, they're not eating. they're not eating the healthiest right now.

It's not that big of a deal, but I just thought as a young team, right? They're trying, my biggest takeaway from this, this situation was you have a young team and you have two guys that are trying to find their way, two talented guys that are trying to find the way

into this new setup in Minnesota, right? These are going to be the two leaders on the team. That was the biggest takeaway that I took. And I'm really just looking at it because I'm like, they need to, whatever it is, they need to figure it out, Because if they figure it out, it's going to be special in Minnesota. Yeah, I think they have the makings, the start of something pretty cool.

I'm not worried about A, Anthony, Anthony Edwards diet. I'm not really worried about it. You like Popeye, I may go get a Popeye sandwich. I ain't tripping off of that. Like, don't be eating four Popeye sandwiches today. Like, let's fuel our body. But if you like a Popeye sandwich dog, eat a Popeye sandwich. Like, my boys like Wingstops sandwiches, like, you know, we might get one today.

I don't know. So I'm not tripping off of that. I mean, I'm working up appetite, bro. There's a Popeye's around the corner dog. and I'm over here like, I'm looking forward to that Cajun when I get off the pod, you know? Listen, listen. But I'm not worried about them as a tandem, as a dual of leadership.

I think they'll be fine. I think that's one of those things that, you know, you said something in a press conference. I don't even know that they have to discuss it. I don't think Anthony Edwards is really tripping off of that. So I think they'll be okay. I want to go to some quick hitters really quickly. A, real quick, all my real ones out there.

We are workshopping a name for this. It's called quick hitters now. We tried real or no real. Just throw us a name. You know, we're trying to do some quick hitters. So if you got anything, you know, I don't know. Hit up Kerm and just flood his comments and we'll figure out a name for that. So real real or no real because I've read off the thing.

Do we think that Anthony Syman is that dude now? Because he's balling. You know, he against the Nuggets, has six threes, 22 points, 29 on the night. The Blazers got some things to do because Dame has on a calf injury. but are you buying, are we buying Anthony Simons stock right now? Are we buying Anthony Simon's stock? Is he locked in?

Am I buying Anthony Simon's stock? I mean, I like Anthony Simons. He's a nice player. He's a nice player. I mean, he put it on them last night. He had 14 or 5 for 12. Nice players can have those nights.

I don't think that Anthony Simons is in the Dame category or in some of the elite, you know, player categories, but I like Anthony Simons. He's a nice player, man. He's a good player. What, I guess, when you're asking me, what am I buying? Am I buying, what, is it 20 a night, 22 a night guy, 23 a night guy? Am I buying him as a number one, a number two?

Are you going to buy him as a number two at some point in his career? Because they paying him like he's a number two. And they traded away CJ in order to pay him as a number two. So is he going to be a number two? Yeah, I think he's a number two. Yeah, I think he's, you know, still learning and still getting better and still developing. So, yeah, I like Anthony Simons. Okay.

I like Anthony Simons, too. I think what it is with Anthony Simons is because of circumstance, he's been put in the position to be in number two. I'm not going to say he's not ready yet, but I will say that he just has some work to do to get there consistently because after you score 29, you have to do a better job of playing against teams that are scouting against you, right?

And also, he's not a guy like, we talked about Jordan Poole on the pod, right? he's not a guy that can ease into this role by coming off the bench. It's not happening. They need him to be a number two right now. And I think he's going through the growing pains of that. But I have, I bought all my stock in Anthony Simons and I'm keeping it. So there you go. That's that's where I went with it. Are you buying Pascal Seaccom taking a leap this year? He is averaging 26.5 points, 10 rebounds of 6.8 assist through four games. And he had a 37 point triple double. Are you buying stock in the fact that he is going to be a franchise pillar for years to come in Toronto?

That's a good question. I'm a Pascal Seacom fan. You're asking me if he's going to take a step. He was already a really good player. But you're talking about the face of a franchise. When you say that, I always default to championship winning team, which is probably unfair. But yes, yeah, I think Pascal Seacom, again, I mean, he's not super young, but I like his game. I've always liked his game.

I think he's tough. So, yeah, I'll buy him taking the next step. I buy him taking the next step. However, I do think, and this is just the argument I wish just Kauai stayed in Toronto, because Pascal could be the perfect, he would be perfect in that system, right? As a guy that is a number two, overqualified too. I think he would be a great overqualified too on a team, on a championship team, if that makes sense, right?

Where he's a guy that you're not, you're game planning for, but there is a guy like Kauai that is better than him. But he is still going to get, when he gives you 37, you're like, oh, shit, okay, all right, this is a team. This is a team. And I think Toronto was still, ever since Kauai left, still in search of that right now. And, but Pascal's a dope player. I have, I don't, I have stocking him being a face of a franchise, not necessarily at this point being the face of a championship franchise.

I think that's fair. Yep. Let's get to a little segment we like to call, ruin the week, where we, we shout out a person entity or organization. It just won the week. I am going to go with, I'm going to go with Pimsy. I just was up the other night listening to Riding Dirty and 3 in the morning came on. And I, all my real ones know, when Pimp C's verse on, on three in the morning comes on, he starts it off, Raja, with what you see is what the fuck you get, young PMPC, baby coming down real wet. like that starts off a verse that's what I'm here for when I'm

when I'm up at 1145 at night I need to hear Pimsy and he delivered like he always does and I knew this happened on a Monday night and I knew that he was going to be my real one of the week on Thursday so Pimsy for one of the week RIP

did I do Tennessee football already you didn't do Tennessee football I didn't do Tennessee football yet but they'll be my real one of the week I think they had an off week I think they had an off week, though, this Saturday. But the week before- So retroactive, retroactive?

Yeah. I mean, for the win and the shootout against Bama, like, trying to make sure I get my dates, right? It's a lot of football I've been watching. But I like Hendon Hooker, man. I think he's a true Heisman candidate right there in the race. And Tennessee football have fallen on some hard times for a minute. Like, there was some times when they were down,

and then Josh Hypelling Company shows up, and they're doing that thing, dog. So Tennessee, real time. one of the week. ICC football. My son Ty thinks they're winning the Natty, so we'll see. I thought my USC trojas were going to win the Natty, and I don't think that's happening. Yeah, they're a year away, though. They're a year away. They're on the move. But to put a bow on your ruling in the week, Roger, a few weeks ago, my cousin, Mack, he was going back and forth. He's like, man, because he lives out, they live out in the Tennessee

area, and they were like, man, I don't know if I want to, like, buy these tickets, you know, to go to Knoxville to go to this, this Tennessee Alabama game. I don't, I don't know. was this kind of, this kind of, hell of expensive, right? And so the week later, they bought the tickets and they were able to go to the game and see the game and go see and go see a historic upset. So, shout out. That is dope. Shout out.

I would have liked to have been in the building for that one. Not because I hate Bama, but like that, it just looked electrifying in there. Dog, I want to go to Neeland Stadium for a game, dog. Like, it just seems like they're on top of you, bro, 100 and, what, 110,000 people down there. Dog, it's ridiculous. There are some places where you got to see a game. We're going up, um, D and I are. going up to see the Clemson at Notre Dame game next weekend.

So we'll fly up and go check that out. That's one of the places that we'd like to see and see a little bit more about the program and stuff like that. But I'm excited because I've always wanted to watch a game in there. You know what I mean? That's awesome, bro. That's awesome. I'm a USC fan.

So, like, I don't really like, I can't really shout out touchdown Jesus, but that would be tight. No, I got you. Well, I grew up, I grew up a Miami fan. You know what I mean? So, like, it was Catholics versus comics. Like, but I still represent. You know, I recognize.

Ain't it wild that thing? That was really a headline? Ain't that wild if that wasn't really a headline back? That's fucking wild, bro. All right, man. Make sure y'all watch some college football, man. Let's, let's, let's, we're racking to think of this thing, man. But we will see you guys on Monday.

That was our Thursday edition of Real Ones. See you guys on Monday. We're humming, man. We might have some guests. Might have some stuff. Make sure y'all check it out. Real ones, Mondays, through Thursdays. We'll see you next week.

Howl.