The Ringer NBA Show - Luka Doncic Puts on a Show in Brooklyn. Plus, the Timberwolves Are Surprisingly Good. | Real Ones

Episode Date: March 17, 2022

Logan is coming at you from Brooklyn after going to the Mavericks-Nets game on Wednesday night to discuss with Raja the feeling in the arena after Luka put on a show for the win (1:00). Then they talk about the surprising Timberwolves, who currently sit in the seventh seed in the West and who embarrassed the Lakers with a blowout win and plenty of taunting (28:00). Finally, they discuss the latest reporting on Steph Curry’s ankle injury (33:00) and each award their Real One of the Week. Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Producer: Sasha Ashall Associate Producer: Mike Wargon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For as long as I've known the NBA, it's been a Stars League. But even among the Stars, there's an exclusive club. Russell and Dr. Jay, Jordan, Kobe. They're all part of a select group that paved the way for the NBA superstar of today. And some even shared secrets with each other along the way. From Spotify and the Ringer podcast network, I'm Jackie McMullen. And this is the Icons Club. What's popping?

Logan Murdoch here. Roger Bell there. Hey, Roger, I'm on the road right now. Where are you at, Logan? I mean, you know, I'm in the East Coast. I'm in the New York metropolitan area. You're in a borough? You're in a borough?

I'm in a borough. I'm in the borough. I'm in the borough. Shout out to the Bronxville bullies. Isn't that what the Brownsville bullies? I don't know. I don't listen to hip-hop like you do. You know the vibes.

But I'm in the East Coast right now. And I was in, I made my first. appearance ever last night at a at barclay center it's a great venue in the building it was it go isn't it a great venue i've never i've never been there before it's a fantastic venue um shout out to williamsburg pizza um some of the best concessions in the in the on the planet bro i went so i was there right i think it's williamsburg it's a williamsbury sorry i didn't mean that i don't know like concessions aren't like amazing you know in most aren't like i'm not in most aren't like amazing, right? They're not, bro, I took a lap and, you know, I usually, I usually take my

laps around the concessions, probably around the first quarter, right, because they're not packed. It's when people are trying to get to the seats. So I go around and I am doing my little walk around Barclays, and I see this little lobster roll place that no one's at. And I'm like, okay, I'm just going to go for it. Fuck it. I'm going to go for it, right? It's probably not the most kosher stuff I've ever done because you don't, I don't know if you get a lobster rolls at a, at a sporting event, but I said, fuck it. It's New York. It's a great food city. I'm going to try it out. And there's no line here. So I go, man, and I get my, it's a clopster roll, Roger. It's a clopster roll. And I go to, I get it, and I walk all the way around back to my seat. And so I,

and then I eat this, this clopster roll. And I'm like, oh, shit. This is phenomenal. It was phenomenal, bro, to the point where I went in the third quarter of the game and I went to go get another one. Because this is just the – I've got another. I doubled down at the cost of roll. And so, say all that to say, I was at the Brooklyn Nets Mavericks game yesterday. Saw a lot of your old friends. Maristottomier says hi. Steve Nash is hello.

Your guys – it felt like a Phoenix Sun's reunion up in there. Saw Mark Cuban who went to the game. He was at the game with his son. I saw him there. I saw Mike Finley, who should be a friend of the show. I need to hit Mike. Finfo. And Nico, who was a big topic of the show when we had Mark Hughes on.

I saw him all there celebrating after the win. Yo, man, I'm going to be real. Michael Finley, I've never met the man. I have not introduced myself to the man. But the man is sharp. The man comes correct. He's not fucking around when he comes to the arena. So Michael Finley was, and still is,

in my mind, my vet. Like, Mike used to hold me down in a way that very few have, you know, at professionalism, dressing. And he was taught and groomed by MJ. Like, he's a, he's a Chicago kid or right outside of Chicago. And he came up and played at Wisconsin when MJ was, you know, doing his thing with the Bulls. And so he learned that, that professionalism, that elegance, that, like, that's MJ rub off on, on Finn.

Finn is a class act. Oh, this was great, man. And then, like, so for anybody who's watched the game or who didn't watch the game, it was a, I started off watching the game like, oh, man, like the Nets are without Kairi, but like, yo, Kevin's dealing. He's playing point guard. He's throwing out of double teams because they were like double triple quadruple teaming

him at the, at the, at the half court line, right? So he's getting the ball. He's throwing it into. He's, he's not shooting. particularly well, but he's, you know, he's getting into the teeth of the defense. They're doing well. They're up like 13. And then like Luca just goes to work.

It was a phenomenal display down the stretch by the Mavericks. And that last two and a half minutes was some of the best basketball I've seen, where Luca goes down, pop. I'm going to do the, I'm going to do the, the YMCA whack-ass Dirk fade away. And I'm going to hit it in your face, right? And then Kevin comes back. There's a triple team coming. He says, I don't care.

I'm going to hit a three in both of y'all faces, right? And then timeout. Luca goes in. I don't know why Kevin doubled, but he did. Doubles off of a shooter. Not the most kosher thing to do. And then Dinwiddie hits a three. Silence his barklace.

It was phenomenal. It was a great game. I was really happy to be there. It was awesome. It was a great game. Yeah, I didn't catch the first half. I was out, but I saw the second half. It was a scoring exhibition by Luca.

He went cold for a while, but his just individual ability to get a bucket. And for some reason, and what I found really interesting was Brooklyn decided they weren't going to double Luca. Like, they weren't really doing that. They were going to take the switch. They were going to let him dance and see if he could get buckets. It was kind of like,

I can't really speak for Steve because I haven't talked to him about this, but we've talked in the past about how hard it was for us to beat the spurs because the spurs in the early 2000s, mid-2000s, their game playing against us as the sons was to suffocate the rest of us, right? Like sit in my lap, sit in whoever else was on the perimeter's lap, Sean Marion's lap, and let Steve or Amari try to beat us, right? Like usually it was Amari, and they would let Amari get 45,

but because no one else could get theirs, we would lose, you know? And the same with the Mavericks, who were a problem for us. They would let Steve have to try to do all the scoring, and they would try to take away everybody else. And Steve would have huge monstrous numbers, but they would lose the game. So it looked like maybe Steve, like this is just me watching the game,

tried to employ that strategy with Luca. Fuck it. Let Luca, Luca's going to get his anyway. Let Luca have them, and then we'll try to take everything else away. And then on the last possession, you had done it all game, and it got you essentially to where you want to be, which is up one with at home with,

I don't know, what was it, nine seconds on the clock? Like this is this is catbird seat, bro. This is where we want to be. We've executed this. And then on the last fucking play, you don't stick to it. Bro, I was like, what are you doing? You have Kevin who, who, you know this because you're a great defensive player.

You don't double off a shooter, bro. You don't do that. And then you have to have the rotate, you have Goren having to have a, Gorindragic's having to have a slight rotation, but he can't get there in time with a shooter like Denwoodie, bro. It was just, it was come on, man. So when I replayed it in my,

when I replayed it like physically on the TV and then I went over. Because that's why you don't go to arenas that. We just said that in the LAS episode. So you can do this. Feet up. I mean, I was on, I was on Blue Label last night too. So I was chilling.

I was on mine. For sure. But I was, I watched it. And I don't know if it was a call. What it looked like was KD made, a business decision, just an executive decision, like it's really late shot clock. Because when Dinwiddie got it, he didn't have time to do anything else.

It had to go in the air. So I think what he decided was I don't think Lucas got enough time to get the pass and then another shot off. So I'm just going to run at him right now. Like I made an executive decision. And that's why that second defender that was in the corner hadn't rotated. Because if it was a call, they would have rotated together, right? Like as KD went, corner defender is coming up to Spencer Didwitty because there's no time for Spencer to go swing, swing into the corner. But it looked like KD just kind of got halfway in the middle of the play and thought there wasn't enough time.

And it was a great play. It was a great shot. You know, we talk about Luca being unselfish or needing to get off of it a little bit. I thought it was maturation for Luca. Great little pass. Let me get off of that. I might not be the hero. But boom, Spencer Dinwiddie, we win the game.

And we're all heroes now. bro, I just want to, I don't know if I, it's been a, not hasn't been a minute. I've seen Luca play three times this season. This is the best I've seen Luca play this season. And a lot of that is because, you know, he's lost him weight. He's in a bit better shape than he was in the beginning of the season. But the game, it's unfair how, how easy the game comes for him, right? He got double team.

There was a one time. I can't remember what part of the game it was. I believe it was, it was in the first half because the, uh, where, you know, the media sits in Barclays is towards the visitor's bench. And that's where they were, they were, that's where they were shooting to start the game. So he's in a, he's, he's in the post. They get Luca in the post. He, I forget who's on him.

He backs down, bro. There's a double team that comes. And it's a very aggressive double team. He's not even fazed, bro. He takes it like a quick, uh, pump fake. Everyone goes for Lucas pump fakes. Everyone. Everybody does.

There's a quick pump fake. Excuse me. I'm going to go in for a layup here. Don't even trip. And then he sees a big on him. I think it's Andre Drummond. Don't worry about it. I'm just going to shoot this three.

I don't care. Just going to, oops, excuse me. It's so easy to him that it's unfair. And he's talking shit to the people on the sidelines. He's just, you can tell he is born for this moment. I love watching Luca play, especially in person, bro. You might need to get up out the house to watch Luca play. Yeah, maybe that could be a thing.

I need to go see Luca in person. He is offensive skill set-wise. I mean, he's got a few comps in the league, a few guys that can do it of the likes of KG. And I mean, not KG, I'm sorry, KD and obviously Kyria is super skilled. They're guys out there. But in terms of an overall ability to get a bucket and play at your own pace, never get sped up, always look under control, they're very few. They do it like that. just gifted with the ball in his head.

What is it like when you get to that point of an offensive player, right, where they're not? Because you know when you always see this all the time with rookies and younger players, they always go too fast. It always seems like Luca had found his rhythm and speed. What does that do for an offensive player when they find where they don't have to be fast? They just have to just play within their flow. And when their flow goes, it's really unstoppable. Well, I don't, I mean, I never got to that point as an offensive player.

I didn't have the ball in my hands. It wasn't my style of play to have it. Like mine was usually finishing a play with the shot. But that's a mastery of your craft is what you're describing. When you've got everything at your disposal, you fully understand all strategies that will be used against you defensively. And you know how to counter those. And you never, ever get your process rushed. That's a mastery of your craft, man.

And I'm telling you, like I said very few people in the NBA now. There are very few people ever that are able to fully master it like that. Like, you know, I don't mean to draw the comp because I feel like people are going to think it's lazy because, you know, Luca is white and Larry Bird is white. But he reminds me of Larry Bird in that like neither one of them is super athletic, right? Like they're not beating you with quickness or anything. But if you watch Larry playing, I have my boys like my young kids watching. play because I think he's a great person to watch. Just out, thank you, you know, and just out, you know, you're playing chess and you're one step ahead of everybody and you're just,

you've got these brilliant fakes and you know how to get into bodies and you create space with your leaning away. Like, you know, Luca's just fantastic. There are very few that ever did it like that. That could, they could just control a game with all this hyper-athleticism around you and, and you're basically playing it in slow motion. It's, it's, it's funny because I've only seen, I'm never seen Larry Bird play, but I've only seen two people be that, well, three people be that slow and effective. And I mean that in all respect. It is Luca Donchich, Dirk Nevinsky, and Zach Randolph that are guys that are just, you're going to play at my speed at all times. Right. I think you can throw Tim Duncan in that as well. I think you throw Tim Duncan in there as well.

But those guys, I just feel like it's a different level because we're as athletes, You're taught to be fast at all times and be, you know, making sure you're closing out at a good speed, making sure you're cutting at a great speed and all these things. But I just see when I watch a player just play at their pace, no matter what their pace is, it's really refreshing. Oh, no. Again, I mean, you would try to teach young players to play at your pace. Like when we're going, when we're in a youth practice and we're working pick and roll, and let's say we're going to work on a big being in a drop coverage.

So my young guard is going to come off of the screen. His defender is going to ride him and now be on his hip kind of behind him. And now you're looking at the big defender who's about four feet back. You've got him right in your sights and you've got your defender essentially on your back hip, right? And now your role guy is either to your left hand side or your right hand side. And at that moment, everyone on the planet that plays basketball wants to go fast. and it's actually the antithesis of that, which makes great players, right?

Which is sitting down in that pocket and just playing at your pace, letting whatever is going to happen develop, keeping your dribble alive, watching it kind of unfold, letting your brain slow down, being able to make the read and conduct business. But not everyone can do that, Logan.

Like, I can talk to you about it. I can put you in that situation over and over again. We can practice it. We can rep it out. Some kids will have the ability to slow down in that pocket. it and some kids won't. Very few will ever get to a point where they can really, really slow down, both physically and mentally, and it's moving like in slow motion, like Luca.

You know what I mean? Like, that is a gift. Have you mastered the art of slow motion basketball, Roger, like, ever? I'm telling you unequivocally, like when they put the ball in my hand, so Larry Brown, when I came into the league, they wanted big two guards to pair with Alan Iverson, like Eric Snow. Aaron McKee. It's to some degree, yeah, Aaron McKee, even though he played one at the day.

But they wanted that because AI was going to guard the point, and we had to then guard the twos, right? So you needed some size, but they didn't want AI on the ball, so we had to handle the ball. So this is why Larry Brown didn't love me eventually once he figured out that I wasn't a point because he tried to make me a point,

and shit just moved too fast for me. I just couldn't operate at, like I wasn't a great decision maker at those speeds and those tight spaces. Larry Brown soured on you. That never happens. That's a rare thing. And you're watching, listen, sidebar.

You see him on a bench over at Memphis, bro. Like, I watch him and I'm like, Jesus, bro. Why does he still do this? Because he looks like he is angry and bothered all the time. I've never seen someone who loves basketball as much as you do. Like, simultaneously loves basketball as much as Larry Brown does and also hate the fucking game. Correct. Just at the same time.

Yeah. Yeah. So you made a declaration earlier this season. It was with the Lakers. and I promise I'm going to bring it back. You made a declaration with the Lakers that they weren't going to win a title. You said they weren't going to win a championship back in November. You said this wasn't going to happen.

I feel like a little bit of a sucker because I'm about to make this declaration right now because I didn't do it as early as you did. The Brooklyn Nets aren't winning a title, bro. It's not happening this season. And this is just from observation and watching a game. And also just to be another bit of news that came out yesterday. Ben Simmons had an epidural because he has back pain. So he, they're trying, they said they're going to try to get him for the last few games of the season.

Nope. I don't see that happening. And we also know how the postseason is in terms of like just basketball and basketball shape. It's, and so that was coming out before the game. And then I see how they, how the opposing team plays Kevin when Kyrie's not there. It's already a very low margin of error. but like when you just have Kevin and you put seven guys on him, they had like a couple guys from the stands come out and guard of two a couple of times.

And there's just, you know, they got guys, they got Patty Mills, right? You know, they got Gorin-Rogic, but those only guys can only do too so much, right? They're not your two and threes on it. They're not your two second and third best player. And it was just a hard watch, Roger. I don't think it's going to happen. That's my declaration. Well, welcome to the club.

You had this. I think you had, you said. this maybe, we've said this off the air months ago, but like I just, I think I'm putting my, I'm just doing that. Yeah, no. And look, I said before and I'll say it again, I actually hope that there's a world that Ben Simmons is playing in, in the playoffs this year. And Kyrie, the mandate gets lifted and he gets to play. Because I would love to see them at full strength. Just as a basketball fan, not even, you know, for my friendship with people over there, but I'd like to see it as a basketball fan. It's, it's, it's,

I didn't know anything about the epidural. That's bad news. That's just bad. That's bad business. You're not going to get, that's not going to be available to you in the capacity that it would need to be, if at all, to win a championship. So we can scratch that right now. If Seth Curry played last night, I do imagine Brooklyn wins the game. Katie doesn't need much.

He doesn't need much, but he needs, he's going to need more, especially as you get into playoff games where people can really drill down on what you're doing, really game plan for it. I'll think you game better for Kevin, though. You can't game whenever. Yeah, you can. For sure you can. For sure you can if he does. What do you mean?

I mean. Just in the way that they did last night, I'm really asking you. No, I mean, look, listen. I just see him like how he did against Milwaukee. My thing is I just see how he did against Milwaukee. And there was really no game plan for playing against him. So maybe just letting him get his shots and maybe just letting him get his scoring. Well, he's going to get in once, right?

I'm not saying you're going to stop Kevin Durant. that's not what I'm trying to tell you. But in terms of a game plan, a game plan doesn't have to be put in effect to stop you. The game plan has put in effect for us to give ourselves the best chance to win. And like with Kevin Durant, without weapons around him, I think you saw last night a team say, hey, bro, this is going to take its effect on you.

We're going to throw these bodies at you over and over and over again, and we are going to roll the dice that the rest of these guys cannot beat us. And that's in a one game scenario. We'll do it over the course of seven games if we need to. Then we're going to just try to take Kevin Durant out of the game, given any opportunity to double him, make his life difficult. And you could see late in the game, Kevin Garant, I mean, Kevin Durant, sorry I keep saying, Garnett, Kevin Durant, it was the one play.

The ball got to move in. It came back to KD at the top of the key, I believe it was. And he wasn't ready to shoot. He wasn't ready to shoot. Like, he had a wide open shot, but he hadn't gotten him in so long because the doubles there, that when he finally got one, he wasn't set up,

he wasn't loaded, and he wasn't ready to shoot and he bricked it. And that's okay. But that's what that effect has on a guy like that. Like, he just kind of,

you know, you're like, shit, I haven't really got to play, play in three quarters. So now I'm in this rhythm with just letting other guys go, other guys go,

and now when it comes back to me, I'm out of rhythm. I can't get a bucket when I need it. Then he hit the big one. Don't get me wrong. Phenomenal shot, by the way.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, he's a beast. when there are not other people, you know, around him that can, can really, you know, carry a team. It's not going to stop him, but it's going to give your team a chance to win. Now, like, I was talking to some folks, there's some, and I don't believe this to be true. There's still some optimism that, like, Kyrie can play home games in this season.

I don't know. I don't know what that's going to happen, but they're going to need it, bro, because that, like, especially this and this week, two days ago, Kyrie goes just bananas, bro. just what he scored 60 points scored 41 in the first half in Orlando right like he's just he's he's doing a damn thing now like there was somebody

somebody who was like yeah man it's good when um you know it's it's good he's refreshed he plays once a week like yes but uh but it's just it's they're not going to win without another I don't know if they shit

they could probably get in a playing game and win a playing game I'm confident in that if like Kevin just I'm not. Crazy. No, you don't think so? Right now, you play Toronto. Yeah.

You play Toronto. You know where that game is? That's in the six or that's in the six. You ain't getting, Kyrie. You know what Toronto has? Toronto has length, athleticism and defensive prowess across the board, bro. They got OG An An Anobi. They got Scotty Barnes.

They got Pascal Seacum. They got bodies. I'm forgetting people for sure, but they have bodies to throw. They have Nick Nurse. Nick Nurse that showed you the boxing one on, on staff, that showed you, you know, all kind of wrinkles that he is not afraid to throw at you like that. I do not have them getting out of it. They could.

Don't get me wrong. But I'm not just penciling them and getting out of that playoff game in that scenario. I mean, the play-in game. It's just, it's depressing, man, when you think about it. Yeah, but one thing that's not, well, you said to me last night, let me ask you. What was the mood? You said, you said after the game, the mood felt, down in Brooklyn. Because what I was watching, you know, through the broadcasts is that I was hoping,

at least, that they were starting to, like, find their mojo. They had played so many games without KD, without, you know, James, when stuff was kind of funky there. And they had lost 11 or whatever they lost. And I'm like, okay, maybe they had won four in a row for the first time. Maybe spirits are on the rise. They see the horizon. Like, they're starting to get it together. But you say no. No, I think, and I don't know fully of this, but it, I just know vibes. And it just, just seemed really sad. They thought it was a, they thought that that was going to be a big home win against Dallas.

And to have like a Spencer Dinwiddie hit a three-pointer, why are you looking at me like that? Well, what the fuck would give you that? Like, if you're to Brooklyn Nets, what would give you the impression that you were beating a good Dallas team at home? They were up 13.

And going into the second half. Come on, bro. They were, they were up 13, bro. So you're saying in-game, they just, the, the, the, And also, okay. They were, they, they had, that was a collapse from the Nets last night, bro.

They, that's what it was. And also the, you know who should get, you know who should get an Oscar this year, bro? Sorry, I'm cut. You know who's an Oscar? Your man, Kevin Garnett, he should get a fucking Oscar. Garnett? I mean, Kevin Durant, it's the 19th time I've done it. Kevin Durant, geez, geez, she should get an Oscar, dude.

Put some respect on both of their names, please. Because like, come on. Come on, dude. I just said my bad, what you want me to do. He should get an Oscar this year. His performance, he should get an Oscar. His performance for acting like he's not bothered by that Kyrie shit is, is, is, is, is, is, he's been bothered lately, bro. He's been, he's been, he's been, he's been, he's been, he's been, he's been, he's been, he's been, he's been, he's been laughing out in New York. He's been lashing out at, like, the rules.

He's been lashing out at his frustration over, you know, the legislature. He, he, he, that frustration is pointed deep down somewhere else and he's doing a good job of concealing that. Kudos, bro. Anywho. Oh, you're going to touch on it? Huh? Oh, you're what I said? I told you that it, I feel,

you guys can go on the ringer.com. Anyway, Roger putting me on the summer jail screen at all times. I mean, how in the hell, bro? How in the hell are you not as a human being supposed to feel some kind of way about? We've talked about this throughout the whole season, though. Come on, man.

We've talked about this throughout the whole season, bro. And he's one of, it looked like a lot of people were just, it just seemed sad. dude. It just seemed like a very, it didn't seem like a happy bunch. And you pushed back on me. You were like, no, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, on a, it's, it's, I'm, yeah, I just want to say, Brooklyn, I love you. I love you, I love your borough. I love the vibe. I love everything about Brooklyn, bro. I love it. I love, I was at, I got to the arena really early. Just to see it, like, you know, you know, when you go to new aren'tas, you don't know where

the hell you're going. You know, like, you don't know where the locker rooms are, the rooms aren't anything. So I find the court and I go, I'm walking to like another part of the court on the other side. And you know, when you try to cut off to the, you know, just try to like, you know, there's the baseline that reaches the sideline and you're trying to just cut through and you don't go to all the way to the end of the baseline to cut through it, right? So I just try to cut through the court area. I didn't see this, but my man was mopping the floor, not mopping the floor, but like the dry mop or whatever, right, where you guys just dust the floors.

I don't know what the term is. And I didn't see him. And so I'm trying to cut across and he goes, my man, I'll move. And he like goes and he continues to mop the floor. Like, most people would take that to disrespect. I respected the energy, bro. He was like, my man, I'm walking here, like something like that. And I'm like, oh, shit, my bad.

I love that. There's that energy in New York that I fuck with. I love it. I love it. I love the energy, bro. I'm not mad at you. I love New York, too. My wife is a New Yorker.

She loves it in a way that I love New York for set amounts of time. I don't think I could live there. The energy I think is over there. overwhelm me. Yes. I don't mean it in a negative way. I just don't think I'm cut for that energy all the time. I'm more low-keyed than that.

But I love it. I love to be in it. Shit, I love to visit for a while. Does your wife just give you the New York propaganda and talk like, does she just act like she's better than you? And basically, you know how New Yorkers are just know that they're better than you?

They know it in their heart that they are just better people than you are. I mean, even the shit that you can't even, they will argue shit that's like inarguable. Like, it's a dirty place. No, it ain't. No, you're like, no, it's, there's, yes.

It is. You don't smell this right here? Yes. No, it's just they'll argue any. Yeah, we get that all day. We get that all day. You know, it's, it's a beautiful place. I love your city.

I love the boroughs. I love everything about what you guys go. I would not live in New York. I'm a West Coast guy. I can't do it. I need to just chill out. But New York's a great place. And, you know what?

Let's take a quick break. And I want to talk about a team we have not talked about all season. Roger didn't even want to talk about it. Up next. All right. We are back. We are here to talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves. Who, Raja, what is the Timberwolves record? Don't look at your computer right now. Don't even look at, what did you think their record was before this segment? And what is their record right now? Yeah, I thought it was slightly above 500.

You didn't want to talk about this team, right? You didn't know what? You didn't care. You didn't want to talk about this team. Not really. I'm not going to front. No, I did not. No, I still don't. I mean, what is there to talk about? They're going to get into playing. They're going to be in the playing. in the Western Conference? Like, what else are they going to do? They're a fun team, Roger. You got to go, okay. When does a team, when does a, when does a team get on your radar?

What are the, one of the characteristics of a team having to be on your radar? Because the Minnesota Timberwolves have been below the surface of ball and they've beaten a couple good teams. They beat the shit out of the Lakers yesterday. That's not a good team. That's not a good team. So don't include them in that. That's fair.

But, but it was a fun game because Pat Beverly just like, just did Pat Beverly things he called Russell Westbrook trash. He looked at LeBron. It was like he's trash and he put his hands over his nose. Like it stinks in here and just like pat and LeBron on the butt like you see what's popping. Like did all the things that Pat Beverly does and that where you're like, should somebody fire on Pat Beverly? But like they're not about it to fight on Powell Beverly.

I mean, it was going on those games. They won nine of their last 10. And I'll give you that. I'll give you that. And last night did look like they were having. a good time out there. I'm simply saying and the grand the grander

skis, the grander picture, which is the NBA playoffs, like I don't believe them to be. No, but it doesn't have to be like that, Roger. It could just be, hey, they're doing a good job. I like what they're doing. They're building something. No, it is whatever the fuck I say. It's whatever the fuck I say. You are always just on title

or bust, dude. I don't, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. What team do you, okay, what team do you like that you know that's not going to win a title this year? That's just one of these type of teams. What team do I like that I know is not going to win the title this year? I like Toronto. I don't think they're going to win a title this year. I like Utah, Dallas.

I don't think they're winning a title this year. I like Denver. They're not going to win a title this year. I like a lot of teams that I don't think are going to win a title. When you see the T-Wool's on league pass, you're just like, nah. I'm skipping it. I'm sorry. What do you want me to tell you? Like, I'm skipping it. I don't want to watch the T-Wills play. Bro, Carlinthe Town just dropped 60 last week.

Good for Carl Anthony Towns, man. That is 60 ball. There's some work. That's the real work. You sound like a New Yorker right now. We just talked about how New Yorkers are assholes. You just be like, ah, eh, eh, ah, eh. But Nod King did it back in 75, okay?

There's 30 NBA teams. I got to be fully invested in all of them. Yes. Like for Logan Murdoch, I got to be fully invested in all 30 teams. Come on, man. At least 25. The ones that are going in the postseason. This is a fun team.

Anthony Edwards on the team. All right. Got DeAngelo Russell somehow is playing great minutes, playing like he did with the Nets. You got Carl Anthony Towns coming into its own. It's a fun team to watch. And then talk about them. Let's go. Let's go.

We're currently talking. You've already dragged me into it. Let's do it. Did you know that Prince is from Minnesota? I did know the Princess from Minnesota. Yeah. What's your favorite Prince song? What's your favorite Prince song?

I have a lot of favorite Prince songs, but I would have to say my favorite Prince song is, I think it's called Seven. Is that what it's called? For this reason, I had a college teammate from Nigeria. His name was Tunji Iwo Joby. Really, really good player in the North Atlantic Conference, America East. Him and Malik Rose used to go at it. I was at B.

Malik Rose. Yeah. And Tunji's favorite song was seven, and so he played it for every game. Like, it would just be blasting. And so I developed an appreciation for it. So that's my favorite print zone. And that is our Minnesota Timberwolves analysis, man. There we go, right?

That's what we got. I mean, I think they're one of those teams, though, that we're like, I think they're under the radar right now. And I think when they go into the playing and they beat a team and they get into the playoffs, I think then we'll be like, oh, what's up with the, I think they're going to be a story. I think that they're fun. They have the personalities to be a really fun story. You know, you talk about Anthony Edwards, who was one of my favorite players to watch in the

league. last time I watched him, play he scored like 40 in San Francisco. And I got Carl Anthony Towns, who is finally coming into his own. I think we'll be talking about them. I'm trying to get on the talking Timberwolves bandwagon. So when they do become of age, you can be like, oh, yeah, we talked about them a long time ago. That's what I'm trying to do, Roger. That's how we do this in this podcast.

And in fairness to the Timberwolves. I mean, they're 11 games above 500. They've won nine out of their last 10. They're playing really good basketball. And so, you know, it's just a personal thing. They're not my favorite team to watch. But, I mean, I can recognize a good team. And, you know, probably a team that you wouldn't want to see.

You know, probably with that, you know, with that ability to score the ball and some of those pieces, you know, probably a team that'd be a thorn in the side. They ain't beat nobody. But, you know, a little tough first round test. That's a very astute observation. They ain't beat nobody in the first round in the playoffs. All right. Now, switching gears, a bit of news that literally just came down to Pike. Steph Curry has been diagnosed with sparing ligaments and his foot.

Did you see the play, Rob? I did see the play. Absolutely. So when the play, I saw it when I got back to the room. And, you know, it's basically Marcus Smart, dives for a loose ball, goes into Steph's legs to do it. It looked like it. Steve Kerr was fucking pissed.

And honestly, rightfully so. I think so. No? I knew this is what this is why. The fuck are you pissed about. Hey, hey, this is why. This is why I knew this subject was going to go. I knew.

I knew. I knew it too. As soon as you opened your mouth, I knew what you were going to say. I knew what we're going to do. Roger, go ahead. Let's do it. No. What happened?

Well, from your advantage, you tell me, let's go. Let you go first before I eviscerate your opinion on this. Clearly, you clearly, clearly I didn't play any, any, any, NBA or college basketball, right? I'm not in the trenches like you. I wasn't outside. I wasn't outside. I have played. I have had an extensive pickup basketball career, Raja. And Marcus Smart is the epitome of like a go-to hard all-star to pick up, right? Like, dude, what the fuck? You're going after this. And it just seemed like an unnecessarily play to do. But I do know that that's, that's

Marcus Smart's DNA. You're never going to, like, you're never going to go full stop. never going to go stop going full go excuse me and that's what Marcus Smart was doing but it seemed a little while to do that it looked like he was diving at his legs Roger bro if you cry what the baby going to do that's what I mean if you out here crying what's the baby going to do that I mean what's the fuck

you out here talking about a go too hard all star in a pickup game that man is not in a pickup game bro that man feeds his family by playing basketball wait wait I shouldn't be laughing at this right Yeah, but what did you say? What was the saying, Roger? What was it saying? If you cry, what is the baby going to do?

No, you didn't do the A. If you didn't do the A, you didn't do it. No, no, I figured I would clean it up. If you didn't get it the first time. Hey, hey, hey, hey, you said, if you cry, what the baby going to do? That's what's it going to say? If you're out here, cry, what the goddamn baby going to do? What's the baby going to do? You know what? You're right. I mean, okay, so let me look. Here's the deal. All jokes aside. You're right. On that, on that specific piece alone, you're right. Yes. That was just a call bar. Let me, here's the, thank you. Thank you.

I appreciate that. If we are in a pickup game and my livelihood is not on the line, I don't feed my family by doing this, the culture of our team doesn't live with the way, you know, I approach this loose ball. And people are going to say, oh, you're making, no, but it's real talk, man. Like every single play that you can make of substance of demonstration that I will sacrifice my body for this team. All of those add up to the DNA

of a team. And in a pickup game, none of that's at stake. No one cares. We just want to get out of here, like, have a good time, sweat it up and get off the court. But this is not a pickup game. This is the NBA. The Boston Celtics are trying to win a championship. They're pulling themselves up by the bootstraps from a team earlier in the year that we

didn't think could do anything to a really formidable team that might be able to make some noise. They're one of the best defensive teams in the league. Defense is about scrap. It's about heart. It's about toughness. You are taught, And I preach to children in the third grade that if we are going to have a chance to win games, we need every 50-50 ball. It becomes, who wants that shit more?

And I say it just like that to third graders, if you want to come to my practice. Do, does he want it more or do you want it more? And if we can go out there and get more of those than them, it gives our team a better chance to win the game. And that's preach. Good coach to good coach to good coach at every level. And that's all that was, dog. There was a ball on the ground. Marcus Smart went down to get it.

Now, it's unfortunate. I mean, I don't want Steph to get hurt. And I'm not even mad at Steph for not going down to get it. But that's all Marcus Smart did was dive on the ball. Roger, I'm just going to say, I don't care if I have permission or not. Next time I'm in Florida, I'm going to one of your third grade practices because that's amazing. And I need to see that from my own two eyes. I need to see you to say that to kids.

I need to see, I need to see you do it. I need to see you do it because I'm going to laugh and I'm going to walk out and because that's that's hilarious in my seventh grade practice the other night logan we had we were rocking um we were four on four shelling it like four on four on four um and all of our rules is when that ball goes out of bounds we don't stop like no one's stopping and looking at it so there was a girls practice going on next door the curtain was down uh in our gym and there was girls so i had two kids on a ball that went out of bounds on opposite teams go after that ball on our side of the court fumble it, it got kicked into the other side of the court and wound up on their court.

And I had two kids in the middle of their court like at going after a ball. I had to yell across the thing. Okay, stop, stop, stop. But that's what it's about. Like, you want them fighting for balls. I'm just so fucking happy to hear that, dog. I don't have nothing for that. Give me a pal, that's hard.

That's hard. That's hard. That's hard. That's hard. But I say it, I say it and fully understand. First of all, Golden State doesn't win a championship now. that's a wrap. Oh, in general.

I was just going to talk about the implications. You know what it has? You know what I think it has? And I'm going to trigger Sasha. Wherever Jomey is, I'm going to trigger Jomey. Probably trigger myself. This has Solomon Hill, LeBron James' implications. Remember, two years ago, the Lakers were in the title contention.

The best team in the league, mind you. Solomon Hill goes into LeBron's ankle. Just totally ends their season. Right? It was never the same after that. I don't know. They saying he's going to come in mid-April. I know Steph, like LeBron, takes care of his body just as well, right?

And we'll be ready of some sort. But, man, that's a lot of responsibility to take on, man. It's a lot. And it's just terrible timing for this to happen with the Warriors. Awful timing. I would say a couple of things. Number one, the vagueness of Woj's tweet saying that they hope that he be back, like the timeline is the hope that he'd be back. That's, that's already alarming, right?

And we already talked about that with Ben Simmons because they hope he'll be back in time for the postseason. That means he's not going to be back in time for the postseason or not back as himself, right? Steph already has issues with feet and ankles, right? Like, that was, that was something that he had to take care of early in his career. So, yeah, their margin for error wasn't, wasn't great enough. I imagine this derails it. So are they going to, who's going to the finals? And is the Phoenix? Is it just cloud? Yeah. We're going through, we're going to, we're going to, so, all right. I'm going to just let's, let's, let's, let's, let's talk to all my Scottsdale people,

to all my, um, what was it, uh, to all my Phoenix people. Everybody at that. We are at Paradise Valley. You know, uh, you know, Tempe, you know, I'm saying. Glendale, Glendale. Glendale. Shout out to all my peeps, even up in Flagstaff, you know, we see you. Sky Harbor. We see you. Can you please get Roger Bell up out of his house and in the building for that.

Get him a front row seat, please. Next to Jeebs, all right? All right, at the finals. Jubs. Hey, hey, we need courtside for Raja, all right? Everybody go, do what you got to do. Y'all know y'all got his number, stop playing, you know? What's your writer say, first class?

You need first class seats to Sky Harbor? Yeah, that's too long a flight. I'm not that dude, though, really? I'm not. You could catch me on an economy flight in a lot of places, you know what I mean? But for those long flights, bro, yeah, I'm a need. I'm a need. Like going up and down the eastern seaboard, bro?

Man, I hop on anywhere. I don't care. I don't have super long legs. I'm not tripping. I'm not dead, dude. But when we're taking those long cross countries, yeah, I'm going to need a little extra leg room, dog. Yo, yo, real quick side note, bro, when I was flying over to the East Coast, man, I had the, it was beautiful. I had, you know, because I'm, you know, shout out to United.

You know, this ain't a plug. It's just a lifestyle. You know what I'm saying? And so I got on, I got my, got a little upgrade because, you know, shout out to, you know, being a platinum member, you know what I'm saying? little pop your collar for that. And they treated me so well on this trip. It's, you know, flights from the West Coast are crazy going back east, right?

Right. Man, they had me with the French toast popping, Ra, you know, had a second meal. Then I had the reclining seat, bro, with the little O-W-I. The joint that went all the way to the bed? Went all the way. Well, not quite all the way to the bed, because that's first class. I was like second business, you feel me? because they upgraded me.

Right. And they, but I had that, right, had my own little section. It was an early flight. So I got to, I got to,

like, there was no one around for miles. So I got to really just, to just put my feet up. So I bring that to say, all that to say, Phoenix, we need those accommodations for R-R-R-R-R.

Okay, we need to get him to the NBA finals. Phoenix, what's popping? What's going on? All right. If Phoenix, if Phoenix is in the finals this year,

I owe my wife a trip out If Phoenix is in the finals, I'm going to take the Bell family. We won't go out and kick it out. What's Phoenix you doing? I haven't been back to Phoenix to visit Phoenix in any capacity since I left. I've been there with the calves, but I haven't been there like a couple golf trips. I couldn't go on. We're out there.

But I will go out. If they're in the finals this year, I'm in the building. I'm there. Okay. All right. Well, you know, let's go to a little segment we'd like to call Rewin'N to the Week. Before we get on out of here. Yeah.

I'm going to go with, you know, this is going to be a cop out, man. But I'm just going to go out with, not even a cop out. This is, I'm just going to be real. I'm going to go with the whole borough of Brooklyn, okay? Because I love you. I love you. I really do. I'm about to go kick it today.

And I was walking down Fulton. The energy was great. You know, went on Atlantic. All my peeps. Everybody. Shout out big. You know. Shout out.

Shout out all my Brooklyn folks. You know, we out here. Machine Gun Funk was playing, Raja, out there. You know, it's just a different vibe, dog. I love it here. But I'm going back home. No, no, no, don't get it messed up. But I love it.

Shout out to Brooklyn. There you go. It's tough. You shout out a hole. Okay. You know who I'm going to go with me? I'm going to go with the goat. Real one of the week.

One, Thomas Brady. I knew you were going to do it. Yeah, of course I got to do it, man. Retirement always seems cool and sounds good. And if you're really ready to shut it down and you've accomplished all that you want to accomplish and you've got the competitive juices out, hey, there's a time for it. But if there's anything left in the tank at all, and I can say this because when my career ended, I did still have something left in the tank. And so if there's anything left in the tank, run that thing until the wheels fall off, bro. And Tom said, I'm back, baby.

A couple weeks with the fam, two months with the family. I want to play football again. And he's back and I can dig it. Real one, Tom Brady. This is like your seventh time giving Tom Brady or the week. No, it is not. I don't have a. Yes, it is, bro.

Erroneous on all counts. You love Tom Brady. I don't know. I don't know how I feel about that, dude. I was the biggest Tom Brady hater. I've told you this. I've told you this. I think I've said this on the pod.

I thought I hated Tom Brady for life, but it wasn't Tom Brady because once he left the Patriots, I found a real appreciation for Tom Brady. So it was the Patriots that I didn't really like. It wasn't Tom Brady. So I do, I get, listen, you got to see a different side of Tom, started to see a little bit of a personality. A little swag.

Yeah, dog, like I mess with what is there not to like. You know what I think it is? think it is. I don't know if this is true, but it's a little conspiracy theory. I think you might have something just overall against like, like, you know, New England. And then he went down to Florida and you're just like, oh, yeah, that's my kind of guy. That's my kind of guy. I'm just saying. With the school of Boston, man. I love Fenway. I like to ride the T. Shout out to T. Anthony's. Carmella, some of my favorite people up there on Commonwealth Ave. Yeah. You already know.

All right, man. It's time for me to get on the F train. I, um, it's been a good. It's been a good week, man. That's been our Thursday edition of Real Ones. Make sure you check us out every Mondays and Thursdays. But in the meantime, make sure you check out all of our slate across the ringer verse. Actually, check out the ringer verse. There's one other thing that I've been reining to like shout out because I really love this podcast. It's on the ringer.

It's on the ringer dish. It's called Just Like Us. It's about Raja, it's actually pretty good. It's about the tabloid era and the history of the tabloid era. called Just Like Us. I really like that podcast. It's really fun. Every Monday, I've been locked in. It's been really good. I really want to, I can't wait for my Mondays after I record real ones to go listen to that on Ring or Dish. You go make sure you check out just like us on the Ring or Dish feed. Make sure you also check out upside high on the NBA feed along with Weekends with Woz.

Also, make sure you fall in the void with KOC. Fall in the void. Fall in the void. With KOC, fall in the void. falling up for it. Okay. And then make sure you go check out group chat. Make sure you go check out the answer with Sir and Sohey and Chris Ryan. Time to keep the propaganda going. I'm on the East Coast, but it don't matter. We're going to still do it. Make sure you with R2C2. You lock in with R2C2 with who, Roger Bell. Vallejo-Legrolet legend, the Crescent C-C-Sabathia. Damn right. Make sure you check out Black Girl songbook season three on the way with who. Roger Bell. Mr. Homegirl Town Legend, Ms. Danielle Smith. Also programming note.

Roger will not be here next next week. I don't know. He's about to go check. Shout out to vultures. I'm in the building Wednesday night, baby. Oh. Yes, going down. Park City's here we come.

All right. Well, we will see Raj in two weeks. We'll see Raj in taking a week off from the program going to go on the slow. Ski-shoe, ski, ski, ski, ski. Make sure you be safe out there. Player, we will see you on Monday with a special guest host. Holla.