The Ringer NBA Show - The Disappointing State of All-Star Weekend. Plus, Is It Time to Panic for the Bucks? | Real Ones

Episode Date: February 22, 2024

Logan and Raja share their thoughts on this year’s All-Star Weekend, the frustrating lack of effort from players, and whether it can be salvaged in the future (3:15). Next, they discuss the lackluster start to Doc Rivers’s tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks and how listening to stars on coaching decisions can be a slippery slope for a front office (14:08). Later, the guys pose some questions that could define the back half of the season, including what to do with the Celtics if they don’t win this year, whether the Timberwolves are ready to become a serious title contender, and more (34:36). Finally, the guys close with their Real Ones of the Week (47:17). Email us questions for Mailbag Monday! [e-mail] The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming, please checkout ringer.com/RG to find out more or listen to the end of the episode for additional details. Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Producer: Jonathan Kermah Production Assistant: Kai Grady Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Real ones. Logan Murdoch here, Roger Bell there. Roger's currently staring through me because I asked him if he wanted, or if he had his record ready, and he took it as a personal affront. You're locked and loaded. Hello, Roger. I just think coming from you, that's rich.

Like, what, I mean, forgive me. Oh, you know, for sure. Sure. How was your, how is your, uh, your All-Star? You know, I haven't seen you for a week. How was your time? Your son's getting a lot of offers here, you know, your baby girl is out here kicking goals, you know? We're in the middle of it, man. We're in the middle of it. The bell household is kicking ass. How's everything going? Everything's good. Like, it's been, uh, it's, it's been fun. I, I, my season is over, so I get to kind of be at more of their games, you know, so I could go see Ty and then play their, they play Friday night. in the state quarters, if they win, they go to Lakeland.

I get to go to Zen's, you know, games and practices and see Kyya play. So, look, I'm fired up, man. It's a good time of year. All-Star weekend was cool. I got to watch some of it with Zen. The other two were out. So it was cool. I didn't watch the game, but we watched Saturday night.

So that was what's up. How did everyone react to this year's All-Star game or All-Star Weekend and the Bell household? Like, how did the kids react to it? Did you guys, did you guys have fun? Did you, did you, what were you guys's impressions of, the All-Star Day. Yeah, I think, you know, I get my pulse on what's going on with today's, you know, people that are in the streets, as you like to call it, from my kids, right? So, like,

it seemed like Saturday night they were into it. Like, people were having people over to watch the Saturday night activities. Can you dig what I'm saying? So there was, there was something about that that that was drawing the interest of, of that high school kind of basketball kid. Sunday, no one gave a shit. I don't think anyone... Real talk. Like there was no buzz. No one asked to go to someone's party

or have people over to our house to watch it. So, you know, there were workouts and shit that people were going to. So no one really cared about Sunday, at least in our house. Saturday, you know, was cool. So I got to sit there with Zen and watch some of it.

The older two were out. But that's what it seemed, you know, that's what seemed to interest today's, today's viewer, Saturday, man. You have been to, you know, the All-Star weekend we talked about that in last week's episode but like the biggest thing that we have been hearing

over the last week because there's nothing else to talk about in the NBA right now um is the perceived or at least like you know alleged lack of effort that you know that that uh has permeated throughout the weekend is it is it about the level of effort that you had back in your day or is it a bit have we have we have we gone too far we had like we had front of the show d a talking about we need to cancel all of this shit this is ridiculous this is just terrible and where are we at right now as an all-star weekend i don't know i can only speak for myself like when i when i was asked to go shoot i was there to compete earnestly like i was there to really put forth an effort and try to win it and put on for for the sons and for myself i think for the most part you know you you saw that in in the skills comp i'm not the skills competition i'm sorry in the in the in the three-point shootout and the and the dunk competition to a degree The skills competition is always one for me. Like, you get a mixed bag. Some people look like they're there to compete.

And then you got Anthony Edwards out there shooting shit left-handed. What did you say? That's crazy. What did you see when you saw him do that, bro? I cursed at the screen. Like, I cursed out loud. Everybody was like, what's wrong? I'm like, he's fucking shooting it with his left hand.

Why do it? My wife was pissed. She was like, he's got teammates. I was like, hey, I hear you. I don't know. Who was more pissed? You and your boo or Reggie Miller in that moment? Who do you think was more pissed in that moment?

Probably Reg. I mean, Reg was in the building. Like, you know, I was sitting on my couch having a drink. But, but yeah, so, but the game itself, Logan, I mean, what are we doing? What are we doing? And I get it. Like, I get it. People are there to rest.

And, you know, injuries are like the number one derailer of championship hopes. and you don't want to risk that in any way. And so I understand it. But when you are going out there and there's like one foul in a game and no one cares at all, that's just not for me, man. Like I'm not knocking it. I'm not mad at anybody for treating it like that. But I'm not watching that shit.

I just feel like we have gotten to a point. And I've been mulling this over for the last week. I think that we have just gotten to a point where the next general, is taking over and they don't have for because Anthony Edwards said this even during the weekend like I'm it's an all-star game bro like I'm not here to compete dog I'm just here to like you know I'm just chilling right yeah this is why y'all taking it so seriously and the people that did take it seriously are getting old like LeBron's 21 years in and we've had this conversation on the podcast where like I don't think LeBron not necessarily LeBron doesn't have the same respect

but it's different when year nine LeBron is like, yo, we need to pick this shit up as opposed or year eight step is like, yo, we need to pick this shit up. Or Katie's like, we need to pick this shit up versus now like the,

the guys are like the Jason Tatum's and the Jalen Browns of the world and the Anthony Edwards of the world who are like, you know, I don't really like, I'm here for shits and gigs. So I think it's, I think it's a generational thing right now.

now where like for whatever reason this generation just doesn't care and now we got like 10 more years of this and I don't know if they're just going to be like oh yeah we need to take it seriously all of a sudden because I think it's ingrained right now in this generation not to take it as serious as previous ones I would just I would just say that LeBron Steph KD Janice I was I mean if if like they are participating in that though like they are participating in the lack of of Now, I get it. It might be age prohibitive for those dudes to be out there really competing on this weekend. Like, I understand that.

So that's why I'm saying I'm not really mad at anybody. But if they were to go out there and not by talking about it, but by like leading by example, set a tone in an all-star game and just defend someone for a possession. Guess what would happen on the next possession? Some kids would defend. Somebody would defend. Maybe not we're not getting all 10 people out there playing defense, but somebody might. And maybe you go to possessions without any.

one defending. But three possessions from now, you might get someone to defend again. And it just starts with an ember. So again, I would just say that while, yeah, I get it where they're at in their career, what they've done. And ideally you want the younger guys championing that cause. But they are actively participating and neglecting to play hard themselves. So, you know, then there probably isn't any hope because all it would take is for those three to come out and say, hey, we're competing. Yeah. We're going to compete. And if you did that, the young, guys, even if LeBron is, LeBron is LeBron.

Like, if he's going to compete, you will get younger guys to compete with him. That's what will happen. He will pull that along with him. If he got a couple of his buddies to compete, and I'm not saying that that has to happen. I'm just saying that if you wanted it to happen, that's how it would start.

What was the most egregious play that you saw, Roger? I didn't watch that shit. I refuse, I'm not watching it. Like, there's, I'm not watching it. I'm not even tuning in. There wasn't even, it wasn't even like a debate

on whether or not I was going to go do X, Y, and Z or watch the All-Star game. I didn't have anything to do and I elected not to watch the All-Star game. Yeah, I mean, I got full transparency. Like, I watch, so usually with an All-Star weekend, like, All-Star weekend falls on the,

it's not the midway point of the season, but it's like towards the end right before the playoff push. So, like, for people that didn't go and I didn't go this year, I usually take it as like time, like players do when they don't go to the All-Star game, right? Where you guys just take that time to like kind of take some time off and like not think about the game until you're, you know, it's a weird type mini vacation. So what I do is like over the weekend, I will not watch All-Star game stuff. Like I just won't do it. And then I'll get back into it around Monday, especially because we don't really have podcasts or anything.

So I'll get back into it about Monday and get back into it. this was not a good all-star weekend. From everything that I've saw, from everything that was transparent, this just, this did seem like a really good host. It wasn't. I mean,

I'm gonna just, Logan, sorry. Let's do it. Let's do it, bro. Listen, I don't think it was good. I was heated.

I told you sitting there watching the skills competition when I saw the left, when I saw the lefty, I thought that was like, that's just, you're making a mockery of this shit. Like, let's not do that.

Just say I don't want to participate. Right. Nothing wrong with that. Just say I choose not to participate. respectfully. But I mean, I was cool. I was settled back in. I was I was like doing my thing. Watch the, you know, a three-point shootout. And, you know, I enjoy that. And then the dunk competition came around. Their efforts to try to steal that dunk competition from Mac McClum and give that shit to Jalen Brown for me was so obvious. Yeah. Do you know I don't tweet a lot

other than my kids stuff? Yes. I felt compelled to tweet. I don't know if it was the couple of bourbons in or whatnot, but it was egregious because Jalen Brown is an awesome player. I'm a huge fan. He wasn't in the same stratosphere of dunks. And the scores, I kept looking like, is this happening right in front?

Is this, this is national TV? Yes. And so that bothered through that, that ended my night on the wrong foot too because I was like, man, that was if Mac, if Jalen could have just given him a little bit,

they would have taken it for Mac Mac, clone. Jalen was trying, dog. Jalen was trying. It was a futile effort from from Jaylon pro. Jaila tried so hard. Really bouncy and athletic. Not a dunk competition. Like, that's not done competition stuff, dog. No, and there's just not curiosity. And if this is a segment just bashing the All-Star weekend, that's totally fine too, because that's what it was deserved. Like, I don't really, I'm not mad at it, Roger. This was not on the rundown. This wasn't on the rundown, but here we are. I just feel like, like, like, I mean, Jalen is, he tried.

Like, this is what, like, this is what you want out of a, out of one of your faces of the league, right? This is what we tell people. We want them to, you know, we want the Jalen Browns of the world. We want the Zion Williams is of the world. We want these guys to participate in the dunk contest. But like, we're at a bad state in the dunk contest when I'm not even trying to throw any disrespect. But when a G-leager, I know the league doesn't want a G-leager to win a dunk contest.

You saw it. That's what I think. But that's where we are in the All-Star weekend right now. You know what I'm saying? This is where we're at right now, bro. We're just the NBA, for everything, this is another thing. For everything that the NBA wanted for this All-Star weekend, they didn't get it, right? Like, they wanted effort.

They did not get it. They wanted to grow the game for the WMBA, right? They fumbled that bag. I don't need to go into the announcing and all that stuff, but y'all know what happened. They fumbled that bag, right? And then we don't, I don't know. I haven't seen the ratings yet. But, like, this was something you sell to potential TV partners and streamers, right?

Like, this is not something, this was not on a time where you're trying to openly negotiate in the open with the Amazon's and the apples and the YouTube's and the Googles and all these things. This was not a great product. This was not what you wanted. And also on top of that, it was a cold-ass Indiana. Like, no one really wanted to be there. Like, no disrespect to Indiana. The court was dope.

The court was dope. It was my favorite part of the weekend was seeing what they did with the court. And even with the court, who was it? Was it Anthony Etno, was Paul Pekero? Who missed like the, didn't they have the wrong way? Went the wrong way when the court is showing you the right way to go to. That might have been my favorite part of the evening was hearing the announcer.

It might have been Reggie. Just say, pay attention to the person in front of you, man. Because that's my life with high school basketball. May, just watch the mophode. It went before you. Please don't hop your ass up there and not know what's going on. Would you give it like a C minus or a D plus, Roger? Yeah, I'd give it a C minus.

I'm not going to say a D. C minus. Now, going out of the All-Star break, like I said, there wasn't really much to talk about. And rightfully so, brother, there's nothing happening in the league. But Doc Rivers is getting a lot of vitro. We've talked about this, but I don't want to make it into like a, what I've been seeing from, you know, media about just a back and forth

between Doc Rivers and another person and analyzing that. I just want to use this as a conversation to talk about the bucks and changing a coach midway through a season, right? And how we kind of warned about this and how this is bad. But right now, the bucks are three and seven in our last 10 games going into a stretch run with a coach. They don't really know, right? And then another thing that I keep thinking about with this is not only this is the coach that they really don't know, it is Doc Rivers, who is a figure in this league. It is another coach that the, the, the, the point.

players have pushed for that has been unsuccessful for whatever reason, right? My question to you is, Raja, how much, what does this say about player empowerment era? Because it also leads to coaches. What does that say about this? And how do you use that for actual team building? Like, should the Bucks front office be like, we're not listening to you guys anymore? We're not doing anything. We're, Dave, and Janus, worry about basketball.

Like, just stay on the court. Do your job. Yes. Obviously, I wore my player hat for a lot longer than I've worn the media had at this point. So as it pertains to matters, player versus ownership versus management, I tend to fall on player's side. Having said that, I often bristle at the athletes who are upset when someone tells them to, hey, do your job. You know, don't worry about the front office and all that. Do your job.

because that's your job. Your job is to put the ball in the basket, to defend, to represent this organization in the right way, to try to bring championships home. Someone else has the job of putting the pieces in place, making the roster up around the star, finding the coaches that he thinks can push the buttons.

Like, that's someone else's job. So if we're in a well-run organization with good ownership, while this is collaborative and we will work together on certain things, we have to understand that everyone is here because we deem them the best at their job for us and we're going to allow them space to do that job. Not just from the top down, but sometimes from the court up. Like, yo, just trust me, man. Like, I got this. Now, again, it's not black and white. You have a Janice, you have a LeBron.

I've been in those meetings where you're deliberating, deliberating over, like, you know, how much input should LeBron have in this? Like, definitely prudent to run it by him. Get his, you know, get a feel for where his mind's at with this. But don't need sign off on it. Don't want to get in that kind of relationship where it can't do anything unless, you know, he gives the go ahead. Like that, that's a tough situation to be in.

And so when you ask, it's a long answer to your short question, Should Milwaukee stop doing everything the players want them to do as it relates to coaches and whatnot? Yes. Because what's going to happen to whoever's making those calls is, if it doesn't work the next time, you're fired. And then you're going to be sitting there saying, well, none of that was my idea. It was Jonas's idea. It was Dame's idea. Well, you're still fired.

So if you're going to get fired regardless and you've become a professional and have achieved all that you've achieved in the realm of general manager or what have you, that means that you've done some things really, really well. Why would you get to that point and hand over like your vision and that type of control and everything and have your job rest in the hands of fucking Janus or Dame? I'm doing this shit my way, bro. If I'm going to get fired, it's on me.

Yeah, and this is another thing that happens with like players and stuff. And I'm not saying this is going to happen with Janus necessarily, but it definitely happened during LeBron's first like Stead in Cleveland. and I can see this, I can see this happening with Yannis, where the player makes all these rash decisions, right? Right. Like,

makes all, abuses their power and then says, well, you ought to do enough, so I'm about to leave. Right? Like, or trade me. This is just,

this is what it is. I want to win a championship. As opposed to actually working, like, trusting your front office. Because I was, there was just a lot out there. I think Yonis did a piece with the athlete.

this week. And, you know, he's just talking about how we got Doc Rivers because he's Doc fucking Rivers and all of these different things. And we can, we can, we can work all this stuff out. And it's going to be fine. And it read like someone who doesn't, who was trying to search for the answers in real time. And that's not something you want to do at this stage of the season, Roger. Like, I don't, I kind of want to take the the uh i kind of want to take the bucks out of my like my the you know there's always a tier of trust level that you have about teams that are going to be in contention right yeah like i just don't think that there is enough based on you know doc's track record based on you know just how hard it is to have a coach midseason and make a run uh combined with the dysfunction of

They just don't know what offense to play. There's just too many question marks that are right in front of people's faces. And I know we get caught up in the fact that they're the bucks. Of course, they're going to, of course, they're going to be a contention. Of course. But then you kind of start looking in and there's so many cracks with this team, Roger. There's so much going on with this team that I just, at this point, I just can't trust them going forward. I understand exactly where you're coming from.

There's part of me that feels the same way about ultimately trusting them to be a championship content. I think that's prudent. I think I could go out. I could say I don't trust them to be a championship contender this year. That doesn't mean that the talent that they have on that roster, if they can figure it out over the next 10 to 12 games, couldn't get you close to that. Or maybe even pull it off,

but I don't trust that you will. Does that make sense? And I want to be clear going back that, like, look, Janice and Dame, I don't know what they're doing with the front office. I'm not blaming them for anything. I'm answering the question as to whether or not the Bucks should create a vision from the top through the executive office and then try to execute that at the coach level with the brain trust upstairs more in control than the players. The answer to that is yes.

Now, let me go to Doc Rivers. I was wrong, at least so far, on Doc being able to come in and clean this up a little bit. I thought that Doc would have a lighter hand. I thought that Doc would be a little bit more collaborative, and that's probably not fair to Griff, because I don't know that he wasn't. I'm just, I thought with Doc's experience, he would have the ability,

and he has the cachet in the room to be able to go in, talk, figure out what they liked from Bud, what wasn't happening with Griff. Did they like anything from Griff? scrap what they didn't like, get back to what they did like. I thought that he was going to be able to have more of an effect there. And he is responsible to some degree. I'm just not in the camp of person that's going to hang that all on dock right now.

I'm not doing that. It is hard for a head coach taking over a team in the offseason with one training camp to get ready for an NBA title run. That is really, really, really difficult. can be done, but really difficult. It is like a whole other animal to get that team on the fly right before the All-Star break in the, like the most, that is the most lethargic time of the year as a player.

You know this, Logan. You've covered the league. Dudes are burnt out. Yeah. Dudes are burnt out. You can say what you want. Even all contenders, like we're going to start seeing in the next couple of weeks just some curious-ass losses.

it's because, and then, even from contenders, because of that reason. I think you come back a little fresher after the break, at least for a while. Like, there's an immediate reinvigoration right after the break. But, man, going into that break, eight to nine games prior to that break. Yuck. I mean, don't, yes, that you are dragging ass. And so to be handed the team at that point on the fly, like, that's a really difficult thing. And so, while, yes, I was wrong about what type of immediate impact.

he would have. I think the jury is still out. I do. I think the jury is still out. How much time did they just have off, Logan? What's that? From Thursday, a week. A week. Let's say a week. Or no, let's say like six days. They started practicing last night. When would Doc Rivers have been afforded six days to sit and really, really brainstorm with people? What's going on? How to fix it? Where we need to start? When did he have that time having taken the job when he did? Here's another thing, Roger. Well, another wrinkle. He was the All-Star coach, right?

So it's how busy that is. Well, yeah. I mean, so maybe not as much time as if he wasn't the All-Star coach. But my point is in the midst of when he took over the team, and this is going to come off as a defense. I'm not defending. I'm just explaining why it could be difficult. You just don't have the time.

Yeah. Like you come into it. You're like, all the problems I see with the bucks. I see them all from the outside, right? And here's what I've identified as the problems, and here's how we're going to approach it. and I had two days of practice and now we're in a game and you're like, oh, shit, those weren't the problems in game.

These are the problems in game. I have one day to try to fix that. I don't even know where to start really. Like, how do you fix that in a day? Like, I don't know. So you don't have the time to really create a structure in an environment to kind of write the wrongs, if you will. I think given a little bit of a break and some space from it, he'll have an opportunity to do that.

Now, I'm with you, though. I, the reason I don't trust the bucks is because I don't think this is a coaching issue. Yeah. This doesn't speak to coaching. You've been through three fucking coaches. Yeah. Like, this isn't a coaching issue now. This is not a coaching issue.

In the last year, yeah, yeah, yeah. Less than a year, you've been through three coaches. This is a player issue. Now, I'm not pointing at any one player in particular. There's one, hey, there's one player to point to. It all leads to one player. I'll say it. You don't have to say it.

It's the honest. Like, you have to. to, you have to just put it to where it is. Like, he is the center of this universe. He is, but I'm not there every day. I'm not there. I don't know. I want to be fair.

Like, I can't put the blame on someone. The only reason why I would put it on him is because he had a direct hand in every bit of the coaching changes that you described. Right. Like, he was the one that wanted Griff without actually even knowing him, right? And then he says, oh, this isn't working. Let's go get Doc. right after like bud man bud just making himself a lot of money right now i'll tell you that right now he is making a lot of money just sitting down just chilling out this season i thought that was so

silly man not to just i think they go back and listen to the pot i was like what what in the hell are you doing like why would you fight that is so stupid and then putting and like griff like obviously griff is one of your partners and also like he is he he he is i think think he is a victim this year of just wrong opportunity. And like, you as a coach, there's only 30 jobs in this league, especially when,

you know, person of color, it's even less than that, right? Like, it's that these jobs just don't come. Like, and also it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to coach a

generational talent like Janus. You say yes to that, right? Like you just don't say no. But like, he probably would have been better suited with a younger team, right? Absolutely. And so on paper,

that was just a this was they were going to be growing pains in general and now we're seeing just the worst case scenario of how this could go when you could have just stayed pat and stayed with your guy and I know hindsight is 2020

and all these things but in the moment that was just a terrible decision it's not even hindsight man that's everyone who didn't know that if you were screaming they need to fire bud then holl at me hit me hit me on something there was a lot of people

screaming you need to fire bud there was a lot of people saying you need to fire bud There was a lot of people on the on the on the on the keyboards with not with their with their rosia let me go in on these people real quick there was a there was a lot of people on these keyboards with the videos talking about hey man you see his sets being bad stop it bro like listen oh okay I mean I you know I'm not tapped into what everybody's got out here and who's got an opinion on what like I find that the opinion based dudes like I that's that's that's really interesting to me but I mean you lose credibility with me that that's that's a silly thing like unless an you know, unless you told me you were getting Greg Popovich or, or Eric Spolstra, can you dig what I'm saying, Logan? Unless you were telling me that, then miss me with that. I would just say this, because you said Janus has to be responsible because some of the coaching stuff agreed. Like if he's got his hands in all of these coaching changes, then yeah, I'm not going to absolve him of the responsibility or at least some of the culpability for where they're at. This is what I do know. And I say this to my sons all the time.

If wherever you go, some shit is dysfunctional, it says less about the places and more about the person that's at each place. What's the common denominator in all of those places? So, you know, I caution them on that. Like if things don't go well on a team or something happens and, you know, we have to switch programs. That's cool. but we can't go to another program and shit didn't work out there

because now that's telling me something about one of you little jokers more than it's telling me about the first or second program that it didn't work out at. Can you dig what I'm saying? So you got all these coaches coming through and we're still playing uninspired and we still have lethargic outings and fuel, I mean fires still seem to be hard to light under your butts to play. the messaging and the strategy that coaches are trying to use to put you in the best position to win is being balked at and pushed back against. That says less about all of them damn coaches than it does about the duels that are being coached.

If this all blows up in Milwaukee's face, what do you do this summer, right? Like, do you reeval you say, hey, man, we got it. This hasn't been whole. Doc Rivers is your coach right now. let's just try to figure out one more season with this. Let's see how we go. Like how, what are the changes that would need to be made if this all goes to shit,

Raj. You tear it down to the studs. Like, so what does tearing it down to the studs mean, though? I mean, yeah, probably that was poor, poor,

um, podcasting. Except for Janus, right? That's, that's, that's one of your studs. Do you trade dame or something?

Do you fit, like, do you trade, do you redo the bench? Do you get rid of Middleton? Like, what do you? Yeah, like the Middleton piece, yes. I don't know, again, you're asking me on the fly.

Like, for the listeners here, you know I'm not like a capologist. I don't know what Dame's contract is like and stuff like that. So I don't know where you're at in that deal, right? But I would say you're keeping Dame, you're keeping Janus, you're keeping, you know, I like Bobby Portis personally, but everything else is negotiable. Yeah. Like, we just need, we need new pieces around what we think are like elite players. for what they're asked to do.

Because I say that because, like, Bobby Portis is not an elite player, but for what he's asked to do, I think he's pretty elite. Do you know? But everything else, let's do it. We got,

if it falls apart, like, I don't think they're falling apart, like, necessarily, you know, like, if you don't get to the championship,

I don't think you have to do that. If you're like, you know, but if it falls apart and they are performing sub 500 through this next couple, you know, months of the season,

and it's just turning into a catalypt catastrophe. Like, yeah, man, that's where you're at. The bucks are just such an interesting place, too. But on one hand, like, I can see them falling, cratering and all those things for the reasons that I mentioned. But I can't play Polaraj and play devil's advocate right here. There's so much noise around the bucks, right? And what do we always talk about with noise? It kind of brings the team together in certain instances, bro. Like, right now, you got, you got Doc going on a proxy beef with JJ Reddick, right?

And it's like one of the biggest, it's one of the, if not the biggest stories in the league right now. And a lot of that has to do with the fact there's nothing else to talk about in the NBA. But like you have all these things. And that usually puts like puts a locker room back together, right? Like where you're just like, man, we're going to rally around this dude, dog. We're going to figure this shit out. Pat Beverly even on his pile was over here talking about how it's going to rally the team. There's a, there's a world where this does also work out.

I know we went into bashing him. But there's a world where this works out and everyone galvanizes. Because the talent is there. And Doc Rivers is a good coach, man. He's one of the all-time greats. I agree 100%. Listen, again, like I said, very difficult for him to do or to write that ship at the point in the season where he was handed the wheel. Yeah.

Coming out of the break, given some time. And some of the outside noise could galvanize you for sure. So I think that's definitely a possibility. And I would just say to the. point I made before, like this, this isn't, this isn't catastrophic. It's real, though. This is a player issue. So to have the type of response that you're saying is possible, and I believe it to be possible too, that starts with the players. That starts with, hey, man, whatever type of meeting slash dinner slash just a couple nights of having a few bottles and really just playing

some cards, whatever that looks like to you guys, like we have to, we got to be better. Like, Doc's going to do what Doc does. But Doc don't play in the games. Like, Doc does not play in the games. So we have to be better out there on the court. Like, our effort has to be better. Our effort to execute what we're asked to execute has to be better. And if they do that, there's no reason why they can't.

They're super talented. See what happens. Take a quick break. And I'll have Raja answer some questions about the final stretch of the season. Get buckets with your first bet on Fandul, America's number one sports book. Because right now, new customers can get out. $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. Let's look at tonight's games.

We have the magic and the calves. I'm really having a hard time with this. I'm going to take the over. Pistons, Pacers. Wow. Pistons aren't looking too good right now. I think I'm going to take the over and Pistons winning. Why not?

Sons Mavs, excited to watch this one. I'm going to take the under. Wow, that's out of characteristics for me. I'm not used to doing that. That's $150 if your bet wins. bet on all your favorite NBA players and teams with quick bets, live same game parlayes, exclusive props, and more. Just visit fanduil.com slash ringer MBA and shoot your shot. Fan dual, official sportsbook partner in the NBA.

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Roger, I just wanted to tell you, man, I got reminded yesterday of why I'm a writer and not a basketball player. It was a coordinator at a crib. I was like,

you know what? Let me go, let me go see what it's like. Let me go, let me see what the jumpers looking like. Broke-ass jumper. Broke-ass jumper, bro.

You guys make it look so easy, man. I was like, a couple euro steps, right? Like, uh, I, one, it was a combination of being out of shape. And it was also mixed with eye shot in years,

mixed with, I'm trash. Are you, are you in a game? Or are you just, I was just shooting by myself. Okay, okay, okay. Just shooting by myself, right?

Like, you know, thinking, I, you know, it, sometimes it was cash, but like, other times, it was just, like, just ass. So it's like,

I just, I'm really glad that chose this profession because you know as kids we can really trick ourselves and say y'all i go to the league if i if these three things happened i could have went and i could have really been something yeah no no yeah well i mean it was it was no no i just wanted to let you know that just like i appreciate your honesty i mean full disclosure if i went out back right now and laced them up it wouldn't it wouldn't be pretty so don't feel bad for sure i think you could still beat me one-on-one though i think i think that would i think that would happen yeah i don't

You score in a one-on-one, dog. Yeah, you know what I mean? You got paid Millies to be able to play defense, you know? You're one of the best defenders who's ever had in the game. Weird flex, but okay. Yeah, I don't think you're scoring it on. Hey, hey, I'll tell you this, though. I'd say you this.

If you needed 1,200 words on deadline, I bet I kick your ass. You'd have them. I wouldn't score a net. I bet I kick you ass. Believe that. let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's ask some questions that will define the backstretched of the season one I want to this is something I've been thinking about let's go to the Boston Celtics right

who is a favorite among this site if they don't they are currently sitting at number one um they have a full six game lead on the rest of the eastern conference um 26 and three at home just just a juggernaut yeah we have seen this before right they have the path to another championship laid out in front of them. They are the best team in the league. If they don't win this season, they're going to go, they're going to do the repeater text. They're going to have the repeater tax in about two years where, you know, Jalen Brown's contract is insanely huge, gargantuan, right?

If they don't win it this year and compete again next year and at least win in the next two years, Are you breaking that team up? What are you doing with that team? If they don't win in the next two years? I wanted to say like this year, do you make significant changes? But I mean, I think I would give you. I think they have two more years in this window.

Yeah, I don't think they figured us out. I don't think I make significant changes after this year. Yeah, I don't think I can do that. We're right there. It's been the best regular season. The group seems to play well. I mean, I've got five guys out there that can get a bucket and defend. Like, that's rare, you know, like to have two-way guys across an entire lineup.

I mean, think about that. Tell me, tell me what other team, any team that has, like, true two-way guys, like a bucket or a stop guy, not a guy who can hit a shot, not a dude who can hit a shot. I mean, a dude who could get you a bucket, but can also stop. Like, so they, their nucleus is really strong. I don't blow that up if they don't win a championship this year. Now, you start kicking a can a couple of years down the road, and we've got some real financial ramifications,

and we still haven't won anything. That's it. You know, I'll talk to you about that. Like, that's another conversation. But no, man,

I don't think that if they were to fall short for some reason this year, that I would be looking to make any major moves. I'm always looking to get better around the edges of that. But nothing significant. I mean, I'm just saying this because, you know, they obviously have they're going to be in salary cab hell in a couple of years like with

prozingis on the roster with jaylon brown on the roster with uh i mean jacetatim seems to be the untouchable one you know no matter what like he's in that janus that lebron that uh step that uh he's in the untouchables it seems like um and so that's going to be interesting to see because i mean it's interesting that we still have this conversation this isn't just a real this conversation. I think people are circling the wagons. There's some Ringer podcast that have just broached this topic. Just breaking up these Celtics. But at a certain point in time, No, Rajah, they got to get going.

Like, the 2022 finals run did happen. Last year's disappointing run was kind of, I think, more illustrative of what this team has been. And I've criticized this, criticize this team in a lot of ways because they aren't the team that seems to be able to finish the job. Now, in 2022, you could say like, oh, they went into a veteran team, but that Miami Heat loss was just unexcusable.

And so they have a lot to prove this season. The fact that we're having this conversation proves what they need to do. It seems like they have the championship roster. They have all these things. It is championship or bust for them right now, Rob. Because we're not in that era, though, anymore, Roger, where it's like, yo, Stockton and Malone

are going to play for 12 years. Like, we're not in an era. People want to figure this out. They want, it's championship robust at this point. This is just the era that we're in. I don't, but I don't think, I don't, I don't, I don't, all the way agree. I think that it is, there is certainly a ton of pressure to win a championship for them. They are, they are in that window.

But because you overhauled it to a degree and you just brought in Drew and you just got Chris Staps like this year, I think when you make moves like that, it could, it can extend the window being open in a way, not just from like an on the court, but from a understanding of what it takes to kind of make all those pieces work together, the experience is needed. I see last year it's loss to the heat, albeit a bad and a disappointing loss for the Celtics,

and I'm on record criticizing a bunch of people for what happened there. But those were some weird circumstances. You had people from the heat just doing things that they'll never do again. you know what I mean like no seriously they ran into just this weird you know moment in time over a course of what like 10 days to two weeks of it's like when you catch me that's like when you catch me in Miami Roger and I hit like three threes and I beat you you know like it'll never happen again I mean yeah yes it would be like that they'd be like yo that that never and so I mean super disappointed and obviously like a lost opportunity for the Celtics but I'll give you one of those I'll give you one of those without hitting the pants. panic meter, right? And so they went back to the drawing board and they made some savvy moves in the off season.

Like the additions of Drew and Chris Stabs have just been major. And I just don't see it being championship or bust. Like it's championship in the next two years or bust, but I don't think it's championship right now or bust. And I fully expect them to have a real opportunity to win the championship. I just wouldn't panic if they got really close and didn't win it this year. fellow real one, Howard motherfucking Beck, just wrote just in general about this on the ringer.com.

So you guys should go check that out. And just more than anything, as I get to the next question, we're going to start seeing a lot of teams start to shed salary in the next couple of years just because it's just how high price these rosters are, man. Like, we're going to see a pullback to the other side of the pendulum.

And it's going to be interesting to see. Second question, Russia, that I have for you, the Timberwolves. they seem to are in your mind right now are they and this might be a bit of a real or no real question but are they what is going to be needed for this team to be more than just the oh man this is just a cool like number one seed and like it's cute that they're they're here they have a young team they have a young roster their head of schedule this is great we all know this is going to happen what's going to be the difference between that version of them versus the championship team that they want to be i mean they're the best team in the league defensively right now that is something that travels. That is something that is sustainable. That is you rarely come out on nights when defense is your calling card and go have the,

to use it like the O for 22 night shooting threes. You don't do that as a defensive team, right? So like that offensive team, that O for 22, you can't overcome that. The team that plays defense, that's more solid. Like, that's a more solid, sustainable thing. So let's start there. Like, if you're that and you've got remarkable offensive pieces like aunt, who I think, like I heard a conversation today about face of the league, you know, moving forward.

And there's some real candidates out there. But he never gets mentioned in that. And I think that's unfortunate. You know, it's funny. He's definitely pushing his own agenda to be facing the league. I saw it a vanity fair piece. I see what you guys are doing. I had a big vanity fair piece about him being that face of the league.

His people are trying to make that happen. Well, good for them. Because the talent, the talent and the ability is all there, right? And so when you've got that, you got cat that can get a bucket. Here's the problem with them. Like, it's not a problem. They just have to hit their stride offensively as a team. Yeah.

Not as individuals, right? Like, they have some great, and in the playoffs, you've got to have dudes who can go get a bucket. Cat can get a bucket. You know, A can get a bucket. Those two specifically with the best of them. But they need to hit their stride as an offense where they're getting, you know, like, analytically speaking, their offensive efficiency is getting better, right? Like, they're middle of the league right now, you know, 17, 18, something like that.

Like, we just need to be getting better. We need to be firing on all cylinders as we get into the playoffs. And if they can do that, and it doesn't have to be like to like the best offensive team in the league. Like I'm talking about, you know, get up to 12, get up to 13, get up to, you know, in and around that range. And now we're talking, though, real talk. Last question as we go to. And hopefully, Roger, maybe we have a show next year. I'm just putting that out there in the universe, you know, next year in the Bay Area for All-Star Weekend.

Maybe we take you, maybe we bring you out to the Bay Area. Maybe we bring you out. You know what I mean? Bring you back out to Piedmont. But that being said, what's the biggest reform you want to see at All-Star Weekend next year? What's the thing you just want to see just to bring it full circle before we get to ruin of the week? What's the biggest reform I'd like to see with All-Star Week? Yes. Anything. It could be on or off the floor. It could be anything.

I mean, I don't know. I've been to an All-Star weekend. It's so long. I would just say, try to vet the people. You can't do that because it's a start. Like, it's a start. Nobody wants to go out there and see a me and the skills competition. Nobody wants to see that. Put some respect on your name, bro. They want to see Anthony Edwards and those dudes. They want to see the stars. And so it's hard. Like, man, the biggest reform would be somehow, some way, if we're going to have, have this massive weekend and I always love the All-Star weekend. Like let's figure out a way to kind of get these dudes to understand that they got to put for some sort of effort, man. Like, let's put forth some sort of effort. Those, I don't, I'm not the old crumagony dude. I'm not the old get off my lawn. I'm not doing that right now. But that would be what I would want was like,

give us some effort. Like if you don't want to be in the skills competition, anybody and you're going to jog it, don't do it. Just say no to me. If, you know what I'm saying? Like, just say no. I don't want to compete in that. And like honestly, you know, I don't know. With the game, I don't know what you do. But I would say the same thing. Like the dog, if you don't want to go out there and really play, like, be like an honorary, like, just wave at motherfuckers over there. Dog, like, you ain't got to play.

Get so digital camera and be like, oh. Yeah, do that. Yeah, yeah. I don't have the answer for it, Logan. I don't know. But I just need a little more competitiveness, a little more competition for me, please. I let's get to the real one of the week. I currently don't have one. So I'm just going to throw it your way, Roger.

You go first. Who's your real one of the week? You know, Justin Fields. Justin Fields from Chicago Bears. The reason he's a real one of the week. I mean, I happen to knowing like he trains with my son's trainer down here in Fort Lauderdale. But the unfollowing of the Bears and the NFL, not out of any petty reason or any kind of like new age, we've broken up reason. but he basically said, look, I don't want my timeline flooded with me being traded every two minutes

and whether, you know, Caleb or this and that. Like, it's going to be what it's going to be for Justin Fields. He doesn't control it. So understanding that it ain't good for his mental health to see that all the time and be flooded with shit that he doesn't control and disconnecting from it, I'm with that. And then not being afraid to say that. Like, that's what I did. This is why I did it.

I don't want football all over my timeline right now. I can respect that, real one. I just want to say, just take a time out to respect the fact that you are involved human that are saying, I'm giving someone real one of the week because they unfollow two accounts on Instagram. I want to say, it's really big of you, you know, it's really big. It's a win for Generation X. It's a generation X.

There you go. It's a win for you guys. Shout out to you. Okay. I'm going to go with Antonio. Pierce. Since we're sticking to football, I'm going to go with Antonio Pierce, who this could also just blow up in the Raiders face, but, you know, we're here. So he just, you know, he went at, he said that he's going to have Jordan rules for Pat Mahomes and the rest of the chiefs.

I'm going to give you a direct quote. I don't even know if you read it, what I'm going to say it. He said, did this on the Max, on Max Crosby's podcast. We've got the Jordan rules and that's, and what I'm calling from now on as long as I'm here, the Pat Mahomes rule. So you remember when Jordan was going through it with the pistons, all those guys in the 80s, before he became Michael Jordan and Air Jordan, and the pistons used to whoop his ass. That's what's going to happen, basically paraphrasing. All right.

With Pat Mahomes. I don't know. This is probably going to blow up in the Raiders face. I mean, that sounds dangerously close to, like, the Sean Peyton, like, like. Yeah. Yeah. You know what I mean? You know, I don't be saying that.

You know, I think he's just going to, you know, I don't know. I just, I just really was that a bounty date. Okay. Now you're going to, you're making me. me like kind of just reconsider my rule of the week. But I'm going to stick with it. I'm going to push through. All right.

And I'm going to go with Antonio Pierce just for showing some heart, man. You know, the Raiders have not showed a lot of heart over the last few years. And, you know, we did something that the 49ers didn't do this year, beat my homes. But, you know, just happy that the Raiders have shown some heart. And we'll see what happens. Probably another eight and eight season on the way or eight and nine season on the way. But, you know, let's see. got.

Rod's just letting me go. He's just letting me go. Where are we going now? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. You know what? That's been another edition of Real ones.

All right. We'll see you guys next week with Howard Beck, who's probably going to finally bring some order to this podcast. Make sure you guys are sending in your mailback questions to Real Ones, mailbag at gmail.com. We will answer your questions next week. All that shit. All the shit. Enjoy your weekend.

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