Nothin But Net

The NBA's In-Season Tournament: Is Adam Silver a genius?

December 09, 2023 Ritham, Koll, Khaya and Daniel Season 2 Episode 2
The NBA's In-Season Tournament: Is Adam Silver a genius?
Nothin But Net
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Nothin But Net
The NBA's In-Season Tournament: Is Adam Silver a genius?
Dec 09, 2023 Season 2 Episode 2
Ritham, Koll, Khaya and Daniel

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Ready to join the courtside banter on all things NBA? That's exactly what you're in for as we, Ritham, Koll, Khaya, and Daniel, pull no punches while taking on the hot topics of the NBA season. As Koll holds down the fort for the Pacers' formidable offense, the rest of us stand by the Lakers, all star-studded and defense-strong. We break down the thrilling fly-or-fall moments, debate on potential MVPs, and applaud the stellar performances of Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of intense discussions, strong opinions, and the thrill of the current NBA season.

But, we're not done yet! We also enter the nerve-wracking zone of the Milwaukee Bucks and their current scoring woes. We dissect their game against the Pacers while keeping an eye on Damian Lillard's transition to his new team. Some off nights from Lillard have raised eyebrows, but we believe in the potential for a comeback. It’s early days yet and the Bucks still have plenty of time to bounce back. So, tune in to join us as we hash out the challenges, triumphs, and the nail-biting uncertainties of the NBA season in our own unfiltered and passionate style.

Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Send us a Text Message.

Ready to join the courtside banter on all things NBA? That's exactly what you're in for as we, Ritham, Koll, Khaya, and Daniel, pull no punches while taking on the hot topics of the NBA season. As Koll holds down the fort for the Pacers' formidable offense, the rest of us stand by the Lakers, all star-studded and defense-strong. We break down the thrilling fly-or-fall moments, debate on potential MVPs, and applaud the stellar performances of Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of intense discussions, strong opinions, and the thrill of the current NBA season.

But, we're not done yet! We also enter the nerve-wracking zone of the Milwaukee Bucks and their current scoring woes. We dissect their game against the Pacers while keeping an eye on Damian Lillard's transition to his new team. Some off nights from Lillard have raised eyebrows, but we believe in the potential for a comeback. It’s early days yet and the Bucks still have plenty of time to bounce back. So, tune in to join us as we hash out the challenges, triumphs, and the nail-biting uncertainties of the NBA season in our own unfiltered and passionate style.

Speaker 1:

Hello everyone and welcome back to Nothing Manette, where we talk all things and everything. Basketball I'm Rhythm.

Speaker 3:

I'm Cole. I'm Kaia.

Speaker 2:

And I'm Duomo.

Speaker 1:

And today we're just going to be talking about what's happened in the past three months of the National Basketball Association season. So let's just start off with the thing that's mainly going on right now, and that's the NBA's in season tournament. We just found out yesterday that these finals is going to be Pacers versus Lakers, and the finals will be played tomorrow. When you are seeing this video, and might have already been played, but when we're filming this, it's going to be played tomorrow. So let's just kick things right off the bat and start with our predictions for the championship game.

Speaker 3:

Cole, you want to start Pacers winning, that's it.

Speaker 1:

You got any reasons for that?

Speaker 3:

There's just the better team. Like AD has been so inconsistent this season, you can't trust him. And then it shows LeBron. They stopped LeBron and they stopped the Lakers.

Speaker 4:

Okay, but did you see yesterday's game against New Orleans? The score was like 133 to 89. I really like that 50 points blowout 50 points.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, but the pastry stuff has been scoring like 130 points, like pretty consistently. Yeah, but their defense is like 27th in the league.

Speaker 1:

They have the number one offense but the 27th defense.

Speaker 3:

I trust them more than I trust the Lakers.

Speaker 1:

I have the Lakers winning because I feel like Indiana is just a. I'm proud of everything that Indiana has done throughout the championship run, especially being from Sacramento and having Tyrese Alibar in absolute cooking. But I trust LeBron AD, d'angelo Russell all those guys, austin Reeves together more than I trust Indiana's Tyrese Alibar and Buddy Hew and Miles Turner. I mean they have a good team but it's just the defense Like. If we look at the Lakers, most of their star players we look at LeBron AD.

Speaker 4:

They are.

Speaker 1:

They're all two-way players right, but if we look at Indiana, they're only real main defenders. We got Aaron Neesmith and Miles Turner. So I feel like, like the quote, offense wins games, defense wins championships. I feel like the Lakers defense is going to win them the championship.

Speaker 2:

I hope that the Lakers win this game and the boundaries well, because he's on my fantasy team. But for like realistic, the Pacers do have a higher chance of winning, based off of their past stats so far.

Speaker 1:

Like that. Yeah, if we look at the Pacers, they've got some.

Speaker 2:

The Pacers, according to the show I saw it, have a 50%. This is based off their stats, it's not just like bias and guesses. The Pacers have a 57% chance of winning and the Lakers have a 43% chance. So it might be close, but at the end of the day I'd say that the Pacers would win.

Speaker 1:

And also if we look at the Pacers, they knocked off two heavyweights to get to the championship game. They probably had the highest competition. They had to face the Boston Subjects and the Milwaukee.

Speaker 1:

Bucks two of the contenders in the Eastern Conference. So I know this might be a little controversial to say, but watching that Phoenix game, that definitely should have been a timeout. I mean that should not have been a timeout for the Suns and the Suns should have scored there at one. So I think the refs might have a little bit to do with the fact that they want the Lakers and LeBron James to win the inaugural in-season championship. That would be like a cool moment where they can name the MVP award after him when he retires. So I feel like the NBA is on the Lakers side to win.

Speaker 3:

They're always on the Lakers side.

Speaker 1:

You can never doubt Indiana, but I got that one. I would not be surprised if Indiana won.

Speaker 2:

I hope the Lakers won.

Speaker 3:

They should win. I don't think the Lakers are not winning.

Speaker 1:

As a Kings fan, I want the Indiana Pacers to win. As a basketball fan, I want LeBron James to win. It's just like that. As a Kings fan, I don't like the Lakers and I like Terry Salazar. As an NBA fan, I want. Lebron to prove that he's the greatest of all time. It's plain and simple.

Speaker 2:

I mean I'll be a goal, but LeBron has to win. Let's talk about that.

Speaker 4:

I'll just assume this I'll go with the Lakers because of how they absolutely blew New Orleans out which was first in. I think it was B-Set West, just like yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, West Virginia Absolutely like great team with Zion back.

Speaker 4:

I don't know what else to say. They beat the Suns. It was a really tight game, not much to say about that one, but just like that, pelicans win. I feel like they're really off a straight line in terms of the championship.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I see that. Alright, so if you're watching this, you can book us. When the championship game is over, everybody except for Cole has the Lakers winning, and if the Lakers win, cole will rub it in our faces.

Speaker 2:

So we'll go back to that. I feel the Pacers win.

Speaker 1:

Oh the.

Speaker 2:

Pacers win. Sorry, but I rock the Lakers. Oh, Denny's position.

Speaker 1:

Alright, okay, I want my boy, irys. He used to live in my community. I want him to win. He's the only time. Alright, how about we talk about who you guys think is going to win the in-season tournament MVP? So like it, basically the finals MVP and I have my pick for this, but I'll let you guys go first and I think there's like a heavyweight favorite for this award.

Speaker 4:

Hmm, I mean it has to be Tyrese, irys or Lebron, yeah that's exactly what I'm saying.

Speaker 3:

It's a good.

Speaker 4:

Well, actually Tyrese and. Lebron came to Yo-Kage.

Speaker 1:

I mean not Yo-Kage.

Speaker 4:

It's no way. Did you see that performance from it? And Bede the other day 50 points? I feel like.

Speaker 1:

Out of nowhere. Yeah, but he didn't make the in-season tournament.

Speaker 3:

MVP guy.

Speaker 1:

I Feel like it has to be. Yeah, it's my things up. I agree that it was spice things up. The, the up-and-coming guy from Indiana, beats the greatest of all time in the championship game.

Speaker 4:

Are we finally getting?

Speaker 1:

that's a narrative. That's a narrative. But I also think yeah, I also think that the NBA is gonna give it to Braun if the Lakers win, because imagine them naming the award after him after he retires in 20 years because he was the inaugural one, like the clutch player of the year is Never mind, I'm not gonna say that the, yeah, the, the finals of the BBS Miller I saw, because he won a bunch right, I feel like if LeBron wins this, he's the first one. He solidifies it.

Speaker 3:

This Ok Also I'm going. I'm going to put something out there real quick. I think that there's a possibility that if drew holiday was still on the Milwaukee Bucks, it would be in the finals right now.

Speaker 1:

I haven't. I disagree with that. You know why? Because if we're talking like drew holiday would have clamped up Tyree Sallowburton and the Bucks would win it, that's just not true, because the Bucks faced the Celtics and Tyre and drew holiday got cooked. Yeah, that is true.

Speaker 3:

But I mean like some defense is better than no defense because Dame is not like, while you will have less offensive production from drew holiday he's not an offensive guy but at the same time you'll have the other teams scoring less points because while I think drew holidays kind of underrated, like defensively and Milwaukee, there's a chance he could, they could have won the game.

Speaker 4:

I see where you're coming, yeah well.

Speaker 3:

I don't think the I think the Milwaukee Bucks should have gone down. That's what that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1:

That just took a whole. That just took a whole turn of events. The Milwaukee Bucks shouldn't have gotten. I don't they lost in the eight seed and they shouldn't have made a change.

Speaker 2:

Well, yeah, I understand why they made the change, but I don't know about Milwaukee Bucks getting game, but I do know that game really done Milwaukee Bucks.

Speaker 4:

Okay, yeah, that's deep.

Speaker 2:

But I think that's a fine fit for him. It's a perfect fit.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I feel like cool. Also, defense wasn't the thing that the Bucks needed to beat the Pacers. Damian Lillard dropped four points. It was scoring. They needed to score the basketball and they yeah, Damian has been because that's the day system.

Speaker 4:

That matters is the score like, like. No matter how much defense you have both ways. If you can't like, if you can't get a bucket, really there's no point.

Speaker 1:

Exactly, to quote Kevin Durant, the team who scored most points wins. Like. That's how the game works.

Speaker 3:

But at this.

Speaker 1:

I disagree with that.

Speaker 3:

I feel like that also. Damian has been way too, yeah, that's so he will drop.

Speaker 1:

Because he's just figuring it out.

Speaker 4:

He lived in Portland his entire life.

Speaker 3:

In 2012, where he comes to a new, where almost a quarter of the way through this.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'll give you a quote Like the first night he drops, like what 30 points, and then the second night he drops like 12. And then like so on. Sometimes he'll drop 20s Sometimes. So drop no way. It's like off the top. Yeah, but wait.

Speaker 1:

Why are we acting like they don't have time, a lot of time?

Speaker 3:

They have so much time.

Speaker 1:

I think it's December.

Speaker 3:

It's the beginning of December. It is December. The thing is not running.

Speaker 2:

It's not running.

Speaker 1:

It is the beginning of this number. Yannis is 29 and David is 33. They have at least three more years. They're good, they're fine, it's not time.

Speaker 3:

It's a panic button in Milwaukee. I'm talking about this season, though, because I feel like it just hasn't worked, but I haven't been able to watch a lot of like Milwaukee Bucks games. But just like by looking at the stat sheet you can. You can see like Dame is not obviously like he has too many off nights. Like every player will have an off.

Speaker 1:

Watch a lot of Milwaukee Bucks. I have. I have been able to watch a lot of Milwaukee Bucks games and I'm going to say this about James and consistency. He just doesn't know when to pass versus score, because in Portland he was the number one guy and he was the guy who would score against Milwaukee, but in Milwaukee he has a two time MVP, like when he brings the ball down the floor. That's just. He has to decide to either pass to you honest to score the basketball, and it Is that all these years, dame has been like the number one option.

Speaker 4:

Whatever, whatever happens. He just needs to score, get his points, put his team back on the board and that's it in Portland for all these years. And now he's come to A Milwaukee where he has two-time MVP, like he said, you honest, a player that's greater than him, that people are looking up to him instead of instead of Dame, as they used to. And Now he like his. His first thought has to be like. His first thing seems to be past the ball, that's like. That's like you always have to adapt, because if you have like a bear and you throw it into like You're like antarctic it's obviously gonna turn white and go thicker. So you have to wait for Dame to get white and get thicker.

Speaker 2:

So it's basically just rewording what he said. Like Damian Lillard, when he was on A fallen trailblazers, he was used to being the one player that would just score, like he was like, in my opinion, just a solo player. But now that he's on the Milwaukee bucks, he has to change his like whole play style, which I think we should. We should give him time, because he asked me a used to having a two-time MVP on his team exactly.

Speaker 3:

It's not like his entire time at Portland, it's just been Damian, a bunch of bombs like he's had it was, I mean, it was Column. Yeah, he was. He's not a siege. Mccallum is not a bomb.

Speaker 1:

He's playing pretty good, but I okay, see, say McCallum is not a bum. Okay, we're not saying that Damian Lillard played with a bunch of bums, we're just saying that Damian Lillard has never played with the players.

Speaker 4:

Or even equal as him.

Speaker 1:

You Could argue. You could argue that Lamarcus Aldridge was when he was in like a rookie season, right. But when he was in his prime and his scoring prime, he's never played with the Yanis and that's just a fact, right. You can't tell me that CJ McCallum was the number one scoring option on that Western Conference time to see, because he wasn't, it was, it was. He was a catch-and-shoot guy and, yes, he could score some of his buckets sometimes. But it's not like. It's kind of like Clay Thompson on, like the step in clay, like it's.

Speaker 1:

Cj McCallum is not, he's not a number one option. And so CJ had to learn to play with Dame. Dame never had to learn to play with anybody until now. Everybody, every good person Jeremy Grant, all the rookies, anthony Simon shade and sharp CJ Josh Hart all of them had to. They had to learn to play with Dame because he was the guy. But in in Milwaukee he's not, and that's what he's struggling. He's not. I think he's accepted it because at this point of his career he's gotten all the accolades, he's chopped 75, he just wants to win.

Speaker 4:

But At this point in his career, Youngest child to be in the middle child, and now it's like what can he do you?

Speaker 1:

Gotta.

Speaker 3:

What are these analogies man like?

Speaker 1:

They're great.

Speaker 3:

Okay, moving on, moving on a great transition.

Speaker 1:

A great transition. Damie Lillard went from losing in Portland to winning in Milwaukee, but that's. The Detroit Pistons went from losing to last year to losing this year and Currently have not won a game since October. So let's talk about it.

Speaker 3:

It's not good. It's not good, it's not.

Speaker 1:

I think at can I say something?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 1:

I think that that's the, the, the Devin Booker, chris Paul, some seems. I feel like Chris Paul was the head coach of those teams. Because Monty Williams I'm not saying he's a bad coach, but he is being exposed as a fraud right now. He got paid the highest coaching contract in NBA history To bench Jaden Ivey and start killing Hayes.

Speaker 3:

He needs to be like a sore.

Speaker 1:

Thompson was having one of the best rookie seasons of all time and he benches a star Thompson. What it's just confusing.

Speaker 3:

The business need to do is the need to have fired him. 10 game, 10 games ago.

Speaker 1:

They can't, you can't fire the, the most highest paid head coach in NBA history.

Speaker 3:

What are they gonna do? Because they're they're not gonna win a game for a very long time.

Speaker 1:

I think that Troy Weaver, I think that Troy Weaver has to say something. Troy Weaver can't just have Monty Williams go boss him around. He got to say hey, I drafted Jaden Ivey with the number five overall pick, I drafted him off our Thompson with the number five overall pick. And you are going to start them. Our starting lineup is Not gonna have kill Ian Hayes, it's going to be Kate Cunningham, jaden Ivey, a star Thompson, isaiah Stewart and Jayland Dyrd. So what if it doesn't have shooting? We're gonna drive to the basket post.

Speaker 1:

Everyone up and dominate them every game? I Don't. We really should take control.

Speaker 3:

I I honestly like, with the current skid that the piss-ins are on right now. I don't think they're gonna win a game for the rest of the year. Not not not, not, not season year, I mean like the rest of the world 2023.

Speaker 1:

Oh, but also um getting bogged on. Bogged I mean no, not bogged on, boy on bogged on a bitch back from his injury. That's huge that he might win them again. And that he's going to win them. That's a game, a game.

Speaker 3:

The funny thing is that I don't even think they're going to get the number one overall pick, because their lottery luck is just horrible.

Speaker 1:

Their lottery luck is so bad. Imagine, imagine if they don't win a game the rest of the season. I mean, of course they're going to right. Imagine if they don't and they get number two. And the thing is the three worst teams have the same chance. So imagine if they're the worst and the next worst has like 40 wins or like 39 wins.

Speaker 1:

That would just be so funny. That would be the funniest thing ever. Adam Silver. No, mark Tatum has the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever. Mark Tatum has the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, but they don't control the lottery.

Speaker 1:

I know, but what if they did?

Speaker 3:

This is not the NHL. Okay, this is not the NHL.

Speaker 1:

Hey, hey, just because you're salty that the sharks didn't get the door, I am salty no. I'm not. It's not also that it's also that the blue jacket show.

Speaker 3:

The ducks should have gone. The ducks should have gone this is a basketball. I know the lottery sucks. That's all I'm going to say. Like in all sports, I understand why it's there, but it's not very good. Like, literally last week you had the 13th like highest, lowest odds to get the number one overall pick in the MLB. They got the number one pick. Like what, what, why, how?

Speaker 1:

Like it's okay, anyway, switching topics Um, I feel like the pistons are so bad for cake cutting him, cake cutting him. Number one overall.

Speaker 3:

He's not even having a bad year.

Speaker 4:

Like he's not.

Speaker 2:

He's having a good year. This is essentially his sophomore year because last year he broke his foot. Not even last year. I'm probably on my fantasy. I really am. He's just doing great. You traded it.

Speaker 4:

But the problem is, he literally can't do anything in Detroit. What can he prove in Detroit? How can he make, how can he give himself a legacy in Detroit?

Speaker 3:

He might want out if, if they don't win, like if they don't win, whether it's this season or like next season, if they don't like, have like a 500 record at least he might want out. He might want to bring his he's on his rookie.

Speaker 1:

he's on his rookie contract. He's not going to ask out on his I don't know Like.

Speaker 3:

I feel like that if I was someone on the Detroit Pistons, I would give it. Like. Like Monty Williams seat has to be hot, I don't care whether he's the highest big history. Like you can't, like he has to, he has to be fired. If something doesn't change in two months, he has to be fired.

Speaker 1:

Like, it's just not how it works. I mean he should be, but it's just not how.

Speaker 3:

I know he they owe him a lot of money.

Speaker 1:

It's the process. The process is just disgusting. They would have to pay them. They would have to pay him $80 million in like a one day and like if they fire him.

Speaker 3:

whether then like yeah, I know they would buy out it's such an ugly process. But they, they had they. If they want results, they're going to have to do that, whereas people are not going to want to play in Detroit.

Speaker 1:

He is not where people are always going to want to play in Detroit.

Speaker 3:

It's a big. It is a big market, but like it's not working. I feel like ownership has to do something. The GM has, like somebody has to do something because but also to play devil's advocate.

Speaker 1:

The pistons aren't trying to win.

Speaker 3:

It's not like they're yeah, but they're not also trying to lose?

Speaker 4:

They don't want to lose either. Obviously, that is you to get back. Get like, get back in the game and then they can think about winning later. But for now, no games won this entire season. That has to be something.

Speaker 3:

They've won a game game.

Speaker 1:

They won game, they've won game. It's just that this current skid is horrible.

Speaker 3:

Yeah and right, the losing streak. Right now they are seven games, seven and well, seven games from the second whereas, which was one in one season, by the seventy-sixers, and the max is twenty-six games in twenty fourteen.

Speaker 1:

That was the longest losing streak in NBA. That's not the worst record and I'm saying losing streak, no losing streak oh losing streak all seventy-sixers have the two worst Twenty-six games, is it?

Speaker 3:

just me, is it just?

Speaker 1:

me that doesn't seem unreachable from the piston.

Speaker 3:

I feel like they can now and then it's twenty-eight and twenty-six, seven, nine more games. They lose nine more games. Then they have the record and looking at your schedule, it is not looking good.

Speaker 1:

It's. There's not a team unless they face the wizards in those games.

Speaker 3:

No, the wizards. The wizards blew them out the last time, so it's like they're like you know that's. It's like you know that's, it's just big, there's not a team that's worse than them.

Speaker 1:

Maybe the bulls, but there's not a team that you go into a matchup and you expect to leave the Detroit.

Speaker 1:

Disney, she's not always Switching topics called. You talked about hot seed and there's another two people who are on the hot seed and I know Kaya doesn't like to hear me say this but JB Baker, staff and Cavaliers because Donovan Mitchell was out for two weeks maybe a week or two weeks and the Cavs they were better without him and it just. It just goes to show like they could get crazy value out of him if they decide to move on. So I want to hear Kaya's thoughts on it, because he is a Cavs fan, and I want to hear what he thinks about this because it's a pretty tough situation.

Speaker 4:

Like most of the Cavs roster is like a scoring team, I feel like the Cavs can score, but I feel like they're missing a lot of different aspects in their game. And I also feel like Donovan Mitchell is a pure scorer, like I feel like I feel like he can get points on the board, he can get the team up there, he can do what he needs to do, but, like the fact that when he wasn't there, like we're generally like doing a little bit better, that's also a very like extremely concerning right, because we all know that Donovan Mitchell like it looks like he's doing a lot for the team, but clearly after that, like people are saying now he does it.

Speaker 1:

And I'm not even sure if Donovan Mitchell even likes it.

Speaker 4:

I don't think he minds it If I'm being honest, I feel like he doesn't hate it, but he doesn't love it there either. He much rather loves it. He much rather want to be in a city where he feels like he's loved and he loves the city.

Speaker 1:

I think he wants to be in New York, but I don't know where the assets?

Speaker 3:

are getting. He should be in New York, but Cleveland swept in me, I feel like that for Donovan Mitchell? It's not so much about is he on the hot seat or the cast gonna get rid of him, it's more. Is he like I feel like that losing, like they did in the playoff last year, like where they said like the lights were too bright for them or whatever, like that wasn't good because, like I feel like that yeah everybody is doing good.

Speaker 3:

Everybody is doing good. I just feel like they haven't been able to fit it together. I don't know if that's coaching, I don't know if that's just Donovan Mitchell not playing well with other players right now. It's what special I'm gonna see, because like they have Donovan Mitchell and then they also have, like Darius Garland, who's another good scorer in my Zyggles.

Speaker 4:

I feel like personally feel like I feel like his game misses a lot of playmakes.

Speaker 1:

I feel like Garland is one of the best playmakers in the league. I was gonna say that he gave me a lot of scoring. I mean.

Speaker 4:

I just like 25 a night, but like he like up to playmaking, I feel like he's riding off, if he became a peer playmaker. If you worry about that more, I feel like his team could score a lot more and that'll lead to a lot more game.

Speaker 3:

I feel like, I feel like that Donovan is a variation of each other more.

Speaker 1:

I feel like when you're saying that, kaya, when you say if he honed in on becoming a playmaker, that's exactly what happened when he had the ball. When Donovan Mitchell was out, he would beat his teammates and they would get buckets. And I feel like it's not, like the Cavs would be a bad team without Donovan. We saw what happened in 2022 when they didn't have him, and they still made the play, even with all the injuries, and you can get a good return. It's Donovan Mitchell, which not only we're talking about some scrubbiers, it's an all-star in his time.

Speaker 4:

You can get a really good return for that and still be a good basketball. Through watching Cavs games and watching Darius go in and Donovan Mitchell and Jarrah Island and just the Cavs play themselves, you can obviously see that Darius wants to score and Donovan wants to score, and that's also why I feel like Donovan wants to score, and that's the problem.

Speaker 3:

He wants the ball in his hands at all times he wants to do, the one that takes the shot.

Speaker 1:

I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I don't know if that's good or bad, because he can make those shots Like he can make those shots.

Speaker 4:

But if they had?

Speaker 1:

more time. Do you want that to be your only form of off? If?

Speaker 4:

they had more time to grow as a team and develop as like, maybe a dynamic duo or as they say, dynamic duo. You know they could be like one of the best duos in NBA history. You know what I'm saying. They both can score the ball, so you know. Just saying like.

Speaker 3:

I feel like that. I feel like that if the Cavaliers are going to like want to possibly ship out Donovan Mitchell hypothetically I don't think he's going to go to New York what do you think he would?

Speaker 4:

go. What do you think he would want to go? Because I've been anywhere else.

Speaker 3:

I know he would probably want to go to New York, but I don't think the Cavs are going to be able to get him there because, like on the Knicks roster, you know what I kind of thought who would the Cavaliers want from the Knicks roster?

Speaker 2:

RJ.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you could take RJ Barrett, but you have Keras Loup.

Speaker 1:

RJ's value is good.

Speaker 3:

RJ's value has gone up.

Speaker 1:

So Keras Loup is coming off the bench anyway.

Speaker 3:

That is true, but he's still scoring 20 and 90.

Speaker 1:

But you know what I just thought of. You know what I just thought of. Brooklyn is in New York. You trade Donovan Mitchell to the Nets to get Cam Thomas. He's a scorer and you have a Donovan Mitchell Michael Bridges duo in Brooklyn.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, but he wants to go to the Knicks.

Speaker 1:

That's, he wants to go to New York. It's a difference. It's in Brooklyn, is in New York. It's one of the five boroughs.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, but like I think he would rather play for the Knicks than the Nets, but he has to settle for something else, obviously.

Speaker 1:

Yeah yeah, the nets aren't a bad option and plus he's gonna leave. I mean I feel like he's, I feel like it's all but guaranteed that there is a lot of initial gonna leave after his contracts done. So you better trade high. The cabs better take advantage and trade high. But yeah, I mean I mean you could. Just I feel like the contracts would match up if they get Ben Simmons back in the deal. So the cabs get Kim Thomas, ben Simmons and, like a pick For Jerry's, for Donovan Mitchell.

Speaker 1:

I mean the contrast would match up and it would actually be. It would be pretty good. February 8th but, but going on the path of young teams that are on the way up. Let's talk about the Orlando magic and how they're the number three seed in the Easter conference. Jalen sucks looks like an all defense candidate Um hello. Ben Carroll looks like LeBron James in his prime. Franz Wagner Score the ball Like they're a complete team. Jamal Mosley is a great coach. They're a great team.

Speaker 4:

Because I mean, what else can I say you really? You really hone down on the main points there. I feel like they have a connected team that can really just do, do all aspects of the game, like in coordination, you know, say they can, they can all, just like play basketball. Yeah, that's what they need to do.

Speaker 1:

There's such a fun team. They're actually so fun to watch, did you see? Did you guys see Dalen sucks, lob it up to Cole Anthony and do the LeBron and D-Way like this thing? You see that that was so cool and they deserve it. They're literally the three seed. They deserve it. Another team on its way, yeah, yeah, and the rebuild didn't take long from Boosevich to this team, right the bulls got fleeced.

Speaker 1:

That's pretty good. Uh, but also another team on his way up. Can we talk about how masterful Sam Presti did in his rebuild of the Oklahoma City Thunder? Like Shaco, just out of Denner's and MVP? We don't have to talk about Josh Gidee, but chat home, grand looks like he's gonna be Ricky of the year. Jalen Williams looks like of our franchise small forward, um case in Wallace looks like an all defensive guy.

Speaker 4:

We're doing pretty good, a great team.

Speaker 1:

Lou Dord is good and A part of it. Also, you got a credit mark, dagnall. He's done a such a good job of coaching these guys, bringing them together, like as a young coach. He's actually done a really good job. Um, um. But man, shay, shay, man, I feel like Shay gorgeous Alexander. If the, if, the if the MVC's it ended, today, my MVP would be Shay gorgeous Alexander. 30 points per game on the number two seed you can't get much better than that. But I'm so excited to watch this team in the future, no matter how the Josh Gidee stuff, we're not gonna talk about.

Speaker 4:

Josh Gidee is not our realm um.

Speaker 1:

Not he's not, he's not having a good season. He's not having a good season, but the potential is there.

Speaker 4:

The potential has been there for it for a while too. We're just waiting for him to To really realize what he can do and what, what kind of team he's on, and then really it's only up from there.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, um and yeah. So I honestly think that the, the thunder can be championship contender this year. Is that a bold statement to say the thunder?

Speaker 4:

can be.

Speaker 2:

Yes, okay, I cannot think about the whole team their whole team is good.

Speaker 1:

They're too.

Speaker 2:

When you say champion contender.

Speaker 1:

A contender doesn't mean they're gonna win.

Speaker 3:

We're still Like we're not even halfway through this at least in the wet.

Speaker 1:

At least in the wet, it's too early I think.

Speaker 3:

I think it's genuinely see now, I think the kings could. I think they're like these kings also um, let's, we can end it off right here.

Speaker 1:

Okay, can we talk about the number one seed in the western conference, the minnesota chamber wolves, and how they've completely Turned it around from last season, rudy go Is a player, the is because Carl Anthony town go Barry is a great player returning from his injury and anthony edwards is a superstar like.

Speaker 4:

They're actually, don't forget, nausea, mr Jelly them himself mr Jelly Nausea, read the legend, the good is the one time, just him alone. They could win the championship right there.

Speaker 1:

Yes, sir, yes sir, you put, are you prime? Nausea read yeah on those 90s bulls. They still 3p, they 4p. You put nausea, nausea. Read baby Right or die.

Speaker 3:

No, no, it's read is good enough.

Speaker 1:

Nausea read is good enough to be the 90s bulls like he's locked out. And then just we got to talk about anthony edwards man.

Speaker 4:

He's. Anthony edwards is a generate still talent.

Speaker 1:

He is Michael Jordan is like Anthony Edwards is.

Speaker 3:

I feel like that.

Speaker 1:

I'm just gonna say right here anthony edwards is the next member. When I said in our member when we made that feeble world cup video and I said that any edwards would be the next face of the NBA, and he will and he will. It turns. It's so far.

Speaker 3:

I'm gonna be right in that coming out for.

Speaker 1:

Anthony Edwards is is a dog man.

Speaker 3:

I feel like he is.

Speaker 2:

I don't know why I feel like I.

Speaker 3:

I feel like I see that.

Speaker 2:

Jimmy Butler and. Anthony Edwards, somehow just like the way they both play.

Speaker 1:

I see, they're both. They're both the sons of Michael Jordan.

Speaker 4:

They're both love yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's what I was just gonna say. No, I was gonna say, like, jimmy Butler is the son of Michael Jordan and Anthony Edwards is like the brother-in-law of Jimmy Butler.

Speaker 1:

Brother-in-law is crazy.

Speaker 3:

Oh, it is not Jordan and Pippin bro.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, um, um, uh, and also, can we talk about the revival of Rudy Gohbeir's career? Like I know, he is a player of the year.

Speaker 2:

Oh what crazy. Against the Memphis Grizzlies Like 16 points and 20 rebounds. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I never thought I would say this. I never thought I would say but that Rudy Gohbeir Unlocks Carl Anthony Towns's game more. I never thought I would say that, because everybody is clogging the paint to get a rebound and board and cat just goes out and it's like it's, it's, just it. This is can't leave it open because Edwards or Mike Conley is gonna find him in the paint and Carl Anthony Towns on the wing.

Speaker 4:

You just that's not ridiculous this it's, it's been great.

Speaker 3:

The Timberwolves are what the Marcus Cousins and Anthony Davis should have been.

Speaker 1:

I think just the Minnesota children. I think they can, they're not gonna be the one seed the entire year um, but I think they can finish with the top four seed and they could be they can make some noise in the playoffs, definitely.

Speaker 4:

Definitely for sure.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah, let's leave it off there, um. Thank you all for listening and we will see you next time. Bye.

Speaker 3:

Bye.

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