Nothin But Net
Nothin But Net
Joel Embiid's MVP Caliber Season: Can the Sixers finally make it past the second round?
Step into the arena of high stakes and towering achievements as Ritham, Koll, Khaya, and Daniel celebrate Joel Embiid's scoring prowess this NBA season. Embiid's not just lighting up scoreboards; he's redefining the MVP conversation and raising the bar for what it means to be a dominant force on the hardwood. Through his synergy with Tyrese Maxey and his strategic mastery at drawing fouls, we peel back the layers of the Philadelphia 76ers' strategy and Embiid's impact on the game. If understanding the inner workings of an NBA titan excites you, you're in the right place.
Transitioning from the court to the realm of legacy, we contemplate the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo's all time ranking. With a light-hearted look at a memorable game ball incident, we also tackle the weightier subject of what it takes to be etched in the Hall of NBA greatness. The conversation doesn't end there as we discuss the horrible losses of the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Clippers' championship aspirations. Tune in for a rich tapestry of tales that capture the triumphs, the struggles, and the sheer unpredictability of the NBA.
Hello everyone and welcome back to Nothing Manette, where we talk all things and everything basketball. I'm Ritham.
Speaker 3:I'm Cole.
Speaker 4:I'm Kaya.
Speaker 1:And I'm Daniel, and today we're just going to be talking about everything that's going on in the NBA so far. So how about we start off with the historic scoring season that Joe Lmbt is having right now?
Speaker 4:I mean he's doing fantastic, averaging nearly 40 points. I think it's 30 something. Averaging 40 points. They're just doing so well. He had like 50 the other day, 50 and he had a couple of 40 point games. He's just doing so great this season he's becoming such a score and I think I feel it up, he's starting to do him good, you know.
Speaker 1:I think I read a stat that he's averaging more points than minutes, so he's scoring more points than he's played minutes, which is that's actually.
Speaker 2:All I have to say is draw Lmbt for MVP.
Speaker 1:I mean it's literally the trend is happening again. Giannis won two MVPs in a row, then he won the chip, yokic won two MVPs in a row, then he won the chip, and Bede might win two MVPs in a row, and then will he get passed the second round and win the chip.
Speaker 3:No, maybe I'm just saying right now he's not making it past the second round. He's a playoff choker at heart. We'll see if he chokes on there once again.
Speaker 4:Well that is true. But like and Bede is doing insanely well, Like to drop, like I know he chokes, but he can't choke that bad. He's dropping 50, 50, 40 points a night.
Speaker 1:And also he's like he's not playing the fourth quarter, so he's dropping those 50 bombs in three quarters and in my opinion I don't know if this is a hot take he's having the greatest scoring season of all time. Because one might say, oh, will Chamberlain average 50 points per game, but he was also one foot taller than every single person in the NBA at that time and he was playing against plumbers and firemen, right. So, like I and and will also, he was averaging 40 and 48.5 minutes per game. Joe L and Bede is only averaging what? 34 minutes per game, right, and he's still dropping 50, 40, 30 and 10, 50 and 11 on a nightly basis.
Speaker 1:I think I don't know if this is correct, but in the month of December he hasn't dropped less than 35 or something, and it might not be true, but like less than 30. Less than 30. Yeah, sorry, and that's just. That's just so wild to me, like I mean, I remember, I remember I saw a TikTok last year that was like um, joe L and Bede, blah, blah, blah MVP, two time MVP in a row, like the, the Yonis, yoko and B trend, right. And then I saw a person that was like and Bede could average 50 points per game next year and he's still not winning the MVP. And then everyone responded to that guy and he was like he's not averaging 50 points per game, but he literally is averaging 50 points per game.
Speaker 3:But that is mainly because he has the highest percentage of going to the line in the league and I think that if if people just like start stop fouling him, then he's going to get a lot of less points.
Speaker 1:Well, also um, drawing fouls is a is a skill, or else everybody would do it. If it's not hard to do, then everybody would do it, right.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's like like that's what he's supposed to do as a big man, he's supposed to know how to work in, work in the post, and also, like, get a foul so he can shoot the shots, because sometimes, sometimes, like players are aggressive, players very aggressive, so you have to contract a foul to to get easier points for your team.
Speaker 2:And it's not like he's only just scoring for his team, he's also putting up. He's also getting a lot of rebounds and assists per game as well.
Speaker 3:I just kind of feel like that the league is going to like start to find ways to. It's essentially hack a shack, but not bringing him to the line, either than just find ways to like make sure he does not get the foul every time he goes out.
Speaker 1:How does that even work?
Speaker 3:I mean, he literally coaches, get paid the big bucks for a reason.
Speaker 1:Wait. But like there's, I mean there's no way you can guard Joel Embiid because he can shoot. He's dominant in the post, he's like seven foot 300 pounds. He can shoot from the free throw line. So if you hack it, hack it and beat him, he'll gonna hit the free throws.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you like, try to do something where you don't really do much in the pain against him, because if you do that then he's just going to get to the line and shoot anyways.
Speaker 1:And also, if you triple team him, he's going to just pass it out to Maxi and Maxi is going to job 40. Like the Sixers are actually so good this year that they have they have, I think they have the in the last 10 games. They have the number one defense and number three offense in the league and like Maybe the James Harden trade was a blessing for them. But like I feel like MB is thriving off of being. It's kind of weird because, because Harden led the league in assist last year and yet and beat is averaging more points this year with Maxi who's not even averaging eight assists per game, which is it's it just show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it just goes to show how dominant and beat is by himself, because a lot of people Were saying last year that the only reason and bead was scoring was scoring champion was because Harden was Feeding him in the pick and roll. But we're seeing this year how dominant and beat is by himself in the low post. All right, moving on, let's talk about another dominant score in the NBA Janice, and the certain game ball incidents that happened a couple days ago. So does anyone have anything to say about that?
Speaker 2:I Do understand where he's coming from because, like he scored a lot with that game ball, but at the same time I think he's over exaggerating because, like I don't think the ball really has anything to do with it. But Also like I'm surprised that he beat the franchise Like scoring amount like he's. He got like 60 points, 64 points. That's like the highest amount any buck has ever gone.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but that was mainly because he went to the free throw line 32 times.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he got more in total than, like, the whole Pacers team, right yeah yeah. But it's still crazy.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and like talking about that like game ball incident, I feel like you're on a shit. I got that game ball. Yeah and they said like I mean, they did give him a ball, but you're on, a, set it and feel like the game ball that would. That was. That would make me mad.
Speaker 1:That would have been the funniest thing ever. If the Pacers gave him a different ball, that's. That would have been so fun.
Speaker 4:I'm scoring the most points in your in Milwaukee.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's just insane, like and and Paul George said this on his podcast also the home team always gets the game ball and Since it was in Milwaukee, the pace I mean the Yanis should have gotten the game ball. He should have gotten it right, and what's also weird is that wasn't even Oscar. She weighs first point Because he literally scored one point against the Lakers in the end season tournament I thought it was five points in these and season tournament final.
Speaker 3:Oh, it's five boys, I thought so.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I mean still like it wasn't even his first point and Oscar, she way went to Kentucky. So I mean of course I'm like I'm still gonna like root for him, but like still like that's like it's pretty weird, I think it's more of the pastures.
Speaker 3:Didn't just want to make just I think it's more because the pastures didn't want to Give you honestly game ball than anything else.
Speaker 1:But as we're just like that that clip of Yanis running for the game. Oh, that's so funny. That was so funny. Yeah, he got so mad.
Speaker 3:He was. He looked like a Greek freak for a minute.
Speaker 1:He was what you mean by that. You could like. He just looked like really determined to get.
Speaker 3:What do you mean by?
Speaker 1:that he looked like a Greek freak. I mean, I know that it's his nickname, but like, still, like, I mean. And also Yanis um, isn't he like the franchise leader in points, assists, blocks, rebounds? Like all that stuff. Like Cole said this a couple days ago Um, that Yanis might be one of the greatest players of all time.
Speaker 3:He is top 10.
Speaker 1:Right now.
Speaker 3:Yes, right now.
Speaker 1:All right, who do you think who are? I'm gonna name a player and you tell me if Yanis is above them all time. Okay, okay, all right, shaquille on you.
Speaker 3:He's below.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay. All right, so Shaq is below Yanis.
Speaker 3:No, no, shaq is above you, okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, steph Curry.
Speaker 3:Um, I don't know, that's kind of tough. I think Steph Curry is probably better.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, all right, hakeem Elijah one I.
Speaker 3:Think Yannis is better.
Speaker 1:Wow Okay.
Speaker 3:I know who came is really, really, really good. He was a monster in the pain. But like I think at this point in his career Yannis is better.
Speaker 1:All right, all right, well, chamberlain.
Speaker 3:I think yes, because you make. You made the point earlier, earlier that will. Chamberlain was playing against plumbers and firemen, so like. While he was a monster, it's mainly because of the players he was playing against.
Speaker 1:All right, and this is my final person that I'm a name Bill Russell.
Speaker 3:I knew you're gonna say this. Um, I think you can make an argument, but I think Bill Russell is still okay.
Speaker 1:But Yannis, top 10, I think. I think he needs to. I think he needs to win two more rings, because if we're talking top 10, that means he's better than 400 players ever Right, and I don't think he's there yet. I think top 30 right now.
Speaker 3:Maybe top 15. Maybe I'd say a good top 20.
Speaker 1:Right, I mean he has two MVPs, he has the DPOI, the one ring and the first round upset to the eight seed. That that diminishes the first round upset to the eight seed, kind of diminishes his legacy a little bit, but but I mean, miami was was really cooking that time.
Speaker 4:Yeah so really I mean, what can Yannis do to stop like that super team of a playoff run last year?
Speaker 1:I mean not really not so.
Speaker 3:At the same time, it wasn't really honest this fall. He was popping off, it was more of the team. And also Miami also beat the five seeded Nix and the two seeded Celtics.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but also he, he'd. He missed like 20 free throws in game, five, yeah, and they lost by like 10 points. So if he had made even half of those free throws, then they would have won that game.
Speaker 3:Well, he obviously got better at free throws because he made 24 in his game where he shot 64.
Speaker 1:He shot 32 free throws. That game that's still so shocking. But wait, do you think he's better than Tim Duncan?
Speaker 3:You could, you can make a claim for that, because I Think that, like at his point in his career, at least in Milwaukee, he's better than Korean In Milwaukee. But I think that, yeah, I can, I can agree with that but I I feel like that, like he needs five, at least five more years, maybe seven or eight, and then, if he keeps the production up, and yeah, he's better than Tim Duncan easily.
Speaker 1:I think okay, duncan has five rings though.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but that's also down to great Papa business system.
Speaker 1:Well, greg Popovich. He had a 40 and one Win team in 2016 and they lost in the second round.
Speaker 3:Yeah so. I mean, but they also won the championship in 2014 With most of the same players.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I mean they kind of get credit Duncan's success to entirely Popovich.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but like he's trying to do the same thing with Victor, but Victor is too big, I mean for the league, I would think.
Speaker 1:I like I Mean Popovich. I mean, I know this is steering off topic, but he might not even be as good of a coach as people think he is, because I mean yeah, he has had high-end talent throughout most of his career.
Speaker 1:I mean, running Jeremy So-Chan at point guard is just, it's so weird. He is not a point guard, he's a power forward and and he's I mean he's trying to adapt to the new NBA of having taller, taller people. But Jeremy So-Chan cannot handle the ball. He's not a point guard, it's he's not that good he's I mean Pop, might not be a good of a coach as people think he is, and I don't think we can credit Duncan's success entirely.
Speaker 3:I think he's as good of a coach as he is. He's a really good coach, but for older basketball, the way basketball is now, he's he's not good. Okay, yeah, I can agree with that, yeah because I feel like that, like you know, he's Like now, like we are seeing the best office Offenses like just throughout the league ever. Yeah, and there it's not really an emphasis on defense anymore, because both teams Like we've seen a lot of times with the Hawks and the Pacers they would both score 150.
Speaker 3:Just throughout, but defense doesn't really exist anymore.
Speaker 1:It does not exist in the NBA, but it's still kind of crucial.
Speaker 3:Popovich, I think, is more of a defensive coach. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, yeah. But Going back to Yanis, I feel that Yanis is one of the most Dominant players that we've ever seen. He's the modern-day Shaq, but I just feel like he, he, I Mean, I just I don't know. I just feel like I don't see him winning another ring in the next couple of years, because you have Boston, you have LA, yeah, you have Philadelphia, you have Phoenix, I mean, even though Phoenix isn't even that good and then you have the up-and-coming teams you have Minnesota, you have okc, you have Sacramento, you have, I mean.
Speaker 3:New York. Like I would say oh, there are a ton of teams that if they make one move for a Star-ish player or a decently good player, they are in championship contention. Yeah, and I feel like that's exactly what Sacramento needs also also with New York and Cleveland, like a bunch of these teams where they're kind of there. They're a perennial playoff contender, year in, year out. But they need one more player, maybe two.
Speaker 1:I feel like Cleveland is kind of and I know kind of that might not want me to hear me say this, but I feel like they're kind of Going out of championship contention because I honestly don't think Donovan Mitchell is gonna resign.
Speaker 4:I don't, I don't disagree with that Donovan Mitchell. He, I mean, he doesn't have a big problem with Cleveland, but he doesn't want to be in Cleveland. Yeah, and Darius Garland can't hold that, can't hold Cleveland down by himself. Unless we get like a like something good out of Donovan, then really there, there's no good coming for Cleveland in the future.
Speaker 1:And and Mowgli and Garland are gonna be out. For what? Five months?
Speaker 4:and.
Speaker 1:It's just. It's so weird because, yes, they do have their first round pick this year, but but how good is it gonna be? I mean, yeah, but like I feel like the best-case scenario would be if they drop brownie James, because if they drive Imagine imagine if they do that and LeBron comes and finishes career in Cleveland that would be actually so poetic.
Speaker 3:No but I actually want Sacramento to get brownie James. So bad because.
Speaker 2:If we go uh, brownie James, we also might get a chance to see.
Speaker 3:No, we will get a chance to see what brought well. We will get to see what brought in period. Yeah the biggest need for Sacramento is a small forward right now, because they overpaid Harrison Bard so much like he is too inconsistent.
Speaker 1:I thought that that was one of the Ferris contracts in the NBA at the time, it was because time. And then Harrison Barnes just showed up horrible this season.
Speaker 3:He had the first game this season was his only good game this year, yeah, and he only had like two good quarters.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then it's yeah. Also, I think that the master plan by Rob Palinka is for LA to draft brownie because I Don't with how good of a roster that the Lakers have. I know that they've. They lost like Two very bad teams, like they lost to the Knicks. They lost to the magic.
Speaker 3:I don't have trust in the Lakers and one. The Knicks and the magic are not bad teams anymore.
Speaker 1:I Just yeah, but I just don't see Braun leaving LA that quickly.
Speaker 3:I feel like that there is a possibility that somehow the Detroit Pistons will get brownie James. I Don't be so funny, I mean. I mean like based on their lottery, like they're not gonna get the first round pick or the first overall pick. There is no way they do yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but just the question is brownie is not first overall pick caliber.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but neither other pistons.
Speaker 1:I mean, of course, the number one overall pick is probably gonna be booze whaless Holland or Sarr right, so that's already the top three picks.
Speaker 3:But like we do you take brawny at number one, with the chance of getting LeBron also or number four, because we saw last year Detroit that can have horrible lottery luck. Oh, yeah, but so I mean, anything is possible, they could, they could like, they could pick 15th.
Speaker 1:We? I just, I just realized something. What Guess who is from Michigan and went to Michigan State for college, who, j-mon and J-mon glazes LeBron. So what if Ronnie goes to Detroit, lebron joins him and J-mon joins them? That would be so cool, that would be so funny.
Speaker 3:Wait, j-mon's contract is up the end this year, right.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I don't know when J-mon's contract ends, but maybe he requests a trade, and I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 3:I don't think he would request a trade.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I Don't know he, he just glazes LeBron so much that they they need to be teammates by the end of their career. He did. That's actually so funny and yeah, but Moving on From the honest is all that stuff? Um, let's talk about the Detroit Pistons and my they are literally one game away from tying the all-time losing streak, and I don't even know if they're gonna win another game for the rest of the season like I mean. Like literally.
Speaker 1:I think you're right the Utah Jazz Laurie Markendon was out, keontae George was out, jordan Clarkson was out, colin section was out. All Literally eight of their best players were injured and out of the game. And the pistons still found a way to lose.
Speaker 3:I feel like that. This is the 2011 tournament Bobcats, if they did not play a locked-out season.
Speaker 1:Honestly, they might be worse than the Bobcats.
Speaker 3:I mean they probably are, cuz the Bobcats won, like what? 11 games, or something.
Speaker 1:No, it was nine and 53 or something and that was during a lockout season. I was earning a lockout season, so like they probably would have found a way to it was, they probably would have won 20 games. Yeah, but like I just 226 is Crazy and I feel like if you guys watch the clip of the final buzzer sounding in that game, kate cutting him had little tears in his eyes.
Speaker 4:Yes, he's already crying. That's. That's actually so well. Kate definitely deserves more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's been hooping 100% cuz.
Speaker 4:Kate Kate can ball. Kate, kate can really ball at this point oh. Yeah, he says he's such like a tall player. He can do like a lot of things on the court, but he's stuck with a team that has lost 25 games in a row.
Speaker 2:Damian Lillard moment.
Speaker 4:That's this horrible.
Speaker 2:I don't think that the Detroit Pistons should be a team at this point. I don't even think, yeah, they should just sell. I don't even think anyone should be buying their tickets in the first place.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I saw news article. The fans don't even like them anymore. The fans are making bad chance. There's not one good chant in Detroit. The atmosphere is horrible. Everything's just going downhill for them.
Speaker 1:There's this youtuber named crispy flakes and he's a 2k youtuber and he is a Pistons fan and he made a 50 minute long video called sell the team. That's just so funny. There were sell the team chance in Little Teases Arena in Detroit during a game. That's so wild, and I Feel like this also shows us how overrated of a coach Matty Williams is they need to fire him.
Speaker 3:They need to fire they can't fire him. They need to they can't.
Speaker 1:He's the highest paid coach in the NBA, so then what did they do?
Speaker 3:just let them ruin their team. I mean, I feel like Troy Weaver, the GM, has to it's worth paying the money, buying out his contract and just letting him go. But I just fire every single person related to that team and sell the team.
Speaker 1:And I feel like this also shows us how I know this is completely unrelated, but this also shows us how good of a how strong of an IQ of a player that chris paul is, because chris paul played for montey williams in new orleans and in phoenix and they were the best team in the in the mba, and I feel like that's because chris paul was the real coach of those teams, probably, and it's just how it shows how smart he is.
Speaker 3:I think that I'm actually kind of glad that Detroit did not get the number one overall pick, because money was where they're probably ruined victor yeah, yeah, and he's ruining a star because a star literally was number two in the rookie ladder.
Speaker 1:He was averaging a double double with like two blocks. What does money williams do? He benches him. Like what are you doing, bro? Why are you bringing jade and ivy off the bench? Do you want killian haze to marry your daughter? Like, why are you starting killian haze? He's starting the bust, killian haze, and he benched jade and ivy.
Speaker 3:Like I don't like jade and ivy at all if I was a player in the try, I would have requested the trade 20 games ago.
Speaker 1:I mean, the thing is nobody, nobody's ever.
Speaker 2:But, also.
Speaker 4:I don't think Most teams in the nba, if not all, are gonna accept any players besides like kade Uh from the from the detroit pistons or a star but I I like I kind of agree with that, because I mean in some way, because Once you're in the choice, I feel like you lose like a good portion of your value but also like If we, if we look at the pistons other than bogdanovich, they're Relatively young, like they they're a super young team and it's it's super hard to request a trade as a young player on your rookie contract because it's just You're, it's just.
Speaker 1:It just kind of like says that you're a snake and you're not loyal If you, if you if you trade that really if you request to trade that early right.
Speaker 3:But like, at the same time, if you're losing like record Wise, then I mean I wouldn't be seen as a snake in my in there, my opinion. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1:If we look at the kings before Subbonus halibur in like we were like super bad in 2022, but halibur and said I'm I'm looking to stay here and I'm looking to build a culture hero. Of course he got traded but, like, still a young player should be devoted to Changing the culture of their team and making a winning culture.
Speaker 4:But this is like generational failure. Yeah this is horrible. Like that's like if your house is set on fire and you still want to like stay inside.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's what an analogy. Yeah, I mean, they're playing the nets next and then they got Boston next. I think they're gonna lose 28 games. That'll be the record, and it's just, I mean the fact that their, their lottery luck is so bad. Like they could have had wemby palo. And who was? Yeah, 2022 was palo, 2023 Was wemby. Like they could have had wemby palo and cave.
Speaker 3:That would be in such a way. They would not be in that situation. They would probably be a playoff team right now.
Speaker 1:Not a playoff team, but they. They would be so much better watch you because of money williams.
Speaker 3:They probably would still be bad. Yeah, but um, we would know.
Speaker 1:To uh to end this episode off. Let's not end it off on a losing note and let's end it off on a winning note. Let's talk about the clippers and how, yes, they did loot and uh end their winning streak to um the thunder. But nine wins in a row is so great because A lot of people doubted them when they lost. What? Five games in a row? After the james ardent trade, a lot of people doubted them and yet, look here they are. Like I, I feel like this team works so well because of the fact that, yes, james Harden is a regular season player, but kawaii Leonard is a playoff player. So james harden can get them to that top seed in the regular season and kawaii can Lead them to the championship in the playoffs right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the fact that kawaii hasn't missed a game this season.
Speaker 3:That's kind of crazy.
Speaker 1:That's so impressive because Kawaii barely played these past two seasons. Yeah, that shows a lot as a player and he's dropping 30 bombs and he hasn't missed a game and that's so cool. And yeah, I just Well. The question is are the clippers real championship contenders?
Speaker 3:Yes, I knew. I kind of had a feeling that whether or not the hardened trade was going to happen, they were going to be good this year because last year did not work out With load management. So they were obviously going to stop doing that which they have because kawaii is playing every game. I feel like that. It was just kind of like Harden has had him played in training camp at all and he missed Every game of the regular season until he got traded. So pretty much the five games they lost was just training camp for harden.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and also they had to mesh together and everything. So yeah they were obviously going to lose some games, but I felt I feel like that, like if they were going to Like get hot pretty soon. I feel like calm.
Speaker 1:I also feel like, if we look at the paul george trade, they traded shea, geodyssalic and erin like eight first round picks and of course shea has turned into a superstar. But like I feel like if the clippers win a championship, that it's going to be a win-win trade, because If the ultimate goal is a championship and if you win, if you win a championship, then you can't have lost the trade Right. So I feel like this could turn in right now it's a fleece for the thunder, but it could turn into a win-win trade. Um, a little bit now, from from now, a little yeah, obviously time will tell time will tell, time will tell.
Speaker 1:Um. So, yeah, thank you everyone for listening to this episode of nothing, manette, and we will see you next time.
Speaker 3:Goodbye, bye.