Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to the first episode of The Bubble, Real Talk, No Crowd.
Speaker: This will be an NBA podcast that debates, competes, and yells with sometimes no statistical basis on some outrageous takes.
Speaker: Our goal is to not only cover popular and trending topics in the round of the league and sport, but bring fun and engaging games, segments, and discussions.
Speaker: Without further ado, let's get into the introductions of the host.
Speaker: George, take it away.
Speaker: Yo, what's up, guys?
Speaker: My name is George.
Speaker: I'm a Knicks fan.
Speaker: I'm 20.
Speaker: Favorite basketball player is Shea Gildress Alexander.
Speaker: Second favorite, Steph Curry.
Speaker: I'm a Knicks fan.
Speaker: My hot take for the offseason is if the Knicks have the ability to get Embiid, I don't think we take him.
Speaker: I don't think we should take him.
Speaker: I like that.
Speaker: What's good?
Speaker: I'm Boobs.
Speaker: My favorite team is the Miami Heat.
Speaker: Favorite player of all time is Carmelo Anthony.
Speaker: But my favorite player right now is probably Duncan Robinson.
Speaker: Favorite basketball moment?
Speaker: I was actually in the arena for this is when Ray Allen hit the shot to save LeBron's legacy.
Speaker: And then my hot take for the offseason is that it's not really a hot take, but I think Chet is going to be better than Wemby next season.
Speaker: So, fuck yeah.
Speaker: All right, it's good.
Speaker: I'll go by Chef, Chef Key, whatever you want.
Speaker: Favorite team, Clippers from Rochester, New York.
Speaker: Doesn't make sense.
Speaker: Got a fan since Lob City.
Speaker: Favorite player now is probably Kawhi, but my game replicates like mid-range Sean Livingston.
Speaker: And yeah, hot take is Pistons are going to make the playoffs next year.
Speaker: Dude, that is how it tickles shit.
Speaker: What's good?
Speaker: I'm Jimbo.
Speaker: My favorite team is the Lakers from LA.
Speaker: My favorite player all-time is Jeremy Lin.
Speaker: Currently, it's probably LeBron for obvious reasons.
Speaker: Definitely mute that shit.
Speaker: My favorite basketball moment of all time, there's probably a tie, but I would say when Russell Westbrook, when he broke the record for most triple doubles in one season, also in the same game, hit a 40-foot buzzer beater.
Speaker: Of course, he's going to sink that.
Speaker: And my hot take for the upcoming year is that James Wiseman puts up 15 and 12.
Speaker: They were specific, but I've been a big, big Wiseman guy since he came in the league.
Speaker: He's nice.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: First topic of the day, we're going to talk about Russell Westbrook and free agency, the Clippers.
Speaker: Hefke, we'll let you start with this one.
Speaker: They have no cat.
Speaker: So he's looking to sign for the family discount, quote unquote, for three and a half mil.
Speaker: Or should he explore other options?
Speaker: Take it away.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: I think that, like, honestly, like, it was clear to me as a Clippers fan, I think that he was a better fit with the Clippers than the Lakers.
Speaker: I think that he kind of grew into a role that they were kind of trying to see with John Wall early on with that signing as far as someone that can have the ball in his hands.
Speaker: A little pressure off of PG and Kawhi because those are mainly pretty, you know, defensive players and can kind of play a little bit on the wing without the ball.
Speaker: But I don't know.
Speaker: With that said, like, I kind of think he needs, like, a fresh start.
Speaker: I think that he kind of just needs to go to another route.
Speaker: Seems like L.A.
Speaker: might just not be his city based on the past two ventures there.
Speaker: I've been hearing a lot about maybe if he leaves, maybe Chris Ball coming on a vet minimum or something, which I also fucking hate as an original Lob City fan.
Speaker: But I don't know.
Speaker: We'll see.
Speaker: I think that he can play a decent role.
Speaker: I don't think that the Clippers are going to be able to make a serious run at a title if Russell's in the starting lineup, that's for sure.
Speaker: Yo, honestly, I kind of disagree, Hef.
Speaker: I think if he is willing to take that three and a half mil or whatever that contract is, he should stay.
Speaker: He's obviously played with Paul George and OKC.
Speaker: They clearly have a good relationship.
Speaker: He said the only reason, or sorry, rather, he said he felt so comfortable in an interview.
Speaker: He said he felt so comfortable and so at home playing with the Clippers with Paul George.
Speaker: And that was like a big comfort step for him.
Speaker: And they also had a good relationship in OKC.
Speaker: I think in the playoffs, obviously, Russell Westbrook does do better when there's no other stars around him, when he's taking that alpha role in the team and he kind of has to really backpack his team.
Speaker: That's when he's best.
Speaker: You saw with the Thunder when KD left.
Speaker: But he kind of looked a little bit like vintage Russell Westbrook.
Speaker: He had some confidence.
Speaker: He was playing well in the playoffs.
Speaker: He had two 30-point games in the playoffs.
Speaker: He was showing off.
Speaker: I don't see why at that price range you're not going to get a much better player than Russell Westbrook.
Speaker: For three and a half, he's a veteran.
Speaker: He's a decent enough leader, in my opinion.
Speaker: And if they're committed to winning now, he's a good, solid piece on a championship team.
Speaker: If he can accept coming off the bench and just being that solid bench veteran guy,
Speaker: I think he'll be totally fine.
Speaker: And their bench unit is not, like, bad whatsoever.
Speaker: So I think they have a real solid chance.
Speaker: I feel like the Clippers' biggest setback player is closer.
Speaker: Is he going to get an offer for, like, 25, 30 mil from a team for, like, one year?
Speaker: Like, that's the question, though.
Speaker: I don't think so.
Speaker: Like, no chance.
Speaker: Like, who in the right – like, every championship team that's looking for one piece, like, they're not going to try to get Russell Westbrook for $25 million when they could get, like,
Speaker: another role player to fill in just like a specific team necessary role for like five to 10, like maybe even 15.
Speaker: They don't need to overpay for Russell Westbrook as a championship team.
Speaker: Cause also it's like proven how bad he is.
Speaker: Like he doesn't mesh well with certain teams.
Speaker: And when he doesn't mesh, he's God awful.
Speaker: Like one of the worst.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think like, yeah, it's a no brainer.
Speaker: I feel like Clippers keep him.
Speaker: It's only $3 million.
Speaker: And you'll see where he goes from there.
Speaker: He did good in the playoffs.
Speaker: The only concern I have is we haven't seen him play with the Clippers with Westbrook and Kawhi.
Speaker: And whenever there's like a combustion of like star talent on a team, Westbrook just turns into the actual like shit.
Speaker: So I think you keep him, play him at that starting role first.
Speaker: And if he starts doing bad again, off the bench he goes again.
Speaker: Yeah, I think he has to be a bench guy.
Speaker: I think he just has to be.
Speaker: He started this in the playoffs, right?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: He was starting the playoffs.
Speaker: All right, word.
Speaker: I mean, but Paul George was hurt.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So, like, he had to start.
Speaker: And then Kawhi got hurt.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Well, I think we're on consensus.
Speaker: This is a great – for at least the money-wise, it's a great deal.
Speaker: Maybe if he was going to match it, that would be a good story.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But it's going to be – Well, moving along to the Nuggets head coach at the parade, Mike Malone was fucking hammered.
Speaker: He said they were going to run it back, I think, like 18 times.
Speaker: Boobs is a Heath fan.
Speaker: I know you don't like this guy, so I'll let you start with this one.
Speaker: I mean, realistically, Mike Malone is a top five coach in the NBA for sure.
Speaker: I'll give him that.
Speaker: He's a good hype-up speech guy.
Speaker: Like if you want a coach to hype you up before a game, yeah, go ahead and get this fucking idiot.
Speaker: But at the same time, he's –
Speaker: I'm just not a big fan of like the way he handles like the media and like the way he does this shit.
Speaker: And when he said the fucking, uh, what do you say on stage today?
Speaker: Oh yeah.
Speaker: When they're like LeBron's daddy.
Speaker: I was like, what the fuck?
Speaker: Oh, that thing.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, the Bruce Brown thing was just like, he was obviously hammered, but you could tell Bruce Brown, like said last week or like right after they won that he was going to re-sign with Denver because he wants to keep winning.
Speaker: But at the same time, like,
Speaker: To call up Bruce and be like, it was so awkward.
Speaker: He was like, yeah, this guy, Bruce is staying.
Speaker: Bruce is not fucking staying.
Speaker: If Bruce gets a bag, he's dipping, bro.
Speaker: He's like third year in his contract.
Speaker: He's on the minimums.
Speaker: Mike Malone in general.
Speaker: Yeah, he'd come back to Miami, bro, the U. But Mike Malone in general, great coach, I think.
Speaker: But I'm not a fan of him.
Speaker: Not a fan of him at all.
Speaker: I mean, I definitely agree.
Speaker: I think he's a good coach.
Speaker: He's a great coach.
Speaker: He's always been a good coach.
Speaker: I just think that, like, Jamal sharing his ACL.
Speaker: Also, like, the Lakers shit, he loves to talk about the Lakers.
Speaker: Like, I get everybody talks about LeBron.
Speaker: You're a smaller market team, and your superstar is not marketable.
Speaker: I mean, he's marketable, but he doesn't even own social media.
Speaker: Like, does Jokic own Instagram?
Speaker: Like, I've never seen anything.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: That's just weird.
Speaker: Not weird, but like, okay, you do you.
Speaker: But I mean, when LeBron is posting for 150 million followers every day about his twin Bryce Maximus' birthday and it gets 1.5 million likes, like that's a no-brainer for the NBA to get revenue off of.
Speaker: Well, Yoko Haro is a wannabe guy.
Speaker: yokich doesn't want to be like the face of the nba like did you see him at the during the video yeah he was like he did the weakest like champagne spray i've ever seen and then just like looked like he wanted to dip the entire time he didn't even care that he won he wants to play he's trying so hard he's trying so hard to prove that he doesn't care bro it's actually annoying sometimes like he said he lost his finals mvp trophy and then at the parade he was just carrying it like this bro like
Speaker: Dude, like, it just pisses me off sometimes when people act like they don't give a shit, but they actually, like, give a shit.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: Because, bro, everyone wants to be, like, that Kobe, like, job's not finished, like, type deal, but it's so corny, bro.
Speaker: I'm a huge Jimmy Butler guy, but, like, Jimmy Butler does that shit way too much.
Speaker: It's just corny, bro.
Speaker: Jimmy said he let Bam hold this one and he could hold the next one.
Speaker: Is that true that he said that?
Speaker: He did say that.
Speaker: I feel like he just didn't want to hold it.
Speaker: Everyone, like, made a big deal about it, like.
Speaker: Yeah, fair enough.
Speaker: Some people have superstitions about not – I know in hockey you don't trust or you don't touch the fucking conference.
Speaker: D-Wade never touched the Eastern Conference Finals trophy ever in his career.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Because he's a dope.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Moving along to Carl Anthony Towns.
Speaker: He has been stating that he's saying on Pat Pez podcast, and there's talks about him saying that their Timberwolves run was Hall of Fame level and better than the Nuggets thing.
Speaker: I think we don't need to talk about this much.
Speaker: I just think it's freaking stupid.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: I think he's a good player.
Speaker: But he also said that he thinks that when he retires, he'll go down as the center that changed the game.
Speaker: I disagree.
Speaker: I think it was Dirk, in my opinion.
Speaker: But I loved your thoughts.
Speaker: Any positive thoughts?
Speaker: I should start.
Speaker: That's true.
Speaker: I'm saying like big man that stretched the floor.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: Are there any positive thoughts of agreeance with what he's saying?
Speaker: I can hype him up in the fact that like he's still young and he has – he's one of those bigs that like kind of changed the way like we're like stretch fives.
Speaker: But there's no way anyone's going to be talking about him saying that he changed the game.
Speaker: Carlton Towns – dude, I saw something that was like the only thing he does is change his voice and I was like,
Speaker: Dude, his voices are so cringe.
Speaker: But either way, he won two games against the Grizzlies in the first round, and he said that run's more important or better than the fucking Nuggets run.
Speaker: Like, this guy, we don't need to talk about this idiot.
Speaker: My opinion.
Speaker: He's too acid.
Speaker: I still think he's a good player, though.
Speaker: He's acid.
Speaker: I know, but he's a good player.
Speaker: But yeah, no, we can move on.
Speaker: I also think we don't need to talk about Fred Van Vliet.
Speaker: I think I added this to the list, but he ought to have his player contract.
Speaker: I don't know where he's going to go or what team.
Speaker: I mean, we can briefly discuss for like a minute.
Speaker: I think we can all see a team where you see him.
Speaker: My boy Fred Van Vliet is going to average 60 on the Shanghai Sharks, bro.
Speaker: He's going to average 60 on the Shanghai Sharks.
Speaker: He's looking out that ass.
Speaker: He's not.
Speaker: He averaged 12 assists per game last year or some shit.
Speaker: No.
Speaker: 12 assists?
Speaker: Bro, he had 20 assists per game.
Speaker: He had 20 assists.
Speaker: He's nice.
Speaker: I passed him the ball.
Speaker: Can't fucking shoot anymore for some reason.
Speaker: Whatever.
Speaker: Freaky.
Speaker: For a deeper discussion.
Speaker: 19, 7, and 4.
Speaker: What?
Speaker: 7 assists?
Speaker: The 7, honestly, was higher than I thought.
Speaker: I thought it was going to be like 100.
Speaker: Yeah, but bro, he's shooting 39% from the field and 34% from three.
Speaker: The guy – That's killing him.
Speaker: He's cheap.
Speaker: He's cheap.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's not great.
Speaker: Can't say that.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Let's move on to our first segment.
Speaker: It's Chris Paul.
Speaker: Chris Paul, as we all know, was waived by the Phoenix Suns.
Speaker: His $49 million cap hit or something like that.
Speaker: I think like half of it's off the books until he gets signed for another team.
Speaker: I'm not really sure about the CBA or something like that, but –
Speaker: We'll start off with first thoughts.
Speaker: Hefke, I know you're not the biggest CP3 guy, but I know you talked about the Clippers, but we'll go around and talk about the best fits for him, the best spot.
Speaker: And do you still think he can have a starting role before we get into some comparisons of other backup point guards and starting point guards?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: As far as, like, should he be a starter?
Speaker: Like, I don't think he's a starter on a championship team.
Speaker: I mean, we saw it a little bit in this playoff series, you know, with the Nuggets, regarding Jamal Murray.
Speaker: We saw it the year before when, I don't know why I can't remember who they lost to the year before, but...
Speaker: Mavericks.
Speaker: Mavs.
Speaker: It's just like he's a liability on defense, like a liability.
Speaker: Anytime there's a pick and roll screen where he's switching or anything, I mean, it's blatant that the other team's offense is pretty much to go at CP3.
Speaker: I think that with his size, his frame, he got abused by Luka.
Speaker: He got abused by Jamal.
Speaker: Like he's a liability on defense.
Speaker: And everyone knows he can get to his spot.
Speaker: He's a good mid-range finisher.
Speaker: He's a good leader.
Speaker: It's good to have in the locker room.
Speaker: I don't think he's a starter caliber on a championship team, not at this point in his career.
Speaker: I do think he can play a role off the bench, being like a sixth, seventh man coming in for a team that maybe has weaker guards.
Speaker: But no, I don't see him being a starter in the league for a team that still wants to be a serious contender.
Speaker: I disagree.
Speaker: I think he can still start for a team.
Speaker: He can't be the first or second option, though.
Speaker: Like, that's why I think the Phoenix thing, if he didn't get hurt, it could have been different.
Speaker: Like, Phoenix was the only team to take the Nuggets, what'd you say?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: He was the fourth option in Phoenix, and it still didn't work.
Speaker: No, but he got hurt.
Speaker: He got hurt.
Speaker: And the series was tied.
Speaker: What I'm saying is, though, he has to play a complementary role with the ball.
Speaker: I know the defense is an issue.
Speaker: He's a little slower now because he's old, but he's not going to be making a mass contract, I don't think, if he can.
Speaker: Shout out CAA.
Speaker: There's some ghosts for that shit.
Speaker: But if he gets a $15 million to $20 million deal to go to...
Speaker: Some team that needs a ball hammer.
Speaker: I would love him on the Lakers, personally.
Speaker: I would definitely welcome him in.
Speaker: We had fucking Kendrick Nunn, Patrick Beverly, and Dennis.
Speaker: We had Dennis Schroeder.
Speaker: I know he's better than Chris Paul in defense, but still, I think that's an upgrade on offense.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: I still think he can compete at a high level in his IQ alone.
Speaker: He can just help out younger guys.
Speaker: What I would love, though, if he doesn't go to contenders, to go to the Pistons and mentor Cade and Idy.
Speaker: I think that'd be sick.
Speaker: Play a mentorship role.
Speaker: He kind of did with Shai on the Thunder in 2019 before the bubble, but...
Speaker: I still think he can compete.
Speaker: His daughter is literally getting bullied saying his dad is never going to win a championship.
Speaker: If he really wants his daughter to stop getting bullied, bro, it has to do the Kyle Lowry and go off the bench.
Speaker: I really think the only way CB3 will win is if he starts coming off the bench.
Speaker: Let me think of a good team for him to go to, honestly.
Speaker: The Bucs.
Speaker: I think he would be good on the Bucs off the bench.
Speaker: You bring up that second unit,
Speaker: With, like, who the fuck's on the second unit for the Bucs?
Speaker: Either way, if I took the team.
Speaker: Pat Connington, Bobby.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think CB3's days as a starter and, like, making a real impact for that first unit are coming to an end.
Speaker: He is old.
Speaker: If we start putting him on a team where, like, he can come off the bench and boost the second unit.
Speaker: Like, Kyle Lowry's been helping the Heat.
Speaker: Like, as much Heat as he gets, he helps the Heat's second unit a lot.
Speaker: And I think CB3 should start doing that if he wants a ring.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: 100% agree.
Speaker: I'm a little torn because at the same time, like the Phoenix experiment obviously wasn't successful.
Speaker: They lost in the second round.
Speaker: But at the same time – They made the finals the first year he was there.
Speaker: They were the best team in the league.
Speaker: No, no, no.
Speaker: I know it was unsuccessful with the ring, but like come on.
Speaker: I'm saying with Kevin Durant and like this year I'm saying.
Speaker: Like the most recent year wasn't obviously successful.
Speaker: But I don't think that unit with KD got enough time to really even – like they didn't – it's hard.
Speaker: You come in after the –
Speaker: the deadline, whatever.
Speaker: And KD was hurt.
Speaker: He was still nursing an injury for a couple of weeks.
Speaker: So you really only get like two and a half months, like max of bat of playing together before you go in and play and play the nuggets in the second round.
Speaker: And they honestly look the best that if any of the teams that match up with the nuggets all playoffs,
Speaker: So, like, that's why at one point I think he still can be a starter.
Speaker: But also, like, the other thing is, like, he's starting on a Phoenix Suns team that's absolutely stacked.
Speaker: Like, he can do that because their starting lineup has Devin Booker, has Kevin Durant, has, even though he played, like, shitty in the playoffs, DeAndre Ayton, like,
Speaker: If he's on another team, he can't – his weaknesses are going to be highlighted a lot more if he's on a – To contrast that, though, if he goes to another team and he comes off the bench, like the Suns had such bad depth that if he was to go play with the second unit, he's probably playing alongside campaign.
Speaker: If Okoge's not in, probably like Wainwright or like Terrence Ross.
Speaker: Those guys are all scorers.
Speaker: I think they were just so top-heavy on offense that they just had no defense, and that's what you guys said.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: Oral defensive lineup.
Speaker: That's what I'm saying.
Speaker: He needs a team that can – the Isaiah Thomas shit.
Speaker: That's why it worked.
Speaker: But Chris Paul is not 5'8", 6'1".
Speaker: So I think maybe that could work.
Speaker: But for example, this is a great comparison.
Speaker: We were talking about this episode.
Speaker: Tyus Jones and Gabe Bitts.
Speaker: Those are two comparisons.
Speaker: Would you rather have Chris Paul or Tyus Jones next year if the money didn't matter?
Speaker: I'm taking Tyus Jones.
Speaker: I don't know about Gabe Bitts.
Speaker: Tyus Jones.
Speaker: I'm taking that.
Speaker: I'm taking Gabe Bitts too.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Vincent dropped 29 plus points like five times in the playoffs.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, I'll take Vincent.
Speaker: You got to get Vincent.
Speaker: The thing is, you can't even hide Chris Paul on defense.
Speaker: There's literally no defensive scheme if you're an NBA coach you can run to where he doesn't just completely suck.
Speaker: He's going to get targeted no matter where he is on the floor.
Speaker: And the thing is, he used to be quick, and he has quick hands.
Speaker: Chris Paul's always had quick hands, so he used to be able to –
Speaker: If he was getting blown by, he'd get a couple picks.
Speaker: He's old, man.
Speaker: He doesn't have that.
Speaker: And the other thing is, if you're a team looking to sign Chris Paul and you're like a playoff contender, you have to keep in mind, literally every time this guy is in the playoffs in a position where he can win a big series, he gets hurt.
Speaker: How many times has this guy gotten hurt in the playoffs?
Speaker: This year, against the Warriors, he didn't play game seven.
Speaker: And honestly, if Chris Paul was healthy, they could have won the championship that year easily.
Speaker: Like, he's always hurt in the playoffs.
Speaker: It just always happens.
Speaker: Didn't he get hurt in the finals too?
Speaker: He got hurt even on the Lob City days when he was playing with the Clippers.
Speaker: Like, he got hurt the last round that they had in that push when they were still together.
Speaker: He got hurt.
Speaker: He's unreliable.
Speaker: He's old.
Speaker: He's not a scorer.
Speaker: Like, those are three things.
Speaker: Once you get to that age, you're on the bench.
Speaker: And since this is over, moving on from Chris Paul, now to the two biggest straight talks from this offseason thus far before the draft, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal.
Speaker: We'll start with Dame.
Speaker: I don't personally think he's more like the more rumor-ish guy.
Speaker: Like, Beal, I think, is definitely going to get traded.
Speaker: Like, they're fully going to rebuild, in my opinion.
Speaker: But we'll start with Dame.
Speaker: My first take is I think they should trade for Ingram somehow.
Speaker: I don't think that the Pelicans –
Speaker: The Pelicans are targeting Scoot.
Speaker: There was a rumor that came out for that.
Speaker: So I think that they should try to target Brandon Ingram and maybe sign and trade Jeremy Grant.
Speaker: It was the fourth pick, I think, and a couple other first-rounders.
Speaker: But I really don't think Damon Lillard can stay in Portland and win.
Speaker: He already has the contract signed.
Speaker: He should look to get traded and try to compete for a ring.
Speaker: Look how much more – I love CJ.
Speaker: CJ is probably happy as hell right now in New Orleans versus where he was in Portland just based off being able to play playoff basketball consistently.
Speaker: That's where I stand.
Speaker: I think Damian Lillard should try to get out of there.
Speaker: Yeah, agreed.
Speaker: And as a – like both these players – I mean, I'm putting this in my perspective as a Heat fan.
Speaker: They both said they wanted to go to the Heat.
Speaker: But I will say, Damian, every offseason we see this with this guy, bro.
Speaker: He's just a pick-me dude that sits on the internet and just tells everyone, like, just to hype everyone up because he knows deep down that his contract's too big.
Speaker: He's not moving.
Speaker: He just – he's going to stay.
Speaker: Like, he's going to stay.
Speaker: And Bradley Beal is out of there.
Speaker: It's just the question of where he's going to go.
Speaker: But personally, if I had to say Beal should go to the Heat, Damian Lillard – Damian Lillard, I don't know what to say about Dane, dude.
Speaker: I actually have nothing to say about him.
Speaker: He should get the hell out of there.
Speaker: But knowing him, he's going to stay because that's just who he is.
Speaker: He plays this loyal card, and it's so outdated.
Speaker: He's just got to get out of there, bro.
Speaker: And then he drops like a mid-album or EP and calls it a day.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: Even...
Speaker: Even this past week, he was like, yeah, I'd love to be in a Miami Heat and or one other city's jersey.
Speaker: And then literally the next podcast he goes on, he's like, yeah, I'm going to be in a Portland uniform next season.
Speaker: It's like, bro, okay, if you're going to stay in Portland, we get it, the loyalty factor.
Speaker: You've been saying it for forever.
Speaker: But just do it in silence, bro.
Speaker: Also, the other thing is the team is going to have to sign him.
Speaker: The other team is going to have to sign him.
Speaker: He's going to have to trade the farm to get him.
Speaker: So you're going to need a team that's going to be able to, instead of like trading away their entire roster, you're going to have to trade away.
Speaker: You're going to need a bunch of draft capital.
Speaker: You're going to need a lot of draft capital to trade for them.
Speaker: And also like the other thing is the Rudy, I don't like, this is random, but the Rudy Gobert trade, that shit skewed like NBA trades.
Speaker: Cause now every team saw that trade.
Speaker: And it's like, if you're trading that, like that amount of like draft capital and players and whatever, et cetera, for Rudy Gobert, like Damian Lillard is worth like,
Speaker: entire fucking NBA roster at this point.
Speaker: So it's like, yeah, like the, it's, it's completely like the asking price that Portland's going to ask is going to be ridiculous to whatever team they try to shop them to.
Speaker: And I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of teams are just like, like he's already something.
Speaker: He's great.
Speaker: Damian Lillard's great.
Speaker: Top three point guard in the league for me at least, but it's just, it's hard.
Speaker: It's hard to really, to warrant like trading half your team away or trading like your future away.
Speaker: Only a few teams are in that win-now situation, I feel.
Speaker: One interesting spot that I could see, like, hasn't been brought up yet for Dame would maybe be the Hawks.
Speaker: I think that if they were able to dish Trey Young, they have a really good defending cast around them.
Speaker: DeAndre Hunter, Collins.
Speaker: John Collins is a great defensive power forward.
Speaker: Clint Capella.
Speaker: I think that he would bring a better scoring option to the Hawks than Trey Young.
Speaker: I think that they packaged Trey Young and maybe a first or a role player.
Speaker: they'd be able to make that.
Speaker: It's going to be more than that.
Speaker: It's going to be like Trey Young, AJ Griffin, Jalen Johnson Jr., and like two firsts.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: But if we're – Trey Young is a lot.
Speaker: Trey Young's still been an all-star.
Speaker: It's not like they're trading nothing.
Speaker: I think that that would get them a lot more than a lot of other teams be willing to offer.
Speaker: I think that that's a team that they already kind of have a roster constructed around a point guard that – Trey Young's always kind of been a liability on defense.
Speaker: And I think that Dane would bring more on offense if they'd be able to get past that.
Speaker: And that could be a spot where, you know, maybe – I think that would bring them, the Hawks, from a play-in team to a sixth seed.
Speaker: Like, realistically, the Blazers, Damon Willard, if he's leaving, bro, he's going to, like, guarantee be a title contender, I think.
Speaker: Because, bro, he's been through so many years with Portland where they've been – they've been to the Western Conference Championship, like, three times – or twice.
Speaker: And they've had good – yeah, with CJ McCollum when he hit that game winner against Houston –
Speaker: Yeah, that was, yeah, right?
Speaker: It don't matter.
Speaker: It doesn't matter.
Speaker: Either way, they haven't won, and they've been through situations where they've had, like, mediocre to decent talent.
Speaker: And I think if you're giving up Dame, and Dame just chooses, I'm going to leave to a place, it's got to be, like, a team, like, that's going to win.
Speaker: Yeah, he ain't getting traded to, like, Charlotte or some BS like that.
Speaker: Yeah, but, like, for the Hawks, too, like,
Speaker: I think the Hawks organization has shown signs of wanting to move off of Trae Young a little bit.
Speaker: And it makes sense.
Speaker: He's a liability on defense.
Speaker: This past year, his offensive efficiency was down the toilet.
Speaker: He didn't have a great year.
Speaker: Everybody thought at the beginning of the season when Trae Young and DeJounte Murray were that backcourt, that it was going to be good, that they were going to at least make the push.
Speaker: And they were just the most mediocre team in basketball from the start of the season to the end.
Speaker: I think for the majority of the season, they were like,
Speaker: Literally even like 500 the entire season.
Speaker: Like their net defensive and offensive efficiency was like the same.
Speaker: It was literally so many.
Speaker: Oh, sorry.
Speaker: DeJounte Murray.
Speaker: Is that how you say DeJounte?
Speaker: Is that it?
Speaker: You said ditch like DeJourne.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Bye-bye.
Speaker: All right, who we got?
Speaker: Who we got?
Speaker: We're going to agree.
Speaker: It's about Dam.
Speaker: I think if he leaves, he's going to contend and they have a pretty good shot at winning.
Speaker: But enough talking about the offseason.
Speaker: We'll get to that.
Speaker: The draft's in a week.
Speaker: So we'll definitely have an episode coming up before that.
Speaker: So look out for that.
Speaker: But now let's get into some other comparisons.
Speaker: First off, we're going to play a little game created by Players' Choice.
Speaker: Shout out to them.
Speaker: But it's the Would You Rather.
Speaker: But we're going to implement a little bubble spin on it with doing some coaches first.
Speaker: So we're doing Would You Rather Tyronn Lue edition.
Speaker: Oh, okay.
Speaker: That's a good one.
Speaker: First is Doc Rivers.
Speaker: Doc Rivers.
Speaker: George Boobs and Me.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: All right, restart.
Speaker: Would you rather... Wait, wait, restart.
Speaker: Would you rather Tyronn Lue edition?
Speaker: Doc Rivers.
Speaker: Ty Lue.
Speaker: Next.
Speaker: That's fucking embarrassing.
Speaker: Tyronn Lue.
Speaker: Whore.
Speaker: Nick Nurse, his replacement.
Speaker: Ty Lue.
Speaker: Ty Lue.
Speaker: Ty Lue.
Speaker: Thibodeau.
Speaker: I'm a Knicks fan, bro.
Speaker: I'm sorry.
Speaker: I'm not going to get on a rant, but Thibodeau's fucking lineups are actually some of the most embarrassing things.
Speaker: Like the mid-game switches and the lineups that he makes mid-game.
Speaker: Like I actually like scream at my TV.
Speaker: I thought you were about to go on a rant about how he was better than Ty Lue.
Speaker: That was just the complete 180 of what I thought.
Speaker: No, no.
Speaker: Also, I just want to say, like, Ty Lue, I honestly, like, I'm disagreeing.
Speaker: I'm just thinking about how fast you guys are making these decisions because, I don't know, Ty Lue did one good thing, and that was in 2016, and I don't think he did much with that team, and now he hasn't done anything.
Speaker: I know, like, injuries and stuff with the Clippers, hefty.
Speaker: Bro, bro, bro, bro.
Speaker: Last year, or what year was that, when he brought only Paul George to the Western Conference Finals?
Speaker: Okay, that's true.
Speaker: That was a coaching clinic.
Speaker: Paul George brought the Mavs to seven in the year before that.
Speaker: Dude, they brought the fucking Warriors with KD to, like, six games without, like, any of them.
Speaker: And they had P-Bab.
Speaker: He's a good coach.
Speaker: He's showed that, like, outside of the LeBron era, like, he's been a good coach.
Speaker: He's been fucked with injuries.
Speaker: And the coaches are bringing it up.
Speaker: What have they done?
Speaker: Like, Doc Rivers...
Speaker: biggest playoff choke artist of all time.
Speaker: Nick Nurse won a chip.
Speaker: I think Nick Nurse... He won that chip because his entire team, because the entire Warriors team got hurt in the playoffs.
Speaker: He was literally playing against Curry and a bunch of G League players.
Speaker: Let's not forget, Katie and Clay both got injured.
Speaker: I mean,
Speaker: And we're not playing in that, like, finals.
Speaker: So, like, if they're healthy, Nick Nurse doesn't have a finals.
Speaker: Doc Rivers won, obviously, with the Celtics.
Speaker: But, like, since then, he's actually been, like, probably the worst playoff coach I've seen.
Speaker: Like, he actually is – what is he, like, 0-8 in the last, like, last game seven scenarios he's been in?
Speaker: Yeah, he's horrible.
Speaker: You guys are a bot.
Speaker: No, these are no-brainers.
Speaker: And, like, Tom Thibodeau, like, he's never really coached, like, too great of a team, to be fair to him.
Speaker: Well, Thibodeau –
Speaker: I got Tyron Lee over Tippett, though, but that one's close.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Next one, Monty Williams.
Speaker: George.
Speaker: There is no way you guys have gone that fast and are thinking about Monty Williams.
Speaker: I'm taking Ty Lue.
Speaker: I'm taking Ty Lue.
Speaker: Ty Lue.
Speaker: Ty Lue, 100%.
Speaker: I don't want to disrespect Monty Williams.
Speaker: He's a great coach.
Speaker: I think Monty Williams will lead a team to a championship.
Speaker: I will think he will lead a team to a championship.
Speaker: Monty Williams was just fired.
Speaker: Like, no.
Speaker: Ty Lue, for sure.
Speaker: Beth?
Speaker: No, I agree.
Speaker: I think Monty Williams is the closest one out of all of them so far for me, but I still go Ty Lue.
Speaker: Yeah, no, Ty Lee.
Speaker: All right, next one.
Speaker: No Monty Williams.
Speaker: Spolstra.
Speaker: Oh, Spol.
Speaker: Spol.
Speaker: Come on.
Speaker: It's the greatest coach in the NBA.
Speaker: Spol's clear.
Speaker: Spol.
Speaker: Clear.
Speaker: So clear.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Recency bias.
Speaker: I don't think he's that good.
Speaker: Recency bias.
Speaker: Bro, nah.
Speaker: No.
Speaker: No, no, no.
Speaker: We want to get into this.
Speaker: Yeah, go.
Speaker: I get it.
Speaker: First off, I just think that the Bucs series was just – Giannis was hurt the entire time.
Speaker: We'll get it.
Speaker: Whatever.
Speaker: Boobs, I know you're going to freak out if I say what I want to say.
Speaker: So the next coach versus high-lose, Brad Stevens.
Speaker: He came out of retirement.
Speaker: Alright, next one.
Speaker: Next one.
Speaker: No, and that was disrespectful because Brad Stevens is a good coach.
Speaker: I don't want me to laugh, but it was just like the pause and the come out of retirement.
Speaker: Brad Stevens.
Speaker: I would take Brad Stevens over him.
Speaker: Over time.
Speaker: What?
Speaker: Honestly.
Speaker: You two motherfuckers just died laughing at my pro and now you're agreeing with him?
Speaker: What?
Speaker: I said honestly, it's a good one.
Speaker: I forgot about Brad Stephenson.
Speaker: He was leading 22-year-olds to game sevens against LeBron James.
Speaker: Prime 2018 LeBron James.
Speaker: Jason Tatum.
Speaker: That was a rookie year, correct?
Speaker: Rookie year.
Speaker: Took the Cavs to seven games.
Speaker: That team.
Speaker: I don't think that many other coaches in the league could have taken that team that far in the playoffs and literally could have made the championship easily.
Speaker: I'm going Tyronn Lue still.
Speaker: I'm on school.
Speaker: Honestly, I picked Ty Lue also.
Speaker: Next one, Michael Malone.
Speaker: This is a no-brainer.
Speaker: I don't know how you guys are thinking about this.
Speaker: It's an order.
Speaker: Ty Lue.
Speaker: No, it's the other.
Speaker: Fuck the order.
Speaker: If the motherfucker's not talking, just talk.
Speaker: He's thinking out of what he's thinking about.
Speaker: It's obviously Michael Malone.
Speaker: It's obviously Michael Malone.
Speaker: It's Malone by a century.
Speaker: I don't want a century.
Speaker: I think it's Malone, but maybe by half a century or decade, but it's not close.
Speaker: Oh, my God.
Speaker: I already didn't see buzz.
Speaker: Yeah, that's not recent.
Speaker: I mean, not really.
Speaker: He took Jokic to the Western Conference Lions in the bubble when he was fat, and then he took Jokic to the second round without – Bro, he had Austin Rivers and Fancacho – sorry, I'm going to botch this – Compazzo and Austin Rivers –
Speaker: And Monte Morish, that was their three-guard rotation.
Speaker: They made it to the fucking second round.
Speaker: Oh, no Monte Morish.
Speaker: When Austin Rivers was praying to God that Dane would miss, that was that series.
Speaker: Every time Ty Lue's had his start, he's pretty much in the conference final.
Speaker: I honestly was going to say Ty Lue, but just because I fucking think Mike Ballone's a cornball.
Speaker: But yeah, Mike Ballone.
Speaker: I just don't want to say it because he's such a cornball.
Speaker: Ime Udoka.
Speaker: Ty Lue.
Speaker: Like, the thing is, like, this isn't even, like, it's just hard because Ima Udoka, like, had such a short stint.
Speaker: Yeah, his sample size is one year and a half.
Speaker: It's too small.
Speaker: Like, I can't even make, like, it's Thai lube, but, like, maybe... Wait, whoa, whoa, not sexual assault.
Speaker: Just...
Speaker: Never mind.
Speaker: I take that out.
Speaker: It's Ty Lue, but Ime Udoka just hasn't.
Speaker: Like, his sample size is small.
Speaker: I can't really make a good judgment about that.
Speaker: But, like, that one year he had, it was great.
Speaker: Yo, if he turns around his Rockets franchise, bro, if he turns around his Rockets franchise, that's impressive.
Speaker: I gave him three years.
Speaker: If they don't make the playoffs in three years, then I think he's out.
Speaker: Yeah, that's fair.
Speaker: But they're the worst-run franchise in the league.
Speaker: Steve Kerr.
Speaker: I think it's a controversial one because Steve – well, here's the thing.
Speaker: I mean, like, yes, he's a good coach, but when you look at the year, I know their team sucked, but you put the year that they didn't have Curry when – and Klay was hurt.
Speaker: I didn't expect him to be the worst, worst team in the league.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But I don't know.
Speaker: He did win a ring, like, last year, so I have to give it to him, so –
Speaker: That's true.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: No, I think it's Steve Kerr just such a winning guy.
Speaker: But, I mean, at the same time, like, to counter that point, do you think that the Warriors intentionally tanked when they didn't have Curry and Klay?
Speaker: Like, do you think they were just like, fuck?
Speaker: That's a good point.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: If you're in a position where you know these two guys are still, like, Curry and Klay, like, are still in their prime and you have the opportunity to –
Speaker: literally get lottery, like, peak lottery picks to, like, to a team that never, ever would be getting that kind of draft luck, they just soiled it.
Speaker: If they didn't pick Kaminga and Wiseman, like, if they didn't actually screw up those drafts.
Speaker: Kaminga's good.
Speaker: I'm still really high on Kaminga.
Speaker: Think about it, though.
Speaker: If they didn't, like, for now, he's not.
Speaker: But, like, if they didn't screw up those drafts and got, like, top-tier lotto talent with those picks, they'd
Speaker: It wouldn't even be – they would have won the championship this year easily.
Speaker: But they should have just got LaMelo Ball, dude.
Speaker: Like they should have just got him.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Over.
Speaker: Fair enough.
Speaker: Imagine.
Speaker: This one's going to be a little hard to analyze, but Popovich.
Speaker: Like I know his roster sucks.
Speaker: I have the biggest, hardest – Popovich hasn't done anything since Tim Duncan.
Speaker: Like at this point forward, like I get today's pop.
Speaker: Yeah, I'm going to go Ty Lue on today's pop.
Speaker: Wait, like pop as a coach overall or just right now?
Speaker: Current day.
Speaker: Current day.
Speaker: Right now.
Speaker: All right, current day I'm taking Ty Lue, but like I was about to say.
Speaker: No, pop.
Speaker: You switched their roster, so.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: That's what I was going to say.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: I think he's just sticking around, and now he's got Wemby, so we'll see.
Speaker: But to end this off, we're going to go Mike Brown.
Speaker: I got Mike Brown.
Speaker: I love Mike Brown.
Speaker: I'm on Mike Brown at home.
Speaker: Mike Brown.
Speaker: Mike Brown.
Speaker: Mike Brown.
Speaker: Mike Brown.
Speaker: Recency bias, for sure, but Mike Brown.
Speaker: Yes, I agree.
Speaker: Well, we'll admit it's recency bias, but the shit he did this year was insane.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I fucked with him.
Speaker: Heavy.
Speaker: All right, that caps off the coach's edition.
Speaker: And now we're going to move to the player edition.
Speaker: Would you rather, Austin Reeves edition.
Speaker: Before I start, I want to talk about his signature shoe, though.
Speaker: He's only getting seven figures a year for the Chinese shoe.
Speaker: Do you see the picture?
Speaker: I saw the shoe.
Speaker: It doesn't look that bad, bro.
Speaker: What?
Speaker: I'm not rocking that shoe.
Speaker: No, no.
Speaker: I'm not going on buying that.
Speaker: I'm not going on buying that, but it looks better than Tatum's shoe.
Speaker: Yeah, but it looks like you bought it up CheapChinaJerseys.com, bro.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's exactly what it is, though, right?
Speaker: Aren't they called the AR1s?
Speaker: Bro, when the AR15s come out, that's going to be sick.
Speaker: AR15s.
Speaker: That would have been better, bro.
Speaker: He gets to do his 15th season.
Speaker: There's no shot he gets a 15th season.
Speaker: Yeah, I know.
Speaker: They should have just called the AR15s, bro.
Speaker: Yeah, honestly.
Speaker: That definitely would have caused some controversy in today's society.
Speaker: Yeah, fucking just go on.
Speaker: We'll skip past that.
Speaker: All right, would you rather Austin Reeves addition?
Speaker: Tyler Hero.
Speaker: Tyler Hero.
Speaker: I'm taking Austin Reeves.
Speaker: Tyler Hero.
Speaker: I'm going to take Reeves.
Speaker: Yeah, my boy.
Speaker: Jordan Poole.
Speaker: Wait, to be clear, I just want to get clarity on the thing.
Speaker: It's right now, not like who, like in years to come, right?
Speaker: Like you're not saying I'm taking it because you, right now, like who do you want your team?
Speaker: Oh, right now, right now I'll take hero.
Speaker: Yeah, sure.
Speaker: Hero.
Speaker: And then Jordan Poole.
Speaker: Recency bias.
Speaker: No, I'm kidding.
Speaker: I'll take Poole.
Speaker: I think.
Speaker: No, hell no.
Speaker: I'm taking Poole.
Speaker: I do think Poole's good, but I think Poole's a guy that, like, I'm not going to relate it to Kemba Walker, but I think he's a guy that eventually is going to end up on a really bad team, average like 25, 5, and 5, and in like 10 years, he'll be like, damn, those numbers are crazy.
Speaker: Like, why are we talking about that 10 years from now?
Speaker: That's exactly how I think it's going to go.
Speaker: He's a great player, but I just –
Speaker: I don't think he's a good enough player to be a leader at like a championship caliber team.
Speaker: No, but a lot of it's just his decision making at the end of the day.
Speaker: Like if the guy just realizes like if he just learns when to take certain shots, like what was that?
Speaker: Like game winning shot against the Lakers, bro, just had so much time on the clock, just pulls it from 35.
Speaker: Like what the fuck are you doing?
Speaker: But, like, his IQ is immature.
Speaker: Offensively polished is great.
Speaker: His IQ sucks.
Speaker: He's offensively polished.
Speaker: He's high energy.
Speaker: He's a good ball handler.
Speaker: I mean, I know this playoffs he actually had a lot of turnovers.
Speaker: But I think he had one, I think, recency bias.
Speaker: Like, I'm still taking Poole over Reeves.
Speaker: I'm taking Reeves over Poole just because I know that Reeves actually has that, like, will.
Speaker: Like, dude, I feel like Poole just, like, just goes out there and just has too much.
Speaker: Like, he doesn't want to win sometimes.
Speaker: Like, obviously he wants to win, but Reeves, like,
Speaker: There was times in the playoffs where he just put his fucking head down and just got that dog outside of him, which I really saw.
Speaker: And Poole, I feel like he's just out there just to fuck around, honestly.
Speaker: I think that – I don't know.
Speaker: Definitely got Reeves.
Speaker: We're moving past this, though.
Speaker: This one probably should be a little easy, but I got Zach Levine.
Speaker: Keep in mind he's on a $40 million contract.
Speaker: Zach Levine, bro.
Speaker: Zach Levine.
Speaker: I pick a Zach Levine.
Speaker: Not close.
Speaker: Dejounte Murray.
Speaker: Dude, that one's hard.
Speaker: I'm on Dejounte.
Speaker: Dejounte Murray.
Speaker: It's not this easy.
Speaker: This one's not this easy.
Speaker: Dejounte's value is a terrible...
Speaker: He's at base value.
Speaker: DeJounte's better.
Speaker: 2K ratings, he's an 88 and Reeves is an 83.
Speaker: I don't know why I just brought that up.
Speaker: If you look at what they did this postseason, or at least this season towards the end, I would call it clutch time of the regular season.
Speaker: Both the Lakers and the Hawks are in the same playing teams that needed to make a push for the playoffs.
Speaker: Austin Reeves stepped the hell up.
Speaker: I don't know how they watched the Hawks, but I wasn't hearing about DeJounte and Murray.
Speaker: DeJounte Murray, he's better and he's also a great defender.
Speaker: He's a great perimeter defender.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: I'm still taking DeJounte.
Speaker: If rules were reversed and DeJounte was in the Lakers, I think he would have popped.
Speaker: I think that if Reeves was in the Hawks, I think he would have been asked.
Speaker: I think at face value, player, I'm on DeJounte.
Speaker: It's true.
Speaker: I did DeJounte, but... Give it another year.
Speaker: We'll see.
Speaker: Next one, Jalen Green.
Speaker: Dude, Jalen Green doesn't give a shit about basketball.
Speaker: Easily Reeves.
Speaker: Jalen Green's going to be gross in two years, though.
Speaker: I think he's going to be good.
Speaker: Some people might disagree with that, but if you are looking at it, easily Reeves.
Speaker: Easily.
Speaker: I don't even want to hear Jalen Green.
Speaker: What?
Speaker: I don't want to hear that.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: No, no.
Speaker: Right now.
Speaker: Right now.
Speaker: Right now.
Speaker: If the Lakers could trade Reeves for Jalen Green for one season and the world ends, I'm taking Jalen Green.
Speaker: Bro, the guy is – bro, nah.
Speaker: Dude, he is the uncoachable player.
Speaker: He literally has the worst attitude of a player in the NBA.
Speaker: He's inefficient.
Speaker: He's a shot chucker, and he plays shitty on defense, and he doesn't give any – He's on the Rockets.
Speaker: I'm aware, but if you're on that bad of a team, bro, you should be – like the fact that he is uncoachable, talking back to his coach, not listening, like on top of – on top of like –
Speaker: not being as good as everybody thought he would be from the get-go.
Speaker: This guy should be in the gym working and not – he's not like LeBron.
Speaker: Painting his nails, bro.
Speaker: I mean, 22-4-4 on 42%.
Speaker: I know it's not great, but that's better than – I still think that's crazy that people are taking over.
Speaker: But to counter that, you're saying Jordan Poole is going to be that 25-5-5 guy on a bad team, but that's exactly what Jalen Green is doing now but worse.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think that – All right, you got me there.
Speaker: I think that, like, if it was for next season alone, I'm taking Reeves.
Speaker: But I think that if you're taking the contract into factor and also the fact that, like, Jalen Green literally – Potential.
Speaker: Potential-wise.
Speaker: Yeah, upside is green.
Speaker: Jalen Green's the biggest test.
Speaker: If it's a draft, like we're starting a franchise and you could take current Reeves or current Jalen Green for the next five, ten years, I'm taking Jalen Green.
Speaker: It's just for next season, we need to win right now.
Speaker: We're going to have to move on because the next six I have on my list, maybe five or maybe four, honestly, are all going to cause controversy.
Speaker: RJ Barrett.
Speaker: Oh, fuck.
Speaker: Dude.
Speaker: Oh, my God.
Speaker: I'm taking RJ purely from a defensive standpoint because I don't need – like, okay, if I'm starting a team with RJ versus Austin Reeves, I'll take Austin Reeves.
Speaker: But if RJ is going to be like the third option, which I think both of them are in their respective teams –
Speaker: Yeah, Austin Reeves is better than D'Lo.
Speaker: They don't need to be the focal point of the offense, and RJ's a better defender than Austin Reeves right now.
Speaker: It definitely is.
Speaker: So that's what's going on, RJ.
Speaker: And I'm a Laker fan.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And aside from game six against the Heat where he was one for ten and played abysmal, he was killing it.
Speaker: That series.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: He outplayed Julius Randle that entire season.
Speaker: RJ Barrett was our number two option that entire series.
Speaker: And he was reliable and he was playing good in defense.
Speaker: He was hustling.
Speaker: He was scoring.
Speaker: He was getting to the rim.
Speaker: The only thing I have, I struggle with RJ in general, is his ability to create space and create his own shot.
Speaker: I think he struggles a lot with that.
Speaker: He's really good on his head down, going to the basket on his left hand, even opposite side left hand.
Speaker: But he's not great at creating his own shot.
Speaker: Bro, he's like LeBron.
Speaker: He's got a bagless bag.
Speaker: He's got a bagless bag.
Speaker: I'm taking him over.
Speaker: I got – Reeves definitely has a better dribbling package than RJ, but I'm taking RJ.
Speaker: Honestly, now that I think about it, it shouldn't be – it's RJ Barrett.
Speaker: I think it's RJ too.
Speaker: It shouldn't be a question.
Speaker: I think it's definitely close, but I'm going to take RJ.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Desmond Bain.
Speaker: I'm on Desmond Bane.
Speaker: Dude, Desmond Bane has the shortest arms I've ever seen in my life.
Speaker: T-Rex.
Speaker: I knew you were going to say that when you started laughing too.
Speaker: He looks like a T-Rex, dude.
Speaker: That one's hard, bro.
Speaker: Desmond – No, it's not.
Speaker: I'm on Bain clear.
Speaker: I don't get to argue.
Speaker: It's Bain.
Speaker: You think Desmond Bain?
Speaker: I think it's clear.
Speaker: Bain by a mile.
Speaker: Okay, yeah.
Speaker: I mean, I think Desmond Bain too, but, like, I just – I'm scared that Reeves will be a dog next season.
Speaker: Like, he's going to be – take that next step.
Speaker: I'm scared he's going to take a step back.
Speaker: I don't think it's going to happen, but, like, I don't know.
Speaker: Every time I watched him play, I was like, I don't know how he keeps doing this.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: I just got to believe in him.
Speaker: But realistically –
Speaker: We've seen the best of Desmond Bain.
Speaker: Like, what the fuck is he going to do now?
Speaker: Like, we've seen – like, he's going to continue being that good like this.
Speaker: He's not going to take that next step.
Speaker: I think Austin Reeves did so good in these playoffs that next year.
Speaker: Like, he has the ability to take that next step to be better than Desmond Bain for sure.
Speaker: My argument is that, like, I love that take.
Speaker: I think that Reeves' next step is to get to Desmond Bain's level.
Speaker: And, like, I don't think his, like, potential is higher than where Desmond Bain's at.
Speaker: And I think that, like, you already know what you're getting out of Desmond Bain.
Speaker: I feel like his, like, floor's higher.
Speaker: And I think AR's, like, ceiling is up to Bain.
Speaker: But to be fair, at the same time, though, we're also not accounting the fact that Reeves could very well regress next season.
Speaker: Yeah, that's 100%.
Speaker: A lot of young guys coming off a good season regress.
Speaker: And he's getting 70 mil next year, 80 mil or some shit.
Speaker: He's going to have to play good.
Speaker: He's going to have to put that money where he's now.
Speaker: Moving on to another guy that I think is exactly like Desmond Bain.
Speaker: In my opinion, he's not out of the ceiling, but he can't get that much better.
Speaker: It's Tyrese Maxey.
Speaker: Oh, what Tyrese Maxey?
Speaker: I think Roland is sweat-free clear.
Speaker: I don't think he's that.
Speaker: Let's say they're both at the bottom of the stat.
Speaker: Tyrese, Maxie, Tyrese, Maxie, Tyrese, Maxie, Tyrese, Maxie, Tyrese, Maxie, Austin Reeves.
Speaker: Okay, he's 6'2", though.
Speaker: You don't think it's a defensive liability at all?
Speaker: Bro, he should be playing point guard.
Speaker: He's fine.
Speaker: He's fast as fuck.
Speaker: I mean, their backcourt was Harden and Maxie, and neither of the two were pretty good defenders, and it didn't seem to be that much of an issue, to be fair.
Speaker: Side comment, I think that the ticket to the Sixers being successful is getting rid of Harden and having Maxie run the point and repositioning that much.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: He needs to take that rollover.
Speaker: Bro, what was Maxie averaging?
Speaker: I think he was averaging like 20% from three.
Speaker: He was sniping.
Speaker: He's great.
Speaker: I'm very high on him.
Speaker: I'm very high on him too.
Speaker: All right, not 20.
Speaker: 20, 23, 3, 48% from the field.
Speaker: Okay, I did not know he shot 43.4% from three.
Speaker: All right, I'll take it.
Speaker: He's clear.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Once he gets that, he's going to be good.
Speaker: Oh, my God.
Speaker: I'm going to take Lou Dort off.
Speaker: I personally don't think anybody's going to take Lou Dort over Austin Reeves.
Speaker: No, no, he didn't.
Speaker: No, this is my turn.
Speaker: Don't hit the Dort.
Speaker: He's a great 3.
Speaker: No, it's adorable.
Speaker: Great 3.
Speaker: You said lead door.
Speaker: Anthony Simons.
Speaker: Anthony Simons.
Speaker: This is a good one.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: What is Simons putting up?
Speaker: I haven't been tracking him that much.
Speaker: Anthony Simons is nice.
Speaker: He averaged like 20 this season.
Speaker: I know he was going off.
Speaker: He averaged 20 on 45% from the field and 38% from three.
Speaker: He averaged 21, two, and four.
Speaker: But you got to count that Dane didn't play half the year.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's why there's a debate, though.
Speaker: So you got to shift the ball a lot more.
Speaker: But that's why if you're the Blazers, you got to get rid of the team.
Speaker: Yeah, and I think a lot of that, like a lot of people saying like, oh, but their star didn't play.
Speaker: Like he was put in that number one role.
Speaker: He increased productivity.
Speaker: Yeah, but a lot of players, if they're put in that number one role, decrease in productivity.
Speaker: Because if you're the number one target on defense, like if – let's say like A.B.
Speaker: in the corner.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And all the defensive pressure is going to Austin Reeves.
Speaker: Is he really going to be putting up 21-5?
Speaker: Don't know.
Speaker: So I'm taking it for any time.
Speaker: That's a good –
Speaker: I'm definitely taking Simons.
Speaker: Simons has that.
Speaker: I think they're very similar players, except Reeves operates more in the mid-range and Simons is definitely more three-ball.
Speaker: But what Simons has that Reeves doesn't is a lot more athleticism and he's a lot faster.
Speaker: I think Reeves is a lot more shifty in footwork and IQ.
Speaker: But Simons can also dunk.
Speaker: People forget he has a 40-something inch burn.
Speaker: To cap it all off, I think it should be an easy one.
Speaker: But I think they're very similar players.
Speaker: Gary Trent Jr.,
Speaker: I think this isn't as easy as you guys are thinking, if I'm being honest, because I still think that they're both shot players, and Gary Trent Jr. is a better defender than Austin Reeves.
Speaker: I just think it's because Gary Trent Jr. is not close.
Speaker: I mean, it is close.
Speaker: I'm just saying it's just because Gary Trent Jr. didn't really do that much all that much.
Speaker: He had one really bad cold string where he was broken.
Speaker: I think I'm taking Reeves, but I think it's close.
Speaker: Good player.
Speaker: I mean, it is close.
Speaker: Not to discredit him, but yeah.
Speaker: Honestly, this is hard.
Speaker: I think I'm going to take Reeves, but I like Gary Trent.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: That wraps it up for the Would You Rather.
Speaker: To cap off the last segment, I think we should just talk about
Speaker: A little sad story about Lonzo Ball.
Speaker: If you were in his position, what would you do?
Speaker: I personally, I feel bad for him.
Speaker: I loved him watching him at UCLA.
Speaker: He was tearing it up.
Speaker: And as a Laker fan, when they drafted him, I was so happy.
Speaker: I thought it was the perfect move.
Speaker: I don't think that if he never wore those stupid Lonzo Ball's dope-to shoes that were just made of fucking plastic, he would still be here and ruin his knees.
Speaker: I bought those.
Speaker: No, you did not.
Speaker: I did buy them.
Speaker: Oh, my God.
Speaker: They were nice, bro.
Speaker: I was getting all sentimental and feeling bad.
Speaker: Now I just want to laugh.
Speaker: I feel bad.
Speaker: The Ball Brothers were lit back in the day, dude.
Speaker: It was like a flex.
Speaker: Then I got shitted on for wearing those.
Speaker: I tried wearing the game.
Speaker: I tried to look so dumb.
Speaker: I look so dumb, man.
Speaker: You wore those to Rush.
Speaker: You were not getting a bid.
Speaker: Let's be real.
Speaker: Oh, my God.
Speaker: Nah, that's auto bid, bro.
Speaker: That is auto bid.
Speaker: With the Triple B's shirt on, too.
Speaker: I had so many big Barman merch, bro.
Speaker: I had more ball hoodies.
Speaker: It's so you.
Speaker: It is, dude.
Speaker: That's crazy.
Speaker: I think... What do you do if you're the Bulls, bro?
Speaker: Like, actually.
Speaker: Like,
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: It's a tricky situation for both sides.
Speaker: But Lonzo, I love him.
Speaker: How old was he?
Speaker: 25 again?
Speaker: He's 25?
Speaker: 25, yeah.
Speaker: I think there's not much you can do except try to get back on the court.
Speaker: And if you're the Bulls, if he gets to that expiring contract here and he's still not on the court.
Speaker: You just got to say bye.
Speaker: Oh, my God.
Speaker: Yo.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: I was a ball in the family.
Speaker: Big time fan of that show.
Speaker: What the fuck happened to Alonzo Ball's girlfriend?
Speaker: She was bad.
Speaker: Denise something.
Speaker: They got Denise.
Speaker: It was Denise.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: What happened?
Speaker: Denise.
Speaker: Well, I think they just got pregnant.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: Bro, she's so hot.
Speaker: My boobs knows her so well.
Speaker: It seems like he's keeping tabs on her.
Speaker: Dude, Denise, bro.
Speaker: Denise is so bad.
Speaker: But she got pregnant and then they broke up.
Speaker: And now she's...
Speaker: I don't know where the fuck she's at now.
Speaker: That's in hell.
Speaker: Jello Ball just had his first baby.
Speaker: Dude, Lonzo, though, like what we were talking about before, Lonzo is everything.
Speaker: I don't know where we're laughing.
Speaker: Sorry, Twitch.
Speaker: No, you're good, bro.
Speaker: No, I was going to say Lonzo Ball is everything people want Chris Ball to be right now.
Speaker: What the what kind of comparison is that?
Speaker: No, bro.
Speaker: Bro, bro, bro.
Speaker: Listen, listen, listen, listen.
Speaker: That was healthy.
Speaker: He was healthy, bro.
Speaker: Listen, listen.
Speaker: Hear me out.
Speaker: Hear me out.
Speaker: He's a great ball handler.
Speaker: He's a great perimeter defender.
Speaker: One of the best perimeter defenders in the league.
Speaker: He's improved his shooting a lot.
Speaker: He's good vision.
Speaker: He's a good playmaker.
Speaker: He's a good true point guard.
Speaker: He's not.
Speaker: He'll give you 13 a game.
Speaker: He'll give you
Speaker: Better efficiency than he had in the past.
Speaker: Before he got hurt, he was improving efficiency-wise.
Speaker: Great passer, great defender.
Speaker: He would be the piece on a championship team that would take you to the next level.
Speaker: And, like, what the Celtics got Malcolm Brogdon for to do this playoff, like, this year, is what a lot of teams could get Lonzo Ball for if he was healthy.
Speaker: Obviously, this guy can barely fucking walk, but...
Speaker: But I'm just saying, like, Lonzo Ball is a really good player, bro.
Speaker: It's sad that he's 25.
Speaker: I agree.
Speaker: I just was not expecting the Chris Paul comparison.
Speaker: I see what you're saying, though, with, like, the point guard, the pure point guard, like, fast first, doing, like, the IQ stuff.
Speaker: I just don't know if they're in the same conversation.
Speaker: His output is very similar to Chris Paul's.
Speaker: He's just a better defender.
Speaker: Like, if you were to take Chris Paul, like, this year versus Lonzo Williams-Helsey.
Speaker: That's all I'm saying.
Speaker: We're approaching the 55-minute mark, but any last takes or comments or remarks?
Speaker: Open floor.
Speaker: Jalen Brown needs to leave Boston.
Speaker: That's it.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: We'll open that up with episode two with Jalen Brown.
Speaker: But we'll wrap it up there.
Speaker: He's not a max contractor there.
Speaker: Thank you guys for listening in.
Speaker: I'll see you guys in an episode in about a week or two.
Speaker: Goodbye.
