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Ireland Crash Out in Prague | 2025 NFL Redraft | The Eastern Conference Play-In Mess
0 Playsin 8 hours
Episode 69 – NFL Draft Redraft, Ireland Exit Reaction, NBA Play-In Race & More | Who’s Got The Ball?
Shane returns for Episode 69 of Who’s Got The Ball?, and it’s a packed, must-listen sports podcast covering the NFL, NBA, Premier League, Ireland football, and more.
⚽ Football Talk
We break down Ireland’s disappointing exit in Prague and react to the North Macedonia friendly. Plus, we preview the FA Cup quarter-finals and discuss what to expect as club football returns.
🏈 2025 NFL Draft Redraft
James and Shane completely re-draft the 2025 NFL Draft Top 10 picks. Who goes No.1 overall this time? Expect bold takes, big changes, and plenty of debate.
🏀 NBA Analysis
Is Kevin Durant’s off-court burner controversy affecting the Houston Rockets’ form? We dive into their post-All-Star struggles and what’s going wrong.
We also break down the chaos in the NBA Eastern Conference play-in race — who actually deserves a spot?
🔥 Also in this episode:
- Gan Seans returns
- Weekly Power Rankings
🎧 Tune in for sharp analysis, strong opinions, and everything you need to stay up to date across the biggest stories in sport.
Listen if you’re into:
- Football (soccer) analysis
- NBA previews & predictions
- Weekly NFL reactions
- Underdog betting tips
- Draft-style sports debates
- Power rankings across multiple sports
- Sports content from an Irish perspective with global takes
🔁 New episodes drop weekly!
Follow/subscribe so you never miss a breakdown of the latest in the EPL, NBA, and NFL.
💬 Connect with us:
📸 Instagram → @whosgottheballpod | X / TikTok → @wgtbpod
📩 Send your takes → wgtbpod@gmail.com
🌍 Based in Ireland | Talking global sports weekly
(0:00) Intro
(2:44) Michael Joins the Show
(3:56) NBA Eastern Conference
(4:24) Our Sleepers in the East
(11:23) East Teams that NEED More Wins
(17:50) East Finals Predictions
(24:03) NBA Western Conference
(24:40) Our Sleepers in the West
(30:36) West Teams that NEED More Wins
(36:04) West Finals Predictions
(46:31) Gan Seans: Our Underdog Picks
(49:26) Premier League X NBA Power Rankings
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Transcript
Introduction and Banter
00:00:09
Speaker
Alright lads, welcome back to another episode of Who's Got The Ball. Episode 69. Shane, I'm sure you're delighted to be back for that. Couldn't miss it. yeah Yeah, and it's not as bad as you pretend you were going to do the 6-7 the last time I was here. So i think 6-9 has been replaced as the more cringy thing by 6-7 now. So we're we're actually adults, we can move on.
00:00:31
Speaker
I mentioned it at one point in the episode and you do have right smile across your face I saw. So i think that was the only time it was mentioned the whole way through. I saw you saying it and I was like, he's not not never mentioned like the number of episodes too often. So I was like, this is clearly an attempt to get a smile out me.
Ireland's Tournament Exit and Croke Park Event
00:00:49
Speaker
Look, yeah, we' we've got some disappointing stuff to touch on, obviously, with Ireland crashing out. But I will have a positive note that I was in Croke Park on Saturday evening and Carlo got a Division 4 league win. They fought hard, very hard. It was a draw at the end of the first half, draw at the end of full time, draw at the end of the first half of extra time.
00:01:09
Speaker
and then they pulled it out of the bag in the second half got the win i thought they were the better team first time um winning in crow park since 1970 first bit of silverware in a league or championship outside of a b championship in the nineteen ninety s since 1944 so a really massive day for the county and some positive look ahead to the future so yeah that was a great day out and really enjoyable and kind of lessened the sour note of Ireland losing a couple of nights prior so that was a nice nice one but you're you're under the weather after your trip to Prague caught another bug on the plane.
00:01:45
Speaker
Yeah I actually genuinely think I need to start wearing masks on planes because when I came back from Hungary it was the worst flu I've ever had in my whole entire life and this one isn't as bad thankfully but I'm just so sick of being sick at this point. I can't remember last time I came on this episode and I actually sounded like
Episode Summary and Sports Preview
00:02:02
Speaker
my normal voice. It feels like I've just been on a constant run of flus or bugs every single time. But we battled on and it was another, it's a good one. It was a long episode, but it's it's another good one. Well worth listening to the end for my confusion.
00:02:15
Speaker
Yeah, like I mentioned at the end of the episode is the Shane Fleming flu game, like Michael Jordan pulling it out in the bag when it matters the most. So yeah, it went the full distance. So we covered a lot in the episode. We started off talking about Ireland. and Obviously it was disappointing, but we did talk about some some things for the future, and but also the effects of the loss and and how it all panned out.
00:02:38
Speaker
We gave a preview of the FA Cup quarterfinals and picked our winners for that. Then we moved on to the NFL and we redrafted last year's 2025 draft, the top 10 who we would have picked in each of those positions. and Since it is coming up to draft season, it only felt right.
00:02:54
Speaker
Then we moved on to Gonshans, gave our picks, hoping for a better weekend this time around. And then we moved over to the NBA, talked about... does the fact that the whole scandal came out about caddy's burner and stuff does that still linger on the mind of the rockets players and does that hang around the dressing room because they've been quite poor since then and very inconsistent and then we talked about the east playing and how It's kind of a bit of mess of a mess and we tried to make sense of it and who's going to end up where. And that some confusion came in at that point. So, yeah, bear with us. um And then at the end, we wrapped up with our power rankings as usual. So won't keep you any longer. It's a long episode, but a very good one if I do say this so
Ireland's Football Analysis
00:03:35
Speaker
myself. So let's jump straight into it.
00:03:36
Speaker
Okay, so let's start with something we really didn't want to have to talk about, but it's it's only right we would have talked about it if we qualified for the World Cup, so we have to talk about it, the fact that we missed out. and As you know, Shane was not on the episode last week over in Prague, looked like great crack regardless of the result, but... ah Yeah, heartbreaking fashion how we lost. So obviously, I presume everyone will know the manner in which Ireland lost the game, and which is not a nice one ever to lose on penalties, especially when you should have had the game wrapped up in the 90 minutes.
00:04:12
Speaker
I just think the main thing everyone will think about is that Manning tackle. And I think that will stay in the back of the mind for years to come, because without that, we might be having a completely different conversation right now.
00:04:26
Speaker
Yeah, I think as well the the the way Alan Brown gives away the free kick that leads to the equaliser is really, really silly as well. It's just like there's no need to push him over there in the corner. And I know it's probably just a rush of blood or whatever, but the Manning one is just, the ball is going out of play.
00:04:42
Speaker
just Just leave him alone. like You don't need to put your hands on him there. it's just It was so frustrating. And It's one of those, I think if we last 10 or 15 minutes after we got two and a lot without conceding, I think their heads would would have just completely gone.
00:04:55
Speaker
And I think we would have probably just walked it home then. But the fact we just gave them such an easy way back into the game for absolutely no reason is just so frustrating. And after that then, they had five or six lads who were six foot three or four on the pitch. And it's the smallest centre half that wins the header to get the equalizer as well. It's something that's kind of sticking in my throat a bit as well.
00:05:17
Speaker
Yeah, like yeah once they got two and a lot, I really thought they were kind of, I really thought they were home and hosed. And I know that's silly, there was a half an hour gone. There's so much long, so long left, but they were just so comfortably the better team in that opening half an hour.
00:05:30
Speaker
And up until the penalty, they were the better team. They were playing really good football, going long when they needed to go long, keeping it short when when the but window ball was there to be played. I thought Albene was playing really, really well. He was kind he was running their full-back ragged and then once the penalty was given away, it just went to complete and utter long ball non-stop, just pumping it forward over and over again. and It was just really, really frustrating to watch then then to lose it on penalties is just, it's horrific.
00:05:59
Speaker
Yeah, I think... ah It was one of the main points that both of us made that we would win the game if we didn't pump the ball along every time we got it. Which we started off the game by not doing that, as you said, unless it was in the moment where there was actually being a run made. It wasn't just lumping up for no reason. And then the whole rest of the game, after they scored that penalty, was just pumping it up to Ogbene every time. And he was trying his best, but... obviously that's not his strongest suit so I don't think that that was smart and I think Coleman was very frustrated after the game he mentioned that we could have played it the ball more in his interview and I think he was right because I i saw a number of times he was calling for that from Collins and O'Brien and they were just booting it forward like every single game every time they got the ball and even in the Macedonia friendly last night it was it'll be a few nights ago by the time you're listening to this but
00:06:54
Speaker
When O'Brien came on, his first inkling was to just boot the ball forward. And I was thinking, it's a friendly now, and we want to play some football here. And you're going back to doing what basically got us knocked out. Now, it's not his his fault fully because he he plays well in other aspects, but it's incredibly frustrating when he gets the ball. His first thought is just boot it up the field.
00:07:14
Speaker
And i just... I just couldn't stick watching that because it seemed like when you're watching it on TV that every time we won a free or got a kick out, they were showed the replay of how it got there. And then when it flicked back on, we didn't have the ball anymore because we had just booted back to them.
00:07:30
Speaker
So we're inviting that pressure that we didn't need to invite. And the Brown one is frustrating because Brady had actually won the ball and he probably would have got it free for himself if Brown didn't do that.
00:07:41
Speaker
And Brown was absolutely abysmal when he came on. And I don't know in what world should he have taken a penalty, especially the fifth one. I'm questioning as to why Collins as the captain didn't step up there and take one regardless of being a centre-back.
00:07:56
Speaker
Like you saw their centre-back took one. Harry Maguire as one of the best penalty takers I've seen. Doesn't matter your position. It's about having the confidence to do it. And Heimer saying we didn't practice them for the game and then saying it again after doubling down on that.
00:08:12
Speaker
It just looks ridiculous at the end of everything because how could we have not practiced something? And how can our heads go that much that when something like the Manning penalty, yeah, okay, that was stupid. He wasn't looking at the ball, or rush your blood to the head, whatever. We're still 2-1 up.
00:08:29
Speaker
We could have easily continued in the game to play the way we wanted to if we made the right subs. But he didn't want to make the subs. He dragged on and on and on. I know Ogbené did an amazing job, but he was out on his feet after 70 minutes. yeah And it was unfair to ask him to keep it He's lucky he didn't pull a hamstring or something. And for Jason Knight not to see a minute when he's our only centre mid with Cullen out that can actually receive the ball on the turn and help us get out when we're stuck in.
Game Strategies and Management Decisions
00:08:59
Speaker
at the back, it was, I couldn't believe that he didn't bring him on because the only player on the field that was getting us out against Macedonia, again, I know as a friendly, was Knight and we didn't have that all game against the Czechs and that was a real, real questionable decision by Heimer. So I have a lot of question marks around the way he managed the game.
00:09:17
Speaker
Yeah, bringing on Alan Brown in that moment instead of Jason Ida, as you said, made no sense to me. And I know Brown has been in great form recently for Preston. It is Preston that he's playing with. Middlesbrough. He was Championship Player the Month last month or the month before.
00:09:35
Speaker
And he's he's in a really good moment. That wasn't the time to bring him on. He wasn't the kind of footballer we needed then. And obviously, like I presume he brought on Sami Smadik to take a penalty and then he goes off. But as you said, like I'd rather have seen Creelan Keller stepping up to take that fifth penalty rather than Alan Brown. I'm not even saying that joking. like The way he dispatched his penalty for Liverpool against Chelsea in that Carabao Cup final was a man who was well able to kick a ball and put it where wants to put it.
00:10:01
Speaker
I'm never going beat these lads up for stepping up and missing a penalty because they are like they're trying. But it's the way they run up to it is what really annoys me. The way all the Czechs just put their foot through us instead of waiting for the keep moving, roll to the other side. They all just went up and smashed it into the back of the nest. Patrick Schick can do the stop and jump penalty, but he still absolutely blasts it by the time he gets to us. Our last two penalties, and after scoring our first three as well, makes it even more frustrating. Yeah. Our last two penalties were just both of them tippy-tappy, straight, just passed back to the goalkeeper. And that's what I find frustrating. If they tried to go first and the keeper makes an unbelievable save, fair enough.
00:10:41
Speaker
That keeper had saved one penalty in his whole career before i'm the Ireland game. And it was in when he was playing in the third division of Czechia football. He'd never saved a penalty in a top division game.
00:10:54
Speaker
And he's he to we just gave him two of the easiest saves of all time. I thought Parrott, obviously, really, really good. I also thought Daryl Shea was excellent in Czechia.
00:11:06
Speaker
He seemed like you only the one only one of the three centre-backs who was trying to play ball the whole way through, and he was just being let down by the two beside him. Nathan Collins seems to have a bit of a block when he plays for Ireland because he's twice the player when he's at Brentford. And we've said this now, probably since episode one, and we're now on episode 69, every time we talk about Ireland or Brentford, that they they are like two different players.
00:11:27
Speaker
And who was the other one? Jack Taylor. Jack Taylor going killed the tempo when he went off. It really killed the tempo. And I understand he had to go off for the game. Bringing on Alan Brown for him wasn't the right decision. It should have been Jason Knight that came on for him.
00:11:42
Speaker
And then last night, there's not really a whole lot to say about last night. If we were still playing now, Tri-Power would have hit the post another 14 times. It was just never going to go in the net for him last night. yeah It was just one of those games where they were just breaking it up so much. and They weren't going down for throw-ins and pre-kicks. They were taking, it seemed like they made more than 11 subs with the amount of subs they made in that second half. It was to break it up constantly over and over again.
00:12:05
Speaker
And then check you going to the World Cup, it's even more sickening because they were so bad in both games and now they're in the World Cup. It's just like when your luck is in, as you said last night. Yeah, I think the the penalty point you make is a great one because if you're not confident, just smash it.
00:12:23
Speaker
Don't try and place it. And again, I'm the same as you. ah never and I never even mentioned Azaz because he stepped up and he had to take it. The reason I mentioned Brown is because he has a bad history of penalties for Ireland and he played badly when he came on. So it doesn't make sense. But again, yeah because I don't think Phil Azaz played badly in the game. No, he didn't like he didn't. He didn't do anything wrong, really. he didn't He didn't light it up. And I thought he was absolutely brilliant last night against Nourham Estonia. These little balls through to Troy Parrott. He was playing really well.
00:12:53
Speaker
When he was stepping up, I was like, this is a man who was scoring goals for Southampton, left, right and centre, free kicks, everything. He surely has the technique to just bury it. Just nerves. Yeah, and that they had just missed theirs beforehand, so it would have put us up. Yeah, because we went first, so it would have put us 4-2 up, and to miss that just gave them all the momentum then. Yeah.
00:13:14
Speaker
I just knew they weren't going to miss either their last two after we missed ours and obviously then it came down to Alan Brown and he also did the same things as Azden. Yeah, I think that like after the game I just literally sat in silence like looking at the screen for like half an hour because I was just like, what how have we messed this up? And then The next morning I was still disappointed, but i was like, actually, you know, lot like the fact that we had that, the moments in Hungary and Portugal game, like those have given us hope and we have so many young players that it's so positive for the future.
00:13:49
Speaker
but then after that macedonia game last night and then you see denmark crashing out when it felt felt like we were the better team over czech republic and then you see the likes of sweden going through who didn't win a single group game and then you see bosnia going through against italy on penalties it's like and they should lost wales we just should have been there like we just it was a great opportunity and i think that last night didn't help i think The days in between, I could have dealt with it. If if Denmark came out in battered Czechia, I would have felt a lot better, but they didn't. And it makes it a little bit tougher. So i think outside of out those points, I think the game last night, at least Boston Lawl coming on was a great great moment because he played very well. He constantly wanted the ball. He was winning the ball back and stuck in. He's the exact midfielder we need next to someone who can pass the ball. So I would like to see him and Knight play together, maybe in the next friendly. but ah
00:14:46
Speaker
as long as Liam Scales never plays left wing back again. i actually don't know if the lads behind me just were Celtic fans and incredibly biased, or they just never watched football before in their lives, because one of them goes, at one stage, Scales made a run after like 70 minutes, and he goes like...
00:15:04
Speaker
Oh Scales was there available and then the other lad goes like oh yeah like he's after having some game and I was like I'm actually going to like gouge my eyes out if I think this is serious i was like maybe they're just like taking the piss then the man in the match gets announced as parrot the guy goes jeez I don't know how it was in Scales and I was like oh my god get me out of here nil-nil felt like it dragged on for like six hours and then have to listen to this as well. I couldn't believe the referee added on seven minutes to just to drag out the torture like it's a friendly I know what there was 22 substitutions made but there's absolutely no need to add on to seven minutes especially now after adding he didn't add a second on in the first half either and there was goals ruled out and stuff was like how have you done this him and the thing about Boast and Lowell is that
00:15:51
Speaker
He was kind of like... but What I thought about him last night watching was he's he's like the next coming of Josh Cullen for us, only he might be more talented. He was the kind of player to should have been in the squad for the Czechia game that you could have brought on to keep put your foot on the ball, get it down, play it out, keep it to keep it going around. And I know...
00:16:07
Speaker
it would have been a very big ask to come on for his debut and check, yeah, when it's after getting to 2-all and we're going to need extra time. But he seemed like the kind of person who should have at least been in the squad now, looking back on it, if you agree with that or not.
00:16:19
Speaker
Yeah, I do. I do. I think his physicality as well is important because he has some of the... I think he has a better passing range at that age than Cullen did. And he also has a lot more physicality than Cullen does. So I think... And he looks forward a bit more. So I think...
00:16:36
Speaker
he would He would be a decent option even if Cullen comes back, the two of them together. I'd like to see. It's just something we need because that's one of our weakest points. I also do think that our right back our rightwing back position if Coleman retires is going to be very weak because...
00:16:51
Speaker
I know we have Manning can play left wing back. He does a fine job there. and No issues with that. But we can't rely on Jake O'Brien to be playing right wing back because he just can't play there. And like it's you can't play a centre back. You can play a centre back full back, but not wing back because then they have to make these runs. Scales tried a few of them last night. He just didn't have the pace. like I'm not saying any of the stuff about him that he's a bad player. He's
FA Cup Quarterfinals Preview
00:17:14
Speaker
just not a left wing back. Essentially, you're asking him to play a left winger.
00:17:17
Speaker
Like, it doesn't make any sense. So I don't know what we're going to do with the right wing-back spot if Coleman retires and we persist with this five at the back. It could be a thing where... I wouldn't even mind seeing Jason Knight play right wing back if Cullen is in the field. It could be it could be Tudor's Yagbené as well might have to drop back there.
00:17:35
Speaker
Yeah, one or one not and that's another thing I thought about. If Yagbené continues to get older and injuries continue to hurt him, we do need another option with pace because his outlet of pace is is so important to the team right now. yes Maybe Ardendale can be that, but...
00:17:52
Speaker
It's going to be a long few months before we have Munich in football again in the Euro qualifiers. So just to wrap this, the draw is on the 6th of December in Belfast to find out what the groups are. um And then they'll begin the following year. Depends on if we're in a group of five or or four. How many, when that starts, I think it starts in either March or June.
00:18:12
Speaker
So you have to win one. But if you're in a group of of less, you have to start in June, not March. So it just depends on our on our group size. So you have to win one of the groups or be a top eight runner up.
00:18:25
Speaker
If you we miss on both of those and England and Scotland qualify, then we're in anyway because we're a host. But I really hope it doesn't come down to that because that would be yeah fairly disheartened. So let's hope we get in there. So that's the next thing after the Nations League, which will be hopefully some positives to get some young players some minutes in the future. But a a lot of things to look forward to, but definitely disappointment.
00:18:49
Speaker
So we'll move back into domestic football because that's what's coming up this weekend. We've got some FA Cup, no Premier League. and That's back the following weekend. So we're going to give a quick look at the four quarterfinals in the f FA Cup and give our picks and to get into the next round. So we've got Man City versus Liverpool, Chelsea-Portvale,
00:19:12
Speaker
Southampton, Arsenal and West Ham versus Leeds. An interesting note is that Port Vale, they're in League One. They're the lowest ranked team remaining in the draw.
00:19:23
Speaker
And that means they're, if you look at the history, they're the lowest ranked team featured at this point in the competition since 1953-54. So it's it's it's very interesting with them to get this far. So what do you think? Where do you think these These games are going to go and start with City and Liverpool.
00:19:45
Speaker
um First of all, I think these four games are so unwatchable outside of Liverpool and Man City, really. Like, who's going to sit down and watch Southampton Arsenal? It's going to be one team hoofing it the other.
00:19:56
Speaker
Port Vale are, unfortunately, probably going to get absolutely walked off the park by a poor Chelsea team. And then, obviously, West Ham and Leeds is just two poor Premier League teams. So I think the draw hasn't done the cup much favours. But Liverpool City is obviously...
00:20:13
Speaker
Hopefully will be a good game. i I am back in Liverpool here. There's no way we're losing the City three times in a season. and We haven't done that in a long, long time. I don't see why we're going to start now. I know they've just won Carabao Cup. We said a couple of weeks ago that I think they are still a very...
00:20:28
Speaker
They're not average, they're above average, but they're not a great football team. and Despite all the money they spent, you could say with saying about Liverpool, all the money they spent in the summer and they don't look a very good football team at the moment. But I am going to back Liverpool. Liverpool are going to need this more than Man City do because Man City are still going for that title.
00:20:44
Speaker
Liverpool literally have this and a really tough Champions League to play for. So they're going to want this trophy. So i am backing Liverpool here to go through. Okay, I take your point on the fact that Liverpool will want it a lot, but I also do think that City are basically out of the Premier League, and though Pep will never admit that. He knows that it's unlikely.
00:21:04
Speaker
And if they had the chance to do a domestic double, I think that that would at least make them feel better about their season. Like, I just think that if they could take down Arsenal in both cups, it would be kind of a bragging rights thing, even though if Arsenal did win the league.
00:21:20
Speaker
I do think it will be a close game. i think that Liverpool... played really well against City for the majority of the game recently when City came back in 1-2-1, but then they threw it away late.
00:21:32
Speaker
But I just think that the fact that City are at home and they've had, obviously, both teams are coming off an international break. I think they're on an even playing field at that that that point of view.
00:21:43
Speaker
I just don't know how City lose after coming off the high of the Cup win and Liverpool's low of how they played in their last Premier League game. I know there could be a bounce back there, but I just, I don't know. I just, I don't can't see past City right now.
00:21:59
Speaker
even though I wouldn't really like to see them doing any type of a double in a season that they're supposed to be playing quite poorly in. But ah yeah, I just think that City have the upper hand. And I'm kind of annoyed that this is 12.45 on a Saturday. This would be the perfect evening game or or a Sunday afternoon game. Like what kind of timing is that? The best game is on the worst time.
00:22:18
Speaker
Yeah. And that was like we had all the early kickoffs in the Premier League all season have been pretty drab affairs as well. This one is going to be tactical. It's to be cagey. I do think whoever scores first is the one that will go on to win it. So just have to hope Liverpool can come out of the box. Blocks firing.
00:22:36
Speaker
What was Liverpool's last Premier League game? The Brighton loss. Oh yeah. Okay. Yeah. Let's move on to Chelsea and Portfield. Yeah. Because everyone was very annoyed after that one. Actually, I went, I was walking down to, I was going down to get to Lewis and go into the city and walk by the Barbers and My barber was there and he was just finishing up for the day. And I saw him, so he came out to me for a second. And we had spoke recently about Liverpool. And I said it on the podcast that he was saying, you know, it's so hard to win back-to-back seasons. And he's still positive. and
00:23:09
Speaker
And walked up to him. first thing he said is, scrap all that stuff I said the last day. They're shit and I hate them. So I was like, OK, there's definitely emotions are fairly high after that loss. But yeah, let's move on to Chelsea and Port Vale. I don't think there's any way Port Vale get a win here, but i know I think they'll have a great day out. And I think that's the magic of the FA Cup that people talk about. The fact that they could get this far is really, really good for them. But I see them giving a good account of themselves and defending well.
00:23:37
Speaker
And Chelsea maybe eking out a 2-0 win where Port Vale have a bit of hope but at some points because Chelsea are kind of bang average as well. Yeah, I was going to say the exact same thing. If Port Vale are still in the contest with 10 to go, I think they'll be absolutely delighted.
00:23:52
Speaker
think it could go the that Mansfield Arsenal game went. It was 1-0 for a long time. Mansfield had a couple of chances. And then Eze just belted in one from 20 yards and that was that. It could go that way again. I think something very similar.
00:24:05
Speaker
Let's just wait and see. But yeah, I do think Chelsea would come through. Probably 2-0 as well. Yeah, so next up is Southampton and Arsenal. This is the late game. I mean, this would be amazing to see ish and something of an upset here.
00:24:18
Speaker
We'll be watching Fina Zaz. Hopefully he can ryan meing can redeeina redeem himself. Yeah, Ryan Manning as well. Two lads, set you know, not the best of moments in an Ireland shirt, but we'll still get behind them and hope that they can give Arsenal a good rattle here on on Saturday night.
00:24:35
Speaker
yeah Yeah, this is the one. I'd rather Southampton win than Liverpool at this stage, just to take some more more more bubble out of that Arsenal balloon or whatever that saying is. I just don't see it, though. Southampton haven't been on the best of runs, haven't had a great season. I know they'd they've come back a good bit since getting rid of Will Still, the the the man, the myth of legends, but I just think that Arsenal will just have too much air, I think.
00:25:02
Speaker
The quality they have, even when they don't show it all the time, will just be too much for Southampton. I think you'll be to Arsenal. Okay, i I'm not sure what's the situation with the Arsenal injuries, though. I saw that a lot of players... Oh, I'm sure they're all fine. Yeah, I was thinking that. wrong thing I didn't see anything too serious about anybody. They just all pulled out of their...
00:25:25
Speaker
campaigns Yeah, I have Arsenal winning 3-0 here. I think they will. I would actually like to apologise to Southampton. They're four wins in a draw in their last fight. They are on a good run of four. I was thinking that they've turned it around a lot because they're right at the edge of the playoffs now, aren't they?
00:25:39
Speaker
They're in the playoffs. They're leveling points with Rexham ahead on goal difference. So yeah so was maybe they will put on a good show. and if If they knock out Arsenal, would be great to see them go from quadruple to fighting for the league and the Champions League that they won't win.
00:25:54
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. I think it'd be good to see Southampton as well back in the semis and hopefully back in the Premier League next season with some irish Irish players. Lastly then, Leeds, West Ham, should I say, at home to Leeds.
00:26:08
Speaker
This just has a drab Premier League affair all over at half four on a Sunday. God help us, if this was the Super Sunday in the Premier League, nobody would be watching it. um This is just going to be stodgy. Two teams that just want to play defensive football. Stonji football. Yeah, I think maybe they nick a goal each. I'm going with this one, going to penalties. And I'm having Thomas Suchek's penalty look finally run out. I want to see him lose a penalty shootout. So I'm having Leeds win on penalties here.
00:26:36
Speaker
Yeah, I'm going nil all, and but I'm also having Leeds winning penalties
NFL Season and Draft Analysis
00:26:42
Speaker
as well. i Not so much Thomas Suchek to me, even though I obviously hope he does.
00:26:47
Speaker
i just think Leeds have more, what sort of fert bo andm just going to use dynamic for now, more dynamic footballers that better equipped at putting a penalty away than West Ham. Although West Ham's four penalties against Brentford in the last round were outrageous. So surely there all their luck has to run out at some point.
00:27:05
Speaker
Yeah, yeah i think I also think it would be like a decent match-up like to see. I think that's the side of the draw, then. i would be Arsenal and Leeds. Is that done? a bracket, yeah.
00:27:19
Speaker
i think they i think it's a bracket yeah I'm not 100% sure on that, but link we'll check in after next week with after the games if if I'm right or wrong. But i do believe that's the case. So yeah, that would be decent to see that.
00:27:32
Speaker
But yeah, let's let's do a quick fire of our of our picks. So here are FA Cup quarterfinal picks for this Saturday and Sunday. I'm going with City to beat Liverpool, Chelsea to beat Port Vale, but Port Vale to give a good account of themselves.
00:27:48
Speaker
Arsenal to beat Southampton away from home and then Leeds to beat West Ham on penalties and a bit of a drab affair. Yeah, so the only one I have different to you is have Liverpool to beat City.
00:27:59
Speaker
i also have Port Vale doing a really, really good showing at Samford Bridge, but just running out of quality. Arsenal to scrape past Southampton somehow and Leeds West Ham, nil all. Nobody watches this. Penalty shootout. Leeds win or one on penalties.
00:28:15
Speaker
decent affair it's a a full Denmark job by West Ham on the penalty yeah so I hope so we'll move into the NFL portion of things so it's it's kind of running into the season now where we're very close to draft season because we have the NFL owners meeting at the moment and all the head coaches meeting up so you get some sound bites but really it's it's a lot of filler it's just a tick the box for a lot of the coaches I think to kind of get together every year and they discuss whatever issues that they want to bring the owners do as well about like votes and stuff like that so it's not really a major talking point I don't think really ever unless there's an interest in vote like the tush push last year which there isn't this time around
00:28:59
Speaker
So next up is draft season, which is coming this month. So we're into draft month right now. We're going take a look at last year's draft and we're going to do a redraft. So we're going to redraft the top 10.
00:29:12
Speaker
and We're not looking at teams, so we're not going, oh, the Titans would pick X player because then you're looking at the team's needs. We're doing it in a way that who are the best 10 players? Who would have went one through 10 after seeing them for a year already?
00:29:25
Speaker
So who would go first overall 2025 NFL redraft? Ted Harrell, Macmillan.
00:29:33
Speaker
offensive rookie of the year 70 receptions 1000 yards 7 receiving touchdowns the man was just a menace throughout all the season I thought he was absolutely brilliant and I think if they could go back and redraft I think they would definitely take him first if they were looking for an offensive player and then look further down the board and get their quarterback then sorry I know we're not doing teams but if i what if it was the Tennessee Titans I think they would go back and say yeah let's get him and then match him to his quarterback later Okay, interesting. Wide receiver first is a it's not something that happens often. A bold call. Yeah, it is. I've got McMillan in my top ten, but I've got him ninth.
00:30:13
Speaker
o I've just gone with value, to be honest. I think he did really well, like 70 catches, over 1,000 yards, seven touchdowns. He did go eighth overall, so I like around where he went. I just have other guys jumping up because of positional value. I valued like the position like pretty high here. So I'm actually sticking with Cam Ward at first overall. I think the flashes he showed at times were somebody who was...
00:30:42
Speaker
had the ability to be picked high. I don't think there was any true number one quarterback, but a quarterback is valued so high that I just think that it's something that it's hard to look past quarterbacks. I think Jackson Dart had a great season, but he missed a lot of games through injury and he has a bit of a rogue style. So even though he is a Giants player and I'd love to put him number one here, I just think that Ward is the safer one. So he was my number one.
00:31:07
Speaker
We'll move on to number two, but before we do that, did you have Ward still in your top 10? I have Ward at two. Okay, so what are your thoughts on that? I just talked to Warren because like everything you said is dead right. The quarterbacks are ranked very, very highly. But I thought on the basis of it, he was never going to drop out of my top three and it was just kind around building it around us.
00:31:29
Speaker
I just wanted to put Macmillan first. I thought he was absolutely superb. And then Cam Ward's I thought he had a really good season. and Considering the the mess he walked into, to finish it with 540 passing attempts, 323 completions, 15 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 3,100 passing yards, and then, sorry, 159 rushing yards on top of that. I thought he had a really good season and really poor tight end scene. So he was always going to be there or thereabouts me. I just wanted to just jump McMillan above him before I kind of sorted out the rest of it then. Yeah, I think he he had a better end to the season too, which is promising when you improve. um
00:32:06
Speaker
Unlike somebody else who I will get to when we talk about the honourable mentions, unless you do have them in your top 10. But I'll go with my two now is Jackson Dart. So I've valued quarterbacks, as I said, pretty highly. and I've got five quarterbacks in my top, or three quarterbacks in my top five.
00:32:23
Speaker
So Dart went 25 overall. I think some of the flashes he showed Some of the throws he made were outstanding and his dual ability um and the way he elevated that Giants team when he came into the into the fold, it's it was just electric and something we haven't had for a while as as a Giants fan. and So I think that number two is is where I put him because I think he's he was the second best quarterback in the draft. and regardless of what Saints fans think and regardless of how many Tex Cunnan has said to me otherwise and but anyway we'll leave him number two and because I think he's he's worth he's value for that so did you have him in your top ten?
00:33:04
Speaker
Yeah he's in my top five we'll get on to him shortly enough at third I have Carson Sweisinger so lessoninger Yeah, thank you. The linebacker, defensive rookie of the year, I thought what he did in that Browns team was superb. I said early in the season, in one of my my hot takes early on, that the Browns defense could really kind of keep them keep their head above water.
00:33:27
Speaker
It didn't really in the end, but I thought he had incredible season. 156 tackles, two and a half sacks, three pass deflections and two interceptions. Obviously, defensive rookie of the year as well. Yeah. I think... like the Jets must be looking back and thinking, God, how do we take Menbu over this fella? And there's there's a lot of other teams probably thinking the same thing as well. He was absolutely superb.
00:33:48
Speaker
So I put him in as my three. Yeah, I have him in my top 10 as well. I have him number eight. I think he went 33, it was very low. I think he's like this year's, last year's Sonny Stiles, Sonny Stiles seemed to be like a top five pick maybe at this point, but last year people didn't really value the linebacker position as much. I thought Jihad Campbell would have went it close to top 10. He slipped all the way to the end of the first and and the Eagles picked him up, but Swessinger completely outdid him.
00:34:17
Speaker
You mentioned how good he was. And to get 20 QB pressures and two and a half sacks as well was exceptional. So I've got him in my top 10 as well. He's at eight. But my number three is Kelvin Banks.
00:34:28
Speaker
And once again, I've gone for... value here because I think left tackles are the most important position on the offensive line they're kind of centerpiece to protect your quarterback and i think the Saints did an exceptional job here and they probably got the best the best offensive offensive line player in the draft and they got him at nine and I i have him going three here because I think he was as I said the best in the draft available at that position Yeah, I don't actually have him in my top 10. Okay. so i didn't um watch enough sorry no go ahead I didn't watch enough of that team to be able to make an action and an accurate kind of take on him. He is in my honourable mentions because of everything you said, but I couldn't put him in my top 10 just because I didn't see enough and I thought the Saints were...
00:35:20
Speaker
really really poor for nearly all of the season as well so it felt a bit kind of disingenuous if I'd shown him in there having not watched him all season just because he was an original top 10 pick so I just left
NFL Quarterback Performance Analysis
00:35:30
Speaker
him out. Okay so what have you got at 4 now?
00:35:33
Speaker
I have Jackson Dart at 4. Okay cool so what are your thoughts on him? I thought Looking back to the now, it it was actually a really poor quarterback class.
00:35:46
Speaker
When you look at all the ones that went to the Browns and none of them are now wanted at the Browns, I think that says a whole lot. And I just think, I think Cam Ward and Jackson Dart were head and shoulders above nearly all the rest of them. Spencer Rattler wasn't bad either but at the end of the day. He really wasn't, but he's not in my top 10. I presume he's going to be the third of your...
00:36:05
Speaker
Your five quarterbacks, is he? Well, it was Tyler Shuck. Spencer Rattler. Tyler Sorry. Yeah, Tyler Shuck. Sorry, yeah. But, yeah, so I just, I thought Jackson Dart was kind of the best of the rest. As you said, he missed a couple of games through injury, but he was still really, really solid, especially in the rushing. 487 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, as well as 15 and five TDs and interceptions and a passer rating of 91.7. In that kind of lost nearly every single player at one point in the season. I thought he had a really, really good season. I think the future is so bright for the Giants and for him and especially.
00:36:43
Speaker
Yeah, and I like to hear that. Obviously, as a Giants fan, if we stick on number four, I've got another player the Giants picked, Abdul Carter. He went third overall. I have him at fourth. A lot of people were hating on him because of some of the off the field stuff.
00:36:58
Speaker
and But if you didn't watch the Giants and you just looked at his his sack numbers, you'd be like, oh, he didn't have a great season. He was... essential to how good Brian Burns was he was he had the most quick pressures in the league with 48 so that's taken less two and a half seconds or less to get to the quarterback he did that 48 times in the season and that helped Brian Burns on the other side get to the QB as he was flushed out with the pocket and he had an unbelievable career year so I think those two together were were great I have him s slipping down one because of Banks um and the QB value. But yeah, I i just have him in here ah in a fourth because I don't think he could drop any further than that. I was really impressed with him at times.
00:37:44
Speaker
Yeah, so this is actually working out really well because you're going to ask me if I had Abdul Carter in my top 10 and I'm going to say that I had him in fifths. So he's next up for me. You were just talking about there everything you did, but on top of that, he had two forced fumbles, recovered both of them, four sacks and 43 solo tackles as well. He was just superb for, as I said a couple of minutes ago, a Giants team that nearly lost every single player available to them at one point.
00:38:08
Speaker
like you is there any wonder the coach was sacked when he was dropping him every second player there towards the start the season and what he was doing when he was on the field was exceptional then so yeah there was no way he dropping out of my top five yeah so just a PTSD at at this point of ah thinking back to last year's Shane Bowen like defence God help us am but we'll move on to number five as you mentioned yes it is Tyler Shuck in here for me 1-7 record before he started started with the team and those were some Spencer Rattler minutes although they weren't the worst they just could not get wins and then Shuk came in and they went five and four so not a bad return at all he was very impressive made some great throws and Connan is absolutely ecstatic about him and we'll see considering he is about 26 years of age already i don't know how much growing room he does have as a young quarterback but he went 40 and I have him up to 5 so I think that's a testament to how well he did
00:39:06
Speaker
Yeah, joe I don't hate it. I just, again, it's the same issue I had with not watching the Saints. for I did see him on red zone. I thought he looks quality, but I wasn't going to put him into my top 10. I just thought there was better options here.
00:39:19
Speaker
Yeah. Including my next one, which is Gentie. Stays in my top 10. i just I thought the man was really, really good. 10 touchdowns, 5 rushing, 5 receiving. 346 reception yards of 55 receptions for a man who's about four foot ten I think he's impressive enough for what he did on the ground then as well.
00:39:41
Speaker
25 yards short of 1,000 yards, 975 and five rushing touchdowns. I think he's only going to get better and better. He's still really, really young. And if Vegas can do anything that makes his life easier, he's only going to keep going. He'll be the best running back the league in three years' time.
00:39:57
Speaker
Okay, that's a strong statement, but I think there's there's good value there to back it up. and if like They spend so much on the centre position, and obviously see given the record contract out. And if they continue to reinforce the offensive line, I think that's only going to benefit Gentry. So he's only going to get better. and He's actually not in my top 10. I had him just outside because there were some issues with his game that I saw, but I don't think there are things that he could... he couldn't work on and obviously I just am of the opinion that you don't take a running back that early because of how short their careers tend to be I'm more I prefer to look at guys in free agency or later in the draft and I but no arguments there with how good he is I think you're dead right and
00:40:41
Speaker
I've actually got a Jets player here, Arman Membu, at six. I know the Jets were but were poor, but I just think that he was really, really good in the run game, solid. And he at times when he was on an island against some big players like TJ Watt, he did a good job.
00:40:58
Speaker
And I think he went seventh. So moving up to sixth, I think shows that he did a pretty solid job. I know right tackle isn't as valuable as left tackle, but it's still a hard position to nail. So I think the Jets did a good job there. And I have him sixth right now.
00:41:14
Speaker
Yeah, I dropped him out of my top 10 and it might have just been down to my hatred of the Jets in general after what I just watched. But there was no way I was putting a single one of their players in this top 10, no matter how good or bad they were. I will say he did start every single game last season, which says a whole lot for a rookie as well, considering that he's just come in.
00:41:33
Speaker
And it was a defense that didn't get a stop didn't get an interception all season, so I couldn't really back him up. But I appreciate that one of us did have him in the top 10 there, so that's great. Yeah, I was thinking that you would drop him out because of ah just how bad the Jets played and he didn't want to stomach yeah talking about him. But yeah, who have you got seven then?
00:41:53
Speaker
So I have dropped out Colson Loveland, but I wanted to keep a tight end in there. So I put in Tyler Warren because he was the one I wanted the Jets to take at seven um in the first place.
00:42:05
Speaker
Obviously, we couldn't. He was gone by the time we came back around. But I said to you, I want a tight end who can catch and score touchdowns. And we've we've never really had one. We've never had a Travis Kelce. We've never had a Gronkowski. we All our tight ends seem we had to be able to is block and tackle. I wanted someone that was a bit more like a receiver. And part of Warren last season, 76 receptions, 817 yards,
00:42:27
Speaker
for receiving touchdowns And one rushing touchdown on top of it as well. Yeah, the numbers aren't massive, but they're still better than any Jets wide receiver did. And I think he was one of the best wide receivers in the league last year. And he was only a rookie. Another fellow whose numbers are just going to shoot up again next year if he becomes more reliable, which he obviously was with his 76 catches. So I thought he was the best tight end in the class looking back on it now. And I think he is he's deserving of a top 10 pick, but I don't think you have him.
00:42:56
Speaker
Okay, no, I don't have him in my top 10. I have him in my honourable mentions, all right, for sure. and But, yeah, I don't think... i I'll get on to Loveland because I do have him in my top 10, but not yet. So and I'll move give my number seven and that's Nick Emanwari, Super Bowl winner.
00:43:16
Speaker
and He went 35 to steal of the draft, in my opinion. I've said this, I've said so much about him over the playoffs and over the season. I love the way he plays. Literally Mike McDonald coming out and saying like,
00:43:27
Speaker
I've never had a player like this before, so I'm just kind of learning on the fly what I can do with him because he's that good and he can do so many things. I just would love of to have had him at the Giants, and that's why I hope we either pick, if we don't take Sonny Stiles or a wide receiver, it if we do go with Caleb Downs, I think he's the closest thing to it in the draft, so I'd like to see that, but...
00:43:48
Speaker
Yeah, there's so much I've said about him already. Have him up from number 35 to number seven. Super Bowl winner. Just can do so many things. Safety, nickel, whatever. He's he's an absolute animal.
00:44:01
Speaker
Yeah, so he's in at number 10 for me as well. Okay, sweet. Everything you've said just makes complete sense and he's exactly why he's there for me as well. I just like the fact he's a Super Bowl winner on a team that was so unfancy going into the season and he played such a big part for as well. I think he is definitely deserving of being a top 10 and as you said, he was definitely the seal of the draft as well.
00:44:21
Speaker
Yeah. Did you say he's your number 10 or? Number 10, yeah. Number 10. Okay, so... Yeah, so number 8 for me is Travis Hunter. So he's dropped from 2 to 8 and while he wasn't superb by any stretch of imagination, I still think...
00:44:37
Speaker
what he can offer and might still offer, it was still definitely worthy of being taken as a top 10 pick. I think he is going to have to nail down one of the two positions and not jump over and back like he tried to do last year. But I think once he does that, I think he will be really, really solid. 15 tackles, three pass deflection, as well as 28 receptions and a touchdown last year.
00:44:57
Speaker
They're not anything that jump off the page at you, but I just think the talent that is there is so obvious and if I was going back again, I would definitely still be taking him in the top 10 for any team. Okay. I don't have him in the top 10 just because I think that there was better wide receivers in the draft and he is now going to be a full-time wide receiver. They've announced that he's going play on that side of the ball next season. So I just think that To move up and give up next year's first rounder as the Jags did last year for somebody now that is only going to play one side to the ball. The reason you moved up is because you wanted to do both.
00:45:37
Speaker
And now it was found out that he couldn't. He got injured. They look better without him. Now he's a brilliant player, great talent. But I just went with guys who played more minutes and showed a little bit more at this level.
00:45:48
Speaker
So I've got Swessinger at eight, of it as I already mentioned. So I already kind of had my bit of... bit of um A few points about him. who did you have at eight? Did we cover it yet?
00:45:59
Speaker
Yeah, Travis Hunter was my eighth. Oh yeah, sorry. So we're on to nine now. And I had Macmillan, which I've already gone through. so What did you have there at that point? I have my next wide receiver and I have um a boot game here.
00:46:13
Speaker
So I know he's another man who went down with injuries a bit, but I just thought he was unbelievable every time I watched him. He made the box really enjoyable to watch. And Sethman Baker had a really good understanding. Six six touchdown receptions, 938 yards from 63 receptions. I think those numbers kind of speak for themselves well. he missed a few games with a hamstring injury too. So he would definitely have topped that thousand yards if he played every game.
00:46:37
Speaker
I think this lad's going to be star. Claring and simple, I really do. Yeah, I have him just outside as well. He's the guy I spoke about earlier and when I said somebody who fell off towards the end instead of getting better. He went kind of went down with the ship when the books fell apart. Went down, yeah.
00:46:55
Speaker
That might be why, you know, since they played bill poorly, that then resulted in him playing poorly too, but The flashes he showed early in the season, if we were just going off the first half, I could have him in the top five because he was that good. and But the fall off was there. And that's why I have Macmillan at nine.
00:47:12
Speaker
You've already said your 10 was Eamon Worry. So the last one I've got to say then is Colston Loveland. I'm having him staying at 10. If you look at the back half of the season, he's another guy who improved as the season went on and he was immense in the playoffs too.
00:47:27
Speaker
He had the second most yards of any tight end after November. So when the season got to crunch time, only Trey McBride had more than him with 597 in that period. i think...
00:47:40
Speaker
While he doesn't do some of the things that Warren can do in terms of his blocking ability, he's an unbelievable playmaker. His pace at his size is absolutely crazy. yeah and And I know it's a very close one. And you said that Warren was probably the best in the draft. I'm of the opinion that the Bears nailed it and that Loveland is slightly better with a little bit more offensive upside. But I think Warren can do more for you. and He could do everything, whereas Loveland is a bit flashier. so I think he it'll be a nice battle going forward, I think, between the two of them to see who was the best in this draft because they were both are really good. And we've also got Harold Fannin in this draft, who was super for the Browns. So interesting going forward.
00:48:22
Speaker
You mentioned Egbuka, Warren. Those guys were both in my honourable mentions. And so were Xavier Watts, who was very, very good at safety throughout the season, I think.
00:48:33
Speaker
The Falcons got a real good deal there. They got a steal on him. im Sorry, not the Falcons. Why am I blanking on who picked him? Let me look very quickly.
00:48:44
Speaker
Who'd you say? Yeah, was the Falcons. I doubt myself. And then Tyler Booker and Gray Zabel were good value picks, I think, in the interior offensive line too.
00:48:56
Speaker
Yeah, so i kind of we kind of went through all mine really. i i keep I still think Will Campbell had a good season despite what he showed in the Super Bowl. Yeah. It was just kind of based on how his playoffs went is why he dropped out of my top 10, but I don't think he was a bad pick.
00:49:11
Speaker
and I wouldn't hate it if I knew going back in time and they still picked him there, then I still wouldn't hate it because think he does have a big upside. Outside of that, we have kind of mentioned all of them really. Mason Graham, I think you just mentioned there. Kelvin Banks was in your top 10. Love Them was in your top 10.
00:49:25
Speaker
So yeah, i just I think it was actually a better class when I was looking back over to find the top 10 than I had actually thought it was just because of how mad the season was in general. But i yeah it was a good class and hopefully this class is just as good.
00:49:39
Speaker
I just want to have a quick word on tight ends before we do move on because you mentioned three there.
NFL Tight End Role Evolution
00:49:44
Speaker
When you put those three with Trey McBride and Brock Bowers, the tight end position is really going to be, it's going a fight for who's going be the best over the next five five to ten years because all these lads are maybe, actually maybe McBride might be 28 now. So maybe in the next five years, who's going to come out on top in the battle of them because If McBride got the touchdowns he deserves, he'd be outscoring every wide receiver in the league every single season. The amount of receptions he gets is absolutely insane. And Brock Bowers just looks like a monster as well. To put him with these three lads coming into year two, the tight end position is becoming more and more important in the attacking game as well as the blocking game.
00:50:22
Speaker
It's kind of why I really wanted the Jets this year to go and take someone like a Warren or a Loveland that could play the ball as well because... It makes such a difference when you have to the big bodied option as well that can just ball people down and run over and make such a difference.
00:50:36
Speaker
Yeah, I actually think that it's a good point. I think the tight end but position is coming more and more valuable with the way as well the teams are using two and even three at a time on the field, like with the Rams.
00:50:49
Speaker
They did a lot of that. and And I do think that... Even if we could see more from Kyle Pitts that we haven't seen before, it looks like he's improving. And then Sam Laporta with the Lions is is impressive. And I do think that and Isaiah likely will make a jump with the Giants because he'll be more of a number one option. And he could be even Giants' second option behind Neighbours because of the way he'll line up. So, yeah, it's an interesting tight end game.
00:51:20
Speaker
group we have in the league right now it's going to be a lot of that's vying for that number one spot and so yeah let's move on then to gone chance last week obviously you weren't here but you mailed in your picks it was a really bad week once again both of us zero and three no no results correct I had the Hawks to beat the Celtics on Friday night that did not come off they played them again on Monday and then they beat them go figure I had the Hornets to beat the Celtics, did not come off either. So the the point here is don't go against the Celtics. You also had that one, didn't come off. yeah I had the Pelicans to beat the Raptors, no good.
00:51:57
Speaker
You had the Jazz to beat the Suns, didn't work out. And book the to beat the Clippers, which didn't work out either. So I'm still three points ahead, 28-25. Moving into another week, let's hear your picks. What have you got for us?
00:52:11
Speaker
Yeah, the end the NBA has just started to let me down because at the start the season, every underdog story I went for was working out. And now i don't think we've had an underdog win that we've backed in, I'd say six weeks now at this stage. We just can't get the NBA nailed down. Unfortunately, I've had no choice this week but to put in two NBA again.
00:52:30
Speaker
I've gone with Liverpool to beat City, as I said, when were talking about the FA Cup. It's blind love or whatever you want to call it. But Liverpool tree to one City are 8-11. I'm just back in Liverpool to hopefully win it in 90 minutes.
00:52:43
Speaker
And going with the Nuggets to beat the Spurs, um these are still two really, really good teams. The Spurs are on an outrageous run. They're in their last 10. They've been 9-1 in their last 10 for the last three weeks. So they're only losing games very, very sporadically. But if the Nuggets can just get ahead of the scene going here, they're 48-25. Nuggets are The nuggets can Nuggets are definitely capable of beating this And then down towards the bottom of the table, I've tried to pick two that were literally within five and both were rubbish. I've gone with the Grizzlies, who are 5-25, to beat the Bucs, who are 30-45.
00:53:20
Speaker
There's literally just no thinking behind it. I just went for two teams at the bottom. and I really need a point. Hopefully the Grizzlies are tanking less than the Bucs are tanking. Yeah, I think the Grizzlies one is a good shout. I'm going to go...
00:53:35
Speaker
I had a couple of things in mind here for my last pick because I thought we might overlap. So I'm actually going to go start with my first one, which you didn't have, which is the Sixers to beat the Timberwolves.
00:53:47
Speaker
So the Sixers are 41 and 34 and the Timberwolves are 46 and 29. So there's exactly five games between them. It's Friday night at midnight. I think Jadon McDaniels looks questionable. The Sixers are at home and they need to win a few more games and to move forward as we might touch on in a few minutes.
00:54:07
Speaker
But yeah, I'm going with that first of all. I also do have the Nuggets to beat the Spurs. That's at 8pm on Saturday, so it'll be a great game at a great time, Irish time. 8-2 run for the Nuggets. And like you said, the Spurs are like 9-1 a lot recently in their last 10, but One of the recent losses was to the Nuggets um a short while back. So let's see if they can do it again.
00:54:29
Speaker
Last up I had two options. I'm going to go with the Hornets to beat the Timberwolves because I did have Liverpool to beat City down. and But I don't want us to have two of the same picks. I wanted to have another option because I thought that might happen. So Hornets are 40 and 36. Timberwolves 46 and So six games between them.
00:54:49
Speaker
at midnight on Sunday. So I'm having the Timberwolves in here twice. Same logic as last week, trying to get the Celtics done twice. So hopefully it doesn't come back to bite me again. But those are our picks for for this weekend.
00:55:02
Speaker
But while on the topic of the and NBA, we're going to switch over and come back to something almost that we talked about recently. And that was KD and his Twitter burner stuff. But look at it in a different way because...
00:55:14
Speaker
I looked at the date we released that episode and since that date, the the Rockets are twelve and nine So they've had losses to the Knicks, Heat, Warriors, Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers twice, the Bulls and Timberwolves.
00:55:28
Speaker
I think out of all those, the Warriors have been poor lately, the Heat have been poor lately, the Bulls have been poor lately, but the others are all against really good teams. And that's the troubling thing because you need to start beating big teams and it seems like the Rockets couldn't do it all season, but even more so, in the recent weeks. So you kind of posed the question, has this KD thing been really lingering in the background and hanging over this team? And is that why they're playing badly?
00:55:53
Speaker
I think it is. And I think it's mad that nothing has come out about it since. It hasn't been said, yeah, it was him or oh no, it wasn't him. So most definitely was him. And there's definitely, there's locker room talk about it. There has to be because what he said about to Barry Smith, what he was saying about Alfa and Shingun,
00:56:14
Speaker
There's no, like, these lads aren't playing at the peak of their powers at the moment, to any of them. As you said, twelve and nine their overtime losses time last as odd season have been something that actually needs to be studied because I think they've won one game in overtime all season and that just keeps going and that's not something you can do going into the playoffs.
00:56:31
Speaker
Like, dave like your when I was looking this off, i was some fellow on ESPN were saying they were solid but not dominant and I don't even think they've been solid, to be honest. I think 12-9 isn't really that great a record.
00:56:42
Speaker
went down and lost to the Lakers back to back. And I know the Lakers are good run of form now, but that kind of felt like the kick on the Lakers were looking to go on the run they're on now. If the Rockets had won those games, maybe it would be them that are, again, on a nine and one run, like the whole league, sorry, the whole side of um the West seems to be. But everything has dropped down.
00:57:03
Speaker
Their offensive rank has gone down to 15th since the All-Star break. They were up in the top five before us. 112 points per game. They're now bottom half the league in in that since the All-Star break.
00:57:16
Speaker
They're still getting the assists somehow. They had 35 wins recently, but their efficiency is just so inconsistent. 93 points against Denver, 128 points in another game. like None of this makes any sense to me, how it's just gone so down the toilet in the last month and a bit. And the only thing that comes back to me is the fact that this KDE thing doesn't seem to have been sorted on the outside. And maybe it is sorted inside, but they're not playing like a team.
00:57:43
Speaker
And I'm a dog, I think is a lot to answer as well, because... Every time Reid Shepard's on the court, he plays really well. Then he gets dropped out for absolutely no reason and they go back to playing really poorly again. And maybe it's the coach, maybe it's KD, but it all just seems too convenient with the timing of the KD stuff coming out and this all going to going asunder, just coming up to the playoffs.
00:58:05
Speaker
Yeah, I think that the point about Looking at Reid Shepard coming in and out is a massive one as well. and I know this isn't exactly related to the KD thing, but I think you do make a good point that the correlation is there.
00:58:19
Speaker
and But Reid Shepard should be playing more minutes. like It's clear to see. And I thought that Sadoka had gotten over the fact that he's not very good on defense after the All-Star break and would continue to play him more. But...
00:58:31
Speaker
It seems like that's fallen to the wayside as well. And I brought it up last week with Michael, like Terry Eason was supposed to be the three point king for the team. And then yeah over March, I think he made like seven three pointers and he went or he made like three three pointers and he had like seven games with none.
00:58:52
Speaker
So it's like I How is he getting the minutes consistently when he's completely freezing cold and then Shepard isn't getting as many minutes as he should get? and I think to only score what you said, 93 against the Nuggets, is dumbfounding because the Nuggets cannot defend at all. yeah So that's ridiculous. I just think losing to big teams all the time and losing to the Lakers as well because look if you look at it right now, the Rockets have the exact same record as the Timberwolves. And if they finish in the sixth seed, they'll play the Lakers.
00:59:25
Speaker
If they move up to the fifth, they'll play the Nuggets. I think they'd be better off losing and staying in the sixth. and Because if they move up, I think the Nuggets will just steamroll them on offense. Whereas if they play against the Lakers, I would actually fancy their chances more. But then in the prelude, in the regular season, you see the the Lakers just whooping them twice in a row.
00:59:46
Speaker
So like none of this would instill confidence in you. I think they should have split those games and had one win each. if If the Rockets really were to take things seriously and be like, we need to at least win one.
00:59:57
Speaker
But they couldn't muster it. And I just don't know if this KD thing maybe is the thing that's hovering
Houston Rockets' Performance Slump
01:00:03
Speaker
over the whole team. And I don't know what's going to happen next season if that's the case. Yeah, if you look at them, so since the Spurs absolutely blasted them, they went then, they beat the Raptors, well done.
01:00:17
Speaker
They then scored 93 against the Nuggets in the game after, 129-93, beat the Pelicans by two points, and it was really, really tight. It was a lot literally... a bounce of a ball was the reason we won that game then the back to back games the Lakers put 92 up in the first game lose 192 then let up 124 and only score 116 beat the Hawks okay we kept them to 95 points fair play 123 points against the Heat and a one point win again bounce of a ball then lose the Bulls like how are you losing to the Bulls and then going out and losing to the Timberwolves in overtime
01:00:52
Speaker
There's no point, like the last two are the Grizzlies and the Pelicans, they're games you have to be winning if you're any way serious. But the problem is that they're now, they're like, it they're only, they they' have 46 wins, the Suns have 42 wins. If the Rockets keep going with the way they're going, they could very easily drop into that playing.
01:01:09
Speaker
And after all the hype all season, everyone's saying they're a top three seed or a top four seed, if they end up in the playing, Who'd be surprised they haven't lost the play-in because their mentality seems so weak that in a one-off game they could very easily go out and freeze on the spot and their play-off run is over before it even begins. And at that stage then, are you doing with KD? You've given up these first-round picks to bring him in.
01:01:31
Speaker
Yes, he's been he's been really good by himself, but the team haven't seemed to really gel with him at all. He's the one putting up the 40 points every week. Everyone else is putting up twenty s Like he doesn't really seem to be playing for the team.
01:01:43
Speaker
And especially now since this Burner thing has come out, I've been kind of focused more on him and just seeing that he does show his hands up here and there and he doesn't get the ball when someone passes Damien Thompson instead of him. And it's just...
01:01:55
Speaker
You're 38 or 39 years old and this is kind of the same line I use and we talk about the burner thing as well. bo He's meant to be in there to help these younger lads grow and win a championship next year or the year after. But instead it's like, no, this is my team, this is my town, this is my city, blah, blah, blah. And just all he wants to do is put up shots.
01:02:14
Speaker
He's terrible taking the last shot in the game. I don't know if it's been a whole career thing, but at the Rockets in particular, like he scored one with the last shot game and it was when we were up by 10 to win by 12. Every time he's taken one to win by one or win by three, he misses and just gives the ball back. And he's driven me in insane all season, but especially since All-Star break now, he's just been really, really getting on my nerves. And if we drop out of the top six, then i don't think we would win in the playoffs. Sorry, my voice is going to go.
01:02:44
Speaker
You're okay. at that Still recovering after the Prague trip, but i I'll pick up here now that you had to drop for a second. I think that looking at him in the clutch is when he should be stepping up. You're 100% right.
01:03:00
Speaker
And then, like you mentioned, the Rockets record in overtime is one and seven. That's where he should be there and standing up to be counted. he's been in these moments so much, he's having great games, but again, he can't be letting down his teammates in big moments when they have the ball throwing his hands up in then and then when he has the ball missing shots.
01:03:21
Speaker
Like, That Bulls game was the epitome of the rocket season because they were down so big early when they shouldn't have been. yeah They clawed their whole way back. They should have won the game. And then Boozelis just puts KD in a body bag at the end, like literally puts shots over him, gets in his head. KD pushes off offensive foul, a very clear offensive foul. Eimeo loses his head, gets ejected. Like that was all down to KD not being able to handle Boozelis.
01:03:47
Speaker
who is a great player but he's not on kd's level so these things all are questionable i think you're probably in a lucky position that the sons are like five or five or so games back and we've only like six or seven games left so i think it should be fine but yeah if you were in the plane anything can happen at that point but do you have anything else on the rockets before we look at the plane on the other side It's just been a year where Liverpool's season has gone to complete dogs.
01:04:16
Speaker
Obviously the Jets' season was complete dogs. I was kind of pinning my hopes of some happiness on the Rockets this year and that's probably what's annoying me on top of it as well because was so confident coming into the season. I obviously didn't think we were going to win the division or anything like that but I really expected a deep playoff run and now it all just seems to be it's going to be a limp first round exit again at the hands of the Lakers or...
01:04:37
Speaker
whoever else they face up against because they just seem so weak mentally and it's just there are they're a really tough watch at the moment I just hope they can turn it around in the next couple of weeks and just get on some sort of form going into the playoffs because with the way the top three are playing like going into playoffs against any of them they're so confident going into this playoff run now the Lakers the Spurs and the Thunder The Rockets should be up there with him. The Rockets should be going on these 9-1, 10-game, 11-game winning runs. and They really just haven't done it all season, maybe once.
01:05:08
Speaker
And then they went and lost to Jazz or something after beating the week before. It's just it's but the way the season has gone. and I just really need them to just pull something out and just get something going.
01:05:20
Speaker
Well, fingers crossed for you that they turn things around in the playoff run is a good one. but Yeah, a lot of what we pointed out doesn't point towards that being the case, but things change in the playoffs. So let's see.
01:05:31
Speaker
Let's quickly run through the East play and because we've been going for a while here, but we did want to touch on this before it gets to the point where we know who's going to be there. And if you look from the five
Eastern Conference Play-In Prospects
01:05:43
Speaker
seed down, we've got the Hawks at 43 and 33.
01:05:47
Speaker
Raptors 42 and 33, so a half game back. Sixers 41 and 34, game behind them. The Magic 40 and 35, a game behind the Sixers. And then the Heat and the Hornets, both 40 and 36, a half game behind the Magic.
01:06:03
Speaker
So right now the Magic are falling like a stone. They have the fourth-hardest strength of schedule left in the East, so I think that they're a goner at this point and for the play-in. I mean, I think they're just going to fall and they could end up in the 10th spot.
01:06:16
Speaker
I think the Heat, they're inconsistent. They beat the Sixers the other night. I think the Sixers could learn a few lessons from the way they spread their minutes in that game. and But they should have never won that. They've been poor around that. So I think ninth is where they'll stay.
01:06:31
Speaker
And then i think the real battle is between the Hornets, Sixers, Raptors and Hawks to get that five and six spot. If you look, the Hawks have the second hardest strength to schedule in the East. They still have to play the Knicks once, twice against the Cavs, the Heat.
01:06:45
Speaker
And then the Hornets have the hardest strength to schedule in the East and the second hardest in the whole league. They've got the Pistons, the Celtics, the Knicks, the Timberwolves and the Suns. And so then you're looking at...
01:06:58
Speaker
Where are the Raptors? Well, they've got one of the easiest schedules left in the league and the Sixers around the midpoint with a really tough run coming against the Timberwolves, Pistons, Rockets and Spurs. So I don't know. Things are looking really positive for the Raptors. But then again, i don't trust them at all. and I don't trust that they're going to handle business every single week. So what way do you have this lining up from from five down?
01:07:23
Speaker
You've kind of put it all into a very, very good perspective there. So fair play. i have the Raptors as the only one who dropped down here and the Sixers take that sixth spot. Because of what you said, the Raptors cannot be trusted to stand on business and go out there and win the games that get them that sixth spot.
01:07:41
Speaker
Whereas the Sixers, now that the lads are coming back, I think they have a far better chance of winning the games they need to win. They're only game back from the Raptors, so it's really not that much to make up. Obviously, it's only one game to make up, so it's quite easy to make up if the Raptors do what we think they're going to do. Then I have i have the Raptors in seventh, the Heat in eighth, the Magic in ninth, and the Hornets to stay in tenth, because I just think...
01:08:06
Speaker
They were in my power rankings at one stage, but I think their strength of schedule is just so difficult for that I think they're just happy to be there at this point. They can't drop out of it. So if they go two and five to finish out their play-in run, I don't think they'll be too upset. And I think they actually might start resting ads to win this play-in because I do kind of fancy them when they get there.
01:08:26
Speaker
Okay, yeah, I think I like them in the play-in too. And i actually think the Hawks are an interesting case too because they have the second-hardest strength of schedule in the East. And so, like look, they're not a million miles ahead. But again, they've been really good recently. So i think, for me, I'm going to have the Hawks staying with the fifth spot like you. I also have the Sixers jumping up because I just think with everyone coming back, they're going to get a nice run going.
01:08:53
Speaker
And I could see them taking down some teams. Sorry to say, I do think that they could beat the Rockets. They could beat the Timberwolves and they could beat the Pistons. I don't think they could beat the Spurs, to be honest. But the others, I could see it happening.
01:09:05
Speaker
And then the Raptors do have to play the Celtics, the Knicks and the Heat twice. And the Heat might turn it up a bit. So I am going with the same as you in that point.
01:09:15
Speaker
and As we move down then I've got the Hornets into 8th. I know they've got really tough games but they're literally on the same wins as as the Magic and the Heed and I just think those two are not trustworthy. So then I've got the Heeds staying in 9th and the Magic falling to 10th.
01:09:30
Speaker
The Magic have some tough games. I think if they played all the tanking teams they'd still fall down because they're just useless. I cannot believe how bad they've been this season. Yeah, there's like we say that this kind of stage of every season, that this side is so much weaker than the other sides.
01:09:48
Speaker
And it's teams like the Magic that is is what drags this side down because they should be good. They should be going out there getting the 45 or 50 wins. And like they're not theyre just they've never really done it. And despite all the promise they have, they always seem to end up in this position where they're scraping for a playoff or falling into a play-in.
Magic's Struggles and Play-In Predictions
01:10:06
Speaker
When you look at the other side, you have the three boys at top again. i'm I'm probably not going to get sick of talking about them. I think they're the three best teams in basketball the moment, as well as the Pistons. But i just think yeah I just don't think the Magic are trustworthy. The Heat aren't trustworthy. it's It's mad to say that if if the Raptors fell in here, that the Hornets are the most trustworthy of them.
01:10:25
Speaker
And it it's only the fact that the Hornets had such a poor start to the season is the reason that they're kind of just holding on to a playing spot at the moment. They went on some run there. They were the opposite to the Rockets. They went on a serious run coming into the All-Star where can kind of continue this for a small bit after before kind of returning to mean. But I'd be backing them to get out of this play and then the playoff if we're going to jump ahead that.
01:10:49
Speaker
Yeah, I do think so. I have them as the best team in the play. And I also think that if they get that 7-8 matchup, I honestly think it would be better suited to them to play the 9-10 first the way you have it because then they'd play the loser and they'd win it and they'd get the Pistons who they're not the full article. I just think if they played... Whoever plays the Celtics in the first round is completely Cubs. He's getting knocked out. Touched on that last week and I just think...
01:11:15
Speaker
if you end up with the seven seeds, if you were playing the seven, eight matchup, I would honestly rather throw it and try out against the Pistons and the Celtics because they are so strong. Yeah. Yeah. I'm in agreement with you. I think the Hornets get out and then looking at the other teams,
01:11:34
Speaker
I just think there's no hope for the Magic. So really, it's can the heat get out? And they seem to do it every single time. So I would probably trust them over the Raptors at this point, even though the Raptors have been good. I just think they're good against bad teams. And when they play important games, they don't do it.
01:11:50
Speaker
Yeah, the Heat are just one of those teams. It was the Bulls last year who were the team that everyone thought just going to be a constant play-in team. And I think it is now the Heat, they're just going the constant play-in team over and over again. They'll just do enough to scrape into the top 10.
01:12:06
Speaker
I do think they'll be in the play-in final, if that's what they call it. I don't actually know what they call it. But I think they will lose two with this Hornets team. dishorousy Okay, sweet. Yeah. And what other team do you think is going to get out?
01:12:20
Speaker
So Hornets and between Raptors and if you think the Heat lose to the Hornets, first of all. Sorry. No, sorry. I think the Hornets and Heat get out of it. I think the Raptors and the Magic go down.
01:12:31
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. so i have date yeahve I have the Magic to beat the Raptors, the Hornets to beat the Heat, and then the Hornets to beat the Raptors. Right. Okay. okay I think I've completely confused it, but i did that that's what I've written down here anyway. So... Okay, so yeah, it's kind of a messy situation the way it's run, but it's like seven versus eight, nine versus ten, seven gets through as the seven seed, whoever wins that seven-eight matchup, and then whoever wins the nine-ten plays the loser.
01:13:01
Speaker
So I've got it as the Hornets beating the Raptors, getting the seven seed, and then the Raptors play the Heat, who have beaten the Magic, and then the the Heat beat them and get the eighth seed.
01:13:14
Speaker
So yes, I have the way I did it. I should have had the Hornets are playing the Magics and the Heat are playing the Raptors.
Power Rankings and Recent Performances
01:13:22
Speaker
I have the Heat to beat the Raptors in the I have the Hornets to beat the Magic in the 9-10 and then I have the Hornets beating the Heat to get in as well as the Heat. To beat the Raptors.
01:13:36
Speaker
Yeah. so i'm I'm not myself. we've got the same lineup just different order different ways I think the Hornets would actually prefer that and to be honest as we already touched on but we move on from that ah confusion of the of the play in which yeah at this point like I don't know is there a point in it is there not some people like it some people don't it's just just leave it be I think at this point but yeah We'll wrap up quickly with the power rankings. So last week I had the Thunder, the Man City, spur the San Antonio Spurs, Arsenal, United and the Pistons.
01:14:12
Speaker
um So I've updated that. The Thunder are still top. 60 wins already, nine and one in their last 10. The Spurs are likely to reach 60 wins soon. They're also 9-1 in their last 10, so I've got them up to second. City moved down to third. Obviously, they haven't played, but I just think the Spurs have been so good, they move up.
01:14:28
Speaker
The Nuggets are in then for me. I know the Lakers have been great, but I think Nuggets, six in a row, they're only behind the Spurs in terms of recent runs of wins. And then they're 8-2 in their last 10, having recently beat the Spurs.
01:14:42
Speaker
And then five and six are United and Arsenal still because they haven't played since we last did it, so that stays the way it is. Yeah, so um i have Thunder top last week. City, Spurs, Lakers, United and Arsenal.
01:14:55
Speaker
I've actually left it the exact same. So I didn't see a single thing outside of Ireland matches last week, so I couldn't judge any one of these. There was obviously no Premier League football, so none of the three were going to drop out. and The three teams, they're all still 9-1 in their last 10.
01:15:10
Speaker
So I just kind of, I felt avoid confusion after causing a lot of confusion there. And I've just left the six the same. So it's still Thunder City, Spurs, Lakers, United and Arsenal is my six again.
01:15:22
Speaker
Nice one. Sounds good. Leave it the way it is. Why not leave it like that? Especially when, like you've said, like you didn't get to really take in too much and NBA action. So I think the only reason I've changed mine is just because the Spurs have been so good. I probably should have had them up there and then the Nuggets come in. But...
01:15:40
Speaker
Look, not too many changes really between the two of us. I think a lot of the teams are solidified at this point as to who's good. yeah We'll see how the Premier League shakes out then in the next few weeks. and But
Episode Conclusion and Listener Appreciation
01:15:50
Speaker
yeah, that's it. A wrap on another episode. We've gone a long time and considering that you you're not up to the up to it the best. You're under the weather after your travels and stuff. So it's like the Michael Jordan flu game. Perform your best and your unwell. Any closing thoughts?
01:16:07
Speaker
but just Just thanks for listening. um Thanks for listening last week as well when there was James was slumming it on his own again. He had to bring Michael in to get a bit of help and the two of them absolutely smashed it again.
01:16:17
Speaker
There's something about the two lads when talking about basketball that i I don't even touch the surface of their level of knowledge on most times. So i thought it was a really good episode last week. if you haven't listened to it go back and listen to that one. And obviously get to the end of this one.
01:16:30
Speaker
Road to 100,000, still going. Ireland is going to win the World Cup in 2030 and we'll still be going then and we'll be back next week. Welcome back to another episode of Who's Got the Ball with Shane and James.