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Super Bowl Recap | Liverpool’s Performances & Morgan Rogers’ Importance | NBA All-Star Weekend Preview
35 Plays1 month ago
In this week’s episode of Who’s Got The Ball? James and Shane speak about the Super Bowl result between the Chiefs and Eagles in New Orleans, break down the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, talk about Liverpool’s start to the season and Morgan Rogers’ importance to Aston Villa.
Gan Seans continues with Shane currently flying it with a 14-4 lead & the lads give you an update on their WGTB Multi-Sport Power Rankings.
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Transcript
Shane's Recovery
00:00:09
Speaker
All right, lads, welcome back to now the fifth episode of Who's Got the Ball. We got Shane back this week. He's back from his his sick bed, his injured bed. So how's it has a how was the back feeling, man? How are you? It's getting to the last 100%, but it's good to be able to sit up again and hopefully smash out with another great episode for the people to listen to. Yeah, that's it. You were in a bad way, though, to be honest. Yeah.
00:00:37
Speaker
i I went over and watched the Liverpool and as far as getting my chain there last week and and you looked like you could barely even move to be honest. Rough times and they're not good. when watch the team that makes you jump around as well as you can. Still much jumping around, you just have to sit there and ah be sad. I know. man I know there's some performances as well but Yeah, we're going to talk about Liverpool today and as one of our one of our topics, so we'll get on to them. But yeah, anything else with you? How's things back to work? Yeah, so unfortunately, yeah, back to work now. So joe it's it's good to just to get back into routine again. That would be good. And just kind guess just trying to get back to normality really thought you can do. That's it, man. When you're an old, an old croc like yourself, things like that happen, I suppose. All back gives way.
00:01:37
Speaker
Yeah, it was probably a couple of years in the comments, to be fair, but there was no need for it to go fully on me at one goal. It could have kind of been docked to doing what it did, but we're over it now. We're on the other side. so All right, let's get into the first that first topic.
Super Bowl Highlights
00:01:53
Speaker
We're going to talk about the Super Bowl. So obviously, that's the main thing that just went down last weekend. Wow, what a game. Unbelievable. To be honest, i like the performance, unbelievable.
00:02:07
Speaker
The actual game in terms of competitiveness, that's that's not even really a word, but to like the game being close, it was not close. And if you're hoping for like a game on edge, you didn't really get that, but just the spectacle of watching what the Eagles did. And I think myself and Conan spoke last week about the Eagles defense. And we highlighted some of the points there and really like We talked about how many pieces they had and you could go on forever and some of the best guys in the game. We didn't even mention them last week because there's that many good defenders and key pieces and Jalen Hurts deserves this credit and the game plan in general, but that defense is just something else. Oh, they were absolutely incredible from the start. Like one from, literally from kickoff, the defense was just, it was on point kept and just didn't let up the whole ratio.
00:03:03
Speaker
homes couldn't get anything going. Couldn't find an open man until it was antennna was garbage time really when Xavier already decided to come to life. But he they really couldn't get anything going the whole way through. And they couldn't get any rushing going, couldn't get any passing going. There was nothing going from from minute one till the last, the last quarter, really, the first three quarters were all, all the Eagles dominating the ball. And then when they had it on offensive and hersters making them pay every single time is why the receivers were incredible and start to finish as well. Every time it feels like, it feels like every time we target them, they cut us. And I think the stats kind of showed that I think there was maybe trees that didn't hit the target in the whole game, which is just, it's crazy stuff. Like it really is. It was crazy how good they were.
00:03:49
Speaker
Yeah, Hertz was unbelievable. And the fact that, you know, I think the main thing of the game was I know when Hertz threw that interception, I kind of felt like, all right, this is like they've had the pressure now. This is going to be typical Chiefs. They're going to take advantage of this and absolutely make them pay like at the highest level for this. But they didn't. And the defense stood up. And the amount of time that Hertz had the ball is a testament to that defense and the use of him having the ball was insane. Like I think it's a postseason record for the amount of points that they scored and the in the entire playoffs. Like the fact that they put up that many points in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs, a very good defense themselves. I think almost is also a testament to the defense on the Eagles side.
00:04:44
Speaker
it doesn't make sense to directly say that but when you link the fact that the Eagles defense just kept getting stops and giving hearts the ball back to just completely pound that Chiefs defense into submission. Like Seguin didn't go off for a big run he didn't have a big statistical game but he was just constantly pounding at that line making it tired and then they were every tired down it seemed like they had a play dialed up that was perfect and as you said the The wide receivers were just out of this world and special shout out I think to Devonta Smith. disc card He's now scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl, the National Championship, the SEC Championship, the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl and the Iron Bowl. And he's only the fifth ever player to win the Heisman, National Championship and the Super Bowl. So he's in some incredible company.
00:05:37
Speaker
Yeah, it's safe to say that he is a man for big occasions, which is clear to see. and kind of A stat I saw on Twitter that really made me kind of stand up and like almost clap de because the offence was that chiefs didn't get past halfway until there was 2.24 left in the third quarter.
00:05:52
Speaker
It was the first time passing halfway into the Eagles' territory. That's unheard of. like The Panthers, you'd expect them to put up more of a fight than that in the regular season game. They were the only Chiefs in the Super Bowl. I couldn't believe what I was watching every time. My home's under pressure every time.
00:06:10
Speaker
There was no, he had no easy passes off. Every time he was dropping back, there was two or three people we're running at him. That's why he true. Like demanding the session. He true when he was running to the sideline, trying to find space. The one to Cooper Dean, for example, he was under pressure, stand so slow floating out to his right and just true it, just true one straight into Cooper Jean's chest. Like it was, it was actually incredible to watch. Like no one, but only I don't know anyone saw it coming, but no one saw the Eagles defense being just as good as they were.
00:06:40
Speaker
Yeah, I think to be that level was crazy. And i i I think the most interesting part is it's very similar to that book Super Bowl when Brady beat the Chiefs. They just obliterated Mahomes and sacked him and made him run around. And usually when he's running around, he has the answers. And I think this is the first time we've actually seen Mahomes like not help the Chiefs when they're in trouble.
00:07:10
Speaker
he didn't have a good game. Um, now that's the whole discourse of like somehow this would affect his legacy or anything like that. Like cut that is one of the best quarterbacks we've watched in the recent times. And he'll go down as one of the best in history but when it all is said and done, but he didn't perform. And obviously these guys don't have to perform every time, but when it's my homes, you just think he's going to bail them out.
00:07:36
Speaker
And when he's rolling out his right, rolling out his left, making space, you think he's going to find that pass, but he didn't. And the thing is, it's because of the way the Eagles played. They had, they were rushed for every time upfront. They didn't blitz a single time in the whole game and they had six sacks. They literally just pressured him, pushed him in a box because of the strength of their players. They're just like Nolan Smith.
00:08:01
Speaker
He's not the biggest guy in terms of height and the some of the people he was matching up against are like a hundred pounds more to them and he was pushing them back into my homes. That's how strong he is and you need elite athletes to do what they did. To have that four press my home into my homes into a box and then he ran around but sure he couldn't do anything because they're only pressing four. Every single man is covered. You have lockdown corner backs playing on the other side of the ball. You have athletic linebackers like Zach Bond like look at the catch he made.
00:08:31
Speaker
This Eagles defense is built perfectly and how he rose in the GM deserves a lot of credit for what he did because he's done so amazing. And the fact that we haven't even mentioned like jail and character yet, like it just shows how good this defense is. I just, it was quite a sight to behold, to be honest.
00:08:52
Speaker
Like, yeah I think I'd love to, I know we never will, but I'd love to see like a camera in my home's helmet, where every time he looked up when the four lads are rushing him, he's looking down, he's looking up on, he's looking at Cupid of Dean. He's like, where am I going to throw us? No one was open, no one was making space for him until again, the last photo in Xavier Worley, kind of.
00:09:10
Speaker
why they managed to run off the back of the equal bus. At that stage, the Eagles had already, the Gator each hour was done. The Gator each hour was done so early that at that stage, the Eagles were like, oh yeah, can we just get it over and done this? There was no stage, they were under pressure. They were never under threat of not winning that game. They were 34-0.
00:09:31
Speaker
in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. That's just, it's crazy. It's just absolutely crazy. Just, I was just looking at a couple of stats here. So like AJ Brown had three catches from five targets. That's it. And two catches from three targets. Barkley seven catches from six targets. And the van dismissed four, four catches from five targets, six to nine yards in touchdown. Like that's one, two before that's only five it didn't hit his wide receivers or Saikon Berkeley in the Super Bowl. That's absolutely, duty like, that's just outrageous. He went 17 for 22 for 221 yards. And then you add in that to what the defense would do and getting him the ball back so so often, even in running, like, so Saikon Berkeley didn't have a much what's going for him on the running. But it didn't hurt, but they would get going down. Like, you mean if when he knew Berkeley couldn't, anytime he got a chance to step up, he may have been making him big runs in the middle.
00:10:25
Speaker
I just, I don't do, their game plan was just spot on. They had to finish their game plan was spot on and it worked so well. Really, really good. Like the team said no answers. Yeah, it just shows that Hart's confidence in the game because usually he goes to Goddard when he's under a pressure and they dial up a lot over the middle if he does need to throw it. But he had that confidence to launch like that throw down to Devonta Smith, the dagger to kill the game.
00:10:53
Speaker
and other throws that he made in the game, that one to Dotson that looked like the first touchdown was excellent as well. And that shows his competence even from the very start, he'd been there before, he'd performed in the Super Bowl before, they didn't get it done, and he knew what was needed. And I've mentioned in the first episode how I was kind of a jail and hurt apologist and I thought he's and he's a good player when he does exactly what he needs to do. And I think he did exactly what he needed to do and more, and he deserved that MVP.
Eagles' Future Prospects
00:11:24
Speaker
such a an excellent player and just in general I think looking at some of the facts here that like about Nick Siriani that I see coming out like I know people were saying and we even mentioned last week that people see him as a puppet and even now they don't want to give him his flowers but like I have him here in all caps he's the only head coach sorry he's one of only three head coaches in NFL history with a seven 80% career win or more and a Super Bowl win. And the other two are John Madden and Vince Lombardi. Like John Madden has the as the NFL game named after him. Vince Lombardi has the trophy named after him. So like, are are we going to get a MVP named after Nick Sirianni at this point? Like what's happening here? That is insane. That's, I didn't actually know what else. That's, that's crazy. Yeah. Just exactly what they did with him.
00:12:23
Speaker
what he did with Howie Roseman, kind of building that, the staff that they have with Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio, replacing them, getting them in as replacements when things didn't work out previously. Just, just genius work. And I think honestly with the fact that they have so many young players, they're closer, obviously they're closer than anybody else with 3P because they've just won, but I could see that their team and their squad going into next season, more much more capable of winning a Super Bowl than the Chiefs are. Because the Chiefs are going to be limited with cap space. There's a lot of guys that they have to pay, and they can only pay a certain number of them. They're going to have to pay Trey Smith. So I really like the look of the Eagles for the next few years. They've got guys on their contract, and they've got a lot of young guys. And one more kind of shout out that. Look away from the young guys, but Brandon Graham, last game back, made it back from his injury.
00:13:19
Speaker
played through it all. And he retires as a Super Bowl champ after I think 15 years with the Eagles. So yeah, really, really good for him. And really good. One of the many great stories of the game. So yeah. Yeah. Another great start was Patrick Mahomes actually rushed for more yards than his tree running backside combined. So Hunt, Pacheco and Pierre Ein rushed for 24 yards in the game. Mahomes rushed for 25.
00:13:47
Speaker
like It's just I can't get over how good the Eagles defense was from start to finish. They gave them nothing, literally gave them nothing, and moms didn't know what to do with themselves. There was a massive rebuild going down to go on in Kansas City I'd say because They weren't really a good trip to the season. They really weren't. They won so many one-score games. And so it's great that you can go on and win the one-score games. But not every game in the regular season has been a one-score game. You should be blowing out a couple of teams if you are good enough to get to a Super Bowl.
00:14:19
Speaker
Yeah, obviously they had a bit of help. They didn't have that in the final, obviously, but like you shouldn't. They probably weren't a team that should have gotten to that Super Bowl and the score line in the Super Bowl shows you that they were what they were they were well second best at Eagles team. Yeah, I think a better matchup would have been an Eagles and Bills or Ravens matchup. But and obviously the Chiefs know how to get out of that AFC and they know how to They know how to win big games. So that got them there. But I think the athleticism and the youth of the Eagles team, although the Chiefs have a lot of young players too, but just that explosion on defense. And I was a bit disappointed with the ah offense the Chiefs dialed up and what Reid had. I know Mahomes didn't help them with the picks, but like Fangio didn't change from what he's been doing all year. So what were you scheming against? Because he did exactly what he does all season.
00:15:18
Speaker
Russia's four and has everyone covered in the back field. Like, could you have some little plays dialed up there to kind of slow this defense down? And like, this is Fanjo's first Super Bowl, like an absolutely excellent coach, but teams have worked out at his scheme before with players that weren't to the caliber of my homes. So I think they could have done a bit more to make it a bit more kind of competitive. and they'll be disappointed in themselves for the way things kind of ended up. But all credit to the Eagles and all credit to Fangio, Calvin Moore and Nick Sirianni and the whole team because they're just excellent. And yeah, what a win for them. I was in Berlin watching it at the NFL Germany Super Bowl party. I actually have a couple of pretty cool
00:16:09
Speaker
the beer mats here that had the logos and stuff. So yeah, pretty cool. Took a couple of souvenirs and stuff. So yeah, that's it, man.
Liverpool's Season Success
00:16:20
Speaker
The season is over now. So much to talk about in the offseason with the free agency draft, head coach and hires and everything, but the big game is over. And do you have anything else to round up before we move on?
00:16:33
Speaker
Like what you were saying there, the ah offense for the Chiefs, like there was an no kind of, there was no routes that normally you'd see Kelsey kind of go deep and then come back and take a short ball. And then he'd make room for himself or he'd run at people and kind of get extra yards. So with none of those where he was going out and coming back and giving him a homes, like in an under-off game, even it was just kind of, everything was go long, go long, go long. It was like they panicked on the big stage, which you would not expect from the team who'd won the previous two.
00:17:01
Speaker
Other than that, I am looking forward to the offseason. T, he's going to put out a bit of a cryptic tweet there today as well. So I think he's going to be on the move now as well. So I think there's a good lot coming. It's going to be a wild offseason, I think. Yeah, yeah, crazy stuff. And obviously we haven't mentioned the fact that we're getting a game here in Ireland. and That's coming next season with the Steelers playing here. But next week we're going to have Jimmy English on from Steelers Ireland and Gaelic Red Iron so he's going to talk with us about that and we're going to talk about Steelers Ireland in general but we're also going to talk about the the game and how excited we are for that and there'll be plenty of coverage on that over the summer so we wanted to just focus on the Super Bowl for today but yeah that's that's pretty much it season wrapped up and what a season it was but
00:17:50
Speaker
let's Let's move on now and hope next season brings a bit more joy for our Jets and Giants. But onto your team now for the football. So you've got the team this week to cover. And of course, you've gone for Liverpool. The High Flyers, your love. I'll let you lead the way here.
00:18:13
Speaker
Yeah, do you know what? It's been a couple of weeks now and I thought it's it's about time that we give them a bit of credit because what they're doing this season just so unexpected and they have been i pretty much flawless almost across all the competitions. Helping the Premier League, the chances going nine points clear tonight against Everton, helps scam the in the Caribou Cup Final.
00:18:37
Speaker
Players like Gravenberch and Dyke, they're all they're playing out of their skin. Gravenberch looks like a new man. I don't think the same man we had last season because this season looks like a completely new player under Ernie's loss. I just think they've been incredible. It's a slower tempo football than what we had on the clock, but it actually seems to suit the players better than the clock side of the play they did last year. The slow build up from the back.
00:19:01
Speaker
They're just, they're a joy to watch. I look forward to watching them every week now again. Didn't really enjoy them at the weekend, but it was a second string team. So from you know like it's great being in the conversation with a quadruple, but you're never going to win a quadruple. So you might as well get to all stash nice and early and just move on with the show if either of theirs we won. Yeah. I think I heard, I don't know if you listened to today's T4 podcast episode, but they were talking about Liverpool and Joe said like that, uh, he is happy that the quadruple chat is over because he's like, I didn't want to spend time talking about something I knew wasn't going to happen. So like that's fair because yeah, just get that out of the way because that's just a distraction more than anything to be honest. And you even had bits of that like last season, the talk of yeah multiple, multiple trophies. And it's just, it's just a distraction, but in general,
00:19:56
Speaker
You've lost four times I think all season i and all competitions. That speaks for itself. Like what really more can you say there? I think the most goals scored by any team in the Premier League and the least goals conceded. So the best attack and the best defense all around the best team. Still in for a treble I've noted here. Obviously I think it's very difficult to compete on all fronts, but you have the Carabao Cup Final.
00:20:23
Speaker
So that's already won the year. You're already in the final, so it's only one more game. and But obviously the Premier League and the the Champions League are a bit more difficult, especially the Champions League, given the quality in that while you're trying to defend, not sorry, not defend, fend off challengers in the Premier League. So I think it is difficult to do something like a travel, obviously, and but I think a double even would be an unbelievable season. Even a one trophy would have been an yeah excellent start for Sloth. Considering, like you said, I think that kind of what you said there, an unexpected start is like, you kind of forget that you've just got a new manager because it's so seamless the way it moved in from the way Klop had Liverpool playing. and But ah the man I want to focus on is Salah.
00:21:14
Speaker
like this guy, like watching him play, actually against Spurs in that game when we were like more as a team, and Liverpool were excellent, but Salah was quiet. But 99% of the time when you watch him play, it's just unbelievable. Like he has the most goals and assists by a player over 32 years of age ever in the Premier League already. And that was Vardy that held their record previously with 28. Salah has 34 at this point. So you're looking at 34 goals and assists in total in 23 games. That is absolutely disgusting. I don't understand how he's doing that. And the most ever obviously is Shearer and Cole. Those were in the seasons with 42 games. So if we look past those, that was 47 to be honest. if He could reach that in a 38 game season, but the most in 38 game season are Holland and Henri who both have 44.
00:22:10
Speaker
So those were 20 years of apart, once in 2022 with and Henri. So he needs 11 more in the last 15 games to match that record, to break that record, sorry. So to be honest, I think he could he could easily do it. If you look at the way he's going, like 34 in 23 games, it's not slick. Look, he's 26 goals and 18 assists in all competitions across the season.
00:22:39
Speaker
Like he's just, he's been absolutely phenomenal. Even the passing of a it's either needle stuff, like kind of just, in order to put it every time, he's almost mastered this trivalo with the outside of his foot.
00:22:53
Speaker
though, and any time that comes off, it looks absolutely unbelievable. But I'd just like to go back to the whole team for a second and just talk about us all. Like, in the league, they've played 23-17, sorry, yeah, 23-17, drew five and lost one. The expected goals.
00:23:09
Speaker
is 53.9. They've.8. They've conceded 21. But they're expecting all differences plus 33.1, and it's actually 35. They're on their metrics across the board, and we've seen them place. And there has been like to been a couple of results that have annoyed me over the season. Obviously, there has been with the Newcastle one, for example, conceding legs.
00:23:32
Speaker
and the forest loss at home obviously at the time was terrible but if you were to go over the game and then put down the results you'd think should have happened. I think 17-5-1 is a pretty good standard of where they actually have is where they have actually been over the course of the season. like I think, as I said, the chance to go 90 points here tonight is it's absolutely massive.
00:23:53
Speaker
Now I know it's a derby and it's it's always different, but if they can go out there tonight and get their job done, like it's just it's one hell of a, like you're in a great position to end with 15 games left to go. Yeah, no, I think tonight's game is massive and yeah, all bets are off in a derby. Last game, last derby in Goodison Park as well. Everton on good form, they won their last three in the prem. So yeah, it's it's far from easy, but a win would be like kind of, it would be such and another big step. and I think Looking at and the team as a whole, I think I've said to you multiple times that one of the players that sends out to me is McAllister. Yes, he's not one of the names that gets as much shout and he you may not start every single game, but when he does play, you can just see his freedom in that team because he knows he has the legs around him. And of course he can cover a lot of ground himself. He also has that kind of safety blanket around of
00:24:50
Speaker
the ability of the players around him and he can express himself a lot more than he did upright and um and you kind of see that the way he plays for Argentina almost come out with those tricks and when he starts to feel good about his performance the shots he takes on but to to even to go back to your point about being on pace and that points out to me more than anything no stupid mistakes like no needless giving away games. Obviously there's games where you you feel like you could have done better but in general just solid football and a strong game plan and that comes from the players as well as the coach. So I think in general
00:25:31
Speaker
there's no real negative. Obviously the Plymouth losses is is funny because they're bottom of the championship. But like, look, yeah these these things do happen. But as the United fan, like obviously looking at that, like you'd be laughing at us if we lost that. So you have to have something here this season. But look, I think the only other negative is the contract situations. And I think they're overblown in terms of how much they're talked about at this point.
00:25:56
Speaker
So I think that that stuff will sort itself out. And obviously the transfers are annoying for for Liverpool fans because I don't honestly know what they're doing over there with that that whole side of things. But that's kind of one for another day, I suppose, in the summer because they've been they've been excellent on the pitch and to to a man like really excellent. That's great. I also have an Irish man there playing plenty of games this season with Calla Hearn. This is brilliant.
00:26:24
Speaker
Yeah, I think what you would two were saying there were McAllister as well. Like, Wyndham and Field is McAllister, Govenberch and Sobbidly. Like, they seem to work so well together, where they can all draw and do the dirty work, but they're all kind of covering each other as well. So, Govenberch, First Form, McAllister drops in, obviously drops in for McAllister. Like, the way a day at three of them kind of interlink and play, it's just, it's been a joy to watch. Especially recently, Sobbidly seems to have gone up a gear as well, as well as we had Gavyn Varshan to last since Christmas maybe. He starts going more goals, he's linking up better with Dalla and Gatbo, he's just, seen that he's not a man who looks completely different and and like maybe he just needed more time with Sloth to kind of understand the positioning of the plane because that's starting to see when he's the one that I would have dropped and now he almost looks un-droppled again now but the whole midfield looks un-droppled at the moment.
00:27:13
Speaker
Like you could nearly, you could rattle off 10 of the 11 teams. Sorry, 10 of the 11 players are going to start every week because they're the ones on form and they all look, the partnerships are all incredible. The only one would be maybe Dias coming out for Jada if he was fit or something, but the other 10 are pretty much, pretty much all nailed on. Like it's just, it's mad at the fitness levels of one as well. I haven't really suffered with that many injuries this season as well compared to last year compared to other teams in the league dish as well. So.
00:27:40
Speaker
But yeah, it's it's just been they've been a joy to watch and I just hope it continues now and they don't fall off a cliff from there. and But I can't see that. No, I don't think so. I think it's it's well set up and even whatever happens in the summer with incomings and outgoings, I think Slott is a good coach. So I think you've got a good game plan, a good system now. So definitely a solid, solid years ahead. It's not a not a fall off like you previously had, you know, there's, there's not that issue that there. I don't think early and in my eyes, I think there's no, I don't think there's anything to fret in terms of how, how this is going to translate to future seasons. So yeah,
00:28:18
Speaker
i don't lie in absolutely flying it top of the league. What more can be, but I've gone for, I've gone for a man, um, a man who's on top on his top form as well. Obviously team he's playing for aren't top of the league, but he has been performing excellently and also in this team's Champions League season, which was has been absolutely
Young Talent in Football
00:28:41
Speaker
insane. So I'm talking about Morgan Rogers for Aston Villa. He's just been watching him play, like in general has just been superb. I think I've kind of, I've kind of his background and it was it's been a very quick ride because
00:28:57
Speaker
He's one of those City Academy products, of course, that there's been many that they've sold on. But, you know, when he went to Borough last season, or two seasons, I suppose it was that like in the summer at the start of last season that he went there. So he was there for... eighteen months Yeah, so he when he was there under Carrick, he was excellent. And in in the Championship and League Cup in that half a season, that last half a season, he's had seven goals and eight assists.
00:29:26
Speaker
i think Carrick has been a very good coach in general for Middlesbrough and I think he kind of helped the likes of Rodgers along very nicely and it was a nice stepping stone for him and then to move to Villa um I think half of last season he was impressive but he's one of those players that you kind of looked at and you were thinking will he end up adding goals and assists to his game or is he just kind of a powerful athlete and then you look at him this season and he's been on another level altogether so he's had 11 goals and six assists in all competitions in 33 games, his physical level is just astounding. Like he's 22 years of age and ah he's playing this well. He's this strong. He's that strong of a runner. Some of the, some of the times he gets on the ball, you're just thinking, is anyone going to be able to take it off him? Like he's exactly what a modern midfielder, modern attacking midfielder should be with the way the game has gone and his powerful runs and his physical level are just something to behold when he plays.
00:30:25
Speaker
Villa have an absolute gem, what a move there. and They're only going to get stronger as time goes on, like him and the team. Yeah. And just to go back to your point on his goals and assists, like, so in the league in Champions League alone, he has nine goals and five assists, like any sport against Spurs as well. So he's showing up on the big stage every time as well. He's not just doing it in like garbage trying goals, as they'd say in like a football or basketball. He's kind of, he's showing up when they need him. it turned Nine goals and five assists in the league in Champions League. His first time in Champions League with Aston Villa who weren't expected to be there.
00:30:57
Speaker
I think it's its incredible. And like he's six foot two. like he's He's a big lad. He's not getting knocked off the ball. and He's not being bullied. He's the one who's kind of doing the bullying, if anything, kind of just like shrugging the fingers off. And he links up. I think he links up so well with Watkins as well. They seem to have a really good understanding when they're going up front for villains. I just said they really do have a jam on their hands. And I think he's another 70 or 80 million pound player in two or three years and feel like kind of fall off the height around at the moment. And he wants to go and play regular Champions League football.
00:31:28
Speaker
yeah Yeah. And he's shown that he can play on that stage, as you've said, how how impressive he's been. I think in that game when they played Juventus, watching that, that was such a big game and watching him in that, the way the crowd was behind him and how how strong he was on the ball, it was like a lot of people might not have known who he was outside of the the English Premier League watchers at that point. And even then, not everybody would have been too familiar with him. And you could see then his his ability in that game. And it's, it's just grown from there. He's already got his first call up for England. So he has two caps. One of them was against Ireland. And I was just thinking that that modern midfielder, him next to Bellingham with someone like Rice sitting behind them, like England, I don't, I don't think they can mess this up. Like
00:32:21
Speaker
Previously, we looked at some selections and you're thinking, what is this England team doing? Obviously, you know, we we don't mind if they pick a bad team and we're, you know, whatever. But if they, if they, if they just simply watch the games, having those two lads together, like who's going to stop that midfield, that dominance, that physicality is just on another level. And the guy loves the tackle as well. He loves to stick in a boot. He has the second joint, second most cards in the,
00:32:49
Speaker
yellows in the Premier League with ace. So he needs to watch out and there could be a suspension coming up. a second front attack Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just like if he's just, he'd been everywhere for us. and ah Like I just said, he've making titles he's he's assisting, he's scoring and anything that Villa needs him to do on a weekly basis, he's doing this. No bother to him. I think he has been, he's been a revelation from, he really has come and they call us to show with another one who's come up from the championship.
00:33:17
Speaker
And you've been a bargain like Adam Wharton's not the one I know isn't to get to see the palace but the six months here that the end of last season for palace turned into a different team. Absolutely incredible so it goes to shoulder to definitely our players in the championship that's team should be looking at spring in because.
00:33:33
Speaker
So let's say if he went back to Man City and he was doing this now, then everyone would be like, oh, it's great. They brought back in a kid and instead of having to pay maybe $70 or $80 million to get him back in tears, I could have gotten him back for $8 million. night So yeah I think the more scouting needs to be done in that league because there's some serious, serious talent center. Rockevato is doing it for Wofford at the moment, yeah not last night, he but in general, like even another man who's in top four in the championship. And I just think, I think Morgan Rogers has been incredible. I think you have Grace, a great man to pay because he deserves a good bit of credit for what he's been doing. Yeah, I think that playing in that league in general develops you a lot physically as a player. well And I think I kind of mentioned last week when I spoke about Irish transfers and how I thought that
00:34:19
Speaker
moving to other European leagues is a better move than staying in England forever. But I think starting in the championship and then moving abroad like kind of what Festy has just done and a lot of other guys have done. I think that's a good move too. Obviously for Rodgers he is English so playing in England is obviously his top priority there and he's he's done Such a good job to take that next step. I think kind of a side point there to what you mentioned of looking at players in that league. I think Hayden Hackney might be another one to keep an eye on now with Bura. Watching him, another Bura talent working with Carrick, watching him play for them is just unbelievable player. I'm very young, very strong, dominant, has a good shot. So that's another way to keep an eye on. But I think in general, Rodgers is only going to grow
00:35:06
Speaker
He's only going to get better and I've i've been extremely impressed with him this season and he's a great addition to this Villa team. So I think, i think like you said, possibly one that could go for 70 or 80 million, to be honest, he has that kind of swagger on the pitch and the way he plays that. You could see him playing for a European giant truck outside of the Premier League. He wouldn't look out of place for a Real Madrid or a PSG, like to be honest, right now. Definitely.
00:35:33
Speaker
Yeah, I think I was not yet saying them anyway, so unless you're venting on Saturday, I think we're good to move on to our first game of today, I believe. Yeah, game time, man. Take it away. But my favourite game, my absolute favourite game, we're going to talk about our Ganshants for this week, Ganshants for this week. And I think at the moment it's 14-4 to me.
00:35:55
Speaker
No, I'm getting obliterated here. like ive had the man but Back-to-back tree, to be correct, one's weeks, but it's a lot more difficult this week because obviously the NFL is over. The NBA is going into the All-Star weekend, so we've had to pick three teams from the championship. Do you want to get south in the Premier League? Do you want to give me your tree first and then I'll give you mine? Okay, cool. Yeah, like you said, for a play, I told everyone to back you last week and they better have because listen lads he picked three quality underdogs now i picked one ah one of them as well so like i'm just looking embarrassed here every week with three ones like across the board i got one right every week like i was thinking and yeah keep going one right two right the odd time this man is like three right so i hope he listened to me and i hope he backed and what he is what he what he put out there last week obviously this week is more difficult like you said but what i've gone for is
00:36:50
Speaker
the most viable option two of the most viable options and one just one that I didn't know which to pick last, so I went with this. So first I went with Newcastle to beat City away. So City are four to five, Newcastle are 13 to five. City put a lot into that game last night against Real and I think Newcastle have had an extended break into this game. I think their away form has improved a lot in Newcastle considering they used to just be a home team and they look impressive away as well.
00:37:18
Speaker
and They're on the same points as City right now. So if they do win this game, they'll go ahead of them in the league. They're only buying them on goal difference. So going with Newcastle there, then I've gone with Everton to beat Palace. So they're away to Palace. Palace are 19 to 20 and Everton are 29 to 10. Now, to be honest, I could see this one being more of a draw, but I thought it's an OK pick to have. Palace are in good form. So this one's kind of up in the air, but Everton have won their last three and
00:37:48
Speaker
I know they're playing Liverpool tonight so that doesn't help the cause but they did get something tonight they might get a big boost going into the weekend there away and their game plan is just going to be to sit back soak up the Palace pressure and similarly it could be like another 1-0 to how they beat Brighton. And then lastly I've gone with Wolves to beat Liverpool so We just went down to Liverpool being so good. Actually, to be honest, I don't think this is going to happen, but I had to pick a third one. and But yeah, Liverpool are 1-5 and Wolves are 11-1. They just beat Villa and Liverpool have a big game tonight, am a big derby. Similarly, I think there could be possibly something if something happens tonight that Liverpool go into it.
00:38:35
Speaker
kind of on the back foot, but to be honest, I can't see that happening either. But yeah, that's just kind of a filler there for me for the third one. Do you know what, like at 11 to one, like they are probably word of Fiverr, like at 11 to one, it's a match between two teams at the end of the day on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. 11 to one, I think is crazy money for Premier League match for any team. The Premier League game, especially. Yeah, no matter how bad they are. I actually also have Newcastle to beat City.
00:39:03
Speaker
Nice. I just, like going away for City in the past, it was 12 months ago, which a lot of teams have shown this year, and Newcastle are a really, really good team. The fact that they are the underdogs at that kind of level is what's been the most. Like I thought it'd be a far more even spread on that, especially with the Champions League games. Now, as you said, Newcastle have had a free week going into the game and City still are not themselves.
00:39:30
Speaker
There's like the players dropping like flies again. Nico is out now as well. I don't know how long for. He started five centre backs last night against Real Madrid and the Champions League and it almost worked, but it didn't in the end and they lost. They lost. OK, I think we can often have time with injury and that as well. So that's another another one they've lost. I have actually gone back to back on Southampton. But I'm in our 92 to be performance at the weekends. I was looking at that one and I was like,
00:40:00
Speaker
to come on like Bournemouth, they're just on a different level. I know they are both like Bournemouth have been going through a bit of a rocky spell now. During the last Liverpool, they were excellent against everything in the FA Cup, but Southampton have to be knocked out of the FA Cup. They're like, they've after their win last weekend, they kind of need to.
00:40:17
Speaker
They just need to get wins on the board and there's places that you can get them. You're not going to get them at the likes of Otra for more than like the, I know, you yeah, you know, the one there. You won't get them a city, you won't get them a Liverpool. So they need to be looking at the games. It's probably better than my one for the Wolves than Liverpool. And then my third pick this week, I've gone for another out of the box zone, but I backdip switched to go away and beat Villa. They're turning to Villa 4-11.
00:40:45
Speaker
They're kind of on a bounce back. I know we're just talking about how good Morgan Rogers is and all that, but we have a lot of new players are trying to get into the team as well. They have a sense of the audio of Rashford. Like you you never know. And like, on again, another one on a day where anyone can talk to a Premier League on the winning game.
00:41:01
Speaker
and being being limited to 10 games and a lot of them aren't really in our favor for this game this week. So yeah, a bit like you with Wolves and Liverpool. I think i I did need to go for one of them that was outside the box. So I've gone for Ipswich to go away and be filler. Yeah, I think it's it's tough. Like I don't think either of us really think Wolves or Ipswich are going to win, but it's just like,
00:41:25
Speaker
we're going against odds on favorites. So there's only, I think only five across the weekend. We picked all five between the two. Yeah. So look, we've gotten with different ones too, which is actually interesting. Oh, the only one we didn't go for was Lester and Arsenal. But like, I think that's, yeah, Arsenal are on a bit of a tear trying to get up the league at the moment. So unless they're just shockingly bad. But yeah, I think, I think not bad shoots. Look, we, we work with what we've got.
00:41:54
Speaker
Let's see how you go this week. If you get another five-pointer this week, I'll actually be so shocked because this week is so hard. So let's see. Let's see how it goes. But look, to be honest, you're on a roll now. So I need to start clawing some points back.
NBA All-Star Weekend Preview
00:42:09
Speaker
So next, we're going to touch on for the and NBA. We're going to talk about the All-Star Weekend in general. So we're just going to talk about um different points across the different games, obviously the main thing. so and Just a quick rundown so of it. Obviously, this episode will be coming out on Friday. so On Friday, it's Rising Stars and Celeb Games, so like nobody really cares about Friday. Saturday, Skills Challenge. No one really cares about that either, to be honest. like Honestly, if you're watching the Skills Challenge, you need to get some kind of help. and Let's move on to the three-point contest. That's what we want to talk about. We want to talk about three-point contest, and I would have liked to talk about the slam dunk contest, but it's absolutely useless. Once again,
00:42:52
Speaker
Boring, like last year it was tragic. They said, let's bring back a similar lineup. So let's focus on the three-point contest and we we'll talk about our gripes with the slam dunk as well. But the field is Jalen Brunson, Kate Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyler Hero, Buddy Heald, Cam Johnson, Damian Lillard, and Norm Powell. So what do you reckon? and I think, again, like it's hard to look past Jelen Brunton on that. I know there are a lot of good options there. I think Tyler Hero would be able to shout this year as well, but I do think Jelen Brunton is on fire for the Knicks at the moment. He put 43 up on the Rockets there not too long ago as well. He's just... he's hoping like the Knicks are hoping we' going to come into this on a real run of confidence and I could see him just kind of, I could see him blowing down. I know there's a lot of good competitors, but I could see him blowing a lot of them away even in the first round. us I think he could you could see him blowing them away, no bother. Yeah, I think confidence is a lot on this one right now. So that's also why I've gone with a man you mentioned and I've gone with Tyler Hero. So um
00:43:58
Speaker
I looked at in general, like some of the, just to throw in for, for, for you guys, the stats. So behind a couple of things is just, I've gone with, I've looked at Garland and Norman Powell cause I thought they had a pretty high three point percentage. So Garland is the highest up the bunch. He's on 43.8%. He's shooting the lights out this season. He's been superb for the Cavs in general, but and that's on seven attempts per game.
00:44:25
Speaker
And then Norm Powell, as we know, he doesn't know how to play de defense, so he just chucks up shots. So he's he's on 42.9% for the season with 7.9 attempts per game. Hero is 38.8%, so lower than those guys, but still still decent. And he's probably having one of the best seasons of his career. And he's been doubted a lot. And I think he'll take confidence from being one of the Heat's main guys now. And that's on nearly 10 attempts per game, so 9.7 attempts per game that season. like He's just firing them up.
00:44:55
Speaker
And so I think that's, that's why it kind of went with him as the winner, because yeah, he, if the guys who are taking a lot of shots, they're the guys who've had the most practice. Now all of these guys take a lot of shots, but that's why I've kind of, I've gone with him for that. What do you think about the slam dunk contest?
00:45:13
Speaker
I've written here that I think it's an excuse to keep your man, Mac MacLangh, relevant in the NBA, because he does nothing for 364 days a year and then shows up to send on contests. like sarah called long single good thing just goes back to the gd again like I think it's a disgrace. like it really is It's an absolute disgrace. The lineup every year is just this bad. like It's not worth watching. No, it's not at all.
00:45:42
Speaker
He's going to put a chair down, jump over a chair and do a windmill, and that's going to win it. It's rigged to repeat every year. like It's literally just to keep him relevant, so he keeps rolling the GLE for another 12 months. Forget about it. From the days where we had the absolute battles, and the boys jumping over cars, we're looking at Aaron Gordon, like, come on, wait like what why is that gone? We want to see that again. I get the players don't want to risk their bodies.
00:46:12
Speaker
whatever, but come on, we just, what we want to see is Jammer Ant against Anthony Edwards and this like something like that. Pay the man, give them, give them money if you have to, because this is what we, everybody would watch that. That would be insane. And like this year, the fans being able to vote is, is just cool. A little addition, I think they have a bit of a say in it. So that's, we'll see how that goes. But I think that's the only really positive about this. I would like to see someone new winning because I know your man mcron has won it twice and man like honestly yeah like you said he's playing on the rising stars g league team this guy
00:46:50
Speaker
know, like, I don't know, he looked like a so that player who might be in an NBA team at some point, but I don't think so anymore. and I don't think so either. He gets wheeled out once a year to the whole nation, shows up with a couple of sand dogs and then probably can't shoot from the free point line. And I didn't even bother looking up a stats to be honest. I just, there's no point. Like, it's just no point to this whole little thing. If they want to keep going the way they're going with the lineups,
00:47:19
Speaker
they might have done this graphics. Do not yet do anything to try and bring in, as you said, Jammer and Jim Green. like If you're not going to make an effort to get any of those nads in, then there's literally no point to it. like Because watching this lad again, just as I said, jump over a chair and do a windmill, it's just boring. Everyone is sick of us. And even the even the names, like the fact that, OK, no like no offense, I suppose, to these guys. They're NBA players and some of them are good. Like we have Bizellis, Castle, Jackson Jr. and McClung. Stephon Castle is only going to grow in into be a good player and I actually like him. I think he's a good player but it's not the names that would draw the attention of the whole world to watch and I think you could get that like in the three-point contest
00:48:09
Speaker
It's good. It's good to watch, but there's only so much excitement with that. Whereas the slam dunk contest is kind of the epitome of the all star weekend. Absolutely. Yeah. We would like those big names obviously in there, but, um, then looking at the, looking at the actual games, I'll really quickly run through the three teams. So, um, team Shaq is LeBron, Steph, Kyrie, who's stepping in for Anthony Davis, Jason Tatum, Kevin Durant, Lillard, James Harden, and Jaylen Brown.
00:48:39
Speaker
Then Team Chuck is Jokic, Trey Young, who's stepping in for Giannis, SGA, Wembley, Pascal Siakam, Ehrmann Schengun, Cath, and Donovan Mitchell. And then Team Kenny is Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jaydub, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Kay Cunningham, and Tyler Herro.
00:49:03
Speaker
um so I think the thing is that like semi finals on a final, one of the teams from the rising stars game gets into it. Um, so I've gone with the team. I think we'll win it is team Shaq, but LeBron, Steph, Kyrie.
00:49:19
Speaker
Jason Ted and Kevin Durant. It's basically a rerun of the Olympic team. um yeah I agree with you 100% on that as well. They're the names that get people off their seats, putting the five of them on one team. it It actually could be unfair, and something that but I know the other two things are quality. well and They're full of quality.
00:49:40
Speaker
But you have five lads there who know how to do it. They've all been involved in many, many all-star games. Lebron's 22nd or 23rd running it like it's mad. And up when they are just having fun as well, Steph and Lebron, they seem to click very well together when they are playing in this kind of weekend zone. So like if Joe and the Olympics, they show what they can do. So i don't I think it's hard to look past Team Shack.
00:50:05
Speaker
Yeah, I think that I think that that's a key thing, the fact that they'll be they'll literally be just enjoying themselves out there. So I think, yeah, those guys playing together like Kyrie and Steph throwing lobs up, you know, that LeBron is going to try and get up there for one or two. Then it's just the three pointers because there's so much points scored in these and having Steph and Damian Lillard and James Harden on the same team.
00:50:30
Speaker
I think, yeah, the other teams are excellent too. I think Team Chuck is interested in having Jokic and Wembley on the same team. yeah He's gone for a lot of big men, but like, yeah you know, this is the All-Star game. Like we're looking for a bit of hype and a lot of scores, a lot of fast play. So we've both gone with the same there. are you I've kind of know it as well, just to wrap it up on on the All-Star game, the yeah guys who I thought were snubs, who I thought should have been included. I've gone with Lamello and Tyrese Maxey.
00:51:00
Speaker
ah There's a kind of a note that people have kind of thrown around or Zach Levine who's having a very good season. The Iron Fox who was the other part of that Levine Fox trade. Tyrese Halliburton who has been on and i off with injury, but he's looked excellent. But mainly for me, LaMelo I think brings that enjoyment, I suppose. And a lot of people voted for him. I know it's more like for younger younger viewers that love the highlight reels, love the splash plays, all that stuff. but Yeah, I think that would have added something and he is a good shooter. So I think he could have been a good representative of a small, smaller market like Charlotte. Um, and then Maxie, obviously I'm going to shout him out cause he's a Sixers Sixers man. He wasn't good in the last game, but before that the game before he had 20 odd points and then like eight games before that he had 30 or more points. He's like, I think he's top five in points per game across the season. So he's been excellent and that's what I would have a lot of pieces. He's stepped up a lot.
00:51:55
Speaker
I know that Sixers are far from flying right now, but I think it will stand to him in the future having to play without the other main guys there and guys that are injured. So I think, yeah, I think he should have been included. I think he does deserve it. Who are you most excited to watching? If you want to keep one player? Steph. I love watching Steph in the answer again.
00:52:16
Speaker
I'm really excited to see Anthony Edwards. I think he's been on one second in his order this year and up and coming. I think it's only his second year in the league. Another man who went to town on the Rockets there a couple of weeks back, but he is just, he's excellent to watch. He's so good from three, so good from three. And if he gets into a rhythm at all, just give him the ball and he'll throw up ridiculous shots, especially in the All-Star game. He could be shooting from half-course more than once and just kind of just sinking him down. I think he'll be really fun to watch. And obviously I've been forward to watching Chengoon in a game like that and seeing what he can do with those players around him and see if he's as good as people think he is. Yeah. I know just to throw it out for anybody is going to have a great put it. I know you meant the second time in the All-Star game, but it's like it's hard time now. So yeah. So yeah. Yeah. Just to
00:53:06
Speaker
throw that in there just for people who are going to be like, Oh, it's not his second year in the league. The man meant all-star game, not yeah but his third time there. Like you said, watching him, I think the main thing for that is his three pointers this season, how he stepped up and he's taken a lot more shots. I think that will add to the game. I think we might see him Take a few logo shots, like just to battle. Maybe if he's playing Steph, like that might be a little cool thing to go back and forth with that. And then obviously Edwards can dunk and catch lobs like Steph really can't do that. So yeah, I think it's a good shout for him. And yeah, that's the All-Star Weekend kind of previewed. I'm looking forward to watching the games and the three-point contest as well. And I'll cast my eye over to the slam dunk contest in spite of it. But let's move on then to our to our power rankings.
00:53:57
Speaker
I'll let you fire away first and give us your your update for this week.
Sports Power Rankings Update
00:54:01
Speaker
So I'll just sound say this will be kind of just went that we'll just put the Eagles in from the NFL and then pick the other five across the criminal league and the NBA. So I prepped Liverpool and the top of mine.
00:54:13
Speaker
I know they lost the climate, but I think that they are still the team to beat in the Premier League. They'll have a Champions League game coming up against, it's probably against PSG, but the way things are going. Though I just, say I, there's no reason to drop them yet. If they lose tonight, they might drop the seconds, but at the moment they are flying. With the Eagles in number two, obviously Super Bowl winners deserve to be in it, and if Liverpool weren't doing what they're doing, I would have definitely put an eagle stop. um I have added in Grizzlies. I think they're just, they're running around at the moment, they're just on fire. They're putting up a lot of points every single week and they're just, they're keen to be in as well at the moment too. I have four of the four, they're still going to land nicely. I know they went showing the cop the hard way against Exeter, but there's no need to take them out, they're still absolutely flying, still in the top four in the Premier League. I had the Knicks in at five, and they're eight and two. They're pretty much beating up everyone, they're third in the East now, they're Absolutely flying. Jen and Brunson going into the All-Star Weekend on the back of a really good run. They're a really good team to watch and there's one that's coming into form at the right time as well. Coming out the back end of All-Star Weekend now, they could be probably be a 4-3 record race. And in 6, I have another new entry in Newcastle.
00:55:26
Speaker
They're in the Cup finals. They're true in the FA Cup. They're flying in the league. Evac's quality on form. Anthony Gordon on form, incredible. Even Jacob Murphy looks like a good footballer at the moment. They're just saying they're they're a really good team to watch and it's all positive for him at the moment. Yeah, yeah nice. You've gone a few changes there. I like it. But I have to say I disagree. I'm going to have a gripe with you now because that Eagles not being top after winning the Super Bowl. That's like Liverpool winning in the Champions League. And you put, you put like the Chiefs first because they just lost to the Raiders. Like you just lost to Plymouth. Come on, man. Slip down one spot there for the for those mighty Eagles. That may have been my bias. May have been my bias stepping in. bo Possibly. We're we're we're not bias podcasts. I don't know what you're talking about. Yeah. Yeah. we we You see how unbiased I was and see how I talked about Liverpool. Like, like I love them.
00:56:26
Speaker
Very, very good, very good analysis and very, yeah you know, very well reserved. It kept my ah my fan tendencies at bay. But I know, yeah, I think Liverpool obviously unreal season. That's why I've got them in second. So Eagles are first for me then Liverpool. New entry for me then in the Lakers. So in general, like we're looking at, we're looking at the season as a whole, but also having a heavy emphasis on recent forum given.
00:56:51
Speaker
like how Shane's got Forrest in there. He's got the Grizzlies in there. They might not be top of the league, but they've on good form and their season as a whole has been good. So I think the Lakers did deserve maybe a bit of a shout at this point because nine and one in their last 10, they've won six in a row, beaten the Warriors, Clippers, Knicks, Celtics, and most of those games were without Luca um and they still don't have a center. I think they're going to get Alex Lennon now after the Williams trade breakdown. So they're third for me. I think they do deserve it.
00:57:21
Speaker
I could see them possibly moving, moving down and up, depending on where the rest of the season could go. But yeah, they're, they're in third for me for based on last week and recent months. Then I've got the Thunder back in. Um, so I think just the fact that they beat the Grizzlies is what knocked the Grizzlies out for me and put the Thunder in. I think just obviously they were top. I think they were, they were like third for me or second earlier on and same for you.
00:57:48
Speaker
And it's kind of up and down because they do lose. They have lost a couple of more games recently, but I've got them in there because they beat the Grizzlies, beat the Suns, scoring 140, 144 against the kids. Like, I don't know. They're just unbelievable and they're getting checked back. They're only going to get more. They're only going to get better. I honestly can't see anybody else winning the, winning the West apart from another team that I'm going to bring up. But next I've got Newcastle, same as you, I think look six in the frame only on goal difference as I mentioned earlier with City during the cup final after dismantling Arsenal over two legs and then the Nuggets are the last team who I think are the kind of the only other challenger in the West at the moment like that I see I know there's other challengers there other good teams but I do think they're the main challenger for the for the Thunder with the fact that they're on a seven game winning streak and
00:58:38
Speaker
Jokic has been excellent all season, but he's just a ridiculous player and things are coming together. He's out of this world, what he's doing. That shot from the corner the other day, like all the memes, all the memes on the week where you put up 23.9 seconds of perfect defense and Jokic does this and you're just like, what are you going to do? Like he's literally backed into a corner. He you can't take another step because he's gone out of bounds and he just chalks it up. He's just pretty excited and he's a ridiculous basketball player.
00:59:07
Speaker
No, he's unbelievable. And just was going to shout out like Jamal Murray taking a little bit of an improvement after a bad start. and Michael Porter Jr as well. I've been solid this season. So yeah, they're in six for me. So slightly different lists. It's good to see a bit of variety between our two. Um, so any other, any other business you want to wrap up with? It's just a small one. And it is a small one because either small man, both Ronnie James is not an awesome NBA caliber player.
00:59:35
Speaker
he's he's He's not an NBA kind of a player at the moment anyway. Maybe he will get there, but he's not at the moment. I was looking there, he is the lowest free throw percentage in NBA history at the moment. so Four of every thousand shots four of every television charts he takes goes in on average. He's at like 0.04% field goal success rate.
00:59:58
Speaker
He's literally living on his border skirt, on his border coattails at the moment. He goes down to G League and shows up twenty odd points and then comes back up and there's absolutely nothing but hinder the Lakers. I really don't see him ever being good enough to be in the NBA. I think he'll be a G League or a European player, but I don't think he has it in him to be an NBA player full time. No, I don't know. I think, yeah, I don't think he should have got drafted at all, to be honest.
01:00:26
Speaker
I think he should have been undrafted, but maybe it was the fact that someone was, someone was just going to wait and take him right at the end. Just sort of Lakers that have to trade for him so he could play with LeBron. Maybe they were worried about that, but I don't know. I just, and I didn't like the thing of that three pointer he scored and everyone was clapping as if like, is the fan playing the game? yeah Like he's an NBA player, like he's there to make shots. Looking at his G league stats. Um, he's in seven games. He's gone.
01:00:57
Speaker
27 minutes, 13.4 points, like 36% from the field. Like you mentioned with his bad shooting, like 21% from three, 66% from the free throw line, like three turnovers per game. Like, I think even for the G league stats, it hasn't been good. Yeah, there's a lot of time for him to grow. And I think he might. that's You can't rule anything out, especially if if he works hard and LeBron is there, you know, working hard with him. but If he's anybody else similar to like, you know, tenacity, whatever, it's probably that kind of probably the harsh on tenacity at this point, because Branny isn't that level. Like, ah yeah, I agree that I don't think he should be an NBA player. Maybe he should, he would be better suited to playing in Europe, but I don't, that's not going to happen. He has the name, he has the ability to stick around. So let's see, maybe he'll improve, but yeah, I think in fairness to you, you're, you're fairly on the.
01:01:55
Speaker
you're fairly on the right track there at what you've said. Do you hit the nail on the head? But yeah, that's, I think that's pretty much it. That's what we've got for this week with Shane wrapping up with an absolute dagger to Bronny James. I'm sure he won't care. No, I doubt he'll care at all. And definitely won't hear this. But anyway, yep. You never know, man. He might be like filtering all content to have his name in it so he can hear all the, all the badness and you're in trouble then like you just called him on that.
01:02:22
Speaker
and But yeah, that's it. That's it for this episode. Good to have you back with us. um Obviously, I mentioned that. Yeah, Jimmy will be here next week, so we'll have a guest on for the NFL portion. But let's get this thing rolling again with you back in the fray. Great episode. enjoyed the Enjoyed the chat. And yeah, let's do it all again next week, lads. Please share it around. Give it a like on whatever platform and give it a listen. and Tell people about it if you're if you're enjoying. And we appreciate all the support so far. so
01:02:53
Speaker
best look and we will talk to you again next
01:03:19
Speaker
Best of luck and we will talk to you again next week.