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NBA Conference Finals Roundtable, PL Final Day Battle for CL Qualification + Joy For Crystal Palace, Woe For Manchester Utd.
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NBA Playoffs
- Pacers v Knicks Game 2 quick thoughts
- Confidence in series predictions after 2 games
- Is Haliburton a top 10 player ?
- OKC v Minnesota
- Confidence in prediction after 2 games
- SGA crowned MVP !
Soccer Roundup
- Europa League Final
- FA Cup Final
- Napoli wins Scudetto
Game of the Week
- Matchweek 38 in the Prem
- Battle for CL Spots and our predictions
Recommended
Transcript
Kickoff & Weekend Excitement
00:00:10
Emeka
What's good? What's good? What's happening? Back with episode 26 and love of the game recording on a Friday night right after an Indiana versus New York game two.
00:00:21
Emeka
I'm here with my man Chinnaw. What's good, Chinnaw?
00:00:24
Chino Onwuka
Hey, TGIF, TGIF. I'm so glad it's the end of the week.
NBA Playoffs & Pacers' Dominance
00:00:30
Chino Onwuka
And what a wait-around of the week, just talking ball with with you guys as usual. And what a week it's been. I know we're going to get into it, but between you know what we're going to talk about with NBA playoffs and what's been happening in the world of football, man, we've got a lot to cover, so let let's get to it.
00:00:47
Emeka
ah ah Exactly. Although, end of the week for some, not for all of us. And, of course, we're here with the third option down in the dunker spot, my main man Chuku. What's going on, bro?
00:00:58
Chuku
Bro, not the third option, but hey, what up, what up, guys? I'm listen you know glad to be here, glad to be hanging out with the with the crew. We're here to give you you know another episode, another banger, and yeah, looking forward to chopping it up with the boys.
00:01:14
Chuku
Although, don't know how feel about that third option. Maybe you kind of reward that a little bit better, my bro, but hey, third but not the least. I'll take that, I'll take that, but let's go.
00:01:23
Chino Onwuka
Hey, you know what, Chukwu, I'm not saying I agree with him or anything, but you know use that as motivation. you know bring Bring it all that you've got. They show him that you're the star man tonight.
00:01:32
Chuku
Thank you.
00:01:34
Chino Onwuka
I believe in you.
00:01:34
Emeka
Listen, we run that pace or offense, man. Whoever's hot can get it. Like, Neesmith's the fourth option by
Pacers' Success & Player Highlights
00:01:39
Emeka
game one. You saw what he did. And on that note, we're, again, like I mentioned, recording this right after game two of the Eastern Conference Finals.
00:01:50
Emeka
The Indiana Pacers, no comeback this time. Just a ah ah dominant performance from second half especially. Take a 2-0 lead over the New York Knickerbockers.
00:02:02
Emeka
And just throw it to the floor. Anybody have any quick thoughts following that game? i mean, we recorded this after game one, we'd all have heart attacks right now. So in comparison, game two is still good. But yeah, not not as crazy as game one.
00:02:16
Chino Onwuka
yeah And you know what? It's probably yeah good that you phrased it like that because, yeah, let's let's just even start with game one. First of all, i just want to say just on the higher level, like, again, I think I've i've i've given my apologies multiple times on this pod because the Pacers keep surprising me series after series. I'm going to hold my hands up. I have not picked them for any series yet in this playoffs, and they just keep – I wouldn't even say hanging in there, but like they're playing really well. Like I've, the thing is I liked, always liked Indiana. i've been talking about them for a while.
00:02:53
Chino Onwuka
You guys will know in the group chats, but I just thought there was a certain ceiling to them and you know, they're good team, but there's, there's teams tiers above, but they just keep, you know, whether it be through, you know, injury luck or whatever, it doesn't matter. They've done what they have to do. And now they're two oh up in the Eastern conference finals.
00:03:13
Chino Onwuka
partly due to a crazy, crazy comeback in Game 1, which had everything. it had shout-out Arsenal fan Ernest Smith hitting five 3s in a row in sort of what's normally garbage time to to bring the game back. You had the crazy sequence with Halliburton going for the kill.
00:03:39
Chino Onwuka
Seemed like a miraculous three-point to took to win the game, but no, his toe was on the line. He even brought out the choke sign. Was it going to be too early? Did he jinx it?
00:03:50
Chino Onwuka
No, they still pull it out um um in in overtime in in the garden. Another really, really impressive performance and in in game two. And yeah, my my thoughts are just...
00:04:05
Chino Onwuka
Like i so I see how they're doing it, but I'm just surprised
Series Predictions & Knicks' Challenges
00:04:09
Chino Onwuka
still. I'm just surprised. And you know, yeah.
00:04:11
Emeka
Fair enough.
00:04:13
Chuku
Yeah, I mean, I just got to piggyback off...
00:04:13
Emeka
And real quick, to piggyback off this point, just to mention his predictions. As ah ah lot our listeners would know, we've been predicting series throughout the playoffs.
00:04:27
Emeka
ah ah At the end of round two, scores are, I called him the third option because he's in third place. Chukwu with eight points. Second, Chukwu with 12. And first, your boy here with 13. And that's because I'm the only guy who ends up picking Indiana.
00:04:42
Emeka
And before we recorded today, this earlier this week, before the series started, we all put our predictions in. And Chukwu and Chukwu both have the Knicks in seven. And I have the Pacers in six.
00:04:54
Emeka
So Chukwu, I want to ask you, two games in now, Knicks down 2-0. What is your confidence in your Knicks in seven predictions?
00:05:05
Chuku
I'd be lying to you if I said I had much confidence, especially having lost two games at home. I mean, it's on to the Knicks to, you know, to show they have the the better players. But right now, I mean, you got to give the Pacers all the credit that they deserve. I mean, they came to the garden, balled out, never showed any fear towards a hostile crowd.
00:05:35
Chuku
And they've just been consistent. I think – I mean, i much as, like, you know, I really thought the Knicks had, like, the better starting five, looking at it, by names, I just think, wow like, the Pacers just have a very, very, like, interesting team. Like, I think you really have – we need to start putting more respect. I know talk about, like, Halliburton and, you know – You know, he deserves his his respect for sure.
00:06:04
Chuku
But one thing I got to start adding on to that is the supporting cast. Like, Nembhard is a baller, bro. Like, I don't know what more Nembhard has to do. i really think, like, Nembhard is a very, very underrated. Like, he is very good guard in the league. Like, it used to be like a case where, you know,
00:06:26
Emeka
you
00:06:27
Chuku
Maybe you'd be lucky if it was a, you know, when he first started, Lucky makes a rotation, you know, six man. Now starting like this guy, very, very solid.
00:06:39
Chuku
And I mean, Naismith, like, wow. Game one. Like, where did that come from? Like, the funny thing about Naismith is that if you follow that guy when he was in, you know, Boston, and even before he got to the league in college, he's actually really been a really, really, you know, pretty good shooter. So this shouldn't really surprise folks who have, like, heard about him.
00:07:03
Chuku
i mean, correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't he a first-round pick?
00:07:05
Chino Onwuka
yeah Before you keep going, I don't know if you're confusing Nembhard with someone else, but Nembhard has been ah ah starter since he got into the league for for the Pacers. And I think that's, you know, so maybe to your larger point, that's the thing with the Pacers is, you know, they're a a a a small market Midwestern team that isn't really glamorous. You know, no one really pays attention
Western Conference Finals & SGA's Impact
00:07:27
Chino Onwuka
to it. You know, Nembhard has been this solid connective piece, know,
00:07:32
Chino Onwuka
his This is his third year in the league now, and I'm just looking at his stats now. He's doing what he's always done, but you know I think people haven't really watched and seen what he's been doing, and so now it seems a little bit more of a surprise.
00:07:44
Chino Onwuka
And Emeka touched on it earlier. it's an It's an equal opportunity team, and so you know those guys who are the connective pieces, they they stand out a bit more than they would perhaps in another situation.
00:07:57
Chuku
So here's the thing. You said he was a starter, but this is his first year that he's been a full-time starter from the beginning. He's not always been a starter regular starter in his last two years.
00:08:05
Chino Onwuka
So just looking at the stats, his first season, 23, 75 games, he started 63 them.
00:08:14
Chuku
Yeah, ahead.
00:08:15
Chino Onwuka
Last year, second season, I'm wondering if there was some injury there, 68 games, he started 47.
00:08:15
Chuku
Okay. Second season.
00:08:22
Chino Onwuka
So, I mean, it looks like hes he started the majority of games is all I'm trying to say.
00:08:23
Chuku
That's...
00:08:27
Chino Onwuka
His minutes his minutes are are pretty much the same across the three seasons. So, anyway, I just wanted to –
00:08:32
Chuku
Hey, no fair point. ah guess what maybe I should be more clear because I've also followed him. I'm not saying that he hasn't started games before or wasn't. I guess what I'm trying to say is this is his first year. As you can clearly see with this year, because the one star he left out was this year, 65 games started.
00:08:50
Chuku
sorry, 65 games played, 65 games started. sixty five games started Clearly, this year, he has been out and out the full-time starter. that's like Basically, all I'm saying, he's established himself to be that consistent player or so consistent guy for Indiana this season.
00:09:07
Chuku
And he's just built on from what he's been consistently doing since he came into the league. And to your point, I do agree. i Playing for the Pacers, the spotlight isn't typically always going to be on you know, on the Pacers, on the players that play on the Pacers. It's just not.
00:09:24
Chuku
But to his credit, like, he has definitely shown me that, like, this guy is a very, very, like, underappreciated, pretty, very good, very good to, won't say great, but above average guard in the NBA. And To say that I thought that was going to be the case when he got drafted and was coming into the league, I can't say that was you know that was the case.
00:09:50
Chuku
But and shout out to him. And Naismith also been very productive for them. Miles Turner, he's earned himself some money this offseason.
00:10:01
Chuku
Like, the team around Halliburton and Siakam has really been solid. And, you you know, you even go to their bench, having guys like Obi Toppin, glad to see him being productive, you know, being a good part of, know, a very good bench to go along with, you know, I mean, the other Canadian in, you know, Matherin.
00:10:23
Chuku
Like, help the Pacers have a really, really, really good, you know, surrounding cast. And, yeah, feel like... Clearly, I've definitely underrated them.
00:10:35
Chuku
I didn't think that they were going to have enough to you know beat beat the Knicks. But here we are. They are 2-0. and oh And if they end up you know either closing the game in four or win in five, I mean, I have to hold my hands up and just you know basically but admit I was wrong because i definitely did not see this.
00:11:00
Emeka
i
00:11:01
Chuku
So yeah, our confidence is
00:11:02
Chino Onwuka
So Emeka, what do you think is the magic sauce? Clearly there's something you're seeing that Chukunai aren't seeing and maybe the rest of the world isn't seeing. What's what's the magic sauce that we're all missing here?
00:11:15
Emeka
It's a testament to the Pacers that we've spent 10 minutes talking about the roster and we've barely talked about a guy who had 39 points today in Pascal Siakam.
00:11:25
Emeka
the The Pacers are just, for me...
00:11:28
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:11:29
Emeka
You know? And that's what that's what I said when I joked about the third option thing earlier. It's but like their first option, Halliburton, he had 14 points today. Like, they're such an equal opportunity team the coach let TJ McConnell run the show for like five minutes in the fourth quarter because he's cooking.
00:11:49
Emeka
And the Pacers are pretty much the Eastern Conference equivalent of Oklahoma City Thunder, except instead of relying on defense, they rely on offense. They play 10 guys. They play hard.
00:12:01
Emeka
And if you're team like the Knicks who only plays, you know, 6-7 on a good day, you're going to get exhausted because you can so many possessions. You see Brunson dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble.
00:12:12
Emeka
shove mario sho five guys and fly to the rim, get fouled, and then just take the ball out, one lead pass, Siakam going down, layup. And then, you know, you get it back just like that.
00:12:23
Chino Onwuka
And, you know, this, this again, is is a little bit of a subtle flex, but, you know, the three of us were all there. I think it's different because we've all seen it live, the pace at which the Pacers play.
00:12:34
Chino Onwuka
You know, especially that inbound, the way they inbound the ball quickly and boom, during the move, like, that pace is so hard to deal with. And with the way the Knicks play, you know, just relying on a small group of players, you know, playing heavy minutes, they've already been playing heavy minutes across the regular season and the playoffs,
00:12:53
Chino Onwuka
it's catching up to them. And, you know, yeah, it's it's one of those things where I don't want to say matchup because, again, they've done it for three rounds now.
00:13:01
Emeka
Exactly. And like they made the Eastern Conference finals last year. and People thought it was a fluke. Fair enough. They did play the Knicks banged up and injured. But that's you play who you play this year. They played the Bucks.
00:13:15
Emeka
Game was injured. That's
Speculations on NBA Finals Matchups
00:13:16
Emeka
life. They played the Cavs. beat them up, and now they're beating up the the Knicks. It's just it's unbelievable to see. And look, I'm riding the Pacers every series.
00:13:28
Emeka
I'm picking them to win in seven. They're winning in five. They're smacking teams up. So it's it's really impressive to see and... I just got to put my hands up because i love i love small market teams excelling.
00:13:42
Emeka
And it's funny coming off you know last week or two weeks ago when the Mavs won the lottery and I read so many people saying, oh man, how can these teams like the Jazz or the the Hornets or the Wizards, how can they succeed with the flying lottery odds?
00:13:58
Emeka
Look at the Pacers roster. Besides Matherin, they really don't play any anyone of the rotation taken in the lottery. And Matherin doesn't even play that much. He's off the bench.
00:14:09
Emeka
Most of their starters are guys taking later rounds.
00:14:12
Chuku
Obi Toppin? What?
00:14:15
Chino Onwuka
victim
00:14:15
Emeka
it's Off the bench. I'm seeing the mean guys who play minutes.
00:14:18
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, and i don't i don't I don't know whether you were listening to the same thing I was listening to, but I was listening to a pod where they mentioned something along those lines where you know the same thing, you know all these words about you know these small market teams, you if you don't get the first or second pick, you're screwed.
00:14:18
Emeka
The mean...
00:14:33
Chino Onwuka
Well, yeah, Indiana is a an example of how you can do it through smart team building and and smart trades in development.
00:14:42
Emeka
Exactly.
00:14:42
Chino Onwuka
Because like the two lottery guys that they have that are in-house,
00:14:43
Emeka
like
00:14:46
Chino Onwuka
I know Turner's from ages ago, but, you know, Mathurin, he, yeah, he's selling the ebbs and flows. Like, you know, sometimes in regular season, they rely on him a lot. I think it
European Football Highlights & Achievements
00:14:55
Chino Onwuka
was close to 20 points at some, a game at some point, but, you know, in the playoffs, he's been more more of a bench guy.
00:15:01
Chino Onwuka
And then Jairus Walker, who I sort of had ah a, lot lot of hopes in as, you know, a, a, an all-around guy who can bring a lot of defense and rebounding, but I think with Siakam coming in, he sort of played that role to a way bigger extent. And so, yeah, no, that's a really good point.
00:15:17
Emeka
you know It's just a testament to, like you said, trade. The thing is, they have guys they traded for who were lottery picks, but like you said, the only two people they drafted, Walker and Mathurin, off the bench.
00:15:29
Emeka
And ah who who would ever thought in a series of...
00:15:31
Chuku
And Walker doesn't even play though. Let's try not to interrupt you, Walker doesn't even play. But yeah, go ahead.
00:15:37
Emeka
Yeah, who would have thought in a series of, you know, the big market Knicks and the small market Pacers, we spend all this time talking about the Pacers, deservedly. So I want to throw it to you, Chiku.
00:15:48
Emeka
You know, we've been talking about the Pacers, but yeah, I mean, obviously series not over yet. If you're a Knicks fan, what are your thoughts following these last two games?
00:16:00
Chuku
And if I'm a Knicks fan, I'm just thinking, how the hell do we lose game one? That's the first thing I'm thinking. Next, I'm just thinking, how do we come back from an 0-2 deficit? Like, I'm pretty sure the stats on that, I don't have the stats in front of me, but when you go 0-2 at home, it doesn't look good for you as the top or the higher seed in that kind of a matchup. I mean,
00:16:25
Chuku
You just got to, at this point, you just got to start approaching it with the next game, one game at a time mentality, you know? See if you can take game three. Well, game three is is is do or die. Because if you go 0-3, you're done. it' It's toast.
00:16:38
Chuku
So you got to go into game three, and do or die. I ain't trying to see no cats sit down on the bench. Like, he better be out there. you better give it, like, your, you know, like, Figure it out. But you better have your top players playing major minutes because you cannot afford to lose that game three.
00:16:57
Chuku
And, you know, if you win game three, you approach game four the same way.
00:16:59
Emeka
Thank
00:17:02
Chuku
and try and bring it back home to New York tied 2-2. Because if you lose a game in Indiana, things are going to start to look very bleak. And if Knicks lose this series, where do even go from here?
00:17:13
Chuku
Like, this is the team you got, you know? This is the team. Knicks ain't changing. I mean, I heard, you know, there were reports about Giannis and the Knicks. I don't know how that would work. I mean,
Impact of Trophy Wins on Team Futures
00:17:25
Chuku
I guess what? Would you guys – I guess I'm curious. Would you guys – entertain Karl-Anthony Towns and...
00:17:34
Chuku
don't know. don't know if they even have picks, but Anthony Towns and something for Giannis.
00:17:37
Chino Onwuka
Knicks don't have anything.
00:17:40
Chuku
Yeah, exactly. They have no have no picks, but I'm saying, would you entertain
00:17:44
Chino Onwuka
They gave all the picks away for Bridges.
00:17:47
Chuku
No, is that exactly my point. They have no picks to to to deal with. So I guess, would you entertain Karl-Anthony Towns and don't know, some...
00:17:58
Chuku
One other player for...
00:17:59
Chino Onwuka
Carl Anthony Towns and Brunson? Sure.
00:18:02
Chuku
Okay, so there you go. done That's not happening.
00:18:04
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:05
Chuku
That's not happening. So either way, like, I mean, you as the Knicks, you're stuck with this team. This is your team for the next few years.
00:18:11
Chino Onwuka
Carl Anthony Towns and the Statue of Liberty. Might have to throw anyone else in because, yeah.
00:18:15
Chuku
Pshh. There you go. There you go. So this is a win now team. And like to lose, to to build to have him built this team, got in all the pieces, made all the trades he's made, and possibly still lose to these Pacers.
00:18:34
Chuku
Man, was going to be a tough pill to swallow. I can't lie. But, yeah, I mean, you really got to look yourself in the mirror and have a serious, serious, you know, offseason of like, I don't like literally Rambo mode in terms of, you know, offseason workouts and come back next year stronger.
00:18:53
Chuku
Because at least, you know and you know, you know next year, Pacers are still going to be there. and Celtics are weaker. we don't know what's going to happen with the, with the you know, with the Bucs.
00:19:03
Chino Onwuka
Okay, my man's already going into the offseason.
00:19:03
Chuku
Cavs still there.
00:19:06
Chino Onwuka
I think the question he asks is, what do they need to do in this series?
00:19:09
Emeka
Hey, man, he gave his answer.
00:19:10
Chuku
What is it?
00:19:11
Emeka
They got to start thinking about the offseason.
00:19:12
Chuku
You got to stay.
00:19:13
Chino Onwuka
yeah
00:19:13
Emeka
Hey, listen, Dick.
00:19:14
Chino Onwuka
So let me, what what what I would say is maybe what you have to do is, and I don't know if you can even do, first of all, again, I said this last episode, shout out Rick Carlisle.
00:19:15
Chuku
Okay, guys.
00:19:28
Chino Onwuka
You said had to mention Siakam, but i think we need to mention his name a lot, but Maybe what you have to do is try and make Halliburton a scorer. Make him have to shoot 50, you know, stay tight on everyone else and make him be a have to be a one-man offense so the other guys don't get going.
00:19:50
Chino Onwuka
Maybe, like,
00:19:50
Emeka
I mean, it's easier said than done
Reflections on Unpredictable Sports Week
00:19:54
Emeka
because the Pacers play so fast, you don't even have time to set up.
00:19:54
Chino Onwuka
yeah.
00:19:56
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. Yeah, because um' I'm just trying to think it through. i think you Brunson has been unreal the whole thing, so there's nothing more you can get from him. I think you've got to rely on your big two.
00:20:08
Chino Onwuka
you know And yeah, I'm actually lost because I don't even know what to say because I can't even say try to outscore them because that doesn't work. But they have to if they're a defensive team, they have to shut them down somehow.
00:20:22
Chino Onwuka
Or maybe... You know, there was something that they they they briefly mentioned at the end of the broadcast where a lot of the guys, I think it was Halliburton, Nesmith, and Nembhard have actually played way better on the road and have been like 20% poorer at home. And so maybe you just have to keep doing what you're doing and just hope they regress to the mean a little bit in terms of their shooting.
00:20:46
Chino Onwuka
And that's your chance. you steal you you You win one at home and away on the road, sorry, in Indiana, and then you just got to win more one more game, and then it's 2-2. But, you know, you have the best player, and you have the best player in in the matchup.
00:21:06
Chino Onwuka
I would have said previously you also have the second best player as high as I rate Halliburton, and so I think they just got to play better and don't give up a 20-point lead because –
00:21:19
Emeka
you
00:21:19
Chino Onwuka
they were They were good enough to build up a 20-point lead against Indiana, right? So that should have been their win. Indiana's a good team. So really, this should be 1-1, and we wouldn't really be we'd be burying the Knicks as as we are right now. So they just got to keep believing in what they're doing and ride ride or die with your guys.
00:21:40
Chino Onwuka
Mitchell Robinson, he's doing a good job crashing the boards and everything, but I looked at the stats, I would have thought he had like 20 rebounds or something. He had nine rebounds. So is is what your'rere you're making up on on offensive rebounds enough for what you're missing out in in Cat being able to provide secondary offense and not maybe not tire out Brunson so much?
00:22:02
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:22:03
Emeka
Yeah, I mean, listen, the Knicks were up, like you said, up 20, up 17 in the fourth. But as you've learned in these playoffs, that's right where the Pacers want you. Like, the no one can come back like them. It really is crazy. But they win that game, they hold on, and it's a 1-1 series, and we're acting differently. And that's just how playoffs go. So you never know. Maybe they can steal game three, or maybe they lose game three, and we all just, you know, Knicks tape, big ball, and sweep it out.
00:22:32
Emeka
Both series, i have one question I want to ask you guys. and browser sorry
00:22:36
Chino Onwuka
and before Before you question, I mean, we did see that video of what the Knicks fans did to Wendy, you know, which was in very poor taste, not surprising for Knicks fans. And since then, since then, hasn't been looking good for him. So, you know, a little bit of karma going on, maybe.
00:22:55
Emeka
mean, I love the Knicks, but the way they were celebrating winning a second round series, it's i do agree with a little bit of karma catching up.
00:23:06
Emeka
But I got to say, at both series, i have one question i want to ask the team. And for this question, for this series, it's a point you touched on at the end where you said you thought the Knicks had the best player, maybe had the second best player.
00:23:18
Emeka
But throughout these playoffs... You know, Bronson won the Clutch Player of the Year award, but I think the Clutch Player of the Playoffs easily is Tyrese Halliburton. So i want to ask a question to you and Chukwu.
00:23:30
Emeka
Simple as this. Tyrese Halliburton is a top dash player in the league.
00:23:38
Chino Onwuka
Top 20.
00:23:40
Emeka
Top 20. Okay, Chukwu, where you at?
00:23:43
Chuku
Top 15.
00:23:46
Emeka
again, they still don't believe because I think he's top 10. I think we're so used to scoring and we're so focused on scoring, we sleep on running the team.
00:23:58
Chino Onwuka
here's what Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to name some guys, and let's see if you you would have them above...
00:24:07
Emeka
I was waiting for this. Please
00:24:08
Chino Onwuka
but um Obviously, the first couple going to be easy, but let's go one by one. you Jokic or Halle?
00:24:17
Emeka
Jokic.
00:24:18
Chino Onwuka
SGA or Halle?
00:24:20
Emeka
SGA.
00:24:21
Chino Onwuka
Giannis or Halle?
00:24:23
Emeka
Giannis.
00:24:24
Chino Onwuka
Doncic or Halle?
00:24:25
Emeka
Luka.
00:24:27
Chino Onwuka
Tatum or Halle?
00:24:29
Emeka
Tatum.
00:24:30
Chino Onwuka
KD or Halle?
00:24:30
Emeka
RIP.
00:24:32
Emeka
Halliburton.
00:24:32
Chuku
Oooh!
00:24:33
Chino Onwuka
o
00:24:35
Chuku
I think it's our Reese over What?!
00:24:36
Chino Onwuka
the baby Okay.
00:24:38
Chuku
Stop! Okay,
00:24:39
Emeka
going I thought you were going to name some other guys. All right. i
00:24:42
Chino Onwuka
I have other guys in this game. The rest of my list that I had for sure, LeBron or Halle.
00:24:46
Emeka
but good keep going
00:24:52
Emeka
It's close.
00:24:53
Chuku
the okay, okay, okay, let's not laugh, let's not laugh.
00:24:53
Emeka
It's close.
00:24:54
Chino Onwuka
play Okay.
00:24:54
Emeka
It's close. It's close.
00:24:55
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
00:24:58
Emeka
The same tier to me.
00:24:58
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
00:24:59
Emeka
The same tier to me.
00:25:00
Chino Onwuka
Steph or Halle.
00:25:00
Chuku
Same teamer. Holy.
00:25:02
Emeka
Steph.
00:25:02
Chuku
leave
00:25:03
Chino Onwuka
Steph, okay. And for Holly.
00:25:04
Chuku
One sec, one sec, one sec.
00:25:04
Chino Onwuka
All
00:25:07
Chuku
Steph, you said Steph with ease. And LeBron is like, wait, hold on, hold on.
00:25:12
Emeka
I love LeBron. He's 40 years old, man. like well i mean, come on, bro.
00:25:15
Chuku
So who's going He's 37. Okay, continue, continue, continue. Just go ahead, continue.
00:25:22
Chino Onwuka
right. And for Holly.
00:25:24
Emeka
Controversial, Halliburton.
00:25:26
Chuku
You're lying. You're lying.
00:25:29
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
00:25:29
Chuku
You are lying.
00:25:29
Chino Onwuka
You're still still
00:25:29
Chuku
Oh, my God.
00:25:31
Chino Onwuka
The two guys on my top 10 that you have above Hallie so far that you have below Hallie are KD and Ant, LeBron debatable.
00:25:34
Chuku
Okay, okay.
00:25:40
Chino Onwuka
Okay, Brunson or Hallie.
00:25:44
Emeka
The same cheer to me again, but...
00:25:45
Chuku
Bro, same team.
00:25:47
Emeka
I'm going to give it to Brunson.
00:25:47
Chuku
Okay.
00:25:49
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
00:25:49
Chuku
Bruh.
00:25:49
Emeka
Out of respect, out of respect, going give Brunson.
00:25:51
Chino Onwuka
I have two more guys that I just...
00:25:53
Chuku
Donovan Mitchell.
00:25:54
Chino Onwuka
you
00:25:54
Chuku
Donovan Mitchell.
00:25:56
Emeka
Halliburton.
00:25:56
Chuku
Oh, Harley. Wow. Okay. Okay. One made first team all NBA. I hope you know that, right? Okay. Anyways, let's go.
00:26:04
Emeka
right.
00:26:04
Chuku
Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
00:26:05
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, that so the three other guys I had were Mitchell, and these ones, if you said highly, I actually wouldn't argue too much. Mitchell, AD, and Wemby. Those are the other three.
00:26:16
Emeka
Halley, Halley, and Halley.
00:26:18
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
00:26:18
Emeka
Again, I think people obsess over scoring.
00:26:18
Chuku
What? Oh,
00:26:22
Chuku
my God.
00:26:23
Emeka
That's what I've noticed now is the people look at, oh, he what is he, Howard, 20 points? And he doesn't have the ball in his hands. He keeps it moving. But when you need him, when you need a bucket,
00:26:36
Emeka
Tyrese Halliburton is that guy. And we're naming all these mads like Mitchell and Giannis. In case you ever noticed, Tyrese sent them home. Sent them boys packing home these playoffs. So, hey, controversial.
00:26:47
Emeka
I know it's controversial because I'm the only one who...
00:26:50
Chuku
You just you take Tyrese over Wemby, bro.
00:26:51
Emeka
One piece is second year, man. And the guy that had a heart disease or blood clot halfway through his second year. We're putting it in the top ten already. Like, let's relax.
00:27:03
Chuku
Oh, my God. Okay, okay. Donovan Mitchell. you you' taken him You're taking Tyrese over Donovan Mitchell.
00:27:10
Emeka
Yes.
00:27:12
Chuku
Oh, my God. You're taking Tyrese over Anthony Edwards?
00:27:17
Chino Onwuka
here's hugh I just want to say, I'm i'm glad you're on the Halley train, but this is November 18th, 2023.
00:27:20
Chuku
Oh, man.
00:27:28
Chino Onwuka
i think we put up four guards. It was Ant, SGA, Halley, and Fox. And it was one gotta go. And I was the one capping.
00:27:41
Chino Onwuka
Chukwu said the one that gotta go was Halliburton.
00:27:44
Chino Onwuka
I'm like, I don't even know why you said that name that you said because you wasn't even on the list. But I was the one that was standing on the table for Halliburton at the time.
00:27:51
Chuku
Wow. Interesting.
00:27:52
Chino Onwuka
And that's when you guys first looked at like, oh, you know, Halliburton is doing something. So I've been on Halliburton Island the longest, I would say. So I got to give you props for having you where he is. I wouldn't have him there right now, but that's interesting. That's interesting.
00:28:08
Emeka
It's 2023. I don't know.
00:28:08
Chuku
wow
00:28:10
Emeka
I'm bigger on the on play on big moments, playoffs. I like that. like I like to see that in in my guys. And listen, it's obviously prison of the moment right now.
00:28:19
Chuku
which
00:28:20
Emeka
like I'm saying this because the Pacers, I can't lie. I do like that. I've been picking the Pacers every round and they've been impressing me. and It's collective, which is I'll take that argument. It's fairness. It's a collective effort. Again, I just think we we're just used to focusing a lot on high usage players players and scoring and we hype that up as what you know that's the best players in the league it's like Steve Nash people don always disrespect Steve Nash's MVPs oh he averaged 19 and 11 watch the Suns back then same way I say watch the Pacers now
00:28:54
Emeka
There's something about a guy who gets everyone, everyone involved. All these heliocentric players, what ends up happening is a lot of the people on the team, they just sit around and do nothing. just stand the perimeter and that can impact the performance. When you have a star player who moves the ball, you just see the impact it has. And the Pacers are making back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals.
00:29:16
Emeka
with the best player as Tyrese Halliburton. I think I got to get some respect on his name after that. But again, top 10, there are 15 guys in the top 10 of people who love to say. So I'm not going to challenge anyone who says Ant, Mitchell, LeBron, all these guys. I'm not going challenge it because that's a very fair argument.
00:29:33
Emeka
But I'm just throwing my opinion in there.
00:29:35
Chino Onwuka
KD.
00:29:35
Chuku
All right.
00:29:36
Chino Onwuka
Ooh, that one hit me.
00:29:38
Chuku
Yo, GD, I said Anthony Edwards, bro.
00:29:39
Emeka
Hey, make the playoffs, Sam. Make the playoffs. Make the playoffs.
00:29:42
Chuku
Dude, I'm talking about Edwards as the face of the league. All right, man.
00:29:45
Emeka
and Not me.
00:29:47
Chuku
Hey, man. Hey, I respect it, bro. Look, all I'll say is I definitely think he is
00:29:51
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, Edwards, Ant is wild. I'm sorry, that is wild.
00:29:56
Chuku
I'm surprised you.
00:29:56
Chino Onwuka
think
00:29:57
Chuku
See, I feel like if I was the one saying this, you would come at me with such vows, you know.
00:29:59
Chino Onwuka
was real close on just he said Halberton over Ant? That is wild. Yeah, you're right.
00:30:08
Chuku
I'm for Ant.
00:30:09
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, if Chiku had said that, I'd be flaming him. Ant is wild.
00:30:12
Chuku
Holy. But you know what?
00:30:14
Chino Onwuka
Ant is wild, bro.
00:30:14
Chuku
Look, I get it. get it.
00:30:15
Chino Onwuka
You're talking about Krui a little hard right now.
00:30:15
Chuku
I get it. OK.
00:30:17
Chino Onwuka
Ant is wild, bro.
00:30:19
Emeka
man. And beating up the Curliff Warriors and and old man LeBron and Fat Luke. And we're giving them flowers.
00:30:26
Chino Onwuka
if it the The game is played on multiple ends.
00:30:28
Emeka
I love you, Ed. I love you, Ed.
00:30:32
Chino Onwuka
It's offense and defense, so you've got to factor that in. Halliburton is, let's just say defense is not the best part of his game. So, let's go.
00:30:41
Emeka
Hey, look, I love Ant, so I'm not yeah i'm i'm not mad at this at all because I love Ant, but I just want to give my guy the flowers, man.
00:30:41
Chuku
Bruh. I'm shocked. I am shocked, bro.
00:30:48
Emeka
I just want to give my guy the flowers.
00:30:49
Chuku
But okay look, look, Alabama is definitely – he's the type of point guard that I think a lot of our teams would love to have. There's no question about that. Like, he is definitely a type of the type of player that likes to pass – a traditional pass-first point guard. So i I do get your point, you know.
00:31:10
Chuku
like, you know, Halliburton-led teams offensively
00:31:16
Emeka
Thank you.
00:31:17
Chuku
just do better in terms of scoring because he's ah such a willing passer that everybody touches the ball, everybody eats. It's not like you're standing in the corner and you're not going to get the ball.
00:31:27
Chuku
So I do get your point, you know. um understand it. But at the same time, just got to be like, man, Anthony Edwards is him.
00:31:37
Chuku
Like, bro, we've seen this guy, like, do some things you just can't. Like, It's just ridiculous what he's been able to do and since his time in the league.
00:31:48
Chuku
And fact is, bro, there's something to be said to average the type of points Anthony Edwards is doing at the moment. And...
00:31:59
Chuku
Yeah, you know, I'm not going scoff on, you know, the 18 points that Halliburton averages and, know, the craziest assists. It was like nine nine assists or something like that.
00:32:10
Chuku
He does account for a lot of his team's points in terms of, you know, distributing the ball. But like Chinon said, you got to account, you know, both ends of the courts when you're looking at top players. And if I'm factoring what Halliburton brings on offense,
00:32:26
Chuku
and including his defense into the equation, is not even close. Like, Anthony Edwards, by far, better defensively and points-wise is up there with him. not have the assist, but he does enough in terms of scoring that it kind of balances out the offensive production that Halliburton brings on his end. But I guess just a matter of, you know, opinions and, and you know, what' what you what you're looking for.
00:32:50
Chuku
But I just think that, I mean, I'm surprised at you to think that Halliburton, you like you sit you're seeing that with chess. Not for like, you know, so like for LeBron, you were like, you were thinking about it. But with Anthony Edwards, you were just like, yo, for you, your mind is made up.
00:33:06
Chuku
It's Halliburton. So, hey, I respect him, man. I respect it.
00:33:11
Emeka
Listen, Anthony Edwards can do a lot of things.
00:33:11
Chuku
But you never got to give the boys flowers.
00:33:15
Emeka
He can dunk on people. He led the league in three points made. He can have eight baby mamas. One thing he can do, apparently, is beat the Oklahoma City Thunder. And the second series going on right now, the Western Conference Finals, I got to, you know, you guys hit your crow on the Pacers. I'm here to give me a mea culpa on my prediction because prior to the series,
00:33:38
Emeka
Chukwu and Chinon both had OKC in six. And it's funny, after I just slandered Anthony Edwards, I was riding the ant train because I picked Minnesota in six for some reason. And I can tell you right now, after two games, what was I doing?
00:33:53
Emeka
Because i don't know where that came from. I really don't know where that came from.
00:33:57
Chino Onwuka
yeah Okay, like, yeah, give us your give give us your rationale for why you picked up a date.
00:34:02
Chuku
You've got to give us your rationale because I'm shocked.
00:34:03
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:34:05
Chuku
I was shocked at that pick, bro. Like, what? oh What were you thinking, bro? Just please tell us.
00:34:11
Emeka
I have realized, and this is ah is gonna is a very cold take, but I've realized Jokic is really, really good. Jokic is really, really, really good.
00:34:25
Emeka
That's what it turns out to be.
00:34:26
Chino Onwuka
Hating on him the whole playoffs too. with the not but You've been hating on him.
00:34:28
Emeka
yeah I have been hating Jokic because I'm just so into Shea that like I feel I have to defend him and he gets so much slander from all the Jokic fans.
00:34:39
Emeka
But watching the OKC Denver series, I just thought OKC weren't ready because Denver had them in fighting for their lives. So many games, so many moments.
00:34:51
Emeka
And you can really argue if Gordon doesn't get an um and Michael Porter aren't hurt, Denver can win that series. So I thought, all right, Minnesota should be better than banged up Denver.
00:35:02
Emeka
They had them boys in such fits. Ant is that that guy. He can do it. And then like I said, it turns out, really Jokic is that good. And also turns out as well that the Oklahoma City Thunder, it's lot easier to score on their bigs than it's to score on their guards because the Thunder guards are and the best defensive guards i I can remember seeing in a minute because so many options to throw at people.
00:35:30
Emeka
Or it'd help you if your star player is a guard playing OKC because... yeah
00:35:34
Chino Onwuka
they are so deep. They are so deep. They have guys on their bench that once they move teams and they will have to eventually just go the cap, people's eyes will be open because you have a lot of these guys, Wiggins, Joe, Kaysom Wiles, Kaysom Wiles especially, those guys would easily be getting 30 minutes a game on other teams. They are so deep.
00:35:56
Chino Onwuka
Trying to penetrate on them, Paul, you know without losing the ball is a really tough task right now and that trade know the caruso caruso trade was huge that trade to get as a heart and stein is just gold because like you said where you could get at them especially if you had a good big was on the inside and so they showed that up they addressed that weakness by getting as a heart and stein and so Jokic was still awesome, but he just had to work a lot more for it because you could throw multiple looks at him.
00:36:30
Chino Onwuka
So you could have Hartenstein guarding him and taking the pounding while pause again, but having Chet roam weak side too, and he's an incredible weak side defender and you have all those guards sort of making it tough to get that entry. And so, you know, Denver with how banged up they were, you know,
00:36:51
Chino Onwuka
i got I thought they showed heart of champions too to take who I think is by far the best team in the league as as deep as they did. And so now when you come up to you know my rationale for why I i picked OKC, and I just picked made made it forward to just because I just think there's probably just some games just due to immaturity, OKC is just going to take their foot off the gas in.
00:37:16
Chino Onwuka
Minnesota will win by by accident because OKC is a good offensive team and a great defensive team. And Minnesota struggles on offense because the one guy that you can count on is Ant.
00:37:30
Chino Onwuka
You know, Julius Randle, he's performed better than everyone expected, but he's not someone that you can really count on yet. You know, if you just look at it on paper, you know, Naz Reed,
00:37:43
Chino Onwuka
You know, he's he's someone that, you know, he can have some good games. But apart from that, you don't know where your offense is coming from. You know, Gobert, for his side, you should think,
00:37:56
Emeka
Praise Son. Going outside.
00:38:00
Chino Onwuka
He should be able to do something offensively, but I don't know what it is. I feel like he's regressed a lot on the offensive side of the ball in the playoffs for some reason. And so for that reason, I just think there's no way Minnesota could score enough to to keep up with with o kc
00:38:17
Chuku
Just piggybacking off your points, you know, i i mean I'm in such total agreement. Like, I just, coming to this series, I just didn't see how Minnesota would have enough firepower on offense.
00:38:30
Chuku
to compete with what OKC bring to the table. Because look, enough we can talk about SGA from morning to night. He's the MVP. Shout out to the first Black Canadian MVP to do it.
00:38:44
Chuku
But my thing is, look at Jalen Williams. This has been his this has been this coming out year. Like, I mean, we've been seeing this coming, but this year, truly, he's taking that step, in my humble opinion.
00:38:59
Chuku
And, I mean, you can see it clearly with the eyes. You can see clearly with the numbers. He has been a problem. And the fact that you have that going along with SGA and then you still have guys on the like you know on the bench that any given night can decide to come and drop an extra 20, 25 points.
00:39:17
Chuku
twenty twenty five points You know mentioned the names, Wiggins, Isaiah, Joe. Man, these are guys, bro, if these guys were on all certain teams, I'm pretty sure they could be averaging, like you 25, 30-plus minutes consistently on any on most rosters in the league, and they are barely getting any playing time consistently on on on this talented ah team in OKC.
00:39:41
Chuku
It's going to be a shame in the coming years, as so they're going to be ah ah definitely a handpick of them. They're going have to obviously leave because they're just going to outplay their current roles or their contracts or other teams are going to come to poach in because there's no way OKC can keep all this talent.
00:39:58
Chuku
But i just want shout out that Caruso deal, man. Like, are we seeing what Caruso is doing in these playoffs?
00:40:08
Emeka
Best low post defender in the league, apparently.
00:40:08
Chuku
Defending Jokic... Apparently, bro, this brother is out here in the trenches marking these bigs, putting his body on the line.
00:40:19
Chuku
getting timely steals, playing great defense, perfect playmaker. can like You know, the classic Jalen Rose line that has always talked with me whenever I watch basketball and we talk about you know these teams, build building a team.
00:40:35
Chuku
You have to build a team with players that can do two, if not three of these things. Pass. ah ah be rica I think my arm helped me out on this.
00:40:47
Emeka
i hope helped out.
00:40:48
Chuku
was pass. shoot was the third one thank you pass shoot dribble okc's team is made of players that can pass they can shoot they can dribble it is incredible the
00:40:52
Emeka
Dribble.
00:41:09
Chino Onwuka
I don't think that's it. I think what they have is a team that can, they have like a couple of key guys that can do all those things, but then everybody else can defend at a really high level and shoot.
00:41:20
Chino Onwuka
I think that's the secret sauce. They have no weaknesses. A lot of these teams, okay, even if they have depth, maybe they're giving something away at one end, but they don't have, they're about nine or 10 deep.
00:41:34
Chino Onwuka
at guys who do not give anything up at either end before you maybe start getting into one of those guys. And maybe though the reason why we think that about those guys is because they don't get a chance to play and they are probably great two-way players as well.
00:41:47
Chuku
100%. I mean, that all plays a factor in this. But again, the i guess apart from being able to pass dribble shoot, to add to that point, like you just mentioned, they are also two-way players that play both on offense and on defense.
00:42:03
Chuku
I don't see – I don't really see – when I look at their team, I don't see players that are like – how to put it? That – that affect OKC negatively or hurt them in any way.
00:42:18
Chuku
They all play their part is what I'm saying. like There's no stragglers that are you know that that that ah they don't fit.
00:42:22
Emeka
Yeah.
00:42:26
Chuku
They all fit. They all know what they're doing on you know on both sides of the ball. And it shows with how you know with how they play. like When I watch OKC play, There's never a moment that they're down and they just feel like, okay, well, just we're just giving up. like we're just i mean Obviously, they've had games where they've lost, but even games where they lose...
00:42:47
Chuku
They play hard. They play hard until, obviously, maybe it might not be a night on one particular day. And cool. It is what it is. But they come back, and they are proven to be a resilient team, especially this offseason.
00:43:00
Chuku
Sorry, this postseason. So, and you know, when you got when you have a guy like SGA that you know any given night, he can just circle 25-plus points guaranteed.
00:43:12
Chuku
i mean, you're going to the game – Pretty much knowing you're going to get put your points. And if you defend as well as OKC have, you're always going to be in a position to basically...
00:43:24
Chuku
know, win the ball game. And for me, it's just a situation where OKC are just the superior talent compared to Minnesota. At this point, honestly, I'll be shocked if it even goes six. I think I could easily see this going five-game gentleman sweep, the way it's playing out.
00:43:42
Chuku
And yeah, OKC, to me, just they're just a better team and what the results are showing. So, interesting to see.
00:43:48
Chino Onwuka
like To me, as long as it wasn't a situation of self-destruction by OKC, there are only two teams that I thought could give them trouble. One was Denver because they have Jokic, and the other was a healthy Boston.
00:44:04
Chino Onwuka
Neither of those teams are still in the playoffs, so it's a wrap. As long as they stay healthy.
00:44:08
Chuku
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, i see, i didn't want to I didn't want to go there and ruin predictions, but um I'm of the awesome opinion. I think, honestly, it's a wrap. I mean, well, hey, look, we say this is a wrap, but But hey, I'm not going to have something to say with the Pacers.
00:44:23
Chuku
you know So you never know, man. You never know. mean, I'll still pick against them. Don't get me wrong. But I'll just say maybe, you know who knows, maybe the Pacers got something something for them.
00:44:33
Chuku
But the problem with the Pacers is as though they they may equal or match OKC offensive,
00:44:34
Emeka
but
00:44:39
Chuku
defensively, it's not even close. Like, they are nowhere they are not OKC's level. That's the one thing i I'll mention, which is probably why if that ended up being the the matchup in the finals, well, spoilers, I'm going OKC. But either way, we still got a lot basketball to play before we get there.
00:44:57
Chuku
But in the meantime, yeah, this this current know matchup doesn't surprise me at all with how it's going. I always just thought OKC were by far the better superior team.
00:45:08
Chuku
They have the best player in the league in SGA. They have the more depth on offense. They have more depth on defense. It just makes sense. And OKC are just primed and ready. And it's going to be a shame.
00:45:22
Chuku
when after they win, know how how they're going to be able to keep or maintain this team is going to be very interesting to see because, trust me when I say the vultures will be appearing to snag some of these players from you know from from the team.
00:45:37
Chuku
But with with the amount of draft picks that OKC have for the next couple of years, I'm sure they'll figure out a way to maintain some semblance of this roster, especially with their three and Chet's Jalen and SGA.
00:45:53
Chuku
So, yeah, be they're going to be a fun team to watch. That's for sure.
00:45:57
Emeka
Yeah, no, that's why Presti has all those picks. It's, so I mean, what look, it looks pretty bleak right now, and I don't blame you for ourooky looking forward to Oklahoma versus Indiana, but it's two games. You never know. Things can change.
00:46:12
Emeka
I will say, though, pull one out for Adam Silver because the ratings that Oklahoma City-Indiana Finals is going to get for the NBA, good
00:46:21
Chino Onwuka
that
00:46:21
Emeka
degree it's tough.
00:46:23
Chino Onwuka
that that That is true. You would think that you know having a a a a player at the caliber of SGA you know would be enough to at least keep the ratings up, but yeah, you know you know casual NBA fans are fickle like that.
00:46:40
Chino Onwuka
So i yeah, that's a good point. I didn't think about that because and everyone wants to watch this OKC team at the very least.
00:46:44
Chuku
You have the
00:46:48
Chuku
flexuring. If you're a true basketball fan, you enjoy it's watching a team like OKC. But the fact is, like you said, you know for the average and NBA fan, if your team is not if you're not in a big market team, you're not drawing the amount of eyeballs and attention.
00:47:04
Chuku
that, you know, should be displayed for the talent that's on the court. It's just how it goes. So, yeah, I mean, poor one out for Adam Silver. But, hey, man, the true basketball, you know, aficionados that enjoy the game, enjoy watching good basketball, enjoy watching good offense, and especially Canadians, us, you know, we all represent Canada, seeing one of our own in the finals, potentially, having a chance to win, be the first player Canadian MVP to carry a team to win on ring a it would be amazing to watch.
00:47:35
Emeka
What?
00:47:40
Chuku
And he has a chance to do something special beat by not only winning, already won the MVP in the regular season, but possibly, you know, if he continues the way he's been balling, also win a finals MVP to go along with it.
00:47:56
Chuku
So I'll be cheering, you know who I'll be cheering on, wrestlers.
00:47:59
Chino Onwuka
You know what was thinking Silver could do to to bump up ratings?
00:48:03
Emeka
what
00:48:05
Chino Onwuka
Bring Hal Burton Sr. back into it.
00:48:08
Emeka
Hey, free the man, bro.
00:48:08
Chuku
got What the hell?
00:48:10
Emeka
Free the man-dem.
00:48:11
Chuku
I'm dying. I'm dying.
00:48:12
Emeka
Free the man-dem.
00:48:14
Chino Onwuka
and hope for confident
00:48:18
Emeka
Free the man-dem. Well, two things. One, Chukum had a point there about doing something special, but I have a fun quiz for you all to see if you can get the answer.
00:48:29
Emeka
Shane Gilders-Alexander is alexander's two games away from making the NBA Finals as an MVP. When was the last time the reigning MVP made the NBA Finals that season?
00:48:40
Chino Onwuka
Yannis yani
00:48:42
Emeka
Incorrect. Shuku?
00:48:46
Chuku
Hmm, this is a tough one. a
00:48:49
Emeka
It doesn't happen often. i was surprised when i I saw this. It doesn't happen often.
00:48:53
Chuku
Is the player still playing now?
00:48:56
Emeka
Absolutely.
00:48:59
Emeka
Hint, Chino mentioned him when were doing the top 10 players. He's one of the names that Chino said.
00:49:03
Chuku
JD.
00:49:05
Emeka
Nope. Stephen Curry, 2015. I'm 2016, sorry.
00:49:08
Chuku
Oh, 7. Oh, right.
00:49:09
Emeka
2016.
00:49:10
Chuku
but Oh, my next one. Okay, fuck.
00:49:11
Emeka
Almost a decade since an MVP has made the finals that season. It's crazy.
00:49:15
Chino Onwuka
Who's the MVP when Jokic wins the final?
00:49:19
Emeka
Joel Embiid.
00:49:21
Chino Onwuka
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
00:49:23
Emeka
Yeah.
00:49:24
Chino Onwuka
oh
00:49:25
Chuku
good I remember that MVP.
00:49:25
Emeka
Yeah, all right.
00:49:26
Chino Onwuka
was
00:49:26
Chuku
Hey, he deserved it. Don't do that. Don't do that.
00:49:30
Emeka
Nah, he lose it.
00:49:31
Chuku
He deserved it.
00:49:32
Emeka
But, you know, it's funny.
00:49:32
Chuku
He deserved it.
00:49:34
Emeka
It's like one it was like the until Mahomes did it two years ago. The same thing with NFL MVP. Like, it makes sense. To win MVP, you usually have to carry a team, and that's not really conducive to winning the playoffs. So, one of those things.
00:49:45
Emeka
Speaking of MVPs, though, like I said, I have a question for each series. And my question for this series is a shout-out to Shea Gilles Alexander, obviously, Canadian MVP, my boy. Hyping him up. A consistent theme I've seen online and even in in media has been, it's brutal to watch him play because he is a foul baiter. He draws files, he flops, all those things.
00:50:07
Emeka
So my question to you guys as a two-parter is one, do you consider SGA a foul baiter? And two, do you care?
00:50:16
Chuku
Can I just go quick, please? just want to just go quick. One, I'm going to first answer the second question first because I want to answer that in that order. And no, I do not care. Let's just start with that.
00:50:28
Chuku
And when you say foul baiter, like, I guess I want to just confirm I hear from you guys. Is the de definition of a foul baiter one that has an ability to draw fouls?
00:50:40
Chuku
Or are we saying that basically the fouls that are being drawn are not... by textbook nature, actual fouls, and he's just kind of just basically fooling the refs to give him these calls. like I guess, so what do you define as a foul beater?
00:50:57
Chuku
so what what is What is our definition of a foul beater, before answer
00:51:00
Emeka
I think it depends on each person. i mean there're Those two things you said are are with the spectrum. It's either somebody who sells files, lack a better word, or someone who overly sells files and relies on getting files as part of their game.
00:51:14
Emeka
A free throw merchant, as Doris Brooks is on the broadcast.
00:51:16
Chuku
So, perfect. So, my thing is my issue with it is, like, I don't know why people are acting as if SGA, by any shape, way, or form, was the kind of foul beater that a James Harden,
00:51:30
Chuku
you know You know those James Harden's with the massive crazy pump fakes and then finds a way to put his arms underneath, go go up and you know force that type of foul? I've never seen SGA.
00:51:43
Chuku
SGA, for the most part, isn't that type of player. He is just a shifty player that can get anywhere on the court and has an ability to contort his body when he goes up in a way that...
00:51:55
Chuku
You as a defender, you're not even sure how to defend. And with some of the angles he's able to pick or or or or basically find himself in, like A lot of times what I'm seeing, are there actually are by the by nature, by the law of the you know law of the land and um by the books, it's a foul. like you're They're fouling SGA. And I just think he's one of the best. because of Because he's one of the best in the league in terms of body control and contorting his bodies in and putting himself in the position positions to be able to attack the the basket.
00:52:30
Chuku
I really do think people are just hating because, I mean, if you want to call him a foul baiter because of that, then by all means, yeah, sure, he's a foul baiter because he knows how to draw fouls. And i don't think there's anything wrong with that. That's part of the game.
00:52:44
Chuku
know I'd rather foul baiter like that in terms of what SGA does versus what we used to see in the past like with James Harden that – would be doing that one particular move from the three-point stance, trying to basically pump fake, pump fake, pump fake, and then, you know, draw... If a defender puts a hand out, basically try and draw a foul by taking a quick shot but the with the defender's hands out, you know, in his face.
00:53:15
Chuku
So for me... Just to summarize, yes, if i'll you you can call him foul baiter because he's good at really good at drawing these type of fouls when he's attacking the paint.
00:53:28
Chuku
And no, I do not care because it's part of the game. So just get used to it.
00:53:35
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, Chigarh, I think he got there in the end. Is he foul baiting? Yeah, probably. But two things I'll say to that. lot of the best players in NBA history have also probably would have gotten that tag.
00:53:50
Chino Onwuka
You know, your Kobe's, your MJ's, when you look at the the stats of of players who have the most free throw attempts, you know, average of of all time. it It's all of the greats.
00:54:02
Chino Onwuka
and and And why did they have so many attempts? Because they kept going to the hole. They kept driving. That's what SGA does. So he keeps driving and... It's either you foul him or try and touch him up or he's going to find a way to score.
00:54:16
Chino Onwuka
And it's on the refs to call it or not. So he's just doing his job. It's up to you to stop it. See, there's a difference between foul baiting and flopping. I don't think he's he's he's flopping, but he's doing enough where you're giving the ref a decision to make. And so it is what it is.
00:54:33
Chino Onwuka
Now, one one thing one thing I would say is What I don't want to see is, and I don't think we talked about this on on this pod, but the way these playoffs were refereed in the first two rounds, like it almost looked like they allowed it to almost be like rugby out there. like It was extremely physical.
00:54:57
Chino Onwuka
was extremely enjoyable to watch, and I don't want that to change. So I guess all I'll say is I just want the refereeing to be consistent to how they've called it the rest of the playoffs. SGA, he's getting found a lot. He's he's drawing a lot of fouls. That's what I'll say. He's drawing them, but he is drawing them because he keeps throwing his body in there. So he earned it.
00:55:24
Emeka
And know I fully agree with everything you guys have said. yeah Yes, he gets fouled a lot, but he gets fouled a lot because he there's no one can stay in front of him. That's the one thing I've been so impressed by these playoffs is No matter what the matchup is, who they throw on him, there's no NBA player who can stay in front of SGA. He gets to the rim.
00:55:43
Emeka
And when you drive 25 times a game, you're going to get fouls sometimes. So does he let the ref know he's fouled? Absolutely. But he's going to the rim, and I do not care at all. Because if you can beat your man and get to the rim 20 times a game, you're going to get fouls. It's just how it goes.
00:55:59
Emeka
The one critique and complaint I will agree with in the media and from other fans is that The Oklahoma City Thunder, they have a great defensive team. They get away with a lot of the classic Seattle Legion of Boom thing where if I foul you every single time, they're not going to call it every time.
00:56:15
Chino Onwuka
I was going to bring that up. Yeah.
00:56:18
Chino Onwuka
Like he and the rest of the team gets away with a lot on d defense. so that's why i said they they need to call it the same way both ways.
00:56:18
Emeka
So...
00:56:27
Emeka
The thing is, though, is, and these playoffs, I think we have to be consistent in this, is that they don't call off-the-ball fouls much, and they don't call loose bow like rebound, loose-ball fouls.
00:56:37
Emeka
Those fouls they don't call. they do If you drive, and you know you see it, if you drive, you're going to get a foul call. And the issue is, and what frustrates people is, Oklahoma City has so many good defensive players that you You never clearly beat the first guy. You're always grippling with him.
00:56:53
Emeka
Whereas a guy like Shea dusts everybody. So if you can consistently get to the hole, like you said, like the greats, MJ, I promise you Michael Jordan played in 2025. Everyone will be calling him a foul baiter.
00:57:04
Emeka
It's the same thing. If you drive to the hole all the time, you're probably going to get fouled. Just how the game goes.
00:57:11
Chino Onwuka
No, yeah, that's his game. And that is what's made him arguably the best player in the world. He's unstoppable, getting to the hole, and then his decel...
00:57:24
Chino Onwuka
Like he he just has so many ways to put you balance. You don't know what he's going to do. Is he going to drive all the way? Is he going to decel and hit the floater? Is he going to stop on a dime and and hit the mid range?
00:57:36
Chino Onwuka
Is he going to take a step back? he He's got the whole repertoire, the whole, the whole, he's got every, every tool in the toolbox, every, every, every golf club in the bag. Like, yeah, he's, he's unreal.
00:57:49
Emeka
He's him. And, you know, to wrap it in a bow, as a fellow Toronto guy once said, nobody praying for you when you win it. SJ was doing this three years ago in a 10th seed. No one cared. Now he's the MVP on the one seed, and all of a sudden someone's got something to say. It's just how it goes.
00:58:04
Emeka
But, you know, what's a – I don't want to say great. No, I'll take it. It's been a great playoff so far. East a little better than the West because OKC just looked little bit better than Minnesota. Hopefully, when we record next week, some series are still going on and we can have some longer because nothing like a game seven. But if you told me we're seeing two two fives or two fours even, now I wouldn't be too shocked. But we'll see.
00:58:27
Emeka
You know, i was loving the game game on this podcast. And the game the game is the game. And there's hoops. And there's football. And this is the business end of the season. And in over the last seven days since we recorded,
00:58:38
Emeka
There have been three trophies given out to teams. Three finals. FA Cup final, Crystal Palace beat Man City. Europa League final, team will not be named beat the other team who i' will not name.
00:58:53
Emeka
And earlier today, Napoli, Antonio Conte. Won Serie A in a... I can't believe it. you know, McTominay MVP. So I'm going open question. to start with you, Chinna.
00:59:06
Emeka
Of these three trophies, what were you most impressed by?
00:59:12
Chino Onwuka
I don't want to talk about what was I was most impressed by. i want to talk about the Europa Cup final and the potential death knell that this could be for Manchester United, at least for a couple of years.
00:59:29
Chino Onwuka
First of all, just talking about the game, that was El Trashico. Both teams were so bad. The rest of the teams in the Europa League, like, you got to be embarrassed because that was one of the worst games I've ever seen for a final.
00:59:46
Chino Onwuka
But you know what? Props to, you know, the other team up north. You know, they did what they had to do. Ange actually, actually changed his principles.
00:59:58
Chino Onwuka
know, something he swore he would never do and he had it up until this point. They got the jammy goal to go at 1-0 and then they parked the bus, which I never thought I'd see. And fair play to him because he backed up one of the coldest quotes that will go down in footy history in that, you know, they they they asked the in an interview early in the season, he said, oh, you know,
01:00:22
Chino Onwuka
I usually win things in my second season. And then he said, wait, no, hold up. Let me rephrase that. I always win things in my second season. So he doubled down on it and he, he delivered. So a shout out, shout out, you know, that team and what they did, you know, being in 17th place in the Premier League and finding a way to make it to the Champions League is huge for them. You know, their first,
01:00:49
Chino Onwuka
major trophy in 20 years is is huge for them. So good for them. But Manchester United, oh how the mighty have fallen.
01:01:02
Chino Onwuka
This is 39 points through 37 games, a points total that would have you relegated in almost any other regular season.
01:01:13
Chino Onwuka
They can't score another season with negative goal difference. This is your one lifeline against a team that has Kulshiewski, Madison, Birdwell injured.
01:01:29
Chino Onwuka
Him and Son, like, he he came on for, what, 20 minutes. My guy could barely run. He's not the same player. And you still found a way to fumble it. I don't.
01:01:42
Chino Onwuka
I would love to to dive deeper into this in in future episodes, but like where do they go from here? I think, if anything, hopefully this is the wake-up call that they've sort of been neglecting for a long time. We all know that the IQ of a lot of United fans isn't very high because, if anything, oh, where am I? United.
01:02:06
Chino Onwuka
We're Manchester United. Well, yeah, you're Manchester United and you're in 16th place. No Europe. your Your stadium is crumbling. It's infested with rats. The roof is leaking.
01:02:17
Chino Onwuka
You can't pay your tea lady. you can't pay your You can't fly out your team to the Europa League. So this is time to be introspective and understand what you really need to do.
01:02:29
Chino Onwuka
You are a, right now, a mid-table team and you need to start acting as such. So no more signing 30-year-old Casemiro at 300,000 per week.
01:02:43
Chino Onwuka
No more spending 80 million euros for Holland, who's never scored double-digit goals in in in a top five league. Like, it is time for you to understand that you need to do what Liverpool did at a certain point. You need to do what Arsenal did and rebuild and understand. The key point is understand that this is a long road and a long journey and not the quick fix because it is peak for them. I have a lot more to say, but and I could go on this for a long time, but I will pause there.
01:03:18
Emeka
Chukwu, do you have and anything to add about the Red Devils or any other team who won a trophy this or didn't win a trophy this past week?
01:03:27
Chuku
Yeah, I mean, for the sake of not wanting to ramble, would just try and focus on a team that not really got into much no talk.
01:03:38
Chuku
Because, I mean, we can we can talk about the United and Spurs Europa League disaster class that we all witnessed. I mean, apologies to the rest of Europe.
01:03:50
Chuku
Because if you if you're if you're someone that doesn't watch EPL at all, please do not take that game as any semblance of what the English Premier League is about because there's a reason why those two teams are know where they are, 16th and 17th in the league, right?
01:04:05
Chuku
They have been garbage all year. But actually, the team want to talk about actually is the team in London, and that's Crystal Palace. Man, they really won. They really beat...
01:04:19
Chuku
Man City and won the f FA Cup, man. I mean, shout out to them. you know like They put on a performance. They did what they had to do. It's so funny to me how start of the season, i remember when people would mention the name of Ebreche Eze. He was...
01:04:42
Chuku
close to nowhere to be found. APBs were out were put out for for this guy. And in the last, what, couple, I want to three, three, four months, this guy has, like, put on a master class in these last few, last couple of, or last few games, this past couple of months.
01:05:01
Chuku
And he has been, know, just showing quality upon quality. And it was a very, very, you know, important piece in this run in the FA Cup for the for the, for Palace.
01:05:14
Chuku
And, And, um, another guy, I mean, we've also talked about, you know, you know, previously and saw that we would, I think, you know, we, we had mentioned as a, would have been a nice party replacement.
01:05:27
Chuku
Uh, that Wharton kid, man, like what a performance in the finals, this brother, I saw this guy everywhere in the midfield, had legs for days, was intercepting passes all the game, controlling the midfield.
01:05:41
Chuku
Like, Crystal Palace really have some talent on that roster. I just want to give them their shout-outs because, again, sure, it's not the greatest Man City team that was out there, but it's still Man City nonetheless.
01:05:57
Chuku
Haaland was still out there. They still had all the big names, KDB and whatnot. Crystal Palace... I think was well-deserved. And I'm very, guess, interested to see what what they do this summer. Because from our accounts, it looks like they're going to be losing some key players. I mean, this might be the summer we see as they leave.
01:06:23
Chuku
We don't know if that's going to happen or not. But, you know, I guess that's what we're here for, to to see now what goes down. And for now, yeah, I guess they get to enjoy...
01:06:33
Chuku
lifting up a trophy. It's going to be interesting seeing them in the community. believe they're going to be in the community shield. So that is going to be very interesting seeing them play that. And also, doesn't FA Cup give them eu Europa, I guess, right?
01:06:48
Emeka
Yep, the Europa League.
01:06:49
Chuku
They're Europa League. Crazy, man. ah Well, you know, it is what it is. I mean, that's how Man City, sorry, Man United got it and they almost snagged their way to Champions League. So, let's see what Crystal Palace can do because if Man United can make it to the finals in and in the Europa League, I mean,
01:07:06
Chuku
If this Cristobalos team can, you know, I mean, stay together and they don't lose any major pieces, who's to say don't they don't make their own run one themselves and and make a surprising appearance in the in the ah know know semifinals or finals of the Europa League?
01:07:22
Chuku
You never know. So, yeah, I mean, I just want to give them a quick shout-out. But what about you, am like ah what what would you say was your biggest takeaway from those? I mean, and anyone you wanted particularly talk about or mention, I guess, from those finals or cups?
01:07:37
Emeka
hu I give a quick shout out to Antonio Conte because what a manager. is No one can form Serie A like Conte. Three different teams he's taken to the Scudetto.
01:07:48
Emeka
Every time, bitching and moaning throughout the season about getting supported in transfers. Only manager I've ever known who can win a league and still be upset because he needs more transfer funding. But hey, props to him.
01:08:00
Emeka
You know, as much as I was joking in the beginning, I will give a shout out to our North London shits neighbors because ah good for good for Ang like Chino said that quote now will live forever.
01:08:12
Emeka
I always win in my second season. But I want to give a special shout out to guy I've always liked even though he plays for bad team. Son Young Min. Kane had to leave to get his trophy. I always like there's always a part of me.
01:08:25
Emeka
They're romantic in me who always likes when a guy sticks through 10 years of struggling and and finally breaks through and wins and I'm glad i didn't get to see the match because Chino described apparently it was garbage, but I did stick around to see Son lift the trophy because good for him, man.
01:08:40
Emeka
Good for him. and So i have a lot of Spurs fans in my life and I make fun of them a lot and I'm sure some of them are going to do this stupid debate. I wouldn't even acknowledge with the, which rather would you rather finish that? you don't want to finish 17. I don't want to hear it, but Hey, they won a trophy after all these jokes in years. They finally won a trophy.
01:08:57
Emeka
And a lot of these guys on the team, especially Sun, got to lift it up. So props to them. And I know it's been ah ah it's been a weird season for for droughts. You know, Crystal Palace, first trophy ever.
01:09:08
Emeka
Newcastle, first trophy in, think, 40, 50 years. Kerry Kane won a trophy. Anas Peres have won a trophy. So it just it's a year for ending droughts, which I do i always do like that.
01:09:21
Emeka
Speaking of trophies, as my French father used to always say,
01:09:26
Chino Onwuka
I want to ask a quick question.
01:09:27
Emeka
run
01:09:29
Chino Onwuka
right Chiku you know made a big point when it comes to Palace. Again, shout out them. you know i would speak more, but we were were were asked to just talk on one topic. But to Palace, you know one ah one of the one of the the the things that happen with teams like this is you know they quickly get broken apart.
01:09:51
Chino Onwuka
They have some really key building blocks on that I'll just put it out to the two of you. Out of, you know, I would say, and I'll mention sort of their their major pieces, Mateta, Eze, Gwehi, Wharton, and Munoz, who honestly, he was not on my radar until maybe about halfway through the season.
01:10:15
Chino Onwuka
Which of them do you think they'll be able to keep?
01:10:20
Emeka
I think they keep literally everyone except as a...
01:10:23
Chuku
Thank
01:10:24
Emeka
Maybe Warren, but I think the the cost of buying English players from the Premier League has reached a point now where... If you're not like Man City or Liverpool or Madrid, like a guy like you know Warren or even Mateta is going to cost like $90 million.
01:10:44
Emeka
How many teams got, even let's I'll bring it down, $70 million. How many teams got $70, $60 million lying around to spend on the transfers? So, you know, it's it's funny. I think is the tides are shifting and we're going to see people stay more just because the cost of transfers is getting absurd now.
01:11:04
Chino Onwuka
about you chicken.
01:11:07
Chuku
I definitely think Eze is going to leave. I just don't see, especially now that he's won a trophy for Crystal Palace, I feel like she's his job, his duty is done, and he's getting at that age where, you know, probably wants to experience, I mean, especially with, like, if a Champions League club, like, if, for example, Spurs come for Eze right now, I mean...
01:11:32
Chuku
you have a chance to play in Champions League football and be a big part of ah of a team that's in that in that note type of competition. I just don't see why Eze wouldn't take that i want to take that next step. So I definitely think Eze most likely is gone.
01:11:49
Chuku
But of the others, I think it might not be now. But in the near future, I also think Wharton is gone as well because he's just he's he is just too good. Unless something happens with injuries and he falls off completely, if he continues at this pace, I just think another Premier League team or another bigger club has to step in to get this kid because he is he is the truth in
Crystal Palace Player Valuations & Transfer Speculations
01:12:17
Chuku
midfield.
01:12:18
Chuku
And Mateta, I like to think my te someone comes from in for Mateta, but I don't know. I feel like... Right now, if you try to price Mateta out from Crystal Palace, you're probably spending upwards of $50 million, $60 million. don't know how many teams in the league will be willing to spend that kind of money to bring in a guy like Mateta. So I think for now, I'll leave it at basically Wharton and Eze for sure leaving.
01:12:47
Chuku
Munoz, I don't see any reason for him to leave at the moment. He's been really solid for them. And... I mean, proven to be a viable piece. The problem with him is, you know, he's the classic attacking fullback that cannot, is not good on the defensive side. So he only is effective in particular systems, I guess, you know, teams that mostly operate with wingbacks and not fullbacks.
01:13:13
Chuku
So it would be harder for him to find another destination because there has to be a specific type of club. But, yeah, I think for the most part, They will definitely struggle to keep Eze and Wharton.
01:13:30
Chino Onwuka
So I actually have a a friend, a colleague who's a Crystal Palace fan. So shout out, Brian K. Shout out to your success. So he, you know you know, first thing we did when I came to the office is, you know, you know I gave him his props. You know, we talked about it. What how but a moment it is for him, his family. And then he went straight into, you know, being worried about how his team could be picked apart. And I, like you, sort of like, you know, gave him some encouragement to say, hey, man, like,
01:13:58
Chino Onwuka
It's different. like In the Prem, like for you to come and and take a player from the Prem, you've got to have that dose. so I think Crystal Palace, like Emeka mentioned, is probably a bit better served than some teams in the past to keep their players, especially because they have Europa League.
01:14:17
Chino Onwuka
so they could They can hold off at least one year. There's two guys that I think or might leave. Kuehi, I'm surprised no one mentioned him just because he's been on the verge of leaving. so many times i think he you know a lot of those crystal palace players have you know some pseudo some pseudo clauses where they can leave for so i think way he is gone because he's been on the cusp of leaving a couple of times and and as a only because as has sort of not let himself get into the the zaha situation by signing a new contract so i think he only has a couple of years left and they need to cash in on him now
01:14:54
Chino Onwuka
I think Gouyé for sure. I think Eze might stay unless one of the bigger teams come in because I think, you know, he has the chance to sort of platform himself on the European stage. He will have a chance to play European football next year. And so, you know, if they look at, you know, what happened with United and Tottenham and, you know, if they, you know, maybe they might suffer in the Prem next year, but if they put...
01:15:17
Chino Onwuka
all their eggs in the Europa basket and, you know, find a way to win it, then that means Champions League. So, you know, I think Guayhi's going for sure. Eze, there's a chance.
01:15:27
Chino Onwuka
And Wharton, he's going to be a 100 million midfielder soon. It's just when... There's enough room for one of the big teams to come for him.
01:15:38
Chino Onwuka
You know, if, you know, I know Arsenal have bought Zubomendi, if there's anyone I would have gone for above Zubomendi, it would have been Wharton, but, you know, bygones are bygones. But yeah, like Chuka, you said, it's only a matter of time before someone comes in big for him.
01:15:53
Emeka
Man, Sarasenal signs Zubimendi. I ain't see the Arsenal.com link yet, so I don't know about all that.
01:15:55
Chuku
you
01:15:58
Emeka
But it's a sad it's a sad symptom of modern football where a team excels and the first thing we think of is who's going to buy them all. I hope the Palace keep all their players and they keep going, but I do think it's fair to say that they're going to lose somebody, whether it be Eze or Gouahy or...
01:16:15
Emeka
You know, they're going to lose people. just how it goes and in the and the league. i I just think, again, that the money in the prep is so high that it's hard to buy people now. It's hard to, it's, you're seeing guys in relegation sides going for like 30, 40 million, which never happened in the past before.
01:16:32
Emeka
Guys like Cunha apparently going for 60, 70 million. Like it's, it's, it's tough to buy in the league. And if you go outside the league, no one has
EPL Season Wrap-up & Champions League Prospects
01:16:40
Emeka
money. So I'd be curious to see guys like Eze and, and Wartons are two highest prospects. I think it's fair to say if anyone, you know, brings that offer, they can't refuse and and makes Palace think about it.
01:16:54
Emeka
But as I was saying earlier about the – we talked about pals in Europa. My French father, Arce Wenger, once famously said that Champions League is a trophy.
01:17:04
Emeka
And there it means that, ah you know, we're in match week 38. We're going to take a quick pause and give all give us all a round of applause for completing a full season on this podcast. It's not easy. Who would have thought?
01:17:18
Emeka
But, you know?
01:17:19
Chino Onwuka
Wow. Wow. Honestly, shout out you guys. Shout out the team. Honestly.
01:17:24
Emeka
A round of applause for that. But we're at the last week of the season. And next week or the week after, we'll go we'll do a big season recap. We'll give you guys teams of the year and most improve, all those all that stuff. But before we get there, yeah you know, it's been a week.
01:17:41
Emeka
Last couple of seasons, the league has gone down to the final day or relegation. So it's not that's not what's happening this year. Sadly, Liverpool won the league, honestly, five months ago. And the three promoted teams were so bad, they got back down.
01:17:54
Emeka
So the only thing really up for grabs now are the Champions League spots. And for, you know, on this podcast, well have to do Game of the Week. I thought we switched it up this week. Last match week of the season, there are currently five teams separated by three points, between three and seven.
01:18:12
Emeka
City at third, 68 points, and Forest's seventh, 65 points. I would like everybody to give me your three, four, and five end of next week end of Sunday, who are going to be joining Arsenal Liverpool in Champions League next season?
01:18:29
Emeka
And Spurs, sadly. Of the City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest. I'm going to with you, Chukwu. Who are your 3, 4, and 5 to enter Champions League next year?
01:18:44
Chuku
three, four, and five from EPL. I
01:18:50
Chuku
i just think my city have to find a way.
01:18:54
Chuku
So my city.
01:19:01
Chuku
Newcastle, they're going to find a way to come back their way into that. Newcastle, and can't believe I'm going to say this, but I really think they will find a way when they beat Forest on Sunday.
01:19:16
Chuku
And that's Chelsea. Those are the three.
01:19:21
Emeka
You
01:19:23
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, so what I did was instead of, you know, just picking the three teams I thought would make it, I decided to just look at the individual games, give my predictions for the games, and then see where it all tallied out. So, you know, if you look at the first game, you know, City versus Fulham, I have City winning that game, so I think that puts them at 71 points.
01:19:45
Chino Onwuka
Then it is... Villa versus Manchester United. United are cooked, so I have them winning that game, so that puts Villa at 69 points. Then Newcastle-Everton. think Everton are just some some stubborn bastards. You know, you've got David Moyes there, so he's going have him still playing with pride.
01:20:05
Chino Onwuka
like there's there's i don't I don't know if there's been any new news if Isaac's going to be able to play or not. Have you heard anything there? Any updates?
01:20:13
Emeka
Not new updates yet.
01:20:15
Chino Onwuka
but So I have that as a tie. that puts Newcastle at 67 points. And then it comes down to Forrest versus Chelsea. And I don't know, just Forrest at home with everything that it means to them. Chelsea haven't been too convincing lately. I have Forrest winning that game. So that puts Forrest at 68 points and Chelsea at 66, which gives me City in third place with 71.
01:20:45
Chino Onwuka
Villa in fourth place with 69, and Forest in fifth place at 68.
01:20:51
Emeka
Wow. Hey, I like it. We all have three different predictions because I i did the same exercise. I did the predictions. But while I do agree with you that City beat Fulham and Villa beat United, I do have Newcastle beating Everton just because Everton have nothing to play for.
01:21:10
Emeka
And I have Forrest and Chelsea as a draw. I feel like both teams are going to be nervous. It's like a final. Teams are going to enforce at home too. They'll have to sit back and Chelsea don't like to break teams down.
01:21:22
Emeka
I have that being the the weird, odd game where both teams are playing for a win and a draw does nothing for them. but they can't break each other down. Maybe a 2-2 or a high-scoring game, which gives me a top five of City third, Newcastle fourth, and then Unai Emery sneaks it again.
01:21:40
Emeka
Fifth place, just barely, as Chelsea finished sixth on 67, and sadly, end the season in Europa in a Conference League at 66, which if you've given Forest fans beginning of the year,
01:21:54
Emeka
Seventh place. They would snatch it off your hands. Gladly. But after how they started, I'm sure it'd be, I mean, the owner, he might go beef Nuno again on the pitch if it ends like that. So, yeah, I think I got i got City, Newcastle, and Aston Villa.
01:22:08
Emeka
And maybe I'm just trying to speak into existence because I don't want Chelsea to beat Champions League after the the year they've had. Inshallah. if it plays out that way. But, hey, I'm curious. You know, I'm really – all these teams are very lucky.
01:22:22
Emeka
This is the year that Prem got five spots because if it was only four, this weekend would have been techie for a lot of these guys. But, you know, we're going to – it's blessings for all these people that are so compact.
01:22:35
Emeka
We get an extra team in there to ease the pressure a little bit, I guess.
01:22:39
Chino Onwuka
So that means there's gonna be six Prem teams in the Champions next year.
01:22:44
Emeka
Absolutely. Yeah.
01:22:46
Chino Onwuka
And I think, what's the final tally on on English teams gonna have in Europe?
01:22:46
Emeka
think It's eight for now, but there is a chance it could be nine if Chelsea finish seventh and then win the Conference League.
01:22:50
Chino Onwuka
Is it 10?
01:23:01
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:23:01
Emeka
Then whoever finishes eighth will go to Conference League. So there is a chance nine teams in England, almost half the league, will playing Europe next year.
01:23:04
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:23:08
Chino Onwuka
Wow.
01:23:10
Chino Onwuka
Wow, crazy.
01:23:11
Emeka
Nine teams are in Europe. And you know who's not one of them? Glory, glory, Man United.
01:23:19
Chino Onwuka
That's also going to make the... So if it's nine teams, actually, no, that's only still just three teams playing Thursday. So I was going to say that might make the the scheduling super hard.
01:23:31
Chino Onwuka
for whoever the the quant whose job it is to come up with the schedule because the teams that play on Thursdays have to play on Sundays. So you have to manage that. But anyway, that's an aside.
01:23:43
Emeka
that's be i know I'm glad to say Arsenal, we do we don't deal with those problems anymore. We're a Tuesday-Wednesday organization. Proper Tuesday-Wednesday organization.
Manchester United's Struggles & Future Outlook
01:23:53
Emeka
Man United can't even get a Thursday game anymore next season. It's ah's sad to see.
01:24:00
Chino Onwuka
and And maybe we'll dive into it deeper, but that might be to their benefit.
01:24:00
Emeka
It's sad to see.
01:24:05
Chino Onwuka
You know, we talked about, you know, what Kante always does. You know, if you look at it, especially when he comes in that first year, it's always when his new team is in Europe and that's the cycle. So they're not in Europe. So it's one game a week. They win the league.
01:24:19
Chino Onwuka
Then the next season they're in Europe. And then that's when he always bitches, but that's when he bitches even more about signings and things like that. And then by the third season, he's gone. So, United, they they they have to make they have to make play only one game a week work for them. They have to.
01:24:38
Chino Onwuka
They have to.
01:24:40
Emeka
If my man and Ruben, I'm a fraud, is still there, they could play zero games a week and they still find a way to lose. I'll tell you that for free. I could slander man you for for hours and hours and hours and hours. But, you know, I think do life has hit them enough this week. Life has hit them enough this week.
01:24:58
Chino Onwuka
I'm just trying to keep a professional on the pod. You know, I'm trying to be a professional because yeah, there's, there's a whole, there's a whole other place I could take this, but we're we're trying to keep it.
01:25:07
Emeka
good Hey, we're keeping the professional. Although I'll just end it with a quick lads. It's no longer lads, it's Tottenham. It's now lads, it's United. Yeah, I'll give i give our Tottenham brothers that from now.
01:25:21
Chino Onwuka
Think about it. If I don't know if you want to go back 10 years, 15 years and you told, the younger version of you, that Manchester United would be in 16th place with 39 points, minus 12 goal difference, and no Europe, no Champions League, no Europa League, even with the expanded groups, you would probably tell the person that they're they're they're they're they're high on something.
01:25:54
Chino Onwuka
or maybe they're delusional or, you know, psycho. Like, what? Like, let's just deep that. I think, and I think, Emeka, you've said this enough. Like, I don't think it gets spoken enough.
01:26:04
Emeka
I thought it was not yet properly understood what you just said. You said they 39 points. That gets you relegated some years.
01:26:13
Chino Onwuka
Yes, most years, we had one season in eighth
01:26:14
Emeka
Like, yeah.
01:26:19
Chino Onwuka
And we were seeing graphics of, you know, Leicester replacing us as a big six club and broken cannons and things like that. These minds, the only reason they qualified for Europe last year is because they won the FA Cup.
01:26:31
Chino Onwuka
And now it's even worse in their 16th place. I hear no get them out of the big six shots because if there's a team that should be knocked out of that, it's it's them.
01:26:42
Chino Onwuka
It's crazy.
01:26:43
Emeka
brother, you ain't lie anytime. I'll tell you that. You ain't lie once. Before we sign off, you've been awfully quiet, Chukwu. You got any final words to our our brothers struggling in Manchester United? Do you want tell them it gets better?
01:26:58
Emeka
Do you have any words of encouragement for Man United fans out there?
01:27:02
Emeka
I guess that silence says it all. There's there's really nothing I can say.
01:27:04
Chino Onwuka
I like that. No words of an encouragement. He's saying, die in your grave. That's what he's saying.
01:27:09
Emeka
look and There's nothing really You know what, that's a good point right there There is nothing to say And if you are and a generation, I'd say 30 and above And you grew up with Sir Alex Ferguson's red nose Ruining your life Enjoy these last couple years You've earned it Just like a we've enjoyed We've really enjoyed this season As Man United haters I can tell you that
01:27:39
Chino Onwuka
The hate watchers have been beautiful.
Season Reflections & Future Hopes
01:27:40
Chino Onwuka
if That's that's the got my best as the only good thing. you know i mean, yeah, there's you know the Madrid game and the City game, but apart from that, that's the best thing that's happened this season, to be honest. So, hey, I'll take it
01:27:57
Emeka
That I will. And hope I want to thank all you listening, Vermandu fans. Listen, we've been pretty, I'd say we've been pretty respectful this season. Let us have this. You guys are 16th.
01:28:09
Emeka
You deserve it. But glad you for joining with us another episode of Love of the Game. Enjoy the last week of Premier League because it's gone for four months after that. And, man, I'm going to miss it.
01:28:21
Emeka
It's been great chatting a you boys all season. Hopefully we get more seasons of this afterwards. We're still going to be back next week recapping the Premier League and previewing the Champions League and NBA Finals and all that other stuff.
01:28:34
Emeka
Join us then, and I hope you do. It's always a blast right here on the Love of the Game podcast.