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NBA #nba 🏀 Season & Draft Review + Offseason Preview #nbabasketball
1 Playsin 18 hours
Join Sports Professor & NBA Insiders to break down the current NBA landscape. We review the 2026 season and preview free agency to evaluate roster moves and team trajectories for the upcoming months. This is the place for fans who want clear, direct insights into their favorite leagues without the fluff.
If you follow NBA basketball, this debate provides the context you need. Subscribe for weekly sports debates and comment below with your questions #nba #basketball #nbabasketball
Featuring Omar 'Sports Professor' Fonseca & Bobby G @TheAudiblePodcast +
@19mediagroup Gameface Lee (IG @NBA_Baseline) & Desmond Powell (IG @MidPostPod)
Click LinkTree for ALL @BALLandBUDS Social Media Profiles 💯 https://linktr.ee/BALLandBUDS
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Transcript
Show Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
You can't pretend, now get ready for the show.
00:00:16
Speaker
Yo, yo, yo, what up, friends? Ballin' Buds is back at it again. And you know when you gotta get it in and you the needy, the Ballin' Buds is here to feed the greedy.
00:00:33
Speaker
So come on and chop on it because we got NBA basketball to talk about today. Yes, and I am here. with two of my brothers who have joined me all season long and have been gracious enough to spend another last hour with me or so before we take a break until the new season.
Upcoming Shows and Guests
00:00:52
Speaker
Yes, this will be last basketball show for a couple months, but will not be the last show for this month. Total evisceration tomorrow. Me whooping hot take shakes ass. Make sure you're tuning in. At 7 Eastern tomorrow evening or maybe even like 6.30 Eastern. I try to go before BG because I know they go on Thursday nights and i don't like stepping on them. But it's it's hard because that's the only time Blake can go. I mean, Jake can go. Blake. Blake is my other friend. Anyways, we are here with Bobby G from Audible because he will also go live on Thursdays as usual. Tell us what you got talking about tomorrow on the show, brother.
00:01:24
Speaker
Tomorrow we can't continue in our 2026 NFL preview. Tomorrow we we got the ah NFC West. So all my Rams, Seahawks, 49er faithful, and unfortunately Cardinals fans.
00:01:41
Speaker
Tap in, man. see you See how we think your team's going fare this season. There you go. And where else can they find you? Hey, find me. Hey, if you're looking on the on the vertical, you know, you got the audible, both audibles Friday. You go go this way. Friday, Thursday, Mondays and Wednesdays.
00:02:02
Speaker
And then, of course, Thursdays on ESPN, Jacksonville 690 AM from 46 Eastern with rec room crew. Shout out KWIT, your boy, JAD, MIC, Scott Colvin, AP and the crew. So.
00:02:14
Speaker
Yes, sir. I love it. Every time I hear that, I still congratulate my boys for getting to that ESPN gig. That is tremendous. And also as well with us, our brother from the mid post pod, Desmond Powell. What's good, brother?
00:02:28
Speaker
What's good, y'all? Good to be back in the virtual building once again, wrapping up the NBA season as usual. You know, I'm excited for it as always, gentlemen. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. We thank you for joining us. And as well, we will have some other other special guests hopefully joining us throughout the hour. So do not be concerned. Hopefully we'll be joined by our NBA baseline crew as well as Unfair Sports, maybe even Man Down Sports. We'll see who shows up.
00:02:56
Speaker
All I do these days is just extend the invite. If people can show, they show. Because I've learned over the past few years when you're trying to get people to come on shows and you're coordinating between six people, It is very hard to do. so you just have to do what you can.
00:03:10
Speaker
All right. Shout out to CWinterland on 2K. Says Browns under three and a half wins. BG, shots fired. What do you have to i got 100 on it.
00:03:23
Speaker
Oh. He says no way. Y'all know me. i do know yeah on the moment he will bet he will bet you if you really want to bet 100 see winterland he will bet you i make sure we make sure we switch like cash app so it's on the up and up but uh yes he will bet you all right bro we won five last year with ah with a worse team I think they're saying maybe because of loss of Miles Garrett and not sure about your quarterback between Shador and Deshaun Watson and all that good stuff. But you know where they can find out this information, BG.
00:03:59
Speaker
Tell them. Mondays and Wednesdays. Mondays and Wednesdays, game time, 216, me and the homie Big Mike. Matter of fact, in about ah two weeks or three weeks, we'll actually be ah previewing the AFC North. so There you go.
00:04:13
Speaker
And cheers to Canteen and the Bottom Line Sports. Y'all tune in with Canteen, Hot Rod, and Flo over there, Bottom Line Sports. Join their Bottom Line Sports group on Facebook. It's a a really good sports group. And DP, let them ah let them know where you can find they can find you, my friend.
00:04:28
Speaker
Absolutely. Shout out to the home team, 19 Media Group. You can find us at youtube ah on YouTube at 19 Media Group. On the YouTube channel, you have the variety of podcasts where you'll find one of mine, the Midpost, where I talk basketball pretty much every Tuesday. I try to at least. It's the offseason now, so not too much from me, but did go over the Paul George trade to the Boston Celtics and Jalen Brown to the Sixers. Mm-hmm. and some of the earlier offseason moves that happened as well so if you want to see those thoughts uh you can go there for that and as always you can follow me on the socials at desmond pile underscore twitter instagram tick tock uh or at mid post pod on instagram and twitter for the show platform
00:05:13
Speaker
Yes, sir. There you go. hey like These gentlemen are both all over the interwebs. You can find them repping all of these great channels. So make sure you tap in with these boys and make sure you subscribe to Ball and Buds.
00:05:25
Speaker
B-A-L-L-A-N-D-B-U-D-S on YouTube. Handy QR code up there at the top. Take you to our link tree. You can subscribe to our YouTube, follow our Instagram, all of that great stuff. We appreciate all you that are tuned in. Let's kick this bad boy off, shall we?
00:05:41
Speaker
Oh, by the way, shout out to millions. We are on millions as well live. If you're an athlete, a content creator, you like to do interviews and you want to meet other content creators and athletes and do interviews and do live streams, get on millions.co.
NBA Season Highlights
00:05:56
Speaker
It is free. They support you and it's a win-win situation. So millions.co shout out.
00:06:02
Speaker
right cool let's move it into our first just a little bit of warm up here let's talk a little bit about how the overall season we felt about it obviously we had our final show where we talked about the knicks winning the championship over the spurs but as a whole this 2026 feeling uh season how'd you feel about it anything that really stuck out that you want to talk about uh go ahead and start us off guess what ah Yeah, it was a pretty good season.
00:06:28
Speaker
ah And I love the fact that the East, I think, was better than people thought. Sure, it probably wasn't better than the West still, but there was a lot of competition out East, and that certainly lived up to the hype. I mean, I don't think we saw the Hawks getting fifth in the East on our bingo cards. At least I didn't, especially after the Trae Young trade. um You know, the the and even if you look at the the Western Conference, the fact that the Portland Trailblazers were able to make their way out of the play in. And despite having a worse record than the Suns, they're the ones that get the seven seed. So across both conferences, there was just a lot going on. And I thought it was a really competitive season. Shout out to the NBA Cup. This was the first year where the NBA Cup.
00:07:11
Speaker
And NBA Cup reference is why I bring Desmond on. this offer He come with the deep cut. Let's go. i want to hear. and And if you guys if you guys notice the ah they change the venue, I believe, for next season. um Oh, is it in Indiana?
00:07:26
Speaker
I want to say one of the Indiana venues or something like that or wherever Butler plays something like that, something like that. um they're they're moving over there and I thought that's pretty poetic because if you watch the NBA cup this year that literally reminded me of March Madness and I think that's exactly what the NBA wanted and it certainly lived up to the hype as well so uh you know something of course not not everything is perfect but there were definitely some highlights from this NBA season Oh man, yeah, definitely. It was ah it was a wild and NBA ah season and even so far, and we'll talk about this a little bit, but a wild and NBA offseason so far too. But anyways, Bobby G, what were your thoughts on this overall 2026 season?
00:08:06
Speaker
um A lot expected, a lot unexpected. um You know, the Spurs coming out arriving early. think a lot of people thought that they would be one of the teams of the future. And they said, you know, our time is now, even though they didn't win the championship. The foundation is there.
00:08:21
Speaker
Foundation and is there and they're going to be a problem. yeah The Knicks, you know, some little old school, you know. ah You can't just, you know, put together a team overnight. You got to go through your lumps. You got to take your lumps.
00:08:34
Speaker
The Knicks proved that again. You know, that this team is last four years has been been going at it and they finally got the right mix. Shout out to Mike Brown. Mike Brown. Finally getting his just due, you know, he's been ah much maligned.
00:08:48
Speaker
Much maligned. Yeah, you know, people want to take away his credit saying, oh, you know, when he was younger, he had LeBron James. You know, you get fired from the Lakers. Right.
00:09:00
Speaker
You come back to Cleveland, you get fired for a second time. And you know he kind of had to reset itself, but ah came back strong with this Knicks squad. And literally, you can pinpoint to his adjustment being the reason why they went on that that run.
00:09:15
Speaker
ah Kind of like a football-style run, where it was like, because the Knicks, they didn't play up the expectations all season, and then kind of got hot at the right time, right? just Just kind of like the Giants did two times.
00:09:29
Speaker
yeah no doubt about that yeah like this one said you know the Hawks I'm not gonna say I saw him climbing up to it to where they got to but last two years have been driving the trade Trey young train and uh I told everybody when they trade this dude they're gonna get better and what happened they traded him and they oh ah um And you know who was observing that? that
00:10:02
Speaker
Charlotte. You know, so we'll see what happens with the Hornets after the Mellow Train show. We'll talk about that. But yeah, the last basketball season, it was exciting.
00:10:13
Speaker
lot to look forward to. a lot of young stars improving themselves. And we got a lot of new stars coming in for next season. So looking forward to that as well. Oh, yes, we do. Looking forward to that. And as well, one of the newest stars of this season of Ball and Buds, supported all season long, helped us out, and is a true MVP of our basketball season this year, Game Face Lee. What's good, brother? It's been a minute, fellas. It's been a minute.
00:10:46
Speaker
Yeah, man. Hope you're doing all right. doing right? As good as I could possibly be. oh We will take that. All things considered, right? All things considered. We will take that and we will all be wishing each other a beautiful summer to come up and hopefully everything will be working out for all of us. But we really appreciate you coming in, brother, taking that time out.
00:11:08
Speaker
I know you are a busy man, so please talk to us. How'd you feel? um Oh, actually, no, before you do that, go ahead and tell them where they can find you. where we start? Oh, man, you know, Baseline NBA podcast, running strong 13 years, being my co-host, partner in crime, the Warren Shaw. got to make sure I say it properly. You know what I'm saying? Oh, is he like Ohio State now? The Ohio State? You know, back in the day when they say, you know, that official verified account verification is the blue checkmark.
00:11:41
Speaker
Yeah, the blue checkmark. Verification is when you put the after You know saying? Your government name or you put the after any of your handles, right? That's great. I clearly have not elevated to that status. I'll get there. ah yeah i'm but I'm just glad one of us does, right? So well you even even more bodacious, I think Bobby G is the real Bobby G or the official, oh official Bobby G. I'm official. I'm just official. There was another Bobby G running around somewhere on the Audible. No. There literally is. I could not, yeah, cant give there there's a bunch of bobby gs running around I get the handle on IG.
00:12:19
Speaker
so That's great. Anyways, my bad, Cal. Keep going. No, please, by all means, man. And listen, if he wasn't if he wasn't at the extraordinaire podcaster that he is, man, I'd have already mistaken him as being you know part of, ah you know what I'm saying, the next R&B group. Ha!
00:12:40
Speaker
He said new edition.
Financial Strategies and Team Building
00:12:43
Speaker
know Bobby doesn't intentionally mess around and people calling a Bobby V instead of Bobby G. You know what I'm saying? so I hit a couple of Drew Heels every once in a while. right You know what saying?
00:12:55
Speaker
Blackberry molasses. Come on now. What's up? Let's go. Let's fucking go. Hey, so glad to have you in, brother. So, yeah, go ahead and talk to us. How did you feel about the overall 2026 season? Anything that stood out you?
00:13:11
Speaker
Well, I think the thing that really stood out to me is that the gap between um teams that we believe are going to be the most dominant in the and NBA are not as clearly clear-cut.
00:13:26
Speaker
as I think we like to make it believe. And I know that the the playoff storylines spoke a little bit differently, but I do think that we see a changing of the tide and how teams are built.
00:13:38
Speaker
And you can clearly tell that teams are being built for the long haul. They're they're being built with depth. And when they catch when when teams catch lightning in a bottle,
00:13:51
Speaker
when they're positioned the way that they're positioned, they theyre set they essentially are going to want to be in a better team that's going to make the longest run. And, you know, we saw that with the New York Knicks. We saw that with the San Antonio Spurs, albeit, you know, we were very surprised by the growth process of this first team. But again, this team was built for the long run.
00:14:11
Speaker
This team was built to do what they do and do it sustainably. And I think once they bought in, we saw that in the second half of the season, They basically were the team of attrition, right? right The Oklahoma City Thunder could have very easily positioned themselves to be, you know, that team coming out of the West, but they didn't have the depth that you clearly saw they lost You know what saying? From this past offseason. They never filled in the gaps the same way. Not saying that they didn't find hidden gems in A.J. Mitchell and the contributions that they got, but this team was not it was not built or structured the same way that they had when they made that run last year.
00:14:52
Speaker
And then again, i i think you couple that with the fact that, you know, the talent pool of other teams having that depth, you know, really, really narrowed the gap. So it really came down to the team doing what they needed to do, getting out of their their first, second, third rounds as quickly as possible.
00:15:08
Speaker
And in the common final handling business. And then you get you clearly saw a team that once they got themselves into the the NBA finals, You can clearly tell that they were the more poised team.
00:15:20
Speaker
They had more clutch ah shooters. They have more clutch play. yeah and We don't know of whether or not the San Antonio Spurs can replicate what they gave us last year. But I do think that given what the offseason showed us is that all teams now have bought into the idea that if Spurs can get there,
00:15:40
Speaker
and the Knicks can get there, we damn sure think we can get there as well, too. And that's why you saw a lot of the chaos that took place, you know, before before before draft night. You saw all this chaos taking place.
00:15:53
Speaker
um and And I think that's a good thing. Because now, all I have been stated are multiple teams who are seriously, you know, have pushed their chips all in.
00:16:05
Speaker
And this idea of them, you know, getting themselves to the NBA Finals. So... she had the query That's very interesting because i was actually going to ask a question about this later on in the show, but I might as well bring it up now. It's a great it's a great point to bring up.
00:16:20
Speaker
um How do we feel? Obviously, you just stated your feelings. ah But... The parity that Adam Silver desired, the and NBA desired in bringing upon these luxury taxes, these aprons and so forth that are now splitting up teams, demonstrably splitting up teams like people are going like, ah you know, Brad Stevens claims he did. We'll talk about that later. But.
00:16:48
Speaker
um some people actually have had to do it for monetary purposes and have had to break up what could have been super teams. And we might even see that with OKC. We might even have to see that with San Antonio because you just can't have as many max players for more than one, possibly two seasons before that really hampering your franchise. So is it a good thing that that the parody is so that we never going to see a super team again that we might never see back to back again?
00:17:17
Speaker
um I guess I just wanted more more of your thoughts on that, Gabe. Let me say this real quickly. I know sometimes I don't, but let me say this real quickly to what you're saying.
00:17:30
Speaker
I would buy into it if I truly believe that most of these organizations know what they're doing with with this. But I still think that they have no freaking clue what they're doing.
00:17:42
Speaker
um And... Part of that is just the logic behind some of the moves that they have made. And then the justification is about the apron and the tears.
00:17:55
Speaker
um I think that there was just, I just feel like that there's like our our generation, you can clearly tell that An organization is truly behind the assets that they have and the type of team that they're building around and what the culture feels like and that they'll continue to keep doing it until they realize that this can no longer run its course.
00:18:17
Speaker
But I think the Boston Celtics are an absolute test case in us really sitting here saying, are we buying into the idea whether or not the combination of Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum has truly ran its course when I think in two iterations the Celtics may have cut what potentially could be a good thing below its knees before you actually allowed it to grow.
00:18:43
Speaker
And so that to me has become part of the question where if you're justifying it because of the money, then why was the money not a problem? The minute you won the championship that you tried to run it back with that squad.
00:18:56
Speaker
fact You weren't going to keep some of these guys once they showed you a bad season. You know, not a bad career, not a bad stretch of careers, but just not at all he wasn't it wasn't working. So obviously,
00:19:10
Speaker
And i'm I'm telling you right now, we may have that same question with the with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but right we have seen the other side of it with Sam Presti improving that because he is vested in the talent that he drafts,
00:19:24
Speaker
And he's vested in in getting these guys to play a particular way to, to you know, to ingratiate themselves in the system that they've created. We see results from it.
00:19:35
Speaker
So who knows what may come of this? This is the first time we're actually going to question the other side of it. Because for the beginning portion of Sam Presti's career, it's always been he's done this and he's done it so well, but he hasn't had the chip to validate Now he has a chip to validate it.
00:19:51
Speaker
And whatever he does after this, we're going to say, is it sustainable him continuing to do this? Right? So we don't know what this is going to lie, but I'm just saying the perfect test case for us to question this is going to be on what the Boston Celtics did this offseason and what they're doing moving forward.
00:20:10
Speaker
Because you cannot validate to me the justification of a trade like what happened with Jalen Brown. And you're telling me that it's because of the apron. I think that there's way more to it and you're going clearly see whether or not that validates any argument with some of these other teams that clearly are rolling the dice and to hell with the damn apron if they believe that it's going to position them to get themselves into the NBA finals and get them to an NBA championship, something that maybe some of these teams have yet to have seen in decades or probably the first time in their franchise's career.
Celtics' Management Strategies
00:20:45
Speaker
Facts. Yeah, no, I mean, big facts on that. Salute, Hot Rod. Thank you for tuning in. Hot Rod there with the Bottom on Sports. We see you. Salute. Salute to Skywalker Boxing Media.
00:20:55
Speaker
Everybody tapping with Skywalker Boxing Media on Instagram, on Facebook. Shout out to Alan and Giants Girl 72. seven two We appreciate everybody tuning in. So, yeah, as I'm continuing on, though, um BG, how do you feel about that? Do you think that that is going to hamper or be a be a better a blessing or do you think it's still a little bit up in the air?
00:21:20
Speaker
You know what? He got game, right? It's one of my favorite films. There's a lot of people. of won their favorite And there's a scene in there when when they're hooping. And, you know, Jesus is killing them. And then, you know, Denzel gets the ball and and he hits that bank shot, right?
00:21:38
Speaker
And when he looks at looks at the young family and says, I didn't teach you that, though. You had to learn that on your own.
00:21:46
Speaker
I think we're looking at... ah Brad Stevens, and you're looking across the country at Danny Ainge and Danny Ainge saying, I didn't teach you that. Right. Brad Stevens is not studying.
00:21:59
Speaker
He's not going off the playbook he was left. He's trying to do his own thing. Because you didn't you didn't have these issues and these problems going on up there when Danny Ainge was in charge.
00:22:11
Speaker
And if you did, you damn sure didn't hear about it.
00:22:15
Speaker
What's it like? Which is only one thing to change. Danny is gone and Brad Stevens is in. They're just. And look what he's doing. He's doing the same thing Utah. Exact same thing.
00:22:29
Speaker
I'm trying to think. Yeah. yeah San Antonio has a script. They have a playbook that they've been running for 30 years.
00:22:41
Speaker
Presti OKC. Like a Lee said. they're They're just teams that have created a script and they stick to it. everybody Every other team in the NBA is just scrapped.
00:22:54
Speaker
and And that's when you come in with all these rule changes. Okay, how can we adjust it so we can get this parity? You to stop super teams. you can get The owners always going to try and find a way to save money. That's really what it's all about. The owners just trying to find a way to save money. How can we tweak rosters so we don't have to pay these absorbent contracts and save a little bit of money?
00:23:16
Speaker
And then they'll trade players and say, it's cost. is in It is cost saving for call saving for you. Right. But like super teams have always existed.
00:23:28
Speaker
The only difference is back in the 80s, you could You could get a Magic Johnson to sign a 25 year, $25 million contract. Can't do that no more. You know, you can get a Scottie Pippen to sign a, I don't know, we'll call it an S deal.
00:23:45
Speaker
If you know, you know. You can't get that out of these players no more. Right. It's like, that's the only difference, man. they Stop blaming the players.
00:23:56
Speaker
Take everything back to the way it was. Because really, you you're destroying more teams than anything. We're about to run into a situation where people go from hating the way but basketball is played to where people actually enjoy watching basketball. You to this playoffs, people enjoyed watching the playoffs. They enjoy watching basketball.
00:24:16
Speaker
You can hear, I mean, aside from the flopping, You can really hear people complaining about the games, you know, the quality of the game. We had good games. Round by round by round. I mean, we had some, I mean, there was a little, it started as blowouts there at the first and beginning of each game of the championship. They came back, they came back.
00:24:33
Speaker
Yeah. yeah but in a couple years with the way this evening i know that you know uh the cba is coming up uh for renewal you're gonna like okc is going to have to destroy themselves no matter how well managed he's going to have to destroy themselves utah's going to have to destroy them like you're setting it up where teams just have to destroy themselves no matter how good and well managed they are bob I'm going to slightly push you back on it. I'm sorry, Desley. I'm going to slightly push back on the fact that you know the the the quality the quality of the playoffs, I think, really picked up in the second round.
00:25:10
Speaker
The first round, I think, kind of set the tone for where basketball purists were really like sitting here saying to themselves, like, This is why we kind of why most people, I guess the perception is, is that they hate the current state of the and NBA, that the style of play and the way that teams are just going up, they're just jacking up the threes and things that i need you look, we saw that throughout the playoffs as well too.
00:25:34
Speaker
That while the quality of the matchup was awesome and what we were expecting to see the execution and the follow through in, in, in clock management strategy, gameplay,
00:25:46
Speaker
and And I think it it it it it actually filtered through the way that the players played as well, too. We questioned a lot about, you know, what some of these teams were thinking of, especially with some of the egregious, you know, errors that were taking place throughout, you know, throughout the course. And I had to actually come down a little bit because I was just so heated from it in my head because I'm trying to think like, you know, this is just like basic life. Like, what are we talking about? What are we doing?
00:26:11
Speaker
But again, I'm remembering that a good number of the teams that actually participated in this playoffs were teams that have not been in this in this position. have been okay and And I think, but you see, that's the one part of it that didn't get sold to us, right?
00:26:25
Speaker
And a lot of that is because of the disconnect of where the and NBA has been and and what they're trying to show us and present us with what we what we've been dealing with over the last couple of years. There's been a funky transition in how they've been laying out and displaying the game.
00:26:41
Speaker
And it's not interesting because it was one of the conversations that I had with you know my co-host Warren Shaw that you know we thought that there is definitely vitality and it's it's definitely great to see that the NBA is reinvested in this way of trying to display the game and show things.
00:26:56
Speaker
But they so there's still certain aspects of to it that is missing that was always connected to those who were watching the game. and that's the reason why I think you had such a quick visceral reaction to the performances that took place during the course of the playoffs with some of these games because it wasn't so much that we didn't believe in the matchups it's just we couldn't believe like how badly the teams were kind of playing in that moment and the sensationalism of trying to build up you know the rosters and speaking all out it like we weren't getting at the juxtaposition of what was actually going on watching these games and really embracing the fact that hey
00:27:32
Speaker
this is a monumental moment for a team like the Charlotte Hornets. This is a great opportunity for a team like the Atlanta Hawks because we don't we can't look at what the Trey Young teams are doing with what this current this Atlanta Hawks team is currently trying to do and things of that nature.
00:27:46
Speaker
And I think we all got caught off guard by that. That's all I wanted to and to mention that that is that there were moments though that you felt disappointed because you expected better and you expected more. But maybe part of that is because of the the unrealistic expectations that were given to us by the way that the playoffs had played itself out.
00:28:05
Speaker
And I do also agree that the three-point style, especially, you know, Boston, since we know pretty well that that's what they they they do now, that it is very hard to watch. I'm not going to lie. Even as a Celtics fan, and I have league pass, so I can luckily just change it if I want to. But even with the Celtics, you know, I'll be watching a game and you'll start chucking up the threes.
00:28:28
Speaker
And I'll just be, I'll be working on my laptop and I'll just be like, all right, well, I can hear you tell me they're shooting the three. I guess all I need to know is if they make it or not. don't even got to look up. And it gets to the point where now I'm not even watching every play because I know most of, you know, 80% of the time it's going to be a three pointer.
00:28:42
Speaker
So I'll just look up every once in a while and, you know, for the, try to catch the good place. So I do see what you're saying there. And you all are right that we were, um, And I think this has been something that you are also right about. has been going on for a few years now. And Desmond, I'm going to come to you.
00:28:57
Speaker
But is trying to, and no one may agree with me on this, but trying to sell a game to a generation that is not nearly as invested into it as we were. And that may be because of the phones and technology and how quick things move. A lot of people don't even watch games now. They just watch highlights on you know X and ESPN and whatever. um So it could be also the...
00:29:28
Speaker
and And again, now I go back to Steph Curry and how he kind of started the three-point bombings and stuff like that. I guess what I'm trying to say is this generation is not as compelled in the game of bat NBA basketball as we used to be back in the 80s, 90s, and early aughts, is what I would say.
00:29:48
Speaker
But anyways, Desmond, continue. I apologize. Oh, no, you're good. um So, okay, i can I can really speak on all those things.
Viewership and Engagement Strategies
00:29:56
Speaker
So um I can add to what Kyle was saying earlier and and Bobby G, because when we look at that the the apron thing, I think it's...
00:30:05
Speaker
what what happens all the time in this league, right? Like several years ago when it was the Warriors running things, it was, oh, well, I'm tired of seeing the same team winning. Where's the parody? Now we get parody and it's like, oh, dang, we're entering that point. Like Bobby G said, we're going to get there in a few years where it's like, dang, what happened to the dynasties? what I want to see a team kind of combat this parody with dominance. Where is that at? And now we're not going to have that because of the the apron thing. And then and to to Cal's earlier point kind of bringing up the Celtics, and I think that's the issue of ah with what Brad Stevens did.
00:30:42
Speaker
He had a duo unlike anything, almost anything we've seen in the entire history of the and NBA. You had two superstar players who could bring you the same exact role for 48 minutes, whether you staggered them or play them together.
00:30:57
Speaker
you had You had what all these organizations wish they had. so Guys that were on the same timeline, not just the same play style, but the same timeline. And and you finally get to a point where, okay, Jason Tatum had, you kind of see the peak of his powers the last few years. And now Jalen Brown has shown that he's been at the peak of his powers. This next season was supposed to show what that can look like when they're both on the floor at the same time.
00:31:23
Speaker
and And just when you got to the precipice of that, you you you dropped it off. And i and to their points, i don't think that's fully apron. I think it is, well, I guess it is a little bit based on what he said in the press conference, but I just, I can't fully buy it because a lot of these other teams don't have what you had.
00:31:42
Speaker
any Anybody would have killed to have what you had and and you made this trade still. And so that's where I get a little bit lost with it. Now, with that last point you made, a Professor, about about kind of the quality of the game. Now, I will i will argue and say that...
00:31:59
Speaker
I think there are some real good creators around like Twitter in particular that are really good at, and like more people around like my age, like I'm going to be 28 next month. So like people who are like really breaking down the way that the game is today. Like even for me, cause I'm, I'm, I'm an old soul. So I watched the game and I'm thinking the same thing you guys are thinking sometimes like, man, like,
00:32:25
Speaker
um there's There's something missing here, but I think at the end of the day, there are a lot of people out there that are doing a great job of highlighting How, you know, what what's what's what's different in strategy today compared to decades ago, right? what yeah As fast as this game looks and as random as it looks sometimes, how purposeful it is when you slow it down and when you see what these coaches are doing. I think there are a lot of people, and I think that's what the the younger generation, that's who they are going to. They might not even be going to ESPN. They might not even be going to ESPN. big platforms but they open up tick tock and they see this creator with the green screen background explaining why their favorite team why the spain action worked 52 times in a row or why you know all these stagger screens are the reason why they made it this far in the playoffs i think that's the direction we're going to and to your point if if adam silver can recognize that and put that to the forefront and say hey there are people out here who are explaining the way today's game is
00:33:24
Speaker
in in the same passion, in the same detail as what we've seen in prior generations, I think that's the goldmine he's sitting on, but he's gotta find, he's gotta keep his ear to the streets and and bring these platforms to light.
00:33:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, because that's fine. You can have that, but ah unless you actually know how to how to market that demand and how to actually um still be able to synchronize and align your league at the same time while your your viewers...
00:33:54
Speaker
are fragmented between where they have to watch on ah on a daily basis. We had our MLB show yesterday, but we talked about the NBA for a little bit. We talked about how, because we were talking about viewership and how you got to go to all these different streaming networks to find one game. And on the NBA, it's a different one every damn day of the week.
00:34:12
Speaker
So um when you're dealing with that and then you're dealing with a generation has the the attention span of a net and spends all their time on social media and you're right, not even ESPN. You're right. They're kind of the way of the Dodo and trying to catch up now via streaming platform. But even then, a lot of people are as they used to cut the cable. Now people are even cutting the streaming because it's getting too outrageous. And so the the lower number of platforms you can come condense yourself into while still being able to afford it instead of paying for 18 different streaming, you're going to do that and go to social media for the rest. So you're right, but they have to learn how to capitalize on that. And if they want to, I think one good thing they did, and I saw this in the All-Star game last year, was they had a lot of those young creators that you talked about that were around all weekend long and they were trying to get them exposed to the NBA. So that was at least a good thing. Now,
00:35:05
Speaker
to move to the bigger x issue at hand, because I was going to wait till to see when everybody got here. But I can bring this up later when they get in, because everybody else already said their parts. we're going to finish this now. Brad Stevens, we got some things to talk about, brother, because I know damn sure well it wasn't no damn lack luxury tax. You can look. I was born at 5.58 in the morning.
00:35:27
Speaker
I was not born at 5.58 this morning. OK? No, there ain't no damn way because you bring in Paul George who has $56 million dollar contract. So for the next two years, unless you traded him, which hopefully you're going to something, but just say that you didn't because we're going with what's realistic right now.
00:35:43
Speaker
You have pretty much the same exact contract on a little less, but... and a max contract over the next two years for a much decreased, much devalued player who not only is going to be more talkative on podcast than Jalen was, which is one of the reasons they got rid of him, because he wanted to speak his mind on how best of the season it was and how it was one of his favorite seasons. And why wouldn't it be?
00:36:09
Speaker
they had a really good season when no one expected them to even be in the top four of the east they excelled and had really good young players play into a a role that is going to help them succeed this year they also had him having his mvp season and one of his best seasons of his career even though he was consistently good all season long so i don't know what the hell mr seventh on a on a team analytics guy was saying him and the rest of the analytics can get the hell up out of here Because I ain't got time for that shit.
00:36:40
Speaker
Look, I grew up on data. My job was being an analyst for 18 years. And y'all are completely wrong. I get it. Data's good. Numbers don't lie. But you can twist them shits to make some lies. And when I have eyes that tell me Jalen Brown is one of the top 15 players in the league, no matter if that was before last year. then you cannot tell me that you're trading him for a broken down 36-year-old that's going to miss 41 games to injury, maybe another 25 because he needs some more drugs to stay on the court. And then maybe on top of that, he's going to fail in the playoffs like he does every year. And like Desmond said, you blew up the chance.
00:37:17
Speaker
You had at least one You were the top contender in the East next year, one of, if not the top contender in the East next year. Bring them back, Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown together. You should have at least waited back one more year. Get the damn championship. I've got no good time for this. You're pissing me off.
00:37:37
Speaker
Brad Stevens. Cal, help me. See what you did there, Omar? yeah blood pressure what what What did you finish with? we're we're We're the number, we're we're the favorites in the East next year. win the chance That's why you don't go on a podcast the day after you lose in the first round of the playoffs for a team whose fans expect you to win championships and say, losing in the first round was my favorite season.
00:38:01
Speaker
That's why you don't do that. If I was the number one of a team that I was always wanting to be the number one of, but always had to be the number two, and we went farther than everybody thought, I would be my favorite season too. I don't see anything wrong that he said. He was just being honest. But the problem is, you don't want honesty. You know what Podcast P going to give you? Honesty every day in a week.
00:38:21
Speaker
Seven days of content. So you just wait till he out here saying some obnoxious shit. And we talking about podcast P on game two of the season when Jalen Brown would have sat down and not said nothing during the season because he is a good soldier and always has
76ers' Post-Trade Dynamics
00:38:37
Speaker
been. And which is why he is one of my favorite, if not my favorite player in the league right now.
00:38:42
Speaker
but he did it. That's just like me. That's okay. Sometimes we all mess up. We all mess up. We all have bad days. I love talking liked it, actually. But that's like me going to the podcast. As soon as we finish this final, I'm going to say, you know what? This is the best basketball podcast on earth.
00:38:59
Speaker
Next time we get together, Desmond and Lee are going to be like, Bobby G, what's up with that? That's great. know what I'm saying? Like, it's just something, you know, that that, and for a guy, you know, who who is as educated as Jalen Brown, you know, we call something some some people book smart, not street smart.
00:39:16
Speaker
You got to execute some kind of tact, man. You know, so some kind of cool. I understand. But I also don't think he needs to get traded for one comment. And I also don't think he needs to be traded for someone who's not nearly as good as him and is on the downswing and does not make our team better. And I'm sorry, Desmond, I'm to skip you and go to Game Face real quick and we'll come back to you Because I have to know, I said this on the short, there is no way that the Celtics now, as conspired, are a better team than the 76ers Embiid stays healthy. and i And obviously that's very far-fetched. I realize that. But let's just say, hypothetically, he can actually stay healthy for once. I am taking the 76ers over the Celtics 18 days out of seven.
00:40:02
Speaker
That's like three times. That's three times on a Sunday, right? Yes. Maybe 18 times on that Sunday. I'm not sure yet. Look, all I'm going to say is is that there obviously was more to whatever happened but in the in the scenes, you know with the with the Boston Celtics and with Jalen Brown then we're led to believe and maybe they they've done enough they've done a great job of getting us all to this point and then for us to not turn around and burn effigies and you know do all kinds of crazy stuff that we used to do when something as outlandish as this you know takes place right like i'm gonna say this though
00:40:51
Speaker
I do think that, you know, out of everything that we were talking about before, as it pertains to the, you know, the apron and everything like that, we also have to recognize when tandems have run its course.
00:41:03
Speaker
And if if not, if if just for a moment, you just take away the quality of the trade and just in essence, the trade in and of itself happening, I think it needed to happen.
00:41:15
Speaker
I think the fact that the Boston Celtics have been completely dancing around this whole idea and continuing to keep dangling Jalen Brown as the main trade piece to any trade that's being bantered about there involving the Boston Celtics, I think eventually it had to happen and it needed to be done.
00:41:35
Speaker
I also think too, and I'm saying this with the utmost respect, Professor, because I know, you know, as ah as a Boston Celtics fan, we don't typically speak to these particular things, but One of the reasons why I was always a Celtics fan is because we've always maintained a level of identity in our culture.
00:41:54
Speaker
And I'm not talking about all of the nonsense that people have about Celtics, you know, Boston sports fans being racist and all that stuff. That's all of the kind of conversations that could be had for wherever, right?
00:42:05
Speaker
What I'm talking about is as a Boston Celtic, if you're a Boston Celtic, you know about the history, you understand that there is a culture there. There's a culture that is embedded even when you change owners.
00:42:15
Speaker
There is still a piece of the culture in what success looks like as the Boston Celtics. And I make this comparison to the same day we talk about the New York Yankees, right?
00:42:26
Speaker
You have great players. Players who go out there and do magnanimous stuff and they speak magnanimously. But when you actually put on a uniform for that said franchise, for that storied franchise,
00:42:39
Speaker
There are certain rules that you still abide by. There are certain codes that you still have to abide by. A level of decorum. and And listen,
00:42:50
Speaker
i I appreciate and love Jalen Brown, right? And in his young years, maybe he did what was necessary to fit in the mold, but as obviously he grew and matured and he began to see himself and who he was, it was further outside of what that is definitive of being a Boston Celtic is.
00:43:09
Speaker
And I'm not telling any dude that if he, you know, he should he should obey and abide, but you do have to wonder, have I outgrown my space? in that in in the in in the realm of being a Boston Celtic. You get what I'm saying?
00:43:24
Speaker
We would have been questioning the same thing about a guy like Jason Tatum if Jason Tatum was that way. But you notice, Jason Tatum was never, ever in those conversations about being trade bait.
00:43:36
Speaker
And that's because he is more he was more of a Celtic not and I'm not saying that is a good or bad way. I'm just saying that may play a factor in when an organization has to choose between who they want to keep and who they're willing to give up.
00:43:51
Speaker
They're saying that guy chose the line and embraces more being a boss of Celtic than maybe that guy. And it it has an impact on how those guys work with each other, play with each other, how they ingratiate themselves with the rest of the guys and the new guys coming in.
00:44:09
Speaker
We don't want to talk about that, but I'm just saying, from my perspective, looking outside in, I would not have been surprised if one of the reasons why Jalen Brown is no longer a Boston Celtic is because he never really was a Boston Celtic.
00:44:25
Speaker
But it's not because his numbers. It's not because of his contributions. It's because of the certain things that are embedded in being a Boston Celtic, you know, not being as outspoken, not being as. And I'm not saying that that's a good or bad thing. But what I'm saying is, is that these are things like in any organization that you work for, your numbers may produce a lot.
00:44:45
Speaker
But if there is a culture and a code with from within that does you don't lean on or that you're not a part of, You become expendable if they believe that they can find someone to replace what you've been able to give them.
00:44:58
Speaker
Unless you have proven to them that you are as priceless and as valuable as whatever they're comparing you to. And I think all many times too often they were making those comparisons between Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown and not properly unifying what they both could bring to ushering in the identity of what the Boston Celtics is supposed to look like. And that's why we're in this position that we're in right now.
00:45:20
Speaker
And my only push that back on that now i'll push back on two things, but one is going to be very light and the other will be ah just backing up what I said earlier. The first one is OK, fine, but you're still downgrading to Paul George, who's not only worse player, but also is more of a. a talker, more of a person that's out there, more of a person who's going to say things that would go against the Boston culture or do things that would be against the Boston culture. Paul George would be way more liable to do that than Jalen Brown. And Jalen Brown didn't even start doing the podcast until recently. And before that, he was, as we know, was very quiet.
00:45:56
Speaker
And was, don't want to say, I'm not even going to say what what what the word was in my head because that's not what it is. i was thinking like a a servant, but not, he was being like,
00:46:08
Speaker
subservient to the team like he was being Jason second because that's what the team wanted but he took it in stride and he always did it as a good soldier I'm not saying that he was I'm not saying that I don't want to admit I don't want misconstrue what I'm saying SP I agree with you It's not about the podcasting. i don't i don't want I don't want it to be only pinpointed into that. What I'm saying is is that within the culture of a locker room, a team, or wherever, a storied franchise, there is a history there that is built.
00:46:38
Speaker
And sometimes there are certain players in the way that they carry themselves in the way that they do certain things. That is just it's not that it rubs people the wrong way. It just operates differently than the way that the culture is is set is set up and embedded. And in most cases, it allows justification for the executives to sit there and say, well, if we had to give up somebody, who are going to give up?
00:47:01
Speaker
what saying? And it actually is like you're playing the favorite, you're you're playing the favorite game when you really don't have to or you shouldn't. You know what i'm saying? And then that's the point. Like, you're right. They shouldn't. Like, yeah they they they have been comparing those two. Remember, it's also impacting your other players as well, too. The guys that... Jalen Brown had helped build up and elevated them when they overachieved this season. It's going to make them feel some kind of way that he's constantly being put in those conversations about moving players and things of that nature. That makes them feel like, oh yeah, this really is just Celtics business. It's not really about what the Celtic way should be because then mostly and and not all of those guys should have immediatelyly been been saying, we shouldn't meet that you should not be moving our guy.
00:47:45
Speaker
This is our guy. You don't move our guy. Then you move us. You move all of us. And I just feel like I didn't hear a lot of that from any of the players. You know what i'm saying? To me, I didn't sense that. I didn't get that. You know whatim saying? I didn't get that sense did that that was that kind of...
00:48:02
Speaker
brotherhood that we're thinking we're all thinking was supposed to be taking place and what was happening when when all of this was kind of going down. And I think part of that is why this conversation extends itself to the way that it is. And listen to your point.
00:48:17
Speaker
Whatever move that the Celtics made in doing this, we're not going to be talking about Paul George being a galvanizer and, you know, being a Celtic or nothing. That was never the intent. The intent was to move Jalen Brown because we had no choice.
00:48:31
Speaker
They got checkmated and they realized that we now have to see this thing through. And unfortunately, we're still going to be left with a lot more questions and answers because of it.
00:48:43
Speaker
yes and that's the And that's what I was going to lightly put back on is that I would have at least tried one more year. I would have at least tried one more year. And I think that's where 19 Media Group, shout out to y'all's, you know, brotherhood here. We love y'all. Thank y'all for tuning in and thank y'all for a letting, ah you know, Kyle, Gameface and Desmond bless us on these shows. um Yeah, i think that's I think that's a great point, though. like The timing was really bad. i i would have I would have gone another year. If it's me, I'm trying one more year. Yes, you are right about one thing. The underlying friction was there. They were they were not butting heads, so to say, but there was that we both want to be alphas, and there can only be number one sort of thing on the team.
00:49:27
Speaker
Yeah, I liken this to the same way that we talk about you know the Portland Trailblazers with Damian Lillard and CJ McCullough.
00:49:35
Speaker
Both of them wanted at their time and their peak, they both wanted to run that team. And they got as good as getting to the Western Conference Finals. And unfortunately, they ran into a more together, a more unified team. You talk about the Yankees and the core four.
00:49:53
Speaker
That was what the Golden State Warriors were when you had Draymond Greenclay Thompson and Steph Curry. And you just can't beat that. d They went through the wars together. They grew through that together. The next best thing that the Portland Trailblazers had was that combination of CJ and Damian Lillard.
00:50:09
Speaker
But because of that, you know, that mentality, that mindset, You know what I'm saying? they They themselves did not get stronger because of it. It actually forced the Portland Trailblazers to have to make a decision about what to do with that team because they didn't believe that they were going to be able to hold on with the both of them and whatever it is that they were trying to build around it.
00:50:30
Speaker
And that's more on the Portland Trailblazers. But again, part of that is understanding the culture and understanding what the expectations are. And you can clearly tell that at least there was one good thing that did happen or that did come and in my perspective, from my perspective about the combination of Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown.
00:50:50
Speaker
They respected each other enough to see it through that they got themselves a championship. Okay, people can say whatever they want to say. And in this climate of the NBA, most teams already have made up their minds that they're going to wind up having to split up whatever talent that they brought together via the draft or whatever they attempted to do via the free agency or whatever they attempted to with trades. they give it like a two year window.
00:51:14
Speaker
And if it doesn't show any promise, they are already flipping that already. The assets have already been flipped. This is a question of what names are coming out on the other side of this whole thing. So there's very little patience of it. And it's also between the players as well too.
00:51:28
Speaker
So I at least give credit because it could very well be that Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown are the last of a dying breed. We'll see if this actually translates to the combination of SGA and Jalen Williams, because I think that they're the next one, right? Or Jalen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns, because I think that, you know what saying? They're few and far between, and we're going to see whether or not this lasts, but I think, again,
00:51:55
Speaker
This thing has opened up a ah whole lot more than just the trading of itself. It's really making us look in the mirror and say what other dynamics are needed for you to have the right combination of players to make that run that you're saying that you're trying to make with superstar talent.
00:52:12
Speaker
Yeah. And, and, and yeah, go ahead, Bobby. Yes, please. to say You know, ah Paul George stopped this podcast, right? Oh, did he? Oh, he's not podcast P anymore? No. Well, I'm sorry. That's not been for a very long time. Well, if I don't know that, but that's how I know you as, that's a problem in itself. Because I don't even listen to his podcast and that's all I knew about him.
00:52:32
Speaker
I mean, not all, obviously. I'm just being very facetious there. But. um ah But you get what I'm saying. Like, he's going to be more liable to cause a problem in my eyes than Jalen Brown would. Now, your problem can also be what what cal Game Face is talking about right now, which is you don't vibe with what the organization wants you to be.
00:52:52
Speaker
Y'all got thoughts on that, BG Desmond? Paul George not been not being that for the Celtics? No, no, no. Jalen Brown and brown and in Philly. Yeah, Jalen Brown. and continue No, you can talk about Jalen Brown and Philly too. I think it's a better team than the Celtics have right now.
00:53:05
Speaker
If you want to go back to the original question. I mean, that's yet to be seen. They got they got to play, right? Um,
00:53:15
Speaker
I don't know, man. I agree with Cal said. I'm Jalen Brown may have not ever been a seltzer. And it it may go into the things that you hear about him. Always thinking he's smartest guy in the room or, you know, he's smart be an idiot. These are things that you've heard about Jalen Brown for years.
00:53:31
Speaker
He very true. He he he he quote what did they say? He's he's a dissenter. he's said He's just a dissenter, you know?
00:53:43
Speaker
He may not conform to anybody, but I mean, that just could be his personality, so. Yeah, no. Yeah. I mean... It could very well be, Bobby. very yeah And i love I love Jalen Brown.
00:53:56
Speaker
I love Jalen Brown. I think he's a he's an awesome player. i think he I think he also has the potential to be an awesome like he iss an awesome leader in in so many ways. The way he plays the game, I think, is is unspoken. And you know we can get into the metrics and the numbers, but what I'm talking about is is the is the ability for him two do more in scenarios and situations that most other players are still trying to figure out and allow. He has positioned himself with his strength, with his athleticism, his ability to shoot. um you know
00:54:34
Speaker
And again, he's doing that while compromising this perception that he's Robin. When he very much, in many respects, and well-deserved when he won the and NBA Finals, when he was the NBA Finals and MVP,
00:54:48
Speaker
He was the Batman. See that? I disagree with. he He allows Jason Tatum to just play. You know what saying? And I've said this numerous times when the dynamic of the team, sometimes it's not about, you know, the guy going out there and dropping 35 and perception is is that he's the MVP of that team.
00:55:08
Speaker
It's the guy that's basically doing all the other stuff to allow the other guys to do what they do best and giving them the space to be able to do that freely and openly without shouldering the burden of certain expectations that a contract or what an organization typically commands or demands them.
00:55:24
Speaker
And um you know Jalen Brown was that guy. you know And we'll see if whether or not the Boston Celtics truly appreciated what they gave up in doing that. Because now you've got to replace that.
00:55:35
Speaker
It's not going to happen through Jason Tatum. it It will not. you know and If it happens through Missoula, OK, great. Then we're back to the old school Celtics when it was always the head coach that was the mouthpiece.
00:55:47
Speaker
That was that you know this that this the the mouthpiece of the culture. But Jason Tatum has always been that guy that he just wants to go out there. He wants the ball. He wants to take care of his family. you know I'm saying? He don't want to be hated.
00:56:01
Speaker
But I don't know if you're the Celtics, you know, in doing what you did. You're saying that people now want to come play with Jason Tatum? Where have you ever seen Jason Tatum show you that he is a place that players want to come play for him?
00:56:16
Speaker
I'm not saying that he's hated. What I'm saying is is that he's not a recruiter. He ain't going out there, you know, rolling up to dudes and saying, hey, you should come play with me. You should roll with me. That's all the Celtics and that's all the organization.
00:56:29
Speaker
And when you do things like this, it makes your job tougher. Because if the whole idea is that you're going to actually build this team through free agency, name me a free agent that's simply saying that he ain't coming over there, that the money ain't going to be right.
00:56:43
Speaker
So this is to be an interesting dynamic. is that Is that a Boston thing or is that Jason Taylor thing? The answer is because of I think that's more of a Boston thing than a Jason Tatum thing. Hey, one of y'all just keep going for a second. I got my headphones cut out. First first of all, let's start with the fact running out of jersey numbers, bro.
00:57:01
Speaker
I can't even wear my favorite jersey number if I can't move for y'all. I got to wear like 94, 95 or something like that. But no, I'm serious. No, I mean, so working in the wi way they they showed a long time ago that they chose Jason Tatum. Jason Tatum was their guy.
00:57:17
Speaker
Yeah, but like, it's kind of like, it's kind of like the Juan Soto deal, right? Like it Juan Soto is an awesome player, but is Juan Soto going bring, know saying, a bunch of guys to come in and play? You're going to bring the whole Dominican Republic baseball team to come play for the New York Mets? You know what I'm saying?
00:57:39
Speaker
Like, that's what i'm saying. You have to make those choices about the kind of player that you have and what you have to do to fill in the rest of those pieces. Because all he wants to do is go out there and perform and play.
00:57:50
Speaker
That's why Jason Tatum is as great a player as he is. And he had the freedom of doing that playing next to Jalen Brown. Now you got to figure out a way to replace that if you still want that to be the case. Or we're miraculously saying that Jason Tatum come this offseason and going into this season is going to do a lot of the things that he didn't have to worry about doing when he was playing next to his his guy, Jalen Brown.
00:58:14
Speaker
He was doing all that. to make sure that they either pick up that slack or it's going to be on him to figure out a way to do those things that right now the Celtics put themselves in a box by how they executed what they did and the way they've been going about handling the team over the last three to five years with the way that they position players and dangle him out for trades and doing all of this kind of stuff. It has a ripple effect.
00:58:40
Speaker
So we'll see what happens. But what was he doing that like isn't in this? And this is like, because I'm one of those people Jason Tatum was the MVP of that finals. Like, Jalen Brown made impactful plays, but you watch every every single impactful play Jalen Brown made in impactful play Jalen Brown made offensively in that final. They both had a case. Dude, let me finish. Was assisted by Jason Tatum.
00:59:10
Speaker
Literally every time, every big time dunk, all of it, Jason Tatum was on assist to the point where he led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals. Like he led, and the only thing that Jalen Brown did better was shooting percentage.
00:59:25
Speaker
Field goal said that, that was it. That was literally it. Defensively, I'll give him that. Like he did when he did to Luka. But Jason Tatum was was literally the man, including in in the clinching game, he scored 31.
00:59:41
Speaker
But my thing is, like, what did, what did, he's still going to be able to do that. And mind you what, for the last three, four years, he's been playing out of position. Because you got to start him at the four. So now he'll finally actually be be able to go back to the three.
00:59:53
Speaker
So, like, my question is, like, what did, what did Jason, he allowed Jason, Jalen Brown.
01:00:00
Speaker
He could have been an asshole and be like, yo, I'm the three. You go bang bodies with, with freaking, Yeah, but he doesn't want to do that. That's the point. he I mean, he doesn't want to. What do you mean he doesn't want to? He's been doing it.
01:00:13
Speaker
He's been playing power forward the last three seasons, dude. I'm just saying he's not going to take on that defensive effort that Jalen Brown was taking on. He has. but he's been What do you mean? I'm not saying he's not a good defender. He's taking players 50 pounds heavier than that.
01:00:25
Speaker
Well, I mean... That's not taking on a bigger defensive responsibility. and it And it helps they have the collective to do that, though. Like, I think that's why they have Paul George, Gonzalez, Walsh. They're trying to do that. And, ah of course, they're trying to stretch that out.
01:00:39
Speaker
Yeah. Then he didn't have that. he had Chris Daps for 15 minutes a game. He had Horford for 15 minutes a game. but yeah It was him guarding the freaking... I do find it interesting, Bobby, that your perspective of Jason Tatum, you know, obviously scoring the 31 points per game, which I'm not snuffing that. that' just in the clothes i yeah he could i mean he could have very Listen, he could have very much have been considered the MVP. But what I think about and the reason why the Boston Celtics have that championship, it wasn't because of what I saw from them offensively. It's what I saw from them defensively.
01:01:12
Speaker
And I think that there were moments there were seminal moments that I felt like Jalen Brown shined from a defensive player perspective, even though the numbers may speak differently as to what Jason Tatum contributed, but I just felt like there were some of those moments where the Boston Celtics got key turnovers or got key defensive plays from Jalen Brown against a very formidable backcourt combination that people were saying, hey,
01:01:43
Speaker
if they If they get off, if Kyrie gets off, Luka gets off, and in most situations, it was Jalen Brown taking Kyrie one-on-one, taking on Luka Doncic one-on-one. And part of that was schemed.
01:01:56
Speaker
Part of that was in order to allow Jason Tatum to exert his offensive a ability because, yes, Jason Tatum is a more proficient offensive player than Jalen Brown was at that time.
01:02:09
Speaker
You know saying? So my expectation of him to score 30-something points, yeah, if you're not going have to spend that much more time D-ing up dudes and things. Not to say that he didn't contribute. I'm saying he did. But I'm saying that there were moments in that and NBA Finals in which we saw what the Celtics were capable of defensively, which is all we were saying.
01:02:27
Speaker
If they play the kind of defense that their offense gave them, then they are going to beat the Dallas Mavericks. And that's what we saw in that particular series. And we saw a lot of that from Jalen Brown. So, but, but again, I agree with you. I agree with you that you could have easily just given that trophy to Jason Tatum, but I do still push back on that part that to me, Jalen Brown was more quote unquote Celtic than say,
01:02:52
Speaker
Jason Tatum or anything like them. I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying that Jason Tatum, you know, was is more the company guy me personally than a Jalen Brown was. But you know was is is is more the company like he was more the company guy to me personally yeah agree selftic than say a jalen brown was but Now, if you're the Celtics, you've got to fill in that gap.
01:03:15
Speaker
If you're going to keep what you have as of as of Jason Tatum, or you're telling me that Jason Tatum is now going to assume those those those responsibilities. He's going to be those things.
01:03:27
Speaker
Because, listen, at the end of the day, this is what we saw happen to Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks. They realized that Giannis Antetokounmpo was not bringing anybody in anymore, and they no longer have the organizational situation pieces set up to go and get the kind of players that they had gotten Giannis to get them that championship that they got back in 20, what is it? 2019, 20 2020, was it 2022?
01:03:54
Speaker
was it twenty twenty two I believe. twenty one right twenty twenty one excuse me right so they kept hitting and missing with what they were doing right and so there just comes a point where you realize look if this guy is not helping us bring the kind of players cause we can't obviously we're not drafting this type of talent that's gonna be competitive with the way that things shifted the way that the narrative shifted with the pacers in play now the pistons in play now right like if we're not doing that
01:04:24
Speaker
then then what is jani to us keeping him here and we're still a mediocre middling team you get what i mean so you move him right and he maybe he goes and does something with the combination of but if you're at the milwaukee bucks you have to hit the reset button and i'm saying that this is maybe this may be what's going to wind up happening with the boston celtics now with only jason tatum Because you still have to sell the idea that people want to come play next to Jason Tatum. If you're not drafting players that are going to be as talented as what you had when you had Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown and Peyton Pritchard and those guys. And that's how you were building your team.
01:05:04
Speaker
Yeah, no doubt about it, 19 Media Group. And they also say, let our guy Dez in. We boxing Dez out. He ain't said nothing in 20 minutes, Dez. I told you, I'm corner sitting. I'm corner sitting. I have no problems being TV. You know, Dez is like, Dez is like, yeah. Go eat a damn rock.
01:05:24
Speaker
I have no problem being PJ Tucker. i I just think. Damn, shots fired. PJ Tucker. no, no, no, Automatic from the corner. Okay. I'll take, I'll take big jelly. I'll take that. um But no, I, ah so we saw the comment that asked if,
01:05:45
Speaker
ah this trade was elevates Philly more or Boston more. Now, i actually want to answer that by with the trade alone. I didn't think neither of these teams elevated or or anything. I thought Philly didn't truly elevate until they signed Ant Simons the the day after or whatever it was, and they drafted LeBaron Phylon. Because even with Jalen Brown, that was still the same team with no bench.
01:06:13
Speaker
You had a great starting five. with with great potential but you had no bench to to lean back on and that's why the the trade alone I didn't think it elevated Philly because I was still waiting to see what they did to to help that look as good as it did because you still essentially had the same dynamic between Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jalen Brown and Vijay Edgecombe but now the Philadelphia 76ers are certainly in a place where they can do something serious next season because I think I know it's putting a lot of weight on a rookie like LeBaron Phylon and and somebody like Ann Simons but
01:06:46
Speaker
the that's what they needed they needed lead guards off the bench to get buckets and and feed the other guys and they get both of that with with those two guys and so now yeah I think Philly is elevated but after that trade I didn't I didn't think so I thought they were the same team Wow. Okay. So even with a better starting four, and that's a, I mean, even a better, I mean, a better starting four, starting five, whatever you want say, I'm just looking at the the top four, but even with a better starting five, as you, as you said, you don't, you don't think that, that, that starting five can carry them now again, and beat has to stay healthy as we know, but do you don't think that, that that can override a lot of the deficiencies that they'll have in the bench.
01:07:25
Speaker
ah No, ah because none of these teams that's won the championship the last few years have won it with six guys. I just don't think that's sustainable. to try um I think the closest team, if I'm correct, I think the closest team was the 2023 Nuggets. They were relying on like seven, eight dudes, but... um Yeah, I just I think the the the Sixers, as good as Jalen Brown is, I just felt like it was virtually the same team. You yeah, he's getting more points than Paul George, but that's still somebody that can defend. That's still somebody that's going to rebound his position. That's still somebody like I thought both of these trades, if we're we're taking everything we just talked about for the last however many minutes off the picture, if we're looking at scheme fits, these trade, this trade was actually pretty balanced as my backdrop falls. These were actually pretty balanced trades. um these these are actually balanced trades as far as as a scheme fit I think Jalen Brown can plug in right into Philly and do what Paul George was doing and then some and I think Paul George can fit right with what the Celtics have even if it isn't championship standard that they're used to he is a great scheme fit for what they have going on the way they want to defend the way they want to shoot threes the way that he can catch and shoot uh coming off screens the way that he can
01:08:37
Speaker
guard multiple positions and and play off-ball defense, something that I think was a critique of Jalen Brown, somebody that wasn't, the off-ball defense wasn't as good as the on-ball defense. I think Paul George fills a lot of holes, and the way that we were talking earlier about the fact that maybe that are we worried that Jason Tatum is going to have more on his plate or or how is that going to work? I think Paul George is the perfect guy to be like, no, I want this dude to do his thing. This is the role that I want. I want him to do his thing and I help him where he needs it. oh I think the biggest thing.
01:09:10
Speaker
I think the biggest thing for the Celtics is that they need to, it's the scoring. it's It's the scoring that they're going to get when when they have those dry spells because there is a lot on Jason Tatum's plate. And really, you're at you're you're you're basically asking 36-year-old Paul George to increase his points per game this season because I don't think the Celtics have, they have great defensive depth, but I don't see a lot of offensive depth. So ah the Sixers, they're doing their thing and the Celtics, they took a back seat. But you know like like you guys said, we'll just have to see how it looks.
01:09:41
Speaker
when that's last One last thing I just wanted to throw in there with what Desmond was saying, and I appreciate you bringing up those points specifically with Philly. I'm really watching Philly now.
01:09:52
Speaker
I'm really watching Philly now, and I'm go say this because with all due respect for everybody, this is exactly the reason why with you were the Philadelphia 76ers, you probably should have made this play to move Joel Embiid.
01:10:03
Speaker
about a year or two ago. I'm not saying because of, you know, now that you've got Jalen Brown, what I'm saying is, is that you look at the dynamic of this team. You have Tyrese Maxey, Vijay Edgecombe, and now you have Jalen Brown.
01:10:22
Speaker
Okay. That ball cannot stick and stay with Joel Embiid the way that it's been, the way it's been drawn up and it's been done for like the last three to five years.
01:10:34
Speaker
And I understand Tyrese Maxey, his loyalty, you know, to Joel Embiid and, you know, the Sixers, he's definitely a Philadelphia 76er, right? that That kid, he embraces what the Sixers team is more so than I feel Joel Embiid has ever been.
01:10:51
Speaker
But if you really want to maximize the potential of what Tyrese Maxey can give you and do for you, this is all about what he's going to be able to do with BJ Edgecombe and with Jalen Brown more so than it is about Joel Embiid.
01:11:04
Speaker
And I would be very interested to see how Nick Nurse schemes for them to play a faster pace of play. for them to play more in transition. You have got thoroughbreds on your starting roster.
01:11:17
Speaker
And if I am the Philadelphia 76ers, that ball cannot continue to stay in Joel Embiid's hands. And I wonder if Joel Embiid has the temperament and also the ego lists and didn't take less ego out of himself for him to find a way to be an impactful player without compromising what they could potentially do. Now, i'm not saying that Joel Embiid can't have an impact and he's got to play, you know, like the fourth best. quote What I'm saying is, is that this team has the opportunity to show you what they can do in the open floor and in the half court.
01:11:56
Speaker
but it feels like every time that they rely on Joel Embiid, it's always half court. There is never any transition that takes place when he's on the court and he is going have to condition himself to be prepared for this team to be successful.
01:12:12
Speaker
They have got to move up and down the court. You've got the players to do it, but we'll see if whether or not that's going to take place if they continue to prioritize Joel Embiid as being that number one option. and And to second fact second that Cal, we absolutely got to keep looking at Joel Embiid. Even look at who his backups are. And no diss to these guys, but look at his backups right now.
01:12:34
Speaker
Adem Bona and Ariel Huckporti. Now, when Joel Embiid sits, are we seeing Dominic Barlow at the five? Are we seeing one of those guys at the five for defensive purposes? But how how much burn are they going to get before they need to bring back in Joel Embiid for, again, assuming he takes that offensive responsibility that Cal just alluded to?
01:12:53
Speaker
You know, that there's still a little bit of holes in that Philly team, man. I just, like like we said, I have to see it to believe it. now Look, first of all, two points here and we'll get to PG.
01:13:07
Speaker
Okay, I agree. The the depth is is a little is a little off. and Now, if if you ever come on this and NBA show, this established, esteemed NBA show, and besmirched the tremendous name Adem Bona Okoro,
01:13:23
Speaker
who is a UCLA Bruin. We are going to some problems, Des. No, but on the real. um i think i think that ah I think that Joel realizes this is his best shot at a championship.
01:13:35
Speaker
Maxie is a such a team player that he doesn't need to be. He knows he's going to get the ball. He knows he's going to get his points, but he knows he's going to get it. He knows he's going to get it within the flow of the offense.
01:13:50
Speaker
But he also is willing to defer um to his teammates, and I think even more so now that Jalen Brown is coming. I think they'll realize that he's going to be able to take off a little bit of that offensive pressure off of them in order to make it a little more fluid, like you said, because you're right.
01:14:06
Speaker
If it does get stuck with Embiid, then yeah, they're going to be screwed with it getting stuck there. They've got to move the ball. um On the Boston side, shout out to 19 Media Group, um they think pritchard can do more and white will be back they are they think white will they think pritchard will be better which he can be even though he's made very well he can be he can still score more and um hauser as well they would want to score more then they would want the other guys to come up but the other guys are not a guarantee and none of that is the other stuff is a guarantee either no matter how good pritchard or white are so SP and Bobby, I have a quick question to ask you.
01:14:39
Speaker
but Who do you think should be the go-to guy for the Philadelphia 76ers in this upcoming season? Who do you think should have the ball in their hands during clutch time, fourth quarter?
01:14:52
Speaker
Who do you think is going to be their go-to guy? Stoody Gray. Yeah, I have to agree. I personally, was coach, would give the ball to Maxi every time in the fourth quarter bill is my if it was my choice, but it would be Jalen Brown, I would have to assume.
01:15:08
Speaker
What about you, Des? I still gravitate towards Embiid, but if I have to pick somebody outside of him, I'm definitely rolling with Jalen Brown, for sure. yeah I was up to thinking that, um and you know, at me if you want to.
01:15:25
Speaker
Tyrus Massey shouldn't even start. Like to me, he'd be best served as a six man on the championship team. ah Definitely not as not as the best player. But now that they got Jalen Brown, it actually puts him in the perfect spot.
01:15:36
Speaker
He can be, in a I am not calling Jalen Brown, LeBron James. But what I'm saying, I see i see the same kind of back and forth. You're saying you want you want you want him, you want Jalen Brown to have to have the ball more. Yeah, he's best he's the best player. yeah You think he is a better ball handler and can can you contribute? no No, he's not a better ball handler. Oh, okay.
01:16:00
Speaker
I just think he needs to, he's one, he's the best player on he's the best player on team. Two, he's the most experienced player on the team, not only in years, but in ah big time games. He's a champion.
01:16:13
Speaker
Again, finals MVP. like He's and last year he's shown. You're not talking about game. You're saying. No, no, no. Not throughout the game. I'm going to play in the game. I see what you're saying. You would want the ball in Jalen Brown's hands more in the fourth quarter than Tyrese Maxey. Right. He's Tyrese Maxey would have to come off the bench. I get what you say. Oh, no, no, no. For Maxey, that was independent. If Jalen Brown would, I thought Tyrese Maxey.
01:16:38
Speaker
would be better served on a championship team coming off the bench. Interesting. I will say this, though. That was before the Jalen Brown trade. I will say this. The danger, and and again, you know this is what happens, right? The influence of a motivated Jalen Brown.
01:16:52
Speaker
Let's not poo-poo the idea of what impact he can have for a Tyrese Maxey. I think one of the problems that we've seen with Tyrese Maxey is that he doesn't have the ability to take over those fourth quarter games you know at times.
01:17:07
Speaker
And I think a lot of that is because he has the kind of players that he has to teach more rather than learn from more And now we're having a guy like Jalen Brown you will see probably a more aggressive Tyrese Max, a more downhill determined Tyrese Max because he usually is ah an east-west kind of guy and then will try to matriculate his way down.
01:17:30
Speaker
Jalen Brown has always been a north-south type player. he didn't He didn't build that body so that he could just be dancing around. So even in the ISO, you knew that at some point he would try to get himself down into the paint.
01:17:42
Speaker
I think that there's going to be an influence there for Tyrese Maxey to be more assertive in his drives playing next to a guy like Jalen Brown. We'll see though if they can minimize the ISO ball at times that tends to happen because you know, Jalen Brown and Tyrese like to get into that.
01:17:59
Speaker
But yeah if there' if there's anybody who I don't mind seeing that ISO if they're going to go downhill, it's them two dudes. Yeah, and he'd also get worn down as well. Because, you know, the cool Stephen he's a miniature.
01:18:12
Speaker
And, you know, I mean, Jalen Brunson is miniature also, but but he's, you know, he's big body. Tyrese Massey was not. Well, thought the question was asked on the fourth quarter because I thought we were talking like late game. And so my thought process was Tyrese Maxey can shoot the ball. You're going to be looking for a shooter. And then I thought when BG said Jalen Brown, because you want somebody that's to create, you can throw the ball to
LeBron James' Career Speculations
01:18:35
Speaker
Joel in the post. But what if you need somebody to create or need three-pointer, you need Jalen to dribble and drive and kick out something like that. I would put the ball in his hands, make the play, kick it out to your shooter, kick it down Joel Embiid, let them get the score and throw pull up and hit the J yourself, jump for yourself. I've already traded Joel Embiid. I mean, no, that was one thing that Game Face said earlier that is true.
01:19:00
Speaker
I mean, they should have traded Joel Embiid a long time ago, like not even last year, like two years ago. 100%. So shout out to Tyler McDowell says, what's up? Shout out BNB, Kyle and Dez. I assume that's someone you all know, but they are saying shout out. so Hey, thank you for tuning in, brother. Appreciate everybody tuning in. Make sure you tap in with everybody here. 19 Media Group, NBA Baseline Pod, Midpod Podcast, Audible Sports, and Ball and Buds. We appreciate everybody tuning in. Yes, we talked about Jalen Brown. And since we talked about the Phillies, I have a couple more subjects I want to talk before we get out of here. One of those is obviously LeBron. And Philly is in the mix for LeBron. And you all just mentioned Game Face. You should mention Jalen playing a little LeBron kind of positioning. They are now talking about LeBron coming to this team and having that bye with them and Edgecombe and everything. So let's get the latest rumors on this.
01:19:56
Speaker
So today in the NBC Sports, they announced that LeBron is about 48 hours to making, you know, you know, that's always that could always be whatever, um making a decision, but that he's been spending a lot of time with Draymond Green, who's his good friend. So we can't really look too deep into that. Other sources came out and said that he is down to a final three of Golden State, Cleveland and Philadelphia.
01:20:22
Speaker
so that's what the news is at today we also had minnesota in the mix there a lot of people saying he should go there and because he can win a championship there and be you know goaded as they say because you know they've never won in minnesota he could also go to miami join yannis we talked about that on on the last episode uh so um uh since you weren't here last time game face you go ahead and start us off where do you think lebron should go I think you should go to Golden State.
01:20:55
Speaker
I'm just and like, i get I get so tired of like the whole buddy, buddy behind the scenes type thing. Like this was never going on during our time of watching basketball and sports where everybody knows where everybody is and what they're doing and posting them on duck boats and doing like, it's like, yo, this is just, it's crazy, man. Like it's just complete. I don't need to know you know, when when when when you were, you know what saying, having dinner Los Angeles. Kayfabe, keep it Kayfabe. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like, oh my gosh, man. Like, for real, for real. Like, seriously.
01:21:35
Speaker
And then you pull, you know, the cat, the you pull you know, the trick and wrap it out of the hat and you say, oh no, I'm going to go to Philadelphia because, well then, yeah, you're going to Philadelphia because that team is stacked.
01:21:48
Speaker
And, know, you want to win a championship. That's what it is, right? Like all of this other nonsense that's going on had nothing to do with that. This was what what it always came down to, right?
01:21:59
Speaker
But if this is about you playing basketball and being with your peoples and everything like that, then just go play with Golden State, man, and call it a wrap, man. Like, you know, look, LeBron is going to have an impact on whichever team he plays for, but it's it's a question of does LeBron want to be the impact or does he want to have an impact?
01:22:19
Speaker
And I feel like if you're getting the best of both worlds, that could be in Golden State. Everywhere else where is going to be up for scrutiny, right? It won't be enough if he plays in Milwaukee. It won't be enough if he plays in Minnesota.
01:22:35
Speaker
it may be It may be obsolete if he's playing in Philly. Right? So the best place that allows you to get the answer to think that any, any greatness that does come out of LeBron James is likely to happen in Golden State just simply because the players are in place. And that is the one position that LeBron James in and of itself immediately has an impact on this team and improving that the Golden State Warriors continually will always struggle with because it's a toss up.
01:23:08
Speaker
with the way that they do it through Draymond Green. And it's not even to say that Draymond won't play the center or he won't play the four. It's the fact that LeBron James can take the burden off of Steph Curry and being a ball handler and allowing Steph to come off the ball more.
01:23:25
Speaker
Doing all of that allows the Golden State Warriors to get back to doing what they're doing and make Steve Kerr happy. And it makes us all happy because we're finally past Golden State.
01:23:37
Speaker
Golden State for LeBron. And yeah, you like you it makes sense if he wants to go play with his friends to end his career and still have a chance. Yeah, that would be the best place to go. Desmond, what you got on LeBron?
01:23:51
Speaker
So my thing is, is if if LeBron, I'm right with Cal. If if LeBron wants to have fun, these last, like i've I've been of the notion that LeBron is going to retire after 25 years. He wants to hit the quarter of a century. Oh, okay. So, go If you want to just have fun and do that, go to Golden State. if If you're if you're now as much as he's accomplished in his career, he's literally seen everything, pretty much everything but a defensive player the year award.
01:24:16
Speaker
and But yet your your competitive itch is still there. Then, yeah, try somewhere like Minnesota. See if you can help out Ant-Man and whoever. But then I'm also just like, Bron, if if if if you don't just post that I'm coming home video that's sitting in your Instagram draft right now and go back to Cleveland and call it a wrap, why does everything have to be a movie?
01:24:39
Speaker
why why can't why Why can't you just go back home, brother? Why can't we just? And I've said this the the last few years. LeBron, his last game, regardless of what jersey he wears, his last game deserves to be in Cleveland.
01:24:51
Speaker
Yeah, they should set the schedule. Yeah, just set the schedule. If he says, this is my last year, the very last game needs to be in Cleveland. Point blank period.
01:25:02
Speaker
End of story. Like, that that's it with me. Like, he he's he's done this so many times. I just feel like, man, just just post that video. Let us know where you're going. And let's wrap it up with the whole cinematic type thing. Like, come on. yeah have just Just go back home.
01:25:17
Speaker
Have Yeezy in the background. You know what I'm saying? I'm coming home again. And the piano is playing, you know, and the lights going.
01:25:29
Speaker
All that. Exactly. exactly i mean, I am with you. Everything does have to be a decision type production with him. Yeah. And look, and that's what 19 Media Group came on said, look, he's probably at tomorrow at Fanatics Fest.
01:25:42
Speaker
I mean, how much bigger of a place could you have in the middle of the week in New York City than Fanatics Fest tomorrow? So, I mean, yeah. Keep going, DPS. I just wanted to add that in. and Oh, no. I'm done. I'm done. I think he should go back to Cleveland.
01:25:56
Speaker
Oh, okay. That was your answer. was Cleveland. Okay. Go back home, baby. Pull out that video, LeBron. but Go back home. You know you know James Harden ain't going let him. I was about say, and that's why i want to come to BG because we talked about this last time, and I said, I think LeBron would hate to play with Harden.
01:26:13
Speaker
He might punch Harden in the face before the ball gets moved around one time. BG, you tell me. I don't know. he's going to cleveland okay that he's going to cleveland i mean what do we know about lebron james he loves to be loved right um and when he won his championship in la anybody remember what he said ah at the end of that speech the lakers want their respect and i want my damn respect too ah what's the only way he can get every flower he feels he deserves
01:26:46
Speaker
Get that that fred that farewell tour in Cleveland. Like, if he goes to Philly, if he does it there, that's still Iverson's house. it You know, they'll give him his flowers, but it ain't going the same. They ain't even talking about Minnesota. Why was that? Who brought that up? ah if he goes to go lot of people said A lot of people said that they thought he had a good chance to win there, and they've never won, so he could be like a hero to them. didn no No. No. LeBron doesn't make Minnesota anything. Yeah.
01:27:16
Speaker
And besides, also in Philly, you really think this 42-year-old man wants to sign up to play power forward? Come on. It would allow him to not have to extract so much effort defensively and would also allow him to play a position where he would be able to just float around the court and get the ball where he feels. I think it fits him welly well, if you're asking me. I think you have to estimate power forward in this and NBA.
01:27:40
Speaker
Well, yeah, he's not going to be a 25-point scorer no more. Of course. I about to say, if you want to average 10-5-5, yeah, go to field. I think that's everywhere. I don't think, even in Cleveland, he's not going to average more than 20 when you got Argos. No, forget the points. I'm just talking about the position on the court.
01:27:58
Speaker
s SP, it was there was a comment that was thrown up there saying Cleveland wouldn't be a good fit either. I'm going to disagree with that. yeah that's Really, if you were to think about it, the the The Cleveland Cavaliers need 3-4. They need somebody to to accompany Evan Mobley, OK? Because he ain't it.
01:28:18
Speaker
And whether you alternate him more as a 4-5 kind of player, you know, they need scoring from their three position and LeBron gives them that instantly gives them that. um And also there's a level of accountability defensively that I think has always been lacking with this team and that kind of veteranship you can't teach no matter, you know, and even, even Kenny Atkinson knows that, right? So I think he would be a good fit. I just think that he probably strangled James Harden where he stands. If, if he, you know, James Harden pulls the kind of nonsense that he was showing us, you know, this past season and stuff and Evan Mobley as well too.
01:28:59
Speaker
But maybe that's exactly what they need. They need that kind of, you know what saying, kicking the, kicking the teeth, meant you know I'm saying? Like, i ain't having this nonsense. You guys are really trying to win. going to show you how it's done.
01:29:11
Speaker
because you know this has't been this has been the case with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the last few years. So to your point, man, you know every time Brad, was it, was it a bre not Brad Gilbert, what's what's the owner's name?
01:29:22
Speaker
Dan Gilbert. yeah dan any time Every time Dan everytime again dan Gilbert is is crying for chip, he knows what he needs to call. he needs to flash the bronze signal. He needs to flash that bronze signal. You need to come back here and get things right here, man. like yeah um yeah Plug and play.
01:29:40
Speaker
last time he took his hand between his left i didn't mean it lebron i didn't mean that little comic sans email i sent out i promise yeah and and it's like mean the only other writing on the wall is like do we really think donovan mitchell signed his contract early passed up 80 million dollars if he didn't know what was going on behind the scenes okay why would he commit to he has literally no reason to sign that contract
01:30:07
Speaker
And again, that's just another symbol of LeBron knowing the teams to be together. Because guess what? You're going to have Harden for two. You got Donald Mitchell locked up. Evans already. Everybody's under contract. He knows exactly who's going to be in place.
01:30:19
Speaker
oh and hey it So what you're saying is, Bobby, we should tune in to Fanatics Fest, right? I'm not saying that. and and and and went and went And when LeBron is sitting down in the chair like he did at the decision and got all the little, like we should we should be able to know, but based on the young kids that are sitting around there, if they're from the Ohio YMCA or from the Golden State YMCA, and then we see our man Donovan Mitchell come walking out of nowhere. i mean, speaking of YMCA, hey, guess who guess who was one of those kids at the YMCA yeah back in the day? Yeah.
01:30:57
Speaker
and Was it really? Donovan Mitchell was there? Yeah, Donovan Mitchell was there. No way. That's crazy. yeah god about that. He said he wasn't inside. He said he was outside the building, but he was there.
01:31:09
Speaker
Oh, that don't count. um Because if you look at Philly, one of LeBron's former Little League teammates actually is in the front office of Philly right now. So there's some insider information for you. Mr. Gandy.
01:31:23
Speaker
His best friend is the assistant GM with the Cavs. Look, he has too many friends. That's the problem. that's I think that's the problem here. i think LeBron needs less friends with all the money he has. think he needs to cut his circle a little smaller. LeBron's crew was power before power became a thing on Star. Facts. That's right.
01:31:44
Speaker
um Look, I understand why people said Minnesota, Philly, places like that, because if you go and win someplace that they've never won before, they're going to love you. And like you said, LeBron wants to be loved and adorated. So I could understand why they came in. I don't think he's going to go there, although I do think he would fit well in Philly, Miami, too, as well. Although you don't think he's... No, he would smack the shit out him. No. That'd be the best. going to ask lamello and that's too much fun yeah that not yeah but my that's right that's worse that's worse than uh than james harden by himself uh uh who surprisingly survived donovan mitchell uh when you look though yeah
01:32:27
Speaker
Going back home makes sense because as I'm not going to repeat everything Gameface said, he said it perfectly. He does fit in Cleveland. He does. He just does with the offense there. But he also fits in Golden State and they ah need somebody, especially with Butler being out with a torn ACL. We don't even know if he's going to come back fully healthy at all.
01:32:44
Speaker
ah So, you know, I would be somewhere. I think he would not only want to go, but fit very well. And even when Butler comes back, you know, April, whenever that is, May time, then they have a strong enough core for the for the for the playoffs. Because last year, with without LeBron, I thought when they made that trade for Butler, I thought that was going to be a good move for them. He couldn't stay healthy, these so that's what it is. Injuries happen. But I still think he he he will be able, that that mix of players would be good.
01:33:13
Speaker
ah So I agree. I think it's kind of more down to Golden State and Cleveland. I could see him going to Philly. I just don't see why if you have been this guy,
01:33:25
Speaker
who his whole life he talks about playing with his friends. um Everything he did was to try to play with Dwayne Wade after the decision down in Miami. Then he talked for years about wanting to play with Carmelo before he retired.
01:33:38
Speaker
And every time it's about him wanting to play with his play with his son. Beautiful, but another kind of I want to play with my friends sort of thing. Why wouldn't he go to Golden State? They got the position for him. His friends are there, very good friends. He doesn't have to go back to Cleveland where he already won a title. What happens if he loses? Does his legacy decrease any? I don't think it would, but you never know. I think Golden State is the best place to go to go for him as a person, for his ah is fun in his last years, and also he can win a championship there as solidly as he would be able to in Cleveland.
01:34:15
Speaker
Also, his interests are still in in Los Angeles. You know, him playing in Golden State, he's still in proximity with- Oh, I see, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? and and me's And he's still there in California, you know?
01:34:29
Speaker
Again, to your point, Bobby, you could very easily. he can do he can He's got more money than God, but it's not about. guys He owns a jet. He ain't worried about it. Yeah, but I'm just saying it's about the centralized interest.
01:34:41
Speaker
You know what i'm saying? to to To the type of things that, you know, that probably do matter to him at this juncture of his career and stuff. and Most of those guys, they take that into consideration. It does, you know, it does matter to them. so And the Cavs do have a roster spot.
01:34:59
Speaker
I mean, an extra roster spot, you know, for got two extra spots for him. Yeah. I see what you did there. I see what you did.
01:35:10
Speaker
Quick call to the Lakers and, you know. you know well Well, we do know one thing. Whenever LeBron retires, Bronny, you better have that bag packed too because you gone right with him home back to that L.A. mansion.
01:35:24
Speaker
so don't care. You see the last thing he did before he said he he wasn't coming back was he made sure that contract was guaranteed. I see it, but also by the time he's up the league, Bronny has gone back. don't know, man. I think, I think, I think, I think. You think I'm taking Bronny for granted? I don't know. I think Bronny is a, is a, is a, is a legit NBA player. And whether or not he's a starter or whether or not, you know,
01:35:47
Speaker
Again, it's unfortunate because this is you know part of the problem with some, I'm going to say nepotism, but basically the father-son, brother-sibling dynamic where one player in that family tree is great. And then you know you got guys that are coming up, they're trying to live up to those expectations and stuff.
01:36:10
Speaker
You know, it's it's very hit or miss. But from what I've seen, you know, Ronnie James, man, he's a good defender. you know He actually has Caruso kind of qualities in him, you know.
01:36:22
Speaker
Now, he obviously hasn't spent enough time polishing his offensive game. But in this day and age right now in the and NBA, man, you need bodies. You need active bodies and you need guys that are willing to stay in front of whoever they got to deal with. Bronny James has proven that you know he is capable of that person with his size and build to be able to do that. And he can get better at that. You know what i mean? So you know again it's just unfortunate because you know it's the circumstances of which the opportunities that are being given to him is to to proving his worth and also those expectations of playing you know arguably to one of the greatest players you know you know that's just a lot man so i just hope that that the lakers do give him a fair chance and opportunity
01:37:08
Speaker
And if they don't, then do the right thing and allow him to go thrive somewhere
Kawhi Leonard's Trade Controversy
01:37:12
Speaker
else. But, you know, don't marginalize him because of whatever is going on with LeBron James. You know, that's not that's not his fault.
01:37:22
Speaker
Yeah, no, I think we can all agree with that. You don't want to ruin a kid's career because, you know, his dad left and now you just think he's you're placating him for a roster spot. And yeah, you don't want to do that. So definitely treat him right. If not, let him go wherever he needs to go. And I think especially if he wanted to go be with his dad wherever he goes, I think the Lakers would do that. The Lakers have been pretty.
01:37:41
Speaker
pretty, um you know, and you should be because LeBron is a player that brought your franchise a lot of money. Not not that the Lakers weren't famous beforehand, but you get what I'm saying. um they they don't They don't owe it to him, but they owe it to him to let the him take Bronny if he wanted to.
01:37:56
Speaker
right, cool. Awesome. Well, thank you all for that. That was the LeBron portion of our program. And one last talking point is Kawhi. So Kawhi was traded From the LA Clippers to the Raptors a few weeks ago, but that is not really the talking point.
01:38:16
Speaker
The talking point is obviously the problems that they had with the LA Clippers pay and aspiration allegedly paying Kawhi under the table.
01:38:28
Speaker
with extra promotional deals that would really be tied to a decrease in the salary the team would have to pay him. They are saying that the investigation months later, i don't know why it's taking so fucking long, months later, like nine months, a whole season later. You know why, SP.
01:38:46
Speaker
I mean, I do. You know why. The NBA has to, listen, that this is a black eye to the NBA. Totally. right It's a black eye to the NBA.
01:38:57
Speaker
and they have to figure out a way to save face in doing this. And so whatever the the outcome of this is going to look like and going to be, it's kind of like dealing with politics, man.
01:39:11
Speaker
You know, when you know when when politicians um roll out nonsense. They roll it out on a Friday, know, the weekend where everybody just don't give a what, you know what I'm saying? Pay attention to this nonsense until it comes, rolls itself right back around until Monday.
01:39:26
Speaker
That's why that nonsense is that news. that This is exactly how the NBA is playing this, man. And, um you know, listen, if I'm this if i'm the the NBA, I would have been just, listen, just take it in the face and move on with this and move forward with this. You know saying?
01:39:42
Speaker
Shipping this boy out to to to to Toronto ain't going do nothing but prolong this this this this this issue. And it's now going to become a public relations nightmare because of it.
01:39:54
Speaker
No, i mean, you said that right. They shipped him out the damn country trying to get him out. It was like, no. He shipped himself. That boy running for the fish. This is the part of the movie with Kawhi and Uncle George. They got the bags back.
01:40:07
Speaker
And they're like, come on, let's get out of here. Time to go. Do hear you hear the fans in the background? He's crazy. big He said, catch me if you can.
01:40:18
Speaker
But the problem is that the um league told the teams that if they agreed to the trade, ah the Raptors could be ah penalized as well. Now, I don't know if that's legal and if the Players Association would let that happen. But that is what the and NBA warned them, that depending on the outcome of the results, both teams and player could be punished. Now, I don't think Kawhi gets punished for this by any means necessary.
01:40:45
Speaker
But it's by all possible he could i don't be killed. I don't think I don't i don't know. like like as far as I'm sorry, Desmond. I'll let you chime in on this part of it. But listen, man, I think we've allowed Kawhi. We've been giving him a pass on a lot of stuff.
01:40:59
Speaker
okay The quiet boy act, I ain't buying it. You know what I'm saying? That's like, you know what I'm saying? His smile is like the Grinch.
01:41:11
Speaker
We know he knows more than what's going on. This kid is not an idiot. He's very intelligent. he He played this, you know what saying? On the idea that, hey, you guys are doing this, not me.
01:41:23
Speaker
You know what i mean? So, yeah, like I'm not the one do I'm not paying my show up on the table. He's going to obviously fall on the Clippers and, you know, saving faces on is is on the NBA.
01:41:35
Speaker
But Kawhi can't play this like show show the Shohei Otani card. OK, and not think that he will not be scrutinized for this. Right.
01:41:46
Speaker
Because Kawhi is not a is not as accomplished as like say Shohei Otani. He doesn't have the international, you know what saying, backing like Shohei Otani. So all the wrong Shohei Otani could do here in the United States, in Japan, they don't give a damn. its He is God to them, right?
01:42:05
Speaker
So even if Canadians are gonna feel like, oh yeah, you know, we brought back the prodigal son, he's the one who helped us with. Listen, Canadians are just like, yo, bro, don't bring your problems on our in and our neck of the woods.
01:42:16
Speaker
Right. You go handle that. And so if I'm Kawhi Leonard, I'd be very careful and don't act, you know, I'm saying as naive about this is that people are trying to make this out sound. He knew what was going on.
01:42:27
Speaker
know I'm saying? And now this becomes a question of whatever next steps you take. what what what impact will this have on your career? Right? Like, what are we saying about your, we're going to be talking more about how everything post you winning that championship about your career than than what you did during your years between San Antonio and you in Toronto.
01:42:49
Speaker
And that's not a good thing. I think if Kawhi knows himself as best as anybody, he needs to get back on that basketball court after whatever the outcome of this is going to be and finish off his career showing him that he is a dynasty, the dynasty killer, the player that I think we all thought that he was always meant to be, that he even believed that it was, minus all of these controversies. I don't know if we'll get to that point, but that definitely is what's going to have to happen for him.
01:43:21
Speaker
Yeah, no, I mean, yeah, he's going to, Desmond, we're coming to you, he's going have he's going to have to, I mean, look, I meant he's not going to get punished, like, don't think the league's going to suspend him a half a year for games or anything for this, but definitely he's going to be shamed, and should be, as any other person would be if they, you know, tried to shirk responsibility, Desmond?
01:43:42
Speaker
Look, aspiration just messed up everybody's aspirations. Can't nobody do what they want to do. I mean, wow, isn't the English language just a beautiful thing? It just is poetic.
01:43:55
Speaker
The NBA were amazing happens. I mean, it it's it's and it's unfortunate for all sides. I mean, I don't have too much to say about it. i it's It's unfortunate because i you know, I had...
01:44:08
Speaker
I wish we could sit here and talk about the basketball because I love Kawhi going back to Toronto. But this like you guys said, this is just going to be something that's going to be not over the Clippers' heads, not over the Raptors' heads, but Adam Silver's head and NBA's head. And no matter how many times Kawhi shows his face and how many games...
01:44:26
Speaker
he plays people are going to ask him about it especially that first press conference like it's it's not something that's going to go away and you kind of sense that with the way the situation was kind of handled that it seemed like everybody was just hoping that it was swept under the rug and everybody tried to just walk past it but that did not happen that did not happen at all so yeah it's it's a mess Well, and I think, Bobby G, that was also due in part to what Game Face said.
01:44:52
Speaker
Like, he's the face of, of what was it, um resting players, of what do we call that? Load management. Load management. Yeah, right? And so now you have this other stuff, and also, let's not take into account what Game Face as well said about his personality.
01:45:08
Speaker
Don't act like you the quiet one oh at the call at the at the press conference, making that stupid laugh like we don't know you from the hood. Like, nah, come on. We don't. what We don't. Like, we know you know more than you know. Like, don't act like you don't.
01:45:22
Speaker
Like, you're not. Like, you're the good old boy when you're not. i be you um donald I'm just saying like this. For the first time in my life, I'm on Kawhi's side. Shout out to Kawhi. Shout out to Balmer. This country was built on bunch of people who don't look like Kawhi hiding money and moving it around and taking it. And now y'all want to get mad when the white dude teach the black dude how to do it.
01:45:43
Speaker
That's good point. That's good point. That's all I'm saying. You know. I can't even debate that point. I can't. I can't understand. I can't understand. Oh, I'm saying. Hey, where's the I hate Waka Flama. He said first thing Donald Trump told him how to do was to build all these shellcodes high money so he have to pay taxes.
01:46:08
Speaker
Everyone want to get mad when the black dudes learn how how to do it. no Come on, man. you bet I mean, I'm not even mad at Kawhi. I don't care too much about Kawhi. This is why the NBA should have gotten out in front of this thing. You see what I'm saying? They should own this, right?
01:46:25
Speaker
They should own this. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? NBA should be like, listen, we running these towers. Doing it like UNX City. We running these towers. You know what I'm saying? You want our product? You need come up in our towers. You know I'm saying? You don't need to be running up there. You know what saying? Trump Tower. We got our tower.
01:46:45
Speaker
You know what I'm saying? But the NBA don't want to own that. They want to pawn it off and be like, you know, we're the squeaky clean, we do everything up right and all that kind of stuff. And then this kind of crap happens and you can't turn your, you can't wipe the stench off of it.
01:47:00
Speaker
You what I'm saying? So now you got to own it. Yeah. tell them guy yeah Y'all let him do it. Y'all let him do it. he He didn't. It's just like, a i don't know how familiar y'all guys are with Phil Ivey.
01:47:12
Speaker
Phil Ivey, poker player, walked up into a to a casino in Europe to play his plan, bar whatever he was playing. No, it was' it wasn't Hold'em. He was playing a different table game.
01:47:23
Speaker
But he literally asked the casino for everything. I want to play with this dealer. I want to use these cards. And they gave him everything, and he took the casino for $12 million, dollars and then they got mad when he did it and sued him.
01:47:35
Speaker
Y'all gave me, I didn't do anything without your permission. do you mean? like tried to say he was cheating. I asked you for everything you gave it to me. Don't get mad at me when my system worked. we fly I sat down at a negotiating table.
01:47:49
Speaker
I told you I want jo a job for my uncle, my cousin, my nephew in this. I told you I want private jet. I told you I want this and you all gave it to me. I told you I want this dude who was under contract with a different team on my team and you all made it happen.
01:48:03
Speaker
I don't get mad when when I ask for it and you all made happen and it worked. Sorry I didn't win the championship. Maybe if I won the championship, you wouldn't be coming out. But don't get mad.
01:48:14
Speaker
When I sat at the negotiating table and if you gave me everything I asked for.
01:48:21
Speaker
Like, come on, man. Yeah, I mean, everything you said was pretty pretty succinct and pretty poignant to the whole situation. We are in a situation that was trying to cover up. And as Desmond said, I mean, the fact that they just thought it was going to be swept under the rug all year long while they played another season, hoping that that covered it up. um It's just not a good look for them.
01:48:42
Speaker
And it's it's it's going to be harder now um to cover it up, like like you said, Game Face, because... Now you're at a point where the trade has been made public. More eyes are looking at the situation. It's been now a whole season, so people are getting more antsy about it and wondering where you know the actual answers are going to come from because it's not just about their team, but it's about the other teams in the league.
01:49:09
Speaker
that are probably looking at this and saying, well, you know, maybe we should start circumventing. Not that every team doesn't do that anyways, but maybe we should start circumventing the cap in a more traditional legal fashion, fashion as a Bobby G said. So, you know, hey, I mean, we'll see what happens. but Either way, we are so glad that you joined us
Offseason Moves and Team Strategies
01:49:30
Speaker
today. i am so appreciative of my brothers that joined me here. Everybody that tuned in Canteen Hot Raw from the Bottom Line Sports, y'all make sure tap in with them. 19 Media Group, make sure you tap in with them because they they brought us the great content all year long here with ah Cal Desmond. And shout out to Warren, not with us today, Mr. Shaw.
01:49:51
Speaker
um And as well, shout out to Unfair Sports, Jay, Man Down Sports, Mel, for holding us down in the past. ah Shout out, Evelyn. Oh, that's my cousin. Shout out. Thank you for watching. Appreciate you. Yes, very nice. All right. Everybody, make sure that you tap in again.
01:50:05
Speaker
Subscribe to Ball & Buds, B-A-L-L-A-N-D-B-U-D-S on YouTube. Handy QR code up there the top. Take you to all our social media. And yes, let them know where they can find you. Bobby G, we'll start with you.
01:50:19
Speaker
All right there on your screen, man. On ah Fridays here, Thursdays here, Mondays and Wednesdays here, and on Thursdays ESPN Jacksonville, 690 AM. Yeah, man, that list getting long, bro. Getting longer. I love it.
01:50:32
Speaker
As it is, one missing. You can also catch me Tuesday mornings with bow Bo, Botox Football, every Tuesday. And that's at 6 AM Pacific.
01:50:43
Speaker
Wait, Botox football, but like like the guy's name is Bo, or Botox like you're getting shot? Oh, you know Bo, don't you, Bo Crouch? Nah, Botox football. Wait, Bo Crouch? You're on the show with Bo Crouch?
01:50:54
Speaker
Yeah. What? didn't know that. Let's f***ing go. What? Yeah, Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning. I see you, big dog. All right. I'm trying to keep trying to get on Stephen A. Love.
01:51:06
Speaker
Hey, shoot let me tag you so you're easy, easy, easy. that' the man che and as we making funs gotta to Try to get on.
01:51:17
Speaker
joanne lot of drama at that level you felt with just the check there's the check button just change did to say okay fair no i Baseline NBA podcast, 19 Media Group family at Game Face Lee, my man Warren Shaw at the Warren Shaw.
01:51:33
Speaker
Go to www.thebaselineNBA.com or if you're catching this YouTube, we're on YouTube as well too. can just go to YouTube, put 19 Media Group i'm in search and you will pull up the family of great content creators that are part of the 19 Media Group family. So we talk about it all, music, sports, entertainment, culture, you name it, we've got it.
01:51:54
Speaker
But ah yeah, man, it's ah it's been a blast. It's been a ride. Can't wait for the, ah you know what I'm saying, for media a day and for your training camp to to to kick in and in the high gear.
01:52:06
Speaker
um Got a lot of stuff to talk about going into this upcoming season. And you what saying, once again, shout outs to the NBA for clearly bringing the chaos. Yeah, the offseason was one of the more chaotic in memories, if not the chaotic most chaotic I've seen in a while. It was crazy. You know it's chaotic, man, when don't even talk about John Moran getting moved to Portland. We didn't have time. I was just going to say that. I was just going to answer that question that popped up on my outro. I was going to give it question. Go ahead. Go ahead, please, because thought we were like, we're already at two hours. I'm like, we don't have time for all this. I'll just say this.
01:52:44
Speaker
I'll just say this. It goes back to what we were talking about earlier. I think Kyle was making the point of how the second apron and and but not even the second apron, just the impact of what happens when teams win and and different teams win. Right. And I think what I've been saying is that we're seeing teams gravitate towards generally the the three different methods you're either going to follow what the Pacers did last year or what the Hawks did this year you're you're trying to follow what the Knicks did and try to have a starting five that has an answer for every single problem you give or you you follow the um and of course it just slipped my mind or you follow the Spurs where you have obviously you're blessed with the
01:53:23
Speaker
with the gravity that is victor webb and yama but you also have a dynamic between three guards who can control the game no matter what on ah on a on a perfect day and that's where i think the portland trailblazers fall at the end of the day i think when this trade happened for ja morant i like many people sat in front of my phone and I was like how is that gonna work with Drew Holiday and and Dane coming back and Scoot Henderson and all these guys but at the end of the day I think that's exactly what the Blazers want they want everybody to be confused because we're in the era of the NBA where the more options you have the better And if that is enough to confuse a defense like the Oklahoma City Thunder, like the San Antonio Spurs, and and something, a point that I had, ah my brother made in a conversation with him, he was saying, this is what Dame has always wanted.
01:54:12
Speaker
So when they finally get a star caliber player to play with him, you think he's going to say no to that? No, come on and help us. If if I got Denny Avdia and Ja Morant to go downhill and and put pressure on the defense, and i I can really sit in the role of a shot creator, but also find finally for the first time in my career have the opportunity that I wanted to play off ball with these guys that can handle the ball and have ran teams before I'm not gonna pass that up this is exactly what I want we got defense we got star talent the only thing the Blazers need is shooting this is not gonna work if they don't get shooting And I don't know how many roster spots they have left, if at all. But they got to they got to get some shooting because that's the reason why they're not going to move on from Drew Holiday, because they need a shooter. No matter how crowded that guard room is, they're going to keep them because they need threes.
01:55:01
Speaker
So I'm excited for the Blazers. i um I bought a lot of early stock in them, and I think it just went up a little bit after this trade. But I'm still a little cautious. Interesting. Interesting. Oh, you ain't right. You ain't right. Portland, the Portland jail Blazers part two. Is that what we're, is that what we're looking at right now?
01:55:22
Speaker
No, Drew Holiday would not let that happen. He's an upstanding citizen. Now the rest of them, I don't know, but I do know that I am a little cautious on what you're saying because of the fact that yes, we are in a positionless and NBA, as they say, which could be a good thing or a bad thing with this team, because that's a lot of people that need the ball at the same time. So know.
01:55:42
Speaker
Any other thoughts on that one, gentlemen? Desmond hit it right on the head. You know what saying? The other answer was Miami. Organized confusion. That's what this is.
01:55:57
Speaker
Right? Now the question is, who really stole my piece of cornbread?
01:56:04
Speaker
yeah no I was just watching that movie a couple weeks ago. That's great. That's tremendous. All right. Any other thoughts on who had the best season overall? I don't think any ah y'all got to answer this. Charlotte, getting rid of LaMelo.
01:56:22
Speaker
Okay. Charlotte, getting rid of LaMelo. Game face? Oh, best move in the offseason. Okay.
01:56:39
Speaker
I mean, I guess I probably would say that's Miami and getting Giannis. If you hated your team, what better way than to get a Giannis Atacompo and then dump the rest of your roster for another team to go deal with them, right? like That's a heck of a way for you to not worry about salary, personnel, all that kind of stuff. Just give that team away to the Milwaukee Bucks.
01:57:07
Speaker
So yeah, if I'm in Miami Heat, it's a win-win situation, you know?
Reflection and Future Content
01:57:12
Speaker
so way Speaking of the Miami Heat, we have a question here. This guy goes by the name of the Sports Professor.
01:57:20
Speaker
ah How do we feel about the BAM hero drama? Someone got punched in the face at Summer League because he has some things to say in some DMs, and apparently these DMs were, is this the world we're coming to?
01:57:34
Speaker
Is this the world we're coming to? i mean. Hey, Sports Professor, all I've got to say is, bum bum.
01:57:46
Speaker
That's great. We're going end on that note. Hey, everybody, look, I had a wonderful and blessed season with my brothers here. I'm so happy that they came on all season long. Blessed us with the content here at Ball and Buds. Again, shout out to Warren, our other brother and NBA baseline couldn't make it. Unfair Sports, Jay, and Man Down, Mel, Sports couldn't make it as well. But look, it was a blessing. It was awesome. We are going to be back to you for the NBA season next year. The same crew will be rotating through. But before then, we are to have a hip-hop show.
01:58:16
Speaker
the The four of us will be on there. Warren will be on there. And I'm going to to get Wal-Kar Mar. Shouldn't be a big deal to get him. The six of us, we're going to do. i had i'm I'm planning on. It's going great. It's going like a game show.
01:58:27
Speaker
We're going to have, like, rankings and all kinds of stuff. So it's going to be awesome hip-hop knowledge show. So y'all look forward. I'll look forward. I'll give you all the topics beforehand. Everybody look forward. It's going to be fun. It's going fun. Everybody look forward to that as well. Tomorrow night, I will be on Total Evisceration, 6 p.m. 7 p.m. Eastern, excuse me. Tomorrow night, Hot Take Jake versus yours truly. We're going to talk about sports gambling. We're going to talk about LeBron. We're going to talk about the MLB All-Star game, and we will be arguing against each other all night long. And as well, right after that, Bobby G will be on. audible sports right after we are done so catch catch that back to back on your tv tomorrow starting at 7 eastern on youtube all right appreciate everybody again everybody go out be successful be kind uh you know do good things for other people um you know be blessed have an amazing summer stay out of trouble don't get hurt and we will see you uh at the hip-hop show in about a month probably about six weeks yeah we'll see