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The East Is Hurtin

S2 E8 · FrndsvsFrnds

66 Plays1 year ago

Brooklyn Nets Finally getting their money worth

NBA Media Pet Peeves

Zion Injury and D-Lo Beef

Introduction to the Podcast

00:00:22

Speaker

What up, what up, what up? This is Friends versus Friends, where we talk nothing in debate about nothing but basketball. You got your host, JT. We got KB, and we got Addie, AKA, the stat man here with you. What's good? How y'all feeling? Happy New Year. Happy New Year. Happy New Year indeed. What's good, bro? Also happy MLK Day, or week. You know, we wearing all black for the occasion. You feel me? Oh, no. I haven't worked the rest of the week. He had a dream, you know what I'm saying? It only went that far.

Western Conference Dynamics

00:00:50

Speaker

Y'all doing good though overall be good word word So let's just start off a little quick updates that we have been going over since the Christmas break in the New Year's man basketballs been pretty crazy we had the Memphis Grizzlies on a crazy winning streak the West Side is crazy overall. It's like I feel like it's still up for grabs well, I think the Nuggets are number one, right and then we got Memphis and

00:01:14

Speaker

I think it's still, to me, if I'm looking at just the West, it's, whoever's in the playoffs, it just matters about who's gonna win in those playoffs. And the Lakers. Man, we ain't even talk about, come on. Our 13th place. The Lakers ain't gonna be nothing until young Brony get there. It's like, nah, but, you know, but the West, to me, is just like up for grabs and matters of the playoffs.

Celtics vs. Warriors Recap

00:01:35

Speaker

Curry is back. For now.

00:01:43

Speaker

I told you I want him back healthy. Yeah, he came back back a little early. So yeah, he came back He had some magic we had the Celtics and Warriors matchup last night, which was pretty good They lost to the magic last week, huh? Golden State again Oh last week though. Yeah, they said it's the magic

00:02:03

Speaker

But how'd you feel about that Celtics and Warriors match up from, you know, come back from the finals and anything like that. Curry with that half course. Everybody's talking about that. I know we put that on there. And then Dreamy talked about his feelings with being in Boston. Yeah. I mean, everybody's talking about that. It's not new. No, it's not new. But do you believe that it actually really mentally messed him up?

00:02:23

Speaker

Probably. I think it did. Look, if the late Bill Russell did not have a problem, why does Draymond Green have a problem? I'm not sure, but it happened. Someone call up, heaven, collect call, talk to Bill. Man. Put that on your bill. Might be busy. Yeah.

Luka Doncic and Mavericks' Playoff Prospects

00:02:42

Speaker

But staying on the West side, I feel like Luca is still doing his thing. He needs somebody, obviously. He needs somebody. His 60-point game. I don't know. Yeah, that was crazy. He's doing magical things. He's putting up video game numbers. He is. He is. Like, straight 2K my player numbers that you're like, yeah, nobody can stop me. 60 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists. Green bean all day. Like, he's killing it. Like, he's having that type of season. But I don't think it's going to work.

00:03:11

Speaker

Overall, when it comes to the playoffs, because he can't do that every night. I mean, you've got to have somebody, you've got to have a Robin. They're in the playoffs. You're going to be in the playoffs. But when it comes to like winning, you try to put it over the top. I'm like, who what? How can they get it? If he's not on, what's come on? Even if he had a Robin, is he going to beat Memphis? No.

00:03:32

Speaker

Is he gonna be I think Memphis can be beat in the playoffs, right? They're like what not again terrible at free-throw shooting that counts Dallas won't be Memphis Dallas won't be it comes to the bottom line when it comes to the play. Oh, it comes to free throws

00:03:48

Speaker

And they're not that they go out. I'm not going to be surprised if Memphis does not make it where they made it last year to the Western Conference. I won't be surprised. We'll talk about that in like four weeks, four months. We'll see. We'll see. So let's hop in the east real quick.

Knicks' Performance and Julius Randle's All-Star Candidacy

00:04:03

Speaker

You already know what the next, you know, they're the winning streak was at the end. I kind of bring brought that up, you know, that probably bad last year.

00:04:12

Speaker

But they're playing great. The tough black uniforms. Jaylen Bronson going in. Bronson is killing. Mitchell Robinson getting surgery on his thumb. Yeah, that's not. Wait, staying on the Nick topic, I know we don't do that too crazy, but you think Randall should be in an all-star conversation? No. No? He's having a good season. I think so far, we think halfway point for that one season,

00:04:37

Speaker

This guy, do you think he's having a great matchup season for men? He's having a good season. He's bipolar. He had that when he had that contract season, he was great player, comeback player of the year. Great. Then he got his contract. He became a jerk. This year, he's doing great. Yeah. But we're winning. Talk to me about that when we start going on like our 10 game losing streak.

00:05:05

Speaker

You just put all the negative energy out there like I'm more realistic. I did a New Year's resolution. I'm gonna be more honest you realistic as you just step man You go by I mean, it's cool to go by the stats, but this is like a bro path facts. I don't trust. I don't trust Randall

00:05:23

Speaker

He's not a first option. Actually, yeah, that's cool. Now, you know, for Rofro, you know where I would love for Randall to go? You can go to Dallas, you can play for the Mavs. I'm getting serious. I wouldn't think it would be a bad move for him, but we talking about right now, I think he gonna be all right. And I think the Knicks gonna be all right. Even though how you said niggas hurt, you know where I'm going? Yeah. So you wanna start over again. We're barely making the playoffs.

00:05:52

Speaker

He trying to go for the young boy from Paris, from France. That's what he want. We not getting him. I know we not. OKC probably gonna grab him. We can't even do that right. Detroit or OKC gonna grab him.

Impact of Zion Williamson's Injury

00:06:05

Speaker

I don't want OKC to get that. You know what I want? You know what I want? I want Houston. Houston would be dirty. I like that. You're trying to have the Monstars over there. Yeah, I like that. I like that for that. I can't see him in OKC because that's whack. You got Chet who can't stay healthy. We already talked about that. He just got hurt one season. Slenderman. Can't stay healthy.

00:06:28

Speaker

And I was right. Groot. Yeah, you called it. You did, but still, we have one season. Can't stay healthy is speaking long term. We got to see him with you. I'm speaking that into existence. All right, look. Put it on the money line. Put it on the money line. Yeah, put some money. Sandu, DraftKings. DraftKings, if you come get us a sponsorship, I'll do that.

00:06:50

Speaker

It's life on the line for that one. No, that's when the feds are coming. We're looking for stat, man. I'm like, hating. No, I'm good.

Eastern Conference Standings and Injuries

00:06:58

Speaker

But in the East, we got the Celtics as well, killing it. It's like, it's forming. It's going great for them. I'm so hyped for that. I mean, not hyped for it, but it's just like, when you go by the draft picks, it's just like, wow, that works. That system works. And it's just working for them. We'll see where it's at. I'm not a huge Boston fan at all, but it's just like, well, that's cool. Milwaukee? Hurting.

00:07:19

Speaker

Giannis yeah hurtin hurtin hurtin hurt their second place four and a half games out of first place Yeah Who else we got in the East? That's really like I can't do this because so many people gonna talk to me about this Phillies in third place For you know, I think about like I'd even wasn't even in more and a half really. Yeah, Brooklyn is fourth. Oh

00:08:01

Speaker

injuries injuries and it's crazy. He's hurt with the knee. Kyrie just got hurt with the soreness of the calf. Brooklyn was on the rise. I feel like he did that last year around the same time, which is why Kyrie came back. Remember? Yeah, he had to. He was like, all right, I'm going to come back and do what I got to do. But

00:08:08

Speaker

That says a lot about the East.

Zion Williamson's Playing Style and Injury Prevention

00:08:20

Speaker

Speaking of injuries, we got a big one from a Western Conference team from Zion. AKA Future Grandmama, AKA Future Sean Kemp. Yo, before we play that Click G, I got... Yo, I saw this funny video. It was Mark Henry, you know the WWE superstar. It was him dunking. Somebody in the comments said, hey, yo, that's Zion's high school mix team.

00:08:43

Speaker

I was literally crying. I was like, A-E-L. That ain't right. You know what I was so funny? Zion's gonna sue. I'm gonna be his lawyer. Everybody talking about him, bro. He cares so much, though. I don't know why he does. It's that new age, these new kids. I'll be eating a bag of Doritos in my house, laughing at comments, not caring. Dad.

00:09:05

Speaker

But yeah, his injury is just unfortunate because he was on the rise. Three weeks hamstring strain. He was on the rise. Before he was doing all that, he was doing some crazy things on the court. I think we got a little clip for that. Him just going off and just him being himself. G-drop that drone real quick. Big turnover. Were you surprised that Sion jumped past?

00:09:29

Speaker

Yeah, I mean, he just ran through my guy, took the ball. He's playing football. We playing basketball. We can't touch him or guard him. So good for him.

00:09:46

Speaker

You know Kobe's looking down rest in peace in heaven like you little punk-ass little guy I Mean he yeah, he should cuz him in D. Lo, you know He wanna you know, he didn't want him to get drafted. He didn't want really That whole young squad. He didn't want that. He didn't want a young squad. He wanted veterans

00:10:07

Speaker

Remember, like, I forgot what talk show Kobe was on. And, um, I know it was a video of the young boys winning. He called me in their first game. Yeah. And they were celebrating with champagne. You know, Kobe was like, ah, that's embarrassing. Y'all are so hype over that. They were like, would that be going on if you were still playing there? No, he would say nothing. No, it would. You know, Kobe, like he was on that mamba look like.

00:10:32

Speaker

these little niggas. That is crazy. But what's the update on his injury stat? How? Three weeks. Three weeks? Three weeks. God.

00:10:43

Speaker

Wait, so it sounds like a naggy injury, you know, but do you think it makes him from the

All-Star Game Speculations and Injury Impacts

00:10:49

Speaker

season he was having before the injury? And if, say, he gets his ballot to come in the All-Star, like, do you think he'll actually play? He should. Nah, he will. The All-Star game don't look too strenuous. It looks like it's worse than the NFL drawing, to me.

00:11:04

Speaker

You think so? I heard that football. The Pro Bowl sucks. Yo, and I'm coming from the chief football player in here. The Pro Bowl sucks and has for a really long time. But the only time, they only, and also again, we got competitive when they started doing the numbers thing. I hate that. The foundations and then. They could have did that without the number game. Like it only got crazy at the end. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, but they could have did it without that crazy. It could have. Just be like, all right, if the East win and the West win. Team East gets donated to.

00:11:34

Speaker

Hampton team West goes to Howard congratulations and then MVP of the side gets the extra donation there are some something like that like That's what I thought they should have did but Yeah, it is what it is, but we'll hopefully it's not crazy because he was having a season He was having a season the team was jelling and to me personally without beyond What? Yeah He always come on. Can we keep blaming his weight now or nah? Well, he slimmed down and he did

00:12:04

Speaker

It's not the weight. Not now? No, it ain't the weight. It was just pure dumb luck. That was dumb luck. Well, you know, everybody's body has certain inconsistencies and little stuff that you don't think aren't to work. Him just being that big, doing certain things too many times, you never know what it is. But over the years, it's like a ticking time bomb. You make the wrong move, wrong little angle.

00:12:28

Speaker

It means the difference between rolling your ankle and snapping it. They did say, for real, for real, he's going to have to learn how to stop jumping all the way to the top of the arena. He's actually going to have to have a jump shot. He can't just dunk all the time. Because all of that is jumping. Yeah. Yeah, but that's the thing. Because he can shoot. But not as consistent as what he should be.

00:12:55

Speaker

as an all-star. You don't think he... What? You wanted Julius Randall to come.

00:13:00

Speaker

I never wanted Julius Ranner to come to the Knicks. No, you wanted him to be an All-Star. No, I don't care about Julius Ranner being an All-Star. I want him gone. This guy, he like the team, but he want people to lead that's doing good. He hasn't recommended his Uber yet, though. Right? He don't get the Uber. He don't even get that. Nah, he do that. He can go. He going to be there. Ranner going to retire a Knicks just because of the stack.

00:13:27

Speaker

He's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like, he's like,

00:13:50

Speaker

Before they got beat up injuries Stephen a Smith was talking a whole lot of stuff and I want you bran to play that clip for me, please Stephen Smith talk a whole lot of shit

00:14:07

Speaker

So, as we allow Mr. Stephen A. Smith to take his victory lap as he is approving prescient from his early prediction, here's the real question. Stephen A., are the nets for real?

Brooklyn Nets' Championship Prospects with Kyrie and Durant

00:14:19

Speaker

Absolutely. Without question. Let me tell you something right now. Instant Defense wins championships.

00:14:25

Speaker

but offense wins games. You got to be able to put the ball in the hole and I challenge anybody to tell me definitively there's somebody in the NBA that can do it the way the Brooklyn Nets can do it with Kyrie, with KD and MVP candidate in KD as an unbelievably spectacular Kyrie Irving playing for a new contract, okay? Because you watch Bradley Beal and Zach Levine and people like that get the 200 plus million dollars he was supposed to get.

00:14:50

Speaker

And isn't it amazing the impact that coaching can actually have on a basketball team? Because there is a clear, distinct difference between Steve Nash and Jacques Vaughn.

00:15:01

Speaker

All right, so Steven A was right for one thing. He was right. Steve Knapp wasn't the right coach. Jop on this. We saw that. We saw that. I think we all saw that in the real basketball world, yeah. But for the 12-game winning streak that they had, they were averaging 124 points a game, which was ranked first in the NBA. Field goal percentage was 56%, which was ranked first. Three-point percentage was at 44%, which was ranked first. And that was all before KD blew out his knee, and that was all before Kyrie got hurt.

00:15:30

Speaker

If they're hurt, and remember, that's without Simmons doing anything. Simmons still don't want to shoot. His numbers are like 9, 11, and 8. So it's like 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. It's not cutting it. That's like Dream on Green, but without. It is. But that don't work. It don't work.

00:15:49

Speaker

I mean, I would say he has defensive stops like he is. He's done great on defense. I don't know if you have you watched, watched like, yeah, he's the matchups are working for them because of Ben. But it's like he's not doing anything like offensively, really at all. And with Kyrie hurt, KD hurt. Where's the offense really coming from? Well, you put that man on the line. It's it's over.

00:16:13

Speaker

It's everybody's winning free chicken nuggets or whatever. They're winning them chicken nuggets. They need a Taco Bell night. I think a landed horse did that one time. What Taco Bell night? Yeah, Taco night. Really? Yeah, like a Taco Bells.

00:16:29

Speaker

For real? Yeah. You coming to the Super Bowl party? You about to do the, what is that, the game day box? Oh yeah! You're getting ready to try the game day box. We need like 12 of them drones. Be there. Listeners do not show up talking to these people. But, so you were saying you think they are the real deal though? You think so or no? If they can stay healthy, but you got Boston at

00:16:54

Speaker

crazy stratosphere yeah you got Milwaukee which I feel like something's really wrong with Giannis you got Philly which

00:17:04

Speaker

They're gonna be really wrong with him. His knee. I mean like how long is his injury? They said he was supposed to be out of game or two. He's been out for three games. He's not playing tonight. You know, they probably just sit. They're not right. I thought you meant like, yo, they just found out like you two or something. Nah. I don't know what you was about to say. Like some stuff, you know, stat be knowing stuff like nobody. That inside information, not this time. But I got some stats later tonight. He making stuff up some time. Right? He do. We got to call his ass out.

00:17:30

Speaker

But when the stats, when the facts come out and I'm right, I'll see you in court.

Ben Simmons' Contribution to the Nets

00:17:35

Speaker

I'll see you in court. That'd be the one he lose. How many lawyers do you know? I know that's a few actually. So do I. Well, you know, the one. Not a damn third. No, I do. Don't do that. I got them on personal standby. Who, D&M? Nah. You know, we had that one friend that was a lawyer.

00:18:00

Speaker

I don't wanna talk about that one. You should know. Yeah, I'm drawing blank, so. Cause he ain't got no lawyers. Nah, he don't. He lying. That's why he lying. No, we went to Crestown with that one. We went to Crestown with a lot of people, dawg. That aren't lawyers. Nah, I got a lawyer. He got a lawyer. Got a lawyer. He got a lawyer, so just be prepared. I'll put it out. Yo, he was our next door roommate. Damn, luckily he don't listen to our podcast. What, a Super Mario? Nah.

00:18:32

Speaker

That's off the grid. Dragon boy? No. All these nicknames. All the nicknames when niggas that live in your dorms is wild. Like, those aren't even hood nicknames. It's like Mario Dragon Dude. Oh, okay. Short Italian Nicknames. Y'all forget I went to HBCU, so I'm just like, who? We're a snack, man.

00:18:55

Speaker

Some of the people there, I don't even think they've seen black people in life actually before. Nah, we had a stack man, we had a boy named Tree. We had like, you know, like... Nah, this is a short Italian dude. This is... I'm like Mario. This is a dude that likes to play like computer games and they were all about dragons and stuff. And then there was another dude who was like a...

00:19:20

Speaker

racist marine or something like that. Definitely shouldn't be in the military. Yeah, he explained in detail the stuff he wanted to do and it wasn't right. So we call him military Mike. I don't know where he is. I know he's in prison. No, he's not. He's on the streets. Yeah.

00:19:43

Speaker

Yo, this episode, don't get us censored. In this state or elsewhere? Nah, I'll tell you off the field. Nah, nah. I want the FBI involved. We gonna get that not. Yeah, I do not know who this lawyer is though. You do. We used to chill. They talk sports too.

00:20:03

Speaker

He's describing every dude from five six to five. Who are these people? It's every dude. We getting off topic.

Nets' Roster Needs - A Strong Big Man

00:20:14

Speaker

But I got lawyers.

00:20:19

Speaker

Oh, it's G. Get back to the Brooklyn talk. Get back to the Brooklyn talk. I feel like, for real, for all jokes aside, I feel like Brooklyn needs a star, an extra star. A star who's like... TJ Warren was there. My man didn't get an all star. He not the bubble TJ Warren. No. Yeah, but it's crazy. Like, do they need a star? Do they need to just have their full team at their disposal?

00:20:45

Speaker

They need a big man. But they can never stay healthy. A big, that's what I'm saying. They need a big man. They need a big man. I like Klaxon. He isn't putting in that work, but they need a big man that's like... Valantunis. He's like a Valantunis. Yeah, he's trying to go back to the magic, I think, right? No, no. That's, um, he'll check. Yeah, it's for your chest, you know.

00:21:02

Speaker

That man knows the nose. He do. But yeah, they need somebody that's going to be able to get dirty, because if you look at the game, you watch it, whatever, and then you look at the stats, who's getting the rebounds? KD was grabbing boards. He was trying to get MVP again. Yeah, he was in a run. Dang, I'm thinking about messing up his race now, because he was really going off. And whoever's doing the team is doing well. They look at you more. They thought he was getting MVP. Hell no. I hope he didn't think that shit.

00:21:31

Speaker

That's a lie. But still. He wanted MVP. KD was getting bored. Kyrie was getting bored. Claxon was doing his thing. So was Simmons. But I mean, Simmons wasn't really getting that many boards. He was getting more assists than he was getting bored. You would think like, come on now, you've got to get the rebound. Because you can get the rebound and run it up, like run it up the court. He was doing it a couple of times, but it's just like KD was getting more rebounds then, bruh. You know who's old, who could be? And he's on the trade block, Serge Ibaka.

00:21:57

Speaker

Oh, yeah. For the bucks. Is he's like, he's like, but he's like, you know, I mean, yeah, it's been there for a minute. But it could be drafted by. That's OK. See, there you go. OK. See, OK. Yeah. OK. Good job. Prove him wrong. Get him off. Get him out of here. Get him out of here. You know, he's testing us every episode. He says, I got something today that's going to make you say something like, who is the fifth ever NBA player to draft?

00:22:27

Speaker

Like, we're not gonna know that. Nah. But he'll make it up. All right, and then we- Y'all keep disrespecting, that's okay. He's messing with the wiki. The disrespect I feel, that's a short. I feel disrespected.

00:22:44

Speaker

That's okay. One episode, I'm not showing up. We're going to be talking about you. That's really here, but he's outside. Nope. Right now. And I'm going out the window.

00:23:06

Speaker

No, no, no. Y'all messed up. Y'all hurt my feelings. So if KD comes back in time and Kyrie's, you know, Kyrie again, do you think their chances in the East are good and stay healthy?

Eastern Conference Playoffs Predictions

00:23:19

Speaker

Like really just stay, you know, at this point in time, where we at right now? I think they get to the conference finals against Boston.

00:23:27

Speaker

That's the only issue. We could take an L. That's the only issue. Four L's right there. Four? You think they're going to do another sweep? That would be crazy. I think you can go to game seven. I think somebody's leaving after that. You're getting swept again. I could see a game where they're hitting all their threes or whatever, and for some reason they don't win, but they're not winning that series. All jokes aside,

00:23:53

Speaker

We already know Boston, as long as they stay healthy, keep doing their thing, even though they're looking for another wing player, they're going to Eastern Cuffers Final. The Bucks, Middleton has not been healthy this whole season. Philly,

00:24:08

Speaker

Everyone's going to clown me. Philly can't do anything. Philly's going to choke. They're going to get Doc fired. I'm actually proud of Doc. Doc's actually in fourth place. I'm going to say, he hates Doc. Nah, Doc. He hates Doc. Nah, Doc. They're doing good. He's like, he's getting fired. Like, bruh, I'm going to do his good. No, he's doing his thing. He's still going to get him fired, because you already heard what they're saying about Harden. What?

00:24:31

Speaker

because he has an octa they say harden wants to go back to houston somewhat it's probably gonna get the yumbo and it'll probably set him up but the thing about philly to me is like i've been saying about like dallas they really don't have another

James Harden's Role with 76ers and Potential Return to Houston

00:24:45

Speaker

score if maxi maxi is max is not putting up 20 harden really not putting up

00:24:53

Speaker

Hard in Houston Rockets numbers. He's really not. He's really not, because I think it's because the league changed. Not because of him. He's not. His skill is not declining. I don't think so. It's just the league, he can't get off when he used to get off. Everybody's seen that now. Him and Trey. Bro, that step back was different. Like nobody stopped that. That offense was spreaded out one on one. You couldn't guard him. The only person that could shut him down was Kyrie. Straight up from Jersey, shut him down. Every practice.

00:25:20

Speaker

No harder has an issue not being the main focus That's the real issue. He got to be the number one in Joelle's