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Real Madrid Batter Man City | The Ravens Back Out of Crosby Deal | Is Bam’s 83 Point Game Bad for Basketball?
0 Playsin 8 hours
Shane and James return for Episode 66 of Who’s Got The Ball, breaking down the biggest stories in football, NFL and NBA in another packed sports podcast episode.
The lads dive into the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, where no English side managed to win their first-leg tie, leaving Manchester City, Arsenal and others with everything to play for in the second legs. They discuss who still has the best chance of progressing to the quarter-finals and preview a huge Premier League clash between Manchester United and Aston Villa, a match that could have major implications in the race for the top four and Champions League qualification.
Over in the NFL, the big talking point is the dramatic collapse of the proposed Maxx Crosby trade to the Baltimore Ravens, and how the Ravens pivoted by signing star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson in free agency. Shane and James also run through their favourite NFL free agent signings so far, analysing which teams have improved the most ahead of the upcoming season.
To wrap up the show, the conversation shifts to the NBA, where Bam Adebayo’s stunning 83-point game sparks a debate about whether record-breaking scoring nights are actually bad for basketball, before finishing with a look at the Boston Celtics and how the team has changed since Jayson Tatum returned from injury.
Also in this episode:
- Gan Seans
- Weekly Power Rankings
- Big sports debates
🎧 Listen if you’re into:
- Football (soccer) analysis
- NBA previews & predictions
- Weekly NFL reactions
- Underdog betting tips
- Draft-style sports debates
- Power rankings across multiple sports
- Sports content from an Irish perspective with global takes
🔁 New episodes drop weekly!
Follow/subscribe so you never miss a breakdown of the latest in the EPL, NBA, and NFL.
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🌍 Based in Ireland | Talking global sports weekly
(0:00) Intro
(5:55) Champions League Last 16 Reaction
(22:21) Man United vs Aston Villa Preview
(27:16) NFL Free Agency Moves Draft
(39:01) Ravens Back Out of Crosby Trade
(45:37) Gan Seans: Our Underdog Picks
(50:05) Bam’s 83 Point Game
(59:55) Jayson Tatum’s Celtics Return
(1:04:36) Premier League X NBA Power Rankings
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Banter
00:00:09
Speaker
Alright lads, welcome back to another episode of Who's Got the Ball? Myself, James and Shane. That sounded like I just gave three names and James was involved. I meant myself, James, me James, you Shane, we're back again.
00:00:23
Speaker
Me Shane. That episode of The Office, don't know if anybody watches it where Kevin decides to to speak like with only three or four words to try and make, to save time, but it doesn't save any time because everyone keeps asking what he's talking about. But yeah, that's the intro Shane.
Shane's Busy Week and Upcoming Plans
00:00:38
Speaker
What's the crack? How are you?
00:00:40
Speaker
Not whole lot. Quite enough week. Very busy in work, but quite in a social sense, going to Donegal tomorrow for the treaty match. Hopefully it goes ahead because the weather has been absolutely chronic again. And I swear to God, if we get to Donegal and they call that match off at five o'clock tomorrow, there there will be hell to pay for someone in Bally Buffet. So either call it off early or just play us.
00:01:03
Speaker
But looking forward to getting up there. Prague then in two weeks. So we've had these next weekend and then going to Prague the Tuesday after. So just kind of living for that now at this stage. What about yourself?
Rugby Ticket Dilemma and Tournament Analysis
00:01:14
Speaker
Yeah, fairly good lineup of sporting events coming up for you. I don't know why too many people would say driving up to Donegal is too good, but the crack will be had. So that's the main thing. Yeah, exactly.
00:01:25
Speaker
And yeah, for me, just been looking for trying anyway to get tickets to the Ireland and Scotland game. But it's an absolute no go, especially with everything that's on the line for the Scots as well. um And the rugby, obviously, both of us fighting for the Triple Crown and be whoever wins gets a Triple Crown. and Both of us still in with a shout for the championship.
00:01:46
Speaker
So, obviously that is dependent on France too. But, yeah, massive game on Saturday. The fact it's only over the road for me, the stadium, and the tickets are all gone, as it makes it even more annoying. yes Even at the start, they were sold out quickly, but now it's, yeah, very impossible to get them. But still hoping for an Ireland win, regardless of that.
00:02:05
Speaker
And we're happy that I think they've done so well, because we spoke early on that we were a bit concerned. But... Quality continuing to do quite well and betting some different players and let's hope that they they get the win. And then let's hope that we roll on to Prague like you mentioned and we'll be seeing Ireland victory. And to the summer then for the World Cup. Nothing going to stop us. Ireland are taking over sport. How bad are England at rugby?
00:02:30
Speaker
Like where has this fall from grace come? Everyone was talking about them as kind of France's main competitor coming into the Six Nations. They've only won one game and it was against possibly the worst Welsh team in the last 10 years. know they were bad last year though, but they looked even worse at points this year.
00:02:46
Speaker
But to then go and lose to Scotland, lose Ireland, lose Italy, and Scotland, if they beat Ireland, they'd miss out on the Grand Slam because they lost Italy. like it's but It's a bit of a, that would be a tough one to take. bo it's It's actually been a really good tournament. and that It's great to see that Italy are really, like Italy have really started to take rugby seriously and it's starting to show. Like it was years, for about 10 years row, they were guaranteed wooden spoon every year. They were so far below the standards of everyone else.
00:03:16
Speaker
They're now, they're beating England, they're putting up a real fight to Ireland. They put up a real fight to France as well before it was kind of taken away from them. And they beat Scotland as well. So they've had a really good tournament.
Sports Talk: Soccer, NFL, and NBA
00:03:27
Speaker
And there's something about the Italians being good at rugby is just really, really, it's really enjoyable. But that's enough about rugby. Let's get on to the important stuff.
00:03:35
Speaker
Yeah, I would just want to say that Menonchello, their centre is unbelievably good. So good to watch. And I think if thet if the game's removed slightly where Ireland didn't play France week one and Italy didn't play Scotland week one, they were both caught on a bit of a hop. and Things have went a little bit differently. But that's the way it breaks. You can't all play Wales the first week, i'm like England did. And yeah so that's...
00:04:00
Speaker
Yeah, let's let's jump straight into the the topics at hand and give you a rundown of what we're going to speak about this episode. So we started with soccer, football, whatever want to call it. We spoke about the Champions League this time, the first legs of the round of 16 games, because... There was f FA Cup at the weekend, but the Champions League games were great, so we wanted to touch on them and give our thoughts. We then previewed United versus Aston Villa, which is on Sunday.
00:04:26
Speaker
We gave our prediction for that one too in a big matchup between third and fourth in the Premier League. Moving on from that then, we moved into the and NFL side of things and we did a draft. So we drafted who we thought made the best free agency moves. So we picked our best free agency moves from one to ten, five each. A way to cover the the biggest deals that we like the most rather than going into every single one, which would have taken an age. So that was fun. So give that a listen to hear what we picked.
00:04:52
Speaker
Yeah, and then we had Ravens moving for Crosby and then just backing out of that at the last second and going for Trey Hendrickson. So that was something that needed our attention. So we spoke about that one separately and gave us starts give you our thoughts on that to say Shane was not too happy with it is a bit of an understatement. So give that listen. Moving into Gone Chance, gave our picks after another bad week. So hopefully we can turn it around with our underdog picks this week.
00:05:17
Speaker
NBA then to wrap it up, we had to speak about Bam's 83 point game for the Heat. How both of us think, we'll say it was not good for basketball, but we'll say why we thought that and all the ins and outs of it. And then Jason Tatum's return from injury and what that means for the Celtics going forward before the power rankings wrap things up. So let's jump straight into pack of episodes. I would just say, before you do listen to the part about BAM, just watch the last five minutes. You can find it anywhere before you listen to us talk about her because it will it will just bring a lot of context to what we're about to say on this.
00:05:50
Speaker
And enjoy the episode. Oh my gosh. Perfect. So we're going to start with the Champions League for a change in the football section. i know we gave a quick rundown of our bracket last week and if you follow us on social media you'll have grabbed the round of 16 predictions that we threw up. But I think last weekend with the FA Cup, it's not as exciting until I think it gets into the later rounds over there, although there is a couple of upsets. We'd much rather talk about the Champions League.
00:06:18
Speaker
and And it was a goal fest, really. Two unbelievable nights of football on Tuesday and Wednesday night. And... Didn't bode well
Listener Engagement and Social Media
00:06:27
Speaker
for the English sides. It really followed up on our conversation about is the Premier League kind of crap at the moment? How exposed a lot of the teams looked against some of the top European sides. But we'll start with Tuesday night.
00:06:39
Speaker
Was there a big takeaway you had from those games, which was the biggest one? So there's a quote i want to throw out first. So I actually heard it from a fellow on the Anfield Rap earlier today, and he was quoting Logan Roy in succession. He's the father of the kids in succession. And he says to the kids in that, I love you, but you are not serious people.
00:06:58
Speaker
And that's exactly how I feel about Liverpool this season. I think it's absolutely brilliant. There was Dan Morgan on the Anfield Rappel who I robbed it off. But the way Liverpool shut off for that game, outside of the first five minutes, i' just absolutely atrocious as one shut out there. My biggest takeaway, other than obviously Spurs are crap,
00:07:16
Speaker
I thought the way Newcastle played Barcelona was absolutely superb. I thought they were really unlucky to just come away from that with a one-all. It goes to show how important fast people are.
00:07:28
Speaker
Everyone was questioning at the start, why is he starting Anthony Langa? And I know his end product wasn't there again, but he just from ran that Barca defence ragged. Every time he was on the ball, he was moving forward, he was sliding.
00:07:40
Speaker
flying past the left-back when he was on that side, the right-back at times as well. and i don't think Newcastle are out of this yet. I think obviously a 1-0 or a 2-0 would have been a lot better. The way they gave away the penalty is just superb from Almo. It's a penalty all day. The way he's won it is absolutely incredible. But I really felt Newcastle deserved the three points out of it. And we'll talk about Bayern in a bit of detail, I think, because what they did away at Atlanta, it's absolutely outstanding.
00:08:10
Speaker
Yeah, well, to touch on your Newcastle topic first is like, I think that I agree that they should have had that 2-0 or 3-0 in a position where they can really go up to the camp now and set up kind of defensively and to hit them on the break. And Barca would be very scared of that, given what you mentioned about the pace.
00:08:31
Speaker
I think Elanga's pace, while it is electric and it does cause problems, I think that end product is a massive issue. and for him and as I won't mind the first time when he was through and he had the shot and it was saved he had every right to go for that and it was a decent shot but some of the times he was through when he could have squared the ball his his passing is just poor and I think if we see in the next game Gordon, Asula and if Barnes stays on that left side I think that could cause more issues because when Gordon came on his final product was so much better I know I think he had an illness that's why he didn't start so and that played a factor but yeah Newcastle were a great value for a win never mind a draw which is what ultimately they did get but that moment from Dani Almo was one of the only really special moments from Barca and they waited very late to break Newcastle hearts there so I do agree that they're not out of it but it's going to be a lot tougher going back to the to the camp now and yeah and
00:09:35
Speaker
Go ahead. I'm I think they'll go with Murphy, Barnes and Gordon up front in the next leg. Murphy's cross for the goal is superb. It's a great, great win play from both of them because Harvey Burns makes a really good, really, really good run. the kind of run Gakpub was doing last season, getting in at the back post for Salah and getting so many tap-ins. And it's it was kind of what set a loop around their way last year was the way it those two were linking up.
00:09:58
Speaker
And I think all season, Murphy and Barnes have had a really good understanding when they had been on the pitch together. I think if you look back over, I'd say a lot of... and Burns' goals have been down to what Murphy's been doing on the other side.
00:10:11
Speaker
So think having the two of them and then the pace of Gordon, the guile of Gordon going through the middle. Osula is young, but I don't think he's the kind of player you want to put into a game in the Nou Camp.
00:10:22
Speaker
I just think you're better off having someone with that bit of... bit of bite up there. Anthony Goran's going to start kicking people. like He's really, really good at that. He's really good at getting in people's heads. But he's also a good finisher when he's in on goal, which De Lange didn't show.
00:10:34
Speaker
And his pace getting behind will cause Barcelona the same kind of problems, only through the middle instead. And I don't think their defence is really that good. I think Newcastle showed in that first stage that their defence can be got at.
00:10:47
Speaker
Saying that though, nearly everything we called in our preview was wrong. So I'm probably what I'm saying here is to be wrong as well. So we'll see. But I do think Newcastle still have a chance.
00:10:58
Speaker
I just, i yeah, we'll actually give a prediction of who we think goes through at the end. I've just decided there now, so he we won't comment on this. Yeah, I think i think it's it's... We weren't those places where there was a massive letdown, I think, where we'll move on to Wednesday night in a minute, but we we both thought that City would go through. I think outside of that, we weren't actually that bad. like We both had Bayern, we both had Atletico, and I had Galatasaray, but like there's still two legs left and you had Liverpool. So I think...
00:11:30
Speaker
We weren't too bad on on that front, but you mentioned Bayern. I think Liverpool is a team we touch on quite a lot with the Premier League. So let's talk about Bayern quickly and how good were they?
00:11:43
Speaker
i I really don't rate Vincent Koppany as a manager. i don't know what it is. I don't know if it's because he brought Burnley down. i But what he's doing with this Bayern team at the moment, it is it down to individual brilliance? Because the players they have, it's something he's doing.
00:11:59
Speaker
Luis Diaz looks like 10 times the player that Liverpool sold. When he was sold, I was beam. And I'm pretty sure i sat down here. I was delighted he was gone. He drove me insane.
00:12:10
Speaker
Now I'm stuck with Cody Gachto. And I'm like, please, Luis, come back. I think he has like 14 goals and 10 assists in the league this year. And then on the other side you have there's possibly to be the best right winger in the world. Since he left Chelsea. Yeah.
00:12:23
Speaker
Yeah, Olyse as well is, so I think he's the best right winger in the world at the moment, what he's doing. Both of his goals are superb. Cutting in off the right, doing what Salah did in his first year for Liverpool.
00:12:35
Speaker
I think he is absolutely incredible. I think when he's back in Premier League, he's going to tear it apart. I don't think it'll be next season, but maybe the season after. Harry Kane is obviously Harry Kane. They actually, like, I reckon they're wrestling for this because they knew they were going to win it. I don't think deta they thought they'd go out and score six, but...
00:12:53
Speaker
Nick De Shaxon was the perfect foil for the two around him. And he got his goal that he deserved as well. Yeah, I think he... Did he score twice? I think he got a couple. Maybe I'm wrong. But he was, like, just a completely different player than what we saw playing for Chelsea. But at least...
00:13:10
Speaker
He's something else. I'm trying to pull up the assist numbers. No, Jackson got one. One, okay. Yeah. I'm trying to pull up the assist numbers there for him this season, Alisa, because I'm pretty sure it's something crazy. And they mentioned it on the It is, definitely.
00:13:26
Speaker
We'll look here in total. Yeah, 26 assists and 15 goals in 37 games. That is crazy. 26 assists in 37 games is absolutely nuts. and So yeah, he's tearing up. And i think we both had Bayern to win it out. So that looks pretty promising. I'm off the first night anyway.
00:13:45
Speaker
Then we'll move to Wednesday night. I think... Arsenal continue to do what they've done in the Premier League so let's just ignore that because honestly we've we've spoke about it enough and it was the same thing the Champions League and to spend how long they did over it and to grab that into the last second Leverkusen kind of got hit the same way Newcastle did in terms of the fact they deserved to win and they didn't but PSG really put Chelsea to the sword in the last 10-15 minutes when Kvart Schellia came on.
00:14:17
Speaker
Valverde's first half hat-trick, that third goal is Pushkas contender for me. Unbelievable, that pass by Diaz. And then Bodo Glimt just battered sporting and could have had more goals. So those are three brilliant teams from around Europe. Three different leagues, three different excellent performances.
00:14:35
Speaker
But what stood out really on that night, outside of obviously Arsenal continuing to do the usual? um I think the PSG-Chelsea game showed that there's a way to lose 5-2.
00:14:47
Speaker
um The way Spurs did it was not the way to lose 5-2. Chelsea were so in this tie going into the last 10 minutes and they just completely threw away. I think his subs were...
00:15:00
Speaker
Part of the problem, bringing on Liam De Laff is never a good idea, especially not at the Park de Prince. He has been atrocious this season for Chelsea. I don't understand why he thought bringing him on was a good idea. Or did he bring him on beforehand? i think he did.
00:15:14
Speaker
There was a sub mail anyway that caused that. It gave PSG a shot in the arm. And they were able to just go out there and just completely turn them over. What's worse the night before was disgraceful, but Chelsea at you'd almost fancy them going back to their own place to go out there and win 2-0-3-1. At 5-2, it's pretty much tie over now.
00:15:36
Speaker
was Yeah, the lap came on after eighty three Yeah, I think there was two goals after that. Just before the fourth goal. Yeah, so you're right. Yeah, i like bring yeah so they together he went defensive, took off Pedro and Palmer, who are two most attacking players, brought on Lavia and the lap, and then three minutes after they come on, they concede, and he's like, oh God, and then he brings on Garnaccio, and they concede again.
00:16:00
Speaker
Are there any of those players we want to bring on and in that situation? Like, Lavia has limited minutes and he looked rusty recently and then the laugh, as you said, has been awful. So, like, they don't make sense as a way to shore things up. Like, they... absolutely not. They're really very fantastic. So...
00:16:17
Speaker
It's something I've said about Chelsea for so long. They've spent so much money and their squad is nothing. They have nothing. They have 11 players. Maybe, but you won we I won't be too harsh. I'd say they have 14 players you what you'd want to play out of a squad of 25.
00:16:33
Speaker
None of them are injured. Well, no, I'm wrong, actually. There is a couple out. Like said, Levi Caldwell is out. But their bench is just crap. but You're not going to going to mark you even. You need a goal. He's not that level yet.
00:16:47
Speaker
Malang Sarr, they've just brought him back from Malone for absolutely no reason. Posting Adderabio should still be at Fulham. That's kind of his level. Josh Ashburn is a very young player. Just mad. I don't understand Chelsea. And PSC team then on the other side are just...
00:17:04
Speaker
So well built. They're built for this competition again. And they they just turn it on when it comes to this stage of competition. They were just scraped through into the playoff round and then wall up Monaco pretty much over the two legs. And now they're doing the same to Chelsea.
00:17:19
Speaker
Yeah. And it was similar last year. They barely scraped through in the league where it's got a low seating and then were brilliant in the playoffs or the knockout rounds.
00:17:31
Speaker
I think... Bolo Glimpton is another story that is just continuing to unfold. They pretty much look home and hosed. It's like very dangerous now for some of these. like if If some of these were two-goal leads or one-goal lead, we'd say, OK, there'd be more...
00:17:47
Speaker
more chance going into the second leg but then you look at something where you're three goals down and i think even if you did manage to press forward a lot and score two goals say you're playing against teams who are excellent on the counter-attack such as PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Atletico are pretty good on the counter as well and then Bodo just look good in every facet of their play like their passing is just so so good.
00:18:13
Speaker
Yeah, Joe, I only watched the highlights of this. I was kind of flicking between Chelsea and Man City. But even on the highlights, it was all but a glimpse going. It was all going one way. I think there was one sporting chance in the highlights. It's just, as we said in the prediction, nobody wants to go to Norway and play football there.
00:18:30
Speaker
The pitch is so tight. The crowd is on top of you. For a limited number of people there, they make a lot of noise. And the way the squad is built is actually, it's really surprising. Like they're They've such a, they've a nothing budget.
00:18:43
Speaker
Like they're only in the top two weeks in Norway for maybe 10 years and look at what they're doing. I think they're an absolute credit to themselves. The fact that Ars will get to play them in the next rounds, I wouldn't be 100% sure in Arsenal. I don't know if Arsenal are home or away for the first leg, but if they're away in Norway and they lose that to 2-0 or then I think they'll be in real trouble, even if it is going back to the Emirates, because this border team, just they they don't want quit.
00:19:11
Speaker
They don't know how to quit. They just keep going. Their league has only started, so they're really fresh as well. They're the freshest team in this competition. They absolutely smashed against Whirling from what I saw, and I'd love to see them get to semi-final.
00:19:24
Speaker
of not It would be an amazing story. And then to do that along the way would be quite funny also. But I think that... and Looking at them and outside of them, there's kind of not really any big, big story. So I think it's something that everybody is really watching. And it's kind of interesting because last season, they actually finished second in their league. I'm pretty sure to Viking or or some team along that, similar name. um Viking in it, don't quote me on it. But one thing we didn't mention actually going back to Tuesday before we move on is...
00:19:59
Speaker
Kinski in goal for Spurs. What is your thoughts on him being hooked off and Tudor basically completely ignoring him as he went down the tunnel? Whatever about the substitution, I can kind of understand it. like it Clearly the defence had lost all faith in him.
00:20:16
Speaker
and I think he'd lost faith in himself. So understand why you're taking him off. But you have to acknowledge him, say it's going to be okay, best of luck. It's one of those things, shouldn't put you in the first place, blah, blah, blah. To not even look in his direction when you're actually taking him off, I thought was just really, really harsh.
00:20:31
Speaker
I personally think he could have left it till halftime. for the substitution or at least giving it another couple of minutes, making it straight away after the goal makes it look 100 times worse. If you wait 10 minutes and his he makes another kick and it goes straight into the touchdown, you're like, okay, fair enough.
00:20:46
Speaker
like It's not his fault Mickey Van in the event fell over. The other two goals are absolutely his fault, but there's a big gap between the errors he made. And I also think the Spurs players should have known better than to be passing it back to him after his first mistake. like Give him 10 or 15 minutes to settle. Don't try and give him these difficult passes on his wrong foot.
00:21:03
Speaker
We try and hook it across. And yes, he makes an absolute dog's dinner of it. But don't put him in that position in the first place. Yeah, no, I agree. And I think it's on the manager to own that because it it shows a lot, of some of his decisions since he's been there, that he clearly doesn't really even know the players or who fits in. I know Vittario has been poor, but like this is to put him in in this game in the Champions League against Atletico is just like...
00:21:31
Speaker
Yeah, to do that away as well. All these things just have to factor into it. And then I think he should have left them on, to be honest. and At least, like you said, until he makes maybe, i don't want to say another mistake leading to a goal, but like you said, another couple of bad passes out of play or something. But don't put him in that position in the first place. Let him settle into the game. I think the first pass was, yes, it was his fault, but it was unfortunate.
00:21:55
Speaker
Whereas the third one was really bad. And I think if he, I wouldn't go too hard on the first one as I would with the third because the first one was still a lot to do. So I think it was badly handled by Tudor and the fact that some of the players had to go down the tunnel after him and he just ignored him. Yeah, really, really bad man management. But,
00:22:13
Speaker
Let's see how it goes next week and which teams continue on their path into the next round and see how our predictions go. But we've got a big game in the Premier League this Sunday. Obviously a few big ones this weekend, but we've got a third versus fourth matchup in the Premier League with United playing host to Villa on Sunday at 2pm.
00:22:34
Speaker
Very big one. I think United can't afford to lose again back to back and and start any kind of slipping where you allow Liverpool and Chelsea to make up ground on you.
00:22:45
Speaker
I think Villa are in a situation where they look really poor lately. The fact that they play right now, obviously it's on as we're recording. Actually, going to check as we're recording this what the score is. 0-0, 50 minutes in against Lille.
00:22:58
Speaker
The fact that they just play in general, no matter how it goes, it's going to help United going into the weekend. and They're going to be more well-rested. And I think that that might play a part in it.
00:23:09
Speaker
That was the first loss United had since the 21st of December in the league. And that was also against Villa 2-1. So Villa will be looking to do the double here. Yeah, this is a game or so this a weekend of massive games.
00:23:23
Speaker
Chelsea are playing Newcastle as well. Obviously, Liverpool-Spurs has ramifications at the top and the bottom of the table. But I do think this is the biggest game of the weekend coming up. I think whoever, win if United win this, I pretty much guarantee that they're getting top four from it then. I think it's kind of momentum bidder they need.
00:23:40
Speaker
I think the fact they have such a big gap between games hasn't actually been being held hasn't actually been helping them. Why is that so hard to say? I think it's been a bit of a hindrance storm where they've they've not been able to kind of build any rhythm. Their last four games been poor, but they picked up two wins and a draw, and obviously that loss...
00:23:58
Speaker
and in the last minutes of Newcastle. i just I just think this is such a big game for both them. Villa are finally coming back down to earth. We said it a couple of weeks now that their outside-the-box XG has dropped back to a normal level. And when they get the ball into the box, Ali Watkins is just not finishing at the moment.
00:24:17
Speaker
They've also lost their two starting midfielders, Steelmans and Camara out for the season as well. So McGinn might be out, Maddy Cash is, sorry, McGinn might be back, man Maddy Cash is out though. So I think it's a really good time for United to play this Villa team as well when they're kind of on the back of this drop in, complete drop in form.
00:24:37
Speaker
Yeah, and that is a good point as well about United not playing well with the fact that they've had such a long gap and it it hasn't worked at times for them because it is hard to get in a flow. But then at the same time, when they did play in the space of three days like they did against against them,
00:24:57
Speaker
think was Palace and then Newcastle. That was when they lost to Newcastle. So it's like the players aren't ready to play and multiple games in a row because they haven't done it all season, but also the break is breaking things up. So it's kind of a lose-lose situation until they get into next season and get the ball rolling early. Yeah.
00:25:19
Speaker
I think United's record against Villa has always been good. I've always remembered that United are good against Villa, watching them for years. That Villa win was the first that they had against United since 2022 in all competitions. And the last time they beat United in Old Trafford was 2021. So i think with the fact that Villa struggled going forward, 39 goals is the second worst outside of Everton in the top 10.
00:25:43
Speaker
Very, very poor Everton have been putrid going forward too, so that's not someone you want to be added up to. I think that will bode well for United because, you know, I think...
00:25:55
Speaker
They know that Villa rely on kind of long-range efforts and that was what beat them the last time, a couple of really nice goals. So if they can limit that a little bit and they're a bit more wise to that than they were under Amarim and they play ah a smarter system, Villa will prove kind of hard to break down.
00:26:10
Speaker
But I think Villa then do capitulate when they do break down lately. They weren't earlier in the season. But now, like you mentioned, without Camara, without Tielemans, with cash out and various loads of games being added to them, they conceded four against Chelsea, two against Wolves.
00:26:27
Speaker
I don't see why United don't beat them by a couple here. So I'm going with a 3-1 United win because United just can't keep clean sheets. So I'm going with them to win 3-1. I'm going 2-1 United. I think it'll be 2-0, but as you said, United don't keep teams out.
00:26:43
Speaker
I think Seshko has to start again. I think he's been really good up over the course the last couple of games. He was very good against Palace. Yeah, Palace where he scored us outrageous header. Yeah, he was excellent against Palace.
00:26:56
Speaker
i just i just don't see Villa being able to hold down hold on to United's coattails here. And I think you United will go clear in third place, unfortunately. Nice one. Nice one. We both agree there. Let's see how it goes. That's going to mean a 4-0 Villa win usually the way things go around here. But let's jump into the next topic. So we're moving into the NFL side of things.
00:27:19
Speaker
We want to talk about the free agency, and but there's way too many deals to cover. So we're going to do it in in a different way. We're going to do a draft where we draft back and forward our best five deals each.
00:27:34
Speaker
So we're going to do it. We usually do snake style, but let's just do back and forth because when there's only two people, we don't really need to do snake style. I'm just doing a wheel of names here to see who goes first.
00:27:46
Speaker
Yeah, let's do the wheel names. And it's you. Of course it's you. It's always you. So I get first pick here. and We're going to give basically our best five each free agency deals, not trades, just free agency. And we might do trades then next week so that we cover off everything that's kind of gone down and in this mad few weeks. So for me, the best move of NFL free agency was the Chiefs grabbing Kenneth Walker.
00:28:12
Speaker
I think that move is not down to the fact that he just won the Super Bowl MVP. It's down to the fact of what he can offer to this team. So Walker forced a missed tackle on 30.2% of his touches, the third highest rate in the NFL last season.
00:28:28
Speaker
and And this was with ah an offensive line, which wasn't exactly amazing with the Seahawks. And then the Chiefs have one of the best offensive lines in the league. But yet they were very, very poor in this statistic and amongst running backs, particularly with Pacheco.
00:28:43
Speaker
So what they've done here is add a guy that they really need with a lot of pace, a good turn of pace. I think they probably still keep Kareem Hunt as kind of that... and second back who's kind of a bully and then you've got this guy as your as your main pace guy three years 43.05 million is not bad for someone who's after coming off a super bowl mvp really good season and it's exactly what the team needs and i don't think the chiefs do things unless it's the right thing to do so that's my number one overall pick in this draft
00:29:15
Speaker
Yeah, I like that. He was definitely up toward the top for me. I'm going to go with Mike Evans, the 49ers. This is just the kind of thing the 49ers needed, even if if if they can keep him fit. That is obviously after last year he was out for a lot of the year, but...
00:29:31
Speaker
The man is an absolute machine. He was definitely the best wide receiver available in free agency. 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons, averages 15.1 yards of catch.
00:29:43
Speaker
Brock Purdy needs someone like him just fire it up. No, he'll bring it down. away of pa This is a Niner team that will want to be pushing on for a Super Bowl again this year. I think he's a really good way to do it himself. and Ricky Pearsall.
00:29:55
Speaker
Obviously, Brandon Ayuk is probably never going to play football again with the way things are looking. So I think just forget about him Evans and Ricky Pearsall are two really, really good options for Brock Purdy now. And I think they've made a really smart choice by bringing him in.
00:30:09
Speaker
Yeah, I liked the fact of him going there. I think he didn't want to just stay in but in Tampa Bay. And I think he actually got a little bit less reportedly than he would have.
00:30:20
Speaker
The only thing with me is the cost of it and the fact that he is injury prone in the last couple of seasons. So that's what left me off having him high on my rankings. But I think that he's if he's fit, he's exactly the type of person that elevates the Niners to that kind of Super Bowl level. So yeah, nice pick.
00:30:38
Speaker
and Next up then I'm going to go with the Ravens. We're going to get further into this deal in a few minutes but it's them picking up Trey Hendrickson. Four years, £112 million.
00:30:51
Speaker
they They needed a Ned Drusher. They got a guy who gives a lot of explosive speed off the outside. So if you look at since 2020, his 74.5 sacks rank only behind Miles Garrett and TJ Watt.
00:31:05
Speaker
And he's got 28% pass win rate on third and fourth down since 2021, which is only behind Micah Parsons. So he's a guy who can get by pretty much anybody and he wraps up sacks and the Ravens did not have that for a long time. But what they did need is someone who helps the run and he is one of the worst edge rushers against the run in the league and Max Crosby is one of the best. So I think that's something we'll touch on in a few minutes when we speak about Crosby and what went down there. But that is something they still lack from this. But in the overall raw numbers of sacks, he's my third overall pick.
00:31:41
Speaker
Yeah, that's really good as well. I'm on a toss-up here. think I'm going to go with Kobe Bryant going to the Bears. Obviously, the Seahawks are never going to be able to hold everything together after what happened.
00:31:53
Speaker
So losing K9 and Kobe Bryant is absolutely massive. I thought he was the life and soul of last year. thought he was absolutely brilliant. I don't want to have his statistics to hand, but i just I think every time he was on the field...
00:32:05
Speaker
the field and the field he was making a massive difference from and I think he was a big reason behind them winning a Super Bowl the Bears have made some really nice moves in free agency but I think this one kind of stands head and shoulders above the rest of them Yeah, I liked it as well, and but I did think they splashed a little, but that is what happens when someone wins a Super Bowl. you're going to have to go pay them, whether that's at home or away. and Like you said, there the Seahawks losing him and K9 is quite big, but they had to pay some other guys, and which we might get to later on this list that I think were decent deals. But yeah, they let a good one go there. and I think that was a big hole in the Bears' defense, so they filled it nicely.
00:32:45
Speaker
Next up, I'm going with the Giants grabbing Jermaine Illuminor. Three years, 39 million. I think this move was absolutely brilliant. Illuminor was very, very good at right tackle last season. The Giants' pass protection when him and Andrew Thomas were both playing was really strong.
00:33:03
Speaker
and So I think getting him on ah on a long-term deal was a real steal. And he's coming into his own. He's only getting better. He believes in himself as well. Constantly says he's the best right tackle in the league. where Whether you believe that or not is another thing. But at least he believes it. And to only take 39 million over three years shows he wants to be part of this team because he could have got a lot more, I think, in the open market. So I really like the Giants showing him onto their defensive unit or offensive unit and protecting Jackson Dart going forward.
00:33:34
Speaker
Solid. I really like Jalen Phillips and I think it's a really, really good move for the Panthers to have picked him up. um but don't know how he's ended up at the Panthers. I thought he was of a kind of a higher standard than that going into free agency. But I just think the Panthers, I think there's a lot of teams in free agency who have kind of shown that they want to go for it now.
00:33:57
Speaker
When you look at what the Raiders did, you look at what the Jets did, even if I don't believe in a lot of it. But a lot of teams have shown an awful lot of ambition this summer. I think this is one of the moves that really kind of stands out. Yeah, I think the reason he goes there instead of to another big team is because no other big team is going to pay that much.
00:34:15
Speaker
Four years, 120 million is insane for his injury history. But when he's on it, he's really, really on it. And to pair him with my next pick, I think was a massive thing. I'm staying with the Panthers and I'm going with Devin Lloyd.
00:34:30
Speaker
Three years, $45 million. dollars and He's arguably one of the best off-ball linebackers in the league. And i think Dan Morgan, and the GM of the of the Panthers, he did promise like...
00:34:45
Speaker
that he was going to sort out the issues on defense and he was going to sort out the fact that didn't have any edge rushers and really of consequence or any solid play at at outside, like at off ball linebacker. And he went to grab Phillips and grabbed Devin Lloyd, two of the best options on the market. Paid them quite a bit, but he made their defence look very good.
00:35:06
Speaker
And at linebacker to have five interceptions last season for the Jags, who were a very, very tough team also against the run. and I think this and Panthers defence, Adjura Evero, is going to have a nice scheme drawn up for them next season. So two picks in a row there for the Panthers. We both clearly like what they've done.
00:35:23
Speaker
Yeah, I'm actually surprised that they have gotten two in a row, but I'm going to end that streak now. I'm going to Bradley Chubb, who's gone over to the Buffalo Bills.
00:35:34
Speaker
he's the kind of another one that He's the kind of player they they they need. like He's another linebacker, obviously, going over there. he played all 17 games last year for Miami. 47 tackles, sorry, 47 combined tackles, 24 solid tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery.
00:35:52
Speaker
I think he's going to just slot in there and be absolutely perfect for um They showed last year and they've kind of like, we kind of, it was very easy to see what their weaknesses were last year.
00:36:03
Speaker
And they've gone out they've really they tried to rectify every single one of them. And i think this is a really good pickup from us all. Yeah, I think interesting in going off Jalen Phillips a second ago and then going into Bradley Chubb.
00:36:15
Speaker
It was like those were the two main guys for the Dolphins a couple of years ago and then they both got bad injuries. But then Chubb looked like much more recovered, I'll say, quicker. And Phillips, although he did look good last season, and he didn't look as ready to go fully as Chubb did.
00:36:32
Speaker
And I think the price for Chubb was much better. So I think the Bills did did a nice job there. I'll give my last pick then. It's the first QB that we've mentioned. Number nine, the Miami Dolphins getting Malik Willis.
00:36:45
Speaker
Not that I'm overly impressed with Willis as of yet, that I'm hopefully sold that he's a proper NFL starting quarterback because we had that debate a couple of weeks ago. But for this price, I think it's very, very good.
00:36:57
Speaker
Three years, 67.5 million. And I thought he was going to go for a lot more than that. There was report that he was going to go for a lot more and they're kind of tied in more on the first two years, I think, with guaranteed money. So he's going to be their starter probably for a couple of years. Let's see what he can do. and They're not overly tied in on him. They just cut and cut to us so they have a lot of money on him for the next two years. So this is smart. While you have got the two of money going out, you've got this guy coming in and you're going to take it a punt on him, see how it goes. And if not, you'll continue to pick up draft picks in the next couple of years. So I like the overall idea of it for the Dolphins.
00:37:34
Speaker
Yeah, um i i agree with you. and It was one of those ones where I said that he this is the kind of level team he was going to end up at. Someone who isn't quite ready to push for a championship, but is in the middle of rebuilding to something. I think he's landed in the perfect spot for him. For my last pick, I'm going to use it as a bit of a segue into our next...
00:37:53
Speaker
topic and I'm going to go with Max Crosby staying with the Raiders. It might be cheating a bit because it's not really a free agency signing but fact he was out the door and gone and is now staying there and with what the Raiders have done as well in free agency I think it really really helps that they do get to keep him well if they can make the money work.
00:38:12
Speaker
The man is an absolute monster. um think Baltimore are mad if they have pulled out of this just to go and sign Hendrickson instead. Why not sign both of them if the option is there? don't know if the option was there. Money would definitely not be there for that, I don't think.
00:38:26
Speaker
Yeah, maybe not. But is just so I think the way they've gone about it is the scummiest thing I've seen in sports in quite a long time. And I'm going to let you go first on it and I'll jump in then. Yeah, well, I think it's not a free agency move at all because he's tied in already for the... I'll throw in Devin Hargrave then to the Packers.
00:38:49
Speaker
No, no, we'll give you it though because it ties in perfectly with the next segment. So I think you deserve that for that beautiful segue. um Even though it isn't a free agency move, it was it was quite something behold there what you did.
00:39:01
Speaker
Yeah, let's go in on it. I think, first of all, let's set the table and talk about it. Basically, Crosby had meniscus surgery earlier in the season because he was dealing with a an MCL issue during the season, but he was playing through it.
00:39:15
Speaker
And he didn't even want to get shut down. The Raiders shut him down because they were tanking. And he came out afterwards. He was annoyed. He was playing basketball at home, putting it up on Instagram, showing that there's nothing wrong with his knee. Usual crack.
00:39:27
Speaker
And... The Ravens knew that he had this issue or this surgery. Now, the reports that come out to say that the Ravens did the medical on Tuesday, the the trade had been announced like about a week before that.
00:39:42
Speaker
And they're only doing the medical a few, like 24 hours before the negotiating window closes and everything would have become official is very, very questionable to me. I think to say that they did the medical and they they found some issue. OK, if they did that three days after the trade or a day after the trade, it seems like they waited and they started thinking, hold on a minute. Trey Hendrickson is asking for a lower and lower amount every day here because there's less of a market for him.
00:40:13
Speaker
We can back out of this. We've never given up a first rounder for anybody before, but we just gave up two. Let's just go get our two first rounders back. Let's go sign somebody. We don't have to give anything up. We're going to pay him less than what we pay Crosby.
00:40:25
Speaker
What they're going to to pay Crosby in three years is what they're paying Hendrickson in four. So they've done something that they probably should have identified before the trade, but they identified it after and now they're just looking for a jeter get out of jail free card. And I think that a lot of owners are going to be very annoyed at the next ownership meeting in a couple of days because this whole negotiation window is not going to be something that's used in good faith anymore if teams start doing things like this. where you have a few days to negotiate deals before they become official. But then if you back out because you see a lot over the road is a bit cheaper. Well, you could have had him at the start. You could have negotiated with him at the start.
00:41:01
Speaker
Don't drag somebody over, especially with a trade. Okay, with free agency, that's fine. You might negotiate with two or three lads and you come out with somebody you want to pick. But with a trade that's been proposed, that's been locked down, the guy thinks he's moving there. Everything is in in progress. And then they just blow the whole thing up.
00:41:18
Speaker
I think they knew exactly what they were doing. And to say it's medical, that's what they can say, but doesn't mean we have to believe it. Yeah, 100%. to What they've done to him and to the Raiders is absolute, I just think it's the biggest sign of scumbags I've ever seen, to be perfectly honest, in anything.
00:41:37
Speaker
Like the Raiders have gone out and they've spent all this money. They've brought in all these free agents. They've been banking on their two extra first round draft picks. And everything has just now gone up and smoking him. They now have to keep him because, well, he said he's staying. I know they have to keep I'm sure they had a sit down and they hugged it out and they're all friends again. But he very clearly wanted out of there.
00:41:57
Speaker
He deserved to be on the team that was pushing toward the Super Bowl with the way he's played every single season up until the injury last year for the Raiders. I just think it's absolutely horrible of what the Raiders, what the Ravens have done here. And...
00:42:10
Speaker
it's going to put a lot of teams off kind of negotiating with him or taking them at any sort of face value. Now he's going to be like, well, you need to sign the dotted line or we're not doing it, plain and simple, because...
00:42:20
Speaker
if You can't just do this to another organization, another owner, another team. But it's the player is who I feel the most excited for. He was up in Baltimore. He was all settled in. He all he was buying his house. He was doing all that with the wife, everything up there. Wife and kid moved up and he's go back to Vegas, take down his first sale sign and move back in and just go on with his life up there.
00:42:41
Speaker
Apparently he was in the facility when they started talking to Trey Hendrickson. That's not happening enough. It's absolutely horrific. I can't believe I've... so but I'm actually more surprised it's the first time I've seen something like this. I'm sure it's not the first time it's happened, but it's the first time I've seen something like this in my 10 or 11 years watching the NFL now at this stage. And i'm I'm really glad it's the first time I've seen it because it's not something I want to see too often.
00:43:07
Speaker
Yeah, it's not the way to do business and it's not the way to treat somebody as well. Like you said, more importantly, because they are not just like players, they're people as well. And, you know, it's like you could draft someone and you get to bring them wherever and people have their arguments about that because it's like you don't get to decide where you want to go when you're drafted. Mm-hmm.
00:43:27
Speaker
But once you're settled in somewhere, you have to, like, you get traded to somewhere and then you have to accept that and you have to agree with that. And the next thing you're thrown back to somewhere you didn't even want to be. And now he's saying that He does want to stay there.
00:43:41
Speaker
and I'm not sure if that's because he knows now that the Raiders are only going to get probably half what they got for him in the trade because teams are going to go, well, the Ravens saw something wrong with his medical. We're going to find something wrong with it as well. group The market clearly isn't there for him. And it's unfortunate because it's going to impact how much he could have got paid as well and the impact he could have had on a winning team. So none of this sits well with me, the way it's been done. Although I did put Hendricks in as the third pick in the draft of of players picked up. That's purely down to the fact that he's a good player and they got a good price for him. But the way they went about it isn't really acceptable at all.
00:44:18
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's not his fault. And it's one of those things, we're going to come on to Bam Adebayo in a bit as well. And it's so it's not his fault that he's gone out there and 83 points. We'll talk about it in the minute. But he's just gone out, he's negotiated, he's gotten a really good deal for himself. And he's gone to the Raiders and he in with a really good chance of winning a Super Bowl.
00:44:37
Speaker
Coming off the back of that absolutely atrocious Browns team he was with last Bengals team, sorry, he was with last year. Yeah, I think he's absolutely class. I would have had him in the draft as well. I should have put him at number one instead of banking on Mike Evans. But I just I just I feel so bad for Max Bresby.
00:44:54
Speaker
Another year somewhere clearly doesn't want to be because he now has no value because the Ravens have just absolutely blown his whole career. Yeah, I think there's a lot of talk as well at the moment where I Amongst Bengals fans that Trey Hendrickson is not exactly the easiest to deal with. and And that's why there wasn't much of a market for him.
00:45:14
Speaker
So let's see how it goes for him over there with the Ravens. But he's got his payday now. Probably not as much as he thought he would have gotten. But still got a nice one. The poor fella is only going to have to live off 120 million over the next three years. and I think he'll somehow manage to survive four years of disease.
00:45:31
Speaker
we off Just the 30 million a year. Poor fella. Yeah, the heart goes out to him, all right. and But let's move on to Ganshans here because the heart should go out to us the way that we're playing lately in this two, three loss weeks from us again. i had Wrexham at home to Chelsea. I honestly thought when Wrexham scored that goal and they were all over Chelsea, that was coming. And I was going to get that one as the biggest of all. Did not come off.
00:45:58
Speaker
Chelsea came back and won. In extra time. Norwich away to Leeds. Leeds battered them. Jazz to beat the Bucks. No. Newcastle to beat City. That looked promising for you for about 20 minutes. Then City battered them.
00:46:11
Speaker
Rockets to beat Spurs. Did not work out, unfortunately, for you. And Grizzlies to beat the Clippers. The Clippers are on a nice little run at the moment, so that one did not come off. Do you want to give your three picks for this week as we continue to sit at 26-24 after 25 weeks with me just two points ahead?
00:46:28
Speaker
I actually don't want want to give him, but suppose I don't really have any other choice. i'm Normally I come into this and I'm like, I'm really confident this week I'm going to get five points. But looking at the Premier League fixtures this week,
00:46:42
Speaker
It was actually impossible to pick one that you could sit there and say with confidence that there's any hope with the underdog winning here. I've gone with Newcastle at 14-5 to beat Chelsea away. They're both in Champions League. I know i've I've been banging on for months and months that anyhow can't do the Champions League Premier League so I'm going completely against myself here but...
00:47:01
Speaker
I just think Chelsea's confidence is going to be completely knocked after how they finish that game in Paris. And Newcastle are going to be flying high after how they perform against Barcelona. And I think it's one of those that if they don't both make 11 changes and say, let's take a draw here and just move on to a Champions League game, I could see Newcastle going there and just coming out 2-1 winners.
00:47:20
Speaker
So I'm going with Newcastle at fourteen to five Chelsea 3-4. three to four In the NBA, it's quite difficult as well. i've gone with the Suns to beat the Celtics. So the Suns are 38 and 27. The Celtics are 43 and 22.
00:47:35
Speaker
I just think that the Suns have been looking really good at the moment and they're on a good little run at the moment. And finally, I've gone with the Timberwolves to beat the Thunder. Don't ask why. I know the Thunder are absolutely exceptional, but so are Timberwolves. And who knows, the rest them are just really, really hard to pick.
00:47:53
Speaker
My confidence in my gone has gone absolutely out the window. So I'm just trying throw mud at the wall and hoping something's going to stick this week. Well, this could be a really good or a really bad sign, but the last few weeks we haven't had any overlapping, and this week we have two.
00:48:09
Speaker
So right we're either both going to do awfully again, or we're both going to do quite well. So let's see. and I've also got Newcastle away to Chelsea. Like you said, I just think Chelsea have looked all over the place at the end of that PSG game and that might get into their heads.
00:48:24
Speaker
um And they weren't great against Wrexham either. So I think Newcastle will have confidence going into that. Although, like you said, it could be a a mass change on both sides and it just ends up a draw. But let's see.
00:48:38
Speaker
And then I've also got the Wolves to beat the Thunder. I just think that Obviously, the Thunder are a better team, but the Wolves are just that kind of team that they go out and lose ridiculous games and then they turn around and absolutely hammer someone like the Thunder a few nights later. Like last night.
00:48:58
Speaker
God, it's gone off the top of my head. Who are they playing? And they lost. um If you can just check on that. wall I see. night, the Wolves. last night the wolves The Wolves lost to the Lakers 120-106. Yeah, so... Was that last night? Are you sure?
00:49:19
Speaker
Sorry, no, they lost to Clippers last night. so they did Yeah, they've lost their last two. Apologies. They lost to Clippers yards. Yeah, that's it. 153 points they gave up against the Clippers. And they looked like they were going to get close to them for a while and then they just threw it away again. Looked like they were just a ridiculous team giving up that amount of points. But then they could turn around and play against the Thunder and be so good, so...
00:49:40
Speaker
I've gone with them that's at Sunday at five as well if you want to watch that and good time for that and my other one has a good time as well it's Sunday at half seven it's the Raptors to beat the Pistons the Pistons are falling off a little bit lately five and five in their last ten and the Raptors are always good in Toronto it's hard to beat them there so they're 36 and 29 Pistons 46 and 18 so I'm going with the Raptors to beat the Pistons as my final pick But while on the topic of basketball, let's get into it. You alluded to it already.
00:50:09
Speaker
Bam Adebayo's 83-point game. Now, it's going to be, for those of you who don't know, the second most ever in the NFL. Will Chamberlain's and alleged 100-point game. Apparently, there's no clips of it. but There's no video of it.
00:50:25
Speaker
No video of it. No one has ever seen it. So let's just believe it because we don't want Bam at the top of this list. 83 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks.
00:50:38
Speaker
Somehow only plus 20, considering he had 83 points. but for I was looking at that as well. It's because he played 42 minutes and he only won by 21. So, like, Koi last night was plus 41 on his 45-point game. So, that's the kind of level he should be at if you're going to go and score this amount of points. But anyway, that's the least of my worries with this.
00:51:00
Speaker
But we'll rattle it off into the rest of the stats, which is where it gets scary. 43 field goal attempts. 20 of those were makes 22 three-point attempts.
00:51:12
Speaker
I don't know if he shot 22 three-point attempts in the last two months combined. And then 43 free throws. He had more free throws last night or two nights ago in that game than he did in all of December.
00:51:25
Speaker
Like, it's just absolutely nuts. It's a nuts way to get to get to where you want to be. Now, fair enough, he was absolutely cooking them in the first three quarters, especially the first where he had like 31 points or something. And then he had 19, I think, and that was up to 50 at the half. And it's like, where can he go from here?
00:51:44
Speaker
And then you get to the fourth quarter and it's to the point where this is just ridiculous to watch. Like this is not good for basketball. 11 minutes he played in the fourth quarter, 21 points, 16 free throw attempts.
00:51:58
Speaker
And the rest of the stuff that was going on is what is even worse. Because why are the Wizards shooting 14 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter, you might ask? Well, that's because Heat were just intentionally fouling them to get the shortest clock possible back to have more possessions for Bam to shoot. Why was Keisha Johnson the only other player for the Heat to have free throws?
00:52:21
Speaker
Because no one else is barely touching the ball. And on one of his free throws, he clanked it off the rim on purpose to try and get Bam the rebound. And then straight after that, they intentionally found the Wizards in their own half, up 20 points with minute and a half left.
00:52:35
Speaker
Like, this is just not basketball. Like, it's this is not part of the game. None of this was actually, like, something to watch. I don't care, like, what people have to say about it. I just think it was a complete farce.
00:52:48
Speaker
Like I was saying, it's like it's not his fault. He's been out there and he's he scored his points and well done. You've gotten 83 points. I just want to rattle off that stat line again, just the case anyone missed it. 20 of 43 field goals. 7 of 22 free throws.
00:53:08
Speaker
It's absolutely insane that you get 82 points and be shooting under 50%. Only seven three-pointers is wild when you think. So you take 21 points off Dad, off his 83.
00:53:21
Speaker
He scored 62 points, 36 of which are free throws. If he goes 100% on free throws, 90-point game. like it That shouldn't be the way it is. It should not be so heavily reliant on getting all these free throws.
00:53:36
Speaker
He arguably wasn't that good in the match. and He just took every single opportunity but that was put up to him. And to be able to get off, what is that? 65 shots, over 100 shots at the basket.
00:53:48
Speaker
and it's ah I can't get my head around this. I think this is the kind of record now that shows it's breakable. And someone good is going to go out here in the next 18 months and do this again. If it's not before the end of this season, be before and the end of next season.
00:54:01
Speaker
If a team is with him, just leave in Wembe or a Luka, give him 42 minutes and say, you go, we're going to do X, Y and Z, we're going to foul everyone, go and score 100 points. Like if Luka got 43 field goal attempts, 22 shots from three and 43 field goals, I guarantee you he's scoring 120.
00:54:22
Speaker
Maybe. i think i he's he's going he's gone He's gone over 50%, like he's gone over 60% on that. And like fair play to me, he played 42 minutes and the amount of shots he's putting up, he must have been absolutely shattered by the end. But this is really, really bad for basketball.
00:54:41
Speaker
I don't care what anyone says. i think the way the Wizards came at this game is just, they're just such losers. I'm sorry, but that is, it's just a really, really bad way to go out here and you're triple-teaming him went and he still couldn't stop him.
00:54:55
Speaker
All he could do was foul him. suppose the more i but Just mad. Absolutely mad. And fair play to the heat. They were like, OK, this is our opportunity. Let's go and do it. And they absolutely smashed their their objective. So congratulations on that. But it's just so bad for basketball that someone like Bam Adebayo can go out and do this in 42 minutes.
00:55:18
Speaker
im Nothing against him. he's just He probably wasn't on Michael's list of players who were better than Deandre Ayton last week.
00:55:27
Speaker
Well, he should have been. But you never know what Michael. But like, if you add up his two highest career games combined, they didn't reach this number.
00:55:39
Speaker
His previous high was 41, which is absolutely crazy. And then, like I mentioned, some of the stats there, they played already on the 8th of February against the Wizards, right? And on that day, they won by 31. Bam only played 28 minutes.
00:55:56
Speaker
The Wizards in that fourth quarter had six free throws. In this, they had 14. It shows how much they were intentionally fouling them to get more and more opportunities to get the ball. And the Wizards, like, for tanking so hard and for trading for injured players and doing everything they've done, this is what they get now. This is going to be on their name that they played this game. They gave up somebody 83 points. And with the way tanking is going, like you said, he wouldn't be surprised if you see more of this. And this is all...
00:56:24
Speaker
come from tanking. The fact that the league is not as competitive down the stretch where there's like five or six teams in each conference that don't care anymore. That's all coming from that.
00:56:34
Speaker
And if you look at some other players who've done it, who've done very well, like the time Booker had a very high scoring game, the time c Clay Thompson had a 60 point game,
00:56:45
Speaker
yeah and clay had 60 and they took him out in the fourth like they could have left him in there because he was just shooting the lights out from three and that would be a lot more ethical joel and bead put 70 on wendy's head a couple of years in three quarters yeah welcome to the league like and that was ethically done as well because even for joel he didn't shoot that many free throws which is you know somebody something that's linked with him so yeah i don't think this is something that should sit in the record books but it probably will for a long time It'll definitely but be within the top five for a very, very long time unless the game changes drastically. So I just hope someone else goes and jumps above it. I just think to to go that hard to beat this record, to get ahead of Kobe, in a way like that, I just don't like it.
00:57:29
Speaker
So, yeah, I think... actually, by the end of the game, it was like the Wizards wanted it to happen. They just were not stopping at all. They're like, there you go, free basket, O-E, you want a three-point play, Will Fowler, you when you take this shot.
00:57:43
Speaker
It was actually like they could not have cared less about the fact that they're the are going to be staying with this record, that Bam Adebayo, of all people, with 83 points on you. And I can only imagine what Joe did, the likes of...
00:57:58
Speaker
Trae Young, who's just gone there. like That's not the kind of mentality he's looking to bring into it a team. He must have been sitting there thinking, sweet Jesus, this really what I'm going to deal with now in the next couple of years?
00:58:09
Speaker
It's actually, it's embarrassing. And the way they played that whole game was embarrassing. After the first quarter, You need to try and shut him down. But for I also think for the Heat to leave him in and play him 42 minutes from the game was well and done.
00:58:21
Speaker
I also think that's a bit ridiculous. And as you said, Joel Embiid could have done it. Devin Booker could have done it. Klay Thompson could have done it. But like you you don't. It's not. I don't think anyone was doing it to protect Kobe's records.
00:58:35
Speaker
But like, unless the game is close, you like you don't, it's it's na it's an unwritten rule in basketball. The amount of times players are getting bad at each other this year for someone taking a shot when there's 20 points in and there's 30 seconds left.
00:58:48
Speaker
The Wizards didn't even put up any c sort of a fight to stop this from happening. They were just like, off you go. There was no pushing, there was no shoving. It was all, basically, they just rolled out the red carpet from that forked water and let him just go to town and just break this record.
00:59:01
Speaker
Don't understand this. I'll never understand this. just The whole thing is a farce. I can't wait for someone else to beat this. And I really hope it's soon because i I don't want to be looking at him second on the list for too long.
00:59:12
Speaker
Also, Will Chamberlain, no one saw it. I just, I really hope it happens. Like there's no way so many people, it's it's like, there's no way it's one of those Mandela effect things where it didn't actually happen the same way Mickey Mouse doesn't wear suspenders.
00:59:25
Speaker
But like, it better not come now in 20 years time. We're about to die and you're like, oh yeah, well, Will Chamberlain never actually scored 100 points. It was 10. It was written down wrong in the newspaper the first time and no one ever bothered to change it.
00:59:36
Speaker
If that happens, they give up. Also, I hope I'm not dead in 20 years. Yeah, well, let's hope not. But we also have Shea about to break the Wilt record for consecutive 20-point games, which could or could not be real. So that's nice that he's actually probably going to break that.
00:59:53
Speaker
An elite scorer. But another elite scorer who's just back from an Achilles injury. Only took him like 10 months to come back. Absolutely crazy how quickly he's gotten back here. The Celtics are flying already at the moment. And to get him back is is huge. And that's Jason Tatum.
01:00:09
Speaker
He's played three games, 27 minutes in each. He ramped up nicely, 15 points, 20 points, 24 points, starting from the first game to the most recent. He's averaging around 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists and a steal since he came back, although it is only three games as hard to read into that. The three-point shot looks quite off.
01:00:28
Speaker
He still needs time to get that back going. They beat the Mavs 120 to 100. They beat the Cavs by over 20 points as well. But then they did lose to the Spurs in a very interesting game last night. But I think Jalen Brown getting ejected really didn't help Tatum because he ended up having to put up 24 shots. And in the last two, he only put up 16 in each. So, yeah, i think that that kind of affected him in a way that he couldn't really probably get into things more easily or or rhythm. But he looks very good. He looks ready to go. He clearly lost a little bit of a burst. He tried to dunk and he didn't get up there. He hasn't had a block yet. But I think those things might come less than they used to because you're never going to be the same after that Achilles surgery for someone his size. But he does look still a very good player who's very physically ready to go and is going to help this Celtics team who are clearly still pushing for for another championship.
01:01:25
Speaker
Yeah, and I think he has just shown what the Celtics were missing and and don't even think it is about his stats and like they have been pretty impressive since he came back, as you said, but he is only 39% from field goals. bus I just think it's it's about his presence for them more than is about what he can add. And obviously what he adds is brilliant as well. But just having him back in and around out for 298 days and to come back in and just like basically kind of pick back up at 70% of where he was when he left. And he's obviously only going to get better now as the season goes on, ramps up his minutes, ramps up his shooting.
01:02:03
Speaker
The Celtics are a real, real issue now, especially for the Pistons with the way they're kind of, they've hit a bit of a wall now, as we said already, they're 5-5 in their last 10. If this Celtics thing goes the way they're going, Jason Tatum starts putting up numbers again.
01:02:19
Speaker
along with Jalen Brown and the rest of them, then I think they will be a real issue. And Tatum only makes him more of a problem come playoffs because he has enough games. It's like a mini preseason for him now, kind of building up to get himself fit and fire and come playoff time. And if he is by then, then everybody better watch their backs.
01:02:40
Speaker
Yeah, 100% it is kind of like that for him because you see it in a way that he's he's allowed the time to kind of settle in, probably play 27 minutes for a while, 30 minutes for a while, so on. And then it's playoff time and none of these games are like must-wins for them anymore. Like they need seeding, but they're confident that they can beat anybody, I think, in the lower half of the East. So it's not really that important that they get wins. So I think...
01:03:08
Speaker
describing it as a mini preseason is is a perfect way to say How far do you think they can go, really? I think that they probably can In the East, I don't think they will yet because I think Keita has been good, but he's not the full article as a centre. Vucevic has injury issues. And then there is some young guys who look great, but maybe that's going to be different looking in the playoffs. So I think they may manage to get to an Eastern Conference Finals, but I do think that there's a couple of stronger teams in there.
01:03:39
Speaker
But what do you think? Yeah, I i agree. I don't think they're getting to an NBA Finals this year, but I really don't think they're as far away as you and Michael thought they were at the start the season. I'm pretty sure neither of you can put them in your top eights. I did. I have confidence in them. I don't think they'll get there this year, but I think they are well underway to being back there next year the year after.
01:04:01
Speaker
just think the Pistons, even the run they are on at the moment, isn't great. I still think they're stronger than them. And I think the Knicks and the Cavaliers both look like they're kind of gearing up for a good run in the playoffs as well. So I think they can get to an Eastern final, but I don't think they will.
01:04:17
Speaker
Okay, yeah, interesting. And you did call it perfectly that they would get into the playoffs last season, and I didn't believe it all. I thought they were going to completely tank out because I was looking at that roster like, what the hell? Who who who even is Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez? We all know who they are now.
01:04:34
Speaker
But yeah, let's see how they get on. And let's move into the power rankings then as we wrap up this episode. I'll give mine first. So last week I had... The Pistons, OKC, San Antonio Spurs, Arsenal, Man City and Man United.
01:04:48
Speaker
I've changed that now. and The top three have kind of switched a little bit. The Thunder have moved back up to first spot for the first time and in a while for me. Nine and one in their last ten.
01:04:58
Speaker
The way they won some of these games recently with Shea hitting step back threes in three games in a row. massive games like beating the Warriors and that one against the the Nuggets was really really special and that was a great game and then second up is the Spurs they're 9-1 right now they just handed the Rockets their heaviest defeat of the season last night so they are looking very very very good right up there with the Thunder then third for me is the Pistons they've slipped down because of the other two stepping up they've gone 5-5 in their last 10 as I mentioned earlier look
01:05:31
Speaker
Nothing too bad, too much to worry about. It is a bit of a slump. They they were bound to hit one, but they're still better than any of these Premier League teams in terms of power for me. So my last three then stay the same, Arsenal, City and United. None of them have played in the league since we spoke. and None of them have done anything special enough in cups or outside them to be knocked out. So that stays the same. So I've got the Thunder, Spurs, Pistons, Arsenal, Man City and Man United.
01:05:59
Speaker
So I actually last week, I think it was the first time ever I had left all six in the same position. There is a couple of changes going into this week though. So the Spurs do stay top for me. So the are, as you said, they're nine and one.
01:06:12
Speaker
Absolutely rocked the Rockets last night, made bits of them. So they stay there. and Because of the Pistons form, I've moved Man City up to second for me. I would didn't take into account last night. I think in the league, they have four wins in a draw on their last five.
01:06:26
Speaker
I think they're the most powerful football team of the lot so far. So I've just put them up to two. I brought the Thunder back in, but I didn't want to put them straight in at the top two. So they went at number three for me. Again, as you said, it's nine and one. Don't need to go in too much more. I agree with everything you've said.
01:06:41
Speaker
Arsenal's move up to fourth for me, unfortunately. I don't want to say too much on them. Pistons stay in, but they drop to fifth. and Again, as you said, five and five, blah, blah, blah. And then United, just see it out.
01:06:53
Speaker
I really wanted to take you United it out this week. I tried my absolute hardest to look at the goal to the Premier League table and see if it was anybody worthy. And no one is. So United keep their place based on the fact that everyone everyone else is crap.
01:07:06
Speaker
Yeah, that's literally the only a reason that I've had them in there still. Because like... Who else are you actually going to put in? Like, you know, you have, like, they lost their last game, but before that, their run was was good, even though they didn't play that well in some of the games. So it's kind of hard to find anybody else.
01:07:22
Speaker
I think City being at two is is high, but I understand that he just brought the Thunder back in and you have a strong hatred for Arsenal, which plants them quite low. So that's the way it goes. Yeah, so that's it for another episode.
01:07:36
Speaker
Appreciate you all listening. Hope you enjoyed. and Thank you for, if you made it this far, the usual stuff, like, subscribe, comment. If you're on YouTube, anything you like or anything you want to see, same, follow us over on socials. I'm going to throw it to you, Shane, to wrap it.
01:07:52
Speaker
Yeah, so Prague is only two weeks away now. So if you want to see loads of missing pieces, come over around Prague, the Irish fans everywhere. I'll be over there. We're on the road to 100,000. Keep coming.
01:08:02
Speaker
Keep following, keep liking, keep subscribing and keep commenting. Even if it is to call us stupid, it it really helps with our algorithm. So call us stupid all you want. And actually, no, don't. Just have us say nice things and then we will talk to you next week.
01:08:17
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Who's Got the Ball with Shane and James.