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🏀 NBA Season, Playoff, Finals Review, Draft Preview & 2026 Season Team Standings Preview ft. NBA Insiders Bobby G (@TheAudiblePodcast), Jay (@UnfairSports), Mel (@ManDownSports)
10 Plays4 days ago
🏀 NBA Season, Playoff, Finals Review, Draft Preview & 2026 Season Team Standings Preview
Basketball Insiders: Bobby G @TheAudiblePodcast Jay @UNFAIRSPORTS Mel @Mandownsports
Watch (& Subscribe) on YouTube @BALLandBUDS
https://www.youtube.com/live/l9pOj0oJrFU?si=3t5KNfxXKrYftEQH
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#sports #nba #basketball #nbabasketball #nbafinals #nbaplayoffs #basketballislife
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Introductions
00:00:01
Speaker
He's with the millions! That world heavyweight flow Championship belt wrapped around my waist, yo I got that Ric Flair, fake it flow Slam you on the page, that's why they call me Street Pro Create heat on beat flow Like Jordan after the second time he three-feated, folks Get ready, set, let's go Fight toe to toe, release the flow Created by this micro Lights, camera, get low Action packed, back to back, in fact this monster will grow, y'all better let him know.
00:00:35
Speaker
Man with the master plan and you have no need to know. You can't prepare, now get ready for the show. Sports professor.
00:00:48
Speaker
Yo, yo, yo, what up, what up, what up, friends? You know what it is. Ball and Buds is back at it again with another episode of Banter, Brawls, and Bravado. This time we got the NBA edition, and I'm telling y'all, if y'all are tuned in,
00:01:07
Speaker
Be very, very thoroughly excited. I've got three of the top expert NBA insiders, NBA minds, the people that are going to bring you everything you need to know about this past season, the season coming up, what we've got to look forward to, the draft and all that. I am so happy to have.
00:01:26
Speaker
Thank you.
00:01:29
Speaker
further ado make sure you are subscribed at ball and buds b a l l a and d b u d s there is a handy qr code right up there at top if you take that to your link to our linkt tree rather and you can find all of our social media hit that like button as well whether watching on live or the replay it is free to you but invaluable to us that being said let's kick this bad boy all first off ah one of One of my first people I got into streaming with, he was the first one to ever gave me feedback on my podcast back when I was just doing audio, no video. He was one of my first guests on Ball and Buds when I went to video. And also, he's got to be introduced as the man of the hour, hailing from Oklahoma.
00:02:16
Speaker
It is said that he runs Sooner Campus from Unfair Sports. My brother Jay, what's good, baby? What's going on, G? You doing all right? I am amazing, blessed, and highly favored, my friend. Tell everybody where you're at, where they can find you at, what you got going on.
00:02:33
Speaker
Yeah, you can find me on the expert at Unfair Sports. You can find me on YouTube at Unfair Sports Show, as well as at Unfair Sports as well. We do college football all content, and I got my podcast, Unfair Sports, and Sooner or Later Sports is for the Sooner fans and the college football fans out there. appreciate you having me, man.
00:02:53
Speaker
Yes, sir. Thank you. And I know you're an avid basketball fan as well and obvious from Oklahoma. Congratulations ah to, you know, you you have taken over the reins from my Celtics from last year. So congratulations.
00:03:05
Speaker
Do what we can. We needed that. There you go. We'll talk a lot about that today. Next coming up. Hey, it's, it's the basketball show. I go to, it is my go-to for all of my basketball knowledge.
00:03:17
Speaker
If y'all do not know this crew, um, uh, they are, you gotta go tap in with them on YouTube. That's all I can say. The basketball knowledge is off the charts. And, uh, This man here, he has blessed Ball and Buds plenty of times before when he didn't have to.
00:03:33
Speaker
And so I appreciate him always. It is my brother Mel from Man Down Sports. What's good? What's good? What's good? What's good? Yes, I am liking it. I'm feeling it. Let them know where they can find you at, what y'all got going on right now at Man Down.
00:03:48
Speaker
ah YouTube, Man Down Sports, and same thing with IG, Man Down Sports, on X, Man Down P for podcast. Don't ask me why Man Down P, but everywhere else, Man Down Sports, man. But definitely find us on YouTube and subscribe to us over there, man.
00:04:08
Speaker
you know but be Be a part of the community, man. Help us grow. Yeah, I mean, it's a great community of basketball heads who love talking ball. So definitely tap in with them. And by the way, I was going to mention that to you.
00:04:21
Speaker
I do. So I teach marketing and social media, stuff like that. You want to make sure we align that branding. And I was looking for you on Instagram. I was like, man, down podcast. Why isn't it man down sports?
00:04:32
Speaker
And it took me a second to find y'all. So and long story, long, long story. But hey, it's all good. That's for everybody out there creating a new brand. That's your tip of the day for the professor. yeah um And last but certainly not least, from Audible Sports Podcast, Audible Reacts Podcast, hilarious, hilarious gentleman who also knows his basketball extremely well, a friend of the show with our brother, family, Wildcar Mar from IOW Sports. From Audible Sports, he goes, Bobby G.
00:05:06
Speaker
what uh what i was good appreciate you for having me man hey hey we we might have to put make that uh man down pause because you know man down p that hey this is a family program i i understand it you know who good gentlemen happy to be here at no time am i pausing the pedo i got you know at no time there's a full goal all green light I believe that would long. I ain't even going to dunk that one. We're going to catch it. Not R-N-E. Just strays catching R-N-E. Jesus.
00:05:42
Speaker
No, love it. Love it. um So, yeah, gentlemen, thank you for tuning in. Obviously, happy to have you aboard. And everybody tuning in, please make sure you tap in with all of these channels. I've put it down on the banner. You can see it streaming there. So make sure you please subscribe at YouTube.
00:05:57
Speaker
So and NBA season. i mean, Oh, fun fact, before we even get started, did you know Chuck Taylor was born today in 1901? He ah he he was said to have invented the first basketball clinic and obviously Converse, which...
00:06:15
Speaker
ah just went too long as a basketball shoe and should have probably never been worn as a shoe to play basketball in. But hey, salute. um Let's go around the horn. and Starting with you, Jay, you are a resident Oklahoma City Thunder fan. How did you feel about the season overall and how
Critiques and Debates on NBA Games and Officiating
00:06:35
Speaker
did you feel about the finals?
00:06:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it ended the exact way I wanted it to. We got that championship. That's only that matters. Got to be there in attendance for it. So it's awesome to be there for Game 7. See the inexperience. Oh. The atmosphere, Thunder. Loud City is legitimate loud.
00:06:52
Speaker
You know, any fan or any any visiting fan or any player. has ever talked about it they always make mention of just how loud and ridiculous it is and it it truly is it was a experience and so i'm just happy that now the season's over i got but i've the team that i have worked with and done stuff with and rooted for for the last 17 years got me a ring while i'm alive and so i'm here just say i'm excited and happy that it happened and i'm ready to see if we can keep this rolling try to get about two out of the next three And we'll get to that. We're definitely going to touch on all that and see if we can talk about Thunder possibly going back to back with a lot of the constraints they have and things like that um going on. Bobby G, what were your thoughts on those those finals there that we had going on this past week?
00:07:38
Speaker
I thought for a basketball ah enthusiast, it was a great finals. Maybe not for your casual fan, ah you know, who looks at all the nuances, the defense, the effort being put forth on the court.
00:07:49
Speaker
I know they say the ratings are down and small market teams, get with which is not true. The highest rated game of gain but the season was actually between OKC and Cleveland, which would be two small market teams. So, yeah. ah It was a great series. Of course, it's going to have an asterisk by it. Sorry, OKC fan, but it's always going to be that. Uh-oh. What if on this series? Uh-oh. You know, but hey, shouts out to the Thunder. They deserved it. They earned it, and they went now got the job done.
00:08:16
Speaker
I mean, Jay, the disrespect. i got that with the Celtics last year. How do you feel about that? I mean... i mean he's not wrong there's an asterisk on every single championship that's ever been won in the nba so it doesn't really matter it doesn't change anything a champion is a champion it's a champion your job is the team that's in front of you huh not three one ain't no ass to go that baby Oh, I mean, i mean and and technically there's an asterisk there. You know, Draymond was suspended from a game that shouldn't have been suspended from. So, you know, ah that if he would have played in that other game, they made my point.
00:08:47
Speaker
If he would played LeBron with a score 30 and Kyrie would have scored 60, we'd still win. Exactly. But there's ah there' an asterisk in every single because there's always something we can point out. But the beauty of it is... but ah champions a champions of champions that's always all i got to say there you uh mel so they people did talk during the season about um the ratings being down about the three-pointer being used too much i as a celtic fan can completely agree that that was an issue because it tuned me out of some games when i'm watching every night on league pass um but anyways the the ratings though for game seven
00:09:23
Speaker
16.3 million people averaged on ABC ESPN, peaking at 19.2 million from the 9.45 to 10 p.m. slot. um That made it the most watched NBA Finals game since Game 6 in 2019 Raptors Warriors.
00:09:39
Speaker
Mel, how did you feel about this, and how do you feel about the criticisms? Hold on. What are the criticisms again? The criticisms was was what? well that Well, people were saying that, yeah, like there were teams were came from ah ah you know low markets. That's why they weren't going to have a lot of ratings. Now, again, it was proved differently in Game 7. But when you look at the overall season, right, people talked about there being too many games. People talked about um the the load management. People talked about the the barrage of three-pointers and other things pointing towards the the lower ratings throughout the season.
00:10:13
Speaker
Man, okay, let's start with the criticism. ah I kind of ignore that, right? Because... the the real critique that people need to pay attention to was the the actual product on the floor and the product it wasn't good i'm not worried about the ratings and all this other stuff the product wasn't good and the product wasn't good because they was doing a couple of things uh uh they took the physicality out of the game right uh they they advised offenses and and penalized defenses uh you know they wasn't allowing
00:10:46
Speaker
um for a good physical brand to be on the floor. And it just, it kind of muddied the waters of everything because you think one player is the best player in the league, but he's really not. It's just based on the rules that they're allowing.
00:10:59
Speaker
And, you know, and then we start falling in love with stats. Like it's so much stuff that was wrong with the NBA that I think is on a, ah it's on a direction where it's course correcting.
00:11:09
Speaker
And I think that was spearheaded by Joe Dumars. That was the last thing he did before he left the front office to go and, you know be the president over there in New Orleans. And that's why we seen the physical brand of defense in the playoffs.
00:11:20
Speaker
And that was real good to my eyes. right So long as we're trending toward the right direction, if we want to keep going this way, that's what i want to see. Good defense, good physical play, and all that stuff. Now, the one thing I didn't like in the playoffs ah like just starting with this finals, the referees played too much of a part in which team had the upper hand or the advantage in the in the game. And I think this Indiana Pacers team was really outmatched and outclassed. They couldn't really play with OKC for real. But when the referees tilted the scales toward them,
00:11:56
Speaker
they had a chance. But you could see the shift in the whistle for the home team every single time. And the game seven should have never happened. But since we're in a game seven, I think the thought process is, well, we don't want the better team to lose.
00:12:12
Speaker
you know So you we extended the series so we can get to a game seven. We don't want the better team to lose. And Indiana was really kind of getting the best of them. you know Any given Sunday, and it feel like the referees had to help come in and help OKC a little bit.
00:12:25
Speaker
because they knew we't we't we done helped Indiana so many times to get a game seven. So when I'm watching it, that's the only thing that pisses me off about it. They need to take their hands off of rigging the games and extending the series and doing things for Vegas. and i mean I mean, you got the NBA bought to you by prize picks, so we know gambling is a partner of the NBA. So we know we're seeing rigged basketball. I just want to see less rigged basketball.
00:12:53
Speaker
Sorry to take it that deep, bro. yeah No, I love having those conversations on the conspiracy theories, the possibilities of the NBA being rigged. I know most of us thought that when Dallas got the first pick in the draft, which we'll talk about. Well, how hold on, hold on. Omar, it's not a conspiracy theory. It's a business model.
00:13:11
Speaker
Like it's like when they say brought to you by prize picks, that's gambling. right The NBA brought to you by gambling. Gambling is legal now. Vegas is part of this. Vegas is also giving you odds before the games.
00:13:26
Speaker
Like if the NBA and Vegas are partners now and in in Vegas is telling us, hey, here are the favorites and here are the odds. You think the NBA is just like, oh, well, we just gonna let it happen by chance. No, that's their business model.
00:13:39
Speaker
It's not a conspiracy theory no more. Okay. And i I'm with you. I actually agree with you. I believe that they completely have their hands in everything since ah the great David Stern, ah may he rest in peace, was around as ah as a commissioner who decided to ah rig everything, including, you know what, I'm not going to get into things in my past.
00:13:59
Speaker
ah But anyways, so you did mention, though, the foul calls. There was talk of that even as much going into Scott Foster and the role that he may play, even being held out of game seven and people on the internet raving about that.
00:14:16
Speaker
um You did say you love the kind of basketball that was played, the physical ball, the fundamentals. I would say a lot of good fundamentals on both sides um of the ball. There was a lot of turnovers.
00:14:28
Speaker
ah in that game five that you mentioned where Indiana blew it there at the end. um Did you think if Halliburton would have not gotten injured, and I want everybody to answer this, that debt the Pacers would have either at least, i was just going to win the game outright, but at least have kept it closer throughout the game?
00:14:49
Speaker
I'd go first because I'm going to quick. I don't even think about game seven because I know wasn't supposed to go to game seven. So that's where I go with it. All right. Bobby? oh ah
00:15:05
Speaker
I mean, that because Halliburton is a big injury, right? Yeah, ah I believe had Halliburton. I'm not going to say it would have but would say the end of the game would have played out a lot different. You see, the man this is the first game in the series he came out on fire. He slow started every other game if he didn't play well at all.
00:15:21
Speaker
ah He played seven minutes. He led the game in three-pointers made. How about that? um As far as the not supposed going to go into game seven, Jay's absolutely right because if the Pacers hadn't tricked off the game four, they would have won in six.
00:15:36
Speaker
So I think he was looking at the game want ah in a mirror because you see it backwards. Like the the referees were were sliding towards the Thunder, not the Pacers. If you recall, SGA had a couple of travel calls that weren't called that somehow got called on Matherin when he went to the basket. You know what I mean? ah there was ah There was, I recall, a... um a flagrant foul that was caught on the patients when the game before we saw Nembhard damn near get knocked out cold. and there was no flagrant there awarded.
00:16:04
Speaker
So um when you say that that that the whistles were slighted, yeah, I think you were looking in your glasses in the mirror and seeing it backwards. ah See, I mean, so i'm not going call I'm not going bad call for bad call, right? Because some of that is human error.
00:16:17
Speaker
Some of that is human error. what what ah what i What I am going by is um the point of emphasis for the game. And you get a different point of emphasis every single game, right? That from the head official to the referees is officiating the game. They get a point of emphasis. says Hey,
00:16:32
Speaker
ah watch this and we're letting this go or, hey, call this tight or call it loose. So it's different. And what I'm seeing is aggression from one side, like the first two games in OKC, we've seen a lot of turnovers from Indiana. We've seen a lot of aggressive defense from OKC.
00:16:49
Speaker
That was allowed, right? Those games was called in a physical way. Then that was letting Indiana get physical as well. But if you're letting both teams get physical, it's advantage OKC.
00:17:01
Speaker
Right. So what happened in Indiana is, is that was like, we're letting Indiana get more physical than o OKC. Now it's slighted toward Indiana. Right. So all these other ones, these Tuesdays, non-call that way over travel, i overturned a flagrant and all stuff. That's that's different. That's human error stuff.
00:17:22
Speaker
But how they point have how they have a point of emphasis on the game from the beginning of it I watched it first quarter and I say, OK, I see it. And then but another thing they do is when the team is losing, like in game seven, you're down 20.
00:17:35
Speaker
But now they got to start thinking about ratings or people turning the TVs off. So now they start letting Indiana play prison ball and now OKC can't score no more. when they was press Yes, when they was pressing and holding and grabbing. Notice SGA couldn't even get to his elbow spot for his mid-range in the fourth quarter because of the holding. and they they I mean, TJ McConnell was guarding him on the switch.
00:17:58
Speaker
not Not in his best day, on in his and his best life, can TJ McConnell stop SGA from getting to the paint. Unless he's grabbing and holding. Right. So every time sda tried to drive, grab hold. That's why SGA took 12 threes because he couldn't get to the paint because it was holding him.
00:18:15
Speaker
I'll watch. with it for you I got a question for you. Who has a better stiff arm, Derrick Henry or SGA? Because he puts every Indiana Pacer five feet off the ball every time he drove.
00:18:25
Speaker
Yeah. The funny thing is you saw ah Nimhar do the exact same thing. I did. I did. I'm not. I did. Correct. it's it's It was everybody that was was with that. And honestly, no, i don't I don't believe in conspiracy theories around that when it comes to the gambling portion of it because of of the federal regulations around that.
00:18:42
Speaker
That stuff gets sniffed out quickly. That's how people end up in jail. The perfect example is if you want to find where... games are being fixed, especially by players. go watch um Go watch college basketball games that are that are more of your schools that only have basketball or look into those D2s.
00:19:03
Speaker
The reason why is of because since those games aren't watched as much as the easiest ones to rig, and that's when you see referees getting in trouble for rigging, you get get players for for point shaving and getting into the deal.
00:19:14
Speaker
Can't do that in the NBA. That stuff is completely being blasted out in front of you. And that is how you got Tim Donahue being put in jail for doing that.
00:19:24
Speaker
You get caught easily whenever you're when you have the cameras right there in your face. Can't do it. It's not possible. That's the one thing I don't believe is that any of these games are rigged. So so throwing games and being a rogue ref is rigging games for the mob and stuff like that is totally different. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the NBA.
00:19:43
Speaker
given the head official instructions and the head official giving the referee's instructions for point emphasis. I've read Donahue's book. That's exactly how it happens. It's a point of emphasis yeah each for each game. No, it has how continues to happen.
00:19:59
Speaker
so you So you think the commissioner is saying, I'm going to run a sports league and my hands are completely off Whatever money we make is whatever money we make is all by chance. What businessman leaves everything up to chance that he can control just by saying, hey, point of emphasis, this game needs to be this.
00:20:17
Speaker
easy Because you're talking about 30 billionaires who would make more money if their team goes further. What makes you think one billionaire is not going to going to lose their their mind about somebody else getting that opportunity?
00:20:31
Speaker
Because of revenue. Silver works for the owners. He doesn't work for the NBA. The NBA is ran by the owners. As an owner, you just don't take home the money that your team made.
00:20:43
Speaker
The team that the NBA made as a collective gets distributed evenly. That's the television rights. But the teams make money off of their own stuff that they sell themselves. Believe me I worked in the NBA. I worked in the and NBA for 17 years.
00:20:55
Speaker
I know how those marketing deals work. I know how those ticket deals work. They make their own money on top of it. That's the reason why the Lakers ah was one of those teams that had no problem.
00:21:07
Speaker
The Knicks as well had no problem playing in the luxury tax and everything, mainly because they had extra money coming in from their own personal regional TV deals. That's where all the extra money came in for them as ownership. But but yeah the one thing that owners want, owners always want to a game seven.
00:21:24
Speaker
They want a game seven mainly because they get all that ticket money. They get the merchandise money. They get TV rights money. That's where they get paid. You're not going have a whole bunch of billionaires be okay with somebody else getting something. yeah yeah you They were not happy that Oklahoma City was playing Indiana for the championship.
00:21:41
Speaker
oh let's Let's go here, Jay. Let's go here, Jay. Regardless of who which team is making a lot of it, because I know the Charlotte Hornets ain't making as much off of ah ticket sales and jersey sales as the Lakers are.
00:21:54
Speaker
So here's the thing. Cheeks. if If I'm the Charlotte Hornets and and I know um I look, first of all, I got to I got to pay salary and I got to pay all this other stuff.
00:22:06
Speaker
If I go to the championship versus if the Lakers go to the championship, it's a big gap between how much revenue they're going to get. Right. And there's more money to share after the season is over. No, no, no, no, no. That's not how that works. That's not how that works at all. You're also not taking into consideration the tax, the luxury tax.
00:22:27
Speaker
So that difference that you say that they making this because of the playoffs, that's just reimbursement for them paying six to one penalty in the luxury tax. So actually the Charlotte Hornets operate in the black every year, whereas the Lakers, the Bulls, the Knicks don't. And the revenue share when helps. No, it doesn't. The revenue share just makes them whole again.
00:22:45
Speaker
They're dishing out. oh Okay. So what and what what what would what would they be if, what what would they be if a team not like the Lakers or the Knicks or some team that is going to bring a lot of money in ornets ah a team advancing, that's not bringing a lot of money in versus ah a franchise. It is bringing a lot of money in. It's better for the other franchise to advance, but I'm like, the Indiana Pacers probably made the most profit this season because they're tax and they're under the tax penalty.
00:23:12
Speaker
and they made it further into the playoffs. Yes. That that yeah big market teams aren't operative. That's why these owners are selling it. Why do you think the Lakers, they sold the team for fun? No. oh never move That second is that second apron is scaring these owners Exactly. That's why they want to make it all. the people with deep But that's under a new CBA. So the stuff that we're talking about now is not even what's under this new CBA. But that's that's I mean, that's a whole nother topic. But the new CBA is something totally different with their second apron and all of this stuff is something totally different. Now, just taking the revenue and the money out of it.
00:23:48
Speaker
taking Taking the revenue and the money out of it, going back to all the other stuff about how the games, ah ah they predetermine how they're going to call the games. That's 100 percent fact. I mean, it ain't no point even to discuss that. Like you see, you see the change. channels let let me Let me ask you a question. why Why would why would one game be called one way and ah in the very next game? Because totally different.
00:24:11
Speaker
Because it's the ref, it's a human element. It's all human element. Got it. Okay, it's all human element. I buy it. I buy it. It's all human element. Got it. every Certain refs are known for being more more strict when it comes to their cause in comparison to others. Where instruction from? The ref that's on the floor, where do get the instruction from?
00:24:31
Speaker
They're not getting it from the league office to tell them to do certain stuff. Certain refs are known for being different when it comes to the first level. They're getting it from the head official, correct? correct It's a head official. that They have a boss, correct? Yeah. get great they And they get graded after each game, correct?
00:24:45
Speaker
Based on how well they call the game, how well they don't call the game. their referees they are refer The the playoffs. So what you're saying is is that the head rep tells them, hey, I want you to call this way. um I'm going to tell you what I'm saying. Let me finish.
00:24:56
Speaker
The referees that referee the playoffs are the highest graded referees during the regular season. How do you get your grade after each game is how, hey, here's your here's your ah your paperwork. This is this what i want you to point an emphasis for the game and how well you call the game based on what the head official gave you is how you get your grade the end of the game. The highest graded referee goes to the playoffs and then the highest graded referee in the playoffs goes to the next round and the next round in the finals.
00:25:23
Speaker
So you get instruction each game. and you get graded after each game, and that's how you get your ah yeah your ratings at the referee. That's exactly what happens. So they're graded based on how well they rig the what you're saying? If head official is giving them the grades, who's giving the head official their direction?
00:25:40
Speaker
Nobody. but But you can't have it both ways. You're saying that you had officials calling the game, but then you're also saying things are human error. It got to be one or the other. If my boss tells me something, there's no human error. I have to abide by what my boss tells you. If miss a call, I miss a call. I'm talking about point of emphasis, sir.
00:25:57
Speaker
Point of emphasis. You're saying point of emphasis. You're saying the headmaster say, hey. if you If you see this violation, call it. No, that's not what I'm saying. ah so with' point point Point of emphasis is mostly the fouls. It's mostly going be fouls.
00:26:12
Speaker
What they allow, and what they don how physical they're going to call it, how tight they're going to call it, how loose they're going to call it. That's the point of emphasis. That's why you see one game, OKC can get really aggressive and get 27 steals.
00:26:25
Speaker
And in the next game, Indiana getting 27 steals.
00:26:31
Speaker
ah think I think the thing that – are that not adjustments by the coaching staff? It sounds like more like adjustments to me than the coaches. That happens as well, but I want y'all to watch a series with this in mind because y'all thinking a this is just – hey, look, this is just real basketball. These ain't businessmen that's manipulating things. It's just real basketball out there, and that's the only thing that's been had. It's like high school.
00:26:51
Speaker
No, that's not what it is, though. much money involved ah hate I hate to break it to y'all. Y'all probably dislike the fact that, you know, it's it's like when my friend found out WWE was fake. I mean, and he still won't admit it, but I hate to break it to you. I hate to break it to you. The referees absolutely dictate these games.
00:27:09
Speaker
Yeah, they have an actual script. That's the best part about sports is that there is no script for it. and i think I think there's one thing that we're just like having a little bit of semantical issue here, and I believe what that is is that I believe Mel is saying the point of emphasis are things that the refs are supposed to look for in terms of fouls that they should look for or you know maybe even like something as stupid as double dribbling or you know you know taking too many steps if you're certain players.
00:27:35
Speaker
And I think on the other side, Bobby and Jay are thinking of this as actual – and instead of just point of emphasis, point of making sure that this happens in order to make sure the outcome of the game goes one way or the other.
00:27:51
Speaker
So I think that y'all are around the same issue, but i think y'all are touching on two different sides of the issue. And I believe that and both of those things, I think two things can be true here.
00:28:02
Speaker
I believe that there is point of emphasis. Well, we all know there is because they have referee meetings at the beginning where they're like, hey, make sure you watch for this. Make sure you watch for this. Make sure you watch for this. Now, does that mean that they necessarily have to call those calls in order to make the game go one way or if they're going to get paid or graded one way if they don't necessarily make a certain amount of calls?
00:28:25
Speaker
I mean, i guess you would have to be in the back end to know that completely, but it it is feasible that it could go that way. It's feasible. It could go the other way as well. Yeah, ah point point of emphasis don't don't ah don't um guarantee a certain outcome.
00:28:43
Speaker
And I don't think that's why the point of emphasis is is' there most time. But, you know, because if if if you if you have a point of emphasis that gives one team ah more of an advantage, if the other team comes out and just can't miss, there's nothing you can do.
00:28:57
Speaker
right So um um I'm not saying that they're going out and saying, hey, this team has to win this game. I'm not saying that. The point of emphasis is referees call it this way. And what whatever happened at the top with Adam Silver in the front office and the head official, I don't think the referees at the bottom or that's calling the games are really that aware of what they really want. They just know what the point of emphasis is.
00:29:19
Speaker
And when you read Donahue's book, he was saying that how he was betting on the games or how he was telling ah his mob friends which games to bet on is from the point of emphasis. He's looking and was like, well, shoot, if we're emphasizing that, that's going to give this team the advantage.
00:29:34
Speaker
Oh, a a bet on them this game. You know what I mean? But he said he only had like a maybe 88% success rate. So it doesn't happen 100% of the time based on the point point of emphasis, but it was a highly successful way to kind of predict the games.
00:29:51
Speaker
um But I'm over my sub box, man. We can move. ah You can put me in that record, too, because in that case, I got the point of business right now. Like when DeAndre Hunter and Ben Mather were about to fight.
00:30:06
Speaker
I think everybody on Earth knew that the next game was going to be called very, very tight. And it was. So it's like. It's more so getting control, making sure that they ain't out here trying to kill each other, like for real kill each other.
00:30:18
Speaker
This was like, yeah. Well, I mean, it if you were a casual fan watching the series go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, you may agree that that's what happens. And again, it's quite possible that all of these things could be happening in conjunction and working together to not even on not even on a necessarily like a oh, someone is purposefully like, you know, when Donahue was betting on the games, maybe there was more of a leeway with that before, you know, gambling got so, as Mella said, introduced into the world of sports.
00:30:57
Speaker
While there is more regulation, as Jay said, there is also more chances for things to be led astray. So um it's going to be a problem that sports going deal with going into the future, no matter what sport they're in. We've seen a lot of people getting suspended, not only in NBA, but and MLB and other sports as well. So it's not going to go away. ah Who else may not go away?
00:31:18
Speaker
Let's talk about OKC. Let's see if they are going to what go away. Can they go back to back? led by SGA, who was the first player ever ah to be a regular season MVP, conference finals MVP, finals MVP, right? Scoring champion. This is because of the new conference final MVP being awarded back in 2022.
00:31:39
Speaker
They have a yeah lot of young players, 20, 24, ah twenty What was it? 24.7, I believe, was the age average. I can't remember exactly. Anyways.
00:31:49
Speaker
Roughly. the second Second youngest ever behind the 77 Portland Trailblazers, or 79 Trailblazers. So anyways, very young. They haven't even gotten to sign SGA to his max contract yet, um but that is coming, obviously.
00:32:06
Speaker
It's going to be four years, 293 at a minimum. If he waits a year and risks an injury, it could be five years, 395 million. So a lot of money. Then you're eventually gonna have to sign Holmgren as well. Jalen Williams is probably – not probably. He is the second best player on that team.
00:32:23
Speaker
um He's going to want to get paid. So – Let's start with you, Jay, resident Thunders fan. how Can the Thunder run it back to back? um Can they even get another championship before all this luxury tack and apron stuff starts to kick in?
00:32:38
Speaker
See, the good thing for the Thunder is is everybody they have on the rosters on the contract through the 2027 season. So they, if anybody, they have the opportunity to be able to do that. they're probably going to move a couple of the lower pieces around, bring in some draft picks, may even trade a few of the draft picks they have out there. They've got about, I think it's 12 first-round picks.
00:32:59
Speaker
ah between now and 2030. And they've got an additional 17 second round picks. got them like 30-something draft picks over the next couple of... over ah so From now to the next five years, basically.
00:33:13
Speaker
so they Sam Presti did this purposely. I heard somebody say this. Actually, it Bomardi Jones on his show recently. And I think he said it the best about... A lot of people were complaining, saying that Oklahoma City was tanking like some of the other teams or whatnot.
00:33:27
Speaker
and what he And what he said was, and I thought it was was pretty good, it made me think about it more. He's like, well, no, Oklahoma City didn't tank. They just got really young, which really isn't the same thing as what you saw from the 76ers, who was purposely getting bad trying to get the number one, number two pick, which they got a lot of them, but only one of them ended up working out, which was Joel Embiid.
00:33:47
Speaker
Nobody else worked out from all those top picks. Markel Fultz got in the back and traded. They hated Ben Simmons because he refused to actually ah put up a layup and He ended up being getting scooted and booted out.
00:33:59
Speaker
Right? So you you saw, and then MB can't stay healthy. So they had to even institute a rule. have to play a certain amount of games to even get awards because of Joel MB and his whining about not winning ah MVP accolades or whatnot. But he didn't play most of the season. So off of that soapbox,
00:34:17
Speaker
Oklahoma City did it different. They only had one pick that was in the top three, which was Chet. You know, J-Dub was number 12. But they they just accumulated a lot of picks within there, and they used the eye ability of finding talent. Cason Wallace trading from him at number 10 with Dallas, and he turned out to be a really good one. He basically focused on getting a bunch of dudes with long arms that play defense.
00:34:39
Speaker
that have no problem with having a massive motor. And then he brought up his coach, Mark Dagnold from the blue. I actually worked with him when I was working for the blue for years. Great dude.
00:34:50
Speaker
But he was like a focus type of guy to where his thing was, I need you to be out there playing hard. If you're not, I'm a Yankee. Period. Point blank. We ain't going play no games with this. And they got everybody to buy into that culture. And so for Oklahoma City, what they're going to, what the Thunder are going to have to do going forward is just continue to grow and get better. Chet's, we've probably seen the worst version of Chet that we're going to see for a while.
00:35:14
Speaker
He's going to get better. We don't know what the ceiling is. I'm with you on that. He's going to get better. We just don't know what ceiling is, right? Like, either he's going to be exponentially amazing or he's just going to be a little bit better. But this is the worst version because, you know, he missed most of the season. He only played, like, 32 games, if you really think about it.
00:35:29
Speaker
Wild to think about the Thunder won 68 games in the regular season and Chet played 32. I heart was out for, like, a month and a half with us and had a broken finger. But they won 68 games.
00:35:42
Speaker
So to me, they have a great chance of doing that again. And this is the probably the wildest part. And I'll get off my soapbox. Oklahoma City was trash from three in the playoffs. Listen to They were trash.
00:35:54
Speaker
Look at the numbers. It was a dramatic drop two years in a row in the playoffs for this team. And that's where the youth showed. But the best part about that was they didn't quit and the defense turned up.
00:36:04
Speaker
There's chance of actually coming back and doing it again. I said two out of three. They could they have a possibility before you got to start figuring out numbers. But they've also got some other young dudes. Nikola Topic's kid from Serbia. The guard. I was going ask you about him.
00:36:20
Speaker
ah so so So look, Jay, I'm going to be quick I don't want to stop you from where you was going. But I want to ask you about Topic because i'm um it's not a lot of footage on him. And when I'm looking at him, he's a different...
00:36:34
Speaker
type of athlete than what they put on the floor because they put a lot of like you said long warm defenders he's not there he's got like a luka build i i don't know i don't know what his defense look like it's just a lot of off offensive highlights he passes a lot you know uh he ain't a sharp shooter but he can shoot like i don't have a good feel on him and i was gonna ask you we can get into it later but i wanted to know what know like what ah what are y'all talking about in oklahoma about him on what y'all seeing but you know we'll get into it later I'm glad you said no, I'm gonna jump right into that. Cause that's actually where I was gonna go. Was talking about Topic and you you said it perfectly.
00:37:04
Speaker
There's not a lot of tape. You know who else there wasn't a lot of tape on? Nicole Yodic. Unless you was the dude staying up late watching Serbian basketball at three in the morning, you had no clue that dude existed. It's funny because I was talking to a buddy of mine that um that but has contacts in the league. And he he he told me this, that The Denver Nuggets were praying that nobody figured out Nikola Jokic.
00:37:28
Speaker
So for them, they went when it was late, and they were like, okay, I think we want to we want to try this guy. And it was mainly because nobody else was really watching the tape. Like, for real, who is watching this Serbian tape? You get a couple highlights, and you're like, oh, okay, looks cool.
00:37:42
Speaker
But now when people go back and look at Jokic's highlights from from his playing him professionally out there, they're like, wait, how did everybody overlook that? They didn't overlook it. They didn't even look at all.
00:37:53
Speaker
I mean, that's a dude that you have no reason to pay attention to. Topic is similar in that situation. He's one of those. He was considered a top five to top ten pick before he tore his ACL.
00:38:05
Speaker
And Oklahoma City said, screw it. Is there comparison? what what are y'all talk what What are y'all saying out there? Is there a comparison for him?
00:38:13
Speaker
I'd say the the thing that I've heard most is he's a more refined Josh Giddey. And we've seen when Giddey's had his really best games. Like he he can shoot better. Defensively, I don't know. Like you said, I've only seen the offensive highlights on the kid. And Giddey's offensive highlights are ridiculous as well.
00:38:30
Speaker
The problem is he does, he he kind get gets that lemon booty when it comes to shooting his threes. He just clenches up and he's not going really make them very often. You get that out of him. and And he kind of disappears at the wrong times. Well, Topic doesn't do that. He wants to take the big shots.
00:38:46
Speaker
and So y'all would have used him this year if he was ready? If he was ready, he may have gotten some run, but at the same time, he's like 18 years old. like That's the crazy part is you've got a kid that played professionally for some years. Like Luka, who played professionally for some years, but he's still a kid.
00:39:01
Speaker
So for OKC, I think he's 19 now, but for him, it's the... All right, what are you going look like in two years when we truly need you? Can we refine your defense and make you better defensively? Can we get you good at doing set shots and also running the oats where Shea doesn't have to always drum up the offense? It's probably the biggest problem in Oklahoma City today is that with SGA, there's situations where they got to get him to ball with like seven seconds left on the clock and say, hey, man, do work.
00:39:27
Speaker
That's not a good recipe for long-term success because at a certain point, Indiana started doing it. The minute he got that ball with seven minutes seven seconds left, somebody was running behind him, slapping the thing at his hands.
00:39:37
Speaker
The same way that Oklahoma City was playing d defense. that is That is why you've got you've gotta to pull that back and say, hey, man, we've got to get a little bit more movement in the clutch moments. Not regular season, but the clutch moments. And I think that that's where Topic can come in there and help with that.
00:39:54
Speaker
He's an intriguing prospect. I'll just say that. He's very intriguing. I'm ready to see if he is to be something. Sam Preston is an intriguing prospect the way he keeps fighting these dudes. You know what I mean? And you mentioned the eye. It reminds me of San Antonio and how they was bringing guys in. But when you mentioned their eye,
00:40:13
Speaker
to get these guys in the draft, but ah ah you you forgot to mention the sound press, the eye to say, oh, y'all want Paul George? Give me that SGA guy. You know what I mean?
00:40:24
Speaker
Dude, he's pushing all the right buttons, bro. He's just pushing all the right buttons, man. That is what he does. And it's crazy because lot of people give him flack about what happened with the early parts of the the first and iteration of what he was doing with Oklahoma City when a lot of people fail to realize that dude was 28 years old when he started.
00:40:42
Speaker
Like this was a young general manager that was trusted. And there were teams that tried to poach him. They were offering big money to get him out of Oklahoma City. But the big thing for him was what Oklahoma City gave him. He's executive vice president.
00:40:55
Speaker
That dude has the most power outside of the ownership. Ownership, then him. And so and but they but the ownership is very hands off the day to day business. They have staff members that actually run it. They have a CFO, i actually CAO, who runs everything and sales team, they got all of that.
00:41:11
Speaker
But but but Sam's right underneath ownership. So anything he wants, he gets. And so that's where things change for him. It's like, why would I leave a situation where not only I have power, but they're going to let me figure myself out?
00:41:23
Speaker
Well, that's why he, of course, sticks around. But like I said, with that eye of his, he recognized where the adjustments he needed to make in his mindset of stuff. Like, okay, I wanted a bunch of wings.
00:41:34
Speaker
If you look at the players he's drafted since he drafted Kevin Durant, Rangy long wings. His bigs, he wasn't very good at. His first good big was Chet, if you want me to be 100% honest.
00:41:45
Speaker
I don't consider Serge in that and that piece. I think Serge is more of a forward than he is an actual five. But he was trash really went in that. He just couldn't figure out getting the right ones to work. And then he at some point, he changed his thinking.
00:41:59
Speaker
And then the Paul George situation happened. He's like, you know what? i'm not gonna we're not going to tank we're just gonna get very young and we're gonna see which one of these guys are ready to grow because truth be told you bring in sga and a lot of the pieces that was there when he was young uh kenrich williams uh aaron wiggins Isaiah Joe, all of those dudes were there when they sucked.
00:42:21
Speaker
They were there during that time, but you just saw them mature together. And it's like, oh, you weren't just tanking to get just top picks. You just was trying to get out young players to see who's going to be worth long term. And that's how they were able to build that bond at this young age. And now you see them winning as one of the youngest and NBA teams in history to win a championship.
00:42:39
Speaker
Yeah. Different way of looking at it. That's going to give you some pushback, and I'm going to give real different way of looking at it. I'm going to give you conspiracy you can believe in. we are Okay. this is okay the What we're seeing today was built off of mistrust and backstabbing. you know Let me tell you your a story.
00:42:57
Speaker
First of all, they're in OKC because the ownership group ripped the team from Seattle. That was the first backstab. Let's now remember that the ownership group isn't afraid to let these guys walk over money, $2 million. dollars ah Can't give it to you, James. going to send you to Houston.
00:43:12
Speaker
So that's what that's what makes makes me fearful if they can keep this thing going because we already know they're not afraid to get get rid of good players. So, Chet, I'm scared for you. I don't i don't think you got long in OKC.
00:43:25
Speaker
In this down period you're you're you're talking about, you missed something very, very, very big. ah remember Paul George isn't there not because it's because he got stabbed, backstabbed by Westbrook.
00:43:38
Speaker
who called Kawhi and said, yo, you want to leak up in LA? And Kawhi said, actually, it was vice versa. It was actually vice versa. But then Kawhi called Paul George and told him what Russ said. Actually, was vice versa. Actually, Kawhi called Russ and then used that as a conversation with Paul George.
00:43:54
Speaker
With all actuality, Russ wasn't trying to leave. But then when Paul George bounced, Russ talked to Preston. He was like, you know what? i think it's best to get you somewhere where you can compete. But I get you on that. get you that. It's still a backstab. But the big part. I mean, that's players on themselves. can't do much about that. That's What happened after that?
00:44:09
Speaker
Y'all get Chris Paul, who felt backstabbed by the league. And and he could have went there and moaned and groaned and complained, but he said, nope, I'm prove y'all wrong. going to prove to y'all. still got something in the tank. That was no down period.
00:44:21
Speaker
Chris Paul was still in his prime. And guess who his top pupil was in all of this? SGA. He taught that man how to play basketball, showed him how to be a leader in the locker room and on the floor.
00:44:34
Speaker
So and along the way, y'all also accumulated 70,000 draft picks. Yep. ah Hey, you being smart about accumulating picks that you need and you can leverage. It's it's a different way of looking at it. i get what you said.
00:44:48
Speaker
I don't think the Seattle piece was a backstab because the city didn't even want to build a new arena. Key Arena was considered the worst one in the league. And they said, look, if y'all get a new arena, ain't going nowhere.
00:44:59
Speaker
And the city said, nah, we good. I'm not buying that. He was moving that team, Oklahoma. It was well known. He wanted to do it. Hey, you got all your connections in Nashville. I'll give you this on the conspiracy.
00:45:11
Speaker
they knew that seattle was not going to build a new arena they knew seattle was going to refuse they're going to say nope we don't have any interest in doing it because i think that's why howard schultz the ah founder of starbucks sold the team because the city told him numerous times we are replacing this arena for what and you got a seattle dude do based in seattle a seattle guy starbucks ceo sells the team because he's like y'all not gonna do anything for me i'm just gonna get rid of team So in theory, the backstabbing was the guy in Seattle who basically said, nah, we good.
00:45:45
Speaker
But Oklahoma City, the reason why the team was able to move so well is they had the perfect audition of any team probably in history. yeah Hurricane Katrina happened and they had to move New Orleans somewhere.
00:45:57
Speaker
OKC, and this ah I was actually this was I was in college and I went to a a sports business deal. They formed they had there at at in Oklahoma City right before before the Thunder when the Hornets were there.
00:46:08
Speaker
And the guy was telling us about how they actually won the Hornets in that deal. And so when when it Hurricane Katrina happened, and needed a place to play. Oklahoma City stepped up and said they'd be interested. A few other places was cool. And then back then, there were five teams in the NBA that had a seven-figure title sponsor for the team.
00:46:28
Speaker
Back then, five teams league-wide had that. it was cool. Yeah. Oklahoma City had six in just Oklahoma City that was going to be that level of sponsor for the team moving in. And the NBA was like, wait, y'all got that kind of money there? And then they realized, oh, wait, there's like 10 or 12 billionaires that live in Oklahoma. And there's businesses out of Oklahoma that have a bunch of, bit we didn't realize that.
00:46:50
Speaker
So when they brought them in, they're like, oh, yeah, they actually are going to run a five-star situation. we'll We'll consider it if we decide to expand. the sonics happened and that's when odors was like look man if y'all gonna build a new key arena i play as even want to visit that arena gotta do something gotta lead to it but i get you i get you on the conspiracy on the backstab i get you i feel bad for seattle fans i i heart them even though now we champions i heart them while at the same time should have uh actually cared about your uh your team no no that really makes me fearful going i don't i mean obviously there'll be
00:47:25
Speaker
in the conversation for the next two to three years. wow You know, to even add to that, Oklahoma City went into luxury tax for three years with Paul George and Russell Westbrook. And they had no problem with being there. They learned a lesson from the Harding piece. But at the same time, I think Presti saw something in Harden to understand why he got rid of them I mean, isn't that what everybody called him? And don't all call Harden a choker right now?
00:47:47
Speaker
Isn't that kind of like the conversation? The dude kind of disappeared? I mean, wouldn't have been the one with the bar. would have been KD. so Well, look, Harden basically did for OKC what Jalen Green did for Houston this year.
00:47:58
Speaker
Like he was he had a lot of no-shows in the playoffs. Like when they lost to Miami in the finals, I remember, you know, KD, I remember Westbrook.
00:48:09
Speaker
I don't remember anything from Harden. Trina doll he was dating Trina at that time Trina was in Oklahoma City at games yes the trick daddy put it on us him and Trina was playing games got them Miami championship why James didn't show up that man didn't have legs on them games for some reason but he got to the point we start deferring a lot you saw that with the Clippers this year it's like dude you in a closeout game Kawhi's putting everything on the line and you barely used the ball what five times you But you know what it would have made that situation right?
00:48:39
Speaker
There was a rumor and it was an article written, but the source wasn't like a ah known source or a huge source. i don't I don't know how true it was. You mike can tell me that you in Oklahoma.
00:48:50
Speaker
But there was a rumor at some point that ah Danny Ainge and Rondo was having issues. And there was a trade offer for Rondo for Westbrook straight up back then. And this is before Harden left.
00:49:01
Speaker
So if Rondo would have came there, Harden could have started at the two. and And then there would have been Harden, Durant, and Rondo. Rondo would have made sure both of those guys got their ah shots. And I think that would have been better.
00:49:13
Speaker
uh than than westbrook i would have loved to see that and i also would have loved to see y'all not trade or not let uh jeff green go uh he was uncle jeff was the one that kind of got me it would have been great having katie and uncle jeff together yeah for longer but then the unfortunate thing Jeff Green ended up missing like a season and a half because of the heart. but at home areny like not quite Not long afterwards.
00:49:36
Speaker
Like it seemed like a last players were moving around. Not long after something kind of came up and in like with with the heart and peace, it was more so you just vanishes. I mean, they missed what 27 threes in a row and in in in a closeout game is Harden has unfortunate history of it. And I think that they recognize that late into it now.
00:49:57
Speaker
for okc what sucks is then this is the one thing that a lot of people forget they trade hard and they're the number one seed in the west the next season like much didn't change then the uh pat beverly uh attempted steal when he was calling a timeout towards acl towards meniscus yeah knocked him out for the year that's when everything started to rail then the next season kd was gone with the jones injury on his foot oh shoot that's horrible then they finally start to get a little bit healthier late in the year because russ came back and then sergey baka hurts his calf right before the spurs series in which you need him against tim duncan you ain't gonna nothing without ibaka
00:50:37
Speaker
because Tim is put in a clinic, but Tim was having problems dealing with it in 2012 with Ibaka. Then that fell apart. And then the next year you go up 3-1 against the Warriors.
00:50:49
Speaker
oh And yeah, everybody who forgets how to play basketball. So it's it's, 16 was just bad. 12 was bad too. it was, it was, it was just two, those were on the team themselves. But in between there, all them injuries, there's not much you can do about it.
00:51:05
Speaker
at the same time, what the game that pressey was playing the league changed that's when you saw so much more emotion and that's when golden state went up because you saw so much emotion with them and san antonio and oklahoma city was built to play defense against those two teams that's literally what it was and in offense katie go cook we know you're a 50 40 90 cat we had to worry about it yeah go cook but deep but the but the problem with that when that motion started coming in you start to realize oh you you can't really do that game like that anymore you gotta change you gotta switch it up and they didn't have i didn't have the guns to they didn't have three and d guys they had d guys so this is the thing and that's what jeff and that's what jeff green would have been uh he he was a couple he was some years before
00:51:51
Speaker
Everyone start really playing a full man that can switch everything, who can guard a post player, can guard a perimeter player, and also get some buckets and stuff like that. Like Jeff Green should have been, like ah hes he's a better player than Draymond Green.
00:52:08
Speaker
He's a better player. Now, at post the heart surgery and all that stuff, I mean, he looked like he kind of like taking it easy and stuff like that. But yeah I would much rather have Jeff Green in any role at the four than I would with Draymond. And if y'all could have kept him in Oklahoma City with Kevin Durant, man. but out but which But I guess y'all felt like y'all had redundancy because was y'all using him as a three?
00:52:35
Speaker
and Kevin Durant was a three as well like is that redundant yeah Katie was your three green was your four the biggest problem is you don't really have a five that was enough of a threat until you when when you had all of them together like you you you I mean you don't want Katie at the five that that's just to me at his size it makes no sense like there's no value um But yeah, you you you you start to see the redundancy. Somebody had to go to the bench and yeah you could get more.
00:53:04
Speaker
I wish they would have kept Uncle Jeff. He was one I would have fought for. But if you keep Uncle Jeff, you don't get he probably get Ibaka. You don't get Steven Adams later.
00:53:16
Speaker
Stuff like that. so True. Yeah. it But I agree with you. Jeff Green would have been great to hang on to as a long term piece. Yeah.
00:53:27
Speaker
I mean, yeah you ain't going to get no disc disagreement from me. I love Jeff Green. Uncle Jeff, he played for the Celtics. That's when he had the hard thing going on. So I quite know about that as well. I don't know if I agree with you, Mel, on the Draymond thing, though. yout You don't think Jeff is better than Draymond?
00:53:43
Speaker
I don't. I think Draymond is a very, very, very good to great to great player. But I just think Draymond, I just think the – Defense, the rebounding, the physicality are things that Jeff Green did not necessarily bring in the spades. Jeff Green defense was amazing, dog. I watched this man at Georgetown send Tar Heels to the crib and I was a Tar Heels fan back then.
00:54:12
Speaker
I watched Jeff Green. I was like, man, who is this dude? man they They could not do nothing with him. and This dude was phenomenal, man. Played a 2, 3, 4. It don't matter. I mean, I mean, I like Jeff. I like Draymond Green and his defense. I like his attitude.
00:54:25
Speaker
I like his leadership and all that stuff, man. ah Jeff Green don't have the leadership, man, but Jeff Green got everything else. I'm sorry. I agree. I agree. I'm with you there. I don't know if he's better than Draymond, though. I can't i can't give him the Draymond.
00:54:38
Speaker
He can shoot. Draymond is so good at defense, man, and and architecting the defense for them. And Dray, I mean, even with that backpack on, man, he makes a three here and there. Every now do um and then. And I didn't know. um He gets out third. He gets the shot up.
00:54:51
Speaker
Draymond that dude. He got more and he got more offensive ability than people give him credit for because he was a score at Michigan State. Like he posted up. He was a point for it like he like he was impressive. He's impressive. He realized his role. And I think that's the one thing that a lot of people don't get about. A lot of these players in the and NBA is the ones that figure out their role.
00:55:11
Speaker
There's so much better. loan So much better for him. So. I got to jump real quick. Y'all aren't here in 30. I'm coming back. I want to hear about y'all's thoughts on these trades. Yeah, sounds good. Yeah, we're definitely going to talk about some trades. Mel, let's get your final thought on that. Do you think, okay, so you can go back to back. What do you see as their future you know in the next few years?
00:55:30
Speaker
Yeah, everything they said, you know, it ain't like they got a whole bunch of free agents. They got to figure out what to do with this summer so they can at least bring that squad back. um ah Make a couple of moves in free agency because you don't want to bring the exact same team back because everyone else is getting better.
00:55:46
Speaker
Right. So just stand still is sometimes a win because you didn't lose nothing. But sometimes stand still means that, you know, somebody moved in front of you in some in some capacity. So um and then and bringing new guys in actually helps energize the locker room. Like, because you got a new guy that never won. That's like, man, I'm hungry.
00:56:06
Speaker
Just as y'all was hungry last year. So you need somebody new. And then everybody else is they got somebody to play for. I want to get him one. You know what you need to figure out a way to, ah you know, manipulate that mentally.
00:56:18
Speaker
um So, yeah, make a couple of moves this summer. Bring some new guys in, some vets that, you know, that they can help. um A hungry one that never won and maybe one that has won.
00:56:29
Speaker
So, yeah, they can ah they got a good chance to defend that title next year ah for sure. As you mentioned, stagnation is something that will hurt teams if you just stay stagnant. And that was one thing you know I was worried about with my Celtics last year when they didn't make any moves after winning the championship. But also, you've got to worry about injuries, right? We're seeing injuries all over the place now. That can easily ah affect your team. So as you mentioned,
00:56:50
Speaker
Making moves in offseason, even just for reinforcements, bench players, players that could possibly step up if injuries were to come and play is something that's always important as well for you to do um as a championship team is to build on the edges.
00:57:03
Speaker
Right. Build that that dip ah bench depth out. A couple notes for Professor's Facts here for you. The Thunder, just the fourth team in NBA history to win 84 games.
00:57:15
Speaker
Over their 105 games, they outscored opponents by 1,243 points, which was the largest cumulative point differential in NBA history. And their differential of 11.8 ranks fourth all time. So if you actually go to point differential, they're fourth all time in terms of ah of that scoring margin. um Thunder were also the best defensive team by a regular by a wide margin. They allow 2.5 fewer points per 100 possessions than the second ranked Magic.
00:57:46
Speaker
So a huge difference there between the first and the second team in the rest of the league in terms of defense and how good that defense is with Dort and Williams and bringing all these players in. you got Caruso as well that you signed that came in and played a really big role. Then, i mean, you got SGA. There's nothing more that needs to be said about the kid that pretty much won all the awards across the board. I agree with all of you.
00:58:10
Speaker
I believe they can not only – Vegas has them favored right now to go back-to-back. So right now Vegas has them favored. That's crazy. um And it's not unfathomable to see that. is It wouldn't be unfathomable to see them win three um because, again, they're not even in luxury tax ah penalties yet.
00:58:30
Speaker
So we'll see where it goes from there. All right cool. Well, that was a great conversation about that. Let's go ahead and move it on to some offseason news. One of the biggest offseason news of the year after we just talked about Sam Presti and all the moves that he made.
Trade Discussions and Team Dynamics
00:58:46
Speaker
There's a bunch of trades that have been coming out in the first one. The main one that we have to talk about, the biggest one, Phoenix Suns trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
00:58:58
Speaker
The Rockets receive Kevin Durant while the Suns will get back and return Jalen Green. Dylan Brooks, the 10th round pick in the 2025 draft, and five future second round picks.
00:59:12
Speaker
ah Bobby G, let's start with you on this one, brother. How do you feel about this trade? yeah Actually, if I'm Houston, I don't know if I would have let Jayden Green go. It actually kind of makes me think if something was going on like behind the scenes. I know he didn't play particularly well in the playoffs.
00:59:27
Speaker
He's inconsistent, but he's a young up-and-coming player. Still a good young player, right. Yeah, like and you've done what you what what you've done thus far ah with him and Shingun kind of as your your base, your core.
00:59:39
Speaker
um KD has it. I mean – The lore of having Katie over the last but about five or six years has just become like, so what? It's diminished. Yeah. yeah Like you went to Brooklyn, nothing happened.
00:59:52
Speaker
Granted, you know, wears shoes that half a size too big. Maybe that would have been different that season if his foot wasn't on the line. But, you know, nothing happened there. You go to Phoenix, nothing happened there. it It's like, what am I expecting? to you They got knocked in the first round by a more experienced team.
01:00:11
Speaker
not going to better team, but a more experienced team, and it showed in that series.
01:00:18
Speaker
And I really got to wait to see like what happens in the rest of the West. I mean, Ant-Man has shown the ability to carry his squad as far as he can. If we get him some help, are the Rockets better than Minnesota? We don't know. Are they better better than the Nuggets right now?
01:00:31
Speaker
We don't know. So I think there's more questions and answers for Houston, even with that deal. Now, on ah Mel, on my show last week, the Professor Shemin Almenti, I was talking with my boy, Lion Reese Penn, and we were talking about this possible trade to the Houston Rockets, and I said that I felt...
01:00:50
Speaker
Kevin Durant was the perfect piece that Houston needed to go with those young cats. They needed someone that, you know, all of those young kids can play defense. Amen. Thompson is a superstar in the making. um But Kevin Durant brings that lethal shooting, ah you know, that killer option in the last minutes of the game, a leader of a team. proven veteran that's been there. I think he is what they need to be that championship contender. Now I'm not necessarily putting him above anybody per se, but the West is wide open.
01:01:19
Speaker
The East is completely wide open now that the, you know, with the, with especially the Celtics being down now with Tatum. So how do you feel about the, the prospects here of the Rockets getting Kevin Durant and being championship contenders?
01:01:39
Speaker
All right, so
01:01:42
Speaker
the only reason why you even question it is because he's about to turn 37. Right? that's That's the only reason why you like ah like, can he really do anything for you? So, but here's the thing.
01:01:54
Speaker
I don't believe in a 37 year old leading your ball club. ah Right. If he was an additional piece, if if if he showed up and, you know, like you had the infrastructure around him to where ah his age don't come into play, because, I mean, these young boys is is running the league. We just seen a ah bunch of young boys win the finals.
01:02:16
Speaker
Right. They running, they getting out and running and stuff like that. And that's just not Katie's game like that no more for 82 games plus playoffs. Neither is Steph's anymore. I mean, he didn't even hold up in the playoffs.
01:02:26
Speaker
It's not LeBron's anymore either. Right. So, yeah, you can get these old guys and they're three generational players. Steph, LeBron and Katie, they're generational players. But those teams are going nowhere.
01:02:38
Speaker
Like they they they keep trying to inject some type of um energy in them by, oh, man, midseason trade for Luka, midseason trade for Butler.
01:02:48
Speaker
Phoenix was trying to get Butler. Like when when you got a player that's a max player that's making 50 mil a year, it's a red flag that they need some type of midseason trade to make them competitive.
01:03:01
Speaker
you You just you're you're paying a guy max money that can't really leave your ball club for real, for real. right So so that's the that's the thing with ah ah Durant going into Houston.
01:03:14
Speaker
But here's the thing. If you was to bank on a player that could give you one last hoorah. You know what I mean? Like if you had your choice, like, man, I could get Kevin freaking Durant and I know he's 36. He's still in good shape. He's still good getting you 28 a game.
01:03:32
Speaker
If I could get one last hoorah out of him, Would I rather have that or would I rather have Jalen Green? So basically what Houston really did was traded Jalen Green's 23 points a game for Kevin Durant's 28 points a game.
01:03:48
Speaker
And they traded Dylan Brooks' defense for Amon Thompson's defense because now he get to play all the minutes he can stand. Dylan Brooks is gone.
01:03:58
Speaker
ain't got to worry about playing Jalen Green. ain't got worry about paying Dylan Brooks. They're both gone. I can pay Ahmed Thompson. I can have Durant for two or three more years, and then we can keep going forward.
01:04:09
Speaker
Right. So that's all it is. A docker was with ah Brooklyn as an assistant with Steve Nash, with Durant. He's seen the work after and he game planned against him when they swept Brooklyn while he was in Boston.
01:04:21
Speaker
And he knew what he had to do against ah Kevin Durant um just to make it even like, you know, just just make it tough on him. He still averaged whatever he wanted to average. You know what I mean? So I like Edoka's leadership.
01:04:34
Speaker
I know that team going be ready to play defensively. And now all they got to worry about is, is can Kevin Durant show up in the full court and give me buckets or show up in big games? I think he can. So it might be a good fit. We'll see.
01:04:46
Speaker
That's what you need, and that's what I was thinking too, is that seeing the way that he's come back from his Achilles injury, seeing the way that Klay Thompson has as well, not too many setbacks. um You would hope, like you said, you could just get at least two, three more solid years of him shooting that jumper and that pretty-ass jumper that'll just but sink every time. Come on, Bobby G, hit me. What you thinking?
01:05:08
Speaker
Bobby, let me ask you this, Bobby. Right. but When Dirk... played and won that championship in Dallas with J. Kidd. I mean, J. Kidd was the old guy. He was what, 38, 39 maybe? Somewhere, somewhere there about.
01:05:23
Speaker
Yeah. Because I think he went to New York after that, right? Yeah, so he might he might have been 37 to 38. Okay. And Tao, he was a little younger. He was early 30s.
01:05:34
Speaker
Early 30s. Might have been 32, 33. Is there any similarities to that run that Okay, so so so durk and the Durk situation and KD situation not that similar, but the KD situation is similar.
01:05:51
Speaker
They give you any hope? Like, oh, man, Sangon, Durant, Idoka. Like, is there any hope? um No.
01:06:03
Speaker
It doesn't. Let me do it. Like, it doesn't give me hope over Mavericks situation. Because remember, that entire team was veteran-laden. Like you had a bunch of guys who wanted to go to Jason Terry.
01:06:16
Speaker
you know They just had a veteran squad. This is a young squad. KD is now the old man in the locker room. Like ah him and Van Vliet is going to be in a corner playing playing dominoes and the rest the team is going to the club.
01:06:32
Speaker
So like. Yeah. um Kid was 38 that year, by the way. jason kid went and They got Uncle Jeff over there.
01:06:44
Speaker
They'll take him, baby. They got Uncle Jeff over there. Look, look, listen, listen. There's free agents that's out there, right? Now, Van Vliet, I like him. i I wouldn't want to start him because he's getting up in age either, too. And I and i like his instant offense off the bench.
01:06:57
Speaker
And I want a bigger point guard. I would go get Dennis Schroeder if Detroit lets him go. If Detroit don't sign Dennis Schroeder, I would get Dennis Schroeder. If Dennis Schroeder is not available, I still want a big point guard that can play defense. I would go and get Dennis Smith Jr. off his couch.
01:07:13
Speaker
I'd rather start him. They were a tough, defensive, scrappy team. You're bringing on in all these guys who are bucket getters. Now you're messing with your identity and your cohesiveness.
01:07:25
Speaker
No, Bobby, they both scrappy on defense, though. They ain't nobody scared of Dennis Schroeder. They going to pick and roll and switch and attack that man all game long. you know by And Dennis Smith Jr., man, come on, man.
01:07:38
Speaker
Come on. yeah you did ah You need to go back out and watch them Lakers games when they had to pull D'Angelo Russ off the ah floor so they can put Dennis Schroeder in for defense. Did they get the championship? No. That's because they had a thousand-year-old daggone nine shooting like ah LeBron leading them.
01:07:58
Speaker
I mean, yeah, it's just not. And I mean, you talk like, look, Schroeder was just in Detroit. Did they get the job done? No. Like, nah, man. That's my point. He's going to go to Houston. He's going to ball, and then they go on fishing.
01:08:14
Speaker
Like, no. Like, you're messing too much with identity. You can't mess too much with identity. aids So there's no moves they can make to make the Durant thing in his age be a little bit softer landed?
01:08:27
Speaker
They're going to have to trans you transform the bench, i agree with you. Hey, man, Thompson probably hops into the starting lineup. You have to. Veteran teams are winning. i mean, we could so we could talk about how young OKC is, but guess what? How long them dudes been playing together?
01:08:41
Speaker
SGA is going into his eighth season like he's young, but yeah, he's a veteran. What did they pick up? They picked up veterans, Caruso, Hartenstein. They didn't pick up young guys. They picked up veterans to win.
01:08:54
Speaker
So hughes they're going to have to continue. You got to get some veterans in there. I like Van Vliet being around. and He's a champion. He's been there. You got to keep him, but I so i need more. and need I need guys who can teach Shingun what the playoffs are all about.
01:09:09
Speaker
I need guys who can teach Thompson what the playoffs are all about. I need guys who can teach Jabari Smith what the playoffs are all about since they decided to keep him. Like, yeah, you got to get more. And the proof is in the pudding. You look, seven years, seven different champions, all veteran teams.
01:09:26
Speaker
Except this one. to a um Again, to a degree, when they wanted to win, what did they do? They picked up veterans. So, let me say, yeah, their average age, so what's going yeah yeah but they picked they picked up veterans.
01:09:38
Speaker
So, him going there, if it depends on what happens with the rest of the regular season. And then, like I said, you got a bunch of teams in your conference who ain't afraid of you. The Nuggets aren't afraid of you.
01:09:48
Speaker
That's very true. I mean, but so let me ask you this. He tries to talk KD all series. Let me ask you this, though. What made them number two in the West this season?
01:10:01
Speaker
The regular season is different. It's different when it's, oh, we play at Miami tonight. We play in Denver tomorrow night. Two nights from now, we play in the Knicks. It's different when it's Golden State. It's Steph. It's I understand.
01:10:12
Speaker
but ah So if KD's on that roster against Golden State, you don't have to worry about Jalen Green not showing up and having him be benched in the fourth quarter. Like, you got a problem that needs to be double teamed when he get the ball now, not just Sam Goon in the post.
01:10:28
Speaker
But then I'm going to my focus elsewhere. So they're going to turn into that team that's, hey, let KD do what he does and let's stop everybody else. i I like that better than what they was doing. I I I like that idea. And then I'll go back to my previous point. What is letting KD do what he does?
01:10:48
Speaker
What did it do for the Mets? Yeah, but think about the Houston Rockets as a team like we talked about, right? They were a really good team, regular season or not. They were they were a really good team last year that were really young, which means they're only going to get better like Oklahoma. And theyre like you said, as they play more together, though, and Udoka,
01:11:04
Speaker
is a great coach with young players especially. And if he can have another veteran player who's a second coach on the team, a player coach, if you will, I mean, I don't know, man. I think it's i think it's a great mix for at least to try to win the next year.
01:11:17
Speaker
At least next year. I mean, where do you have I mean, right, are are they are they the second best team in the West? Are they third? Okay, they're definitely not better than OKC. I don't think they're better than the Nuggets. OKC would be one. Who would you put two?
01:11:31
Speaker
would say. Depending on what Minnesota does, would say Ant-Man. I'm not even going to say the Timberwolves. Ant-Man is the second best team in the West. I mean, really. Who would you put number three?
01:11:43
Speaker
The Nuggets. The Nuggets? Nah, I wouldn't put the Nuggets. They falling. They falling. No, I would still go with Houston over. I think I would put Houston over. It's going to be right there. Houston and the Timberwolves are going to neck and neck. Me personally?
01:11:58
Speaker
I hope everybody put Houston as low as possible just to keep the heat and the like spotlight off of them. And I just want them to do all yeah all they work slowly. Please do not put Houston as any type of contender and favorite and, you know, ah direct, you know, project to be number two in the West. Don't do none of that.
01:12:18
Speaker
just Just say they're going be sorry and let and let them prove you otherwise. Next year, the Warriors are actually going to have a whole year together. I mean, look. They're a year older.
01:12:29
Speaker
They're year older. They are a year older. But that's what they were the favorite over this year over that team without KD. They were the favorite.
01:12:38
Speaker
Yeah, because Vegas knows something. That they were better than the Rockets.
01:12:44
Speaker
So let's let's look at some of these other teams in the West End. Let's talk about the Suns who we were just talking about. What are they going to do? They got five shooting guards and no one else. um Are they going to start five shooting guards? They got to trade Bradley Beal, right?
01:12:57
Speaker
Or Devin Booker? Somebody going to calling. Never. He got that no trade clause, so he ain't going nowhere he don't want to go. i'm I'm hoping the reason why he wouldn't let them trade them during the season is because I just moved my family here. They just started school. We just bought a house. We're not leaving during the school year. Maybe that was what it was.
01:13:15
Speaker
So maybe he's more willing to move during the summer because the team obviously don't want him. And who wants to be there with a team that don't want you, right? So, ah ah what what what i i mean, if I'm Phoenix, ah I'm not keeping Jalen Green or Bill.
01:13:30
Speaker
And I might just send both of them to the same destination and see if I get a two for one. And everybody that I hear are having issues with a ah star player, I'm calling them.
01:13:41
Speaker
I heard they're having issues in Charlotte with LaMelo Ball, and they don't know what they're going to do draft day, whether he's getting traded. I heard his brother on his podcast say LaMelo Ball is going to L.A. and they're going to draft B.J. Edgecombe. I'm hearing all this. So I'm calling Charlotte right now. was like, hey, look.
01:13:58
Speaker
Two for one. You can get Bill. And for you to take Bill's contract, I go ahead and throw Jalen Green in there with it. Right. Yeah. Just give me Melo. Y'all don't want him no more. And I will start my offense with Melo at the one.
01:14:12
Speaker
Booker at the two. Right now, I'm um' swapping first round draft pick. So I think Phoenix got. by Maybe number 10. They just got number 10 in trade. So i would I would get them number 10 for their number for ah Charlotte's number four.
01:14:27
Speaker
And I'm taking Ace Bailey. So I'm going Bill. I mean, not Bill. Mellow Ball, Devin Booker, Ace Bailey at the three. I figure my four out later, and I'm um and i'm finally starting umm starting. I'm starting Bo Bo and giving him the minutes he deserves. Let's go, Bo Bo. Yes. Let's go. Yes.
01:14:48
Speaker
Yes. That's who want starting every game. ah Bobby G, how do you feel about the Suns and what they should do? Matt Isbis has sailed the team because they don't know what hell he's doing. Put together all-star rocker and didn't go get a point guard. That's like an NFL team not having a quarterback.
01:15:06
Speaker
oh Bobby, you know you know what the mistake was, right? The mistake was bringing in Bill. Yeah, oh yeah, for sure. um Also, i agree with the conversation.
01:15:19
Speaker
Yeah, but they had the conversation, I think it was on Draymond's podcast, about ah this that next CBA, we got to do something about there's no trade clause. That's a one-time use. You see a contract, you use it, it has to go. That man i shouldn't be able to maintain that forever. where the tell right yeah Yeah, I agree. Because what's going to happen is no du it's gonna be dicking they're not going to give it to players.
01:15:39
Speaker
They'll give them more money before they give them that's kind with that kind of control. I mean, sure was only I think it's only two players that got one, Bill and LeBron. Yep. Because of that exact reason. yeah and and And by default, Bronny got one, so...
01:15:53
Speaker
oh the act try if you want you guys but greatest no trade clause ever right there yeah ass the most and ah Evidently, evidently k d had some under the table no because he was able to predict which teams he wanted to go to they couldn't um trade them last year they wanted to children he was like na i't because ah the warriors won them come save them Yeah.
01:16:21
Speaker
No, he just has that star power. if i I was going to say, sometimes you don't need that on paper. Yeah, you just say what the fuck. Yeah, that's what saying. That was an under the table deal. I think when he came from Brooklyn, he was like, look, man, this situation I wasn't in.
01:16:33
Speaker
Because he had the same thing with Brooklyn. He was like, look, y'all traded Kyrie? All right, man, go ahead. Because remember that he requested a trade during the summer. And then he came back and was like, ah with we'll play the season and see how it go. And then, you know, it didn't go well because Kyrie tweeted the movie out.
01:16:54
Speaker
Yeah. And then when they got rid of Kyrie, KD was like, man, y'all didn't do what y'all promised me what y'all was going to do. So go ahead and send me elsewhere. Right. You know what I mean? yeah, he got a lot of power with his organization. Yeah. After he nuked the team.
01:17:10
Speaker
KD went over there and Brooklyn was like ah Chronicles of Riddick when dude walked out to the sun on that planet and just dissolved. he and That's what he did to the Nets.
01:17:21
Speaker
I mean, there were there were a lot of culprits in that situation. so But all right, so let's look at another trade, then another team, ah another couple teams here. Memphis Grizzlies shocked everyone sending Desmond Bain for the shock being four first round five, one protected, which is only top two protected, so it's not really protected at all. So it's pretty much five first round picks.
01:17:44
Speaker
um And k KCP and Cole Anthony. Now, a lot of people are pointing out the fact that Desmond Bain does fill the spots that Orlando needs, you know, the 3 and D, all that good stuff.
01:17:57
Speaker
But that's a lot to give up. That is a lot to give up for any person. And especially, again, if it doesn't make you necessarily the best in the East. Now, the East is wide open again, so they're going to be at least better.
01:18:11
Speaker
And they do have a nice core four there ah with Wagner and Suggs and Boncaro. But I don't, again, does this push, it's that question, does this push them to a championship contender? Because if it doesn't, then was it worth giving up that massive haul?
01:18:29
Speaker
Mel, start us off here. No, it don't make them contenders, but um it it put them on you know on par with majority of the playoff teams in the East. Because, I mean, in the East, there was Boston, there was Cleveland as far as you know regular season performance. And then everybody else was like you know ah at the thoughts. right um But if Indiana just got to the finals with what they had, good coaching can get you there. right So Ben Carroll's a star. he's you know He's on verge of being a superstar.
01:19:01
Speaker
ah Desmond Bain is a good ah good ah third. you know I don't know if he's a co-star, you know but I think he's at least a third type player, ah know your third scoring option.
01:19:15
Speaker
And he's tough nose. He's not afraid of nothing. He's not afraid to take shots. He's not afraid to play defense. like I like his attitude. to and you know I think he'll help the locker room. I like the pick. I mean, what what they what they get when you said five second round picks? What was it? for first no first first Four first round and one protected first, but it's only top two protected.
01:19:33
Speaker
so First round. Yeah. this dessa now They are going to be late first rounders because it's Orlando. Well, you would help yeah hope they're going to be at least. yeah the Yeah, the five for a round it is is is wow. I like the pickup of Bain, though, but the first rounders, that's crazy. But at the end of the day, like um it is what it is man we i mean we got uh both wagner brothers you know we got ben carroll we got jalen suggs like that those are our first rounders like how many first round did you need uh young ones at that there like you know at this point i'm looking for vets right i got a young i got a young core guys i need vets they need to learn how to win so it's a strategy it is what it is like you know one strategy is is is loading up with draft picks
01:20:20
Speaker
And then hoping you catch fire and lightning in the bottom with one of these draft picks and OKC kind of did that with Chet and Williams. But getting SGA was like not that getting SGA was like, oh, we got Paul George and y'all want him.
01:20:37
Speaker
Right. Let me get that guy. So, you know, they kind of is a little bit of luck involved in there. It's just not first round picks. right um So you got to get the guy. Like, you know, ah San Antonio got Tim Duncan. He was guy.
01:20:49
Speaker
They tanked for him. David Robinson had to get hurt. Otherwise, they wouldn't get him. right So it it is what it is. the the The main thing is to find the guy. And I think Ben Carroll can be the guy for them.
01:21:01
Speaker
So they already got their part out the way. So, you know, why why why why use all those first rounders trying to find another the guy that you will not be able to afford to keep both of No, I hear that. Okay.
01:21:13
Speaker
Bobby ge what you think about it? I was right. Like, it's having a picture. mean, you have to pick a hit on them. i don't I don't like the value. It's like Shark Tank. Like, half of the people that get this dismissed off Shark Tank is because they screw up the valuation, right?
01:21:28
Speaker
The valuation on Desmond Bain was screwed up. And it it goes but it holds back really it goes back to these teams overplaying for role players.
01:21:38
Speaker
Like, put yourself in a situation now where it's like if a guy has a good season and he's on his rookie deal, you have to max him out in fear that another team will pay him. And it's made teams because of that now.
01:21:52
Speaker
we have to spend extra capital to get off these now bad contracts because that's exactly what it was. The original deal was two picks. The other two picks was thank you for taking this egregious contract off of our hands, which is BS.
01:22:05
Speaker
And what it what it does, like, in in no world should Desmond Bain go for four first-round picks and KD go for one. That's insane. And Luka go for How many Luka went for? One?
01:22:16
Speaker
Yeah. what Not even. ah No, he gave up that last first round. But... yeah Yeah, and Rudy Gobert go for four first round or five first round picks. Like, this is this it's insane. Like, what we're like, come on, son. But.
01:22:32
Speaker
i don't I don't like the move for Orlando because it's not like this is the piece that puts you over the top. They still need more work. You got Jalen Suggs. Yeah, you have him. Is he elite? No.
01:22:43
Speaker
um No, he's not elite. He's solid, not elite. Solid, plus he's coming off injury. Is he still going to be solid or is he going to regress? We don't know. um Same thing with the older Wagner, ah Mo Wagner, coming off injury. Is he going to be that same aggressive guy, that that goon type?
01:22:59
Speaker
We don't know. So if he if they had their team complete and was like, oh, we need a guy like this to get over the top, sure, go ahead, spend that capital. But now, when once next season, when you find out, and next season is going to be fool's gold for a lot of these teams that that are like on the come up.
01:23:17
Speaker
Because remember, the Celtics are going to be down last year because of injuries. The Pacers are going to be down. The Bucs are going to be down because of injury. And we have no clue where Giannis is going to play basketball. like So a lot of teams going some fool's gold out there because basically three three of the four top teams in the East aren't going to be what what they should be.
01:23:36
Speaker
so dang No no Tatum. So when Orlando finishes with the two seed and they think, oh, we don't need to make changes. No, they're going to find out very quickly that the following season yeah, you needed those picks to make the additional ah trades to get the assets you need to compete with with the veterans. So, yeah, I just don't like it right now. I think it was a um ah mistake.
01:23:56
Speaker
Do you see any possibility of them getting at least half them picks back? Is anybody on their roster they can get a first round of four in the future? No. Only Paolo. Right now, only Paolo.
01:24:09
Speaker
Yeah. Not even for us. I will thank God that they drafted Paolo Bancaro because – ah Going back to our previous conversation of of o OKC, can they repeat?
01:24:21
Speaker
If Orlando had not taken Paolo number one, Paolo would have been the OKC. Yeah, remember? cha The whole talk was Chet was the number one, Chet was one, and then they came out and took Paolo. I'd be crazy.
01:24:33
Speaker
And then the Thunder was Chet number two. Wow. Imagine. For all my WWE fans, thank God for the New Day and the Orlando Magic for taking Paolo Bancaro. The New Day.
01:24:46
Speaker
New Day. The New Day. Wow. That's crazy. That would be wild if he was on that team. All right. Let's catch catch up on some other news here. And I got to get caught up on comments. I apologize to er everybody. I'm on a new system and I forgot completely about the chat.
01:25:01
Speaker
So my bad to everybody in the chat. AP, you know, i love you, brother. i apologize. This was from way back at the beginning of the conversation when we were talking about basketball ratings. Old school basketball. No one's to accept. It's not because three point shooting or whatever.
01:25:13
Speaker
the hell lebron does then moving into okc i missed all these cards my bad all the money okc made from game seven is going to those contracts uh two top 10 predict 10 picks are protected next year for okc still talking about uh they got both dub and shy uh sta from the george trade essentially very true Shout out our ah brother Wildcar Mar in the house.
01:25:40
Speaker
Says a lot of movement today in the NBA. Yep, we're going to talk about a couple more trades that have come through the wire before since we've been on this show right now. There's been three came through the wire. ah Big Dog to Talk Sports, salute to you, my friend. I can't speak today. My brother Clutch Cleveland, OKC fan.
01:25:57
Speaker
Congrats to you, my friend. um Alex, amen. Shout out to you, brother. Thank you for tuning in. And finally, morning wombat. Appreciate you always tuning in, brother. um Okay, so let's move it on to some other news from the day. First trade news earlier, Giroux Holiday getting sent back from the Trailblazers. We're going to talk about the Celtics here for a second because they're selling off the whole farm right now if you've been paying attention to the news.
01:26:21
Speaker
Celtics send Giroux Holiday to the Trailblazers ah for Anthony Simons and two second round picks. um Drew Holiday was actually on the trailblaze a couple of years ago, and we actually traded Robert Williams and a couple other players to get Drew for the Celtics to win that championship. So now going back to here, a little inauspicious why they are taking a 37-year-old with a $37.4 million dollar contract. You got to wonder, are they going to move him again?
01:26:51
Speaker
um or do they keep him to teach this young team how to play better defense? We'll see what happens here, but let's go ahead and start with you, Mel. ah What do you think about this holiday to the Trailblazers? I go out to Bobby. I went first last time. I want to hear what Bobby thinks.
01:27:06
Speaker
Okay, cool. Go ahead, Bobby. My bad. You right? I think everybody saw it con of coming. Celtics ownership basically made it known. um We're not trying to spin this bread right now. We got our chips, so y'all going to be happy with that for the next few seasons. It just is what it is.
01:27:23
Speaker
And especially, it was confirmed once Jason Tatum went down, to you knew he more than likely going to miss ah the entirety of the 25-26 season. and um Just shows me, i don't I don't want to say they don't believe in Jalen Brown, but I don't think they can put a roster around Jalen Brown to be as competitive as they want to be.
01:27:39
Speaker
um So yeah, more is coming, KP. They also got rid him. so Yeah, yeah. So if you actually, no, let me but me go ahead and weave all that in there, Bobby. Did you get your point? So I'm looking right now. Shams reports Boston, Atlanta, Brooklyn finalize a three-team trade that sends Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks.
01:28:00
Speaker
um Terrence Mann and Atlanta's 22nd pick will go to the Brooklyn Nets and Georges Niang and a second-rounder will return to the Celtics. Go ahead.
01:28:13
Speaker
Yeah, they're just making cap moves to get up from under that apron. And I mean, more proud. Now, there's also a rumor before before we keep going, because I want to get your opinion on this before we go to Mel, that the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are having potential trade discussions for Jalen Brown and Bam Adebayo.
01:28:33
Speaker
Wow. I don't think that'll happen. Why would that happen? Right. Okay, cool. I was i was i saw that rumor. where I was like, wait a second. What's happening? I don't think that'll happen. like Well, if bob if is so, I got to get it. I got to get a good handle on what Boston trying to do. I don't know if they're trying to. Well, we know they're trying to get under that. come to aprilpro Yeah, they they're trying to lower their salary. We know that.
01:28:58
Speaker
But are they still trying to be competitive as well? Or they going saying we're going to soft rebuild or hard rebuild? what what are they rebuilt What are they doing? Right. So that's interesting. we're We'll know by some of these next moves. if If they move Brown, we know it's a little bit different. Now, bringing in Simons, it don't make that very clear because Simons is just a either a placeholder.
01:29:22
Speaker
Until Tatum gets back because he's another 20 plus point score that can help Brown. Right. um ah It changes it changes their ah their team dynamic a little bit. um Because he's not a defender that Drew Holiday is.
01:29:36
Speaker
Yeah. He's a play. So remember, he's on a one year deal. He's only sparring. So he's he's a three no D. i know he talk so but so So basically he he he is what D'Angelo Russell was for the Warriors while Steph and Klay was hurt.
01:29:50
Speaker
You know, bringing D'Angelo Russell. where As matter of fact, it was just Klay that was hurt at first. Bringing D'Lo to play alongside Steph just to see how they go and to Klay come back. But we're not keeping them, in which they didn't. They traded them for Wiggins.
01:30:04
Speaker
So um so, yeah, they bringing them in and they did. They kind of did the same thing with Chris Paul. We just want to get rid of Jordan Poole bringing Chris Paul. It's a one year rental. So um he's just there to provide points.
01:30:17
Speaker
ah But he'll he'll be traded probably at the deadline. I don't think they'll let him walk in free agency, though. Now, I do agree. Obviously, if you keep Jalen Brown, you're going to at least try to somewhat compete. He is a, to at least to me, and y'all can disagree with me and I would love to hear it, but I believe Jalen Brown is a number one on, on most teams in this league and could be the number one for the Celtics next year.
01:30:42
Speaker
um But if you trade away Porzingis, I see you shaking your head, Mel. You can tell me what you think about that here in a second. But if you're trading well Porzingis, you trade away Holiday, And now you're taking calls on Brown. It looks pretty much like Celtics have decided they want to go full hard ah pause on that reset um on their team. So first of all, what is your why do you not think Jalen Brown is a number one?
01:31:04
Speaker
He's not. don't I don't think he is. So let me let me not say he's not because I'm not like a freaking genie in the bottle or something like that But my opinion, my my opinion, he's a he's a number two with number one capabilities on a. um temporary basis.
01:31:20
Speaker
Kind of like how I'm a head of household and in my absence, temporarily, my wife can fill in my shoes, but she's... No, no, don't you dare disrespect J.D. like that. Wait, wait, wait. can't do what she do, but can do it temporary. No, seriously. The way is with what she do, what her gifts is,
01:31:41
Speaker
no no i'm nice serious like like you know the way the way she is what what she do what her her gifts is I can do it temporarily. She can teach me some of those things, but it's not it's not my pedigree.
01:31:53
Speaker
So I can't do it as well or as long. I can just do it temporarily and a sheep can only wear, or a wolf can only wear sheep's wool for so long it's start itching. So yeah, I can play Mr. Mom for a little bit and I'm going to begging for her to come back.
01:32:09
Speaker
You know what I mean? It is what it is. And that's what Scottie Pippen was. Scottie Pippen was a number two that had capabilities of a number one ah But when he had a chance to be the number one, he was begging for Mike to come back.
01:32:23
Speaker
He had a 50-win season the first year. The second year, they almost didn't make the playoffs. Right? now Don't forget, he took Portland to Game 7. Hold on. Who?
01:32:35
Speaker
Scottie Pippen. Scottie Pippen. You said Portland? Yeah, he took Portland to Game 7. Who was in the number one? Who was in the number one option? Scottie Pippen. He the leader that team. He was the point forward of that team and the veteran of that team. He was the leader.
01:32:48
Speaker
He was the leader. I think the number one option was... It wasn't the score. That's what I mean. The number one out the number one option was Rasheed. And then they had steve smith then they had Steve Smith, who was a number one in Atlanta. We seen him be a number one.
01:33:02
Speaker
Steve Smith was on that team. Detlef Schrepp was on that team. ah Byneson Wells was on that team. Damon Stoudemire was on that team.
NBA Draft Prospects and Strategies
01:33:10
Speaker
Greg Antle. Who was the leader?
01:33:13
Speaker
Who was their father? scott he I would say he was the leader, just just like Draymond Green is the leader for ah Golden State, but he's not the number one option. He's a defensive leader.
01:33:24
Speaker
Right. He is. he No, he's the locker room leader. yeah a awesome He's the locker room leader as well.
01:33:31
Speaker
So I think... I mean, if you count punching people in the face, I'll let you in. So let me just give you my definition of what a number one option to me is the number one scoring option. And I think that's a tough task because that's the guy that we're game planning for to stop every night.
01:33:47
Speaker
We're sending the double teams. We're giving him our best defender. He's getting all the attention. So that becomes that takes a toll of a player. ah That was what that's what Carl Malone was for Utah.
01:33:58
Speaker
John Stockton never had to carry that burden. You get I'm saying? so that that's the difference. Now, John Stockton led that ah offense, and he was one of the leaders, probably the leader of that offense. But the number one scoring option was Malone. And I think Pippen was the number one. I mean, he was the leader for Portland, but the number one scoring option that was getting game plan for was Rasheed.
01:34:22
Speaker
Okay. yeah i I still think Jalen Brown can be the number one. And either way. And he probably can. He probably can. It doesn't matter because if he's the only player there, he's to have to be.
01:34:34
Speaker
so And it looks like that's what what it's going to be. He got to show me. He got to show me. All right. um Now, ah any other ah trade or free agency news that y'all have that y'all want to talk about before we get into the draft?
01:34:50
Speaker
I think one just happened. ah Another one happened. Did I miss one? Let me see. ah ah Hold on. Let me see. I know, what was it? Jordan Poole? Yeah, Jordan Poole for sure. That was another that just happened.
01:35:08
Speaker
I can't find it. Oh, man.
01:35:15
Speaker
Oh, never mind. ah never talk Chris, after we talked about that one.
01:35:23
Speaker
But, yeah, i mean, if he don't move, we we'll definitely find out if Jalen Brown can be a number one next season. no, it was Kyrie Irving signing a three-year deal with the Mavs. Oh, okay. So he he finally reached an agreement.
01:35:35
Speaker
And they're they're probably going to sign Daniel Gafford to a new contract, too. think they already did. I think they already did. Did that go through? Okay. So they're getting the whole band back together, which brings us a great segue, thank you, Mel, to the draft tomorrow because the Dallas Mavericks have the number one pick in the draft tomorrow night and are expected to select Duke's Cooper flag, which would give them a starting lineup of the aforementioned Ducks.
01:36:02
Speaker
flag And then as well, you're going have Kyrie Irving once he is healthy enough to come back. Obviously, yes, I know he's not going to be playing right away, but um you still got Klay Thompson there. You still got a good enough team. They're hoping one that can win the championship when everybody's healthy.
01:36:17
Speaker
The problem is that you do have AD and Kyrie there who are all injury prone. Um, so with Cooper flag being the expected number one pick with ace, uh, Bailey refusing to work out with teams and being a little bit of a, uh, wild card here on where he may get selected.
01:36:36
Speaker
Uh, let's go ahead and get thoughts on the draft. Um, Mel, what you got for us? Um, so I, I guess I'll talk about ace last. I'll talk about, uh, Cooper first, right? Um,
01:36:50
Speaker
I watched him during the season and I was like, you know, is he really the number one pick? You know what I mean? Like, do you want him to, do you want to put the team on his back? Like, I don't know.
01:37:05
Speaker
And so my initial thoughts was that Ace Bailey was the number one prospect for me. I know most teams wouldn't feel like that and wouldn't want him. Uh, and they really got Dylan Harper over him as well.
01:37:17
Speaker
Uh, but I think I would rather have ace over both of those guys. Right. That's just me personally. Right. But then the more I get to pay attention to Cooper, uh, you realize there's like something special about him. Like, you know, it's something like internal that people got like, dang, like he really wanted.
01:37:35
Speaker
Right. And you just can't, um, I guess you you can't teach that. so umm um yeah So I went on and conceded that he's the he's the ah number one pick.
01:37:46
Speaker
And, you know, most teams should take him. if i had If Charlotte would have got the number one pick, I would have took Ace. But Dallas been in this situation. Give me flag. I want special.
01:37:57
Speaker
You know, man, I want I want the pedigree for what Dallas got. So he's the rightful number one pick. And I and and I hope he turned out to be really good and not like Gordon Haywood, like everybody's predicting him to be.
01:38:09
Speaker
Oh, God. No, I mean, I don't know about that. Damn. With Ace? So would you play Brandon Miller at the two? ah if if if if ah if If the Hornets got in the number one pick? charlot would Oh yeah, yeah. i would I would have Ace at the three, Bridges at the four, Miller at the two, LaMelo at the one.
01:38:29
Speaker
I tried it out. Now, does him not working out concern you if you're a team? Or because you saw enough at Rutgers, you don't mind? i'm not I'm not scared that he didn't work out at all. Only thing that does is is piss teams off to say who you think you are. but because the same The same thing that pissed the ah NFL about Shadour Shanners, he's too big for his britches, let's teach him a lesson. and That's the only thing that that does for Ace, but I'm not afraid of it at all. Like, you know, like...
01:38:55
Speaker
If if if that was the player saying i don't want to do it and and it's and it's a ah competitive ah ah edge problem, like if I could sense that ah he don't want to compete, then maybe that would be concerning. But I don't think it's that I think it's just bad ah advice from his agent.
01:39:12
Speaker
And i think i think so I think some team has told his agent, we're not letting him get past this number right here. We don't need to see him work out. So he's telling other teams that I'm not working out. And usually when that happens, that's what happens is they have some sort of guarantee on the back end or Correct.
01:39:28
Speaker
Right. So he's getting bad advice, but he's he's rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. And that could that could that could work negatively against you because, you know, you never know if this team end up don't take you. and and And now what you you didn't work out for none of these other teams and and you falling.
01:39:43
Speaker
Right. So um but I'm not I'm not scared off at all because he's too good of a prospect for me to pass up. So if if if ah San Antonio don't take him at three, Charlotte, you better grab him at four.
01:39:55
Speaker
Charlotte, you better grab me before. Every time there's a ah ah generational talent in the draft, Charlotte always get a couple of picks after that player.
01:40:07
Speaker
That hunt that shit is so true, y'all. It is. It is, man. They had the most paintball balls. You're like, man, it's got to be Charlotte's year this year. Oh, Anthony Davis coming out. It's got to be Charlotte. Nope.
01:40:22
Speaker
Number two. they They got some too lucky too early. They got Kid Gilchrist. Remember, they had Zoe, LJ, Aaron Davis, and Chris Paul. Yeah, that's all they get. That's wild. Yeah, but they never get that they never get the guy that's number one. Like, when they do get the number one pick, it's Amika Okafor.
01:40:43
Speaker
Not Amika Okafor. I'm catching straight straight now. So they were like, oh man. That was self-explicable. What year did Dwight come out? That was Dwight. They just chose they chose the senior over the high school.
01:40:57
Speaker
That was self-inflicted. That's ah a bad approach to drafting. Drafted four years young. Amika was the best player in college, though.
01:41:09
Speaker
That's true. he was He was. That is very true. They missed out on Dwight. Now, the dream spot, Bobby G., for Ace Bailey, and most people I think would agree with this, would be for him to fall to the Wizards, who are sort of snake-bitten like the Hornets are.
01:41:24
Speaker
The Wizards completely fell out of where they were and should have been, at least since they tanked the whole fucking season. Bobby G, what do you think about this top of the draft? Actually, the dreams the dream situation would be for somehow the Cleveland Cavaliers to find some kind of trade up up there and draft Ace Bailey wherever the pick is.
01:41:45
Speaker
That would be the put-ups really on the calves, boy. hear OKC might trade up.
01:41:53
Speaker
I mean, hell, they got the whole, we can trade you the whole 2026 draft. If I'm OKC, I'm OKC, Bobby, if I'm OKC, forget it. I'm trading up.
01:42:04
Speaker
Give me Ace. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I give you topic. Got a lot of picks. I give you two first rounders. um I give you two future first rounders. I give you the first, well did I got a first round of this this this year?
01:42:18
Speaker
I'm sure they do. I swap picks with you this year. give you two future first rounders, and I give you topic. And I just roll Ace Bailey right on out there. yeah
01:42:35
Speaker
The old only thing I think stopping that is I'm hearing he doesn't want to play for like a team who has pressure to win now. That's what I heard. He wants to play. What? or up There you go. There's that competitive issue we just talked about. to to get and Well, no, it's not competitive. It's a lot of, just like we were talking with Houston, a lot of teams who are on win now, they're not playing young players.
01:42:59
Speaker
He doesn't want that. He wants one wants the minutes. oh But that's neither here nor there. On on there, I'm not mad at his approach. The only thing I'm mad about is take the meeting, bro.
01:43:11
Speaker
You got to work out, but go to the building, shake somebody's hand, have a conversation network. You are as a man. Exactly. um That's the only bad advice I think he's getting, but we've seen this before. We've seen it in basketball. We've seen football, John Elway, Eli Manning, more famously in NBA. We've seen it with ah Steve Francis. Remember he told Vancouver flat out, I'm not going there. So,
01:43:32
Speaker
so I'm not mad with that and trying to finagle. I'm sure every year there's somebody trying to finagle. Matter of fact, recently I just heard um that Tyrese Halliburton ah said he wouldn't play for us because we already had Darius Garland. So, I mean, at the same time, like you couldn't beat Darius Garland out. Like that kind of tells me something might be off of your confidence maybe.
01:43:56
Speaker
I mean, look, and he ended up on the team with De'Aaron Fox and then ends up being traded. So, I mean, you know. um but i'm not mad at that but like at least just go to take them like if this is just a growing process and then again i don't know who he's getting this information for it but whoever they are i'm i hope it's a man who was raised in manly ways not no alpha but just just certain things you do as a man you you don't want to play for me okay what do you say back in the day i say it to my face Come meet with me. You know, maybe what if there's something that can be worked out with a conversation? Hey, I feel your franchise is going in this direction. Well, actually, we were thinking this.
01:44:35
Speaker
That, like, you never know what happen. example when the Trailblazers traded Lillard and they and they drafted Scoot Henderson. Scoot Henderson, right. no So that could be something like that where it's like, hey, we're planning on getting rid of the veteran and we're still and we still want to draft you, which if you don't take that meeting, you might never know.
01:44:54
Speaker
Correct. Exactly. So I don't know where he ends up. I like San Antonio with too. I mean, don't think they should pass on. You think they have passed up on Dylan Harper? I mean, everybody got Dylan Harper number ah did To me, I know, and that's it crazy. To me, it doesn't make sense. Like, you have ah you have Fox.
01:45:14
Speaker
You have Castle. you Like, with you got Chris Ball still. yeah Like, yeah, we're stacked at point guard. Why why do we need another? but i need ah I need a three man. I can move on. i can probably get some good ah compensation for moving Vassal.
01:45:30
Speaker
um You know, like, yeah, it just doesn't it doesn't make sense for me to draft. ah Dylan Harper. So I think they take Bailey at two. I think, yeah, him, front court of him, Wimby, and hell, me at the think sos on that You think San Antonio is the team that told them, hey, you ain't getting past two, dog?
01:45:51
Speaker
You think that's why he ain't working out for nobody? Could be. And then San Antonio, they still have to We got to get Wimpy medically we ready, man. A blood class and no joke. We saw what it did to Chris Bosh.
01:46:04
Speaker
ah so What if worst case scenario? I hope it doesn't happen. it What if Wimpy has to miss more time? Like, I need a bucket. I need a bucket on that team. I mean, Castle, he showed us what he can do. But, yeah, I need another another guy who can get a bucket, get people excited out. And what about my boy VJ Edge come from here?
01:46:22
Speaker
ah or from ah from Jesus?
01:46:28
Speaker
For Baylor. I don't know why i can't get my words out. A lot of people think he may be too complimentary of a player, not aggressive enough like the Ace Bailey or even a Dylan Harper. How do we feel about him still being in the top five?
01:46:45
Speaker
I mean, is i mean that that's how the draft plays out. it ain't It ain't a lot out there. I mean, I like the Queen guy from Maryland. He's another freshman, though. I like Queen. Yeah. I mean, but shoot, I mean, what's the difference between Queen and and Kenny Lofton Jr.?
01:47:00
Speaker
ah Other than Kenny Lofton, you know, had more weight on him. It's a very weak draft. You are right about that. It is a, after the top five has a very steep tip. Top five, top 10 is a steep drop off.
01:47:12
Speaker
For sure. I mean, when you got Knopel from Duke, they're supposed to be like, they got him in the top five. They're talking about Charlotte might take him. ah If Charlotte take him. Hey,
01:47:23
Speaker
Don't sleep on my day. I like him. What, the center? Not top five, though. No. You like him? I love him. Yes. going to go back and watch some more games then because I don't like him either. I don't like him either.
01:47:38
Speaker
I mean, just think of the conditions he played under. He played under two of the most watched players in in the history of college basketball. And he was he was kind of the glue that kept those guys connected.
01:47:51
Speaker
Like, he he seems to me, like, his NBA role. But is that a top five pick? That doesn't sound like a top five pick to me. It's giving Joe Engel. If it works, it depends. What did you say? It's sound wild. But honestly, I see a lot of Steve Smith in this game.
01:48:16
Speaker
The football player. Steve Smith of Atlanta Hawks. like Come on, Bobby. Come on, Bobby, man. Steve Smith of College was ah was ah a lot different than Steve Smith, the pro Like, Steve Smith, the pro, was not Steve Smith in college. He wasn't dominating it. Yeah, I'm saying he was, Kneppel's that kind of guy, though.
01:48:42
Speaker
Seriously, Bobby? Good outside shooter. Good inside shooter. He can pass the ball. He plays defense. Do you think he can ever develop to a number one? No, and that's I don't need him to be.
01:48:56
Speaker
That's the thing people get. This is why I hate all drafts. It's like we have to look for that. Like, no, if I'm building a team, very true I need to build a team. If I can't get my hands on A, I have no problem with taking D right now.
01:49:12
Speaker
it Wow. I have no problem taking C right now if I i can get A later. That was crazy. That was insane. I'm taking play player C right now if I can't get player A.
NBA Offseason Moves and Team Sales
01:49:35
Speaker
ah
01:49:39
Speaker
That's reckless. That's super reckless. Just like you say, I'm going use the team you used as an example, the Hornets.
01:49:51
Speaker
You give me, you got Melo. You got Miller. He comes back healthy. You got Miles Bridges. A player like him fits right in there. You can be the glue to make those three look mad at me. I know Lamar's going to kill me.
01:50:06
Speaker
I bet he does fit right in there, doesn't he? You like the way he fits right in there, don't you?
01:50:21
Speaker
I can't. I can't. Oh, man. Boy, that's too funny, man. Oh, boy. Happens to the best of them.
01:50:34
Speaker
And you Oh, no. I heard it. Hold on. oh no no no your now just your headphones often completely hello What was the I you say?
01:50:46
Speaker
no no too late I'll watch it on the playback. Watch it on the replay. 150. but Man, y'all got my face hurting, man. That's hilarious.
01:50:57
Speaker
All right, let's move off the draft and talk about a couple other things before we get y'all out of here for the night. Key dates coming up in the calendar. Obviously, the draft is tomorrow. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents on the 30th. So that's next ah Monday.
01:51:14
Speaker
The new salary cap and tax levels apply July 1st. Teams can begin signing free agents July six And the Summer League is from July 10th to 20th. But really important is the law is the summer league meetings of the NBA Board of Governors, where they will be going in to approve the Lakers $10 billion excuse me and the Celtics $7 billion dollars sales.
01:51:39
Speaker
um So, Mel, actually, we started with you last time. Bobby G., What do you got on ah the rest of the offseason? How do you feel about the Lakers and Celtics getting sold for huge money?
01:51:53
Speaker
What do we see? and
01:51:56
Speaker
We are seeing that there's no money in basketball anymore. There's lots of money for the players and front office guys and you know employees of the NBA. But these owners aren't seeing the correct dividends. That's why we're seeing these sell-offs. so We saw Mark Cuban get out early. He saw the future.
01:52:12
Speaker
um Now we're seeing the bus fam. Who would have ever thought that was so surprised. I was so taken aback. like Yeah, we're seeing the Celtics. So if it can happen to the these these linchpin franchises, um what do we see happening? How an OKC standard value is probably as high as it's ever going to be right now.
01:52:32
Speaker
Like in a few few years from now, maybe they want to, you know, get a couple of bucks. um My cabs, our value is pretty high right now. Dan Gilbert has had health problems. Maybe he wants to make a few, you know, so um just just watching how these owners are valuing the teams. That's the thing I'm looking out for. What y'all think about how on the hush these team sales have been?
01:52:54
Speaker
Like we're not even hearing them. hearing about it until the sale is done like remember it used to be like you know this team was up with selling it like it'd be like like that for like a year before somebody actually you know uh cut a deal like we ain't even hearing about this i guess to be fair for the lakers they sold to the person they sold to had a minority state already dodgers so it was kind of in so it wasn't even no b it wasn't even no no b right okay okay Now, the Celtics, on the other hand, I would have loved to get in that bidding, so I'm not sure why. I got a couple of dollars set to the side. Was the Charlotte Hornets, was theirs on the Hush, too? We just heard about it the day they sold it.
01:53:36
Speaker
When to Jordan did it? I think it was him, then Cuban. You're not wrong. It really has all been on the Hush. It's been Hush. Yeah, but but but most of them, they're still staying on as minority, and some of them are still running the basketball. Like, Jenny, she's running the basketball operation still. Cuban was supposed to, but he didn't get it in writing, so...
01:53:54
Speaker
He didn't have nothing to do with that Luka trade, supposedly. No, no. He would have never had to do it. no By the way, I watched y'all both talk about this, but how crazy is it?
01:54:05
Speaker
And I know we talked about riggedness. So we already talked about the the draft. Number one pick is most likely being rigged. But how crazy is that you trade your franchise player? I know that.
01:54:19
Speaker
it It wasn't necessarily him. It was him and ownership. But as the gm here's a i get his conditioning. It's something I would never do. Something I would never do.
01:54:32
Speaker
um I mean, tell the fans how y'all feel. They don't know how y'all feel here.
01:54:37
Speaker
Go ahead, man. I mean, it's two ways to look at it. if if If you look at it where it's just all the way it's supposed to be, where a GM, you know, evaluate the situation, tell the owner what he wants to do, owner signs off on it. If you just look at it that way, then that means that they looked at how much they was going to pay Luka.
01:55:00
Speaker
and they look at what return it was going to get, whether it was going to be financial return or what he's going to bring to this basketball club return. And they looked at that price tag and said, for that price tag,
01:55:14
Speaker
We don't want to do it. And it could be a couple of reasons why one, we don't believe in you ah because you're not taking your health and your conditioning serious. um ah Or it can be what Nico Harris said, defense wins championships. And you're so bad defensively on top of not being conditioned and on top of treating people like shit. And it's, I mean, cause I see how he talked to those coaches, you know, just, you know, kind of the same way Caitlin Clark does. Like she, I mean,
01:55:43
Speaker
Very like entitlment tight entitlement entitlement. Right. So at some point they evaluated the situation said for that price tag, it's a no for us. So you can look at it that way or you can look at it the other way and say,
01:55:57
Speaker
maybe the team ownership had some other stuff like you hearing rumors about they want to move the team and and they want to do this and then then they say oh man the fact that they got that number one pick maybe daggum adam civil was involved and they wanted to move luca for you know for uh the needs of the other other uh lakers no no no the the needs of the and nba you know hey this is the needs of the nba situation man like in the military like you get to pick your orders until it's time for them to say no no no we sending you here are needs of the navy right easily you never want to be knees of the navy hey the navy five we said he was ranking your choices we didn't say he was getting your number one yeah yeah yeah yeah needs of the navy we need you here in afghanistan man
01:56:40
Speaker
So ah so maybe maybe sometimes Adam Silver is the commissioner can say, hey, man, I'm looking at the ratings. We just signed this new deal and our ratings are and our sponsors are getting worried.
01:56:54
Speaker
We need some lightning in the bottle needs of the and NBA. Send that franchise play over to L.A.
01:57:02
Speaker
i mean he gives yeah And in turn, the needs of the Lakers, because once LeBron and Bronny are gone, they're going to need a star. Exactly. Yeah. I mean, is it's just like when they was like, hey, look, look.
01:57:13
Speaker
I mean, we got, I mean, it's two ways you can look at that Pau Gasol and that Garnett trade, right, in the same season, in the same offseason. You know what I mean?
01:57:25
Speaker
you know, l L.A., Boston, man, let's get let hey let's get the old gang back together, right? Back together, yep. You got you got Danny Ainge over here in Boston. And you got his old running mate, Kevin McHale, over there Minnesota.
01:57:38
Speaker
And then you got Jerry West, the logo over there Memphis, and looking over there at the Lakers. And all of a sudden, they both make a trade for their franchise player send to their alma mater. And then they both resign.
01:57:56
Speaker
i don't know. That sounds pretty obvious to me. but Bobby, what are you thinking over here, bro?
01:58:05
Speaker
um they didn't have to get could have got something i'm just wishing they would held off to the off season because looking at what's going on now in these trades they could have got something better than the slender man like come on weird i mean Yeah, um' um I'm just not a fan of Anthony my Davis.
01:58:23
Speaker
If he don't get hurt, I'm a fan. yeah If he don't get hurt. But he's going to. He literally got hurt the first game. That's hard to defend, dog. That's really hard to defend, dog.
01:58:34
Speaker
that so For real. It was a microcosm of Anthony Davis' whole career in one game. it like But that first half was crazy. Hey, Tamron and West weren't scared.
01:58:45
Speaker
That first half, Tamron and the West weren't scared. It was like, oh, shit, man, it was he was crazy.
Knicks' Organizational Strategies and Challenges
01:58:49
Speaker
And wasn't it Minnesota that was playing? That was a good team. He gave him the hope and yanked it away in the same game. He pulled the football away like Charlie Brown.
01:58:59
Speaker
yeah But like they could waited until the offseason and, it meant hey, okay, see, y'all got 17 draft picks. Let me get 15 of them and J-Dub, and we got a deal. like i'm just ah My only thing is, yeah, the deal. I can't even argue Mel's conspiracy on that one because they just, if so, and you didn't even get Don Kinnett.
01:59:23
Speaker
like I would have loved to have Don Kinnett. I really like Don Kinnett. He's a good player. I really like them. You allow them to keep Don't Connect so they can make another trade, which, I mean, they got Knicks, but still, no, I'm taking all your assets, bro.
01:59:37
Speaker
But, yeah, just come on, man. Do do better. We got to do better. Yeah, good definitely, definitely, definitely got to do better. um Now, let's talk about one last item of the night here before we get out of here. Thank you, everybody, for tuning in. Make sure you tap in with the Audible podcast, Man Down Sports, and our brother Jay was on here earlier, Unfair Sports.
01:59:58
Speaker
ah Please make sure you subscribe and tap in at all of these amazing shows. Hope you all have enjoyed. the content tonight. Make sure you hit that like button, ah whether watching live or on the replay. We really appreciate that. It boosts us up in the algorithm.
02:00:10
Speaker
um Nick's coaching search. What the hell is going on? They fired Tom Thibodeau, which by the way, it's funny because I talked about it right before they fired him on my show. And I, and I said,
02:00:23
Speaker
Why are they keeping Tom Thibodeau around when they complain about the way that he, and being a Celtics fan, I know, runs players into the ground because he did it with us too.
02:00:34
Speaker
um So i actually kind of thought they may have done this after they got bounced from the playoffs. Needless to say, they did. But then they tried to go hire five different coaches and were rebuffed by every single team.
02:00:48
Speaker
Chicago's Billy Donovan, Minnesota Chris Finch, Houston's Ime Adoka, and Dallas's Jason Kidd. Now they are going to talk to possibly um Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown. And now a third option has emerged, James Borgio, former coach of the aforementioned Charlotte Hornets.
02:01:08
Speaker
What the hell are the New York fans? Knicks doing. I don't even care who starts. I don't because I don't know what they're doing. I don't even know what the fuck they're doing. See, this is why people hate New York and New Yorkers. It's this thing about New York and people from New York that they you just feel like they like who made Madison Square Garden the Mecca basketball?
02:01:33
Speaker
No, if you want to say the Mecca of basketball is Rucker Park, man. it It was the city game, the street game. Who made who made every rapper from new york the best rapper on earth if you ask a new yorker who are the top five rappers of all time they're gonna name five new yorkers like and and it goes to the knicks oh we need a coach we're we're not gonna go to the free agent market we're gonna take your coach because we're the knicks he really wants to coach the knicks who are you bro like what who just get and like
02:02:08
Speaker
You're literally the worst franchise in the modern era. and I haven't won a title since 73. i'm like yeah I'm a Cavs fan. and this is not a homer thing the cleveland cavaliers are literally have been the better franchise between calves and knicks in the modern era the nba that's fair enough like that's fair the orlando magic have been a better franchise than new york nixon since they've been exist like but they just have this sense of where new york you know everybody wants to be a no no stop it get out of your own way get out of your own way man
02:02:44
Speaker
I mean, just just the thought of ah a man looking for a wife and he didn't go to the library. he didn't even go to the club. He went knocking on people's door. He went to his next door neighbor. He went to his next door neighbor.
02:03:01
Speaker
anyway yeah yeah
02:03:07
Speaker
Yo, i like your wife. Hey, I want permission. Y'all been together for while. You probably tired of the bitch, man. Look. Right.
02:03:24
Speaker
but but Like, not once, not twice, not three times, but but like like all five coaches you look for are already on the contract. i don't understand. I don't understand it, man.
02:03:36
Speaker
ah But I like the Mike Brown. ah if You know, he should have never got fired in Sacramento, man. the The GM bringing in DeMar DeRozan and all that. they kind of messed up what they was doing. Mack Brown had a good thing going over there, man, with De'Am Fox and the youngster, the twin. What's the twin name that shoot it?
02:03:56
Speaker
ah Keegan merk kegan Murray, you know what I Sabonis was okay. I don't like that they were trying to turn him into like a point forward. You know, he's a good pass and all that stuff, man. But he's he's really limited offensively, and that pisses me off, man. I want him to be better offensively. So they put too much stock in Sabonis.
02:04:16
Speaker
But ah other than that, man, that was that was that was heading in the right direction, man. so So, fire Mike Brown was crazy. He deserved to be a coach in this league, man. So, if he get the next job, I think that'd be dope.
02:04:29
Speaker
But going door to door, though, for you for you but for your wife. It's like Bugsy, man. don't know if anybody's ever seen the movie Bugsy. but There's a scene where he's driving down the street and he's got, like, his girlfriend with him and They're trying to buy a house. And she's like, I like that house.
02:04:47
Speaker
He literally pulls over, walks up to the door and he's like, dude, dance he's like, yo, I like your house. How much?
02:04:57
Speaker
That's what the Knicks are doing. It's in the end, man. I can't, man, bro. There's so much funny stuff going on. It's crazy. And Marb mentions something else, though. We do have to look out for Giannis now.
02:05:09
Speaker
Giannis is on trade alert. Apparently, Colts are being taken. Houston.
02:05:15
Speaker
Yeah, he could be in Houston. They go they go send Sanguine and Milwaukee. kidding ah but do Can I get a real destination?
02:05:28
Speaker
I'm going to go. Hey, let's push all the chips in. ah How about Dallas? Dallas? Dallas would be crazy. How about Dallas? Anthony Davis and whatever whatever future picks I can give you because I'm not giving you Coop.
02:05:42
Speaker
Well, yeah, no, you wouldn't give a fuck. Yeah. Yeah, Anthony Davis and whatever picks you want in the future. What? Hold on now. Hold on now. Would Millwall do it just for flag and they keep AD and they had AD and Kyrie?
02:05:58
Speaker
No, no, no. Hold on a second. Get Slender man out of here, bro. I agree. I don't think I would trade flag. You would have to trade AD at this point. Yeah, but but it wouldn't match, though, because Coop is like future and not ready to help you contend right now.
02:06:14
Speaker
And Giannis and Kyrie ready to go right now. But Kyrie can't go until probably all-star break. That's true, too. Like, it just wouldn't line up. Had to set him back. Had to set him back, man. So, I don't know.
02:06:27
Speaker
You think it said that? No, I think that, man. I'm trading Kyrie, too. So, you're going with Giannis and Flagg? Yep. Yep. Whatever I can get and whatever I can get for Tyree. Flag, Lively and Gafford, the three-headed big man monster there.
02:06:42
Speaker
I'm not mad at it. um There you go. ah now they have said one other thing about jason kidd is that because he has not signed an extension and he only has two years left and because the mavericks have left his assistant coaches sean sweeney leave already and possibly jared dudley and godhamm god how's that for a throwback name ah used to try his crossover all the time anyways um have received interest from other ball clubs so possibly jason kid could
02:07:14
Speaker
in the future possibly be a New York Knick if they wanted to try to steal somebody's wife. um
02:07:24
Speaker
Chet to Milwaukee, Giannis to OKC, Marce. Yeah, kid ain't stupid. this but this is This is the same thing that Draymond Green, you know, this collect operate like this where when Draymond Green was looking for his extension,
02:07:41
Speaker
ah He was on vacation with LeBron over overseas in Europe. And the rumors was, oh, man, Draymond Green might be going to the Lakers and all this stuff. That's just what they do to make sure make sure you know that there's interest out there for me, you know, to kind of drive, you know, help my leverage and my negotiating, you know, that's all it is. And ain't going nowhere.
02:08:04
Speaker
All right, so before we get out of here, one last thing I want to do is get some early, early, huge early predictions for next year. ah like Who you got coming out the West? Who you got coming out the East?
02:08:15
Speaker
And who is your early champion?
02:08:19
Speaker
Whoever wants to start.
02:08:24
Speaker
Out of the West, as it stands right now, it's hard to go against Oklahoma City. Okay. um And honestly, this isn't a Homer thing. it The basketball guys have made it extremely easy for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
02:08:40
Speaker
As of right now, um ah like our chances. in In this East, I believe we could do it and we get the finals that we should have And while Mel's thinking real quick, how did you feel about your team being the winningest team, one of the winning win most win team in the league and then basically crapping the bed in the playoffs?
02:09:00
Speaker
What contributed to that? I I'm glad you said used that phrase crap in the bag. After I stopped punching the air, you know, like Trey and boys in the I settled down. it is i want to I want to pass a message to all of my Cavaliers fans.
NBA Season Predictions and Reflections
02:09:20
Speaker
Because before the season started, if you'd ask any Cavs fan, hey, what's your expectations to the season? Nine out of ten of them would have said, I think we can get to the Eastern Conference Finals, but we probably lose to the Celtics, who are the eventually conference champion.
02:09:34
Speaker
So we made it to the playoffs, and we lost to the conference champion. That was your expectation. So was it really, you know, shit in the bed? That's true. Like, we literally met the expectation of every Cavs fan. We made it to the playoffs. We lost to the team who eventually won. But you won more games than you thought you would have at the beginning of the season.
02:09:52
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. The season was waiving. Nobody saw a 61 season. my My personal expectation, I just wanted to see improvement. I know this team is learning how to win. Like, yeah we've taken a step. We lost in the first round. Last year, we finally won first round series.
02:10:08
Speaker
Lost to the eventual conference champion. This year, we we dominate a first round series, not just win it. Last year, we went to seven games. This year, we swept like we were supposed to in the second round. Lost to the eventual conference champion. So next year was the year I actually had us with a legit shot at competing for the championship.
02:10:26
Speaker
So from my personal schedule, we're right on we're right on it. you know Yeah, I would have liked to see him do better this year, but I'm not frustrated at all. Again, after I have my Mel, what do you got for next year?
02:10:42
Speaker
I like the OKC out of the West and the East. ah It's probably gonna be contingent on ah if Giannis is traded to a team in the East. If he stays on Milwaukee, and then i'm um I'm going with your Cleveland pick.
02:10:56
Speaker
But if he is traded somewhere, whatever that whatever that team he goes to, I don't think he would want to be traded nowhere that's not a contender. And he's going make them even much better. So wherever Giannis go, if it's the East, I probably would ah probably pick that team to ah to ah go to the finals. But I like OKC Cleveland for sure.
02:11:17
Speaker
ah Yeah, I mean, I think I'm going to to make that three right now as it stands. You've got to take the top two teams that were the best teams last year with how wide open it's going to be with the Celtics injuries and the sell-off that they're having having now. There's no way that I think they're going to be competing. Orlando, you got in there that we talked about, who is definitely going to be up there. So we got to watch out for them. The Knicks are still up there. And like you said, wherever are. Indiana's still up there, too, even though they lost Hobbit Burton. They got two backup point guards. It's pretty good.
02:11:46
Speaker
And that's the thing. Like, i walked out for the pi Pistons are young, up and comers and scrappy, too. And that's the thing, though, even if if it wasn't that Lillard got hurt, I was even hot on on Milwaukee last year at the end of the year, once they started to kind of finally gel.
02:12:01
Speaker
But then Lillard got hurt. So that now you're looking at Lillard's hurt, Halliburton's hurt, Tatum's hurt. So then three of your top seeds in the East are already depleted. um So, yeah, it's pretty wide open, and you got to go with the teams that have the most health and the most depth right now, and those are the ones. Although I do now that we just went through all that, kind of like the magic a little more in these. See?
02:12:25
Speaker
That fool's gold. Damn it, man.
02:12:29
Speaker
um Okay, cool. Well, thank you everybody for tuning in. i appreciate my brothers here for staying for over two hours. They really did not have to do that, but it was a great conversation, so I'm glad they did. um Let's go ahead and let everybody know where they can find you, and we'll get out of here. Bobby G, hit them up.
02:12:45
Speaker
You can find me Thursdays and Fridays. audible sports podcast on Thursdays we do reactions so you know react to all kind of fun just saw something today so did anybody on earth know that Charleston White bought one of I watched the whole fight we're gonna be reacting to that video I watched the whole fight I didn't know what I did the highlights but didn't know what I did
02:13:08
Speaker
We're going to be reacting to that video on Thursday. And then Friday, you get the original Audible Sports Podcast where Sports Week's Life and Culture. And ah i don't know what that show's going be about yet, but we'll figure it out. I don't know how.
Show Wrap-up and Audience Engagement
02:13:23
Speaker
And that's also where my bro, Wildcard, is. Yeah, shout out. Our family Wildcard. Everybody knows him here. I don't know how that tattooed face fuck got on my algorithm, but somehow I come about as video. Lamar?
02:13:35
Speaker
Lamar. You seen it when Lamar posted it. I seen it because of Lamar. Lamar posted it and I seen it. And I was like, you you son of a gun. And I watched the whole thing. I said, Lamar, before you making me watch this, I'm pissed off, man.
02:13:50
Speaker
I watched that whole thing. It was so funny, man. Horrible. That's funny. And one more. And like right after this, y'all catch me over Rec Room Sports.
02:14:01
Speaker
There you go. Nice. I'll sure to catch that up. Mel, where can they find you? Man Down Sports on YouTube, y'all. ah We do full panel Friday on Fridays at 4.30 Pacific time and 7.30 Eastern time. Yeah, I had to think about that for a second. I do the same thing. With Friday, we got the full panel. It's usually at least four of us, but sometimes it's six of us.
02:14:25
Speaker
And that's you know that's real good. A lot of good conversation, a lot of debate. A lot of laughter, all that good stuff. And then I do my solo shows randomly throughout the week. So I try to do one solo and one ah full panel Friday every week. So you get an opportunity to catch my stuff at least twice a week.
02:14:46
Speaker
Oh, wow. yeah how
02:14:54
Speaker
Now, mental catching, you know what? Let me stop. I'm not even going to ask what your stand is on that one. Bobby, you can't. Bobby, you cannot. Bobby, you've been waiting for somebody to slip. No, you've been. No. He was waiting. He was waiting for that shit. He was waiting. He was locked and loaded.
02:15:14
Speaker
Pause. Pause. He was locked and loaded, bro.
02:15:21
Speaker
sir wait but I almost got out of here too. You would have been pissed off if you would have caught that one. You was waiting so... He'd have been so mad. He'd have been off. He'd have been like, damn, I didn't get anybody back, man.
02:15:33
Speaker
the I've been patiently waiting. Well, hey, brothers, again, thank you so much. This was an amazing time. So much fun. We'll get you back on ah closer to the season. We'll do another NBA review roundtable.
02:15:49
Speaker
Everybody, please make sure you tap in with them on YouTube and all of their other ah social channels. Really great content there as well. You know where to find me, Ball and Buds, me and the rest of the crew. ah You got the handy QR code up there and also hit that like button.
02:16:01
Speaker
whether you're watching live or on the replay, and we will catch you on the flip side for all my brothers here. ah Y'all have an amazing week. Oh, by the way, I will be on Thursday, 8 p.m. Eastern with the boxing crew.
02:16:12
Speaker
We'll be going over the fights this weekend. Deontay Wilder, Jake Paul, we'll be talking all the BS fights from this weekend. And as well, UFC 317 Saturday, ah probably 4 Eastern there, but that's
Acknowledgments and Creative Segment
02:16:24
Speaker
to be determined. But Thursday night is 8 Eastern.
02:16:26
Speaker
all right, brothers. Thank you so much, Wildcard Marr and everybody else that tapped in on the show. Y'all make sure you tap in with Wildcard Marr, IOW Sports, and all of that great content there as well. ah Those are our family.
02:16:37
Speaker
And we will holler at you next time. Peace. right, y'all.
02:16:43
Speaker
Peace with the Millions.
02:16:49
Speaker
That world heavyweight flow Championship belt Wrapped around my waist yo I got that Ric Flair fake it flow Slam you on the page then that's why they call me Street Pro Create heat on beat flow Like Jordan after the second time he three-peated folks Get ready set let's go Fight toe to toe release the flow Created by this
02:17:19
Speaker
Man with the master plan and you have no need to know. You can't prepare, now get ready for the show. Sports Professor on.