The Jimmy and Steph Honeymoon, Austin Reaves’s Importance, and Is a Rebuild Loading for the 76ers?

The Jimmy and Steph Honeymoon, Austin Reaves’s Importance, and Is a Rebuild Loading for the 76ers?

Released Monday, 10th February 2025
Good episode? Give it some love!
The Jimmy and Steph Honeymoon, Austin Reaves’s Importance, and Is a Rebuild Loading for the 76ers?

The Jimmy and Steph Honeymoon, Austin Reaves’s Importance, and Is a Rebuild Loading for the 76ers?

The Jimmy and Steph Honeymoon, Austin Reaves’s Importance, and Is a Rebuild Loading for the 76ers?

The Jimmy and Steph Honeymoon, Austin Reaves’s Importance, and Is a Rebuild Loading for the 76ers?

Monday, 10th February 2025
Good episode? Give it some love!
Rate Episode

Episode Transcript

Transcripts are displayed as originally observed. Some content, including advertisements may have changed.

Use Ctrl + F to search

0:00

Hey there humanoids, it's the masked man David

0:03

Shoemaker. It's a new era in professional

0:05

wrestling, and that means a new era

0:07

here at the Ring of Wrestling Show.

0:09

Cas here, every Monday and Thursday, hang

0:11

out with me and my guy's shoes

0:13

on the Mass Man Show. And Ben

0:16

Cruise here, come kick it with me,

0:18

Cal, and Brian on Tuesdays for Ring

0:20

of Wrestling worldwide. where we hit on

0:22

the most interesting headlines and even react

0:24

to some of Mass Man's and even

0:26

your hottest takes. Don't tap out. Tap

0:28

in to the Ring of Wrestling show

0:31

feed now on Spotify or wherever

0:33

you get your podcast. Worldwide!

0:40

I can say to my new Samsung

0:43

Galaxy S-25 Ultra, I find a

0:45

keto-friendly restaurant nearby and text it

0:47

to Beth and Steve. And it

0:49

does without me lifting a finger.

0:51

So I can get in more

0:53

squats anywhere I can. One. Two.

0:55

Three. Will that be cash or credit?

0:58

Credit. Four. Galaxy S-25 Ultra,

1:00

the AI companion that does the

1:02

heavy lifting so you can do

1:04

you. Get yours at Samsung.com. Compatible,

1:06

select, aftercar's Google Gemini account results

1:08

may vary based on input check

1:10

responses for accuracy. This episode

1:12

is brought to you by Allstate. Some people

1:14

just know they could save hundreds on

1:17

car insurance by checking Allstate first, like

1:19

you know to check the date of

1:21

the Big Game first, before you accidentally

1:23

buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary.

1:25

and have to spend the next 20

1:27

years of your marriage making up for

1:29

it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So

1:31

check Allstate first for a quote that

1:33

could save you hundreds. You're in good

1:36

hands with Allstate. Savings varying terms apply.

1:38

Allstate, fire and casualty insurance company and

1:40

affiliates Northbrook Illinois. Welcome

1:54

back to Offguard. I'm your host Austin Rivers

1:56

along with my co-host as always Pasha Higgi.

1:58

We are back in the Building for more

2:01

basketball coverage is always hope everybody's doing

2:03

well. My guy, how are you doing?

2:05

Doing good. I, uh, much like everyone

2:07

else in not just the United States,

2:09

but in the world, watched the Super

2:11

Bowl last night. Uh, I have a

2:13

couple of takes. Let's start with what

2:15

you think. Canoes fast. I mean, it

2:17

sucks as the last piece of balls.

2:19

I'm sure. I'm sure the ratings were

2:21

high, but everything about it. From, from,

2:23

from, from, from, from, from, from. For

2:25

football, I feel like, I feel like,

2:27

I feel like, I feel like. Blow,

2:29

I would say pause. You know, to

2:32

have that trade happen the week of

2:34

the Super Bowl, it almost like passed

2:36

by them before you know it's Sunday, it's

2:38

like, oh, Super Bowl is tomorrow. You're like,

2:40

whoa, what? We've been covering Lucca and all

2:42

this stuff so hard, trade deadline. For once,

2:44

maybe we took a little bit from them.

2:47

Listen, football is the biggest sport in America.

2:49

Obviously, the NBA is much larger of a

2:51

brand than the NFL, but as an American

2:53

sport, and probably always will remain. you know,

2:56

a numeroo. And yesterday, I'm sure the views

2:58

were reflective of that, but for me, just

3:00

due to how the game went, obviously the

3:02

Eagles, if you're an Eagles fan, you probably

3:04

had a blast, but to everyone else who's,

3:07

you know, in the middle, for me, a

3:09

guy who's like, not a huge football guy,

3:11

but likes watching the big games, just like

3:13

anything. You know, I don't have no dog

3:15

in a show, I don't, I don't care

3:18

if it's... My homes game might have been

3:20

one of the more intriguing games to watch.

3:22

I don't know what happened. I've never seen

3:24

the Chiefs play like that. I've never even

3:26

seen Pat my homes play like that. They

3:29

just seemed flustered and out of place. It

3:31

just seemed not, it wasn't competitive at all

3:33

from start to finish. It just seemed not,

3:35

it wasn't competitive at all from start to

3:37

finish. Within the first, from start to finish.

3:40

Within the first, they were, it's competitive at

3:42

all from start to finish something down. I'm

3:44

like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm

3:46

like, I'm like, I don't, I don't, I

3:49

don't, I don't know, I don't, I don't,

3:51

I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't

3:53

know, I don't, I don't, I don't, I

3:55

don't know, I don't, I don't know, I

3:57

don't know, I don't, I don't, I don't,

4:00

This is though. They're not coming back. And

4:02

then you saw the body, like they, they

4:04

panned, it was like mid-third quarter. Still

4:06

a whole quarter left. And mind you,

4:08

they did end up putting some points

4:11

on the board, but the game was

4:13

so far out of reach, it couldn't

4:15

have come back. But it was like third

4:17

quarter, they're down like four

4:19

touchdowns. They panned that damn, bro, they

4:22

were like, game was over. And I'll give

4:24

credit to Pat. He played awful, but like,

4:26

like, kept trying. kept competing and I just

4:28

felt like they had him scrambling all night

4:31

I saw that little body of his just

4:33

wattle around but there was a possession where

4:35

he was just running through different I was

4:37

like every play these dudes are on his

4:40

ass they were I don't know a lot about football

4:42

but from the average Joe you would say in

4:44

terms of football knowledge I was watching that

4:46

game and even I could tell like this one

4:48

team looked ready and prepared and hungry and

4:50

came out like swinging and the other one

4:53

just thought that they were just kind of kind

4:55

of show up and show up and show up and

4:57

win because maybe that's just what they've done in the

4:59

past or maybe they've won obviously this would have been

5:01

the third in a row all these distractions all these

5:04

things going on it seemed like the Super Bowl overwhelmed

5:06

them almost like they all these things were going on they

5:08

just forgot to show up and compete well I mean they

5:10

just forgot to show up and compete well I mean they

5:12

went all those close games all year and I feel like

5:14

they just like it wasn't a close game for the

5:16

middle win yeah I don't know that much about

5:18

football looks like the offensive the offensive line for the

5:21

offensive line the offensive line for the offensive line for

5:23

the offensive line for the offensive line for the

5:25

Chiefs line for the Chiefs of the Chiefs I

5:27

just hate the way things are. We

5:29

talked about this before on the pod.

5:31

We're now, if you go on your

5:33

social media, people are just crushing Pat

5:36

Malms. Like, he didn't just go to

5:38

the Super Bowl. And it's just, we're

5:40

in this culture now where everything is

5:42

so, when he loves someone, like, when

5:44

he loves someone, like, when they love

5:47

someone, we're praising someone, like, when they

5:49

beat the bills, we're praising, we're, all obsessed

5:51

with someone, and we just hate them, and

5:53

killed them, there's, He's probably like man a

5:56

week ago everyone was praising me calling me

5:58

to go and now I'm like I

6:00

don't know, I just... Who said he's

6:02

not by the Montana? There's just a

6:04

lot of hands on. I've seen stuff

6:07

like that though, yeah. And of course

6:09

Brady calling the game doesn't help, right?

6:11

Well no, they had a, they had

6:13

a video of, they had a video

6:15

of, they had a, they had a

6:17

video of, um, they had a, they

6:19

had a video of, um, they had

6:21

a, they had a video of, um,

6:23

watching this game like. He's a sucker.

6:25

He's a sucker. It's not fun, I'm

6:28

sure. For Brady, a guy who's played

6:30

for as long as he did, had

6:32

the success he's had, he's been unanimously,

6:34

I would say, tagged as the goat

6:36

of football, you got this young guy

6:38

who's played not even half of, you

6:40

know, Brady's Karari has three, four, right?

6:42

Three. Three already? No, I thought it

6:44

was three in a row, he's one,

6:46

three. Oh, okay, yeah, he's one three,

6:49

this would have been his fourth, but

6:51

this would have been three in a

6:53

row for him. You know, at the

6:55

pace that he's going, I'm sure Brady's

6:57

like, this guy's gonna end up being

6:59

the greatest of all time, you know

7:01

what I mean? And I would imagine

7:03

the same competitive streak that made Tom

7:05

who he is, I don't know if

7:08

that ever dies. I'm sure, you know,

7:10

you obviously don't have as much because

7:12

you don't compete anymore, but that competitive

7:14

inside. You don't think you don't think

7:16

you watch is this and be like,

7:18

you don't think you watch is this

7:20

and be like, and be like, and

7:22

be like, and be like, and be

7:24

like, You know what I mean? It's

7:26

like when Michael watched all these, you

7:29

know, LeBron pass him in scoring or

7:31

become all-time great. You didn't see like

7:33

a huge LeBron tweet or Michael tweet

7:35

about Michael tweet about Michael like, you

7:37

know, I mean, like, because that's just

7:39

what makes them who they are. It's

7:41

what makes these guys all so competitive.

7:43

And there's nothing wrong with giving people

7:45

flowers, but yeah, needless to say, that

7:47

wasn't a valid effort, I would say,

7:50

on the Chiefs. I mean his super

7:52

records three and two, Tom Brady's at

7:54

this point, his first five super rolls

7:56

where he was never three and two.

7:58

The difference is the shellacking. Tom

8:00

Brady never got killed who did who did us a

8:02

pat loose to Tom Brady. He did

8:04

lose one Tom. Yeah. Oh,

8:06

no Yeah, I feel

8:08

like you're finding out right now that Tom Brady

8:10

tells you I don't know shit about football

8:12

Oh, this is like the uncovering football. He's like,

8:15

wait, so Tom Brady's just the best, right?

8:17

Yeah. Yeah I'm trying to figure this out. Yeah,

8:19

I know Tom's regarded as the best and

8:21

like past the new guy in the block who

8:23

they Think's gonna pass him and some people

8:25

like he's already few ones three to row He's

8:27

a goat, you know, I already hear this

8:29

and then I hear people like just so against

8:31

it Like, you know, it's it's very similar

8:33

to like the Jordan LeBron thing I I get

8:35

that same type of feeling you got like

8:37

new school like Pat And then you got people who

8:39

watch Tom his whole career like you guys have

8:41

no idea what you're talking about It's kind of

8:43

how I get with Michael LeBron like LeBron's career.

8:45

He's done this Michael couldn't never be like, you

8:47

know Michael was It's

8:49

never gonna Yeah I don't know if that argument will

8:51

ever be settled because the old school has made up their

8:54

mind on Michael New school is made up their mind

8:56

on LeBron and then even some of these people in new

8:58

school who say Michael people like Did you watch them?

9:00

Do you even know what you're talking about? Right, you know,

9:02

I mean and then there's old people who say all

9:04

LeBron ain't this do you actually watch LeBron? Do you know

9:06

what you're talking about? Like I don't know. Yeah, you

9:08

know, it's speaking of LeBron It's pretty insane the way he's

9:10

been playing and the way the Lakers have been playing

9:12

even without Luca obviously so far Yeah,

9:14

they're kind of you know how I say

9:16

one minute people social media is like well Mom's is the

9:18

best and they're like he's overrated. I watched it happen

9:20

with Anthony Davis over the last week where when he got

9:22

Traded for Luca they were like this guy's washed up

9:24

He's a bum and then the first three quarters of that

9:26

game his first game with the Mavericks They're like told

9:28

y 'all the Mavericks had a steal like my whole timeline

9:30

was like you guys thought Anthony Davis was a bum He's

9:32

gonna come in here by a block then he got

9:34

hurt and they were like that's why you didn't want

9:36

to That's why you shouldn't trade for me anything.

9:38

It up and go up when it was

9:40

like an it's like an ocean It was the

9:42

waves were up and then crashing and then

9:44

down and then crashing again First of all most

9:46

people listen to us understand this Anthony Davis

9:48

is the top 75 player of all time Yeah,

9:50

okay, this is he is by no means

9:52

a scrub And we made it clear on this

9:54

pod that if this trade happened seven eight

9:56

years ago Nobody would have thought it was that

9:58

nobody would have been like, oh my

10:00

God, how did they do this? Why

10:03

did they do this? Because at that

10:05

time, Anthony Davis was the top five

10:07

player in the NBA. You know what

10:09

I mean? Like, his first year with

10:12

LA or his first or his last

10:14

couple years with New Orleans, Anthony Davis

10:16

was like regarded as the best big

10:18

in basketball. So at that point, as

10:21

the best big in basketball. So at

10:23

the Davis was like regarded as the

10:25

best big in basketball. So at that

10:27

point, so it's like, If it happened

10:29

then, 2014 to 2015, if you

10:31

made this trade, it wouldn't have

10:34

been a big of a deal.

10:36

It would have been a blockbuster

10:38

trade because it would have been two

10:40

greats going for each other. But

10:42

like, it wouldn't have been as

10:44

a big of a deal because Anthony

10:47

Davis was in his prime and

10:49

young. The reason why we thought

10:51

this trade was a catastrophe was

10:54

due to Anthony Davis's age. That's

10:56

why people... I'm only saying this

10:58

because he goes to Dallas and

11:00

has a great first game. And

11:02

everyone's like, what'd y'all expect? I

11:05

don't know if y'all watch him

11:07

with the Lakers, he's having a

11:09

hell of a year. He's very

11:11

good. Anthony Davis still, at the

11:14

end of his prime, at the end

11:16

of his prime, on his way out,

11:18

is still, on his way out, his

11:20

prime, is still, on his way out

11:22

of his career, and then where

11:24

Lucas he's playing out of it.

11:26

Simple as that. Otherwise, if they

11:28

are both 25, 25. We wouldn't be

11:30

having this big of a reaction. The world wouldn't have won't

11:32

a win of Holt. Well, potentially because a guy like Luka

11:34

and his prime at 25 that just came out the finals

11:37

has never been traded. No, that's true. But it feels for

11:39

like a top five big and you had kireen. Now it's

11:41

just like, okay. You got like a top five big and

11:43

you had kiree and now it's just like, okay, you got

11:45

like a top five player going and you had, now, it's

11:47

just like, it's just like a top five big and you

11:49

had, and you had, and you had, and you had, and

11:51

you had, and you had, Kiree, and you had, and you

11:53

had, Kiree, and you had, Kiree, and you had, and you

11:55

had, and you had, Kiree, and you had, and you had, and

11:57

now, and now, and now, and now, and now, and now it's, and

11:59

now it's, Which is actually really sad, right? Like

12:01

he's doing his job at the end of

12:03

the day. He's not doing his job, but

12:05

you know what I mean. But I know

12:07

what you're saying, yes, he's just doing his

12:09

job technically, he's trying to. So, and I,

12:12

listen, we said this also, Nico's history of

12:14

trades are actually pretty damn good. Prior to

12:16

this one, every trade he's made has been

12:18

a very good contribution for the Mavericks, I'm

12:20

sorry, for the Mavericks, whether it's the Gaffer,

12:22

the Gafferher, the PJ, the PJ, the PJ,

12:24

the PJ, the PJ, the PJ, the PJ,

12:26

PJ, the, PJ, the, PJ, the, He's done

12:28

very well in building out this Mavericks team

12:30

signing Kyrie when people kind of gave up

12:32

on Kyrie bringing Dante Exim back when no

12:34

one really thought he could even play anymore

12:36

which is very rare to go to yearly

12:38

and come back so it is very rare

12:40

I don't know exactly no offense I don't

12:42

know what Dante Exim does for the Mavericks

12:44

but he's there he's a rotation guy I'm

12:46

not saying I'm not saying he's a bad

12:48

player I'm is he better than Grimes is

12:51

he better than Grimes? Is he better than

12:53

Grimes? Is he better than Grimes? I don't

12:55

think either. It's not like a landslide either

12:57

way. But I don't know if you saw

12:59

that. It's about to be gobbled up. Max

13:01

Christie's in their torch and right now. Yeah,

13:03

he's got, well, wait a while, he's like

13:05

Max Christie. The governing owner, Patrick Dumont, his

13:07

comments, people have been crushing him. He said,

13:09

if you look at the former grades and

13:11

they, you know, magic and Kobe and Kobe

13:13

and Kobe and Michael. Okay I was with

13:15

you until you said Shacks Shacks a lot

13:17

of things we think he's the most dominant

13:19

player in NBA history and if you had

13:21

one game one night he might be one

13:23

of those guys you pick but he worked

13:25

himself in his shape and was continuously out

13:27

of shape it wasn't he's one of those

13:30

guys that dominated but he could have worked

13:32

harder dominated more it just shows a you

13:34

have a lack of basketball knowledge yeah b

13:36

you don't know what you're talking about see

13:38

for you to even name a whole bunch

13:40

of players and not mentioned Dirk someone who's

13:42

within your own who's within your own town

13:44

who's within your own town state with that

13:46

franchise for However long and you guys have

13:48

many many seasons where you guys didn't make

13:50

finals runs or didn't even make the playoffs

13:52

sometimes like they lost a 1-8 that yeah

13:54

to the Warriors they got smacked do they

13:56

just trade? them that time and then the

13:58

next summer to mark Cuban come out and

14:00

say well if you're not about working hard

14:02

or championships then like bro it's it's just

14:04

blasphemous okay this whole thing is character assassination's

14:06

gone way too far about him and he

14:08

did all this and then you're talking about

14:11

he doesn't work hard and this is the

14:13

body doesn't work hard and this is the

14:15

body doesn't work hard and this is the buddy took

14:17

you whatever he took you whatever he was doing he took

14:19

you to the finals on one leg now you're clearly good

14:21

at business and that you in the positions that you're in

14:23

the positions that you're in the positions that you're in your

14:26

in your in your in your in your life Like

14:28

you built championship organizations, and

14:30

you know what you're

14:32

doing you just walked in the show

14:34

bro Just take it easy. I'm not

14:36

even being disrespectful towards

14:38

you right now I'm just keeping it

14:41

a hundred You want to come out

14:43

with comments about luka, and you didn't

14:45

say his name But who else are

14:47

you talking about luka, but who else

14:49

are you talking about? But who else

14:52

are you talking about all right? It's

14:54

his name, but who else are you

14:56

talking about all right? I have played

14:58

him in games where he

15:00

has absolutely dismantled the defense.

15:03

And we've had the freakiest

15:05

athletes in the world guarding him.

15:07

Pause. And he cooked us 35, 7,

15:09

10. This is what he averages damn

15:11

near on a nightly basis. He's led

15:13

the league in scoring. He's been in

15:16

top of the, in assist. His first

15:18

team all NBA, five times straight. You don't do these types, you

15:20

got your team to the conference finals, but a team that had

15:22

no business even being there, but you beat a team that was

15:24

better than you, Phoenix, because they were set up at that time,

15:26

better than you, but you just went in there, went eight, just

15:28

straight up crazy mode in game seven, got them to the conference

15:30

finals. Then a few years later, you get all the way to

15:32

the finals, but you match up with the best team the East has had,

15:34

and over fucking, I don't even know, since, since, since I don't know, since

15:36

I don't know, since I don't know when, since I don't know when. Maybe

15:38

since I don't know when. Maybe since I don't know when. Maybe since I

15:40

don't know when. Maybe since I don't know when, since I don't know when.

15:43

Maybe since I don't know when. Maybe since I don't know when. Maybe since

15:45

I don't know when. Maybe since I don't know when.

15:47

Maybe since the last, since on like the the

15:49

luka bashing it's it's all false it's bs could

15:51

he be in better shape could he do things

15:53

better sure maybe i don't know all i could

15:55

tell you is whatever he's done so far has

15:57

worked very very well in fact i was in

15:59

much better shaped in Luca. I never, ever was

16:01

a first team all NBA. I never had

16:03

the stamina to put up the numbers that this

16:05

guy put up. I never had the weight

16:07

of a team on my shoulders every single night

16:10

to go score 30 and then also dish

16:12

out dimes for everyone to score as well. So

16:14

enough of the BS. One thing you didn't

16:16

even mention is all those summers he played for

16:18

Slovenia. This is the first time he did

16:20

it. He's playing for every summer. He plays basketball

16:22

year round. He's playing for Slovenia. The usage

16:24

rates just as high as the ball every play.

16:26

get the ball every single play all the

16:29

way to the finals play from September to

16:31

June. And then also every

16:33

summer play like that. It's just,

16:35

I did not like his comments. I

16:37

thought they were ill timed. I

16:39

thought they were insensitive. I thought

16:41

they were attacking someone's character. Don't come on here

16:44

with these comments about all world players talking about the

16:46

greats and how they approached and if you're not

16:48

going to do that, then you don't need to be

16:50

here. And then you're going to name a bunch

16:52

of greats that have nothing to do with the Dallas

16:54

Mavericks. And then you even named one who wasn't

16:56

even known for being hardworking. He was just a freak,

16:58

athlete and talent check. So what the hell are

17:00

you talking about? He's just saying

17:02

stuff. I didn't like that at all.

17:04

On the Lakers side of things, a

17:06

guy that we just haven't really been talking about because

17:08

we talked about the Lakers talk about obviously Luca

17:10

and LeBron and how they're going to mesh. Talk about

17:13

Dorian Finney -Smith and all these other players. Austin Reeves,

17:15

we kind of agree that he should be a

17:17

paying preacher off the bench. Not

17:19

only did he have a game winner against the Warriors, then

17:22

he also turns around without LeBron,

17:24

obviously without Luca and these guys,

17:26

and has 45, eight and eight.

17:28

On the Pacers. 45, seven and

17:30

seven. Cookin. Career high. It's just,

17:33

we don't have to talk about as far as like where

17:35

Austin Reeves stands, as far as rankings in the NBA,

17:37

but there are certain level of players that could put

17:39

up these numbers. And guys that are ranked higher than

17:41

Austin Reeves, that are probably better players than Austin Reeves,

17:43

can't put up 45, seven and seven. Like what? So

17:45

it's a special talent. So give me one. Let's

17:48

give you an example. Okay. So do you

17:50

have a new door above Austin Reeves and

17:52

rankings? Okay. Do

17:54

you have Derek White above Austin Reeves? I think Derek White

17:56

can give you 45, seven and seven and lead

17:58

a team. I'm not. I'm not trying to

18:00

this Derek why, I'm trying to give you an example of... I

18:02

know what you're saying. Like Cole Anthony for the Magic, a lot

18:04

of, he wasn't getting play for the beginning of the year, but

18:07

he's also a kind of guy, if you do play him, he could

18:09

go off for 30. But he's a score. There's a special kind of

18:11

player that could do that though, I think Austin here's pretty can do

18:13

that. Yes, I would have Austin Reeves ahead of Lou Dort. Are you

18:15

out of your mind? No, I was trying to give you, I was

18:17

trying to think of guys like, there's, it takes a certain different kind

18:19

of talent. Well, there's some guys who could just score, but they follow

18:21

all around. I was like, I could say that about you, you're the

18:23

guy that could go off for 40. No for sure, but there's guys

18:25

who can go off for 40. But there's guys who can go for

18:27

a guy that could go off for 40. No, but there's, a guy

18:29

that could go off for a guy that could go off for 40. No,

18:31

that could go off, that could go off for 40. No,

18:33

that could go off, that could go for 40. No,

18:35

that could go off, that could go off, that could

18:37

go for 40. No, that could go off, that could

18:39

go off, that could go off, that could go for

18:41

40. No, that could go off, that could go for

18:43

40. If you took Tatum and Brown off the team

18:45

and you just had Derek White out there one of

18:48

those nights, be like, hey man, we need you to

18:50

really be aggressive. He probably could go for 47. The

18:52

way he shoots the ball, the playmaking part, I don't

18:54

know. I don't know if he's gonna have

18:56

45 with 8 and 8. I do think

18:58

he could go for 40. I'm not trying

19:00

to say, Austin Reeves is clearly something

19:03

that... Well yeah, Derek White's on

19:05

the floor to do other things.

19:07

He rebound deflections and then he's a...

19:09

All League defenders. So like, that's

19:11

why it makes him talented, right? It's

19:13

like, some people maybe have Josh

19:15

Hart ranked ahead of Austin Reeves,

19:17

but like, Josh Hart could never score

19:19

45, but that's not what makes Josh

19:22

Hart good good. Josh Hart's gonna give

19:24

you 15, but he's gonna give you

19:26

15, but he's gonna give you seven

19:28

eight rebounds, he's gonna have seven eight

19:30

rebounds, he's gonna have any loose ball

19:32

that's near him, you can go ahead and

19:34

chalk it up, it's his, that's what he does.

19:36

It's bad if you start all of them. If

19:38

you start Reeves, Lucca, LeBron, Hochi, Moore, they don't

19:41

have, who's going on the bench, they don't have, I mean,

19:43

I mean, we talked about this last time, with Gabe Vincent,

19:45

these guys, they're not really that creators, and the

19:47

second unit always needs one. Those guys are good

19:49

when they're playing around really good players. Then we

19:51

talked about how LeBron could always run with the

19:53

second unit if he's not doing as much with

19:56

Lucca in the first unit. Yeah, you could take

19:58

one of them, you could take one of them, like Reeves

20:00

off the bench for this team with with Luka

20:02

there I don't think Reeves is a bench player

20:04

I think Reeves could start on a lot of

20:07

teams in the end. So I was paying Pritchard

20:09

exactly so let me just get that straight I'm

20:11

not calling Reeves a bench player I don't think

20:13

Reeves is a six man type of role I

20:15

think for this team he should be that type

20:18

of role on another team you might be your

20:20

starting to but for for what's all tens of

20:22

purposes of purposes of right now and just them

20:24

having a balanced attack with both Honestly,

20:27

if I'm Austin Reeves, I would want to

20:29

be in the second unit. The ball's gonna

20:31

be in my hands, but otherwise, with

20:33

Luca LeBron out there, it might... I

20:35

don't know how much the ball's gonna be

20:37

in his hands. We saw him have 45,

20:40

because this guy was coming off picking rolls

20:42

and behind the back and stepbacks and doing

20:44

some stuff, like, that was available to

20:46

him. With both of those guys on

20:48

the floor, I don't know if Reeves

20:50

gets that same. Now the ball's in your

20:53

hands. And you can still bring back

20:55

one of those guys, you know, to

20:57

play the second unit, but Reeves will

20:59

be one of the guys who, you

21:01

know, obviously influences the offense a little

21:03

bit more. So I would have him

21:06

off the bench. With Mark Williams, the

21:08

trade being rescinded, crazy. That

21:10

doesn't happen often. That doesn't

21:12

happen. That doesn't happen. That

21:14

doesn't happen. That doesn't happen.

21:17

That doesn't happen to, that's

21:19

the trade being, crazy. was

21:21

traded as a funder, filled of

21:23

physical, from that Charlotte, same

21:25

Charlotte organization, and he ended

21:27

up playing like 15 more years

21:29

in the NBA. So Mark Williams,

21:32

this isn't exactly like a career

21:34

death sentence, right? Like types of

21:36

channel, I was able to play way

21:38

longer after that. The Lakers, I just

21:41

think, they've realized they've gave up a

21:43

lot for this guy, and if they

21:45

don't think he's fully healthy, they

21:47

don't want to make a bad

21:49

trade, especially, you know, You know, so

21:51

listen, it's a weird situation to be

21:54

in for both players. You go back to

21:56

a place where it's not that you don't

21:58

feel welcomed, but they... at the

22:00

end of the day we're trying to get

22:02

better by moving you and that's not

22:04

a good feeling to have. It'd be like

22:06

your girlfriend, you know, picking a new

22:09

guy, trading you for a new guy and

22:11

then the trade doesn't go through. You'd

22:13

be back with her like, well, I know

22:15

you want someone else or you think

22:17

you can be better without me. It's not

22:19

a weird, it's a weird thing. I

22:21

remember and situation was different because I ended

22:24

up not going even traveling with the

22:26

team again. I was with the Wizards and

22:28

me and Kelly Ubrea got traded and

22:30

the trade got resended because they got the

22:32

wrong Brooks wrong. And for whatever reason,

22:34

somebody's under the impression

22:37

that they're getting Dylan Brooks and not

22:39

Marshawn Brooks. So we were told after the

22:41

game that me and him got traded.

22:43

We were on our way out. I mean,

22:45

I wasn't even, I got my bags,

22:47

went back to the hotels and I'm just

22:49

to stay the night and then travel

22:51

to Phoenix because that's where I thought I

22:53

was headed. I was very excited because

22:55

I was playing for the Wizards team, which

22:57

I don't know if anybody knows, but

22:59

that probably won't be the worst organizations I've

23:01

ever played. At that time, different people

23:03

running it now. And

23:06

then they said they got

23:08

the Brooks wrong, which would happen

23:10

with them. So

23:13

we ended up riding the plane back with the team

23:15

that just traded us and me and Kelly were on

23:17

that plane. I

23:19

remember the GM walked by and said,

23:21

hey, sorry, this is a weird position

23:23

to be in, but we all love

23:26

y 'all. And I remember he walked away

23:28

and I looked at Kelly and Kelly

23:30

goes, fuck

23:32

that guy. So

23:34

you and Kelly, obviously you sat next to each other on the plane.

23:37

we sat next to each other. We talked it. I

23:39

remember John there all cracking jokes at

23:41

the plane, but it was just like,

23:43

it was part of the business. Plus

23:45

we knew that was our last plane

23:47

ride with them. So we were just

23:50

like, all right, this is weird, but

23:52

okay, it just happens. For this, it's

23:54

even more weird because you got to

23:56

finish out the year with them. It's

23:58

one thing. I had a plane ride.

24:00

back. Dalton Connect has to figure out a way to

24:02

get back on the court. You know what I mean?

24:04

Is that trade? The tricky thing is the trade

24:06

that line already passing. And the the tricky

24:08

thing for I'm sure Dalton's mind is man

24:11

two three months ago I was to steal

24:13

the draft. I was the guy that LeBron

24:15

was tweeting about like man y'all fucked up

24:17

we got Dalton Connect. How fast it goes.

24:19

That's another roller coaster right? This guy

24:22

has an unbelievable college season. Yep. Slides

24:24

in the draft is 17. Everyone's wondering

24:26

why. So then he's probably feeling like,

24:28

what the hell. Then he goes to

24:31

the Lakers? Yeah, they goes to the

24:33

Lakers. Everyone else has some games. Everybody's

24:35

like, yo, this dude is, we got

24:38

a star, look out Reeves. This guy's

24:40

taking all of your minutes, Reeves.

24:42

That's what people. This guy's taking

24:44

all of your minutes, Reeves. That's

24:47

taking all your minutes, Reeves. This

24:49

guy's taking all your minutes, Reeves.

24:51

That's what people. you know, Reeves is

24:53

going to have to be much aside here

24:55

and like this, this is the guy. Fast

24:57

forward, they're trying to trade and Reeves going

24:59

for 48 and 8. So you just like,

25:02

it's so hard to pin something on

25:04

somebody and just like the roller coaster

25:06

of just emotions and overall just anything, just

25:08

how much the NBA can be a roller coaster for players.

25:10

It's, it's unbelievable. You always say don't ever, don't ever get

25:12

too high, don't ever get too low. Ever Dylan Brooks when

25:14

the Grizzliesley's lost, like, like... and the post game, they're not

25:16

bringing them back, which is like the weirdest thing ever. Then

25:19

he plays with Team Canada, scores like 38 or 39 against

25:21

USA. Then he could sign an 80 million dollar deal, so

25:23

the Grizzlies, people are talking about, he's not gonna be in

25:25

the NBA anymore, sounds like 80 million dollar deal, and now

25:27

he's a pretty key part for a top three seat in

25:29

the West. So it's the roller coaster of like, it's so.

25:31

No, I remember when they said they said they're not bringing

25:34

Dylan Brooks back, they're not bringing Dylan Brooks back, people, people,

25:36

they're like, they're like, they're like, they're like, they're like, they're

25:38

like, they're like, they're like, they're like, they're like, they're like,

25:40

they're like, they're like, they're like, they're like, they're like, they're

25:42

like, they're like, they're like, they're like, they're like, they're like,

25:44

they're like, they This guy goes to Team Canada Hopes,

25:46

gets 80 million, and now he's like, you know,

25:49

the fourth best player in like a competing team

25:51

in the West. It just like, just don't ever

25:53

count yourself out, don't ever count yourself in. Yeah.

25:55

Just don't get too comfortable, either way. You know,

25:57

especially in the NBA, it's such a cold business.

26:00

If we haven't learned anything from just the things

26:02

we just talked about, the best part in the

26:04

world got traded out and people in his own

26:06

ownership or new ownership was talking shit about him.

26:08

This could happen. So it's just like if you

26:10

could get traded, Luka can get traded, anybody

26:12

can get traded. Anybody can get traded.

26:14

Anybody is available. This is the Western

26:16

NBA. All right? This is that new age

26:19

NBA where people are just, it's not the 80

26:21

or 90s where you play for a team for

26:23

a team for seven years, seven years, man. You

26:25

can be a don't connect four or five months

26:27

ago, be untouchable is what they call them. Our

26:30

player connects untouchable, man, they're about to just move

26:32

him from Mark Williams out of nowhere. So that

26:34

just tells you like, the NBA and where it's

26:36

at right now, and then you wonder why

26:39

players don't have any loyalty to any fan

26:41

bases or anything like that, because this is

26:43

what they're dealing with, man. It's nuts. And

26:45

that's why we do appreciate when you get

26:47

a stuff. or Janus, or Nicola. And you

26:49

see one of these guys who are just

26:52

with one team and don't want to move.

26:54

It's refreshing. And then we see this stuff

26:56

with Jimmy, and it pulls you back into

26:58

why Owners Actors Actors. I mean, I'm not

27:00

saying that's why, because of Jimmy, because the

27:02

owners have been trading players for years.

27:04

But you see that, you're like, how

27:07

good this is for basketball. You know what

27:09

I mean, like, it's just crazy, man. This

27:11

year has really taught me. Like goodness gracious

27:13

man like that's one thing I don't

27:15

miss about the NBA the exhaustion of

27:17

just like being unsettled every day

27:19

and not knowing if your family is going to

27:21

be moved or where your career trajectory could be

27:23

if you go to the wrong team with the

27:25

wrong fit and play for a coach that doesn't

27:27

believe in you you could go from being a

27:30

guy just scored 20 points a game or 18

27:32

points a game 15 a game doing a team

27:34

or like you're barely playing you're like am I

27:36

gonna be at the league? That's how weird it

27:38

is. And you obviously though with that, we don't have to

27:40

get it too into it, but I know you felt like

27:42

there were certain situations that didn't best, you

27:44

know, let you reach your potential and it

27:46

kind of probably makes you think, this is messing

27:49

with my potential legacy, my money, and all these

27:51

things. You can't help to think these thoughts, because in

27:53

the moment you can't see the light at the end

27:55

of the tunnel, because it's not realistic yet. All you

27:57

have is where you have is where you're at.

27:59

And the NBA, all you have is where you are. I don't

28:01

know who I'm playing with next, and I don't know if that opportunity

28:03

is ever gonna come. I used to go to the practice facility when

28:06

I was in New Orleans every day and work out and practice after

28:08

the game and get shots up. And people are like, okay, I see

28:10

you staying ready. I'm like, no, no, I'm not staying ready for you

28:12

guys. I'm not here working out for the pelicans. This is for whoever

28:14

I play for next. I'm here. I'm here in the gym, after the

28:16

gym, after the gym, after the game, after the game, after the game,

28:18

after the game, at 1 AM, at 1 AM, at 1 AM, at

28:20

1 AM, at 1 AM, at 1 AM, at 1 AM, at 1

28:22

AM, at 1 AM, at 1 AM, 1 AM, 1 AM, 1 AM,

28:24

1 AM, 1 AM, 1 AM, 1 AM, 1 AM, 1, 1, 1,

28:26

1, 1, playing for myself. I'm actually in the middle of the game

28:28

right now in my head, having fun, remembering who I am and who

28:30

I was. I would go there three, two, one, so

28:33

I could just fall back in love with the game

28:35

that got me this far. I always tell

28:37

people if you're not playing right now,

28:39

don't work, if you're not playing right now,

28:41

don't work out for the team. You don't

28:43

want no problems. You stay ready, you

28:45

stay supporting your teammates, you clap on

28:48

the bench, you give high energy, you give

28:50

high energy, but there's going to be high-

28:52

But I used to, my dad used to tell

28:54

me that, go to the damn gym and work

28:57

out. Work out for whoever you're with

28:59

next. It ended up being him.

29:01

And I was ready. But again, I

29:03

go from the other side. I went

29:05

from LA where I'm averaging 15 again.

29:07

I go to the worst organization and

29:09

basketball at the time. Was

29:12

the Wizards before that team blew up.

29:14

I got dropped in a volcano 20 minutes

29:16

for eruption. And I was in

29:18

there like, holy shit. It was awful.

29:20

Holy shit. I had to go back from scratch

29:23

even though a year earlier I was having 15

29:25

a game, hitting game winners, all type of shit. Now

29:27

like, signing a 10 day with the rockets, that's how

29:29

crazy the NBA is. So yeah, it's nuts.

29:31

And he said, that's like the part you don't

29:33

miss. You got to think about a guy

29:35

like our friend, you know, Vusovich, who he's

29:37

watching all these players on the bulls, just

29:40

trade off people left and right, he's thinking

29:42

I'm probably next. Zach's gone, all these guys

29:44

are gone and after the deadline he's still

29:46

there, he's probably like, I got 20 more

29:48

games left with this. I thought they were

29:50

going to trade me and no, I'm not

29:53

trading. It's just so crazy, right? They get

29:55

to turn around. Here's a good news.

29:57

You'll be able to go to Cicella. My

30:00

dad works in B2B marketing. He

30:02

came by my school for career day

30:04

and said he was a big

30:06

row -ass man. Then he told everyone

30:08

how much he loved calculating his return

30:10

on ad spend. My friends still

30:12

laugh at me to this day. Not

30:14

everyone gets B2B. But with LinkedIn,

30:16

you'll be able to reach people

30:18

who do. Get a $100 credit

30:20

on your next ad campaign. Go

30:22

to linkedin .com/results to claim your

30:24

credit. That's linkedin .com/results. Terms and conditions

30:26

apply. LinkedIn, the place to be

30:29

to be. This episode is brought

30:31

to you by Allstate. Some

30:33

people just know they could save hundreds

30:35

on car insurance by checking Allstate first.

30:37

Like you know to check the date

30:39

of the big game first before you

30:42

accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding

30:44

anniversary and have to spend the next

30:46

20 years of your marriage making up

30:48

for it. Yeah, checking first is smart.

30:50

So check Allstate first for a quote

30:52

that could save you hundreds during good

30:54

hands with Allstate. Savings vary. Terms apply.

30:56

Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and

30:59

Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. You

31:02

talked about Jimmy, obviously, going to the Warriors. They

31:05

are in what you call the honeymoon

31:08

stage. Did you see him and

31:10

stuff in the connection? Yeah, they were

31:12

having, like, that is the honeymoon stage, man.

31:14

They play the Bulls team that's just

31:16

like, they don't really have anything going on,

31:18

obviously, for them right now. Oh, yeah,

31:20

yeah. And they just, they had a ball

31:22

and they're like, well, we're opposites. I

31:24

shoot threes and he gets the free throw

31:26

line and we're brothers. They

31:30

were having so much fun. Good for them, man. It's

31:33

nice to see Jimmy smile and step smile. I don't

31:35

have been smiling a lot this year. No, no, it's

31:37

a different reason to see it in this stage and

31:39

you hope it lasts and you

31:41

hope it ages. Well, we don't know if it

31:43

will. No one does. I could tell

31:45

you the first game looked really good. They play the Bulls,

31:47

but still an NBA team. That's why that's a good thing.

31:49

That maybe you should come back. Like you said, my first

31:51

game with the Clippers I played against Kyrie Irving and

31:53

LeBron. Maybe it's nice to have your first game with a

31:55

new team. My next game was Versac in Sacramento. I played

31:57

it. I played it amazing. Yeah, I was just like. That's

32:00

what I didn't play amazing, but I played much

32:02

better than I did the night before I was like,

32:04

that's the game I probably should have just came

32:07

in and eased into it and then got ready for

32:09

this this this big time game But on the

32:11

same accord there sometimes when you jump into it It

32:13

goes one way the other you either just hit

32:15

you go start the game five or five and everybody's

32:17

like, oh We got a or or it's just

32:19

like You know what

32:21

I mean like some people in their

32:23

first big game in a new situation

32:25

like it They remember Stauskas first game

32:27

with who was it we were Nick

32:29

Stauskas. So Portland It his first game

32:31

of the year. I want to say

32:33

it was Philly

32:36

I Want to say he's playing for Philly. He

32:39

had like 27. I was like

32:41

Stauskas found a fit He's a shooter this

32:43

guy's that's one of those guys I never

32:45

understood how he couldn't make it the end.

32:47

So Clay Thompson was just like everyone

32:49

was like man We gotta find every team into Clay Thompson

32:51

and Stauskas was like this is gonna be our clay Thompson,

32:53

right? It was I just don't understand how I didn't because

32:55

he could shoot the ball He's one of those guys you

32:57

would hear about when he's just shooting around like in a

32:59

workout or something He'll go like a hundred without missing and then

33:01

the lights came on as I always say and I

33:04

said I was on the spot too many times But you

33:06

bring it up every time I've seen him shoot not

33:08

miss these guys are insane But Nick Stauskas you always heard

33:10

no I just I remember him just being a

33:12

talented player and it just never really worked out

33:14

from in the NBA I always wondered why didn't

33:16

just because he could shoot and with the NBA

33:18

and how you know The direction of which it's going and

33:20

how the games played You would imagine

33:22

or think he would fit right in you know considering you

33:24

see some of these other guys in places fit Like

33:26

some of those players for the for the calves They have

33:28

some wear and the other guy they just come off

33:30

and shoot there like if they could do it Stauskas could

33:32

definitely do it You would think and he's kind of

33:34

athletic low -key like yeah, I thought he had a chance

33:36

I heard Sacramento was really hard with him and that kind

33:38

of you know He didn't fit in with

33:40

some of those guys culturally there and it just kind of

33:42

went downhill for there But yeah, random shot. I'll shot

33:44

the next Stauskas man. He's a talented Michigan basketball player. Yeah

33:48

But um You were talking about

33:50

like the new team having new life if you

33:52

yeah, yeah, Jimmy Butler caught an alley up

33:54

for his first play He hasn't jumped that high

33:56

in a few years. He got up There's

33:58

so much about that that wasn't right. For

34:00

a fray I haven't seen you jump like that

34:03

in a while Jimmy so what the fuck was

34:05

that? Secondly when the hell did Buddy Hill know

34:07

how to throw a lob? I have never seen

34:09

Buddy Hill throw anything towards the rim except a

34:11

three pointer. He's either shooting or I just

34:13

don't know what he does. I've never seen

34:15

him do a quick log, but it was

34:17

right on target too. So maybe he brought

34:20

him some new life too. Yeah, the whole

34:22

team, but this, you listen, that's what a

34:24

trade like that can do. You bring a

34:26

Jimmy Butler to your team. The only hope

34:28

in thought is that we're gonna be better.

34:30

Like, they didn't get Jimmy Butler and keep

34:33

comminga and have Dre and stepped

34:35

there and stepped there and stuff

34:37

there. That has to be the feeling

34:39

there. Otherwise, why do it? And then

34:42

they sign them to a two-year, 120

34:44

million dollar extension. Which we agree is

34:46

good on both sides. It is good

34:48

on both sides. It's good for Jimmy,

34:51

for one, you're making 60 at age

34:53

35. You can call yourself a Max

34:55

player, which you can tell he's the

34:57

kind of a Max player, which you

34:59

could tell he's the kind of

35:01

guy that wants to make him.

35:03

You're making 60 at age 35.

35:06

they're all off the books anyway.

35:08

So at that point, it's a

35:10

perfect deal for the Warriors as

35:12

well. And listen, they looked good.

35:14

They're an exciting team. We'll see

35:16

where they go. They're behind the

35:18

eight ball, man. All right, they've

35:20

dug themselves a hole. They started

35:22

out the season well. They've started

35:24

out the season well. They've really

35:26

fallen back over the past few

35:28

months. Now they got Jimmy with some

35:30

new life. How does this finish? Is it

35:33

a playing? How does that, because listen, OKC,

35:35

see, we've had some some questions about

35:37

how they how they perform in

35:39

the playoffs and their lack of

35:41

experience and although they're very talented

35:43

and youthful, that's also a slight,

35:45

not a slight, but it's also

35:47

a negative. They're very youthful, like

35:49

they're only negative. Yeah. So, only

35:52

negative is the lack of experience and

35:54

know how to go get things done.

35:56

So, you're going against the Warriors team

35:58

and Dre and Steph and Jimmy. they're

36:00

playing the rockets somehow like the Grizzlies were like

36:02

a top seat right if I'm saying it's free

36:04

about okay see what they end up playing if

36:06

the Warriors are the seven seats and then apply

36:09

the Warriors play the Grizzlies they they beat him

36:11

really and I think if the Warriors play the

36:13

rockets they beat him but look like you know

36:15

what my favorite thing about this trade for the

36:17

Warriors from the Warriors perspective is before they were

36:19

playing these 12-man rotations and all these guys they

36:21

had way too many guys they couldn't figure out

36:23

a lineup they couldn't figure out a lineup Buddy

36:26

Heeled could be a traditional two. Jimmy Butler, three,

36:28

Dream on Green, four. Now you actually have, and

36:30

then Pajemsky off the bench is the ball handler.

36:32

Now you actually look like a real team instead

36:34

of, yeah, we have 10 guys that we play.

36:36

We're just going to throw them all out there.

36:38

Yeah, at this point, that's what you could do

36:41

with a Jimmy. You just throw them out there

36:43

with anybody. Because he's like a Swiss army knife

36:45

anyway. He's not like a guy that needs a

36:47

ball in his hands all the time. He's not

36:49

a guy that you have to run an offense

36:51

through. The system is Steph, everyone knows that. You

36:53

saw it last game. Jimmy would just find his

36:56

way in there. So, but they still have some,

36:58

you know, adjustments that need to be made. Bro,

37:00

I'm watching that Warriors game. There are so many

37:02

times, bro, where like, Steph would make a pass.

37:04

He would make a move pass, he, he, he,

37:06

he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,

37:08

he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,

37:11

he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,

37:13

he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,

37:15

he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,

37:17

he, he, he, he, he, he, I don't even

37:19

play for the Warriors, and I know he's coming

37:21

back around. And I would see, I'm not going

37:23

to name the names, bro, a couple of their

37:25

young players. They would sit there and you'd see

37:28

Dremen and go, and they would go get him.

37:30

Now it's too late because the defense knows because

37:32

Dremen just pointed. So now Step gets off and

37:34

he has to hoist still got a shot off

37:36

and he made it because he was hot, but

37:38

it was a way harder shot because you were

37:40

fucking standing there. It's like, how do you not

37:43

get it? Brother, there's play there. I'm gonna send

37:45

you a couple clips. There's a play where, like,

37:47

Pigeonski's, like, holding it, and Steph comes off, Scott

37:49

free. But he's too busy looking at the back

37:51

screen for Jimmy. I'm like, pass the ball. I

37:53

brought one. You're like, you're late, you're late, and

37:55

Steve got a late and still made it, but

37:58

you're late. It's like, I watched them and I

38:00

get so frustrated because it's like, you've got to

38:02

know how they play by now, man. I know

38:04

and I don't even play for the Warriors. I

38:06

don't even play for the Warriors, dog. I know

38:08

and I don't even play for the Warriors, dog.

38:10

I probably miss those best I can, but I

38:13

probably miss those best, I can, I think, I

38:15

was, I don't even play for, I don't even

38:17

play for the Warriors, but, I don't even play

38:19

for the Warriors, but, but, but, but, I've, still

38:21

made, but, still made, but, but, but, I've, still

38:23

made, still made, but, but, but, still made, but, but,

38:25

but, still made, but, but, but, still made, but, but, still

38:28

made, but, but, but, but, still made, Someone to

38:30

screen for him. It drives me fucking insane

38:32

guarding him. That's why I like the Jimmy

38:34

because Jimmy Bring in some fucking guys

38:36

and not a place of basketball bro, bring

38:38

in some grown men who played and have

38:40

high IQ games dog It's like come on.

38:42

Yeah, and it also Satisfies one of my big

38:44

things where I always say if you have

38:47

a star player like stuff, and we did

38:49

it with we talked about with Lucca You

38:51

need to bring in the star that the

38:53

guy that the guy respects like Luca we

38:56

knew karaering is one of all hoopers respect.

38:58

So bringing him in, that's a perfect pairing,

39:00

right? And I think with stuff, he respects

39:02

Jimmy Butler, and there's a level there where

39:04

they can coexist. I think it's all

39:07

about bringing in the star that

39:09

the other star absolutely respects. Yes,

39:11

that helps. You know, I mean, listen,

39:13

it'll be interesting with Jimmy and Dreymont.

39:15

Again, you said the honeymoon phase. What

39:18

about, you know, 10, 15 games for

39:20

now? What about in the playoffs? What

39:22

about in the playoffs? What about in

39:24

the playoffs? But it's also Dream On's

39:27

team. So I don't know how that...

39:29

Again, it's nice to see the

39:31

honeymoon phase. It's beautiful when my

39:33

boy gets a new girl. And

39:35

I see them walk around holding

39:37

hands and they're all over each other.

39:40

And you sit then you just go,

39:42

ah, enjoy it. Enjoy it. Never too

39:44

high, number too low. Right now, what

39:46

you're experiencing is the best you'll be.

39:49

It's the best you'll be. No. We'll

39:51

see how it ages like wine or

39:53

milk. We don't know. We don't know.

39:55

We're talking about this. We're talking about this after the

39:57

last part. I don't think we talked about it all.

40:00

on the pod where you have LeBron

40:02

Steff and Katie, right? Those are the

40:04

three elder statesmen that are still playing

40:06

at a high level. LeBron gets Luca,

40:08

Steff gets Jimmy Butler, he's getting something,

40:11

right? I know they were going for

40:13

Katie, but they got Jimmy Butler. And

40:15

on the other one, KD, they were

40:17

trying to trade him, they didn't do

40:20

anything for him, they didn't, that's just

40:22

like, man, that's tough. And I didn't

40:24

even know I was being shopped. And

40:26

then, you know, not to mention, their

40:28

chemistry wasn't really at a peak high

40:31

anyway. So, I don't know what Phoenix

40:33

does. I don't know who really is

40:35

making the decisions over there. I don't

40:37

know if it's James Jones, I don't

40:40

know what's managed for you. I hear

40:42

different things. I don't know what direction

40:44

they're headed in. I could tell you,

40:46

it doesn't look good and it hasn't

40:49

worked. So, I don't know.

40:51

You know, it's tough to point

40:53

the finger at someone when you

40:55

don't know what's going on, who's

40:57

calling the shots. I can point,

41:00

I can go to Dallas and

41:02

you know what's going on down

41:04

there, who's made the decisions, and

41:06

you know this team and what

41:08

they made us, I don't know

41:11

what's going on over there. I

41:13

don't know what's going on over

41:15

there. And I don't know. It

41:17

shocked me because they have such

41:19

talented players. Even this year, I

41:21

didn't have them winning the championship,

41:24

but I had them being competitive.

41:26

Just for the sake that you

41:28

have Devin and Kevin on the

41:30

floor. Two Olympic player, two Olympians.

41:32

All right, there's only a few

41:34

duos that had, or two, there's

41:37

only a couple teams that had

41:39

two players on that Olympic team.

41:41

The Lakers, the Celtics, and the

41:43

Phoenix Suns. They're two Olympians that

41:45

played and started. They had two

41:48

starters in the Olympics. These are

41:50

two high level basketball players. You're

41:52

talking about one of the greatest

41:54

players of all time, Kevin Durant.

41:56

All right. And then you talking

41:58

about. and if we're gonna be

42:01

honest, the past, what, decade, 10 years,

42:03

eight years, Devin Booker is one of

42:05

the best shooting guards in the media. So,

42:07

I don't know. I mean, this has been like, it's

42:09

just, it's been disappointing. And then you even had

42:11

Brad Bill, who I know is like at the

42:13

end of his prime, he came in the same

42:16

class I came in, so he's 32, about to

42:18

be 33 this summer, he's played 13 years. These

42:20

guys are a lot of miles on those legs

42:22

on those legs, but still very productive, but

42:25

still very productive, you know, you know, you

42:27

know, you know, you know, Like, Brad still got

42:29

some boppin' in his step and

42:31

could still play, like, still got

42:33

game. I don't know why it hasn't

42:35

worked as well as I thought it

42:38

would. You get Royce O'Neal, and then

42:40

you had Air Gore, and this is

42:42

last year's team. I've seen these,

42:44

Eric's on a different team, but

42:46

Eric's on a different team, but,

42:48

you know, Royce, Grayson Allen, coming

42:51

off a great year, and you

42:53

had all these different things, like.

42:55

Is there a good solid pros

42:57

surrounded by stars? At the very

42:59

least, I thought you middle the pack.

43:02

Can we get you a 450?

43:04

You know what I'm saying? And

43:06

then like we'll see what happens

43:08

when they're like they're just crawling

43:10

right now. And it's just, it's,

43:13

it's, it's, it's, it's caught me by

43:15

surprise, man, for real.

43:17

Yesterday. Bad news you're honestly gonna be out

43:19

for a little bit of time those we always

43:21

talk about the calf strain and calf stuff ever

43:23

since KD in 2019 It's always tricky. You got

43:25

to take your time. Yeah, yeah, obviously Lucas is

43:27

dealing with that too But you just beat the

43:29

Sixers and the Sixers had their big three play

43:32

and that was obviously Hubie Brown's last

43:34

game. He's 91 years old. Do you have any

43:36

Hubie stories? I know you obviously is probably called

43:38

a bunch of I don't have any Hubie stories

43:40

I could just tell you he's I could just

43:42

tell you he's I could just tell you he's I could

43:44

just tell you he's favorite

43:46

announcements, color analysts, doesn't

43:49

over speak, doesn't over talk,

43:51

has a high IQ for the

43:53

game, obviously coached in the NBA

43:56

as well, and just is a very

43:58

likable person. So,

44:00

man, 91, just even more blessings to

44:02

you, that is an unbelievable achievement within

44:04

itself. Goals, honestly. I mean, I think

44:07

every man would like to live to

44:09

90 plus years old. That'd be a

44:11

blessing in their kids as well. So,

44:13

man, just a legend. To see him

44:15

be able to call games as long

44:17

as he has, I've always enjoyed listening

44:20

to him. And yeah, there's much respect.

44:22

Something you always hear people when they

44:24

talk about his announcing is... He does

44:26

something that it's really hard to explain

44:28

his impact on the game when the

44:30

way he is able to always supplement

44:33

every fact with a stat or something

44:35

behind and it's always his his approval

44:37

ratings is super hot. Yeah. So shout

44:39

out to him and about the game,

44:41

I mean, you got the Sixers, they've

44:44

been injured a lot this year, but

44:46

you had your big three out there.

44:48

Yeah, Sixers are two games out of

44:50

the 10 spot. Right. They're 20 and

44:52

32. And they announced that Joe, Joel

44:54

and Beat thinks he needs knee surgery.

44:57

It's it's it's the show's over. Yeah,

44:59

do they wrap it up for this

45:01

show the show's over like Cooper Flad

45:03

type of thing or like what do

45:05

you? Oh, it's too. I mean, he's

45:07

the Hawks got that I want to

45:10

pick last year there with a 10

45:12

seed. Yeah, but you can't trade guys

45:14

when they're trade values. Not hot. Not

45:16

now. Trade deadline's over. So yeah, yeah,

45:18

yeah. I'm talking about this summer. Uh,

45:21

Doolham Beach still has a high trade

45:23

value, man. Even with his injuries, he's

45:25

still someone who's gonna, he's still going

45:27

to get multiple first round picks. So

45:29

yeah, could you wait till he's really?

45:31

Could you wait till he's really good?

45:34

Until he's really first round picks. So

45:36

yeah, could you wait till he's really

45:38

good? Obviously before the playoff start, if

45:40

that. regardless of which he'll be healthy

45:42

this summer at some point I would

45:44

try to move him then. You can

45:47

get multiple first round picks for him

45:49

and maybe even a couple young talented

45:51

players. I'm restarting. Maxie stays. Everyone else

45:53

has got to go. Everyone's out. McCain

45:55

stays. Maxie stays. Maybe a couple of

45:58

other young talented players they have. I'm

46:00

not really too familiar with the end

46:02

of their bench. I haven't really seen

46:04

that. Everyone else got to go. I

46:06

don't know what you could give for Paul. You

46:08

gave him a four-year deal. He's three

46:11

years left on that deal now. I don't

46:13

know how tradable he is and how

46:15

many people really want him. He doesn't

46:17

play a lot of games. That's not

46:19

what you want to hear, all right?

46:21

Especially for a guy who got Max.

46:23

You didn't pay Paul. You paid him a

46:26

Max contract. Or the only player who's really

46:28

played at a max level is Maxie,

46:30

no pun and did it, I'm not

46:32

trying to be funny. That's it. Everyone

46:35

else, and Bede's been up and down

46:37

with injury, it's been a roller coaster

46:39

of his season. But when it became

46:41

a place, he's good, it's just a.

46:43

But it's been, it's a roller coaster

46:45

with him, man. The season started off

46:48

Rocky, had a lot of stuff going on,

46:50

and it's tough when you have that,

46:52

and then another player's just like that.

46:54

Paul George. Paul George. I'm not

46:56

knocking Paul George is a basketball

46:58

player, I'm not knocking Joel and

47:00

Beatas best player, we don't question

47:02

how they are when they play

47:05

in their healthy. Paul George is

47:07

a very valid pro, he's signed

47:09

Max before this for a reason,

47:11

he's been a star in the NBA for

47:13

a very long time, very talented

47:15

wing, very long time, and he's been

47:18

a star in the NBA for a

47:20

very long time, very talented wing. Joel

47:22

and Beatiz an MVP and a very

47:24

valid pro. exhausting thing to deal with.

47:26

And then on top of that, you

47:28

know, you just don't have any consistency. How the

47:30

hell are you supposed to build a rapport

47:33

with the guys who aren't even around half

47:35

the time or playing? So then you got this

47:37

young guy Maxie out there having some big-time

47:39

games without these guys getting into a rhythm

47:41

and then before you know it now his

47:43

roles totally changed because he got both them

47:45

on the floor again and it's like weird.

47:47

It is tough for him. He averaged 27

47:49

points a game. I saw a stat that

47:51

he's a top five scoring average of NBA history

47:53

to not make an all-star game. He's

47:55

up there with Brad Beel and the

47:57

Wizards and the Wizards and stuff like that.

47:59

If Philly right now is a third or

48:02

fourth spot, Maxie would be in the

48:04

All-Star game. But they just replaced, you

48:06

know, Janus with Trey. Do you think

48:08

that's the right call? Yes, yes, yes,

48:10

yes, yes, yes. I don't think Pascal

48:12

would have got in. But to respect

48:14

Pascal, they're 29 and 22 in the

48:16

fourth seat, and he's the best part

48:18

in the team. Someone's got to get

48:20

in. Yeah, all right. We talked about

48:22

the East, the East, the front court

48:24

for the East was, was a front

48:26

court for the East, was, was, yeah.

48:28

But they've hung strong, man. I mean,

48:30

they're still battling for spot, quietly, no

48:33

one talks about the Pacers anymore. A

48:35

lot of that's due to like, the

48:37

only reason people talked about them was

48:39

the excitement of Halliburton last year, and

48:41

that's obviously died down. He's not really

48:43

an all-star player this year, at least.

48:45

And you know, with it, they've kind

48:47

of just flown on the radar. But

48:49

you know, they find themselves in the

48:51

sports spot, mashed up against the one

48:53

and only, one and only, one and

48:55

only, That's what it looks like it's

48:57

going to be right. And then how

48:59

about Detroit? I'm just like looking at

49:01

these standings right now, blown away. Detroit's

49:03

in the sixth spot. Look at them,

49:05

just fighting to be in the playoffs.

49:07

Take Cunningham. Is you your most improved

49:09

player? Yes. yes by a landslide well

49:12

there's a Norman Powell argument that you

49:14

could make somewhere that would be second

49:16

for me yeah because he's he went

49:18

from good to really good you know

49:20

they both have made huge jobs I'm

49:22

just going with the young guy but

49:24

but Norman to put some strength on

49:26

in respect in his name you know

49:28

essentially has gone from being there's like

49:30

a role player which has been like

49:32

a role-star you know what I mean

49:34

I that's he's he's played very well

49:36

24 points per game is all-star like

49:38

numbers so I know I know he

49:40

didn't he's had a hell of a

49:42

year and yeah definitely big props to

49:44

Norman Powell. So before we wrap up

49:46

we talked about I think it was

49:48

on October we talked about is this

49:51

the best time for sports with it

49:53

was the World Series football was going

49:55

on basketball I just started now we're

49:57

talking about March coming up and I

49:59

feel like a ball it's it's it's

50:01

you I think it's just more your

50:03

time. Football's over. March Madness. We have

50:05

we have NBA. This is your time.

50:07

This is your time. This is my

50:09

favorite time of the year. You want

50:11

to know why? A little warmer outside

50:13

too. It's getting hot outside too. Summer

50:15

is around the corner. Yeah, especially where

50:17

we're from. Summer is already here. It's

50:19

beautiful outside. And it's all basketball. It's all hoops.

50:22

Yeah. No more B. B.S. I got to worry

50:24

about it. We're gonna talk about Cooper, that's like,

50:26

they had three losses again, crunch time, you

50:28

fell, but I don't know what to say, there's

50:30

nothing really to say about that. It's just really,

50:33

but the other two losses to have against Kansas,

50:35

Kentucky, game when the lining at the ball, he's fell or turned

50:37

it over, like lost it. Yeah, but you know, he's fell or

50:39

turned it over, like lost it. Yeah, like lost it. Yeah, but,

50:41

he's fell or turned it over, like, like, like, like, like, like,

50:43

lost it, like, lost it, like, lost it, like, lost

50:45

it, lost it, like, lost, lost, like, lost, lost, lost,

50:48

like, lost, lost, lost, lost, lost, like, lost, lost, lost,

50:50

lost, lost, lost, like, lost, lost, lost, lost, like, lost,

50:52

lost, lost, lost, lost, like, lost, lost, lost, like, lost,

50:54

lost, he You know, I mean, he's a mile ahead

50:56

of anybody else. So what are we talking about? People

50:58

are like, he's not clutch. I don't care. He's

51:01

18. I don't need him to be clutch right now.

51:03

He's six years away from being his best self.

51:05

I don't care if he's not clutch right now. I

51:07

don't care if he's not clutch right now. I don't

51:09

care if he's not clutch right now. I don't care

51:11

if he's not clutch right now. When you score in

51:13

30 point games and all these type of numbers

51:15

and all these type of numbers that he's

51:18

putting up, you look pretty damn much, you

51:20

look pretty damn clutch to me. Now I

51:22

know Clutch is defined as what you do

51:24

in the last minutes of the game, but

51:27

he's made tons of big plays at the

51:29

end of the game to be described as

51:31

clutch. Just because a few times this season

51:34

with the game on the line, he's slipped

51:36

and fell. It's not like he missed

51:38

a shot, airball turned it over.

51:40

He's literally not got a shot

51:42

off because he's fell and slipped. How

51:44

the hell are you going to diagnose

51:46

him as clutch or not? college basketball

51:49

when he should be a senior in high school.

51:51

He skipped a year because it was boring for

51:53

him and he's playing in college basketball

51:55

and I'm sure it's boring for him there

51:57

because he's absolutely annihilating every team that he...

52:00

plays. He's averaging damn year 20 a night, gives

52:02

you 27 and 7 and blocks and steals and

52:04

his teams won 12 in a row. Pretty much

52:06

dunks on you. Donks on people? Like, bro, come

52:08

on, man. Not quite like that. I was one

52:10

of my really bad takes I think early on

52:13

the season where I was like man You know

52:15

what I just I don't know. I think he's

52:17

gonna be a really solid second or third You

52:19

know a good player on a team and all

52:21

he has done is been the best player in

52:23

college basketball and like you said he's supposed to

52:25

be a senior and better and better and better

52:28

and better and better. I was a wrong take

52:30

that I'm just think it's like who you cares

52:32

who cares I if anything it's one area for

52:34

we can improve It looks like everything else is

52:36

flawless. If he's also hitting game winners, then what

52:38

do we have? If he's hit three for three

52:41

game winners, we'd be like, who is he? Michael?

52:43

At least there's something in his game, maybe we

52:45

can work on maybe getting to your spots, maybe

52:47

opening the floor, where do you want to shoot?

52:49

What shot do you want to shoot? What shot

52:51

do you want at the end of the game?

52:53

Where do you want to shoot? What shot do

52:56

you want at the end of the end of

52:58

the end of the game? Where do you? Look

53:00

at the best players. Michael and them got to

53:02

a spot they raised up over somebody. She Alexander

53:04

gets to a spot, raises up somewhere. Luca likes

53:06

his stepback. Trey Young likes to do what he's

53:09

either shooting a three or it's a floater. You

53:11

gotta know, you know what I mean? These are

53:13

things that you figure out. You're not supposed to

53:15

have it figured out at 18 years old man.

53:17

All right, especially when everything else has come so

53:19

easy to you. Let him, let him progress. For

53:21

people saying he's not clutch, A, you're wrong, but

53:24

B, even if you want to be right, who

53:26

gives a damn? It gives us an area to

53:28

improve on and he will get better at these

53:30

things. One of the guys that you name is

53:32

clutch, I know this, they all can shoot mid-range.

53:34

I think there's something about getting to any spot

53:37

on the court. We had this conversation, I know

53:39

this, they all can shoot mid-range. I think there's

53:41

something about getting to, it, it goes right back

53:43

to any, it, it, it, it, it, All the

53:45

best players in the NBA have a good men

53:47

range. All of them. The best players in the

53:49

NBA with exception of centers, I'm talking about guards

53:52

here, guards. All have a mity. Well even, Joelle

53:54

and Joaquin, you have that open. Yeah, have a

53:56

nice little mity. Well, Joelle has a, actually one.

53:58

best middies in the

54:00

NBA. It's like automatic. But

54:04

there's only a handful

54:06

of guys who don't shoot

54:08

midway. Even Steph shoots like

54:10

three, four middies a game. He just shoots like

54:12

10 -three. So everyone's like, three -pointer. People don't

54:14

realize he has like 38 points, but like 16

54:16

of them aren't threes. Like free throws and

54:18

get to the basket and floaters and left hand

54:20

hooks and this, this and that. And he

54:22

has middies. It's part of his game too. But

54:24

with the exception of Steph and really

54:26

harded and Lillard, those are the three

54:28

guys who have always been three layup,

54:31

three layup, three layup. Those have been

54:33

the three guys. Everyone

54:35

else has a middie, man. And

54:37

the best players always have one. Like the MVP

54:39

of the league, always got a middie. Always

54:41

have one, always will. Michael got a middie.

54:44

Shay Alexander right now has a middie. Kevin Durant

54:46

has a middie. All the best scores get to

54:48

one. Paul George is getting with the line. He's

54:50

getting to a midrange. You know what I'm saying?

54:52

Like these guys are gonna get up to a

54:54

midrange, fade away, and it's the best but most. It's

54:57

still the prettiest shot. DeMar DeRozan has, you know,

55:00

but some of the more, the most probably game

55:02

winners in the last five years. And it's all

55:04

because he can get off a middie. James Johnson

55:06

used to, Joe Johnson used to get them off

55:08

all the time because he had a middie. The

55:10

guys that you named that don't really shoot midrange

55:12

shots. He said James, Steph and Damon Lillard. I

55:14

think they're all top five, all time and three

55:16

pointers made anyway. So they're obviously anomalies and special

55:18

cases. I was like, the games progressed. The games

55:20

progressed because like there has been anomalies of guys

55:22

being supersonic at shooting threes and everyone else has

55:24

tried to copy cat, copy and paste. It's

55:27

led to bad basketball and bad ratings, just to be clear.

55:29

The best players still get to a middie when the

55:31

game's on the line. It's a lost start in today's NBA.

55:33

It's considered a bad shot. I get it. There's statistics

55:35

and numbers that back this. But then when it's 98, 98

55:37

and 10 seconds are on the clock, it seems like

55:39

all that shit is in the trash can and people want

55:41

that guy to get to a middie and shoot that

55:43

shot. In fact, when they do, they're like, that's a good

55:45

one. I like that shot. I like that one. But

55:48

the rest of the game, you would have said it's

55:50

a bad one. Well, okay, so as a defender, how much

55:52

harder is it to guard a guy that can not only

55:54

shoot from three but can stop on a dime? If I,

55:56

the hardest player to guard in the NBA is a guy who has

55:58

a mid -range upshot. If I know

56:00

all you do is shoot the three's and lamps,

56:02

I'm just going to get on you and make

56:04

sure you don't get a three on. I'm going

56:06

to press the shit out of you. To the point

56:09

where you have to go around me. And

56:11

if you're in front of me, you can't

56:13

just pull up on a diamond. I'm coming

56:15

right from behind and block the shot.

56:17

I'm forced you to basket a basket,

56:19

I'm coming right from behind, trying to

56:21

block the shot. I'm forced you to ask

56:23

you to ask you to ask you to. Hey, I hate

56:26

guarding three level players. They're the hardest to guard

56:28

Shea Alexander was one of the high I used

56:30

to get in foul trouble every time Gardening because

56:32

I did it know when he was gonna stop

56:34

and shoot or keep going to the basket or

56:36

step back for three I used to just hope

56:38

he'd shoot a three because this three prior to

56:40

like this past year hasn't been really consistent The

56:42

mini now that he has all three you could forget about

56:44

it. He's like unguardable. Yeah, insane But that

56:47

does it for today's for today's fought for today's

56:49

fought. We'll be back later in the we'll be back

56:51

later in the week in the week in the week.

56:53

Make sure to like subscribe. Follows on Instagram, Tiktok, the

56:55

off guard podcast. You can find us there. Follow us,

56:57

follow along with all of our news content and everything

56:59

that we have. And you can listen to us on

57:02

Apple and Spotify. Please, please subscribe. We have find us

57:04

under the Ringer. We have our own banner. We are

57:06

not under the Ringer NBA. Just go to the Ringer

57:08

on any of those platforms and you will find us

57:10

the off guard podcast. Be safe. We'll see you later

57:12

in the week. Me and the week. Me and Pasha

57:14

posh and Pasha out. Me and Pasha out. Me and

57:16

Pasha out.

Unlock more with Podchaser Pro

  • Audience Insights
  • Contact Information
  • Demographics
  • Charts
  • Sponsor History
  • and More!
Pro Features