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After the Buzzer: Western Conference Finals MADNESS · The Poi N Soy Podcast

• KayOhKnee: Welcome back to the podcast. I'm your co-host, Kion McKeeg. And with me today on After the Buzzer my boy from After the Buzzer and Jared Shiraz. Say what's up to the podbu. Jared Shirai: What's up? KayOhKnee: I it took me a second. I didn't know where the volume thing was. Everything's changed up on here, so I was like, ⁓ I don't know how to make this go down. ⁓ anyway, we are here to talk some NBA basketball. We know it's been a minute, but we have been busy, you know, life stuff and ⁓ football stuff and all the other stuff. So ⁓ we are here to talk some NBA basketball playoffs because quite frankly, we're in the middle of the ⁓ conference finals and Jared Shirai: Yeah No. KayOhKnee: Well, not even in the middle. We're at the tail end already here. But ⁓ we do need to talk about the semifinals because we didn't get to talk about those on the last pod. ⁓ and we're getting to those teams that were eliminated and of course the teams that did get to move on. Book, let's give a shout out to our partners over at W Energy first. First and foremost we're gonna talk about W Energy. My gosh, the music is so loud in my ear, I can't hear. Jared Shirai: Yes, sir. You I was just waiting. I was just waiting. was like, is he gonna turn this down or what? KayOhKnee: couldn't I can't I'm getting I'm getting I'm getting thrown off right now because I was like ⁓ everything moving is throwing me off but anyway giving giving a shout out to W energy fantastic tasting energy all of the energy you need to get through your day you head on over to W.gg or use the W energy app and our promo code which is Poyen Soy that's P-O-I-N-S-O-R for ten percent off Jared Shirai: It was a banger, but I was like... KayOhKnee: Your order book. Let's talk some NBA basketball. ⁓ my gosh. ⁓ I don't know if this is ⁓ this is one of those the product of getting old type of situations or if it's just ⁓ that was loud. Okay, all right, cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. anyway, let's talk about the conference semifinals. So let's start off in the Eastern Conference because Jared Shirai: You No, it was loud. You KayOhKnee: Well, to be quite frank, the the Western Conference was a lot more entertaining, ⁓ going through that. So, ⁓ with the first one here, we got the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the series four to three. So game seven against the Detroit Pistons, the number one seeded team in the Eastern Conference. Book, thoughts, opinions, ⁓ what happened in this one, and then we can talk about the Pistons after. Jared Shirai: Okay. the pistons. KayOhKnee: Like talk about them, what they're gonna do after after this after losing this, but ⁓ what happened in the series itself. Jared Shirai: ⁓ Well, I mean, at the end of the day, the Cavs for me just showed a lot more experience. KayOhKnee: ⁓ I thought I lost you there for a second, I like, Yeah, semifinals source, semifinal source. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: of have been there before. I mean, that's literally what game seven came down to in that series. It was a battle back and forth, right? Detroit wins the first two, Cleveland wins the next three, Detroit wins the game six, and then Cleveland wins game seven in Detroit. But for me, was like Detroit did what they needed to in the first two games. Cleveland kind of like, okay, bounce back games, kind of take the momentum. ⁓ KayOhKnee: Yeah. Jared Shirai: In game six for me Detroit literally played like they had nothing to lose, which was great. And that's why they won. But game seven, like I said, it just came down to experience having the Donovan Mitchell's having the James Harden like in that series, the bigs took over as well. Jared Allen and Mowgli ended up coming up big in that in that game seven for them. And I think just having that. That safeguard of the two bigs that they run out, Jared Allen and Evan Mobley, as well as having Donovan Mitchell's, he had the miraculous playoff run last year for them. think, I would say, wait, who would be the only person? Tobias Harris, maybe? KayOhKnee: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: would be the only of the starters of the starting experience for them and Duncan Robinson off the bench, I would say. But in that they don't really have a whole lot of big game players, I guess you would say, when it comes to the playoffs. And that's kind of what the difference was. Cleveland got out hot in the first quarter, second quarter. They took that big lead and they just never looked back. And that's why I ended up kind of being a blowout in that game seven. KayOhKnee: With experience, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it'd be very interesting to see kind of what the Pistons do, ⁓ in the off season. I mean, I I know we're gonna get into that in a second, but to give the Cavaliers ⁓ a little bit of love here, yeah, I mean undoubtedly it came down to that tandem of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden just sort of keeping that that floor from bottoming out for the Cavaliers and I think that they definitely kept that team afloat, you know, when things were getting rough because I mean, the Pistons heading into this off season or yeah, excuse me, yeah, the off season, ⁓ Or no, not the off season, sorry. Postseason, excuse me. Wha jeez, my ⁓ brain is all over the place. I was like the Pistons heading into this postseason were sort of the team to beat. ⁓ obviously coming in as the number one seed, but I think Jared Shirai: I'm just... KayOhKnee: Nobody really bought in on that. I I'm I specifically wasn't really super bought in on the fact that the Pistons were gonna be a major threat in the playoffs just because of that experience. Like they didn't really have anybody who was, you know, who'd been here before and especially with this team being so young, you could see it. I mean, they came out strong in some games and then sort of slow throughout the most most of the game and then, you know, whether or not they finished was Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: kind of, you know, teetering ⁓ on some good plays or not. But other than that, they were kind of just a couple bad plays away from really losing even in the last ⁓ round in the first round against ⁓ Boston, right? No, we're doing they played not Boston. The Magic. There you go. Yes. I mean they were literally on the cusp of being eliminated by the Magic. So I mean that Jared Shirai: The first round they played the magic, the magic. Yeah. KayOhKnee: tells you just everything you need to know because the Magic are another team. Like they were kind of the pistons of yesteryear. You know what I mean? Like they were the ones that came in with the lack of experience. So all that to say that this should be an interesting offseason. Boog, you know, you're staring down the barrel of what this team is going to be headed into the future. Now they have that experience and they also have a guy who was, you know, in the MVP conversation in Cade Cunningham. ⁓ there is the contract of Jalen Durin that needs to be figured out this off season because he is Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. KayOhKnee: ⁓ a free agent going into this off season, but thoughts, opinions on what the Pistons can do this off season, is there anything you'd like to see them try to get? Or do they just need to continue, you know, the continuity with the team and building further into what they can be? Jared Shirai: I actually like the makeup of this team. I think like they should continue it. But I do think they like, I mean, what we're talking about is experience. They need to go get a veteran in this regard, just to help in those big moments. like you asked a lot of Cade Cunningham in game seven, you didn't get, you got a young star. Tobias Harris, I mean, he's, I would say past where he needs to be to be leading a team. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Jared Shirai: And then you look past that, they don't really have anybody to really fund the load. mean, Dennis Jenkins was their top scorer with 17 points. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Yeah. Jared Shirai: And you look past that, it's like, okay. And then you look at their bench too for me, it's like, it's not really the deepest of benches as you look at a lot of these other ⁓ top tier rosters. They have a deep bench where you can go eight, nine, 10 deep to give the... KayOhKnee: Yeah. Jared Shirai: not just the support, your starters rest. And I think like for me, keeping with this young core, bringing in a veteran to kind of insert into the starting lineup and then taking the small way of just filling out your bench as you go in that regard. Because they have talent on this team. And I feel like they have really good cohesion because they're all like not star players that it helps when they KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Jared Shirai: move the ball around and in their offensive chemistry. exactly, Like Tobias being there, yeah, he's a vet guy. He's a big kind of a big money guy for them. I would say ⁓ he doesn't demand the ball. Like they all know that Cade Cunningham is their all-star so that that's where the ball goes. But it doesn't all all roads don't end through him. He does facilitate while he does do a lot of other things well. So for me, it's kind of like fighting KayOhKnee: Yeah. There's no ego, yeah. Jared Shirai: that number one, ⁓ not number one scorer, but more like a, I hate to put it this way, but like a Luke Canard. Somebody who's been around the league, has the depth, shoots the ball, doesn't demand the ball, but he'll score for you. KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's ironic 'cause I was like the guy that I'm gonna name is very similar to Luke Connard. Yeah. ⁓ I was gonna say Quentin Grimes. I was like 'cause Quentin Grimes, as you kinda saw with him with the seventy sixers, I mean Jared Shirai: Who you naming? ⁓ yeah? Mm-hmm. KayOhKnee: He's a really good off ball scorer, also a very good defender on the wing. I feel like he fits the timeline of what this team is. He's still young, you know what I mean? ⁓ that's somebody that I could see fitting in really well here with the Detroit Pistons. I might my biggest concern with the team is gonna be Jalen Durin because I think that he is, you know, I mean, it's it's hard to find Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: you know, a really, really good center, especially in today's league. ⁓ especially one that is a little bit more of like a old school center, you know what I mean? Like a little bit more of a bigger body. Yeah, exactly. Like a actual big. ⁓ and somebody who can kind of bump up against like those, you know, longer, linkier like Chets and ⁓ Wembi Wimbanyamas. Obviously gonna stop those guys, but I mean can actually bump up with them Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Like a big. Yeah. KayOhKnee: Losing him would be tough because I think if they do lose him then you sort of bottom out a little bit. I don't know that Isaiah Stewart is my favorite replacement ⁓ or backup guy for that. Yeah. I d I I don't think I would be super excited about going into next year with that. ⁓ there's also rumors around them looking at some veteran pieces. I think one of the main guys that has been kind of rumored is Kawhi Leonard. ⁓ thoughts, opinions on a Kawhi Leonard possibility of landing here, which is ironic because I feel like if they Jared Shirai: Definitely not. KayOhKnee: trade it for a Kawhi Leonard, it would probably require like a Tobias Harris, which would be hilarious because Tobias came to hear from the Clippers, you know or or no, he was on the seventy sixers, but it'd be a full circle life I mean, I guess he'd just end up back on the Clippers where he started. I can't remember but did Tobias get I feel like he did get drafted by the s by the Clippers, but I can't remember. I was like Jared Shirai: Yep. No, he was sixers, he was sixers. Yeah. me check, let me check. Well, he's, it says his first year was in Milwaukee. KayOhKnee: He was a buck? Jared Shirai: He's to play in the buck. He played for the Bucks for two years, 2011 to 2013. then. Yeah, 2011, he played 42 games, 2012 to 13. He played 28 games and he went to Orlando. For 27 games and then he was in Orlando, then he went to Detroit and then he went to the Clippers from 2017, 18, 19. KayOhKnee: Wow, I do not remember him being a buck. That's crazy. ⁓ yeah, that's right. That's right. Yeah, Tobias, yeah. Hello. Wow. She has been Jared Shirai: And then 18, 19 season he went to Philly. Like he keeps getting traded mid season. He got traded in. KayOhKnee: See, now he's gonna get traded. He's gonna get traded in the offseason for Kawhi Leonard. ⁓ poor teeing him. Putting Poor team him. Jared Shirai: I know. I mean, if I'm being honest, this is kind of like a good Kawhi Leonard build for a team. KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's perfect. Yeah. Jared Shirai: You have a good defensive core around you. have the help all around. You have a point guard score. You have people who are going to grind on this alongside of you. And then he'll just get his buckets as you need him to. It's going to be the it's going to be the quiet like 25, seven and five nights that Kawhi can put up and Kate Cunningham can still go off for his 20, 30 points and like seven, eight assists a night. And this team would actually probably be better. The only thing KayOhKnee: ⁓ yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jared Shirai: I would say is Tobias Harris is more available than Kawhi. But if you are trying to get a vet piece, like a championship winning piece, ⁓ we always talk greatly about Kawhi and how good he can be when he is available. And it's only going to add to this team. So I mean, that's a great shot if Kawhi does end up out here. I think that would definitely help the Pistons a lot as they come into their own this upcoming season. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Yeah, the ironic thing is they might actually looking at sort of their contract situation, they might not even really need to trade for him. They might actually just be able to outright sign him since you do have the contracts of guys like Tobias Harris and Kevin Hoarder coming off the books this offseason. So ironically, could slot him in. How that affects the Jalen Duran situation, you know, that's that's gonna be something to monitor for sure. But, you know, I think with Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Yeah Yeah, because the money's gonna go to Kawhi over there. ⁓ KayOhKnee: Yeah, exactly. But I think with the draft capital they have, it undoubtedly could be a really good situation for them, ⁓ trading for him. Yeah, I agree wholeheartedly. If they do bring him in, that would be a game changer for sure. ⁓ and that would probably put them at the top of the the Eastern Conference standings again. Yeah. ⁓ so let's move over to the Knicks in the seventy sixers. This one was not really a contest, you know. As we've kind of seen with the Knicks, I mean they're just coming into form this off season, ⁓ or Jared Shirai: again. KayOhKnee: postseason, excuse me. and they blew out the seventy sixers in game four, one forty four to one fourteen. ⁓ we saw the seventy sixers kind of f fall apart throughout the series specifically. ⁓ obviously they looked stronger coming in when they especially with Joel Embiid coming back from his injury and all that sort of stuff. But I mean it it wasn't enough against a very, very tough New York Knicks squad. ⁓ Boog, first let's highlight the Knicks and then we'll talk about the seventy Sixers as we ⁓ move on. Jared Shirai: I love it. I think this year is what they should have been last year if I'm being 100 % honest, like you look at Yeah, that's why that's why yeah I mean we talked about running people into the ground and then you look at their minutes played. I know it's the It's the final game i'm looking at but it's like 20 30 minutes I mean in in the closer game, so we'll pull up a closer game so that it looks a little bit more as it goes but KayOhKnee: Yeah. Yeah. Was it Thibodeau last year? That was that was last year, right? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Jared Shirai: Even for them, what they went with eight man rotation, of course, Josh Harden, like Jalen Brunson play like 44 minutes as they should, as they should in like close games, right? Because Josh Harden. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah, well they they're still young, so just go, you know what I mean? Jared Shirai: Josh Hart grinds on defense and Jalen Brunson is literally their workhorse. for me with that, it's also being able to insert different players and not running them into the ground, asking every player on the court to play 40 minutes. This team just keeps looking fresh. For me, it's the... KayOhKnee: The offense, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: Carl Anthony Towns selling into a role, Jalen Brunson being the dog. And then it's the defensive side of the ball right now, where they're just scrappier than can be, where they're forcing turnovers, they're forcing bad shots and they're getting out in the break, which really makes a big difference because they're still young, they can still run the court and push the pace. And I think that's something that the Sixers couldn't really match up with, you know, with the MBs, the Drummins, like even like the Paul Georges because of, you know, getting a little older. He's you can tell the injuries still kind of nags at him from here time to time. I mean, Maxi and Edgecomb, I think they had a phenomenal I love the two of them. That's going to be the future of that team. But yeah, you kind of just look at what the Knicks have been doing to every team that they're playing. And as we talk about into the next series, they're just wearing teams down. And that's literally what it comes down to. They have they have a nice rotation going. ⁓ KayOhKnee: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: I think they're all getting really comfortable. There's no selfish bone in the body. Like they spread the ball pretty well around as well as they understand when they need to score, who needs to get the ball. Normally it's the Jalen Brunson. And if anything, Kat will step into that role if need be, but he hasn't had to because Brunson carries that load because if he's going to be a defensive liability, he better be an offensive spectac- like a spectacular player. And I think that's literally what he's doing right now. He's really filling into that role. So. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Mm-hmm. I like that I I like that little that was a bar you just dropped there. I was like, gonna be a defensive liability. I was like, Well done, well played. ⁓ yeah, I mean you're I mean you're right, undoubtedly. I think last year we were expecting big things, but then we kinda saw Kat sort of fall off and, you know, as as the off season tends to do, you were sort of going into that like, Well, where do we trade him? How do we get rid of him? That sort of situation. I think he's, you know, come back and sort of Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: slowly rebuilt that, you know, reputation that he had, right, as one of the better big men in the league. ⁓ undoubtedly I sp I mean if I think for ⁓ if he even still claims the US, which I'm not even sure is still a thing for him. Yeah, I know I mean, well, Embiid claims it, but you know what I mean? Like so I was like, I don't know who is even US anymore, but ⁓ you know, undoubtedly what are the better US talents if he is still considered a US talent. I he was what is he like Jared Shirai: know what he's doing with his life. Yeah KayOhKnee: Trinidad or something like that, I wanna say something something, one of those types of countries. But ⁓ anyway, all that points to that the Knicks. I mean they're I mean they're just so much more improved from last year and you could tell just in the way that Jalen Brunson is carrying himself. I mean, this dude is ready to win a championship. And I think ⁓ one of the things I think I sent you guys in sort of our group chat outside of here was like the the doubting of the Knicks and the doubting of Jalen Brunson as a number one and him being traded from the Mavericks and Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: you know, how everybody thought that that was so silly because he was signed to this max contract. I bought I will fully, you know, say that I was on that train where I was like, You're gonna pay Jalen Brunson? Like Yeah. Like, bro, you're gonna pay him a max contract after being number two to Luka Doncic, which, you know, given giv giving us some grace here, I also think that, you know, it's it is a little ri crazy to think because it's not like he was showing Jared Shirai: Yep. We were all kinda on that train. It's Luca, but still. KayOhKnee: this version of him. And we've seen, you know, those contracts end up in, you know, just terrible, terrible situations later on down the road where somebody's getting paid fifty million dollars or whatever, like Zach Levine. Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm exactly To be injured, it's at the bench. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Zach Levine get paid all that money and it'd still be losing games. I'm just kidding. Sorry, Zach. That was a stray. You didn't deserve that one. You my boy. It's like not only that, but I still got your basketball over here. ⁓ anyway, sorry, that was that was a straight, but but all that to say that like, you know, it doesn't always work out for the team that he's going to. Jalen Brunson, man, he's he's that dude. So Jared Shirai: You KayOhKnee: Shout out to him to going to the Knicks and, you know, making this team, which is like one of the what do they call ⁓ Like the not a premiere franchise, but one of the more like big market teams. Yeah, storied franchises, big market team. Like he it the Knicks I it feels so long since they've been that team and it's it's really, really refreshing to see them back in sort of the the limelight a little bit. Jared Shirai: storied franchise, yeah. KayOhKnee: ⁓ and you know, I'm still waiting for the Bulls to also do the same thing, but it's we're slowly getting there, you know what I mean? So still waiting for the yeah, I was we actually are, yeah. I'm excited. I d I wish I could talk about them right now, but we can't because they're not in the postseason. But anyway, ⁓ yeah, but anyway, we're gonna move on ⁓ to the seventy sixers because undoubtedly this is a team that needs an identity. They gotta figure things out this off season, figure out what they're doing with this core. ⁓ Boog. Jared Shirai: Yeah, you guys actually are. Yeah, you actually are. Yeah. KayOhKnee: You know, there is the cynical side of me that is saying that they might just run it back and think that they can s you know, do it maybe fully healthy, they're gonna be able to get themselves right back here and, you know, actually prove a point. This four and ⁓ sweep by the New York Knicks is telling me otherwise, you know, that they shouldn't do that. But you're staring down the barrel of a you know, an aged Paul George, an aged Joel Embiid. Is there a market for them and where would you like to see them go if it is the case? Like if you are saying, okay, we have Tyrese Maxi, we have VJ Edgecomb, let's build around these boys and let's figure out the rest of it as we go. Or, you know, with Joel Embiid, I mean, he is undoubtedly a game changing center, the last of the true big men in the NBA ⁓ thoughts, opinions. What should they do this offseason? Is it time to finally move off of the Joel Embiid? You know, experience. Jared Shirai: I mean for me I want to say yeah. We've been kind of talking about it year after year ⁓ Doesn't want to play back-to-backs Can't stay healthy Like it's it's it's kind of like you're paying all this money and like when you need him in the crunch time Like he kind of just isn't there You know, so I mean that makes it tough like I pulled up game two and he didn't even play game two KayOhKnee: Yeah. Yeah. Jared Shirai: You know, and that's the game that they could have won 108-102. And if maybe you have your big man there instead of the Andre Drummond that's trying to fill your role, like it's more of a presence. It's more it built like if you steal one in New York, that would have been great for them too. You know, it's just like, it's tough for me to want to keep rooting for him when it just keeps failing. KayOhKnee: Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jared Shirai: And with the timeline of like the Tyrese Maxxys and the VJ Edgecombs, which are five years apart, you know, they're in their mid and early 20s. You kind of want somebody to be able to match that in the future. ⁓ I would love to seek a trade. I would love for him to go somewhere else. ⁓ Where? Makes it a little harder for me just because like... KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jared Shirai: You don't have the best of options when it comes to it, but. KayOhKnee: It's like you have to like wherever he goes, it has to be a place where like you can insulate from the injuries, like which is probably the toughest part of this whole thing. Is like how can you get him onto a team where him being out, you know, half the season is is okay. Like we can we can still play. ⁓ go ahead, girl. Jared Shirai: Kinda, I kinda have a team actually, it's kinda funny. The Rockets. You trade for Alpern Sengun, they have Clint Capella, they have Steven Adams, they have a little bit of depth when you need nobody on the court, you know? ⁓ I think that could be some place where he gets to play with some, like Kevin Durant, because Katie's still there. Van Fleet will probably come back because he did. KayOhKnee: ⁓ I was gonna I was like I was like I swear Steven Adams just retired. Yeah, he d he retired. Yeah. That just happened. Yeah, yeah. That just happened. But I was just like Steven Adams. I was like, didn't he just retire? ⁓ yeah. Jared Shirai: ⁓ did he? ⁓ that's right. He did retire. But I mean, well, Clint Cappella is still there. Yeah, that's right. No, I actually I remember I remember reading about it. I remember reading about it. But yeah, like you still have Clint Cappella there who's still a capable big. mean, they're both the same age. They're both 32 and. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Yeah. Jared Shirai: And he kind of fills into that role really nicely. You'll have the youngs of the Jabari Smiths and the Aban Thompsons and Reed Shepard had himself a year this past year. He'll probably resign him. I think that'll be like a good swap because for Philadelphia, it looks into the timeline where you have the Singles 23 kind of fits right into the middle of the two ages. You have Embiid who gets to kind of fill into a good roster already on top of he'll have the opportunity to play with like the likes of KD and whatnot. the Rockets went to the what did they ended up at? ⁓ they lost to the Lakers. But I mean, KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: same time that was due to injury and things like that as well so it'll still have a good time and I would say a good time in the Western Conference because they still have a lot of their debt pieces there. Yes there's a lot of expired contracts but I'm sure they can either resign or find others to come and fill because they had such a good season. KayOhKnee: Yeah, I That's actually a really good shout. I like I like the Rockets as a destination for him. Because you're right. They could definitely insulate around him. You know, you wouldn't have to be worried about him being out there every single game. And, you know, when he is there, I mean that undoubtedly takes them over the top, especially as a team that just completely flopped in the playoffs this this postseason specifically. ⁓ yeah, I do really like that. I'm not even gonna try to figure out another one for Joel Abid. I think that's a great spot for him to land. ⁓ with PG, I guess. Jared Shirai: Yeah. Heh. KayOhKnee: You know, as sort of a I ironically because they were teammates, but I was like as sort of a Kawhi light, I do like the Pistons as a backup situation for PG. ⁓ because if he is out there, I think he fits exactly what they need. You know, and he's I still think that at his at his, you know, when he's playing, he's an upgrade over Tobias Harris. A downgrade from Kawhi for sure, but that in between could be exactly what they need, ⁓ as somebody who can Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Yeah. So you sent Tobias back here. KayOhKnee: Could be could be a three team thing. I don't know. ⁓ That would be hilarious, yeah. That would be hilarious. I mean, I don't I don't it's I do I will say though, if that is the case, Philly loves Tobias Harris. So I think that him going in right next to Joel and Bede, if they do end up just keeping him. And the other part of this that I do Jared Shirai: I was like, he said Tobias, I was like, ⁓ Tobias coming back to the Sixers? That would be, ⁓ this didn't work. This experiment didn't work. We're going back. Yeah. Mm-hmm. KayOhKnee: kind of want to mention is that Darren Morey is out. You know what I mean? He's no longer the GM for this team. So what they could do, especially with who they even bring in to replace him, I mean, that's a whole nother part of this. Like we're we're out of the ⁓ what do they call it? ⁓ the it wasn't the rebuild era. What was the Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid? It was the Jared Shirai: ⁓ my gosh. Just a process error? KayOhKnee: Trust the process. There we go. I was like, I was like I I was gonna say we believe that's that's the Warriors, but I was like, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, but ⁓ yeah, trust the process. You know, that was another team I thought about. I was like, the Warriors, maybe, but I was like, nah, because if we're listening to what they're saying, they're saying they wanna go a completely different direction and build around Steph Curry. So I think that Joel and B does not match that. Jared Shirai: No, that's uh, I think I was like, that's the worst. Mm-hmm. KayOhKnee: specific idea. Like you're not gonna even I will say a Steph Curry led offense could definitely carry without Joel Bede. But ⁓ all that to say, you know, we do have the Cavaliers and the Knicks in the Western Conference finals. ⁓ or excuse me, Eastern Conference Finals, but we'll talk about the Western Conference semifinals before we do that. So the Thunder and the Spurs or excuse me. Yeah, Thunder and Spurs do end up winning their series with the Spurs taking down the Timberwolves in six and the Thunder taking down the Lakers in four. ⁓ Jared Shirai: at it all. KayOhKnee: If I'm not mistaken, I think we actually already talked about the Lakers, but we I we kinda predicted that they were gonna get swept. I don't think we actually yeah. Jared Shirai: Yeah, we kind of, we said sweep or gentleman sweep. Yeah. KayOhKnee: Gotcha. Yeah. Okay. So the the Thunder do end up ultimately sweeping the Lakers. They win the last one only by five points, so it was actually a good game ⁓ by the Lakers, k ⁓ kind of keeping themselves in this one. But, you know, ultimately they're out of the playoffs. ⁓ and the Thunder, you know, moving on as, you know, a team that went up until this point went eight and ⁓ you know what I mean? Right? I I believe so, right? First round it was four ⁓ Yeah. They're at eight and ⁓ heading into the conference finals. ⁓ Boog Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Yeah, they were, yeah, 404. KayOhKnee: You know, I guess we we don't really need to talk about the Thunder because we already know what who the Thunder are. We talked about ⁓ them a lot in the last one. The Lakers side of this, you know, there's a lot going around. LeBron James, the possibility of moving. There's rumors about his contract situation, whether or not he would take a pay cut and all that sort of stuff. Supposedly he would only take a pay cut to come here or to play ⁓ for Jesus, I just saw the Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. KayOhKnee: The thingy ⁓ the Spurs, excuse me. That was one of the that was one of the teams that he would take a pay cut for ⁓ if there was any interest, all that sort of stuff. Looking at this situation, looking at who is on the team, obviously we have Austin Reeves going to be a free agent, we have LeBron James going to be a free agent, we have a whole bunch of this core really not going to be back. ⁓ and this is the Lakers we were talking about. You know, this is a team that does not sit at the bottom of the rankings for very long, is undoubtedly always going to be making moves to Jared Shirai: disperse. Yeah. KayOhKnee: be somewhere near the top. What do you want to see happen this offseason for the Lakers specifically? Jared Shirai: man, it's tough. Like I want Ron to come back because I want a healthy Luca to go through the playoff run. Like the way that they kind of ran it and watching Ron kind of play playoff run basketball, I guess you would say, because he had to kind of carry through it. But at the same time, like if if this is the case and your contracts, like contracts expiring, all this other stuff. ⁓ KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: And like every other team, mean, let's just be real. Let's keep it a buck here. Like every other team, we talk about timelines and where they want to be. Lucas 27, you want to build into that youth. Resigning Braun doesn't make sense. Resigning but as much as he does for the team as big as a superstar he is what he means to basketball and what he means to the Laker organization. I just think you you resign the Austin Reeves the Rui Hachimuras like even like signing Luke Kennard over him because like of the age that all these guys are. ⁓ For me, that's where I would start. I would shop LeBron. KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: Like you said, pay cut here, play cut there. ⁓ Go to the Warriors like we talk about. ⁓ But yeah, but for me, it's kind of one of those situations where I would love to see it. ⁓ If you get off of LeBron's contract, I think this could be a jewel and bead home too. Because I would not want to resign Aitin. Like we talk like I know we've thought we've yeah. KayOhKnee: No, but really though, yeah. Yeah, I don't think anybody anybody from LA wants to resign eight. Jared Shirai: We don't want to resign A10 so you can go out and you can get and be, you can make the moves that you need to make the side and trades and things like that. ⁓ as well as like it kinda, it kinda does. I mean, he's a little bit older, but it's still kind of fits the timeline. of of it and then you'll have a premier point guard slash shooting guard in Luca. You have a premier center in Embiid and then you'll have these great role players around where at least now you're getting a big that we keep talking about that they're missing like he gave up AD for Luca which at the end of the day really looks like a better trade because of the AD situation but also you KayOhKnee: Yeah. Jared Shirai: You refused to fill the gap of what was needed and you tried to fill it with the Andre Aiden So for me, it's like you get off of Brown's contract you get off of Aiden and you bring in a big who probably needs to find a new home and I think that could be somewhere to start if that if i'm being honest about like What I want to see of course if I if I wanted to see I want brown to just finish with the Lakers KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: Watch him play alongside Luka and whatnot or go to Golden State. But for the Lakers sake, think moving off will help them a lot in their team build and chemistry. KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's funny because I I've been going back and forth on like what makes the most sense for the team because undoubtedly, I mean you're I mean you probably are gonna need to make that decision soon here, right? Like you're gonna you're gonna need to decide whether or not ⁓ you wanna s stick with this core with LeBron James or you wanna sort of move off and start something new with this new team ⁓ that you're building around. So Jared Shirai: Yeah, before the draft. KayOhKnee: I've been going back and forth on like what I think they should do. If this is gonna be sort of the retirement tour situation for LeBron James and they're going to like, you know, treat it as such and it's gonna be sort of that like last hurrah situation with him, keep him. You know what I mean? But if this is gonna be a team that you're going to say, Okay, we're handing Luca the keys, you know, we're gonna be bringing back AR because Luca wants AR to be here. Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Yeah. KayOhKnee: And you're gonna try to run it back with a completely different core, and then also have LeBron James there. To me, that is the situation where I'm like, okay, maybe just let him, you know what I mean? Let him go somewhere else, let him, you know, feel it out in other team situations. Because I don't wanna see this awkward thing that we kind of dealt with this year, right? Because we are we had like the beginning of the year where Luca and Austin Reeves are going off, they didn't need LeBron. Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: They're carrying the team. The team is winning. All the sorts of stuff. Then it comes back. Things get weird. Who gets the ball? Who's the one running up down the court? Obviously, we knew that was going to happen because we said Luca Luca and LeBron have very similar play styles. They need the ball in their hands in order to do what they do best. And so I feel like that's where I'm like, okay, if it's gonna be that situation again, just let him go. Just tell him off the rip, we're not gonna bring you back. We're not gonna re sign you. Go. Jared Shirai: Yeah. play styles. Yeah. KayOhKnee: Do your thing somewhere else and you know, we'll bring it back Austin Reeves, we'll figure out all this stuff with the rest of the team. That to me is just a better direction. You're picking one or the other direction. And I don't I don't wanna see them do with the weird stuff. They have a first round pick this year, so undoubtedly like they could do things this offseason to start building f toward their future. And what that looks like, you know, we'll see in, you know, a couple of years probably. I mean, Luca, we already know what he can do. He's carried some, you know, pretty Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: Crazy teams to the finals, but this is a team that has all the flexibility in the world, and they're the Lakers. Everybody wants to play for the Lakers. So undoubtedly they could find some trade partners that figure that out this offseason. ⁓ for the for LeBron's sake, I think I just think there's so many other teams that he could go to that he can contribute. Like you're already past the point where you need to be thinking about like, ⁓ I'm gonna just stay with LA. Like, you know what I mean? Go Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. KayOhKnee: continued building your legacy somewhere else. Like go the Warriors that we've talked about. The Spurs would also be an interesting one because if he could land there without having to kick any of the core out, I think that would be another great situation, right? Because we've kind of seen it with that team is like they kind of lack size in certain situations and LeBron would undoubtedly bring that to this team. And especially with a team that can shoot the way that they can shoot. I mean, having him Jared Shirai: Yeah. His facilitating is going to be like next level. Yeah. KayOhKnee: Yeah, stupid. Damn, I mean, that's gonna be insane to try to stop. So I I just think that there are so many better situations. They're they're overdue for a split and I think it's time. ⁓ there was also like an interesting tidbit about him maybe going to the Knicks, which I also think would be an interesting, really cool spot for him to land. ⁓ I think the Knicks could be a really cool spot for him to land if that is the case, but you know Jared Shirai: I saw something about that. That'd be kinda cool. KayOhKnee: And there's also the sort of factor of like if they do decide they want to use him as an asset and he's willing to do that, ⁓ because I mean, undoubtedly the he's never really been down to do that. I don't think they've ever I don't think he's ever helped facilitate a sign and trade situation, but if they were able to convince him to do that, and it was sort of one of those things where like, ⁓ we can get you to a team that you like that might not have the space for you to sign you outright Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: So you'll still get your big contract and we'll just bring in other people. I mean, then the the possibilities are endless. I mean, you could look at the Timberwolves. I mean, they got a couple bad contracts that they could get off of, like, and they just got bounced in the playoffs. Like you look at Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert or what those ⁓ one of those two guys. I mean, yeah, yeah. I mean, like, it's not a great, great, but if it Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Julie's round of coming back. KayOhKnee: get you, you know, a guy who can play a starter and also get you maybe like a a pick back. I mean and then for the Timberwolves, now you're you know, you got Ant and, you know, LeBron James and you know, Jaden McDaniels. Yeah, exactly. So you'd have a solid little core to play around with. But Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Gina McDaniels. KayOhKnee: All that to say, you know, the Lakers are gonna be in some flux this offseason. I I'm never worried about the Lakers organization as a whole because I mean like I said, everybody wants to play for them. Everybody wants to get traded there. They'll probably get somebody big time this offseason that we're not even expecting. It's gonna be like randomly like I don't know, just like Jalen Brown gets traded to the Lakers somehow, and we're gonna be like not surprised it happens because it's the Lakers. But ⁓ anyway. Jared Shirai: Yeah. Yeah. KayOhKnee: Moving on to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who did also lose their series in game six against the Spurs, they put up a good fight. ⁓ but you could also see that Anthony Edwards was definitely dealing with something. I mean, couldn't move. You know, after that whole ankle injury, he was undoubtedly moving a little bit slower, wasn't really as active as we were used to seeing him. But, you know, they do lose this one to the Spurs. This will undoubtedly, if they stick around in the Western Conference, which is, you know, a whole nother thing. Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. KayOhKnee: ⁓ going on in the NBA because the Timberwolves are likely going to be in the Eastern Conference if the expansion happens. But if they stick around in the Western Conference, this will be like a a ⁓ rivalry to be watching for years to come. ⁓ but anyway, Timberwolves side of this book, thoughts, opinions, what can they do? What should they do? Who should they be looking at? What are the what is your idea for the Timberwolves? Jared Shirai: ⁓ yeah. It was just tough because like you said, Ant was dealing with things and you could tell it wasn't the true Anthony Edwards that you get in playoff basketball. ⁓ For me, I think it's. It sucks, but I mean, we've been talking about it for forever, but moving off of Rudy Gobert has to be kind of a priority number one here for them. I think Nasri steps into that role really well. Julius Randall, they like we talked about, they have a really good size lineup when they're, when they're all on the court. But at the same time, like Rudy Gobert's inability to. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Jared Shirai: And this is weird to say, but his inability to defend sometimes, like mobility wise, even though he is a defensive player of the year, you know, it hurts them in the style that they play basketball. It's good in a sense of the physicality. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jared Shirai: But in the way that the basketball game is played now and the way that Timberwolves want to play basketball, you need a more mobile center. that's why, sorry, Nas Reed kind of fills into that role really well for them. The money that he got paid was so well deserved because of the role that he plays for them and the grit that he brings. ⁓ So for me, it's kind of like moving off of Rudy here and then bringing in another mobile big man. KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. ⁓ yeah. Jared Shirai: Who that is right now, I'm trying to go through it. I don't really have a name off the top of my head, but I think that's where you start. I do love the additions of the mid-season trade of having the sumo come in because I think he came in and he came in hot and he's felt in that role, so I would love for them to re-sign him. We kind of loved him when he played for you guys. It was sad to see him go, but what he... KayOhKnee: Yes. Very sad. Jared Shirai: what he did there and what he brought to the table for them. I think that's something you want to bring back with the way he grinds for them. He scores for them. He's willing to do the dirty work and be a good team player. think that's all the things that you do want to bring back for them. But yeah, for me, it starts with go bearer because I think Randall Randall just does his job. He's still a really good one on one score, good physical body. ⁓ And he's really grown into the style that he KayOhKnee: Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: That. He wanted to bring to the NBA a post-up player or a face-up player like an ISO score but can facilitate and play defense and Jamie McDaniels is still going to be the year one to Batman and Robin basically between Anthony Edwards. So I feel like if they move on from somebody it's got to start there. He is one that he is the oldest of the group too. So if you want to get younger, if you want to fit timelines a little better, exactly. You want to move from Rudy Gobert as much as like I think he KayOhKnee: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, he doesn't match the time light, yeah. Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: done an amazing thing. ⁓ I would have said like we said a while back it's like we would have loved to keep Kat and get rid of GoBear and I think this would have made this team a lot different in that regard too. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Ironically that was Part of the reason why they struggled in this one is like you were missing that guy who could come in and give you twenty five or whatever. And I feel like, you know, as much as as much flack as they were giving Kat and I'm sure his value was probably the highest. I mean, it just feels like they didn't really get enough in that trade, first of all, and second of all, you're still dealing with the Rudy Gobert situation, which we've kind of mentioned it time and again, is like not somebody that you wanna be hitching your horse to and that they've kinda had to do that since they made the trade. So Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. Yeah. KayOhKnee: Yeah, with the with the Timberwolves, I definitely, you know, they're they definitely could use an upgrade somewhere. man, it's rough because like I I still feel like they're one of the harder teams to match up with. The Spurs are just a whole nother animal. And, you know, as we'll talk about in a second, I mean, they've kind of gone into like this Jared Shirai: Mm-hmm. KayOhKnee: crazy mode where they are just playing outside their mind a little bit. And I think my personal thing was like I didn't think that with the way that they played that it was going to be sustainable because you just have you know, you have like this guard lineup, guard heavy lineup, you know, with the the is it three, four guards? I can't remember. ⁓ they sometimes play four because I know they have they've been trotting out ⁓ Dylan Harper ⁓ a little bit and then Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: Of course you have the Dev Devin Vasselles, Stefan Castle, De Darren Fox. Yeah, four yeah, four guard lineups. So really I mean, they could they don't seem like a traditional team and they don't seem like somebody that you could you know, you'd be winning so sure handedly against a team like the Timberwolves. But I mean, they proved that wrong. ⁓ and, you know, it shows where the NBA is that we can have teams with just four guards and You know what I mean? And and be a really, really good lineup. But yeah, for the Timberwolves man, it's it's hard because I yeah, I always felt like Julius Randle was like a great piece, but not the piece. You know what I mean? He's always been sort of like a star, but not a superstar. He's not really somebody that you can like say is like Ant's number two guy and all this sort of stuff. I feel like he needs to be one of the guys to consider moving. Of course, I agree with you wholeheartedly on Rudy Gobert. He's another one. Who they could bring in though. Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: That's where things get a little, you know, confusing for me. Like I I do think like Joel and Bede could be an interesting landing spot here. ⁓ just because I mean him and Ant would be a really, really good duo if that was the case. if not that, I mean, ⁓ geez, there's not a lot of guys who are available or who are readily available. I did give the shout out to the LeBron sort of core thing. That could be an interesting spot for him, but undoubtedly they just need to do something to mix it up here. ⁓ I really hope it doesn't cost them like Jaden McDaniels. I hope it ends up being like Julius Randle and or Rudy Gobert in that situation. But let's move on to the conference finals because we did have one team that is already eliminated from the conference finals. After four games, the New York Knicks ⁓ knock out the Cavaliers and are in the NBA championship NBA finals after nearly or no more than twenty years, right? Is it two thousand and Not even two thousand, nineteen ninety something, right? Jared Shirai: 90... ⁓ my god. KayOhKnee: And I I can't even think when the Knicks were in the finals, but 'cause it wouldn't have been any of the Bulls era years. Jared Shirai: Last time. I love how I put last time and it literally pops up the first word. Next word to finals. 1999. KayOhKnee: ⁓ wow. Wow. ⁓ yeah. It looks like it had to be either post Jordan or pre Jordan. So like yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I know he's like, I know they didn't play the Rockets in the finals, so I was like, that that doesn't make sense. But ⁓ nineteen ninety nine. Wow. Yeah. So twenty-seven years ⁓ being out of the finals and they are finally back. ⁓ but yeah, they knocked out the Cavaliers four to zero. This really wasn't a contest. I mean, we saw the Cavaliers fall. Jared Shirai: Yeah, okay had to be post jordan or like in between jordan when he was gone Yeah Yeah, sure. KayOhKnee: Absolutely fall apart. ⁓ and now the storyline heads to because as we kind of talked about with the Cavaliers, there's like a weird mix of talent here, but ⁓ they were kind of carried by their veteran talent with that said bug. We're looking at the possibility of Evan Mobley or Donovan Mitchell being one of the two guys that may be out of this situation, which feels wrong to say because they've been sort of the core as of late, but ⁓ there has been tensions building between the two. There has been a lot of rumors surrounding both of these players and you know we're kind of headed to a possible split. So looking at all of that, thoughts, opinions, what what do you think the Cavaliers should do this offseason? Or should they try to run it back, you know, with a full year of James Harden in tow? Jared Shirai: This is a tough one. ⁓ Ideally, I want to run it back and then bring in another piece, I would say, because you kind of miss the Deandre Hunters, that small forward play, like bringing in somebody who can fill that role. But with the riff of everything and the way the calves are, I feel like they're going to shop Evan Mobley. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: I feel like they're going to stay true to Donovan Mitchell and they're going to shop Evan Mobley. We have Jared Allen, we have Dean Wade, we have all these other players. I mean, they're not as superstardish as Evan Mobley, but I do feel like that's what's going to happen to the plus to the value because he is young of what you can get from here for him. I think that's what they're going to try and shop as well. KayOhKnee: Go. ⁓ my gosh, the money just matches perfectly. Just trading for LeBron already. ⁓ my god. ⁓ my god. It's like the perfect it literally is like the perfect money to match to. Just trading unreal. Jared Shirai: Yeah. But yeah, for me, I mean, I feel like that's what's gonna happen. I would love to see them run it back and just bring in another player to kind of fill the void of like, what was it, the Tide Chandler and the... Deandre Hunter who played that three for them and kind of stepped in Defensively and offensively for them because I feel like they missed that a little bit this past season Struz tried to fill that role. He had his moments where he was great He has moments where it's like he just disappeared kind of the Struz that we seen in the past but Yeah Yeah KayOhKnee: Yeah. I kind of forgot that they cut Lonzo ball. I was like I was like looking for Lonzo and I was like where's Lon ⁓ that's right. He's he's not on the team anymore. That's right. Jared Shirai: And then they got Keyon Ellis mid-season, but I feel like they didn't utilize him as for like, I don't know. I feel like they could resign him because he is a shooter, but then he is a shooting guard sitting behind Harden and what you call it, Donovan Mitchell in that regard. But man, I think their best bet, especially ⁓ after getting swept. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Jared Shirai: I think it's kind of writing on the wall that one of the two have to go. KayOhKnee: Yeah. I was like I I agree wholeheartedly. I I would also say that I do think it's gonna be Evan Mobley out the door. I th I just think that not that I think because I think they should keep Evan Mobley, but like you know, because it's harder to find a a center who can kind of stretch the floor and do those types of things. He's he's one of those like I would say he's one of those in betweenzies of like Jaron Jackson Jr. and Lori Markinen and all those sorts of guys who like they never really play as a true big, but they can play that role and they are obviously like tall and all that sort of stuff and are big bodies and all this. But Donovan Mitchell has undoubtedly been the leader for this team. He's been the one who kind of has turned them around. I mean, yeah, I I keep saying it, and I keep, you know what I mean. It sounds lame, but I mean, LeBron for Mobley seems like a d damn near perfect fit because obviously the Lakers would like a big to build around. And you add him to a core of AR and Luka Doncic, and you're looking at a really good big three to sort of build around in LA. And on top of that, I mean, you get LeBron back in a Cavaliers uniform alongside what is Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: Probably his okay, maybe na ⁓ that's like ⁓ James Harden's a little bit on the teeter totter, but I was like it's one of it's a really good core for him to play with. And you know, most likely you're gonna be also sending Bronny James in that trade. ⁓ so LeBron and Bronny, you know what I mean, adding to a core that already has like the the Jalen Tysons and you know, of course you're gonna have the starting lineup with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden and Jared Allen. I think that that's a really good lineup to throw out there. Now is that one that I think wouldn't win the finals? Yeah. But that is a team that I think can make some noise in an Eastern conference that doesn't really have a lot of powerhouses. ⁓ especially with all the trade rumors surrounding like Giannis and you know Joel Embiid and all these other players. So, you know, we'll see what happens. ⁓ even the Celtics. That's another organization that has a couple of guys that might be out the door after this year's loss. So just a lot happening in the Eastern Conference. It'll be interesting to see. Jared Shirai: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Exactly. Eastern Conference Rebuilds is really what it is. KayOhKnee: And I really, really for for everything NBA related, I really hope that none of these guys, if they are traded, are traded to the Western Conference. I really hope they just stay in the East 'cause I'm really sick of them just stacking players in the Western Conference. I wanna see some Jared Shirai: feel like Jalen Brown if Jalen if he leaves though I feel like Jalen Brown will end up somewhere in the in the Western Conference. Yeah, but I'm just saying that I think I think he would be the one. But like that's why the quiet the quiet Leonard is perfect right from west to east we go west to east. But not east to west. KayOhKnee: I know, I don't want to see that though. It's like I don't want that, you know. Yeah, if you See, but then that's it. Then then the other flip side of that is like okay, we're gonna get another super old superstar act. Like just like Jo just like LeBron heading to the Cavs, just like ⁓ I mean, cool, but I mean great story and all that, but like that doesn't that doesn't excite me for the next like ten years of NBA basketball in the East. Jared Shirai: You You're gonna have the Western Conference with all the young guys and the Eastern Conference with all the old farts. KayOhKnee: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No, for real though. That's all like hopefully we do not get that. That would be super lame. ⁓ yeah. But ⁓ shout out definitely shout out to the Knicks, man. I'm glad that they finally got to the finals. I'm you know, super stoked for them. Hopefully they can lock in. We'll see who they end up matching up with. I know a lot of people are already, you know, doubting that they'll win considering who's coming out of the Western Conference, with the two best teams in the playoffs right now, undoubtedly coming out of the West, but Jared Shirai: That would be hilarious though. For a year it would be hilarious. KayOhKnee: All that being said, I'm still pulling for them to win just because well, it's the Knicks for one and two because I mean it's it's the Eastern Conference. I would like them to really prove that there is some talent out here in the East. ⁓ but looking at the Thunder and the Spurs, now they're tied up three to three, heading into game seven. Boog, as you kind of talked about, hopefully it's a neutral site for game seven, ⁓ because things have been going back and forth and back and forth and Jared Shirai: Can we not have like the Tony brothers or people like that referring the game? Like, can we just like actually get good referees for this game? KayOhKnee: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. it's funny because I was like, I I know there's so much stuff coming out. Everybody's like, ⁓ the Thunder, getting all these calls and all this other stuff sort of things, but I mean it is it's it's not like it's any different than any other big name championship type team that we've seen head into the I mean, we've seen so many and like specifically even with the last ⁓ series. I mean, everybody was talking about the Thunder and the Lakers and it was like Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: the Lakers from the stat sheet had more fouls. You know what I mean? More free throw attempts and all the sorts of stuff. So it's sort of one of those things where it's like, I get it. The the the optics of like watching SGA flop around are not great, but that's where the NBA is now. You know what I mean? Like if you like watching the NBA now, which I am not on that train, but if you like watching it, this is the NBA. You know, this is the NBA you're this is the NBA that you're cheering for and hoping will continue on because Jared Shirai: Yeah. your own. KayOhKnee: That's where they are. Using the refs and getting into those spots and flippy flopping and doing all that crap. That's that's just where we're at with the NBA. So heading into game seven, Boog. I mean, we're not gonna talk about the teams because we've already talked about these teams at length, even though the series has been unreal and we've been seeing some crazy games out of these two teams. Who's taking game seven for you and headed to the finals against the New York Knicks? Jared Shirai: referees I Just kidding ⁓ Whatever whatever Jersey the referees are wearing underneath their uniform No, I'm mad. It's tough. It's tough. Okay sees a tough place to play. Everybody talks about it. It's louder than loud in there I Don't want I want to stay away from the KayOhKnee: The referees. ⁓ Yeah. Jared Shirai: the ref things of everything because it is a home game for them. But if I want a team to win based off of like what they've looked like and how they've won in the series, I want the Spurs to win. I want the Spurs to win. ⁓ Man that that last night that 27-27 point victory. ⁓ What is it? That's the biggest of the KayOhKnee: Yeah. Ooh. Jared Shirai: Yeah, it's the biggest of the series going into game seven. Yes, they were at home. Yes, they had their backs against the wall. But at the same time, also know that it could possibly happen. I think Wemby... is a force to be reckoned with when given the opportunity to. I think the players that step up in the regards of like the Stefan Castle, the Dylan Harpers, they have good games. Devin Vassal had a great game, you know, there's all these role players. They know it's behind Wemby, but they have their when they have the opportunities to shine, they have the opportunity to shine and it's good for them. Like the Iron Fox didn't have a good game at all and they won by 27, which is wild because he's their number, technically their number two option. And then you have these other players stepping up. I think for me, it's more the grit of. KayOhKnee: Yeah. Jared Shirai: of the San Antonio defense and if it gets called if it's playoff basketball, like we talk about playoff basketball, these files are carbon files in or not not falls in the playoff game because of the intensity because of the aggression that they play with. And if you allow San Antonio to to play that type of ball, I think this could be a very different game. And I do think the Spurs will come out on top because of it. KayOhKnee: Hm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Jared Shirai: But if they call it a ticky tackiness that they have called in these OKC home games, I think that's where the Spurs are going to probably end up losing just based off of that. KayOhKnee: Yeah. I mean, I don't disagree with that. I ⁓ man, I've been going back and forth about I d I do think that the Spurs ⁓ undoubtedly deserve to win, you know. They've there's been some just crazy stuff coming out of that team, especially with Victor Wabanyama. I mean he is a true alien. That dude, the things he does on the court, I mean geez, like blocking at the like I think like something like Jared Shirai: you KayOhKnee: Blocking at the rim and then blocking at the three point line like a half a second later is just insane. Like yeah. Being able to block somebody and then like follow the ball and then block somebody else at the three point line, or better yet, to like block somebody, get down to past half court, just past half court and shoot a three and then hit that, like Jared Shirai: mean, the closeout, right? KayOhKnee: Hopefully we don't get just more Victor Webbs because the league would be insane. Just watching a bunch of seven, three monsters just going back and forth on the court would be just insane a lot. Yeah, no, literally, yeah, that's like literally exactly what it'd be. yeah, I mean with that said, man, I d I don't know why. And I I think it's because I am just Jared Shirai: It would be every team has an alien. It would be Space Jam. KayOhKnee: I am just sick of the the I'm not even a Thunder fan, but I'm sick of the Thunder hate because even with the hate towards SGA and all the sorts of s all this stuff that's been coming out, it's like like not to, you know, take it back to this guy in any way, shape, or form, but we've seen twenty three years of a six, nine, two hundred fifty pound man flopping around in the league and we're talking about SGA flopping around. Like that's this is the NBA now. This is We wa this is how you get points. This is what they do now. It's not any different than anything we've been watching for the last twenty something years. Like to me that's that's what I'm getting irritated with is like people are forgetting, like this guy has watched, this is this guy has been growing up watching this version of the NBA for the last some odd years now. And it's it's not something new. Nothing has changed with the NBA. Yeah, the refs are you know, whatever, but this is how it is. When you're a star They they the calls go your way. You know, for years it was, you know, LeBron before that, it was Kobe. You know what I mean? Like, there was always those teams that people were like, ⁓ gosh, you're getting all the calls. This is this is the NBA. Welcome to the NBA. You know what I mean? We've been watching this for damn near 40 years at this point. So I'm just saying, like, nothing has changed with the NBA. So all that said, I just I just want to see the Thunder go back. I want to see Alex Carlos who go up. Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: Alex Crusoe go out and try to, you know, get another one. ⁓ I do think that they would be a ⁓ fun a much more fun for me at least ⁓ group to see take on the Knicks. And as far as the Spurs are concerned, they c they've showed they can get right back here again. I will say I think, you know, it's this is a hot take, but because if they do lose, I think moving off of De'Aaron Fox might be the next move because Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: To be quite honest, he's just a redundant player now. Like when you first grabbed him, you know, you didn't have the Dylan Harper connection, whatever, because you were you didn't draft yet. Now that he's here, it's just like you got Dylan Harper, you have Stefan Castle, you have Devin Vassell. You don't really need Darren Fox. Like I know he's technically number two, but you have two two, maybe three guys. ⁓ maybe two guys, not Devin Vassell, but the other two guys who are More than ready. Stefan Castle looks already ready this year to be a number two. So build around him and Wemby. If you if you can find a piece that can I think they they could stand to add some size somewhere because the half court offense is where they lose me, you know what mean? But you know, they're really good in transition. I think if they could add somebody there for the power forward or small forward or something, just somewhere where they can get some length, that would be Yeah, no, I mean really Jared Shirai: Yeah. Bron James. Like you get off of the Iron Fox, you get off the Iron Fox, he goes to LA and you bring in Bron here. Like that makes a really good half court offense as well. KayOhKnee: He would be a really good piece. Yeah. Yeah. I think I think and leadership wise he would undoubtedly add that last little bit. And if that's the way he ends his career, I think that'd be phenomenal. To play next to Victor Wimanyama ha I don't think that dude I don't think that dude can handle I was like even watching him in the stands with Tim Duncan. Jared Shirai: Pop comes back for one year to coach. Did you hear though like he I forget it was not this series maybe or last year's yeah He like went in the locker room and yelled at them and I was like damn pop This is why we put you in the front office like so you don't have another heart attack Exactly KayOhKnee: Or he like yelling at yelling at them. Yeah. He still got it. Yeah, he's still got the he still got that reverence. So I'm I'm I'm glad that I honestly would love to see that be the ending of LeBron's career. Like if you could hand over the reins to the next big thing in Victor Womanyama, that'd be a picture perfect ending. ⁓ them win a championship next year, you know what I mean? So Jared Shirai: Yeah. KayOhKnee: Undoubtedly, Thunder vs Knicks would be my pick. Hopefully we'll see. You know what I mean? ⁓ tomorrow is is game seven, so we'll see what happens there. But Boog, I think that'll do it for this episode of After the Buzzer. Do you have anything else that you want to say before we bounce on out of this one? Jared Shirai: Yeah. Please, please just call a fair game. Please just call a fair game. I guess, I think if it's a fair game, like it's going to be a banger. Like it's going to be a banger if it's straight down the middle because they're both going to go hard. Like they're both going to hard at it. And if you allow it, like it's going to be chippy, it'll be fun. Like it'll be entertaining to watch. It'll be what game seven should be. So. KayOhKnee: Yeah, just right down the middle. You know what I mean? We don't need any any retendencies, yeah. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Yep. ⁓ The best part about this is we're gonna get this for years. Like this is gonna be the premier matchup in the West for years. So and also I will say it's like I know LeBron kinda pointed out too. It was like the the fact that the the Spurs are just so lucky that they just land in another franchise changing center, it's like insane. Like they finally get they get another big man. Jared Shirai: Yeah, this is gonna be the rivalry. KayOhKnee: Shout out to big men because I'm so glad that the big man is coming back and we're finally getting some big men who are, you know, changing the game. You know, ⁓ it's gonna be exciting times for the ⁓ Spurs for years to come. So anyway, with that said, it has been a pleasure. It's been a joy from all of us here at Poinsoy. Get Ventil Bang bang.