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Can the Lakers Contend? Pistons Streaking & 76ers Future Plans · Small Ball with Kenny Beecham

0:04
SPEAKER_02: Welcome back to another episode of Small Ball with Kitty Beecham.
0:08
SPEAKER_02: Hope you are doing well.
0:09
SPEAKER_02: I am feeling phenomenal.
0:10
SPEAKER_02: It's something about post-all-star break that really get me going.
0:13
SPEAKER_02: Maybe it's more trade deadline oriented, but I feel like I'm watching and taking notes on basketball more than ever before.
0:20
SPEAKER_02: And I'm talking, I'm talking different levels.
0:23
SPEAKER_02: The other day I watched NC State versus Notre Dame, women's NTAA basketball.
0:28
SPEAKER_02: And I promise you, that was the greatest basketball game I've witnessed all year long.
0:32
SPEAKER_02: I was taking notes on it, knowing damn well that these notes aren't going anywhere.
0:36
SPEAKER_02: But you know what?
0:37
SPEAKER_02: I was mostly invested in it because the Chicago Sky at least had the third overall pick in the draft, and Olivia Miles and Centron, those are two lottery picks.
0:45
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, okay, one of these two dudes might be up on my favorite team soon.
0:48
SPEAKER_02: And then later that day, the pick got traded.
0:51
SPEAKER_02: So I don't regret watching a game because it was a double overtime banger.
0:54
SPEAKER_02: I've been doing the same thing with college basketball.
0:56
SPEAKER_02: Last night I watched Maryland versus Michigan State half court, further than half court.
1:01
SPEAKER_02: Buzzer beat it by Trey Holliman.
1:03
SPEAKER_02: Like, hoops is hoops are great right now.
1:05
SPEAKER_02: But y'all know the real job is the NBA.
1:08
SPEAKER_02: So I got a lot to get to today.
1:09
SPEAKER_02: This is one of those episodes with no real theme, some of my favorite episodes where I basically just ramble about stuff that's on my mind in the NBA.
1:16
SPEAKER_02: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
1:18
SPEAKER_02: Be sure to leave a like, subscribe.
1:20
SPEAKER_02: This Saturday, the Enjoy Basketball brand has a collaboration drop.
1:25
SPEAKER_02: Uh, this is something that's been the works for months.
1:28
SPEAKER_02: Um it's so crazy to think about it.
1:29
SPEAKER_02: I actually had this conversation with one of the homies um yesterday about all of the crazy weird accomplishments that we've had over the last couple of years.
1:38
SPEAKER_02: Like as a diehard Chicago Bulls fan, and watching Jimmy Butler get drafted 30th overall, watch him get no PT, his rookie season, and him blossoming into an all-star, then eventually an all-NBA player, then eventually a Hall of Famer is kind of crazy to think about.
1:54
SPEAKER_02: And now we're doing a collaboration with his brand, Big Face Coffee.
1:58
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1:59
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2:03
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2:04
SPEAKER_02: So if you have not been locked in, put the notifications on and enjoy basketball, Twitter, and Instagram so you do not miss the drop.
2:11
SPEAKER_02: Also, we have other shows in this network.
2:14
SPEAKER_02: Numbers on the board drops Tuesdays and Saturdays.
2:17
SPEAKER_02: Teed up with PNDResson drops on Thursday.
2:19
SPEAKER_02: So if you need more hoops talk, this is the network for you.
2:23
SPEAKER_02: And actually later in the show, we're gonna talk a little bit about sports coverage.
2:28
SPEAKER_02: It's been a big conversation, and it's something I've been thinking about a lot since All-Star Weekend, and it'll make sense a little bit later.
2:34
SPEAKER_02: Where do we start off?
2:36
SPEAKER_02: Uh let's start off with a few of the teams that made some big old adjustments at the trade deadline.
2:41
SPEAKER_02: Starting off with the LA Lakers.
2:44
SPEAKER_02: Um, one thing that is really um really dope to me is when a team makes a trade and they're able to implement the talent immediately.
2:54
SPEAKER_02: Now, it's pretty easy to implement Luca Dontis when you're talking about one of the three best players in the world when he's completely healthy.
2:59
SPEAKER_02: But sometimes I'm like, I just think about it like this: you make a big-time trade deadline deal.
3:04
SPEAKER_02: A lot of times there's not real room for a coaching staff to really put player X in the perfect position for themselves.
3:12
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes it's like I got to slot in.
3:14
SPEAKER_02: This is a talent upgrade, and sometimes it's gonna be enough.
3:17
SPEAKER_02: My favorite type of trades is when it's like, no, no, no, no.
3:20
SPEAKER_02: We're able to rearrange some things with our offense and our defense to incorporate this new player.
3:25
SPEAKER_02: And I feel like that's what the Lakers have done.
3:26
SPEAKER_02: And I also feel like that's what the Warriors have done, and we'll talk about both teams.
3:30
SPEAKER_02: The Lakers have two really decent to big wins since they've acquired um Luka Doncic.
3:36
SPEAKER_02: And I think these last two games we've seen a better version of him.
3:40
SPEAKER_02: You think about those first three, the two against the Jazz, and then the one against the Charlotte Hornets.
3:43
SPEAKER_02: Luca wasn't moving well.
3:45
SPEAKER_02: He was still trying to find his flow.
3:47
SPEAKER_02: You had um LeBron James telling him to don't fit in, fit out, and then JJ Reddick telling him to be himself instead of just trying to find his way.
3:54
SPEAKER_02: And I understand when you play for a team and you were the guy for a team for what, six, seven years, and now you go to this new place, you're not trying to step on toes because, well, one of the greatest players of all time is on this team.
4:04
SPEAKER_02: Eventually, Luca uh realized I'm him.
4:07
SPEAKER_02: They had the 123 to 100 win over Denver.
4:10
SPEAKER_02: Now, this is what, five days ago, so I don't want to spend too much time on it.
4:13
SPEAKER_02: I feel like everybody and their grandma dropped a video or podcast about this individual game.
4:17
SPEAKER_02: But I do have I did see some eye-opening stuff because this is one of those games where, you know, people talk about the regular season being a drag and the regular season being monotonous.
4:27
SPEAKER_02: This is one of those games that just can change the opinion of that completely.
4:31
SPEAKER_02: When you talk about Coach JJ Reddit going to the podium after the game, saying, I have not slept in 48 hours prepping for this game, that's the type of stuff I really love.
4:39
SPEAKER_02: Now, granted, I can confirm that um Mike Malone did not look at this game as anything different than a regular season game.
4:47
SPEAKER_02: So Mike Malone didn't spend that same amount of time prepping for this one.
4:51
SPEAKER_02: But it is really cool to see JJ Reddick have so much trust in his team, and we're gonna talk about that.
4:58
SPEAKER_02: One of the superpowers that the Nuggets have is causing you to be confused on the defensive side of the ball.
5:05
SPEAKER_02: Where every team in basketball is thinking about spacing and pacing, the Nuggets saying, no, no, no, no, no, no.
5:11
SPEAKER_02: We don't really give a damn about that first part.
5:13
SPEAKER_02: Space?
5:14
SPEAKER_02: Shooters in the corners, shooters on the wing?
5:17
SPEAKER_02: No, no, no.
5:17
SPEAKER_02: We don't really care about that.
5:18
SPEAKER_02: We're gonna cause confusion with cuts.
5:20
SPEAKER_02: And I thought that the Lakers did such a great job just mucking up the paint so that like things wouldn't work out in the Denver Nuggets' favor.
5:28
SPEAKER_02: When you think about a team sending two people on a cut simultaneously, you just in your mind think that that is not great offense.
5:36
SPEAKER_02: But because they have this wizard named Nikola Jokic and they also have another offensive savant in Russell Westbrook, having those cuts at the same time and hitting people with 0.1 seconds to react for a bucket is just something that they do amazingly.
5:51
SPEAKER_02: One of the great things about the Denver Nuggets, and maybe one of the downsides about the Denver Nuggets as well, if we talk about postseason, is that this team just doesn't shoot a lot of threes.
5:59
SPEAKER_02: So it is cool to see a team just run their offense differently.
6:03
SPEAKER_02: And JJ Reddick, of course, recognized that and he just sent two bodies at Jokic.
6:07
SPEAKER_02: Jokic has his thing where he has the ball in the post.
6:09
SPEAKER_02: It doesn't matter which um which block he's on.
6:12
SPEAKER_02: He wants to spin to his left a little bit more than he wants to spin to his right.
6:16
SPEAKER_02: And there was a second to third defender on their left side spin every single time.
6:20
SPEAKER_02: Jokic is still Jokic, right?
6:21
SPEAKER_02: So he found um Aaron Gordon for open three, who's been having a great shooting season, or found um uh Christian Brown sitting in that dunker spot that led to a layup.
6:31
SPEAKER_02: So Jokic still had a great playmaker game, but they completely got him away from the basket.
6:36
SPEAKER_02: So he didn't incorporate any of his own offensive uh scoring.
6:40
SPEAKER_02: And that's just like some cool JJ Reddick stuff, man.
6:43
SPEAKER_02: And it it feels great um to watch the Lakers.
6:47
SPEAKER_02: I have not been excited to really watch the Lakers since, I don't know, the first year they got Anthony Davis.
6:53
SPEAKER_02: Like I've watched a lot of Lakers because I love LeBron James, and I'm one of those guys that believe that we shouldn't be taking Braun for granted at age 40.
6:59
SPEAKER_02: He's still doing ridiculous stuff.
7:01
SPEAKER_02: So I've watched a ton of Braun over these last couple years, but I haven't really been excited about watching the Lakers.
7:07
SPEAKER_02: I was excited to watch Braun.
7:09
SPEAKER_02: These last couple games, dog, I can't believe I'm saying this.
7:12
SPEAKER_02: I love this Lakers team.
7:14
SPEAKER_02: Now we're gonna talk about it just in a little bit because it hasn't been the toughest schedule, right?
7:18
SPEAKER_02: They got the two losses, oh, the loss against the Hornets, they got the loss against the Jazz, and then again, they played against the different Nuggets and they played against the Mavericks without any center.
7:26
SPEAKER_02: So, like, it has not been the most stiff competition whatsoever.
7:31
SPEAKER_02: But this team has been so fun to watch, bro.
7:36
SPEAKER_02: Um, and one of the things I really love about it is the small ball lineup.
7:39
SPEAKER_02: I mean, this is what the show is named, right?
7:41
SPEAKER_02: Small ball, baby.
7:42
SPEAKER_02: I love small ball basketball.
7:43
SPEAKER_02: But the difference between the Lakers small ball lineup and any other small ball lineup in the history of hoops is that this lineup ain't really that small.
7:49
SPEAKER_02: Like they don't have a true center.
7:50
SPEAKER_02: That is the definition of small ball, I guess.
7:52
SPEAKER_02: But you think about it like this: Luca, and this is what they're listed on ESPN.
7:55
SPEAKER_02: So don't come at me if you say this player's taller, this player's shorter.
7:58
SPEAKER_02: Luca's listed as 6'6, Dorafinny Smith is 6'7, Rui Hachimura is 6'8, Braun is 6'9, Alistair Reeves is 6'5, and Vando is 6'8, and you got a combination of five of those six players on the court, they are just throwing bodies, they're all over the place.
8:12
SPEAKER_02: Um, and it doesn't make sense when you think about it.
8:15
SPEAKER_02: When you think about a team that is running Reeves and Luca and Braun, you don't expect that team with that lineup out there to have a 107 defensive rating.
8:27
SPEAKER_02: Now, basketball is more than just three-man lineups, but I want to I want to tell you that 107 would be the second best defense in hoops.
8:34
SPEAKER_02: It doesn't make any sense.
8:37
SPEAKER_02: Until you think about who's on the roster.
8:39
SPEAKER_02: This is one of the smartest collection of players that we have in the NBA today.
8:46
SPEAKER_02: I made a tweet um when I was I was thinking about this for myself, and I just wanted to see what the consensus was or what people were talking about or thinking about.
8:53
SPEAKER_02: I asked, how many players in basketball are supercomputers?
8:58
SPEAKER_02: These are the people that process the game at the highest of highest levels.
9:01
SPEAKER_02: Now, I do want to say in order to even be a professional athlete, you kind of have to be a supercomputer in comparison to the normal person like me.
9:07
SPEAKER_02: But I'm when I think about supercomputers in basketball, I'm thinking about how smart they are compared to their peers.
9:12
SPEAKER_02: It's IQ, it's decision making, it's knowing where to be on both sides of the ball.
9:17
SPEAKER_02: And these are the five names that popped up more than others.
9:20
SPEAKER_02: It was Braun, it was Jokic, it was Harden, it was Paul, and then it was Doncic.
9:27
SPEAKER_02: Those are the five that when I asked people on Twitter, those five came up the most.
9:31
SPEAKER_02: And then you did get people say like uh Draymond Green.
9:34
SPEAKER_02: You saw people say like Jimmy Butler, and then people were putting some nods in for the newer generation, saying that like a guy like Trey Young or a guy like Kay Cunningham, who I think we're still far away from K, uh, but he's still playing amazing basketball.
9:46
SPEAKER_02: So let's think about those five players that we mentioned.
9:48
SPEAKER_02: It is Braun, Doncic, Jokic, Harden, and Paul.
9:53
SPEAKER_02: Two of those dudes are on the same team right now.
9:56
SPEAKER_02: It makes no sense.
9:58
SPEAKER_02: So though Luka Doncic is not a great defender, he's got this.
10:03
SPEAKER_02: I feel like it's very rare that you see Luka Doncic out of position defensively.
10:07
SPEAKER_02: Hell, he don't got the fits, the foot speed to catch up to some of the dudes he's guarding, and he gets blown back quite a bit.
10:13
SPEAKER_02: But when you think about the IQ, the hands that is associated with his defense, he's on his team.
10:20
SPEAKER_02: And Braun might be what, the smartest basketball player in the history of the sport.
10:25
SPEAKER_02: When Braun said Luca is a natural quarterback and I'm a natural wide receiver, I feel that, bro.
10:31
SPEAKER_02: I absolutely feel that.
10:32
SPEAKER_02: So this team has two of the five consensus supercomputers on one team.
10:39
SPEAKER_02: And I think when you have that, and you also have Austin Reese, who's not a supercomputer, but boy, is he damn smart when it comes to basketball?
10:47
SPEAKER_02: You have a guy like JJ Reddick that feels comfortable with switching coverage on a nightly basis.
10:53
SPEAKER_02: A coach traditionally does not stay up 48 hours to care about game number 57 of the regular season.
11:01
SPEAKER_02: That same coach doesn't go into his very next game with a different defensive plan.
11:07
SPEAKER_02: Realistically, most teams have their identity of this is what we're known to do.
11:12
SPEAKER_02: We're gonna be an ICE type team on defense.
11:15
SPEAKER_02: We're gonna play drop coverage.
11:17
SPEAKER_02: Now, of course, there's possession by possession basis, but for the most part, some team, most teams have their identity.
11:22
SPEAKER_02: We're mostly known as a drop coverage defensive team.
11:25
SPEAKER_02: We're mostly known as a point of attack, uh, bring the defender up to the point of attack team.
11:31
SPEAKER_02: Under JJ, and I'm I'm specifically talking about the last two months because I did believe that, you know, he was experimenting a little bit with Anthony Davis, where they were playing Anthony Davis at the level, and then they did eventually put Anthony Davis and drop coverage, and then you saw the defensive numbers jump up higher, higher, because Anthony Davis is very, very versatile defensive player, but that's where his bread and butter is.
11:51
SPEAKER_02: So he experimented quite a bit with changing some things up.
11:54
SPEAKER_02: But eventually he found out okay, drop coverage is the way we're gonna go in this pick and roll.
11:58
SPEAKER_02: Over the last two months, we've seen the Lakers nearly on a nightly basis just change up how they cover the opposing team.
12:07
SPEAKER_02: And that is JJ having the trust in his players to be able to remember that last night we did it this way, but tonight we're gonna do it differently.
12:16
SPEAKER_02: We talk about Dorian Finney Smith, Ruri Hachimore, um, uh Vanderbilt, Jared Vanderbilt, these guys are just going to be menaces, and it's been amazing to watch.
12:28
SPEAKER_02: It's been absolutely amazing to watch.
12:32
SPEAKER_02: For the last four years, LeBron James has been not publicly, but kind of publicly been looking to pass the torch to Anthony Davis.
12:43
SPEAKER_02: And for what is worth, Anthony Davis was so phenomenal this season.
12:47
SPEAKER_02: Um, I guess they they talked about on the broadcast that they're not completely sure when he'll be back, which is unfortunate, not just for the Mavericks, but for basketball in general, Anthony Davis having that type of season.
12:57
SPEAKER_02: But um LeBron was never really able to pass the torch.
13:01
SPEAKER_02: Um, and maybe that's because Anthony Davis didn't have his arm reached back to grab it.
13:08
SPEAKER_02: Now he can do that because Luca Dantes is that type of player.
13:12
SPEAKER_02: Now he can do that because Luca Dantes is that type of player.
13:16
SPEAKER_02: One of the craziest lies, one of the craziest lies told in in NBA history is that LeBron James needs the ball.
13:26
SPEAKER_02: We are in year, what, 22, 23 of LeBron James' career?
13:30
SPEAKER_02: And when this trade happened, we saw big people on TV or Twitter figures saying that it's not gonna be a good fit because they both need the ball.
13:38
SPEAKER_02: Have we not watched LeBron James since Miami?
13:42
SPEAKER_02: Because he's showcasing time and time again that LeBron can get it either way.
13:48
SPEAKER_02: And in his last game against the Dallas Mavers, for him to have what a 16-point quarter and for him to have um what 11 made field goals and six of those were assisted on, whether it be him leaking out on a full court pass from Luka Doncic or him playing uh give up and give the ball back from Luka Doncic, that one possession in the post, LeBron has been malleable for the last couple years of his career.
14:13
SPEAKER_02: Now, having that as an argument for the first half of his career, I can understand that.
14:18
SPEAKER_02: I can see that.
14:19
SPEAKER_02: I've watched Braun from 2003 to 2011 or 2012, I can feel that.
14:24
SPEAKER_02: But it has not been that way for quite some time.
14:27
SPEAKER_02: You know what it reminds me of?
14:29
SPEAKER_02: And it's on the it's more negative for Braun than what I'm about to reference.
14:33
SPEAKER_02: As an NBA player, the best thing that can happen to you is for you to have the reputation of a defender.
14:40
SPEAKER_02: Because when you're falling off as a defensive player, you will still have the reputation of a defender.
14:46
SPEAKER_02: You will still get paid as if you're a defender, and the consensus conversation around you would be that you're a defensive mastermind, even when you're not.
14:55
SPEAKER_02: And I feel like that same thing has happened for Braun, but in a negative sense, because there was a part of his career where he had to be ball dominant in order for him to be really successful as an NBA player, but that has followed him throughout the last couple portions of his career.
15:11
SPEAKER_02: LeBron James is shooting 40 plus percent on catch-a-shoot threes, everybody.
15:15
SPEAKER_02: That doesn't sound like somebody that needs the ball in order to be effective.
15:19
SPEAKER_02: LeBron James this season alone has been assisted on May baskets more than any time in his career.
15:27
SPEAKER_02: That doesn't seem like somebody that necessarily needs the ball.
15:30
SPEAKER_02: And I think it's a benefit to the team, but also to Braun, because Braun is playing supernova basketball again.
15:36
SPEAKER_02: I don't know if you really peep.
15:36
SPEAKER_02: He's playing supernova basketball again.
15:38
SPEAKER_02: But it being in the flow of the offense, or if it being in the leak out, or it being on a cut or being as a roll man, I think that freshes up the 40-year-old man's legs and gets him more engaged on both sides of the ball.
15:52
SPEAKER_02: JJ Reddick said in his post-game interview versus the Dallas Mavericks that if you've been watching Braun for the last six weeks, he's been playing all defensive level defense.
16:03
SPEAKER_02: And maybe I ain't been locked in that much because I don't know if I could go all defensive level, but I can recognize that Braun's defense has been dramatically better than earlier in the season.
16:13
SPEAKER_02: There were a portion, there was a portion of the year where um Braun didn't look as good as the previous year.
16:20
SPEAKER_02: And me and the guys are watching this specific game.
16:23
SPEAKER_02: I I don't remember who it was against, um, but we were sitting in Discord, we were watching this game together, something that we ain't done in some time.
16:29
SPEAKER_02: I guess everybody's just grown up now.
16:31
SPEAKER_02: You can't just sit in Discord and watch hoops with the boys anymore.
16:34
SPEAKER_02: Um we're watching this game and we're all like, man, Braun don't look great.
16:39
SPEAKER_02: Right?
16:39
SPEAKER_02: Not that he looks bad, but comparing it to what we saw in the Olympics and comparing it to what we saw last year, this ain't this ain't looking good.
16:45
SPEAKER_02: Maybe it's about to happen.
16:47
SPEAKER_02: Because it's gonna happen eventually.
16:49
SPEAKER_02: Maybe close your ears for this part.
16:50
SPEAKER_02: It's gonna happen eventually.
16:51
SPEAKER_02: Braun will eventually, eventually, even though it feels impossible, not be the same level of player.
16:57
SPEAKER_02: And we thought that's is what was happening.
16:59
SPEAKER_02: Nah, let me let me go to LeBron game log.
17:03
SPEAKER_02: Uh, because he's been back.
17:05
SPEAKER_02: And then we did the the episode on the other show, and we were like, okay, where does so-and-so rank in basketball?
17:11
SPEAKER_02: And I think we got to Braun.
17:12
SPEAKER_02: We was like, Braun is probably at this point of his career like 15-ish in the NBA.
17:18
SPEAKER_02: Now Braun has his top 10.
17:20
SPEAKER_02: My fault, Braun.
17:21
SPEAKER_02: We jumped the gun just a little bit.
17:23
SPEAKER_02: Over his last 11 games, this is ridiculous, by the way.
17:27
SPEAKER_02: And this is my first time really looking at this.
17:29
SPEAKER_02: This is ridiculous.
17:31
SPEAKER_02: Over his last 11 games, Braun is averaging 29 points per game, nine rebounds, eight assists, 55% from the field, 44% from three on six and a half three-point attempts.
17:49
SPEAKER_02: He's 40.
17:51
SPEAKER_02: He's 40.
17:53
SPEAKER_02: And listen, I always say basketball is is my number two joy in life behind my daughter.
18:02
SPEAKER_02: But I recognize that when you turn on the TV and you listen to other shows, the Lakers get talked about a ton.
18:10
SPEAKER_02: And one of the things I told myself that on this show is that I'm gonna talk about the Lakers, don't get me wrong, but I'm not gonna open up every episode talking about what the hell the Lakers were doing because most of the time it wasn't anything super special.
18:22
SPEAKER_02: Things have changed.
18:24
SPEAKER_02: Because I think that this team has a potential to do some crazy stuff.
18:31
SPEAKER_02: And I try to be impartial.
18:32
SPEAKER_02: I know in the other show I'll be making fun of the Lakers fans, but I really do try to be impartial here.
18:37
SPEAKER_02: And I absolutely love watching this Lakers team.
18:41
SPEAKER_02: Um, gotta give, I know I only mentioned his name one time, gotta give so much love to Austin Reeves because so far in the season he's averaging 19 and 6, but that doesn't even tell the full story because over the last month or so, it was they showed on the broadcast last night.
18:57
SPEAKER_02: Over the last um month or so, he's been averaging like 24 points per game.
19:01
SPEAKER_02: He's been phenomenal.
19:03
SPEAKER_02: And there was an article written not too long ago about um Austin Reeves, and he was talking about how he went to Phil Handy, who I don't think is with the Lakers anymore, but at once upon a time it was with the Lakers.
19:13
SPEAKER_02: He went to Phil Handy and he said, LeBron got to ease up on me, bro.
19:17
SPEAKER_02: I'm really just I'm an undrafted rookie.
19:19
SPEAKER_02: Why is he on my ass so much?
19:21
SPEAKER_02: And Phil Handy said, Because he believes in you.
19:25
SPEAKER_02: And I'm not adding this to LeBron's legacy that this undrafted guard out of out of nowhere is great.
19:34
SPEAKER_02: But damn it, I couldn't imagine the battery that gets put in your back when one of the two greatest players of all time believes in you.
19:41
SPEAKER_02: Right?
19:42
SPEAKER_02: I've had a battery put in my back, and this is not nearly the same when when um I got a text from Stephen A.
19:49
SPEAKER_02: Smith that said that like, future's yours.
19:54
SPEAKER_02: Stephen A.
19:54
SPEAKER_02: Smith is the number one guy in sports media.
19:56
SPEAKER_02: Love him or hate him.
19:58
SPEAKER_02: Future's mine.
20:00
SPEAKER_02: I can't let him down there, right?
20:02
SPEAKER_02: So I can't imagine it being on a whole nother level with it being LeBron James.
20:06
SPEAKER_02: And Austin Reeves has taken the responsibility with this new look team to be like, hey, tonight I have to guard Kyrie Irving.
20:16
SPEAKER_02: The night before, I had to guard Jamal Murray.
20:19
SPEAKER_02: Tonight, as I'm recording this, he's gonna probably have to guard the Austin, the Anthony Edwards one should be interesting.
20:26
SPEAKER_02: They might go a different direction because it because Anthony Edwards is like this bruise of your body.
20:29
SPEAKER_02: But he's taking the responsibility of guarding the top guy, the top ball handler, the top scorer, and then also going out there and giving you 20, 30, 36 to 45-point game against Indiana in that win where Braun didn't play.
20:43
SPEAKER_02: It's just been great hoops, and I've enjoyed every single second of it.
20:46
SPEAKER_02: Now, things get really difficult though.
20:50
SPEAKER_02: As excited as I am about the way they look right now, their schedule is ridiculous.
20:56
SPEAKER_02: Here's their next nine games.
20:58
SPEAKER_02: They have the Wolves tonight, they have the Clippers back to back, they have the Pelicans.
21:02
SPEAKER_02: Okay, the Pelicans aren't very good, but but we we did see Zion get the seal tattooed on his belly button, so he might be averaging 40 for the rest of his career.
21:10
SPEAKER_02: We got the Knicks, then we got the Celtics, then we got the Nets, who ain't no easy out no more.
21:15
SPEAKER_02: You got the Bucs, and then you got the Nuggets.
21:17
SPEAKER_02: So we're really about to see what the hell this Lakers team is about, and I can't wait to see it.
21:23
SPEAKER_02: So, shout out to Braun, shout out to Luca.
21:26
SPEAKER_02: I ain't even really get to talk about you know the reunion against the Mavericks.
21:31
SPEAKER_02: So surprised, so surprised Nico Harrison was there, bro.
21:34
SPEAKER_02: So surprised that Nico Harrison was there.
21:36
SPEAKER_02: And again, I don't I don't know.
21:38
SPEAKER_02: Does Nico Harrison travel to every single role game?
21:41
SPEAKER_02: I'm not completely sure.
21:43
SPEAKER_02: But when the crowd started chanting thank you, Nico, there had to be a dagger right into the heart, bro.
21:50
SPEAKER_02: They cut to him a couple different times.
21:52
SPEAKER_02: And uh me and the guys say this all the time: he had the i ass face.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: I recognized what I did was crazy, but damn it, I gotta act like I don't care.
22:05
SPEAKER_02: And for what it's worth, the Dallas Mavericks gave them a game.
22:09
SPEAKER_02: It was an ugly game, but they gave them a game.
22:11
SPEAKER_02: Shout out to Klay Thompson's big explosion in the fourth, third, and fourth quarter, but um it's tough.
22:17
SPEAKER_02: It's tough.
22:25
SPEAKER_02: Next thing I want to talk about is the Detroit Pistons.
22:30
SPEAKER_02: The Detroit Pistons are on the path to have one of the biggest season-by-season win jumps in the history of basketball.
22:38
SPEAKER_02: Last year they lost, what, 27 straight games?
22:42
SPEAKER_02: They brought in a new coach, they brought in a new GM.
22:46
SPEAKER_02: They said, forget the draft lottery, because damn it, we've been the worst team in the league a few different times, and we we've got the fifth overall pick at back-to-back seasons.
22:53
SPEAKER_02: We're gonna bring in players that make sense around our star player.
22:57
SPEAKER_02: And even with all of that, not many people thought that this team would be this good.
23:01
SPEAKER_02: For what it's worth, I did take their over.
23:04
SPEAKER_02: It was at 23 and a half.
23:06
SPEAKER_02: They got 33 wins right now.
23:08
SPEAKER_02: I did take their over, but man, I wish I would have put a little bit of money on it, dog, because they are blowing it out of the water.
23:13
SPEAKER_02: Right now, their eight-game win streak is tied for the longest win streak in basketball with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
23:18
SPEAKER_02: They have not had an eight-game win streak since 2007-2008, where Flip Saunders was a coach and Tayshawn Prince was out there, and John T.
23:27
SPEAKER_02: Billlips was out there.
23:28
SPEAKER_02: It's been a very long time since Detroit fans have been able to be this excited about their favorite team.
23:34
SPEAKER_02: And last night, um, I mentioned this before.
23:37
SPEAKER_02: I'm not doing quad boxes this season where I don't care how many games on, unless it is a 15-game slate.
23:42
SPEAKER_02: In that case, I will sacrifice just a little bit.
23:44
SPEAKER_02: I try my very best to just only watch a few games a day, then catch up on what I missed the next morning.
23:50
SPEAKER_02: What I did yesterday, it was Maryland, uh Michigan State, then it was to Boston, Detroit, and then it was OKC, Brooklyn Nets.
24:00
SPEAKER_02: Those are the three games I picked, and I think I hit a home run.
24:04
SPEAKER_02: So I'm watching this game, and um, this is the second night of a back-to-back for the Celtics.
24:07
SPEAKER_02: No Jalen Brown in this one, but I'm not I'm not here to give excuses for the Celtics.
24:11
SPEAKER_02: But I'm watching this, and I'm watching Asar Thompson fly all around the court.
24:18
SPEAKER_02: There's something special about those twins, man.
24:21
SPEAKER_02: There's something special about those twins.
24:24
SPEAKER_02: And and damn it, um, a lot of people saw very early on.
24:28
SPEAKER_02: It it is ridiculous.
24:30
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, Amon is the one that gets a lot of the love, and I think a lot of that is because, you know, at one point the Rockets were the number two seed.
24:37
SPEAKER_02: They were winning games against some of the best teams in basketball.
24:40
SPEAKER_02: Amin Thompson as a game winner versus the Boston Celtics.
24:43
SPEAKER_02: So like he became the the bigger name amongst the twins, but I hope people are recognizing that Asar Thompson is there too, bro.
24:50
SPEAKER_02: He is there too.
24:51
SPEAKER_02: And as we continue to see his minutes go higher and higher and higher, more people would start to recognize.
24:56
SPEAKER_02: There is a four-possession stretch in the middle of the second quarter where it was steal, deflection, steal, and all of those, all of those, and then um, then missed shot, all of those led to a leak out, whether it be from Malik Beasley one-handed jam, to it was just like great, great hoops.
25:12
SPEAKER_02: And eight-game win streak is something I don't think anybody saw coming.
25:16
SPEAKER_02: And this just is a testament to like, again, coaching and building a culture.
25:20
SPEAKER_02: Where Monty Williams last season, he did a lot of stupid shit, man.
25:23
SPEAKER_02: I can't lie to you.
25:24
SPEAKER_02: Killian Hayes, shout out to Killian, he's been great since coming back for the Nets.
25:28
SPEAKER_02: But Killian Hayes should not have been starting last year.
25:30
SPEAKER_02: You know, this team had no identity whatsoever.
25:33
SPEAKER_02: Now, JB Bickerstaff historically is just known as a defensive-oriented coach.
25:37
SPEAKER_02: He comes to Detroit, said, This is what our bread and butter is.
25:39
SPEAKER_02: Y'all, the 28th defense last year, well, guess what?
25:41
SPEAKER_02: We're gonna be top 10 now.
25:43
SPEAKER_02: And they are.
25:44
SPEAKER_02: Trajan Langder said, man, Kay Cunningham is having a rough ass time getting around those corners because there's help defense on both sides.
25:50
SPEAKER_02: What if we spaced it out and got him some shooters?
25:53
SPEAKER_02: They got Malik Beasley, one of the best shooters in basketball, and he's having a career year.
25:57
SPEAKER_02: They got uh Tobias Harris, who, you know, a lot of people made fun of Tobias Harris because of his contract.
26:01
SPEAKER_02: He never lived up to the contract, but damn it, Tobias Harris is at least a good NBA player.
26:05
SPEAKER_02: They brought in Tim Hardaway Jr., who's always going to be wishy-washy from shooting the ball, but damn, when he's on, he's on.
26:12
SPEAKER_02: And they just have a culture and they care.
26:16
SPEAKER_02: And that's just great for Detroit hoops, man, because they have been in the gutter.
26:20
SPEAKER_02: Malik Beasley.
26:22
SPEAKER_02: Malik Beasley doing what he's doing right now.
26:24
SPEAKER_02: I think I've told this story on the show before, but um, there is a report that the day of the trade that line, Malik Beasley was sitting in a practice facility and he went into trains and like I don't even, I never know if I'm pronouncing Langdon um name right.
26:36
SPEAKER_02: He went into Langdon's office and said, Please don't trade me.
26:39
SPEAKER_02: I want to stay here and build here.
26:41
SPEAKER_02: And I don't even know.
26:42
SPEAKER_02: Who knows if he was ever and potentially, potentially gonna get traded, but um his celebrations.
26:49
SPEAKER_02: He's like, he's like shaking ass on the court after made threes.
26:52
SPEAKER_02: I respect it.
26:54
SPEAKER_02: Yesterday he had a three-pointer on the wing, but guess what he did?
26:56
SPEAKER_02: He had a three-pointer on that wing.
26:58
SPEAKER_02: And guess what he did?
27:00
SPEAKER_02: He did the too small symbol.
27:02
SPEAKER_02: I have never seen somebody hit a three-pointer and say that his defender was too small.
27:07
SPEAKER_02: It's Malik Beasley.
27:10
SPEAKER_02: And and uh they say Malik Beasley smoke a lot of weed.
27:13
SPEAKER_02: Uh that got nothing to do with his hoops.
27:15
SPEAKER_02: So maybe it does have a lot to do with his hoops.
27:17
SPEAKER_02: Uh, but man, he is playing great basketball.
27:19
SPEAKER_02: And I love when random role players become fan favorites, bro.
27:24
SPEAKER_02: For what Malik Beasley is doing right now, he is gonna forever be loved by Detroit Pistons fans.
27:29
SPEAKER_02: He's gonna come back when his career is over, and and maybe he only spends one year in Detroit.
27:34
SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
27:34
SPEAKER_02: Hopefully he gets a long-term extension with them because I love the way he's playing with Kay Cunningham.
27:39
SPEAKER_02: But he'll always get the love when he is in that arena.
27:42
SPEAKER_02: And I think that's amazing.
27:44
SPEAKER_02: Taj Gibson in Chicago.
27:46
SPEAKER_02: Anytime Taj Gibson is playing for the opposing team in the UC, they're gonna chant, We want Taj.
27:52
SPEAKER_02: Taj Gibson was just a good role player for the Bulls.
27:56
SPEAKER_02: He won, he won Michael.
27:58
SPEAKER_02: He won even Jimmy.
27:59
SPEAKER_02: He won Joeim Noah, but damn it, he gets a lot of love from Chicago.
28:02
SPEAKER_02: And I'm Malik Beasley is gonna do that, dog.
28:05
SPEAKER_02: Um, yesterday when they played against the Celtics, they lost the three-point battle by 24 points, y'all.
28:11
SPEAKER_02: 24 points.
28:13
SPEAKER_02: And they still walked out of there with the victory.
28:15
SPEAKER_02: And I think a lot of that is because of the the defense, man.
28:18
SPEAKER_02: The defense was all over the place, causing fast breaks, causing this, causing that.
28:21
SPEAKER_02: So um, I'm excited about Detroit Pistons basketball.
28:24
SPEAKER_02: Right now, they are sitting at the sixth seed with a tied um games back from the Bucs.
28:29
SPEAKER_02: And in my mind, we did that episode uh last week where we were talking about ceilings and floors of NBA teams.
28:34
SPEAKER_02: In my mind, they were penciled in as a sixth seed.
28:38
SPEAKER_02: Nah, dog, they can they can get up.
28:41
SPEAKER_02: They're one game behind the Pacers.
28:43
SPEAKER_02: There's a world where the Detroit Pistons are hosting a first round series.
28:48
SPEAKER_02: And if you would have told me that before the season started, I would have called you crazy.
28:53
SPEAKER_02: It's insane stuff.
28:54
SPEAKER_02: You know it's also insane stuff.
28:56
SPEAKER_02: Um, we talked about it on the last episode, at the beginning of last episode, Victor Webbyama being out for the rest of the season.
29:02
SPEAKER_02: Um, it's not been great.
29:03
SPEAKER_02: I would assume that De'Aaron Fox is gonna be out relatively soon.
29:06
SPEAKER_02: De'Aaron Fox does not look good because of it, whether it be because of his hen injury or whatever, I'm assuming that he's gonna take some time off.
29:12
SPEAKER_02: He's gonna get that surgery, and then the the Spurs are gonna just, you know, um not make a push for the play in.
29:18
SPEAKER_02: But since we saw Victor Webinyama went down, of course, the odds of defensive player of the year had to shift dramatically because at one point Victor Ibn Yama was a minus 700 for DPOY.
29:27
SPEAKER_02: Everybody knew that that was his award to lose.
29:29
SPEAKER_02: It was him only playing 40-ish games, he's not eligible anymore.
29:32
SPEAKER_02: So the odds had to shift.
29:34
SPEAKER_02: And as of right now, Evan Mobley is at a plus 110, Jaron Jackson's a plus 155, he got Dyson Dames at a plus 750, which tells me this is kind of like a two-man race at this point.
29:43
SPEAKER_02: And thing, these odds were flipped last week.
29:46
SPEAKER_02: Right after the Wimby News were broke, I checked to see, like, okay, they're gonna change the odds.
29:51
SPEAKER_02: And Jaron Jackson Jr.
29:53
SPEAKER_02: was the favorite, it was a minus 110.
29:54
SPEAKER_02: So it has shifted.
29:56
SPEAKER_02: And in my personal opinion, if you gave me a vote today with 20 something 20 odd games left, I would agree that Evan Mobley is probably the DPOY.
30:03
SPEAKER_02: But the things that Jaron Jackson Jr.
30:05
SPEAKER_02: is doing as well, I can't be mad at it.
30:07
SPEAKER_02: So that's what we got.
30:08
SPEAKER_02: We also got like Lou Dort and Shea and J Dub, which makes sense.
30:11
SPEAKER_02: When you have a historically great defense, something tells me you deserve to have some all defensive nods for sure.
30:18
SPEAKER_02: But maybe somebody in conversations with DPOY, the one thing is they do it so much by committee, I can't even point out.
30:23
SPEAKER_02: Is it Lou Dort?
30:25
SPEAKER_02: It probably would have been Chet if he met the requirement for games play, but damn it, team is looking great.
30:30
SPEAKER_02: So shout out to Evan Mobley.
30:31
SPEAKER_02: He might be the DPOY.
30:34
SPEAKER_02: Um, before we move on to our next thing, you know what?
30:37
SPEAKER_02: Let's bring on producer Greg for five out.
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31:45
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31:52
SPEAKER_02: Greg, welcome back to the show, man.
31:54
SPEAKER_00: Appreciate it.
31:55
SPEAKER_00: How you doing?
31:56
SPEAKER_02: Doing great, man.
31:57
SPEAKER_02: Love, love the way ball is going right now.
31:59
SPEAKER_02: I cannot complain about anything.
32:00
SPEAKER_00: We're hitting the home stretch.
32:01
SPEAKER_00: So I got one today.
32:03
SPEAKER_00: So in a fantasy land, because this won't happen, but somehow AD comes back, the Mavericks make a crazy run and win the championship.
32:12
SPEAKER_00: And this summer they get KD.
32:15
SPEAKER_00: So it's Kyrie, KD, AD.
32:17
SPEAKER_00: They win the championship next year.
32:19
SPEAKER_00: To me, that still does not justify the trade.
32:24
SPEAKER_02: So two rings is still just not enough.
32:27
SPEAKER_00: You're trading that for 10 to 15 years of contention every single year.
32:33
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I agree with the first championship would not make it worth it.
32:39
SPEAKER_02: The second one might, though.
32:41
SPEAKER_02: I can't lie.
32:41
SPEAKER_02: The second one might.
32:42
SPEAKER_02: Because you think about the Dallas Mavericks only having one in their history.
32:46
SPEAKER_02: So if we can end up at three, you might look back and say, it was worth it.
32:52
SPEAKER_02: You know, even if that means that because KD is mid-30s, Anthony Davis is early 30s, you know, and then Kyrie's right in between that.
33:00
SPEAKER_02: Then like maybe you have 10 years of just shit basketball.
33:03
SPEAKER_02: Two championships.
33:04
SPEAKER_02: Would you trade Luca Dantis for two championships is basically what this is boiled down to.
33:10
SPEAKER_02: I might.
33:11
SPEAKER_02: I might, I genuinely might.
33:13
SPEAKER_02: Because you think about it, even LeBron James, who's the greatest or two greatest players of all time, he ain't even he only got a handful.
33:19
SPEAKER_02: His teams have been in contention for 20, 20 of his 23-ish years.
33:24
SPEAKER_02: I don't know with the way the Western Conference was that the Mavericks wouldn't have been able to get three to four with Luka Dantes on the team.
33:31
SPEAKER_02: So I might, I might, I might say that that would be the the course I would go.
33:36
SPEAKER_02: But we all know, yeah, like you said, so fictional world.
33:38
SPEAKER_02: Them boys ain't getting no championships.
33:40
SPEAKER_00: Well, if they only won one, whether it was this year or next year, how do you think Nico is viewed with one championship?
33:49
SPEAKER_02: It makes it slightly better, but I don't think it makes it too much better, honestly.
33:52
SPEAKER_02: Because I think that Luca could have got them multiple, honestly.
33:56
SPEAKER_02: When you think about the championship run that he he went on last season, I honestly do believe that barring health, that that Mavericks team was one of the three contenders from the Western Conference between them, the Nuggets, and OKC.
34:07
SPEAKER_02: I like if they went back to the finals when everybody got healthy, it wouldn't have been a surprise to me.
34:11
SPEAKER_02: And if they won at this time around, it wouldn't have been a surprise to me.
34:14
SPEAKER_02: You think about how much he increases his play, I think that Luca could have got them multiple.
34:18
SPEAKER_02: But like, you know, it's a it's hypotheticals.
34:21
SPEAKER_02: Who knows?
34:21
SPEAKER_02: Like there are a lot of great hoopers that didn't get championships, even if they were the one of the three best players in the world.
34:28
SPEAKER_02: That's just the reality of sports.
34:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and you know, Luca's also not a hometown guy, but they drafted him, and you know, he's he's their guy.
34:36
SPEAKER_00: And to me, that means something, especially if you're contending every year.
34:39
SPEAKER_00: It's like um, like a uh a much better version of what the the Blazers had with Dame for a while.
34:47
SPEAKER_00: I mean, obviously, like Luca's better, and the Mavericks would have been better than that Blazers team, but there's something too, just like having a guy that you drafted that's your guy that you get to root for year after year, that uh maybe doesn't mean the same thing as a championship, but it certainly means something.
35:01
SPEAKER_02: For sure.
35:02
SPEAKER_02: Like he he was on the pace to be the all-time leader in so many stats.
35:08
SPEAKER_02: He he would have had a statue.
35:10
SPEAKER_02: Um, and I I said it before, he was the best individual talent to ever play for the organization, you know, and and all of that's all of that's gone, man.
35:20
SPEAKER_02: It's it's still weird, bro.
35:22
SPEAKER_02: You know how crazy it is?
35:23
SPEAKER_02: People are still dropping articles about it, and it's been what, two and a half, three weeks.
35:27
SPEAKER_02: I just saw another article that was talking about him smoking hookah and drinking beer, and that was one of the reasons why.
35:32
SPEAKER_02: Like, I've never seen people still break news about a trade three weeks later.
35:38
SPEAKER_02: It's insane, but it is the biggest trade that we've seen in our sport.
35:41
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, Jordan had gambling and cigars.
35:44
SPEAKER_00: Like, what's you know, it's not that different.
35:46
SPEAKER_02: It's not that, it's really not that different.
35:48
SPEAKER_02: Greatness is greatness, regardless of what you do in your free time.
35:51
SPEAKER_02: If you can go out there and give me 30, 11, and 11, I don't I don't care what the hell you're doing.
35:56
SPEAKER_02: Um, well, actually, no, there's there's limits to it.
35:59
SPEAKER_02: But hookah and beer is not that bad if you're that good.
36:08
SPEAKER_02: This next one is just a small one.
36:10
SPEAKER_02: Um Paul Paul George has opted to stop his podcast.
36:16
SPEAKER_02: And when we were doing numbers on the board, um, I talked about it a little bit.
36:20
SPEAKER_02: And then later that day, he he stopped his pod.
36:23
SPEAKER_02: But as somebody that does a podcast has signed on to a network that has uh ads running and people selling and buying, like I said in the pod that it makes sense for Paul George to s to pause the show.
36:37
SPEAKER_02: Don't don't quit the show, but pause the show until he gets his shit right.
36:41
SPEAKER_02: But I didn't think there was a world it was possible because you know you have obligations, you you have timelines, you have schedules, and for whatever reason they were able to get around that.
36:50
SPEAKER_02: And uh, I think it's probably for the better.
36:54
SPEAKER_02: Um I think it's probably for the better.
36:56
SPEAKER_02: Not even, I don't think that I'm not one of those people that think that podcasting is the reason Paul George is having his worst season ever.
37:04
SPEAKER_02: Trust me, it's not, I don't think it's that deep.
37:06
SPEAKER_02: But I'm just thinking about it optically.
37:09
SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
37:09
SPEAKER_02: Hey, we stink.
37:11
SPEAKER_02: We're so bad that even with our big three, we are seven and eight.
37:14
SPEAKER_02: Like we we just lost, we were down by 50 to the Bulls, who were down by 50 to another team last week.
37:20
SPEAKER_02: Think about how bad that is.
37:21
SPEAKER_02: The Bulls were down by 50 to another team to the Detroit Pistons two weeks last week, and then you let them be up by 50 against you.
37:30
SPEAKER_02: But in six hours, I got a podcast taper.
37:33
SPEAKER_02: You know, like that's just too much.
37:36
SPEAKER_02: So though Podcast P has given us a lot of fuel and a lot of great things in the basketball community from conversation from PG or people being on this show, I'm happy that it is taking a pause for now.
37:48
SPEAKER_02: He still said that he has championship in mind.
37:51
SPEAKER_02: I don't know if that's really what the rest of the organization is thinking.
37:55
SPEAKER_02: It's impossible to convince a player to go out there and lose.
37:57
SPEAKER_02: Like, why the hell should he care about the sixth overall pick for this year's draft?
38:00
SPEAKER_02: But the way these boys have been hooping lately, I don't see a world.
38:04
SPEAKER_02: And then we got the report that um Jordan Bede would have probably have to go through some type of procedure that is like one of those risky procedures, one of those Lonzo ball-esque procedures.
38:20
SPEAKER_02: The difference is he's a seven-footer.
38:22
SPEAKER_02: I feel for JoJo.
38:25
SPEAKER_02: Um, the one thing that's saving Philadelphia sports is they just won the damn Super Bowl a few weeks before this.
38:31
SPEAKER_02: So, though a lot of people are still invested in the 76ers, I didn't even know how you could be super, super mad when you win a Super Bowl.
38:37
SPEAKER_02: But I just don't think that the Paul George Embiid era is gonna equate to a ring like we thought it might have.
38:45
SPEAKER_02: Like I was bullish on this team going to the season.
38:47
SPEAKER_02: Paul George is the complimentary third option for this team.
38:50
SPEAKER_02: Gershawn Yabusele just went nuts for French of the French national team.
38:54
SPEAKER_02: Can he come over and do the same thing?
38:55
SPEAKER_02: He has been able to do that.
38:57
SPEAKER_02: They brought in other people like Cody, uh Caleb Martin, who they eventually traded away, but like they brought in good rotational pieces.
39:03
SPEAKER_02: And as long as JoJo is healthy, this team has a chance.
39:06
SPEAKER_02: Unfortunately, JoJo has not been healthy.
39:08
SPEAKER_02: And the games that we have of him, I think we have one 30-point game against the Bulls when he likes his third game back, and it hasn't been good since then.
39:16
SPEAKER_02: Um, and with Joel Lin B going through a potential another procedure and this one being different than a traditional, you know, whatever, whatever, it scares me quite a bit about the future of him as a top-end player and all of that.
39:29
SPEAKER_02: But the silver line into it all, if there's any silver line, and I'm always trying to keep a positive spin on things, is that hypothetically, if they do retain that first round pick, that top six protected pick, it could start like a bridge period to a Maxi McCain so-and-so era, whoever they get with the sixth over.
39:49
SPEAKER_02: Matter of fact, let's let's go to Tankathon.
39:50
SPEAKER_02: I'm going to Tankathon right now and seeing if they're gonna keep their pick.
39:54
SPEAKER_02: Um, and if they do, who they taking with that pick.
39:56
SPEAKER_02: So we run it.
39:58
SPEAKER_02: Oh, they lost the pick.
39:59
SPEAKER_02: So I'm sorry.
40:02
SPEAKER_02: Sorry, guys.
40:03
SPEAKER_02: They lost the pick, man.
40:04
SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry to break the news.
40:06
SPEAKER_02: But right now, Tinkathon's mock has them taking Trey Johnson.
40:10
SPEAKER_02: I doubt they would do something like that when you think about them already having McCain and Maxie.
40:14
SPEAKER_02: It's probably more likely.
40:17
SPEAKER_02: I'm not a draft expert whatsoever.
40:19
SPEAKER_02: So maybe I shouldn't even be giving opinions here.
40:21
SPEAKER_02: But um, them having more shooting wouldn't hurt.
40:24
SPEAKER_02: So I'm like Khan Kanuble at like sixth overall.
40:26
SPEAKER_02: Maybe that's a bit high for Khan.
40:27
SPEAKER_02: Anyway, um, Silverlin, if they keep that first round pick, um, they've drafted well throughout the years from Maxie to now McCain.
40:35
SPEAKER_02: Like, I trust that they'd be able to potentially hit this pick.
40:38
SPEAKER_02: It is sad though, because I thought that we were about to have multiple, like, you know, going into the season, I had the Boston Celtics as a real contender, I had the Knicks as a contender, and then I had the 76ers as a contender.
40:49
SPEAKER_02: Obviously, things have shifted where I no longer have the Knicks as a real championship contender, and now I have the Cavs in there.
40:54
SPEAKER_02: But I thought that there was a world where the 76ers could get over that hump, make it to a conference finals, make it to a championship.
41:00
SPEAKER_02: Unfortunately, that's not the reality.
41:02
SPEAKER_02: Um, one of the last things I want to get to before we get to Ask KB is this report from Brian Winhorse.
41:09
SPEAKER_02: The Suns will trade Kevin O'Rant this offseason.
41:12
SPEAKER_02: Durant on possibly being traded himself, whatever team gets me.
41:15
SPEAKER_02: Just no, I'm making a difference.
41:17
SPEAKER_02: I'm still in my prime.
41:19
SPEAKER_02: Uh Kevin O'Rant's not saying if I get traded.
41:21
SPEAKER_02: He said, hey, whoever gets me, the right is on the wall.
41:23
SPEAKER_02: I mean, they tried to shop him at the deadline.
41:25
SPEAKER_02: Kevin Oran shut down the trade to the Golden State Warriors, who I did plan on talking about Warriors this episode.
41:30
SPEAKER_02: I'll save it for next week.
41:31
SPEAKER_02: Um, he shut down that trade and his rationalization too is like, it's just a lot.
41:35
SPEAKER_02: It's just a lot.
41:35
SPEAKER_02: Y'all doing some cool things over there.
41:36
SPEAKER_02: Now y'all got Jimmy Butler.
41:38
SPEAKER_02: He was just on um Draymond Green show talking about it, but um, he shut down that trade.
41:42
SPEAKER_02: And I was thinking, if Kevin Durant became available, which is the case, what team should really be interested?
41:49
SPEAKER_02: Um people have already said Durant is about to happen.
41:52
SPEAKER_02: Kevin Durant and Anthony Ewitt Durant is about to happen, which is possible.
41:57
SPEAKER_02: I just I don't know what type of assets the Suns are looking for.
42:01
SPEAKER_02: I would prefer them, and this is just me speaking as an outsider, to try to retool around Devin versus like, oh, we're tearing it all down to the studs.
42:10
SPEAKER_02: So maybe retooling around Devin gets you like a Jaden McDaniels in the door and sign a trade Julius Rand.
42:16
SPEAKER_02: Kevin Durant.
42:17
SPEAKER_02: What draft capital do you got?
42:18
SPEAKER_02: Because you want draft capital too, right?
42:19
SPEAKER_02: Because you gave up everything that them get some of these dudes.
42:22
SPEAKER_02: You got, of course, the Houston Rockets who have all of almost all of your first rounders.
42:26
SPEAKER_02: So if you really wanted to reset the organization, the Houston Rockets is a team to do that.
42:30
SPEAKER_02: Some sneaker teams, uh sleeper teams, we have like the Grizzlies who were in on Jimmy Butler.
42:35
SPEAKER_02: The unfortunate part is they use some of the assets or some of the contracts that would have been possible to get Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant when they traded away Marcus Smart, they traded away, so on and so forth.
42:46
SPEAKER_02: Um, and now that Jaron might make an all-NBA team or that Jaron might win a DPOY, he might be eligible to$260 plus million dollar extension.
42:55
SPEAKER_02: And I don't know if you can make the money match if you got that type of money on your books.
42:58
SPEAKER_02: Would you be willing to trade Desmond Bain in a Kevin Durant trade?
43:02
SPEAKER_02: Is my question to the Grizzlies fans listening or watching this show.
43:06
SPEAKER_02: Would you be willing to do that?
43:07
SPEAKER_02: Because then it gets real interesting if you if you are.
43:10
SPEAKER_02: Another sleeper team is a team I mentioned earlier, the Detroit Pistons.
43:13
SPEAKER_02: I guess Kay Cunningham and Kevin Durant are pretty close.
43:16
SPEAKER_02: They work out together all the time in the offseason is what I read.
43:19
SPEAKER_02: Is there a world where Detroit basketball gets really put on?
43:23
SPEAKER_02: Kay Cunningham and Kevin Durant.
43:25
SPEAKER_02: And then lastly, I had like the Knicks if they didn't trade everything for Mikhail Bridges.
43:30
SPEAKER_02: If they step stood pat with OG, Carthony Towns, still trade still happening, and then Jalen Bronson, if they stayed on those five first rounders and instead just waited for the Kevin Durant thing to break, could they have had Kevin?
43:45
SPEAKER_02: Kevin already gave them the cold shoulder.
43:47
SPEAKER_02: What was that like five years ago when he went to the Brooklyn Nets saying the Knicks aren't cool anymore?
43:50
SPEAKER_02: So that probably would have died eventually.
43:52
SPEAKER_02: Um the last thing I'm gonna do before we get, and I'm only gonna spend a couple minutes on this, before we get into Ask KB.
44:00
SPEAKER_02: Is something that's been on my mind a lot recently is there are no fun, just straight up fun NBA shows.
44:10
SPEAKER_02: Now, I think that the NBA out of all of the sports probably the has the most podcasts associated with it, right?
44:16
SPEAKER_02: So I'm not even thinking about podcast shows.
44:18
SPEAKER_02: I mean just like I'm gonna turn on television and I'm gonna tune in.
44:22
SPEAKER_02: When I was growing up, the two shows that I absolutely loved the most was Sports Nation with Michelle Beadle and um and Colin Cowherd.
44:32
SPEAKER_02: I would come home from school every single day and watch that show.
44:35
SPEAKER_02: It was one of the first internet and few shows.
44:38
SPEAKER_02: If you have no idea what it is, please go watch highlights of that show.
44:41
SPEAKER_02: The show was fucking amazing.
44:42
SPEAKER_02: It wasn't specifically an NBA show, it was across all sports, but it was a fun show.
44:46
SPEAKER_02: It had a fun dynamic.
44:48
SPEAKER_02: It wasn't hot take here, hot take here, debate here, debate here.
44:51
SPEAKER_02: And like did get into it just a little bit, but it was a fun show.
44:55
SPEAKER_02: And the other one is with Amara Rashad and Willow Bay.
44:59
SPEAKER_02: Now, personally, um I was a little bit younger to watch inside stuff, but I did get all the clips and I did watch them on YouTube, and and they just had a way of covering the sport that was with the idea of enjoying the sport.
45:17
SPEAKER_02: And we just don't have that nowadays.
45:19
SPEAKER_02: And I went on to Twitter and I asked, what are just fun sports shows in general?
45:22
SPEAKER_02: Not just NBA shows, but sports shows in general.
45:24
SPEAKER_02: The two that came up the most is college game day to football and college game day to basketball.
45:29
SPEAKER_02: Now I have not seen the football show, but I know McAfee and they do the field goals and all that shit.
45:33
SPEAKER_02: But I've seen college game day basketball.
45:35
SPEAKER_02: And you can't replicate that in the NBA sense because you don't have, you know, 10,000 to 20,000, 18 to 23 year old college students jumping up and down in the crowd behind you.
45:45
SPEAKER_02: You're not gonna get that in the NBA atmosphere.
45:47
SPEAKER_02: But it's something about the way they cover the pregame show, the halftime show, and the post-game that's just different than the way we have it in our game.
45:56
SPEAKER_02: And I'm just as I think about like the future of me as a creator, these are the type of things that come to mind most.
46:05
SPEAKER_02: Is there a way I can create a show that brings that joy back to the NBA?
46:13
SPEAKER_02: Another show that came up a lot was the Champions League pregame show.
46:17
SPEAKER_02: I I like soccer.
46:19
SPEAKER_02: I'm not as locked in as I was last year.
46:22
SPEAKER_02: So this is my first time hearing about this.
46:23
SPEAKER_02: And they have a fucking blast on that show.
46:26
SPEAKER_02: Another pregame show where it's a lot of jokes, it's a lot of fun.
46:30
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I like that.
46:32
SPEAKER_02: And that's kind of it.
46:33
SPEAKER_02: Um, some of the NFL shows got an eye, like Mina Kim's show, um, NFL Live got you still got like part in the interruption and around the horn, some of these shows won't even exist after this year, which is fucking crazy.
46:45
SPEAKER_02: But we don't have a ton of just overall fun shows.
46:49
SPEAKER_02: And I would love to be the guy to kind of help that happen again.
46:55
SPEAKER_02: I just want I just so hey, anybody that has a budget and writes to the NBA that wants to help a brother out, I got ideas.
47:06
SPEAKER_02: All right, let me get to Ask KB now.
47:07
SPEAKER_02: Let me get to Ask KB.
47:08
SPEAKER_02: Oh, in the comment section, let me know if if there's any other shows, any other shows that you personally think are classified as fun sports shows outside of podcasts, because I think they're fun podcasts, for sure.
47:20
SPEAKER_02: Do not get me wrong.
47:21
SPEAKER_02: But everybody, like I think that there's a small percentage of sports fans that load up Spotify or Apple Podcasts on a daily basis.
47:30
SPEAKER_02: I'm in that that group, but like for the most part, no.
47:34
SPEAKER_02: Shout out to the starters, though.
47:35
SPEAKER_02: The starters were another one of those fun NBA shows, now known as no dunk.
47:38
SPEAKER_02: Shout out to the guys, but um, they also just don't have a they don't have a TV show anymore.
47:43
SPEAKER_02: Their podcast's still going on.
47:44
SPEAKER_02: Shout out to them.
47:44
SPEAKER_02: They're going five times a week.
47:46
SPEAKER_02: All right, let's get into Ask KB.
47:47
SPEAKER_02: The first one comes from Armin, who says, which rookie will have a crazy final stretch to close the season?
47:53
SPEAKER_02: I love this question, so I could give you Modest Buzelis propaganda.
47:58
SPEAKER_02: Uh Modus Buzelis, since starting for the Chicago Bulls, is second in points per game amongst rookies, only behind Stefan Castle, which is great.
48:08
SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't think there's anybody in this draft class that we can look at and say going on a crazy run.
48:12
SPEAKER_02: This is all relative to what this draft class really is.
48:16
SPEAKER_02: But Modest, since becoming a starter, has been pretty damn good.
48:19
SPEAKER_02: Um, they're still, obviously, he's a he's a 11th overall pick in a 20 in a draft that people deem to be a bad draft.
48:26
SPEAKER_02: His overall stats on the season, six points per game.
48:29
SPEAKER_02: Like, I'm not acting like Modus is saving the Chicago Bulls this season.
48:32
SPEAKER_02: But I'm gonna look at his numbers as a starter, which is right here.
48:36
SPEAKER_02: Um, all his last game is gonna bring these numbers down.
48:38
SPEAKER_02: It's 12 points per game.
48:40
SPEAKER_02: It's 43% from the field.
48:43
SPEAKER_02: Damn it.
48:43
SPEAKER_02: 26% from three.
48:45
SPEAKER_02: I ain't gonna read you them three-point numbers, but uh it's reality.
48:49
SPEAKER_02: Um he has an opportunity just because his opportunity has gone up.
48:54
SPEAKER_02: He went from a guy that was getting two minutes per game, four minutes per game, six minutes per game, to like, hey, 35 minutes per game against the 76ers, 28 minutes per game, or 28 minutes a game in this Warriors, a Minnesota one, he has the most opportunity considering the Bulls ain't doing anything.
49:10
SPEAKER_02: Uh go watch Modis Buzellas, man.
49:11
SPEAKER_02: He could be a fun watch.
49:12
SPEAKER_02: He has the Donovan Mitchell move in his bag.
49:15
SPEAKER_02: You know how Donovan Mitchell takes when he's going collecting, he brings the ball over his defender's head to go up.
49:21
SPEAKER_02: Like most people, when they do it, um, it is evolved because James, shout out to James Harden.
49:25
SPEAKER_02: James Harden kept the ball low so you can reach in, and then he'll go up to draw a foul.
49:29
SPEAKER_02: Modis and Donovan Mitchell keep that ball very high over the opponent's head, then goes up.
49:33
SPEAKER_02: He's got that in his bag.
49:34
SPEAKER_02: He does that shit like once a game.
49:36
SPEAKER_02: And I think eventually, I think eventually teams will start to recognize that's his go-to move and they'll start to shut it down.
49:41
SPEAKER_02: And he'll need he need counters.
49:43
SPEAKER_02: Um he struggles to break a defenders down.
49:45
SPEAKER_02: He doesn't rebound for somebody that's 6'10, but he he's a fun ass watch if you really, really lock it into Bulls basketball, which I'm gonna tell you don't do that.
49:53
SPEAKER_02: Just watch highlights action.
49:54
SPEAKER_02: This next one comes from Lucas.
49:56
SPEAKER_02: And this is a this is a this is a crazy one, um, the way it's worded, but it's fine.
50:01
SPEAKER_02: If an NBA, I'm sorry, if an American Civil War happened and each state's fate was decided on a basketball tournament, who's winning?
50:10
SPEAKER_02: Shout out to Lucas.
50:12
SPEAKER_02: Thank you for the question, Lucas.
50:14
SPEAKER_02: Um, it's California.
50:16
SPEAKER_02: Um if I Google NBA players from every state, California has by far the best team that can be constructed.
50:27
SPEAKER_02: They have the most players, full stop.
50:29
SPEAKER_02: But this is this is their team right now.
50:31
SPEAKER_02: And I'm just this is just their active players.
50:32
SPEAKER_02: Jared Allen, the Ball Brothers, DeMar DeRozas, Spencer Denwitty, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, Jalen Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Drew Holiday, Jame Hawkes, uh, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Brooke Lopez, Kevin Love, Jared McCain, Norman Powell, Anyeka Kongw.
50:50
SPEAKER_02: Do you hear me?
50:50
SPEAKER_02: Evan Mobley, the Thompson twins, uh, Klay Thompson, Russell Westbrook, and I feel like I'm forgetting more people.
50:56
SPEAKER_02: It's for sure California will be the only state um still surviving.
51:02
SPEAKER_02: Now, who's their biggest competition?
51:04
SPEAKER_02: I think that's a good one.
51:06
SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna throw Illinois into the ring.
51:10
SPEAKER_02: Um, we have Anthony Davis, Iodasum.
51:13
SPEAKER_02: Matter of fact, there's actually no team that, based on a team I just read you, that's gonna make any sense.
51:17
SPEAKER_02: So I'm I'm gonna stop there.
51:19
SPEAKER_02: Illinois is not as good as it used to be.
51:21
SPEAKER_02: Um, I'll just say that.
51:22
SPEAKER_02: We do got some hitters, though.
51:24
SPEAKER_02: All time, bro.
51:25
SPEAKER_02: Dan Insel, Sean, Miriam, Iggy, Mike Finley, Jack Sigma, Derek Rose, Jawan Howard, Dwayne Wade, Isaiah Thomas, Mo Cheeks.
51:33
SPEAKER_02: Come on, man.
51:33
SPEAKER_02: We got come on, man.
51:34
SPEAKER_02: Chicago got them hitters.
51:36
SPEAKER_02: We're just not in the prime of Chicago hoops like we used to be.
51:39
SPEAKER_02: It's not in the prime Chicago Hoops.
51:41
SPEAKER_02: The most recent Chicago Hooper, or Illinois Hooper, I'm sorry, is like Modus Buzelis and the Christie brothers.
51:47
SPEAKER_02: And Max Christie's pretty damn good.
51:49
SPEAKER_02: Terrence Shannon Jr.
51:50
SPEAKER_02: is making some noise now in the NBA, but that's that's kind of uh it really is California.
51:57
SPEAKER_02: Um, Greg is putting his his bucket here for Philadelphia, um, which I ain't mad at.
52:04
SPEAKER_02: He got Kyle Laurie, the Moore Twins, Darius Jones Jr., Lamar Stevens.
52:09
SPEAKER_02: That team ain't no nothing, Greg.
52:10
SPEAKER_02: Mikhail Bridges.
52:12
SPEAKER_02: It's a good team.
52:14
SPEAKER_02: But California is wiping the floor with all of us.
52:17
SPEAKER_02: Even like a state like New York, you would expect New York to have some hitters, and they got some guys here, but it ain't nearly, it ain't nearly what Cali is dominant.
52:26
SPEAKER_02: They might win every game by 50.
52:29
SPEAKER_02: Ohio has Steph Curry and they have LeBron.
52:32
SPEAKER_02: So like that, that team might be able to make some noise.
52:34
SPEAKER_02: They got Bronny, Karis Levert, Lou Kennard, CJ McCollum, Terry Rogier.
52:40
SPEAKER_02: That's a good team, bro.
52:41
SPEAKER_02: That's a real good team.
52:43
SPEAKER_02: Just by having Braun and Steph Curry, and then people around them.
52:46
SPEAKER_02: But the answer is undoubtedly um California.
52:49
SPEAKER_02: Let's get to the audio ones.
52:52
SPEAKER_01: Which players have the most to gain or lose in these last games?
52:56
SPEAKER_01: It could be just proving themselves, winning an award, or contract related for the offseason.
53:04
SPEAKER_02: I like that question.
53:05
SPEAKER_02: Um that's a good that's a good one.
53:08
SPEAKER_02: Most approved.
53:09
SPEAKER_02: I I think that your contract one makes the most sense, right?
53:12
SPEAKER_02: Um, and there are a lot of people that have the like Evan Mobley has a clause in his contract.
53:17
SPEAKER_02: If he makes an All NBA team or a defensive player of the year, he makes like an extra$20 million on his contract.
53:22
SPEAKER_02: That's a lot to prove, but he's already signed a max contract, you know what I'm saying?
53:26
SPEAKER_02: Um, some of the guys that are free, like Julius Randle, I don't know what his timeline is, but Julius Randle's going into free agency with the notion on his name that like he just doesn't fit on most rosters.
53:37
SPEAKER_02: I don't know what he can do in these last 20, let's say he gets healthy tonight.
53:40
SPEAKER_02: I don't know what he could do in his last 25-ish game to kind of change some of that.
53:44
SPEAKER_02: And this phrasing class is not very deep, and it's not a lot of players or a lot, not a lot of teams with a bunch of money.
53:50
SPEAKER_02: So a guy like Julius Randle, who we recognize is at least a good NBA player, might have to bite the bullet and sign for a lot less than what he's used to making.
53:58
SPEAKER_02: You got people that are like rookie contract eligible, like a Josh Giddy, um, who legitimately might make$3030 million next season the way he's playing.
54:07
SPEAKER_02: And, you know, we got we got people.
54:11
unknown: Hmm.
54:12
SPEAKER_02: We got people like uh, I think Shea has stuff to prove.
54:15
SPEAKER_02: Not, you know, he's an MVP of the league, probably, but like people want to see a long playoff run in him.
54:20
SPEAKER_02: So, but I know you mentioned the last part of the regular season, but I'm thinking about the the overarching um NBA.
54:26
SPEAKER_02: Any other guys, any other guys?
54:29
SPEAKER_02: I think there might just be a lot of rookie scale contracts that we're like, oh, this guy's gonna make this because in the last 30 games of the year he did that.
54:37
SPEAKER_02: Uh appreciate the question.
54:38
SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for watching or listening to this episode of Small Ball with Kenny Beach.
54:42
SPEAKER_02: And if you did enjoy it, leave it five stars.
54:45
SPEAKER_02: Give it a like, leave a comment what you agree or disagree with on this episode.
54:49
SPEAKER_02: At the end of the day, this is really just a conversation between me and you.
54:51
SPEAKER_02: It ain't nobody else here.
54:53
SPEAKER_02: Just me and you and Greg.
54:54
SPEAKER_02: Uh, leave a like, subscribe, and I'll see y'all next week.