Beat the Clock: Sports Talk with Anthony Felli
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Beat the Clock: Sports Talk with Anthony Felli
NBA Special!!!! - Cavaliers' Streak, Bucks' vs Duo Dynamics, and NBA's Future – Ft. Pavlos Kapantaïs
Join us for an NBA-exclusive episode featuring Pavlos Kapantaïs , the Greek freak of NBA podcasting, as we discuss how incredible the Cleveland Cavaliers' electrifying 13-0 run and the recent historic NBA night where several players shattered the 45-point barrier. Pavlos shares his journey managing Mono NBA, a Greek-language podcast that's gaining traction internationally. We explore the dedication and passion required to thrive in the independent sports media landscape, offering listeners a glimpse into the relentless hustle behind capturing the pulse of the NBA season.
In an intriguing exploration of player dynamics, we dissect the partnership of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard at the Milwaukee Bucks. Could their different approaches to life and basketball spell trouble, or is this the beginning of a legendary duo? The conversation also shifts to the successful leadership of Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland, providing insight into how coaching choices and team strategies can influence a team's trajectory. Our episode highlights the Cavaliers' surprising strength and the potential hurdles they might face as they ride their winning streak.
Finally, we reflect on the longevity and adaptability of NBA veterans like LeBron James and Al Horford, thanks to their unwavering dedication and modern technological advancements. We also delve into the legacy and potential of Bronny James navigating the footsteps of his iconic father, LeBron. Rounding out the episode, we tackle the NBA's in-season tournament, speculating on its impact and potential to reshape traditional playoff structures, all while pondering the legacy of current NBA stars. Tune in to Beat the Clock Sports Talk for all this and more, as we navigate the ever-evolving world of the NBA.
You can find Pavlos and the Mono NBA crew by checking out the following link -
Facebook- https://m.facebook.com/MonoNBA
Find more from Beat the Clock by clicking the link below :
https://t.co/dp37RhqPU5
Welcome to Beat the Clock. Sports Talk and the Blue Jays have repeated as World Series champions Joe, you'll never hit a bigger home run in your life. Six yards away from Pontiac Third and three Montana Throwing in the end zone, clark caught it Dwight Clark Beat the clock.
Speaker 1:Sports talk.
Speaker 2:Martez looking, gets it to Bryant. Bryant dribbling has to put it up with the buzzer Banks it in Ha ha. He banks in the three and the Lakers win the game.
Speaker 1:And now your host, anthony. The Ant-Man, feli. What is up everyone? I am the Ant-Man, and this is Beat the Clock Sports Talk. Wherever you are, however, you are listening. Thank you for spending time here with me.
Speaker 1:This is an NBA exclusive episode. The season has now, or is now, entering its third week, and there is so much to talk about. And who else would I rather have on this show to talk NBA than the Greek freak of NBA podcasting himself, pavlos Kapentayas? You'll hear that interview shortly, but first I just want to make mention that check out all our social medias If you want to know more about the show or interact with me. All the links will be in the show description below. Find me on Twitter or X. Find me on Facebook. Find me on Twitter or X. Find me on Facebook, find me on Instagram and find me on TikTok. Secondly, the website. Go to the website. Check out the guest profiles that I have on there. You can even find older episodes and listen back to the archive now that we're going on our third year yeah, we're headed into our third year and you can find us there at beattheclocksportstalkcom, or just look in the show description when you're done listening to this episode and all the links will be there Now for your listening pleasure.
Speaker 1:An NBA exclusive conversation with the one, the only, pavlos Competeus. Enjoy what is up everybody. I am the Ant-Man and this is Beat the Clock. Sports Talk Got a very, very special episode in mind for you today. The NBA has been kicked off for going into two weeks now, two full weeks, and man has it been exciting. And who better to have on the show than the Greek freak of NBA podcasting himself, pavlos Kapitanis? I'm sorry, botch, that I botched that. Pavlos Kapitanis, say it no.
Speaker 3:Pavlos, Just go with Pavlos man.
Speaker 1:I'll cut that. Kapantais, kapantais, sorry, all right. So the Greek freak of NBA podcasting himself Pavlos, welcome to the show. Thanks for joining me this morning, man. It's been a while. Take a couple of minutes. I want to know what's kind of been going on with Mono MBA and things going on in your journalistic life over there in Greece.
Speaker 3:Oh well, look, we just recorded. This is amazing. So just for the listeners, I didn't know what we were exactly going to talk about with Anthony, but I just recorded because this is, like I think, 6 am in Houston. So I just finished a recording in Greece, where it's like 2 pm, and we just did an episode about last night, which was obviously a unique NBA night the first in NBA history where more than three players scored over 45 points, and about the Cavaliers, which went 13-0. And that's what we're going to talk about here as well.
Speaker 1:So we're totally in sync as usual, no matter how much time, no matter how much time has passed between our conversations, right, um no, that's awesome and the podcast is doing well, oh well ups and downs, man, ups and downs.
Speaker 3:You know how it is. I, I got burned out, basically after last season. Uh, we did like 75 episodes last year because we have two podcasts one short form, one long form and it was too much. I just didn't want to watch basketball the whole summer. So we really started recording again just the day before the season started. So, but our social like we have a team of seven people now, man, I mean, our social media are are, uh, doing very well and I'm getting my creative juice back, so I guess it's gonna be an awesome season. Um, you know, but it's also a grind. I think during february I'll be a bit tired again and for anybody who doesn't do this.
Speaker 1:You know as much as we enjoy doing this for all of you listening, um, it is, it is a grind, I mean it. It does take some sacrifice. There's a lot of games going on all at one time. Uh, for people like pablos and who basically try to do this, you know, on our free time, because we love the game, we love, love the sports world and and fully immersed in it, but we don't have the big productions like the ESPNs and stuff like that.
Speaker 3:We don't have all the I'm sorry, let's rephrase that we don't have the big production yet.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes yes, although that's what we're working toward, and so we do everything ourselves. So thank you for pointing that out, pavlos, and for anybody out there, because I know there are some people who listen overseas. If you want to check out Mono MBA, I'm going to have all the links in the show description below.
Speaker 3:By the way, guys, everything's in Greek, but if you go to our Facebook page, there's a lot of things that are in English, because you know we just post up a lot of NBA videos, very short ones with great action. So you know we have like. I think 10% of our following doesn't speak Greek, which is insane.
Speaker 1:We have, like, I think, 10% of our following doesn't speak English, which is insane, and I am, in that percentage, absolutely All right. So let's get started, shall we? First thing, thoughts on last night's games. There was a slew of them.
Speaker 3:But what stood out most to you, oh, I'm so sad, I'm so sad, I'm so sad. So, uh, I've kind of semi-launched a free yanis hashtag, because I mean, what's the worst thing that you have to a basketball player, be stuck in middle walking with doc rivers? And, uh, the thing is, for whoever doubted it and I kind of did I hoped he would want to get out. Yesterday. It took him 59 points to beat the Pistons and a lot of luck, because they missed two free throws at the end of regulation. And then the Bucks won in overtime, with Giannis outscoring the entire Pistons team in the OT. But when he scored his 59th point, 58th and 59th point with a dunk, it was like that's when the game ended. Really, he put the Bucks up by seven at that point and he did sort of a victory gimmick, insisting like this is my city, so he's not asking for a trade anytime soon and this team is not winning a championship unless, I don't know, all other All-Stars get injured. Correct, that's what it would take.
Speaker 1:Is it shocking to you since we're talking specifically about the Bucks and Giannis' situation is it shocking to you that Dame didn't have as much of an impact as we all probably thought he would?
Speaker 3:Oh God, I could talk about that for an hour. A Dame is probably not okay psychologically, being a number two player. He's never faced this before, and when it happens to you and you're over 32, yeah, and it's the first time in your life, you have to do that. I mean, I do understand it's a hard, hard, hard adjustment. Second, that guy is an open door on defense, like I mean he did. It seems that he's trying from time to time, but I mean, it's not a skill you develop in your late 30s either, just like being a number 2 guy.
Speaker 3:Third, I think there must be some sort of personal dislike between him and Giannis. There's so many signs pointing to it, even since last year. But most of all, you would expect they would have developed like a killer chemistry by this time. Now they've had a training camp, they've known that they would play together. There's something that doesn't mesh between these two personalities, I feel.
Speaker 3:Finally, there's a very interesting stat and also a very interesting second thing. First of all, this guy does pick and rolls in which 57% of the time he's the one taking the shot. That's a problem. If you're Giannis' teammate, one would think that you know pick and roll, pick and pops. Something should happen with Giannis. People have been saying he's a great finisher. Who would have thought, right, yeah, finisher who? Who would have thought, um, yeah, and. And the other thing is also like he's keep asking for the ball at various times during the game and it's like you know, begging for the ball is the worst decision in basketball, that's, that's a fact. He he should embrace the idea of playing more like Steph, which, again, that's not something you develop at that age. So the whole thing seems like this marriage that was done from the start, which perhaps we didn't see coming. And at the same time, you see what Drew is doing and you're like, wow. Also, I expected Gary Trent to be much better, but you can. I mean he's shooting. His three-point percentage is around 20%.
Speaker 2:Which is not common for him.
Speaker 3:He came as a three-point specialist, but at the same time he has to defend all the guys Lillard isn't defending while defending his own guy. So it happens when you have to overextend yourself in one end of the court, you will have a problem on the other end of the court.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. So this whole thing is I can't find a way to be optimistic for the Bucks. Also I don't know if you heard this Bill Simmons said last week that, from what he's hearing, rivers has become the go-to guy of the owner and he's asking to blow up the team, assuming Doc knows that he won't be winning a championship with his team and he said well, how can I keep getting paid for five years?
Speaker 1:Go into a rebuild? Yes, yeah, and if it's a plan, rebuild.
Speaker 3:So maybe Rebels will save him by convincing the owner to trade Giannis and Lillard, but the whole thing is just sad, you know. It reminds me now that they're playing. You've seen, you've seen Giannis has developed a mid-range shot this year.
Speaker 3:He's on the 90th percentile when it comes to shooting from the top of the key, yeah, and he's developing into the typical Celtics era Kevin Garnett, you do the pick and then Garnett shoots from the pop and he's developing that kind of game. So, although he cannot make a free throw to save his life, that's what I was going to say.
Speaker 1:I was going to say that's a huge part of the game that we were all waiting for Giannis to develop, I think, only second to free throws, because if he could ever figure out how to shoot a free throw, uh, on a consistent basis, or make a free throw on a consistent basis, then it'll automatically elevate him right, because people will hack him and you and you stop that part of the game. But I think it's a huge step for him this year to, like you pointed out, uh, that mid-range, being able to hit from from, uh everywhere, from everywhere, 15 feet out, and not always have to be going to the basket, is a huge dimension that I think we all want Giannis to develop and make part of his game.
Speaker 3:The thing with the free throws. I generally give him a pass because he can make them when it counts, as Shaq would say.
Speaker 1:You ever heard Shaq say?
Speaker 3:No, but Shaq didn't. I mean Giannis went 16 from 18 on a title clinching game and yesterday, in the epic victory over the Lowly Pistons, he did make 16 out of 17. So I'm not that worried because he has proved that he can make them when it really counts, and I mean in big games. Now the fact that November game to the Pistons is a big game for the Bucs is deeply tragic, For sure.
Speaker 1:Obviously, let's go back to the Dame question. To the Dame question how much of the dysfunction that we kind of perceive in the two players coexisting is a reflection of because you mentioned personality and how much of it is coaching staff, do you think?
Speaker 3:Man.
Speaker 1:Because we don't consider Doc Rivers.
Speaker 3:On this. I'll give Rivers a pass on that. Rivers is, look, the guy can coach to save his life in many ways, but that's a player coach. Like if, with Rivers as the middleman, you can't make I mean this is a trade they both wanted as well. Like I mean you cannot blame it on the coach, would be my take. Plus, you have Rajon Ronda on the coaching staff, which has enough experience about how to make it work between huge personalities. Like, look, I honestly blame it on Giannis as well. There's not. I mean, the guy comes to a city, lillard, where the team is not his for sure. It's on Giannis to make him feel comfortable.
Speaker 1:Be the leader, right Be the on and off the floor. Cultivate a relationship, right? Yes?
Speaker 3:My suspicion is and I have no idea whether I'm right, but that would be my suspicion is, they do have a different approach on life in many ways, and Yanis won't say it, but he tends to be judgmental of people, and, again, obviously, somebody that has such a drive it's like Kobe was judgmental of people Giannis just has the kindness to not express it out loud, while Kobe would even say it in the media, literally.
Speaker 3:If you remember the game against Phoenix in this place I don't remember the year and all the things he said but Giannis is driven like Kobe. That's the key element. It's just we don't see it. But he's as much of a hard ass as Kobe was and I think he just I don't know, I think he just can't respect a player. If I were to guess, yeah, he can't respect a player that doesn't perceive defense as a key element of the game for which he has to give his 100% effort like if I were to guess that would be the problem as a key element of the game for which he has to give his 100% effort Like if I were to guess that would be the problem with Yann.
Speaker 1:But isn't it up to the coaching? Because, you know, steph isn't a great defender either and Steve Kerr always seems to find a way to cover.
Speaker 3:But it's about effort, though it's not just the result, it's effort.
Speaker 1:Okay, but that's fair, that's fair.
Speaker 3:And Steph even. And Steph even. Like I mean, he put on muscle at age 34 after winning four championships to become a better defender. Like I mean. Look, I haven't followed Lillard's career enough to see what he has added to the game, but as a casual Lillard watcher over the years I would say that guy hasn't really added that many elements to his game, or at least never made it his number one priority to be a decent, average or slightly above average defender. I don't expect Lillard to be a defensive player of the year candidate, but I think these are the things.
Speaker 3:It's like Shaq and Kobe again. Man Kobe couldn't stand the lack of work ethic of Shaq in the summer, for example. Great example Shaq had all the rights. Shaq was right on his end. He was so physical that the way they played him it was like why would I even try? They basically keep on beating me up because I'm too dominant for anybody else. It's not on Shaq.
Speaker 3:I think there's a great similarity in the dynamic. You have obviously two great talents. But you know, and maybe again, I had a guest one of probably Greece's premier basketball analysts on my podcast the other day and he was saying look, the way he plays offense. Lillard is probably a low IQ basketball player because by not defending and by asking for the ball, by staying still after the pick sometimes the whole way he plays it doesn't maximize the winning for his team. So if you know it and you have a chance to be next to a player like Giannis, which he never had before, I mean he's best. The best player he played before that, I think, is CJ McCollum right. So I mean you should do some introspection and try to change your game to make this your title shot.
Speaker 1:Well, why not? The whole reason why you're out of Portland was for the opportunity to play with another star and have an opportunity to actually win championships, and it doesn't seem like he's making the most of that opportunity. From from, from what?
Speaker 3:the things that he can control, as you've pointed out, not to mention now all the the other things that seem to be following that uh, culture there and also like speaking of culture, culture and where he got traded, remember his choice was to go to Miami and Miami was offering kind of a low, a small package. That's a great point, A small trade package. And it has to be that Riley was seeing what Giannis is seeing, what we are seeing, that hey, I would love to have Dame, but is he really a hit culture guy? Should they really open the vault to get as much as possible for a guard that age that hasn't seriously defended in his whole NBA career? Like it's not, it's just the bucks from top. This is stupid. Basically that's the key to that trade. They panicked and this whole thing is partially on Giannis because he pressured them to make something happen and they just did something stupid. And then they went to hire a coach who was a stupid pick. Can you imagine that they could have had Atkinson instead of Griffin?
Speaker 1:Who's absolutely killing it right now?
Speaker 3:What a great transition. That's one of my best, because Atkinson right now is 13-0 with the Cavs and you're like he has made it work with people. If you had told me that Garland and Mitchell would make it work on the floor last year, I would have told you like you're insane. These guys, they don't want to play together. You can see it on the court, it's like. And now they're using like he has convinced Mitchell in late game situations to just work as a decoy for Garland.
Speaker 1:Like what the fuck yeah, no, you're absolutely right. And and um in just just to to close the loop on the the the lillard and and janice dynamic for the bucks before we jump into yeah, sorry for doing this, it was so related.
Speaker 1:No, it's okay, no, no, it's okay because we're gonna, because we're gonna go right back to, but just to kind of tie a bow on it. Do you see this partnership getting? Because on paper it works right On paper? You've got two all-stars and the supporting cast seems to be strong enough to, but the games to me, the games just don't mesh very well. And now, as you pointed out, personality, work, ethic and all of that is all part of that recipe for disaster. Does Lillard and or Giannis end the year with the Bucs? Or even, going forward, do they start next year with the Bucs? Because obviously something's got to change? So I just want your opinion on that and then we'll jump into the Cavs because I think, I think that's an amazing story.
Speaker 3:I really thought that this, this year, it was going to be different. I really thought that because they had training camp together. I mean, you know, there are no more excuses like they were last year, if I were to, to put it. To put it so, if it hasn't happened by now, I can't see how it happens moving forward. I don't know, maybe Giannis or Lillard or Doc will have an epiphany and somehow they would make it work. But right now, if you give me 100 to1 odds that the Bucs go to the finals instead of taking the bet, I'm giving you 300-1 odds that they're not Great insight.
Speaker 1:And I'm not even talking championship, I'm just saying getting out of the East. No, that's great perspective. So, staying in the east, as you mentioned before, cleveland is 13 and 0 right now and boy, oh boy. Who saw that coming? Because I certainly did not. I did not see cleveland, uh, getting off to this hot start well, I did saw them going 13 and 0.
Speaker 3:They were 12 0 and they were playing well well, I mean just to be the complete.
Speaker 1:I mean look who they look, who they've beaten uh in in very close wins uh, and I think that's been the key is is surviving close games. Right, I mean beating the knicks, the bucks, twice, uh, not not very impressive, but those are, those are uh teams that pushed this cleveland team to the wire uh the nets, uh only only beating them by five and then surviving the bulls after that, um, I think has been a huge key to this because all of those were trap games. Right after you beat the celtics as hot as they started you, you get, you jump into into these uh five games and any one of them could have been a trap game and they managed to survive and I think that's a huge especially the next game, because they were behind by 18 I think, if I remember correctly.
Speaker 1:Um, so you, so you pointed out the, the dynamic between, uh, donovan mitchell and daris garland. Um, but what about the bigs? I mean, I've got Jarrett Allen is a rebounding machine, ok, and he defends like his life is on the line. And case in point is the AD, the game against the Lakers and the way that he handled AD, who is also have an MVP start to the season. I'm sorry I'm not watching the Lakers oh boy, pot shots this morning but the way he defended is most impressive and I think that is spreading throughout the whole team because that Cavs team got to be one of the best defensive teams in the league right now.
Speaker 3:I think their defensive rating is ninth and their first on offense, but the the thing is, man, it is just what he's pulling off. Atkinson is just insane. It just is going back to late game situations. Do you know what the the stats are for donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the fourth quarter?
Speaker 1:No, tell me.
Speaker 3:So okay, and this is why I also think this is not sustainable, because here are the numbers. So Donovan Mitchell in the fourth quarter is shooting 41.7% from three 45.5 field goals, 95% free throw for a true shooting percentage of 62%. You might know that over 60% it's elite true shooting, so you might be impressed.
Speaker 3:Well, that's actually not impressive next to what Garland is doing. Garland's true shooting percentage is 77% in the fourth quarter. This is just insane, and it's heavily aided by the fact that Mitchell accepts to play decoy for him in many late game situations. But I mean, guy just hasn't lost a free throw in the fourth quarter yet. He's at 100%, shooting 46.7% from three and 65% overall for field goals, just like the entire team for the entire season is over 50% field goals and over 40% three-point. Unless Atkinson is the greatest coaching genius of our age and he might well be, I'm not betting against that guy now.
Speaker 3:They'll have to drop at some point. And I think this winning streak is kind of a trap because it puts so much attention on them, it heightens expectations and it creates a situation for them, you know, to go like 10 and 5 in December and we'd all be very disappointed at the Cavs. But in the same time Atkinson had that transformative effect before. I mean that Nets team that he had until Kyrie went there was overperforming. Some of the players were on that team as well, like Levert and another one I don't remember now I'm blanking. And also he uses you know like he uses Mobley, not as a pick setter, but he's the guy with the ball in the pick and roll.
Speaker 3:I mean Mobley has done everything to become the most modern version of an NBA center. I mean he's dribbling between the legs. He has a three-point shot now, which he didn't in the first few years. He was under 20%. If I remember correctly, last year he was 37%, now he's 34%. I mean he's doing everything to be able to not play, to not bring to the table the same things as Jared Allen does. If you will, no, no.
Speaker 1:You're correct and I absolutely agree, because then how do you get him on the floor? Right, because he's not. He's not taking Jared spot. You have to figure out a way to get them on the floor together. At times, I think, I think when you talk about like what, what? Uh, dean Lillard's not doing, definitely Mobley is doing for himself and expanding his game to make himself useful and playable.
Speaker 3:Exactly.
Speaker 3:Exactly make himself useful and playable, exactly, exactly, exactly, exactly, exactly. He's younger than he's 23. Yeah, I mean, I know he's a veteran, he's in his fourth year, but so and and and, there's one thing that really impresses me. So they really have, they have a 10-man rotation, they really do, they have. So there's only one player playing slightly more than 30 minutes. It's Donovan Mitchell, with 30.7. And then getting significant minutes, it's Mitchell Garland, mobley, allen Levert, ty Jerome, george Nyang, sam Merrill, isako Cora and Dean Wade. So 10 players total, and some of them Ty Jerome.
Speaker 3:I think he had him on the Warriors as well when he started. But why I'm mentioning him? Because he's the one from the group that plays less. He's at only 16.5 minutes, but he's clutch and he's a difference maker. He's also at 65% field. I don't know 65% field goal and 54% for three. Like I mean, again, it's great, but is it really sustainable? On the same time, they pass the ball so much everybody's engaged. It's very strength in numbers type of basketball, in a way. You know Like it's and I mean you know like it's and, and I mean he, he was, uh, an assistant coach. It's not, it's not a random occurrence, and and that's a guy who has an assistant coach, managed to get the clippers to the conference finals I mean next to tai lu, obviously. But again he has done like the the most impossible thing to have to to do in the nba history get the clippers to the conference finals. That's never happened before or since, so he's an overachiever by any metric In any realm.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just crazy. Okay so, with this winning streak and of course we know that- oh, it turns by the way it ends Wednesday. Yeah, so let's get there. They just beat the 76ers, who did not play either Paul George or Joel Embiid.
Speaker 3:Given how Embiid played the day before that's fine, correct, so let's go through their next….
Speaker 1:So the mark was set by Golden State right 22-0. I personally don't think the Cavs get there. It sounds like you don't either, because you just kind of showed your hand 24-0. 24-0. Okay, and so over the….
Speaker 3:From the Warriors that lost to LeBron in the finals so I have them going 15-0.
Speaker 1:Oh we agree. So they beat the Bulls, they beat the Hornets. Now, that matchup with the Celtics would be their second in this very early NBA season, and I just don't see the Celtics losing to this team twice.
Speaker 3:Oh, you agree with me? Yeah, yeah, that's the thing. So it's a very peculiar matchup. So you've beaten the Celtics defending champs that have the target on the back the whole season You've been now become the talk of the town, the talk of the league, because you were 13 and no, and by then you'll be 15-0 matching the Rockets. It was the first season I really watched the regular season the 93-94 Rockets.
Speaker 3:And you go to Boston and the Tigers is on your back, not on the Celtics' back, and the Celtics also want to exact revenge on you because you beat them before. Look, I'll say, any team that starts 13-0 is a contender. But I can't believe this team is winning the title. If they beat the Celtics on that night assuming you know, I don't know, like that both Tatum and Brown play like you know, unless a major injury happens we'd really have, I'd really have to consider them like for the championship, because at some point you know, if you keep beating everybody on the court, even on the nights, you don't play well. And you have supreme team chemistry and you have a proven playoff performer also in Mitchell at some point you're a contender.
Speaker 3:There's no other way to describe you. That's for sure. But also you should be taken seriously for the title. It's still a small sample in a way, though I mean it can be the random occurrence of all shots going in for four of your 12 guys. You know Like it's. I mean it's not only that, but I mean this team is definitely the second best team in the East. Right now it looks like the best team in the East. Right now it looks like the best team in the league. So did the Clippers last year for a while. Like you have to contextualize, or how about.
Speaker 1:Utah last year Kind of got off this hot start and everything kind of goes back to the mean right, and so I think we're all kind of waiting for that to happen for this Cleveland Cavalier team. How much is that, you know? I think we still yet to be seen, but I don't disagree If they beat the Celtics again when you know, especially a Celtics team that's at full strength or close to full strength, because Porcingis is the wild card, right, but with your two stars, Tatum and Brown, yeah, I think you're right. I think you really have to start looking at this team. This is a real team, right. This is a real threat in the Eastern Conference come playoff time. So the question is or maybe we'll find out do we think they're good enough, deep enough and together enough to beat the Celtics, who are the champs, the defending champs? They're a much more proven team in a best-of-seven series, because I think that's what it could come down to, More experienced as well.
Speaker 3:It's also that because some playoff battles are won on experience and nothing else, oh, absolutely, it really tends to happen, and beyond Mitchell, I don't think anybody else has significant playoff experience, and even Mitchell doesn't have that much. He has many memorable playoff performances, but he hasn't been that deep very often. So when you compared it with this Celtics core that not only won the championship but also has Drew, that had a championship before and they've been in all these battles together, I don't see it happening.
Speaker 1:How ageless is Al Horford, by the way? I mean, you want to talk about a guy who comes in with the experience and lifts a team in key moments. He doesn't have to do anything all year, but he always seems to show up when the time is the most pressure on this team. He has become kind of like Robert Ori or Rick Fox. You could talk about Hornacek or Steve Kerr. He's just got the experience to lift this young team. Who would have thought that of Al Horford starting last year?
Speaker 3:So, guys, for you listening, the guy telling me about the ageless uh al hoford is wearing lakers 23 jersey, so I think I think he's baiting me into speaking about lebron, who just have his third consecutive triple double. I mean, what the like you know at some point? What the Like you know at some point? I think A to answer your question. Jokes aside, I think the prime of players has, like, I think the duration of a career for players that really take care of themselves has extended significantly, absolutely Right now.
Speaker 3:Lebron James, kevin Durant, cp3. I mean, chris Paul is having a great season. He dished 23 assists just the other day. He's a league leader in assists. Among the league leaders in assists, steph Curry is having, you know, a great moment every week. He destroyed Klay Thompson in 90 seconds the other night. I mean. So you have to take all these things into account when you speak of Horford, that if you're a true professional that's really trying to extend your career, we have now the knowledge and the science to make that possible. I mean, for all the love I have for LeBron, I don't think that he could have pulled the same thing in the 1960s. Okay, just to give an answer no, no players.
Speaker 3:It also has to do with knowledge and machines.
Speaker 1:Correct. Players now have the advantage of technology and medical advancements. Right Private jets, not charter jets, or charter jets not public jets, not buses, if you compare it to the 60s.
Speaker 1:Right in the 60s, you know. And so yeah, definitely, longevity in the modern NBA is a huge factor and I think we'll continue to see it. But you know, what impressed me about Al Horford is he could have just become a bench guy, a Jared Dudley right. Oh, he's great to have on the team because he's a great bench guy. He's a locker room glue guy. Who was it in Miami in um miami? What, uh haslam?
Speaker 1:yes, so uh he was a mascot by the end you know, but, but, but, and it could have went that way very quickly. But for al horford, uh, to me what's been so impressive is that he's productive on the floor as well, so he gives you that extra dynamic.
Speaker 3:He's not only the glue guy he's driven like a madman, he's on the same category as kobe lebron and shit like that. That's a two-time ncaa champion, if I remember correctly as well. Right, and I mean he managed to to be the leader of an at Hawks team that won 60 games.
Speaker 1:Yeah. We have to go back that far to even remember, you know, to even have recalled that you know cause, cause they haven't done much since.
Speaker 3:And he's working on his game. That guy in his first few seasons never even shot one three point shot. And now he it's been like six years, seven years, that he's a legit three-point specialist. He's not just, it's not that he can shoot the three, he's among the best at shooting.
Speaker 1:He's in the high 40 percentile from three almost over the last six years Easy.
Speaker 3:So it's just insane. But it's like what Chris Paul is doing to me is insane. He's playing 28 minutes a game now. I mean this is crazy at 39. Especially for a guy that had injury problems from the time I remember him in the league playing for the New Orleans Hornets back in the day I think they were not even the Pelicans, yet no, they were the Hornets.
Speaker 3:That's correct. So I mean, at some point point, I think all these are extremely driven people, but they also have the means to make that happen. And it's not even like you know who's the old, the first really old guy to play in the nba jabbar. So karim you. I mean it's common knowledge. But let's say it again, like I mean the guy was practicing with Bruce Lee. I mean he was stretching and doing yoga before most of the US knew these words. I mean yoga. Yeah, like he spent his time training with elite athletes it wasn't random back then either athletes. Like it wasn't random at back then either. He just did it through like asian knowledge and not western knowledge perhaps, but it was the same thing yeah, um, it's.
Speaker 1:I think that's the most impressive thing, that kareem had this longevity in a time, know, but most players were his. His lifestyle, I think, catered to that right. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is very spiritual and holistic and and and more pure. Where you know, they were drinking beers in the locker room. Most of the time they were smoking cigarettes while they're out, you know, on the floor.
Speaker 1:I mean, that was so that he yeah he was a safe and cold guy there, and then yeah for sure I would also credit to his ego probably drove him because you know you get this young buck, magic johnson, who's coming to take over a team that was his.
Speaker 1:And hey, again, you have to find a way to stay on the floor and I think without he probably, early on, would not have acknowledged it, but that talent that magic Johnson brought probably motivated him to to those things Right. So, so, uh, he, I think he was the anomaly for that time where, as we pointed out earlier, you know, it's become more and more common I mean, they, they, the amount of money that they spend just on their bodies. Uh, these, these athletes, um, give you 15 years, 15 extra years, you know, uh in in most cases. So, um, it'll be interesting to see. Uh, I will refute this. I was not beating you to talk about LeBron, although he is the oldest player in the NBA right now and still, uh, finding ways to dominate, uh, the league. So it's insane at this point.
Speaker 3:I don't even care if many nights he starts padding. I don't care If you can pull like three straight triple doubles, and I think yesterday it was what like 35, 15, and 12 or something. Or 14 and 12? Anyway. So I mean, and for a team that's actually good, your Redick is just too good. A huge surprise.
Speaker 1:I'm really impressed.
Speaker 3:Yeah, gj Redick, yeah good, your, your reddick is is just too good like a huge surprise. Yeah, jj reddick, yeah, uh, I mean, so I mean what he's doing, although he it's the first season that he's the clear number two by the way.
Speaker 1:Oh, he is definitely taking the number one mantle for sure.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean I'm and and I credit him with ad being this level, this type of ad, like that's I. I, I think, like LeBron is the AD whisperer over and over again, like I mean, it's amazing, like AD never was that much into basketball in a way, until he started playing with LeBron.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we've even talked about it without questioning ad's real kind of love for the game, right, like it just seemed at times that he was completely checked out mentally and just floating around out there, um, so I I don't disagree with that and then I I would also and and not to get too much into this, because I think we could spend a lot of time on it, but I think, um, the energy that JJ Redick brings also motivates. I think a guy like JJ Redick grabs a D by the Jersey and says you know, you can be the best damn big in this game. Now go out there and do it. And a D is motivated to do it. Right, like, just because of that energy that in your face you know, hey, this. Like just because of that energy that in your face you know, hey, this is your time kind of influence.
Speaker 3:I'm under the impression that, for some reason that escapes me, lebron actually greatly respects his coach. It hasn't happened in many years.
Speaker 1:Well, they did a podcast together. I would respect you too, if you were my coach. No, what it is is because….
Speaker 3:No, no, because you know why I disagree with that. I'll tell you what because in the podcast he was drinking the LeBron Kool-Aid. It was like a typical LeBron relationship where you have to go with his flow and then you get extra benefits from the team. But the way he's coaching that's not what he's doing Like he's taking the ball out of his hands in late game situations.
Speaker 1:But he's smart enough to do it Right and and that's what LeBron trusts. And some would say that that podcast was the laker interview right, because they they that podcast was based all about the iq of the game, right, the x's and o's. And I think that jj reddick proved, hey, he's got this, he's got this thing about him that not many coaches seem to have, because doc rivers definitely doesn't have the basketball iq of a jj reddick, you know, uh, and I would say most of the coaches out there don't.
Speaker 1:the problem is, this is jj's first job well the, I guess the state, I won't say the problem, the stigma on jj reddick is this is his first, oh yeah, that's his lebron choice, absolutely, and again, I think the podcast had something.
Speaker 3:The problem, the stigma on JJ Redick is this is his first job, plus his LeBron choice.
Speaker 3:Clearly and again, I think the podcast had something to do with that Look, your team is a family-run business in which the second-generation owners have now extended the family vibe and reality of the team into having a player draft his own not ready for the NBA sun into the team and still all this works and you're not the laughingstock of the league. I don't get it. It's. It's on JJ, like I mean, he's making it work. Do you know what? The smartest thing he did was he put like for me yeah, he put Bronny with LeBron in the first. Yeah, get it out of the way. It's like, get it out of the way. Yeah, exactly like you could see. Oh, that's a practical approach to things. Well done now.
Speaker 3:Like I mean again, like I find the fact that that brawny is wearing an nba jersey insane. I find the fact that he didn't go for another year in college after losing a year because of his heart condition insane. I do believe that he's going to end up being a great rotation player in the NBA because he's driven, he's mentally very tough, it has to be said. Like all the circus around, like the media circus around him doesn't seem to. He's grew up in it, right, yeah, yeah, yeah. So good job, dad LeBron, on that.
Speaker 3:But why did you want to go into the league when you're clearly not ready and be stigmatized as the guy who's on the roster because of his dad. This is beyond me. I can understand it from LeBron's perspective. Like you grew up without a dad, so you're kind of overcorrecting this by being ever-present in your kid's life and want to push them for the best. Also, you give a great example as a hands-on dad. God, I don't want to go into politics Because just edit it out, but I think an element of this is also he's absolutely right in doing it. But it's like, yes, black families have a problem of absentee fathers and he's doing a counterexample in order to promote the exact opposite idea. So, culturally, as a symbol, I think it's great, but I just don't think it has any place on the basketball court. Like you can't be good because dad wants you to be good. Like sports, don't work.
Speaker 1:So many children of great players that that that fizzle out or fade out or fall under the expectation of what their, their parent did.
Speaker 3:Not Scotty Pippen.
Speaker 1:And we'll, and we'll, we'll address that, but but Michael's surely did Right.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, for sure. But Michael is a vampire. I mean, he's the goat, but he's a vampire. I understand, like he's the typical dad that's so successful that he's so overbearing, that like the kids can't grow because they're, he's just well that.
Speaker 1:And the legend was the legend was set by the time they really got started, right where.
Speaker 1:LeBron's still playing and his legacy is still growing, I think, is easier to kind of step into than my dad is revered as the greatest player of all time. He was somebody who some would say aided in the rescue of the NBA, coming out of the late once Bird and and Maddie did it. Michael was the next, you know, and so there's a lot more, especially at that time when they were growing up. No, we didn't have LeBron James, right? We didn't have really a Kobe Bryant by comparison, right? So so it was the end all be all. But now I think there's some pressure that we could all have a GOAT debate. Lebron and Michael seem to be the two. Kobe seems to get left out a lot. There are others that deserve to be in the conversation, but at the time….
Speaker 3:Left out. Left out. The guy with one MVP is left out of the GOAT conversation.
Speaker 2:He is left out of the GOAT conversation yeah.
Speaker 3:What about Ty's Jones? Why isn't he in it?
Speaker 1:Well, but again, when you have all of that around Bronny, it's not so centralized right when, when Jordan's kids were coming up, it was just Michael, and so they got all the pressure. They the the jordan name on their jerseys and the spotlight was on them and it was a very short spotlight, by the way, because they didn't.
Speaker 3:they fizzled out really early I just think he must have treated them as his teammates and making it impossible for them to grow because, they were like eight years old and he was trucking them while beating them one on one. I mean for all my love for him, like Kobe does seem to have been a much better, caring and intelligent father it might have been different had he had boys, right.
Speaker 1:I think that was the Kobe dynamic was having girls and being a girl dad myself, man. They just have a way of wrapping us around. We're like putty in their hands, right? So I think that was the dynamic. It would be different if there was a Kobe Bryant Jr and he had to wear that name.
Speaker 3:Right, no, you're onto something for sure.
Speaker 1:Just to address your views on Bronny. I don't disagree, but my take is why am I going to stay? I have this heart condition and they tell me I'm okay to play, but we all know that. Look at Shaquille's son right. Was it Shaquille?
Speaker 3:I don't remember but yeah, that look at Shaquille's son, right?
Speaker 1:She uh, was it Shaquille? Uh, I don't remember, but yeah, but it completely derailed him and even his NBA life fizzled out because he just didn't develop. He never had the chance to develop. So you'd never know when the heart issue is going to pop back up. So so why not? If you have an opportunity no matter what that opportunity is to get to the league and live your dream, I think you I think you take it Because you make Marcus Smart look like Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3:He shot 16.7% for the season.
Speaker 1:But the kid's living his dream and the Lakers did the right thing. You put him on the roster, you give him some run early in the season um, I think he made an appearance in a game with like eight seconds left just just simply to get him in, uh, and then you put him in the g league, because that's what the g league is designed for. Now there are kids that that won't even go to college. They'll just try to get directly into this developmental what do you see?
Speaker 3:can you read me his first stat line in the?
Speaker 1:gb, I think it was like.
Speaker 2:I think it was like two points, one rebound with one out of eight, yeah, out of ready for the g lee.
Speaker 3:He's not an nba player by any stretch but exactly we're not even sure that guy is ready for the g. I don't disagree. That's, that's tragic. Why?
Speaker 1:do that to yourself. But here's the point I'm making is he had an opportunity to live his dream and he chose to do it right Because he could go to college one more year. But the heart issue pulled back up and his basketball career is over, right? So he just took the opportunity. Oh, you mean.
Speaker 3:Oh, opportunity, oh you mean oh, oh, oh, you mean ah, okay. No, I see your point.
Speaker 1:So I try to take some.
Speaker 3:So you mean, you never know, with a heart condition he might relapse. And then, yes, so, so I can't blame. The kid must know he's not ready Like. That's why I said it, but yeah.
Speaker 1:But when you make a choice like that again, do I go early and just have the opportunity to hear my name called on draft day and put a jersey on?
Speaker 2:No, no, I agree, or do I risk?
Speaker 1:not being able to make it out of college and my career is over, right, so I give him some grace in that respect. He's got a lot of development to do, but I I agree with you a key role player on an nba team is probably probably his ceiling right but I mean he no, I don't know if it's his ceiling, honestly, because he's such an unfinished product.
Speaker 3:Well, let's see Asking if a three-month would be a good doctor, like you know who knows Right? But what I've seen in him definitely is that he's very driven and, as we were discussing before starting, recording work trumps talent every single time, and that was the driver for Kobe.
Speaker 1:He would say he wasn't the most talented in his era, but he outworked everybody.
Speaker 3:Well more talented than Braun? Exactly no, I do, I do.
Speaker 1:But he wouldn't have thought of himself that way. He always held himself to a much higher standard. So he worked harder, right, and you know things like Dane, who's a you know he's. He's openly a huge Kobe backer. A Kobe fan, you know, would consider Kobe. His mentor has not picked up the Mamba mentality, so to speak, or the willingness to evolve his game as we spoke about earlier in the thing. You know, it's the hard work In the offseason. He's recording records right. He's not working on basketball. Great players, or even really good players, work on their game all through the year. So that I think Bronny stays healthy. His heart condition, god willing, uh allows him to play uh and have have have some longevity in a NBA career. I think we see him eventually um become a really good uh rotation player, as, as you aptly stated. I would agree with that. Good rotation player, as you aptly stated, I would agree with that.
Speaker 3:Let's see. I would love for him to somehow make it into the MVP conversation by year nine, just for a year even. It would be a great story In the meantime. What I found hilarious this week is that on the same day, I think, that Bronny was announced. On the same day, I think that Bronny was announced Going to the G League yep, on the same day that Bronny was going on the G League and we were again discussing the father and son duo, et cetera, Scottie Pippen Jr had a triple-double for the Grizzlies, and him and his father, scotty Pippen Sr, became the first father and son duo in the modern era to both register a triple-double. The Dantleys had done it in times immemorial and I found it so funny that somehow the 90s Bulls would still mess with LeBron. I just find it hilarious. Somehow the nineties Bulls will still mess with LeBron I. I just find it hilarious. Maybe that's why he did the three triple doubles in a row, by the way put his name back on the top of the conversation.
Speaker 1:You know it's like salt in the wound because the Lakers drafted Scotty Pippen jr and then and then let him uh, sent him to the G League and then you know, once anybody's in the G League, any team can pick them up. So that's a little salt in the wound, but it's such an incredible story, you know, to see that my team always had the problem of having too many guards that could actually play in this league. That's not a bad problem to have. It just didn't work out and you know, memphis found a spot for him. So good, good for him for for finding a spot on a roster, um and and seizing the opportunity to do so. But it's great to see these kids. I mean I would have liked to see O'Neal's boy because, also drafted by the Lakers never really could get a footing.
Speaker 3:Yes, you had the legacy team man you also drafted, or I mean you had at the Tocubo at some point.
Speaker 1:Which we really should have went for Thanasis is what I'm hearing because he's a great glue guy for the locker room.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean.
Speaker 1:I hope you heard the sarcasm in my voice when I say that.
Speaker 3:No, it's just Costas, because he plays in Europe. Now, right, I mean, I went to a national team game last summer and he was playing and he had his best game. He scored 25, 29. Giannis wasn't playing. Everybody was there for Giannis and we got a big game from Costas, which is insane, because nobody expected that, obviously, and you could just see like the guy athletically is a Giannis-level monster, but he just won't put in the work. There's like some laps in his postgame that you're like come on, man, like what the F?
Speaker 1:And there's so many people that they could reach out to and learn from right. There's so many great post players still out there your brother, is Giannis Antetokounmpo and you spend your summer playing with him. I didn't want to go there, but you're right.
Speaker 3:I think Giannis is tough with everybody but his brothers.
Speaker 1:Because he would have all of them. He'd have all of them. It's a weird thing, he'd have all of them in Milwaukee, just to have them together right.
Speaker 3:For sure.
Speaker 1:And look kudos to him but that doesn't help win championships. So you want a winning mentality, you have to….
Speaker 3:Come on, man you can't be a fan of the team that drafted Brony and explain to people what helps you win championships.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, we've got 17 of them. So I mean, what can? Oh, you know right behind you.
Speaker 3:Uh, for the listeners there's the number 18, uh, which I thought would have been banned right now from a Lakers fan layer but only because it's golf.
Speaker 2:That's only because it's okay.
Speaker 1:All right, so real quickly, I just want to here. We are the second year of the NBA. What are they calling it? It's the Emirates NBA Cup, formerly known as the in-season tournament. The Lakers managed to win the first one, but then decided that they forgot how to play basketball for the entirety of last season. After that, uh, so how? I haven't had a chance to talk with you about this, um, but I think now's a more opportune time than any initial thoughts on this in-season tournament and how does it work and how does it not work for you.
Speaker 3:Look, I think it's a brilliant idea. It's maybe a bit too early in the season, but because of the All-Star Game, it makes sense that they won the finals in December. December, right, not January. It's December again, right? Whatever gives meaning to 82 regular season game is a good thing for the league.
Speaker 1:Plus, you get the visuals from the courts, which many people hate, by the way.
Speaker 3:The first one was yeah, but it's okay. But it makes it different. It makes the average regular season day seem different. No, I agree. So it's not about whether hamburgers are your favorite meal. If you eat pizza every day, you'll enjoy the break and have a hamburger.
Speaker 1:Great analogy. And now I find myself very hungry. Thank you, Pavlos. Well, you should have breakfast before recording.
Speaker 3:But I think the final four will eventually become a big thing because they've managed Basically. What they're trying to do is to have a Final Four like March Madness. That's the end game here. It's to make it over the years a big enough event that you all want to see. The Final Four games, the elimination semifinals it's a great idea with a season that's that long where the playoffs are really best of seven, so it's hard for the best team not to beat them. It's great to add the uncertainty of elimination games and one-game trophies. You know what I mean. I think the whole thing is awesome. Now, whether the players will be giving a crap or not remains to be seen. Last year, everybody was mega excited and the fact that LeBron is the guy who won it sorry, the Lakers with LeBron with LeBron are the first winners adds a lot to the idea of this might well be something that will work and in 20 years time, the new generation of fans can't imagine an NBA without it. It might also not.
Speaker 1:Does the in-season championship, especially after the results of last season, having the uh, the winner of the in-season tournament end up in the eighth seed and knocked out in the first round, does it cheapen in any way what the playoffs are supposed to be and the run to the championship, uh, the finals, uh, and even the finals trophy that? Do you feel like it cheapens that at all?
Speaker 3:first of all, thank you for reminding us that the lakers uh got eliminated in the first round.
Speaker 1:Second of all, I finally come to terms with it. P Pavlos, what can I say?
Speaker 3:Look maybe I don't know, because the finalist was Indiana and Indiana went all the way to the conference finals in the East and really was good against the Celtics, although they didn't manage to win any games, or did they win one, I don't remember. I don't remember either.
Speaker 1:Because it seemed like the Celtics dominated everything in the playoffs. So it's hard to know.
Speaker 3:But Carlisle really handed the game to the Celtics last year. But I mean, you can either view it. Hey, the winner didn't even make it in the playoffs, but we all knew that a roster that old was better suited for a one-game elimination thing than a seven-game series. First of all, and the fact that Indiana proved to be a legit up-and-coming young team nothing more than that, but they are at least. That shows me that yeah, yeah, it will probably work. And again, man, it's 82 games. 82 games like I mean in Europe.
Speaker 3:Now, I'm sorry, I think it's relevant. That's why I'm mentioning Europe. Like the way the EuroLeague and the National Championship are now, the teams roughly play, like the big teams, they roughly play 70 games, 75 games a year. But because it's all for different competitions, you have to set it up in a way that those games matter, because at some point, you just know by late January, and you just know by late January even we are kind of like, eh, what's going on now? It's a part of the season that I could not watch much and it wouldn't change much of my understanding of the league. When the novelty of the season finishes, which is right around now, it's good that you have something else starting. Then we go into the All-Star game, then we go into the playoffs. Now, of course, the calamity that is.
Speaker 1:the All-Star game also needs to change. That could be a whole episode in itself, I mean or never mention the words All-Star game ever again.
Speaker 3:So I don't know. I just think it's like yeah, last year we did a special episode for the finals. I really wanted to see who's going to win it. It's like a trophy in December. Better have it than not having it.
Speaker 1:I would say I think it's great. Some of my more positive outlooks on it is, I think to's I think it's great. Um, you know the some of my my more positive outlooks on is, I think to your point, it is great. It makes basketball meaningful kind of early on in the year, right for for a good month-long stretch. Um, I also like the european kind of style to it, where you you got group play and then you know, then you get out of your group and now you're in a single elimination bracket. I love that, and people who who don't watch soccer or football you know european football, uh, really don't get to experience that type of play much, or even, uh, european basketball, and so I think it's a. It's a great way to introduce fans to that concept where every game now counts.
Speaker 1:One mistake, one bounce of a ball going the wrong way can cost you the tournament. However, I really do feel like it cheapens the championship, and I think even more so that the late. Why? Because the NBA Finals Championship, the Larry O'Brien Trophy, should be the most revered thing in the league. It's been that way since now. Again, I think change is good and I think that there's meaningful, but here's why I'm a little bit opposed, because the Lakers won it. The lakers, since when has it? Has anything other than a larry o'brien trophy meant more to anything else than last year? Because when the lakers won it, they celebrate it like they won the larry o'brien trophy, with the champagne and the shirts and well, they knew they wouldn't win that one, so remember like they were.
Speaker 1:They were in the, they were in the top five in the league at the time. They won that in-season tournament and then afterwards just completely fell off the off the rails, right, because it didn't.
Speaker 3:It didn't mean anything I hear everything that you're saying. I come from a different perspective. It's really like you're an American, I'm a European. So in both football and basketball in Europe, even before the EuroLeague existed in the way it is, in all national competitions you have the championship and the cup.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:So you know that the cup is the one trophy that teams that are not that good can hoist. It's the one thing you can win, even if you're not elite, because it's a single eliminations game and the idea is always that if you leave your soul on the field or on the court if we're talking about basketball you can make it happen, because it's just one game and you can always overachieve over one game. It's possible, it's a possibility, but beyond all this talk, so this is why I think it's an okay thing, because to me, it makes the NBA more like European sports that I've followed since I was a kid. Yeah, so that's why I'm saying it's a perspective thing. But overall, if you were to ask me why it's a good thing and why I wouldn't change it for anything and when I'm saying this I'm projecting myself into this year, next year and the years after that is because you do have competitive freaks in the NBA, people that would rather die than get eliminated from any sort of competition.
Speaker 1:Sure, it's a pride thing. All these guys have egos.
Speaker 3:All these guys have any sort of competition.
Speaker 1:Sure, it's a pride thing, right? All these guys have egos, all these guys have a level of pride.
Speaker 3:So give me superstars in elimination games for any reason. Just make this happen. For me it's a good thing, like eventually. Like, for example, if I was Giannis? If I were Giannis, okay, what's the one thing I have a realistic shot at this year? The cup. That's the one thing I can do. I can score 59, take 22 rebounds and beat any team at any given time, but I cannot do it over a seven-game playoff series. But I cannot do it over a seven-game playoff series.
Speaker 3:So I think, eventually, if it all goes according to plan or according to my wishful thinking, the reason the cup or the in-season tournament will stay is because eventually we're going to see some monster performances in the quarterfinals, in the semifinals, in the finals.
Speaker 1:I will admit to this One of the most fun things about it last year and I anticipate it being the same this year was the level of competition throughout the tournament. Right Again, real hard nose, competitive basketball in December. My takeaway from it was this for a team like the portland trailblazers or the clippers, or you know the uh pick any team the orlando magic yes, that may, that may, yes, that may be their level of expectation to win the now Emirates NBA Cup, but not for the Lakers, not for the Celtics. Nobody's hanging banners. You don't get it. No, no, no, you don't get it.
Speaker 3:Because you haven't grown with it no no, no, I agree with you.
Speaker 3:That's not the expectation. The expectation is to win the double. So what happens in Europe? I'm just telling you what happens in Europe. Educate me. It's that you sort out the champions through. Oh, did they also win the cup that year? So a champion that also won the cup is like a bigger champion. You know what I mean. You won both competitions. The important is always the championship, but it gives you a way to separate the champions. It gives like, I don't know when it's going to happen, but believe me, the first team that wins the cup and the championship, it's going to be the top of the town for a week. I mean, it's going to add something. It adds a layer to great teams' achievements.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, look, we're in year two, so I'm not completely not sold on it. I'm just kind of on the line. Let's see what happens this year and I think it's here to stay. Stay, whether anybody who likes it or not. Again, I enjoy the fact that it makes games competitive in december. Let's just see. Let's, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm waiting to see that that time. Or have that opportunity for two, for a team to win both, and just how much different that feels. Because I may, because that may, change my perspective on it. I think the first year, having the lakers win it and then them completely botched the rest of the season just made it, made it feel a little less right, yes, less, yeah, you have a very specific and that's all we have perspective that you wouldn't have if, if they had been eliminating the quarterfinals, basically, correct.
Speaker 1:I think, yeah, so, because indiana made it right. So, and I would think that their their run. If they had won the cup and then got eliminated by the celtics in the quarterfinals, I still think, oh man, but that team won the cup. They were a really good basketball team. The lakers were not a really good basketball team last year. So so what? They won the cup. So what right? The end goal was hanging.
Speaker 3:Right, right. No, I agree.
Speaker 1:And not to mention.
Speaker 3:Oh, to me it's just testament to James, like that, yeah, like he, there's something to win.
Speaker 1:He's out to win, sure, sure, but I just think of the Michaels, the Kobe's, you know, I mean Akeem, elijah, ones of the world, shaq, even does this even move the needle for them, other than, hey, I'm going to go out and win something, but but it wasn't the most important thing.
Speaker 3:look just project yourself 20 years from now, assuming that it stays okay. So we'll be saying about. I know johnant, he has two championships and three cups. So the players I'm just random, I don't think Jack will win two championships and three cups, to be honest, but I'm just saying so if, when, when, the generation of players that grew up with the cup as a constant, so really the people born like three years ago, five years ago, when these people reach the league and they know oh, my favorite player, he won the cup twice and his stats record, like his points record, is the cup is 42. Like, as you know, because the NBA is so good at communicating stuff, like when the IST has enough the Emirates Cup, sorry, when the Emirates Cup has been around long enough for it to have a history and you have performances that will become a reference point to a younger generation of fans and players, it will grow in significance organically, oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I don't disagree with that and in fact it'll even change the way the next generation of people view the past generation of players. Right, you're going to say you know, john Morant is the greatest player to ever play if he wins three championships and two in-season tournaments. Because Michael Kareem, magic, kobe LeBron didn't have a NBA cut. Well, lebron now, but you know, considering it's probably his last, they didn't have that.
Speaker 1:So she'll be around for another 10 years come on, oh, but look, I'm interesting to see it. I'm interested to see it. I, I appreciate your take on it and and I hope, I hope that it becomes more normal as we go on. As you so eloquently, uh painted the, the photo, the picture picture for us as what it could be.
Speaker 3:Can I ask?
Speaker 2:you something?
Speaker 3:I'm reaching a tipping point with LeBron. This sounds like… I just think it's insane what he's doing at this stage of his career.
Speaker 1:This sounds like an epiphany. Yeah, this sounds like an epiphany, is what it sounds like.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this sounds like an epiphany is what it sounds like? No, I mean. Look, I know Durant is statistically having his best season ever in terms of shooting percentages. It's a trend. It's not LeBron, it's that generation, as we were saying earlier, of the real competitors with a great work ethic. Just last longer, it's a fact. The real competitors with a great work ethic just last longer. It's a fact. Still, at some point, like I mean just this year, he's made a statistical feat that nobody ever has done before, like 15 points in the fourth quarter with 100% field goal percentage combined with, I don't know, five assists and five rebounds, and he's doing now the three triple doubles, three triple doubles. As we're discussing At what point the guy is still among the best players in the league. I don't know if he's 12th or 25th, because I don't watch the Lakers enough to judge his defensive output. Is he playing any defense or not?
Speaker 1:More than last year.
Speaker 3:I would say but.
Speaker 1:I think the scheme fits that right Right.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah, okay, but that's on the coach. I mean, if you have LeBron on the squad, you should have a scheme that fits him. I mean, it's part of your job description. I mean, just look at his fucking summer. Like it's like he won the Olympics. Now, granted, you can make a very valid case for Curry's MVP, but let's say he was the second best player on that squad.
Speaker 1:It's still a squad of the best players in the NBA right, and he's the second, and and he's there legitimately and he, he was a key factor in them winning it like, however you want to put it.
Speaker 3:He was like the number one, the number two guy and there was some serious competition. Are you, do you feel that the, the refs cheat serbia or no? Absolutely not the refs cheat Serbia or not?
Speaker 1:No, absolutely not, Absolutely not. I'm going to give you my most biased opinion no, absolutely not.
Speaker 3:Okay, so he was part, so I mean his last. I mean, if you were to take his career from age 37 onwards, it's just insane what he pulls off like. Like I mean, I know all the people are doing it. They're a bit younger, you don't know if, but I think it's it will keep on happening because I I don't see kd staff or slowing down, honestly, like there's no real science mean, when you crunch the numbers at least. But come on, just because it's a generational thing, like you still have to put the work ethic, you still have to show up, you still have to be ready. It's like I cannot not be in awe in front of somebody that has this work ethic. And if you were to compare it with Kobe's last few years, who was also of that generation of players, if you will, more or less who had the same advantages health-wise, they're not in the same ballpark. Let's, they're not. Let's not like it. You have a legit all-star player and and a player who played on his legacy, like they're not.
Speaker 1:No, no, you're right. But but let's, let's not forget the. The one thing that lebron, and why lebrron has reached the level he has, is he's always been able seemingly able to avoid a serious, career-threatening type of injury For the first I would say 60%, 70% of his career. The dude wasn't injured at all.
Speaker 1:But that's his body and his work ethic yeah and some people were just built because it it could have easily went the other way. Right, some people are just built, so things happen in the nba. I mean, look, we didn't get to see uh, uh, brandon roy because he got bit by the injury bug and I think he would have been a great guard in the league. We didn't get to see greg odin I think he would have been a great center in the league. Just, some players just had Kobe. His last years were marred by the Achilles injury and it was really on a non-concern.
Speaker 1:But that's on him though, but it was really. I mean, you can't tell me that Kobe wasn't at the same level as LeBron as far as taking care of your body. It's just that sometimes these things….
Speaker 3:He was, but he was overextending himself on the court constantly. And you had this perfect storm with Mike D'Antoni, who's just a madman. And the one found the other and they destroyed both of their careers. It's just insane. Do you remember the season?
Speaker 3:he was having yes point, and then he also wanted to shoot the free throws. Well, I mean, yes, you've just dropped your Achilles, let's play on it, why not? Do you know who is the other stupid person that did that? Rondo did that. He played like significant minutes on a destroyed Achilles and then he was never the same. What I mean to say is I am nothing but a small ant next to these people when it comes to work ethic and stuff like that. I'm only being judgmental as a fan. You know what I mean. I'm not putting myself in the same level by any stretch of the imagination, but at some point, balancing the will with the brain is a very useful skill and lebron has mastered it, while kobe hadn't right. Because? Well, because, and rondo, but rondo is not on the same strategy, because he yeah, you're, you're right, you're right, lebron.
Speaker 1:Lebron is in a, in a place right now where he's avoided injury because he he listens to where his body is and knows when to stop yes, exactly that's a skill. You have to give him credit for that it is.
Speaker 3:You cannot blame you.
Speaker 1:It's also a mindset, but but there is some luck involved, because because things just happen.
Speaker 3:It was a non, no no, I agree there's luck involved overall in his career, that you know. Nobody elbowed him in the face or you know like. I mean obviously there's a lack factor, but he does have an extra skill that kobe didn't.
Speaker 1:No that's what I'm saying, I don't disagree, I don't disagree and and look, that's a, it's a great point you're making. I, I just want to, I just for the listeners who might not be you know, because again I don't, I don't know, but but again there's a generation that never really got to see Kobe at his best. All they remember is those last few years and may not recognize that those years were marred by this. I mean, most players don't come back from an Achilles injury like that right, and he did for, I think what three years and was still pretty effective.
Speaker 1:So no not the last season except for the last game which was a great swan song. You mean the second half of the last game as well to be specific, yeah, where you could physically see somebody, a human being, literally put everything he had left on the floor.
Speaker 3:Man, do you know I had how do you call that shivers. I still I remember this game and I had electricity go through me. What he did in that like that ending is like you have to be loved by the basketball gods. There's no way they give you that. You'll be on fire, like you'll have the worst season of your career, by so far that people will be calling for your mid-season retirement, but then you'll shoot 13 out of 15 of your last shots, including the game, to overcome the other team and finish on an assist, which is so ironic given his temperament. I mean, come on, I mean I don't think I've seen Just to make that game. It was a championship atmosphere at the end of the game. I still go and re-watch this from time. I'm no Laker fan, believe me, but this is just these magical moments in sports which are why are why? Really, we're hooked to sports.
Speaker 1:That's exactly it, and anybody who hasn't seen that, go. Go watch that game and appreciate the greats. Right, not just Kobe, but there are so many moments in NBA history, even with LeBron James, though he's still, like you said, he seems like a 30-year-old playing at times. Go watch and appreciate greatness, because, again, we don't know how long we have it. We don't, and LeBron is definitely the anomaly in that statement.
Speaker 1:We're about to close, right, yeah, I got one more thing for you, but go ahead, close this I have a question for you before that.
Speaker 3:If you were to reach the finals the Lakers I mean only to lose to the Celtics would you want to reach the finals?
Speaker 1:That is a great question. I would say yes now, because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter, they already got. They already got 18 banners, we got 17. I think, I think, to just have the opportunity to win a championship. You always say, yes, it doesn't matter who it's against. Now will it hurt more? Yes, it absolutely will hurt more. Uh, to lose a championship to the celtics you that's my dream.
Speaker 3:Finals.
Speaker 1:You always want to get there.
Speaker 3:Sweeping the Lakers for LeBron or 19. That hurts. So it would give. It would give LeBron a force seven finals record, yes, and it would avenge the game. Seven loss it certainly would.
Speaker 1:It certainly would Golly. Why would you have to hurt me like that to close that segment out?
Speaker 3:Because you're about to ask me about my championship predictions, right?
Speaker 1:But we'll do a quick buy or sell and then we'll get to predictions.
Speaker 2:Oh, right right.
Speaker 1:All right, so buy or sell Pavlos Celtics. Stay motivated enough and healthy enough to get back to the finals this year.
Speaker 3:Can we split it into two? Motivated enough for sure, because the off season was like, I mean, the whole NBA establishment has done more for the Celtics to repeat. Then the Celtics did in the offseason. It's amazing. So you're kicking out the finals MVP, who's notoriously a grudge holder you know Jalen, jalen Brown, the guy who won finals MVP and you tell him, yeah, but you're not good enough for Team USA, bro. I mean, thank you, guys, thank you. Then you have Tatum, who cannot make. I mean, I'm not blaming Kerr, he couldn't make a shot to save his life. He literally didn't make a single jump shot in the Olympics. But you bench Tatum for the whole of the Olympics, basically. And you have this narrative that, ah, the Celtics for the whole of the Olympics, basically. And you have this narrative that, ah, the Celtics, they just beat, injured teams throughout. It's just insanity. It's like the universe is trying to motivate this team. It's just plain stupid.
Speaker 1:Yeah, poke the bear kind of yeah.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's like. Why would you do that? Do that like I don't get it so so motivate, but healthy, who knows? We have porzingis on the squad and significant minutes from al horford, who's 38, like who the fuck knows.
Speaker 1:But I don't have a who the fuck knows option, so are are you buying this or are you selling this?
Speaker 3:Oh, I'm buying, I'm buying.
Speaker 1:But next time it's going to be buy, sell or who the fuck knows. That's going to be the name of the game All right, all right. Sun's roster of KD, booker and Nurkic. I'm sorry, kd Booker, nurkik and Beal is intact. Post-trade deadline.
Speaker 3:I'm buying it for sure. Nobody's trading for Beal. I mean maybe the Wizards, to be honest, who knows, maybe the Bucks? That is an incompetent front office. But I'm mainly buying it because bill is the owner's choice, okay, okay, so you know, he's the guy who pays the bills. They're keeping bill. It's as simple as that. Also, they have tyus jones.
Speaker 3:Now it's not the same squad as last year. They have the one key element that was missing a very good point guard. I mean last year didn't have the one key element that was missing a very good point guard. I mean last year they didn't have a point guard, sure, sure. But I mean, and Tyus, I mean he's a Look, I know he's not the flashiest of point guards, but that guy is a low mistake phenomenon and was playing with a team. And I mean before last year in Washington he was playing with the Grizzlies and the Grizzlies were actually statistically better without Ja Morant. Their winning record was better when Tyrus was running the show, and that was a substantial number of games. So yeah, I mean we had a guy on Manolianos Shout out to Manolianos. He predicted the Suns are winning the West in the regular season and I thought it was a crazy take. But he did also predict that the Wolves would win it last year, so I was like okay.
Speaker 1:There's some credibility.
Speaker 3:Yeah, which I also thought was a crazy take last year, and now they're starting the season in a way that you can see it happening. So, yeah, I don't see a blockbuster trade involving a team that's leading the conference and I also don't see who would want to take these players Okay, to trade involving a team that's lead. That's conference, that's leading the conference, and I also don't see who would want to take these players okay, like it's good.
Speaker 1:So you so absolutely buying that and great points, by the way, because, uh, I buy it as well. I think. I think they um, they, jokic, will 3P MVP what.
Speaker 3:I got on here that Jokic the Joker. It would be his fourth, not his third. Oh, his fourth.
Speaker 1:He 3P'd it. Yeah, you're right, you're right. Well, okay, so he will win.
Speaker 3:I don't think he 3P'd them, I'm just you let it out, but I think he Keep me honest here.
Speaker 1:He just won two back-to-back right.
Speaker 3:So no, he won two back-to-back and beat 1-1.
Speaker 1:And then Jokic won it again the year before last would have been the three-peat, but okay, all right, we'll scratch that one, but will Jokic? No, yeah, okay, all right, we'll scratch that one, but we'll, we, the voters, won't let it. Is that what you're telling me?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think LeBron has too much sway to have a guy that's not 30 win as many MVPs as him. It's not fucking happening. It's not happening. I mean, we did an episode predicting MVPs and I know the numbers. Right now you would pick Jokic, but it's not happening. Like look, with the MVP vote, there's a thing when you reach a certain level of rarefied air, so three MVPs and above, the voters start to think in historical perspective. So the question is I'm sorry, is Jokic better than Larry Bird? Voters start to think in historical perspective. So the question is I'm sorry, is Jokic better than Larry Bird? Would be the first question. Okay, they would ask themselves because Larry has three, is Jokic as good as LeBron? Honestly, can Jokic have as many MVPs as Lebron at age 28, while lebron is is 39? Do you think like this is a valid thing that's going to happen in the nba? I'm not saying he wouldn't deserve it. Yes, I I think he probably will be deserving of it, but I I'm not buying it. Okay, uh, who?
Speaker 1:who do?
Speaker 1:No, I, you know the stranger things have happened and I think I think that if, if, at the end of the year, because I think he's won some that he wasn't deserving of, but but at the end of the year, when it comes down to where the teams are, you know where where his team is in the standings, because that seems to have a huge factor. You know where his team is in the standings because that seems to have a huge factor. We tend to look at more of the team MVP rather than the league MVP. No, I don't put it past that he would win this thing. I think that it's absolutely possible he could. But who do you have winning it if not Jokic? Just an early prediction Shai. Oh hey, that's a good pick.
Speaker 3:I'm going to root for AD, but that's a great pick. Yeah, I'm not buying the AD pick. You're not that good. Your regular season record will not allow AD to win it.
Speaker 2:No, you're right, because I just said it right.
Speaker 1:Because that seems to matter to the voters. If you're the seventh seed and OKC will be over 60 wins, most probably, I agree.
Speaker 3:If you're the seventh seed and OKC will be over 60 wins, most probably, I agree. So you'll be like, at best, a 52-win team and he'll be the leader, the uncontested leader, who's playing without LeBron next to him, right, right. That's also why I don't think Tatum has any chance to win the NBA unless the Celtics win. They would have to win 69 games and more for him to get it. So, no, I don't think there's much chance of anybody who is not shy to win it.
Speaker 3:Shea, shea, shea who's not Shea to win it, unless it's Luka. But Luka has had a very poor start. Also, shea has had a poor start for his standards. Also, yes, luka's poor start for his standards. But I think, the way the NBA works, these are the only two people that can win it. So it's either going to be like oh, you know, like it's a coming of age of a superstar, so such a narrative will develop and it's going to be Shai, or it's going to be Luka, because Luka has been undervoted in the past few years because he had never reached the finals. And now he reached the finals. And you know this is a typical thing with NBA voters Like it's like you're getting it for past performance and for wrongful previous wrongful voting in essence, like it just happens all the time.
Speaker 3:So I don't think we're escaping that. And also, giannis would have the numbers but you. But no playing team has ever had an MVP on its roster. No, absolutely not.
Speaker 1:No great points. You know it's just so hard. There's such a it seems to be such a politics in the voting for MVP nowadays. It's never straightforward, so who knows? I mean, I think your pick is great, but I just feel like the voters will find some reason to give it to somebody who maybe we didn't see, or again, or give it back to Jokic for a second time.
Speaker 3:Do you have anyone else in mind that I didn't mention?
Speaker 1:At this moment, no moment, no, no. And you know what I failed to see? Because I know, I know the league put out an mvp letter and I failed to go. Uh, go, look at that to see kind of who I know ad was at the top.
Speaker 1:Um, of course yokich is up there, uh, but but as far as anybody else I'm not sure tatum was number two in the last one but and I think you're right, though I think that in a world where you've got Brown if Porzingis comes back, you've got Holiday I just don't think you can do enough to get credit for a league MVP on that roster.
Speaker 3:Nobody's getting an MVP playing to the reigning finals MVP. It's not happening. I agree, it's just not Unless Brown goes down for three months, and then the Celtics still have a huge winning streak.
Speaker 1:Tatum's carrying the whole thing. It would have to be something like that. Yeah, yeah, all right. Moving on, doc Rivers will finish this year as the Bucs head coach.
Speaker 3:I'm buying it Because, as bad as he is with X's and O's, he's so good at public relations and, given the rumor is going around that he's already the closest advisor to the owner of the team and also I would like him to be because it would mean that either the season has gone surprisingly well or that they have indeed blown it up and Yanis is playing with the heat I would be so excited if Yanis went to the heat, or the Warriors, I mean. Can you imagine? As a Celtics fan, I would still be extremely excited if Yanis went to the heat, which would probably over the top, make the heat yeah
Speaker 3:yeah, I mean that guy's made to play in a patriotic organization man, I mean he just is. Or in the world, like in my head. I just want him in a great organization. The Bucks were great in the first few years. I remember the name of the GM. They had a great GM and then they became like a clown car, like overnight, Like like, and that guy is so competitive and has such work ethic he just deserves to be in a, in a like-minded environment, by the way, and and I just want to point out that this buyer sell that that question just turned into a breaking take.
Speaker 1:That Pavlos wants Giannis to go to the heat. That question just turned into a breaking take. That Pavlos wants Giannis to go to the Heat or to the Warriors. But does Giannis want to go because? Does he want to follow Durant's kind of career path? Right, didn't work out with Durant. You go to a place where anything you do is going to be marred by the fact that you got look so.
Speaker 3:Okay, so there's a. There's the thing janice and steph are both extremely, extremely religious. Yep, and I just think there's just a natural. And also, if you view them, I think they're pretty similar personality types. They're both very childish at times, but it comes from a point of strength. It's not immaturity, like Jalen Brown suggested basically the other day.
Speaker 1:The handshake, the incident happened.
Speaker 3:It's a sign of psychological health that you can be the highest achiever in the world but still also be a child. It's a sign of mental distress if you cannot make anything out of yourself and you're still a child. It's not the same thing, like you know. Like you know. So I can't have Giannis spend the rest of his prime with that team. It drives me mad. I realized after Rivers left the Celtics that, oh wow, he's so bad at coaching. That's why we only won one chip. Like I didn't realize that. I thought it was the players. Everything he's done afterwards shows that it's clearly him. The common denominator. I think, yes, the big three is like the 2008 Celtics are the greatest team of all time. Man, they managed to win a championship while being coached by doc rivers and and look, that's not lost on any real nba fan.
Speaker 1:Trust me, trust me, oh yeah, you go to the clippers and and you get a uh, you know, quay leonard and paul george, and you just can't do anything with them. That Talk about exposed, talk about exposed. And now Dame Lillard, giannis Antetokounmpo and Middleton, and you just can't do anything with those guys. Yeah, this is definitely an indictment on his X's and O's. I agree with you. He is a political PR genius, though, because he keeps getting hired, so he's selling something he's selling something All right.
Speaker 3:Just one thing about Doc. Do you remember? He literally went into a podcast a week after being hired and said they called me and asked me to become the coach and I said why would you do that?
Speaker 1:Yeah. In his own words yeah it's insane more to come on the uh train wreck. That is the bucks, I'm sure. All right. Bronnie plays or appears in 20 games for the los angeles lakers I'm buying it 20 more games total for this year. Yes, okay, yeah, me too me too, because either the the season's going to be a complete train wreck toward the end and they're going to just be pulling him up to get him some some game. Put butts in the seats.
Speaker 3:He's a sick, it's a ticket, draw right, so that's crazy so, uh, I I think that's that's right uh, just to make it clear, I think he'll he'll reach the 20-game mark, because I don't know, if you're aware, his dad plays for the team.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I heard he's sleeping with his mom or something I don't know. All right, ben Simmons. We haven't talked about Ben Simmons in a long time, it feels like. But the question is Ben Simmons finishes the season with the Nets.
Speaker 3:Ah, no, no, His expiring contract is just too big. He doesn't, I mean, but they wouldn't? Whoever trades for him is not trading for his basketball skills, he's trading for his expiring for the contract, right, yeah, yeah, it'd be a salary dump, you feel look, I I just I haven't watched the nets too much. I know in the first few games he played a lot, but in the sense of, as a rotation player, plays a lot with not much expected.
Speaker 1:I think the expectations on Ben Simmons could be in the perfect situation for a recovering star. He has zero expectation now and if he were to blow up, I think people would overlook a lot of what happened over the last three years. They would almost forget about it, but we'll see. It seems like injuries and mentality are the problem.
Speaker 3:Look, he's having a very decent season in terms of numbers. He's averaging 6.6 rebounds, 7 assists in 24 minutes In 24 minutes Now, obviously, and he's very good at, I mean, his field goals. Numbers are high, but he's still bypassing layups, I mean he's never got it all over that hump.
Speaker 3:There was a video on TikTok at some point, Ben Simmons doing his signature move and it was like he had an open layup but there was a slight chance of of a player being close to him and he just kicked it back to the three point for a guy that wasn't open right, that's where we are the biggest knock on ben simmons is uh you, anybody who's ever had the yips in sports, it's definitely been simmons.
Speaker 1:Uh, even even getting the ball to the rim right like just a layup, he just it's crazy.
Speaker 3:Uh what and it's, it's. It's really something that you could probably fix with a sports psychologist like this is why I don't I, I just don't get him, but it has to be said, man, okay, so am I. You know he's at 75 on free throws I this year.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that, I didn't realize, but the season's still young, pavlos.
Speaker 3:But 75%. If he has become a 75% free throw shooter, I want him on the Celtics.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 3:I don't, I don't, but I'm saying that if that guy actually makes free throws, now it's a whole different ball game. But yes, as you say, it's a brand new season. He has just shot.
Speaker 1:He's basically shot three out of four right, for sure, for sure, all right, that's it for by ourself. I think that was pretty interesting and we definitely, um, we definitely should do that again. I know all those things are. We could spend again whole episodes around a lot of those questions. Uh, sure, all right, so let's wrap it up. Uh, last question to you, or two questions really, we'll just wrap, put all in one give me your east and west picks and your championship prediction, early, early picks celtics repeat, and then I don't know who comes out.
Speaker 3:The West is so tough right and also, I have to say there's a team that can like I mean, if OKC stays healthy they could give a run, like I mean they could really challenge the Celtics. The only reason I'm picking the Celtics over OKC is that this is not a team that has enough playoff experience to arrive in the finals and beat a team that has more finals experience than I mean, that has more playoff experience than any current roster. That's that's the one reason I would pick them. But they also have Caruso now, who has a championship with the Lakers, as you remember. They finally have a very good center.
Speaker 3:Look man, I love Hartenstein. It's exactly what they missed last year. They would have gone to the finals last year and lost to the Celtics had they had Hartenstein last year. I believe it, I believe. So, yeah, probably I'm leaning towards OKC from the West, but I'm not sure. I mean there's other great teams in the West, not including the Lakers, and I mean, you know, play of Luka next to Kyrie next to Klay, it's a thing. Oh, it could be for sure.
Speaker 3:And also I said, there's not all the roster with that much playoff experience. There's been a resurgent Warriors team and although I think to see how they have a full season without drama, as they still have Draymond Green at the center, and although I think to see how they have a full season without drama, as they still have Draymond Green at the center, the Warriors have enough playoff and finals experience to reach the finals very easily. I just haven't convinced myself they're for real yet. It looks like they're for real. Everybody's playing well, but we would still need a full, serious season from Draymond that doesn't create problems. We haven't seen that in a while. We would need a full season of Andrew Wiggins being the real. Andrew Wiggins like being there, being engaged, playing at 100% and a bit like the Cavaliers. They have all these guards that are shooting at rates that are not really sustainable. I'm waiting for the regression to the mean, basically, so yeah, okc lose to the Celtics 4-2.
Speaker 1:OK, all right, so very early predictions. That was Pavlos. Join us again. Listen, let's not make it such a long time in between. There's lots of NBA season left.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, for sure man.
Speaker 1:And I definitely want to dive in as the season progresses, because I'm sure we're in for a pretty wild ride. Until then, though, man take care, man.
Speaker 3:You too, man. It was great Outro Music.
