Nightcap - Hour 2: Mavs riddle with injuries + Dallas owner talks Luka Doncic trade

Summary

Club Shay Shay - Episode Summary

Title: Nightcap - Hour 2: Mavs Riddle with Injuries + Dallas Owner Talks Luka Doncic Trade
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Release Date: March 23, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Club Shay Shay, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe delves deep into the current challenges facing the Dallas Mavericks, particularly focusing on the team's struggle with injuries and the controversial trade involving superstar Luka Doncic. Joined by co-host Ocho Cinco, Shannon provides insightful analysis, engages in spirited debates, and offers his perspectives on the future of the Mavericks.

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1. Dallas Mavericks’ Injury Woes

The Mavericks are navigating a tumultuous period marked by significant injuries that threaten their season. Bobby Martz, the team's representative, provided updates on several injured players:

• Anthony Davis: Left abductor strain
• Derek Lively II: Right ankle stress fracture
• Daniel Gaffer: Right knee sprain
• Jaden Hardy: Right ankle sprain
• Kai Jones: Quad injury
• PJ Washington: Right ankle sprain

All injured players are showing signs of improvement, but there's no definitive timeline for their return. Currently, only eight players remain healthy, putting the team at risk of forfeiting games if they fall below the required minimum of eight active players.

Notable Quote:

• Ocho Cinco [06:05]: "Nah, they can't. They can't. Listen. Hey, why would they, why would they penalize the team?"

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2. The Luka Doncic Trade Debate

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the recent trade of Luka Doncic, a move that has stirred considerable debate among fans and analysts alike.

Patrick Dumont’s Defense: Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont defended the trade, emphasizing the importance of long-term strategy over immediate gains. He stated:

"Tough decisions are never easy. Part of leadership is looking at risk and looking at all the factors of a decision... to think about the long-term benefits and what it may allow you to achieve."
[07:40] Shannon Sharpe

Ocho Cinco’s Critique: Contrary to Dumont’s stance, Ocho Cinco expressed strong disagreement, arguing that trading Luka Doncic undermines the team’s long-term potential:

"Luka is the product. It sells itself. Why are you touching it? What are we doing?"
[08:41] Ocho Cinco

The debate intensified as Shannon Sharpe drew parallels between Luka’s trade and historical trades of legendary players like Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, questioning the rationale behind moving a transcendent talent without any voiced desire from the player.

Notable Quote:

• Shannon Sharpe [09:46]: "The problem is that he called it a long-term move and Nico Harrison said it was a trade to win now."

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3. Impact on Team Performance and Future Prospects

Shannon and Ocho Cinco analyzed the immediate and long-term implications of the Luka trade on the Mavericks' performance:

• Short-Term Impact: The team faces potential forfeits due to insufficient active players and struggles to maintain competitiveness without key contributors.
• Long-Term Concerns: Trading Luka raises questions about the Mavericks' commitment to building around a generational talent, potentially jeopardizing future success.

Shannon emphasized the uniqueness of Luka’s talent:

"Luka is not a generational talent. Luka is a transcendent talent."
[14:03] Shannon Sharpe

Ocho Cinco echoed concerns about the team’s direction, highlighting the difficulty in defending such a significant trade and its repercussions on fan sentiment:

"This is for long term. Long term what? Lucas ain't walking through that door."
[12:47] Ocho Cinco

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4. Comparison with Other NBA Trades

The hosts compared the Luka trade with other notable NBA trades to contextualize its significance:

• Shaquille O’Neal’s Move to the Lakers: Highlighted as a monumental trade that reshaped the Lakers’ franchise.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Trade from Milwaukee: Discussed to illustrate how trading a superstar can backfire and affect team dynamics.

Shannon questioned the Mavericks' decision by underscoring the rarity of trading a player of Luka’s caliber voluntarily:

"Guys, this is transcendent. Understanding what they give you from a business perspective and what they can do on the court long term."
[17:22] Shannon Sharpe

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5. Broader NBA Landscape and Future Outlook

The conversation expanded to include the broader NBA landscape, touching upon other teams like the Lakers, Bucks, and Nuggets. Shannon provided a game analysis between the Lakers and Bucks, highlighting Luka’s impressive performance despite the team’s defensive weaknesses.

Notable Insights:

• Lakers’ Defensive Struggles: Emphasized the lack of balance between offensive prowess and defensive capabilities.
• Injury Impact: Discussed how injuries to key players like LeBron James exacerbate the team's challenges.
• Future Predictions: Both hosts speculated on the Mavericks' standing in the league, considering ongoing injuries and team dynamics.

Notable Quote:

• Shannon Sharpe [38:02]: "Sometimes, Ocho, you gotta laugh to keep from crying, man."

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6. Listener Engagement and Side Discussions

Towards the end of the episode, Shannon and Ocho engaged in light-hearted banter, sharing personal anecdotes and discussing topics unrelated to the main discussion, such as travel tips and advertising strategies. While these segments provided a breather from the intense analysis, they also showcased the hosts' chemistry and ability to connect with their audience on various topics.

Example:

Shannon Sharpe [23:00]: "I got white Air Force ones. And that's it. It go with everything."

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Conclusion

This episode of Club Shay Shay offered a comprehensive examination of the Dallas Mavericks' current struggles, particularly focusing on the severe injury setbacks and the contentious Luka Doncic trade. Shannon Sharpe and Ocho Cinco provided a balanced yet critical analysis, blending factual updates with passionate opinions. Their discussion not only highlighted the immediate challenges but also pondered the long-term ramifications for the Mavericks’ franchise. Listeners gained valuable insights into the complexities of team management, player value, and the unpredictable nature of sports.

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Notable Quotes Recap:

• Ocho Cinco [06:05]: "Nah, they can't. They can't. Listen. Hey, why would they, why would they penalize the team?"
• Shannon Sharpe [07:40]: "I'd say it's a long-term move..."
• Ocho Cinco [08:41]: "Luka is the product. It sells itself."
• Shannon Sharpe [14:03]: "Luka is not a generational talent. Luka is a transcendent talent."
• Shannon Sharpe [38:02]: "Sometimes, Ocho, you gotta laugh to keep from crying, man."

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Final Thoughts

For fans of the Dallas Mavericks and followers of NBA dynamics, this episode provided a deep dive into the strategic decisions shaping the future of a prominent franchise. Shannon Sharpe’s seasoned perspective, combined with Ocho Cinco’s candid opinions, made for an engaging and informative listen that shed light on the intricate balance between team performance, player management, and organizational vision.

Transcript

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Ocho Cinco]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Ocho Cinco]

Who's paying for the mattress topper?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You mean the beanbag chair?

[Ocho Cinco]

Aren't we getting a mini fridge?

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Ocho Cinco]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Ocho Cinco]

Nah, they can't. They can't. Listen. Hey, why would they, why would they penalize the team? Because people are hurt. I, I don't, I don't understand. Do anything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They faking or something just to make sure you don't. The same way you talking about why team, why team don't want to win games? To try to tank and try to get the number one pick to get more ping pong balls. I thought you played the game to win.

[Ocho Cinco]

Well, listen, we, we, we know they're not doing that the same way.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The same way y'all. The same way Teams used to put players on IR to hide them because the guys. Because if you release them, somebody might get them. So we put them on I.R. right.

[Ocho Cinco]

Okay, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know, anytime there's. Anytime. Look, people gonna find a way to skirt the system no matter what system is in place. You know what? I got bad credit. I'm gonna put my, I'm gonna put, I'm gonna put the phone in my kid name.

[Ocho Cinco]

You see, I remember them days cause I sure had a washer and dryer in my name. And I was only two. Classic.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Uh huh. Ocho. Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont defended the Luca trade. Take a listen, Ocho, to what he had to say. So tough decisions are never easy. And part of leadership is looking at risk and looking at all the factors of a decision and being willing to act at that time and look to the long term and not only think about the short term or how it may be. May be received immediately, but to think about the long term benefits and what it may allow you to achieve if given all the right considerations.

[Ocho Cinco]

Man, what are you talking about? What are you talking about? No disrespect, Pat. No disrespect. But the long term move was having Luka there. Now if you're having issues with what he does off the court, there's a simple conversation that needs to be had. That's all you have to do. Listen, we view you as our long term plan, a long term asset, the long term nucleus for our team going into the future. We want to build around you because we understand how special you are and what you can do for us. You just got us to the NBA finals last year, the previous year based on what you can do on the court. Now you let that go with great understanding. Lucas ain't just falling from the tree every, every season. They not just, just not happening. There's really no way you can defend that trade. Now I understand the issues that were happening off the court. Some of the things that didn't, they didn't see fit that would probably harm him. You know, years down the line. That's a simple conversation. Especially when you want to invest that kind of money that he was going to make, he probably still got to make it just gonna happen to be somewhere else. Now you don't let a player of that magnitude go that hat that gives you that type of production. You don't. Because like you said, like you said as well. When is the last time something like this, has it ever happened before? There's a reason why there's certain players you don't let go of. You think every super, super superstar was perfect behind the scenes. You think Kobe didn't have issues despite his dedication and discipline and structure when it came to playing? You think Michael Jordan didn't have issues that we don't know about outside of playing the game of basketball, Come on now. Ain't nobody perfect a 10 to 10 when it comes to wanting to invest in it. But understanding what they give you from a business perspective and what they can do on the court long term. Come on man, stop playing that. That answer was a whole, a whole bunch of nothing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The problem is that he called it a long term move and Nico Harrison said it was a trade to win. Now move. I'm looking at it. You just went to the NBA Finals like you said, Ocho, that's winning. Now I'm just, I, I'm, I'm confused when you. I could see, okay, we got some ads. But you said you trying to win now, bro. You just went to the NBA Finals. You just did that. It's not like, it's not like you hadn't made the playoff in a couple of years, Ocho. It's not like you got knocked out in the first round, Ocho. It was a sit situation. You went to the NBA Finals, so that is winning. You're winning now. You didn't win the ultimate prize, but damn. Normally we don't see a team break a team up. And that's what they did. Because you took the key piece out after going to an NBA Finals unless said individual is unhappy. But because we. Luca never voiced that I wanted to be traded. That's what's so surprising. That's why the, that's why the greatest trade. Kareem wanted to leave Orlando, allowed Shaq to become a free agent. And they had a poll and they said who should they pay? Penny or Shaq? And the poll said they should pay penny. Shaq took that as an insult, as disrespectful a slap in the face. He said, okay, that's what y'all want to do. Boom.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They also said it was too much money because I forget who it was that had just become the highest paid. And they, and they accepted to the, the fact that I don't think, they didn't think, the fans didn't think Shaq deserved that kind of money. So guys like Shaq, you don't let them become free agents. You try to extend them as soon as you possibly can. As soon as the window open and you could offer them a max contract, you give it to them. A 24 year old Shaq and well, we see what happened when he went to, he went to the Lakers. But normally guys like Luca don't get traded unless they asked to get traded. Kareem asked to get traded. Kareem was a three time league mvp. He was a Finals mvp. He had gone to the finals. He had won the, he had won the scoring title. He wanted to get out of Milwaukee. They obliged him. Guys this age, this skill, this talented, this dominant, you're not just moving them on your own volition. Doesn't happen, not at this age. Now it come a time we saw AI get traded, but AI wasn't 25 and 8. AI didn't ask to get traded, but you know, the, the organization thought it was in the best interest, thought some, some of the things that were going on off the court and they moved on from AI, but 25 year old AI, they ain't moving it. And so I understand, but I, no.

[Ocho Cinco]

I was saying you understand the product, you understand the product that you're getting. I also, I did, I, you, I use a scenario last night. American gangster Denzel Washington, Cuban Gooden Jr. There's nothing wrong with Blue Magic. You got Blue Magic. Why are you touching it? Why are you touching it? There's nothing wrong with it. It's perfectly fine just how it is. The product sells itself. Luca is the product. It sells itself. Why are you. Why are you touching it? What are we doing? A player of his magnitude. You know what? All the hookah, all the beer, God damn it. You've been part of the NBA, GMs, presidents, managers. You understand? Everybody drink, everybody smoke, everybody does some things, some extracurricular things outside of that as well, but we ain't trading them. Especially somebody. This is for long term. Long term what? Lucas ain't walking through that door. If they were, if Luca. If Lucas would walk into that door, I mean, a lot of. A lot of other teams would have success a lot more frequently. Come on, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Luca is not a. A generational talent. Luca is a transcendent talent. Because generation. Generation is 20 years. Your guys don't come. This is transcendent. He's. He's. He's. And for me, ooh. If I'm Patrick Dumont, if I'm anybody, Nico Harrison, if I'm anybody in the Mavericks organization, I am not going to talk about this. Because all you do. Stirring old poop, it still stinks. All you do is peel the scab off a wound that's. That's still very fresh, but it's starting to scab over. You just ripped the scab off and got to start this thing all over again. Because all the fans heard is like, man, this man trick. I can't believe this man. And did you hear what he's saying? That's what the fans are thinking. Did you hear what he's saying? He took my long term goat. We just went to the NBA.

[Ocho Cinco]

Finally, to yourself. You're lying to yourself.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, but if I'm them, I'm done talking about this time. This. This is. This subject. I ain't. I ain't break. I'm not bringing. I'm not bringing it up no more, Ocho, because. Because I can't. There is nothing.

[Ocho Cinco]

No win.

[Shannon Sharpe]

At some point in time, you got to come to the conclusion, Ocho. There is nothing you can say. Even if you were to win a title, people like, you know what people gonna say. We could have won a title with Luca. Who's to say? Who's to say we wouldn't win that title with Luca, Ocho.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, but you know, he won't have to worry about that because they're not going to be able to Win the title.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Ocho. The pain did not stop there for Dallas. Southwest Airline, after 54 years, decided to up there their check bag policy. And now they're charging customers by throwing shade at the labs. It's not like we traded Luca.

[Ocho Cinco]

That's a good one. That's a good one.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's a great, great.

[Ocho Cinco]

Business is all about advertising. How do we grab, grasp the viewing eye and make them say, oh, that was good. You know what? I want to fly with them despite them changing the policy and finally having to pay for bags. That was so clever. I'm gonna fly with Southwest just because, I mean, I'm not changing, you know, my, my, my, my love for Spirit Spirit Airlines. But that was a good one. That was great advertising. I don't know who came up with that even. It was short, quick, and to the point. Perfect scenario.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because the thing is, Ocho, is that, you know, there are certain things that are catchy, like the State Farm, like flow with aggressive, like Allstate, with mayhem, like Budweiser. Yeah, yeah, but why?

[Ocho Cinco]

You know what I'm saying?

[Shannon Sharpe]

The Clydesdale. Remember the Clydesdale's commercial with the, the horses and the dogs and so forth and so on. That's what he wanted to be.

[Ocho Cinco]

Hey, I don't know who that Allstate, that Mayhem commercials, but he's classic. I don't know who's behind the creative directed on, but he is. That's classic.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, that's right. Jake from State Farm, Mayhem from Allstate, Flow from Progressive. Really, they're synonymous. We, I mean, I don't know what, what flow is going to do. Hey, you remember the Windows commercial with grandma where's the Beef?

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, I remember that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. So in this situation right here, I mean, look, this is maybe over time because eventually, you know, 20, 30 years from now, people won't remember Milwaukee traded Kareem. You don't remember that? People think Kareem played his whole career in la. He didn't. He didn't. That happens. Definitely. It. It happens. And you know, it's like. And he was homegrown. We took a. We took a young kid out of Slovenia. Not extremely, terribly athletic. He doesn't jump very high. He doesn't run very fast. He doesn't run very fast. All I know, he puts the ball in the basket at an elite level. He has the third highest scoring average in NBA history, only behind Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and his Luca Don.

[Ocho Cinco]

History.

[Shannon Sharpe]

History. He has the second highest scoring average in playoff history behind one Michael Jordan. They're not Going to forget that soon. Over time. Yeah, you know, we forget a lot of stuff over time. That's just the way the human mind is after a while. But it ain't happening anytime soon. And because anything that he does, you know, people gonna go back and plus we got Internet. Maybe it had been different if Kareem came up in an era where you had Internet and you had 24 hour news cycles and people talk sports all the time, 24 hours a day, 365, maybe it'll be different. But sports is different now than what it was back then. Ocho is vastly different because the way we cover it, the way we talk about it, the way we consume it. And with all that being said, people gonna be mad in Dallas about at the Maverick for a long ass time.

[Ocho Cinco]

He's not gonna make it no easier on his end playing the way he's playing. When LeBron come back and they continue to have success together on the court, it's going to always be brought up over and over and over and over. This is who they traded.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, but don't let that. Don't let, don't lose sight of that. I understand y'all didn't trade Luca, but y'all charging for check bags now. So let's, let's, let's, let's keep the focus on the focus. I get it. It's very catchy. It's not like we traded Luca, but y'all charging money for those bags. And I remember when they first instituted charging for check bags, I was like, man, everybody, like, that ain't gonna last long. Dangle. Last long people gonna stop flying. Well, how you gonna get from California to Florida?

[Ocho Cinco]

You're gonna fly.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How you gonna get from New York to South Carolina? Exactly.

[Ocho Cinco]

Gonna drive. I knew that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You go fly? Hell no. So, and that's, Guess what? What normally happens is that when one airline does something, what does everybody else Follow right behind.

[Ocho Cinco]

Follow right behind because you got, you got to me, you got to make it up for a reason.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They.

[Ocho Cinco]

They charge you for check bags for a reason. You got to make money. This is a business, no matter how you see it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And think about the money. Because think about it, Ocho. They give you one and then they charge you if the bag is over certain weight. Yeah, they charge you. What, what, how much is it? A dollar a pound.

[Ocho Cinco]

For real? Yeah. I do my best. I do my best regardless of how long I'm going somewhere to always take a carry on. I take a carry on and a duffel. I try not to Take suitcases.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I try to do the same thing, but sometimes when you traveling, when you travel in eight cities in 10 days, sometimes, no, you got to do what you got to do.

[Ocho Cinco]

Wait a minute, Wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait. Wait one minute. Now listen, you can always use my method, a method I've been using for a very long time. It's very. It's cost efficient and it works going from city to city. Now, if you got what how many did you say? Eight cities in 10 days. Now, if you got ACs in 10 days, what you have to understand is all you have to do is take three pair of shoes, use the same outfit, have a bunch of underwear, tank tops and T shirts. Always change, but use the same outfit. But change your shoes after each city because the outfit resets itself. So if you're in Chicago on Monday and you got to go to get. You got to go to say, let's say, LA on Tuesday, all you do is wear the same outfit but change your shoes and the outfit resets itself based on a different location. So that, that's multiple outfits. Now that's just something I do and, and still do to this day. Especially when you have to do things back to back to back and you having to do signings and appearances for laportier.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay, well, help me understand. You think I could. You think I wear shorts and tank top in Connecticut and California. In Chicago right now, all you need.

[Ocho Cinco]

All you need is a little jacket. You can put a little jacket in your duffel real quick. Boom, you, good old hoodie. You don't need much. You used to the cold. You played in Denver, you played in Baltimore.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Boy, that was 20 years ago.

[Ocho Cinco]

I'm just trying to save you on your traveling expenses. Not only expenses, but being able to travel efficient and light. Two pairs. Yeah, same sweatsuit. Matter of fact, you have a black, A black sweatsuit and a gray one. And you could. Those are interchangeable. And you just change the shoes. A pair of white Air Force ones and a pair of black ones.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I got white Air force ones. And that's it. It go with everything. That's why the outfits, probably, the outfits, I don't know, they probably stand up in the corner by themselves when I take them off.

[Ocho Cinco]

It works, though. It works. It works.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, Yeah. I, I hate going to. I, I just want to come out there for it and hop right into the car and I'm off. I, I don't want to stand around baggy claim. And I mean, look, fan, I want to say this. If you see a Person standing around baggage claim, don't ask them what they're doing. If I see you standing around baggage claim, what do you think? I think you're doing, Osho?

[Ocho Cinco]

Waiting on my bag.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What are you doing here? Yeah, I can't. I. I can't. I came to get some crab cake.

[Ocho Cinco]

He's just trying to start a little conversation. Really not knowing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, how you doing?

[Ocho Cinco]

Hey.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, Ocho. How you doing, man? I'll be watching Nightcap. Man, you. Oh, y'all be going crazy, man. Y'all be going hell with that thing. I love that show. You know I love.

[Ocho Cinco]

Bro, don't come on, be nervous, huh? You gotta understand that people be nervous.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, Lord have mercy. I told you the dude asked me. I was in the script drawer. Man, what you doing here? Same thing you doing here. Look at that. Hoo ha. That's what I'm doing here. That's what you doing here. What the hell? What you think I'm doing? Ain't no basket. No sporting event going on.

[Ocho Cinco]

Right, right, right, right. So you were there for the Hoo ha and the wings, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Come on, bro. Yeah, man. Hey, hey, yeah, man. Hey, man, y'all, man. I've been watching you with td, bro. This not the time. Not right now. You try to distract me. Hey, yeah, man. Honey on the stage, bro. I ain't trying to hit up by no time. I'm looking at honey right now. That's what I'm looking at. Amber.

[Ocho Cinco]

Amber. Up next. I'm coming to the stage one, Stage three, devastation. Never seen devastation. You never seen the devastation. Yeah, it's one name devastation. Boy, she known worldwide.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, they call it chocolate caramel. Yes, Mercedes.

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, that's throwback. That's throwback.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Ocho Cinco]

Who's paying for the mattress Topper?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You mean the bean bag?

[Ocho Cinco]

Aren't we getting a mini fridge?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Can we create a pool on PayPal?

[Ocho Cinco]

It lets us collect the money before we buy. Ooh, yes, that's smart.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Glad we can agree on something easily. Pool Split and Send Money with PayPal get started in the PayPal app, a PayPal account is required to send and receive money. A balance account is required to create.

[Ocho Cinco]

A pool yo, what's good? It's Jeff T from Club520 podcast here to share some fresh takes on the 2025 NCAA tournament brought to you by Wendy's, the only official Hamburger of March Madness. I've been checking out the brackets the last couple of days and I really look forward to a couple first round matchups. UConn versus Oklahoma, McNeese State versus Clemson. In terms of the teams with a shot to win the whole thing, I really think St. John's has a chance. Coach Rick Pitino, who's won two national championships already, with a pedigree like his, he can take his team to the top. Now if you're looking for an upset, like I said, I'll take McNeese State over Clemson. They have a really strong defense, they create turnovers and Clemson struggles against pressure. Also, another upset alert could be Xavier over Illinois. Xavier fought their way into the tournament by winning a playing game and I think they have some scores off the bench and some stars in our team that can really get it done. Stay tuned for more from me for the next couple of weeks. And while you're watching the games, remember the freshest deal in fast food Got to be Wendy's. Right now you can grab a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger or a double stack for $1 with an in app offer and a purchase. Again, head to Wendy's app to grab $1 junior bacon cheeseburger, $1 double stack with an in app offer and a purchase for the freshest hamburgers around. Gotta be Wendy's. The official Hamburger March Madness. Hey, this is Shirley Strawberry and you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Know what it's like. You're driving around all over town and.

[Ocho Cinco]

Your schedule is packed all day long. I mean, you're booked and busy. That's when your me time becomes even more important.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, what if your me time and your driving around time were the same in the all new 2025 Nissan Murano? They can be.

[Ocho Cinco]

I mean, the Murano was literally designed to help you relax. We're talking about ambient mood lighting in over 64 different colors and a Bose.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Premium sound system playing all your favorite music. So you can just dial up the music and the lighting to set whatever vibe you want. And just like that, you created your.

[Ocho Cinco]

Own personal oasis and you're still getting everything Done that your crazy day dictates. I mean it's not often that productivity and relaxation intersect.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right? But they certainly do. And the all new Murano.

[Ocho Cinco]

Because no amount of rushing around is going to get you down when you're chilling in a Murano.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Ocho Cinco]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

The Bucks beat the Lakers by 2126 to 1 6. That's three three straight losses. The three teams behind them in the standings are all riding winning Street Houston four games. Golden State five games. Minnesota six game. Big trip tomorrow to end the road trip. End Denver back to back. The Lakers wasted an outstanding and outstanding performance by Luka Doncic. Luka is the youngest Laker to play the the youngest Lakers player to have 45 points, 10 rebounds in a game since 1962. Oh, 45 Magic had. What did Magic have in that playoff game, ash? Was it 42? He might have had 42. But anyway, he's the youngest Laker to have 45 points, 10 rebounds in the game since 1962. The problem tonight was the guys that can score, they don't really go defend very well. Luca and Ar, guys that can defend, can't score the ball. Fanny Smith, Vanderbilt. That's the issue that you had the Luca play. Luca and AR played extremely well. Nobody else did much and that's the problem that you're gonna have. They got crushed on the Magic half. 4215. Okay, the Lakers shot 44 from the floor. They allowed the Milwaukee to shoot 48. They shot 38 from the three. They'll allow the Bucks to shoot 43 turnovers where that wasn't that different, wasn't that vast. 14 for the Lakers, 12 for the Bucks. They did get out rebounded by 10 on the offensive glass. But look, and that's the problem that you're going to have right now. They're scrambling, they're undersized. I like I said again, and I don't like to beat a dead horse, but I don't know why they signed Alex Lynn if he's. He's. I mean he, he big for no reason. I mean, I mean probably the God thinking like man, if I knew you was gonna be like this, I wouldn't gave you all this. Like it ain't no sense of you ain't no sense. He pretty soon he about to be the tallest coach ever. That that's where he headed. That's, that's his next occupation.

[Ocho Cinco]

I don't want, I Don't want to talk bad about him. Maybe he just hasn't come into his own yet. Maybe he's lacking a little bit of confidence, having that type of size, that type of length. And to be playing in the NBA, you have to be of some, some type of use, you know, I haven't seen it yet.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He simply talk.

[Ocho Cinco]

Listen, I, I know I saw for myself. No Jackson Hayes tonight, no LeBron, no Rui. I think the game would have been a little bit more competitive, obviously if the Lakers four was healthy. Obviously, Luca did all he could do, but as you said, those that score can't play defense. And those who play defense, they can't goddamn score. So not having LeBron, his hurt, I think gonna be like this for the next week or two until he can get himself back, back in health. Luke, I'm gonna have to do his best. Luke's gonna have to do his best and carry the load as much as he can. And hopefully, you know, the supporting cast can have nights. Those that can score can have nights when they're on and be a little bit more efficient and, and pick up the slack. Being that LeBron is not there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You look at Luca, they scored 106 points. Ocho Luca gave you 45. Austin Reed gave you 28. That's 70.

[Ocho Cinco]

That's crazy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They got 30. They got 33. Everybody 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The nine other players scored 33 points. One guy scored 10, so that means they got 23 from the other eight. And now you look at, you look at the Bucks. Giannis was a assist away from a triple double. 24, 12 and 9. Brooke Lopez, 23, Dame 22, Kevin Porter Jr. 22, Gary Trevor Jr. 16. When you get that kind of production, when you get that kind of ballot scoring, and the scoring is so lopsided on the other side, well, that's kind of what you're going to get. You're going to get a situation where you get blown out. And like we said, we were talking about it at the top. Ocho. Those that can score, don't defend. Those that can't. Those that can defend, can't score. So what do you do? You. I mean, they would have literally had to play a perfect game. Luca and. Luca and AR give you what they gave you. But other guys are going to have to knock down shots. I mean, Luca can't play any better. I mean, some of the shots that he was hitting, you're like, damn, Damn. And they got the game within what, two, three. And next thing you know, the Bucks go on a 10, 0 run or 12 run and push it back to 14. The Lakers claw it back. They go on a 15, 15, 2, 15, 3 run and push it back out. And then the Lakers could get no close than. No closer than that. It's just LeBron could not have. And it's not his fault. So I don't want people to say, oh, shit, like he could help. But LeBron injury could not have come at a worse time. Ocho, this is. I mean, they got. They were playing extremely well, and. And then he gets hurt. Now what do you do? And I said this at the time, I do not believe they're going to be in second place. They're not going to be in second place. They got to hope they can hold this thing off and not get out, get into play in, which is seven through 10, because they got an uphill climb. They got the Nuggets tomorrow. They got the Nuggets, the Nuggets tomorrow. Now, brook Lopez had 23. What the hell you think Yolk gonna do?

[Ocho Cinco]

Well, listen, it don't matter who yo playing. He gonna get 29, 30 each night, regardless. He listen, yo could be playing the goddamn five Disciples on the court. He gonna score. He gonna get his points no matter what. For some reason, I wouldn't be surprised. I wouldn't be surprised. As great, as good as Denver's been playing all year long, and despite the lakers not having LeBron watch, they shock you tomorrow. For some reason watch the Lakers shock you tomorrow and just so happen to stumble up on a win despite LeBron not playing, Lucas probably gonna have another good game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Ar Lucas need to go for 70, Luca would need to go for 70, ar need to go for 35, and then the. The other guys need to go for 30.

[Ocho Cinco]

And, you know, don't be surprised. It happened. I'm not saying it because. Because I'm. I'm saying. I'm just saying the way sports goes in general, for some reason, always happens like that. They. They've lost three, and all of a sudden they play Denver, you expect them to lose. Especially those that like. Like to gamble. They mess around and win tomorrow night. Watch now. Watch what I tell you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I would have looked had they not gotten blown out last night by Minnesota. I might have agreed with you, Ocho. I might have agreed with you, but because they got blown out at home by. By Minnesota, I don't see that happening. Mike Malone have them very focused. That left a nasty taste in their mouth. They know without. I mean, they let Ant man, go off. Julia Jew Randall went off and they got beat by almost 20 at. On their home court. They'll be fired up. That crowd will be rocking. And if, you know, if you watch this team over the last four to five years, they get up like no other, okay? They get up to play the Lakers. The Lakers are everybody's championship. I mean, especially the Nuggets. Some teams you get up to play for like, nice. It's Kansas City used to be the Patriots. Everybody play their best when they playing the. The Cowboys. That's what. That's what the Lakers are up against now. And I expected the Nuggets to put their best foot forward. I expect them to play some of their best ball because they are ticked off that they let Minnesota come in there and do what they did to him last night.

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But yeah, it's tough. I mean, and they were playing so well, Mocho. The Lakers have been playing extremely well. Luka and LeBron has started to figure it out. Luka was going to have the ball in his hand. LeBron was going to dive and slash to the basket. Going to get to the post up. He post up at the top of the key post up on the side. Now he can see over. The assist totals were really high because you got two of the best passes in NBA history with the ball in their hands. A large part. AR takes a little pressure off AR because now your two best defenders got a guard, LeBron and Luca. So now AR is getting your third or fourth best defender. He's going to do what he does. So everything had really, really started to go well. And then just like that.

[Ocho Cinco]

You know, it's funny, honestly, it's pretty. The same thing that happened, happened to Dallas. You know, everybody questioned the trade. They look good. They look decent for a little bit. 80 goes down. Okay. We still got Kyrie. We got something to live to live off of. We got some hope. We still got a superstar that can put butts in the seat, so at least get the viewers attention, right? He goes down. Damn. So the Lakers looked like the trade that they had, it was winning. LeBron playing well. Luca playing well. They going on a winning streak. Luca showing flashes of what he used to be. Then he's scoring 30. He cutting the food. LeBron cutting the fool some of the presses off of him. He don't have to bring the ball up the court. He can. He can play freely, take over a game when he want to. Now he go down. Hey, it's sports, baby. That's what makes the game so Beautiful.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. Sometimes, Ocho, you gotta, you gotta laugh to keep from crying, man.

[Ocho Cinco]

That's a good one right there, bro. That's a good one.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You gotta laugh to keep.

[Ocho Cinco]

You know who the ladies, you know who the Lakers use right now? Whoever who averaged the triple double in high school.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nobody. Ain't nobody out there can help the Lakers right now.

[Ocho Cinco]

Well, you ain't never seen me put the ball on the floor now, but you never see my mid range game, huh? You ain't never seen me come up, come on, the pick and roll and pull up, man don't play.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, so you, you, you could pick and pop?

[Ocho Cinco]

I could pick and pop. Boy, I could, I could pick a pop. Better than the, better than the stripper. I tell you. No lie.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's. Yeah, it's, it's like I said, you look at Houston's playing well, you look at Minnesota's playing well, Golden State's playing well. Since the, since the addition of Jimmy Butler, the Lakers were. And as good as those teams were playing, the Lakers were playing better. But it just so happens sometimes injuries happen at the most inopportune times and hopefully you have a team that's good enough to overcome that can keep the ship steady until said player comes back or said players come back. But in this case is really one. Yeah, we'd love to get RUY back, we love to get Jackson Hayes back, but the one guy that you could, you could ill afford to lose is LeBron James because he's a guy that does a lot of what kind of like when you got here. And Luca, you know they're going to give you 50 to 60 points between the two of them. They're going to give you somewhere between 18 and 20 rebounds between the two of them, and they're going to probably give you 20 assists between the two of them. So you count, you can count on that. Now Austin Reeves gives you what he gives you, which is somewhere between 18 and 20 points on give on a nightly basis. Rui chips in and give you his 14. Now whatever we get from Finnie Smith, whatever we get from Gabe Benson, we take it. We know Jackson Hayes gonna roll, gonna get some, gonna get some, give us some second chance opportunities. We know he's gonna roll to the basket, dive to the basket, catch a couple of lobs, get a couple of, you know, put backs. Right now we don't really have that. We don't have that. We don't have a big, we're playing undersized. Giannis is just getting whatever he wants Getting to the basket, Brooke Lopez getting offensive rebounds, getting whatever he wants. So it was really a tough night. The effort, I, I don't think, I don't think J.J. is going to be really pleased with the effort. There's a lot of times Kevin Porter Jr. Hit three, I think three straight threes in the, in the third quarter. I mean, I mean, wide open, shoot around threes. Can't have that. They gotta, they've gotta be better. They gotta be locked in and guys gotta know their responsibility and close out without fouling and they gotta get the ball. Once the ball go up, your job is not done. Once the guy misses the shot, your job is done. Once you grab the rebound. Because if he misses the shot and you don't grab the rebound, what have you actually done? It's kind of like Ocho, you and I talk about on third down, you get a team to third down. If you can't get them off the field, what good is getting them to third down?

[Ocho Cinco]

None. Because listen, if they get, if they get a third down and they, they.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Keep doing it, they're gonna get them all demolizing.

[Ocho Cinco]

That's demoralizing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes, it's extremely demoralizing. But the Lakers gotta find a way to do something. And I don't know if, like I said, LeBron is probably going to be out for at least another week. The probably the earliest you can expect to see LeBron James is probably next weekend. And there's a good chance, Ocho, they could be in the seventh or the eighth spot by then.

[Ocho Cinco]

Unless something drastically happened, like I said, especially starting, starting tomorrow night, they just happen to win. Even though you say how teams get up to play the Lakers, I just have a feeling, just with, with understanding of how sports work. Regardless of what regards what the sport is, whether it be soccer, whether it be football, whether it be basketball, tennis. It's just for some reason where things are. When you think about a team that's playing, they're not playing well, they have a star that's gone for some reason. The team always plays well against a team that you just know they're going to lose to and they just surprise you. I really have a feeling, I don't know why. So people out there, if you're a gambler, I really would pick the Lakers to win tomorrow. Despite it being Denver, despite with Joker and Murray are doing. I just think so, yeah, I might.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Be, I might pick the, the Lakers, somebody else's money. But if it's my money, I'm not picking the Lakers because I, I value my money a little bit more than that. But that being said, we'll see what happens. I mean, hey, Milwaukee, you know, you're gonna get in late tonight to Denver and you gotta, you know, you gotta shoot around tomorrow and then, you know, you go back, get your nap and then hopefully, you know, you put your best foot forward and see what happens. But I'm not, I'm not overly confident that they're confident that they're gonna be able to pull this out. The volume. Famous Smoke has been dominating the cigar game since 1939 with the best prices on the best cigars. Need a smoke for the big game or a big win? Famous has you covered. Head to famous smoke.com with promo code Nightcap to score 20 off your order of 99 or more. Million of cigars are in stock and ready to ship, all stored in the massive humidor and guaranteed fresh. Trust the name that's been in the game for 85 years. Go to famous smoke.com use code nightcap under age sale prohibited Website restricted to age 21 plus tobacco consumers at David's Bridal Love is in every stitch. From the initial sketch to the final details. Each style is designed with exquisite craftsmanship. Every wedding gown, bridesmaid look, prom dress and special occasion style in between features handcrafted details filled with love. Come see the magic in person. Book an appointment and sign up for diamond loyalty to save 15% on your first purchase, earn points towards special rewards and [e-mail] struggling to get out of bed? It might be time for an upgrade. Lisa makes exceptionally comfortable mattresses designed for every body and budget. But what truly sets them apart is their commitment to giving back. Since 2015, they've donated over 41,000 mattresses nationwide. Elevate your sleep and your space with Leesa. Go to Leesa.com for 20% off their award winning mattresses plus an extra $50 off with promo code iHEART. That's L E-E-S.com promo code iHEART. For an extra $50 off, PayPal lets you pay all your pals like your graduation gifters.

[Ocho Cinco]

Who's paying for the mattress topper?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You mean the bean bag chair?

[Ocho Cinco]

Aren't we getting a mini fridge?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Can we create a PO PayPal?

[Ocho Cinco]

It lets us collect the money before we buy. Ooh, yes, that's smart.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Glad we can agree on something easily. Pool split and Send Money with PayPal. Get started in the PayPal app. A PayPal account is required to send and receive money. A balance account is required to create a pool.