Nightcap NBA Playoff Recap - Part 1: Ant-Man ready for Steph & Warriors

Summary

Club Shay Shay: Nightcap NBA Playoff Recap - Part 1: Ant-Man Ready for Steph & Warriors

Released on May 6, 2025 by iHeartPodcasts, The Volume, and Shay Shay Media

In this episode of Club Shay Shay, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe engages with co-hosts Ocho Cinco, Joe, and special guest Ant Man as they delve into the heated NBA playoff season. Focusing primarily on Ant Man's anticipation of facing Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, the hosts provide an in-depth analysis of the current playoff landscape, team dynamics, and standout player performances.

---

Ant Man’s Challenge to the Warriors

Ant Man sets the tone early in the discussion by expressing his eagerness to confront the Warriors in the playoffs. He emphasizes the Warriors' entertainment value, highlighting players like Draymond Green for their trash-talking and on-court charisma.

Ant-Man [02:20]: "I want to face the Warriors. Wherever they at, I want to get them... Some. Everybody likes to just play the game of basketball, but when you bring that entertainment value like that, that makes you want and hope that the Warriors and the Wolves have a series."

Ant Man advocates for players who not only perform well but also elevate the game’s entertainment factor, suggesting that such players could become the face of the league.

---

Timberwolves vs. Warriors: Series Breakdown

The conversation shifts to the upcoming series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors. The hosts analyze the strengths and weaknesses of both teams, with particular attention to home-court advantage and player fatigue.

Joe [04:19]: "Probably Tuesday. So the series gonna start Tuesday. You just coming off a seven game, grueling series against the Rockets. Probably don't wore you down a little bit. Timberwolves been at home kind of resting. They got their feet up a little bit, but they gonna be ready."

Ocho Cinco points out that the Timberwolves have the advantage of rest and familiarity with the home environment, potentially positioning them to perform a step or two better than the Warriors in the initial games.

---

Key Player Performances and Strategies

The hosts delve into individual performances, focusing on players like Anthony Edwards (Ant Man), Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Rudy Gobert. They discuss Edwards' impact on both ends of the court and Curry's unparalleled shooting ability.

Ant Man [05:22]: "It's gonna be another seven game series. And I got Ant Man... adding another one to the hit list."

Joe argues for the Timberwolves' depth and defensive prowess, suggesting they can challenge the Warriors' offensive strategies effectively.

Joe [05:51]: "I don't got no seven game series. I got this. I got the T. Wolves winning this in about five, six games."

The discussion highlights the tactical battle between Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green, envisioning intense matchups reminiscent of WrestleMania.

Joe [06:00]: "This gonna be Wrestlemania... Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green."

---

Team Strategies and Defensive Tactics

Ant Man and the hosts explore potential defensive strategies the Timberwolves might employ to contain Curry and the Warriors. Emphasis is placed on limiting Curry’s shooting opportunities and sustaining defensive pressure throughout the series.

Ocho Cinco [07:12]: "You gotta make sure you get that safety up out of there and pull that linebacker."

Ant Man underscores the importance of versatile defenders who can pressure Curry effectively.

Ant Man [10:34]: "You know how to. To slow Steph down, you know, maybe not stop him, but contain them and just do the same thing that Rockets are doing defensively."

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Ant Man’s Role and Potential Impact

Throughout the episode, Ant Man discusses his role as a two-way superstar, emphasizing his defensive capabilities alongside his offensive contributions. He likens his versatility to that of a point guard, essential for a championship-level performance.

Joe [17:11]: "His underrated attribute is his defense... he's a two way superstar because he impacts the game on both ends of the floor."

Ant Man also reflects on his Olympic experience, connecting it to his current NBA performance and authenticity on the court.

Ocho Cinco [12:19]: "He's authentic to himself, which is why he's so relatable to everyone else."

---

NBA Draft Insights and Player Developments

Shifting focus, the hosts discuss trends in NBA drafts, noting a decline in early declarations and the increasing confidence of players choosing to stay in college longer.

Ocho Cinco [34:55]: "The number players declaring for the NBA draft by year... This year it's only 106. The NIL money."

They emphasize the competitive nature of securing and maintaining a spot in the NBA, highlighting the challenges players face even after making it to the league.

Joe [35:50]: "It's harder to stick because once you get there, you can't exhale. You got to keep going, you got to keep pushing."

---

Future Prospects and Closing Thoughts

In their concluding remarks, the hosts speculate on future matchups and the potential for underdog victories. They reflect on the resilience of the Timberwolves and the Warriors’ championship pedigree.

Ant Man [48:11]: "I'm telling you, I'm telling you, too. I talked to Pat, I sat down with Mickey Harrison, and we gonna get Giannis, we gonna get John Moran."

The episode wraps up with anticipatory excitement for the upcoming series, underscored by the strategic insights and passionate debates among the hosts.

---

Notable Quotes

• Ant-Man [02:20]: "I want to face the Warriors. Wherever they at, I want to get them."
• Joe [05:51]: "I got the T. Wolves winning this in about five, six games."
• Ant-Man [10:34]: "You know how to slow Steph down... contain them."
• Joe [17:11]: "His underrated attribute is his defense... he's a two way superstar."
• Ocho Cinco [34:55]: "This year it's only 106. The NIL money."

---

Conclusion

Nightcap NBA Playoff Recap - Part 1 offers listeners a comprehensive and spirited analysis of the NBA playoffs, spotlighting Ant Man's aspirations and the tactical battles that define the series. Through insightful discussions and passionate debates, the episode serves as a valuable resource for NBA enthusiasts seeking to understand the intricacies of the game and the players who drive its excitement.

Transcript

[Ocho Cinco]

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[Joe]

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[Ant Man]

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[Ocho Cinco]

The volume an interview has surfaced of Ant man said he wants to face the warriors in the playoffs. And I want to go get the Warriors. Wherever they at, I want to get them. Reporter why the Warriors? And because Draymond talks so much trash and that's pretty much the only reason I like. See, man, that's Joe, what you expected?

[Ant Man]

That's what. That's what I'm talking about, man.

[Joe]

We need.

[Ant Man]

We need more of that. Some. Everybody, everybody likes to just play the game of basketball. But when you bring that entertainment value like that, that makes you want and hope that the warriors and the Wolves have a series. It's because of some like somebody like that that can talk it and they can walk it. It may. It just makes. It makes it that much better. That's why I say I would love for him to be the face of the league. No disrespect to Jason Tatum. Great player, NBA champion, you know, NBA champion, all star, you know, Olympic team. He has all these accolades. Just doesn't add up to that aura and it factor that Ant has. Like, that's. That's. Man.

[Joe]

Listen, buddy.

[Ant Man]

Raw, man.

[Joe]

Hey, hey, for. For the story. For the story, Uncle Ocho. This one here gonna go down in the books. See, the one team that was at home tonight cheering was the Timberwolves. They were cheering for the warriors for a number of reasons. They play the warriors, they get home court advantage. See the one of them. But if the Rockets would have won, they would have had to go to Houston. You see what I'm saying? So Timberwolves got home court advantage. They know and understand, you know, the moment and what it presents. And like I say, Ant man got this hit list. He finna add. He tried to. He got a couple more people he FA add to this list.

[Ocho Cinco]

He finna add to it.

[Ant Man]

Hey, when they series start, Joe?

[Joe]

Probably Tuesday. So look, think about this, AKA Ocho, that series gonna start Tuesday. You just coming off a seven game, grueling series against the Rockets. Probably don't wore you down a little bit. Timberwolves been at home kind of resting. They got their feet up a little bit, but they gonna be ready. They probably gonna look a step or two faster than the warriors on game one.

[Ant Man]

Yeah.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

Now watch. Watch Rudy Gobert go out there and forget how to play basketball. Draymond, take him completely.

[Reporter]

Oh, no.

[Joe]

This gonna be Wrestlemania. We was just talking to Bianca.

[Reporter]

About.

[Joe]

A week A week or two ago.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah.

[Joe]

And it's gonna be Wrestlemania. This must see tv. Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green. Oh, yeah. Y'all already know how this thing gonna go down.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah. In a span of 12 months, the Wolves are sent home. Kevin Durant, Nicola Jokic, luka Doncic, and LeBron James. Ant man is looking to add Steph Curry to his list. Let me ask you a question. How many games? Who wins and in how many games? Oh, I'm gonna start with you. Who wins in how many games?

[Ant Man]

Oh, man, this is a good one. Listen, with. With Anthony Evers playing the way he's playing Rudy Gar. If he can have another game, not. Maybe not 27 again, but he. He contribute on both ends of the court, giving him second chance points, rebounding defensively, everyone else contributing as well. I said it's gonna be another seven game series. And I got Ant Man. I got Ant man pulling it off, adding another one to the hit list.

[Ocho Cinco]

What you got, Joe?

[Joe]

I don't got no seven game series. I got this. I got the T. Wolves winning this in about five, six games.

[Ant Man]

Damn. Five, six?

[Reporter]

Yeah.

[Joe]

What's wrong?

[Ocho Cinco]

I only.

[Ant Man]

I only said the seven because Steph and Draymond and them boys are used to playing in this type of atmosphere. So I'm saying they gonna stretch it all the way to seven. But if you say five and six, you know better than me. Cause you played. I just be in the ymca.

[Joe]

This is my opinion, Ocho. I don't want to be true. Now allow me the right to be wrong.

[Reporter]

All right?

[Joe]

Right, Right, right, right. But in my assessment, I'm thinking of. Okay, seven game series. Butler didn't look like. He didn't look like. He don't look like he moving good. Even though he played a decent game night, he played a good game tonight. Him and Steph looked like they kind of hobbled and gimbled a little bit. And going into playing against these T Wolves, they gonna be ready, man. They hungry. They ready. They sitting and waiting.

[Ocho Cinco]

It's gonna. I think. Because my thing is who's gonna do who. Who's guarding you? Randall. Right? That's what I want to know. Because if you go big and you put Kevon Looney in there to deal with, because now you. You mess up your spacing. Because if you put Loon in there and you. And you have Draymond dragged with a Jew, Drew Randall, the low guy, you gotta be ready to bang with him.

[Joe]

Yeah. It's gonna be a tough one, uncle. It's gonna Be some nose and nose in this series, you know, because Julius Randall.

[Ocho Cinco]

Well, I could definitely see. I could definitely see Randall and Draymond getting to it, you know. You know, it's gonna happen.

[Joe]

I think. I think one of the weapons for the warriors, man, they gonna have to try to find a way to get Kaminga back into the fold, because they gonna need him in this series coming up, man. You know, and they kind of. It kind of showed today. They kind of need. They needed him early, but I think they gonna need him throughout this series. You know, he. He got.

[Reporter]

He.

[Joe]

He got youth on his side.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, he's.

[Joe]

He's played in big moments. He knows. He knows what the. What he knows what, you know, he's capable of doing. I think they need his productivity, you know, especially coming up in this series. He hadn't played in a while. I know they threw him. They've been throwing him out there and there's. But they gotta try to find some consistent minutes for him.

[Ocho Cinco]

I like the T Wolves also, because I don't know when they go to the bench, Nas Reed, who's gonna deal with him because not only can he shoot this three and stretch the floor, he can also go down and post. So now you gotta think about it. That's Moody, that's Kaminga, that's trying to deal with a big. A big. A true big. Yeah.

[Joe]

And that's why I favor the T Wolves, because of them big bodies that they have that they can throw at them. They big bodies can score and they can play mate. So. And they guards sit down and they play deep. McDaniels, Edwards, Alexander, Walker. Alexander, Walker. You know, those are some guys. You know, obviously we're going to win you games throughout the series, so I give the T Wolves the edge, man. I think it's going to be a fun one to watch.

[Ocho Cinco]

Gary Payton II didn't play tonight. He was dealing with an illness. He's gonna get a lot of minutes on Ant Man. They're gonna try to wear Ant man down. They'll probably have Commingo deal with him. They have Moody deal with him. They'll have Gary Payton the second deal with him. They'll. They'll. They're gonna try to throw difference because I don't think anybody can stop him. You're gonna try to get the ball out of his hand wherever you can make somebody else beat you. Lakers did that, and McDaniels had a great series. Nas Reed knocked down some big shots. Obviously, Drew Randall gave you what he gave you probably 20 I probably averaged 22 and 8 for the. For that series. This is gonna be a very, very interesting matchup. It's gonna be a chance. I'm see how Finch is. What he gonna do with. With Steph. How he gonna defend Steph. Because Buddy Hill's like, I'm gonna make y'all pay. Cause y'all make it seem like I can't shoot the three. Y'all know I can shoot these three.

[Joe]

Man. Listen, if you don't scratch in Game six, how we expect for you to come out and give us 30 something? Game seven? Come on, man. Yeah, come on. We ain't nobody expecting. I'm like, this man is. No, he. He. He out of.

[Ocho Cinco]

Hey, when he hit that shot, was that at the end of the half? I said, oh, yeah.

[Joe]

I thought, hey, it's good. Things Good. You living, right?

[Ocho Cinco]

Huh?

[Reporter]

You living.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Joe]

Hey, for a guy. For a guy who couldn't make a shot at Game six, to hit that like. Yeah, that's. That's a confidence. That's a confidence builder.

[Ocho Cinco]

Hey, listen, so you. Not now. You know, I don't.

[Ant Man]

I don't.

[Ocho Cinco]

He, like. Cause he had 23. He had 23 in the first half. He didn't give you none in the third quarter. I don't think he scored any in the third.

[Joe]

Did he score in the third quarter?

[Ocho Cinco]

I think he 11 in the pool.

[Joe]

He said he done it.

[Ocho Cinco]

He said, I got y'all. I got y'all this lead. I spotted y'all. So. Okay, Steph and Jimmy, y'all. Y'all.

[Joe]

Y'all care as hard.

[Ant Man]

Hey, I don't. I don't know how much the NBA is a copycat league. As you watch a series, and knowing you, you playing up the following team coming up next, like the NFL is. You see something, work on another team, and then you just copy that and do the same thing. Well, you know. You know how to. To slow Steph down, you know, maybe not stop him, but contain them and just do the same thing that Rockers are doing defensively. The Wolves are capable of doing that. They're doing the same.

[Ocho Cinco]

I think. I think the Rockets, the Wolves might have better defenders, individual defenders. Jay McDaniels is. The individual. Is a better individual, individual defense than anybody that.

[Ant Man]

Wait. Individual defender. I don't think there's really nobody off the dribble that can stay with Steph. Regardless. Regardless of who it is.

[Ocho Cinco]

Look, ain't nobody really dealing with nobody one on one over. This is the best of the best. You try to make it as tough as possible. So if he gives you 20, if he averages 27, you try to hold him to 23. Or if he gets his 27, you try to make it as inefficient as possible. But you go out there and say, oh, yeah, oh, you average 27. You ain't getting 12 today.

[Reporter]

Go.

[Ocho Cinco]

Okay, good luck with that.

[Joe]

Nah, but I think, I think, I think t Wolves got the defenders to wear him down throughout a series. Long rangy guys who gonna be pesty. Pick him up. Just don't give him nothing easy. Man, when I be watching the game, they take Steph out the game, they be playing four on four out there. That man be sitting at half court. His man don't even be looking at the ball. But I, I got, I got, I got the T Wolves and made a young fella legacy continue. I think he, he, I think I, I, I think he's special. I think he's gonna be special in this series.

[Ocho Cinco]

I do too. And, and it's a big game performer. I think the best thing that happened to ant was going to the, the Olympics and being around KD, being around LeBron, being around Steph Curry like, okay, I'm where, I'm where I belong.

[Joe]

Yep. Amongst the grace.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yes. And so how they, how they approach it, how they get themselves prepared, how they go about their business. Now, look, he's not going to, that's, that's not what he is. He, he, he's not going to be as buttoned up as LeBron and stuff. Yeah, but you got, you just got to accept him for who he is. That's who he is. Yeah.

[Ant Man]

And that was, and you heard what you just said.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yes.

[Ant Man]

He doesn't have to be his button up and he refused to be there. He's authentic to himself, which is why he's so relatable to everyone else. Why everybody's going to be a fan and like you do, you have some people that'll bring up stuff that has nothing to do with on the field. And I mean on the field, on the court. Anthony Edwards. But man, I, I love and appreciate anybody remain true to themselves and who they are without conforming to how they think you should be as an NBA player.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

But no, I don't, I don't just necessarily think it's an NBA player because every player is not held to the same standard as LeBron and a Steph Curry. Everybody wasn't held to the standard like Jordan. Everybody wasn't held to the standard like Bird and Magic or Kobe there's difference. But when they say, okay, when they talk about the NBA and they have these pictures up there, your face is front and center when they, when, when the NBA marketing campaign, they want you front and center, right? It's just, it's different now. You got to realize, these guys, like those old guys, they got married. They, you know, they now these guys, oh, they playing video games. Jordan ain't playing no video games. Magic and Bird, the old guys weren't playing on their video games, man. These guys now they playing cod, and they playing Fortnite against somebody or somebody on a whole different team. Hey, man, what's your name? What's your time? All right, come on, check this out. It's a different time now. And I think we have to change our way of thinking of what the face of the NBA is, because the old faces, those guys aren't like that anymore.

[Ant Man]

No.

[Joe]

Hey, look, whether he likes it or not, when you chosen, you chosen, bro.

[Ant Man]

You know, nothing you can do about it.

[Joe]

In the route that he's taken, whether he likes it or not, he. He complete this mission right here. It's gonna happen whether he, Whether he likes it or not. And that just comes with the game. It's part of it, man. You know what I mean?

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah. Look, were you chosen, Joe? You can't run from that. You remember Jonah? God told him say that you go, yo. No. He's like, nah, nah, let somebody up. So what are you gonna do? He gonna get the boat and go, now where's the. Come here. Now when he spit his ass back up on the show, what'd he do? He went and did what Jesus asked him to do. You see, when you chosen, when you that show calling, you can't run from it.

[Ant Man]

Hey, listen, you might not answer the phone. It's your call. You might not answer the phone.

[Joe]

Don't worry about it.

[Ant Man]

He'll take care of the rest.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, so you can't run from that. I understand. Because he like, man, look, I want to go. I want to be free. I want to do what I want to do without y'all looking over my shoulder and. And cameras everywhere I go. Cuz I might come out the little hole in the wall and you know, basically the NBA ain't supposed to be in the hole in the wall. You know what I'm saying, Joe? You know what I'm saying?

[Joe]

Hey, I understand. But when the universe pick you, baby, they pick you. You gotta trend.

[Ocho Cinco]

Like, is Ant man the best big game player in the NBA currently?

[Joe]

Best big game player in the game currently, man, we've had some guys play some big games. Yeah, I think I probably give him the nod, I think, because he just accepts it, man. He's a little different than some of the other superstars that we have in the league. And I think that's why people gravitate to the rawness of who he is and how he speaks his mind and how he carries himself and how he talks trash throughout the games. Oh, yeah, I'm looking, I'm looking to anybody. I'm looking to play the warriors, no matter who you are. Hello. Y'all seen what Obama said? He said, look at this guy right here. He can play a little bit. Oh, he said, you better stand out.

[Ocho Cinco]

I'm the truth.

[Joe]

Yeah, stop playing with me. So we, we love that. We, we, we gravitate toward it. And we, and we all want to see him do good, man, because he has a talent. And night in and night out, bro, he gives us something spectacular, you know what I mean?

[Ocho Cinco]

Because not only can he make the three, he can play above the rim. He put your ass on the poster. Now you go up there if you want to. Hey, I'm telling you, gonna be on his card, you're gonna be on his card.

[Joe]

I think the underrated thing, I think his underrated attribute is his defense. Okay, Ocho?

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe]

I'm saying on any level, whether it's blocking shots, whether it's locking down, playing his one on one defense, fighting over picks. Like he showed me some of that Lakers series, and I was like, yeah, young fella taking the next step. And that's what it is, playing on both ends, being a two way superstar, you know what I mean? Not just a two way player, but he a two way superstar because he impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Just like in that last closeout game against the Lakers. He didn't play great offensively, but defensively he was disruptive. He made plays offensively and he did enough for them to win. Like it didn't take for him to, you know, wow you on, on, on the stat sheet.

[Ocho Cinco]

So, yeah, I think that's, I think that's the, the best part where you could tell about a player when you can find other ways to impact the game. Even, even when you're not doing what you're known for, which is scoring. Can I impact the game, Ocho? If I, if, if I don't have 10 catches, how's my blocking? How's my decoy? Am I getting out of there, making everybody think I'm I'm about to.

[Joe]

Right.

[Ocho Cinco]

I'm about to get this rock when I know I'm just clearing for somebody else to run the shallow or to run that deep over. But I need to make sure I get that safety up out of there and pull that linebacker. Is that, is that. Is that really? So you got to find way other ways to impact the game because sometimes guys only see their value. If I'm catching pass.

[Ant Man]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

If I'm scoring points. No, you got to find value in other things also. And that's when you become the greatness.

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[Ocho Cinco]

Maybe a May three is going to be all of that. I call it the Russell Westbrook roller coaster. And that's what. He just laid it out for you?

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

I say, hey, he might shoot an air ball, he might turn it over. You're like, no, Russ, don't shoot that. Come on, Russ. And then when you least expect it, he'll go four or five from the three, he'll get two steals, he'll make some big play, go back and look at the series. Yeah.

[Joe]

Hey, he played unbelievable. Short term memory, you know, he has it.

[Ocho Cinco]

His short term.

[Joe]

He got it, you know, just like in football, from week to week, you got to put it behind your short term memory.

[Ocho Cinco]

We got.

[Joe]

We got another game. Well, in basketball, you playing every other night or considering in a basketball game in possessions, Russ, if he come down, miss a wide open layup, he gonna hustle back, try to get the block or steal. Like it's just a lot. It's a lot.

[Ocho Cinco]

It is. And you, you have to. You have to accept that, dude. You have to accept. You have to take the good with the bad. But just know one thing. He giving you everything he got every time you ain't got. Come on. Hey, Russ, pick it up a little bit. You ain't. I. Russ has never had a coach to tell him to pick it up. He might have to say, sons, calm.

[Reporter]

Sell it.

[Ocho Cinco]

Hey, come on down.

[Reporter]

Settle down.

[Ocho Cinco]

You okay? You might have to tell him to settle down or calm down, but you never have to tell him to pick it up because he going to give you that effort. And you can appreciate that. And sometime and trying to give you everything he got, He's a little out of control. He'll fumble the ball out of. I mean, the other night he had two point blank layups. Missed them both in game six. But he. But he come right back, come right back down. He gonna get you a second. He gonna get you extra possessions because he gonna battle somebody for the rebound. I saw him last night on line against. He ought to get the rebound. He ain't got no business whatsoever. When you ever seen a 64 guard in the box try to get a real miss free.

[Joe]

Hey, and that's why you gotta love him.

[Ocho Cinco]

Is Russ the X factor? The Nuggets against the Thunder.

[Joe]

Is he the X factor? Maybe, if he played well. Obviously they Always got a great chance of winning, but I think this Thunder team is their time. It's their moment. They've been sitting around waiting and I know we can go off rust or, you know, whatever the case may be, but I think this is a young team who's prepared and understands the moment and they gonna come out ready.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, it's gonna be, it's gonna definitely. It's definitely gonna be interesting to see. Obviously, you need Yoke and Murray to do what they do. I think probably Gordon has been really consistent over the last three to four games. He's been really consistent in that, that last series against the Clippers. He needs to play really well. A big body guy that can, that can defend now, but his offense is playing well. He's knocking down the three. He crashes the glass, if I had to say an X factor. I think they need Michael Porter Jr. Yeah, he comes because sometimes he, Sometimes, you know, he drifts, right? Yeah, if he can get. But when he's. Go ahead.

[Joe]

Yeah, I agree. If he can get him some consistent, some consistent productivity in this series to where they're able to compete, you know, they, they, they always gonna have a great chance. Like, I think we all know what Yoko's gonna do. He's gonna make them dudes around him better. And if he have to score 40 or 50, we know he'll do that as well. But I, I like how, you know, the series went throughout the regular season, how they played and how OKC competes against them. So I just don't think they got nobody who could deal with Shay on the perimeter. If you just, if I'm just being honest, you know what I mean? Like, I think, I think he's going to be able to pretty much have his way now. Yeah, you probably could put Gordon on him sometime, but even him. I just, I just don't think they, I don't think they're going to have nobody who can stop him.

[Ocho Cinco]

No, I think Braun. I think Brown will start because he seems to be their best defender. But that's what happened when you let KCP go and you let. What's the other guy named? They ended up letting him go. Who's a great defender? Bruce Brown. Yeah, they let him go. And so now it's really left up to Christian Bron because he's really the only defender like the Gordon. But I don't, I don't think they're going to put Gordon on the point. They normally put Gordon on the Big guy if it's LeBron or if it's a KD guys like a Jason T. I'm saying, I don't.

[Joe]

I'm saying if he get it going, though, I'm saying if he get it going to one of them games, you can't stop him. You gonna have to.

[Ocho Cinco]

You try to put. You try to put that light out.

[Joe]

Put some size on him, you know what I mean?

[Ocho Cinco]

Because them guys.

[Joe]

Six, six.

[Ocho Cinco]

Six. No, no, no. He's six.

[Joe]

He gonna, you know, he gonna get to his spots and raise up and them look, dudes ain't gonna be able to do nothing with that, right?

[Ocho Cinco]

I just gotta make it tough. I just gotta. I gotta keep. I gotta keep. Hey, Joe. I gotta keep him from the rim and I gotta keep him up the free throw line. If he making threes and pull ups, I got. Hey, I can't take every damn thing away.

[Joe]

You gotta.

[Ant Man]

You gotta live with that.

[Ocho Cinco]

But he.

[Joe]

He's the one dude who has mid range game down to the tee, and if nothing, if he can't get his three off and get to the bastard, he gonna always be able to get to his midi. So this is what I'm talking about. That's the step that I was talking about that I want, you know, Jalen Green to make and just being able to get to that mid range because he's so athletic, bro, he can get up once he go into his shot. You can't block that, right?

[Ocho Cinco]

You got to put that time in the lab, though. Ocho, who you like in this series, Ocho?

[Joe]

Oh, I lied.

[Ant Man]

I'm going with the young Bulls. I'm going with the young Bulls. Even though, like, when you ask a question about the X factor, I think the X factor would be Russ. Obviously with Russ coming off the bench, we know a Yoko Yoka, no good joker gonna do if they have a chance to win this series. If the Nuggets do have a chance, I think Russell would have to be the difference maker. He'd have to be the difference maker. Obviously, Porter has to do what he needs to do. Murray is going to be Murray. And you know what? You know what Joker could do? I really think Russell Westbrook has to be that X factor in order for him to even have a chance to win the series, but I'm going. I'm going to.

[Ocho Cinco]

That make OKC so tough is that they got guys coming off the bench that sit in the chair. They're mainly there. Yeah, to sit in the chair, but they can knock down threes. You look at Caruso, you look at Isaiah Joe, you look at Wiggins they got guys, man. They really. Wallace. Yes. And you know, you still got Lou Dort, you got Jalen Williams. So they got six guys that are three and D guys. There ain't very many teams that have that many guys that are three and decons and they got two guys.

[Joe]

Sound like you going with Denver. Sound like you're going with OKC too. It's hard to go against joke.

[Ocho Cinco]

It is hard because you can see.

[Joe]

It in some sense. You can kind of see him going in there, showing out. You can kind of see him going.

[Ocho Cinco]

It's the two league candidates for the mvp. He said, let me, let me show you. Hey, let me show y'all why I should win it. 45, 19 and 13.

[Joe]

Yeah. Hey, listen, and we wouldn't be surprised if we seen those stat numbers, but yeah, I totally understand that. They're definitely capable of winning the series. I just seen some holes in their defense or in their.

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They definitely have collapses. Absolutely. Drew Holiday is set to return from injury. Game 1 versus the Knicks. Holiday was making return to the floor after missing the final three games of Boston first round series with a hamstring strain. How important is it for the gift for them? Because he's probably gonna match up with Brunson. He'd probably take Brunson, but you got a bunch of guys. You can throw at Brunson. Yeah. You throw Derrick White at Brunson. Yeah. And you can throw Holiday at Brunson. You could put Jalen Brown on you.

[Ant Man]

You put. You put Holiday coming off an injury out there in front of Brunson. You're gonna pull. You're gonna pull something. You gonna put. You gonna pull something?

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, you and Derrick White.

[Ant Man]

You could put Derrick White on.

[Joe]

He gonna.

[Ant Man]

He gonna sauce Derrick White up too. You could put Jalen Brown out there only too. He gonna sauce Jalen Brown up there too. You gotta understand every. Everybody, you're naming players that are really good, your naming players that are defensive players, but everyone Jalen Brunson goes against, he gonna get to a spot, he gonna drive, he gonna use his body. He gonna do what he always do, regardless of who it is, trying to.

[Ocho Cinco]

Make him as inefficient as possible. That's all I'm trying to do. He gonna get to his body. I'm trying. Hey, he get 33, I'm trying to get. Make him take 30 shots together.

[Joe]

Okay?

[Ocho Cinco]

That's all.

[Joe]

I'm just trying to weigh him down. He's just trying to get different looks, different bodies. Hopefully look, they just come out of grueling series as well. He was banged up a little bit in that series, so he carried on to the next series. You know that. Hey, we gotta make it tough on him.

[Ocho Cinco]

I'm trying to hound him. He just like. Like Joe Joe said he just came out of seven game series. He's averaging 40, 42 minutes a night.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

So. Hey, pick him up. D. D. White. You got it. Hey, Jayla, you got it. Holiday, you take it. Oh, yeah, we just gonna. Hey, Peyton Pritchard. Hey. Be passing.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

Just buzz around like a nab. Annoy the hell out of. Hey, I'm sure the Celtics are happy to have him back because like you said, Jalen Brunson is the one guy that really can create his own shot. It's going to be interesting to see the matchup. They'll probably put OG On J. On. On Tatum.

[Joe]

This is why they got it.

[Ocho Cinco]

I'm thinking probably take Josh Hart. Probably have him on Jaylen Brown.

[Joe]

Who Bridges going to guard. Who you putting Bridges on?

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, Bridges. You know what? I think Bridges might. You know what? Bridges might take Jalen Brown.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

And then Josh Hart take Derrick White.

[Joe]

Yeah. OG On Tatum.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yep. Yeah.

[Joe]

This is why they went and got.

[Ocho Cinco]

OG hey, but here's the thing. Who y'all. And I guess Brazingus and Cat.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

Or Al Horford and Cat.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ant Man]

What you got? What you got? You got Knicks and six.

[Ocho Cinco]

I got the Celtics.

[Ant Man]

Oh, my bad. Okay.

[Ocho Cinco]

I got the Celtics.

[Ant Man]

Yo.

[Joe]

I got the Celtics. I got to sell. I got to sell this O joke, you know, a very experienced team, you know, obviously, and they've been playing well. They. They. They know what these battles are like, and they've had the Knicks number, you know, over the years.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah.

[Joe]

You know, I. I don't even think this is gonna be a long series. I actually think it's gonna be a. A short one, actually.

[Ocho Cinco]

Sweeping.

[Joe]

I ain't saying sweep.

[Ocho Cinco]

Man, what the hell about you? You ain't like my fire prediction? Well, hell go. You don't like that pick, go with it.

[Joe]

I'm saying you got. You owe the five out.

[Reporter]

Huh?

[Joe]

The five we got.

[Ocho Cinco]

I gotta bring it back.

[Joe]

Hey, Lake, we got to find something that's catchy. I mean, for the Celtics. I don't.

[Ocho Cinco]

Man, you remember. Hey, Joe, you remember they brought the feet in. I brought the bell bottom pants back. Remember the bell bottom G. They back in style. Bell bottom dress pants back and style.

[Reporter]

Everybody.

[Joe]

Everything come full circle. Full circle come full circle. But, yeah, I say I got I got. I do got the Celtics in by M5. I say the Knicks will win the game.

[Ocho Cinco]

Gotta be something very interesting for the both of you guys. The number players declaring for the NBA draft by year. In 2020. In 2021, it was 353. In 2022, it was 283. In 2023, it was 242. In 2024, it was 201. This year it's only 106. The nil money. Ocho. Yeah, Got the boy like you know where. Let me go on, stay here, get a quick 250. 500.

[Joe]

Hey, you gonna give me that money, I'm gonna stay right here in college.

[Ant Man]

Yeah, man. Listen, also the opportunity with the great understanding your chances of making to the NBA and actually playing in the NBA or making that squad. It's only a team, what, 15, right? How many players it is?

[Ocho Cinco]

15? Yeah. So you got about 400 players?

[Ant Man]

Yeah, man, 450. This I'm gonna bet on myself in college and get as much as I.

[Joe]

Can, and that's 450. That's every year. That ain't just this year.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah. Ain't like they asked if it's gonna be 460.

[Joe]

Look, got 50, 60 guys coming in every year. You got 50, 60 leaving every year. So that's every year. And that's why I tell cats, as hard as it is to make it to the league, bro, it's even harder to stick. You know what I mean? It's harder to stick because once you get there, you can't exhale. You know what I'm saying? You got to keep going, you got to keep pushing. You got to work even harder. So, you know, I tell Cass all the time, bro, can't.

[Ocho Cinco]

It's hard. It's Joe. And that's what I tell football players. I say, bro, it's easier to get in the league and stay than get out the league and try to get back in.

[Joe]

Yeah.

[Ocho Cinco]

Cause if you think it's hard getting in, get in and get out and try to get back in. Right.

[Ant Man]

Unless you're a quarterback and you gotta be decent.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah. And what they say at the stadium, you know, you go to the game, you leave exit arena, you can't get back in. Hey, what you in? See, I got a ticket. Even if you got a ticket, they d, bro, you left, we can't let you back in the game. And that's how they feel about sports. It's like, bro, I was just here a year ago. I was only going a year Y'all make it seem like I was gone a decade. Oh, well, yeah. A lot of other people done came in, bro. We, we NFL. They had 70 early declarations in 2025 down from 82 in 2023. And I changed the game. College athletes aren't finding value and risk in turning pro when they can earn six, seven figures right here. And that's what I say. Why am I gonna go to the NFL? Whole job, if there's a possibility, man, I gonna give me 6 million. Stay right here, quarterback.

[Ant Man]

But also, you have to understand the people that are choosing to go back, they questioning themselves. You question themselves with great understanding. Well, hell if I know what I'm gonna get going to the NFL and entering the draft. It's because I know I'm that boy. Because, you know, that's what I don't get.

[Ocho Cinco]

I told Quinn. What did I tell you, Ocho? If I'm Quinn Ewers, I take my butt, I go jump into that portal and I go somewhere else and I make me three, four million dollars a year.

[Ant Man]

One more, huh?

[Joe]

Yes.

[Ocho Cinco]

As opposed to be a fifth or sixth or seventh round draft pick. Cause I believe he could have built his value. He could have been, you know, who knows, a first or second day pick and picked up a 3, 4 meal, I would have. Cause if Carson Beck jumped in the Portal and got $4 million from the university of Miami, which called I'm a leaver. Because, you know, look at his last name, how it spell I'm a leaver. That's what he did in Tennessee. He left. Now, I don't know why he left a state like Tennessee with no state income tax to go to California to take 3, $400,000 less where there's 50% state tax.

[Joe]

Yeah, what's that about?

[Ocho Cinco]

Make it make sense. Make it make sense.

[Ant Man]

Ocho, listen, I don't know who was advising him. I'm not sure where he thought he can make more. But again, I always tell you, if you deserve what you was asking for, they would have gave it to you where you was at. Because that's what they thought of you.

[Ocho Cinco]

The warriors are on the brink of blowing another 31 lead. Throughout NBA history, there have been 290 instances in which a team has gone 31 in the playoffs, the series. Only 13 times has the team come back to win. The warriors know all too well about blowing a 31 lead if they're one of the 13 teams to do so.

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[Ocho Cinco]

Q who you got tomorrow night?

[Reporter]

Oh man, this is a tough one for me. Cause you know game seven is you throw everything out the window book. But I can't not roll out with the light skinned assassin and Jimmy Bucket and Draymond. Just with the experience they got man. Like if I'm wrong, I take that to the 10, but just with the inconsistencies of the young boys over there in Houston, I gotta. I got it wrong.

[Ocho Cinco]

No inconsistency of Jalen Green. Go ahead and say that. Everybody else, hey Fred Van Fleet. The last five games have been on one.

[Reporter]

Hey, that's the. Listen, I feel like we don't even respect like Fred Van Vliet is a champion, a dog. You know what I'm saying? Like he gotta proper respect. He doing what I expect him to do. He over there and like win, lose a draw. Houston Rockets is gonna be back. Win, lose or draw, they gonna be right back like they forgot something. Ime got them boys growing. I love what I love, you know what I'm saying? Like we talking about Van Vliet being a veteran OG out there to get it done and impact the game and be able to show them and say what he's saying and it means something. Cause he out there. So I like what they got going on. But even still with that being said, I don't know when you got that little dude number 30. All it take is if he hit one, it's now we in the matrix. He turned into Neo and everything else. It don't matter. We done all seen it happen. The game could hinge on that right there. If he come out and make one shot and start looking funny, if he give you a little shimmy, it's curtains, you know what I'm saying? It's about to be a long night and it's like, I don't know, like you say with the. To me when I say inconsistencies with Houston, it's like they don't know where they gonna get they scoring from from night to night. It's like, it's nice. Like you know who leads them in scoring and you know who you would expect to do it. But like it's not concrete. You can't hang your hat on it. Like, all right, we gonna such and such from this player or that player. It's like it might be anybody. And when you got something like that, it's hard for me to roll the dice with that.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, look, Shingoon has been sensational. He's been doing a great job. He leaves them in points, rebounds, assists and steal. I thought I may inserting Stephen Adams. He was the difference maker last day of the night. Yeah, he gave him rebounding, he gave him toughness. He did, he did all the right plays. You know that he went to Hacker Adams, he made nine of 16. And sometimes I think that takes the, the team out of their rhythm because you know, you don't get a flow, you stop, you don't get to go up and down. But if I don't know what Fred Van Fleet did from games three through six, I mean four through six. Yeah, but he been on one. Yeah, he, I mean he's been on one. I mean he, I'm talking about, he's coming down on the break and he like, nah, you under the basket. I don't want the two. I want this pull up. I want this 26 foot pull up. Yeah. And it's been, it's been money. I like what they're Doing when it comes to stealth because. And he tries to come off that pick, they double him, make him get a ball up. Cause I don't believe. Look, Draymond. I'm not worried about Draymond. You know that Draymond always take the first shot because he wide ass open. They gonna leave him open too. You not fit to make eight of those. Steph Curry can. So you shoot as many of them as you want. Draymond, we're not going to worry. We're not going to worry ourselves with that. But what we will worry ourself with is to make sure Steph don't get a rip, don't catch foulness. Keep Jimmy Butler off the free throw line because you know he's going to attack the basket. It's going to be interesting to see Steve curl. How does he play this thing? Because remember the other night, he started Gary Payton ii, He went away from his normal lineup with Pozinski. So does he go back to that queue or does he still. Does he ride. Does he ride with Gary Payton II again? Or is Moody inserted into the starting lineup? What's he gonna do?

[Reporter]

I might start Moody and bring. Bring up. Bring GP off. Cause he's a pace changer to me, you know what I'm saying? He comes in and supposed to raise the energy and things like that. If it's not right, try and get some energy, defensive energy going. I would start Moody to see. I mean, I like what Moody's been doing. He presents a lot of length defensively, you know what I'm saying? And I would start him. He's been shooting the ball. I mean, not as well as you.

[Ocho Cinco]

Want, but he makes a big shot. Yeah, he's his throwing that.

[Reporter]

He'll knock down the shot and he'll make some plays, drive to the basket. And like I say, most importantly, he got a lot of length defensively. And that's, you know, that's always big in these games.

[Ocho Cinco]

Oo, what you thinking? The warriors Gonna blow another 31 lead?

[Ant Man]

Absolutely not. You know, Curry's not having another bad game like that. Listen, even with. Even what they tried to do, trapping him, you know, making. Making all shots contested it. It's not happening. Listen, the warriors have a championship pedigree and there's no way in hell they lose a Game seven. Not like this. It's. It's. It's def. It's definitely not going to happen. I think Draymond. Draymond can do what Draymond does. Jimmy Butler, like you say, he gonna get to the basket where stop it or not. He gonna be aggressive. He gonna be playoff. Jimmy like we used to seeing him when he was with Miami and, And. And Curry, he gonna cook. He gonna cook. Especially after. After that last game, he's not gonna have another performance.

[Ocho Cinco]

I think Draymond need to make sure he stay within himself, because I think sometimes he get going too early and he kind of gets himself. He gets himself out of. Out of rhythm. He gets early fouls, he gets text. And now he knows in a game like game seven, they gonna probably get a take early because he know they're not gonna throw him out. They don't want to impact the game like that. Right? So he. He. He has a very good understanding. Cause most players to do what Draymond does, oh, they'd be gone. They'd be teed up.

[Joe]

Whoop.

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, what'd you say? Whoo. Take that one with you on. On the way. Yeah, you outta here, bro.

[Ant Man]

Yeah, but they wouldn't do. They wouldn't do. They wouldn't do them do that to him in the playoffs though, huh?

[Ocho Cinco]

No, that's what I'm saying. He knows that. But I think sometimes it gets them outta his game. Now, sometimes he riles himself up. It gets the team going. But it had the opposite effect the other night. It got the Rockets going. Yeah, Tringoon, they was pounding him on the glass. I mean, they crushed him. They crushed them on the glass. They had 25 offensive rebounds.

[Reporter]

That's part of Draymond's superpower, though. He gotta play with that edge. He gotta play with the, you know, with the way he play. That's.

[Joe]

That's part of what.

[Reporter]

What makes him him. If he doesn't play like that, he's not as impactful as. Or as effective as he can be. Now, I agree with you. He gotta toe that line and tuck it in when he need to, but, like, he absolutely gotta play like that to be the most impactful and the best ver of Draymond Green. Like you say, he can't step over that line, but he gotta toe it.

[Ocho Cinco]

And plus that big lineup that Houston go out there with Stephen Adams and Shingoon, the warriors can't match up with that. That's why Adams and Shangun was killing them on the glass. Because you really. You don't want to play Looney. You really don't. Because he don't really give you a whole lot offensively. He set picks and he can rebound, but Shingun gonna punish whoever on the offensive end. And so now you got big Adams, they like. Okay, now you take a shoot off the floor. We want you to play. You know, they try to put post out there who's a big that can stretch the floor and shoot that, but he's a little bit too inconsistent. So if I'm out there, I'm gonna keep blitzing Curry. I'm gonna try to get the ball out of his hand as much as I possibly can. I'm gonna trap him every chance I get. He goes to that corner. Hey, let the big guy roll. We can come. We can come from. We can give you help backside. Hold on. We're not letting Curry get no easy shots, huh?

[Ant Man]

Listen, we talk about Curry, we talk about Jimmy, we talk about Draymond, we ain't talking about the eleph. What is Kurt going to do about Kaminga? Obviously, you're mostly one of your most athletic players.

[Reporter]

He led the season against the Rockets. In the games during this regular season against the Rockets, he averaged the most points for the warriors against them.

[Ant Man]

So it only makes sense.

[Ocho Cinco]

It only makes sense.

[Ant Man]

Game seven to put him in there.

[Reporter]

I don't think Jonathan.

[Ocho Cinco]

Steve Kerr said, Jonathan Kamingo returns to the rotation. Of the 100% on the table for in game seven. 100%. Kaminga is on the table. We kind of found a formula here in the latter part of the season, we've stayed with that formula to start this series up three 1. Things are going well, and obviously last few games have gone very poorly. We have to assess everything. The lineup, combination, startups, all of that, we have to assess.

[Reporter]

I don't know why he fell out of favor and what happened with that, but did y'all see him the last time he got in the game? He didn't look like he was. Like, he didn't look locked in and looked like he would be. I hope the young fella do get out there and ball out and do his thing. But from the looks of everything that he did last time, it don't look likely. Don't look like he's mentally there. You know, like, when you. A young fellow like that, I don't know how easy it is for you to get back into it, right?

[Ant Man]

Hey, Q. When you have a coach that is not playing you and you don't know what's going on or what happened, obviously we don't know from the outside looking in what happened internally. But for you to be one of the best players on that team that can contribute on both teams on both ends of the court and then not get any Playing time. It has to be. It has to be something. It has to be something that we don't know publicly. But, I mean, I hope his confidence is there, you know, after not playing for so long, sometimes something like that can do something to your middle. Obviously, when he does get in the game, or is he gonna be gunshot. Is he gonna be scared to pull the trigger? Is he gonna be hesitant?

[Reporter]

I mean, if it was me, my boy, I'd be like, listen, I can't take it personal. He benched Jayson Tatum. Who am I to be mad at him?

[Joe]

Okay?

[Reporter]

Like, I'm g. Just take it like a champ and keep it moving.

[Joe]

He like, going.

[Reporter]

You feel me? I mean, real talk, though, like, yeah, I don't.

[Ocho Cinco]

I don't know what Kaminga's done, but he's definitely been out of the rotation. And he's one of them more athletic guys. He can defend. He can get to. He can get all the way to the rim. He can casually knock down the three. That's not his strong suit, but for whatever reason, hey, he don't even get no mop up minutes. Like, damn, hey, let me break a sweat so I don't have to get on the bike after the game. Hey, Q, he can't even get no cardio in. He gotta get on the bike after the game. After sitting, he's like, I'm all still and I gotta get 30 minutes on the stationary bike.

[Reporter]

And then you saying he was getting shots up after one of the games and everything. Like, that's a little bad signal. Like, yeah, I'm hot. Like, you know what I'm saying?

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, he probably said, get me out. Hey, y'all ain't gonna play me. Get me out of here. Let me go somewhere. Hey, let me go somewhere. At least I can contribute. I can play. I ain't say, hey, look, I'm not saying I'm SGA. I ain't saying I'm one of the five, 10 best players in the NBA, but damn, I see guys that I know I'm better than and they getting 10, 15 minutes a night. I can't get that.

[Ant Man]

Yeah, I know a perfect place for him.

[Reporter]

Moving around.

[Ant Man]

I know the perfect place for him too.

[Ocho Cinco]

Man, ain't nobody coming there.

[Ant Man]

You know the perfect place, bro.

[Hypnotic Representative]

Right.

[Ant Man]

Right here.

[Ocho Cinco]

He thinks somebody always want to go to the. You want to go to the Miami Heat? I mean, with Pat riley, with them 19, with them 1955 rules.

[Reporter]

Hey, listen, it ain't. It ain't. It ain't bad as you think. It Is, man, people make. Listen, when you look at the. Look at the guys that go there. They have some of their best years of their careers when they go and.

[Ocho Cinco]

Look at the guys leave. I saw Dwyane Wade leave. I saw Jimmy Butler leave. I saw LeBron James leave. Now, that's three of the best players that you've had in the last 15. Now, tell me what I don't know, Q. What you don't know. Yeah, hold on, hold on. I'm gonna let him finish up. You can chime in at the mq.

[Reporter]

We all got family, right?

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, yeah.

[Reporter]

Sometimes. Sometimes you get mad at your auntie or your uncle or your cousin or even your mamboy, your brother or sister, right?

[Joe]

I like that. I like.

[Ant Man]

Where you going?

[Ocho Cinco]

I ain't leaving him.

[Reporter]

Hey, look, he didn't leave for good. He left and went over his auntie house, and then he came back over here, back to uncle's house. He came back.

[Ant Man]

Come on.

[Ocho Cinco]

Okay. You think Jimmy coming back?

[Reporter]

I didn't say Jimmy came back. I was talking about D. Wade. When we said that, when we.

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, yeah, okay. What about LeBron? LeBron going back to Miami?

[Reporter]

No, I said family.

[Ocho Cinco]

But I'm saying the mere fact that family left. If I leave the house, yeah, I might come back when I'm on hard times.

[Reporter]

D. Wade was a different type of family. Like, D. Wade was drafted homegrown there. That's Dade County.

[Ocho Cinco]

And he left.

[Reporter]

You can't say the same for LeBron or Jimmy. So it wasn't that same type of thing, Q. He left and came back, and they both admitted that it was some wrongdoings and reasons why they left, and they came together and pieced up, and it's all love.

[Ocho Cinco]

Yeah, this is all love. Now, I see D. Wade as part owner in the Utah Jazz. He's sitting Coruscant in Utah Jazz. Why isn't he sitting courtside in Miami? His family now.

[Reporter]

No, no, time out, time out. D. Wade do be sitting courtside in Miami. He got a statue in Miami. And he's a false man.

[Joe]

You.

[Ocho Cinco]

And deservedly so.

[Reporter]

A smart businessman.

[Ocho Cinco]

Deserved and deservedly so. But we can't act, we can't pretend like people do not. Aren't fed up with Pat Riley in those archaic ways. Q. That's not being true. You hear it.

[Reporter]

But it go two ways, though. You gotta understand that some of those same ways that people being critical of are the. For some of the most brilliant careers that you talk about, the best version of LeBron James that you know was Right there under those arcade crews. Tell me I'm wrong.

[Ocho Cinco]

I still like LeBron when he went back to Cleveland.

[Reporter]

No, you ask anybody in the league that LeBron James them two years back to back. Please, please.

[Joe]

That was.

[Reporter]

That was hell on wheels, boy. You hear me? Like, please, you talking about.

[Ocho Cinco]

Okay, let's say that.

[Joe]

Okay.

[Reporter]

Both sides.

[Ocho Cinco]

Okay. He had his best years. And then what made LeBron leave? You got that on the 27 game winning screen. What happened, Q?

[Reporter]

I don't know.

[Ocho Cinco]

I didn't heard a lot of, you know, what happened.

[Reporter]

I didn't heard about cookies being taken away. I didn't heard about all type of stuff. But I also heard that some of the same things that he ran from, that he tried to take with him and bring and bestow on these other organizations when he went there. So it wasn't all bad.

[Ocho Cinco]

You already listen. You already know Rich. Mav is going to be there every day. Mav is my chief of staff. Not Mav. Excuse me. What's the other one? Randy. Randy's going to be there. Have you ever seen LeBron James anywhere without Randy? I have not. Whether it's out in Vegas, whether whatever the case may be, Randy is going to be there.

[Reporter]

So Pat should have let him be there.

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, he gonna be there. You want it? He gonna be there. He don't want him. But, you know, hello. You already know what you. When you sign up, if you get Giannis, what you see where the Giannis brother is? Where he at?

[Reporter]

Hey, time out. Time out, though. You just said you already know what you get when you sign up, Right? So you can't say that and then say that. LeBron came to Miami as a free agent knowing that the Godfather was the Godfather and the Godfather do what the Godfather does. And he always had you signed up for that.

[Ocho Cinco]

I did, but not for to be petty and take some damn cookies away.

[Reporter]

I ain't listen.

[Ocho Cinco]

You took some cookie way. Like I didn't clean up my damn room.

[Reporter]

It could have been a headband. It could have been anything. But the cookies is what set it up. But like, this is what you signed up for when you signed up.

[Ocho Cinco]

Nah. Mm. I ain't signed up for this. I signed up to come down here to get structured. I wanted to play with D Wade, Chris Bosh, and. Okay, supposed to be they got you.

[Reporter]

Two championships and it showed you how to go on the rest of the way and be a champion.

[Ocho Cinco]

Oh, yeah.

[Ant Man]

Hold on. Hey, when we talk about, we talk about the heat of the old. Let's talk about the new heat. Let's talk about the new heat and.

[Ocho Cinco]

Whatever the new heat, it doesn't matter. It's still Pat running it.

[Reporter]

Don't say they about to get somebody.

[Ant Man]

Yeah, I've been tapping time.

[Reporter]

I already know. That's what people always understood and knew. Pat Riley, the Godfather is always one move away. How did he got kept the rich and then they won a championship. Like, he always willing to swing for the fences and do what needs to.

[Ocho Cinco]

Be done, but he don't have the draft capital to do it. What he gonna do? Think about it. He couldn't get Kevin Durant, he couldn't get Dame Lillard. So in order to get, let's just say for the sake of argument, Kevin Durant, what do you think it's going to take for him to get Kevin Durant? He gonna have to give up the hero and Bam. Then what? Who could he get? Giannis?

[Reporter]

I don't think so.

[Joe]

I told you.

[Ant Man]

I told you. Who we going to get?

[Joe]

I told you.

[Ant Man]

I already told you already. I told. I think Q. I sat down with Pat. Pat Riley and Mickey Harrison. I done told Robert Horry, I done talked to ISO, Joe. I done told Joe already. And I'm telling you. I'm telling you, too. I talked to Pat, I sat down with Mickey Harrison, and we gonna get Giannis, we gonna get John Moran.

[Ocho Cinco]

I'm trying to figure out what are you. But see, here's the thing. Listen. There are only a handful of team that have the pieces. They want assets because they gave up all those assets to get said players. Q, you know how this thing work. A lot of times, like, man, I want to go over there. And when you get there, they had to gut it to get you. And so now you there in the same situation you were in, where you left from. They're not going to be able. I don't see how they get to Kevin Durant in Miami and keep Bam and Tyler hero. Oh, you talking about. I want Duncan Robinson and Highsmith.

[Reporter]

And you'd be surprised what these deals shake out once these players step out and say that they want to be moved. We think, like guys ain't been like, been yielding what you thought. Like, when you look at what Rudy Gobert got in his trade and then.

[Ocho Cinco]

The trade, he got four first rounders. Yeah.

[Reporter]

What started happening after he did that, nobody was getting all of them first rounders. And it was looking like, how did Rudy get. You get Rudy for all of this and you get such and such for all of that, that it wasn't going the same way. They're not giving as much up. Especially when these teams, like when you get put in that pigeonhole like a player come out and say, hey, I.

[Ocho Cinco]

Want out of like, you done.

[Joe]

You done.

[Reporter]

They like, shit. We ain't gotta, we ain't gotta be at your beck and call because we are basically helping you at this point because your dude just said he won't out. So no matter what happens, you gotta get out or you got. Your situation is blown up. So at that point, if they exhausted to a certain point, it'll get bad.

[Ant Man]

See, I told y'all. I told you.

[Ocho Cinco]

But here's the thing. Why didn't get that bad? Why didn't get that bad? They couldn't make pull the trigger for Dame Lillard.

[Joe]

That question, I mean, I don't know the answer to that.

[Reporter]

I thought that was a done deal like everybody else.

[Ocho Cinco]

They didn't wanna give up Tyler Hero. I don't, I don't see a scenario where a team doesn't get Tyler Hero back as a piece. Do you see that scenario?

[Reporter]

You never know, man. You know, I didn't see, I didn't see. I didn't see a scenario on the planet where Dallas was trading Luka. But look what happened. Yeah, so I, I didn't learn my lesson. Like, I didn't seen Shaq get traded. You know what I'm saying? M.J. left the Bulls. Like anything can happen in the right circumstances. They'll do whatever they feel is the best. That's just how I go. And then they gonna tell you that's good business. You know what I'm saying? It's what's best for the organization. That's why I don't be mad when players go do what they gotta do.

[Ocho Cinco]

The volume.

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[Reporter]

Ceviche sounds good.

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[Ocho Cinco]

Okay?

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