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- [00:00]
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- [03:18]
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- [04:02]
Host
Good morning everybody. Quick addendum to the show. Anthony Davis is going to miss a little bit of time with his injury that he suffered in his debut. You're going to hear us talk about it a little bit and we weren't sure when he was going to be back. We got news late on Sunday that he was going to miss multiple weeks with an adductor strand. So keep that in mind when you listen to the show. But still a lot of good report from Christian Clark on the ground in Dallas. So here's the show, Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. Coming up, we have a rescinded trade ad and Jimmy Butler made their debuts and Christian Clark is here to talk about the fan backlash for Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks. Good morning everybody. Good morning guys.
- [04:57]
Salesperson
Morning.
- [04:58]
Host
Very often I get to exclaim the reverse of a trade. Usually hey, we've got a trade. We have a rescinded trade. This is very rare but unfortunately this trade has fallen through. The Lakers and Hornets their trade for Mark Williams and Dalton Connect has fallen through because Mark Williams has they found multiple issues on his physical the Lakers did so failure to satisfy satisfy a condition of the trade. The trade has been rescinded. Dalton Connect is going to go back to the Lakers. Mark Williams returns. And and by the way, the Charlotte Hornets put out a really nice statement about Mark Williams and how excited they are to have him back. And I would even say this as like when you look at Mark Williams, I mean this is a talented young player who I think the Hornets when You look at where they're at as an organization, it probably wasn't the easiest guy for them to give up. It's not like he's a bum.
- [05:53]
Analyst 1
No, he makes a lot of Sense next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. And the only thing is, like, you hope he can just stay healthy in his career. He's at. He's played less than 100 games through three seasons of his career. So I don't think I'm necessarily surprised that this trade got rescinded and that the physical was to a point where the Lakers were like, we want backsies. Like, we want to take back this whole situation. Also, like, from the Lakers perspective, I know there's a lot of Lakers fans who are sad that this trade hasn't gone through, but you might have caught a break here because ultimately, you might have had, you know, for a lack of better words, damage goods here in the sense that if he was going to come and you. You would have had an injured starting center, you would have wasted all that draft capital. Think about the 2031 unprotected pick, Dalton connect. They had a swap in there as well. So now you can actually do more in the summer to build around Luca. So it might be like, you know, the medicine that you have to take, so to speak, to make this team actually make sense moving forward.
- [06:51]
Host
Yeah. Jimmy Butler made his debut. Xena, we've been talking all year long. The Warriors, I said, look, they're going to have a top five defense and that, you know, things have fallen apart there. But they needed a number two. I think they found him. He put up 25 points.
- [07:07]
Analyst 1
The fit looks good.
- [07:09]
Analyst 2
Xena, you didn't mention how many free throws did he shoot, Dave? Because that's what the warriors needed. 13. They needed someone to get to the line, and that's exactly what they got in Jimmy Butler. It was almost like clockwork. Give the ball, Jimmy Butler. Do that little cross green action that usually was for Andrew Wiggins before he departed. And now is Jimmy Butler getting to the paint, finding some contact and getting to the line? To the point that Jimmy Butler got to the line at one point, turned around, looked at Steph Curry, pointed straight at him and was like, I don't know exactly what he said, but I can imagine it was to the sentiment of, ain't this what y'all needed?
- [07:43]
Host
Right?
- [07:43]
Christian Clark
I got you.
- [07:44]
Analyst 1
The chef has his Butler.
- [07:46]
Analyst 2
You know, it was finally. Yeah, it was really, really pretty to see him working. There's one play Draymond Green did at over the defense. Pass as to a lob. Jimmy Butler just jumps, puts it into the basket. And it was just like Draymond walks up to him, chest bumps like the sparks were flying for the white.
- [08:03]
Analyst 1
And we were talking about this yesterday about, like we were texting back and forth about Steph and like the spiritual experience it is to watch Steph the way he was against the Bulls in that third quarter. He was just awesome. And so he feels rejuvenated now, right?
- [08:16]
Analyst 2
It's like he had a little extra.
- [08:17]
Analyst 1
Pep in his step, knowing he has that secondary scoring option. I'm really excited to see this team once Kaminga comes back too, because you have two guys who can barrel to the basket, get to the free throw line, do their thing next to Steph, right?
- [08:29]
Analyst 2
Well, I mean, just on his way.
- [08:31]
Host
Free throws. Look, Kuminga and Butler, Xena. All right, that's a free throw machine. Now, can they play together? Those.
- [08:38]
Analyst 2
You know, this is the thing everyone's talked about. Andrew Wiggins and Jimmy Butler not being able to play with each other. Excuse me, Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kaminga not being able to play to each other. But it was Draymond Green that was the key that unlocked it when he was the Orchestrator at the top of the key. Being able to say, you stay outside, you go inside, you go short corner, you go high. Like whatever it was, you needed someone in there to balance. And now Draymond Green will need to play a little bit more center position to allow those two to be on the wings and play off of each other. I absolutely think they're capable, especially because Jonathan Kaminga has a three pointer that we don't talk about enough. And if Jimmy Butler slashed in the wing, is slashing into the paint and Jonathan Kaminga is ready for the spot out, kick out in the corner or on the wing, I absolutely see that balancing itself out.
- [09:24]
Analyst 1
Offensively, it's okay. They got Quinton post at home. No Vuchovic needed, you know, stretches.
- [09:32]
Analyst 2
Down in Santa Cruz, we've got Christian.
- [09:35]
Host
Clark coming up in a little bit to go in depth on the entire saga. Xena sat down with him and talked about, you know, the trade and the fans protesting and stuff. Guys, Anthony Davis made his debut in a basketball game and he was awesome. I mean, he. He put up a first half that had never been done in the box score era by any player.
- [09:55]
Analyst 1
Crazy.
- [09:56]
Host
That's a way to show out. But then also, the Anthony Davis roller coaster also arrived in Dallas. So he puts up this amazing. This amazing stat line. They look really great. Around him. I think defensively you get it. But then he leaves the game with an injury and asks, like, you traded a guy that you said wasn't in good shape. You know, obviously by now everyone knows about the owner's comments. Again, Christian Clark really went deep on this. But you. You trade a guy who has some injury concerns for sure, for another guy who kind of has some injury concerns but is older. And I think that this was a perfect storm for. Wow, look at this. This wonderful trade I made. Yeah. And, oh, no, did we make a huge mistake all in one game?
- [10:41]
Analyst 1
Yeah, it was the full Anthony Davis experience. And I. I say that as a really big Anthony Davis fan. Like, I love watching him play when he's at his best. And that emotion that he had in that first half where he's yelling to the crowd that he's here, like, you could feel that that was tangible in how he felt emotionally towards the entire situation. Getting traded for Luca coming to Dallas. But that is also the AD experience of him getting hurt and how he deals with that moving forward, how the Mavericks deal with that moving forward. Because like you said, Dave, the vision is there for this team to be incredible defensively. How they manage the bulging disc of Kyrie Irving, that's going to be a huge question. I know Christian Clark goes into that as well. That's the question I have moving forward with this Mavs team. They're good, but can they stay healthy enough to remain good? You know?
- [11:26]
Host
Yeah. And again, as we wrap up sort of the headlines from the weekend, Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets agreed to a buyout, and Ben Simmons is now a Los Angeles Clipper. Xena, this is actually a really good fit. If he's going to be the backup five with Zubach, this works pretty well.
- [11:45]
Analyst 2
Anytime you can have a ball handler as your 5 is an awesome addition. And I think that's what Ben Simmons right now is. The best thing he can offer is just being an extra set of hands in the case that defense gets a little bit sprawling against a James Harden or against anyone out on the perimeter, particularly like a Norman Powell or Kawhi Leonard, too. I. I do like this fit. I do like Ben Simmons getting out of the east personally and just getting away from the drama that has followed him in the east and getting to start a new chapter here in the West. But, yeah, I definitely think this. This adds to the Clippers.
- [12:20]
Host
It's a good weather city. Good for Ben Simmons.
- [12:22]
Analyst 2
It is.
- [12:23]
Host
Listen, I. I think the west is going to be such a fun playoff race. Now with all these moves and I think Ben Simmons is going to be a part of what the Clippers do. I love him for this team. And we've been high on Ben Simmons this year. He's put up some, some interesting numbers. But yeah, it's gonna be fun, guys. Stick around after the break. Xena is gonna sit down with Christian Clark and get to the bottom of the fan reaction to Lucas.
- [13:03]
Analyst 2
Christian, thank you so much for making time in. I'm what I'm sure has been a tumultuous period, coming right onto the beat for the athletic covering the Dallas Mavericks for us. Christian Clark, how have the last two months been for you?
- [13:21]
Christian Clark
Yeah, so, you know, I think I watched Luca play 10, 11 games since I started this job. The Mavericks were playing really well going into Christmas Day. I think they'd won 14 of 16. You know, I was looking at that. I was like, okay, top 11 in offense and defense. You know, they're, they're winning a lot. Like they look like, you know, they could be one of those teams they. That's in contention at the end again, you know, maybe Oklahoma City Thunder, like the favorites in the west, but like they're right there at least. And then Luca strains his calf on Christmas Day. You know, it gets kind of quiet about his return. And then boom, middle of the night during this five game road trip, the Mavericks dreide him. The guy who as the second highest postseason scoring average in NBA history, the only guy ahead of him is Michael Jordan.
- [14:07]
Analyst 2
That, that seems surreal, especially to come onto a beat and all of a sudden your world is turned upside down and we haven't really gotten to dive in other than through your articles, but we haven't actually got a chance to talk to you since all of that happened. Did you sense anything in the time that you were covering the Mavericks in terms of feelings between Luka and ownership, feelings between Luka and management? Like sensed anything or was this completely a shock to you all as well in the media room?
- [14:35]
Christian Clark
Yeah, I think like, with hindsight, there were maybe some signs of tension. I mean, you know, it just. There just wasn't a whole lot being said about when Luca was going to come back from the calf injury. I mean, people just, they weren't saying the stuff you would expect when it's like, yeah, our superstar player is going to be back in the lineup soon. But I'm going to be honest. No, it caught me completely by surprise. I mean, the day that they made the trade, you know, I woke up that morning and wrote like 1200 words about, hey, some backup centers, some, some wings who could defend three fours like those could be potential acquisitions at the trade deadline. You know, filed that, had dinner, I was getting ready to go to bed. And then they traded Luka Doncic. So, no, I mean, I think the, the circle of people who knew was coming was, was really small. And I mean, I was, I was shocked.
- [15:21]
Analyst 2
Okay, now bring me to that press conference, because that was not the normal press conference that you would expect in terms of the comments made by GM Nico Harrison, the comments not made by head coach Jason Kidd. Like, what was it like to be in that room as Nico Harrison is explaining his blockbuster decision to trade away Luka Doncic?
- [15:42]
Christian Clark
Yeah, so the, the Mavericks have this afternoon game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is, you know, like 12 hours after the LUCA trademark actually happens. You know, Jason Kidd is, is going to talk like an hour and a half before the game and Nico Harrison joins him and he talks to the media that was there in Cleveland. Just a weird mood, you know, man, I mean, you know, Nico said at the time, hey, like, he seemed to confirm, at least that was my reading of it. The only team he talked to is Los Angeles Lakers. I think our colleagues at the Athletic have, have since reported that there was, you know, at least one other team he talked to. But.
- [16:22]
Analyst 2
Right.
- [16:23]
Christian Clark
He also talked about, you know, meeting with Rob Polinka, you know, about three, four weeks before the trade went through, and kind of how that happened. They, you know, the Lakers were in town playing the Mavericks and they, they met at a coffee shop and, and Nico said, hey, look, you know, what would you think about this? And, you know, it was kind of kept between Rob Lake and Jeannie Boss and, and Nico Harrison and Patrick Dumont. You know, I think there are probably a few others who knew about it. I mean, I thought one of the more telling comments was Nico Harrison to Patrick Dumont. The Mavericks governor left when he was first presented with the trade scenario. I mean, imagine taking a potential trade to your. To your owner and the owner laughing.
- [17:03]
Analyst 2
Right, right. That's insane. And then you think about the fact that now the ownership has since come out and made some comments regarding this trade. Interesting comments. Catch us up on exactly what was said and what were your thoughts about it.
- [17:19]
Christian Clark
Yeah, Patrick Dumont, it was, you know, Maverick's governor, Miriam Ollison's son in law. He did an interview with the, the Dallas Morning News, and you know, he basically said, like, yeah, we don't want guys here who are gonna go on vacation. You know, he used the word vacation. In that interview, he talked about, like, great players with, you know, his take was that these guys had incredible work ethic. You know, one of those guys was Shaquille O'Neal. That was. That was kind of interesting. Look, here was my reading of what Patrick Dumont said. I think he was, you know, publicly, like, trying to show he was in lockstep with Nico Harrison. And my read on the situation is that Patrick trusts his basketball people to make decisions. You know, Patrick Dumont is just not going to medal. And the context here is the. The two trade deadlines before this one, Nico Harrison made moves where publicly, I don't know, that they had 100 approval rating. Right. He traded for Kyrie Irving two years ago. The public opinion at the time was like, kyrie Irving. I mean, you know, his. His stint with the Brooklyn Nets was a disaster. This will never work out. And that actually worked out last year. He sends first round picks out for P.J. washington and Daniel Gafford. I don't know if the public reaction on that was as negative, but, like, there was definitely some people looking at it with the skeptical eye. And what happened while the Mavericks catch fire after they make those trades, they end up going all the way to the NBA Finals. So the two trade deadlines before this one, Nico Harrison made moves where the public was like, I don't know about this. And they really worked out. You know, I think this time it's like he's taken this to Patrick Dumont, and it's like, look, I've. I've made these moves where people were unsure about them. They've really worked out. I want to do this one. And I think Patrick Dumont just. Just trusted him. He's just not a. He's not a guy with a basketball background.
- [19:06]
Analyst 2
It was just interesting that in supporting the decision by his front office, he also had some criticisms of folks that have since left. It's like there's a different way of supporting them without having to say, basically, that Luka Doncic was taking vacations and didn't have a hard work ethic. I thought that was very interesting in the way that he put that. Now, I'm happy you brought up the fact that there were some previous moves that the Mavericks have made that have since worked out despite public outcry. And you were at the game this past Saturday when Anthony Davis made his debut. Max Christie now has played two games with the Mavs. But you were out there when people were actually protesting what was going on? Like, what was the vibe? Were you scared? Because there's been a Lot of sentiment around public safety and particularly the safety of the officials. Like, what was it like to be out there amongst the protests?
- [19:57]
Christian Clark
Yeah, I think ESPN reported that. That Nico Harrison received death threats, you know, over the Luka Donches trade. Like, I was. I was out there, you know, outside the Dirk statue, watching the protest. I did not come away with that, thinking it was scary. I mean, it was 100 Mavericks fans, they weren't happy, obviously, their chin sell, the team, fire Nico, we love Luca, things like that. But I did not look at that and it was like, this was scary. You know, I was never for a moment yesterday, like, oh, my gosh, I'm worried for my own safety or there's something that might happen. I mean, there was a police presence out there. They had like a, you know, a canine dog which can sniff for drugs or bombs or whatever. And the mood inside the building was not really that negative at all. I mean, the fan. The fans cheered Anthony Davis loudly. The Mavericks got off to a good start, which I think helped them. I mean, my general take on it is that I think the fans are going to be okay if they win a lot, and if they don't, I don't think they are. Like, I think if yesterday had gone differently and they lost by 15 points, it could have gotten ugly in there. So I think a lot of this is just going to be dictated by. By what happens on the court. And I will say this too. I think they took kind of subtle measures to help nudge, like, fan sentiment towards positivity yesterday. Like, they weren't painting to the crowd at any point in the game because they didn't want people to get riled up, I guess. So there was subtle things they did. I think they're also taking signs when people were coming in, so there were steps taken to tamp down some of that stuff.
- [21:29]
Analyst 2
Oh, wow. I don't think I even noticed that watching it on league pass, but I did notice that Anthony Davis absolutely made himself known out on the court, especially the first three plays of the game. Either were an assist from him, him leading the break, leading to assists, he naturally very smoothly found himself within the offense and the defense of this Mavericks team. When you look at the way that he was utilized, particularly in that power forward position, which is where he's always wanted to be. Like, what did you make of his debut with the Mavericks and how this could continue on past, hopefully this injury that was sustained in the third quarter.
- [22:09]
Christian Clark
Yeah, Anthony Davis was fantastic when he was actually on the court. I mean, yeah, you Know, I think the most revealing statistic number from that game was 18 blocks. That was a franchise record for blocks, literally game one of Anthony Davis at power forward and Daniel Gafford at center. I mean, they. They made this move because they wanted to be an elite defensive team. You know, I think you have to view this through the context of the 20, 19, 20 Lakers. Anthony Davis played a lot of power forward that season. Jason Kidd was an assistant coach on that team. You know, that team was more defensive oriented than offensive oriented, and that was why they're able to win the title that season. I mean, AD Was incredible on both ends of the floor. Like, you totally saw the vision defensively. And then with like a little less than two minutes remaining in third quarter, he has to come out and he never returns. They officially listed him as doubtful. He talked after the game and insisted it was nothing serious. I mean, I'm going to closely be watching the injury report tonight because AD Missed five games in a row before he made his Mavericks debut with what they said was an abdominal strain. I know what he said, but I'm still watching the injury report to see what happens.
- [23:22]
Analyst 2
I mean, this is one of the concerns that people had about Anthony Davis. It's just his ability to stay on the court to stay out of injuries. But from the conversation you guys had with him after the game, his sentiments seemed pretty positive. He felt really good about where the. The Mavericks were headed and how his impact would be felt.
- [23:40]
Christian Clark
No, yeah, totally. I think, you know, I think he's pretty okay with coming to Dallas. I mean, I think it's like a market he's comfortable in. He's got a. He's got a friendship with Kyrie Irving. You know, Kyrie Irving said during the road trip that he, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant actually talked about playing together back in 2018. So, you know, the idea of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis playing together, there's not anything that's. That's new at all. But to your point, I mean, not only is Luka Doncic six years younger than Anthony Davis, he's got a better track record of actually being available on the court. I mean, you know, it's important. An older guy and a guy who misses a lot more time. I mean, that's part of the reason the reaction was what it was, right?
- [24:27]
Analyst 2
And understandable. I mean, even Jason Kidd, as you mentioned in your article, that, you know, saying the fans have a right to be upset, the fans have a right to feel a certain way about the caliber of player. And also the health of the player that you traded for, I mean, that's the number one thing. Anthony Davis is an all star when he's available. But there's another player that was involved in this trade. It wasn't just Anthony Davis. There was a younger player person that you could probably look to for the future of the franchise. Not necessarily the future face, but definitely someone that can help out, and that is Max Christie. And Max Christie was on a roll at the Lakers, definitely playing well, particularly as a 3 and D guy, being some length on the perimeter, etc. And you saw him kind of transition that with Max's approach and his debut and with, with Dallas and then particularly this past game, closing that game out with a big three at the end. You know, what's been the sentiment around how Max Christie has already gelled in with this team?
- [25:26]
Christian Clark
Yeah, he's. He's put together three really nice games with, with the Mavericks. I think he's going to turn 22 years old, you know, later this week. So he's been awesome. I mean, he was, he was in his starting role with the Lakers before he got traded. I mean, seems like a super bright young guy. I totally get why the Mavericks wanted him in this trade. You know, I think one of the things you heard immediately after they, they made the Luca trade and got back AD Max Christie was like, they got too many guards, you know, and they're probably going to make another move for the deadline. And that's what they ended up doing. Trading Quentin Grimes, who's going to be a restricted free agent this summer, and getting back Caleb Martin. You know, I think Max Christie being brought in here and Dante Exum getting healthy kind of set the stage for that Quentin Grimes trade. But yeah, Max Christie's a really nice player and I mean, not even 22 years old yet.
- [26:22]
Analyst 2
When you think about the floor general on this team outside of Kyrie Irving, what's that second layer for them in terms of how do you think they want to set up their team on the floor?
- [26:37]
Christian Clark
I think you're getting at one of the most important questions or concerns with this trade. Moving on from Luca puts an enormous creation load on Kyrie Irving, who's going to turn 33 years old in March. He's been honest that he's dealing with a bulging disc in his back. I mean, he's, he's really, you know, the, the drop off between Kyrie and the Mavericks next best guard creator is massive. Now, you know, Jason Kidd, like in Luca Dutch and Kyrie Irving to quarterbacks you know, the mavericks had this two quarterback offense. Well, the difference between QB1 and QB2 now is, is enormous. And I think that's, that's got to be like, scary and a little bit of concern for the Mavericks. And I think, you know, when you look ahead to the playoffs, it's like, okay, let's say they play the Oklahoma City thunder in the second round. I mean, it's 48 minutes of, of Lou Dort, Alex Caruso, Jason Wallace on Kyrie Irving, who's 6 foot 1, 180 pounds, if we're being real about it. I mean, that's a, that's a huge ask for him, you know, like, I think there's going to be a lot of comparisons between this Mavericks team in the 2019, 20 Lakers. They playing two bigs. I mean, Kyrie is really in that LeBron creator role. Like it was LeBron plus guys who could really defend on the perimeter, plus those two bigs. Like Kyrie is, is the LeBron on this team. And how's that going to go?
- [28:00]
Analyst 2
Yeah, and that's the thing. Kyrie's always been kind of like the one A to the one as opposed to just being the star of the team. That's the thing. I'm happy you cleared that up for me. That's exactly what I'm looking at, particularly in this last game of like, if Kyrie isn't available, who else is going to be the one that steps up? Of course, got to keep an eye out on Anthony Davis. Going to keep an eye out on Max Christie continuing to evolve with this team. But Christian Clark, thank you for making the time with us. I know it's been a crazy kind of turn of events for you to be on this beat right now, but we appreciate you making the time for us.
- [28:33]
Christian Clark
Hey, I really appreciate y'all having me on.
- [28:35]
Analyst 2
All right, guys, don't go anywhere. We got our big games of the week, of course, our BETMGM picks going right after this break. Right after.
- [28:45]
Host
All right, guys, it's time for our picks of the week, brought to you by our friends at BetMGM. And it's our favorite games this week. The game of the week, undoubtedly, to me, guys, warriors at Rockets Thursday night, right before we go into the All Star break. Jimmy Butler obviously gonna be a big part of this team going forward. We get to see more of him. The Rockets, every single game they're in is crazy. I think the warriors here, they need to get a really good win streak going into the All Star break. So I think the warriors probably win this game on Thursday.
- [29:18]
Analyst 1
What about also a home game for Jimmy?
- [29:19]
Christian Clark
Right.
- [29:20]
Analyst 1
He's come back to Houston. Tom Ball guy like that's. That's a part of it. You know, everybody was talking about how the Rockets should trade for Jimmy too. Gonna be a good game. Yeah, I agree. That's definitely the game of the week.
- [29:30]
Host
I think the warriors got. They're gonna win that game.
- [29:32]
Analyst 2
Yeah. Yeah. I anticipate Jimmy wanting to show out for Dub Nation. I also want you guys to know the last three games, these are the final scores between the warriors and The Houston Rockets. 127, 121. Warriors win. 99, 93. Warriors win. 9,091. Rockets win.
- [29:48]
Analyst 1
Wow.
- [29:49]
Analyst 2
It's been a tight race all season for these two teams against each other. Don't anticipate anything less.
- [29:54]
Host
Yeah. Our sicko games of the week. The Portland Trailblazers look like they're on the way to the Western Conference finals. I. I don't know. They've just been so good. DeAndre has been an absolute revelation. And they're going to play the Nuggets Monday night. Head to head with Luca versus the Jazz. And Luca's debut for the Lakers. Guys, the sicko game is Blazers Nuggets. This is basketball. It's so good.
- [30:22]
Analyst 1
No, I like it. I. Look, anytime you get to watch the Blazers late night here on the east coast, they're like my late night team. You know, you get to just grab a cup of coffee and watch. It's very fun. Very, very fun. I actually am going to go with the team with the game that they're facing off against, which is Lakers versus Jazz. People wouldn't typically think of Lakers versus Jazz. You know, look, it is Luca's debut. I know that's not necessarily a sicko game, but you also might be able to catch some Utah Jazz basketball. When have you been able to watch some Utah Jazz? We're all clamoring for more Collier hooping.
- [30:55]
Analyst 2
Why not?
- [30:56]
Analyst 1
Let's do it, man. Get some Jazz against the, the, the Lakers. And also maybe Xena gets her wish. Luka going off, right?
- [31:05]
Analyst 2
Oh, yes, I. That's right. I don't know if you guys remember if you've been rocking with us since the start of the new NBA Daily. I said that this might be the season that someone beats Kobe's 81 point game record. I think that it could have been Luka. I said this back in the day. Luka. Don't let me down. Hopefully makes my prediction come through true.
- [31:24]
Host
I mean we watched him do 73. I think that if, if they wanted to Engineer this, if LeBron James just said, you know what? I've been playing like a top five player in the world for the last couple weeks, which he has, by the way. We're going to get to the bottom of this. I don't know what's going on with LeBron, but he has been insane. I think that if they just wanted to do it very easily, could Luca 80 points in his debut. So huge week, actually, for All Star week. Usually these games, you know, it's like bumbling or, you know, a guy makes a trade, you know, guy gets traded. And it, it seems kind of weird, but everyone is kind of hit the gas, fully accelerated, going, you know, 0 to 60 as fast as they can heading in the All Star break. So should be a good week of basketball. Every single night there's a good game. Even the NBA pivots. A Saturday early game. Lakers Pacers to national TV doesn't make his debut. LeBron James is out, and that game was awesome. Austin Reeves is apparently the third star. I mean, this is every single. The flattening of the NBA skill curve makes it so that every, every day that there's a really fun game. So anyway, it's going to be a great week. We've got some special things planned for this week which I will not spoil, but, man, they're pretty special. So we hope you guys enjoy the show this week. For Zena Keda and Esperaheni and Christian Clark, thanks for stopping by. I'm Dave DeFore and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.
- [33:11]
Analyst 2
Foreign.
- [33:18]
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- [33:43]
Analyst 2
New McCrispy Strip is here. Dip approved by Ketchup.
- [33:46]
Christian Clark
Tangy barbecue, Honey mustard, honey mustard, Sprite.
- [33:49]
Host
McFlurry, Big Mac sauce, double dipped in buffalo and ranch.
- [33:51]
Liquid IV Advertiser
More ranch and creamy chili.
- [33:53]
Host
McCrispy strip dip now at McDonald's.
- [33:58]
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