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- [00:00]
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- [01:33]
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- [02:14]
Dave DeFore
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for April 14, 2026. I'm Dave DeFore here with Esperahenny and Fred Katz. Coming up, we go deep on the play in, we talk about X factors and we make our picks foreign. Everybody, what is up? S welcome back, Fred. Playing tonight. You guys excited?
- [02:42]
Esperahenny
Absolutely. Yeah. I think it'll be awesome. I. I think the. I'm a big playing believer. I know there are some playing skeptics out there in the world, but I'm a playing believer. Fred, how about you?
- [02:53]
Fred Katz
I'm really excited to watch the last play in that doesn't have any teams trying to tank out it out of it so that they can get the first overall pick in these flattened lottery odds world.
- [03:02]
Esperahenny
So you believe what Dave was saying yesterday that there will be some tankers in this playing tournament?
- [03:08]
Fred Katz
I mean not in this one but, but in future ones if they change the lottery odds. Well, hang on. I think, I think we could see a tanker.
- [03:15]
Dave DeFore
Are the Blazers not a test case of this, Fred? Because they, their lottery pick this year is top 14 protected so they need to miss the play in. Right. I mean this is my prediction, my quote unquote bold prediction is that the, the Blazers aren't going to make it.
- [03:32]
Fred Katz
That would be, that would be really tremendous. I'm sure Adam Silver would be absolutely thrilled if the Blazers took the floor and Denny Abdia was out with injury management.
- [03:42]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, I look, I don't think we're
- [03:43]
Fred Katz
going to get really excited, but I
- [03:45]
Dave DeFore
do believe they're going to find a way to lose. Let's. We're going to do the little play in preview. You know, a lot of these teams, it's not like they're on national TV all the time. So maybe you're not a fan of them. Maybe you know, this will be the first time you sit get a chance to sit down and watch them. So I thought we could do almost like a little bit of a viewing guide. But, but really I want to talk about these matchups because we don't get a lot of single elimination in the NBA and it's kind of fun to look at it as a one off. You know, like almost like Fred S. Give me your scout on these two teams. So I thought that would be kind of fun. Let's start with Sixers Magic. It's going to be in Philadelphia. We as we know this has not been a great season for either one of these teams. I mean for, for various reasons. You know, the Sixers, obviously the health situation, Joel Embiid being out with the Magic. It's just health. Confusing play, confusing roster Construction. Who even knows what's happening with the coach? I don't know. In this matchup. I'll start with you, Fred. What stands out to you? Like, what are you looking to see in this one game?
- [04:53]
Fred Katz
I mean, I felt like the Magic's final game of the regular season was a microcosm of their entire year where they're going up against the Celtics. I mean, the B league squad would have been an improvement. Not to demean any of those guys, but like all the Celtics rotation players are sitting. No one who's going to be in their playoff rotation is playing in that game. Three Celtics had career highs and it wasn't just that Orlando lost that game and it wasn't just that they fell down big and they came back and then they lost their entire management of that game was weird. Desmond bane has his 82 games and was trying to get to 82 games. So they're going to play Desmond Bane for like a few minutes and then they're going to sit him in the game they have to win. So they play Desmond Bain for a few minutes and then they sit him and then they bring them back late because they're trying to win. It was very odd. It was as if they were thinking, you know what, we're good, we'll coast against these third stringers. And I feel like Orlando has had that weird sort of something is off here but can't put my finger on it sort of vibe.
- [06:06]
Esperahenny
Big time.
- [06:06]
Fred Katz
More so than any other team of the year. Everybody talks about their defense or their offense. Everyone talks about the lack of three point shooting and the occasional clunkiness and the Paulo Franz fit when those two guys are both there and everything else, the injuries, whatever else. And to me, the thing that stood out to them the most this year is the defense. It, it, it was so great last year. It was number two in the league in points allowed per possession last year. And they've fallen off to kind of mundane territory this year. And there are so many possessions where it's just where are they? Where's their physicality? Where's their hustle? Late in that Boston game, Boston gets an easy, easy transition layup because three guys in Orlando don't run back like in a do or die game where you're playing for home court in the seventh or the eighth seed in the play in tournament and it's not happening. Very weird Orlando season. And it's just what I unfortunately always have my eye on when I watch them now.
- [07:03]
Dave DeFore
Well, I mean, s was you. You watched that Raptors game that they lost, how many, what was it, 52?
- [07:09]
Esperahenny
It would have been a million. And that's basically how it felt.
- [07:13]
Dave DeFore
31:0 run. How does that happen?
- [07:16]
Esperahenny
Yeah, it, it, it was a lack of preparation, you know, and I, I wonder, you know, before the game we were talking to Jamal Mosley in that Raptors Magic game and he credited the level of preparation that the Raptors had pregame. And I, you know, thinking back now, the fact that they lost that game by 50 points and got absolutely decimated, it, it was a telling moment to me about where Orlando is and honestly what might be this summer for them. I know we're, we're talking about the game and they still have a game that they can try and win against the Sixers, but I think for a lot of Magic fans, they're probably thinking about what changes will happen this summer, whether it is the head, whether they end up shaking up the roster in any sort of way, or what happens contractually because they have to pay Anthony Black. This is becoming an increasingly expensive team. What kind of decisions, however drastic, are they going to make to maybe change the bad vibes that Fred is kind of alluding to here?
- [08:17]
Dave DeFore
Yeah. What, is there any particular matchup you guys are looking forward to seeing in this game? Paul George versus Paolo Banchero, maybe.
- [08:27]
Esperahenny
I will say Paul George is pretty intriguing just as a one off single elimination player especially he's been playing some good basketball since he's been back in the, let's see, 10 games that he's played since he returned. He's averaging 21 points, five and five, shooting 41% from three. I feel like he's a guy who could catch fire on just, just, you know, single elimination basketball. You need some buckets. You could look at Paul George and Tyrese Maxey and say they can take you and beat a Magic team that obviously has been inconsistent offensively, but also to Fred's point earlier, pretty inconsistent on the defensive side too.
- [09:03]
Fred Katz
Yeah, I, I'll go. Jaylen Suggs guarding Tyrese Maxey. That's a really, that's a really fun matchup. Jalen Suggs has really become one of the phenomenal defensive guards in the league. Kind of this next era is Marcus smart in a lot of ways in terms of the way he plays, in terms of the style he plays, in terms of how hard he goes, he's. And if he were 65 game eligible, he'd be somebody who I think everyone would consider for their all defensive teams. He is tremendously important for Orlando. You look at the on offs and you just watch them play. You watch the verve they come with defensively. When he's out there, it's a different sort of thing. When Jalen Suggs is out there, they're totally different. And Maxi has just had a phenomenal season. He is impossible to guard. And on top of all of that, he has had some incredible playoff moments already and he's very young and he's already had some phenomenal playoff moments. I covered that series against the Knicks a couple of years ago when he had the unbelievable game five which has been somewhat forgotten because they ended up losing that series. But he basically. Reggie Miller, the Knicks in MSG in an astonishing finish. He has had an unbelievable year. He's an all NBA shoe in in my opinion. And those two guys just going at it I think will be really fun to watch.
- [10:22]
Dave DeFore
What about X factors for this game? You know, I, I think the Jalen Suggs versus Maxi thing, that's front of mind for me. You know you mentioned their defense before, but is there anybody that, that you guys could envision just swinging this game that we're not thinking of?
- [10:36]
Esperahenny
Paul George. I mean I, I alluded to it again, but like it really does feel like this is setting up for him to have a good game just because of how he can attack what Orlando is not good at on the defensive side of the ball.
- [10:51]
Dave DeFore
Well, who's going to guard him is the thing, right?
- [10:53]
Esperahenny
Franz probably.
- [10:55]
Dave DeFore
I think it's going to be. It's got to be Franz and I just don't know how Franz holds up with the way Paul George has looked here recently.
- [11:02]
Fred Katz
Yeah, I'll just, I'll just go with Orlando's three point shooting.
- [11:05]
Dave DeFore
Yeah. Wow.
- [11:06]
Fred Katz
I think, I think that's it. If Orlando can hit its threes, then it's in a very different place than if it doesn't hit its threes. I think that's a big part of,
- [11:16]
Dave DeFore
and this is the question about every series. Who, who has more pressure to win? I mean I, I think it's obviously Orlando. Even though it feels like they're delaying the inevitable. They would be delaying the inevitable with, with Philly. They, they kind of get a little bit of a built in excuse again, I think I.
- [11:34]
Esperahenny
Doesn't Philly give up their pick to OKC this year? So if they were to somehow fall out, I mean we going back to the tank conversation. They can't tank. Yeah, Philly can't tank. So they might have actually more pressure on them to win this game and play a Playoff series. Because they could be. They're giving up a pick to the Thunder.
- [11:53]
Fred Katz
Yeah, I think there is probably. I think there's gotta be more pressure on Orlando.
- [11:58]
Dave DeFore
Yeah.
- [11:59]
Fred Katz
Because. Or because Orlando is coming to a reckoning this summer. Because it's not just about, you know, people can talk about Jamal Mosley all they want. And I think Jamal Mosley is a very good coach. Whether it ends up working out for him in Orlando is a different conversation. But I think he's. He's clearly a very good coach and a very good defensive coach. But they have questions about the roster. This might not just be a Jamal Mosley thing.
- [12:22]
Dave DeFore
Oh, right.
- [12:23]
Fred Katz
Take out the coach, bring in a new coach, and you're good to go. And the reality is they are expensive. They are really expensive. And they are going to be flirting with aprons stuff as soon as. Exactly. They're going to be hitting payroll thresholds. You cannot be hitting as a play in team, maybe not as a player. We're talking about. If they lose this game, they got one more chance because double elimination. But if they miss the playoffs, you can't be going approaching the second apron with a team that's missing the playoffs. When, yeah, they've had injuries, but they also have guys who historically have injuries. Like Jalen Suggs is hurt. That's part of his identity. You have to account for that when it happens. Jonathan Isaac, you have to account for that when it happens. Franz Wagner has had injuries. Like this is just the way that their careers seem to be going. And meanwhile, you're paying Wagner a lot of money. You're playing Bunchero a lot of money. You're paying Suggs 35 million a year. And you're paying Desmond Bain a lot of money. They gave out max contracts to Bankero and to Wagner. 25 max contracts, both those guys. And that. That. That's gonna, you know, that's a big deal with that moving forward. And they are going to have a very expensive roster. And we'll have decisions to make about this roster moving forward. And if they were to make a playoff run, I think that we would be having a very different conversation than what's the more likely scenario, which is they probably get into the postseason.
- [13:45]
Esperahenny
Yeah.
- [13:45]
Fred Katz
And then they end up losing either to Detroit or Boston.
- [13:48]
Esperahenny
Brett, I'm kind of curious about your thoughts on this, though, because usually when a team is in crisis mode like this, there's sort of like a line of thinking of, okay, the coach goes first. Then they try and approach roster construction and breaking down a team. Do you feel like they might actually do both this summer. Like, there's a chance that they might end up saying, we want to break up this Paolo Franz duo. We want to do some wholesale changes.
- [14:13]
Fred Katz
Yeah. I have to say, this is not me reporting. Yeah, yeah.
- [14:16]
Esperahenny
Of course.
- [14:16]
Fred Katz
On the Magic, to be clear, this is my own informed opinion. I, I'll say. I, there's nothing that could happen there that would shock me.
- [14:26]
Dave DeFore
Yeah.
- [14:26]
Fred Katz
I think kind of everything would be on the table, and I don't think doing one thing would take something else off the table. Because the reality is this team is both expensive and oddly put together. Like, they're not perfect. They haven't figured it out. Bane didn't solve everything offensively. He gives them some extra motion. He gives them some extra cutting. They still don't really have an elite lead facilitator. Their two top offensive players in Wagner and Bunchero are similarly styled. And what happens is they're not good at putting teams into rotation because teams just switch everything when Wagner and Bunchero go into actions together. And it makes things, it makes defense very simple for a lot of teams. Not a lot of miscommunications against the Magic. Even though they actually run stuff, it's not like they don't run stuff like, they actually run stuff. They run a lot of split action, that kind of stuff, and it doesn't do that much.
- [15:24]
Dave DeFore
You can switch those guys a little too easily, too. That's, that, that's one of the bigger problems they run into with Franz and Paolo is that you can, you can guard them pretty easily because of switch. You can't run them in actions together because they're just too much alike. Who's the winner? Who, who's coming out of this? Who's going to be the 7 seed and lose to Boston in the first round?
- [15:45]
Fred Katz
Philadelphia.
- [15:46]
Dave DeFore
Wow. Okay. See, I, I'm going the other way. I think Orlando, I think the pressure is just so much. I think they just, they're going to gut one out. And, and look, if, if Embiid was out there and playing like he was a few weeks ago, I, I would go Philly. But I just, I don't know. I think, I think Orlando guts one out. They're going to extend this, right? Like, it just feels like they want to stew in this misery a little bit.
- [16:10]
Esperahenny
S I actually disagree. I think it will be Philadelphia. I think Orlando might have played their last real game in against the Celtics. Like, that's what it feels like.
- [16:21]
Dave DeFore
We'll see. I, Look, I, I, I have a hard Time saying that they quit, but it definitely feels like they quit. But it's just exactly the sort of thing where in this one game, everything, every shot's going to fall is what it feels like to me. All right, Hornets, Heat this one. Look, the Heat are just perennial playing team to me. Look, the matchup to watch in this game is Eric Spoelstra versus the Charlotte Hornets. That's it. It's. Can Eric Spoelstra come up with a game plan to shut these guys down for a game, to keep them off the glass for a game, to somehow carve up their defense? Like, does Bam out of bio have 60 in them for one game? That's what I'm looking for, guys.
- [17:08]
Esperahenny
That would be awesome. I would love to see a Bam out of bio 60 point game in the playing because it wouldn't count. There would be no history behind it. It would be 83 points and then his other career high. Nobody would even know if Bam ever scored 60 points because they don't track that. Please, NBA track the play in stats. That's something that I will harp on. I completely agree that this will be a matchup of how the Heat can be as smart as possible. I will say also from Miami's perspective, there is a world in which Tyler Hero and Norm Powell get hot. And the three point shooting of those guys can kind of balance out the same three point volume that you're going to get from Charlotte with Khan and Brandon Miller.
- [17:52]
Dave DeFore
And they've just been bad with those two guys on the court together this year. That's. That's the only thing, like if there was some track record from this season where like even if it was just a 10 game stretch where those two guys played together and played well, I could buy it. I, I just don't. I don't think that they fit at all. I don't think that works. Fred? What? What do you think?
- [18:13]
Fred Katz
Oh, funny you should ask, Dave. I think Miami. I'm gonna go with a variation of what you said.
- [18:21]
Dave DeFore
Okay.
- [18:22]
Fred Katz
Miami's wonky junk defenses against Charlotte's smooth gutting offenses. You know, for all the talk that people have of Charlotte like wanting to play fast, the reality is they're actually really fast in the half court. They're great cutters. Lamelo has had a really, really good year running that offense. The advanced numbers are off the charts with him. He has been really, really great. Knipple is unbelievable moving off the ball. His gravity away from the basketball is sensational. The amount of respect he is getting from other Teams defensively is unbelievable. Miami likes to go to zones. They like to throw out this really gross stuff that just looks like a high school team trying to mess around with their opponent. And I would love to see. I will love to see how Charlotte is going to react to that kind of stuff. Miami played like literally three times as much zone per possession or something like that during the. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's two times as much zone during the regular season as much as anybody else. Charlotte is a team that, like, people have gone to zone against. You can run specific kinds of zone,
- [19:34]
Dave DeFore
especially late in games. Like, they. They have this tendency late in games. It's almost like they run out of gas a little bit in fourth quarter shooting the ball. So. Yeah, that's in my notes too, for Miami.
- [19:44]
Fred Katz
Yeah. So I think that that'll be a really interesting thing to follow.
- [19:48]
Esperahenny
I feel like most people are fast forwarding this playing game and saying the Hornets are going to win this, then they're going to beat Whoever loses to 7 and 8 and they will end up playing Detroit in the first round. Do you feel that way, Fred? And if you feel that way, do you think Charlotte has a chance against the Pistons?
- [20:07]
Fred Katz
I. I mean, if I'll pick Charlotte to make the playoffs. They've been playing great, I think number one net rating in the NBA since whatever the cutoff date.
- [20:17]
Men's Wearhouse Advertiser
January 1st.
- [20:18]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, whatever date you want to choose around that time.
- [20:21]
Esperahenny
Yeah, they're on like a 55 win pace, something like that since January, so.
- [20:25]
Fred Katz
Right. One of the best records in the Eastern Conference. They're playing like an excellent team since January. It is amazing that they just couldn't get above ninth. Right. Like, they have been on fire. For the last month and a half they've been in ninth and for the last month and a half they've been on fire. And I feel like the record since the cutoff date doesn't match up with where they finished. I'm like, how are they still ninth? What am I not understanding about addition and subtraction that these wins aren't adding up? How do I not get there? I do think Charlotte is going to win. It's a single elimination. I do think this is the rare situation, maybe the first situation in play in history. And you know, I'm just going to say it is because no one's going to call me out on this. Who knows? I'm going to say this is the first time in play in history where the 910 game has felt like the 78 game and the 7, 8 game has felt like the 910 game.
- [21:17]
Esperahenny
I agree with that.
- [21:18]
Dave DeFore
Yeah.
- [21:19]
Fred Katz
And I think that this, this is this, you know, when people are like, ah, the Western Conference finals, those are the finals this year. That's what I'm going to say. I'm going to say this is the 78 game.
- [21:28]
Dave DeFore
This is the play in. All right, so you guys are both picking the Hornets here. Yeah, I'm assuming I'm going to take the Hornets too. What, what do you guys, what do you guys think might surprise some people about this game when they get a chance to sit down and see the Hornets? You know, I, I think the offensive stuff is pretty apparent for me. I, I think it's going to be the way that they defend. I, I don't think people expect a lamelo ball team to play defense the way that this one does. I do think that that'll be eye opening.
- [21:59]
Esperahenny
I think Moussa Diabate is that guy that people will be like, whoa, this guy is awesome. Crashing the offensive glass. Very physical player will be tenacious. And it's just, that's, that's the type of guy that will gain fans throughout this playoff run for the Hornets just because of how he plays. So yeah, I, I would pick that guy. Musa.
- [22:19]
Fred Katz
That's a great answer. That's a fantastic answer. I'm going to say the Hornets rebounding. The Hornets are the best two way rebounding team in the NBA. Now the Rockets don't have Stephen Adams. They're the best two way rebounding team in the NBA. Second during the regular season in offensive rebound rate and second in the, in the regular season in defensive rebound rate. They have ginormous dudes like Ryan Kalkbrenner. They have like, like agile scramble centers who just basically are like giant Josh Harts in Moosa Diabate. They've got wings. Who rebounds. They block out. They are so quick to the ball. And I guess the abstract thing that take away from this, which is kind of all of our things, is how hard this team plays. Yeah, that's the through line in all three of our answers here. Yeah, that's the through line in how they defend. That's the through line and that's Musa Diabate's entire brand and that's the three line and how they rebound. This team plays so hard and plays so together and you honestly don't need to know the first thing about basketball to be able to notice how hard this team plays all the time. It, it's unbelievably apparent two minutes into every game they play. They're very, very, very fun to watch.
- [23:31]
Dave DeFore
Also, all the highlights are going to be Lamelo Ball. Go ahead and book that now. He's going to have an incredible game. All right guys, stick around. After the break. We're going to hit the Western Conference play.
- [23:44]
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- [26:50]
Dave DeFore
Okay. Out west we got the 78 game. The Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trailblazers. I already said my bit here that I think the Blazers tank their way out. Convince me otherwise. Guys like are the Blazers gonna. Are they a better team right now than the Phoenix Suns?
- [27:07]
Fred Katz
You're, you're pointing at me now.
- [27:10]
Esperahenny
I feel like the point is easier. You know, instead of an alley, it's like a lob.
- [27:14]
Fred Katz
It's like a man. Subpar.
- [27:18]
Dave DeFore
We do double Dutch around here, Fred. You just got to jump in subpar.
- [27:22]
Fred Katz
I, I Portland is playing really well lately. Portland is playing really well. And one thing that I keep thinking about. Can I jump ahead to the guy to watch or whatever our thing is going to be?
- [27:39]
Dave DeFore
Absolutely, yeah.
- [27:41]
Fred Katz
The guy to watch the X factor. Whatever else. People talk about Denny Abdia. He's had a great year. People talk about Devin Booker, incredible player. People talk about Dylan Brooks, total maniac, has had a fantastic season. You might talk about Colin Gillespie, nice little MIP candidacy. Sure had an awesome year. Watch to Monte Kamara. Just like if you, if, if you want to, you want to learn something about basketball. Just, just watch to money Kamara when he plays defense. Don't. Don't watch the ball. Do not watch the ball. Who wherever Tomani Kamara is, just watch him for an entire possession and then the next possession. Watch him for the entire possession and the next possession. Watch him for the entire possession. By this point you will have seen him fall down at least five times. He is a freak defensively. He full court pressures more than any other defender in the league right now. He will pick you up right up against the baseline if he has to. He just broke Anderson Vera Jo's single season record for most offensive fouls drawn in a season. Anderson Verajao drew 99 fouls in 2006. 07. He drew 106 this year.
- [29:02]
Dave DeFore
That's amazing.
- [29:03]
Fred Katz
He's the first guy ever to reach single digits since Basketball reference started tracking that. I don't know like 25 years ago in the play by play data or whatever.
- [29:10]
Esperahenny
Wow, that's incredible.
- [29:12]
Fred Katz
The guy, people talk about him drawing charges, but it's like not charges, it's illegal screens. He does this thing where he'll be going, the coverage will be to go over a screen. So he'll go over a screen, over a screen, over a screen. It's the coverage, it's going over the screen. And then the screener will notice, oh, he's going over, he's going over. I'll roll a little bit early. So the screener will roll to the hoop a little bit early and Kamara will be like, oh, I'm just randomly going to go under now. So it goes under the screen. So knowing the guy's going to roll early runs directly into him. And that's an illegal screen and it's a turnover because the guy is technically moving when he should be setting the screen because he rolled a little bit early. And Kamara noticed his habits that he's going to roll early now because this guy thought Kamara was going to go over again. He is so clever and sneaky. He's fantastic guarding the ball. Watch his hands when he guards the ball. Mirrors the basketball better than any perimeter defender in the league. He's just one of the absolute best and feistiest and also best conditioned with the amount that he moves. He is one of the best defenders out there and he is so important on a team that likes the full court pressure, that wants to force turnovers is so important and their defense starts completely with him. Watch Jumani Kamara.
- [30:29]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, well, he'll enjoy Devin Booker most of the time, I'm assuming, you know.
- [30:34]
Esperahenny
Absolutely.
- [30:35]
Dave DeFore
He's on his way to being Scottie Pippen. I think
- [30:41]
Esperahenny
he, he plays defense like he's Scottie Pippen. I completely agree with that. Is Fred, is he on your. One of your all defense teams?
- [30:50]
Fred Katz
He's not after. I just had that whole thing. I had him there. I had him there last year. I had him there last year. He. He's one of my first. He's one of my first cuts.
- [31:01]
Esperahenny
Okay.
- [31:01]
Fred Katz
I felt really bad about not not having him on there, but there are a lot of guys who are having amazing perimeter defense seasons on top of the fact that it's positionless now, which means that big men are going to take up spots and be three centers.
- [31:17]
Dave DeFore
All NBA first team, I'm assuming. Okay. All right, back. Back to Suns Blazers. It's a one off who's got the most to lose in this game. I mean, obviously we just talked about the Blazers, that if they win, they lose their draft pick. But just overall, like, who needs to win this game more, Blazers or the Suns?
- [31:38]
Esperahenny
I mean, I think it's an equal amount. Like, I don't think there's any more pressure on either team outside of the lottery pick aspect of this for the Blazers. I think both of these teams want to prove that they're a playoff team because they want to prove that their blueprint or concept that they're building around Devin Booker, around Danny Abdia, around, like, make sense moving forward, building for the future, especially for a young Blazers team. Maybe that's where I would go. I would say the Blazers just because they're a little bit younger and so getting playoff experience for some of their guys would actually be pretty valuable for them. Whereas Devin Booker's been to the playoffs a bunch. Dylan Brooks has been to the playoffs a bunch. This. That. This would just be reaffirming that they can lead a team to that point. But I kind of want to mention another guy on the Blazers and just wax poetic a little bit more, if possible. Donovan Klingon has been awesome this year. He almost made the threshold for 100 blocks and 100 threes in a season. He. He made like 84 threes and he shot 34%. He's a very, very unique big man, and I love the way that he protects the paint. But I'm also curious how he looks in this matchup, because I have seen the Blazers struggle against drop when he's on the floor. And if. I mean, if he is in drop coverage, which he likely will be, right? Devin Booker.
- [32:57]
Dave DeFore
Huge game for Booker.
- [32:59]
Esperahenny
He's going to cook that.
- [33:00]
Dave DeFore
Think about when they played against Utah and Rudy Gobert, and I would say Rudy Gobert was more.
- [33:05]
Fred Katz
More.
- [33:05]
Dave DeFore
More mobile than clinging is for sure. So I don't think clinging is the guy that's. That's going to be able to reign in. It's just going to do, like, the way that they shoot.
- [33:16]
Esperahenny
Yeah. And to Fred's cap. Fred. Fred's cat.
- [33:19]
Dave DeFore
Fred's cat.
- [33:20]
Esperahenny
Fred's cat earlier. To Fred's cat earlier. To Fred's point earlier. That's why Tamani K. Important for this team because he's chasing around Booker all the time around these screens. He's going to chase around Dylan Brooks around these screens as well. And so if the Blazers earn a drop consistently, there will be a lot of contests, late contests that they will have to have over Booker, which will be basically the key of this game,
- [33:45]
Dave DeFore
I think matchup to Watch. To me, guys, Dylan Brooks versus Denny Abdia feels like, will, how many technicals are we going to see in this game? Fred, do the technicals count?
- [33:58]
Fred Katz
I. I don't remember.
- [34:00]
Esperahenny
That's a great question. So no idea.
- [34:02]
Fred Katz
If you do the kids count towards postseason?
- [34:04]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, I'm assuming not, but yeah, nothing
- [34:08]
Esperahenny
counts in these games.
- [34:09]
Dave DeFore
I feel like we're gonna get. We're gonna get some heated moments between these guys.
- [34:13]
Fred Katz
I mean, look, Danny Abdia is kind of like he's not Giannis De Campo in terms of his quality. It's not my.
- [34:27]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, yeah.
- [34:28]
Fred Katz
It's not my comment, but stylistically he is like a smaller Giannis in terms of his just absolute explosion to the basket. It's not that he is constant. It's not that he is such a good driver going to the basket. It's that he is so relentless going to the basketball. It is exhausting to have to guard him. He is constantly going to the basket, to the basket, to the basket, to the basket. And that's why the guy is getting to the free throw line more than nine, nine times a game. Dylan Brooks is, unbelievably. Phil is physical, a total irritant, and has been really good guarding the ball for Phoenix this year. And Phoenix is good defensively. Phoenix is a team that's incredibly sound fundamentally. They are good defensively. They communicate well. They play incredibly hard. They win the possession game, which is huge for them. That's how they win games. Like when they win games. I described them to somebody the other day as, they're not a shot making team, they're a shot taking team. They don't win because they made a lot of shots. They won because they took seven more shots than you do. Yeah, because they don't really turn it over. They're good on the offensive boards, they're good on the defensive boards, and they end up just kind of. It's like, oh, Look, Phoenix took 91
- [35:44]
Esperahenny
shots and they also take a lot of three, right.
- [35:46]
Dave DeFore
They.
- [35:47]
Esperahenny
They near the top of the league in three point attempts. And so every night is a shootout for them, which might hurt Portland, by the way.
- [35:54]
Fred Katz
Yep. They're all about just like winning those extra points. Yeah, the way that Portland get those back. Denny I goes to the line 14 times. That's one way where they port they can get them back. Dylan Brooks gets called for 97 technical fouls because Denny Abdia keeps going to the free throw line. There. There are ways for them to get those points back. I think the line is probably the way For Portland to do that the most with Denny and we've seen games where he's just blown up.
- [36:24]
Dave DeFore
Oh, yeah. Who wins? Guys,
- [36:30]
Esperahenny
I came into this feeling Portland, but I, I've, we, I've kind of talked myself out of it. I, I feel like it's going to be Phoenix and I just, I, I trust the offensive firepower of Devin Booker. And to your point, Fred, the, the shots and the amount that they're able to just generate quality possessions, I'm going to go Phoenix. I think they'll win.
- [36:51]
Fred Katz
I trust s. I'm going to go Phoenix too.
- [36:55]
Dave DeFore
I'm also going Phoenix. I think Devin Booker, I mean, that guy is just kind of made for Gabriel.
- [36:59]
Esperahenny
So your prophecy might be filled. You know, the, the Blazers.
- [37:03]
Dave DeFore
Oh, they come on there. There's no way that the Blazers are going to win, but I'm going to say it's because Devin Booker, not because of tanking. All right, guys, the, the grand finale. This is what, you know, when we were thinking about the play in, this is what we envisioned. Steph Curry versus Kawhi Leonard. Is this, is this the greatest matchup in play in history? I, or wait, we got Warriors, Lakers, didn't we?
- [37:26]
Fred Katz
I guess.
- [37:28]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, yeah. But Steph versus Kawhi, win or go home. I don't know, guys. I, I, it feels Clippers to me because I just, I've watched this team a bunch this year, especially since their turnaround. Kawhi has been all NBA first team level player this year and when you look at the Warriors, I just don't know how to feel about them. Steph Curry's just coming back from the knee. I don't know where, where are you guys at on this game?
- [37:58]
Fred Katz
I, I'm, I'm leaning pretty heavily towards the Clippers. I mean, the warriors are very much putting together pieces of what kind of was there previously. And the Clippers are just playing good, sound basketball after a 6 and 21 start, you know, finishing, finishing the year. What was it, 36 and 19 having 900 different iterations. Darius Garland has played his best ball of the season in a Cleveland in a Clippers uniform, not a Cleveland uniform. This team is good. They guard. Chris Dunn is awesome. We're talking a lot about defenders, which is why I love podcasting with you guys. Go watch Chris Dunn in this one. Oh yeah, Chris Dunn is a joy. He's phenomenal. Watch Chris Dunn in this one. He's just fantastic. The Clippers are, are legitimately good. And so I'm just, I'm going to Go with them. And I'm going to risk the fact that Steph might just, like, blow up and go for 50 and.
- [38:59]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah. We're all giggling. You know, we would feel the same way if what has to go right for the warriors to win this? Is it just Steph goes off or, you know, is there. Is there something more to it? I mean, I just don't think. I don't know how their defense holds up against what the Clippers are able to do.
- [39:20]
Esperahenny
Yeah, I think it is just Steph has to go off. I also saw that Steve Kerr is already planning on minute restrictions for some of the key guys for the warriors in terms of Draymond Green and Kristoffs Porzingis and Steph Curry. And so it feels hard to win if you're going to play Steph 30, 28, 29, whatever it is, minutes that his restriction is. So I feel like it's pretty clearly going to be the Clippers in this case. That being said, you know, pie on my face if Steph goes off for 50 at. I will also say this is one of those matchups that the Clippers don't have to deal with their lack of size. I know Brook Lopez is big, but missing the. The Zubots, you know, their. Their rookie and Yannick Nader Koderhauser, he was awesome for them before he got hurt, too. Missing that is not going to hurt them as much in this game because the warriors are also dealing with their own lack of size. It's Porzingis versus Brook Lopez. Very similar archetype of players. Like, I think the Clippers have the matchup advantage there regardless. So Clippers, for me, is there any
- [40:29]
Dave DeFore
chance that the Clippers bother the Thunder in round one if they're the eight seed? I mean, I know it was a year ago, but it was a different
- [40:39]
Fred Katz
team to find bother.
- [40:43]
Dave DeFore
Can they pick up? Could they push them by six? I think you get to six, you've been bothered.
- [40:50]
Fred Katz
If there's an anthill in my kitchen, I'm bothered by it.
- [40:55]
Esperahenny
Yeah.
- [40:56]
Fred Katz
But I know exactly how to get rid of it. If you just throw a little water on it, the ants go away. You're good. I don't.
- [41:04]
Dave DeFore
I don't know if that's actually how. That's not. We do not give up.
- [41:07]
Fred Katz
No, that's the. You learned that at exterminator school.
- [41:10]
Esperahenny
I didn't know that was when I seen it.
- [41:13]
Dave DeFore
I'm sure the water is the way that you deal with it, but that
- [41:17]
Fred Katz
would mean maybe that's why I'm so bothered by it.
- [41:20]
Esperahenny
Yeah, Dave, I'm glad you called him on that because I was like, wow,
- [41:23]
Dave DeFore
really feels like you would just maybe like wash them away. They're going to come back. I don't know. You would need a substantial enough water, like some standing water maybe. But that feels like now we're doing war crimes against the ants in your kitchen. So. Okay, so maybe a more normal response. S.
- [41:44]
Esperahenny
I actually, I'm astonished by the ant hill. This, this would be. This. Would I. Anything, I guess.
- [41:51]
Dave DeFore
I don't know. Don't make a mountain out of an anthill. Is that, that's not how that saying goes. But, you know, I.
- [41:58]
Fred Katz
Look, disaster analogy. Just a disaster analogy.
- [42:02]
Esperahenny
It was, it worked.
- [42:03]
Dave DeFore
It worked.
- [42:03]
Esperahenny
It was one.
- [42:04]
Fred Katz
Got the point across.
- [42:05]
Dave DeFore
It did. It did get the point across. I mean, look, I, I do think the Clippers look, they, it would be a, a fun series if we got Clippers OKC Again, I, I don't think that they've got enough talent to do what they did last year. Right. Which was push them to seven or. Excuse me, push the Nuggets to seven. Yeah. And I don't, I, I just don't think that they've got the, the, like the norm Powell factor doesn't exist for them unless Matherin has a night or. You know what I mean? Because Garland, I think, is going to be nice. He's going to be more of a steady flow on offense for them. They need a guy in, in a playoff series. They need a guy who can be. I'm going to give you 22 tonight. I'm going to give you 35 in game three. You know what I mean? One of those random kind of things. And I, I just don't know if Mather is that guy.
- [42:53]
Esperahenny
If you had to pick between the Blazers and the Clippers to give the ant on the hill thing for the Thunder.
- [43:00]
Dave DeFore
Yeah. Who, who's more of a problem?
- [43:02]
Esperahenny
Who is the bigger anthill?
- [43:05]
Fred Katz
Who's the bigger anthill? That's a, that's a good question. That's a good question. I think the Clippers are a bigger anthill because the Clippers have. I mean, I, I'm going to reduce this to a very simplistic thing, but, you know, I can't even figure out how to get rid of an anthill, so don't rely on me.
- [43:28]
Dave DeFore
We're going to be getting Photoshops of, of Shay. Go to Alexander with like a can of Raid or something. All right.
- [43:34]
Men's Wearhouse Advertiser
No, no, no.
- [43:35]
Esperahenny
Just a bottle of Water.
- [43:36]
Dave DeFore
That's.
- [43:37]
Esperahenny
Yeah, that's what it'll be.
- [43:38]
Fred Katz
The Clippers will have the. The Clippers won't have the best player in the series, but the Clippers have the one guy who is capable of being the best player in that series. And so if Kawhi goes off for an entire series, then could they take 2G? Would I pick them to win? Of course not. Would I. Could they win two games? Yeah, they could win two games. I don't think the Blazers have anybody who's capable of being better than Shea. Gil Alexander for a seven game series.
- [44:03]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, I agree with that. I mean I don't think hardly any teams have no guy that four players
- [44:10]
Fred Katz
in the world who you can say are capable of playing better then Shea for seven games.
- [44:17]
Dave DeFore
Yeah, Clippers. Kawhi might be one of them which is pretty incredible. All right guys, we're excited for the plan. I hope you guys are too. Enjoy the games. We'll be back obviously the rest of the week and then the playoffs coming. Hopefully Fred will have some time. I know he's going to be jumping on the Knicks beat with James Edwards. So everybody go and read Fred and James as they cover the Knicks. They flame out again in the playoffs. Wow. We'll see. We'll see. I'm Dave Dufour and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us. Thanks for listening. Make sure you hit the subscribe or follow button so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed it, drop a like, leave a rating or let us know in the comments. Thank you guys for waking up with us.
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