Sixers refuse to tank | Kawhi & Clippers are back

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily: Sixers Refuse to Tank | Kawhi & Clippers Are Back

Release Date: January 27, 2025
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, Esfandiar Baraheni
Guests: Regular appearances by The Athletic’s NBA reporters

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1. Cleveland Cavaliers' Challenging Streak

The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the Cleveland Cavaliers' recent struggles. The team has suffered three consecutive losses, including defeats against the Houston Rockets and the Philadelphia 76ers. Host Dave DeFore raises concerns about the Cavs' performance trajectory.

Dave DuFour [04:34]: "Are they just coming back down to earth? Is that what's happening?"

Zena Keita provides an optimistic perspective, emphasizing that losses are part of every team's journey and highlighting specific issues affecting the Cavs, such as their defensive lapses and excessive free throw attempts by opponents.

Zena Keita [05:35]: "They're a very good team, and it's expected for them to kind of come down to earth a little bit, given the crazy shooting that started off this year."

Esfandiar Baraheni concurs, suggesting that Cleveland remains a top-tier team despite the setbacks and pointing out the challenges posed by aggressive matchups from other teams.

Esfandiar Baraheni [06:42]: "The aggressiveness that we're seeing other teams approach Garland and Mitchell with is probably something that's repeatable for what, a handful of teams in the league."

2. Philadelphia 76ers' Commitment to Compete

Shifting focus to the Philadelphia 76ers, the hosts discuss the team's refusal to tank despite facing challenges such as Joel Embiid's absence. David Aldridge's article is referenced to underline differing opinions on the Sixers' current strategy.

Dave DuFour [07:28]: "The Sixers won a couple of games over the weekend. They beat Chicago, they beat Cleveland, they're three games behind Chicago for that last play-in spot."

Zena Keita highlights the team's positioning between the competitive Eastern Conference race and a firmly established bottom six, making tanking an unattractive option.

Zena Keita [07:53]: "They're not bad enough to get to bottom six because the bottom six is pretty established right now."

The discussion further explores Paul George's commitment to winning, despite injuries, and the Sixers' tough upcoming schedule, which includes matchups against powerhouse teams like the Lakers and Celtics.

Dave DuFour [11:50]: "Their schedule is pretty tough."

3. Los Angeles Clippers' Resurgence with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the Los Angeles Clippers' impressive performance since Kawhi Leonard's return. With a record of 6-1 when Leonard is on the court, the Clippers are showcasing a formidable combination of talent.

Zena Keita [14:03]: "That's absurd."

Dave DuFour cautions about the small sample size but acknowledges the historic offensive and defensive ratings the Clippers are achieving with Leonard and Harden.

Dave DuFour [14:02]: "With Kawhi Leonard and James Harden on the court, they have a 124 offensive rating and a 96 defensive rating, both of which would be first. They would be historic. It is absurd."

Esfandiar Baraheni praises the synergy between Leonard and Harden, noting Harden's evolution into a more impactful scorer and the natural flow between the two stars.

Esfandiar Baraheni [15:21]: "I'm really excited for the vision that the Clippers had for these two starting to come together out on the court."

Zena Keita adds insights into Kawhi's role as a super-subs and the strategic management of his minutes to maximize team performance.

Zena Keita [14:28]: "He's like this, like, closer or innings eater on offense, which is really, really fun."

4. Memphis Grizzlies' Unheralded Success

The hosts shed light on the Memphis Grizzlies' current six-game winning streak, attributing their success to health and standout performances by Jaren Jackson Jr. Despite his significant contributions, Jackson remains underappreciated in broader NBA discussions.

Esfandiar Baraheni [17:15]: "Jaren Jackson is leading the Memphis Grizzlies in points, in blocks, in steals. He's actually one of only three people in the league doing that."

Dave DuFour emphasizes Memphis as a team often overlooked in trade discussions, noting their strategic location and strong performances.

Dave DuFour [18:22]: "Memphis I think is the one market guys that, that players that are there can actually complain about being a small market because we really don't talk about the Grizzlies enough."

Zena Keita highlights Jackson's versatility and the Grizzlies' unique basketball style, further advocating for his recognition.

Zena Keita [19:08]: "He's able to create his own shots, which is a really, really cool wrinkle to this whole thing where it's like, he is the offensive option for the Grizzlies."

5. Miami Heat's Promising Rookie: Khalil Ware

Another spotlight is on Miami Heat's rookie Khalil Ware, who is making waves with his versatile performances. Ware's ability to contribute across multiple facets of the game has quickly made him a favorite among the hosts.

Zena Keita [20:36]: "His nickname is the Kryptonian... He can do it all on the floor. He can shoot the ball, blocks shots, he's a great rim runner, good screener, great cutter."

Esfandiar Baraheni commends Ware's immediate impact and his potential role in strengthening Miami's front court alongside veteran Bam Adebayo.

Esfandiar Baraheni [21:45]: "He's only played three games as a starter, but in those three games, 16 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks. Only guy as a rookie to do that since Wemby."

Dave DuFour discusses Ware's potential in the context of Miami's strategies, including the possibility of acquiring Jimmy Butler and how Ware fits into the team's long-term plans.

Dave DuFour [22:21]: "Miami is looking in a Jimmy Butler trade. Khalil Ware being as good as he is, is probably a part of that rather than looking for other young players."

6. Upcoming Game Picks and "Sicko" Games

The episode concludes with the hosts sharing their picks for upcoming games, highlighting particularly exciting matchups they deem as "sicko games." Highlights include:

• Rockets vs. Grizzlies: Both teams are on hot streaks, making this a must-watch matchup.

  Dave DuFour [24:35]: "Let me pick a fun player, guys. Who you got? Rockets. Grizzlies. I'm going Grizzlies, guys."

• Pistons vs. Pacers: Emphasis on the Pacers' defensive improvements led by Andrew Nemhardt.

  Esfandiar Baraheni [25:27]: "I like them beating the Pistons on Wednesday. I think that Kate Cunningham has been really good."

• Blazers vs. Magic: A rematch with high expectations from both teams.

  Zena Keita [25:27]: "They got destroyed. It's a bounce back game for Orlando, but also the Blazers have been playing pretty good basketball recently."

• 76ers vs. Kings: Anticipation of a revenge game following a previous loss.

  Esfandiar Baraheni [27:14]: "I have a weirder, more sick game here for you guys. I have the Blazers facing off against the Orlando Magic on Thursday."

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Notable Quotes:

• Dave DuFour [04:34]: "Are they just coming back down to earth? Is that what's happening?"
• Zena Keita [05:35]: "They’re not trying to tank… they’re fighting for their spot."
• Esfandiar Baraheni [15:21]: "I'm really excited for the vision that the Clippers had for these two starting to come together out on the court."
• Zena Keita [19:08]: "He's able to create his own shots, which is a really, really cool wrinkle."
• Esfandiar Baraheni [27:14]: "There's going to be a good game."

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Conclusion

Dave DuFour wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to share their thoughts on overlooked NBA topics, fostering an engaging community discussion.

Dave DuFour [28:36]: "Let us know what you think in the comments. What's your thing that nobody's talking about in the NBA right now?"

The hosts bid farewell, encouraging fans to stay tuned for more insightful NBA coverage throughout the week.

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This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily offers a comprehensive analysis of current NBA trends, focusing on team performances, player impacts, and strategic developments. Whether it's the Cavaliers' resilience, the Sixers' competitive spirit, the Clippers' dynamic duo, the Grizzlies' hidden gems, or the Heat's promising rookie, listeners are provided with in-depth perspectives and expert commentary to stay informed and engaged with the evolving basketball landscape.

Transcript

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[Dave DeFore]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for January 27, 2025. Coming up, are we worried about the Cavs? Maybe they're on their way Down a little bit. The Sixers have decided they are a tank. And we're going to talk about some things that nobody is talking about. Good morning, everybody. Good morning, guys. How's it going?

[Zena Keda]

Morning.

[Dave DeFore]

Pretty good weekend. Do you guys have a nice time Saturday watching these rivalry games?

[Zena Keda]

Yes.

[Dave DeFore]

How cool was it? Oh, well, you were working Zena, the busiest person in sports.

[Zena Keda]

Yes, absolutely. No question.

[S. Barahenny]

Tell me, tell me where you guys like that again.

[Zena Keda]

You know, the meme of Jimmy Butler, like, lying down on the floor. That is Zena right now. With the amount of. Yeah, it's amazing.

[Dave DeFore]

So Saturday, you know, we had the, the rivalry games. You know, I guess this was a culmination of rivalry week. They. They finish it off with LeBron vs Steph. It was pretty good time. I also, I was sick for a day with something. You know, maybe there was like a. An 18 hour flu, but I had body aches. And I, I gotta say, the NBA really bailed me out on what could have been a total bummer of a day with staggered start times. I got to watch all these games. You know, I was talking with you guys all day. I was like, oh, hey, good day.

[Zena Keda]

To be sick, right?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. I mean, look, if you got to be sick, at least have something good on.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[S. Barahenny]

And there was a lot on. It was insane how many games there were.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. Well, let's talk about some of these games, especially the Cavs lost to the Rockets again. They've now lost three in a row. Guys. They. They also dropped a game to the Sixers over the weekend. Who. You know, there's no Joel Embiid out there. So I, I think that this is kind of the biggest story for Monday morning is the Cleveland Cavaliers losing three straight. And I'm going to just throw the question out for you guys. Whoever wants to take it go. Are they just coming back down to earth? Is that what's happening?

[Zena Keda]

Well, I know Xena is the Cavs believer here, so how do you feel?

[S. Barahenny]

I'm not concerned.

[Zena Keda]

Okay.

[S. Barahenny]

I think that every team has to experience these types of losses. Get some teach tape, get back on track. The number one thing that happened, particularly in these three losses, is that the Cavs put these teams at the free throw line. I mean, it was insane that the Houston Rockets were able to shoot 45 free throws in one game. Sixers got 27. Like that is unnatural and also not normal for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's not natural for any NBA game. 45 free throws is insane. But the Cavaliers are not typically that team. Something was going on with their defense in which they were just a step behind in all of these games. I imagine them to pick it up. I'm not even a cav stand, folks.

[Dave DeFore]

No, you're not.

[Zena Keda]

You're not a cav stand. And you know what? I called you a believer. But we're all believers.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, we all believe in the basketball team.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, absolutely. They're a very good team, and it's expected for them to kind of come down to earth a little bit, given the crazy shooting that started off this year. Like they were the number one shooting team in the league. I also think a big part of this quote, unquote losing streak is not having Evan Mobley for two of those three games, especially their first game against the Rockets. You could feel the physicality of the Rockets kind of battling with them. That probably leads into what you're talking about when it comes to the free throw disparity, because they couldn't handle the physicality. When Mobley came back on Saturday when they played, just didn't look like he was kind of getting back in rhythm. Didn't have the most effective game. And I think, man, when teams can throw out size against Houston and their guards, it can be against Cleveland, excuse me, and their guards, it could be a really, really long night. So maybe that's a matchup thing that they have to look forward to, which might.

[Dave DeFore]

Might poke.

[Zena Keda]

It's not a big issue right now because they're a really good team, but something to look forward to for the postseason if they're trying to make that, you know, deep run.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, well, the teams that have bothered them, if you. If you look, it's Houston, Atlanta, it is long, big wings. I mean, Oklahoma City, right?

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

And, you know, they have two small guards. And I think the. The aggressiveness that we're seeing other teams approach Garland and Mitchell with is probably something that's repeatable for what, a handful of teams in the league. So Cleveland is. I think that they're in that top tier with Boston.

[Zena Keda]

Absolutely.

[Dave DeFore]

But they just, like everybody else, are not a perfect team. I don't think anyone should have expected them to legitimately win 70 games because it's only happened twice. Like, it's very difficult to do. And I would argue that right now it's harder than it was when the warriors did it. Like, with the way that parody works in the league and the level of talent that you have and the dispersal of talent there. So many teams have stars, right. Like, there's not a lot of big, big three Right.

[Zena Keda]

I'd argue it's better to get punched in the mouth in the regular season 100% and have to deal with the adversity than go unscathed. And you know, I feel like that was probably what happened to those 73 and nine warriors a little bit.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[S. Barahenny]

Like, yeah, yeah. And that's why I say, like, it's important to get some teach tape now rather than waiting until, you know, playoffs come. And I think it's also important to note these teams played well. Like, right, let's give it up to the Sixers for the way they showed up.

[Dave DeFore]

Perfect segue. Let's give it up to the Sixers because the Sixers, it's come out that they are not going to tank. David Aldridge wrote about it over at the Athletic. Go and read that from our guy. He, he doesn't necessarily agree with them. I don't think I agree with them. But the truth of the matter is, guys, they, they won a couple of games over the weekend. They beat Chicago, they beat Cleveland, they're three games behind Chicago for that last play in spot. And that's really what they're playing for is probably that last play in spot because at this stage in the game s like they can't tank enough to save that pick.

[Zena Keda]

They're, they're not bad enough to get to bottom six because the bottom six is pretty established right now between, you know, Toronto, Charlotte, Washington, New Orleans, Portland, Utah, Brooklyn in the mix for that, like that seven team race right there for the bottom. It's hard to get into the mix for that. And Philly is sandwiched right in between that and the Eastern Conference playing race. And you think about that plus Maxey's load. Paul George in that article saying, you know what, like, my priorities aren't necessarily to lose. My priorities are to try and win basketball games. So I don't think it would go well with the players either if they decided to pull the plug on this season. And for what it's worth, I think given where they're at, it probably makes sense for them to try their best to do this. But the whole embiid equation of this thing is what makes this interesting because is he going to come back in time? Will they be that feisty playing team that we've seen in past years? Remains to be seen.

[Dave DeFore]

I mean.

[S. Barahenny]

Oh, go ahead, Dave.

[Dave DeFore]

I was gonna say, look, Xena, like he just said, Paul George says he doesn't want to lose. Although we gotta wait on the word of the MRI from his pinky to see if he can contribute to some winning.

[Zena Keda]

But hey, I've dislocated a pinky. It hurts.

[S. Barahenny]

Your pinky toe or your pinky? It hurts.

[Dave DeFore]

George, you were the bell of the ball last summer. You signed the big contract to go play at a team that you thought had a chance to win a title. Because Joel Embiid is there and he's an mvp. I get it. They probably have to just do this because PG wants to.

[S. Barahenny]

And if you look at Paul George's numbers over the course of this season, it's playing right into what he's saying, where his priorities are to win. He split up between November, December and January about the same amount of games, 9, 11 and 10. And if you look at his numbers in November, when he was first coming off of injury, adapting to a new team, obviously getting back into the midst of playing basketball, his numbers were abysmal. They were not what he's capable of putting up. Okay, let me just like Read this off. 28.6% from the field in November.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[S. Barahenny]

This month in his 11 games, 44.7%.

[Zena Keda]

Huge jump.

[Dave DeFore]

Much, much better.

[S. Barahenny]

Much better, right? Much better. If you look at just January, he's had five 25 plus point performances just in the month of January. This guy can put numbers up. He just hasn't been. And so you're seeing a continual growth. Not only his field goal percentage, his three point percentage, he's right now fourth best three point shooter in the month of January for anyone that's taken 75 more shots from beyond the arc. Number one. That's a lot of shots coming from beyond the arc for a mid range shooter like Paul George. Again, playing into my priorities are to win. He's going to find a way to score. He's going. He is a three level scorer and he's getting better at the way that he's scoring out there for the Sixers. Yeah, it doesn't hurt that Tyrese Maxey is also on a streak with the amount of games that he's putting up 20 plus points games. Kelly Ur putting up some points as well. I like the way that the Sixers are fighting right now and it absolutely confirms they not trying to tank.

[Zena Keda]

It's like it's this weird situation where they're not trying to tank but they might be thrown into a situation where they will be because what does that.

[Dave DeFore]

Next 10 games look like?

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, this next stretch of basketball, they play the Lakers, they play the Kings, Nuggets, Celtics, Mavericks, Heat, Pistons, Bucks. Again, they play the Celtics later that month. They Got a couple games against the Knicks and Warriors. So like their schedule is pretty tough.

[Dave DeFore]

They better hope the Bulls do trade away their good players because yes, the Bulls have a three game lead right now. The Sixers have a really hard schedule. That, that division is not really easy outside of Washington.

[Zena Keda]

Totally. And we talk about like margin of error, like when it comes to no Embiid. When it comes to this team and the veterans, like older guys, you don't have that margin of error. Tyrese Maxey is second in the league in minutes per game. They are trying to win these games and doing it off of their stars. But yeah, it's going to be tough, man. It's a very, very.

[Dave DeFore]

Tyrese Max is going to be a great Nick one day or he's going to be a perfect nurse.

[Zena Keda]

Is very Tibidoian in the way he is Tibadoa dude.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, it's basketball coach thing. You want to play your best players as much as possible. Yeah. Stick around after the break. We're going to talk about some stuff that nobody is talking about. Guaranteed or your money back. All right. We are officially almost through the dog days of the NBA season. That that means we get to dig in on some numbers. We get to go and look at what some people are doing, what some teams are doing and, and say, hey, nobody's seen this yet. Now mine might, might, might not be that great. This is a pretty good basketball team that I think we've been talking about all year, but I don't think anyone is seeing this. Nobody is talking about the fact that, that The Clippers are 6 and 1 since Kawhi Leonard came back with Kawhi Leonard, now he's missed some games in there and they lost three of those. But they are six and one with Kawhi Leonard on the court. With Kawhi and James Harden on the court, they have a 124 offensive rating and a 96 defensive rating, both of which would be first. They would be historic. It is absurd.

[Zena Keda]

That's absurd.

[Dave DeFore]

Listen, I will say this. It is a small sample size. It's extremely noisy. They played the Nets and beat them by 60. But they have in those wins won every game by double digits. They had a 26 point win as well. I think the lowest margin of victory in those six wins was 11 points. This is a really good basketball team, guys. That makes so much more sense when their best player is actually on the court.

[Zena Keda]

I am fascinated with the way they are using Kawhi right now. You know, as a guy who loves soccer, I see the super subs, right? And a guy who just plays for 20 minutes at the end of a game or throughout a game to come and just give you that extra boost. And he's incredible. He probably could start if he wants to. Obviously, Kawhi starts in this case, but yeah, like, he gives you 20 to 25 minutes of excellent basketball and then he's like, all right, cool. My job is done. I'm gonna plug out, you know, punch out, and I'm good. You know, I'm not sure how that formula goes long term. We'll see how the Clippers manage his minutes and if he ends up getting, you know, playing 30 minutes and 35 minutes eventually. But it's really cool to see how they're using him sort of as this, like, closer or innings eater on offense, which is really, really fun.

[Dave DeFore]

I mean, it helps me have James Harden dropping 40.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, right.

[S. Barahenny]

I love the fact that this has shifted James Harden's game as well. Like, all season long, we saw James Harden be this distributor and this person that was creating as well as a scorer, but. And then also on defense, you saw him getting deflections. I mean, he was leading, not leading the league, but top 10 in deflections of the league at one point, and it was like he had to do Kawhi and him all together at once to start the season. And now Kawhi's back and you're just seeing it flow so naturally between the two of them. And I'm like, wow. I actually am really excited for the vision that the Clippers had for these two starting to come together out on the court.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, look, if the Clippers wind up getting a high quality backup big, somehow do they have a hole in their rotation? You know, I mean, you know, they have defenders, they have shooters, they have Kawhi and Harden, they've got Zubot. I mean, this is a team that I think come playoff time, matches up really, really well at full health with just about anybody.

[Zena Keda]

Dave, it's just the one thing, man.

[Dave DeFore]

I know. It's the one thing we always have to remember. They have the wall S. You're right. Maybe, hey, maybe the new home court.

[Zena Keda]

Advantage changes things, man.

[Dave DeFore]

Maybe. I hope. I hope.

[S. Barahenny]

I'm happy you brought up health because that is actually going to be a nice segue into my thing that I don't think people aren't talking enough about or aren't talking at all about. I don't know if you guys knew, but remember where there was like all of this hoopla around the Fact that Cleveland went 15 and oh, there was a crazy streak that they had and then OKC had a crazy streak and then they played each other and one person's streak was broken and the other person's streak was broken and then we haven't talked about streaks in a very long time. The person or the team that has the longest active win streak right now is Memphis. And tonight they're going into their next game with six games in a row. They are on a roll. And if you ask them what is contributing to their success, they're talking about the fact that they're one of the healthiest teams out on the court right now. True. And who's been leading that effort? The person I really feel we're not talking nearly enough about, and that is Jaren Jackson Jr. Period. This man is 6:10 with a bag like a guard, guarding one through five, leading the Memphis Grizzlies in points, in blocks, in steals. He's actually one of only three people in the league doing that leading their team in points, blocks and steals. The only other two are Anthony Davis and someone we talk about all the time, Shay Gilders Alexander. Okay, this is where Jaren Jackson Jr. Is there. And the reason why I feel like we're not talking enough about him because the all star voting was so disrespectful.

[Zena Keda]

Okay, interesting.

[S. Barahenny]

Back.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[S. Barahenny]

10Th in all star fan voting. Didn't cross 400,000. Yeah.

[Zena Keda]

He needs more respect.

[S. Barahenny]

He needs way more respect.

[Zena Keda]

I agree, man. Let me ask you guys. Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Is Memphis. And we know Jimmy Butler's trade list is every team but Memphis and Miami, which is ridiculous. Memphis did wrong. You know, they've got that amazing bass pro shop in the giant pyramid. Like I know a lot of the stuff is built near the highway, but man, Memphis I think is the one market guys that, that players that are there can actually complain about being a small market because we really don't talk about the Grizzlies enough.

[Zena Keda]

We don't, man.

[Dave DeFore]

Like they're gonna maybe be a top four seed in the west after the year they had last year. And then Jaren Jackson's putting up these sorts of numbers.

[Zena Keda]

You could argue Jaren Jackson. Actually, I don't even know if it's an argument. Jaren is their best player this season.

[S. Barahenny]

He is.

[Dave DeFore]

I think he recently.

[S. Barahenny]

No, listen, S. Dave, they literally in their six game win streak, they had a four game homestand. They went 40 in that homestand. Jaren Jackson averaged just under 26 points a game in that four game homestand. Like, he is not only their best scorer, their best defender, he is consistent. He is their best consistent player. The most I hear about the Grizzlies on a consistent basis is that dang Draymond Green commercial where his daughter's like, what about the Wolves? And he's like, gotta watch out for the Grizzlies. Like, that's it. That's the extent of it.

[Dave DeFore]

Gotta get these guys on national TV more.

[Zena Keda]

You know what's great about Jaren, and you mentioned the injuries. Like, last year, he was their most healthy core player.

[S. Barahenny]

Correct.

[Zena Keda]

I think last year, experimenting, trying to create and, like, be, you know, this offensive hub for them has really lent into what he's doing this year. I think it's like 55% of his buckets this year are assisted, which is a career low. So most of his shots he's creating on his own now, which is a really, really cool wrinkle to this whole thing where it's like, he is the offensive option for the Grizzlies, and they play really unique basketball, which is really cool. So I agree with that. Nobody is talking about the Grizzly.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, it helps that he cleaned up the offensive fouls, too. Like, he was.

[S. Barahenny]

Yeah, the games.

[Dave DeFore]

He was walking charge, you know, offensively, he just kind of would trip over his feet sometimes trying to attack from the wing. So he's gotten a lot better at that as. What is. What is nobody talking to you about?

[Zena Keda]

Yeah. I'm glad Xena brought up a versatile big. Okay. Because I have someone who might be next up on the versatile big category. Okay. He's a rookie. 15th overall pick for the Miami Heat. Khalil Ware. And you know why? It's Kal El. He is Superman, Kryptonian, literally. His nickname is the Kryptonian. And it's so cool to watch him because he has that swag to him as well. He can do it all on the floor. He can shoot the ball. He blocks shots. He's a great rim runner, good screener, great cutter. Works really well in Miami's offensive system. And he works really well next to Bam out of Bio.

[Dave DeFore]

Perfect for Bam.

[Zena Keda]

Perfect player for Bam out of Bio. Actually, I saw this. So it's a small sample size, but in the minutes where Bam and Where are playing together, they're plus 12 on the floor in, like, a very, very small sample size, which is great. It'd be a very, very good combination with Bam and no Kalel, they're minus four. And with wear and no Bam, they're actually plus four. They're winning their minutes. So there's something probably playing against worse.

[Dave DeFore]

Players when Bam is off. But I will say this is something that we have maybe talked about for years with. With Bam.

[Zena Keda]

Yes.

[Dave DeFore]

You know, the Kevin Love edition was very Kevin Love. Right. This is a. This is a juiced up version because you have someone who. Who's long, who plays defense. Yeah. Younger, of course. Yeah, that helps. Yeah. You know, it came out that Miami is looking in a Jimmy Butler trade. They're looking for win now players. I think Khalil Ware being as good as he is, is probably a part of that rather than looking for other young players. Like, he looks like he's just ready to play, and Miami just happens to find these guys all the time.

[Zena Keda]

He's only played three games as a starter, but in those three games, 16 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks. Only Guy as a rookie to do that since Wemby, which is not a crazy thing. But before that, it's Giannis, it's Duncan. It's like, it's a very, very impressive list of players who have done that consecutively in their rookie year. And I think. I think he's just really, really useful to the way Miami plays. And if you want a guy to pair long term with Bam in the front court, this is looking like it's him. By the way, he just became the odds on favorite to win Rookie of the year. So we're getting ahead of this. And so nobody talks about Khalil Ware. All right. Not yet. Eventually, people wear.

[S. Barahenny]

I got a question for you. As who's more impactful on their team? Where? On Miami or.

[Zena Keda]

Missy is really, really good, too. And look, the Pels, they needed a big. He stepped up in a massive way. Honestly, it's fun that you mentioned that because there's a few bigs in this rookie class between Donovan, Clingan, Zach, Edie. You talk about where you talk about me. See, like, these are guys who are stepping in and winning their minutes almost immediately, which is rare for a rookie switch.

[S. Barahenny]

Usually the baby bigs that have to adjust to the physicality of the league.

[Dave DeFore]

Right. It used to take Biggs longer, and it probably still does, like, for the guys who aren't as good. But the last few years, I feel like we've had a big man renaissance of sorts on the defensive end, especially where these guys come in. And day one, oh, the speed of the game is not too fast anymore. And I don't know whether that's because of offensive development. Like, if you think about It. Big men are making more offensive decisions now because they have the ball in their hands a lot more. And I wonder if that speeds up some of the development on the defensive side. I don't know. I don't think we've got time to dig into that today. Sometime this summer. Guys, it's time for some picks brought to you by our friends at BetMGM. It's our game of the week and we chose Rockets at Grizzlies because this is just much must see basketball every single time. It's explosive, it's fiery, it's athletic. It's Jaren Jackson. It's Dylan Brooks. Wait, it's Amen Thompson.

[Zena Keda]

Amen Thompson.

[Dave DeFore]

Let me pick a fun player, guys. Who you got? Rockets. Grizzlies. I'm. I'm going Grizzlies, guys.

[S. Barahenny]

Yeah. And for the reasons I just mentioned around Jaren Jackson Jr. I'm going Grizzlies too.

[Zena Keda]

And I. I can't. I'm gonna go Rockets. They've beat them twice. They have their number and it is. It is the two versus the three. So I would like to see that in the playoffs too, because it.

[Dave DeFore]

That.

[Zena Keda]

That seems like a really fun series.

[Dave DeFore]

But I got the Rockets and they're seating implications. And again, I know it's early for the playoff race, but man, if. If the Rockets win, there's a chance they move up, you know, up the ladder a little bit or if the Grizzlies win. Excuse me. Regardless, it's going to be a good game.

[Zena Keda]

Show up. Yes.

[Dave DeFore]

That's musty. The Rockets are actually must see basketball. Anybody they play you. You've just got to turn them on.

[Zena Keda]

And they're having a really good week.

[Dave DeFore]

This week is packed.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

Of really good Rockets games. Our Sicko Games of the week also brought to you by our friends at bet mgm. Guys, we've got the Pistons and the Pacers playing Wednesday. And if I had said a year ago I'm watching this game for the defense, I might have. I don't know, someone would have checked me into some sort of institution. But the Pistons and Pacers defense has actually been like a really great story for the last couple of months. The Pacers in their big turnaround since they got Andrew Nemhardt back. I think that that speaking of somebody, nobody's talking about Andrew Nemhard and what he's done for the Pacers on defense. I like them beating the Pistons on Wednesday. I think that Kate Cunningham has been really good. I want to see what the Pacers throw at him. Defensively to try to make him give the ball up. But I got the Pacers.

[Zena Keda]

Okay, I have a weirder, more sick game here for you guys. I have the Blazers facing off against the Orlando Magic on Thursday. And the reason I have that as a sicko game. Yeah, it's a rematch from last week. Blazers absolutely smoked them in Orlando. And it was the night where Franz and Paulo came back. Everybody was healthy. Let's see how they look. They got destroyed. Okay, so it's a bounce back game for Orlando, but also the Blazers have been playing pretty good basketball recently. Scoot Henderson has been picking things up. Has been really. He's like one of the most slept on defenders in the NBA. Donna Donovan Clingan also like we mentioned, like another rookie big who's doing well. So Blazers playing good basketball, Magic trying to bounce back and be healthy against a team that they lost against. It's a sick game, but it'll be a fun one.

[Dave DeFore]

Who's going to win?

[Zena Keda]

Oh, I'm, I'm actually say the Magic, they'll bounce back in a big way. They have to. They know that they got destroyed the week before against the Blazers.

[S. Barahenny]

I don't know, I might pick Blazers in that one. After seeing the Blazers play really well on Sunday against okc, I'm like, okay, maybe they're, they're going to be doing some stuff. They're hungry.

[Zena Keda]

Some stuff.

[S. Barahenny]

Yeah. My sicko game is going to be a team we mentioned before, the 76ers playing against the Sacramento Kings. This is going to be a rematch from their New Year's game. On the very first day of 2025. The Sixers took an L against Sacramento. And I. If you watch that game, Sacramento led the whole, the whole first quarter almost. Then the Sixers came in and was like, we got this. We're going to take this. Right at the top of the third, Sacramento took it back. But then the Sixers were like, no, no, no, no, we got this.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, it was a great game.

[S. Barahenny]

Led the third, led the fourth, and right at the end of the game, Sacramento came back and beat them 113, 107. So I feel as if there's going to be a little bit of vengeance. You made us start our year off wrong. Sacramento. You. We allow De Monte Simone to get 17 and 21 rebounds on us. We gotta, we gotta get something back for, you know, you guys starting the big Yelli game.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, it needs to be a big Yelli.

[S. Barahenny]

Yes. Gershon needs to step up. So I'm choose. I'm choosing the 76ers.

[Dave DeFore]

What acoustic guitar song is Nick Nurse gonna play in the locker room before that game to get those guys fired up?

[Zena Keda]

Let it be.

[S. Barahenny]

Great question.

[Dave DeFore]

That's a good way to stop this show too. Thank you guys for listening as always and let us know what you think in the comments. What's your thing that nobody's talking about in the NBA right now? Let us know in the YouTube comments. That's gonna do it for today's show. Thank you guys for listening. For S. Barahenny and Zena Keda. I am Dave DeFore and this is this is Ben, the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us. Foreign.

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[Dave DeFore]

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[S. Barahenny]

Here's a show that we recommend.

[Dave DeFore]

Hey guys, we have an exciting announcement about our podcast. For the past seven years, the Holderness.

[Zena Keda]

Family Podcast has been the most favorite thing we do.

[Dave DeFore]

We love getting to talk to experts. We love having meaningful conversations, just the two of us. And we also love hearing from you.

[Zena Keda]

But the thing we love most is being a place where you can laugh.

[Dave DeFore]

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[Zena Keda]

So in the spirit of that, we are relaunching our podcast. We are excited to introduce Laugh Lines with Kim and Penn Holderness.

[Dave DeFore]

The Laugh Lines podcast will be all about aging together better and also being able to laugh about getting older.

[Zena Keda]

We hope you'll join us. Search Laugh Lines with Kim and Penn Holderness New episodes every Tuesday.

[Dave DeFore]

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