Alley Oop 9 (Part 1): Pistons, Harden, and Who Will Be MVP? w/ Kofie

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Alley Oop 9 (Part 1): Pistons, Harden, and Who Will Be MVP? w/ Kofie

Release Date: May 7, 2025

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1. Introduction and Playoff Recap

[01:08] Host:
Dan Le Batard opens the episode by welcoming listeners back to "The Alley Oop," marking the return after the Detroit Pistons' disappointing first playoff loss. He shares his frustration with the team's performance but maintains a hopeful outlook for the remainder of the playoffs.

[01:34] Kofi:
Kofi expresses satisfaction despite the loss, highlighting the Pistons' participation in what he describes as the "wildest playoff series in the Eastern Conference." He acknowledges the team's resilience, stating, "We didn't play awful... we didn't have a truly embarrassing showing." (01:34)

2. Analyzing Pistons' Performance and Coaching Decisions

[02:04] Kofi:
Kofi delves into a critical moment from the game where Dennis Schroeder's steal at the end of the third quarter led to a non-counted dunk by Tim Hardaway Jr., emphasizing the potential impact of such plays. He reflects, "That was a free two Points. And that's definitely going to come back to bite us." (02:04)

[02:32] Host:
Dan critiques Coach JB's (presumably Dennis Schroeder's) decision to utilize Schroeder in one-on-one situations against Jalen Green, particularly in the game's closing moments. He remarks, "Dennis Schroeder should not be on Jalen one on one... that's when Jalen started to cook." (02:32)

3. James Harden's Playoff Performance and Legacy

[03:08] Host:
The discussion shifts to James Harden, whom Dan refers to as "playoff James Harden rearing his ugly head once again." He expresses disappointment over Harden's lackluster performance, highlighting an instance where Harden attempted eight shots but only scored seven points. "James Harden has had these playoff performances that are really good in the past... We're gonna be remembered as James Harden, the guy that had eight shots total and scored seven points." (05:06)

[05:06] Kofi:
Kofi responds passionately, noting his support for Harden but acknowledging the criticism is valid. He shares his sadness over Harden's decline, stating, "It's just gonna be remembered as James Harden, the guy that had eight shots total and scored seven points." (05:06)

[07:08] Host:
Dan reminisces about a viral tweet from Kofi regarding Russell Westbrook, demonstrating their camaraderie and shared frustrations with player performances. "You had the most viral tweet on Russell Westbrook... the mystery box, the Mario." (07:30)

4. MVP Race: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nikola Jokic

[08:31] Host:
The conversation veers towards the NBA MVP race, debating whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) or Nikola Jokic ("the Joker") deserves the accolade. Dan suggests announcing the MVP post-season to reflect playoff performances. "Who do you think the MVP is, SGA or the Joker?" (08:31)

[09:08] Kofi:
Kofi advocates for SGA, citing his significant contributions to his team. However, he acknowledges Jokic's impressive season, remarking, "This is probably Joker's best season statistically, analytically or close to his best." (09:08) He also humorously considers the possibility of a co-MVP, though he doubts its practicality.

5. NBA Championship Predictions and Team Analysis

[10:06] Host:
Dan discusses potential NBA championship contenders, positioning the Denver Nuggets as dark horses. He emphasizes their depth and the impact of key players like Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. "I think the Nuggets are one of the dark horses of the NBA championship... they be scary in the west." (10:06)

[10:59] Kofi:
Kofi supports the Oklahoma City Thunder's chances, highlighting their versatility and defensive strength. He predicts a series win for OKC in six games, praising their ability to adapt to different lineups and strategies. "I got Oklahoma City in six... OKC has a couple of different ways that they could throw Jokic." (10:59)

[12:22] Host & Kofi:
The hosts humorously speculate on Coach Mike Malone's allegiance during the series, pondering whether he supports the Nuggets or opposes them. They lightly banter about Malone's potential in-game decisions and strategic moves. "Do you think he rooting for the Nuggets or you think he rooting against they ass?" (12:22)

6. Closing Remarks and Promotions

[13:18] Host:
As the episode wraps up, Dan encourages listeners to support Kofi by checking out his YouTube channel and subscribing to his Nebula streaming service. He emphasizes the importance of listener support with upbeat enthusiasm. "Support my dog, Kofi, man." (13:38)

[13:56] Host:
Dan thanks the audience for tuning in and teases the next episode, maintaining the show's signature energetic and engaging style. "Thank y'all the listeners, for tuning in, man. Without y'all, who the hell are we?" (13:56)

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Notable Quotes

• Kofi on Pistons' Playoff Resilience:
  "We didn't play awful... we didn't have a truly embarrassing showing." (01:34)

• Host on Coaching Decisions:
  "Dennis Schroeder should not be on Jalen one on one... that's when Jalen started to cook." (02:32)

• Kofi on Harden's Legacy:
  "It's just gonna be remembered as James Harden, the guy that had eight shots total and scored seven points." (05:06)

• Host on MVP Announcement:
  "Who do you think the MVP is, SGA or the Joker?" (08:31)

• Kofi on Oklahoma City Thunder's Chances:
  "OKC has a couple of different ways that they could throw Jokic." (10:59)

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Conclusion

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, along with guest Kofie, delve deep into the recent playoff performances of the Detroit Pistons, critique key player decisions, and analyze the implications of James Harden's performance on his legacy. The conversation progresses to a heated debate over the NBA MVP race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, culminating in bold predictions for the NBA championship contenders. The episode is rich with insightful analysis, passionate opinions, and engaging banter, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of the current NBA landscape.

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Support and Follow Kofie:

• YouTube Channel: Kofi Kofie
• Nebula Streaming: Nebula - KOFIE

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Note: This summary intentionally excludes advertisement segments and non-content elements to focus solely on the core discussions and insights shared during the episode.

Transcript

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[Kofi]

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[Kofi]

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[Kofi]

Cuervo.

[Host]

Welcome back to the I say NBA, let me start that over. Keep all that in. Welcome back to the alley oop. You got to know we got my dog back after a very, very upsetting first loss for his Pistons. Kofi, how you feeling today, man?

[Kofi]

I'm feeling good. I actually can't complain, man. I, I, I can't believe that we were a part of the wildest playoff series on the Eastern Conference. It was the most exciting series in the Eastern Conference, I feel like. And we didn't play awful, right? I mean, we, we had some bad games. We didn't have a truly embarrassing showing, didn't get blown out the entire time. I, I really cannot complain. The Knicks are a great team, bruh.

[Host]

Put me right next to you when Tim Hardaway Jr. Does not get the call. At the end of that game, I.

[Kofi]

Wasn'T even thinking about that because the thing is that at the end of the third quarter, Dennis Shooter got a steal and handed it off to Tim Hardway Jr. For the dunk. And it didn't count because they ran out of time. And that whole time I was thinking, oh, that's going to come back. I know that that's going to come back. Especially in a game where every bucket counts. I was like, oh, no, that was a free two Points. And that's definitely going to come back to bite us. And it did.

[Host]

I was upset, bro, because I feel like JB for the great coach he is. I would have realized a little earlier that, Bruh, Dennis Schroeder should not be on Jalen one on one. Like, not for the majority of the game. Especially at the end of the game that he had him in. Like, I was wondering because Asar, like, Asar was doing such a great job the entire series on Jalen. And so to switch him out at the end, I don't know if it was for offense or what, but that's when Jalen started to cook. You feel me? But I ain't gonna relive those old wounds. I don't want to do that to you, dog. The NBA playoffs are still trudging along. You dig. And look, it's a, it's, it's not a bird, it's not a plane. It's playoff James Harden rearing his ugly head once again. My goodness gracious. I think that boy had like eight shot attempts in the game. 7. What do you feel about my dog, James Harden? Excuse me. Playoff James Harden live in effect.

[Kofi]

Once again, that's my favorite player. I love, yes, I love a left handed basketball player. So every time this happens, it really gets, it really gets harder to. Because it just. At the end of the day, it's too big of a sample size to ignore and be like, no, he's just in a bad, this is a bad circumstance, a bad situation. It's. It's just unlucky. And I think that this really gets magnified because the Western Conference is just comprised of so many good teams. So that a first round exit in. A first round exit in the Western Conference, especially when it goes seven to a team that you think can definitely make the Western Conference finals or even the NBA Finals if they catch lightning. So whenever James Harden plays bad, I feel some sort of sadness as well because I know that this is going to really be the COVID letter to the legacy resume. Whereas I'm going to talk about all the other positive things about James Harden throughout his career. Whether it's like, yeah, he averaged 36 points a game for a season, or yeah, that time. And the thing is that James Harden has had these playoff performances that are really good in the past. And he's also like fought really hard saying that. I mean, I remember the game where he played 53 minutes on a hamstring injury. But that's not gonna get brought up in the grand scheme of things. It's just gonna be remembered. We're gonna be remembered as James Harden, the guy that had eight shots total and scored seven points when his team, his team needed more of that. And it's really frustrating and sad to watch as a fan.

[Host]

Hell yeah, bro. Especially considering they remain healthy. They was the healthiest I've ever seen that team. I was waiting for Kawhi to come up a little lame at a certain point. He didn't Norman Powell stay fit, Bogey Zubas, everybody was playing their part. Even Derrick Jones Jr. Came out fire in the last game. But James, I don't know, bro. I'm. This is your favorite player. I'm gonna ease up on him. I'm pretty upset about it because I just want him to show a little bit more aggression. Like, bro, get. Damn you. I mean, salute to your teammates, but it's game seven, bro. Do the 20, 20, 20. Get the file. Swipe through the. Do whatever you do, bro. I don't like how it happened, bro. Play it out for them.

[Kofi]

He's my favorite player. But that, that criticism is not unfair, though. That criticism is not unfair because I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't feel this bad if I knew that he could play at a better level because we saw it earlier on in this series. I just don't. It's something that I can't really explain why this keeps happening in game sixes and game sevens, you know, and when it was the. Fill it up. When it was the 76ers, I was like, okay, well, some of this is James Harden, but some of this, I could look at Doc and be like, doc is also involved in this and whatnot. But here it's. Here's one of the ones where you were. For years we've been asking for a healthy Clippers, and you're right, we got it this year. It's just. It's just sad that it ends up like this because this. I feel like this is the healthiest Kawhi has been in years overall, in terms of an overall standpoint. But yeah, it's just unfortunate and I don't know where we go from here because James Harden is like 35, 36. There's how many. I don't know how many. Again, we are in a generation where players can play for way longer, but I still don't know what the limit to that is for people. Not lame LeBron, Steph or KD. Right?

[Host]

Salute to the Brody too. That was the most, like, well received technical file in the history. Is a technical file. Bro. Tried to break the goal.

[Kofi]

I'll take the free throw. We're up. We're still up double digits. Well, I know what you. Yeah, right. That's where you can take a good tech. That's a good tech. There's a good tech and a bad tech. You could. That's a good. That's a good tech, right, bro?

[Host]

You had the most viral tweet on Russell Westbrook, too, in the history of Russell Westbrook tweets. What you say? He was like. He was the. The mystery box, the Mario.

[Kofi]

Yeah, I said that. I was at a. I was at a Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons bar in Los Angeles when I tweeted that, because I was ready, getting ready for the upcoming game. But then I tweeted that and I sat back and sometimes when a tweet of mine goes viral and I'm just like, sitting. Not even. Not even on Twitter, not even monitoring it, and then you look down 30 minutes later, and I'm, oh, okay. I was like, oh, okay. This is. Okay, this is what. This is what's going on, right?

[Host]

So. So that he even answered questions after the last game, like he understands the Russell Westbrook experience is something like you described. So I like.

[Kofi]

I like the self awareness. I can't knock the self awareness. It's like he understands that he has. He has only a. He has a couple of speeds, right? He has a couple of speeds. It's. It's all out and then all out, plus more, you know, And I. I can't. I can't knock that.

[Host]

Definitely one of the greatest. You feel me? Like, he's gonna go down in history as the greatest. We all get. Get the age. Father Time is undefeated, and he's doing his best to give him hell right now. And right now, his team moving on. Finna face them Thunder. You did SGA versus the Joker. This is why I wish they would. They should announce the MVP award right after the season because now I feel like, well, whoever win this series should be the mvp because they definitely can't give it to the loser of the series, like, no matter what. Like, bro, what you think, like, sga. First off, who do you think the MVP is, SGA or the Joker?

[Kofi]

I think it's. I think it's Shea, because I think you have. I think you have to give it to him because of how great his. Him is, contributions to his team are. But I will say that the. The season that Joker's had, he's been better than some of his MVP winning seasons. So that's Really a hard. It's really a hard argument to. To even just like think about the two of them and debate. Because it's like this is probably Joker's best season statistically, analytically or close to his best. And still people are going to be like, well, it should be Shay. Because how it's one of those things where I'm like, we've. We've had co rookie of the years before co mvp. I feel like probably is out of the cards given how we. That would be awful for how we talk about. It would be like, oh, we've talked about the MVP race for three months and it turns out it's a tie. Oh no, we wouldn't. We would raise hell for that, I swear. But it'll be funny though. I would like.

[Host]

Yeah, it'd be funny as hell. Who you think gonna win the series though? Because I'm. I'm looking at the Nuggets as one of the dark horses of the NBA championship. You feel me? Like, I think that you can never count them out. I feel like the worst nightmare was when the. The bracket link this way for the. The Thunder, which that 45 was the Nuggets and the damn Clippers. I know that they could pretty much have their way with definitely we'll get to the Rockets ass in a bit. But the warriors, the Wolves, they. I think they can outlast them boys. But the Nuggets just got something that once, once Murray is clicking, once the Joker is clicking, once Christian Brown, I'm gonna call mama. Call him Brown. I'm gonna call him Brown once he gets to flexing and doing that with them tights on. Like, I don't know, dog. They be scary in the west, man. What you think about this series?

[Kofi]

I got Oklahoma City in six. I really think. I really think there is. There's only. There's only a handful of teams that could throw out all the different lineups and strategies that OKC can. Whether it's playing the double big lineup, whether it's playing small. They have so many people that they can throw at Jamal Murray this series. And honestly they have. So I think they have a couple of different ways that they could throw Jokic, whether it's Chet guarding him or whether it's Chet doing like the Rudy Gobert thing where he's like the second line of defense. So if Joker gets to the rim, then Chet's at the rim and not guarding him when he's posting up and stuff like that. So I feel like this Oklahoma City team is one of the deepest teams I've ever seen, especially on the defensive end. And I feel like it's going to be a puzzle for the Nuggets to crack because again, the Nuggets played so well last series. I forgot they fired their head coach before, but I feel like a lot. I feel like this is a series where a lot of people are going to remember because people are probably going to look at Mike Malone. They're going to look for Mike Malone and then they're going to. They're going to see on the sideline where it's like, oh, oh, yeah, that did happen. I feel like this is a series where we're going to be reminded of that a little bit. But I'm never going to really count out Joker because he's just that good of a carry talent and especially Jamal Murray with the games that he can have. But I feel like OKC has more than enough and should take care of business.

[Host]

What you think Mike Malone like that, like in his living room when he watching these games? Do you think he rooting for the Nuggets or you think he rooting against they ass? I don't.

[Kofi]

I don't think. I feel like he's going to root for his players. I mean, I feel like he's going to root for. I mean, I don't. I really don't know, but I feel like he would root for Jokic at least because I mean, they. They came into the league together in terms of he was the head coach while he was a rookie.

[Host]

He hoping that the coach make a mistake and call a timeout they don't got or something. Bro, you don't just fire me for the playoffs. Hell nah. And win the championship. I will be damned.

[Kofi]

Yeah. No, no, no, no, no. The. The Hate Watch. I for sure the Hate Watch is probably. There's probably something. Even if he's just smiling on the outside. There's probably just some little colonel That's. Yeah, I totally understand that.

[Host]

Right, right. It's playful now, but they get past these thunder, he's gonna be like, all right, bro. Nah, voodoo doll, Ms. Cleo, get them out of here, bro.

[Kofi]

Getting a little too. Getting a. Yeah, for sure.

[Host]

Right, right. We've been to goddamn wrap this up. Any last words you want to tell these folks, man? What. What should we check out? What should we. We looking for from the coaster? You dig it?

[Kofi]

Feel free to check out my YouTube channel, Kofi Kofie. And feel free to join me on Nebula K O F I E as well.

[Host]

What's Nebula bruh.

[Kofi]

Nebula is a content creator own streaming service. You can watch my content on Nebula ad free. That's the best way to support me as a content creator.

[Host]

Come on, man. Support my dog, Kofi, man. My boy supporting us, putting up on us. It's only right, man. Let's support my dog, Kofi, man.

[Kofi]

I appreciate you, man.

[Host]

Thank y'all the listeners, for tuning in, man. Without y'all, who the hell are we? Type, you feel me? So lock in, you feel me? We'll be back with another episode next week. Same bad time right here on the network, you dig?