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Hoops Tonight - NBA Mailbag: WHO Can Dethrone The Celtics? Potential Warriors Trade? Too Much Jayson Tatum?
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Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with a Star. So where else you're gonna find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music. Music and a little bit of everything. Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Adnan Virk
What's up, everybody? Adnan Burke here to tell you about a new podcast. It's NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers.
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Jason Demers
Jason Demers here, And after playing 700 NHL games, I got a lot of dirty laundry to air out.
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Adnan Virk
Hey, I got a lot to say here, too, okay? Each week we'll get together to chat about the sport that we love.
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Jason Demers
Tons of guests are going to join in too. But we're not just gonna be talking hockey, folks. We're talking movies, we're talking tv, food, and Adnan's favorite wrestling. It's all on Le Table.
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Adnan Virk
Listen to NHL Unscripted with Virk and demers in the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Justin Pennik
What's up, everyone? It's Justin Pennik from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast with Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We roll three times a week. On Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're gearing up for the NFL playoffs. I hope you can join us. Join in with us three times a week. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and you will be glad you did.
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The forces shaping markets and the economy are often hiding behind a blur of numbers.
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So that's why we created the Big Take from Bloomberg Podcasts to give you the context you need to make sense of it all.
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Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters.
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You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine.
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Matt Levine
A lot of this meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the SEC.
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Bloomberg Host
Follow the Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
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The volume NFL playoffs we're talking about NFL playoffs. You bet we are. Get in on the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NFL. Scoring touchdowns is key to winning in the NFL playoffs, and the key to you scoring big is betting on them at DraftKings, the number one place to bet touchdowns. Ready to place your first try betting on something simple like a player to score six. Go to the DraftKings sportsbook app and make your pick Right now, the Kansas City Chiefs are favored to win the Super bowl at plus 340, with the Lions right behind at plus 425. Here's another reason to watch your favorite players crush it in the playoffs. New customers bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Score big during the NFL playoffs with DraftKings Sportsbook. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code HOOPS. That's H O O P S. That's code hoops for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five BU DraftKings Sportsbook, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambling, in New York, call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPENY to 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 + age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. In Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng. All right, welcome to Hoops Tonight here at the Volume. Happy Friday, everybody. Hope all of you guys are having a great week. It is Mailbag Day. Thank you to all of you guys who submitted questions. Remember, if you want to submit questions, YouTube full episodes, go into the comments, put mailbag colon and then put your question and we'll get to them on Fridays throughout the rest of the season. You guys know the drill. Before we get started, subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at unscore. Jason LT So you guys don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about our podcast feed wherever you get your podcast under Hoops Tonight. It's also super helpful if you leave a rating and a review on that front. We also have brand new social media feeds on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for the Hoops Tonight channel. We're releasing content throughout the year. Make sure you guys follow us there and then, like I mentioned off the top, keep dropping mailbag questions in those YouTube comments so we can hit them throughout the rest of the season. All right, let's talk some basketball. Hey, how's it going? Jason? Love the show. Have been a fan for a while. My question is about the Oklahoma City Thunder. I hear a lot of people say that they are a team that needs to find a way to raise their offensive ceiling but can throw a hellacious defensive punch. From a historical perspective, do you think this year's Thunder is more Comparable to the 04 Pistons, the 08 Celtics or the 09 Lakers and how they are made up at this current moment? So ironically, the team that I actually think they remind me a lot of is the old Thunder in the sense that it's more of a too big type of look and it's younger, right? Like as we talk about the Celtics and The Lakers from 08 09, those are very veteran teams, not a lot of young talent on those teams and obviously the Thunder are more infused with youth, so. But in terms of basketball build, there's similarities across the board. Defensively, yeah, you're similar to the 04 pistons, although I would say that that 04 pistons team didn't have nearly the shot creation talent that Shay Gilders Alexander is. The 08 Celtics remind me of this team in the too big look or like your four and Kevin Garnett is this very versatile offensive player and more of a play finisher at the center spot, but it's kind of similar there and then Paul Pierce being like this guy in poor spacing that was asked to make a lot of mid range jump shots. The Lakers are the team that I'd probably compare them to the most because of the too big look, versatile offensive four, but just that heavy reliance on tough shot making from Kobe Bryant, which obviously was a huge part of this Thunder team with Shay and I. I talked about yesterday actually after the Cavs game how Shea reminds me a lot of Kobe Bryant in that stretch. What you talked about about raising their offensive ceiling is a really interesting point though, and I think that's going to be the main question mark because I've Talked a lot about shooting. When it comes to the Thunder, they're still, I haven't checked after the Cavs game, but after the Celtics game they were down to 20th in or I think they shot well in that game. So up to 20th, I should say, in three point shooting on the season. And like they've just continued to make shots as of late. Like these are a couple of big games. Like they didn't lose to the Cavs because of shot making. They made shots. They lost to the Cavs because they couldn't get stops. Which is ironic and just a testament to the Cleveland defense because that same or Cleveland offense because that same Thunder defense just put the Celtics in jail in the second half of their game. Right. But like, there is a certain decision that the Thunder are going to have to make at the deadline this year, which is are we good enough on offense to win the title? And there's a tendency in a lot of these situations to be like, oh, we have time. And I'm not going to sit here and pretend like this is the last shot for the Thunder, because it's not. But as we've seen so many times throughout NBA history, every time we think there's a five to eight year window, it ends up being shorter. It's usually not like the warriors. They're usually the, they're the exception. It's usually a lot of turnover. It's usually some guy wants a bigger role, this guy gets squeezed by the payroll. We don't want to be a second apron team, so we let this guy go. There's usually something that leads to a, like, kind of a pullback in talent in these sorts of situations. Right. And so the question is, do you feel urgency to try to win this season? And that's where you kind of have to find a sweet spot. Like, is it worth, like, let's take Cam Johnson for instance. I haven't done the exact machinations of the deal, but let's say it's Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. Like, it's a lot to give up. I like Aaron Wiggins a lot. Aaron Wiggins is just a pro. I've been talking about him a lot. Like, I'm amazed at his ability to drive closeouts and defend, knock down, catch and shoot threes. Isaiah Joe has been one of their most reliable shooters of the last couple of years. I understand that's a lot to give up. But if you get a really high level player like Cam Johnson and you consider the situation where it's like, I know who our small ball groups are, because you know who the big groups are, right? Shea, J Dub, Dort Hartenstein, Chet. Right. You know, with the small ball groups, it's going to be Shay Dort, J Dub, Chet, and then somebody is that fifth guy. And there's flaws with all of them. With Alex Caruso, it's like, really good defender, but, man, he can really struggle to shoot sometimes. You talk about Kayson Wallace, a little undersized, also can struggle to shoot sometimes. You talk about Isaiah Joe, really skinny and undersized. Right. Like, there's downsides with any of your options that you go with a guy like Cam Johnson. It's like, pretty solid perimeter defender, big athlete, and really good offensive player. So, like, you could see that as an opportunity to raise the ceiling. And it's just, I'm not even saying which direction that I personally would go. I'm generally a pusher, chips in kind of guy. But, like, I think it's completely defensible to just ride it out with this roster if you want to. But Cam Johnson would be the type of guy that the Thunder could go for that would just raise their offensive ceiling without having too much of an impact on their defensive capabilities and legitimately increases your chances of winning a championship this season at the expense of a little bit of depth. So, like, that would be an example of a move along those lines. But again, like, I think there's a case to be made that they should just ride it out as well. And I think that that's going to be a really tough decision when the time comes. I am a Celtics fan, but I'm also a fan of the game, and I really enjoyed yesterday's game between OKC and the Cavs. Congratulations to Atkinson, who is a very good coach. But at the same time, in defense of J.B. bickerstaff, we shouldn't forget that Garland was far from being himself last year in that Mobley seems to have improved a lot during the summer. Or maybe is that Atkinson's effect? Aside from that, who do you think has the best chance to dethrone the Celtics in the East? To me, so and so far, every team being healthy, Celtics included, I really only fear this Cavs team. So here's the deal with the Atkinson JV Bickerstaff stuff. We had Carter Rodriguez from the Chase down podcast on earlier this year, and he talked a lot about how, like, a lot of these concepts, like, were things that Atkins or that JB Bickerstaff was hammering. JB Bickerstaff did preach playing with Pace, JB Bickerstaff did ask Darius Garland to make more, to take more threes. There was a lot of things that he was preaching behind the scenes that just didn't resonate. And that happens sometimes. That's why when you ask me, like, I'm not going to sit here and pretend like Atkinson's not doing an incredible job, he is doing an incredible job. He, it seems like a shoe in for coach of the year this year. I, I'm all, I'm all in on the Kenny Atkinson thing. But if you ask me to list the number one reason why the Cavs are better this year, I would go with the improvement of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley as individual players. Health is part of it. Natural player development is part of it, too. Atkinson has then pushed that up into a team that's playing at over 70 win pace. But to me, it's the talent influx. Jared Allen's a little better. Darius Garland's a lot better. Evan Mobley's a lot better. That's allowed Donovan Mitchell to be more, you know, picking his spots and they have this depth of role player talent. Ty Jerome is really panned out a lot. Dean Wade's healthy and playing great. All of that has come together and made them into this more successful team. But, like, Atkinson is part of it. And again, I think a lot of times when it comes to these coaches, sometimes it's just like one voice doesn't resonate and the next one does. You know, it's no different than if, like, certain people told you something that was critical, you might, you know, laugh it off or, or, you know, roll your eyes. But if, like, a different person told you the same thing, you might be more willing to listen. Right. Like, it's just kind of a new voice in the room, if that makes sense. As far as your last question, though, like, who has the best chance to throw in the Celtics in the East? I agree. The Cavs are the only team that really threaten, in my opinion. Like, I still watch Knicks games and watch Jalen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns get picked apart in space. I just still worry about that with any sort of Celtics matchup. The Bucks as good as they are, same sort of thing in terms of entry points where they can get attacked. Those are teams that have a puncher's chance. I don't want to say they can't win, but to me, the Cavs are the only team that I think is on the same tier as Boston and a team Boston should be appropriately scared of. I had a lot of people talking about titles in my YouTube videos. All I'm going to say on this is I don't make the titles, guys. The Volume has a marketing strategy that is company wide that they do with this kind of thing. I just make my notes and I make a show and then my team handles the rest. So just something to keep in mind Next one Hey Jason, Longtime watcher, first time mailbagger, been a fan of the show since the Volume days and I just want to say it's been a pleasure watching this channel grow to what it is now. Thank you so much. It's been cool to watch as well. For me, I'm coming up on three years at the end of this month. I'm watching from Melbourne, Australia, so I get to tune into your videos first thing in the morning. Keep up the good work and analysis. Someone posted a stat, though I don't know how accurate it is that since 2022 when Jason Tatum's usage rate is above 33%, the Celtics have a record of 49. 3 Given their current struggles, albeit coming off of a championship in January Basketball should the Celtics try to change their philosophy around the way they play? Should the Celtics play a little bit more heliocentric with Hayden making all the decisions? Maybe it might make them win more games during the regular season? Or is this just a mid season lull for the defending champs and we should expect to turn around come March and April? It's just frustrating as the Celtics fans know what they're capable of but not play up to their standard this year as opposed to last. Keen to know what your thoughts are. I'm exactly there. In terms of the mid season lull, the Cavs and Thunder are really good, but they are playing this season with a ton of urgency on a night in night out basis because they're both kind of on the verge of something special, right? Like the Thunder are just barely below a 70 game pace, the Cavs are over a 70 win pace. Like it's very possible for both of those teams that if they take some losses and they get off of that pace that they might tone things back a little bit and get a little bit conservative down the stretch of the season. But most importantly they neither of those teams have ever played beyond the second round. So with the Thunder not having that experience, with the Cavs not having that experience, they don't even like really grasp or understand yet the fact that there's two months of playoff basketball at the end of this thing. If you want to get to the promised land, the Celtics are aware of that. The Celtics know they're. The real fight is on the horizon. The Celtics know that it doesn't really matter what they accomplish during the regular season if they can't win the games in May and June. So like they're dealing with that lull and that's led to a little bit of a gap in the standings. But I've still, I still view the Celtics a hair above the both of those teams. As far as the Jason Tatum usage rate stuff, it's always tricky when you start talking about record and talking about game to game stuff because one of the things that I think is really fascinating and you guys, as fans will notice, especially you guys, you fans that watch the same team every night, every basketball game is different. You know how you watch your game. You watch a game, you're like, oh, this is the Derek White game. Like, he's got it going. Oh, this is the Jason Tatum game. Oh, Al Horford hit five threes this game. Oh, this is a Porzingis game. Like basketball games, you start with the plan and then things start to happen in the game. Just starts to go in all these different directions based on how things are going. And every game looks different. And there's something to be said about the teams that have some more consistency there. But like in these, in a, specifically in an advantage creation like mismatch hunting, you know, killer whale offense, it's just depends on the night. So yeah, on the nights in, on the nights where Jason Tatum is hooping his ass off and he's grabbing more of the reins like he's one of the best players in the world. So when he's at his best, it's going to be really hard to beat the Celtics. And I'm not surprised that that manifests in a good record. But what makes the Celtics dominant is they don't need Jayson Tatum to be super duper star every single night. They need him to be hyperversal defensive player and advantage creator, which sometimes manifests in him becoming more heliocentric and taking the reins of the offense to a greater extent. But I think that has been what has led to the success for the Celtics. Back in 22 is too much. Tatum and Brown, now it's it. There's a lot more of the ball popping around. Everyone's involved. I wouldn't overreact to this lull. I think they're going to be fine. Most importantly, guys, like there's a, the, the Cavs and Thunder optimism is a runaway freight train right now. Like it's literally a runaway freight train. Everyone's on this bandwagon. That should appeal to the Boston's pride a little bit. That should help them to get off their ass and to lock back in and play some better basketball down the stretch of the season. Which season? Which I expect them to do. Next question. I personally don't think that the Nuggets should trade Michael Porter Jr. I think he's a good compliment to Jokic and has been playing very well and more consistently lately. Where is all the buzz to trade him coming from and do you think Denver is actually considering it? MPJ is younger than both Jimmy Butler and Zach Levine and offers better rebounding and height than both of them. If they made one of these trades, would you lower the Nugget ceiling and decrease their odds to win a championship this year? I definitely think it would hurt them, especially in the long run due to the age difference differences. So as far as the trades go, the big thing for me is it's just super high risk. Like you bring in a guy like Jimmy Butler, he's better than Michael Porter Jr. But Jimmy Butler is a very different player than Michael Porter Jr and Michael Porter Jr's off ball scoring is so immensely valuable to this Denver Nuggets team. But Jimmy Butler does a ton a Jimmy Aaron Gordon Christian Brown 234 is a much better defensive 2, 34 than Christian Brown Michael Porter Jr. Aaron Gordon. It's an influx of defensive talent in the half court. You gain more versatility, you still have the Murray Jokic two man game, but now you have Jimmy Butler who can either run two man game and is just a much better version of Jamal Murray in terms of matchup hunting in ISO situations. So there's upside. My thing is the upside is relative to what they could fix in house with Michael Porter Jr. Right. Same thing goes with Zach Levine. There's upside, right? Zach Levine is just an awesome offensive player, really good movement shooter. A guy that brings some of that off ball scoring that Michael Porter Jr. Does but also bring some on ball scoring. Could be a two man game partner with Yokich that's pretty effective, but he's not. I don't think he's the type of off ball defender and rebounder that Michael Porter Jr. Is either. So there's risk there, right? I look at it from this perspective do I think. I think the reason why a lot of these teams are a lot of these fans are looking at potentially making a trade for Denver is because they're they're worried. They're looking around and they're like we look like a Tier 2 team, which they are. For the record, Denver's a Tier 2 team. They're not on that top tier with Cleveland, Boston and Oklahoma City and so you feel like you're not there. However, take this Denver team out of the equation and let's look at it in a vacuum. Jokic best player in the world. If Jamal Murray can get back to 85, 90% of what he's like and he has been playing better as of late. Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. Christian Brown a fit that I actually like those five guys. I still think they're one of the scariest five man lineups in the league, especially with with their ability to get better over the course of the season by getting back to their previous peaks as players. So you have to ask yourself what gives the Nuggets the best chance to win the title? Everyone getting back to form and riding the continuity. And Jokic his greatness to win in the playoffs or a gamble. And there's been a lot of examples in NBA history like the Russell Westbrook trade for the Lakers where it's like you take that gamble thinking you're going to raise your ceiling and instead the bottom gets pulled out from you and now you're digging out of it for years. I think for this Nuggets team, between those two options, their best bet to win the championship is to bet on continuity, to bet on that five man group. That's just what I would do. That doesn't mean you don't explore options. It doesn't mean you don't look out there to see if something can't be done. I just tend to lean towards that being the best option I would look for. Like if you were to make some type of deal, I would try to do something with like Zeke Najee's contract. Something with the bench group to try to bring in talent by attaching draft compensation just to increase your depth. Maybe give you a shooting option at the 2 over Christian Brown in case that he becomes an offensive issue in the playoff series. But like at the end of the day, like I think that team has a lot to bet on when it comes to continuity.
- [20:38]
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- [21:15]
Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with a Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I texted you and you text me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but, like, all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like, it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm going to be honest, it was a little pink.
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Bloomberg Host
There was something sentimental when you. When you send it.
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DraftKings Representative
It was like, do I send the heart now?
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Bobby Bones
I don't like the color edition.
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DraftKings Representative
It's extremely pink.
- [22:07]
Bobby Bones
Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [22:14]
Adnan Virk
What's up, everybody? Adnan Burke here to tell you about a new podcast from iHeart podcast in the National Hockey League. It's NHL Unscripted with Virgin Demers.
- [22:22]
Jason Demers
Hey, I'm Jason Demers, former 700 game NHL defenseman turned NHL Network analyst, and boy, oh, boy, does daddy have a lot to say.
- [22:31]
Adnan Virk
I love you, by the way, on NHL Network. We're looking forward to getting together each week to chat and chirp about the sport and all the other things surrounding it that we love. Right?
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Jason Demers
Yeah, I just met you today, but we're going to have a ton of guests from the colliding worlds of hockey, entertainment and pop culture. And you know what, Tons of back and forth on all things NHL.
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Adnan Virk
Yeah, you're soon going to find out we're not just hockey talk. We get all kinds of random stuff on this podcast. Movies, television, food, wrestling, even the stuff that you wear on NHL.
- [22:59]
Jason Demers
Now you wish you could pull off my short shorts, Forky that shirt of Kazaraka stuff.
- [23:04]
Adnan Virk
Listen to NHL Unscripted with Burkin demers and the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [23:14]
Justin Pennik
What's going on, everybody? This is Justin Pennock from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast alongside Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We're rolling three times a week, on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're talking about the MVP race. Is Josh Allen going to pull it out? Lamar Jackson? Can Saquon Barkley even break the rushing record? Can the Steelers keep up their momentum? We talk about everything, we break it down. Stats, analytics and of course, Chris Rose is bringing his perspective on being a pro in the media world as well. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast and you will be glad you did. Hope you could join us for the post season run.
- [24:03]
Bloomberg Host
The forces shaping markets and the economy are often hiding behind a blur of numbers.
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So that's why we created the Big Take from Bloomberg podcasts to give you the context you need to make sense of it all.
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Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters.
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You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine.
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Matt Levine
A lot of this meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the sec.
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Bloomberg Host
Amanda Mull, who writes our Business Week Buying Power column.
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Very few companies who go viral are like totally prepared for what that means.
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Bloomberg Host
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Follow the Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
- [25:06]
DraftKings Representative
Hey Jason, Love the show. I'm a Warriors fan and I'm thinking about what trades we should make to become a real championship contender. I don't really understand the reason to trade for Vucevich or some midsummer center because our best lineup in the playoffs will be draymond at the 5. I like Cam Johnson. If the trade doesn't include Wiggins or Jonathan Kaminga, we probably won't get LeBron or KD. So I thought about the trade that would send Kaminga and other role players with draft capital to New Orleans for Zion. I think the warriors as a winning environment would help Zion get through his struggles off the court and as a basketball fit, he would just bring some downhill dominance that would open up everything for everyone on offense. On defense, he just has to do his job and I think the defense will be fine. The trade is high risk, high reward, but if everything goes right, I think it puts us in a much better spot right now and for the future. And I think Zion would Make us better than someone like Jimmy or Brandon Ingram. So what do you think about this idea? Is it stupid or is there any trade that you would have in mind for Golden State? And do you think a healthy starting five of Seth, Dennis, Cam, if we can pull that off too, Wiggins, Zion and Draymond in the bench with like three reliable role players can bring us another chip? Sorry for such a long question, but I need to hear your opinion. Have a good one. Again, this is really high risk. So like with me for the Warriors, I keep saying this, but like they're an up and down team that's going to stay afloat in the regular season. So I don't think they need to do anything until you get to early February. When you get to early February, it's about how desperate you are and what you're planning on doing, right? I tend to agree with you. A Cam Johnson deal that doesn't include Jonathan Kaminga is my favorite deal. I think Cam Johnson is a shoe in fit within the warriors offense. If you can pull that off, that's the direction to go. I think that that has real ceiling raising potential with very little in the way of risk. Right. But there's a lot of people that could benefit from Cam Johnson. You might not win that bidding war. You might find yourself up against it in February and have to really go all in. When I look at design fit, I saw this going around. Kevin O'Connor suggested it on his show. I think if I remember correctly, there's real upside. Zion, when he's healthy, is one of the hardest players in the league to contain in terms of his dribble penetration. There's a lot to get excited about. In terms of a Zion step two man game. There's some complications. The Draymond Zion fit in particular on both ends of the floor, meaning when Zion's looking to drive, he loves these slot drives. You get him on like the right wing, you create a gap where you have Steph spacing on the left wing above the break, two corner spacers, Draymond's probably in the dunker spot and Zion loves to just get to the high hesitation, dribble with his left hand and then just try to get a left hand to drive towards the middle and he's just going to run into Draymond's man and help a lot of the in those situations. In Steph Steph Zion two man game, Draymond's man will be available and help a lot of the time. So there's some clunkiness there but it's an undeniable influx of real offensive talent on the defensive end of the four. I don't mean the fit and Draymond and Zion in terms of Draymond. I mean Draymond would have to find a way to help Zion on the floor as a coach and communicator to make sure that he could be a viable off ball defensive threat. Point is really high risk, so you wait till February and maybe that ends up being your best option. But you got to look at how things look when you get to early February and we will, we'll talk about that when we get closer. But like there's a lot of risk with Zion so you would just want to wait to see how things look in terms of the information when you get into that early February stretch. I would be lying to you if I didn't say I wanted to see what that looks like though. Three more Quick Ones As a depressed warriors fan, what do you think would be a fun B team to watch? I'm looking for a team that has a unique and exciting star like Steph, but is also more winning. So both teams I'm watching aren't losing frequently. Thank you for all the content. I'd say the Cavs, dude, I've really really enjoyed watching them this season. Darius Garland in particular is a player you guys will really enjoy watching. He reminds me of Steph in his ability to get wherever he wants on the floor, although Steph does it by weaponizing his shooting with elite ball handling. Darius Garland has like otherworldly quickness and it's really fun to watch him pick defenses apart. Evan Mobley is a lot of fun to watch as well. They play hard every single night. They're super well coached. Their off ball player movement and connectivity on offense is top tier. They are an incredibly fun team to watch. Check out the Cleveland Cavaliers if you haven't done so yet. Next question. Mailbag Question Keon Ellis for the Lakers. Perfect. Yeah, Keon Ellis would is the ideal type of player I'd want next to Austin Reeves. But I don't think the Sacramento Kings are ever going to do a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. They're just a team that I think would they know that their fan base because Kings fans love Keone Ellis. If you trade Keon Ellis to the Lakers, a team that all Kings fans hate, you will get your fan base to revolt on you. You'd have to have a pretty incredible return on that deal. Last question. Did you catch the Ryan Rosilla podcast about three years ago and Colin Cowherd was the guest early in the show. Colin basically said you were Rosillo, as in working harder than anyone else in the business. Even mentioned that he told you to take weekends off and wanted you to spend some time with your wife. Also said knowing that everything Also said knowing everything isn't what makes an A plus sports talk show host, but things like timing, humor and some extra icing on the cake. I've noticed that I used to listen to every podcast episode you made in your first years of the Volume, but haven't been able to do as much this year with the expanded coverage. So I'm wondering how have you taken Collins Comments to Ryan really appreciate the show and learning more about the teams I'm not familiar with. Keep up the great work and be sure to take some time off. So ironically I was at I was working out at the gym. My wife and I have a membership at this place called F45. It's my wife did it for years before I did it and then I got kind of roped into trying it and then I immediately fell in love with it because it's just an awesome basketball workout. A lot of like, like conditioning related leg strength which is just awesome for basketball. A lot of like different types of leg strength exercises from different angles, different weight distributions and a lot of knees over toe stuff. A lot of single leg stuff, a lot of stuff that's just really good for basketball and it's just been really good for me. I'm feeling great physically as a result of it, but I was working out at F45 and this one of the guys in there that works out just ran up, was like hey, I was listening to the Resilo podcast the other day and they shouted you out, you need to check it out. And I listened to that bit and it's kind of funny because to make a long story short, like this was a dream of mine to work in this business. I like worked two jobs for a while to try to make it happen and when I got my opportunity I became like paranoid or terrified of losing my opportunity, losing my footing in the business. So to speak. So to speak. And so I worked with a layer of desperation, especially in the first two years to where I would work on vacation. I was taking travel equipment with me. I was doing six episodes a week during the regular season, 14 episodes a week during the postseason. I was just killing myself and shout out to my wife and my friends and stuff and family at home for being supportive of that. But it was stupid. I Shouldn't have done that, but I did because I just really, really wanted to make this work. And Colin Logan, our head of content at the Volume, those guys were all behind the scenes so supportive of me taking more time off. And more importantly, like when I'm taking time off, not working, like, like I remember recording multiple videos out of my cruise ship room on an Alaskan cruise in the summer of a couple of years ago. You have any idea how stupid that is? That's so dumb. Like, why was I doing that? It was the summer. Like it's just not necessary but like it was just kind of the way that I was doing it. And this year I did so much better. I went on my ski trips, didn't work, like did little basic things like pre recording content so that I could take the occasional three day weekend here or there or over the summer. When we got into that like August, September stretch you guys saw, I only did new episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I, there's just no reason to kill myself during that time of the year when there wasn't anything to talk about really. Right. And so I've been better at it. I think I could probably still get better. My wife is still talking to me about trying to cut back. I, I, I, I struggle with that. I feel like I've already kind of cut back to the point where I'm comfortable. But we'll, we'll see how it evolves over the years. It's just, I know what it's like being a fan of a show, I'm still a fan of some shows and wanting to have new content and I just, I, I know that that matters to you guys. And I always feel this like anxiety about covering teams. Like I will, you know, obviously I hit the Lakers and Warriors, Celtics, those teams a lot. But then there's like this group of, you know, 15 other teams that are relevant in the league that I'm always rotating through. And I always just feel this like, God, I gotta hit this team. Like I really need to hit this team. Like there's some team, like there's some teams that I feel that anxiety now. Like I need to find time to hit this team, I need to feel time to hit that team. And like, like then I'll look back at my feed and I'll be like, I've hit on 25 teams in the last three weeks. Like, why am I, you know, why am I so concerned about this? But it's just like a lot of times it just, is that, that anxiety, that kind of leads me to just do that extra episode, force that extra thing that I probably shouldn't. But I'm getting, I'm getting better at it as time goes on. And I think the big thing that I just want to say, you know, since we're at the end here, like, you know, it's been three years as of February 1st, and this has become such a cool thing to watch grow. And I'm just incredibly thankful for you guys because I just wouldn't have this opportunity, I wouldn't have the setup that I have right now if it wasn't for you guys and supporting me and supporting the show. I just, I am just incredibly thankful for you guys and I could never express it enough. But that's all I have for today and for this weekend. As always, I sincerely appreciate you guys. I hope you guys enjoy the week weekend, enjoy some relaxation. We will be back on Monday with our usual routine, power rankings and the whole bit. I will see you guys then. The volume. What's up guys? As always, I appreciate you for listening to and supporting Hoops tonight. It would actually be really helpful for us if you guys would take a second and leave a rating and a review. As always, I appreciate you guys supporting us, but if you could take a minute to do that, I'd really appreciate it.
- [35:24]
Allstate Representative
Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First. Like, you know to check. You have the tickets in your wallet first before you drive two hours to the big game. Seriously, you had one job. Now the closest you'll get to the 50 yard line is parking lot D. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate Savings. Vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.
- [35:56]
Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything. Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [36:26]
Adnan Virk
What's up, everybody? AD Nan Berke here to tell you about a new podcast. It's NHL Unscripted with Virkin Demers.
- [36:32]
Jason Demers
Jason Demers here. And after playing 700 NHL games, I got a lot of dirty laundry to air out.
- [36:37]
Adnan Virk
Hey, I got a lot to say here, too, okay? Each week we'll get together, chat about the sport that we love.
- [36:41]
Jason Demers
Tons of guests are going to join in, too. But we're not just gonna be talking hockey, folks. We're talking movies, we're talking tv, food, and at night, favorite wrestling. It's all on le table.
- [36:51]
Adnan Virk
Listen to NHL Unscripted with Virk and Demers, the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [36:59]
Justin Pennik
What's up, everyone? It's Justin Pennik from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast with Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We roll three times a week. On Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're gearing up for the NFL playoffs. I hope you can join us. Join in with us three times a week. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and you will be glad you did.
- [37:29]
Bloomberg Host
The forces shaping markets and the economy are often hiding behind a blur of numbers.
- [37:34]
So that's why we created the Big Take from Bloomberg podcasts to give you the context you need to make sense of it all.
- [37:41]
Every day in just 15 minutes, we dive into one global business story that matters.
- [37:46]
You'll hear from Bloomberg journalists like Matt Levine.
- [37:49]
Matt Levine
A lot of this meme stock stuff is, I think, embarrassing to the SEC.
- [37:53]
Bloomberg Host
Follow the Big Take podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.