← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
What's Wright - Lakers-Mavericks Reaction: Luka Doncic DOMINANT return, LeBron & LA nearing 3 seed
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- [00:00]
Greg Rosenthal
What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [00:29]
Daniel Jeremiah
Tickets are on sale now, y'all, for our 2025 I Heart Country Festival presented by Capital One, happening Saturday, May 3rd at the Moody center in Austin, Texas. Don't miss your chance to see Brooks and Dunn, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flash, Cole Swindell, Sam Hutt, Megan Maroney, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith. Tickets are on Sal Ticketmaster.com I'm Israel.
- [01:00]
Greg Rosenthal
Gutierrez and I'm hosting a new podcast, Dub Dynasty, the story of how the Golden State warriors have dominated the NBA for over a decade.
- [01:08]
Daniel Jeremiah
The Golden State warriors once again are NBA champions today.
- [01:13]
Greg Rosenthal
The warriors dynasty remains alive in large part because of a scrawny 6 foot 2 hooper who everyone seems to love.
- [01:20]
Daniel Jeremiah
For what Steph has done for the game. He's certainly on that Mount Rushmore.
- [01:23]
Greg Rosenthal
Come revisit this magical warriors ride. Listen to Dub Dynasty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:34]
Daniel Jeremiah
What's up everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go. The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [01:45]
Israel Gutierrez
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [01:50]
Daniel Jeremiah
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop.
- [01:53]
Israel Gutierrez
By to join us. Julie is pretty well connected.
- [01:56]
Daniel Jeremiah
She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome in what's Right with Nick Ride Episode 318 what a sports week man, what a night. Last night I you know, it's a big game with real emotions attached when if you're watching the game you didn't find out until after the game was over with the post game hugs. Wait, Patrick Mahomes was courtside the entire time and they didn't show him once because they had to show the crowd and they had to show Luca and they had to show the Lakers and they celebrating Luca. And they had to show Nico Harrison with his mamba mentality hiding in the tunnel surrounded by security in his own home stadium. They had to show Mark Cuban. What a night. And then it got even crazier after that. Oh my. Warriors lose to Devin Castle. Draymond's defensive player of the year push takes a big hit. If people are watching play, play in, picture messed up, play off, picture weird. All that plus our NFC over unders. Plus in what missed the cut. Damanze, welcome in. And I don't know if you are even that aware. Do you know I'm aware. What starts today.
- [03:32]
Israel Gutierrez
I'm aware. Yeah.
- [03:33]
Daniel Jeremiah
What. What starts today, my friend, it's the.
- [03:36]
Israel Gutierrez
Masters glorious sports event.
- [03:40]
Daniel Jeremiah
The pine straw and the patrons and the $50 egg salad sandwiches. I'm telling you right now, you know, every once in a while the sports gods frown upon me because and I have to keep my voice down on this because your mom, I think is 20ft that way. But I'm in a bit of a pickle, my friend. Here's the deal. Sunday, final day of the NBA season Clippers warriors likely decides who The Lakers Round 1 matchup is going to be. Who's in the play in it is also Sunday at the Masters. One of my favorite sports days of the year. It is also my anniversary.
- [04:40]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah, I was. Yeah, I was just thinking oh boy, oh boy. Right on the dot.
- [04:45]
Daniel Jeremiah
We are. We have found ourselves boxed in a bit however, that we the we will deal with that when we get to that. In the meantime, I'll tell you right now the best app in sports. The Masters app open loaded on the phone watching holes 4, 5 and 6. Keeping updated. One of my favorite Just just an unbelievable weekend that got started on a Wednesday night with some unbelievable basketball. The other thing to miss the cut. Aaron Rodgers did not make his big announcement at Pat McAfee's thing. Shador Sanders visiting Pittsburgh and LeBron's getting a Barbie. I don't totally get it. He seems excited about it. Seems dope. Whatever. Now please like rate subscribe Review Watch us live on YouTube listen to the podcast feed. This is what you should do right now. If you're listening to this on audio, make sure you unsubscribe to the low post because that's gone subscribe to Zach's new pod, the Zach Lowe Show. I because I don't think he got to carry over his subscribers. So subscribe to Zach Lowe's new show. That's a different network, that's different company but it's so Great to have Zach Lowe back for the playoff push. And. And while you're doing that, go ahead and subscribe to this show, even if you watch it on YouTube now. Daman, let's get to last night.
- [06:07]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah, very emotional game last night. It was Luca's first time returning to Dallas since being traded originally. The fans are super hyped to see him. I really, it seems like a lot of fans are wearing the. The thank you for everything in Slovenian shirts. They're cheering for him basically after every bucket. You know, they still got the love for Luca, and then he torched them. Score 45 points. What do you think of this whole game, this whole situation?
- [06:32]
Daniel Jeremiah
I. I was amazed by what Luca did. And one of my go to beliefs in sports is a very simple phrase, but it explains a lot. And that is legendary players do legendary things. And Luka watching what I thought was almost a too well produced pregame video, I thought that was almost too well done because it really hit home, if it hadn't already, how outrageous the trade was and how blindsided Luca was by it and how great he was. I was wondering how they would approach it, how they would approach this video. Would they include the step back three over Rudy Gobert in the conference finals to give them a stranglehold on making their first NBA Finals since Dirk was there, since their championship in 11. And the answer was, yeah, we're gonna do a real tribute to Luka. As if this franchise didn't spend the last six weeks calling him an out of shape alcoholic that we couldn't trust with $350 million, they did. And it really affected Luca. He's crying. He. So again, for those of us I know, I'm sure there's some people listening or watching that cry all the time. And there's some people listening or watching who never cry. I think most of us are probably in, you know, the middle part of that bell curve where we're not never ever criers, but we are incredibly rare criers. Think back to the last time something affected you so much that you were brought to tears in public. And then think, would you have been at your best professionally? 90 seconds later, I wouldn't have been here. He was. He lit them on fire from start to finish while dealing with the unbelievable and indescribable emotion that honestly, almost no athlete in modern sports history has had to deal with quite that a guy that good, that young in that sport, who didn't want to be traded, who thought, I'm going to be here forever, who gets the Rug pulled out from under him in the middle of the night and then has to deal with learning secondhand that oh, evidently a lot of these people that I worked for didn't believe in me, didn't like me, didn't trust me, are totally fine with trashing me anonymously or on the record dealing with all of that. And then he scores 45 is the best player on the court, 31 in the first half, channels it all into his individual greatness that is as legendary as it as you will ever see. And I saw the stat and it's a great one that Luca becomes the first player you'll like. This demons a the first player in more than 50 years to score 45 plus points for a team and then 45 plus points against that team in the same season. And I'll tell you who the guy was who did it before. But think about what the needle you have to thread for that to happen. You have to be good enough to where you have multiple 45 point games. You also have to be traded during the year. The last guy that did that, the only guy to do that was Wilt. But Wilt was a bit of a nomads too strong, but he moved around. He also was similarly to Luca, I think unfairly maligned or not fully appreciated for how great he truly was. But Wilt didn't get traded against his will. Wilt didn't get blindsided by it. And for Luca to be able to do that and for the Lakers to embrace him the way they have LeBron is, you know, cheering on the crowd when they're chanting Luka, Luca, the embrace with his teammates right after the introductions, everybody kind of taking a step back and saying this is Luca's moment. If you're a Vibes reader, the Lakers vibes are absolutely off the charts right now. And you now can tick, tick, tick your way through the Western Conference potential playoff teams and you are going to find that nobody has an answer to this question, what defense can deal with that dude? And the answer is none of them. The thunder with their 10 awesome wing defenders? Nope. The Mavs with all of their centers healthy in that size? Nope. Nobody when he is dialed. The only player in the league who has a similar offensive impact is Nikola Jokic. And Jokic's second best player is dealing with a hamstring and we don't know if he's going to come back. And Luka's second best player is LeBron freaking James. And so I said it last night, I will say it again. The Celtics can beat the Lakers. I don't know that they will. They can. I don't think anyone else can beat this team as presently constituted. Four times in seven games. Because Luca going 45, 8 and 6 is not like oh man, when's he gonna do that again? Probably three or four times in the playoffs. He already. And I, I'm gonna risk messing up the Internet here and I apologize, but I'm gonna look this up on the fly because this is one of my favorite stats which is Luca, who's again has not played seven full seasons. Find players. Fine. I have to find the fine totals from all games, most games in combined seasons. There it is. Career 40 point playoff games, NBA history. And the top of the list is what you would expect. But what's going to shock you is where Luca already is on it. So top of the list, Jordan, LeBron, Jerry West. Those are the only people with even 20 of them. Okay. Next highest is Elgin Baylor and Kevin Durant with 14. So again 14 is fourth most in NBA history. Wilt had 13, Kobe had 13, Shaq had 12, Kareem who played for 20 plus years and was the all time leading scorer had nine, Lucas got eight. Luca has more career 40 point playoff games already than he is the same number as Steph. He has more than Dirk, he has more than Bird, he is more than Barkley, he is more than Kawhi, he is more than Joker, he is more than Magic. He the only players in league history with more than him are Kareem, Iverson, Harden, Dream, Shaq, Kobe, Wilt, Durant, Elgin, West, Bron, Jordan. That's it. So Luca dropping 40 on your head like he did last night, that's going to happen a few times in the playoffs. LeBron. Thanks to Luca being there, being able to do exactly what he did last night, which is I'm going to go at about half speed for three quarters and then I'm going to be the best player on the planet in the fourth quarter on both ends of the court that's going to be available to the Lakers and what's going to determine do the Lakers look like the best team in the league or do they look like a team that is slightly vulnerable is going to be Dorian, Finney, Smith, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimora hit the wide open spoon fed threes that Luke is going to deliver to them because that's what they're going to live on. So the Lakers are the most dangerous team in the NBA because of that guy. And I think Damanze might think I'M overstating this a bit. And so I'm. Oh, I'm. Oh, I'm open to the discussion on it before we get to the Anthony Davis side of it, but go, go ahead.
- [18:06]
Israel Gutierrez
Well, yeah, I mean, I think the Celtics are the most dangerous team in the league. And then the Lakers fall, like shortly after that. I mean, we just obviously have the depth and we definitely have the defenders to deal with. Luka Doncic, I mean, obviously you're not going to hold Luke in a 2015. 15, whatever. But, you know, so.
- [18:24]
Daniel Jeremiah
So here is the thing about that. So this. Listen, the Celtics are unbelievable. Unbelievable. And the argument is a pretty clean one, which is the Celtics played Luca in the finals last year and they won. My counterpoint to that would be a relatively simple one. Luka in those finals was 29, 9 and 6. Despite in those finals not being able to hit threes. 24% from 3 after 43% the previous line or the previous round. The. The number that to me is the most noteworthy on that Lucas stat line is not the 29 points, but it's the only five and a half assists a game. And that was a symptom of.
- [19:25]
Israel Gutierrez
Not shooters.
- [19:27]
Daniel Jeremiah
Well, he had the shooters. They just didn't hit shots. And so what happened in those finals is Kyrie 8 of 29 from 3. P.J. washington 6 of 22 from 3. Derrick Jones Jr. Who's Again, you can't really rely on him big time for threes. 3 of 12 from 3. The team as a whole, 31% from 3. So I don't know that we saw the Celtics cut Lucas water off. What they did was and with their great defenders, make the role players really struggle. But Kyrie in those finals was 19, 3 and 5. And as I mentioned, 27% from 3. LeBron ain't doing that if you guys match up. And so again, I am not acting like the Lakers deserve to be some big favorite. I am not acting like the Celtics are not a deserving champion. What I am saying is Luca gave you a little glimpse last night of what playoff Luca looks like. And that alongside what appears to be for one of the only times in his Lakers tenure, fingers crossed. Two games left. A LeBron James that is going to be rested and healthy going into the playoffs. Look out now. LeBron was healthy going into the 2020 playoffs. They won the title. LeBron was healthy going into the 23 playoffs. They made it the conference finals.
- [21:15]
Israel Gutierrez
All right, we're saying he's healthy now. I want to hear nothing about a groin later, you know, if things.
- [21:19]
Daniel Jeremiah
Well, I mean, if he. I again, if he. Right. No, he is healthy now. Now guys can get hurt. Obvious, obviously, but I'm. But no, you're right that if he doesn't suffer an injury and then, you know what I mean, plays poorly, you can't put it on injury. But that's the thing is this. It simply doesn't happen. So like we have 20 years of evidence that healthy LeBron doesn't play poorly in the playoffs. All right, let's go to the other side of this game for a moment.
- [21:50]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah, so on the other side of it, Anthony Davis was playing his X team as well. And that doesn't really seem to be making. Making noise.
- [21:59]
Daniel Jeremiah
Well, so here's why. I think because it wasn't in la. I think because nobody felt like, I don't think anybody felt like the Lakers betrayed AD because it's just a trade you have to make. I, I also think this, last night was a great example of why AD is such a frustrating great player. And last night was also a good example of the gap between all time great and legend. Because Anthony Davis in that game with the Lakers not having a real center and him fully healthy, you would have liked to see him be like, listen, one way or another, I'm getting my 30 or at least 25 and putting my imprint on the game. Instead, listen, he was good defensively and he had 13 points. And it's why AD is again, as great as he is a frustrating guy at times because he doesn't seem to always have that extra gear that you would want in the right. He is not a guy that you can just say, oh, the moment calls for it. Therefore he's going to be brilliant, at least on the offensive end. Now, defensively, everybody still brings up the Lakers free throw edge over the last few years and all of these things. That's an Anthony Davis stat. Not because he's drawing so many fouls, but because. But because he is and has been. And it's criminal. This guy's going to go his whole career without winning a defensive player of the year. But he has been the best rim protector in the league for a half decade plus now. And he can protect the rim without fouling, which is what led to those free throw discrepancies. And he was able to do a lot of that last night. But 13 points in that moment is just a, just a bummer. All right, but one other thing, let's do one other thing on Luca Luca.
- [24:41]
Israel Gutierrez
Luca's ejection on Tuesday what are your. What are your thoughts? How'd you feel about that?
- [24:46]
Daniel Jeremiah
What are your thoughts on it?
- [24:49]
Israel Gutierrez
My thoughts on it are. I do think that I watched your show a little bit yesterday and something resonated with me. I do think that Luka Doncic is. He needs to be available throughout games and I think that he should stop taking himself out with. With the whole whining and complaining about the call. I am not on the ref side in that instant, in that instance, but I would like to see Luca stop yelling at the refs and just get back on defense occasionally. It's like, come on, man.
- [25:17]
Daniel Jeremiah
Okay, that's a fair critique. It's also never going to happen. Uh, and so it just like, it's just he has to play aggrieved. It also was such an outrageous ejection and so easily fixable when you realized what had happened that I Bruin wilds got mad at me. But I said that I don't think that JT or the ref who did it should be reffing playoff games if that's the type of ref he is. I then read this morning. JTR, in his 13 year career has reft a grand total of one playoff game. So it looks like the league maybe already recognized that.
- [26:10]
Israel Gutierrez
But he made it was.
- [26:13]
Daniel Jeremiah
Say it again.
- [26:14]
Israel Gutierrez
He made it personal. And there's.
- [26:15]
Daniel Jeremiah
He made it personal from the very beginning. When you tell Jared Vander, both texts he gave Luca were totally unreasonable. One, Luca's running up court arguing not on his behalf, but on Vanderbilt's behalf because Vanderbilt got hit in the face. He's not in the ref's face. He's. He's 15ft from him, gives him a tech, then tells Vanderbilt, I'll talk to anyone but Luca. And the next one. Here's why I found it so outrageous. It was not a reasonable misunderstanding because Luca didn't get. There was. There was no potential foul on the play. It's. Luca had made the shot, Luke. So the context of it is really important. Luca had just come in from off the bench, so it's not like he and the reference had been going back and forth, you know, over the last few minutes. He had just come back in the game. There was no contact whatsoever on the shot. So it wasn't one of those. I made the shot, but I should have gotten an AND one bleep you for not giving it to me, which you do see all the time.
- [27:31]
Israel Gutierrez
Or maybe it was like an fu. I hit the shot. Like that's what the rev perceived it as. Like he's talking. He's talking trash after he hits the shot. Like, fu. Basically.
- [27:41]
Daniel Jeremiah
Yeah. You better be damn certain who he's talking to and what he's saying. If it's the fourth quarter of a huge game and a guy already has one technical and part of being an A, in very, very kind of simple terms. Mix metaphors a bit. Being an official is kind of like being a cop. We give you a ton of power, and we trust that even if you have pulled me over a dozen times before and each time I've said f you hate you, bleep you, that when you walk to my car on the 13th time, you are going to act with the professionalism and demeanor of someone who's first meeting me. And you might be like, that's unreasonable. That's the job. That is the job. And you. When you have a disproportionate power over another person because you are the enforcer of the rules, you have an obligation to leave your baggage courtside. And not everybody can do it. And so if you are going to.
- [29:20]
Israel Gutierrez
Oh, sorry.
- [29:21]
Daniel Jeremiah
Go ahead.
- [29:21]
Israel Gutierrez
I was also thinking about, like, how after Draymond gets a technical and. And how much leeway he gets.
- [29:27]
Daniel Jeremiah
It's the opposite.
- [29:28]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah. Like, it takes a lot for him to get that second technical. And it was like a. Just like a no.
- [29:34]
Daniel Jeremiah
And so it was. But whatever. I mean, the Lakers got. The worst case scenario would have been. And I actually think for the Thunder, here's the part of that ejection that sucks for the Thunder. The Thunder don't feel great about that win. Now. The. The. The. The. And the Thunder could have won that game. I don't know. I don't think they were going to because you were just about to get rested. Luca down the stretch. But maybe. But now the Thunder, like, man, they beat us in our building bad. We then emptied the clip on them in the first half. They clawed back. They're. They're up one. And then Luca gets thrown out. Like, so it was just bad all around. All right, let's go to the rest of the Western Conference playoffs.
- [30:22]
Israel Gutierrez
Oh, yeah. So next time we have our next episode. The regular season will be wrapped up, and for the top seeds, all the way down to the plan will be decided. The funny little wrinkle is the warriors just blew that game to the spurs last night. So are we potentially looking at Lakers and Golden State playing in the first round?
- [30:40]
Daniel Jeremiah
So I know this. The standings make it seem like that because of last night is less likely. In reality, because of last night, it's more likely. I'll explain that in a moment. But first, let me talk about that warriors game. That's a terrible loss, and it had a lot of the. A lot of the warning signs of bad warriors losses from the past. Most notably horrific turnovers down the stretch. So if you weren't watching that game, I want to just give you the play by. Pardon me, the play by play of the last few minutes, because the. Let me actually back up a little bit more. The warriors were up big up double digits early. The spurs then have a monster second quarter to take a lead going into halftime. But that doesn't matter because the warriors beat the spurs in the third quarter, 37 to 21, and they go into the final period up a dozen. So it's a game you've got to have. You're up a dozen on a Spurs team that, you know does not necessarily want to win. And despite that, they find themselves in a dog fight tie game after a castle three with five minutes remaining. And then this is where you get to, in my opinion, the concern points for the Warriors. Okay, so I'm. I'm pulling up the play by play here. Once we get to. All right, two and a half minutes left. Spurs turn the ball over. Warriors up one. Draymond Green, bad pass, turnover. They then exchange buckets. Minute left. Draymond Green, bad pass, turnover. 30 seconds left. Steph Curry, bad pass, turnover. Sandwiched in the middle of that. After a really good Draymond Green defensive play in transition, Keldon Johnson goes right at Draymond, gets a layup. Keldon Johnson then goes right at Draymond and gets another layup. For a guy who's doing a full blown media blitz about how he's defensive player of the year, that was a rough sequence. And all of a sudden they're down two. And then the spurs screw up. The spurs are up two with five seconds left. And Harrison Barnes panics and basically hugs Draymond. They've gotten the ball out of Steph's hands. He fouls Draymond as if he thought they had a foul to give. They didn't. You're up to five seconds left. Draymond has the ball. You foul him, he makes both. Credit to him for that. I thought he was going to miss one. He makes both. And now you're staring at overtime. And then Harrison Barnes, former Warrior champion, bangs home the three. And all of a sudden, the warriors now. And now we can show the Western Conference standings. Here's where we're at. The Lakers are 49 and 31 with games against Houston and Portland remaining. Win one and they lock in the three seed. So the Lakers are going to be the three seed. Maybe they beat Houston. If they don't beat Houston, they will beat Portland in game 82 that Portland doesn't want. So they're locked. We now have very tricky setups. Denver and the Clippers both 48 and 32. Memphis has three games left. They're 47 and 32, the Warriors 47 and 33 and Minnesota 46 and 33. So here's what the nut nut of this really is on the warriors side of things. Let's assume they're beating Portland. That gets them to 48 wins. If they beat the Clippers, I would then expect the warriors to end up the six seed and playing the Lakers in round one. The schedules for the following teams are for the teams are as follows. Denver has Memphis and then Houston. The Clippers have Sacramento and then the Warriors. Memphis has Minnesota, then Denver, then Dallas, Golden State, Portland and the Clippers and Minnesota at Memphis and then Brooklyn and Utah. So Minnesota right now is the eight, but they have two auto wins to end the year. So if Minnesota wins tonight at Memphis, they are going to finish 49 and 33. It is very, very difficult to handicap exactly what's going to happen. What you can handicap is this. Denver has one super meaningful game left against Memphis. The game at Houston. I just wonder if Houston's going to be sitting guys. My guess is they will. The Clippers have one super meaningful game left at the Warriors. Memphis has two super meaningful games left home from Minnesota at Denver. And then obviously the game that will likely determine not likely definitively will determine a huge amount in the Western Conference is Clippers warriors game 82 3:30 Sunday afternoon probably on ABC. The loser of that game probably goes to the play in. The winner of that game is going to be either the I think, well not is going to be the four, the five or the six. Here is the part that might surprise the audience. If I'm the Lakers, I would rather play right now Golden State than play the Clippers. I think that the Clippers with Kawhi having a week off between the playoffs because of the play in and them playing so well right now and Zubots being a real force when the Lakers don't have a center, I think that is a tougher matchup than a Golden State team. That reminded you last night. Yeah, we can beat anybody but we can lose to anybody in big spots. And so I it's almost impossible to handicap how it's going to fall. Exactly. I know that Minnesota right now is sick because Minnesota if they didn't blow that 26 point lead to the Bucks night before last, they're sitting there at 47 and 32 with games against Brooklyn and Utah remaining and they are in great shape to get up to the 45 line. I'll tell you something else, the warriors being in the play in is devastating for them. You can be like, oh well you know, as long as you win your play in game you get Houston, Houston fully rested. That defense energetic is not. Go ahead Demon.
- [39:41]
Israel Gutierrez
Oh, it's a young and energetic Gold state coming off of that. It's tragic.
- [39:45]
Daniel Jeremiah
Yeah, that's not going to be fun. You lose your play in game and all of a sudden you find you find yourself in a one and done. You'd win it I would imagine. But now you're going to Oklahoma City. And this is also where I remind you the warriors history in the play in is not great. The, The warriors in 2021 lost two play in games and missed the playoffs. And the warriors last year again in things that we just memory hole, we just vacillate between the warriors are, you know, Stephies in the goat conversation and disregarding the fact that last year the warriors in the play in lost to Sacramento and their season was just over. Lost to the Kings in a one and done season over. Good night, good luck. So the warriors historically have played three play in games. LeBron hit the three rim three over staff to beat him in their first. The young upstart Grizzlies back when the Grizzlies were fun, beat him in the second one in Golden State to knock him out of the playoffs. And last year the Sacramento Kings beat him to knock him out of the playoffs. And so again like since Durant left, the warriors seasons have gone. Missed the playoffs, missed the playoffs, won the title, lost in round two to LeBron, missed the playoffs. And now this year if you froze the standings right now they're in the play in again. And by the way, there is no team in the league that wishes you could freeze the standings right now like the Lakers where they get Memphis in round one, which is the dream. Denver and the Clippers and the Thunder are all on the other side of the bracket and the warriors have to play play in games. That is the dream bracket. It almost. It's not going to stay like this though because these too many of these teams play each other. But that is the standings as we sit here today by the way for people watching live, couple things. One is we appreciate you. Second is please like rate, subscribe, review, do all those things. It really does help us and it, you know, leads to us, you know, being doing more of the kind of surprise shows or instant reaction shows. They asked me yesterday, Paul text me. He's like, hey, you want to do a snap reaction right after the game quick. I was like, you know I would, but tonight was a bottle of wine night while I'm watching the NBA and I just don't, I just don't think it's a good idea. But also people watching live, you can throw questions in the chat and we'll get to em. Get to em later. Uh, so there was. Gosh darn it. Oh, there was something. Oh, Edwin. Edwin in the chat says, don't sleep on playoff Jimmy. So again, this is where the producers are going to get mad at me because this is where I do open up a bunch of basketball reference pages and it might mess up my Internet a touch. Here is my only pushback. Anybody that's watched the TV show over the last few years has known no one has prayed at the altar of playoff Jimmy more than me. That I have said he's a different guy. When they made the finals against the Nuggets, I did a whole thing about how if he wins the title, his resume vs. James Harden's resume is one of the more fun NBA Rorschach tests of all time. All of it. But I do think there is reasonable reason for concern that the playoff Jimmy we are used to might not be around this year. So here's what I mean. In 2022, Jimmy Butler was 21, 6 and 6 in the regular season and then bumped that in the playoffs to 27, 7 and 5. So he was a 22 point a game guy who bumped it up to 27 in the playoffs. The next year in the regular season he was 23 a game and an all NBA second teamer. And then in the playoffs he bumped it to 27 a game. Here's the point I'm making. Historically, playoff Jimmy means bump my scoring average by about four points. This year he's a 17 point a game guy and he's with the Warriors 46% from the field and 28% from three. So even if you get the playoff Jimmy bump, he does not appear to be quite the player he was when he would. What Jimmy would do is go from being a B plus guy to an A guy. What if now that means he goes from a B, B B minus guy to a B plus guy. That's a concern. So that, that's my only push back on that. All right, let's get to the other big news of the week before we do our NFL over unders for the nfc. Go ahead.
- [46:31]
Israel Gutierrez
So right after our show on Tuesday, Denver, they fired their head coach, Mike Michael Malone and, and Calvin Booth, which is just really weird. They're. They're in the playoffs. It's just a funny time. And then last night they got the win. They took care of business against the Kings. And Jokic had this to say post game. People said we are vulnerable, but I think the Beast is always the strongest of the most dangerous when they are vulnerable. So maybe Josh Cronk woke up the Beast.
- [46:59]
Daniel Jeremiah
Josh Cronky, the owner of the team. But yeah, no, that's.
- [47:04]
Israel Gutierrez
So that's what's going on in Denver right now.
- [47:07]
Daniel Jeremiah
So listen, I don't think it's a good sign when you fire your coach now. I. It also there's other reporting shocker that the GM and some players were frustrated that Michael Malone kept playing Russell Westbrook in big spots like man and Tough Spot. But I've, I've seen that movie before because they won last night. People, I think, are trying to convince themselves, oh well, maybe this was what the team needed. I don't buy that at all. I'm not saying this was a disaster. I'm not saying it's crazy to fire Michael Malone. What I am saying is that they have. And last night, Daniel points out, is the first game since December 5th that Westbrook played fewer than 20 minutes. Got it. But what the Nuggets need, obviously is Jamal Murray to come back from his injury. But what the Nuggets also need, that Jamal Murray coming back from his injury is not going to have an impact on is to have a passable defense. And they don't. So as great as Joe, I watched that game last night because I had a nice little Lakers, Thunder, Clippers, Kings, five and a half to one parlay. And the Lakers won the is all money line. The Clippers won against the Rockets backups. The Thunder won despite playing their own backups because the Suns have quit. And then I was like, all right, we'll see how the Nuggets react to the firing. And the Nuggets did react well to the firing, but they still just can't guard anybody. And so I don't, I don't think, I think they're scary because they have the best player in the world. I don't think they're dangerous when it comes to a deep playoff run. As far as Damanze what it means for Joker, they don't have a ton of flexibility. They can try to trade for Durant. I think the only way that would happen would be if Durant demanded to go there because they're not going to have the best package. They could go ahead.
- [49:48]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah I don't know what Jamal Murray's like contract situation is. Shouldn't they just try and shop him get some assets for Jamal Murray if that's possible. I don't know if his I I.
- [49:58]
Daniel Jeremiah
Mean the contract situation is a max deal that has not gone into effect yet.
- [50:03]
Israel Gutierrez
Right.
- [50:03]
Daniel Jeremiah
And I think that they probably feel like the Yokich Murray combo they want to keep together It's Michael Porter Jr. That they would be T.R.
- [50:13]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah that's fair.
- [50:16]
Daniel Jeremiah
And listen I am pretty confident that if they wanted to they could get Paul George but that contract seems to be underwater. Yeah, well but they just don't have a ton of flexibility.
- [50:33]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah.
- [50:33]
Daniel Jeremiah
Like Daniels, our resident Nuggets fan hates the idea of Paul George. I I would call New Orleans over the summer about Zion. I I still you're it feels to me we have these two multi time MVP, one time champion, one playoff appearance generational international superstar top 20 all time guys in Giannis and Jokic and they've now both dealt with the coach firings. The Nuggets are yet to make the panic trade but you do it because you don't want the guy to ask out and Jokic doesn't seem like he would ask out but it would be reasonable. Well from go ahead.
- [51:29]
Israel Gutierrez
Well he said on the firing he knew a little bit before everybody and he told me we made a decision so it was not a discussion, it was a decision and they told me why so I listened and I accepted it. So it's not like them firing Michael Malone would have determined yo like it didn't seem like he was tired of.
- [51:48]
Daniel Jeremiah
Michael Malone so well so listen I don't I I think that Jokic probably if he desperately wanted them to keep Malone they could have kept him for the rest of the year. But I don't blame listen he was there for 10 years. If they thought the message was stale or whatever it's fine. I have no issue with that piece of it. My point is whether or not Jokic feels like this is the best place for they're going to give me the best chance to win a championship and whether or not the cronkies thriftiness and not keeping KCP cost us a chance at winning this championship. I mean, Geth asks in the chat, do you think the Nuggets fired Malone because they were worried they might go on a run, which would make firing him harder later? Listen, the owner said something along the lines of sometimes, you know, there's real issues and wins cover up those issues. I I think that's silly. Like what are we saying here? That the Nuggets were like worried they were going to win the championship and therefore not be able to fire the coach if they win the championship? You don't want to fire the coach if they're saying they were worried that they were going to win a couple rounds in the playoffs and then not be able to fire the coach. Sure you can. The damn four seed and fired him three days for the play, three games for the playoffs. Like so I I don't really buy that rationale. I do think that this is a very interesting summer for Joker and just is what it is. It's a really interesting summer for Joker. Before we get to the jaw stuff and I we might, we might do the NFC stuff next week. I know that we said we were going to do it today, but we might have to do the NFC stuff next week, which kind of might make more sense because next week during the play ins, there's not going to be as much action to discuss. But speaking of action, who's scoring big in the NBA this season? You are. With all the new ways to get in on the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. From Monster Slams, Dish in the Rock to cleaning the glass, get behind your favorite players and the prop bets you can make on DraftKings, the home of NBA player Props Ready to place your first bet? Try betting on something simple like picking how many points your favorite player will have. Go to the DraftKings sportsbook app and make your pick. Tuesday went 1 and 1. Tatum hit the over. Jimmy Butler however went under. I was man that's a frustrating one but doesn't matter. We move forward today. Cade Cunningham how about over 25 and a half points? Josh Hart OG Anunoby Mitchell Robinson not expected to play. Cade is a you know is a potential first round playoff matchup. Cade also trying to push for maybe second team all NBA and then Tyrese Halliburton over 17 and a half points. Cavs are resting some people and Halliburton's been a 20 point per game guy at home. Lines and odds subject to change as always. First time here's something special just for you new DraftKings customers. Some of you guys watching right now. Bet $5. Get $150 in bonus bets instantly. Here's what you do. Take it to the rack with DraftKings Sportsbook. Every point counts. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Use code right. That's code, right for new customers to get a hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings. The crown is yours. Before we get to the listener questions, Demons A, let's talk about this John Morant thing.
- [55:34]
Israel Gutierrez
So, obviously, John Morant's had the problems with the gun celebrations in the league. Find him. I think it was like 75,000 or something like that. So he, he debuted a new celebration, and it's a, it's a grenade toss into the crowd. How do, how do we feel about that? Do we think the league should deal with that?
- [55:52]
Daniel Jeremiah
I. How do you feel about it?
- [55:54]
Israel Gutierrez
I hate feeling the way that I feel about it, honestly. But what do you mean? I, I just don't, I don't like. Exactly. Yeah, I don't like being a killer of fun and, and all that stuff, but it's just Java Rant specifically and his history, and it's like, and like they're finding him. He's like, all right, so now I'll throw a credit. It's like, dude, why are you being such a child, dude? It's like, come on, dude. It's like, all right, maybe I can get away with this. Like, all right, all right, dude.
- [56:21]
Daniel Jeremiah
So. So we feel almost the exact same way. I think it is a sign of your own maturity that you are not playing the false equivalence game other people are doing. Hey, here's a compilation of folks doing gun celebrations. Why is it different for Ja? I don't know, man. Let's. Let's pretend this happened, okay? Cause, you know, guys like doing the ice in the vein, this thing, well, that is an illusion for being honest to shooting heroin. Okay? I don't know if everybody knows that, but, like, he attacked the vein, okay? So let's say you have a bunch of players that do that. But then old Birdman, Chris Anderson, people remember him. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. He got kicked out of the league for a year because he was doing heroin. I, I, he was doing hard drugs. I think it was heroin. I don't know. He had the heroin tats, but the. Regardless if he. You might. You gave me a funny look. Like, what's heroin tat there? The weird thing there's like a. I.
- [57:36]
Israel Gutierrez
Knew Birdman was coming up. As soon as this whole thing. I knew Birdman was coming up.
- [57:41]
Daniel Jeremiah
I didn't even know you knew who he was. He was before your era.
- [57:45]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah. I mean, I probably. I knew he played for the Nuggets. I feel like I've seen him with the Nuggets. I mean.
- [57:52]
Daniel Jeremiah
As well with LeBron.
- [57:54]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah.
- [57:54]
Daniel Jeremiah
But okay, regardless. So if the only guy in the league who's been suspended for hardcore drugs comes out and starts doing this celebration all the time, and the league is like, hey, man, chill. So then he comes out and does a new one where he ties off the vein and does, like, a fake injection. Be like, oh, what's the problem? I'm getting vaccinated. What? Guys, like, so not everything is the same for everyone.
- [58:31]
Israel Gutierrez
And you made your bed with that man.
- [58:34]
Daniel Jeremiah
Like, it's like, so here's. So this is where. So I think the reason Damanze said, I hate feeling the way I feel about this is because objectively, the video of Jod doing this is hilarious. We can all acknowledge that jaw that the fact of the matter that the timeline being this, Ja does the gun celebration. The league says, don't do that. He then does it three more times. So the league finds him. He then hears Gilbert Arenas and say he should pretend to throw a grenade. Gilbert Arenas, who, by the way, once brought a gun into a locker room, got in trouble, but not huge trouble, and when he came back from his suspension in the intros, did the Yosemite Sam guns in the air, and that is what got him in huge trouble. That guy says, pretend to throw a grenade, and he does it. That's the timeline. But here's the more important timeline. And by the way, Birdman did test positive for drug use, but we don't know which drugs it was. I guess in my head, I just always thought it was heroin, but it could have been anything. Don't sue us, Birdman. I also love him. Uh, so here is the timeline for John Morant. He is the only NBA player who has gotten in trouble for showing up on Instagram live in a club with a gun. He is the only NBA player who has gotten in trouble in the NBA for showing up on a different Instagram live in a car with what appeared to be a gun. He is the only NBA player who in the last few years has had to go to court because a high schooler who lives on his block says, we got into a fight and he came out of the his house with a gun. He is the only NBA player who got into it with another team and then after the game got in a friend's car and that team says from that car pointed at our bus was a red laser sight the likes of which are typically attached to a gun. So yes, he might be the only NBA player that Adam Silver says let's tamp down on the munitions related celebrations. Even if we all think it would be kind of hilarious in the moment if in tonight's game against Minnesota, Ja hits a three and then all of a sudden Desmond Bane is like on a knee holding what looks to be an artillery shell and he's loading it. I. We all like doing. Yes. If all of a sudden he like road Runner in Coyote, dunks on somebody and then runs the other end of the court and does the old TNT kaboom. Yes, I get it. But here's the other piece of it. And this is why I was again, sorry to be corny and sorry to be the old man, but proud of Daman as a father and Deman's jaw's age. You're a few months older than him. Um, proud of your answer. Because everyone just knows in their gut this shit could end really badly. And it's not because we think John Morant is all of a sudden going to actually have a grenade. We don't think that. But we do know that if you are acting a fool, get called out for acting a fool, get consequenced for acting a fool and then increase the acting of fullness that very often you end up up. That's what it is. And it would appear to me that Ja. Every once in a while and any, anybody that used to go or you know, if you're in your, if you still go out to clubs. And I, I was, I was actually just in a club in Memphis the night after the lakers game. I'm 40 years old. I was the old guy in the club. What a bummer. But the, but think back to your heyday college days, post college 20s. You can always tell if a guy in there is acting a certain way to impress the women there or if he is acting a certain way to impress his buddies. And those are two very different types of guys. And those are two very different risk profiles. The guy that actually wants to impress women or pick up a girl, one of the safest guys to be around. It's like, nah, like he's gonna, you know, he's gonna tamp down on situations. He's gonna, you know, all that. He's. That's why he's Out. He's out there trying to meet a girl. The guy who said he went out to go pick up a girl but is actually going out to try to be the biggest baller in the room or to try to impress his buddies. That guy you got to be careful about, because that guy will escalate situations, and that guy will. The ego and the testosterone and all is dangerous. And I, by the way, for a lot of us, probably both people on this show right now, at various points, we've been both of those guys depending on, like, for real. Like, they're the. I'm not trying to speak for you, but I. But I. I mean, I think I can. At both points, we have been the man. I'm trying to have a good time. I'm trying to meet somebody, and we've been the man. I'm, you know, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me. Stepped on my shoe. And so I. The reason I tell that anecdote is it feels to me like Jaws doing this stuff to impress his buddies. They ain't gonna tell me what to do. I'm gonna show. And that. That is.
- [67:19]
Israel Gutierrez
You're in the NBA, Literally, where your buddies. You're in the NBA.
- [67:23]
Daniel Jeremiah
You're in the NBA. That's the thing. Guess what, man? Your buddies are impressed. You pay for everything. You go everywhere you want. You have access to everything you want to have access to. You have your own shoe and your own commercials, and for all intents and purposes, your own city. And so it does worry me. I'm not. I'm not trying to be a scold. It does actually worry me. And so that's. That's why, as objectively now, speaking of celebrations that I wish had happened, I was talking with Wilds about this yesterday. How great would it have been if after Luca's first three, he had done, like, cracked a beer and then chugged it?
- [68:23]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah. Hell, yeah.
- [68:24]
Daniel Jeremiah
And, like, after his second three, like, pantomimed hitting a hookah, like, lighting it. Hell, yeah. Like, a whole thing. Whereas if Luca's entire celebrations were related to. You guys called me a fat alcoholic, and he was just, throughout the night, like, pretending to shotgun beers, did a keg stand. Like, Austin Reeves come over, they help him do a fake keg stand. He just leans into the whole thing. Now, Lucas too mature for that, I guess. But that would have been the dream for Luca to be like, you guys, say, I'm an alcoholic. And also, the other thing that definitely should have happened is at that press conference, he should have been drinking the exact type of beer that Michael Finley took out of his hand after the conference finals last year. He. He. I wish he would have leaned into that more. Now the Gatorade ad. You saw the Gatorade ad?
- [69:24]
Israel Gutierrez
Gatorade ad.
- [69:25]
Daniel Jeremiah
This is a little 15 second Gatorade commercial. Luke is sitting there dribbling the basketball and then gets up and walks away. But the way they have positioned the Gatorade towel around his shoulders, it looks like it spells out traitor. And it's. Wow, it's awesome.
- [69:53]
Israel Gutierrez
He did. I also think he's like still really, really hurt about it. I don't think he's really hurt.
- [69:58]
Daniel Jeremiah
Did you hear him after the game when he said. When he said I get to sleep in my own bed? Yeah, he's like, I can sleep in my bed. Like he. No, he is really hurt. And I it's why what he did last night was so impressive. All right, let's do a few listener questions.
- [70:20]
Israel Gutierrez
Noah asks Nick, do you think the Lakers would be better right now if Mark Williams if the Mark Williams trade I went through I Jesus. Yes, go ahead.
- [70:29]
Daniel Jeremiah
You okay, buddy? Sorry. Turn Demonte's mic off for a bit. These guys choking I Mark Williams has been awesome since the trade didn't go through. Do really what that question is. Do I think Mark Williams would add more value to them this season than Dalton Connect because that was the player in the trade. And the answer that's probably yes. But saving those first round picks for a bigger move might be better for them long term. But we'll see. And we'll also again Mark one who's never played playoff basketball. Neither is Dalton Connect. They're telling me there was a ton of Orlando Magic talk in the chat. So they wanted me to say something about the Magic great job by the Magic last night beating the backup Celtics. And I say that sincerely. I and in what maybe is a playoff preview except it won't be backup Celtics. Here's what I'll tell you. The Magic offense is terrible but the defense is just enough of a pain in the ass that if you're Boston you would prefer prefer Orlando lose their first play in game. So you get Atlanta or the Bulls or the Heat in that round one matchup.
- [71:55]
Israel Gutierrez
What else do we Andrew says everyone says Luca needs to play mad. But do you think it's not solely anger but also other emotions he can use as fuel?
- [72:04]
Daniel Jeremiah
Maybe. I don't know. You probably have to ask his psychologist. I think anger does it for him though. I think he and that's why the ejection made me so mad. And this is we'll leave it on this the if you need to channel your anger and your vitriol at somebody, you you have the safest bet in the arena is find an annoying famous heckler and do it to him. I channel it at another player. I can get in trouble. I channel it another coach, I can get in trouble, channel it at the ref, I can get in trouble. Channel it at my teammates. Throws us off the absolute nut high of what you should go after is, oh, this clown who talks about the game within the game and heckled me during the playoffs last year. He and I are going to go back and forth and he got thrown out for it.
- [73:09]
Israel Gutierrez
All right, Eric has a question for you about himself.
- [73:13]
Daniel Jeremiah
I know. And then he didn't interview before we go, Eric has a question for you.
- [73:18]
Israel Gutierrez
Eric says I want to ask it.
- [73:20]
Daniel Jeremiah
I want to ask you Celtics are in the finals. It's game seven Western Conference finals. Thunder, Lakers.
- [73:30]
Israel Gutierrez
I want to be who are you?
- [73:33]
Daniel Jeremiah
You would rather play the thunder?
- [73:35]
Israel Gutierrez
Yeah. 100 yeah.
- [73:37]
Daniel Jeremiah
Yeah, I I think that's and by the way, Eric, thank you for that. I'm gonna put wilds to that same question today on the TV show. Speaking of the TV show, I gotta go. Great job, everybody. We should we'll have the regular schedule next week but also we will have if the warriors are in the play in we'll probably do a, you know, reaction pod to those games. Other than that, we might do some play in reaction stuff. I've got an anniversary this weekend. We've got tv. We got a lot going on. But we will see you guys at the Latest Tuesday at 10:30am Eastern back here, if not earlier. Great job. Demanze. Great job everyone at Blue Duck. Great job everyone at Volume draftkings. Appreciate you guys.
- [74:23]
Greg Rosenthal
What's right, what's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the king of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [74:53]
Daniel Jeremiah
Tickets are on sale now, y'all, for our 2025 I Hard Country Festival presented by Capital One, happening Saturday, May 3rd at the Moody center in Austin, Texas. Don't miss your chance to see Brooks and Dunn Thomas Rhett Rascal Flats, Cole Zwindell, Sam Hut, Megan Maroney, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith. Tickets are on Sale now@ticketmaster.com what's up everyone? Julie Swearbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go. The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.
- [75:33]
Israel Gutierrez
Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?
- [75:39]
Daniel Jeremiah
Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop.
- [75:41]
Israel Gutierrez
By to join us. Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.
- [75:47]
Daniel Jeremiah
Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get get your podcasts.
- [75:54]
Greg Rosenthal
I'm Israel Gutierrez and I'm hosting a new podcast, Dub Dynasty, the story of how the Golden State warriors have dominated the NBA for over a decade.
- [76:04]
Daniel Jeremiah
The Golden State warriors once again are NBA champions today.
- [76:08]
Greg Rosenthal
The warriors dynasty remains alive in large part because of a scrawny 6 foot 2 hooper who everyone seems to love.
- [76:15]
Daniel Jeremiah
For what Steph has done for the game. He's certainly on that Mount Rushmore.
- [76:19]
Greg Rosenthal
Come revisit this magical warrior's ride. Listen to Dub Dynasty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.