Finale Fallout: Best First-Round Series, Play-in Preview and the First Annual Chattie Awards. | Group Chat

Summary

The Ringer NBA Show – Episode Summary: Finale Fallout, Play-In Preview, and the First Annual Chattie Awards | Group Chat (Released April 14, 2025)

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Introduction

In the season finale of The Ringer NBA Show, hosted by The Ringer’s NBA squad, listeners are treated to an in-depth analysis of the regular season’s conclusion, coaching changes, play-in tournament previews, and the inaugural Chattie Awards. Recorded on the first day after the regular season ended, the episode dives deep into pivotal moments, standout performances, and the intricate dynamics shaping the postseason landscape.

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1. Coaching Changes and Regular Season Conclusion

Timestamp: [02:14] – [07:03]

The episode opens with Justin Variano introducing the heavy topic of coaching changes following the regular season's conclusion. The discussion primarily centers around the firing of Mike Budenholzer by the Phoenix Suns and the implications for the team’s future.

Rob Mahoney comments, “I think this stuff was expected. When is the last time a Pelican season went according to plan? I mean has it ever.” This sentiment echoes the frustration with the Pelicans' inability to meet performance expectations under Budenholzer’s leadership.

Big Waz adds, “David Griffin has had his shot running the Pelicans trying to get that team on course... so a lot of changes are required for the Pelicans.” The conversation highlights the Pelicans' struggles with team chemistry and coaching strategies, questioning whether David Griffin can turn the franchise around.

The resignation of Chauncey Billups from the Portland Trail Blazers also emerges as a significant topic. Justin Variano speculates, “They have Matt Ishbia written all over it. It’s probably not a coincidence that the Blazers have brought back Chauncey Billups.” The trio debates the potential future direction of the Blazers, especially concerning key players like Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.

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2. Game 82 Highlights and Fallout

Timestamp: [07:03] – [09:17]

As the conversation shifts to Game 82, the hosts recapitulate memorable performances and critical outcomes that defined the season's final moments.

Justin Variano highlights standout performances, mentioning, “Pat Connaughton, 43, 11 and 5. In an overtime win over Detroit,” and commends Bub Carrington’s buzzer-beater for the Wizards, which, despite its timely excitement, relegated the team to the lottery with “the same odds as the bottom three teams.”

The Lakers’ strategic decision to start LeBron James and Markeith Morris against Portland is scrutinized. Big Waz observes, “Markieith was clearly not in shape,” noting his technical foul and the implications of his conditioning on the team's performance.

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3. Play-In Tournament and Playoff Preview

Timestamp: [09:17] – [22:32]

The core of the episode delves into playoff matchups and the play-in tournament's potential outcomes, with a keen focus on Western Conference dynamics.

Clippers vs. Warriors Analysis

A significant portion is dedicated to the Los Angeles Clippers' impressive performances, particularly James Harden and Kawhi Leonard’s stellar games. Rob Mahoney enthuses, “Kawhi looks as quick as he’s looked in years... Harden dropped 39,” emphasizing their dominance and the Clippers' formidable presence in the playoffs.

Big Waz concurs, highlighting Kawhi's defensive prowess and the Clippers' ability to manipulate lineups, making them a versatile and challenging opponent. The discussion underscores how Kawhi and Harden's elevated performances could redefine the Clippers as a powerhouse.

Warriors’ Playoff Prospects

The hosts dissect the Golden State Warriors' season, noting injury concerns like Draymond Green's neck injury and the implications for their playoff run. Justin Variano remarks, “Draymond also had the neck injury where he had to leave early home,” expressing doubts about the Warriors’ resilience under current circumstances.

Rob Mahoney adds, “The offense leaves a lot to be desired,” pointing out that while the Warriors have star power, their execution and defensive lapses could hinder their postseason success. The conversation delves into potential first-round matchups, contemplating scenarios like a Lakers series against the Timberwolves or the Warriors facing the Rockets.

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4. Eastern Conference Play-In Dynamics

Timestamp: [22:32] – [36:56]

Transitioning to the Eastern Conference, the hosts evaluate teams like the Knicks, Pistons, Pacers, Bulls, Heat, and Magic, forecasting their play-in and playoff trajectories.

Knicks vs. Pistons

Rob Mahoney expresses confidence in the Knicks overcoming the Pistons, stating, “I think the Knicks will ultimately prevail in there. But it’s going to be a dogfight,” anticipating a tightly contested series where the Knicks' defense could stymie Detroit's offensive struggles.

Big Waz agrees, noting the Pistons’ challenges with playmaking. The hosts predict the series to be fiercely competitive but ultimately in favor of the Knicks, who might use this opportunity to foster team cohesion and overcome season-long hurdles.

Bulls vs. Heat and Magic

The discussion critiques the Bulls and Magic, acknowledging their spirited performances but questioning their long-term viability. Big Waz humorously laments, “I just think we have to... set some shots on how white Americans need to do more in basketball,” reflecting on the Bulls’ inconsistent strategies and the Magic’s lackluster performance.

Justin Variano expresses skepticism, “I hate to do this but I don't know if I like the Bulls in this Bulls Heat matchup,” favoring the Heat’s strategic prowess and Eric Spoelstra’s coaching ability to navigate high-pressure play-in scenarios.

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5. Chattie Awards Segment

Timestamp: [50:34] – [85:50]

Introducing the first Annual Chattie Awards, the hosts engage in a playful yet insightful evaluation of the season’s standout players and moments through various categories.

Hard Hat Team

Rob Mahoney defines the Hard Hat team as players who epitomize relentless effort and unglamorous dedication to winning. He nominates Jalen Suggs, Lou Dort, Josh Hart, Big Al Horford, and the "Thompson Twins" (likely referring to Klay Thompson and Draymond Green) as embodiments of this rugged ethos. Big Waz supports, highlighting players like Isaiah Stewart and Jared Vanderbilt for their defensive tenacity and work ethic.

Best Shout Out

Acknowledging the supportive and humorous elements of the show, Big Waz nominates his State Farm agent for a heartfelt Shout Out, appreciating the personal gestures that transcend typical podcast interactions.

Best Moment of the Season

The hosts recount electrifying regular-season moments, with Rob Mahoney highlighting the Thunder vs. Nuggets double OT game as “fireworks watching NBA basketball.” Big Waz reminisces about Jimbob Boone (likely an alias for a significant Thunder moment), emphasizing the team's creative strategies and defensive excellence.

No Wrong Takes Award

This category reflects on the hosts' own forecasting missteps. Justin Variano takes pride in predicting the Lakers and Clippers' playoff viability, which proved accurate. However, Rob Mahoney regrets underestimating the Knicks' potential, stating, “I just think that was my best take.”

Group Chat Player of the Year

The definitive award goes to Evan Mobley, praised by Rob Mahoney for validating early predictions about his impact. Big Waz and Justin Variano acknowledge his consistent performance and integral role in the team’s success, solidifying his status as the podcast’s favorite player of the season.

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6. Fun and Light-hearted Segments

Timestamp: [42:27] – [77:36]

Interspersed with serious analysis, the episode features humorous and engaging segments that add a personal touch to the discussion.

Who Played in Game 82?

Justin introduces a playful quiz segment, “Who He Tanked For,” where the hosts guess whether certain fictional players participated in Game 82. Names like Daquan Plowden, Ray J. Dennis, and Miles Norris are fabricated, leading to humorous banter and highlighting lesser-known players’ contributions.

Chattie Awards Voting Process

The hosts engage in a collaborative voting process for various awards, debating nominees and winners with good-natured jest. Isaiah serves as the judge, ensuring the selections reflect both performance and the podcast’s unique camaraderie.

Shout Outs and Personal Stories

The hosts share personal anecdotes and shout-outs, such as Rob Mahoney reflecting on a past episode where he celebrated an external player’s achievement. Big Waz and Justin Variano express gratitude to their listeners, affectionately termed “groupies,” for their support and engagement.

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Conclusion

Wrapping up the episode, Justin Variano summarizes the key takeaways from the season, emphasizing the dynamic shifts in coaching, standout player performances, and the unpredictable nature of the playoffs. The hosts express anticipation for the upcoming postseason, confident in their analytical insights and playful camaraderie.

Final Notable Quote:

Justin Variano: “Never count out those scrappy underdogs in LA.”

The episode concludes with a light-hearted nod to future content, hinting at deeper playoff discussions and continuing the tradition of blending insightful analysis with entertaining segments.

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Speaker Attribution and Notable Quotes

• Justin Variano:

  • “He needs to layer it on pretty thick but he has all the time in the world to do so now.” [04:01]
  • “Pat Connaughton, 43, 11 and 5. In an overtime win over Detroit...” [07:03]
  • “This is like what regular season basketball should feel like more often.” [09:21]

• Rob Mahoney:

  • “I think this stuff was expected.” [02:42]
  • “Kawhi looks as quick as he’s looked in years.” [10:48]
  • “He’s the kind of player that every one of us can appreciate.” [86:34]

• Big Waz:

  • “They look great. I think the Clippers are a physically imposing team.” [11:58]
  • “PJ Tucker is our guy.” [53:29]
  • “We’d like to watch a Bulls vs. Cavs series if I did not because I’ve enjoyed and talked about that part.” [50:00]

• Isaiah:

  • “I think Evan Mobley would have been the winner last year.” [60:05]
  • “I feel like Evan Mobley would have been the winner last year.” [85:50]

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This detailed summary encapsulates the episode's breadth, providing non-listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the discussions, insights, and humor that The Ringer NBA Show Group Chat delivered in their finale.

Transcript

[Justin Variano]

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[Rob Mahoney]

I like that you went woke and called it bloody Sunday because you know in the NFL this is Black Monday.

[Big Waz]

Okay.

[Rob Mahoney]

The last. Yeah, the day after I got the.

[Justin Variano]

Day wrong and the reference wrong.

[Big Waz]

So yeah, I don't know that co opting Bloody Sunday is entirely woke, but it's woke. It's maybe woke adjacent by our standards.

[Rob Mahoney]

The the Irishman has spoken. You know, I think this stuff is was expected. When is the last time a Pelican season went according to plan? I. I mean has it ever.

[Justin Variano]

84 to be honest.

[Big Waz]

I think maybe never.

[Rob Mahoney]

Exactly. And Budenhozer presided over a situation over there where people expected these guys to win something like 51 games, man, 52 games. And I think quite credibly. And these guys didn't even qualify for the plan. Yeah, that is brutal. I mean their owner just continues to burn money up, flush it down the toilet, whatever terrible metaphor you want to use for what he's doing financially since purchasing this team. But I don't think we can be truly surprised, not in the way that we were with Taylor Jenkins and Mike Malone anyway.

[Big Waz]

Not surprising in either case. But it is at opposite ends of the spectrum, I think. You know, David Griffin has had his shot running the Pelicans trying to get that team on course. Trying to course correct. We still just don't even have a proof of concept if any of their players could even work together because none of them were on the floor consistently enough to make it happen. So a lot of changes are required for the Pelicans, I would say Mike Boonholzer first year of what we found out was a five year deal. Our guy can just go live in Turks and Caicos, spend a million a year on sunscreen, come back in 2029 and he's going to be just fine.

[Justin Variano]

He's a spray guy or he's still a lotion guy.

[Big Waz]

That guy. Mike Booneholzer needs to lather up like.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, whatever the strongest, highest grade is. He needs that.

[Big Waz]

Yes, he's. He's really got to layer it on pretty thick but he has all the time in the world to do so now. Never really got a shot with this team and at the same time I don't know that you could look at anything that happened in Phoenix this season and say that they were ever better than the sum of their parts that it ever really clicked in any meaningful way. And I will say in a Mike Budenholzer exception, just never got their shit defensive shit together defensively at all all year long.

[Justin Variano]

I think we got to look up after the Suns hire their next head coach whether or not they're paying more to their previous head coach plus or Devin Booker down the road because I got guess you have to give it to Matt Ishba. He has been willing to write some checks. Obviously haven't gotten Virtually anything else. Right. In the meantime, timing of that, probably not a coincidence that the Blazers have brought back Chauncey Billups. He has a relationship with Ishba dating back to his Detroit days. They're probably going to go in a different direction, although I don't know. That job just doesn't seem all that attractive to me at this point. Because you assume they're going to trade Kevin Durant, it's going to be Booker plus whatever they get in a trade. So like Booker, Reed shepherd and Nick Richards like as your big three next year. So they're in a bind. But yes, the David Griffin one. I mean I think the writing was on the wall there. They have drafted well. We have to give them credit for that. Whoever inherits that job next is going to have the option or going to have the, the raw resources to put something together here. The one thing I also like that they did is they haven't said that they're going to bring back Willie Green. They're going to hire someone in the front office and then decide on Willie. Because so many teams, how many times have we been doing this where they leave the coach entrenched and then the new guy comes in, they don't get along. That's basically what happened with Denver. Right. And so. But overall nothing too surprising. I agree with you guys.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. And you know, with the coaching situation in New Orleans, I, I've been rewatching Kirby enthusiasm and a lot of times this is a classic foist situation where the coach just literally gets foisted upon the new GM and there's always like a tension there, like you weren't my guy, the guy knows that he's not the GM's guy. And it just breeds this level of difficulty that you just don't want in an ideal situation. And I don't see why not start with a clean slate, you know, and go in a different direction.

[Big Waz]

I don't know though, Justin, as you pointed out, the, the lack of appeal for the Phoenix coaching job and how tough a sell that might be in some sense other than sign a five year deal, you may get fired after one, go home with your big bag of money. That's not a bad pitch. The New Orleans front office job, not great either. Not, not us, not a job. And I say this with no disrespect to the city of New Orleans. More so the level, the kind of oversight that you get or lack thereof in ownership, the weird intermingling with the Saint staff, like you don't have the resources, you need. You don't get to pay the luxury tax in the way that other teams do. You don't get to operate like a winning franchise, basically by any definition. And you have to pinch pennies and make ends meet and take radical risks. And then all of a sudden you end up in this position that David Griffin is in, frankly.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah. All right, let's flip now to Sunday's fallout. So we had game 82 for every team in the NBA. They did two shifts, as they did, I believe last year, maybe even before that, where all the east teams go at 10 and then at 12:30 Pacific time we got all the Western Conference teams in a row. When you guys look back on today's game 82 or yesterday's game 82, what will you remember? I have six things down here that jumped out to me. Pat Connaughton, 43, 11 and 5. In an overtime win over Detroit, we had Bub Carrington for the Wizards winning it at the buzzer. Bub also played all 82 games, so Shout to him. But unfortunately his game winner dropped the Wizards to number two in the lottery odds. They'll have the same odds as the bottom three teams. But of course number two matters after the lottery is picked. The Lakers started Bronnie James for the first time. Not only did they start Bronnie James, they started Markeith Morris against Portland. I was at that game. It seemed like Markief was told right before he went on after he had just gotten up from a nap that he is still an NBA player because he is not in shape. No, he even got a technical in that game. So shout outs to him for.

[Rob Mahoney]

I saw him up close and personal in Portland. That was my, I mean not Portland, excuse me, in Denver. And that was my impression as well. I was like whoa, this is too. He's got some conditioning drills to do.

[Big Waz]

Leave Marke Morris alone. He's doing his job. And his job is not necessarily to play every night.

[Justin Variano]

His job now is Luka's friend, at least for as long as they need him to be that OKC becoming the seventh team in history in the fourth since the merger to win 68 games. They also, I believe finished with the best point differential of all time. Houston starts all of its guys against Denver got absolutely waxed. Or the Clippers beating the warriors in overtime in a win or go to a home play in matchup game the likes of which we haven't really seen. We got Denver, I believe Minnesota in that little like pre playing game a couple years ago before the plane had actually been instituted. But this was something that's my choice. What do you guys have?

[Big Waz]

I think it's got to be that one. We got a playoff game before the play in even starts.

[Rob Mahoney]

What.

[Big Waz]

What could be more exciting than that on the last day of the regular season.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. And that for me, that, that for me was. Was incredible to see because it's playoff stakes. And I think the two biggest question marks for me when it comes to the Clippers is Kawhi Leonard's health and James Harden's ability to play like an all Star, like a Hall of Famer in a game that actually matters over the course of a series that actually matters. And Kawhi, first of all, I mean, he's looks as quick as he's looked in years. I mean, the stuff that he was doing with his handle and his dribble and creating separation. Bob Myers was literally like the guy was creaming his pants yesterday during the course of that game describing watching Kawhi Linda. He was just blown away, like, literally like running out of adjectives to describe what he was seeing from Kawhi, which I thought was pretty incredible. And Harden dropped 39. You know, was finishing the float. The floater was unstoppable yesterday. Five of eight from three had to step back working. Like guys were basically draped all over him for those shots. And he made them in big spots. Like anytime zub was open for a lob or a dump off, Harden was just laying it on him. Like, those guys played like superstars yesterday. And if those two guys play like superstars, that changes the entire equation for the Los Angeles clips. I've just never seen these guys do this.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

You know, in the last four years. And so that's what stuck out for me is like the way those guys played in a huge spot yesterday.

[Big Waz]

They look great. I think the Clipper offense overall, as you alluded to, was not only in terms of historical record for someone like James Harden throughout even the better part of this season. They go real cold for some stretches. And so this, this was a good encapsulation, I think, of the Clipper experience where there were some real lulls and there were some incredible star driven highs that not a lot of teams can replicate. And frankly, with the pressure that the Clippers defense puts on opposing teams, you almost need God tier shot making to beat this group. Like, you need someone like Steph, someone like Luka, someone like Shay, someone like playoff considering Nikola Jokic. Right. Like those. That's the kind of shot making talent you need to overcome the perimeter help the like the level of depth and length that they have inside. Like, they're just so tough to score on. And so yeah, when Kawhi and James Harden and Zoo are also delivering offensively and putting a different kind of pressure on you, they look really formidable right now. I just have a hard time kind of calibrating what to expect of their half court playoff offense when we know that that's a reality for them.

[Justin Variano]

So the warriors were here on Friday in Portland, a game there where they waxed kind of the C unit for the Trailblazers. The one thing that jumped out to me about the warriors was how small they are in their base set. The fact that they're starting with Draymond and Jimmy basically at the 4:5, which I think plays to the advantages of Steph and Jimmy in particular because he's able to manufacture a lot of stuff court spread out. Just watching him operate and basically get what he wants whenever he wants is a credit to just not only him. But I do think it is almost highlighted in their lineup that they're kind of leaning on at this point because they really don't have much size outside of Looney. Draymond obviously can play the five whenever he wants to, but then it's like quit and post pretty quickly. I. I thought they looked particularly small at times against the Clippers, who made a point to leave Zoo on the court for all the important possessions and into overtime. And I think that's something that I've been considering as we're going into the playoffs, because not only do the warriors want to play small, the Lakers obviously have found something kind of special with their small ball unit. And I'm looking at the terrain, I'm like, is there any big team that's really going to cause some of those teams trouble? Obviously Denver first and foremost would be there, but I think the Clippers are kind of climbing up the standings of the team. You don't want to see if you want to be small because Zhu was a monster in this game. He had 17 rebounds, the warriors starting lineup had 14. He also did not have a single personal foul this entire game. Not only is he one of our all defensive sorts of guys, I think he's even getting love for defensive player of the year. He's staying on the court as long as you need him to, which is obviously going to be huge in some of these crucial points, playoff games and.

[Big Waz]

The number of plays that he's a part of that just. You have no shot if you're a Draymond Green, size defender. If you're a small ball five, the catch and finishing around the rim, the offensive rebounds for putbacks like those are. Those are possessions that Draymond Green isn't touching. And frankly, I thought as is not as is often the case with the warriors, they got away with a lot of physicality with Zoo that in a different game could have been called for free throws, sending him to the line. So he's going to be a problem for a lot of teams. And I think overall, their size, which is not just Zoo, but extrapolating to the, you know, the strength you get from someone like Kawhi, the strength you get from someone like James Harden. The Clippers are a physically imposing team, and they're going to sick Chris Dunn on you, and they're going to sick Derrick Jones Jr. On you. I just think they're a tough matchup for a lot of these teams in the field right now.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah. And as much as Jimmy's, like, made Golden State into a free throw dynamo, it's not as if he's attacking the other team's big man all the time. It's like you guys said, the court is spreading. The guy who's guarding him is always at a. Somehow at a disadvantage when Jimmy gets to the paint and he's drawing fouls on his own, man. Now when he saw Zubac down there yesterday, he's like, ah, maybe I'll kick this back out, you know?

[Big Waz]

And now Bogey, on the other hand, his eyes got real.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, my goodness, that was mean what he. What he did to Bogey at that one point, it was like four straight possessions where you, like, either got a foul or a dunk. And, you know, Zubacz is definitely. He's. He's turned a corner in terms of his impact defensively. And Harden being just, you know, one of the best playmakers in the NBA for like 13 years now straight just constantly finding this guy and looking for him. I thought the offensive boards was where I noticed it the most, where it's like, all right, even when you do get a string together a good defensive possession, you're just getting mauled and manhandled by a guy that's like. Like, it's not even close to size disparity between him and Draymond. And yo, let's face it, Looney is an undersized center, too. Like, he's. He doesn't have. He's. He's like, got some core strength and, like, you know, he's harder. He's harder to move, but he's way smaller than Zubot. So yeah, that was a pretty glaring kind of mismatch there for Golden State yesterday.

[Justin Variano]

We've talked about it throughout this season, but I almost feel like it has gone slightly underrated. Trading part Paul George, essentially for a bunch of other guys who are just helpful in a lot of regards. Chris Dunn has been a crucial part of this team. Derek Jones Jr. Who had started at times before Kawhi Leonard came back, has just been so essential to this team. Like, he has like a miracle dunk every so often, but he's also another perimeter defender you could throw on guys. And so the Clippers all of a sudden look deep and versatile in the way I think you want to be going into the playoffs. Because obviously OKC has a lot of answers to any sort of lineup. The fact that they could be big at their base set and not necessarily have to go small just because Hartenstein, I think Chet, are able to play that way too. But they can. If they need to go smaller and get a bunch of small guys out there in order to swipe and everything like that, they can do that. Other than okc, I can't think of another team that can play many different ways. I'm starting to think about the Clippers as a team that's not only big and perhaps has an advantage in that regard. I also see them as a team that could maybe manipulate some of the lineups in order to size down if they needed to. There's like different looks that they could throw out there. And I think the big question ultimately is just like, does Kwai have the juice? Does Jim Harden? Can you trust him in a big situation? But in terms of, like, on paper, they have everything. I like going into multiple different matchups.

[Big Waz]

And they even are missing a couple of options too. Like, Nick Batum didn't play in this game. He's been out with injury for a couple. May not seem like a huge deal, but when the Clipper offense gums up because the warriors are running zone and and the Clippers have Ben Simmons on the floor, all of a sudden you think, oh, what if those are 10 Ben, like 10 Nick Batoon minutes? What if the Amir Coffee minutes, which I love Amir Coffee, were a train wreck in this game? What if those are Nick Batoon minutes now all of a sudden some of those things start to turn. You're right. Like they, they can play big, they can't play small. And within playing small, they can go in so many different directions. Right? Like, worst case scenario, you could Put Kawhi Leonard not just in the mid range, working from the top of the floor. You could put him on the low block like he's a Vita Zubots against other small ball teams and make hay with that if you really wanted to. Like they have so many different entry points for what they're trying to do.

[Justin Variano]

Was do you trust a team though ultimately that's led by Harden and Leonard. Harden was spectacular in this game, but at times I was watching Kawhi like he could. He's a killer and he has been for 2, 3 months at this point, but looking a little rigor mortis, especially when he was getting pressure from, from some defenders out past the three point arc.

[Rob Mahoney]

I mean I, I think the Clippers are going to be like very competitive. Like they're just playing their best basket. They're peaking at the right time. Right. I, it's just for me, I, I think the offense is, is just leaves a lot to be desired. Especially when you consider against a Denver, they're going to have to play Jones Jr. And done like they're going to need the defense. They're not going to be able to just say, you know what, let's go offense first. In our approach against Denver that's not an option. And I think that because of that, Denver now has places to hide to come up with the shortcomings, you know, come up big for the shortcomings of a guy like Jokic and a guy like Murray because they can send extra help off of. And Chris Dunn splashed a bunch of threes yesterday, you know, God bless him.

[Justin Variano]

Maybe might not happen again, but yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Maybe he'll do that in the playoffs. But the same with Jones Jr. Like there were times he can say OKC where he made big shots, but you can see against Boston in the playoffs last year, they completely ignored the guy. So that's where I think they're going to run into a little bit of trouble. But you know, if you were to ask me about this, say like six weeks ago, like Denver versus the Clippers, I'd have been like, they're going to mop the floor with these guys. But the way the Clippers are playing right now, it's a completely different proposition.

[Big Waz]

I mean, what you're describing is the modern NBA though, which is like which of which teams, 33% three point shooters, are going to hit in a series or at least hit in enough games that it's going to swing it. And like if you're going to bet on guys to do that, at least Chris Dunn is going to make Jamal Murray's life a living hell. At least Derek Jones Jr. Is going to chase Michael Porter or Aaron Gordon or whoever you want and give them everything that they can handle on the other end of the court. So at least you're getting enough tangibly from their role players to live and die with some of the possessions they're going to swing their way.

[Justin Variano]

I also think like, like the Thunder, they do have such an advantage defensively with all these teams that are resting hopes on having the juice in order to overwhelm teams having the counterbalance, having just not only the offense but the defensive side, I almost wonder is underrated after years and years of our youth talking about how defense wins championships. I don't know if it wins championships, but I do think that sort of balance is unique with the Clippers as opposed to a team like the Lakers, who I think if we were to rank the Western Conference teams, I might still say I'm more afraid of the Lakers just considering the copious amounts of juice that they have with those three ball handlers who are playing better, especially as they get more reps with Rui and and Dorian Finney Smith. But like Clippers, God damn, they're looking good right now.

[Big Waz]

I just want to trademark right now copious amounts of juice. Let's just, let's just put that one in the pocket for the playoffs because somebody's going to be showing copious amounts amounts of juice and I can't wait.

[Rob Mahoney]

To talk about they're the Jose Conseco team of the playoffs.

[Justin Variano]

Well, what about the warriors here, a team who has been gangbusters practically since they made the Jimmy trade. But as I'm watching them, as I'm looking at the particulars, as I'm seeing these nagging little injuries start to creep up. Jimmy had some ankle troubles, Steph, dealing with what I believe is like a thumb sprain or something like that.

[Big Waz]

Well, not only with Jimmy's ankle, but like he took that what I hope was a knee to leg hit from Kawhi and not a knee to knee hit. It was kind of hard to tell in real time, but it was a full force blow.

[Justin Variano]

It just feels like the margin for error for that team in particular. We talk about the Lakers later, but like them, if one of those guys isn't quite right, as we saw last postseason, if Jimmy's not who he he needs to be, it's just like, oh, it's a lot of pods. It's a lot of like hoping that Moses Moody is like a Core number five guy for you.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, I think the problem for the warriors in so much as it is one, like they're a high execution team. Like they have to execute at a precise high level in order to be effective. Lucky for them, they have the, the personnel to do so. You know, they bench Jonathan Kaminga, thank God. Like they have the guys that can execute at a high level, but once anything goes off, man, like, it just doesn't look as precise. And, you know, I think I'm not the only one that thinks they could do just fine against Memphis in the playing matchup. And, and you know, everybody's wanted Houston. You know, nobody's picking Houston to go to a conference finals. Nobody thinks Houston is the second best team in the West. Although I think that's a tough matchup for Golden State because Houston can present a lot of size.

[Big Waz]

Yep.

[Rob Mahoney]

You know, just a lot of youth and, and, and ability to guard guys out on the floor, switchable defenders. The kind of things that you have to do against Golden State, like you have to have the. Know how, like when Steph sets a screen for Buddy Hield, don't try to go over, just switch that screen because you'll die if you don't. And so, you know, they got great coaching. I think that's going to be a fun matchup. But I see Golden State dispatching with Memphis who, like, I don't even know what to make of that team anymore. And having a, you know, a knock them out, drag them out series with Houston.

[Big Waz]

I also suspect they will beat Memphis, but if they don't, if they don't beat Memphis, if they don't make it out of the play in like the warriors are playing for their lives. Let's not forget that. Or if they make it into a first round series that turns out, let's say the Rockets matchup I think is kind of a tough matchup for them. I think that will be tricky. I agree with you that if you're picking and choosing, there are a lot of teams in the west that would look at the Rockets and say, okay, we want that relatively inexperienced team to play against. If you're Golden State, do you really want, if you're trying to make a long run, Draymond Green to be battling that much size this early.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah.

[Big Waz]

Steph Curry to be chased by Ahmed Thompson for an entire series, like everything that they. And not just on men, but like Tari Eason's going to be out there. Fred Van Vliet can still give chase to Steph in some of These games, like they just have a lot of bodies to throw at the guys that you do not want to wear down this early. And that's assuming you get to that series. But if they don't or they lose it, I don't want to just have it be lost to time. That Draymond Green absolutely smoked a critical crunch time layup in this game against the Clippers that would have dramatically changed the seatings of basically the entire Western Conference. That felt like a huge moment that could potentially really bite the clip or bite the Warriors.

[Justin Variano]

I mean, Draymond also had the neck injury where he had to leave early home.

[Big Waz]

That was really scary.

[Rob Mahoney]

That was nasty.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah, I think like that is what was laid bare in this game. I think you could convince yourself that the warriors could play spoiler perhaps even in the first round as recently as like a week ago because they do have that top end talent I think that can swing things. But I think you forget that they made the Jimmy trade in no small part in order to save their season. Like it has been absolutely miraculous since. But this was a team on the razor's edge of potentially falling past the plan into the lottery. And so that is like the scenes are starting to show a little bit more for this team. And now I'm starting to think of them more as like an also ran. Like, oh, maybe they'll give the, the, the Rockets a firm push. I personally would love it if they ended up playing the Thunder because I think that's just the type of electric matchup you want to see. You want to see the Thunder kind of almost overcome the old guard in order to take the next step and potentially on the route to the finals. But for me, the warriors are just looking a little creaky at a time where it's. You really don't want to see that.

[Big Waz]

I don't disagree with you. I just think you can do that with every team in the west that is not the Thunder. And we have like, we've talked about that with the Nuggets, we talked about that with the.

[Rob Mahoney]

How many teams have we said is the second best team in this damn confere this year?

[Justin Variano]

8.

[Big Waz]

I even passed at the Grizzlies at one point in time. Like that's how long the season has been.

[Justin Variano]

I do think there is an Occam's Razor thing with the west where it's like, oh, we could find these little nitpicks with the Thunder, this historically good regular season team. But when we're like, hey, is Jimmy Butler going to Play an entire playoff series is a real mountain to molehill sort of situation. Yeah, I think you guys would probably all agree the Thunder are most likely going to make it to the finals this year.

[Big Waz]

They look great. They've been dominant. I fully expected.

[Justin Variano]

All right, do you guys want to look at the matchups first, the first round matchups or you want to do the play in preview?

[Big Waz]

Let's do the play in. I like. We're going to get to skip ahead later this week. I assume we're going to do. Justin, our full on playoff variables, are we not?

[Justin Variano]

Right. We are defined the track that meets this moment.

[Big Waz]

I can't wait to see what genre it is this year. But. So we're going to get into the full in depth playoff preview to come. But I don't want to zoom past these playing games even though frankly at least one of them deserves to be zoomed past.

[Justin Variano]

Yes, well, we'll talk about the East. Why don't we table that for now? Just because we're talking about the West. But Warriors Grizzlies up first and foremost with the West. That's a 7, 8 matchup. And then the Kings and Mavericks was. Are you excited to see some Kings basketball?

[Rob Mahoney]

No, I'm not. Just the bottom of both conferences are kind of the drags. I mean the Mavericks, you know, guys have finally come back online here, but it's still just a shell of what we expected to see even after the Luca trade, which, you know, everybody had their opinions about. Sacramento has been basically a mediocre team. Not a bad team. Nowhere near the threshold of what you would call good. Just a mediocre team. It's just a battle of mediocrity. If either one of these teams were able to claw their way into the eighth seed against Memphis or Golden State, I would be completely shocked. Especially in a do or die situation. I. I just. It's hard for me to see this happening.

[Big Waz]

Wouldn't it be though a perfect encapsulation of the Memphis Grizzlies?

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh my God.

[Big Waz]

Just absolute mudslide of the back part of the season. If they somehow let the Kings into this thing. It just, it. There's a part of my brain that's like, that's not off the table.

[Justin Variano]

I don't know if you guys have heard, but it sounds like Vladi might be back in the mix with the Kings.

[Big Waz]

Of course.

[Justin Variano]

Been hearing a little. Been hearing a little buzz about that lately, I guess.

[Big Waz]

Was he ever out is the question. Or was he just like hanging around the building sending like Covert messages through pipes in the walls. I don't know.

[Rob Mahoney]

He's the Isaiah Thomas of the Sacramento Kings. Clearly.

[Justin Variano]

Shout out Jeremy Lamb to Vlade connection. It's like LeBron passing the torch to Luka Doncic. Sure. But you guys are. It sounds like you're saying you're writing off the maps.

[Big Waz]

I am writing off the Mav.

[Rob Mahoney]

I am. The Mavs are written off. They. They have no offense. There's. There's no offense to speak of. You know, like, as much as I love ad, he's been one of my. When AD is right, he's one of my favorite players to watch. You know, just his versatility, just his iq. Like, he's just a great player. He can't carry nobody's offense. It's not a thing. He needs to be set up. And there is not a setup man to be found on this team.

[Big Waz]

Not even set up, but just someone to dribble to hit a shot off a kick out, to vaguely space the floor in a way that would be conducive to him getting the ball. I think would be a great starting point. But yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

And he's playing power forward.

[Big Waz]

That too. You can't play this big with this few guards. You can't do it. So I really don't see it working. And I think the Kings, based on even the kind of mediocre standard that you described was, are better than that.

[Justin Variano]

I don't know. Dante Exum back Brandon Williams off. Off of a two way Max Christie renaissance. I'll say this, I don't think the Kings are that much better than even this diminished version of the Mavericks of the Magic game. I would not be surprised. I think what we're all kind of saying here is we would be shocked if it wasn't warriors probably going into that 2 8. And then the Grizzlies, like the Grizzlies, despite all of their flaws, still have a shitload of talent and they are still eight games up on the Sacramento Kings.

[Big Waz]

The Memphis Grizzlies should be way too good to be eliminated in the plan. Will they in fact still get eliminated anyway? I don't. I honestly don't know. But they should be way too good.

[Justin Variano]

They got that finished sauce now. You know, sure, in the east we have Magic and hawks. That's the 78 and Bulls heat for the third year in a row in a play on matchup. Play in matchup, Bulls versus Heat. I don't care is my answer. This is just so awful.

[Big Waz]

I did see, courtesy of Dan Feldman, that the Magic are the first team to win their division without a winning record since the NBA ABA merger.

[Justin Variano]

Oh, the Southeast is such trash now.

[Big Waz]

All that said, I would like to watch Magic Celtics. That's a series I would sure like.

[Rob Mahoney]

It'll be a. They're going to average 82 points a game. The Magic car. But I like to see it. It definitely give the Celtics an opportunity to warm up for sure.

[Big Waz]

More so than the Hawks, who I. I don't even think you. You don't even need a stretch if.

[Rob Mahoney]

You'Re the Celtics to be floored with those kids.

[Big Waz]

It just wouldn't. It wouldn't work out for anybody now honestly though, I think the worst outcome for anyone out of this Eastern Conference play in race is Miami getting in. No, it's the Bulls. It's the bul.

[Justin Variano]

The worst case.

[Big Waz]

And I say that. Look for us watching the Bulls yet again, as we've enjoyed and we've talked about, that part wouldn't be so bad. Does this Bulls leadership group need more bullshit confirmation of their strategy that will not work long term with a fake play playoff appearance and like a summary first round exit. Is that. Is that really what we want to give them or what the basketball guys want to give them?

[Justin Variano]

Okay, you just don't like join your life because the Bulls have provided all of us, not just me, with a lot over the past two months.

[Big Waz]

I like Bulls fans to have something to hang on to at some point in the next 20 years. And I just. I'm not so sure we're on that timeline right now.

[Justin Variano]

Start rearing Buzzelas in those playoff minutes, man. He's going to get him eventually. Might as well cut his teeth now.

[Big Waz]

Look, I would like that better than I would like Davion Mitchell trying to break down playoff defenses, right? Like I. I want to see Brazilis in the playoffs. I do. I need to see Josh Giddy being left again by defenders in the playoffs. I don't know, but I guess we can take another crack at it and see what happens.

[Justin Variano]

He's been hitting shots for at least half a season, okay?

[Big Waz]

They always do in the half of the season, Justin. That's. That's what happens.

[Justin Variano]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Heat make it in dark arts.

[Rob Mahoney]

I mean, with this group that they're going up against, why should we feel like it's impossible? This is not. There's not an impossible matchup in the bunch.

[Justin Variano]

So the Hawks are hobbled. They don't have like two or three of their best players. Trey Young, I believe Finished the season under 40% shooting on the year. Tough Bulls, young, inexperienced. But I think the key here is that the magic, I think they can make it hard. Just because Paulo does seem like he has the zest back in some of his offensive game, he can make it hard on the Celtics in a way that might compound things and make it difficult for them in game in round two and round three. Eventually.

[Big Waz]

Yeah, I think, I think hard on the Celtics. Well, for some games, they're big boys.

[Justin Variano]

At the very least, that's what their.

[Big Waz]

Defense does, you know.

[Rob Mahoney]

But they cannot shoot.

[Big Waz]

No, they can't shoot. But they are built, defensively speaking, to handle it or to challenge. So for that reason alone, I do think they're going to get in. I full. I hope that they get in. I honestly think the Bulls are going to get the other spot. Like, I just think that's what is destined to happen. And I, I just want to apologize to everyone who follows.

[Rob Mahoney]

They're going to be like, look, we made the playoffs this year.

[Big Waz]

Just more affirmation that they can interpret to mean whatever the hell they want it to mean.

[Justin Variano]

Their draft status is set no matter what. Man, you might as well play for glory, you know?

[Rob Mahoney]

Play for glory.

[Justin Variano]

Kobe White's been fun. That's a fun ass team though. Like, they are fun as opposed to like the Kings getting absolutely waxed by the Thunder. Like I would watch a game or two of a Bulls Cav series if I didn't because based on professional obligation, I'm going to watch all of them, unfortunately. But like, as a fan, I would plug into that willingly.

[Rob Mahoney]

I get that.

[Big Waz]

Okay.

[Justin Variano]

All right, rest of the matchups here. So in the East Cavs, Celtics are the 12 and they await their inevitable opponent. We have Knicks, Pistons pretty sick and Pacers, Bucks yet again a rematch of last year's. What was it? Three, six, I believe. Which of those two matchup s are you, are you looking forward to?

[Rob Mahoney]

I mean, it's definitely the Knicks and Detroit. I think a lot of people are like super down on the Knicks because of the way the season kind of ended with the Brunson injury and all of this stuff. And people are just, you know, they're just higher on a. On a team that's on the rise in Detroit. I think the Knicks will ultimately win that series. I think Detroit is just so offensively challenged that even the Knicks horrific defense will be able to handle it. But it's not going to be your typical three, six where you expected to go five games, six to max. I Think they're going to have a dog fight on their hands. Um, but I think the Knicks will ultimately prevail in there. But that, that to me is my favorite Eastern Conference series for sure.

[Big Waz]

Yeah, there's offensively challenged and then there's offensively challenged against the Knicks. And the Pistons present a very specific problem, which is a giant playmaker running a fuckton of pick and roll, which is exactly the kind of thing that the Knicks really, really, really cannot handle. And we've seen it. Every time Cade goes to play, the Knicks puts up huge numbers, has monster, like a monster impact on the game. I think this is a really, really fun matchup too, ultimately. Yeah, I agree that the Knicks are probably a little too good, but this will be really, really close and more than the Knicks would want this early out of the gate, but at the same time, maybe something to actually bring this team together in a way that they just haven't had an opportunity to do all season. Like make them overcome something by pulling together. That's a good way for a Knicks run to start.

[Justin Variano]

How many injections in that series are we expecting for the over under, like.

[Big Waz]

For teams do alone? Or are we talking teams?

[Rob Mahoney]

I mean, Bickerstaff definitely getting through, thrown out of the game at some point.

[Justin Variano]

For sure might take the over. But I think you guys, I think you guys are right. I think that series for the Knicks is more about survival. It's about keeping the games limited, taking care of the Pistons early because if they're going to have any sort of shot against the Celtics, they need to be whole and they haven't been that way for a little while here. Jalen Brunson still kind of working his way back in. I hope we get a fully engaged, fully operational Knicks team because that offense is sick and could make things happen. I don't think it will happen in this postseason, but, you know, weirder things have happened. The Pacers made the eastern conf, by the way.

[Rob Mahoney]

Mikhail Bridge is back to being a. A freaking turn style on defense. It's so pathetic to watch this guy try to guard on the. Like everybody just dribbles past him.

[Big Waz]

Just strange season.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's just a layup line against this kid. It's crazy to watch.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah. So in the west, Thunder rockets are your 1, 2. Then you have Lakers at 3, facing the Timberwolves at.

[Big Waz]

That's spicy.

[Justin Variano]

Great series and Clippers Rob you like the Lakers series?

[Big Waz]

I love that one. I mean, so the other night at Luka Doncic's return game, he was asked like what part of the sentimental video that the Mavericks played him in tribute was his favorite. And he was like, oh, it's got to bear the shot over Rudy Gobert.

[Justin Variano]

Told him to offend in Slovenian. Like, he just like murdered my father and I got vengeance, frankly.

[Big Waz]

As is his. Right? In that moment, you hit that shot, you can tell whoever you want to fuck off. And so we get Luka versus the Wolves all over again. Plus a legit real test for this Lakers team right out of the gate. That's a lot of, a lot of good juice. Copious amounts of juice, dare I say, in that matchup, gallons wise.

[Justin Variano]

What do you like?

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, definitely Lakers, Wolves. But as we said with the Nuggets and Clippers, I think the Clippers again, playing like the number two team in the west, especially over the last like 17 games. Plus, by the numbers, Zubac is actually the best one on one Nicola Jokic defender in the world. Not that he's a Yokage stopper. We're not going to get stupid and crazy here, but Zubac has made himself into just a straight up stout, one on one post defender. There's no two ways about it. And so I, I just love that individual matchup with the Balkan boys and I'm excited to watch that as well. But definitely Lakers. There's just so much star power and wattage in that Lakers Timberwolves series. So that'll be like super fun.

[Justin Variano]

How are we feeling about the Nuggets going into the postseason? Is there any hope left?

[Rob Mahoney]

I mean, you fire your coach with three games left. I like this. There's got to be a freaking cap on the amount of positivity. Look, they won their last three games, handled their business against Memphis, blew out the Rockets yesterday. Like, they, they handled their business. But again, you fired your coach three games before the playoffs are supposed to start. Like, it's hard to be like super optimistic about this, but all the reports coming out of it is like, Adelman is a way different. Takes a way different approach in his temperament and in how he decides to run things. Guys seem to be responding right now. They even tried on defense the last three games, which is nice to see. So maybe there's something to take out. I just don't know how a guy comes in at this point.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

And in a key matchup, key games, a game, five, two. Two series. And you need to make halftime adjustments. Like, we think Adelman is going to be doing. Like, do we think that?

[Big Waz]

I like David Adelman as a coach. I think he was worth a look if not for the Nuggets, for somebody in the near future for a head coaching job. He can't fix what is broken with this team, which is that they don't have frankly enough playoff bodies and they just are not good enough defensively and so can they get 15% better defensively from where they were a couple weeks ago? I think that's within their power to do. I think frankly just playing your best players playoff minutes will address some of that stuff like getting Aaron Gordon out on the floor for a playoff length amount of time. Christian Brown on the floor for as many minutes as he can handle. That stuff will help you. Overall, I just don't think of them that differently than we've been talking about them for the last couple weeks, which is they feel maybe a little too fundamentally flawed to be an actual like honest to goodness contender. But given this Western Conference landscape, that still might not stop them from getting to the Western Conference finals.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah, all of a sudden. Lakers and Clippers back in the mix baby.

[Big Waz]

Well, that will not be the last mention of that on this podcast.

[Justin Variano]

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[Big Waz]

All.

[Justin Variano]

Right, before we pivot to the chatties, the first annual chatties, we have something that I did at the very least last year, maybe in the year before our game 82 staple. It is who he tank four, where I asked you guys which of these guys that I'm mentioning actually played in NBA games or are these guys that actually I just made up or potentially stole from some other part of life? So I'm gonna give you a name. You have to tell me whether or not this person played in an NBA game yesterday on Sunday. Game 82. Okay, you ready?

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Justin Variano]

All right, number one. Daquan Plowden.

[Big Waz]

That sounds like a. It sounds like two people's names combined, but not a Daquan.

[Rob Mahoney]

A guy named Daquan. So I'm gonna assume that this guy actually played in an NBA game yesterday.

[Big Waz]

I'm gonna vote no.

[Justin Variano]

Waz is right. Damn it. He played 17 or. Excuse me, he played 31 minutes and scored 17 points for the Hawks in their triumphant victory over the Orlando Magic yesterday.

[Big Waz]

Shout out to Clouden. I apologize.

[Rob Mahoney]

Aquan Clouden. Hello.

[Big Waz]

Name P. Daquan Plowden.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, Plowden, not Clouden.

[Justin Variano]

Yes. He has a future of being a snowplowman in his future.

[Big Waz]

He does not. He lives in Atlanta.

[Justin Variano]

All right. Ray J. Dennis. Ray J. Dennis.

[Big Waz]

Can we get a spelling on Ray J. Yeah.

[Justin Variano]

Ray J. Capital R, A Y. No, space. Capital J.

[Big Waz]

No, absolutely not.

[Justin Variano]

Ray J. No. Dash. This isn't like the rapper.

[Rob Mahoney]

I. Listen, I could see some. A negro naming their kid this. I really could. And so this is. This is a real name. Ray J. Dennis. It's a real name.

[Justin Variano]

Was. Is correct.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Justin Variano]

He played 29 minutes in a two overtime win over the Cavs for the pacers. He scored 13 points in that game. Ray J. I just.

[Rob Mahoney]

I just googled Daquan Plowden went to Bowling Green University.

[Big Waz]

Of course he's right.

[Rob Mahoney]

Undrafted 20, 22. Yeah. Just a big G League guy. Two way guy. I've never seen this man a day in my Life ever. Never heard of him, never seen him.

[Big Waz]

We need to watch more. More Hawks basketball.

[Justin Variano]

Apparently, he's no leaky black, but we'll remember him for this reason. Dennis Whitaker.

[Big Waz]

Dennis Whitaker.

[Rob Mahoney]

See, that's the name that JV could make up. Here's the thing.

[Big Waz]

But do you think from a gamesmanship perspective, he's trying to get us to toggle back and forth? Do you think all of these guys are gonna be real?

[Rob Mahoney]

I just know JV don't got the heart to come up with Ray J and actually come up with a spelling for that. Once he had to come up with the spelling, spelling, he would be like, all right, you know what? Let me move on from this. But Dennis Whitaker is pretty easy.

[Big Waz]

I'm gonna say he's a created player.

[Rob Mahoney]

This is.

[Big Waz]

I'm saying no.

[Rob Mahoney]

One of your recruits in NCAA. Like, when you're in, like, 2047.

[Big Waz]

Yep.

[Justin Variano]

So he's not a real person, but I did not come up with him. Dennis Whitaker is the young doctor on the pit.

[Big Waz]

That guy's name is Dennis.

[Justin Variano]

Apparently.

[Big Waz]

Of course, I only know him as Whitaker or Huckleberry, but apparently strike me.

[Rob Mahoney]

As a Dennis that was sleeping upstairs.

[Justin Variano]

Copy up spoiler alerts for the last time.

[Big Waz]

I mean, that's fine.

[Rob Mahoney]

Doing all kinds of things up there with a reason why he's sleeping. We didn't say why he was sleeping up there.

[Justin Variano]

There you go. All right. You know this guy? His name is Marjon Beauchamp. Yes, but the questions are one, did he play yesterday, and if so, for what team?

[Big Waz]

He.

[Rob Mahoney]

I don't think he played. He was on. Whose bench was he on? I seen him in street clothes.

[Big Waz]

He was in that Wizards trade. No.

[Justin Variano]

Who's to say?

[Big Waz]

Was he in the Wizards trade? I think he was.

[Rob Mahoney]

Is he on the Clippers bench?

[Big Waz]

No, I don't think. I don't think he's in the Clipping. Clippers bench.

[Justin Variano]

Who did I see?

[Rob Mahoney]

What was. What game was I watching?

[Big Waz]

Wait, so we're guessing what team he played for. Marjon, did he play?

[Rob Mahoney]

Did he play? And what team was it?

[Justin Variano]

What team was he on?

[Big Waz]

I'm gonna say he did play because he did get picked up by somebody. I'm just blanking on who it is. He was like. It was a cut and release situation.

[Justin Variano]

I'll give it to you guys. He did play, and it was for the New York Knickerbockers. He played the Knicks five minutes.

[Rob Mahoney]

He was not. Okay, so he was in street clothes for that Knick. Who did they lose to on Friday or Whatever it was.

[Big Waz]

Oh, you know what? He was in the Kevin Porter Jr. Trade. That's what it was. He was. He was sent to the Clippers, then cut, then signed by the Knicks.

[Rob Mahoney]

But I. I was just. Look, I was like, wait, this dude is on. What? Yeah. That's crazy.

[Justin Variano]

Okay, a couple more here. David Bettenberg.

[Rob Mahoney]

No, not a real guy.

[Big Waz]

I mean, it might be a real guy, but I don't think David Bettenberg is an NBA player.

[Rob Mahoney]

League that's an NBA player. Bettenberg. JV is not that creative. You ever watch. You ever read a book or watch a TV show where they just come up with the sickest names? Like, that's actually a skill. JV ain't got that. He ain't coming up with Bettenburg.

[Big Waz]

Wow.

[Rob Mahoney]

No way.

[Justin Variano]

Was unfortunately clocked that correctly. But he is not an NBA player. But he was a contestant on the most recent season of Love is Blind in Minnesota. He obviously. His sister forced him to break up with Lauren. And despite the fact that he had real feelings for Lauren, he didn't realize it until after the fact that a guy from Minnesota was saying that he had slept with her right before she went on. But that guy was lying the whole time. Yeah.

[Big Waz]

So Lauren could have been a Bettenberg, but it blew up.

[Justin Variano]

She could have been. Yeah, that's right. I also. Jv, this is partly why Minnesota's season didn't start. Well, I do think there was a Love is Blind curse that happened that they had to then break.

[Rob Mahoney]

I just want to know, J, you're watching Love is Blind at the crib by yourself.

[Justin Variano]

100%. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, my God. That is.

[Big Waz]

Why. Why so judgmental? W.

[Rob Mahoney]

I. I've never. No, you know what? That's a lie. I definitely watched for the Love of.

[Big Waz]

Ray J. Oh, sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

And the Flavor Flav joint.

[Big Waz]

What about the Tila Tequila show? Did you watch that one?

[Rob Mahoney]

Tila Tequila? I don't think I watched Tila Tequila. But Ray J and Flavor Flavor, I watch voluntarily. I've never watched a reality dating show on my own before or since that I've watched them because I was forced to, but definitely not at gunpoint. What are you talking about? Well, I didn't get into it.

[Justin Variano]

I think originally when I was seeing someone and I got broken.

[Rob Mahoney]

And then you just kept going. You just kept it going. Gotcha.

[Justin Variano]

And I just. I'm still there. It's good programming. What can I say? Let me do two more. Just quickly. Joel Miller.

[Big Waz]

No, that's from the Last of Us. Joel Miller. No, absolutely not.

[Justin Variano]

That Is Pedro Pascal's character and last one, Miles Norris.

[Big Waz]

Can I get a spelling on Miles? Is that an I or a Y?

[Justin Variano]

That is an I. Norris, who would.

[Big Waz]

Have been Norris's not.

[Rob Mahoney]

Not an NBA guy. We're not making mouths with an eye anymore.

[Justin Variano]

Well, our producer Isaiah would know that he is indeed an NBA player. He played 12 minutes for the Celtics in a 93:86 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

[Big Waz]

So Miles Norris could be a champion in a matter of months. And then the joke is really going to be on us.

[Justin Variano]

There you go. That's who we tank for. Another rousing addition. All right.

[Big Waz]

I think it's a good bit for the record, is who he tanked for. Correct in the phrasing of that question. I'm gonna say no, but I appreciate.

[Justin Variano]

The bit I didn't end up getting to Donald. Danny Glover's character from the Royal Tenenbaums. I have that one written down.

[Big Waz]

Wow.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah. Or I was gonna also do a LeBron James thing. Did LeBron James play and that'd be cute. Bronnie James. There you go. All right, we're talking around. Why don't we bring him in? Because he's going to ultimately be our judge here for the first edition of the Chatties. Isaiah, how are you?

[Isaiah]

Excellent. Miles Norris was solid.

[Big Waz]

Thumbs up at least. At least one thumbs up. Maybe not two for Miles Norris.

[Isaiah]

Yeah. Just one. Yeah. I don't know if he can hit a jump shot, but like, there's something there. He's all right.

[Justin Variano]

All right. So what we're going to do here is we did our individual awards, we did our team awards, now we're going to do our group chat awards. A lot of these are pretty self referential, I'll be honest. But a lot of them are just kind of taking a snapshot of the season, kind of some of the foibles of this pod and of the season in totality. We have our nominees that we're going to bring to the table. Isaiah is then going to decide on the winner and we have to start off with Woz's long awaited first bit on the pod. I believe. Potentially.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Justin Variano]

All Hard hat team was. You want to explain this for us?

[Rob Mahoney]

So the hard hat team for me is basically I take the, the, the sort of stance of like this guy's the NBA version of a coal miner. Like he's willing to damn near die on the job.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Or risk poor health outcomes going forward in order to win. Like this dude will do anything to win just a hard hat lunch pail. No excuses kind of guy. And so, yeah, that's the. Like, there's guys that I watch like this and I'm like, you know what, man? You don't do any of the stuff. The step back threes that get you all the girls and the cheerleaders and all of that stuff, you know, but you do stuff that makes your team win and it's unglamorous. And so I, I think these guys should be honored. I love a hard hat guy.

[Big Waz]

So you're just imagining PJ Tucker coming up with a miner's coffin, a lunch pail.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's right.

[Big Waz]

That. That's our guy.

[Rob Mahoney]

P.J. tucker, P.J. brown. Okay. Like the classic Charles Oakley example. Dale Davis, you know, like that kind of player. Dennis Rodman, realistic, you know, even though he had the crazy hair and was wearing women's wedding dresses on magazine covers, the guy would do anything to win.

[Big Waz]

The man's multitudes wore wedding dresses. Hard hat, without a doubt. Like first ballot hall of famer. Also concierge ambassador to North Korea.

[Rob Mahoney]

You know, like, you can do it all, Renaissance man.

[Justin Variano]

That's the goal.

[Rob Mahoney]

And so that's basically the spirit of the hard hat team.

[Justin Variano]

So not necessarily violent, but tough.

[Rob Mahoney]

No, see, that's the thing. Your willingness to beat guys up.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

On the opposing team does not automatically qualify you for hard hat status.

[Big Waz]

So not back alley team. Hard hat team is a. Is a different flavor.

[Rob Mahoney]

Hard hat is tangentially related.

[Big Waz]

Sure.

[Rob Mahoney]

Like, you want pretty much all of these hard hat guys in the back alley, but it's not necessarily related to, oh, this guy will whoop your ass in a street fighter bare knuckle brawl. Right. Like, it's like what this guy will do on the court is that of like I said, a coal miner bro, willing to go down in the mines to bring energy to the masses, black lung be damned. And so that's what I want to honor here.

[Big Waz]

Well, so how do we want to do this? Because we've all done our, like, first team. All hard hat team. Do we want to go like, player by player? Do we each want to talk through our five guys? What do you want to do?

[Justin Variano]

Yeah, let's do five at once because we're time here.

[Big Waz]

Okay.

[Justin Variano]

Since. Why don't we let Wise go first, if only because this is.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh, this is. Yeah, so first. First guy up is Jalen Suggs. I'm not Adam Silver, so I don't come up with stupid games played rules for my hard hat awards. Jalen Suggs has missed a lot of games, but to me, this guy exemplifies the Hard Hat team. Like, this dude plays his ass off on both ends of the court, is just hyper competitive, and I think he's, like, kind of the soul of that magic team when he's playing. They're just a different animal, in my opinion, especially once he's learned how to shoot, which isn't always a quality that Hard Hat guys possess, but whatever. Jalen Suggs, first team, all Hard hat. Lou Dort, another guy. Clearly, he's willing to put it all on the line every single night, go up against the best perimeter guy, diving for loose balls, crashing the ball, boards. He's just. He's just the epitome of hard hat Josh Hart. This dude will literally do a double shift on a moment's notice. Like, this guy does not need rest. He doesn't take days off, doesn't do vacation.

[Justin Variano]

He is work on a Saturday night, bro.

[Rob Mahoney]

Hard Hat. Hard Hat like. Like this pod we exemplify Hard Hat on this pod. A surprise to me. I surprised myself with this. But I think this guy is like a Hard hat hall of Famer, honestly. And that's Big Al Horford again, another guy who will literally do anything that it takes to win. And my last pick, I kind of cheated. I picked the Thompson Twins. I just love the way these guys approach the game. These guys are no nonsense. They play at 100% every single game, don't give a damn, don't care about looking pretty. These guys are Hard hat and, you know, potential future all star in the case of a man. But I just love these guys as the youngest, you know, the newest entrant into the Hard Hat sort of, you know, family. So I cheated with the last picks.

[Justin Variano]

Okay, those are some good ones. I had a few of those guys. I had heart. And I also doubled up on the Thompson Twins.

[Big Waz]

Wow, look at you.

[Rob Mahoney]

Got you.

[Big Waz]

So you guys have six players on your first team.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yes, yes. This is. This. This is the first chance of all time. You got seven guys.

[Big Waz]

Who else did you smuggle in there?

[Justin Variano]

So I have heart. I have the Thompson Twins Asar, honestly, coming around, by the way.

[Big Waz]

Yeah, he's been really good.

[Justin Variano]

Belated kind of boom. But I can't wait to see what he is next year. I have Isaiah Hartenstein. Maybe I'm just playing too much off of the hard heart. Yeah, yeah, I get alliteration there, but just tough as nails. Just solid as a rock. I have him. I have Chris Dunn, who we talked about earlier, Just goddamn menace, just doing his job at the point of attack. And then I guess I may have misunderstood the definition I should have had was laid out for me. I do have two pistons here and frankly, I wanted to put the entire pistons as one slot on my team. But I have the Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland duo like that.

[Rob Mahoney]

They're hard hat guys.

[Justin Variano]

They are probably more violent than tough, but, you know, maybe they're all things.

[Rob Mahoney]

They'Ll put hands on you, but they're hard hat guys for sure.

[Big Waz]

A violent protector in beef stew.

[Rob Mahoney]

Beef stew was on the also considered for sure.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Justin Variano]

Okay.

[Big Waz]

I only have one of these players on my list. That makes Josh Hart the only unanimous hard hat.

[Rob Mahoney]

He's got a selection.

[Big Waz]

Got to be.

[Rob Mahoney]

Got to be.

[Big Waz]

Also underrated. Part of the hard hat game. Connecting passes and plays like none of this flashy pick and roll shit. I'm just going to cut hard catch and redirect plays in the middle of everything.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yes.

[Big Waz]

Shout out to Josh Hart. Also second in total minutes. As we said, double shift life for Josh Hart. Perpetually Steven Adams.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yes.

[Big Waz]

Rebounding shortlist.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yep.

[Big Waz]

Have not seen him jump this season. I don't know. I don't know how he does it, but he's boxing.

[Rob Mahoney]

He's another like Al Horford. He's a hard hat legacy. Like he's been hard hat since his rookie year.

[Big Waz]

It's completely Justin. I'm surprised I'm not flanking you here. To Moni Kamara, definite hard hat guy. Also, circling back to something you said was about like, these aren't the best shooters in the world.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah.

[Big Waz]

There's something about being a bad shooter that forces even more of a hard hat guy. So Tomani Kamara is definitely. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

It's almost like a lot of like if you are a construction worker or you are a coal miner, like you probably can't engineer at Google, you know, and so like, well, not with that attitude. You can't into, you know, these, these more laborious tasks. So like it makes sense.

[Big Waz]

Sure covers a ton of ground plays. Lockdown defense every single night. Great hard hat guy to money Kamara for the Blazers. Still unheralded somehow, despite how much we herald him on this podcast. Jared Vanderbilt might have the single highest motor of any player in the league. Perpetually on the move, doing all over the floor. And my last guy, Daniel Gafford, who I feel like gets a raw CAC City, gets a raw deal in Dallas based on the fact that they are trying to play too big and the fact that he's not Derek Lively and the fact that he is Frankly a.

[Rob Mahoney]

Hard hat guy he's a high motor big anytime a big a guy that size is willing to run hard his all of his minutes deserves consideration for hard hat.

[Big Waz]

Absolutely.

[Justin Variano]

Sounds like if the whispers about him whispering to Luka after the game are to be noted perhaps he won't be there that long. So Isaiah, who amongst our nominees would you want on the final ballot for your first team? All Hard Hat.

[Isaiah]

Yeah so I like put together I like pulled from each of you guys lists. I will say it's pretty funny when you notice the like the non shooters like four guys who can shoot them. I like the 17 guys there was like four because she was hilarious. It is what it is and so I so Josh Art obviously the unanimous pick I think the Thompson twins, Stephen Adams, Jalen Suggs and maybe this is just bias. I couldn't pick between Isaiah Stewart, now Horford.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah no I get it like these guys Hard hat all other guys that I considered by the way PJ Tucker, another legacy of course Draymond Green is both a diva and a hard hat. It's kind of crazy.

[Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

GP2 DFS, TJ McConnell, Caruso. Yeah those guys I also considered how.

[Big Waz]

About Aaron Nesmith, Musa Diabate, Mo Wagner. Especially if he had played the full season. So many great hard hat guys in the league right now.

[E]

This episode is brought to you by the Disney Plus Hulu Max bundle. With plans starting at just 16.99amonth, why settle for just one when you can have it all? Get the ultimate bundle at an unbelievable price. Watch the latest seasons of the Last of Us on Max and or on Disney and the final season of the Handmaid's Tale on Hulu. You can watch Celtic City on Max as well. All of these and more streaming soon. Terms apply. Visit Disney hulumaxbundle.com for details. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apple Card is a no fee credit card that gives you daily cash back every day. That's 3% back at Apple and 2% back on every purchase made with Apple Card using Apple Pay. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app on your iPhone today subject to credit approval. Variable APRs for Apple Card range from 18.24% to 28.49% based on creditworthiness rates as of January 1, 2025. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch Terms and more at Apple Card this episode is brought to you by the Home Depot. It's starting to look like spring and spring starts with savings at the Home Depot. There are savings for every project, whether you're starting with a clean slate with convenient cordless power like a new pressure washer or leaf blower, or starting to love the yard again with colorful flowers and fresh mulch. Start your spring with early savings at the Home Depot. Shop now@home depot.com all right, since we're.

[Justin Variano]

Kind of following Woz's lead here. Next one on the board. Also Woz related this is the best shout out which of course was has all of them. So this is the best wise shout out of the season. Rob, who do you have?

[Big Waz]

There is only one answer for this award and it's was shouting out his State Farm agent. You know, like I cannot believe is not sponcon but it was just earnest enthusiasm that his State Farm agent sent him a birthday card.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's right.

[Justin Variano]

That's the clear winner here. Shouts to to read it Honorable mention though I do think goes to Tracy Letz, which wasn't so much a shot so much as a dragging an unintentional dragging listen Airing of of the Dirty Laundry perhaps.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yeah, I I was listening to the Mark Merritt podcast. Avid listener.

[Big Waz]

We do nothing but support Tracy Letts on this podcast. The Pro Tracy Lets podcast.

[Rob Mahoney]

I will say my personal favorite shout out moment didn't happen on this podcast, but I did shout out Chairman Ma on a podcast that I did not too long ago.

[Justin Variano]

All right.

[Rob Mahoney]

And that's the most proudest I've been considering the trade wars that are currently happening.

[Justin Variano]

So shout out to trade wars the people's revolution. Let's go next one next one on the board here. Sorry Isaiah. I think that one kind of speaks for itself.

[Isaiah]

Yeah, good.

[Justin Variano]

Best moment or story of the season. And now we have to do the non LUCA division because I think LUCA would probably be this and then a bunch of other of our awards. But was who do you like as the best moment?

[Rob Mahoney]

I mean for best moment I didn't pick a player or an instant. It was the Wolves Nuggets double OT game the other night. That might be recency wise, but just watching that in real time felt like this is what regular season basketball should feel like more often. It just felt like fireworks watching that game down to the most insane ending this season where Westbrook bricks a wide open layup then proceeds to foul a guy at the three point line at the buzzer. Just Chef's kiss. My that was my like outside of the LUCA stuff where I felt like most alive watching NBA basketball this year when I'm on my couch like I can't believe what I'm watching right now. Just excellent stuff.

[Big Waz]

It was also one of the few moments in this regular season where it felt like we were all together.

[Rob Mahoney]

Yes.

[Big Waz]

Like a lot of the NBA world was locked in on that game. Not just fans, but like people in the league, people in media. Everyone was watching the same thing and it turned out to be a sensational game.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah. What do you have, Rob?

[Big Waz]

I went a little niche with this one and to me this is one of those things that in the moment we talked about and felt cool in retrospect, I think is going to feel important. Capital I important. And that's the two week stretch where J Dub played center for the Thunder. I think that was kind of the moment for me when the Thunder season went from, oh, this is a great team that's going to be really, really good and really, really competitive to there's something special happening here. It was like an encapsulation of so much that is Thunder basketball. It's like a really surprising creative decision. It's guys playing outside their zones and thriving. It's obviously a testament to their defense that a guy like J Dub can play center for them like that they would even think about it, that they would execute it and that it would feel like this cool calling card for their season. That's one of those things I'm going to be thinking about as we kind of return to the big landmark moments of what could be like a Thunder run and a Thunder coronation.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah, that's a good one. It's definitely memorable. I have down Amend Thompson's game winner against the Boston Celtics, which I imagine Isaiah won't be quite fond of. Similar circumstances as, as the Nugs Wolves game where it's like you caught up to it in the second half. You're like, what's going on here? Amen. Thompson is like going off like we've just been talking about him as his defensive menace who has all this potential. Then it's like, oh, this guy has 30 and 9 and 4 and like he's about to take down the Celtics amidst like this awesome run that they're on and they're always on an awesome run. And then obviously, obviously the step back game winner, the type of moment I think if he does pop in the way that we're expecting, we're going to go back to. That is like almost like the genesis of his rise. So I think that's a good one for not just this season, but just maybe in the next couple seasons.

[Big Waz]

Totally.

[Isaiah]

Isaiah, what do you have? Yeah, that Almond moment is awesome.

[Justin Variano]

But it's just not.

[Isaiah]

I think it. I think Wolves Nugs is the winner. It's just an unbelievable game. And, like, it just had to be Russ.

[Rob Mahoney]

It just had to be Russ.

[Isaiah]

It had to be Russ.

[Rob Mahoney]

Listen, the way Jokic and Ant playing, like, especially Ant in the fourth quarter and ot, where it's like they're being the best versions of themselves, which is just like out of this world talents. And then, you know, it gets decided by Alexander Walker and Russell Westbrook. It's just perfect. It's excellent.

[Justin Variano]

All right, next one. I have down here the no wrong takes award. And so I initially drew this up under this sort of description for the time JV was right, but wasn't given any credit because the world is unjust and cruel. I decided to go a different path, though. And so this is more for our own best and worst takes of the season.

[Big Waz]

I did not get the brief that it was our own. And so I did give the best take of the season to JV of all people. Okay, I gotta say, the Lakers and Clippers, they're in the mix. Yeah, they're in the mix.

[Rob Mahoney]

They are in the mix.

[Big Waz]

This is a. This was a Justin take, I want to say, like December, I think it was, when we were tearing out the NBA and we were trying to figure out what to make of these two teams. They were doing relatively well. We're there by the standings, but maybe in terms of the big picture metrics, the point differentials and whatnot, we were still trying to figure out what to make of these teams. I was skeptical that the Lakers and Clippers would be there at the end of the year. And here we are, both of them. Not just rock solid playoff teams, but among the best. Like, why not the Lakers? Why not the Clippers stories as far as who could get to the conference finals in the West? So I got to. I got to salute you, Justin. You. You were right that they were in the mix.

[Rob Mahoney]

Super right about that. LA mix.

[Justin Variano]

At the top of my list, Clippers plus Lakers equals in the mix. Two exclamation points. Number one on my board award. I. I also brought. Well, let's see here, about five or six more of my. Correct.

[Isaiah]

He brought a bunch. He brought a bunch.

[Justin Variano]

Well, here's the thing. Do I get credit for the spurs because they ultimately finished outside.

[Rob Mahoney]

You get credit for the Spurs.

[Big Waz]

Wait, do you get credit? He was objectively wrong.

[Rob Mahoney]

They finished outside of the plan. But, you know, this is a freak injury to their best player.

[Big Waz]

Like, he also said they were going to Be better than the Rockets.

[Rob Mahoney]

That was flagrantly wrong.

[Isaiah]

I was going to say it's credit, but you don't win the bet.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Justin Variano]

Focus on the. The. The take. Not necessarily the texture. All the. The spice put on top of it, you know?

[Big Waz]

Okay. All right.

[Justin Variano]

But I do have to, like, own up on that bet at some point. We need to figure out. I believe I need to wear a beret. Is that what we ended up with?

[Big Waz]

Something?

[Justin Variano]

Something.

[Big Waz]

Maybe just a full Spurs Coyote costume.

[Isaiah]

Like, it's mailbag question.

[Justin Variano]

Hawks. Bulls being fun and spunky. Pretty right about that, Josh. Giddy back and better than ever off y'all. The Jazz being particularly awful, which I don't know if I was out in front on that one, but sure, I think I clocked that one early. The Wolves, also being roughly about what they were last year, took some heat on that one. I feel like I came out on top on that. Those are the ones for now. I can. I can come up with 10 more. I don't.

[Rob Mahoney]

He can come up with 10 more.

[Justin Variano]

He said I don't have any of my worst takes because I didn't have any bad takes.

[Rob Mahoney]

Bad takes. I think my worst take was definitely that the Knicks would be contenders or be Boston's biggest problem in the Eastern Conference. That is just so clearly not the truth. I thought they would be what Cleveland has ended up being this year.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Which is, like, I still think Boston will beat them, but, like, this team is tough and actually good, whereas the Knicks are, like, good but not tough at all. They're just not going to be a problem. And completely got that wrong. And I think what I got right was just the Jimmy thing just working perfectly in Golden State in terms of his fit. I just knew he was just going to go in there and fit like a glove, which he has. And it's been incredible, the impact that he's had on the team, on the team's offense and defense, quite frankly. And so I think that was my best take.

[Big Waz]

I think collectively our worst take. And we discussed this on the Cavs. Team of the season. Pod ranking the Cavs 13th in our preseason power rankings. Not great. Also in those preseason power rankings, we had the Rockets at 21, Clippers at 19, Pelicans at 17, Suns at 10, Sixers at 7.

[Rob Mahoney]

Tough.

[Big Waz]

There were some real whiffs in there. I gotta say.

[Justin Variano]

I did call the Pelicans, though. I was way lower on the Pelicans.

[Big Waz]

You did. And we like.

[Rob Mahoney]

But she always low on the Pelicans.

[Big Waz]

But we should have known Never trust the pelicans. And we. Speaker 2 Yet again.

[Rob Mahoney]

And, and I guess. Can we talk about the Pelicans again?

[Justin Variano]

Yeah, let's do it. Because as we were recording this, the news came down from Sean Sharania that Joe Dumars, Louisiana legend, is at least in line to be the next GM of that team. The official verbiage was expected to engage in conversations to finalize a deal by the end of the week.

[Big Waz]

Okay, so.

[Rob Mahoney]

Let me ask y'all something like, as an ownership group over there, like, do you not look at, I don't know, like the teams, the, the organizations that get respect, like the Thunder or, you know, or the Heat or the spurs or what? Like the organizations that everybody point Boston like that people point to like, yo, these guys are hyper competent. Like, what example from those organizations are the, the, the Pelicans pulling from.

[Justin Variano]

Here's what's happening here. Because when I was a beat writer, 2016, 2017, the rumors you had heard all the time was that if they were going to fire Dell Demps, it was going to be for Joe Dumars for no other reason that he has ties to ownership, because he's around New Orleans. He's a Louisiana guy, as I mentioned.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Justin Variano]

And so there was no clear reason based on his track record. Obviously he had a long run with Detroit, did a lot of good things. It flamed out pretty spectacularly. And then there was like all sorts of things. He was leaking memos to wo. She got caught doing that now in the NBA front office. So maybe like the stench of some of those things has worn off. But I read this more as the Pelicans did it the way the league wanted to, what other people wanted to. In order to go get David Griffin, they hired a consulting firm. They did it based on the opinion of others. I wouldn't be surprised if this was Gail Benson, Ms. Gail, saying not only was Tom close with Joe, we're going to do this more from a Louisiana perspective. We're going to go get the guy that we always kind of wanted in this job and doing it that way. So in conclusion, it's more of the bad stuff than any sort of turning of the.

[Big Waz]

It's always the bad stuff.

[Rob Mahoney]

You know what I will say though, there's something to the idea that Griff was definitely the smart man's pick to take this job. Right. The idea that it got universal media approval and like all of the fancy pants, smarty pants media people, like, yeah, he's like analytically inclined and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And David Griffin or whatever. And they did that. And it. And you know, you gotta admit, it hasn't worked. So I. I can understand, especially with, like, super rich people being like, I listen to you bozos. Now I'm gonna follow my gut because my gut has gotten me a billion dollars. So I get it again.

[Big Waz]

Everything's always gone well for the pelicans, like following their gut when they've done that. Gone extraordinarily well.

[Justin Variano]

Yep. All right, Isaiah, do you have a winner for the no. Wrong steak work. Okay, good.

[Big Waz]

I want to give one more honorable mention on a take, and I need a. I need a ruling if it's a good take or a bad take, which is wises. White Americans need to do more in basketball terms. I agree. In worldly terms. Are we sure it's just a true.

[Rob Mahoney]

Term when it comes to basketball specifically, we need our white brothers and sisters. You know, you guys are still the minority, the majority of the country. We need you guys involvement in the game. That's all.

[Big Waz]

Hear, hear.

[Isaiah]

You might have inspired the wrong crowd, but that's not our problem, you know? I mean, that's not our problem. Worst take is by far the Cavs one. I just think we have to.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah, we just missed it.

[Big Waz]

We missed it. We should also say they were probably the team or the story of the season as well. But we dedicated a whole podcast to them already, correct?

[Isaiah]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Best take, jv. They're in the mix, man.

[Rob Mahoney]

They're in the mix.

[Justin Variano]

That's right.

[Isaiah]

They're in the mix.

[Big Waz]

In the mix, baby.

[Justin Variano]

Never count out those scrappy underdogs in la.

[Rob Mahoney]

The mix.

[Justin Variano]

All right, next one on the board here. The Bronnie James Memorial Dumbest Discourse Award for the thing that we actually spent time on. I mentioned this before and fairly recently, but I can't believe we spent months and at least one full podcast talking about the sagging ratings and all this other stuff, because now that I'm on my phone a lot, I'm just like, my brain is just so completely fucked, irrevocably in a way that I will never get back. I cannot even pay attention for more than 10 minutes on whatever show that I'm watching. I love what I'm watching. I'm very plugged into it. I listen to podcasts about it afterward. I just. I can't even focus on that because we're all just addled by our devices, and at no time did we stop and say, like, hey, you know what? Actually, our brain chemistry is completely damaged to the point where we just can't engage with certain things like we used to. But no, it's definitely the three pointers. It's 100% too many three pointers. Like five three pointers a game more, but it's definitely that.

[Big Waz]

First of all, you sell yourself short. Justin, I thought you gave a very comprehensive review and explanation of what is going on in Love is Blind. So you're. You're locked in.

[Justin Variano]

Thank you.

[Big Waz]

You're paying attention to something.

[Rob Mahoney]

But I.

[Big Waz]

Look, I agree with you. We are broken as people. We cannot concentrate on anything. That said, can you not throw on an NBA game in the background and also be on your phone? Like, why both is.

[Rob Mahoney]

All I'm hearing is that we need to combine Justin's interest and do a dating show about Anthony Edwards.

[Big Waz]

No, we do not. Nope, nope.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's all we need to do. That's all I'm hearing. Just combine the two. The ratings would be through the roof, y'all.

[Justin Variano]

The censors would never let it go. But yeah, there is not a network.

[Big Waz]

In existence that can carry that level of liability.

[Justin Variano]

Like red band on YouTube. Maybe we have to get some like, special, special sort of affordances there.

[Rob Mahoney]

For me, the dumbest discourse was the jaw celebrations. Like, like that was just absurd. Like some of the hand wringing. We're just asking you to stop with the. It's like, guys, it was finger guns. And I'm sorry. Like his whole thing, the next game of doing grenades and doing the shotgun, like, I kind of felt him like, this is ub absurd. I thought the suspension last year was crazy heavy handed. I thought the union erred in their allowing of the league to do this crazy ass suspension from what happened last year. And like the whole like, oh cha. You're supposed to know better. You're using your fingers to make like, bruh. That was insane, dude. Absurd.

[Big Waz]

I just can't believe we lived long enough for finger guns to come back into the NBA discourse. Like, I. I genuinely feel a million years old and certainly like I've aged a million years since the Gilbert Arenas part of.

[Rob Mahoney]

That's the OG Gilbert Arenas, man.

[Big Waz]

We're just straight back where we started. And it's a remarkable thing. But you guys are missing the obvious one, which is to loop back Bronny James into this conversation. The Stephen A versus LeBron featuring Pat McAfee and Brian Winhorst. It just doesn't get any worse than that. That's just. That's just as dumb as NBA conversation can possibly get.

[Justin Variano]

He's gonna be our next president. And so I don't want to get on his bad side by having documented proof that we weren't aligned with him.

[Rob Mahoney]

Can't wait till he calls group chat up to the Oval Office on a weekday.

[Big Waz]

I hope I'm gonna hold my folder in front of my face to stop the photo op as it's happening.

[Justin Variano]

That's right. I. I love the jaw moment. What an epic troll he is. Like, I want him to just go through the whole, like, Call of Duty war chest of options there. I want him to throw out, like, a spike strip at one point. Isaiah, what do we got?

[Isaiah]

I think it's tight between the ratings talk and the Stephen A. LeBron thing. I think the Stephen A. LeBron thing just because the ratings episode I thought was a good conversation, even though ratings talking itself is stupid, I still thought we had a good episode. So I'd say the. The LeBron Stephen a. Thing is like, probably the dumbest thing all season.

[Big Waz]

So bad.

[Justin Variano]

That was bad. Two more here. This one in honor of Rob the in. In one of our favorite players. Question mark.

[Big Waz]

The Malave Leon, sort of malefice Leon's Maleficent Leon's.

[Rob Mahoney]

Okay. Malify Leon's.

[Justin Variano]

There we go. All right, bench player. Was he an official bench player for the Thunder earlier this season? Did you even make it to that point?

[Big Waz]

He was on the roster preseason. I believe he was one of the last cuts. So he got filtered straight to the OKC Blue situation, where I will tell you he nearly averaged a double double for the blue this year. Dutch Poku lives. The dream is alive. But no, he is not technically a member of the NBA right now.

[Justin Variano]

Okay. I sent videos.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oklahoma City warming up.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah, earlier in the season. So he does exist, but unfortunately not in the NBA proper. But in order to honor him, we're going to give an award for our favorite deep cut player. And Rob, I think you have the floor in order to nominate yours.

[Big Waz]

I think there's only one pick, and it's Jonathan Mobo of the Toronto Raptors. Honestly, he may have transcended the level of true deep cut because he's out now just playing real minutes for the Raptors. If you missed our expansion draft episode, Kyle Mann selecting Jonathan Mobo way too high in the expansion draft has just become a seminal group chat moment for me, to the point that, as Kyle informed us, a stranger came up to him and his family in public and without any other acknowledgement or words, just said jonathan Mobo and walked on and.

[Justin Variano]

Offered a dap, I believe.

[Isaiah]

Sorry.

[Big Waz]

He also Dapped him up.

[Justin Variano]

Which should be like how we greet each other.

[Big Waz]

From now on. But also we should say, since that recording, Jonathan Mobo has had a triple double, has had another near triple double, and as far as I'm concerned, proven he can actually score some points at an NBA level, which was my big question mark. Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

In. In March and April, he's proven that. We're not gonna let Cal man do a victory lap just yet.

[Big Waz]

But not yet.

[Rob Mahoney]

But not better than we thought.

[Big Waz]

Not absolutely.

[Justin Variano]

Until he's starting for the Seattle SuperSonics, that is.

[Big Waz]

No, no. Am I still more of a shed guy? I am, but I have to tip my cap to Jonathan Mopo.

[Justin Variano]

Okay, Wise, did you have anything for.

[Rob Mahoney]

This Jalen Clark of if? Only because he's like the 90th Jalen in the history of the NBA and like, got like a decent amount of minutes this year, especially when guys like DiVincenzo went down and they needed some help in the background chord and was like, decent, like, okay. For a guy that, like, literally I had never heard of before maybe two months ago. And so, yeah, that was. That was definitely my pick because he was like, played out of nowhere and was like, okay, it's a good one.

[Justin Variano]

I have one. We almost had a Trailblazer of the Year award in honor of my constant bringing them up.

[Isaiah]

They're basically next year. Next year.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah. They're basically the shadow cooking. So I picked a blazer for this. I don't know if we necessarily even talked about him at any point, but I have Down City Sissoko as just a great blazer and a great deep cut player. Might not be an NBA player.

[Big Waz]

Let me stop you. He's not. He's not in spirit, an NBA player. I don't mean to be mean, but he's not. He's not it. City Suzoko does not have it.

[Justin Variano]

Giant athlete, played a ton of minutes against the Lakers, like D team yesterday. That's my. That's my nominee.

[Big Waz]

It's a good. It's a good deep cut, for sure. I also say as far as honorable mentions go, I would say that Groove Chat talked more about AJ Mitchell than any non Thunder affiliated podcast in the history of the world.

[Justin Variano]

So he's good.

[Big Waz]

Shout out to AJ Mitchell, who has to be in consideration for this category.

[Justin Variano]

That's a good one. Isaiah. Who wins it?

[Isaiah]

I just want to say this award was almost named our. Our legacy guy, Vasily Meicic. There's no pot in the world that talks about that guy more than we do. So, but the winner has to be Mugbo. I mean, just wait a moment in time. Good for him. Playing decent ball on average.

[Justin Variano]

He's crazy. It's crazy. All right, last one. Here it is. The group chat player of the year. This is what you all have been waiting for. I kind of think there's only one nominee, really.

[Isaiah]

Well, so first, I think it's a tough category.

[Big Waz]

Yeah. How did you interpret the award, Justin?

[Justin Variano]

Just like our favorite player, the one that we all talked about a ton. Good, but not necessarily the best, just the one that represents us.

[Big Waz]

Yes, the most group chat player.

[Rob Mahoney]

So for me, I looked at it a little bit differently. I picked Evan Mobley because Rob came out the gates hot. Crowned his ass basically out the womb. We ridiculed him mercilessly for it. And then the guy came out and actually lived up to Rob's premature crowning, like, well, premature.

[Big Waz]

You just said I was right, Rob.

[Rob Mahoney]

Stop it. Two years ago, you was not right, but God damn, were you right right now. And so that's why, like, he's on our team of the year. He's like, you know, he's constantly come up basically, since we started doing this show about, like, what he is in the moment, who he could potentially be, what he's shown, what he needs to do more of love. Just constantly, like, analyzing and nitpicking this guy's game. And for him, that had put together, you know, this type of season where you could say, like, he could get like, a fifth MVP vote if you really wanted to. Right. Like fifth place, of course. And so, like, that's why I picked him.

[Big Waz]

He was on my short list as well.

[Justin Variano]

Didn't technically qualify for the no takes award. Probably would have been up there. But as was mentioned, it was a take from two years ago. So.

[Big Waz]

Yeah, my track record of successful takes is long.

[Justin Variano]

You're playing the long game.

[Big Waz]

Yeah. Y'all are out here day trading. I'm trying to forecasting years into the future.

[Rob Mahoney]

Right.

[Justin Variano]

Who did you have, Rob?

[Big Waz]

I picked the guy who. I can't remember the last time we all came together in perfect harmony to praise someone like Jalen Johnson. He just became. He so much became one of our collective guys. And we were invested in his continued success this season before his injury, which was so deflating to group chat most of all. But Jalen Johnson got to be. Got to be in the mix here for players.

[Rob Mahoney]

He's like. He's the kind of player that every one of us can appreciate. Appreciate, like, with the athleticism and the skills and you know, the motor, like. Definitely.

[Justin Variano]

I think we're overlooking the most obvious candidate here.

[Rob Mahoney]

Do not say Josh Giddy, for the love of God.

[Justin Variano]

I wish I meant Thompson.

[Big Waz]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Justin Variano]

Talking about a guy we all rallied around.

[Rob Mahoney]

He was my second pick for sure.

[Big Waz]

My only question about Thompson, has he escaped containment? Yeah.

[Rob Mahoney]

Is he tripping everybody? Everybody's glazing a mint Thompson these days. There's no longer hipster to do it. So he's.

[Justin Variano]

He's like Kramer when he like baked himself on the roof because he was like tanning with butter or something like that.

[Big Waz]

That's it. It's in a jacuzzi. Doesn't he. Doesn't he like put different. That's a different time.

[Justin Variano]

Yeah, the power goes out and he gets cold that time. This is.

[Big Waz]

Oh, you're right, you're right. My apologies to Cosmo Kramer.

[Justin Variano]

But yeah, I think on choice, I think we were not only early, we did the whole Las Vegas pod. We saw him live, we talked about him at length.

[Rob Mahoney]

That was a revelation for me seeing him in person for sure.

[Justin Variano]

Isaiah, final verdict.

[Big Waz]

Yeah.

[Isaiah]

I feel like Evan Moby would have been the winner last year. I think would have probably been the right time. We. Maybe we should do an all group chat first team next year or something like that. All these guys are involved. Jaylen Johnson's great, but I think it does have to be amen Thompson. I think, I think I remember I watched some like overtime elite stuff and was like, yeah, guys, there's one draft prospect. Like this guy's pretty nuts. So yeah, I feel like we were early on him.

[Justin Variano]

So imagine if he got drafted by the Blazers over scoot and he was not only our guy, but the Blazers guy.

[Rob Mahoney]

Oh my God. It'd be too much to handle.

[Big Waz]

Would you even be in. Would be so expensive.

[Justin Variano]

I think I would be in his house at that point. We would be living together.

[Rob Mahoney]

The first ever chatties in the books. And shout outs to all the groupies out there, man. We appreciate you guys hitting the email that only Rob reads. I do read it hitting us on Twitter and Instagram and all of that stuff. Shouts to all the groupies out there, man.

[Big Waz]

We also missed the first definitive all hard hat pick which is clearly Isaiah Blakely who is piecing together all of our pods. Isaiah, thank you so much for your hard network.

[Isaiah]

Thank you, thank you.

[Justin Variano]

Yes, thank you to Isaiah. Thank you to Ben Cruz also on most of them. We'll be back on Wednesday. A little schedule change there. So we'll be recording at night on Wednesday. So if you want to get that play in action, Wednesday late night PT will probably be up for you. But obviously on Thursday we'll be there as we typically are. We'll do that. A little variables. Action is Rob teased. So we will catch you next time whenever you get there. We'll see you then. Must be 21 plus and present in select states. For Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18/ plus and present in D.C. gambling problem, call 1-800- GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com, call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or 800-327-5050 for 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY in New York.