Howard Beck (2:46)

Rachel? Yeah, I think you should believe their raps. What? You know. Yes. I mean, they are for real in that Luca's having an MVP caliber season. I saw where DeAndre Ayton made some comments recently about having to come to Jesus moment in terms of, you know, his role on the team and accepting what he needs to do for a team like that to be successful. To be successful. Like, that's always critical when you're trying to find that level of team success. I got to give LeBron a lot of flowers for figuring out. There was so much talk by me and other folks coming into the season about how that, you know, I remember two of our pods were about how he would transition and how they would transition with him, you know, kind of seeding more of that responsibility to Luka. He's looked great in that role. They're defending over the last 10 games in a way that. That they weren't through a lot of the season. I still don't think they win the West. Like, I don't have them beating either San Antonio or okc. I give them a better chance to beat San Antonio. That's just, you know, you asked me if they're for real. I believe they're living those raps. I do think they're for real. I don't think they beat okc. I. I don't think they beat San Antonio in seven either, but I give them a better chance.

Logan Murdoch (4:09)

Howard motherfucking Beck.

Raja Bell (4:12)

It's funny because I don't think anybody saw this coming, right? Like, even the most optimistic Laker fans, I think, had kind of settled into the idea that, like, it's a transitional season, it's LeBron's farewell. Unofficially, it's Luca's first full Laker season. They haven't really rebuilt the roster around Luke. I mean, we've discussed all of this on the pot over the course of the season, and there were multiple stretches of the season where I think that was an accurate read. Like, the Lakers were good, but not great. Good but not dominant. Not in the top tier, where you thought they were a threat to beat Oklahoma or San Antonio or at various stages. Denver, Minnesota, whoever you wanted to place in that top tier. Houston, once upon a time, and not so much at the moment,

Howard Beck (5:00)

we weren't

Raja Bell (5:01)

ready to put the Lakers there, and it's because how choppy things were, right? All right, LeBron's out to start the season. LeBron's back. You know, Reeves is out. Do these three even function well together? Three really good players, but, oh, they all need the ball on their hands. Is LeBron gonna settle into this other role? Is Austin Reeves gonna be able to find a Way to play best off of Luca. What about when all three of them are out there to like all of these different factors? It was so choppy because of injuries early on and then waiting to see how those three would function. J.J. redick losing his mind on a near daily or at least weekly basis about their defense in particular. Like, remember the I'm not coming in Saturday if we don't get that like. Or whatever. It was like, it was basically like we. I can't do another 52 games of this. Like, yeah, sounded like he was at his wit's end.

Logan Murdoch (5:51)

Captain Crash out.

Raja Bell (5:53)

Yeah. And holy. We wake up here in late March and not only have they won eight in a row, they've won 11 of 12. That stretch includes like some seriously, I think tangible wins. Like, like, you know, weighty wins. They beat the Knicks, they beat the Timberwolves, they beat the Rockets twice. They beat the Nuggets, they beat the Heat last night, of course, with LUCA Going for 60. And along the way, like, yeah, their defense has transformed. Now is that a permanent state of affairs? Is that just a momentary surge? Is it repeatable and sustainable in the playoffs when you're playing nothing but great teams day and day? Like, I don't know. But I'll tell you this for the season, they now have the 20th ranked defense, which doesn't sound great. And it's been in the 20s all season. But over the last 12 games, their eighth in defensive rating. And since the all star break, they're 14th in defensive rating. So it's not just a few weeks here like they've been at, at worst, middle of the pack in defense since the All Star break. And that's important because they were already elite offensively, right? For the season. Seventh rated offense, last 12 games, number one since the All Star break, third. So if you have a lead offense in this league, are at least middle of the package defensively. We saw with the Nuggets winning a championship like you, you can go a long way. So it like it's there, it's real. They've looked incredible the last couple of weeks. But like Raja, like, am I ready to say that this is a team that can take four games from the Thunder or even from the Spurs? And that's the thing too, right? Cause you start thinking about matchups with. Let's just focus on those two teams. Like, we know what the Thunder have, even the Spurs. Oh, okay, well, they haven't won any playoff series. It would be their first time. Blah, blah, blah, blah. How are the fucking Lakers going To defend Stefan Castle, dear. And Fox, Devin Vassell, Dylan Harper, to say nothing of Wemby. Like, those guards are just going to eat them up. And I will say, as.

Howard Beck (7:55)

On the flip side of that, too, Howard. Sorry. On the flip side of that, they have a lot of. They have a lot of defensive things that they can throw at you.

Raja Bell (8:02)

Yeah, for sure. And I will say, like, if you've watched the Lakers recently, like, the numbers aside, just watch. Watching them. Luka's actually playing defense right now. Like, he's working.

Logan Murdoch (8:13)

He's trying. He's trying.

Howard Beck (8:15)

He's.

Raja Bell (8:15)

No, he's.

Logan Murdoch (8:16)

That's all you could ask for.

Raja Bell (8:17)

He's not threatening to make, you know, an all defensive team, but he has his effort. The last few weeks has been notable. And when the Mavericks, the year they went to the finals, that was a year where, in addition to all the defensive, you know, kind of infrastructure that they added around him, Luka, that season was noted internally and around the league for how much more he was trying at that end. So you don't. He doesn't have to be elite defensively. He just has to actually apply himself and try and, you know, get a

Howard Beck (8:47)

little cut off of the officials if, like, in and of itself. That's fucking ridiculous. That we're like, we're just asking, like, come on, man. Can we just, like, we're. We're just asking him. You just got to try. Just got. I mean, that goes to how good he is offensively, I guess, but that's crazy. Can we agree? They're like, hey, we could be good if you just try. And we're. That doesn't always happen to be fair.

Logan Murdoch (9:11)

He's not the first superstar where you've had. You've had to do that.

Howard Beck (9:14)

Yeah, but like, he's the one right now, though.

Logan Murdoch (9:17)

He is the one right now.

Raja Bell (9:19)

This is not. This is not in Luca's defense, but just in terms of, like, context, because I've made this case before. Think of all the MVPs we've had in this league who were, like, minus defenders. Right? Your boy Nash, Dirk, Steph.

Howard Beck (9:33)

Yeah, but, like, wasn't a trial. We've had plenty of fairness. In fairness, like, at least Stevie, I can't speak to Dirk. I didn't play with him. But, like, it wasn't a trying issue. Dirk either. Like, he just couldn't move with the.

Raja Bell (9:46)

Well, this is what I'm saying. Yeah.

Logan Murdoch (9:47)

Yeah.

Raja Bell (9:48)

I mean, we should make a distinction between effort and, like, ability athletically, physically. But I just. It's important to Note James Harden, Russell Westbrook. We've had plenty of NBA MVPs who got it and who were elite and, and have built incredible careers off of basically being like 98% value is on the offensive side. And then occasionally they try just enough defensively or maybe not aren't that adept defensively, but so anyway, Luke has got plenty of good company is what I'm saying.

Logan Murdoch (10:20)

I would just say this. Let me look, Let me look at the. The last few MVPs. Well, the last few MVPs have been pretty good defensive players. Shay Jokic, yuck. Joel Embiid, once upon a time when he had knees and had a functioning body, was a pretty good defender. Nia Jokic. No, no. But Giannis, twice pretty good defender. Then you go down the list, it's James, Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, kd, who could be a good defender, but just isn't always the best defender based on like his physical talents, then LeBron, then Derrick Rose, all of this down the line. Most of the time it's probably not going to be a great defender.

Raja Bell (10:57)

No, because offense rules to be a

Howard Beck (10:59)

great defender, of course. And like it's not a, it's not solely a Luca thing. He happens to be the one now. But like, I would push back on like the optics of the way most of those guys defended. Maybe James Harden, but nobody else in that category would I put in the category of when Luca doesn't want to defend what that looks like.

Raja Bell (11:19)

None of them.

Howard Beck (11:20)

It does not look like that, Howard. I'm not doing that. Like, like, I'm not doing that with you, bro.

Raja Bell (11:26)

I'm not, I'm not saying that they're all guilty of, of the same sins as Luca. I'm just saying we've had plenty of incredible great players who for whatever reason, lack of interest or lack of ability.

Howard Beck (11:39)

That's true.

Raja Bell (11:40)

Were not exactly known for their defense.

Howard Beck (11:42)

That's awesome. I've told this story before. I had a very high end offensive player tell me one time not of the, not of the like all star level high end offensive player, but he was the offensive threat on your team that was going to be built around. It did not lead to a championship. I won't say a name, but told me one day sitting in a hot tub when I was lamenting about another really good player on our team, saying, man, if he just defend a little bit, like we could be. He said, this is what he said to me verbatim sometimes. Wait, no, I want to get this right. He said sometimes asking a motherfucker to play defense just takes away from their offense. And I said, yep, well, you got, you got me there, bud. I went back to reading my fucking book or whatever. So those guys, those guys are not like, they're not a. Like, trust me, like I just said what I said about Luca, but like he's not by himself in that there that is across the landscape. But it always just irks me a little bit when we're like, if he just try defensively, I'm all. It's just like nails on a chalkboard sometimes. So I apologize.

Logan Murdoch (12:46)

Fair point. Okay, so I want to stay on Luca really quickly. And so Luka to me, and I know both of you guys get this reference, seems like Omar from the wire, right? He is the great equalizer. And more than that, in the postseason, he is the rare type of player that single handedly when he's on the floor, he puts the fear of God in the other team, right? And can. And because of that, teams that on paper in the playoffs, in a matchup won't necessarily look like they can beat a team, but because they have Luka, it's. It just equalizes the playing field, especially down the stretch, right? And you saw that in those two games against the Rockets this week, right, where it was funny. I was texting back and forth with Cliff during the last Rockets game and in the third quarter when the Rockets were going on the defensive streak and they were, they got back in the game, Cliff was like, oh, the Rockets are going to win this game. And I'm like, they are staring down the barrel of, of, of down the stretch of playing against Luka and LeBron James in the clutch. I do not think they're going to win this game, right? But the fact is the next quarter, Luka just goes on fire and is like, I'm just going to shoot everything and everything is going to fucking go in right when you're going into the playoffs. That's why I can't fully write the Lakers off as contenders right now, because in any given moment, and I think this also speaks to your res. Resignation, Roger, to fully just give San Antonio like the full. Like they're going to win it. Like they should win it, but are they going to win it? You just don't know. Because Luca down the stretch of any game can steal you a game, right? How valuable will be that be for this postseason? Raja, when you have a guy like that, because we've seen him do this before 2022. No. The Mavericks had no business getting to the conference Finals. And yet here they were, right, 20, 24. No one had the Mavericks going to the finals. And then they. They beat okc. They beat Minnesota and large, largely because of Luca's exploits. And Kyrie had some stuff in there, too, but Luka is that type of guy. How valuable is that and how valuable do you think that that will be in this postseason? When you have LeBron and Luka down the stretch of basketball games, it doesn't really matter who you're playing, right?

Howard Beck (14:55)

Yeah, no, that's critical.

Logan Murdoch (14:56)

I mean, gotta keep it close. Yeah.

Howard Beck (14:57)

Outside. Outside of, like, the normal things that you would say go into winning a championship, health, you know, some depth on your roster. Like all the things that you want to say, you know, a team would kind of need to have. When you get into being on the court, like, the number one thing you have to have in the playoffs is a dude. If a dude that you could. I've. I've talked about this before. Hey, man, we're throwing the saddle on his back and we are all going with him. And you know, more times than not, that's going to. That's going to wind up in. In the winner circle. Having multiple guys that could do that is just, like, exponentially better. So, yeah, like, you could script defensively in the playoffs, you could script what you want to do defensively and take away a team's offensive tendencies and really drill down on what they want to do in the playoffs better. The time constraints aren't on you in terms of playing in different cities. You know, four games and seven nights, you can really sit down. You're gonna play the same team over and over again. You get a look at what they did in game one. We're taking that away in game two. Like, all of those things, I think shift to advantage defense a little bit in the playoffs. But there are dudes in this league, and the guy you're talking about, Logan, they go above X's and O's. It doesn't matter what you do. It didn't matter what I did to Kobe on. On certain nights.

Logan Murdoch (16:15)

It.

Howard Beck (16:16)

I could execute every. No, I mean this. I could execute every single thing that I would have put on a checklist that I needed to execute to be successful. I could get 9 out of 10 of those right on a play, 10 out of 10 on some plays. And he's still too good to stop him from making that.

Logan Murdoch (16:32)

Did you see him against Houston when KD was like, draped all over him and he said, I don't give a fuck, and I'm just going to throw it up in the. From the wing and I'm going to end this game.

Howard Beck (16:41)

When cats like that get to cooking, you know, it's a. It's an absolute problem. So you are right. Why? Why? I said, you know, there are a few reasons why. Why San Antonio and okc specifically why I'd have the Lakers, you know, slightly behind them in terms of who I'd favor to win the Western Conference. And a lot of it relies on the bodies. Like I said, when Howard was making his point that they could throw at a Luca, you know, they've. They both of those teams have multiple pieces defensively that they can really rotate through and just try to stay on top of him. Because what you want to do to a guy like that is, is. Is make those efforts Herculean for him where he's got to like really be digging down deep and expending a lot of energy to have to pull that game two out. And then we're coming back at him in game three and hope that we're getting into his legs a little bit because I'm throwing multiple bodies at him. Both of those teams can do that in that way. And then the brawn of it all is I've seen over the last couple years, I think you guys would agree, like, when you stretch him out in a series, it becomes almost every other night. So you could pencil in a few nights at his age where he might just not have the juice. But you know, to answer your question, Mogan, having a star that can go just completely blackout. You can't guard me in a game. It's like it's the biggest advantage you can have. It's like, you know, people talk about Golden State, why they went to get kd. It's a guy that you could give the ball to and just get out of his way. And they were already a championship team, but that's a luxury everyone wants.

Logan Murdoch (18:11)

Yeah, let's stay on. LeBron really quickly went 1314 against Houston. I'm not sure if his, his, his. He had a triple double last night. I'm not sure of his shooting stats, but he had a triple double last night in Miami. Can we talk about just how he. His transition, Howard, this season where, you know, he is just trying to kind of figure out his role within this. Coming off of an injury, coming off of, you know, all of the talk about where he's going to go next year. Right. How do you. How have you seen him kind of come into the fold right now? Like, what has impressed you the most about this version of LeBron over the last two weeks. And what does that mean for the foreseeable future?

Howard Beck (18:52)

Eight for 12, triple double.

Logan Murdoch (18:54)

Incredible.

Raja Bell (18:55)

Incredible. And there was like, his last two games have been just fucking ridiculous for like. Like, what happened, like five or six dunks a couple nights ago. It was like his most.

Logan Murdoch (19:05)

Did you see the one where Marcus Smart threw that bullshit up and it came from behind?

Raja Bell (19:09)

Dude, what the. I mean, insane. He's 41.

Logan Murdoch (19:14)

Jesus.

Raja Bell (19:15)

It. It like, he is. He is an absolute just fucking marvel. Like, he is inexplicable. He is incredible. I'm not surprised by what LeBron's necessarily doing physically, just because we hadn't seen much sign of him slowing down the last few years. We've seen him get hurt more often and, like, it takes longer to get back, but, like, when he's actually playing, he still looks like him. And so because of that, I think the question coming into this season, his first full season with Luca, was going to be, and I wrote about this back in, I don't know, October, November, like, is LeBron willing to make the shift that Kareem once did? Right? And lo and behold, here we are. He has absolutely done that. If you watch the way the Lakers are playing, Luca is absolutely controlling almost every possession that they are out there together for. LeBron is playing off the ball way more than he ever has in his career. And that dude is so freaking dangerous in anywhere on the court, on the ball or off the ball, as a slasher, as a screen setter, as whatever he wants to be. And in the open, and on the. In the open floor, too clearly, like, do not get in front of that guy. Um, so, like, I'm not surprised in that regard, but he has made it seem so seamless. It's funny because I don't feel like it was ever really talked about or written about that much out in LA this year. It. It. You know, it did just kind of happen. But he's made that transition real quick the last 12 games during which they've won this. This 11 of 12. Luke is averaging 36, eight rebounds and seven assists. 41% on threes and on high volume, he's making like five of 13 threes per game. LeBron is averaging 21, six and six in that same time. So, like, for. By LeBron's historic standards, 21, six and six is pretty tame. But by, like, human standards, that's. That's a fucking career year for most of the league. And he's shooting 44% on threes in that time, lower volume and taking just 13 shots a game. LeBron James, 13 shots a game. That is modest as heck. But like, like, he is the. If he's a role player now, and I hesitate to even use that term because it sounds insulting when used to apply to LeBron, even at 41, but if he's a role player right now, he's the greatest fucking role player you'll, you'll ever find. And during this whole time, by the way, just to finish this off, Austin Reeves, averaging 24 and 5, shooting only 35% on threes, whatever, but 47% overall. And Deandre Ayton, who you mentioned earlier, great sit down. Interview with Dan Wieke at the Athletic recently, talking about, you know, I've, I've, I've, I've looked in the mirror and I've decided, you know what? I need to just be the best version of what I can be as a role player on this team. Stop thinking of yourself as a former number one pick who's supposed to do all this other stuff. Like, he's not, he's not making Clint Capella jokes anymore. Although his team just did just beat Clint Capella's team twice in a row. Like, it's, it's, it's remarkable what they have done. I don't. Again, what's the ceiling? Who knows? But to the LeBron of it all, Logan, this is exactly, this is a best case scenario. This is exactly the ideal. This is the ideal of what you wanted. In a world where Luka has come in and become the new number one, and LeBron is at the tail end of his career, and you just want to get the best supporting version of him, and on some nights, that's still dominant as hell. But this, this is absolutely the ideal. And it does make you wonder as we come down the stretch run here, huh? Maybe he doesn't need to move on. Maybe.

Logan Murdoch (22:50)

Hey, watch out, watch out. Clear out. Clear out, clear out, clear out, clear out. Because I have a PSA real quick. I have a PSA real quick. I knew you were going to go there, but I've learned my lesson and I'm going to make my point really quickly. LeBron, stay in Los Angeles, bro. There's no reason for you to come up here to the Bay Area where you're going to be gloomy. It's going to be a whole bunch of sad boys. You're going to lose a lot of games. Cleveland, you're not going to win a championship there, bro. Just take the Mid Level or take a vet minimum, you know the team next year, you and come back to la. This is your best chance and your best chance to get both. What you want in terms of a going away tour. You're going to get celebrated. Nobody celebrates like the Lakers. And then you're actually going to be for competing with something, for something with the top five player in the league. Okay, Just stay in the Lakers, stay in Los Angeles and you could just live in la. Like why not? It's a no brainer here, okay? I know everybody's in their feelings and stuff about leaving and everything, but the best place for you to be is in Los Angeles.

Raja Bell (23:42)

Okay?

Logan Murdoch (23:42)

Go ahead, Howard.

Raja Bell (23:42)

Sorry. LeBron should play wherever he wants to play or retire if he wants to retire, I don't care. But I think what we're seeing from the Lakers right now certainly, you know, bolsters the idea, which I think everybody was rightfully skeptical of by last summer, that maybe this is where he can comfortably finish his career. There was at least some question of that legitimately and in large part because his agent, Rich Paul issued that long statement June 30, July 1, whatever it was talking about, you know, like their, the contract situation and you know, who's this team being, being built for? Is it long term for Luca or is it short term for LeBron? Blah, blah, blah. Like there were, there were very good reasons to think that this was the end. LeBron opting into the final year of his deal and no extension on the table.

Logan Murdoch (24:31)

You know what it felt like.

Raja Bell (24:32)

I do think, I do think now the way that they're finishing here and pending the playoffs, it, it, this is, this is the most encouraged I think anybody could be if you hoped for a LeBron conclusion with the Lakers.

Logan Murdoch (24:46)

Yeah, I feel like, go ahead, go

Howard Beck (24:48)

ahead, Logan, go ahead.

Logan Murdoch (24:49)

I feel like with, with that letter, we'll see how it goes. But it felt like when you read it and everything, you know, about Rich Paul and clutch and LeBron, it felt like we just want to feel like we matter here still. We want to lash, you know, when you have to lash out, you know, we've all been there when you have to lash out. And the other reasons, like I just don't know if I, I don't know if I matter in this situation anymore. And I have to just lash out real quick and just go to old tactics so you just remember who I am. Like it felt like that. And if he stays, I think history will look at it like, oh, they were, they had a little temper, tantrum and that's what it was. And you know, we'll go from there. But I, I just think that the logical play here is just to just, just to stay, man. Like, you know the team, you know the coach. You don't have to go to a new situation. Your family loves it there. I feel like every, if he leaves, it will be an emotional response to something and not necessarily a logical response to the change in the guard.

Howard Beck (25:51)

What you can't quantify and what nobody knows is how he really feels about what he's being asked do. Like you don't, you don't. You don't know that. Right. Like he, and I don't think he gets enough credit for. It has been remarkable not, not, not just figuring out how to be that all time great role player that Howard just kind of talked about. But that's the physical part of it. The, the emotional maturity, the. The we before me attitude that it takes for someone like LeBron James. That's a goat conversation type of player. Like, you know, if memory serves me correctly, you know, MJ wasn't super interested in that. Like when MJ was late in his career, it was still revolving around mj, Right? Like, is that right, Howard? You'd remember that in a way that I would too, right. What it takes to, to be able to sacrifice in that way for the team to thrive. I mean, I think he should be getting more credit, LeBron, that is, than, than. Than he actually is because that is a really, really tough thing to ask someone to do. And he's handled it great. I think J.J. redick's got to get a ton of credit too. Like we. I didn't give him a shout out yet for the management of this whole situation from where he was to. From where they were personnel wise and role wise to where they are now and how that. That picture has seemed to kind of crystallize and like clear up for them. But what I just wanted to say again, Logan, like, you're not. While he has put on a great outward facing, like, you know, appearance about this, what you don't know is the conversation being had around the kitchen table.

Logan Murdoch (27:25)

Right.

Howard Beck (27:25)

And if that isn't the same as the face we're seeing, I'm not saying that it is or isn't, but if it isn't, then, you know, you could still make a case for. Maybe it would feel better to him doing that somewhere else. I don't know.

Logan Murdoch (27:39)

Yeah. One last thing I want to. Want to ask is more of a strategy question and it ties back to the uncertainty of what the Lakers are going to be. The way. I don't know if you saw, Roger, the way Houston was trying to attack, attack the Lakers late in that game. Both games actually, where they try to attack the middle and they have a big. Either Kevin or Jabari, they go to the free throw line and they try to work action out of the free throw line to attack the Lakers bigs and make them collapse and try to get open corner threes. That was an ma Udoka. Seemed like it was a strategy pool. Right. And it seemed to be successful until it wasn't more so because of, I think Houston's hubris where, you know, they would just not make the right pass, but all the right passes were there. Do you think that might be an like, is that something that we should look at and how teams are going to chart trying to attack the Lakers bigs? Because if there is a weakness that the Lakers have, it is definitely in the front court with their two bigs. How do they. If that is an anecdote, how do the Lakers overcome that?

Howard Beck (28:52)

Yeah, I don't know. And I didn't, I didn't see. I didn't watch that game. There was. There's been a lot going on at the crib. So I can't speak specifically to the way Houston was attacking them in that game. You know, defensively, I mean, you're only as good as like your personnel sometimes defensively, right. So like if you're just a smaller team and you don't have a. A stable of bigs, you know, there's only but so much you can do. But defensively, I think if you stay multiple as like a JJ Redick and his staff and you're giving teams different looks and you're cycling in a way that keeps not only the bodies fresh, but the mental engagement defensively fresh. And guys aren't falling asleep at the wheel in terms of what you're asking them to do. You're challenging them. You know, I think you can overcome some of the obstacles that you might have from a personnel standpoint or from a physical standpoint. They just have to be willing to be creative and be multiple. Right. If you're giving somebody that same look over and over and you're exposing that particular weakness and the team that you're exposing it to has someone that can really make you pay in that way and pay for having that weakness, well, then you're in trouble. But you know, if you can, if you have the flexibility as a staff and as like, as a, you know, kind of team where you can get in and out of stuff and throw different looks at people, I think, I think you'll be okay. But you know, if we're being honest, like the Lakers, I talked about how much better they're playing defensively. Howard talked about how much better they're playing defensively. But I wouldn't look at their backcourt and think they were a juggernaut defensively either. Like, there are multiple people that if, you know, I was coaching a team, I'd be like, hey, we're trying to ISO that.

Logan Murdoch (30:37)

So I probably count on less than one hand how many defenders I think that they have on there.

Howard Beck (30:42)

I say this to make a positive point about them. When they're bought in and they're all defending and the, and the mindset is we need to defend, you can overcome some of the shortcomings there, you know.

Logan Murdoch (30:52)

Yeah, yeah, for sure. All right, let's take a quick break. Talk about injuries.

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Howard Beck (31:22)

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Raja Bell (31:24)

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Logan Murdoch (31:28)

Okay, and we are back. Okay. There's two big injuries, two big injuries that have happened over the last couple of days and I want to analyze both of them. We'll start with first we're going to talk about Giannis and we're going to talk about a little about Cade, which is I think even more sad for what's going on right now with the Pistons. But let's start off with Giannis. Adeta Kumbo, who is been diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise, is supposed to be reevaluated within a week. And there's been some reporting that has come out that Giannis and the Bucks are kind of clashing on if Giannis can come back this season. They are out of playoff contention. Bextradamus said. Just predicted all of this about a month ago where do the Bucs. I'll start with Howard. Where do the Bucks go from here? And where does Giannis go from here at this point? And this was inevitable, right? This clash of both sides was inevitable. So where do we go from here?

Raja Bell (32:31)

Yeah, I mean, look, Giannis wanted out at the trade deadline.

Logan Murdoch (32:35)

Did he? Did he want out? Are we sure?

Raja Bell (32:39)

He wouldn't say it publicly, but I am, I am very, very confident he made that clear privately. And two things were flagged to me at that time, that if he didn't get traded, that was potentially going to be a problem. But also that if he didn't get traded and the Bucks started fading from the playoff race and asked him to shut it down, that would be a problem. And that's the part that is now coming to pass here where like, they're done. They're just, they are done. They are not getting back into the play in race, Giannis or no Giannis. And so this is the logical place where, especially if you're a team that has a lot at stake with the lottery, which the Bucks do, because their pick and the Pelicans pick are tied together, the better of those two picks goes to the Hawks and the Bucks, you know, stick with the, with the other one. So, you know, the Pelicans have been playing better of late, winning a lot more games. There's still a pretty big gap there, but still it is in the Bucks best interest to not risk Giannis's health further. And it's in their best interest to not win any more games or to win as few as possible. And Giannis being Giannis, does not want to be shut down. So here we are, yet another tension point in this relationship that has just been adding tension point after tension point for however many months. On top of all that, Wes Edens, who is one of the co owners and the, at this moment, the. They have this rotating weird thing where one of the co owners rotates into a five year stretch as the governor of the team. So that was Mark Lasry for a while before he sold to, to Haslam. Now right now it's Wes Edens. Wes Edens gave an interview to our buddy Ramona Shelburne at ESPN and said the obvious, but the fact that he said it out loud is still significant. Quote, Giannis is going to the last year of his contract, of course, so one of two things will happen. Eden says either he will be extended or he'll be traded. The likelihood that you just kind of let him play out the last year, we can't Afford that it's not consistent with what's good for this organ for the organization. That's not a Giannis issue. That's any player that's in their last year. So just noting that off to the side here, because it is. It is laying out what we all knew to be the case anyway, that if Giannis turned down extension offers from the Bucks in the off season, that's it. He's getting traded. I think he's getting traded regardless. But again, as they have this little dance where it's like, does he want to stay? Does he want to go? How badly does he want to leave? The Bucks won't. Won't trade him unless there's an absolute clear, you know, directive from Giannis. Because you're not. You don't just voluntarily trade a player that caliber. I mean, he's getting traded, I think, regardless. But anyway, interesting to hear Eden's say that out loud.

Logan Murdoch (35:24)

Can you take us behind the psychology of this, Raja? Because, I mean, I'm dealing with this, with. With Max Crosby with the Raiders, right where they were basically in a similar situation down the stretch of that season, and they. It was a knee injury. It's meniscus. They. The Raiders was like, nah, we shutting it down. We don't need to win no more. And you were going to get surgery, and it basically caused an impasse. And, you know, everything else happened with the trade in Baltimore. We only get into that. My heart is already broken. But what is the psychology of a player when you're like, nah, bro, you need to sit this out for everybody's best interest. And then the player who's obviously wired to be like, what are you talking about? How do you. How do you square that?

Howard Beck (36:08)

Yeah, look, I don't know how. I don't know how you square that with a guy like Max Crosby or Giannis. There are players that would happily say, okay, I'm good. Like, cut me to check for the last, I don't know, 15 games or so, I'll sit down. Those two aren't wired like that, so I don't know how you square that with them. It's just a really. It's. It's an. It's. It's a point of no return with guys like that when. When emotionally, there might be contractual reasons why that guy has to play for you again. Um, and you know that you've got to honor his contract. He's got to make the money, so you got to roll him out there. But the love that you had for that organization, like, do you know what I mean? Like, there's. There's sometimes points with people that you love in your life that they do something and it's. You'll still be. You'll still see them, you'll still hang out. You just don't love them like that anymore. Yeah, that's where they're. That's where that is. That's. That's the point where an organization is with Giannis. If you ask someone like Giannis to sit down and not play, that's over. The relationship is done. Then it's just a matter of whether, to Howard's point, you trade him or. Or how. How it works out. But even if he plays for you again, for some reason, there's no love there. And it always brings me back to, like, lessons learned as a player. You know, one of them that most guys learned the hard way, especially if you were, you know, journeyman type of player or role guy is, you know, you get brainwashed. It happens at every level. Happens in college, too. It happens in high school. Like, coaches and organizations will try to brainwash you, do what's best for this team. This team is like, there's so much of that that gets preached, and that's the culture that we actually teach. And then when it's not convenient for the team and you are the one that has to be, like, chopped or let go or whatever, you come to realize very, very quick that they did not love you like they say they loved you. They wanted you to love them in that way, and they didn't love you like that. And, you know, that's a tough thing to come to grips with as a player sometimes, right? Because, you know, like a Giannis, you've poured everything into that, right? Like, you've been there forever. You've. You've. You've gone out there, probably banged up in. In other situations, wouldn't even attempt to go play for Milwaukee, for the team. And at the end of it, you're like, hey, I don't want to sit. I want to play. Like, I want to do this. And they're like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We got to do what's best for Milwaukee. So that. That point comes for everyone at some time. But it's a reality that, like, a lot of guys learn and, And. And, you know, quite frankly, it stings when you. When you. When you're. When your eyes are open to that, because everything you've been told when you're in an organization from the time you're little is what you should sacrifice to make that better.

Logan Murdoch (39:06)

Yeah.

Raja Bell (39:06)

I. I'll just say this. Yeah, Raj. I mean, all. All that is. Is point taken, and I can't disagree with any of it. But these relationships between superstars and NBA franchises are. Are a different animal in that your partners, until you're not. And you're doing right by each other until you're. Until you're not. And they have. They have already reached that crossroads because it's clear to the. To. To Giannis that he needs to go somewhere else to win championships and that he can't do it there. It's clear to the Bucks that they can't patch this up. They'll try. If he stood down and said, I'll stay, I'll sign an extension, they'll do everything possible to try to make it work, because that's what you do. You don't. You don't trade a generational star if you can. If you can avoid it. But everybody knows where they stand at this point. He's probably better off somewhere else, and they're going to have to just do whatever they can to get the most they can in return for him when the time comes to trade him. It's in the meantime that is the difficult part. Right. Because what's best for Giannis and. Or the Bucks right now, I would argue with. You may disagree, Raja. I would argue it's in everybody's best interest for Giannis to just shut down. I know he doesn't want to. I know he's prideful. I know he's competitive. I know that even in what looks like a lost season to us, he's going to say, fuck it, put me back out there. Let's at least try to make a run at the 10th spot in the East.

Howard Beck (40:29)

Could I just say this, though, before you finish it? Because this is where I think. This is where we take different paths. Everything you've said is correct. And it's nobody's right to suggest what's right for Giannis.

Logan Murdoch (40:41)

Sure.

Howard Beck (40:41)

No one has the right to do that. The organization, me, you. So, like you understand what I'm saying. That's where I, as the player.

Raja Bell (40:48)

But our job, objectively, as just analysts here, as commentators, is to say, well, is there an objective truth here about what's best for everybody now? No, it's not for us to say what's best for Giannis, but I can still make the case that what is best for all parties is if Giannis is not playing, he's getting healthier and is not risking further injury before he gets traded to wherever he's going for next season. Two, if there's any hope of the Bucks salvaging this era with Giannis, it is partially dependent on that draft pick and losing that pick or having that pick be. They're not going to lose. They're going to get a pick. It's either their owner or New Orleans is. And the better one is going to go to Atlanta. But like New Orleans or, excuse me, Milwaukee, getting the best version of that pick, the highest version of that pick possible, either gives them a really great piece, a young piece to put next to Giannis, or a tradable piece to get him more help. So even in the event that Giannis were to stay, that draft pick is key potentially to extending this era. And if you're going to trade him, then obviously it's key to the post Giannis era because you could get a really good player. And besides that, there is nothing for Giannis to gain. Now, Giannis doesn't have to buy anything that I just said. And if John Horst or Wes Edens or anybody is saying some version of that case to him, he does not. Your. To your point, Raja, he does not have to buy it. It's his choice. It's his decision. But with like a dozen games left in a lost season, what is the point of even, you know, drawing a line in the sand and saying, no, I must play these last meaningless games? I don't get it. But it's not for me to get. He's the player. It's his. It's his career.

Howard Beck (42:28)

Yeah, I agree with you, though. I mean, I'm not disputing any of that. What's. What's best for the organization for sure, is a sit him down, you know, try to advance that draft, pick up the board a little bit and see what, you know, see what you can get out of it. Where. Where. I just don't think, even if objectively you. It's our job to make that case, there's no way that anyone can say what's best for Giannis. Like, you just can't do that unless a doctor is saying to him. He, if you go out there, you know, there is a percent chance that you rupture something or break something. If that's the case, then, yeah, scientifically speaking and medically, you should not go out there and play. But if Giannis is healthy and that's not what's being told to him, and he's going to say, I want to play, because that's the type of champion I am. This is my profession. You pay me to do this. There's no way. And you might still do it. And everything you said is true. Howard, all of that can logically make sense, and they might still sit him down despite him wanting to play. But you don't get to tell Giannis, hey, there's nothing for you to gain here like that. You don't get to tell him that as an organization, as a fan base, as a writer, like, there's any time we go out there as players, like, we are. We are laying something on the line and we are sacrificing something and willing to take some kind of risk. Like, and. And so you become accustomed to doing that. You become accustomed to, like, playing through a lot of certain, you know, injuries and. And. And. And nagging things and whatnot. And if he wants to do that and he's earned the right to do that because of what he's put forth for that organization during his tenure there, I don't think it's fair for anybody to ask him not to do that.

Logan Murdoch (44:07)

All right? And, like, it's also just not, like, you know, it's not an apples to apples thing, but I remember living through a version of this in 2020 when Steph Curry was. He had. He had broken his hand, and the warriors were terrible that year, and he wanted to come back. And this was around, honestly, around this time, a little bit beforehand because. And then there was a lot of people in that warriors organization that did not want him to come back because they wanted the same deal. They wanted to get a lottery pick and Steph, and they had to let Steph play again. Now, I'll be. It was of the different circumstances, and I'm gonna eventually get this as a question to Howard, but he wound up playing in that season, and if it wasn't for a pandemic, he would have wound up playing the rest of the year and probably up the warriors lottery odds going into that. Now they wound up getting the second pick, and they wound up getting James Wiseman. And you can, you know, relitigate if that was a good or bad thing. But the. The. This leads to the question I have for Howard. If wouldn't have been better off if the Bucks just went scorched earth and just said, hey, man, we probably already hit the end of the road and stop playing middle ground with Yanis. Yo, you're sitting down after the All Star break, and we're going to trade you. So that's just going to be what it is. And it seems like, them playing the middle kind of fucked them up in the long run, because if. If they're not. If they're good, they should just make a decision that, hey, we're going to trade you and let's move on. Right now, we're in this impasse. What would have been a better decision than that wouldn't have gotten to us to this point right now?

Raja Bell (45:43)

Well, they were acting their own best interests at the trade deadline, as they are obligated to do by saying, we don't have the right deal. So we're not doing this right now.

Logan Murdoch (45:51)

Sure.

Raja Bell (45:52)

This could have been resolved by trading at the trade deadline, and there would be no issue right now. But you don't do it just to do the deal. You do it when you have the right deal. And I, you know, I've said all along I thought the best deal was going to come this summer, and we'll see if that happens. But they're here. They're here, and, like, yeah, at some point, it may just be them having to say, you know what? Sorry, we're just not going to play you, and we've got enough on the medical side to justify it. If anybody comes calling, if Giannis decides to file a grievance through the union, which is an option, then you've got that to deal with. Do you want to escalate it to that. To that point on either side? Right. Do you want this to become an actual conflict?

Howard Beck (46:37)

No.

Raja Bell (46:38)

Yeah. Probably not in anybody's best interest. Right. So you start drawing lines in the sand, you start getting the union involved, or you start getting the league office involved, it gets uglier. So, like, there's, like. I don't. I don't think you can just dictate it. And what you would. What you would hope for is that as the last bit of the partnership in action, here would be the. The club and Giannis agreeing that it's in everybody's best interest for him not to play. But you can't get there if he does not actually agree. I mean, but, like, that's. There's. There's the. The thing that works out for everybody. If he agrees that, you know what, you're right, season's lost. Yeah, but if he doesn't agree and he doesn't seem to, then, you know, now you're. Now you're drawing lines in the sand. Now you're saying, sorry, but we're doing it anyway. We're just not playing you. And now he's maybe filing a grievance, and it gets Ugly.

Howard Beck (47:34)

That would suck. I'd hate to see that. And they, they might. They might just shut him down. They have to. I mean, but this is what, this is the point I made a few minutes ago about a player realizing whenever it happens, you're usually it's going to hit you that they don't love you. And you said it's a partnership, Howard, but it doesn't ever really seem 50. 50. Right.

Logan Murdoch (47:54)

Because he also says it is until it isn't.

Howard Beck (47:56)

It is until it isn't. Right. But, but, but hear me, if I'm not mistaken, like Giannis, even in the playoffs a few years ago, didn't. Didn't something happen to Giannis, where he

Logan Murdoch (48:04)

was, where he was the first round against Indiana? I think he came back. It was a calf strain. I don't know if it was, but

Howard Beck (48:10)

I know he, though, didn't he. He come back and play?

Logan Murdoch (48:13)

I don't remember.

Howard Beck (48:15)

He had a few moments over the last few years where. I remember. I think one of them was in the bubble, too, where, like, he had some tough balls and some stuff where you're probably sitting around as an organization looking at yourself in the playoffs, while you can't probably legally coerce him into playing, you're hoping and praying that he will make the decision to, even at 75%, go out there and play basketball for you. Like, that's what you were. You were like, man, please. You're going to bed at night hoping that Giannis wakes up and says he wants to hoop in these playoffs. And as a player, when you make that call and you. And you know that you have people depending on you like that, and you know that you could let them down if you don't play, you're like, I'm going to suck this up and play through this bullshit and go lay it out on the line. That's the way you show them you love them, right? That's the way you. You show them you love them. And it's good for them at that point, right? It makes sense for them at that point. Like, they want you to do it. And so on the flip side of that, you get to this point and that's what you know, hey, I'm going to go out there and play. And what you know from the team historically is like, they want me to play even if I'm not. And now all of a sudden, it's, hey, don't play. We won't let you play. My point is just this, Howard, whether it's right or wrong, that point for a Player is, is a very, very stinging realization that it has come to the point where like, hey, man, they, they, you know, all of that is in the past and they don't. It's just not the same anymore, you know?

Raja Bell (49:43)

Can I end on a snarky note here?

Howard Beck (49:45)

Yeah, go ahead.

Raja Bell (49:46)

The good, the good news is even if he plays, they still suck. They're going to lose a ton of games anyway.

Logan Murdoch (49:50)

Hey, hey, hey, hey. Don't disrespect. They went nine and one without him. Howard, show some respect. Jesus Christ.

Howard Beck (49:57)

I actually hope he just shuts it down. I'm with you, Howard. I, I mean, I hope he just says, hey, look, man, like I, I, yeah, I'm gonna roll into the end of the. If he makes that call, I listen, I'm a thousand percent with it. Where I, where I kind of get in my feelings a little bit is when you're just gonna.

Raja Bell (50:13)

Man, so good. So good. So good.

Logan Murdoch (50:16)

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Howard Beck (50:41)

That's why you rack mandate that he doesn't play. You know what I mean?

Raja Bell (50:45)

Yeah.

Logan Murdoch (50:47)

All right, let's. Before we get out of here, let's talk a little cade Collapse long. Every time. Just reading collapse long. And I'm just like, oh, right.

Raja Bell (50:56)

The play didn't even look. The play that I saw where supposedly happened. Didn't even. Like, it didn't even seem that bad. Like it was really strange. Anyway, sorry.

Logan Murdoch (51:04)

Yeah, anyway, it's all good. He's gonna be reevaluated in two weeks. The team announced. Sucks because he by all likelihood will be out of awards contention. Which is. Which is a killer.

Raja Bell (51:17)

The 65 game rule.

Logan Murdoch (51:19)

There we go. The Pistons have been 5 and 2 this season in games without him. And they have the 15th hardest schedule going forward. They have the Lakers next week. They have the warriors tonight. They have the Lakers next week who's like probably the hottest team in the league. And they have the Hawks, but they have a lot some tanking teams in there. So, you know, they could be good. But the question that I have is, what's the best case scenario here, Howard? And what's the worst case scenario for

Raja Bell (51:47)

the this team, man. So real quick, so Jeff St. Who does in street clothes, the injury, all the injury analysis, average time lost to a collapsed lung by NBA players and there aren't a ton of these. The average time lost in the past has been 26 days, which is about 11 games. So if that's the case, Gerald Wall,

Logan Murdoch (52:06)

we're about a month out too, by the way, to the playoffs.

Raja Bell (52:10)

So. So he's saying 26 days and there's only about 23 left in the season. So this could be. We may not see Kate again until the first round of the playoffs. And even that, you know, you're hoping he's back by game one of the first round. If that happens, he's out of awards running. He's not in his best shape. He's. He'll have been out for, you know, three to four weeks. Pistons were already kind of dragging. They were five and five in their last 10. And some of that was because Cade was banged up with other stuff. But this also for the short term exacerbates the thing that we've all been flagging all season as their biggest weaknesses, which is they just don't have shot creation and scoring. When Kate is not on the floor, you know, you know, shout out Dennis Jenkins, who's had like this like awesome season, breakout season. But like, that's, that's a lot to put on him. There's just not a lot there. So there's an outside chance here that Boston now overtakes them for number one seed in the East. It's, it's a lot of ground to make up, but it could happen. And so, yeah, worst case scenario, Boston get, you know, t overtakes them for, for number one seed. Cade misses the rest of the regular season and maybe even part of the first round. Pistons get bounced in the first round. There's your worst case scenario. Best case scenario, you know, seating or no seating, Cade's back in time to still make an impact in the first round. They at least win their first round series and he's back up, you know, to 100% by the time they reach the second round, at which point they're going to be facing a tough team regardless. So, you know, for, for a Pistons team and a season that was like such a, like a fun, you know, breakthrough where, you know, they went from dark horse to like surprise number one seed for almost the entire season and to this now at the end is just, it's just a serious bummer and, you know, hopefully he's back sooner than later and. And this ends up just being a blip.

Logan Murdoch (54:05)

What are you looking for for the Pistons without Cade right now? What do you want to see, Roger?

Howard Beck (54:09)

Oh, I thought you were saying what are you looking for right now? Because Kentucky's losing to Santa Clara with 47 seconds left in front.

Logan Murdoch (54:15)

Oh, it's about that time with a podcast right now, ladies.

Howard Beck (54:19)

Kentucky. Kentucky's down too, going into half. What was the question? What am I looking for with Cade? Is. Was that the question?

Logan Murdoch (54:26)

What are you looking for from the Pistons now that Kate is out?

Howard Beck (54:29)

I mean, just hold the fort down, man. Keep your head above water if you can. You know, like, don't completely fall asleep. That's a tall. It's a, it's. It's a big order to ask a team that doesn't have a ton of to Howard's point shot creation playmaking to survive without like their primary guy in that way. So, you know, just stay stable until you can get him back. It was, it was heartbreaking to hear my son. I was coming back from a workout with Tyler and he read it to me, you know, as I was driving. And I was just heartbroken for them because that, that for, for me, like, you know, they already had some real flaws, but, but, you know, that put them in a really tough spot. Like when he comes back. Now you're talking about when he comes back to Howard's point if he's missing a game or two in the playoffs. But now we're talking about getting back in shape along as a long. I've never, I couldn't imagine. I've never heard or had a teammate like, have a lung issue, but I imagine it's pretty hard to get, you know, with the Jason Tatum, at least you're kind of rehabbing, do you know what I mean? Like, and you're working out and you're progressing towards something like with the lung with breathing issues, like, I don't know when you're allowed to start actually exercising with that lung again. So I imagine when he comes back, he's going to have some work to do to get even back to, you know, shape and form that would allow them to kind of hit their stride again. So, like it was just a derailing injury and, and I felt terrible when I heard the news. What they can do in his absence. I mean, just don't fall apart is what I'd be asking. Like, we're it so late. That might be the blessing in it. Like, it's so late. You know, you, you Just keep your head above water. I don't know. That's not a great answer. But it was terrible, terrible news.

Logan Murdoch (56:18)

One thing that's even more terrible that I heard, I. I just found this out. Apparently you can't fly when you have a collapsed lung, so you got to drive. Driving from D.C. to Detroit isn't the worst, but I was listening to Brian Windhorse on Rich Eisen's show, and he told a story about how Gerald Wallace had a collapsed lung. And were you on that? I don't know if you're on it. Were you on that team?

Howard Beck (56:41)

I remember it, but I wasn't on the team, though.

Logan Murdoch (56:42)

Gerald Wallace was on the Bobcats. Apparently they played the Lakers or the Clippers, but they were in LA and he had a collapsed lung. Had to get a sprinter to drive him back to Charlotte because they couldn't. They couldn't fly him on a plane. That's terrible. Oh, God. Yeah. I hope it all works out. Pistons are one of my favorite stories of the season. All right, it's time for real One of the week. Howard is the most prepared, so Howard can go first.

Howard Beck (57:16)

There you go. H back.

Raja Bell (57:18)

I've got. I've gone. I've gone from Logan Hazenby for allegedly not wanting to do a real one of the week or not getting it or whatever, to look now accusing you.

Logan Murdoch (57:28)

You've been in hard long enough to not be acting brand new about what the show is like. We fucking with each other all the time for absolutely no reason.

Raja Bell (57:35)

I have two.

Logan Murdoch (57:36)

You don't really know what Raj's love language is, right? Fuck you, man. That's his. That's literally how he says, I love you.

Howard Beck (57:41)

Go fuck yourself.

Logan Murdoch (57:42)

See the best. I love you guys.

Raja Bell (57:47)

There's nothing like. There's nothing like. For the. For the listeners who do not get the joy of this particular part of the show, that after the cameras have stopped rolling, after everybody has hit stop the double bird, quadruple bird, really, of Raja and Logan signing off to each other.

Logan Murdoch (58:05)

And Raja, phenomenal.

Raja Bell (58:06)

It's great stuff. There we go. It looks like that. It looks like that.

Howard Beck (58:12)

No doubt.

Raja Bell (58:14)

I'm going a little different direction here with real one of the week this week. It's maybe expanding the definition, which seems like it's just whatever the fuck we want to say anyway, right, Logan? That's the rules, or there are no rules. There's a lot of just bad news all the time in the media industry and the journalism industry. So I want to shout out two buddies who both posted phenomenal News this morning on the social media channels. Jeff Zilgat, who was at USA Today for 30 something years, great NBA writer, wonderful person, not to mention the foremost authority on where to eat in every NBA city. Jeff had stepped down, took a buyout from USA Today before the season. This was his first year not covering the NBA forever. He just announced he will be riding as a Special contributor for NBA.com so congrats, Jeff Zygit, love seeing you back, my friend, and can't wait to see him on the road. And the other is my former colleague from Sports Illustrated and most recently at espn, Chris Herring has announced that he's accepted an offer to join Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism as a senior lecturer full time. And he had taught there before. So he's saying excited to be back there, you know, more fully thrilled for Chris to be. To be back teaching again. He's got a book he's working on, on the Heat, the Heatles era as well. So congrats to Chris Herring and Jeff Zilgutt. Just phenomenal news at a time in an industry and in an industry where we don't get to celebrate the good news often enough.

Logan Murdoch (59:50)

I just want to. I just want to echo that. Shout out Zilgi put me on my first ever podcast, him and Sam amik, like in 2013. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I even forgot what it was about. But I remember when they asked my opinion and I said yeah, and that was. That was my podcasting debut. So shout out to Zilgit. And I just want to also say for Mr. Herring, one of the, like my favorite writers, bro. One of the great writers of great dude generation and a great dude, but like somebody that can marry analytics with storytelling. He's one of the best to ever do that, in my opinion. There's not a lot of people that can do both. You can either do one or the other and to be able to bridge that gap is really special. And he's one of my favorites. Is he still writing or is he done now? Is he not at ESPN anymore?

Raja Bell (60:45)

Has not been writing for them recently?

Logan Murdoch (60:47)

Yeah, for a minute. Yeah, I know. Okay. All right, well, I'm sad. In that case, I'm sad. I'm gonna start. I'm just going to deep dive of.

Raja Bell (60:54)

I'm choosing to focus on the positive today.

Logan Murdoch (60:56)

I know, I know, I know, I know. I hope he does some Freeman stuff or something, man. I love his writing. Anyway, I will go to my room of the week. Victor Wimbanyama bro, what a shot last night to. To beat the Suns. Sorry, sorry, Roger. I know you really don't give a. You really don't care. That was fake. Not only beat the Suns, but clinched the spurs first postseason birth since 2019. And God, I fall in love with the spurs team and just watching them over this season, definitely ahead of schedule. But honestly, ahead of schedule is a new write on schedule because you want to win as fast as possible. You don't have time to wait. But what Victor has done, what coach, Ms. Johnson has done, what the spurs have done as a staff, record label and motherfucking crew, I'm just really happy for it. And this was just kind of the icing on the cake. So shout out to Victor women, Yama. Shout out to the Spurs. Shout out to the NBA for getting like a new, a new it team. So you know all of the above. Roger Bell, who you got?

Howard Beck (61:58)

Yeah. In to keep it NCAA March Madness themed. As we just talked about Kentucky being down, all the teams yesterday, all those underdogs. That one right. You had high point 12, five beat, beat Wisconsin, big win. You had VCU, my buddies Phil Jr. And Jimmy Martelli beat North Carolina 82, 78 and OT Texas, Sean Miller and staff 11 over six beat BYU, Texas A and M. Frank Haith and the boys out there ten seven beat St. Mary's ten seven or six, seven over Georgia. No, it was a ten, ten seed and a seven seed.

Logan Murdoch (62:40)

Okay.

Howard Beck (62:40)

St. Louis a nine seed, beating Georgia and eight seed. And then like all of them, like that's just a magical time of year. And you know, I always pull for the underdogs in those and one that almost happened that didn't happen. And I'm going to give a shout out and I think he really is the real one because they had every opportunity to win this game and they didn't win it. Jerry McNamara and Sienna was leading for a long time against Duke. Had them in a deep hole, couldn't hold on. But I thought it was a real one for the way he had those dudes prepared and the way they were rocking out and his team as well. So all the underdogs that won and a special shout out to one that didn't. Sienna.

Logan Murdoch (63:15)

Look at, look at Roger just contributing to 100% of the college basketball coverage on this podcast.

Howard Beck (63:22)

There you go.

Logan Murdoch (63:25)

All right, man. Shout out to all the little homies. That has been another edition of real. We'll see you guys on Tuesday. Make sure you tap in Realm back at gmail.com realmback at gmail.com real onesmailback at what raja gmail.com goddamn right. We'll see you guys next week. All this shits. Bye. Must be 21 years and older and present in select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 and older and present in D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY RESET. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.orgchatinconnecticut or visit mdg.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelpma.org or call 1-800-327-5050. For 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY in New York. For Louisiana, call 1-877-770-7867.

Howard Beck (64:22)

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Logan Murdoch (64:51)

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Raja Bell (64:54)

Hey, Bob, can you work overtime tonight

Logan Murdoch (64:56)

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Raja Bell (65:11)

with the want to dos. Ready, set, go.

Logan Murdoch (65:14)

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