Thunder’s Vibes Have Them Above Everyone, Plus the Warriors' and Timberwolves' Woes! | Real Ones

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Ringer NBA Show – "Thunder’s Vibes Have Them Above Everyone, Plus the Warriors' and Timberwolves' Woes!" | Real Ones

Release Date: January 17, 2025
Hosts: Logan Murdoch, Raja Bell, Howard Beck
Episode: Real Ones

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1. Oklahoma City Thunder's Dominant Performance

The episode kicks off with an in-depth discussion about the Oklahoma City Thunder's impressive performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Logan Murdoch lauds the Thunder’s defensive strategy and overall team synergy.

• Logan Murdoch emphasizes the Thunder's overwhelming dominance:
  “Thunder just dog walked the Cavs. Just kicked them out of them.” [07:00]

• Raja Bell highlights the team's versatility and defensive intensity:
  “Their ability to play in different ways... real passion on the defensive end of the court.” [09:00]

Murdoch comments on the Thunder's defensive metrics, noting they lead the league in turnover generation:
“They force turnovers on 18.5 opponent possessions.” [06:18]

The hosts agree that the Thunder are not only excelling on the court but are also cultivating a culture that resonates with both younger players and seasoned veterans, positioning them as a formidable force in the league.

2. Sacramento Kings' Coaching Transition and Surge

Transitioning to the Sacramento Kings, the conversation centers on the recent firing of coach Mike Brown and the subsequent hiring of interim coach Doug Christie. Since Christie's takeover, the Kings have surged with an impressive 8-2 record.

• Logan Murdoch expresses optimism about the coaching change:
  “The Kings have been one of the teams I've been eyeing over the last week.” [27:52]

• Raja Bell attributes the Kings' success to organizational culture and team unity under Christie:
  “They have a level of camaraderie. It keeps people feeling like they're a part of something bigger than themselves.” [18:50]

Bell believes that the Kings' ability to foster a family-like environment has been pivotal in their recent success, despite the tumultuous circumstances surrounding the coaching change.

3. Golden State Warriors' Organizational Struggles

A significant portion of the episode delves into the Golden State Warriors' current woes. The hosts critique the Warriors' front office decisions post-Bob Myers, highlighting issues with team management and player utilization.

• Logan Murdoch vents frustration over the Warriors' front office:
  “Mike Dunleavy has not done a good job as a general manager right now.” [36:34]

• Raja Bell discusses Steph Curry's relationship with the organization:
  “Steph feels like a partner with that organization.” [37:11]

Murdoch criticizes the handling of key players like Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, suggesting that the Warriors are failing to build a sustainable team beyond their star players. Raja emphasizes the delicate balance Steph Curry maintains between being a team leader and addressing organizational shortcomings.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves' Season Challenges

The hosts turn their attention to the Minnesota Timberwolves, focusing on Anthony Edwards' candid remark: “Our starting five sucks.” [46:28]

• Logan Murdoch reflects on the team's struggles:
  “It's an ugly team to watch. I don't like watching them play basketball.” [47:16]

• Raja Bell offers a more optimistic perspective, noting that the Timberwolves aren't necessarily having a lost season:
  “They are five or four and a half behind Memphis. That is pretty cool.” [48:23]

While acknowledging the team's shortcomings, Raja suggests that the Timberwolves remain in contention within the Western Conference, leaving room for potential improvements as the season progresses.

5. NFL Weekend Picks

Shifting gears, the hosts engage in a brief segment discussing their NFL game predictions for the weekend.

• Raja Bell favors Baltimore and Detroit among his picks:
  “I'm going to take Baltimore to go in there and get the win in Orchard Park.” [50:37]

• Logan Murdoch selects the Commanders and the Rams:
  “I am locked in on the Commanders.” [51:00]

This segment showcases the hosts' diverse interests, extending beyond basketball to encompass broader sports discussions.

6. Real One of the Week: Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley

In a lighthearted conclusion, the hosts introduce the "Real One of the Week" segment, highlighting the strong personalities of Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley.

• Raja Bell describes both figures as "hard-headed and real":
  “They are the real ones of the week.” [52:57]

• Logan Murdoch rants about Patty Riley’s handling of Jimmy Butler’s perks:
  “They gave him a private jet and then took it away. Don't hold that against him.” [53:14]

The segment underscores the competitive nature and occasional pettiness within NBA relationships, reflecting on the dynamic between players and management.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Thunder just dog walked the Cavs. Just kicked them out of them.” – Logan Murdoch [07:00]
• “Their ability to play in different ways... real passion on the defensive end of the court.” – Raja Bell [09:00]
• “Mike Dunleavy has not done a good job as a general manager right now.” – Logan Murdoch [36:34]
• “Steph feels like a partner with that organization.” – Raja Bell [37:11]
• “Our starting five sucks.” – Anthony Edwards [46:28]
• “They are five or four and a half behind Memphis. That is pretty cool.” – Raja Bell [48:23]
• “They are the real ones of the week.” – Raja Bell [52:57]

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Concluding Thoughts

The episode provides a comprehensive analysis of current NBA dynamics, spotlighting the Oklahoma City Thunder's ascent, the Sacramento Kings' optimistic coaching shift, the Golden State Warriors' internal struggles, and the Minnesota Timberwolves' ongoing challenges. The hosts' candid discussions, enriched with notable quotes and insightful commentary, offer listeners a deep dive into the week's pivotal basketball stories.

Transcript

[Logan Murdoch]

What's poppin, everybody? Logan Murdoch here from Real Ones on the Ringer NBA show. And I wanted to invite you to pull up and kick it with Raja Bell, Howard Beck and myself during All Star Weekend for our live podcast. We're going to be at the Stork Punchline Comedy Club in San francisco on Saturday, February 15th at 2pm pregaming all the All Star festivities and you never know who might stop by. Get your tickets now by heading over to ringer.com events. That's ringer.com events. Hope to see you there.

[Howard Beck]

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[Logan Murdoch]

What's poppin? Real ones. Logan Murdoch here. Roger Bell there. Howard. Next week, Friday vibes, man. You know, that's what we're gonna. That's what we're calling it right here. Friday Vibes. Get you ready for the weekend. We're gonna talk about some. Let's look at the rundown that I just made five minutes ago. We're gonna talk Thundercavs, kings, Jamal Murray, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. First of all, how you doing, Roger? It's Friday. What's going on?

[Raja Bell]

Listen, man, it's good. We got basketball games tonight. High school, college, bro. We got some football this weekend. I'm straight.

[Logan Murdoch]

You locked in? You happy? You good?

[Raja Bell]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Logan Murdoch]

Anything you want to tell the listenership? Anything like anything that you want to tell them? Any Update on life. I don't know.

[Raja Bell]

No, no, I think I'm good. Thank you guys for listening. I'm happy to be here on a Friday. Go.

[Logan Murdoch]

I just heard though, that you got your flight booked for the bay.

[Raja Bell]

Oh, I'm there. I mean, I'm getting in a little. A little late, but. But I'm gonna make that work. I'm there. You can tell how excited I am, right? Like I.

[Logan Murdoch]

You're really excited. You don't even know your flight information. I had to ask a third party to see if you were actually coming.

[Raja Bell]

And yeah, I don't like. I don't like airports and like traversing them anyway. I certainly don't like crowds. So, like there, it combines like two of my least favorite things, right? Like being in airports. Like you're waiting in lines and shit. And. And I gotta be moving through an airport with a bunch of people, so. Okay. Forgive me. I'm excited to see you and the fans and do this show. It's the damn traveler that I don't really love.

[Logan Murdoch]

Come fuck with us at the punchline February 15th. Their tickets still available. Okay.

[Raja Bell]

That's right.

[Logan Murdoch]

The real question that I have is the first. It's the first world question that I have for you is the reason you don't like airports is because you spent a lifetime actually like circumventing the. The actual airport process throughout your career.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah. Oh yeah. It ruined. It ruined you. I. So, I mean, for the listener, like, we were talking pre podcast, we had an in home visit last night with University of Texas, and we were literally having that conversation about how spoiled I had been being a pro athlete and to some degree like major collegiate athletes with the things that they're able to do and how they're able to kind of little stuff. For me, like the airports are certainly one of the things that I was ruined for the rest of my life with doctor's appointments, dentist appointments, things that normally are just. Hey, you just show up and you go right in. Calling someone and having them tell me that like one of the kids can't get in for like a week and a half. I. It doesn't even register in my brain sometimes. It. It like triggers me. And I know it shouldn't. I know it shouldn't. And after. After a minute, I come down, I come to my senses like, yo, this is just real life, dude. But like, initially, almost every time it happens, I get a little triggered. What else, man? Like, I don't know, restaurants a little bit.

[Logan Murdoch]

Really?

[Raja Bell]

Yeah.

[Logan Murdoch]

But I don't be out, like the reservation or something? Or is this more like people coming to you?

[Raja Bell]

No, it's the reservation. It's the reservation. It's that you can't, like, for a really nice one. And, like, I'm not in the street, so I don't have the relationships with the people at the restaurants, you know? So, like, if you really want to go to some people.

[Logan Murdoch]

Off the thing. Off the thing. Like you used to at vaulters, you can't just boot somebody out of their seat. Like, roger Bell's gonna be here.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, shit like that.

[Logan Murdoch]

But one.

[Raja Bell]

But I'd rather be home. If it means. If being at home and chilling means that I have to give all of that up, I'm cool with that. Like, it's a fair trade for me.

[Logan Murdoch]

Do you have an airplane or a rewards account? That's the biggest thing. Do you have a rewards account? Even though that is.

[Raja Bell]

I'm a hertz member. I'm a gold Hertz member.

[Logan Murdoch]

Do you have, like, rewards at hotels or, like. Like.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, I do.

[Logan Murdoch]

And also, like, an airline?

[Raja Bell]

I don't think I have an airline one. No, my wife. My wife probably does. She does, like, she books all of our. So.

[Logan Murdoch]

Okay. Okay. I'm just, you know, just seeing how you're, you know, coming back to, you know, other real life. So, you know.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, she books all of. Man, I just show up.

[Logan Murdoch]

All right, well, speaking of being in the clouds, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are hovering above us all.

[Raja Bell]

Wow, bro. Your development has been remarkable. It's just been a steady. It's every. Every year, I think you, like, man, he's trying to, like, he's reaching the ceiling.

[Logan Murdoch]

And there you go, trying to add something to my game. Every time when I leave and I come back, I just want to add something. Like, I'm in the gym, brother. I'm in the gym. I'm watching other pods. I'm seeing what they're doing. I'm locked the in. I'm not playing. Guys may think I'm out the way, and I am, but I'm still here. I'm still here.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah.

[Logan Murdoch]

In the lab. So I came today, like, I was thinking, you know, after the Tuesday pod, you know, what are some of the things throughout the week that I should keep an eye on? Right? And obviously this big game against the Thunder and the Cavaliers, I was ready to have this full, like, discussion on state of the league, state of these two teams. And then the Thunder, just in the words of my. My girl Yana Mack in East Oakland, they just dog walked Them, they just dog walked the Cavs. Just. Yeah, just kicked the out of them. Just. It was just, it was a sight to behold. Just like how bad they beat the brakes off of them. You know, without Hartenstein, without Chet. Their defense was great. It was, it was a sight to behold. But I think the bigger thing that I, that I took away from this and we could talk about, you know, shade dropping 40 points in 29 minutes. That's crazy. Just, we could talk about how OKC is the number one defense in the league in terms of turnover generations. They force turnovers on 18.5 opponent possessions. You can shout out Tom Ziller for that, that anecdote right there. But what I see overall with this team right now, every few years you get a team or a group of players that kind of take not only the league by storm, but the culture around the league by storm. And I think this team is starting to do that on a big stage. And now that they're winning at this clip, the kids want to be him. The OGs are starting to hate on them a little bit for having too much fun. Hello, Draymond Green, we see you. I love what I'm seeing out of the Thunder and I think this can be a group. I was talking about Moni Jones yesterday. We're going to have him on on Tuesday. And we were talking about just how this team can beat you in so many different ways, but they also have the culture on lock. What have you seen from this team? What do you like about this team? What makes them special? You said you did a deep dive, a little deep dive of yesterday's game. What did you see and what did you see overall from this team?

[Raja Bell]

Well, I didn't do a deep dive of shit. That was just me. Like, I didn't deep dive anything. Just that.

[Logan Murdoch]

Was it just procrastinating and cabin before the pile?

[Raja Bell]

No, it's all good. But no, I mean, I. Look what I mean, deep dive would suggest some serious research and an amount of time put into the stats that. That's above my pay grade. I would say that like their ability to play, their ability to play in different ways, you know, you. You mentioned being without their true size last night and then basically dictating to. To Cleveland that Cleveland would have to scale down in size to try to play with them. And then once they did that, it was a wrap. You know, like they have an ability to play in different ways. They have a ton of skill, you know, on the, on the court at any given time. A bunch of People that can make plays with the ball. Maybe the best pure score. I mean, he's a. Shay's a professional scorer. Like, this is maybe the best in the game in terms of like pure, pure, pure bucketry. But. But they coupled that with just real passion on the defensive end of the court. Like real, real griminess and grit and effort in a way that doesn't have many holes in it. Like, you typically will get teams that might put forth that defensive effort or might be an overall, you know, good team schematically defensively. And that's, you know, the numbers might represent that. But like you. You might even on those teams not get five cats on the court most of the time that are just. Will just get after you defensively and they have an ability to kind of do that. And it's really disruptive. The amount of. The amount of deflections and steals and block shots and the length that's flying around, you know, on defense at you when you've got the ball and how versatile those guys are. Like, it's disruptive. And so they've got an ability to do that. And when you couple that with like, you know, that's going to give you. I don't know. They had 22 transition, like off turnover. Not transition, but like points off turnovers yesterday in the first half. Like, there's a crazy amount of points to. To. To cede to someone who is really good offensively. Even in the half court, you will be giving them 20 a night, like, off of their defensive prowess. That's a wild. That's kind of a wild combination. So they're. They're tough.

[Logan Murdoch]

You brought up Shea and we just talked about his offensive ability, but like, he's one of the. I think he's a top five defender in terms of numbers in the league. Right. And I. Even the eye test shows that he is a top five defender in the league. What does it do when your best player is also your best defender? Your best offensive player is also your best defender. Right. We see that with Kawhi, but like, that's pretty rare, especially when your best defender is a wing and the way that Shea is.

[Raja Bell]

I would let me ask this question to you. I'll answer your question with the question. Point. Point. Like to the guys that you can remember being that for their teams.

[Logan Murdoch]

LeBron, at a point in time, I think with the Heat, when he was just at his absolute peak. 2022 LeBron or 20. 2012 LeBron. Excuse me.

[Raja Bell]

Okay.

[Logan Murdoch]

2014 Kawhi.

[Raja Bell]

Okay.

[Logan Murdoch]

As a wing, right?

[Raja Bell]

Yeah.

[Logan Murdoch]

I guess Kevin Garnett. But like Kevin Garnett was a big. Right. So.

[Raja Bell]

No, but you can use Tim Dawson too. It's all supporting where I'm going with this. Kobe at a point.

[Logan Murdoch]

Kobe at a point. Yeah. But also, I don't think he was the best defender on the team. Like you could say Rick Fox was also taxed to score to. I think he was a great defender, but I don't know if he was the best one on the team.

[Raja Bell]

That's fair. I'd make an argument that as. As that as he phased into like superstardom, whether he chose to be it every night or not. Like, I think he's probably your most talented and best defender at times. But I. So I guess.

[Logan Murdoch]

But that's not even 10 guys, right? We're not even. Okay. Bill Russell maybe, right?

[Raja Bell]

No, but all of these. You're talking about historical greats for the most part, right? You're talking about. Every one of those was a name that you'd say, yeah, yeah. Where would you put him in the top maybe 50 to 75 players? Do you know what I mean? Just about every one of those names you just mentioned.

[Logan Murdoch]

So.

[Raja Bell]

So. And I only say that because I don't know where people slot KG in that conversation, but it's a very, It's a very rare thing, I guess. Was.

[Logan Murdoch]

Was.

[Raja Bell]

That was my long winded way to get to that point. Like, it's very rare that your best offensive player, when your best offensive player is one of the best in the league and, and might be able to produce a championship with offense alone, it is very rare that that same player is one of your best defenders.

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah.

[Raja Bell]

Like, it's a very rare thing. And what it does is, and it's no secret. Like it's. It's. When you can set a precedent as a coach or a. An organization and you can establish a culture. Part of that is being able to hold people accountable and, and being able to point, you know, to something that is, that is bigger, greater or better than someone else and say, look, they do it, you need to do it. And when it is your best player, it just makes life so much easier. Like when that guy is out there setting the tone for how we are going to act defensively and what we're going to put forth as an effort defensively and how we're going to take. How we're going to take this game plan and really be dialed in and locked into what we want to do schematically. Like, it just. It is a weight off of A coach's shoulder and when your best player is doing that and he's leading the charge.

[Logan Murdoch]

Two more questions on this topic. One is, I think OKC is in the vibes part of their run, right? And I think you see this. There's nothing better about the run than the ascent, in my opinion. Especially if you're going into your. I don't know if they're going to win a title, but like, if you're going into your first title, it's always the ascent. That's the fun time, right. Where you're. Where your vibes, where you're having fun. It seems like with this team, they are able to not necessarily check their ego at the door, but. But simultaneously have their ego. But also, I'm talking about. There's a clip that just came out with Shay and J Dub and Jalen Williams where Shay is basically bigging up J Will about how he can guard and we'll get to this. That will lead to my second question, but how he can guard all five positions at 6,664 in front of J Dub, right? And they're like, oh, chill, chill, chill. Like, oh, man, the rizz is just great. Dah, dah, dah. But all that point being is this team is a team that seems to love each other even in spite of when the egos could break them apart. What. What kind of magic do you have to have as a team when your ego is like, as big as this team's ego is? But also, you guys can be confit. And it doesn't have to be beef because we've seen a lot of teams that have the ego and the talent and all those things, but because they have the ego, it breaks them apart.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah.

[Logan Murdoch]

And also, I will say, big caveat that it is early, but, you know, at this point, this is what it seems.

[Raja Bell]

Sure. Well, first of all, I think you have to give a real shout out to Oklahoma City. The brain trust, the front office, the culture that they've established, obviously what they've done via the draft, their player development staff, the way they, the way they. The way they handle themselves and their team, I think suggests that they don't really. You know, there's some organizations you can be in where you're walking around the halls and you feel like there's a real star treatment that's given in the building and it causes a bit of a separation in your locker room. Clearly they have stars that are bigger than others and more driving forces than. Than others, and they're paid accordingly but that doesn't always mean you have to have that, like, palpably felt when you're in the building. Right? Like, you don't, you don't have to have that. And I, I, I, I get the feeling I'm not in there. But they, they, they've been able to really protect that. Like, hey, yeah, we have, we all have different level contracts. We're different level players, we're different level of all NBAs. But, but we are going to treat this as a family, and we're not going to rub anyone's nose in the fact that, you know, someone else might be more integral to the success of this team. Right? And so that, that fosters a level of camaraderie. It keeps people feeling like they're a part of something bigger than themselves, and they all have relatively equal value, even though, you know, no one's, no one's crazy. I think it's very interesting because a lot of those guys, they have a lot of people in the same window, same age range, right? And so, like, on, on some teams, you know, typically that's why they say, like, older, older, more mature teams would win games, but on those teams, you'd have a bunch of dudes with kids. You know, I remember going to the spurs, right, when I didn't make their roster, and they were just coming off of a championship, and that team was, you know, I remember being on the plane and I had been in Atlanta and there were some younger players on Atlanta. And so we were vibing and doing things on the plane in a way that, like, younger people did. Right? And then I got to San Antonio, and you had Avery Johnson, you had David Robinson, you had Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Jaron Jackson Sr. You know, Timmy D. Was kind of younger. But the point was, these were all people, like, in the same wheelhouse of age. They all had families. They were all getting on the plane, kind of like, hey, we're not here. These were, this was a business trip for them. You could see that, you know, everyone was buttoned up. They had their grown man on in a way, right?

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah.

[Raja Bell]

I have no idea what the vibes are in okc, but they're all in that same kind of window of age where they're probably similar. There's, there's similar interests, right? Like, they're similar, you know, things. They probably want to get into similar things. I don't know who has a family and who doesn't. But, like, you're probably in the same age range with kids, so it provides opportunity. So that really becomes like a family. Logan, you know when you get a.

[Logan Murdoch]

Bunch of people around us together right now.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, man. Yeah. It's hard to explain that, but, like, we had it in Phoenix a bit where a lot of us were. A lot of us were. We weren't baby. We weren't young. I was a baby by no stretch. We were just starting to have families. Some people had just had them. Cindy and I were just starting to try to have one. We were kind of in the same. And so all interests were kind of aligned. People like to hang out with each other, and you just had a. Just a family vibe.

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah. I mean, you can kind of see that with this group, Right. Like, they were. It does seem like as close to a family as you can get. I want to talk to. About. I want to talk, though, about the basketball side of it, which leads into my second question, which is going back to the game last night, right, where we saw two Titans, at least of this season, coming at each other, and it felt like a code was cracked. And maybe it's just, you know, it's a Thursday in January. Maybe we're just looking too much into it, right? But, like, the fact that the Thunder can go small and there was nothing that the Cavs could do about it seems a little disheartening for the Cavs, right? Especially considering the fact that their biggest op in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics, can also go small and be just as effective and potent if need be. If you're the Cavs and if you're the Thunder, what does last night's game tell you that you need to improve upon on your team or, you know, keep going, doing.

[Raja Bell]

I mean, you know, that's a tough one because we're only. We can only play the personnel that we have. So, you know, if we're the Cavs. You know, if we're the Cavs, it could. It could be worrisome. Now, Boston might have the ability to do that, but, you know, it's all. Again, it's all about the personnel and whatnot. They might not be able to do it exactly like OKC did it, right? And so, you know, if it's. They might. They don't have the exact same personnel. You know, they might not be as disruptive. Like, OKC just punched them in the mouth. Like, they just. You know what I mean? Like, you run that game back multiple times, and I don't. I don't. It's not gonna. It's not gonna look like that. I'm sorry. They just got punched in the mouth. Now, I'm not telling you OKC wouldn't beat them or I wouldn't pick them to win in a series. Like, but. But what I'm saying is that level of, like, beat down was just a weird, weird thing. So I'm gonna. I'm gonna chalk that up probably, if I'm Cleveland. But there is something to it, Logan. And what I would say they'd probably need to get better at is dictating how we're going to play this game. And we need. We need to keep that length on the floor. Like Mobley Allen. We need. We need to have them out there. And so we cannot allow, you know, a game to get to a place where we have to. We have to scale down, to try to run with a team that wants to scale us down. They're going to win that. This is a chess match, right? And so, like, if our best lineups include these bigs, we. We got to be very, very, very protective of. Of situations that put us at risk of having to take them off the floor. I think last night, you know, turnovers and ball security put them in a tough spot. You were gifting them too many points. You couldn't keep up. Like, they had you spread out on the other end, and you'll have to protect against that. I don't have the answer. I'm not the coach. Like, you know, I haven't sat here and really broken down the film on that, but that would be my takeaway, right? Because it's always. It's always a chess match. It's always a, hey, who's going to get who to. To play the other one's game? Like, this is our wheelhouse. Not unlike football. Right? Like, we. We're a running team. We want to control the clock. We want to shrink the game, and so we want to sit on this ball. But if the other team that wants to speed it up, get points gets that early turnover and could put seven on the board. Well, now this running team that wants to sit on the ball, like, they're getting a little tight. Don't. Don't let them not convert. And the other team goes up 10 or 14. Now. Now you got to scrap your game plan.

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah. The cold part, though, is they still got Chad and Hardenstein coming back. Like, so, like, yeah, but also, like, we could. We can do whatever you want. You all play big. We could also match up with you with. With the bigs as well.

[Raja Bell]

But they would. But it wouldn't expose. It wouldn't expose you in the way. Like I make the argument that Chet and Hart, Chet and and and Isaiah out there in any tandem form or singularly is better for Cleveland in a matchup. Like you know what I mean? It just there's they're more truer matchups out there for for their length for sure.

[Logan Murdoch]

Let's take a quick break. We're going to talk about the Kings Kangs. Kings Kangs. We'll find out next segment. This episode is brought to you by gnc. At gnc, nutrition isn't just a department, it's the whole store. Nutrition for bigger gains. Sculpting that revenge body and to have you feeling like you're ready to go. GNC spent 90 years perfecting nutrition and protein that literally tastes like cake.

[Howard Beck]

So you can look like cake.

[Logan Murdoch]

You got goals. GNC has results. Visit your local GNC store or shop [e-mail] this episode is supported by State Farm. Man, I remember when I first got into a car accident. It was pure frustration because I did not have State Farm. And now that I do have State Farm, it is an exclamation of pure joy. But the only words that you need to remember are like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. State Farm has options to fit your unique insurance needs, meaning you can talk to your agent to choose the coverage you need, have coverage options to protect the things you value most, file a claim right on the State Farm mobile app, and even reach a real person when you need to talk to someone. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Learn more@state farm.com this episode is brought.

[Howard Beck]

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[Logan Murdoch]

And we are back some Kings, which is not something we talk more talk about. Mostly in a positive light. As of late, they are a few weeks removed from firing their coach, Mike Brown, which seemed to be dubious circumstances, right? It seemed to be a very Kings move. Still stand on that. But they are 8 and 2 since that happened, since Doug Christie took over as coach. I mean they beat Houston on Thursday night. It was one of the the the Kings have been one of the teams I've been kind of eyeing over the last week and I wanted to see what they did in front of a national TV audience. And they played pretty well, right? They did good. They beat a Houston Rockets team who was coming into the game winning six straight. Houston probably a year away. Right. Like doing good now, but I'd be scared of them. Jalen Green, I have to give you your flowers, buddy. I've been shitting on you on this podcast over the last few years. I think rightfully so considering you know, the things that have been reputationally what has happened. But he's been working hard. He's gone from being trade bait to now being the best player on the team. So kudos to you. But we're talking about the Kings now. Sacramento has had an offensive rating of 118.9 over that Spanish and defensive rating of 112.7. That's not quite in the rises rises zone of top 10 of offensive and defensive efficiency, but they're fourth in offensive rating and 12th and defensive rating. I guess what I want to ask is right, everything that we said, it's two the Kings right now are a prime example of two things can be true. And one of those things is it was an ugly way to get rid of your coach that you seem to have not wanted over the summer and then put in a guy that you've been wanting, wanting for years unapologetically in the bench and it was just an ugly way to go about doing business. But there the result is there. It's a ten game sample size. We'll see what happens. Raja, how what do you see with this team and does is this enough of a sample size to tell you that this was the right move?

[Raja Bell]

Okay, no, it's not. Let's start there. Not enough of a sample size. What I see is joy, fun vibes, freedom. That's, that's what I, that's what I see out of them. And so while it's too much of a, it's, it's not enough of a sample size to definitively say I'm not doubting that it, that it that it might ultimately continue to produce this this year and moving forward. I just because freedom of spirit and fun and joy are so big in terms of your ability to produce to the best of your ability. Like, you know, they're hard to quantify. People don't put a lot of stock in it all the time. There are things, you know, on paper or analytically speaking that people will point to and be the reasons why someone is or isn't hooping. And far too often we don't like ask he or she, hey man, are you having fun doing that? Is this, you know, and that's a big Deal. And I see that from them. And I want to say this. I could have been wrong about Sacramento, and I want to acknowledge that, because if they knew and we're not there, but we're reading the tea leaves and we were saying, like, you know, that stuff about, you know, De'Aaron and Mike seems to suggest that there's a little bit of friction there. Clearly there was something going on. I don't know if it was necessarily just between those two, but. But clearly there was something going on in a way that. That the organization could see that. That. That, you know, there was tensions and people weren't being able to be the best version of themselves, and they had to make a move. My only caveat to what I said would have been, you probably knew that coming into the year.

[Logan Murdoch]

Mm.

[Raja Bell]

Like, and so you could have done it then. And so I still would stand on Messi and, like, right in line with what Sacramento does. But I do want to give them credit, because this season was salvageable.

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah.

[Raja Bell]

Like, by the nature of the Western Conference and the race out there, like, if you could have gotten it fixed, like, with the move. And at least, you know, in the short term, you have. You're squarely in the mix to be in the playoffs. And so, like, you. Then you owe that roster that move.

[Logan Murdoch]

Sure. I. So I'm. I'm with you on that. And I do think there was just a bit there. You know, the interim coach can go one of two ways. I think you've been on the other way of what I'm about to say, which is, like, it could just go to shit. Right. Or there could be the vibes conversation. I'm talking about, like, how Antonio Pierce last year with the Oakland. With the Vegas Raiders. Right. Where the vibes carried you throughout. But that didn't necessarily mean that they were going to carry you into, you know, subsequent seasons. Right. And I think that's where the Kings are right now. Right. Like, they're. They're. They're doing well with. I think there was a quote out there. Malik Monk was saying, like, yo, we just got to buy in at this point. What else we got to do. Right. Which is a good. I think a good attitude to approach this with. The other side of it is, though, organizationally, those still. Those pieces are still there.

[Raja Bell]

Right.

[Logan Murdoch]

They still have the same question marks. Right. Like, even if they do get to the playoffs, are they competing with the okcs of the world? No. Are they gonna. Are they expected to compete with the. Okay. The OkCs and the Denver's of the world and seasons going forward. No, like, there has to be institutional change one way or another. So I think that they're still having to look in the mirror on what they want to be. Like, I don't. Are they going to be. You know what I mean? So it's always a confliction when I see them winning, because it's like, yeah, they're winning right now, but institutionally, all the bad stuff that was there is still there and it's not changing. Doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.

[Raja Bell]

Well, yeah, I mean, that's fair. And you know, both things can be true. Like, we might, we might have to continue to build this team and move pieces to ultimately get over the hump in the Western Conference. But, you know, we also owe it to this roster to be the best version of ourselves and put them in the best positions and win basketball games this year. Right. And I would make the argument, as I did in Cleveland when I was there. I've told this story before about LeBron and David Blatt and David Griffin thinking that we needed to make a change. And my point about it was we have to see what this is when they're playing well to know what changes need to be made. And I'd make the same argument for Sacramento. When everything is bad, vibes are bad, players don't like the coach not playing hard for the coach not doing what they're supposed to do because everybody's at. At each other's throat. Like, we don't even know where to go as a Sacramento Kings organization in the summer. We don't know what moves to pull. But like, if we, if we're playing good basketball, close to the best version of ourselves and we're coming up short and we're losing, there's a much clearer picture of, of. Of who we are and what we need to do to chase those teams that you mentioned. So, you know, I think even in, even in the space that you're talking about where you, you're probably not favored to win in the Western Conference, like playing good basketball and playing close to your ceiling as a team is going to give an organization a lot better understanding of, of what needs to be, what needs to be done. And you know, it's. You referenced kind of the situations I was in, but the situations I was in with coaching turnover seem, seem to be different. And I want to say seem because I'm not there, but I read a lot of quotes and a couple articles about, you know, Sacramento and, you know, what the players are saying about Christie and what he's saying to the media. You know, he's coming in as a quote, unquote, like, breath of fresh air. Like, let's get back to just being like, people come in this building, they got to leave here feeling like they were in a fight. Like, we need to be united arms locked. Was one of his quotes. Like, you know, we might have to get in a dust up here and there because, you know, we're playing so hard. Like, that's the language of, of, of, you know, kind of like the base language of, of NBA players or NFL players or any competitor. Like, let's just strip all this bullshit. That is the politics, the, the feelings, all of that, and let's just get back to hooping, right? Let's share the ball. I, I heard multiple or read multiple quotes about sharing the ball on offense and playing free, and I, I, that's a breath of fresh air approach. The situations I was, I was in, and I talk about this a lot. The ones that typically don't work is when you get that change, and it's a very heavy hand. So we're not talking about breath of fresh air. We're talking about more suppression, just not the old guy's suppression. We're talking about the new guy's suppression. That shit barely works. Like, that rarely works. Yeah, but you come in there with breath of fresh air. I was a player. Like, you know, Christie is approaching it more like a player, I think, than like a quote, unquote. I'm trying to be the next head coach of this team, and I think guys are responding to that.

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah. All right, let's go down I80 and see a team that is not breathing any fresh air at all. It's kind of, it's quite, quite toxic. It was funny because Ben Cruz was on the call and he quickly left once he heard. We saw him in the pre pod meeting. He came through. In the pre pod meeting. We talked about the warriors and then we started potting and then he quickly was like, off the call. Like, it just made him arrest. Yuck. Let me. Let's get to the thing right now. So they're at. The warriors are at the stage right now where Steph is saying openly the warriors shouldn't make any desperate moves at the deadline. Then he's like, the next night, he's like, don't get it messed up. I still want to win. I don't think that the, the front office has done anything near the job it requires to build a contender. It's nasty. In Golden State right now, and it's not even fun to watch them play, right? Like, I don't know how much you've watched the warriors this year. I've watched them a little bit. It seems like every once in a while, they'll, they'll find the magic. But then it's like, but it's like, it's, it's like when an old act is in Vegas, right, where you go down the line, they play the hits or whatever, but it's just not quite what it used to be. Right?

[Raja Bell]

Yep.

[Logan Murdoch]

That's where the warriors are right now. I, I, I think I just want to talk through this. I don't even have a question. It's. Does it look as nasty to you as it does to me right now? I guess that's the question.

[Raja Bell]

I mean, nasty. I think you guys are a lot closer to the warriors than I am, so, like, I, I don't have the same feelings about that as you do. I, you know, I thought it was very interesting to hear Steph come out and kind of say what he said, and I, you know, and I think he's in an interesting spot. Right. Because Steph feels like a partner with that organization.

[Logan Murdoch]

Right.

[Raja Bell]

That's what you say when you feel like you're a partner in that. Right. Like, this is. We don't want to do anything to, you know, put this franchise in a bad place moving forward or, you know, I heard him talking about assets and so on and so forth, and I, and I, and I can dig that. Except ultimately, you know, the weird thing is you're not their partner. No, you're not. And when it's a weird. It's a very weird dynamic because, you know, because you've been there so long and you've played at such a high level and you've taken this franchise to heights it's never seen before. You, you feel like a partner, but, like, you are not economically vested as a partner with them. Like, you are not financially in bed with them like that and not on that level. So, you know, like, taking care of what you have left as a career and what they look like as a franchise after your career, have to, have to remain separate. Like, that cannot be Steph Curry's concern. And I appreciate how good of a dude he is and the camp that he comes from and everything they stand for, I would just, I would just caution people to be careful with that. Now, he might ultimately be right. There might not be anything that they can do right now that makes sense for them, but I'm purely talking about the statements and the feelings that go into making those statements, not their partner like that. Unless a mofo got a deal to be a part owner as soon as he retires. And we don't know about that.

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah, I, I agree with you on all those, all those counts. I feel like Steph has been way too nice during this process. I feel like the front office post Bob Myers has done a great disservice to him. I think that. I don't care what anyone says in the building right now. I don't think Mike Dunleavy has done a good job as a general manager right now. Honestly. You have what his signature moves were, trading Jordan Poole for Chris Paul and then getting nothing for it. That's his signature move right now. Like, if you want to just put it right, they haven't drafted well. They keep holding on to Kaminga because the ownership, Joe Lacob loves him. But like the coaching staff, it's very clear he is not a number two guy behind Steph Curry. I know my og Monty Poole wrote about this earlier in the week. Just about. I think that the warriors and I agree with him on this. The warriors front office very much overinflates its young core. They're not as good as they think they are. They're not gonna get a ret. Like I think Steve said this. Steve Kerr said this the other day. Just. I'm afterwards if that's not the exact quote, we cut that out. But anyway. Shut up, shut up, shut up. Anyways, the point being is they're over here trying to straddle two eras. And guess what? When Steph leaves, you're not going to be good. You're not even good. Like it's not going to. It's going to be. Go back to the 90s and the 2000s. There ain't going to be no. This is a generational talent. A top 10 player who doesn't grow on trees. So. Especially for what A. With a. With an organization that hasn't been as relevant as say like a Lakers and the Boston Celtics over the last decades. Right. They're not. It's. This shit isn't promised. Win. Win while you can. Those assets. You can go get assets when. When it's ready. We've seen this time and time again. But this front office has. Has dropped the ball ever since Bob Myers has left. Mike Dunleavy has not done a good job either drafting play. I mean, you say Brandon Pazinski, but what is he doing this year? Nothing. Right. You could talk about all these people that they've drafted, Kaminga and Moody. Those aren't, those aren't the guys that are going to, that are going to take the baton from them. You had your chance to trade your assets, but what you did was you kept Draymond Green. There's you. You didn't trade away Clay when you could have. You didn't trade away Draymond when you could have to actually get those assets. Right? And that's fine. Right. But also the other thing that messes me up, Raj, and I know I'm ranting here, maybe this was just a, this was just a segment for me.

[Raja Bell]

To rant, do your, do your thing, bro.

[Logan Murdoch]

But my thing is this, though. You couldn't, you couldn't build a team around Steph. Then you tried to say, oh, we're going to keep the band together. You couldn't even do that. Right. You could even make Klay Thompson want to stay. Like, yeah, like, what are you doing? What are we doing here, Raja? Like, this is, this is just, this is just comical. It's comical how this has gone down, I feel.

[Raja Bell]

Well, I mean, hearing you rant, I, I, I, I feel for you in some way.

[Logan Murdoch]

I don't care.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, but, but, you know, it's a, it's always a tough thing, man. We, I, I, I know we've spoken about this before. I don't know how long it's been. I don't know what pot it was. But, like, you, you know, nostalgia, especially when you have a dynastic team, is a powerful thing, man. And holding on to that past expiration date rarely ends well. Like it. And it's, and, and I'm not judging, because that's got to be a terribly hard thing to do, right? Like, you got faces of, of, of a generation of Golden State Warrior fans, like, still there, even though they're not able to produce in a way that's going to win championships. And you can't move them. I mean, technically you could move them, but, like, nostalgia is and is a very powerful thing. And I think they just hung on a little too long. I think ultimately what Steph's going to have to ask himself, or ask them, is, like, I talk about this all the time. Hey, man, what's the plan? Show me the shit. Who is it? Give me the three names and the three scenarios that get me those names. How you gonna do it? Like, help me help you, dude. I want to believe in you. Show me how it's gonna happen. And then if it's not What's. What's. What's worth more to him at this point in his career, being a lifelong warrior, the greatest to ever do it in the uniform type of joint. Like, do you want to be, you know, like, king of the city forever? I imagine you probably earn the right to do that regardless. Or do you want to say, hey, bro, like, there is no plan here. You know, I would like some shots at another championship, and I don't have the answer to that. I don't. I don't. Only Stefan and the family does. Right? Like, because there's more to it now. Like, there's family. There's. There's, you know, other moving parts. It might not just be as easy as that, but. But, you know, I think that's where he's probably going to be. Like, look, I'd. I'd love for it to be here, but I need to know how we're. How you're going to get us from where we are currently to. To getting me the help that I'm going to need to chase championships at this stage in my career. What are the names? Show me the trade scenarios. Show me the ideas, like, brains. Let me brainstorm it with you. Right? And in the absence of that, well, then, what's the plan for me, man? Because I don't. I don't want to just live in this constant, you know, like, mediocrity, like, as my career winds down. Or maybe. Maybe. Maybe he does. Maybe he's like, yo, I just want to be a Golden State warrior, man. Pour my heart into this every year. People will know I gave it everything I had, even if we didn't have enough around me. And that's good by me.

[Logan Murdoch]

But, like, I think it's the latter. I haven't talked to him about this in a while, so, you know, maybe his mind has changed, but I think it's the latter. I think he wants to retire a Golden State warrior. And. But the. The competitiveness is like. But, like, I think that he knows in his heart that it wouldn't be the same if he won a title somewhere else for another city. Like, it just wouldn't be the same. I don't know, like, if he run it. If he just dipped, like, to. I'm just going to say Miami. I'm not saying, like, I'm not. I'm just. Just throwing that out there. Say, like, you got truck somewhere. Like, it wouldn't be the same as if you did it out here.

[Raja Bell]

He's earned the. He's. He's earned the Right. To do that, no one would question, like him not winning another championship. Like, doesn't, doesn't do anything to the legacy that is Steph Curry. Like they're revolutionizing the game, doing, doing what he's done. So like no one's judging him for that. And, and maybe if it were, this would be my point, would be better if this was a different type of player, because I imagine you are right. Like Steph strikes me as the dude, like I said, like, I know his people. Like, he's probably just, hey, man, you know, I'm going to be here doing my damn thing and I, and, and I'm going to trust the organization like old school. You know, maybe if it was a different kind of player with a different mentality, it would be a better point. But, but that's where you know you'd be with most guys if guys weren't as conscientious and like entrenched in this, in this, the vibes of the city, the town and the organization is Steph, that's, that's the point you would be coming to.

[Logan Murdoch]

No.

[Raja Bell]

Yo, my man, you go give me this helper, I'm have to get up out of here.

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah, but he's not LeBron in that way, you know, he's just not right. I don't, I don't believe that. So we'll talk about this more as it goes on, but I just needed a rant real quick. I think that's all it was. You know, you of all people know the feeling.

[Raja Bell]

That's why you have, that's why you have a show, buddy.

[Logan Murdoch]

Yeah, that's why I got you as my dude, my bud. Speaking of rants, our guy who also was going through it, Mr. Anthony Edwards, said, quote, Our starting five sucks.

[Raja Bell]

Goodness gracious. He said that. Like, he said it like that.

[Logan Murdoch]

He's talking about how his team is and started games. Well, he says their bench is out playing them, but they have the 18th ranked bench in the league, so it doesn't really matter. The team just is bad. I love when, I love when, when Ant pops off just because it's like. Yeah, I mean, he's right. He's going to say the truth, according to him, every single time. But this is the actual truth. I don't know where we go, is this a lost year for Minnesota? I feel like we've asked a variation of this question for the last three, three, four years. I mean, three, four episodes. Excuse me. I just.

[Raja Bell]

I mean, let's see.

[Logan Murdoch]

Man, they're an ugly team. To watch. I don't like watching them play basketball, bro.

[Raja Bell]

I can't say it's lost, though, because again, what are you, six games back? What are. What are you, like, six games back of the two spot? Something like that. Like, I don't. I don't. And the two spot is held by Houston. You're five. You're four and a half behind Memphis. Like, that is pretty cool. I. I just don't. It's hard for me to put them in the loss category at this point just because I see it as kind of being wide open a little bit out there. Like, maybe not for the. For the ultimate, but like, two through. Two through, whatever seems to be open for me. Does that make sense? Sure. And so, like, if you tell me you could get to the Western Conference finals, like, I wouldn't pick you to win it, but at that point, a lot of stuff, like, anything could happen. So it's hard for me to say it's a wash for them. It's clearly, you know, this wasn't the. This wasn't the. The trajectory that they wanted to be on as a franchise coming off of last year, and the vibes and stuff like that. I don't. You know, so. So it's got to be a disappointing feeling right now. But I wouldn't say it's a lost season.

[Logan Murdoch]

It's. It's. It's a frustrating season for anyone that watches them, though, bro, because it's literally. It's triple team ant we give the ball to Julius Randall and he's three steps in a cloud of dust. Right. Or then you give it to, like, I watched the end of the Timberwolves Memphis game the other day, and it was just like, this is the game you should win. But we have a. We have misses from Gobert. We have a throwaway from Gobert, and I just. I'm sad. Watching them just makes me sad. And that just isn't something that I'm used to watching the term wolves and then making me sad. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. I don't know. But Memphis is also. Memphis doesn't make me sad. I like watching them.

[Raja Bell]

They get up and go. They're gone.

[Logan Murdoch]

That's just. Yes, absolutely. Okay, let's. Before we get to. Before we get to ruin of the week, any NFL picks? We got B. Waters on the. On the call. He's from Be More. He's producing his. This show right now. So I think he wants. He wants Baltimore to win. Who you got winning this weekend? What's going on what's going on?

[Raja Bell]

We talking bets? Like, are we talking just all money line? Like we talking about.

[Logan Murdoch]

We're talking just straight up. What do you think is win, brother? We think.

[Raja Bell]

All right, dog. All right, now slow me down. CJ's going into Kansas City. I'm gonna take Kansas City. Jalen at Detroit. Man, that's tough. Yeah, I think the magic runs out. I'm gonna take Detroit, Los Angeles, and Philly is an interesting one, but I'm gonna take Philly at home for no other reason. Then, like, I really want to see this dude. Like, I really want to see this dude out here dancing and shit. I really want to see Gilly the kid. Like, he's. He's.

[Logan Murdoch]

That's your guy. You've been, like, launching just your fandom since I got back.

[Raja Bell]

No, like. Yeah, I know. It's just hilarious to me. The game of the weekend, I mean, the one. The one that I'm. I'm locked in for is. Is Baltimore and Buffalo, and I don't know. I want to say Baltimore.

[Logan Murdoch]

Do you want this. This podcast to be produced? Right. Choose wisely.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, I want to say Baltimore. Josh Allen's a dude, though. I'm. Obviously, I'm a huge Lamar fan. I think Derrick Henry could be the difference in this game if they. If they. If they game plan that right, man. So I'm going to take. I'm going to take Baltimore to go in there and get the win in Orchard Park.

[Logan Murdoch]

All right. I'm taking. I'm going to take the Chiefs. Much as it pains me, honestly, bro, I'm going to take the commanders.

[Raja Bell]

Who you got?

[Logan Murdoch]

I have locked in on Jaden, Dog. I am locked in. I. Yeah, I think I'm gonna. I'm gonna go with the Commanders. And another one. I'm gonna go with the Rams.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, that's a Rams, bro. I don't know why I feel like.

[Logan Murdoch]

I think the Eagles are a scam, bro. I think the Eagles are a scam. I think that's all.

[Raja Bell]

Go that far, but. Okay. All right. All right.

[Logan Murdoch]

And I'm gonna go. I think I'm gonna go with the Ravens just because of the. Derrick Henry. It's 18 degrees. It's football weather, bro. Put the. Put the. Put the team on his back. Put the team on Henry's back. He's done it before against the Ravens, but now he's for the Ravens.

[Raja Bell]

You know what? I'd like to see Monken doing that game, man. I'd like. I'd like to see him go with like just a college approach to that shit. Like we're going to, we're going to run the shit out of Derek Henry back. No, but, but we're also going to like. They haven't used Lamar. They're one of my favorite teams. Like Lamar. Lamar has made huge strides as a passer and in a passing game and almost to a, almost to a fault last year in the playoffs. Wanted to prove that he was a passer in a way. Like, I'd like to see them like just really keep Buffalo honest in terms of, we don't know who's got this ball, Lamar or Derrick Henry and just keep them off balance with that and then get into your play action shit and, and work your passing game. But I'd like, I'd like to see them really come out with a nice fucking confusing run game.

[Logan Murdoch]

Pompano beach, baby. Yeah, Broward County.

[Raja Bell]

You could tell I'm not a football coach, but in a perfect world, that's what I'd like to see.

[Logan Murdoch]

All right. It's all good. All right, let's get to a little segment we like to call Real One of the Week. This is actually going to be a segment, but I actually cheated because I didn't have a real one.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah.

[Logan Murdoch]

And I wanted to obviously take a real one from you anytime that I can to get you speechless. But I'll go first. I'll go first. I mean, unless you want to go first. You have a rolling of the week.

[Raja Bell]

I mean, I do. I have two.

[Logan Murdoch]

Oh, go ahead then. Fuck it, let's go ahead.

[Raja Bell]

Well, I mean, only, only real in terms of like they're both, they're both so hard headed and real because they're not giving in on this shit. It's going to be Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley. Like, I think, you know, let's talk.

[Logan Murdoch]

About it real quick. Let's talk about it real quick. I love that you said let's talk about that real quick. So Ramona, I got a thing real quick, just real quick before we get to like the, the, the clash of, of the Titans is with Jimmy and Pat. There's a story that came out of ESPN and this morning, I think, and it annoys me because they, the, the heat of leaks that they've been giving Jimmy Butler private jets and all these things and they've given him like extra, extra little benefits and all these things because he's a star, bro. If you did it, don't hold that against him. I just, I, I get the beef and all these things and I know this Is just all, like, a thing in the press and did it back and forth, bro. Y'all agreed to it. Y'all let him do that. Y'all treated him better than Dwayne Wade and then. And made him spoiled and then took it away out of nowhere. Like, don't use that against him.

[Raja Bell]

That's fair, right?

[Logan Murdoch]

You go get mad at him for what that you did.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, that's corny. I. But still. Still emboldening my real one, like, pick. Because Pat Riley doesn't give a. Pat Riley is like, oh, no one's out pettying this one. Like, no one's going to try, though.

[Logan Murdoch]

Jimmy is going to try.

[Raja Bell]

That's why. That's. And there's. There it is. Right? Those are the real ones of the week.

[Logan Murdoch]

What's the favorite moment of Jimmy? That. That's. That because you're the. You're one of the. You're a petty, Right. You know, Virgo gang, for sure.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah.

[Logan Murdoch]

What is your. What is your favorite part about both of their petties?

[Raja Bell]

I don't know that. I. I don't. That's. That's a tough question. That's a lot. I don't know that I have, like. Because I don't have, like, the timeline written down of what Jimmy's done or what Pat's done. So I don't have a great answer for that. You know, the. The antics in Minnesota, like, are legendary. Like, this isn't. This isn't a Miami thing. But, like, what he did in that pickup game, that has been documented by a lot of people. Like, that is. That is crazy work. That's crazy. And that is. That is, like, as petty as you get. I don't have a great answer for you. I don't know what my favorite.

[Logan Murdoch]

Pat Riley doesn't win this, though, right? Like, no matter. But I think Jimmy's gonna give him a fight. But there's no way that Jimmy's gonna win this. There's just gonna be some scars. But I don't think Jimmy wins this, bro, because at the end of the day, like, he gets traded and won. Like, he's not gonna. Is he gonna get paid again? Who's gonna pay him? That's what he wants. Yeah.

[Raja Bell]

I don't know at this point, I really. I really don't. I mean, he's got 50. He got 50 in a bag next year. So worst case scenario, if he doesn't like you, just. You pick up the 50, I would imagine. He can't be. He can't turn down. He can't turn 50 million now, can he?

[Logan Murdoch]

I mean, I would say no for a sane individual. We're talking about Jimmy fucking Butler here.

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, yeah. No, I mean, I don't know. I don't know how this works out. I just love them both for like, their, for that. Because I think he came off a suspension last night and I read, like, inactive, like, not, not, not listed on the, like.

[Logan Murdoch]

Nah, I don't. It would surprise me if he played another game with Miami Heat.

[Raja Bell]

No, I love this.

[Logan Murdoch]

Have you had any dealings with Pat Riley? Like, like any deal whatsoever? Just disposers telling you to come home and then not paying you?

[Raja Bell]

Yeah, but I have no beef. Like, I mean, I, I, I, I think they're great, but I've never really dealt with them in any way, shape or form.

[Logan Murdoch]

Okay, that, that, that, that Miami Heat mafia is real though, right? That's every from, like every time that I, I mean, I saw him in Golden State, like a couple about a week ago, and like, you can feel the. Just there's Don's, you know, there's just, it's just from the PR staff on up, like, it's just, it's how I wish my Raiders were, to be honest with you. Just put it that way, you know. All right, that's about all we can get. Like, we've talked, we talked ad nauseam about Jimmy, but there's nothing new. I just was just annoyed about the private jet thing. You give him something, it's corny to just be like, oh, we gave him a private jet. He didn't appreciate it. Like, bro, you gave it to him. You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.

[Raja Bell]

That's right.

[Logan Murdoch]

I want to give my real one to Jamal Murray, who got called out by Shaquille O'Neal, and rightfully so, man, because Jamal Murray is a great player, but too many instances of him, like, not giving his full effort to start the season, then complaining why he's not an all star. But I digress. But he got called out for that by Shaquille O'Neal. And you know, rightfully so somebody, a player could be like, you know what, man, Fuck you, Shaq. Like, who are you? Even though, you know, like, it's a blasphemous thing to say, but players tend to say that Coachamal Murray did dropped 45 and was like, you know what? Thanks, Shaq. You know what I mean? Like, that's what we need in our lives. Not only do we need to have people in our lives that will, you know, correct us like Raja tends to do, you know, unsolicited, but you need to be able to listen to the correction when it's valid. So shout out to Jamal Murray for doing those things.

[Raja Bell]

There you go. Real One.

[Logan Murdoch]

Real one. All right, well, this has been the Friday episode. Friday Vibes episode of Real Ones. I know that because Raja is beginning his Friday vibes. He's not even paying attention to the pot anymore. He's, he's writing shit. He's, he's texting. That's why I'm making his ass do ads after this pod. So we'll see you guys on Tuesday will be me, Raja Howard, Mother Beck and well, Bomani. We pre recorded that, so. All right, they'll tell him you said I, so, you know, anyways, we'll see you guys. You up my. My ending. We'll see you guys on Thursday.

[Raja Bell]

Ah, it was trash anyway.

[Logan Murdoch]

By.