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- [00:00]
Men's Wearhouse Announcer
This episode is brought to you by Men's Wearhouse. What you wear depends on the occasion. Like, are we talking awards, courtside seats, or just watching the game at home? At Men's Wearhouse, they've got you covered with a huge variety of clothing and styles, from tailored clothing like suits, sport coats, dress shirts, tuxes for more formal events to casual clothing like polo shirts, shorts and jeans for everyday wear. The Men's Wearhouse experts can help you work out your look while they're on site. Tailors can guarantee your clothes fit you perfectly. Men's Warehouse has over 600 locations nationwide. They are here and nearby, and when you're ready to love the way you look.
- [00:43]
Logan Murdoch
What's Poppin Real Ones? Logan Murdoch here, Howard Beck and Raja Bell in a second. We react to all of the fun games of Monday night. We talk about the Spurs. Are they in trouble? We talk about the Knicks and the Sixers. Are the Sixers in trouble? This Cliff and Ben Stiller have beef. Do they have beef right now? Is it going to be okay? Is Cliff going to like get a movie role? We'll see what happens, man. We'll see what happens. Then we talk a little bit about Twitch Stream. Stay off of Twitch. Stay off of Twitch. And then we get into your mailbag questions. Really, really fun episode. Uh, you know how we do. It's playoffs, it's vibes, it's all of the above. Real ones. Up next, Cliff Victoria Play the theme music.
- [01:28]
Sponsor Announcer
The Ringer NBA show is brought to you by fanduel. It's been a wild playoff run, but it's not over yet and FanDuel wants to bring you closer to the court to make more of all the action to come. FanDuel is the best place to bet teams, players and plays during the NBA postseason. Build a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout, or try live betting and jump into the action after tip off down. Download the FanDuel Sportsbook app now and play your game 21 plus select states 18 plus DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800- GAMBLER Call 1-888-78-9777 or visit ccpg.org ChatInCut.
- [02:14]
Logan Murdoch
What's Poppin Reels? Logan Murdoch here, Howard back there. Roger Bell in the trenches. Happy Cinco de Mayo to all the folks that celebrate. All my Mexican partners. Yeah, very rare real ones on Cinco de Mayo. It's about to be turned tonight. Speaking of turn, let's talk about the NBA playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves take Game one of The Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio spurs on the road. Victor Womanyama had 12 blocks. We'll get into all of that in a second. Julius Randall had 21 and 10. Anthony Edwards had 18 off the bench. And what did this teach you about. What does this teach us about the Minnesota Timberwolves? Raja,
- [03:01]
Raja Bell
look, they're a resilient. They're a resilient bunch, man. They, you know, they over. They overcame some huge obstacles in that Denver series. You know, Ant was only able to play, what, 25 last night. They had a bunch of guys chip in and. And. And hold the fort down with. With really huge efforts. But. But more than any of that, like, the resiliency, they're just really, really tough. Like, that's a tough, grimy bunch of dudes that have kind of bought into the way they have to play to. To win games and like, the kind of the. The tenor of the game, it has to be a certain way. Like, they want to play in this wheelhouse, like, as a. As a culture. And if they get you in that, they're. They're tough. They're really tough.
- [03:46]
Logan Murdoch
Well, they had a. They had. I want to talk about the. The matchup against women. Yama. Right. They put Julius Randall on him. And I was so interested to see. You know, we talked about this throughout the. The season. I was so interested to see how Wembanyama would play in a playoff setting when he's getting scouted against, where a coach and a team can just lean on into the scouting report on him and how he would respond to that. I thought it was going to be against Denver, but apparently it's against Minnesota. What did you think about how they. They. The Timberwolves played him defensively? And what does he need to do to adjust? Right. Like, he. It seemed like he was more. He was missing shots, but he was more passive than anything. Settling for a lot of threes. Not being as aggressive as we're used to. I mean, it just seemed like basically just a generational talent kind of getting his feet wet in a playoff setting. But what did you see defensively that the Timberwolves did?
- [04:46]
Raja Bell
I mean, I don't know if this is a great answer. It was less about what I saw from them and just more what I kind of saw from him. He just looked a little at times unsure of what was going on. You know, the. The T. Wolves looked like they were going to be okay to concede some threes. He, like, pawed at him a few times and pump faked and then just you know, didn't have a plan after that. I actually, you know, I understand the method behind the madness there and what you want him to do, but if I'm him and I'm going to shoot him, like, I'm shooting some of those more confidently than I raised up last night, you know what I mean? Like, there were a few where he looked like he second guessed himself. He got into traffic and left his feet a few times last night without a plan. And that resulted in some turnovers. They were. They were underneath him and sending a body to get, you know, to. To take a charge. So, you know, I think he's got to slow down, just be real, real dedicated to shoot when he's open. I think they have to move him a little bit more than they did, give him some opportunities, kind of catch and run through the catch, get downhill. Like they had a late DHO with, with. With deer and fox where he just kind of like, you know, he got the lane and he's. He's so long that you're not stopping him. As long as someone's not like underneath his feet, they got to move him around a little bit, give him some touches in some different areas so he can find a level of like, comfortability. And he looked uncomfortable at times. Yesterday is the best way for me to put it. Got to slow down. Just got to go back, watch the film, see where those opportunities were, because there were opportunities that he just for one reason or another, didn't look ready to like, shoot or play in last night. And I think he'll be fine. I don't. But I don't see it as. I don't think they did a masterful job. You know what I mean? Like, I just think he was off it.
- [06:26]
Logan Murdoch
It reminded me a lot, Howard, of the first game that I ever watched, women Yama, in the summer league in Vegas, where he's gotten a lot better since then, but more to the point of his nerves, kind of instructed what his play was going to be right where you could tell he's going to be the best player on the floor. And I mean, I'm saying all this in the context, like he had a triple double last night. Let's. Let's be real. Like, he is. He is still amazing and great. But you would see that indecisiveness in that first game of summer league, right there was that. It was a weird fade away down the stretch of that. The game last night where it was early in the shot clock even, I think. I think it was a Jamal Crawford, who was, who was doing the call, but he even. He was like, oh, oh, why would you shoot that? You just take a breath and you would. That's a shot you make a lot. That's a shot you make 10 times out of 10. But you start to see this nervousness Howard that you've seen from all the greats. But I just feel like it's his turn to have this. This maturation.
- [07:24]
Howard Beck
I mean, it's his first.
- [07:25]
Logan Murdoch
It's also one game.
- [07:26]
Howard Beck
Yeah, it. It's his first postseason, lest we forget. Right. And you know, he's got one round under his belt now and one series victory under his belt. The Timberwolves present a different kind of challenge. Very different kind of. Right. Like, the Nuggets are basically like all offense and defense when they can get around to it. And, oh, they didn't even have their best defenders on the court for most of that series. The Timberwolves are all like, as Raja just, you know, said eloquently, like the, The Spur, the. The Wolves are just grimy team, man. And Julius Randall's a handful, and he's on them a lot. And Nas, Reed, McDaniels, like, these guys are just gonna get into you and make you uncomfortable. He's gonna have less room to operate. All that said, he's over 8 WEMBY from 3, 5 or 17 overall. So he was what, 5 for 9? From 2. If he, like, the threes are not about whether or not you were well defended. You. He could shoot over literally everybody, even if they were on each other's shoulders. So he just missed shots. If he makes a, you know, one or two of those threes, it's a two point loss. Like, maybe that's everything. That's not to diminish anything about his struggles or about the Wolves defense on him. Just noting the way it breaks down. He was really bad from three and he's usually very good from three. 15 rebounds. 12 freaking blocks. 12, 12 freaking blocks.
- [08:45]
Logan Murdoch
Like seven in the first half.
- [08:48]
Howard Beck
Insane. Just absolutely incredible. And I think when you talk about nerves, like, that's why this is why when we talk about, like, well, sometimes it's a make or miss league. Just, you know, you're not always going to make your shots. There's other things you can do. Wemby's the epitome of it because defense, you don't have to worry about rhythm or, you know, your process or anything. You just do what you do. And he's an incredibly tall guy with great defensive instincts, and he had a Great impact overall, but the shots just didn't go down. So like he was still really engaged. I don't think he was like intimidated by the moment or anything like that. He was just a little off on his shots and the. And the Wolves are making it tough on him. I don't think you're going to have an entire series of that for him. But incredible win by the Wolves and not for nothing like Anthony Edwards this time yesterday we didn't even know he was going to play and then a couple hours game time we still didn't
- [09:41]
Logan Murdoch
even know like and, and he still looked hobble still and still did his thing in 25 minutes whilst looking hobby amazing. I think Anthony Edwards is one of those guys that, and I've said this throughout this season and before, but I think he needs to be no matter, he needs to be in that oka player that no matter what seed his team is in that you need to pay attention to his team. Right. And I'm going to get into. I'm going to ask the question of Raja and Howard of what we missed about Minnesota, but I think that the singular thing is is Anthony Edwards and they should be the respect that we give Denver throughout the season, all they around, they, they. We. We don't know what they're going to be, but we should take them seriously. I think we should start having that reputation for the Minnesota Timberwolves. But Roger, that being said, what do we, what are we. What do we miss about Minnesota this season that we damn sure about to get reminded of going into this? Because it's not like they don't around. But yeah, you know, we do need to take them seriously when it goes to the postseason.
- [10:40]
Raja Bell
Yeah, it's a good question because they've been good defensively all year. I think though, you can be good defensively and you could, you can have a style to the way you play defense. For instance. Like some teams are really good defensively but you wouldn't look at them and be like man, that's a really physical kind of punishing team. Right? They just, they just are like really good defensively and they've had a lot of good defensive pieces and principles are really sound. But this team is, is. Is good defensively with pieces but they're also big and physical and, and that, that takes its toll. And like to your point about what they're doing to Wemby and Howard kind of said it like those bodies, you know, Nasrid's not a small light in his shorts kind of player like Julius Randle is a load of those are, you know, Rudy Gobert. Those are big bodies that you're, that you're putting on people that, that definitely takes its toll. I think they're also a team that like, while Ant is great offensively, you know, what happened in the last series from that bloomed a little, you know, Jalen Daniels more freedom offensively to kind of create on his own. Like Terence Shannon Jr. Was great again last night. Like that he might be the fastest player in the fucking league. Like, I mean that. I don't say that like in a hyperbolic way. Like he's fucking lightning when he gets moving and he's not small. And so offensively they've got some players that can make plays. Ants incredible. Julius Randle is a nightmare matchup. He just is. Like, he's one of those dudes. He's not Cade, don't get me wrong. Like, that's not what I'm trying to say. But like he's so big and so physical and he gets where he wants to go so often that if they catch you in these one on one situations, like they got multiple guys that can really punish you. Nas is, can be a nightmare sometimes as a matchup for what he can do in terms of stretching the floor and putting the ball on the. Putting the ball on the ground. So like, I don't, I don't know that we missed it, you know, Logan necessarily because like we knew these things. But you know, they get. Styles make fights and when they get in some of these fights, they've got answers on, on the defensive end for sure. And offensively I really did look Terrence Shannon Jr. Last night, like he might have won the game for them. Like, I know. Well, first of all, I shouldn't have said that. Julius Randle was incredible. Like closed, tough buckets, all of that. But. But what he provided for them is something they didn't. He is going by his man regardless. And whether he's scoring it or getting fouled or just collapsing the defense and then allowing the ball to move a little bit, it's an element to their offense that is really, really nice to have when like ants not at 100% or you're not getting a great output and JD McDaniel's in foul trouble. Like to have that is a really, really nice thing to have in your back pocket and it's made him a problem.
- [13:30]
Logan Murdoch
Let's get to first of all, before I get to the next one, is there a reason for the spurs to panic? Roger?
- [13:36]
Raja Bell
No, I don't think so. I mean, they played, look, that game was played however you want. I mean, it was played right down to the wire for the most part. I mean, you could argue that Minnesota gave him a few extra looks at it by turning the ball over late, but I think you played that game. You shoot, Wemby plays a little better. De' Aaron Fox plays a little better. They shoot the ball from three better. There are any number of ways that if you're a San Antonio fan or, you know, member of the team, you could go in there and say, look, man, we got to tighten some things up, but we're fine. And I don't, I don't think they should panic. I just, you know, this was always going to be a possibility. I told you there might be a point in these playoffs where they find themselves in a situation they didn't expect to be in as a young team. And I think you're going to find out what they're made of. But I don't think they'll panic. I think they'll be fine. They'll win Game 2, and then they got to go get one in Minnesota.
- [14:22]
Logan Murdoch
What do you think about the, the timeout, or lack of timeout being called down the stretch?
- [14:27]
Raja Bell
Me, I didn't mind it. Yeah, I think I didn't mind it at all. I mean, we could second guess that, you know, you're going to play the result of it, but I think they got the ball down the court. They got the great shot. Yeah.
- [14:38]
Howard Beck
Patty got a good shot. That's the thing, right? Like, you can't really fault it when the guy got an open three and just happened to miss.
- [14:44]
Raja Bell
Yeah. Didn't mind it at all.
- [14:46]
Howard Beck
Yeah. The only, the only quibble I would have is if you would set something up, then maybe you're getting somebody going to the basket and getting fouled, or you'll, because you only needed two to tie, like, you didn't have to go for the win. That would be the only quibble. But, like, I, I, I mean, Raja, you played for Mike Dantoni. Like, Mike was always about just get, get a good open shot. Right. Like, so in this case. And I don't know what Mike would have done. I'm not trying to say that, but I'm just saying, like, a lot of coaches will say, like, if you got a good open shot, the process was fine.
- [15:14]
Raja Bell
Yeah. Like, I, yeah, you totally could have gotten a different kind of shot, and you'd be able to articulate that a little bit more in a, in a, in a More sanitary environment in one of those huddles. Right. Where we can all kind of come together and talk about we want to do what we want to do. But like, that game was so well defensively played for most of it that I don't know that I'd want them to set up Howard. Like, you know, they kept saying it on the broadcast that, like, Minnesota was like, look, man, let's clean the glass and, and let's not be in a hurry, but let's run because that's going to be our best look if we can get down there before San Antonio gets set. And I think San Antonio did that to a good degree also, like, you know, getting out before Minnesota could get set. So I kind of. I hear you, but I really don't mind it because they were really defending last night.
- [15:57]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, I don't know, man. I come from the Phil Jackson school of like, just fuck that. Time out. Let's get a good look.
- [16:05]
Raja Bell
They got the. I mean, they got the look. They got a. They got a real clean look.
- [16:08]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, let's talk. Let's talk. Nick. Sixers. Sorry, Cliff. The Sixers got the brakes beat off of them. It wasn't, it wasn't particularly close. It was the only time where it was like, cool that there was another game on the streaming service. We were like, oh, okay, let me just, Let me just go to Spurs. Let's go to Spurs. Mini. We're fine. Cliff is already copping. Please. In the chat, he's saying it is a scheduled loss. Howard Beck, you were in the building. Did you. What was your assessment of the Sixers loss? Was it nerves? Was it. Was it tiredness? Was it all the above? Give us your take
- [16:47]
Howard Beck
since I don't want to put Cliff in this position. We'll hear from Cliff later during Mailbag anyway, but. So I'm just going to say it for him and on behalf of Philly, I think it's fair to think that they maybe were at least a little bit emotionally and physically gassed from a seven game series that just ended two days before. Especially given, you know, this is a team led by Joel Embiid, who is always in some state of physical distress anyway. Right. If the charitable view.
- [17:16]
Logan Murdoch
Sorry, Cliff.
- [17:17]
Howard Beck
Cliff in the chat is funny, the charitable view would be to say there's a bit of a hangover there. The unfortunate part of that charitable view. And I think that there's at least a piece of that, some part of that. And it's not to diminish what the Knicks did. The unfortunate part about it is this game or this series is every other day. So if they were gassed, it ain't like they're gonna get a chance to be ungassed before game two tomorrow night and then game three in Philly on Friday. Like, the ca, the games just keep coming. So I would hope for their sake that it was just. They got their doors blown off one night and it's not a physical issue or a hangover issue because there's just no time to recover. Jalen Brunson just got anything he wanted to in, in the first half. Dude was awesome. They had Ubere on him at times. They had Paul George on him at times. They had Edgecombe on him at times. And they, and that was all just in the first quarter. I believe it. Couldn't do anything with him. He like, but that's Brunson, man. He's just got this knack for no matter who's on him, he's getting like one little, little fake or a little D cell or whatever, and he's got an open shot. Um, there are no non open shots for him. And then he got going and then when they tried to shift help toward him, he started finding guys and it just got away from them really quickly. So I, I think the Sixers are better than what they showed last night. I think the Knicks had a, a really hot first half, but the Knicks have also been the hottest team in the NBA over the last week or so. With the way that they closed out against the Hawks just absolutely drubbing them over the last couple of games. The, the, the point differential in the Knicks last like three games or four games, whatever, is just off the charts. But yeah, I, I, I, I think the Sixers will shake that one off and come back more competitive in game two. Whether they can win it, you know, we'll see. But I, I think they're better than what they showed last night.
- [19:14]
Logan Murdoch
Roger, what's your optimism, optimism level on your Sixers, even though you don't want to claim nobody?
- [19:19]
Raja Bell
Yeah, look, I, I optimistic that they'll play better than they did. You know, I, I don't know that I would pick them to, to have the same type of success that they did against Boston. I, I think, I think New York is in a, in a position to, to, to win this series. I don't know that it's going to be a super long series. Like, I'm not a prediction guy, but I, I, I kind of feel that way in my gut. I don't know why I, I want to look physically, you're playing every other day. That is, that is tough when you just got stretched in that last series and you did not have a lot of rest. But you can get over the physical fatigue in a way. Like, you can find a way to kind of hem and egg it and get through that, that emotional fatigue that you would have had last night coming into the game or yesterday afternoon. Whenever I was played, I'm on the West Coast. But that emotional fatigue that there's no way to, there's no way to make up for that. Like, it's a complete flatline as a player. Like, you get out there and you had the highs of what you had in that last series and the exuberance of winning it, and you touch that court and there's nothing there. You can't fake it, you can't find it. And even if you were interested in trying to find it, which you weren't going to do anyway, when the team you're playing against punches you in the mouth right out of the gate, it's a rat, it's a wrap, it's over. And so that was the worst of all scenarios for them. Yeah, they'll play better. I don't know. I don't know. I shouldn't have said that about the series necessarily. I just, I have a feeling that New York kind of handles this one.
- [20:54]
Howard Beck
I will say, I will say Embiid came out and immediately, like, got a couple of fouls on Towns and a couple of fouls on Mitch Robinson. Like, like Embiid was drawing a lot of foul. Like, that's, that's what he does, right? He, he, he did drawn five or six on the Knicks within the first quarter. I thought that actually boded well for the Sixers. The wheels came off anyway. But I do think, like, you're seeing some things there where it's like, okay, if you, if you want to take the optimistic view on Philly, like, Embiid's going to be able to, you know, get some things done. He might get their bigs in foul trouble. That might put the Knicks in a, in a disadvantageous position. You know, that there's, there's a little bit of, of the, the upside. Like, I, I, I do think, and I said this, you know, after the Sixers closed out the Celtics, I think this is the worst scenario of the two for the Knicks. Like, they know how to handle the Celtics. They beat them last year. They built a roster to deal with them specifically. But the super quick backcourt and explosive backcourt of The Sixers combined with Joel Embiid are elements that are harder for the Knicks to handle, which is why I thought, and still think this will be a long series.
- [22:03]
Logan Murdoch
My, my thing is, I mean, and I agree with Howard on this, the first couple of minutes, I was like, oh, there's a blueprint to beat in this Knicks team. If you're the Sixers, right? Just attack the. Out of their bigs, do action around Carl Towns. There was a. I said this in the, in the chat that I have with Steph and Cliff yesterday, which is like, there was a Kelly Oubre cut behind Cat and he had no idea what to do with it. Like, there are. And then Maxi can attack their bigs in a way that, you know, not many people can because of his speed and athleticism. If he can get around those traps that they have and just get into his action, I think that he can really exploit the, the lack of bigs. And then also the other thing is, like, to Howard's point, they can get it. If Nick Nurse still wants to do the hack of Mitchell, he can basically just confine Mitchell to the last two minutes of each quarter, which would be a backbreaker for them because if you get Towns in foul trouble, you get Mitchell shooting free throws at 40% clip, then you're. Who's the other guy that they, they have the third. What's the third string guy's name on the next Ariel hook.
- [23:10]
Howard Beck
Porty they put in last night.
- [23:12]
Logan Murdoch
God bless him. Then just give the ball to Embiid and just let him be D.
- [23:17]
Raja Bell
You guys are discounted. Look, I feel you both, and I'm not you. We'll see who. How this plays out, right?
- [23:23]
Logan Murdoch
I think, I think it's.
- [23:24]
Raja Bell
It might be six. Like, it could be six. I wouldn't be surprised if it was six. I don't see seven. Joel Embiid was. He looked gassed at the end of the Boston series. Yeah, like, he's, you know, while I said you can fake and get through, like, physical fatigue, for me, that more applied to, like, the rest of that unit that had been playing basketball kind of all through the playoffs. Right? Like that when you're just coming off of a surgery and you have sat down and you haven't played in a while, I, I mean, he's a big. He's a load. He's. He's. He is a matchup nightmare. He can do some things when he wants to get down in the post. But, like, even if you watch Boston, like, Jalen Brown had him off the post for like, two out of three of every possession down the stretch. Like, you know what I mean? And. And when he needed to, he got it done down there. But that. It's going to be hard. The deeper this series goes, playing every other day, the harder it gets for him. Like, and it's exponential.
- [24:16]
Logan Murdoch
Even harder. Even with, like. Even with the short travel, though, like, it's just Philly to New York. You think that's.
- [24:22]
Raja Bell
It's not even a little helpful?
- [24:23]
Logan Murdoch
It.
- [24:24]
Raja Bell
Yeah. I mean. Yeah, that helps. But, like, at that, for him, it's not. It's not the travel. It's just generally, like, how in shape are you coming off of what you just had? Like, what's. What's that incision area? You feel like. Like, there's a lot that goes into that, you know?
- [24:37]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah. Before we get to the next segment, I need to bring Cliff on because Cliff said he has some words for our friend Ben, and maybe. Maybe. Are you feeling. Are you feeling froggy? You about to do a bet, Cliff?
- [24:51]
Cliff
If Ben is. If Ben is willing.
- [24:53]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah.
- [24:53]
Cliff
I mean, let me.
- [24:54]
Logan Murdoch
Stiller said he. You said. You said you got a bet for Ben Stiller, right? This is what you have, right? What's going on? Look, you've been pump faking for the last couple of days now, and I don't know if you have that same energy after you got your ass kicked. So, like, what's going on here?
- [25:07]
Cliff
I'm still. I still got the same energy. It's Sixers and six. We riding out with the Sixers all day. It was a scheduled loss. It's all good. And when the Sixers win, I'm gonna need a part in one and one of Ben's movies. Like I said, just like last year when Detroit got jobbed. When Detroit got job last year, I should have been in one of the movies this year, but now we just extending that, and then that's what. That's what it's going to be.
- [25:26]
Logan Murdoch
Okay, so if the six. Okay, so if the Sixers win the series, you and by extension, all the real ones get a part in the next movie. And if they. If the. The Knicks win, what happens to you? What do you have to do?
- [25:39]
Cliff
I don't know. That's up to Ben to figure it out. You feel me?
- [25:42]
Logan Murdoch
All right.
- [25:43]
Raja Bell
Tap in, Ben. Tap in.
- [25:44]
Logan Murdoch
Tap in, Ben. Ben, tap in. Tap in. Okay, let's take a quick break.
- [25:49]
Raja Bell
Did you say six? You said that. Wait, hold up.
- [25:51]
Logan Murdoch
He said okay after you said six. He says sixers and six.
- [25:57]
Raja Bell
Cliff, not mad, all right?
- [25:59]
Logan Murdoch
Man. Oh, my goodness, bro. It's been because I'm in the Death Row east group chat with Cliff and Steph. And the level. Steph's obviously from the Bronx and so the level of just vitriol in this chat is astounding. And I. It's only a little preview between Philly and New York, so we'll see what happens. Let's take a quick break and I think we've got a pack watch on the other side from Jomy Jo.
- [26:23]
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- [27:05]
Jomy Jo
Yo, you know who would be Jomi with another edition of Pack Watch. And it's so nice. We're doing it twice. We got two teams on the docket. First, it's the most wonderful time of the year. We're saying goodbye to the Boston Celtics, baby. Hey, listen, if you within the Boston area, keep looking out, keep ducking, those bricks might land at some point. What a travesty. I mean for them, not for me because I really enjoyed it. You know what I'm saying? Jaylen Brown missing Derrick White, the only white person they've hated in Boston for a long, long time. Okay, to blow a 31 lead to
- [27:51]
Logan Murdoch
the Sixers
- [27:55]
Jomy Jo
basketball heritage, that meant something to me, man.
- [28:00]
Logan Murdoch
Are you kidding me?
- [28:02]
Jomy Jo
Seeing all them Boston fans sat in the stairs.
- [28:05]
Ferrero Announcer
Bye bye.
- [28:07]
Jomy Jo
Have fun in Cancun, fellas. Oh, man, that was amazing. The Rockets next, but I gotta send them off a little different. If you would indulge me for a second.
- [28:21]
Raja Bell
You shall.
- [28:24]
Jomy Jo
KD had them burners, but he didn't have a burner in the game. Sengun better send LeBron a thank you for making him a household name. Hold up, hold up. Okay, The Lakers D was suffocating, boss. They couldn't get a shot off. How your name? The Rockets.
- [28:47]
Raja Bell
But you boys couldn't take off. Hold on, hold on, hold on.
- [28:55]
Logan Murdoch
Bars.
- [28:56]
Raja Bell
Best, Best pack watch. Best pack watch ever.
- [28:59]
Logan Murdoch
Probably. It's up there. It's up there. It's up there. All right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right. Let's reset. Let's reset. Let's figure this out. What are we talking about next?
- [29:09]
Raja Bell
Not the burnt. Not the burner, but didn't have the burnt.
- [29:13]
Logan Murdoch
Nah. He said Derek White was the first white person they've hated in a while. A fair point. It's a fair point. It's a fair point. All right, let's. Oh, God. All right. You guys want to talk Lakers Thunder. Can the Lakers win this series? It's probably a five minute. Is there any chance. How many games do they even win? I don't even think it's. I do. I don't know. It's tough. It's tough.
- [29:43]
Raja Bell
A game. A game.
- [29:46]
Logan Murdoch
This is like the. Is it the game four where they, like, win? Like, it's like the Petty win, you know, Is there.
- [29:51]
Raja Bell
I've been traveling. Is there any clarity on Luca? None. Has there been.
- [29:55]
Howard Beck
He's not. We're not seeing Luca. It just happened one games.
- [30:00]
Raja Bell
Yeah, maybe.
- [30:02]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah. I just think that they. They won. The Lakers won the series against the Rockets because, you know, they had heart. But, like, I just think now that I'm days away from it, it's just pure incompetence by the Rockets. Gee, like, it's. That's really what it is. It's. It had nothing to do with necessarily like, the Lakers winning and taking the series, although they did. The Rockets were just that embarrassing.
- [30:24]
Howard Beck
So, yeah, yeah, the Rockets lost that. As much as the Lakers want it, let's be honest.
- [30:29]
Logan Murdoch
Absolutely.
- [30:30]
Howard Beck
And I, out of respect for LeBron, I give the Lakers a game in this series. They will. They will at least win a game, but this should not be close.
- [30:41]
Logan Murdoch
Any assessment on Detroit, Cleveland, Raja Bell?
- [30:46]
Raja Bell
No.
- [30:47]
Logan Murdoch
No.
- [30:50]
Raja Bell
I don't know. I don't know. I'm gonna have to watch that one. I don't have a pick. I had to watch a game in that and tell you, like, that's going to be a real interesting one for me because both of their first series, Toronto, Cleveland was a hard watch. Like, it was a hard watch. And Detroit, Orlando wasn't equally as hard watch, although the deeper that got into the series, I kind of developed. It was like an acquired taste for me. I got a little more interested in it. I don't know why, because it was still ugly. So, like, I have no idea.
- [31:19]
Jomy Jo
I
- [31:21]
Raja Bell
think it's gonna be a better stylistic matchup maybe for both teams. It's gonna be interesting. I have no idea. I'm just talking in circles here. I don't know.
- [31:30]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, I mean, you know, there's. There's the Harden Mitchell versus Cade, you know, storyline. There is the JB Bickerstaff going back to kick the Cavs ass storyline. There. There are a lot, There are a lot of things that are interesting about this series. But the other thing is, I don't know which team I'm gonna see out of Detroit. I don't know. I don't know if Duran's gonna be aggressive. Right. Like he was in game seven. It basically changed the series and changed the trajectory of it. But, but I kept, I kept thinking like, man, could we have got this in game four or five? You gotta. Could have wrapped this series on up. But where do you see Duran playing in this double big lineup that. Against the double big lineup that the Cavs have? Like, is he the anecdote to that? Because there's a. Cavs are a big team and they've won despite, like, Harden just pleading to fumble the bag.
- [32:23]
Raja Bell
Yeah, I think he, I think he has more success in this series. While the Cavs are long, they're not big, you know, like, they're not. And that's what gave him trouble, you know, because he's a big burly, like. Like, he's a physical big. It's not like he's a length and finesse big. And the reason Orlando gave him trouble is because they had a couple of those motherfuckers themselves, like, they were. They were not getting pushed off their spot over and over again. And so I think he has more success against Cleveland and that's going to help them. I, I'm reluctant to give a pick in it just because I really want to watch the first game and, and see what it looks like. But he will have more success, though. Like, I think they'll look better offensively, Detroit, that is, against Cleveland, than they did against Orlando.
- [33:05]
Logan Murdoch
Do you think that's because of just like the, the lack of defensive prowess from those two lead guards and in Cleveland?
- [33:12]
Raja Bell
Yeah, I mean, yeah, they're not as good as a defensive team. They're not as physical. Yeah, they're going to give you some opportunities that Orlando, you know, wasn't presenting.
- [33:24]
Howard Beck
Cade's gonna get what he wants. And if Cade gets what he wants, then that. That causes everything else to have a ripple effect defensively. Right. And then every. Everybody else gets open and gets moving. So, I mean, I, I think it starts there. So, yeah, I mean, I, I Don't know how long a series this will be. I do expect the Pistons to win this one. You know, you get a Tobias Harris game here and there. I think Tobias Harris was. He was either second leading scorer in that series was. So I. You always worry about the Pistons having more shot creation or just scoring, period. But against the Cavs, who, you know, seem, on paper, seem to have all this firepower, but it doesn't always work out that way. And they're a funky team themselves. Like, you know, I'm. I'm going to lean toward the. The team with the best player in the series, and that's Cade.
- [34:14]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah. What do you think of the. Just going back to the, to the magic really quickly. What do you think of the. The firing of Jamal Mosley? Chat.
- [34:23]
Raja Bell
Go ahead, Howard.
- [34:26]
Howard Beck
You know, it's funny because months ago, the scuttlebutt around the league was that he was already, you know, a goner. He was going to take the fall for a struggle, you know, another rough season, injuries notwithstanding. Banero is. Is subtweeting him all the time in press conferences like it just, it was inevitably heading toward this. But when you're on the verge of pulling off one of the rare 81 upsets, I was like, the, the most comical thing that could happen here is like, they win this, and suddenly the front office and ownership are like, hey, can we fire the guy after. After pulling off one of the rare 8:1 ups. It's as somebody else said to me last night when I was having this conversation with somebody at the Garden, like, yeah, you probably still fire him anyway because you're going to lose in the second round and you'll still have an out to do it. But I do think it would have made it more awkward. I think it was even made more awkward by the fact that they got to seven games at all. But you're not basing Jamal Mosley's standing on the last two weeks. You're basing it on several years of him being there. You're basing it on, you know, everything that's. That's come to pass. I think the only part of it that troubles me a little bit, and it's like, fine, you want to move on from the coach, fine. He clearly does like this. Your star player, one of your star players has said a lot of things that are clearly undercutting him. And at a certain point, it's not that you, you, you side with player over coach or you think the player is right. It's more just that, well, you can't get rid of the players so, you know, find a coach who will command the room more or have, have their ears. Fine. But when Jeff Weltman, who got extended as GM or team president, whatever Jeff's title is these days, when he has his press conference yesterday, he talks about like he, he's not seeing needs for major changes, and that's just patently wrong. They need to address this roster. There are other things going on here other than coaching that are holding them back and other than just being very unfortunate with regard to injuries. And yes, they have had a lot of injuries over the last few years. I, I, I, I hope that that was just PR in the moment for a press conference purposes. I, I hope that that franchise is taking a deeper look at what they need to do because just bringing in a different coach and keeping the same plan, I don't think is going to cut it.
- [36:37]
Raja Bell
Like, Jamal Mosley is a good basketball coach, man. Like, he's a good basketball coach. Like, you know, did it, did the trajectory continue on the path that it needed to for him to keep his job in Orlando? No. Does he ultimately bear responsibility for that as a coach? Sure. But like, you know, I'm out here in Phoenix and, you know, my son Ty was blessed to, to get in the gym with Steve yesterday, so I spent some time with him and we were talking about, you know, Brooklyn and, you know, there are a lot more things that are outside of a coach's control that ultimately go into whether or not teams get to where they want to go as, as a unit, you know, and, you know, the coach is going to bear the brunt of that. They're the ones that are going to get fired and stuff. But, you know, and so that's what it is. You, when you sign up to coach, I hope he gets another opportunity if he wants one. But, you know, just, you just, you just got to know, like, some of the fans look at those coaches like they're disposable, and I guess they are more disposable than players or other people in organizations that aren't necessarily holding up their end of the bargain. But it takes, it takes everybody working together in, in an effort to achieve these goals for them to ultimately be achieved. So I ultimately don't have a huge problem with it.
- [37:54]
Ferrero Announcer
This episode is brought to you by Ferrero. Soccer's international tournament is here and Ferrero is going all in. Enter for your shot at a range of prizes just by buying your favorites like Tic Tac, Fresh mints, cool, minty and simple or Halo top ice cream loaded with crave worthy mix ins in every bite and half the calories of leading competitors. Go all in. Buy any two Ferrero brands and you could win $1,000,000. Official rules apply. Learn more at goallinandwin.com
- [38:25]
Logan Murdoch
this episode is brought to you by McDonald's. Fill up like every day is game day with the under three dollar menu at McDonald's. A sausage McMuffin for just a dollar fifty and when it's time for lunch, grab a McDouble for only 2.50. McValue gives players, fans and everyone in between more action for less. A sauce McMuffin is basically official breakfast of tip off day in my opinion. Get even more value with McValue. Only at McDonald's. Limited time only. Prices of participation may vary. Prices may be higher for delivery, but
- [38:54]
Raja Bell
I hope he gets another opportunity because I think he's a good coach.
- [38:57]
Logan Murdoch
Okay, before we get to mailbag, this is something I've been dying to ask the the panel Jaylen Brown after he had. Oh, I just love how this is before we get into it. I just love how the new age like you know, when you lose or whatever you back in Roger day you go out to dinner with your friends and you just crash out with your friends, right? You just tell how every tell you know, your friend group or whoever. Just how the team and everyone has had in the refs and everybody has had you up. My generation unfortunately loves to get in front of the entire world on a camera and just air out their grievances. So Jalen, I don't think he got any food. I think he just went straight from the arena to his crib and was like let me turn on the turn on on the twitch stream.
- [39:47]
Raja Bell
We got a chef dog. The chef was cooking. The chef.
- [39:49]
Logan Murdoch
Oh, the chef was cooking. Okay. He didn't want to hang with his partners. He didn't want to go okay. But anyways, this dude put his, put his camera on and just aired out all his grievances. Went on YouTube and just looked up his whole highlights which is, you know, is always a good sign. And he was looking at clips of push offs from Paul George. He had complaints and we're just going to give you guys some quotes. He said Joel Embiid is great player, one of the best bigs in basketball history. But he flops. He know it. This ain't breaking news. It is what it is. And then he goes and points his ire towards Paul George. If you're going to go push offs, call that the same move, same refs. Oh, it's nothing. It's play on. Right, but you gonna call me? Everybody does it. But if it would have been me, it would have been an offensive foul. And then he just goes on another tangent about it. But he also said that I believe on the same Twitch stream that this was the most fun he's had, all at his career being the number one option. He did find time to say that after the Celtics lost with him being the number one option. And losing after having a 31 lead in a series with him being a number one option. What do you think of our generation? Old people? What do you guys. What do you think of this? What does this say about us? And just. Just read us the riot act. This is your opportun. Because this does not look great for my peers.
- [41:15]
Raja Bell
Cooked. You guys are cooked, man. Like, Tyler would say fries. That's fries, bro. Like, what are we doing? What are we doing? You're getting on the. Yeah, man. It's not one of his finest moments. I'll just say that. Like, just, hey, man, I've done things. I think we've all done things where in the moment, like, you were so heated and hyped and the adrenaline was coursing that you said, yeah, this is a good idea. Yeah, I'm gonna tell him exactly how I feel. Maybe not in front of a camera, maybe face to face. But then afterwards, you were like. You woke up the next morning. Like, didn't seem like it was the best idea to do that. Like, in retrospect, I hope he had that, because I was. I didn't. I was in poor taste, man. Like, he's too good to do that. I. I really mean that. Not. I mean, he's too good of a player.
- [42:01]
Logan Murdoch
He's.
- [42:01]
Raja Bell
He stood for things that are really, really important and. And too good for. Like, don't be on there crying like that, bro. Don't do that. I don't want to see you like,
- [42:10]
Howard Beck
that thing is like, okay, let's. Let's. Let's take it like, the. The. The. The validity of the presentation, right? Joel Embiid's a flopper. Okay, cool. Factually correct. Jalen Brown. The world already knows that. And that's something. That's a point you can make in the game to the refs. That's a point you can make even in the wake of a game, like during the series or whenever. The only time you can't really make it is right after you lost the series. And it now looks like you're Just making excuses. Every player and ex player who has weighed in on this so far on their podcast and other platforms, they are all killing Jaylen Brown on this because nobody disagrees with the premise that Embiid flops. It's more just you. This is not the right time and place and context to be making this case. And then the part about, like, the refs have it in for me because I said something three months ago, and so now the entire refereeing staff is out to get me and calling me for stuff they're not calling other guys. Like, now you just sound like a conspiracy theorist like that. That's like, you've got a persecution complex. It doesn't come off well. And I. I really like Jaylen Brown. Like, I've always liked him as a player, as a personality. He's really intelligent. He's somebody who I think has been a leader for that team, A leader for the. You know, in the players association. Like, I. Like, I have a lot of respect for Jalen Brown. And it's moments like this where you just think, do you just not have a filter? Is there just not anybody around you who says, I get where you're coming from. I understand what's going on, but, like, take a deep breath, wait a few weeks, and then think about whether or not you really want to do this.
- [43:47]
Raja Bell
Because he heard the answer to that is no.
- [43:51]
Logan Murdoch
No, he does not. Because if he had people life, clearly he wouldn't be on Twitch. He would just be airing his grievance outs on at dinner like normal people do.
- [43:59]
Howard Beck
Yeah, it just. It was unfortunate. You know, like I say, when. When everybody is weighing in current and former players and they're even, you know, criticizing you for this, you. You made the wrong decision.
- [44:12]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, I think that.
- [44:13]
Raja Bell
You know what. You know what's rubbing me the wrong way? I'm sorry, Logan. Like, it's really. It's starting to bother me, the whole floppy. Who the does not flop in the NBA? Who doesn't? Who does?
- [44:23]
Logan Murdoch
Not everyone does.
- [44:24]
Raja Bell
Like, Like Jalen Brown, maybe. I mean, I don't know, but, like, he's in the minority, not the majority. These, like, what are we talking about, man?
- [44:32]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, I think that there's always been an underlying piece of selfishness with Jalen Brown. Right. Like, I should be the number one option. I should do this. It's not. It's not my fault. There's an agenda against me if something goes wrong. And that's in so many different areas. Right. Like how he feels about the media in some instances, how he feels about a lot of different things. And I just think that, like, sometimes you just got to look in the mirror, bro, this did not look good. Like, you over here saying when. And he said this throughout this time. And, like, he's always trying to push back against the narrative. Like, man, I don't always say that, like, I want to be a number one option, but, like, every time you do that, you feel so happy. And when you say stuff like, this is the most fun I've had all year or in my whole career, it just like, why, bro? Do you want to win or do you want to win it? You're it. Like, what do you want, bro? Because you got all the bread that you could ever want. You got all the role you could ever run. And just like, stuff like that just shows, like, people just ain't happy, man. Sorry, Howard, what did you have to say?
- [45:36]
Howard Beck
I was gonna say he just confirmed everything that had been the scuttlebutt around the league for years, which I've told you guys in this pod. You know, we've discussed this many times where people were saying, like, if they were ever to break up the two Js, it would be because Jaylen Brown sees himself as a number one and wants that opportunity. And again, I always said I don't want to feed into that. I don't think that this is a Shaq and Kobe kind of situation where they're incompatible or anything. They clearly are very compatible. They've been to two finals and won a championship together. But Jaylen Brown, by saying what he said, confirmed everything that everybody already believed, which is that he views himself as a number one. And that's why there had led to the speculation.
- [46:12]
Logan Murdoch
Like, you, you are number one even within the Celtics, right? It may be 1A, 1B, but you are number one. You are number one on the call sheet, bro. Like, yeah, and you. You did a. You played a great season this year. You're the reason why, you know, the Celtics got to a point, but you also seen the ceiling that there. There is. I mean, there is not enough self awareness here, I believe.
- [46:34]
Raja Bell
Can I play that? Can I play devil's advocate a little bit? Because I tend. I tend to agree with you guys, but let me just do this. Number one. I've talked about this before. It's like what he wasn't afforded was the opportunity to come into a league and have the limelight as the player that he thinks he is. Even if it didn't result in winning, he was put right into a situation where it's share, and we're going to share for a championship. Like, and that most people get to that point in their career after they've done the whole, hey, man, I'm the guy, you know, and so, you know, it's not unlike, like, a child actor or something that says they. Or a child, you know, like, celebrity that says, I didn't have a true, you know, childhood. Because, like, you're not getting to do those things in that way. Like, he didn't. He didn't get the opportunity to do that as far as. As far as, like, let's just. This year. And they didn't win Game seven. But, like, could you make an argument that, like, look, he was cooking and they were cooking and Without Jason Tatum. Like, they. They were cooking without him, and then you bring him back and they play a way. They played. And, like, I'm not. I'm not saying anything, but this is me defending him. Just playing devil's advocate. He's like, yo, man, like, you dropped him in, then you. Then you. Then he misses, like, Game seven. Like, if it hadn't been there, I was going to cook. I was going to be fine. That could be his argument. There is an argument to be made for that. I don't necessarily think I agree with that, but, like, you could make that argument where he was like, no, I was the number one. We were the number one seed. We were cruising.
- [48:01]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, they. I mean, he probably does think those things. He probably thinks that thing 100. And that's the difference, though, I think, between his relationship and. I think his relationship with. With Jay, with Jason is really good. It's. But there is a tension there, right? It's not an outward tension to where, like, it's Kobe and Shag, where they're just gonna go at each other in the media. But I think there's a tension of, like, you know, whenever, you know, Tatum gets the glory, there's a. There's a. There's a undercurrent of, like, well, what about me? From. From jb? What about me? And he's always had that insecurity throughout his career. Like, that's not a secret here. But, I mean, there's always going to be that tension point as long as they're playing together.
- [48:42]
Raja Bell
Yeah.
- [48:43]
Logan Murdoch
Throughout their career.
- [48:44]
Raja Bell
But, like, how. I mean, first of all, like, when you're. When you have players that are that good, like, and they're both really, really good, and one of them is usually given the accolades or the praise or, you know, like, he is 1B. But you're 1B. You're not 1A, right? Like, and one of them is 1A. There is going to. Any human that's that good at what they do is going to feel like some kind of way, as long as you're not making it an awkward situation or coming in there and pouting about it or, or, or being, you know, a cancer in the locker room because of those feelings. Like, I, I bake that into it, right? Like, yeah, dude, like, you're really good. Like, you might feel some kind of way, you know, about that. I don't, I don't have a problem. I think that's human nature to some degree. Can you dig what I'm saying? Like, and, and yeah, I really don't like it. It's in poor taste. Like, probably for the media. But if I'm going to be honest, like, we always want to hear, like, tell us what. You tell us what you're thinking. Like what, what's on your mind. Don't give us the cliches. And he literally said, like, this was the most fun I had.
- [49:47]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, like, I mean, no, hey, I love it. It's content for us. We're, we're having a, like a 15 minute conversation about.
- [49:54]
Raja Bell
Yeah, no, for sure. But can you dig what I'm saying? As long as he's taking those feelings. He said them and he means them. Right? But then if you ask him to, like, put those feelings away and go back to the way it was, as long as he's not being a dick about that, I' fine.
- [50:09]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah. Also, reality is he had a chance to be a 1A in game seven and done.
- [50:16]
Raja Bell
I know. That's what it is.
- [50:18]
Logan Murdoch
Is what it is. Okay, let's bring Cliff back in here. Cliff, what did you think about the Jaylen Brown comments before we get to Mailbag? Are you happy to see that crash out? Were you excited? Were you shedding tears of joy?
- [50:29]
Howard Beck
You want to defend MB's honor as a flopper?
- [50:32]
Cliff
It didn't make me happy. It didn't make me feel idiot any way like that. It just showed me. Just sore loser activity, man. Look, how about you were down 31 and you lost a series at home? Game 7 at home on your floor. How about just say, like, you know what, we just took the L, we gotta keep it moving. This man brought up clips. You know how, like, the coaches, they bring the clips and they send it to the league, the referees. Like, he did that just on Twitch and then had his homies behind him with the glasses on. Like, come on, dawg, that's lame, corny. I was about to curse, but you know, I'm a Christian, so that's lame, corny stuff that you can't be doing. So for a man that made, you know, 300 million or whatever, I just thought it was lame and I thought that was just a lack of accountability and self awareness on his part. Want to get in this mail back
- [51:14]
Logan Murdoch
though, real quick though. I just want to say this though, man, he had two opportunities in game sevens of major game sevens where he could have been a number one option. I'm thinking about the Eastern Conference finals in 2023 against the, the Miami Heat. He had, he went 8 for 23 and just wet the bed without Tatum, right? And then this one, same thing. Like he had, he had a, he had good numbers, but he wasn't, he didn't have the effect that a number one A option does.
- [51:45]
Raja Bell
He's also a finals mvp.
- [51:48]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, his finals mvp. Yeah, but that was Tatum on the floor then.
- [51:53]
Raja Bell
Yeah, but you got, Listen, man, like you can't like when you. Again, bro, I'm gonna tell you, like, like this year is wild. Like, and I'm not, I'm not trying to be an apologist for him, but like, if you asked me, I'd be like, we were cooking. I, I had, we were rolling and sure, then we reinserted something and we had to change the way we played because it thought it gave us a better. And then it got stripped away like the day before we got to playing the biggest game of the year. Like there can be a little like fluctuation in, in result, if you will. You know what I mean? Like, that would be my argument if I were him. So like that other game seven. I'm with you on that. Like they let a series slip away, but like he was also a finals mvp.
- [52:31]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah, it's fair enough.
- [52:32]
Cliff
You should also learn how to play basketball. Not like a running back. Hang on.
- [52:37]
Logan Murdoch
I will say this though, before you get to the first go back. You right, Roger. That's why I think like he's the most interesting player in the league. League or at least one of the most. Right? Like there's just so many contradictions and he's so good and he, he earns the right to feel how he feels. But then, you know, he also has flaws like we all do. So he's very for sure character.
- [52:56]
Raja Bell
And don't get it twisted that I'm. I don't co sign on none of the shit he did on Twitch or whatever.
- [53:01]
Howard Beck
Like on that.
- [53:01]
Raja Bell
That was all the way.
- [53:03]
Logan Murdoch
Roger, when you have grievances about us, are you going to go on Twitch?
- [53:07]
Raja Bell
I don't even know what twitch is.
- [53:08]
Cliff
Dude.
- [53:08]
Raja Bell
What is Twitch?
- [53:10]
Logan Murdoch
He could barely get the wi fi on Twitches. What's up Cliff?
- [53:18]
Howard Beck
Roger's gonna write us a note and put it in the mail.
- [53:22]
Logan Murdoch
In the mail?
- [53:23]
Howard Beck
Yeah, in a mailbox down the street.
- [53:28]
Cliff
Pigeon. Pigeon carrier. All right, this first. This first email is from McNullah. Speaking of the Celtics here, why did Joe Missoula get so much more run for coach of the year than Mitch Johnson when the spurs surpassed their expected over under way more than the Celts. Thanks. That is from mcnullahmail.com Beck this is up your alley here so we'll go to you first.
- [53:49]
Howard Beck
So Dave McNella, I had to go back and look just to make sure he had hit me on Blue sky with this originally and I had to hit him back with the real ones. Mailbag gmail real ones mailbag gmail.com I can't say it as fast as Logan does.
- [54:01]
Logan Murdoch
Real ones mailbagmail.com realm.com realm.com
- [54:08]
Howard Beck
thank you. He laughed and then sent us the email. So thank you Dave for following instructions the second time. I appreciate it. So why did Missoula get so much more run for coach of the year? The Mitch Johnson Like I thought about this a lot. So first of all, we don't know coach of the year yet. We do know the finalists. They're both in it along with Bickerstaff. The NBA will resume revealing awards once they get to a point. I had to clarify this again this morning. This is a dead week for awards after this whole flurry of them the last two weeks. It's because the NBA doesn't want to do it when teams are playing. They want to do it on off night. And right now we're on that schedule where there are games every single night. So once there is a hole in the schedule, we will finally get coach of the year and then MVP and then they'll finally do all NBA and all defensive and I think all rookie teams are still left too. I voted for Mitch Johnson over Missoula. Personally, I don't know how it's all going to play out to the extent that we don't know what the vote is but that voters seem to be more gravitating toward Missoula. I agree that that's the perception. I think it's just the Celtics were the bigger shock. They were missing their best player and Jason Tatum. Apologies to Jalen Brown, but they're missing their best player in Jason Tatum. And so what they did, going from, you know, believed to be fringe playoff team play in team or whatever, and then finished second in the east without their best player, I think that probably bowled people over more than the spurs making the leap. Even though. Yeah. To Dave mcdullah's point, the belief was that the spurs were a fringe playoff playing team themselves before the season started. I think the difference is that the spurs have Victor Wembanyama, who was a top three candidate for mvp, and the Celtics did not have Tatum. And so to the extent that coaching is, is, you know, is, is ringing the most out of your group, I think people thought what Missoula did was more impressive in that regard. I went with Mitch Johnson for my own reasons. We don't need to get into all that right now, but I think that was the difference in the way that their cases were perceived.
- [56:06]
Logan Murdoch
Roger, what did you think of the, the lineup that Missoula put out there for game seven?
- [56:13]
Raja Bell
Go back. Who do you have out there? He had. Was it the
- [56:19]
Cliff
BAYLOR, Ron Harper Jr. Luca Garza?
- [56:22]
Raja Bell
Ron Harper, Yeah.
- [56:23]
Howard Beck
Luca Garza.
- [56:25]
Raja Bell
Look, man, at, I mean, outside the box thinker. Like, I mean, I don't know. I, I, as a player, I can only speak, I'm not second guessing what he did. But as a player, I like you to keep it as close to like, normal. For me, had they, had they run that lineup at all, like, I'm not pretending to know all of that. Has that a lineup that they had ever run out there, Harper Jr. Hadn't played, like, like, yeah, dude, that would have been a tough one for me as a player. Yeah. I'd like philosophically to like, go into those games with the mindset of like, hey, we're gonna do what we do. Like, we make, we might make some tweaks, but, like, they're. We're gonna do what we do. We'll make the tweaks to like, adjust to some of the areas what we're struggling with. But, like, we're not in like panic mode kinda. And I think sometimes when you do something like that and just reshuffle the whole deck and throw some out there, like, the team can internalize that as like, oh, like we got a problem. Like, do you know what I mean?
- [57:22]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah.
- [57:23]
Raja Bell
Not saying that that's what happened or not, but like, you asked me how I felt about it. A team can sometimes look at something like that and be like, are we in, are we in trouble here? You know, so.
- [57:34]
Logan Murdoch
I don't know, man. Jaylen Brown probably should have said that on his Twitch stream.
- [57:37]
Raja Bell
Oh, bro. Yeah. What's Twitch?
- [57:42]
Howard Beck
You know, you know like you've got the. With with Wi Fi these days and there's all these parental controls and apps and everything. Like you can shut it down for your kids or for the household.
- [57:53]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah.
- [57:53]
Howard Beck
Like maybe agents and PR people and other people around players. If you know that your guy is a little prone to just spouting off at. At odd hours and doing whatever. Like someone should have like the kill switch. Someone should just be able to like shut it down. Just block for their, for their, for in their best interest, man.
- [58:10]
Logan Murdoch
Just book that flight. Get the PJ ready. Go to the south of France, bro. Throw your phone in the ocean. Yeah. You know.
- [58:15]
Howard Beck
Yeah. Enjoy your off season.
- [58:18]
Logan Murdoch
Oh man. What's the next question? What's the next question?
- [58:21]
Cliff
Let's get this last one here. This is from Will Plata. Will plata. Luka's MVPs over under a half. When Luka came into the league, a future MVP was likely. He hasn't won it yet. This is going to be SGA and Wemby's league for a minute. Jokic is still around. Ant, Cade, Maxi and Flag. Has Luka missed a shot at an mvp? He'll never go into a season as a favorite to win it. The favorites to win MVP will be younger than him. I'm thinking Luka might play his whole career and end up winning zero MVPs. Do y' all see a different. Who are the best all time players to have never won MVP? If Luka plays another 15 years and doesn't win an MVP, he might take the spot. Happy Cinco de Mayo. I'm Puerto Rican, but my baby's Mexican. Salud.
- [58:59]
Raja Bell
Ok.
- [59:01]
Logan Murdoch
Respect.
- [59:03]
Cliff
Shout out to my Ricans, man.
- [59:05]
Logan Murdoch
You know the vibes, bro. Shout out to all my Mexicans, bro. Shout out to all Mexican partners. Out to the Ricans. I see you.
- [59:13]
Raja Bell
You guys can do the historics and then like whatever. I'm just going to get mine out of the way. Like I think Luca is going to win an mvp. I, I think as the Lakers get the situation right around him from a team perspective, like Luca is an incredible basketball player. I think he wins an mvp. I don't think if I were a betting person, I'm not. I would, I would, I would definitely bet that he wins an MVP before his career is over
- [59:37]
Logan Murdoch
for sure. I believe so too. Especially it's gonna be the singular focus. And if they get, I mean he's so young still. And if they get a team around him in. In LA and he goes on the run that he's been going through, the only thing that I would be scared about is just his health. Right. Like he tends to get injured and not being even in the best shape of his career. Tends to get injured at inopportune times and I don't know how long that's going. His body's going to be able to keep up. But we'll see in terms of the historical. Jerry west is up there. Never got an mvp. The interesting thing though, the logo. He got the logo. He didn't get the MVP though. Elgin Baylor as well. Chris Paul is. Is there in that he lost to Kobe, which is fascinating because there's an argument to be made that the 08 Kobe wasn't the best version of Kobe. And especially during that time they were. The beating narrative was like, oh, we're giving Kobe. Even though I believe he won. He earned that 08 award. But it was basically for previous seasons. People thought that it was for previous season. So there's a world where Kobe doesn't even get an mvp. Which he would have been at the top of this list. Who else here?
- [60:45]
Howard Beck
Dwayne Wade.
- [60:46]
Logan Murdoch
Dwayne Wade never got one.
- [60:49]
Raja Bell
Beans only got one. How many is how many Kobe had?
- [60:52]
Logan Murdoch
Kobe only has one. That 08.08 Kobe and Shaq each only got one.
- [60:55]
Howard Beck
And in part because they played all those years together.
- [60:58]
Logan Murdoch
Yeah. Who else? I think the big one is Jerry west here. I'm looking at a list right now. Isaiah Thomas never one. Got one. Which is. I mean he. He played in it. It's just the error. He played in right.
- [61:11]
Howard Beck
Patrick Ewing never won one. Yeah.
- [61:13]
Logan Murdoch
Again, he was. There was the era that he played in. Right. Jordan got all those mvp dude.
- [61:17]
Howard Beck
Kawhi Leonard, I mean is another one. Kawhi Leonard is a two time finals MVP and one of the greater greatest players of his era and. And has never won regular season mvp. So I mean that's. It happens. It happens. And it may happen to Luca Logan. You finished? But I had a couple things.
- [61:33]
Logan Murdoch
No, no, go ahead. I'm still looking.
- [61:36]
Howard Beck
I just. I think the idea that he's missed his shot is. Is too strong. He is only 27. He's in theory just starting his prime. And I get it. Like Shane going anywhere and is also in his prime. And Wemby is like not even. He's years from his prime and could dominate the league for the next 10 years. But like the league has A way of surprising you. Right? The. Just the ups and downs with players. Guys get hurt, guys have off seasons or bad seasons. Mvp. The. Your team success is always baked in. That's a point of contention among some people, but it's baked in. And the reason Luca hasn't won to date is mostly because, like the Mavericks weren't good enough for a lot of his years and. Or Luka wasn't playing enough. He's had a lot of seasons cut short by injury. Like a lot of low games played win or games played totals for Luca in the course of his season. So he has to stay in shape and stay healthy and keep dominating the way he has. Maybe play a little more defense. Although in fairness, lots of guys have won MVP without playing a lick of D. We don't need to go down that road again because then I end up annoying Raja. But, but, but, like a lot of this is now about the Lakers. We know what Luke is capable of. The Lakers have an opportunity this summer, not for the first time, but this is their best opportunity since getting Luke a year plus ago to remake the roster around him. LeBron's a free agent. Is his whole 50 plus million coming off the books or are you re bringing him back? And at what number is Austin Reeves being resigned and at what number? And then that's. Even if one or both of them are back, Austin Reeves feels like a given. Okay, and then what? Because you can't, you can't go into next season with this same grouping of like Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart and company and like Jake Laravia. Like, this is not enough. This ain't it. And if that's the roster, then no, he's not going to win MVP because they're not going to be a top team like you have to be most years. There have been a couple exceptions. Most years, if you're not a top two, three four team in your conference and a clear contender, you're not going to break through that group because Shay and Wemby are going to be up there and maybe Anthony Edwards and others. Tatum might get back into that, that race. Like, there's all kinds of guys who make Kate. Kate, right. Kate's going to be in there. Like, so Luke.
- [63:59]
Logan Murdoch
Lucas. Lucas. I try. Listen, man, come on. Roger, bro, my bad. I, I wanted to take the bait. No, it was a phenomenal joke. But I was just. I feel like I've been on this, on this episode in particular. I feel like I'm going really hard on Jaylen Brown and I just. Listen I got you.
- [64:17]
Raja Bell
I got you.
- [64:18]
Logan Murdoch
I'm not, Roger. I'm not. I'm not trying to end up on a Twitch stream breakdown from this man. I feel you.
- [64:25]
Raja Bell
Good.
- [64:25]
Logan Murdoch
Go. My bad.
- [64:26]
Raja Bell
Howard.
- [64:26]
Logan Murdoch
Could you imagine him on Netflix and just on the thing on the bottom where it's just like, look at this stupid motherfucker right here. Did you see this? Rewind that shit. This. He said he can't even put a sentence together. Like, you know, I can't. I'm trying not. I'm trying to avoid that, Roger. Sorry, Howard.
- [64:41]
Howard Beck
I. I think I. The short version is I do think Luca will probably win one. It is partially up to him, and it is very much up to the Lakers as well, because they have to build the right roster around him, and they need to get on that sooner than later. And I'm very curious to see what this new ownership and administration do, because they have started to hire other people in that front office. They have not replaced Rob Pelinka, obviously, but they're bringing other people to augment at. At minimum. People around the league are taking notice, and they're all very curious where this is going to go. And then just real quick, Luca, in his second season, finished fourth in mvp. I had forgotten this till I looked it up. So he was getting noticed right off the bat. Then he finished 6th, 5th, 8th, 3rd. Did not last season at all. Over the, you know, the injuries, plus trade. And we don't know where he's finishing this year. I imagine he'll finish somewhere in the top five this year. So he's had a lot of top five finishes already. I think he'll probably break through at some point, but, like, they're gonna have to have an outstanding season, and he's gonna have to have an outstanding season, and he's probably gonna have to play, you know, at minimum, because the rule still exists. 65 games, you know, and hopefully more.
- [65:50]
Logan Murdoch
All right, we'll see what happens. Stay off of Twitch. Everybody, including us, everybody. We get dissed. Everybody stay off of Twitch and stay off the week. No, I'm just playing. Happy Cinco de Mad, everybody. Hey, Howard.
- [66:08]
Howard Beck
Yo.
- [66:08]
Logan Murdoch
Rules my bag@gmail.com. rules.com realm was my bag@gmail.com. you get this every Tuesday with the fellas. We'll see you guys again Friday night. Who knows what the hell is gonna happen? And if Roger going to be off that bourbon and if I'm going to be off that Z, we know Howard's going to be. Talk to y' all soon. Happy playoffs Bye. Must be 21 years and older and present in select states. For Kansas, an affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 and older in person 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.org backslash chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.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-WHO in New York. For Louisiana, call 1-877-770.