← The Ryen Russillo Show
The Ryen Russillo Show
Spurs–Thunder Now a Best-of-3, Knicks Rolling But… Plus Draft Intel & All-NBA Snubs w/ Sam Vecenie
01:21:41
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- [00:00]
Ryan Marcillo
Hey Priscilla Listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcast and Spotify Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.
- [00:08]
PFT Commentator
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- [00:56]
Ryan Marcillo
The Ryan Marcillo show is presented by DraftKings. We are breaking down game four in the Western Conference Finals with Sam Buzzini right after it happened on a Sunday night. We're doing a little draft stuff and we're also going to talk some postseason awards. We've got life advice and an alliance pick for you. Because the NBA playoffs are in full swing and the intensity isn't letting up, every night delivers high stakes drama, clutch performances and unforgettable moments you'll be talking about for years. And with DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA, your winnings get a bo every single day. All playoffs long. Playoff stars turn it up round by round and DraftKings turns it up with them with a profit boost available every single game day from the first round all the way to the Finals. Bet player Props bet live from the opening tip to the final possession. Every bucket, every dime, every clutch takeover matters. And only DraftKings sportsbook keeps you boosting all the way through. All DraftKings customers can enjoy a profit boost every single day throughout the playoffs. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now. Use the code Ryan to claim your profit boost. That's code Ryan and Ryen to get a boost every day of the NBA Playoffs in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours.
- [02:04]
DraftKings Announcer
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- [02:37]
Ryan Marcillo
Game 4 of the books Western Conference finals tied up at two games apiece with San Antonio's dominant win at home against the Thunder. San Vincini of the Athletic joins us now. He's back home. How long were you in the States?
- [02:52]
Sam Buzzini
I was in the States for a couple of weeks and now back home. It's lovely. I have to write like 100,000 words of draft guide and you know, it'll come out in early June at some point. So we're, we're excited, we're pumped. And there's a whole lot of playoffs too. So I'm excited to talk about that.
- [03:08]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, this series, this is easily the worst game. It's good because it's now best of three. But this was a snooze fest. And I think one of the things that was alarming is when Hartenstein had all eight of OKC's points and the first non Hartenstein points in the game were SGA making a layup with three minutes to go in the first quarter. That, I mean, think about that. That is nine minutes and only Hartenstein has scored. And it just spoke to an offensive struggle all night long for the Thunder.
- [03:42]
Sam Buzzini
Well, you know, two, two pronged issue there, obviously, right? So first and foremost, Oklahoma City does not have Jalen Williams or AJ Mitchell, their two best secondary creators. Right? So without those two being on the court, it felt like San Antonio was just like, we're going to totally sell out. We're going to stop Shay from getting anywhere into the paint. We're going to have Wemby help way off of Hartenstein. And that's how Hartenstein gets those four early floaters. And we're going to make life absolutely miserable. We're going to send crazy elbow help and we're going to make Shea passer at the end of the day, which is what happened in game three. But in game three, Oklahoma City made shots. And in game four, obviously Oklahoma City does not make shots. They go 6 of 33 for from three in this game. So like, part of me wants to, I don't want to just like totally white wipe this off as a shot variance game because I thought that San Antonio's defensive intensity and pressure left by Steph Castle was unbelievable. And I think that Julian Champagne was incredible defensively. I thought Vassell was really good defensively, but on some level, part of this was they made Shea passer, and the guys that were on the court for Oklahoma City did not make shots when Shea passed them the ball.
- [04:56]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, we've had games. Whether it's the Caruso game where he has 30. I think game three, like, I was still sort of in awe of the Thunder after that game, going, okay, so let me get this straight. Like, the bench goes off for this team in the first half and then when it's kind of like an eight or nine point game, they play SGA with four bench players. Both bigs are benched. AJ's hurt, obviously, so it's like Wallace, it's Caruso, they bench Dort and they go small with Jalen Williams. So it's SGA with four bench guys and they extend the lead at San Antonio. So, you know, when I was watching that and then they had the number today where it was games one through three, 51% of OKC scoring was from the bench. I was, you know, you're. You're like, you just start adding up all the numbers. Tonight you go, okay, McCain goes one for ten. Caruso has zero points. Jalen Williams is one for seven on threes. Isaiah Joe didn't make a three. Everyone, that's been kind of impressing us with their depth for this team. And I think there's some stuff as like strategy and how they were going to play each other the entire time. Like, he got nothing. Meaning sj, he got nothing. Zero support from anyone tonight. And you know, at one point there were 4, 31 on threes, 4 of 31.
- [06:15]
Sam Buzzini
It's really genuinely crazy. I think that you can again take the series one of two ways, and I really don't know the way that it's going to land. I thought after game three, Shea had kind of solved the problems, right? He figured out when exactly the nail help was coming. Hit the kick out to the same side, they get some sort of reversal or the shot just goes in easy enough, right. And that's how she ends up with a bunch of assists in both game two and game three. But now with both AJ and J Dub seemingly out, you know, I don't know what their status is for the rest of the series, but I don't know. It doesn't seem awesome right now. I think it's a lot closer. I think it's genuinely a toss up at this point where it could go either way. And it's just going to be entirely dependent on does Jared McCain start making threes. McCain was really good in game three, but he went two of 10 from three in that game and he goes over five from three. So tonight in game four. So do we get like a reversion to the mean in Game 5 at home from Jared McCain at some point from 3, a guy that we know can make threes? Do we get a Jalen Williams game? Do we get a Alex Crusoe, you know, secondary standout game? Because he's been awesome in this series again. So I don't know, it's. It's a toss up to me genuinely. And it's a huge, a huge part of this as well. Tonight was they were much better in the non Wemby lineups as well. It felt like in game two and game three they just completely let go of the rope when Wemby was off the court. It reminded me of the old, you know, Nikola Jokic teams when Jokic would leave and it was just about having to outscore when Jokic was on the court. Tonight was a lot better in the non Wemby lineups. Luke Cornett showed up.
- [07:53]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, that was pretty staggering. Like there were some numbers that I was looking at from game three with the on off from Wemby that didn't even make any sense because it was like gone in 60 seconds type of stuff where you're like, okay, so now, now this is done. And I also thought that OKC and something I brought up from the first game, like I was surprised that Dagnal would take out SGA when Wemby was also out too. I would have thought he prioritized always having sga, getting a chance to go with Cornette in there, which we've seen from the other teams, you know, whether it was Portland or Minnesota. I think sometimes these coaches get too stuck or too married to these sub patterns that sometimes they can ignore. I mean, it sounds crazy to say, like how could you not figure that out? But they actually have. They've done a better job of having him out there when it hasn't mattered. But tonight, you know, doesn't. Doesn't really matter because it kind of reverted back to them playing them straight up and then helping to sga, as you mentioned, which is what led to all those lobs for Hartenstein early in this one. But because Hartenstein looked like he was going to be non playable in this series. So then you had the Caruso, because that's actually like I counted up, I don't know, 22 three point attempts from game one out of 44, 45 that were all by who Wemby's assignment was. So either he was ignoring them because of what they wanted to do was like, hey, they're not going to play their bigs. We're not going to put you on chat, we're going to put you on a three point shooter that we're willing to give up the same way Cleveland does with Josh Hart. And then Hartenstein has this incredible impact on Wembanyama in the series. And then it's like, well, maybe we're just better off having him junk this whole thing up. And so that it felt like the whole thing is kind of cycled back to looking like San Antonio may survive this. Just playing everybody straight up the whole time and Wembanyama not floating off of somebody small like I think they wanted to do from some of the stuff that I saw during the regular season.
- [09:51]
Sam Buzzini
Well, and I'm so glad that you brought up the sub patterns as well because I thought that Mitch Johnson did something really smart tonight. He changed Wemby's sub pattern in the first quarter. Typically WEMBY will come out around like the 7 1/2 minute mark, 6 1/2 minute mark somewhere in that ballpark. And today he just played him through until I think it was like the 3 1/2 minute mark in the first quarter when he first came out, maybe the three minute mark, something like that. And I thought that kind of threw off what Oklahoma City was doing. So it's not always just a chess match in terms of the, you know, the ball screen coverages, in terms of the way that Oklahoma City is playing, you know, Wemby in terms of the way San Antonio is playing. Shay, sometimes it's the sub sub patterns as well where it gets totally thrown off and then you have to try and find an answer. You have to try and find offense when Wemby is off of the court because you've played Shea for a certain amount of time and you want to get him a blow. You know, I think that the way that Mitch Johnson decided to kind of throw that off in this game was really, really, really smart. Especially the way that Wemby had it going in the first quarter. He was just so aggressive and just really set a tone.
- [10:59]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, super aggressive. Who do you think is to blame when they can't seem to get Wemby closer in other games here to the hoop?
- [11:08]
Sam Buzzini
Isaiah Hartenstein. To me, like, I think that Hartenstein is a really. I never got the. He's not going to be able to play in this series thing, Hartenstein, because he's a really mobile defender for a guy who's seven foot one, he's massive, he's physical. And to me, the whole thing that you have to do with Wemby is you have to make him a shooting guard as opposed to being like a real power forward, center style guy who can catch the ball, foul line and in and score. I think Hartenstein has genuinely done a really good job of just making him play further away from the rim and making his shots come further away from the rim in half court settings. I thought that San Antonio tonight, as much as anything, did an amazing job, especially in that, like, second quarter, third quarter of trying to play up tempo again. I thought Oklahoma City did an amazing job in game three, particularly of kind of just saying, you know what, we'll give up the offensive glass a little bit, right? We'll just let them, you know, grab defensive rebounds if they have to, right? But we want to stop them from getting up tempo. We want to stop Steph Castle, de' Aaron Fox from playing at speed, Dylan Harper from playing at speed. And I think that in game four, you saw some early transition offense buckets for Wemby, right? You saw him run out, you saw Castle run out. You certainly saw Devin Vassell had a couple like. I think that the key for this series on some level is Oklahoma City being able to slow down that transition attack as much as anything. And if they can slow down the transition attack, it makes life a little bit easier when guarding Victor Wembanyama because they can just body up with Hartenstein.
- [12:47]
Ryan Marcillo
That's a really good answer, but I also think it's. They. It shouldn't be this hard. There shouldn't be entire quarters that seem that they go by. They're like, how like my thing with him would be, let's throw them four bad lobs. Whatever the good lobs are, let's throw. Let's make sure we have four bad ones that feel like they have no chance. It's almost like showing somebody in football a play where you're like, all right, let's at least show this so that they have to worry about it a little bit. Because it feels like they've had long stretches where. And I love your answer because it's like, if you can stop any momentum for Wembanyama, it just is asking a lot of a human being that big to be like, hey, now, start your power back up and find a way to fight through all this and then have the catch be. But there shouldn't be as long stretches that they have with him not ever getting a touch, like, from the restricted area down. And what I'm basically talking about is the blocks or whatever. Just not at the elbow, something five feet in or on. On the side of the paint or something. But, you know, tonight. Tonight he was. I gotta even try to pull the T. Mac in the game, like in a playoff game. He's throwing to throw it off the backboard. And you're like, all right, it didn't work. But I think I like it. I think I like that that's where his head is at right now. Cause he was so aggressive.
- [14:06]
Sam Buzzini
Well, I think he did it in the third quarter, too. Like, he threw one off. I couldn't tell if it was a real shot or if it was him just throwing it off the backboard to himself and catching and finishing. But I like that, too. Like, I thought it was fine. I don't disagree with you. To try to run more ball screens where he's rolling to the rim instead of popping, right? Like, I think that's a completely sound strategy. And the other thing that that does is, is it pressures Oklahoma City's defense in the corners as well. Because at that point, if you throw a real shooter in the corner, if you throw a Julian Champagne in the corner and it's the same side where Victor is rolling to, you're putting a lot of pressure on that tag defender. Right? He has to decide, do I bump Victor on the lob and try to stop him from catching the lob, or do I end up in a circumstance where I'm leaving Julian Champagne open from three if I do that? Right. So I like that idea. I'm totally fine with them playing more toward rolling Wemby all the way to the rim and getting him touches. I think it's a great idea. But the key there, too, is also the way that you're interacting at the mesh point of the screen. Right. Who are you running that with? Are you running that with Castle? Because if you're running it with Castle, what Oklahoma City is going to do then is they're just going to go under the screen and they're going to bump Wemby before he even gets downhill. Right. So it's, you know, do you do it with Fox? And, you know, I think you probably go under Fox screens as well, like, defensively. So it's just. It's. It's a little.
- [15:39]
Ryan Marcillo
I've liked it better with that.
- [15:40]
Sam Buzzini
I think.
- [15:41]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, I've liked it better with Fox because his first movement. Even if you're going under, he's so quick that you're sort of freaked out a little bit. And that's like, if he gets a step on. On the small guy, then he's good, and then he's good enough. You know, he's just really good at, like, changing everything. Although he didn't get his first bucket, like, he'll just. Fox is another one. He'll have entire quarters where I'm like, he's out there right now, which speaks to Harper, which speaks to Castle, but it happens.
- [16:06]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah, Fox literally didn't take a shot until I think one minute left in the first quarter tonight. Like, didn't take a shot, so. That is exactly right, Ryan. I think that they really wanted to get Wemby involved early. I mean, they start out first set, get involved the elbow, let him try to jab step, try to drive past Hartenstein. Hartenstein is able to get his chest in front and he takes that little, you know, 16 foot jumper. And then they get the offensive rebound out to Wemby for three, and then he gets rolling and it's just downhill at that point. And he goes for 33 tonight. He's just. He changes the game geometrically. And in terms of his skill set, just more than any player I've ever watched playing basketball
- [16:46]
Ryan Marcillo
ever.
- [16:48]
Sam Buzzini
I mean, yes, being 36, like, the closest I can remember is Shaq. But Shaq, obviously defensively was not quite what Wemby is. I think Shaq gets a little bit underrated defensively. If you go back and watch some of those Lakers teams, he just completely shut off the paint for everyone, basically. And that's why they were pretty good defensively then. You had to double them all the time on the block. If you didn't, it was an automatic bucket. I think Shaq is probably the closest thing, but even then, you still aren't getting, like, the vertical, you know, 35ft away from the rim. I probably have to get a body on this dude because he'll knock down a shot, you know, kind of threat that Wemby brings that way too. So. I don't know, man. Like, I just don't know what you. I don't know what you do with this dude, to be honest with you.
- [17:37]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, it is the right answer. I mean, that's kind of where we're going with all this stuff. And we could talk about, like, the voting and everything, but, you know, I was. I was hanging out with somebody, a coach the other day, and we were just like, you know, even if they don't win this because of what's happened in a few of these games, say, you know, I don't think they have to win the Western Conference finals for everyone to be starting next year going like it's his league. I don't know, man. What do you think the next three games, who did you pick before the series started?
- [18:05]
Sam Buzzini
I picked Oklahoma City in seven. I still think I'm going to say that, man, the J Dub and Mitchell changes things substantially to me for Oklahoma City. If they just got one of those two guys back, I think that they win the series. If they don't get either of those guys back for either any of these three games, I think San Antonio wins the series. If they get one of them back by game seven, I think that. I think Oklahoma City wins.
- [18:34]
Ryan Marcillo
You know what else is really weird about this team, and I'm talking about OKC here, is that they're incredibly comfortable to a point where you almost like it less when they're losing. And this may be entirely unfair and whatever, they've already won one of these, and they may be on the cusp of doing it a second time. And it might be a generational thing, too, because Minnesota's had a couple of these games the last few years where you're like, you're getting your asses kicked and you guys don't really seem to care. Then other times, Minnesota's getting their ass kicked and they do care a lot and then probably put their energy in the wrong place. But, you know, I've never really seen a team losing by 30 in the playoffs have, like, a good time, except for okc. OKC is kind of sitting there. You have no idea if they're up 20 or down 20, and maybe that's a good thing. But I can't help but always be, like, a little annoyed tonight, like, watching. I mean, this is probably me being entirely unfair. So I'm just admitting it and wondering where you are with that. Because there's just so many times with his team, I'm like, you guys, are you bothered by this at all? And maybe that's the good thing, is that they're not bothered by it.
- [19:44]
Sam Buzzini
I think with Shay, he's the one that he is so stoic in the way that he presents, right? And guys like J dub, like Jared McCain, like, they're very bubbly, they're smiley. Like, they don't, you know, they can be the kind of attitude that I think frustrates you from time to time. But, like, with Shay, he's So stoic. Like you don't really know what he's thinking a lot of the time. I think he's pretty pissed. Like it looks like he's pissed, but also, I don't. I don't know, man. Like, it doesn't bother me like these things. I just try to think about the X's and O's. I try to think about the way that matchups are getting in dudes heads. Like, I think Chet is so shook right now watching him on offense. There was a kick out three tonight from the corner on the left side where like, I don't think I've ever seen him wind up into a three pointer longer than he wound up into this three. And he still short armed it and still didn't even get it to the rim or barely got it to the rim and around the rim. Like he is kind of gun shy to go up for these layups. He tries to dunk on Wemby early tonight and Wemby just swats him. And I thought that it just completely kind of tanked his game the rest of the way, to be honest. And I'm definitely a check guy. I think he's an unbelievable defender. I think he's had a really good defensive series. But man, it just feels like offensively that dude is in his own head in a real way against San Antonio.
- [21:14]
Ryan Marcillo
Totally agree. I love that he tried that dunk, you know, and the fact that Wemby. I mean, the fact that Wenby blocked it clean too, on top of everything else, and there was no argument, you know, because I was like, man, that was clean. And then Chet knew it was clean. He just like timed it perfectly and got to the ball. But I was like, all right, that's really good because there's. There's this balance. And again, depending on which side, if you're doing this pod Friday, I'm raving about this team because I just couldn't believe the depth and how they showed it off and all the different stuff that they wanted to do and then decide to size down and then they pull up, you know, pull away with a different set of guys out there. But like, McCain is not afraid to a point where it's like, should you be a little more afraid though, dude? Like a little bit more afraid. So I think he was 1 for 10 at some point. I don't know what he finished up at because they may have benched him. He'll. He'll take 20 shots in 20 minutes. Like he doesn't like, it's. It's a lot fearless.
- [22:07]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah.
- [22:07]
Ryan Marcillo
And then there's Wallace, who doesn't even look at the hoop whenever he's dribbling the ball below the three like the free throw line. I would say the number of times I've seen him go in and Wemby's there, he doesn't even pretend. It's like, I'm not doing this. It's almost like he has something else to do. He's like, let me just make sure I get out of here. And I'm over here with the. With the ball. You know, I think SJ is good with it. I think there are times where some of the other players, like, try to challenge Wy when they can. But the problem, I think you just nailed it with the chat stuff because it's like, man, when you're the other guy out of this three headed monster, you always get to kind of float offensively when J Dub and SGA are cooking, like, you can have 12 with a three and a dunk and nobody really gets on your case. But considering his profile and, like, who he's supposed to be, this is the kind of game where he's supposed to, you know, be helping SGA here offensively as opposed to what happened tonight.
- [23:02]
Sam Buzzini
Well, he just made third team all NBA today. Right. Like, that's what you would expect that player to be able to do. And he's very skilled. Like, he is somebody where when he has space to operate and he has shooters around him who are making shots, he can drive and get downhill and get to the rim and finish. And he's obviously a great finisher at the rim, on rolls and in the dunker spot. But I think we often think of Chet is this guy that can create his own shot, but against San Antonio, he really can't. And part of that is just like a physical limitation. It's not really the strength even to me. It's the fact that he's so kind of high hipped that he can't really create leverage downhill. Right. And because of that as well, he also has kind of a high dribble. And when you have guys like Steph Castle and Devon Vesel and Julian Champagne who are trying to dig into your handle all the time, like, I'm sure he feels like, man, like, I can't really, you know, dribble into that, like 14 foot range without getting ripped to some extent. So I don't know, man, like, I think they need to find a way to maybe get him into like some empty side actions a little bit more. Get Him a little bit more space to drive. But, yeah, he's got to. He's got to figure it out on offense because at the end of the day for Oklahoma City, the Wemby problem is not going away. Like, that dude's just going to get better. And to me, if Chet, like, in some way can't be that third offensive guy, or tonight, he needs to be the second offensive guy. You know, the rubber might hit the road faster for Chet than we think. We're not there. We're not remotely there yet with chat. But he's got to step up. He's got to be the guy now that's able to at least find an answer. Maybe it's just drilling threes from the corner, and OKC gets him some open looks from the corner by running other rollers to the rim. There has to be an answer for Chet to get rolling on offense. He has to find it.
- [24:54]
Ryan Marcillo
New York has won 10 straight playoff games. I think they're a good team. I think that's an impossible number unless you're, like, special. Special. I just don't think they're, like, special. And now I'm realizing, like, Philly's a mess, Cleveland's a mess, and they get the last two from Atlanta. So I kind of felt like no matter who won the East, I was going to be kind of underwhelmed by the whole thing. And I didn't expect the Knicks are going to be up 30 on this Cleveland team, and we have all the same Cleveland things to worry about and to talk about here. So I guess what I'm doing is I'm making. I'm not doing a good job on this, but it's like, hey, credit to the Knicks. But I think this entire east, like, all of it is less impressive by the day.
- [25:44]
Sam Buzzini
It feels like we're watching a different sport when we watch the Western Conference versus the Eastern Conference right now.
- [25:49]
Ryan Marcillo
You're totally right, man. So go ahead.
- [25:52]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah, look like it just feels different. It's so much slower. Like, these dudes in the west are just more athletic. They're more aggressive defensively. Like, you can see it just in terms of just how much faster they play. Like, the fact that the winning team in this series in the first three games dropped 120 is, like, almost impossible to me. But then you just realize they're playing at a way faster pace than what the Knicks are and what Cleveland is, right? So, yeah, man. Like, I think New York has been wildly impressive. Like, I wouldn't take anything at all away from them. They have taken care of business in the way that they have to take care of business. I do think that I am unimpressed with Philadelphia without Joel Embiid, and I am unimpressed with Cleveland. I think that Kenny Atkinson has not been nearly aggressive enough in any aspect as a coach, frankly. Like, he's just gone with the, like, Ivan Drago, if he dies, he dies mentality out there with Harden and with these long runs that the Knicks are going on without calling timeouts. And, man, it's. It's hard, Ryan. Like, I want to just be wildly impressed with the Knicks and I am wildly impressed with the Knicks.
- [27:00]
Ryan Marcillo
They are.
- [27:02]
Sam Buzzini
They are mentally tough. They have five guys out there who can create shots and knock down shots. And Josh Hart's like, totally fearless. And if Hart doesn't have it going, you go to shame it or you go to Deuce McBride. But part of this is that I definitely am unimpressed with the competition that they have played. And I do think they have an awesome matchup against Cleveland because Harden is just unplayable in games where teams can go five out and have five creators out there.
- [27:33]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, I'm not, I'm not telling you. Like, I just think when 10 playoff games in a row usually means you're like one of the all time teams. And I think the Knicks look really good in the face of consistent disappointment from every corner of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
- [27:51]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah.
- [27:52]
Ryan Marcillo
So the right team's going to get out of the east so that, that part of it feels right. But I can't believe Cleveland couldn't give him more of a fight. I can't believe that Kenny Atkinson said analytically, we've won two out of the three. He said, quote, we're two out of the three. And expected score. If you believe in process and all that, like, man, take the ladder. I don't throw that at them. I see it for myself. And if I have this feeling, I can go to our analytic table and be like, man, the expected score was like one or point or two. Us just shooting way below expected them shooting way over it. So. All right, two, one, Cleveland series lead. You can't say that, Kenny. You can't say it.
- [28:32]
Chevy Silverado Announcer
No.
- [28:33]
Sam Buzzini
It's one of the craziest quotes I've seen from Akash.
- [28:43]
Ryan Marcillo
You just can't. I mean, it was also like when he was like, derek White's a top five players. Like, we have numbers. You don't. We're like, well, yeah, we have those numbers too. We just don't believe that Derrick White's a top five player. I asked Derrick White if he thought he was a top five player, and he said absolutely not. So I don't know. I don't know if that's what's happening here. I think Mitchell's been disappointing. I think Harden has been exactly who I expect him to be. I think the double big for Cleveland actually looked like it would work in this series at times. I still think there's some depth stuff there with Cleveland that I like and whatever. I mean, I don't know. With them being down, if they get swept out of this thing, I guess it'll just be like, hey, Brunson's better than any of your guys. I'll never think Mitchell's better than Brunson for a long time. How about that? Promise?
- [29:29]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah, I don't think that's crazy. I will say what has been most impressive to me about the Knicks is the different ways that they've been able to take advantage of what your weaknesses on offense. Right. Like this. Genuinely, you know, defensively. I have some questions because I do think there are ways you can take advantage of both Towns and Brunson being on the court together. Offensively, I do think this might be a genuinely special team. I will say that because you look at the Phillies series, what do they do? They just played Carl Towns away from the rim the whole time, made him the primary initiator, allowed him to average like 8 assists per game in that series. Right. What are they doing here? Okay, we're just going to let Jalen Brunson totally cook. Whatever switch he's able to come up with. He's elite as an isolation ball or as a ball screen player. As an isolation player. Okay, we're just going to let him destroy matchups. I think that they have a lot of different ways that they can beat you. Like, you can go too big and just dominate the offensive glass with Mitchell Robinson. You can go small with Shamet and go five out and just space everywhere, all the time. Like, they just have different ways to beat you that I think are at least intriguing in a final series. I don't think they're going to win the finals. I think whoever comes out of the west will win, but I think they at least cause more problems than they get credit for on offense.
- [30:47]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, that's fine. Because I think Brunson is like, I love the game, Game two, Brunson, where it was like, you kind of knew, hey, we're not gonna let you just cook somebody the way you did, harden the first time through, so we're gonna send you doubles. And then Brunson was just like, you didn't think I was gonna be ready for this or be able to figure this out. And then it felt like no one else on Cleveland was ready for everything else that they were doing. So there's like a disconnect. I think Kenny's had a really tough series.
- [31:14]
Sam Buzzini
It's been bad.
- [31:16]
Ryan Marcillo
I don't say that very often. I'm not just talking about the timeouts. You know, I've just. There's some stuff that happens with this team. You know, whenever there was a back line defensively of Miles McBride, of Brunson, of Jordan Clarkson, you know, going up against Mitchell and Mobley, and Mitchell gets past Mitchell Robinson on the switch, and you're like, okay, so this is the back line. Like, you've got to just drive, drive relentlessly, drive. Put your ball handlers in position to try to break the pain and get in there, because, like, Mitchell Robinson is going to be behind you after the screen, and you're going up against three guards that are not exactly known for their defense. And I think there was one drive out of that entire alignment as I was sitting there watching that game with somebody.
- [32:01]
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- [32:53]
Ryan Marcillo
I felt like I've come off as too negative about the Knicks. I guess I'm just like, cleveland could have been an NBA Finals team. Like, that seems impossible. Detroit with their flaws. No. Boston messed up again. No. Philly messed up again. No. Atlanta, Toronto, like, the right team is going to be in the NBA Finals from the East. But I'm just so collectively unimpressed with everything around them.
- [33:19]
Sam Buzzini
I do get it. Like, I think that's a reasonable take to have. Honestly, I am, I think, a little bit more impressed with the Knicks than you are. But, like, I can't sit here and deny the fact that the east is a disaster, man. Like, honestly, if you're Cleveland here moving forward, what, what do you do with this roster? You have James Harden, who's potentially a free agent, who, you know, picked you guys, it feels like, to come to because he thought he could get another deal. You have Donovan Mitchell, who is getting older, and you're probably gonna have to sign him to like a crazy extension. Like, it's crazy to say this, but, you know, this is a successful run. They went to the conference finals, but is this like, do they realize that this might be it and do they try to pivot out of this in some way? I don't like, I don't know what they do here now after this.
- [34:13]
Ryan Marcillo
Probably resign everybody, right? That's what we most likely think. Because they go, hey, we spent resources on Mitchell. We're always afraid of losing them. So if you just max them out, whatever. Because it was a shorter deal when he did the deal in 24 and put us in the position that we're in now, hardened to waive the no trade clause to go to Cleveland. He has his player option, which is massive, but it can be non guaranteed. So it's a little different than him just if he's not getting the number that he wants from Cleveland, if He's like at 42 million, if he can just say like, oh, hey, I'm going to opt in, well, then I think it's partially guaranteed. So my guess is that they've already probably figured out for something that's like 2 in the 60 or $70 million range, which feels ridiculous because I just don't know why you'd want to sign up for this and why you want to give the key. Like, cool, thanks for the regular season, man. Thanks for the offensive rating in those 20 something games. The whole point of having him here instead of Garland was to not have Mitchell off the ball as much. Mitchell is off the ball now. It feels like more during the playoffs with Harden than any of the stuff that we saw with Garland in the regular season. So they'll probably just resign everybody. But it's a really expensive team where you probably need to keep doubling down on these contracts just to have something and say, hey, you know, we made it the conference finals. Tweak here, tweak there, we'll be fine. And at least we're in that neighborhood when in reality, I just don't know if you are.
- [35:35]
Sam Buzzini
James Harden in the playoffs is averaging 19 points, shooting 41, 31, 83 only 5.7 assists per game. So this is a career low, I believe, going all the way back to, like, the Houston days for him in terms of assists. He's averaging 4.6 turnovers per game in the playoffs. Playing next to another, like, stud guard. Back in the Houston days, if he averaged five turnovers in a game, you were just like, all right, whatever. You know, we have nobody else who can handle the ball. It's fine. He has Donovan Mitchell here to be able to handle the ball, and he's still turning the ball over like crazy. Like, I just. I don't know. I didn't love the deal for Cleveland when they did it. I didn't really like it for the Clippers either, and I think it's probably going to work out for them. So I was probably wrong about that. But I don't really. I don't know. I don't get the Harden experience. Like, we've just been here now in the playoffs for James Harden for literally five years in a row. Ryan and three of those years are in the east, which is the worst conference in the playoffs. I just don't understand how we can, like, run this back again with James Harden. If you're Cleveland.
- [36:39]
Ryan Marcillo
I would never want to. My thoughts are pretty established on old Jim, but I don't think you make that deal unless you know that he's going to be coming back. And then you talk yourself into all this stuff. I mean, look, it's very simple. He's not comfortable out there during playoff minutes. He is not a comfortable player. He does not want to shoot. Not to say he's going to have zero points all the time because what do you have, 19 in game three. Didn't hit any threes. Was just usually not interested if it's like 86, 86 in the fourth quarter. And even if he has, like 14 points to his name, he's just not going to want to shoot, man. He's not comfortable in these games. And I don't. I don't think we need more evidence to keep saying the same thing over and over again.
- [37:25]
Sam Buzzini
No, I agree. It's just not for me.
- [37:31]
Ryan Marcillo
I don't think. Look, I don't think it's for. Yeah, for many people except desperate general managers. And good for Harden because, like, if he actually just went to market, like, who would give him some of these deals? I don't think he would get that Clippers deal that he got.
- [37:45]
Sam Buzzini
Well, this is where you get into the bird rights trap of the NBA, right, where all these teams feel like they have to resign somebody because if you don't, then what? How do you replace them? Given the rule set right. I think James Harden has taken better advantage of the bird rights trap. What if James Harden Ryan is just like a collective bargaining agreement genius and we don't know it?
- [38:10]
Ryan Marcillo
What if that like Kirk Cousins.
- [38:12]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah, well, it's like, hey, what if he just knows the CBA better than we all do? What if he's going to be the next great general manager?
- [38:23]
Ryan Marcillo
I don't know. I don't know. Is he going to be, is he going to Santa Clara games on a Tuesday in person? Being like, are there any second rounders here?
- [38:33]
Sam Buzzini
Feels unlikely.
- [38:35]
Ryan Marcillo
Does feel unlikely.
- [38:36]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah.
- [38:37]
Ryan Marcillo
Let's talk some draft man. Month away, we're going to have you on again for just an all draft episode of the Pod. Do you want it? What do you want to do? Do you want to do intel or do you want to do momentum? That kind of stuff or I don't know.
- [38:58]
Sam Buzzini
So here's the, here's the question that I'll ask you first. Like, who have you watched that we can talk about because that I know you're a little bit early still and what you're doing.
- [39:07]
Ryan Marcillo
So who's kind of pathetic now? I think I've watched everybody in the lottery, but I know I need to do like another pass. So you understand what I'm saying?
- [39:19]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah, yeah. No, totally. So when you've watched a die Mara, like what has been. Because Mara, you mentioned like risers and fallers, right? It feels like after the combine everyone's really excited about a Di Marex. They realized he's 7 foot 3 and has a 9 foot 9 standing reach and can pass and can do all this stuff. Like what was your thought on him?
- [39:38]
Ryan Marcillo
I couldn't believe from what I watched to now, the way he's talked about it sounds like two different players. I was like, is there another Mara that I didn't watch? Because look, I think there's some stuff about him that's impressive. I really liked his passing. I think I just talked about him this week. I forget who I was talking about him with here on the show, but I'm a little shocked about how much momentum he seems to have.
- [40:07]
Sam Buzzini
I think he, I think he looks like a starting center. Like I think he looks, I think, I think he looks like a solid starting center. I wouldn't say he's like a no brainer top 10 pick. Like I think he's a guy that I probably will rank in the top 10 because I think he's going to end up giving good value to a team. But, like, I've seen people come out of the woodwork and be like, oh, Oklahoma City has to use 12 and 17 and all their picks to try to trade up for a Dai Mara because they need somebody to stop Victor Wembanyama. I'm just like, you guys out of your fucking mind? Like, like, what do you think a Dai Mara is going to do against Victor Wembanyama when Wembanyama pops? The guy can only play drop coverage, so it just doesn't work in the way that you want him to work. I don't. So, like, I love Mara as a passer. I think that he's a really efficient scorer around the rim. I think that he can play and drop coverage really effectively. I worry about the hands a little bit. Like, I think that he doesn't always catch the ball cleanly, which sometimes can hinder his ability to make the high level passing reads that he needs to. Again, like, I think he's probably worth a lottery pick, a second half of the lottery, you know, player, just because I think he's going to be a starting center and those guys are worth the value. But I just don't really get the, like, upside case here for Mara either that people seem to be trying to make.
- [41:29]
Ryan Marcillo
We're on the same page then, because that's basically the stuff that I was seeing is because he was 73 and then he had all these measurement comps that were like, really good after the combine. I'm like, yeah, but I've never heard him talk about, like, this all season long. Whether it's you guys that do the draft stuff or front office people. Like, I've never heard anybody freak out about Mara. And then it felt like after the combine. Look, I think it's a very weird space now too, draft coverage, where there's like, guys announcing their presence with authority online in ways that kind of shock me. But I get, you know, I mean, what does it really mean? It's like, you have to. You have to be credentialed to have an opinion on the draft. Like, anybody can have an opinion on this draft. But some of these, some of these draft sites, man, they're muddying the waters with, like, what's out there. And I thought the Morris stuff after the combine was like, who's saying all this? And I think it was like, a lot of those independent draft people that got really excited about his measurements.
- [42:25]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah, the thing I always say about the combine here is, and you were at the combine. I was not this year. You were at the combine. Like, when you talked to NBA people, did you get the impression that, like, anybody really changed their stock in one way or another? And by that, I mean, like, went from being a first, like a late first rounder to a lottery guy or, you know, like, guys help themselves for sure. Like, Baba Miller, playing well in the 5 on 5 helped him help them. But, like, most NBA teams have the information already, by and large, that they get at the combine, they want it officially. They want to know what the measurements are for sure. They want to know what, you know, a guy's vertical is. But they watch these guys play all year. Like, we have a good sense of what a guy's vertical is going to be. Kingston Flemings, he came in at a six, three and a half wingspan. Everyone I talked to, you know, from Houston to the NBA folks said, like, yeah, he's probably gonna have, like a 6 foot 4 wingspan. Ended up being a little bit shorter than that, but, like, basically the same number. Right? The things that people care about with the combine are the medicals and the interviews. The guys who go through the interview process with teams and, you know, teams get a feel for them one way or another. That's really it. Like, it's hard to move your stock one way or another unless you're, like, going nuts like Jalen Williams did at the combine and, like, showcasing. No, I'm from Santa Clara, and I'm just better than all these dudes playing the 505.
- [43:57]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, especially this group that played because the nil until the cycles out and gets caught up. Like, this was probably one of the worst groups that I've ever seen play. So normally there's always a couple first rounders you get excited about. There still could have been a couple guys that sneak into the first round that were playing in this group, but it was the least exciting that I can remember seeing play in person in quite a long time because there's just all these second rounders that aren't coming out. So, like, what we're really doing is we're trying to think about, like, hey, who are the third rounders? Because a bunch of the second rounders are back in school. Do you have a. In order now? Like, how deep can you go from the top where you feel comfortable to? Then you're like, I have no idea.
- [44:48]
Sam Buzzini
So, like, I'm flipping back and forth on number one right now. Honestly, other than that, pretty deep. But number one is the spot where, like, I keep flipping back and forth between Boozer and AJ in my mind. And it's not like someone asked me this question of if you had like 100 poker chips to put down in front of the three top prospects. So Darren Peterson, AJ DeBancer, Cam, Boozer, like, how would you split those poker chips in terms of how you rate them on your board? And I was like, look, like, I'd say 35 for Boozer, 35 for Debance, and 30 for Peterson. I think they're all like razor thin margin between them. I think they're all awesome. But I'm trying to decide basically, okay, is Boozer just a total basketball genius? And we're just way underrating that on some level, like this guy might be the smartest player to come into the NBA draft in, I don't know, since Luca. Maybe, like that's, that's not something worth diminishing. I think especially given how multi skilled and versatile he is as a, like people think of him as just this bruiser who plays with his back to the basket and it's just like not even close to what his game is. Like. He can play as a screener, he can play as a ball screen ball handler, he can play in isolation a little bit. He can certainly attack closeouts or he can knock down, catch and shoot threes at 39% free from three. He's just like a very multi pronged, multi skilled offensive player who can also pass at an elite level. Like, and then I go back to DeBance and I'm just like, man, like he just gets advantages that other guys can't. Like he is athletically dominant in a way that it is impossible to find basically in terms of his balance, his explosiveness, the way that he just lives at the free throw line. Like that guy's going to average 10 free throws a game at some point in the NBA. I think which one of those two is more valuable, right? And I, I don't know is the answer right now. I keep going back and forth on them and if, you know, if that's a cop out, I'm sorry. But I really genuinely think they're both incredible.
- [47:01]
Ryan Marcillo
Where are you on? Is it just Caleb Wilson for then for you?
- [47:04]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been like a little bit lower on him than some people. I don't think he's like this elite level defender. People. Do you talk to coaches in the acc like they pretty consistently tried to attack him defensively because they thought that he wasn't great on the ball. He doesn't open his hips super well. He doesn't backpedal super well. So teams felt like they could attack him and then off of the ball, he's just not as reactive as you want him to be on the back line. Like he has a lot of killer highlight real plays. Defensively, it's just really hit or miss. And then offensively, you know, it's like he's 6 foot 9 Giannis with a 7 foot wingspan. And I don't know how does that work? Ryan like feels like less valuable to me.
- [47:57]
Ryan Marcillo
Wow. Would you be tempted to take. All right, let me do it this way. Wagler, Flemings or Acuff for just for you, who's going to have the best career?
- [48:11]
Sam Buzzini
Wagler, Flemings or. I'd probably still take Acuff at the end of the day, I think that he's. I've come around. I think he's the best bet to be a like pretty dominant offensive player of those three. I think he is as catastrophic defensively as anybody I have seen since probably Trey Young. And I don't know that he's so good on offense. Ryan, like, he plays off of two feet. He is elite in ball screens. He can finish from all three levels. He's become a 40% three point shooter. You know, he is an awesome decision maker as a passer. Like, I don't know, like him and Flemings are close wagglers in this conversation. I think I'm just going to go a cuffs the safest of the three to me.
- [49:03]
Ryan Marcillo
Would you. Where are you, Waggler?
- [49:08]
Sam Buzzini
I get it if he was.
- [49:11]
Ryan Marcillo
I just, I think Waggler has something to him that's harder to figure out the way like when we see what Acuff does, well, you're like, okay, when Houston with all these guys that have been around are having Kingston bail them out of tough possessions, that tells me like a ton. It's like, hey, late shot clock. Get it back to the freshman. Despite the run that this program has been on granted. Not all those guys, right? But I think there's something about Wagler where he, he just makes it very hard on defensive players. And you don't realize it until like you're defending him. You're just kind of like, what the fuck is this? Like it's a little slower. You like, I'm not going to let you get there. Oh shit, you're there and now you're right on me.
- [49:49]
Sam Buzzini
Well, do you know what it is?
- [49:52]
Ryan Marcillo
Well, it's awesome uses.
- [49:54]
Sam Buzzini
He uses the threat of his pull up jumper better than Any player that I've seen in a long time, he is. He uses that like extra split second on the hesitation dribble or the inside out dribble to just make you think, oh, no, he's going to pull up and he holds it for like just that extra split second. Right. Like when you watch guys who feel like they have that extra split second to operate compared to everybody else on the court because they're just like kind of basketball savants or any sport. Right. It feels like, you know, Patrick Mahomes can just hold on to the ball that extra split second longer because he knows that he has time. That's what Keaton feels like to me. He knows that he has that extra little bit of time.
- [50:36]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah. And I just think that that's something that like, is. Is such a great sign that he's. He's figured out some of that kind of stuff, like, hey, I'm not as quick, I'm not as dynamic athletically as some of these other guys. But, like, what can I do where it's like, hey, he just got open again. He just got past that guy again. Like, how. How does this keep happening over and over and over again? And eventually you realize, like, it's just kind of what he does. Would you, if you were Golden State, trade this pick for Jalen Duran, number 11?
- [51:09]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah.
- [51:09]
Ryan Marcillo
You seem to be upset today about the all I would trade.
- [51:12]
Sam Buzzini
I would trade number 11 for Jalen Duran. I'm okay. Jalen Duran had a great year this year. He was a fantastic basketball player. I want to, you know, say that up front. It is insane to me, even based on just the regular season, to vote Jalen Duran over Scotty Barnes for all NBA. It's like kind of crazy to me.
- [51:39]
Ryan Marcillo
I think I did.
- [51:43]
Sam Buzzini
So, like, here's my, here's my thing, Ryan. It's the things that matter in basketball, right? Are, can you create your own shot? Can you help your team win the possession battle? Can you defend and can you pass? Right. Like we always talk about, like, dribble, pass, shoot, defend. Can you shoot as well? Obviously is important. I mean, Duran certainly helps win the possession battle. He's a genuinely great rebounder, but he doesn't. He can create his own shot a little bit. Like, they started to throw him the entry pass at the high post or at the top of the key and he was able to drive centers to the rim. Right. But he does that like a couple times a game. I don't think we're going to sit here and argue that Scotty Barnes is a worse creator of shots than what Jalen Duran is. So Scotty's a way better creator. He's a drastically better defender. I thought Duran was like, okay on defense this year. I didn't think he was great. Scotty Barnes is one of the five best defenders in the league this year for me. He passes exceptionally well. He's an unbelievable passer and playmaker for his teammates. He thinks, like, at a super high level. I want guys who can dribble, pass, shoot, you know, defend and think those are my five, like real pillars of basketball, right? Dribble, pass, shoot, defend. Think Scotty does all of those things more effectively outside of maybe shoot. If you just say that Duran's a better scorer, I guess, but like, no,
- [53:16]
Ryan Marcillo
that's not, that's not right. Because you could be looking at field goal percentage and go, yeah, but it's like just limited. I mean, think about it. He had, he had plenty of opportunity to take more shots if he wanted to last couple weeks. And I don't, I look, he's still going to get paid a lot. And this could be one of those tricky things for Detroit where it works out their benefit that it's like, hey, we didn't have to max him because it was like so bad in the playoffs and then it ends up working out for, for the team side of it. But it was, it was bad. I mean, wasn't it something like the biggest drop off of regular season production to postseason production of like, I forget how they were doing the number on
- [53:52]
Sam Buzzini
that, but it was Belgian Baylor, I think it was. Or something like that. Yeah, like. Or something. Yeah, like the. But the easiest way to explain that is that if you look at Jalen Duran's, you know, 12 highest scoring games this year, right? He had 26 points or more in all of these 12 games. It was. Nine of those games came against Washington, a catastrophic, like, early season Dallas team that had no idea what they were doing. Indiana, Brooklyn, Memphis in March, New Orleans, Oklahoma City without Shea Gilgis, Alexander, Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein. And then two good games against Toronto and Cleveland. Like, I want to give them full credit for those games. Those are great. And then the 11th highest scoring game came against Chicago where their starting center was Gershon Yabuzeli. And then their 12th, his 12th highest scoring game is against Brooklyn in March with 26. So nine of his 12 highest scoring games this year came against teams that either, like, weren't trying to win, frankly, or were sitting guys and we're not healthy, right? So I'm not super surprised that it didn't go super well in the playoffs either, based off of that, when you're just destroying bad teams at the end of the day.
- [55:14]
PFT Commentator
True.
- [55:15]
Ryan Marcillo
But I do think. I do think you could probably dig through a lot of guys and go, hey, let's look at your optimum output and some of this stuff. But with him, you're right, it was so glaring. It was so glaring that all of a sudden it's like, so you're not comfortable at all. The only time he ever looked good was it game. Was it game six that they got. And you were like, hey, look it, there's that intention, there's that aggressiveness. Like, you're a fucking beast, man. Like, you know, all you need is 1, 2 dribbles down. You're going to have to get your shoulder into somebody. That seemed to be what was a little frustrating with him. Sue's like, did you think this was going to be easier getting to the right?
- [55:53]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah.
- [55:53]
Ryan Marcillo
It's not like, just because it's cut off, just because Allen's there or just because Mobley's there. The times where maybe, unfortunately, both of them are there because Mobley's playing off a SAR and it's super crowded. You know, it's like, it's probably on you four or five times a game that you just have to go into them and see if it works, man. And he just had no, no interest of ever, like, going, oh, wait a minute, they're going to block my shots. I'm not going in there.
- [56:15]
Sam Buzzini
And I genuinely thought, like, in the regular season he got a little bit better with that stuff. It's just that it wasn't consistent enough, first and foremost for me. And, like, I don't know, man. Like, I think we can simplify this stuff really easily a lot of the time. Is there a single general manager in basketball that would take Jalen Duran over Scotty Barnes, like, even coming into the playoffs, let alone at the end of the, like, obviously after the playoffs, that was true. I don't think there's a single general manager that would be like, hey, we'd rather have this guy than the other guy.
- [56:46]
Ryan Marcillo
After the playoffs, it should be over 30. I would suggest there's probably a couple that thought, like, Duran is this center pillar, all of these things. But, like, Scotty can play center, too.
- [56:58]
Sam Buzzini
That's the thing.
- [56:58]
Ryan Marcillo
Look, I. I was upset with myself after watching that first round series against Cleveland going, like, don't doubt Scotty anymore. And it wasn't that I was doubting him. I liked him before the draft like everybody else, but then I was like, I think he might just kind of be this every thing, but maybe not spectacular any of them. And then to see him in that series doing the shit that he was doing, knowing that Ingram was going to stink the whole time or not be available or miss every shot or not want to take shots, like he had to do a lot of that on his own. And I like if there are small wins for teams that lost in the playoffs, it's how I feel about Scotty Barnes going forward. And I love that you're making this happen because of third team all NBA vote that you're just still in peak season form with this even though we're wrapping up both the conference finals. So I'm just.
- [57:47]
Sam Buzzini
Yeah, it was one. I get annoyed with these awards a little bit too often. I'm the crazy person that will like yell about all defense teams in the Big 12, like Jaden Bradley making all defense in the Big 12 just because I think that it's like, it's like low hanging fruit a lot of the time for me. If it's low hanging fruit, there are a lot of cases I will hear out across the board. Right. I'm all four people have different opinions. I'm all four people having like different thoughts on things. But man, the Scott, the Scotty over Duran one was just like, man, this felt easy and we just didn't, we didn't get there. And Scotty was a different player in the playoffs. Like he's, he's averaged four free throw attempts per game in his career and he averaged eight per game in the playoffs. Right. He was clearly much more aggressive trying to get downhill after. What was that? Halfway through game two, he figured out he could just go through Evan Mobley's chest every time. But yeah, I don't know, man, the low hanging fruit stuff's the stuff that gets me typically.
- [58:49]
Ryan Marcillo
I don't think we need a third all defensive team though, just for the record. Like I was having a hard time with it at the end. Like I was leaving a couple guys off. I'm like, all right, well that's fine. I'm going to leave a couple of guys off. And then somebody's like, how can you leave him off? I'm like, well, you know, there's kind of like 13 guys maybe for the 10 spots. Yeah, it's all right. People will be okay. Let's see, over, under total playoff games, three and a half left.
- [59:24]
Sam Buzzini
Over just because I think that OKC San Antonio goes to seven. So we have one more with the Knicks and then I think that the other one goes seven. At least one more.
- [59:37]
Ryan Marcillo
I hope Cleveland does their part and lets us move on.
- [59:42]
Sam Buzzini
Does their part and loses.
- [59:43]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, I would like them. And then Kenny could be like, well, we got two of four. Two or four analytically. But we're gonna. I guess we're not playing any more games even though we've won two or four. Tough quote for a guy that is Sam Vicini. You can read him on the Athletic and check out his game theory podcast and YouTube page where they're breaking down everything after the playoffs and going into the draft. And we'll have you on again, man. Thank you.
- [60:08]
Sam Buzzini
Thanks, Ryan.
- [60:12]
PFT Commentator
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- [60:38]
Ryan Marcillo
the alliance marches on on a Sunday night. Hope everybody is enjoying their holiday weekend. We've got Ceruti. Kyle's just in the background already working on the audio. So we're not going to have him join us for this alliance. But we got to go with whether or not the Knicks are going to close this baby out in four games in Cleveland. What do you got?
- [60:57]
Kyle
Well, we'll start off with Kyle's bet.
- [60:59]
Sam Buzzini
He's.
- [60:59]
Kyle
He's got Knicks money line. He's saying they're closing it out. Figured one of us had to take that, so. And that's minus 130. So a good bet. You know, the number's not bad
- [61:10]
Ryan Marcillo
things. It's been a little tough. No, I was trying to help our guy. Testy the last couple of weeks.
- [61:14]
Kyle
No, if he didn't take it, I was going to take it. It's totally fair bet. This is not a shot of Kyle whatsoever. So he's taking Nick's money line and I'm going to go. I hit last week. I think that was game two. No one. Whatever the game was James Harden under. Under 18 and a half points. So see if I can go two for two here in the series.
- [61:36]
Ryan Marcillo
All right. So I'm going to go. Sam. I am Merrill. What do I have? Eight and a half over.
- [61:41]
Kyle
Eight and a half over eight And a half.
- [61:44]
Ryan Marcillo
All right, I love that.
- [61:46]
Kyle
Gives us plus 405. I was like, what other guy? Because I was like, if I don't like Harden to score, what other guy do I think is going to score? I'm not going to pick Mitchell. And I was like, ah, do I go Mobley? Do you go Allen? You know what, Sam Merrill, great pick. I love it. So all those three Knicks, Moneyline, Harden under and Sam Merrill over plus 405.
- [62:04]
Ryan Marcillo
Love it. Sam. You just have to score and get eliminated. Sportsbook.drivekings.com. you want details?
- [62:13]
Kyle
Bye.
- [62:14]
PFT Commentator
I drive a Ferrari 355 Cabriolet.
- [62:17]
Ryan Marcillo
What's up?
- [62:19]
PFT Commentator
I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine. And best of all, kids, I am liquid.
- [62:28]
Ryan Marcillo
So now you know what's possible. Let me tell you what's required. Today's life advice is brought to you by Microsoft 365 copilot. What if you can add an AI assistant to your work without leaving your workflow built into Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook? Copilot works where you work, helping you do more in the apps you already use. In Word, Copilot helps turn scattered notes into a first draft. In Excel, it generates insights from your data. And in Outlook, it cuts through the noise to get you up to speed faster. The apps you know go further with Copilot. Learn more@m365copilot.com work the boys are here. How is everybody? It's been a long time.
- [63:07]
Kyle
We're good.
- [63:11]
Ryan Marcillo
All right, let's go. Hey, guys. Six, 4:30. Yeah. Not screwing around today. Fix them. Fix some problems. Six four, two, three zero. Current gym stats three times five sets or 175 pounds on the bench. 315 for deadlifts. Rabbit stats, two rabbits. Kyle, we gotta forge this guy's contact. Who are brothers but have to be kept in separate cages because they will fight to the death. Honestly, these two are the worst pets ever. Other rabbits have been great, but God, I hate these two. Some brothers just don't get along, man.
- [63:48]
Ceruti
We're different, but we're the same.
- [63:51]
Kyle
You see that? There's like a video going around of like these two turtles that are like 100 years old that have just basically been fighting their entire lives and they can't be in the same pen together.
- [64:03]
Ryan Marcillo
Do you hate anyone that much?
- [64:06]
Kyle
I kind of respect it. Like, people don't forget, you know, what the original beef was too, you know, but they just.
- [64:13]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, you really think about, like, what's the longest you could be mad at somebody. I mean, certainly there's levels of somebody doing something to you or a family member that you'd be like, okay, but I'm talking slights.
- [64:27]
Kyle
Yeah.
- [64:28]
Ceruti
Is there someone I'm still mad at?
- [64:29]
Ryan Marcillo
I don't.
- [64:30]
Kyle
I have a few people.
- [64:32]
Ceruti
Yeah, I guess so.
- [64:34]
Ryan Marcillo
You do, Saruti, because you don't really ever get mad. You know who it is?
- [64:37]
Kyle
You know who it is.
- [64:42]
Ryan Marcillo
Do we have any of the same.
- [64:44]
Kyle
I don't think you dislike this person as much as I do, but there's a very specific reason he's. How do I want to say this?
- [64:51]
Ryan Marcillo
Oh, wait, I know who you're talking about.
- [64:53]
Kyle
Yeah.
- [64:53]
Ryan Marcillo
Ooh, that's. That's a spicy one.
- [64:55]
Ceruti
Now, this isn't fun for me. I don't like this.
- [64:57]
Kyle
But it stems. It stems from. Yeah, like, just. He was a douchebag. I didn't even know him, really. And he was, you know, taking shots at an old show of mine, and I didn't know who he was. And I will never forget that, ever. But I don't have a lot of beefs. But that guy, I don't. I don't like filed away.
- [65:17]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, you don't have a lot of beefs. You're not a huge grudge guy. I was talking about somebody this the other day. Oh, it was Van Pelt. We were talking about this. I said, it's funny how we romanticize athletes that have grudges, but if you're just a regular guy that holds onto grudges forever, nobody's ever like, this guy's a fucking competitor. This guy just walks the earth every day looking for ways to be motivated to get.
- [65:39]
Kyle
Yeah.
- [65:39]
Ryan Marcillo
Get back at people. And it's like, well, how come when MJ does it, it's cool? But if Ryan is, like, you know, still mad at a program director from 20 years ago who gave him a fake contract and waived the paperwork in the phone. And they never had the contract in place, even though they'd offered I'd sign it. We'd all agreed upon it and told my agent, sorry, why do I have to like that guy? If I were a pro basketball player, they'd be like, he got signed to a contract by the Sporting News. It was a three year extension. He went from 25 grand a year to $110,000. He was so excited, he actually started looking at cars that worked. And then four weeks later, the raise never kicked in. And he called and said, hey, where's that raise? They said, oh, we're just Dotting the I's and crossing the t's. Don't worry about it. It's in my hand right now. Layoffs Monday.
- [66:31]
Ceruti
Yeah, I'm not mad.
- [66:32]
Ryan Marcillo
No guy.
- [66:32]
Ceruti
I was thinking about no money.
- [66:34]
Ryan Marcillo
Oh, really? I've decided I don't.
- [66:35]
Ceruti
I don't care anymore.
- [66:36]
Ryan Marcillo
In this moment it does.
- [66:38]
Kyle
Yeah. That is a funny thing. Like. Like with the mamba mentality. Work in an office. Probably not.
- [66:43]
Ryan Marcillo
Like you better be pretty good.
- [66:45]
Ceruti
Yeah, maybe a restaurant back a house.
- [66:49]
Ryan Marcillo
Where do you rank out of our 20 sales guys? 13th. Yeah, but he just stares everybody down. All right. Yeah, I don't know. Something about rabbit anyway.
- [67:02]
Kyle
Yep.
- [67:03]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah. Every summer my wife and I host a barbecue weekend for our friends and we cook rabbit without telling. Now. I'm just kidding. They host a big weekend barbecue for the friends. It's evolved over the years from a drunken shit show into a more relaxed hang with plenty of non alcoholic beers. This year I want to do something memorable similar to the time Ryan rented a pony for the derby party. It was memorable. We don't have kids and I'm willing to spend some money on something entertaining and ridiculous for the sake of the bit. I'm looking for your input on which of these ideas I should pursue. Or please offer some of your own High end water features. Over the top water balloons, squirt guns, backyard water slide, non lethal explosives. I'm willing and no get a pyrotechnician license if necessary. Holy shit. A gas station hot dog roller to supplement our grill and smoker so guests can grab a snack at any time. A professional historical impersonator, Ben Franklin. Jfk. What do you think would be the best pony show equivalent for this year's party? So guys, looking for a theme for his summer barbecue? You guys ever do that?
- [68:13]
Ceruti
I don't think so.
- [68:14]
Kyle
Yeah, we did. Well, we had a world cup of beer pong party 2 World Cups ago and that was awesome.
- [68:20]
Ryan Marcillo
What year is that?
- [68:21]
Kyle
That was 2018. US wasn't in that one. Bummer. We were team England. That was fun. Actually kind of met my wife that way indirectly.
- [68:35]
Ryan Marcillo
You?
- [68:36]
Kyle
So yeah, it was a good one.
- [68:38]
Ryan Marcillo
Beer pong saving lives.
- [68:40]
Kyle
Need an extra person shout out. Matty, I think we made a made
- [68:45]
Ceruti
up a football game with like two camping chairs for the start of the football season once in college. But I don't even think we really made up a game. But yeah, that was the closest thing to a theme I think we ever did.
- [68:58]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, that Kentucky Derby thing was like I'd never really bothered to throw any kind of party. There's still some planning stuff from that that I didn't necessarily love. I thought it was like a joint affair. Next thing I know, I paid the bill for everything and then people like picked out stuff and then I was like, so what's going on with this? I'm paying like four grand to have these people today.
- [69:18]
Kyle
It was a great time.
- [69:19]
Ryan Marcillo
It was an awesome party.
- [69:20]
Kyle
It was a great time. That was maybe the most hungover I've ever been in my life.
- [69:23]
Ryan Marcillo
There's also two phases of the party, which is like a classic staple of, of back in the day. Although I remember we had a party at a house I lived in once and there was an older guy that was visiting. And I still think it's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He was really good with art. Like he was good with spray painting. I wouldn't call him a graffiti guy necessarily, but he was just really good at painting. He just was a very creative person. And we had this theme, this timeline theme of this party. And so everybody's renting costumes and everybody's dates are all excited and it's all this kind of stuff. And this guy was setting up and he spray painted a city skyline on a white sheet and then he put like a moon and it worked. It was like using spray paint. And they used the spray paint to accentuate the shadows and all this stuff. And then he just wrote makeout city and he tapped it in the corner and I know that's super immature and stuff, I just think it's so funny. So maybe try that. It might not go over as well with adults. So make out mural.
- [70:31]
Ceruti
How much? He didn't mention how much space he has right to do because I mean,
- [70:35]
Ryan Marcillo
that sounds like he's got a lot of space. He said he could become a pyrotechnic if he needed to if he's got
- [70:39]
Ceruti
a lot of space. I will say people in my life just brought this up to me last weekend. People still talk about it. People I haven't seen in a while. My going away party, we had, we had a lot. A lot of people showed up for my going away party when I moved to la, obviously. But what was really so special is we had buy in from enough people for a fucking awesome. I cursed again.
- [70:58]
Ryan Marcillo
Sorry.
- [70:59]
Ceruti
Kickball game. Kickball as adults, young adults, even. If you can mix, you can mix it up. Professional adults, you can even have like some kids in the mix too. If everyone, you know, agrees not to like go headhunting or Whatever, you know, but that was like a legendary day just because everyone bought into kickball. That was awesome. Yeah, I like that a lot.
- [71:21]
Kyle
Yeah, you actually, that gets me thinking.
- [71:22]
Ceruti
One ball, four bases. That's it.
- [71:24]
Kyle
You know, it's kind of a hit. And this would just be a throwback to, you know, like Kyle and I in elementary school, whatever. But like, just have a good old fashioned, like 90s party. 90s really in right now, parents are trying to like, hey, I'm gonna raise my kid like a 90s kid. Like, do the 90s thing and just have like, I don't know, basketball. Yeah, like, yeah, I would. That's. That's to me always. But dressed like that, you know, you get the. The bright color situation was a good, good look back then. That could be fun.
- [71:49]
Ryan Marcillo
What's the. I'm gonna raise my kid like a 90s kid. I missed that podcast episode.
- [71:53]
Kyle
It's kind of like a, you know, highlights for kids, summer, you know, biking, you know, maybe like, hey, I'll let you kind of go outside and just come back around dinner time. And I'm not gonna like, you know, be inside on the iPad all day. It's probably like watching 90s movies like that are low stimulation. Like the ones that are made today. Yeah, Like, I don't know, you know, I mean, clearly, like there's, there's, you know, they're in the, you know, back
- [72:17]
Ryan Marcillo
then, so not Smashing Pumpkins, Teeing Ace.
- [72:21]
Kyle
You could do that too.
- [72:22]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, just depressed.
- [72:23]
Kyle
Like Teen Spirit. Get back, get that on repeat. But no, it's. I think it's more of just like a, I don't know, less screen time kind of thing. Just dumb way to say less screen time.
- [72:31]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, it kind of seems like, yeah, yeah, you know, you could do a theme thing there. Look, I don't know. I mean, it depends on the activities. The impersonator thing. I've seen this happen before. Like the impersonator things good for 10 minutes. And then everybody's like, now there's just an impersonator, like, hanging around like it's not funny anymore.
- [72:47]
Kyle
If Ben Franklin still here, what's he. What's going on?
- [72:50]
Ryan Marcillo
Right. Although that guy on Instagram that invites over the impersonators to his apartment in la and it's just him. I don't know how real that stuff is, but my God, a couple of those are hilarious. He rents a Tom Cruise for an hour and he just starts going like, man, he's doing the whole thing. The guy jumps up on the couch and then they're at 15 minutes. He's like, what do you want me to do? There's no one else here. It's just you. And he's like, just keep going. I paid for the hour. And then he has a buddy come downstairs. The surfboard. He's like, all right, see you later. So there actually was his roommate in the house. And it's like, you hire the Tom Cruise impersonator. Just yourself. So one of my friends had an Elvis impersonator at the wedding. It was something he wanted to do, and it was kind of like his thing where it's like, look what I did. But I don't know. I don't remember people hanging out with Elvis all night. I know. I didn't talk to him.
- [73:37]
Ceruti
What about a magician that goes to bars? Everyone doesn't have to gather around.
- [73:42]
Ryan Marcillo
I never like those guys.
- [73:43]
Ceruti
The one that mingles, he doesn't have to be the center of attention. He just comes up to a group of six guys.
- [73:48]
Ryan Marcillo
And you want me to take your watch real quick? Well, it's not my experience with bar magicians.
- [73:53]
Ceruti
Yeah, it's the opposite, actually. It's three guys and three girls.
- [73:57]
Ryan Marcillo
Just figure out a couple ways to talk to people. You fucking bring a deck of cards. It's like, hey, wow, that deck. You guessed the card right. Let's get out of here. Yeah, I don't know. I'm interested. Awful job. Reset. Refocus here. What's the best party you've been to? Within reason.
- [74:17]
Ceruti
Kickball.
- [74:18]
Ryan Marcillo
Kickball. Okay.
- [74:20]
Ceruti
I mean, if I'm being honest.
- [74:21]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, you just want to avoid things you have to keep track of. Yep.
- [74:27]
Ceruti
That's good advice.
- [74:29]
Ryan Marcillo
But the beer depends on the friends. You get a wife out of it.
- [74:31]
Kyle
So it depends on the friend group. My friend's group wants to keep track of everything. Like, just hyper competitive. Like, we do these ultimate tournament things where it's like, you know.
- [74:39]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah. It's all guys.
- [74:41]
Kyle
Yeah, it's true. It's true. Some would say kind of sick, though.
- [74:46]
Ryan Marcillo
Look, I'm not telling you it's not awesome. Josh Duhamel, I think, got two movies out of it.
- [74:50]
Kyle
Yeah.
- [74:51]
Ryan Marcillo
So look, I was in one. I would say we've done a hair. It's just a horrible job. I know.
- [75:02]
Kyle
I'm not a theme first.
- [75:03]
Ceruti
Okay, then if we want to get on track. First of all, everyone fucking loves fireworks. And if you. Even if you tell them you have fireworks, if you show them your fireworks thing at the beginning of the party, they're going to be like, dude, wait till 7 o' clock rolls around at 7. Like, should we wait a little longer? Is it the time for fireworks?
- [75:18]
Kyle
Is it a Fourth of July party?
- [75:19]
Ceruti
No, it's a weekend barbecue.
- [75:21]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, but it's also 2026, so. Rudy. So, you know, I'm disappointed. Almost halfway through 26, are you saying two things that we're not doing, you know, we should be doing a little bit more, man.
- [75:32]
Ceruti
In the pirate department.
- [75:34]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, I feel like 1970. Yeah, but I feel like 1976. I mean, I don't remember a ton, but I think people were way more into the bicentennial than the ramp up to this one. It just feels a little lukewarm going into it. Although you could see somebody tweet being like, I don't even feel like celebrating July 4th. We're like, all right, you're cool.
- [75:53]
Ceruti
I got some stuff cooking up for this year. I might be making a couple runs
- [75:55]
Ryan Marcillo
to PA if you know what I mean. Physical. No, it's PT, PA, Jason Pierre. All right, we need to move on.
- [76:06]
Ceruti
I don't know.
- [76:06]
Ryan Marcillo
I'm sorry. I feel bad at the emailer.
- [76:10]
Ceruti
I gave you, like, three great things, but whatever. I guess you guys are off today.
- [76:13]
Kyle
Wait, you gave us kickball and, like,
- [76:14]
Ceruti
kickball magicians and fireworks. Kickball magician.
- [76:17]
Kyle
His idea was fireworks, dude.
- [76:19]
Ceruti
If you put all those three together, I mean, they're gonna write about it in the paper.
- [76:23]
Ryan Marcillo
All right.
- [76:23]
Ceruti
Anyway.
- [76:24]
Kyle
Fair.
- [76:26]
Ryan Marcillo
I don't know, man. I just don't think you should have an impersonator there because people are going to get sick of Ben Franklin quick.
- [76:32]
Ceruti
Yeah.
- [76:35]
Kyle
I was going to suggest, if you want to do the magician thing, you could have Oz the Mentalist over. But he just got it. He just kind of got out it, didn't he?
- [76:41]
Ryan Marcillo
I think Oz the Mentalist did. I don't know about Oz. I don't know.
- [76:44]
Kyle
O is Oz all the time Oz?
- [76:46]
Ceruti
I mean, come on. At this point, it's going to be Oz. Between the show and the doctor, I think it's got to be Oz. But that's actually what made me think about it. That's what made me think about a real magician. Because if that's all bullshit, at least a magician, we know he's tricking us, but it's impressive. Instead of put this into a phone and then I promise I won't look at it.
- [77:06]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah, people are really coming after Pablo on that one. I don't know. Maybe the magic world is. It's like, hey, he's a magician. No shit. But then there was another guy that had done all this work that Pablo had on. I thought it was really interesting, and it was kind of like, yeah, but if you're doing TED Talks, talking about how you've mastered reading people, and it's really. All you did was phone off. Yeah.
- [77:30]
Ceruti
It sounds like the magicians actually hate them, so I don't even think that's a blow to the community.
- [77:35]
Ryan Marcillo
Oh. I think the magician community is at each other's throats, so I don't think it's all directed at O's. I think it's just a very. I think it's a hostile industry to get into. I've always felt that. And no one can change. I've always felt bad.
- [77:49]
Kyle
Yep.
- [77:52]
Ryan Marcillo
All right, what's next? Okay, here we go for a couple newlyweds. What's up, guys? Player comp. Duan Blair. I bang down low, dominate the boards, but not big enough to make an impact in the next level. I have my first wedding. It's not our first Duan Blair, by the way. I have my first wedding anniversary coming up. I have no clue what to get my wife. The first year is paper. Yeah.
- [78:12]
Ceruti
Oh, is that, like. It goes, like, silver, gold, and it works its way up.
- [78:15]
Ryan Marcillo
You don't know it, dude. No.
- [78:18]
Ceruti
I'm gonna look at it, though.
- [78:20]
Kyle
I don't think that I didn't follow any of those. I don't even know. But I do. Yeah. Because when you. When you do Google them, it's like, hey, wish I. You know, they tell you, like, get a, you know, I don't know, a drawing of the two of you or something. It's like, nah, I don't want to do that.
- [78:33]
Ceruti
Oh, my God. They go on forever.
- [78:34]
Ryan Marcillo
I guess they would have to, right?
- [78:36]
Kyle
Yes.
- [78:40]
Ceruti
Seventh year is desk sets. Yeah, this is. I think I got the wrong list.
- [78:44]
Ryan Marcillo
Desk sets.
- [78:45]
Ceruti
Yeah. Year seven is copper or wool desk sets. This is just the Google AI, though.
- [78:51]
Ryan Marcillo
What if you're not cobblers? Is there a different one? All right, so back to the email, which apparently, here it is. So through the research, best ideas I have so far is buying concert tickets to a concert she's been talking about seeing and then printing them out. I can't decide it's an awful fucking idea or not, and she'll be pissed. Let me know what you guys think about that and what the boys did for their first anniversaries. Thanks, Kalas.
- [79:21]
Ceruti
I think this could be a good learning moment. I think you just try to go bigger than whatever she'll get you. Hope you do that. And Then you'll get an idea for what this holiday means to the both of you. Because, I mean, I think in this day and a, it means different things to different couples.
- [79:35]
Kyle
So I just texted my wife because I don't even remember. So we'll see if she responds. I have gone the movie or the music route, the concert taker route, and it's always a hit. I mean, we have the same music,
- [79:45]
Ceruti
you know, your wife. Yeah.
- [79:46]
Kyle
And we actually do have some frame tickets. I don't know if it was an anniversary thing, but, like, if she wants to go to this thing and you're gonna buy her this gift, it's thoughtful. It doesn't. I don't know. Again. Yeah, Kyle's right. There are some. There are some wives who probably take this, like, a little bit more seriously than others.
- [79:59]
Ceruti
Some who take it way less than you. You know, you don't need to budget 600, 700, $1,000 for every. It's like, especially if you got it and it's a rough time. It's like after Valentine's, between Valentine's Day and Christmas or something, you know, like, depending on when it is.
- [80:15]
Kyle
I think I've gotten her different jewelry things. Like, you know, I think I got her a necklace one year, but it was like something I knew she wanted, and she, like, probably picked it out even beforehand. So it's not like I was really, like, diving deep into the research of that. So just, you know, I think you can't go wrong there. But I think if you just put thought behind it and your wife loves you, I don't think. I really don't think you can go wrong. Don't skim about, but.
- [80:34]
Ceruti
And then you got a budget for, you know, how long. Like, year three can't be the same as year five. Five's like a bit. Five's like, you know, the first reunion for, like, your. Your high school and shit like that. And then, you know, seven. Maybe it's a little bit down. Maybe it's a down year. Maybe it is a desk set. I don't know. And then 10 is. 10 is big. You know, we've really run out of ideas.
- [80:51]
Ryan Marcillo
Desk set.
- [80:53]
Ceruti
That's just what Google said.
- [80:55]
Ryan Marcillo
What about a treaty? Like what, like a notebook? No, like, very Ryan answer. Yeah. So it's like recognizing where you're at historically on the timeline, you come up with some things, like, I decree from this day forward, you know, whatever. And then she has a few. Then you guys decide, and then you frame your treaty and it's on Paper.
- [81:17]
Kyle
Oh, wife did get back to me. She says maybe an Apple watch. I did get her an Apple watch for anniversary. I don't remember. It was my first one and she actually needed it. Travels a lot. Location kind of thing. Yeah.
- [81:31]
Ryan Marcillo
Oh, maybe she needs a description of the Wall Street Journal backpack or something.
- [81:35]
Ceruti
Yeah, right.
- [81:35]
Ryan Marcillo
What is print media online?
- [81:38]
Ceruti
Time to upgrade her electric toothbrush. Yeah, I don't know. I'm trying to stay in the paper lane.
- [81:43]
Ryan Marcillo
Coming out.
- [81:43]
Kyle
Yeah, I couldn't. I actually did my wife a book on origami.
- [81:49]
Ryan Marcillo
Oh, ouch.
- [81:50]
Kyle
Yeah, Old school.
- [81:50]
Ryan Marcillo
No,
- [81:53]
Kyle
no, it wasn't my. What was it? It was just Mother's Day. Didn't know what to get. Previous wife and landed on a. I got a gym bag and she loved it.
- [82:02]
Ceruti
Yeah, Mother's Day. I mean, it could just be as simple as like a book, I think. I don't know.
- [82:06]
Ryan Marcillo
It depends.
- [82:07]
Ceruti
It's like a murky one, you know? What does it mean to everyone involved?
- [82:11]
Ryan Marcillo
My guess is a lot of wives out there are like, hey, if you want to kind of just not follow the paper rule and get me something sweet for like 250 bucks, that'll work.
- [82:19]
Kyle
Yeah.
- [82:21]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah. Although just doing a drawing and not being good at it would be the best ever.
- [82:26]
Kyle
Well, not you drawing like you commission.
- [82:28]
Ryan Marcillo
That's what I'm talking about. No, no, no. You just start doodling some stranger. Some stranger can't capture your love the way you can. That's true. Doesn't mean you've taken any art classes. Sign it at the bottom. Little heart.
- [82:39]
Kyle
Somebody had a commission drawing for my wife and I Charcoal it is in the attic.
- [82:44]
Ryan Marcillo
Because it's commission. What are you.
- [82:47]
Kyle
Yeah, my s. It was honestly a great idea. My sister in law, great idea. She had this commissioned and she got it and she's like, I'm gonna be honest, it's not good. And she's like, I'm give it to you anyway. And I'm glad she did. It's bad, it's bad.
- [83:00]
Ryan Marcillo
But you have a painter that was hired to paint your wife.
- [83:04]
Ceruti
Drawing or painter?
- [83:05]
Kyle
No, both of us. It's a picture of both of us, actually. And I think my dog and you know, it's just like a drawing. It's like a sketch kind of thing, but it's nice. And they just. She just like, whoever did it just butchered our faces.
- [83:15]
Ceruti
I'd love for you to climb into that attic this weekend and maybe snap a picture.
- [83:18]
Kyle
I'll take a picture of it. Yeah? Yeah. Next life. Every.
- [83:22]
Ceruti
Every photo you've shown us recently has been like a topic of conversation. You don't pull out the photos unless there's something to discuss.
- [83:29]
Ryan Marcillo
So Serious delivers when there's visuals involved.
- [83:33]
Kyle
It's a bad one.
- [83:35]
Ryan Marcillo
Yeah.
- [83:35]
Kyle
So, yeah, next time we'll fish it out.
- [83:40]
Ryan Marcillo
Okay. Well, I hope everybody enjoyed a later edition, earlier release of the Rhinosolo show, thanks to Tom Drops. There you go, Ceruti and Kyle. Please check out our full episodes on Netflix and subscribe to the show. Ryan Rosilla Show Barstool Sports. Sam.