E.P.I.C. Podcast "Every Play Is Crucial"
Life is full of moments you cannot predict or control only experience and enjoy right? Come join Vernon, Isaac, Justin, and Jared every Wednesday where we lend our opinions about current event going on in sports. Every episode is promising to be entertaining, not necessarily informational.
E.P.I.C. Podcast "Every Play Is Crucial"
NBA Playoffs East and West, NBA Awards, NBA vs NFL, and are coaches always to blame when a team under performs?
Unlock the latest twists in NBA playoff dramas and MVP debates with your favorite trio—me, Boom, and Jared—as we dissect the on-court strategies and controversies that have hoops fans leaping from their seats! From the Pacers' struggles to the nail-biting Cavs-Celtics showdown, we're breaking down each play and missed call that's keeping the basketball world abuzz. And if you think defense doesn't matter in the modern NBA, we've got some game-changing insights that might just sway your opinion.
Ever pondered which NBA stars could switch jerseys for shoulder pads? We're tackling that question head-on, analyzing the athletic prowess of basketball giants like LeBron James and their potential to make a splash in the NFL. Join us as we throw in our two cents on the crossover abilities of these towering talents, and don't miss our high-stakes debate over the roles and responsibilities of NBA coaches like Darvin Ham and Frank Vogel. It's a power-packed discussion that goes beyond the court and into the very essence of athletic strategy.
As the shot clock winds down on another riveting episode, we take a hard look at the pressures and dynamics shaping NBA teams. Discover how star power like LeBron's influences decisions off the court, and why team chemistry isn't just a buzzword but a crucial ingredient for championship aspirations. Through every charge and block, we're peeling back the layers of what makes or breaks a team's success, ensuring you walk away with a playbook full of insights on the beautiful game of basketball.
Okay, so I ran up a check. I might do it again. Enemies close, tell me thinking they're friends. Ten toes down, I'll be free into the end. Crib outside the city. I don't feel safe in my hands to so many years. I'm just waiting.
Speaker 2:To my sense.
Speaker 1:Add it up. Bankroll euro, peso. Add it up. I'm just doing me, everything is on me, all you matter what. Add it up. Bankroll euro, peso. Add it up. I'm just doing me, everything is on me, all you matter what Add it up. Told her, if it's all me, everything is on me, gon' back it up.
Speaker 2:Yo, yo yo. Welcome back to another episode of the Epic Podcast. We are in the house today with my guy, Jared, and we finally got Boom in here. Man, I ain't gon' lie, man, I'ma tell you straight up. He been standing us up for Like this many weeks, you know. I had both this many weeks, man, but nah, he in here. Man Finally got him in here again. How's y'all sports weekend been, man? We're going to start with you. Boom man, say something.
Speaker 3:Say something. Well, you know, Pacers lost games one and two. Well, yeah, we got you out. Games one and two, so it's been a little down, but they got to come back to net, so it's all good.
Speaker 2:I agree with that man. I think I've seen that Rick Carlisle submitted like 78 missed foul calls.
Speaker 3:Of course, as he should, because like it's just getting outrageous. I was like, damn, yeah, it's outrageous, bro, like I ain't even watched the last seven, I ain't even going to say the last seven, I ain't even gonna say the last seven. I probably didn't even watch the last ten minutes of the fourth quarter because I was just like, yeah.
Speaker 2:You kind of knew it was going to happen. Man Down the stretch they been, yeah, and.
Speaker 3:I hate it because the Knicks just be thinking that they just doing all this and that it's like no, y'all getting some handouts here. Yeah, but they got to come back to Naps, it's all good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we just need to steal one man. I feel like we'd be good at home.
Speaker 3:We would have stole one.
Speaker 2:We would have stole game one, we would have stole game one. I mean this is the first time I think the Pacers have been down in the playoffs yeah, as far as the 0-2, or even down 2-1 or anything. So we'll see how they handle the adversity man. So I'm eager to see how they play at home and hopefully we get these games at home and like I said, can end it in New York, like we used to. What?
Speaker 5:about you, jarrett man, chilling bro. Like same as all Every other week, my interest is out, so I'm just enjoying the sports. How the Reds going the movies going down. O2 got me kind of like damn, that's crazy. I'm just trying to see some good games at this point, man, I don't got no interest left in it.
Speaker 2:I mean these losses? They have been bad losses. The Nuggets look stuck in mud when they're out there playing bro. Compared to what the Timberwolves are doing, it's like.
Speaker 5:Minnesota make them look like a G League team bro.
Speaker 2:Man like for real, Like I'm like, like I ain really crazy. Like okay, the defensive end all right, whatever, but like on the offensive end, like Jokic not being able to get to his spots and get his shots off, like Murray, I mean, they say he injured but super ineffective, like even the role players can't get off. So it's like they're literally just.
Speaker 5:They're coming up with a strategy to defeat him in coaching.
Speaker 2:But we'll get into that later, and then what we think will happen. You know what we're going to jump over. We're going to jump over to the NBA right now. Let's get this conversation started. So let's just start in the East real quick. We talked a little bit about the Knicks. Pacers Sucked his Cavaliers Did. The Cavaliers got a chance.
Speaker 5:No, hell. No, they didn't sway.
Speaker 2:They got spanked, that first game man. It didn't even look good.
Speaker 3:To be honest with you, I feel like the Magic would have been a more entertaining matchup with the Celtics just because they have a lot of length no ddy at all their you know front court positions. So it's like Defensively.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean Defensively. I see what you're saying. They probably could have, you know, stayed in. They would have been.
Speaker 3:I think it would have been a more entertaining series. Like the Cavaliers. All they got is Donovan Mitchell. Like Darius Garland is nice, but all they got is Donovan. Mitchell, like they don't have no front court, people that can put up 20 and 10 every night, you know, and be effective on a defensive end. So it's kind of like you know.
Speaker 2:Is Allen supposed to come back this series?
Speaker 5:Man he's not going to be, a factor. I didn't even realize he was missing until I was watching the first game and I was like damn, he is out. They were saying like he's nowhere near ready to come back. I don't know what he's dealing with. I think he's like there's something else. He can't sleep. I don't know what he's dealing with yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:Maybe it, yeah, okay, maybe maybe like you said something with that. Uh, like, like you were saying in that front court, boom, I think he could be a difference. You know what I?
Speaker 5:mean young guy, you know, he got bounce size sorry okay, but yeah, um, no, that's.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's looking, looking rough for the cavaliers. Um, I just don't like counting them out, man, the way they battle back against the Magic, which we're saying would be a better matchup, but the way they battle back against the Magic and the games.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, that was crazy.
Speaker 2:It was some tough games down the stretch that they really pulled out. So I think maybe they could slow the pace down with the Celtics. I think maybe that would help them. But I don't know, man, the self ticks have just been elite. You know what I mean. The half court fast break offense defensively, like it's just really tough to get a handle on, and it's with no porzingis.
Speaker 3:So imagine if porzingis is out there to spread the floor even more like but they don't have nobody that could defend jaylen brown or tatum, and with derrick white, you know, going off, it's kind of like. You know, donovan Mitchell isn't a defensive, he's not a two-way player, he's just primarily on the offensive end and then it's like I don't know who they're starting that smile for. Is it Okoro or Karras LaVert?
Speaker 5:No LaVert ain't starting strews okuro is out there, though.
Speaker 2:I guess he's playing the four, though he might be playing four and mobily. They may be playing mobily at the five.
Speaker 5:They started mobily okuro, then you got strews, mitchell and garland, so okay but I mean, and that's you, matt Struess is probably the only defensive one they really have out there that.
Speaker 2:Can you know what I mean, man?
Speaker 3:But let's be real here. Who he going to stop? I'm not saying he going to lock up.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying he going to stop nobody, but I'm just talking about that's known for the defense. He's probably the only one. He's just a 3 and I agree with you. And even Mobley, I mean like, but who you holding? Like, um, what's the old boy name, al Horford? Like he's a threat offensively, but you know what I mean. He's not, you're not guarding, you're not putting him on Tatum or or uh Brown, so they really don't make that big of a difference, even if you stop somebody like Al Horford, like them other two gonna kill you along with Holiday too.
Speaker 3:like that's still another offensively he ain't going to do nothing but focus on locking up Darius Garland. So that takes away your second primary option, Yep.
Speaker 2:I agree with that they're about to play at seven. They're on now.
Speaker 5:No, it's halftime.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, I was about to say they're on now. How's that going right now, jared, I know you're watching.
Speaker 5:It's tied up 54-54. Tatum is off to a slow start shooting. I mean he's three for 10, but he does have 16 points. He's been in the line 10 times, so that's cool. But yeah, nothing crazy is going on. Mitchell only has six, garland only has five, which they're going to have to pick it up to make the series respectable. Carrot's got 12 off the bench, so yeah, it's crazy. I didn't realize how small Cleveland was until I realized that Allen wasn't out there. But I mean they have Tristan Thompson, which he hasn't played yet tonight.
Speaker 2:He gave us some valuable minutes in those last two games against the Magic.
Speaker 5:I like Tristan Thompson for what he is, what he does. That's why I couldn't believe that he didn't start for the Lakers last year.
Speaker 3:But again we're going to push that.
Speaker 2:He ain't even got no minutes for them right now. So yeah, but I was just thinking about like the last series against the magic he did. He was playing. Yeah, I saw him up there.
Speaker 1:I saw him down the stretch.
Speaker 2:But yeah, no, that I mean, like you said, it's size, but you also, because the celtics can run too if they have to. So you still don't want to put too much size out there. That slows down your defense. You can't get set up you know what I mean or you can't get to stay in front of nobody, right? Let's jump over to the Western Conference. Man, you got the Mavs up one on the, I mean the Thunder up one on the Mavs, and the Timberwolves, like we were saying earlier, out to a 2-0 lead on the Nuggets. Granted, the Nuggets got this championship pedigree and you know who knows they haven't been in this position lately in the playoffs the past couple years. But the Timberwolves are showing they really a different breed and their defense is ridiculous. They swarm on players like Wolves, like they are literally running around the court, like the rotation man. Their rotations is crazy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean and that's a testament to their head coach I mean, when you got three bigs that really are athletic and they can stay with Jokic, it's kind of like, okay, we're going to throw all three of them at you and it's up to you to see what you're going to do with it. And with Jokic having to go against all three, it's like you can't just get one and foul trouble and it's going to keep being somebody that's going to be fresh, that's going to be on you at all times. And yeah, he just he can't get into the plays, you know, on a consistent basis. So, you know, when he's not able to do his thing out there, it kind of puts him in a bind, like because everybody else is kind of waiting on him to see what he's going to do. And when they clamping him down, it's like, well, what am I supposed to do?
Speaker 2:And Jamal Murray, you know, I don't know what his issue is, but yeah, I know, like I said, I know they say he been hurt, but he's only. Kobe against the Lakers.
Speaker 5:So I mean.
Speaker 2:And Utah.
Speaker 5:I mean he's a good player, but I mean he turns into some, some extraterrestrial however you say that word creature when he's playing against the Lakers. I mean that's fine, it's got him where they've gotten so far. But yeah, I mean he's definitely good, but against the Lakers he's the greatest player ever. But I digress.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and seeing the rest of those guys, their role players like Porter Jr, what's?
Speaker 1:the other guy Gordon.
Speaker 2:KCP. Those guys can't get off if Jokic and Murray's not drawing the defense to them. So if they're not going, then the rest of the guys is pretty much stuck.
Speaker 3:And then you also got to think about this they don't have a bench Like they got, braun, I've been saying that all year. They got Reggie Jackson.
Speaker 2:I think they run seven. I think they really only play seven.
Speaker 3:I haven't even seen DeAndre Jordan yet. No, it's like in the playoffs, yeah, you want to kind of curve your minutes and things. Like you know, you want to kind of slim down that rotation a little bit, you know, but if you already slimmed it down and you really ain't got nobody else to count on, like you can't just bring somebody fresh out there who ain't really got that type of playing time all year and throw them in there. And it's the playoffs, like, where one little mistake can change the entirety of the game. So, yeah, they're kind of on the bad end of this series and being down 0-2 and heading to Minnesota. It's like, yeah, you're not going to steal one there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I'm like man, you going now, you about to go to Minnesota, like I don't see, like you said, I don't see them stealing one in Minnesota. Um, but that Thunder Mavs game I think it's going to be second game anyway. I see Kyrie and Luka figuring it out. They've been figuring it out, they've been going crazy. Is the Thunder too young for this spotlight?
Speaker 5:They've been defying odds to me all year. I still don't know how they're getting it done with that lineup. I don't know.
Speaker 3:It's continuity, it's continuity and that lineup I don't know. It's continuity.
Speaker 5:It's continuity.
Speaker 3:And that chemistry.
Speaker 5:And maybe that coach, maybe that coach. I'm just saying I mean, when you got a coach that actually knows what he wants to do, what he wants to do, to take the other team out of doing what they want to do, it goes far. But I digress again.
Speaker 2:All right, man, let's jump into these award winners in the NBA man. Now it's the last couple. So you got Rookie of the Year, Wimby. You got Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gay. I think that's his third or fourth.
Speaker 3:Rudy Gobert. Rudy Gobert, rudy Gobert.
Speaker 5:Rudy Gay is not even.
Speaker 3:Bro, I don't think.
Speaker 2:No, rudy Gobert, I'm just like Bro, I'm old school bro, I'm just used to.
Speaker 3:Rudy Gay. I was about to say did they name the defensive player of the year trophy after Rudy Gobert? I'm about to say, hey, that's wild.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that would have been hella wild.
Speaker 2:I don't think he won none. Rudy Gobert sorry wins. Defensive player of the year. Nba social justice champion this is one of them. New random trophies Karl-Anthony Towns gets that and, of course, mvp goes to Jokic. I think all those are okay. Mvp though, that should have went to Shea, okay. Okay, let's talk about it.
Speaker 2:So me and my best friend, we was talking about this the other day and he was saying that he thinks it should have or could have been Luka. He led the league in scoring. I mean to pull his team out of the play-in into a playoff spot. I mean to pull his team out of the play-in into a playoff spot. I was saying it was going to be shade. Just based on how the NBA views that award and how they've traditionally given it out, it's usually been like I said, the best player on the best team with the best record, usually in the strongest conference, which has been the West for a little while now, and I heard Shaq and Charles arguing about this. What should the award? The MVP, it says most valuable player. What do y'all think the qualifications of that should be?
Speaker 5:I don't know, but I know what it should be. It should be the best player. That's what I'm saying. What do you think it should be? Literally, numbers who's the best player, who's producing the most? I think that's who it should go to, regardless of their record or the team you'd have to you. I mean, you'd have to consider that. But, man, I, I want the, the best player, to win here. Or maybe they should have a player of the year in an mvp or something like that I agree with that best player, regardless of your.
Speaker 5:I don't care if y'all you know 2-52 or 2-62, 20-62 rather, but if you got a player on your team averaging 40, 35, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. You need to win at least best player of the year, most outstanding player, whatever.
Speaker 2:But I mean, I feel like I see they're adding these, these random awards.
Speaker 5:It would be very easily to add a player a year and then an mvp, like you said, because and then it's like if you were to make it like, like how you suggested, like best player on best team, best record, then I mean we don't need to vote, like nobody needs to vote, it could just be an automated, you know. And then what if that best player on that best team only averages 26 and 6? Does that like 26 rebounds and six assists? Was that? Does that qualify him for MVP? I feel like if you put too many stipulations on it, then you know that takes the guessing part out of it. But, um, I'm actually not one that should have guaranteed. I mean, I don't know, jokic's numbers are crazy 26-12-9 as a center, I mean.
Speaker 1:I can't.
Speaker 5:Basically, what I'm trying to say is I can't really argue with it. I can entertain the conversations for somebody saying Luka or somebody saying Shea, but I can't necessarily say they got it wrong though, because I think Luka averaged like 33 this year. Yeah, that's nuts.
Speaker 2:I think it was like 33-6-8 or something like that.
Speaker 5:That's what I'm saying. Then maybe he should have got more consideration. But Jokic is one assist off a triple-double. That's pretty significant.
Speaker 2:I mean, and then like usually players and this is what I was telling him I'm like usually players get penalized for having a second star or a second player to. You know what I mean that performs well, and that's what I was thinking about Like I was surprised when it didn't go to shade, because I'm like, well, you know, he got a lot of yeah. Well, you know he got a lot of. Yeah. I think the next best player on the team is averaging like 19 or something like that, or close to 20 um, which, and then it's like you got him averaging 33. So it's like a huge gap.
Speaker 2:He's like clearly separating himself from the rest of the team, but then, when you got like yokich averaging what he's averaging, and then you got murray averaging like 26 you know what I mean, or 25 or something like that. And then you look at luca's like OK, luca may be penalized because you got Kyrie. You know Luca averaging 33, but you got Kyrie averaging you know what I mean 23. It's like, ok, well, we see where their success is coming from. But when you look at Shea and it's like that big of a gap it's almost a 12 point gap difference between him and the next best player on this team.
Speaker 2:You look at your bitches, like, okay, we can see where their success is coming from, because you know murray picks up. You know the slack on that end. Um, that's why I like, when you look at like yannis and middleton, like yannis only got one, because I think they look at, okay, middleton is coming into his own. And when you got that second star, like lebron, like you look at his numbers, like the past five years and you compare it to his mvp years, it's like it's almost like right there, but he's never.
Speaker 2:He don't even get a vote right so I just I don't know, man, it's hard to kind of put you know what I mean like a label or like a, a formula to this, this mvp award.
Speaker 5:But yeah, it's different and a little and a little weird.
Speaker 2:But I, but three and four years. Imagine if he do this next. What if he went four and five?
Speaker 5:bro Crazy. He could have really had all four in the world Really.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 5:I think they gave it to Embiid to kind of break it up a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because Embiid had been right there on the cusp and I think they were. Wasn't they the number one seed that year in the East? No, they were number two. I think Were they behind themselves, I don't remember, but like he was, just I don't know. I guess they feel like they had slid at him the year before, because I think he led the league in scoring that year too. But Akeem too, with the games though, like now being qualified for awards, like maybe you know. They looked at, okay, like Jokic played I don't know 75 games, you know whatever. So maybe that's coming into play now too. They're looking at like, okay, maybe Shea only played, like right at what, is it 65 or something like that? 62?
Speaker 1:Did you got to be to qualify.
Speaker 3:Maybe he was closer to that number than Yoker I think it's 65. It is 65.
Speaker 2:So being closer to 65, okay, well, he played 66. Yoker's played 75 or whatever. So I don't know who knows when those votes come. But all right, man, let's get into the nitty-gritty of this. What we really can't talk about what's the rest of the sports world talking about right now? So NFL players versus NBA players and who can play and who leads. So Austin River claims that he could take 30 NBA players that could play in the NFL, but couldn't take 30 NFL players that could play in the NBA. So I actually did some research online and looked at some people's lists that I have right here, but I want to hear y'all's thoughts on this first Boom with that face. What you talking about, man?
Speaker 3:I mean, let's be honest here.
Speaker 2:Oh, wait a minute, hold on, let's play the clip first. Let's play the clip first before we. Alright, so?
Speaker 1:I kind of agree and I kind of disagree. I do not think there are 30 players in the NBA that could be good.
Speaker 5:NFL players. Can you turn it up a little bit, absolutely.
Speaker 2:These are some of the best athletes in the world, and I think when they hear no, that's just how it is on the website they can get their bodies ready for the NFL. I think that's. Yeah, that's the loudest NFL players usually. Even if they were high-level basketball players at one point, that'll still allow us. Okay. So what game translates better to the other sport? Let me know down in the comments.
Speaker 3:Okay. So, with that being said, what do you think Boom, let's be real here I want to know he's going to have to break down that 30 list that he's looking to take to the NFL, because anybody over 6'5 is getting toasted For one. You can catch the ball if you want to, but here's the thing it's going to be hard getting up off that ground. And if you catch that ball and let's say, let's just say Derwin James catches you coming across that middle, you definitely going back to being an NBA player, you done after that.
Speaker 3:And that's what's happening to a lot of these NBA players, like they play. Some of them have played football and they got that one nice hit, whether it be peewee, middle school, high school. They got that one nice hit and they said you know what, I'd rather play basketball. And then at the same time you got, you know you got NFL players who just said you know what I can? I can, I'd rather play football than basketball. I can play basketball but I'd rather play football. And they actually have highlights. I can play basketball but I'd rather play football, and they actually have highlights.
Speaker 3:Like you can go to a lot of players Jalen Ramsey, anthony Richardson who else I know? Darius Butler he posted some film the other day about him hooping. Like you have all these players in the NFL that can post film of them actually out there hooping in the game, dunking windmilling. Miles Garrett you know they can actually play, but when have you seen an NBA player post their football film? Like you might have seen a little bit on LeBron? Who else? Allen Iverson, who really he could have played, definitely could have played some college ball at quarterback, but the only person that legitimately played both and could have been nice in the NFL also is Charlie Ward. You know he won the Heisman at Florida State.
Speaker 3:And he definitely would have been in the NFL Now. At the time when he joined they wasn't in tune to the whole dual threat quarterback thing. So I think that's what kind of slighted him to go to the NBA. But outside of that, like no, you can't take 30 players from the NBA and put them in the NFL.
Speaker 2:Okay, Jared what you think.
Speaker 5:I'm kind of up in the air because I mean, it's like I'm a circumstantial guy. It depends on what positions it depends on. Are positions it depends on? Are these guys being able to train first? It just I feel like there's a lot of variables, like, do I feel like there are some guys in the NBA that could do some things on a football field? Yes, do I think that they could do it like tomorrow? No, you know what I'm saying. So like I need more information. Do I think that there's 30 guys in the NBA that could, with some training and practice, play somewhere in the NFL? I actually do believe that, and I do believe for the other way around too. So I look, I I'm kind of, I'm at a toss up with it, like like I said I could, I could see it happening, but like tomorrow, no. And it's like I put in a could see it happening, but like tomorrow, no. And it's like I put in a group.
Speaker 5:A big thing for me is like body movements. Like because even what you're saying, you've seen some of the NFL guys. You know hooping, they still look weird, though Jump shots is weird, you know, the body movements just aren't there, like I mean, you know, know, dribbling is tough. I mean, you got to be able to dribble. Um, anybody can hoop, but can you, can you break a press? You know what I'm saying. So it's just like I, I, I don't know. Do you know what to do in it when you're being doubled? Uh, can you make the right reads? Can you shoot with people in your face? I mean, it's just a, it's's just a bunch of miracles?
Speaker 5:that I just don't really. So I could see it, yeah, and I could see it, no, but football is just not a hard sport to me. That sounds crazy, but like I just don't think it's a hard sport. Some positions are hard but a lot of it's not that complicated, that's just my observation.
Speaker 3:I don't know okay and when you said something about the jump shot thing, I automatically went to tyrese halliburton and kyle, and that's true but the difference is he's practiced that probably.
Speaker 5:He's probably been shooting like that since he was eight consistently, and although the NFL guys probably been shooting, the way they shoot for a long time too is like they don't have as many shots and as many reps as Halliburton has. Not only has Halliburton practiced that shot on his own, he's played in multiple games at a high level with that shot. You know what I'm saying. So that's a good point, but that's kind of that's that's kind of different situations when you're, when you're speaking on an nba 260 million dollar man. I mean he could shoot underhanded and I'm still gonna take that over most people's perfect form if you don't play nba. So that's a very good point, though. Very good point.
Speaker 2:With that. Let's see. I know we posted in a group that James Jones had something to say about this. Let's hear what he had to say and then I'll give you my take on it.
Speaker 5:I don't even know who the fuck he is, bro.
Speaker 2:He was wide receiver on Green Bay. Yeah, I don't remember that he was on that on Green Bay. He was wide receiver for Green Bay.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I don't remember that, Only James.
Speaker 2:Jones on that Super Bowl team.
Speaker 3:I think he was like number 89 or something like that.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we can't hear that bro.
Speaker 2:I can't turn it up no more. Let me say something. Yeah, that's as loud as it go.
Speaker 5:That's crazy. You think the viewers can hear it, anybody watching. Can y'all give us some feedback? Nobody, okay.
Speaker 2:There's two people watching.
Speaker 5:Can anybody hear this Please? Comment yes or no please.
Speaker 2:I can hear it. I don't know it's not super loud, but I can hear it.
Speaker 5:Anybody, anybody, all right. Well, yeah, I can't hear it at all. The last one I can hear a little bit, but this one I can't hear at all. But it's all cool. I think we get to just what he was saying. For him to say Austin Rivers, is it still going or is it off now?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's still going. It got about 10 seconds, Okay. So basically he was talking about, he was saying Austin Rivers barely made it in the NBA himself.
Speaker 5:That's cat as hell Does he not know who Austin Rivers is? Austin Rivers was one of the best prep players in the country. One of the best prep players in the country. He went to Duke, held his own there, solid NBA career. His dad was an NBA player, current coach. So he has all that knowledge to say that I'm taking, I'm taking his career over James Jones career and that's just being, that's just keeping it a book. But that's neither here nor there. I think he was going a little bit too hard, like I don't. I don't think it's as deep as he was making it seem, but I mean he's going to defend this sport, he's going to defend his craft, so I get it but he's going to defend this sport, he's going to defend his craft, so I get it.
Speaker 2:But Okay, so I found this list of NBA players that they think can play in the NFL. So they say LeBron James, just because his size and, like you know, he played tight end. He's saying Anthony Edwards, just his athleticism probably could play some receiver. Jalen Suggs, for the Magic, was a star quarterback in high school Dual threat. He was like the number two player in the state of Minnesota. He actually won Mr Football and Mr Basketball in the same season.
Speaker 2:That's crazy, of course. They're going to say Giannis, they're going to say Zion, because of that.
Speaker 5:I can't see what the hell is Giannis going to do on the field, going to say Zion because of that. I can't see what the hell is Giannis going to do on this. They just said like a reason, exactly Because they said like I was just like man.
Speaker 2:They said his leaping ability and his agility and speed. But I'm like so, what I don't know man. They're saying a receiving threat.
Speaker 5:I can't even see him catching the ball.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm looking at. When I heard, when I seen him like because he, because he's not really quick you're looking like jayla ramsay, he wouldn't get any separate.
Speaker 5:Who is he gonna separate from?
Speaker 2:yeah, no, I agree with that, there's no way he got, the arm link thing would come into play.
Speaker 5:So it'll be hard, I'm thinking like if you blow it up, yeah, even if you jam me I couldn't, I couldn't see it, I couldn't see it, I couldn't see it. You got to be super coordinated to play.
Speaker 3:And I just can't see it. No, I can't see Giannis, honestly, and I can't see Zion either. To be real with you, I can't really even see, well, maybe I'm thinking about 40-year-old LeBron.
Speaker 2:If you look at somebody like DeForest Buckner, you look at somebody like, uh, deforest buckner, he about the same size as as zion.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, you know what I mean it was. I am another thing I feel like the builds are different too. Yeah, comparable height and weights. Like football players train differently than nba players, you know what I'm saying. So like the weight isn't the muscle, the weight's not distributed the same. So I think that's what's kind of messing with my mind too, because I can't see Zion coming around the edge, like I feel like somebody would just block him with one hand, like but I mean that could just be like like, like I said, like mentally, like you just.
Speaker 5:I just can't see it.
Speaker 3:So they say Please say that they didn't put Anthony Davis on there.
Speaker 2:No, they say John Morant could be a good receiver or running back Receiver. They say Draymond would make a good linebacker. No, he's getting cooked. Look, I'm just saying they're saying Marcus Sparks. You know just some of the tough guys in the NBA.
Speaker 5:Marcus Smart would probably be a safety.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what they said. And they said he'd be a great safety. They said Russell Westbrook could be a running back.
Speaker 3:Nah. I see him on defense.
Speaker 2:Aaron Gordon they said Aaron. Gordon could play some tight end.
Speaker 5:Running backs are no ditty. But running backs are thicker below the waist. You know what I'm saying? No ditty, but running backs are thicker below the waist. You know what I'm saying? Like Westbrook ain't got like the thighs of a running back. Like he don't have the bottom half strengthness.
Speaker 2:Well, like you said, and their bodies are made for basketball.
Speaker 1:So different muscles are used. Yeah, that's what I was alluded to earlier.
Speaker 2:So they're probably like, I think, if they trained the way football players trained and ate the way they would. You know what I mean. You know, I mean whatever that average body is at that position, you say, all right, we take his athletic ability, put it into a running back's body in the nfl.
Speaker 5:We think he will perform like this you could put a nba no, no, absolutely. Then yeah, I mean, that's a wash there, so a few others.
Speaker 2:they saying Bam, jimmy Butler oh my God bro. I mean Sabonis. Some of these people did play.
Speaker 5:Dennis Smith Jr. What the fuck is Bam going to do on the football field?
Speaker 1:What position is he going to play?
Speaker 2:Six foot nine to eight. They saying a good lineman, I mean, but he had to bulk up, though. I mean, like you said, I mean there's six, nine linemen in the league. I mean you see what happens.
Speaker 5:He's like 340, though Vernon Like he's probably 240.
Speaker 3:You see how a lot of these guys like that's coming in from college football to play well, not college football but college basketball to play in the NFL. You see how long it's taking them to adapt to the game. They ain't just going to be able to just come in and just play. And I think that Austin Rivers kind of has to look at like you see, you know how long it takes, like Mo'Ali Cox took him probably about three or four years before he actually was able to get some real playing time, and that's a long time.
Speaker 2:No, I agree, they say David Roddy from the Suns. I guess he had a D1 offer to play QB while he was in high school in Minnesota. Who David Roddy for the Suns? He's 6'4", 255. They're saying he'd be a good lineman, but he played QB in high school in Minneapolis. I'm sorry.
Speaker 3:Man don't, nobody know him. Man, these are the random people they pick. I ain't just naming off people. He sound like a creative player on 2K.
Speaker 5:He look like one too, but nah, okay though, do I think that there could be 30 guys from the NBA with training like to actually go through practices in the training camp? That could do something on the football field. Yeah, and I see that opposite way as well. All pro? Probably not.
Speaker 2:So they say so like players who like so opposite, so NFL players that could play in the NBA. They say Mo Ali Cox was one of them because he played you can really just name a lot of basketball players. That's converted yeah, they Keon Coleman for the Bills he played before.
Speaker 2:Mason Peline for the Titans, for Niners, then they said that some people they like to see play like they talking about. They saying Bobby Wagner man, I don't know about that Hell. No, oh, wait a minute, he played basketball in high school. Christian McCaffrey, they saying he played three sports football and basketball. He played in high school.
Speaker 5:Terrell Byer was an awesome basketball player too, yeah, CJ.
Speaker 2:Stratton, I think they kind of doing current. He played basketball and he's dropped 30. He dropped 31 in the celebrity All-Star game. Dang, that's different. Cooper DeJohn for the Eagles hey, his high school tape is cold.
Speaker 3:That's what I was about to say. Did you see that man? Mick's tape? Hey, it's not cold, I ain't going to lie. He's spamming on everybody.
Speaker 2:Hey, he can hoop, yes, he can hoop, they saying. Dan Skipper tackled for the Lions. He played in high school also, but he's 16, so he's the tallest player in the NFL. They said you know, you can't teach height. Devontae Adams Now see, I think he played two sports. He played in high school and he could have played in college, they said, but he chose football. Dejuan Jones tackle for the Bears. He played at Ben Davis. He had a D1 offer, ended up going to the NFL. Deforest Buckner, they said, and he was Gatorade Player of the Year in Hawaii. He averaged 12 and 10 as a senior in high school.
Speaker 3:That's crazy.
Speaker 2:Drake May hey, his highlights is cold too. I ain't see his. Yeah, look up Drake May's. He got some highlights out there too. Garrett Wilson he played basketball in high school, so a lot of these guys played in high school. Even jay javon dang jv on clowny, he played in high school too. Power forward he said he got a good highlight reel too. Jamar chase a lot of these guys played in high school.
Speaker 5:Joe burrow I'm watching cooper dejean's, dejean's uh basketball highlights and that's what I'm saying. You can tell that he's a football first because like all his dunks are like the same they're tight, but they're just like the body movements, like they're a little stiff, like you can just tell that that's not his natural, you know. But he's talented, he's athletic, so he can make things happen. But I could be tripping, but like he just it looks, it just looks.
Speaker 2:You can tell when somebody needs to be, is supposed to be on the football field, versus a basketball player.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he definitely got it Like, even if you look at.
Speaker 2:Miles Garrett, like you know what I mean. You look at him like, yes, can he play? Yes, but like his movements, like unless he's just out there messing around and he just dunking and stuff like yeah, that looked cool, but like in a game, like they were showing him in a pickup game and it's just like dude, it doesn't look like you know what I mean, like you used to running around picks and stuff like that, like you would in NBA, yeah, yeah. So I mean a lot of people like Keenan, they saying Keenan Allen makes them cry. All these guys played in high school. Mike Evans, of course they say Miles Garrett, nick Foles, Patrick Mahomes he averaged 20 points as a junior in high school he's probably playing in 1A, probably, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I'm just reading some of their stats and stuff. T Higgins played shooting guard and he had offers from Louisville, tennessee and Auburn. Tj Hockinson he played in high school. Travis Kelsey he played in high school. Travis Kelsey he played in high school.
Speaker 5:So now that you mention all these, for sure, I think there's some guys that could.
Speaker 2:I think the guys in the NFL probably there's a lot of guys that play some ball in high school, but vice versa, if you don't hear a lot of NBA guys, you know what I mean. The other way, like they play a lot of football and ended up picking basketball, like it's just like a lot of them guys that they were naming on that end was like oh yeah, man, based on his size and his athletic ability, we could see him playing. It was probably like out of the 30, it was probably 10 that had high school or college basketball or football background. So I think Austin Rivers is wrong. I think it translates better football and NFL you know football players to the NBA and I feel like you definitely can't name any foreign players.
Speaker 3:No, they don't even know the game of football. Yeah no, ain't never even attempted to play it To me. You probably should leave it up to American players when it comes to that.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. That's crazy. We got a comment there's no gym basketball player that can go and record their pickup football game.
Speaker 5:yeah no, I agree, yeah, yeah, that's a great point too, like because I mean we you know, they say oh well, you haven't seen an nba player. I mean it's kind of hard. I mean can't just go put pads on and just go out there and do it. I mean anybody could go to a gym where there's the YMCA or you know whatever, and hoop and look good, look bad, whatever, but you know so.
Speaker 2:I guess it's kind of hard to just walk on through you know what I mean, like a mini camp, and walk in and just start, you know lining I mean, because even I mean pads aside, even if you're doing 707 drills and things of that nature, like I think, like you said, again, with the proper training and you put them with a position coach for you know what I mean six months, you know what I mean. There I think there would be some guys who would be like, okay, yeah, he can't bend the court. Okay, yeah, he is strong enough to to get after the quarterback, or you know what I mean. Or, like you say, play corner is probably one of the hardest corner and qb it probably be one of the hardest. But, like you said, receiver, you know the ability to jump, track a ball. It's the same thing in basketball when you're catching a alley-oop or catching a pass. You know what I mean. Like on the fast break and stuff like that. You got to track the ball, have good hands.
Speaker 2:So I think some of those players would uh, translate, you know, like you said, as a receiver or tight end things of that nature. Um, he said, hell, no, we can't hear it, so, but we kind of, we kind of like, we kind of talked about it anyway what it was saying. So all right, man, let's jump to this last topic, man, uh. So let's see if we can hear this one. So charles barkley defends darvin ham and Frank Vogel the firing of those two. I'm going to share this and hopefully y'all can hear it. I think this is a good one.
Speaker 6:All the games we watch all the talk shows. You know a lot of these people on television. They're cowards. They want the players to like them. They don't want to do their job, which is to tell the truth. And I just want to say this about Colby Anybody who thinks the reason the Lakers suck is because of Darvin Ham or the reason the Suns suck is because of Frank Vogel, you don't know what you're talking about. Frank Vogel is a hell of a coach. Darvin Ham is a hell of a coach trying to get his career started. But for all you punks, idiots and jackasses on other networks who want to be media and want all the players to like y'all, do your damn job. The Lakers suck and the Suns suck because of the players. It has nothing to do with the coaches. I feel better now.
Speaker 4:I can tell Looks like you're getting that off your chest.
Speaker 1:I did, I hate it, man. You said that later.
Speaker 4:Darvin Ham needs to get fired. Frank Vogt needs to get fired. Who put them teams together? Them trash-ass teams put together need to get fired. Them guys. They didn't just all of a sudden suck as coaches People who put them teams together. They start packing up their stuff. A little bit more on the game you just saw, by the way, the Clippers.
Speaker 2:All right. So, jared, you kind of been waiting for this man. I know we've heard throughout the year your thoughts on Darvah Ham. What do you think about what Charles said?
Speaker 5:Okay, so he said all of a sudden, they suck. When the hell have they not sucked? And then he's saying both coaches are hell of a coach, or whatever he said. Based on what? And it's like he's trying to totally eliminate the fact that coaches out there coaches are responsible for holding players accountable. So if you see a bad habit, it's on the coach to correct that. Right or wrong. That's right.
Speaker 5:So for your team to continue to make the same mistakes, have a lack of effort, have a lack of play, don't know what they're doing, that's coaching and it's just like. I think all these old school players are just so jealous of these guys now because of the money that they're making, so they want to find a way to push that back. But if you can't, if you're the coach of a team with Kevin Durant, devin Booker and Bradley Bill and you get swept in the first round, that's on you, because you're not figuring out how to get that team to win, whether it's you need to bring somebody off the bench, whether you need to switch who has the ball here, whether you need to rotate when guys are in, when guys are out, or what positions or what spots on the floor you want them to get. That's all coaching. That's all coaching. So I totally disagree with that.
Speaker 5:And he's trying to call people idiots because they're not backing these coaches that you know, outside of Frank Vogel's 2020 championship with LeBron and AD, he hasn't done anything. And Darvin Ham this is his first head coaching job he has done nothing. So I think they both deserve to lose their jobs. They're both horrible coaches. What are we talking about?
Speaker 2:All right, boom. What do you think, man?
Speaker 3:I had to totally disagree. I understand where he's coming from, but let's be real here. It's the GM's fault all the way across the board. For one, you're bringing in these players and you're bringing in these coaches. If these coaches suck, why you didn't see that during the interview process?
Speaker 5:And that's another thing. Who the hell decided to bring in Darvin Hamm?
Speaker 3:That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5:Okay, so I actually agree with you.
Speaker 3:It's solely solely on the GM. The Suns have had three head coaches in three years. Get the fuck out of here. If I'm the owner and I'm paying for three head coaches next year, oh no, bro, you got to go because at this point you're wasting my money. I'm paying three dudes to stay at home. I'm about to pay a fourth. I'm about to pay four head coaches for this one team. No, I'm ready to go.
Speaker 5:You got on the flip side of that go ahead ahead my bad.
Speaker 3:And for the Suns case, they shouldn't have never went after Bradley Beal. When they was talking about going after him, I was like, do they not see that you have three ball handlers, like three people that need the ball in their hands to make plays, people that need the ball in their hands to make plays, like Devin Booker? He's not like, he's not a run around catch and shoot type of guy. Kd is, he can, he can possibly do that, but Bradley Beal is not a facilitator. He's not gonna be able to move your offense like that. He he's a shooting guard who needs that ball in his hand. So he shouldn't have never been traded for they didn't need that much help. What they needed was a facilitator at point guard, not another combo guard playing on that team.
Speaker 3:And then for the Lakers standpoint, I know everybody, I know a lot of people are LeBron fans. I'm not. I haven't been a LeBron fan since his last year in Cleveland, the first time, oh Jesus Christ. But that that don't make me a hater, I'm just. I know. I know what I know, I know what I see. But for LeBron's case, comparing when, when you, when you come into it, like let's be real here, every time something messes up, it's the coach's fault. It's the coach's fault. Oh, we need to get this player to help the team. We need to get that player to help the team. When has any players really developed with LeBron and I also saw earlier, that was a great, great comment Just let LeBron be the player coach. If these coaches keep getting fired, just let LeBron be the player coach. If he's the one who, at the end of the day, is going to low-key, undermine these coaches, let him just be the player coach. Let him do his thing.
Speaker 5:I ain't going to disagree with that. Let it happen then, because the coaches clearly aren't on shit.
Speaker 3:So I mean but that's the thing. Who wants to go coach a LeBron-led team when they feel like, oh, at the end of the season, I can just lose my job?
Speaker 5:A coach with some balls, I could coach them to win. So any real coach with any established system, okay. For example, what is Darvah Hems? What is his favorite after timeout play?
Speaker 3:Oh, I don't know. He shouldn't have been a head coach to begin with?
Speaker 5:Okay, all right oh, I don't know. He shouldn't have been okay to begin with? Okay, all right. Um, how does? How does he like to defend a point guard that likes to get to the free throw line extended?
Speaker 3:I can't even tell you my brother exactly.
Speaker 5:I can't. Even I've watched every second. That's, that's a problem. That's a problem. So I mean, I don't, I don't care what anybody has to say about you know so-and-so getting so-and-so fired, that's an issue. Nobody can answer any of these questions for me. How do how? Do we not know what his bread and butter is? On offense, you want me to tell you what, uh, michael Malone's is. That dribble handoff with with Yoke is at the top of the key, with Murray getting Murray going to his left-hand side so he can create. They literally run that same action almost every time down the court. That's the sign of a coach who knows what he wants to do and what the situation is, and what he knows his guys can do better than anybody else.
Speaker 3:But you know what that comes with. That comes with continuity. Mike Malone has been their coach for years. I get that you can't just bring in, I don't care what nobody says, you can't just bring in a coach and hope that he will just get it done.
Speaker 5:With that kind of talent, you should be able to.
Speaker 3:They don't have no talent. I'm sorry, it's just LeBron and AD. That team has a ton of talent but none of the guys have roles.
Speaker 5:That's another thing with coaching. You've got to establish roles. You've got to say, hey, look, for example, minnesota, jada McDaniels bro, just lock up. We don't need you to shoot threes, we don't need you to score, we don't need you to create, we don't need you to do none of that, just lock up. Don't need to do none of that, just lock up. That's all you got to do. Anything you give offensively is a bonus cool. Why can't you establish those kind of roles with anybody?
Speaker 5:On the lakers, it's, it's just, it's a free-for-all. Um, you know, d'angelo russell half you score 30 cool if you score a cool. Austin reeves if you drop 22 cool. If you drop 12, cool. It is what it is. Nobody has role.
Speaker 5:And I also think that the Lakers have had too much talent. When you have too much talent with a coach, that's not good. That can almost be a negative, because after two years, darvisham still doesn't know which five guys he can get the most production out of. He don't know which eight, seven, eight guys that he wants to play and let the rest sit. Granted, there has been some injuries and people been in and out of the lineup, but as a coach that's. Your only job is to figure out what is the best combination of guys on this team for me to go out here and get a win. That's it. And when you're on the opposite end of a 14-2 run, ok, we got to get something going to the basket, but instead there's a five out and then Rui Hachimura has an iso when you're getting slid 14-2, it's just little stupid stuff like that, and maybe I watch too much of one team, but that's trash.
Speaker 5:That's a trash coach. It's a trash coach team. They have no concepts, they have no go-to move, they have no go-to plays. It's a complete disaster.
Speaker 3:And as a coach, it's your job to provide all that. But that circles all the way back around. To whose father's that? Rob Palenka.
Speaker 5:Well, if you're going at it from a, he shouldn't have never been hired. I agree with that.
Speaker 3:No, he shouldn't have never been hired.
Speaker 3:I agree with that, yeah, no, he shouldn't have. When you have a team like that that has two superstars on the team, you can't bring in no first-year coach. You have to bring in a coach who has experience, who has, like, legitimate experience, not just because he played in the NBA. And let's be real, darvah Ham he was a benchwarmer in the NBA. And let's be real, darvish Ham he was a bench warmer in the NBA. Right, he was weak. So you can't just bring him in. And it's his first year coaching, being a head coach.
Speaker 5:No, you need somebody who has at least 10 to 15 years of head coaching. That's all us LeBron fans have ever been asking for.
Speaker 3:He's never had that. But how it's been played is he was handpicked by LeBron.
Speaker 5:And LeBron is not. And see, that's another thing. People use that as a negative. That ain't his job.
Speaker 5:That's just like if I'm a mechanic, and well let's just say if I'm a school teacher, I'm a music teacher and you have me work on your car, that's not my fault that I can't fix your car. Or you can't say that, oh well, you know, jared told me I needed a brand new crankshaft. That you can't say, oh well, jared, you did a bad job because that ain't my job. So, like you can't be penalized for doing something that's that's not my job, so I can't. I can't be penalized for doing something that's not my job, so I can't fault LeBron for, oh well, lebron handpicked him. That ain't his job. So if you're having, if you're an organization and you're having players pick coaches, that says more about the organization than it says about nobody ever said LeBron was GM of the year. So whether he does make a call or doesn't make a call, if it's wrong, that's not his job, so it doesn't even matter, that's the way I see it, rob Palenka Got to get him the fuck up out of there.
Speaker 5:Hey, I'm cool with it. And just like people were probably like damn well, you know, Frank Vogel lost his job and, bro, if you got them three guys on a team, you better figure something out to at least get out of the first round you have to. You got dominated, you didn't make any changes. There was nothing you can do to get those three all-star caliber players going going, all nba caliber players going like there's no way bro.
Speaker 3:Hey, let's be, but let's be, hold on, let's be real about it.
Speaker 5:They fucking up the nuggets so got to kind of be like, well, you got to kind of toss it up because they got the Nuggets down, see, and the counter to that, though, is that there's no reason why the Lakers, or the Suns, shouldn't have been in the top four with Minnesota and the Nuggets.
Speaker 2:I'm still You're talking about record-wise.
Speaker 5:Okay, see, I don't know how they're doing what they're doing with that roster. I don't know how they're doing what they're doing with that roster.
Speaker 1:I don't understand it, like I said, unless it is their coach.
Speaker 5:That's really like a PhD master basketball scientist I don't know, but there's no reason why the Lakers, with their talent, and the Suns with their talent shouldn't have been in the top four of the conference playing a lesser opponent, although the West was kind of stacked this year.
Speaker 3:It was, but you gotta. That's where that whole chemistry and continuity come into play. The Suns thrown together, the Lakers have been thrown together, okc has been built.
Speaker 3:They've been built from the ground up. They've been working inside out, the Lakers and the Suns outside in. That's a good point. You can have all the superstars in the world, all you want. You can have some top 23, top 20 players on your squad, but if their games don't mesh, they can talk all they want, they can talk about and say, oh, we're going to do this and that, but if their games don't actually mesh on that court, it's all for nothing.
Speaker 5:I feel that I never thought the Suns were going to be. I never thought the Suns were going to like win it all, did I think they had the talent, yeah, but I mean I think they traded away a lot of the pieces that they actually need. I think DeAndre Ayton probably would have helped. He could have gave you a little bit more scoring than Nurkic could have. Obviously, cp3 being there would have helped. I mean, they didn't have a point guard. So when I heard the trade went through, I'm just like, well, who's going to run point? Booker is a scorer, beal is a scorer, kd is a scorer. Neither one of them guys none of the three of those guys that I just named are are set you up type players you know or?
Speaker 5:I'm gonna run the control the pace type player, or I'm gonna set these guys up type players. So I mean I've never. But I mean you gotta have a talented guy at first round, like I. That's.
Speaker 3:That's just crazy but that's where that. That's where that whole facilitating thing. Like if cp, if cp3 was playing on the suns instead of Bradley Beal, I feel like the Wolves might have won, because you got to think before that trade went down.
Speaker 2:They made it out of the first round last year. Yeah, so there's only two. Those are really the only two players that switch, because the year before that was the kd trade and that's when they lost pretty much all their role players yeah so.
Speaker 2:But you got to think you go from. You go from nba finals one year to going and getting kd, to making it to the second round. And then you go, you get rid of CP3, and you bring in Bradley Bill and you get bounced in the first round. So like to me, like I agree with you Boom, like that's GM, you know what I mean. Like that's whoever's assembling the team. You know what I mean. The coach can only work with the players that he's given. He don't get to go pick players, say, hey, bring me him, bring me him, bring me him. And then coach it's like hey, look, whoever walks in during training camp, that's who I got to work with. You know what I mean. The higher ups, the front office, it's their job to give me the best players.
Speaker 1:And it's on me to coach them.
Speaker 2:But another thing, and one of the biggest things in the NBA that we kind of gloss over or we don't look at the human element of it is egos Like a lot of these. When you put a combination of superstar players together, sometimes it's egos and people don't want to buy into the system that the coaches you know maybe present. So now you're putting this coach in a position like, okay, I gotta find something that work, yeah, but every time I'm trying to implement something you know kd, like he came out and said he didn't like his offensive role in the offense, especially the second half of the year it's like how do you not center the offense around kd? You know what I mean. Like yeah, it's Devin Booker's team, but KD is the one player on your team that can do everything.
Speaker 2:And to answer your question, coaching yeah, that's what I'm saying, I'm just saying though, like but if you get again like Bradley Bill in and out the lineup hurt. You know, here and there, here and there Devin Booker in and out the lineup. You know like these players, you know injuries play a part too. Like you said, chemistry is huge. Because you look at the Timberwolves They've been together for like almost four years now. You know most of them since that Rudy Gobert trade. And then you look at the Nuggets. A lot of them have been together for a long time. The Corridor team has been together for a long time. You know what I mean.
Speaker 5:And you know what I mean. And, like you said, the lakers, they've been switching pieces out the past couple years. You know what I mean. We got too much, I know. I'm just saying about all the guys that even didn't play like you had vanderbilt didn't play, christian willard didn't play. Uh, gabe vincent missed almost the entire season, just like, but a lot of them guys is hurt, but like you said again, like all I mean injuries affect chemistry.
Speaker 2:Also, you know what I mean when a guy's not there. You know what I mean and you may be counting on this production. You may be counting on a Vincent's. You know 3 and D. You know like, okay, that's really a key part of what I want to do offensively, man he ain't here. I don't have nobody who can really come in at that level and fill that role. You know what I mean. And you thinking about you know, like the Suns, like they didn't have somebody to facilitate. But you thinking like you said, jerry, when you got those three guys, the ball should be able to move. Y'all been in the league long enough because this is basketball at the end of the day.
Speaker 2:So, yes, coaching plays a part, but y'all are professional, y'all the best in the world.
Speaker 5:so we still playing basketball at the end of the day, and I respect that comment, but then, if that's the case, then they might as well just not have a coach.
Speaker 2:I mean, you could say that a lot of times. Um, uh, ike is talking crazy. In the comments he said defund the audio guy and the comment guy, because he said this 30 minutes ago. Um, I don't know your, your comments are coming in late, sir. I'm sorry, but so I think I think it's a mixture of, like you said, the front office putting the players together, the coach getting buy-in from the players, but then the players also going out there and executing on a night-in, night-out basis, you know. So I think it's all three.
Speaker 3:Your players definitely have to buy-in to your head coach and if the players aren't buying in, like to me, they have to buy in day one, like when you're bringing in people like coaches to interview. You need to have, like your star players in there a part of that interview process, because they should be sitting there okay in certain stuff, like after the interview, the post-interview, like giving their input on how things is going to look during the season, what?
Speaker 2:type of offense do you like to run? What's your favorite defensive set, Like you said, what is your favorite play out of timeouts, Like, okay, I like to you know what I mean and kind of have a really a bonding moment with these interviewers you know what I mean with these coaches before you hire them, because, hey look, the players are the most affected by it, Right?
Speaker 3:Because once a coach loses the team, everything goes awry. I don't care who you got on that squad. Once the coach loses the team, it goes awry. And you saw it with the Lakers, like you saw it in the playoffs. You goes awry. And you saw it with the Lakers. You saw it in the playoffs when that final game it was basically blowing off Darvaham Hell. After the game they was already talking about him losing his job. Wait a minute.
Speaker 2:And I think the Lakers is a bad example. And I'm only going to say that because one or two shots, that game is set. That's a seven game series yeah you know I mean.
Speaker 4:So it wasn't like they were getting that's a Lakers 4-1 victory.
Speaker 5:That's what.
Speaker 2:I'm saying like they didn't get dominated and I think and and we can pretty much the same team went to the Western Conference Finals last year, so I don't think it's all coaching. I think it's just. Situations are situational and sometimes like they say the ball don't matter.
Speaker 5:Situation is 100% coaching. Bro, you literally took that's a coaching word. Situationally, the Lakers are terrible coaching word.
Speaker 2:Okay, so situationally the lakers are terrible, but look at the look at the, look at the last two shots that. Or look at the shots that murray hit like you, look, you hit that over a over. Anthony davis, probably one of the best players, and you know what I mean. The first one.
Speaker 5:The first one he made. Your team is up 20 in the third quarter, right, but I never got to that. And also the the. The second one that he hit was that. Yeah, the second one. The second game where he hit in game, what five. You don't even have a timeout. You had three seconds left after that shot went in. But your, your, your coaching strategy so terrible. You didn't even have a timeout left so. So they had to just push it up the court and throw up some bullshit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I mean again, like that's just a player's season in the moment. Like Murray hit two clutch shots, I get that, but it shouldn't have even gotten to that though. Right, but I'm just thinking. Let's say the Lakers make it to the Western Conference Finals again, like if they'd have made it this year we're not calling for darvin ham's job, and even if they don't want all those games by one point, let's say every game they won in the playoffs they won by one point. A last possession he's been terrible.
Speaker 5:He never should have got the job. He's been terrible. I haven't seen any. Like I said, after two years, bro, we can't even diagnose anything that he likes to do. That's good. We don't even know what he likes to do. I can't say, oh yeah, well, Darvin Ham likes to run the pick and roll with LeBron and AD likes to put pressure on the defense that way. So he's going to bank on that, you know, to start the game and then he's going to switch to you know X, Y, Z or he's going to. He likes to post LeBron up at this point in the game when he need a bat. We can't have this conversation about this guy. We don't even know what he likes to do, because it's nothing that he does good For every coach. There should be some dialogue as a oh yeah, he likes to do this, or his teams are always this, or his teams are rarely ever this or his teams never give up big leads or his team always plays defense.
Speaker 2:We can't say anything about it. We can't say any of that. I got a question then. So is Greg Popovich a bad coach?
Speaker 5:I don't know what's going on with him now.
Speaker 2:He's had his glory days, the same rules have to go.
Speaker 5:He could be a very terrible coach now, but also those teams are booty.
Speaker 2:I don't know what the Spurs are trying to do. Okay, but again like so, that team sucks.
Speaker 5:Whenever your best player is a rookie. It's the same team, same same front office and it's not even close, so you can't compare the level of talent on the Spurs to the level of talent on the Lakers but then when you're talking about coaching, then you also gotta if there's a player factor in that too you could say okay, we know, greg Popovich is a great coach.
Speaker 2:Why is he not getting getting the getting the results out of these players that he got out of?
Speaker 5:Because they're not good. Just like a coach can be good, players can be not good too. Like I'm not saying that there's no, every player is good. I never said that. No, I'm not.
Speaker 5:Because all I'm saying is, with the talent that you have, there should be a certain expectation. With the talent that Popovich had, there was no expectation. With the talent that Popovich had, there was no expectation With the talent that they've had the last three or four years. I mean, the best players that have been on the Spurs the last three or four years, or something like that, has been DeJounte Murray, which isn't there anymore, and Wimby. Wimby is double the player as a rookie, maybe triple or quadruple the player that any other person on the roster is as a rookie. You're not going to win many games like that. When you have a rookie comes in, that's four times better than the second best player on the team. You're not going to win. You're not going to win.
Speaker 5:So that I don't. Nah, you don't have a LeBron, you don't have an AD, you don't have all these guys that have done some great things at points in their career but all of a sudden, a coach can't find out a way to get them going, can't come up with a rotation that fits, you know, said players with the actual talent. The Spurs have been a trash team for four years. So I don't. That just doesn't compare to me Popovich should have. He should have been retired, exactly, exactly. I think Popovich is overstaying his, you know it's like Belichick.
Speaker 1:It's like Belichick at a certain point.
Speaker 5:It's like, ok, you can't just be elite forever, just like, eventually LeBron's going to slow down. I don't know when, but well, he has slowed down, but eventually he's not going to even be able to average 25. Like if there's an ending for everybody. And I just think Popovich might have been, might have made it too, but he's put in his work, he got five championships. I think he should have retired when.
Speaker 3:Tim Duncan and them retired. He should have had his swan song when they won their last championship. I agree with that he should have went out with them for sure, because I mean he's old.
Speaker 5:He's probably 75, 74.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he could have easily just went into the front office. He up there and, you know, found out who his successor could be.
Speaker 5:I mean shit, he let a lot of them go. Like you, think of all the coaches that have worked. Yeah, he's 75 years old. I think of all the coaches that have been under him Steve Kerr, budenhoser homeboy that's coaching the Rockets right now. I mean, his coaching tree goes on and on and on.
Speaker 2:I think you gotta hold players to the same. If you're gonna hold coaches to this high standard as far as the success of the team, you've got to hold the superstar players to that same count too, like okay, did you do everything in your power? You know what I mean. I think you've got to go deeper into analyzing it.
Speaker 2:I don't think it's always the coach and I don't think it's always the coach, especially a rookie coach. I think Frank Vogel's been in the league long enough and showed that when you give him talent, his teams can perform.
Speaker 3:He did win a championship. That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:He kept a very mediocre Pacer team afloat for a couple years too. So, like I don't think that's just all coaching on him. You know what I mean. Darvin Hamm is a new coach, so, yeah, he probably hasn't don't have all the philosophies, and he come from an assistant head coach which we don't know. You know how he was at the Bucs or what his role was at the Bucs? You know what I mean?
Speaker 5:Or even was he being truly prepped to be a head coach?
Speaker 2:eventually? Probably not. I'm just saying. I'm just looking at Frank Vogel because I think it's a better testament of somebody being fired unjustly than Darvin Ham, somebody who's really still a rookie coach, because a lot of guys that go to teams at least have, like you said, four or five years.
Speaker 2:But you've got to build that up and maybe Darvin Hillman will get a chance somewhere else you know what I mean and to be able to build that resume and to dig more into what worked and what didn't work and have some be able to self-analyze his time with the Lakers and be like, okay, cool, this is what I could have did. And maybe his next chance, maybe he can start off as an assistant and work his way up again and, you know, prove that he's grown from that experience. But I don't just think that hey, look if there's a different coach in there, that what happened with the Lakers totally changed or they're not in that same position based on the players they have and the injuries and the situations. I don't think that just that turns them into a 1, 2, 3, 4 seed. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:I don't think that, if they have that much talent that they were in what ninth and you're saying one coach can take them to top four in the West.
Speaker 5:There's a lot of coaches that need to be fired in the NBA. You're not lying. I agree with that too.
Speaker 3:But it comes with continuity and if he can control that room.
Speaker 2:Because you look, okay, look at Miami, then Eric Sposia should be gone.
Speaker 5:Then, based on that analogy, I've never been on the Eric Sposia train, so I'm going to just leave that one alone.
Speaker 3:He got it up to four straight NBA finals, didn't he?
Speaker 2:Yep, lebron yes, and he went to one with.
Speaker 3:LeBron, I feel like if he was a coach, they would have won all four.
Speaker 5:No, they wouldn't have. He took Jimmy Butler. There's no way a LeBron James, coach by me, is going to end the game with eight points. There's no way LeBron James, coached by me, is going to end the game with eight points. There's no way he's going to have 50 field goal attempts. Like bro, you're going to score more than that, for sure. You're going to score more than that.
Speaker 3:Why he didn't then?
Speaker 5:That's why I'm not on him as a coach Like I don't know. He's not doing it now. He wasn't doing that before.
Speaker 3:He's not doing it now. He wasn't doing that before. He's not that 50-point scorer like that, Like he's not that high-value scorer because he's looking to facilitate. Lebron is a facilitator at his best. He can get his shots, but he wants to facilitate. He's a leading scorer of all time. He's not that type. He's played 21 fucking seasons, of course.
Speaker 2:But there's been a lot of people who've played 20-plus seasons. There's nowhere near him in scoring.
Speaker 3:Nowhere near him, not even top 20 in scoring, but he's not that type of scorer, he's not that 50-point scorer.
Speaker 5:Are you going by eye?
Speaker 3:test or what he's not that 50-point scorer, are you going by?
Speaker 5:eye test or what? He's not that 50-point? If he was, why doesn't he put enough 50 points a?
Speaker 2:game, but two years ago he averaged 30. Like he's, he averaged 34 a season two years ago. This is two years ago, so that's year 20.
Speaker 5:That's what kills me about who else did they have on?
Speaker 3:the team to score.
Speaker 5:Oh, he was both somebody got a score oh, no, man, he's been different that's why I be trying to stay away all I'm saying is you can't say the man is not a scorer.
Speaker 2:That's all I gotta say. You can't say the man is not a scorer, that's all I got to say. You can't say he's not a scorer. He is a scorer, he's a facilitator, he's played 20-something odd seasons. Listen, he's a very, very good passer, but he's also an elite scorer.
Speaker 5:Let me ask you this so how much does a scorer average for a career? Yeah, who do you consider a? Score we're talking about averages, so that means you could play one season. You could play 30 seasons. We're speaking on averages, so the amount of years is completely thrown out.
Speaker 3:So are you saying he's a more elite scorer than Jordan and Kobe? I mean he's elite.
Speaker 5:Because when they were playing in their primes, they were playing in their primes. They were playing in their prongs forever and he has a higher field goal percentage than all those guys.
Speaker 2:I would say he's just as good a scorer as any of those. Yeah, you gotta give it to him he's a leading scorer ever.
Speaker 3:I'm not giving that just cause he got the record
Speaker 1:wait a minute he can get to the rim like AI a lot of conversations lack facts.
Speaker 2:I'm just saying his jump shot is now. His fadeaway is unstoppable now.
Speaker 3:Why did they get swept? If he's dead, why did they get swept? Because, the coach sucks. We've been talking about that for a long time. Don't move the goal post. Hold on for hours. Don't move the goal post. Hold on wait. Don't move the goal post, Because if he's this elite scorer, why wasn't he doing what Jalen Brunson is doing Getting 40 points damn near a night, Okay and then what is the rest of his team doing?
Speaker 3:Where have you been the last two decades? If he was this elite, if he was that now, why did they get swept? Okay, let me get this straight. Why did they get swept?
Speaker 5:First, they didn't get swept. Second we've been talking about this for a half hour they got a gentleman swept.
Speaker 3:They got a gentleman swept. Coach is trash.
Speaker 5:We've been talking about that for a half hour. That's been my thesis the entire time. Lebron did enough for them to be able to win AD did enough for them to be able to win.
Speaker 2:And I can say for once, I can say for once AD held up his end of the board.
Speaker 3:The Lakers led for 80% of the series Time out.
Speaker 2:LeBron had, literally the past couple years, been dragging this team to every single win that they were getting. They were the regular season playoffs. He had been dragging them.
Speaker 5:The Lakers led 80% of that series. He's probably the only coach that lost a series after leading 80% of it. That's literally all coaching. That's not talent If you can't win a series when you've led 80% of the entire series. The Lakers were leading, winning the game. You had a double-digit lead in every single game and you can't manage your roster to hold those leads. That's coaching all day. That's coaching Whether somebody's getting burned out, whether something's getting exploited, whether you have too many turnovers, whether it's just so many factors, whether Denver gets no spells to where they score every single time down the court. There's a chunk of a fourth quarter where Denver literally gets a basket of foul free throws every single time down the court.
Speaker 2:That's also the plan.
Speaker 5:goes on the players too, like y'all have to play it's a simple dribble handoff Every single time down the court, blitz it, do something different, hedge it, do something Like, do something, switch, do something, change up something. Please, it's not that complicated.
Speaker 2:Maybe the players didn't buy in the Darvish Ham philosophy.
Speaker 5:If I'm a defensive, coordinator and my corners are getting burnt on a deep route every single possession. Let's try cover two. Let's get some safety, help Split the field. Or let's go cover three, where we break it up in thirds. Let's go cover four, where we break it up in fourths. I'm not just going to keep letting my man just on an island, just get burnt.
Speaker 3:I deserve to lose my job.
Speaker 1:Of course I deserve to lose my job If I keep doing that same thing.
Speaker 5:that's getting exploited the same kind of way. I deserve to lose my job. Now if Darvin Ham changes up stuff and then they just keep hitting shots, alright cool. I ain't saying that they should have won the championship. They weren't the best team, but they were better than what they showed. Leading a series 80% of the minutes and you lose 4-1 is crazy. That's nuts, that's lose job worthy. That's all I have to say about that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Nowadays too. I want to end on this. Nowadays, the commitment to defense in the NBA is hard to get by in on the defensive end, so no lead is ever safe. We've seen that throughout the past almost 10 years as the NBA has been changing over to this super fast-paced offensive league. No lead is safe. Being up 20, yeah, it sounds good, but nowadays being up 20 is like being up five, especially when a team is up five, because in five possessions it could be a tie game.
Speaker 5:If you're letting Rui Hachimura iso, like of course, yeah, you're going to lose leads if you're letting Rui Hachimura iso, like of course, yeah, you're going to lose leads if you're letting Rui Hachimura iso when you're on the opposite end of a 14-2 run.
Speaker 2:I'm just saying, too, you got to lock in on the defensive end too when you get up 20. You're like, okay, we got this lead. Not only do we got to sustain it, we also got to get stops. That's another point I made, that we also got to get stops.
Speaker 5:That's another point I made. Establish roles Nobody on the Lakers has a role. It's literally YMCA pickup basketball. You can have all the talent in the world, but if a coach is not there to facilitate that basketball game you're going to lose. And I think that was the case with the Lakers and the Suns this year.
Speaker 2:All right man. Well, I guess I can Any final thoughts I got one, let's go ahead.
Speaker 3:Go ahead.
Speaker 5:Let's defund the Caitlyn Clark hate. I'm so sick of it. Oh yeah, that's crazy. I mean I see the most wildest outlandish comments every single day. It's just like it's s sickening, for lack of a better word. Like can we please just let this girl who, like I, don't understand what it is about her that it's not even a white and black thing. I see white people hating too.
Speaker 2:It's really like people are just so jealous that they can't even control it and they just spew it out on the internet and you know bro, we gotta, we gotta stop, we gotta stop I mean especially for, especially for now, like with this pool of wmba talent that just came into the league, that's really gonna, I think, gonna elevate it to that next level and it should it should.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean? It's like anything. Everybody should be supporting the wmba and trying to push it to that next level, because we all complain about oh man, don't get paid that much. Oh, they ride commercial airplanes like commercial flights. Oh, we complain about it as men, and even NBA players. They, everybody who's invested in basketball complain about it. Invested in basketball complain about it. But then when you get these wave of players who's changing the game, who's trying to take it and elevate it to that next level with a popularity and NILs and all this stuff, now we start shitting on them. It's like you know, and Caitlyn, unfortunately I ain't going to say unfortunately, but being white in a predominantly black sport, that's now going to be the face of the WNBA. Whether people want to like it or not, she's going to be the face of the WNBA. People don't like that and it's. I think it sucks.
Speaker 5:I mean get over it. Get over it, it's stupid.
Speaker 3:I've seen, you know, I've seen a lot of people just say a lot of outlandish things too. And it's like, you know, the wnba and the players and the, the, the people who support it, have always said please come to our games, please do this, please support the league to make it elevate. And so what if Kaitlyn, like bro, she just broke the record, well, quote unquote broke the NCAA scoring record. You know she deserves that hype. You know let's be real here.
Speaker 3:You know she deserves that hype. You know, let's be real here. If anybody else was to trade places with her, wouldn't nobody be talking about Iowa. Nope, they wouldn't be so. And her game is just so fluid, Like she's not just a scorer, she facilitates, she gets in the pass, Like, and she plays defense here and there. But you know, she's a damn good ball player and she's not looking to take like you've never heard her just come out and say, oh I'm this, I'm that, Like this and that, Like whatever trash talk that she do during the game, everybody does it, Everybody does it. So it's like what she supposed to be nice, Is she supposed to be like oh my gosh, I'm sorry. No, she don't talk, no shit, because she can do that.
Speaker 5:I don't even think she be getting out of hand with that. Even I feel like it's.
Speaker 3:It's what everybody do. In the heat of the game, you go talk your shit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nah, I agree, I agree with that Boom. What's your final?
Speaker 3:thoughts. Man, man, honestly man, I'm just. I'm with everybody right now in the well, really in the United States, with this whole official thing that's going on with this Pacers-Knicks series. It's kind of hard to watch, man, because you want to just see good basketball and when you start calling play, like you just start calling the wrong fouls and just it's just. To me it's not good for the league. I don't care what nobody say, it's not because you're not getting this same thing in the other series where the officials are, you're not being consistent Outlandish calls or they're not doing this and that, like you're not getting that in these other series, and the other series are okay, even though everybody is up a game to none or two games to none, you're not getting them type of calls. The crazy point is.
Speaker 5:They're rotating refs, though, so I don't know. I know.
Speaker 3:That's what that part is about.
Speaker 2:That really kind of makes it really sketchy. When you look at it it's like okay, why is, even though we're rotating refs, why, in this series particularly, there's so many bad calls? You know, what I mean and refs have already been investigated for you know gambling and all those things.
Speaker 2:And then you also look at the NFL having the same issue, for some reason, when it comes to the playoffs in these leagues. Like it's something with the playoffs in these leagues, like it's something with the refs that they feel like they have to put their imprint on the game, when really in the playoffs, that's when you should be letting the players play the most. Like I'm not saying letting them blatantly break the rules or you know, get away with hard fouls and things of that nature. You know, keep it. You know, keep it somewhat contained, you know what I mean. But also let them play. This is supposed to be the best of the best.
Speaker 2:And ticky, tack fouls, people fouling out, throwing out you know these, these pity pat texts and stuff. And the same thing in NFL. Like missed calls, like there's too many cameras on, there's too many cameras in these arenas and these stadiums for it to be all these missed calls without reviews. I don't think you should have to use challenges to review some of these. Like there should be a replay center that should be able to go right into the ear of the ref hey, look, we need to look at this last play, and it should be like that. It's too much technology out here.
Speaker 1:Go ahead Derek.
Speaker 5:So the Cavaliers just beat the Celtics.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they just whooped them. What yeah? 94-18. Yeah, they just beat them by 24.
Speaker 5:So the spaces I was making wasn't at what you were saying, I just clicked on it. I'm like it just popped up on my phone.
Speaker 2:I looked over I was like I just clicked on it. I'm like it just popped up on my phone. I looked over I was like, ooh, let me keep going because Boone was in the middle of talking. I didn't want to interrupt him.
Speaker 3:But yeah, Shit, you damn near could have stopped me. And how the hell? 24-point loss at the crib. Yeah, bro, like how does that even happen?
Speaker 2:And we were just talking hey an hour ago, we were just talking about a sweep.
Speaker 5:Man Plus 38,. Bro Jalen Brown was a negative 29. Tatum was a negative 22.
Speaker 2:Donovan dropped 29 again, crazy.
Speaker 3:And that's it. He just dropped 29. He ain't dropped 50. 29. Was enough. And y'all lost like that at home. And you can't sit back and say, oh well, you know, we missed Porzingis, bro. You got Tatum, you got Brown and Derrick White has been balling the fuck out.
Speaker 2:Drew Holiday y'all two-time. Al Horford, y'all two-time.
Speaker 5:Man, that's crazy. I thought that was weird. When I seen it at first. I'm like nah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I would have thought that was a typo. There ain't no way. And then my computer be tweaking.
Speaker 5:I was like maybe this took me back, maybe I need to reset. Yeah, maybe this is a game during the season or something Like. Nah, bro, they got out-rebounded by 13. Boston scored 30 points in the second half, total 16 in the fourth. Wow, that ain't going to cut it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nah, that ain't going to cut it, man. All right, man. Well, I guess, with that said man, I just want to thank y'all for watching. Everybody who tuned in, man. Thank Boom, of course, jared is always with me, man. I appreciate y'all, man, and