Final Betting Predictions and Wrap Up

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Oh as I was watching that collapse Not to bring a Boston team into this, but when not to bring a Boston team into this when when we miss those two free throws It was like wow, we're really doing this. They score thirty points in the second half They blow a twenty nine point lead And they still have a chance to end the game with less than six seconds left. They get a terrible Brunson thirty footer that over Wimy. But Oji comes in and gets the tip Um W House basketball choke you've ever seen. Is that it It has to be it because of the circumstances because The raw data tells us it's the biggest comeback in NBA finals history And I felt like it was Pfect fect expression of exactly this first team, which is First half The youthful exuberance, they're playing loose. They're playing free. They have absolutely nothing to lose. They can't miss And the second half, they score thirty total points. I think KG before we went live said they had eight Fld goals total in the second half. exxactly What a young team under these circumstances who hasn't been through the gauntlet you know, comes out and and 's a little bit tight, then it's contagious. The whole team is tight. And Weemby, you know, some of the observation coming into this game was Um when there's the turnaround is this short He tends to you can see some of the the fatigue still on that man and and the shooting percentage reflected it him. He ended up fine for twenty five mis throws with a things forty three minutes for Wimby. I thought Mitch Johnson, he was keeping Weemby in there Remember he rested him for like fifty seconds, brought him back in And I think the thinking was, let's go for the kill Let's get this, let's get this now. and if we if for're winning double figures, he's not going to play the last four or five minutes anyway. He wilted at one point. I think he missed ten of eleven shots down the stretch. She missed two monster free throws and then Combined with everything else that was coming back in this comeback in stages, which we will cover Fox gets to steal with ten seconds left up one because Brunson throws away gets tapped out and foxes with OG behind them. Yeah And you just have to fake like you're laying up and dribble it out and try to kill some time and shoot some free throws He goes for the layup, OG blocks it and basically the hero on both ends. This is one of the most heroic end of the game thingsings that we've ever seen in a finals game Uh, who? When the Spurs look back at this, who are they going to blame Um themselves. I think they they remember this is the same team that broke the record for most threes in the first half. They were red hot That's why this story is so crazy, Bill. It's like they went from the hottest shooting team we'd ever seen in a finals game to mayaybe the coldest. I haven't had time to look it up. fourteen for twenty six and then three for seventeen in the second half. Yeah, they were four of twenty in the third quarter as a team. and I think four of twenty in the fourth quarter after shooting the lights out. But you brought up Fox. Let's blame him a little bit. I can't believe that guy one clutch player of the year watching him down the stretch in this game. He the Spurs were doing an immaculate job taking care of the basketball too in the first half again. that all fell apart in the third quarter. Fox had a bunch of dumb turnovers Yeah third quarter, but that play Yeah, that's going to haunt their dreams to. They had the basketball. They were up one going to the rim, right? That's the moment with Anne ofobi. Yeah not with Yeah, like seven eight seconds leftater. Yeah, yeah. and he goes up. Maybe he got fouled, mayaybe he didn't, but I don't think he should have gone up. I think Darren Fox And obviously, Victtor Wemyama missing those free throws was huge. but just an absolute collapse on the offensive end of the court for the Spurs. I think Mike Green did a great job calling it out. It didn't look like they knew what they wanted to do. It didn't look like what actions they they weren't confident Who's the grown upp supposed to be? It supposed to be the point guard, the veteran, the clutch player of the year. I don't think he was big enough in that in that like late game stretch Well, you know, the grownups were there Jalen Brunson and OG H. Brunson never comes out. I don't think in the second half play forty four minutes, thirty six points OJ finishes with thirty three. He played forty one minutes and had the two biggest plays of the game plus A bunch of what was he seven for nine from three, a bunch of dagger threes too, but When you're coming back from this and the greatest The finals comeback. I remember before this was the Celtics against the Lakers in game four in two thousand eight. And that was they were down twenty four and it was basically two runs And it was some three pointers and the Lakers got a little tight and then Um, you kind of felt with two minutes left the Celtics were going to take the game. This was different. This was seventy nine to forty six at halftime The sppurs with fourteen for twenty six from three. two turnovers house. Yeah. They playing perfect basketball. I'm on tech threads with all these Nicks fans. who're all going nuts about the refs. And I'm like, you guys it's a twenty three to six free throw advantage at halftime. You guys are getting your asses kicked. likeike you're not defending threes. Your defense has been horrible and the spurs are playing great They ramped the defense up in the second half. So it goes from All of suden it's Castle gets the fourth foul And I thought all three annoucers missed it. Be I thought Brunson was a different guy when Castle was out there versus when he was out. So Castle goes out Pretty early. tenz nine in the third quarter Castle' out U But then the thing with these comebacks, these little stages, right So they get it to eighty one, fifty nine. They get it to eighty one sixty five with five minutes left. It's ninety seventy five at the end of three. So it's like, all right, you got to make your second run here And then they make it all of a sudden it's ninet nine ninety five with four thirty two left And we've all seen this next team house where it's like if they're in in sniffing distance, you feel like they're going to take it Um, but Alvaradoos out there. We have no Miael Bridges Towns has really done nothing. It's basically two guys cars. So what did you think was going happen with five minutes left? Wh it was going to win a great chance for the Kicks to win. I mean The one thing that had me feeling a tiny bit cautious is is the poise that the Spurs showed down the stretch in game three where they weren't completely phased. I mean, the Kicks tried to make a run in game three Um and the sppurs were like pretty calm. I lot thought they ran decent action. but this is always the case and I don't have the fourth quarter numbers in front of me. in terms of how well the Kicks shot the three ball in the fourth quarter, But that that was, you know, they were two for fourteen from three in game three. They were vastly improved. And that's the thing that starts to feel like, you know, the avalanche, but really it was just Brunson and OG is the only reliable scorers for the Nicks, but you could feel the poys just just falling away for could feel the young team experienceced thats. Yeah. So that the Nicks were four for twenty for three in the first half I'm sorry, four for twelve. And second half, they were eleven for twenty And That was with like what did their bench like really ch was nothing. eight points for Alvarado Yeah two and two that twelve points from their bench. Harper like almost doubled their bench Um I thought the castle thing screwed up that dynamic for the sppurs, Kirt because ye. He's kind of there. I'm not afraid of anything guy and the fact that he was in and out of the game with foul trouble hands up playing five minutes, usually he's around. thirty eight forty and then Ultimately, it just became, Hey, Danner Fox, you're going to have to figure this out for us because Wendby seems like he's luggage. And there was a moment where Castle was the only one playing offense, it seemed who was he got to the line a couple of times in the middle of that ice cold slump he was the only one really attacking the two point area U, he was good., the foul trouble Just with towns, towns had the two dumb fouls to open the game. And I had some Nick friends texting me. I'm like, I'm sorry. I thought both of those were foul. And the third foul was even dumber. He just sh somebody in the back the rebound is out. Yeah. Yeah. and I didn't like the first foul just for the record Yeah, Fox going out them, that's fair I think Jalen Bronson, I want to give some love to OG and andobi. This dude has been great for the New York Knicks all playoffs. That tip in Bill Simmons. that is going to be something we're talking about for a very long time on your show and every other platform. That was NBA history. That was not an easy tip in That's one of those. They'll have the camera angles from fifteen different places on the OG tipin. Yeah The big thing was Weeny was twenty five feet from the basket And Harper came in to get it, but OG just came flying in. It was almost like a set play, but it wasn't obviously. I want to quibble. I want to quibble with you. you called that Brunson shot a dumb shot. I don't think that was a dumb shot. I thought that was, you know I want him taking it and I want them to have a chance to rebound. And with Weby all the way out, then they had a chance to rebound. And OG had a free run. He had a free run bask It's a thirty foot shot with Yeah trying to arc it over Weemby. I didn't it was going in. I understand. It was a classic Kobe assist. They had they had changed the shape of the defense And then Oji, but dude, that was not an easy tiip in that was like five feet away. He was flying. He every time Every time he got the ball in the corner he it's feeling like Clay Thompson too. He's just making both plays on defense. And by the way, he was the defender on that fox play we talked about. This guy is He deserves so much credit right now for that win. Oan and Oi That's another thing I didn't like about them basically riding Fx down the stretch wasas the Kicks had an and Oi on him. I just don't like the matchup. I guess what match upup I don't? anyone against OG and A Oi. I just I'm out. like let's come up with another thing, but that's part of the problem with when you have a young team trying to figure out what to do. And every time this happened in game three two and it felt like moments when the They started white knuckle in the steering wheel with the weed dispurse. All of a sudden, it feels like takes ten seconds for them to get into their offense. They're thirty feet from the basket They're running this Wimby Fox high screen that seems like it's too far away. And I just don't feel like anything good's gonna happen. But we We should mention, I mean, there's so many things to cover from this game That Josh Hartp Miss Layup Wh makes it lost Wow. would have been Charles Smith level would have been if the next of bost the series that would have hit Charles Smith would have been like, come on here, sit next to me in the park bench for the rest of eternity. If because the story would have been two parts. It would have been that blown lay up plus his in his failure to box out on the rebound when when Castle came in, you know, on a they they did the Nicks defended perfectly Yeah on one of those notions Yeah. And he was the one who committed the foul on Wemby that seent to the line and then Wemby misses both., But yeah, not a great sequence for Josh Hart, but we're not sitting here talking about that because his teammate and that's what I would say He's taluking everybody These these these dudes are special, right? That's a special team as a Spurs guy twenty eight three great call Bill. I was rooting for the Patriots that night. It felt like I'm not I was never comfortable. As crazy as that comeback was I've seen this team do this in these playoffs to Cleveland to game one. It wasn't twenty nine points felt like grown men against young boys and it just they just got there and I was like, okay once and how said this? you could feel it on on in the game, like that confidence of the spurs just melting away. You know who is comfortable? Joe House because with him at halftime and said What do I do about my spurs over two to one parly? I should just hedge with the next phr No, this is done. I didn't I didn't write that. All I wrote was you wrote No you wrote NF That's N no fucking way. That's right. That told me not to hedge it. That's the correct play upr twenty seven. Now I will say to to Kirk's great point This is the DNA of the Kicks. like we will get to see over the body of this season, all the journalism that comes out tomorrow morning and over these next two days will be all of the comebacks that the Kicks have mounted over the course of the season. All of these double digit second half comebacks, all of these fourth quarter comebacks that make them exactly prime for this moment against this team of spurs that are godamn badass boys. I mean, they are bad. They are bad bad. They were so good in that first thir. I can't call them men because they're boys and that that that's the difference. That's all a team with a DNA where they're playing all the forty eight. They're going to get to the forty eight and You know, the sppur team they're really good. It It's a dead even series except for the Nicks are up three to one Some of my notes from the third quarter Castle four Fououse Bunts in loves with Castle isn't out there Wimb be flgrrant. DumbessA shots Five minutes left in third quarter. SsA has five points way better defense from New York. So one things they did was they just clogged the paint And they were like, we know you w fourteen for twenty six in the first half, but we don't think that's going to keep going. And it didn't Spurs started going way too slow By the end of the third quarter, they were two for twelve from three, five turnovers, twenty percent Um, And then the other thing was Brunson just wasn't coming out. And I thought Harper stave some of it off for them The third quarter because he was great at some point someomebody else has to step up. nobody nobody did. And then the fact that Brunson could do all that with never coming out. Pretty nuts forty four hard minutes. they're taking them full court He I many he ended up taking The shots twentyenty five shots, eleven free throws. Do all the setting up everybody. I thought his court game was really nice. He found a lot of guys who kept missing threes He was great and OJ and those are the two heroes. and then towns came In a little late with the thirteen and ten, but it was really those two guys, right Curt? Yeah, Towns had a couple of nice moments. I'd written in my notes, Carl Anthony Ghost Towns because it felt like he was disappeared after the fouls. I think that was the karma that cost the spurs the game. So sorry about that. Your notes. It was my notes. The other iconic moment that Brunson deserves credits for it was The incredible three over Wemby on the right wing That's another one of those like you're going to make that social media like cinematic video of that. It was just an amazing shot U but Brunson deserves credit Bill. I think he came into this game with thirteen assists and thirteen turnovers. You don't have to be Dean Oliver to know that's that's not a great assist a turnover ratio But he was making plays all night and he's never going to give up to houses point. These are This is the DNA. It was awesome And then that's why he's going to be a legend if they can win one more game One more go He goes down in all time history and he gets to take his place next to Jeter and Eli Manning and all these great guys they've had over the years Freakaking Manle. Yeah. Yeah, that'll be that'll be what happens. So ninety nine ninety five four thirty two left comes out of the timeout, h'its a huge three. So now they're up seven Alvorado gets a lay up. Wey gets hits a jumper Alvarado hits a three. Yeah with like three minutes left. So all of a suden now it's one hundred four one hundred Then you mentioned Brunson hit the three. Misses de layup Wemby misses both free throws Brunson hits that floater and Castle steps out of bounds And it's like, this game's done What happens? Nick get the twenty four second violation Fox misses Castleize that offensive rebound you mentioned. it makes two more clutch free throws All And now u and now we that leads to the Brunson turnover Fox with a breakaway OG blocks them and if you're the sppurs, you look back at this and you say, we didn't have a field goal in the last four minutes of the game And our best guy missed two free throws when it really mattered. Yeah. guard instead of dribing out the clock, trying to kill time. getet fouled. you're at least going up to decided to try to challenge OG and Oiie in a lab. And then on top of it, it felt like that play at the end of the game was open. And I think towns tipped the pass Yeah. because was open on that. He was you see that? likeike Castle would had a layup on that, but towns. that so I don't know, Kirk I feel like after some of these you're like this is doneone, it's over. they can't recover. And then a lot of times you just see the team recover Yeah But I don't think they can win three games in a row as well as they played in game three and as well as they looked in the first te. I certainly would bet on that bill. But I wouldn't I wouldn't rule it out in this day and age in these playoffs. This first team has responded every time now. they seem to make it harder each round going down three two to KC was not a great position to be and they came back and won. So I would take the Nicks, donon't get me wrong, but I wouldn't rule it out. Game five in San Antonio we'll talk about. but like something you mentioned that I think we bears like drilling down on Mike Brown going with Alvarado down the stretch And City Bidges who stunk Yeah, and overk ets though. he hits the three and then he had the two points shot to Um Mike Brown Ladies and gentlemen. this is a N coach that is a first year coach. the last year Nick coach would not have been playing that guy in that moment. And I think the Kicks are at this level because they made Mike Brown, the head coach. and I think that deserves a little respect here right now too And on top of that point house They stay Alvarado at the deadline for nothing. He falls out of the rotation pretty quickly because he his shooting goes sideways, but he's a New York City kid grew up dreaming of playing for the Kick someday, right? And you just feelelt like this is This is smart because whether he plays or doesn't play, he's going to be delighted to be there Um, he'll be a he's a great teammate agitator likeike he might have a moment in these playoffs was A feeling, right then he has a moment in the biggest game that they played the whole whole season. Yeah go go dig out the clips. pat yourself on the back a little bit at the trade deadline. you you were effusive with your praise to the Kicks for that equity want do the Steve and A and start taking credit Do I get a championship ring But The thing is like these we always talk at the trade deadline when we do these pods Oh, he's a playoff guy. Oh you can play him in a playoff game. Oh, that's somebody in the right series. he'll have a moment And he's one of those guys. You could see it in New Orleans and You know, versus Nikola Vusovich, maybe not guys. OG andenobi also a masterpiece of a trade. Now like look at that deal too. I mean, the next front office deserves a little bit of credit for for putting this group together with that trading tool, not just can we give them a lot of credit? Yeah's an amazing front office. Yeah one of the first jobs anyone's done. Yeah. Yeah. I mean so I think yeah, that the guys behind the scenes, the front office and the coaching staff are a big reason why they won this game. I think that's that's huge and Yeah, you know' another, you know' another reason The Surs completely choked that it was the biggest choke in the history of the NA. You said you weren't gonna call it a choke, Bill. Jeez. I don't love the word choke, but when it's a collective team and you blow a lead like that and what happens happens down the stretch and then you have major brain farts and mis free throws and You're not boxing out on the biggest rebound of the game and all that stuff. like that Unfortunately it iss going to count as a choke. One smallest side, Manhattan might be on fire. I'm looking Oh my God. There's a lot of loud noises and a lot of bonking and a lot just be celebration. Everybody Let's talk about that because we've spent twenty minutes here and didn't talk about this N team that hasn't won in fifty three years The fans are at it. They're so'm hearing from people at the game and they're like the Rs have just between Trump in game three and the Rs in game four. The fans are just in this nervous angry frenzy and it's like affecting the team. was message I was getting from from the standance. like the energy is way energy was affecting the team was. Pan energy was was just nothing it was right. And it was almost like they had to hit rock bottom to come out of it And then it turns into one of the most joyous events not only in the history of the Knicks, but in the history of the league to win that game.. When the Celtics won their game, it was on the road LA. we don't see a lot of home comebacks like that, but that ends up being You know, they're probably going to win the title. That becomes one of the most iconic comebacks. in any sport, not just basketball Well we've all been to New York City a hundred times, Bill. and I've never seen it like this. It is so electric. Everybody walk by on the street has a nick shirt on. Ebody's talking about the nicks the cabbies, we've heard other people talking about it, but it is electric in there Dude, there is a lot of pressure on this team. and I thought at some point in this game, they lost some of their composure. Mitch Robinson throws that elbow at Weemby. Weemby's motioning the I'm in your head and it was like, oh, wow. And then Alvarado like Weemby's le. Yeah, how would have done a flaggrrant by the way? I don't one of the flagrant of the crowd at that. I don't agree with that. Yeah right. I think I think KG's on the money. They' like we We don't like the energy in this crowd. The reps didn't like it They were terrified of all those seventy two year old billionaires sitting in the first row. Lry Dav was comingrow catheter at them No, they definitely u And then I thought in the second half, I thought the Ns got way more physical, which they should have done Um And You know, the the sppurs every time they would get in trouble in this series would just stop going to the basket And that's why Castle was so important to them throughout the finals and then just him not playing enough they kind of missed their guy. It like fucking I'm going to the basket And I was watching I watched game seven with Chris Bosch Namedrop and I was watching it with him, the Oklahoma City series And he said to me, he's like, when he needs his move, what's his move And in those moments like Timmy had, we knew what if the spurs were going through this twenty five years ago It would be Tim on the left block. over the right shoulder off the glass. Um, you know, he needs to develop that and in these moments when Mike Brains like, it just feels like they don't know what play they want to get to. That's where your superstar needs to have some bread and butter action. And to your earlier point, Bill, you know who has that Jayen Brunson. He can get to the elbow. He can do the step back three. can get into the lane and draw a foul And it just feels like that was a real learning moment for these young guys. like that's the difference between a mature NBA player and an immature NBA player. and that was on full display in the most important possessions of this game. That's such a good point. and I want to ask you a question about Weemby, but To me. Honestly, the guy that I want Having the ball under those circumstances that I trust going to the hole and Bill's already shaking his head is Harper Harper's the guy that the playmaker that that I I want to get those touches. Th those Fx touches at at the end. Now Fox did nail that three and that was a humongous three But I think, you know, the only reason that it's not Harper in those possessions at the end is just because, you know, he's's what is he twenty, whatever years old. Yeah this is his first time in the league. But here's my question And they were settling for threes over just going to the basket, which was the other. What a segue, What a setup KG, it can't be the case. It can't be the case first one after shooting a third taking a third of his attempts from three. It just can't be the case that that's that they prefer that. It doesn't make any sense. He wants three point attems. eight three point attempts I don't know why he's so afraid of Foul line jumpers It feels like I always think they're going in like that little spot like between the foul line and the top of the key When you talk about, he doesn't have a shot yet The shot should be like a running jump hook or some sort of Yeah I'm sticking my arm up in the air and kind of just flicking it down. But that's the thing. He's twenty two in five years thinkink of all the great players over the years who every year they added something to their game. So he's going to add something. I think House to answer your question about what's this move? L I actually think it's that hard roll to the basket with this hand up in the ally. and what the Nicks were started to do during this series is they're shoving them. they are basically committing the foul before it rushes it. So it's not a shooting foul. and they must have done that five times today tootally. W they're shoving him off balance as he's about to get the dunk versus fouling him as he's getting the dunk And it was smart. they've done I think like they the Nixs of won every challenge they've had in the series that's another one. They're just like really well coached. Now it didn't seem like that in the first quarter when they weren't playing defense and getting their asses kicked, but Um but yeah, it's just a smart cerebral team and it comes down to plays like that Fx play. Fox not dribbling out the clock. OG realizing he might actually go for the layup and somehow blocking it not Fallium And then you on the plane on the other end And From a webing standpoint Kirk, I hate to frame it this way but I'm going to do anyw. Maybe maybe this is This is the Wimby. I need to into the nuts as hard as possible and this will make me stronger for the long term loss that seemingly all great athletes have Yeah, I mean, that's the lore, right? That's the conventional wisdom. I'm still not ready to give up on this series, but if they lose There's no question that the ninety percent free throw shooter going into the line for the most important free throws of a season and going over to in that situation That's in between the ears, Bill And I think he he's a great free throw shooter. That's the problem. He said ninety percent. Yeah I mean it's just like that like that made it worse because I thought I know he's tired, but he's great at this. He's going to make these and to make eith Yeah, and then Castle goes up and makes some and I feel like there you could say those just random numbers. I don't believe that. I think there was a poise and a fatigue thing U and that's the other thing is Victor is not the most U, He doesn't have the endurance of somebody like Stehan Curry or these great players we've seen who've worked on their physiques and their conditioning for years and gotten to the point where at the end of the fourth quarter gamees exactly like this Stehen Curry's going to be the one who's in the best shape. running around making his jumpers, hitting those exact kinds of free throws Um, and it does it does look like it to me that that Victor has a conditioning challenge ahead of him too and these late games kind of prove it Think about Steph, when did He h had all the ankle stuff and wasn't. Really intontil like year four, year five when he started around into whoo he is House what do you think the? We think the gambling line in this series is right now? Oh, whatever opened at but flipped. the sppurs were two to one favorites. Is it more than that now?. Oh, okay. I think they're factoring in the Choola that happened tonight. Mus four hundred for the next I' fan four hundred Yeah. So that sounds right I mean two days off. So All right. So if you're this person that's watch phase Let's go through this if you're the first. You get two days off. you don't put it 'ntill Saturday or you' going home You led all four games in the final two minutes I think you led three of them in the final minute you had T. of the most memorable Last minute collapses in the recent history of the finals with Wendby throwing the pass off Castleles back in game two and then basically everything that happened in the last couple of minutes of this and You know, you could talk yourself into All right Come on, one game at a time. We can play with these guys. This team's not better than us. They haven't really beaten us yet. We've led double figures in every game. We've had leads of like seventeen and twenty nine and, you know, let's just playay our game, don't get carried away. But what does Mitch Johnson do differently other than maybe not playing Wemby that many minutes they got to just do what they were playing so much better than the Kicks for That earning craft. Yeah for an hour What did he do differently I don't know. I think one of the things I wanted to see, you sort of brought it up earlier and it doesn't have to be Harper, but like pick on Jaylen Brunson on defense Like run, you have these three ferocious attack guards U, Darren Fox maybe not as ferocious as normal. He's still dinged up Could we could we pick on Brunson on defense wear him out? So you wouldn't pick on OG and Aobe. That's one of your one of the things you change. I wouldn't pick on Don't pick on OG andoi. I'm going write that down Josh Hart or Bridges is good like Um, but yeah, I would I would try to get Kat in foul trouble on purpose and I would attack with my fleet of attack guards. I would isolate and attack Jalen Bronsson in drive situations When in very very quietly, that was the impact of Castle getting into foul trouble. was it was it was champanne. whoo was out there. Champagne got the majority got thirty three minutes to count twenty six. and he killed them tonight att least offensively and that's somebody that was huge for them in the OK season And one more one more point on carried over One more point When the Spurs won their only game of the series, guess who was in foul trouble Jalen Brunson because they were attacking him h he got those four fouls and he had to sit out and that was a huge factor. And the Nicks without Brunson on the floor are completely guardled Hm And it's almost like the only time I've seen somebody really expose one defender this playoffs like I would try to do if I were Miss. Johnson was the Kicks going after hardarden over and over and over and over again in that series. I would like to see a really sort of aggressive targeting of Jalen Bronsson on defense by these guards. I'm trying to remember other famous like last minute collapses like this and another one that has come up a few times overver the last two weeks was that ninety five magic with the four missed free throws. Now that was like For Nick Anderson Foreignro, that was more abrupt. The game was over. It goes into overtime. And then I actually went back and watched it after we talked about it in the last pod. I think Kakim gets a tip in with like under a second left and OT to win it and Um, and that young team crered There was a feeling maybe this that maybe that would happen to the sppurs after game two. didnn't happen Um And Wendy is onene of the most confident young stars we've ever had. And he could just say, Look, man, I got worn out. I was trying to do everything. I was going nuts U, but I still feel like I'm the best player in this series. So no castle foul trouble. Wenby responds. What else do you need, House? More Dyan Harper Well, I will say this to KG's observation earlier U the short turnaround time going from a Monday game to a Wednesday game, we don't have any more of those overver the balance of this series we have we go Saturday Tuesday Friday, I think is game set U So with that cadence, for sure that that's a step in the right direction for Weemby. U But I mean, honestly, the way these games have played out, I don't think that there are are big moves to be made. I mean, the spurs were right there. The difference is knocking down two more shots in the fourth quarter and they w be ting out the clock. Yeah Any last notes, Kirk Yeah, I would tell people all week like well, I have a question for you, but it's like These teams are very close and it's almost like if we flip the coin together seven times and heads won five of them be like, man, tails sucks, you know? That's how close the series is to be, but u Here's my question for you, Bill Simmondons because you're the greatest sports writer of our time, but youre retiire. I have to write I have to write the game five lookook ahead. So I think Joe House indulge spports guy had the assignment that I have at your website the Rinner. com for tomorrow. Um, what what are we thinking for game fool Ive Y Brunson defense when Castle can stay in the court is working I don't know. we haven't seen like this is the you know, I love coming on after these games, but not knowing what some of the advanced stats are. I'd love to know the on off when Castle's out there when he's not againstrunson because it feels like when Castle's out there against Brunson. He has a hard time looking like Brunson Right here So That wouldd be the first thing is like, hey, Castle, like just try to stay in the game for us because you're our best chance for this Harper The more he has the ball, ad liibbing doing Harper stuff I just feel like they're in a better position. I'm not giving Oi that corner three anymore. I'm just not if I have to give up other stuff, that's fine, but he's It's just going in every time now. And if it doesn't go in, he's beating somebody down the baseline and creating something else. like you have to start treating him, I think takeake him a little more seriously I'm not afraid to anyone on that on that Nick bench U Bride and Shamit have gone sideways Alvarado came up big, but he was really like the last guy they could put out there. and this hasn't felt like it's the series for Mitch Um And then just hope Ke trying to challenge towns and hope he does dumb stuff. That third fally he had was really stupid. You know, that was a classic Minnesota toownsfell. So I don't know. what else would you add House? U nothing. I mean, in terms of of the narrative The interesting thing to me is what we got in that second half is the version of the Kicks each time they had a close out game in front of them They go up on teams. you know, that was to thirty. Well guess what? We watched that against Atlanta. We watched that against every time this next team had a chance to close somebody out And so that's the fascinating thing to me. This is a close out game against a team that is entirely different character than the Eastern conference teams the Kicks went up against and just ranom off the floor I honestly love the spurs. Now I don't know that the line's going to open up at what it's been spurs at home F and a half, five and half, something like that. I'm not going to lay the points out of respect to the Kicks, but I they know are going to win It's the smell of a Tony Brothers game. Oh He's got the whiff. I smell fouls. Oh, I just smell another foul. Yeah, it feels like this would be a Tony special. would be We also haven't seen Foster in a while. That's what I thought this guy was going to say But maybe we save him for game six at the Garden a chance for him to be under the bright lights of Broadway and do his thing. E the hook Um Trump who I think if the Nickson lost this game to. I think I think the New York City fan based hatred of Trump would have gone to this level that as would have never been seen before And then Josh Hart would have been the other one if they lose that game. likeike we mentioned, that's He's immediately takaking a seat next to Charles Smith. with onene of the worst moments in Nick's history. And and the other irony of it is Nicks fans love Josh Hart. so of all people and it looked like he was going to dunk, but then realize His steps are too far away and couldn't do it So All right, so howouse thinks the sppurs are still alive in game five I think I agree. Um But I don't think they can be it the next three times in a row I don'tou without some sort of injury or something weird happening. If this if these are the teams and everyone's healthy, I don't I don't see the Nicks losing three times a r If obviously they win game five, game six will be fascinating. I mean, a chance to win the NBA Championship in Madison Square Garden in Manhattan with this fan base. That's a lot of pressure It's going be One of the most electric NBA games in the history of the league if that happens. But yeah, I could see a path for the spurse, but certainly, like I said earlier. dude, you're down three one. you had chances to win att least three of these games yourself. It's just we've seen too many of these series built to really have faith in the spurs this point All right guys. I covered everything.'m I'm amazed we were all coherent. And especially like knowing that the Spurs were young team prone to do this and knowing that the Dicks love coming back. Yeah It even when the game was twenty nine, I wasn't exactly turning it off I felt like they missed their it was like it became a solzzo of the Turk game where it was like the Kicks missed their chance a couple times when they they were getting it to teen fourteen, and then somebody who hit three and they was like, o This could have been a great comeback. and then all of a sudden the fourth quarter wheny got tired it flipped And that and that was that. u I'm sure we missed seventeen things, but Cur Goldsury Showhouse. appreciate you guys. We're gonna take a break. comeome back. I have a little mini mail bag for the audience right after this Bill Simmons's podcast is brought to you by Fandel, USA fans. We got one for you. Fandal dropping a massive USA super boost. for the match upp onn Friday. againgst Paraguay. Right now, all customers can went up to twenty five dollars If the USA has one Plus shots One push shot on goal. That's it. whether comes early or late from outside the box right front of the goal every attack Well feel a little bit bigger. You're just going to be roing for one shot to get on the net the USA getting on this huge super boost for kick offff. Visit phanto. com slash Bs Lets get started right now. twenty one plus select states are eighteen plus DC, Kentucky, Wyoming, restrictions supplyy terms at sportsbook dot faner dot com dot game problem c one hundred gamar call eight seventy nine sevenenty seven seven seven or visit ccpg dot org slash chat in Connecticut This episode is brought to you by Holiday In by IHG I'm ever traveling for work Try try not to travel too often But I do travel for work. Where I stay is super, super important. I like an easy check in process I like to be able to hang up all my stuff really quickly I like a TV with a remote control that can do some stuff. I'm pretty easy for the most part But I like to feel like it's just a nice place. Um This sounds like you, check out how itan has a whole new energy, especially for business drivers You'll see it everywhere from refreshed rooms to reimagined social spaces and dining done right. new drinks and dishes. And for business, There are flexible spaces that work for the way you work It's a new day It's a new stay Now at Holid An All right, we're gonna do a little mini mail bag here because I'm not gonna to have another podcast until Saturday night. So I want to give some content for the next couple days. This mini mail bag, this segment, sponsored by New era And you guys sent me some great questions. as always, you can send them to BS Podcast thirty three at gmail. com. Thanks for all the nice notes and Nice things people say. Gives me faith in society that we're still nice people Um Bone! thoughtoughts here on homeome court addvantage. So we'll start there. Harrison from Cincinnati When I was talking about with Mahoney about why does the homeome court advantage matter like it used to Harrison from Cincinnati said, What about dating apps? Players no longer need to go to a bar or club to pick up girls on the road anymore. Now they can just hop on a top dating app like Ryar or check their Instagram DMs and invite someone to the hotel room without needing a drink or stay out late. Maybe this is the single biggest reason of the downfall of homect advantage You know, I wanted to laugh at this and then I was thinking about how Plers probably met people in in the nineties and the two thousands versus how they be now and it's probably a way easier to be more discreet and meet people without having to actually go out in the general public and stay up late and do all that stuff. So can't be rolled out Jalen Rose and I always used to have a joke when athletes would get into town and they would say on Twitter you know, they would be landing in Miami and they'd be like, what's good Miami? And then you would just get all these DMs from whoever that that knew you were in Miami And Maybe Maybe that is part of it. Maybe people arentil five in the morning at clips anymore Oliver from Chicago wants to know that possible athletes are just better at handling the pressure. They're bigger stronger, faster over the time is it possible. they've also improved at handling their pressure and emotions too. This is follow up from Jake from Minneapolis What about the impact sports psychologists have on modern players Prosspects, recruits, college prayers all work with professional psychologist, mental health experts, whoever, prepare him to play in these type of environments, bigig games handle the backlash The impact of mental health to me is the most glaring difference from thirty to fifty years from now It's tough because I remember doing an interview with Adam Silbert' Sone conference when he said actually he was the most worried he'd ever been about the mental health of players because of social media and people being online all the time. the tribalism of social Um how fast people can mobilize against somebody or try to make them look bad Not to mention AI and all the other things. So to be, that's an even out. I don't I wouldn't say that is a factor, but I do wonder like Maybe maybe some of the psychology of sports we're getting a little better about handling adversity Maybe that's a little better. This is The theory from Nick from Cleveland With all the AU teams these guys have played probably a thousand different gyms over the years. They're constantly waking up, driving three hours, playing for six hours coming home Um, Eat McDonald's breakfast, get back in the car, driving somewhere else in eight hundred thirty finals game after day off is a walk in the park. into what they probably dealt with for ten years along with proper sleep nutrition makes sense to me that they're better Um Not against that. There's definitely definitely you're bouncing around more and, you know, a gym is a gym after a while Um This is the big one. A couple people brought this up with the refs. Be I mentioned with Mahoney, like You really felt like you could sway the refs, especially there was two for a long time in the seventies and eighties. I can't remember when they went to three Um There was there's blood in the air Um They were just outright. You can watch some of the stuff on YouTube. There were just some games that you just can't believe how one sided the officiating was, which is so much harder to do now in the era of social media. I really feel like two thousands just shifted with from what was going on basically from nineteen ninety nine through the Miami Dallas series in zero six then Donoghe happens in zero seven and all of a sudden we got way better at kind of monitoring what was going on with refs. So there is a before after that. and then Mitchell Etner says, what about video review? Not just in game requests for replays, but the constant drilling in the NBA refs get from league offices and use they got right wrong. They have the performance report after the games Um And they're hammering down on them left and right. mayaybe the refs are just better at calling stuff. Well, don't tell the Nicks fans this after game three, even though we're taping this before game four U poss I think it's way harder to have a completely terrible one sided refereing performance than it was and there's probably more accountability for a variety of reasons U And Byron a Pacer fan and this is a tough playoffs to watch. He put in press. said, can't affect refs nearly as much now because bad calls will be reviewed and made right. m You can't be terrible homeomerres because they'll be graded and scrutinized by everybody So the refs are a piece of it. I think the travel, the more I thought about it, I think the travel is the number one thing that's just easier than it was in the seventies and eighties. The refs are more consistent U I mentioned the shooting motions with Rob that it's it's a weird one, but There's just less variance. everyverybody shoots the same. and then the three pointers is the other one where the three pointers can swing any game possible. So Interesting topic Patrick Franken wrote in about He's a Milaukee fan. And him and his fellow buck fans are now obsessed with that eighty two in no game, which I'm sure people have that's taken over the internet the last seven, eight days Um, where you make these teams and you try to go eighty two and you spin it and There's the science to it. The best I've ever done is eighty and two I really get now I do the harder one where you don't get to look at the stats and you you get two spins, but I've just have never pulled off the eighty two now and it's Now that the finals is about to go into a break for a couple days, I'm going to make a more concerted effort. Um Patrick says over the last two weeks, two guys have dominated our group chat. Truck Robinson and W be free because of his awesome name and insane statlines from the late seventies We're now down it YouTube rabbitole of watching truck highlights, including a nineteen seventy eight game against the Spurs where he scored thirty nine And then he said, World be free, awwesome name for the purposes A to two and L Average twenty nine and thirty in the seventy eight and seventy nine seasons we got tr the Cippers. None of us knew these guys existed prior to the game My question to you is, can you spend two minutes breaking down one of their careers? Were they good stats, bad team guys and right thing He came to the right place. I can't think of anyone on the planet who's more excited to answer this question So Truck Robinson and used to be Lloyd Free, he changed his name to worldorld Be Free. Lloyd Free was on the Sers uck Robinson was on the bullets. Both of them played in the finals. Truck Robinson seventy five finals. And Lloyd Free seventy seven finals. they were bench guys with better players ahead of them And then they got traded and their stats went way up. And Truck had Truck had one of the craziest stat seasons. I think of anyone in the history of the weeague compared to when you look at the rest of their career where he averaged He went to Washington. He signed a free agent Um, contracts, I want to say with like Atlanta, but somehow ended up at New Orleans at one point. and twenty three and fifteen for an entire year in the seventy eight season was first team on N BA This was a big stretch for power forwards where u This was when we had the fight with Carmet Washington Um They you had Morris Lucas, George McGuinnness, Kermit Washington You had Tuck Robinson just a lot of big physical power forwards that were around there at the same time. Buck Willams eventually came in the weeague. And Truck probablyrobably the best rebound of all them. Now as a kid I don't think I ever saw him play who was barely ever in the playoffs. would Pat he was in the wrong conference, but He ended up getting traded again. U to Phoenix. And I think seventy nine playoffs made the Western finals with them and they lost to Seattle. So he was in the mix in real games. They and then in eighty one, they lost to the Kings but that was a team that Sun's team maybe could have made the finals too. He was good though. He was a banger, super physical, really good rebounder and ended up with a Nike poster Rld be free, I was way more focused on as a little kid. going from being when just the ultimate DN Waiters type guy on Philly. goes to the clliippers and just twenty nine a game the first year, thirty a game, the second year, and was really fun to watch in person Youd think like Now he would probably bomb, I don't know, ten threees a game. noody the three point line didn' even show up until nineteen eighty with him Um First of all, he was bald, but it was one of those bald that had hair in the back So he looked really theseinct. He had this weird body, He had like Kind of no neck and strong arms and Really cool jump shot and was just this really physical scoring guard that could score on anybody. and was a classic like if you played at the Clippers. U W be free could just put up forty seven and beat you by himself, no matter what team you are. The Celtics, the last great run he had The Celtics had a four gamame series in eighty five against him And And it was a great Larry Bird series, but he went toe to toe with World B and and worldorld B finally kind of had a playoff moment. He never really from the moment went to when he left Philly was just never in the mix for the playoffs So has this whole career. It's pretty pass. It's pre Twitter Um, But he was cool and his Nike poster, I think is one of the hardest ones to get. So these guys like, I'm not surprised they're finally having an eighty two in zer moment when there was a micro League basketball Um theseese were two of the seasons that were always great seasons because you know, how many guards have averaged thirty a game So anyway, Im congratulations to Truck to World. and also The insanity of somebody changing their name from Lloyd Free to world Be free. Like it gives you a sense of what kind of character he was Cody from Bloomingon, Indiana. said how me and Adam Friedlland discussed the nets having no identity how to break into the city and wondered if it could be like the Italian rivalry between Inter and AC Milan. where he thinks the net strategy should be to go in only on international players He said Inter and AC Milan have a deep rivalry initially based on AC Milan wanted to have primarily Italian players and inter Pump say that right wanted to bring in international players caause more of a class divide between fans Innerfans being part of the bourgeois Milan fans be a little more working class. This sounds great. I didn't know any of this stuff Um But he said how lifelong New Yorkers will always be nick fans. So maybe the Nets should cater to the multicultural aspects of the city and go with an all international team Honestly, best idea I've heard for the Nets all decade. You're not going to beat the Kicks conventionally. You're never going to get the city to care about them. If this last two months didn't tell you once and for all that you're a second class citizen. You might even be like a fifth class citizen I like the international plan. I'm going to pass that along to the S who I don't know James was Sing how when I We were talking about how chet had to go to the Australian oututback. I forget who was on that podcast likeike Dk Donwitky to get his game back And uh He was saying, here are my three options for him a month in the Amazon rainforest Climb Mount Everest. You'd be the tallest person ever to climb Mount Everest And then he said embed himself in a Ukrainian drone factory learearn from the experts about protecting Homecourt, learnning underdog mentality and garner some incredible goodw. U I thought about this chet thing. I'm not sure he's at that dirt point yet the more I think about it. Guess what? Webby's destroying everybody He needs to figure out this summer. I would advise him not to go on vacation, but he needs to figure out how to get his three point shot off faster so that when he plays Wimby, he can go in the corner and release a shot faster than Wby can come out and challenge the shot. That would be my advice. I'm not ready for him to go to a Ukrainian drone factory yet, but maybe we're year away Moore wants to know is Brunson's dad the most embarrassing parent in proports right now So, I mean, this was Lavar Bavar Balls title forever. This would be a really fun championship belt to pass along, the most embarrassing port most embarrassing parent Championship belt holder year by year. There's been some Classics Frontons dad, So I go back and forth on this because I thought it was really lame when he crossed mid court Nobody else first of all, you're not allowed to cross mid courourt when you're coach, right? Y's It's mid courourt line only. but when Fox and Brunson got into it earlier in the series and Rick Brunson walks all the way over and just kind of became a dad. It was like watching, you know, somebody in a ten year old AYSO game getting upset at the refs and just decid they could walk in the field And then started talking shit to Fox and the announcers kind of let it go I thought it was pretty embarrassing actually. I thought it was weird. couounter though. I think Brunson might be the enforcer of this next team He might, you know, they don't really Towns, S Anonobbe, Macau Bridges Um Brunson Josh Hart gets a little feisty sometimes. Mitchell Robinson can throw some elbows, but If there was ever like a brawl, I feel like Rick Brunsso would be the first guy in it. So In some ways, it's a little embarrassing that he still behaves like he's coaching an eleven year old AA team with his son. On the other hand, he might be the toughest guy in the bench So I think Lvar Ball still has his title U Adam from Waterloo, Ontario says I talked about the prolonged misery misery title belt about how the Kicks are probably the most miserable team with the most fans, Toronto's in there too. And Adam points out There's really a ton of parallels between the Nicks and the Leavs, a title draght of fifty plus years, center of the universe for their respective sport Having to deal with their fact that their biggest rival is actually the more decorated franchise, the Celtics and the Hs So the Celtics for the Nix in the Canadians One of my least favorite franchises. I'm so excited that they didn't win this year Um for the maple leaves Hell, the Lafs have even endured their own doleness batshit owner situation. Go ahead and Google Harold Ballard pretty good Goo belieelfs are at least twenty percent of the reason that will our nets still smoke cigarettes. can't speak to that Um And then he said, my favorite part of this email is that you have to acknowledge the Celfics or the Hs of the NBA I think this is a great parallel. And even though Toronto doesn't have as many fans and They have the generations of fans like the Kicks do. The city iss not as big as New York, but it's big. It's one of the biggest Canadian cities and If they ever really got into the finals Um the way the next did. team that had a chance to win. I think we'd be running all of the same that we're running with the Ns right. So I like that Um I didn't really like your joke about the Celtics being the halves of the NBA summit This is a good one from Jeffrey Thompson. No, I'm sorry. this is from Michael in Los Angeles. Th then the next one' to Jeffrey Thompson I feel like anytim a role player is a good game in the playoffs, everyone's too quick to anoint it as the blank game. Alex Cruso goes off against Spurers and sorry the Cruso game Lu Cornett makes a game altering box s Luke Cnet game Not really. We said in the moment, but He said, which the blank games Do you think stand the test of time What's in the running for the best the blank game. along with Jordan'slu game Um I put some thought into this. I'm going give us some thought starters and I'm not ready to have a final list yet Um just off the top of my head, these were the ten that came to mind for Games. The Robert Hory game Now he's the king of this. I wrote a whole column about this freeSPN that I then kind of turned into the Robert Horory chapter in my book about the best thing about Robert Hor is if you said Oh yeah, the Robert Horr game. You wouldn't know which game you're talking about could have been the shot he made against Sacramento, it could have been that unbelievable barrage of points that he's scored in game five against Detroit when Rashid fou them at the end, which is one of the dumbest plays of the century U But he had multiple Robert Horror games, but he's a good one The Steve Kurd game two thousand three Dallas Game six, Steve Kerr, It's like a sports movie. Steve Kr barely playing anymore comes in, hits four threes and it's great. and it's the Steep Kurt game. You know that one immediately. The Bennett Salvator game. Game five, two thousand six finals. Yeah. The OJ game, not OJ Mayo. OJ Simpson, game five of the nineteen ninety four finals. That's a really good one because that was the car chase split screen The J.R. Smith game game w twenty eighteen Derek at Fisher Game be some people pushing for a game four of the finals against Orlando. I think it was game four when It was Rpe for Austin. Maybe Jamir Nelson, one of those guys Reizeed Fisher was going to shoot three with nine seconds left and the Lakers are down three. someome of the worst defense of that decade But the Dark Fisher game is zero point four seconds shot against the Spurs The heat game. this is for Boston fans only. This was game five of the nineteen eighty four finals when It was one hundred plus degrees in Larry Bird somehow amazed by the almens. The Jason Tera game underrated Game five, twenty eleven, Dallas when He hits, I think the number one he check shot I've ever seen in person U He's there cl they have the lead. There's like thirty seconds left. E either Wade or LeBron I haven't seen a while. Wade or LeBron gets switched on him And the shotcock's runing down a little bit, but he's maybe four feet behind the line and just says fuck it and takes this three and makes it and the crowd abbsolutely lost their shit. The Maps fans know what I'm talking about. This was As great as that dirk was that whole time and it was the dirk and That's it. He's the story from that. Jason Terry making that three You could argue it was the greatest moment in Mab's history. It was so incredible to be there for that. And I still can't believe he took it Beuse it wasn't we love Jason Terry, but it wasn't like he was the best guy in the team. It was like, I'm not even sure Kobe would have taken this. And he was just like, fuc it, I'm taking it Uh, but I love that one. So that's the Jason Terry game for me. and And then you have the Fu game And then you have the Artest melee, which is int the arrtest game, but U Th thoseose were the ten that jumped to mind for me. The flu game is still the number one Biggest impact, most important, most famous Bank the game are the blank game. And really important to the Jordan leegacy. Jeffrey Thompson sent us before game three. He said if the spurs win game three and whatever happens after is bad for the Ks willill we call it the Trump game Yes If the Kicks lose this series, which, you know doing this midway through the series, but I think the Trump game will rise into that group that I just mentioned You'll know immediately what the Trump game was Elias Posey from Milwaukee says, you mentioned comparisons between cat and various players and how they turned their careers around improbably and became impactful playoff guys. I did that on Sundayays's pun I think you missed an obvious parallel, Pal Gesal to towns veryer talent to big men questions about their ability to be top level championship guys pair them up with all time leaders clutch guys., Jayalen, throwing them in there And through proximity, that guy levels up into a true number two option. Maybe not as many questions with Pow, but I think that's the closest comp. I think that's great. I'm mad at myself that I didn't think of that You forget after the two thousand eight finals. even after the trade and they make the finals with them, there were still questions about are you tough enough to be the guy The number two guy in a title team is this is this a good enough wingman for Kobe? So and he shed that and I still The Laker fans are going to get so mad There was a real case for Pow to be the twenty ten finals MVP. I'm al in the record. I always think the best player in a team should win unless they're an absolute disaster But I thought Pow is awesome in that series. and And if we're going to do the Iguidala Curry thing or we're going to do the Jayalen Brown overtat him thing and that's just our mentality with picking finals NVPs that We're not bringing in who's the best player who has the biggest responsibility P one game seven Like that series came down in one game How going against KG, who admitted wasn't the same KG after the surgery. No Kendrick Perkins and Rashid Wallace playing thirty five minutes basically passing out in the court And How bullied us that game. And I sat behind the basket second half. he bullied us And he's the reason I thought they won game seven. so Towns versus Pell. good one Cy wants to know from Calona Taluna If you could put Wbinyama on any team from the past Who would you pick just for fun. And he said, as a British Columbia guy I'm biased towards Steve Nash, put Weemy on those suuns teams And I think it would have been unbelievable, he said. You could also just put them in the Geordan Bulls cururry dra and. Well, that's not fun. I was thinking eighties Lakers, if you put him If you just time mamed him in for Kareem for the eighty seven and eighty eight teams Oh. that would look like. This is a Very strange question. U Yeahah, but Steve Nash, maybe maybe the answer is Steve Nash. trying to think of centers that would it just would have Wendby would have been unleashed versus the center they had Qestion. You broke my brain with that one Im much more ready to talk about worldld Beree and Trreuck Robinson Natt H in Oakland wants to know, I listened to your podcast with Mahoney, you detailed all the finals MVPs with funky results Igudala, Tony Parker Why don't replace Why don't we replace Finals MVP with playoffs MVP Playoff theP will clear up all of this push for this hard in my book And I even laid out who all the playoff MVPs would be. and I have a document that has all of it out and it's very helpful Ultimate example, this is Tim Duncan in two thousand seven If you hand it a playoff MVP, he wins He was the most important player in that team. He should have won And there's no record because the finals ofBP wentin Parker and that's all we had of him being the most important play in that team. I would say that same for Tatum in twenty twenty four, by the way. In general, I like having it and I think there's some good arguments like twenty fifteen The question would be, could a losing player win this U twenty fifteen You could make a case LeBron could have been the playoffs MVP Um, with everything he did that throughreout the entire playoffs. but I'd like Here's a thing Who's not interested in this? I didn't really like the Eastern Western confonference fininals MVPs because I think Giving out awards before the end of the championship, I think can team up a little bit. I don't know if it was awesome for the twenty four Celtics I also don't like Fals MVP because it's a small sample size, but I'm not against having it if we had Ploffs MVP two And not only that, I would do like what they do with the NA where I would have my first team all playoffs team at the end of the year because The whole point of this is you want to be able to look back at this thirty years from now and remember like, oh, what who is the best guy in the playoffs? Who was the best guy in the finals? Who were the best five guys in the playoffs and like if you did it for These playoffs, you would have Weenbeninyama and you would have Jalen Brunson probablyro have towns Right. So there's three. I think you would have Stefan Castle as the fourth. And then who's the fifth if I was just picking like these are becausecause it doesn't just have to be guys who could be from the finals, right? Like maybe Maybe SGA is your fifth guy on that or maybe it's It's nobody from Cleveland But anyway, I like that. I like when the more we can do to capture snapshots of a season, the more happ am. And then The last question I got Just a lot of where's Janis going? Where do you think he's going? Is the trade gonna happen before then I thought Boston is out of this I know Boston is out of this. And I was Wondering if they werere playing possum or not I think they were playing L Psum. I think they're in on Yanis I'm not recanting What I said before, I really know the reasons for it. U maybe they felt like Miami's offer is an offer they could beat Um Maybe they wanted to drive maybe they want to drive the price of Miami's offer up and they don't actually have interest in him But as I said over and over again, Janis is pushing for Miami or Boston. Those are the two locations and really wants to end up in Boston U, because it would have the best chance to win a title And I think Boston is not ruling out the idea My intntel. And in general, I'm prepared for anything of Bost to now. I think you could basically say It goes back to the Brad Stevens speech right after the Philly series when he It was really mad. about the results really questioning whether this was the right style and whether they needed to be in the paint more. And I wonder if they're going to use this opportunity with the assets they have twenty seven million dollars trade exception Um to completely change what this team looks like. So Who knows? They might not do anything I thought they were sitting out this honest thing and I no longer think that That's all I'm going say A We're gonna take a break. We're gonna come back. with Cousin Sal and Anthy D Bundo and we're in Tuck Ro Cu. Pays cheheckout is offered by your banks and credit unions. So when you shop online at participating merchants, your cards appear in one place, ready to use and kept up to date. And the best part, your actual card number isn't shared when you check out because boundaries are healthy. Like no work emails after six. One small step for boundaries, one big leap for check out. PS. It checks out. Activation required. See pace d. com to learn more. Terms and conditions apply And we're live from the living room as Doug eyes up the match they spread He's reaching for the buffalo wing. Perfect Hang on, what's this? Oh, he's good for Cat of Peps too. Inredible What a finish Sensational combination. Look at the delight on his face. There's no doubt about it. He just tastes better. Match days deserve Pepsi. Food deserves Pepsi. Grab a pack of Pepsi Zero Sugar for today's match It's poetry in motion All right, the World Cup is here. Anthony DeBundo is in Los Angeles, Cousin Sal is also in Los Angeles. someomehow they're not together, but they are in the Ringner Gambling show. and we have the worldorld Cup. Wait a minute, you were not there either. No I'm not there be with D Bundo. I thought it was personly. That was gonna be everybody was so upset. He's like, why did they put me on a bus to stay in a hotel and blog three blocks from Skid Row? What am I doing? No one comes to see him I came in LA. I'm staying downtown and I'm like, okay, they're going to Hollywood to go to the Scomwore studio. I'm like, great, canan't wait to see it. S what time you coming in? He said, coming in I'm not doing that. Then I'd have to get lunch with you No we. We have them in Skid row working on ballots sending in for Ramen to try to lock down second place Um Gys, the World Cup is here It's six weeks. Sal You always get really sad after the NBA finals and then you make some NBA draft bets and then you talk yourself into Wimbledon and then you lose some bets on that and then July is just a wasteland for you, but now you have World Cup every day basically. And then my favorite thing about you is you pretend you know what's going on in the World Cup The bible actually knows Who has a bigger advantage? You are Deundo. You bandwagon soccer fan coming in or Deundo who's thought about this way too much. Oh I would hope that he has the advantage. I mean, I'm actually excited for him. He because he is never's gone on record saying he's never been this excited for an event. He told me in private. he hasn't been this excited since the first time a woman touches this piece of deal, which is like like six weeks ago. So it's a vivid. april twenty seventh. He said he a d Now it's good for your debundnder what's your favorite thing about this? Is it America rooting for the host country or the betets U It's just everything surrounding the world. It's the fact that once the games kick off, we don't have to talk about FIFA. we don't have to talk about ticket prices. We don't have to talk about all the kind of disastrous stuff that's happened in the lead upp to this World Cup We get to talk about the games, the culture. I mean, all the videos that are coming out, you got this German guy who's like doing a tour of the American South and he's got a huge following just going to fast food places and sporting events. And people are like, this is so cool. You've got people in Kansas who are like, we're so happy to root for Algeria because they they chose to come stay with us in Lawrence, Kansas, right That is the beauty of this tournament is that at the end of the day, we're all coming together to watch sports. And like yes, I'll of course be reoting for my bets. I'll be adopting other countries, hoping the U.S doesn't let us down. But there's just so much to get excited about for this So who do you root for now that Italy is not involved somehow? I know. I know. Weost We lost ourbean country. Yeah, we did lose our home country and I'll wrote for the U.S. but let's let's get it off the table. It's not a good bet. the US futures. I'm sorry because every book, it's like the biggest liability if U.S. wins like this is This is betting Connor McGregor against Floyd, right? Like this is the every line should be different. De Bundo am I wrong about that? they adjusted We're not going to win Wor Cup. We're not going win the Wor Cup And if we did win the World Cup. I said this in Sweden last week to a few of our other soccer fans at the Ringer. I think I might be done with sports if we win the World Cup, Dum with soccer There's no reason. There's nothing that will ever top that in soccer So why am I even hanging around? I'm done Well we don't worry It's not happening. We don' now'm rooting for it. I want the bundle to be done with soccer. This great. Let's start with that. All these bets are unfandle or all these odds. USA to make the final sixteen is minus one thirty which seems high to me. M it like really that's better than even odds that the USA is going be one of the sixteen teams left. Do you buy that one at all? That seems like a bad price And we just talked about this on the Ring or Gambling show actually. I do think that we're at the point now with the US men's national team where maybe everybody's a little too down on them Andll me zagging? This is exciting. I'm making the case.. I'm making the case They have not really lived up to the hype of this golden generation. And people have had a whole hundred think pieces and theories on why it is that the US hasn't been what we all hoped they would be The number one reason is that this group of players, this core group It's you can talk about the heart, all these other things They have not been healthy. Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic Weson McKenney. Sirgginio Des, all these key players for the Americans have missed a ton of soccer over the last four years to the point where you can basically count on one hand. The number of games they've played with a full strength team. In the last four years And it's still fragile But the team that they're rolling up with on Friday night against Paraguay is about as healthy as they're going to be. Chris Richards is still in doubt, but looks like he's going to start. So Why not the United States? This is the still the most talented group They have a system that I think works in this this back three that Pacino' adopted. They have a ton of pressing energy and right now for at least the first game They're healthy in a group that's pretty winnable. I'm buying I'm buing the US S What are your finds? Well, I think that number that you just read minus one thirty it probably should be plus one hundred forty. I think people are betting their out of their minds there. And let's look at Friday night USA is minus one ten Are they going to get free money out Friday night? Like everybody looks at that. Oh, what a convenient number minus one ten. That's what we all deal with. It's a coin flip game. That's got draw written all over at the Bundo. You know what it does Yeah we got to go through. I still don't understand the soccer betting U the three odds are minus one hundred ten plus two hundred forty and plus three hundred thirty So plus So one of those is the draw plus two hundred forty We're betting like After ninety minutes It's a tie game plus two hundred forty. Even Sal doesn' want to bet that. And Sal loves Sal loves nothing more than betting on the things nobody else wants to bet on Right. You can't even talk yourself in a draw. You're the same person who bets on No Buzzard Beaters in March Madness, which is the least fun bet an American human being can make I don't even think you had that on the draw I wouldn't What I like to do is with soccer because you know, I love waking up and having money on something. So I'm EPL all year and everything, but I like the double chance and the bundle laughs at me, but I like to find a dance partner with the double chance, which means the US either draws or wins plus half a goal at minus four seventy five and then I parlay it with six other things that lose. So that's what I would do. It's not necessarily taking the draw, but it's covering yourself a little bit One of my favorite parts of working with Sal in the last year or so is that it'll be like a random Tuesday afternoon and I'll be just at my desk or something. And I'll get a text from Sal Real Madrid plus a half with like a money bag sign next to it. And like they scored like a last second goal to tie Yeah like three third in the afternoon and he's just locked in on R Madrid.' celebratedos. four more legeson. I have like three more UFC guys to win before I cash that parlay. But yeah, yeah, that's how it goes. Well, the bigger gambling story with you guys is the French open I think bankrupted both of you. terrible. What happed? How do you declare for bankruptcy Bundo? Is it like do you have to go through Spotify? Is it like an individual thing? How does it work You tell me, Bill, I don't know. I have to I gott to talk some Dany Heifitz like three minutes after Ciner Lost. He goes, arere you still liquid? I hadn't heard from Heyifz in like a month and a half. He's been tucking my calls. Yeah. He's been busy. you know, I think he got married Yeah. Yeah got Yeah. He's he's on his honeymoon now. It's the summer of Heyiffitz, but he still managed to get in a text to me that said, hey, you still liquid after Sinner just died in the heat. Barely, we are still liquid, but So you know more about tennis than literally any human being I know, right How did we not factor in the French open gets super hot and this means anybody could die in the heat And who were the top five people most likely to die in the heat? Where was that conversation? because Sal, I know I didn't have it with the bundoe. Did he have it with anyone No we talked about it, we just chose to ignore it. This is what he does. He has all this knowledge and he knows the players and he waits for you to talk about a match upp and then he loves to correct you on the pronunciations of Oh, it's SwN tech. It's not Sia tech. It there's an N in there somewhere. It's like screw you. You told me Cinner at minus two hundred seventy five was undervalued and I know freaking cramped up like my wife the third week of you know, whatever. I don't want to get into it But for God's sake, you're betting against cramps in these French open Yeah hot warm weather tournaments. Well, it really sounds like global warming is now changing the French open that we once knew and that anybody could just it could be ninety eight degrees and somebody could just die. I've never seen the highlights of that center match were unbelievable And I don't know why you don't just retire when it gets to that point. You're basically just like a boxer wobbling around falling into the ropes and all this stuff. All right. We digressed. I mean, he's not the only one too. There was a bunch of players. I mean, one player Mentchick. collapsed on the court He had to be wheelchired off And then he won his next match and then won another match into that. So You know, Casper Rud had had a heat stroke, went into the to the locker room, came back and then won the match. So I don't know. it's crazy. but global warming is the biggest threat to Yanic Cinner's tennis dynasty. No question. All right, USA Paraguay Friday night Stadium Los Angeles, California And basically they're saying USA is dead even to win feels like This is the sucker bed of a lifetime, just to grab USA to win What is the case for not making this bit to bunda whether than that it's a sucker bit Paraguay is really good defensively That's their calling card. They only give up ten goals in South America during qualifying. They're a very defensively organized team with a ton of like pressing, defensive energy So Traditionally, the US has kind of struggled against these kind of teams, especially the South American ones becausecause what the U.S lacks is that deep llying passer, that player who can make that special pass that unlocks a defense that's very tightly congested. but I will say and this is why I like the back three. they are freeing up Anthony Robinson and Sirgino Des who are traditionally full backs the club level. they're playing more like as wingers almost essentially in this system. And I think Dest could be one of the keyest unlocking some of these, you know, more defensive teams because he's so effective at getting in space on the right and then playing crosses in. He has a really good connection with Pulisk. They connected it to the last World Cup. They connected for the opening goal against Senegal and the friendly there. So I think Dust is kind of one of the underrated X factors for them trying to break down a team that's going to make it as difficult as possible to score So I'm gonna just end up betting us because I'm going to the game and I why not for it I have to ask th, your son, Jack Hall of Fame Zagger loveove swimming against the stream more than anybody. It feels like him not rooting for USA has to be in place right now, right? What country has he picked? That's not America. He likes Tameroon Of course. Yeah. I feel that's old news. I feel like that's a nineties World Cup team that you would like but So he's in. Camera, didid he get the jersey He likes Cameroon. Yes, there's something there's the Amazon guysy banging on our door right now. I'm sure there's some kind of cameroonish item coming here. I was out is he aware that they're not in the Wld Cup U No, I don't think Don't tell him.on't tell him. I'm searching for the games. But their first game is four years. I'm on Pinzonidos waiting to see who he picks on the fly on Friday when he realizes they're not actually in I'm going Seaan O'Meiley Seaan O'My Seaan O'Malley, UFC parlayed with USA plus a half a goal. Oh that gets it to like minus one hundred and seventy or something stupid. Seaan O'Mey with USA plus half a goal So youS say have hore a goal. We could add something that No, they just have to they just need to not lose need to not Got you.. So they're basically minus or plus zero point plus suppes. Yeah. That's it. Yeah Sal. I know you've studied this probably way longer than you should have There's two different ways to look at who's going to win the World Cup. One is who do you think's going to win and the second is what's the best value to bet on. You and I always tend to gravitate toward value over the actual logicical. Here's who we think's going to win So what is your value Pick for the World Cup. U My value pick belieelieve it or not is Europe to win at minus three and fifty. Europe The whole continent. Yes. The don't laugh at these winners. This is a winner. You don't, you don't think right? I mean, we might get all final four. You think women could get an all European final four, right? Like Portugal, England, France, Spain. It should be one through four there And the Bundo is takaking Spain after all this, after all the money Spotifyies have to sent him out here. He's just taking the favorite all this you can expand It does feel like the cowards way out. I know. I hate it. Yeah. Also their best players not playing in the tournament and as a Hmstring injury grade two that he's coming back from So we'll see what it looks like with Yamal when he gets into into the tournament, But ultimately, by process Lination, I crossed off everybody else and was like, I guess I'm picking Spain So who do I get with Europe at minus three hundred and fifty Becauseuse the favorites right now, the top eight are Spain, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Germany. Netherlands and then Belgium and Norway And we all know Engless not winning the World Cup. So you You have Europe, but also knowing that there're, well, it is England. This is This is Although maybe if the Kicks win the finals, maybe maybe now England is on the table. mayaybe anything's possible But do you like that minus three hundred fifty to Bundo or no. You seem like you're scoffghing at it No, no, I do agree. I think the three best teams and I think there're a small tier above the rest Spain, France and England England, I think is the best defense in the field. France is the most talented team in terms of just naming guys, but you know, there're a squad that have kind of underperformed their talent in terms of the Ie test, the last few tournaments, especially at the Euros two years ago when France looked re undercook. they strugg to create chances at that and they had a lot of the same players they do now And then last year at the Nations League and this is why I picked Spain over France. Spain and France have played each of the last two summers in the semifinals at the Eururos They beat them two to one And France really couldn't generate much in the whole second half Spain just ball and really dominated the second half of that game. And then last year in the Nations League, Spain won five four, but it was five one Total demolition until France scored Batchch of Cceolation goals in the last five minutes, ten minutes. So Spain has kind of been dominating France the last couple of summers That much has changed. same managers, same midfields, similar attacks. Leminum Mall is kind of the one big X factor. If if they play again in the semifinals, I don't know how you wouldn't favor Spain over France So Biggest threat to minus three hundred fifty Europe is what? Argentina repeating And but you also aren't you shorting them in the group stagees is Brazil and Argentina or just Brazil I'm shorting Brazil, ye I think Morocco' somewhat live there. Yeah. Europe's good. Let's let's get on that. Let's get some nice NFL money bundled together there Simmons, we can get it. Shan we parlay that with the chiefs to win the AC West? Oh no, that's de. What is our What is our easy NFL bet that we could just throw in every year and feel great about it? We had the pats w in the AFCs for the first teen years I knew you basically. Yeah. and then it became the chief for the AC West is Do we have that team now? don't feel like we did or kindind of sad Cardinals to come in fourth place. I don't know what we would do. And throw something your way Well I liked I heard on Gamling showh, you talked about the Browns under five and a half wins. Yeah. you lock that down now post myarade. I thought that was. they're going to play Sanders all year. likeike it's not like their schedule super easy Umight fiveive and twelve or worse feels like the best over under I've heard for wins go. We don't even have to feels like's there's more NFL tanking teams than usual adding into the season Jets, Cardinals Duffphins Browns than because it's all the quarterbacks. So this is this is right This was the thing And we all did bad with basketball over Unders, the totality of them for the win totals. And the thing we didn't realize was with as many teams tanking as were're tanking. it actually weirdly shoved the records upwards because over and over again, you had two shitty teams that didn't want to win playing each other. So you had all these teams twenties and High twenties. The Bundo. team that's never won the World Cup will win the World Cup is plus two hundred. terrible bet It seems terrible becausecause these are the kind if you're looking Yeah. Well, it's Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Croatia Hungary basically. USA and USA, but USA is not winning. Come on. So First time winner no is minus two sixty. I was about to say that if you're looking for like a bridge jumper bet, a huge like, we're just going to lay a huge number that That is my favorite one. They will be that's better than your runs the Wor Cup I think so. Yes. Could we Parle, Europe will win the World Cup with W that won't be a first time winner. I don't know if is that legal in Fandon? Pbably not. Well a little too correlated. ye. Yeah. I like no first time winner at minus two hundred sixty. I like the odds more than the minus three hundred fifty for the Europe one they have a seven there's seven teams that I think are in the quote unquote favorites tier And you could break them up, you could say contender, prettender with with all those seven But six of those seven have won it And the one team that has never wanted is Portugal And we're going to get into futures, I guess a little bit later, But the Ronaldo problem is kind of the defining situation for Portugal right now. And how they solve that is not very obvious to me. The problem is that They probably shouldn't be playing him as much as everyone expects them to play him and I feel like we were there four years ago with this R We were and two years ago and last year and we're still doing it. Yeah. So this is like LeBron if LeBron's on the dream team at age forty five. It's like, well, it is LeBron and you just kind of have to throw him out there But I think LeBron would be more willing to take like a third or fourth chair role and be like a really good passer IQ player. But Ronaldo, like they have built this entire attack around him Portugal most crosses of any international team. the last two years Their midfield is elite. They have probably the second best midfield of the tournament Ferandz, Batinia, Nevish like it's an amazing trio that can do a lot of different things. Fernandez just broke the record for assist in the Premier League and yet they end up just playing all the crosses into Ronaldo. They have nobody who runs in behind. It's like this is not optimal and as a result of Ronaldo and Rafael Liao, their left winger not really doing a lot of defensive work ir defense isn't that good Like they struggle defensively relative to the to the, you know, top elite teams. They're not as good defensively. So They have a manager who likes to attack. They have a manager who's relying on Ronaldo And like they just need to tell grandpa like they got to take the keys from him and say, you know, hey, you're allowed to go to the grocery store, but no more no more highway driving, no more starting matches. But the problem is it's for Ronaldo. So how do you say it? Like what do you say? We're havingact We're having the exact same problem right now with Chris Ryan. Like he's on too many pods. People are saying you got to phase it back. He's at a different point of his career Simons remind me of when you coached the the celebrity basketball game And then you try to take Snoop out and he's like, no, I'm not coming out. L it Who was it? Stoop put himself back in. He just looked in the eye and said, I'm going to go back in. There's like five minutes left. I was like, okay, Stoop. And just we kind of had a moment. No, Kevin H was the one I had to get I just couldn't take them out. because he was the biggest star in the game And right and Michael B. Jordan who was the best part in the game and it's just like, Oh we could win if we just give Michael be ding the ball, but Kevin Hart's doing, ISO I'm still mad about it You go back four years ago, right? And this was the crazy thing that happened at the World Cup. Portgal started Ronaldo in the group stage played Switzerland in the round of sixteen and they played this young up and coming striker named Gonzalo Ramos, who's now at PSG And Gonaloramo scored a hat trick and they beat Switzland six to one. And everybody was like, that's. They're moving on. like he's been he's been usurped The next match they play Morocco. they lose one no. And everybody's like, well, you know, they wouldn't have happened if they had started Ronaldo. Yeah. and then they went through the next qualifying cycle And Ronaldo scored a bunch of goals against a lot of bad teams. He's still very capable If he just stands in the penalty area and creates space, he's got great instincts The the vet classic move. But They get back to the international Tournament Euro twenty twenty four. And it almost got comical at the end. Like it was kind of sad because he kept taking all the free kicks. He was trying to get his goal Th thenen they want a penalty kick against Slovenia. He missed the penalty and he's crying on the field and you're like, this is actually getting to the point where it's like a little uncomfortable. If you're trying to like do a hate watch, it's like, man, this is I don't like Portugal. I bet against them but like this is this is kind of awkward now. And here we are again. He shows up to the World Cup. I hope he gets a goal early on. They've got a they've got a couple easy games to start the group. I think they'll be fine in the group stage, but you get to the knockouts and I think they're vulnerable. What isn't it only eight teams ever have won the World Cup or eight countries Yes, eight countries.. Italy, Uruguay, and then big six favorites R field. And Nato is no longer out. Okay Before we get to D Bundo's favorite futures that Sal and I are going to critique are you a straight up? Parlay strategy guy for the World Cup because I think both you and I fallen in trouble when we start grabbing things from different games and we talk ourselves into it. Yeah. It would seem like go most with World Cup Straight up would be the smarter way to play it. and yet neither of us are going to do that Of course not. In fact, I got a whopper to throw at you guys. Let's hear it before we get to the bundo. The bundo. I need need a legal pad Which one's the draw illegal pad because I don't know if this is going to work, but which on's the which one's the draw? whichich one screws me? Germany to beat Curisaow on Sunday Bay to be K Verday on Monday Norway to beat Iraq. onn the sixteenth, Brazil to beat Haiti on the nineteenth, France to beat Iraq on the twenty second pays one fifty. a five teamer Five teamer These are monster numbers, as you can imagine, it adds up to minus one hundred fifty Who screws us Uh. I mean, I think Iraq is one of the three worst teams. I don't curious I was one of the three worst teams. Cape Verde is decent And they're not good, but they' they could compete with Spain, especially without you all And like Spain is liable to have one of those w the whole thing and they can't get by Cape Verde on Monday. Are you kidding me? Yes. I mean, I think it's going to be a winner. I think the one of the storylines, if you're being critical of the expanded format. is to say that Traditionally, the World Cup has not had a lot of blowouts. in the group stage. There's just not that many bad bad teams Gap here is pretty big. I mean, Spain three goal favorite in their first game Germany three and a half gof like there could be some real five, six Pastings, whereereas at the last World Cup We only had like one or two in the whole tournament that were like that. This tournament. Heatie how expanded guitar, you know, it's like there's some teams here that really aren't on the level So you could see some crazy blowout to women you' used to seeing. With those multi game parlays, do we worry about the heat at all with that French open style? Be there's going to be some games that are super hot and Yes, in temperatures that aren't are pretty unusual for world class soccer. and I'm wondering could that swing one of these? onene of the funniest photos slash videos from the Club World Cup last year because right a lot of these players played in their club teams played in the U.S last summer, including Breron The players would actually sit in the locker room in the dressing room during the first half the subs just so they wouldn't sit on the bench and overheat Byer was like, we're going to keep our subs in the dressing room in the air conditioning, watching on a TV screen for the first half. and then we'll bring them out for the second half that fresh and won't be exhausted. I do wonder if we see that because the studies have shown that any any soccer game that kicks off above eighty five degrees There is a noticeable decline in just output, pressing, shots, goals The game just slows because the players don't have the stamina to play like that. It still favors the better teams though because they just have more good players they can bring on. you get five subs. It's a big advantage. So I think Ultimately like, you know, the small minno nations that don't have the subs are going to be the ones that hurt the most from the heat. Who has the most changers? I guess is what we're looking at. Yeah true. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, Sunbad a leap out. I mean, we didn't have those Scotish Scottish maybe Right. Scotas All right, short scy. Norwegians. We didn't have those studies when my daughter is playing youth soccer in Norco at one hundred and three degrees and we're doing two games in three hours and kids are collapsing in the field. like pull them off. Get us sub it Our roll batteries the same It's like castking ev full socer players are the same Take Messi, the most decorated player ever. Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracl. Is there any other battery with power boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracl. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different, and Messi only trusts Duracl This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, likeike restoring a vintage motorcycle from a fifty page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online makes sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check Rponsse is set upp required compatibility and availability varies eighteen plus Before we go to your futures to Bundo Serena Williams and Wibbleton There's no way to there's no it's not on Fandel Is she playing singles I don't know. Are you following this? Is it could it be doubles? Could it be singles? L it feels like We're drifting towards something. and I feel like this story should be a hundred times bigger than it is I mean, she played doubles yesterday Tuesday with Victorian Boco, who's one of the top young up and coming players. She's Canadian And they won comfortably in the first round. They played two players I'd never heard of. The crowd though at the Queen's Club in London was amazing every seat filled It has a chance to be a huge story They haven't come out with Wild cards yet. I can't imagine that she's playing singles already. Can I give you my ch the doubles This should get on center court? Why not Doubles for Wimbledon paving the way for U.S. openen You know, singles runs, singles. Yeah. likeike this is I've always thought this. I've been predicting this for years. She's too she's too great and she's too competitive and Now that her kids are a little bit older, I always thoughtop maybe I this if she's at the US openp That would be the fucking greatest thing that could happen for tennis. It would be like Tiger in twenty nineteen at the Masters Can you imagine the crowds for that? Can you imagine playing Serena? the US. open being the other person, like what a fucking nightmare Well you know, we just did this Venus is not Serena, but Venus did this last summer where she got a wild card in DC. and she beat Payton Stterns and I think it wasn in the first round, like a top thirty player and DC was mobs for Venus Williams. Then she went to the U.S. Open. They put her on the center court. first night against Carolina Moahova who is a top fifteen player. She want she want to set offer. and I was sitting on the other court on Armstrong and like you could just feel everybody kept looking over their shoulders because the roars coming from Arthur Ash were so loud Yeah that it was almost like distracting the players on Armstrong. and we're all sitting there like why are we at that match? Why are we at this match? My two big summer predictions. Serena US even Serena. Serena US Open, LeBron and the Warriors. I want to parlay that. Really? those two together I'm convinced both of those things are happening Can we add something that Fandal just threw on the menu there that Bill's voice doesn't last six and a half NBA games? You've adopted Doc Rivers' voice. What happen now. I just need to retire. Its just too much talking this year. Do two hour rewatchables doing live episodes. I'm just dying. loveo it. Bill Bill really neededix He needed Nixon four Because we' supposed gonna to make Nixon' stick. Simmons gotam All right, to B bundo it's. You want to do your three favorites, your four favorites or your five favorites You want to set the over underra a number of features I have so far It's easily easily fifty Right? It's under that.'s about seventeen thirty three. seventeen you got to do some work there. Yeah. All right. Yeah So give handles they're not done putting stuff up.. Give us your best five and then Sal and I will critique them as we go. And you can go intocending order from five to one if you want Okay, we're going to start with number one, which is My Dark Horse, a team that I have been a fan of. I'm an honorary member. I might have to take a trip to Qito to get excited for this World Cup. Maybe if they make a deep run, I'll go I'll go do some tourism with the winnings, but We're going to be on Ecuador. This is going to be an Ecuador group.. They are a popular underdog pick But I like to think I was at least somewhat early to the show because we bet them at the Copa two years ago I think this is a top five or six defense in the whole world They are captained and led by a trio of defenders in Capier from Arsenal, Pacho from PSG and then Moisis Cysido, their defensive central midfielder, who is probably the best ball winner, just pure ball winner in the world at Chelsea right now So we know that they have an elite defensive spine. The big question is can they score enough goals They're led by thirty six year old Anna Valencia. They have a young kid Kendry Piaez who Chelsea bought and then loaned out back to South America. likeike this Ecuadorian team is the textbook definition of the quote unquote team nobody will want to play in the knockdowns. I think as a result They're in a tough group. They get Germany, they get Ivory cooast. likeike it's going to be a tough group for them when they get in the knockouts and they're playing a team who' maybe comparable to them or even better than them. They're very capable of making that match a total stalemate nightmare. and you can go back even years ago, they played Argentina at the Copa America in the quarter finals And they went toe to toe with them, lost in the penalties, but were right there and had chances to win that match. Like this Ecuadorian side is not afraid of anybody. They're physical. They're ready for the heat They have enough depth to withstand some of the potential, you know gruelingness of this tournament. So here are the three bets that I think are worth placing a little money on Ecuador to win their group plus three hundred eighty or to make the round of sixteen plus one hundred fifty. if you want to get really crazy fifty to make the quarters. I have them in the quarterfinals in my bracket. I think they can make a run. Wellill you also have So for the semis twwelve to one Finals three to one and to win it all hundreds one Yeah that was This is going to be the team that knocks out one of my European teams, right that I need to advance to to the final so I don't have a heart attack There's been action on the quarters. It's down to plus four sixty to bundo Wow. see people are obviously people are tuning into the starting eleven on YouTube, seeing my video where I'm hyping up Ecuador at every place. could be it. There could be some movement. So Twelve to one for final four is too rich for your blood I mean, if you want to get really crazy, it wouldn't surprise me right? Morocco did this and it's not that dissimilar from what Morocco did We have a very defined way of playing. We're a very good defensive team and we have two or three guys who can go on a run and create some chances on the break. And that's kind of what this Ecuador team wants to be. They only gave up five goals qualifying matches and they're playing Argentina, Brazil. Columbia, Uruguay, likeike they played all the good teams and they really you know, shut them down. they came in second behind Argentina. So I think it's a fun team. againgain, like they might have to grind their way through the group stage because they're not going to score a ton of goals. Once they get in that knockout, which I think they will, they're going to be a toughout. So for the group Ecador is in the group of Germ So you could do an exact order. where you do Ecuador one, Germany two, and then you could go either way with the other two and do both bets and try to put some major action on that. I like the group headself I know, but how many Third place teams make it, D Bundo. eightight out of twelve That's a lot a lot. And the thing is with with with with Kaco being in that group is kind of like the the kind of kind of fodder If you just get three points, you're almost certainly advancing, unless yourre difference is truly ter Equity Germany, Ecuador, Germany, Ivory Coast. being the top three plus five hundred And I like people like the Ivoreians too. They have Yon Di Mande, who's one of the most excititedorians see this under why twenty one knows. This is why he's elite. We We wouldn' have known to call them the Iivians. We would have called them way. The Iivory coasters. Yeah. Their nickname is Lis E font. And the city of Philadelphia is getting behind them. They're in Philly We're very excited toote on theor launch team. One more thing with Ecuador, like used to hot weather Y her All right, what's your next play rightight on the equator? used to elevation if they end up in Mexicro, which actually means equator, doesn't it? Yeah. Ecuador Equator Wow, unbelievable. What's your next one to bud Next one, we're going to go with the most reliable thing in my life, which is Switzerland Do well make the knockouts of an international tournament and then lose very quickly once they get there Switzerland to win group B over the Canadians minus one twenty was the last I checked at Fandal. So you're not scared at all Canadians any home field advantage with that Canada they're the chaos maxers of international soccer. Their manager Jesse Marsh who is an American. who has certainly made his feelings known. he's a little bit hurt that he didn't get offered the American job when it came open once they fire Burrhalter He is known for the intense press, the chaotic energy. But the problem is Alfonso Davies is their best player by a wide margin the best player in North America and he is not he He's coming back from an injury. He might be back at the end of the group stage, but I don't know that he will. and he won't be healthy if he does come back. So that's a problem Bombido, their' starting center back justust got hurt and their last friendly. onene of their other midfielders goes down. So all of a sudden, it's not very deep team It's a lot of like a couple of stars and some okay MLS guys Now they're literally shortthanded. And I think Canada like if they try to press and run Switzerland off the pitch. Switzerland is very, very capable and experienced in their midfield. Like they have so many good passers. I kind of think the Swiss just beat them. evenven though're in Canada. like Canada was still a Soukes. Sal likes going Canada is exciting Never mind that never ever mind that Yeah Sal like John Perk. I like John Candy, Michael J. Fox. othertherwise they could go to hell. And they'll still probably come in second. again, this group is not tough Cutter is for my money the worst team in the field I don't see the upside in them being Switzerland. Switzerland's a class class above them. All right your third pick My third pick, we're going to go back to our old friend Ronaldo in Portugal I think Colombia is another team that I'm loving to back in these international settings They have their own Luis Suarez. they have Luis Diaz, Jamas Rodriguez who is kind of like bookending his career. twenty fourteen He was the golden boot winner at the World Cup. He put his name on the map. People casual soccer fans still know howomas Rodriguez just because of what he did at that World Cup. His club career never quite worked out to the to the heights that maybe people thought it would with all of his injuries. But then he comes back and when he puts on the Columbia shirt, twenty twenty four, he was the best player at the Copa America He's so good on set pieces, free kicks That kind of player love of the US. had one is the difference maker at these kind of events Columbia is plus two hundred to win that group. The most exciting game of the group stage Barnone Portugal against Colombia in Miami to end the group stage. That is going to be an incredible scene. It'll be two thirds Colombians, one thirds Ronaldo heads. It's going to be an amazing matchup, But I think Colombia is very live against Portugal to potentially upset them. And then if Portugal comes in second, all of a sudden the bracket gets very imbalanced. Portugal goes up into the section with France and Germany and everybody is like, o, okay, what's going to happen here? So Pretty good ones. So does it bother that America isn't better at set pieces This is like the one thing we could really control, right? Why? We can dom a guy to just have the best corner kicks of anyone in the world. This is like just a I always real pic qu Yeah I know he has to take it because he's like the guy in the team. I've never really enjoyed his corner kicks or his free kicks. I think he's I mean I the corner kicks. I mean, don't we just need a giant in the middle? Like that's I don't want to interrupt but I have Holland for golden boot. likeike that guy seven and a half feet. you know he's everyone's favorite game of thrown stand in untils what look like. But that's what I would do. That's I have a fourteen to one Also be I didn't realize we were doing golden Botots. I don't even know where to find those. You've se You've seen it before, Simmons. By the way, Simmons, he is in the top one hundred most influential people in sports along with you Congratulations on that. Congratulations. Yeahah. Is there a dinner? Is there a group photo at Teds Serando's house? Whatatever? I don't know. Maybe a group photo at Ted's house. We'll see. Oong of those top one hundred least influential people in sports. I don't know if you saw that list, but now he's dating Ridlyalling rapidly falling down the rankings once Ecuador loses every game at the World Cup. Yeah. he's ripping off winners for us right now. Okay. All right Give us due speed I' will say this though. So the US. does have a setPiece specialist The promise he's bad at everything else. He's eight years old. Yeah. Sebastian Berhalter the son of former manager Greg Burhalter is on the roster he just forgetable I mean the manager does like him. Pacino has spoken highly of him He said that he's the one guy on the team. He doesn't have to rotate because he just has endless energy and and all this stuff. and look Burrhalter is a very controversialig, both Berr Halters are very controversial figures, but Sebastian's free kicks and corners are amazing. I mean, if you go watch the Gld Cup last summer, to assist on free kicks to Chris Richards. So they can let him do it in the World Cup. But you have to play it's not like you can't just sub them in for the for the free kicks and then take them out.. It's like a very mediocre midfielder or otherwise. So we might see them late. likeike if they're down late You know, and then they, you know, they' rotating through their guys. He's going to play ' one of their main midfers off the bench But their set beieces will get noticeably better when Berhalter takes them as opposed to Pulisic who has been always kind of it always seems like he should be good at it. and he's just not. All right, you gave us three Give us three speed round quick with no extra explanation and Sal and I will decide what we want to hear out of the three which one do you like Three cades Soready to Morocco Yeah. Morocco to win their group So they're about plus four hundred fifty They're in the group with Brazil, Scotland and Ha. No, you too much info. What's the next Too much info. Yeah too much info. Okay Bago plus for through win the group. Jordan Pickford to win goolden Goves at plus seven hundred fifty. Wow. What How do you win golden gloves? What happens? It's the best the best goalkeeper. So it's just like best goal in hockey Yeah Like so what is it the Vesina The Vesnna, yeah. basically the tournament Now now England is a ing watch No, go next or not. backit now. What's the next Okay, Pedri to win golden Golden Ball, notot Golden boot ball So it's the player of the tournis twenty five to one. All right, we got management so Golden ball is None of them come your interests. No, golden boot is most goals Most goulls, Yes Are there are any other goldens. It's just golden boot, Golden Ball. Three goldens Th go, Golden girls for the cutaway to the chick who' bounnce I don't know. I don't know what they do. So good. So you can do a golden parlley. fan cutaways are always special. Yeah. Golden parly would be nice. Yeah. That'd be good. All right, give us one more and then Sal's gonna decide what he wants more info on let's see, let's go further. I don't want to get too crazy with like Scotland and stuff like that. How about Christian Pulisic to lead the US in goals plus three hundred twenty Now you have my attention. he's the favorite, though, right He's the co favorite with Balligan Yeah. Yeah. So who who screws that up if you bet on T aick Probably Balligan. Okay. The stri Sting striker who, you know I'm excited to watch I do think his connection with Poolistick was a little bit off in the in the friendly against Germany, like, you know, one of the most encouraging things, I think for the United States wasas that friendly the first hour against Germany, how much they were able to break through the press and get transition opportunities And Poolaick and Balligan just didn't quite have the link. But they were close. And like I think that's maybe one other x factor for the US. if they're able to do a better job Linking up, creating chances This team could be actually really dynamic going forward All right So, you a favorite of those four Well I'm torn between two. I like Morocco because like Morocco and and Snooka and Morocco and Pedro Morales were some of my favorite feuds and you know, Morocco would take that strap. He would spit on the belt, but he loved it I like Pickford though for a Golden Gove at plus seven hundred fifty. It might not even be his doing, right? The bundle like theirir defense is so solid. They're going to be in one, nothing battles all the way through U And also just an English guy with the glove, they drink tea, they put the white gloves and they slap each other. It just makes the most sense. plus seven hundred fifty. And the other thing is like if they somehow do win a penalty shootout, the England narrative is oh, they never win the shootouts What if they did win one or two and all of a sudden think is the hero. So that's the gu What do you like Simons? I got one more. Japan Japano w Gl stop Kingough. It's supposed to be a half hour. Youill My favorite is Browns under four and a half wins plus plus one hundred fifty five on Pando right now. Four and a half. They're winning five games the Browns. Of course, disisgusting. Plus four and a half, plus I'm ready for where's the plus three and a half I love that. undernder three and a half I love it. they don't have it yet They only the lowest they are right now is four and a half, but I'm I'm three and a half. I'd be ready to activate. All Dehawn Watononss minus one hundred ninety six to be the starting quarterback. Is that worse than Shador or Dan Gabriel L they're a mess. and We know they don't want to win Yeah. They want to have the number one pick in the draft so they can take a quarterback. Okay. You know what I love Sim is real quick Jared Vse, you know, they gets traded for Garret. He comes on. He's on the Browns roster and they're like, Ohh, well Dylan Gabriel has the number eight the J Jared Vverse right right And Dylan Gabriel's like they're like, Ohh, did he pay? He's like, I don't know, man. I was expecting to get money for it, but he kind of just took it I saw that. And he bragg like, Ohh yeah, I'm going to be taking number eight and then just grabbed. That's it. This is mine now I got bogged It's tough to be a short quarterback. You even might get your jersey taken away. Yeah. o Um Well, this was good. I think this was good prep for us. Do you have Do you have a favorite NFL bet sell? Is it the bray thnder Really like, you know Jacobi Prette showing up to cards training camp really throws a monkey wrench in at NFC West. I'm just excited Brown's under there for now. That's the only thing I gave out on the podcast. but we're ninety three days away, Simmons Dwight Freie, John Randall Your boy Richards a little later this year September ninth. I know whiff late for. It just feels S the up. You're one of the top hundred most influential. Can't I'll talk to some of the other guys in the comm. Yeah, please. But yeah it's on Wednesday this year, right? Yeah we're starting it's starting later and then it's just football games all the time from that point on. We go Wednesday, Thursday, no Friday Then Sunday and then Monday just for the And so there's like fantasy football implications Yeah everybody does their draft the night before the season. C can't even do it this year I know we We got twelve B for procrastinators. The other fe is hurting for procrastinators. What would you put for AJ Brown over and under touchdowns this season to Bundo Would you go double figures That would be high, but I think eightight and a half. No, I think that's every other game every other game S, I did have an idea for us for this first. H his yards at eleven hundred, AJ Brown. Go ahead. what are they I just think we go under on everybody. It's the one year, we just do fifty unders Be you think like the quarterbacks get hurt the top fifty, I just think nobody likes to bet unders for future p by yards. Yeah for everything For quarterback yards, for touchdowns, like This over and over again, this hits and we just stare at it I did guys for twenty years they they adjusted a little bit with the vig like the under number will be like minus one thirty, but and you don't like to brag about it because it does rely on guys getting hurt. But if you do it with all thirty, let's say thirty running backs are listed Eight of them are going to be gone by like Halloween. and then they like we just happen to see. likeike we all spend fifty bucks on a running back, right? And ye How many of us are happy in November? Like two of them stay healthy, ten of them get hurt or whatever, they have some sort of small injury or I just feel like'ste. One of these years like you was hoping hoping to dodge the bullets all all all season Yeah. But I would say this is your your nineteen of guuest in Lines, right No, this is going to be our twentieth year. This is twenty. So this is that trick off for the for the anniversary. you guys should just do we're going full hater this year. O like just a full podcast. I like that. Yeah. What we learned. We're just bitter and beaten down. How don't we after Wimbledon in the US. openp when we finally get broken by. Ecuador screws us. Thanks to the bundo. All right. S, did I tell you about sinner Tom should be should be He should be a bigger favorite for Wimbledon He son of a bitch. Plantning my flanks trying to get it back I like it. All right. you can hear these two on the Ringer Gambling showhow all the time basically. and we have a lot of the World Cup stuff coming And then sware within three months We'll be doing our our annual double over Uers pod sometime in the end of August. But yeah, great to see you guys. Thanks, fellas. Good to see you Good job by you. goodood job for you All right, that's it for the podcast. Thanks to Goldsbury and House. Thankks to De Bundo and Sal as well. Thanks to Gaho and Eduardo I am going to be back Saturday night. afterfter game five of Nick sppurs. In the meantime, don't forget we put up a new rewatchables. we did Single wife, female, super fun. M and Van and Mallorie. the next one's going to be hand that rocks the Cradle if you want to watch that on Netflix, cheheck out our podcast and I'll see you on Saturday. Must be twenty one plus in presresident select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino een plus in President DC, Kentucky or Wyoming Optten required, must wager in designated offer markarket, max wager twenty five dollars restrictions apply See full terms at sportsbook d. fando dot com dot Gameing problem call one hundred gambler or one eight hundred by reset. Call eight eight seventy nine seven seven seven seven or visit CcpG dot org slash chat in Connecticut or Md gamblinghelp dot org in Maryland. Hooope is here. Visit gamblinghelppline mA dot org or call eight hundred three two seven fif fifty for twenty four seven S in Massachusetts or call eight seven seven NY or text hope NY in New York for Louisiana C callall eight seven seven seven seven zero, seven eight six seven. Starting a business can seem like a daunting task, unless you have a partner like Shopify They have the tools you need to start and grow your business. From designing a website to marketing, to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need there's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz, and All Birds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into