Final Thoughts on the NBA Playoffs

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See payPal d. com slash rewards terms, credit card points subject to issuers terms and conditions. Bhill Simmon's podcast live on Netflix. It is late. It is almost midnight East Coast time. I'm here with a, I don't know, are you groggy Zachlo, not groggy, medium groggy? After that, not groggy at all. I'm a little too amped. so let's do it. Great By the way, new reatchableles coming on Sunday night now. It is from Hell mononth and it's going to be and that rocks the cradle. So get ready for that. And then we're going to go back to a somewhat normal podcast schedule because the next Have won The NBA title. It's been fifty three years. This is we'll start with the Nicks and then we got to go to Brunson because I can't believe it I just watched theight from him. Um, I think with the Kicks, other than the fans and the droup being over and the way the city rallied around the team and people traveling to the games and just How much over and over again they're fighting back to win these games You know, these teams win the title and then you look back years later and you're like, ah they yeah, yeah, the twenty nineteen Raptors, what was their gimmick? What was their thing This next team, we're just going to remember it instantly. It's going to be Brunson and comebacks and the Nicks fans and It just was an indelible indelible playoff run. fifteen and one in the last sixteen One of the what was the last team that you remember just grabbing the twenty fourteen sppurs? What was the last one where you're just like, holy shit. I can't believe it came together like that for them. In terms of in terms of style and everything just clicking into place and then finding I mean finding a magical something magical happened to the Kicks at the absolute perfect time. They found the best version of themselves, a better version they had found at almost any point in the regular season, locked it in and sustained it. sustained through different kind of games through foulrouble through slumps through different opponents It's a magical thing that happened to them. And I think the twenty fourteen Spurs comp is the right one in terms of style. likeike you know that when you see it. We were both at those first heat games and it was like, it's a rap. Like this is this is Iirvana like the heat don't even know where the freaking ball is differentiffere style, but stylistically coming together and having that magic and just like how don't mess with it, just sustain it just keep it. but in terms of like indelible single season champions like like the ring feels a little extra special. for whatever reason, I think you go back to the twenty eleven Mavs for different reasons. team a team that stands out as just a super memorable single season champion. I think this team ironically, having taken a player from a different version of the Dallas Mavericks will stand out like that for a ton of different reasons that we'll get into And one of the things the Spurs had a more talented team And then it was a case of are they going to figure out they're better than this next team? And then by game five, it's like the Nicks are better than this first ike it's like I know how this game. I was sitting next to my wife watching it who was on her phone half the time and they're up Sers are up twelve, they're up fifteen, they're up nine And I'm like the next they're going to come back. Like watch what happens with Brunson H. She She was like Wow, you have like ESP with this Brunson thing and I'm like, it's not ESP. This is this is what he does. You could just see him kind of lurking and waiting and then he took over the game at the perfect times. Nobody in the Kicks, who else played well in their team? sort of bridges for half the game, maybe Did anyone else play well? Josh Hard had a couple moments? L, who I mean This is one of the coolest things about the team is that even in a game like first of all, it speaks to their strength as a team that for the second game in a row and almost the third one in the series The nightmare scenario that we all were talking about before the series, whether you picked an Nix or not unfolded, which was Cat foul trouble. Mitchell Roberintsson, not quite the same guy because of the broken finger, broken whatever. Huck Porty's got to play all of a sudden And they win these games anyway and they Sam Shama got hurt looked like he was done. Brunson turns his ankle. but by the way, twice Ankle injuries, N players down, sppurs get baskets out of it on five on four by like But the nightmare scenario was getting the N center rotation hold up. If Towns gets into foul trouble. He's been in foul trouble three games in a row. They won two of them, including these last two And look and Alvarado didn't have a game tonight, but Jordan Clarkarson comes in and makes a basket. hug Porty actually had like a couple moments in the game. Mitchell Robinson who has been not quite the same guy in the series has a six offensive rebounds, including the free throw offensive rebound. like people have moments and and Alvarado had a moment in game four and that's what makes the champion is like even in this game we're kind of correctly saying it was Brunson just dragging them over the finish line with one tough shot after another Guys head momoments, role players who they needed they just did little things that helped them just get it over the finish line. just got to get one more game and they found a way to get one more game against a team that was again up sixteen in the first in the second quarter of the game two thousand eleven mabs a little bit somewhere where they had the one great player who was like the It's a major planet that everybody orbited around. but remember that team where like Terry hit the biggest shot of game five There was some Seaun Stehvenson was in there. Tyson Chandler, Seawn Marion. you go on that Jason Kid A had bires. Yeah Yeah, they had everybody had their little moments where they'd chipped in twenty fourteen Spurs was the totality. This one was a little different because of Brunson who we're saving because we're talk to him in a second. I think this was the greatest Team building title we've seen since the two Isaiah Pistons teams. And now even with those and that was there's a great book written about those teams called The frranchise, which I think is one of the best NBA books But even that team hadad Isaiah who was I can't remember his second pick of the draft in nineteen eighty one So they did have the blue chip guy The Kicks had the blue chip guy in towns, but they traded for him It was all signs and trades. It was one of those things where they The team that kind of probably came the closest to this was the Sunons in twenty one where they kind of patched it together. Booker was I don't even I think a top ten pick and Ayton was their one version of town. So they drafted, but Um The degree of difficulty of just putting the team together, making two bally moves, right? firing tips last year, the towns trade, bothoth of them were We're real I'm going double down on a nine kind of moves And then someome luck with u Toronto Souring I'm Brunson I mean, I'm sorry on Ananobi U who they could have kept and they were just like, we've seen enough and they traded them. I remember being fifty fifty at the time being like, e I don't know either. I don't know what to make An andobi And then Dallas notot locking down Brunon And those are the two big ones. But who do you remember in the last like this century Who did a better job of putting together a championship team than this? I mean, look, it's all like, you know How much credit do you give the heat for clearing the caps space and getting the big three to come, right? There's so many different ways of team building. The Raptors sort of bit by bit by bit and then they make the big swing for Kawai knowing he's probably going to leave. You mentioned the pistons. I think the two thousand four pistons probably deserve a mention in terms of like that's a great one. Just like like getting Chauncey mid career Drafting Ben Wallace or getting I'm sorry getting tring Trading for Ben Walls from Orlando I think. Trading for Riff Hamilton And just like finding something that added up and getting sheid as the last piece in the door. I think that's another one that comes to mind. mean, there's just so many different ways to do it, but but yeah, it's this is a This is a masterpiece and they bit by bit just targeted guys that they knew were going to play hard We're going to play selflessly. They targeted Size around Brunson, which was the one way you could do it and really make it work, protect him from all sides. and then Kat was the upside moonshot at the end where it's like we have this team that's pretty good. There's risk built into this trade contractually and defensively and whatever But his shooting is going to raise our ceiling potential to a point where we've got to actually try it. and it all kind of clicked into place And then the Brunson piece of this. So I thought it was interesting he ended on forty five points because I wrote down on my notes during the fourth quarter like I know it's a different scenario Nobody's Jordan It was a similar kind of vibe to that last Jordan game where I think the Blls scored eighty nine. Jordan had forty five of those. Brunson scored forty five. He actually got foundou with eight seconds left. They didn't call it. It was an incredible no call the ball ends up with bridges, but that would have pushed him above the forty five. but twenty nine in the second half straight at one point when they really like Towns was in foul trouble I didn't know where the points were coming from unless he did it and he's gotten to the point where he're like he's going to lock in. watchatch this and they were tough shots He's getting the basket in traffic. He's going by Harper and Castle who were like I think elite defenders. U He's getting we in his spots and he was just able to weather the storm for them And as soon as it was eighty three, eighty three, you knew they were going to win the game. But this is This Brntset thing. we were talking about all time Nicks king about, you know, could be the greatest Nick of all time. I'm not ready to have that conversation yet, but why Well I guess we could because this was one of the great final performances. of all time. So maybe maybe we could. Maybe Clyde Fraser's like, I'm willing to step aside, take the reins or willillis Reed It's it's Clyde or him. I mean, like look, I grew up with Ewing and it longevity wise Ewing is going to have numbers that I don't think Brunson can ever touch. but like this is forty five points and a finals MVP. is worth like fifteen thousand regular season points for the biggest city franchise that hasn't won a title in fifty three years. I mean, I don't know what else to say. It was a Jordanesque performance. And one of the things I wrote in my notes was I mean, this is right up your wheelhouse Is Jalen Brunson the greatest underdog story in the history of basketball Like small guard, second round pick. doubted every step of the way. free agency signing lukewarm to negative reception and he is now scoring forty five points in a decisive finals game and winning finals MAP. I mean, I don't even know I don't I'm trying to think like who else is even in the conversation Yeah, Well, probably nobody had more points where he was doubted as a great player over the course of his career, even leading up to the finals the spur to win the series. and one of the reasons I picked them was because I thought that was just a great matchup for them against Brunson. They had all these guys to throw them and they'd one behind them And in the first couple of games, I was right And he saw them as the series went along and I'm not sure I'm not sure what he sawved. Like there was this great interview after the game when he could barely speak. It was one of the most authentic athlete interviews we've had in a long time because we're so used now to milking it or not that it seems rehearsed, but peopleeople being very aware of how they're being perceived in the moment after they won. And he like he couldn't speak and then he finally ed about the fourth quarter about I just went back to all the hours I've spent in the gym All those times, all the hard work I put in, and I was out there and I was just thinking like this is like I'm buying myself in the gym. I'm buying myself in the gym. and it really did feel that way Um he was just but very few guys Since I've known you and various few guys since I've followed the week that seem to get better. when you need them to get better. It's the ra rarest trait we have in basketball. and he has it. was incredible. I mean, there' been other great second round picks like Jenobi stands out, but he he was never the guy on a team like this and but other small ish guard like Steph Curry in some ways is an underdog story like goes to Davidson. He's a top ten pick in the draft and by the time he reaches the finals is like an MVP winner there I don'tmond Yokage, I guess was a the second round Yokage. He's Yok European. Yokage should be one but we we were in on Yokage in the by the twenty eighteen range We' like this guy's got it. He's special. Yeah, I mean, there is not There's nothing like two years. I mean, there's two years before Jalen Brunson wins the title. There's a very loud debate about whether he can be the guy on a championship team. And there was a little bit of that with Yokach because of his defense, but not not quite as much. And I just think the small stature It's just there's nothing I can remember that's that's like it. And and again, It's not just that he's the best player on a title team. It's that he just scored forty five points. in a game where his team scored ninety four And there just should not have been a way. for the Kick to win in San Antonio A game where Carl Anthony Towns has two points. and five turnovers in twenty three minutes because of Val Trumble. It's like unthinkable that they were able to win a game like that And and no bench points for two hours. just like, yeah, where' I check this box score at the half and I was like oh my God, they don't have a bench pointo and then ask. I mean, look, I'll let you go I'm sorry. No, the only thing I'd add with that twenty nine points in the second half fifteen straight at one point. W it fifteen or sixteen? It was a lot man. I don't know I need a middle ultra It was fifteen at the most crucial part of the game when it was like twelve. It was nine and he just kept scoring and ide I wouldn't believe this if I just I wasn't there so I didn't see it in person, but I do think sometimes a guy is good enough that you can kind of break the will of a team a little bit And I felt like that happened to the Spurs and we'll talk about them after the break about you know, all the things you have to take away for them and do you overreact, you underreact? was's just bad timing. but and I think you hit a point where you know that that guy scoring when he has the ball Who is your guy who can match this And the issue with the sppurs as the series went along is C couldn't figure out that guy was. They didn't have that one, I've got this guy. It's supposed to be Weemby but we just saw him in the second half so he couldn't do it And it wasn't Fox, obviously Um, and the other guys were too young and it was really they were turning Dan Harper. Who's twenty years old? I mean, like, that's the story about like there's a lot of stories of the series for San Antonio, good, bad ugly Dylan Harper is the good story of the series for them. This this is in terms of ball control and who has the ball and who starts a point guard next year. Dylan Harper is the answer to that question. This is Dylan Harper's team now to run or at least co run offensly because he was just up for all of it except the two free throws at the end and missed a tough lap at the end. So Brunson Isaiah wantoned title as a small guy Tree, some people count as a small guy, I guess. He's so unusual, I don't know to compare him to Bob Kzy couldn't do it until he found Bill Russell Jerry West couldn't do it until Will Chamberlain showed up Pall Nash never did it Oscar Robertson couldn't do it until played with Kareimem Kid in GP needed old guy type. By the way, most of these guys are like significantly taller than Jillelen Brunson. Like Joel Bron is listed at six two. I've stood next to Jillen Brunson. he's not six two. like his five eleven, I would give him And But never wore down and You know, this is such an anomaly to have a guy built like him who had the kind of pressure that he had on him other in the playoffs And then on top of it, the box score is not going to show that this was Castle and Harper and Champanne and Visll with Wendy behind them. for a lot of these points. Just kind of solving them. I thought the sppurs half qut Especially in the first half of game four, it was like, oh, they've really figured this out. giving up fast break points to the Nicks anymore. They're starting to solve the Nicks now Brunson flipped it over the next three halves Well, I mean, look The statistics will say Well, they only solved it to a little bit of degree because the final offensive rating for the series was Nix one hundred ten Spurs one hundred seven point five and I'm pretty sure one ten would have ranked last or close to last into the regular season. But here's the thing You are in game one hundred, whatever of your season You are facing a top two defense in the NBA and the best defensive player in the NB, the unanimous defensive player of the year winner. who has nothing to do but game plan for your team under the highest possible pressure withith an officiating regime that is going to let everyone play super physically except Carlly Anthony Towns, I guess. They sure did. And all you got to do in that in that what all that solving amounts to in that scenario is scoring enough to win and they scored enough to win over and over and over against the defense it was giving them differentiffere kind of looks, weembies in different places, different styles. They solved it enough just e it over the finish line and that that's enough. That's all that it took. like one ten offensive rating in those circumstances like I'll take it. good enough twenty thousand six hundred minutes for Bruunson during the season. m eight games. playoffs over seven hundred. So he's at like three thousand four hundred minutes for the season and felt like he was gaining strength U There's something to be said. We've talked about a lot. I always talk about it with the draft. It's going to be really interesting in this draft that's coming up because one of these point guards is going to fall And he'll immediately have the chip on the shoulder guy. just like the top four, whoever goes forth That guy's going to have the chip on the shoulder Brunson to be doubted over and over again Now he's the fifteenth guy ever to win a high school championship, a college championship at an NBA title And some of the guys that did it are like, Kim. I was say Kareim is is the standard bearer of that. It's it's people like that. And to and just even when kind of he was one of the guys in that draft when he went in the second round. it wass like, what are we doing? We just watched him in college. L he's clearly a rotation guy. But he just over and over again kept kept shoving it in the doubter's faces. We're gonna take a break And there's so much more to discuss. We haven't even hit like eighty percent of my topics, yet. I can't wait. I hope you drank some coffee. I did. dr I drank eight PM coffee, which is just it's dangerous at hot levels. It like dr coce. I'm ready. All right,' taking a break This episode is brought to you by Mickelope Ultra, the official Per of the NBA My favorite NBA finals moment ever. wife two One was when I was six years old and I went to the famous tririple Overime game in nineteen seventy six, Boston versus Phoenix at the Celtics won and became I still think the most famous NBA game of all time' either that or one of the Jordan games I like to claim it as the most famous since I was there, but the other one was Game five, nineteen four finals two two Laker Celtics And it is so hot in the Boston Garden that people are passing out in the stands, everyone's sweating all over the place. The Lakers are taking oxygen on the bench and Larry Bird Unfazed. I think he had thirty five points. twenty rebounds was just awesome and won the game gave them a three two lead. they won in seven And that is my favorite finals game ever There's a lot of great moments. I was Luck and be there, by the way There's a lot of great moments in the court, but the best ones are served cold, just like McLoob Ultra right here Perod light beer that's only ninety five calories. Yeah. ninety five calories. Even better They're getting people closer to the game with the chance to win tickets, custom merch. much more Michola Btrust appears worth playing for and her now at miclobe Ultra. com slash court side Biggle a bunch recordite twenty five twenty six, no purchase necessary open US residence twenty one plus Begins on october first, twenty twenty five ends on june thirtieth, twenty twenty six Multiple entry periods. see official rules at makelobe ultra. com slash courtide for free entry entry deadlines and prizes and details Now it's time for our with the Asist segment and it's presented by State Farm. court, no one does it alone. the biggest moments often calm. teammates working together, which is my favorite kind of bascoal. I'm not a nice old ball guy. O point setting up the other at just the right time. This season the NBA has given us plenty of duos who made that connection effortless. Normally you would say Marine Yokage for this because I think they they brought the best out of each other and won the twenty three title together This year I think my favorite combo has probably been Castle and Weemby on those those hard roles that Weimby does when castles out of anyone on the spurs, I think is the best at putting it right near the basket for him. And it got to the point there in the finals where The Nicks just started shoving Weemby as he was going for the allyu. U and just taking the non shooting file for it they're probably have to change the rules. But I like the way Castle and Wenby work together and I think that's That's my pick for favorite up and coming. combo, maybe they could be like Yokca Jam Murray someday just like on the court It helps to know someone Has your back when the most unexpected thing might happen. That's where State Farm comes in. They've got easy to use digital tools, like the State Farm app, which is excellent in neighborhood state Farm agents when you want to talk to a real humuman being Like a good neighbor, state farm is there with the assist Coverage options are selected by the customer, availability and eligibility Very by state I got a text from my friend Mark SZamino who just said, incredible, my life has changed And I think I went through this as a Red Sox fan, obviously in two thousand four. You're going to go through it when Croatia wins the World Cup. in six weeks. Yeah That's a long shot Um You really do feel like your life has changed. I mean, I wrote a whole book about it. You feel like there there's a piece that comes over it the fear when you get older that you You're just going to die and never see it or that you're Your parents are going to die and they're neor to see it or your b your older buddy or your uncle. you know, when when the moment happens, you start thinking about all these moments you've had in life, all these people, you know, and there's just there's no experience like it. The problem is you have to really suffer and suffer for your entire life And that's what makes it special unfortunately, but this is this is where we are at the Nicks fans. What was the best text you got I'm just I justibberish people at the game and mostly just mostly just gibberish. Yeah. Sam Morrel, a great center comedian just texted me dude. Dude team, what someone else unreal, just stuff. it's just' just an expans beside themselves Just becomingcohere. I'm sure New York City's going to be incredible tonight. I was thinking What's the next Wh Who replaces them now is our really sad pathetic drought team with generations of fans. It's probably Phoenix, right I'll give you the candidates Phoenix, Utah Qippers, Sacramento, Atlanta Um You have India and Netss to won ABA titles. You have the Blazers that haven't won since seventy seven You have Washington seventy eight, Philly, eighty three and then you have Charlotte Newrleans and Memphis that don't have the giant fan base to pull this off. So who didid you mention Minnesota? Oh and Minnesota is in there too. In Minnesota. I guess Minnesota. G great fans Yeah, and they also they haven't won a title of any kind since the ninety one twwins, I don't think. Yeah no got And they got jobbed in the WNA finals two springs ago, which I still remember you, Minnesota U Yeah, Minnesota's up there. I would say Phoenix though who has just been in the mix decade after decade after decade and has had some really tough beats and some really great players and it just never happened. They also don't have the amount of fans the Nickab. Yeah, that's the thing. There's no there's no team. I mean, really only the Lakers could travel like this and I don't even think Lakers fans would travel to this to quite this extent I agree, partarticularly in the finals where they're traveling far off those teams you mentioned. I they don't again, no one has the fan base. this is a small market team. I think Utah deserves a little bit of a hearing because like the Kicks, they had these these iconic players that were just stopped by Jordan over and over again, right? Like or not twice in the finals, but just couldn't get over the hump and and they they were largely very good for a long time. They've obviously had a down a down few years as they've tanked now. I think I might pick them I wish the Cippers had more fans because that's a great one because that goes back as long They were an expansiion team, I think right around when Phoenix came in the week And then the kings No. Well, but they were Cincinnati The thing Kansas City Slash Omaha I don't think they've won since they were Rochester in the early fifties was the last one for them Atlanta would be a fun one, but yeah We'll never see anything like this in the NBA again because like when the Red Sox won We still had the cubs and the Indians like on deck in this case All right. Do you have more nextick stuff or do you want to move to the spurs here? Yeah. go in more on the next if you have anything anything else you want to hit. I'm just always big on He just got to let it let it sink in. just let you got to luxuriate in the team that just wanted to tell This is New York City, man. This is like This is New York freaking city just got its and this is a team unites the city Why I lived for twenty years? and I wish I lived there still now Um Like not there's no other not even the Yankees. I don't think unite the city like this because there too many meds fans. The Kicks are the city's team. Apologies to Brooklyn. It's just true. And it's been on fire. I mean, I was there all this week for Games three and four staying and Lateel the whole the whole time. the the city is like absolutely on fire. It couldot be understated how crazy this is. Like yes, there have been some misbehaving fans, deplorable stuff. like that happens in every city. Don't let bottom faders. Don't Don't let that represent like what's going on in the West Village in Williamsburg and all these places where there are watch parties. It's an absolutely incredible moment in New York City. My wife and I were sitting here like lamenting that we no longer live there and that we can't go outside. like I just want to go outside. I'm not even a Nicks fan. I actually grew up hating the Kicks ironically. I just want to go outside and see And in the burbs you go outside and you see fucking squirrels and deer running around and there's no one honking their cars, there's nothing It's just incredible. And like You can't say enough about Brunson. You can't say enough about how they built the team. The Josh Hart trade just sort of sneaks under the radar all the time is like how they got Josh Hart and then You know, Brunson taking less money to facilitate everything. just everything clicked into place and Even a guy like Shamot who couldn't miss S weeks, basically B just scrap peap guy. And I think like Again, this is a this is the historical thing, but this is up your alley. I tried to find a comp for them in terms of like You probably saw this on Instagram. like good they were a very good regular season team. fifty three wins. That's like low for a champion then that's and then to go from that to I'm looking at the finals number now sixixteen and three. with a net rating of plus fifteen point four I mean that that that's I think the greatest net rating in the history of the playoffs for a championship team It's up there with like it's it's above notot win loss wise, but like it's seventeen warriors. It's ninety six bulls. like it's all the greatest teams ever are the only ones that are in that universe of So few losses and such a big point differential They just turned into an absolute bulldozer. I don't want it what I don't want to hear and I've seen a little bit of this is why they didn't have to play Boston. they didn't have to play Oklahoma City. stop. Boston over here. Boston got exposed by Philly. Why are we sitting here thinking Boston was this great juggernaut that was going to really like push the nexts. I think they would have pushed the Nicks harder than Pilly because Philly was injured But they got exposed. San Antonio beat Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City was banged up and the Nicks just beat them four out of five times. like Just give them, just give them the credit. It's an all time dominant postseason run. puts them in a position where And this is more in your wheelhouse than mine I don't really think there's a single season team quite like this ever in the NBA who was good and then turned into whatever the hell this is C can't think of one either I think what what The amazing thing to me, it was like Dack Rivers texted meer in the fourth quarter and he was just like, this is a replay of all the other finals games And I was like, you're right Be this is the Kicks are almost like playing karaoke of the other games that they've had where where it's just like here. Oh, they're going to do the part where they're going to fall behind by thirteen. It's like watching those CSI episodes where You're like, with the forty minute mark. Now I bet this guy, now we're going to find out maybe he actually knew the victim. U And that's what they did over and over again. I'm with you. First of all, you know I hate the you never played anybody thing. You can only play who's in front of you. Second, San Antonio was minus two hundred to win the minus one hundred and ninety to win the series and we were we were all saying during the last round. Okay Casey San Antonio was going to decide the finals I certainly felt that way. Yeah So we were in all.on't we me on that. Don't we me on that one. I felt that way. felt that way where I like the finals going to go through the west. I thought of the five best teams But next we' the only good Ace team And I think Denver, Minnesota we were up there with San Antonio. I think those were the five best teams in the week Now they only played one, but I don't hold them against them. and I thought San Antonio was an awesome team. It was one of the scariest defensive teams We've had in a finals in the last twenty years. They turned Philly and Cleveland into freaking mush. Like just get out of here. You don't even belong in the same league as us. And like those were teams that fought tooth and nail to beat other good teams in the easastern conference, including the top seed, including a popular finals pick. And the Kicks just squashed them, humiliated them, embarrassed them out of the playoffs. and it was like, you don't even belong on the same floor with us. Go home James Harden. by the way, James Harden Just sneaking into the news today. J just sneaking right in. Guns loaded U Well, I'll tell you this to credit the next They are changing, I think I think they are lighting a little fire on some of these teams 'cause this is sustainable for the Kicks I think for at least the next two years And if you're boss, then you have to change how you play, which is basically what Stehven said at the press conference right after the season ended You can't play this way anymore We have to be more inside out The Kicks have the ability to play inside out to hit threes Brunson in a lot of ways became their inside outside guy. He was the guy getting all the points in the paint, a little bit of bridges a little bit of towns so it was terrible That was Minnesota towns todayonight Now they didn't get the friendliest whistle ever. but it didn't matter. I will say Three times in two games A Webinyama foul was reviewed and turned into a towns foul Um I didn't like the first two of them, which one was in game four And the first one tonight I did not understand it all Like when Minyama gets called for a foul, like kind of karate chops towns and then towns hooks him. but the chop the chop comes first, which is the foul Yeah and it precedes the hook and you go back and review it Can you not just review that and say we're just it's an no call. We're wiping it away successful challenge now to foul on Wembenyama. I got to make it a foul on toowns. I thought he got a raw whistle in these last two games and we have not even gotten to the fact that we are again for the second straight game. The league is going to be spared. the number one talking point between games five and six being is Wembonyama going to be suspended for game six because of a flagrant foul review on the landing spot thing. I mean, like they've spared this whole officiating discussion because the Nicks saved their ass on it I had that in my notes. He would have gotten suspended I sa this conspiracy all they'll never suspend him they they'll find a way around would have got suspended. I think he would one hundred percent would have gotone suspended between them not upgrading the mush of Jail and Brunson to a flaggrrant, which like I don't understand what their reasoning was for that and like the outcry of that I think I agree with you. I think he was going to get suspended for game six and now thankfully, we don't have to live in a world where the Kicks win game six with no Wemby and everything's a little not painted but just feels a little like We didn't get the send offff that we should have gotten There were a lot of calls I didn't like againgainst the Ns today. It should be mentioned. there was twenty eight to nineteen Nicks free throw advantage in that game. Yeah. I felt like they got hosed on six or seven I thought the callalling the foul on Brunson I mean, u when Brunntson's trying to dribble the clock out with ten seconds left waiting for them to f him gets hacked. There's three reps there All that miss it in the ball goes to bridges, like That just could have been a steal the other way for the game timeing layup and we would have been like Ohh, let's look at the replay Danielson Karate chopping Brunson. That was terrible. believe believe they missed Wendby going under Brudson's feet. They never missed that call ever They make that call one hundred times out of one hundred during this season There's three reps None of them missed the call. He fell down. It was terrible. and I don't know how you don't review that later. They could review it later, but it would just have been between games. It's funny When I for time out, you can't review it? I don't know. When I first watched it Naked Eye, I actually didn't I saw Bruntson kick his leg out a little bit and I thought, o, that maybe that's what they saw. And then on the replay, it's much it's much more clear that that should have been fl and a flavl and it it was just not called. And then there was like The OGN and Oi Phantom looseball foul after a scramble rebound very late in the game were like I'm not even sure what what Scott Foster was looking at. But look, the Nicks and you can sit here and do the f the foul count and the free throw count and whatever. It's like the fouls on towns are so pivotal and so he is such a bedrock in terms of how the Kicks play and coming into this game The Nicks were plus forty eight with towns on the floor and minus forty with towns off the floor that like I don't really care if the rest of the calls are even or lean to U the Nick's favor because those calls by themselves are so pivotal And three times in two games Not only is when Banyama fl erased, it's then turned into a foul on towns. and I thought two of the three were bad calls or just like wipe it away, no call it. The third one was a clear foul when he shoved U shoved Gembinyama into and expl. We were texted near the end of halftime And I was texting you then I thought the nexts were going to win, which I was texting you all day. and you texted back. Hold on, I want to see what happens with these three towns fowls. And like instantaneously by there. Yeah. I got the text and he was falling somebody U Foster had that awful call on OGi, the fifth foul It was Brunson had just made a lamp. It was eighty three, eighty three Oji had that weird loose ball call And I wrote down in my notes at that point. It was starting to give me flashbacks to Ts time to bring a Celtics team into this Game five, two thousand eight finals. Sels up three one It's in L.A. It's two, three, two. My dad and I are in the stands. We think the Sels are going to win and in the second half, the Sels just got hosed It was the game where Rayon fouled out Hit five thousand the second half. Paul Pier said five thousand the second half. And I was like, I feel like we're reliving that where they're just going to like take OG and Towns out of this game. and as it turned out It didn't matter because Jaylen Brunson just could not be stopped for a long, long time. and then Really on San Antonio side, nothing happened. But I'm looking at guys I bolded down the stretch. OGi had a dunk Brunon had a floater, Mitch had that offensive rebound. OG had a free throw, Bridges had free throw like all the lot of chipped in. A lot of nerby free throws at the end for both teams. lot of like by the way, I get it. I mean, maybe it wasn't ner. Sometimes you just miss. but boy, if you put me at the line right there, I might pee my pants and go over two on two airballs and run off the court never to be seen again The one I was positive of was Harper missing the first one when he was they were down three with like eight seconds left L like I feel like the guy misses that ninety percent of the time down the stretch. We had a twow big Josh shark shots in the fourth quarter W to shout out. He's the kind of their no, no yes guy And But yeah, so When you look at the other Nicks, OG goes Um Three of eleven But I'm just going big picture. You had him as finals NVP after Game four, which I thought was aggressive W had it too. I think it was like sixty forty because Brunson is the engine, right? Brunson is my stance. every Well the best guy to me unless he's awful has to get it. Well and by after this game there were there were no there were just no questions about it. But look, let's again Now that it's over Is the Anatobe tip the greatest play in the history of Nick's basketball Greatest in the history of Nicks basketball. It's one of the greatest plays in the history of basketball, but it great I think it's the discussion would be of basketball for me for the professional basketball NBA Is it one of the ten best, most important plays in the history of the league I think you could argue that it was. Now you're saying like non game seven versus game seven. No we was two categories? Well, no we were I sent you a text from my buddy Doug, who's a genius and he was it is a math genius. and he was asking me like Do you think the Anonobbe tip is the single biggest non game seven swing play in terms of finals, odds. and then he showed me his math. about how much it swung Falss odds And he said, give me some other candidates And the only way I gave him a bunch and the only one that he mathematically said was as close to that big of an odds swing was Robert Oriry shot in game five in two thousand five pistons. U Spurs, which turned to she left them open. Yeah, which turned a two point pistons lead into a one point sppurs win But yeah, I mean, like it's it's up there and just it's just It's just made for cinema. He's flying through the air above everybody else ing in with the kind of urgency that is like I will die to win this game and gets his hand on it perfectly softly. Nobody else touches it. O him. only he's high enough to get it And it's you know it's going in as soon as he hits it. It's not it's he's got he's got a preposterous level of touch and control on it that you as soon as mean, I was there, I was watching it. I was standing up in awe So like as soon I saw him running I was like, Oh my guy' gonna tip this sing So I did the pod right afterwards and then was kept watching that whole sequence over and over again the next morning I think it's one of the craziest flke. It might even be a crazier fluke, but also great play than the Ray Allen shot H remember the Ray Allen shot All the guys What was it the that led to the layout or no it was the LeBron three before the wayay Allen shot All five spurs had a chance for the rebound and it's like You could do this a thousand times and this might be the one time where you don't get the rebound Not to mention U that Ray O was the guy in the corner who had practiced the back pedling like All those things that happen. It's like one in a million that that team that moment So the next You have to have the spurs fucking up The defensive coverage. didid you see that that camera from behind the basket of them kind of not knowing who to cover I did then it ends up And I think that was legitimate where they kind of did Ohh, I thought o Oh, they're playing him. And they're kind of scrambling right before And Weimby ends up on Brunson. whichich I don't I can't imagine Do you think that was the intention at all for him to be thirty feet from the basket? They're up one Don't think so. That said, I don't think there was enough scrutiny or just curious questioning of Did you need to double team Jelen Brunson with Victoram on him? I mean I think that was a in all the attention on the Fox blunder that preceded that, which was all very deserved. And by the way, I've seen some defenses of that decision by Fox, which are to me are nonsensical. We can talk about that if you want But I I don't think that and I don't know who called for the double. I assume the coaches yelled for him to go and do it. I'm like it s So unanimous defenseive player of the year four seconds left in the game. He's just going to take a three. I don't know what you're alsoso defeenders. You don't need Wemby to come out. If anything, you have to be worried about some sort of tip U So anyway, when bec comes out, that's lucky break number one Lucky break number two, Brunson shoots it fast And it has to hit the front of the rim and ricochet right toward where OG's going, right And OJ's jumping jump seven feet full speed But you still need the ball to ricochet. If it hits the back of the room, he's by it. I don't he might be able to get it with his left thinging, but It almost has to bounce the way it is And then for him to just kind of tap it back the way he did I think that's like a one in a hundred thousand play. those three things all togetherether. Not to mention Wimby could have blocked the Brunson shot. U The only thing is Towns was right there for the tip in of the Brus of the Oji tip And I wonder if he would have tipped it in See if that And then you also have Hers having Harper inbound the pass at the end on a play that would have worked and towns tips set And like Why wasn't Wendy inbounding that? because you're using as a decoy for the play. the lob thad, right like How about Cornet? Could Cornet not throw Why do you have somebody who's six inches shorter than the guy guarding him notot to mention Towns brings the guys over the fans to kind of crowd Harper, which I've never seen in a modern NBA game in the last thirty years, but I thought that was crazy too. You could do a documentary about the last ten minutes of that ten seconds of that game. Oh you sure you sure could then the Fox decision like you like you could It's like an hour of analysis The Fox decision I saw a couple of analytics people being like This is unfair criticism. It's a totally analytically sound decision. Here's the math of like, well, he could put them up three this and that The reason why it was a bad decision and I don't know if he could have killed as much clock as people think because OG was coming to fallon real fast, but the reason why It's bad decision, despite whatever analytics you can conjure about it is Even if he just makes one out of two free throws, which is part of the analytical argument for why it's not a horrible decision, Well, he could miss freerow He could miss both freerows and blah blah blah, exxpected points for this and that Then you're up to. and the and the tip does not lose you the game. You still have a chance to win it in overtime. There's just such an enormous one point is such an enormous difference that if that's all you get, it still matters. Zzero is what you can't get. And he did pretty much the only thing put zero in a probable position to happen and that was challenging and Obe at the Rim and lose I don't know why he did it I don't know why he wanted to challenge Ananobbe. I don't know how he couldn't have scored on the left side of the basket when he's left handed Um, But the OG block slash tips I was watching, I watched the end of Buck Suns Game five to try to remember the Drew play in the sequenceces of in and the books Ten. withith three minutes I think kind of blow the game leadeing to Booker who had been hot in that game with a chance to win And Drew does the strip, comes back down. and throws that crazy alive to Janis who's almost by the rim and dunks it anyway And I was thinking like if he hadn't, if he had fucked up that Alup or Yanis, whatever, like he would have gotten all the same deer and Fx criticism, but guess what? it worked. And if Fox had scored to go up three. we would have been like great play by Fox I don't think think a great play. I don't think we would have. I think we would' have been like, ooh, that was risky. He's lucky. Risky great play by Fox. Yeah. I was watching the nineteen ninety Game two finals, Pistons's Blazer. Of course you. Why wouldn't you be watching that? Well, it got served to me on Twitter because apparently I was watching last second plays and this popped up. This was the Danny Young game Remember this? No? I don't think so, but I'll remember when you describbe to me Which final was it a Blazers's placeaclazers? That's the one where the pist' back in Portland. Yeah Pistons are up one U they inbound it press For some reason, Gerald Henderson decides to score a lay upp with like three seconds left instead of just dribbling at the clock. There's no blazers. All the blazers are up trying to steal it Blazers inbounded it and Dany Young just gets a wide open three, but it's like a split second after the buzzer. And it was kind of as dumb as the Fx playay. They did not My point is Guys have brainfarted like this over and over again in like these guys are tired. The amount of energy it takes to play these games is astonishing and unimaginable to regular people and it affects your brain a little bit. and also with such confidence and you're such an elite athlete that he justifiably thinks I'm quick enough to get this shot onto the backboard before before he gets to it and he didn't. And like it's understandable.s it's like a very explainable brain fart, but a disastrous Rrainfy, you know what It's not explainable as the point guard. The point guards the smartest guy in the team allegedly. He's the game manager. He's the guy who he's the quarterback. Heeses guy makes the right decisions, right Kam Johnson I saw in Tommy's pod. deffending Darren Fox. He was just like, you guys don't understand like how fast everything goes when you're playing basketball and it's like, They get a steal. pumps out. It's not like you have a lot of time to process what. First he's got to chase the ball He's in real time measuring OG behind him, but You know, I guess my thing is the Spurs would have won this series anyway regardless of that play. because I think I really felt like they started to get exposed as the series get along. Look at what happened today. I many guys in the spur many but how many guys on the sppurs did you trust by Midway through game five We lost all our confidence in Fox The entire bench was out. Cornet was unplayable. They couldn't really play Carter Bryant Kelvin Johnson, sixix M of the year was just doing nothing. Um You going down the line, it's like I don' I can't find six guys I trust on this team, not to mention The big fundamental issue with them was they got to give the carcys to Harper and they just wouldn't do it. They were Hesitant to do that. And I think that was one of the things that cost them the series. Well, it is interesting for a team that was ahead of schedule and has a ton to be proud of and is like two bone headed plays away from this series probably still going on into game six. It does feel like there's a surprising amount of potential fallout in San Antonio just in terms of maybe not immediate, but just like The Fox question is arriving maybe faster than they thought it might. I would say it's arrived. I think people are getting off the train Well, I mean, I said after game four that I was having lunch with an agent in New York and we were talking about like, because Harper's been so sensational. U And that's part of the Fox question too is Harper And he said, you know, how soon do you think like spers start thinking about or taking calls or listening or whatever. And I said, lookook, it feels it feels early. because his extension doesn't even kick in yet and they just made the finals and they're going to have to lickt their wounds if they lose this series. But that contract is so big and so long that like if a team called me this off season and just gave me like a fair ish offer for it. we got to have a meeting about it because This was bad and he's got a high ankle sprain, but this series was really bad in every possible way pretty much And Harper was just sensational And You could argue like we've almost already gotten what we hope to get out of Fox, which is like veteran mentorship, a long playoff run. didn't quite get all the way. and like like now it just got like four more years on a huge extension coming up. I don't know if it's It's that's fallout Keldon Johnson iss a free agent. That's fallout, just completely fell apart in the finals and didn't have a great playoffs overall. Um It a bad playoffs could be an interesting Well, the thing with Fx So for people listening who don't know the size of the contract Um mayaybe take a seat, even if you're sitting. It's four years to twenty one And I had a bunch of people over the last couple days texting me, like just people that aren't doing what we do for a living, but just basketball fans. likeike so they're going to trade Fox. Where's it going to go Go through the teams. like it's It's hard to find four teams need an expensive point guard who like you'd be like, oh Orlando, he'd be good there. Well, cool. Orlando's already like way over the tax. They're going to be a second apron team And they're not trading Frz Wagner for Darren Fox. I'm sor Right There's That one goes into the David Stern veto. Yeah, that's like the leag the league steps in What they're looking at is something like Minnesota Wondering if they'll take the last year of Julius Randall's deal and D Francenzo who has a torn Achilles. Um I honestly think that's what they're looking at for that contract. I think you're looking at Can we get expirings back? U And we're probably getting the one or two worst guys in the trade. We might have to throw a pick in it U Atlanta is interesting because they're going to have cap space Um need a point guard and maybe have like the Kisspert contract and Roche and But I couldn't find a deal that I really liked. Well, that's what I think he's going to be on San Antonio next year. That's what I meant by Fairish in terms of like if it's like neutral to us and we don't have to give up a pick, like I gott at least have a meeting about it. But then you go through the teams. And of course, irony of all irony is, a team that absolutely could use an expensive, good point guard and does desperate things all the time is the Sacramento Kings. And I feel like that's probably not going to happen Yeah, that definitely not happen. Well, here's the other problem with Fox likeike as a trade asset This draft is like legendary for how many point guards are in and the kings are in that range. fiveive guys who who could potentially be starting as point guards, not to mention like some of the guys that have come in the last two years. So I think he's going to be on the team and I don't really know I don't know how they how they get out of that one. The only The only thing I threw out and I don't really see the exact scenario for it, but you mentioned Atlanta Mi like there like is is there a team that gets Yanis that has to trade so much for him that is like, all right, we just need another good player in the door and this is guy's getable and he fits well. likeike that's but I even that is a hard deal to construct There was one there was one that caught my attention as I was flying through the Sot trrack teams Jomerin he's he's in that same sort of boat, right? And if you're the sppurs, you just basically that that's that's all I could think No the sppurs are not trading for Joh Mant. now, but you you get him and then you try to flip him and it's basically a three team deal You know An it was don't think that's happen This episode is brought to you by Accenture. When your advertising operations fall out of sync, everything else follows. Spotify and Accenture are working together to reinvent the rhythm of ad sales, using automation, analytics, and smarter workflows to simplify campaign delivery and access better data across the business. The result Less time spent on operations, more time connecting brands with the moments and fandoms that matter most Learn more at accccenture d. com slash Spotify Our roll battery is 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 Take your flexibility beyond the mat PayPal. Pay nothing at cheheckout. Then enjoy a flexible monthly payment plan that works for you. With no sign up or late fees. Find yours then, and an easy way to pay. With PayPal. Download the PayPal app to get started. Subject to approval. Pay mononthly consonsumer loans made by Webank. Available through PayPaling NML nine one zero four fivety seven. Learn more at payPal. com slash pay monthly So the spurs twowo of the worst finals losses this century in less than a week includluding was almost said which two. I mean, just they just all felt so good Yeah. The one today was like a walk in the park compared to some of the other ones. U did a thing about after game two about how They've had And this is before game four how they had had the their five worst playoff losses are worse than anyone else's five worst playoff losses. And then they added a sixth one to that I don't know where you start with them when you're thinking about the season because they're a little like the Patriots whenin the Super Bowl, whereereas like after the Super Bowl and the Patriots got killed I almost wish I hadn't made the Super Bowl we would have been better off losing the AFC title game. If the Spurs just lose an OkayK see in game seven We have no questions. We're like, oh, they're too young. O C's really good. That's the way it worked out But now it opens up a whole bunch of stuff and we've almost gotten to the hour mark without talking about them yet This was an incredibly disappointing Weby series. It just was. for future of the weeague, face of the weeue, all that stuff. This was I think a catastrophe for all those storylines. it was. I think that's a little strong Um Yeah for we're passing the torch from Jordan and LeBron No Wembe and I'm included. I' I have my hand pushing toward them And he just what he just wasn't nearly good enough or impactful enough. He wasn't. So I just I disagree with you in two senses. I don't think he was catastrophically bad. I think he was a little disappointing. defefensively. I think he was like tonight he was fantastic for two and half quarters defensively and I think faded a little bit. at the end He averaged twenty six a game on forty two percent shooting, twenty seven percent on threes eleven rebounds, three and a half blocks I agree in the aggregate, it's it's disappointing and we can talk about why and what parts of his game kind of faded in and out of some of these games. Like tonight for instance, I thought in the first half he was just not rolling to the rim enough. It was just settling for pops and pop tos and drives that were never going to work. in this series and for some reason just doesn't yet have the confidence or the consistency and just like the simple poor Zinga shot where all else fails. I just catch the ball fifteen feet, face up and shoot over you. Like that should just be a much bigger part of his diet than it is. J passing him up And especially the eighteen footers. But I had this argument with people throughout the finals. I think just story wise, narrative wise This is the best this is a better outcome for the league. The Nicks win They end the fifty three year drought. Total jubilation in New York City History, all the alums are there, youwing's there, the ghosts are exercise all that And Wendby gets some battle scars and gets embarrassed a little bit in some big moments and has to go back like it's it was it felt too soon for him to already conquer the leeague and now we get an off season of like reckoning with the turnover in game two reckoning was shooting forty two percent seven of nineteen, I think tonight and like like some scars, some some stuff some st miss free throws in game in game four in New York. I just think it's like a cool that cooler, but just like Certainly a more literary art But then if you just sort of walked into not walked into just like, I'm already the best. We're already champions. New York you lose again. To be fair, I wasn't saying his play was catastrophic I was saying The storyline arc of him being the next guy and here it is and he has now arrived I think it's really flipped over the last. I just know anecdotally with people in my life He is now he's basically had an entire career of narratives in the spade of two two months where now it's like Can he play more than thirty minutes in a playoff game without wearing down? Why is he why does Why is the first half so different than the second half And What about some of the dirty stuff? Like the Nicks fans hate Wimbyough. It's really interesting. Like they're just like that even the play with Brunson today I got So many people in my life are like, Hit there he is. He did it again. U this is a guy that went into the last two rounds of the playoffs Kind of with a unanimous approval rating that now I think there's questions. I think there's he's people that don't like them, It's just that's what I mean. L it's It went from like, oh my God, this is definitely the next guy. Here we go to now people going H What do we actually have here? and is he going to get better and what is he going to add And can he play more than thirty minutes a game without wearing down and I don't know. I just think he left with a lot of questions. I do think it's worth again noting is team made the finals and we just spent a lot of time talking about how the guards other than Harper were like A little bit scatter shot and Castle was very bad tonight too Um He was in the finals, they beat OKC. U and the dirty stuff is interesting because I do like clearly when he feels like he's getting beat up There is a risk of him losing his temper. I mean, just ask Nz Reid Again I do think some of the things like the landing spot thing and like a couple like one a couple of like the elbows that end up gettingw into somebody's jaws He's just very tall and his limbs are just going to get to places where I that Like he doesn't really expect them to be or you don't expect them to be. I think there's a little bit of that, but it is interesting. The top three players in the league in whatever order You want them all left us this season in slightly disappointing fashion. Yokca shoots nineteen percent from three in the first round and is just kind of not the same guy. Shehay in the conference finals has an absolutely epic game seven but ends up averaging twenty six a game on forty one percent shooting and then Victor in the finals has a little bit of a leta. It's just like it's hard, man. L they all they all ran into stuff and it was hard and they just they didn't quite live up to their usual production. Here's where he should get dinked. Game for Mitch goes for the kill, leaves them in, right He plays a ton of minutes and he just dies down the stretch. likeike he just couldn't handle that kind of minute load workload physicality. just He weilted Um Part of it was because he probably didn't have the experience of playing minutes like that because they were really careful with him during this season. Zoe's like, give us your thirty best minutes Um in the playoffs, you can't do that anymore. You got to get into the four days. Look at Brunson tonight. Game five if you're digging him I think it's got to start with all the towns fou trouble. Towns is out of this game Gning of the third quarter. He's out now for the next Basically quarter and a third Right How did Wemby not destroy the Kicks at that point They didn't have a center. They Mitch Robinson, who was terrible this whole series. They were they had bridges on him at one point. They put a small ball lineup on him. Like if you're supposed to be, now I sound like I'm like like a fucking talking head like doing the But if you're if you're supposed to be the guy, you're our next guy Here we come. We're about to hand the leak to you. And they have a team that has no center out there. why you whyy are you destroying them? I don't understand it. Okay, so in this particular game, the Kicks did play with no center for a couple of different stretches. They tried to time it to the cornet minutes for just the reason that they know this is untenable against Obinyama And then I was a little surprised that they they would like bring Hk Porty in when Wembenyama came in and they're like, fuck, we're just going go small against Wembinyama, which surprised me And I thought there was at least one play where I think I can't remember which guard it was. I think it was Castle. had him might have been Harper, had him on a loob and went for a two instead in the paint and missed. Like the lob was very clear there. I didn't throw it Then there's another play where somebody just he had bridges on him. and I think it was Fox just just like throw the ball and he threw the ball and he like caught it and laid it up and in. and at that exact moment, Mike Brown pointed to Michel Robts can I get your hands up back in. here like they like they it didn't last long and they did exploit it to the point that Mike Brown was immediately like, Yeahep, one b like they figured it out bring bring We need the big guy back in with the broken hand So he's talking a lot of shit in the first half of game for when they're up, right? Well, he was That's not helping them either. I just think it's going to be interesting how this goes for him for the next couple of months because first of all, he's Ameran. He's not American. He's French Second bush. English is a second language and I think a couple times during the playoffs where he's just said things because He's saying things in the language that's not his. And the way it could just get cut and interpreted seems a lot more aggressive. What was that quote where it was like we're going to come back and win or win they're down three one. everybody everyverybody knows we're going to do it Yeah, I don't, I don't one hundred percent even know that's what he meant, but he's French. Like just trying to talk. I think I think that' what he trying. I think he's just trying to be confident. U thoughtought u If you're going to be the big buie And you're going to carry yourself like the big buully. you've got to do better in a game where Carl Anthony Towns only plays half the game because he's in f trouble whole time When it's three one You've had two days rests, you can't wait in the rest thing. I just I was really disappointed, but again This is part of the process with the young guys. We saw with Tatum in the twenty twenty two finals We saw it with Um What's LeBron and the zero seven final L this is this is it. This is the taste ter and hopefully he vaults from this and goes up a level, but yeah, I thought that was a little more there offensively. I got toa be honest. I mean, his rollles to the rim continuue to be their best offense, right? And they got a ton of greatade threes that they missed on just him rolling to the rim. But yeah, you just like he has these moves two or three times a game where he just decides I'm scoring And I'm not going to settle for the showot you want going to take. I'm going to at least get to the dotted line and spin or fake a half spin and loft the little hookup or two a jumper and it goes in, you're like. Why is there not more of that? I just keep coming back to the poor Zinka shot as like that should just be easy money for him as a as a failafake. Yeah. I will say how a jump hook. Can we can we throw a jumpook in there? your're seven six We probably spend time with Eljuan this summer and come back with stuff. Who knows. How about just go to the gym and shoot some jump hooks? Do we need to keep Elajuan to teach you how to string around like everyone has a jump hook. but has ever played basketball has one. I think this is all great that we're talking about this and he hasn't reached the mountainop yet and he's getting beat up a little bit by fans who say he's dirty and like we're talking about the lack of this go to move or whatever. Yeah. And he had not only that His shit talking to Mitchell Robinson early in game four. We said, I'm in your head. I'm in your head and it backfight mistake rememinds me a little bit of like Duayne Wade in game two of the finals in twenty eleven where he hits like the whole bench is taunting. There's a time out and the mads get so furious. They're like we can't let this team clown us like this and they come back and win the game and they all cite that moment as a moment that changed their mindset.'s Dayne Wade cites that moment as like a oopsy moment for him Do you think OJ is the greatest three ind D guy we've had in the three and era It has to be somebody who's not an actual Couldn't average twenty five to twenty six a game if I had to. on a good team I have to be like basically the third option I know exactly what I am I'm over here. I'm going to play bass. We're going to have some awesome concerts. Every once in a while, I might get the same couple songs But that's all I'm doing. And And he knows it and that's just who he is. I can't think of a better version of this. Like it's almost like we should change three indeed to Oi. I mean, I don't even know what he is man because he just averaged twenty points a game for an entire playoffs And I know that, you know, scoring is up because of threes and all that, but like that's That So maybe maybe he's like a three ind D like plus like he's he's just OG' like the separate category for three and D guys. It's not they running plays for him. No, you know, I used to talk about three in D and D guys with the second D being drive like you got to be able to make plays out of closeouts and he's good at that, but he he can like he can do a little bit a little bit of everything. likeike he can bully a mismatch If you got nothing else going on. He can hit and off to dribble three now and then. He's a thirty three in double D guy I don't know. L don't go into Berkeley territory on that But I just think he's a phenomenal player. and it was a trade I love for them right away. You and I, I think talked about it at one point too about You know, the quickly in and obbe debate and all that. I just thought there was never any debate. It was just such a smart identification of All right. if Brunson's our guy. What kind of guys do we need to get around him And if Brunson's our guy quickly is never going to develop under us the way that he could somewhere else and Barret is Barret, like You just need a different guy and that was absolutely like a plus identification of talent. Yeah it was I remember I remember doing a potter about that trade and being like, I haveve no idea how this is going to play out But I understand it from both sides notot But it's like at that point, OG You know, he'd he'd could miss some games at some point. It was like Toronto always seem pretty anxious to get off them. They didn't They didn want three years. They didn't want to pay this contract that the Nicks are currently paying and the Nicks are like this is great We'll pay you. Yeah, they they were delighted to do it. Can we canan we find a sponsorship deal for you under the table or something, But because we love you so much. By the way, Raptors you know, what I was seeking like very tangential winners and losers of the playoffs and of the NBA finals Razers' Anonobi, right? L Aakam And Sakam and I had forgotten Um They traded Sakam. And the pacers pick that one of the pacers picks they got in that trade is now the number five pick in the draft and it had quite a journey of went Indiana, Toronto, Toronto, New Orleans, New Orleans back to Indiana and then Indiana to the cllippers and now it's the number five pick in the dret. I'd forgotten about that razy And Yeah, it seems like in retrospect, maybe Anenobi and Sakum could have worked together as two forwards on a really good team Watching it in real time it was a team that never really made sense There was something missing when you watch them and none of us could put our finger on it. Well's like I like this guy, I like this guy. It's just a lot of it was Scottty Barnes developing, I think faster then they thought and I think they maybe got a little ahead of Scottty Barnes development in making their team building decisions, but they just concluded like this is not going to be a championship team. The next championship team is going to be built around Scottty Barnes. Let's just pivot there now. and yeah, it looks I also though No as I say I also felt for Brooklyn Nets fans a little bit when Mike Breen said during the game about Jose Alvarad, or about Julian Champanney, The Brooklyn kid torturing his hometown team. I was like, oo, that one's gonna sting just a little bit. O On the bright side for San Antonio I think Carter Bryan's going to be really good. It's a very bright bright side I love Carter Bryant and then next year maybe he's a little more involved. The Harper thing' incredible. It really felt like There was a couple of moments tonight where I was like Wow, if the San Antonio wins this, it's going to be because Dylan Harper went to this crazy level that we've only seen a couple times from twenty yearlds in the finals. and It like it was like, is he going to score thirty eight points? Is this just going to be like he single handly changes this And then Trump decides to go to game six All of a sudden the momentum is completely flipped again al that game already feels like three weeks ago Um the Trump game. Yeah, it just the playoffs are just so long. the Trump game feels like three weeks ago. You know how long the playoffs are. Here's a thought that popped into my head today J to pop this This is like how broken my brain is You know when it popped in my head when I was doing Ringer one hundred And I put this guy in the ringer one hundred higher than I've ever had him. and I was like C man Tobias Harris had himself a playoffs, didn't he? That feels like seven seeven months ago that Tobias Harris had himself a playoffs I sent my Ringer one hundred in at Brunson fourth I don't remember where I had him. I'm not looking it up right now. I was not fourth though. So that means you had him above Luke. I put him. Yeah Put him above Luca, Wh on not whyy that deserves to be above Luca? He just won the title. but J just revise it now. putut him w. Why not? whyy not have a ceremonial ringer one hundred? He's first now Um, So Harper like to figure out the foox thing, but it' be fine. Maybe it doesn't materialize until February. And then Wendby, as you mentioned earlier, because of everything that played out the last three weeks This is his roocky three moment now. now he's got a Like, what do I need to add tasted my own blood A little bit villainy now in America, especially with the Nicks fan base and probably OkayC two and Minnesota. I have some teams that franchise that don't like me, like going to be how it goes. So we did the most intriguing players of the playoffs before the playoffs. We had a draft. We did I picked Weemby for Apex superstar and you picked SGA, neither of us picked Brunson. Um Crossroads guy. You took Mitchell And I took Palo and Franz as a combo. Who ended up being the crossroords guy ff I don't even know what the definition of crossroads guys Just like we leave the playoffs going. whoa, there I guess it's Fox Crossrossross Crossing to the wrong side of the road. No, it's just like you're at the crossroads with this guy and your team or that or this guy in his career. Id probably fox Defensive stud I at OGN and ObiU at Derek White Nice. U feelel good star. you would Lameello I T tatum This was before the play in tournament. we did this. We counted we counted in the play in teams. Hot seat coach, you had Jamal Moseley H email, Duke Dka. Um seat wildcard. We really had Zacharary, I Rish to say I had deer and five. We really nailed this one Legacy guy. I had Brunson, you had Yokage. I think I took Brunson before. I'm not going to brag about that You had for second banana Carl Anthony Towns and I had Jayen Duran. So you hit that And you hadron you had Michaelle Bridges and I had Earon Gordon for third banana Lugus Bres becam like C bridges Banana now. The leap. I had Maxi, you had Steph Castle. I think we both hit that. Trade machine guy, you had Julius Randall. I had JW. So one for two there. you win Um Weak link, you had Jay La Greree and I had to buy us And then u We had a Koda guy for some reason. you had KD and I'd Cry, neither of those hit. but Boy did the Katie coded to his career not hit in these playoffs. But that's what Oh and for beloved bench guy, I had Luke Cornet and you had Pyton Pritchard. Anyway, that was a snapshot of how we were feeling before the playoffs And I don't we don't know if a bonus guy who has to be mentioned. I had Jill and Brown to do at Anthony Edwards So I'm trying to think who we didn't have. did D'an Harper is the big one that's missing, huh? Wendby. D none of us took Wendby? No, I had Wendby for ApP. a superstar. You know who we didn't have was Miss Johnson. So what happens with him now? He's the coach of the Spurs. I don't think there's anything There's not I think they're delighted with how he coach the team in the finals. there's no universe. I think they're probably a little There are things to work on for sure, but there's no world in which they're making a coaching change. Didn't think that were. I'm just asking if did the seat get a little hotter for me Um 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, like 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 responses set up required compatibility and availability varies eighteen plus Smart security made simple. That's the new Bink two K videoide doorbell lineup. Choose battery powered convenience or hardwired reliability. Whatever suits your home, set up in minutes, then start greeting your guests and seeing your deliveries in detail from anywhere. Because whether you're a renter or homeowner, you deserve peace of mind Shop new blink two K video doorbells at amazon. com slash blink five NBA stories other than the finals Now that the finals are over. Okay, we're just gonna we're okay. All right, let's do it. What else do you have? No, that's it. Do have any more finals? No, let's go top five stories. I just't make a list. I didn't know we were doing this. so let's let's go. mean number one's obvious What do you think number one is? Yanis. ten order of the draft. That become this is number one or two expertise. Yeah.'s number one or two. I'm really fascinated with what's happening in this draft because I' I think AJ, I am now at I would bet anything AJ is going to be the first pick. anything take the. He's minus five hundred on Fando. I would lay it down if I could do it in California and And I think Boozers is going to go to. And I think Peterson will go three to Memphis and we'll see how he handles that and then Wilson four Nobody knows who's going five to the Cippers. Nobody People just had Wagler written in there and now it feels like people are a little more lukewarm on him Um, maybe they trade back, but that five to T range is going to be fascinating. then Golden States in they're eleven, hoping somebody drops. So I'm interested in that. m going I'm holding the anest straight to the end here Reeves contract. Does that provoke interest from you or you just feel like the Lakers take care of him That provokes interest for me. I would guess the Lake I would bet the Lakers take care of them, but You know, D you feel good about paying him fifty million a year after the series you just watched? Which series The final Epursers just thinking about like that level of basketball and feel great about paying a lot of players fifty million dollars a year in a salary cap second apron environment. but what's my alternative I feel okay I'm fifty million. I feel okay. But then I Denny's not on my team And I have to figure out What's my team around Lukotich The problem for them is they have to pay him because Luke is like What do he mean you're not paying him? He's My second best teammate U But I think that really o two fifty plus million dollar guys makes everything really hard ide that I have What does Cleveland do think is a really good one. I'm prepared for basically anything with that, although I haven't heard anything about them being involved with Yonest, have you U I I think I think they're always hovering on the periphery, but it would very clearly take It would take Mobli and it would take Janis indicating that he would sign a long term extension there. and it just feels like a pretty unlikely series of events He has not indicated that at all And then before we get to honest, LeBron Oh sure. What happens with that is a good one It always is, it always is This one's a really fun one because the Warriors is really in play now like for real I really feel like If I had to bet my life on a team, I think I would bet on. Stop betting your life and everything on these sets I'm not actually betting it. That's what I think that would be the move for me. And that's attached to the Cleveland topic too. A least they have to be at least monitored for that E had is That would basically be him doing thirty million a year and then them trading Jared Allen to the Lakers. don't know I don't know how it works. I've been in the fininals bunker, but it orready takes an enormous paycut, which I don't see But who knows? I don't know. We've never seen a famous rich guy take a giant pay cut other than Carl Malone that one time. U, the honest trade. Is that what you have storylines already? Yeah, those are the five. Why do you have another one? Well, I mean, aspiration. Oh wrapping up. I mean, Adam Silver kind of Adam Silver for the first time kind of acknowledged that is which I think it was before game was like gues it' taking a while. We goty wraped this one up guys lot of billable hours. Can we can we just get to the end of this If you're the Cippers, do you hope it wraps up after you have the fifth pick of the draft? because that would be one of my hopes Could wrap this up in Jalagas? Yeah. I lose my fifth pick. if they're probably. Do you think they were rooting for a seven game finals just to shrink shrink the window between the finals and the draft All right, that's a good one too So Janis What are you hearing I think buck I think, well, I mean, they're trading him. I would be shocked at this point if they didn't They obviously know what Miami's offer is notot traded him to Miami yet Uh, so Other things are afoot And I don't know how many teams are realistically in it Um You have talked about it. I would definitely watch Boston uh potentially dipping their the diving in, not just dipping their toe in but diving. I think they I think they dove in. They made from I heard they made an offer. in the past week, a couple of days before I mentioned on Thursday I don't know what the offer was and I don't know who's in it they are in was in the ring, which I was really surprised by as I said on Thursday because I thought they were sitting it out And I don't know Do you think something changed? Do you think they looked at this from every angle or that they realize, oh, that that's it for the Miami offer. we can beat that. Like what would have changed their mindset? Because I do not think they were in on Yanis in the beginning of the offseason I don't think they ever out. I just the safest bet is always inertia, right? Like the safest bet is we know The nucleus we have works really well and There's some degree of risk in shaking that up for a thirty one year old who's been injury prone and we're going to have to sign up to ginormous extension s that's a big that's a big pivot for a team that has a pretty large window now of being one of the best teams in the NBA when everyone's healthy But I think it's probably just frustration with how the season ended Um, public comments that had been made after the season that ruffled some feathers, I'm sure And again, like a dearth of like, how many teams are we really competing against if if we go if we go for them And I'm not saying they're they've gone gone for him, but maybe they have There's Miami. likeike I don't really know how real the Portland thing is. Is he signing an extension in Portland? I don't think so I don't think he's going to say that upfront anyway Orlando, I'm not sure how real that one is yet. Toronto. I just don't think they have enough to get it done because obviously they're not putting Scottty Barnes in that deal. So I don't really know even if they wanted to do it or make an offer what it would be. I mean, just there just aren't that many teams that are going, you know, the boat to thegree the bucks are going to need a rock On top of that, he wants to go to Miami or Boston. and I think Boston over Miami because he has a better chance to win a title in Boston. because M' going to trade all this stuff on the side and just have him and Bam and then have to figure it out. Like and it's been made clear, I think, Oklahoma city' out. There's not going to be a panic chet trade. Other team. I can tell you for sure other teams have checked on chet and B stiff arm San Antonio's obviously out. The team that has been curiously unmentioned and I think is unmentioned because they haven't been in is Houston in terms of teams that have assets, right? Like I just I ye And then u What am I, I don't know if it's top five interesting stories, but just a team that has a lot of assets and I just like, is Brooklyn really just gonna L what are they going to do? Are they going to be like the Reeves offer sheet team or the Reeves like count offer team A they going to be Are they willing to just be bad again? Like what are they actually going to do Yeah, because you do the Reeves offer sheet When you do like july first and Well it's notam was It was unrestricted. so they don't have to worry about that B you can I mean, you can't offer him the money until Yess you could do wink wink before it. Um I don't know. is he really going to leave the Lakers to go to the Brooklynets to play with seventeen point cards? None of wh are Impact guys Here's the problem for the nets some my on this one for a few weeks, like just being interested in it. They don't like the best guys to take at number six are all point guards and they just invested last year in a bunch of point guards, including spent the eighth pick on a point card He based to be punning on last year's draft. Iust think it'd be weird if they took ACuuff. ACuuff is the guy they should take if he's there, but How does that make sense with the rest of the team you have? I don't get that. So I'm with you. I could see them trading him trading that pick for a star I'm just waiting for the nets rumbling that makes sense to me because like even like they they've They keep like every couple of weeks you'll hear like, well, there's still a team to watch for Yianis and And I'm like, well, okay,, why? And why is Jonas going there? And who else is going there? Like I just I don't know the right movies, by the way, Nick probably can be ruled out for Yanis at this point. That's trait Well, I mean, I'm sure Milwaukee in the back of their heads was wondering, could that be a potential suitor if something weird happens in the finals. It's not going to be the sp. Something weird did happen. The Nicks won the finals in dominant fashion. pretty we seen in three play I think Boston's going to get Yanis I think it will happen in the next week would be my prediction I would not bet my life on it, but I think how do you feel about that Ptty ambivalent It's for all the reasons I did Um like a month ago when I was going through the stats of all these guys in their fourteenth season or later and thirty two years heard it later Th these big guys it's just History is against it Now. We're in a different era. It's twenty twenty six. There's different ways to take care of your body and advancements in medicine. We have a guy Lakers, who was forty one years old averaging twenty five points a game last year So who knows? but I think it's pretty risky. I'm more interested like why they're in it now and I don't think they were in it before and is there Is there stuff they're saying with Jayen Brown makes them realize like Oh, this guy got a taste to be in the star And we can't go back to where we were in twenty twenty four anymore. We have two guys who think they're the best guy in this team and this is not Rolve. Can I ask you a total devil's advocate question related to this Again, it's a devil's advocate question. okay, It's a rhetorical device But if I conclude that I want to get Yanis And if just mathematically I have to trade one of the Js to get Yanis Why is it just assumed that it's Jayail and Brown and not Jason Tatum after the year Jayal and Brown just had and Jason Tatum's coming off an Achilles injury? Just a question that at least needs to be asked. under I know the answer I understand Jason Tab is better than Jayle Brown first team all NBA. I'd b him higher, ranked and all that But isn't it interesting? just it's just completely assumed Fair question, he's younger. But he is coming off the injury U I think he's considered to be a more popular ticket selling superstar than Jayin is Bace B has been a better player. I get it Yeah, and I think there's probably like a slightly higher ceiling. And then with Jalen, maybe you're thinking It's time to se high. he's never going to have a better season than the last one. Fair. I always wanted them to stay together, but the more I look at it, I just wonder lot of weirdness during and after the season. like even E little stuff like Like Jalen Saintatum's going to come on his Twitch stream I didn't see that when did that Well that this was like a month ago when he did the we're going to have J We're going to have Jason on hasasn't been on. Like are do those guys get along? I literally have no idea. and I don't know I don't know if that's a piece of this or not, but you also have Yanis who has Drew Hanlin who's Also Tatum's guy and I just I just feel like we see where the two leaves are going with this one. Now there was there were Trey Murphy rumor. I don't know how they would get Yonis and Trey Murphy. I'm not going to believe that one at It seems crazy Um Do I think Yanis makes more sense. in a Boston Dale then a Miami Dale of Jayalen's in the deal 'causeuse that's a better player than anyone in Miami. Miami's like, we'd love to get youonest. You can't have Bat out of bio. At that point are you making a real offer or not Um, and you could offer all these picks and all these other things, but that's not who who's your centerpiece? You're trading a guy who won you the title in twenty twenty one five years ago franchise fiveive years ago. It'ves been in your city since twenty thirteen and you're going to trade them for a bunch of stuff and you can't point to one thing I will Okay. to For the sake of fairness I do think new lottery rules thirty one year old injury prone player going to Miami who guts the rest of its non Bam roster to get him pick the further out you get to Miami Picks, there's real upside real upside in those picks On the flip side, What is Jalen Brown doing for me if I'm the Milwaukee Bucks? I guess what he's doing for me is like again, there's upside if we become a thirty eight wind team or a forty two wind team miss the playoffs. and he just proved that he's actually better than people thought Maybe we do like get Jail and Brown, nail a couple fringe signings. suuddenly, we're like a feel good forty seven win team Is that better than And then he has trade value. mayaybe we flipping. I don't I think these are all questions worth. But don't you think that it's a three tamer of Boston' it I I can't imagine they end up with Jalen Brown. I would assume He goes to Portland or Atlanta Atanta or somewhere else. I think that's all possible. Those the more teams I gotta say the Portland one makes a lot of sense. it's been one of my favorite, my two favorite conjured up Jonest trades are the three teamer where Jayen Brown goes to Portland and some other stuff goes everywhere and then the bucks get their draft assets back from Portland And the draby heads back, you get Scoot back. you probably get something else from Boston. Wow, Scoot's getting thrown in there I think he has to. if I'm Trading Yonest, I need my picksback and I need to at least have scooted And then if I'm Portland, And I end up with Denny and Jlen Brown together with Klingon Dame with Kamara with with Sharps there, like I still have Drew holiday. likeike I'm K kind of excited about that team. Welling team. One of those guys may not be there, but and I which gu Well, it' like a sharp or holiday may I know. I mean, holiday would want to be there, but I would assume Jeremy Grant would be going to Milwaukee if that would be the guy that I would move if I'm getting jail possibly. And I I think Portland makes more sense than Atlanta or New Orleans And I always likek the Bancero one. I mean, I've been talking about it since the beginning of the last season when I had to remind myself, he was not really he was kind of poison pilled because of the capapitals. He's not anymore. justust like that's an interesting one. I don't again, I don't know if that one has any actual s Do you think what Boston watched in these last two rounds would make them more prone to trade for Jianest because I actually think It would for me. for what reason? Well, I got to beat the physicality The Kicks are kind of were kind of built to beat Boston and did. Right And then Um I have no inside out game and I'm jacking up threes, which Stehven's made a point of saying in that press conference like I'm tired of losing the way we're losing. We need to be more unpredictable offensively. we need inside outside. So all that ties to Janis. I just I don't know if it's a great idea I'm really I wish I was more excited about it Like part of me hopes Miami just gets them and they try to figure out how to make the Tayton Brown thing work. These guys play together nine years and be my preference, but will say. Yeah, there's a chance if Boston does it that it ends up being just kind of a lateral move. like it it's just like if if it's the deal we're thinking of or Jalen Brown goes out then like Yeah Maybe it just doesn't you play differently and maybe end up in the same place which has been largely a very good place that But although as you've pointed out, they've had very they've had crazy playoff success and some crushing playoff outcomes around. There's no way they get if they're in on Yonis, I don't see how Jayalen's not in it. You're not getting him for Derek White all the rest of your picks, right? So it has to be to be Jen.' just then you're if it's you, I mean, you can't have three guys making seventy million dollars on your team. It's just not it's not tenable Is there a wild card m prepared to put my seat belt on for this team team for you over the next ten days. Just crazy offseason overall Just like I'm just ready for anything because I think for me, Denver would be that team. I I don't know what I'm prepared for and maybe I'm not prepared for anything, but I also donon't know how they just run it back You know? guess I just am anticipating a more predictable off season for Denver, but again, they've already said now they haven't said, but it's been reported that everybody by Yogkich is on the table, which you know, there's there's some everybody's there I guess, I think we're all expecting New Orleans to do some stuff, right with Tray Murphy and other places I think like Minnesota always seems to be always seems to be thinking outside the box Yeah And and and they just watched Oklahoma City and San Antonio and those are the teams they've got to compete with I keep an eye on them. Atlanta, I don't really know what their appetite is for something big. they certainly have a lot of different directions they could go. On a small scale, I'm interested in OKC just because they have I think twelve and seventeen plus all these picks. like there's some sort of like non major move that could still be really fun for us And then Charlotte with fourteen and eighteen in the draft could get frisky somewhere. And that's I always thought that made sense as this a bonus team. I had one person who is very very into the Charlotte team, who's like, well, we have Diabate. Why do we need Sabonus? It's like, I don't know I just likees a bonus. I feel like he's feel like S bonus is undervalued now where he's justust become like this sunk cost. I don't think he is. like I still feel like there are good teams for him They're center away from being really interesting and he would definitely have the Tim Robins I just escaped Sawhank bal right getting out of Sacramento. He's just he's he's going to be twenty and fourteen wherever he goes, right? The problem is if your team can't play defense, which I don't know if maybe Charlotte's not the right team for from that standpoint, I still value him as an as like a kind of builow asset Charlotte's also going to be in a position with twelve, fourteen, whatever they end up doing is with to draft a center And I think that needs to be factored in as well. And then Houston's the other one that I'm Hston might just decide to run it back Just hey, we had bad luck last year. Let's we'll bring back we' bring Adams back. And and everything will be fine, but I find that one hard to believe It does feel like a long, long time ago Reed Shepard shot thirty percent in the playoffs and had one of the more disastrous turnovers of the last calendar year in the NBA. So long Yeah, that does feel like forever. So In general, the playoffs, the first two rounds were pretty block Round three Nick calavves was awful. Um, unless you're a N fan Okay, see San Antonio had a really fun game one and a fascinating game seven. All the middle games were pretty pretty blah And then the finals was was one of the most entertaining five game finals we've ever had in our lives. I don't think you could even get a better five game finals. I think this is just the apex club of a five game five game finals. I mean every game was a nail biter, the total score was Nick plus twelve over five games. like I just every game had you they were similar and yet everyone unfolded a little bit differently and just it was edgy or seat the whole time Try trying to think other ones.y the ninety finals, which I mentioned earlier was actually a great finals, Pistons Blazers. just a good match upp, really good games The Blazers's team had a little bit of spur itis where they just did dumbhit the worst possible times. But yeah, it's pretty rare to have a really good five game series. You're you're talking five or less Fi or less. before is usually Pt hard to find a good for one, but yeah Well the Lakers, the Lakers would argue and they got swept by Denver in twenty twenty three, one of the all time g sweeps Well and Kenny Akinson this year It well Yeah, he had he thought that was Yeah, that was another one. We really could do A really fun just teeen. Hey remember when that happened moments from the NBA playoffs every year and like that would have been I that's already been pushed back to the back of my brain. like where analytically T one. congrratulations Yeah, and we had in the first couple rat. likeike We had that improbable Philly Boston comeback And it the one week where it seemed like Ibed was back as an asset and then he just wilted in the next series, but Paul George resurgence. there is a lot of funky shit happening Um All right Zacklo Thanks for staying up late. onene third in the morning Do be lying in bed with your heart pounding for the next two hours I won't know I'm gonna I'm gonna to go have a glass of wine because I can't go to sleep and that'll help me to sleep. And I never this is this is early for me on a team. if I'm at the championship clinching game, I'm usually up till four You hanging out with people who are celebrating. and so What was your what was your best memory of that for the hanging out until five in the morning team that won the title But One of the warriors parties I won't name which one Um was Really, really fun Um And I've finigled my way in And one day when I'm retiring and I don't carry any moreore, I'll tell a fun story from that party. Oh, I can't wait. That is yeah, for now goes in the bul I still the main characters and I still laugh about it every once in a while In your next podcast and probably Monday, I'm guessing Yeah, I think I Monday morning. I think we're just deviating from normal calendar Tuesday, Thursday. Like I got to I got to think a little bit more about this and talk Nick and I'm hoping to get a couple of guests and we'll just but I'm aiming to record tomorrow night, like wrap up the finals, wrap up the playoffs talk about some of these all season stuff and just I like to luxuriate in the championship. This is why we all do this is to have what the Kicks just had. Let's let's luxuriate in a little bit before we pivot to Janas.though who knows Jon us could get tradeed tomorrow and then we have an emergency podcast right away Big bad West One for three in titles last three years Okay They beat the hell back. They beat the out of. They beat the hell out of each other Two of the last three titles have come from the East. We're back, baby. Who win in twenty two? The warriors Warriors twenty one was the bucks. Three of the last five Coming from the east twenty l Mbe n Raptors. So ye they were all alternating for the last seven. eight straight, eight straight What a slump for the West. eight straight new champions, you know, as much trumpeted that Thanks to Gaho Eduardo as always, donon't forget I have rewatchables coming tomorrow night The hand that rocks the crradle Scare next issue from Hellmonth and then Zach will have a podcast probably in the next thirty six hours. Zach Lo, thanks for sting up with me Congrats to New York Kicks. Thanks. Congrats to the Kicks fans Must be twenty one plus in President select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino Or eighteen plus in President DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Ging proble call one hundred gambler one eight hundred by reset. callall eight seventy nine seven seven seven seven or visit CcpG dot org slash chat in Connecticut or Md gamblinghelp dot orga in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelppline mA dot orga or call eight hundred three two seven fif thousand fifty for twenty four seven support in Massachusetts or call eight seven seven NY or text hope NY in New York for Louisiana C call eight seven seven seven, seven zero, seven eight six seven. Hey,'s Ran Reynold here from Mit Mobile Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited premium wireless for fifteen dollars a month is back