Contenders and Pretenders in the 2022 NBA / Jayson Tatum for MVP

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Welcome to the next edition of missing the point. I am back into Florida. We've been dropping heat you all week. And guess what we're back to bring you some more Ime Hollywood ray with my guide amendment, the legend DK sizzle. And we're here to talk NBA Of course, like, why wouldn't we be right? And you know, this was one of the best times of the year obviously cultural was going crazy, you know, NFL is going crazy. But I said we're big fans of the NBA, our verkoop Before we get into the NBA, just want to say that we're we're happy to be a part of now the winner's edge Podcast Network we just recently signed on with them. So Charlottesville let your task media for getting that done. And once again, look forward to their relationship and it's gonna be some great things to come. So DK How you doing today,

Dave Clarke  
man? I'm good. I'm good. I'm looking forward to whatever production value winners edge brings to the pod now I don't know if they're gonna, like do the jail doors slammed shut like at the start all the Econ songs are like what they're really going to drop. But maybe we're just in safe hands now. I'm happy with those guys. It's, it's been a long time coming. So we had some we had some options sign up to different podcast networks. And we're going with winters edge because proven proven commodity. We're excited to grow with them. And we're glad it worked out like that I feel like but I'm really excited to get down to the business of getting in business and talking about the National Basketball Association because we really haven't checked in on the on the whole on the league as a whole as much as we've sort of focused on the Celtics, for good reason we've been amped, right. But yeah, I think the league is shaping up. Interestingly, and I think there's a lot to talk about. So yeah, I'm pumped to get into it. Yeah, and I

Rayshawn Buchanan  
think I mean, obviously it is, you know, different players showing out different teams showing out and Alicia, we'll get into it by conference, really. So I'm going to start with these the conference. I think obviously everyone that knows that listen to us knows that we are fans of an Eastern Conference team, obviously with the Boston Celtics, but there is other greatness happening outside of 100 causeway Street, whether we see it on a nightly basis or not also one of the teams that comes to mind right away, it was a team that actually beat us twice. You know, it makes me sick, but at the same time they have been you know, they have played very well to start the season and that's the Cleveland Cavaliers so just what do you think has been like a catapult or catalyst for you know, their early season? You know, just onslaught really? I think

Dave Clarke  
it's no it's not a surprise like I think we talked briefly when we were kind of talking about in context of the Celtics and how they're going to do this season. And like we were going to come up against and and who's going to offer us challenges and we definitely named drop the Cleveland Cavaliers a couple of times because I feel like they the big thing that obviously they did is they reap the rewards of the terrible front office work at the Brooklyn Nets and like especially egregious to improve an Eastern Conference rival in and this even more egregious to improve fucking Cleveland because I really thought I was going to watch them be shitty sands LeBron for the next decade but the problem that we have now with them is that they're young they're hungry they have a little bit of a chip in their on the shoulder because of the brush Durbin Peyton with being the Cleveland Browns and I think obviously you have jared allen and you and you have like that great young core and you know a big jared allen fan but you know it's it's not any more complicated than Donovan Mitchell and like the the kind of play that he's bringing to the season I think he he's the kind of player where you remember Derrick Rose like players like this where you love them, but you can't fall completely in love with them because you're worried about their health. Right but now that it plays to the Cavs is a little harder but even when he was just absolutely servant sauce on the Celtics this season, there was moments of like I mean, that dudes a fucking Hooper. Right? I think that he's got a really cool, like a really cool team around them. If it wasn't the Cavs, I'd be like way more high on them. Because like, there's a lot of players that I really like to watch play, but also matchup wise, I just think that their coach, well, I think that the way that they beat us, I wouldn't be terribly worried about a playoff matchup with them. I don't know if they have the kind of experience and grit that we have going into the playoffs. I think that they should be more worried about us, even though they've taken both regular season contests in overtime, mind you this season. But I do think that there's some there's if they can keep this core together, there's someone to watch out for in two years. But as far as to answer your question, like why are they good? It's because they have a bunch of good players. They're put in, they're put in positions to win. And I also I think they had an immediate culture when they put those guys together. Like they just seem to have each other's backs. They seem to play well together and complement each other really well. I think we're also though at the time of the season where I'm not saying they're not good, but I think that it will sort of start to even itself out a little bit more and I'm not sure sure if we're gonna get to this, like the, the Utah Jazz, for instance, obviously they start off. Once we talk about the Western Commons will obviously start off super high and like you, you've been quoted as saying it yourself the, this is the time of year where it's kind of put up or shut up and like the teams that are that have that hot start sort of start to fade away. I also think the way that basketball players conditioned their bodies now, the start of the season, the first segment of the season used to be kind of an extended preseason, because we have such a lot like so many games in the NBA, if you remember, when we were kids, like Shaq was coming in fat, like every single year, right, and he was just playing his way into shape. And I just don't think that's the case anymore. So I think the offensive efficiency is up across the board when teams come in, but what you start to see is, is the sort of the fat start to fall away in regards to how they how they line up and how they play. I don't think they're gonna drop off, I think that they will make the playoffs. I don't think they're gonna draw out that drastically. But I think they're fun. I just don't think they're like, as good maybe as the record shows. And I just, I think the big badge that they have right now is that they beat us twice. And I think those are kind of weird games. But you can't really take away from Donovan Mitchell in those games, like he absolutely fucking came at us. So I like to see them again, I'd like I'd like to see more of them. I'd like to see what they're made of. And I'd like to see more of their DNA. And I'm and I'm interested in having them as an Eastern Conference rival, because I think the heat have dropped off even, you know, we kind of had our eye on them always because they always give us problems. But they've dropped off pretty hard injuries notwithstanding, but they've dropped off pretty hard. And I you got to see like, who's going to give you tests coming to the playoffs at this point. I think if we do see them as they were one in eight, going into the ER, that's possible. So going into the playoffs, we could see them in the first round, so I wouldn't be too upset about that. If that happened. Yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
No, I think yeah, I think obviously, I think they were playing team last year, too. So you know, that kind of caught fire at the end that thing had. They took that game, bless her. As soon as he gets Brooklyn, they couldn't beat them because they were in IT GO game and

Dave Clarke  
I'm not sure they were convinced that they were like, yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
they don't they don't think they belong there. But,

Dave Clarke  
but now they do, I think yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
exactly. Exactly. And ironically, you kind of touched on it, but you know, I'll drive the point home, you know, ironically, because they have, you know, just seems former best player. They kind of are the Utah Jazz at East. Right. You know, Mobley is a better version of Walker Kessler. You know, obviously, jared allen is better than Jared Vanderbilt. So I love

Dave Clarke  
Jared and honestly, I again, I can't get enough of that. Yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
He's great. And I enjoy his his his effort night and night out obviously, Kevin Love has, you know, reveled in the role of being a six man. I think that you know, I don't know, I'm not sure if I four or five years ago, he would have thought that obviously, you know, when when he was still making the finals and you know, just doing things but he he's really done well in that role. And yeah, I mean, let's be real. We didn't we didn't mention his guy's name yet, but the emergence of Darius Garland has been huge for that team. And obviously you know, the pink color section epic David's garlin you know, back to back and people were wondering okay, what a bow for Champix who's gonna be the guy are they going to be the back court?

Dave Clarke  
I probably would have said Sexton honestly based on the college yeah

Rayshawn Buchanan  
yeah no, no in fact same same same Yeah. Even when I saw in high school him him

Dave Clarke  
like he just he had he had all the things

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Right exactly. So I think you know, those that you know, and for those that are super fans can appreciate this reference about the mate. I think in some people's mind it was okay well we have a new day mark price and Craig Ehlo Yeah, that's a good thought they that's what they we they are even even to our brand new trigger Atlanta so you know, whatever you want to go with for those that watch our fleet SEMA basketball you know, we could we could take you there. You know, we're boss. We want to go

Dave Clarke  
you got to know your na so I don't know your enemy. Yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, I just think that they must have they should the coach should we do like you mentioned and I believe JB Bickerstaff is their coach, like he is someone that has gotten a raw deal of a place that he's been. And I think now that Kobe Allman and the rest of gonna sit there and even just put him in position, not only to be successful this season, but successful in the future. So once again, congrats to them on a hot start. I do like to do it through progression. So that means what happened? It's already happening. 13th and 14th day right now, somewhere paths. Were still a great record. Don't get me wrong, like, that's the over 600

Dave Clarke  
Oh, I think it's one of those situations where like all that. Yeah, I mean, it's one of those situations where like anyone that has paid attention to that they're going to be decent, but I also think that I don't, I'd be pretty surprised if they were up for a deep playoff run this year. But then you never know. Like, there's players there that could catch fire early on in the playoffs if they skip a playing week or even if they have to do the plan. Like I feel like there's players that could catch fire and, and go through. Like I said, I wouldn't be terrified to see them in the playoffs despite, you know, people overreact to regular season, victories and stuff. And I think that we've talked a lot about the Celtics and them taking the defensive side of the ball off a little bit this year. So and you just don't You don't do that class. I'm not I'm not super worried about it, but I think they'd be interesting to see like, if if somehow we got like a four and a five Chicago and Cleveland series like, I'd be super interested watch that series. So maybe that'd be a reach for Chicago, but

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I think three would be the misses games, you think. Yeah. Because the only reason I say that is because outside of DeRozan has been there multiple times. You have lucid, which has been the playoffs, but Orlando Orlando was again at the first round when they would make no play. Yeah,

Dave Clarke  
you know, it I feel like people would like to really get Dresden of credit.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Now he know he's a monster. I like Daniel. So for him,

Dave Clarke  
he's kind of forgotten. He's kind of forgotten about though. You know what I mean, like, because you gave that LeBron. Yeah. Yeah. So I just feel like I feel like my goal. Right? No, I mean, he's gonna do that to you, and good. But just as a quick aside, good for LeBron James, you see his like, press conference, or Scrum or whatever, where he was like, How come no one asked me about Jerry Jones and stayed outside. I mean,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
it's just about having same energy. And I think that's where it shelter Tiller works, too, for me for highlighting that message. Like it's not about pinning to God to give each other and saying, Hey, if you're gonna ask me about one thing, which is fine, because that's your job as the media, just make sure you asked about both. That that was the gist of the message. Not not what was sad, not who we came from. It's literally just asking, Can we keep the same energy? That's all he was saying. So but like you said, Yeah, but that's

Dave Clarke  
Do you think it's like a statute of limitations thing, like in people's minds, or is it because it's like, God, Kyrie Irving says this shit, it's like, it's it's breaking news, right? But when people see like a fucking photo of Jerry Jones, like a million years ago, like to me, I would say that's like, just as egregious. If not, I don't like because it was so long ago, people like it, because it it did get swept under the rug a little bit, you know, and it's like, it's just weird how it doesn't make it doesn't jump to front page news, when that to me is fucking scandalous. Right.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I will, I will say this is and this is not original content for me, but it's just something I saw on social media. And I'm like, I think

Dave Clarke  
there is such thing as original content were no, no dummy. I mean, that's it. For here at missing the point.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah. I mean, I didn't watch anything, too. Before we did this. Like, I just don't know. Yes, I'm not I love wipes out. I'm not looking to get fluids by anything else. But no, I just I just think that, you know, it said on you know, Emmett Emmett Till's death was also 55 years ago right about that too like Don't say like just don't don't pick and choose if you want to be mad about it all but needless to say, we give back to everyone and it'd be a really boring to get back to talking about Tutsis I'm gonna stay in that division. So the Indiana Pacers? Oh, yeah, young. Yeah, young core, you know, our, our, our, you know, guy that was on the team that didn't first played phenomenal.

Dave Clarke  
Yeah, but you knew like, I feel like, it's like, it's like you always say like, he's gonna get he's gonna go back in Orlando, right? Like, when you're in Boston, and the three guys ahead of you are like all going to play minutes in the playoffs, it's not really fair to ask that he like comes out and actually performs like, how we would have needed them to at small Ford or guard or what you know, shooting guard or whatever it's like, in that in that swimming role. Like where like the way that we are equipped, like, it just doesn't make any sense. I was a little weirded out by his shooting, because I thought he was supposed to be this like, just like, spot on three point jump shooter when he came in? And like, that's definitely not him at all. But yeah, I think it's really like, you know, he'll go he could to go somewhere like Indiana and flourish. I'm really happy for him. It's not a situation where I'm like, Oh, why did we get rid of them? Because it's like, there was no world in which he succeeds here. You know, like it was there was just too much talent ahead of them and not any real ability, like get him in and be productive. But, you know, I love Myles Turner down there. Like, I'm constantly like, trying to figure out a way that we can make, like still make that trade come back. Now you look at the pastries, you're like, why would you though, like it doesn't make a ton of sense. Like there's there's high ceiling guys across the across the floor. Like there's an argument for most improved player with Halliburton already. And like, I just think, yeah, they're fun to watch. They're young. And I think, again, like another Eastern Conference team that you kind of have to keep your eye on like a lot of young hungry fish are on the Eastern Conference right now that all could come good or I don't know get broken up. But you remember when we were like, all super high in the Minnesota Timberwolves with like, Tony Allen, or sorry, the Memphis Grizzlies with Tony Allen. And it was like, oh, yeah, they're so defensive, like give it one or two more years. But it just takes a couple of weird or bad front office decisions with a young team like that to really fuck it up. And the problem is like a lot of these guys, they hit year three, year four, they're like, I want to get contract. So then that creates parity a little bit in the league, but I don't know with it with a small market team like Indiana. I don't know. I don't know. Like I don't know how much How much through I wouldn't say small market? I mean, I know that their fans are diehard fans, and I know that they love basketball in Indiana. I'm just talking about population. Yeah, but I just think like and you know, desire to sort of go there. I think if they're gonna do anything like they're gonna have to do some stuff with rookie contracts still hanging out balance, if that makes sense. No, for sure. They just talked myself into them and then talked myself out of them and like one should be

Rayshawn Buchanan  
just me. I'm pretty sure there's other other other places other species have done the same thing. But what cannot be denied is the talent they have. They're fun. They're super free and definitely fun to watch. Listen, Ben Ben Matheran, who's who's coming up the Bastion who was the sixth pick in this year's draft? He's a problem was he? Yeah, he probably he kind of got a fight early on. He was gold. Like I believe he's doing better than me like a little brown placement he's gonna have to do you have to show me and he I'll play it off the other night, when Indiana came to LA and LA was up 17 And a fourth and Indian he came back with one so you not only do you get to win in LA, you also you also have scored the bronze game. So I know that probably took his conference tour to another level above where it's already at. But I think about him. I think about Halliburton who I remember on an early in the show and we in the reception of the show. I said that 2020 draft I said if you could find a way to get hired with Halliburton, you do so as a as a six five guard. I see the sauce kind of quirky. So but you could fix that. And look what is happening. saw the Saudis falling you

Dave Clarke  
can actually fish shots now. It's yeah, craziest thing. I feel like I'm from a bygone era. The shot doctor is a real thing. And I'm from a bygone era where if you had a shot like Lonzo balls coming into the NBA from when I was like 17 like I'm just writing you off immediately. It's like the ugliest thing I've ever seen in like look Alonzo now like his shot is vision.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Did you did you write off Kevin Martin back Intertek?

Dave Clarke  
Not Well, I didn't think that ever more than a wild shot. I didn't think this shoot was I didn't think shooting was his only asset that he brought into the league. You know? If guys if guys come in, and they can, they're like good in the paint, and they have good footwork and like it's like, well, we can make a basketball player out of you. I just think that there's a lot of pure shooters that came in when we were younger that you're like, yeah, that's gonna work in college. You know? Like, that's gonna work in college, but your release is taken too fucking long. Like you're gonna get swatted every single second, but you can actually you can actually see players improving their shot now which is dope. And like, sorry not to go off on a tangent on that with the Pacers Jaylon Smith you forgot about he's good. No, yeah, you remember him from his Maryland days. He was he was he was a fucking problem. He's like a little bit of a stretch, stretch for score type, you know, which I always love. Like, I remember the Celtics having like a lot of those littered around the place and just do not really knowing what to do with them. But I yeah, I think that they're long. They're athletic as a team there. And like you said, like I said earlier, like Halliburton could get the most improved player or this year, if he keeps I wouldn't be my pick, which I'm sure I will bury the lead there. We'll we'll talk about that later. But it's on the agenda. But But yeah, I mean, I think they're, I think they're fun to watch man. I think again, same deal with what they look like across like in terms of us and in terms of like the rest of the Eastern Conference where it's like I'm not 100% sold yet but for a regular season like I think they're they have all the tools where where would you see him coming in

Rayshawn Buchanan  
this year? So I think they I mean, maybe at best be like an eighth and ninth seed in the plant like you're still feeling at the ceiling. You're

Dave Clarke  
hiring. Even though right you're hiring Cleveland? Yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
No, mainly cuz I don't like I feel like I've done it but you're able to at the end of the day might be in the same position that he was in like I think that him and Myles Turner would have been a very good duo obviously with Buddy he'll shoot three

Dave Clarke  
their their you know their side to side with each other in in in the standings. So I just I someone's got a slide. So you think that he'll be he'll be Indiana

Rayshawn Buchanan  
like they don't have a bunch of guys that are proven like once again, tournaments to the playoffs? I'll bless it buddy heroes hundreds of players in his career so far.

Dave Clarke  
Oh my god that like we're so young. We don't understand like the, the granite gravity of the situation type deal. Like, yeah, for sure. Early Jayson and Jaylen like, oh shit. We first all of a sudden with game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. I know. It's like we're not saying they're them. I'm not saying that. But you know, you never know a young team.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
So that and well I'll say this on the spot because you know, you'll appreciate this. Because we saw this as fans. Maybe they become the Tua as the eight Hawks.

Dave Clarke  
And I love that you guys have voted for us one of my favorite teams ever. That's funny, you

Rayshawn Buchanan  
know if we, if you remember what it was eight hawks were they were senior with 3745. So when they weren't someone that was gonna be a juggernaut, but they had Joe Johnson they hadn't worked out Horford they had a veteran Mike Bibby on the team. This is the name drop for some of y'all heard them call it a basketball phase AC law out of Texas a&m was on that team as well. He asked him Stottlemyre. So they they have akurdi younger and upcoming again. You know don't be

Dave Clarke  
don't say don't don't feel judgment judgments are definitely a Jayson.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yes, you're right. James Wiseman got you right. I am so sorry for those that list

Unknown Speaker  
that Zaza

Rayshawn Buchanan  
had a lot of guys on it that can play we're athletic game once again, that was over the team that Boston a lot of teams have older always struggled with. So they could play themselves into that because I mean, once again, they're not as athletic as that. A hawk scene was but I could definitely see him a good coach. And we were Carl obviously so they definitely could give be a playing Team that maybe still is a game for somebody because they play hard. So yeah, let's see, did they have something good going there and I think that you know, better days are definitely coming for Indiana. What's the Yeah, yeah, how does it pass the ball states the basketball town where they love basketball, they're like it's it is to them. You know, basketball is absolutely

Dave Clarke  
huge, man.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I just think that you know, shot the Gene Hackman, but that is that is awesome. You

Dave Clarke  
think he has the greatest record of sports movies just off the top of your head like he was in that and the replacements

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, I mean, that's that's um,

Dave Clarke  
yeah, have you heard the good

Rayshawn Buchanan  
the bad and just fine that's not even like when we got to was a great movie, but I just felt like I loved him in real estate. The women will swear that that's why I love that

Unknown Speaker  
movie tend not to hook aside

Rayshawn Buchanan  
that. I see them on social media also just came out with a movie, but I think it's hard.

Dave Clarke  
It's probably not as good as enemy the state. Oh, no, no.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Fucking enemy. Enemy of the State. is my favorite was with movie I remember they that what I'm by? No, I think it was so different for him. Yeah, at that time, he ranks and he did independence at just six degrees of separation. Like, just a quick aside. Enemy estates in me was his best work, but I just thought he was not any more girly subordinate in there. I just Oh, it was it was Yeah, happens.

Dave Clarke  
Not like, he's not like a super genius in it. He's like, a kook. He's kind of a kook. He's like, he's like a tinfoil hat guy. And he's like, but he turns out to be right about like the NSA and like, it keeps like just cutting to like, guys in trucks being like, have geo located his location, and it's just like, it's good old fashioned fun. It's awesome. Oh, yeah. Fire that baby up after this.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, but speaking of a couple of cooks watch our bring it back. Let's get to Brooklyn. Yeah, they got a couple of clips over there, too, you know, definitely quirky to say the least, especially on the basketball floor and what they do off the floor as well. But they've played a little bit better lately. I think they're, they're, you know, Katie has been on fire as of late, which is expected. Even Benjamin Emmons attended and have a couple of good performance, even even carrito to an extent as well. So just, you know, looking at what they've done recently, since Calgary is coming back against Portland, I think last week, if I'm not mistaken, I suppose again, Katie seems to be you know, locked in. I know the game TJ weren't back as well versed and Neil has been there. They haven't played Patty Mills as much, obviously. So he's, maybe he's fell out of favor, you know, under Giacomo and Kevin Durant. Why No, yeah, no. One? No, I mean, I mean, he was screaming about penny Mills from their lashes. I don't know. Was it good? Patty Mills is a proven player in the playoffs like the dude, elite there. And once again, I don't know if he's like that, that he's that much worse than Steph Curry that he can get on the floor unless they want to get better. But what are your thoughts about them? I'm just like, I just wanted to get on the court and just watch. You know, do you see them figure it out? At least to be a top five seed? In these?

Dave Clarke  
No, it's kind of a bummer. I mean, as a basketball purist, it's kind of a bummer as a self experience. But I think, like you say the patty Mills thing. It's like, there's no way to figure out if it's a basketball decision, or if it's an ego decision, or if it's a dysfunction decision, or you know, there's no way to figure out why the nets are doing what they're doing. Like if you have a team like the Bucs or team like the Celtics, like play teams that in this in this Eastern Conference, especially like making a decision about a player you can sort of at this point be like Well, they probably know more than we do like the you know, they've been watching on the analytics or they're like, alright, we want to see him but maybe there's like some defensive stuff Payton Pritchard, so like it's, you know, you don't see him as much Patty Mills not seeing the floor like you can reasonably look at the Brooklyn Nets and be like, I don't know why that is like maybe maybe Kevin Durant just doesn't like him anymore. You know, that could be possible and maybe there's just like, weird scenes dysfunction going on. But I mean, fuck all that Like honestly, like, the soap opera conversation about the Brooklyn Nets is so fucking boring at this point. Like, it's a team we're constantly talking about for all the wrong reasons. And I don't mean like, I don't mean to sit in judgment of them, to be quite honest with you because as much as like, obviously we've talked at nauseam about Kyrie Irving and like the shit that comes out of his family. his brain to his mouth but like, I'm still going to be a KD apologists like at the end of the day. Yeah, I understand that he is. And I understand that like the way that he went about moving himself around is not ideal for his career, his legacy, like it's going to be damaging, and it makes him harder to stick up for but at the end of the day, he's a guy that we saw that was generational, and we're all very lucky to have watched him play basketball. It was a very unique experience for me to watch him when he went to the Warriors and they just like absolutely clowned on the Cleveland Cavaliers and like he took LeBron on went on a bunch and and succeeded. And to me all the criticisms leveled the KD had just gotten so stale and boring, where it's like, oh, he needs he needs to do this to win. Oh, he shouldn't have left like him and Russ, we're almost there with the words. It's like we've had these conversations a million times. You know, you and I have talked about it so much that like I've almost come around to your way thinking on it at the wrong time because of how he's seen now in Brooklyn. But it's even still, as much as he got himself in this situation. I look at him. And I'm like, Well, that's an awfully high workload for a legacy player, a legend to the game at this point, and a guy who's like, come off some pretty serious injuries, who I'd love to see compete in the playoffs again. And he has this pretty high workload for those shitty Brooklyn Nets in a season where we all know they're not going to do anything. And I'm just like, wincing, watching his legs deteriorate. And you know, and feeling the ever ebbing passing of time in my own life. So, I don't know, man, I know that most people will frown on me to come at me for this take because at this point like to still defend Kevin Durant is like, it's silly, because he's made so many stupid choices. And he's, you know, I wish his career had gone a different way as far as like, you know, decisions that he made and places that he went, but I don't know, man, he's just so fucking good at basketball. Like it's just like, I can't like I love watching the guy play. I just I really do and it makes me sad that the Brooklyn Nets are shitty, because like I said, when they got put together, I was like, this is super exciting. They're gonna look so good. And I didn't think we were really there yet. So I was like, cool, like, whatever. Let's fucking watch Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving play together. That's awesome. Yeah. so badly. Just went sorry.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I'm sure I'm sure they had the same thought process as well, as well, obviously, when they get James Harden, and they added some other pieces they just felt on paper. It seems like a lot of fun. Right, exactly. But I just think this is where I say, you know, the only time that the NBA was over before it started with the time that Katie Chabot, Golden State, we knew it. They weren't healthy. It was no other team that was even going to have a shot on the corporate Groza was better. And so that taught me that's why I didn't you know, when it happened, I wasn't okay. Yeah, they got harder. They got carry, but I'm like, yo, mentally is this going to work? Once again, basketball wise, it should go New Guy guy that could get 30 and night all 330? Maybe actually,

Unknown Speaker  
that's what we've said, Oh, you and I said all you could get

Rayshawn Buchanan  
15 agree with that they wanted to, um, it just but just it just didn't make sense basketball wise, and obviously, you know, harden the KD had a prior relationship obviously playing in OKC. And yet, there's a part of me that has always held out that it should have ended with Russ harden. And Katie, I still think you know, it's I think about it, like the basketball degeneration. That's like, Yeah, we didn't see it when you see it for long enough in their prime. We should have we should have seen more of it. And I just I just wish that there was a way to get back together outside of the all star game play. So you will never see that basketball faction that

Dave Clarke  
ever remember you remember the like kind of revisionist history that to like when when the trades happened, like when Harding left for instance, initially and went to Houston it was like, Oh, why

Rayshawn Buchanan  
should a guy move at the time? Yeah,

Dave Clarke  
I mean, I mean, I've never been I've never been a huge Rus fan. And as you know, just like his game, for me has always been a little bit like how do you win with this, but I think when harden got moved, it was kind of like, I feel like a lot of people were like, Oh, shit, James Harden got really good. And now that he has like, more usage, and like more now he's on the ball more and it's like, I remember being like, Nah, he was still sick, though. Right there. Like, it wasn't like when he when they traded. It was like people were saying like, we they didn't know what they had. And they traded it away. It's like, no, they knew what they had, I think because I think I knew what they had. And you knew

Rayshawn Buchanan  
they Sam Presti moved him. Yeah. Which is just crazy. Gave him four years 52 He wondered five years 65 Yeah. And he ran a trading for $13 million. So upsetting that's on That's unreal to me. It's not I got 31st round picks, but it's just like, shut up. It's unbelievable as well.

Dave Clarke  
It's just crazy. Because it's like then you just think like in that warrior series where they were so so close. If he's there, you know, I just I don't know. I mean, maybe it all would have played out even worse, but to break that break that core up you know it's like we were talking about the Pacers earlier you know it's like this is what happens now like guys don't want to like they asked for a little bit too much or they want to get moved and they want their own team or like whatever it is you don't you don't know everything that's going on behind the scenes but like I just feel like we were robbed of that like you said like I feel like it's sucks like I wouldn't want I would have wanted to see it I would have wanted to see it and then we got to see it kind of later and it was gross and everyone was old and it just wasn't working was a bummer

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Right exactly. I do think you know there's another team I'm going to speak about before we get to the cream of the crop of the of the eaves that we all know who those seams are so we don't just listen for that big market he's there but want to go down I 75 go down to Orlando I'd be remiss if we didn't speak about Paulo bank Herro this this man is has been only real since he's got into the league it's a bucket yeah jam that that guy just literally bucket bank heroin and that's literally your your your party here for like a lucky break or like that That dude is own real and it once again that's another young core and once again I will I will give you a it was on a different platform but I will give you your flowers for mentioning about after they got a great game the other night bobbleheads went over the other night goes back I still I still believe that it's something that he's getting that opportunity so he wrote it down there. He wasn't gonna get 24 up here but I was I love I love what I've seen from him you know? Like he gave some weight to was that's why he's still moving really well right? For sure. But I'm like like he needed to gain some type of way to do it was um

Dave Clarke  
I felt like it's not like Manute was like bugging framed out

Rayshawn Buchanan  
fishing but he was you just need to be you know I think dad didn't play as long as he could have either because of how because of the small frame so right he had developed outside sought cook us out about that watch watch a video of his father. I think when he played I think he played in one he played in Washington and he hit six threes and even shot threes back then yeah know what he was trying to say valancy he was he was so you know he was a movie like that. So yeah, I am shooting a few threes back so I talked about this in the video like man like Are you are you are you for real? So can you get to help but laugh at that moment because at that time it was the anomaly now now was a thing it's just thinking nation now for that to happen and NBA game but no but back back to the to the current day situation at hand. I just I think that they are another team but they look into be what Indiana has become looking to become what you know, Cleveland has become but are they better? Watch things. Yeah, they had they have stayed healthy. And once again, if I will say this about Orlando and their management, so whether it be from the late night early 90s to now if they have the number one pick, they're not going to miss so when there was Shaq Well, well, well, like do I Howard? Yeah, um,

Dave Clarke  
but here though let's be clear as much as they're drafting has been exceptional and obviously just just the number one pick I'm not saying like oh sure sure sure. But their ability to hang on to those guys for like we just talked about with with Oklahoma City I was gonna the Supersonics but like we just talked about with Oklahoma City it's like yeah, I don't want to see happen in that team like happened with Shaq and Penny for instance. You know, where it's like oh, like no one's communicating. I'm not saying it's the same front office or anything like that but it knows communicating you got to make sure you pay guys if you want to keep them in a market like that. You get and you can and you don't want to do some stupid like put you in watching the the shack documentary. It's really good.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
No by me I did watch the one we haven't paid for three lm 30 for 30 Yeah, and it's like it wasn't worth 120 which is a joke ya

Dave Clarke  
know, it's bad. I mean, it's bad but you gotta you gotta put you gotta put your best foot forward with these guys because power might be the future this week you know and oh yeah for sure. Well him and obviously when you nama he's gonna come in and he's gonna be like probably the greatest basketball player we've ever seen. Like you know if he if he stays healthy obviously. But I mean these two guys these these freakishly built silky shooters, like with like, unbelievable footwork. Like I knew Powell was going to be decent. I don't know. Like I didn't really know about his strength and stuff but damn, like

Rayshawn Buchanan  
picking up people picking your bracelet the good went behind them. No, no, no. I'd say I wish I could pull it off telling you

Unknown Speaker  
there was see what it was. I believe that you guys were I believe you but that's Korea. You

Rayshawn Buchanan  
know, I was just like, I don't. I was I get it because of how he played. He was an ACC also. I mean, we'll actually see it was August. He was at sec my bad but I'm like, okay, I get it. Anthony Edwards came on the scene years ago with my again, different challenge. That's

Dave Clarke  
good at top right NBA draft so that good is good. And people were saying the same stupid shit about Luca, you know, like, oh, well

Rayshawn Buchanan  
you're reporting it wasn't about trade. So they were like what's going on with trade?

Dave Clarke  
Yeah, it's like I but it was like, Luke was a no brainer pick that year like he can't, like people are gonna do

Rayshawn Buchanan  
that Sacramento booth Sacramento. I don't know. I

Dave Clarke  
feel like if you knew you knew at that point, and it's like, Lukas, like, like, like, we were talking about the future of the league, you know, think he's gonna be 30 And the best player in the NBA probably so are like one of them. So, no.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
You know, I mean, that's one of the few trades where it's like, it worked out for both like Trey Young has been killing it in Atlanta. Dodgers is killing it in Dallas, obviously. So, like, it worked out perfectly for how, yeah, but if we're being

Dave Clarke  
honest, if he really we're gonna pick between the two guys for like, I'm gonna go with myself a championship like you're taking Luke at 10 times out of 10. Well, I

Rayshawn Buchanan  
see enough to look good to you would say now, but I knew he was right now like a very reader. And I mean, right now you say that, but I'm like, when I started, I'm gonna go home. I said, Well, his game is transferable. I said, he shoots life's out. And I said, the biggest thing to he he's already an elite passer. And I'm big on that. If you're someone else needs a lead pastor that's trapped. That's that trusts in his level. So because he was already good at that, and will Oh, and as we get to buckets when he needs to, I might get and he won't get you 25 A night. And that that's what happened. Obviously, he's had to get a little bit bigger, a little stronger in the weight room. But you know, New York City knows. Yeah, yes. No, no, that's right.

Dave Clarke  
No, totally. But I mean, don't just gloss over get a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger. Like I think the big the big tell on Luca, during that draft and now is like was his size and it's like the skill that he has for his size, you know, and like the fact that he came in playing with grown ass man. Well, yeah, to get in better shape to. He didn't know of course, he definitely did his I feel like he's cardio wise, for sure. Especially but I just feel like he was playing with grown men. And I feel like he came into the more NBA ready for that reason. And I think it was, I also enjoyed, I mean, I'm not going to say sit here and say and I'm going to just like be turning on the European League every night, but I do like that he came in and was like, hey, put some respect on the early dude. Like I'm playing with good players over there.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
15 and 16 on Yeah, this is why guys like him. Dark. pug us all back in the day. You know, obviously, there's always one that ends up not doing so well. But there's so many that had done well you know, pick up the occupation like there's plenty of guys that have come over here, you know, back in the day even go stay at Marshall Luna salona things I'm saying the wrong button. He was one further guy. He was like he was like the first nobody else and so if I did just put this plenty of totes so drops the packet which boy he passed away. Yeah, there's someone that was lights out in New Jersey. So I

Unknown Speaker  
just want I don't know if any of them have come on. Like, you know,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I mean, I mean, dark dark. Obviously, wizards

Dave Clarke  
would be my first obvious pick for our best European league player to like ever come into the NBA but I feel like Luke is right there. He hasn't I mean,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
he'll, if he if he wins a couple to he'll pass

Dave Clarke  
exactly. Obviously. Why would champion thing is obviously gonna be the decider, right? Like, you can't just sit there and say like, Oh, he's better than I am.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
But I hate that that is old. Like, it becomes the only deciding factor. Like yeah, now. I would I would just talk to them. It's funny. I was talking to my mom about this, because she was like, oh, like did that or something? When yesterday? I was like, Yeah, Mama, you know, the one by 13 Like, you know, obviously I'm gonna tell you ever when it's great. Well, yeah, exactly. Right. Exactly. But she has a formula she she she the Showtime 80s personally legalized now. That's where everybody Wait, but I'll just like, Yeah, I was like, Mom, like, Hey, Tim had 49 She was like, Wow, I feel like he's really playing. I see. I said, Send me and I'm like, this would be a good segue to talking about, you know, selfless in boxes. Obviously. We haven't gotten to them yet. But I was like, Yeah, I said he could be wood bird is a word I should say, if not more, but because he's going to be judged off the winning. It's like, that's what we're going to look at because I said to dues getting 2728 A night or it's a 39 this year. I'm gonna

Dave Clarke  
require my friend and I'm gonna buy one that said that shit last season when fucking Paul piercer

Rayshawn Buchanan  
and he said things about pierced ears but that's the Holy Grail.

Dave Clarke  
I understand it but if you're talking about bird then we're already way past peers in the conversation Yeah, for sure. Now though, now that the cultural the cultural they used to hit me with the like when the internet reacted so aggressively to same that last season which don't worry I'm I'm a big boy. I can take it because I knew I was puking. Right. The the fact of the matter is everyone repeatedly hit me with the stick of Yeah, but Paul piers want us to championship and it's like I know but I'm talking to just about skill. The skill like Paul Pierce never came close to having a borderline MVP of not full blown MVP season like Jayson Tatum seven I mean

Rayshawn Buchanan  
even right, but I'll say this about Paul said, you know, he's still my favorite all time like I love Oh, Oh that was a for me personally I say me personally faux pas like said because obviously grew up with them but everything was cool same here no no I know you're already got the boat the boat is fine but I just for me for those that still love loves love but I'm not sure what you mean no but those that Desto think about Paul Pierce being that guy he'll remember his force he did obviously notice wants to come as far as he gets to next and you know some of the moments that you remember him in the game and so forth of course I just think that skills no I know but even but he was still was like to do it he there's a reason why Shaq nicknamed him in a season whatever you get through to came into a job 50 on him it was like Hey, guys, the motherfucker truth left kick. Right. And today sorry, this is this is prime Shaq and Kobe. They were running the league at this time. And it was gonna be LA at that time and history melting

Dave Clarke  
and I think to me, he's always gonna be my number one favorite CELTA? He's always going to be right there. I don't think I don't see Jayson Tatum ever taken that mantle from. I don't I don't see Jayson Tatum.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
If he was three or four, you will

Dave Clarke  
know because I just think I think Paul was like Mr. Boston to me, like and I think that like, yeah, for sure. The time of our lives that we saw him win and the time of our lives that we like, saw him play like, you can't really replicate the romance of that. So like personally, I'm always gonna be like, Paul number one and why we Larry Bird. We were too young. So why is our guy you know, we were happy to have him. What I'm trying to express to people about that this argument is Jayson Tatum skill level. I don't know. I mean, I don't know if mentally he has the same abilities that Paul Pierce does to get himself through push through to a championship is I haven't seen it. I think it takes an incredible amount of mental strength and and, and basketball, IQ and all these intangibles that you can't really judge until you like hit the mark. Right? What I'm talking about straight up, ball talent. It's just like Jayson Tatum is absolutely fucking off the charts. He's off.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, no, yeah. No, I mean, like the shot the shot making a level once he has a step back there, pour out if you step back, oh, it really decides that. But if that step is ridiculous,

Dave Clarke  
I might argue that Paul Pierce might have been harder to guard. Like he might have been harder to guard like, Well, yeah. For sure. Yeah. Like just difficult to guard guy because he was like, awkward. He moved it a little bit of a 1.5 speed as opposed you know, like, it was a little strange. I think he had the best of faith in the history of basketball. I think that he had like a ton of intangibles that made him really fucking hard to guard but like, do people not see what Jayson is doing right now? It's

Rayshawn Buchanan  
hard, it's hard to deny what is missing when he clearly taken another step from what he was about last season. You

Dave Clarke  
remember at the end of the matrix, when when Neo snaps the bullets and he's like figured it out? He's like, Oh, shit, he knows Yeah, that's

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, that's exactly what's going on. But we're even here for those that are not we're not gonna go down to the baseball thing but all for those that remember. It wasn't gonna be I think he's a better player than what we're about to bring up. But this guy was all started with a champion in in the sport, but I remember how fans especially in New York, even in Texas used to be upset about how much a sharer would be a guy that was start off slow and then would catch fire from July on that's what Tatum was these last few years. Yeah, yeah, for sure. It's fine the second half but it just like damn, like, can we get this from October? Because you admitted like, you have it? Like why are you waiting to

Dave Clarke  
go is like the all star break and then we would see that Yeah, exactly.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
It was just like, what are we doing? And actually, let me begin to start it off, ironically, could be talking about peers. He got his nickname in LA sorted sorted. So to take them that came today was out there after cobia passed away I think in February or late January of 2020. He came on to hit gave him 41 out there in LA and then that's where it's a thrombus i Oh yeah. Like this he's he's the problem. He's a problem like this is you don't say so. I just think that that there's parallels there obviously, but that's what happened. And once again, I am glad that he has taken it seriously and say you know what, I'm going off from night one and there's nothing any defender in his league can do consistently once again, there's always going to be tolerated you get one or two stops in their course. I mean, everyone's record system consistently stopped this man like it is no longer happening. Regardless of the defender regardless of the team. He is a top five offensive talent and has become a top 10 player in this league. Sometimes to me he been top three on a given night do it do it do it. It's just it's just special. And I said we are witness to it on a consistent basis especially mica I've seen it close and row in section 1415 So thank you seeker sauce. So yeah, so I said we obviously you've heard has listened to you talk we talked about the subject they lead the not just it's the current with the NBA as a whole at h&m for honestly at this moment. I just to me, not just in the eastern NBA. The criminal court religious Boston in Milwaukee. I got like listen, bosses 18 For the walkies fits into five so just, you know speak speak to that for me about how Boston Milwaukee and just you know separated themselves or do you do think that it's just them to order deeply anybody else can be in that category at this moment?

Dave Clarke  
No, I mean, it is just them too. I think that at this moment in time, I think we'd be contradicting ourselves if we saw if we were to sit here now and say like, oh, the number three seat might be able to like keep up with them. That's the Cleveland Cavaliers right now. So we just already did a whole section on them and how they're not really at that level. But that's not to say that it's easy to be at that level. I think that the Bucs are where they are because they have, you know, the generational talent and one of the better you know, on a given night top one, the top two NBA talents in the in the NBA, I think that having Yiannis is an automatic lock for one seat unless you have Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics playing like they are right now. And I think that like it's like one on one a with those two, I know Boston fan will be will confidently tell you that if we see them at this point, it would be in the Eastern Conference Finals, that we are in any way a lock to walk away from that series. Everybody knows the context of beating them last year, middle of Christmas and not being in there. And also just the sheer exhaustion of watching. Your team have to defend Yiannis every single night. I mean, yeah, he's gonna get his butt but you know what he is gonna get his like, that's the thing. Like, I think there's an argument to be made for the level of offense that we're producing right now if we can maintain that and keep that consistent. I mean, this these we're breaking NBA records for the kind of offense we're putting together right now. Like, it's, it's absolutely crazy. You know, when I said to you at the start of the season, like maybe we we just aren't playing as hard on defense because we don't need to, I didn't think we this much didn't need to. I mean, it's like, we score like, it doesn't matter with the honest being able to do what he's able to do. You know, like maybe Grant Williams can do some stuff. He's pretty good at defending him for like his size and, you know, kind of talent ratio, but I think he's gonna get what he's gonna get. And everybody's like, well, if Middleton was in there, if Milton was in there, yes, but I'm not sure that if Milton was in their version of the Bucs from last year that much better now and I know that the Celtics are a lot better. I know that we've gone up like a whole level. Why? I don't think adding Middleton is going to be enough for them anymore. I'd like I'd like to think,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
well, that's what was that. That's what, that's what every fucking fan has been saying. Because if you didn't notice, they're really 20 You know, because they can't be 15 or five, because if Christmas is on the floor,

Dave Clarke  
it doesn't count doesn't count doesn't count.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
You know, so I get it. Great. He's a very good player. He is he is he's a very good player. And he matches up against a foreign isn't a thorn of Boston's side, a majority of his career he has taken over for the previous 22 that was in Milwaukee and that was micro red. That's another night next little casual. Micro mommy Oh, my cousin was a better shooter. But you know, because no one is better than him as a player. But microfiber is all someone has to kill as a member of Milwaukee was always a house of horrors regardless of what was out there. Right. And obviously, they just have they just happen to have a top five player in the world. And God said that a couple so I get that. They are talented. But my thing is you're not telling me now at this stage once again a year later quits and Alan is not doing anything to take them around him. Not consistently Westmalle webuzo. Like, I'm sorry, once again, I like bowl champ i like i like it either. They just dropped in the shower from the G league. I like his game. Obviously drew Holliday is a heck of a player wasn't going defensively, he's going to get a few stops. But just the way at the addition, I cannot say this enough. And we talked about this. And we talked about what his role would be. I gotta do a little bit of victory lap. The six man role for Brogdon is killing it. He's killing it. Yeah, I know. I know. You want to start? Well, that him off the bench is really it's what has solidified nursing totally, really good. Ted said that just I mean, just out of out of this world, and for him to have back to back games this week. Of 2125. Why? Like, what's it like that? That is That is huge. Which is why am i No don't have him started by him unless you really need him to be in there. And once he's done, what he's done is what you said he's gonna play. Well, no, they haven't taken him out. But I want to see last week.

Dave Clarke  
I mean, defense, defensive way last night. Yeah, different defensively. I think we're gonna have a little bit of trouble with him like rotationally if he starts and you know, he, I think he just needs to be playing off their second best scores minutes, like and I think that really works for him, because then he can like, concentrate on his MOS. He's a bad defender, but I just think that we do a great defender. Yeah, I just think that we do. Like I think we defend a little bit differently with him in there. And I think I think when you have Marcus kind of getting into his groove, the way that we have him doing that to start games I think I do I do at this point do you like that better now that I've sort of seen it actually play out? To me it was just I put the best five guys out there like what the fuck, but it's so situational. Yeah, right and he's so situational or we're so situationally elite now that and I think it is because of guys like Brogdon as most mostly brought in, but like other guys that come off the bench now and are so situationally perfect for like a lot of different teams that we can throw so many defensive looks at teams on paper, even though we haven't been planning to 26 years of work, but we also we can put we can throw it's such an elite amount of offensive looks because if if Malcolm Brogdon is your fourth shooter, you're fine. Yeah, I guess you're doing so good. Like he might not even be like Al Horford might be the fourth shooter. Like maybe Malcolm Brogdon is like our fifth shooter and he's like a really good shooter. And then to have him and Derrick white do kind of a lot of the same stuff at different times. But Derek White's game, I think, moves it a little bit of a different pace. Like you made such a good point about Brogdon. And last season about like, no one's ever gonna be able to slow him down. And I feel like him and the way that that the White has been playing this season. We're now able to slow the game down and like kind of slow the game down Celtics don't look fucking atrocious anymore, because they have these guards that can like, just like, I don't know, split a lane, but then like just to get everybody set up and then come back out and like just set things up and like move at their own pace. And they're never you know, they they're two guys that can always have their eyes up. Right, like always, always, always have their eyes up because they're never gonna get worried about somebody taking the ball from because a their ball handling is unbelievable. But also, they're fast enough and they move at a good enough pace that like no one's close enough to them. That would be suicide, right? So they're able to sort of just see the game in like a prime Rajon Rondo way, like I'm not saying they're that good. But they have that sort of see the game thing going on with them to guard position. So for me, it's i For me, it's perfect. I love our guards like I really do. I think our guards are set up so perfectly. I think it looks great across the board. And I think adding Rob Williams and like we were talking about in the context of of Milwaukee, like adding Rob Williams into this, like our one through five is so much stronger than their one through five plus Malcolm Brogdon. And like, I mean, I know we're gonna talk about the quarter season awards at the end of this and we might have done some spoilers here. But like I will give Malcolm Brogdon six man of the year right now. I give Paulo the fucking Rookie of the Year right now. Like there's a couple that are locked up, you know, for sure. I just Yeah, I think a you're absolutely right. You deserve your flowers for that call. I really did think it was a lie. I thought we're gonna find out. But no, I mean, honestly, we just we look, we look great. Like I love our minutes are distributed. I love how our guards play. I love Derek white. I really think he's coming to his own. You were so right about him. But he it might have even surpassed your expectations at this point.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, I mean, I, yeah, this is past what I thought but I was like, This is what he could be. If you're surrounded by other group players. And it's only Oh, he was he was still dealing with Kawhi was there then the trade? So I was like, yeah, like, if you're around good talent. He's gonna predict this is the matter.

Dave Clarke  
I can see him hitting like a massive three in the playoffs like Yeah, I mean, that's I

Rayshawn Buchanan  
mean, that's what happened in the Miami series. Like he ended up helping to win that series. He was used them last, you know, three or four games. So yeah, yeah. him getting fixed at night is huge. But it's like, nevertheless, it did not sped up. And then the flow was constantly spaced out. Yeah, go when Tatum's drive based things per season? Because they did not do that. So I think that's what I think that's where the biggest, you know, change has happened, which is why I thought Braga would have been better off the bench, I'd say Well, yeah, yeah, as we do more, you know, something shows but I just think that that's where that was. So you know, we can leave that for these two columns. Once again, just

Dave Clarke  
one one more tiny thing though. I just because I keep forgetting to say this when we talk about the Celtics on on our podcasts, but Marcus smart's passing is has not been gotten enough play on on the improvement. I think this phenomenon, I just think, like we saw glimpses of it in the playoffs, because he started to like, try stuff. Like I would be the only way I can describe it. But I think his vision has gone up, like exponentially. And I think that he the way he's approaching the game and his mentality about passing is a little bit different now. And I think, like, we're starting to see like a real perfect version of Marcus smart. And I'm not saying he doesn't still do stuff that would like aggravate a lot of people that aren't ready to live with that yet. I am I've accepted it. That's okay. I know you have to, because it's the right thing to do. And everyone will get there eventually. But I really do think that he's doing less of that stuff that does bother people and more of the stuff that they like, and it's really tremendously helping the team. I love watching him play. I love him being our third best player. It works out perfectly in my head. Yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I mean, he's, you know, it's love and trust, right?

Dave Clarke  
Yeah. You know, and I like you. You're now confident I think in the trifecta that the Holy triumvirate it's sort of feelings about each other. And the trust that they have there and the way that they play with each other.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, Jim Jones said the other seven. He was like, Marcus was looked out for me. And you know, it's I think it's in the numbers here. They've had their ups and downs too. So I know for sure they probably still will. But it's like the the number the numbers for Tatum and Brown was smart is not there is such a drop off. It's just a matter of getting guys in the right spots. And, you know, there's a lot of different nuances that day,

Dave Clarke  
he has a lot of their dirty work for him, you know.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Exactly, exactly. So it's just like, you know, they're gonna get better. I get I get this one last nugget, because you brought this up, but I'm sold on for a net. Yeah, no, I know. I know. We had I know, we had a we had an issue, but I'm being the fourth guy. We talked about it, but I'm like that. If he's gonna do what he's gonna doing. Do you don't need to bring somebody else and not right now? The guy? Yeah, not yet. Not yet. Anyway. Now, yeah, maybe maybe by the all star break. But what he's been doing this last month. I was like, I'll take it. I'll take it was a good night. You don't need him to get over here to get 15 Eight, which I will say, Well, if he's getting that, then it won't matter who's around us. Like, you can't get fatigued from Alan, if it's you and him. And then 2030 from Tim O'Brien. Thank you. Yeah, that's another stop. Fuck it happening. I really enjoyed what I've seen for him. He's an Ime there now. He is He did the fence or they bought it to loop like the door of the celebration is like they have more than Love it. Love it. Love. Luffy has become a massive fan favorite. For sure. For sure.

Dave Clarke  
I think I'd rather trade Grant Williams. But I always want to trade Grant Williams. So yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Before before we get back to the comments about it, let's go to the web ticker. Let's go to the west man. So just like just like the east side, there's a lot of great storylines a lot of crazy story live that we expected something that we didn't expect as well, that it happened. So I'll just start with the unexpected man, the Utah Jazz Portland Trailblazers, like looking at like potential playoff, you know, playoff contenders chance to get into the playoffs. So just, you know, what are your thoughts about those two things we kind of touched on earlier on, but just what, what do you see from two teams, that makes you think it's gonna be sustainable makes you think that it may one of them may fall back? I think

Dave Clarke  
I think the thing that happened if we hadn't talked about the Utah Jazz, maybe two weeks ago, I think there would have been like a little bit, it would have been a little easier for me to believe in some of the stuff that they're doing. But I do like the fact that they're sort of an island of misfit toys, like a lot of just like rejected second and third players sort of like all getting together and getting a little bit of a chip on their shoulder and not being super pleased about maybe how they were perceived coming into the season, especially as essentially a rebuild team, you know, like, Danny went and got some contracts so that he could accrue some pics so that he could start building his own team and he, I think did that successfully and maybe didn't really want them to do as well as they're playing. Right? You're never gonna be mad about your team winning games. If you Danny Ainge, like I know that guy's a competitor. He's pissed but maybe it's like I don't know I just I think that guy's fucking genius I find it insane how much we slandered him here in Boston towards the end but you know if you look at their assets right now it's it's fucking insane but I think I think they're fun but if I was going to pick either one to slide it would would not be the team with like Damian Lillard on it you know what I mean? Like I just think I just think you can sort of already see what Utah's what's happening to them. I think it was cool start I do think they're gonna start fading on paper. They're just they're not going to work. The Trailblazers aren't as much of a surprise for me to be honest with you because there's just some names on there that you just know can come fucking who but they're they're constituted a little strangely you know, like nerd kitsch and and justice Winslow and Damian Lillard like they're not a traditionally well put together basketball team. So I think that's probably why you or the general basketball media wasn't 100% Like, believing that they might make a little leap. But again, I mean, I don't mean to be a naysayer, but it's like, we are right at that sweet spot in the season where these teams start to go but to answer your question in a more concise way, I think if I was going to bet on one team to slide one team to push I would say to jazz will sign the Blazers will push just based on who their players I mean, if you looked at the trailblazers roster you can pick a lot of Dave players out of there so I'm just gonna go with him

Rayshawn Buchanan  
no facts I think me Yeah, I mean listen when you you Jeff Walker Kessler, who was the ACC you know, Player of the Year or some of the you weren't one of the two I forget which award he won, but I think about you know, obviously our guy Kelly Olynyk coming over there. You're really doing this thing. Lawyer marketing. Who was it? Well, I'll speak about him a little bit later. His pit I listen to Chicago fans, a group of fans have to be sick. Why? Watching how well he's playing over there is unbelievable in it you know you had the you know, Mr. Mr. Steady Eddie, Mike Conley, who I was I was he's always I was hoping I was like if it wasn't gonna work when parties going on, I was like, Hey, I know my comps are gonna give me 15 seven at night. I know that for a fact. He's gonna play good defense. He's not going to cause problems in the locker room. So I'm like, yo, if we're gonna blow this up, let's fear I was like Mike Conley would be perfect in a something uniform. It was just the fact that you said these these 35 years old that's the biggest that's the biggest problem obviously but Shazza agent that guy um that five year 150 $3 million deal all eat like

Dave Clarke  
overtaking we're picking if not making from those two rosters in the context of the conversation if we're making one guy to come to the Celtics from either those rosters I'm taking Horace Krantz nephew. Oh, Jeremy.

Unknown Speaker  
I just want to get in second. 49

Dave Clarke  
and 49 the other night like fuckin dude, yeah, he's sick.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I didn't I didn't know. What's the like you can do like, you know how you know this. Like he's had Syracuse guy, right. And he's dumb. I said, Yeah, came on to Syracuse, like, have moments in Denver have moments of Philadelphia like, drafted player. But I'm like seeing during the process. Right. Yeah. To get to the interest of promises. Right. Exactly. So many guys came to the Tua. Booth. Wow, it's the same. But I just think about what I've seen for Jamie getting my oh my god, like, I think he probably loved and played on the chastity belts, which I suppose was right. Yo, just go, you know, and in their kid off the bench, say the shark. That kick like, eventually, once they move off of Dame is going to be sharp and Simon's in that backcourt. And they're going to be a very exciting backcourt to watch my guy knows they're a little out of USC is also someone who has been a key contributor to them. So again, Josh Hart, it was also someone that we had talked about, with the trade routes there, right from Detroit. Yes, yes. Yep. Yeah. He's Oh, yeah. So it's like, there's so much stuff there. So they had they have some, some Tuesday, like, so yeah, they're unconventionally put together, for sure. But I think that's what maybe makes him elite. And he is a part of this group. That's coming back. So Jamie Liddell is coming back. Hart is also coming back. And then obviously, Chris Middleton is making a return. So there's a lot of lot of a lot of great talent coming back instead of league this season. But yeah, yeah, I think it's pretty obvious to know that like Utah will be the team that that falls. So want to get into who the team that are se faced in the finals, and that is the reigning defending champions. Of course, the warriors, what they have not looked the reigning defending champions, they're currently either either either one game above 400 or 500. Right now, they're very visible on the road, to say the least. So you know, I hit the floor show, sir. What what is what is going on with the Golden State Warriors? And, you know, why do we think they have gotten out to the slow start?

Dave Clarke  
Well, I think they had to put a lot into the campaign that they put together last year, I think that Steph Curry was on a fucking mission. And I'm not sure we should hang our heads losing to a guy of Steve's caliber playing the way he was playing as much as it hurts. And I don't want to fucking talk about it. But here we are. No, I mean, I think that they were always going to hit a little bit of a hangover because they had to put a like I said, put a lot into to winning that championship. I also think that just the the roster is a little, a little kind of strange to put together at this point. You know, like, how does Wiseman fit into the rotation? Does she Draymond Green, still really be there at this point, you know, like, he's almost more of a liability to them than anything else. I know, he pulled it out of the fire after the two was a two or three abysmal games in the finals to sort of basically come back and bury us. I think, I think we're never gonna see Draymond Green do that. Again, I think that you can maybe move him for something this season of actual value, but I don't know if they're doing that to him because and credit to them because I think that they have a lot of loyalty in that organization. I really thought we're gonna see him get shipped out when he beat the fuck Jordan Poole when he fucking dog walks like a Jordan Poole in the in the in that practice, but I mean, take guys like Jordan Poole, for instance. It's like yeah, I'm glad he got his money but I don't know he's not he's not going to hit the heights for me that you need to help. Steph Curry at the age that he is you have a really successful regular season and playoff run that the way that like Klay Thompson was able to be his, his Tonto to his lone ranger, you know, like I and just a pure shooting that he brought in the kind of early eras and golden era of the Golden State Warriors now like pre k d, but I think I think it's a strangely constituted roster and I and I get the feeling that Steph was like, I think this is my last shot to go and win a championship and that's why he was on the mission that he was on I think that it was like the last fire of a great jet, you know that that just had a little bit of gas left in it and showed us all like what it was to be a winning team because they really are on arguably, it would be stupid to argue that they are not the team of the 2000 10s like they easily are the team of the decade and to just come and like, just show us one. One more great. One was was was totally awesome, but not for us. Right, right. Right. But I but I think that you're seeing what what it is. And I think it's just the end of an era. You know, and I think that it's gonna be really hard to put together a team as good as you need to be to win an NBA championship again in Golden State for a little while, at least. Yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I mean, and even the post that they lost, they lost Gary, Gary Payton a second who's up here.

Dave Clarke  
It was so important. Yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Now see, I was like he's in Portland.

Dave Clarke  
He's going to Seattle team back in the day. I

Rayshawn Buchanan  
don't really bring it back. Right. But I think about that I think about Otto Porter leaving I think because of the loss right so it's hard when you become the hunter right and obviously play Dre had been there obviously a good dollar you know, supplements have been you don't love those guys have still have been

Unknown Speaker  
other Hager dollar has been old since late. Oh, no. Right. But I'm saying

Rayshawn Buchanan  
by this even just somebody eat become the adult household. Right, for sure. For sure. So I just think that when you're not used to being in that position, right. And I remember, I remember cases of talking about this on the clutch time documentary, which speaks about the Houston Rockets winning, they're the back to back championships in 9495. And when a beat you know, New York in 94, you know, guys were coming back, you know, rocky shaves, and having like these big ol Walkmans and these new cars, like so it's like, the guys that did the dirty work before the guys that work your grit and grind, you know, not to steal stuff from from Memphis, but the, you know, the whole Hustle and Flow thing, right? That those guys become, you know, they become, you know, oh, I'm I'm Starling. I did this. I did that champion. I'm a champion. Now. It's like, yeah, so they instantly forget what it took to get him to right moment. And I think that's part of the reason was happening to to the struggles. And obviously, if you're, if you're not great on the road, you cannot be a champion for garlis of whatever you're in. What will you play as I was holding this over, like, they had that big green on the road. They are phenomenal at home. I said, I saw his face and pretty soon in their building and chase arena. So I'll share center, whatever. So now, I'll always be Oracle to me. Yeah, right. He says, I just think that but yeah, it isn't most of the things. I know you said. You talked about moving off. You know, moving dream, I think actually to me, I would ask I would have a conversation about talking about clay. I think that he's lost. He's all

Dave Clarke  
Yeah, but I don't know what I don't know what kind of market I don't know what kind of markets out there for him is the problem. Well, I mean, I stuck with him.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Sure, but I just think that maybe maybe you trade him to Indiana for Buddy Hield

Dave Clarke  
Oh, that would make them instantly better. Yeah, yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
maybe you do that something like that. And you know Clay Clay could be Reggie Miller light over there for the next four or five years. And so

Dave Clarke  
you're very light Reggie Miller zero sugar. I love it. Quite a sweet quite as sweet. We use a little a lot less sauce.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, so yeah, that'd be cool. So once it got me it wasn't that that is that is wishful thinking that is just us throwing stuff out there but yeah, it looks it is a multitude of things of what has gone wrong.

Dave Clarke  
You know, I think they'd all rather play together too though at this point. And I think like sure but

Rayshawn Buchanan  
you know, I just know I'm over it I don't need to meet over your fatigue you definitely sad and sad and but once again I wonder I wonder let me go run Yeah, sure.

Dave Clarke  
I wonder if Kurt is good enough coach to sort of make us eat our words the way that pop has with with with different iterations of the Spurs teams over the years disciple I think he like I just think like there's you know, as much as this is the vibe I'm getting from them now. I feel like I probably said that about a couple of spurs teams that prove me wrong like you know start starting off with maybe nine losses that they shouldn't had and I was like, ah, yeah, I mean it's great that the Spurs but I mean Tony Parker's 33 And you know, I'm sure about that guy at one point and I it I will say just slightly I guess temper my My take is you can never sleep on a team has been together this long with this experience. Oh, for sure. is shown. So there is the

Rayshawn Buchanan  
last year was it 2014 spurs moment though. Boston has it 2014 spurs mobile Herro right. It was It looks like they are because I'm like they're blowing everyone out to build it. Which is what San Antonio did that year too. And that was him Dr. Of last hurrah as the you know, top talent elite but Yeah, well I want to stay at California want to go down? If I'm wrong. Somebody Robert. Die five right. I thought

Dave Clarke  
Yeah, the five

Rayshawn Buchanan  
go all right. All right, I passed geography baby. Whoo. I've done all three I doubt down the i Five down to lay down to the Staples Center. You know LA, you know in a word ICU I can't tell you. I can't say today it's been a good day. Done. I'll start with the clippers. They're obviously the better team right now. Um, they're 13 at night they told me not to align Tarot. And Tarot was done a hell of a job once again, that we were to get rid of Missoula, for whatever reason give you the data when I'm around. Tyler woods, and he would be perfect up here. But that's a whole nother college for the day. And I hate him. But I love him as a toad. I think he's great. I just

Dave Clarke  
associated with a lot of like, rivalry moments. Oh, sure. Sure.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, well, he was already here and an assistant though so on the dock but I just died yet in early 2010s But I think that he'll pull jobs obviously at least and hoping that he got hurt and obviously you know, job balls come back in with dirty Jackson has done well, a zuboff has looked really good as well to the game the other night and so he's been especially

Dave Clarke  
here you're skirting around the elephant in the room. But I am

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I'm speaking what was gone well for them but shapes showed that showed that Kawhi Leonard and and La mean

Dave Clarke  
is the cry Leonard era over in America is it over in the NBA. I mean, what the fuck is going on? I don't,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I don't know, the people that's listening wants to know, we want to know

Dave Clarke  
Kawhi Leonard was watching with the Toronto Raptors, there was a really, really strong case and it could be factually true that he was the best player in the NBA. And like that year, and I think that it might have been harder to harder to argue against and when he won that championship, considering what we thought about that supporting cast, what we saw Kawhi do obviously in that in that run up and some of the shots he made and some of the defensive, absolute, defensive, glorious, defensive performances that he put in like really just like, unbelievable, like robotic insane, but and he was super kind of popular strangely on the on the web. He was he had some memes and he was kind of goofy and people were into it. What to do baby and yeah and and people really forgave him for for sort of being the first guy to turn his back. For lack of a better phrase, I guess on the pop observers and and even pop I think was like, Yeah, I don't know, we might have fucked them over a little bit with the medical staff. I don't know. And I don't know if he ever really came on said that. But he was sort of like, I don't know if the guy wants to leave the guy with sleep. But does he want to play basketball? Was he interested in playing but I just

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I just don't? I don't I don't think that you guys. And once again, we have killed. You know, we've talked about caribou taking time off the table. Some of the players take the time off. We never get on Kawhi Leonard, and that's fucking wild. So we didn't know what kind of missing the point where we hold and we keep the same energy to why Linda should be able to cope was to get as your fucking job. And once again, unless you have a chronic knee injury, which I firmly believe that's what's going on. And they're trying to give a lot of smoke and mirrors here. If you're saying

Dave Clarke  
a chronic knee injury, like he's not going to see the court again, ever,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
no cry Lamia, like, it's just something that's always gonna be like he'll play it through to play on that. And after resting on that. Yeah, exactly. So I just think to me, once again, he's a two time champion. He's a Finals MVP. He's his official player of the year if I'm not mistaken, the resume is already there. Like he'll he'll be he'll be in the Hall of Fame at some point. Later on it later on when it's all said and done. But it's like man, when he leaves to go to tweet it and this is why and I said I said it on the air. I've said this all phone calls, FaceTime any way you can reach me I've said as soon for those. I've said to people he should have never left Toronto, Messiah Messiah you Jerry and Nick nurse do whatever they could to cater to him to make sure his body was right for those 60 games. And then he totally went crazy on the East Light they smacked her window out the day they play my walking accomplice models there and I'm just like yo like they did they did everything right and once again I know Caroline was getting older time but she had a fleet you had against the outcome you add you know people say like they had guys are still killing it because you imagine what they would have gotten already bought. The picks would have been higher but she didn't. I just think that they would have been even better than what they are like they did just floating above one. I think he

Dave Clarke  
was propping them up they fucking stick

Rayshawn Buchanan  
down apart for just what I'm saying. They're not there. No,

Dave Clarke  
I agree. I'm just fucking

Rayshawn Buchanan  
funny joke guys that knows that. I think dodgy listeners but I am but I think you're right

Dave Clarke  
from a basketball. I do actually think you're right. I suppose since I think that's obviously only only that though. Well, I don't really be gradually moving to LA from Toronto. Because like as your basketball Playa like you live in Los Angeles, you fucking Leipzig.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Let me I've heard it Toronto's. I've never been in a

Dave Clarke  
sense of being a basketball player in Los Angeles like this is you know, since Magic Johnson made this like the place to come and fucking party this is like where you want to be if you're in like, you know, this is where you're taking all your meetings about your fucking shoes and you're and you're all that stuff and like i and this is not a slight on on kawaii at all I encourage this from from everybody that is excelling in their field like wildlands on record about being here to get his fucking bag man. Like that's, that's like he's on fucking record about that. So I think there's a world where he was like, just not thinking about things from a basketball sense quite as much when he made that move, and was just like, well, if I'm there, I can do this and I can get this endorsement deal and I think I'll be more connected with this and blah, blah blah. And I think even his business manager had lots of conversations and it's not the basketball purists way of looking at things that it's maybe not I

Rayshawn Buchanan  
just don't think it would have been there regardless. And that's my problem. Like maybe

Dave Clarke  
I just think

Rayshawn Buchanan  
if you could say it a website even if a job but if you could tune in when he was getting 2627 A night or one way essentially white one What are we taught like I just said me that's gonna come with you when the endorsements and all the accolades come with that like I don't think he I understand though needed to move like when, like children are told, you know, I lived in Florida for seven years. People I mean, I'm obviously LeBron Connecticut. He played we one flew away to whatever but people aren't running to come to South Beach. Today. It's not it's not a basketball area people would find in Miami because they want to party and do some other stuff. But I coming down there because you're looking to play ball. And maybe that's what it wasn't him with the tempers but I'm like, yo, even you end up pushing a train for Paul George.

Dave Clarke  
That's the thing. I don't think he got this the guys that he was like he thought he Oh, he wanted

Rayshawn Buchanan  
he got he got pulled up with Paul George. Yeah, but I don't know. SCA who was in that trade was fucking killing it. Okay. See, I think that you know, he would have been married in Georgia. He wasn't sure he was that right?

Dave Clarke  
No, but where are you in Paul? George? Like how do you how do you view poachers? Which camp are you in?

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I think he's phenomenal. I just I just think he needs to be been in the postseason but I think he's phenomenal talent.

Dave Clarke  
But this season record is fucking damning though. It is

Rayshawn Buchanan  
but I mean, people forget preinjury you know, just mentioned LeBron back to back two years and seven seven games. defensively. Was not was not that was not that talented besides

Dave Clarke  
him. I saw him in kawaii together. We're gonna be like the best defense.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, but guess what? That's not happening in Boston, baby. Every everything. Everything is due. I just thought about Kawhi and Paul George. You catch it on 100 causeway Street, Boston, Massachusetts. They're

Dave Clarke  
killed me for comparing Jaylen Brown and Paul George when he first came to leave, he will kill me for that row.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Okay. I mean, he's got that but you

Dave Clarke  
know what I was saying? I wasn't saying he was as good as him when he came into the league. I was like, I just think they have a very similar like profile of talent. And they were like, well, I'm like, Folgers sucks the playoffs? And I'm like, No, I'm just talking about how they play basketball man. Like I just think I just think like they have a great defensive base. I think they're both super fucking athletic. Obviously, Paul, George like injury notwithstanding. And I think that they both like maybe need to work on the shot a little bit in their handles a little bit. I just think they're very similar players, you know, and I think it's like, where those ceilings gonna go in those skill sets is like where they're going to be but I think Jaylen mentally is a lot stronger. I will say that yeah.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I mean for sure. I mean, I think obviously you know for poachers to come back from the injury like it was it was very gruesome obviously like it was Yeah. Remember gruesome but he was also younger than Hayward wouldn't happen so I think that's what kind of helped him get back on track you know, he wants to talk about segment man but that's another whole segment of the day but yeah, I just think that um yeah he's been he's been a special when he's played so far this year. But I just think that from I mean, I'm not sure defenders cares enough to like say that late but I thought I'm in a locker room like I'm pissed at him guys aren't available when Yeah,

Dave Clarke  
they do die on the spot and I'm gonna spot clippers season tickets and I was gonna like resale like like buying a fucking ounce a weed and like selling it by the gram you know? I really thought I was gonna like apply that business logic to and then go see him and you know use the tickets when a sale is coming to town. I was like Kawhi is gonna come back they're gonna be worth so much like people are really gonna want to bind thank God and fucking do that. Because nobody wants to go see a clippers game right now with those guys not on the floor. So that would have Fuck, yeah. That would have hurt me it would have been a bad investment.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Right? Exactly. Well, speaking about investment let's go right across the locker room. Yes, I love that they are struggling right now struggling way to put it if you were looking for unbiased talk with this. You're not getting it that

Dave Clarke  
watches. I mean, we might. They might that doesn't make him any less trash like,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
they know. For sure. For sure. But I just think to me, well, there ain't unless they have played better as of late. I think I forgot that they signed in the shooter. I know he's back on. He's done. He's done well for them. So Looks nice. Yeah, I mean, but hey, he's played. He's played well. Listen. I'm gonna hop off your neighbors right now. Because once again really? Yeah. Something when he's playing the way he played last couple weeks when

Dave Clarke  
I know but like just a commitment levels man, you know like you know what I'm saying like

Rayshawn Buchanan  
oh sure but I mean he's, he's he's definitely stepped up when LeBron was out and I was like, well, if they had this guy next to him like this, then yeah, they'd go back to the conference finals at least at least it's just a matter of obviously. You know Ross I've been good as it used to be so good is not good. He said he's been good off the best for them. And I think that Ben is better than what people expected he was better at it but didn't start this year with dominion. Oh,

Dave Clarke  
yeah. Obviously the right move is to bring Russ and as to make Ross energy guy off the bench and the question was whether or not he would like accept that role like, and he has, which is great, but I just think I just think it's like what the fuck are you like? We talked about signing Russell Westbrook? I'm not going to call Mike out. I guess I just did but it's like we talked about Cyrus Ime What shall I call a bunker call him I told you I told you what he was gonna look like on any Tua and this is exactly what I said. He was gonna look like he's what he looks like. He's that contract is dragging them down there. They're shooting numbers are still atrocious. And why when was the last year that the Bron was the best player in the NBA? For like for sure. Because if it's not this year anymore, like we're finally I think from to the era where he's not

Rayshawn Buchanan  
gonna probably probably the year probably the year that it lost the Golden State in 2018.

Dave Clarke  
Yeah, you nailed on like nailed on he's that great. Yeah, he

Rayshawn Buchanan  
had that great game seven against us at the end had 51 Game one. Yeah, that should have won that game. I agree. They were gonna win that series. They should have won that game today but he was phenomenal. That's one of the best finals performance I've ever seen.

Dave Clarke  
Bar not just here you're starting to see you know, I caught a little bit of them playing the plane pelicans and I just think you're starting to see stuff happen to LeBron James that like never would have happened on LeBron James like when we were younger, and I'm not this isn't a criticism. I mean, the man has put in a lot of great miles and minutes into the MBAs he's just showing his age a little bit i i watched him try to kind of go back and forth one on one with God, why am I fucking Zion and he didn't look good. Athletic.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
As a young boy

Dave Clarke  
and yeah, but it wasn't even like, you know, it wasn't even like alright, let me like put on a little fucking dribble and like wet one in your face. It was like bad like he was just getting fucked thrown around. This is crazy. This happened Lebron James. I mean, I know he's old. I'm not celebrating it. It's just ya know, I'm just kind of weird to see it and like process it if that makes sense. And be like, oh, like, so he's getting bodied like and just like Zion was just like I'm gonna take it to him right now and he just did and he did it because it's LeBron James you know? He's like fucking Oh yeah, for sure. What's going on and that target? I think that target on his back is going to is going to be a heavy weight to bear if the he ever wants to win another championship. I just don't see. Yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
yeah, for sure. And I didn't have them on the agenda. But I love when I see from New Orleans as well. You're out there a team that makes the playoffs as well in the Western Conference. I

Dave Clarke  
like design a lot to be honest. You're the holdup? You said no, I think I like the design a lot. I think the criticism the worry with him obviously like his body and like if he like it's gonna be able to stay healthy and his frame and stuff but I think he looks he looks great. Like honestly, like I think he looks he's in the best shape of his life. So yeah, I think they can make

Rayshawn Buchanan  
fun. Yes. You can't be out there looking like me on the court.

Dave Clarke  
I mean, he wasn't he wasn't he was he was post he was those who was I was just worried about his bucket ankles for a minute they're like really fucking high dude.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, yeah, but I'm I'm glad he's back and now he's looking good. He's like, lady I really I love I love Jose Alvarado aka GTA great grip the grip that I love.

Dave Clarke  
I love I would take that spark I would take that spark off the bench for the Celtics in one second we were talking about this in the discord I think a couple weeks ago we played them He's great. He gets like one like awesome transition steal a game like he's he's all energies all fire his attitude. Like he's, he's cool. I love him.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, he's Yeah, he's great.

Dave Clarke  
I would take him in a second. I would sure I would trade Pritchard for him and like one heartbeat, but I don't I don't think they're doing absolutely

Rayshawn Buchanan  
absolutely so but yeah, so during that scene, we did look out for as as well. So let's jump let's try to do this fire because we're long on time here so we're gonna jump into those rewards. So you kind of already said this, but you can say just real quick. Give me Give me an A for every piece so far. Jayson Tatum right right right I mean even though it's hitting people I got I gotta look at right now for

Dave Clarke  
this and I think they're probably will give it to Luca, because I, I know how the MVP voting works. And I know that the kind of the criteria that they're looking for in an MVP. Yeah. And I think that you following along with the traditional criteria of the MVP award, I think Luca probably will get it. But if it were just saying who the best player is right now, yeah, it's Tatum. Right now. It's

Rayshawn Buchanan  
sure mostly, I'm not here to be mad about that. But I just I just,

Dave Clarke  
I just think they often hand out the MVP award is like a consolation prize to a really good player, a shitty team. And I think that like Luke has got that written all over him this season, to be supporting cast is just letting him down so fucking hard. And it's just like, it's sad to see

Rayshawn Buchanan  
that they're not that they're not good. But yeah, they're not. Oh, this is kind of this is a consensus for us right now. We're good. The year is probably, yeah. So

Dave Clarke  
I can probably predict next year is roughly the year two. But

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I'd be able to, you know, gotta be able to Yeah. And, you know, six, six, or do you have a six man?

Dave Clarke  
I want to I wanted to give it to Brogden. Okay, I mean, again,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I know, I know, some people are thinking Russell, whatever, but I

Dave Clarke  
think Russ getting it would make a lot of sense to I honestly think that like his and his switch, the bench was a little bit more high profile. And like, I don't know, stats wise, he might be actually edging Brogden out, as far as like, consistently putting up points as a spark off the bench. But I mean, I don't know, like Brogdon is a guy that was start on 20 teams, so I don't you know, it's like putting ours if we were set up differently, so yeah, to me six minutes. Verbrugge

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I will share me with this one here, but just maybe think about Defensive Player of the Year. No, okay. So far. I mean, I don't think it's gonna be good bear. I don't I don't know who that would be.

Dave Clarke  
Well, it's like they never give it back to back. Right. But and even if they didn't, or even if they did, smart, like probably isn't gonna win it this year. I mean, like he honest.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's probably it. Probably it probably could be him again. Like he's always and

Dave Clarke  
OGN and OB, og.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
I would, I would, yeah, maybe I remember from from Portland, Portland, Toronto. So yeah, so I think you mentioned Rudy go berry earlier.

Unknown Speaker  
I mean, yeah,

Rayshawn Buchanan  
but no saying it's safe. pigpio but yada yada. There's always someone that could be in that

Dave Clarke  
probably in the East so we have up conversation too, by the way, like that's for sure. For sure. For sure. That's by no means like decided.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, not not not at all. But and then last last but not least, for the most improved player or who do you have there?

Dave Clarke  
I know we talked about a couple guys that might be nominated for this. But for me that standouts, che Gilchrist Alexander, I think he's really stepped into a zone. I think he's become like a untradable piece on that team, I think you can actually build some shit around him. And considering the amount of picks that those doctors who have coming up I think that most improved player was going to look mighty mighty nice hanging on his mantle in a few years, because I really think he stepped up and I was I was I was kind of pulling for him too. So that would be my pick. I know that there's definitely some other candidates though this year. It's actually one of the more interesting most improved player award years because there are a lot of guys coming through and like and stepping up but for me, it'd be him for right now.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yeah, for me it is there's no marketing or good pick. Yeah, I just say 21 to nine he was already pretty good. Yeah, right. But um, I just this is I'm not sure. What do you what do you got drafted seventh 2016? Like what 2017 Whatever. Yeah. Like I'm not sure people was like, okay, like this is what like obviously Chicago was hoping for that Cleveland hope it out but yeah, just see it come together a new world will Hardy like I think that this is where his emergency taking off. And I'm just like, man, like he has become a legit guy they could go to and fanbase over 35% for three, you know, just just being a become a new staple in that offensive in that city. Like I think for him, you know, once again, not the consensus choice, but he is someone to me that that stood out right away. And just let that so there's any any final words that we get out here? Yeah,

Dave Clarke  
I mean, I don't know how often we're going to be able to do like such a good forensic deep dive of the whole NBA in both conferences, considering that we're both part of a show and a wider network that does Boston Celtics centric content. So I am super glad we got to talk about this. But what's nice about not really getting that opportunity or having the time for that is that I don't have the time for fucking any team right now. And in the Boston Celtics, we are focused absolutely throwing fucking cheat right now we're throwing 98 miles an hour fastballs on a nightly basis and we don't look like we're gonna fucking anywhere and prepare for me and I hope you and I hope Bob and I hope Mike and I hope Joe and I hope Greg to be absolutely fucking insufferable for the remainder of this season. And I'll see all you fuckers in May.

Rayshawn Buchanan  
Yes, sir. Yeah, me Listen, I echo every sentiment you just you just said I'm going to more diplomatic route because obviously we call your city teams just as being brand new citizen and network. So like, subscribe, share the show, tell her friends saw another friend and saw another friend, some other friend, regardless of what they say word of mouth or still the best way to get information out there, and we go as always, we thank you for listening. So, for DK sizzle, I'm Hollywood Rayshawn Buchanan and until next time, we'll see you peace.