Lebron & KD Return, Mavs Struggle, Is Dame Gone From Portland? | WHAT'S BURNIN | SHOWTIME BASKETBALL

it happened, You would never know. Guys, we gotta talk about the Western Conference in the NBA because it is completely out of control right now. Every day I look at the standings, I feel like it's a game of fifty two pick up. Everyone keeps waiting for the Warriors and Lakers. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have won five straight. The Timberwolves are in there now, they've won four straight. They're in the number six spot as we sit here and record today. But by the time anyone listens to this podcast,

I'm sure that will have changed drastically. There's only six or seven games to go. Matt. When you look at the standings right now. Which teams do you think are actually getting in and which teams are going to be in the play in which teams are going to be out? For you? I think the Uh, I think my my final two teams. I think my seven and eight spots slots are gonna go to. Um, who's gonna be in six?

The other question, Yeah, that's so I'm looking at right now because Minnesota's playing well, it just got cat back. They just you know, put it down on sack last night. Uh, it's really up in the air. I feel like the first three seeds are locked. I feel like Phoenix will get that fourth spot because Katie and a and are coming back. Plus the Clippers are missing Paul George. So I feel like five through ten our question. But I

don't think the Clippers will slide too much. Um. I think the Lakers will come in at eight, Okay, And I think, uh, damn, I'm just put Golden State to seven, and that's gonna be tough for the for the one, two and three seed. To be honest with you, I mean, it's gonna be interesting to see what happens. Boogie. Do you think that the Timberwolves here who by the way, have one of the easier strength of schedules of all of these teams. Um, do you think that the Wolves

can stay where they are now? They've been out of the playoff picture for a while, and then obviously with Karl Anthony Town's coming back and made this great search. Um, I think they can searche you know, with this this lay round at the end. UM, I think it's great timing for them to get Cat back. UM. I can definitely see them making a big push towards the end and also having a schedule that they have and it makes the road a little bit easier. So, UM, I

can I can agree with Matt on the Timberwolves sliding in. Um. As far as the Lakers go, I I think they'll. I think they'll be in the play in I think, you know, they can obviously win that game. Men get to a playoff series with you know, in one of the top three, that's just a dangerous team to you know, to hint in the first round with against anybody. So I think the Lakers can find some late success only

if they remain healthy. And the Clippers, I'm not sure the Clippers, man, they've been so inconsistent all year and to add pg's injury at this time of year. I don't know. I'm not confident and prim in the playoffs, to be honest, I just don't see it happening. What Rache? What is What is the Clippers strength of schedule remaining? Where are they are in the total? I think they're right in the middle, pardition. Neate's gonna look it up for us right now? What I don't get about that?

Can you imagine? Oh? Go ahead, I was gonna say, can you imagine whether, just hypothetically, if it's the Lakers eight, the Golden State Warriors seven, and the Clippers six. I mean, arguably we could see the one, two, and three seed all three of them fall. We'd see two of them fall, we could see one of them fall. We could see none of them fall. So I mean to think that the Warriors and Clippers were the Western favorites coming into

this season. They're at the bottom, but they could still be a first round upset and get hot and run to the finals. I mean to me, the bottom of the West is more scary this year. If it settles that way, then I feel like I can remember it. It's hard though, because I keep waiting at The Warriors are a great example. They should be and look they don't have Andrew Wiggins, but they should be getting into that playoff forum. We kept saying, oh, the last twenty games,

they'll figure it out. Well, they lost to Minnesota the other night in a last second game where they should have won. I mean, there's been times where we look at these teams, quote at the bottom of the standings, the Clippers, the Lakers, the Warriors. In some cases they're there for a reason, and I do wonder if we of them too much, sort of benefit of you know, the shiny pieces that they have. You look back forty five to the last forty six NBA champions have been

top three seeds. That being said, I'm not sure we've ever had a season like this. I don't remember a season where the Western Conference, where any conference standings were this volatile, this late in the game, with so many positions. As you said, Matt for really, five through ten through twelve up for grabs. Nate's got his stat here with you. What what do you got? Oh, six started hardest, more hard than I thought. All right, So bogies Boogie's a

posit here has some weight. They have the six hardest schedule books, so maybe they're the team that drops out, although they did win Monday night, so it's very hard to figure out what's going on there. And when you talk about the Lakers, Matt Lebron says he didn't even want to be in the plan. He said, to hell with the play and he said, we can actually be a top six seed. That change part of my mindset on me coming back and trying to be a part of this. I mean, where are they. We've been waiting

on it. Shit, we've been waiting on it. You've been waiting to see that. We've been waiting to see. We feel it, but we've been waiting to see it. So I mean, the hell with it is the right idea, but the player might end up saving them and giving them an opportunity to really, you know, stretch their wings out and be healthy for the first time as a committee all season, have you guys seen do you remember a time like this where it was this crazy down

the stretch? No, well, you got to think the Warriors have been I mean, you know, there's been clear cut favorites for the last half of years. I can't even remember how long like to me, and I'd say, there's all due respect to Denver, you know, the bubble Western Conference run. To me, it doesn't prove nothing in this regular you know kind of circumstances. We're Indy and you look at Memphis, they're young in experience. You look at Sacramento, they're young going in experience. So to me, the top

three seeds have obviously they're there for a reason. They earned it. They played well this season. But you know, we talk about Golden State, we talk about the Lakers, we talk about the you know, the Clippers. Those are all teams with veteran experience, guys that have won championships. Guy, is that know if any team can turn it on, it's teams like that that can turn I'm not saying they're going to but you give those kind of teams to benefit of the doubt because they have players that

have done it before. I mean, I wouldn't want to see any of them. I know that. Who are you guys most scared of in that conference? They were talking about? Who are you looking at? Book? You're talking about to be? I mean, Clippers, Lakers and Wards. I mean all right, so is it is it the Warriors for you? Defending champs. Is it someone else? I think you throw Phoenix in there too. You know. The word is Katie is coming

back this week. They get Aiden back, and Katie is one of those special superstars where you can just throw anywhere. You saw they were three oh before he got hurt. Um, So Phoenix is someone that I want to watch out for. I think Chris knows his you know, his time is coming up. Book is playing at a you know, an all NBA level. Uh. And you know what Katie does. And I can see Katie kind of playing like the wingman until it gets real, like how just how he

did with Staff. He played the wing man until it got real and then he look over and got finals MVP. So um to me my team, I'm watching the liner right. So they're the team you most wouldn't want to wake up and see. Yes, and what about you, boogie? Oh? I can agree with matt Um. I think I think this is the first playoff run in recent years that will see a fully healthy Chris Paul as well. It's not as much pressure, not as much of a workload. We're having Kevin Durant for that team. Famis is a

very very dangerous team. I can agree with Matt with that for sure. It's gonna be so interesting. Normally I would give all kinds of, you know, credence to chemistry and you can't just throw guys in there. But with Kevin Durant, I kind of feel like all the rules are off. He is the guy that you can throw in there. You can put him in any system and

it's gonna work absolutely, And just personality wise too. You know, he's not coming in there and demanding that he'd be a star, or that he'd be treat differently or any of that stuff. I just think all the rules about, hey, you need a whole season to play together, they go out the window with Kevin Durant. So we will see if health gets to be a factor there, but that that's really the biggest question with them. Speaking of guys that got thrown together and the chemistry has not picked

up so far. Is the Dallas Mavericks. They finally ended a four game slide Monday night when they beat the Pacers, but gosh, it has been a rough week. Luca has been talking about how unhappy and frustrated he is. He's hinted at having some issues off the court. They lost to the Hornets twice, including they were favored. I think by sixteen it was considered the biggest loss, of the biggest upset, rather of the entire season. Numbers wise, it

just has not been good there. And by the way, since the Kyrie trade, they're eight and thirteen, only four wins when Luca and Kyrie are in the lineup together. Matt, what is How would you describe what you're seeing here? I think it I think it's it's still early to kind of right off this duo, because you know, what is a eight thirteen They've only played twenty one games together, if my master serves me correctly. But I think they unpopular. Yeah, it was all right that since he's gone team, but

this may be an unpopular decision. But I just look at Kyrie's track record, and as great as an individual talent he is, he had problems with Lebron and he wanted to move on and be a leader. He goes to Boston, he doesn't get along with the two young stars, he moves, he goes to Brooklyn, and we'll talk about this later in the show. Arguably the biggest what if in the history with him, k D and James Harden. Now he's in Dallas with Luca, who is the future

of this league. Into a coincidence that every time he goes to a team there's dysfunction. I mean, Lucas had to carry the load for the last but three four years all by hisself, and we've never heard him speak about unhappiness. Obviously there could be some way, you know, you hear stuff with his mom, and we don't want to speculate with what's going on with that, but it just seems like everywhere Kyrie goes there is an issue.

Now that can be that could be a coincidence, or it could be that Kyrie is the issue as again as a greater talent. He is a top five talent, no doubt, but just seems like every time he makes a pit stop, shit gets fucked up. So I don't know if that's the case here. We're speculating because we're not in that locker room or from the outside looking in,

it's not hard to draw that kind of conclusion. What do you think when you see them, bug, I think it's a similar a similar situation to kind of what I went through when I got traded from Sacramento mid season. We ended up going. I ended up going to New Orleans and linking up with a d and we struggled. That's second half, closing part of the season, because obviously it was a mid season trade. Me and him were

still finding chemistry. The guys that were traded away in order to acquire me then kind of threw off the whole balance of the team. So you're kind of finishing out of season to you know, basically, I have roster, you don't have the necessary pieces to compliment your two stars to keep the whole floor in karate of the

team moving forward. So in my opinion, that play is a big part in you know, mid season trades, and sometimes you know, you get Kevin Durant win and things can you know, flow seams, But that's just not the case with these two type of players. So I still think they deserve more time. I'll be more ready to judge this team next season when pieces that compliment them and things of that nature, and then we can kind of make a judgment. But as of right now, this

is just a mid season trade. They have their two building blocks, so we'll see what they do with these next couple of seasons. If it even happens but boogie, do you But I was about to say, is there a guarantee that Kyrie stays? Is there a guarantee that that that that Cuban pays him to keep him? You

know what I mean? Because I think they wanted to sample and I could read one thousand percent because I feel like you guys definitely hit you Stride the next season and then obviously you know the injury derail with you and a d could have did um. But I think this is going to be a sample size. And if you're Mark Cuban and you don't even make the playoffs or you get bumped into play in, I agree with you because it took a lot of pieces to

get Kyrie. Are you going to commit to Kyrie and and give him the money that he you know, deserves as a player individually? Uh? To me, that is a huge question. I'm not sure what the market for Kyrie is going to be this summer. Me neither you know what the market to be. But I definitely believe Cuban though, or make a better decision. He's than in this situation before as well, when he made that Trey for Rondo.

So I don't I don't think I think Mark's a pretty good businessman, and I don't think he'll make the same mistake twice. So if anything, he's gonna try to make this due or work to the bust of his ability. I agree, it's too early to really judge it. I just don't feel like they have defense thoughe Uh, you know, at least when when you and you know, if you

talk about Unad situation, Ad was a defensive anchor. You can move a little bit, But neither of these guys even want to play the defense, you know what I mean? And those are those are the two stars, so that that's my whole thing. So I think, you know, Cuban has a track record of making solid decisions, but this is a situation I wouldn't want to have to decide on.

It's just tough. I think it depends partly on what other teams are willing to offer Kyrie, because if you give Kyrie too much, obviously, that eats up money that you could be spending on the rest of your roster. They absolutely need to get better defensively this offseason, and they'll tell you that. I mean, they knew what they were giving away when they made the deal, and it was just a huge, huge gamble that Kyrie was going to want to stay, that Kyrie wasn't going to get

a ton of huge offers elsewhere. And they certainly thought that these guys would play better together and play better individually even than they have in this finishing kick. So it's going to be a lot of difficult decisions and interesting conversations in Dallas, especially if they don't even make the play in which is the position as we sit here and record today where we are, although again fifty

two pick up, it could all change tomorrow. You talked about duos or guys that didn't work out though Producer Nate was trying to figure out what the top five duos that never worked out were, which of course prompted a lot of discussion here before we even started keeping Um, do you have yours? What do you think? But who are your some of your duos who didn't work out? You know, obviously we got Audie and Shaw's Barkley, Um that didn't quite work out? Yao mean and Tracy McGrady

duo wasn't that great? Um, I mean, I can even throw myself in there, uh with you know, me and Anthony Davis to say it didn't work, will be you know a lot because I see that next season we proved we could work. But you know henjury, did you know derail? What what could have been? So we gotta throw right Yeah, same situation, similar situation. So, like I said, you got to throw it in there regardless. You know, if the talent would have worked, but it didn't work, So, um,

you gotta throw myself in there as well. Something if you ask me with duo I think is the most paralented I'm gonna go with myself and they d for sure. Yeah, absolutely never wouldn't be mad at that almost was the greatest. Almost was champions. Yeah, that would have been a problem. But I mean also I also think you throw in the Brooklyn situation. I mean I think that'll go down probably is the greatest trio duo to never do anything.

Um and then you look at you again, it's too early to judge, but if this comes to an end, you would think that Luca and Kyrie, when you think about just two guys that are gonna go out there and get it, that that that are incredible players, that that that really just haven't had a chance to find their chemistry. Um, you know, you can definitely throw that in there, but again it's it's you know, it's it's

been twenty one games and even less together. But I have a hard time throwing Boogie in there though, because of the catastrophic injury that he had, because again I think that next season you proved what you guys are gonna do. But then Rachel bring a great point. You know, by the time that you know t Mac and yeah we're ready to rock, they both were struggling from injury. So it's a it's a tough situation, but something without injury. To me, the biggest what if will be the Brooklyn Nets.

I think that'll go down in history as you know, you get a Kyrie and you get a Kevin Durant and you've had a James hardness, just like, holy shit, this team on paper could be the greatest ever and they didn't accomplish anything, which is unfortunate for fans and for that's a stat yesterday that the guys who came over in the Phoenix trade have now played more games together for the Brooklyn Nets than that Trio did for the Brooklyn Nets. Trade deadline was last month. People, this

has already happened. Many games went twenty one games. Insane, absolute insanity. Well, it's tough when we think about, you know, duos or trios or superstars. We were really excited being together when they didn't work out. You know, injury is one of the biggest thieves there. I mean, it's one of the situations where it's just you, and then there's the guys that didn't work out for reasons that go way beyond that into the locker room. And those are the ones too that I think are hard for fans.

The West is a mess. I want to get back to the East for a minute. We had a very controversial moment Monday night, guys. Joel Embi did not play in the very hyped up MVP on MVP voter violence matchup, rumble wwe whatever you want to call it. Was supposed to happen between Ebide and Yogi when the Sixers came to visit the Nuggets and sat with a calf injury.

What did you make of that when you heard that he wasn't playing, especially since he had played the last couple of games, but he has been dealing with a legit injury. It's a little bit tough to know where to put your feelings on this boogie. I don't feel any type of way about it. We've seen the matchup, Uh, we've seen the results of it. Just dropped fifty on

them not too long ago. To keep pushing this narrative, and obviously I understand it's an MVP race, but it's a it's a long term goal, which is winning the championship for seventy sixers and then we're focused on a you know, individual award and in a single game in regular season, and I don't think everybody's on the same page in an organization, so I think I think this

was the perfect move. Obviously it sucks for the fans and for the watch and for the viewers and watches of the game, but it's a it's a long term goal here, and you got to make sure the big fella is healthy, and we just got to stop looking for excuses to you know, bass Joe well and praise not give it to great right, Let's let's respect that part. And when it comes to the two players, for me, it's hard to even compare. And the reason I say that is it's I view Yoka Jazz, you know, on

Lebron type. He's an all around player. He gets everybody involved, you know, things of that nature, and he's great at And then I view Joel, you know, as a more of a killer Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant type. He can dominate the game with his feelings and keep the defense on the heels and entire game. And it's just a whole different type of dynamic and plan styt that he comes with. They're both great and all right, and I think both guys should just be credited for their greatness

and not compared. And you know, the whole toxic conversation that's going around, I hate it. So just get these guys that flowers into vision. Hm. I agree. Um, I think you know, although we would love to see the matchup, Um, that would have happened Monday night. You know, when you look at their head to head record and beat his five and two against the Joker very is beating them

in every statistical category except assists. Obviously, that's a you know, Joker can go down as one of the greatest passing big men we've ever seen. And also on the flip side, you know, obviously you know back to back MVPs, but I don't feel like for some reason, Joker gets the heat that other guys that have won MVPs gets, Like when does his team have to win a championship for his you know, MVPs to be validated, you know what I mean. You see a lot of people who are

on the clock. They need to win this, they need to win that. But then I don't hear no one talking about the two time, possibly three time. Maybe the MVP's team needs to win. And granted, Rachel, we've talked about before, injuries play a big part. You know, obviously your team has to be together. But at the same time, I mean, this man is the MVP of the league, so I think it'll be interesting. I think Joel obviously

made a statement the last time they played. We would have loved to get a chance to see this time because they only get a chance to play each other twice a year because they're in different conferences. But you know, if we're looking at it right now, I got Embat as my MVP. I don't get a vote because I guess I get in too much trouble outside the studio still, but I would make embiid, you know, my MVP, and I think obviously Jannis and Joker right in that mix

as well. I mean, do you guys you tell me there are player's code about Hey, you know, you don't miss games like that if you're you know, limping in on one leg, you got to show up. Or is it more of a time where it's like, hey, that's not smart when you're about to try to make a playoff push to play if you're not feeling well. Well, I think it's different, you know, I think the times

of change. I think, you know, the first part you put, you know, maybe back when early two thousands when I came in the league, or maybe when Boogie first came in the league. You try to play through little nagging stuff. But I really feel like, you know, Philly feels like, you know, they've been playing some good basketball and they have a chance to represent the Eastern Conference. So if it is something that they feel is nagging and they want to heal, I don't know if sitting out one

game is going to do that. But you know, with someone like Embiid, I would err on the side of car you know, although you know the MVP is a tremendous you know, Accolade, I think the goal like Bookie said, hasn't win a championship, so you don't want to risk that for an individual award. So I mean, we'll see how it plays that if he comes back and plays the next game. I would have been like, hey, you know, maybe you could have sat out one of the other games and played this game. But who are we to

judge all that shit? I mean, I don't have a problem with sort of the number of miss games overall, which is the other thing that got brought up a lot in the wake of him not playing this game. It was his fourteenth miss game of the season. There's only one player in NBA history who's missed more than twelve and still won the MVP. That was Bill Walton in the seventy eight season. He missed twenty four games.

But to me, that issue he's played enough. To me, Joel has played enough that I have seen what he can do this season. It's a different time. As you point out, guys miss games more often, and his body type and sort of playing the position he plays, I think he's gonna miss a little bit more games more often. To me, it's has he played enough games that I can see who he is this season? And I can judge whether he is the MVP or not. Do you guys put a lot of stocking games played when we

get to this level. I do. I do put a lot of stock, But I don't think he's missed like like twenty four games. That's a lot. I mean, I would be like, damn, you won the VP if you missed twenty four games, but you know, to miss twelve fourteen games out of eighty two, where it say he even misses a game or two, you know, coming into to the closing line, I don't think that's you know, enough to to to rule him out because you know, again, when he plays, and he's played a lot this year,

we already know what he's gonna give you. I agree, Um, obviously it's not some crazy number where it's a drastic difference, but you know, twelve missing games is anything in my opinion, So that's not enough for me to say I don't think he deserves an award. So yeah, no, I'm not I'm not going with that notion either. We got another guy, big star missing games, but this one might be for different reason. Damian Lillard set out his third straight game

Monday night. Now Blazer's lost to the Pelicans, they're in thirteenth place. He's out with also calf tightness. Only eight games left in the season for them, and it's possible we don't see Dame the rest of this season, right if they're already in thirteenth. We just talked about how many teams we're trying to elbow into the West into those final spots, and maybe Portland decides, Okay, we're going

to go for the lottery. But does shutting Dame down for the season mean, I don't know, Matt, do you think that we are not going to see Damian Lillard in the Blazer's uniform again? Because the talk is up now that there might be looking for a deal for him this summer. I hope we don't see Damian Lillard in a Portland Trail Blazer's uniform no more. And obviously that's no knock on him. I just you know, as loyal as he is, he's loyal people of Portland, and

you've got to respect that. But Rachel, I think the only way Dame leaves Portland as if they quote unquote make him leave, you know what I mean, if they understand they're going to be in a rebuild and we understand that he's at the point of his career where he doesn't want to rebuild. I think if Portland almost forces him out, you know, obviously they'll use much different wording than I'm using, but I think Portland's going to have to push him out to get him to leave.

I don't think if you leave it up to him, that he's going to leave at this point, But for his sake, I would love to see him leave. He's still only thirty two years old, having a career year at thirty two averaging thirty two points. I would just love to see him have a real, real chance at winning, and Portland hasn't given him that. I think their best teams were the team to kept running into that Warrior's team,

that Warrior dynasty. I think Portland was a really good team, and they kept running into that dynasty that the Golden State had, so their their greatness ran into the warriors greatness, and obviously the Warrior's greatness prevailed. So I think the ship is sailed for any kind of greatness going on in Portland, and I would love to see Dame leave him if that means Portland has to kick him out the door. Do you think we see Dame play for the Blazers again. Here, I'm a Matt please No, Um,

it's just time, man. They're not really doing anything for him roster wise, They're not getting any you know, help for the guy. Uh, it's ran his course. I think Dame is you know, proving his point on you know, his morals and what he stands on. He's a big time loyalty guy and I'm cut from that same class, so I'm appreciative of that. But at this point, it's

a legacy. It's about you know, your name, all the bloods until you put in and you deserve at least an opportunity to play for the big you know, the bigger picture. Um, I think it's some teams that could take them on right now when he could literally you know, make them a contender. So yeah, it's it's it's definitely time. It's it's it's overdue. Who are those teams in your opinion? Ain't that popped out to me right away? It's Miami heat Um you put him with you know, Jimmy Butler

and Bam. I think I think they got a chance to dominate the East and uh and come out with a chance you know, to contend, so Miami six out. Obviously, the Lakers are always in that conversation. Um, if there's any way to you know, pair him with Lebron and half in your days, you have to do it. But I can also see that trade, you know, breaking up that tandem as well. So um, you know, obviously the Clippers are in that conversation as well. They got the

losses that they could move to make that happen. But um, ye, as far as Portland, it's it's overdue. Well, he's got a really big salary, so that's going to be a factor about where he could end up. Although I always say that if a team wants to get someone, they can figure out a way to get them. I'd love to see him in the garden Personally, I think that dam in the Knick's uniform would be pretty out of hand.

But it's hard because you talk about the relationship between the city of Portland and the way he has been with that town and the loyalty in both directions there by the way, I mean the fans there adore him. It is a two way street there, and so it is uncomfortable to talk about the idea that that partnership

might break up. I think Dame has been so smart in the way he's talked about that loyalty that you're referring to Boogie, and he said, look, I don't want to go chase championships because ay, that's not how I'm built and be a lot of the guys that have done that, that have left to sort of beyond what they thought was going to be a title team. It hasn't worked out. We just talked about how things fell

apart in Brooklyn. There's been a lot of teams where guys thought that they were joining a super team and it doesn't play out that way. So he doesn't want to make that kind of move. That being said, there's a big difference between I'm not just chasing every shiny car that goes by, and there might be a better situation for him and the Blazers might decide there's a better situation for both sides this summer, I just can't believe that, you know, if happens, it's going to happen

kind of like this with a whimper. It's a bummer. It's a bummer that he's not able to go out fighting if this is in fact his final day is important, are very We'll see, we will see, all right, I gotta answer our legendary moments presented by top Shot Playoffs are approaching. Best moments of the NBA Playoffs can be collected and traded as a limited edition and officially licensed highlights created in partnership with the NBA. These are called moments.

So my question to you guys is which NBA player had the most legendary performance in the NBA Finals. And look, they've got six options, six moments. They've got lebron A, d Steph, Clay, Jannis, and Drew. Do you guys have one of those guys where you say, this is the moment that stands out for me for one of these guys. We're about you, Matt, I would say Drew Holiday Steele in the finals, who do you get book or a CP? He took it from one of them and went down

and through that lab. That's what I knew, although I think it was the only Game five or Game six that I thought Milwaukee was gonna That was just such a big play. So yeah, that for me, that was a Drew Holiday. Nice. What about you, body, I'm wrong with the same play. That's just that's that's a prime example the championship basketball playing both ends. Yep, I don't think it's a better example of it. I gotta go with the same moment. I love it. There's so many

good stuff there on the top Shot site. You can go collect your NBA Top Shot moments today at top shot dot com. Get closer than ever to the game and the players you love. Sign up today. All right, guys, a little on the radar presented by DraftKings. What was one seemingly an award that Jaren Jackson Junior was running away with. We had a new contender emerging in brook Lopez.

I want to look at the odds. Brook Lopez now a minus two hundred for Defensive Player of the Year, while JJJ has the second best odds he's plus one fifty. I don't know, what do you what do you guys think Memphis has the best defense in the West? Boy? Who would you take between those guys for Defensive Player of the Year. I'm gonna go with the young feather. Uh. I like the culture that created Um he's a young guy that's creating a name for himself there. Uh, they're

at the top of the mountain. Amongst a very heavily talented West conference. Um, just to just to be able to create a standard like that, and you know it's heavy competition. I think that's incredible. Uh, it kind of it kind of reminds me, you know, the okay se vibes of that that young Russell Westbrout, Kevin Durant, James Hart obviously not as talented, but just being able to

create something so special so early, you got it. So I'm fall I'm gonna go with Brook Lopez, I think, and we talked before we got on air, the way he's been able to adapt his game, uh, to survive

as long as he survived. I mean, this guy was an All star center, uh, playing on the block, you know, putting up monster numbers on the block, and he's been able to check change his game to this current game where he's one of the best shooting bigs and he protects the middle and he's a great tandem with Jannis. So that and him and his brother used to come to our au presses when they're like seven or eight years old and steal women's purses from under the bleachers

and get in trouble all the time. So I like robbing and Brooke, because I've been knowing they've been little menaces for a long time. We have to point out they gave them back. This was not them like stealing them away. They would move them around. They were little kids. They were not thieves. Yeah no, no. Their older brother played on my AU team and the little twins. It

was crazy. They were little twin boys and they were just climbing up walls and things they used to do is they used to like take purses from underneath the bleachers and just do all kinds of wild little shit. So from that too, you know, hopefully a defensive Player of the Year. You know, my pick is is Brook Lopeck. I can't imagine two twin boys causing trouble and a basketball environment, Matt Barns. I don't know. I can, I can.

I can trust me. That's why that's why I have They have a special place in my heart that here every day right right. But if you see Matt's twins play, oh yeah, way better than their pot exactly exactly. That's the mastery. You just make sure you have your seat belt on your car right now, Sophy, first, come on listen travel show, Matt. We're gonna talk to some Jaylen

Brown before I let you, guys go. Um, if Jalen Land's one of the fifteen All NBA slots coming up being voted on by a panel of a hundred sports writers and broadcasters at the end of the regular season, he will be eligible to sign a five year, two hundred and ninety million dollars Supermax extension with the Celtics this summer. Um Been does some discussion in the media about Jab's future with the Celtics. Um, guys, look, Boogie, you were in this situation in Sacramento before the trade.

Is such a strange position to be in, knowing that you have to make All NBA and that the bunch of sportswriters are the ones who decided. What is that like as a player to know that that this is how this works right now in the NBA? And what do you think of the system? I think it's a bullshit system, um, and some bullshit media members as well. Um, And I can say that from a personal standpoint, Uh,

it's about basketball. It's about how you perform on the floor. Uh. In my mind, I look at it as you know, you gotta kiss a little ass just to you know, get what you're looking for out of this when it shouldn't be that way. So I'm looking for more of a criteria or more of a standard to you know, what it takes to get these accolades and the team that's done. So, um, I'm not a fan of what's going on within the media anyway. So that's just my thing, Rachel.

With you being someone that has voted, have you voted on that in the past? I have, and I'm going to vote again this year. Are you aware of stuff like this? Like? Hey, like obviously, once it kind of starts floating, does that play into a decision amongst you and some of them? There are two separate questions. Am I aware of it? Yes? Does it play into the decision? Okay,

not for me? And look, by the way, as a voter, as someone who's worked in this business for a long time, there is no way, Boogie, that I'm going to defend every media member out there, because of course, just like with a group of players, just like with everything, some of the people are crazy and some of the people are very smart to know what they're doing. So um,

it's just like any other large group of people. I will say, though, what I come back to every time players have a problem with the way this is decided, is who else do you want? Because we have seen I'm not saying this is a perfect system. I just don't know what the solution is. When players vote themselves and we have who vote for the All Star Game, it doesn't happen in a way that makes any sense. You had Chet Holmgren, who hadn't played a game this

season get four All Star votes. You have guys who are bench players on the team getting votes for All Star. So when it comes to these kinds of awards and three hundred million dollars on the line, I don't know if you can drust players because they don't vote in a way that has shown that they are actually voting on any kind of criteria. And of course there's favoritism and grudges. I mean, if Pat Beverley had to vote on whether Russell Westbrook got an award, I mean, how

would that go? Right? So I don't think the players can vote. The coaches obviously have even deeper relationships, ties and allegiances than any media member. Might you say you've got to kiss a little ass to get some media to vote for you? Obviously a player coach relationship. I mean, there's all kinds of things going on there where the voting would not be kosher. So I just I don't know what the solution should be. Matt, Do you have

a solution for what to do here? No? But I just also think, I mean, the proof is in the pudding. Jathon Brown to me, is one of the best two guards in the NBA. He plays both sides of the ball, and I think he deserves a SUPERMAX. And I don't think that people should have to vote on that for him to get that. I think his play has proven that he deserves that. So I agree with you, Rachel. To me, there's no other logical way to get an

All NBA team. I mean, I was gonna say, we need to get some of the older players, maybe some Hall of famers, but some of them, dudes are old haters, you know what I mean, So that may not work either. So there is there is no perfect system. But I agree with Boogie from a standpoint of just as Boogie did, he played himself into that max and then unfortunately got hurt.

But I feel like Jadon Brown has proven itself to be a top player in this league, and he should get that money, and I don't think it should hinge on whether or not he makes one of the top three all NBA teams. I mean, that's something that the owners in the Players Association could easily just make happen, is say that post season awards, whether it's all MBA, whether it's MVP, that they don't count as part of

contract incentives. If they wanted to just erase the media's role in this kind of thing and the money kind of aspect of it, they could do that in the next CBA. They're negotiating a CBA right now, so I don't know if there's been any discussion about that. I don't think it's a perfect system at all. I do think that Jaylen Brown, though, has earned his way into that spot. And I might think that whether there's money on the line or not, you know what I mean.

Last year there wasn't one in the line. The year before, there wasn't this kind of money on the line. So he's gotten votes at different times for all kinds of reasons. It's just this time there's a very high, high, high dollar mountain attached to it. We'll have to see what happens there. I wanted to get through a couple other quick things. This is a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to wait until you guys were both here.

The Athletic ran a poll of players who were I think former players recently retired, and part of the idea was what would you do differently in your professional career if you could play in the current era. And obviously I'm talking to two guys who are very close to the current side of the game. But yeah, expect to see you back on the floor next season, so you're unique ability to be able to speak to this What

would you do right now? What's the most important? And some of their things are work harder, or train smarter, shoot more threes, be more careful with my money, take the game more seriously. Any of those options do you think would hit you? Mett, No, because I did all those things. I would say I would just not cuss at the ref s. All right, there we go. I think that gave me obviously a bad reputation because I played hard. I worked hard, I knew what my role was,

I executed my role. So if I were to come back, I would have other people cuss the refs out on me. But what about you as you head back to an NBA court, Well, it would have been more so along those lines. Are as far as being professional and all those things, I think I did that to the best of my delity. But there's some relationships I wish I could you know, uh change or work on in a different way or approaching a different way, and maybe more

so reactions for me. Uh. But as far as anything to do with the game, I think I did that at a high level. Well, ten percent of the guys surveys say I would do nothing differently, So you gotta respect that two percent, said stretch More so, I thought that was pretty good. Also, did anyone did anyone say stopped cussing the refs out? Or is that just I believe that's just you? Here you go for real. We also had a few weeks ago the Clippers revealed that

their playing was struck by lightning. Do you guys remember that story for earlier this month? And it just made me want to ask, did you have any close call travel stories? We're gambling on the Clipper team plane and I lost like a sixty forty or sixty thousand dollars pot on some bullshit. I think CPN Blake cheated me. So I punched the window and I broke. Luckily it's two layers, but I broke the first window. Are you serious, like a big ass scar. Yeah, a big ass scard

still to this day, that was leaking everywhere. But luckily it's a double pain window, or we would have probably went down. I punched that thing hard because they definitely slide of the eye. Someone kicked me in my leg and the next thing I know, I'm losing when I had an impossible hand to lose. So we talked about that on JJ Reddick's podcast season when I actually brought

it up because I forgot about it. But yeah, we were gambling a big money hand one time and I lost and I punched the window just out of instinct. And luckily it was a double pain window. First of all, that's supposed to be unbreakable glass. You know that, right? Yeah? Not with these fists. Though. How much money did you lose? I think it was they didn't find me for the window. I like, I don't know. On the hand, yeah, I remember, it feels forty. It was like a forty or sixty

thousand dollars hands I was pissed. I wanted to fuck up Blake or CP. I don't know one of them cheating me. I don't remember who was dealing at the time, but they got me these accusations back parts I have. It was one All Star break. I was flying to see my wife now, but at the time my girlfriend she was in school. So I flew down after a game in New York. We played at the Garden that night. It's a crazy after the game, so I rented this PJ.

I literally flew flew to Montgomery, Alabama by myself during this blizzard, and it was like the most terrifying experience I've ever had in my life. I couldn't see anything outside the plane. It felt like it was just about to fall out of the sky like it was right. The turbulence was crazy. It was it was. It was definitely a moment where I thought her to you know, pray to God and just be like, man, just I changed everything in my life. You just getting me out

of this moment. So I think I think that was the moment for me. Hey, what you won't do for love? Don't PODC have a song? What you won't do it? I mean, come on, you got on the plane for her. I know that's crazy, right, that should be a free pass. That's what I thought. Baby, almost cost my life coming. That's right, that's right man. I love you girl. Well, don't don't get into any freak snowstorms in your current car travel sign. We've been honored to be with you

on this journey. What's Burning Friends Available every week on Showtime Basketball, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok Show Basketball. See y'all next week. M HM.