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no hasan thank you for rejoining us. We appreciate it. Guys. I'm going to just admit it. I'm going to come to you. I'm going to tell you I am an NBA Awards voter and I would like you to make your case to me of how I should vote. This is what we were talking about on the pod today. I want some arguing, I want some lobbying. I want to know what I should be doing with my vote. So I may have a few opinions of myself. I mean, I don't know if you've ever heard me have any opinions,
but I do have a few of them. To one opinion, one opinion, two opinions, something about the MVP anyway, but we'll talk about all of that stuff. Dude, I'm gonna take that one to my grave. I'm not wrong. I'm not wrong, and we'll talk about it today as well. Anyway. First up, I do want to discuss probably the one that kind of is the most unknown, and we'll get to MVP. We're gonna build it in this podcast. We're gonna build up from some of the smaller awards. So
let's start with six Man of the Year. Malik Monk, the Draft Kings favorite, and he was sort of I think the runaway favorite for a long time, but then he got hurt right nasried and re entered the conversation by by portis Norm Powell. But who do you like for six Man of the Year?
I mean outside of Monk, who you know I think is more than deserving of it, but it sucks that he is currently hurt at the moment, so you know, it's kind of you know, what have you done for me lately? Type so, And even with that being said, regardless, I think this will still be my choice.
Is Nazrie. I'm huge fan of this guy.
I think he's ultra talented, could easily be a starter on a contending team. I mean, super super talented. He's feeling in the void with the big fella cat being out right now, shouldn't avoid seamlessly at that. He just came off a thirty point game against the Lakers, Like this dude is the real deal. So I think this is a year for him to win a six man and then eventually we could see this guy adding different type of accolades to his resume because he's that good
of a player. So I think the future is bright for this kid. It's only a matter of time before he's in the position to be, you know, be a one two, three type option type player in his career. So I think that time is eventually coming. And you know, like I said, he has a very very bright future. So I'm rolling with Nasried.
Yeah, Rachel, I love Nazried.
But the only reason why we have a Nazrie conversation is two things. One because Malik Monk got hurt too, because Carl Anthony Town's got hurt again. Nadrid has played well all year long, but in terms of being six man of the year of conversation is because of those two injuries that happened. But when it comes to Melik Monk, in the words of the great Isaiah Thomas, I met the criteria. He's played seventy two games. It don't matter how many games he misses from here on out, he
met the criteria. He was far and away the best six man in the league. I was saying this back in January. I said the Kings. Every time he comes in a game, you feel that jolt of energy, you feel the energy of the game change, and I like, to me, it's not even close.
It's it's it's Milik Monk. Then when you.
Talk about who coming in second, shout out to Larry Bird, you can talk about nas Reed.
And another name we didn't mention was Tim Hardaway Junior.
I thought he's had a very good year for the Mavericks, but for me, it's Malik Monk. As soon as he hit his number, I was like, there's nothing that can happen the rest of this year that's going to change my mind on that.
So winning doesn't matter.
He was wayning.
Well.
I was gonna say that. That to me is part of it, though, is that he got hurt and they really had it rough last two three weeks of the season. So that impacts me as a voter a little bit.
I mean, you're telling me that a team struggling to be playing team has the favorite to win six Man of the Year over a team with the six Man of the Year Canada that's fighting for number one in the hardest conference.
I would say.
This is what sense for me, buddy, This is.
What I would say to everybuttle That is, they weren't fighting around the play in when he was healthy. When he was healthy, they were actually playing pretty well. And then they lost him, They lost Kevin Herder as well. I don't want to discount that. And now they struggled towards the end of the season. But to me, that's even more of a feather for Malik. Muggins said, Look, we were playing great when I played, and then I got hurt and things things fell apart after that.
What I got from that is sounded like they should be starting ni kid and he shouldn't be.
A six man.
That's always a question, right.
Conversation for next year, my friend, Yeah, that sounds like a fixable situation That just doesn't quite make sense for me. Bro.
I'm going to give you credit, though, book, because you were on nasried since the beginning of the season. I think you said that he was the most underrated player going into this past season, and he certainly proved that, especially in the week of Karl Anthony Towns getting hurt. So Nas, I just want you to know you've got a fan of the big man. Over here. And you know, if you need a little pr some agent work, Boogie is your man. He's been with you.
Brother.
Let's talk about defensive player of the year, because Rudy Gobert is the heavy betting favorite, heavy heavy Timberwolves had the number one defense in the league. Wenby though also considered and producer Nate and I were celebrating Stephen Jackson's birthday and he and producer Dylan were trying to convince me. In fact, I would say producer Dylan was trying to convince both of us that Victor webin Yama would be the defensive player of the year. And I thought maybe
he was drinking too much at this party. But I don't know. I mean, what do you think who is the defensive player of the year for you?
Look, Victor Wamgham is gonna win a lot of defensive Player of the Year awards in his career.
It just ain't gonna be right now.
You can't be on what of the worst teams and on one of the worst defenses. Not that that's his fault, because I think anyone who's watched San Antonio play has the same question I do is do y'all know who y'all playing with. Do you guys know who your teammate is? Because I don't think you guys realize. But it's not for him right now. At the same time, Rudy Gobert has kind of been the default answer for a lot of people because the Timberwolves had the best defense and
he's their best defensive player. Who could be? Who else could be? I'm gonna give you a different name, Bam out of Bio. The Miami Heat season, their offense came and went. They struggled offensively for long stretches. They had a lot of different lineups. They had one of the most injured lineups of injured rosters of any team in the league this year. The one consistent has been they been excellent defensively, and Bam out of Bayo is the biggest reason.
He's a guy that.
Unlike Rudy Gobert, can guard one through five and guard them well.
And he's the centerpiece of that. That's my pick.
I don't know what the voters are gonna pick, but if I were voting, Bam out of Baiyo would be my selection.
Agree with that?
You think so you put you put Bam?
I like that For me.
I'm ready to vote for Rudy. And I can't tell if Dan Levatard is sitting just off camera from a mean down in Miami there with like, you know, some sort of weaponry telling you say bam, say bam. I don't know, would you vote for Bam over over Gobert. I know for some voters, Boogie, the issue is, would Rudy Gobert be a four time Defensive Player of the Year if he wins this award? And what does that mean? I know that that's like a big issue too with some former players.
My thing is this, like when you really really look at the history of our game, and you look at the history of these awards, and you think about the impact these type the guys that win these award have on these teams. I just don't get that vibe from Rudy go Perk and this is no knocked to him. I'm probably gonna get a lot of bad lass, you know.
I sound like the bitter old hit whatever. Like I'm a fan of basketball, and I look at it for what it is, like you can't have a potential four time Defensive Player of the Year.
That doesn't finish games.
I'm never gonna be okay with this, Like it literally like for me, I see things in black and white. If you're the best defender on the best defensive team, you should never be off the floor. It should never be a scenario to where you're not able to fit into the scheme. That doesn't make sense. So how do we keep awarding this guy that can't even stay on the floor in the playoffs? We've seen a time and time again, Like, it does not make This is mind blowing to me. It's easy for me to pick Womby.
Like we can sit here and say he's on one of the worst defensive teams in the league. I think that's more credit to Womy because now you really stick out as a defender. If you got a bunch of you know, above average defenders around you, it can.
Make you, you.
Know, do things at a higher level when you're sticking out as the only guy defending and you're still exceeding the guys that are so called the favorite, Like, it doesn't add up, It doesn't add up.
Bam.
For me, that's an easy choice. This is a guy that we've seen time and time again guard the one.
Through the five.
For me, that's the guy that's a great defensive player, like Bro.
Rachel, I'm gonna put it to you like this, there's not an offensive lineup you can throw out there, or I would say, ooh, bam wouldn't fit right here.
Let's sit down and put someone else in.
Exactly, I get it. I mean, you do have to look at the fact that Minnesota had the number one defense for big chunk of the season, for big chunk of the season, Miami wasn't necessarily even in the playoffs. Like I mean, it is a little bit about how your team is doing. I think you're no about Wemby and maybe, hey, he'll win plenty. He is so good and I think that as soon as next year he could be winning these for maybe the next ten years.
I mean, who knows, But awards are weird and fickle and spends on injuries and seasons and stuff like that. But he's so talented. It reminds me a little bit of when the Spurs beat the Cavaliers in two thousand and seven in the finals, and there's that footage of Tim Duncan pulling lebron aside and said, thanks for letting
us win one. Before you took the main stage thanks for letting me have one more, right, you're next, And that was such a poignant moment, and of course Lebron did kind of move there, and you know, I do feel like that's what's going on with Webinama, is that we're all just sort of waiting until next year when
he just becomes unquestionably the most dominant defensive player. It is hard as a voter for me to figure out what to do because you are not supposed to take that into account that he's going to be a four time Defensive Player of the Year if he wins. You are not. It is about this regular season only. That
is what we are instructed to vote on. And it is hard to, on the one hand, think about that and think about, well, they've had the never won defense and he's obviously been a huge part of that and really the anchor of that, and everywhere he's gone. I mean, he did it in Utah, he did it in Minnesota.
He's been consistent with the effort he's put forward. But then also it is hard not to think, in the back of your head, am I putting this guy up with Ben Wallace who won four Defensive Players of the Year. Am I putting him up with Hakeem Elijah Wan who won four Defensive Players of the Year. I'm not I'm not doing that, So it's it's hard. It's not even close. But then you can only you know, it's what they say. You can only play against the team that's in front
of you. You know, Rody Gobert can only compete against the guys who are also competing for Defensive Player of the Year. And if he's been the best, what is a fourth time is he is? This is what as hard as a voter is a little bit because you are dealing with lots of criteria and only one you're supposed to deal with, but the other is there and it's loud, right, But.
At the same time, you're giving the credit of a great defensive team to one guy who's not that great defensively, you can't be he's pretty good, he's pretty great, he's not four times great.
That's the light.
But see again, that's that's you know, I'm not supposed to be thinking about that, but you have. I got one guy on my shoulder and then I've got four times four times. You can't make him four times. That's on my other shoulder. How's that voice? Was that good?
Yeah? I'm just it doesn't add up for me.
And that's that's that's just the facts behind it, Like it has to add up and it doesn't in no way to.
Check for him.
You're making me think about this. I like this. You guys are opening expanding the mind. I was sort of thinking, you know, Rudy might be a no brainer here. Certainly the betters, the the guys making the odds think he's a no brainer. But they're basically, you know, planting and nods on who they think will win as opposed to who deserves to win. You've been one more consideration here. I like this, you guys are You guys are opening minds and hearts. All right, let's talk about most improved.
We have Tyrese Maxi as the draft King's favorite, Jay Dubb Kaminga also to be considered, uh maybe a dark horse in there. But who's your pick for most improved year?
Man? I like J douve J. J dub is talented.
You saw you saw Lebron give him his love the other night, Like even Lebron sees it, like you can see this kid is going to be a star in this league.
He has a really really bright future. He's a huge vital piece to that young OKC team. He's played just he's played just as.
Big a part and the success of that team as you know, a guy I considered the m v P and Shae Gilges just so J Duve for me, is is that guy this year for most improved? I think Kaminga, you know, had a incredible See he's made a huge jump, but the success of the team just isn't quite there to you know, put him in that category. And when it comes to Tyrese, this guy averaged twenty last year,
twenty one a game. He's averaging twenty five. So for me, that's that's that's kind of a trajectory of how a good player goes through his career.
Every year you get a little better.
The don't that you know, J dub and Kaminga have made like that's that's more so where it it's the title of this which is most improved.
So for me, I'm going with J doub Rachel.
Let me just start by saying, cut this tape and post it anytime anybody trying to say that bookies biased, the Kentucky bias. This man has skipped not one but two Kentucky guys for awards in his pick. So I applaud you for being as unbiased an analyst as anyone out there. But I can't believe we didn't even mention my man down in Houston, Alpre and Shinggoon. That's my most improved player. I don't care what y'all say.
Now.
J Dove is a really good pick. I'm not I'm not knocking that pick. I agree with you on MAXI. He's doing what we expected in him to do. That course, he's spy, so he's doing exactly what I thought he was.
And that's not a knock. That's good. You're doing your on the time out.
You expected him to create a need where they didn't even have to replace James Harden And you expected that.
Well. I expected that Max was gonna step up.
Yes, I thought you expected that they could trade James Harden away and not have to replace him.
Yes, yes, No, I'll tell you why.
I'm back. I'm looking at you.
I said what they're gonna get before they even traded him. I said what they're gonna get because they're not going to get a star. No one's gonna trade them hard a star Hard, They're gonna get a bunch of really good role players.
When I said, I get it. But then the idea is they would then have to flip that to get a star. That was a whole That was a whole conversation around the Hard and trade was, Man, they're gonna have to flip it by the trade deadline because they're gonna need someone to play against Joel, play alongside Joel. And then all of a sudden, MAXI made that disappear, and.
I can only I can only tell y'all what I said at the time.
I can't tell y'all. Now.
Did I think that the Sixers were going to be the one?
No, I'm not going to see it. I thought it, But I.
Thought he was ready to step into that role because I've seen him over the last couple of years be asked to do different things, and every time he was asked to do something different, he stepped up and he excelled in it. So I had a lot of confidence in his ability. Having said that Albert Shing guns the most improved player for KAMINGA, I just felt like he started the year rough and then he had that thing where I give him credit. He called out Steve Kerr
and I said, all right, here we go. But after he talked the talk, he walked the walk.
I give him credit for that.
For Shehan Goon was awesome all year long, and I think he was at a level that I don't think any of us ever expected him to be that kind of player. Maybe when he was drafted, but as soon as the first couple of years, we're like, all.
Right, maybe not.
He came and he basically changed my mind completely about what type of player he is.
So that's my pick.
I don't know. I'm mad at that either. I'm mad at it. I think shann has been a revelation that team didn't even make the play in tournament. Though he got it, he got hat it, I get it, but they didn't. And I just I look, it drives me crazy when fans talk about the media voting on quote narratives, because that implies that it's just made up stories, right, and that's not how that works. There is emotion that goes into playing basketball. There are waves that a team
and experiences that a team goes through. Those are real, right, So when I voted for Russell Westbrook for MVP, I got accused of you're buying into the narrative. I'm buying into the fact that that team had Katie leave them in the lurch and everything was falling apart, and Russ stepped into the gap and he lifted that team on his shoulders. And he was the most clutch player in the NBA that year, and he delivered and delivered when
it counted over and over again. I believe in the story of the seventy six ers this year about how they had I mean, just you forget kind of how tumultuous that was. You have James Harden in China, Daryl Morey is a liar with a sign being held up. You have all kinds of stuff going on. And to your point, I mean, there was the idea of you're never going to get a dollar for dollar back for or James Harden. You're only getting those four quarters back,
as we like to say. And what are they going to do and who are they going to package one of their other first round picks with so they can get someone to play against alongside Embiid, Because as you remember, the other part of that narrative was Embiid's going to start looking around, He's gonna want to go to New York. He's gonna want to get out of there. They better trade for someone quick. And Tyrese Maxey changed all of that. And so I don't think that's a narrative. I think
that is actually what happened. And I think that kind of emotion and that kind of story happens on a team and can lift a team up and change what happens out on the court. So I don't know, man, you guys are gonna have a hard time moving me off Tyrese Maxey. But you know, I'll take I'll take all this under invisement. I'll take an under invisement.
We're just saying absolute.
Let's talk about coach of the Year. Mark Danielle of Oka See is such a favorite. You do have Chris Finch to the Timberwolves Missoula with the Celtics. Boogie, who is your pick fore coach of the year, Shout out to.
My guy Finch.
Man.
I had a luxury planning for this guy, who's a genius the clipboard. You know, he kind of created the two big man offense and he's continued to flourish. But he did it in Denver. He did it in New Orleans. He's now doing it and with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Like I said, he's a genius with the clipboard. He's very creative. He knows how to make, you know, situations work that most coaches probably wouldn't you know, kind of deal with with with a sensitive hand. So, uh, Finch has been
incredible this year. He's pushed his young team to heights that weren't expected. He's he made the move was putting the ball in Anthony Edwards's hand. He's been incredible this year. So my my pig goes to Finch and he's had a great year.
Rachel, every every name on this list, and every name that's going to be on everybody's ballot is more than deserving. There's been a lot of great coaching jobs around the league.
Hm. I'm gonna say, and this might come as a shot a lot of.
People, but I came to Jesus three weeks ago and I said, man, you're fighting against this. To me, why are you fighting so hard against it? And I'm like, you know what, You're right, it's Joe Mizula. I want to make all the jokes, I want to make all the things about him.
You know, basically.
Do being a weirdo trying to contest Royce O'Neal's shot and wearing jiu jitsu clothes under his half zip pull up or whatever. But the reality is this dude has coached this team to the best offense in the history of the NBA.
They've won, they clinched the number one.
Overall seed weeks before anybody else even knew where they were going to be in the playoff picture. And most importantly, he got He lost the heart and soul of his team in Marcus Smart and managed to get better. He met his two best players, became better players, more complimentary players. And it's not easy to convince someone who's great, Hey man, take less shots. That's not an easy convinced. And then finally,
this one's huge. Anybody who's got Luke, Cornett, Peyton Pritchett and Sam Hauser rotation minutes every night and they still wood and asked, man, that's a hell of a coaching job.
That man's got it.
My soul is like, what are you talking about? Like, Nope, Joe Mizula is not Coach of the Year.
That's amazing. First of all, I've been at Joe Mizoula fans since Yukon. I thought he got way, way unfair flat last year. I was really there's a lot blamed on the coaching situation last year that was not his fault. So I'm glad to see him getting the proper amount of respect that he should this year. I don't know, man and Okay, see though, that's the youngest team I think in the league. Is that right? Are they the youngest team in the league to be able to coach
them to be in contention for number one? Yeah, it's hard to ignore that. I do think what you guys are talking about, though, of some of these coaches, have they been able to manage egos has been a big deal.
And that's where I do go back to Chris finch boogie because somebody got in Carol Anthony Town's year, and I have to think Chris was involved in that, saying this, young fellow, Anthony Edwards, you have got to figure out a way not to feel like you are the most important person in the room to get in the way of Aunt being able to do what he can do.
And somewhere along the way, Kat who is a proud guy and deserves to be by the way number one overall pick certainly can contribute a tremendous amount to that.
Timberwolves team still had to to a degree step aside and say aunt is the number one here, and he actually came out and physically said it out loud, and I think that is hard too for a guy to do in front of the media, and the fact that I can only assume the coaching staff had a lot to do with making him still feel important, making him feel like, hey, this is just the progression of the NBA.
You know, a new young guy comes up and this is how it works, and it doesn't mean you're less than and it's just that you know, to be able to manage that situation. Carl gets a lot of credit himself for that. I always don't like it when people just give credit to coach and not the player. The players have agency, but obviously the coaching staff had a lot to do with that. So that's ringing in my ear a little bit too. But it is hard to ignore the f at that this okay, see team, okayc
team is so far ahead of schedule. We'll have to see. This is one. That's another one. I'm I'm I'm having a hard time with let's talk MVP, though, I think it's that time. Boys, Jokich is the heavy favorite, Luca Sga or in the mix. Yokich if he won, would be a three time MVP. I mean, I want to let you know that. Last week Boogie said that he thinks that he would go with SGA or Luca over Jokich. So I want, I mean, I want you to tell us what you think, and then I'm gonna check in
with Boogie and see if he still feels that way. Go ahead and me.
But again, this is one of those things where there are no wrong answers. These are all great players, right, And I would throw in a couple other names.
Jason Tatum is the name I would throw in there. Anthony Edwards is the name I would throw in there.
Uh.
Jalen Brunson absolutely is the name I throw in there. But hey, man, let's be real. Who's the best player in the game, right? Like I know Rachel want to have two different awards. Nope, it's one award and it's one name. And this dude, and by the way, he plays almost every night here, I think it would go to.
The same guy.
I do.
But get that.
It's k it's Yokis everybody else that's not a knock on. Y'all y'a' have had some amazing seasons. I've enjoyed watching everybody play, but I watched that big dude play. I know, last week we were talking about how certain teams would match up Agains the Nuggets, and you know what the matchups be.
I'm like, do you got someone to re guard him?
No?
Game over? And that's it. And that's that's the reality.
It's like, the only way to beat him is if you have three seven footers who are all going to foul the hell out of them and hope that pisses them all somehow.
Where are you boogie? Where's your head at?
That's a solid answer for me, And I mean, Jokic is one of the best players in the NBA. I think that's a giving but uh, that's not you know what the MVP is about. And for me, when it came to these three guys, I'm like, well, what separates you know, each guy?
Like you know, they're all you know.
Heavy depending on the offensive end they play make for both of us, for all of their squads, So what's the difference? And for me, it was SGA, where he's a guy that plays both sides of the ball. You can't say that about Jokic and you can't say that about Luca.
And for me, I would say Joki is a much improved defensive place he's not as good as the defense as.
Much improved have to do with the guy, but leading the league is still and is top six defenses like that has nothing to do with the guy.
You don't play defense. That's I'm just arguing that does play defense. I mean not as well as SGA, but yes, he does play defense.
Well in terms of defensive Player of the Year. I guess you could say, yeah, okay, so.
But for me it's SGA.
Man, He's he's a guy that's leading his team on both sides of the ball, and that's something that just can't go unnoticed for me. On top of that, he's he's done something that nobody expected with this team this year. We expected the Nuggets to be a team that's, you know, going to be a title contender, going to be in the mix. We expect that, We expect we expect this from Luca. We expect the big games, we expect the big numbers. We never expected this from SGA. He was
first team last year. He's only improved to now where he's leading this team as one of the top teams in the hardest conference this year with being in the Western Conference. He's doing it on both sides of the ball. He's averaging thirty six. It's like the numbers are crazy, and I think this is not only his year, but we now have another star, like not just a great player, but a star.
That we can depend on in this league in SGA.
So I think everything is coming together for this young kid at the right time, and I think this year is his year. So my MV pick is that's yet.
I mean, look, none none of these teams. If you took this player off, if you took Yoga Johan Nuggets, if you took SG off the Thunder, you took Luke off the mav none of the teams would be anywhere close sniffing to where they were. They would be lottery teams. So obviously they're all of huge value to their teams. With Luca. Look, he's putting up crazy numbers and it does feel because his uses rate is so high that he is powering that team every time he gets on
the court. Now he's playing against Kyrie who just you know, last week, I think he dropped forty something. But I think that that argument makes a lot of sense from the people in Dallas about Okay, he's at least above SGA, or he's coming on strong, or he should be MVP. You go back to the okage argument, though he does in my mind. I don't know if I haven't made up a decision on who I'm voting for yet, but I will say that if he ends up being a three time MVP, it's deserved in the fact that he
is that skilled. When we sit there and we talk about, you know, does Rudy Gobert deserve to be a four time Defensive Player of the Year, that can be a hard pill to swallow because he is not up there with Hikeem He's not up there with Ben Mollis. I'm sorry, he's not where you look at Nikolaiokic. He is a
transcendent player. I mean, I just I just I look at what he can do, his skill set, the way he can move, the way he can operate his passing, and then just his dominance and the fact that he has that team so organ nice at the end of games. When you look at what the Denver Nuggets do and Boggie again, you've been on that bench, you've been in that locker room, you've been on the court with them.
It is like a machine. It is precision, and you feel like Jamal and jokis just they know how they want to get to where they want to get to in those last thirty seconds, minute, two minutes, and that is where playoff games are won. That is where we get titles from. So I think this is a harder
decision than it was a month ago. It felt like yokitch all the way and now it's sort of like, Okay, well, the LUCA backers have a good case, and but you're making a very good case for SGA and I do think it should be a two way player and all that stuff. But it's hard to move off who is yes when I have to if I have The Aliens came down, as Bill Simmons said, you know who would you put on the court, And right now, I think
most people would say you'd Putyokic on the court. So it's gonna be it's gonna be an interesting It's gonna be interesting to see if this ends up being close or not, because I think the conversation has gotten a lot closer in the last couple couple weeks, and I'll, like, you know, once I fill out the ballot who I'm voting for, we'll have to see, all right. I want to move on to All MBA because some of the
stuff seems pretty easy now that it's positionless. If you guys haven't heard out there, after years of people like me begging, pleading desperately, please make the ballot positionless because the game is much more and more positionless, we are finally getting that. And that is really it was a travesty that you had the number two runner up for MVP or the runner up for MV rather the number two guy in voting not even make first team All NBA because you had to only have one center, that
kind of thing. So I'm thrilled that this is the situation. But then it kind of makes some of this conversation a little bit easier. Let's start with you book who's your first team All MBA selection? Now that you don't have to go by position.
Ah man, let me.
I made sure to write this down, and I'm actually going to make a last minute switch a tweak a tweak because it doesn't matter what it was. But just know I'm doing it, all right.
So for me, first.
Team, we're gonna go Sga, We're going Luca, We're going Edwards, We're going Jason Tatum, and we're going to go in Nicola Yokich. Second team Brunson, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Lebron James.
Johannis hm hmm.
Third team Curry, Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Kawhi, Leonard Poala from Orlando. Yeah, Anthony Davis.
I was gonna say, you got to say Anthony Davis at the end of the sentence.
Please Anthony Davis. That's that's that's my my all NBA.
All right, I mean, what do you agree with? What don't you agree with?
Uh, it's similar. Let me just say this. It's the same names, not in the same order.
All right, who's your who's your first team? Then?
So my first team is exactly the same. I have your kids.
This is my belief, especially now that we don't have any positions or whatever. You're your All NBA first team should be your m VP ballot.
So this is so much that's an interesting question.
It should be like it's the top five players in the league, so there's that there should be no conversation, there are no confusion there. So I got Jokic, I've got Shake, Gilgess, Alexander, I got Edwards, I got Luca, I got Tatum. I think that's exactly what Boogie had. When we get to the second team, that's where it gets interesting. So like Boogie, also have Bruns in there, right,
Like Boogie, I also have Gianni's there. But then I've got Kawhi, I've got Curry, and I've got Devin Booker second Team All NBA.
Neither one of you has Anthony Davis second Team All NBA. Such a good season he.
Has, but it's not it hasn't been better than Gianni's or Jokics, so.
That you could his first team exactly.
So he's first thing, this second as far as a big, not necessarily a center, but a big.
And then Ad feels out the third temh for me, he's.
Yeah, third team. Let me so that Rachel doesn't get worried. AD's on my thirteen thank you.
Lebron is on the third team, Jaylen Brown's on my third third team. Paulo Bankearo's on my third team.
And this is the.
Controversial one because it came down to three different guys mm hmm, and it came down to I'm not gonna say it's Fox, Sabonis, and Halliburton.
Those are my the last three.
And I had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about this, but I said, ultimately, I think that what Tyrese Haliburton does for his team, it transforms them from what should be a lottery team to a team that is competing for playoff positioning. And I like, I got.
A saw spot in my heart for point guards.
It was Halliburton or Fox, no offense to bonus, and I went with Halliburton because I felt like Fox has help and Halliburton not necessarily up until they got all.
Off after all start. Though yeah, I mean he did have this goal under the rug.
He did have a fall off, But I still think that what he's done and what he's did is still all NBA.
And I won't lie.
Man.
The man means money man, while we go take the money away from all many's that's point.
So it is.
I believe it's around forty million dollars difference if Helburton makes all NBA versus done versus not. That is a difficult position. This comes back to the sixty five game rule for me, which is that I think it is dumb to tie it to all NBA awards. I just do I get it. I am all with everyone who wants the players to play. We all want everyone to play, we all want to watch good basketball, and we want
players to play. I do not think penalizing guys on all NBA by an arbitrary number that's sixty five versus sixty three or sixty seven, and you're gonna tell me if it's two games difference, he deserves it or doesn't deserve it. I think that's ridiculous. And you saw it with Tyree's Helibert, and I spoke to him at All Star quite extensively about his injury, and he was just telling me. He's like, I can't get the lift I was getting, and they keep telling me I need to
sit for two weeks. But if I sit for two weeks, I'm out. And for a guy who has a forty million dollar contract difference hanging over his head, he's not going to do it. He's not going to sit. And the irony is that he may now by playing. By playing on it, he may have gotten himself out of all NBA by qualifying, because he extended how long the injury was affecting him, and now he's not the player
he was in the first half of the season. And I just I think, you know, Embiide has talked about, you know, feeling rushed back that he had to go play and that led to his bigger injury. And I just think we are putting pressure on guys to play for reasons that are not the reason that we want them to be playing for, and guys who are truly hurt. It is, these are human beings. They should get to sit for a couple games if they need to sit for a couple games, and it should not cost them
forty million dollars. So I don't know. I just want everyone to be thinking about that as we go into next year and we try to place these all NBA votes of is there a way to detach the sixty five game rule from at least all NBA if you still think it should be attached to MVP. I still think that's a little bit questionable. What if it's sixty four, you know, that kind of thing. But I wouldn't attached to NBA because I think it is affecting this discussion.
I mean, did you have Kevin Durant anywhere on your ow NBA teams?
I didn't. I didn't second team for me. I'm already regretting it, So maybe you're right. You know what, since my Tyrese, I love you, buddy, I'm sorry, I forgot all about KD. I got caught up. Yeah, the voters all y'all, My bad, I love y'all. It could only be fifty. So KD is in my thirteam.
My bad.
So you're taking a check away from Tyrese? Yeah, million dollars calculated that? Who was it? Who was looking for that boats that year?
Was it?
In a d He said he could have bought every member of the voting media what an suv and it's still what he would have had so much leftover that.
He said, a g wagon. Every single voter could have got a g wagon and he still would have made out. And by the way, whenever I get my vote back, if that g wagon is still available, I'm you know, I'll let that be out there. Well.
I want to thank you both for trying to influence me and help me fill out my ballot. I will say, you guys, move me on one. I'm not going to tell you which one, but I will. I just know you are with me when it comes time to fill out the pencil and make those And I think it's going to be a fun little word season here as we get into the playing games this week, everybody enjoy those, and we'll be back with the playoff games next week.
You can catch all episodes of bully Ball on the DraftKings Network, on the All the Smoke Productions YouTube channel, and of course wherever you listen to and get your podcasts. Rate us, review us, think about us, think about Tyre's Halliburton and his forty million dollars, and we will be back next week. Gentlemen, see you then,