Welcome to Bullyball, presented by DraftKings.
I am Rachel Nichols as always, mister DeMarcus Cousins and bride John Rondo is back. This makes my day. We are talking to you Boogie in Taiwan. You are back there with the Taiwan beer Leopards, which I learned only after your last stint is not the Taiwan beer Leopards, but the Taiwan beer Leopards. But I have to say in my heart they will always be the beer Leopards. And I'm going to make my own merch that just says beer Leopards. And that's how I'm going to appear in the podcast next week.
So just be ready for that.
I'm cool, we need that.
How's it going over there for you so far?
I saw that you got into a little, a little thing with an opposing player on their bench.
But this is like little? Is this Kentucky Louisville beef? Like spilling over? Didn't he go to a little but what? What's what's happening here? What happened? Do we have a clip? Producer, Nate? Can we see the clip? Here we go?
Commentary there, I've heard I've heard those words before really.
A couple of seons in my day.
Shout out to Jayalen Johnson man. First off, man, he was a little frustrated. You know, I put some veteran moves on him, got into some foul trouble. But in the beginning I was trying to talk to the young fella, like, look, you're taking your frustration out on the wrong guy.
Should be mad at the I didn't call the fouls. I created him, but he called them.
His emotions was a little all over the place, you know, he got the chirping here and there.
So we had some back and forth, but at the end of the day it was hoo. We kept it cool.
We shook hands at the end, and we actually ended up playing again the next night, and uh, you know it was it was a lot better of an exchange.
Man.
I think he understood. Oh sorry about that.
I think he understood, you know where I was coming from. You know, just as far as you know how to play the game, how to you know, not use your hands on defense and things like that. So I understand that when it comes to this game, people get frustrated. It happens all the time. You know, you say things you don't really mean sometimes.
Look at the growth.
You fee you feel me though, you feel me, don't smoke. Shout out to Jalen Johnson.
He's a talented young kid, bright future, and we're gonna keep it hooped.
That's all I got to say.
Look at the player you raised, though, Look look at that all those all those hours in Sacramento, all of the all the time put in there to you about temperament, I can see the game.
You can take all the credit.
I can't take all the credit, but you know it's about growth, and I'm happy to hear his response on what happened a couple of days ago.
So shout out to the big fella.
But like the bat, there you go.
All right, the adventures of the beer Lepers, and yes, I'm gonna keep calling them Matt. We will continue to follow over the next few weeks. Let's talk a NBA playoffs though, because they started over the weekend. Of course, every single home team won this weekend, which has not happened in years.
So I just want to go rapid fire with you guys. Big picture. Uh, let's start with you book. What stood out to you the most?
Uh?
For me, what I've seen so far is and I may be speaking early on this, but I really feel like we're starting to see the turning point in the league to where the youngsters are, you know, starting to take over. And it's still a little early, but we saw a lot of dominant performances from you know, this younger, you know age group of guys that's coming up in our league right now, the Shades, the Anthony Edwards, the.
Obviously the Lucas and guys of that nature.
So I'm like I said, I may be speaking early, but I just feel like we're now about to see that shift in the in the NBA to where it's it's you know, it's the new kids on the block and they're now starting to push kind of push the older guys out. And obviously that's exciting times because it's always that question about, you know, what happens when this next group pushes out the Steph the Lebron's, Kevin Durance.
You know, they are getting to that age where their days are starting to become, you know, more and more limited, and the dominance isn't as dominant as it once was at a certain time. So exciting times are head the future.
The NBA is in great hands obviously. But for me, that's what I really noticed the most about the playoffs, Like even when it comes to us determining, you know what we feel like what team is gonna, you know, come out on top with these round And you know, when we think about the guys of oh, we think about those guys that were used to dominate, like I said, the Steps and obviously he's out, but you know the Kevin Durant and Lebron James, and you think about these
guys and you automatically think, well, we know what they can do, we know what they've done in the past.
But like I said, it's.
Now to the point where you know, times are shifting and times are changing, and like I said, I think that's exciting.
Well, look, Luca didn't have a great first game obviously, but yes, you could have Steph Kady and Lebron a Stipton baby maybe all out after the first round and that would be a pretty big changing in the guard. I mean, so you guys have been talking about Anthony Edwards. I know y'all are proud of him.
Yeah, I'm sure you know he's been hearing about this game. He's looking forward to this series. He's been talking a week before about what he's going to do. When he came out and showed it, especially in the third quarter, he got every matchup he wanted. Russell Neil checked him, KD checked him, everybody checked them. But obviously no one got to stop and uh he took over the game. And I think that's where the gap in the game
where Minnesota took the lead and never looked back. But my biggest concerned game going in the game too is all the role players. You know, if you look at all the home teams, all the role players played well. You name every team they won, except for probably New Orleans. I would think all seven other seven teams, I'm looking forward to their role players of what they're going to do.
Teams that lost, uh, none of the role players played well.
You look at a good team like Phoenix, Eric Gordon, he goes zero for five, zero points, Grayson dow and four points. You pick a team the Lakers, Ady and Brian can't play any better, uh, d Lo, Austin Reeves, Hachimura, Torrian Prince. They have to play, they have to make three, to have to shoot the ball and also just rebound the basketball. I think every team that rebound the basketball that want to rebound the edge dominate the game. So
those are my big concerns. And I think if the role players player will on a road, which normally historically they don't. And I think that's why we saw this so important, that the teams wanted to get the home court advantage.
That's the thing.
Like, it's funny we're reminded every year the first week of the playoffs. Yes, all the things we always say about the playoffs are true, and that's why there is such a drop off between what we know in the regular season and what we know about the playoffs and why teams that sometimes struggle in the regular season do well in the playoffs. Like it's all true. Role players
play better at home. True, we saw that right. Young inexperienced teams, you know, who are a little out of their depth and aren't used to what a playoff environment is like definitely struggle. Now obviously we're talking about some of the young stars like Anthony Edwards was incredible, but if you look at the Orlando Magic as a team, they looked like that playoff environment was like a little
much for them. The Thunder, Yes, they were able to pull out the win was incredible, especially at the end of the game. You see why he's a finalist for most Clutch, certainly on my most Clutch ballot. But like they definitely looked out of their depth a little bit for big chunks of that game and a little overwhelmed even in their home amazing, I mean that environment, ok s as bonkers, you know, they still looked a little bit shaken of the playoffs.
So just some of that stuff we always talk about.
It's a cliche for a reason, right, And that's what stuck out to me from the first weekend was just sort of like.
Yep, t tick tick tick, all the things that we normally say. It is interesting all the home teams won.
There is a stat that something like seventy five percent of the teams that win game one of a seven game playoff series go on to win the series. And obviously that's going to be skewed by the fact that teams that win game one are normally the better team at home, right, so of course they're going to go on to do that. But it's still a stat for a reason, and it still does tell you that seventy five percent maybe of these teams that won over the weekend will go on to win the series. We could
also see a couple sweeps here. I don't know, who do you guys think is the most endanger of getting swept? Where are you on that book?
For me?
Uh, I'm looking at this Lakers team.
You're not saying the Celtics. I mean, you're not saying the Celtics are sweeping the heat, you know what I mean?
Lakers with the Lakers?
Okay, thank you some sanity, right, yes?
But the reason is is this.
This Denver team has dominated this, this Lakers team for a couple of years now.
Yeah, I would say, what.
The bubble year with you? So, I mean, I don't I don't really know what it hasn't well, how long has it been, to be exact, it's been.
It's been two years, but it's been you know, over nine games.
Games are a lot right and row.
It's definitely in Denver's favor. I feel like this Denver team has they know this Lakers team. They pulled their card. They know their weaknesses, they know their strengths, they know them like the back of their hands. And it's it's kind of, you know, crazy, because we feel like every off season the Lakers build their team to match up against you know, Denver, and uh, they just haven't found
that successful formula since that bubble year. So with that being said, I feel like the Lakers are great.
You think it's gonna be a sweep. I mean last year was the sweep.
I just don't see them. Yeah, I.
Think the Lakers are going to win one game at home.
Don't.
I don't see again, played a hell of a game. I don't know if you can continue to match that. But I have seen a match player at the level and maybe there huh.
I mean, well, we need fifty from both of them to.
Get a win, and they no, no, no, no, they they gotta do what they just did. But the d Los, I bet de Loo won't go with six for twenty, you know what I mean?
The Delo can definitely play a better game.
No, he's definitely gonna play better game. Austin reeves to play a better game. Tory and Prince Achi Mora and matter of fact, then why didn't get a field goal with tempo? So I mean these are things that like can possibly happen and change the swing of the series. Because Denver technically only won a third quarter. I mean, Lakers had control until that third quarter got out of hand.
Pup H for three is the role players in net quarter destroyed the Lakers, and the Lakers role players didn't show up that quarter or their game period pretty much.
But that's the thing that, like you say, role players at home play better. I got to think in l a at least I don't know who's gonna we're recording this on Monday morning, I don't know who's gonna win game two tonight. Maybe you all listening out there have already seen that game, but I just I feel like, at least at home they're good for one two, I don't know.
You know, I mean, I mean I don't see that. I mean, why haven't we seen it all year? They swept They got swept in the regular season. My thing is basically better regular season? Was Austin resonna play better regular Like It's not like this is their first loss to them all season, Like they've been dominated for the past two years. So for me, it's like, yeah, we can sit here and name everything that went wrong in the game they lost and say well that this was done better.
Yeah they would have won.
But that's what it's about. It's about adjustments, and I think I don't see Bron getting swept right now, Bront the past two years, Bron getting swept eight games in the playoffs. Though I'm the one, he's already.
Year.
I'm a better man, le Bron. I'm a bet Lebron.
I get you said all year, Denver, Denver, Denver, Denver, Denver. I'm the one who said that. What the Lakers are going to go as far as until they meet Denver. Right, they could get to the conference finals if they meet Denver there, or they could get to the first round.
And now they're in the first round against Denver. So there we go. I believe in Denver to win this series.
But I got that got.
I think they're going to take a game or two somewhere.
Now. I'm not gonna bet the house, but I'm gonna bet with Brown.
But that is they're going to get one game.
At least.
Brown wn't get one game. He he don't go down a joke at eight straight times in the playoffs.
I know in the players, low, brother, low, we just low. You know what if we just it's the one game.
Jokers.
He just grew.
Now maybe he's just grew.
Listen, the heat we got. We got switches to the heat.
Man, thank you.
That's the problem. That's the damn sweet. I just don't see it. I just don't see it. Man, they don't have Jimmy and Rose there.
I mean that there are a lot of role players at that point, and the Celts have too many stars, and their role players are you know, playing exceptional as well. And like I said, that home court advantage you got, I think they have five guys in double figures.
It's just tough to beat. Man, they're two dynamic.
Yeah, it's it's it's right, you can't.
I mean you've got to your starters out, including your best player, like it's and you're the eight seed to begin with, and you barely get in.
Like I just I don't know. That's got sweet written all over it to me. We'll see.
Look, Miami's gritty. Obviously, they always pull off the improbable. That their home court advantage is really significant. I mean, I love that building when it's all crazy, pumped and dough. You've played in that environment, like during an NBA final, it's like it's just it's sorry, conference finals, it's just bonkers.
But it's still still I don't know it's got sweep. It's got sweep to me. That's got sweep to me.
We got to talk about another East series though, because this is supposed to be one of the most competitive series on the other end, the Nick sixer series, right, we thought that could go six or seven games, but now we got some injury questions. Joel embiid, I don't know if he's actually that hurt or if he just got a big scare. But Boog, when you do, like does saying like he saw him just sort of play it safe, do you have to tell yourself, I got
to get in there again. How mentally tough is that for you?
It can definitely be mentally tough. I've never experienced the part where you know, you injure yourself, come back from it and then you kind of have that scare. I've never experienced that, but just coming back from injury in general, it can definitely, you know, have a mental block on you. It can have you uncomfortable in your movements, It can have you not as confident in your abilities, and sometimes
you can play pretty gingerly. And I think we did see that, you know, once he came back from the scare where he more so settled for jumpers. He wasn't as physical with you know, getting to the basket of finishing around the basket or in the same manner with the you know, the fantastic note that he did have and with that play it wasn't the same you know, tenacity that he usually plays with. So that is a sign that you know, that scare or that injury is
in the back of his mind. But I mean, once it's playoffs, it's playoffs, and you know, at the end of the day, you kind of want to leave it all on the floor. And sometimes it is to the point where you know, you do something that you know could harm you in that moment, but that's just the stubbornness that kind of comes with athletes. But hopefully with this, you know, he can get that injury under control. It was weird to me to see, you know, blood coming
from his knee. I didn't quite understand that part. I thought that was, you know, pretty weird. But at the end of the day, we can look past all of this just when it comes to Joel in general, Like we've seen this story happen over and over and over again, and for me, I've reached out to Joel before. My question is at what point, point, dude, you start taking the pressure off of those you know, knees and joints
and ankles and things of that nature. You know, you're not the young spring chicken that you once were when you first came into this league. Age is starting to get on your side, So it has to be some type of adjustments.
You add, what are you talking about You're talking about diet, What are you talking about.
Dying?
Number one?
Who has I feel like at some point the big fella has to come down and wait and reason I say that because.
Set it again.
He's not obese, he's not crazy heavy.
Yeah, but it's hard.
It's hard to play with three hundred plus pounds every night, jumping up and down on those knees and your ankles like that wear and tear.
Eventually it's going to get the best of you.
And like I said, we keep seeing the same story over and over and over again, and I just want to know at what point is he going to make that adjustment to lighten the load for the longevity of his career. Even when it came to Tim Duncan, at a certain point, Tim Duncan got slimmer, he even talked about it. He wanted to have less weight on his
joints and on his knees and things like that. So I think that's now the point that Joelle is at and I feel like I don't know what it'll take or who it'll take, but he has to embrace that part of his career now just for the longevity of it. And he's an incredible talent. He's an incredible player, and I think he has all the ability with his talents to be a champion at the end of the day.
But if he can't get his health under control at some point, it's always going to be the same story that we've been talking about, where he's injured in the playoffs and how much can he give us this year and will it be enough. I don't want to keep having the same conversation. I want to see one hundred percent healthy Joel and b from start to finishing his playoffs, and I want to see him dominate from start to finish. And I think it starts with his diet and just
dropping some weight. And I can say that because I was in that position at one point. I understand, and like I said, for the longevity of his career. I think he's at that point where he has to make.
That ju justin.
I just want to remind everyone that this beat up Sixers team is the team that Cleveland one thousand percent through their final game of the season. To avoid playing the Sixers team, the Calves decided we'd rather take our chances face the Magic in the first round where we think we can win around, even though that puts us on the Boston side of the freight train bracket, instead of playing the Sixers, who.
We're scared, Oh my god, we're terrified, and.
Then possibly having a much easier half of the bracket to get to the conference finals.
I don't know. This really offended me.
It made me feel like, you don't have enough confidence in your team that they could win a title or at least get to the conference finals. So you're just going to settle for We want to win around because we want Donovan Mitchell to be happy. Donovan Mitchell is one playoff series before. If you were Donovan Mitchell, dough is winning around going to mean so much to you? If your team fucking duck the smoke so that they could like, oh, we're going to run around so we can I mean, come on.
Man, they ducked the smoke, that's what That's what we're saying.
They were up. I don't I don't have producer, Nate, you can chime in. What was Cleveland that by? Were they up by twenty?
Like?
I mean, they were up significantly and they pulled everyone.
I mean, that's not to me, I know personally, that's not That's something you talk about as a team. And I'm pretty sure JB did talk to the guys. And I've been in a situation where, like I said, we was able to face Lebron early or when we could duck them right. And obviously the guys we wanted to we want to smoke early. But the person that was different, and maybe their logic is different. You know, it's like, Okay, we rather not face a physical and beat with the
players that we have. You know, we got Jared Allen and we got Evan Mobley. If we face the Boston Celtics, they are more talented, more skilled team. But at the same time, we might got a shot, you know, and we're not gonna overlook Orlando.
But again, we have home court advantage.
We can get Orlando, and who knows what can happen against the Celtics, and if we're gonna have to face the eventually anyway, why not face them early?
You know, I'm say league, Yeah, I mean what it is, and hopefully we'll get to see that matchup next round and see how unfolds.
But at the same time, I think for me, the way they got handled last year in the nixt series on the physicality, they didn't want to smoke with.
A beat and.
You know it is, But what is going to tell you if you're Donovan Mitchell, then what does that tell you? Like, that's the thing if this is all about, like, let's give Donovan Mitchell a wins so that he still likes it here and that he'll stay and they want to ask for trade. Like, if I'm Donovan Mitchell, I want to be playing in the conference finals and finals. I'm gonna be playing for the first round.
What are you telling?
Yeah, but who's who's to say that? You know you're going to get there either way? I mean, either route you take, you should be trying.
Let's try.
I definitely want to go into any playoff winning obviously, no no doubt about it, you know, But again, I can't I gonna speak for myself and my experience.
Now this team is different. You know, JB's one of my favorite coaches I've ever played for.
So he's fantastic. I don't think that's that's why to me.
I look at I look at it, Donovan Mitchell. I look at at other guys on that roster, you know who. I think a lot of them are really promising, interesting players. I look at JB, who I think the world of. Like I just I had in my head, and this is just my assumption opinion. It had to have come from management, and like that's where I wouldn't know.
It's obviously it's over. It's done anyway. This is my feelings. You shouldn't screw around with the basketball, guys. Let's move on. I'm gonna throw three stats at you, guys. Two of them are true. What is a lie?
I have not seen this yet, so let's look. Oh, one of them involves you, Jeanrondo, so you better get this one right. Let's start with you, rajeon stat number one, Jon Rondo has had two twenty assist games in the playoffs. Stud number two, Dwight Howard holds the record for most blocks in a playoff game with ten and number three. James Harden, another star over the weekend, holds the record for the most turnovers in a playoff game with twelve.
So Doe two stats, two truths and a lie. Three stats, two truths and a lie.
What do you got?
I'm gonna go with the Dwight.
It's a lie.
M what about you, Buck? What do you got?
I'm gonna go with Rondo having twenty in a game just because he's in front of me.
Oh yeah, Well, I'm gonna say I feel the producers would not put that stat up about right if you've been to twenty six games in the playoffs, do you know? Or he's just assuming like me, I.
Think I remember the two. But let's see, I thought I'll have more, right.
I oh, I assume that they wouldn't have put that up if it wasn't true. And then it's then it's just a toss up for me. But I kind of agree with you on Dwight. I feel like is the most. I just feel like someone's had to have him more blocks than ten. Yes, yeah, that's kind of where I am on that. But okay, production Ad has come in. He has told me, in fact that Jean, you did indeed have two twenty six games book. You are the most disrespectful co host in the history of podcast go host.
James James Harden number is correct, and that the Dwight Howard is in fact a lie.
Jean, we are correct. We know everything that ever is to know about stats in basketball. I'm surprised no one had more blocks in a game than ten though, because it was it was ten, but it wasn't Dwight. It was a three way tie involving chemo on two of the players. But yeah, I would, I would. I don't know twenty. Can't believe you didn't think he could get twenty.
I was twenty with me.
To wait, were you guys on? So one of those twenty games was on the Pelicans.
You were there. You were there for that game.
You were on the court for that course he went in the court. He was hurt. He'll come around.
That was after that.
Wow, Now that's a lot too.
You're right, you're right, you owe me that one.
All right, next suver, next time, we're gonna have Nate actually come in on the broadcast because he's got all the information. All right, let's get to I'll take that bet presented by DraftKings Minnesota versus Phoenix.
We touched on it.
Sota Leeds one to nothing. Wolves are minus one fifty five to win the series. Sons are plus one twenty five to win the series. So Vegas still seeing this is you know, not a toss up obviously, but it's not as wide a spread as on some of these other series.
So who you guys taking when don't you go first? Which bet are you taking?
Over?
There? Bug?
I'm liking this Minnesota team. I've liked them all year. I like the shine that's coming with you know, Anthony Edwards. He's really coming into form of being, you know, one of the faces of the NBA, being an actual superstar in our league, and we're watching it unfold right in front of us. He had an incredible game against a guy that he looks up to and was one of
his favorite players growing up. So just having that confidence as a young guy performing on that big of a stage is only gonna I feel like it's only gonna better and we're going to see even better performances from this young kid. Uh the supporting cast that they have with Jamon Daniels on the on the perimeter, Garden, whatever matchup is, you know, in favor of that night, and you know you got the big fella underneath controlling the plant. So they have a good, solid team all around, calling
the town's return. And he's gonna be a huge piece of this team. It's a lot of talent with this team. Na right here, man, So it's a lot of killing with the kid. Last night, I was going to walk. He went crazy to me every reason they won eighteen points off the bench.
Yeah.
So this this team is young and hungry.
Uh, it is full of talent, and I think they're They've shown all year that they are a true contender and we're watching them, you know, continue to grow and things unfold in front of us right now.
So I'm leaning with Minnesota.
He sold me. Yeah, I'm in the same way. Yeah, definitely. Yeah.
Well, look, Grayson allen rolled his ankle in Game one, questionable for Game two. We don't know what's going to happen there. Obviously, if he's out, that's going to be another blow for Phoenix. I don't think this series is going to be a sweep or anything. I think it will be a tough series. You've got experienced guys, Kevin Durant is still Kevin Durant. I'm sorry, I don't know how he is still underrated, but I think somehow he's still underrated in our league.
And like I just he has the potential to win a game all by himself.
But I do think that Minnesota is a more complete team and as you said, no point guard is an issue for them.
I don't expect to see Brona swept last week the too, So I mean, but you said like time to change him, so yeah, I mean, yeah, hopefully hopefully Bubble can get it done, you know, don't get swept.
But again he's it ain't just a guarantee because he's on the floor.
Now, Yeah, no, I don't you're right, you're right. I just I don't know.
I think he is like a nuclear capability like Brown's a little different. He obviously can control and take over a game in so many different ways. But Katie is such a shoot, you're a shooter, Like, I don't know, he could drop fifty, like, you know, he's got that in him.
Still, that's true sleeve, right, he got that on him.
Yeah no, no, no, you're right, you're right.
Like, look, I guess you're right.
Yeah, And look, Jade McDaniels, to your point, but he was on my one of my one of my all defensive teams. Like I just I think that that group, they know who they are. They don't have a ton of winning playoff experience, I'll grant you, but you know a couple of players do. And I think that they've obviously got a really good coach, and I just I don't know. I look at them to win the series
for sure. Even though that bet that we're taken from DraftKings not going to give us a ton of put one hundred dollars down, not going to get quite as much back as if we had put money on Phoenix.
But a winning bet is still a winning bet, that's all I got to say. It's still worth placing. There you go.
I'm going to get you guys on a Kentucky question real quick, because we have not spoken to you since Mark Pope was hired. What was your initial reaction? Have you guys spent any time around him? What are your thoughts as Kate as Kentucky goes forward here?
I don't know much about him obviously what everyone else knows. He's a champion. I think that's the best best hill right their particular time.
Due to the fact that I think, you know, the first couple of guys they couldn't get Uh he's a familiar face. Wow.
Do you see that?
That was just a dry by right there on the athletic department.
No, no, no, not necessarily.
I mean that's that's these are this is the facts, I believe, you know, you know, I think miss did the hell of a job, you know, getting getting Pope in and you know, he's a cerebral coach. He has a different style that I think people are going to get accustomed to right now. This is about you know, landing the talent. So for him, getting people accustomed to who he is as a person, what he stands for, what he's looking for in players. So it's going to
take time. But nevertheless, I don't think they'll be down for long. And I think they had a nice little transfer portal signing already or commit you know, he's still committed a draft, but it was a big man.
I think I was that dregs where's Yeah. So you know that's a start and we'll see how it goes.
Like I said, this is a matter of a waiting game, and with so many players in the portal, you know, it's no knocking Pope or wacality.
This is this is the game, you know.
I think obviously he did stay, it wouldn't have been as many people that transferred or but you still got guys like reach Upherd was going pro anyway. You know, Rob was going pro.
So it's going to be just my period anyway, and I believe that it won't take long.
Do you know Pope book.
No, I don't know Pope. I believe he was part of the ninety sixteen. Yeah, so I was six, But.
You could have run across I mean, you've played for a few teams. I don't know if you ran across him anywhere.
I was.
Six.
Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, I think he just called us old.
I was team. I mean, I.
Get it. I'm just saying I was six. That happens, I know exactly.
I was six.
All Right, we can move on. I'm i'm, i'm i'm.
I thought maybe one of you could have a personal connection. Who knows, But okay, all right, great, well we will see what happens. We will follow them, of course throughout the recruiting period and next season because we have a special interest in Kentucky on this podcast. I did want to get two of you before we go about the Warriors. Though I know people have discussed it infinitum over the
last week. We don't need to have, you know, break down everything for people because it's already been poured over. But you have such a unique perspective because Boogie, you were in that locker room.
You know everybody involved.
So you had the experience obviously of being with the Celtics and when that team, you know, two finals in three years would have been to a third if KG hadn't gotten hurt, and then had to decide whether to break that up or not. Look, Clay is a free agent, Chris Paul's not guaranteed next season, big decisions. I want to say Clay still had decent numbers this past season, especially once he sort of figured out who he was on that team now and how he was going to play.
He was not a disaster, So I just need to stop that narrative.
But he obviously was getting paid way more than what he was producing, and so it's a question of is he going to want to stay for the money that they're probably going to offer him Andrew Wiggins struggled up and down, totally inconsistent, also way too much money for the production he gave. Draymond obviously just got the new contract. He missed twenty seven games of his own making. They were thirty three and twenty two in the games he played thirteen and fourteen without him.
So to me, that really speaks to a his value. People who were like, oh, he's way overpaid.
I can't believe that he's making that much money. Guess what he impacts winning on that team to this day, and he makes Steph Curry better. Steps on off numbers with Draymond are completely clear, like he makes Steph Curry, who was already one of the most elite players this game has ever seen, even better. So to me, you don't get rid of Draymond. You need to just basically get Draymond to stay on the court and not do
bone headed things. And he is making a commitment to do that, So to me, that decision feels easy to me. The question then is Clay and Wiggans and some of the other stuff that they need to do, And it comes down a little bit to asking Steph, what are you interested in? Do you want to keep this core group together and is playing it out with them important
even if you guys aren't competing for championships anymore? Or do you want us to strip things down and try to give you the best chance to get another chip. I don't know what would you guys want. I want to start with you, Book, because you've been in that locker room and you know how important Clay is to the functioning of the team.
What do you think.
For me?
I think the Warriors have put theirselves in a pretty shitty hole when it just comes to Rosster construction, you know, assets, money, all of those things. So for me to sit here and try to, you know, figure out what would be the right moves for them moving forward to correct their team, I don't have those answers.
I'm not gonna even act like I do, but I do understand this part. I know the Warriors were bought.
When this group came in and bought this Warriors team, they bought him for about four hundred and fifty million dollars. As of today, this franchise is now worth eight point I want to say eight point five billion dollars. I don't give a shit how many baskets Klay Thompson, missus. He deserves the ride off in the sunset because at the end of the day, when this owner gets this and let's let's be clear, this is a hobby for
this owner. So when he's done with this hobby, he gets bored with this hobby, he's going to be able to go and collect eight points.
It's not about the owner, It's about Steph, right, So it's about Steph Curry.
They will do whatever Steph wants.
I absolutely feel confident in saying that, and that if Steph wants to have clay with him the rest of the time and it's special to play all as a group together, and it's special to be able to finish out together, and if that's more important to him than definitely getting a chance to win again, then he totally has the right to make that decision.
And I think that there is real merit in that. But it's a different decision than I want to compete.
For a title again, and like that that's kind of I guess what I'm asking is what would you do or what would you say or want to do if you were Steph Curry, or would you not want responsibility and just say you guys make the call. What would you do if you're Clay? Would you take less money to stay in Golden State? Then you would get I mean someone would offer him. I guarantee you someone will offer him money this summer. But will you take less
to stay in Golden State? Like, what would you do if you were either of those two guys?
I think Steph. I think Steph at the end of the day, wants his guys with him. He knows what helped him create what they created there in Golden State. So I know for a fact Dram and Clay, He's gonna vouch for them no matter what.
My thing is.
If I'm Clay, I feel like he deserves to have the arrogance that he has when it comes to the man in the contract that he wants He's put in the groundwork. He and I spoke on the value of his team increasing the way it did because that didn't happen because the owner bought the team.
It happened because of those three.
Guys and what they did in those amount of years to help increase the value of this franchise. So on top of having four championships, on top of being core pieces in this group, they increase.
All Star.
Everything that comes with that. I don't feel like that can be overlooked regardless of Okay, but if.
You give him that much money, if you if you give him a big chunk of money, you don't have that money to spend other places and to put you into salary cap restrictions. That means you can't do like league minimum thing, you know, like you can't do those minimum exceptions and all that stuff. You just have to decide what's more important to you, right, do you want a more competitive team? If you do, then Clay's got to take a big chunk less. If he's going to stay,
Clay has to decide what he wants to do. I don't know what to do with Wiggins because I don't know how much if you can trade him and get anything back for him, or if you'd have to attach something to him. They do have really good, promising young players. They had some great play from some of the rookies this year, but Wiggins is a huge financial drain on them compared to the production you're getting. To me, Draymond
is worth the financial so that you're paying him. I can see where that comes out on the court, and with Clay it is a question of I agree with you, he deserves all the money he could get because of what he's done. But then that will have an impact on whether this team can move other pieces around and wins. So it's just a question of I mean, do what would you want if you were staff or if you were Clay. Would you want to stay but have a
less competitive team? Would you want to stay for less and have a more competitive I mean, there's just a lot of factors here.
I just I don't know the relationship they have, you know. Actually that's why I would have cousin answer their question. More so personally, I don't know either of them. You know that closely, and.
You know what they've gone through over the years. You know, we see it from a lands from the outside, but internally you just doesn't.
You just don't know.
I think that will determine on the outcome of what happens the next year with this team.
Well you you went through it in Boston and when Danny Ainge she would trade his mother was like.
Yeah, but we didn't win four championships, So you know, it's a different one. It's different, you know, and it's always what have you done for me?
League?
Lately. What have you done for me lately?
League?
So, you know, winning one.
Championship and the gave us a couple more years to try to figure it out. And when we didn't, you know, it was trying to move on, you know, just like you know, their offense, the way they play, let's style of play. It's time to move on from that. But that's another that's another topic. Bro time for an update.
But no, it's that's all I can say about it as far as like when it's time, you.
Know, all right, we'll see.
I'm gonna close by asking Boogie to explain what pillow hands are.
We were talking about boxing before we got on the air. What are pillow hands?
Well, Luka got hit with last night.
Man, pillow hands. Man, it's just not the punch and power that.
You know, Okay you have, That's how you're gonna put it.
Yeah, I'm gonna just put it okay, Okay, yeah, right, stay out, stay out the way like what you started the podcast with, right, just trying to.
Have a little fun.
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We will be following the adventures of the Taiwan beer Leopards as we go over the next few weeks.
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Thank you guys so much for being here, especially you book from far flung regions of the world.
We will catch you all next week. Thank you guys so much for watching. Bye Boys,