Come on, so Good, Damn Bad.
Welcome to the very first episode of the Heat Check. We're back. New song feels so Good being Bad, Rihanna. This song.
This song is in the encapsulation of what this podcast is going to be about, which is unfiltered all day, every day. I want to thank everyone who followed me bartol to Odyssey, and while I love doing this league, I could not be more excited to bring you The heat Check three times a week. Our podcast is scheduled Monday nights, early Wednesday and Friday mornings, probably special episodes in between when necessary. Other news. I got myself a
new producer, Brock. Brock is a sports media connoisseur and he dresses like a ninja.
Do you want to say a few words, Brock?
Thank you for letting me say a few words. Yes, I do dress like a ninja. That's it, just sweats those little sandals.
With the toe cutout.
But other than that, yes, very excited to be a bored and very excited.
For the show.
Fun fun stuff.
So first two episodes are going to be as follows. It's been a while since I've been doing anything for NBA Heat Check related podcasts, so what we're going to do is we're going to recap this insane off season in a way. We're gonna go Eastern Conference today, We're gonna go Western Conference Monday. It's coming on Monday, so I'm getting all my time. So Monday, Eastern Conference. That's today, Wednesday,
Western Conference. That's what we're doing. So we're gonna preview him by most likely to make some noise and which ones are headed to the lottery somewhere between the Nets and everybody else, basically, so let's get into it. There's only one team in this category of the favorites, is the Brooklyn Nets. Where do you even begin? If you have been living under a rock, you would know this. The Nets were one shoe length away from going to
the finals. Well actually they were one shoe length away from going to Trey Young, which then would have led to the finals. But they are in more turmoil than almost any other team, and it doesn't fucking matter. Honestly, it just doesn't matter. Quick recap. Kyrie won't get the vaccination. Since that we've last spoken, New York has created a manday where Kyrie has to be vaccinated in order to play in Barclays Arena.
He will not do it because he's fighting for something.
Are now outside of a championship with his team, which is what he's obligated to be competing for and focused on. But all of that to say, the NETS said, fuck you until you get vaccinated. You are not with our team. You are not going to practice with us, you are not gonna play halftime. We don't want a part time lover, we want a full time lover. So listen, I get it.
I get it. Steve Nash, I get it. James Harden, I get it.
Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant, James Harden have not spoken to Kyrie Irving since this news has come about, which to me seems a little odd, like, hey, homie, keep your head up, talk to you soon.
Nothing.
James is like I haven't spoken to Kyrie. Kevin Durant's like, I haven't spoken to Kyrie. And then in the backdrop, Kyrie has been you know, off doing his Instagram lives in the middle of WNBA Finals Wild, James Harden and Kevin Durant are in Mikonos together vacationing, so we know who are friends and who are not friends. Even without Kyrie, though, Nets are a monster. So what happened this offseason wild turnover.
They lost Jeff Green, Mike James, Tyler Johnson, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer, Dinwiddie, Landry Schmidt added Patty Mills, thank god, because they need another they need a point guard. Obviously, the Nets knew that Kyrie was gonna be not available at some points during round. This season happens every year for some reason. The reasons different every year, but the same thing happens every year, Kyrie missing time.
They've added They've added Sword of Flamarcus.
Audrich, they brought him back after he had a health scare. James Johnson, Paul Mills up on a vet minimum, DeAndre Bembery on a vet minimum, Javon Carter, and the electric Cam Thomas that they got in the fucking draft. He's gonna make some noise and Dayron Sharp. I mean, it's a good thing that they added depth because we know Nash is content to let Katie just die out there. He's just gonna play as many minutes as Steve Nash wants him to. He's not getting any breathers. Basically, it's
halftime and nothing else, and that's why he airballed. On the very last play of the game, Katie carried the team down the stretch. I think he can stay healthy. I think also James Harden. James Harden was fat last year. Can we just say that, like he was fat and that fat suit that he had on when he was getting himself out of Houston led to a hamstring injury, which has never happened in the entire course.
Of his career.
He has been an iron man. It's the very first year he was in turmoil. Listen, it's covid. I get it.
Like you're eating, everybody's eating. You know, you're not working out. Everybody's not working out. You know you're netflixing and chilling. You're on the Squid Game. I get it. It's pre pre squid game. You're on Tiger King. I get it. You know what I mean.
So now he's back in shape. It's scary hours they played together before, they've succeeded before. They also have former All Stars and Lamark Saldridge. They have former All Stars in Blake Griffin. He played great down the stretch. He can still dunk. Surprisingly, he was playing possum to get himself out of Detroit.
So Joe Harris. We want to know, can Joe Harris shoot threes?
Joe Harris is supposed to be pretty boy, Joe, can you shoot threes?
Or no? All that to say, really, folks, this team.
If they can stay healthy, they are just going to dog walk the rest of the league. Get a chip, probably get a few chips, and that's all. So all eyes on the nets. If they're healthy, it's pretty much them stratospheres above everyone else in a category of their own.
A below the nets, right.
Cut, just a little baby cuttle cut below Milwaukee Bucks. Before I get started on how I feel that the Milwaukee Bucks are going to be this season, I just want to say I'm sorry for slandering you.
I'm sorry for Actually no, I'm not. Actually that's a lie.
I provided quite a bit of motivation for the city of Milwaukee, and they got up. They played My Little Sons in four clip in Deer Park on the Megatron. Didn't know that until just the other day. Yes, apparently, Brock, I am one of the most hated women in Milwaukee, which I mean, let's let's just say, let's just I'm not gonna slander the city of Milwaukee anymore than I already have. Let's just say my energy is.
Unique to Milwaukee.
I think without Kyrie, this series goes seven again, winner goes to the finals. And remember you almost lost to the Nets. You were a shoe print away. Bud would have gotten fired. Things would have changed, you know, Bey honest wouldn't have emerged into who Yannis became.
And Yannis was tremendous, and and Yannis also faked an injury. He was he did not have hyper extended me.
He went to the school, the Lebron James School of Narrative Manipulation, and said, I am going to sit out a few games that I know I don't need to really play, get myself right for Phoenix, and then have the can Yannis come back, And he came back better than ever somehow, shooting free throws like Damien Alert.
Now he's what He's created a new jump shot.
If you looked at the jump shot before, in the jump shot today, it's like whole other thing. So if he can get some step back, Jays continue to play out of his mind. Chris Middleton can be more consistent, Drew Holliday can be continue to be himself, then you win the chance to get bounced in six against the Nets. That's right, that's what you win. That's what you win.
Kidding not really.
Actually, if if the Nets did not exist, this team would be this team would be exactly what the Nets are. They would be a powerhouse. They would be the cut above, the cut above.
Right right. But I mean it's Kevin Durantons, James.
Harden's a bunch of other guys like that are taking minimum contracts.
Like that's that's the way that the that's the way that the cookie crumbles.
So this team lost PJ Love some PJ Tucker, lost Brent Forbes, thank god, lost Jeff t thank god.
One of the things that I did in the middle of the playoffs is I was like the news.
I got a little alert on my phone, the news that nobody wants.
Nobody asked for, nobody wants to know Jeff Tigue is available to start for the Milwaukee Bucks tonight. Like nobody gives a fuck about Jeff Tigue. He is trash.
He is literally just has a relationship with Budenholzer and like that's it.
He played for that Atlanta.
Team that won sixty games, and somehow Budenholzer still has these great feelings for him. He's trash. Thank god they got rid of him. Thank god they added George Hill. I'm really sure that makes a difference. Rodney Hood I had him on the Blazers.
He's okay. He's an okay piece.
Grace and Allen maybe gonna be most most annoying Milwaukee Buck like most annoying. He's gonna get He's gonna probably take the legs out of James Harden, and James Harden might not, but listen, I'm predicting he will do something dirty.
He will do something dirty in the playoffs like you did that duke the entire day.
Who is there?
And maybe someone will get injured, and you know what, it's a game of health, game of inches, as they.
Know, so we'll have to see. So I'm not hating. They deserve their chip. Fifty piece. Giannis is exactly what we want to see.
If Giannis can be unstoppable, this team should fly to the Eastern Conference finals. The problem is, actually they're gonna chase wins and the Nets will not, so they might actually meet earlier than the Eastern Conference Finals. So I do like them. I like them a lot, and they won't even make it to Suns and four. So that was a good job. Good job. Prediction time Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Nets, losing seven.
Next up the next cut right there? Who are they? I don't know. They could be three, four, five, six, I don't know.
There's the next there is the next tier, the next wave, the next wave. Atlanta Hawks maybe my favorite team in the Eastern Conference from swagger. They've got that oh so much swagger chips on their shoulder. They're literally dunking on Joel Embiid and then the next night showing up with a T shirt of himself dunking on Joel like that is tremendous.
Remember I said Nate McMillan.
Most overrated fucking NBA coach in the league, and I that was slander.
That was wrong, That was mean that and that was a lie. That was a lie.
He found some soul searching, he did some things, and now he's like maybe one of the best coaches in the NBA. So what a uh, what a mis calculation on my part, I would say for him to be come. I mean, he was a coaching Canada the year this is the twelfth seed in the East and then four seed when he took over. One of my best memories was Trey Young basically telling all of Madison's squear garden to fuck off, all of them, like getting spit at him,
just loving every second of being a villain. Like if if my personality was inside of a basketball player, that would.
Be Trey Young.
Like I am the Tray Young of the NBA space, Like not nearly as good as Shooter, but definitely someone who would like draw foulsand in like a fashion that should not actually be a foul, like pissing people off for no reason, just enjoying every moment of that.
So all that to say, I love the Hawks.
The Hawks are that that girl that went to high school that she was gangly and kind of nobody cared about her for like many years, and then all of a sudden, she goes.
A summer camp and then you're like, God, damn, Sharon, you fucking are a batty Now, how did you? What did you do? Did you? What did you do? You fucked around and got some dick.
Yeah, you got some makeup and you got some little personality, and you got some sex, and like you're good.
Now. That's the Atlanta Hawks. That's them.
And if the refs would not have sprayed Trey Young's ankle. They might have made it to the fucking Eastern Like, they could have made it to the finals. They could have beaten when Yannis was pretending to be hurt. They could have beaten the Bucks because Trey Young actually did sprain his ankle off of a ref literally undercutting Trey Young.
Yeah, yeah, you remember that, he literally undercut him. And then Trey Jung was Night Night sleep mask. They opened up the Saints in the offseason. They paid Trey They paid John Collins after much anticipation on whether they would.
Clint Capella got paid two years, forty six million. They lost Kris Don Tony Snail, No one cares, and they added maybe the best backup in the league, Delon Wright Junior and Jalen Johnson in the draft, sleeper Sharif Cooper in the draft just just daytime robbery to get Sharif Cooper, like Shreif Cooper should have gone much earlier.
So I don't even know.
Like this team got better without really losing anything.
They're still probably the most complete roster in the league.
They're deep. They're getting DeAndre Hunter back from injury. He didn't play. Cam Reisch took a step once he got healthy, right, and Travis schlank.
Is like, hey, we got a lot of cap space.
There's a disgruntled free agent or disgruntled player on a team like Atlanta's a fun place, and Lemon Pepperloue, Lemon Pepperlou is gonna come off the bench probably give you some critical minutes when Trey Young hurts himself in the middle of the year, and Lemon pepper Loo's gonna step in and do Atlanta things because he loves it there. And let's be real, like Magic City's like very open right now, like it's a great place to eat wings.
I've heard culinary masterpiece magic City and the entertainment I hear tremendous. So no one shocked that this team is good. How good? I think there's a lot of people wondering are the Atlanta Hawks going to regress?
Was this a flash in the pan?
They just struck Lightning had a grudge match against Embiid and Ben Simmons who literally choked on his own dick in Game seven, hideous, But yes, But I think the Hawks are hungry and if they can stay healthy, they're gonna put more than just Embiid on a T shirt. They're gonna put the league on notice. I think they're a three seed. They are so deep they put her ass to sleep deep. They're fun, they're talented, they're swaggy, They've got so much fucking pettiness inside of them.
And you know what, if I didn't have a team on my own, I would be a Hawks fan.
Prediction three seed, fifty five wins, team that's gonna be chasing regular season wins for fucking respect. New York Knicks team that played the Hawks, next up on this list.
Why are they hard to predict?
Because I have a hard time figuring them out because Kemba is Kemba is hard to predict. Will we see Kimba that was all NBA, or will we see Keimba that only plays forty games a year gives you twenty.
And then nine and then twenty seven and then.
Four, then fourteen, fourteen, fourteen. He's minus twenty for the like ten games straight. He's minus when he's on the floor. Or maybe he just fucking hated Boston. He continuously was on the record saying that the culture was suspect there, which meant Brad Stevens was checked all the way out.
And that Danny Ainge was a thief and like the fan.
Base was racist, and like all those things, you know, one, two, three, two.
Three four.
Get Kimba off that floor. He's like, I'm fucking out of here. Uh. And now he's back home. He's back home with Tibbs. Tibbs is evolving. TIBs is like, we're gonna shoot forty Three's a game now, and I'm gonna allow load management. I'm not gonna run Keimba into the ground. Kember's already ran into the ground like he needs to. Just we're an injury prevention mode. Him and Derrick Rose
in a renaissance. Tibb's first year in New York got them a fourth place finish and a borderline superstar and Julius Randall.
They're not as good as the Hawks.
That was a bad matchup for them, but they did get slightly better. They got rid of Alfred Payton and Frank Nilikina. I mean, Nilo ken is the reason they lost game one, right, He's the reason they lost the Hawks. Like, who knows what happens if Frank Nilakina doesn't turn into a s'more right there on national television, Like who knows like Evan Fournier. Evan Fournier is an Olympic perennial superstar. Yes, he got the French hope for the New York next got the absolute bag at as I would call it.
That's the French bag, the French bagette.
It's bread, it's a bag, it's baguette.
Can he play defense? Can Kevin Evan forty a play defense? I don't know. I don't know.
Tibbs is going to make him try, though he will try. The return of Mitchell Robinson.
Mitchell Robinson put on twenty five pounds of muscle since his injury. I don't even know how that's possible with that, ehgh.
But I'm not gonna I'm not going to make any accusations. But d Rose is gonna have another solid season. Shout out to de Rose getting engaged. Emmanuel quickly is gonna continue to get better and like, actually, there may no be no stop in Obi Topin. Like Obie Topping was the summer League superstar. He I think this team could be forty five, forty six wins this season. Not a world beater, but I could very easily see them be a four or a five seed.
It wouldn't shock me if there were six seed, seven seed.
But that's what I think they'll be four top for is the absolute max.
That they will be. Yeah, they're not any any better than that.
Oh what do I say about the Philadelphia seventy six ers that I haven't already said?
Ah?
I can say is I love you really first and foremost, Philly.
I do love you because brought me to this place, this wonderful place called Odyssey. If it wasn't for you, Philly and your trash ass point guard who's really a power forward masquerading as a point guard with significant limitations in his mental makeup and arrogance, the size of this fucking studio, and yet someone who's not great in crunch time. Without that, without my prediction, that you would be exactly who you were.
Who knows if I'd be to this place?
Talk about bagattes like they gave the girl the bagette to leave. So Ben fucking Simmons technically the Sixers running it back again, swapping the Andre Drummond who embiid fucking hates uh out and Dwight Howard leaving for those living on are under a rock. Ben Simmons is currently with the team and not with the team. He's holding in. I don't know if he's gonna play any games, if he's waiting to be traded.
He's lost a bunch of game checks already.
I think that's starting to get uncomfortable for him and Rich Paul, his agent.
Rich Paul wants to get paid. Everybody wants to get paid.
The bottom line is this, Darryl Moury, Daryl Mourray is trying to get multiple first round picks for Ben Simmons, and everybody knows that he's not worth a bunch of first round picks. These are all things that everyone in the NBA universe knows, But who the fuck knows how it's gonna end. I don't know. I do not know the best cases that they get brogged in and like justin holiday and maybe one first round for Ben Simmons.
So the Sixers won the East last year, which was absolute fraudulent, like they were never going to win anything, Like they are going to be stretched.
To be a four seed. In no way is this team contending.
Doc Rivers is maybe one of the most overrated coaches in NBA. History had multiple Haull famers and only one ring to speak of. He's lost multiple series when he's been ahead. I don't even know the number. I think it's like something ridiculous, like ten six m BID when healthy is the league MVP, and I don't think it matters. Tobias Harris has had one good year. Fible's a great defender, Danny Green is back, Andrey Drummond is apparently said to look less like a statue than he has in past years.
But I don't know, I don't Actually I'm gonna it's one of those things where they say, I'm I'm Missouri on this.
Gonna have to show me, Gonna have to show me.
And Beid also needs to show me he can play more than seventy five percent of the games.
Like you got a big man who's got knee injuries and shoulderns.
He's always on the floor, he's always on his back, like IG thought. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. The bench is kind of shaky. Shake Milton and Isaiah Joe. I mean you literally, your your back cord is shake Milton. No shade to shake Milton, but your name is shak your name is Shak. Prediction time five seed, five seed at best Mystery teams, God damn, there's no mystery teams quite like the Miami Heat. No one disappointed me more than the Miami Heat.
I actually thought they were gonna compete with the Monkey Bucks. I'm like, oh yeah, I mean, like this thing could go seven.
I know they've had COVID every other day, and I know that Jimmy Butler is upset. He's also starting a new coffee franchise. But like, listen, I like the Heat, I like the culture. Exposure is a good coach, pat Riley's a good GM and it's.
You know, they did just go to the finals.
So like just what just what?
Like they just literally, like twelve months ago, just went.
They were just there, just there, and they disappointed on every single level. Everyone underperformed. Nobody can get their own shot. Jimmy Butler was broke as fuck. He could not shoot a goddamn thing. Pat Riley was disappointing. Andrea Godalla was supposed to be a spark, but Andrea Goodalla is old then, like pat Riley wrote him like a thank you note and was like, I wish you could have seen us when like it wasn't COVID and like Andrea Goodaala is
like fuck you. I never even bought an apartment anywhere, Like I literally got my house next to the facility.
I rented an apartment a month a month because I knew you guys were cold, Us Fax cold blooded. Pat Riley could move you at any time.
I literally didn't even sign a lease. Uh let's look at the departures the heat lost. Gordon Draggits, Trevor Ariza, Andre Gudala, b A Leicha precire Sechuwia, and Kendrick Nunn on paper that sounds better than that. That was honestly, like those guys didn't really do much. Gordon Draggage couldn't stay healthy, Andre Gudala couldn't be Andre Woodalla, Trevor, Trevor Ariza in and out of the lineup. B A.
Leach is okay, pressure Schechewi, you can't shoot.
Kendrick Nunn, he's okay, he's okay. Just didn't play. But three important pieces that they did add Mark Keith Morris.
Not as good as Marcus, but he's pretty good. PJ. Tucker is a dog.
And of course they they did everything they possibly could do to get Kyle Lowry and they got it. Lowry scene is one of the best pickups of the year. He was the bell of the ball. Everyone and their mother wanted Kyle Lowry, which is crazy for like a thirty seven year old kind of chubby point guard.
But he is a dog. He is a dog. I mean, David.
Griffin tried to burn down two franchises because he did not get Kyle Lowry in free agency. Tried to burn the Chicago Bulls down, tried to burn the Miami Heat down.
I mean, and also you were a part of that trade.
And like David Griffin and Lowry did a dozen does indeed make this team better. But like the Achilles heel is that this bench is really bad, Like this is paper thin, like literally garbage. Maybe one of the thinnest teens in the NBA. Tyler Hero Ever since he had a song with Jack Carlow, like, he hasn't been the same.
That's just the case. He was going on tour with Jack Carlow and ever since then he can't get his own shot. So he took a huge step back.
And I don't even mean like his step back, like I mean, he was awful pat Riley thinks he's like the second coming of pat Riley, so he wants to keep them around Kentucky boy, you know, like a smart snarl and shit and like the first coming of pat Riley. So the Heat, to me, are a wild card. They're not really gonna be built for the regular season because
they're so thin. But when rotations get shorter, five, six, seven guys, they're gonna be a nightmare for anyone that they play in the first round, coming on like probably like a six seed, seven seed.
Maybe they're playing, maybe they're not.
But I don't think the Nets want any part of PJ on KD Part two, Like I don't think teams are going to enjoy the right to play the Heat in the first round, well they win anything, of note. I mean, your guess is as good as mine.
Really.
Indiana Pacers another mystery team. The roster's good, coach is good.
I mean they're in Indiana. I don't know, I don't really know. I think they're gonna be better than the Bulls.
I like Rick Carlisle. Like I said, I like the roster. I like their new rookie, christ wal Go. Ducks the biggest addition to the roster is a completely new coach. I didn't hate Nick bu Orkrim, but he got absolutely buried in the media about like things that weren't even true. Rick Carlisle isn't upgrade. They've added Tory Craig. Tory Craig is a dog like Tory Craig will give them significant minutes. They got Chris Dorte in the draft. He's ready to
step up now. They lost dougm Douggie Buckets, Doug McDermott. They lost Aaron Holliday and Edmen Summer Sumner. Edmund Sumner hard to say out loud. And the biggest issue for them is probably injuries. Kros Lavert not only did he suffer a stress fact fracture in his back, he also had cancer, like just less than six months ago.
I don't know how long it's going to be until he's back. TJ.
Warren is in a walking boot after playing four games all of last year. Miles Turner is somehow like still on the team, even though he wants to be traded.
PACER's said to be in the Ben Simmons lottery. Like all of this to say like things.
Are in disarray, like franchise is the cheapest franchise in the league, like they never want to pay anyone. They really are content to just be middle of the road in the Eastern Conference, and that's probably exactly what they'll be good. The team did make a push to sign re sign a lot of their best players. They've got, you know, Sabonis, Sprogden, Laverne, McConnell, Turner.
They can do some damage.
They could also look absolutely great one game where you're like, yeah, it's a wizard's they're gonna beat gonna go to the next first round. Who knows that they could do play this, and then all of a sudden, like they lose by fifty, like that that is them. They can look amazing one night and then I like text the GM and I'm like, hey, your boys look good. He's like, yeah, tonight. That's that's all.
You need to know.
When your GM is like, tonight, we look good, that's all you really need to know. Prediction time Indiana Pacers. Oh, gun in my head, Gun to my head, Gun to my head. Eight seed, the next best, but they could be better. They could be a sixth seed. I don't know, but they're they're the biggest mystery. Next best like they are a mystery and also have some significant issues.
Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Toronto. Let's start with Boston.
I've got some finally, some good news for Boston fans. You actually have a coach that can like coach like, can motivate his players. He has a dog like Brad Stevens was coaching no One. He is absolutely the least motivational coach I've ever seen in my entire life. Like he is such a butler head coach, like just run in the mill, wonderbread fucking college coach. Ugh. The fact that he got put into the NBA just made absolutely
no sense. He's like the Sean the less charismatic version of Sean McVeigh, where like you came out of nowhere just because you were a boy.
Wonder.
Udoka Emai Udoka, new coach of the Boston Celtics, is a fucking gamer.
I like him. He's a Portland boy, so I know him. Well.
He's not gonna let the Seas go down by ten in forty three games this year. Let me just alert alert. The Celtics went down by ten points or more in forty three games this year. They got turned like butter just gross roster changed, Los Fournier, Camba, Moses Walker, Tristan Thompson, Chris Dunn. There was some movement with Chris Dunn, Sami Old, Julay Carson Edwards, Taco Fall, Luke Cornett, so pretty much
two thirds of the roster is gone. They added Al Horford, Enus Canter, Josh Richardson, Dennis Schreuder, Bruno Fernando and Juancho Ernin Gomez, the bad Erning Gomez.
I'm not sure. I am not sure.
If that is an upgrade. I really actually don't know. I don't know. I really don't know. You have Tatum and Jaylen Brown. That's all you can really say for sure. I am here to temper Boston's optimism right now. Well, I think I already did based on what I just said. But here's more. The two J's were healthy, played together last year, and they were twenty eight and twenty three. The two J's were healthy and play together only twenty
eight games last year. Or when the two J's were healthy and they played together last year, they played fifty one games. They were twenty eight and twenty three. That is not exactly what you would expect fielding a starting lineup of two All Stars Dennis Shruder cele I mean, for folks on TikTok, Who fuck did Dennis Shruder think he is? Like? Dennis Shruder thought he was worth twenty
six million dollars a year and he got five. Horford got literally paid last season to not play with Oklahoma City. They said, don't even come to practice. He thinks he's gonna start this guy zero people know what to expect from him.
I don't trust out Horford. I don't trust Josh Richardson.
All of the Josh Richardson highlights that you see are when he was playing for the Miami Heat, which was two teams ago, wasn't.
Philly, wasn't MAVs, literally two teams ago.
He has not played well since before the bubble and hiss Canter is one of the nicest guys in the NBA. He can put up buckets, he can't guard anybody. They flipped over half the roster and I don't even know if they got better. I don't even know if they got worse.
I can't tell. And even healthy, they're.
Not competing with the Bucks, They're not competing with the Nets, they're not competing with the Hawks.
I don't even think they compete with the sixers, and they're in disarray.
So I mean, IRV Grousbeck, the owner went on WI and declared, Hey, we're not in a real rebuild, We're just in like a complete overhaul. He's like, I'm not afraid of saying the word rebuild.
We're just not in a rebuild.
We're in a complete overhaul, a retool.
I'm not afraid of any words.
Listen, IRV grouse Bek, your team doesn't make any goddamn sense. I say my prediction seven seed at best, first round bounce though they might even get they might even get bounced out of the play in. That's how weird this team is. And the next offseason you're gonna think you think you think you're setting yourself up to get Bradley Beal, And let me just be very very clear, you're not getting Bradlee Beal. He doesn't want to play for you.
Never ever going to happen, under no circumstance will brad Beil ever be a Celtics.
I know you signed a bunch of guys, and try to make that trade happen. Try to make those trade, that roster swap equal.
It's not gonna happen, and I know that for a goddamn fact. Tough, tough when you have all those banners, things you hate to see. Charlotte Hornets a team truthfully much better than the Boston Celtics, much more exciting, much more complete roster, better management, less ego, I.
Mean, except for Michael Jordan.
But like still, I think that they're probably one of the most improved teams in the league. Exciting season was mostly derailed by injuries. I think they take a huge step forward. The Hornets lost a ton of offense. They lost Malik Monk, Cody Zeller, Devonte Graham, but they added Kelly Rubray, Ishchmith, Mason Plumley, and James Booknight and JT. Thor also Kai Jones to the draft. It's an exciting team. Miles Bridge is very good. We're gonna see what Kelly
Lubray can do. Kelly Ubray thinks very highly of himself. He said last year he would be able to do what Kevin Durant did for the Warriors. Then that was a lie. Kelly Ubray. Kelly Ubray can defend. He loves to shoot like he loves to chuck it up fifty times, everybody's like, oh, Trista, aren't you worried that Kelly Ubre is just gonna be inconsistent bring this team down, like
this team lived through the age of Malik Monk. Like Malik Monk sometimes had forty, sometimes had DMPs when he was on the floor, like he was on the floor.
Getting dnps very hard to do. It's very hard to do.
I know who will be consistent, and his name is PJ. Washington because he's going to be playing for his fucking life. Because ig thought Britty Renner has taken his child, has taken all of his game checks. I think he's actually living in an air mattress in Miles Bridge's extra bedroom. Like I think that's he to get an extra He needs a new contract and he needs some respect. Mason Plumley is definitely better than Cody Zeller. Cody Zeller can't
even stay healthy in training camp. He already broke his nose. We haven't even gotten to a game of the season, so that's how clumsy Cody Zeller is. Kai Jones and book Night I think will be impact players. Like Booknight is maybe one of my sleeper rookie of the years, So I think they got better, but I think the East did too. My prediction, there's a lot of six seed predictions in here. Succeed succeed, I don't know succeed
so many six seed predictions, Oh Brock. I have people that I work with that are on my show that are sold on the Chicago Bulls. Really they said that they might be the most improved team in the NBA. I am going to be very honest and say that person is on drugs. Well, that person has been taken in the Bulls juice and he is very high on the Bulls hype train. This team has had massive roster
changes since last season. They've added Lonzo ball To, Martin Rosen, Derek Jones Junior, Alex Caruso, Tony Bradlee, Io De soun Mu via the draft. They lost Tom Thomas, Staranski, Garrett Temple, Daniel Tice, Thaddeus Young, Alfa Rukamino, and Lori Markinen. God that like was hard to say all those names. They lost so many, Like I lost my breath saying them out loud.
Quite a roster of name.
This is probably one of the better starting lineups in the league. If big, if they can actually play together, Zach Lavine and Lonzo work like a hand in a glove. How does Jamarta Rosen fit into this?
I don't know. How does Derek Jones Junior fit into this? I don't know.
Patrick Williams coming off of a high ankles brain he'll be gone out eight weeks. He's not even in the roster right now. He's probably he's not even in the lneup right now. He's probably going to be the most critical piece to make this team make sense. And he's not even gonna be a year. He's gone till December. So you can pretty much walk across this roster and say, I don't understand it.
It's weak.
And it's also the roster that is the starting five they can score and they can't defend, and the rotation guys they can defend and they can't score. I don't know how you make that make sense. The only thing that you could say, how do we work that?
How does that work?
The only thing you could say is like, oh, a great coach could make this work.
Update.
Billy Donovan still coaches the Chicago Bulls, and he is not a good coach.
He's not a great coach.
He deserves to be at Florida still like he's not great.
It's compounded by.
The fact that there's high expectations for this team. I think they believe they're the top three team in the East, and they are not.
Right.
You spent all that money to be a playing team. You didn't even have to do that.
They could have been a playing team last year if zachly Vien didn't get COVID at the end of the year.
They were like a five or six seed.
And now when that happens, when you get the playing tournament and Zach Levine's contract is up and he wants max money, ownership doesn't want to pay him that max money, then what happens.
Then you got a Lonzo Ball and an old aster.
Mar de rozen and Ucevich who literally is like can't can't defend, Like he made your team worse when he got there from Orlando, and I think he gave up four first rounders for him and the goat Alex Crusoe but he doesn't like to shoot. And Derek Jones Junior, he's just got tree. He's got he's a trampoline and that's pretty much it. Like he's a dunker, and I mean, what else can you really say so. Do you think that Zack Levine is gonna get a max contract after that?
I don't think so. I think Zach Lavine leaves right prediction time. Nine seed could be a seven, could be a nine. Hine could be a ten. Six could be a six. Sixes sixes are pretty much my non middle Toronto Raptors team of shape shifters.
They could be a three seed or they could be a ten seed.
This is a five hundred team, probably maybe better.
They're back in Toronto.
This team was number two in the Eastern Conference before the league shutdown, number two in the Eastern Conference in March twenty twenty.
I love what massai Ugieri does.
They got rid of Kyle Lowry, who is coming up on a contract extension.
He's way too old. They got Scottie Barnes.
Somehow they got into the lottery because they just played so horribly when they were in Tampa. Now you've got Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam Bouchet, Gary Trent Junior, precious to Chuwia. Every guy is somewhere between sixty five and sixty nine. I love that they're gonna be able to get matchups that they like, they're gonna be able to switch everything. They're gonna be able to play defense, They're gonna be able to shoot. They've got Sam Decker.
Sam Decker in the corner if he ends up making the team.
They can guard multiple possessions. Like I said, they can all handle the rock. Don't sleep on them, sleep on him. They can get their chemistry back and Pascal Siaka's not cussing out Nick Nurse on the sidelines, then they could actually be his three seed. They could actually like sneak their way in. I don't I don't sleep on Nick Nurse. Probably one of the best coach teams in the league. And now that they're home, they are going to be
a surprise. People think they're gonna be a twelve. I think they're closer to a six.
Bottom of the barrel. Trash ass teams.
Trash ass teams Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, Washington. I mean Cleveland faces so many issues I don't even know. I mean one, Kevin Love doesn't want to play for them. He's not going to play games. He is getting paid a lot of money, he's not going to accept a buy out, and he's finaggled his way into making sixty more million dollars, getting kicked off the Olympic team and.
Hanging out with his girlfriend.
He's happy to sit out the remainder of the year, just yucking it up on the bench or yucking it up wherever he's at around the world.
Second big issue Evan Mobley.
Not sure why they drafted him. Not sure, still skeptical. And they signed Lauri Markanen and they have Jared Allen. So you have like three seven footers that are supposed to share time, maybe be on the floor at the same time. Don't understand that. Not sure?
JB.
Bickerstaff, Let's be honest. He doesn't know how to navigate three seven footers. He doesn't know how to navigate two seven footers. Seems like they should just add Ben Simmons start the entire like six' ten. Team all guys that can't play the ah guys who just played defense can't. Shoot third issue Is Colin. SEXTON i don't know if you know, this but like everyone Hates Colin. SEXTON gms went on the record today and said he's an. Asshole really not only is a backup point, guard he thinks
he's a starting point. Guard and his entire roster fucking hates. Him other teams heckle the rest of The Cleveland cavs and they, say, Hey Colin sexton is not gonna like share the ball with. You what's it like to play on a team where you never talk the? Rock Colin sexton just basically takes it to the hoop every single. Time this is a wreck.
That seems like it would be.
Problematic, yes, yes and now he's the subject Optimal.
No now he's the subject of trade, rumors which doesn't give you the warm and fuzzy feeling when you return back to that team and you were shopped all off.
Season that's not gonna blow up at. All he is a. Chucker he is a reckless.
Chucker Darius garland And sexton do not MATCH cj And Damian lillard esque sort of, matchup WHICH i can tell you respectfully as A Portland Trail blazer, fan did not work out.
The roster's out of.
Sorts this team was gonna win how many games they won last year twenty two games out of seventy.
TWO i would have taken the.
UNDER i say they win twenty again twenty twenty twenty to twenty three games right they.
ARE i, mean we don't even need to say where they're on the.
Standings it doesn't. Matter they're layer a lottery. Team Detroit, PISTONS i love.
IT i love.
Them for a team that's so, trash they're gonna be super. FUN i Like Dwayne, CASEY i Trust Troy. WEAVER i really Like Jeremy. Grant The pistons were my league past team of The year last.
YEAR i.
WATCHED i, mean it's sort of sick how Many Detroit pistons GAMES i. Watched. Honestly they Lost Mason, plumley Seku Wayne, ellington julil okafor And Dennis smith. Junior but they Added kelly O. Linok he's a good veteran. Presidence he can pass his ass. Off they Drafted Ked, cunningham they Drafted Luca, garza they drafted sleeper Pick Isaiah. Livers Sidiq bay is a good. Player he can score. Buckets he's, versatile he can play like a big. Guard you can get five
rebounds a. Game Jeremy grant Got olympic. Experience Ye Sadan lee is probably one of those sneaky players you've never heard of until they do a whole ringer piece on him Like March Sadan lee transforming Motor, city like just wait for, it just wait for. IT i don't care That Kay cuttingham is a bus. Face he does have a bus. Face, YEAH i hope that he becomes a transformational. Talent The pistons are a couple of years from, winning but they are well on their. Way and for a
team that's, trash they're still. Fun how many wins they had nineteen? WINS i know exactly how many wins they had last year BECAUSE i watched every game.
Nineteen wins last. YEAR i watched every one of.
THEM i.
Think there's twenty, three twenty four. Wins Orlando, magic.
Oh, MAN i. DON'T i never muster up enough energy for. Them, honestly they are a, sad sad sack of. Folks, Yes markel folks came From philly where they treated him, wrong and then he had a nice little beginning of the. Season they TOWARDS. Acl now they have a million. Guards they've Got Jalen, Suggs they've got, Him they've got who else is on that?
Squad got Call anthony one.
Guard they've Got Michael, Carter, Williams Markel FOLTZ.
Rj, Hampton Gary, harris, Obviously Jalen, Suggs Terrence.
Ross they've Got moe And Franz wagner on the same, team which should never. Happen but, literally they have six guards on this. Team they're gonna have to move. Some they're not gonna win.
A lot of.
Games they are plus one hundred thousand to win the, title plus thirty thousand to win The. East they are one thousand to one long shots to win it. All they are three thousand and one to get to the. FINALS i feel like, that AND i just don't think it's even like long enough. Shots, yeah that seems. Low that seems. Low they have a new, Coach jamal Murt.
MOSELEY i really like. Him he's inheriting in a net team that finished twenty second and three point attempts twenty six then makes twenty seventh and long ranged accuracy twenty ninth in offensive. Rating they are fucking. Trash they are going to remain trash from now until. Forever, yes prediction. Time literally the last last record in THE. Nba they are last. Place they're gross maybe fifteen, wins seventeen wins Unless Jalen suggs becomes Just. BATMAN i just don't see.
IT i do not see. It, yeah Gross Washington. Wizards AM i A Washington wizards?
FAN i THINK i.
Am i'm living here IN dc. AGAIN i don't know how to feel about. It they always break my. Heart they executed the biggest trade of the off. Season they had like eight or nine teams that was necessary to facilitate this. Trade they sound rest to The lakers for half their, team which was later expanded to Include Spencer dinwitty and five other, teams making it more complicated Than Spencer dinwitty trying to get bitcoin to be how he ends up getting his contract. Salaries he also wanted like
he has a new bitcoin. Company he wanted The wizards to like make so. Complicated So Wizards Gale Aaron, HOLLIDAY, Kcp Kyle, Kuzma Mantres, Harrold Spencer, dinwiddie and signing draft Picks Isaiah todd And Corey. Kispert they Lost Russ Alex, lenz Thank, God Is, Schmith Chandler, hutchinson Is Isak.
Banga And Robin.
Lopez, Also Rui hachimura has not been with the. Team he unfollowed all of his teammates On instagram he's finally back with the, team and new coach West Unsale junior is, like, YEAH i think it'll be difficult For ruie to play well given the fact that he hasn't been here in like three. Months so, wow not he's A he's a key piece of this. ROSTER i don't know how well they're going to. Play they do have, guys they, like,
sneaky have. Guys they're gonna be a team that goes up by fifteen or twenty and loses by three in. Overtime that's them also again, again and Brad beil is still, unvaxed apparently seemingly out of it and probably not going to be able to play in some games on the.
Road and so This wizard's team is a.
Mystery they could easily be a seven seed or they could completely miss the. Plan SO i don't. Know they are going to be fun to. Watch Quentin mayo reported That Montres harrow has picked up something That Bradley bial often says to the, team where The Washington wizards Bro we've been overlooked, Forever AND i think.
That's a good way to say they're going to continue to be.
Overlooked, yes because they're going to continue to be irrelevant, forever, forever. FOREVER i hope, not BUT i think that's. True And Bradley bill apparently doesn't care about winning a. Championship he's just going to continue to get his game. Checks he's going to continue to get max. Money he's going absolutely. Nowhere he loves this. Community he apparently loves this community more than he loves.
Winning and you know, What i'm not here to knock. Him that is his.
Decision that is his, right his, body his. Choice that is all the time that we have for this league. Podcast, no that is all the time that we have for The Heat check. Podcast follow us At Trista crick And this Heat check on TikTok and, download subscribe and give us a rating On apple And.
Spotify we will see you early Scorely.
WEDNESDAY i don't know that It's, wednesday AND i think we're Recording. Wednesday, wednesday So, Thursday i'm going.
To be In New.
York i'm gonna be In New, york So wednesday night with Our Western conference. Preview there you, go so many more teams to get, to so little time community.
Today that's, great all, right all, right what type of. Shoot is it for this