Hoops Talk with Frank Michael Smith!

Break was breaking down all the biggest NBA storylines.

So the heat Check.

The Heat Check was just a cry the best podcast covering all the drama around the association. Let's move on to some hoop stuff because I know that so Pittsburgh, So what's the NBA team?

Which? What was the NBA team for you growing up?

You know, it's so unfortunate we don't have an NBA team. Pittsburgh loves basketball. No one talks about this, and people laugh when we get mentioned for an expansion team, but Pittsburgh loves its sports so much. We would do so well with an NBA team.

We have the arena.

It's relatively new PPG where the Penns play. They host March Badness. There's plenty big enough, but I've never had a team there.

And as a kid, I always was just a fan of the league.

You know, the closest I came to becoming a fan of an actual team was as a kid, we'd always go visit my grandparents in Cleveland, and you know, as a young kid, it was tied up perfectly with Lebron's first stint in Cleveland, So it was the coolest thing my grandparents would get as tickets once a year to go see Lebron, and I got to see you know, the other team too, Like I saw Ming in person. We saw young t Mac and we went to a couple games versus the Bulls, and you know, young Lebron.

I can't. I can't explain it. But like I'm wearing like a PSG shirt right now, hoodie.

I bought this and I was like, maybe I'll become a PSG fan, you know, like that'd be nice, right like they got that, they got Naymar, like Neymar Trista. It never works for me. I can only be fans of the teams that are in Pittsburgh. I tried to become a Cavs fan. I tried to be a PSG fan. It doesn't work. It just doesn't work. I try to be a Warrior too.

Dubs, Yeah, hard Doubs.

They're my favorite team to watch, but I can't really have that connection with them.

I need the team to be in Pittsburgh.

Yeah, there's something about the local vibe.

I'm an Oregon Duck fan, went to Oregon Blazer span through and through. There's just but I'm also a Cowboys fan because you know, there's no NFL team there, and it's just a different feeling.

You know, there's just a when they lose, you're upset, but.

Not really as much as when it's like, oh okay, it's Washington Oregon. Last few seconds that that heart is in your chest. So I get that with the local flavor. So in terms of like the news, we talked about this when I come on your podcast, what is the most like you caught me off guard? So I decided not to catch you off guard. Most she under the radar signing pick up in the NBA.

I think this season, okay, I think a lot of people forgot about the Christops move. That was a big deal when it happened, and now that the Celtics have made another move, it's like totally forgotten. I haven't heard any articles or any talk about it, but I think it's important here, and you know, we're talking about a team that's a title favorite, so I'm kind of surprised.

Yeah, me too.

I think a lot of that's because he's just not been healthy.

Right, and so we're wondering, is he a five?

Is he a four?

How's the fit? And then the Drew thing came in.

Yeah, I mean he's always an injury risk and you know whatever, But that's that's gonna make the team look so much different. I'm not particularly a huge Christops fan. I think his game has always been kind of weird ever since he got the first injury in New York. Unfortunately, he definitely didn't work in Dallas. That was ugly watching him alongside with Luca. So I'm not saying this is gonna be a good move, but it's definitely one worth keeping tabs on.

That's not getting any balls.

Favorite off the court plot line or plot lines this season.

Okay, it's gotta be James Harden right, Like we talked about this when you came on. He had another quote the other day where he was like, all right, so update, he's at camp, and then they ask him again He's like, situation, relationship is beyond repair.

He compares it to a marriage being done.

I'm like, okay, so what so what like you're gonna like be on the team still, or how are we doing this here?

Because you're still at war with the team.

It's like when you live with your boyfriend or girlfriend and you guys are broken up, but you're still like you still have a one bedroom and you're just sleeping in this like twin band together. You like look over, You're like, yeah, I don't want to be here, but I have nowhere else.

That I can go.

Yeah, I mean pretty much.

It's like, so if Daryl Morey was the woman here, she's like bringing back other dudes to the apartment. He's like, oy, he has to just like sit through it. It's like I need to find a different place to live.

He needs to go. He's gotta go soon. I saw this that Zach Low.

I like Zach Low a lot, but.

This is maybe the most disrespectful league past list I've ever seen.

Where you've got like Toronto's got to be the hardest watch this year.

So who are your top league pass teams and who are your like absolutely switching away from the TV when this team is on.

Let's start with the team I want to watch. I still think the Kings were a League pass team.

Absolutely.

They were so fun to watch last year, and I know how many games are they on national TV list always comes out, but I didn't review it. I'm guessing they don't have very many. They're still in Sacramento, so it's going to be a lot of league pass for me for the Kings. And it's the West Coast, so those games are they're usually like a sneaky late night watch. That was always the Blazers for me. They're in the Blazers spot now. So I like the Kings. I mean, they're just exciting.

They run it up.

I think they scored like one hundred and twenty five points a game last year.

And then worst team to watch. You can't use the Raptors. They're really bad.

They're really bad.

I want to go with Charlotte. There was just news again the other day about Miles Bridges.

Can anything go right in Charlotte?

Like they made I saw someone make a list of like the police reports on their team. It is so bad. And then you add in LaMelo, who doesn't have a police report. I don't want to, you know, misreport anything here, but it doesn't seem super interested in being like an NBA player.

I think everything goes wrong for them.

I have almost no hope for this team, and I think it's going to be a lot of selfish me first basketball, which I hate seeing.

Yeah, what team do you think has the biggest drop off this year?

The biggest drop off? Unfortunately? I think it might be the Warriors.

They're still and I really like the Warriors.

I love watching them play basketball, but I think a lot of things can go wrong.

In a lot of different directions for them.

Yeah, we talk about on your pod that Chris Paul fit will have to see.

It wouldn't totally surprise me if they end up being like a nine or a ten seed in missing the playoffs, up being a playing team.

They're just really old at this point. I don't think there's any way around that.

They're probably going to be some injuries there, They're going to be short on depth. Don't love it, but you know, Steph is He's gonna find a way. If Steph remains healthy the whole year, he's still gonna be Steph Curry. But yeah, I don't want to I don't want to redo the whole thing about Chris Paul.

I just don't see how he fits in.

You'd still think Nuggets win the whole thing or who's your title favorite as of now October seventeenth.

I think it's Boston. It's hard to pick against the Nuggets in the West though, really it's really hard. Remember when those Jokic retirement rumors came out. I think that's I think that's the only thing that can stop them is if he just like becomes disinterested in playing basketball, which I think it's a I think it's a lie.

Yeah, it could be like the greatest bit ever in history. But you have been Thank you so much for making the time. We're gonna have to do it again. I am coming out to Pittsburgh. I'm gonna see a game with you again. Like you guys, If you guys don't follow Frank Michael Smith on every platform and you're not getting storytelling from him on a daily basis, you must do it again. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter. His Twitter thread's low key, very insightful as well the hook at the end.

We'll have to do it again soon.

Trista, it's been a pleasure. I'm excited for Pittsburgh and everyone out there. Definitely follow the Twitter. I'm trying to grow on there, so good stuff coming on there.

Absolutely, thanks so much,