Make it Make Sense, Respectfully

On this episode of This League, we talk about the Devin Booker snub, which was inevitable. The Devin Booker All Star snub happens. This is the seventh time now why the Wizards are no longer the joke of the NBA. We also break down the resurrection of the Miami Heat and why the rest of the e should be worried, and we also work on answering a new batch of listener dms. All right, Marty, a bonus segment, if you will. We got to talk about brandon Ingram. What the hell

Where was he drafted, Marty?

Do you second?

He was drafted second overall?

Okay, behind your boy.

Behind your boy, So okay, brandon Ingram gets drafted to the Lakers, and then all of a sudden we get Lebron James.

Playing on this team with brandon Ingram.

The first time that I ran into brandon Ingram was right out after he was drafted.

He was doing he was doing a spot.

You know, these new NBA players, they have these sponsorship deals with brands that they really don't care anything about.

So the brand reaches out to us.

This is when I was working at USA Today and they say, Hey, would you like to do a one on one exclusive interview.

With brand new lottery draft pick brandon Ingram.

And I'm like, hell, yeah, absolutely. This kid is nice, this kid's long, he's lean, he's the possibly. At this point, everyone's calling him maybe the second coming of Kevin Durant, which is a generous comparison, we'll say quick.

So I'm like, okay, yeah, I'll go interview brandon Ingram.

So I pull up there and it's very clear that there's a lot of people excited about brandon Ingram being there, but none of them, none of them's name.

Was brandon Ingram.

He was basically comatose in the middle of this interview. He was his eye were almost closed. I have to find the clip. I don't even think actually we published it because it was so bad. I think I had to tell the it was a knee brace sponsor. I had to tell them like, none of this was usable. I've never had a.

Non usable interview in my life.

Yeah.

So then we're trying to get some b roll for the interview. I mean, this is just like a complete.

Non secutor, right, we're not planning on talking about this, but so we're doing the b roll, which is like you're getting video to put on top of the interview, right, so that you're not just seeing the two people talking the whole time. And so we're like, hey, Brandon, it's me and my producer. Shout out to Sandy, who got me fired and hired at Barstows.

Shout out to Sandy.

So me and Sandy are around and I'm like, hey, Brandon, can you give us some dunks and like some layups around the rim?

And he goes, nah, I'm a gunna. I'm a gunna. What you mean, I'm a gunna?

And he's got his brother there, and his brother's like, doesn't look at all like Brandon Ingram. He looks like he's he's not. I mean, Brandon Ingram is like slim reaper.

Kind of style.

This guy's two hundred and sixty pounds and probably five ft seven.

That's where Mike Westbrook really yeah.

That's insane.

So, I mean, there's nothing more polarizing than the brothers on the set, the brothers playing basketball and Brandon Ingram's just completely out on doing anything complying. So I'm not a huge brandon Ingram human being fan. Maybe things have changed, maybe they haven't. So before we get started, I'd like

Zion is a generational talent.

He's tremendous athletically, he's skilled. Who cares that he only has like one move around the rim. He's tremendous. There's no disrespect to Zion Williamson when I say this is just big time cap. This is the biggest cap ever. Excuse me, Brandon Ingram. Do you forget that you played with Lebron James.

Yeah, for a full season, for an.

Entire season when Lebron James was trying to get your little ass out of there so that he could get someone new he was trying to, hence the comment, yeah, obviously he's a little salty salty balls.

Brandon Ingram like, what are you kidding me? What an oversight.

There's just no way he forgot that this is about as bad as when Kyrie Irving said, oh, I finally have someone now that I have KD that can hit a final shot in the fourth quarter. Also forgetting that he played with generational talent, one of the greatest of all time, Lebron James. Also Brendan Ingram feeling himself. Let's go into who else he's played with. He's played with the US Team USA in the National Select Team roster

In terms of team value yet it's not close.

Yes, in terms of that's what we're talking about, right, Yes, I think Drew Holliday could lock down brandon Ingram in one on one? Are we talking about one on one here? I don't know as in terms of team value for sure, Drew Holliday. In terms of one on one, it's close, totally different positions.

But who are you brandon Ingram to say this?

You are the second OP on a sub five hundred team that is exciting as hell but is not doing shit this year. So maybe, just maybe this year? Do you know how many teams had at least two legitimate All Stars on their team before replacements?

Six? Six six This is a Marty segment.

Six teams, the Clippers.

The Lakers, the Jazz, the seventy six Ers, the Celtics.

And the Nets.

Six teams had at least two selected All Stars before replacements. Who am I missing that's on that list? Who was not on that list as a team Marty?

That would be the Phoenix fucking Suns.

It's not fair, folks.

All the best teams in the league this year have multiple All Stars on and the Phoenix Suns are legitimately one of them, except for the world is just a cruel, cold place. As it relates to Devin Booker, they are second best backcourt in the league behind the Nets Facts and guess what, folks, for the sixth year in a row, snub city population one Devin pretty Boy Booker.

So I've got a lot to say about this. I mean, I've it's taken. I've taken a good bit of time to gather my thoughts on the snub. And normally I think all star snubs are kind of, you know, silly to talk about because there's always one. But this is part of a bigger story and a bigger pattern of disrespect that Devin Booker has been subjected to. I'm so used to the slander. It honestly doesn't even really surprise me.

In You're unfaced when it came out in the group chat.

You're unfaced, yeah, because it's not a feeling of like anger or saltiness that a lot of people you know, want to make it into. It's just a confirmation of feelings that Devin Booker is consistently disrespected and appreciated, and that people switch up narratives to use against him at

I don't think I do.

It was him and a scrimmage. It was like him, Joe, Kim, Noah and a few other players. He got mad. He was like, hey, stop double teaming me. Were here to work.

Oh I do remember that, And everybody was like, no, Devin Booker, you can be double.

What Devin Booker doesn't like to work was basically what no, I'm trying.

To work on my game, I get double teamed every single night because I am amazing.

Yeah, I don't need to practice passing out of double teams.

No.

Before the Orlando Bubble last year, ESPN released an article ranking the fifty best players in the bubble. It was thirty one. He was behind the likes of Fred Van Fleet and Montrez Harrel.

Yikes.

I mean we saw this coming. I knew it was gonna happen before it even happened. It was so clear in my head, Yeah, that Devin Booker was gonna get the snub. I mean it's death taxes and Devin Booker not making.

The All Stars and Devin Booker disrespect.

That's just the way that it goes.

And we know, okay, yeah, Devin Booker filled in for Dame Lillard and he played in the All Star Game.

That is not the same thing.

No, you want to earn your spot, Devin.

Booker now getting a d spot not the same thing. Devin Booker is not a reserves reserve. That's not the case. I mean, this is a respecting.

Right, absolutely, Yeah, a pattern of underappreciation and disrespect.

It's appalling.

I would says, it's past fucked up the way that they treat him. And it's not just about the All Star selections. It's about everything that goes around that comes with the narrative of Devin Booker. And the way that Devin Booker put on a show leading up to the selection meant to me personally. He was doing everything that he could to break down any potential naysayer. He was balling for the last three weeks before the selection came out.

Yeah yeah, yeah, the last like ten games leading up he was real special.

Thirty points, four and a half rebounds, and five assists in his last nine games. Yeah, where the Suns went seven and two. So its stats and it's winning. And you knew that. The motivation for him to ball out was because he was like, Hey, what more do you need from me, Devin pretty boy Booker in order to make the game. Yeah, he's put not only is he putting on a show. Let's just talk about who they've

He's just not good enough.

And it's a good time to remember and a good time to remind everyone that this is not just fuck them kids, this is also NBA coaches that are disrespecting him in his own conference because you the way that the rules go is, Western Conference coaches have to vote for the Western Conference reserves. Eastern Conference same deal. Can't vote for your own team players, you can only vote.

For everyone else.

And yet they were like, nah, you know who we're going to give it to instead, Paul George.

Paul George is missed a third of the season.

Yeah, he's missed ten games, folks, how do you make Paul George an All Star when he's missed one third of the season.

Alright, it's inexplicable, it's crazy.

Like CJ. McCollum would say.

Make it make sense, make it make sense respectfully, please. So Paul George is basically doing the exact same thing as Devin Booker. He's averaging twenty four six and five. Book is averaging twenty five.

To four and four.

Both play with current All Stars with Kawhi and Chris Paul, he's scored eighteen or more. Devin Booker has scored eighteen or more in twenty five out of twenty seven games, So he's consistent as hell.

It's not like he's Boomer Bust Averages either, right.

Yeah.

No, and the Suns being the hottest team in basketball. They're twenty and ten, including nine of their last eleven. And you know who ends up getting all.

The shine for that, Chris Paul. Yeah, Chris Paul average sixteen.

Yeah, that was the weird one that didn't get talked about a whole lot.

One of these things are not like the other.

Well, it's just I'm cool with the coaches voting if they're just gonna be consistent about how they vote. Because last year in the All Star Game, Booker got left out and was who did they have in there? They had Westbrook, Chris Paul, and Donovan Mitchell, all who he had better stats than. And the argument was, oh, you're just you don't have the team success, you're not doing enough.

But it's bullshit, because Bradley Beal made the All Star Team. Yeah, and the Wizards at that point in time were one of the worst teams in the East, so they just keep switching up on what the actual criterion is.

Yeah, Zion bothers me too, because their stats are pretty comparable if you want to get I mean, I know Zion shooting sixty two percent from the field, so like, I get that, but it's just a complete one eighty from how they did it last year. And then there were people saying, oh, Mike Conley should be eighties. That was joke, phl that was that.

Was joke, Phil.

I just I just don't see it. What is it going to take. What do the numbers need to be? It was like you said, it was at first, all numbers, no wins. Now it's oh, well the wins are really for Chris Paul and before he got there.

No.

Actually, well, actually, folks, Devin Booker.

Led the Suns to going eight and oh in the bubble, they were already rising, they were already arriving prior to Chris Paul getting to the team. Yep, they are. The entire NBA media is well. Actually, Devin Booker every step of the way. And I think it's because he's so good looking. I think he's so smooth. He has everything going for him. He's pretty in the face, he's dating Kendall Jenner, and they're like, you know what, fuck him. Why would we give Devin Booker more things to hang

It does?

It does, Yeah, people talk about it a lot. Yeah.

And speaking of legacy, I love Chris Paul, but that's a legacy vote. That was He's averaging seventeen four and a half nine great, But is that if you're gonna put Chris Paul in, you have to vote Bookrin because they're on the same team and Booker's averaging more stats.

Right, It's like, oh, with Chris Paul, winning matters, but with Zion stats matter. With Paul, it's I.

Demand an investigation.

It's just it's it's just pure hypocrisy, and I'm sick of it.

I want to see who voted for who.

Yeah, really, I.

Want them to stand in front of a podium and explain to me why, because I believe it's undefendable. So even though we saw this coming, the outrage was even bigger than we all would expect because Lebron James took to Twitter and said book is the most disrespected player in the league right now, except and then.

Follow by game Dollar.

Right. So even though we all saw it coming, as you can tell, I am outraged.

Yeah, I just want to go back to what I was saying earlier. I know I didn't talk a whole lot about this All Star Game. I hope I kind of made my point heard that it's just garbage that they've one year it's about wins and team success and then the next it's about oh do stats say this? It's just a pattern of disrespect that Devin Booker has experienced basically since he came to the league, And I

What do you think about that Hornets game last night?

Do you think that was part of a Devin Booker disrespect because what happened was Devin Booker was egregiously fouled.

Yeah, and no foul was called. Yeah. No.

I mean, you really start to sound like a Homer when you get on and complain like, oh, Devin Booker never gets calls, but he kind of doesn't. I don't want to be that guy, but he kind of doesn't. And you see worse players get it, like Bradley Beal gets that call and then not that I'm saying Bradley Beal's worst, but Damian.

Lillard for sure gets that call. Harden gets that call. I mean, damn right, Marty, make it make sense.

This is a DC segment. Are the Wizards better than we think?

I think it's possible. I think it's possible that the Wizards have turned a corner. No team more decimated by COVID than them When Adam's was just making Miami go out there and play with seven guys. They shut Washington down for thirteen days.

Yeah, the Wizards got shot. Shut down for a full two weeks.

No practice, no communication with your capadres, no contact, no nothing, just zoom practices.

Just brutal.

And I was on record during the pod saying that the Wizards might never play another game again this year.

Right, Yeah, No, I mean they're by far the team most affected by COVID this year. They missed the most time and the most games two full weeks at a stretch. San Antonio was close most recently, but their back playing.

Yeah, and san Antonio.

I don't know which is worse, san Antonio missing like like one week and then another week, or whether just an entire two week layoff is worse. I think it's worse when you're just getting You're just getting a ramp up for you to just be out for two solid weeks, missing, you know, ten games. Right before they shut down, they played the Suns and they beat the shit out of your.

Sons, Marty.

They things seem like maybe they had their mojo going. It was early in the season. No one really knew who was gonna be good and who was not gonna be good? And then they came back and then all of a sudden they obviously were super rusty, right, And all of us didn't really think about the rust, myself included, and we're like, oh, yeah, the.

Wizards are trash. The Wizards are big trush.

Why because they're always big trash. So we just expect that just because something happened last year and the year before that and probably the year before that, then it's gonna continue to persist into the indefinite future.

Right.

Also on top of that, they were the second worst defense in the NBA. I believe at that point that Bradley Beal said at one point he was a we can't.

Guard a park car.

Oh yeah, yeah.

That was when I was like, yo, burn it.

Down, send Bradley Beal somewhere else, like trade him, trade him free.

We were all like, free Bradley Beal, free him. It feels like just yesterday.

And then what happened, And we were also like, oh, yeah, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, Oh I don't know about that are much.

Who's going to take the last shot? It's going to be Russell Westbrook.

Jacking it up, bricking from forty and then all of a sudden, Russell Westbrook because he was out there. I think he said he was playing with one leg at one point, because that's that's the kind of caliber of player that Russell Westbrook is.

He finally got healthy.

And the first time he said that he was feeling right the entire season was that win against the Nets, and the Nets had everybody kde Harden Kyrie and the Washington Wizards beat him on a last second steal and buzzer beater, whoa, whoa, And we were like, wow, Okay, maybe this is just a grudge game, maybe it's just

They beat the number one team in the East, the number one team in the West.

Right, they've been playing good teams in the stretch, like, yeah.

They went on the road trip west and buzzed through their opponents that they had no business beating none they're one of the hottest teams now in the league. They beat the Blazers, the Nuggets, the Sixers, the Lakers, all on the road.

Jesus.

So why the question is why? Why did this remarkable change occur? Scotty Brook says, Russell Westbrook says, Bradley Beal says, Hey, guys, like when you take two weeks off, it's really hard to be in game shape, right, and it's pretty hard to play consistently good defense when you're out of condition. I don't know, maybe when you play some games you

Yeah, no yet.

I would say that's one of the biggest reasons that this Wizard's team, their starting corps and their bench is now playing more effectively because you've got a big man in Robin Lopez calming off the bench match up problem. Me too, leading the team in a defensive rating with one hundred and one, putting the clamps on the Blazers, holding every single opponent that he guarded zero for thirteen clamps.

We were hot.

Blazers were hot, and then we shot thirty five percent from the field With Robin Lopez on us. I'm not saying he's the panacea for the Wizards.

But that's meaningful.

Oh yeah.

And ever since they've had that change, ever since they've gotten healthy, ever since they came back to condition, and ever since they made that lineup change, things have been different.

And I tell you, what, are the Wizards good? Are they good now? I don't know what do you think? Have they figured their shit out?

They're definitely closer now than they were coming into the season. I just really didn't like this roster and then just Westbrook and Beale together, I just didn't really believe in. But I did like Thomas Bryant a little bit, and when he went down, that's when I really gave up on this team. So the two guys you just mentioned, Wagner and Lopez coming in and making up for those minutes that they lost with Brian, I think it's been a big, big factor in this surge.

The question is is the darkest before the dawn? Are we now seeing the Wizards on a surge? Are they possibly a playoff team?

I don't know.

It appears though, that I might have been a little too early with my opinion that the Houston Rockets won the John waltrade. So credit to me for saying that I was wrong. Because Russell Westbrook is, according to Bradley Beal, a perfect teammates. The teammates, all the teammates on the Washington Wizards say that Russell Westbrook is an incredible leader. He's bringing it every night. And so now this team

Be a team.

It's third in the East, and they have been respectfully big trash. They have been got hot hot and I don't mean sexy, I mean hot garbage, like the kind of garbage in New York City in August, just like flies swirling about emanating steam.

It's been bad.

I mean it's been And I said they were like one of my favorites that I predicted going back and being the contender in the East. And I I feel very silly even saying that, given that they've been that bad.

But some of that kind of like the Wizards, not really their fault.

Right yeah, yeah, no, couch of it was not, Yeah, covid.

This team was once forced to play, like I said last segment, they were forced by Adam Silver's ass to play with seven guys. They've missed only one game due to COVID, but numerous players have missed time due to protocols, including Buckets, who missed ten games by the way, one third of the season with COVID. Dragis missed fourteen games and will miss more time ankle injury.

He's old as fuck. They've cycled get this stet the Heat.

The Miami Heat have cycled through more than fifteen starting lineups. Are eighteen fifteen starting lineups so.

Far this year in like thirty one games.

In thirty one games, fifteen I would say that's hard to get some chemistry and cohesion in your roster when every night it's changing.

I'd say, so, uh, what is their fault is this?

Pat Riley has decided or did decide, they were not going to go after another point guard and Dragas as you know, Marty has limitations, one of those being father time.

He's pretty much missed.

He pretty much missed the entire NBA Finals last year, and they were like, Nah, we don't need to upgrade.

We're good with what we have. We'll stay pat.

Pat Riley, speaking of staying pat, Pat, what are you doing? They better make some move there there is no excuse for not having a backup plan for an older, hobbled point guard that had planter foreshitis last year and now he's got an ankle bum ankle. The dude has will say he's missing wheels now.

Also, Kendrick Nunn is awful now.

Kendrick Nunn somehow, somehow, I think that was probably their plan. And now they're scrambling evaluating whether they should bring Isaiah Thomas on to their roster. That's how bad things got in the point guard spot for the Miami Heat, and so not surprisingly, giving all these things, COVID no point guard, point guards injured, they have sucked. And now that Jimmy's healthy, Holy shit, this is the heat we've been talking about. This is the heat that we've been wanting to see.

Now, terrible, terrible, not the way that we say we want to play, not the way we're supposed to be playing. But it's okay because we will turn it around. And like you're saying, said.

Better late than never, Yep, better late than never. That's true.

That was before they won on their little run and the Heat go where Jimmy goes.

So here's a little stat. The Heat are twelve and eight.

With Jimmy and three and nine without Jimmy. So if Jimmy hadn't missed any games, they'd be seventeen and thirteen, and if he's missed the full season, they'd be.

Eight and twenty two.

At this point, that would mean either third in the East with Jimmy or last in the East without him. I would say he's pretty critical to that team's success.

Yeah, that's significant.

That's significant.

Now what I am hearing a little Birdie has told me, and I think it's also very public in the NBA Twitter spheres if they're thinking about adding Victor Ola Depo.

Yeah, I've heard that as well.

What do you think about that move?

I kind of love it.

I think if you add Oladipo to that roster. Oh boy.

Yeah. I don't know if they can get another point guard, but at that point, it just really doesn't matter that much.

No, Jimmy Depo and Bam. I like that. I like that trying whole lot.

And they have a huge test coming up Friday night they play the Jazz.

What do you think is gonna happen in that game?

Do you think that they're gonna compete or do you think that they're going to get their asses handed to them?

Like every team that plays the Jazz recently has.

I'm not picking against the Jazz until they give me a reason to, especially after last night. They just came in mault the Lakers. I think the Jazz are playing I mean, this is far from a hot take, but the jaz are playing better than anybody in basketball.

All of that to say, if the Heat end up getting a big player like Oladipo, you better watch out. Miami fan base is not necessary to pump them up. Also, Dragon's is coming back return is imminent, probably.

Right before All Star break.

I'm hearing yep.

Bam is now looking healthy the same way that he wasn't in the playoffs before his injury. And I tell you what, I don't think any Eastern Conference team, including the Brooklyn Nets, want to see this team in the playoffs. This Heat team in the playoffs, No way. This is like a junkyard dog that has been desperate and hungry and scrapping their way even to be in the playoffs, which I think maybe makes them more dangerous than ever. So I don't care where the Heat end up getting

Count that.

Let's do it. Okay, first one, we've got why aren't more people talking about James Harden as a potential MVP?

Why aren't people talking about James Harden as an MVP?

You know, that's a really really good question.

I would say it's very similar to why Damian Lillard is not getting any shine, And it's all.

Based around the media.

Once you get into that like stream, like that happens kind of prior to the year even starting. There's like pre odds and like media chatter, and then you have a good couple like maybe good ten games. That's why Lucas still in the MVP race. Just that's just the hot thing to do. So you've got Braun, Embiid, Jokic, Luca and Jannis and Steph is a long shot. That's where the media is right now. And that is what is an NBA MVP narrative that will not change once you get like seven guys in that stream.

I don't think it changes.

Yeah, and Hardin is not part of that discussion, even though I think he should be. And the reason why is probably because of the way that he pushed his way out of Houston. I think that makes it tough for anyone to root for you. But let's get it straight, folks. The reason that the Nets have had continuity, the reason that the Nets have continued to win, is because of James Harden.

He is so durable.

That's the reason that the Size and Sean Marks decided to go after him. To begin with, Durant has missed a ton of games due to COVID. Now he's missing games due to I don't know what we'll call it injury. I think it's injury. They maybe it's load management. Doesn't matter. Harden is that guy that can step in and be a continuous force. Uh. Kyrie went on his little walkabout. He did his little thing for a while. He's missed some games due to injury as well.

Who's there?

Hardens there the most reliable guard possibly from a durability standpoint in the NBA, it's Tim and Dame and.

I don't know.

Yeah, I would say those two, those two consistently.

I looked at Harden's stats. He's missed on average, like five games a year for his.

Entire career only. Yeah, he's been the league like twelve years now.

It's incredible.

That guy that we joked about having a fat suit on is doing everything for the team that should win the East. He's averaging I had to look these stats up twice. He's averaging twenty six or twenty five, seven and a half and eleven and eleven over eleven assists a game is twice his career average.

That's the guy.

You remember Harden's narrative, right, he's selfish, he's selfish. He doesn't like to pass.

Yeah, I've heard that.

Yeah, he've heard that, right.

MVP Harden doesn't like to pass, even though he was leading the league and assists that year as well. Yeah, narratives, he's doubling his assist amount per game now he's doing exactly what this Brooklyn Nets team needs him to do. And you know what, he's got better odds or worse odds, however you would like to call it, than Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant is a more favorite to win the MVP

Right now, Kevin Durant plus fourteen hundred. That might be the worst value bet in all sports, right, I.

Mean, why would anyone, why would anyone put a dollar a dollar into that? You know, it's interesting Harden because everybody joked after the trade that Harden wouldn't be able to share the ball with Kyrie. And guess what, this isn't Houston anymore, folks. Where he needs to drop forty in order to get off and in order for this team to win. It's like, oh, well, Kyrie's there, Okay, I'll play make for him and KD they're missing, Okay, I'll drop forty.

It's it's insane to watch.

Harden become this chameleon who matches his game to any scheme. When he was coming off the bench in OKC best six man in basketball, number one option MVP, playing with two other MVP quality players, playmaker James Harden one hundred percent.

Whoever asked this question disrespect.

James Harden one hundred percent deserves a dead serious look at MVP this year.

And why isn't he Because the media fucking sucks.

That's why. Okay, moving on, We've got If the Sixers trade for Lowry, big if how far do you think they can go in the playoffs?

If the Sixers trade for Lowry, how far do I think that they can go in the playoffs?

I think the finals.

Yeah, probably pretty far. Probably adds another all star caliber player, I mean.

Yeah, exactly.

Kyle Lowry can do all the things that you want to point guard to do. He can shoot, he can defend, he can take charges, he can lead an offense. He's outside of this year, pretty damn durable. The question is what are the Sixers giving up to get him. It appears that Kyle Lowry wants to go to Philly, But the question is what does Philadelphia have to give up in order to get them? Right?

If they keep their young core, everything's gravy trained.

This is like a Finals Finals destined team. If they have to lose like Tobias Harris, that's trouble.

Yes, that's trouble. So I don't know.

The bigger question is, really, how does this team match up with Kyle Lowry against the nets You've got. Kyle Lowry probably matches up with Harden, Tobias guards KD, Yah Simmons of guard KD or He'll rotate around and then the big three now at that point are pretty well defended. And that's the only way I think that Philly can somewhat stifle a team that's gonna score one hundred and thirty points per game or something like that.

That's the only way.

Yeah. Uh. And then on top of that, Kyle Lowry can when the lights are brightest. We know that Kyle Lowry shows up. We know what he did with the Raptors when he was in the finals. I mean, he's a fucking monster.

He's a monster.

I mean, at this point, Kyle Lowry fan who asked this beautiful question, is the perfect player to take pressure

Yeah, Okay, do the Bulls sell or buy at the deadline?

You know, I would have said originally that they would be a seller because you.

Would want to get rid of those valuable pieces and.

You're a young franchise, up and coming franchise that it's probably not going to win anytime soon, so you should get some pieces develop your young core.

But man, are they one of the most surprising teams of the year.

Oh the Bulls yet I think so?

Yeah, I said earlier that the Bulls were not going to be good for an indefinite period of time, and I was wrong. They're not great, but they are good, and that is important in a year that pretty much the entire East is down right, Like everyone thought that this East would be strong, and now the Celtics are sub five hundred and the Heat are a mess.

Yeah we're baking from who knew?

And yeah we're back to new Yeah, but at this point, the Bulls check this out. They've beaten the Pacers, they've beaten the Pelicans, they've beaten the Blazers, they've beaten the MAVs twice, and they played the Lakers, Clippers and Blazers.

Tight, tight, tight. I would say that's an overachievement.

So all of that to say, I think you keep on to every little piece you have and you maybe pick up another asset just so that you can maybe make a push to go to the second round.

But I would not sell zach Lavine at this moment. No way, oh, no no way.

Flip Saunders said that zach Lavine was going to be a star, and everyone laughed him out of the gym, and zach Lavine, let me tell you, folks.

He is a star.

But the Bulls in general, even without Zach Lavine and his thirty five points that he puts up nightly two nights ago, there were seven guys with ten or more points on that squad.

That's deep.

Yeah, So I think the Bulls should probably be buyers. They have to add defense, they have to add toughness. They can score without marketing. Maybe maybe you get rid of marketing and you try to bring in like a John Collins.

I like that because I also I also really like Williams a lot, like I don't really like as a stretch. I like Patrick Williams. There's a good basketball player in there. I'm not exactly sure what it's gonna look like in three years, but there is a good basketball.

He's like a red onion. You have to peel back.

How many layers are you gonna have to go in order to get a quality NBA player?

We don't know.

But I think the East is wide opening, and the Bulls house as good of a shot of taking advantage of that as anybody else.

So that's my answer. That's all the time that we have for this league.

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