On this episode of the Heat Check.
You remember the school days. You know the snow is starting to fall. It's mid terms. The holiday break is when you get your report card and oftentimes dictates how good or bad your holidays would turn out. It is now mid semester break. We've got grades for all thirty teams. Lots to get to Anthony drop that beat that should be Rehonno, before we discept this mid simon report card for all NBA teams, let's talk a little bit about Christmas Day.
Christmas Day was a hit.
Even as the NFL is trying to encroach on the NBA's territory, which I think is fucking bullshit. The NBA still had record ratings even up against Beyonce on Christmas Day. Why all five games were incredible basketball? The ratings highest for the NBA since the twenty nineteen season. I think that should probably put a lid on the whole. Like NBA stinks, NBA's.
An unwatchable product. BA da da da da.
Talk for like maybe a week or two or maybe just a week. We've got the first game Spurs versus Nicks that started the day mkil Bridges and Victor Weminiana both got forty. The Wolves sweated out a close win over Dallas despite thirty nine from Kyrie. The Celtics nearly came back from fifteen down in the fourth quarter, but they got held off by the Sixers, which was the Sixers'
best win of the season. The Sun held off off the Nuggets one ten, one hundred behind twenty seven between Beale and kd and in the capstone of the day, Golden State and the Lakers turned back the clock.
They put on an all time classic.
Steph Curry had thirty eight, including two clutch threes in the final two minutes. Lebron James had thirty one. They asked Lebron after the game what he thought was still good about the NBA, and he said, Stephen Lebron is what's still good about the NBA. And Austin Reeves is who won it for the Lakers in the final seconds. He got emotional. He cried on the podium. He said,
I'm not even supposed to be here. My family's watching, my friends are watching, my former coaches and teammates are watching, and.
I showed up for them. He was literally in tears. It was a very special moment.
How great was the slate of Christmas games, the average margin of victory was five points, the closest ever for a Christmas Day with five plus games. So the NFL did not destroy the NBA on Christmas. Also, we had Goofy and we had Mickey and Mini Mouse. So take that NFL you want to take. Put put Jamar Chase in whatever he was in what was he He was like some sort of random character in nbation. We could do that too. We got that there's room for everyone
on Christmas Day. I do agree, though, that Christmas Eve should have some games. I think that at least some sports might be nights after dinner when you're opening up your one Christmas gift all the night before Christmas.
I've got lots to say about that.
Anyway, onto the main course, it's the holiday break. Just like back in the day when you were a little tight, It's time for mid semester grades. I know we're not quite halfway through the NBA season, like, but let's take out Amber two, pencil mark some shit out of the teams. Let's sit back, hand out some grades. Reach for some hot cocoa or hot buttered rum or a coke zero.
If that's what you're down for whatever. You need to keep your A little cocaine, that's what you need to keep your holiday break going.
Let's start out out east.
The East I feel has gotten a bad wrap this season, in part because there's a lot more disappointing teams.
Out east than there were in the West.
But I don't know if that's actually true anymore. It feels like the West is actually the low key trash. It was a good narrative for most of the season. Let's start at the top. Cleveland Cavaliers sitting there at twenty six and four A plus Calves started the year on an absolute burner.
Just go back and listen to the earlier episodes that he checked.
We talked about the Calves more this year than we probably have ever, even when Lebron James was playing with that team. The truth of the matter is the biggest problem that Kenny Atkinson has in Cleveland is just how many minutes to play? Everybody the rotation players all need minutes.
There's so many players bawling out. He had to give a press conference earlier last week about George bang bang Niang, who's having an incredible start to the year and now is gonna lose some playing time because mac Struez is off the IR finally off of a sprained ankle. Atkinson was kind of like, Yo, it sucks, but you can be so effective and have your minutes cut and if that's your biggest problem, if they can stay healthy. We've talked a lot about the Caves this year, so I
won't go too much into depth about them. We're gonna I'll probably talk about them more in April. You've got issues with the Celtics and their injury issues. Kristavs porzingis a team in the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have two very strong, very big big men.
This team is solid from top to bottom.
They're the one of the deepest teams, if not the deepest teams in the East. Also, Donovan Mitchell looking like he is every bit as important as people thought he was going to be when they wanted to trade for him when he was having the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes for the Utah Jazz. Darius Garland looking really great. You have so many good role players balling out like Ty Jerome. This team is a problem A plus mid semester grade.
Boston Celtics.
You would think twenty two and eight would get you a better grade than B.
They get a B. But this is your defending champion.
All the stars came back, Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum playing really good basketball as you might expect. Jew Holliday and Derek White have been solid performance as they always are.
But to be perfectly fair, the.
Celtics have an injury issue to address over the course of the rest of the year, and that is Kristas Porzingis.
He has now been.
Pulled for four games this season since his return, which is like about three weeks ago.
I think they kind of hit lightning in a bottle last year.
Christas Porzingis has never really been the model of health he's been in his career has largely been dominated by his injuries, from the nixt to the MAVs to I think he was pretty healthy on the Wizards, but like, let's be honest, there wasn't a lot of impact on that body. He's missed twelve of the celtics nineteen playoff games last season, and of course, like when he's on the floor, the Celtics are a different team, a more dynamic team, a team you believe in a lot more.
They had a very easy path through the playoffs.
Without him, What's gonna happen when they run into friction in the playoffs.
I don't know if they're gonna.
Count on him going forward and without him up against dynamic, formidable, healthy teams, I feel like they are beatable, especially if you limit their threes. The Celtics are talented, The Celtics are deep. The Celtics are well coached. The Celtics have championship experience and championship caliber. But they are no longer the odds on favorites to come out of the East. Academically, Vegas says they are. There's still I think like minus one ten to come out of the East, which is
absolutely fucking bonkers. Forty percent of the season. You gonna be though, Boston because I think there's still room for improvement. Maybe a little tweaking here and there.
Maybe one trade for Rob.
Williams again, I don't know, that'd be a nice little comeback story. Let's go on in New York Knicks twenty and ten, they getta be plus.
Let's face it, I.
Was not a believer in that Karl Anthony Towns trade. I am very surprised that this is going as well as it's going. He Karl Anthony Towns has not been just everything that they could have hoped for. He has been a lot more offensively than they could hope for. I think he's top five right now in MVP voting if you're talking about a replacement for Julius Randall. I expected him to be pretty good. But the truth of the matter is he is like all pro right now.
He's averaging over twenty five points a game. He's leading the league in rebounds, and he's kind of like bringing the vibes up to his stodgy, sort of stiff Tom Thibodeau Villanova situation.
I did not see it coming.
I thought losing Dante DiVincenzo would have been a bigger deal. Dante DiVincenzo right now is languishing in Minnesota, one of the worst shooting splits of his career right now, and Carl Anthony Town's is three point shooting is much better forty five percent from three versus thirty three percent for Dante. Maybe it's the system that's getting these guys good looks. Karl Anthony Towns is spacing the floor and wigs. It literally unlocks everyone on the team. Oh Giannanobi is having
a career year. Mikhale Bridges is finally finding himself. His December has been really great. He went for forty one points on Christmas Day. He's shooting forty percent from three I think forty five percent right now from three for mckel Bridges in the month of December. The team needs a center. We know that because that's not Carl Anthony Towns. When Mitchell Robinson comes back, which we last heard was.
Sometime in January, their defense is gonna get better.
They still play at that same slovenly sloth like, not slovenly molasses like pace.
Can't find this synonym.
It's fine, uh, And they now lead the league though in offensive efficiency because of Carl Anthony Towns. This is a super fun team. This is a dangerous team. And if Tibbs doesn't wear them out, because you know he's running mckel Bridges into the ground with forty minutes per night like he always does, this next team is gonna be around and they are gonna be a problem. Great start, Nicks, What a fucking trade that that B plus might.
Just turn into an A by the end of the season.
Orlando Magic Grade nineteen and thirteen grade B plus. This is kind of like when like one of your best students gets like mono, you.
Know, and like they have to go.
This happened to me like my junior year in high school.
I had to like.
Watch Pride and Prejudice from my basement cause I couldn't read it cause I was so sick for like six straight weeks. And my Mom's like, hey, like, we know you can't read, so we've gotten you the like PBS Shakespeare's stories.
You know, I forget what those.
Are called, like masterpieces. That's like what's happening with.
The Orlando Magic.
You can't really great them. You don't like when you were healthy in class, you were good. They've now not gone down one player, not two players, but now three important players. I almost gave them an eye for incomplete. But they're gutting it out.
This team.
They get like they're like that kid who gets hit by the car and then they're like hobbles into the class A week later. You're like, yo, you shouldn't be here right now, you're still bleeding. I'm gonna give you bonus points.
Just for showing up. Someone fix those wounds.
Paalo, Ben Carrol and Franz Wagner, both playing at elite levels before suffering one are of the rarer injuries in the league, which is an oblique tear. And then, to top it off, Moe Wagner, who is averaging thirteen and five on thirty six percent from three, he suffers a season ending injury with his knee. This team was like destined to cause trouble, especially if KCP can shoot a fucking three, cause they are just row from the perimeter.
But the fact that they are even sticking around at this stage is incredible and a testament to Jalen Suggs. Poolo's coming back soon. He's having on court workouts. Pallo is on his way. If Vo Frogner can come back by April, this B plus did grade probably goes.
To an AA minus.
Let's move on to the Milwaukee Bucks. They are sixteen and thirteen tough to grade. The Milwaukee Bucks. They are like they're like the kid that doesn't come to class, like the first half of the semester, and then all of a sudden, they're in the front row in the second half of the semester, are answering every question, They got their homework finished.
That's them. No team has been as big of.
A disappointment early on as the Bucks, especially when you look at their record. They're three games over five hundred. But they've been better. They reeled off.
Nine of their last ten.
They've now come back to Earth five and four since that win streak ended. Damon Jannis have started to learn to coexist. Chris Middleton is coming back. Chris Middleton when he's healthy, adds another layer to what this team can do.
They can be dangerous. Jannie is playing at an MVP level.
Doc Rivers are starting to get a lot more accolades. Again, I don't know what to make a doc Rivers, honestly, like he's the same guy that gave all those excuses last season and all these excuses to the beginning of this season. Dame and Giannis getting fouled trouble if they have an off game.
There's no safety net. I'm not sure if this Sea grade improves. I don't know if they're any good.
They don't have much depth and there's not much they can do to improve their roster.
C grade.
They continue with Miami Heat. They are fifteen and thirteen. They get a C minus. They are on the verge of crashing out, and this has been coming for a while. The split between Jimmy Butler and pat Riley has been imminent since pat Riley decided not to give Jimmy Butler an extension, which honestly I understand. Like Jimmy Butler's thirty five, he's got a player option. Maybe you ride out one
more year with him and then you move on. Jimmy is trying to get up out of there, is signaling to Sean Sharanya pretty much directly, Hey, I want out of here. The agent is saying all of the opposite things. I think the agent might be somewhat in alignment with the Miami Heat and not Jimmy Butler, and Jimmy is kind of quietly quitting right now. His last game that
he played was on the twentieth of December. He played seven minutes, took zero shots, took himself out of the game due to some sort of un unsort of specified illness. Has not been on the court ever since, isn't traveling with the team. We'll cover more details on Jimmy in the next episode, but for now, the team is kind of low key trash. Haimi Hawke's production is down nearly
thirty percent from last year. Terry Rozier is averaging twelve points per game and he's making twenty five million dollars a year.
BAM has had.
His lowest offensive production since twenty nineteen. This team's just not very good. If it wasn't for Tyler Hero, who's playing awesome right now, this team would have an f If they do trade Jimmy, I don't know what they're getting back for him because they don't want Bradley Beal. Feels like Jimmy Butler and the Heat are going to come to a very unceremonious and at some point in the next twelve months. I don't see the C minus grading proving despite the fact that the Heater kind of
just hanging around. Atlanta Hawks sixteen and fifteen Vegae to b They're one game over five hundred, and I actually thought they'd.
Be a lot worse. This is the team they have a number one pick in last year's draft. They are fun.
Dyson Daniels had eight steals the other day. He is a defensive revelation and he is someone who is like so unbelievably happy to be out in New Orleans. He's like yo that place fucking sucked. Trey Young just got his eleven thousandth NBA point and he.
Doesn't need to score thirty five points a game anymore. He's one of the top assist leaders in the NBA.
He's playing very efficient basketball for Trey Hung And I really like Quinn Snyder.
He's a really good coach.
He's building a defensive first team, a lot of rangy long guys that can play multiple positions. I think in a year or two he's when he starts developing more guys in the mold that he did with Jalen Johnson.
This is a very dangerous Hawks team.
They are one elite fitting player away from being a very very good team. And if they finish at five hundred, I think that's a huge success. Indiana the Indiana Pacers, what the fuck? Fifteen and sixteen they get a D plus. I just don't know what's going on, I like, other than the fact that Tyreus Halliburton is putting game lines up with four, two and eight in thirty seven minutes like he did to Okay See the day after Christmas.
I don't know what's going on.
You can't have your star player get four points in a full game of work. Tyrese Haliburton is supposed to be the dude that you rely on your franchise guy. If you're getting lou Dort, Caruso and Casein Wallace thrown at you like darts on a water balloon at the.
State Fair, I don't care you need more.
Than four points. I just don't know what to make of it. And the Pacers are going as far as Halliburton takes him. He has to be still injured or mentally not there with his hamstring yet. His inconsistent play is a massive issue. They'll be probably a playing team, but this is a franchise who.
Is just in the Eastern Conference finals. They have aspirations of another deep playoff run.
Very bad first semester for the Pacers Detroit Pistons fourteen and seventeen. They get a beat. I did not see the Pistons getting to their win total by Christmas. They are in ninth place right now and something that no one saw coming. I thought they'd continue to be what they've been, which is the lottery team. Cade Cunningham has been really really good, putting up twenty four points, seven rebounds and ten assists.
That's ridiculous.
I think a lot of this resurgence is smoking mirrors because we've got a bunch of veteran players who are not going to be in Detroit for in a couple of years. You got like Tobias Harris, you got Malik Beasley, Like, really, why do you.
Want to be good? You know, I don't know. They've been the.
Worst in the league for the last three years. But it's fun to see him win some games. Maybe they'll get the fifth overall pick again, like they consistently get no matter how good whatever, it's that groundhog day, no matter matter how good or bad they are. The Atlanta Hawks weren't that bad they got them were an overall pick.
This is a very Pistons like thing for them to be too good to make the high lottery in the one year and where the lottery is the best it's ever been, where there's a bunch of can't miss prospects. Good job for those fourteen wins, Detroit, though I appreciate that. I respect you for trying Chicago Bulls.
Yes, they're thirteen and eighteen. They get a C minus.
I know the Bulls only have thirteen wins and they're five games under five hundred. I want to give them a decent grade because we weren't sure what to expect for them. They're kind of outperforming someone's expectations, but like I had zero expectations.
For them, and a lot of the reason that they're.
Winning games is because zach Lavine is born for his life.
He's like, please get me out of here.
People want to hate on zach Lavine, and they have for the last two years because he's been super injury prone and he's got like this I don't give a fuck and I don't want to be here attitude, which is like, I don't know if that's fair. I think it's fair. But this year zach Lavine twenty two, five and four, and I think someone's gonna try and scoop him. He can fill it up when he's on. He put up twenty points in a quarter recently at six May threes.
He's a bucket. Let's be honest. Zach Lavine's a bucket.
Okay, even though he's from Seattle and Portland people we don't love Seattle people.
Like overall, he's a bucket.
This bulls team has been a little more fun to watch and a little more competitive than I thought that they would be. But still, you're thirteen and eighteen bulls. Can you sell off some pieces like Vucevich and zach Lavine, because again, the fact that the Detroit Pistons have more ways than you is a surprise. I'll move them up a half a letter grade if they trade zach Lavine
and Vucevich Brooklyn Nets. Wow, I don't know how to grade it, because are we grading in on how good they've been or how successful.
They've been on accomplishing their goals? Twelve and eighteen B plus. It is kind of weird.
Giving a team winning just forty percent of their games a B plus. But this Nets team. I love Jordy Fernandez, He's so underrated. He's gotten the Nets.
How do you do it? How do you consistently beat good teams? Those are the only wins they have. It's like, listen, when we want to compete, we will. They just beat the books. I know, you know, Yannis no dame, but they're.
Playing tough basketball in the way that I don't think anyone expected them too.
They're kind of playing a little too good.
And now the Nets are understanding the assignment they traded Dennis shredder. That was just the first step. They have four first round picks this year. If you're a Brooklyn Nets fan, you should be optimistic because you got a guy who can coach. You have a team who knows the assignment, which is the tank you have. Those things can be incompatible at times, but Jordi understands, Yo, this is a team in a rebuild. We gotta move Cam Johnson, we gotta move Dorian Phinney Smith. They don't fit into
the timeline. But it's they're a fun team. They really are, and it's fun to see Brooklyn play good, high culture, ethical basketball again, with the exception of Cam Thomas. Of course, moving on to the Philadelphia seventy six ers, this grade could change. I'm just gonna say that what we saw on Christmas Day gives me a little glimmer that they can fix their grade by finals eleven and seventy And I don't.
Mean the NBA finals. I just mean like the finals of the grades. They're not going there, let's be honest.
Eleven and seventeen d plus, Wow, they've been a dumpster fire. Paul George, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxi all have missed major time dute injury. Jared McCain the only bright spot on the team. He is out for the year now with a torn meniscus. They signed ancient players who I think when they get out of breath, dust comes out, like Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon. They all have been disasters somehow though.
The part that gives a glimmer of hope Nick Nurse has they have won eight of their last eleven games and they are just ticking up the standings in a very weak East. They have a lot of time to turn this around. I mean more time than you have
in the West. They're only a one and a half games behind the last playoff spot playing spot, and honestly, if they're fully healthy, all of them except for Jared McCain, I don't know what you would feel if you're like a team like the Calves playing this or the Knicks playing the Sixers. Again, if they're a seven or eight seed, there's a team that could bite anybody that obscures the fact that the Sixers, though, are the most disappointing team at the break this season, but they can improve their
grade a ton Toronto Raptors seven and twenty four. They get a c. Now, this is a team that doesn't surprise me, only winning twenty two percent of their games. So although they're very, very bad, they don't get a failing grade because they have signs of grogs. You got Grady Dick, who's getting better. Scottie Barnes is a star. I think putting up twenty eight and seven. I don't know how many Toronto games I really want to watch, Like, I don't think many people want to watch them, but
like Darko's awesome. He's a madman on the sidelines. There's not really a lot to say. Emmanuel Quickly and RJ Barrett, that was a good trade.
O g Ananobi wanted up out of there.
The Pascal Siakam trade was okay as well. They're rebuilding, they're figuring it out. No time to change this grade though. Charlotte Hornets seven and twenty three D minus. Wow, they are terrible. This is an awful season for them. Lamello remains a highlight reel.
I'm not sure how.
Much LaMelo ball helps a team, but he is fucking fun.
I really think he's fun.
I don't think like if I'm the Spurs, I want Lamello. But there is no reason to tune in and watch a Hornets game at all this year. I think you just look for LaMelo highlights on threads. That's what I just think you do. No one thought that they would be this bad. This is what you get for resigning a guy who beat the shit out of his girlfriend was Wizards yes five and twenty three. They either get an A or an F. I don't know if they
get Cooper Flagg. The years in A they have five wins five and twenty three.
They need to.
Get rid of those guys though. They need to get rid of Jordan Poole. They need to get rid of Kyle Kuzma. When the last two years you thought Kyle Kuzma will hit you two first rounders. He's probably not getting you even one first rounder. Worst grade in the East again or the best grade in the East, because they really do understand the assignment. They've got Bub Carrington there. I like Bob Carrington.
He's fun.
They got Kaishawn George, he's good. They've got Alex Sar I like him. They've got some dogs. They got Baalah Kolabali. This is a fun young team. I kind of like what they're doing with the coaching staff, but they're not gonna be good for a while. And that arena fucking is terrible. I've said it a million times. Let's focus on the good things we're going into the new year. Cooper Cooper, white chocolate and DC baby hunting, just capturing the flag.
Let's turn to the west. The thunder and the lightning and the thunder, lightning and the thunder.
I wish I had like a draw Anthony put that drop in twenty four and five. He won't. It's an a, of course, the Thunder get in a. This is the deepest team in the league. They have an incredible defensive presence with an MVP in the center of it at shake yil just Alexander who is averaging, by the way, thirty one six and six, which is ridiculous. They've surrounded him with more. Isaiah Hartenstein has fit in great. Alex
Caruso is a monster. If check was healthy right now, holy shit, Like we forget he's not even playing.
What a fucking team. The one thing I worry about is they're shooting.
Which like if you're relying on lou Dort to shoot forty percent from three in the playoffs, I think you're gonna have trouble. We saw it in the NBA Cup Finals. That was rough for them. So I think it's gonna take one more player. Maybe they'll trade a role player or one of their young guys is not getting any minutes. I love Casen Wallace by the way. Maybe they'll trade some guy that's not getting minutes and they'll find a shooter like a maybe a Cam Johnson. That might costa
but they've got a million picks. Go and do something. Find another corner of sniper. We need somebody who can shoot the rock the leather off the ball, because if you go up against the Celtics, it's gonna be night night, sleep mask, just like it was with the Dallas Mavericks Houston Rockets twenty one and nine a minus.
I don't know what's happening.
It's like you see the stats and you're just kind of like, how nobody on this team can shoot at all?
Not a lick. I think the average field goal percentage is like thirty eight percent.
No one expected them to be second in the West right now. Emy Udoka is the fucking man Portland, Portland, Oregon.
Stand up. That's my guy.
E May Udoka from Kenton, one neighborhood, one neighborhood over over from me. That's that's that's Jefferson High School right there, that's my guy. No other coach throws up the shocker for the press conference photos, fresh off one year off of a sex scandal. Okay, like, that's my guy right there. He's got he's got big coach energy.
You know what I'm saying.
Alprin Shank, he'll call you out in the media. He does not give a fuck. Alprin Shangun has been awesome on both ends. Jabari Smith is quietly improving. He's up to thirty from three right now. Tarry Easton has given him eleven and six every night. I'm and Thompson is really good. He's a defensive monster. Can't shoot a three to save their life. But if they can figure that out, this is a dangerous team. Dylan Brooks is just an irritant.
They are a team fred Vanfleet irritant. They are a team full of like salt water in your eyes, just little paper cuts and salt water, over and over and over and over. I don't know how dangerous they are. I have no idea what they're gonna do in the playoffs. But they are super super fun. Memphis Grizzlies twenty one to ten.
They get a grade of a B plus.
They are dangerous, they are real, they are deep.
I love Memphis.
I love Taylor Jenkins, who might be one of the more underrated defensive masterminds in the league.
Doesn't matter who's on this team. They're rocking John Conkar out here.
John Conkar is getting trade request love like teams are circling for John Kung Car. Sante Aldama is one of their best players on this team.
What is happening?
You will never hear an ESPN story when Desmond Bane gets thirty. Jaw is not breaking scoring records, but he's been awesome twenty one points a game.
He's still recovering from his injuries.
Zach Edie is nice. The role players nice. Jalen Wells, Wow, where did he come from? What a great draft pick? Really nice start to the season. They are going to fuck a team up in the playoffs. They're gonna punch you right in the mouth. Taylor Jenkins might lose his.
Might on the sidelines. I love the Memphis Grizzlies. Love what they're doing.
Wah Chef's kiss probably should get name minus Dallas Mavericks nineteen and eleven.
Woo.
I don't know, bame minus lot was expected from this team after the finals run. They add Clay to the mix. Been very inconsistent despite a long winning streak, and now they're staring at a stretch of probably a month and change without Luca. They're gonna need to hold it together. Derek Lively's been pretty good. Kyrie has been incredible. He had forty something points the other night on Christmas Day.
Clay is starting to.
Heat up a He's a grower, not a shower, you know what I mean.
Clay is giving him fourteen four and two.
His production just slowly ticks up as the months get colder and he can't be on a boat anymore. But I think this is a team that could make a move before the deadline. It's been a strange semester for the MAVs, but I expect more going forward.
I think they'll tick up if.
Luca gets back healthy. I think they'll tick up. But they're dangerous no matter if they're a playing team. Top six, top four, doesn't matter. Denver Nugget teen and twelve. They get to see I've said it a million times. This is a team that is in serious trouble. They don't get that much trouble looking at them because they've got Yokic. They could have an f if it wasn't for Yokic playing at an MVP level again, He's gonna win it again. He's kept them in about half of their game single handedly.
Jamal Murray is averaging the lowest three point percentage in the least amount of points per game since twenty nineteen. He has a career high in turnovers. He fucking stinks right now, and I love Jamal Murray. The Nuggets, Black Depth, Christian Brown, Peyton Watson.
They are not stars. They are not him.
They're gonna have to address something before the trade deadline or its curtains. They need to trade Michael Porter Junior. Yeah, Michael Porter Junior coming out and saying, well, the team tells me they're not trading me, but if.
They were, they wouldn't tell me anyway.
So he knows what time it is. This team is constructed. Can't beat anyone, let alone OKC or a dozen teams out West LA Lakers.
Seventeen wins, thirteen losses.
They get a C considering everything, because like this roster still stinks, Like considering everything, the roster should not have them four games over five hundred. Brawn and Anthony Davis day to day Davis have regressed. They still he's day to day right now. Anthony Davis he sprained his ankle on Christmas Day, shocking. They don't have any perimeter shooting
for the fourth consecutive year. They got Ridatorian Prince, who's now like the leading three point shooter in the NBA right now, and they replaced him with Dalton Connect, who, no matter how awesome Dalton Connect was gonna be, he was never going to be the best three point shooter in the league.
It's not great.
The rumor is that they're gonna ship some first outs to try to get a game changing star, But who is that?
Really? Is that? Dearon Fox, you gonna be able to do that?
You better fucking ship out Anthony Davis then, cause if I'm Sacramento, I want Sabonus and Anthony Davis together.
If you're if I'm giving you my franchise star. This is this is a gray that's likely gonna go down.
This is a ship that just slowly but surely is losing pieces of.
The whole is the whole of Peters of the ship. It is right for Clippers.
Seventeen and thirteen, they getna be probably a B plos though they have the same record as the Lakers. They they have like no one on this team is Kawhi hasn't played a lick yet. He's expected back in a week, but like, isn't he always expected in.
A week back?
Like I have been pleasantly surprised, Like James Harden has been so good. Norm Powell has waited his entire career to be an option and he's been really good. Not an off court in distraction either. James Harden a mere coffee, just a small coffee, has.
Also been good. He's just been really good.
Terrence Man, Like who is on this roster really and you say yourself, wow, Kai Jones, Chris Dunn, MOBILEBA, Like they should not have seventeen wins right now. They really should not. Trenton Flowers, Jordan Miller, the ghost of PJ. Tucker and all of his shoes, Derek Jones Junior has been a big disappointment and yet they persist.
So far, so good.
Clippers more room to grow, Phoenix Sun's fifteen and.
Fourteen they get a D plus.
This team stinks. Okay, they finessed me. I think we're the other media members who are smarter than me.
They finessed me.
Sometimes I get tricked, like I don't think this is a good team, and then Brian Windhorst comes out. He's like, I really like Phoenix, and I'm like, yeah, okay, all roll No, this team is garbage without KD and he has been injured way more than he should be injured. At this point, when the big three is healthy, they're probably a B B plus. Maybe that happens so rarely that we are talking like the Brooklyn Nets of the West with kde Harden and Kyrie, Like we never see
these three dudes together ever. Ever, Booker's having a bad year. His numbers offensively are the worst he's put up since twenty seventeen. By the way guards in Mike Budenholzer system, I'm just gonna say, they don't thrive. They don't thrive. They're already looking to move on from use off Nurkic.
Not a surprise.
They're trying to get somebody good in return, which they will not get.
What's the solution? In Phoenix.
I think, I think a time machine, and you go back and you say, do not sell this team to Matt Ishpia and his two dollars hot dogs.
This a man tried not to get killed. That's what he is. He said, you know what, I'm.
Not trying to be that United Healthcare ceo hot dogs coax everything. Two bucks fifteen and fourteen for Minnesota. They get a D minus. Really should be an F, but there's room. There's so much talent on this roster, you really can't give him an F. They are the single most disappointing team in the NBA this year. No one seems to have gauged, even me, how important Karl Anthony
Towns was for this team. Aunt Edwards is almost in mourning over the loss of his friend, alternating between sad and angry, like a guy who's best friend in grade school had moved to Tulsa and he doesn't know what to do with it. And they see each other maybe during the Christmas holidays, and they hang out every day, and they changed trade jerseys and they just pined for
one another. Yet again, it's clear Karl Anthony Towns was the glue we thought it was aunt It is not aunt Ant is sending ricochet shots to this team every time he gets in front of the media.
We don't like each other.
We don't have any chemistry. Things are getting worse. We don't have an identity. Like the list goes. We're well coached, but we are not executing. We've got players, no one's showing up. Julius Randall is.
Disappearing for long stretches of games.
It is clear perhaps that he and Chris Finch maybe did not get along so well in New Orleans. This trades legacy might end up forcing aunt Edwards to leave Minnesota, which would be a big yikes. But at least you guys got under the second apron. Congratulations to that you saved some fucking money. Golden State fifteen and fourteen. If we would have done this ten twelve games in the season, they would had an A plus.
But the problem is we gotta play all the damn games.
They get a D plus, not because they're in tenth place at the mid semester break, which honestly was expected, but because our dubs once again have had high expectations coming into this season. They get Buddy Heal, Buddy Heel they're shooting some of the best percentages of his entire career. You got slow Mo, you got d Anthony Milton, you had Brandon Pajemski, Pods the untouchable hero. You have our man, Jonathan Kaminga. Cum Buckets was getting a bigger role on
this team right before his contract year. Everybody thought this was a team that was going to evolve into a real contender. And it is just really tough right now. You got cum Buckets. Now back to the bench. Pajemski's on the trade block. Steph Curry's talking about the end of his career is closer than everyone the Steve Kerr is pulling out his hair. Where is Moses Mody, Moses Moody, Moses Moody, I don't know. Draymond is hooking people down
like it's WWE raw. If this year were any other year, this would be an f If this team was any other team, this team would have a C plus grade. But it's Golden State and it's Steph Curry and it's preserving his legacy, and he says.
He wants to win.
Folks, Expectations are a bitch, and so are D plus students. San Antonio fifteen and fifteen five hundred. They get a Grade B as well. Well, well, well, this.
Is a team that it took a season and a third.
But now Victor women Yamatan, he has taken over.
He might be.
The best player in the league in twelve months. They never have seen anything like this before. My man Victor is averaging twenty five ten and four, and he's averaging four blocks per game. He's shooting forty percent from three on ten attempts per game. As someone who's seven feet four, he is a deterrence around the rim at a radius about as big as my car, which is an SUV. The rebuild is much ahead as schedule. I would go out and get a guard, no shade, just Defoncastle because
I like him a lot. Bitch couldn't get me eight points the other night, though, No, he couldn't. This is a team that could finish in the top six if they keep playing this way. Victor had forty two points on Christmas Day. On Christmas Day at the Garden, and he's telling people, I'm scared for you, guys. I'm worried for you cause I'm only getting better if they get a player like Deer and Fox this.
Is a team that could contend next year like watch out.
Okay, see this is Victor Womany on the time, Victor Womany on the time, Victor Wmeny you on the time. Sacramento Kings Wolf thirteen and eighteen f minus no other way to put it. This is a failing grade for a failing team with a good roster. I expected the team, the Kings, to win the division. I expected the Kings to be top six in the West. I expected Demarta Rosen to do anything to out this team. I expected Keegan Murray to take a step. I expected Kevin Herder
to somehow be serviceable. I'm not sure what the Kings can do to add to this team to make them significantly better, because they.
Not only need a star, they also need depth. They have no depth.
N I don't know what they could have done, like just be better, just be better, really, Kean Ellis, I need more minutes from you.
I I mean Sibonis.
I feel I love Sabonis, but highly limited in in certain ways. It's almost like he would be an awesome four needs like a five with him or another really good backup.
Big Isaiah Hartenstein would have been an awesome move. M only up for h from here, right.
That's what F students say, like, can't get much worse from the rock bottom. I I'm giving them an F though, because GE's not a grade. If you could get worse than F minus, then that's what they would get.
What a sad state of affairs.
Darren Fox probably gone unless he doesn't care that much about winning and he only cares about max money. I love you, Sacramento, but this is fucking rough, fucking rough my Portland Trailblazers ten and twenty grade C.
Ten wins at this point.
Ten T I expected six five wins, enough to make you hopeful.
But not r enough to ruin your chances in a historic draft.
I kind of want Dylan Harper now. I'm a little worried about Scoot. I know he hit a game winner last night. Congratulations to Scoot.
I love him.
Fine line between showing growth and tanking, and I think the Blazers are sort of doing a good job. Nate Yorkrin, by the way, assistant head coach, took over for Chauncey Billups last night, who was off because of a family situation, and he did an awesome job of coaching this team.
I like Nate Yorkrin.
I think they're gonna ditch some salary. Aton might get moved, Rob Williams might get moved, and Forne Simons might get moved.
And that will be clear. Sailing tank away.
Capture that flag, Portland, capture that flag. We won't get it, though, because God hates me. Utah Jazz seven and twenty two they get a B plus. Will Hardy knows the command, n knows the assignment. He is the tank commander. He called a time out on a calling Sexton drive down one with four seconds left to keep the Jazz from winning a game he was intent to lose.
That is commitment.
I always want to reward commitment and execution with a solid grade. I love Keyante George. He might be the best point guard from this draft class, although some of their recent draft picks also have been just kind of not that good, Like Kyle Philipowski. They will not get better, so this grade should stay where it is. New Orleans they.
Get a VF, a New gen Z grade.
A VF is a Vanish fail that you get when you just don't show up for class anymore.
Youse literally are gone off into the ether.
The Pelicans are so injured and thus so bad, we can't even give them a grade. This team isn't even an incomplete complete Zion isa Ingram can't be traded. Half the squads on injured reserve at any given moment. They cannot compete with anyone on the court. And as you know, a VF automatically turns into an F if the work isn't made up, and so we know that work is not going to be made up, so eventually it will be an F.
But right now, at this juncture, VF is all they get. Those are the grades, baby, those are the grades. That's all the time that we have for this episode of the Heat Check.
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