On this episode of this league, the playoffs are here, and we have a special Saturday playoff episode to get you ready. In this episode, we recap my terrible predictions for the playoffs play in tournament. I mean, his who are just awful. I put a max bet on the Pacers. They got blown out. I mean it was just so bad. So we discuss what actually happened to create such a disaster, and then we also preview the first round of the playoffs. The regular season is over, baby, it is playoff time.
It is here. Intensity is here. My intensity is up. Is your fucking intensity up party?
Oh yeah? Oh yeah, oh yeah, I can't wait.
Intensity is up. So let's drop the motherfucking beat end of a play and I go.
Let me go too.
Oh man, let's start off with the recap of that eight seed playing game. I mean, what are we gonna say? It was bad? My predictions were bad. They were so bad. I think I'm one in three in the last four. So that's a twenty five percent accuracy level winning probability right now for me. Not good, Marty, not the best.
Not yeah. Yeah, we could aim for better, we could aim for better.
Let's just talk about last Night's game first, because I think that's the more interesting one to talk about. The Grizzlies game was a fucking nightmare. I think it was just so bad, so sloppy. What did you think?
I mean?
I could not believe that the Warriors out turnover to themselves from the Lakers game. They had twenty one in this game, and yeah, it was just more of the same, Like they were in there, they should have won, and they just didn't allow themselves to be in the position to win the game. It was like they purposely, not purposely, but they literally took it from themselves.
Yes, though it did feel something purposeful, It felt like a team that had been deflated right, Like had mustered up all the energy for the first half of the Laker game, and then as soon as they lost that one, they really came out sloppy and slow against the Grizzlies. They got punched in the mouth so early, and then it was only felt like Steph and Draymond were the ones that wanted to win. Like we saw Andrew Wiggins return to the Andrew Wiggins that we know him to be.
Yeah, no, and he played pretty good against the Lakers. If he had if he had shot at all against the Lakers. They win the game easy, but uh, I mean shot his threes at all. But yeah, no, he was not really very noticeable last night.
They I mean he was very noticeable to me in the worst possible way. Yes, that one against the backboard, didn't even touch the rim. That three pointer in overtime where it was like Tillman made his three and then Andrew Wiggins just it was all like what and that, like he missed so many layups, turnaround jumpers. He's like doing turnaround fadeaways, and I'm like, Andrew Wiggins, You're not that guy, Like you're not Kevin Durant. It was so gross.
Steph Curry and listen, like he had thirty nine points, so there's no slouch on Steph Cree. Steph Curry is a very fucking the pit player. I love him like he was he was getting triple teamed at times and still got his so offensively from a shooting perspective, he did everything that he needed to do, but like you just can't. He turned the ball over seven times.
Yeah, I mean, we're seeing what happens when Steph Curry doesn't have help in the backcourt. It becomes really hard for him to be able to do anything in crunch time minutes when they just you know, deny him the ball and then he has to kick it out to Jan Tuscano Anderson or Jordan Poole, who Jordan Poole actually hit some big shots, but like you just.
Also turned it all over a couple of times in crucial moments as well. Welcome Steph cray Welcome to Damian Lillard Land. Welcome to what life is like for Damian Lillard at all times. So he they missed Clay so much. Oh yeah, they just missed him so much. And when Clay comes back, this team is going to be very different. But you can tell that the Warriors now know like, oh, this is the Wiggins, this is the Wiggins. We know we can't build around Wiggins.
No, I agree completely.
Thirteen turnovers between Draymond and Steph thirteen. The NBA average for an entire team is thirteen point eight. So I mean, it was very bad. It was very bad. We'll talk about Memphis later. Josh showed up in huge moments.
John was awesome. Yeah, I have a lot to say about jos that dude. Yeah, I think I think he's arrived.
He is. This is Jaw's moment, Like when he flexed and it was like, you know, you're like, okay, Jaw is here.
I mean that little floater where he's like leaning left and puts it up with his right hand. When he gets the space to shoot that, it's like a ninety percent shot. And he's in year two, like he's The potential for Jaw is pretty unlid. I've always thought he had All Star potential. I think he definitely has all potential. He's got all NBA potential. Yeah, first team.
Yeah. The thing that I think that Jaw is getting very good at is kind of what Devin Booker does very well and what Chris Paul does very well is for how small that they are, they can get space using their body and then they back up and then all of a sudden there's three feet of space and then that floaters ninety percent. Speaking of floaters, Steph Curry should not shoot them for a while. So we'll just just that was bad. It's been bad for two games. Yeah.
Also, also Draymond's floater to tie the game. Can we talk about that for just two seconds?
Can we talk about how you got nine point eight seconds left, They're on their heels. Draymond, there is no one to pass to. You are not a playmaker in this moment. It is time for you to fucking go and try to yam that not not. It was like a lob floater. It was like maybe someone's coming up to dunk. No, there's no one. No one's coming up to dunk this.
Yeah.
I didn't hate the decision to shoot a floater. It's just how how do you miss rim in that situation?
That was I didn't like that.
I did hate the decision for the floater because what you have is the ability. Now you've got people on their heels. It was what Jaron Jackson on his heels. You draw contact when you are down, when you it's entire game, worst case, you go to overtime, draw fucking contact.
Basically, I just I don't think it was a bad shot. But if you if you missed that bad then it clearly was bad shot.
I guess, oh, so good.
So I mean, before we move.
On, before we move on from the game, I just want to talk about how them the Grizzly's actually winning saved them from making one of the worst coaching decisions ever by not challenging that call when Pool stuck his leg out, I don't I still don't get that to this day. If they had lost, that's all we'd be talking about everything that would be.
I don't know that, Like it wasn't a natural kickout. I don't think it really felt aggressive, But I do think you did need to challenge it, just because like you never used.
Your challenge the minute and a half left, Yeah, what are you waiting for? That? That's literally why you have the rule.
Yeah, I mean the whole thing, The whole thing was wild. I do love this Memphis team because there are a bunch of guys who have been underdogs their whole life, like Xavier Tillman hitting that big three. Like I fucking hate Grayson Allen, but he even is somewhat likable on this Grizzlies team because back to back huge threes and overtime huge, like that decision by Taylor Jenkins to put him in instead of whoever else would have been there.
Because there's a bunch of others and like they're all like Desmond Bane, like they're all pretty good, but like that decision in overtime was really huge, and uh, when you paradoxic. Paradoxically, compare that to the terrible decision not to call the challenge. You know, just that was a good coaching call compared to that terrible coaching fall. Run okayld on out East. I predicted a blowout, did I did?
I not predicted a blowout?
You did?
You got that part of it right.
An over twenty point? Whoa? I did? I just got the wrong team. I just thought that the Wizards were way too injured. I don't know if they like shot Russell Westbrook up with something. People are very mad at me saying that Russell Westbrook is injured? He is he there is something wrong?
Certainly, certainly no, I mean there definitely wasn't. It showed a lot in that Celtics game. But I guess he's just still got that in him where we got to win this game or we're done, Like that's not happening.
Yeah. So the Pacers turned back into a pumpkin. They've been up and down and up and down and up and down all year. I texted the GM of the Pacers when they blew the fuck out of the Hornets, and I was like, Yo, you guys look like one of the best passing teams in the NBA, you guys look phenomenal, and he goes right now, he said, right now, like he knew that this team was inconsistent, and they
are very inconsistent. And I think that that. I mean, you don't have three out of your five starters, three of them are gone, the other two injured and playing Broggen and Jamon some bonus both playing and very hobbled.
So the problem to me was, like, Okay, what happens when all the other guys that should be shooters, like TJ and Justin Holliday and Dougie Buckets, Like when they start going cold, Like you don't have Karris Lavert to go and get you a bucket, right, you don't have Iso Lavert and all you have is Brogden and some bonus who were sort of hobbled. And then you know it's night night sleep mask in BC, like.
Night night mm hmm, tough, tough.
I do think that the future is so bright for them, so bright.
Yeah, there's to get TJ.
Warren back and Miles Turner's back, turn back at Kris Lavert back, like that is a squad.
Yeah, there's no reason to be down on them, uh, moving forward, I know not at all.
I agree that's for the Wizards, you know, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what to make of them. I don't know what they're going to be. I don't know what I don't feel like I know anyone is going to be.
It's like a rented team at this point.
You know, it's like this, this version, I guess is sort of cool. There's some cool things that come out of it, but like, these guys aren't going to be teammates very long.
Like so what you don't think that.
Russell Westbrook is going to stay stay around?
I mean he could.
I'm not going to act like I'm making any like serious projections here, but it doesn't it done to me. I just I can't see Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal being teammates for the foreseeable future.
I guess, I said, another couple of years. Maybe think another couple of years. Bradley Beal said this, Russell Westbrook has shown me what it means to show up night
after night after night after night. And that is a that is a tool, that is a skill that only a few players in the league have, which is like that you bring it no matter what like that, no matter what intensity, and that trickles down to the role players like ruy Hachi Mura, Like you can't teach dog, but if you could, Russell Westbrook would be the fucking mister Miagi.
Yeah, I mean his imprint is all over that team.
Yeah. Absolutely. Okay, let's head out East and preview these playoff series. If the Sixers don't go to the Eastern Conference Finals, this will be an all time franchise disaster, right, yeah, I mean I fully expect them to get there, but if they don't, that would be yeah, yeah, the easiest path to the Extern Conference Finals I have ever seen.
You've got the Wizards, which you just called a rented team, which could be their toughest matchup, right, it could be their most interesting matchup compared to the Hawks and the Knicks.
You think so?
I do, because I think that Russell Westbrook n Embiid are very like emotional creatures. They're gonna go at each other, right, Like Russell, I don't know if you remember it, I was gonna put the saw in, but I'll just say what he said where it was like Embiid hit Russell Westbrook very hard, and the it went viral and then the media member was like, hey, like what happened with you? And MB like he hits you and he's like, yeah, he was trying to hurt me. It's all good, like
kind of he kind of like played it off. And then they go, so are you guys cool and he looks at it he goes, fuck, no, we're not cool.
So I think that's going to be a thing. I think that the Wizards team, this Wizard's team is the only one out of those three with multiple big men that can get into foul trouble, right, Like you've got Gafford, Rolo, Hachi Mura, Alex Linn all can can share Guardigan Beide and you don't worry about like one of them fouling out, Like they're all not like great, but like you're just talking about bodies.
Yeah, I think we have opposing opinions on this. I think I think em Beid's looking at who's gonna have to guard him and he's just like licking his lips with that. I expect him Bide to average like thirty four points in this series and a suite.
Yeah, I mean he should average more, though he should average more because you're talking about I think he had thirty five in the first matchup. They only played early in the season, and they only won by like five or six both times, so I think it's gonna be much And that was before them getting Daniel Gafford. And I know you're probably not super high on Daniel Gafford because he's like a nobody right now, but I think he he is a body that wasn't there in that game and body sure.
I just and I'm not saying I have anything like crazy to say about it.
I just think MB is just gonna cook this series so hard.
You know who I think is going to cook. I think Bradley Beal is going to cook. He put up sixty against them, sixty, so I think it's gonna be fun. I think the matchups to me that are the most intriguing is really Bradley Beal versus Matist Saible and Ben Simmons. Like, yeah, Bradley bil has one leg, but like, I think he's got an additional like gear for this matchup he's at He averaged forty five points against the Sixers this.
Year, so yeah, no, I am. I am excited to see what beial does.
Yeah, it's gonna be a shootout. It's gonna be very fun. Yeah, Berton's also as an X factor. He averaged seventeen points in those two games. Simmons averaged sixteen and a half in those two games, but he also had almost four turnovers. So I think Simmons will average like ten in these games. I don't think average. Yeah, I think he's gonna average ten in these games. I don't think he's gonna do shit. I think he's gonna be not doing shit. That is
my prediction. Embiid in those two games average thirty three and a half points. I think he's got to average forty.
So he's going to turn them all over minimum forty times.
Who I said he's gonna average ten points per game. Oh my bad, bad, bad hugovers per game. So the things to watch for me is that, like, can you take embiid out? I think the book on MBT is this, can you make him emotionally frustrated early? That's the only way it becomes a series, an interesting series kind of almost like how you have to play a d right now, which is like get him out of his rhythm being irritant because that's the only that's literally the only flaw
that Joel Embiid has is his mind. The only thing.
Yeah, yeah, I just you don't agree, you don't agree. I do a little bit.
I just when it comes to this series, I just I guess we have just different ideas of this series. I don't expect this to be much of anything in terms of competition. I think if beal, yeah, it can be just extreme awesome beal. Like they maybe get two, but I don't know. I think if they get one, that's an accomplishment.
Honestly, Yeah, I think.
The Sixers win in five or six, but I wouldn't I wouldn't be surprised if it went longer. So, but the Sixers should make they should make easy work out of the Wizards. But hey, I've been super cold, so who knows. Yeah, next up is two seven Nets versus Celtics. I think this is a fucking sweek, Like this's night night. There's no scenario I see the Celtics doing anything. I don't care if Jason Tatum's score seventy, Like, don't.
Care, Like I think he's gonna have to.
Yeah, you have to score seventy because like it's hardened it to. I mean, it's Harden's ran, It's Kyrie, like, don't eat score thirty.
They're gonna get so many easy baskets. It's it's just it's it's insane. I would the overs in this game is gonna the totals in these games are gonna be very hot.
I would think, what do you think it's gonna be like two forty nine and a half?
Probably not that much, but.
It's a minute's high. Like this Celtics team can't I expect like two forty two because it's like playoff at but like the Celtics can't can't defend. No, there's the worst defensive teams in the league. Yeah, and they are decimated like Marcus Smart guards whoever, and then like everybody else goes off. So I think if you're if you're Steve Nash, you're like, you're just hoping that we can we can literally crush them so easily. We can just rest the stars in the second half. Like that's my
mindset as Steve Nash. Steve put their foot on, put your foot on their throat. So I think it's I think it's broomtime. Broom time three three, six Series most intriguing.
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, I would say this series go seven.
If the Heat do what the Heat should do, they should go seven. This is very exciting, like there's a lot of wrinkles and matchup things to watch. I think Drew Holiday is my most intriguing player to see what he does, Like, I think he's gotta be on Jimmy Butler pretty much like five flavor right.
Yeah, yeah, and he makes such a difference.
Like I was thinking about it after recorded uh whatever episode it was where we were talking about Spolstra and what they could do. Uh, I was thinking about betting on them maybe, but and then I just started thinking more about it. Drew Holliday over Eric Bledsoe's such a big difference. It's such a big difference. And like just them having home court. I think I think the Bucks get it. I think the Bucks get it in six.
It's gonna be so excited. I'm very interested to watch Bam versus Jianness. I think that will be very intense basketball, like those two guys are very intense. Tyler Hero I think is a bit question mark, like which Tyler Hero is actually going to show up? Are we going to see the Tyler hero In the bubble last season or are we going to see Tyler hero In this regular season?
Because those are one guy is like you keep them forever, and another guy you shop on the trade block right now, right like so Goran Dragicic and Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn. When they're all crisp, they all can shoot from everywhere. So this Miami Heat team either scores ninety or they score one twenty and it's just like, I don't know,
I just don't know what's going to happen. So I think that the main issue is like whether Budenholzer can keep up with Eric Spolstra's you know, mind games and chess smatch and all the weird things he's going to try to put because you know, Spoe has been thinking about Drew Bledsoe, I mean Drew Drew Holliday or Drew Holliday. I was thinking about Drew. I was thinking about Drew Holiday and Eric Bledsoe combined.
You remember a few years ago there a few years ago in the playoffs and they were playing the Celtics and Terry Rozier called him Drew Blodsoe. Oh yeah, I think it came a big thing did Drew Bledsoe showed up to the game in Boston.
Well, you know what was funny to me was something that Steve Curse said right before the Laker game, and he was like, you know, adjustments in the playoffs really start at game three. He was like, you really won't see anything after one or two, Like it's really like the second or third game after that where real coaching adjustments start to take shape, which I didn't actually know, Like,
I wasn't aware of that philosophy at all. I thought like, maybe after the first game, if matchups weren't going the way that you want, you might change your rotations. But I think for Eric Spolstra, I don't think he subscribes to that mindset. I think he's like, first quarter things aren't working, We're changing things up, you know what I mean. Yeah, So I think Drew Holliday is firmly in his mind. I think he's gonna try to find ways to scheme
to kind of try to get his guys open. So I know this is a wild take, but I'm gonna sick where I was. I think Miami and seven, I think Spoe is that good, got four or five Knicks Hawks. I love this. I love this like it's this is a fun matchup, is it not.
It's great, It's great, like young young players, young teams.
Yeah, no, I'm stoked.
Nobody expected either one of these teams to do anything and they're in the middle of the pack. Nick McMillan talking shit about how the NBA is already conspiring for
the Knicks to win. He is like trying to create bulletin material for his team by basically getting himself fined already saying that they're never gonna get me calls and nobody's gonna want us to move on, and how the league's gonna do everything they can to keep the Knicks in the playoffs, and you know what, like really to me what this said, and like you know, you know, like the writing on the wall when you know these little details, right, Like Nate McMillan is one in nine
getting out of the first round of the playoffs, so he's already setting the stage for the Atlanta Hawks GM Travis Schlink to basically Travish Slink basically to say, you know, they inspired against us. So this is his tenth playoff appearance, He's one in eight, and I think he's gonna go one and nine. So it's just how much to do about nothing? Yeah?
No, if I had to predict it, I think I think the Knicks take it. I just think they're more cohesive team. I would say I think Trey's gonna cook. Don't get me wrong. I think Trey is going to have a really good series, but I think it's just going to not be quite enough.
Trey averaged twenty four against the Knicks in the games that they played this year, but who cooked in that in those three matchups were it was Julius Randall. He averaged thirty seven against the Hawks this year, thirty seven. I think the Knicks are three and zero against the Hawks. Tibbs is gonna want to play slow. I think Julius Reynolds probably get like forty. It's just I don't know who ends up guarding him. The Hawks want to score a lot, they have a ton of high octane guys,
and then Tibbs wants to do something different. So I think the Nicks in five.
Well, did DeAndre Hunter play in any of those games? He probably didn't, right.
Uh, I'd have to look, yeah, he probably he probably didn't.
I think he's going to get the Randall assign and that we'll see.
Well that's a big boy matchup. Let me just say that as a big boy matchup for DeAndre Hunter. The Hawks drafted DeAndre Hunter as a defensive specialist and like, I guess three and D guy you could call him and we'll see. We're gonna have to see if history repeats itself. Nate McMillan gets bounced out of the first round once again. I bet my beating heart on it. Just to like recap, DeAndre Hunter did play in Game three of that series, played thirty seven thirty seven minutes
and they got cooked by like ten ah. Okay, so all right, so let's go out West, look out West, number one Jazz against not the Warriors. So by the way, let's just can we just put it in stone that a Warrior is not going to the finals this year?
So no, they're not that prediction.
That prediction got ended very fast. It would have been fun. They play the Grizzlies. I am excited about this matchup, like very excited. You're not excited. You don't like Dylan Brooks trying to do down Donovan Mitchell.
I do like Dylan Brooks a lot, actually, but no, I wanted them to play the Warriors.
I'll be honest. It's this is honestly insane, the.
Advantage discrepancy between one seed and two seed. It's the biggest ever in the history of sports, especially now that it's like this, And so yeah, no, I wanted them to be tested similarly to how the Suns are gonna be tested. Granted, I just thought the Warriors would have been a funer series, but this, this could be fine. And I am excited to see playoff joh because again I think last night he showed me he's here and he's ready. So yeah, no, I am excited to see John.
I'm excited. This is what I'm thinking about seeing, right, Can Brooks shut down Spider Mitchell, which he is coming off of the lowest grade ankle injury for the most amount of games that he's missed, like he literally twisted his ankle like off of a curb and has missed like fifteen games. So like, I hope he's one hundred percent healthy. So like, I hope whatever that was that the Jazz did like was worth it. But Dylan Brooks made things very tough for Steph very tough. I know
we got forty, but it didn't look easy. I think Donovan is obviously a lesser player, a different player, but a lesser player than Steph. I think he's basically neutralized. I don't think they're going to double them the same way that they would Steph. So I think that who's actually going to go have to go off of this game is like Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and those like key corner threes from Joe Ingles, Like that's the difference between this Warriors team and this Jazz team is like
they're just a high octane three point shooting team. To shoot the most threes in the NBA, it should not be close. But I just like some of the interesting matchups,
like Valanchotis versus go Bear. I think those two guys like get into it, like I want to see like some fire and some intensity, Like I think the Griz are going to bang on go Beart, like I think Valentiss is going to try to like get in his head, trying to get him in and foul trouble, like I want to know who's stopping Jaw, Like Gobert is going to be that interior threat that John didn't see last night, but I think then you kick it out and see
what Xavier Tilma is nor Grayson Allen can do. They're gonna need to hit breeze and Jaws need to get a hit breeze. I think like the Jazz probably win in five, that's my guest.
Yeah, yeah, that's what I was definitely thinking.
Like, I think the Grizzlies will have one of those games where just everything's clicking and Jaw yeah puts up late thirty four and ten or.
Something like that.
Yeah, and they do get a game, but I don't see him getting more than one game.
I agree. Two seven Lakers Chub Gurw is in here in Phoenix right now, that will be there tomorrow games one and two. If you were a Suns fan, Marty, uh, this is a game, nobody, this is a series nobody wanted. No Suns fan wanted this matchup because Ad could beat you all by himself and now you have Lebron James.
So yeah, it's it can do a four times.
It's pain. But here's the thing. Two guys. One guy is soft, Like we do know that, Anthony Davis, he's very inconsistent emotionally. This way like he says he's playing through pain. His shoulder is injured, like he can disappear for long stretches. Lebron very clearly looks tentative. That's good for you. That's good as a Suns fan, like because hear this if the Suns get out fast and Ad and Braun are both tentative, which I think is totally
possible for these first two games. I think, once you're up by ten, you're a different team than the Warriors. You're not turning the ball over fifteen times. No, Paul is not the same. Yeah, Chris Paul's not like Steph Curry. He takes very good care of the ball.
I think Chris Paul was like third in turnover efficiency or something like that. Like he yes, does not turn the ball over for no reason like ever.
So you're gonna be able to get into your offense and keep the ball in your hands for a long stretches, and that keeps the Lakers from getting out into transition, which I think is the way that they come back. Like I think they're gonna have to play Ad at the five a lot, and so then it's like, okay, try to take a d out and make you know Ksey PB two, I'm okay with that. It's possible. I think it's possible you could win the series.
Yeah, oh yeah, I'm by no means laying down on it.
I saw some things, especially in that Warriors game, that made me think we're going to be able to do some things, make them uncomfortable, definitely take some games.
I think.
I think Mikhale Bridges is going to be huge in the series. How he's able to keep up with Lebron, you know, make him uncomfortable, like Lebron's gonna get his but make him, you know, work insanely hard for it and maybe not put forth the effort on defense that we sometimes see him, you know, take off like that.
I think DeAndre Ayden staying out of foul trouble is going to be probably the biggest factor in the entire series, because if he's on the floor, then we're throwing Frank Kaminski and Dario Sarich up against a d and that's just that's not going to be good.
No, that's not good at all. And I think what you could probably try to do to neutralize that is get ad into some foul trouble too. But yeah, I think is an also an interesting matchup where an interesting X factor is just the Jay Crowder factor just because like he knows Braun, like he's played with Braun, He's he comes up big in playoff moments and has for multiple teams. You know, So I I really like that addition for this playoffs.
Yeah, I also just like adult.
Yeah, no, he is, and I expect him to shoot well, which is gonna be very important, especially uh in a series like this where no one is really I don't want to say no one, but we don't have a whole lot of playoff experience, and we have a guy who's made big shots, has done been in these moments. I just I, yeah, no, I expect I expect Jay to play uh very well. And also I think, uh, I think Campaign. This is my bold prediction for the game.
I think Campaign is going to single handedly win one game of this series.
Yeah. I love Campaign. I love Campaign.
He's awesome.
Uh. I have a hard time with predicting this, so I'm just gonna go with the favorite and say, Sons and.
So are the the fan. I don't think we're the favorite.
I mean, no, you're not the favorite. You're not the favorite, but you are the favorite. Does that make sense? Like, I'm just gonna go with the two. I'm just gonna get the chalk, right, Yeah, I'm just gonna go with the chalk. I know it's tough, you guys are. They even did a whole article about how you're you know, the Sons and the Jazz are the two worst one in two seeds of all time. So in terms of like there was like an ESPN article basically that was
like how it was summed up. There's like a lot of uh, you know, probabilities and percentages and historical information, but that was basically the take home message. So like whatever, but I'm gonna give it to the Suns and seven. I'm rooting for you. I'm rooting against Laflop like I think, you know, that's just what I want to see. I fucking hate the Lakers. I always have it, always will. So that's the deal.
I would love it.
Before we move on, can we talk for just a second about the Lebron Drake tequila party just for a second.
Yes, yes, let's do it.
I'm here for this, okay.
Here, So we knew about this. This was the night before the play in game against the Warriors. I tweeted about it jokingly because just obviously I'm going to do that.
Yeah.
And then this morning Dave mcmanimon writes a story that says the NBA has notified the Lakers or whatever that Lebron violated COVID protocol, which has been a huge deal within the league this season. Guys getting suspended ten twelve days, like shit like that.
And then the NBA And this is a personal thing to me.
Going back to two thousand and seven, Amaras Stottamarer takes two steps onto the aborsty, I'll take two steps onto the floor.
They get suspended.
The NBA recites rules are rules, it's not about what is it? What did they say? They said, it's not about fairness, it's about correctness. And that's the only time in the history of the league that that's ever been the case. And it ended up. So they come out and they say we're not going to suspend him. They did a similar thing in twenty eleven in the finals where they said we wouldn't have suspended Lebron.
It's I don't know.
I mean, I was never expecting them to suspend him, but going through what I went through in two thousand and seven. My reward for that is that I get to bitch about things like this every time they happen.
So let me ask you this. If Dennis Shrewder goes to a party with Drake, does Dennis Shrewder get suspended for one game?
Probably?
Okay? So yeah, I mean I would say that this is the Lebron effect on ratings, which then they say, well, it was an outdoor event. And by the way, like the story also said that the Lakers are not eighty five percent vaccinated, so they do not fall into loosened rule sets that the rest of the NBA teams who have vaccinated eighty five percent of their players are allowed to do. So yeah, I mean it almost feels like NBA gas lighting, you know what I mean, Like they're like,
you're just like, am I crazy? Or is this a really big deal that they're trying to say is not a big deal? Yeah?
No, I mean they came out and they instantly said there will be no suspension. Uh there was the the event did not warrant there was not like a risk of spreading or something like that.
Yeah. Yeah, so who are you to say, like really, like, how do you know, like did you contact trace, like have you done anything?
I mean, I think it was like you had to be vaccinated or like negative tests or something like that. It just I believe he wasn't actually putting people at risk. I'm not one of those like crazy people that think he was. But yeah, I don't know.
But it just right, right exactly.
Rules are rules correctness over fairness. Three versus six Nuggets, Portland Trailblazers. This is a This is a hard one for me to discuss personally. I don't really If I could just avoid talking about it all together, I would. I would just say nothing about the mass matchup at all. I would pretend like it doesn't exist. I would never
tweet about it. I would never make a prediction. But but since this is my podcast and we must discuss every matchup, like CJ has consistently cooked against this team, just CJ. Even in the Western Conference finals when they shut down Lebron Lebron, even when they shut down Dame. CJ destroyed the Nuggets. Evan Turner was able to go off like this Nuggets team is hampered. You've got Austin Rivers who couldn't even find minutes on the New York Knicks starting for the Nuggets. Uh, and he is now
sick and questionable. PJ Dojer, who's another big role player for these guys, not playing like for the entire series. So, if there's any any matchup that I like in the West, if this one, this is the only one the Nuggets will allow us to score. They are not going to stop us from scoring. So I hate predicting Blazers, but I think we pull the upset. I think it's Blazers in six.
Wow.
Wow, I uh, I think I think I'm saying Nuggets in six and it honestly has nothing to do with Portland. I think everything you said makes a lot of sense. I mean that guard, uh, that open guard position on the Nuggets is definitely a cause for concern. But I just like how they played to close the season out. I just think they're playing well and I expect their offense to hum in a similar way it has been MPG.
You know, serious playoff minutes. Now I'm excited.
I think I think the Nuggets pull it out and then lose to Utah.
Yeah, so my prediction is probably how you know that your predictions probably right. That Terry Stotts gets fired and Blazers don't get out of the first round, maybe we get swept Pinos five four Clippers, very very interesting series that last year should be an easy series for the Clippers,
but somehow I think it won't be. Yeah, yeah, I mean Luca told stole two games himself last year and Porzingis was pretty much nowhere to be found last playoff series between these two, and I think that they're better than that. I think that the MAVs are slightly better than they were last time this year, last last time
this time last year. That was hard to say, and I think like we always are going to be worrying about like playoff P. Like playoff P was healthy last year at this time and he's not healthy now, and he averaged what eighteen and a half and thirty five percent from the field, and he was twenty seven percent from from three point line last year in that series. And now they've got Josh Richardson, who I think will probably match up against him and try to make things difficult.
So I think that's really in There's a big article that came out this week about like the chemistry issues potentially between Luca and Porzingis, So like I'm curious to see how that's going to play out. Tim Hardaway Junior is actually a lot better this year than he was last year. Yeah, those are my keys? What are your keys? To watch?
Before I hop into this, I just want to correct myself. I said I expected the Nuggets to lose to Utah. I meant lose to winner of Suns Lakers. But yeah, no, I'm very I think you kind of covered it. I'm excited to see what Paul George does to respond to his weak playoff run last year, because he in big moments this season. In the regular season played well and he does tend to do that, and we've seen him play well in the playoffs, really well. I would love
to see them struggle mightily against the MAVs. I think that would be so funny. Same, but I just I just don't. I think they're I think, like you say, the Mavericks are better. I think the Clippers might be a little better. I think Surge makes a big difference for them.
Absolutely does.
Yeah, yeah, I think I'll go Clippers six.
I think it's Clippers seven. Uh, but I think that's the only the reason is because pandemic p slash injured toe Pee and Kawhi is even less healthy this year. He looks slightly less explosive and bouncy. So I don't know what to make out of them. This is the best, one of the best three point shooters shooting teams in the league. What happens when they go cold? So I think Luca is gonna it's just gonna be exciting. It's
gona be fun just because it's Luca and Lucas. Luca is gonna feel a little extra because it's the same series as it was last year that they got bounced in six. So I think it's I think they take it one more game a Clippers win.
We're gonna get some cool Luca moments. That's no no doubt about that.
Great Luca moments, Great Luca moments. Well, that's all the time that we have, more us fun that we will be back Monday. That is all the time that we have for this league podcast. Please subscribe, Please rate, please review. By the way, I am hearing some vicious rumors that positive reviews are not showing up on Apple podcasts. I've gotten some DM saying I have left the positive review
and all I see or the negative reviews. So I'm not sure what's going on, maybe a conspiracy that needs to be checked out, but please try to rate and review on Apple and Spotify. We also have I think five NBA playoff merch shirts to follow us on TikTok ig, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Thank you for listening. Tune in for Monday's episode of This League.
It's sound to risk it all.
Say hello to.
The big dog, say goodbye to all the falls.
Keep it up, honey, and keep it on, honey, and keep it the down to certain.
People so that we don't a lie.
No no no pow pole no no.
No pole pole. You a slow pole all black.
You would say, WHOA.
Come the best?
I'm the best case clothes brodcam rock.
I ain't no joke.
Give me they give me that, give me an, give me that, give me that, give me that.
I want this and that what you mean?
I can't have that?
Stand your laine Lords.
Lana starts stirred on him, say your lame penny Layer starts skirred on him.
Big big, big big dog, big doll, big dog, walk in big, don't walk in with the dog. I'm gonna risk it all. I'm gonna risk it all. I'm gonna risk it all, lie lie big big big big dog dog, big dog walking, big dog, okay with the dog doll. I'm oversk it all. I'm over risked all. I'm a brisket all. Oh you got a risk it just to get a biscuit?
Biscuit?
How many licks does it take?
The lincord She won a elector trapper, but she already to elect a rapper.
Oh my, oh my, so fly Fly said, mouff you up. I stay fly, I stay fly.
W have to get by. I want it.
All out a piece of the pie.
Everybody eats everybody, and we keep all of the receipts.
Swing good.
We live in good.
We could have made it up about the hood. Give me that, give me that, give me, give me that, give me that, give me that to me that I want.
Miss And now what you mean I can't have that? Stay your laine, lowis Lena start stirred on him, say your lame penny, Lena, start skirt on him.
Big big, big big dog, big doll, big dog, walk in, big dog, walk in with the dog. I'm gonna let's get off. I'm a risk it all, I'm a risk it all, a big big, big big dog dog, big dog walk in, big dog walk in with the dog. I'm gonna let's get all. I'm a risk it off, I'm a lets get all