Come on, come on, come on. This episode of the heat Check, we talk about the latest episode of Winning Time, how it is connected to the train wreck that is the twenty twenty two Lakers, and breakdown what in the sam Hill is happening in Brooklyn, and we marvel at the fact that with one week left, we still know almost nothing about who's going to be in the playoffs and where they're going to be.
We've got eight days before the.
Playing game, folks, So go ahead, drop that motherfucking beat perfect good quite quick note, folks, So sorry, last week.
Was a rough one period girl.
Apologies, no episode, it was rough. He wouldn't have wanted to hear me, see me enjoy my energy. I was laid all the way out on my floor sleeping like a little baby in the was a fetal position, they say, yeah, it was bad. Congestion lost voice migrains for about seven straight days. So I am sorry, but too much is poppin'. So we have to get to this first and foremost, like every Monday until this show is over, and probably season two as well, because they can do this.
For over and over and over.
We've got our heat Check Winning Time recap, and good lord, have you seen it? Still waiting?
Good lord?
Last night's episode of Winning Time was amazing. I was talking about it with some friends the other day, and I believe that we are experiencing a television renaissance. Like I think we're in the Golden Age of television, and that includes the time period where you see The Wire and The Sopranos, and I like those two shows, and I like that period of time for TV.
But this is on another level.
The cinematography, like I've said, the music is just so good right now for TV.
Just do not get me wrong.
We are getting gems dropped on us for Winning Time every single week. I can't even I'm watching it, and as I'm watching it, I'm saying, holy shit, this is good, Like this is so good what I said that last night three times in the middle of the show, Like this is fucking awesome. I love this show. And I know not all of it's true. I don't care. The acting's great, I mean all of it. And they don't even have that make up a fucking thing. The storyline
has written itself. The history books are crazy as it is. So here's the thing. I'm not even gonna there's no spoiler alerts really, because this is something that you can just go ahead. It's like if I did a recap on a movie about JFK. You know what's coming, like you know where it's going, Like I don't. Oh my god, Tristy just spoiled the jfknning folks, it's like that, you know what I'm saying, we know how it ends up. So two things happened last night with the seventy nine
eighty Lakers. One centers around brilliant coach Jack McKinney. No one remembers this guy, but he was one of the most innovative head coaches to face the league at that point in time, that free motion offense.
He was such a salty ass guy too.
He was like, do it over and over and over again until it's right close, practices, pushing Jerry West out of the room, making him go and try to get pat Riley to find him film in the back so that he could sneak in and see what was happening. The players trying to institute a coup because they weren't used to running that much and that fast, pretty much at full pace. You've got an old Kareem basically lazy as hell because he already has five MVPs and he's
thinking about retiring from basketball all together. And Jack McKinney's like, what the fuck? It came in here to change the league, came in here to change basketball, and these guys won't even do what I want. Got guys trying to get contracts, extensions. They're snitching on Jack McKinney. To Jerry West, He's like, Yo, I'm not here anymore. It's all of this so great,
so great. They were a revelation, constant sprinting stuff that actually makes you think to yourself, could this particular show create a new version, a new renaissance in the point guard because it makes you really love the role that they have in the offense. So why hasn't anyone but old heads heard of Jack McKinney before, Really, Because fourteen games into the season of the show, beginning of the Showtime Lakers, where the Lakers are in first place, he
got into a bike accident and nearly died. The breakpads somehow seized up on him and he just he hit the brakes, fell off of his bike, no helmet, just what they called raw dog, no chaser head to the cement splat stroke, and they replaced him with his assistant coach who was working for Loyal and Merrymount, who then ended up taking the Lakers to the Promised Land. They fucking fired Jack McKinney. No is cole world out here. Ain't no love in the heart of the city.
Are what are we talking? You cannot make this up.
And like last episode we talked about how Jerry Tarkanian was quote unquote dissuaded from joining as the head coach of the Lakers. I was talking to a friend who loves hoops and he was like, I didn't even know that. The things that went on with this Lakers team absolutely insane.
And this episode five revolves around Kareem, completely around the man, the myth, the legend who's still yapp into the same still running with this beat of his own drum to this very day, the same drum too, which is like, comport yourself like a professional and an activist and anything less is disrespectful to the culture and that includes you, Lebron James, which we'll get to right after this.
So it delves into the fact that.
Kareem became a Muslim in college and his relationship with his working class father, right, And then it digs into the relationship between Kareem and Magic as well.
Magic's coming in.
He's loud, he's boisterous, he's smiling, he's dancing, he's bringing music in there.
And Cream does not like that because that makes them.
Look like how he does not want the culture to be perceived.
Right.
But Magic's trying to inject some life into this group, get them to win games, which is what they're supposed to be doing. And you circle back to the fact that Cream doesn't even really want to be there in the first place. He wants to get enough money where he can ride out in the sunset and be the activist, is right, And he's thinking about he's at the end of his contract, is even gonna play?
And you got Magic being like, what's up, cap? He needs orange juice.
He's like, get this, get this rookie out of my face, right, and he's bringing He's bringing Kareem the paper every day, with each section spaced out. He orders it in Cream's order that he wants I want news first, I want sports last, I want science. In the middle, I want fresh press orange juice brought to me every morning before six Am, and Magic just wants to be near Kaream. He just wants to be near all that greatness. So he does all that like a puppy, excited like a
golden retriever. And the more he does, the more he tries to take the lead, the more he tries to get with Kareem, the more Cream hates him. But they're running this new Showtime thing, right, And Cream's, like I said, not interested in running, not interested in doing what Jack McKinney wants to do. He's already succeeded the way that he wants to get in his thirty and ten every single night, doing it in the low post lef hook, right hook, simultaneous, just killing.
In the get. But I don't want to run.
No, I'm not doing all that. And Magic's like, listen, yeah, let's run this thing. Let's be the Showtime Lakers. So it all comes to a head where Kareem gets into the training room, pulls him aside, and he's like listen.
Magic's been trying to gain his respect in his friendship this whole time, and Kareem says, like listen, I like your enthusiasm, but the way that you comport yourself this is the quote from the show, and probably something like this was sort of said, right, how you comport yourself and the public eye reflects poorly on us?
And he's like, what are you saying? Like I don't act right?
And he goes, no, if you want to respect, what I'm saying is if you want respect on this team, then young brother, you have to show some And you're thinking to yourself, well, what is Magic, who's been like this lapdog? How is he going to respond? And Kareem is the captain of this team and he goes, I have to show some respect for this team, the team that you don't even run for. I've been working my ass off to bring and try to bring together that team.
We all call in you, cap, but.
You're not leading shit around here. You're stopping it. We're out here running like Ferraris while your old ass is moving like a cutlass on two flats. Everybody else is too scared to say something, but I'm saying something.
And that was the defining moment.
That was the defining moment where Kareem had to look inside his own self and say what do I want for my career? And that was the moment that Magic became captain, and that is facts rookie with the guy who five time MVP already won a ring about to get his six MVP in Magic became the captain.
You are you kidding me?
Twenty year old rookies like I do not care that you have five MVPs. You are not a good teammate and you are not a good leader. And we're trying to build something here. We're number one, and we could be number one in the league, and you're just holding us back. Could not have been more timely. And I thought to myself, this is two men that are doing
things in two different ways. A stoic and a guy who wants to lead with joy, a guy that's leading with piss and vinegar and the very bare minimum and just going off of his abilities, and a guy who's working his ass off to get to the top.
And Kareem is still that guy.
Kareem is still calling people out for not being politically active enough. Like literally yesterday, Kareem said this about Lebron, and he's done it multiple times to Lebron. By the way, some of the things Lebron has done and said are really beneath him.
He has not changed a bit.
Some of the great things that he's done, he's standing on both sides of the fence. It makes it hard for me to accept that. When he's committed himself to a different take on everything, it's hard to figure out where he stands.
You've got to check him out every time.
He's basically saying, young brother, you are not consistent.
Either you're for us or you're not.
He loves the fact that Lebron built the school and sent kids to college, but he doesn't like that Lebron James says cold flu covid feels all the same to me, especially when you've got vaccine hesitancy.
And then earlier he said this about Lebron. For me, winning is enough.
This was after Lebron James grabbed his fake grabbed his balls, and he said, for me, winning is enough. Why do you need to do a stupid, childish dance and disrespect the other team on the court. It doesn't make sense. Goats don't dance. Not everybody is you, Kareem. Not everybody is a stoic like you. Let him have some joy
out there. Not only if Kareem would turn that sharp tongue on the Lakers as a whole maybe we would get somewhere, Like maybe if he turned that on Jerry Buss's daughter Jeanie and Rob Palinka and that whole crew, maybe we would get somewhere. Because the Lakers are in shambles. Rock, I am going to play this clip I made on October twenty sixth.
Let's give it a listen. Huh, the Lakers aren't good. I just need to get that out.
They're not gonna work Russ and Brown and Rondo and Ab on the floor.
At the same time. Not a good idea. The team has no defense.
Lebron is the best shooter on the floor, which is we'll call that a problem since he needs to be surrounded by shooters and.
It looks ugly.
Truthfully, this team might mess around and not even make the playoffs, which you would just hate to see.
Hate to see. You would just hate to see that. My lord.
It was uh October twenty six the Lakers were two and two, four games into the season, and uh, come on, now, could I be any more correct? That video could have been shot today. No one likes to be right more than me. No one what an evergreen take, take is still exactly correct now, except for that Rondo is basically gone.
Nobody wants you.
To know I'm right more than me, but I'm gonna just keep playing these hits. You did not have to be a rocket scientist to see that this wouldn't work. Like it was like a plane crash. He's like falling, and you're like, I think that plane's gonna crash, and it did.
But everybody else is like.
No, no, I think it's good. I think it's gonna straighten itself out. The pilots look good. I predicted this team might not even make the playoffs. People were in my comments. Boy, I tell you what. They were saying some wild stuff. And when I get some time. When I get some time, would they say, what are some of the hits. Let's play some of the hits. I'm not worried hit us up at the end of the season. Let's revisit this in a month. It's only four games in.
Keep that same angry energy when they win the championship due at this video apologizing, Oh my lord, I can't wait to go back and get into the comment section. When it's all said and done and the dirt is on their graves. They are two games out of the ten spot right now, two games out of the ten spot in the West and a playing game. We've got Anthony Davis saying, well, if we had Kendrick Nunn.
We don't even know what we could have been. Excuse me, folks, that is a troll. That's what I say. As a troll.
You can't really assess this Laker team until Kendrick Nunn is.
On the floor.
You can't actually use that as a real logical argument. Kendrick Nuns is a mid level exception. You're basing your championship run on a mid level exception. We got fucking huge problems here. So yeah, the season went exactly pretty much how I thought four games in, and also when they made this trade to begin with, I cannot wait to go back to the old comments and reply I cannot wait. I will spend as much time as I need taking a victory. Lap Man, kareem help those boys.
Help those boys out there, because it's the TikTok troll music every time, it's the one that I play.
And the Lakers are not the only team that is in this place. The Lakers aren't.
The only team that we felt like could be on a knife edge right here. We are a team that everyone deemed, even Vegas, as having one of the best chances. Lakers also were plus four fifth to win it all, which was fucking obscene. But at five point fifty were the Nets five and a half to one. This Nets team is also in the play in right now. My god, those Brooklyn Nets just just real danger of missing the playoffs all together, which again you would hate to see me,
particularly since I have sweets to the playoff games. But I actually would hate to see that. Uh, but that's with Katie and Kyrie playing every game. They just lost to the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta, and Kevin Durant put up fifty five Kyrie had thirty one. They're not good. This team has no defense. What were they? What were they thinking getting rid of Jared Allen and getting James Harden who then left less than a year after that.
They lost one.
Hundred and twenty two one hundred and fifteen to the Hawks. Kad had fifty five and Kyrie had thirty one points. They are the first team in history, folks, the first team in history to lose a game where one guy had over fifty and the other guy had over thirty.
That's never happened before.
Eighty points combined, more than eighty points combined between two guys, and you can't beat the Hawks, who are another playing fucking trash garbage squad. And right now, if the Nets can beat the Hornets on the road, and the Hornets won two to three from the Nets this year, they're staring at a one and done showdown again. With the loser of the Cleveland Atlanta game. You might have to go back to Atlanta and run that shit back. What Cleveland split the season with the Nets. They could have
Jared Allen back. The Hawks just beat the breaks off the Nets, despite Katie and Kyrie going him odds. Don't look great, folks. And guess what they just got worse. Steve Nash came out and said, oh oh yeah, Ben Simmons, he's not gonna be back until at least after the play.
In I get I bet he's not even back for the first round.
He's not ramped up yet, herniated disk in his back, he's getting epidurals like he's pregnant. What are we talking about right now? No Ben to the rescue for the defensive woes. It's just Andre Drummond and an old Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Audridge and Peote Nick Claxton out there trying to make something work.
What are we talking about? And Okay, so then.
Best case, best case NETS win two play in games eight seed is the best scenario. Then you face off against the Heat. Bam Adebayo is gonna give you fits, Tyler Hero is gonna give you fits. Duncan Robinson, Victor Oladipo is back looking like himself. You got Max Struce, You got a lot of sharp shooters making buckets here. Jimmy Buckets is not who you need to worry about. You got even Dwayne Dedman's gonna give Andre Drummond fits
and he's like forty seven years old. Okay, So I don't know what they're gonna do because they cant very easily get bounced. They could, first and foremost, they could very easily miss the playoffs all together.
They could also very easily make the.
Playoffs, get bounced out the first round of the Heat, and somehow they're still the third best as to win it all. So apparently they also could win it all, and we wouldn't be surprised. This is maybe the craziest team, the most wildly composed situation, And like, I didn't even mention that this team doesn't even listen to Steve Nash anymore when he speaks.
They don't even look at him when he's talking in the huddle.
You've got Kyrie walking away, Katie's looking probably down at his phone on Twitter commenting back and shit, I hope for my benefit that we get to see one series because I want I want those fucking sweets.
I want those sweet tickets.
But my lord, is that another situation where you have two teams on two different coasts with wildly high expectations, underperforming at an extreme rate, with owners that have championship aspirations, and we just with stars on it, and we just keep saying, like, why why can't you win? Why brothers get this cash? I, in my mind jumped the bag
off on no bag. All right, Let's look at the playoff picture and see where everyone is today, because I tell you what is I don't remember a season that has been so opaque, so strange and murky, because nothing has been decided at this point. There's only two things that we know for sure. One Phoenix has the one seed locked up. There's seven games ahead of the next
person below them. We've known that's pretty much two months ago, once the Warriors began their death Stye spiral, as soon as Draymond Green got hurt, as soon as Steph Curry started trying to win the all time three point hitting a record that is pretty much a wrap. Sons have the number one seed no matter what it's laid out for them, and now Memphis came out of nowhere and has the number two seeds in the West and doesn't look like anybody's gonna be able to catch up with them either.
Some people are probably surprised by this.
Not us. We've been discussing it for months now. Desmond Baine, Savior Tillman, just and on and on, Steven Adams and Jaron Jackson and Danthony. I mean, just so many good kids. Dylan Brooks, John Mriy obviously young explosives, still winning without job. They beat the Suns last week and they and the Sons were fully loaded, completely healthy, and they rested, They rested Steven Adams, they rested Dylan No, they rested Jaron Jackson, they rested Desmond Bane and they beat the brakes off
the Suns like it was just It's absolutely unreal. This is a team nobody wants to see. Nobody wants to see. Other than that, we have no idea what's going to happen. The Heat are the number one seed right now in the East, but there is a chance that they could lose that to the Bucks or the Sixers. Like there's like maybe two or three games between them. The Celtics, Bucks and Sixers are currently two, three, four and one
half game separates them. No idea who's going to end up where probably until the last day of the season. The Bulls and Raptors are five and six, but could slip into the play in with a couple of losses. That's likely where their land. But who is five and who is six is very unknown. The Calves and the Hawks are seven and eight, probably gonna stay there. Calves will probably host the play in game, and as we discuss, the Nets and the Hornets are in the nine and
the ten right now, which is just bonkers. But who is going to host this playoff games still not playing game is still not known because they're tied right now in the standings. Crazy, absolutely crazy out West. The three and the four also up for graps. Warriors keep tanking and the MAVs keep winning. One game separates them with Golden State and third, the MAVs are going to make a push for three because they probably would rather play six.
Than in the Jazz than five.
And the Nuggets, right Jazz are given up two point leads like I drink water, so I mean it's just an all day thing for them. The Wolves have an outside chance of making the numbers six six seed, which I did predict twelve months ago, and I did predict with you, Brock.
I want to say the first episode of the year.
So if Utah keeps drinking water aka blowing leads, they could end up in the six seed. Right now, the Wolves would host the seven. The seven Wolves would host the eight Clippers in a Pat Bev revenge game, which I will be here for like I will be absolutely here for the Lakers. Oh, and the Pelicans have a game lead on the number ten Spurs, who are surging.
All of a sudden, the Pelicans came out of fucking nowhere fly in the ointment, pushing the Lakers down so that the Lakers have a better draft pick for them to get and also a worse spot for ass of them to get as well, if they have like a fourteen pick in the draft of their own, they get it. If the Lakers have like a pick that's worse, they get it as well. So it's a win win for the Pedals, and all of a sudden, after a disastrous beginning to the year, they have figured it out, strangely
without Zion. Who could have seen Zion not playing all year right like that was also just absolutely unpredictable. The Lakers on the outside looking in at this point and will probably have to win at least three of their last four games to get in, unless the Spurs win one game, and then they would have to win all four,
which is unlikely. Because of the NBA's desire to see Lebron James playing meaningful games down the stretch and putting those games on national televisionvision, you can't have them play a bunch of cupcakes going down the stretch.
So it's a fucking gauntlet. They play the.
Suns, they play the Warriors, they play the Nuggets, and then they play the thunder Good luck and good night. My best case, personal, best case scenarios.
For the first round.
I want to see the Suns play the Clippers because I want to see can Paul George lead this team? Will Kawhi Leonard make a push to come back? Can they get Norm Powell? Also Tylu one of the most geniuses in the game in terms of his coaching. What will he do against this Sun's team? Also, that series last year in the Western Conference semis or the Western Conference Finals?
It was wasn't it?
Western Conference Finals was epic even though they don't have pet Bev anymore.
I promise it will be electric.
I want to see Memphis play the Jazz because I want the Jazz to go home in the first round. I want them to blow it up like Donovan Mitchell's already only passing the ball to Rudy Gobert less times than he passes to the other team. He legitimately has more turnovers per game than he passes to Rudy Gobert. And I want to talking about a sists. I'm talking about actually giving the ball to Rudy Gobert. He passes to him two times a game, two times. That needs
to explode, like I need Utah to just dismantle. So a first round exit is the way for that to happen. And I want to see Memphis have a nice easy path to play the Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Golden State plays the Wolves three to six. I want to see the Wolves take Golden State out. I want them to get I want to just take a victory lap on the war Warriors aren't gonna be that good.
All the things things that I thought might happen about guarding staff blitzing them, issues with Clay's health, his ability to defend as a two way player, his body coming back right, Andrew Wigginson playoff moments, Jordan Poole getting glossy in the face, all the other role players just disintegrating, all those things that I see in my mind's eye so clearly. I want that to come and everyone else to see them in reality as well.
I want that.
And I want to see the Wolves make it past the first round. I'd be fucking fun. They're electric, They're athletic, and I love Aunt Edwards. I want to see the Maps play the Nuggets. I just want the Maps to just ball out. Can can Luka get out of the first round? Can we just get the best matchup for him to get out of the first round. I really want that, I really really want that. And then that sets up for a cool second round as well.
In the East.
I want to see the Nets play the Heat. I want the Nets to go home. I want them to admit that they made all the wrong decisions. Want them to not give Kyrie an extension, Like I want chaos. I do, Like that's what I Tristan Creek, not the basketball fan, but the podcaster wants, like that shit makes TikTok go right, that shit explodes. I need some numbers, So I want the Nets go night night, night, night, sleep, Matt. I want one series.
I want to go to Barclays.
I want to go Brooklyn and I want to like root for Kyle Lowry in my heart of hearts to hit daggers and take charges and like make life uncomfortable.
I want to see Katie score eighty.
In order for this team to win, Like I want him to just like be Superman and still like go home and still like be that's okay. I want to see Boston take on either Atlanta or I want to see him play Cleveland if Jared Allen can come back, Like how do they deal with somebody like Jared Allen and Evan Mobley? Like can Boston really defend that? What does that matchup, look like that would be fun? Or man, Atlanta is a bad matchup for Boston. Well, I mean
Boston's a bad matchup for Atlanta. They've gotten nobody else but Tray. You're gonna get Mark the Marcus Smart Trey Young matchup. I am here for like there will be someone is going to break something like you know that's the case Number three Sixers. I want them to play Toronto because I want to see who's not vaccinated, like I want to see I want to see who can't
go to Toronto. And I want them to say to me that they care more about not putting maderna in their body than they do about a ring like I want. I want to know that for sure. Okay, got you Okay, That's that's what I.
Want to see. I want to know the matist Thibeles not likeful.
He probably is, but I'm just guessing there are guys who haven't made the trip and won't make the trip, and I want to see who that is.
And I want the Sixers to go home.
I want them to have to make the same decisions that the Nets have to make with Kyrie Irving but with James Harden.
Are you gonna pay this man fifty million dollars a year after you just had a first round exit. After a first round exit, I want.
To see MB cry memes. I want the memes of that again. I love MB, but I want that. I want Philly to be in fucking disarray. I want Daryl Morey to be fired.
I want chaos.
The Sixers don't deserve nice things. They try to get James Harden last year and it didn't work because fucking Darryl Moury put his foot in his mouth with the Hong Kong stuff and tell me, and Fatita hates him, and.
The whole thing was just madness.
And I want to see Philly fans turn on Harden. I want to see Philly fans say, what do we do now? I want the process to be completely over. I want EMBIID to force trade out. These are things I envision and I want to see the ball start to roll downhill on my imagination.
You know what I'm saying, That's what I want.
And Toronto's is long and they switch everything and then you gotta play in another country. It is just the possibilities are endless, and I want to see how those you know, six guys that they have in their rotations that they owe me play. How are you gonna match up with Embiid? How are you gonna stop Embiid? Just double them? Because Nick Nurse was the EMBI stopper in their title run. He knows how to play mind games within beat. I want to see that as well. And
then finally Bucks play the Bulls night night. It's a it's a night night scenario. I also want DeMar Derozen to try to put this team.
On his back.
I want to see Zach Lavine hit a bunch of threes against Middleton. Who is Drew Holliday gonna guard? Like? How are they gonna stop Jannis?
They're not?
Like how is Vouch? I want to see Vooch get cooked by Yannis? Don't you like he gets cooked by everybody? He's going to die against Giannis. And then you've got Brook Lopez who how do they guard that Patrick Williams. I mean, that's a terrible match up for the Bulls, but I want to see it. I want to see I want to see it. So finally, the desire is Golden State bounce first round, because I'm right, Jazz bounce first round. So Donovan Mitchell can go to New York
Sixers bounce first round. So they have to figure out how that they can justify to the fan base paying a guy who's old as shit and like has no explosiveness. His blowby is like twenty percent now and like you now need to pay him until he's almost forty. And I want to see Joel andbid be like, yeah, I think I don't want that. I would prefer Bradley beal please, I want to see that. And I want to see
that gauntlet matchup between Brooklyn. I want to figure out what you do with Kyrie, so that would be fire. And of course all of that to say, like, of course I want to see the Lakers miss the playoffs all together.
Like I need that.
I need I need Anthony Davis to be on the trade Balk. I need Rob Polinka to be fired. I need Frank Vogel, of course is already fired. I need Genie Bus to bring back magic, because you know that's gonna happen. I need more winning time moments like thirty years from now, like these ones, like it's like the it's called losing time. I need the losing time moments for me, my thirtyear thirty year after. Now my sixty
year old self needs the losing time. I cannot wait for this week to unfold, and I bet you can't either.
That's all the time that we have for the heat. Will be back Wednesday. Do not forget to download subscribe. Please tell your friends.
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TSA, I'll found a jazz were gone falling.
Like I'm in the NBA. You know these guys get n TSA if I'm me not there. Relokay