It's almost a new year, so I'm gonna turn over a new leaf. It's I've got some some resolutions for a number of players and teams that I need to give out. So let's start in New Orleans where the Pelicans.
They have a brief downturn. Brandon Ingram's been out. We know that, and I don't know when he's coming back, but that's an issue. But they're back to their winning ways.
Zion the other night had forty three and people are calling him exactly what he is, which is a football player that plays basketball on a very talented team. But I have a new Year's resolution concerning Zion and I'm not I'm you guys gotta help me stay, stay steadfast to this because I don't know it's gonna be easy.
You know, New Year's resolutions are never really gonna be easy.
They take work, they take dedication, and this one's gonna take a lot of dedication and an accountability partner. And that is that is. I am not going to talk about Zion's way anymore. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna make any more Zion fat jokes. I'm not gonna say, oh, you know, Zion where's your where's your beignet? Oh?
Zion?
Zion's been eating a little extra kreole. I'm not gonna be like ooh Zion Zion had some steak last night. That's why he was a little I'm not gonna do any of that. Do I regret saying he was out of shape last year?
No? I do not. I am not going to regret that. I am not going to apologize for that.
Do I regret saying that before anyone else that he was gonna miss the entire season last year?
No? No, I do not regret that. We were right on both accounts, But that doesn't mean it's nice.
So we're gonna try to be nice to Zion because listen, do I regret making light of his weight issues when he was going through trials and tribulations with his health, Well, I gotta do, actually, especially when he said that those kind of comments and I never made them to be mean, but he said that they really hurt him.
Not my jokes in particular.
I'm sure he didn't even listen to him, but you know, the rhetoric of the media just saying that he's fat. He said, Hey, that's he goes Hey, that's mean, and I was like, damn, damn, I should probably stop talking about Zion. Do I think he's gonna still have conditioning issues? Probably like he's he's a big boy. It's like a big boy like Shack Shaq has had his own trials and tribulations. But I'm not going to say anything about Zion being out of shape because he eats too much.
I'm not gonna say anything about Zion getting injured or twisting his knee because he's eating too much creole or gumbo. I'm not going to anymore. And if he stays on the court and he can't stay on the court, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. So down in Orlando, let's move on. I've also been pretty harsh on the Magic franchise, mostly because people don't.
Really care about them.
They have no fans and they're losing franchise, and their ownership group isn't great, and they really don't draft the right players, and their pr team is maybe the worst I've ever seen in all of sports, and that's really saying something. But my newly ears resolution for them is to just not say anything mean about them or doubt anything about Paolo Man Carrol. I'm not doubting.
Anything about him. Again.
The guy is special. He's gonna win Rookie of the Year. I saw him play live in college. I've seen him play live in the pros. I've seen him play live in the Summer League. And I'm damn near ready to say that Pallo could take the reins from Lebron James for the first time. I'm ready to say if it's anyone, it will be him. He patterns his game after Lebron. That's what he said. The person that I pattern my game off the most is Lebron James. And you can
see it in his passing. You can see it in terms of how bald dominant he can be, how he can do many things, and he's very dynamic on the basketball court. But good lord, Powo is balling out, just absolutely insane. Only one player in NBA history has had more twenty games before Christmas their rookieyear. That's and his likeness is on half of the shoes in the league. Michael Jordan and Powell Polo. That's it, Michael Jordan and Powlo. Powlo probably is gonna make the All Star Game. He
might make All NBA thirteen. He probably won't, but he is. He is just a treasure. And he's turned a team that didn't make any damn sense, a team with misfit spacing, a team with too many players of the same position, and he's helped.
Unlock bull Bull. He's unleashed Franz Wagner.
I mean, I've spent so much time talking about the magic because of Powlo. He has transformed this franchise like Lebron James transformed the Cavaliers BN. Carro is actually better than advertised. He should have probably gone first when he.
Was seventeen, Like Palo Ban.
Carro could have gone first in twenty seventeen, and I think it would have been the right call. Like this is like when he was when he was fifteen years old, eating captain crunch, breakfast, lunch and dinner. He probably could have been a pro then. So I'm not questioning Palo in twenty twenty three at all or beyond, because there's frankly nothing that he can do to surprise me anymore.
Does Palow need work? Absolutely?
Does he need to be a better ball handler. He's six' fucking, Ten, Okay like, yes does he need to learn that part of the. Game does that need to increase in his dynamic? Ability, sure but he's six, ten two sixty and just an absolute wrecking.
Ball lots of shit happening In. Atlanta that that leads me to my next.
Resolution My new year's resolution for The hawks is just really to put my thinking cap on and my inspector krick head on and find out what the fuck is actually happening down. There because if you think the beef Between trey and Coach nate is, bad if you think that was, weird like a little, spooky things just. Disintegrated because now The hawks have taken another incredibly bizarre step of firing their FUCKING gm Before, christmas the SAME gm that almost WON gm of The year like less than
eighteen months. Ago so, YEAH i am going to sink my teeth, thin make some calls and find out for y'all what is.
Happening The hawks are on the verge of becoming a dumpster.
Fire to be, HONEST i didn't see it coming when they went went to The Eastern conference, finals did, you? GUYS i don't know if anyone saw it. COMING i don't Think i'm, alone but it is toxic down there has A gm ever been fired Before christmas when it didn't involve like some sort of. Allegation he didn't do anything.
Wrong he's just been.
Inept LIKE i can't overestimate how rare and unusual move this is, teams especially once just eighteen months from An Eastern conference finals team does not do. That schlank, himself who's still on, staff but not THE, gm which is also weird as, Well like they just are, like, well we have to pay you no matter, what so fucking our coffee. Bitch that's basically what they're doing To Travish blank right. Now they're, like we can't if we fire, you we have to pay you and you're, unemployed so
we're just gonna keep you on. Staff we're gonna make you do some bad, shit put The yellowstone brand on you so you can never fucking leave and tell our.
Secrets.
Anyway this is What Travis flank said himself and his exit. Presser he Said throughout the, Season hawk's Owner tony AND i had and multiple conversations about HOW.
I have been feeling in the new.
Year tommy has SUGGESTED i take a step back prioritize my, family whoa so he's officially an. Advisor but, listen, yeah one of the hottest gms in the, league a guy who signed in a lucrative extension is now essentially out of a. Job and the reason is the dysfunction in The Atlanta hawks, organization all of the things that they did, wrong all of the contracts that they, extended Extending John collins going out and giving more money To Clint, capella
making that De Jonte murray. Trade the lists over and over and over of what he has done has been very, Suspect and of course number one on that list Is Trey. Young and whatever is going on With treyong and the people That Travis shlank hired to interact With treyjung is not. Good it either Is Trey young or it's everyone That travishlank. Hired and you know, what now we're gonna find out
who it really. Was his short, career he's already killed one, coach he's threatened to kill, Another he's buried A gm that we thought might Be executive of The, year and now the franchise might be shook as. Well so maybe with a NEW, Gm Trey young will find someone that makes him. Happy so, yeah my resolution is to look into The Atlanta, hawks keep my eye, open keep both eyes, open and find out what's happening with this dumpster fire
and report. BACK i, really really seriously pondered whether my Next New year's resolution should be to not talk about The lakers again until they break five. Hundred but then that would mean No laker talk on the Heat, check wouldn't. It SO i realized that would maybe make no sense for, us and then they would maybe mean No laker talk until they actually have their first round pick of their own and maybe become a team that can actually, compete and that's.
Probably twenty twenty.
Nine So i'm not gonna make a commitment to do to not talk about The lakers, until you, Know i'm damn near forty years.
OLD i can't do. That i'm more than forty years.
Old, instead My New year's resolution is just simply to enjoy The Lake, show because there's nothing more pornographic than to know that The lakers have let go of the rope, truthfully like to know that they have given, up and that new Reports Rob polink coming out and, saying, hey you, know we might just stand pat the new reports or The lakers are considering doing absolutely nothing again at the trade.
Deadline that is two years in a. Row if you're keeping a track that is just that is just enough for me to subside on for. Decades according to The La Times Dan, walkie The lakers are seriously considering to just say fuck it and ride out the season with status. Quo that means no, trades no major, deals no desperate plays at the deadline for a player who's going to further burden this, team and no trading of their own two first rounders left in this. DECADE i know your
first question is the same as. Mine how do you Think bron's gonna feel about? This? Well not great as it turns. Out this is What braun said in The pressure the other.
Day i'm a.
WINNER i want to, win AND i want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for.
Chips that has always been my.
Passion that has always been my goal SINCE i entered the league as an eighteen year old out Of, Akron.
OHIO i know the steps it takes to get, there do, you, Though?
Braun do? You but once you get there and know how to get, there playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in MY.
Dna.
Pause if you don't want to play basketball, anymore just to play basketball, anymore.
Then you have two.
Options one leave THE La, lakers two retire because it's not happening anymore. There so then he, says this is not MY. Dna so we'll see what happens and see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple of.
Years that seems like a guy who is trying to push on the leverage.
Button, YEAH i could possibly just take my ball and go. HOME i could just Andrew luck this, bitch because he doesn't wanna. Lose that's why he deleted a tweet from a year ago recently about how he'll never miss the playoffs again in his.
Career he knows that.
Was, bullshit. Bullshit he knows what the future IN la looks. Like and, folks it's not. Great it's not being five, hundred it's not making the playing, team and it's certainly not making the fucking playoffs and contending for a. Championship So i'm not gonna go out of my way to stoke the. Fire But i'm not gonna poke The laker
bear anymore THAN i have. To But i'm just gonna get my marshmallows and My Hershey bars extra dark and get ready to make s'mores over the dumpster fire that is The La lakers for
A, long, long long time