Welcome into NBA pulsive production of iHeart Ratio in the NBA. I'm Sarahcusetak, NBA analyst for the s Networking. Today is Monday, April first. From our extraordinary core group of NBA journalists were joined now by NBA dot Com senior writer Sean Paul, who already got me on the April first joke, Sean, April Fool's Day is not is not for me. It is not for me. I am often got, I am
often got. But what I am interested in is the fact that we are really near in the home strutch of this regular season for the NBA seven or eight games remaining for most of these teams. Not much, though, is solidifying in some of these Western Conference standing races. We're gonna touch on some of the games last night, But you you hold votes for many of the awards that some seem a little clear of of who may be winners, others not so much. You're looking at the MVP.
I think, by by all accounts, and especially with some of the regulations of games played rules in sixty five games, it appears as though Nicola Jokic will likely return back to that reign of being the MVP. Curious your thoughts MVP Rookie of the Year is it? In fact, Wenby Coach of the Year is one that I think is
very interesting. Where are your thoughts at when you start to put together what you're going to do in regards to these awards and just how you approach your evaluation in just kind of seeing where things are at.
You know, that's a very interesting question, Sarah, because everybody brings something different to the table. I mean, if you talk to a lot of voters, it's like, Wow, what were the expectations? You know, who is a cut above everyone else? Blah blah blah. But this year, for the most part, I think the answers are pretty clear cut. I think once Joe went down with an injury and therefore ineligible in the first year of the sixty five game rule to be eligible for major awards, I think
Nicola Jokic pretty much became the clear front runner. And that's not to say that he would not have won it if Mbat stayed healthy. But Mbat was on such a historic tare before you went down, so I thought he was a favorite back then. But for now Nicola Yogic, who, by the way, this four year stretch with him, You could put that up with a four year stretch of any player in recent history, because you know, considering he won two MVPs and finished runner up and another one
is going to win a third. I mean, how many players in the NBA And you could just say in history. I don't leave it in recent history, but how many players in the NBA have had that stretch? You know? Obviously you know Michael the Great, Michael Jordan, Bron James, but it's a very small class. So yeah, and I.
Think too, just the way in which he's elevated his play in a lot of years and coming back from a championship.
Yep, yep. Absolutely, And just when you think that you know he's going to plateau, you know, he might drop a bit and everything. He just you know, just has a year that and again, very team oriented to he doesn't really care, you know, he just wants to go ride his horses, you know. But yeah, he'll say, okay, I'll take it, only on behalf of my team. So that's the beauty of Nicola Jokic is that he's not
out there campaigning. He just wants to win games, you know, And so that's pretty much clear cut, and you know, Rookie of the Year win Manyama, and I know a lot of people said, well, the moment he stepped in the NBA, he was going to be a rookie year, not none, not necessarily. So I thought chet Houngan has
had and still is having a very good year. I think that when Byama is just doing some crazy stuff, particularly lately in that forty point twenty rebound game and to win against the Knicks and other games that his block shots, you know, again just he's but he's gonna win Defensive Player of the Year maybe once or twice, do you think before it's all over with. And I just think he's had a kind of year that most rookies just really don't have.
So we've hit the obvious ones. The Coach of the Year is interesting. We've seen some surprises in terms of what teams are accomplishing, some that have youthful teams, whether you look at what Oklahoma City is doing, what the Orlando Magic are doing, Minnesota Timberwolves and just how they've been performing. And obviously a lot of teams dealing with injury. Who are some of your top candidates at the front line of who may be your coach of the year.
Well, again, I think in this situation, we come back to expectations. You know, did you expect Boston to be where they are pretty much? So that cancels out you know, one coach, and you expect Denver to be the defending champions. We are okay, Well that cancels out of coach again, so we're weighing, you know, that sort of thing. But I think that uh, you know, you got you have to look at the West. You have to look near
the top of the West. Oklahoma City, Minnesota, two teams that you know, based on last year versus this year, you know, it's been quite a leap. You know, Mark Dagnol who's just been tremendous with a very young core, and I know he has Shay who's an MVP candidate, and I know he's had some good health for the most of the year. But they're still they're young players, and you know, a young team rarely rises to the top that quickly, particularly over a defending NBA champion still
in its prime. That's the Denver Nuggets.
Uh.
Then you look at Chris Bench with Minnesota. See, to me, I think it comes down to those two uh coaches, who's going to finish first? And you know, weirdly, you know, you don't have your mind made up with two weeks left. But look at Chris Finch being able to coach this team. Team can't score, you know, but it plays great defense. They bought into that philosophy. You know, Kling Anthony Towns has been out and yet they still find ways to win.
Pretty much all season. They've either been in first place or a game game and a half out of the first place. Definitely in the top three all season. So you have to salute someone like that to be able to get his team to buy in, particularly defensively, and to keep winning in a very difficult conference.
So you've mentioned how they finish. Is it as simple as that? I mean, you're looking with these coaches and what other distinguishing factors within a team do you take into accounts because it is different situations in Minnesota, for example, and Chris Finch, I look at him in the impressive nature of thinking about what those expectations were with that trade going into last season, the way in which it looked like it may not work with Rudy Gobert or
Karl Anthony towns. How they figure that out? Obviously the ascension of what Anthony Edwards is doing. But now you deal with injuries, with towns being out, what factors in for you more than if there is more than just the way these teams finish.
Yeah, again, like I said, it gets tricky and a lot of voters will bring in their own philosophies. There are no guidelines when it comes through voting for these awards. The NBA doesn't doesn't give out a set of instructions that like, for example, the MVP. The NBA doesn't say, well, the MVP winner must come from a player whose team has won x amount of games. The only guideline now is players have to play sixty five games. As far as the Coach of the Year, you know, I kind
of weigh a lot of different things. Number one, you know, where the team was last year versus this year. Number two, many like really star players they have. You know, if you look at a team like Boston, I mean, you know, they they're loaded, and that's probably more reflection on you know, the man who put them together general manner than the coach. No offense, but you know, you know, yeah, so maybe Brad Stevens is up for Executive of the Year, probably
more deserving. But yeah, I look at, you know, last year versus this year, the amount of stars and All Stars, and way of improvement and the other things more like discipline, how smart the team is and clutch situations, do they beat themselves? They play hard? And of course winning obviously
is a factor. So I kind of factor all that in whenever I look at who would be the most deserving, and I still come down to, you know, two coaches who have their team right near the top and the West against the defending champion Nuggets.
All right, then this is the tough one because there really are no guidelines of what most improved Player is, and I think everyone looks at it in different ways.
Everyone has different thoughts about the age is a player, which should be the natural progression of improvement for a player getting used to the league, accustomed to the league, making that jump from let's say rookie year to second year, second a third year for most improved player who jumps out to you as a couple of the top candidates to win that award.
Yeah, See, Sarah, this is the award that you know, really has me a little bit frustrated because you know, I think a lot of voters misinterpret the spirit of the award, And to me, the spirit of the ward is someone who just has who maybe no one really gave too much thought of, who was maybe drafted low, didn't have a lot of you know, hope coming into the league, and just was a self made productive player.
You know, sometimes you give it to that guy who was drafting the T six that started off slow and all of a sudden, you know, was great. Well, he should have been there anyway. Or a guy who was actually pretty good last year and just took it up a notch. Oh, we should give him. I mean I
look at a guy like appron Chagun. I mean a guy who you know last year was like, you know, third option on the Rockets, you know, really trying to, you know, really get some tracks in the NBA, trying to learn about his body a little bit, and comes in this year and before he got hurt, its rockets leading scorer, good rebounder, again, very self made. You know, got a nickname, baby Yokitch. Anytime you can have a nickname with Yokich in the middle of it, that's got
to be a pretty a pretty good sign. Of course, it gets hurt and then you got to look at someone like Jaylen Brunson, who again, you know, I know he won a couple of national championships Villanova, but you know, second round pick, second option in Dallas, comes to New York. Last year was pretty good. This year the top five scoring, All Star all that. So, uh, it's going to be one of those two players on my scorecard. I think
they're both deserving. Neither of them came into the NBA but a lot of fanfare, and yet they were both pretty much so made very productive players.
Yeah. Well, Jalen Williams jumps out to me for Oklahoma City. We're talking a lot about winning, impacting winning, what players have been doing, and he, to me, has been someone that his I don't. I don't think for as much as we talk about Oklahoma City, I think a lot of people, if they're not watching in a game in game out, basis fully understand the impact because because everyone's contributing so much, and obviously SGA is having an mv MVP type caliber season. I know Kobe White has gotten
a lot of buzz from the Chicago Bulls. Tyrese Maxie is well, the jump. He's made. I think by nature you've seen his progression and knowing when that James Harden trade happened with him having balvedmore and his usage right obviously skyrocket. But gonna be fun, gonna be interesting, Sean. We will continue to watch because now, as we had mentioned, only seven eight games remaining, but we had some good ones last night, including talking Oklahoma City thunder SGA game winner,
a win over the Knicks. We'll get to that right after break.
Kitty looking looking inside the past jump, Shawn is up. That's good.
At one point eight remainings, Keljas Alexander nails it and the Thunder go up by one. Welcome back to me, Paul, Sarahkustaik, joined by the Great Sean Poll and Sean. We had some fun games going last night, including a tremendous finish in just a tremendous game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks at the Garden thanks to a game winner by Shake Gildes Alexander, a one point win by the Thunder. I had mentioned Jalen Williams, Maryland.
Williams close over, pull up.
Jumper, got it again. Tyler Williams putting on a show. He comes away with thirty three points, eight assists, four rebounds. You had a big night for Jalen Brunson, thirty points, seven assists.
Up top to Brunson nine seconds to go. Brunson looks up Brunson on the drive to the rain off.
The classic back next leave by one with four seconds frommaining. And it's interesting watching you look at where these two teams are at, what they're trying to accomplish, the NIXT dealing with a good amount of injuries or some injuries here is they go down the final stretch of the season.
But looking back at that game last night, what stands out to you just with where these Western Conference standings sit, those top couple teams between the Nuggets, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, what that means for them and also the next team that's battling still potentially feeling like they could jump up to that number two spot in the East.
I think you had a contrast. You had one team that's been pretty much healthy all year, that's Oklahoma City against a team that's, you know, least in this game, was missing three starters, you know. And also what I took away from that is Jayden Brunson. I mean, what a role. Last couple of games, sixty one points and a loss against Spurs, and then you know, another terrific game. Although he did miss a couple of free throws down the stretch, he still played very well and just been
tremendous for the Knicks all season. I'm with you with Jayden Williams. I think this, first of all, he's not scared. You know, you give him the ball, and you know if Shay gives Alexander doesn't want the ball, and Jed Williams to take the ball, and I think you saw a little bit of that. But Shade really didn't shoot well except for the game winning shot, of course, and then Jay Williams kind of carried that team on the road in a tough place to play, even even though
the Knick still without og Anobi, Julius Rando, Mitchell Robinson. Now, going back to those three players, you wonder for the Knicks whether or not they're going to come back. I mean, with og and that elbow, that was really a strange thing because he did come back and then he went out again back to rehab. Julius rand Over his shoulder, didn't have any surgery on that shoulder and really has been stuck in rehab, and Mitchell Robbins has a problematic ankle.
This team has played well all things considered, but you wonder how much of it's going to wear down a guy like Jalen Brunson, who has been tremendous. As I said, And by the way, can defenders really understand that Jaylen Brunson is left handed? He always wants to go to his left. How does he still get to the rim? Sarah? Every single time I was watching that Spurs game, he's just blowing by Spurs left and right going to his left. You would think they would figure it out or at
least double them. But you know, I know we're a little bit off track there, but just frustrating me. No, your opponent, Oh my god, I get it. Jaylen Brunson is good, so he's probably going to do that more often than not. But still, you know, though, a double team anyway. Yeah, I just think he just saw a
contrast line last night. One team injured and somewhat desperate, and another team really wants to establish itself as a title contender, goes on the road and the world's most glamorous, fantastic, what is it, Sarah Greatest Arena and comes out with the win.
Well, you want to talk about double teams. And there was another game happening in New York last night in Brooklyn against the Brooklyn Nets, and Lebron James is not forty yet, but he dropped forty and he did so in an absolutely extraordinary manner. I know Brooklyn is had a struggle this season trying to piece things together, but for the Lakers and Lebron James, he was exquisite. Thirteen of seventeen, including nine of ten from the three point line,
seven rebounds, five assists. Lebron down the midley goes, how are you gonna stop it?
He's got the care.
I'm Lebron doing little dance out on front, out on top now in the corner, look at him looking to take a seaton. Lebron, Come on, what we're going with? Blasting in front of him? Scoring up Lebron here, God.
Yes, Lebron, stop showing off. Lebron.
I was able to see that, Uh see that live and living color, and it was just take over time. The Lakers jumped out to a seventeen to nothing lead, and as the nets started to come back and make a little bit of a push, Uh, Lebron just shut it down. And he was extraordinary. Watching the power and the force that he still plays with to go along with that touch, what he's doing from the three point line this season. Uh where I know we run out of words and descriptions of James, but does it? Does
it surprise you in any case? And I know he had some comments after the game of talking about being on the back end of his career, not knowing how much longer he may still be doing this. As we're watching this and seeing this and not taking it for granted because it is his twenty first year and we've become so accustomed to him being such a stable part of what we see night in, night out, how do you view this and in view games like this.
I'm sorry, Sarah, whenever I watch Lebron James, I take everything for granted. I'm sorry. He got me man, you know, because I have not seen this guy hit a wall, And until I see him hit a wall, I'm gonna think he's gonna be able to do this every night. I will say this about Lebron James's game, you know, here, as you said, you know, twenty first year, the one area where he has improved on is his three point shooting.
You know, he the rest of his game, you know, it's pretty much been okay, a little slippage here there, whatever, defense, maybe rebound, whatever, it might be, not much, but the one era where you can say, ah, you know this
is what he's been working on. That three point shooting is given him basically is buying him time, and it's and not only that, it's making him be even more relevant in today's game when he can consistently, well not consistently, but better than ever in his career drop that three point shot. Now he has some cold he has some cold spells here and there from that distance, but you know this this year I can say that's the one
area of his game he has definitely improved on. And how many players can you say that you know this, but first of all, not to me players are playing twenty one years, but even late in your careers, how many players can you can you say are improving on an important part of their game as Lebron James in
three point shooting. And as far as whether or not he has that much time left and everything I still think that there's something inside Lebron James who just wants to save a little bit for maybe if, if, and I know this is a conversation for another day, if Bronni James is able to play in the NBA, you know, just to have that father son moment, that Ken Griffy junior Ken Griffy Senior moment. Again, that's a conversation for another day. We got to see if you can play draft,
all that stuff. But I just I see that in Lebron James as sort of something that's.
Driving him without a doubt. I mean, and you said, shooting over forty percent from three for a three point shooter that at his career is right around thirty five just under he's taken some more three. So the adjustment of that to his game, I also think it's evident watching and we'll see where the Lakers, you know, how they finish. Obviously, it looks like they're going to be the playing game again this year. Last year they were
seven seats, only having to win one game. Not sure if they can there's any chance they could jump up and get to that eight spot still at this point, but they can turn it on and the complimentary pieces and the confidence when when they play the way Ruy is playing in certain moments, Austin reeves putting it together. You know what, D'Angelo Russell. If there's any level of consistency,
Anthony Davis has been tremendous. But you saw it. I'm sitting there watching and when Lebron James wants to turn it on, he just absolutely dominates. And that's both in So it's still in spurts. I think he's figured out how to pace himself and where to pace himself. So to me, I do not Sean take it for granted, because it is. It is a whole nother level and we will see. But but yeah, I don't know. It doesn't look like I know. He may say that it doesn't look like that. It's it's going to be ending
anytime soon. But we'll be fun to watch. You know what is ending, Sean. Our podcast here and we always appreciate your time, will continue to read watch you on NBA TV, NBA dot Com, and until the next time, we look forward to saying.
You appreciate it.
Sarah NBA pauls So Sarahusack is production of iHeart Radio in the NBA Please write review and subscribe on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.