Jokic Greatness, Wemby vs Giannis and Lakers Discontent

down to the wire. The open ear the Milwaukee Bucks in San Antonio spurs a one to twenty five, one twenty one victory for the Bucks as we saw Jannis and Victor wembin Yama go at it for the first time. We will get into that one in just a bit. But the nightcap the Nuggets the Warriors. It came down

to the wire and who else to come through? Although I say that you got two clutch players there more than that between the Nuggets and the Warriors, and fortunately a turnover by Steph Curry set up an opportunity for the Nuggets to have the final possession, and it was Nikola Jokic with the buzzer beating three pointer to give Denver the three point win. And ash I wanted to get into this one not just about the Nuggets getting another win and beating the Warriors here in this one,

it was a pretty complete effort. Jokic with thirty four points, nine rebounds. He had ten assists thirteen of sixteen from the field, so he was highly highly efficient. Aaron Gordon now has been back for Denver. He had thirty points, nine rebounds. Twenty five from Murray Peyton Watson continues to impress off the bench with nineteen points. Curry as well had thirty points. A nice game from Klay Thompson, but more so about Nicola Jokich. It's not just about another

buzzer beater. It's not just about a win here for the Nuggets, but the things in the ways in which he continues to truly amaze and step up to the moments. I think the comfort level for a guy like Michael Malone for him to give the ball to the two time MVP and have it in his hands and make some decisions. That one obviously it needed to be a three point. Look what makes Yokich unique different from so many other MVP candidate and so many other elite level players that we see in this league.

of that. You know, he's a threat first and foremost to find an open man, and then when necessary or the opportunity presents itself, like it did at at the end of a tie game, you know that he becomes a matchup nightmare because if he's got the ball out high, you know, that's a matchup challenge for Golden State in

terms of just his size. Uh And but if you have a big, big man out there, then all of a sudden, you know he's got he's got more mobility and obviously more skills than most of the big men in the league. So let us count the ways in which Jokic distances himself, separates himself from his peers, and you know, Joel Embiid has taken over the spotlight as far as MVP, you know, last year and even potentially

this year. But Jokic, if anything, is as good as he's ever been, uh and maybe better than he's ever been.

composed nature that he brings to the table. And I also think just knowing that there's so many things you mentioned, is passing and that absolutely is some things that you know is at the top of the list of his skill set. But I think because of that, it makes him such a threat in how teams have to play him, knowing that he can facilitate for his teammates, he can

score all of those things. Who do you have We're talking about this in terms of best players, top players, MVP, Who do you have on your MVP list as the number one guy at this point of the season.

he did last year. That's early, but as m v P and then after that, I mean, you know, you line up the usual suspects like Luca and Giannis and Jokic, and then I think Shake gilgis Alexander to me, is is right there and and deserving of a top five. You know, consideration, we we won't make you, we won't make it. You give us a full top ten.

the Western Conference, a pretty stronghold. I'm where they've been what he's accomplished. But speaking of votes, vote getters, top vote getters, and one one that hangs in that top five, but is the number one when it comes to All Star voting is Janis Adeta Kumpo, number one overall vote getter, Number one in the East. Number two in the East

was Joel and b Number three was Jason Tatum. On the Western side of things, that's for the front court, I should say Lebron James was the number two overall vote getter, followed by Kevin Durant and then Nikola Jokic in the front court. For guards in the West, it was Doncic, then Currie, then Gildas Alexander. In the Eastern Conference, Tyrese Haliburton was the number one vote getter by fans. For guards in the Eastern Conference, followed by Dame Lillard

and Trey Young. But it's not about the All Star yet, Ash. We will have plenty of time to get into that as that approaches, because last night it was a first opportunity for us to see Janis Detakoumpo, Victor Wembin Yama go at it between one another. It was actually Victor's twentieth birthday, so happy birthday to him. And it was a sensational matchup. Denakupo forty four points, fourteen rebounds when

Baniyama had twenty seven points. Devin Vessel led the San Antonio Spurs with thirty four points, and it was a back and forth affair, especially down the final three minutes of that game between Yannis and Victor. The defensive plays, the three point shots, the clutch looks, it was it flashed that we saw and we have seen throughout the course of the season. We know what Yannis can do, but of Wembin Yama showing that he really looks like

he will be the read real deal. When you look at that back and forth matchup and just the understanding of the moment this San Antonio Spurs team, they're five and twenty nine they're last in the Western Conference, Milwaukee currently sitting second in the East at the twenty five and ten record. But these type of moments that you know, all eyes are on this sensational young rookie that has

got a lot of hype coming in. What did Wembin Yama show you in that moment and at that point of the game that kind of starts to formulate your opinion on what he could be in this league.

I mean, he's been playing you know, the Spurs five and twenty eight, five and twenty nine maybe now, Yeah, and so it probably haven't been a lot of moments where, you know, down the stretch of a tight game against class competition that he's been able to respond. And he did respond. You know, over the course of that game, he had a couple of dunks. He had one where he passed to himself off the backboard, which course is pretty ingenious for a guy his size to do that.

never facing anybody quite like that? And b reflecting on himself when he was twenty and how far he has come, and what Webin Yama might be if he travels the same path, if he dedicates himself and works as hard and builds himself up physically. I mean, my goodness, he could be you know, Yannis, you know, to the nth degree at that point. So a great fascinating matchup to watch. I think it's said as much about the Bucks and their struggles their flaws this season as it did about

woman Yama and the Spurs. But what great entertainment.

Milwaukee Bucks team, that's not what you want. That's not what you want against the last place team in the West Conference, one that is struggling and you know, one in which you feel like you should have a good handle on Milwaukee. Despite the fact that the record looks good, as I said, they're place in the Eastern Conference, it has been solid, they are still one searching for a variety of things to come together if they truly want

to be a title contending team. As they are speaking of another team that wanted to be a title contending team and has run into a lot of issues, the Los Angeles Lakers, Ash, we are going to discuss their struggles after break. Welcome back to MM Pulse. Saracoustak joined by the great Steve Ashburner and Ash who the Los Angeles Lakers. There was a lot of hope, promise for

what this team could be coming into this season. Of course, you know, Lebron James has been tremendous, carrying the load you think about coming into the season, and the concept and thought of him being able to be on a bit of a minute's restriction and just the responsibility needed from him here as a thirty nine year old has been tremendous. Anthony Davis solid as well, But after that

a lot of the pieces have fallen off. The Lakers currently sitting tenth in the Western Conference seventeen and eighteen record here they've lost three in a row, but the issues go much deeper than that, and seemingly some disconnect and frustration obviously, but turmoil amongst the team and what things may look like moving forward in any of the solutions that they could find to try and get the

season back on track. How would you characterize what's going on with this Lakers team in ways in which at this point of the year, you know, we're sitting here now the turn of the calendar year, what they can do to try and correct the direction that they've been at this juncture.

thing is no boum for Laker fans. They expect more, and frankly, any team on which Lebron plays, greater things are expected. I think the Darvin Ham right now is the guy in the crossairs allegedly there are players who are unhappy with his rotations, his starting lineup changes. Now, those might be the guys that are no longer starting, that are that are are beefing behind the scenes or behind the scenes, or it might be Lebron who just feels like, you know, there's there's no real rhythm to

those sort of changes. You know, this far into a season, so you know, as long as the sources are unnamed, it's gonna be hard to pin down just what the real problem is. But right now it's Darvin Ham in the crosshairs. He is a fairly easy target, just as Frank Vogel was before him, just as other coaches that Lebron has had have been. And you know this is not this is not Riley or Phil Jackson or even

Steve Kerr. You know, guys who have established themselves and are sort of beyond reproach and that they will work through this sort of stuff. Darvin Ham probably on a on a you know, a fairly short leash as far as you know coaching, you know, tenure, and you know, we'll see. I don't know that it would be the right move. I know there are probably some reasons that he too needs to work harder and do better. But it doesn't begin an end with the head coach there.

And here you said about Lebron in his twenty first year, you know, is he going to be the guy to carry things? Yeah, but that's not exactly what you want to look in putting the pieces around him. So, you know, I think I think it's still obviously we do sit here in January, but as the trade deadline approaches, you know, the damp darvin Ham piece of it is interesting to me.

I think obviously there was a lot of enthusiasm of the job he was able to do last year, and part of it is X's and O's and part of it is handling personalities. And I think for a team too that was so predicated on defense and what they're able to do on the defensive end, that aspect has

not come. So I'll be curious to see what moves will be made, can be made to try and rectify the situation, because think about what we were saying and thinking about the Lakers at this point of last year and how that shifted with a handful of moves and in some players being moved and others coming in and performing in a different level.

that game. I mean the play that blew up on them, not Lebron's three point or two point controversy, but after that, you know, I don't know what. I don't know what that shot was I think that the Minnesota defense had something to do with that, but it didn't seem like a very well drawn out play. And you know, if that's the sort of thing that Ham's getting criticized for, so be it, because that is you know, his his domain.

So yeah, we'll see. It could be, it could be, and it probably will take more than one change.