Welcoming into NBA poster production of iHeartRadio in the NBA. I'm Sarahkustak, NBA analyst for the Yes Network, and today is Friday, March twenty second from our extraordinary core group. If NBA journalists were joined now by NBA dot Com senior writer Michael c.
Right, Michael c you.
Got your new MVP ladder that has dropped, but a lot of things look pretty similar up at the top. We've seen no Kola Jokic maintaining that number one spot for quite some time, Shake Gildas Alexander at number two, but with a recent push by Dallas. Tied for number three is Luka Doncic and Yatastana Kupo and Jason Tatum rounding out.
The top five for the Celtics.
And I want to get into not this current iteration of where things sit and where things have sat for for kind of last couple of seasons, probably expected the next few seasons in terms of what the MVP looks like. We've been talking so much Joel Embiid, Nicola Jokic, Giannis, a lot of those that have kind of maintained that top builing and xbxations as we enter each and every season. But when those guys, maybe you know, continue to go
down the back end of where their prime is. So, whether that's five years, whatever, that looks like, I'm curious. And we talked about this a little bit before the pod, and I know, judging by how long our list became, the NBA is in great, great shape for the future. Who would you put as your top candidates for the next grouping of what those MVPs look like? So, I know we probably hit about fifteen names.
But.
When you kind of look at the tears and the tiers of guys that you have expectations for who we're going to be talking about here coming up, who jumps off the page now for you and your expectations of what that will look like.
Well, first I want to start with a dark horse, Sarah shocker to you, I'm sure, Ja.
I like Jaylen Green. Jayleen Green, I like it.
It's not that it's a shocker.
You said, well, one obvious name, and I had a couple of my head I thought we're gonna be obvious. But yeah, I mean rockets. They have been hooping, they've been calling, they're making a run. They're making a run for Peter Cowder as Lakers for that nine ten spot, with the Warriors currently sitting in eleventh.
But so Jalen Green tell us more.
I just as we mentioned, or we talked about earlier on the Pod, I was saying that, like I've just the last couple of years, I've thought that the Rockets were a Jalen Green leap away from really being a serious team that you know, might have a shot at making the playoffs and everything. And I think we are sort of in the middle of seeing that leap right now.
Jalen Green is falling. Man. I mean, he's got.
The tools, got all the tools, but I just thought he sort of needed a coach that would, you know, demand a lot of him and would sort of make him clean up some of the mistakes that young rookies make. You know, they like the turnovers and things like that, and just bad decisions. And you've got sort of a I don't want to call them a disciplinary disciplinarian, but you know, because you were with he May in Brooklyn,
he don't blame yep. And when you got a coach like that, I think that just sort of helps you to eliminate some of the just the unneeded things.
That you do as a player.
Like he's not gonna like he's trying to shape the Rockets into a team that is not going to beat themselves themselves, sort of in the mold of the Spurs, not beat themselves, be disciplined, make great decisions, culture scrappy. Every other night you see the Rockets get in somehow of fight on the floor, and it's because they all are sort of standing up for each other. And that's sort of the type of culture that May is gonna bring. And I think that's just been great for Jalen Green,
So I'm really hyped to see his development. Not even mentioned Alpera and the shan Gun. That kid he's a baller too. So the Rockets I think are set up to be pretty good. You know, they maybe a piece or two away, But like Jalen Green, like I would just say, keep an eye on him, because that kid is sort of he's just got a lot of momentum right now, and I'm really excited to see what he does the rest of the season.
He does, and I haven't seen him quite as much obviously as you in person and probably have been not watching the Rockets, yeah, quite as much. But as you me, I mean, he's just in his thirty year, twenty two years old. I would be interested to see if he can make a leap in terms of his efficiency from the three point line, adding that to his gay I know he takes a high volume of threes, but that's
something that I'd be curious and interested to watch. And I always think, you know, just in terms of the MVP conversation, it's been a big talking point, you know this season with what Shake Gills of Alexander is doing for that Oklahoma City team, a young team ahead of schedule, how he has been the center point of that, and how much that factors into guys being an MVP consideration. So I also think a lot of that depends on
what does Houston look like. You mentioned alprin Shangoun. Tough loss for Houston despite how you know they still continue Roland and playing without him, but if the team itself and with email and I got a ton of confidence that they will continue to build and move in the direction that they want to. You know, how much that factors in my obvious choice to jump to immediately And again we said this, we get a lot, a lot of options to have and some that we still continue to talk about.
I would put Shay in that category of what that looks like.
But Anthony Edwards like there there to me is no question that sometime I would say within the next I would say ten years to give it a little bit a runway, but five years a couple of years especially interesting to see what Minnesota has got. Some tough decisions to make in terms of contracts, in terms of salary cap, in terms of what that looks like this offseason.
But luxury, you got to keep this group together.
Mark, Mark and Alex and just officially you know, they gotta dig into those pockets right.
As well, because they do have a team that I think is is ready to start competing for championships.
I mean, right, yeah, but that but that's the point.
And I think there were so many questions you look at, like, oh, Karl Anthony Towns, you know, with him being out, what's gonna happen now?
How are they going to drop that?
You know they've had guys, And that to me is why ants like on top of the insane highlight plays would love to see on both ends of the floor, it's also about his production and how he wills a team uh to be.
Playing at the level they're playing.
His personality, the charisma, the competitiveness, the seemingly coach ability of Chris Finch being able to coach him hard, him wanting to get better, and again, just a player that's twenty two years old in his fourth year doing the things he's doing, and it seemingly is like he's adding on to his games in terms of facilitation, finding teammates.
Yeah, all those things.
To me, he's my He would be at the top of my leaderboard for this discussion of the trend of what's going to happen.
Well, you know, the audience right now is just like you got you're missing all the all the you know, the the main candidates. We're talking about some of the ones that just people maybe not have paid attention to. So that's why I mentioned Jalen Green. But Anthony Edwards obviously he's obvious.
I mean because when you look at MVP conversations a lot of time, let's be real here, our eyes like if you have an esthetically pleasing game, then we're gonna watch you more. And so you know, like so the other night I'm watching him with the Nuggets. He had thirty eight and eight without Karl Anthony Towns and took the last shot to tie that game, missed it. But the Nuggets just were like, hey, uh, you're not gonna beat us, and they just.
They were like, you're going to get off the ball, and he did.
For the most part all night or at the end of that game, ended up getting that potential game time shot.
Missed it. But that kid is something else in Collins. Oh, poor John Collins.
I'm sorry when you have a duncan. Both players need to get injured and won his excitent the cat Like when you want to talk about on your head, that is the true definition of on your head.
Get concussed and get out of the game. Okay, so you mentioned it and you called me out. So we're talking about the obvious candidates.
You'd also Jason Tatum put him in the bucket, shake gives Alexander put him in the bucket, Luca. You know he's still gonna He's still going to be a part of this mix. Obviously, these players are all young enough. Who else may be in other potentially dark horse candidate We're not just talking about excellent players in the league.
But those that would be in the MVP conversation.
Well, Jayalen Brutson, obviously the guy is not He is not the most athletic, he's not the fastest, the biggest, but he's like Jokic in a way that he finds a way to get it. He gets it done, he finds ways. And I think his basketball IQ is just off the charts. I think he's a dog. He's a dog like on the defensive end and offensive end.
I think I really like his humility and.
His his his uh the pride in the in in sort of always improving at his craft.
Like the kid.
I saw him a couple of years ago when the Mavericks made that run in the playoffs, and if you remember, I think to start the playoffs, Luca was hurt and Jalen Brunson had to be the guy and I think he had a couple forty point nights and so you saw it then, and it's a shame that Dallas, you know, couldn't find a way to get him back because him and Luka Doncics would would be a force to record
with for years. And so I just love his game, love his game, and you know you mentioned Tatum and isn't it crazy that what Tatum is, what twenty five something like that?
I think twenty six. I think he might be twenty.
Think of all the big games he's played in, Like he's played and he's got so much big game experience.
He's won so much already.
And it's like we sort of knock him in the MVP conversation because we say, well, you know, he doesn't really show up in the big games. Well that's not true. He's played in a ton of big games. So yeah, he's definitely won for years to come. Tyrese Haliburton, that's that's the name. Charismatic, very articulate, fun to watch. I think he's a guy Zion Williamson this year, Like, okay,
we're talking about Zion Williamson right now. Usually when you're having a conversation about Zion, it's about him being out of shade, overweight, or he's heard or something. And so it is really nice to be having a conversation that is positive about Zion Williamson. And it's just don't you just love the idea of seeing a guy that be just running the show.
As a point, I just saw I just saw him live the other day earlier this week, and his size and frame and physicality match with finesse and the quickest defeat and the smooth nature when he's handling the basketball ability to facilitate.
This is the best defense that we've been seeing him play throughout the course of his young NBA career.
He has bought in, he's moving so well, he's he is an absolute force. I think to your point, those two names, I mean Zi and he's twenty three years old, twenty three years old and so, but Zion and Jah to me are the two players that the availability and being on the court like.
A lot of other people I've forgotten.
But if they're if and I think that's why you forget. And we have not seen Jaw obviously for most of this season, so I think for those reasons. But if Jah and Zion have the sustainability of a full season and at that point and both those guys young, like
absolutely put them on the list. I co sign your Tyres Halliburton because I think there's so many reasons we obviously Indiana has dip sum and and some since the All Star break with Halliburton and how he's been shooting, how he's been shooting from three, you know, throughout the course of the last couple of months. But but overall, he's someone to me that absolutely would be a part of that. Jamal Murray too. I think he's someone wh continue to monitor or watch Jokic. Obviously it didn't take
so much the attention, deservedly so. But there's one other player that we have overlooked for the courtesy of fans in this this thought thought exercise, we have overlooked the process, and that is none other than the man that you get to see all the time, Victor webbin Yama. We're going to talk about him right after the break. Welcome back to NBA Pulse. Sarahusac joined. But the great Mike see right, who Michael? You get to see Wemby on
on a what semi nightly basis, very very often. I had the great fortune of it was more exciting for me to see you in person, ye down in Austin, Texas and see than I mean Victor. And Victor is great and all, but but you were my number one. Get to see you in person, Victor webbin Yama, number two. As the San Antonio Spurs and the Brooklyn Nets met in Austin, Texas a little too off there playing at at the University of Texas, which was a lot of fun.
The atmosphere and the movie center was extraordinary, and it was an extraordinary game. I mean filled with a ton of highlights. It was an overtime thriller. Uh, San Antonio Spurs end up winning and Victor wimban Yama had the most insane highlights to me, and some that you put together a highlight reel of him just from that game alone, and I think there was missing a couple because there was just wild things he did, you know, like a flat, flat footed shot over a we talked about this, a
six to eight cam Johnson. Uh, some reverse flushes him on the move, a couple of the blocks. It's just wild to see what he does, how he moves, the skills already at that size.
Just get out of balance.
And Victoryama is always winning the challenge.
It's coming home.
We two thirty six in count of here.
Got it patrol at one point game old school back the other way.
But just I thought that there could be higher expectations coming into this season, uh for Wemby and and somehow it feels and you know better than me.
Sometimes it feels like he's exceeding those.
So to someone who sees him all the time, what's your perspective not only on what he's doing and doing at this time of the year, but what that does to the spurs in their timeline and tracking of of some of the decisions and moves they need to continue making.
Well, Sarah, you saw yourself and you know what I told I told you in the past, Like I like I wanted you to experience that that that feeling in an arena where everybody is so amazed and almost dumbfounded by what they're seeing that it's not cheering, it's almost a last it's.
As dumbfounded the word, Yeah, this is this real?
Like if I was watching this on television, I would think that maybe this was somehow.
Altered, right, And so like it's an experience.
And I always tell people when they ask me about Victor, I'm like, you got to see him in person. Like it's one thing to watch it on TV, but like just to see the way fans react to some of the things they see, it is just amazing and you find yourself laughing and scratching your head like how do they do that? So, like with him, you mentioned it that he has exceeded expectations, and you know, we haven't. Like he's the most hyped player since Lebron James, and what did Lebron James do?
He exceeded expectations. And that's very much the case here with the Spurs.
And you know, internally, the Spurs did not expect Victor women Yama to be this good so fast. Like I think they were of the mindset of let's let him develop over a year or two and you know, sort of slowly build around him, and he's ready to go now. And so I wouldn't say that it necessarily accelerates San Antonio's timeline, but what I would say is that it really reduces the margin for error, Like they have to get this right as soon as possible because you want to maximize your window with him.
You know, I mean, at the very least Victor.
Is going to be in San Antonio for like seven years at least, well, you better maximize that window. And you know, the Spurs are gonna want to do that because you want to get the most out of your largest,
most valued asset. And so what I found interesting is we talked to Victor yesterday and he said that the Spur are already sort of involving him in the discussions as far as you know what they might do in the future, how they want to play things like that, And Victor was like, you know, I'm really grateful that they think enough of me basically to involve me in
those discussions. So I'm curious as to what direction they take moving forward because Coach Pop the other night said that everything's on the table, whether it's free agents, whether we do it through the draft or whatever.
Trades.
But I think there's going to be a combination. Like if you look at what Oklahoma City has done to rebuild that program, you look at what Denver did you know with Denver they drafted Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. You trade for Aaron Gordon, you get cacyp in free agency. So I think what San Antonio plans to do is sort of going to be a miss of both of those approaches to get back to relevance. And I think it's gonna happen sooner rather than later because you have a generational superstar that.
Is probably gonna win multiple MVPs. Just my guess.
Yeah, no question, And to all of that being said, I think the thing that stood out to me and has most I've seen him a couple of times live now, and it's not just it's yes, the size, the skills, all of these things that were wild by and the highlights he's got. He's a competitor, like you could understand how competitive he is on every possession. You watch it
in his eyes. You watch the way he organizes and commands, and whether it's a head nod or communication, how he understands and sees the game, and that type of basketball IQ of court mapping of what's happening, how it's happening. And we've seen it over and over again again. I saw it in the in the overtime period and the
Spurs ended up winning against the Nets. But we've seen this in other occasions, like he wants the ball, he wants it in the clutch and he will come through, like he is a gamer to his core, and so all those things, the intangibles that come with it, I think to me are also most impressive because it's not just a guy you know that that brings. It brings the size and the scale and it's gonna put He's he's.
Got all of it. He's got the package.
Yeah, So for.
Those reasons, I think it's it's going to be interesting to watch and monitor.
Uh.
In watching. Speaking of tonight, we got a good.
Slate here on NBA TV at eight o'clock PM Eastern the Pelicans, uh, which good news for the Pelicans. Brendan Brendan Ingram just had an MRI and he uh it was said that it's a bone contusion and it's knee and injury that look pretty bad and so he'll be reevaluated in two weeks for this Repelicans team. Just game and half back Clippers in the four spot game and half in front of Dallas in the sixth spot.
So good to see. It's it's nothing too much more severe in law term.
They will play at the Heat and then at ten thirty is the Philadelphia seventy six ers at the Lakers, and we know the Lakers are vying for that playing spot I want to say in the nine tens. So we'll see how things shake out. But Michael, as always, we appreciate you and your time and we'll continue to rewatch all your stuff on NBA TV and NBA dot Com. NBA post was Sarahusacks, a production of the NBA and iHeartRadio.
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