This is the baseline discussing the hot button topics of the NBA. Welcome everybody, your tune to the baseline. Calie Warnshaw discussing the hot button topics of the NBA, live and direct from you and yours And as always, man, just a really, really really active time now to go on the other side of the twenty twenty four five NBA season. As far as the year goes, we're soon
and very quickly approaching NBA All Star Weekend. But if you really count the number of games that have been played, we arguably are at the halfway point of the NBA season, and like quickly before, our eyes were already going to be talking about, you know, playing playoff seedings, and you know who our perennial contenders are, and you know those are still jockeying for positions to try to get into the playoff Isaure's just really really amazing how quickly this
time of the NBA season has flown by. But as always, man, you always got to have a good co pilot to roll with you while the NBA flies through. And there's always when we roll out the red carpet to my right hand man, Www. Dot shot Sports A net big Ahuna, Pac my man, mister Warren Charlotte's good sir.
You know what it is, brother, You know it's MLK Day as a recording, excited to be here the NBA and full of fact as you listen to the midway point of the NBA season, it really did run up on us.
You know, it's about to take the jewels.
But you know there's a lot of great basketball left to be played here in a lot of great conversations as we head into All Star break, but even before that, the trade deadline just the week before, so a great time to be an NBA fan is always here rocking with the baseline.
So we got a great show on tap for you guys.
Hopefully you and yours have been enjoying the weekend especially still has been a lot of exciting games over the weekend, also a great competitive matchups in games leading into Shaw's favorite time of the week, NBA Rivals Week.
I find that even try that over here.
Uh well listen, I just find it funny, you know, Martin Luther King, you know tell it, uh instills upon us peace and walk amongst you know what I'm saying. The Shepherd and then the very next day, we're talking about, you know what I'm saying, tearing each other apart. So kudos to the NBA on that as well too. Right like exactly, we got a great show on tap man uh a little bit, Shaw and I are gonna keep Listen, We've been very cognizant of some guys who clearly are
on a mission, and they've been keeping receipts. There's some players right now who are on one, and they're gonna make it be known that they've been keeping receipts on those who have been casting them away, that this is basically their swan song, and they literally probably won't find any NBA work come the end of this season. And they obviously is that drastic, Okay, But I'm just saying
they're keeping receipts. They've been written off, you put on the as far as the notes go, written written off. I'm just giving people a more you know, a cinematic visualization of what they might actually.
Look written on her and out of the league is two different things, my god.
But they could they could probably resurrect themselves in the G League.
You know what I'm saying.
They could probably resurrect themselves through the g League. But anyway, we got some guys we're gonna talk about that have been keeping receipts and been putting not just our pundits, maybe even ourselves. Maybe we spoke to it at some point before the season began, but they are basically putting the world and everyone unnoticed that they are still here and they are still thriving in the current NBA season.
And then a little bit later on.
We always do this, We do our check in, got our mid season reports. Uh, you know, got a weigh in on some of the up you know, the the the annual season awards, and a couple of other little nuggets we'd like to throw in there to kind of spice it up a little bit to you know, as our midway check in. As as we always say, before you get them straight a's. You know what I'm saying, The interiom report got to look pretty nice, you know what I'm saying. Gotta make you gotta make sure you
know what I'm saying. You You you butter up the parents a little bit. If they're trying to get you that super an ees, you come in strong with those straight.
A interim report cards.
Right, people don't know what they.
Okay, absolutely all right.
As always, be sure to get my man Sports NBA get at me again, face Lee. This shows Twitter handled NBA Baseline available on all the major platforms. You can catch us on www dot the Baseline NBA dot com to check out and only this episode, but also the great episodes that we always like dropping for your listening pleasure. And then if you see us on the YouTube channel, like to say.
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All right.
Coming up, Sean and I are going to talk about those guys out there that are going to be they've been having such a really surprisingly great year so far, and they've been keeping they've been keeping receipts, and we've been watching them keeping those receipts. So we'll definitely get into that and a little bit later on we'll definitely do a mid season report. But first a message from Price Picks. Hey, the Big Game is almost here and
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dollars instantly. After you play your first five dollars lineup Prize Picks, run your game or baseline. Cali Warnshaw, don't go anywhere, all right, Cali Warrenshaw Baseline NBA podcast Time for us to talk about players who at the beginning of this season we were really really, really hesitant in determining and whether or not their season would be a successful season.
Some of the moves.
That have taken in the off season really had us questioning what role some of these guys are going to be playing, whether it's on a new team or even the same team that they have and even through the course of the year, determining where their impact is going to be and have on that team to just say, you know, hey, they're really really, really an important piece.
So there are a couple of players Shaw and I know sometimes we kind of miss on this because a lot of it is more predicated or saying, is this
more of like a hoops redemption situation? And it's not so much about it being a hoops redemption as much as it is recognition about what that player is and the choice that some of the players make for not just the betterment of their career, but also how they you know, acclimate themselves to the team that they're playing on the situation that the team is currently in, what the overall goal is going to be it's pretty interesting that there's a couple of guys out there who arguably
we didn't see them having a really successful season, given the circumstances that they were probably putting themselves under with the teams that they play for. But alas they've said, no, no, no, no no, we're going to figure out a way to make this happen. We'll figure out a way to make this work. Our numbers are going to speak for themselves, and these dudes have been keeping receipts.
And to some degree, some of the guys we're going to talk about are like, all right, well, we know who they are, we kind of know what they're about, and we're not really expecting much from them. And I think, as you so eloquently put, they've not necessarily a surprised but some people have kind of resurrected themselves in terms of the court of public perception. Some guys have boosted their already low very or they're.
Very very low trade value.
Now you should have got in early, because now the
price of the brick has gone up, as they say. So, I think it's just important to highlight some positivity even with this, and that's not to say everybody on this list is on this team that is as a title contender, because that's certainly not the case for one guy for sure, But I just like to see that, hey, you know what, they didn't take last year or even the last couple of years downside and the way that media and I think even the league itself was kind of portraying them
and say, Okay, well, you know what, I'm just going to be this less than player. I can still contribute, and I can contribute at a high level and whatever the role that team needs me to needs me to do at this point.
That's why I think these guys deserve some.
Props, absolutely, so let's rifle through them.
I love that the first person you put at the top of your list was Russell Westbrook. You look at what Russell Westbrook has gone through over the last what three four years, It's really remarkable because I don't think anyone ever has questioned the the the competitiveness, the drive, the style and the energy that Russell Westbrook plays. One thing that we can always say about Russell Westbrook he
will never cheat you or the game right. He will always come in giving you everything he has, and especially when healthy, he runs the well dry. He leaves it all on the basketball court, and I just find it amazing that over the last few years, some of these coaches, some of these organizations that he's played for, have not been able to figure out a way to utilize and harness that where it's productive not just for the team,
but also for Russell Westbrook himself. And I think we were talking about this at the beginning of the year, Russell Westbrook electing to go to the Denver Nuggets. I was like, man, I think that this is a sneaky good play for a team like the Denver Nuggets. And I wasn't quite sure on how the Denver Nuggets were going to try to utilize him. I wasn't sure what or not he would figure out a way for him to be able to play with a Nicola Jokic and if Jamal Murray is healthy and what that might mean
for Michael Porter junior. And obviously the beginning of the season you saw a lot of the rough patches that were exhibited from this team. Does that mean that they have righted the ship by no means, but you can clearly see that Russell Westbrook's impact on this Denver Nuggets team has far out it has how far I lived as expectations I think that people have had about whether or not the Denver Nuggets can at least give themselves a chance to be as competitive as they had been
even for last year, only to get ousted. Like if you need a guy to come off the bench, give you energy, if you need a guy to even start and get things kind of in order. Russell Westbrook is
figuring out a way and to do those things. And you see the incremental improvements here and there with the Denver Nuggets, and hopefully Mike mulhan will fully figure out a way to get this team clicking on all cylinders so that you see the most competitive version of the Denver Nuggets through and through something that they suffered last year, not having anything left in the tank to see it through, for them to get themselves to, you know, eventually, the NBA Finals.
Russ has figured out a way to play work himself into the starting lineup.
Some of it is because of Denver's injuries, right.
You know, Murray has been banged up now seems to be kind of hitting stride. Gordon has really been in and out a lineup for good majority of the season, so some of it has just been out of kind of necessity, as Mi cal Alona has tried to figure out ways to make the lineup itself work. But in the most recent stretch, Russ now is we're at the halfway point and he's actually started half of the games that he's been in and it seems to be working fabulously.
I think with he and and Joker together.
Part of it, too, is that it gives the Denver Nuggets another playmaker on the floor at the same time, as opposed to where Russ was mostly those second units, and now it takes some pressure off of Jamal Murray, who's not again not a bad playmaker, but it's not his first motive operation.
Let's just kind of put it that way.
I like the fact that Russ has been able to get there, and there's some out there, some other reporters and pundits it's like, well, if he's gonna play with Drooker, of course his plus minus is going to be better, and Joker makes everybody better, and they just kind of want to always continue to detract from from what Westbrook does. Listen for what it is. I'm not saying he's send in the world on fire. He's always going to guy.
He's always going to be a guy who's going to be able to score, you know, double figures and then get six or seven sists and.
Five or six rebounds.
It's just kind of like you can pencil those in, pend those in even to the day he's probably forty years old, because there's a certain level of energy.
And hustle that he's always going to bring.
But his off ball cutting again and is obviously his his secondary playmaking. With Joker being out there has been something Nuggets have been able to figure out and utilize to their advantage and now have them looking like a very pretty forma team in the Western Conference when we were almost writing them off, especially in the first week or two of the season.
Yeah, real quick to add to your point.
What I especially love about what Russell Westbrook is doing is, especially to what you're saying regarding Jamal Murray, teams have figured out how to defend the Murray Jokic, you know, pick and pop, pick and roll situation where Jokic just sets up in the middle of the circle and distributes and does others. So and I'm not saying that Mike
Malone has not done anything to change it. I'm sure that he has attempted to do that, but it's very difficult to adjust and to make those type of adjustments when the rest of the other guys that are on the floor clearly are not guys that move north and south. Michael Porter Junity does not move north and south. Aaron Gordon does not move north and south. All of your players are like all around the three point line and then kind of move in accordance to where Jokic, you know,
is dictating certain things. You need someone that just has an effet mentality and it goes north and south literally all the time. And yes, Westbrook doesn't shoot three ball very well, but you know what, sometimes it's not what's required. And one other thing that I think is important as well too, show I want to bring up because you mentioned him, you usually can book him getting like five
or six rebounds a game. Let's not remember, let's not forget outside of Nikola Jokic and only on when there's really solid nights from Aaron Gordon, this Denver Nuggets team does not do a really good job of rebounding the basketball, right. You don't expect that from Jamal Murray. You don't get that a lot from Christian Brawn, who's still kind of
coming into his own right. So a couple of years ago, that was something that they didn't have to worry about because they had such a deep team, right the Jeff Greens, the Bruce Browns, the Contavious Colwell Popes. Those guys would get into the paint, they'd get into trenches and get rebounds and salvage Jamal Murray from having to make those kind of commitments. Right, they don't have that, they haven't
had it the last couple of years. And so now you got that back with a guy like Russell Westbrook. So those second chance opportunities, those opportunities that you typically would need in order to get those transition baskets going. So you can get Porter out to shoot those open transition threes or fast break threes as well, wherever we want to call them, or Braun or any of those guys. That doesn't happen unless you got a guy like Westbrook
on that court. And to see him still actively doing that, you can see how that is so much helping this Denver Nuggets team because if not, it's always on the shoulders of Nikola Jokic or on a good night when Aaron Gordon is not banged up and has actually committed himself down in the trenches.
Well, I'll back up your point and kind of close it with this. The Denver Nuggets are leading the league in fast break points. The Denver Nuggets with Nicola Jokic as the best player in the league, leading the charge.
Right, But you wouldn't out there.
No one would say you know Jokic for you saying both out there on the basketball court. So the fact, I think a lot of that is the Westbrook effect. The fact that he is able to rebound and then sprint up the court for anybody to kind of get some open looks, even if it is you hit yoker joker kind of on that secondary break, you know, if he's trailing to play, or he's getting it out there to a sprinting Christian.
Brawn or you know, maybe a Jamal Murray. I'm not saying it's all Westbrook.
You know, mikel ownA has had to figure out some stuff to maybe make some tweaks in their offense in that's sense to be able to do that, But him being in that lineup on a regular basis, and the fact that he can rebound as well as he does from the guard position and then initiate offense the Nuggets.
The Denver Nuggets are first and fast break points this season.
Crazy looking golden shout out to our girl, Jill Scott, got them, got them all on that R and B track right now, got the neo soul and the digging in the Denver Nuggets. You're tuned to the baseline. Callie warren Shaw discussing the hot button topics of the NBA. Talk about players that are keeping receipts. Let's go ahead and move on to the next one. Shaw, I really
like this one. You know what I'm saying, Your man, Ziggity Zach Levine, you know what I'm saying, holding it down for the Chicago Bulls.
You know what I'm saying, Like, what more can be said?
We've I think a lot of people like to down downplay like his overall game, you know, partly because he never stays healthy enough to be on the basketball court for us to truly believe that he's going to have an impact with whatever team that he's playing for. You look at this Chicago Bulls team. I'm sure that Billy Donovan wants to hug him and then wants to to you know what I'm saying, like like like bury him in the locker in the back room and stuff like that.
So you just if the Bulls could just finally tank because Zach Levine cannot help himself, would be just damn good on the basketball court.
And he's keeping receipts on people who think otherwise.
Yeah, Zach is.
Twenty three and a half a game before, like oh, that's you know, kind of like maybe not all that sexy or whatever the case to be.
But what you do needed to pay attention.
To is the fifty one percent from the floor and the forty five percent he shooting from the three point line right now, fifty one percent is the highest he's shot like in the last six or seven seasons. In addition to obviously being healthy, he's figured out a way to let the game come to him, even with the emerging guys like Kobe Wide even Josh Giddy there now to kind of help set him up on some plays. You know, Vooch is still there, you know, getting some
shots and obviously some rebounds and things like that. You know, but Zach has just matured and I think he's heard all the rumors and said, you know, hey, this is not a winning guy, and he's really kind of fostered that now into the space, and like, you know what, Yeah, I'm good at scoring the basketball. I can even do some secondary play creation. But I don't need to be a ball hall to do any of those things. I can fit within the proverbial offense. And when he gets hot,
he gets hot. He's got still got great balance, got great balance on his three point shot, great bounce on his jumper. In general, I'm not saying this to like, you know, cap as people say to say now, Like I just was never as down on Zach Lavine I think.
As everybody else was.
And I was like, yeah, he's been injured. Yeah, maybe not think he's like the biggest winning player.
But he's a good dude.
And there was a couple of seasons ago here he was winning games for Chicago even with the Rods in there.
Listen, I like Zach.
I love this kind of pseudo redemption story, at least for the season. And this is a guy where there was like second round picks and basically just salary cap match that people were saying second round picks for a guy who gives.
You over twenty a game.
And now look what he's doing over twenty a game on fifty percent and forty percent from the from the three point line, and he.
Shoots a free throw, shoots free throws as well too.
I listen, if I'm Chicago, I'm selling as high as I possibly can, and it may still not get you a first round pick, but I think you can get extractedly a little bit more equity now out of this if you're the Chicago Bulls. Either way, if you don't think zach Lavine has definitely had a bounced back season.
My bad. Here.
Do you think that what zach Lavine is doing is giving an opening for the Chicago Bulls to figure out a way to keep him on this roster, grow with this roster, and maybe help to assemble a couple of free agency pieces that might help him take another step forward. Look, are they gonna usurp the Milwaukee Bucks?
No?
Right, They're still not good enough to do that.
I think you probably have a better opportunity of moving Vucevich before you move Zachly. But I think only in the sense that what zach Levine is completely giving you right now is so hard to find.
Right.
So, if you're trading on that part of it and saying, all right, we want the highest value possible, think about who is actually out there that are actual willing trade partners to give up whatever talent that they're probably going to be grooming anyway. I think this comes down to the maturity of zach Levin. Now, I'm not saying zach
Lavine was not mature. I'm just saying zach Lavine has always been caught up in a bad situation where it has always seemed to marginalize the potential of the talent that he could actually show you when he's playing around other individuals who are not quite on the same wavelength of what the Chicago Bulls were intending to do when they made the moves that they made a few years ago.
Right.
And it's not to say that he can't get along with the likes of a DeMar Derozen, but clearly there was a different strategy involved in what was taking place, or else they probably would have never made that move
to happen to begin with. Right, So, all that I'm saying is maybe now there's a different way to you look at how zach Levine can help help the Chicago Bulls and maybe figure out another retooling sort of speak or readjustment sort of speak of the right combination with what he's giving you now with what you want to
see from the Chicago Bulls. I'm not saying that he should be a cornerstone player, but I am saying is is how do you get let something like that go that's giving you what you're getting right now this season? Because I feel like he could probably do that over the next few years if you're not demanding too much more than what he's already shown you.
Yeah, I mean, I think at twenty nine years old, he's not necessarily somebody And I know you're not saying this verbatim, but you're going to start to rebuild around I think the Bulls do still need to tear it all the way down, and that could include even as much as Kobe White, like, I mean, it really could. I think they've made Patrick Williams available in trade. It's never really seemed like it's going to pan out for dude.
There Vouja's voucha and you know, the Warriors are stiffing around and anybody interested the big man is stuffing around there and Zach has obviously been mentioned in Trade Room is previousy. I think while he's built his equity back up, you do need to strike while the iron is hot, because as much praise as I want to heap upon him, he is has he at least more recently, has had a history of injuries, So you don't want that the
flow up again. And now you can't get the value that you could get right now, especially within the next couple of weeks.
Remember they shut him down last year around this time or whatever.
It was, thought, okay, maybe he would be able to get back, and then the injury just never healed and then.
They were just like, all right, well, there's nothing we can do because nobody's going to trade for air quote damage goods.
He's rebuilt his value, in my opinion, and I think the Bulls should continue to should try to move him on, and if they don't this year, then that's okay. But I'd be surprised if he's a Bull going into the start of next season, especially with two years left on his deal and that player option.
All right, let's go ahead and transition to the next one. Shaw our man, your boy, Jordan Poole.
Everybody's my guy, and my boy doesn't he lately got a large family, and I got a large family.
You have an extended young son's family. There. Yeah, let me let me play, let me start.
But anyway, Jordan Poole right like, and I know people are just like, come on, what do you mean? Like he's playing arguably on one of the worst teams in the NBA, right with the Washington Wizards. This is true, but you really can't argue with some of the performances that Jordan Poole has put on. And I know there have been some quite a there have been quite a few,
some shocked in the full moments as well. But I would argue Jordan Poole has put up some pretty gaudy numbers given the circumstance, especially in a situation where everybody knows that you're arguably the best scorer on that team, even if you do have Kyle Kuzma, right, but you are still his best scorer and still able to pull up north of thirty points you know, per game on many a nights.
It says something. It means that clearly.
You have not been completely shook up by the notion or what has happened or what transpired that led you to be outcasted to the Washington Wizards. And clearly it's a shame that the you know, executives of the Washington Woods is still not done their due diligence and putting a really good quality team with the type of talent there. But needs to say George Poole, J Poole, he's been volving.
Yeah, well, he's averaging the career high that we thought he was going to be averaging last year. We thought, you know, everyone thought he's going to go there and be basically James hard and light, you know, going into Washington, you know, as when Hard to let the okay seed to Houston. Now that was obviously lofty in terms of expectations and catachorically wrong and incorrect. But he did not live up to any symbolance of that. His confidence really
did seem shot. The minutes were weird, I think with he and the coach, and he just looked timid out there on a regular basis. He is back, he's not overshooting. He's only averaging one more shot per game than he did then last year. The minutes are still about the same and the actual field goal percentage is the same or you know, forty one and forty three. So I mean there's marked some marked improvement, but we're the biggest
differences is a three point percentage. He's getting back to what we thought he could be right now, shooting forty percent from three, you know, and even two more attempts, even more volume than he was last year. So the types of shots you're taking are more threes, but you're shooting the threes.
At a higher percentage.
Is getting his average up to roughly about twenty two points per game. Yes, on a terrible, terrible, terrible basketball team. They are god awful and they will be in the segment that we're talking about here in the next half of the show. But I just want to, you know, take some dirt off and stop besmirching the name of Jordan Poole.
He is who we think he is.
He's a volume scorer, but he's doing it in a way that now I think is more acceptable and looks more like the guy that left Golden State than the guy who arrived at Washington last year.
Yeah, and I think the one thing I want to add on to this show, because you brought up all of the great points about this, Listen, say what we want to say about the Washington Wizards as bad as a team, they are scoring, right, and in this climate
of the NBA, that's still going to mean something. Right, the Sacramento Kings, as much as we wanted to give praise to how much they had overachieved, part of the reason was is because you had a defensive minded coach who embraced the talent that was on that roster and he let those guys loose. And they arguably were one of the best offensive scoring teams you know, within the last ten years, right like they were even rivaling out of the Golden State Warriors. That it made for must
see TV. And I'm just saying, like, if you are an organization, it's about trying to win a fan base, win some level of excitement. You got to have something excitable for people to you know, get up for. And I'm sure the people out there in the DMV are just like, all right, look, at least we got a baller. At least we got somebody out there that's gonna make
it entertaining on a night and night out basis. And the next thing I think that comes to play is, all right, some of those guys they're not great players collectively as a team. But there are some guys that you can actually see some opportunities there that it may be worth keeping them on the roster if Jordan Poole playing next to them, you see quality games being played by those guys right by the Kubali's and you know
and others. So you know, my whole thing is is that I think he is starting to become a better player because you're starting to see that the team you know, will go out there and will they will compete at even knowing that the stigma out there that they are a bad basketball team. They're going to compete and they're going to try to score the basketball. If they lean into that aspect of it, there's some excitement there, there's
some reason for people to watch him. And I think that's going to open up the doors again for Jordan Poole not to go back to his ways, to what you're saying before, but to really give himself an opportunity to tell people it's like, yeah, I am that damn good of a player.
This isn't a fluke. You know, we can make certain things happen.
We just can't make it happen on a night in night out basis, we're not there yet, and I think that's the reason why I think I want to give Jordan Pool his flowers a little bit, because he could clearly be doing his solo mission like he is, and as god awful as that team is, it's a boring bariant of basketball that nobody wants to watch. They're winning some games because even while he's doing what he's doing, the rest of those guys are out there scoring the basketball.
So him being out there, he has to be also partially respond before then we got to give him credit for that at least.
Yeah, career hiring points career high and assists career high and steals again, bad team career highing three point percentage as well.
Listen, it's it's it's a.
Decent season for Jordan Poole, especially from what he was coming off of, and a lot of people wanted to just say, you know what, this guy is not a good basketball player at all and not worth you know, the not worth the trade that Golden State ended up doing.
I think the.
Warriors, again, I don't think they regret the move, but they could still utilize a guy like him, especially in the role that he was that he was playing for them by guns, be bygones. But you know, kudos to Jordan Poole and hopefully continues on this upper trajectory this season and beyond.
Absolutely your tune to the baseline. Cali warren Shaw discussing the hot button topics of the NBA coming up. Time for us to do our mid season reports. Weigh in on you know, some important awards where guys are checking in right now, and some important markers for teams.
You know what they look like, where they be.
Falling into the quote unquote picking order of the NBA Elite. But first, a message from League Pass. Are you craving NonStop hoops action? NBA League Pass is your ticket to the ultimate basketball experience. Enjoy live games, on demand replays, and exclusive behind the scenes content across a variety of devices.
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More baseline Cali Warrenshaw, don't go anywhere. We are back Callie Warrenshaw. Based on NBA podcast. Time now for us to do our coveted mid season Reports, Contenders and honorable mentions. You know, like listen, while everyone's trying to slide up in everybody's dms, we'd be bringing out the hms in this part of our segment here. So time for my man Shaw and I to to kind of, you know, weighing on what's going on as we.
Hit the mid season mark.
And let's start right off, Shaw with most Improved Player. Uh, Definitely contenders and mentions for this coveted Award Caid Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Tyler Hero and Norman Powell.
Yeah, so we're more or less for these that we are going to tack.
We're not going to tackle everything in the award category, but some things that I think are interesting and this is more or less based on the most current odds.
That are out there by the betting bet makers out there. So these are the guys who I think have the strongest case by that.
You know, maybe there's some Wald cards out there, but for my money, right now, the most improved player I think is Caid Cunningham's. He's on the cusp I think of making his making an All Star Game as well too. Evan Mobley is obviously a great selection because he's finally actualizing some of the potential that many of us have been clamoring for and is only you know, two three
years in the league. Feel like, you know, we keep a lot of expectations on him early, but at the end of the day, he's finally delivering under Kenny Atkinson. So but while Tyler, Tyler Harrow and Norman Powell great great guys having great seasons as well, I think Kate Cunningham actually deserves this because this this this Piston team, you know, as we're recording here on MBLK, they actually got a great road win against the Houston Rockets after
they stood a couple of games before that. But Kate is leaving the charge there, man, and I love everything he's doing in there, and that team is rallying behind him. So it's not just the stats, but it's the leadership qualities that he's showing as well too. I think can capture him this award as long as he says healthy.
Yeah, man, listen.
The reason why I feel like Kate Huntingham is going to walk away with this is is and I wonder about this more than anything.
So hopefully one time we'll pull some stats on this.
But I'm wondering Kate Cunningham and fourth quarter scoring and what.
He's doing in late game situations.
It's not to say that Evan Mobley doesn't have that potential, but clearly that that ball defers to Donovan Mitchell right like he's the guy and he's proven he's the guy, and the Kletan Cavillers are practically just blowing teams away that it doesn't even really matter. What I think matters is the impact that Evan Mobley now has. To your point about the upside, potentially, he's finally showing you Tyler Hero.
I think we've all been waiting to see.
Tyler Hero be that guy, you know, especially given the criticism that he's suffered over the last couple of years, the lack of maturity at times in the way he's
handled it. You definitely have seen another level to him, which I can certainly appreciate, and we don't know what the situation is going to look like for that team when they move on from Jimmy Butler, but when that does happen, definitely look at Tyler Hero because that's arguably gonna be He's gonna be the guy offensively, right Like I know you've been waiting, We've been waiting, Shaw that this is supposed to be bamed by the Bios team.
Certainly is bam bia this team as far as the energy, rebounding, everything like that. But I think from a scoring standpoint, depending on someone to hit those quality shots, it's all on Tyler Hero. And I'm not saying that he's wishing his man, Jimmy, you know, off any sooner than necessary. But I think he is solely showing you that he's
ready to take that helm and make things happen. And what more can be said about normal Powell bro like the fact that he has somehow stepped in to be that number two guy given the circumstances, because everyone still believes it should be Kawhi Leonard's and James Harden. I don't know if we're going to ever see that version
of Kawhi Leonard. You know what I'm saying, But I definitely think that when it comes to normal Powell, normal Powell, he has proven that at age thirty, he could be that guy to score that basketball, which I find very very remarkable given the years of him being a third, fourth off the bench kind of guy to step in and do what he's been able to do for Tyron Lewin that team crazy, absolutely crazy. All right, let's transition
to sixth Man of the Year. Shaw got some heavy hitters on here, man, and you got an up coming second year player who we were not tabling to be in this conversation but has very much deservedly been putting himself into that Peyton Pritcher, DeAndre Hunter and Amen Thompson, one of the Thompson twins.
Like I said, brother, I'm going off the odds. I didn't pull these out of the hat and just say hey, I'm throwing these names out here. The odds maker says these are the.
Front runners for these awards currently right now. And a man is actually now starting a little bit more because Jabari Smith Junior has been out of the lineup. Men had been putting up some pretty monster numbers. Roughly, you know, had a crazy five game stretch.
I was like, Yo, who is this? Why what's happening here?
Then I was like, oh, he's starting now in the minutes have changed because I was like, yo, this is it was. It was a bit much even for me, But I love a man and what he's been able to do off that you know, off that Houston Rockets mench for the most part, you know him and what are they called the terror twins him and Tory Easton
when they come into the game. But with the starting nine now not quite sure how long he'll qualify if Jabari Smith is going to be out for an extended period, and with DeAndre Hunter just what he's especially in the stretch right before the NBA Cup twenty points a game like every night, it's just what it was. But there is no better bench scorer. And and let's keep it a
buck We say this all the time. The sixth Man of the Year over the six Man of the Year award is always who scores the most buckets off the bench? Is that about who has the most assists, rebounds?
You know?
The best plus mind is like who gets buckets? And that's been Peyton Pritchett this year.
Leading the league and points out the bench total, leading the league in three points, three points off the bench by a landslide, and you know, doing really giving that Celtics second second lineup a bolstering guy who can really get it done and can create for some guys here and there as well too. So I agree with the ozmakers right now that Pritchard is that dude. But I think if a man goes back to the bench roll, it could get dicey here and it would be awesome
to see. Because a man is not a natural scorer, he does kind of all those intangible things. So I'm not rooting against the Celtic here, but I'm just saying a man would be a nice, nice change of pace if he were to kind of.
Keep things up.
Well, my sentiment is this, keep them in in the starting lineup, because I'm already salty as it is. I had him on my fantasy team and then I had to drop him, and I now regret that I even did that. But I also blame Mayudoka because he should have been starting this kid or given that kid more minutes from like the longest time, and he was dancing around his minutes quite often. Because I guess maybe he still believed, you know, Javari Smith was that guy for them,
and then you know, he exploded. I forgot what night it was. He just freaking went ballistic that he had like seventeen points and fourteen rebounds and three steals and something like that, and like twenty six minutes of play, and I'm like, you're still weighing minutes on this kid, Like what the hell.
Is wrong with you?
You know what I mean?
Like, you know so, but again, you finally are starting to see you may have confidence in the young man. And that's exactly what you're getting from that, right, Like he is showing him. He's like, coach, I need to be on that basketball court, right, I need to ride
with this team, especially now in the fourth quarter. He seemed to take some significant minutes out there on the court for the Houston Rockets, which I think just bowls well, not just for his future, but clearly in the conversation with six Man in a year, you know, again, I agree with you, Peyton Prince is gonna wind up being that guy. And I'm just like, don't put them in back in the damn don't put him back on the bench. There's no reason to do it. It's not not Celtic
bias or nothing like that. But if I'm ume and I'm getting what I'm getting from im in like the way he's doing it right now, No, no, no, man.
That we don't read up.
I mean, I mean, I don't think.
I don't think Jabari Smith Junior is suited to be a bench guy, at least not right now. I think he needs the reps and he needs the confidence, you know, as a starter. So while I don't I'm not debating if I think who has a better overall impact on the team and might even have a higher ceiling going forward. But sometimes it's about a chemistry and a fit as well.
And so that's where I would slightly push back.
On that notion that I don't know if I would love Jabari Smith Junior coming off the bench, and I think a man is more naturally suited for at this stage of his career. But it won't be long before I'm in is a really eighty two game a night starter in this NBA.
But we'll see what you Dooka does here moving forward.
Absolutely, man, absolutely all right, m VP, I think it's a foregone conclusion right with the heavy hitters, Jokic Alexander.
That's a koombo, right, who do you who? Who?
Who really to you has the best path forward to winning that m VP when we get to the other half of the season.
I'll keep this short because it's a conversation that all podcasts and people talk about a regular basis. SGA has actually kind of moved in front of your kiss right now for for odds, because of the narrative aspect, it's just like, hey, we're tired of giving the joker.
Let's give it to somebody else.
Okayc's number one in the Western Conference obviously has an amazing case. If I was betting or not betting, if I was voting, I would give the joker. I just he's literally having another historic season despite every season being historical. And now look what he's doing with a team that I still think is less than despite his help and buddy in Westbrook. Now, but he's far surpassing what I and the and the workload has been insane more than
it's ever been in his in his career. But I think SGA will have the inside track as okay, so he can continue to win it because of the voter fatigue that's happened with Joker.
I think it's because SGA is just showing you he's a clutch player, and right now he's showing you that smooth is sexy in the NBA. Okay, the way that he just seems to effortlessly score that basketball and the way that he seems to effortless, effortlessly impact the basketball game,
we're starting to see that more and more. I don't know if it's because there's definitely been more of a push to feature the Thunder on primetime games that we're actually getting to see this, but it's just very interesting to me that when we talk about sg A, he's the kind of guy that you know, you look up and you say, all right, first quarter he's probably got like, you know, seven points, you know, one or two rebounds, maybe one or two assists, and then by the end
of the game he's got thirty six points, you know, five rebounds, seven and a half assists, three steals. Like he somehow seems to fill up the stat sheets. But it's just when through the course of a game, if the Thunder are in it and it's against a really good team, somehow his imprints are on that he's gonna be given the opportunities for him to have an impact. Now, will he just outright blow the doors off? He doesn't do that like kind of like as a Yokic type
of situation. But I again, I'm looking at the smoothness of his efficiency that I think has resurrected the conversation about why he should win it more so than I think it's about the fatigue that people are having about Yokis because Yokic is still putting up those monster numbers again. But I don't see where Yokic's numbers are being highlighted
on those primetime games. It seems like he's putting those numbers up on games that you see on the bladder again on NBA TV, which to me is a little concerning, because again, you want your best players in the NBA featured as much as possible on a nightly basis when they're doing amazing things. And I just think people's eye candy right now is on Sga because he's showing up in those big games, winner lose. He's still showing up in those big games. He's putting up those monster.
Numbers, all right, So you got SGAs a MVP at this point in the season, I got joker. We'll see how it ends up landing out. But I think it bleeds into the next topic of conversation. And this is not necessarily an award, but just overall a thought process on kind of where we're at right now. So here on the Baselin NBA podcast, who's the most impressive team for us here at the midway point of the season. Is it that SGA led to Oklahoma City Thunder team?
Is it the Cavs who just seem frigging unstoppable, just offensively, just dusting people the point differential right now, their offense is ridiculous with the improvement of them and mobile in toe as well too. Or a sneaky pick like the Houston Rockets, who currently do sit second in the Western Conference. Nobody saw that coming and I'm I'm I'm really interested to kind of kick this one to you here, cal the most impressive team to this point of the season, calves Thunder or the Rockets.
Of logic tells me it's the Cleveland Cavaliers, simply because I think we've been waiting for the anchor to drop and this team to start to sink, this team start to go through struggles this team, and clearly you can see that this is the influence of Kenny Atkinson on this squad. This team they take a loss and they right back on it and whip somebody else's ask the following night. Right, this is the kind of team that
I think, shall we said? This is not what if you're the Boston Celtics, you don't want to give this team any kind of space or leverage to believe that they're on your level. And because the Celtics have been struggling, the Cleveland Cavaliers have shown you a model of consistency and the way that they score, how they score, and they're even showing you that they can play some defense.
Now, are they the best defensive team?
Not really, right, They're they're on a good on certain matchups, they their top ten. What I'm saying is is on certain matchups, I think over the course of a seven game series, we'll really see what is what they're going to lean into more to get them through.
Right, Like if you're.
Playing the likes of the New York Knicks, you're playing the likes of the Boston Celtics. There's some matchups there that I wonder through a seven game series. What that team is going to lean on. If you're the Cleveland Cavaliers, it's going to say, all right, no question. I will say this though they have definitely shown me that they can play both. It's a question of where can they lean on and most confidently when a team matches up and and and you know, counters something that they're doing.
But if we're just answering this question, Shaw, the most impressive team to me by far is the Houston Rockets.
Because even if I said to you that the Houstonrockets, yeah, for sure, all of that because because at the end of the day, Shaw, at the end of the day, right, the Houston Rockets arguably are where we thought the Dallas Mavericks are. And they don't have any on their roster right that you can basically say, oh, that's their Kyrie Irving, Oh that's their Luka Nankic, Right, Like this is ume Udoka putting together a team that might arguably have like
they're playing house money. They've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Because the pressure is gonna be on the Thunder, the pressure is going to be on the Nuggets, the pressure is gonna.
Be on all of those teams.
You don't want a team like this with as and even the Memphis Grizzlies because they got John Moran, right, you don't want a team like this now entering the chat, and I wasn't. I didn't think that they were ready just yet. I thought Ume would have to continue to mold some of those guys. The fact that he's got all of these guys and they're not even at their level yet they're they're playing.
Like this, it's absolutely ridiculous.
And I if I'm in the Western Conference, I'm more afraid about the Houston Rockets more so than I am afraid about what the Killing Cavaliers are doing.
With what they're doing in the Eastern Conference.
I wouldn't go that far, but I will agree with you in terms of Houston being the more surprised team, especially the Calves being like a number four, number five seeds Plaronnally all right, a jump to number one at this stage. Although they're dominant, it's been surprising. Okay, see we kind of saw coming anyway, but this Rockets team had most people had them at the play in.
You know, maybe you had them as high as maybe eight. I don't think anybody had had them above that line.
Even myself, I was like, listen, I thought this was a playing team, and I trusted the coaching of Udoka, But to have them as a number two seed at this point in the Western Conference is absolutely absurd. It's a bigger surprise coming from where they were as you compare it if you compared to coming from the Calves, where despite how dominant the Caves have been.
So I agree with you in the Houston Rockets.
I'll say this Shaw, because the next one I think you should you can appreciate. If I wasn't gonna if we weren't going to put them as are as one of the most impressive teams, then this next one I would have definitely had them in. But they are doing so damn well that they just you have to be impressed. So our next section is is are we Bay what
the f team right like? Given what this team had looked like at the beginning of the year and the lack of confidence that people had about whether or not these teams are going to be successful, they straight up.
Have us looking like web on the wild.
I'm there now, I got it exactly.
So are we Bay teams? The Atlanta Hawks Detroit Pistons Sacramento Kings.
Holistically, I'm going to say Detroit.
While I think Sacramento has had a nice turnaround under the tutelage of Don Christie, I haven't seen enough yet to kind of really get there on it. So I'm just going to continue to give flowers to the Detroit Pistons, while Atlanta's also a nice pick the Pistons Kate Cunningham as they're fighting for a playoff playoff thing. They just beat the aforementioned Rockets. As I said earlier in our show here you know on the road, I just love the vibes happening in there.
JB.
Bickerstaff, K. Cunningham and company. I think, to me, that's the biggest you know, yo didn't see that coming?
Yeah? Absolutely.
I think I'm leaning a little bit more in the Atlanta Hawks because of Trey Young, because I'm like, oh, didn't see Trey Young coming?
Right?
Like he like omar up in.
His piece, got everybody or I'm saying, or like when that moment that weve was thinking he said, you didn't realize that that girl in the back seat was five to Oh He's just like, oh, you know what, I'm saying like I was not expecting this good of Atlanta Hawks team, given the circumstances and the and the turnover that the team had experienced, losing Deontay Murray and such and stuff like that. What Snyder and what Young is doing to me, this is absolutely impressive.
I just want to make sure I.
Call that part of it out that with all three of these teams, man, they're they're giving us one of those oh I didn't you know what I'm saying type moments this season, which I love because you don't know what the outcome is gonna be. But they clearly have put themselves back in the conversation of playing possibly playoff bound type of teams. All right, Shaw, let's do most disappointing teams. This one shouldn't be pretty, shouldn't be hard
at all. Right, the fl Ladelphia seventy six Ers, Yeah, pretty disappointing, Phoenix Suns, Yeah, pretty disappointing Timberwolves, and the Dallas Mavericks round out our most disappointing teams.
Yeah. Well, for me, it's the obvious.
It's the Philadelphia seventy six ers and the Joel Embiid, Paul George Saga, whatever, the ef is going on, you know, with their health and all their injuries and whatever vibes, Nick Nurse is unable to curate to have this team in any semblance of real threat while they were able to put together a pseudo decent stretch. So, you know, about a couple of weeks ago, like around Christmas time, it's back in the dumps and beats back on the
shelf again. Pg's missing games again, Tyres. Maxi's out here kind of like a lone wolf.
He's more or less just chucking.
At this stage, Sixers to me have been by far and away the most disappointing, and while there's still time for them to turn it around, I don't believe there's a lot of faith in that the juju of this team and the health of this team is going to be intact for them to do anything significant, despite the talent that is clearly there.
Yeah, I honestly think that when it comes to the Sixers itself, the Jared McCain thing, I think hurt them so much more than all this other craziness is going on, because then at least MAXI would have had somebody that he can see and move and do something with that Nick Nurse can have some semblance of hope, and now he.
Just has to ride with whatever he's got to ride with.
And to your point, you know, to me, I think overall the Timberwolves because there's so much it can't put my finger on why this team is so inconsistent. They really do have a good team, you know, and in the landscape of the Western Conference, I can't see the team should drop off as much as they've dropped off
for what they achieved last year. So it either just speaks to the fact that most of those players on that roster are totally overachieved, or it really this this, this, this, you know, this new roster has is just clearly not all together and probably won't be all together until sometime next year, and they may have to shake things up again in order to put a team around what you were getting from Anthony Edwards and and go Bear and
Conley and those guys. But it'll be so disappointing to see this as a team that could probably get knocked out of the first round or may have to fight themselves through the play in in order to participate in the playoffs. A couple of quick ones, real quick Shaw, Purple Heart Team. Now I put the Orlando Magic and I want to say, Purple Heart team on me bravery, like literally bravery for even being able to compete. And I think you would say, by leaps and boundary, Orlando Magic,
take it far and away. But I put the New York Knicks on this one as part of my Purple Heart team, because what was the one thing we keep talking about when it comes to Tom Thibodeau running his players into the ground, running his starters into the ground, and the fact that the New York Knicks have managed to get this much mileage out of the roster he keeps running out there because again he's still running with
a pretty thin lineup the amount of minutes. I had to make sure I give the New York Knicks their kudos, man, because I don't know how they have managed to be able to still have their starting five for the most part, competing to still win the number of games that they're winning, and he is still not backed off on these minutes when it comes to his start. It's just it's absolutely amazing to me. I want to make sure I give the Knicks their props on that part.
Yeah, I love it. I'm gonna throw an honorable mention in here.
I'm gonna say the Grizzlies, They've they've dealt with the multitude of themselves too, and their second and third string guys from Scottie Pippen Junior to Jay Huff to Sante Aldama, guys, you're.
Just like who those guys have been hooping.
They've been bawling, holding it down when Moran or Bain or Marcus Smart or whoever has been out of the lineup. So I like that team to continue to just push forward despite all the injuries, because you've seen a team like Philadelty kind of going the other way and they don't have enough in their reserves in that sense to kind of keep them at the tops of their conference.
Absolutely, all right, Shaw capture the flag.
The race for Cooper Flag is on Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets.
Yeah, and when the Jazz and Blazer are in here too, the Wizards are the far and away runaway, right. So but we know the new rules, Hey say, the top three teams have the best chances at the number one pick.
No longer if you're just the worst.
Record, you have the most The top three chances will have top three team. Worst three teams, sorry, top worst three teams would have the best chances at the number one pick. So I think joining the Wizards here, the Pelicans are probably disappointed, you know, They'rey're probably one of the more disappointing things that they didn't expect to be here. But doesn't allow them to reset things here, especially if they trade Ingram or God forbid trades ion on or
with a CASEV. I think who's going to be joined the Wizards in the in the Cooper Flag sweepstakes if you will to capture the flag, I'm gonna say Toronto, and I'm actually gonna say the Charlotte Hornets, while the Jazz and Blazers could also strip things down to the core, whereas basically you and I running out there and they lose games, and in abundance towards the latter half of this season, I think it's been pretty futured for Charles Lee here in Charlotte, and I'm just not a big
fan and whatever the hell is happening in Toronto.
They put guys.
Out there who I don't know, and I'm an avenue. There's players I'm like, who is that so, and that's not I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but I just don't know what's going on in Toronto right now. I think Scotty Barnes is gonna get shut down pretty soon here, and and it might be good that they try to bring some kind of like star like superstar changing level talent in there to play, to play alongside Scotty Barns.
Yeah. So I think the Raptors and the Charlotte Hornets are going to be right there. Yeah.
Man, I think those those some good points and stuff.
It's kind of remarkable because when you do look at the Toronto Raptors and some of the players that they have, you know, these are transient players and they had a really surprisingly competitive year last year, you know, but.
It's just gotten worse.
And I don't know if that's just the head coach is just not in tune with the roster that he has to work with, or maybe to your point, Shaw, there are so many no name guys that it's hard to implement his style of basketball with guys that just don't know how to go out there and execute it in the way that he.
Was hoping to do.
So just really interest thing Sean and again it's you know, it's a race for the flag. Ultimately, that's what it comes down to.
Uh, they say this world. Let me say this one thing real quick.
I think the scariest option is if New Orleans were to not blow it up and they were still somehow able to do this. In theory, they still have the most amount of actual talent from this group to then inject a Cooper flag into which could propel them a little bit faster than anybody else.
On this team.
But we know theory and practicality with the New Orleans Pelicans do not go hand in hand. Somebody's always injured, somebody's always out, Zion's always dealing with whatever Zion is dealing with. But in theory, that could actually be really interesting if the Pelicans were to get into the number one seed next year, some or other.
We should have had our we should have added as one of our mid seasons, probably making note of this is it for next year?
But who's got to go? Right? Like who should be who should be on the outs? Right?
If you're Joel and b if at this point, right, like we were talking about it as something to preview regarding you know, where teams are going to be and what the likelihood is and obviously stuff regarding to trade deadline.
That's one thing. But I think the other thing as well too.
Is given where the teams are and given the circumstances of what their stars have and have not been doing for their teams, which one should go first?
You know what I'm saying? Like literally, like who should just be? Hey, we tried it.
Failed, Let's move on from this, right, And I bet you donuts to dollars, we would not be talking about Jimmy Butler more so than we'd probably be talking about either Joel Embiid or Zion Williamson given the seasons that both of these guys have had.
You got to go train, man, I got to clip this and put this out there.
Man.
I don't know if the fans would agree with you just yet, but it is a very interesting situation to watch here as the season progresses, and then how how this season actually kind of finishes out? You know, do they just say, you know what, it's not working. He's a year removed from MVP.
Like it's not that long ago, but it's it's.
It seems like you know, dog gears, you know, since he's been healthy and been able to kind of lead the Sixers team in the way that's say.
But you're looking at it from a health perspective. I'm looking at it from a leadership, cornerstone player perspective.
And let me tell you this, I think.
That is what is really bothering people, bothering the Philly fans more than anything there.
It's it's just what it is, man, It's just what it is. And I don't blame them for that.
I think they have every right to be upset and angry and frustrated by that, because unfortunately, the Philadelphia seventy six Ers don't own Philadelphia, right, It's the Eagles, right, it's the Philadelphia Flyers in that town. You got to hold your own and they're measuring you up to the other players who are out there putting in that work, doing whatever it takes to make their franchises their team successful.
And when you're just not seeing it from a player like Joel Embiid, who obviously everybody recognizes as one of the great players that are in the NBA, and when healthy is an MVP candidate year in, you're out. But his demeanor and his attitude and his approach to things, I think is what's rubbing people off the wrong way.
And I just don't think when you have that baggage of being a part of the process, when you have that baggage with you and it's really not amounted to anything, there just gets a point where it just starts to wear thin on the fan base and they're just not having it. So that's I'm not saying I advocated.
I'm just saying in that direction, that's all you think.
You think that I'm that I'm.
Not thinking you are trying to push these dudes off rage because I don't know.
I need to be in Philly rady at the kind of year. What are people talking about?
But you are beating that drama hard, and I'm beating it because I'm gonna make it not showing me, And I'm going to get us a Philly Philly reporter on here to kind of dive into that topic, especially as the trade deadline kind of comes in here, to kind of see if there's any there's smoke where there's fire, you know, in the conversation that you're bringing up with a Joel and Bid that's thing tuned here on the baseline.
No, problem anyway.
Awesome show altogether, as always, my Manshaw just bringing out the worst in me.
I appreciate that.
You know what I'm saying, Jo is bringing out the worst in No man's got nothing to do.
You give it.
You're giving me my Drake feels worse behavior, So I appreciate that.
As always, Man, good stuff. As always, we hope our fans listeners enjoyed this one. Hey man at the half our midseason report.
Under based on NBA podcast at great conversations, Man, we kept the receipts, some players keeping them the seats as well as you let us know who you feel like has surprised you more than would have expected.
Going into this season. And then again, who's your most improved Player MVP?
All of the stuff that with this kids discuss here on our at the half NBA midseason Report.
Second that great, great show. Brother, can't wait to do it again next year.
Absolutely brother for the baseline. Cali warren Shaw, we appreciate you guys, you know we do, and I do appreciate Jolan B two, don't get it twisted. We'll catch up with you next time.