3 Points with Chris Mannix - Nick Wright on the problem with NBA MVP voting, should Jokic win?

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live on the AMP app. Just follow Chris Mannix on AMP. All Right, there is a debate raging right now on television, on podcasts, on social media about the MVP voting in the NBA, specifically as we come down to the final month of the regular season, the voting for this year's MVP where there are probably three, maybe four top candidates for that award, and in general, I feel like there has been some attacks on the voting and the voters over the last couple of months about the process. Some

of them can be dismissed rather easily. I mean, I don't want to get too deep into what Kendrick Perkins said on ESPN about race and voting. Because of race, his take was pretty quickly dismissed after, you know, when he pulled his stat out of his ass about eighty percent of NBA voters are white, and ESPNA to apologize on air because of that. I don't look at that take as being anything that I want to jump into.

But Nick Wright, who was the host of First Thing First on Fox Sports one, the What's Right podcast, he has been making some points that have bothered me. Okay, well, real quick, before we get to Hi, Chris, thanks for having me on. Before we get to the points I've made that have bothered you. Can we spend two minutes on the Kendrick stuff for a moment? Okay, yeah, okay, yes, I know you're talking a little bit about this on Colins Show, but let's yeah. Let me ask you this.

Do you think that the NBA world, fans and media mostly fans, but throw media as well, would have been quicker to recognize that Alex Caruso is an awesome player if he wasn't a prematurely balding white guy, because I do. Do you think that sometimes white players get reflexively dismissed at times, not because people are out and out racists, but because of preconceived notions or whatever, and that the average white player gets treated like they're a below average

player until proven otherwise. Do you think that it wasn't No, well, you're assuming kind of a fact, not in evidence. I don't think Alex Russo is an awesome player. I think Alex Kaso is a useful player who can defend a couple of positions and is a valuable player on a championship team. But I don't think anything I has to do with I think of Alex Caruso in kind of the same ways I thought about Malik Monk last year with the George kind of the same ways that I

think of Malik Beasley right now with the Lakers. Sure,

maybe awesome was the wrong way to put it. The point that I was trying to lead to is, while I understand JJ got very upset because he didn't understand the difference between saying race might be playing a factor and calling people racists, I do think I believe that our evaluation of basketball players at times cuts both directions against non black players, which is I think the app the typical white player gets downgraded a bit in the view of the average fan, and I think that the great,

undeniably awesome white player sometimes gets a few extra bonus points. I think we have a long history can document that, and I do think that is not calling anyone or racist, and so in just in defense of Kendrick, I think that that it is his point that once we have a guy that is undeniably great, if they're white, that sometimes they get a few extra percentage points credit. I think we have a long history of that, and I think Nash benefited from it, and I think maybe yokiches.

But if we remove race entirely from it. We can still have this discussion, but I didn't want to just dismiss I thought Kendrick got accused of calling people racist when he was not calling people racist, And why was

it if there was an implication. Look, you can't come out and say inaccurately that eighty percent of the voters are whites and not at least plant the seed that race is involved in the discussion, of course, but there's a difference between the analogy I used on my podcast today is and I do my podcast with my son who is black. If someone sees us together and says, I saw you guys doing the podcast, I had no

idea that you're dad. Race is a huge reason why they didn't think I'm his dad, But that that is not at all a racist thing to assume. Do you follow me? Sometimes racist a factor without the people being racists. But I don't. I know. That's not why you brought me on. You brought me on because of the things I've said that are incredibly, unimpeachably accurate, and you don't know what to do with them. Here's my biggest problem.

And we can get into the minutia of what you said and your points specifically, I know that you prepare fastidiously for your show. You are extremely prepared every morning, now every afternoon, for every podcast that you do. What you've been doing over the last month, and I first heard it when you filled in for Colin on The Herd, and I heard you talking about it a little bit with Colin earlier this week. What you've been doing is you have been implying in some ways even calling the

people that vote for MVP lazy. And you have been implying that the people that vote for MVP are not doing the kind of diligence they need to do a vote like this. And look, I have been a voter for the better part of a decade. And look, you do a lot of reporting on your show, like you will make phone calls to people to try to bring some sourcing onto the show. This has been a position that you've taken for several weeks now. You've talked about

this topic. This has been a pressing topic on television. You have taken this position. And maybe you can tell me, but I don't know that you've reached out to one actual voter to discuss the process. You haven't reached out to me, I could tell you my process. In fact, I'm real quick. I'm going to tell you my process because when the end of the season comes around last week, last two weeks, putting aside the build up to it, right Like, so, I go to dozens of games every

single year. I watch hundreds of games every single year. I don't watch every Nicola Yokich game in the same way I don't watch every Joel mb game. You can't do it. What I also do, though, is I've got a whole slew of NBA people that I talk to, converse, text, whatever on a regular basis, and I will send message to them and I will say, simply, who would you vote for MVP? It's not a poll. I don't vote.

I don't take numbers and vote on the outcome. But I take note of what they say and how they say it and their argument, and I factor that into my decision to vote for MVP. So I did take offense, and I was insulted by the idea that you were putting to the people that watch you on TV, the people that follow you on social media, that voters kind of just get to the end of the season. Look at the raptor rankings and decide who knows to vote. Okay,

that was the implication, whether whether you think it or not. Okay, So it wasn't just the raptor rankings to be fair, but the I don't think people are. I didn't call the current voters lazy. I never said it. I called him arrogant, and that I stand the cousin of it. That that's kind of a cousin. No, No, I didn't mean those are I'm I don't know. No one has ever called me lazy about anything. Everyone has always called me arrogant. So I don't know if they're how related

they actually are. So you, I am not doubting how much people watch or any of them. I am questioning whether or not the current crop of voters believe all that they have it right and every other era generation of voters have had it wrong. Because in order for this guy to win last year, they had to say Nope, winning not as important as everyone else has always said it is. And this year they have to say nope, everything is siloed. It is one year in time, snapshot.

No history matters, because we have seen we have seen so many great players win back to back and then be essentially deemed ineligible the third year, and this current group of voters is saying they were wrong. That the voters who did that, some of whom are the same voters that did it to Jannis three years ago. We have right, they have it wrong. I find that galling.

And I would also say this, the current group of voters, do you when you're calling making these phone calls when you're talking, In fact, I will just ask you directly, is Nikola yokis the best player in the league. I'm not asking about MVP, I'm not I'm asking is he the best player in the league? No, okay, if we just go to back to back MVPs, so Wilt Russell best player, best player, Kareem Moses was at least arguable.

Some would say no, but he was the best player then on the greatest team ever, H Bird Magic, Michael Duncan, not leaving anybody out. Nash set him aside Lebron, Lebron again, Steph Jannis, now Yoki. So that's twelve, now thirteen names, eleven of them. If you did a straw polesy, the best player in the league would have won it. Nash probably wouldn't have won it. And now Yoki. So again you're last year, you guys jam you guys said we know better. You don't have to be the best player

in the league. Okay, I want to jump in on that just for for context here, two years ago, I voted for Yokis for MVP, his first MVP. I thought it was better than Yannis that year, simple as that. That's not if Yannis was what coming off the two straight about better than thought others were better than honest too, that year, I thought yokich is primary competition in that

seventy two game season was Embiid. I didn't vote for Embiid because Embiid played fifty one of those games, and games played matters even in a fifty seventy two games season. Fifty one was just too little, right, So the fall I said, if you remember that year I was advocating for Chris Paul, Yeah, there was. I don't I don't think there was voter fatigue when it comes to I don't think there was a standard set when it comes to Yanni. I don't think Yes played to that level

that year. Oh, I don't think he was on that same level. While I didn't vote, wouldn't have voted for Yannis. I think what was being held against Yannis was the playoff flame outs. Yeah, but I think you just guy, wouldn't you wouldn't You just said you wouldn't have voted against Yannis, So you were having the same mindset. Everybody else was not to vote for Yannis because he wasn't. But for me it was because of the playoffs. But I but just so you know, I would have voted

Chris Paul because if if you're gonna, you can't. In my belief, and again all of the history of voting, belief was, first of all, you can't really win three in a row under almost any circumstances. But if you're going to, you better also be winning championships along the way. So Jannis, to me, went into that year de facto ineligible. I know people get mad at that, but I but also a lot of the people are now voting for Yokis. We heard the pod, We heard them talking about that

with in regards Yannas. But go ahead, so I interrupt you. So that last year, so two years ago, I voted Yokis the seventy two game season. Last year I voted mb because mbad played six eight games. He was dominant on both ends of the floor, and as far as intangibles go, I gave him beat a lot of credit for navigating the Sixers through that car wreck that Ben Simmons drove God too, like, I thought he deserved something

a plus because of that. But to go back to two years, the year before that, Yokich, sorry, even last year, last year when Yokis did win, even though I didn't vote for him, he did win. I think a lot of people gave him credit because he played outstanding and even though the Nuggets were not a top three team. Take a look Nick at the guys he was playing with. Did you do you see the guy hold On? In Game five of that series against Golden State, they got

beat in the first round. Golden State eventually won the title, so they got beat by the best team that was out there. In Game five of that series, the last game, Yoki started the game with Jeff Green, Monty Morris, Aaron Gordon, and Will Barton. Who is winning at least at a playoff level against a champion, against the eventual champions. Who is winning? But that is where the logic gets circular,

and that is what is so frustrating. Everyone says, you can't hold the first round loss against him because it came to the Warriors, which is why it behooves you to not play the Warriors in round one, which is why we don't give the MVPs to six seeds because they likely will get bounced in round one because they're playing an excellent team. And so I don't And I understand you didn't vote for him last year, and last year. I advocated last year for Luca because everyone's everyone's talking

supporting cast. Luca was without his second best player, Tim Hardaway junior. Now Jaalen became a second best player and that team won more. And do I feel vindicated that the two guys I've had the last two years, one of them in Luca made the conference finals beating the one seed Suns, and the other one Chris Paul, swept

Yokich's team out. Yeah, a little bit, but I but it is it is to me there there there, we keep moving the goal posts, and you said at the top of the show, there are three and then you said maybe four. I don't know who the fourth would be. To me, Yo kitchen beating Janis have separated themselves. I was giving I'm giving Luca a puncher's chance in the

final twenty games. Okay, that's fair enough. They'd have to go like twelve and three or something to get the record up there, because his numbers are unbelievable, and Luca was my preseason pick. But it's they haven't one enough. But what was so frustrating me? And you asked me something earlier that I'm not trying to skirt like, did I call a lot of voters? I did not. I was reacting directly to Bond Timps's column and the fact

that it was not close. And that is what to me is where whether it's what Perkins brought up, the history stuff I've brought up to me, everything should be looked at if in a year where Imbed is averaging more points than anyone has averaged in forty years not named Jordan, Kobe or Harden, when Jannis has the best record of all of them, right, and when both of those guys are demonstrably better on one end of the court, to say it's a runaway, to say it's a route

to me to get back to your original point, does make one thing that the advanced numbers, which are not a perfect science are having a wildly disproportionate impact on this discussion. I don't think that's a hot take. I think it's not a hot take. But one thing I think that has to be worked into this conversation that we're having on March ninth is that, you know, Tim

Bontemps asks voters, you know for their top five. I think it's January, February, late January, probably I have to go back and look at my text messages when he actually asked me for my top five. When he asked, everybody takes a while to compile them all that that was before the fifteen game winning streak by the Bucks. That was before they jumped into the top spot in the Eastern Conference. When I started talking about it, it's when it's when I made you mad. So yeah, but

this was all before. But this was before the Bucks were on a tear when we voted. This was before the Bucks went crazy and got the top spot in the conference. I guarantee you if there was a new straw pull taken right now, dead heat at best, a dead heat between Janie and yokis right now for the top. Well, if that's I'm gonna check real quick. If that's true, then you can make a lot of money, or you can't because you vote on it, so you're not allowed to gamble on it. But let me just check the

latest MVP odds. And I'm not acting like Vegas is unfallible, infallible, but I do believe that that Yokis is still he's minus two sixty and embed and Janis are four to one or seven to one at the one that I'm looking at. Don't quote me on it. Maybe that's changed to be in the last you know, in the last day or so it so the oddsmakers say he's overwhelming, and so again maybe it would be a dead heat. But can I ask Can I ask you a question as a voter, because I'm really written not by you,

I'm really sick of being lectured on it. This is a regular season award and it's about this season and this season only, because again I'm just basing on how we've done voting in the past, and in the past it does say Everyone saying it's just a regular season award and it's about this season this season only implies that every single person starts the year in the exact same spot in the MVP race. And I don't believe

history tells us that's true. I think that this year, in a weird way, I think Imbid probably started ten bases ahead of the pack because it's like, man, this guy's finished second and back to back years he's closed, right, And I think that Jannis finished well ahead of the pack when it's like, dude, since he last one in MVP did win a finals with a fifty piece and he hasn't won it since. And you know, so there's

different things. Right. Let's say Yokits wins this year, and let's also say the Nuggets they're definitely gonna be the one seed they get worked in round one. Okay? Should that have any were sent impact on his ability to win a fourth straight next year? No? Okay? Okay, well then then we we can't agree. If you truly do you're saying no, it shouldn't. Would it would it? Probably? If if your scenario plays out, it probably would, But you don't think probably would. I don't think it should.

I think we are told to vote on this award as a regular season award. We're told that it's it's it's how we're supposed to vote. But I thought there was no there was no I thought there was no definition of valuable. There's not a definite no. But it's a it is build as a regular season award. Well, but that's just because hold on a second, that's just because the voting. You guys submit your ballots before the playoffs, right.

I understand that I can't assume something's gonna happen, like I didn't know two years ago that Jannie was gonna barrel through the Eastern content. I'm not saying no, of course, and I'm not advocating that the league MVP should be the guy who plays the best in the playoffs. Now, if they want to have a playoff MVP award, I think that's kind of a fun idea. Not necessarily, it's

a little different than finals MVP. Like as a four instance, like in twenty eighteen, Lebron's last year with the Cavs, he could have been playoff MVP, you know what I mean,

even he wouldn't have been finals MVP. Separate thing. What I'm what I'm saying is that if and I'm not saying this is Yoki because and this is what is frustrating for me is I and I've done some of this to myself, and some of it has been to me disingenuous, other media members tarring me, but fair enough, I have been painted as if I think the guy stinks,

like I think he's an average player. I think he is undeniable at worst, one of the eight best players in the sport, probably one of the six best, and if you incorporate injury risk, he's skyrockets to one of the three best. You know what I mean, Like, that's where the and so that's where I that's where I

have it. But I do think there has been because it's not like his numbers, the old school numbers are off the charts in any way except for assists for his position, right, it's the in a league where we're seeing more guys score thirty help, We've had two guys score seventy this year. He's averaging in the mid twenties per game. His rebounds are great, but Jannison Embiid are right there with him, or if not ahead. The assists

and yes, the efficiency is eye popping. It's like DeAndre Jordan field goal percentages to fight not just dunking the ball, which has intense value, but it also if you talk to which I know you do. Guys, smart guys that run teams, they will tell you some of the publicly available advanced numbers have a couple major flaws. One of them is they don't distinguish contested rebounds from uncontested rebounds, and that's a huge part of value because it ends

the defensive possession. And the other one is it efficiency is wildly important while also being able to recognize are you the guy that gets the ball at the end of the shot clock to bail your team out, which doesn't really happen to Biggs right that? You know what I mean. That's more that needs to be separated there

as well. And so when I brought up the advanced numbers, if folks want to make the advanced numbers case, I just want to know are they truly standing by the advanced number the advanced numbers that say for a career Yokich is a top three player? Ever, does anyone actually believe that if they don't think advanced numbers should should be part of the equation, it can be the equation. And my point is the only way to justify him winning last year was the advanced numbers. It's the only

It's not the only way. It's again I didn't vote. I didn't vote for him. But how I think voters probably saw it was you had a guy that played the entire season without Jamal Murray, almost the entire season without Michael Porter Jr. Who had a collection of very average players around him, put up astonishing numbers and kept his team. I think, what were they the sixth seed? I think they looked at Yoki in the same way

they looked at Russell Westbrookie years ago. I think that was the impetus to vote for Yokis this time around. Again I didn't do it, but I think that's why people voted for But when you say astonishing numbers, I am here to tell across the board, across the teen and eight is not astonishing? Is great? It's it's great. No, no, it's great. Maybe again this is now semantic astonishing to me.

It's not like the from the pure counting stats Russ's triple level season, which again I wouldn't have voted for him that year, that was pretty astonishing numbers. He's like he averaged the first triple level he got he got credit to He got credit because the negative durant and he got the positive bounce from that. But I just it. Here's my here's my other part of it that maybe you're gonna tell me should not play a factor, and

maybe this is why I'll never have a vote. I some of the folks who are adamant that no, no, no no, he is the best player in the league. You know what I mean. He is sure seem to be nervous for the Nuggets this postseason, and it's like, well, you have the best home court advantage in the entire sport because of the altitude. That's over forty years of data we have that the Denver teams have a unique home field advantage across sports. You have that. You have the

Jamal Murray. I unerst him. People like, oh, he's never made an All Star team, Yes, but he has scored fifty in a postseason game. Jamal Murray is a legitimate number two. Aaron Gordon is a more than legitimate number three, and Michael Porter Jr. Is as good of a fourth option at fourth option as any team has in the league. Right, Like, I don't even know, I guess the Suns when Durant's healthy, Eighton is the only other fourth option that would come close.

He's not even really an option, like it's a different set. You have all of that. You have a Western conference that everyone agrees is the most wide open West we've seen it. But the reason everyone says it's wide open is because no one believes in the one seed with the three time MVP. That bothers me. That to me should be a hard stop moment of wait a minute, what guys, we are re And this is where the

history of it, to me matters. It matters that the voters had the foresight after Nash won those back to back and then that third year had his best season that enough voters were like, no, no, we're not doing it again. Like do you like, do you think that was a mistake, because I think that was smart. I think it helped save this award that to me is the only award in professional sports that truly really has historical value in matters. The NFL MVP has some weird ones.

A damn kicker want it Like the baseball you give out two of them and then pitchers get their own thing. This award is the most important award and it is a great artifact for history of It almost tells you more about the league than the list of champions does in almost in different ways, but those you get. If you give me the list of chant finals and the list of league MVPs, I can tell you ninety percent

of NBA's history. I would say one thing though you you I think it was with when you're hosting Colin Show, you suggested and tell me to think I'm wrong that the diversity of the voting should change, not the not not racial diversity, but including more former players things like that. I don't know what you probably did see it, but when the Athletic went out and pulled a whole bunch of retired NBA players and asked who the best player in the NBA is, it was Lebron number one and

Yokis number two. So a whole dozens, if not hundreds, a retired NBA players, guys that purportedly know the game, voted Nicole number two. So I was not but I was not advocating for more former or current players that have votes. I actually am advocating for the votes to be anonymous. Oh no, path can I can I make the argument for Yeah, I think that because everyone now knows, because everyone knows their vote is going to be public,

there is a pressure towards hurting and group think. And I think that if it was with here are the hundred voters, but the ballot the way it wasn't up until recently, right where we knew who the voters were, but everyone, How does that fit the narrative of Look, nobody knows who votes in Tim Bontamp's poll. That's an anonymous poll, and it's it's right. Well, that's because I think those people tell me if I'm wrong, the vast

majority of them are actual voters and they're not. Yeah, okay, so okay, I thought it was just most, but all I think something you don't know till the end. Most people know they're going to vote, who have voted, but you don't know if you get MVP or not. It's probably ninety plus percent or actually voters. Sure, exactly. I think those people respect Tim and appreciate Tim and aren't going to tell him a name that if their vote was due that day, they wouldn't be submitting, you know

what I mean? Like, so I think that. But my point is, I think when there is massive pressure from the alleged smart basketball media that I simply don't don't think is that smart? Some of it. I mean, a first cousin of this is I've had I had to listen for four years that you're a casual. If you don't see how great Rudy Gobert is, that you simply don't understand the sport. If you don't recognize how much more valuable he is than Donovan Mitchell, that you don't

see that. No, no, no, no no. He actually unlocks things for them, and what he unlocks for them is early vacation and I and eventually people laid down their swords on that, but a lot of the same you know, I look at my stats that I've created, media swore that those of us that just from can we define it. No, But we've watched basketball our entire lives, and you know that if your seven foot two you cannot ever give the basketball to at when push comes to shove, you're

gonna be fucked. And we were just told, Nope, you don't get it. And the point I was making about the anonymous part is I think there are a lot of people who don't have the stomach totally understandably to be criticized or ridiculed by the allegedly smart people. And because of that, when all of the allegedly smart people say this is the right answer. If you know your questionnaire is going to be public, you fill it out according I don't know. I don't know if I buy that.

I'm not talking about you and that I know, but I don't know if I buy that. For the media at large, it just it places a greater sense of importance on an MVP vote. It is a responsibility for somebody in this business. But you're not being handed the nuclear launch codes here. You're being asked to vote for MVP, and the backlash is Stevie one two six on Twitter that might be slapping you around like that. I don't buy. I don't think that. I think that transparency is incredibly important,

otherwise you might get some agendas. Also, further, you've got people that vote for this in local markets that might be inclined to vote for their guy in their markets so they can tell their guy that they voted for him. No, that definitely is a concern here. But I do think that we know across life that at times anonymity leads to greater honesty than being like there are there are If we were to let me try to use an example without getting anyone in trouble. I'm not thinking of

a good one. But there are questions that I could ask Chris Mannix and say, hey, I'm gonna you know, there's a reason people ask to go off the record, there's a reason people ask to go on background, and there's a reason sometimes you get what is the more socially acceptable response if your names on it, and you

get the more honest response otherwise. I don't think it's ridiculous to say, you're right, it's not as important as these other things that you might have Some people to be like, Man, I am not given this fucking guy three of these in a row when I haven't seen him in the finals. Ever, I don't care what the numbers are, and I would be okay with that, because I think you've got to explain. You should, like, whether it's in a column or a podcast or on TV,

you should be able to explain your vote. If you can't explain and justify your vote, you shouldn't be voting. To me, it's as simple as that one other thing. Look you, I don't even think it's subconsciously, but you do hold Yokich's playoff failures. The last couple of years against him as a great player. You hold that against him, Yes, I would just say that. I think you have to look at each one individually. I look at the one two years ago and they love story got thrown out

of the final game that he did. Yeah, but they lost Jamal Murray right before the end of the regular season torn acl They beat Portland in the first round, and then they lose in the second. I don't look at that at Yokich is underachieving and the Nuggets underachieving that year. Last year, they get beat in the first round. Five games could have been better. But I just named you a list of guys that he played within that playoff series. I don't think he underachieved and that team

underachieved at all last season. This year, we're in sync on this one. If they get beat by the Lakers, the Clippers, the thunder whoever winds up in that number eight seat after the play and dust is settled, and they get if they get beaten the second round, I hold it against Kola Yokis because this is the first time, the very first time in Yokich's NBA career, that I think he has championship caliber players around him and That's what it's about Lebron. He doesn't win unless he has

great players around him. You look at what happened in the playoffs two years ago, Anthony Davis goes down against Phoenix, they lose that serious need great pieces around you to succeed and achieve greatness. You need yes, you need great you need great players around you to win a championship. It's why, Uh. I hope history remembers Dirk as fondly as I do, because he won a championship without another It won the whole thing without another great player, Dirk.

I mean Yannas did it. No no, no no, no no, That's what I was about to mention him as well. But I mean up to that point in time, exactly right. You can make the finals as a one man show, usually get dusted, but we've seen it, uh, and I the part of my frustration around this has been what I have viewed as a double standard of we are giving Yokich the accoutreman of the best player in the league, and then if you hold him to the standard we have held every other best player in the league, you're

it said, you're being unreasonable, and that's bullshit. That is bullshit. Because when Lebron won back to back MVPs and had already been to a finals before he was a champion and they lose in round two in seven six pardon me to the Celtics that is hung around his neck as he quit and all of it. You know why, because he's look the best player in the league. When Kevin durant Is seven years removed, eight years from winning an MVP and they lose in round one last year,

it is called the biggest failure of his career. Win Yannis, the year he wins his second MVP loses in round two to Miami, he has called a playoff choke artist. Oh well, Nick, you can't compare Yokis to Lebron, Jannis and durant I fucking agree. But everyone else says he's better than him. He's winning the awards that say it. So it's a weird thing because you agree with me. I think that, well, yeah, you can't hold Nicola Yokis to the standard we held Lebron to or this thing.

I think he's going to be held to that standard. Nick. Let's see six months and see this is where this is one of those we don't know because It hasn't sure yet, but I'm telling you I will. I know other voters will. If he gets smoked in the first or second round with that team and that talent around him, he will be hammered. Maybe not like Lebron. Lebron was different. Lebron Lebron's different, but like, yeah, he's the one guy Nick that you know, voters definitely punished him in two

thousand and eleven, not for anything he did. He was for for the decision and they said, Derrick Rose, he's your MVP. Great year, Derek Rose, but Lebron deserved the MVP. Lebron's not a different level. I think that Jannis, that Yokich will be treated just like Jannis if they flame out this year. Maybe you disagree, maybe you think it's gonna go. I don't know. I feel like he's already.

I think the media it's weird because I mentioned him getting thrown out of their final playoff game right there. I don't I think most people have memory hold that that was your league MVP who didn't finish the season with this team because he got kicked out of the game because of a flagrant that was bad. And then and then the very next year when we rewarded him as a sixth seed at the end of the year with another league MVP. He he gave the Morris twin

whip lashing into his season. And if you're telling me you remember what I'm talking about, right, I do. I also know Marcus Morris Marcus many players have said Marcus Morris or Markis Marris Mark Kief shouldn't have beforehand too. No, no, no, I agree with that. But again, do you think any other multiple time MVP that would have gotten the lack of coverage or reaction. Now, maybe the enter is that's because we just don't talk about him. He's not polarizing,

whatever it is. I don't know, but I think there are a few things that are like, wait, what the guys you're you're I think, I think, I think you're kind of Lebron is the only one think we talk about it with, Like Yannis just did that stupid thing where he shot the ball at his own rim intentionally trying to miss. Nobody really cared, Nobody beat up on him for it. Nobody think do you think that was a shot at the MVP? Ah? That that's that's asking will be to dig into the psyche of Jannis. I

think Jannis knew he was a rebound away. That's no, of course, I don't. I don't know. I don't know that he was thinking. I don't know that there was something about and that Jannis was following the stat padding conversation and was looking to pick up a triple double because of that. I don't know that that's all right. Last things I know I said, I said twenty minutes and but just one last thing quickly, Uh, just honest

question here? How why isn't And it'd be so if it was Yokich, Luca and Steath as the three leading candidates, then to me, you would dismiss the defensive side of the ball almost entirely, right. You'd be like, none of them are helped really helping you defensively, So it's kind of who hurts you the least, right, And that would actually of those three be Yoki, because Yoki's not like

some horrific kills you defender. Now, they end up against the Lakers and Lebron gives him the one five pick and roll treatment for forty possessions and night we'll see. But when it's Yokich embed in Jannis, why d is the defensive end of it not disqualifying for Yokis right now, I don't think it should be disqualifying. It should be considerably waited, heavily waited. And this is why it goes back to what I said about ten minutes ago. If you made that poll today, it would be different. We'll

call Tim to do it, you know, Tims. I sent Tim. I sent Tim my list of fake ballots before I ever send him a first one. Cam Thomas at the top of my list. Every single time. Sam Houser regularly makes an appearance, so it takes By the way, are your Celtics gonna be okay? Yeah, that would be better than Anthony Davis will in a couple of years say that. Wow. Wow, I miss you, buddy. It's good to talk to you. You too, Nick Right, check them out. First things first,

What's Right podcast? Always good to catch up man, See you a minute.