Let's go.
Well, well, well, if the NBA season isn't back, pay for that together half. Oh, we're back, baby. I know it's real touch and go there, real touch and go there.
But the game each other.
And Jack, you know, you know a few few life things you want to hear.
My spicy takes on the lip of trade. That's what it was.
I'm on a text thread with you. I heard all about it. We're gonna talk about the eventual playoff races in each conference. We've got to talk about All Star weekend and maybe some suggestions and plenty more to cover. With NBA writer and podcaster Sarah Todd on today's episode, I'm still Miles break and.
I well, the last time I checked, I'm still Jack O'Brien and.
This is Miles Sorry, look a hitch.
Okay, there you go driving.
Any fatter number eighteen that's been.
Secure, the selfics or NBA.
Champions O, the T.
N N be Honest, the T look show time.
What you got?
Yes, well we got Utah jazz beat reporter for Desert News, co host of the Unsalvagable podcast, alongside friend of the show, Greg Foster. We know them as at least here behind the mic as one of our favorite guests, and I hope on Mike, y'all know this is one of our favorite guests, Sarah Todd.
So if you don't know, now you do?
Now you do that how it goes?
Now you do. And if you don't know, now you do know?
That's is that the version your parents are playing in the car? Yeah, the lyrics And if you don't know, now you do, sir.
No, sir, Sarah Todd.
Two shorts. Favorite word is hi by area.
Hello, my friends. Hello, that's my favorite word.
Hello.
Hello.
Oh man. Anyway, there was no so were really no weeks, no games to speak of last week, no game of the week to speak of, because all eyes were on All Star weekend. I mean there was that game where the Lakers did face the Jazz and they think something happened there.
I can, oh, yeah, what happened? What happened?
You know, you know, you know.
In it?
I mean, the the Jazz faced the Lakers in La on Luka Doncic's debut night.
Yeah, and.
Like there's buzz in the air. Every every seat in the arena is draped in a suresey that says don Chic. There's I mean everyone including JJ Reddick, including Will Hardy. The coaches of the respective teams are talking about how excited and curious they are about how this is all going to work out. And it went exactly as you would have thought it would have gone. And the Lakers
just absolutely wrecked the Utah Jazz. And they played again a couple of nights later in Utah when the lights were not as bright and when no one cared about the game.
And how many jerseys do we see in the in the stand?
No? No jerseys?
Mm okay, no Downtrich jerseys. That's and I took that as disrespect at right, and every stadium should be as.
The Jazz picked up a win. But like you know, even the bad teams will oopsie and do some good things every once in a while. I don't think that that says anything good or good about the Jazz or bad about the Lakers, honest, but I think.
It shows it shows size issue. I think at the very least, that's what I was like. Well, I was just like Dann Walker Kessler really put up Okay, all right, Walker, I see you, I sees ya. But I guess that was right before All Star weekend.
Yeah, And I think we all know what the game of the week was at All Star Game, and that was the cele Celebrity Game. Celebrity Game, Team Bonds versus Team Rice went down, not really down to the wire, sixty six fifty five, Team Bonds won. Actor Rome Flynn one MVP. This is my one issue that I want to I want to call out my one issue with the entire NDA All Star weekend. Yes, Rome Flynn is
part of it. Everything else flawless in my opinion, But because the Celebrity Game is not serious basketball, the announcers don't announce like they don't do serious announcing. And this game is where I need announcers more than I have ever needed announcers in my entire life. I need you to repeatedly tell me who each of these people is, over and over. I need you to tell me who just scored, who has the ball right now, and what
they're famous for. I need like a Carnival Barker. I need you, know, like somebody who usually announces the Kentucky Derby bring him in and yeah, I need you to tell me, like also, like what have they averaged an other celebrity basketball games? Like I feel like there's so much potential in the Celebrity game, like if if I want, I want to hear NBA players come in and talk
about who can actually hoop and like who can't? And yeah, and also I want more professional athletes from other sports, like it was interesting to see t O out there and like it was interesting because he was like thicker than I would have expected, but no way of knowing if that was because of a difference in how like NBA versus NFL players are built, or if it's because
he's a middle aged man. You know, I want to see, like I want to see more active NFL players or baseball players or who can actually who Like that's that's kind of what what I want.
I'm going to be super honest. I spent most of the time that you were talking just now googling who Rom Flynn is. And I'm I'm right out of the back confused because I did not watch the Celebrity All Star Game, mostly because the last few years, I don't know who any of these people are and.
It makes me feel I feel old when I'm.
Like right, but like I'm okay with not knowing who not me like influencers and taking YouTube people are like I recognize my age in that issue, right, But I just google this guy and like it's It's apparently the the NBA wants to appeal to a younger audience, and I think they should. But Rome Flynn is best known for being on the bold and the beautiful.
Yeah yeah, which is.
How I get away with murder.
So I think we're talking about Liken is like mostly middle aged two older women.
I would think, know who Room Flynn is. That is not the NBA's target demographic.
Yeah, well, I want to see other athletes play basketball to see who, like who is actually a good athlete, like from other professional sports, and then I want to see NBA players play other sports at All Star weekend.
I feel like Luca plays soccer.
Yeah, I want to see soccer is like a big one because they like they all love soccer. And then it would be super fun to see soccer players who in some cases are more famous than anybody in the NBA, you know, pooping and like see, I don't know, and then all right, my dream a decathlon, cross athletics, sprint, mile run, tennis match.
You know.
I mean, these guys all the time are always if you ask them, like, oh, what would you have done if you wouldn't have played basketball professionally. Like their answer is always just another sport.
Yeah right, And so here's the flag football game, here's the baseball game, here's the soccer and whatever, ping pong do it. I mean, I'd love to see.
That instead of the Rising Stars team playing an All Star team, bring in the five best NFL players they play basketball, play them against an All Star team. Then take the five best guys who think they're good at football from the NBA, put them against one of the Pro Bowl teams.
Play some flag football like that would be That would be a blast. Got to see a I throw throw play quarterback? Ant was I think a quarterback? Maybe?
Yeah? Okay, well anyway, so look, we had the Celebrity Game, we had the HBCU Classic, Tuskegee defeated more House. Then there was the Rising Stars Challenge where teams Team Richmond was the one that got to play in Sunday's games against the All Star squads. Then there was the Skills Contest.
Bit of hacking going on, a bit of entering the matrix, changing the code, trying to get an advantage, where Chris Paul and Victor we Women Yama were disqualified because they were basically like I think, I think we got a better score if we just forego the shooting part completely.
Three of their shots were in the air at the same time. Yeah, like just like it was more aggressive. It was like the spray shot on like contra the you know, like a good timely reference to the last video game that I played in nineteen Economy Classic.
Every one, raise your ARP cards in the air and show us that you still remember the days. Then the three point contest that was Tyler Hero came away with that one didn't. The score wasn't like it wasn't like an all time performance though. It was just kind of your standard three point contest and its records being broken and his strong suit.
Like I think if Tyler Hero is not like a three point specialist, I think of it as when I picture Tyler like the quintessential Tyler Hero play, I picture him like getting getting to his spot when in the mid range more so than like being a three point shooter. So he showed me something out there, guys, he showed me something in the wards of Shacky.
You weren't familiar with his game.
I guess that's right. I guess that's right.
And then the Dunk Contest, Mac McClung won again, third year in the row. Now, this is what's interesting. This inspired the kind of players that I think mini fans want to see in the dunk contest. To say something like John Moran was tweeting, It's like he's like, eh, maybe I have to go look, yes please, yes, yes, that would have been nice. On the twenty fifth anniversary of Vince Carter's just out of this world performance in the dunk contest, that would have been cool if you
were there this year. Job And then he challenged Zach Lavine Aaron Gordon and look, but man, you know, just for posterity, you know, I think I think that.
Was watching recaps of like past dunk contests and him getting robbed both those times was uh yeah, I was. I forgot how badly he got robbed both times, not robed like the person who won was good in both cases. But I don't think he's doing a dunk contest anymore, right in a new phase of his career.
Yeah, he also has an ARP card.
Yeah exactly, because he's twenty nine.
Yeah, he's ancient. Might as well be in a bodybag.
That's right.
They don't even service those key as he jumped over, and then Jannis also said he would do it if John does. I was like, okay, well, you know, like what about Anthony.
Edwards in the room at all? Jalen Green, great call by Jabbari. I mean one of the Thompson brothers would be great.
You know.
I'm and uh the other guy, Detroit guy, author.
Trent Thompson.
Do you remember him?
Yeah? Yeah, used to like he used to fight under kids Cincinnati back in the day. But then we got to the final All Star Game tournament. Now this is where I was a little bit confused. I was like, wait, is Ken is is Chuck's team World All Stars? And I waited what was that? Was that? Charles Barkley's team that had that? When I was like, wait, what is Trey Young from foreign right?
Tre Young? Donovan Mitchell? They had a few just guys that are like in the US.
Right right right? Yeah? Yeah. But then in my like very rigid mind, I was like, no, surely there must be something I don't know about them if they're playing on this team.
Uh, you've been saying for a long time, you want to see Trey Young's birth certificate.
I have been saying that. I have been saying that.
Let me ask you guys a question. Can you tell me who the coaches were of those teams?
Oh? Sure, Kenny Atkinson Mm hmm, Kenny.
No, but like of all the teams, of all the teams, Kenny Atkinson is a coach, and which teams were they coaching?
Oh yeah, it's a problem, right, yeah.
Because, like I mean, in the past, I feel like All Star has been not only shine for the players, but also like the leading coaches in the league get some shine too. And then we started adding like the te t GM names to every team also, and like even the even the broadcasters didn't know that like Chuck and Shack weren't the coaches of those teams, right, it was that was very confusing.
That is true because I remember just as a kid, I'm like, I knew who Chuck Daily was because he was coaching an All Star team. Even though with my very Laker centric kid, Brandon, I'm like, oh, this is one of the best coaches of all time. Okay, All Star Game. I'm listening. Thank you for that information, right, that makes sense? Yeah, I don't think.
I even saw Mark Dagnall on the broadcast one time.
And you know, Mark Dagnell has a very ignorable, easy to ignore sign presence, and that is what we love about him. Yeah, you could have showed me a picture of Kenny Atkinson, been like, for instance, they didn't even show Mark Degnell. I've been like yeah, at and yeah, I'm almost a lot of coaches famously.
Right to Myles's point though, like it was confusing to be like, oh, these are the Global All Stars featuring you know, like Wemby and Jokic and then also Donovan Mitchell and.
And I'm like, okay, Shay, I get that. And then I'm like try Kat. I'm like because he's Dominican, right, And like is that I was like actually think, I'm like, oh, that's why Cat's there because he's Dominican. Oh right, So
there's I see what's going on. And then I remember seeing like Wikipedia article about Trey Young winning like a FIBA tournament in Chile, like at like at a U seventeen level, and I remember like, sure, did he play for the Chilean U seventeen I was like play for Team USA at the Chilean FEVA tournament anyway, So yeah, all that to say, it was a little bit confusing, but then the Shacks team the Team Ogs pulled it off pretty convincingly in that last game with you know, like,
I think that a lot of Steph Curry had a lot of input right on the format. I was reading about this and how to make it better. And I think one thing though, that they're almost on with these global stars thing is sort of what a lot of people have been talking about. Last week's guest es Barahani was also saying, like, just like in other sports right now, they're saying they're doing Team USA VERSUS because now there's such an influx of international players, just let's do it
like that. Let's give them.
Let's give them World v.
Team USA a light a light Olympics type rematch or something like that. I felt like that would be a pretty simple way because I think I think what would happen is the international players would probably dust the US players and then thus kicking off like a rivalry in the following games. Because I just think that's kind of that feels like where the energy is right now.
I'm seeing three fights in the first nine seconds like that. The hockey match that's Thursday, that's Thursday.
Yeah, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think I mean there's there's a lot of I think that the NBA is by the fact that they have even tried to change the format so many times, like there's an acknowledgment that something needs to happen, right, And so that's good that they know that they that we want to make things better. And I think, like above all, a lot of people were okay with the format and thought that there was
a little bit of competitive play, especially with the international players. Honestly, Yeah, the stoppages is what the problem was, right.
Yeah, Like that's and that was one thing you missed sort of like with the broadcast, but then really putting yourself like in the arena at the time too. It feels like there's like, oh, there's a musical performance and now this other presentation and now competitive basketball for a little bit, right, and then y'all go take about an hour break and then we'll be right back.
Yeah, that's the musical performances should be by the players. More musical performances. That's part of the competition, that's part of the decathlon in here in a lot of ideas for how to fix it, and they are bad a lot of the ideas that are being proposed by your ringers, your bill's simmon are I don't know, I'm just like, guys, this doesn't sound any any better necessarily.
But do you do you think it's like a generational thing, like right now, the current crop of stars are just sort of so not invested in the idea anymore that it that maybe these younger players can take up the mantle to sort of inject some competitive and competitive like sort of edge to it, or because I think a lot of people are like, would be great if if
the players cared right like sure? Now? Is that born out of like the momentum that's being brought in from a lot of the players that have been in the league for a minute and their feelings towards it, versus like more enthusiastic, wide eyed younger players who kind of feel like, oh, this might be a moment for me to take my claim, And do you emphasize that because there's more excitement there at the you know, dis to the dismay of the players who believe like, well, there's
an All Star game, I should be in it certainly, like I don't know, I don't know what because I feel like the most elegant fix obviously is like, well, we just want to see them be as competitive as possible. But there's issues with a lot of them obviously thinking about the second half of the season wanting to be
really competitive for that. This can be like another game on top of many games when players are already managing their look like I'm I don't know if there's a silver bullet that's Onlike everyone's saying, that's why, like all the ideas are coming from like left Like it feels like very left field, sort of like fantasy ideas.
Well.
I think that like a lot of the reason that some of these things haven't worked out in the past
is that the ideas are coming from the wrong people, right. So, like if you take like a bunch of league office people or even corporate sponsorship people and you try to put together like these fun and interesting ideas, like what you're missing is that the answer everyone wants is like, what's going to make this most competitive and engaging m And so there really needs to be like a summit of like let's get Wemby and Jaron Jackson Junior, who were like the most competitive guys on the floor, who
were actually taking it seriously. I felt like, let's get the guys who are actually going to be in All Star games, like get them all together and like talk to them in the off season and be like, what do you guys want? Like tell us what you actually want and try to implement those things because it feels like that for years and years it's been talked about, like how can we approve this? And like I don't
I have never heard that. There's been like a conversation between the league office and the players involved.
Yeah, that's not who you want to listen to. You want to listen to ge.
Yeah, yeah, Like and nobody wants to get a trophy right from like some random like CEO person that like they've never heard of.
Like, those are what I look forward to. That's actually my that's the thing, the trophy presentation brought to you by very nervous person from the C suite. Yeah, that's actually the high I have trading cars cars, those moments on them that me and my friends trade back and forth.
Dude, I have a Larry Moore State Farm Insurance rookie car. Dude, you know how much that's worse?
I will say? All right, so I do like the week after the All Star Game, because it's fun to talk about all the different ideas for fixing it, because hope springs eternal and like this is like and because the NBA seems like they're open to fun, like new fun ideas like that.
You know.
My biggest issue with the tone and just like how people talk about this is like everyone's everyone's like it's like a terminal illness. They're like discussing with the All Staria. It's like the All Star Game, we tried something different and fun, and like some people didn't like the rhythm
of the show. But I will say the best idea I've heard is the one we've already mentioned is the US versus the World old Team World, because it would give the US an opportunity to be the underdogs in a in a thing and we're still talking about that hockey match from the Olympics, like that, the the US winning as underdogs, like you will go down in history,
my friend, if you can. And the US would be underdogs like next year and would only get further and further under you know, like they I feel like they would be definitely not the favorite for years into the future. So that I feel like that would be fun. You have like some sort of pride bragging rights, and I think there would be a clear favorite. But you know, I just I think they'd need to figure out how to incorporate Kias into that idea and and we'll be
we'll be on board. That was cool. Like as much as we're joking about the sponsorship, that was an amazing dunk that.
I can't believe Mac mcclunk can jump that high. It's still I'm like, yeah, I mean about it because oh, because he's white.
Oh yeah, you're talking. Yeah, yeah, that's from uh Carl Carl Tarts.
Again. I think bring we need more nationalism, we need
more jingleism. So let's get us versus the world. You got something there, Oh, but there was a few I do There is one thing like an aspect like I love obviously three pointers, dunks, that's all great, But I wish there was some kind of competition around dribbling, like specifically like twisting somebody up on defense, Like if there is a way, Now, I don't know if you because I feel like it would mean be like James Harden versus Indris Elbow or something people will tune in but
I feel like hard you just.
Do a one on one tournament where it's like a breakaway you know, like breakaway drills where you're like having to get back on defense and people are attacking and you're having to stop them. Like, then you'll get the dynamic you're looking for. Like, I don't know if it it might be too dangerous for people.
And I was like, I don't mind if Idris Elba turns an ankle, because he can do his acting, you know what I mean, But if James Harden hits him with that, heasy, I do want to see somebody on skates, And I feel.
Like you can inclliporate something like that into the skills competition, right, like, because the skills Competition, I mean, honestly, the only reason that anybody's even talking about it this week is because like Wimby and Chris Paul like tried to hack it right and so like that is probably the most forgettable of the events. But if you added, like one of the components of the skills competition is like you have to cross over and get pasted one of the guys from the other team.
Yeah, right, you have to go past like the person you're going against on the skills side gets to choose the teammate who's like they're fender right, you.
Know, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, I like that designated celebrity. I'm like, all right, poly he.
Just wants to see.
Get dun.
Weird Sarah last year, last week, we were talking about the trade deadline, and he kept pitching Idris Elbow get in the game so he could get twisted.
Up, twisted up. I just want to see him get twisted up, you know what I mean.
Listen, I love you solid to man.
But you know, I just want to get twisted see the guy on skates. Okay, put him on skates, James sp weirdly specific fetish.
All right. One of the ideas that has come up repeatedly, actually, let's take a break. We've gone way too long. Shoot, Uh take a quick break. We'll come back. We'll finish talking about the All Star again. We'll be right back and we're back. And one of the ideas that has been floated is one on one, like having a one on one which you know, whether it be check it up at the top of the key or you know, something where you get into like transition, which might be
a little bit more fun. I feel like everybody needs to say who their pick is, right, like it's a it's a fun conversation.
Oh yeah, yeah.
I mean if you're doing offense and defense, like I think my pick would have to be Wemby because I just don't know who's getting shots off against him. But oh yeah yeah, especially if it's in the half court.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, I think that that's that feels like a bit of a like a cheat code for that kind of specific yeah version. Actually, yeah, I do want to I do want to see that though, too. I just want to see how just easily he would be, like, man, this is what it's like just playing one on one with me.
Uh, I'd take I'd take Kyrie and something like that.
Yeah, Kyrie is a great yeah yeah yeah. I had Kyrie Wemby and Death as an outsider just because like he could just you know, get hot and make threes threes on threes on threes.
Right right and be the twenty four hour fitness is worst nightmare player.
It just doesn't even.
Dribble, just can shoot it every time you mixed it. It's not even running, yeah for sure, I mean one on one, I guess that's the other thing. I think there's also something to like the marketing of it, because do you remember, like, hey, now I'm I'm gonna take you all into a time machine with me. Remember in the nineteen ninety two Barcelona Olympics, there was Dan versus Dave, these two decathletes, and there was, yeah, an entire year
long thing that they were like Dan versus Dave. I think just building it up on sign Maybe that's dangerous to build it up like that, but I would never gone before one of them didn't make the other one came in like ten to not do well at all.
Uh.
Yeah, I feel like I just missed that. I think I just missed that kind.
Of ninetieth marketing demon that decathlon would be super fun, like where they're competing at different not not the actual like skiing, shooting is in there for some reason.
Maybe at the same city city in Florida. There might be some jet skiing, some water skiing.
Yeah, we're in San Francisco, So like sailing is one of them sailing?
Yes, exactly? Uh, displacing locals? Okay, well, yeah, so we'll see next year. Uh is it here next year? Six?
No clue, I believe it is, right.
Yeah, yeah, right, because it is into it. Yeah, and I'm into it, you know what I mean, as long as it's here. But yeah, that'll be, that'll be.
The editor pointed out that I failed to mention the sport that would be the most fun to watch NBA players competing, and then that is of course dressage. Yeah. Are they on a hobby horse dancing horses?
Yeah? Yeah, take a question. That would be wild because you've seen people do the hobby horse competition where they had the little stick horse between their legs and then they jump over the things. Yeah, Brian had to. He had to unmute himself to get it.
Brian is very sick. He's like over on his couch with a blanket wrapped around and he just like crawled across his living room to get to the thing just to tight dressage and then go.
On a hobby horse doing little gallops trotting. All right, well we'll see. Hey, these are all suggestions. We are open to them being used.
Those are all good ideas. Yeah, I'm just saying these are all good ideas.
Yes, yes, yes, there are no bad ideas.
No. Never, that's what never, never ever, never.
Hitting a baseball, just seeing who can hit a baseball. He's got the weirdest swing.
Take them to the batting cages.
Yeah, take them to the batting cage, Like I don't know what I'm saying, Like some he could actually like hit a like curveball, that would be incredible.
Yeah, bet in.
Cages, they go to top golf, then they come back in that.
It's it is like, these are the best athletes in the world. Putting them in positions to do athletic things is my thing. Like that's that's what I want to see, you know, and that I feel like that would be cool. One of them should be rhythmic gymnastics. I feel like, you know.
Put that in the doc. We gotta we got to google.
Jared McCain is winning a rhythmic gymnastics. Oh yeah, beautiful.
Hella jazz Sarah, Oh they're bad. Okay, Moving on around the league. Are you so Kessler, Sexton Collins each survive the trade deadline? Put them on your Danny Ainge hat for me for a second.
Oh you really have one with Danny Ainge's face.
It it's just a chapotlit hat.
Oh yeah, how how are we feeling? You know? We're a couple of years into the experiment to the age of age, the age sons as it's all as being called everywhere. How are we feeling? Is it all worth it when you get Cooper Flag to Salt Lake City next year?
Yeah?
I mean that's the thing, right, is like you don't know if it's worth it yet until this draft and potentially the twenty twenty six draft, right, And so if you if you come out of this one and you don't have Cooper or Dylan Harper, probably not feeling that great because the last couple of years of drafts have not produced like a real star for the Jazz, Like
Kiante George. He was in the Rising Stars game. That's fine, but like he hasn't really been that great and he looks like he's more of like a bench player if anything. Taylor Hendricks broke his leg, so we have to wait until that heels to see if he's gonna be good. Isaiah Collier out of USC from last season, Cody Williams, Kyle Philipalski, jury still out on those guys. So it's just like a lot of waiting to see, like are these young guys going to actually develop into maybe what
could be role players. But you really really hope you're gonna get Cooper this year, right, Like that's the big hope. And then if even if you do, next season draft is going to be so good too, And the Jazz don't ow oh their pick to anyone there, you know, the protections from OKAC are gone on their like all the draft stuff that they were dealing with there, So like they they're gonna want to lose games again next year, Like that's they're going to want to be high draft
picks twenty twenty five and twenty twenty six. And so I keep trying to tell Jazz fans to like temper expectations because this is not the only down year the Jazz are going to have.
Yeah, then maybe, well I think we're all rooting for Danny Ainge. I think the league just you know, we want to see some good things happen for that guy.
Oh yeah, sho, show Sarah your ange gent Aliens shirt that you made. It's really cool.
All right, Should we take a look around the league please? Oh all right, I want to talk Luca. He's been a Laker for a couple of weeks now, only two wins to show for no, Uh, what what do you think, Sarah, There's the Lakers ceiling is as currently constructed, but obviously once Luca really gets going.
Yeah, I mean I think right, like, Luca and Lebron James are probably two of the players in the NBA that have the real ability to make everyone, every single player on their team better, right, Like, And that's always kind of a cliche that people talk about with like the most elite players in the league, is that they make their teammates better. But these are two guys that
it's actually real they do. And so I don't think that it's out of the rama possibility that like the Lakers surge coming up because with without Luca, and if it's just Lebron James, because he's aging, like, right, we all still believe in Lebron James, but not as we did ten years ago, right, And so I think that with Luca, you inject more of that make everyone better ability, And so guys like Ruy Hachimura are going to absolutely
feast because of that. Like in that one game against the Jazz on Luca's debut night, Luca didn't I think he played like twenty minutes something like that, Like and it wasn't even that hard. You have guys like Ruy I forget who else for the Lakers had a big night that night. But it's like you have a couple of guys who combined maybe average eighteen points for the Lakers, and then you add Luca and it's like, combined they're
averaging thirty points. And that's just because the defensive gravity is going to follow them so much that it just opens everybody else up, and like the lobs are going to be crazy, and so I just I really believe that even if the roster is as constructed, that they have way more potential than they did before.
Yeah, I think that's right. What a little slow to get going, You're well, he's been a little slow to get going as a fan of you know whose primary rooting interest is the field versus the Celtics. Just every every team in the league that's not the Celtics up watching his box scores from AFAR being like, is this guy dud? They get eleven from this Luke guy? I mean,
something about this trade doesn't make sense. Maybe it was that maybe they they Luca was the beneficiary of some some manner of Witch's curse, and and it's worn off and only only the Mavericks. Now, No, I was just curious, like, is he slow typically kind of slow to build momentum when he's coming back from an injury. Is that kind of what we see in Luca Luker?
I think everyone is right. There's no one that just like pops out from being gone for a month and is perfect right away, especially if you, at the same time switch them to a new team after being on the same team for many years.
Yeah, all right, I'll give him another game or two. I say trade him.
Jackson Hayes, that's the guy.
A big game, you're right, Yeah.
Ruy Hotchmoor and Jackson Hayes they combined for like eighteen points a game on average. They had like thirty three against Suggests.
Yeah. Good. One also had a good game that game.
Is there any hypothetical rim protector out there that they could get off of waivers off the scrap heat?
Wasn't that the Alex lenn Hope?
Yeah? And what happened there?
Yeah, let's see who what's Javal McGee doing these days?
All right? I feel like that's where we're at.
Yeah, yeah, I don't think I don't think so. I don't think so.
Yeah, all right, what else happened around the league? Calves still got a six game lead, okay, seeing the Calves are tied for the best record.
Yeah no, no, no, Calves have the best record. Okay, yeah, okay, see's right behind them. Okay, but there's even an eight game lead over the Grizzlies. It's uh And the Celtics are still there, man, there, still there. They won't go away, Jack.
Oh, I don't. I don't expect them to. I've seen seen all the Friday the Thirteenth movies. I know you don't say, oh, thank god, I'll go and lay down next to Jason's body.
And then the other Jason Tatum shows up exactly. Yeah, yeah, I get it. I get it. But then the other thing, Denver, I'm this was another thing. This one is making we do stuff to pick a game of the week, and Denver is looking really good. And I was playing the Lakers very soon here, and that looks like it could be. I'm very again. I like, I want to see. I want to put these theories to the test. I do want to see how we're going to perform against the Nuggets.
Just given the momentum that both teams have. But Jack, I know you were you were, you were saying you think they're My.
Now rundown of the week is the Denver Nuggets. Uh, I feel like need to be observed with wariness over these last thirty games. Jabalmore, you just put up fifty five in his last game before the break, which I would think suggests that he's healthy again. But yeah, they're they're trending in the right direction. They're scary, you know. But all I want to see is the best team come out of the West to challenge the Celtics slash Cavaliers if all things go according to plan, So.
Then I guess for the game of the week, we should consider a few things coming up Thursday Suns at Spurs on TNT, Friday NIXI Calves on ESPN, Saturday Lakers and Nuggets on ABC, and then Sunday Thunder at Wolves. This I'll be on your local station, so check that out. But Uh, Sarah, what will give you what of those games? What do you think? What's what's What's the one we should keep an eye on that will bring up for the next episode.
I'm pretty different one sure, Uh, Thursday Clippers at.
Bucks Clippers at Bucks the Doc Rivers showdown.
M h, I mean the Bucks they're playing. I think it's like roughly five hundred probably over their last five games, if not close to it, which not great if you're wanting to stay at the top of the East. At the same time, five hundred could probably put you at the top of the East be if we're being honest. But the Clippers are kind of playing sneaky good and I think they won their last three going into the break, and so I think that they're gonna want to keep
the momentum going. And so that's a game that i'd be interested to watch.
Okay, okay, okay, I think we're playing now.
Damn in your face, Lakers, it's not it's not you. Sorry, I'm not evenna watch.
That now that Sarah said, I'm gonna watch that Clipper game.
There you go.
I don't even careacter we're probably gonna win anyway.
So it's like, we aren't the Lakers. Next two games against like the Hornets and the Blazers.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well I think our very next yeah, our next game is against the Hornets, yes, exactly.
So we'll say a game of the week. You have two options. You could do Lakers and I'll gets on ABC, or you can buy League Pass and get the Clippers Bucks game and pay whatever whatever.
Move to those markets.
Yeah, we're moved to Milwaukee. Might not actually be on in l a.
Ah, okay, well we'll check check your local listings. All right, we'll take a quick break. We'll come back with the fourth quarter fourth quarter rapper fire routo question.
Right after this, and we're back, Sarah Todd, So good to see.
You, but it's time to This is where the cities end. Yeah, yeah, this is where.
More mister nice Sarah.
Nope, wait, that's my line. It's a fourth quarter rapid fire round of questions. You know, this is the fastest question answered podcast segment in all of podcasting history. We're gonna ask you a question. You give us your rapid response right back. Do not hesitate or we will be rude, so rude.
My favorite part of the rapid fire section is sometimes how long it takes to ask the questions.
No, no, no, that's not true. It's the rapid, rapidest of fires.
Don't point out ironies like that. What are you some kind of journalist? This is not the time or the place for your observations, because I think they're wrong and biased at fast.
Bryan, start the clock.
Oh, it takes a long time to get the question.
You've made him both time.
I know, Like right now he says.
I'm fine, I'm fine. Sarah's got the problem, not me, not me. I'm doing okay because this, this is, this is going so fast right now, I know. Okay, Jack, you go first.
Oh man, it's totally falling apart here.
Uh, she figured me out.
Hey, Brian, thank you for starting the clock. Appreciate you. All right, let's play a little game of this or that, brought to you by Jabari Davis. This is where Jabari does. It plays a little bit of create a player with some existing players. Which player or duo would you choose for the next three years, Luca with prime Lebron's athleticism or Joker with prime Hakeem's defensive presence, Luca.
With Lebron's athleticism.
Yeah, okay, try on, Sarah, and I'm gonna say it's so fast, Privates steps Jumper, prime, Kobe and Janni's body.
Literally couldn't understand what you're going okay, exactly.
Let me turn it up for you.
Wow.
So let me slow it down for you for the people back Prime Vince with Steph's jumper or Prime Kobe's.
Body Prime Vince with Steph's jumper.
Wow?
Crazy?
Right?
Yeah, I know what is this?
What is this? How do I see that anybody.
With Steph's jumper would be so?
I know? Yeah.
Also, the prime Toby in Janice's body was like a body horror thing. It's Kobe in Janice's body. It's a it's a mess.
Uh.
Yeah, they have to be surgically separated. All right.
Uh.
And finally, which of these duos would you take? Would it be Luca Lebron or Steph Jimmy Luca Lebron? Mm hmm. Final answer A friend, No.
I don't don't have any burns.
A lot of bridges, all right, Last last question, hotshot, you can make any finals matchup utilizing all finals teams from throughout history? Okay, you can. You can just plug and play from history, put them together like we're playing some kind of dynasty mode in a video game. What is the matchup you would want to see more than any other?
Yeah, Like it feels like I want ultimate defense versus ultimate offense. So I want maybe the Warriors seventy three team against the Detroit Pistons.
Oh this year Detroit Pistons, No I believes, yeah yeah yeah, the bad Boys, Yeah yeah.
Yeah, the Lambier's and of it all. Oh yeah, interesting man, what would that even that actually have?
No idea?
Yea, which Warriors too?
Like the seventy three win Warriors team?
Okay, I thought you meant like the nineteen seventy Warriors seventy three wins A deep cut.
Yeah, Jack sick with the segment.
Three Warriors part of part of the the like appeal of that Warriors team, right, is that like that was when Draymond was kind of at the height of his powers, right, But like, yeah, is Draymond really powerful if Dennis Rodman is shutting him up all night?
Right? Yeah? I mean would they just moneyball? Like would the threes just put the bulls out of it? Would Michael Jordan in between Games one and Game two, just become the deadliest three point shooter of all time? Oh? Sorry, we're talking. We're not talking about ninety six. We're talking about the Detroit Pistons.
But I guess I would be like Joe dumars on step what that looks like and that's fun. Yeah, no, no, that is that is dang. That was a good one. Wow, Okay, Todd, I mean that did take a long time, but it's because it was only because like your follow up for like really thoughpable and nothing who like normally this is very fast segment. It so much for joining us as a Jack Got Mad Boosties.
I don't know why it's always so slow with you. This never happens to us, Sarah.
Where do the people find you? Follow you, support you, listen to you, read you all that good stuff.
You can follow me on all the socials at NBA, Sarah. You can read my stuff at desret dot com and you can listen to me. The podcast is unsalvagable. We talked about the jazz, we talked about the NBA, we talked about it all.
Amazing, amazing. You can follow us on Twitter. I'm at Miles of Gray there and I'm also Miles of Gray on Blue Scott.
I'm Jack Underscore Oll Brian on Twitter and Jack ob One on Blue Sky.
The one you guys again as always, just so impressed with your mad boosties.
Thank you so much.
Really incredible, leaping a bit.
Better Yeah, Sarah caught me catching a fly that was flying around my office and I really had to get up there. I'm pretty sure I pull my calf though I kind of get it, but I got him, got him. Make sure you follow the hashtag mad Boosties for show links updates, and that's where you'll be able to find ways to join our discord to and keep the conversation going again. That's hashtag mat Booty's B double O S D I P S. That's gonna do it for us
this week. We'll be back next week. Oh and guess what we're talking about.
You guessed the n B A oh the NBA. That would be a good one. Oh yes, Switch