Guess what, folks, Team USA is playing. It turns out and we're back and.
Wells are still flying, and guys are still signing huge extensions well into August, and we're discussing all of that and more with New York Times writer and authored Soapandeb on today's show.
I'm Miles Great and I'm Jack O'Brien, and this is Davis d Driving spinning.
Curry a three pointer.
Stop Curry from the Child again. Be honest, what you yes, Yes it is.
We are back back again a couple of weeks.
Thoughts didn't sound like it to you guys you know at home, didn't realize that we took a week.
Off, that those were episode earlier.
But we recorded the Steph Curry one two years ago. Yeah, before the were just guessing at what was going to be in the document.
Once we heard there was a development deal, We're like, all right, let's just do an episode on what that looked like. People really counted them out.
Huh.
They really do a boy egg on their face. But we are thrilled to be joined today by our guests Soap and Dad. Welcome, Soapan, Hey, thanks.
So much for having me.
Yeah, appreciate it.
It's not a great intro.
You guys like wrought a lot of energy. I gotta feel like I feel like I have to like raise my raise my no.
No, right now we rest on the We rest on the court like Lebron so like we don't. We were barely alive until the mic starts recording and then we have to like take it up. So it's very noticeable.
There's a key and Peel sketch where they I think they're partying the breakfast club, you know they and then the you know, the red light goes on. They're going crazy, and then the commercial break hits and they like take out like know they're doing. They totally go.
Silent and right exactly.
It's a very very funny sketch.
I mean, look, you're a multiple time author and playwright on top of being a basketball fan. How do you do it all? So pen?
You know, I actually get that question quite a bit.
And okay, never mind, Then never mind. I don't want to I only want to ask great questions.
No, it's not that so how goes It's interesting?
You know I think about this.
You know, I used to be a producer for a show that nobody watched called Rock Center with Brian Williams, and and he had Steve Martin on as a guest, and Steve Martin amazing obviously comedian all that stuff, but he's also an amazing banjo player, right and and and I remember Brian asking him something like, so, how do
you do both? He's like, well, people are people do more than one thing, you know, like and it's like it's it's like it's like asking me, like, how do you go to the gym, you know, or how do you if you play pick up basketball? How do you play pick up basketball gym too?
You know? And outside of work?
Right And for me, it's just a question of doing like I don't view you know, in when I've been writing my books or writing you know, creative writing, I've never viewed it as work. It's just it's just another thing that I do, the same that like I, you know, I you know, used to you know, during the pandemic, play poker on Zoom with my friends.
You know.
It's like it's just another thing that I don't view it as work, if that makes.
Sense, right right right now. Of course, if you do view it as work, you will hite it, you know.
That's when that's when the work day goes from you know and whatever, let's say eight hour work day to like a twenty four hour workday that starts being overwhelming. You know what I mean.
Did you did you have parents that were like, hey, do what you love and then you'll never work a day in your life or were they Yeah, yeah, yeah, a little more rigid or get that check.
Yeah, no, it was.
It was My parents even even to this day, don't really understand what I do for a living. Yeah, jarted way. You know, when I got to the Times, I think it was the first time they kind of understood what I did for a living. No, I'm Sair and they're oh New York Times.
Yes, oh I heard of that right right right before. Not so sure, right, but.
The others it took it. It took a long time though.
Yeah. And basketball wise, you're you said you were born outside of Boston but raised Jersey, which you are a C's fan. Yeah.
Yeah, I grew up huge Celtics fan. My brother is ten years older than me. He got me onto basketball and so so there are two reasons I became a Celtics fan. One was my brother and the second was Antoine Walker was okay, and for whatever.
Reason, I'm employee number eight.
Yeah, I was really fascinated by Antoine. And so no one can say I'm a bandwagon Celtic fan anything, because like, yeah, Celtics, they were awful, but I loved watching Antoine play.
I mean, mL car into the era. Yeah, it was like, do you know Roger?
I think yeah, And then you know they drafted Antoine and Walker was just my guy. He was you know, he could dunk, he could shoot occasionally, he could.
He could he.
Would make them all that often, but he loved shooting it. And I just loved the flair. And then you know, people, you know, like my favorite Celtics team all time is not the one that won a title in two thousand and eight. It was the two thousand and two team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals, because that was when I was a teenager and sports me in the world to you at that point, yeah, and for me that was I was. I cried when they lost I think it was Game six against the Nets. I cried
what means to you at that time? Yeah, But they were not expected to go to even go to the playoffs, let alone get to the Eastern Conference Finals.
You know, childhood.
And so my dad is Jim O'Brien, so he coached Yeah, so okay, I swear that is not that bad. I know we did that ahead of this conversation.
But that team, what I remember is, you know, Patino, you know, kind of brings in like one of the worst eras of Celtics basketball.
I remember Jim O'Brien.
I mean, that was one of the first teams that that uh shot a bunch of threes and like like they're and it was you know, at the time, they got so much criticism for that, but for me as a viewer was an amazing you know, porn basketball. I loved it as my favorite team of all time. And uh, you know, uh, I was sad when Jim o Jim Jim and Danny Inge didn't work things out.
So yeah, and then that's why I don't really love the Celtics as much. Yeah, I wish, I wish I had gotten over it because now I'm a Sixers fan because that was the last team he coached for.
And did he leave on bad terms?
If you don't mind me asking.
You leave Philly on bad terms?
No?
Right?
Yeah?
No, no, no, he was with h he was an assist.
With beef with like Chris Weber or something there is there was something.
Oh yeah. So the first year when he was a head coach, that didn't go that well. But then he came back was an assistant in the embiid era and that was yeah, and that was when I fell in love with Joel, with the with the process and with this team.
Was Frank an assistant to them.
Frank was an assistant with the Celtics and then with that team he was Yeah, he was like down the bench al ways, but he was he was the tape guy. He was the video guy who like you had to learn editing software and after every game, you know, Frank and this was my dad before. Frank would be up after the game editing together every play from that game and putting together different looks of all right, like here's every time they ran this offense to the left of
the court. Here's every time they ran this offense to the right of the court. Here's every time like we did, you know, various permutations. And I really think that was
also Spolstra's job with the heat coming up. I really think that like that number of reps of just like seeing basketball that often like Frank Vogel knows exactly what you're going to run the second the ball across his half court because he's just like seen so many He's seen more plays of basketball than anyone I guess his age, like now, probably the younger people have been on YouTube
the whole time. But I really think like being early in the tape game helped Vogel and helped my dad and Spolstra a lot, because they just got more cuts than anyone.
Jack. I'll tell you a story from last season.
I was at a Wizard's game and I was I forgot, I was writing about something, and I don't remember what I was writing about. Maybe it was I think I might have been doing a feature on I don't remember why anyway, And I'm sitting on media row and I'm not obviously not much of a fan anymore, but I'm sitting next to Tony Delk yeah nowhere, and I'm listen, I'm I'm you know, And I sat next to Tony Delk and and and I don't think a lot of
people at this point. Tony Delk, at this point in his life is not like the most recognizable guy ever, but for sure like me who that two thousand and two team was such a big part of my childhood.
Yeah, you know, next t I'm like you, hey, I'm so pam and yeah.
Tony, yeah, Literally, I was like, hey, listen, I don't want to make things weird, but like as want.
Let you know, that two thousand and two team was like one of my you know, one of the highlights of my childhood.
It was cool and we just chopped it up.
For a little bit and it was so cool to you know, he was, uh, he's still in touch with some of the guys and you know, and it was it was it was it was cool to to you know, be able to tell him that, you know, yeah, but I don't I don't really I genuinely do not care
about celebrity stuff. I don't really like ever really fanboy, It's not something that I'm interested in del tell someone like, you know what when I was a young when I was a boy, like, yeah, I was you know, when the ship still was like like the world to me, it was like, you you know, you hitting threes on kickoff from antemin Walker was like pretty cool for me, you know.
One of the stranger he had. I don't think I've seen this since and it probably happened before, but his shot had pure side spin on it. It. Do you remember that Tony Delk's shot had pure it was side spin. It might have changed by the time he was in the NBA, but when so, my dad was an assistant under Patino at uk when they won the title there and Delk was their leading scorer and at that time his shot just pure side spin and was one of the great you know scorers, intruders. And I remember he was.
In the top five like most random fifty point games along with Corey Brewer and like, you.
Know, yeah fifty three.
Yeah, very rare. I think it a loss too, by the way, Yeah, I didn't wake up today expecting to spend like ten minutes on the two thousand and two Boston Celtics. But I mean, you guys really indulge me. I appreciate it.
Well, it's great because it just happens to be. Our next segment is about Vitally Potapenko. So yeah, with the Ukraine report real quick.
Yeah, because I was studying abroad that year that semester and I came back for game one of the NET series. I think it was Game one, and they lost and then came back. Like basically, I saw every loss in the net series and missed missed the two wins. You I was the curse.
You ruined my childhood.
Yes, that's but you'd be careful. He does take those. He does take that on a lot.
Oh yeah, a lot of magical thinking. He's he's responsible for that.
He's responsible for every I think second round exit of the Sixers too.
Actually not because the hat that was supposedly causing the losses. Actually I stopped wearing it last season and they still lost to the Celtics. Hey, dust that.
Old thing off. Maybe right back around for the season to see what happens. But yeah, I mean, I just some some news notes from around the league. I don't know, do we mention Jalen Brown signing that five year, four million extension since our last record that was last week?
So yes, this is going to be one of the largest contracts in league history, but not to be outdone by the Lakers very own Anthony Davis, who agreed to the richest annual average in league history with the three year, one hundred and eighty six million dollar extension with the Lakers. So that's money, is I don't even know what these numbers mean, but they sound really cool. Yea is like sixty million club. Huh oh wait yeah, how does that?
Wow?
Okay, good good? Yeah.
Even know Team USA was playing, that's that was kind of news to me. The Team USA had a had a game against Puerto Rico. But I'm very intrigued by this and this, Uh it's I don't think you can call it a dream team. It feels like very reasonable. It's reasonable dragmatic team.
Yeah yeah, but like it's still like you're like, this is doing like they're doing. They're doing work with this roster, but it's not dream level. It's not it doesn't have that etherial quality to it.
Like really good day team. So, I mean it's good, like the squad is. I want to ask you, guys, how many NBA games do you think this this team would win. I think they'd be favored to win the East probably and maybe even the West. But uh so they're pollo.
You with with with Jalen Brunson as their top guy.
They got Paolo Michale, Bridges, Lan Brunton, Anthony Edwards, Halliburton, Hart, Jaron Jackson, Junior, Cam Johnson, Walking Bobby Portis Austin Reeves. It's just interesting to that awesome that Walker Kessler is on the USA. Saw like nothing, not taking anything away, but it's just like it feels like we've entered a new era.
Yes, truly, truly. I don't know. I think they would easily win. In my mind, I just love I just like watching them play. I was like, they look really good obviously playing Puerto Rico in like an exhibition match. But you know, I think they can get I feel like they can get to sixty.
Yeah, i'd say high fifties.
Yeah, Caliburton is is.
The truth chef the GM there, Yeah, for sure. But I guess let's take this time because man, since we got you know, we're in that sort of in between period, still looking waiting to see what trades happened. Figure if Dame or James Harden ends up moving, we shall see, but also time to kind of take a look at the you know, the different divisions, and just from our the knowledge that we have at the moment, maybe just do a little bit of over under predictions here.
Shah, we got to Vegas like win total over unders, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, So right now let's kick it off. Well, let's take a quick break. Oh yeah, we'll come back and we'll do some over unders.
Let's do it.
And we're back and FanDuel has told us how many wins they think everyone's getting, and I don't know. They're being very conservative our top here.
Yeah. Uh so we're starting in the Atlantic division this episode, and well, I think we'll do, you know, go division by division per episode. But since we have a Celtics fan in the building, it's good to look at the Atlantic division. Uh projected. They're saying the Celtics are gonna win the fifty four and a half wins. Yeah, per their odds.
Last year they went fifty seven and twenty five. It feels light to me. I still feel like they should be the favor to be as good as they were last year. But I know the Marcus Smart thing has Celtics fans nervous. Soapan, how are you feeling about fifty four and a half wins?
I mean I wouldn't go over that for sure. Okay, that doesn't mean that they won't go deep in the playoffs. I just think, you know, you're incorporating a guy like kristaph Orzingis, who is he's an unusual player to play with right, and he's a very different type of player with an injury history.
And it's not that they lost Marcus.
Probably also lost grass Grant Williams, who look, he had a lot of stress of DMPs and whatnot, but it's still he was still significant part of the roster. And they haven't really you know, Derek White's going to start a point guard for the first time. I think it's going to take a while for them to get it together. So I could see them having some regular season lolls, and they've had They've been a team of regular season lolls over the last several years.
Just to be clear, you're saying lols, lolls, lolls, no l u oh okay, sorry, I thought you were saying that they did have some lolls when Grant Williams were addresses Batman that one time.
Maybe, So that doesn't mean I don't think they'll get there, you know, get it together for the playoffs, but I could see the regular season being a little bit more, yeah, more of a drag for them than you know expected.
Yeah, for me, I was like, I think they could. I think they'd be right around fifty four, but just I don't know if I don't think I could say over that, but I don't think much far off from that.
Yeah, you were saying, you're predicting fifty four and a third wins for that, Yeah, exactly, that's where you think they're going to land.
I first said thirty three and a third because I just saw the Naked Gun movie, and then you're like, what, that's not how it works, and I'm like, all right, fine, fifty four and a third.
Fine. So the Celtics they have two and a half fewer wins. The Sixers they have four and a half fewer wins with largely the same like, mainly the same roster. I think they're probably assuming Harden is gone or at least doing what he does after he asked for trade and doesn't get it, which is not play at the at the peak of his abilities. Makes sense to me. I think Nurse is a great replacement. I think that
is a net benefit for the playoffs. But again, I think there's a probably important to draw a distinction between like Doc Rivers is one of the one of the great regular season coaches, and so I don't I don't think like a coaching change is a net benefit for them when it comes to win totals necessarily, So I think this is probably like I don't have a strong feeling about either of these first two.
But forty nine and a half would I mean, do you how do you think you can? I could that slight under under Okay, okay, okay. And then if James is I I.
Mean losing Hearten. I mean, that's a twenty five and ten guy.
You know, curious to him and he's out, He's gone.
Yeah. I mean, I don't know if a precedent of a player trade and then showing up to play other than like Anthony Davis with the Pelicans, and even that was like this torture thing. But Harden has a precedent of demanding a trade and then either dogging it or
not showing up to play. So him showing up the training camp is probably not a great idea, right, So you take him if you take him out, they lost Niang, right, Yeah, they lost a couple other guys, haven't really I think that they they signed Patrick Beverley, I think they have not replenished any of the depth they lost around Harden and Embiid.
Yeah, and they were losing heart.
So now you're relying on Joel Embiid to hopefully, you know, at who has his own injury history, play at the same MVP level that he played out last year, and I hope that Max he picks up the slack for James Harden.
That's a really for me, I would be, that's a lot of ground to make up. To me, I think they're gonna be way under I.
Think way under last season, or way under forty nine and a half way under forty nine and.
A half way under forty nine.
Yeah, like you think sub five hundred season for them, I don't think.
Sub five hundred. No, But you know, I think it wouldn't shock me if it was like forty three to forty five, to be honest.
Yeah, But then again, I'm also.
Horrifically wrong on predictions in my career. So a good rule of thumb is to listen to what I'm saying and then do the exact opposite.
Yeah.
Generally speaking, Yeah, I think a lot of the optimism on Harden, and not that there's a lot of optimism, but like any optimism that people seem to have on Harden coming back is like, yeah, but he went to that white party with them, and like they were all hanging out and that seems cool, but going to party is what James Harden does best. Yeah, so I don't. I don't know.
A lot of these players.
You know, there's the business side.
And then there's the personal side. It's not like the eighties anymore, where you know, Lambier and Bird are coming to blows on the streets anymore. Right, It's like it's it's it's not that's not the game anymore.
These guys are.
Cool with each other when.
They're not playing the game.
Yeah, yeah, I mean literally, I.
Think there was like the meme yesterday of Kevin Duran Draymond Green showing up with the same outfit you know, at a game and like and like so, and then immediately so they they were spotted together at the at the at the party, and then the reporting yesterday literally James Harden reiterated his request for a drink. It's like, it's like these guys are it's it's a totally different world, you know.
Yeah, have we heard anything about on the dame front, Like, because I know the NBA like kind of pushed back and was like, hey, you can't just say you will only play for the heat. Is there any.
Nonsense that it also again has no light to stand on.
There's nothing, there's nothing they can do, and they could, they could.
Send sternly awarded memos or whatever, but there's there's zero the league. I mean, they can, I guess maybe intervene if it's like like they did with the Chris Paul trade with the Lakers, you know, but that that would be a really stunning thing to do.
And I don't think they have a light to stand on here.
Yeah, rust the trade, they can do that, everyone is uh. I think in this case.
The Blazers were the ones who made the trade request public, not not Dame. Dame's not violating any rules, so there was you know.
Yeah, I think everyone, Like you know, I'm quietly hoping like maybe we do harden for dam because possibility, But it doesn't. It doesn't feel like that.
I mean, it looks what more likely that like the Clippers seem like the team that would end up doing some business, right yeah, but.
Like they have the same colors, so I don't know, maybe maybe it could work.
Like what would you even what would you even like to see from a from a deal with the Clippers Covington At least you want to see him back.
Who with a with a oh, you're talking about parting going on?
Like yeah, yeah, if there's like what, how do you make a meal out of that?
So I'm a little crazy. They have this one guy, Kawhi Leonard who Hi A lot of people cow high, A lot of people have given up on because of his injury history. But I am encouraged by the fact that he was the best player in the playoffs for a single game last year. So I don't know, I'm I'm desperate. I would take anything whatever.
You don't take anything, man, man whoever? Like literally, man? Please?
All right? So we've gone two unders. It feels like somebody, somebody's got to go over then.
Right, Yeah, well the next team to look at the New York Knickerbockers last year forty seven and thirty five. This year, they're setting them right around forty four and a half. Yeah, I'll be topping out. They signed Dante Vincenzo.
There, I mean, Vegas is under on basically everyone.
Yeah, I'm surprised the Kicks aren't getting more love.
You assume that some of the young talent quickly gets better. You assume that brunts in matches brunts and Randall mash their production from last year. You assume you see some growth from like the Grimes of the World, even you know, Dante's a solid signing for them. I don't see any reason they take a step backwards. They leap at the top of the East or anything like that. But you know, I don't see any reason they go backwards either.
Yeah, I think forty four. I feel like they they're going to be in line with what they did last year, at least seems like energetically that's all. It doesn't feel like there's a a regression on the cards. But again, yeah, I'm like a very casual Knicks fan and I always will root for them passively, So I'm like, come on that. Yeah, yeah, it's it's because of Wu Tang, It's because of the North Face Jackets and Timberland Boots. Obviously New Jersey though
formerly New Jersey now Brooklyn. The Nets year forty five and thirty seven. They're projecting now thirty seven and a half. They resigned Cam Johnson, they got Lonnie Walker the fourth quarter god and Dennis Smith Junior as free agents. But again, what I feel like they could do just about as well as laste. I don't think they'd fall off too hard. But again, I'm this is me with my Rosie tinted glasses on.
I mean, they had that one guy, Kevin Durant for a lot of last season, and he's pretty good.
So that's a guy in the bucket hat from the other night. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Is their record after he left? That would be the key thing for me to know, because I think that I could see them having a small improvement over there, like win percentage after Durant left. I don't. I don't see it being significant, So I don't I don't see them coming close to the last year's win total necessarily, but the over under also doesn't have them coming close to like they have. They're picking thirty seven and a half.
Last year they won forty, so I could see them like righte it like thirty they were.
Just under five hundred without Katie Jabari is telling us.
I think that's about right.
Yeah, So we'll see any excitement for you when you when you think about the nets so fain No, yeah, I would.
You know, I like, look, Mickail Bridges had a great you know, showed out when he got to the Nets. I just I just think that they're they're just not isn't much else there. I like Claxton, you know, I like, you know, they have some young talent there, but I think that they need know a they'be buyers of the deadline. I could see them getting in the race of another star.
They have the pieces to go get another star. For whatever reason.
Cam Thomas can't seem to get like a permanent role in the rotation. But you know, but if this is the roster throughout most of the season, I mean, I don't even know if they make the playoffs. And I like mcail Bridges, you know, and I think he's he's a but I don't I don't know how much of a number one guy is uh at this point. But I I'm you know, I just don't see I don't I just don't see them, you know, making any sort of splash. Thirty seven wins seems about right to me.
Yeah, I like this next Oneay.
The way you're you're a description of why you're not excited for them about them just got me excited about them. So I'm actually I'm on. I'm on for the Nets over.
The Nets are a very likable team.
Yeah, yeah, They're the exact kind of.
Team that you know, fun, They're gonna be fun to watch.
You know.
Mickel Bridges is a really really likable, you know, fun guy to watch play, you know, Cam Thomas on any given Nike and like drop fifty. You know, just I don't know where that kind of kind of microwaved player. I just I just don't know if it's sustainable over eighty two games is a long season. It's a long time, you know, to to, you know, and then once players scout,
once other teams scout, you out, et cetera. You know, it's just it's just a you know, I just think it's hard sustain over full season.
Bridges like when he when he arrived and was suddenly just like absolutely filling it up. It reminded me of when Harden left okay See and went to Houston and suddenly it was like, oh, whoops, we missed, we missed this one. We we And I don't necessarily think he's gonna like suddenly be top five offensive player in the league, but it's it feels like there's still room for him to keep going up. So it'll be interesting to say.
The only thing I'll say is he's turning twenty seven this month, Okay.
And I don't know.
I think I don't know how much more there is.
Yeah, maybe he should just retire at that point. Yeah, I think he's hang up. That's right.
I think we can coverage.
And I just want to like this next is our last one head heading to Toronto last year perfectly even down in Toronto forty one forty one, they're projected to do thirty six and a half. Now, I really take umbradge with this because Grady Dick is on this team. Yeah, so I'm taking tho over and they're gonna go way go.
Wow, That's what I'm thinking. Because you don't see them losing a single game, you said before we started.
Yeah, yeah, I said eighty two and oh baby, we already know you've seen the neck on this kid. They're not losing a single game. Yea, Yeah, it looks like, you know, the thirty six and a half probably seems around there. But I really just for my own like meme ability of the league, I want to see I want to see Grating Dick potentially turn into something not just be the kid with the long neck and shiny suit.
Yeah, purdle I guess I hadn't realized.
Uh.
Super producer Jabari was saying that Pardal is a big, you know, advanced stats guy. People people who pay attention to advanced stats really love him, so that that was news to me. I'm sure all our listeners already knew that, of course, of course, yeah.
Yeah, and they got you.
I mean they lost family yep.
Uh is heavily involved in trade rumors. Toronto is right in that space where they need to make a decision of whether they want to be contenders or if they want to blow it up. Yeah, they have some pieces where they could push the chips in for a star if the one becomes available. But if one doesn't, what's that team going to do? And do you hold out
of Siakam? If that's the case, and I don't know that, I would be very surprised if Pascal Siakam is a is a raptor by march, I just don't ye that makes sense.
It sounds like the sounds coming out of there sounds like you're getting moved on. But where too? We shall see. Okay, before we take a quick break, I just we should just get a couple of our bold predictions and before we wrap this scene up in our third act, so you know, right before the season starts, Soapina, we'd like to ask our guests just to give gives some just
wild bold predictions, just something really heavy. And I'm just for example, you know right now, Scoot Henderson, he just not only wants to go down as like the greatest point guard to ever play, he wants to get into the goat conversation. So we're like, oh, okay, that is that's a bold amount of confidt inst from you, sir,
that we we like that here on this show. But for you, what is your absolute boldest prediction, like, don't don't, don't get into fact, just just articulate something from the heavens for the upcoming NBA season goal bold?
Oh man, do you guys have one already?
This is for our guests. This is when we were hosting No all.
Right, I'll tell you my my bold prediction for this season is that Webma wins Defensive Player of the Year. That's my big bold.
I was actually interesting. I was gonna go the opposite stinks. I think I think I'm not saying he's gonna have a horrible season or anything.
Yeah, but the guy is young. M he you know, my bold.
Predictions that women Yama is not Rookie of the Year.
Oh okay, And I'm not saying.
That he's not gonna he's not gonna fill up the hype or whatever. Yeah, yeah, of course, I'm just saying, you know, is still developing. He he's still a teenager, you know, only kind of. You know, Lebron James is the only player of the last like you know, thirty years or whatever that you know, that has come in and met that level of hype, right for a moment
he entered the league. And even then, you know, it's not like Lebron's rookie year was without struggles, right, right, And so like women Yama, who you know, obviously amazing talent, all this stuff, and you know, I'm not taking anything away from him, It just might take him a little while to get acclimated to the current NBA and the way it moves. And plus you're playing eighty two games, the schedule, the physical grind, the emotional grind, just you know much this might.
Take a little while.
He might not be ready to be you know crown, right, that's that's games.
I'll let you know, No toe, I mean to that end, so played.
For the Spurs and Pop Pop Gonna.
Yeah, which which rookies do you feel like I have the best chance at Rookie the Year. Oh?
I love Scoots game, man, I really really like I really like Scoots game.
You know, I just think that it's really really hard because NBA draft picks are getting so much kind of like there's so much more polished entering the league in some ways because they're you know, they're starting to play much earlier.
And but like, you know, the Thompson Twins are really interesting to me. But Scoots the guy, I just I don't know, maybe I'm just buying into the hype a lot, you know, just from the what I've been able to watch see him play and whatnot, Scoot seems like the guy that very seems very NBA ready. I don't mean, I don't mean he's gonna like Field Dame Shoes right away or anything, but it would not surprise me if he had a really surprisingly good rookie year or anything.
Yeah, my bold prediction the Twins win CO Rookie of the Year, just like when they went Grand Hill and Jason Kidd had to split it. Okay, there we go.
That's a good one. They awarded to the wrong twin backs.
Yeah, that would be, so they can't.
Make it and so the other one fills in and then they do like the moment. Yeah, exactly, this is doubt fire situation.
And like last Bolt prediction, soap, what off season moves, Which off season moves will actually have the greatest impact in your opinion?
Interesting question because there haven't been many big ones. Yeah, I mean easily, and so to me, it's actually not that hard. Quick to me, it's the Porzingis Smart one for both sides because in Memphis, Marcus Smart needs to play a big role. With Job out for the first quarter plus of a season. Yeah, right, that means he's got to play a larger offensive role. And Marcus is listen amazing, like it was so much fun to watch.
But when when Marcus kind of ran into trouble is when he would have to do too much as an offensive player. It wasn't just and so that that that could be, you know, so that can be an issue from Memphis going forward. And for this, you know, for Zingis, you know, he it's a huge change to the way the Celtics are going to be on both ends floor. You know, Porzingis gives them a rim protector that they haven't really had as much of the last couple of years.
But to me, that's easily the most impactful move of the season until Dame gets traded or until Harden gets traded. Yeah, I mean, I can't even I don't even know what the other contenders are for impactfuls Oh yeah, that's I mean, yeah, that that's probably Yeah, I guess I should probably, but like that was almost I'll saying that the Suns were already like already kind of had a super team go essentially replacing Chris Paul with.
And that's I want.
Although you know, uh, I don't see Chris Paul going to the Warriors as that big of a deal, not because again, I just you know, if he's coming off the bench or whatever, like if he's you know, I don't know how a big of a role he's gonna have there. I just don't see that being as impactful. Like the Celtics flip their roster makeup, the poor thing can still happen. So I'm gonna go with that one.
Okay, all right, Well let's take a quick break and we're gonna come back with the fastest question and answer segment in sports podcasting history right after this, and we're back here we are and so good to have. But you have wandered into the fourth quarter of Matt Boosties, which means it's time for the rapid fire segment. Okay, the fastest question asked an answer segment in all of sports podcasting history. We're gonna ad ask your question. You
just chest pass it right back. Don't even think, don't and don't don't add a bunch of fancy stuff to the answers right back. But if jack Rice started yammering on and extending you, you have to cut us off and keep the segment going. It's actually your responsibility as the guest to also keep the segment going in the event that the hosts themselves are unable to do their duties.
You just chased a butterfly into the shootout of the Okay corral, let me just put it there.
Oh thought that be the first question?
Yeah?
Yeah, wow.
I just like to give you that idea of like where who you're running right now?
Which brother you're going after? Okay, all right, here we go. I think we're ready to start the clock.
Oh my gosh, it's so mean.
Yeah, well Jack, it's gotta know. Sometimes I'm starting because I care, man, because I want.
All right, Miles just slapped the court Antoine Walker style and that got.
Blown by just spilled my whiskey and cigar all over the floor. Okay, Uh do you want.
To go first?
I go first?
Oh why don't you go first?
Miles? My good man, I will go first, Thank you, Jack, Jackathan?
Uh?
Yes, Soapan, first question. ESPN recently decided to rework their entire NBA crew with Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson. Mama, there goes that man off of our screens. Uh, you know, like going after covering you know, fifteen NBA Finals alongside Mike Green. Who is now your dream in game commentary team. You can now put that team together? Who are they?
And you can't say Miles and I because yeah, that's contractually and so the league might have said no, stop asking us.
Didn't get a cease and desist for asking.
That is actually why you can't bring it up.
Yeah, sorry anyway, But for you, Soapan, who is your dream commentary team?
Dream commentary team?
This is the NBA Finals.
This is this, This is the top and this is the top NBA crew just.
A yeah, yeah, exactly, the highest of the high. It doesn't have to be realistic, but use your taste to put together a fantastic crew of commentators.
Sure, Uh, Roy Wood Junior the Daily Show comedian, Yes, former guest on this and uh like like someone someone that's like the total kind of totally opposite of him, like Bill Burr or something.
Like Dennis Miller.
Roy someone that Roy would hate, right right, right, right right comedians you know, like like someone that he would absolutely just despise.
They just one of the brothers getting rinsed by Roy wo.
Just for the passive aggressive to be.
Just see the angriest broadcast, angriest but most hilarious broadcast.
All right, right right, Roy Wood Jr. Absolutely needs needs a shot in the booth. Yeah, we said dis the Mara would be a good answer there. I want I want to see Oh yeah, then in the booth. Yeah, all right, give us a team no one is considering for title contention this year, but should be in the conversation.
Should be in the conversation.
Yeah, I guess I guess I would go with.
Clippers. Yeah, I'll go Clippers.
Sure, Clippers.
Wow, I mean, listen, I'm not thinking too hard about this, so I'll.
Go that's it.
Yeah, what is it about the Clippers?
Go On?
Well, I'm assuming here's the thing. I'm assuming they get hardened because the so this always happens, Cardon wants to go to the Clippers. The Clippers have no incentive to put together a great package because this is the only team Harden wants to go to, so no other team, so they won't have to give up that much. You know, it's probably gonna be like Marcus Morris and like Stevemers, you know, Steve Bombers driver.
Or something, you know, Yeah, for sick though this is sick, you're going to really make good use to that driver. Yeah.
You gotta trust the process there.
And while we're at it, we might as well give him embiid, you know what I'm saying. And so are gonna be awesome.
Yeah, but but but you gave me someone that's probably not gonna be considered it entitled contention who probably should be And I think it's it'll be the Clippers.
That's okay, that's off the top of my head.
I'm sure if I thought hard, right, Yeah.
And I'm gonna cut you off right there so because we do have to keep the segment going.
Was so good, Like I'd recognized the injury is troubling, injury history is troubling. He was still so good when he was playing last year.
Yeah, all right, next one. Oh yeah, best NBA city in terms of food choices and what's your go to dish and what's your go to dish?
New Orleans, that's NBA city for food. Uh, and my go to dish is there's a restaurant called Esh, which is like an amazing new or restaurant. Okay, and uh, you know there's like they have a they have everything there. But when we go, we usually get this like whole fish there that they have.
It's amazing.
So I'm going I'm going to passion New Orleans. Amazing.
New Orleans is the best food city.
And I think in in Frand Bay City.
He's pash please have us there for a live episode or just a meal.
We're willing to hear offers.
You can find an eight hundred magazine street New Orleans.
Well, I gotta cut you off right, so you gotta yeh whoa, yeah, yeah, I do just have to add I do just have to add brandon Ingram looks like a totally different part.
Like he looks like he's been eating well in New Orleans. And I don't mean that like eating well like you know, he he looks like he filled out like I was always like, he's not going to fill out. He's that's his body like, and he's good. He in the USA basketball things, I was like, who is that out there that looks looking like a slightly short muffle lettuce.
He's just just pounding them muffle lettuce down there.
No, but he looks he looks good. All right. If you could have any players skill set for a a who are you going with? What skills set? Are you stealing Jokich easily?
Oh my gosh, listen.
To me, all right.
I guess I'm not supposed give extant answers. But he was the only the only players that I would catch every game I went during the season.
There's something about him.
That I just, I just I just find his game to be very magnetic. And to see a guy of that size passing the weight. I love big guys that can pass, I really do. And that's my favor you know, those are my favorite. That's why I got an Antoine Walker in my you know as a child. Right, Yeah, So for me, it's just I love love big guys that can pass.
Yeah, Unfortunately you have only taken his passing skills. You haven't taken his height. So uh it's a monkey's pod type wis sorry, but you can.
Still shoot that shot over a D somehow you'll.
Off right falling away off one.
That's really just to like just to make just completely frustrate people at every pickup game at La Fitness across.
The count been a higher release in the history, Like he releases so high and he's also seven foot whatever. Yeah, it's a tie.
I mean I just saw Klay Thompson talking about that shot. He's like, gods, like, it's like, it's disgusting.
It's disgusting.
Yeah, because it was Okay, here we go, Soapan ultimate peak, prime bird or prime KD. You lean back on that one. You're thinking, I like this.
I've never thought about that. I would say prime bird because he won the three m vps in a row and no one's done that since. Yeah, and I also think that Bird, you know he had you know, he was a better rebounder and passer, but again, the game was so different back then. But I'm going I think I'll go with Bird because he did, you know, he did something that no one has.
Done since then, right, And that's that's.
It's a very arbitrary thing. Like I think Yoka should have won three straight. I think, you know, Lebron should obviously have won three straight or if not more than that some point in his career, Jordan whatever. But given that Bird did it, I mean to me, it's it's Bird.
Yeah, all right, Like.
But that's like, you know, that almost feels unfair to KD. But like you know, the the that platitudes are what the you know, the platers are what they are, you.
Know, Yeah, all right, you can place any former Celtics grade on next year's roster. Which former great are you adding to this mix? And you do have to make the salaries work.
I think salaries work.
Yeah, I think Bird made like forty K a year, so you got to make sure that that.
The luxury attack.
We're doing it by salary.
And he got a case of beer too if they won the title, So.
I guess it would be Russell man. I mean, how do you I mean, it's an easy I mean It's almost like an unfair question ask the Celtics fan because there's such like easy hierarchy to choose from. But yeah, yeah, guess then you know you're adding Bill Russell. He literally fits a knee for the Celtics right now. They need a defensive anchor since they lost Marcus Smart like they needed so like, of course you're.
Gonna add Bill Alpha. Yeah, that personality.
You're bringing Al Horford off the bench. I guess he's wanted to let his ego subside for one.
Yeah, yeah, it is funny. I feel like there's every time we've I think, asked this question to Celtics fan, it's like I don't think anyone has not said Bill Russell, right. I feel like that's been pretty good. I mean, yeah, yeah, exactly. And finally, Soap, this is actually the most important question I think we've asked of the money one. Yeah yeah yeah. Uh So please be quick with your response to this one, Soapan, Depp, Jack or Miles.
Oh. I have to give it to Jack because of his dad. Man, his dad was a big part of my childhood. I would take its.
His dad was a big part of his childhood too. So if your dad coached.
The two thousand and two Celtics. I would have gone with you, like.
Really, he wouldn't even be close to doing that. But so and that I can only respect that answer, So fan, I can only respect that answer. Man, it is hard to hear.
I mean, everything worked out in this episode. We surprised him with it. I knew. I knew he was a big two thousand and two Celtics fan, but I didn't. I didn't let it slip before we recorded so we could just like build momentum everything. Yeah, perfectly. You fell right into my.
I the second he mentioned I was like, this guy's rubbing his mits. Now he's rubbing.
Yeah and my family.
Well, well, Jack, you can pass on to your dad, and I hope you do that.
He I was a big fan of him growing up. All right, Yeah, I hope you'll pass that on to him.
Fantastic not my dad, but I did. You can't take it back. Yeah, that was all all lie. You fell for it.
His dad owns like a bunch of subway franchises in mon Talk. Wow, no way, my favorite place for somewhere.
Man a baby?
Yeah yeah for real, for real. So Pandemic, thank you so much for joining us. On Miles and Jack got Mad boosties. Where can people catch your work and all that and and and and read you and all all any sort connect to you? How do they do that?
I'm easy to find on social media, man, and I've got my books are easy to find. But I appreciate the opportunity to plug. But you know, it's just Google. I had to be like shack here, but like, just just.
Googley, Okay, I like that. Just just one name, baby, That's all you need to know and and it will appear.
It's just really nice to finally see nepotism winning. For like, if you're an NBA nepotism who stinks at basketball, like, it doesn't help that much. So it's just nice to see, Uh, you know a place where nepotism can finally win.
And that place is Miles and Jack got Mad Matt stec you know you know that, So make sure you follow us on Twitter. You can follow me at Miles of Gray and Neto. I mean, Jack, where can they find you?
What at NBA Neto Baby on Twitter? Uh? At Jack Underscore O'Brien NBA Netle Boy. That's available.
Yeah, you should, you should, or at least your display name, and you can also follow the show on hashtag mad Boosty's buble O, sd I e S for show links and updates. That's gonna do it for us. You're gonna be back because you know that's what we do. We're always back, We're always there for you, and until then will be us the U b U Okay cool.
I like that lit sign off. Bye.
You know that's the way to go.