Oh no, the down the passing of time comes for everyone, two thousands basketball fans included, as we celebrated just.
A ton of wonderful human beings being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. We're gonna discuss that uh incredible headlining class of twenty twenty three, as well as continuing our division by division predictions with the Pacific Division on this episode with writer and recording artists Claire to Lude. On today's episode, I'm Miles Great.
And I'm Jack O'Brien and this is miss.
Davis here. You damby driving spinning.
Curry a three pointer?
Stop Curry from child again.
Honest, look out shit time what you get gass?
Oh clear to Loom, welcome writer for The Guardian. Your band Tiny Death has a new single coming out at the end of the month, and you have chosen to bless us on our podcast. Mother Jack on mat Boostie's.
Thank you for coming man, thanks for having me. I'm exit.
I haven't actually been on a podcast to talk basketball in several weeks now, because we're in that Douldoms of the off season where everyone who works in the NBA universe is in like some tropical location with their phones on, do not disturb.
So yeah, getting back in the swing of things.
Yeah, I haven't been paying any attention. I haven't like looked at any news. I'm coming in fresh so I'm just opening up my uh days. What is happening?
Oh yeah, it's.
Time to take a vacation of disturb if you're a sixer.
Span yeah, oh boy, I just want to hop right in. Jack, you want to rip the band aid off? We're just a little ban for up top. What do you say? What should we do?
Yeah? I mean that's it. I thought that, Oh, they're just gonna bring him back and it's gonna work out. As I was managing on last week's episode, and our guest was like, I don't think so that doesn't usually work out with James Harden And yeah, it turns out doesn't doesn't look doesn't look good. He does not appear to want to play for the Philadelphia seventy six ers this season, and I don't know who's going to trade
for him, so I don't know what we're gonna do. Yeah, I feel like I feel like Embide's most comfortable when like one of his top teammates is sitting out due to a contract dispute like that seems to be how he likes to play. So I think maybe this is all just you know, getting him in his company.
But did you guys see see the latest goss on on Twitter involving Joel embiide.
That hed yeah gone Philly from the bio gone and.
The process from his Twitter bio. So yeah, maybe not he doesn't like the vibes in Philly.
Huh why wouldn't be? How could he not.
Very consistent such a consistent team obviously obviously.
Yeah, the process has been it's been processing for It's like a Dell, It's like a two thousand and one.
Yeah, yeah, it is hard to understand what Joel and b would be frustrated about for those of us who don't understand that somebody there is a viral list going around of like just you know, a rundown of what the seventy six ers have done each year twenty thirteen through the present, and they left out a lot of bad stuff on the list. They yeah, they like, so they covered you know, traded twenty one year olds. A lot of this stuff predates my time as a Sixers fan.
But once you get right, yeah, once you get into the sixteen era.
Yeah right, yeah, that's what I remember. That was the beginnings of me watching you slowly begin to fade.
Yeah, I mean there were high highs and low low's right, like you guys were one game seven collapse away from the conference finals.
Yeah, they didn't. They don't seem to want to.
Get improbable bounce away as well.
Oh yeah, I've forgotten about that. That's right. That Yeah, I remember remember when I.
Was watching that.
I'm surprised that you, as a Sixers fan, that it's not like emblazoned in your memory in that way, because
I remember I was on my friend's couch. It was I was on a trip and I was on my friend's couch visiting, and I was like kind of reclined on the couch, like lying down, and when that shot started bouncing off the rim, I like left off the couch and I was just standing there watching it bounce, like breath suspended, and it was one of the craziest endings to a game that I think I've ever seen in my life.
No, it's not ringing a bells. So twenty sixteen. I'm not going to go down the list, but here's what the here's what the list leaves out.
Which they have every year. It's saying one decision on what terrible decision that are a terrible occurrence.
Of twenty sixteen hired their advisor's son to run the team, which which gave us the line it's a it's a normal caller, find a new angle, which we use a lot just in our reflex. Twenty seventeen number one pick loses the ability to shoot a basketball. Twenty eighteen GM trashed star player on Twitter under burner accounts, hired a new GM with no experience that that was the it's
a normal caller, find a new angle drama. Twenty nineteen traded Jimmy Butler, twenty twenty fired coach, hired new coach, then hired new Twenty twenty one star point guard demands trade. Twenty twenty two investigated for tampering. I didn't even remember that. Twenty twenty three star point guard demands trade. They did leave out that their twenty sixteen number one pick also lost the ability to shoot. Yeah, or like kind of never had.
It, or like play basketball in general.
Yeah, which that's whild Twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen number one picks both lost the ability to shoot is like more more of a curse than anything that would make sense. You know, the twenty sixteen number one pick is a better shooter with his right hand, but refuses to shoot with his right hand. But and then the twenty seventeen pick the lost the ability to shoot a basketball. They traded up away from trade from drafting Jason Tatum to
get him. So I just it's it's important to keep in mind that they are currently, you know, two very bad moves away from having Jason Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid and whatever you could have gotten for Benson, like if they had just traded Ben Simmons instead of Jimmy Butler at that point when it was like either Butler or Simmons, that was like the peak of Ben Simmons's like trade value.
So yeah, do you.
Think it was like the stubbornness about like that the process was worth it that kept because that was kind of my interpretation was that Simmons and Embiid were sort of like the homegrown stars and sort of the products of the process, and that the Philly fans had been so long suffering throughout this process that they wanted to say, like, see, it was worth it. We got our two Hallmark stars out of this versus catering to Jimmy Butler, who, ultimately,
I think in retrospect it's obviously the better choice. But was like they traded for him and he wasn't from there, and he hadn't really expressed interest in staying there because when he was leaving Minnesota, the heat was actually his preferred destination at that time as well.
Yeah, it might be a little pet to be like they could have had Jimmy Butler because Jimmy Butler didn't seem that excited to stay. Yeah, there is some reporting that like he was like the thing that I don't want is to be on Ben Simmons's team, and they were like, well, Buster, you're at Well.
The thing about Jimmy Butler that so Jimmy is my I don't know if you guys have ever like even scrolled my Twitter, you know, Lebron James is my favorite player of all time and currently, but my second favorite player is Jimmy Butler. And something I love about Jimmy is like when he doesn't get along with people and when he doesn't like people, it's because they don't. It's because of one thing. It's because they don't grind hard enough. They don't have like his work ethic, and they don't
approach the game in that way. And I feel like so that was like the issue that he had with Karl Anthony Towns, that was the issue that he had with Ben Simmons, and I kind of respect that because I feel like he the people he ends up having issues with are these guys who were like super high draft picks, like physically gifted, who maybe don't have to like put forth quite as much effort into their game in order to be successful.
Obviously everybody has to.
Put forth effort to be successful in the NBA, Like it's a very small sample size of human beings who get to play at that level. Yeah, but I think that's something that people that Jimmy but it heads with having comments that they just weren't they weren't like dogs in that way, like they weren't willing to like get
their hands dirty. And I think that's why the Heat was always going to be such a great fit for him, is because pat Riley has like a zero tolerance policy for players like that, So no one's going to survive in Miami with or without Jimmy Butler without that mentality.
Yeah, no, that makes sense. It's it is hard to be this physical, physically gifted and you know, maintain a strong work ethic I've found.
Yeah, you took it for granted, man, you took it for granted.
But anyways, it does. It just does feel like they've had to work to get themselves, like to dodge really great players in a couple. Yeah, it is.
Kind of fascinating.
It is kind of fascinating, and like they're always at the center of the NBA news cycle drama somehow, Yeah, which is kind of amazing, especially when you think of like they kind of dodged able in a way with like they the way they went out I thought at the end of this past season was like quite embarrassing because they really had it like in that game six and then so but the Celtics found a way to like go out in like a more embarrassing fashion, so that it kind of buried that in the news cycle,
like how did you, like, how did the Celtics bumble that Eastern Conference Finals? But then the Sixers were like, hold my beer, We're running back at it. In the news cycle and we're going to be at the center of the drama again before you know it, and the Celtics are just kind of like quietly figuring out what to do about Christa's persuingis and or fascia or whatever.
So yeah, I don't know a lot. Like the process stuff gets a lot of attention, but their other philosophy as an organization all press is good Press doesn't get as much, but it's definitely important to how they run things, and they just like to be messy and get as much ink as possible.
I feel like it's relevant for me to say on the record that I do love Daryl Moray because he's a fan of my band and has been quite supportive of my say so about team Darryl Moury in the Darryl Moray versus James Harden. Actually honestly team Daryl Moray in general in this scenario, because I feel like the hubris of James Harden to be like, because clearly he's just mad Darryl. It sounds like, I don't know, I
wasn't there. This isn't like I'm not reporting anything, but it sounds like maybe there was some sort of like gentlemen's agreement about a longer contract extension if he agreed to take a pay cut last year and that didn't
end up happening. But it's like, hey, James, maybe that didn't end up happening because you were of no show in the most important moments of the playoffs again, and they realized that they could not pitch their wagon to you in good conscience, Like if you showed up in big moments, you're one of the most talented NBA players of all time, Like the bag would be getting thrown at you still, but you fall apart when it really matters.
And so I think it's like I'm like number one player empowerment, Like I feel like the players should have the power. They are the talent, they are the reason any of us have a job. But at the end of the day, like you have to show up in the big moments if you want the big paycheck, Like that is the correlation, and they'll give you the benefit
of the doubt for a season, maybe two seasons. But James Harden, like year in, year out and the absolute biggest moments has found a way to a piano show regardless of how much of an MVP season he's had the regular season, regardless of how well he's played in the first or second round even so, yeah, sorry, dude, Like no one's gonna want.
To pay you, Like where do you go? Like given all that too?
Really, I was trying to think of that today.
I was like, what team would be because it's this is this is the issue with a lot of these unhappy superstars that demand trade is like it has to be a team that's good enough that they're willing to mortgage their future to try and win now, but not so good that they have assets that they're not willing to give up, which is like I would say maybe like two to three teams total for any superstar, like that's in that little sweet spot of like we think we have a chance, but we clearly need like a
James Harden level talent to get us over the hump. That's like not very many teams, right, And if a team is trying to tank, they don't want to bring in big talent and they don't want to give up draft picks to do it. And if a team is really in the championship hunt, they don't really need to like roll the dice a player like James Harden, who's so mercurial and might you know, be unhappy before the trade deadline.
Mercurial to describe him, I mean, yeah, I think that.
Yeah, he's just he's in that. I feel like we were looking at this exact same scenario when Kyrie was demanding out of a trade out of Brooklyn last year. It's like, how many teams were in that sweet spot of being like, we need Kyrie irving services. We're in desperate need of a talent that big, and we're willing to mortgage our future to do it, and it doesn't
really matter what the long term implications are. And I feel like Dallas was kind of one of the only teams in that spot where it's like, Luca's going to demand a trade within the next one to two seasons if we don't figure out a way to get him some help. And also we're pretty good already and it's worth trying, you know, I.
Don't know what that do, Like just it doesn't make sense for anyone, but like, just because the Sixers need to get it, like he won't play for them, does like would he be a better fit than Kyrie in Dallas?
I mean, that's a good question. I don't.
I don't know how bad the Kyrie and Dallas situation is. And I know I think something that a lot of times NBA fans, when they're trying to predict this stuff underestimate is like the egos of the people in charge of making the trades. Yeah, and they are really really reticent to admit defeat when they made a bad decision. And I think signing Kyrie was obviously it didn't even make the playoffs slash play in tournament last year, so I think that has has not panned out to be
as what they hoped it would be. I think it usually takes another full season before they're willing to admit that idea, because they did give up a lot to get him, not necessarily in like current, they gave up you know, future stuff they gave up I think was dinwitty in that trade.
Yeah, I think so.
And I mean, yeah, so they gave up quite a bit. And I think the it's it takes more than he would think for these very like stubborn gms to be like, oh yeah, my bad.
Let me fix that real quick.
You know, I think it takes it takes a lot, usually takes at least a full season, right to.
It, down to down to earth guy.
So I don't know, well yeah, yeah, from what in a shark tank?
Yeah no, uh as superducer Barry said, we should have just put the ether beat under what you just said about James Harden. It was hurtful, but I think seventy six ers fans and you need to hear it. Yeah, come to terms with it.
Yes, it is what it is. You know tis well where has better strip clubs?
Philly or Dallas.
Oh, that's a great.
Fact that we should be including as well.
We get my spreadsheet out of real quick jack, where's that USB thumb drive you have in your kit? Chains?
Those Southern girls, you know, they look they look good in a song.
Also, you think like Portland per capita, that's also like the epicenter of concentration of adults of stripe.
Like if somehow traded James Lillard for James Harden.
There would be riots. There would be riot. I can't think.
He's got a beard, just like all of you people.
Yeah, yeah, put him on.
A fix your bike, he'll run right in exactly.
Yeah, he's late for a shift at Powell's books later.
Come on, I mean would be a miracle for for Philly.
I would say because Darryl Moury, like Jamian Lillard is Darryl Mory's white whale. He's been trying to get Damian Lillard since at least since the Ben Simmons James Harden times, maybe longer.
So I mean, I think Darryl would be thrilled with that.
But I can't imagine a scenario in which Portland does that unless there's like a ton of draft capital that Philly has that I'm not privy to.
Yeah, no, no, Yeah, that's that's for the fantasy books for sure.
Yeah, although maybe, I mean, I don't know, Max, I don't know.
They probably wouldn't.
No, I feel like because I feel like the fans you see, Max is like a franchise player, right, they can't. You can't, I know, way him.
Do you understand how much Darryl loves Samian the Alards like that.
I mean.
Also, the other thing, the minutia of these trades, right is like to like, as we were talking about, like, it's about where you're at as a franchise. It's not just about like the pieces on the board in general, it's about the context in which they exist, which is like how likely are you to win right now?
What's at stake?
And for Philly, I mean if Joelle is kind of like making overtures that he's threatening to also demand a trade, like the pressure's on if you're going to keep Joel embid. I mean that's another conversation, like do you even want to mortgage your future for Joel embiid?
Is it worth it? He hasn't really shown up in big moments either, to be honest.
So, yeah, I'm having trouble breathing.
Right now, but I'm sorry, we can move on.
Uh I think he'll be No, Yeah, I think his going off. Are you having some kind of car fall down?
You're in a very contentious environment. It's like I don't even know what had that setting what?
Yeah, yeah, you are getting yourself sir.
You're very unhappy. You're unhappiness ratings through the roof right now.
But yeah, I don't know. It does seem like they don't really have a move at this point. It does. It's also wild that Harden went as public as he did with that demand, because it like makes it harder for them to deal him. Right.
So one the most awkward videos I've ever seen too, because like these he was in China, right, Yeah, like that the Chinese kids are just like, we're so happy you're here, and he's just as like unwitting ponds in this like public meltdown, and I'm just like, that's so can you just do that? Like, can you just call Malika Andrews and have a sit down if you want to? Like do you have to bring these innocent children into the equation like they're just trying to be in a basketball camp?
Dude?
I saw. I mean he's having fun in China. So that CLiPPA him sell ten thousand bottles of wine in like forty seconds, like on TikTok or whatever, And I.
Mean maybe he should go play in China.
Then to what kind of value we can get back?
Should we break or should we hit the Hall of Fame talk? First, let's take a quick break.
Yeah, we'll come back and talk about an all timer Hall of Fame class Hall of Fame ceremony with.
Your heartwarming moments. Fine, finally, and we're back and over the weekend, you know, we had the Hall of Fame class inducted the headliners Dirk pal Tony Parker, d Wade Pop, Becky Hammon. It was just, it was just it was a wonderful moment I think for fans of a certain age, especially for me, I was just like wow, Like in a way, it didn't make me feel old. I felt like proud of them, like as if I was like some older sibling, like there you go. I'd love to
see it. There were some fantastic moments. There was a moment in Dirk speech where he's just you know, handed some some roses over to Steve Nash that I think it was also fantastic because he did take that moment to talk about their hairstyles. So let's let's hear from that.
Creativity is worth nothing without leadership. And the guy that comes to my mind is my friend Steve.
I mean, it would been awkward if you said anyone else because Steve Nash was sitting right there.
I think we came a long way from those two brutal haircuts we saw there. You had.
The frosted tips.
You had, but you don't would have thought when we first started play together that will be on the stage together. That means the world to me. And you were a great role model to me and and and the best teammate ever had so you were always positive, you always encouraged me. We worked our butts off at night, went back to the gym. So and you became a friend for life. So thank you, my friend.
Oh just watching two greats growing down like that.
I love a good prodown.
Yeah, Nash is very shiny these days. I've noticed that's my one.
He's getting some sun you know, yeah, botox more soccer probably, you know, just out there on the pitch.
Just did raise the question to me of like where their haircuts, because their haircuts were pretty bad. Like Nash when he first came into the league for a long but part of his career, he had that like stringy like guy who smokes weed on the soccer team, look, you know, which was probably really two.
Thousands were rough rough time for male hairstyles.
I would say in general, totally.
A lot of swoopy side, you know, like long things going on on, a lot of like skunky highlights and dark hair.
There was like again frosted tips. To Dirk's point, there was. It was rough.
It was a rough time, yet.
Like a middle part right like he looked like he had the middle part Matthews band exactly.
And then Steve Nash looked like he was like a Lance bast.
From long distance, you guys could see the photo we're looking at right now. They looked like members of Backtory Boys. And then that's not hyperbole.
They like the ones that didn't make it. Though, yeah, I don't know about them too. Actually we actually.
Looked at like photos of like boy band members at the time, though in retrospect, because they were some of them are really like you were hot enough to be in a boy band, like Chris kirk.
I think Chris Kirkpatrick, early Chris Kirkpatrick and sink that guy like the heyday when he had like the weird Oh Adamurwitz, come on, yeah, the ghast, the locked up like Jamaican hair, come on now.
I remember reading an article like Waiting for the Dentist Ones and like one of those tabloids about like all the hot celebrity women that Adam Durretz has dated.
He got to give it up.
Yeah, no, I mean, for.
The love of the game. He's just out here.
It's it's when you theoretical physicists are still trying to explain what happened there they are.
Yeah, But then like my dating life as well, actually they're still on the case.
A lot of white dudes with dreads.
Huh oh my god.
No, absolutely not absolutely not, absolutely not, not with a ten foot poll, my friend.
But I mean, I guess speaking of some interesting haircuts, oh say, speaking of your day. We've got someone on the phone right now, Like, look at vlad Rad when he was.
Where does this rank? Because there was some bad things happening.
That one is giving Uh yeah.
I had like tiny little braids.
All these references are aging me so hard, by the way, like backstreet boys, and it's like, I'm not sensy.
I've outed myself.
I'm going to stir their back.
I still remember where I was the first time I saw Andre Carolinko when he like stopped using gel like he because he just went he was like straight drago with like the spike for most of his career, and then he like came back and his hair was like very soft and like just feathery and.
Take that's kind of a look like I feel like he looks like he could.
Be on this picture in this version. But at the time I was like, what was he an oasis or something like that? I don't very.
Gallagher so far, it's the best one. So not that there's the competition, but.
First of this picture is not doing it justice because right now, like this.
Picture or the goodness, like how bad it was.
How bad it was because he like had a fade with a spike and then like one game he just like his hair was just forward and it just for for whatever reason, it was around the time that like his game started like tapering off a little bit. I feel like it.
Austin Reeves hair kind of looks like that right now. Actually kind of grew it out for Team USA.
Yeah, it's definitely. Yeah, it's like it's it's like wave he's wavy, dude, he's way he's in his wavy you know era right now, I think, and.
You mean wavey is like a figurative term, not like his hairs waiting.
No, yes, obviously I use that in like the young kids version. Yea, oh he's wavy again.
I told you I'm a millennial.
I don't know, I don't know, I'm a geriatric millennial. But I know how to fit in with them kids, you know what I mean, fellow kids? Hello, Yeah, with my music band T shirt. And then obviously you know, like I mean, I hate to do this to our boy, but late stage Caruso came him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. It was even late stage. Chris Cayman was also a very interesting hairstyle. But anyway, that was Let's get back to another heartwarming moment. Dwayne Wade.
Oh my god, I literally cried. I cried my eyes.
Out too, but that's only because his dad's hairline is so strong. I couldn't believe it. That's why I was in tears. But also the father son dynamic was also touched.
We had the same exact dream and hairline, and we carry the same exact name, Duane to our own way to know, we hustle all the way to the Basketball Hall of Fame. It's God's will. So Pops, I know your knees a little sore, but will you join me on stage as we take our rifle step into basketball heaven.
I mean, it's this next part. It's the next part for.
This one right here. This one is for my father.
I love you and I'm thankful for you. We're in a Hall of Fame dollar.
Iconic.
Okay, this was so touching and moving that my mom, who knows nothing about basketball and is on a completely different part of Twitter like protected me and was like who this was so beautiful, like and I'm like, yeah, mom, that's Dwayne Wade. Literally Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade, as evidenced by the video, one of the most famous shooting guards of all time.
Oh my god, he doesn't give she doesn't give a peep about what I do.
Oh well, like, yeah, I know it's what I do. Oh sure, sure, but this father son relationship was really something else. And then finally Becky Hammon, Dude, this was another one where it was like in its minimalism made it so touching when Becky Hammond is like, you know the look on Pop's face was when when she's like, I can't look at you, and even he was like I can't even look at you right now either. It was so beautiful. But here, let I let's let them talk for themselves.
Pop, I'm not gonna look at you.
Oh that's that part.
Oh my god.
Being Pop get emotional is like the world is off as access like it's just so intense.
If I was an actor, I'd use that to motivate myself to cry and realize of principle and excellence.
I know you weren't trying to be courageous when you hired me, but you did do something nobody else in professional sports has ever done.
On her voice breaking touis she's trying to.
Get and yeah, she is such a like legend.
So tough to see them both get so emotional is like I think part of it, Like I wonder if someone who doesn't follow the NBA as closely as we do, like watching that video, would be as moved by it, because I think part of it is the context of like, these are two of the toughest, most like unshakable, unmovable characters, you know, Yeah, yeah, totally.
Pop especially because I mean, like I'm I'm like, can he be my like parental figure? I like every time he talks, like I can't, I hang on to every word, and like, yeah, when you see something, when you see him being moved, you can't help but understand how like monumental that is, just like you're saying, in the context of who they are and how typically like unflappable they are, you know, mm hmm, Jack was which one which one of those three got you the heart?
The Pop one was a lot, It was a lot. Yeah, just like him looking down watching people like try not to cry. Wow, Yeah, you know there's there's something about that Lane.
Wade's dad who was trying not to cry. You could tell, yeh, his bottle is on, just like ugly crying, gasping for breath.
Yeah.
Like usually what goes viral with Pop is him being like is that really your question? That's really where you're gonna go with?
Have you guys been an oppressor with him?
No?
Constantly? Yeah, yeah, never, We're not taken very seriously, We're pat.
I was in a press conference that he did last season, and it was like super super super small because like the I don't know, the visitors team press conference room at Staples is actually quite small, like I'm sure it's like the size of whatever rooms you guys are in
right now, respectively, like the little office. And everyone was late to the press conference, so just me and one other person were in there waiting for it to start, and Pop was just like, so you guys got like five questions each or whatever because like apparently no one else is coming, and it's just like riffing, and I was just like I am having a lucid experience, like this is crazy, like top of it just like roasting me right now, right, this is the best thing that's ever happened.
Ah, yeah, I can I can only imagine I would. I think I would, just like pop. There's a there's a meme that we share, like on one of our threads for another show we work on of a little otter holding a guitar looking so happy. And I don't know if that's really for nobody except Jack and some of our friends, but I would have been the holding guitar. Little do you know the otter holding the guitar?
Clear?
I don't think I do.
Oh it's this one. Must have, simply must this one.
Oh my, well, you guys have seen otters holding cans right the video?
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, my favorite video of all time.
So that's my comfort video. Okay, so cute.
He's like, hey, I just I don't know if you're busy, but I just dropped the guitar.
Right right, okay, just showed up at your house and you were like, sorry, I don't have time to hang out. She's like, oh, no, it's okay, we're good.
Shall we feast our eyes upon What the Bedding Crew says about the performances of next season for the Pacific.
Yeah, the Pacific Division.
You know what I was thinking too when Jabari sent me the kind of run down that we were going to be talking about the Pacific Division. Do you guys remember a band called, like a rap group called pak Div.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, of course.
I was like, whatever happened to pac Div? Like they were great?
I remember seeing them play at like a block party in like probably twenty twelve or something.
Yeah, I don't know what happened. I mean it was they had their yeah PACTV. Let us know. I mean obviously being an LA kid, we were. We we loved our pactiv out here.
The ones in this episode with the episode description for this will probably light up there Google Google Alerts because it'll stay on the pac dive. So come through, come through, Hi.
Who do you want to start with the Suns?
I mean this is a pretty stack division, but it so so the Sons are where they have like the most improvements happening. The last year they were forty five and thirty seven. This year they have them they're over under a fifty two and a half. That seems like a lot.
That's a big jump.
That's a big jump.
I mean I guess they're looking at the.
Whole season with KD.
But right Beal coming in, you got you know, my boy Utah coming in. We got big Frank in the building.
Well, you guys still got the thing.
I'm I think it like, I don't know. I feel like it could go well, but it doesn't feel like the safest move to me.
I'm confused by the faith that people keep because this happened when I remember when it's like how quickly people forget. But when the Katie trade first happened, even they were like, oh, Sons are the favorites to come out of the West, Like they could win the championship this year, even though Katie got there and literally sprained his ankle, like before he even played a game with them, and are a home game, And I'm just like, have we not watched
this movie before? Like teams take time to build chemistry, and it's about it's just as much about having some depth as it is having like those couple of superstars, Yes you do. You can't have one without the other, Like you can't get to you can't get past the first round of the playoffs without a superstar.
I really do.
Believe that, Like It doesn't have to be the best player in the league, but you need at least one, idea two superstars to make any kind of run in the playoffs, because teams can they're giving you their best their game planning against you. You have to have someone who can just be like, when all of the plans disintegrate, put the ball in their hands and they will just make magic happen.
Like you need one of those players.
That being said, you also need a bench full of role players who know their role, are willing to stick to it and execute it and play defense and do all the dirty work that the aforementioned superstar is not going to have like the energy or space to do.
And I feel like teams keep just focusing on column A and completely disregarding Colum B. But if you look back through who the last two champions were, even in just like the last four or five years, it's that formula, Like I know, like I was, this was my biggest palm with the Lakers. I was like rioting when they
traded for Russell Westbrook two years after their championship. So I was like, even in the best case scenario of that, right, even if Russ had like done what he said he was going to do, which is like changed basically his entire game to fit into the system with Lebron and a D. You traded away all of what made you win that championship, which is this like very deep bench that was full of like very hard nosed defenders who knew their role and were willing to.
Stick to it.
I worry about that with the Suns because I don't know, like who on that team who are like the dirty work players that are going to like show up for you in the playoffs when you know, I know that having feel Booker and Katie and not having to get rid of eight and obviously is huge in that. I just I don't personally, I'm not as threatened by them.
I wouldn't be as threatened by them. If I would say, like the Nuggets or even like the Warriors of the Lakers or whatever, as the rest of the league seems to be. They're not heavy favorites to me. They're like in the mix. They're for sure in the mix.
So you take in the under you think are going to be two and a half and a half.
Oh no, I feel like they'll win fifty two and a half games.
Yeah, I guess I was forgetting that they only hit kat for half of the season. Yeah, they'll probably win.
That many I think they'll win that many games. But my thing is, like to what end is more exactly?
I mean, this just made me realize how stacked the Pacific Division is in terms of like how interesting it is. Like the Warriors, they're over unders forty eight and a half last year they won forty four. That's a lot of improvement for just like adding Chris Paul Well.
But but Andrew Wiggins and stuff Curry both missed a ton of time last year, right, so makes sense if they're both healthy this.
Year, that's at least four more games I think.
Speaking of if they're both healthy this year, the Clippers they have winning more three more games than last season. Not what, like I'm confused by it on that, Yeah, why.
What the Clippers? Like who Who's mom?
The Clippers have like hiding in a closet somewhere like that they can get the media to just predict they're going to win the championship every single year, regardless of the fact that like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have not both been healthy or either been healthy for like any time, And like, what has it been now, like five years that they've been there, have they done one full complete postseason with both of them healthy? No, Like, I just don't, I don't get it. I don't understand
what miracles they think are going to happen. I understand that they both have an incredibly high steeling, especially Kawhi when he's playing to the best of his capabilities, is maybe the best player in the NBA.
Like incredible? Was he never? But that's it, And that's.
The Clippers experience to me in a nutshell, and the Kawhi Leonard era is like flashes of greatness. But as we know, flashes of greatness do not a championship mate if you need someone you can depend on. And the playoffs are so physical and they're so gritty, and they you have to take so much physical contact as a superstar in the playoffs. Like I mean, Kawhi is not Lebron's age, but he's not in his twenties anymore. Like
I just I don't, I don't see it. And Paul George's how many surgeries now and how many Like I don't know, Yeah, I don't see it.
Yeah, I mean, it's like especially when like all your all your hopes and dreams hinge on these two players, like you're saying that just aren't gonna really appear when the time is needed. So it's funny to watch, like yeah, yeah, Like Clippers fans is being like sort of dejected. Have one friend who's like, doesn't matter, they don't play. I'm just embracing the chaos of whatever this season is gonna be.
And I'm like, oh, okay, so that's you're hopeful. And they're like, well, yeah, maybe you like because you know Russ has a good mindset. And I'm like, oh really, hey, okay, well off you go, but off we go to Sacramento to check out the Kings. They won forty eight last season. They're saying forty four and a half right now.
So this is just basically as well as this team can do, and there will be like a progression to the mean yeah, because it doesn't it doesn't really make sense. They have the same team coming back and they have them losing or winning for fewer games.
I would hit the on that.
I mean, I understand they're in a really tough division. I understand that, you know, like some of the other teams are getting better, Like the Lakers will certainly win more games this year than they did last year.
I don't think that's like spoiler alert.
I don't think that's like a huge prediction, But I do think that, like as we bow the Nuggets, we have a habit in the media and also as fans getting really excited when big names go somewhere and expecting that to be a huge impact on winning, and also really underestimating teams that have continuity, that are balanced, that have good coaching, and those teams do really well. And
one of those teams just won a freaking championship. So I think that the Kings are absolutely going to go over forty four games this year.
Yeah, And I think Dearn Fox is going to go up like nine levels this season too.
He was already so good.
And I mean, the Warriors had a lot of flaws and we saw that obviously in the next round against the Lakers, but they were the defending champs and they looked for the most part really unafraid during that series. And that was all of their first times being in the playoffs. All the key players, yeah and deer In foxbout toe to toe with stuff. Curry for seven games and was amazing and through a hand injury, you know,
for part of it. So yeah, I absolutely think that that's I think that's a little disrespectful.
Honestly.
Yeah, they are pretty good for the king I'm like, I'm such like a like stealth Kings fan, like as a Lakers fan, but I'm like, I really, I really I wrote a.
Piece on them last year kind of breaking down like how did they turn it around from being like the laughing stock of the NBA to like one of like the most exciting teams in the league, And they really kind of just they have all of the components, like all of the ingredients and a recipe that goes into like most successful NBA franchise. They have a great coach, they have a good balance of vets and young players.
They have an emerging superstar in Darren Fox. So yeah, I have a lot of faith in them actually.
And lastly, yeah, lastly, this one's certainly not leastly we agree the Lakers are gonna win more games than they did last year. They have them forty seven and a half like that, that's the overrun last year when they spotted the rest of the league a twelve game head start, they were forty three and thirty nine. Yeah, it's wild,
Like I know that. Sometimes I'll be I like look at the last half of the previous season and be like, whoa, they were amazing, Like the record was incredible during that, Like so that's what they're going to be bringing into this and like that rarely works out that way. But this still feels low especially Yeah. Yeah, like this is a public team, so it feels like, you know, it's a team that like people bet on more so it's wild that they're going so low on it.
Yeah, and all the moves like we're younger and bigger, and I just it, Yeah, it's hard for me to see, like you only think we're gonna go we're gonna win four more games. But again again it's also like where do what where do a D and Lebron fit into all this too? And how how much how much can we get out of those bodies this season?
Let me break down why I think that that's super wrong and they're going to win substantially more games than that creasing number one I do. I think if their roster as currently constructed or as constructed during the playoffs, was their roster all year. Last year, I think they would have been like the four seeds in the West.
I think they were like the West was a pretty weak conference last year all things considered, and you know, I think that they were right up there with the best teams in the West, and they were the best team in the West as far as record goes after the trade deadline. They won the most games in the
West after the trade deadline. So that's one thing. The other thing is people forget Lebron and ad both missed a lot of time last year, Like they were both injured for a month plus each, So that win total is considering a way worse roster and even factoring in that safety net of like what if Lebron and ad eight missed time? So I just don't unless one of them misses the whole season, knock on wood, Like, I just don't see a scenario in which them both missing
time and this roster being so much better. And also Austin Reeves you know, taking another leap now in the USA over the year. He's like he's looking like the best player on the floor for Team USA right now in a lot of these games. So I really don't see I think their over enders should be at least like on par with the rest of the good teams in the West, maybe besides like the Nuggets.
But yeah, I mean, what how do you I mean just looking at Lebron and you know, they like, where do you see him? Like, what's this next iteration of him We're going to see this season? How do you see that coming together?
I mean, I think Lebron is aware that this is I would say, I don't think it's like controversial to say that this is the last chance that he has to win a ring as at least as in the role he currently has, which is like the first or
second best player on a team. I mean, I think if there's any more rings in his career after this year, it's probably going to be if he does the like veteran leadership role on a team that's already really good and takes like a smaller contract, which I just I don't really see happening because I don't think he really needs a ring bad enough to do that. I think he'd rather just retire than kind of take on that role.
So I think he's aware that this is kind of like his last real chance last year was I think that's why he was so upset about what ended up happening in the Western Conference Finals last year is that last year was like they had a really good shot.
To win a championship. Against all odds.
Last year, they were right there with the Nuggets within like probably like three to eight point differential for every game, even though they got swept. I mean, I'm not trying to say, like you know that there are like any moral victories, but they were right there in those games. And that was the conference finals, and you saw who came out of the East. It was the Miami Heat. It was an eight seeds. So like they really could have,
I think, potentially won a championship last year. And I think he's that really upset him because he knows how close he is to the end of his career and how few chances he has like that left. So I think this year, I think he's going to leave it all on the floor. This year, I think he knows, like this is the this is the chance.
You know, was that he the altitude was hurting him because he's old and altitude hurts the I think he's been spending the off season training at altitude. That would be my guess, and for him next year.
I just made that up in some sort of altitude chamber and so like a hyperbar.
If anybody have the pressure turned.
Up, right, that's his MJ lifting weights. After the Pistons gave that business look, he was like, yeah, he's oh and I got some for you over there in Detroit. But yeah, I'm I'm. It was a little bit difficult to watch him become look more mortal, uh, towards the end of the last season. But but again, I know how how much talent and ability is contained within him.
So like I'm again, I think like last year, I was even like, hey we put number eighteen up even with the Russells for klin Of, I'll always go into the season with that kind of disturbed confidence. But I I really would like, but this was a time when I'm like, okay, I want like I'm really Lebron, like let me see, let me see you get smarter, and just like give it, give it, give it to us now, because this is the time.
I mean, that first half of Game four was I was there.
I was at that game, and like that was one of the craziest things I've seen in person, like in a basketball game. Was what he did in the first half of that elimination game, like he wanted that one so bad, and if literally anyone else on the Lakers roster had showed up in that game in any meaningful way on the stat sheeet, they would have won that game.
Like it was right there, you know. So I think it was.
It was so much closer than it would seem based on the fact that it was a sweep.
I know. I yeh.
That's the thing is, That's why I say, I understand that there's no moral victories, but I do feel like it wasn't a sweep in the sense of like it was usually a sweep. When you watch a sleep you're like, Okay, one of these teams is clearly world better than the other one and it's not close, and like, let's just put them out of their misery in four games and
move on. This was like two teams that were I think quite close and how good they were, and I think basically the difference was the bench, Like the difference was I think the Nuggets just had more to get them over the hunk when it came to those like single possession moments at the end of the games, and they had people like KCP showing up, and they had people like Michael Porter Junior, Aaron Gordon one game, like each of their role players had one game that was like their game.
They had that.
The Lakers actually had more of that, I think in the series against the Warriors.
But like you had the Lonnie Walker game, you had.
The fourth quarter, I know exactly, and like.
The Quorterer game four that was pretty cool that he's going to have to frame a whole bunch of things from that game. But yeah, so I think I think the Lakers made marginal improvements to their bench, and they you know, still maintained the I would say, the three most important players if they had last off season, and so I don't see any reason why they don't have
just bit of a shot this year. And I don't think Lebron is aging so precipitously that like him being a year older is going to make or break them. I think what they need is they need Anthony Davis to be like the player who has the Warriors series in the Western Conference finals.
All right, well it's time for us to take one more break, and we're going to come back with the rapid fire round of questioning right after this and we're back.
Oh Claire Claire time.
Wow, you are now in the firmly in the find out phase of being a guest on this podcast, because it is time for the rapid fire round of questioning. This is the fastest question and answer segment in all of sports podcasting history.
Okay, and I've trained all my life for this moment.
We know we're going to chest pass you a question. Just send it right back, all right.
New York had On. Take your Minnesota hat off. Yeah exactly, yeah, exactly. I'm walking here, just thinking, walking here. That's the kind of end.
I'm walking in. All right, So here we go. Uh and also, if one of us start talking, you have to cut us off and keep this segment going because we do want to maintain our status as a very fast paid segment. Okay, all right, Yeah, we're.
Not really good at being fast, so we just really lean on you.
Yes, yeah, true men. Yeah, we're going to rely on the labor of a woman to help us achieve what we need to. Here we go, Brian, start.
The clock.
You want to go for It's very slow.
I gotta get myself pumped up.
We're just we're getting in the blocks.
Okay, yeah, like here wait go wait, hold on? Who's the first question?
All right? You want me to go? You want to go?
Who last time?
Did I ask that I forget? M here I'll go this time?
Okay, okay, yeah yeah, but remember for the next episode, I'm gonna go first though.
Okay, that's how well remember because that'll be an even day and exactly Okay, cool all right Claire. ESPN recently decided to rework their NBA crew, with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson being let go after covering fifteen NBA finals alongside Mike Breen. What is your dream in game commentary team?
Oh?
I mean, uh, Doris and Mark Jones, who's already in game commentary team?
But just give bring them up?
M okay?
Okay?
Any wild cards like people that you would are not currently on. If if you could just say, I want to hear these three people go off and giving me my in game for your maximum entertainment? Who are those people?
Chase Erano?
Yeah me, okay, okay, that was one of our last guest answers.
Also, uh, I don't know I fail this game. Thompson, Oh, that would be fun, He's so funny.
Whether without the captain's hat. Okay, all right, good to know, good to know. Here we go, Claire. What is your absolutely most bold prediction for the upcoming NBA season? Like I want you to swing for the just the pavilion at Dodger Stadium.
The word bold is both bolded and in all caps and italicized if that's help, and the italics are from how fast?
The word is like, put your reputation on the line with something so bold and it can be funny. Don't worry. You know what's going to hold you to this?
No, I know.
It is coming off the letters to.
When you're on, when you're on the spot, it is harder. That's just making a noise, like most.
Prediction female head.
Oh coming in this season?
Okay this season?
Yeah, all right, might yeah boom not funny, just true, Yeah, just true. That's let's do I like that needed all right.
I'm giving you an option here, Okay, which offseason move will actually have the greatest impact or which team will have the biggest win change, increase or decrease. We're not allowed to say the seventy six ers because that's me. That's mean, and I don't know if my heart can take it medically.
Oh, maybe this should have been my hottest teak.
I think when the Miami Heat get Damian the Lollard, because I think they will get Damian the Loard when they get him, I think they could win the championship next year, and I think they will.
Let's just say it.
I think the Miami Heat are going to win the championship year with Damian Lillard.
Wow.
Now, what is it about Damian Lillard exactly that has you saying?
I think Dame's a winner.
I think he's a winner who's been in a non winning scenario. And I think that the Miami Heat are the perfect team for him because I think he does He's a Heat player. He's much like Jimmy Butler was a Heat player playing for non Heat franchises. I think Damian Lillard is the same.
I think.
Okay, more on that later, Claire, we have to keep this segment going. It's not your actually told me to be fast. Sorry, but what's the best NBA city in terms of food choices? And what's your go to meal when you're in that NBA city?
Oh?
I mean New Orleans is the best US city?
And when you're there, what are you eating.
I mean literally, just like anything. Food in New Orleans is so freaking good. I know that's a cop out, but just eat anything and it's good.
You could eat.
Like like cheap street food, you could eat fancy fine dining like food.
And New Orleans, or maybe I would.
Say seafood of some kind and something extremely spicy, something that's gonna like light your mouth on fire.
Okay, fried pickles too, also, but I feel like fried pickles are everywhere when I go down there and I can't stop eating them. Whose fault is this? Oh, it's ours Jack, Next.
Question, h finally, the most important question of the night with Jack or Miles. Please the fifth Oh, that is unfortunately not allowed. You are in the court of law of the rapid fire segment of questioning you.
I'm gonna go with the die hard Lakers fan.
Then, come on, Yeah, that's cool.
That's why I put my Jones. That's why I put my Eddie Jones up.
La Baby, I'm about to go to a Dodgers game right after this.
Hey, you know what time it is? Okay, thank you so much. You are one of the.
Saddest That was the saddest little thing, and you're just like quietly dejectedly to yourself, like I also live in La.
No, that's cool.
Yeah, but wait, what the podcast audience can't see is that Miles, this whole entire like set up, everything is LA all day, like Lakers Jersey, Dodger's hat just he's really leaning in and a Lebron Lakers jersey. Oh, I mean a d He's got them.
All with the with the with the patch, you know what I mean.
Lakers. It was like, I don't think this guy's good.
You're like, that is true. That's how much of a Laker fan I wasn't like, what's he going to do for us?
You know what I mean?
That's true?
Yeah, And then you go there and you're like, anyway, thank you guys so much.
Sometimes okay can change for answer? Is it too late?
But hey, make sure you follow us on Twitter. I'm at Miles of Gray Jack where you at?
I'm at Jack Underscore, Oh, Brian.
Follow us up just hashtag mad Boosty's b w ST I e s for show links updates and that Claire, where can people find you and check you out? Including your your music and all that?
Well?
I'm also on Twitter at Claire mpls from my Minneapolis days and I write for the Guardians, so you can check out my work and writing about the NBA on the Guardians website. And then my music project is called Tiny Death and I have a new single coming out August fifth, at the end of this month.
He well, we look forward to that. Boosty's listeners, please make sure you check that out. And uh, you know what, We're gonna be back next week with another episode because that's what we do.
Maybe that's what happened. Maybe Darryl Moury is so excited about the Tiny Death's new drop that he just took his eye off the ball. Maybe on Twitter one.
So with my vinyl like at the seventy six ers practice facility.
Cool, wow, whoa, Okay, that's.
Wow. Well another fantastic legendary guest with legendary connections me so much, not not really. Yeah, you got to, you got to, But we'll see you next time.
Bye bye,