NY BACK and Playoff Talk with Jared Greenberg

and vague. We're not gonna say if it's the Lakers necessarily, but we'll get into it all plenty more with NBA TV and TNT sideline reporter Jared Greenberg on today's podcast, I'm Jack O'Brien and I'm Jabari in from Miles and this is my owns and Jack got mad boosties. Jared Greenberg, NBA Analysts, sideline reporter, host of Crunch Time. The NBA's version of Red Zone, which you can get on the NBA app, then you need to put that on that NBA TV as well, if they haven't already, because that

gets me excited. I've been begging for an NBA version of the Red Zone You can also catch him on tonight's TNT Golden State Warriors Memphis Grizzly broadcast. It's Jared Greenberg. Jared, welcome to the show. Thanks so much for having me fellas excited to talk with you. Yeah. So are you still a Nets fan? Are you have? You had the fandom professionally drilled out of you? Yeah? I think so you're at that point. I think we all root for

good games, but no overtime. That's the rule. That's right, right, And I'm right down to the buzzer and as long as it doesn't keep us up any later or at work any later. But now, I mean I grew up a New Jersey Nets fan, as I was telling you guys before we came on, back when they were you know, I was like fighting off fans because the only other people in the building with me were people coming to watch MJ or Patrick Ewing and the Knicks or Shack and the Magic Brain used to just eat it me

so much. But now, you know, being covering the NBA for as long as I have, um man, it's kind of decentitized me a little bit. Yeah, you used to. I remember going catching the bus out of that that big bus station, which I've it's been so long since that. The report authority Yeah to to go out to the meadow lands back in the day, and man, that was that was a trek like a grim ride. Sometimes they did not make it easy to go watch games at the metal Lands. They're like, you want to watch the Nets,

what do you want to do that for? Well, we are back to those days, perhaps because the Knicks are hot nine in oh since the trade deadline. As of this recording, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randall have been excellent and deadline edition Josh Hart looks just like the perfect New York Nick right now. It's exciting. I was saying before, I'm just had like I am still a Sixers fan, but I have that internal I just I just want

to see good games. I want to see what's most what makes the league most fun to watch, and having the Knicks be one of the best teams playing right

now is exciting. No, I agree, I mean it's you know, I think that the Knicks fans kind of got fooled and teased a little bit a couple of years ago when they made the playoffs and then they got punted out of the first round by the Hawks, and true and what Trey Young did to him, but they seemed like a more complete team this year and Julius Randall, it just feels more legitimate than it did a couple

of years ago. You know, I was, I was all in on Julius a couple of years ago and then felt like really let down last year when he had as bad of a year as he did. And I actually talked to him a couple of weeks ago about it. Remember, I mean, he was like fighting with the fans, he was fighting with opponents, he was fighting with the referees.

It was real contentious. And he flat out told me that, like he knew where his game was, he had to get his head right and he took the opportunity to do that, and he took some really cool steps to do that this past summer. And now I think Jalen Brunson has brought out the best of him. I think, you know, a lot of people, me included, didn't believe that Jalen Brunson as good as we've seen him be

in Dallas. We didn't know that he was capable of being like a franchise difference maker or could he be the best player on a team that was really good. And I think we, and I'm as guilty as anybody, we didn't recognize the intangible factor of like how much of a leader he is and how polarizing he could

be in a locker room. And listen, I don't want to take anything away from Julius Randall's hard work, but I think if we're going to point to how Julius Randall went from where he was last year to where he is this year, a lot of credit has to go to Jalen Brunson. Yeah. I had the narrative in my head that Okay, the Knicks from two years ago were a flash in the pan tight or you know, they were the aberration and like they're they're going back

to being borderline playing team. And then this past run, it's starting to feel like, oh, maybe last season's kind of off year was the aberration, and like this is this is who Julius Randall is, This is who the Knicks can be, especially now that they've added Brunson, because I think a lot of people were looking for them to make the home run swing move in the off season to get them into contention, and they seemed very confident that Jalen Brunson was the was the guy to

get them to a place where they're now in the conversation, they're now at a place where you're in Miami and all of a sudden, let's go Nets or let's go Knicks cheers or are ringing out. That was exciting, That was cool to say. I didn't I didn't know. I didn't know the Nicks fans travel like that. Well, now, yeah, no, they do, absolutely, But I also want to pump the brakes a little bit too, Like I don't want to pour water on this whole thing. But listen, it's a

great story, it's really cool. I give Jalen Brunson a whole lot of props. I think what Julius Randall's been able to do, whether it's above the shoulders or below the shoulders, whatever. And give Tom Thiboda a lot of credit because he gets a lot of crap, so give him a lot of credit. But I also think Nick fans have an issue of like compartmentalizing things, right like this this is good, now, this is good. But like I also wouldn't be surprised the Knicks lost in the

first round of the playoffs, like I don't. I think we have to be careful about where where we have these conversations because like anytime we talk about a team in New York, it's like all or nothing, and we have to recognize that, like it's really good. They're taking a huge step in the right direction. They're building something, but they are miles away from where the top echelon teams are in the Eastern Conference. Now to that point, is it a matter of simply in Jack and I

were discussing this before, you know, before the show. You know, we haven't seen Julius Randall and Jalen Brentson do it together, Like is it a is it a we don't believe you can need more people situation or is it you know, situational? You know, you just don't like how they how they would match up against some of the other teams. Sorry, I'm just deleting the four paragraphs I had about how

the Knicks are the new championship favorite. Give me one second, but you can go ahead and answer to body, But um no, I think number one and I think this is fair. Like Julius Randall for all of his success this year, and the guy may make another All NBA team like like he did a couple of years ago. But he's got to prove that what he what he does is winning basketball in the playoffs. And clearly what

we saw was it's awfully predictable in the playoffs. The last time we saw him there, a team like the Hawks were able to take him to school and embarrass them, literally embarrass them. So for me, it's it's number one, can Julius become less predictable once the playoffs roll around? And two? Who else is there? Like what's amazing about the knicks success this year? If you would have told me that the Knicks were going to be where they are now at the beginning of the season, I would

have told you that that RJ. Barrett is in the most improved player, conversation, that RJ Barrett is this, this and that, and he's not. And they're getting performances from guys like Quentin Grimes on the defensive end, Emmanuel Quickly, you know, occasionally going off like he did the other night, Mitchell Robinson defensively what he's able to do. But but where is that other offense coming from? In a playoff series where teams have forty eight hours between games to

get ready for you. And we saw the last time that the Knicks and listen, they're they're a different team now. So I don't want to say, but I'm just not ready to put them in a place that's beyond where they are right now, because we don't know come playoff time, how Julius Randall, RJ. Barrett and any of these other supporting cast players are gonna react. I think it's if we're being honest, Knicks fans are much like Lakers fans, and I'll raise my hand. It's all or nothing, man.

It's either worn't win a title or it's the worst thing in the world or you know the sky as so I get, yeah, I mean the thing that makes them dangerous to me, like I'm having just like based on cognitive biases, I'm having a hard time taking them and the Kings seriously, uh for the postseason And with the Kings, I get, I can look at the fact that they don't really defend that well, right, Like they aren't a great defensive Yeah, they're They're a bad defensive team,

and um that usually doesn't play very well in the in the playoffs. The Knicks defend like I mean, that's that is the one thing you're always going to get with the Thibadeau team, and that does make them a little scarier to me. I don't want to see them in a like my my brain doesn't want to see them in a in a playoff series, but my like gut is still stuck in like yeah, but there's still

the Knicks, like sixers take them out. But the Julius ran the game winner against Miami was one of the worst looking game winners, like not not the shot itself, but just the play double fading to the right, having just lost it twice in a row. It was just one of those shots that never goes in and then and then it went in. Blunts, it tied up, finds Randle froze it low, Ramble gets it back eight seconds

to go. Randle on the drive stripped by Bula Raddo gets it back, the Krabo puts up a three down, the three puts up touts on a second, the fading all right, and then quickly Emmanuel quickly put up thirty eight eight seven double overtime win over the Celtics. Very Street reminds me a little bit of Maxie Uh And they were you know, played together in Kentucky, hit out in Kentucky. Uh, and then and then you know got drafted too late. But has there been a player with

a better name game match than Emmanuel Quickly? Well, Daron Fox is pretty good too, right, Yeah, it's good. Yeah, clever, fast, Yeah, just knows for the Yeah, that's a good one. Really, I'm surprised by I hadn't really thought about that. Yeah's a good one, Jack. Yeah. Rarely, they rarely match up so well. And finally, we just got this tweet from Tommy Beer on the last week for the Knicks, and

this is a good question. So the tweet Monday, Tatum rage quits and blowout win over Celtics Wednesday brunts him with thirty points in first half and brutal beat down to Brooklyn Friday, the double Bang game winner by Randall to beat Miami Sunday, IQ scores forty eight and double ot thriller in Boston. By the way, you don't have to give him a new nickname. His last name is Quickly and he's quick so we can just stick with that.

You don't need to call him Ike. You that's that's a good nick That's a good nickname too if his wasn't quickly uh, And then the end of the tweet, best week for Nicks since question marks gotta be like that mellow year, the mellow year and even then, like I don't know if they had a run like that.

This is a part of being an NBA fan, Like as a Sixers fan, we haven't had a lot of fun in the in the postseason over the past decade or two decades or so, but like when your team is on a run in the regular season, like playing meaningful games and putting putting up big wins like that

and everybody's getting excited. That is about as fun as any experience as an NBA fan, I feel like, because you you don't have the in the playoffs, there's almost always unless your team actually wins it, there's always the reality of fate closing in to make make those memories sour.

But with with something like that, like the Sixers had that time during Ben Simmons's rookie year where like Embiid went down with an injury, like and Ben, come on, man broke his face and then Simmons took over and he was a rookie and like the sky was still the one who was like all might and they won like, you know, sixteen in a row or something heading into the playoffs. That was about as as much fun as I've had as a as an NBA fan. So I

don't know. All right, let's talk about michal Bridges, which since he's been traded to the Nets, he's already had more thirty point games in eight games with the Nets than he did in three hundred and sixty five games with the Suns. Three with the Nets and one with the Suns. I think that's right. Yeah, And we just

we sometimes see players on a new team. I mean, I'm not gonna say he's he's James Harden, but it was like when Harden was suddenly with Houston the focal point of the offense and you saw like, oh wow, this is this is way better than what we were like kind of banking for him for this team. What

do we think mcaal Bridge's ceiling is. Well, I think on a team that is not expected to win a championship, I think he could be a leading scorer and turn into a guy that you know, we should have already put in the conversation for one of the top two way players in the league. We know how a lockdown he could be defensively, although it'll be interesting to see because you know, the Nets defense has been atrocious since

since these guys came over. And the crazy part about it is, I was with the Nets the day of the trade deadline when they you know, got rid of Kyrie and and and I'm sorry when they got rid of Durant, and I was talking to a bunch of people and the one hope was like, especially with jack lon being the head coach, this team really fit Jack Laon because you had so many defensive minded players like you were, You're starting five, and this didn't even include

Ben Simmons because you know, you didn't know where he fitted in. But if if you include Ben Simmons, like guys like Michail Bridges, Dorian Finney, Smith, Nick Klackton, even Spencer Dinwoodie to to a certain extent, these guys have a focus of defense. Ben Simmons obviously right, So they should, if nothing else, just be a really good defensive team. And they are not either. And I think it speaks to the point of just how elite the offense is

the NBA right now. Maybe that's more than anything else, But the way I would think the Nets are envisioning it is that one day Mikhail Bridges is like their second offensive option but still their best defensive player. I don't know, And you know, we saw this with Kawai for a little bit, a little bit in San Antonio before we got hurt a little bit in Toronto, but they kind of backed off because of how they'd want

to put too much stress on them. Can you be a team's number one offensive option asked to score, you know, somewhere between twenty four and twenty eight points a game and also be a lockdown defender on every possession? Like, think about it. I mean, even the great defenders like Kawai, and be honest, the guys who are great offensive players and are all billy Is good defensively don't often for for forty minutes get asked to take on that responsibility,

at least in the regular season. Yeah, is there an ideal type of player or even specific player to pair him with moving forward? Is it a defensive big like you said, if he can you know, kind of slide into the second slot from a scoring perspective, you know, is it a scoring point guard? What is the most idea. It's a guy who runs the show like Ben Simmons, you know, who can just like rip off twenty games

in a row. Dude, I don't know. It's obviously Ben Simmons's hurt right now, and I you know, I don't want to take any shots at him with him being hurt, but like it's weird what's gone on with him in the nets, Like there's a lot of stuff behind the scenes that I don't think we know about, because like the day the trade was made and Ben Simmons should have been the starting point guard, they had him coming off the bench at the back up five again, and it's just it's it's weird. And you know, I worked

with stan Band Gundy that game. He made the point like if there's ever a time when the pressure's gone, there's no kin, there's no kad. You know. Yes, this organization still wants the playoff. They have no reason, no motivation, no draft capital to miss the playoffs. But let's just go and throw all of our chips at the center

of the table and see what we got. Like, now's the time where we can play up temple basketball, like you were talking about that year in Philadelphia where Brett Brown just said, let's run, Let's run every possession, Let's take advantage of our speed and our athleticism. And then as you're like, I know, Ben Simmons still going to be our backup five. Yeah, So that that to me

was a little concerning. But yeah, I would think with Bridges, like you know, every good team I think needs a really good facilitator and a guy that is a great playmaker and a great decision maker. Yeah, in terms of people who have shown us something this season and who we feel like we might be seeing some things from in the next couple of years. So now Mikhail Bridges is on my radar, is like this, this dude could

be making a leap in the next couple of years. Haliburton, obviously any one else that you've seen something from this year that you feel like you're you're buying stock and in that person to be a superstar like Jabari I think you were saying Aunt, Yeah, I feel I mean, obviously Aunt's been fantastic this year once, you know, once he was able to sit on in and get it going, but it feels like there's still at least another level

as he continues to develop. I'm just wondering, like, you know, the bust out guys that you know that could be coming over the next few years. Yeah, I think Anthony Edwards is a great one. The one I'm leaning towards is kind of like this Sacramento duo. Like we've known that Sabonis is good, but we're like, yeah, he's camp that good. Sure, but he's the reason why they're in third place in the West, right Like and and Daron

Fox has had a pretty darn impressive year as well. Yeah, you know, yeah, another one that's gonna be interesting to see in the playoffs here if he can stay healthy. Is we always said, if Michael Porter Junior stays on the court, you could be a great player. And when he's been on the court this year, he's had a really good year. I mean, Aaron Gordon's had his most

efficient here in the NBA. UM trying to think who else I'm I'm gonna have somebody in my mind here, and then after the show I'm gonna be like, ah, should he said that guy? Yeah? Yeah, hit us up. All right, let's take a quick break, we'll come back. We'll talk about some of the best performances. We finally got to see the UH the Suns in their fullness,

and it was pretty It's pretty intriguing. So we'll talk about that when we come back and we're back, and I'm just gonna say this was one of the most fun weeks of basketball. Like this past Sunday is run of games was a blast. There was a game where the Philadelphia seventy six Ers played the Milwaukee Bucks and UH prevailed at snapped the sixteen game winning streak. I

think came from behind. I enjoyed it. It was a you know, a Grace and Allen game, which the fans are always kind of clambering for anytime you can see that guy go off. But I mean, seriously, put up twenty in the third quarter. Brook Lopez Jannis looked great and Be'd have thirty one. I think James Harden at thirty eight. It's what is starting to like, give me make me feel like, not not necessarily that the Sixers are getting it out of the second round, because I

feel like that's where they they're not allowed. Actually it's the it's in the by laws of the franchise. Yeah they're not they're not permitted to get out of the second round. But they are for the first time since I've been a Sixers fan, winning games at the end

that they don't have any right to win. Like it used to be a thing where they would give the game away at the end and you'd go into any fourth quarter where you were only up by ten points being like, Oh, this isn't this isn't gonna be good. And now they're closing really strong. They have some really good clutch stats, so that that was fun to see.

And then they had just a barn burner against the Pacers where they won one forty seven, one forty three and regulation and beat had forty two hardened dish out twenty assists Haliburton forty and sixteen and the loss. But it's the eleventh time MBIDA scored forty or more this season. Like, just taking everything out of the MVP conversation, which I think is getting a little overheated. I'm just enjoying another pretty phenomenal MBID season right now, Jered, let me ask

you this. I've been trying to convince Jack. Now. Jack is a cautiously optimistic fan, and I respect and appreciate that because completely pessimistic, I would say, Okay, you know what, I didn't want to put that on you, but yes, but I've been trying to convince him that this year they look different, and I'll whether it's his sixers, and by different meaning like I don't have to squint as hard to convince myself that they could make it beyond

the second round. Let me ask you a question then, for people listening in their car or at work or wherever in the gym Pumpings of Iron, why does Jack have sunglasses on that that have like rosy colored like like why does he need to wear those sunglasses on this podcast? Hey man? This is just a look that keeps protecting his piece. Joel and Bad is playing liking MVP where we were recalls to where you put him

in there? Right, If James Harden is playing at this level, and then you have Tyree's Maxie playing at this level and in vague get to bias Harris back, could you see a path where they could make it? You'll make

a deep run? Finally, yeah, I mean listen, but before we even talk about the sixers, I mean, there are holes in the two clear cut favorites in the conference, right, Like Milwaukee's had their issues this year, although they don't feel like they have very many of them right now, and Boston clearly is going through something major right now. But I would say this like my my biggest thing with the Sixers, and this is kind almost like my conversation that I had with you about the Knicks, but

just the same but very different. Like James Harden missed Tuesday night's game, right with it with an injury, and Jack you you know better than me as a lifelong die hard Sixer fan here, like every time things are important, there's a Joel embiad injury. There's a reason why he's out. He's fractured his face in two different playoff runs. Yeah, Like I don't know how that happens, and I'm not criticizing him. I'm not saying anything but a big breakable face.

His face is that mister Glass quality that Yeah, but you know, the Sixers, this is a dumb statement. The Sixers need and Bade right, they need hardened, and they need hardened to be at his best and when it comes to the playoffs, and Bead more times than not has missed a game in a playoff series throughout his career, James Harden has not shown up in playoff series regularly throughout his career. So like those things, you know, just

make me wonder. Now I'll say this, you know, sneaky, some sneaky moves that Darryl Morriy made like this Jayla McDaniels move. Wow, slid him into this starting lineup on Monday night. That was impressive. I would say I am giving the Sixers a sliver of hope because right now today, as we speak, I have some doubt in the Boston Celtics, who I thought would be the clear cut favorite in this conference. And while I'm feeling really good about the Bucks,

like they're not they're not the twenty sixteen Warriors. Yeah, and even the twenty sixteen Warriors clearly found a way to lose, So anybody's beatable. The issue though, is if the Celtics find their way, if Jason Tatum finds his shooting stroke. First of all, he's got to get back on the court herders need the other night, and he can find a consistent shooting like this has been really weird with Tatum, and I think this has gone undercovered, is Jason Tatum's shooting slumps that he goes in and

out of this year. It's just really bad. But as we stand today, like the Sixers will to face one of those two teams in the second round of the playoffs. Yeah, that's the thing is like I'm frustrated that they don't get to the Eastern Conference finals. That means you're one of the final two teams in the East. Like that's and the East is really good. That hasn't always been the Yeah, that's true, but like that, it's a tough year to be like, gotta get it out of the

second round. So I get like Eastern Conference finals are bust because you know, Cleveland is tough. Even though I think I think the Sixers just match up pretty well against better than most teams against the Bucks. But I think they just if they if they face the Celtics in a seven game series, it's it's over for them. That's yeah. They just they can't beat the Celtics period. All right. It is that time. Jabari Anthony M F. Davis uh second of his name, leads the Lakers to

victory over a Warrior's team. With Steph back in the mix, the Lakers are six and three since the trade deadline. Lens only played in three of those games, doing without d low since February twenty third, but they're finding a way to clawback still and very intrigued by this team. What say you, yeah? I mean the trade deadline made a lot of sense for them, and for as much as we've crapped down Rob Blinko over the years aka Lebron the de facto GM, they did an amazing job

this year. Listen, I don't think I think some of the players name like we do like this thing during the trade Den Larner in the offseason when a team gets a guy and where like name recognition, all of a sudden, we're polarizing, like we know this guy? Do we know them? For good or bad or indifferent? Always good? Right? The thing about this Laker team is these aren't like all stars that came to the Lakers, although D'Angelo Russell one time was an All Star, but they got guys

that make sense around Lebron and Anthony Games. And if this injury to Lebron had happened without those trade deadline moves, the Lakers ship is sunk right, dead are part of it too. It's like there's a reason, like why there's all these teams fighting like nobody's very good, like Dallas is not very good. The Clippers, yeah, they could be good. Like, the Clippers could win a championship or miss the playoffs. Who knows, Utah Utah not very good, Portland not very good,

Perlican not very good, the Thunder not very good. Right, Like, there's a reason why all these teams are in this conversation for again, and let's remember, for as much as Lebron moaned about the play in a couple of years ago, if not for the play in saving Grace, right, but the Lakers are out of this whole thing, and you know, so listen, the Lakers have a very favorable schedule coming down the stretch, I think until until they face Phoenix on March twenty second, I have that right, They don't

face another team that is well, I guess the Knicks on Yeah, that became a tough game all the same, all of a sudden, that's a tough game. But they really they don't have teams, particularly on the road. They don't have to face teams that are in contention here until the end of March. So there's a path for the Lakers absolutely to get where they want to go. They just need Anthony Davis or as you called him

another name. He needs to absolutely be a beast. He needs to be a guy that is so good over the final eighteen or so games this season that people are saying, well, why wasn't he in the MVP conversation? It's a it's a bad conversation to have, it's a it's an ignorant conversation. But there needs to be so much recency bias in the play of Anthony Davis over the last three weeks of this season that we are saying, Wow,

this guy's too good. Keep off the MVP belt. Yeah, and they have they have to catch Utah is one of the teams in front of them Portland and those are all teams with very difficult schedules coming down the coming down the stretch. So I think they have a shot. Yeah, And as your resident Anthony Davis fan, I will acknowledge I agree, But we go game to game over here, we're not even thinking about it in terms of like the last three weeks. I can't even go weeks at

a time game to game just be that guy. Well, I mean, let's just face it here, Like I was told, I don't know if you guys heard this report, I did on T and T last week. I was told by the coaching staff that not only was it expected, but it was anticipated that Anthony Davis would play last Tuesday at Memphis and then Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The coaching staff fully expected and anticipated that he would be

able to play, and he would play well. Paul of a sudden game day comes second night of a back to back, he's not playing. Lakers have back to back coming up at New Orleans at Houston. Now listen, at Houston should be a winnable game without Anthony Davis. But you're not. There's a reason why you're battling for the tenth spot in the West because you're not that good. You need your best player to play. Yeah right. Then they've got another back to back at Utah at the Clippers.

He's got to play, yeah right, Like he got two more back to acts. You can't afford to lose any of these. If Anthony Davis is not playing these games, then you know why you're going to miss the play in right. I do my best not to be you know, the sky is falling, guy, But I will say that over the next you know, over that three week period that you just mentioned, if I'm the Lakers organization, and this is obviously not based on any reporting, this is

just my opinion. But if I'm the Lakers organization and this is you know, talking about a guy that one of my favorite players in the league, I have to look at him and say, well, can you do it? Or can you not? Can we Can you be trusted? Can you be leaned upon? Can you be expected to give us twenty solid games? You know, like you down the stretch of a must win you know scenario, And if you can't, then I have to, you know, we have to at least consider what, you know, what this

roster looks like moving forward? Yep. And then finally, just the mav Sons game was a blast, Luca Kyrie, k D Booker, just a just fun back and forth game, KD Dagger, Luca missed the bunny and then you know the double texts. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Wait like eight to shoot back to Katie was six durand driving on hardaway pull up Chopper Duran got it man Phoenix has at two point late. I've never pulled for the Suns in like a just a stray game that I'm why

I catch a stray game. It's just always been I don't I don't really care. I'm usually like find myself like at a gut level, pulling for whoever they're playing against. And now I'm I'm on the Sun's bandwagon because I'm you know, kad Lebron. Those are my guys. They're like generationally like some of my favorite players that have ever watched And I didn't know if if I was gonna be able to pull myself onto the bandwagon. I did it, though, I'm aboard. I'm excited, I feel great, feel awesome. What

do you guys think though? Did you learn anything? Yeah? I mean has the chance to be freaking awesome in Phoenix? Um. Yeah, I'm not just saying this, like I'm not saying this like on behalf of the NBA because they don't pay my check, but like, there's gotta be some integrity into the eighty two games of a season. And I just find it very hard to believe even the best of the best players can pull it together over fifteen games

and just go win a championship after that. It just to me there's something is not a video game, right, Has it ever happened? Has has a mid season trade ever resulted in a championship Detroit right with Wallace, But I mean, but he also wasn't their first, second or third offensive option, right, he was like, we already have a very solid team, and all of a sudden, your thrush sheet, right, you know, yeah, you throw a hungry seat in the mix. Well, NBA action, it's fantastic. Let's

take a quick break. We'll be back for the fastest segment in podcasting, Jared, I hope you're ready. I hope you did it like some next stretches, because these questions are gonna be pinging past your head just at a at a rapid rate. We'll be right back, and we're back and to the Do we have theme music for the segment? We do start the clock kick kick on the rapid Fire theme. Uh brought to you by John Williams. Um, we did spend the entire annual budget of the show

on John Williams making a rapid Fire. It's not a good match. I gotta say, I don't know why we went with the guy who made the Star Wars theme for something that's supposed to be like up tempo and uh focused, But that's what we did. Jared, this is where we're gonna be asking you questions. We don't want you to even think about it. It's just your the fastest first shut reaction. Uh. Jabari just made a sound

too that was supposed to be lasers. I guess it was a lasers ish lasers and Jabari is going to kick it off for us. Jabari take it away. All right, let's just go. Let's cut them nonsense, Jared, Cut the nonsense. Jared, first of all, cut the nonsense. All right, give me a second, give me get serious here, all right? Through your nonsense. Ready, I'm ready, Jared. You can go back in time and be on the broadcast of any single NBA game throughout history. Which game are you choosing? Game seven,

twenty sixteen NBA Finals? Okay, game the block? You got it all blocked a shot, come back? I love it. And there there it was a rock fight there for a little while. So you gotta fill that, you know, it's what a game? Ye? Best NBA city based solely on the food? New York. Oh okay, I always figure people who are going to say New Orleans here, but yes, a matter you know? Okay, So okay, I got you, all right? Jared, it's time for it. Let me get

your boldest play in or postseason prediction. My boldest postseason prediction. Yes, the Golden State Warriors will make the Western Conference Finals. Oh wow, Okay, the exact opposite of last week's the boldest postseason prediction. Who somebody said they won't even get out of the plan Aaron, as he said, you said they're gonna get knocked out, you know, first game into play in. Okay, what do you think is gonna come together for them? Well? I mean what what really needs

to come together? I mean they're they're like listen, I know they have. Okay, here's a different question. What has fallen apart for them that put them in this position where where where I'm surprised by you saying they'd be in the Western Conference? Fine? I just think, like what what? What stuns me about the Warriors? What's different about them from last year winning a championship to this year is these names, Gary Payton, the second Otto, Porter Namania, Beliza,

and a little bit more of Andrea Godal. Yeah, like to me, once the playoffs roll around, I get that those three guys actually played pivotal role for the Warriors, but Jonathan Cominge if you watched him the last couple of weeks, bawling, Yeah, played, Thompson is actually putting together two better months than he's ever had in his career, like ever ever. And Steph Curry is just getting back. Yeah.

I feel like, you know a lot of what I think we're going to see in these West playoffs is a lot of teams trying to find their identity once it counts the most. And the Warriors know who they are, yeah, right, Like Denver, Denver, for as much as they've been in the postseason the last few years, like not with this group playing at this level, with this expectation. Memphis, no, and who the heck knows if Memphis is going to have their best player in the playoffs. Sacramento has never

been here, Phoenix as constitute has never been here. Is Chris Paul gonna be healthy? What are they going to get from their supporting cast? Minnesota has never been here? Dallas never been here. We don't like their supporting cast the Clippers. Is Kawhi going to take a game off in the playoffs because he doesn't feel like playing? Like There's a lot of questions about a lot of teams, and I get that the Warriors have left a lot

of doubt in people's minds. But when it comes down to it, I am taking the five man unit of Steph play Wiggins once he gets back, and he will be back soon, Draymond with Looney and Jordan Poole coming off the bench, Don David Pevencenzo coming off the bench. I'm taking that seven man group against any seven man group in the West. Wow. That's a really good point.

And you know we're usually be a jokey in this segment, but that's a great point in one that I probably should have considered, you know, prior to now, you know, shout out to former guests Ben Galliver. He you know, he made the point that uh no he does, he does numbers two but no, um. He pointed out that there hasn't been a repeat conference finalists over the last four seasons and that would mean that obviously Golden State would be the you know, the first to do so.

So yeah, started to slow down this segment. I just got passionate there, No, no, that's perfect. Passion spills over sometimes. Yeah. For whatever reason, this past week, the Nuggets have started to make sense to me. As the team coming out of the West. Oh I'm still there. Don't get me wrong, I'm I'm with you there, But like, have you ever felt less good about saying that about a conference champion?

I have, like they for for some reason, Like I was, I was out, Like I was at that place where I was like, well, it can't be the Nuggets, right, Like it's like they as good as they look in the regular season, like we've seen them in the playoffs, and like it hasn't worked out, and like just something about like there's been some articles about their metrics like in the clutch being some of the best in the league, and just they've just started to feel like this powerhouse

and they're also seven games out in front. Like there, it's not even close. I mean, I guess that was the case the Sons that at some points last season. But yeah, yeah, start they make sure the clock. Brian Um, All right, if you could trade one player currently in the NBA for the number one pick next year, so Wemben Yama would you? And who would it be? Jesus? So I would have to be the team getting you have the number one pick, let's say, But and you can trade for a single player in the NBA right

now ready for this. Yeah, this is called a timely take John Morant, Wow, I love all right, But the fact that it's even a question is crazy just from a women or perspective, Like, No, nobody really, like I mean, yeah, there's probably somebody, but you have to like think about it pretty hard well because it's not just a misrey box. We've seen, you know, and we can we can we can see with our eyes, like man, that that could be incredible, not just special, not just great, incredible. And

I'm not guaranteeing. I'm saying it could be he's shooting low thirties from three. I'm just saying I'm putting it out there. I think you should. I think you should slide to the six or something. All right, scoot, you're up. All right, my turn. Let's keep it going. If you could bet on any fan base to make the in arena challenge shots, you know, the layup, free throw, three pointer, half court, which fan base would you bet on. Well, I'm not taking Boston or Philly because they've been getting

ready for the game too much before the game. Yeah, I'm not taking Atlanta or Miami because they may not be in the stands by halftime. Wow, Wow, shuts, I'm gonna go Indiana. There, it is like that, that's the one, right, It's gotta be Indiana. They're so good that they only give out fifty dollars in gift cards to somebody who does lets all challenge your rules of quarters, get a get a fifty dollars target shopping card. Uh yeah, all right.

I have this persistent nightmare, like it's basically a reverse like Mike, where I suddenly switch bodies with an NBA player in the middle of the game and I have my skills. Is there a player you would switch with? What would you do if you suddenly you are in Yokich's body in a big game? What do you do? Do you fake injury? Do you try and let it rock? Like? What are you doing? I'd probably be like I would take a zion and just try and like, you know,

I haven't. I don't even know if I could touch the bottom of the net, let alone dunk, no, like like just to play bullyball bringing around. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I just hope that game, whatever game it is, he's dressed and active, so I'm not sitting in the on the bench and three clothes, you know, just any game. Yeah, yeah, all right, last question of the week. This is the most important one, by the way, Jack or Jabari. Oh, it's no question. It's Jabari. Oh, because anybody, anybody who

slides into my DMS, I'm all four. There we go. Yeah, yeah, you've never slid into my my DM. I gotta be attentive. I can't. I can't keep up with the seductive DM sliding powers of Jabari. It's, by the way, I've always But just for full disclosure and transparency, my wife is can't hear you, guys, But here's me talking about somebody sliding too my DMS and GSS right now, Sorry, missus Greenberg. It was me professional, I promise. Yeah. What about that picture?

Such a Jabari does send a picture when he first reaches up people, he does send a picture. It was a good picture. It's in Vagas by the pool. You know, I figure it get people in the mood. It's fasting their roses involved. Jared Greenberg, such a pleasure having you on the show. Where can people find you? See you? All that good stuff? Well beyond TNT Thursday Night in

Memphis for a Big Warrior's Grizzlies game. Nice. Um. Then all throughout the next couple of weeks, TNT is gonna take some time off here for March Madness, and I'll be on the NBA TV side of things doing a Crunch Time which Jack is going to become your new favorite show on the NBA app when we take you to the biggest moments to the night as they happened live at the NBA's only Whip Around show. When I'll be doing some some NBA game time appearance as well

on NBA TV. Awesome, Well, thank you so much for joining us. That's going to do it for us this week. Quick shout outs to some listeners. We asked for your MVP opinions and here were the results. Fifty three percent said Yokich or Joki, thirty six percent said Yannis, and seven sorry what is it? Seven percent? Did you? Man?

I just I gotta say, if Embiid and Yokis would just play one another in an important nationally televised game, then we would actually be able to see or if Embiid went up against Jannis, was sixteen game winning streak on the line, you know? Um? Anyways, great picks listeners are Boosties Listeners of the Week at brock Denton said, Yokich is great, but it's insane to me that he's going to win three straight. Embad or Josh should have won last year, and it's surprising to me that the

voters aren't getting tired of giving it to him. Lebron should have been MVP every year from O seven to fifteen, but voters got tired of him. M Yeah, the MVP conversation is the conversation about a narrative being told by NBA writers. So at this point, whatever, but make sure you give us a follow on Twitter at mad Boosties. That's m A D B O O S t i E S. And that's going to do it for us this week. Back next week with more NBA action, more of these spicy piping hot takes, we'll talk to y'all.

Don have a great week everyone, Bye bye,