Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty four hour NBA News. This's you, Chris Hanes. It's so time, Mark's time. It's some time. This League Uncut is underway and on fire. This should be a good one.
Good evening friends, Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes for another fresh and clean addition of this League Uncut. We're recording Sunday night. The second round is over, the Conference finals, soon to begin the NBA Lottery almost upon us. But just in a matter of seventy two hours since Chris and I last connected to do one of these pods, man, has a lot happened in this league. There's a reason we call it this league with a hashtag in front of it, because it has been NonStop madness. As I said,
since Chris and I were last together. Saturday night, landed in Chicago for my five day stint here for the Draft Lottery, the league's annual pre draft combine, and was barely on the ground when it emerged that the Phoenix Suns had dismissed coach Monni Williams less than two years after Bonnie Williams had the Sons in the NBA Finals. So what we've done here is like I said, we could go in probably ten different directions, but we've narrowed
it down to six. We're going to try to spend six ish minutes on each topic so we get to them all. Never really done a format like this, but we're going to see if it works. Chris, let us start with Boston comfortably winning Game seven at home, but we're going to focus on the flip side of that equation. The Philadelphia seventy six Ers go from up three to a chance to close out the Celtics, their longtime historic nemesis, but especially a nemesis in the Joel Embiid era. They
have a chance to win that series at home. Jason Tatum starts one for fourteen from the floor. The Sixers can't do it. Game seven man a brutal, brutal showing that is going to heap tons of criticism on Joel Embiid, on James Harden. Doc Rivers is certainly going to be put in the crosshairs his future. I mean, this was as bad an ending as the Sixers probably could have mustard after what had seemingly been a very very successful season, so successful that Joel Embiid is the first time regular
season MVP. What happens next? Peer into the ch crystal ball and tell me Doc, James Harden, Joel Embiid take it wherever you want, but what happens next for these guys after? Man, this was a rough finish.
It was the worst case scenario of a finish for the Philadelphia seventy six Ers's that's definitely that's definitely a true fact. I think if we're talking about what's next, Stein, you gave us first of all, what did you report? What was it twenty four hours forty eight hours before the game? What did you report before? I answer that, Stein.
Well, on Sunday morning, morning of the game, I posted an around the league look at all the various coaching posts, and I did include a line in a line in there that Obviously there have been murmurs about Doc Rivers potentially being in danger if the Sixers don't win this series, and after the game, Doc was very candid about it. Doc River's own quote was no one in this business is safe. And I get that, and that is the climate for coaches more than ever. I would say, though
I don't this is not Doc's fault. I don't think that this series loss should be pinned on him because of his record in closeout games, which is now seventeen and thirty three, because this was his fifth successive loss in a Game seven, that talk's going to be there. But to me, I'm sorry, this is on the two stars. This is not on the coach. The Sixers shot sixteen for seventy one from three in Game six and Game
seven as just putrid shooting. And you know, James Harden, we've been talking about the possibility that maybe he goes to Houston. You know that's been circulated around the league for ages now. But I mean, this add the Sixers to that list of teams that grows longer every week that the playoffs goes on. Of the you know these teams that have major crosswords. I mean, they have major, major decisions to make in the offseason, and none of them easy.
With all that being said, I don't see Doc coming back. I don't I don't see Doc coming back the way that the way this thing in it, like I said, it was the worst case scenario. Philadelphia had a chance to close this out before Game seven, did not let Jason Tatum get loose in the fourth quarter and in this game. Come on, now, come on, now, it's just yes, it's not on you know, everything is not on dot, but we know how to.
Know you're right.
And look that third quarter thirty three to ten.
Come on, come on, unacceptable.
I think Lom Murray had a stat on Twitter thirty three to ten might be the worst fourth quarter ever in a game seven in terms of scoring disparity.
Yeah, I don't see Doc coming back. I do not see him coming back. This will be an offseason where we have we got a lot of premium coaches out in the market. I don't know that there was a lot of premium jobs out there in the market, but yeah, I think Doc will be added to that list. But he's not. You know, what does James Harden do? If you look at if you listen to what Joelnbid said at his post game address, he made it seem like, oh, he didn't talk about James's future too much, but he
said those two can't do it alone. As if that's his guy, that's his that's his partner, as if those two are in it for a long haul. I don't know that that is the case. So with that being said, we all heard about James Harden's desire to go back to Houston. I mean, does it change things that that there could possibly be a new coach on the horizon. Does that change Harden's stance? James Harden was asked about his relationship with Doc Rivers after the game, and he said,
it's okay, that's it. So there's gonna be a lot I think there's gonna be a lot of upheaple in this offseason. But if we're talking again, whenever you're talking about removing a coach or whenever you're talking about replacing a key player, the question that comes to my mind is, Okay, who's the upgrade? Who is that? Because even even if you know I'm talking about prime coaching canvas out there, all of them come with some failure, all of them
come with warts. There's no perfect coach. Is there a star coach? I guess you could call Botenholzer or Nick Nurse a star, but you know they just got to let go for you know, for some reasons. You know, there's some things that they they all have.
I mean, I would think of the coaches who are freshly available, MONI would would probably.
Be the one.
MONI would be the out of all them. Mini would be probably the awkward.
I guess there's you know, Manni and Doc are such good friends.
I mean they're really really close friends.
So but can Monnie work with Darryl? Can they coexist? Do they have the same philosophy on basketball? That's that's another question. I don't know that friendship will play a factor in the mighty taking that job or not. You know, mightey don't have anything to do with what what Doc is going through. But so there's a lot of questions that we just don't know the answers to right now. But there's going to be changing to the field, DeFi seven six ers, roster, coaching staff, I don't know, maybe
even some sprinkles in the front office. Oh, we'll see.
Well, I can tell you this one of the things I'm hoping to find out while I'm here in Chicago, and I don't know that I'm going to get the answer, but I'm you know, the the hardened to Houston stuff. It's just been out there now for so long, literally months, not weeks. But I'm just so curious that you know, what if the Rockets win the lottery, what if the Rockets win the right Tuesday Night to draft when Mina and do you if you're the Rockets, would you still
want to go after Harden at that point? But we've already can't we hit the sick, We've already passed a six.
Minute mark on top of number one.
So we are going to shift less than smoothly to our second topic. It is the Phoenix Suns sat you know, Thursday night, game six at home, game six, to keep their season alive.
No DeAndre Ay, no Chris Paul.
They go down by thirty at the half, eighty one to fifty one at the half, they lose by twenty five total no show, and less than forty eight hours later, Mani Williams is gone. Now again, you can't be surprised anymore because as we've just been talking about, like in the climate that we're in now, with this new CBA coming in, you know, we it's always been said that
changing the coach is the easiest change to make. It's the easiest way to show the fans and try to convince everybody in the organization that we're making a major shakeup. But with this new CBA coming that's going to make team buildings so much more restrictive and challenging and complicated for the foremost spenders in the league. We know the Sons are going to revolve around Kevin Durant and Devin
Booker going forward. So you know already they have the challenge of do they have to trade Ayton and or Chris Paul just to restore the depth and ensure they have the right mix around their two main guys. But now there's this coaching change and man Matt Ishby has just come in there, and I think a lot of people around the league are looking at this going man, this guy pushed so many chips into the into the middle of the table to trade for Durant and now
he you know, ouss Maani Williams so quickly. I mean, there are a lot of people looking at this, just saying, man, this guy is you know, I mean putting his own stamp on it, is putting it mildly.
He's not playing. He's not playing. You definitely see the urgency. That's that's one thing you can see, definitely on his first day on the job. Where do they go from here? What I can tell you is that you know, it's no secret the only two untouchable players are DeAndre Ayton and excuse me, excuse me, the only two, the only two untouchable players, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Let me get that out start. I definitely don't want the aggregators
to run run with that. But so, but that's not to say there's going to be wholesale changes on the roster. I know Matt Matt Ishbia has been in contact with Chris Paul. I know he's spoken with Devin Booker. You know, he's communicating with these guys. He's you know, he's still trying to get a pulse on what the best voice would look like in coaching this team. And so you know, there's definitely gonna be some wholesale changes on the perimeter of the roster, on the edges of the roster, and
somewhat in the middle. It's not one hundred percent sold yet that there's going to be movement as it pertains the DeAndre Aight and Chris Paul. Those are still conversations that have to be had. I would expect those to be had this coming week. But the Sons are not of the mindset that they have to move DeAndre Aiight
know Chris Paul. So where do they go from here. Well, first you have to find a coach and this is this is this, this is more of a trickier situation, you know, you know Stein, you know, the grand as you report it, the grand prize of coaching for this team would be if they can somehow Land Clippers head coach Tyron Luke. I don't know how fees that is. It's hard for me to fathom the Clippers allowing TYLERU to go to to go in conference, not.
Just in conference, in division. I mean it's yeah, oh yeah, no, I mean it's both. And I tend to agree with you. I mean, I think that's who they would want. But you know, you spend a lot more time around these teams than me. But but from what I know, Steve Balmer is a huge Tylo fan. And beyond the fact that Steve Balmer is a huge Tylo fan, I mean, he's not an owner who gets out bid, and Tyler is not even a coaching free agent, so it's unclear how the Sons.
Could get him.
But I do think, like like you said, he's he is at the top of the wish list.
Yeah, and he's the top of the wish list. But for other teams as well. That's just a tough ass. I don't see I don't see Balmer allowing that to happen. So let's talk about some other candidates. Mike Butenholzer I reported, you know he's on their list. Mike Butenholzer, Nick Nurse, and Kevin Young, who is an assistant coach who was also I mean it was actually the associate head coach under Monty Williams. He's somebody the Sons are looking at. He's somebody who is an ally of the players on
that roster, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, to be exact. There's intrigue with him. There's some intrigue with him. He's actually going to interview with the Milwaukee Bucks this week, I believe. So he's somebody who's caught the eye of some general managers across the league. The only question would be, if the Sons did make that move, is is he ready?
Is he ready to handle this? Is he ready to handle the trajectory of which the Sons are trying to go and easy ready to handle the personalities that come with that. There's some people that locker room that believe he's up to the task. So that's the triggering. But you know, like we connected the dots with Philly, I think Mini Williams is a prime candidate, really good. I think he should be number one if he's not the number one target in Philly. And again, I'm saying this
as if Doc Rivers is fired already. I'm just that I'm pretty sure that's the way it's going to go down. But in Philly, I don't see that prime candidate yet. And there's going to be more prospects coaching prospects added to the list of candidates in the interview pool. But I just don't see that prime candidate. Do you see one for Phoenix? That just makes sense? You say that's it?
No, not, I mean unless not unless Tyler was suddenly available. Look, I mean there's there's excellent coaches out there. Nick Nurse, Mike Budenholzer, and Frank Vogel, just to name three I have all won championships and are all on the open coaching market. So there are plenty of accomplished coaches out there. But you know, I guess we're just gonna have to see.
I guess we're gonna have to see. You know, why does the Tylu stuff keep coming up there is is there more to it than just smoke, And definitely before we move on to the next topic, we got to stay tuned on DeAndre and then Chris Paul because I I think they are going to try to trade them both.
I totally get that it's early in the process. Their elimination just happened, but you know, they've got to get depth around Durant and Booker, and the easiest way for them to do that is to try to trade eight, but also Chris Paul because of his contract. I mean it's you know, Chris Paul's contract, it's only fifteen point eight million guaranteed. If either the Suns or a team he is traded to gets off that contract by June twenty eighth, you only owe Chris Paul fifteen point eight
million out of next year's thirty point eight million. So that's why we have not discussed the prospect of an eight and or CP three trade for the last time. But we went long on the Suns. I'm guessing we went long on the Sixers, and knowing us we will go long on all of these. We're trying to keep them to six minutes, trying our hardest not doing a great job.
It's uncut.
We're uncut league uncut.
Six minutes might equal nine minutes. The Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, out nineteen to zero against the West in the Steve Kerr Era. Until they come up against Lebron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Warriors lose.
But I have been very resistant to the last dance stuff because this is not It's just not the last dance. First of all, there's a really strong likelihood that Steph, Clay and Draymond are all going to be there when camp starts. Bob Myers is the most likely prominent Warrior to exit. And look, they have tough decisions to figure out. I mean, Draymond Green has a twenty seven point six million player option, Clay only has one year left on his deal.
These guys want new deals.
The Warriors are certainly going to want them to take team friendly contracts to stay, which basically means pay cuts. You know, not an easy thing to go to guys like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green after everything they've done for this franchise and say will you please take a lot less money to stay. But that's what the Warriors are going to have to do. Those discussions become even more complicated if it's not Bob Myers as the point
man for those negotiations. But as uncomfortable as that could all get, I just I cannot see. I mean, Clay Thompson to me is going nowhere, absolutely nowhere. And Draymond came on this very podcast and spoke for a minute after minute after minute, spoke for way longer than six minutes about how much he wants to finish his career with the Warriors. Reiterated as such at the podium. He wants to ride out with the guys he wrote in with he said, and I think that is what's going to happen.
I agree as well. I agree as well. I think they they're going to give him another run. I don't know if this run, I don't know if the run means another two year run, three years, one year or whatever, but they're going to give him another run. They still And look Clay, the way Clay finished his playoffs, it just wasn't up to par. He really struggled leave this three for nineteen in the last finals, but he really
struggled in that series. But Clay had a really good regular season, led the NBA in three pointers made, you know, so I can't forget. Let's not act like he's tope. He just doesn't have it anymore. Is he the same Clay after those multiple injuries. No, he's not. But he had a really good season, all star level type season, so you know he's struggled. He struggled in the playoffs, is particularly against the Lakers. So put that out. I don't think anything is over yet again, Bob Myers, that's
the only hiccup that needs to be resolved. I don't, and we should stay.
We should also say Steve Kerr needs an extension as well. I mean, he's his contract is running near the end, so they have a lot of tricky contractual stuff to deal with. Beyond the fact that Jordan Poole's new deal, which is at minimum one hundred and twenty three million over four years, that is only just going to start in this next season coming up. So I mean, they have a lot of tricky financial stuff to work out. But it's just it's just so hard for me to imagine Draymond going somewhere else.
I just can't.
I'm not I cannot pick.
I don't see that at all, he said. He what was his exact quote, something along the lines of, you know, he wants to finish out his career with the Warriors. He's letting it be known. I don't think. I don't think that's gonna change at all. Now we're talking Jordan Poole, we're talking Jonathan Cominga, We're talking guys like that. You know, that's where that's where things can get tricky. What I mean by tricky, I think they're going to uh, I don't. I don't see them being back. I don't see them
being back. I think Steve Kurr wants to rely on some veteran guys. I think that's really what hurt him this year. He didn't have the veteran guys. He didn't Kamiga talent is ooh. I love Cominga. I love his game, but I understand the hesitancy in coach Kerr not to put him into games of this magnitude. Probably just doesn't
think he's ready. That might be the case, and that's why I think Kaminga, just like they did with Wiseman, you know, he's he's going to need to flourish on a team with no expectation Warriors going to be allowed to play through mistakes. He's not going to have the opportunity with to go to State Warriors. But with that being said, the Warriors, I think they can get a real nice package back for Kaminga. I think Kaminga is
that talented in the league. Knows also for Jordan Poole, even though his extension is kicking in had a the season, didn't you know? The season was derailed a little bit by what happened with him and Draymond. But I think Pool can go somewhere and flourish and reach his potential. So the Warriors have some really good assets that they can alload to bring back some veterans that can help
them win now. So the Warriors are in a good with all the question marks surrounding the Wars, they're in a really good position to put themselves back into contention and put themselves back in a situation where they were better than this year. Steve Kurse said it after the after the lost Game six loss of the Lakers, said this was not a championship team.
Pier, Well, it's interesting that you say that because I was talking to a team earlier today and kind of that team expressed the same thought that, oh, you know, if they decide to move Jordan Poole, they'll be able to And man, I guess I just am in the
other camp of Jordan Poole's season was so rough. I don't know how easy it's going to be to find a trade partner for him if that's what the Warriors decide they need to do, because they want to keep the Steph played Draymond trio together and try to put depth and veterans around it. I mean, I would certainly would. I would certainly rather trade Pool than trade Kuminga. But it's going to be interesting to see how Jordan Poole
actually is. Okay, we zoomed through our six minutes on the Doves as well, So let's move forward to the Western Conference Finals, because I'm pretty sure we're on opposite sides of this one. I am going to boldly predict that Chris Haynes is boldly predicting the Lakers to win these West Finals. I think the Denver Nuggets are the favorites in the league at this point. I think they're playing the first two rounds has validated that and earned
them that respect. And this is the rematch of the Western Conference Finals in the bubble, but I think it's going.
To be a really going to be a very different series on this scorecard.
Am I right in suspecting that you are picking the Lakers to win the series?
Okay, now that's this is the question I have. I have a question for a question. Why would you assume I was picking the Lakers? I agree with you want that the Nuggets are favorite in this series. Wow, hold on, but why are you assuming that I will pick the Lakers over.
The Leak Because you've been you, to your credit, you thought the Lakers could make a playoff run even before the playoffs started, and I really did not.
I was dubious.
So that is why that is why I assumed it. And look, they've won two rounds I have.
Yes, I have. You're right, I did see this run. But I've also been watching the Nuggets play as well. So I mean, I'm not saying. Look, I'm not gonna give a prediction. I really hate predictions. I really do you know. We're NBA riders, were national NBA writers comments. Whatever, we all we can go off based off all we
can base our selections are picks on. Is the information that we received, the people we talked to, what we see being behind the scenes, understanding what's going to happen in the future, not knowing what's going to happen, but having an understanding of what teams are trying to do, and then we make our picks from there. But we don't know, you know, we don't know what's going to happen. But so Denver is the favorites. They are the favorites. It's going to be a tough task, very tall task
for liquors going there and win. I don't know who's going to win. If I was a betting man, which I don't bet, I don't believe in losing my money that way. Maybe other ways, but not that way. I'll probably go go nuggets. But this is a this is going to be a tough one.
You want to elaborate on other ways you're willing to lose your money.
We have that would have to be an uncut podcast in a different lane. I don't know if people want to know that Chris Haynes, I know, I don't know if people are ready for the other lane of Chris Haynes. Let's keep Chris Haynes in the NBA lane right now.
Yeah, I mean, look in the bubble, remember in the bubble, Like I don't want to diminish what the Lakers did, but there was no travel.
There was no travel.
No, I'm not missing it's a fact there was no travel in the bubble and that helped. And now there's not only travel, but they got to go to Denver, where the Nuggets have been sensational at home. The Lakers are going to have to deal with the altitude.
Now.
You also have to say, on the flip side, the Lakers have been sensational at home in these playoffs. The Lakers of Los Angeles the first team in twenty nine series to deny the Golden State Warriors a road win. The Warriors had won a road game in their previous twenty eight playoff series in a row, an NBA record, and they went zero to three at Staples in these playoffs.
The Lakers have been great at home. Two and look the Lakers, I mean, at least Lebron and Ad they can go back and you know, look at how they dealt with Jokic and Murray in twenty twenty. But both players I think are much better now. Now, Murray, I guess you could probably argue that because someone will say the Bubbles the best he's ever played, But Jokic for sure. I mean, Jokic had no MVP awards at that point, so I think Jokic is a different beast than he
was in twenty twenty. And yes, if the Lakers can get past Denver on this stage, man, they are going to make a lot of people eat some serious crow.
And I'm looking forward to a Stein. When you think about the Joker, look at look at the MVP, Starn, look at the MVP. You know, it's always a bad look, always a bad look when, even though I know the MVP is a regular season award, there's always a bad look when the MVP is bounced prematurely in the first
couple of rounds. And then there are people now that's saying that it should have been Jokers MVP to begin with, and I would say that I believe Joker had the better year this year than he had you know, two previous MVP seasons he's at so this is only going to add fuel to the fire. And I don't know if joking, because he doesn't talk to us about these things. So I don't know if Joker is like even more fired up that he didn't get the award and he's just gonna take it up on the opposition. I don't
know if that's how he's built. You know, maybe he's just internally motivated in the first place, or maybe he does. I don't know, but you know, it's never a good look when the MVP has bounced prematurely.
And that's why it's only gonna make the summer longer for Joe El Embiid because Joker is on the stage now. Jokers in the conference finals for the second time in four years, a stage Philadelphia has not reached. But it's really the two years that Joker didn't make it. In those four Jamal Murray didn't play. So Jokich is you know, Jimmy Butler to me was MVP of Round one, with apologies to Jason Tatum and his fifty one point game
in Game seven to send Boston on. I think Jokich has been the best player in the NBA in Round two and it's gonna be a fantastic It's gonna be a fantastic contrast this Lakers Nuggets rematch. And again, remember the Lakers.
They were. They had so.
Much size in the bubble. Besides Anthony Davis, they had Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee. That's a big question mark for me with now a D and really no size to support him.
This is where this is where Tristan Thompson. What if he's going to play in any series like play Maniful Minutes, it's going to be this series and Mobama don't have to get a shot here. I don't like that at all. Mobamba, I know, I don't like that at all. Come on, now, I don't like that at all. I think Tristan Thompson I wouldn't be surprised if he's the backup center with this series. Can't have a D.
Say we went long on the West Finals, so let's move to the East Finals. Our last two topics here East Finals, and of course we will close with John Moran, but let's let's look at the East so you know, Boston survives huge props. They were down three to two, I said on the last pod.
And maybe even the previous pod.
I can't remember now, but I I I thought Philly was winning the series when it was three to two. I thought the have finally crashed through their second round barrier. They're going to finish the Celtics in six. They did not Tatum with those fifty one points in Game seven. Stephen Curry's fifty points in Game seven of Round one, that was the NBA record for game sevens, and look what happens. That record doesn't even last one round. It now belongs to Jason Tatum, who's fourth quarter in Philly
saved Boston's season. His Game seven outburst takes Boston into the conference finals. But man, Jimmy Butler, Jimmy Butler and Eric Spolster are on the other side, and I even though the Heat are the eighth seed, I can't pick Boston to beat miam Like I just Miami conceptually basketball wise, you look at the two rosters. With all the talent Boston has and the versatility Boston has, the Celtics should win the series. But I can't, Like I said, I can't pick against Jimmy Buckets and.
Spoke and think about this for a minute. I hear you, I understand, But I was covering the Miami Heats play in path they go from al They lost their first play in. They were the seventh seed, lost their first playing match to the Hawks. Then they had to they had to win either go home or go to get to the A seed. When they beat the Chicago Bulls, there was no way in hell that I saw this coming.
You win your your second playing game, and now you're that A seed going up against the Milwaukee Bucks, Janni after and now we're at the Eastern Conference Finals, tinn and you were taking them over the ten that represented the East in the NBA Finals. That's saying an awful lot.
I'm that big a believer in Jimmy bo That's why ever since you showed up on South Beach in your white suit, they got it together.
That's what it was. Well, I would tell you, I don't I wouldn't mind showing up on South Beach again. I wouldn't mind doing that, but I would be I would be on the Western Conference finals. But you know, I hear you. And then you think about, look, Tyler Hero has been out the entire does.
He have a shot.
Do you think he could come back in this series?
So when I was told when it first happened, I reported that the only way he can return is if they made it to the NBA Finals. And at that point, I was like, oh, he's out for the season. He's out, Like they see, Miami ain't making it to the NBA Finals. So I have to I have to check in with that to see if if there's any new movement, if he's getting better, if there is a possibility he can make it back for the conference finals. But yeah, when the injury with Down, I was told the NBA Finals
was the was the goal of the timeline. But yeah, I hear Miami. God, it's tough. Again. I don't like predictions, but yeah, it's tough to go against Miami, even though they're starting off on the road like they have been, which I think it's fine.
I think they like it. I mean that's the thing is like, it's more that my confidence in the Celtics is shaken, even though they survived Game seven, even though they came back from three to two, even though they extended the series when Philly had a chance to close it out at home. I just think Philly's own shakiness was too much of a boost to the Celtics in here. I'm not trying to diminish the achievement because again, you know, we've never seen anyone score fifty one points in a
game seven, like Jason Tatum just did. And you know, Horford has had great moments throughout these playoffs. Jalen Brown and Tatum are a great duo on their day. The Celtics have more depth. There's all kinds of things that I mean, there's a reason why. You know, Boston was initially seen as such a likely favorite after Milwaukee lost in Round one to those same heaters in five. But again, like I said, I just Jimmy Butler. To me, he has been since he got to Miami. He has been
a top ten player in this league. People think he only does in the playoffs, the whole playoff Jimmy thing. I mean to look at his Look at the numbers he put up in the regular season. This is going to be the second time in his career. This is he did make it. This was already because we know the All NBA teams. Now second time in his career he got snubbed from the All Star Game and ended up being an All NBA player because the end of the season writers realize that the coach is messed up
by not having him in the All String. I mean he is and he's playing as well as he ever has, even though he's got his own ankle issues. Like Boston can win the series, all I'm saying is I'm just not ready to pick them. You know, I am not ready to proclaim that they're gonna beat Miami. I just I think the Heat are just as tough and out as There.
Is no argument there. I think for Boston, they will say they got some momentum now. Jason Tatum carried them, has propelled them to this stage. They have a blueprint. They've been here before, so they're trying to rely on experience. It's recent experience, but they're trying to rely on that to try to get them back to the NBA Finals, which you know, I don't know, Like I'm trying to think, what is Celtics the favorites against the Warriors going into
the finals last year. I don't know. But it's still up for grabs. Even though I believe Denver pound for pound, probably has the best team, has been playing the best all in the postseason, they still could be beat. They still could be beat. So it's it's it's it's a good it's a good situation where we're having parody. We're seeing Peri we don't know what's going to happen. You didn't think the Lakers going to beat the Golden State Wars.
I felt like they had a great chance, and we saw the Kings push to the Wars to game seven. You know what Miami has been doing, you know the Knicks. I mean, it's it's been it's been really good. It's been really good playoff games to watch.
And just to be clear before we move on to our final topic, So you said you're doing your West all the way in this round.
I am West all the way in this round. I will be reporting for tn T, so you'll see my appearances on Inside the NBA, on the pre or post game shows. The Eastern the Eastern Conference Finals is going to be with tn T and Ali LaForce. She'll be over there doing the sideline, so I'll be on.
The west sidebar question, how much does the altitude in Denver mess with the Chris Haynes pregame routine?
Do you feel it when you're there?
Yes, I just make sure not to be talking on the phone as I'm walking up the stairs anywhere, because that's when you can lose your breath. That's when I can feel the shortness of breath when I'm walking, walking up the steps, walking stairs. So you know, I'm not
gonna be on the phone because I don't want. You know, I could be on the phone with an important source and they may be expecting me to have a comment at that time, and you know, I just can't talk because my breath is short, and they just hang up on me at a at a crucial point, I can't have that. So that's the only time I really feel it anything different. I don't really I don't really work out. I haven't really worked out in Denver, so I don't think I'll be doing that. So no, it won't affect me.
You won't be able to tell during my tn T hit that the altitude is getting to me.
All right, we moved to the last topic. Man, this is just so dispiriting. Just I can't even believe that we're here again. It emerges Sunday morning that there is a new video in which John Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies appears to be brandishing a handgun. The League is going to investigate it, but the Grizzlies almost immediately suspended him from all team activities. I mean that we are here again. I don't even know if I have the words to describe the shock.
I had the word and this was I report, you know, I reported, I report, I report. People Go follow my Instagram and go follow Stein's Instagram as well. My instagram is at chris By.
My instagram is useless. You don't need to follow my Instagram. I don't even post on there.
My son, by the way, my son, by the way, keeps me very posted on your Instagram activity since I.
Yes, lots of haircut material. But Tissha Pinero, you remember her, the great point guard that played for the Sacrament of Monarchs the w n b A. So I posted a picture with the details of John Morant in my on my Instagram account and in the comments she commented, and this speaker when we talked about where the where are the words for this, she commented, this day ja vu you get to start sin that that that hits it.
That that's right there. Stein. I've had so many comments, I mean, excuse me, so many d ms hit to me. Why are you reporting this now? This was two months ago? Why you report this now? This is old? That's just that's you media people just always bringing up old stuff, bringing up old stuff. Some of them I let it go, but a few that I actually do interact with from time to time, I was like, no, this one happened, is we ken? This is a new one.
No, it's it's.
This is it. It's a bad it's a bad look. I even think, you know, it's a bad look for the league.
No, And that's that's that's what I think most. That's what was such a common reaction after this story hit, that this is this is not just a Grizzlies crisis. Now, this is a league crisis. This this is something that impacts all thirty teams. And you know, the league was very lenient the first time, only issuing an eight game suspension to John Morant, and it was really only a two game suspension because they counted six of the games when he was away from the team on his own.
And this happened in the wee hour, you know, either late Saturday or early Sunday, just on Wednesday, just a few days ago. It was Wednesday that the All NBA teams were announced, and it was Wednesday that John Morant got confirmation that he did not make the All NBA team, which essentially cost him forty million dollars his MAX deal that he signed last summer and kicks in next season, instead of rising to two hundred and thirty three million as it should have based on his play on the court.
In his production, he was clearly headed for an All NBA berth until the March incident in Denver. So just Wednesday, he finds out that what happened the first time cost him nearly forty million, and that didn't stop it this time.
Stunning.
Let's let's walk. Let's let's break down a little bit what happened in this video, just a little bit for those who haven't seen it. I don't know why you haven't seen it, but for those who haven't seen it, He's in the car with some friends and it looks like the guy that's driving is going is goes on IG live and nothing against that. Nothing with guys going on ig live. Music is playing in the background. They're feeling themselves and John Morant is in the passion seat
and so you know, they show Jahn Morant. Everybody's grooving, everybody's feeling himself. The music. I don't know what song was being played, but during this time, John Morant appears allegedly flashes a gun and to his I've seen people like go at his potnam and I and I can understand going out his partner for for other reasons aside from this scenario right here. He didn't know Joe was
gonna flash that gun. So me, when Joe flashes it, he drops the phone, drops the phone to his knees, you know, look like you know, Job puss it, push the push the gun down. Then he he comes back on the live and they finished what they were doing. And I see people saying, man, why he put Joah in that situation? Well, you know he didn't like he told John to pull it out. You know, so we we gotta we gotta stop blaming others in and you know,
others do have a part to play for sure. That's that's another conversation we can have about the responsibility of those who are around you. But at the end of the day, he didn't make Job do what he did, and he surely didn't expect him to do what he did at that point. So now we find ourselves to brown zero. What does the NBA do now? Because Jah, the NBA was criticized when a Jah levy that penalty
that they did before. Now what now he's making Now it appears the NBA has to come on a little bit stronger and they're gonna say they're starting their investigation, and so we'll see what happens from there.
Yeah, all eyes on the league now, because let's face it, in the Adam Silver era, the reputation is that sanctions will be on the forgiving side, and the criticism that the league will get if it happens in this case will be incredibly, incredibly loud. All right, we I think again we I don't know that we did any of them in six minutes, but I think we did a pretty good job of getting to six major headlines in this league. Of course, there are many more, because that's
the kind of May it's been. And it's only going to get newsier because Tuesday night NBA Draft Lottery. It appears that I am going to be a witness to the actual events in the drawing room for the first time ever, a first for me. So that is going to be a fascinating experience to actually see who wins the lottery and then be behind those closed doors for sixty to ninety minutes, however long it is when the actual show takes place and no phones, and.
Then the world finds out.
And it'll be two in the morning Paris time when the lottery starts, and Victor Wembin Yama's Metropolitans ninety two team has a game Tuesday in Paris, and so he'll he will not be in Chicago. He'll be in Paris watching in the middle of the night to find out who he lands with. Houston, San Antonio, Detroit all three teams with the best shot at winning the lottery, but only a fourteen percent shot here in the era of
Flatten lottery odds. So I'm in Chicago. Chris is on his way to Nuggets Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. He and I will connect again soon for in the next pod, we will discuss who won the Victor when Benyama sweepstakes, the Brick for Vic Sweepstakes. We will discuss the early happenings in each of the conference finals, and of course, the way things are going, we will probably have more spins on the coaching carousel that we're going to have to dive into and the other thing that
we're doing out here in Chicago. This is where the free agency and trade discussion starts.
To take shape.
So lots of stuff going on in this league. Thank you guys so much for being with Chris and I for another edition of This League Uncut. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the show.
And Happy Mother's Day to all the money.
I totally please don't tell that I forgot.
I wasn't gonna even We were almost gonna shut this thing down before you sneak that in.
That's good.
You saved us, all right, everybody, thanks for being with us.
We'll be back with you soon.
Take care of everyone, and that'll do it for us.
See you next time. This League UNCUTAG and iHeartRadio production. Christine and Mark Stein