Only two weeks to go in the NBA regular season, so we're gonna do a deep dive on the MVP race. We mix in some Coach of the Year talk. Of course, we will discuss Joel Embid's looming return to the Philadelphia seventy six ers lineup. And if you didn't get enough marital and relationship insight and advice last week, stay tuned because we go next level on the real life talk. All that is next here on a new edition of This League Uncut.
Welcome to this League Uncut. In you'rel of twenty four hour NBA news. This you lose, Chris Hands, Let's come full work's time. It's so time.
This League Uncut is underway in on fire. This should be a good one.
Hey everyone, Welcome into the latest edition of This League Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes. We are recording on Monday night. It is still April Fool's Day, less than an hour to go East Coast time. As we start recording this, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of April second. I just was. I always had a thing with April fools Day. Just don't don't love it, Just trying to get through the day, want to avoid egg on my face. Just always feel like some ghastly April Fools. I'm gonna
fall for something. So I'm in the Central time zone, I'm under two hours to go. This should be a night that we're celebrating Caitlin Clark in the Elite eight nine threes forty one points. I'd much rather discuss that than April Fool's Day. But like I said, I am it's one of my many, many bizarre quirks. But can't wait for April second. Almost here, so almost here?
So did any of your friends? Did anybody catch you off guard with the Aprils fool?
Yeah?
I mean, look, I'm I'm sure it's happening. Knock on Wood. I don't have any. I don't have any Nothing comes to mind in terms of a super humbling April Fools experience. But I just in my old age, not as sharp skills are fading, you know, I just when I woke up to them, I'm like, all right, I'm gonna get sucked into some so I'm gonna fall for some tweet or something. So, like I said, knock on Wood, a little less than two hours to go from a year you know you're on the West coast. You still have
a few more hours to get through. But let's see if we can get through this episode without me falling prey to something.
Well, before we get to our NBA topics, I have two examples of one that would be considered an April's Fool joke, a fool's joke on me. The second one, I guess is a April Fools joke that this person I know uses pretty frequently every month. The first one is one of the friends, one of these friends, one of my guys, uh, one of my guys out here I got hoop with. He sent one, Uh sent me a text. And you know how you you can send
a text. Right when you send a text, you can say something at the top and you could space it out like keep space space space, and the rest of it is way low at the bottom, and so when it comes up as a text, all you see is that first line. So my friend sends me a text. He didn't get me because I don't I don't uh, I don't operate this way. But he sent me a text saying did you mean to send those news on your Instagram story?
And so I'm like, what what what.
I wasn't scared because I don't operate like that, you know, I don't consume content like that.
That's not what I do.
And so that I click on it and it's like all the way at the bottom, it finishes saying, April fools, just kidding in case your heart dropped, send us to ten friends to scare them. And so it had me worried a little bit. But that's about it.
So it did work to a degree a little bit.
But I was like, I don't that's not me.
Like if it was something else, like you probably got me on something else, but news, Nah, that doesn't. Nah, that's not that's not me. St So the second one, Stie, this one is vicious. I'm not gonna call my friend's name out on this, but this one is vicious. You might not even find it funny.
Sorry.
I have a friend right who his main job is. He lives in Hollywood. He makes props, like he knows how to like make fake human beings. He knows how to make just any type of props you see on set. He knows how to do this. But he has this twisted amusement for when he goes into hotels, right, and he checks out of hotels. Before he leaves the hotel.
He knows how to put pillows, wrap them up in sheets, and like he knows how to make it look like it's a body in that sheet, and he just leaves it on the bend.
He leaves him on the bed like it's a wrapped up body. And the free he said the first time he did it, he had to. He wanted to.
He wanted to see the house clean, the house, the house lady, the Cleveland lady's reactions, and of course the scared the living crap out of her man. And this is something he does on the regular. My dude has a little twisted amusement for doing this. But yeah, it's.
April Fool for him probably every month.
That is some squad you roll with.
I guess.
I was gonna say, Oh, he's a set desire, he makes product. What can he make for our show that we can we can use? And then you tell a story about him terrorizing poor hotel staff man. We are off to a flying start here on the April Fools edition this league uncut checks watch mine still has an hour thirty plus minutes to go until it's April second eagerly awaiting, eagerly awaiting. April. Second, you know what, let's talk about the NBA.
Chris Haynes, thank you, thank you.
You have gained your status as a year end awards voter in the NBA. And so look, we're we're basically two weeks to go in the regular season, two full weeks to go as of this April Fool's Day. So we are coming down the stretch of what to me is an MVP race that just gets more interesting, tighter. Three guys. I think only three players can win the MVP. But honestly, as of this April first, you know, I
am not an official voter anymore. I don't know who has the lead, And there has been a drum beat for weeks now that it would be Jokic, Jokic, Jokic, But look, I think Sga in Oklahoma City and Luka Doncic in Dallas are right there. First of all, the Thunder. The Thunder as we speak, lead the Western Conference. I believe they finished tenth last season in the West. Perhaps Producer Ryan producer Ryan back with us after a trip to Asia and shout out to pinch producer Tim Minnesota.
Tim got us through these last couple of weeks without Producer Ryan. But Producer Ryan is back. Hopefully he can check that to make sure that I'm accurate. Arise from tenth to first in the East. Obviously, the Thunder have added chet Holgrin to their team since last season. But Shay, you'll just Alexander, if the Thunder win the West, if the Thunder get the top seed in the West, that is going to bolster his case tremendously. And then Luka Doncic in Dallas, the Mavericks are the hottest team in
the league. They you know, team's success has been the one thing people have held against Luka Doncic all season, and I can tell you in the city where I reside in a lot of people feel that that's an unfair situation to Doncic because the Mavericks have been so injury laid in this season and so often Luka Doncic has had to carry this team shorthanded. But the Mavericks are pretty healthy now and they are the hottest team in the league. They just ended Houston's eleven game winning streak.
The MAVs only need a five and three finish to get to fifty wins. So now the team's success component. Luka has that to add to a resume that has everything else. Luka Doncic is gonna win the scoring title. He's going to be the first player in NBA history to average thirty three to eight and eight over the course of a season. So again, Jokic, Sga, Luka Doncic,
good luck trying to separate these three. But let me ask you, since you are going to be casting an official league ballot two weeks out, do you have a way that you're what's kind of your approach looking at the MVP race these last two weeks.
Well, I'll just say for the top two, it's fluctuating. I have not I have not predicted who will be my pick for MVP. As of right now. My top two is SGA, N and the Joker. So I'm gonna wait. You know, I got about seven games left between those two teams. I'm going to wait. But I think, you know, if we're talking, excuse me, my dog Prince is making an appearance. I don't know what's bothering him.
I think I think Prince is Team Luca. That's the problem.
Yes, that's what it is. Prince, Quiet, Quiet, Okay, So with that being said, Luke, I mean, look, Luca, I think I don't. I don't have a argument against Luca for being number three. It would be heart on my ballot. I think it would be he has a tall task to try to supplant those two I mentioned prior. But you know, just as far as my MVP vote in general, the number one pick is still open. I'm gonna wait until the final final game before picking my ballot.
And honestly, I would want to do the same. And I wrote that. I wrote a story Sunday night after I was doing studio pre and post for Ballet Sports Southwest on the MAVs Rockets broadcast, and then I came home and just wrote a story kind of touching on where the MVP race is. And that would be my advice to any voter. You don't have to decide today. There's two more weeks. This race is so close and
so good, let it play out. Ballots are not due until tax Day, April fifteenth, the day after the regular season. Let's see where the seedings all fall. Because obviously I do think think you know, if the thunder end up one instead of two or three, that certainly gives SGA's case and added dimension. But I again, I have to say, I think with the MAVs making the climb they've made, the MAVs are up to number five in the West.
I really didn't think it was possible for the MAVs to get higher than six, and suddenly they're in the
four or five hunt. And again, if the MAVs finished with fifty wins after the slew of injuries that they've had this season, you know, they are one of the top five teams in terms of starting lineups and for most of the season the best you know, kind of the lone playoff team that had to make so many lineup changes, so they've dealt with nothing but injuries changes and then obviously changing their team dramatically at the trade deadline.
And now they are just on a tremendous role. And I think that's made that's what's made it to me, a three player race. And then look, I'm you know.
Okay, people always you know, listen, we at certain times we've even said we need to give the Eastern Conference a little bit more love. You know, sometimes we go there, Sean, are you comfortable well making the top three MVP cadates all Western Conference players. There's not a player in the top.
Here's the thing for me, And again my ballot is mythical because I'm not an official voter anymore. But yes, and look, individually speaking, Janie has had a brilliant season, as good as season statistically as he's ever had. And the man is shooting sixty one percent from the field, which is just ridiculous. And then Boston has been the team of the season. They won their fifty ninth game tonight.
They are running away with the Eastern Conference. And so Jason Tatum, I'm sure, I'm sure both Yannis and Tatum, you know these are the ballot for MVP. The official ballot for MVP is five spots, and I would fully expect those guys to appear on most, if not all, ballots. But to me, my read of it, and this is again you could disagree, I mean, we all can disagree, but my read on it is because the Bucks are
so far behind Boston. It was eleven games entering Monday's play with Milwaukee as the number two team in the conference, but eleven games behind Boston, and the fact that the Bucks went through a coaching change and such a tumultuous season. To me, I don't think those are factors that many voters will overlook, and I think that's what will keep Yannis out of the top three. The Bucks are just so far behind the Celtics and it has been a roller coaster of a season in Milwaukee, and then Tatum.
Now maybe there's maybe there's more sympathy I think for Tatum because Boston is going to finish with the league's best record. My read on Tatum has been the Celtics are so good and there is so much talent in their top five or six. My my sense is that will work against Tatum's MVP case. Example, Derek White is the Celtics' fifth best player. He won Player of the
Week in the East two weeks ago. So when your fifth best player is good enough to win Player of the Week, to me, that's gonna affect your MVP case. But again, these are just this is just my read on it. The floor is now yours. You tell me what you see.
Okay, two things to that. I want first of all this Tatum situation. Then I'll get back to Jannis Tatum situation. Now Here, what you're saying, Derek White, that player of the week, the fifth best player. That just shows how deep and how much depth they have on that team. I get you, but for years, voters voted based off of the best player on the best team. That's notoriously that was the format for a lot of voters. The best player on the best team typically got the MVP.
Now that you know, we kind of went away from that, that shift in voting. But you know, Tatum based off of that format, based on how you know people voted before,
Tatum has a legitimate case for sure. I just want to say that number two on Giannis Okay Stein, I hear you talking about the Bucks are eleven and a half games back up the number one seed Boston Celtics, and they are number two in the East, and you know everything that happened with the coaching change and all that, But Stein, the Bucks still have a better record than Dallas, who you're saying Lucas should be at least number three
in the MVP voting. So I don't you know, so make what you have to say about.
That, yeah, because I just think it's a lot harder in the eat in the West. I mean, if the Mavericks were in the East, I think they would be closer to the Celtics than the Bucks are right now. But again that's a hypothetical. I certainly can't prove.
Okay, but you can look at you can look at head to head. I believe the Bucks beat the Mavericks both times. I okay.
So if we want to if we want to make this about two games, yes, if we want to make it about two games, then uh and did they definitely wanted Dallas? Because I was there and watched it with my own eyes, I honestly don't remember. Maybe your producer Ryan can look up and make sure that the Bucks indeed swept the season series. I honestly don't remember what happened when the teams played in Milwaukee. But look again, this is that's the beauty of this and that's what
the NBA. Every voter can do it different. There are no set rules, there are no set criteria, and every voter sees it the way they want.
To see it.
So and look, I appreciate in the Boston case, especially both for Jason Tatum and Joe Missoula in the Coach of the Year race, like it's you know, the Celtics are. Their regular season resume is as good as it can be. This is going to go down as one of the great regular seasons in NBA history. And Joe Missoula, I fear for him, is probably going to be punished in the Coach of the Year race the same way that
I suspect Tatum will be in the MVP race. That the team and the roster is considered so good that for voters, I think voters are going to be more apt to look elsewhere, Like in the Coach of the Year running, I think Mark Dagnault and Oklahoma City, Chris finchin Minnesota, Jamal Moseley in Orlando, and I would even say Emo, Udoka and Houston with the way the Rockets have charged in the second half to put themselves in
the play and mix. Again, these are my suspicions. Maybe I'll be proven wrong on all of them, but my suspicion is that those guys have a better those four coaches have a better chance than Missoula. Because we have.
To stop this. You did we have to stop this.
We have to I'm explain why why I'm saying this, Well, first of all, Check the producer Ryan did Check Bucks won both games, and Dallas just want to put that out.
So it's official Yanni's had a better season than Luca because the Bucks won two games. It's official.
Well, first of all, Giannis is averaging a career high in points, shooting sixty from the field. I mean, I think you can make a case. I think you can make a case. Period, Stan, you can make a case. I'm gonna have to bring Giannis on to see how.
Please do let's bring him on.
I want I'm not let me see how he feels about that. You make your case case for Luca, and I have Giannis make a case for himself.
He wouldn't. He wouldn't do that. He doesn't want to. He even said he doesn't want to talk about m VP stuff.
Yeah, but if he hears what you guys have to say, I think he might want to talk. I think he's.
Actually I know who will want to talk. The analysis will want to talk for sure.
Oh you know what, you know what, he might not be a bad person to bring on, cause if Yannis won't talk, the NASAs will talk.
I saw that clip where he said, if you say anything out of order about the Bucks, He's gonna be all over you.
Yeah.
I told him it's eventually coming. I'm sorry, NASA is eventually coming. Man, It's eventually coming. But Steian, I have to stop you on it, he said. Now now I forgot. Oh yeah, we gotta stop this Coach of the year. We're penalizing Missoula for having a great year, and you want to talk about you know, all the players.
He has is so much depth.
I mean, this is really his first full season of knowing he's the head.
Coach, and he's done a tremendous job. It's sine.
I mean, let me tell you about Listen, he may Udoka. I love the brother. That's my guy.
E Mauka. I love the guy that's my dog. But we just started this playing tournament what a few years ago, and so now we're going to give Coach of the Year to somebody whose team is in the eleventh spot.
I didn't say he would win. I didn't say he would win.
But no, I ain't said, but he should not be over Missoula is my point.
Okay, So, and my thing is this, we're.
In this certificate giving generation. Everybody should get a certificate. Nobody sin I'm gonna tell you when I was in elementary school, I'm gonna tell you true story, Stein, I'm running track. I was on the relay team, the four hundred relay team. I was the league guy, so I will always start us off. So in track in elementary school, I'm pretty sure it's like this today. You get a medal for first, second, and third. I never had a medal before. Never fifth and sixth grade. I've never had
a medal before. Fifth grade year. Running the relay, I get us off to a great start. We're in second place. Then the second, second leg goals, third leg goals, and our anchor goes and then we're end up in fifth place. I cried like a baby because everybody else, all my teammates, everybody else is in these other events. They walk around with medals on there, on there on, the on the next. So I'm like, all right, I'm gonna get it next season. Sixth grade season. Got us off to a better start,
better start number one. The first leg first, I got us in first place. Then second leg, third leg, anchor, we end up in fourth place, no medal. Again, I cried right there in front of everybody. The point I'm making, Stein, is that there was a hunger inside of me. I end up quitting track. By the way, because of that, because I felt out, you know what, I can't rely on my team.
I quit.
I quit. I quit because they didn't have the same appetite I had. Because if you have the same appetite, at least hold your own. If I put us in position, at least like, if we're gonna lose a spot, let's lose one spot, you know what I mean, Let's lose one spot. But I didn't get a medal at all, and I quit track. I quit track because of that, because you know what I said, I said, I gotta I gotta do individualized sports, and I ended I didn't do that. But that's what I was thinking at the time.
But Stein, we created this play in now and now it's like, oh, you know, every you know, the games are so much better, which is true, the games aren't so much better. But let's not forget. This is the eleventh place team three years ago. The level placed team is tanking, eleventh place team is irrelevant, eleventh place team is not being talked about, so let's not I'm not so promptly do they went on a great run, But
I'm not. I'm not praising eleventh place team over the number one team, okay, but in coach Maszula and the Boston Celtics.
And that's and you know what, and that's totally fine, and I get it. But I just think you're the Rockets are not an eleventh place team. I mean, that's what they are in the West standings, but they're an over five They're an over five hundred team. So in the East, two under five hundred teams are gonna make
the plan. I mean, I think you have to look at the overall record too, but look on your broader point, there will be people as mad as you about both Tatum and Missoula if what I'm saying comes to fruition and my you know, this is just my forecast, this is these are my premonitions what I expect to happen. But look, you have a ballot in your hand, so I guess what you're saying is Joe Moszula is your coach of the year.
I'm leaning that way. I mean, Chris Finch, Chris Finch, he.
Might be like, I've still undecided, but Chris Finch, Missoula.
Dagnaultagnal for sure?
What about what about Mos? What about Mos? And Orlando? And Orlando?
What he's done is yeah. In Orlando, what is that.
Has made the playoffs? I think once since or No, they've had one winning record. I want to say since twenty eleven, Producer Ryan, can you back me up on that one. I think one winning season and two playoff berths since twenty eleven something like that and the Magic. The Magic have been a top five defense and are still in the mix for the number three seed in the East, none of which anyone saw coming. So I think Jamal Moseley has to be All of those guys
would be ahead of email Udoka. I'm just saying. I think em Udoka has has forced his way into this conversation with the surge we've seen from the Rockets here in the second half, lots of it without Shanngoon, who is widely considered their best player.
The best player I would listen. When it comes to that Coach of the Year award, we have usually I've say we I'm talking about the media, we have usually voted based off of who overachieved. I remember Doc Rivers won Coach of the Year back when he was coaching
Orlando Magic. I want to say they were about a five hundred team, you know, we usually give it to a team that we didn't see coming, and they can be the seventh seed, they can be the sixth seed, even the eighth seed, but if they've been notoriously horrible for a while, you know, that's how we decided.
I get that premise, but I.
Think it takes away from the coaches who really are excelling on a year to year basis. And I don't want to dismiss I don't like like we're most improved now, Like the most Improved award is kind of.
It's changed on how people vote now.
Like I remember when Julius Randall got Most Improved Player. He got it averaging somewhere around twenty five points a game, twenty five or twenty six, and I looked at what he was averaging the year before.
He averaged twenty two. I'm like, that's most improved.
Like you go from twenty two to twenty five, that's most improved. I understand the Knicks, you know, they went to the playoffs that year. That's not most improved. To me.
I'm sorry.
I was still lean towards who had the biggest jump from year to the next. That's how I still kind of base it off of Like if you're averaging twenty two and then you come back and average twenty six, I'm not surprised, you know what I'm saying, Like, Okay, cool, like you got a little better, but that's not both improved.
Look, but the cut of numbers and other factors as well.
The fact that we're arguing like this, This is exactly what the NBA loves. And before the n Season Tournament, these debates about year underwards, that was like the number one driver of in season, regular season interest. And that's one of the reasons why we have an n season tournament now, because the NBA is constantly looking for things that will get people dialed into the regular season, and you know, nothing really does it like the MVP race
that is number one in terms of getting people. I mean, look how riled up Chris Haynes is with some of my suggestions. And that's what the NBA loves. They love, They love to hear us debating this stuff.
I mean, you think about the Phil Jackson. I'm talking about the great coaches, the Phil Jackson, the Greg pop Is, the pat Rileys. You know, how many to the Year awards you think they've won. Probably not nearly as much as they should have because we expect those teams to be great. Well, okay, if you expect them to be great and they live up to those standards, they should be rewarded, not just a coach that catch catches off by surprise or a team that catches you by surprise.
So yeah, that's it. I'm done.
Okay, Well, look I cannot wait. You know I will again, just because I'm not an official voter, I will still make all my pretend selections public when the time comes and you will have your ballot, your official ballot, and it'll be fun for us to compare what our choices work. It sounds like they're going to be pretty different.
And this is the part of season where I don't look forward to.
So for those who.
Don't know, and Primestein, you can tell me your experience as well. But when you stop voting, when you stop, when you stop casting a ballot, stein were the votes made public?
Then?
I want to say yes, But I genuinely don't remember what like it. I don't remember how long is it five years? Is it seven years? I don't remember exactly when they've been made public. But I'm my last year as a voter was twenty sixteen, seventeen, I can't remember.
See.
The thing is, I always made my votes public anyway, so like I never really worried about it. Like, okay, every year at ESPN, every single year, I printed all my votes, so I always made them public. So I haven't really paid attention to when that came in. But yes, like you said, now, whether it's been the last three years, five years, seven years, whatever it is, and you know what, I will ask someone at the league to tell me. So the next time we do one of these, we
can we can put a specific timeframe on. It's definite, less than ten years. But now, at the end of every season, they print a list showing exactly who everyone voted for.
Yes, they do so the chagrin of a lot of my fellow brethren and sister and in this media fraternity here.
Why because you got people calling you, yelling at you after the fact.
Well that happens.
But about two weeks before the season, I've already had two stars call the text me making sure I'm voting for them already. You know, they have they have bonuses, they have triggers and all that stuff. And so that's always a tough.
Yeah, that's why I'm so glad I'm not a voter. I hate that stuff. And look the bonuses, you all star bonuses, uh, you know, award bonuses. Those have always been there and they you know, they're substantial. But it's you know, the real problem, the major, major issue is you know, the All NBA stuff, because that becomes a deal where it's like millions and millions of dollars writing on whether so and so is a third team All NBA pick, And yeah, I just I want no part of that anymore.
So that's the point I don't look forward to. But aside from that, yeah, it'd be so it's been a few years since I haven't, you know, cast a ballot. But yeah, aside from that, yeah, that's what I don't look forward to. But it being made public to cost some riffs. You know, players they look, they see they want to see who you vote. And that's why I
don't make any promises unless I know for sure. There's been a time where MVP, who actually won MVP called and asked me who I was voting for, and at that time it was probably a week left in the season, maybe a little bit longer than that. And I knew I was voting for that person, so I was able to tell that individual, you have my vote for that. But right now I don't have like MVP, don't know yet Coach of the Year, do not know yet most Improved. I gotta look more into that sixth man. I'm thinking
right now. Off the top of my hand, I'm thinking Malik Monk. I think that's where I'm leaning towards.
But I will What a brutal situation for Sacramento to lose. They lose Kevin Hurder to a season ending shoulder injury, they lose Malik Monk for at least four to six weeks with a knee injury, and Malik Monk is indeed the leader in the six man race, and they lose both games of their baseball series against Dallas. The Mavericks have zoomed up to fifth after sweeping those two games
in Sacramento. The Kings now down in eighth in the West, and you know, Phoenix with a big win on this Monday night beating New Orleans lifts the Suns to seventh and gives the Suns half game cushion over Sacramento in eighth.
Lakers have been very good lately, solidly in ninth and then Golden State finally got a little bit of breathing room with Houston finally losing a game, Mavericks going to Houston and the Rockets eleven game winning streak, and Golden State with a win in San Antonio on Sunday night. The Warriors have now established a two game lead over the Rockets, and the Warriors will now play Dallas twice this week, play host to the Mavericks on Tuesday night,
and then the Warriors are in Dallas. I will see them on Friday on Thursday night, if I'm not mistaken. You have the Kings and the Knicks, and man another team, the Knuts, who are just going through it right now injury why And honestly, that's the whole East. I think Boston is pretty much the healthiest contender in the East right now, on top of everything else that the Celtics
have working. When you look at all these other teams that are chasing Boston, Milwaukee has obviously dealt with injuries all season long, same with the Calves. The Knicks don't
know when they're getting og Annoby or Julius randallback. Orlando's had good health, but the Pacers, beyond losing Benedict Maturin, Tyrese Haliburton has not been at the same level as he was in the first half of the season, trying to recover from that terrible spill he took on the floor earlier this season, He's still trying to find his way back to his best. Miami nothing but injuries, And really we should We did so much talk on who the new MVP might be. We really need to talk
about the reigning MVP. Joe l Embiid is coming back this week. Not gonna happen to day, but it looks like by weeks and he will be back on the floor after basically missing seven weeks for the Sixers with his knee injury sustained in San Francisco in late January. And I gotta say, man, as a Joel Embiid fan, I'm nervous. I'm worried for him. I just I hope for his sake that he's not coming back too soon.
I think ultimately he's gonna play because he wants to play, And you know, he was having a historic first half of the season, scoring better than only Wilt Chamberlain knows this feeling in NBA history. Joel Embiid was scoring better than a point a minute when he sustained his injury. I mean, the Sixers without him, it's it's brutal fourteen and twenty seven, I believe without him. So they desperately need him back. But man is does he have time to get right before the playoffs?
You know there's all hold on the play in?
Yeah, yeah, you're right, I mean that thing they're in the play in and it just you know, Joe Ellenbiid has been through so many injuries, like there is that chatter and that question would he be better off? Should he? Should he sit out the rest of the season to try to get as right as he can for next season, And clearly he doesn't want to do that. That's not the road, that's not the path he wants to take.
I remember I talked with him before it was it was a matter of fact, it was the day he got injured. I was doing that game in Golden State and he was. He told me that, you know, this season, because we were the MVP. Chatter was the MVP dialogue? Will he play enough games to win MVP? Exactly? And at that point he was like man, my focus is not on these games, he said. If I'm a missout on MVP because of me having to sit certain nights, he said, so, he said, because I didn't go into
the playoffs healthy last year and that hurt us. He said, So that's my overwhelming goal. And then that same day, that catastrophic injury took him out. I mean, that's like.
He's been you know, has he ever been able to go into the postseason healthy? And the answer is no. Every single year, something happens late in the season and he's playing through some sort of injury in the playoffs. And so that's just why, you know, you want to see him have a postseason run or two or three
where he is not physically compromised. And it's going to be really interesting to see what the state of Embiid's game is when he does come back, how long it takes him to get back up to full NBA speed. And then, as you said, they're in the play in right now, they are entering Tuesdays playing now after Monday night's results, let me just make sure I've got this right. So it's two and a half games back of the Pacers. The Pacers have only six games left. Now the Sixers
have seven games left. Can Philly get to six and they would have to leap frog Miami, which is also trying to get to six. But as it stands, if the standings as we speak turn out to be the way the standings look after all the games on April fourteenth, Miami would play Philly in a playing game, and then the loser of that game would play the nine to
ten winner for the number eight seeds. So in the current scenario, both Miami and Philly are looking at playing either Boston or Milwaukee in round one, which is a tough assignment on both sides of the coin. I don't think the top seeds like that anymore than the Heat or the seventy six ers do.
That's brutal, brutal, and but you know it's going to be interested in. It'll make the play and even more appealing. You got Philly with be in there with Joel Embiid, hopefully you know he stays healthy and able to play to his star level potential. Then in the Western Conference you got Lakers and Golden State and then now Sacramento and now Phoenix as of right now. So it's going
to be some good. It's going to be a great what do they call those the appetized, it'd be great appetizers before the playoffs kickoff.
So you know, you know Joel pretty well. So let's let's pretend that Joel embiid rang you up and said, hey man, I'm thinking about coming back, but I'm also thinking about shutting it down for the rest of the season. What would you tell him to do? What would be your advice?
Well, if he's sticking those two things, then obviously the injury is still a major concern. If he's still thinking about shutting it down. So if that's the case, then I will say I will probably if he's asking, I would probably say, you know, go ahead and shut it down because if you're not ready at this point, because this is a scary time. Sn remember like he's he's taking off so much time. People like people that play sports, like you, you will understand. It's tyn you understand as well.
Is that like when.
When play he just basically said, I don't know, I don't play sports. That was that that was kind of a shot at me.
That's not that's not that's not what I said. That's not what I said. I included you. I included you. There was inclusion of a sign into the equation.
Because I'm not in the league at catch straight. All right, it's all.
Right, you're okay, You're okay, sign You're okay, You're in there. But like these guys have been playing already, like they they're already in a group, their bodies are conditioned for this and then the playoffs or to play in n CUA A tournament type style. Feel you take it up
even a notch above that. And so you're asking the guy who's been out for months to just come into playing in that type of a level, that type of intensity, Like I don't know that he can properly train himself to get his body ready for that style of play. And if the injury is still a concern that's still in the back of your head, you're not ready, and you'll risk even more time or even a more of
a devastating receptible and more of a devastating injury. So that will probably be what I would would say if he were to ask my opinion. He's not gonna ask me, though, No, it's.
Just a funny. It's just a fun hypothetical.
Yeah, that's that's what it's. It's it's tough. It's tough. He's a big man. The history, the history of injuries that that he's had as well, like that all has the factory into your decision making process.
One thing, though, you just reminded me, I do gotta get give you some props here, because this is funny that this has actually happened. I don't even know if you've been paying attention to this. If you remember a couple episodes back, we were going through the standings with Minnesota, Tim, and I said, remember we did a draft. We each each drafted what are the three storylines that were most interested? And you came up with that nonsensical suggestion that you
were waiting to see whether Detroit could catch Washington. Well you should be. You should be celebrating because Washington had won three in a row and we did that. Pod Since since then, the Wizards have lost to both the Pistons and the Nets, and now the Pistons are only a game back of Washington in that riveting battle for spots thirteen and fourteen in the East that you apparently can't get enough of. And now that the race is on May, maybe maybe the Pistons can escape the Eastern Conference.
Cellar, I told you, Stein, a little Birdie told me something. Steine. I told you, man, the Wizards have lost three in the row. Now, Stein, and you were questioning me.
He was like, why did you pick them?
Why?
I think what I was really questioning was why you found that so Ryan. What we did was we said, hey, we're gonna have a draft. We're gonna pick what we each see as the three most interesting storylines in the standings from here to the finish line. And I drafted a list of like seven things. So no matter what, I let Chris go first, So no matter what he picked,
I would have an answer. And let's just say that the battle at the bottom of the East between Washington and Detroit was not on my board, so I did not have to dig too deep into my lists come up with three nominations.
At lastly, Stin, I want to let's bring producer Ryan up the speed on last story time with Chris Haynes.
Because I would have shout out.
I would have tweeted, I got a tweet, I want to shout this individual out. I don't know if you've seen it, Stein, but okay, the tweet came from his handle is mister ESPN, but it looked like it looked like it looks like his name is Trip McNeeley. He said at Chris by Hayes The Streets needs a marriage podcast during the off season Man hashtag story time with Chris hashtag Popeye's Now producer Ryan weigh in on this. I'm gonna do it real quick. Tell you what happened.
You tell me if if you agree or not or whatever. Sty I mean, Producer Ryan. I was telling him Stein about my wife when we were younger, in our late teens early twenties, we would get in the arguments in the car all the time, and she would be and she would just get so mad, let me have the car down, let me have and she would just get out the car, no matter where we're at, just get out the car and start walking. And so I had the you know, you got two options, produce a Ryan.
You either going to pull up to the on the side of her and try to convince her to get back in the car. Baby, come on, let's work this out. Get back in the car, or you're driving home and let her walk. But produce a Ryan. You know, if you drive home and let her walk. The relationship is over. So that's what it is. So I told Sin not too long ago, for the first time, I pulled what my wife pulled back in the day. We're at pope'sm and drive through. I forgot what the argument was about.
We're about three and a half miles away from home. She says something that got on my nerves and I was like, Man, get me out this car. I got out the car, I started walking. So as I'm walking, Producer Ryan, I'm like, Man, why did I do that? But I'm thinking, I'm thinking back to when she used to do that back in the day. She's going to have to pass byby after she gets out that drive through, Producer Ryan, you know, she just passed right by me, didn't stop like I would have done back in the day.
So that's what that's. That's what I was like, it's messed up as a double stand.
Wait, they're leaving out the best and most confounding part of the whole story, which was which he was more than three miles away from home and decided to walk the three plus miles instead of just calling an uber to bring him home.
I told, I told my reason for that producer Ryan. I feel like if I was going to really be about the smoke and get out the car, I couldn't sat and call an uber.
I had to be about it.
I had to see the whole walk through.
And that was my way.
Like me like me pulling up in an uber and she seeing that, it's like I'm a punk. Like I got out, I act like I was about to smoke, and I and called an uber. I'm like, I had to see it through. I had to walk the whole way. I'm not doing it again. But it's a double standard, Ryan, because if I if I'm if, I would have just passed my wife up while she's walking, even though she chose to get out the car and walk. If I just passed by her and went home, the relationship is over.
But she can do that to me and just passed by me and see. And when I got home, I said, why are you to stop? She was like, I figure, I figured you need time to cool off, so I'll let you cool off. Right. So my question to you Ryan, your wife, have you ever experienced that your wife getting out the car.
No, I've never experienced that, but I am not surprised in the least bit that this turned out exactly as you explained it, that she would leave you out there and just go, I'll see you at home.
After all that time, her doing that? She all Ryan.
So if your wife hypothetical, you haven't been through that, and this is good. You have a great relationship. So if she gets out that car and just I'm walking, kid, I can't stand you right now, leave me alone, I'm walking, she gets out the car, what are you doing from that point on?
Following along until she gets back the car?
Yeah, look at you, rightI what are you doing with SI?
Come on?
Man?
Of course I'm stopping. But I think we're missing I think we're missing the larger hypothetical here, which is, are you heeding this call that you want to turn this into a that you want to you want to devote some episodes to pure discussion. He said in the off season marital and relationship topics, right the bran, What do you think when you hear that?
Ryan, Look, especially in the off season, I'm all for it, and I just have I have this one detail that's stuck in my head now about what happened here, what happened to what happened to the Popeyes? Did you get Popeyes?
Did she.
That was discussed in the last episode.
That was discussed.
Yes, that was wow. You did not didn't get me Popeye's.
That's tough.
Three and a half mile walk home and no.
Food stop, Stein producer Ryan. If the shoe was on the other foot, it's a totally different story. But me, I had to walk as the man, I'm getting passed by on I'm not getting my food order after an hour and a half walk. It doesn't It's not right, it's not right.
So that was it.
We caught you up to speed and that's what and that's what our good friend on Twitter slash x mister Trick McNeely, the streets needs a marriage podcast during the off season.
I don't know about that. We're gonna really have to sit down and have a long discussion.
Oh, my wife heard it. So I told my wife.
Hold on, which I was worried about.
I was hold On, I got hold on. We gotta add this just a moment.
Let me get hurt because she said she gotta tell her truth now because she said I was leaving stuff out. Hold On, take two minutes. The street sneeze is starting. Hold On, it's not a Mercy come here. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.
Your truth. You gotta add your truth.
You gotta add your truth. So sign and producer Ryan beg for your your version of what happened from the papas. Can you hear?
Yes? So this is the wife.
And now we welcome in Charlotte Haynes to give her version of events to see if they really line up with the story that we've been told by Chris B. Haynes. Are you are you aware of the verse version that we have been told?
I am. Yes.
Chris shared it and I told him I'm going to have to go and listen to this on my own to see if he's fabricated, and I said, I need to fact check Chris as usual.
So yes, I have heard his version, though so accurate.
How accurate it was it? You know what?
Now you already noticed that he went from three miles to three point five miles. So that was one that was a lie, but just just the beginning of it. It was I mean, if you some people know he can throw temper tantrums, you know. So it was simply I asked, hey, do you what do you want to eat?
Oh?
I don't know what I want to eat, So then I said, okay, I'll choose. We were already in the area, so I chose Popeye and then he just went off, I'm getting out. He got out of the car, and I'm the type of person where it's like, hey, if you're upset, I'm gonna let you be upset. I'm not gonna chase you down so we can have a whole argument. And also, you know, we have the kids and the criss I was just like, let me go ahead and
let them walk. And of course I was like USTe, and I said, hey, if he doesn't want to walk, he can uber. So you know, so as we're driving the kids and now we're driving back home and I see him, but he gives me like a look like he's still mad.
So I'm like, looks like he wants to stay.
Out there, and I was like, well, I guess we'll see him at home. But I also was I noticed he had on Air forces and if anyone knows about air forces, they're like rigid shoes, they're not walking shoes.
And I was like, why would he want to walk? Like I'm waiting for him to call and want me.
But he felt he had to, and so you know, he was just he really created a problem for himself. And I was just like, well, I guess i'll see him when he gets home.
Ok. Those other times were back when we're younger.
You just jump out the car.
Lies and fabrication, Lies and fabrication.
Because number one, if I did get out of car, he's not pulling on the side saying sweetie darling, honey.
It was all I was like, who is this guy? Is this a guy from a movie? Like this is he's on the side, get in here?
Are you crazy?
So yeah, lies the way I am bring back back when X was Twitter and they do that fact check and you know, false information.
Yeah, community, maybe we need some community.
And then I wasn't like I wasn't like, oh sweetie baby getting the car.
But I'm like, you're crazy to get get in the car. That's not lying. You did jump out the car. Did you jump on the car?
Jump out?
I just said I'm not getting in this car until you are nice.
That's it.
And then you got in the car every single time.
No, sometimes I just went on my married way. Okay, well this thing came along side.
She wanted to tell her version.
Yeah, I can.
She wouldn't tell her version, So that's that's it.
It wasn't you know.
It's just a little discreptancease here and there.
Both producer right and I were just the touch surprise that when he did make the three mile walk home or three point five miles according to some sources, whichever, whatever the distance was, we were just a little curious why there was no Popeyes for him when he got home.
Oh you but remember, as I stated in the beginning, he said he didn't know what he wanted, and he decided as we were as I just after I made a decision, then he decided he at least didn't want Popeyes, so I said, okay. And and then another fact is there was enough for him if he did want something, because he does that sometimes too. He'll say I don't want anything, then you don't bring him something. Then he's
mad that you didn't bring it for him. So then I'm like, you know, I tried to kill kill two birds with one stone.
I thought I made the right decision.
I was kind of waiting because we also we stayed in the area for a little while. That's the other funny thing, because we thought he was kidding because it was just so like what.
So we're like waiting. I'm like this because wiener Snissa was next door and he usually likes that. So we're like waiting. I'm like, where did he go?
And so as I drove off, I thought he just called an uber and got in an Uber. And then as we were driving closer to the house, I'm like, did he really walk over here?
And he's still looking upsats I said, Okay, all right, this.
Is a key new information because if I'm understanding the story correctly, your choice of Popeyes factored into him leaving the car. So yes, yes, if that's true, Chris Haynes, why were you upset about not having food that you didn't want waiting for you when you got home?
Well, listen, I didn't want pop Pas from the get go, but still, as the husband and provider of this family here, I would feel like to have the option of having some Popeyes here since that I am part of family.
I mean, was I kicked out the family that day?
Stein?
You don't know.
We can't.
We cannot allow this when the fight starts. Because you didn't want Popeyes, you can't expect your fair share of Popeyes waiting for you at the house.
That's that's not as usual. Producer Ryan cuts right to the chase, just like just like in the famed Aaron Haynes incident. Producer Ryan settled this quickly.
Thank you.
You need you need to have the little gabbl and just just you know, put your put your decision down.
Hey, gentlemen, I asked you.
While she was talking, she was scrolling on her phones going to GPS, trying to actually get the knowledge of how far it is. She thought she thought I was really fabricating the knowledge. I just did it. It is exactly three miles three point oh exactly, and I.
Will I will verify that it is because we can't always trust what he says here.
But I'm a journalist.
You can't say that I just did.
You guys need me to fact check, you need me to I said. I was listening to him, like, hold on, what did you say? I need to go and hear this for myself, because.
No, he does this.
But but Producer Ryan, I still had the Popeyes because yes, that's how he thinks. Even if he's throwing a tempertansion about not wanting something, if he don't bring it even though he didn't want it. He's going to throw another tempertension, which is why when I saw him, I said, let me go ahead and let.
Him continue to walk home.
Okay, just know, next time you picture fit and want to jump out the car, I'm letting you walk home.
I don't believe it. I don't believe that.
Thank you, wifey by. Sorry about that. Guys.
All right, so I guess we'll hear what the people have to say if we still have if we are still qualified to be doing relationship discussions on this League uncut after this episode. I'm not sure, but the people will let us know.
That was that was for you, mister McNally. Mister mcn.
You you need it.
And yet again you take this podcast in directions we could have never imagined. And on that note, we are going to sign off with this edition of This League uncut. Mark Stein, Chris Haynes, special guest Charlotte Haynes, and producer Ryan That's why he needed a two week vacation away from us because of episodsodes like this. All right, you guys know what to do. Please follow the show, rate the show, review the show. Come on, was this not
a five star episode. Was this not five star podcast entertainment? Dare I say it was? Chris and I will be back together very soon for another edition of This League Uncut. Last week, I wasn't able to see any NBA games, but I've got Hawks and Warriors back to back coming into Dallas this week. Chris Haynes, as mentioned, he's got a sideline game Nicks and Kings, so we will have lots more to discuss the next time we do this. Everybody, thanks a mil for listening, and that'll do it for us.
See you next time.
This League Uncut is and iHeartRadio production.
Chris Haynes and Mark Stein